The most important take away from my trip is to review your Sail & Sign statement carefully. If you have prepaid for spa treatments, you could get billed again. Your CHEERS doesn't work at the Carnival island of Half Moon Cay. The Cheers program is NOT worth the money. You will spend less if you just pay out of pocket. You can get bored over the course of 7 days. The pools and chairs are always full. The in-room television doesn't have ample movie selections. You honestly feel like you are eating all the time and the food isn't great. We spent most of our time in the casino (we broke even thank goodness), but the ventilation is horrible from the chain smoking that occurs. If your pockets aren't full when you leave, your lungs will be. And your clothes will reek badly. They do keep the boat spotless and they work super hard to cater to you and your surroundings. We stayed in a suite and it was awesome. It is roomy compared to the balcony rooms. The only issue that I had and this was my second attempt to love a cruise was that the bedding always smelled like dirty laundry. I even brought my own blanket and pillow cases, but they couldn't hide the smell. In summary, we went with family which was a big plus, but this trip proved that I will never be a cruiser with many under my belt. You either love them or hate them. There is no in between. Read Less

This cruise line was chosen by a family member to have a family reunion. Checking onboard in Baltimore was quick and orderly. Once onboard we explored the ship while waiting for our cabin. Once in the cabin, the amount of rust, holes in the steel from rust, and rusted through stiffeners was quite noticeable on our balcony. It was also covered in salt. Needed to use a towel on the hand rail and chairs before we could sit outside and watch the ship sail. Food served in the dining room was often slow and lukewarm. Staff appeared to have more tables assigned to them than they could handle efficiently. Meals on the lido deck were repeated almost every day. Very little selection and lukewarm food. Highlight of the food scene was Guy Fieri's Burger Bar. Only place on the ship where you could get a hamburger between the hours of 12 noon and 6pm, the only hours it was open. Well seasoned hamburgers, served hot. Cabin attendant was good and maintained the cabin to perfection. Cruise Director was extremely annoying and was on the PA system numerous times through the day with extremely loud singing that was almost unintelligible. Speakers on the PA system were overdriven and hard to understand. This was my first cruise on Carnival and will be the last. I much prefer RCCL. 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

This was our first cruise and we had a blast. Right from the port of entry the carnival people where polite and very respectful. Once onboard the ship was very amazing. The night dining meals was fantastic. Our waiter bent over backwards to meet our needs. Aba was one of them and the other was Edward. Once we got settled in our room was very clean and the air conditioner worked great. The balcony was nice at night time. Our room Stewart was niaom "not sure of spelling" Niaom was very polite and helpful. Anything ask he would go out of his way to get it done. Over all trip was fantastic and we seen land that my family thought they would never see. Half moon cay was a beautiful island to spend the day. Our next cruise will be to Bermudas and will be with the pride of possible. Can't forget the ship cruise director Dr E he put together and awesome week of entertainment. Read Less

They have absolutely nothing for the kids to do. Besides the closet sized room for the tots. My daughter is 3 and was nervous about going to the kids section and they wouldn’t even let me walk her in and say goodbye.. ridiculous. No activities.. nothing. Rooms are small. Workers are nice except for a few that seems miserable. Carnival pride is definitely a better choice. Their dining room is ok. Breakfast is the same food every morning. The crowd is mainly older and get mad when the kids are being kids.. just a warning. Our cabin is right above the door they open to let people off the ship so my kids get woken up in the morning and from their naps. Soda cans are $4.. they have ONE. pool open for public and if your kids are not potty trained they can’t go in.. so my one year old had nothing to do.. Read Less

We enjoyed cruising on the Pride. Leaving from Baltimore is a plus. Only a 30 minute drive from home. Check in was a breeze, they had a good system that was quick. Slowed down to take a picture for memories. Boarded ship nlt 1pm and room was ready by 2pm. Met our stateroom steward, Tegum. He kept our room tidy and requests handled in a timely manner. This was our fifth time on the Pride. Our first stop was to Guy's Burger and we were not disappointed. The burgers are juicy, the extras are plentiful and the fries are just as delicious. Menu in dining room was okay, but we did try the sushi bar (the boat for Two) was more than enough, especially with soup and salad and a drink. We celebrated my birthday and Teguh surprised me with discounts for Spa and tours. We had an obstructed view balcony. Dr E, the Cruise Director was very entertaining and the highlight of the cruise. Itinerary was changed due to Dorian. We stopped at Amber Cove. The port had a variety of stores, restaurants, activities and beaches. The people were very nice and the port offered free wifi. We look forward to returning to Amber Cove in the future. 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

We chose a balcony stateroom with the expectation of enjoying fresh air. From the first day we were subjected to our neighbor's smoking. We immediately complained to Guest Services. This was repeated on subsequent days: smoking and complaints. Carnival provides extensive space both in the ship's interior and exterior for smokers. Some smokers want more. Our cabin attendant was friendly and very efficient as was the entire staff. Dining room service was sporadic. Sometimes prompt. Other times service seemed to drag on forever. Food was good and of course plentiful. Guy's Burger Joint has great hamburgers and fries. Pizza had thin crust and lacked the taste you would expect. There were no enrichment activities.The theme of the Cruise was "Fun" which means lots of action and noise at all times. Cruise Director must think himself proud: His announcements were preceded or followed by sounds resembling a stuck pig. I guess some folks thought that was fun. We thought it annoying. Bottom line:If you are looking for non stop action this ship is for you. Just don't look for any enrichment. The smoking issue and lack of enrichment impacted negatively on my, my wife's and our extended family;s overall cruise experience.Perhaps our expectations differed from the focus of the ship. We expected a quality (our definition) vacation but didn't feel we got our full money's worth. Read Less

We chose this cruise strictly for the convenience of the port. The port of Baltimore is so convenient, the parking is reasonable, the staff are helpful, and everything is run quite efficiently.. We also wanted to try a different itinerary other than the Caribbean..The New England coast was beautiful and did not disappoint us, but, I guess I was expecting a little more and eventhough I adored the staff, I do not believe it will be enough for us to come back unless there is an exceptional bargain being offered.us..for starters the Broadway shows and entertainment we always look forward to on other ships..just terrible..couldn't even watch it here. That was a bummer. Also, there was one evening I was not feeling well so I was in my room which is rarely the case .. but there is absolutely nothing to watch on TV . Only thing to watch are old reruns of some bygone show noone has ever watched and John and Katrina doing the RC commercials..its just really ridiculous and frustrating especially after all the money we've spent for that room! I like John and Katrina, don't get me wrong, but I don't want to watch them on tv all night too.! This ship sadly just does not offer enough activity for a livelier crowd.. with that being said, there are definitely some highlights though. Michael is awesome and so hilarious! He had me cracking up all week..My family loved him and he keeps everyone entertained as much as possible..The food is typical cruise food and theres plenty to choose from, so if you can't find something you like from the many options they provide, then don't go on a cruise! Also, the way I'm looking at it, I'm not cooking and cleaning for a week so I'm not complaining too much :-) it's a cruise for God sake so how bad can it be:-) my only real complaint was that it was way more money than I have paid for cruises in the past, so I guess I was expecting a little more Read Less

We arrived early for our 1 PM check-in time and were boarded within minutes. We had a balcony cabin, 5244. The view was great, the bed comfortable and cabin clean. It was very nice, but was a bit short on storage space for 3. We had an excellent wait staff. The food in the dining room was FABULOUS. The buffet was ok. Breakfast was a bit ho-hum, but not a big deal. Guys burgers was possibly the best burger and fries I’ve had in awhile. There was a 24 hour pizza, hand tossed and amazing. Drinks were good quality, but pricey. A tropical drink came to $11 with added gratuity. Even a beer rang up to $7.50ish. The entertainment was great and so fun. There were 2 deck parties with great music from the 70s, 80s and 90s that fit the typical cruiser very well. Dr E was the best cruise director I’ve sailed with. Having 3 pools on board helped to spread out the crowd on sea days. There was a perfect blend of activities and music styles for ALL to enjoy. There was a fridge in our room, we stashed our water we purchased ($4.50/12) and soda/ wine we brought. My 13 year old LOVED circle c club. I barely saw her all week. She made a ton of friends, which was great. Our first stop was Grand Turk. We shopped, swam in the area just off the pier and went to Margaritaville. Margaritaville had a fun pool party. Our second stop was Half Moon Cay...stunning, but we waited too long to get tender tickets and didn’t get there until 11:30. By 3ish, the island started clearing out. It was a scorcher and we were ready to get back onboard anyway. Our last stop, Freeport was the dud of the group. It is not pretty where you dock, at ALL. Really...take an excursion, we did dolphin experience/ snorkeling. Debarkation is late on this itinerary, however we were off 45 minutes earlier than advertised, consider rolling off your own luggage if possible. Also, the fitness center is sort of small. With the recent incidents in the Carribean and Mexico...I must say, I felt completely safe and everyone I encountered ashore was wonderful and friendly. I’ve sailed RCI and other lines, but I’ve been spoiled by Carnival. It was the best time I’ve ever had on a cruise. Read Less

We did not have a lot of luck with weather this trip but Carnival's crew still managed to entertain us with some cool activities. The fun staff were great; they always had us all laughing and dancing. Some of the activities on the itinerary did not look interesting at first but once we got there we always had a good time. The dining experience was pleasant and the staff were great. The food in the dining room could use a little more seasoning though. David's steakhouse was amazing. Our cabin was a little banged up but clean. We had a great view of the ocean from our balcony. We could simply look out and there it was. The only downside was that we always faced the ocean and did not get views of the ports, even as we were leaving. Also a thing to note is that the sunset on the side we were on which was great but also made it a little hot and bright in the evening. Half Moon cay was super disappointing from the standpoint that they no longer have a drink package. In fact I asked at every single bar location and was told numerous times that they have not had that in a very long time (a few said that they have been there between 6-9 months and never heard of it). The same goes for the lobster shack which was not open at all. Staff told me that since they have been there (6-9 months) they have actually never seen it open. This means that your only option for food is the BBQ which is simply put...OK. If I want a burger I will go back on the ship and grab one from Guy's you know. The bird around the BBQ were cool until they weren't. They would attack food without warning. I think the most offensive part of Half Moon cay is the drink prices. Unless you stick to beer they serve everything in these little tiny plastic cups overfilled with ice and the price is the exact same as it is on the ship. Essentially you pay full price for about a half of a normal drink. There was not much to do on the island but chill at the beach and watch the fish, which for some is cool. Carnival's fun staff came out and ensured that we had music and hosted some more beach activities. The debarkation process sucked but only because people do not follow instructions. Embarkation was a breeze. Very fast, simple, and actually fun and exciting. 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

Ok so let me say again we had a nice time. The GOS shows her age but that's to be expected. The main reason for writing a review is to add a little ballancd. Out of all the reviews I read before 99% had the GOS walking on water and to be fair to her that's a tough act to follow. The Great: Cruise Director = Great Activities Director = Great Activity Staff = Great Bartending Staff = Great Embarkation = Awesome Disembarkation = Awesome Chops Gill! = Awesome The OK: Room Steward: was just ok. Never been on a boat were at times the room wasn't touched until lunch time. The Food: MDR food to me has always been average but for some reason the food some nights seemed below average. The Bad: Replacing the Movie Screen! I know it was out of commission for at least 4-5 days and for me that's a huge deal. We enjoy watching movies at night. This should have gotten fixed at dry dock. Broken elevators: have two down the entire cruise after being at dry dock was an issue for me and some others. Food \ Beverage Package Selling: or should a say relentlessly asking to buy the package. We always buy the Dinner and Drink package beforehand and are already asked when we first get on the boat but these folks I know asked me at least a 2 dozen times the first two days and I felt that was tacky.. With all that being said if the ports,price and time is right ill cruise on Lady G gain.. Read Less

Last year we decided to plan a family cruise to include extended family. We chose Grandeur because most of our family lives in Maryland and we loved the idea of sailing out of Baltimore. We read lots of reviews on Grandeur and watched several YouTube videos. We have cruised several times before and we knew that this would be the smallest ship that we have experienced. Embarkation: It was a breeze getting on the ship! We arrived T the port at 9:45 AM. We checked our luggage, paid for parking, checked in, and were walking onto the ship before 10:30! We didn’t have to sit and wait so that was fabulous. Best embarkation we have ever experienced. We walked right onto the 4th floor Centrum area. All of the staff greeted us warmly. We had drinks in our hands by 10:45! The Windjammer buffet opened shortly after 11, which was great. We had access to our rooms around 1:00 PM. Room: Balconies are limited on the Grandeur and are priced at a premium, so we had an ocean view stateroom. Then ocean view windows are a nice size. We had lots of storage space and the bed was super comfortable. The room was small and so was the bathroom. The decor is dated and could definitely use a refresh. The sofa was very worn out. However, the room was clean and the bathroom was also clean. The shower had a curtain and no door, which resulted in lots of water on the bathroom floor. Be sure to keep the shower curtain inside the shower to minimize this issue. Public areas: Clean and well-maintained...two elevators did not work for the entire cruise. Definitely showing signs of rust and carpets could be replaced. Public bathrooms were always clean! Food: Specialty dining is definitely the way to go on this boat. We went to Chops twice for dinner and the food was excellent. Our server took care of us and he did an amazing job. We also paid for the Chops brunch and it was really good as well (we enjoyed dinner more). We visited Izumi once for lunch and it was so good! Starbucks was great. Giovanni’s table was okay. The food in the main dining room was truly just average...some good, some gross. Our server was nice but very slow. Since there were 13 of us in our group they split us between two tables. The other table had an excellent server. She was so personable and efficient. To illustrate the contrast...we would order at the same time. The other table would be finishing up dessert when we were finishing our appetizer. They were in and out in 45 minutes while ours took 90 minutes. We only ate there three times and skipped dessert the third night because it was just too slow. Breakfast and lunch were faster. Try the chopped salad at lunch. It’s really good! The windjammer had a nice selection. Good burgers, good brunch selection, good omelets. Indian night and Greek night were both good. The place gets pretty crowded so we tried to avoid peak times. Park Place in the solarium provided snacks in the afternoon and later at night. Burgers and hotdogs were fine. Not a fan of the pizza (think undercooked frozen pizza) or the nachos (the cheese sauce has no taste). The fruit and fruit cups are good. They also offer cookies and chips. We ordered room service for breakfast and dinner...they charge a nominal fee, but the food isn’t worth it. Activities: The cruise director, Cory, was fantastic! We really enjoyed the shows! The singers and dancers were great. We had a magician, comedian, and guest singers. Everybody was great. All of the shows took place in the Palladium. The seats are comfy but be careful with the cup holders. They don’t hold all of the glasses, which results in spills. Trivia and karaoke were lots of fun. The 4th of July celebration was fantastic. They decorated the boat so nicely. Coco Cay is amazing! Truly a game changer for Royal. We loved the pool and swim up bar. The food was great and there were plenty of beach chairs and umbrellas. We would have loved to have more days there. The pools and whirlpools were great. We used them in the mornings and on port days. They were crowded on sea days so we avoided them. The arcade is really small, so my daughter was disappointed. The gym is equipped and adequate, but small, so it was usually packed in the mornings. The big screen was out of commission and was replaced during our cruise. It worked the last night. Should be great for future cruises! Beverages: The bartenders were great. We loved the Schooner Bar and Viking lounge. Customer service: Everyone was friendly and willing to help. Our room steward was great. From other reviews, Grandeur receives high marks in this area. I agree that they deserve it, but I have been impressed with the customer service on every single one of my cruises. Would I sail on Grandeur again? I enjoyed my cruise (I always do). I most likely will not sail Grandeur again. I prefer newer, larger ships, where the activities overwhelm me. I know that’s not for everyone. If you prefer an older, smaller ship with nice staff and without all of the bells and whistles, then Grandeur is for you! You will definitely have a good time. Read Less

My family and I decided to give RCI a try this summer. We have been on 20 Carnival cruises and 2 Princess cruises since 2001. We picked this cruise strictly on the itinerary. My teenagers were doing a DC trip with their school so we met them at the end and then came on this cruise. Coming Jon the ship we had high hopes for a great cruise. We had purchased the Key which was quite expensive for a family of 4. The only amenity we even used was the internet. RCI claims you can stream with it and you can if you sit in the Internet cafe. On your personal device in your room - nope, could hardly even play a game without your connection dropping constantly. The internet is not good at all. With the key and with a suite, you get to have reserved seating for shows. On some of the ships, this may be a benefit but on this ship - the shows were hardly attended. The broadway show was awful. I admit that I am picky about shows because I am a huge broadway fan and have attended many shows in NYC and in London but this was the worst show I’ve ever seen on a cruise ship. The All Access show was better until they got to the Madonna part and then it was a train wreck. The first comedian was great - my favorite show by far. He was good in the Welcome Aboard show and not too terribly raunchy in the adult show which was a pleasant surprise. Sometimes on Carnival, they can be just disgusting. The hypnotist show was ok and the juggler was ok. The rest, meh, Rey disappointing. The ship just doesn’t have much to do or to choose from to do. There were a couple of trivia’s per day but that was about it. The only cleaver things they had was the egg drop and the Royal Fair. Food - if you love buffet food, this is the ship for you. I however, do not. If you don’t eat on a buffet there really isn’t any other choices. They do offer lunch in the dining room on sea days but on port days - that’s it. The buffet is not appealing, food has been sitting for a long time, the hamburger buns are hard as a rock and the patties are burned to a crisp. The main dining room was good, the servers were great but there aren’t too many choices every night, just a couple. They push the specialty dining almost to the point of irritation. They even push you to pay for a specialty add on meal every night when you are about to order in the dining room. They must get a bonus or something if they can upsell you. In closing, we thought we would try a small ship to see if it was worth it to brave 6,000 people and on a ship and the family verdict is - No Way! We will stick with Carnival and enjoy the shows, the activities and the variety of food offered every single day. Read Less

We chose this cruise for the itinerary, the reputation of the Grandeur and for timing around the end of school. We cruised with a family with two pre-teens with whom we are essentially family and both families live near Baltimore. We arranged private transportation to and from the port due to the party size of six and the amount of luggage. Upon arrival, the Port of Baltimore did itself no favors as our driver was directed to one line where the luggage carts were being locked and when attempting to ask for direction to another line we were met with incredible indifference and ineptitude. Once we finally offloaded our luggage, we were then met with yet more confusion as we had booked the Royal Suite and the other members were Diamond members. Port staff had no idea where to direct people for security screening and actually dumped both parties into different, yet packed and slow moving, lines. We met at the screening and went through together. By that time we had been able to identify ourselves to Royal staff and our concierge, Carlington Berry (more on Carlington later) was waiting for us on the ship side of security. That was the last of any bad issues for embarkation. Carlington whisked us directly to check-in and then around all other lines directly to a private elevator (one woman decided to latch on and was with us all the way to and pushed into the elevator with her husband by pure hubris) and then to our suite. All of the features of the suite were discussed and our attendant, Fernando Dierra, was introduced to us. The staff of the Grandeur truly earns their reputation as the friendliest in RCI's fleet, the food was superior to other RCI ships (Majesty and Monarch) we have cruised on and the itinerary delivered. Finally, the staff in the Great Gatsby dining room was top notch, with our table's servers, Deepshika and Mary Ann, being the best we have ever had by far. Deepshika especially, as our head server, was organized efficient and catered to our party's every request. The only average part of our experience were the shows in the main theater. They were at best average, with a hypnotist and a comedian being each an hour we will never get back. We chose private tours we arranged separately and all were excellent. Specifically, Jolly Breeze Tour's jet boat whale watching tour from St. Andrews-by-the-Sea (St John port stop) was in the top 5 of all excursions we have ever done, including seaplane snorkeling on the Great Barrier Reef and a helicopter into the Grand Canyon for lunch below the rim. We had been concerned about a rough ride in the zodiak for the girls but they actually wanted more wake jumping as the tour went on. The shock-absorbing seats helped a lot. Read Less

This cruise was not luxurious, enjoyable, or accommodating after working hard all year to pay to have a week of relaxation and a good time. A list of things that need serious improvement: • The food - The meals on this ship were less than sub par. I was highly disappointed in the options and the execution of the food. I can cook better than these supposedly trained chefs. I can promise you, the lasagna tasted exactly like Chef Boyardee right out of a can. Every vegetable served on the plate were essentially raw. The portions were never the same, even for guests sitting at the same table. The food was always cold. I always felt like it had sat out for some time before being served. The buffet was the best option for breakfast and lunch—there was better variety and the food was actually decent. On lobster night, a couple of members in my group decided they wanted an entire lobster and were willing to spend the additional $30. The lobster came out with nothing but the carrcus and a small bit of meat on the plate. The lobster tails had more meat in them. It was a waste of $30. • Cleanliness - Oh my goodness. The cleanliness on this ship needs to be investigated. On multiple occasions, dishes were dirty: lipstick on water glasses, the previous day's meal on silverware, pulp dried in water glasses...etc. One of my family members ended up with a virus from the unclean utensils and dishes. Also, the public bathrooms were not kept clean. • Sugar free dessert options - while the desserts were decent, when eating in the dining room for dinner, there was only one option for those with dietary restrictions compared to multiple options for those without dietary restrictions. Some of the sugar free desserts at dinner were just practically inedible. • Technology - There was no app available for large groups to communicate through. The option available was to spend approximately $15 per person/per day. There is absolutely no way I was going to pay for that. Read Less

This was a family trip with my Dad and Sister. Every bit of it was perfect. I enjoyed the serenity pool and hot tub. My room steward was very nice and prompt. The room was clean and comfortable. Best sleep I've had in a very long time. I wanted to take the mattress home. The shows were very good...we saw movies on the deck, comedy shows and variety shows. I was unable to book any excursions due to an injury prior to the cruise, but there was shopping and swimming right off the ship. I have to admit, I had all but given up on Carnival's food before this trip, but they did a fantastic job. It was definitely up to par this time. I would book on this ship again as the staff was very welcoming and attentive. The only complaint that I could muster is that the shower did not maintain temperature throughout. It would go from a little too hot to a little too cold. 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

This was our 9th cruise, 2nd with Royal. After cruising on the Oasis, I have to say that the small to medium size ship are more attractive to me. Although the Grandeur is an older ship, and smaller ship, it has a charm to it that makes you look over some of its dated look. The open atrium (centrum) makes the ship feel larger than it is. We are a family of four, and travel with friends We booked two ocean view rooms, deck 2, Rooms are adequate with plenty of storage, and drawer space. Dining. Overall a good variety of offerings in the Windjammer, healthy corner was appreciated. Omelet station was frequented often by some. Lots of choices for meat lovers of vegans. Main dining room was also quite good, with a nice rotation of different meals every night. Crab cakes were especially good. Service was great, fun friendly staff made our mealtime enjoyable. Entertainment. Enjoyed John Blair and his team. Smaller ships give you the opportunity to see this group in action more readily than the larger ships. Always a fun activity to watch or participate. John also gives a matinee performance Tribute to Neil Diamond. If you close your eyes you would think Mr Diamond was in the room, very good. Ports.Bermuda was beautiful, next time maybe 3 night stay would make it even better. Did a 4 hour tour with local Taxi. Very informative tour with lots of local tidbits from this native driver. Stops at St George, Hamilton and other points of interest Horseshoe Bay was spectacular, beautiful pink sand and rock formations were visually satisfying.(bring the camera) Nassau. walked to The Queens staircase for a few photos, some shopping on Bay street, overall a pleasant few hours, we skipped the beach, have been here before CoCo Cay. Amazing transformation to this island, making it an absolutely wonderful, or shall I say "Perfect Day", spent a few hours on Chill Island, relaxed, some beach time, a quick meal at the food/ grill shack, lots of Beveridge stations as well.Moved to the Oasis pool for a quick afternoon dip and DJ music, the pool is HUGE, clean and refreshing, very enjoyable. Negatives? Yes there were some, food a little on he salty side, not used to that. The ship is scheduled for a major Dry Dock, I believe next year? and probable needs more than a coat of paint, a upgrade in many areas would benefit this already charming little ship. The staff is encouraged to upsell, upsell, upsell, specialty restaurants, drinks, spa, photos and more, no issue with that, but at mealtime it seemed a bit much to have it mentioned numerous times to accept one offering or another. Would I sail her again? Yes, for 2 reasons, no need to fly from where we live, drove to the departure port the night before, stayed at the Best Western in Elkridge , one night and provided parking for the duration of the cruise, really convenient. Complimentary breakfast, great staff, clean rooms. Shuttle to and from the port and they also drove us and picked up from Arundel Mills Mall nearby. The ship has a few itineraries that are of interest, would do Bermuda again, New England Canada cruise and have my eye on the 12 night southern Caribbean itinerary. Overall a great cruise Read Less

Grandure is a bit dated but if you are looking for classic cruising this is a good ship to meet those types of expectations. Royal has not updated this ship to include water slides and a wave runner. Because of this, the ship draws an older crowd and there are few children, teens and college aged folks. Since the ship is older and lacks these amenities the price point is lower and attracts cotton tops on a fixed income and people who are looking for a bargain. The crew was awesome. It is not unusual for crew to try and remember you and your tastes but it seems that this crew really has a talent to make to feel you are the only person they are taking care of. I could write a review on Dan Burgess, the piano player in the Schooner Bar, and his talent for making connections and bringing an entire room of people together and making them have a great time. The food is standard Royal Caribbean offerings. I don’t find any uniqueness or variation in menu, quality or presentation from one RC ship to another. I believe corporate does this to maintain a homogenous expectation much like a chain of restaurants. I think this is a mistake because passengers feel like they are eating at the same chain restaurant every night and every cruise. The food in the MDR and the buffet are the same. The premium restaurants do serve a notch higher quality and portion and variety of menu. I would like to see RC put an exec chef of every ship and give them autonomy to create dining venues and offering that make one RC ship unique from another. My only truly negative feelings are of RC and their incessant and relentless jamming of dining, drink, internet, next cruise, jewelry, shore excursions etc etc. They are there to sell these things and I am here to buy them. Their nonstop, high pressure tactics is a HUGE turn off for me. Immediately upon entering the door of their terminal we were ordered, in a not so nice way, to empty all of our outside drinks on the ground. After checking in and even before getting to the ship we were hit up for dining packages, drink packages and the usual obligatory photo. I have no issue with this. Once on the ship, we were approached NINE (yes nine) times in the first hour to purchase premium dining. I began for feel this was rude and I had no problem being rude to anyone who approached me with a smile and a brochure by telling them to go away. Hitting the Windjammer for lunch as soon as you board is a bad idea unless you want to start your vacation by becoming angry. The spa personnel set up a table and greeted guests as you approached them instead of circling an area like a street beggar who is desperately pan handling for drug money. I purchased over $500 in spa services for my family. This is proof that slamming your guests with an army of beggars is not effective and creates a paradigm of anger that lasts for the entire cruise. If you are not a stickler for details and can turn a blind eye to sloppy repairs in public areas, worn furniture and scratches; then this may be a good fit for you. I would sail on Grandure again as the value is fair. If those little things bother you and mildew totally turns you off then you may want to look at Oasis class ships. Read Less

The bedding in the stateroom is perfection, the stateroom attendant was great. With that said, we were traveling with a party of 10, 5 balcony cabins in a row but somehow they split one of the cabins and so not a fixable thing. Also, one of our cabins had leak from Sunday to Wednesday and it was a flood zone 4 ft in from the doorway...and all they wanted to compensate was 2 drinks until my friends fought and fought until there was a resolution. Dining room food was never hot and the menus not so great. No escargot--my favorite, also no Bananas Foster, another favorite. Shows were good, bars were ok. Embark and debarkation was easy. Islands were great; it wouldve been better if we could've stayed longer--crappy times for the ports. Also, chairs were saved in the Serenity adult section from 6:30 am so we never got to experience that area. This was my 18th cruise and I wont be doing Carnival again. Read Less

We haven't been on a cruise in many months and we haven't been on a Royal Caribbean cruise since 2008. Our previous experiences were all right; and we wanted to see New England as we've been the Caribbean far too often. Ports: I enjoyed the Itinerary. Boston was great, so much to do and a nice long time in Boston. Portland, Maine was fabulous, Bar Harbor, Maine was foggy and cold, and a lot of local businesses were closed (it was a Monday, and the place has a lot of Mom and Pop shops). Saint John was freezing cold, but folks were very nice and the city is very walkable. Halifax was amazing, almost as amazing as Boston. I wish we had more time there, the weather was damp, cold and freezing wind, yet the Titanic/Shipping museum was worth it. Ship: Old ship, small ship, the Atrium is in the Aft of the ship and where everything happens. The cruise director, John was amazing, (Hello John). They have a ton going on, great trivia, and activities and the show, "All Access" was great. The ship itself is old, and worn in parts, and the first night the plumbing went out and there was no water at all for a few hours (yikes!!!). Not technology updated as the internet was mega slow for everyone, and didn't work in the rooms, it worked well in the Forward public of areas. Not enough outlets to charge all our devices (two outlets per room, bad). The Bad: The food. The food was terrible. It was Stouffer's/Lean Cuisine'esque. Royal Caribbean is efficient, they close their restaurants on the dime, they don't waste food, they close things down quick. Also, they have a off hours cafe, the only issue it is located in the Adults Only section of the ship. I had to sneak my kids in their for after hours snacks. Food was bland, service was good, staff was nice, food just was abysmal, even in the up charge restaurant. Try the cruise, just make sure you eat off the ship!!!! Misc: Washy, Washy!!!! #StaffMemberInTheWindjammerCafe Read Less

The crew on this ship is the most helpful, thoughtful and kindest of any cruise line we have ever sailed. We took our 91 year old mother on a cruise for Mother's Day.When we arrived Savannah the cruise director greeted mom and had a brief conversation with her. The next day mom received chocolate covered strawberries in the room. Wow! For the rest of the trip she felt like a rock star. What a nice gesture. Jess, the server in the casino bar was always quick with a drink and always remembered our names. (makes us feel welcomed). The staff at the Normandie Restaurant was just wonderful. When you travel with an older senior it can be difficult, but everywhere we went on the ship the crew were always so kind and helpful. We have sailed on different cruise lines and have sailed on this ship before. I would have to say that the embarkation process for this cruise is the best we have ever had. The staff at the terminal checks your documents and photographs you on the way into the building. Then you are sent through security. That's it! No standing in line for hours. After security we went directly on to the ship. WOW! We had a balcony stateroom that was plenty big enough for 3 adults. The room steward, Claudius was very attentive and our room was very clean and tidy every day. 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