"LIVE" from Grandeur of the Seas - July 11, 2013

[Clarea]

Celebrity Mercury was homeported here in Baltimore a few years ago, but I don't know if that was a Millenium-class ship or not:confused:

Mercury was a Century class ship, smaller than Millenium.

[Thetrail]

Have always watched cruise critic from afar on a friends screen at work. Finally decided to start my own account after seeing your various l

"live" reports. We cruise four times a year strictly with RCCL and hope to meet you someday. Keep up the fantastic "live" reports! I'll buy you a starbucks if our paths ever cross!.....Ken:)

[Luvscruising44]

If Baltimore isn't a viable port for a larger ship, I believe Norfolk, Va. could handle just about any size ship since there are no bridges. The Aircraft carriers have a draft of 50 ft., so any cruise ship could safely pass over the tunnel. The one snafu could possibly be the depth of the channel into the cruise port dock.

Don't understand why this port is under-utilized for cruises. Of course, I'd rather have ships in Baltimore because it is closer for me, but Norfolk is driveable for the mid-atlantic region and for people like me who prefer not to have to fly. The cruise industry is missng out on not having more ships on the east coast other than Florida. By the way, the Carnival Glory goes in and out of Norfolk (only very sporadically), and her draft is 27 feet so I am sure any ship with that depth could be based there. Personally, I'd love to be able to sail on the newer ships. I wish they would move the Explorer to Norfolk instead of the already over-utilized Port Canaveral. I love that ship. Luvs

[Clarea]

Mr. Radio, did you notice if there were any Coke Freestyle machines on Grandeur?

[leaveitallbehind]

Mr. Radio, did you notice if there were any Coke Freestyle machines on Grandeur?

 

...if you don't hear before then, we will be on her on 7/26 and I will let you know after that.

[Clarea]

...if you don't hear before then, we will be on her on 7/26 and I will let you know after that.

Thanks!

[KeywestK]

Mercury was a Century class ship, smaller than Millenium.

 

Thanks Bob! When Mercury was here in Baltimore, we hadn't sailed on X yet. We just did our first X cruise this past February on Eclipse:)

[cruzinlady1947]

Mr. Radio, did you notice if there were any Coke Freestyle machines on Grandeur?

I thought I read that they do not have them yet, but of course, I could be wrong. I remember being surprised when I read it. Radio will know for sure.

 

Gwen :)

[WetToes]

Thanks Bob! When Mercury was here in Baltimore, we hadn't sailed on X yet. We just did our first X cruise this past February on Eclipse:)

 

 

We sailed on the Mercury when she was in Balto. Wouldn't mind if she came back.

[ShakyBeef]

We sailed on the Mercury when she was in Balto. Wouldn't mind if she came back.

 

So did I, and so would I, but she's not coming back. She's not Celebrity Mercury anymore- she's Mein Schiff II, owned by TUI.;):(

 

 

[WetToes]

So did I, and so would I, but she's not coming back. She's not Celebrity Mercury anymore- she's Mein Schiff II, owned by TUI.;):(

 

 

 

Well thanks for ruining my day. ;)

JK! Was a fun time though.

[WilCruise]

Norfolk is just 10 mins further for us than Cape Liberty NJ, so that's a draw. But Baltimore is perfect. We are home in Frederick in less than an hour after we leave port. More like 45 mins and there is usually no traffic to speak of. Go Baltimore!!:D

[TPKeller]

If Baltimore isn't a viable port for a larger ship, I believe Norfolk, Va. could handle just about any size ship since there are no bridges. The Aircraft carriers have a draft of 50 ft., so any cruise ship could safely pass over the tunnel. The one snafu could possibly be the depth of the channel into the cruise port dock.

Don't understand why this port is under-utilized for cruises. Of course, I'd rather have ships in Baltimore because it is closer for me, but Norfolk is driveable for the mid-atlantic region and for people like me who prefer not to have to fly. The cruise industry is missng out on not having more ships on the east coast other than Florida. By the way, the Carnival Glory goes in and out of Norfolk (only very sporadically), and her draft is 27 feet so I am sure any ship with that depth could be based there. Personally, I'd love to be able to sail on the newer ships. I wish they would move the Explorer to Norfolk instead of the already over-utilized Port Canaveral. I love that ship. Luvs

You answered your own question! :)

 

Norfolk is at the southern end of the East Coast metropolis. Baltimore is more towards the middle. I believe that RCCL considers a 4 hour drive to be their reasonable expectation to attract drive-in cruisers, and the simple math shows that Baltimore is within 4 hours of a whole lot more people than Norfolk. Even for me, in north-central Virginia, Baltimore is closer.

 

Norfolk is a great port, I've sailed from there twice. They do have one less convenient issue, and that is the parking. Baltimore has on-site parking, literally a 3 minute walk from exiting the ship to your car (not counting customs and collecting your luggage, of course). Norfolk's parking area is about a mile away and requires a shuttle bus. Not horrible, but not as easy.

 

I do prefer sailing from Norfolk though, while the Chesapeake Bay is awesome to see, it's also fascinating to sail out through the port of Norfolk and pass by the Navy base.

 

Theron

[ShakyBeef]

Well thanks for ruining my day. ;)

JK! Was a fun time though.

 

I know what you mean. I actually shed tears:o over the retirement, sale, and removal from Baltimore of Mercury. I had hoped to sail her out of Baltimore many more times. Alas, I discovered her too late. *sigh*:(

 

I'm not a fan of the term, but if there was ever such a thing as a 'First World Problem', I suppose this would qualify.:rolleyes::p

[TPKeller]

I'm not a fan of the term, but if there was ever such a thing as a 'First World Problem', I suppose this would qualify.:rolleyes::p

Ha, now that made ME laugh! :)

 

The entire existence of Cruise Critic is nothing but a first world problem!

 

Theron

[ShakyBeef]

Ha, now that made ME laugh! :)

 

The entire existence of Cruise Critic is nothing but a first world problem!

 

Theron

 

You've definitely got a point, there.:cool:

[jchiefs13]

During the non-Summer months, Enchantment changed to longer itineraries. The worst case I personally experienced was in the Fall of 2011, during a 9 night Canada / New England cruise. In my late 40s, I estimate I was one of the 100 youngest passengers on the ship. There were literally 6 children on that sailing (1 was the son of the Staff Captain). We even made a game out of trying to spot them! Early seating was filled up MONTHS in advance, and Late seating seemed nearly vacant.

 

Laugh! I think that's the curse of the 9nt Canada trip. We had the same experience. I've never seen so many scooters, walkers, and fold up canes in my life! Everyone was asking how it felt to be the youngest people on board.

 

Mr. Radio, did you notice if there were any Coke Freestyle machines on Grandeur?

 

For what it's worth they did not have them on the fire sailing.

Judy

[Clarea]

...For what it's worth they did not have them on the fire sailing.

Judy

Thanks for the info.

[rkacruiser]

If Baltimore isn't a viable port for a larger ship, I believe Norfolk, Va. could handle just about any size ship since there are no bridges. The Aircraft carriers have a draft of 50 ft., so any cruise ship could safely pass over the tunnel. The one snafu could possibly be the depth of the channel into the cruise port dock.

Don't understand why this port is under-utilized for cruises. Of course, I'd rather have ships in Baltimore because it is closer for me, but Norfolk is driveable for the mid-atlantic region and for people like me who prefer not to have to fly. The cruise industry is missng out on not having more ships on the east coast other than Florida. By the way, the Carnival Glory goes in and out of Norfolk (only very sporadically), and her draft is 27 feet so I am sure any ship with that depth could be based there. Personally, I'd love to be able to sail on the newer ships. I wish they would move the Explorer to Norfolk instead of the already over-utilized Port Canaveral. I love that ship. Luvs

 

I agree with you that Norfolk would be a great port from which to sail for those of us who live in my area of the country. There has to be a reason why it has had difficulty in attracting cruise ships.

 

As another poster has stated, parking is a concern.

 

I have wondered about the possible congestion that could take place in people dropping off luggage or picking up people after a cruise in front of the terminal. I have visited the Hampton Roads area, but not since 2008, so maybe that area in front of the terminal has been enlarged since I last visited Norfolk.

 

When the Maasdam was sailing from Norfolk, HAL had difficulty in maintaining an on-time schedule due to sea conditions around Cape Hatteras. I do think that is why she was withdrawn from Norfolk.

 

Draft and size of the ship would not be a concern. If our aircraft carriers can sail through Hapton Roads, ships of the Oasis-class would have no dfifficulty. (Would the berth be able to handle them? Well, that could be an issue, I suppose.)

