Buoy65

I can't get an answer out of NCL about travel documentation for cruise from LA to Baja. I am assuming that my travel card will do. My passport has expired and will renew soon. Just wondering...First time NCL Cruiser..

There is also a lap pool in the spa. We're on her for the Christmas cruise this year - wanted to try a holiday cruise.

We are also on the holiday cruise on Star this year. We have been on a Christmas cruise on Royal and it was wonderful. Any concerns about security? I have heard that Mexico has cautions up.

This cruise is completely done after the agony of the Royal survey. It gets harder after each cruise as the length and time it takes to take it grows. However, I have learned that while extra money for the crew is nice...they really thrive on good feedback from guests. I always collect name and cards to use towards the end of the survey with the free form field.

First time on NCL but veteran of 14 cruises elsewhere. What are the aquatics like on the ship?

Taking a cruise around Christmas and just wondering...and any other tidbits or tips you would be willing to share about the ship or the line.

Thanks!

Thanks...my wife read me the story...and glad that there were recovered safely.

I've read plenty of reviews of the Grandeur, but most are adults, I don't see much for the kids to do. I know it's older and doesn't have any of the slides or golf, but just trying to see if the kids will be completely bored? We have 3 kids; ages 6, 4 and 1. Has anyone taken kids this age on this boat and how did it turn out? We are scheduled for a 9 day out of Baltimore in November.

We just got off Grandeur (yesterday) but not with kids. However, we sat next to a large extended family with three kids (two boys and one girl) who appeared to be from 4 to 8 and each night they were still full of energy and having fun. I noticed face painting on one night. We saw the family in the Schooner Bar doing a trivia game together. I believe they do have a ship program for your children except the baby. It is a small ship so there are not all the real cool stuff offered by the bigger ship (Oasis, Quantum etc). The ships compass had activities for children mentioned. And there is always the pool.

We have taken our girls to sea on Grandeur and I recall there was enough for them to do to stay active and happy and gave us some time on our own. I don't believe it was an all day thing.

I think they would have fun on Grandeur.

Anybody know if it was crew or guests that went overboard from a lifeboat on Explorer yesterday off Victoria? They were picked up by another vessel.

Just got off the ship yesterday. This was our fourth trip on her and our fourth time to Bermuda.

This was our first time in an interior room on Deck Seven...more forward than aft. A little tight space wise but doable.

We usually do a balcony and so we are spoiled. Oceanview after that and port hole last (unless it is a lower deck and underwater at times). An Interior room, I think forces you to get out or else you could go cabin crazy.

They are doing work on her. I saw a lot of the deck crew out and about painting above the Solarium and some noisy sawing and work there also. At Bermuda I saw external painting at the stern.

She looked great from the freeway I-95 as we rolled into the cruise port. We have gone from small (Grandeur) to mid size (Explorer) to large (Freedom, Oasis and Quantum) and each ship has been great.

Treat yourself and get a balcony!

I am sure...ships and ghosts seem to go together (The Mary Celeste comes to mind). A few years ago we went on the old Queen Mary in Long Beach, Ca Harbor. I did not see anything but the mood and behavior of my wife and youngest daughter changed as soon as they stepped on board,. Nasty arguing and etc. I felt like we were being watched in certain parts of the ship. The tour was cheesy with cheap scares and flashing lights. The swimming pool area is a known hot spot but distracting with all the hoopla. They said the old tour was better.

We didn't feel anything or see odd this time out but the rough weather which is natural anyway. I checked on the National Hurricane Center web site while at see and there was nothing but did see the large front that we plowed through. It was tropical but still a lot of rock and rolling.

Then there was the time my wife and I lost it on a jet ski in the Bahamas doing about 45 mph. Ouch and I nicked myself with the igniton key on the lanyard. Just a little nick and just a little blood in the water. We did not know about the large hammerheads that were circling the tendered ship.

You float in the water and look at the jet ski and think, "What the heck is underneath me?"

We swam quickly but carefully to the jet ski and continued on.

There are sharks in Bermuda but mostly outside the reef -- I think. We have gone in the water at Tobacco Bay (Saint George) and Horseshoe Beach and never been too worried. I ventured briefly into the Great Sound water....

Thanks for the info! I’ll be on the 9 night cruise for the 2nd time in a few weeks...

Sure let me know if you have any other questions or concerns

One of the head waiters is from Romania...generally Transylvania and specifcally a few miles from Castle Vlad. His name badge did say he was from Romania...I kid you not! Sleep well!

Bon Voyage! Carpe Diem!

Hmm...I don't think great whites but maybe oceanic white tip and there was a fair number of them.

No, I spent hours in the Sargasso Sea trying to point them out..."There did you see that?" Time after time after time. Plain as day...flying fish and loads of them. Maybe we were too high up on our balcony on Deck 7. I think I tried on promenade deck (5) also.

Finally the ah ha moment! Eureka! Flying fish!

I am not even retelling the gale we went through on another Royal ship in winter in the Triangle where water was running down the elevators and we slept up...we slept down...up...down...all night long...oh what fun!

Finally the ghost story on our first cruise on Grandeur where my wife smelt vomit and felt a presence in the dead of night. We checked but there was no one there nor was there an accident in the hall.

It is I think a strange body of water...

Okay...well then...are you sitting comfortably? The trip to Bermuda before this one was quite eventful and reminded us of real Bermuda Triangle stuff. On our way back we would asked by the Coast Guard to check for a disabled catamaran yacht that was having trouble at sea (demasted due to weather). Captain Thor turned her around and we did indeed find a yacht in distress. A zodiac type boat was sent out to check on the mariner. Oh did I mention the man eating sharks circling the yacht? I watched the whole event unfold. I saw the hestiiant crewman who did not want to misstep and end up in the maw and jaws of the circling monsters. But two went on and searched the yacht. Nobody was onboard. Kinda strange huh? Oh the Coast Guard had failed to tell Captain Thor that he had been picked up by helicopter earlier. YIKES! I think the Captain let the myth grow awhile -- if ya know what I mean? The sharks were real and curious and perhaps hungry.

Then there was the time I proved to my wife that there were indeed flying fish...

We cruised 7/14-19/2018 out on the Bermuda run from Charm City (B'More) and I thought I had typed an extensive review of this A minus cruise. Perhaps it will surface one day. Trip was downgraded due to weather and bookended by the final end of Beryl and a strong front that pretty much trashed an evening and half a day on the return. Some minor sea sickness (the barf bags were hanging from the stair railing) and they closed the pools on July 18th until late afternoon. I was a bit of lashing rain and rock and rolling. There was some minor rebuilding going on and the sound of loud sawing may have distressed some in the Solarium. Captain Patrick made his debut cruise on Grandeur and did a great job getting us out of the cruise port and into the Bay. Not sure if he has ever attempted the twisty turney run into Bermuda but there was scattered applause as he got us in ahead of schedule.

Sad to see the two sea days out gone and I felt our level of service was above average for stateroom to exceptional as the Head waiter produced an Asian Indian fish curry, dahl, and rice dinner(not on the menu). Someone must have grabbed the naan bread on the way out. Most of the crew was friendly to us except the guy at the purserers desk.

This was our fourth time on Grandeur and fourth time for Bermuda. We thought that the number of off ship tours was poor. We shopped and enjoy peace and quiet at the pool. The Darwin award type shop on the main pool deck was cute . I think there was a comic on board. And the Marriage Game and Quest...yada...yada...yawn. Two ship stuff was cool ...IZUMI sushi making class (she was soft spoken but we all make a tasty lunch) and the all access tour of bridge, galleys, engine control room.

All Grandeur trips to Bermuda are a little weird for us (tales to be told) ... But this one was pretty much straight forward and some need of improving entertainment and tours kinda cruise. No home run but a lot of fun!