Grandeur review 3/31 - 4/5 First time RCL Cruiser ( Long)

[nstr]

Myself, DH and DS sailed The Grandeur Of The Seas during spring break in Florida 3/31 - 4/5. Here is my review:

 

Finding the port and getting on was a breeze. We did arrive 45 minutes before they closed the doors so we missed the big lines. Went to our room - Deck 3 interior cabin 3079. With the bed pushed together it is like a claustrophobic shoe box with more than 2 people in it. 3 of us in there with the bed like that was unbearable for me. I had the steward push the beds apart and voila - the shoebox went to a shoestore ! That extra space in the middle made all the difference. 3 of us had no trouble at all sharing the cabin. I will upload pics of anyone wants to see the cabin.

 

We had a small couch and glass table too. If you book an interior with 3 people in it you will have no problem. 4 people would be pushing it for me but if your up for a challange its doable. I spend time in my cabin changing several times a day, showering , resting etc. so I like my space. I was afraid after hearing how small the cabins were but its situated well.

 

The cabin showed its wear though and there was the sewage smell but I have been on 3 cruises and smelled it on every one. I guess thats part of cruising. The bedding was brand new, soft, clean and comfortable. The towels were soft and clean. Our steward was great - kept my ice flowing and my beds made and my cabin clean. Thank you Terry and crew!

 

Up to the deck for the sail away party. I notice the ship is not well maintained - part of it is just age and the other part due to the constant crowded cruises of spring break. I overlooked it but cleaner is better :( . I must say the cleanest part of the ship was the Solarium. Its just beautiful. No kids and quiet and built like some ancient Greek architecture. Lovely. Thank you Franklin for the great drinks ! The Solarium fries lived up to the legend. Best fries ever. The hotdogs looked grey all week so we skipped those. Burgers got cold quick but the pizza was good after a night @ the Viking Crown ( more later ! )

 

We had been given the late seating by mistake and of course the waiting list to change that was a mile long so we stayed late seating. We missed some things the first night due to eating late but the rest of the week eating late did not interfere at all. It was less crowded and we ate upstairs which was superb. They did accomodate us for a table of 3 - Thank you Jason !!!!

 

Thank you to Osben, Antonlin, Franco and Lenin and crew !!! Great service, great conversations and anything we wanted we got !! Of course Lobster is now only being offered on 7 day cruiseS or more so no Fishermans Platter for us :( but everything we had was great and more was offered if you wanted more of anything ! We were treated wonderfully and rarely had to ask for anything at all as it was always right there being given to you. Only once my husband sent back Lamb Shank when he didn't realize it was dark meat LOL. He was quickly given a steak instead and was very happy :)

 

I loved the marinara sauce and ate it several times. Also the Strip Steak was great. The Eggplant Tower was yummy too !! The bread was delicious. The desserts too - we had the Ivory Fondue - amazing !! The Warm Chocolate Cake which I love and Bannana macadamia cream cake with caramel and chocolate ! Sooo good. We ate lunch twice in the dining room and it was great. You must get the B-52 dessert - out of this world !

 

Now we did not do eveing meals in the WJ Cafe - we did a couple of breakfasts and it was the same as the 2 other cruises I have been on - good but not great. Only one morning was I thrilled to see fruit punch but then it was gone again - like a phantom. Cost cuts :( . There was lemonade , unsweetened ice tea - neither of which I drink so I got soda card and it was well worth it for me and my DS - 60.00 with the tip and 2 nice souverneir cups too ! There was Coke , Diet Coke, Sprite and Ginger -Ale.

 

We did go to the WJ Cafe for an eveing snack so we could just taste what we would would not be having in the dining room. I would take a small cake plate and have a small bite of what I wanted to try.

 

I reccomend: the Tutti Fruiti Mousse ! Banana Crumble ! Banana Flambay ! Raspberry Mousse ! Strawberry Mousse ! Watermelon soup ! Ok I did try real food too LOL

 

The antipasti was great, the make your own chinese station, the eggplant roulade, the beef bourginion, fresh mozzerella, spinach wontons to name a few things we sampled that I remember being great, all tasted over the course of the week each evening while seated at the window watching the sunset. It doesn't get better than that for me. Those midnight blue Gulf waters do it to me everytime ;)

 

Ok I did notice the same Lamb Chops dressed up three nights in a row in WJ - clearly left overs - I heard it before and its true. Cost cuts are around but I say if you don't want it or it doesn't look appetizing there are so many choices you cannot possibly go hungry - theres just too much good food abundant. If they can accomodate you they will :) ......

[nstr]

The ship itself has alot to do. I participated in Finish the lyric, Karaoke, Movie tune trivia, Bingo ( only the last one - 29.00 bucks a Bingo is alot of money and the 2 for 1 Win a cruise Bingo was during our port day in Cozumel and I was too tired to get there), my hubby did Mens sexy legs and belly flop LOL I am glad I was at my actvities during that time haha.

 

I have no clue how the casino was because we don't gamble in them anymore but everytime I went in it was a ghost town. Did not here of any big winners in there. I heard of many losing alot. I hope some people won :( .

 

We skipped the All - Access show and the Man of 1000 voices show but we did go to see the Late night comedy, the Production show which had a funny comedian whose name I can't recall and of course The Quest. I will not give it away but you cannot miss this !!! Best show ever !!! We went to the Welcome aboard and it was nice. Captain Hempstead was dreamy and very nice ! The champange flowed the whole time in the there and its very nice to have the crew introduced to the passangers. We went to the Goodbye show and the comedians were funny. Simeon the cruise director is campy and funny as are Jamie and Kelly who hosted every event I went to except Bingo. Very nice folks and friendly too.

 

I used the hot tub and pool in the Solarium one day only. The main pool and hot tubs weren't crowded or overrun with teens - it was just not hot enough out for me to want to swim. My DH and DS used them daily ad loved it. We had no trouble with deck chair hogs as others have said. I want to point out that my son cut his finger on a pool ladder and the head of security called us to deck 1 on our walkie takies and he bought my son ointment and bandages and wouldn't take the money from us - now its only a dollar but it came out of his pocket we thought that we a nice gesture. Thank you again kind sir ! The whole crew treated my DS great. We hardly saw him on sea days except at bedtime and dinner LOL. He is 11 so he participated in the Advebture Ocean 9-11 and 12-14 and was always busy with the activites and the kids. Thank you crew for treating him so well !

[nstr]

The shops on board were ok - the few things we had an actual need for were not expensive at all. Film, toothbrush etc. The liquor prices were good if you know your prices. Do your hw before you go. I got my bargains and was very happy with the prices ;) .

 

The Viking Crown Lounge was a great time - great music, great crowd - I went 3 nights out of 5 and made fast friends and we danced the late nights away. I had to really watch myself and not stay till closing - hangovers and missing the day is not my thing LOL ! We had so much fun !!! Thank you Jose and Franklin for the great drinks and all my dancing freinds for a fun time ! Even DH came up to see the sction a couple of nights and he doesnt do dance clubs anymore LOL

We also really enjoyed the live Caribbean band @ the pool - great guys and great players !

 

The Port of Cozumel - it is the second time we have done it and thanks to the people on these forums we had the best day ever on a vacation. We rented a car and saw the whole East side of the island - you must not miss this - just beautiful. We stopped at Chen Rio and El Mirador - gorgeous. I wanted to eat at Coconuts but DH and DS weren't hungry :rolleyes: so we went on to San Gervsaio and toured the ruins - amazing. The people of Cozumel are proud of these things and wish to share them with the world. Thank you for sharing these with us. Onto Dzul Ha for snorkeling and lunch. I don't snorkle but no need - 100's and 100's of beautiful fish swan around and past me. Parrot fish - amazingly gorgeous turquoise blue - tons of them. Blue tangs, yellow fish, orange fish , purple fish and one barracuda who went by fast. DH and DS are snorklers and had the time of thier lives. DH took underwater pics in the crystal clear Caribbean and the came out great. The food at Money Bar was fantastic and sooo fresh. The sour cream in Mexico makes me not want to eat it when we get home ! Its sooo good I wish it was that fresh here in the US. The time came to return the car and reboard and it was soo hard to leave. Those waters have a lasting affect on us - we will go back to the Caribbean every year.

 

Progresso - As many have said - its what you make of it. Luckily we took an Autoprogresso Xcambo ruin tour at the pier and saw the coastal Yucatan area on the way there and back. I had a hard time seeing the poverty in some areas and I was glad we spent time in the port shopping and eating after the tour to spend some money there. Many of the people need it. They come around one after the next selling things. The Yucas are a proud nice freindly group of people who were very nice to us and we thank them and wish them prosperity. As I said before its thanks to this board that I was able to plan our day. Ruins tour, lunch @ The Le Saint Bonnet - not to be missed - best shrimp ceviche and fried fish ever - fresh as can be ! My son had the fajitas Yuca atyle and loved it. The drinks were great and the fried plantans with fresh sour cream. We ate and drank like kings there. Thank you Le Sain Bonnet for a great meal ! We ended the day shopping at the fleamarket and drinking dollar beers on the beach - the water was awful and I didn't want DH and DS to swim in it but they did anyway. I was happy at that point to get back on board :o .

 

So the day of disembarkation was not very smooth - long long lines and alomst 2 hours to get off - they need to spped this up but with the new passport laws about to take effect this won't get faster. Maybe had it not been Spring Break - but I doubt thats what it is. Just a long slow process to get off. I hated it LOL.

 

I have to say overall even though the GOS is an older ship - the crew, the service and the food were outstanding. Better than the 2 Carnival cruises I took - thats for sure. RCCL - I plan to cruise you again - Thank you for the great vacation and thanks Cruise Critic for helping me plan a fantastic 40th birthday cruise for my DH !

[nstr]

:eek: Oh I forgot to mention that 4 trouble makers got put off in Cozumel - their rooms got tossed and they were turned over to customs agents !

 

Also 8 others missed the boat in Cozumel and had to catch up with us in Progresso the next day :rolleyes: Glad it wasn't me !

[wahokie]

Great review--Do you remember the name of the Caribbean pool band? Good poolside music is a highlight of any cruise for me. I am going on the Grandeur in July.

[pmfan]

Loved your review very detailed and informative. OMG both trouble makers put off and passengers missing the ship, a very eventful cruise.

[LuckiStac13*Majesty*]

Great review--Do you remember the name of the Caribbean pool band? Good poolside music is a highlight of any cruise for me. I am going on the Grandeur in July.

 

Wahokie ~

 

I was just going to ask that myself, thanks! I am also interested in the answer. I LOVE the Calypso/Reggae bands they have onboard. Some are better than others. How long have you been crusing? have you ever heard Mega 4? (they are no longer performing but they started out on the Majesty). They are amazing and the best band I've heard so far.

 

Also, Men of Culture are excellent--not sure what ship they're on. used to be on the Grandeur.

[Tanker4]

Thanks for the great review. We were on the Grandeur a month or so ago (our first time onboard) and had a great time. Granted, she doesn't have all of the bells and whistles of some of the newer ships, but we enjoyed the ship and crew so much that we've booked a 10 day on her this fall.:D

[Duquesmom]

I was also on this sailing; had late seating & stayed in cabin 3084.

I didn't think the food was great onboard but was OK. I did not think the ship showed any signs of wear & tear.

 

The pool was loaded with kids (due to school breaks) but the Solarium was a welcomed haven of adults only. My problem with the Solarium was the temperature. Way too warm for me (I'm from Michigan).

 

The crew was great. A male working at the Purser's Desk must have been new & didn't know anything about selling stamps but otherwise everybody was very knowledgeable & pleasant.

 

The band by the pool was Men of Culture.

[kittymom65]

Thanks for the review, the Grandeur is on our short list for our 2009 cruise, so I appreciate every detail.

[Priusprof]

We were on Grandeur in December and found the ship to be aok in terms of decor and maintenance. We are sailing on her for a 10 day out of Tampa this coming December as well.

[capnlars]

Thanks for the detailed review.....we're going on the Grandeur on FRIDAY!!!! for the first half of its repositioning cruise.

[wolfcathorse]

Welcome to RCI nstr!! Men of Culture is the best band, period.

[leepep]

Thanks for the review...going on her in July as well and can't wait.

[nstr]

I was also on this sailing; had late seating & stayed in cabin 3084.

I didn't think the food was great onboard but was OK. I did not think the ship showed any signs of wear & tear.

 

The pool was loaded with kids (due to school breaks) but the Solarium was a welcomed haven of adults only. My problem with the Solarium was the temperature. Way too warm for me (I'm from Michigan).

 

The crew was great. A male working at the Purser's Desk must have been new & didn't know anything about selling stamps but otherwise everybody was very knowledgeable & pleasant.

 

The band by the pool was Men of Culture.

 

Was that Brians cabin? Or were you a part of the group of 3 ladies I saw often in the hall? Yes the pool did have many kids in it but there was room if you didn't mind being with the kids. The Solarium was hot and they told me they only open it once in a while on the top - very rarely. My cabin was screaming for a paint job - black marks and scrapes on the walls and the bathroom shower was old and dingy as well as the bathroom mirror was chipped terribly. The dressing furniture was older but the beds were great - like new - as well as my couch. I saw many sections of the ships interior walls in desperate need of a paint job and while we were eating one of our lunches in the dining room - a piece of molding fell off ! We all laughed about it saying at least the piece was inside the walls and not outside - LOL. The crew was not happy about it though. The pool deck is in need of a refinish and even though they were cleaning the rugs constantly there were still areas that were very dirty. The deck chairs as well were filthy. The deck seats to eat meals were old. Again not knocking the ship - just things I happen to notice. I did not let these things take away from my cruise !! I hope you had a wonderful time as well !!

[nstr]

As others have said the band was Men Of Culture and we commented them several times on thier playing !! They have made us Caribbean Music fans :D

[nstr]

Welcome to RCI nstr!! Men of Culture is the best band, period.

 

Thanks - ah yes I am a Royal Covert by choice :D - I saw the difference as soon as we boarded in the crews attitude . Every where a smile, a hello , a bright sunny disposition - as it should be. I am on a vacation after all :p . Men Of Culture was great - do they rotate on the other RCI ships as well?

[nstr]

Oh I forgot to mention that they did laquer the main railing in the middle of the ship during the cruise and when we disembarked they were painting the outside bottom of the ship as well. So little by little you can see the upkeep :) And Susanne and Haley @ the pursers desk were wonderful ! To all who are soon to board the GOS - have a fantastic cruise and please write reviews when you return !!

[nstr]

We were on Grandeur in December and found the ship to be aok in terms of decor and maintenance. We are sailing on her for a 10 day out of Tampa this coming December as well.

 

 

I do believe alot of cleanliness negatives I saw were due to the cruise timing. Spring break being the busiest time of the year - the staff were all over the place working very hard.

[wahokie]

LuckiStaci I have not seen Mega 4 So far the best band I have seen on a cruise was Illusion on a Celebrity Ship--I don't know if they are still around but the lead singer was outstanding. I know they move around and even change names from place to place. Sounds like Men of Culture is getting good reviews. Hope they will still be there in July.

[JackieH]

Thanks for the review. We will be going on the Grandeur In August out of Norfolk. We also booked inside connecting cabins on deck 3. We are a family of 5, and it worked out for us.

 

Would love to see some pics of your cruise :)

[Duquesmom]

Was that Brians cabin? Or were you a part of the group of 3 ladies I saw often in the hall?

 

I was/am Brian's neighbor.

 

We hardly ever went to the pool area, except to get the self-serve Yogurt, so I can't comment on the furniture there. My outside cabin was very well-kept and in good shape.

[philnpen]

We ere on her Oct of last year for a 9 day out of Baltimore and then in Jan for a 5 day out of Tampa. We are also booked for a 10 day this Nov. Even though the ship is one of RCL's smaller sizes you never felt crowded unless it was at debarkation in ports. Keep it quiet about the fries in the Solarium. If word gets out to too many there might not be enough for the rest of us. LOL

[sea-cruise]

It's been many years since I've sailed Grandeur, and I have fond memories of her when she was young.

There's a lady on the Celebrity board who is beginning her Grandeur cruise, and will be posting her review from onboard. She's a dedicated =X= cruiser, who is giving this ship a try. Here is her link:

 

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=753694

[jillybabes]

Thanks for the review...We were on the Grandeur New Years sailing and leave this Saturday for a b2b disembarking in Baltimore on 4/26...We love the Grandeur and Capt Hempstead is a wonderful Capt...Casey Pelter was our CD in Dec., but I hear the Simeon Baker is the CD at this time...Later, Jill:cool: