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Name: Gabe Labovitz
Email: bukowski@sojourn.com
Age: 30
Occupation: State of MI Employee
NumberOfCruises: 2
TravelAgent: No
Ship: RoyalCaribbean-Grandeur
SailingDate: 12/13/96
Itinerary: Labadee (Haiti), San Juan, St. Thomas, Nassau*
FoodDiningRoom: 80
CruiseDirector:
CabinComfort: 100
FoodRoomService:
CruiseStaff: 90
CabinAmenities: 90
FoodLidoDeck: 90
DiningRoomService: 80
CabinQuietness: 00
FoodMidnightBuffets:
CabinSteward: 100
ShoreExcVariety: 90
FoodVariety: 90
DeckService: 90
ShoreExcValue: 90
GoodForHoneymoon:
CasinoStaff: 100
PrivateIsland: 90
GoodForFamilies:
LoungeService: 90
TenderService: 100
GoodForSeniors:
BeautySalonStaff:
EntertainmentLounges: 80
WheelchairAccess:
ExerciseFacilities: 100
EntertShowLounge: 100
OverallPortsofCall: 90
BeautySalon:
EntertainmentPoolside: 80
CruiseActivities: 100
Casino: 100
AirSeaProgram: 100
MedicalFacilities: 100
ShipCleanliness: 100
EmbarkDisembark: 100
DiscoNightclubs: 90
DeckSpace: 100
Stabilization: 100
ShopsOnBoard: 100
SpaceRatio: 100
OverallCruiseValue: 75
Submit: Submit Review
Date: 05 Jan 1997
Time: 13:58:51
Remote Name: 199.177.127.147
Remote User:
Comments
My wife and I sailed on the inaugural (to the general public) sailing of the Grandeur of
the Seas, a truly lovely ship. This ship is beautiful, with original artwork tucked
throughout the ship. The grand atrium featured a beautiful sculpture, and I am certain
other (professional!) reviews can describe the artist(s) and designs.
However, I included several low numerical ratings, including one unacceptable rating, and
I'd like to share this information with you. First of all, our cabin was unacceptably
noisy and had an electrical problem. The wall console (wooden racks holding drawers, TV,
the vanity, etc.), or perhaps the cabin itself, creaked terribly throughout the cruise.
This creaking was most noticable when the ship was moving quickly, in other words at
night. This made sleeping very difficult and annoying, almost impossible. Our first
morning asea, our cabin steward asked us how we slept, to which we replied
"miserably," and he told us that passengers surrounding our cabin had complained
about the creaking, too! I hope this can be remedied at some point, though I suspect the
ship simply needs to "age" to outgrow this creaking. Additionally, a row of
lights in the wall console had a short in it, causing it to flicker when it was turned
off, another disappointing aspect of the cabin. Other than that, the cabin was comfortable
and well appointed, perhaps slight in storage space (nowhere to put our empty suitcases
for the week), but very nice overall. However, the noise and light problems are, in my
opinion, unacceptable, and my complaints were received, but seemingly not acted upon.
Incidentally, we were in an outside standard stateroom, on the lowest level of passenger
cabins, cabin category "I" I believe. A couple at our dining table indicated
that their beds were split and were never put together to form a queen bed, due to lack of
"pins" for the bed frames.
The food started off very poor, but steadily improved as the cruise went on. I had prime
rib on two occasions, the first time it was wonderful, the second time it was tough and
dry. Similarly, we had Baked Alaska for desert one night, and nobody at our table of 8
could identify it as Baked Alaska, it appeared to be a slab of Neopolitan Ice Cream. I am
not a seafood fan, but my tablemates tell me it was quite good. Rumors circulating among
passengers held that the kitchen was still in disarray, which may explain the quality of
the food. Informal breakfasts and lunches in the Windjammer cafe were buffet, and
reasonably tasty. A favorite of my wife and I was the cafe "window" in the
Solarium, where you could get ready made pizza (quite good), burgers, and french fries
(which quickly became our favorite snack); this service was available from noon to 6 (or
so), and again from midnight through the evening.
The casino was rather inventive in its design, and other reviewers have favorably spoken
about this. I don't personally look to design as a primary factor in whether I like the
casino or not, so suffice it to say, I lost my "allowance" I had set-aside for
gambling. My wife, however, had a bit more luck than I, winning (overall), mostly at
blackjack.
The entertainment was a mixed bad, my wife and I didn't go to any of the large shows in
the Palladium Theater (a lovely, two-storied room), but Marvin Hamlisch was aboard, doing
some of his classic tunes. The one night we wished to attend Hamlisch's show, our waiter
was sick, the head waiter waited our tables, and we didn't get out of dinner until 11:15,
a full half-hour after Hamlisch's show for second seating dining passengers began.
Everyone at our table was disgusted. We saw the two comedians, one of whom was poor, the
other was funny. Background entertainers in the lounges were OK, though we did like the
piano player in the Schooner Bar (one of our favorite bars to hang out in) had a great
Barry Manilow medley!
This is becoming a long review, feel free to e-mail me if you have more questions.
Overall, I enjoyed the ship, and would love to sail on her again, assuming the cabin
comfort issues are addressed.
Name: Dan Bahr
Email: dan1946@i-2000.com
Age: 50
Occupation: Labor Relations Consultant
NumberOfCruises: 3
TravelAgent: No
Ship: RoyalCaribbean-Grandeur
SailingDate: 1/4/97
Itinerary: Labadee, San Juan, St. Thomas, Coco Cay
FoodDiningRoom: 95
CruiseDirector: 90
CabinComfort: 90
FoodRoomService:
CruiseStaff: 90
CabinAmenities: 90
FoodLidoDeck: 80
DiningRoomService: 95
CabinQuietness: 95
FoodMidnightBuffets: 80
CabinSteward: 85
ShoreExcVariety: 90
FoodVariety: 90
DeckService: 90
ShoreExcValue: 85
GoodForHoneymoon:
CasinoStaff: 85
PrivateIsland:
GoodForFamilies:
LoungeService: 85
TenderService: 90
GoodForSeniors:
BeautySalonStaff:
EntertainmentLounges: 95
WheelchairAccess:
ExerciseFacilities: 85
EntertShowLounge: 95
OverallPortsofCall: 90
BeautySalon:
EntertainmentPoolside: 95
CruiseActivities: 85
Casino: 85
AirSeaProgram: 90
MedicalFacilities:
ShipCleanliness: 90
EmbarkDisembark: 90
DiscoNightclubs: 95
DeckSpace: 90
Stabilization: 90
ShopsOnBoard: 85
SpaceRatio: 85
OverallCruiseValue: 90
Submit: Submit Review
Date: 12 Jan 1997
Time: 10:18:18
Remote Name: 205.247.13.55
Remote User:
Comments
Good stuff --- the food in the dining room was superb in terms of variety and quality. We
and our tablemates didn't have a bad meal all week. The entertainment in the lounges,
nightclub and showroom was incredibly good and on a par with any I have seen anywhere,
including Broadway and Las Vegas.
Bad stuff --- the Windjammer Cafe, the place for breakfast and lunch buffets, was only
average. The variety of food was small and the quality was so-so. Also, the Windjammer
staff was slow in cleaning off tables, so that seating was sometimes difficult. The
midnight buffets, although they included the mandatory ice carvings, was not much better
in terms of variety and quality.
All in all, though, the good far outweighed the bad and I would give this cruise an
overall rating of 90.
Name: Bill Alexander
Email: wmalex@together.net
Age: 37
Occupation: UPS Driver
NumberOfCruises: 2
TravelAgent: No
Ship: RoyalCaribbean-Grandeur
SailingDate: 2/1/97
Itinerary: Eastern Caribbean
FoodDiningRoom: 90
CruiseDirector: 70
CabinComfort: 90
FoodRoomService:
CruiseStaff: 75
CabinAmenities: 90
FoodLidoDeck: 80
DiningRoomService: 60
CabinQuietness: 90
FoodMidnightBuffets: 85
CabinSteward: 95
ShoreExcVariety: 95
FoodVariety: 80
DeckService: 95
ShoreExcValue: 95
GoodForHoneymoon: 90
CasinoStaff: 70
PrivateIsland: 100
GoodForFamilies: 70
LoungeService: 90
TenderService: 100
GoodForSeniors:
BeautySalonStaff:
EntertainmentLounges: 70
WheelchairAccess:
ExerciseFacilities: 85
EntertShowLounge: 70
OverallPortsofCall: 80
BeautySalon:
EntertainmentPoolside: 60
CruiseActivities: 75
Casino: 70
AirSeaProgram: 60
MedicalFacilities:
ShipCleanliness: 95
EmbarkDisembark: 98
DiscoNightclubs:
DeckSpace: 90
Stabilization: 90
ShopsOnBoard: 60
SpaceRatio: 90
OverallCruiseValue: 85
Submit: Submit Review
Date: 13 Feb 1997
Time: 15:04:36
Remote Name: 207.41.56.212
Remote User:
Comments
RCCL GRANDEUR 2/1/97 to 2/8/97
Spent one night before our cruise on RCCL's Grandeur at the Hyatt Downtown in Miami.The
hotel was beautiful and
well beyond our expectations. They gave us a very large room with a picture window,
overlooking the bay. In the
distance, we could see several cruise ships. The only negative point about the hotel was
the cafe at the lobby level.
We had dinner there and it wasn't very good. Do yourself a favor and take a cab or shuttle
and find a better
restaurant. At 11 PM we were treated to a fireworks display over the bay. From our room,
the fireworks were clearly
visible and unobscured.
The next morning, we picked up our cruise boarding card at a table that RCCL had set up
at
8 AM. We had to wait until 11:15 for the buses to transport us to the ship. IMPORTANT
NOTE: Don't waste your
time & money taking a cab to the pier before the buses! I asked someone at RCCL about
this and they said it was
not worth the bother as no one could board until 11:30 anyway. I told them I was concerned
about waiting in another
line once we arrived at the pier. She said that the people on the buses were already
cleared and would be the first
aboard. Although I was skeptical, she was right. We took the bus and were among the first
dozen people to board.
We were told by our travel agent that a table for two could not be reserved and we would
have to find the maitre'd
(dining room) as soon as we boarded, in order to get a table for two. This is why we were
in a big rush to get aboard,
which turned out to be a waste of time (more on this later). So take your time (and the
bus) because there are no
advantages in trying to "beat the crowd" to the ship.
The usual RCCL people were there to welcome us onboard. I
asked the girl who seemed to be in charge where the dining room was. She said she didn't
know for certain. Maybe
she should have taken the time to tour the ship she was on because she also didn't know
where the purser's desk
was either. The amazing thing was that the dining room was on the same deck, where you
enter, just around the
corner and behind the woman we asked. A few minutes later I found the dining room and
asked for the maitre'd. He
said that all dining arrangements could be arranged at Deck 7, in the Card Room at 1 PM.
This is why I said not to
waste your time rushing to the dining room because they will not even talk to you. Turned
out that our room (7066)
was on Deck 7, just a few down past the Card Room. It wasn't made up yet, so we sat in the
Card Room and
waited. The assistant maitre'd showed up at 12:30 and they started setting up the Card
Room for the dining
arrangements. I told him I was waiting there for our room to be made up and also the
maitre'd. He said that the
maitre'd wouldn't be coming up, but he himself would be making the arrangements. He took
out his map of the
dining room and I told him we wanted a table for two. Although I was the first person to
see him I was told that there
were only 4 tables for two and all were reserved. Reserved??? Hmmm, well I thought it was
first come, first served.
Guess not because we didn't get one. He then proceeded to try and convince me what a
wonderful location out table
for 6 was. I might as well have been talking to a wall as it was a wasted effort trying to
get a table for 2. Fortunately,
we ended up with some nice table mates, although we still would have preferred our own
table. I am telling you this
so that you won't waste time better spent enjoying the ship. Despite what your T.A. or
others in the newsgroups tell
you, this is what you will encounter.
The ship itself is absolutely beautiful. You will not be disappointed. Everything
is set up quite well,with easy access to everything onboard. Next to each elevator, you
will find a neat little ship
directory where you can find where you want to go. We have cruised on NCL's Dreamward, an
equally beautiful ship,
but it seems much easier to get around the Grandeur. Our cabin was very nice but NOT the
one pictured in the
RCCL brochure! When we walked in for the first time, we thought it looked a lot smaller
than pictured. When I
looked in a brochure at the Crown & Anchor in San Juan, we realized that we had not
gotten the cabin in the photo.
Our cabin was smaller with no chairs. I looked into some rooms on the Bridge Deck and
those appeared to be the
rooms in the photo. So if you book an outside room on the Commodore Deck beware, because
you won't be getting
the deluxe outside stateroom pictured. I noted this on their evaluation form and told them
it was very deceptive
advertising.
We tried to get everything situated the moment we arrived on the ship so that it
wouldn't be a hassle
later on. TIP: make sure that you get your tender tickets on the fist night between
10-11PM. We were at dinner
(late-seating) and missed out. The next morning we ended up with number 7's. So if you
want to get to
Labadee/Coco-Cay early, one of you should skip out during dinner and get your tickets. The
first day at sea was
relaxing and enjoyable. There is one particularly animated waiter who you will always
notice, wherever you go
("Island Speeeecial!" Drink one of these if you want to be like me!"). This
guy's a wild man and you can't say no! Our
room steward, Ricardo, was very nice and did an excellent job with our room.
The dining room was beautiful and the
food was very good to excellent. Our waiters were very nice but one of them didn't seem to
get along well with the
head waiter. We had several meals served very late, orders that weren't fulfilled and
several other incidents. One
morning, someone at our table received corned beef hash that wasn't cooked at all. The
waiter said that the cook
was mad because people were eating late and that he had a habit of playing tricks, when
that occurred. The waiters
also didn't seem to enjoy their jobs too much as most we talked to couldn't wait to find
something else (a 9 to 5
job). Can't blame them though, apparently they put in anywhere from 15 to 20 hours per
day! Near the end of the
cruise, our waiter pulled me aside to explain that if they got any less than an
"excellent" on the survey, they would
be disciplined. I'm not sure how it works on other cruise ships but I think RCCL should do
something for the morale
of their help. Our cruise on NCL (Dreamward) was a top-notch dining experience and very
professional.
Ports of Call:
Labadee was breathtaking! Mountains half-way around the ship greet you in the morning.
Plenty of beaches &
places to enjoy but if you don't want to be hounded (like you've NEVER been before), stay
away from the local
vendors! There is one building where you can shop in peace but stay clear of the huts! You
won't believe it! Old San
Juan, Puerto Rico: We spent 3 hours walking around town. Unless you like shopping for
jewelry and T-shirts, etc.,
don't bother. That's about all you'll find. Didn't particularly care for the vagrants and
lo- cals laughing & whistling
either. The fort was nice to visit, but that was all. We heard other passengers
complaining about the tours being a
rip-off. I guess the Bacardi tour was ok, as we didn't hear anything bad about it. Do
yourself a favor and hang out on
the ship all day! St.Thomas/St.John: Paradise indeed (especially after San Juan!). Nice
& helpful local folks. Plenty
of variety for shopping. The gondola is a very short walk from the ship and well worth the
$10 per person. We took
the St.John Sea & Snorkel Tour and enjoyed every minute of it. They will bring you to
Trunk Bay for
swimming/snorkeling and keep you happy with all the rum punch you can drink, on the way
back. Wish we could
have skipped San Juan and spent an extra day here. So much to do & see and so little
time! Coco-Cay: Another
winner! Although the tide was low there was still plenty of water and things to do. A
beautiful little island where you
can just kick back & relax on your last day. Apparently one of the passengers really
was relaxed, as she laid
around without her top on, face up!
