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Note - this page contains multiple reviews.
Name: Charles Kaufman
Email: ckaufman@nais.com
Age: 45
Occupation: Financial Consultant
NumberOfCruises: 13
TravelAgent: No
Ship: RoyalCaribbean-Grandeur
SailingDate: 7/4/98
Itinerary: Eastern Carribean
FoodDiningRoom: 95
CruiseDirector: 95
CabinComfort: 98
FoodRoomService:
CruiseStaff: 90
CabinAmenities: 90
FoodLidoDeck: 90
DiningRoomService: 98
CabinQuietness: 98
FoodMidnightBuffets:
CabinSteward: 90
ShoreExcVariety:
FoodVariety: 95
DeckService: 95
ShoreExcValue:
GoodForHoneymoon:
CasinoStaff: 95
PrivateIsland: 95
GoodForFamilies: 95
LoungeService: 95
TenderService: 95
GoodForSeniors:
BeautySalonStaff: 95
EntertainmentLounges: 95
WheelchairAccess:
ExerciseFacilities:
EntertShowLounge: 95
OverallPortsofCall: 95
BeautySalon: 95
EntertainmentPoolside: 95
CruiseActivities:
Casino: 95
AirSeaProgram:
MedicalFacilities:
ShipCleanliness: 98
EmbarkDisembark: 98
DiscoNightclubs: 95
DeckSpace: 95
Stabilization: 98
ShopsOnBoard: 90
SpaceRatio: 95
OverallCruiseValue: 98
Submit: Submit Review
Date: 15 Jul 1998
Time: 17:08:40
Remote Name: 204.253.79.112
Remote User:
Comments
We arrived in Miami the day before the cruise and were onboard by 11:45 on Saturday. The
embaraktion line was not very long and instead of having your
supercharge/boarding card given to you at this time, the paper boarding pass that is part
of the ticket book was stamped and you got the regular card on the
deck your cabin was on. This seemed to speedup the check in process as the agent did not
have to go to look for your card amoung all 2000.
We were
immediately struck by the layout of the ship and the space of all the public areas
compared to the other RCI ships we've been on. Our cabin (cat. D) had more
then enough draw space. Our only complaint would be that there were no hooks on the back
of the bathroom door to hang up robes, etc. Other then this one
minor item the cabin was excellent. Our bags did not arrive at our room until 6PM. This
was the latest they arrived compared to all our other cruises and many
people were complaining, especially those with early seating, that they did not have their
luggage.The food although not fancy was very good and both the
waiter and asst. waiter could not do enough for you. I would have to say that this was the
best dinning room service we have ever had on a cruise ship.
On
this ship the Schooner Bar was moved away from the casino and this gave the casino alot
more room. The aisles were never overcrowded and although the
tables were always busy, you did not have to wait long for a seat. Also, it seemed that
there was always a slot machine open whenever you wanted it. St. Croix
was substituted for San Juan as a port because of the strike in Puerto Rico. We enjoyed
this as we were never in St. Croix before. We also enjoyed, St.
Thomas as the Grandeur was the only ship in port. This made walking on Main St. and
shopping a lot easier then usual. Labadee and CocoCay were are both
beautiful private islands although for those people who took a later tender to CocoCay
finding a lounge chair was difficult. Also, it was very hot and humid in
both of these ports.
The lunches served on these islands were better then I remembered them. Our cabin
steward was efficent although it seems RCI no
longer provides certain amenities such as bath gels and shower caps although they still
provide shampoo and conditioner. During the days at sea lounge
chairs around the pool were difficult to find by mid-morning. The bar waiters were always
available and never pushy about selling drinks. The bartenders in the
various lounges and the Champagne Bar were also very good. The Cruise Directer was more
visible then on some past cruises. Debarkation was very quick
and easy.
It was announced that the ship cleared customs around 915 and although we were not in
the early group of passanges to leave, we had our
luggage and were in a taxi to the aiport by 945. It seems that RCI has learned from their
experiences in building ships and the design of Grandeur corrects
alot of the space shortcomings that were in their earlier ships. We enjoyed all aspects of
our cruise and would recommend RCI and especially the Grandeur to
anyone considering such a vacation.
