We went on this cruise because we won a "free" cruise from listening to a time share presentation. (Hubby and I have sailed on Carnival before but this was our first time on Royal Caribbean). By the time we upgraded to a cabin with a view (no balcony) and paid the taxes and fees it was far from free.. Embarkation was a nightmare. We received an email the day before saying the ship would arrive late and that we should arrive between 5-7 pm. Apparently all the other passengers received the same e-mail because it looked like everyone was arriving at once. Traffic was a nightmare and dangerous. Stood in line for an hour. Once we finally got on the ship we were in our room for a couple minutes when a crew member came in and said we had to go to the muster drill. Some passengers were not even on the ship yet. Then we went to the main dining room where there was open seating for dinner. Service was very slow and food was okay. We heard later that it was a rough trip back and even the crew got sick. So I'm willing to give them a break, but it wasn't a great first impression. Our cabin was nice enough and bed was comfortable. There was enough storage but the bathroom was small. We usually had breakfast in Windjammer and it was okay. Omelet made to order was good. Lunch in Main Dining Room (MDR) was good but slow. We ate dinner in the MDR every night. It was good but there wasn't much variety. Steak was too thin. The desserts and service were very good. Our cabin steward, Oliver, did a good job keeping ice bucket filled for my husband's bum knee. The decor of the ship is nice and understated. There are kiosks that give directions, what's happening on the ship, and menus. Good job on those. We docked in Bermuda on the third night. Arrival there is another story but we did get our overnight and partial day. Before that we went to a couple of lectures about Bermuda which were interesting. We took a shore excursion to a secluded beach that included lunch, beach equipment, access to a nature reserve, and rum swizzles. My lunch (local fish sandwich) and swizzles were good. The man who served us did a good job. But the beach was rocky and we spent almost as much time getting to the beach and back (almost an hour each way) as we did at the beach. On the way the bus driver told us about Bermuda but didn't talk much on the way back. Bermuda was not really what I expected. There were very few flowers. There were lots of colorful houses close together. I certainly wouldn't want to drive on the island. We also took the tour of the ship's kitchen with brunch and unlimited mimosas. Tour was interesting but wasn't thrilled about the brunch menu. I got a refreshment package and enjoyed the mocktails. The hot tubs were too hot. On the last day there was a very nice salute to veterans ceremony. Beatlemania was a good show. Broadway was so-so. I didn't know many of the songs but there was a live band. On the last night the show wasn't presented because the ship was rocking. One of the two comedians was okay. I didn't appreciate the literal bathroom humor from both. Disembarking wasn't as bad as embarkation but was late. I probably would not go on this particular cruise again but I would consider cruising on Royal Caribbean again. Read Less

We picked this cruise due to its leaving from Baltimore. I went with my sister, who lives in Baltimore. Boarding was easy, luggage showed up quickly, got into room at 1:00. Food: Main dining room excellent for dinner. Didnt really spend much time there for breakfast or lunch Windjammer - this is where we had most breakfast and lunch. Buffett wasnt bad except beware the buffet eggs!! Probably worth the line for fresh omletts, but we didnt. Park Caffe- tried 1st night with munchies, NOT GOOD Service... Excellent thru out ship. Bartenders, hosts, waiters, room service, room steward, all outstanding! Room: We were in 3558 a oceanview. Room was spotless, roomy enough, bathroom tight. Hard not to get the floor wet when showering. We spent most of time in the Centrum, band was excellent, other shows good however we never made it to the theatre. Too busy!! Good time. would do again Read Less

My husband and I took my parents on this cruise with the intentions that this cruise was all about them. My mom cannot walk that far and I felt a smaller ship would make her cruise more enjoyable for her. The service that we received from the staff was outstanding. My husband and I have been on many cruises and have never had service like we did on this ship. We do feel because we were on a smaller ship and not one of those mega ships that the crew is able to really go above and beyond to their passengers. We ate at Chops Grille twice and Giovanni’s once and the food was fantastic! The food in the main dining room was excellent. Any restaurants that we ate at, if my mom wanted something that was not on the menu they always met her requests. This ship also recognizes Veterans and has a very moving ceremony in the main atrium. If you are looking for impeccable service and a smaller ship I would highly recommend this ship and cruise line! Read Less

We were big Carnival fans but then they got greedy and service and quality went down to the basement. But we came back last year and things had improved-not much but somewhat On the Pride the service was excellent everywhere we went. Our cabin steward Yasa was fantastic. we had cruised with him before on Carnival. He exceeded all expectations of service and being just a great guy. We usually have issues in the formal dining. I mean some bad slow service but this time on the Pride- HayDee and her team of Roland and Rexter were outstanding. They were terrific people. My wife cried on the last service saying goodbye-Yeah I got a little choked up too. Due to weather the production shows were modified but still good. I hope Carnival keeps them as they are fun and entertaining. Some other cruise lines have changed things up and we don't care for their entertainment Cruise direct Dr. E worked hard to keep the crown engaged. He was fun. We are senior citizens but like fun times and Carnival most of the time provides that. But we expect excellent service and decent food. Carnival keeps trickling UP their drink prices and gratuity while limiting choices like a "bar" brandy and 18% tag on for drinks. They are greedy. Parents- either leave your kids at home OR watch them- IT is NOT their ship to run all over screaming and hollering. All in all- a good time was had. Read Less

