Grandeur of the Seas Cruise Review by Rosethorn40

A little background on me. I am 48, my DH is 52. This was our 8th cruise, but our first time on RCCL. It was also our first time to Bermuda, and our first time to sail from a port we didn't have to fly to.

Embarkation: The drive to the Baltimore Cruise terminal was painless, and was easy to find. The directions on MapQuest were spot on, and the roads are well marked. We must have hit the terminal at a peak time because we did encounter line after line, and some moved rather slowly. We were outside the terminal at about noon, but by time we dropped our luggage off, parked, went through security, got our Sea Pass, and waited to board the ship it was 1:15 before we actually stepped foot on board. Our room was easy to find (Interior, deck 2), and our luggage was delivered within 5 minutes of entering our room!

Stateroom: Was clean, and well kept by our room steward. Yes, the decor was a little outdated, and you can tell there is a small amount of wear and tear, but not as much as one might believe on a ship this old. While the bed was wasn't the most comfortable I have slept in, I have slept in worst. My only real complaint was the first night when the bed had been turned down for the night I realized that the two small pillows on the bed would not be enough. I tried calling housekeeping, but never got an answer. The next morning I saw our room steward, made a request for additional pillows, and had them within minutes. There is no refrigerator in the room, but our room steward filled our ice bucket each morning & evening. Don't forget your toiletries such as conditioner and lotion as these are not provided. They do provide soap, and there is a dispenser with shampoo in the (very small) shower.

Ship & Crew: The ship was clean, and well run. The Captain seemed very personable, and approachable (We briefly met him at the Captains Cocktail Party). Nearly every crew member we encountered made a point of greeting us, in fact probably the friendliest crew we have ever encountered. The two pool areas were nice. We especially like the fact that the main pool had 4 hot tubs, so there was a chance of actually being able to get in one. The outdoor pool is set up that one half you can actually swim in, or play games such as pool volleyball, while the other half is more of a wading pool suitable for children, but lots of adults seemed to enjoy it as well for getting one's feet wet. The indoor Solarium pool is a very attractive, quiet area for adults. However, even though we had nearly perfect weather they never opened the roof, so it was a bit stuffy. Although I love my peace and quiet, on this trip I actually wanted to be by the main pool. The first sea day we were able to get chairs near the pool, the second day we dawdled too long in out stateroom, and by time we came out (10:30) the chairs on deck 9 (pool deck) were all taken. We did find chairs on the upper deck that overlooked the pool that allowed us to take in the action. I didn't find it until the last day, but on deck 10 at the bow of the ship is a nice area for those that wanted to lay out in the sun, enjoy the fresh air, but not be too close to the action, and noise of the main pool.

We did not use the casino, and for the most part avoided the bars. The two times we went to the Palladium Theater we had no trouble finding seats, even when we showed up just as the entertainment was starting.

The ship is fairly easy to navigate, just go to the center of the ship; every major area radiates from the Centrum.

Except for the first day when tied up with delivering luggage, the wait for an elevator usually was not long.

Dining: Of course food is super important on a cruise. Breakfast & lunch we ate at the Windjammer Cafe. The food was mostly good there. One must keep in mind that they are cooking for 2000+, the food is being kept warm with the use of steam trays, and it is a buffet, so don't expect gourmet, and there might be the occasional dry piece of chicken, or overdone fish.

We had Late Seating (8:30) Traditional Dining. This was our first experience with Traditional Dining (On the Princess ships we have always gone with Anytime Dining, but had heard that RCCL version, My Time Dining didn't work in quite the same way, and they were still trying to work out the kinks). We didn't care for eating so late, but we did enjoy having the same waiter (Oscar from India) and assistant waiter (Haysee from the Philippines) each night-they were both delightful. We also lucked out by having wonderful tablemates; two couples, both on their first cruise. The food was good, to very good every evening, with the occasional item being excellent. I had polenta with scallops one night that was so good that I asked for, and received, another plate (First time I have ever asked for seconds). Another night there was a mushroom in puff pastry dish that I could have easily asked for seconds, but restrained myself. Desserts were for the most part very good, and in fact are better then what I have enjoyed on my cruises with PCL. The only downside was I didn't feel that there was great selection; a picky eater may find it difficult to find something that might suit them. However, I personally had no trouble finding something to enjoy.

One thing we didn't like is the fact that the buffet closes at 9 PM. While you can still get hamburgers, hot dogs, fries and pizza in the solarium, if you want something else; milk & cookies, a sandwich, or some other type of "grazing" food you are out of luck.

Entertainment & Activities: I felt that the entertainment was rather weak. The one production show we saw, All Access, a revue of songs from the 70's, 80's, & 90's was amateurish (High schools put on better shows). The one comedian we saw; Kelly McDonald was not very funny for the majority of his act, but did have the occasional one-liner that made me laugh. Los Pampas Gauchos, a trio from Argentina did have an entertaining act that included drum playing and traditional Gaucho (Argentinean Cowboy) dancing, but was best in small douses as too much got rather monotonous. There were singers that performed each night in the Centrum (Center of the ship) and most of them were just dreadful-lounge singers of the worst sort. As far as activities; there was stuff scheduled from 9:00 AM til the wee hours. There were a couple of activities we would have liked to have gone to: "Finish that Lyric" game show, and trivia, but they were scheduled during our dining time. There were "game shows" scheduled for later, but most started at 10:30, and that was just a little too late for me. However, our tablemates did go to the late evening game shows and said they were hysterical.

Passengers: The majority of passengers seemed to be from the Mid-Atlantic states; PA, MD, VA, & WV. Mostly couples, although there were a few groups of women enjoying a "Girls Cruise". There didn't seem to be many children, probably less than 50, and most were small-not yet school age. I found our fellow passengers to be very nice & friendly. Many were on their first or second cruise.

Port of Call: We only had one port; Kings Wharf, Bermuda. Our ship was suppose to arrive at 10:00, but had been slightly delayed due to bad weather during the night. This caused one couple we spoke with to miss their shore excursion (booked through the ship). We had decided to get a bus & ferry pass (Available on ship for $12 for a one day, $20 for a 2-day). Our plan was to take the 11:00 AM ferry to St. George, and then walk to the beach at Tobacco Bay. However, there was a NCL ship in port that was already docked when we got there, and their passengers were already in line for the ferry when we got off the ship. We got in line and thought we had made the cut, but the ferry filled up just five people ahead of us. Then the authorities talked us in to taking an "express" bus to St. George, telling us it would be quicker than waiting for the next ferry at 12:00. We took the bus, which promptly broke down about 2/3 of the way to St. George. We had to wait for another bus which came about 20-minutes later, which took us in to St. George. From there it was a short walk to Tobacco Bay. Keep in mind that while it's a short walk, you do need to walk up a steep hill. You may want to take a taxi (If you can find one). It was $4 a person. At Tobacco Bay you can rent beach chairs, a sun umbrella, and snorkeling equipment ($40 for 2 chairs, 1 umbrella, and one snorkel mask). You can also get something to eat, and there is a very small gift store. Tobacco Bay was wonderful, beautiful (Or Bermudaful), and well worth our little adventure.

We had booked two shore excursions; a sunset cruise on our first day which was enjoyable, and a snorkeling trip the next morning that got cancelled at the 11th hour. Because we had to be back on board by 2:30 on the second day we didn't venture far from the ship. We did a little shopping, and had a drink at the Frog and Onion. We didn't rent a scooter because of advice on some of the postings I had read in the Bermuda section of the Ports of Call boards. I wish we had disregarded that advice. The scooters don't go that fast (About 30 MPH) and if 60 year + women can do it, there is no reason why my husband and I couldn't do it. We saw two of our tablemates get on one, and after a shaky start they were off. When you rent the scooters they do give you a little bit of instruction before letting you go. If two are riding on one, the driver has to demonstrate that they can drive it properly before they let the passenger get on. Oh well, something to do the next time we go.

One very nice thing about Bermuda is that you are not assaulted by people trying to sell you trinkets, braid your hair, or take you on a tour of the island. It's all very civilized.

Bermuda was wonderful and I want to return soon. The weather was picture perfect, and NCCL delivered a very enjoyable vacation.