This was our second cruise with RCI, the first being on the Freedom of the Seas around the Eastern Caribbean last year, which was fantastic.

This cruise on the Grandeur was also excellent (if a little hectic!), but as we started off on the Freedom, the Grandeur obviously seems like a slight step down (the Grandeur is much older than the Freedom, and we heard that it's due for a major refit very soon). Having said that, the ship is still in excellent condition, and the staff are still helpful and friendly, although we found the service not quite as good as on the Freedom, probably due to the fact that the Freedom was predominantly full of Americans and they demand immediate service otherwise they complain loudly (Good for them!), whereas the Brits just moan to themselves and put up with it. Our first room service order for tea took an hour whereas on the Freedom it took all of 5 minutes. I did, however, point this out, and thereafter room service took around 10-15 minutes - so a result.

The facilities on the Grandeur are also not as plentiful and varied as on the Freedom, but, once again, the Freedom is newer and bigger, so hey. Read more