Just Back from Grandeur 9 Day Eastern Caribbean out of Norfolk

[jannam]

We just got back from a fabulous cruise on the Grandeur. I hope to be able to do a more thorough review, but wanted to see if anyone had any questions for us. Here are the highlights:

 

The pre cruise hotel we stayed in - Lake Wright Quality Suites was great. Only problem was they didn't seem prepared for getting the 14 people booked on our cruise over to the port together. They offered us noon or 1:00 and apparently all but one couple choose noon. They ended up taking us over in two vehicles, but for a minute, we thought we were going to have to wait for 1:00.

 

Boarding was pretty smooth. Only problem was the computers that read your seapass as you get on were having issues and kept locking up about every 5 minutes. Bit of a delay there, but we got on board shortly after 1:00.

 

Our Outside stateroom on deck 4 was great. It only three doors from the Centrum, so very convenient to everything. Out Room steward was great as well.

 

Food was good. We did Breakfast in the Windjammer most mornings. The omelets were always very tasty. Lunch was half Windjammer, half Dining room. The Salad bar int eh dining room was great. Wish we had discovered that earlier in the cruise. The burgers int he Solarium weren't great, but there was plenty of other food available. Diner was in the dining room every night for us. For the most part, it was great. Our servers, Sujet and Kenger were both great. I wish we could take them home with us.

 

We got into San Juan much earlier than scheduled, 5 hours early at 9am. We went full speed as of Saturday morning due to a medical emergency. It was nice to have the extra time in port, I just wish it had been under better circumstances. Apparently the Hotel Director had a heart attack. He made it to San Juan, but later passed away.

 

San Juan was nice. We toured El Morro and walked around Old San Juan.

 

We got off the ship late in St Tomas, I guess it took a while to clear the ship. We were trying to make the 8am ferry to St John, but didn't get off the ship till 8am, so we got the 9am ferry instead. Trunk Bay on St John as beautiful. Exactly wat I would picture a perfect Caribbean beach to be.

 

Samana was our favorite stop. The only down side was the long tender ride in the ship's life boats. We did the 4x4 Safari Adventure and loved it. Got to see a lot of the local villages, a typical Samana farm, a nice waterfall and a beautiful beach. Got to try all sorts of local products at the farm. This was the only stop we did a ship excursion. Getin on the tenders in the morning was not fun. We collected int he theater until they called our tour. THey called a few, then all the rest at once. Because they called too many at one time, we spent a lot of time standing in the hall on deck 2. I think they could have left some of us sitting int he theater for a bit longer so we all weren;t standing there for so long blocking the hallway.

 

Labadee was very nice, We spend the day in one of the shaded cabanas on Barefoot beach. While it wasn't too crowded for us, I don't know if I would enjoy it if we were on one of the ships with a lot more people. BBQ lunch was okay, labadoozie was good ;)

 

Disembarkation was a little unorganized. We went tot he theater at our scheduled time - 8:30 - and they hadn't even called the 8:00 group yet. Once they finally called our group, we then had to wait out on deck five promenade for a very long time as there were delays shoreside.

 

Well I hope this gives you guys the highlights. Let me know if you have any questions.

 

--Janna

[wenpond]

:) We are doing this same cruise in November leaving out of Baltimore. I'm excited to hear that you're group had a great time. Thanks for all the info. Looking forward to a Labadoozie!:D

[KatnipKris]

Thanks for the review. We will be on this exact cruise leaving on June 4th. Any other tips or suggestions you can recommend?

Like what was the best dish in the dining room? What evening show did you like best? Did you visit the library and if so do they have many books to chose from? Do you know anyone who ziplined in San Juan?

 

Sounds like you had a good trip, we are now packing and wanting for our turn:)

[WiseSky]

We did this cruise last June on Grandeur and loved it so much we have signed up for it May 2010 on Enchantment from Norfolk.

[Helen]

Did you happen to go into the Piano Bar? Wondering how the piano player is.

We enjoy going there before or after dinner especially if they are energetic and interact with the passengers. Thanks for the info.:)

[jannam]

KatnipKris - I think the best dish in the dining room was the tenderloin of beef (I think that is what it was) on the first formal night. The Pork medallions on the first night were also very good. We only visited the library briefly, so don't know how good the books were. My husband would go up to get the daily Sudoku. I don't know anyone who did zip lining in San Juan, but I do know a few who did the zip line in Labadee. They said it was really fun once they got up there. Once of the jeeps that takes you to the top broke down and they wouldn't take them up in shifts.

 

Our favorite show was one of the guest entertainers. I forget there name but it was a combination of black light puppetry, and then an Argentine Gauchos show. A trio of drummers/dancers.

 

The two production shows we saw were good (the rock an roll review and the broadway review.) Although one of the singers was much better than the other three.

 

Helen - We didn't make it into the piano bar much, mainly due to the cigarette smoke, so can't comment on the piano player. But There were a couple musical acts that were really good on the ship. Johnny and Take four were excellent. Johnny could make his voice sound like almost any popular singer. Also, Rosario Strings was great.

 

Oh, and the ship was in great shape. The only sign of wear I saw was around the mirror in our bathroom.

[buckanear]

I'm so glad you had fun, and thanks for the great review.

 

My heart and prayers go out to the HD's family and friends.

[Cruisatary]

I was on this ship and itinerary May 7-May 16. I had a blast. It was wonderful and very relaxing. Our cabin was next door to the library. The library had a very, very poor selection of books if you were looking for nonfiction. The books for sale in one of the shops were pretty decent. They had a book by one author that I really enjoy reading. For the life of me, I don't understand why I didn't get the book when I saw it. By the time I completed the book I brought with me, that particular book in the shop was sold. What was on the rack was all there was. I certainly hoped they restocked before it left port for the cruise after us. The food was wonderful and the service superb as always. Our waiter, and assistant waiter, Gilbert and Ferdinand, were professional and tons of fun. They were so accommodating. And Nike, the bartender in the Champagne Bar knew our names and drink preferences from day one. He even showed me how to carry a martini glass without spilling it! ;) And the cute greeter, Suzanne, in the Windjammer cried when we left. She said she cries at the end of each cruise. What a sweet person she was. I look forward to the Enchantment sailing out of Norfolk. It was a pleasure to leave my house, have someone drive me to the pier, and board. in less than an hour. When we left the ship, I was home by 9:30 that morning. I felt like it was a dream. It all happend so fast and was so fantastic.

[CruisinWithMySweetie]

The Salad bar int eh dining room was great. Wish we had discovered that earlier in the cruise.

 

I loved the salad bar in the MDR during lunch! I had this most days on my cruise over New Years and there was always a ton of options to mix and match into your salad. I hope the Mariner offers the salad bar during lunch too.

[CruisinWithMySweetie]

My husband would go up to get the daily Sudoku.

 

I was on the Grandeur over New Years and got hooked on the daily Sudoku! I had never played before but it became one of the highlights of my 10-night cruise, especially on sea-days. DH and I would grab a couple lounge chairs at the back of the ship, sip our drink of the day, and have fun with Sudoku:).

[runningtide]

Thanks so much for the review. My wife, I and our two son's (18 and 28) are on the same crusie from Baltimore 7/16. Love the idea of a small ship. Our first cruise was on Horizon (Celebrity) to Bermuda. We loved it.

 

This is our second cruise and first with RCCL. Everything we have read indicates Grandeur is a great ship. Can't wait :D

[sailingawaysoon]

We just got back from a fabulous cruise on the Grandeur. I hope to be able to do a more thorough review, but wanted to see if anyone had any questions for us. Here are the highlights:

 

The pre cruise hotel we stayed in - Lake Wright Quality Suites was great. Only problem was they didn't seem prepared for getting the 14 people booked on our cruise over to the port together. They offered us noon or 1:00 and apparently all but one couple choose noon. They ended up taking us over in two vehicles, but for a minute, we thought we were going to have to wait for 1:00.

 

Boarding was pretty smooth. Only problem was the computers that read your seapass as you get on were having issues and kept locking up about every 5 minutes. Bit of a delay there, but we got on board shortly after 1:00.

 

Our Outside stateroom on deck 4 was great. It only three doors from the Centrum, so very convenient to everything. Out Room steward was great as well.

 

Food was good. We did Breakfast in the Windjammer most mornings. The omelets were always very tasty. Lunch was half Windjammer, half Dining room. The Salad bar int eh dining room was great. Wish we had discovered that earlier in the cruise. The burgers int he Solarium weren't great, but there was plenty of other food available. Diner was in the dining room every night for us. For the most part, it was great. Our servers, Sujet and Kenger were both great. I wish we could take them home with us.

 

We got into San Juan much earlier than scheduled, 5 hours early at 9am. We went full speed as of Saturday morning due to a medical emergency. It was nice to have the extra time in port, I just wish it had been under better circumstances. Apparently the Hotel Director had a heart attack. He made it to San Juan, but later passed away.

 

San Juan was nice. We toured El Morro and walked around Old San Juan.

 

We got off the ship late in St Tomas, I guess it took a while to clear the ship. We were trying to make the 8am ferry to St John, but didn't get off the ship till 8am, so we got the 9am ferry instead. Trunk Bay on St John as beautiful. Exactly wat I would picture a perfect Caribbean beach to be.

 

Samana was our favorite stop. The only down side was the long tender ride in the ship's life boats. We did the 4x4 Safari Adventure and loved it. Got to see a lot of the local villages, a typical Samana farm, a nice waterfall and a beautiful beach. Got to try all sorts of local products at the farm. This was the only stop we did a ship excursion. Getin on the tenders in the morning was not fun. We collected int he theater until they called our tour. THey called a few, then all the rest at once. Because they called too many at one time, we spent a lot of time standing in the hall on deck 2. I think they could have left some of us sitting int he theater for a bit longer so we all weren;t standing there for so long blocking the hallway.

 

Labadee was very nice, We spend the day in one of the shaded cabanas on Barefoot beach. While it wasn't too crowded for us, I don't know if I would enjoy it if we were on one of the ships with a lot more people. BBQ lunch was okay, labadoozie was good ;)

 

Disembarkation was a little unorganized. We went tot he theater at our scheduled time - 8:30 - and they hadn't even called the 8:00 group yet. Once they finally called our group, we then had to wait out on deck five promenade for a very long time as there were delays shoreside.

 

Well I hope this gives you guys the highlights. Let me know if you have any questions.

 

--Janna

That's terrible about the hotel director. Sounds like you had a great cruise.

[emdia43]

How is the Terminal in Norfolk?

[jannam]

Yes, Grandeur is a great ship, with an even better crew. I know Enchantment is supposed to be better, but I think I will miss Grandeur when they replace her in Norfolk/Baltimore with Enchantment next year. Not to say I won't give Enchantment a try though ;)

 

The port at Norfolk is really nice. It is only a couple years old. The only draw back seems to be the car traffic in front of it. If you are parking at the pier, my recommendation would be to go straight to the parking lot and drop your luggage with the porters there, so you don't have to deal with the traffic. Although getting picked up was a bit more hectic than getting dropped off.

 

It wasn't until later in the cruise that we heard exactly what the "medical emergency" had been that got us to San Juan early. We felt terrible for his family. In the middle of a two and a half day sea voyage is a really bad time to have a heart attack, if only we could control these things. I guess we were closer to San Juan than Norfolk when it happened, thus the speeding up instead of turning around.

 

Overall, it was a great cruise for us. There were some minor annoyances, but nothing to stop us from having a great time. Now on to planning the next one - Alaska in 2010.

[Helen]

Runningtide,

We are also on the Grandueur 7/16 with 2 sons 19 and 24. I have been on the ship once before without them and looking forward to 9 days. We also cruised to Bermuda on the Horizon and it was so sad to see her go. We loved that ship and crew...but we love going anywhere on a cruise we don't have to fly to embark!

[YumPo]

We were on the Grandeur on May 21st as well (hi Janna!) and it was a wonderful cruise. Janna has done a great summary; I can add a few more details:

 

We had a junior suite on the starboard aft side that was quite roomy and spacious for both of us, even though I missed the walk-in closet I had on the Explorer of The Seas. I thought the Gradeur was a lovely ship, just the right size, and felt more "ship-like" and less "floating hotel-ish" than the Explorer. Our stateroom attendent, Anthony, was a joy-- I wish I could take HIM home with me, too! He kept our room spotless and brought us anything we needed or wanted. Every evening he delighted us with a hilarious new towel creation and insisted it was the work of "The Magic Man".

