All right but not my favorite cruise

Item: Grandeur of the Seas
Rating: 3.6
Author: mariedj17

Grandeur of the Seas Cruise Review to Caribbean - Western

mariedj17

Contributor Level: Purser

Cruises: 7+ cruises

Review: 1

Helpful Votes: 15

Overall rating:

3.6 out of 5

Verified Review

5 Night Western Caribbean (Tampa Roundtrip)

Sail date: April 24, 2024

Ship: Grandeur of the Seas

Cabin type: Inside

Cabin number: 2023

Traveled as: Couple

Reviewed: 6 months ago

Review summary

It's a cruise, and any cruise is better than not being on a cruise! So we had a good time. But this was our first Royal Caribbean cruise and based on this experience, we probably wouldn't cruise again. There were no *huge* minuses, but lots of little ones (cabin issues, mediocre food, overpriced/not-particularly-good specialty restaurants, mediocre drinks (especially very mediocre wine, and especially at the "chef's table" where the "wine pairing" consisted of random $15-retail wines), mediocre ship excursions). Not terrible by any means, but not amazing.

Embarkation

5 out of 5

Boarding in Tampa was incredibly efficient, friendly, and speedy!

Ship experiences

Food and Dining

3 out of 5

We all thought the food was pretty mediocre in all venues. Even the specialty restaurants were really nothing special. The selection in the buffet was limited compared to other cruise lines we've taken.

Onboard Activities

4 out of 5

We didn't do a whole lot other than lounge by the pool but it was fine.

Entertainment

3 out of 5

Magician was pretty good. Comedian was terrible. Broadway show was so-so. Tango Argentina was great (dancers and band were both excellent).

Service and Staff

5 out of 5

Ship Quality

4 out of 5

Smoking is allowed all along the entire port side of the pool deck, so you can smell smoke just about everywhere, including inside the buffet on that side of the ship. The casino is very smoky (and you have to walk through it to get from one end of the ship to the other on that level). The buffet also feels rather crowded and cramped.

Cabin / Stateroom

3 out of 5

The rug in our room was wet (in a large area near the bathroom). They tried to dry it out, but only after we brought it to their attention, and without much success. On Day 2 they offered to move us to another cabin -- an upgrade to an ocean-view room, which was a little larger (which was nice), but the curtains aren't as opaque as they should be, and the new room was right below the theater entrance (lots of traffic), so we didn't find that room as restful.

Ship tip

Don't pay for the Key membership -- boarding/disembarkation was fast even for non-members; the boarding and disembarkation meals are super-mediocre; there wasn't any reserved seating that we could spot in the theater; and since we were on a ship-associated excursion in our tender port (Grand Cayman), we were grouped together on a tender anyway. So the only benefit we really ended up with was the wifi.

Thumbs up

Ports of call

George Town, Grand Cayman

3 out of 5

Cozumel, Mexico

3 out of 5

Disembarkation

5 out of 5

7 Comments

enjoyurdaysmile 6 months ago

Oops..LOL..we took it in 2015. Slip of the finger..

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enjoyurdaysmile 6 months ago

My husband and I took Grandeur in 2025. Small but quaint. We had a great time. An older ship..try a larger one. Do not let one ship let you not cruise again.

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javawoody 6 months ago

Thanks for sharing your experience

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cruising2004 6 months ago

Thank you for your review.

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HeavySeas 6 months ago

Thanks for sharing

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Hodens 6 months ago

If this was your first cruise with Royal, don't count them out just yet. Try a larger ship suck as a voyager or freedom class ship. Granduer is in the vision class I believe. I cruised for the very first time on Vision of the seas JUST to try a cruise vacation. I LOVED it. I go on Mariner of the seas in October and I am VERY much looking forward to it. Please, give Royal another shot on a different class of ship and then decide, please.

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Gwbigdog 6 months ago

Thanks for sharing your cruise with us and the tips

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