Name: Robert Dahmer
Email: bld96@bellatlantic.net
Age: 37
Occupation: Electrical Engineer
NumberOfCruises: 5
TravelAgent: No
Ship: RoyalCaribbean-Grandeur
SailingDate: 4/11/98
Itinerary: Labadee, San Juan, St. Thomas, Cococay
FoodDiningRoom: 98
CruiseDirector: 92
CabinComfort: 96
FoodRoomService:
CruiseStaff: 92
CabinAmenities: 96
FoodLidoDeck: 96
DiningRoomService: 98
CabinQuietness: 98
FoodMidnightBuffets: 98
CabinSteward: 97
ShoreExcVariety: 96
FoodVariety: 97
DeckService: 98
ShoreExcValue: 94
GoodForHoneymoon:
CasinoStaff:
PrivateIsland: 98
GoodForFamilies: 96
LoungeService: 96
TenderService: 95
GoodForSeniors:
BeautySalonStaff: 98
EntertainmentLounges: 98
WheelchairAccess:
ExerciseFacilities: 99
EntertShowLounge: 99
OverallPortsofCall: 98
BeautySalon:
EntertainmentPoolside: 98
CruiseActivities: 97
Casino:
AirSeaProgram: 97
MedicalFacilities: 98
ShipCleanliness: 97
EmbarkDisembark: 92
DiscoNightclubs:
DeckSpace: 94
Stabilization: 92
ShopsOnBoard: 96
SpaceRatio: 96
OverallCruiseValue: 98
Submit: Submit Review
Date: 20 Apr 1998
Time: 16:10:25
Remote Name: 151.198.120.163
Remote User:
Comments
My wife and I thoroughly enjoyed this cruise. This was my wife's first cruise ever and my
second cruise with Royal Caribbean. We noticed that RCI has put a
lot of thought into the Grandeur of the Seas. Most everything about our cruise was
excellent, however, I would like to expand on our cabin. The cabin
layout (outside main level) was roomy. It included a love seat, a TV that can be adjusted
to face any direction and several smart designs. We noticed that
all the mirrors that opened up were mirrored on both sides. I f a mirrored cabinet door
was open or closed the mirror was still functional. My wife also
pointed out that lighting was very kind on the complection. She felt, that was done for
the women. The bathroom though confined, was also well designed.
Above the sink was a mirrored (both sides) medicine cabinet that held more than most
typical home medicine cabinets. Because I travel a lot for business,
I stay at several different hotels. The bathroom on this ship provided more practical
space for toiletry items than any hotel I ever stayed. The main cabin
door was sturdy and resisted any noise from the hallway. The window was rather large,
about 4' by 5'. The curtains when closed, held back any outside
light. My wife and I got the best sleep we have gotten in a long time. The entertainment
was fabulous. The show band consisted of 10 pieces and
accompanied all the acts. I have found that other ships use recordings. My wife and I are
both musicians and we really appreciated the sound of a live
show band. The musicians were each very talented. We really loved our waiter and head
waiter. The staff in general was very friendly. We may only sail on
Royal Carribean from now on.
Name: Michelle Wilson
Email: Irshire@aol.com
Age: 29
Occupation: Interior Design Business owner
NumberOfCruises: 1
TravelAgent: No
Ship: RoyalCaribbean-Grandeur
SailingDate: May 9, 1998
Itinerary: Eastern Caribbean
FoodDiningRoom: 90
CruiseDirector: 100
CabinComfort: 100
FoodRoomService:
CruiseStaff: 100
CabinAmenities: 100
FoodLidoDeck: 95
DiningRoomService: 100
CabinQuietness: 60
FoodMidnightBuffets: 90
CabinSteward: 100
ShoreExcVariety: 95
FoodVariety: 100
DeckService: 95
ShoreExcValue: 95
GoodForHoneymoon: 100
CasinoStaff:
PrivateIsland: 80
GoodForFamilies: 100
LoungeService: 100
TenderService: 100
GoodForSeniors: 100
BeautySalonStaff: 70
EntertainmentLounges: 100
WheelchairAccess:
ExerciseFacilities: 100
EntertShowLounge: 98
OverallPortsofCall: 90
BeautySalon: 100
EntertainmentPoolside: 100
CruiseActivities: 95
Casino:
AirSeaProgram:
MedicalFacilities: 90
ShipCleanliness: 95
EmbarkDisembark: 95
DiscoNightclubs: 95
DeckSpace: 90
Stabilization: 75
ShopsOnBoard: 100
SpaceRatio: 70
OverallCruiseValue: 90
Submit: Submit Review
Date: 03 Aug 1998
Time: 00:35:36
Remote Name: 205.188.195.32
Remote User:
Comments
Our trip began very nicely. We were very excited as this was our first cruise. We had a
few problems during our trip though. The first problem began
when we went to bed the first night and got absolutley no sleep because of a squeak in a
wall panel. We reported this the following morning and nothing
happened. We then reported it again after the second night with no sleep. They sent a man
to look at the problem and he never returned to fix it. The
third morning we reported the problem again and got some help only when we got loud-
asking to change our cabin.
The wall panels in our cabin were
totally removed to find and repair the squeak, but it took forever to do it. The English
receptionist in the salon has a really poor attitude and was very
short with me each time I had to deal with her, and I had a problem with her more than
once. My husband treated me to a facial there for Mother's Day.
Our Thursday night was the worst. Our Captin turned off thte stabilizers to go full speed
ahead because apparently Coco Kay, Bahamas had burned
down. We were headed for Nassau, Bahamas instead, and in order to get there we had to jam.
I was very woozy and took Dramamine and I also gave it
to my son. A few people were vomiting, one elevator opened and it was covered in vomit,
the rest got sick on deck.
I think people would rather have
skipped the port all together than get sick like that. The Platters were performing that
night and I was so sick that I couldnt even make it thru the whole
show. I love The Platters! Even band members had to leave the stage to get sick. This was
the only rough night though, the rest of the time stabilization
was about 99%. The rest of our vacation was very nice. The ports were beautiful. The
private island was way too hot- make sure you have 45 sunscreen
with you, there is no shade. Old San Juan was immaculate. My 5 year old son loved the
ancient forts there and in Bahamas. Go snorkeling on St. John!!!
You will never regret it. My husband, my son and I had a wonderful time. This was
definately one of the highlites of our trip. The staff on the excursion
were so nice and helpful- especially to my son. I didn't like how they asked for tips,
that is always a real turn-off for me. The shopping in all the ports
seemed to be all the same stuff. There was nothing the I really had to have that I
couldn't find in Tijuana, Mexico, closer to home.
The kids program was
unbelievable! Fantastic. My son loved it. It is nice that the ship thinks of the parents
who need time to get away from the kids, even late at night. Thank
God for the kid's club. We had a pager which was issued to us for emergencies. This is a
wonderful idea, but we were issued a broken pager and ended
up being charged $100 for it upon return. There was no negotiating the price or anything.
The kid's director was very firm on blaming us and charging us
the full fee. It was in working condition (still able to get beeped), but she said that
since she couldnt read the display, we broke it. This was not the case,
and we were very upset to end our trip like this. We never even looked at the pager as it
was usually left in our cabin. We paid the fee and were told to
take it up with Royal Caribbean at a later time. It took us less time than we thought to
be cleared to disembark. We rented a car and drove to the Miami
Seaquarium. It was a very nice way to kill time before our flight back home. Overall, this
was the most expensive vacation we have ever taken. We ahd a
good time with the exclusion of getting sick, not sleeping for a few nights, and the pager
deal.
Name: Candice Montgomery
Email: montgomery_c@NREPC.NR.STATE.KY.US
Age: 34
Occupation: Administrative Secretary
NumberOfCruises: 2
TravelAgent: No
Ship: RoyalCaribbean-Grandeur
SailingDate: May 9-16, 1998
Itinerary: Eastern Caribbean
FoodDiningRoom: 100
CruiseDirector: 100
CabinComfort: 95
FoodRoomService:
CruiseStaff: 100
CabinAmenities: 95
FoodLidoDeck: 100
DiningRoomService: 100
CabinQuietness: 95
FoodMidnightBuffets: 100
CabinSteward: 100
ShoreExcVariety: 85
FoodVariety: 100
DeckService:
ShoreExcValue: 85
GoodForHoneymoon: 100
CasinoStaff: 90
PrivateIsland: 90
GoodForFamilies: 90
LoungeService: 90
TenderService: 90
GoodForSeniors:
BeautySalonStaff: 95
EntertainmentLounges: 100
WheelchairAccess:
ExerciseFacilities:
EntertShowLounge: 100
OverallPortsofCall: 90
BeautySalon: 95
EntertainmentPoolside:
CruiseActivities: 90
Casino: 90
AirSeaProgram: 95
MedicalFacilities:
ShipCleanliness: 100
EmbarkDisembark: 95
DiscoNightclubs:
DeckSpace: 95
Stabilization: 85
ShopsOnBoard: 85
SpaceRatio: 90
OverallCruiseValue: 100
Submit: Submit Review
Date: 21 May 1998
Time: 14:24:20
Remote Name: 162.114.53.33
Remote User:
Comments
My new husband and I had a wonderful time on this cruise. This was our honeymoon getaway.
This was my husband's first time cruising and my third cruise, but
my first time on Royal Caribbean. This is by far the most glamourous and warm feeling
ship.
This is a great cruise line for honeymooners, there were 45 honeymoon couples aboard from
all nationalities. The ship's staff and our cruise specialist sent a
bottle of wine to our cabin as well as a special get together in the Viking Crown lounge
honoring all honeymooners with Mimosa and a cake along with a drawing
for door prizes. We were very impressed.
Our cabin was very nice with good lighting, lots of mirrors and even a TV which we liked
because if you missed out on any of the daily activities or port talks you
could see them later in the day. Also we liked the fact that there was a safe in the cabin
to put your valuables and you could access it with your personal credit
card and not worry about someone stealing from you. The cabin was pretty much sound
resistant and I know we both slept like babies every night. Our cabin
steward (Ricardo) must of been psychic, he always knew when we were either in or out. He
kept the cabin clean at all times with fresh towels and ice buckets
were always full and also chocolate mints everyday. That's something we notice quite a bit
on the ship, the staff was always cleaning, which says a lot for the
cruise line.
Our cabin was within minutes of the restaurant just a hop, skip across the centrum. Our
waiter and assistant waiter were very efficient and entertaining. The food
was wonderful, especially the desserts which is my favorite part and we never missed a
meal. I also loved the fact that we could purchase a miniaturize copy of
the menus and recipes for each night along with a drink menu with almost all the drinks
served throughout the week. Although it didn't have my favorite one
which was call the Love Connection, it consisted of three layers the bottom layer was
strawberry daiquiri, second layer was pina colada and top later was mango
and of course it was in a souvenir glass to take home.
The after dinner shows started at 10:45 p.m. for second seating guests, it would be nicer
if they could move it up by about 30 minutes. But the shows were
spectacular it was like being at the Broadway shows in New York the staff are very
talented. For an added surprise the original Platters put on a show which was
really nice, although I felt sorry for them because we were going through some rough
waters that night (the stretch between St. Thomas and the Bahamas) they
could barely stand on the stage. My husband went to bed right after dinner and missed the
show because he couldn't handle the rocking motion of the ship.
The Shore excursions were okay. I would not recommend snorkeling in Labadee, Haiti at
Amiga Island because the reef is pretty much dead due to all the island
natives who are fishermen. I was looking forward to snorkeling in Cococay, Bahamas because
the waters are clearer and have an abundance of fish but due to
a fire on the island we were unable to go, so the ship rerouted to Nassau, Bahamas, which
is okay, mostly shopping there. If you take a water taxi across to
Paradise Island this is a beautiful place well worth $2.00 or a regular taxi ride $4.00.
They have a new hotel called Atlantis which is still under construction so
traffic is terrible, but the place itself is unreal it's built on an underground aquarium
with caverns and also animal life above ground as well. As you walk through
on ground-level you will be able to see stingrays, sharks and sea turtles, etc., on one
side of the walkway and people swimming on the other side. This walkway
leads you to Paradise Beach which is beautiful with its white sands and the deepest of
blue ocean. I highly recommend this, especially if you have children.
We also enjoyed the Underwater Submarine ride and the Kontiki boat tour in St. Thomas.
One thing I did miss on this ship was that the photographers were not at every port or
they weren't when we went a shore. Their skills need some enhancement,
we were very disappointed they either cut off our heads or eyes were shut and the closeups
were too close. Some of the prices were too high. Maybe we were
just the lucky ones to get all the bad pictures. We only brought two pictures home
compared to my last cruise which I bought every picture.
Debarkation was not my husband's favorite part of the trip although I told him this was
the smoothest I had ever experienced and that you just have to relax and
be patient. We were off the ship by 9:30 a.m. I liked the colored tags for the various
flight times and that all the airlines were represented on the pier so you
could check your luggage in there and not see it again until you got home. My husband
didn't like waiting in this line but I convinced him it would be much shorter
than the lines at the airport and to his surprise I was right. We didn't have this on my
last cruise and our cruise specialist wasn't even aware of this new
procedure (all airlines being represented on the pier) but I am very glad they are doing
it.
Overall, we loved the Grandeur of the Seas it is truly a beautiful ship and would go every
year if we could. I would recommend a 7-day most definitely, the 3 & 4
day cruises go much too quick and if you book your cruise at least 8-9 months in advance
you can get a very comparable rate. Royal Caribbean is definitely a
top notch, customer service oriented cruise line which means a great deal in this day and
age. I would recommend sailing this cruise line anytime. Thank you for
the experience.
