Grandeur of the Seas Review
Rating by category
Additional details
We live in Baltimore and love being able to sail from our home port. We had sailed on Grandeur once before, and then on Enchantment several times. It was a joy to be back on Grandeur (and have shorter walks from one end of the ship to the other).
Leaving from Cruise Maryland is always easy. This time it was easier, as our official photos were taken at the counter as we checked in. Once we left the counter, we were done. We pulled into the parking lot at about 11, and were onboard at 11:30.
Since it was a cold day and rooms weren't available until 1:30, the indoor public spaces were crowded. We found seats near the Park Cafe, but there were folks perched on the edge of the indoor pool waiting until we could settle in.
Cabin Review
Superior Ocean View Stateroom with Balcony
This is a new category of room carved out of spaces on decks 7 and 8 that were formerly the library, internet area, future cruise desk, and concierge lounge. They feature large windows, and include the area that is the balcony in other rooms on 7 and 8. We had mixed feelings about the room.The Good -- The extra space was wonderful. We had a full-sized sofa, a refrigerator (a nice surprise in an ocean view), and space between the end of the closet and the desk/vanity to stow the large suitcase (instead of trying to cram it under the bed). The vanity had three very long drawers and three short ones, and we were able to stow our stuff easily. There was also a safe, and a shelf with railing. Storage and floor space were great. 7088 is on one end of the group of 4 POVs, the window covers about half the outside wall (as opposed to the entire wall in the center two rooms). It's still huge, with a ledge wide enough to serve as a window seat. The ledge also doubles as the bedside table for that side of the bed. Our bed was at the far end of the room, next to the window. We noticed that in another POV, the bed was at the end by the bathroom and the vanity and sofa were near the window.The bathroom was standard with the tiny shower and curtain. The shelves and drawers are handy, and since March RCI got smart and added a soap dish to the sink. They seem to be stuck with the sink faucets that are too short to really get your hands under.The location if the room was a definite plus. We were near the main elevators and stairs, two decks up from the dining balcony and theater, and two decks down from the Windjammer and pools.The Bad -- Noise was a problem. We got some noise from the Centrum, mostly at the end of the room near the door. It was usually okay, but one night we wanted to go to sleep early because of an early morning excursion, and it was annoying. A bigger problem was the symphony of squeaks, scrapes, bangs, etc. that seemed to come from the walls and ceiling, especially during rough seas. This could go on for hours, and kept us awake more than one night.Bottom line -- We loved the location and space, but didn't love the noise.