 Expert Review |  | | | | |
| | | | | Overview
Grandeur of the Seas, launched in early 1996, is one of Royal Caribbean's older vessels, but you'd never know it from the ship's sleek public spaces: a grand Art Deco-inspired dining room, the glitzy Palladium Theater and a sweeping six-story atrium. Some of the cabins, however, are showing signs of wear and tear. Our dresser, for example, was nicked in spots. The stopper in the bathroom sink had corroded, and the mirror was beginning to lose its finish. There was an abandoned towel rack attached to the wall that, oddly enough, had never been dismantled. And the TV screen, about a foot wide, was smaller than a lot of laptops you see today. None of this is a deal breaker, of course. But I guess I was also struck by what Grandeur of the Seas does not have. As an example, our oceanview stateroom did not have a fridge. And unless you book a suite, there are no toiletries. That's right: toiletries. I asked for a shower cap and lotion and was told those "amenities" did not come with our cabin class. For today's traveler, that's just not good enough. (For the record, there was a shampoo/conditioner dispenser in the shower but a piece of it came apart the one time I used it. In addition, the in-room intercom did not work, meaning you had to go into the hall to hear shipboard announcements.) There's also no enrichment program (unless you count napkin folding and dollar origami), though that is fairly customary for Royal Caribbean in general. More unusually there are no alternative restaurants, as are found on today's newer ships. Fortunately, the meals in the dining room were wonderful overall and the buffet is as good as it gets. As for service, our experience was a mixed bag. Our dining room waiters were exemplary. The two times we dropped in at the Schooner Bar, the bartenders were slow, slow, slow. And while our cabin steward was attentive, our stateroom failed to pass my white glove inspection when we first boarded. There was a hairclip on the rug, a Neutrogena makeup lid in the trash bin, a wadded up piece of paper in the closet and toothpaste smudges on the glass shelves in the bathroom cabinet. During our five-night Baltimore-to-Bermuda cruise, Grandeur of the Seas was approaching capacity with nearly 2,000 passengers. The ship is one of the smallest in the fleet -- hence the inability to accommodate alternative restaurants. And that's fine -- no quarrel there. But with a little more attention to the fundamentals, Grandeur of the Seas might live up to her name. | | |  top | | | | Dining
When it comes to dining, Grandeur of the Seas rightly deserves high marks. The two-level Great Gatsby dining room, with dinner seatings at 6 p.m. and 8:30 p.m., offers some spectacular choices -- particularly, I thought, in the area of seafood. In fact, that's what I selected just about every night: pan-seared sea bass, broiled lobster tail and shrimp with garlic, mahi mahi tempura, and herb-crusted fillet of Atlantic cod. The dinner menu also includes a sampling of vegetarian meals such as the chilled watermelon gazpacho, ziti with marinara sauce, and eggplant with plum tomato sauce and balsamic glaze. Even more impressive are the abundance of "Royal Lifestyle" dishes focusing on lighter, more nutritionally conscious fare. Remarkably, this even extends to desserts -- low-fat double strawberry cheesecake, sugar-free coconut vanilla layer cake and a sugar-free red berry tart, as examples. At our 6 p.m. seating, my husband and I shared a table with five others, and except for a tasteless Thai barbequed chicken breast, inexplicably billed one night as the chef's signature entree, we all agreed that the meals were top rate. Breakfast and lunch are also served in the formal dining room. The only other dining options are the Windjammer Cafe, the all-you-can-eat buffet, open for breakfast, lunch, afternoon snacks and dinner; round-the-clock room service; and a poolside grill that serves pizza, hot dogs and burgers from 10:30 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. and again from 9 p.m. to 2:30 a.m. Windjammer, which opens out onto the pool deck, is as well designed -- in terms of selection and traffic flow -- as any buffet I've seen. First, it's constructed in a semi-circular fashion which helps move people along efficiently. And, to my eye, the seating isn't as institutional as a lot of buffets since there were plenty of opportunities to sit together as a couple or in smaller groups. Not surprisingly, the breakfasts, including a made-to-order egg station, don't change much from day to day: scrambled eggs, cheeses, smoked salmon and cold cuts, waffles, pancakes, French toast, fruit, yogurt, bacon, sausage, hash browns and freshly roasted ham. But the chefs really mix it up with lunch and dinner. How's this for a lunch selection? Roast leg of pork with potato salad; pasta with andouille sausage; deep fried flounder; Caribbean coconut chicken curry; broccoli and snap peas in toasted sesame sauce; fried rice with pepper beef curry; Thai beef satay and, if that weren't enough, a sandwich bar. The dinner buffet is equally abundant -- and creative. One night, for example, there was a Southern station that had barbequed pork ribs, corn on the cob, mashed potatoes and fried chicken; an Asian station featuring fried tofu, Vietnamese fried rice, stir-fried beef, sushi and a create-your-own stir fry dish; and a "Griddlicious" station offering freshly carved roast beef, baked sea bream, braised veal, Thai barbequed chicken breast and an antipasto and cheese tray. As for room service, don't be fooled by the official in-cabin menu, a basic listing of salads, sandwiches, soup of the day and entrees mysteriously (to me anyway) defined as a hamburger, hot dog, cheeseburger and pizza. I was onboard a couple of days before I realized that the ship's in-house TV channel lists a room service menu that changes daily and includes some of the same selections offered in the Great Gatsby dining room. There's also a breakfast menu that includes juices, continental breakfast, pastries, scrambled eggs or Egg Beaters, bacon, sausage and hash browns. Finally, on Deck 6, there's a counter called Cafe Latte-tudes, which sells Ben & Jerry's ice cream and Seattle's Best coffee. | | | | top | | | | Public Rooms
The public space on Grandeur of the Seas absolutely stands up to scrutiny. The atrium, or "centrum" as it's called onboard, is stunning and its sweep includes a handsome library and card room, conference center rooms, boutiques, photo gallery and Cafe Latte-tudes. There's also cozy seating in strategic spots around the atrium, which is good for people watching or just staring out at the sea. Near the guest services desk on Deck 5 is a "news stand" with all manner of news digests, available each morning at 10:30 a.m. Among them: The International, America Latina Hoy, U.S. Sportline, The Canadian, Britain Today and the New York Times Digest. On Deck 8 is an Internet cafe that consists of private desks with 16 computers. It costs 50 cents a minute to go online or you can buy a wireless card that costs $10 a day. My only quibble with the public space was the presence, on our cruise at least, of so much cigarette smoke. The ship has been "primarily designated as a non-smoking ship," as the literature puts it. But in the bars, the counters themselves, as well as the seating closest to them, are designated for smokers. In the case of the Schooner Bar, which also functions as a hallway, there was no way to avoid the smoke. | | | | top | | | | Cabins
With 975 staterooms in total, Grandeur of the Seas has 399 interior cabins and 576 oceanview cabins. Of those with an ocean view, 212 also have balconies. The ship has 403 staterooms that can accommodate third and fourth berths. Additionally, there are 14 wheelchair-accessible cabins. On ships, square footage comes at a premium. Here's how the staterooms break down: interior stateroom, 140 square ft.; large interior, 146; large oceanview, 154; oceanview with balcony, 190; Junior Suite, 245; Grand Suite, 349; Owner's Suite, 511; and Royal Suite, 1,119. All of the suites have balconies, ranging from 53 square ft. to, in the case of the Royal Suite, 148 square ft. At the least, a balcony will have two chairs and a table. At the upper end, a chaise lounge is added to the mix. Our oceanview stateroom, with its blue and gold palette, had a sizable window behind a queen-size bed. That along with strategically placed mirrors and blonde-colored wood makes the room look bigger than it actually is. There's also a closet and a lot of shelves and drawers. The settee even has two large drawers built in under its seat cushions, something I didn't discover until the end of the voyage. Royal Caribbean's "Fast Facts" for the ship says each stateroom has a mini-bar. I take that to mean a small fridge. As it turns out, only the staterooms with balconies have a refrigerator. All staterooms do have hair dryers, individually controlled air conditioning and a safe. We thought it was odd, though, that instead of a numeric code, you must use a credit card to open and lock the safe -- which means you have to carry your card with you all the time. In-cabin TV's have a fairly expansive listing that includes CNN, Fox News, CNN Headline News, ESPN, TNT, Cartoon Network, Travel Channel, Turner Classic Movies and three movie channels. As for the bathrooms, they are efficiently designed at the interior and oceanview levels and quite grand at the suite level. The former are shower-only. The Grand and Junior Suites have tubs and the Royal and Owner's Suites have Jacuzzi tubs and showers. Perks for the suites include canapes on two evenings, toiletries, a coffee and tea maker, upgraded towels, terrycloth robes and slippers, priority check-in, and expedited departure. The TV's are also larger. Passengers who book the Royal Suite -- and there is only one, with a player piano, no less -- also receive a bottle of champagne when they board. | | | | top | | | | Entertainment
On our cruise, perhaps because there was just a single port of call, Grandeur of the Seas functioned as something of a party ship. Among the daytime activities were towel and napkin folding, a belly flop competition and a men's sexy legs contest. At one point, next to the pool, 43 people touched the same beach towel all at once to win a competition. There were also cooking and ice carving demonstrations, a backstage tour of the Palladium Theater, and trivia and sudoku challenges. The art auctions and bingo, held daily, tended to be hugely popular, as was the casino. The Royal Caribbean Singers & Dancers, an in-house production company that rotates every six months, put on a couple of well-received Vegas-style shows. There was also a standup comedian, a magic show and an acrobatic performance featuring Olympic gymnast Lance Ringnald. (If you miss the shows, held in the attractive Palladium Theater, you can catch them on TV in your stateroom.) There's also plenty of music onboard. On the quieter side, you'll find a piano player in the Schooner Bar. (Think Frank Sinatra and Cole Porter.) At the base of the atrium, throughout much of the evening, there's ballroom dancing and easy listening music. The Viking Crown Lounge, with its 360-degree view on Deck 11, offers recorded tunes and dancing well into the night. Editor's note: If you're looking for company, check the community bulletin board next to the guest services desk. You'll find invitations for everything from veterans' and Red Hat Society (women over 50) meet and greets to bridge and dominoes get-togethers. As for shore excursions, we booked two of them online in advance of our cruise -- a seamless process. With a day and a half in port, there were 25 options. We did a three-hour bike ride on a hiker-biker trail and a "famous homes & hideaways cruise," both well worth it. | | | | top | | | | Fitness and Recreation
There's no reason not to stick to an exercise regimen on this ship -- not with two pools, one indoor, one not; a rock-climbing wall and jogging track on the top deck; and an oceanview fitness center. There's also a very pleasant promenade deck on Deck 5 that's great for walking. Jogging, however, is discouraged. The ShipShape Fitness Center, next to the day spa and pools, is fully loaded with seven treadmills, elliptical machines, free weights and exercise machines. Open from 6 a.m. to 10 p.m., the gym offers complimentary stretching and firming classes. Spinning, Pilates and yoga classes cost $10, or you can get an unlimited fitness class pass for $50. You'll also find many of the free seminars widely offered on ships today: "Burn Fat Faster," "Eat More to Weigh Less," "Lose 10 Pounds in 10 Days," "Detox for Weight Loss" and "How to Increase Your Metabolism." Additionally, there's one-on-one personal training, $75 for a 50-minute session. The physical layout of Grandeur Day Spa, located next to a beauty salon, is a bit bare bones, although the menu of services is robust. There are nine treatment rooms along with a fairly austere steam room and sauna. The refreshment bar consists of a bowl of fruit, hot water for tea and cold water. However, there's all manner of services: teeth whitening; stone therapy; a hydralift facial; seaweed, Swedish and deep tissue massage; cellulite reduction; and a lime and ginger salt glow. Treatments are somewhat pricey: an 85-minute, half-body seaweed massage, $195; a 50-minute deep tissue massage, $129; and a 50-minute anti-cellulite treatment, $159. The spa tends to offer special deals during port days. | | | | top | | | | Family
There were only 57 children on our cruise -- and that's too bad because the programming for kids is terrific. I mean how cute is this? Aquababies (6 to 18 months) and Aquatots (19 to 36 months) sit with their parents on a rubber mat in the Singin' in the Rain Lounge while youth counselor Greg De Courval talks to them about numbers, letters, shapes and animal noises using toys from sponsor Fisher-Price. Notably, all of the youth counselors onboard have college degrees and many, like the enthusiastic De Courval, majored in education. Programs are offered by age group: Aquanauts, 3 to 5; Explorers, 6 to 8; Voyagers, 9 to 11; Navigators, 12 to 14; and Guests, 15 to 17. Activities are supervised and hours extensive at both the Fantaseas Teen Center and Adventure Ocean Kids' Center, located on Deck 10. Sample activities for Aquanauts include Sail into Story Time, Unbirthday Party and Pin the Nose on the Youth Staff; for Explorers, Pirate Night, Autograph Hunts and Adventure Art by Crayola; for Voyagers, Backstage Tour, Adventure Science and Scary Stories; for Navigators, Teen Dinner, Breakdancing and Open Mic; and for Guests, Dance Dance Revolution Challenge, Teen Rock Climbing Competition and Mardi Gras Party. Group sitting, $5 per child, is offered daily from 10 p.m. to 1 a.m. Children must be at least three and toilet trained. In-stateroom baby sitting is available from 8 a.m. to 2 a.m., with a two-hour minimum. The service, available only to children one and older, must be booked through the guest relations desk 24 hours in advance. The cost is $8 per hour for up to two children within the same family and $10 per hour for a maximum of three children. | | | | top | | | | Fellow Passengers
Because of our departure point, Baltimore, most passengers were from the Mid-Atlantic states. That is not the case when Grandeur of the Seas is headquartered in Tampa, its homeport when it sails the Caribbean. Because it is so family friendly, it is not unusual for the ship to attract as many as 600 kids during summers. Royal Caribbean typically appeals to people in their 30's to 50's, though there were certainly many older than that on our cruise. | | | | top | | | | Dress Code
When it comes to dinners, it's best to pack for a bit of everything, As defined by Royal Caribbean, that amounts to "casual," meaning sundresses or slacks and blouses for women and polo shirts and trousers for men; "smart casual," dresses or pantsuits for women and jackets for men; and "formal," cocktail dresses for women and suits and ties or tuxedos for men. Cruises of up to five nights, like ours, have one formal night and the rest are casual. Longer cruises have smart casual evenings. Voyages lasting 6 to 12 nights have two formal nights, and those spanning 13 to 15 nights have three. Days onboard are casual. Shorts are permitted in the Great Gatsby dining room at breakfast and lunch. There is no self-service laundry on Grandeur of the Seas, nor are irons permitted in staterooms. | | | | top | | | | Gratuity
Royal Caribbean suggests a tipping guideline of $3.50 a day per guest for your dining room waiter; $3.50 for your stateroom attendant, unless you are in a suite, in which case $5.75 a day is suggested; $2 a day for your assistant waiter; and 75 cents a day for your headwaiter. The tips are automatically added to passengers' accounts though a passenger may request that they be adjusted up or down. Envelopes are provided at the end of a cruise if a passenger wishes to tip extra. A 15 percent gratuity is automatically added to bar bills and wine checks at meals. A gratuity is not included with room service -- unless it involves an alcoholic beverage. In that case, a 15 percent tip is added. --by Ellen Uzelac, a finance and travel writer from Maryland's Eastern Shore. | | | | top | | | | | Expert reviews are provided by CruiseCritic.com, an award-winning cruise community. This objective information can help you choose just the right ship for your next cruise vacation. | |  | |
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