...the Staff on board Grandeur makes up for a lot. They truely go out of their way to make sure everyone (even those "high maintenance" passengers) has an enjoyable cruise experience. Embarkation was a breeze. Before we knew it, we were enjoying that first frozen drink onboard. Our Inside cabin was a little tighter than what we're used to (Carnival) with the shower being the only aspect that we'd give a less than passing grade; it was like showering in a phone booth (with an overly friendly shower curtain...despite our use of weighted clips along the bottom). What we saw of the nightly entertainment was a C+...although we did not attend any of the production shows. The consistency of adult beverages seemed to vary quite a bit from bar to bar (not that there were that many bars).

The Boyz working the pool bar were Tops and always ready when we asked for a drink recommendation; the Kracken Colada being our favorite. Dining was a particularly enjoyable experience. Service in the Gatsby Main Dining Room was A+ (Thanks Raj & Victor). The food was some nights (much) better than others..but that's a very personal observation; all meals were (at least) what we expected them to be. Specialty restaurants Chops and Giovani's were very worthwhile add ons. Service was as expected...the food was several levels above other onboard dining options. Our biggest disappointment was that the casino was also a defacto indoor smoking area. (Unfortunately) despite the proven adverse health effects of smoking, Royal Caribbean allows gamblers to smoke in the casino. That said, shame on Royal Caribbean for also allowing non-gambling smokers to camp out and add to the stench produced by the gamblers who smoke. On land, smoking is limited to (certain) outdoor areas. For the health of their customers and employees, cruise ships should do the same. Kudos to Royal Caribbean for declaring two nights (out of 12) as "casino non-smoking nights" (after 6 pm). Note 1: In an informal poll, your casino employees overwhelmingly endorsed MORE SMOKE FREE CASINO DAYS. Note 2: No smokers fell overboard on those non-smoking nights indicating that smoking outside is not inherently more dangerous than the unsavory activity itself.