Fine, I'll Try a Small Ship - Live GRANDEUR Review (July 2, 2016)

[cruzinlady1947]

South Pacific Lounge.

 

 

 

 

I've been following along, just not posting, but this picture brings a lot of fond memories.

 

The section with the blue chairs is where we spend our time during the D-D+ happy hour, when they have to have an overflow, which is almost every time we cruise the Grandeur. We spent a lot of time there in December for our 50th Anniversary.

 

Do you know if they had an overflow into the South Pacific Lounge on your cruise? We are back on the Grandeur next month and wondering if it is crowded at this time of year. We usually don't cruise during the summer, so don't know what to expect.

 

We have been on the Grandeur at least 8 times and seems like our second home. Your pictures bring back some great memories......thanks for that.

 

I am really enjoying your live review. I'm happy that you like the ship. My favorite ship, but haven't been on any big ships. We only cruise from ports that we can drive to easily. And the Grandeur fits the bill.

 

The crew is awesome and it is good to see the same faces whenever we cruise on her.

 

Loved the pictures of Giovanni's. Love that place. We eat there for our BOGO dinner on he first night of our cruises. Food is delicious and your pictures made me hungry for it.

 

Thanks for taking the time to do this review. Greatly appreciate it and your pictures are great!

 

Six more weeks and I will be on the Grandeur, can't wait!

 

 

Gwen :)

[Yorkvillain]

At first I had chosen the Anthems of the Seas for this route in late August. After reading all the reviews and the reviews were consistently bad, I got nervous and switched over to Grandeur of the seas. I know that it is a much smaller ship than we are use to but I didn't want to pay the higher price for a new ship and get worst service. It sound like a nightmare the Anthem of the seas - very slow service, they nickel and dime you for everything.

 

 

I generally like to keep my reviews positive but I have to address this here. Service on this ship has been really slow all week. The staff at Park Cafe are really slow and they looked absolutely miserable to be here.

 

Service at the Schooner Bar has been painfully slow all week. We had to walk away a few times and go somewhere else. We saw others do that everyday as well. There were so many times were there was only one bartender working with 8-9 people waiting for a drink. I saw several times where someone ordered a Corona (like me) or a Miller Lite and they had to go in the back to get it. Really? How are there not plenty of those two common beers at the bar already?

 

We only ate in the MDR once and it was also painfully slow.

 

Believe it or not I'm not complaining! We love this ship and hopefully we will be back on it again next year.

[spielerin]

I think when you get within a certain window of time before your sailing, your OBC becomes available to use within your cruise planner. That was the case at least with my June Anthem sailing.

 

If so, sounds like best of both worlds. Thanks.

[Yorkvillain]

 

Do you know if they had an overflow into the South Pacific Lounge on your cruise? We are back on the Grandeur next month and wondering if it is crowded at this time of year. We usually don't cruise during the summer, so don't know what to expect.

 

 

Thanks for following! It has not felt crowded at all this week.

 

We only popped in to the Diamond Lounge twice this week for a drink or two and there were never more than 4-6 other people in there so there was no need for an overflow. We went around 7-7:30 both times.

[JohnGaltny]

I generally like to keep my reviews positive but I have to address this here. Service on this ship has been really slow all week. The staff at Park Cafe are really slow and they looked absolutely miserable to be here.

 

Service at the Schooner Bar has been painfully slow all week. We had to walk away a few times and go somewhere else. We saw others do that everyday as well. There were so many times were there was only one bartender working with 8-9 people waiting for a drink. I saw several times where someone ordered a Corona (like me) or a Miller Lite and they had to go in the back to get it. Really? How are there not plenty of those two common beers at the bar already?

 

We only ate in the MDR once and it was also painfully slow.

 

Believe it or not I'm not complaining! We love this ship and hopefully we will be back on it again next year.

 

It seems to be a function of the ship and the week.

 

If you may recall, I was ready to quit RCI several cruises ago but my last two were back to the Royal feel.

[Clarea]

It seems to be a function of the ship and the week.

 

If you may recall, I was ready to quit RCI several cruises ago but my last two were back to the Royal feel.

I had felt the same (poor service) about the bar service on Brilliance, but had excellent service on Vision and Majesty. Don't know what it is, but it does vary.

[Yorkvillain]

It seems to be a function of the ship and the week.

 

 

 

If you may recall, I was ready to quit RCI several cruises ago but my last two were back to the Royal feel.

 

 

 

I had felt the same (poor service) about the bar service on Brilliance, but had excellent service on Vision and Majesty. Don't know what it is, but it does vary.

 

 

Agreed. I would not be shocked if the service is amazing the next time we are on this ship.

[cruzinlady1947]

Thanks for following! It has not felt crowded at all this week.

 

We only popped in to the Diamond Lounge twice this week for a drink or two and there were never more than 4-6 other people in there so there was no need for an overflow. We went around 7-7:30 both times.

Thanks for the quick response. Just what I wanted to hear. Every time we cruise on the Grandeur, the overflow takes over the whole South Pacific Lounge right outside the Diamond lounge. And we cruise about 3 times a year on the Grandeur.

 

Thanks again.....

 

 

Gwen :)

[Biker19]

Agreed. I would not be shocked if the service is amazing the next time we are on this ship.

 

That's the way it was in March.

[Vickywants2cruise]

Need to come back to finish reading. Will be on Grandeur and RCCL for the first time in Dec. Previous cruises all on Carnival.

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Forums mobile app

[depplep]

That's unfortunate about the service because in the end, that's what sticks out about the cruise. At least for us. Worst service ever across the board for us was Oasis and I would be extremely reluctant to book that ship again.

It is what it is. If you had slow service it's worth noting.

[aichambaye]

Sadly, service staff who are miserable will be slow and will not enjoy their jobs. My guess is the management of the ship's wait staff is bad - making them all hate their jobs. A good boss goes a long way to making the staff care about and enjoy their jobs. A slave driving ******* will make everyone - including passengers, by extension - miserable.

[Yorkvillain]

This just happened.

 

Dry roast beef sandwich (They don't have the good au jus on this ship. They use regular gravy instead) dipped in delicious mushroom soup.

 

 

 

 

 

True story.

[Laney219]

regarding service in the MDR... I find that it takes the servers a day to get in their groove with the guests. Not saying it is an excuse, but only dining there once may have had an impact on service.

 

I totally agree with you about the slowness of Park cafe. Painfully slow, especially late afternoon or late night when they are the only venue open.

I would rather a self service station be open to speed things along a bit.. I can get my own hotdog in the WJ... I can do it in Park Cafe!

 

No excuse for not having the bar stocked with the beer. Easiest 'drinks to make'!

[Laney219]

This just happened.

 

Dry roast beef sandwich (They don't have the good au jus on this ship. They use regular gravy instead) dipped in delicious mushroom soup.

 

 

 

 

True story.

 

That looks delicious.. Nice and pink.. just how I like it!!!

[Yorkvillain]

Dinner tonight is at Izumi at 8:45. I hope I'm hungry by then.

[Yorkvillain]

regarding service in the MDR... I find that it takes the servers a day to get in their groove with the guests. Not saying it is an excuse, but only dining there once may have had an impact on service.

 

 

We went to Chops on night 1 and then the MDR on night 2. Our tablemates in the MDR said it was just as slow on night 1.

 

I would say the service at Chops and Giovanni's were both very good. The waiters in the Diamond Lounge and Gisleni the Concierge were outstanding as well. The bar staff and waiters at the VCL were also pretty good so I guess the only slow areas that we encountered were the MDR, Park Cafe and Schooner Bar.

[coneyraven]

We went to Chops on night 1 and then the MDR on night 2. Our tablemates in the MDR said it was just as slow on night 1.

 

I would say the service at Chops and Giovanni's were both very good. The waiters in the Diamond Lounge and Gisleni the Concierge were outstanding as well. The bar staff and waiters at the VCL were also pretty good so I guess the only slow areas that we encountered were the MDR, Park Cafe and Schooner Bar.

 

 

I guess we'll have to get our drinks from the R Bar, then schlep on up to the Schooner for the windows

[A&L_Ont]

Dinner tonight is at Izumi at 8:45. I hope I'm hungry by then.

 

Ok, Harmony cruise we have to go there. Lisa has no desire to go in August with Owen and honestly she is more of a meat and potatoes girl. She'd tag along if we went as a group but I couldn't get her to go with just me.

 

Edit: Peer pressure is a wonderful thing.

Edited July 6, 2016 by A&L_Ont

[Mysschevous]

Ok, Harmony cruise we have to go there. Lisa has no desire to go in August with Owen and honestly she is more of a meat and potatoes girl. She'd tag along if we went as a group but I couldn't get her to go with just me.

 

Edit: Peer pressure is a wonderful thing.

 

I am also a meat and potatoes girl and Izumi was nice. I had a hot rock beef tenderloin. :)

[Yorkvillain]

#FinishStrong

 

Finish strong is exactly what we just did after a great dinner at Izumi. Food porn to come later on.

[A&L_Ont]

I am also a meat and potatoes girl and Izumi was nice. I had a hot rock beef tenderloin. :)

 

I think you will have her at tenderloin.

Edited July 7, 2016 by A&L_Ont

[Yorkvillain]

Ok, Harmony cruise we have to go there.

 

 

Only once?

[h20skibum]

Great review York.

 

Enjoying the scopes. I was a little annoyed when someone called about work during the belly flop scope. Really, who calls about work during work hours?

 

We were on the Grandeur in 2009 to Key West. Royal still did this, but I think you had to wear your robe to VCL to get to see it!

 

 

 

 

Enjoy the rest of the cruise. Will be following till the end.

[varganator]

I have loved the review, and my wife has too, through me laughing out loud and then reading the post to her.

 

Can you recommend a server/bartender to look for. Also, do they have any beers which do not have Mexican names, brewed in FLA and owned by a Belgian company?:)