 

We had the breakfast buffet every morning in the Windjammer, and were pleased with the selections -- everything was hot, fresh and tasty. The fresh fruit, yogurt, eggs, and bacon were always my choices. Luch was always from the Windjamer as well, and although I usually didn't eat much, I tried to taste a tiny bit of the interesting dishes. The curries were always good. The soups were great! The desserts could be hit or miss, except for anything mousse-like --those were excellent!!! Mango mousse was sooooo good. I usually had a very light afternoon snack at the Windjammer as well, and they always had hamburgers, hot dogs, good french fries if they were fresh and hot (they do a good job of keeping them hot and replenishing them), and taco fixings, plus deli meats and cheeses, salads, soups, desserts, and something different every day, such as wings, fried fish fingers, assorted hot meals, etc. I was very impressed.

 

We had dinner every evening in the dining room and the first night, we were seated at an assigned table with a waiter who was a complete jerk. We complained to our headwaiter, Kirk, who was fantastic, and signed up for My Time Dining instead. After that we had the most wonderful waiter, Romar, and assistant waiter, Christopher. They truly went out of their way to turn around what could have been a horrible 9 day dining experience. Absolutely totally without complaint, except for the first night (plus that first night, my pork medallions were inedible-- Janna, you had the good ones!).

 

In St. Thomas, we took the Ocean Racing excusion with On Deck and really enjoyed crewing and racing on the 40 foot Farr racing yacht. In Samana, we went on the San Limon Horseback Ride and Hike to the waterfall, which was a tremendous experience, but it is EXTREMELY STRENUOUS and is not a sedate little ride on a horse on a level dirt path-- although you have a guide, the "path" is barely there; it is strewn with numerous, big, muddy and slippery rocks and mud holes; it is steeply pitched up and down; and you ford a river at least three or four times on horseback. Once you get near the waterfall, you go by foot down a slippery, muddy, rocky path to a stream that you wade through to finally reach the waterfall which is gorgeous and cooling. After resting, you have to do it all again in reverse. I LOVED this excursion (well, I didn't like the tender ride and the bus ride) and I highly recommend it IF you are ready for it: wear long pants to protect your legs from the saddle; wear cotton socks (for under the rubber boots they recommnd you wear and they supply, which are like Totes rubber boots -- very thin); bring an extra pair or two of cotton socks to change into AFTER you are through wading the stream on foot and fording the river on horseback so you have something dry to wear; bring a small backpack with a towel to dry your feet, your spare socks, a change of clothes if you want a dry set after you swim or after you finish the excursion, and a bottle of water; bring some cash as you might want to buy chocolate, your photo on the CD-DVD, and to tip your guide -- and you really SHOULD tip the guide. They work so hard but aren't supposed to ask for any money. I gave mine $20, as he not only helped me with my horse (although he also gave me more freedom once he knew I was comfortable with her), he walked/ran every step of the way with me over that horrendous terrain, wearing tattered, flimsy Totes rubber boots, and held my hand and guided me as I made my way slowly down the hill to the stream and waterfall and back again.

 

Another highligh of the Grandeur is Captain Rob -- he has the BEST personality. His afternoon announcement were so humorous, and his "Nautical Notes" presentation on the last day of the cruise was very informative and worthwhile. He took the time to talk to anyone who had questions afterward and also posed for photos. Just a super guy.

 

The entertainment was okay, except for Al Katz, the comedian who was REALLY funny. We also loved Johnny and Take Four -- his voice was amazing, and we loved dancing to his band.

 

I climbed the rock wall, took Tai Chi, had a piano lesson, and my companion did the Sudoku Challange (and came in second). We took a dancing lesson as a brush up; the couple who taught the classes was very good. The library is beautiful, although there isn't a great assortment of books. We found a few (but we brought a lot of our own). The shops onboard were okay; I didn't see anything I really had to have. If the prices had been lower, I might have considered a few things.

 

I thought the Activities Director was annoying, and the Cruise Director seemed nice, but wasn't that funny. (They are married to each other.) I'm sure they are very nice people, but she came across as TOO nice and just too fake. They did a good job of providing information for disembarking via the stateroom television channel, however.

 

We didn't participate in the Belly Flop Contest, or the Mr. Sexy Legs contest, or the Love and Marriage Game show, or BINGO, or The Quest. There were two late night (midnight) buffets that we passed on as well.

 

We would DEFINITELY sail on the Grandeur again. I hope she has some different cruises out of Baltimore, although we'd consider taking this trip again after taking a cruise to the Southern and Western Caribbean.

[jannam]

YumPo - thanks for adding on your experiences. It's always good to have multiple perspectives.