The Trip: Now that our kids are grown, my wife and I prefer cruising in late August/early September for several reasons - not the least of which is to take advantage of back-to-school while its still warm enough to swim and enjoy the sun. This year was no different, and we knew the risk of booking during hurricane season - despite the fact that we'd been lucky over the previous 4 cruises and knew the odds were starting stack up against us. Previously we've had minor inconveniences, but nothing major. Well, we finally had a cruise that had to be redirected due to a hurricane, and it really wasn't that bad of an experience. We had a couple of days of rough weather (5-10 foot swells), but we wore the seasick patch and fared pretty well. Other people who had nothing or waited too late to take Dramamine didn't fare as well for 2 of the days, but I have to thank Carnival for redirecting south along the far edge of the storm to Grand Turk and Amber Cove rather than going north to New England or Canada - we were able to enjoy the warm weather and swim/sunbathe all 7 days. The Ship: The pride is an older ship, but in general Carnival's refreshes have improved her and she has held up fairly well. Some complain about the decor (I frankly don't care), and others complain that the ship is old. However, my wife and I prefer the smaller feel of the older design - the newer ships (in particular the megaships) are just too crowded for my taste. We did a Royal Caribbean cruise on a larger ship (3500-4000 passengers), and were turned off by the way they managed the larger crowds. The downside to the smaller design is that there really isn't a lot to do all day during bad/cold weather; the bigger ships have enclosed pools or other activities beyond the bars and casino. A definite upside is that the passenger to crew ratio is better, and the ship is easy to navigate. The Food: The best "free" food is definitely in the dining room at dinner, and the whole experience is a positive. The food was generally very good, although a few items were average (appetizer/dessert). My wife and I thoroughly enjoyed the singing and dancing of the waiters - it is a nice touch I hope they keep. For lunch Guy's was great, and rivaled any chain such (Five Guys or Smashburger). The Lido buffet is passable, but it is average at best even for a buffet. At breakfast the dining room was good, but the room service egg sandwiches were not. We did pay for David's steakhouse one night for dinner, and it was excellent. Entertainment: One of the reasons my Wife and I prefer Carnival over other lines is the nightly comedy club. Over a 7 day cruise there are 2 pairs of comedians who do 3 different sets apiece so the comedy is fresh each night. The comedy shows are thus much better than the song and dance production in the main theater. On good weather days there is plenty to do up on deck, and at night there are plenty of choices of live music along with the typical clubs and bars. Service: For the most part service was pretty good, and in particular our steward and Dinner staff were very good. They did seem to be rushed at times, but were always pleasant. Walking the ship, most of the crew would greet you with a smile and a hello. The steward did offer a choice of morning or evening which offends some, but honestly I didn't feel the need for anything more than once. Embarkation: We live in southern New Jersey, and have sailed out of New Jersey, New York, and Baltimore. By far the easiest port to get into an out of is Baltimore. The new scheme of your sail-and-sign card being on your door is absolutely fantastic - there was virtually no line at security and once we were through we just walked onto the ship. We typically do the "faster-to-the-fun", but for embarkation you really don't need it now. Grand Turk: This was our first time to Grand Turk, and since we were redirected there after we sailed we couldn't do any prior homework. We picked an excursion for an all inclusive trip to a beach, and would not do it again. The food was pretty bad, and the drinks were basically rum punch or soda. It was a 10-15 minute ride, and it would have been much easier and cheaper simply to go to one of the beaches right at the port terminal. The beach had lots of rocks, and without water shoes my wife couldn't even go in deeper than her knees. Amber Cove: First time here as well, and we ended up booking a trip to "Ocean World" to swim with the dolphins and it was great. It is basically a smaller version of discovery cove plus seaworld, without the rides. Despite the reputation of the Dominican Republic, there was plenty of security at Amber Cove and Ocean World. Conclusion: We've already booked next year's cruise on the Pride, so yes I am happy with the experience. After cruising on Disney, Carnival, Royal Caribbean, and Celebrity my wife and I are convinced that Carnival offers not only the best value but has the best options for us. Read Less

Outdated boat with outdated activities and entertainment, if you are over 75 you will have a decent time as the boat is small. The entire boat looks like the it is straight out of the 70’s... with outdated furniture and carpet. The bathrooms smelled like mold and mildew and using it just adds to the gross smell. The boat is past due for dry dock. I’m a bit surprised this is a Royal Caribbean boat. My stateroom shower uses shower curtains that never completely dry, with noticeable mildew growing on the surface. The fact that you have to touch the toilet lids to flush the toilet shows how outdated the boat is. The food was decent but could’ve been better for the prices we pay. The constant selling of drinks and packages became annoying and there was absolutely nothing to see in Bermuda. If you want an overpriced quick getaway on an old moldy outdated boat, this is the vacation for you. Read Less

I chose this particular cruise to take my son for his birthday/Christmas combined as his present. I had also booked him to do the deep sea fishing in Bermuda. We were both super excited as neither of us had been to Baltimore (so we arrived a day early to see some sights) and neither of us had been to Bermuda. We arrived on 8/30/19 and checked into a hotel, walked to the Inner Harbor for dinner and see some sights. The next morning we got to the terminal to check onto the ship and so far so smooth ... I had also purchased "the key" for us which expedited our wait with other perks as well. We were on the ship around 11 am. We had taken a tour of the spa area and had both booked services for that day. The ship was set to leave port at 4 pm, which is did. Once away from the dock I noticed that we appeared to be going in circles then we went back to the dock. We were told the propulsion system was not working properly and that it was being looked at. Fast forward to approximately 8 pm. The captain came over the PA and stated that the ship was broke and the cruise was cancelled. We had two choices leave the ship by 11 pm that evening or we would not be allowed to leave until 6 pm the following evening but all must be off by 9 pm the following evening. Our mouths dropped open .. like is this seriously happening??? Yep, it sure was. We were told there were letters in our stateroom explaining what their compensation would be, they would be reimbursing each guest up to $200 per person to change their flight plus up to $200 if you needed a hotel the evening of 8/31/19. I immediately went to our room and began calling the airlines to see about changing our flight and explaining what had just happened to our cruise. The airline we flew in on wanted $383 per person to change our flight! I went to guest services and they stated there was nothing they could do that everyone was getting the same amount and no exceptions would be granted. I went back to our room and started looking at all other flight options. Around 10:30 pm I told my son we either get off now or we're stuck until the following evening which would potentially mean we wouldn't get home until Monday as there were no evening flights to get us home the following evening. We decided to leave the ship. At that time we did not have a flight booked nor did we have a hotel for the night. I had been on the phone for approximately 45 minutes with Travelocity at this point. We walked off the ship me with my suitcase in one hand and my phone in the other. There was a park bench outside the terminal that my son and I sat on while we made arrangements for both flight and hotel. To reschedule our flight for the next day cost $349 per person (trust me I tried to find a cheaper one but it didn't exist!) and we found a hotel near the airport for just under $140. Remind you at this time I was still out the cost of the cruise, shore excursions we had booked, the drink package we had, the "key" we both had, spa services we both had done prior to the cruise being cancelled, our hotel the night before, our original filghts, etc... totaling nearly $3000! So on top of this I am now out an additional $850 (rescheduled flights, hotel, Uber) that needed paid that day! So far I have received some of the money but not all that they have agreed to reimburse me. RCs ship broke, 100% their fault 0% my fault thus I should have $0 out of pocket for this. I shouldn't have to wait 2+ weeks to be reimbursed nor do I feel I should be out any money at all on this. If I tried to find cheaper flights and couldn't I feel I should be reimbursed the entire $349 per person, not just the $200 per person. I am not very happy right now. I feel like I was abandoned and left to fend for myself with zero help from RC. While I would love to comment on the ship, cabin, dining, entertainment, ports, etc... I cannot as there was not much open during our few hours aboard the ship. Read Less

I choose this cruise for convenience as I live in Maryland and it was close to my birthday. Me and my girlfriend are both in our 30s and had a great time. Service on ship was excellent wether your talking about the MDR our room stewards etc.. We ate at chops and it was delicious we’re on the other royal ships we have been in. Izumi was also good we have eaten on other ships and then experience there was by far the best. I read a lot about this shop draws a older crowd and I could see that but it might just be when you go and your itinerary. Also read before we went that the shop shuts down at 10 or 11 o’clock which in my experience is also not true. They had live music in the centrum until at least midnight and one of the nights we went to the night club on board and people were still dancing partying etc and it was past 2am. The ship is small and for a young active couple I think 5 or maybe 7 nights max would be the perfect length on this ship as I think any longer I would have started to get board. Bermuda was awesome and beautiful and hopefully will be able to go back soon. Overall I had a great time and at the end of the day your vacation is all about what you make it. Read Less

So, my parents decided that they wanted to see Bermuda again, and wanted to take the rest of us - so we were a group of 10 (7 adults, 2 teens, 1 kid). My husband and I live in Baltimore, so my parents decided we should go out on the Grandeur. This was our third cruise, the first two were one the Carnival Pride (so fair warning, there will be some comparisons). The best: The solarium is an amazing place on this ship. A glass enclosed adult-only section with a little food counter and direct access to the spa with the sauna and steam room. It was amazing, and WAY better than the Pride's adult only section. We almost always were able to find lounge chairs, and the pool is a real sized pool! Actually, both pools were real sized - which was a definite step up from the Pride's pools, with way more hot tubs. We ate at Chops one night and it was delicious! (on par with the prides steak house) The staff is all very friendly and sweet and helpful. Comparing to the Pride: Embarkation and departure were a dream on the Grandeur - Easy and fast. (the Pride was a nightmare both times) The Good: The windjammer was delicious for breakfast and lunch. The great Gatsby was mostly good for dinner. The spaces on the ship (south pacific lounge, centrum, schooner bar) were beautiful. The bad: Dining: Not one dinner meal did everyone get their food at the same time - and my mom is a stickler for 'no one eats if everyone doesn't have a plate'. We received poorly done meat (seriously - who eats well done prime rib?). And breakfast in the main dining room was disgusting (cold eggs benedict two mornings in a row . . ugh). Maintenance: 2 of the 9 elevators were broken from day 1. 2 of the remaining were on/off throughout the cruise (luckily it's a small ship). Entertainment: The Schooner bar piano guy (andy?) needs to retire. No voice, not familiar with all the words to songs and very low energy. the beautiful south pacific lounge was bad karaoke multiple nights of the 5 night cruise. The ship basically closes down except the one night club room and an outdoor movie playing by 10pm each evening. Room: the beds were cots shoved together. Lumpy and hard. Verdict: I wish this ship could get a revamp - better food, better entertainment - because the ship itself is lovely and had a lot of promise. But, as is? I won't be choosing this ship over the Pride. The RC cruises typically are more expensive than Carnival, and the pros weren't enough to sway me. Read Less

First cruise on RCL after cruising NCL, Carnival, and Princess. Young 40's couple. This was a family get together cruise, so this itinerary was selected for us, but we did note that it was the most expensive I have ever paid for a cruise at $608 per night (for 2 people in the cabin including all taxes and fees and less our OBC) for a Junior Suite (which was priced only about $20 per night over a regular balcony). The itinerary was 4 nights at sea and one night at Bermuda. The ship is very small and was built in the mid-90s, so well past her prime. However, there is something quaint and nice about such a small ship that you get to know quickly and can get to places without a real effort. Nice large open walking promenade on the lower deck. But, overall, it is old and while still maintained and pretty clean, it feels old too (thin and discolored bed sheets, rust on edges of areas, ragged carpet/ window corners, etc). There were literally 2 total outlets in our Junior Suite, and they were nowhere near the bed. I suppose getting a bathtub is an "upgrade" in the JS but having to step over the shower and dodge the curtain was more of a pain than a perk. Inconsistent towel animals, ice had to be requested, and the kleenex/ tissue slot in our bathroom was never filled at all in the whole cruise (same for our other cabins, who also said their soap was often not replaced). The JS size was nice and wide with a big balcony (on which they stuck the world's tiniest 2 little chairs on.....so small you couldn't stretch out or lean back). Our Junior Suite (but not our other rooms) also had a weird and large Pillar in the middle of the room, right by the end of the bed - what I would call an obstruction. Also, we were on the 8th floor, so every night from about 10PM-midnight people and staff would rearrange the chairs and tables on the pool floor (9) and raise such a racket (ever heard of chair pads for the legs? - get a hundred for $10 at Amazon!) that all of our cabins had to wear earplugs ever night to get to sleep. The food was below average. The buffet had decent options but the area is small and there is very little outdoor dining on the whole ship. The main dining room (GREAT servers, very friendly and helpful) had a small menu every evening, half of which never changed - probably half the size of menu of every other ship we have sailed. Probably because they have advertisements and table fliers all over the ship trying to get you to buy "premium entrees" with your meal or upgrade to specialty dining. All of the appetizers and desserts arrived cold to lukewarm (seriously, how can you have a LAVA cake if it is cold?). The drink package was a pretty good value at the discounted rate of $49 per person/ day (plus gratuity) rate we got since it was good for all alcohol but also coffee (at Cafe Latte-tudes which serves Starbucks) and sodas and bottled / sparkling water. The Schooner bar and staff was great but all the others were slow and often made drinks that weren't even close to what was ordered. The gym was OK but definitely small for the number of people interested (all treadmills were always full). The pool was an OK size, but it was hard to stay out there very long because they blare the music so loud we couldn't talk to each other. The entertainment options are limited and the quality of performers was definitely the worst we have seen (I guess the talent scales with the ship size). This is definitely not a partying ship as not much is happening after about 9PM and most bars are closed by 11PM. The adult pool area has a nice and quiet Park Cafe (which curiously has no coffee) with small snacks/ sandwiches, as well as a bar that is often less busy but was staffed by one of the grumpiest bartenders I have encountered. Multiple times after asking him how he was doing, or how his day was going, his response was "What do you want" or "Are you ready" - and this was with no one else in line at the bar. Also, they broadcast next to nothing into the cabins - the bulletin said we would dock in Bermuda at 1PM and could disembark at 2PM so we waited to be called down. Finally we went outside at 2PM to see what was happening and they told us that they started letting people go at 1:30PM and you need to stand in the public areas to hear the announcements because they don't announce in staterooms (which was proved consistent upon return to Baltimore, where they also did not announce anything either). Cruising is great, and we had an overall good time on this ship, but for the premium that this ship is priced, I expect a whole LOT more. I guess they can charge this premium because people would rather drive to Baltimore than fly to Florida....but paying such extravagant premium rates for subpar amenities isn't for me. I do see the attraction of the smaller ship and should they ever start pricing this ship more in line with the experience on board, I would definitely consider it again. Read Less

Background information: My husband and I are in our 80s, and I use a small mobility scooter to help me get around. This was a cruise to celebrate our 60th wedding anniversary with our four children. This was Bob's 19th cruise and my 30th cruise overall. It was his fifth and my sixth cruise on Royal Caribbean. We booked this cruise everyone could get off work on those dates and because it went out of Baltimore to Bermuda, and we always love to go to Bermuda. None of our children had seen much of Bermuda, so it was pretty new to them, and two of them had never been on a cruise before. Embarkation - One daughter came a day early and stayed an inner harbor hotel. She Ubered to the port. One daughter was driven by her husband. The third daughter's family flew in and stayed in a hotel near the airport. Our son drove up from SC and stayed in the same hotel. He took them all to the ship. Bob and I drove up from southern Maryland and arrived at the cruise terminal about 11. Check in was pretty quick. But we could not get into the room until 1:00 and the dining room was not open which meant everyone had to eat lunch in the Windjammer with all their luggage. This was NOT a good experience. I was supposed to have on-board credit, and it was never added to my account I thought the muster drill was kind of sketchy. They held it out on the deck (which meant that only about one in eight people could see because most people were behind another person). It was outside even for the people in wheelchairs, walkers and scooters. Unlike some ships who do the muster drills for the mobility challenged inside. Some people have a problem standing for that period of time. Ship: We have sailed on this ship before and it is a nice smaller ship, although it is quite noisy. There is always loud music in the atrium. One of the girls did the climbing wall and that was fun. There was a group on board and some of their meetings would close the Solarium or other venues. Two of the elevators were out of service for the entire cruise. The internet was the worst I have ever had on a ship. I could not post any photos because it was too slow. I could not even play a game of solitaire without having to turn the modem back on and log on again. We wanted to play dominoes and could not find a table anywhere that was big enough. Activities: There were scavenger hunts. We did trivia and had a good time with that. They had Harry Potter Trivia, Friends Trivia, and Pub Trivia in addition to regular general trivia. There was also Pictionary. Some of the group did Karaoke, and that was fun. My son-in-law tried to play Bingo, but he missed marking one of the numbers and then when he marked it and had Bingo, they said it didn't count because he didn't have the last number called. The Family Feud game was very poorly done. We didn't go to any shows and those of us that did weren't very impressed. Service was good. Our children commented that the bar service was particularly good (they had the drinks package) Our cabin steward did a good job and kept the cabin clean. We had a group photo that were taken on the first night. I decided that one of the group was good and we should get one for everyone. Everyone was good except one daughter who had her eyes closed in one of them. So I ordered four of the good one and one of the one with her eyes closed. They put that we should come and get the photos at 8 the next night and they were closed then. When we actually got the photos, they had done it the wrong way. 4 with her eyes closed and one with her eyes open. Dining: The Windjammer buffet was absolutely not an option for me. The labels were over my head and I could not see them from the scooter and I could not reach some of the food. Occasionally someone would offer to help me, but usually I had to get my husband to get me food. There were some times when it was not possible to get any food. For example, earlier than 6:30 am, or between breakfast and lunch in the Windjammer. They did a good job with the various allergies in our group (gluten, peanuts, lactose). In the main dining room, we had a nice round table for all of us on the first night (My Time Dining). We went to Chops the second night, and we were never able to get that good table again. We would get to the dining room as it opened and there was already someone seated at that table. Instead we had to have a long table which meant that we couldn't really talk to the people on the ends of the table. We mostly ate breakfast and lunch in the Great Gatsby. I like the chopped salad at lunch, and one afternoon, Bob had just shrimp and ice cream. The dinner at Chops was good - they did the sides family style. Port & shore excursions: I did not take any excursions because I have been to Bermuda eight times previously and I had booked a private guide. It was absolutely ridiculous to keep people not on excursions from getting off immediately. My children liked the Hidden Gems Tour and the Crystal Caves Tour, and one of them (who brought her bicycle) did some of the Railway Trail. Disembarkation: Very quick and easy Summary: We were able to do a lot of family activities and we had fun together. Bermuda was, as always, beautiful but our time there was too short. A five day cruise is just not long enough. I think two of our daughters are coming back by airplane and staying on the island Read Less

We chose this cruise for a good way to see Bermuda. Embarkation went smoothly and we were on the ship within an hour or so. The Windjammer Buffet was crowded, but that's to be expected on the first day. The food was pretty good for a buffet. The main dining room had great food and our servers were very nice. On our first sea day, we ate in the main dining room, and I got stir-fry from the buffet set up there for lunch and dinner. While we docked in Bermuda, we ate at Izumi, the Asian specialty restaurant. Our food came out perfect in every way. It was definitely worth the fee. Dinner at the buffet at the last night was a brilliant experience. Our cabin was a simple inside cabin, but it was quite spacious for a ship of this age. In short, this cruise was a very enriching experience and the ship was of great quality. Would go again, and I would recommend this ship to other people looking to go to Bermuda. Read Less

DH had Bermuda as a bucket list item and we've heard wonderful t hings about the Grandeur (all true!). From the time we boarded to disembarkation, the ship and crew were first class and we had a wonderful time. The ship may be older, but is in very good condition. We were told the crew had been voted friendliest crew in the fleet. I can certainly see why. There wasn't anyone that wasn't doing the best possible job. The dining service team were first class. We heard our sailing was only the second sailing where our waiter was a waiter ( he was an assistant waiter prior to that). We would have thought he had been doing this for years. Both he, his assistant and the head waiter left us wanting for nothing. Our cruise director, John Blair, celebrated his 25th wedding anniversary with the Activities manager, Katrina. Both they and their teams did a great job and were out and about and very approachable. For people that think the CD & AD has no impact on their trip, think again. A great one can make all the difference (as could a bad one). If you would like to see a more detailed review, I wrote this and posted on the Royal Caribbean board. https://boards.cruisecritic.com/topic/2663258-grandeur-to-bermuda-april-25-may1/ Read Less

This was our second cruise on Lady G. Chose this ship as it sails from Baltimore. I grew up near Baltimore and sailed with family that still lives in Maryland. Cabin was kept clean at all times by our steward Oliver. Balcony door was difficult to open and should be repaired. Food in MDR was excellent. The service in the MDR isn't at attentive as it used to be. I believe that to be a product of staff reductions and not the effort of the individual staff members. The wait staff was simply assigned more tables than they could handle. Chops was wonderful. Giovanni's Table was good, but the menu could use a few standard Italian dishes. Paid to attend the Lobster Brunch in Chops and was severely disappointed. They only bring you the lobster after you've been there for about 30 minutes. Then we had to wait another 30 minutes for a second lobster tail. This was not what we expected when they advertised "unlimited lobster". Service a the R Bar was less than expected. On two separate visits we were kept waiting quite some time for the waiter to take our drink orders. Would have been faster to go to the bar. Same thing happened at the Schooner Bar. Did end up going to the bar for that drink. The shows were good. Singers were very talented. Read Less

We sailed the Grandeur April 25-May 2 2019. From the ease of embarkation to the ease of disembarkation this was a great trip. The ship though considered small had so much to do. Probably not as modern as newer ships but still had a great vibe to it. We were in Cabin 7111 which is a sideways room. The layout made it seem bigger. Always kept great but the housekeeping staff. Shower was a bit tight but manageable. The food was excellent. Lots to choose from at Windjammer and very good. Usually the same stuff everyday though they did mix it up and theme it up as well. The Great Gatsby was a nice dining room for dinner and again the food was mmmmm good. However I wish they had a little more variety and bigger portions. We didnt do the specialty places. The Casino was fun but you sure can lose money fast. And for some reason they allow smoking there which made playing at times not so fun. But the games were cool just be prepared to not walk away with millions. Lots of trivia to be had which was hard but fun. People really got into it. Lots of music everyday including a live bad on pool deck and in the centrum. There was Karoke and karoke with a live band which was fun. Art shows and wine tasting and tours. Lots to do on board for adults. The shows not so great. Ok but not great. Not the best singers and dancers ive seen but all seemed very young. Had 2 comedians which were awesome. The service on the ship was outstanding especially at the bars. Drinks were delicious and service top notch.Our stops were Bermuda and Charleston Sc. Bermuda was ok but found out Ferrys dont run on weekends so we were stuck on the port side of it and not all that much to do there. The fort tour was cool though where you could see Dolphins as well. Charleston was much better. Lots of history. Being a Disney fanatic i was leery about trying anything else but i must say was delightfully surprised how good a trip and how everything was. I recommend highly a trip on this ship. Just keep in mind too the crowd tended to be a bit older with some kids but not many. Read Less

We booked RCCL after sailing on NCL, Carnival, and MSC because we thought it would be more luxurious, but we've come to the conclusion all cruise lines are pretty much the same. The food was great, but the latest food venue closed at 1:00am, and it only had nachos, hotdogs and burgers. They need a 24 hour dining option with a broader selection. We had all of our dinners in the main dinning room and all of the meals were great. The wait staff was also very attentive and worked very hard to make sure that every passenger was satisfied. They were very accommodating when I ordered 2 appetizers, or on the evening that I ordered 2 entrees so that I could have steak with my lobster. The cabin steward was also top notch. Every time we left the room, he went in to clean, make the bed and straighten up. The only negative on this cruise was the first day tossing and turning enroute to Bermuda. The Captain was trying to get away from a storm system and was streaming full speed across the Atlantic which made the ship pitch and lean heavliy to port and starboard. Lots of sea sickness bags were placed on the stair ways, and guest services was giving out free sea sickness pills. There was one other minor negative as this ship did not provide digital photos. The photo prices were reasonable, but on Carnival and MSC, we were able to get digital files that we could immediately share online with friends. I was told that the ship didn't have the server capacity to support digital photography. Everything else about this cruise was great. Read Less

Recommended by travel agent, this was to be our first cruise, and had great expectations. On joining the ship my case was withheld and I had to muster in the lower deck to retrieve it, to be told that the £48 bottle of whisky was to be taken and "destroyed"! in New York I had had a small glass from the total of one litre. On asking to witness the destruction of my whisky, I was informed that It wasn't possible; and that the security would deal with it. I bet they did, no doubt shared around. It should be policy that any confiscated drink if not kept as an unopened bottle, should be poured down the sink in font of the owner. out of order RC. This sadly set the tone for the rest of the cruise, with gratuities added daily; and not informed that no one needs to pay this, but one can pay those in the tips envelopes to those you choose at the end of the cruise. I was charged for a treatment in the spa I did not request or receive. The staff were superb and the waiters in the Great Gatsby made our cruise, the young guy who daily did our cabin was also top notch. We have decided cruising is not for us, great if you like a Butlins at sea. Read Less

This was our 4th time on the Grandeur and the 3rd time taking her to Bermuda. We sailed with another couple that we met on the 2016 cruise to Bermuda, We chose this date specifically for the 7 nights and cruising for Halloween. This was our 10th overall cruise with RCCL. We booked an OV guarantee and we given cabin 2054, deck 2, port. It was a noisy cabin, sounded like a blender going on and off and a metal door banging throughout the night, Our stateroom attendant, Stephen, was excellent. Cabin was always clean and well stocked, We mainly ate in the main dining room and found the food quality to be on par with previous cruises. The staff were very attentive, keeping our glasses topped off and our bellies full. We did lunch in Chops on embarkation day, meh. I ordered a medium rare filet, and it came out raw. The waiter argued with me that it was medium rare. I ate what I could. We did Giovanni;s for dinner one night, still not impressed by the food. Loved the crew, from Captain Thor to Mike S (the cruise director) everyone was very friendly and professional. Great Halloween party in the Centrum. Would definitely cruise again on the Grandeur, Read Less

Third Cruise this year, Princess, Celebrity and Royal Caribbean Not all bad but Royal Caribbean was in 3rd Place Embarking & Disembarkment was extremely smooth & quick Grandeur of the Seas is an older ship but some things could be improved.... options/channels on the TV should be updated with OnDemand Movies & Shows and Interactive options, some things really showed the age like drapes felt dry Rotted..... Cabin #7046 Great location !!! Nice up graded bathroom Lots of storage Mini refrigerator Best Room Attendant Ever !!! Oliver Rellama....made us feel like we were valued & special Always there with Happy greetings Room well attended and Ice And wonderful Towel Animals :-) Food was really NOT that good except specialty dining rooms Room Service Fee is Terrible! Felt disappointed and at $7.95 + 18% gratuity felt Nickeled & Dimed Dining Room & Buffet variety not very good and food was often cool/cold and blahhh Drink package was worth the cost Entertainment was ok Activities in Kids Zone was a winner with my 10 year old grandchild Activities Director was wonderful Glass Bottom Night Tour wasn’t worth the money or time Aquarium/Zoo excursion was very nice and a good morning activity *error below Only traveled with one child Read Less

We selected this cruise because of the date. Wanted a place to celebrate a milestone birthday for hubby that departure was close to home. So we sailed out of Baltimore - destination was not important - but none of our 3 had been to Bermuda so an added bonus. We did connecting rooms - and my 93 yo dad was with us so we selected cabins close to an elevator. We did outside cabins on deck 2. The door between the rooms made it simple to chat - but took away precious floor space. There is one arm chair and moving it from the door made maneuvering around a little interesting. We do open seating for dining and the first night we were near a couple families that do not know what inside voices are - and dress as if they are at a break from yardwork (shorts - hats ...) If I heard the one man say one more time that he was going to find a person that looked at him funny and punch him I was going to scream. The next evening we asked if we could be in a different section - but making sure that the waitstaff was excellent - so happily we moved over. They even came to check a few times to see it was better - nice touch. I am not sure why Royal Carib puts rules in the Cruise Compass that clearly says 'no hats in the dining room and no shorts for dinner' if they are not going to enforce it. I don't know how difficult it is for someone to leave their ballcaps in the cabin. Having been with many people that have lost hair to cancer I understand when some people want to cover their heads - this was not the case with these people. We also could not understand why the music needed to be so loud in the rooms when there was not an event. We did go to the Viking Crown Lounge to read and that music was a lower level - but otherwise it was difficult for my father to hear us. My father is a Navy veteran (WWII & Korea). There was a veterans gathering early in the cruise. They mentioned that later in the cruise there would be a veterans celebration. On the last night of the cruise they did this in the Centrum. They asked all the veterans to come on the staircase and celebrated them all. After a few words they also invited any first responders and a few more joined. Later asked for any Gold Star families. It was a lovely presentation - and my dad loved it - I believe it was his favorite part of the cruise. Read Less

Background information: I booked this cruise with my recently widowed sister so that we could have some sister time together. It was her first regular cruise (she did one previously with Tauck) and her first time to Bermuda. It was my 27th cruise, and my 7th visit to Bermuda - my third on Grandeur of the Seas. I was 80 years old at the time of the cruise and I use a mobility scooter to get around. The scooter easily folds into a small light package, but my (younger) sister fell just before the cruise and sprained her wrist so while she could fold the scooter, I didn't want her to have to do so. Travel to embarkation port; Normally for embarkation in Baltimore, we drive up and stay at a hotel which offers free parking, but for this cruise, my sister came down to Baltimore on the train the day before and my husband Bob was dropping us off and picking us up. On embarkation day we drove straight up to the Cruise Maryland terminal and got there about 12:30. They gave Bob a big orange window sign that said Drop Off and we gave our two bags to the baggage men. Bob put together the scooter, put the red duffel with the scooter charger underneath the seat and my computer bag on the back and I put my pocketbook under the seat and he bungie corded my cane to the front of the scooter, and we got in line. (My sister just had a large pocketbook) Embarkation: My sister had to put the red duffel bag, my pocketbook and the computer bag, plus my camera and my cell phone through the scanner and then they were going to pat me down. She started to load stuff back on the scooter before they got to me to pat me down, and they reprimanded us for that and made the red bag go through again. Then we got to where we gave them our passports and our set-sail passes. The lady had a problem that my passport says my name is Rosalie Ann (with a space) and my registration says RosalieAnn without a space. She said she had to get that changed, and the confusion, she forgot to photograph us. We got on the ship at deck 1 with the wheelchair people instead of going up the ramp, but when we handed our cards to the lady at the entrance, there were no photos on them !!! So she took our photos there. God knows what they look like. I took off my hat and my hair is probably all on end. I guess it is fortunate that no one sees them except the ship company. The lifeboat drill was out on the deck and took a long time. They put all the people on scooters or with wheelchairs in one section so I could actually see what was going on, but on other ships, they do this drill for the handicapped people indoors so the people with them can sit down. Ship information: Grandeur is a smaller ship, which I appreciate. The only complaint I have about the ship is that it is very noisy. The music in the atrium is LOUD. If I were not already partly deaf, I would be after spending any time in the atrium. The internet connection was quite good in our cabin but I had signed up and then canceled and signed up for a different package, so I got two computer cards at embarkation. The man in the computer lab was excellent at straightening this out. The elevators were pretty quick and I didn't usually have a long wait, but I always had a hard time when I got off the elevator in figuring out which way to turn to get to our cabin. My sister quite liked the spa. We both swam in the spa pool which was nice and warm (it was salt water). I loved the spa pool, but for my sister the pool was 5'4" deep - too deep for her to stand, and it made it hard for her to keep the splint on her hand out of the water, so she mostly went up there to sit and read as it was warm and quiet up there. The library is pretty useless. We looked to see if they had a backgammon board, but they did not and the library is right off the atrium so it is very noisy. The band that played in the atrium was quite good and they played classical music in the afternoon which was nice and not as loud as at night. The climbing wall was sometimes closed because of the wind conditions, but we weren't going to be doing that anyway!! The ship made good time to Bermuda and probably could have docked at 2 pm - the five day cruises arrive on the second day at 1 pm. But they took the long way around the island instead of just going straight in and the reason for this was apparent when we got around to King's Wharf. Disney Magic was still at our spot on the pier. So we had to wait until the tugs pulled her off the pier before we could dock. We did not get docked until 5, and the Craft Market was closed by then. That was a waste of time we could have had in Bermuda Activities: I did not do any of the regular scheduled activities such as bingo or trivia because I was too busy talking to my sister. We haven't traveled together just the two of us (without husbands or parents) since 1964. There were two formal nights. One was the first sea day and the other was the day before Halloween. Since Halloween was the last night on the ship, the cruise director scheduled the Halloween costume parade on the second formal night so that we would not have to be packing and doing costumes on the last night. This worked REALLY well. My sister was Red Riding Hood and I was Grandma after the wolf ate her. There was a great parade of costumes with prizes. The only problem with this was the noise - the music was played so loud that you had to yell in someone's ear for them to hear you. Cruise Critics meeting was on the first sea day and they had munchies and drinks and a nice raffle for prizes. I think they should have people introduce themselves, but RCCI does not seem to do that. There was a meeting for Platinum and above at 10:00 and I had to leave breakfast (because service was slow) in order to get to it and I was 15 or 20 minutes late. The Captain and the Cruise Director spoke to us and told some jokes. All the heads of the departments were introduced and each said where they were from and thanked all of us for sailing with Royal. They had an award for the couple who were Pinnacle Plus (more than 700 days cruising) and also a Crystal award for another couple. Entertainment: I didn't go to any of the shows or lectures, but my sister did and she liked them. Some of the shows were broadcast on the TV later Dining: We went up to the WIndjammer for lunch on embarkation, and never used it again. I can't hold a plate and a glass and still run the scooter and there was no one to help at all. The labels and some of the dishes were over my head, so my sister had to get me something to eat and drink. It is perhaps unfair to judge the Windjammer on the basis of embarkation lunch, but we never went there again. For dinner, we had My Time Dining and we got a nice table for 10 at 5 pm which we had for the rest of the cruise thanks to the guy assigning the tables. Service there was great. The quality of the food was sometimes good and sometimes not so good. The cakes tended to be dry. There was one lobster night which also included strawberry soup (very good) and baked Alaska We used Izumi one time. Japanese food is not my "cup of tea", but my sister who often eats Japanese food and is a better judge than I am liked it very well, and thought that the prices were quite reasonable. My sister also like the Ben & Jerry's ice cream Since we were not using the Windjammer, we always had breakfast in the MDR. Service was quite slow. It did not matter if you ordered the Express Breakfast or the Special of the day - it was the same as far as speed went. They had a buffet set-up for fruit and cold cereal but my problem with this was the same as with the Windjammer. One morning was Chocolate morning, and the chocolate bread was delicious. If we wanted breakfast before the MDR opened, we had Room Service. A hot breakfast it is $7.95 extra plus a 15% tip, but if you don't get a hot breakfast (by which they apparently mean eggs), it is free. So we ordered oatmeal and tea and English muffins for 6:30 to 7 and a wake-up call for 6:30. At 6:20 I got a call that breakfast was coming. He needed two trips because the hot water for the tea would not fit on the tray. The tea was hot but the English muffins were barely warm and ditto the oatmeal. I ate mine, but my sister didn't want just barely warm oatmeal. The second day in port we just had yoghurt, fruit and tea from Room Service. Lunch in the MDR also has a buffet section for a chopped salad which I hesitated to use because I thought I would have a problem doing this on the scooter. On the last day at lunch I did try it and it was excellent, but I did have to carry my plate back to the table myself. On other ships when I have done this, one of the servers carried my plate back to the table for me. Shore excursions: I booked two excursions for Sunday which I thought I could reasonably do on a scooter and which would give my sister a good overview of Bermda. One was the Bermuda Aquarium Museum and Zoo (BAMZ), and the other was a boat tour of the island both listed as Easy. I had booked a private guide for Monday. The excursion desk switched the BAMZ tour to Monday, so we canceled that one. When I got the tickets for the boat tour, it said that people must be able to walk and climb steps. That was NOT on the excursion write-up on the website or on the printed information about the excursion. I can walk a little and if I have to I can climb steps but I decided to cancel this excursion too. I talked to someone who took it and she said that the boarding ramp was a narrow shaky plank so it is probably good that I canceled it. Instead we booked little red train (The Scenic West End Trolley) and that was scheduled to meet at 9:15 for an hour tour. We thought maybe we could go to church afterward. They said that I could not take my scooter on the train (although I really could have done as there was space for it folded up), so I decided that I would leave the scooter on the ship on deck 1. They offered me a wheelchair so I took it to the end of the ship where there was a little tent with seats and we sat there. But 9:15 came and went and we did not see the little red train. The lady that said she would come and get us when the time came, did NOT come and get us and when I finally saw the train out about 400 yards from me she had already gone past. So with great difficulty, I walked, stopping at each bollard to rest, and finally got to the street where the train was and collapsed into a seat where the taxi drivers wait. It came around the corner to us so I could get on. By now it was 9:40. The actual tour was nice. The driver (Sidney who was 92 years old) explained a lot of Bermuda history including how they built their houses and how the roofs are configured to collect water. He said when modern houses are build, they dig a big hole as big as the largest room, and then line it to make it waterproof. That acts as a cistern and they build the house on top of it. He went out of the dockyard and all the way to Somerset Parish. We had thought that we could get to church after the train ride, but we did not get back to the dockyard area until about 11:30 and then instead of taking us back to the ship he let us off at the Clocktower Mall. This was not acceptable - I could not walk back to the ship and I couldn't stand and wait for the free train to get back there either as I would still have had to walk quite a distance from the free train to the ship. Independent Activities in Port: After the excursion driver dropped us at the Clocktower Mall I hired a taxi [Conrad Albouy (441-334-8796)] for $50/hour and we went to lunch at The Swizzle and to the BAMZ. Then on Monday I had a guide my husband and I had used before [Lewis Foggo email: lewis_foggo@hotmail.com]. He gave us an excellent tour. He showed us where the ship logos that had been painted on the walls in the dockyard were erased by the Americas Cup people. We saw a lot of beautiful beaches and overlooks. He showed us a property for sale They want $695,000.00 for 0.28 acres (a little over a quarter of an acre). There was nothing on it. He said no one had bought it because they were asking too much money. He took us up to a fort on a hill, and we went to St. David's Lighthouse. We even got to see the ducking in St. George which I had never been there in time to see before. Service: Our room steward was very good and gave us ice for my sister to put in the ice bag for her wrist. The service in the MDR at dinner was very good. Breakfast service was cheerful but slow. Disembarkation We got our disembarkation tickets and times in the stateroom on the 29th. On November 1st we are to get off between 9:15 and 9:30. (Green 21) - the next to last time. I went up to ask about it. The customer service desk estimated 45 minutes to get our bags and get out to be picked up, which would be about 10 am. She says that my husband Bob who is picking us up will only be able to wait for a couple of minutes. Since he will be driving 100 miles to pick us up, and we are not really sure when we will be off the ship, this might be a problem. I thought Bob would leave about 8 to get there at 10. But I was worried as I had not heard from him for the whole length of the cruise. So about 6:45 I tried to call and got the answering machine each time. Eventually I called our daughter in Texas because she said she would check on him to be sure he wasn't doing the back house roof (which he was) when he was home alone. She said he hadn't seemed to be getting my emails. (He said later that they had all gone to spam). We vacated the cabin and went to breakfast about 7:45 with the carry-on luggage (for me this was my computer bag and my pocketbook and cane as I had sent the red bag with the charger down with the suitcase and my sister just had a large purse). We both got the Express breakfast, which still wasn't very express.They had told me that they would announce disembarkation numbers in the restaurant, but they did not. So when we finished breakfast they were up to #17. We went and sat in the library with a couple people who were B2B. We were supposed to wait on deck 6 but then I would have had to get an elevator up and then an elevator down. I turned my phone on and we got in line a little after our group was called about 8:55. At 9:15 we were still in line in the atrium (there was some hold-up downstream) and Bob called that he was there. They would let wheelchair people get off on deck 1 (where we had gotten on), but I saw no reason to do that as I knew from previous experience that getting an elevator down there would be the hard part. We inched our way down and through the walkway to the terminal. There was a large man/boy ahead of us carrying two small bags and he kept trying to sit or lean on the HVAC systems which were posted NOT to sit or lean on and which had benches right next to them if you needed to sit. Went through immigration (there was no customs to go through), and then went to find our bags. Bob usually finds the bags and brings them to me, but my sister was not so organized. I put the red bag on the scooter and then we found my bag, but my sister had found her bag and then lost it again (It was black like all the other bags and she has not apparently learned Mother's trick of tying some colorful thing to the handle) Then we went outside and the cars picking people up were all by the fence out by the road. Bob was there. He was able to wait for more than a few minutes. He took my sister to the train station and then we drove home. Summary I enjoyed the cruise and I always enjoy Bermuda. But I don't think I have converted my sister to cruising. Read Less

