Grandeur in need of Dry Dock

[RoyalDiamond]

Just got off Grandeur today (10/14/10). I am a loyal Royal Caribbean cruiser and this cruise made me "diamond plus." But, if this had been my first RCCL cruise, I would not be returning. Grandeur is in major need of a visit to dry dock! Upon boarding, an announcement was made that the plumbing system was inoperative, so don't use the toilets for a while! Then, at the Windjammer, the buffet pans were never kept stocked, and everyone kept waiting around for food! Several times during the cruise, the Windjammer had half of the seating closed (with plastic tarps hanging from the ceiling) while they SANDED the floors! Gee, I'm sure no dust got in the food. The entire front and one half of deck 10 was closed the entire cruise, so you could not go to the front of the ship to look out! Constant banging, pounding, and scraping...very unrelaxing! Our toilet stopped flushing for 8 hours during one day. Several public restrooms closed. The main pool closed at 5pm one day for cleaning...5pm! That's a little early! We thought the cruise director was boring, and the production shows were awful! I usually love all of the shows, too...but not these. Many events like the 70's party were held in the tiny Viking Crown lounge, way too small for those events. Our room (with the exception of the 8-hour toilet problem) was great. We had 7650 on the rear of the ship. The balcony was HUGE and we loved it. We also had a walk-in closet. Only 2 JS cabins have that on the Grandeur. So, even though we love RCCL, if this had been our first cruise with them, we would not be returning. I hope other first-timers realize this was NOT the typical RCCL product. I definitely won't return to Grandeur, but will continue with their other ships! (we are supposedly receiving a "future cruise voucher" in the mail with a discount to compensate us for all of the misery.....)

[Merion_Mom]

Enjoy spending that voucher!

 

:)

[Sunkissed Mommy]

I was just on the Granduer in June and I agree that she is in need of some dry dock time! I felt like many of the rooms looked dated.

 

However, I still loved my trip and didn't find it as bad as never returning if I were a first timer. I hope it was a fluke on your sailing that so many things went awry.

[ChipLondon]

Whilst obviously some of your points are valid, not all of them are relative to a "dry dock", which would not fix a boring CD, who was it ?. Nor would dry dock help to keep food pans full.

A main pool can often be closed for cleaning earlier than 5pm, especially if one of those lovely little ones in diapers have an accident.

I am not too sure why you would not return to this ship, when it is obviously having alot of work done to bring it back up to standard, but respect your opinion and thank you for being fair about your experience and concerns for first time cruisers, that was a valid point.

 

 

 

Just got off Grandeur today (10/14/10). I am a loyal Royal Caribbean cruiser and this cruise made me "diamond plus." But, if this had been my first RCCL cruise, I would not be returning. Grandeur is in major need of a visit to dry dock! Upon boarding, an announcement was made that the plumbing system was inoperative, so don't use the toilets for a while! Then, at the Windjammer, the buffet pans were never kept stocked, and everyone kept waiting around for food! Several times during the cruise, the Windjammer had half of the seating closed (with plastic tarps hanging from the ceiling) while they SANDED the floors! Gee, I'm sure no dust got in the food. The entire front and one half of deck 10 was closed the entire cruise, so you could not go to the front of the ship to look out! Constant banging, pounding, and scraping...very unrelaxing! Our toilet stopped flushing for 8 hours during one day. Several public restrooms closed. The main pool closed at 5pm one day for cleaning...5pm! That's a little early! We thought the cruise director was boring, and the production shows were awful! I usually love all of the shows, too...but not these. Many events like the 70's party were held in the tiny Viking Crown lounge, way too small for those events. Our room (with the exception of the 8-hour toilet problem) was great. We had 7650 on the rear of the ship. The balcony was HUGE and we loved it. We also had a walk-in closet. Only 2 JS cabins have that on the Grandeur. So, even though we love RCCL, if this had been our first cruise with them, we would not be returning. I hope other first-timers realize this was NOT the typical RCCL product. I definitely won't return to Grandeur, but will continue with their other ships! (we are supposedly receiving a "future cruise voucher" in the mail with a discount to compensate us for all of the misery.....)

[Morecruisesplz]

We were on the Grandeur in August with 4 other couples. 5 inside cabins on deck 5 if I remember correctly. If you do your homework before booking and search the threads here or simple google the name you will find that the ship has been to dry dock. If you've only cruised the bigger ships previously I guess you could be disappointed rather than appreciative of the decor.

That having been said, it is one of our favorite ships. There is much to be said for the smaller ship experience.

The staff is changing on the ship as it moves to a new port and RCL positions it for mulit-language cruising. Everyone from head waiters down are being replaced as their vacation dates come up. Usually you will see some problems on a ship during the period it takes for a new staff to settle in.

Nothing you described sounds like it couldn't have been resolved to your satisfaction while on the ship. If I have complaint I usually give that a try first. Allowing complaints to build to a laundry list will only end up spoiling your vacation and making you angry -- which is how you sound in your post. Hopefully your discounted cruise will make you smile again!

