Name: Lou Trebino
Email: ltrebino@notes.cc.bellcore.com
Age: 34
Occupation: Project Director
NumberOfCruises: 8
TravelAgent: No
Ship: RoyalCaribbean-Grandeur
SailingDate: 8/9/97
Itinerary: Eastern Caribbean
FoodDiningRoom: 90
CruiseDirector: 85
CabinComfort: 90
FoodRoomService:
CruiseStaff: 70
CabinAmenities: 80
FoodLidoDeck: 65
DiningRoomService: 100
CabinQuietness: 90
FoodMidnightBuffets: 80
CabinSteward: 95
ShoreExcVariety: 90
FoodVariety: 92
DeckService: 90
ShoreExcValue: 85
GoodForHoneymoon: 95
CasinoStaff:
PrivateIsland: 100
GoodForFamilies: 95
LoungeService: 85
TenderService: 90
GoodForSeniors:
BeautySalonStaff:
EntertainmentLounges: 92
WheelchairAccess:
ExerciseFacilities: 88
EntertShowLounge: 98
OverallPortsofCall: 90
BeautySalon:
EntertainmentPoolside: 95
CruiseActivities: 90
Casino:
AirSeaProgram:
MedicalFacilities:
ShipCleanliness: 90
EmbarkDisembark: 90
DiscoNightclubs:
DeckSpace: 94
Stabilization: 95
ShopsOnBoard: 90
SpaceRatio: 92
OverallCruiseValue: 95
Submit: Submit Review
Date: 20 Aug 1997
Time: 10:29:44
Remote Name: 128.96.125.172
Remote User:

Comments

Review of the Grandeur of the Seas, 8/9-8/16

I sailed on the Grandeur of the Seas from 8/9 - 8/16 with my 7 year old son Zach and 4 year old daughter Alex. This was my first RCI
cruise in 5 years, the last 3 being on Celebrity. I’ll attempt to be objective wherever possible, but my personal opinions will obviously be
included.

We went to Miami the morning before the cruise and stayed at the Biscayne Bay Marriott. I really like the hotel and have stayed there
before. The location is great, with balconies (at your request) overlooking the Port of Miami. The cab fare from the airport was about
$13.00 and to the pier was $6.00.

Day 1 - Saturday - Embarkation

We all awoke early to see the Grandeur sitting gracefully at the pier. I was truly impressed with her from a distance, and even more so up
close. I don’t feel the pictures I have seen do her justice. Although I am very partial to the look of older ships or any Celebrity ship, the
Grandeur sparkled and had a presence of her own compared to the Norway and the Carnival ship also in port.

Embarkation was very smooth. We arrived at the pier around 11:30 and were on board by noon. The centrum was beautiful. What a large,
open, bright space this was. The marble floor on deck 4 was great and the steps leading from deck for to 5 and 6 were really pretty.
Unfortunately, none of the fountains were working at embarkation, nor did they work at all throughout the cruise. This area was clearly the
place to see and be seen throughout the cruise -- particularly on formal nights.

So, on to our cabin, a Cat K on Deck 7. Though it was my first inside cabin, I thought it was adequate and not at all claustrophobic. Overall,
there was enough room for the 3 of us, but I never cease being amazed at how small those bathrooms and showers are! The decor was
quite nice and bright, and mirrors were everywhere. We quickly dropped our carry-ons and ventured out to the Windjammer for lunch.

The lunch buffet was pretty good. Actually, it eased some of my fears (maybe too soon) about the food to come over the next week. The
Windjammer is a beautiful, nautical room. The windows are huge and afford a wonderful panorama over the bow. The traffic flow is really
poor! The only way out of the Windjammer is to pass the beginning of the buffet lines, which can be difficult. There are several circular
areas around which it is very difficult to move when there is more than a few people there, and there is no place to set your tray while you
are getting food from the chaffing dishes. That made for an interesting balancing act, especially for the kids! We never tried it for dinner,
which was available here every night but the first and last for those who wanted to dine less formally.

The rest of the ship was equally as beautiful. The biggest disappointment to me was the Solarium Pool. It was a great retreat from the main
pool and a truly elegant area. Unfortunately, the area was in various states of repair on Sunday and Monday, and the pool was completely
closed from Tuesday on. What a shame, because I found the pool to be wonderfully relaxing -- it was like a large spa.

The Great Gatsby dining room was really nice. I had requested a table for 3, but when I checked in the Card Room earlier that afternoon
with the Maitre’ d, I discovered we were assigned to a table for 6 in a high traffic area on the upper level. The head waiter I spoke with
‘created’ a table for 3 on the lower level near the windows. He literally drew a table in for us and it worked out perfectly. He refused a tip
from me at the time too! A word of caution for future passengers. There are two ‘wings’ at the front of the room that look like they could be
closed off if need be. They had several table in there on this sailing and were completely removed from the main activity of the dining
room. This could be good or bad depending on your tastes. If you want to see the parades and other activity, avoid this area if possible.
Service started out and continued to be excellent.

This is the night that you are told to get your tender tickets between 10:00 and 11:00 at the Shore Excursion desk. The shady areas go
quickly on Labadee and Coco Cay, so it’s recommended that you get ashore early. We waited until about 10:15, with my 4 year old
practically passed out on my shoulder to get tender tickets numbered 1. Whew! What a relief to have them in my hand -- EXCEPT, on the 2
mornings you needed the tickets, they ran ‘early bird specials’. Any one could go when they did that and it was with the first 2 tenders. So,
the moral of this story is, just be ready when they call and don’t worry about your number.

Day 2 - Sunday - At Sea

A great day all around. Breakfast in the dining room was typical RCI, but good. The main pool was pretty crazy, but the solarium pool was
great. Lunch was, in my opinion, really bad. This was pretty standard all week. The Windjammer was crowded and as I mentioned earlier,
very difficult to maneuver. The food was not very good. IMO the best thing for lunch each day was a salad or pizza.

Zach and Alex went to the kids club, Club Ocean, for a little while. There is a large ball pit and tunnels and slides in there. There was both
free play and organized activities throughout the week. I really liked the counselors and truly trusted them from what I saw. I popped in
periodically throughout the week when the kids were there just to see what was going on.

Dinner was a formal affair this evening, and we loved it. The food was excellent. Not a complaint here. It was really fun donning our tuxes
and fancy dresses and strolling through the Centrum to the dining room. The elegance of the ship really makes formal night a natural.
There were photographers set up all over for the usual formal portraits -- my favorite background being the Centrum as opposed to the
fake sunsets.

Prior to dinner was the Captain’s Cocktail Party. Captain Svensen is by far the most pleasant, entertaining and visible captain I have ever
met. You would see him regularly walking around talking to passengers throughout the week. He was even in the Solarium ‘supervising’
the repair work from time to time. His announcements throughout the week were informative and humorous, and he always started the
afternoon announcement with ‘welcome home’. I hope to have the privilege of sailing under his command again in the future.

Day 3 - Monday - Labadee

I love this place! Always have, but it’s even better than it was. There were quite a few jelly fish in the water, one of which attached itself to
my shoulder and left a nice reminder for a day or so. The water was clear, the beaches were beautiful and the breeze was blowing gently.
Utopia! Zachary and Alexandra participated in the kids club activities, which were a water balloon toss, sand castle building and other
things. They enjoyed it and I spent the 2 hours just exploring the island. Lunch was burgers, dogs, fruits, salads, etc. on the beach. It was
clearly the atmosphere, not the food, that was so appetizing. Zach had signed up for a Coke card on board. That’s were kids can get all
the soda they want all week from the bars for an up-front price of $15 plus tax and 15% gratuity. Unfortunately, they don’t work on the
private islands. Nor do they have water to drink unless you pay 2.50 plus t&t for bottled water. I wasn’t thrilled with that.

The evening was semi-formal, and tonight was the repeater’s party. Another entertaining talk from the Captain. He was very willing to
answer questions and share opinions on the future of RCI. He is obviously very proud and possessive of his vessel and his ‘family’ each
week.

Another good dinner in The Great Gatsby.

We went to the show to see ‘And the Beat Goes On’ performed by the Wave Review singers and dancers. This was probably the most
entertaining show I’ve seen on any cruise put on by the RCI performers. There was also the ‘dangerous comedy’ of Wilde and Haines. I
laughed so hard I hurt. This was a fantastic evening of entertainment. These guys have been on the Tonight Show and I would recommend
seeing them if at all possible.

The showroom was another impressive place. The room was gorgeous and the seats are very comfortable. Their were a few obstructed
views, but very few. Really pretty theater and neat special effects.

Day 4 - Tuesday - San Juan

A beautiful morning at sea and another disappointing lunch. Shortly after arriving in San Juan, the skies opened up and it poured. We
attempted to walk to the Crown and Anchor club to make phone calls before shopping. The club is a very nice and welcome service to
have. Hot tea and coffee are waiting, and there is a cash bar with snacks available for purchase.

Evening dress was casual, dinner was fair.

By the way, you always knew what day it was simply by looking at the carpeting in the elevators. It was changed daily and had the day of
the week written in the center.

Day 5 - Wednesday - St. Thomas

Today, we tried The Great Gatsby, the Windjammer, and the Solarium before we all managed to find something semi-enjoyable. Dining
room was open seating and a disaster. I found it to be completely disorganized and service to be horrendous. What frightened me a bit
was when Zach ordered a medium-rare hamburger in the dining room and the waiter said the head waiter would be over with a waiver for
me to sign releasing RCI of any responsibility if he should get sick. Instead, he came over to inform me that the chef refused to prepare it
that way even with the waver because ‘he was not comfortable with anything less than well done’. What does that say??? Alex ordered a
hot dog which came about 15 minutes later frozen on a warm bun. Yuk! Our regular waiter passed by and took care of us instantly.
Another less than stellar noon time meal.

Dinner was casual again and as good as any. Tonight’s entertainment was Rain - a tribute to the Beatles. I missed it but heard they had
the place rocking and got a standing ovation. Several passengers said they were so much like the Beatles in every way it was eerie.

Day 6 - Thursday - At Sea

Ahhhhh! The relaxing sea. Another gorgeous day full of wild pool games and pool-side entertainment. I chose to go off to the bow on
deck 10 an relax in peace and quiet while Zach and Alex were at Club Ocean.

Lunch today was very different. For the very first time, RCI presented their Gala Buffet at noon instead of midnight. IMO, it lost some of the
pizzazz, and once again, I was disappointed in the food. The midnight buffet tonight was similar to the others.

Dinner tonight was formal again and excellent! It’s amazing how quickly you get spoiled by the service. I had a very hard time choosing an
entree, so Jose brought two. As he put it, ‘Why not, it doesn’t cost any more!’ How can you argue with logic?!

Day 7 - Friday - Coco Cay

Well, today was a little dismal only because of what tomorrow will bring. Coco Cay was another great spot. The water was great and you
could wade out several hundred feet and only be waist high. The fish were beautiful and swam all around you. No jelly fish that I found (or
that found me). The hardest part was getting past the first 50 or so feet. It was extremely rocky and difficult to maneuver for the less agile.
Once past that, it was great.