This was our second time on this 5 day cruise to Bermuda. We loved it so much back in May we decided to do it again. It is a short visit to this island nation but we made the most . of it. We enjoy the sea days on the ship, working out in the fitness center in the morning, breakfast in the Windjammer, hanging out in the Solarium, dancing before dinner and more evening activities. We went on the bus to Horseshoe beach and shopped in the dock area. Fun trip. We do my time dining in the evenings and had a wonderful staff most of the week. However on the last night of the cruise we were seated at a different area with a wait staff that was new to us. We were so disappointed because we had a relationship with the servers we had enjoyed all week. The waiter on the last evening was not attentive and we get the impression that we were an inconvenience to him. We never saw the assistant waiter that night. It left a bad taste in our memory of the trip. This is not the usual RC way. Read Less

My first attempt at a cruise review after 4 cruises. We were to leave Baltimore on September 9, 2018 for Bermuda. Because of Hurricane Florence we were rerouted to the Bahamas. Grand Turk, Half Moon Cay and Freeport. We cruised to those islands in 2011. I will give you some updates on changes I noticed on this cruise since our last cruise in 2016.. MY OBSERVATIONS: PARKING LOT: There used to be 2 lanes, one for cash and one for credit. The cash line was always the shortest. Now both lanes are open for either cash or credit. EMBARKATION: Seeming long lines at the 1:00 - 1:30 check in but they moved really fast. Carry on bags went through the xray conveyor belt but this time they were not opened and inspected like they did in 2016. We were aboard in about 15-20 minutes. Rooms were ready at 2:00. SHOWER: Water pressure in the shower was excellent. Shower curtain was extra long and didn’t wrap around you while you were taking a shower. I do wish they would add a small grab bar in the shower while the Pride is in drydock. ROOM SERVICE: Room steward brings a card and you check off AM, PM or BOTH. We were not pressured one way or another. We chose AM and wrote in ice. Our room steward was I Ketut and he was great! ROOMS: Our 4K room had a flat screen TV. Previous years you could find the day’s menu and check your sign-and-sail balance on the TV. Now you have to download the Carnival Hub to see those things. We didn’t take a device to use and locked our phones in the safe so this was no help to us. We would check our balance and add money if needed at one of the Kiosk’s at either end of the Casino. Never had to stand in line at Guest Services. I listed the TV Channels you get on the room TVs at the end of this review. BRUNCH: OJ was the only juice offered but you could ask for others. The bread basket came around and you could pick one piece. Menu was great! DINNER: We had YTD on the 3rd floor dining room. Bread basket was placed on the table. Water was really good on this cruise. Some choices came in little bit larger portions (caesar salad especially). Our waiters were awesome! Arta, Arya and Libin. At around 5:30 the line would start forming for the YTD. Crew members from the Dining Room were nice enough to bring those disabled guests right in to a table so they didn’t have to stand in line. I thought that was very nice. In past years they had a menu board outside the Dining Room with that night’s dinner menu. This cruise there was none. LIDO: Lots of good choices for lunch. Breakfast was always the same. I am not a fan. Best drink we found from Lido was to put about ½ inch of lemonade in the cup, add ice and then fill with water. Excellent lemon-water! Lido now has platters alongside the plates. Perfect to use as a tray if you need one, especially for bringing coffee and pastries back to the room. GUY’S BURGERS: Guys is a matter of opinion. Some love it and some do not. My husband loved it but I don’t usually eat burgers. The fries looked greasy and not crispy. However, I love fried onion sandwiches! I got a burger roll from Guys and filled it with the (yes, very greasy) fried onions from their fixins bar. Delish! PIZZA: We both preferred the pizza of 2 years ago made on a flat bread/foca bread type crust. This time it was made on traditional round pizza crust and it was served as ½ pizza when you ordered. (Unless you wanted a whole one. Approximate size was a medium). SHOWS: We didn’t go to any of the musical shows except KARAOKE which was fun. Hosted by Assistant Cruise Director Bendy Blake who was awesome! We did attend the CARIBBEAN SHOPPING SHOW. As reported by others, it was a waste of time, just telling you where to shop on the islands. (Stores associated with Carnival). Love and Marriage Show was hosted by Dr. E and of course it was very funny. He asked around 10 questions. COMEDIANS: Didn’t attend but heard they were very funny but only about 20 minutes sessions. Last couple of nights they had no comedians because they were to be picked up in Freeport on Friday but we skipped that port and came straight home Thursday after Half Moon Cay. CASINO: We spent a little time in the Casino on the first night. The smoke was unbearable. When we got back to our room, our clothes smelled like cigarette smoke! I wish they would make the table game side of the Casino the smoking section and the Slot Machines on the right as non smoking. That might help a little. DH was able to pick up a stack of $100 from the claw machine. We saw a couple other people grab one as well. CREW: As always, you won’t find a nicer, friendlier crew anywhere. When ship is docked in a port, the crew members are busy cleaning. CRUISE DIRECTOR: Reverend Dr. E (Eversen) was so funny and personable! Best cruise director we have ever sailed with! PORTS: GRAND TURK: We were last in Grand Turk in 2011 so it has been awhile. Back then Carnival advised to stay in the Carnival port area and not wander off beyond there. This time, locals were everywhere in the port. They offered golf cart rentals, jeep rentals, tours, chairs and umbrellas closest to the beach. It was really a big difference and to me it just seemed overcrowded with so much going on. Port shops were great. Half Moon Cay: Awesome as always. Captain announced on Thursday evening when we left Half Moon Cay that we would not be docking at Freeport on Friday due to Hurricane Florence. We would leave right then and go farther out to sea and around the Hurricane on our way back to Baltimore. Friday was a rough sea day as we did hit some rough seas. This also cancelled the Comedians for Friday and Saturday as we were unable to pick them up in Freeport. DEBARKATION: We did self-assist for the first time and loved it! If you have any questions, I would be happy to answer. TV CHANNEL SHOWING 11 FUN FINDS 13 CRUISE LIFE 14 CHANNEL GUIDE 15 SAFETY INFORMATION 16 FUN ABOARD 17 CARNIVAL ADVENTURES 18 MAP CHANNEL 19 FORWARD CAMERA VIEW 20 LIDO CAMERA VIEW 21 AUDIBLE FUNTIMES 22 CNN 23 CNN INTERNATIONAL 24 CNN SPANISH 25 HLN 26 BOOMERANG 27 CARTOON NETWORK 28 TNT 29 TBS / WATCHED IN ENGLISH/COMMERCIALS IN SPANISH 30 TCM 31 TRUTV / SPANISH IN PM & ENGLISH IN AM 32 FREE MOVIE CHANNEL / MOVIE GUIDE BETWEEN MOVIES 33 FUN FOR ALL 34 OCEAN VIEW 35 GOOD TO KNOW 36 MUSIC CHANNEL Read Less

We were going on a five days cruise from Baltimore to Bermuda. The day before we left we got a text and e-mail that due to Hurricane Florence the ship was now going to the Bahamas. We were given the option to cancel. If you went on the cruise they refunded 50% of the cost less taxes to your onboard account to use. Whatever you did not use was refunded back to your credit card. They were also giving us a voucher for 50% less taxes to use towards another cruise. They did a great job of getting us to the Bahamas in a short time. After our first day there we were informed that our cruise was extended to 8 days due to the hurricane. We got extended time in the Bahamas and then got two night in Port Canaveral. They got excursions set up, gave us phone numbers to local pharmacies in case you needed more medication, one day provided, free of charge, a bus to run to the pharmacies/beach. They offered drink packages for the extra days at 50 % off as well as that same discount on laundry, specialty restaurant etc. The trip back took 2 1/2 days because they went so far out to sea to avoid the really large waves and wind. They did a great job. They also got luggage people to come to the Baltimore port and help out. I can't say enough about how wonderful they were. It was not my first time cruising with Royal Caribbean and it will not be my last. Read Less

We had traveled on RCCL before and wanted to revisit Bermuda with friends. The hurricane changed that we went to Nassau, Bahamas. RCCL had notified 2 days before and offered to give us a credit to be used on a future cruise. We opted to go. Excursions were posted on the ship to Nassau, we chose the Glass Bottom Boat, very nice. However the hurricane persetied and we were told our 5 day cruise would be extended by 2 more days. So we went to Port Canaveral, again excursions were offered and we took a Boat Ride on a nearby river, very nice. But we were extended again now 4 days. This was difficult for some passengers as they had not packed enough medicine for the additional days. RCCl provided free shuttle transportation to area pharmacies with instructions on how to go about filling prescriptions. They also helped the 400 people who left the ship on Thurs or original last day. We were impressed with all the help and refunds we received for these changes which were not RCCL's fault. As always our cabin which had a balcony was very nice, clean lots of storage, the food was excellent used the in room service one morning. That was prompt and exactly what we ordered. The activities on the ship were ample several good lectures. The Captains talk is always a favorite of ours, learn about the things he deals with. The crew was as always amazing, cheerful, helpful and friendly. The entertainment was great, varied and very pleasing. Amazing since they were on every night, even on the extension. How the shore excursions were added with so little notice was beyond me but they were different and in all price ranges. The only negative was leaving the ship instead of the usual morning departure we did not leave till after 6 pm. This caused a lot of difficultly. Largely because directions were not followed. No doubt this will be corrected in the future. We are booked for a 12 cruise in Feb. and very much looking forward to it. Read Less