Living in the Baltimore area we decided to try a cruise from Cruise Maryland. Grandeur of the Seas (GOS) provided a short getaway to Bermuda. Friends dropped us at the ship terminal and picked us up. That process was convenient and well executed on behalf of our friends and us. Embarkation went smoothly in spite of two things we did not quite understand. The first was to pick a dining time upon boarding in spite of "My Time Dining" and the other was a report of misplaced luggage two days into the cruise. This latter point we could not understand at all.
We were impressed with the diversity of the cruisers on the ship. They seemed to be of all economic strata and ethnicities. It was refreshing to see the interaction of all of these people in a positive way
GOS is a small ship by today's standards. It barely fit, to our eyes, under Baltimore's outer harbor crossing, Key Bridge. It was maintained adequately, to our view, but is showing its age and frequent use. Capt. Thor was informative with his noon announcements on sea conditions and weather. He announced use of the ship's stabilizers while in route to Bermuda. The sailing is 2 days down and a day and a half coming back.
Cabin 522, Deck 5, starboard side. Good condition, a bit cramped with bed in "queen" mode. Plenty of closet space and storage.
In spite of it's reputation, Baltimore has much to see and do safely. Enjoy Fort McHenry, home of our national anthem, the Inner Harbor, Harbor East (specialty shopping), and Little Italy. Take a jaunt out to Hampden for some great new dining and to the Clipper Mill area, home of great dining and new beer brewing facilities.
The ship docked at King's Wharf (the Royal Navy Dockyard). This complex has some eateries in it plus a lot of shopping. We enjoyed some of the "craftier" stores located in this area. The entire area may be walked conveniently from the ship.