Last summer, my wife and I traveled on the Bahamas Celebration for a 2-night cruise and had mixed feelings about the experience. So, we decided to go with Royal Caribbean this year and see how we liked it. After reading many reviews about the Grandeur of the Seas, we were curious to see how our experience would compare. Here is a brief description of the trip:

Day 1: Boarding was VERY fast. We arrived around 11:45 and we were on the ship in about 15 minutes. Parking at the garage across the street from the terminal was $70 for the 5-night trip and had to be paid when you enter the garage. Please make sure you drop-off your luggage before going into the garage at the curb, it made it easier for us since we had to pack for a wide range of weather. Once on the ship, we had to wait a couple of hours before being allowed in our rooms, but we had time for lunch in the Windjammer and walking around the ship looking to see where everything was at. There were a few activities in the afternoon and music on the pool deck. Our stateroom was a standard oceanview category on deck 2. We were pretty close to the front of the ship. If you have the choice, pick close to the elevators in the center of the ship. It is easier to access the central facilities and less noise when pulling into port or when waves hit the hull. Dinner in the Great Gatsby was nice. Our waiter Ali was great and the assistant waiter Morice was very nice as well. Ali would go over all of the specials and make sure we had everything we needed for a great experience. After dinner, we went to see the passage under the Sunshine Skyway Bridge. It takes about 2 hours after leaving the dock to get there, so it was slightly after 7 when we passed through. The evening show was great and our Cruise Director Clo was wonderful. She is on vacation after this cruise, so I am not sure who will be filling in until she returns. Seating in the theater is pretty good, but plan on getting there about 30 minutes for the shows, especially the 2nd shows. There were also evening activities after the show and it was a great first night.

Day 2: This was a day at sea. We woke up to some rough seas, about 3-4' high, but you could feel it. My wife and I did pretty well with the motion, but after dinner, we ended up in our stateroom because we started feeling ill. During the day, there were a number of activities around the ship, especially for kids. They do a great job with activities for kids. They even have special activities for ages up to 3 years old. My wife went to the shopping presentation, which is taped and can be viewed on the tv in the staterooms throughout the trip in case you miss it. The meals were good and it was very relaxing to just do nothing on the ship. The drink of the day does cost $7.25, but you get a really nice glass to take home. We are not sure what other drink prices are since we only drink soda. If you get the soda package, you also get a nice Coke mug to use around the ship and take home. We did not see the evening show due to feeling ill. Read more