fbeard Cruise Review on Grandeur of the Seas on Dec 21, 2017

Grandeur of the Seas Cruise Review

fbeard

Contributor Level: Purser

Review: 1

Helpful Votes: 10

Overall rating:

4 out of 5

Sail date: December 21, 2017

Ship: Grandeur of the Seas

Reviewed: 6 years ago

Review summary

I just returned from a great cruise on the Grandeur of the Seas, from Baltimore, MD to the Caribbean: 12 days at sea, 1st time cruiser, 5 ports of call: St Thomas, St Maarten, Martinique, St Kitts, and St John Antigua. The good: It was a great experience for my entire family (party of 5). They catered to all age groups. My 19 and 17 year old sons enjoyed it and so did my 8 year old daughter. My husband and I attended several scheduled activities; we opted out of activities when we wanted to just chill and relax. The best part of the trip was the great customer service and the attention we received from the staff: My stateroom attendant was super efficient, extremely nice and attentive. The dining room waiters were outstanding. There was a great variety of food although I expected to see more Caribbean dishes (like plantains!) at the Windjammer Buffer Style restaurant. I never saw any plantains served, while at the buffet :(. Embarkation went smoothly. The staff took extra care in dispensing hand sanitizers. Also seasickness medication was available FREE of charge. We unfortunately do suffer from motion and seasickness. As long as we took the pill, we were fine. Tip: take the pill daily, even on port days because your body may still need it( I learned the hard way) . The entertainment on the ship was varied and the dancers, singers, and musicians were very talented. I particularly enjoyed the Tango Play on board. Magnifico! Getting to the ports was easy and the staff was well organized. I enjoyed all locations but my favorites were at St Maarten, Martinique, and St Kitts, in no particular order. The bad: I found the excursions incredibly expensive and unnecessary spending. We negotiated similar experiences on shore for 50% to 70% less. Most RC packages were at least $175 (cheapest and rare) to $1000+ for a family of 5. I also found many of the "extra" activities to be so expensive for families on a budget. For example a family of 5 would need to spend $165 (plus tip) for a "how to make sushi" class. After spending thousands just to get on board it seemed every "extra" could potentially add another $200 - $500 per day. That can get really add up on a 12-day journey. Attention drinkers! Unless you plan to drink heavily for the entire duration of the cruise, including port days, the drink packages are not necessary. Buy the special deals onboard, such as 10 drinks for $80, and bring your own favorite bottles of wine. You are allowed 2 bottles of champagne or wine per cabin. There are also free drinks offered for art auctions and other onboard activities. On port days you will be enjoying the food and drinks on land, so why pay for the full package (12 days) if you are going to be eating and drinking, mostly off the ship, for several days while on land? Buyer beware: there is a $13.50 x each day x each person- gratuity fee that was not discussed when we booked our cruise. For a family of 5 that's another $800 to add to the tab! More if you are in a balcony or suite! Also please check your bill the day before and the morning of disembarking. I had a "mysterious" $125" charge for towels that appeared the morning of disembarking that was NOT on the bill the night before. They promptly removed it when I asked about it. In short: Great experience, no regrets. Watch out for: hidden fees, charging mistakes, make sure to understand which activities are free on board. Lessons Learned: As long as I travel with family, I will be taking cruises that spend less time at sea (due to the sea motion sickness). The pills do help, but it is unnerving still, on rough sea days. Also, I will book most of my excursions on shore, not through the ship: Better deals are available on land for a fraction of the price.

fbeard Cruise Review on Grandeur of the Seas on Dec 21, 2017

Overall rating:

Review summary

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