The lunch BBQ was burgers, dogs, ribs, and chicken. This was my favorite lunch so far.

Dinner was casual and depressing knowing that tomorrow I’d either be cooking, or would have to pay extra for that second entree! The
dining room staff entertained us all with another song, and everyone said there farewells.

The show was another good one. The Wave Review performers did Star Struck. It was good, but their first show was far better. Wilde and
Haines did some more of their stuff and I was hurting again when they finished. The grand finale was the cruise staff’s ‘If I Were Not Upon
the Sea’. The sound was messed up, so if you had never seen it before, you would not have understood it all. Unfortunately, it was not as
well-received as usual.

Day 8 - Saturday - Debarkation

It was a relatively simple, efficient process, but awfully painful to go through.

Overall, it was a wonderful cruise on a beautiful ship, and one I’d willingly do again. There are always some less than perfect things, but I
believe it’s all in your attitude. Unfortunately, I frequently ended up near one guy whose attitude was pretty poor. All I heard is how he’d
never go on RCI again, and he was going to sue for money back because the Solarium pool was closed for part of the trip and there
wasn’t enough room in the main pool, etc., etc. Several other people were talking about him too. By the way, on the days the Solarium was
open, I never saw more than 8 people in that pool at one time. I don’t think they caused overcrowding in the other. In general, I found the
staff to be less friendly and visible than on other cruises. There was one person at the purser’s desk who continually had to ask others for
answers to passengers questions and clearly did not know the layout of the ship very well. That may just come with experience.

If anyone has any specific comments or questions, please e-mail me at: ltrebino@notes.cc.bellcore.com

Name: Michaeline Kolbicka
Email: Michaeline_Kolbicka@cpmx.saic.com
Age: 49
Occupation: Program Manager
NumberOfCruises: 2
TravelAgent: No
Ship: RoyalCaribbean-Grandeur
SailingDate: July 26, 1997
Itinerary: Eastern Carribean
FoodDiningRoom: 95
CruiseDirector: 90
CabinComfort: 95
FoodRoomService: 85
CruiseStaff: 90
CabinAmenities: 85
FoodLidoDeck: 75
DiningRoomService: 95
CabinQuietness: 95
FoodMidnightBuffets: 75
CabinSteward: 85
ShoreExcVariety: 90
FoodVariety: 90
DeckService:
ShoreExcValue: 90
GoodForHoneymoon:
CasinoStaff:
PrivateIsland: 90
GoodForFamilies: 85
LoungeService: 90
TenderService: 90
GoodForSeniors:
BeautySalonStaff:
EntertainmentLounges: 90
WheelchairAccess:
ExerciseFacilities: 90
EntertShowLounge: 90
OverallPortsofCall: 85
BeautySalon:
EntertainmentPoolside: 90
CruiseActivities: 85
Casino: 85
AirSeaProgram:
MedicalFacilities:
ShipCleanliness: 90
EmbarkDisembark: 95
DiscoNightclubs: 85
DeckSpace: 90
Stabilization: 95
ShopsOnBoard: 85
SpaceRatio: 90
OverallCruiseValue: 90
Submit: Submit Review
Date: 25 Aug 1997
Time: 12:27:38
Remote Name: 198.151.13.15
Remote User:

Comments

On board the Grandeur was my husband and 2 teenage boys (16,15). This was our 2nd cruise having cruised on the Veendam -- Holland
America last July. The embarkation was wonderful. We arrived at 11:30 am and were in our cabin by 11:50 am. This was our 30th wedding
anniversary and booked the family suite, Cat AA. Our suite was wonderful. It was located at the very rear of the ship and had a wonderful
private verandah with an absoutely beautiful panoramic view. We were accompanied by our friends on this cruise. We had a table for 8 at
dinner. Our waiter and asst waiter were outstanding. We thoroughly enjoyed the dinner menus as it offered a Pasta Course every
evening. For those of us who do not eat beef this was wonderful addition as the Paste course could be a main entree. We found the
entertainment to be excellent. The Platters appeared one evening and they put on a great show. The Mudsharks in the South Pacific
lounge were quite good. The itinerary was good; not as exciting as the Western which we did last year. We enjoyed the private islands,
had a great time on St. Thomas. We went on the Kon-Tiki party boat. Very interesting tour. I would recommend the tour only if you are
open minded. A few negatives -- lunch in the Windjammer Cafe we found to be mediocre. We were spoiled on Holland America with salad
and fruit bars, ice cream bars, etc. The Windjammer offered very limited variety. The Midnight Buffets were very mediocre to just not good.
The variety looked like nothing but leftovers from lunch and dinner. Again we were spoiled on Holland America. The Teenage Program was
also poor. They would schedule activities, however, they wouldn't occur. It all looked good on the schedule but never actually happened.
My 2 sons met friends aboard ship and did things together. If they had depended on the Teen Program it would have been a disaster.
One final comment, on RCL they constantly say they will make you feel special, however, that aspect never came through. We had a suite
on Holland America and the personal service was very evident. If we summarize the whole trip, we had a wonderful time, the Grandeur is a
beautiful ship, and would sail on RCL again.

Name: Steve Simonetti
Email: sascol@aol.com
Age: 30
Occupation: Banking
NumberOfCruises: 2
TravelAgent: No
Ship: RoyalCaribbean-Grandeur
SailingDate: 10-11-97
Itinerary: Eastern Caribbean
FoodDiningRoom: 85
CruiseDirector: 95
CabinComfort: 95
FoodRoomService:
CruiseStaff: 95
CabinAmenities: 95
FoodLidoDeck: 89
DiningRoomService: 95
CabinQuietness: 95
FoodMidnightBuffets: 95
CabinSteward: 95
ShoreExcVariety: 95
FoodVariety: 95
DeckService: 95
ShoreExcValue: 95
GoodForHoneymoon:
CasinoStaff:
PrivateIsland: 95
GoodForFamilies:
LoungeService: 95
TenderService: 95
GoodForSeniors:
BeautySalonStaff:
EntertainmentLounges: 95
WheelchairAccess:
ExerciseFacilities:
EntertShowLounge: 90
OverallPortsofCall: 90
BeautySalon:
EntertainmentPoolside: 85
CruiseActivities: 90
Casino:
AirSeaProgram: 95
MedicalFacilities:
ShipCleanliness: 95
EmbarkDisembark: 90
DiscoNightclubs: 90
DeckSpace: 90
Stabilization: 80
ShopsOnBoard: 95
SpaceRatio: 90
OverallCruiseValue: 90
Submit: Submit Review
Date: 20 Oct 1997
Time: 17:43:40
Remote Name: 152.163.194.218
Remote User:

Comments

The shuttle ride from the airport and embarkation were quick and painless....it could not have been any easier. The
entire embarkation process once we reached the dock took a total of 15 minutes.

We entered the ship on deck four of the centrum....our first opinion of the interior of the ship: BEAUTIFUL! The use of
light colors really opens the area up making for a very open feeling.

Unlike our last RCI cruise, we were not escorted to our cabin but we managed to find it ourselves w/ no problem.
Cabin was the perfect size for my wife and I (we had category F, outside cabin). There was plenty of drawer / closet
space for the two of us.

Sunday we were at sea and the weather was beautiful. We had no problem finding deck chairs as there was plenty of
space.

Monday we stopped at Labadee, Haiti. Weather was a little gloomy and I heard the snorkeling was not too good.
Activities on the island included swimming, BBQ lunch, banana boat rides, and open market shopping. If you shop in
the open market expect to be HOUNDED by the native sellers. We could not walk a total of two feet without being
mobbed to purchase something. If you don't mind this, there are plenty of hand crafted wooden items to purchase.
We didn't care for the hassle, so we chose not to shop much.

Tuesday the weather was gloomy and the port of call was San Juan. We had been to San Juan before and chose to
stay on the ship. We sat in the Solarium since there was not much sun.....man this area of the ship is
georgeous...pool, hot tubs, a cafe and plenty of foliage. There are a lot of fountains within the solarium but for
whatever reason, none of them were working during the entire cruise. Hot dogs and pizza in the solarium were good.

Wednesday we stopped in St Thomas. Shopping is phenominal here...gold, emeralds, cologne, watches, you name it.
Got a few good deals here.

Thursday we were at sea all day with great weather. Sat by the pool all afternoon. The Caribbean band poolside is
great but they don't play nearly enough. Most of the time there is just music playing on deck. The tape repeats itself
every hour so if you are by the pool for a few hours, expect to hear the same songs over and over. Our last RCI cruise
was this way as well. Horse races and a belly flopping contest added to the fun.

Friday was Cococay....this is the most beautiful island I have ever seen! We went parasailing and the view from above
was unbelievable. Banana boat rides, sun, snorkeling and plenty of other activities. I really can't do the beauty of this
island justice by describing it to you. You just have to see it for yourself.

Saturday was depressing as the end was here! Disembarkation was fairly smooth. STAY ALERT WHEN THEY CALL YOUR
FLIGHT...we were in the dining room and did not hear our color being called. It is difficult to hear the announcements
in the dining room.

POSITIVES: Dining room is huge and georgeous. Wait staff is attentive and will do their best to give you whatever you
want. Unlike our last cruise, our head waiter was very visible. If you don't like something, or if it is not hot they really
don't mind if you send it back (in fact we were encouraged by the wait staff to speak up if something was not to our
liking). Our waiter (Nelson) was quite a character. He did magic tricks and folded napkins to entertain us.

We never saw much of our cabin steward but the room was always kept spotless for us. He must have seen the
anniversary card my wife gave me because one day he wrote us a very nice note wishing us a happy anniversary.

Captain regularly makes announcements and is quite visible on board. He has a great sense of humor too. Cruise
director is entertaining and visible as well.

NEGATIVES: There are WAY TOO MANY public smoking areas on this ship. Everywhere you go there are people
smoking. I am not an 'anti smoking' person, but it is hard to walk far without getting smoke blown in your face. The
public smoking areas need to be minimized.

Water was VERY rough and on a couple of nights, the ship was really rocking....the captain apologized several times. It
may be unusual for the ship to rock this much but on a few nights it was really bad. The stabalizers were being used
but it didn't seem to be of much help. I will blame this on the water though, not the ship.

There were quite a few children on the ship. Some (not all) parents were letting chilren yell and run loose on deck
(doing cannon balls in the pool, running, etc.). If you bring children on board, please have respect for others.

All in all, we had a great time and I would cruise on this ship again in a minute! Please e-mail me if you have any
specific questions and I will be happy to answer any questions you may have.

Can't wait for our next cruise!!!