The next morning we awoke to the lights of Miami. They will expect you to be
out of your room by 8 AM, so the herding of the cattle begins! We had a late afternoon
flight so we took the Miami
bus tour. Although we weren't in any hurry to get off the ship, we were the first ones
off. They put us on a bus and
we watched the Grandeur disappear in the distance. First stop was a sponge factory. About
as much fun as a visit
to a sewer plant! Smell was about the same too. The tour got better eventually, but not
until after a short trip through
the scuzzy part of town. A stop at a parrot jungle, which was kind of fun, then eventually
they bring you to your
terminal at the airport. Not that great of a tour but better than waiting 8 hours in an
airport. Closing comments: We
loved the cruise and the ship was magnificent. If it were not for all the negative
experiences with the dining room we
would definetly book this one next time. Although the NCL Dreamward was smaller (but just
as nice), I think the
staff were more friendly and helpful. The dining room service was far better than on the
Grandeur. Although it's a
tough choice I think we'll be going back to the Dreamward. Grandeur still gets a 9 out of
10 rating though! You'll love
it!!!
Name: Herb Scherker
Email: herbs@inspace.net
Age: 41
Occupation: General Manager
NumberOfCruises: 9
TravelAgent: No
Ship: RoyalCaribbean-Grandeur
SailingDate: 05-03-97
Itinerary: Eastern Carib
FoodDiningRoom: 94
CruiseDirector: 90
CabinComfort: 92
FoodRoomService: 88
CruiseStaff: 95
CabinAmenities: 95
FoodLidoDeck: 88
DiningRoomService: 95
CabinQuietness: 95
FoodMidnightBuffets: 90
CabinSteward: 95
ShoreExcVariety: 95
FoodVariety: 95
DeckService: 92
ShoreExcValue: 88
GoodForHoneymoon: 95
CasinoStaff: 95
PrivateIsland: 95
GoodForFamilies: 95
LoungeService: 95
TenderService: 91
GoodForSeniors: 95
BeautySalonStaff: 95
EntertainmentLounges: 90
WheelchairAccess:
ExerciseFacilities: 95
EntertShowLounge: 90
OverallPortsofCall: 90
BeautySalon: 97
EntertainmentPoolside: 90
CruiseActivities: 90
Casino: 93
AirSeaProgram:
MedicalFacilities:
ShipCleanliness: 95
EmbarkDisembark: 95
DiscoNightclubs: 95
DeckSpace: 99
Stabilization: 95
ShopsOnBoard: 95
SpaceRatio: 95
OverallCruiseValue: 95
Submit: Submit Review
Date: 19 May 1997
Time: 08:54:40
Remote Name: 207.204.40.235
Remote User:
Comments
We were a party of 9 with ages ranging from 10 years old my Daughter to my dad of 72. We
all have been on many
cruises in the past and all agreed this was our best ever and the nicest ship we have ever
been on. Service was great,
food was very good and the ship was magnificent, Even the public restrooms were something
to see and use....:)
Ships Entertainment was typical ship type stuff no biggie, Casino was a tad crowded at
times and the slots were
about the tightest i have ever seen, Ports were Labadee which is a nice private island
type stop, Puerto Rico which
we have been there done that before and could do without it, St.Thomas which we have also
been there before but
could live there especially in St. Johns and my favorite private island of all our cruises
Cococay.
We also enjoyed the art auctions on board and even purchased a few pieces of art, speaking
with a few passengers
who cruise frequently and to my TA they all said this is one great ship but recommended
the carnival Destiny as the
better of the two, Having been on Carnival a few times i find this very hard to believe
not that they are that bad just
that i find them to be good not great, anyways being the curious type i am, I booked the
Destiny on July 5th for just
my wife and myself...Will report on that one after....:0
If you want any further info please e-mail me
Herb
Name: Gary & Jan Mosso
Email: mosso@westol.com
Age: 41
Occupation: Accpunt Exec.
NumberOfCruises: 1
TravelAgent: No
Ship: RoyalCaribbean-Grandeur
SailingDate: June 14, 1997
Itinerary: Western Caribbean
FoodDiningRoom: 95
CruiseDirector: 90
CabinComfort: 95
FoodRoomService: 90
CruiseStaff: 90
CabinAmenities: 90
FoodLidoDeck: 90
DiningRoomService: 99
CabinQuietness: 95
FoodMidnightBuffets: 90
CabinSteward: 89
ShoreExcVariety:
FoodVariety: 95
DeckService: 90
ShoreExcValue:
GoodForHoneymoon:
CasinoStaff: 88
PrivateIsland: 95
GoodForFamilies: 92
LoungeService: 90
TenderService: 90
GoodForSeniors: 90
BeautySalonStaff:
EntertainmentLounges: 95
WheelchairAccess:
ExerciseFacilities: 87
EntertShowLounge: 89
OverallPortsofCall: 90
BeautySalon:
EntertainmentPoolside: 89
CruiseActivities: 89
Casino: 90
AirSeaProgram: 90
MedicalFacilities:
ShipCleanliness: 90
EmbarkDisembark: 90
DiscoNightclubs: 90
DeckSpace: 90
Stabilization: 95
ShopsOnBoard: 85
SpaceRatio: 90
OverallCruiseValue: 95
Submit: Submit Review
Date: 23 Jun 1997
Time: 16:57:28
Remote Name: 204.171.146.188
Remote User:
Comments
This cruise was a family reunion cruise with ages 9 through 71 represented. Only one
couple had cruised before - there were
eleven of us in the group. The ship was beautiful and very easy to find your way around
after the first day or so.
We all had outside cabins on B deck - (rooms numbered 3000) - and found them to be very
comfortable with lots of storage
space. We kept finding new niches to store things in! My brother had his two children with
him and was fine for space. One
evening the entire group congregated in our cabin for drinks. We couldn't believe we all
fit - but we did and all found a space
to sit, too! The bathroom is small but adequate.
As this was my first cruise I was a little disappointed in the size of the pool. I thought
it would be bigger, but I never had a
problem getting a deck chair or even finding a space to sit on the edge of the pool. I
didn't frequent the solarium pool during
the day because I wanted to enjoy the sunshine, but heard there was always lots of room in
that pool.
The entertainment was good - not great, but very good. Ben Vereen was the big name
entertainer for the week and although
there if no question as to his talent, I thought the show dragged just a bit at first. I
thoroughly enjoyed the comedians, jugglers
and ventriloquist. Heat Wave, the steel drum band, was very good - I just wish they had
played for longer periods on the pool
deck.
The food - it was very good and VERY plentiful. Our waiter - Paulo from Portugal - was
fantastic. I still can't get over how
the waiters run - they don't walk - with ten or eleven entrees on their shoulders. And
they were always upbeat - don't know
how as they serve all three meals plus the buffets. Speaking of buffets, they had an all
pastry buffet one night and the strudel
was scrumptious - just like Mom's. My favorite meals were: filet mignon and prime rib and
salmon. Okay were lobster and
veal and duck. We especially enjoyed the appetizers (wonderful smoked fish and escargot)
and the chilled soups.
Our favorite port was St. Thomas and Magens Bay. Favorite private island was Labadee.
CocoCay had great snorkeling but
seemed crowded.
RCI really had embarkation and disembarkation down to a science. We landed in Miami at
12:00 noon and were in our room,
pina colada in hand, by 12:45. Although we had to wait for an hour in a public area to
disembark, once they called our group,
we had found our luggage, checked in at US Air at the pier and were on our way to the
airport in about 20 minutes. I had
heard such horror stories about finding your luggage, I was pleasantly surprised.
All in all - a near perfect vacation (we didn't even have the threat of a raindrop during
the days). I can't wait for the next cruise!
Name: Paul Diemer
Email: pdiemer@earthlink.net
Age: 27
Occupation: Software Project Manager
NumberOfCruises: 2
TravelAgent: No
Ship: RoyalCaribbean-Grandeur
SailingDate: 12/14/96
Itinerary: Labadee/San Juan/St Thomas/Coco Cay
FoodDiningRoom: 85
CruiseDirector: 85
CabinComfort: 50/100*
FoodRoomService: 75
CruiseStaff: 95
CabinAmenities: 75
FoodLidoDeck: 85
DiningRoomService: 80
CabinQuietness: 89
FoodMidnightBuffets: 90
CabinSteward: 95
ShoreExcVariety: 90
FoodVariety: 90
DeckService: 90
ShoreExcValue: 85
GoodForHoneymoon: 89
CasinoStaff: 70
PrivateIsland: 97
GoodForFamilies: 80
LoungeService: 89
TenderService: 85
GoodForSeniors:
BeautySalonStaff: 70
EntertainmentLounges: 69
WheelchairAccess:
ExerciseFacilities: 90
EntertShowLounge: 69
OverallPortsofCall: 89
BeautySalon: 75
EntertainmentPoolside: 70
CruiseActivities: 85
Casino: 89
AirSeaProgram: 89
MedicalFacilities:
ShipCleanliness: 100
EmbarkDisembark: 90
DiscoNightclubs:
DeckSpace: 90
Stabilization: 75
ShopsOnBoard: 75
SpaceRatio: 75
OverallCruiseValue: 85
Submit: Submit Review
Date: 30 Jun 1997
Time: 21:04:23
Remote Name: 38.6.3.175
Remote User:
Comments
My wife and I went on the general public maiden voyage of Grandeur of the Seasc for our
honeymoon. We had room 4500,
first room forward on the Main deck. We liked having nobody on the other side of the hall
and only having on cabin next to us.
We rated the room a 50/100 and I'll explain later.
Being the maiden voyage, there were a LOT of kinks to iron out. The 1st
night of dining (we had early sitting), we didn't get done eating until 45 minutes after
the late seating should have already been
eating. Needless to say, they had a VERY late seating. Service was slow, food was rated 88
because we considered it very
good compared to a mid/upper scale restaurant. Variety of food was very good, serving
sizes were average, but you can eat all
day long anyway. The dining room service was rated an 80 because the assistant waiter
didn't speak english. We almost
always had to ask for refills on drinks. We could harldy understand a word the head waiter
spoke because his accent was so
thick. But our waiter was fantastic! He was such a neat guy. A lot of fun. He had to work
hard to make up for his assistant.
We understood that this was probably a lot of the 'crew's' first 'cruise.'
The food in the Viking Crown Lounge was very good.
Breakfast buffet was repetative, but very fresh and very good. How many breakfast foods
are there anyway? The
room-service food we had was not so great. We ordered a chicken sandwich (the roll it came
on was very hard). The fruit
was very good, though. I ordered the Special Occasion package and recd Canapes and
desserts in cabin every night. Asked
them to quit giving us cavier and soushi, but they still gave it to us. Had to ask again
and they started giving us crackers and
fresh fruit and cheese. Midnight buffets were out of this world. Desserts were absolutely
incredible!!
Cruise activities were
ho-hum for us. Weren't too interested in art auctions or bingo or dance lessons. Since
there wasn't much else to do though,
we did play and got hooked on bingo! Lost a lot of money, won a game once. Only had one
number to go to win the big jack
pot on last game :( Ice carving was incredible to watch! When we went to disco at
10:30ish, there was nobody there, literally!
They must've all still been in the 2nd show. Music was VERY loud for us.
Cabin steward was GREAT! We saw him a lot and
always had a nice chat. Kept our room spotless. Once, he made a flower out of my wife's
nighty when she had left it on the
floor. Lady at the roulette table had a bad attitude. Wouldn't even smile or talk to
anyone. Maybe it just goes with the game. We
had a massage that came with the Crowning touches and the staff seemed a bit snooty. My
masseuse massaged too too hard.
My wife said that hers was too. We hurt afterward, but we bought the lotions they used. My
wife gives me a much better
massage than the cruise lady did, and much cheaper too! Very friendly, though.
Now for the great story of our cabin. We
rated it a 50 because on the second last night, it had water on the floor. We came back in
after dinner to get film, and we went
squish, squish through our room. They came and vacuumed it up. Still vacuuming it up when
we were ready for bed at 1:30.
Next morning, it was worse. Didn't ruin any of our stuff, but got close. The carpet was
soaking wet from the door all the way
up to our bed. It was a cold, drizzly day and we didn't get to go to Coco Cay. We stopped
in Nassau instead. I don't care for
Nassau and we wanted to stay on ship. We just couldn't stay in our room because they had
to vacuum it up constantly, and try
to fix the leak, wherever it was coming from. Told the 'front desk.' They were SO
FRIENDLY. Slow, but friendly. 6:00 pm
that night, getting ready for dinner, they finally called us. She said they have a room
for us and hope we don't mind moving
our stuff to it. She said it was the royal suite! NO KIDDING. We got to stay in the royal
suite for one night! It had a baby
grand piano with a cd changer in it! It had a bar, jacuzzi, 4 head shower/sauna, 2 sinks
with dimmer lights in the basin, a king
size bed with feather bed on top, a living room, dining room, bar (with no alcahol),
double french doors, a door bell, electric
curtain in the living room and bedroom, a huge balcony. This thing was incredible. It
definitely made the whole cruise. We
were ecstatic. Took a lot of pictures, too (of the room).
The first cabin squeaked a lot at night. Had trouble getting to sleep
sometimes. There was a leak in the main lobby too. Lots of little stuff. Fitness program
was VERY good. Got to know a lot of
the staff and they always remembered our name. That started with Kareoke. She sang me Lost
in Your Eyes and I sang her
Annie's Song. From that point on, the staff remebered our names the whole cruise. THAT was
a nice touch. Must comment
on one last thing. The entertainment in the show room was aweful. We went to the show
every night and only liked two
shows. One had a little of everything. The other was Marvin Hamlisch. He was great! VERY
funny. The one night, the wave
review dancers did all these dances from musicals, but most of the songs they chose to
dance for weren't very good. The
dancing was good, the songs weren't. Songs from Hairspray? and others I'd never heard of.
I was hoping for The Chorus
Line, or West Side Story, and musicals like that. But the worst show was Ambrosia, a group
from the eighties. It was like
going to a rock concert, no joke. Most EVERYONE in the entire audience walked out in the
first 10 minutes. This
entertainment belongs on a cruise like Carnival. I felt bad for the group. It was pretty
embarrassing. Overall, I really enjoyed
myself. The excursions were pretty cool and fun, except for Nassau (ho-hum). I think a
cruise is the best way to go for your
money. I will try the Dawn or Sun Princess next time, or I may give RC another try.
pdiemer@earthlink.net
Name: Beth Hobbs
Email: korndog@preferred.com
Age: 28
Occupation: phone book publishing
NumberOfCruises: 1
TravelAgent: No
Ship: RoyalCaribbean-Grandeur
SailingDate: 5/3/97 - 5/10/97
Itinerary: E Caribbean
FoodDiningRoom: 95
CruiseDirector: 90
CabinComfort: 95
FoodRoomService:
CruiseStaff: 90
CabinAmenities: 95
FoodLidoDeck: 95
DiningRoomService: 98
CabinQuietness: 95
FoodMidnightBuffets: 98
CabinSteward: 98
ShoreExcVariety: 99
FoodVariety: 98
DeckService: 95
ShoreExcValue: 99
GoodForHoneymoon: 99
CasinoStaff: 95
PrivateIsland: 100
GoodForFamilies:
LoungeService: 95
TenderService: 98
GoodForSeniors:
BeautySalonStaff:
EntertainmentLounges: 95
WheelchairAccess:
ExerciseFacilities:
EntertShowLounge: 95
OverallPortsofCall: 99
BeautySalon:
EntertainmentPoolside: 95
CruiseActivities: 99
Casino: 95
AirSeaProgram:
MedicalFacilities:
ShipCleanliness: 98
EmbarkDisembark: 95
DiscoNightclubs: 90
DeckSpace: 98
Stabilization: 98
ShopsOnBoard: 99
SpaceRatio: 98
OverallCruiseValue: 96
Submit: Submit Review
Date: 22 Jul 1997
Time: 21:54:01
Remote Name: 205.138.53.72
Remote User:
Comments
Our cruise was our first cruise, but certainly not our last. We are already saving for the
next one, although we probably will not go back to the same place
because we'd like to see some different things. We would definitely go back to the Royal
Caribbean Cruise Lines for our second voyage. We drove down
from Virginia to the port of Miami for disembarkment, and although we were held over
slightly due to a late plane we were pleased that we had time to get
more acquainted with the layout of the ship. But late Saturday, we'd almost made ourselves
at home. The itinerary was the E. Caribbean which included:
Lobadee, Haiti; San Juan, Puerto Rico; St. Thomas, USVI; and CocoCay, Bahamas. Each of
these places were marvelous and remarkable, and each place
had it's own personality and interests. And the sand is to white and the water so clear,
these places will take your breathe away. You may never want to
come home again, I know we didn't! I would advise anyone with the opportunity to cruise to
take advantage of the trip as well as the shore excursions and
the onboard activities. They most certainly have activities for every age group and
special interests. Even if you feel you don't have the extra money to put
forth on some of the excursions, do all that you can. It's what makes it so memorable. The
ship itself is so big and so fascinating. And although alot of
people are on with you, you can still have that sincerely and private place to yourself if
you so desire. But plan on staying up late at night and getting little
sleep, because there is so much to see and do you will not want to miss one thing. My
personal opinion is only this: everyone should have the opportunity
to take a cruise once in their lifetime, because there is nothing like it in all the
world. It's great!
Name: John Paul Picklesimer
Email: jpick@eagnet.com
Age: 52
Occupation: Educator/High School Administrator
NumberOfCruises: 7
TravelAgent: No
Ship: RoyalCaribbean-Grandeur
SailingDate: 7-19-97
Itinerary: Haiti-San Juan-St. Thomas-Coca Cay
FoodDiningRoom: 97
CruiseDirector: 95
CabinComfort: 95
FoodRoomService: 100
CruiseStaff: 97
CabinAmenities: 95
FoodLidoDeck: 97
DiningRoomService: 97
CabinQuietness: 95
FoodMidnightBuffets: 95
CabinSteward: 97
ShoreExcVariety: 90
FoodVariety: 97
DeckService: 95
ShoreExcValue: 90
GoodForHoneymoon: 90
CasinoStaff: 90
PrivateIsland: 100
GoodForFamilies: 96
LoungeService: 95
TenderService: 100
GoodForSeniors: 96
BeautySalonStaff:
EntertainmentLounges: 99
WheelchairAccess: 100
ExerciseFacilities: 90
EntertShowLounge: 100
OverallPortsofCall: 93
BeautySalon:
EntertainmentPoolside: 93
CruiseActivities: 93
Casino: 90
AirSeaProgram:
MedicalFacilities:
ShipCleanliness: 100
EmbarkDisembark: 99
DiscoNightclubs: 93
DeckSpace: 97
Stabilization: 199
ShopsOnBoard: 100
SpaceRatio: 95
OverallCruiseValue: 99
Submit: Submit Review
Date: 27 Jul 1997
Time: 22:05:44
Remote Name: 199.76.206.95
Remote User:
Comments
Awesome....this without a doubt is the best line going...Great ports of call we tried all
week and the only gripe we had was a group of unchaperoned
Mexican Kids that were rude...250 of them all 15 year old girls...other than that..Great
Entertainment...ship..just beautiful..food great..service beyond great
and most of all they made you feel like it was your own special cruise We had some bad
taste in our mouth from Carnival,this is the class of cruises...We
talked with people who just got off the Century, QE2,Princess and they all agreed...this
is the best. We have been back one day and booked RCL's
enchantment of the seas for next year. It's going to take an awful lot to convince us to
go on anything other than RCL in the future...
PS...one other note...slots are TIGHT...I mean TIGHT...play the tables you ain't going to
hit the slots...no one did...
Any questions...send me email...
Name: EUGENE BLODE
Email: knitters@ca.com.au
Age: 68
Occupation: real estate developer
NumberOfCruises: 4
TravelAgent: No
Ship: RoyalCaribbean-Grandeur
SailingDate: June 4-11, 1997
Itinerary: bahamas,puerto rico,haiti
FoodDiningRoom: 98
CruiseDirector: 100
CabinComfort: 98
FoodRoomService: 100
CruiseStaff: 98
CabinAmenities: 98
FoodLidoDeck: 95
DiningRoomService: 100
CabinQuietness: 93
FoodMidnightBuffets: 98
CabinSteward: 100
ShoreExcVariety: 92
FoodVariety: 100
DeckService: 95
ShoreExcValue: 85
GoodForHoneymoon: 95
CasinoStaff: 95
PrivateIsland:
GoodForFamilies: 95
LoungeService: 95
TenderService: 95
GoodForSeniors: 95
BeautySalonStaff: 92
EntertainmentLounges: 100
WheelchairAccess: 95
ExerciseFacilities: 100
EntertShowLounge: 100
OverallPortsofCall: 90
BeautySalon: 90
EntertainmentPoolside: 92
CruiseActivities: 95
Casino: 95
AirSeaProgram: 92
MedicalFacilities: 100
ShipCleanliness: 100
EmbarkDisembark: 90
DiscoNightclubs: 95
DeckSpace: 100
Stabilization: 100
ShopsOnBoard: 100
SpaceRatio: 95
OverallCruiseValue: 100
Submit: Submit Review
Date: 05 Aug 1997
Time: 05:19:55
Remote Name: 203.14.111.12
Remote User:
Comments
The Grandeur of the Seas newly built in November 1996 is probably one of the finest of the
cruising liners afloat today. Its 73,000 tons of sheer luxury was
truly a magnificent experiance for both my wife and myself. The ship was so comfortable
and so full of activities that you really did not want to sleep.
Probably the only fault, if I can consider this a fault, it that the shops in the ports
were not such bargains as one imagines., Beleive it or not the ships
shops were just as good and even cheaper. If I was to make another trip I would save my
money to buy more of the ships goods like shirts,
watches,spirits, and generally the same type of boutique clothing you would find ashore
and save yourself the heat and the haggling. For my money it was
a wonderful cruise in perfect weather. We were a bit nervous making a booking during the
Hurricane season in the Carribean but it never came. Just
wonderful memories on a wonderful ship. The crew is outstanding and the passengers are
from everywhere and all ages.
Name: Brooke Greenblum
Email: BrookLev@aol.com
Age: 23
Occupation: Student
NumberOfCruises: 2
TravelAgent: No
Ship: RoyalCaribbean-Grandeur
SailingDate: July 19, 1997
Itinerary: Eastern Caribbean
FoodDiningRoom: 80
CruiseDirector: 85
CabinComfort: 85
FoodRoomService: 75
CruiseStaff: 85
CabinAmenities: 80
FoodLidoDeck: 80
DiningRoomService: 85
CabinQuietness: 80
FoodMidnightBuffets: 80
CabinSteward: 75
ShoreExcVariety: 85
FoodVariety: 85
DeckService: 85
ShoreExcValue: 80
GoodForHoneymoon: 95
CasinoStaff: 50
PrivateIsland: 100
GoodForFamilies: 85
LoungeService: 85
TenderService: 95
GoodForSeniors:
BeautySalonStaff: 85
EntertainmentLounges: 85
WheelchairAccess: 95
ExerciseFacilities:
EntertShowLounge: 100
OverallPortsofCall: 95
BeautySalon: 85
EntertainmentPoolside: 85
CruiseActivities: 85
Casino: 100
AirSeaProgram:
MedicalFacilities:
ShipCleanliness: 85
EmbarkDisembark: 75
DiscoNightclubs: 75
DeckSpace: 75
Stabilization: 95
ShopsOnBoard: 95
SpaceRatio:
OverallCruiseValue: 95
Submit: Submit Review
Date: 05 Aug 1997
Time: 10:07:06
Remote Name: 152.163.213.162
Remote User:
Comments
The Grandeur of the seas was the second ship that my new husband had booked for our
honeymoon. We arrived at the ship around 11:00 am and we
were on board the ship by 11:45 am. This ship was absolutley beautiful...when you walk
into the lobby you are surrounded by glass and stairs and its
absolutely gorgeous! I enjoyed this cruise very much even though there were many negative
aspects about it. Firstly, even though the cabin space is small
(we were on deck two of the ship), it was very comfortable in our cabin until you reached
the bathroom where space was miniscule!!!!! I did not like our
cabin steward and felt he did not clean the room properly...all he did was make the bed
and wipe around the bathroom. Secondly, the food was very
good. We had late seating but changed to early seating because there were some people at
our first table that were not so nice! The second table we
had very friendly table partners, so we were able to enjoy eating. The service of our
waiter and subwaiter Attila and Rita (both from Hungary) was very
good, and the Head Waiter Yusuf from Turkey was excellent. The tried everything they could
to make sure that everything was going good. There was a
different presentation each night that made the dinners special, and I especially looked
forward to that. Food in the buffet was okay but stick to the dining
room..thats where your best bet is!! The shows were excellent!!!! I felt that i was
watching a Broadway show each time they had a big production. The
comediennes were also very good, I enjoyed the cruise directors staff very much and went
to some of the functions that they put on such as the Newlywed
not so Newlywed game which was hilarious!!!! The shore excursions include two private
islands of Labadee and Coco Cay, San Juan, and St, Thomas.
Labadee and Coco Cay were excellent for just lying out on the beach although you will like
the snorkeling on Coco Cay much better. Skip the native
shopping on Labadee if you dont want to be hassled by the natives. I suggest dont getting
off the ship when you are in San Juan. There is really nothing
to do but shop!!!! The best stop was in ST. Thomas. I suggest signing up for the
helicopter tour (and if you can get the front seat do it) You will find this to
be a ride of your life as you look over the sights of St. Thomas. Go to Mountain top for a
banana daquiri afterwards and then go to Magens Bay and enjoy
the water there. Very very beautiful beach. Embarking the ship depended on what type of
transportation you were going to be using, and as we were
going to be staying in Miami Beach for a couple of days, we were last getting off the ship
but we were at least off by 1030 am. The negative qualities about
this ship were that:there were around 170 mexican girls on their verano de quincaneria
(15th birthday summer) which meant that trouble was here. They
were so rude, holding up the elevators, getting up in the middle of shows, running around
the ship switching the do not disturb to make up room. I often
wondered where their chaperones were!!!! Many many people complained about this. But for
this little thing...i had an excellent time on this cruise
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