 

I had completely forgotten to mention Captain Rob. His dry sense of humor was the best. He always poked fun at the boring nature of his nautical updates. And of course his opening line "Good morning ladies...and gentlemen." And the one day he told us to find a soft spot to land because if we weren't asleep yet, we would be by the time he was done.

 

Glad your dining room experience improved after the first night. And yes, always tip your tour guides when they do a good job. We tipped ours in Samana well.

[dwdwnurse]

Hi Janna,

Thanks for the great Grandeur review! We leave in 3 days and are so excited!!!

 

I just have a few questions:

1) Was there a 70's night?

2) Was the pool area crowded on sea days?

3) Any other theme nights?

4) What was the average temperature in Samana and St. Thomas?

 

Thanks! We're doing Terry's tour in Samana and Godfrey's tour in St. Thomas. The horseback tour sounds pretty wild!

 

Thanks for answering my questions!

[Cruise-Nut]

:) We are doing this same cruise in November leaving out of Baltimore. I'm excited to hear that you're group had a great time. Thanks for all the info. Looking forward to a Labadoozie!:D

 

I took this cruise last year out of Baltimore. The only negative was that it was a bit cold the first day and 1/2 and the last day. Other than that I love the Grandeur - Been on her 3 times. Bring a light coat.

[jannam]

Trying to remember if there was a 70's night (most of that was up in the disco, and we didn't get up there much) There was a "Rock and Roll" night and a Country night. Also, there was a big pool party as we left San Juan.

 

The close in pool chairs in the sun were pretty full on sea days, but you could usually find a couple chairs if you kept a look out. Not horrible chair hogging on our cruise at least, so chairs would come available.

 

The weather in all the ports was about the same. A bit hot in the sun, but lovely in the shade. I guess that would be upper 80s?

 

I didn't find the air too cold on the first and last sea days on ship. The pools were definitely cold on the first sea day though. And it was a bit windy on the first two sea days. The seas were nice and calm the whole trip though. If you ever get cold by the pool, there is always the Solarium. They kept the Solarium top closed the entire trip. And keep a lookout for the bird living in the Solarium. I wonder how long ago they picked him up ;)

[runningtide]

Runningtide,

We are also on the Grandueur 7/16 with 2 sons 19 and 24. I have been on the ship once before without them and looking forward to 9 days. We also cruised to Bermuda on the Horizon and it was so sad to see her go. We loved that ship and crew...but we love going anywhere on a cruise we don't have to fly to embark!

 

 

Hi Helen;

 

We are really excited about leaving out of Baltimore. We live in Annapolis, and watch Grandeur pass by our marina at Podickory Point all summer. Never though I'd be on it looking back towards home :) When we went to Bermuda in 2005 it was out of Norfolk. As I said, I really like the small ship feel, though Grandeur is larger than Horizon, I trust what I'ver read on CC about all the great qualities of the ship and crew.

Hope to bump into you and your family. We did sign up for the M&M.

 

See you on the 16th :D

[dwdwnurse]

Thanks Jannam for all of the great info! I can't believe that in two nights we will be onboard!!!

 

Thanks again! :)

[kirbster]

Hello Jannam,

 

Do you recall any ballroom dance opportunities? Was there a dance band on board? What type of bands were on board?

 

thx!

[bermudababe]

Thanks for the review. My husband surprised me today with the news that we will be traveling on GOS out of Baltimore on 7/16. We have traveled on past cruises to Bermuda and Western Carribean. We are recent empty nesters and will be taking our first trip alone since before children. Never been to the eastern carribean . . . so I plan to lurk here for the next 5 weeks for reviews and advice. Thanks, again for the great review.

 

Song of America 1997

Song of America 1998

Inspiration 2002

Inspiration 2004

[jannam]

kirbster - Johnny and Take four played all types of music, from the standards to rock. Most evenings there were opportunities for dancing in the Centrum or the South Seas Lounge. YumPo who was on the same cruise as us said she danced many nights on the ship.

 

There was also another band, I forget the name who was always listed as "Easy Listening". They also played some dance songs. The evening music and dancing opportunities were always listed in a special block on each day's Cruise Compass.

 

bermudababe - You will love the Eastern Caribbean. Check out the boards for each of the ports once you are ready to get specifics about each port. We did beaches in St. Thomas (St John, actually) and Labadee, and sightseeing or tours in San Juan and Samana.