Name: Angelo Swanhart
Email: angelo@twd.net
Age: 43
Occupation: Mining Supervisor
NumberOfCruises: 3
TravelAgent: No
Ship: RoyalCaribbean-Grandeur
SailingDate: 5-24-97
Itinerary: Eastern Caribbean
FoodDiningRoom: 95
CruiseDirector: 90
CabinComfort: 98
FoodRoomService: 90
CruiseStaff: 90
CabinAmenities: 95
FoodLidoDeck: 90
DiningRoomService: 80
CabinQuietness: 996
FoodMidnightBuffets: 85
CabinSteward: 895
ShoreExcVariety: 80
FoodVariety: 95
DeckService: 90
ShoreExcValue: 80
GoodForHoneymoon:
CasinoStaff: 90
PrivateIsland: 95
GoodForFamilies: 95
LoungeService: 96
TenderService: 80
GoodForSeniors:
BeautySalonStaff:
EntertainmentLounges: 82
WheelchairAccess:
ExerciseFacilities:
EntertShowLounge: 90
OverallPortsofCall: 80
BeautySalon:
EntertainmentPoolside: 100
CruiseActivities: 88
Casino: 98
AirSeaProgram: 98
MedicalFacilities:
ShipCleanliness: 90
EmbarkDisembark: 90
DiscoNightclubs: 90
DeckSpace: 95
Stabilization: 85
ShopsOnBoard: 90
SpaceRatio: 95
OverallCruiseValue: 95
Submit: Submit Review
Date: 07 Oct 1997
Time: 22:20:15
Remote Name: 147.72.88.30
Remote User:

Comments

This was our third cruise. All of thom with RCI. The Ganduer is a beautiful ship. Food was very good no matter where you ate at, from the dining room to the
to the Windjammer cafe. Shore excursions wherev run of the mill. At Labadee the best thing ot do is just relax at the beach enjoy the bar-b-que, and the
sunshine. At San Jaun its hard to say we did the old city tour and could have saved soom money by doing it ourselves. Next stop is St. Thomas , lots of
choices here just have at it. Last stop is CoCo-Cay avery nice private island . Snorkling very good here with both shallow and deep water avalible. RCI. has
had very good entertanment on all 3 trips weve been on. Head waiter was very distant and could care less about your needs , waiter and assisstant waiter
wre very good and room steward did avery good job also, as did everyone else on board. Also the captain was seen more on this ship than the other 2,
and really seemed to enjoy talking with the passengers. Embarkation and debarkation went very smooth. A very good cruise all in all. As has been all our
cruises with RCI.
Name: Bill Braithwaite
Email: Rcketman57@aol.com
Age: 55
Occupation: Govt Employee
NumberOfCruises: 11
TravelAgent: No
Ship: RoyalCaribbean-Grandeur
SailingDate: 11/08/97
Itinerary: eastern
FoodDiningRoom: 99
CruiseDirector: 75
CabinComfort: 100
FoodRoomService: 95
CruiseStaff: 90
CabinAmenities: 100
FoodLidoDeck: 93
DiningRoomService: 100
CabinQuietness: 100
FoodMidnightBuffets:
CabinSteward: 100
ShoreExcVariety: 90
FoodVariety: 95
DeckService:
ShoreExcValue: 90
GoodForHoneymoon:
CasinoStaff:
PrivateIsland: 90
GoodForFamilies:
LoungeService: 90
TenderService: 95
GoodForSeniors:
BeautySalonStaff:
EntertainmentLounges: 99
WheelchairAccess:
ExerciseFacilities:
EntertShowLounge: 90
OverallPortsofCall: 90
BeautySalon:
EntertainmentPoolside: 90
CruiseActivities: 90
Casino:
AirSeaProgram:
MedicalFacilities:
ShipCleanliness: 99
EmbarkDisembark: 100
DiscoNightclubs: 95
DeckSpace: 95
Stabilization: 100
ShopsOnBoard: 90
SpaceRatio: 99
OverallCruiseValue: 99
Submit: Submit Review
Date: 17 Nov 1997
Time: 09:50:06
Remote Name: 152.163.213.247
Remote User:

Comments

Overall a Great Cruise. The things that need to be improved on are the cruise staff, the number of public smoking
areas[less of them], and the Coco Cay private Island is getting a little old.

The Cruise Director Greg Maxwell seem to have no interest in mixing with the passengers and his selection of
performers was poor. We did not want to hear a harmonica recital, and nobody else did either only about 200 people
showed up. Billy Fellows, Donna Cellini and the Farewell Show were a flop also. The two stage presentations by the
New Wave Dancers and Singers were great. Steve Brunner and Norm Crosby were sensational. The smoking situation
was as usual on a cruise no one obeyed the no-smoking rules and noone enforced them. RCI needs to think about a
no-smoking ship. Coco Cay needs to be updated after a stop at Labadee in comparision it looks bad, as the ships get
bigger the space at Coco Cay becomes a problem. On the positive side the ship is beautiful, the dining room staff and
cabin stewards the best. The food was great, the lounges were fun, the activities as always entertaining.

Name: Lourdes A. Salimino
Email: Lulisa@aol.com
Age: 42
Occupation: Mortgage Broker
NumberOfCruises: 14
TravelAgent: No
Ship: RoyalCaribbean-Grandeur
SailingDate: 9/27/97
Itinerary: Miami,Labadee, Puerto Rico, St. Thomas, Coco Cay
FoodDiningRoom: 97
CruiseDirector: 99
CabinComfort: 100
FoodRoomService:
CruiseStaff: 98
CabinAmenities: 100
FoodLidoDeck: 96
DiningRoomService: 100
CabinQuietness: 100
FoodMidnightBuffets: 96
CabinSteward: 97
ShoreExcVariety: 98
FoodVariety: 97
DeckService: 70
ShoreExcValue: 94
GoodForHoneymoon:
CasinoStaff: 99
PrivateIsland: 100
GoodForFamilies: 100
LoungeService: 100
TenderService: 100
GoodForSeniors: 100
BeautySalonStaff:
EntertainmentLounges: 100
WheelchairAccess:
ExerciseFacilities: 97
EntertShowLounge: 97
OverallPortsofCall: 98
BeautySalon:
EntertainmentPoolside: 97
CruiseActivities: 97
Casino: 98
AirSeaProgram:
MedicalFacilities:
ShipCleanliness: 99
EmbarkDisembark: 85
DiscoNightclubs: 90
DeckSpace: 100
Stabilization: 100
ShopsOnBoard: 97
SpaceRatio: 99
OverallCruiseValue: 98
Submit: Submit Review
Date: 17 Nov 1997
Time: 13:05:19
Remote Name: 152.163.201.5
Remote User:

Comments

I found the ship to be beautiful, the solarium and it's facilities are out of this world in it's beauty and comfort. I did find
that the pool deck needed more of it's calypso band, they had one but it did not play often enough. Also, the solarium
area, could benefit from soft music.

Overall, the ship is beautiful and spacious. The dinning room staff were at their very best. I did find that diversity of
foods has diminished somewhat, yet the food that was served was well prepared. I did miss the lobster, and was told it
was no longer part of their menu.

I was really upset and disappointed upon embarkation the purser's desk handled the situation in a very poor manner
and was patronizing and sarcastic, when a little bit of efficiency and understanding was all that was needed to resolve
the issue.

Overall, it was a lovely trip, with nice port-of-calls.

Name: Rosemary Hanlon
Email: rhanlon@uta.com
Age: 60
Occupation: Executive Secretary
NumberOfCruises: 9
TravelAgent: No
Ship: RoyalCaribbean-Grandeur
SailingDate: 11-22-97
Itinerary: Eastern Caribbean
FoodDiningRoom: 95
CruiseDirector: 85
CabinComfort: 95
FoodRoomService:
CruiseStaff: 90
CabinAmenities: 95
FoodLidoDeck: 90
DiningRoomService: 100
CabinQuietness: 100
FoodMidnightBuffets:
CabinSteward: 100
ShoreExcVariety: 95
FoodVariety: 100
DeckService: 100
ShoreExcValue:
GoodForHoneymoon:
CasinoStaff:
PrivateIsland: 90
GoodForFamilies:
LoungeService: 100
TenderService: 100
GoodForSeniors: 90
BeautySalonStaff:
EntertainmentLounges: 100
WheelchairAccess:
ExerciseFacilities: 100
EntertShowLounge: 95
OverallPortsofCall: 95
BeautySalon:
EntertainmentPoolside: 90
CruiseActivities: 90
Casino: 90
AirSeaProgram:
MedicalFacilities:
ShipCleanliness: 100
EmbarkDisembark: 100
DiscoNightclubs: 100
DeckSpace: 100
Stabilization: 100
ShopsOnBoard: 90
SpaceRatio: 90
OverallCruiseValue: 95
Submit: Submit Review
Date: 03 Dec 1997
Time: 08:47:17
Remote Name: 165.207.204.89
Remote User:

Comments

Our cruise experience on the Grandeur will be a memorable one. We have cruised 9 times, 4 times with Royal
Caribbean. There were 4 of us, our two grown children accompanied us on this cruise, this being their first one. I
think the first time is the most exciting. Entering this huge ship it was more than they expected. The Grandeur is
a beautiful ship. I think all the glass gave it such a open look. It was very clean, the food in the dining room was
excellent, entertainment was good. The Coasters were the featured big act. They were excellent. The only
complaint we had were the children at dinner time. This cruise was over the Thanksgiving week so there were a
lot of children. We didn't notice them during the day but at dinner. It seems they sat all the children in each
family to their own table. We had two tables by us that the children were out of control, standing on the chairs,
hollering, and their parents not paying any attention to them. Here we are planning to have a nice quiet meal,
and these kids making all kinds of commotion. I think they should have been seated with their parents, who
hopefully, would have paid attention to what they would do. We heard others comments from other passengers
who could not believe the behavior of these kids. I felt sorry for their waiters. They sure had a mess to clean up
on their tables. I hope the parents left them a good tip. Also, the only other complaint was on Friday. The noon
buffet was not like the other days. There were lines waiting for hamburgers etc. and they were out of a lot of
things.

All in all this was a great cruise and vacation. We would recommend Royal Caribbean Cruise Lines to everyone.

Name: ed berman
Email: spoiled@sunline.net
Age: 58
Occupation: pharmacist
NumberOfCruises: 9
TravelAgent: No
Ship: RoyalCaribbean-Grandeur
SailingDate: 10-18-97
Itinerary: eastern caribbean
FoodDiningRoom: 93
CruiseDirector: 80
CabinComfort: 90
FoodRoomService: 90
CruiseStaff: 70
CabinAmenities: 90
FoodLidoDeck: 85
DiningRoomService: 95
CabinQuietness: 95
FoodMidnightBuffets: 75
CabinSteward: 95
ShoreExcVariety: 80
FoodVariety: 88
DeckService: 75
ShoreExcValue: 70
GoodForHoneymoon: 95
CasinoStaff: 80
PrivateIsland: 90
GoodForFamilies: 95
LoungeService: 90
TenderService: 90
GoodForSeniors: 90
BeautySalonStaff:
EntertainmentLounges: 75
WheelchairAccess:
ExerciseFacilities: 90
EntertShowLounge: 80
OverallPortsofCall: 85
BeautySalon:
EntertainmentPoolside: 60
CruiseActivities: 80
Casino: 95
AirSeaProgram:
MedicalFacilities:
ShipCleanliness: 95
EmbarkDisembark: 90
DiscoNightclubs: 75
DeckSpace: 88
Stabilization: 95
ShopsOnBoard: 70
SpaceRatio: 85
OverallCruiseValue: 92
Submit: Submit Review
Date: 07 Dec 1997
Time: 12:00:37
Remote Name: 207.30.56.53
Remote User:

Comments

The ship was absolutely magnificent,but Royal Caribbean has stopped doing the little things that made them a
superior cruise line.No one helped us with our hand luggage on boarding,or showed us to our rooms.The practice
of the wait staff asking us to be kind to them at the end of the week when writing comment cards is becoming
annoying,although the service was excellent. Curiously,there was no show one one evening,and the only
entertainment was big band music in the secondary show lounge. The band in show lounge has been around
RCCl ships for a long time and they are just ok(Brooks Paxton) The caribbean band on deck sometimes forgot to
show up when they were scheduled,and the games the cruise staff did on deck were predictable. The excursions
were dreadful,except for the water sports activities on Labadee and coco cay,great snorkeling
instruction.Shopping director very helpful with a problem we had..Please rccl,discontinue midnite buffet,its getting
very tired.,along with photog taking pictures during dinner. Overall,a good time, but they have done better...

Name: Dan Finelt
Email: fineldr@wt.net
Age: 37
Occupation: Chemical Engineer
NumberOfCruises: 4
TravelAgent: No
Ship: RoyalCaribbean-Grandeur
SailingDate: December 6, 1997
Itinerary: Eastern Caribbean
FoodDiningRoom: 72
CruiseDirector: 90
CabinComfort: 90
FoodRoomService: 75
CruiseStaff: 88
CabinAmenities: 90
FoodLidoDeck: 80
DiningRoomService: 72
CabinQuietness: 90
FoodMidnightBuffets:
CabinSteward: 80
ShoreExcVariety: 80
FoodVariety: 70
DeckService: 95
ShoreExcValue: 85
GoodForHoneymoon:
CasinoStaff: 90
PrivateIsland: 98
GoodForFamilies:
LoungeService: 98
TenderService: 95
GoodForSeniors:
BeautySalonStaff:
EntertainmentLounges: 95
WheelchairAccess:
ExerciseFacilities: 98
EntertShowLounge: 98
OverallPortsofCall: 80
BeautySalon:
EntertainmentPoolside: 85
CruiseActivities: 75
Casino: 90
AirSeaProgram: 95
MedicalFacilities:
ShipCleanliness: 90
EmbarkDisembark: 90
DiscoNightclubs: 85
DeckSpace: 90
Stabilization: 98
ShopsOnBoard: 80
SpaceRatio: 95
OverallCruiseValue: 80
Submit: Submit Review
Date: 30 Dec 1997
Time: 13:55:05
Remote Name: 206.139.152.165
Remote User:

Comments

My wife, Margaret, and I cruised the Eastern Caribbean on the RCCI Grandeur of the Seas during the first full week of December. This was our
fourth cruise; all three previous cruises had been on Princess (Sun Princess and Star Princess). Since all reviews have some bias, I will try
and give you as objective of a review as possible. As a reference point, Margaret and I are in our thirties with no children and live an active
vegetarian life style.

We began our cruise a day early by arriving in Miami on Friday. We stayed at the Miami Hyatt Regency in Downtown Miami. This is the
standard hotel in the RCCI hotel package. Not much to say about Miami; just grateful that I don't live there. Coming from Houston, I noticed
that most restaurants were considerably more expensive. We asked the concierge at the hotel for a restaurant recommendation for dinner.
He recommended Mario's Palio Ristorante (Italian) which was only 5 minutes from the hotel. While the food tasted fine, after we got back to
our hotel Margaret became terribly ill from the meal (vomiting, etc.). Therefore, if you don't want to start your vacation on a sour note, I
would definitely stay away from Mario's.

Getting to the ship on Saturday was easy. We were able to check in at the hotel and avoid the lines at the pier. We were transported to the
pier by bus and were in our cabins by 11:30am. The cabin was a standard outside cabin. Nothing fancy but it did have more than adequate
storage space. Compared to the Sun Princess, this room was very similar.

After lunch (buffet in the Windjammer) we toured the ship. It is a very pretty ship and is well laid out. Stairways are plentiful; I couldn't tell
you about the elevators since neither of us used them during our cruise. The Grandeur does have an excellent fitness center and a jogging
track (once around is one quarter of a mile). I missed having a jogging track on the Sun so this was a nice luxury. The two-level dining room
(Great Gatsby) was also very nice. Beware that there are a number of tables that you would not really want to sit at if you want a good view
(people watching) of the action in the dining room. Also note that there are very few (maybe four) tables for two. If this is important, then
you need to request one early. As for the lounge (South Pacific) and theater (Palladium), these were well laid out and provided ample
seating. There were really no bad seats in either venue. However, the smoking sections in the South Pacific Lounge are not very well thought
out which results in too much overlap between the smoking and no smoking sections. Thankfully, the Palladium was all non-smoking.

As for the all important question of food, for us it was a big disappointment. The menus always had a vegetarian entrée but there really
wasn't much variety throughout the week. There were several meals in which we ordered just sides of vegetables. The biggest
disappointment for us was the desserts. We may be vegetarians but we really enjoy sweet desserts. We always have a big appetite for
desserts especially after climbing stairs, working out in the fitness center, and walking into town. These desserts were not sweet. My wife
makes much better desserts. The Baked Alaska was a huge disappointment. I have had real Baked Alaska before and this was nothing but
packaged ice cream. Princess knows how to make a Baked Alaska! Overall, the food on the Grandeur is just not as good as the Sun Princess. I
didn't go on the cruise to enjoy gourmet cuisine but I expected better than what we were served.

As for the dining room service, it was fair. Our waiter, Regidor, really never listened to us. He always tried to outguess us on our orders. Most
times he would bring us something that we did not order because he thought we would want it. If I wanted asparagus that evening, I would
have ordered it. I did not appreciate him bringing me something that I clearly did not want. He always acted surprised when I left it. The
assistant waiter was fine but I thought it was funny that on the nights that we had wine he would bring us iced tea and Diet Coke since that is
what we would have at lunch. I don't think he really understood more that a few basic words of English. The highpoint of the dining room
service is the wine steward. We typically order wine on most nights so we really enjoyed having our wine steward, Bal. Bal did a great job. He
was head and shoulders above any of the other employees who waited on us. He would always come to our table and spend time talking with
us even on the nights that we did not order wine. The ship has a respectable wine list with a couple of bargains (Opus One at $89 and Lafite
at $99). From what I can remember, the wine list on the Sun Princess had more selections but had fewer bargains. As for our head waiter, we
rarely saw him except on the last night as he was working the tables for his tip. Obviously, he was wasting his time with us. Overall, we found
the dining room staff unaccommodating compared to our experiences on Princess.

On the second to last evening our waiter came around to each table to beg for excellent ratings. Since I have experienced this on other
cruises, I was not surprised. However, on the last night when the surveys were to be turned in, he again begged for an excellent rating. At
that point we had already turned in our survey so really did not want to hear the same speech again. I told Regidor that I completed the
survey honestly and fairly and I did not share with him my ratings. Lucky for him that I had turned in the survey or I would have downgraded
his service from "fair" to "poor". Instead of begging for an excellent rating near the end of the cruise, I would rather have the waiter come to
me on the first night of the cruise and explain that he wants to achieve an "excellent" rating and to let him know when he is falling short.

The entertainment on the Grandeur was excellent. The show by "Rain" was a great impersonation of the Beatles. By far this was the best
show that I have ever seen on a cruise ship and would rival any seen on land. Unfortunately, Rain only performed one night. I would have
really liked to seen them a second time. As for the other shows, they were definitely much better then any that we have seen on Princess.
RCCI really has their act together on the entertainment.

Our cabin steward, Ivanah, did a good job keeping our room clean. However, the special touches such as making our pajamas into animals
was missing. One night she completely forgot our mints and compass newsletter for the next day's activities.

As for the ports, I will not spend any time discussing St. Thomas or San Juan since most cruisers have been to one or both ports. Nothing new
for these ports but a real plus for RCCI was the Crown and Anchor Club located in both ports. This was especially useful in St. Thomas as we
needed a place to regroup after our shopping. The two RCCI private islands, Labadee and Coco Cay were both good. Without a doubt,
Labadee is the prettier of the two. There are the usual "toys" on each island to amuse your time. I chose to find out what it feels like to fly. I
tried parasailing and thoroughly enjoyed it. It is a little pricey but it is something that everyone should do once just to have the experience.

Throughout the cruise, we had wonderful weather. Highs were in the 80s with no days of rain except for a very brief shower on St. Thomas.
This resulted in very calm conditions and smooth sailing. This was the first Caribbean cruise that we have had nearly perfect weather. Maybe
December is a good time to cruise the Caribbean or maybe we were just lucky.

The disembarkation process was held up by customs for almost 2 hours but luckily we were not in any hurry to get to the airport since our
flight did not leave until late afternoon. I don't know if this is typical for RCCI but we found the process disorganized.

The tipping had recently been increased from the information provided with our cruise ticket. The recommended 7 day tip for the cabin
steward and waiter is now $49 per couple which is $7 higher. The assistant waiter's tip worked out to almost $28 which was up $3 from the
previous guidelines. I do not know if the other cruise lines have increased their tipping guidelines as well, so you may want to check prior to
your cruise. One observation on this ship versus the Sun Princess was that the waiters did all the work on the Grandeur while the assistant
waiters merely refilled drinks. On the Princess ships the assistant waiter is responsible for also going back to the galley and bringing the food
to the waiter. On the Grandeur the poor waiter was responsible for getting the food. It seemed like the assistant waiter had a "cush" job on
the Grandeur. This is definitely not the case on Princess.

In summary, this was not our best vacation or our worst. Would we sail on RCCI again-- probably not. We are both very active and we find that
after about five days we are ready to do more than just the typical shipboard activities. Days at sea were particularly boring to us this time.
We will probably forgo crusing for a few years and take more active vacations. When we do decide to cruise again, we will probably try
Carnival's nonsmoking ship. It really got old trying to dodge all the smokers on the ship.

If anyone has any specific questions regarding the ship, please contact me at the email address below. Happy sailing.

Dan and Margaret fineldr@wt.net

Name: Alan Tyson
Email: alant37@aol.com
Age: 37
Occupation: Electrician
NumberOfCruises: 1
TravelAgent: No
Ship: RoyalCaribbean-Grandeur
SailingDate: 12/20/97
Itinerary: Eastern
FoodDiningRoom: 100
CruiseDirector: 100
CabinComfort: 100
FoodRoomService: 100
CruiseStaff: 100
CabinAmenities: 100
FoodLidoDeck: 90
DiningRoomService: 100
CabinQuietness: 100
FoodMidnightBuffets: 90
CabinSteward: 100
ShoreExcVariety: 90
FoodVariety: 90
DeckService: 95
ShoreExcValue: 90
GoodForHoneymoon:
CasinoStaff: 100
PrivateIsland: 100
GoodForFamilies: 100
LoungeService: 100
TenderService: 100
GoodForSeniors:
BeautySalonStaff: 100
EntertainmentLounges: 90
WheelchairAccess:
ExerciseFacilities:
EntertShowLounge: 90
OverallPortsofCall: 95
BeautySalon: 95
EntertainmentPoolside: 90
CruiseActivities: 90
Casino: 95
AirSeaProgram:
MedicalFacilities: 100
ShipCleanliness: 100
EmbarkDisembark: 100
DiscoNightclubs: 100
DeckSpace: 100
Stabilization: 100
ShopsOnBoard: 90
SpaceRatio: 100
OverallCruiseValue: 100
Submit: Submit Review
Date: 18 Jan 1998
Time: 18:47:46
Remote Name: 129.37.105.6
Remote User:

Comments

Our Trip

Well what can I say, this was our first cruise and certainly not our last. We traveled on the Grandeur for their Christmas
cruise. We are in our thirties and my little guy is 8 yrs old. From the moment we left the Biscayne Bay Marriot till the time
we entered our stateroom, everything went smoothly. We made our own reservations at the hotel and went to the pier
around 11:00am. We waited for about 5 minutes and the embarkation began. We were in the cabin by 11:30am. We were
escorted to our cabin by a steward. We were rather early so our cabin wasn't exactly ready. We used this time to explore
the ship. This ship is beautiful in all respects. The atrium is stunning to a first timer like myself; however I imagine repeat
cruisers would still agree. The ship is very spacious and bright.

The Cabin

We had a category C on the bridge deck. This room is called a superior ocean view suite. This room was very nice indeed. It
had a balcony with a sofa bed and two lounge chairs. Two twins converted to a queen and this turned out to be larger than
my bed at home. The room also had a safe that worked with a credit card of your own choosing and a refrigerator stocked
with soda and bottled water. If you drink the soda and water they charge you at the end of the cruise. There was no vcr
however. The bathroom was very nice. We had a shower/tub combo and their was plenty of room to do whatever you had to
do without feeling crowded. Also the shower water was very hot. This was great after coming back from the islands and
taking a nice hot shower. With over 2000 people on this ship you wonder how they do this. This was a constant pleasure
every day. Remember to bring an extension cord with you along with a hair dryer. Their are outlets in the bathroom, but
they are only for electric razors.( Plug configuration wouldn't except a conventional plug) Hence the need for an extension
cord. I think this room is great for families and would be plenty for just two. Oh yeah, almost forgot. Storage space. Being
first timers we didn't know how much clothing to bring. Therefore we brought the house. We had 3 garment bags and 3
suitcases for my wife and son(8 yrs old) and me. Needless to say we were a little concerned about all these bags and
where to put all this stuff. The bags easily fit under the beds and there were so many drawers that we actually had 5 to 6
left over. Couldn't believe it! So if you overpack as we did, it's not a problem.

The Crew

These were a happy bunch of people. They constantly greeted us and always had an answer if you had a question. The
people at the shore excursion desk were very helpful as were the pursers desk. We got to take a tour of the bridge. This
was an extra ammenity if you cared to pay for it. It was called the Crowning Touches package. It consisted of embroidered
bathrobes for two, complimentary 5x7 formal picture in a frame, the tour of the bridge by the Captain, Dom Perignon bottle
in your cabin when you arrive, champagne breakfast in bed, visit to the spa for two and desserts in the cabin each evening.
This was definitely worth it, let me tell you. Our cabin steward was a young lady and she was the very best. Her name was
Andrea. She always had our room made up and their was always ice in the bucket. Each night she made up our bed pillows
in different designs. We left her a nice tip! Our waiter in the dining room was as good as it gets. We eat out enough to know
a good waiter from a bad one. This guy was on top of his game. His name was Robert and he was from Hungary. He chose
my sons meals each and every night and my little guy ate it all. Amazing how he knew my sons tastes after only one
conversation with my wife. After while he was ordering for me to and bringing me doubles of everything. I got fat quick! Our
wine steward s name was Balchon. He chose a different wine each night to go with what we ordered. He made some good
choices. My wife is the wine drinker, I just dabble. Room service was also very prompt. On two occasions we ordered
breakfast and it came within 10 minutes and was piping hot. Very nice people indeed!!!

Dining Room

We never missed dinner in the dining room! This was absolutely the highlight of each night. Our table mates never missed
dinner either, contrary to what you hear from other cruisers. We kept missing each other for breakfast and lunch though.
The food was very good. We live in New York and have eaten in some fine restaurants and this food was right up there. The
lobster was succulent and the filet mignon tender. The food always arrived hot and well prepared. Don't be afraid to order
extra. As I stated above I didn't have to, Robert did it for me. The desserts were very good also. Also we had early seating.
Having read others reviews and opinions about early seating I felt that we might have been rushed. This was not the case!!
We sat down at 6:00pm and dinner was completely served by 7:45pm. And we never felt rushed for one minute. Everything
went smoothly. Try to make it for breakfast. It's great to get pampered the same as you would at dinner.

Ports of Call

We did the Eastern route. The ship stopped at Labadee, a private RCI island, San Juan, St Thomas and Coco Cay, Bahamas,
another private island. Labadee was very nice except for the constant hawking of souvenirs by the islanders. Very annoying.
But I bought some stuff anyway. The water and serenity of this island is amazing. We didn't bother getting off the ship in
San Juan. I've been here before and besides with the ship near empty the pool decks were like a ghost town and my wife
and son took full advantage of this. St Thomas we got off. Had to do more shopping and just had to see this island once
again. We took a cab ride to a secluded hotel beach recommended to us by a cab driver and it was wonderful. We had the
whole beach to ourselves and the drinks just kept coming. Coco Cay was the best for snorkeling and the packages were
cheaper than the other island stops. I neglected to mention the weather was in the 80's from the time we left Miami till the
time we got home. It poured the day we disembarked the ship and I felt sorry for those getting on board.

Club Ocean

This was where my son spent most of the cruise. They have playrooms on board and certified counselors that watch them.
My son went every night on the cruise and even had his own cruise compass. This is a daily event sheet for the kids with
times and places to meet. From 8pm till 1am he was in their care. He had so much fun that he begged to go every night.
He made so many friends. This allowed my wife and I to really go have fun and we never once worried about him. One note:
their is a fee of $4 an hour after 10pm to have your son watched with others in his age group. They babysit for $8 an hour
in the cabin if need be. We never found the need to do that but wouldn't have hesitated if the situation warranted it. We
trusted those kids very much. We have tons of pictures with all the counselors with my son. They are so friendly.

Helpful Tips

1. Pack the clothes you would expect to wear your first night out in a carry on bag, not you regular luggage. Your bags may
not arrive till after first seating if you so chose.

2. If you made your own flight arrangements then get to the ship early. We left the Marriot around 11:00am and were on
the ship by 11:30am. No lines to talk about!

3. If you drive to the pier there is parking available. We parked at the pier and it was secure parking. The cost was $8 a day
and had to be paid up front.

4. Don't overpack!!!

5. We kept an eye on or supercharge account. We were told by others that sometimes charges appear that you know
nothing of. This happened to us with regard to the massage we had gotten through the Crowning Touches package. It was
paid for in our cruise price but they charged me anyway. I went to the pursers desk and they immediately removed the
charge with their profound apologies. Quick and painless process. Just check every now and then so your not surprised the
last day out.

6. Purchase the coke sticker if you have little ones traveling with you It costs $15 and this allows him/her to drink sodas the
entire cruise for the one price.

7. Have fun!!!

In closing, this was a wonderful trip. We would not hesitate to travel with RCI again. They truly pamper you and the service is
outstanding. Any specific questions you can e-mail me at Playmaker@ibm.net or Alant37@aol.com.

Bon Voyage!!!

Name: Andre Liu
Email: Gooski@aol.com
Age: 33
Occupation: Finance
NumberOfCruises: 1
TravelAgent: No
Ship: RoyalCaribbean-Grandeur
SailingDate: 12/20/97
Itinerary: Eastern Caribbean
FoodDiningRoom: 99
CruiseDirector: 98
CabinComfort: 95
FoodRoomService: 90
CruiseStaff: 99
CabinAmenities: 95
FoodLidoDeck:
DiningRoomService: 99
CabinQuietness: 99
FoodMidnightBuffets: 80
CabinSteward: 95
ShoreExcVariety: 99
FoodVariety: 95
DeckService: 95
ShoreExcValue: 95
GoodForHoneymoon: 95
CasinoStaff: 90
PrivateIsland: 95
GoodForFamilies:
LoungeService: 98
TenderService: 95
GoodForSeniors:
BeautySalonStaff:
EntertainmentLounges: 95
WheelchairAccess:
ExerciseFacilities: 95
EntertShowLounge: 99
OverallPortsofCall: 95
BeautySalon:
EntertainmentPoolside: 90
CruiseActivities: 99
Casino: 85
AirSeaProgram: 99
MedicalFacilities:
ShipCleanliness: 99
EmbarkDisembark: 99
DiscoNightclubs: 95
DeckSpace: 99
Stabilization: 99
ShopsOnBoard: 90
SpaceRatio: 99
OverallCruiseValue: 99
Submit: Submit Review
Date: 21 Jan 1998
Time: 00:48:33
Remote Name: 152.163.201.140
Remote User:

Comments

Well, we returned from our first cruise which was a belated honeymoon on the Grandeur of the Seas. It was a Christmas at
sea for us and turned out to be the best vacation that either of us have ever been on.

We left San Jose early Friday Morning and arrived on Friday evening in Miami (RCCL was waiting for us at the gate and
transported us smoothly to the hotel) and stayed at the Hyatt Regency as part of RCCL's air/sea/hotel package.
Embarkation was extremely easy and we actually arrived on the ship around noon on Saturday which was an hour before
the regular scheduled time of 1:00 p.m. At 5:00, we set sail from Miami.

Our waiters were top notch; Krishna, our waiter, always made several recommendations before each dinner which turned
out to be excellent choices. There was usually about six to seven choices each night for the main course and we didn't have
one meal that we didn't enjoy immensely. For each dinner, we had a choice of appetizer, soup, salad, main course, and
dessert. Our tablemates from Detroit were a lot of fun and great company; in addition, the wait staff did everything possible
to make our dinners memorable. A few times, when I was eyeing two appetizers, they would bring both out - my wife really
liked the lobster tail, so poof, another one appeared as she finished the first one. The waiters truly will do everything
possible to make your meals wonderful.

For breakfast, we alternated between the dining room, windjammer buffet, and room service. The dining room overall had
the best breakfast selection; the buffet was solid but nothing spectacular and room service was nice for those days that we
had a late start. Lunch was fine as we ate at either the shore barbecues or the dining room.

We didn't make any of the afternoon buffets and only two of the midnight buffets (no need to worry about going hungry!).
The midnight buffets were mixed; the caribbean buffet was very good but the oriental buffet was not that great (with the
exception of the egg rolls).

In terms of entertainment, the Platters played one night and Maureen McGovern played another at the Palladium Theatre -
they were the headliners. On the other nights, RCCL has their own folks; the Wave Revue perform. We especially enjoyed the
Platters. We also joined in the onboard game Novelquest, watched some others (Name that Tune and the Newly wed
game), played in the casino, hung out by the pool, and used the ship shape center a few times. In addition, there were two
comedians who were excellent as well.

Alcoholic drinks are not included, but the prices were reasonable from $3 to $5 depending on the drink.

We arrived in Labadee, Haiti on Monday morning - there was some shopping as the natives had an open market to display
their varied arts and crafts; be prepared to bargain. In the afternoon, we signed up for the shore excursion to go on the
coastal cruise around Labadee on the ship Firedancer. It was a pretty tame and quiet cruise, nothing too exciting. A note
on shore excursions, the excursions are optional and do cost anywhere from $20 to $80 extra per person per excursion.
Some of them sell out quickly as the parasailing and horseback riding did. For Labadee as well as Cococay, we used a
tender (small boat ) to go from the ship to the island - starting at 10 P.M. on Saturday, you could pick up tender tickets
which are numbered which allowed you to go on the earliest tenders if that's important to you.

On Tuesday, we arrived in San Juan, Puerto Rico around Noon, we left immediately for the horseback riding excursion; that
was quite fun and we enjoyed it quite a bit. When we got back, we had about two hours left to do shopping; fortunately, the
ship docks right at the pier which is right next to the shopping areas. We actually didn't do much shopping on the trip, but
there were plenty of opportunities (especially in San Juan and St. Thomas).

On Wednesday, we arrived in St. Thomas in the morning and went on a kayaking and snorkeling excursion. This was
probably the most fun excursion that we went on as we kayaked for awhile, then took a break in a cove which allowed us to
snorkel for about an hour. We had the whole afternoon to shop in St. Thomas as well - plenty of jewelry shops that's for
sure.

Friday was the last stop in Cococay, Bahamas which was basically an RCCL resort. There was no shopping to speak of but
the snorkeling was excellent. In addition, we spoke to some other guests who really enjoyed the parasailing.

We arrived back in Miami on Saturday in the morning - our flight didn't leave until 5, so we took the Everglades excursion to
kill some time; personally, I'd avoid it.

Overall, we'd have to give the Grandeur and RCCL our highest marks! We'd be happy to talk more about the trip; just drop
us a line.

Andre & Kim

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: Heather Schubert
Email: schuhe46@sfcc.cc.fl.us
Age: 44
Occupation: Athletic Department Secretary
NumberOfCruises: 9
TravelAgent: No
Ship: RoyalCaribbean-Grandeur
SailingDate: November 15-22, 1997
Itinerary: 7 Night Eastern Caribbean
FoodDiningRoom: 98
CruiseDirector: 97
CabinComfort: 98
FoodRoomService:
CruiseStaff: 100
CabinAmenities: 98
FoodLidoDeck: 98
DiningRoomService: 100
CabinQuietness: 100
FoodMidnightBuffets: 98
CabinSteward: 98
ShoreExcVariety: 97
FoodVariety: 100
DeckService: 97
ShoreExcValue: 100
GoodForHoneymoon:
CasinoStaff: 98
PrivateIsland: 100
GoodForFamilies:
LoungeService: 100
TenderService: 98
GoodForSeniors:
BeautySalonStaff:
EntertainmentLounges: 100
WheelchairAccess:
ExerciseFacilities:
EntertShowLounge: 100
OverallPortsofCall: 98
BeautySalon:
EntertainmentPoolside: 98
CruiseActivities: 100
Casino: 97
AirSeaProgram:
MedicalFacilities:
ShipCleanliness: 100
EmbarkDisembark: 100
DiscoNightclubs: 100
DeckSpace: 98
Stabilization: 100
ShopsOnBoard: 100
SpaceRatio: 100
OverallCruiseValue: 100
Submit: Submit Review
Date: 29 Jul 1998
Time: 14:00:14
Remote Name: 150.176.70.120
Remote User:

Comments

This was our first cruise on RCCL. My husband and I went with 4 friends. We absolutely loved the ship from the moment we entered its beautiful centrum. The
ship was bright and elegant.

The dining room service was wonderful as we had an excellent waiter and assistant waiter. The food was extremely well presented and the menu was
extensive. Breakfast and lunch on the Lido Deck were just as good - great for those who want to sleep in!

Had never been to San Juan or St. Thomas before - loved St. Thomas but could have skipped San Juan, although the castle near the port was interesting.
The private island of Labadee was just superb! The water was so clear, it looked like the little boats in the lagoon were floating on air. The mountainous
terrain made for a wonderful backdrop with the ship in the foreground. Got some great video of this scene! The island was great for exploring - I could have
spent the rest of my life there! Only disappointment was not going to Cocoa Cay the water was too rough to tender passengers, so we ended up in Nassau
instead. This was rather disappointing, as we had been to Nassau 7 times before. Having just got off the Nordic Empress on a 3 night cruise, my husband
and I finally got see Cocoa Cay. It was a great island - no peddling of goods from locals; just a wonderful quiet island with hammocks and palm trees with a
beautiful turquoise sea to look at.

We enjoyed the activities on board - bingo, slot tournament, games, etc. The casino was fabulous - so bright and cheerful and we just loved the floor with
the buried treasure showing! I don't normally spend much time in the casino (unlike my husband), but I did enjoy the atmosphere while I was in there.

The lounges on board were just outstanding! The Schooner Lounge was our favorite as we met our favorite bartender in there. His name was Owen Joseph
and he had the most outgoing personality I've ever met from a cruise ship employee. I've never seen a 2 story disco before, but this one took the cake!
What a fab place to dance. We closed the disco the same night we spent on Labadee. I'll never know how I managed to be in the sun all day and then stay
up all night dancing, but it's amazing how you find the energy when you're having so much fun!

The ship was extremely clean and well manicured. Everything that was supposed to shine or reflect did just that - from the mirrors to the brass to the marble
staircase in the Centrum. I especially liked the mirrored elevators with the carpets with each day of the week on them. And the fact too, the elevator
"announced" which floor you were on. Everywhere we went, somebody was polishing something or vacuming or wiping or cleaning. The public washrooms
were like those one would find in a first class hotel. Beautiful shiny marble with mirrors and brass - these bathrooms were cleaner than some I've seen in
better hotels. Our cabin was great - just right for the two of us. Very clean and well kept. Cabin steward did an excellent job everyday - liked the animal he
made out of my nightgown! Only complaint was the shower - too small! I am only 5'1" and I found it hard to manipulate when trying to wash my hair. I have
seen larger showers on other cruise lines, but these are a half circle rather than a rectangular shaped shower stall. I don't know how larger people coped.
But overall, the cabin was wonderful. We had an outside with a window. Our friends were in an inside cabin.

We never felt any motion from the ship. Our friends felt it slightly, only because it was their first cruise and they weren't used to the motion of cruise ships.
However, my husband and I didn't feel at all uncomfortable with any motion.

The entertainment overall in all lounges was excellent. We especially liked the main show room with the balcony. The shows were great. We did not use all
lounges on board, as we were mainly in the Schooner Bar and Viking Crown Lounge (disco). We only sat by the pool twice so we didn't see a lot of the
poolside activities, but the ones we did see were funny and amusing. We really enjoyed sitting on deck watching the action and just looking at nothing but
the water. Our friends were just amazed at how quiet it was at sea. They had never seen so much water before and one friend just stood at the back of the
ship, completely mesmerized by the wake the ship left behind. I really think he was completely overwhelmed by the entire cruise, including the ship.

The debarkation routine was normal as with any other cruise. It's the waiting around for other cruise passengers to settle their accounts that's irritating. This
is the worst part of any cruise - getting off the ship. Not so much as the waiting around, but the fact that you know your cruise is over and you would rather
just get off the ship as you can't use it's facilities anymore!!! We really enjoyed RCCL's Grandeur of the Seas as well as our recent trip on the Nordic
Empress. We will definitely plan to cruise with RCCL again in the future. I highly recommend this cruise line to anyone who is planning a cruise.

Name: Julie Nilsen
Email: J-Nilsen@neiu.edu
Age: 27
Occupation: Teacher
NumberOfCruises: 1
TravelAgent: No
Ship: RoyalCaribbean-Grandeur
SailingDate: December 27, 1997
Itinerary: Eastern Caribbean
FoodDiningRoom: 100
CruiseDirector: 90
CabinComfort: 98
FoodRoomService:
CruiseStaff: 92
CabinAmenities: 97
FoodLidoDeck: 95
DiningRoomService: 100
CabinQuietness: 99
FoodMidnightBuffets: 95
CabinSteward: 98
ShoreExcVariety:
FoodVariety: 98
DeckService: 98
ShoreExcValue:
GoodForHoneymoon:
CasinoStaff:
PrivateIsland: 100
GoodForFamilies:
LoungeService: 98
TenderService: 98
GoodForSeniors:
BeautySalonStaff:
EntertainmentLounges: 100
WheelchairAccess:
ExerciseFacilities:
EntertShowLounge: 94
OverallPortsofCall: 96
BeautySalon:
EntertainmentPoolside: 100
CruiseActivities: 97
Casino:
AirSeaProgram: 90
MedicalFacilities:
ShipCleanliness: 98
EmbarkDisembark: 90
DiscoNightclubs: 95
DeckSpace: 90
Stabilization: 90
ShopsOnBoard: 94
SpaceRatio: 95
OverallCruiseValue: 90
Submit: Submit Review
Date: 21 Jun 1998
Time: 21:38:35
Remote Name: 207.241.97.51
Remote User:

Comments

This was my first cruise experience, and I can definately say that there will be many more to come. I was traveling with my parents and my brother and
sister-in-law, and we all agreed that this was an outstanding vacation. I would have to say the dining room service and food was one of the main
highlights of the cruise. Our waiter, Norbert, was outstanding. He was always aware of our every desire, and attended to those desires immediately.
Norbert made recommendations regarding the menu every night, and my sister-in-law and I always took his advice, and were never disappointed.
Norbert also took the time to get to know us and to talk about what we did during the day, and would give advice about what to do or see at certain
ports, very helpful. Romain, our assistant waiter, made sure that our beverages were always just to our liking, he also gave us salad dressing
recommendations each evening. We enjoyed getting to know other waiters as well. The nightly shows performed in the dining room were always very
entertaining. Norbert always made an effort to look our way while performing. We even attended a few breakfasts in the dining room, even though we
had to get up earlier, just because of the outstanding service. I would recommend eating lunch in the Windjammer, for a casual and quick alternative.
There's never any danger of going hungry, as there is food available somewhere on the ship at any time of day or night. There are enough activities on
the ship to suit anyone's taste. There are also plenty of places to escape, whether it's to sit in the sun, read a book, or just sit and enjoy the gorgeous
view. The only time we had a hard time getting a seat by the pool was during 'at sea' days. Chairs were still available on the upper deck, however, and
the view up there is very enjoyable. We all enjoyed listening to 'Caribbean Four' every day by the pool. I even bought their CD at the end of the week.
Listening to it now brings back many fond memories from the cruise. Entertainment on the ship was very enjoyable, we went to all the shows except for
one. The nightly game shows were equally fun to observe or participate in. 'Novel Quest' is not to be missed, it had my whole family participating and
laughing. The service in the lounges and by the pool is very good. We especially enjoyed the "Love Connection", which is a frozen alcoholic beverage,
not to be missed. Private Stock, the band that performed nightly in the South Pacific lounge, was excellent and we spent many hours listening to them. I
also purchased their tape at the end of the week. I would highly recommend a Royal Caribbean cruise. I will be cruising on the 'Majesty' this August, and
am planning another RCCL cruise next summer with some friends, perhaps Southern Caribbean. If you have never cruised before, definately give it a try,
you won't be disappointed.

Name: Kyle Buchanan
Email: rkb@fuse.net
Age: 38
Occupation: Investment Broker
NumberOfCruises: 2
TravelAgent: No
Ship: RoyalCaribbean-Grandeur
SailingDate: August 9, 1997
Itinerary: Eastern Caribbean
FoodDiningRoom: 99
CruiseDirector: 98
CabinComfort: 95
FoodRoomService: 97
CruiseStaff: 97
CabinAmenities: 95
FoodLidoDeck: 98
DiningRoomService: 99
CabinQuietness: 90
FoodMidnightBuffets: 98
CabinSteward: 98
ShoreExcVariety: 95
FoodVariety: 97
DeckService: 95
ShoreExcValue: 90
GoodForHoneymoon:
CasinoStaff: 97
PrivateIsland: 97
GoodForFamilies: 99
LoungeService: 98
TenderService: 95
GoodForSeniors:
BeautySalonStaff:
EntertainmentLounges: 99
WheelchairAccess:
ExerciseFacilities: 85
EntertShowLounge: 99
OverallPortsofCall: 95
BeautySalon:
EntertainmentPoolside: 95
CruiseActivities: 98
Casino: 98
AirSeaProgram: 90
MedicalFacilities:
ShipCleanliness: 98
EmbarkDisembark: 95
DiscoNightclubs: 98
DeckSpace: 95
Stabilization: 98
ShopsOnBoard: 97
SpaceRatio: 95
OverallCruiseValue: 95
Submit: Submit Review
Date: 24 Apr 1998
Time: 21:34:33
Remote Name: 208.16.146.134
Remote User:

Comments

This was the first cruise for my family and we were absolutely thrilled about the entire trip. The food was incredible and the service in the dining room was
outstanding! The shows after dinner were very well done; Even my nine and eleven year old sons were impressed. We loved the old fort in San Juan, the
shops in St.Thomas, the submarine in St. John's, snorkeling in Labadee, and the beaches of CoCoCay. The only drawbacks of the trip were the high prices
at the gift shops on board, the fact that you had to pay $1.85 for a Coke (unless you were a child), and the heavy rains in San Juan (OK - beyond their
control). Overall, this was without a doubt, the best vacation we could have ever asked for! It was an incredible memory and my family is now spoiled from
taking any other cruise line.

Name: Barry leavitt
Email: barry480@hotmail.com
Age: 29
Occupation: retail manager
NumberOfCruises: 3
TravelAgent: No
Ship: RoyalCaribbean-Grandeur
SailingDate: 8/30/97
Itinerary: eastern carribean
FoodDiningRoom: 90
CruiseDirector: 95
CabinComfort: 95
FoodRoomService: 75
CruiseStaff: 95
CabinAmenities: 95
FoodLidoDeck: 90
DiningRoomService: 95
CabinQuietness: 95
FoodMidnightBuffets:
CabinSteward: 100
ShoreExcVariety: 90
FoodVariety: 90
DeckService: 90
ShoreExcValue: 85
GoodForHoneymoon: 95
CasinoStaff: 85
PrivateIsland: 95
GoodForFamilies: 95
LoungeService: 90
TenderService: 95
GoodForSeniors:
BeautySalonStaff:
EntertainmentLounges: 95
WheelchairAccess:
ExerciseFacilities: 85
EntertShowLounge: 95
OverallPortsofCall: 90
BeautySalon:
EntertainmentPoolside: 95
CruiseActivities: 90
Casino: 85
AirSeaProgram: 95
MedicalFacilities:
ShipCleanliness: 100
EmbarkDisembark: 90
DiscoNightclubs: 85
DeckSpace: 90
Stabilization: 90
ShopsOnBoard: 85
SpaceRatio: 90
OverallCruiseValue: 95
Submit: Submit Review
Date: 24 Mar 1998
Time: 12:57:40
Remote Name: 207.79.35.44
Remote User:

Comments

Having never sailed on rccl before I wasn't sure what to expect. We had a bright and early flight into Miami and arrived at
the ship about 12:30 or so. It is very smooth getting from the airport to the pier. Embarkation was very easy,it only took
about 40 minutes to go through the lines and get on board the ship. all i can say upon entering the ship is that she is
amazingly breathtaking. First i will tell you about the food.I am no expert on fine dining, but i thought everything was very
tasty. The portions in the dining room were a little small but the nice thing about a cruise is you can order as many
entrees as you like. If you don't like it send it back and order something else. If you are like me you will have a hard time
choosing your meal because every thing sounds so good and usually was. The only complaint; the lobster tails were a
little tough. We only ate dinner in the dining room,breakfast we would eat buffet style up on deck. Bottem line; the food is
very edible and there is alot of it. The cabin was great, plenty of room for 2, plenty of closet and storage space and most
importantly water pressure in the shower. Our cabin steward was the best. He took very good care of us. Thomas was his
name and believe me he earned his money. I thought the shows were very good. They Had a couple of juggling
comedians who were very funny. The singers and dancers were very entertaining as well. Kenny in the Schooner bar was
excellent. He is a piano man who takes requests and i don't think there was a song he didn't know. Ports of call: San
Juan, been there done that. Go to the Hard Rock Cafe for drinks and dinner. I don't care for San Juan to much. I did find a
nice imitation Gucci watch from one of the many street vendors for $15 bucks. The highlight of this stop was seeing The
Carnival Destiny in port. Labbadee was a great place. Beautiful beaches , just a nice relaxing sundreanched day. They
put out a nice spread for lunch on the island. So kick back with a frozen drink and enjoy. St. Thomas has great shopping.
Liquor and cigarettes are dirt cheap. not to mention jewelry is inexpensive also. Don't be afraid to haggle with these
people, believe me they want you to spend your money. We also took a snorkeling excursion that was alot of fun but not
quite as good as Cozumel or Grand Caymen. Cococay was the only day we had any bad weather. It sprinkled on and off
for most of the day. We went to the Island any way and rented wave runners. It was awesome, the water here is literrally
like bath water. This was the most fun you can imagine. These machines are brand new and trust me they can really
move. The best was when the instructor takes you out into the open water where there are 5 to 6 foot breakers and you
are catching serious air with these machines. I'm getting fired up just talking about it, so spend the cash and have a
blast. we met some great people on this cruise. We are going on Celebrity's Century on 5/2/98 with a couple we met on
the Grandeaur of the Seas so I will let you know how that cruise was too. I can only compare this cruise to the Carnival
line having sailed on the Holiday and the Celebration back in my single days. All 3 cruises were very memorable. After
the rigors of planning a wedding and all the horse #*?# that goes along with that this cruise was great. As far as i am
concermed cruising is the only way to travel. If you love to party, island hop, meet new people, eat like a king and have
fun then a cruise is for you. The Grandeaur has a mix of people aboard with something for everyone although i did not
see alot of single people. If you are a honeymooner or a family i highly reccomend this ship but if you are a single guy
lookingfor wild nights on the high seas you will probably want to check out a Carnival cruise.

Name: Jonathan Stern
Email: htjon@aol.com
Age: 32
Occupation: Computer Software
NumberOfCruises: 1
TravelAgent: No
Ship: RoyalCaribbean-Grandeur
SailingDate: Jan.4 - 11, 1997
Itinerary: Carribean - coco kay, labadee, san juan,st. thomas
FoodDiningRoom: 90
CruiseDirector:
CabinComfort: 75
FoodRoomService:
CruiseStaff: 60
CabinAmenities: 70
FoodLidoDeck: 50
DiningRoomService: 85
CabinQuietness: 95
FoodMidnightBuffets: 70
CabinSteward: 50
ShoreExcVariety: 90
FoodVariety: 90
DeckService:
ShoreExcValue: 70
GoodForHoneymoon:
CasinoStaff: 95
PrivateIsland: 90
GoodForFamilies: 0
LoungeService:
TenderService: 80
GoodForSeniors:
BeautySalonStaff:
EntertainmentLounges: 100
WheelchairAccess:
ExerciseFacilities: 90
EntertShowLounge: 100
OverallPortsofCall: 70
BeautySalon:
EntertainmentPoolside:
CruiseActivities: 50
Casino: 80
AirSeaProgram: 0
MedicalFacilities:
ShipCleanliness: 100
EmbarkDisembark: 50
DiscoNightclubs: 70
DeckSpace:
Stabilization: 100
ShopsOnBoard: 50
SpaceRatio: 90
OverallCruiseValue: 20
Submit: Submit Review
Date: 25 Mar 1998
Time: 22:35:51
Remote Name: 192.86.155.91
Remote User:

Comments

All in all, this was a pretty horrendous trip, bad enough to turn me off cruising permanently. I doubt if you will post this
as it runs contrary to the glossy image of the cruise industry. Also, I took the time and trouble to fill out a comment card
in our room and was not surprised that the cruise line never bothered to follow up. If I had a customer with as many
clear instances of poor service, I would certainly follow up...anyways, here goes!

I felt the cruise line had arranged everything for their convenience and cost control, with little regard for the impact on
individual passengers. The food and dining room service was excellent, the boat as beautiful, the entertainment great,
the isalands quite nice...but for the amount we payed, the trip was woefully inadequate. Specific examples include:

- forethought - they booked our flights and knew we had been travelling with an infant yet no crib was in the room. When
I called to ask for one so our son could nap after being up since the crack of dawn, I was told I would have to wait till they
had cabin stewards on-board..no one was prepared to lift a finger to help. Then, they booked us on return flights with no
curb or boat-side checkin for luggage and proceed to dump myself, my wife, our 2-year old and our luggage off a bus,
100 yards from the ticket gate..when I asked a Royal Carribean person for assistance, I was told she was too busy with
new guests - they had my money so I was unimportant...that was the last straw...The trip started and ended awfully and
this could have been avoided with a little consideration and attention to customer service.

- not a single activity for kids under 3 - the one thing they did have was a 'ballroom' - they kept it closed most of the
time! A room with a few toys would have been helpful. They said this was a family-oriented cruise, suitable for smaller
kids....not so!! When I asked when the room was available I was told around 6 in the morning for an hour!!!! Unbelievable!

- I asked a bartender outside our room for some milk at around mid-night - he told me to call the kitchen....the answer
should have been 'Let me call for you' - he was totally idle and unconcerned. A small item, to be sure, but in the context
of the other events, it is in keeping with tone of the trip - poor service.

- I asked to have an infant life jacket put in our room - it took 4 requests to 4 people, with the chief purser finally getting
it done

- we had to ask the cabin steward the same things over and over and when we called were usually kept waiting for a
considerable time

Overall, the staff seemed largely unconcerned about us and more concerned with keeping with their routines. I
understand the need for clear jobs and routines, but when those are designed for the ease and cost of the cruise line as
opposed to customer satisfaction, something is wrong!!

Name: Susan Rayfield
Email: murphy3709@aol.com
Age: 40
Occupation: Program Manager/marketing
NumberOfCruises: 3
TravelAgent: No
Ship: RoyalCaribbean-Grandeur
SailingDate: 5/10/97
Itinerary: Eastern Caribbean
FoodDiningRoom: 85
CruiseDirector: 90
CabinComfort: 97
FoodRoomService: 70
CruiseStaff: 80
CabinAmenities: 85
FoodLidoDeck: 85
DiningRoomService: 95
CabinQuietness: 95
FoodMidnightBuffets: 80
CabinSteward: 80
ShoreExcVariety: 95
FoodVariety: 75
DeckService: 99
ShoreExcValue: 75
GoodForHoneymoon: 85
CasinoStaff: 95
PrivateIsland: 50
GoodForFamilies:
LoungeService: 90
TenderService: 90
GoodForSeniors:
BeautySalonStaff:
EntertainmentLounges: 90
WheelchairAccess:
ExerciseFacilities: 90
EntertShowLounge: 85
OverallPortsofCall: 60
BeautySalon:
EntertainmentPoolside: 70
CruiseActivities: 99
Casino: 95
AirSeaProgram:
MedicalFacilities:
ShipCleanliness: 100
EmbarkDisembark: 100
DiscoNightclubs: 100
DeckSpace: 100
Stabilization: 100
ShopsOnBoard: 95
SpaceRatio: 100
OverallCruiseValue: 94
Submit: Submit Review
Date: 03 Aug 1998
Time: 20:17:48
Remote Name: 152.163.201.189
Remote User:

Comments

Six of us celebrated on the Grandeur of the Sea, May 10, 1997 sailing to the Eastern Caribbean. In general, we had a marvelous time. It was our third
cruise and the 2 other couples first cruise.

My husband and I arrived in Miami the day before our scheduled departure and had a rental car. This enabled us to pick everyone else up at the airport
and avoid the cattle car feeling of being herded to the port. I dropped everyone off at the dock and they checked the luggage with the porter while I
returned the rental car (Avis which is right at the port) and took their shuttle back to the dock. Very convenient indeed!

Embarkation was swift for us who were prepared. One of the benefits of driving a rental car is you can hopefully plan to arrive at a time when a bus of 50
people isn't also attempting to board. One of our couples hadn't filled out their paperwork before hand, so we did have to wait for them. The only place
where there was a slow down was on the gangplank while the photographer took our picture. I wouldn't have minded so much, but after the slow
procession, none of the pictures turned out on that roll. Apparently it wasn't loaded properly or something! We do have a group shot, but no individual
pictures. No big loss since there were many other opportunities for us to get photographed.

We had adjoining suites 8524 and 8526 and the third couple was one deck below on the opposite side of the ship in a D category, balcony stateroom.
This was a nice arrangement, because we ended up with balconies on both sides of the ship. As we were leaving the Port of Miami, we found the D cabin
was facing inland and provided the best bon voyage view, while the rest of the time we met in the adjoining C suites, since we could spread out more. The
only disappointment here was there was a divider between the two balconies. We had our Cabin Steward, the Purser and the lead Engineer visit us one
day as we tried to get someone to open up the divider so we could have a larger balcony to no avail. The Engineer put the final no on the issue when he
informed us that yes you could open them up, but it was designed for cleaning purposes only and since there was no way to secure it in the open state, it
was dangerous to unlock it for us. So we had to leave the adjoining door open to move between the 2 cabins. Not that we really needed to move
between the two cabins! The six of us comfortably fit in either suite; however, there wasn't sufficient seating on the balcony for all of us on one side and I
hope RCI comes up with a locking mechanism for future voyages. Yes, we did have plenty of privacy and closed the door between the 2 rooms often and
they were very sound proof.

The cabins were very spacious with plenty of storage space. Our refrigerator didn't keep things as cold as I like it, but it was convenient. The C category
suites had full baths/showers, while the category D had showers only. The size of the bathroom was really the biggest difference between the 2
categories. The C category is several feet wider, which allows for 2 additional wing chairs not found in the D, but unless you are traveling in a group, I
don't find this much of a benefit. Both the C and D rooms had the same couches and beds. One of the adjoining suites did have a huge pole at the foot of
the bed. This was slightly inconvenient, and if you are reserving a specific cabin you should ask about this and avoid a room with a pole if possible.

Our cabin steward kept things neat and tidy, but wasn't too swift with keeping the ice bucket full and taking care of the little things I've come to expect
from previous cruises, like sheet and night gown sculptures and an afternoon room spiff. Skip the mint on your pillow at night. It was absolutely the worst
chocolate I've ever had.

All the public rooms were shiny and new and amazingly cozy for the size of the ship. We liked to meet in the Schooner Bar for a quiet drink when we
weren't hanging out in our adjoining rooms. The atrium is beautiful and lots of little activities happen here like the wine and cheese tasting (extra charge),
cooking classes (if you miss them, they will be repeated on the closed circuit TV in your room) and multiple art auctions.

As soon as the shipboard store opened we went to the Logo ship store and purchase an insulated sipper glass. We would take these with to lunch in the
Windjammer Café and fill it with iced tea for the afternoon. This also works with your morning orange juice. Not only is this inexpensive, it keeps things cold
and you take home a useful souvenir, not something you have to dust or hang somewhere.

The entertainment was mediocre. No headliners, but the comedian/magician act was quite good. There was a college singing group onboard and they
were asked to perform several times. While they were good, it was more like going to a school band competition than cruise-worthy entertainment. Be
sure to attend all the little activities like the scavenger hunt, not so newlywed game, trivia game etc. I won't spoil it for those that have never participated,
but I've never laughed so hard in my life than during the scavenger hunt. Don't worry, they don't ask you to go cabin to cabin looking for anything. Don't
miss this!

We had a wonderful wait staff with Marco (from Indonesia) as our assistant and Franc (from France) as our waiter. We ate during the first seating, our
preference, which worked out well except for the day part of our group went golfing in San Juan and didn't return to the ship till half an hour after dinner
began. In general the entrées were good, but I was disappointed with the selection, especially for desserts. Franc always made a recommendation and
at first I was skeptical that this was whatever they had the most of, but after a few days found that his recommendation usually was the best option and
started taking his recommendations seriously. There is a marvelous looking dessert pictured on the dessert menu, but when we asked what night it would
be served, we were told it was only served on the Legend of the Sea! We have reservations on the Legend for next spring, so I'll let you know if this is
true. Most nights there was a fabulous bread selection and Marco kept our basket filled. I've enjoyed the pasta course on previous cruised (I order it
instead of the soup or salad), but we were told they only served pasta as an entrée. However, when Franc saw my disappointment, he started bringing
my pasta course. As the week went on I noticed other tables doing the same.

The bar staff brings any wine or cocktails you may want but they are not always that swift. We had prepurchased several bottles of wine, as a gift for one
of the couples and the wine steward didn't even show up at our table until the entrée was half over the first night, even though we had several people
telling him we were asking for him. Of course the one night all our cocktails were waiting at our respective places was the night most of us were late in San
Juan!

We picked this ship because of the multiple days at sea and the wonderful things we heard about the private islands. The days at sea did not disappoint
us. The nice thing about cruising with a group is that there is always someone to do something with and you don't feel obligated to do everything
together. This is great on the at sea days. Some of us went to the gym, some played shuffleboard and I never left my pool chair and novel reading, well,
almost never! The days on the private islands were not as idealic. We all rented snorkel gear in Labadee only to see about 5 fish and a couple of chunks
of coral. What a waste. I was so disappointed, when we returned to the ship, I canceled my snorkel equipment for Coco Cay. Thank goodness! My
husband did snorkel in Coco Cay and he did say it was much better, but no sooner did we get off the ship than it started to rain. I spent about an hour
sitting under a raft trying to keep everyone's clothes dry while they continued to snorkel until it got very stormy. From there we dashed to the Chickee bar
and had a few cocktails. The food served on the private islands was typical barbecue, nothing special. There was a toilet backed-up at one of the
locations, though, and that caused quite a stir.

We did the shopping thing in St. Thomas in the morning, I guess it's a required activity, but definitely an acquired skill. In the afternoon we took the Kon
Tiki Rum trip and proceeded to get our monies worth or should I say rum's worth! This was the on shore highlight of our cruise. We danced, swam,
beached and at one point the bottom of the boat opens up to a glass bottom view and the crew throws bread crumps overboard to attract the tropical
fish. At our beach location, the crew waded through the shallow water and continued to fill everyone's rum punch glasses. We made it back for dinner,
but it was an early night for all after our overindulgence.

Several in our group went golfing in San Juan. If you do go, be sure you have your own clubs, balls, tees, etc., or be prepared to pay dearly for it. Also
beware that there is one shuttle that takes you to the course and it waits until everyone is done golfing before it returns to the ship. Therefore, it could be
an hour or more after you finish before the rest of the cruisers are done and the shuttle heads back to the ship. Our group tried to convince the golf
attendant to let some of the groups tee off from the back 9 first, so more would finish at the same time, but it was not to be. It was however a lovely
course, so if you're not in a hurry to get back for dinner try this.

I stayed on the ship in San Juan and spent the day at the spa. Warning, if you have any desire to get a massage, or any other treatment, headdirectly to
the spa upon your arrival. One of our couples went first thing the morning after departure and was waitlisted. They never were called. Never having had
a massage before, this was an indulgence I would definitely do again. I've heard these are not the best massages in the world, but I don't know any
better so it was fine with me!

One thing I didn't like about the ship was the setting up of the cigar bar in the Crown and Anchor room. This room opens directly onto the Atrium on our
floor and I'm very allergic to smoke. I would get off the elevator and literally hold my breath as I passed through this area. I understand cigar smoking is
the current trend, but think this option should be held in an enclosed area to protect the rest of the passengers. Dining rooms and shows were smoke
free, however, smoking was allowed in the Casino, which was annoying sometimes.

The balcony suite spoiled me and I doubt I will be able to cruise again without one. All in all this wasn't our best cruise, probably because of the
destinations, but life on a ship is always wonderful! We won't do this itinerary again, but would cruise this ship again in a minute.

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