I'm a strong believer in the rule that your attitude can pre-determine how much fun you'll have on a cruise.  So I was determined to have a good time and it helped.To provide perspective, this was my fourth cruise in recent years (although I had taken many transatlantic and trans-pacific trips in the past).  Recent trips were on the QM2 (twice) and Celebrity.  And while this is my preferred standard, the RCI trip was too good to pass up. Great fare, the right duration, the right departure port and the right timing.  Now, on to the review.The embarkation was a total disaster.  The ship was scheduled to depart at 4 PM.  We arrived at 2:15.  We boarded at 3:30.  Others, who had arrived before we did, waited over three hours.  The only reason our boarding took less time is that I overheard someone mention a special line for suites.  No one from RCI alerted suite guests to this benefit.  Our table mates, also suite holders, were in line for 3 hours.  A very bad job all around by RCI.  I heard that the Baltimore harbour master was partly responsible, as was a "computer crash".  But from the horror stories, RCI was definitely not blameless.Disembarkation was much better.  A bit of a jam at the gangway, but we were off in about 20 minutes.  We always self-disembark and this made it easier.  But the lifts didn't seem to work very well, disgorging everyone in the same space.  RCI should not have insisted that passengers using the center set of lifts.Now don't get me wrong.  The trip was fun.  The crew really tries to please.  Nydia in the gym was a good instructor spinning, pilates, yoga, etc.  Captain Rob is a riot very funny noontime announcements.  We enjoyed the entertainment.  The comedians were funny and the shows entertaining.  Certainly as good if not better than Cunard and Celebrity.  And the best part of the ship is the Solarium.  A quite oasis from the typical chaos of a cruise ship.  A nice place to read, enjoy the sun, spa and pool.Unfortunately, there are many lowlights, due in large part to the age of this ship.  RCI needs to either retire her, or refurbish her.  The rooms are small (even the Junior Suite that we had).  And by the way, don't get a room under either the pool area or the Solarium if you want to avoid the noise of shuffling deck chairs or rolling carts.The bathrooms are tiny, the fixtures corroded with age and use, the lighting poor and there was always a slight odor.  There is very little water pressure.The wood work is worn lots of stains and warped wood from water damage.  There are permanent stains on the furniture and torn carpeting.  Our table mates had furniture that didn't even match.  TVs are ancient and falling apart.  The hangers are the type you would find in a Motel 6.  Not enough light to read by at night.  Basically, it isn't what you would expect for paying suite prices.  I cannot imagine what the other rooms were like.Our cabin steward was fine.  He kept the place clean and he was creative with his towel artistry.  But he wasn't particularly friendly, even when I mentioned that I had lived in his home country for many years and spoke his native language.  The gym is small and the weight training equipment limited.  There are about a dozen aerobic machines (bikes, elipticals, treadmills), but these too are aging.  And people don't follow the 20 minute courtesy rule.  Also, if you miss the one or two classes scheduled for the particular day, you are out of luck.Generally, the food was fine.  The Windjammer had a decent breakfast omelettes and lots of fresh fruit.  We never ate breakfast or lunch in the main dining room and never tried room service, so cannot comment on either.The food in the main dining room was forgetable.  Not bad just not very good.  My wife's pasta was not hot.  All the fish tasked the same.  In short, it was a great deal like a restaurant you tried for the first time but would never go back.  Our first night back home we both remarked how much better our home cooked meal tasted!Our waiter and assistant waiter were fine.  They tried hard, but were real amateurs.  They would be very attentive at getting you dinner rolls, but forget to refill your wine glass.  Service on the last night was particularly slow.  And they didn't seem to pay much attention.  By the luck of the draw, everyone at our table for 6 was a vegetarian (or at least didn't eat meat or chicken).  Yet, every evening after the meal the waiter would announce with great enthusiasm some meat or chicken dish that was being served the following night.  Hello?  Anyone at home?And one thing that drove us nuts is that they would start to clear and re-set the adjacent tables during our meals.  We had the late seating so there simply wasn't any need for this.  It was very distracting and not what you would expect from a first-class operation.The wine list was fairly extensive and most sold under $40 a bottle.  They could have used a sommelier because our poor waiter didn't have a clue.  As for our head water, he really showed up only on the last night (coinciding with the time to hand out the gratuities, no doubt).I title this as the "Aging Lady", because this is what the Grandeur is.  I mentioned the evidence of its age in the description of our cabin and the gym equipment.  There were other signs as well.  Like the chair in the Champagne Lounge that collapsed right under this elderly gentleman.  We pointed out to him the fact that the supporting legs were missing a bolt to assure him that it was not his fault.  I got the distinct impression that the waiter know about this.  There were cracked and chipped glasses served at dinner.  Cracked and leaking cups served in the Windjammer.  Lots of rust and worn furnishings throughout the ship.  It reminded me of some of the famous old hotels that are well past their prime.  Fine if you like that sort of thing.You will find a fairly broad range of fellow passengers age, activity level, and experience.  If you are the type that likes to dress for dinner, RCI isn't for you.  If you want a basic cruise, it is.Now, only 5 months to our "Circle Hawaii" on Holland America.