Grandeur/Baltimore 6/10/05

[VABeach]

Hi Everyone! I am new to this site and sooooo very glad that I found it. :) I have spent several DAYS reading up here and have found the information to be so valuable. Dispite all the reading, I still have a few questions and was hoping that someone would be kind as to answer.

 

Where to start...

 

My name is Jenny. My husband and I have been married 4 years and have discovered cruising! It works for us. He likes Vegas, I love the beach, you know how it goes. After 3 cruises, I FINALLY talked my parents into going with us next year. It will be their first real vacation EVER, so I want everything to be perfect for them. My dad won't fly so we are booked on the Grandeur out of Baltimore on 06/10/05. We have always cruised on Carnival so this is our first on RCCL. I was hoping to cruise on one of the mega liners, but your posts have put me to rest about this ship. I think my parents will enjoy it.:)

 

OK, the list of questions:

 

1) The ONLY reason my dad is going is because he has always wanted to go fishing in Florida. Tarpin and Deep Sea. I have read some bad things about getting off the boat in Florida. At Key West he is on an organized Light Line Fishing Excursion, but at Port Canaveral, he is on his own. I found several charter companies down there and got him the phone numbers to book himself, but I don't want him to miss the boat or have trouble. Any advice would be greatly appreciated on this.

 

2) Key West - Do we need to book an excursion or is the boat close enough to just walk around? If so, what is close and what is good to do?

 

3) Dress Code - I know how CCL is, how does it compare to RCCL? My dad HATES to dress up. Is he going to be uncomfortable in some cacki pants at dinner?

 

4) Florida & Customs - Is it better for them to get Passports? Would they have to carry their Birth Certificates around with them off the ship? How does that work?

 

5) It's a 4 hour drive for us to Baltimore. What is the earliest time we can get there without being too early?

 

6) I know this is dumb, but I missed the Chesapeak Bay Bridge Tunnel in 03 when we cruised out of Norfolk, Va and don't want to miss it again. Is it better going out or coming back?:D

 

Well, that's a start. I'm sure I'll have more questions later. Thanks so much in advance for the help. You guys seem AWSOME! Jenny;)

[Annieeee]

Hi Jenny,

 

I am on the 6/10 sailing also. And I am really looking forward to it. This June we went on the Voyager out of Cape Liberty in NJ. It was about a 3 hr drive for us and it was really great not having to fly anywhere to board a ship. Baltimore is close by, and it will be a delight to be able to drive for maybe 30 mins and be at the terminal. MY hubby is not going, just a couple of my girlfriends and I.

 

I will be on the Grandeur in April,so if you have any questions about the ship I may be able to answer them for you. Do you know if a roll call has been established for our sailing date?

 

We have been on serveral RCCL cruises and I do know that my husband often wears docker khakis for casual night. For the other nights he wears a sport coat and slacks. Last cruise in January 04 on the Radiance, we did not go to formal night cause he did not want to wear the penguin suit. He has to wear a suit to work every day and we have seceral black tie affairs during the year, so when he is on vacation he wants to not have to get all dressed. On formal night they had chateaubriand for dinner, we went to the windjammer and guess what, they had it there too. I think we enjoyed it so much more in our relaxed attire.

 

I am going to check out the roll call board and if there is no roll call for our sailing I am going to start one, so come on and join me.

 

Annieeee

[Annieeee]

By the way Jenny, have you asked your lquestion on the VA/DC/MD cruisers thread? I know several of them were on the Grandeur this summer going out of Baltimore, they may be able to answer you questions in regards to Key West and Port Canaveral excursions.

 

 

Annieeee

[VABeach]

Thanks for the reply!!!:D I did post on the other thread. I'm a sucker for get togethers.:p

 

It's cool that someone else will be on the same ship. I did buy my husband some Dockers for our first cruise in '02 and it was like pulling teeth to get him to wear them. (He informed me that my priorities weren't right.) My husband never wears a pinguin suit, not even a real suit, so the upper scale lines are out of the question for us. My dad is an old farm boy from North Carolina and probably still only owns the suit he was married in 30 years ago. My husband is just a typical NASCAR kind of guy that feels better in his jeans. *sigh*:rolleyes: What's a girl to do??? I just want everyone to have fun.

 

Please let me know after your April cruise. I'll be dying to hear. BTW, I'm so jealous that I have to wait until JUNE!!!:cool: