Grandeur of the Seas Review
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We had reservations about sailing on Grandeur as everyone we knew, who had sailed her previously, and many reviews we read warned us that, although nice, she was an “older and smaller” ship. However, we live in southern Maryland and the thought of cruising minus the airport turmoil was very appealing. So we booked a sailing on the New England itinerary, keeping low expectations of the ship to avoid disappointment. Our group included myself and my husband, both mid-50’s, and my father who is upper 80’s.
When we boarded the ship, we were very pleasantly surprised. We found Grandeur to be in great shape and beautifully decorated. Although considered small by today’s standards, we rarely felt crowded in any of the public spaces. Getting a chair alongside any of the pools was never a problem. We could always find a great spot on the outdoor decks if we wanted shade or sun. The only issue concerning crowds that we encountered was a shortage of tables in the Windjammer at breakfast. Fortunately the weather was good, so we opted to eat outside on the pool deck most mornings and went to the Main Dining Room on sea days. One of the things that I loved best about Grandeur was the abundance of windows in the public spaces. You could watch the world pass by from just about any location on the ship!
This was our 12th cruise (Holland, Celebrity, Carnival and RCI) and I have to say that Grandeur has, by far, the best food of any ship that we have experienced. We selected My Time Dining in the Main Dining Room. We went at different times each evening and never had to wait for a table. The staff there is exceptional. We also dined at Giovanni’s and Chops Grille. The selection and quality of the food were well worth the surcharge. We enjoyed Giovanni’s so much that we returned for the brunch that was offered there on the last day at sea ($15/pp). We loved it and would highly recommend it. The biggest surprise for us was dining in Windjammer. We were tired after some long shore excursions and didn’t feel like dressing for the Main Dining room; so we opted for a quiet dinner in Windjammer. The selection at the buffet and taste of the food was just great. They also have a very attentive wait staff here. We had dinner in Windjammer twice while seated by the window, watching the ship depart from Portland and Halifax.
Cabin Review
Interior Stateroom
We were in cabin 2043 which had an access door to some kind of crew space. We experienced a lot of noise at night in our cabin. Doors were slamming within that space and we could hear the crew talking and singing. We also felt a lot of vibration from the ship in our cabin. Dad’s cabin was across the hall, 2038. His was much quieter and there was very little vibration. The cabins were located near the forward elevator but we found that many of the venues we used, and also embarkation for ports, were near the aft area of the ship. I recommend booking a cabin near the Centrum elevators.