On Sunday, my parents, husband, and I returned from our latest cruise to Canada and New England aboard the Grandeur of the Seas, a vacation selected for the unique destinations and close embarkation port. This cruise, although not "geared" towards guests in their late 20s (the ages of my husband and me), provided my family with a wonderful vacation together.

THE SHIP If you have traveled on any of the Navigator class ships or other newer ships, you will notice the Grandeur's age and smaller size. Yet, the staff aboard this ship certainly makes up for it. Captain Rob is gregarious, funny, and highly visible around the ship, a quality quite rare among cruise ship captains. In fact, on the last at-sea day, he held a very well-attended "Captain's Corner" to share interesting facts about himself and the ship. The entire dining room staff was very friendly and helpful, as was our stateroom attendant who efficiently prepared our room every time we left. My husband and I found the evening entertainment directed towards older guests, but did enjoy many of the performances, particularly those of the Royal Caribbean singers and dancers.

PORTS OF CALL Embarkation and disembarkation in Baltimore was very easy, as we had already registered online and took advantage of the "self-assist option" of carrying our own luggage off the ship. For anyone driving to the port (as we did from New Jersey), the directions provided are easy to follow. Read more