[TPKeller]

I agree with you that Norfolk would be a great port from which to sail for those of us who live in my area of the country. There has to be a reason why it has had difficulty in attracting cruise ships.

 

As another poster has stated, parking is a concern.

 

I have wondered about the possible congestion that could take place in people dropping off luggage or picking up people after a cruise in front of the terminal. I have visited the Hampton Roads area, but not since 2008, so maybe that area in front of the terminal has been enlarged since I last visited Norfolk.

 

When the Maasdam was sailing from Norfolk, HAL had difficulty in maintaining an on-time schedule due to sea conditions around Cape Hatteras. I do think that is why she was withdrawn from Norfolk.

 

Draft and size of the ship would not be a concern. If our aircraft carriers can sail through Hapton Roads, ships of the Oasis-class would have no dfifficulty. (Would the berth be able to handle them? Well, that could be an issue, I suppose.)

Think about it from the cruise line's perspective. They don't really care if the ship stops in Norfolk, or goes another 8 hours up the bay, they just want to reach more people to sustain the demand, and higher prices. There are simply more people who will cruise from Baltimore than from Norfolk.

 

The area around the terminal is much smaller than Baltimore, but it works. There is a constant flow of shuttle busses back and forth to the parking lot, as well as cars. It is a little more chaotic, just because it's smaller and more congested.

 

I don't think Cape Hatteras has anything to do with it. Any ship based out of any port north of Virginia, going to or from the Western Caribbean, The Bahamas or Florida has to go around Cape Hatteras. There are a lot of ships that do this every week now.

 

As another posted noted, the aircraft carriers dock very close to Hampton Roads, while the cruise terminal is 5 or 6 miles further up the Elizabeth River. There are a lot of big ships that go up that far, but I don't know if they have the draft of Oasis and Allure.

 

Theron

 

ETA: I found a chart of the Elizabeth River... channel depth up to the cruise terminal is at least 37 feet. :) Looks like depth at pier side is 34.

[Radio]

Radio.. do you happen to have any photos of handicapped rooms? And... are the Coke Freestyle machines onboard? (I know, what an annoying question).:)

 

Sorry there were NO Freestyle Coco-Cola machines on board. I love those machines.

 

 

I wil post some stock images of the Accessible Cabins soon. . .

 

 

Radio

;);)

[flames]

Radio, you do the best reviews so thank you for all you do:cool:

 

Carol:)

[RSLeesburg]

Think about it from the cruise line's perspective. They don't really care if the ship stops in Norfolk, or goes another 8 hours up the bay, they just want to reach more people to sustain the demand, and higher prices. There are simply more people who will cruise from Baltimore than from Norfolk.

 

The area around the terminal is much smaller than Baltimore, but it works. There is a constant flow of shuttle busses back and forth to the parking lot, as well as cars. It is a little more chaotic, just because it's smaller and more congested.

 

I don't think Cape Hatteras has anything to do with it. Any ship based out of any port north of Virginia, going to or from the Western Caribbean, The Bahamas or Florida has to go around Cape Hatteras. There are a lot of ships that do this every week now.

 

As another posted noted, the aircraft carriers dock very close to Hampton Roads, while the cruise terminal is 5 or 6 miles further up the Elizabeth River. There are a lot of big ships that go up that far, but I don't know if they have the draft of Oasis and Allure.

 

Theron

 

ETA: I found a chart of the Elizabeth River... channel depth up to the cruise terminal is at least 37 feet. :) Looks like depth at pier side is 34.

 

Baltimore is closer to DC, Philly, and NYC, and has a major airport and Amtrak service, so can attract more people than Norfolk. Plus, if I recall, the traffic down to Norfolk/Virginia Beach area in the summer months can be brutal. Also, I also read that parking was a major issue.

[Radio]

Here are some NEW ACC Pics from Grandeur.

 

These were not taken by me. They are RCCL owned images.

 

 

 

 

Radio

;);)

 

 

 

 

 

Accessible Junior Suite

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Accessible Balcony Cabin

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Accessible Ocean View

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Accessible Inside

 

 

 

 

 

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[Radio]

Radio, you do the best reviews so thank you for all you do:cool:

 

Carol:)

 

 

Wow, Thanks for the nice comments. ..

 

 

 

Radio

;);)

 

 

 

Grandeur of the Seas at Cruise Maryland in Baltimore, Md.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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