Exceeded expectations!!

Grandeur of the Seas Cruise Review to Caribbean - Western

zippyscanoe

Contributor Level: Purser

Cruises: 7+ cruises

Review: 1

Helpful Votes: 14

Overall rating:

4.6 out of 5

Verified Review

5 Night Western Caribbean (Tampa Roundtrip)

Sail date: July 29, 2024

Ship: Grandeur of the Seas

Cabin type: Suite

Cabin number: 8560

Traveled as: Couple

Reviewed: 4 months ago

Review summary

My wife and I sailed on her last month. I wasn't sure of what to expect as our previous cruise was on an Oasis Class ship. The staff and crew were great, and Jamie, the Cruise Director, was one of the best we have experienced. The ship has aged well. Like the other ships in the fleet you will see ongoing maintenance like painting taking place. New carpets were installed in the common areas this year and WiFi was upgraded to Starlink. And, while it doesn't have the sparkle, glitz, shiny plastics and metal of the new ships, I liked the classic look of natural wood used in many areas. Obviously there are many differences between Grandeur and her newer siblings. For one, there is no helipad deck or lower decks with a forward view. Grandeur doesn't have slides, a fancy water park, or an ice skating rink. No Johnny Rockets, Starbucks, Sorrento's, or Promenade Cafe. Instead, it has Cafe' Latte-tudes on Deck 6, which sells Starbucks branded coffees, a smaller Park Cafe' on Deck 9 aft (forerunner of Cafe' Promenade), which has Sorrento's Pizza, and Windjammer Coffee Station & Sprinkles Ice Cream outside of the Windjammer on Deck 9 forward. Yes, the Windjammer is located forward. There is no Promenade per say, but a more intimate Centrum where many activities take place. Lastly, there a far fewer children. Overall, we were pleasantly surprised and enjoyed Lady G very much. We would not hesitate to sail on her again!

Embarkation

5 out of 5

Ship experiences

Food and Dining

4 out of 5

The main dining room experience was very good with excellent service.

Onboard Activities

4 out of 5

The pools and hot tubs were easily accessible with no overcrowding. There are no slides or waterparks onboard, so there were far fewer kids.

Entertainment

4 out of 5

The production shows Broadway Rhythm and Rhyme, and Tango Bueno Aires were both top notch, 5.0. The headliner acts were Joseph Reohm, a comedy magician, and George Kanter, an adult comedian. They were both good, 3.0.

Service and Staff

5 out of 5

Great service and hospitality.

Ship Quality

4 out of 5

For being the smallest and oldest ship in the RCL fleet, Grandeur of the Seas has aged very well. The common areas had new carpet installed in Spring of 2024 as well as an upgrade to Starlink WiFi. It was very clean and on going upkeep was very good.

Cabin / Stateroom

5 out of 5

Great view! Attentive, friendly stateroom service was provided twice a day. The nicely sized bathtub/shower was way better than non-suite rooms. Complimentary robes and slippers, too.