Name: Tony Lee
Email: lflee@erols.com
Age: 30
Occupation: Attorney
NumberOfCruises: 0
TravelAgent: No
Ship: RoyalCaribbean-Grandeur
SailingDate: May 23, 1998
Itinerary: Eastern Caribbean
FoodDiningRoom: 92
CruiseDirector: 90
CabinComfort: 95
FoodRoomService: 90
CruiseStaff: 92
CabinAmenities: 95
FoodLidoDeck: 87
DiningRoomService: 97
CabinQuietness: 95
FoodMidnightBuffets: 90
CabinSteward: 97
ShoreExcVariety: 95
FoodVariety: 95
DeckService: 95
ShoreExcValue: 90
GoodForHoneymoon: 95
CasinoStaff: 85
PrivateIsland: 95
GoodForFamilies: 92
LoungeService: 90
TenderService: 92
GoodForSeniors: 80
BeautySalonStaff:
EntertainmentLounges: 92
WheelchairAccess: 85
ExerciseFacilities: 87
EntertShowLounge: 90
OverallPortsofCall: 92
BeautySalon:
EntertainmentPoolside: 92
CruiseActivities: 92
Casino: 85
AirSeaProgram:
MedicalFacilities:
ShipCleanliness: 92
EmbarkDisembark: 80
DiscoNightclubs: 85
DeckSpace: 92
Stabilization: 92
ShopsOnBoard: 90
SpaceRatio: 95
OverallCruiseValue: 95
Submit: Submit Review
Date: 18 Jun 1998
Time: 21:26:32
Remote Name: 207.172.140.131
Remote User:
Comments
Before I begin, I first have to say that our vacation on Royal Caribbean's (RC's) Grandeur
of the Seas was hands down the MOST awesome and relaxing
vacation I have EVER taken! The staff was extremely friendly and helpful, and their
service was top notch. I would recommend that anyone who takes a
cruise go on RC. Since this was my first cruise, I don't have anything to compare it to
(2nd for my wife). But from what I've heard and what I read, RC is
one of the best. I believe it! I am writing this more as more of an informative narrative
which happens to have some review aspects since there were
some questions that I still had after reading all the reviews and opinions out there on
the Internet. Hopefully, this will answer most of the questions people
have regarding cruising on RC's Grandeur
Arrival at the Airport: We did not do the air/sea package as some people suggested that we
do. We arrived in Miami on the day of the cruise at
approximately 11:30 a.m. Contrary to what people who get there on Friday night say, this
leaves plenty of time for you to get to the pier on and onto the
boat, unless you are coming from really far away like California. We came from the
Washington, D.C. area. The boat doesn't leave until 5:00, and we were
delayed in leave port by 30 min. because there were some stragglers coming in late from
the airport just before 5:00. We then took a taxi to the pier,
and I think that this is probably the most efficient way to get to boat. The travel agent
found an airfare that was cheaper than the one RC had, and the
cab ride was cheaper than ground transportation with RC. The taxi fare is $18 one way from
the airport to the pier.
Embarkation: When you arrive at the pier, you give your luggage over to a porter, and
there is a guy there directing you where to go. I was a little put-off
by the man telling us that we should give our luggage to the porter, and that we should
also tip the porter! I figured that since we wanted to get our
luggage to our room as quickly as possible, I tipped him $5 for our four bags. BIG
MISTAKE! Don't tip the porter any more than $1-2 because more
money doesn't equate to faster service in getting your bags. Out of the entire trip, the
only problem I had is with the handling of the luggage. But more
on that later. We got in line to pass through security, which was set up just like the
ones at the airports, and then we went upstairs to the customs area.
They must have had like 20 windows there, and the process was very smooth and efficient.
We were on the boat in short order. Unfortunately, getting
your luggage is not an easy task. You have to wait for your room steward to bring your
luggage, and it is not in his control as to when they will arrive. RC
staff have something on the order of 6,000 pieces of luggage to sort through, and take to
the correct floor. I guess it's tough for them to keep all the
pieces together in the loading area, and as a consequence, we received our luggage in
piecemeal fashion. One suitcase and garmet bag arrived at
around 2:00. Another suitcase came at around 4:00, and the last didn't arrive until 6:00!
If you have toiletries or other important items, make sure you
carry them onto the ship, and don't check them in with the porter. Oh, when you get to
your floor, there are very friendly people waiting to take you to
your room and let you in. Another tip of $1-2 there.
