We chose this cruise because of the itinerary having never been to Charleston, SC, Cape Canaveral, or Miami, and the fact that we could drive to the Baltimore terminal. Our cabin was very roomy and clean and our cabin steward was very good and accommodating We chose to eat in the main dining room for our dinners and were very pleased with the selections and quality of the food. Our dining room stewards were very good, polite, and very informative.We enjoyed the Windjammer Cafe for our breakfasts and lunches even though we had to walk the length of the ship to get there from our cabin. We feel the way this cafe was set up was much more user friendly than other ships that we have been on. We walked Charleston in the AM and took a bus excursion in the afternoon which gave us the opportunity to view much of the city which is very beautiful with lots of historical buildings, We took the 6 hr excursion to the Kennedy Space Center and were in awe of the history and all that we were able to view. Our tour guide was informative and the bus took us to Saturn 5 first, then to the Visitor Center and we were able to explore on our own until it was time to meet the bus to return to the ship. We did not have any planned excursions for the remainder of the trip. We did walk around the terminal area in Miami but with a record breaking 91 degree day, we didn't stay out too long.. We walked the shops in Nassau the first day, and visited Atlantis the second day. Atlantis does not allow visitors to see much without a pass, but they do allow you in the casino. The straw market has changed since we were last there in the early 80's. Now in a closed building and quite dark and if one is claustrophobic, not the place to be. The taxis wish to fill their minivans before moving on so one sits and waits for other passengers. This is only the second time we have sailed Royal Caribbean. We found that they could have had better directions and information on the ship and were lacking some coordination with their activities. At some times the planned activities did not take place where it was noted in the daily news. They also do not provide any world news, so one does not know what is going on in the world unless one is connected to the Internet. We did attend the two premier shows-one of "Britain's Finest" and the other "The Las Vegas Tenors" who were excellent. Embarkation and Disembarkation went smoothly. All in all, it was a good trip for us and we are senior citizens. Read Less

We liked the itinerary very much: St. Thomas, Antigua, St. Lucia, St. Kitts and St. Maarten. The 6 days at sea are very relaxing, too. The staff is great - so friendly! Since the Grandeur is an older ship, you can't see your bill on the TV and have to brave the lines at Guest Services to get a printout. Other than that, we don't mind an older ship. We're not really into all the bells and whistles of the newer ships. And the size of this ship is more reasonable, too. We like having a show every night after dinner. The food was good, and the entertainment was good too. Nothing mind-blowing, but basically pretty good. We had a Jr. Suite, which was fine. Identical to a balcony cabin but a bit wider. Also, there is a bathtub in the bathroom. I needed the extra room so I could bathe my adult son with autism, who travels everywhere with us. We prefer the bathroom in the handicapped cabins, but those cabins are so hard to get. You probably have to book at least a year in advance to get one of those! So we have to shell out the big bucks to get a Jr. Suite in order to properly take care of our handicapped son. We just love St. Kitts. It is our favorite of the Caribbean Islands. This time we did an ATV ride, and it was just so much fun!!! Highly recommend it! Read Less

Sailed March 24 - April 5, 2018 - 12 day Southern Caribbean... Beautiful mid sized older classic ship, was properly maintained and kept clean, with a fantastic cruise director and his energetic staff, also had great ship entertainers, singers and dancers, with up to date lighting and sound system throughout the ship, and to top it off everything seemed evenly spaced and spread out so it never seemed overcrowded in any one area. Rouston Rodriguez, my stateroom attendant did an outstanding job of caring for the cabin and bathroom. Always clean and never a shortage of supplies. I feel he should be commended by RCI for his customer service. Great ports of call. Easy on-off access to the ship. Short piers to shopping and tours. Breakfast selection for room service is one of the best I've seen on cruise ships I've been on. Lots of choices and time options. Need more chairs set around the rail on decks 5 & 6 Centrum. About 15 or 20 on each deck would do the job nicely. In my opinion guest should not have to move furniture around the deck in order to sit where they can see the presentation going on in the middle. This could be extremely dangerous for older guest, especially if the weather is even just a little rough. Park Café in the Solarium on deck 9, left a lot to be desired. Never sailed on any cruise ship where you could not get a burger, hot dog, fries, pizza or nacho chips pool side for lunch. Had to go into the Windjammer Market, fight the crowds and bring the food poolside. Ice Cream maker on deck 9 port side outside the Windjammer Market was always in need something, just never seemed to work right. Not sure if this was due to not having a dedicated crew member supervising or if the machine just needed to be replaced. Anyway never seem to be enough ice cream available when needed mostly before and or after mealtime. The one on the starboard side was hardly ever used for some reason. It always worked great when it was in operation. The bed in stateroom 8546 could have been about 2" higher, so a larger standard size suit case could fit underneath. This would save a lot of closet space required to store them. This might be a good re-hab project to consider during one of your yard overhaul periods. One last thing: Non Dairy Coffee Creamer is not Half & Half, yet this is all you serve when ordering from room service. Read Less

Close to Baltimore and I didn't have to fly. The embarking and disembarking was fantastic! Very easy and went quick. That being said, our stateroom attendant was fantastic! Dining was great. The ship seems to host an elderly crowd but that was fine since no one was belligerent, tried to cut in lines or was snarky. Entertainment on this ship wasn't the best but if you're younger, I think it would be fine. I would go again on this ship. Excellent Service everywhere. Food was OK. Most of the breakfast items are the same every day. Some of the items for Lunch and Dinner change. Both in Windjammer and The Great Gatsby. Entertainment - Shows in the Palladium theater are excellent. They had different varieties of shows - Dancing, comedy, Hypno-tenement etc Shore Excursions - Royal Caribbean provided are very expensive. If you are comfortable, go on your own. Cabins: Some Inside cabins have pull down beds for kids. Service was good. Read Less

We live near Baltimore and have sailed on this ship several times. Our room had several problems with the ac and heating. 4 times we had to have someone come up because the room was running ac all the time. When they fixed it, it was too hot. Could not even sleep. Last day they got it right. The entertainment was good but the same thing as last March. Food did not offer many new choices each night. The waiter and assistant, Richard, Iketut were excellent and was our steward in room 4570. We also took a shore excursion which was a disaster. The advertisement on the web page let me to believe that there would be a viewing of the deco art in Miami. Also the host on the bus did not speak English very well. Most of the group we traveled with said they could not understand her. I feel that anyone hosting a trip such as this should speak English. I did complain to the staff and they said I would be getting a 50% discount on the excursion, but did not see any discount mentioned on my bill. Read Less

Close to Baltimore and I didn't have to fly. The embarking and disembarking was fantastic! Very easy and went quick. We were in cabin 4006. When docking, you could hear the anchors going down and at night time, the floor above us was the Palladium Theatre. You could hear the music. Getting to sleep before 10:30 was impossible. That being said, our stateroom attendant was fantastic! Dining was great. Every night the meals were yummy! The ship seems to host an older crowd but that was fine since no one was belligerent, tried to cut in lines or was snarky. We've been on the bigger Oasis class ships and the people were rude, Entertainment on this ship wasn't the best but if you're older, I think it would be fine. I wish that the time spent in Charleston was longer. I didn't think there was enough time there. I would go again on this ship. Read Less

We chose this cruise mainly for the itinerary of cruising along the Atlantic coast of the U.S. Baltimore is easily reached from central Pa. (only a two hour drive). Embarkation was quick and easily the best of any cruise ship so far. The Grandeur is a small ship, and the stateroom reflect this. Smallest shower I have ever seen. But we didn't book this cruise for cabin. Price was perfect. Our first port was Charleston and took a city overview tour. Missed a few sights as it was St. Patrick's day and some streets were closed for parades. Excellent guide and beautiful weather (after all the snow at home). Next port was Orlando. Royal offered a great variety of tours. We chose the Space Center and loved it. Fantastic guide, great experience. Next was Miami, we did the Everglades airboat and had a ball. We did not get off the ship in the Bahamas. We also missed Coco Cay due to surf. But the ship still was entertaining enough we didn't mind. Food was OK, menu in the main dining room did not offer the best options on some days. Quality was uneven. The dancers on board were excellent. Vocalists were ok, but were given very strange arrangements to sing. This ship has the friendliest staff I have ever encountered. I would cruise on the Grandeur again, but upgrade to a balcony room Read Less

Cruise was great. Food was excellent. Stateroom bathroom very small. Bed is very old, beveled and very hard. Need to replace the beds. Stateroom attendant service not as good as it was years ago. Would still reccomend taking a cruise. I am a very picky vacationer. I have only sailed with Royal Carribean and they do provide great customer service. Just need to modernize their ships and offer internet at a reasonable rate. 15.00 per day is ridiculous. The grandeur of the seas is an older ship and needs updated. The staff are very friendly and helpful. The lines for cusotmer service were long. One of our excersions were cancelled and they added Cape Canaveral. The problem with that was there is allot to do at Cape Canaveral but, no one gave us a list of possible excersions. Would have been nice to be better informed about our options for that port. Read Less

We like this cruise because it's laid back and quiet. Not a lot of kids running around or younger people acting out. It is an older crowd of cruisers ,but sometimes it can be too old.We're in our sixties , but more and more the age of the cruisers are going up and many are disabled. I would take this cruise again because I would much rather a older calmer group of people versus the rowdy drunken groups we have run into on some cruises. If you want a nice relaxing cruise to some very good ports, then this is the cruise for you. We like to go on a cruise because of where it is going and the entertainment is secondary. But on this cruise I thought the cruise director was one of the worst I have ever been on. He really didn't do anything. Most of the activities where trivia games. I would have liked if they had more entertainment on broad , but the cost is going up and cuts are being made everywhere. Again I say if your looking for excitement and entertainment this is not the cruise for you. If you want to be with friends and family to play cards and board games, eat and relax, then this is your kind of cruise. Big Bob was the cruise director. Read Less

My boyfriend and I are from New Jersey, and leaving out of Baltimore made the most sense to us. During March, airfare to Florida would have cost us close to an extra $1000 per person! We chose this 12 night cruise because the itinerary was appealing (St. Thomas, Antigua, St. Lucia, St. Kitts, St. Martin) and the drive was less than 3 hours to the port of Baltimore. I have to say, I was extremely pleased with check-in and embarkation. It cost $15 per day to park in port, which was relatively affordable compared to a flight to Florida. The entire embarkation process took maybe 15 minutes, after which we were directed to assigned seating by muster station until boarding began. I have been on two other cruises, and this was the smoothest embarkation by far. I was disappointed to soon learn that our visitation to St. Lucia had been canceled. Unfortunately the northeast was hit by a massive storm the night before which was still lingering in the Atlantic. Our itinerary was changed to hug the coast line in attempt to escape large swells. As disappointed as I was, I was still grateful to the captain for keeping us safe. Even in the shallow waters of the coast, the swells were large and hitting us from the side. We were rocking and rolling for two days. We were moving so much that dishes were breaking in the dining room, and cabinets were opening and closing in our stateroom. Thankfully waters were calmer when we reached Florida. Activities on sea days were definitely catered towards an older crowd. In fact, the majority of passengers were probably 70+ which we were not expecting. My boyfriend and I are in our mid 20's, and we were one out of a handful of couples we saw the entire cruise that were in our age group. We honestly did not mind though. We still found many activities to keep ourselves entertained. Old folk do not like to stay out late though, so this ship felt empty by the time 8 pm dinner ended. Dining was fantastic as always! There were so many options in the Windjammer and dining room to accommodate any dietary preference. Service was beyond amazing. By the end of the cruise we felt like our servers and the people we sat with at dinner had become part of the family. That's the nice thing about a smaller ship like the Grandeur, you meet so many great people that you run into day after day. Considering that the ship is over two decades old, I have to say I'm impressed. She must have been a real beauty back in 1996, but unfortunately her age is really starting to show. There are a lot of exterior areas that could use some TLC. The pool area looks recently redone, however, much of the railings and paint in public areas are rusting and peeling. If you look closely indoors you will find a lot of water damage near the windows in the Centrum. The Solarium pool could use some love as well. The ports of call that we stopped in were beautiful. I still wish that we could have stopped in St. Lucia (I will have to save that destination for another trip). Antigua's beaches are INCREDIBLE. Be warned though, you have to drive through the slums to get there. I was slightly concerned for our safety, and the locals were not as friendly as residents of some of the other islands I have been to. I would recommend booking an excursion through Royal Caribbean here. Taking a taxi by yourself is sketchy. St. Martin is still recovering from recent hurricane damage. Great Bay Beach was beautiful as ever, but many of the shops and resorts remain boarded up and destroyed. I am happy that Royal Caribbean and other cruise companies are contributing to St. Martin's economy, but they still have a long ways to go. St. Thomas seems to have recovered almost fully and St. Kitts was unaffected by recent hurricanes. Overall, we had an amazing time on Grandeur of the Seas. I am a loyal Royal Caribbean member and would certainly sail with them again. However, I think the next time around I'll be sailing on a larger ship. My boyfriend and I both agreed that we would like to experience a cruise catered towards a younger crowd. We are not drinkers or party-goers by any means, and we still found ourselves missing some entertainment on sea days. Read Less

Chose this cruise because port is so close only 2.3 hours away from home. Great little ship friendly staff Chops Grill is the best. Port very easy to get in and out of. Once I dropped my luggage off we were on ship in 20 minutes. I thought the entertainment was just so so but that is not the reason we go on cruises. We enjoy the overall experience with Granduer. When we were on board we booked another cruise on her for next year. This ship does not have all the bells and whistles of the larger ships but is very relaxing. Our cabin Stuart was great. Our cabin was kept clean and refreshed, never had to ask for a thing. When we disembarked just walked out ,went through customs , picked up luggage and we were on our way home. The process from walking off ship to getting into my car was about 15 minutes , Read Less

The Good; This was the second Grandeur cruise I have been on that the included a storm on the return trip. The first was Feb of 2014. Both times the Grandeur & the Crew handled 25 to 30Ft waves and high winds without any problems. I have to guess that the size and design of this older ship is well suited the Atlantic Ocean winter trips! Cabin & Dinner service was great!. The crew is friendly and accommodating. Ship was clean & fairly well maintained with some exceptions. The not so; We don't enjoy, or attend the production dancing & singing show & this cruse had a greater number of these than cruises on other cruises we have been on (most on Princess) Deck chairs are not all clean, and I didn't see any crew attending to them for the duration Food was good, but less expensive cuts Lots of extra charges for better dining. They offer at dinner extra charges for main courses that are been part of the menu on our other cruises. Value good for the cost, but I would rather pay more and get a little more service (on the decks), better entertainment, and better food. Read Less

I was afraid of taking this cruise due to the reviews of several of the ship, food, entertainment, and photo dept. but, i found all of the reviews to be incorrect and very wrong. The crew members who dealt with us were of the highest quality. food was not that great but was not bad either. i ate the food with no real complaints. The food service that waited on us stevan ? And jay ? Table 231 8:00 pm were excellent and were probably the best we have ever had. the photo dept. Treated us like family and i cannot express how much i enjoyed each and every one of them. matjaz susnik, greffin hembra joe gracias did a great job. The 5 photographers who worked with us i wish would be on all of our cruise's. george cristofan, alex muresan, chaitanya juwekar were the best and very professional. yu xi was one of the sweetest young ladies we have ever had the pleasure to have worked with. She was very professional and pleasant to work with, i hope to see her again on a future cruise. she always meet us with a smile. avinish reetam excellent, perfect photographer, i believe that he should be a manager on one of your ships. he was beyond what is a normal photographer is on a cruise ship. always, a smile a willingness to make us at ease and his photos show his capture his passion and desire of his work. please promote him. i cannot tell you how much i miss him and how he made us feel whenever he saw us on the ship. the grandeur of the seas photo department is the one thing that i will miss on future cruises. i wish however, that you gave the photo department the same upgraded tools to work with as ncl or princess has to work with. When we took photos with them they also gave us a usb flash drive with all our photos on them. rci does not have this ability and this is one of the reasons we lean toward the other cruise lines to sail with again. Read Less

This was our second cruise on Grandeur - we booked it two days after we returned least year. We had originally picked our cabin, but being a bargain hunter, I went for a WOW rate to save $500. NEVER AGAIN!!! We were assigned cabin 3651. We always take an interior cabin as we don't spend much time in there. The cabin was fine until the pipes started banging and the dishwasher started going around 1am (the cabin is located aft, under the MDR, right next to a crew hallway). The noise was horrible and we were unsure if it was something that could be remedied or not. It wasn't until day 4 of the cruise that they offered us another cabin (probably due to my husband's phone calls and demands for someone from engineering to come and hear the noise). We were moved to 2611 and although it was a smaller interior cabin, it was very quiet. So, be forewarned, DO NOT select cabin 3651 unless you're bringing noise cancelling headphones - and even then, I don't know if they will help. Our service also improved with the room change. We had no turn down service the first two nights, and I had requested an extra towel and a bath mat (which should have already been there) three times before I went to the cart and retrieved it myself. I was surprised that in both rooms even though I hung my towels back up because they didn't need changing after one use, they were replaced. We do not dine in the specialty restaurants, but this cruise we did purchase the filet, lobster tail and champagne upgrade for $20 per person in the MDR. It was delicious. The steak was cooked perfectly and the lobster was sweet and tender. We thoroughly enjoyed all our meals. There were a few nights we didn't feel like dressing up so we had dinner in the Windjammer and were pleasantly surprised at the entree selections. Once again, the only disappointment on the cruise is the desserts. It just doesn't seem that sweets are a Royal Caribbean forte. Breakfast and lunch were eaten in the Windjammer. We love the selection and the changes made daily so you're not eating the same thing day after day. This was our first experience with Bib Bob as a Cruise Director. He was fabulous. We were skeptical, as we really loved Tonya and were sad to see her move on, but he was great. We loved getting to know him when he'd come out and gab after the shows. He's a great addition to the Grandeur. You could tell Cece the new Activities Manager is still getting her feet wet. She seemed very nervous throughout the cruise. I'm sure she'll be great once she gets acclimated. We loved the onboard entertainment with exception to the singers and dancers. Unfortunately, they were underwhelming. The comics were hilarious, the tango dancers and magician mesmerizing, but the band Rookie was just unbelievable. I honestly could have watched their show all 9 nights and not been tired of it. The energy they put into their show is beyond belief. Just incredible. We ventured off the ship at all five ports of call. In Charleston we did a harbor boat cruise, in Canaveral we took the bus to Disney, in Freeport we visited Pirate's Cove Beach, in Nassau we spent the day at Breezes Bahamas, and we were lucky enough to make it to Coco Cay this trip. What a beautiful beach. If you have an underwater camera take it with you because you will get amazing photos. We saw schools of three different types of fish, we saw a sea cucumber, puffer fish, and spotted stingray. It was just amazing. The only thing that could be better on Coco Cay is to have food offered a little longer. Food was from 11:30-1:30. After 1:30 there is nothing available (not even a piece of fruit). I can understand the need to clean up the island, but it would be nice if something were available, especially for those, like us, who weren't hungry at lunch and didn't want to water taxi back to the ship for fruit and cookies. Embarkation and disembarkation were quick and efficient in Baltimore. It took about an hour from the time our shuttle dropped us off until we were on the ship. When we left this morning it was about 10 minutes from the time we left our cabin until we were through customs and heading to our shuttle. You honestly can't get any faster than that!! All in all, it was another fantastic cruise on Grandeur. We're already planning for next year and can't wait to be back on her. She's an older ship with a lot of charm and a fantastic crew. Read Less

We chose this cruise because it went out of a port that we could drive to. We also wanted to try something smaller and different. The people and service were awesome, and the boat has a reputation for people coming back time and time again. And I can find no fault with them. This was also our second Royal Caribbean Cruise and again I found fault in the dining room (but not with the staff). And admittedly we found more fault this time. Our table consisted of 3 different couples (who did not know each other before hand) and we all had the same reaction to the food. Don't believe what you read in the menu, sometimes it is spot on and sometimes you look at what you just got and wonder what did you order? The description doesn't always do it justice and not in the good way. People at our table began ordering 2 mains because we became unsure of what would actually come. Sometimes the soup would be too salty to eat, or the fruit soups too watery. In many cases we felt that the food in windjammer was actually better then the dining hall. This alone will contribute massively too food waste and if they were to fix this it would be much better. The reason I can rate this as very good is that the rest of the services make up for what is missing and that the food in Windjammer generally is better. Would we travel again? Yes we still will travel with RC but we hope that they can improve their dining hall experiences. The people who handle the excursions on shore were top notch and we felt we got good value for our money.....we enjoyed all of the stops, in particular Charleston was a great city to see. Entertainment: Pretty average for a ship of this size. Opening night comedian was awesome as well as the musical act Rookie. Cabin: The steward could tell us things about our ports and kept our room spotless....I know he even found items that other people had lost. The only bad part of the room was that we had requested a window and ended up with 2 small portholes so it wasn't quite what we expected. That and we were close enough to the bow thrusters that we go woken up by the early morning docking. Staff in Windjammer: As well high marks there. For example, I made a comment that something they had made would make great Fajitas and the cook told me not to leave. He ran off and came back with 4 very fresh and very warm tortilla shells for me. And it it those things that RC does so well. Read Less

As a first time cruiser, although I asked experienced cruises and read a lot about cruising. There are many things that you are not sure if until personally experienced. First, getting on the ship, a lot of unknowns. Felt a little cattle hurdled to the buffet area since the cabins and many other areas were not ready. The buffet was very crowded and difficult to find seating. We had a large group, 6 with a handicap. There were many large tables, a lot occupied by a small group. People will sit and keep their seat even after done eating until the cabins are ready. Once the initial rush over, and cabins open, it was much easier to move bout the ship. Booked a window cabin. The cabin and bathroom was nicer than I expected except the sink. It was a bowl sitting on top of the very small counter and the faucet was very close the the edge of the bowl, making it virtually impossible to get both hands under the running water to wash at the same time. The beds are two singles pushed together. They need to be replaced. Used and uncomfortable. When you looked at the beds, it was like two "U" next to each other as they were very worn down and sagged in the middle. There seemed to be plentry of storage for our clothes and personal items. I did get the over the door shoe organizer which was great. Dinned in the main dinning room, cafe, Starbucks, and the buffet. The food was average. The buffet selection was huge for all meals. More over quantity than quality. There were a few dishes that I felt were very good. The "catch" of the day everyday in the main dinning room was salmon. It was very did, but everyday? Did not enroll in an shore excursions. Planned our own and was able to do many things and felt it was a cheaper way to go. Exiting and returning to the ship was very easy. Our group was part of 82 fellow cruises for a line dance cruise. It was great, we danced everyday. One room that was reserved was great, hardwood floor and could accommodate everyone. The other was too small with a slate foor. Only about 1/4 of the dancers could dance at the same time. Did not attend many activities on the ship because of dancing. However, did get lured into the shopping events and information sessions to get a free item. Found out it was just a money maker for the ship and will not waste my time again. Be aware of "information sessions". The ship has a few designated smoking areas. I am not a smoker. One area is on an outside deck under the top deck, so the smoke lingers in the area. It was disgusting at times, want to go for a walk outside and sell the sea breez and end up coughing on smoke. The other area is in the casino. I'm not a gambler, however, would have tried a few games if it was not so smokey. The casino is adjacent to the open atrium. At times, you could smell smoke on any floor the open atrium area. It was very disappointing. Especially since it was a nice p,ace to sit and chat, look outside and watch the entertainment on the lower deck. Disembarkation was a little misinformed. Yes, they ensure you have the information about the process. Luggage outside your room by 11 pm, however, if your trying to sleep, after 11 for a few hours the staff are moving the luggage and walking up and down halls bumping walls and doors. Morning of, is similar to boarding, crowds running to same place. Understand, the ship is now closed for you in all areas since they are getting ready for the next customer. After the rush for breakfast and the initial scampering around, there seems to be some confusion and unexpected waiting. So, you sit in your designated area and wait to be called. Impressed with the patients and helpfulness of all staff. They always had time for a smile and a quick chat to make you feel welcome. It was evident that customer service was an important part of the training for them. Overall, for a first cruise, I enjoyed the trip and felt it was a good value for the price. Read Less

Overall ship is in good shape but showing its age. Enough rust in spots. Wood handrails in spots being refinished on cruise. The Windjammer buffet was always crowded for breakfast and lunch. Difficult to find a table especially for just 2. Food selection is varied and huge, warm but never hot. Cold food is cold. Having to walk to alternate seating makes the warm food cold. Some of the alternate seating is near a smoking area. Annoying and big nuisance. Afternoon movies in show theater were nice. Not first run but that's to be expected. Seat comfort left a lot to be desired though. Lack of public restrooms near show theater and casino. Both mens and women's were stopped up and partially unusable one evening. Too many and somewhat unmarked smoking areas. Annoying also was the constant upsell for the upgraded restaurants, the photos, the spa treatments, the booze and drink upgrades, etc., plus the constant announcements for the casino, a smoker's haven. We avoided walking through it if at all possible even to extent of going up/down one floor to avoid. Our cabin had a small safe which worked fine. Adequate lighting and the A/C worked great. Nice size for two of us. The family oriented live shows were all excellent and very enjoyable. Did not attend any adult-only shows. Note that several days were rough cruising and the pools were closed, so if you or your kids are counting on that be warned. The upper walking/jogging deck can be closed also in bad weather. Always very windy up there. Not RCl's biggest ship but claims to be the "friendliest". Most if not all of the crew did have smiles and greetings at all times of the day or night. Food in the main dining room for the evening meal was very good. Always a good selection and the wait staff were extremely nice. The main dining room also served breakfast and lunch but we only tried lunch once and found the food good but time consuming. Unfortunately, we both had to use the medical center for different reasons. The medical staff was great and very concerned for us and easy to deal with. We'll see how our medical insurance company is to deal with now that we're back and seeking reimbursement. Tried breakfast room service. Note that there is an $8 charge for other than continental breakfast. Room was either fairly soundproof or we had no partying neighbors is as we were never disturbed while sleeping. Course we were towards the back of the ship away from the noise/music in the central area. YMMV. The TV worked fine but channels were very limited (29). Supposedly two news channels in English (CNN International and HLN, but we never saw any news on HLN other than documentaries) and two ESPN sports channels. Variety of other channels but l swear it seemed most English channels were ship related. Cabin only had two each 120 volt and 220 volt outlets. Bring extension cords/ multiple outlets if you need more. We also refused to pay the exorbitant cost for internet service and just stayed unconnected. The 12 day trip would have cost almost three times as much as our monthly Comcast fee. No way. St Thomas Sapphire Beach snorkeling. Took one of the cruise ship shore excursions to here in an open side truck taxi. Snorkeling equipment was close to new and the area for it was great. Saw lots of fish and coral. Beach was very clean. Beach chairs came with our package and could be placed in the shade for those of us that burn easily. Overall a very nice experience. Only thing I can complain about was the state of the men's room. Dirty and no soap or towels. Women's restroom was fine. Tour taxi driver pointed out sights as we went and was very nice. Amazing Antigua shore excursion. About four hours long with three stops. Two were 10 to 15 minute picture stops and the third was about an hour at Nelson's Boatyard. Local tour guide here for about 15 minutes. Rest of the time we wandered about. Not enough time to finish the museum. Tour guide was extremely knowledgeable about the island and very entertaining. Was well worth the time and cost. St Kitts Train Ride and Bus Tour. A definite five star rating. We had a 0945 shore excursion to circle St Kitts. We had the bus portion first. It was a small minibus that held maybe 20 people. Slightly cramped but doable. Guide was excellent and kept up a constant dialog over the hour or so. Learned a lot of basic facts about the island and culture. Roads leave a lot to be desired and are very bumpy though. Arrived at the train station and our whole minibus was assigned to one car along with several others. Plenty of room down below in A/C or above in the open air. Great views from the top. Sound system was excellent and we heard all of the tour guides talk. Again very nice. Scenery was worth the price of the tickets alone. Both alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks were included as part of the ticket price. Ride ended at another station where we boarded the same minibus for a return to the pier. Maybe a five minute ride. Note they do the same trip in reverse. That is, after we got off, new people got on and the train started off on another tour. You could have the tour start at either end. Bus tour from ship of St Martin. Took about 2 1/2 hours going from the Dutch capital to the French capital round trip. Spent about 1/2 hour in the French city. First 10 minutes was waiting in line at the public restroom. Other 20 minutes was walking a little around the devastated waterfront. Absolutely nothing there. Saw no restaurants or shops open the day we were there. Then rode back to the Dutch side to the Carousel house for a ride. Good but expensive ice cream. Another 10 minutes in a restroom line. Nothing else there. One further stop for 5 minutes to take pictures. Overall, as much as I'd like to give a higher rating, I can't go more than 2 stars. The island and infrastructure are still just too damaged from the hurricanes. That's unfortunate, as I believe it was a beautiful island and probably will be again when repairs are made. We declined to be dropped off in downtown Phillipsburg believing there would be nothing to see other than wreckage or nothing even open. Read Less

This was our 17th cruise, and our 2nd Royal Caribbean. The GotS was the smallest ship we had ever been on. In summary; the good: -great food, lots of selection in the buffet, and different choices every day. -the dining room food was excellent, with great traditional offerings, and interesting daily choices. -the staff (everyone - but especially our steward and dining room staff) were outstanding. -for a smaller ship, it was very smooth. Absolutely no movement was felt. -the muster drill was quick (take note Carnival!!) -the casino takes cash only. This saved us a lot of money, because if you only bring $20 with you to the casino... once its gone, you either stop playing, or go back to your room to get more cash. The impulse to keep gambling was not like other cruise lines, so we thought it was a great perk. -it sailed out of Baltimore. To us, this is great. -the price was very reasonable for a 9 day. -fastest embarkation and debarkation EVER!! Wow. Walk on, walk off...that simple... The not so good, could be improved, but not necessarily bad: -it was never easy to find a table in the buffet. This caused us to go to the dining room more than we planned to. -Water late at night, early am....your not allowed to bring bottled water onboard, so your options for water is to buy a case of water, or walk up to the 9th floor to get a sip when your dry. There was literally ONE water dispenser open 24 hrs a day. -parks cafe, the selection was just OK, the food was not very good. This combined with the fact that there are no other dining venues after 8:30 pm (other than room service) was a negative to us. We are not party people, but more than once we ended up settling for parks cafe (yuk) at 10:00 pm. A smaller part of the buffet should have been open until midnight....or improve the food at parks cafe. -the casino didnt open until day 2. We typically like to do our sail away party, then eventually matriculate to the casino after a few drinks (night of departure). -the musical entertainers / dance shows were sub-par. The comedian and the juggler were good however. -no mini fridge in our room. Read Less

Second Cruise on Grandeur of the Seas (we actually enjoy this ship)- Love the ease of getting the cruise out of Baltimore...Very convienient Was disappointed that we didnt get to stop in Coco Cay due to spending an extra day in Miami for Maintenence ... Would have not missed stopping at Port Canaveral..Nothing much to due ....especially close by- Did enjoy the fact that RCC had the Superbowl on quit a few venues including where we enjoyed it (Palladium Theater)...not sure why the "Game Food" was free BUT popcorn was 2.50 ?? Also, was a little disappointed that Guest Services had not made a decision to show the game there until the night prior BUT was trying to encourage (Sell) people on getting there tickets to view it in the Viking Lounge (165.00 a person??)...Would not have been so bad if the RCC office (when i called to book) said that it WOULD be available in the Palladium;;; That being said, we had a great time on this cruise - Service and hospitallity were Awesome as we've come to expect from RCC! Read Less

Specifically chose this cruise to have access through the port of Baltimore. Such an easy boarding! The ship is the smallest of the RCCL fleet but the ride was great. Our cruise started out several days prior to sailing by cancelling the stop at Coco Cay. This was replaced by an overnight stay in Miami so that "routine maintenance" could be performed. It was later explained that it involved the opposite rudder from the one that had an earlier problem. Additionally, a tender boat was moved from on shore to the ship. The major loss here was a day at the beach in the warm weather. The ship was incredibly clean and workers were constantly cleaning. Purell dispensers everywhere and even a video in the theater to "wash your hands". No evidence of Norovirus or other illness. Upon walking about the exterior of the ship it was apparent that there was a lot of rust on many surfaces and obvious wear and tear to include rusted cables and attachments. The temporary wall constructed on deck 10 had been there so long that it was starting to fall apart. Crew was busy removing and refinishing the teak railings on deck 10 throughout the warmer portion of the cruise. The crew on this ship was no less than fantastic from the room steward, dining staff, coffee shop staff and activities staff and cruise director. The crew is directly responsible for the very good vs. an average overall rating. The dining staff (Francisco and Jaiwen) were very attentive and professional. The performers in the theater were the most energetic that we have ever seen on a ship. The featured theatre acts were exceptional and we saw many of the shows twice. Marcus Terrell and the Serenades were the highlight of the theater shows. We did find that the music featured in the Centrum was predominately 60's "easy listening". A little 60"s - 80"s rock and roll would have been good. The food in both the dining room and the Windjammer was good and portions were perfect. Read Less

Living in Baltimore area this was a good choice as didn't have to worry about sometimes unpredictable air travel to Miami or Ft Lauderdale. Embarkation was a little slow mainly because of TSA once through there we were in our cabin pretty quickly. Disembarkation took us a lot less time than we had budgeted, but our ride managed to get to the terminal 40 minutes early which was greatly appreciated. Food overall was quite good. We ate dinner in the main dining room and portions and selection were pretty good. We found the selection in the buffet much more to our liking so ate there pretty much from day 4 on. Entertainment was very good. We saw 6 shows (and the big game in the theater) and all but one were very good. The weather was cold when we left Baltimore, as you would expect, but even when we got to Charleston SC it was still too cold and blustery to enjoy exploring the city. Port Canaveral was good, we ate lunch at Grill's, always a favorite of ours. I would never bother taking a cruise that had a stop in Miami however, the terminal is separated from the city by bridges making walking into town problematic. We didn't travel with any children and didn't see lot on the ship, probably as result of school still being in session. As a result the average age of travelers was quite high, with all the things you would expect, lots and lots of electric scooters and walkers. Read Less

This was our second time taking this cruise to the Southern Caribbean on Grandeur of the Seas. Though this trip was not as good as last years', we still enjoyed it and have booked it again for next year. It is a nice winter break from the cold weather. Our embarkation was fast and easy, though we were not happy when we found out that we should have been given all our internet info from the embarkation clerk and were not. This caused us to make several trips to the front desk onboard and lots of hassle trying to log on to our computer. Also, because we bought the internet package from home prior to the cruise, we were ripped out of the $30.00 discount that is given to Diamond status cruisers. We did an excursion at every port and all were enjoyable. We did the whale and dolphin watch in St Lucia and that was very nice. Lots of activity! We really enjoyed the double decker bus tour of the city in St Maarten and would like to do that excursion again next year and hope that it will include the French side too. In St John's Antigua we visited the Nelson's Navy Dockyard and that was enjoyable. In St Kitts. we had a city tour and though it was interesting, it started 30 mins late and they crammed 15 good-sized senior citizens into a van! The van was so uncomfortable, that it was hard to stay interested in the tour. We were not happy with this excursion at all. In St Thomas we did a city tour and it was okay, though I wouldn't feel the need to do it again. Luckily, next year we will be visiting St Croix rather than St Thomas. We did not eat in the dining room at all, so cannot comment on that. We ate in the Windjammer most of the time and it was fine.Lots of variety and something for everyone. We also ate at the Park Cafe several times and it was also good. We like to have room service on the days that we have an early AM excursion, but were sorry to find out that they now charge for this service. This hurts the servers' tips! We were not that happy with the food from room service. The orders were frequently wrong, the cutlery dirty and the trays late. We stayed in a Jr Suite and it was fine, though the room could definitely use a refresh and it wasn't totally clean (dusty and bacon in the carpet) as we would have liked. We did enjoy the Diamond lounge and the snacks and drinks they provide there. All in all it was a nice cruise. Read Less

This was my first RCCL cruise. I wanted to compare it with Carnival and a cruise we took last year on Carnival Freedom. Even though the ship was smaller, I really enjoyed Grandeur. We had great weather heading down there, but ran into 12' seas on days 10&11. I could feel the ship rolling, but not enough to induce any motion sickness. Food was great, but dining venues were more limited than on the larger Carnival Freedom. Ports of call were great, even though I did not take an excursion in every port. Verizon cell phone data plans work in the US Virgin Islands (voice calls incur an extra charge--use Skype for voice calls.) The islands were beautiful, and I enjoyed getting out and walking around at every port. There was little variety in shopping venues in each port. Kudos to Kays Fine Jewelers, whose prices beat Amazon.com by 20%, tax free. Be the first customer to their store to get the best price. Read Less

Departure was delayed two days due to a rudder problem and we missed stopping at Grand Bahamas and Charleston. Royal Caribbean made a fair and good refund in return for our inconveniences. The crew was always polite and eager to please. Mahir, the head waiter at our table, was amazing, professional, efficient, friendly, and entertaining. He reminded me of waiters in fine NY restaurants, and I would think he has a great future ahead of him. I am gluten free, and my needs were met with help choosing menus and great concern. The food was in the dining room and throughout the ship was very good. At no time time we have a problem with any crew members. I am not giving this cruise the highest rating due to cold and windy weather, the delay, and missing ports. Royal Caribbean and it’s crew certainly did their best under difficult conditions. Read Less

Wanted to cruise to Charleston, but wasn’t meant to be on THIS cruise due to Maintenance Issues and a small outbreak of Norovirus. But we felt we were compensated nicely and will try to make this same cruise in the future. So our Cruise was cut short by 2 days in the beginning, then we couldn’t make 1 stop on the way back due to high winds which was out of the cruise line so control (yes this has happened with other cruise lines), all in all we were forced to be pampered and eat our way thru the cruise and at the end after paying all our room fees, port taxes, stuff we bought on the ship we still had a “sizable credit” coming home. I would call that a nice cruise! Thank you Royal Carribean! Only complaints would have been was in the entertainment part while at sea. They really need to update the TV and what they have available, especially when Seas are a bit rough and people are spending more time in their rooms. There are no CD’s available or movies to rent thus making for a very LONG and ROUGH day/night. Read Less