A U.S. Family "Immersion" Cruise - Grandeur of the Seas in Suites

[gator919]

OP please finish your review,I have also subscribed to it.

[ebonybee]

Yes, OP please return and complete your review. Some of us are not in attack mode, and have respect for different points of view without getting our pannies bunched.

[FLAHAM]

Yes, OP please return and complete your review. Some of us are not in attack mode, and have respect for different points of view without getting our pannies bunched.

 

Yes, tell us about the cultural differences that should be explicitly stated in the RCI literature.

[RJHNorthyorks]

I'm pleased that I'm not on my own in finding the original post offensive! Best not to travel in Europe - the ships can be packed with numerous different nationalities and also use multiple languages for announcemens. Ironically we find the opportunities tomeet people from all over the world is one of the strengths of cruising.

[Basman]

I too hope te the OP continues on with hs review. However with this being his first post and a 2/13 join date, it sounds more like a venting session about RCI. To the OP, please understand the community has seen people use the forum to vent on RCI for there very first post, only to fade away into CC limbo. So keep a stiff upper lip and post away, you'll never see these people on the boards anyway. Just keep in mind, they can see through a poster's BS.

 

As to the point that a cruise line must or should disclose which groups are cruising, it really falls to you and your due diligence before booking. Most cruises have some sort of group on them and you'd never know it cause they blend right in. However, there can be groups that make there presence know and can set a tone for the cruise. Two such groups, on different cruises, were the Red Hat Ladies and another was a group of children with Downs Syndrome children. One group was a little stuffy the other would always bring a smile to your face.

 

One time a coworker's son made a reservation for a cruise and caught wind there was a large reservation for Atlantis. He thought that was different that the hotel in the Bahamas would rent out so many rooms for there staff for a single cruise, it was about 75% of the Voyager. I did a little checking and came to find out it was a gay cruise. This was around the time of the infamous Bear cruise. Needless to say he cancelled and got his money back.

 

Since then I always check the roll calls and google the ship name and date of sailing to see if there are any large groups that may alter the cruise. Be fore warned that RCI will do whatever it takes to sell every last cabin regardless of how they do it.

[Bettytrouble]

I'm sorry that the OP apparently did not enjoy his cruise.

 

That's just common sense.

 

Booking a suite entitles you to suite amenities, including the butler, who will make some arrangements for you. It doesn't mean you will be treated like royalty elsewhere. The passenger in the cheapest inside cabin gets service just as good as the passenger in the suite.

 

 

RCL does not have butlers for the suites. You have an attendant like every other passenger. There is no special treatment EVER other than the listed 'perks". The Concierge is a nice touch, but he /she helps with things like excursions and dinner reservations. We have had cranky stewards and we have had amazing stewards..all depends. Service is same in all classes of staterooms.

Edited February 21, 2013 by Bettytrouble

[celle]

RCL does not have butlers for the suites. You have an attendant like every other passenger. There is no special treatment EVER other than the listed 'perks". The Concierge is a nice touch, but he /she helps with things like excursions and dinner reservations. We have had cranky stewards and we have had amazing stewards..all depends. Service is same in all classes of staterooms.

 

My mistake. :o I got the terminology wrong. I meant the concierge - who probably could have helped to organise a suitable acknowledgment of the OP's wife's birthday.

Edited February 21, 2013 by celle

[Cotswold Eagle]

 

As to the point that a cruise line must or should disclose which groups are cruising, it really falls to you and your due diligence before booking. Most cruises have some sort of group on them and you'd never know it cause they blend right in. .

 

The OP is not talking about a group, or even a particlar nationality, on his cruise, his comments are about the cruises out of Colon being "immersion" cruises, i.e. particularly designed (by RCI) for speakers of a language other than English, including, for example, the entertainment.

 

I for one am interested to hear what he has to say, but based on what he said in his first post I would wonder about the travel agent, who should certainly have known about that.

[poopbag28]

To all those that feel insulted by the Gentleman's post:

 

Yes, he was entitled to be treated better than at least most of the ship. Suite passengers pay on average 4.9 times more than the average cruiser. 4.9 times. That means they pay for a single cabin nearly 5 times what you have paid. Do you honestly think that the corporate entity will ignore this fact? I can assure you they don't. Of course there will always be exceptions that will cause passengers to be disappointed. However, on average suite passengers are treated far better than the rest of the ship. I encourage you all to book a Royal Suite and see for the difference yourselves. If you don't have the 20 thousand or in some cases much more to book a cabin for two people then I apologize and you will have to take my word on it.

 

If you feel you need to tell yourself that all cabins receive the same level of attention or service to justify your lower deck balcony or cabin please continue to do so. I realize that only a small percentage of cruisers can reserve these top suites. However if you have the means to do so I encourage you to do such. The honest reality is that top suite passengers are treated like royalty as has been done since the days of Titanic. Albeit it's a bit less obvious or ostentatious now yet it still remains nonetheless.

 

Sir, I would like to hear your experience in the Royal Suite and why it may not have met your expectations. I am saddened to hear this although I would have had the situation rectified immediately and not tolerated anything less than the level of service that I am accustomed too.

Edited February 21, 2013 by poopbag28

[nieciez]

The fact that it is your first post on Cruise Critic doesn't discount its credibility if you give a balanced, well written review (which you have already begun to do.)

 

Well said....we all started out with our first post ;) Looking forward to reading more from the OP.

[akcruz]

I too would like to hear the rest of the OPs review. We have taken cruises in Europe and it was not the same as an "immersion" cruise. Yes, there were announcements in multiple languages as well as having a few shows in both the native language and english, but overall it was very much like a cruise from the US. This sounds very different and I would like to hear the OPs opinion.

 

There are times on CC where it is appropriate to "question" a poster, to me this is definitely not one of them. Let the OP finish or at least add something to question before you jump down their throats please. No wonder people are afraid to continue to post here.:(

[wolfcathorse]

I'd like to hear what the OP has to say as I was interested. I say was because Grandeur, nor any other RCI ship, will be sailing out of Colon next year. RCI has dropped this itinerary.

 

On a side note, I wonder what the other nationalities sailing out of US ports think of the predominate US passengers on the ship with them. Do they see us as rude, obnoxious, or haughty?

[Starry Eyes]

Sad that some people are already offended. I travel in part to experience other cultures and I do not consider other cultures inferior. From his first post, I did not garner the impression that the OP thinks so. I did gather that the OP did spend a bundle and had high expectations. Though I spend less, my experiences with RCI would set my expectations fairly high. And most people celebrating milestones set the bar high...at least here in N America. Maybe less elsewhere?

 

I have considered an immersion cruise because it might be interesting to experience another culture. Sadly, I do not have a flare for foreign languages, and I am reticent to try even few words for fear I will, via mispronunciation, say something inadvertently offensive. I hope the OP will return and share his experience.

[cruisenfever]

Booking a suite entitles you to suite amenities, including the butler, who will make some arrangements for you. It doesn't mean you will be treated like royalty elsewhere. The passenger in the cheapest inside cabin gets service just as good as the passenger in the suite.

Suite Guests on RCI do not have the services of a butler. Suite Guests on Celebrity do.

[lady_cruiser]

I don't think I understand something. Isn't the idea of an Immersion Cruise is to surround yourself by the language, culture, food and customs of another culture? So if you are on an immersion cruise and the majority of the people, staff and crew around you are speaking a different language aren't you immersing yourself?

 

So why complaint about being on a ship that majority of the passengers are speaking a different language if this was your purpose in the first place?

Edited February 21, 2013 by lady_cruiser

[jarz85]

Can we let the OP give his/her review without attacking? Please.

 

No offence to Royal Caribbean, but if I was going to spend at least $40,000 on cabins for my whole family... I would probably choose a more upmarket cruise line?

[dwjoe]

I don't think I understand something. Isn't the idea of an Immersion Cruise is to surround yourself by the language, culture, food and customs of another culture? So if you are on an immersion cruise and the majority of the people, staff and crew around you are speaking a different language aren't you immersing yourself?

 

So why complaint about being on a ship that majority of the passengers are speaking a different language if this was your purpose in the first place?

 

The main thing is that RC MUST BE ABSOLUTELY CLEAR ABOUT THIS CRUISE BEFORE allowing English-only North Americans to spend a dime on it. Fool me once - shame on me. In the end, I believe some of us enjoyed the cruise more than others. I have mixed feelings and may be somewhere in the middle.

 

Cultural differences manifest in numerous ways that are not explicit in literature and do make this cruise, I believe, quite different from being on an RC cruise marketed to North Americans. Enough for today...but I hope to continue while this is fresh in my head.

 

I think that's the OP's point. He says it wasn't made clear that it was an immersion cruise. Please withhold judgement until the OP completes his story.

Edited February 21, 2013 by dwjoe

[jessicalorene]

Sad that some people are already offended. I travel in part to experience other cultures and I do not consider other cultures inferior. From his first post, I did not garner the impression that the OP thinks so. I did gather that the OP did spend a bundle and had high expectations. Though I spend less, my experiences with RCI would set my expectations fairly high. And most people celebrating milestones set the bar high...at least here in N America. Maybe less elsewhere?

 

I have considered an immersion cruise because it might be interesting to experience another culture. Sadly, I do not have a flare for foreign languages, and I am reticent to try even few words for fear I will, via mispronunciation, say something inadvertently offensive. I hope the OP will return and share his experience.

 

If you are referring to my post stop jumping to conclusions: I merely commented on how a LOT of these threads turn out and why a few people watch with a weary eye. Thats all.

 

And whoever asked if other people see us Americans as pompous and rude when we travel the answer is probably yes.

[MisterOJ2]

I think that's the OP's point. He says it wasn't made clear that it was an immersion cruise. Please withhold judgement until the OP completes his story.

 

The OP also said he was working with a travel agent and not booking with RCI directly. So, I'm not sure how any "misunderstanding" about the cruise is RCI's fault. Seems like that would be on his travel agent.

[Rossie]

I don't think I understand something. Isn't the idea of an Immersion Cruise is to surround yourself by the language, culture, food and customs of another culture? So if you are on an immersion cruise and the majority of the people, staff and crew around you are speaking a different language aren't you immersing yourself?

 

So why complaint about being on a ship that majority of the passengers are speaking a different language if this was your purpose in the first place?

 

I'm with you on this Rosie, he states in the first line of his post that he came to Cruise Critic to do research before booking the cruise. He then states later on that he "horned his way into the prep work" for the trip with the travel agent.

 

The words Spanish, immersion and cruise, when juxtaposed would lead anyone to conclude that Spanish was likely to be the predominant language on board. Perhaps he thought they were in for some sort of Hispanic waterboarding.:)

 

To complain afterwards that they were misled by the cruise company only after paying the deposit is stretching my sympathy level a bit.

Edited February 21, 2013 by Rossie

[bbbearden]

RCL does not have butlers for the suites. You have an attendant like every other passenger. There is no special treatment EVER other than the listed 'perks". The Concierge is a nice touch, but he /she helps with things like excursions and dinner reservations. We have had cranky stewards and we have had amazing stewards..all depends. Service is same in all classes of staterooms.

 

 

I have to offer a different opinion, my first and only experience on RCCl was as a guest on a cruise from Venice, Italy. We were in a grand suite. I have to say that the level of service, the perks, and the extra little services that were offered to us did make me feel special and that the service we received was at a level above what I saw being offered to other passengers. It was not the "ship within a ship" concept I have seen discussed on other lines, but we were set apart in some areas and made to feel very special. Due to the superior service we received we have booked another Grand Suite on a western carib. cruise in about 2 weeks.

 

I do hope the OP will come back and post about his experience on the cruise. I have never done an immersion cruise but have twice cruised out of San Juan and loved both cruises even though there was a large part of the passenger base that spoke only or primarily Spanish. I think I would probably enjoy this type of cruise, but then I tend to like meeting people from different places and different cultures.

[FLAHAM]

I think that's the OP's point. He says it wasn't made clear that it was an immersion cruise. Please withhold judgement until the OP completes his story.

 

 

No, OP's point was that RCI literature did not explicitly warn about the (apparently unpleasant) cultural differences of fellow passengers.

Edited February 21, 2013 by FLAHAM

[CruisinGerman]

We spent a full month on the Grandeur in January and are going back next month, also in the Royal Suite.

 

The captain, hotel director, concierges, all of the staff treat people in the top suites royally on the Grandeur, much better than on other RCCL ships.

 

The majority of Colombians, Argentinians, Brazilians, Panamanians, Mexicans and other nationalities made the cruise fabulous. They were extremely well behaved, well dressed and really enjoyed partaking in all activities possible.

 

Much more fun than the cruises up north, whose passengers tend to go to bed at 10 p.m.

 

We had a fantastic time.

 

Kind regards,

 

Gunther and Uta

[spookwife]

To all those that feel insulted by the Gentleman's post:

 

. However, on average suite passengers are treated far better than the rest of the ship. I encourage you all to book a Royal Suite and see for the difference yourselves. I.

 

 

All we sail in are suites. outside of the Concierge lounge the only place my fancy gold Sea Pass card gets me 'better' treatment is in the segregated seating at the shows.

 

until we pull out our pass to pay for a drink at the bar nobody has a friggin' clue weather we are in the lowliest inside or the RFS.

 

 

and funny how the guy sitting next to us in that lowly inside gets treated just the same as we do

[poopbag28]

All we sail in are suites. outside of the Concierge lounge the only place my fancy gold Sea Pass card gets me 'better' treatment is in the segregated seating at the shows.

 

until we pull out our pass to pay for a drink at the bar nobody has a friggin' clue weather we are in the lowliest inside or the RFS.

 

 

and funny how the guy sitting next to us in that lowly inside gets treated just the same as we do

 

All suites are not created equal either. I highly recommend a week in a Royal Suite and see what the difference is. Of course having your staff inform the ship's personnel of your arrival greatly increases the level of attention.

 

And you will not be sitting next to as you so appropriately put it "the guy in that lowly inside ".

 

I wish you all the best and hope you realize that a Grand Suite or Owner's Suite are suites in name only.