Rooms: We had a category D room with a balcony. It was very efficiently arranged, and more
spacious than I had anticipated. The balcony really makes
the room seem a lot bigger. There was a small TV w/a remote (lots of channels to choose
from - ABC, CBS (no NBC), CNN, a few other cable channels,
and four 24 hour movie channels with fairly current movies) that you could set to come on
to wake you up in the morning, lots and lots of drawer space,
two single beds that could be pushed together to make a double, a small coffee table, a
couch that could convert to a bed, a closet with upper and lower
racks, and lots of hangers. Beware though, if you have more than 2 people, you will need
extra hangers. We only had 2 people, and we used just about
all the hangers. The balcony had enough room for 2 plastic chairs and a small plastic
table. The balconies next to us were separated off by dividers. A
note of caution though - if you have smoking neighbors who like to smoke on the balcony,
you will probably get some of their second-hand smoke if you
hang out there. I took a peak into the inside rooms across the hall, and they seemed to be
half the size of the balcony rooms, so if you can swing it,
definitely go for a balcony. We particularly enjoyed leaving the sliding glass door open
at night to listen to the splash splash of the waves against the side
of the boat as we fell asleep at night. Every room has a safe in it that is free for your
use. You lock it up using a credit card, or your RC super charge
card. It was not large, but big enough to easily accommodate a full sized disassembled SLR
camera, jewlery, passports, money, and a few documents.
Sign-up for shore excursions: When you first get on the ship, they give you a form for the
various shore excursions available. I had read that you should
sign up for the ones you want ASAP. As soon as we got to our cabin, we filled out the
form, and put it in the box at the shore excursion desk. I'm glad
we did because some of the more popular ones like the horseback riding in San Juan, and
the submarine ride in St. Thomas, sold out quickly. We wanted
to do both those things, and because we put our forms in early, we were able to get what
we wanted. Oh...you can grab tender tickets...tickets for boats
to shore...for Labadee and Cococay at night on the first night on the boat....grab the
early ones if you can. They go in numeric order, 1-2 first, then 3-4,
etc. However, they don't check your ticket when you get on board the tender, so if you
want, you can probably just sneak on.
The boat: This is an absolutely beautiful boat! It has some pretty wild art in all the
stair landings, and funky sculptures all over the place. The centrum is in
the center of the boat, and you can see from deck 4 all the way to the top of the ship,
just like a big hollow building. Quite a sight! People are constantly
cleaning and polishing, and it is in very good shape. One comment though - some of the
decor on the ship is very retro...like from the 70s. Not a big deal,
but a little strange. The pool deck is on deck 10, and the solarium, with its own pool, is
also on that deck. The pools aren't very large, but there is a lot of
deck space with lots and lots of lounge chairs. However, if you want a chair in the
shade...or just want a chair for that matter, on the days you are at sea
you should get out to the pool decks as early as you can or there's not going to be much
left. Remember, you're on there with more than 2,000 other
people. One thing that I thought was hilarious was that you didn't even have to think
while on this ship. If you lost track of the days, you just had to walk
into one of the elevators, and look at the carpet. The carpet is changed daily, and
emblazened with day of the week.
Great Gatsby Dining Room: We had main seating. This worked out well for us because we
don't like to starve. If you sign up for second seating, you're not
eating until 8:45. Too late for us. The dining room is beautiful, and the staff is great!
If you want two or even three orders of something, don't be
shy...order it! Simeon and Zoltan were our waiter and assistant waiter, repectively, and
they really did everything they could to make sure that we were
happy. The food, while not up to the standard of the best restaurants you would find in
the States, was very good, especially in light of the fact that they
have to feed so many people each day! Oh...a thing about drinks that was not clear to me
before I got on the boat...everything is included in the price of
your ticket, with the exception of sodas (or 'pop' for you midwesterners) and alcoholic
drinks and their virgin counterparts. You can drink all the water,
iced tea, milk, lemonade, punch, juice (yes juice...go figure) you want for free! I think
that sodas may have been free in the dining room, but I'm not sure
since I never ordered one. Our table mates did, and I never saw them sign a check for the
cokes. The alcholic drinks are very reasonably priced -
considering what you'd pay for a drink in a club - and there are always daily specials.
Back to the dining. The food was very good, and your waiters will
get whatever you want. I like very rare beef, so for the nights there was prime rib or
filet mignon, he made sure that he got me the rarest piece he could.
The wine steward was very friendly, and a bit fawning, but our tablemates liked his
service. In addition, if you order a bottle of wine and you don't finish it,
if you want, the wine steward will save what's left for the next evening's dinner. Don't
feel the need to tip him though because there is a 15% gratuity
added to the bill for booze. The head waiter was very friendly, but he didn't do all that
much. I'm sure his work was more along the lines of coordinating
things, and making sure the show ran smoothly, behind the scenes stuff. Speaking of
shows...the wait-staff actually performed two nights during dinner!
Make sure you bring your camera! Try not to miss dinner...it's a must!
Windjammer Cafe: When we first got on the boat, this was the first place open for food. So
we got in line just like everyone else, and packed it in...but not
too much since dinner was only a few hours away. We had probably a total of 3 or 4 meals
here, and I can't complain about the food. It's not stellar or
anything like that, but I've had worse buffet food at weddings. It's particularly cool to
sit along the windows, and if you are fortunate, you will be able to
see the captain and some bridge members out the windows one deck below maneuvering the
ship using one of the side bridges. We never saw any
dedicated staff in the Windjammer waiting on tables, but I suspect that's because we just
didn't go at the right times. Everytime we went, it was a buffet
thing. The Windjammer Cafe is on the same deck (10) as the pools, so you can even grab
some grub and take it outside to eat near the pool.
Room Service: Room service is FREE! We used it at least 3 times! Order as much as you
want...as much juice or milk you want....it's all free! You just tip the
guy a buck or two! Amazing!
Viking Club Lounge: This was on deck 11. It's RC's version of a dance club at night, and
we only went once or twice. The dance floor is really small, but
everyone has a good time. The kamikazi they mixed sucked big time, but I've only had a
good one in two places. The DJ was not that good (disclaimer, I
was a former club DJ using real turntables and beat mixed...not the CD players like on the
ship and the lame radio edits) and didn't even try to beat-mix.
The mix of music was at times...odd, but like I said, everyone had a good time. You can
walk out of the lounge through some side doors, and walk down
to the pool deck. Really nice to stroll on deck at night....
Fitness Club: Knew it was there. Saw it from the outside. Never used it. Too busy getting
fat and happy. But I heard that they have all sorts of fun things
like seaweed applications and massages. If you want one of these special spa services,
sign up for them early, just like the shore excursions, otherwise,
you won't get a good time for your appointment.
Activities on-board: Lots and lots of things to do. Card games, casino, shopping in the
gift area, mini-golf, etc. We just mostly hung out on deck during our
days at sea. There is a calypso-type band always playing music, and the staff had a lot of
fun pool things they do every so often. They had a belly-flop
contest that was really over the top. They had a winner from last year on board, and they
had two rounds of competition. The first round was your
regular belly flop jumps. The second round was pretty wild. It become clear that it was
down to just two guys, and one of them grabbed a chair, stood on
top of it, and launched himself into the pool! Not to be topped, the guy who won last year
climbed ON TOP of the rails of the jacuzzi, which was already
elevated above the pool, and catapulted himself in! Wow! Another fun game they did was to
have couples jump in the pool, and stuff plastic fruit down
their significant other's bathing suit! First the guys were stuffed, then the girls. Five
points for apples, oranges, and pears, 10 points for bananas.
Hilarious! The South Pacific Lounge had games at around 10:15 p.m. each night, and these
were always a ton of fun! Go play!
Labadee, Haiti: First stop. This was a beautiful RC private beach. Very scenic. Don't go
to the first beach you see though. Lots of people do this, and they
miss out on some of the more secluded and even more beautiful parts of the beach. I hear
that the natives pester you to buy stuff, but that's only if you
go see their wares. We didn't bother, and so, missed all the hassle. You are supposed to
go to certain dining areas for lunch according to your dinner
seating time, but again, they don't check. I like the way they run things....they are very
relaxed about things, and just let people go with the flow. There is
enough flexibility for people to do what they want without stepping on other people's
toes. The snorkeling there was lots of fun, but not a lot to see. The
fish there are shy.
San Juan, Puerto Rico: Second stop. This is just a shopping mecca. We didn't have much
time for it though. We did the horseback riding thing. Lots of fun!
However, it's a bit misleading though. The brochure said that you stop off at some really
cool waterfall or pool, and you can splash around there for
about an hour so you should wear your bathing suits. Well, the ride was lots of fun and
very scenic. However, there was no waterfall or pool. We stopped
at a stream for about 15 minutes, got back on the horses, and rode back. Oh well. But I
still thought it was worth it. We got back to the ship at around
5:45, and because the ship left at 7:00, we made a mad dash to the stores to buy
souvenirs. We managed to stop in the Royal Caribbean club that was
near the shopping area, and I'm glad that it was there, if just for the bathrooms. Just
one of the many stand-out touches that RC had. That was the only
night we missed dinner.
St. Thomas: Third stop. Another shopping mecca, but even better than San Juan! We first
went on the sub ride. Very cool...but not as many fish as I
though there would be. Still very neat nonetheless. Unfortunately, very few of our
underwater pictures came out because we were so deep. Get fast film if
you want to capture shots. The shopping was good...lots of very competitively priced
items...swiss watches, gold, gems, cameras, electronics. Just make
sure that if you plan to buy something down there (tax and duty free) you do some research
to find out how much you would have to pay here. I bought
a pretty fancy camera down there, and probably saved about $50, but there were some things
that you buy cheaper through mail order in NY. But after
shipping and tax, it's probably a wash. We also picked up a watch for a great price.
Cococay, Bahamas: Last stop. One word. Paradise. Every beach, every tree, every scene
looked like it came straight out of a postcard. We didn't go
snorkeling here...we just hung out on the beach. But I hear that this is the place to go
snorkeling if you want to do that. The food here and at Labadee
are the same, and it's all from the ship. Not bad. But those molassas cookies are KILLER.
I just couldn't stop eating them!
Shows: The shows on board a generally of very good quality, and they had some celebrity
comedians on board. They had Jay something or the
other...famous ventriloquist with his wooden pal Bob, another comedian who wrote for the
Cosby show and even sounded just like Cosby during certain
routines. Very very funny! The ship's Wave Revue Dancers were not too bad. They had two
shows, one was 'The Beat Goes On' - a revue of music from
the 60s to now...pretty good, and the other was 'Starstruck.' Starstruck was a good idea
gone bad. The concept was cool and the dancers and singers
tried their best, but it fell flat. That was the only show that wasn't all that great. The
other show that sticks out was the juggling pair 'Clockwork'. They were
just two young guys who did a comedy juggling act. They were just as funny, if not more
so, as the other acts.
Tipping: On the last night, your cabin steward will give you four or five envelopes,
conveniently labeled so that you know who you should tip: cabin
steward, waiter, assistant waiter, and head waiter. They recommend $3.50 per day per
person for the cabin steward and waiter, $2.50 per day per
person for the assistant waiter, and up to your discretion for the head waiter. So for two
people, they recommend a total of approximately $50 for the
cabin steward and waiter, $35 for the assistant waiter, and probably between $35 and 50
for the head waiter. Just budget approximately $200 total for
tips for a traveling party of two. Sounds like a lot, but the service they give is top
notch.
Purser's Desk: This is where you can change money, cash one check, get a balance of your
account, etc. Although I have read that there are no hair
dryers in the rooms, which is true, you can borrow one from the Purser's Desk if you
forget it. If you don't return it by the end of the cruise, however,
they will charge you $40. Unfortunately, the ship doesn't carry saline solution for soft
contact lenses, nor do they carry small sewing kits for those
occasional rips...so be prepared!
Super Charge Card: This is your credit card to use on the ship for all purchases. Even at
the casino! You can just give the dealer your card, and they will
give you whatever amount you want. (The casino, by the way, is one of the unluckiest ones
I have ever been in.) They just charge it to your credit card at
the end of the cruise. This makes losing track of your spending easy though. When you get
on board, the first thing you should do after going to your
room, filling out and dropping off your shore excursion form, and finding out that you
won't be getting your luggage quickly, is to head straight for the
area where you get your super charge card. If you don't you will be sorry because a line
will form VERY quickly, and you'll waste a lot of time waiting.
Disembarkation: You have to leave your luggage outside your cabin door between 7:00 and
midnight on the last night. They take it away, so make sure
you have your toiletries and another change of clothing for the next day. After you dock
in Miami, you go to the large pier area, and you hunt for your
luggage. This is a complete zoo, and utter chaos. This is the only part of the cruise
which I felt could have been better because it was such a pain to hunt
down four pieces of luggage, which ended up to be scattered in four different parts of the
holding area. Don't count on your luggage being close to each
other. I would recommend that you put some sort of distinguishing mark/attachment, like a
ribbon or bright strap, to make finding your luggage easier.
After we FINALLY found our luggage, we got on a bus to go back to the airport. We
purchased ground transportation on board the ship for $20. Now
that I think about it, it's probably not worth it. We had to wait an additional 20 minutes
before the bus left the pier. It would have cost the same amount to
get a taxi, which are lined up right there at the pier, and it would have been faster. In
addition, they didn't even check our receipt to make sure that we
paid for the transpo, so you could just get on the bus without having to pay, and no one
would be the more wiser.
Well, it was truly an amazing vacation. The side effects, other than a dreadful feeling of
not wanting to return to reality, was what I call the 'bob-y' effect.
Even though you are standing on solid ground, you still feel like everything is rocking
back an forth for a few days afterwards. Don't get me wrong. The
ship is very stable. However, no matter how big the ship is, the ocean is even bigger, so
you're going to have some sort of residual rocking motion. But
we didn't have any problems with sea sickness. The trip was a ton of fun, and I would
recommend that anyone wanting a relaxing, fun filled, and
satisfying vacation go on RC's Grandeur.
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