[jeast]

I disagree. I think the post was fair and informative. If RCCL is dropping the ball on a cruise, which it sounds like it did, this is the very forum to talk about it. Complaining that the OP had a laundry list is silly. I think if there were that many problems, they should discuss that many things. It was presented in a fair manner.

 

It sounds like the OP also addressed it with RCCL, and has received adequate compensation, but I, as a future customer, want to know the problems that certain ships are experiencing, as well as the complimentary things. That is one of the many reasons I read this forum.

 

Thank you for the info.

[jeast]

While one poster said the laundry list made the OP sound angry, the OP stated that they hoped that others on the cruise would not think that RCCL was always like that as they had had much better experiences on other ships and were definitely intending to cruise again. Didn't sound angry to me. Just information on a bad experience from ONE ship.

[RoyalDiamond]

True, I suppose many of these issues are not correctable in "dry dock." But, the constant maintenance, banging, and closing of entire decks would be. I HAVE cruised on RCCL 16 times, including smaller ships, like Majesty, Monarch, Enchantment, and love them! I also love the larger ships, too. So, this was not a ship size issue. After 16 cruises, I just realized that this was not the typical RCCL experience. We're leaving on Majesty on Monday for a B2B, and very much looking forward to it. I will not let one bad experience spoil my love of RCCL and cruising.....

[wgraves]

I'm sorry to hear this. I was on the Grandeur in April and had an overall nice time. I'm surprised to hear they were sanding floors during meal times. Couldn't they do this at 3am or something?

[Venusleo1]

duplicate

[Venusleo1]

I'll be getting married aboard the Grandeur in less then a couple of weeks.

I sure hope they get the kinks out by then!

It'll be my fiance's first cruise and I love RCI I would hate for him to get turned off and not want to sail them again.

[LBumb]

if it is someone's first cruise, they have nothing to compare to. Our first ship was the song of america and we thought it was a 10.

[The Flying Pirate]

It does sound like Grandeur is in need of some TLC. There is not much that makes the ship look poorly maintained than not having the plumbing working! At least they were working on it and they compensated the passengers affected. We were on Legend of the Seas a couple years ago and it was clear that she had been rode hard and put away wet. She was in desperate need of painting, which is a full time job considering the highly corrosive environment the ships "live" in. We were on Grandeur on a repositioning cruise and loved the ship. It wasn't the fanciest of the fleet but the crew was excellent. It was definitely one of our favorite cruises. Hopefully this persons experience was an isolated incident, the week that stuff just broke. I can relate to their feelings about being loyal to Royal but had this been their first cruise they wouldn't do another. We had the same experience on Freedom of the Seas a couple years ago. Had that been our introduction to RCCL I wouldn't have gone back without trying something else first.

[cmsjmu]

Here's a pic of Grandeur parked next to Oasis in Cozumel (July 2010). Thought this thread could use some visuals.

[bionicman97]

I'll take on the task of going to investigate in a few weeks :cool: (Since its booked and paid for anyway:D)

[NordicPrince]

I'm sorry to hear this. I was on the Grandeur in April and had an overall nice time. I'm surprised to hear they were sanding floors during meal times. Couldn't they do this at 3am or something?

 

I agree with you in principle, but you've got a no-win situation here.

 

I bet the high priced clientele in the suites below the Windjammer would just love to hear floors being sanded at 3 AM ! As it is they complain about carts being rolled around at early times.

 

Basically a ship is constantly being maintained; at least RCI ships are. That's why they stay nice for so long. You can only defer maintenance for so long before things start to break down i.e. toilets.

 

Also have to consider the working hours of the crew. How long can you keep them going at odd hours before they become ineffective? I'm sure they have a never ending list of things that have to be kept up.

 

Don't know what the necessary timing is between sanding, cleaning and then applying varnish and/or polyurythane on the floor. Maybe it's better just to get it all done in as short a period of time as possible.

 

Just thankful it's not my job to maintain an RCI ship in top-shape.

[The Flying Pirate]

I'll take on the task of going to investigate in a few weeks :cool: (Since its booked and paid for anyway:D)

 

Thanks for taking one of the team! Have a great cruise!

[80 Wolfpacker]

I was in the very same room the sailing before you (Oct. 4-9) and I cannot agree more with your comments! I did not get a future cruise voucher though. I suppose I should have complained more.

 

The very last night of the cruise - the only night that the weather was calm enough to enjoy that wonderful balcony - we were unable to enjoy being outside because of all of the drilling, grinding, and sanding sounds. (My husband says it sounded like an "angle grinder" - whatever that is.) I called to complain at 11:30 p.m. and again at 1 and nothing was done.

 

When I tried to take a bath in the tub the first day, water started rising from the floor drain in the bathroom. The floor was filling with sewage. My shoes and clothes on the floor were stained with some horrible slime from the drain. The back of the ship smelled like a sewer for the first three days. More bad smells would even wake me at night. I was worried that it had something to do with being at the back of the ship and that it was exhaust or dangerous fumes. This was my first aft cabin. All of the horrible smells went away the last day. Maybe it was because we were heading north.

 

There were fewer choices and smaller amounts of food in the Windjammer than when we sailed on Grandeur 2 1/2 years ago. There was no one offering beverages in the Windjammer - except for the wine service cart. The wait staff seemed tired and bored. The quality of the food in the main dining room was definitely scaled back. The Pavlova served for dessert the first night was so tough it could not be cut with a knife. How can you mess up meringue? The food was edible but not delightful.

 

I am also Diamond Plus, and after this cruise...we are thinking of trying Princess for the first time. We are just tired of finding more and more cuts every time we cruise with Royal Caribbean. For example, now instead of fruit punch at lunch, they offered "Mango water." There is no longer any cranberry juice at breakfast. Cranberry juice has been missing from the Windjammer for several years, but you could still get it in the dining room. No more! Also, no Eggs Benedict on the main dining room menu.

 

On our last sea day, they were offering a matinee performance of dancers from Australia in the big theater. It was very well attended. They were lovely girls, but they looked like they were performing a 9-10th grade dance recital at sea. They were with us with their Moms on the galley tour that we took later that afternoon and I am certain they were no older than 16. Their performance was not a professional one in any way.

 

Many of the coupons in the Diamond Plus book were useless for the Grandeur since there are no specialty restaurants. They don’t offer wine tasting coupons any more. The free drink coupon is gone. We really missed the Concierge or Diamond lounges from the other ships. It was harder to chat with people in the Crown Viking lounge. Besides missing the lovely cocktails, we really missed the coffee machine and the fruit in the mornings. Those perks will probably be gone soon too.

 

We have really loved cruising with Royal Caribbean, but truly…with each cruise….they are offering less and less.

[2morecruises]

I'll take on the task of going to investigate in a few weeks :cool: (Since its booked and paid for anyway:D)

 

I'll make it a point to take a boatload of notes also when I ride her the last weekend of this month. Of course with 5 drinkin' buddies coming along I will not guarantee a concise, informative or fact finding essay. Just hope they stock enough Grey Goose on board. :D

[MyNameIsGermy]

I'll take on the task of going to investigate in a few weeks :cool: (Since its booked and paid for anyway:D)

 

Yanno, I don't want you to be disappointed, so since I live right up the way from you, you should just transfer the cruise over to me and I'll give you a full breakdown on what needs to be done to the ship, before your next cruise! :p

[kathyemma]

if it is someone's first cruise, they have nothing to compare to. Our first ship was the song of america and we thought it was a 10.

 

The first ship I ever sailed on was Song of America! It was AMAZING! My parents took me and my best friend on a cruise for my 13th birthday. All four of us were in an inside room. Of course, the only way the 4 of us could be in the room at the same time was if we were asleep. We had so many laughs trying to get in and out of that room.

 

I took my dh on his first cruise, liberty of the seas, balcony room and he got to use my diamond plus status. I kept telling him he should have to serve his time in an tiny inside room. He is spoiled. In a few weeks we are taking his son (18) on his first cruise - Oasis of the Seas, boardwalk balcony. Once again, I think he needs to serve his time in an inside room - but can't afford a 2nd room on this ship.

 

Sorry to OP for getting off topic!

 

Kathy

[Venusleo1]

I'll make it a point to take a boatload of notes also when I ride her the last weekend of this month. Of course with 5 drinkin' buddies coming along I will not guarantee a concise, informative or fact finding essay. Just hope they stock enough Grey Goose on board. :D

 

If you're sailing on the 28th so are we! Feel free to say hello, I'll be the one wearing the big white dress on embarkation day. :)

[louhun88]

Hope this ship isn't too bad, I've just booked it for Spanish Med next May (my first cruise) As long as it's clean the foods good and i can plenty of cocktails i be happy :)

[ImmortalxKiss]

Definitely not the same cruise we took!

 

Sorry you had a bad experience but our time on the Grandeur was AMAZING and we are already wanting to cruise on other RC ships!

[crusinmama06]

JS 7650!!!!!

 

It all started on my sailing (9/11/10)! :eek:

 

My review is here and I have pictures to prove it! It was sewage! I thought the same as all of you! But they kind of brushed me off when I mentioned that.

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1277771

 

I can't believe they didn't fix it yet! :(

 

I know the person who stayed in that cabin the week before me and she didn't have the same issue. So something must have happened right before we stepped on. I know from reading the reviews that some people in a few cabins down on the sailing before mine were saying that they had "no hot water" -- maybe they were playing with the plumbing before my 9/11 sailing.

 

But when I got into the cabin, the floor was soaked. :eek: