Grandeur of the Seas 1/11/14 Photo and Video Blowout Review!

[DEIx15x8]

Today I've got the Captain's Welcome Aboard Reception done.

 

 

During our sailing the team was:

 

Captain: Trond Holm

Staff Captain: Matiez

Chief Engineer: Harri Kulmajärvi

Hotel Director: John Rae

Human Resources Manager: Kevin Dunn

Food & Beverage Manager: Emmanouil Kampanakis

Senior Doctor:

Loyalty & Cruise Sales Manager: Danney League

Cruise Director: Jeffrey Arpin

Executive Chef: Chris

 

In May I had said that the Welcome Aboard Reception on the Grandeur was the most incredible I've seen, unfortunately rough seas prevented any kind of aerialist activities that during the first part of the sailing so it was a more traditional reception.

 

In case your interested, for comparison here is the more exciting Aerialist driven one from May as well: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Awc1t0cZzKQ

[DEIx15x8]

Today I've got the Seasons of the Centrum Aerial show from January 16th. Last cruise I created some spectacular videos of the practice, shows, and a multi-cam edit. This time since they scheduled them based on the MDR seatings I only was able to attend the second showing and chose to watch from deck 7 right next to the main staging area. I focused on the technical side of things for this video, choosing to film the sway tests (delayed the show and almost canceled it) and transitions between scenes. Hope everyone enjoys:

 

For those interested here are the ones from May:

-Practice:

-8:15 Deck 5 (Enjoy the show):

-10:15 Deck 7 (Experience the efforts):

-Multi-Cam Edit (Simply spectacular):

[Lady Hudson]

Thanks, enjoyed your review. It has been several years since we were on Grandeur but have the 4/12 voyage scheduled. Looking forward to the great food:)

[DEIx15x8]

Thanks, enjoyed your review. It has been several years since we were on Grandeur but have the 4/12 voyage scheduled. Looking forward to the great food:)

 

You certainly won't be disappointed there. Best food in the fleet award for 2013 and I can say that from May to January they were consistently the best I've had so I wouldn't expect any less from them in April.

[DEIx15x8]

Another aerial video today, this time the "Sun" special performance. It is a one song performance done to Elton John's Don't Let The Sun Go Down On Me. In May they performed it one time as the finale of the Summer Breeze singers set. This time they did it twice on the final night as standalone events. This caused quite a bit of anger from many guests who expected much more than a single song and were not happy about waiting so long for it. I attended both performances and edited them together into a great multi-cam video, hope you enjoy!

 

If interested, for comparison here is the May video as well:

[OBX-Cruisers]

Appreciate knowing who was the Cruise Director on this cruise........Thanks

[Cruzoholic]

Jeffrey Arpin was the Cruise director. He went home after the next cruise on 1/31.

 

Happy sailing!

Evie

[DEIx15x8]

Sorry about the break in videos. Things have been a bit hectic with all the snow storms this past week and my Internet hasn't been very cooperative either.

 

Today's video is the first of the two Centrum parties, the 50's and 60's Sock Hop Centrum Party. This took place on the 3rd night, January 13th, 2014.

Edited February 17, 2014 by DEIx15x8

[DEIx15x8]

Today I've got the final onboard entertainment video, the 70's Disco Inferno Centrum Party. This took place on January 18th, the night of our final port of call as we started heading back north.

 

 

For this sailing the lighting board failed and they were unable to properly take advantage of the new features of the Centrum, this event more than any seemed to show that. Have a look at the same event from May with the full lighting system running, it feels completely different.

 

Now things will take on a more port and other ship focus.

Edited February 18, 2014 by DEIx15x8

[karen1821]

Love it! Love it! Can't get enough of Dez at the Disco Inferno. My favorite show. Thanks so much for a great review. Now I can watch this video whenever I need a cruise high, which is probably at least once a week. Makes me smile every time.

[#1TravelMom]

I am utterly ASTOUNDED!!! I have been cruising for 27 years and reading reviews for as long as Cruise Critic has posted them. Your reviews, photos, videos - amazing! I can't imagine the time you have involved in this "project". It's all I can do to figure out how to post a picture. You definitely get my vote for BEST REVIEW EVER!

[DEIx15x8]

Love it! Love it! Can't get enough of Dez at the Disco Inferno. My favorite show. Thanks so much for a great review. Now I can watch this video whenever I need a cruise high, which is probably at least once a week. Makes me smile every time.

 

Thanks for watching, glad you enjoyed it! Desmond is such a great outgoing guy, he had a way of making every interaction feel like you were old friends and certainly knew how to get everyone involved.

 

I am utterly ASTOUNDED!!! I have been cruising for 27 years and reading reviews for as long as Cruise Critic has posted them. Your reviews, photos, videos - amazing! I can't imagine the time you have involved in this "project". It's all I can do to figure out how to post a picture. You definitely get my vote for BEST REVIEW EVER!

 

Thanks so much! Be sure to keep watching, I've got some port arrival/departure/other ship videos coming as well as possibly a beta video for TheCruiseView (still not sure how I want to handle this new informational blog series). I'll certainly have a ton of exciting things coming for Quantum of the Seas this fall as well and just booked Jewel of the Seas this week as part of a big west coast Disneyland trip in 2015!

[DEIx15x8]

Today I've got a video for our first port of call Cozumel, Mexico. It features the Costa Luminosa which we passed at sea around 1am as well as the arrival of the AIDABella with us at 6am. It then has the Carnival Conquest, MSC Divina, and Carnival Ecstasy arrivals. Finally it shows our departure from Cozumel as well sailed away and the rough seas and winds at the time including a nice shot of it "raining" on the promenade deck from the amount of sea mist blowing off the waves.

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H2lT1DoYR5o

[karen1821]

WOW! I also booked the same cruise on Jewel on Sept. 18 next year. Snagged an aft balcony. So excited for that one. I have never been to California, except to fly in for a cruise to Hawaii. Can't wait to see San Fran and the redwoods.

[karen1821]

By the way, I just took notice we don't live too far from each other. Had enough snow? Come on spring!!!

[DEIx15x8]

WOW! I also booked the same cruise on Jewel on Sept. 18 next year. Snagged an aft balcony. So excited for that one. I have never been to California, except to fly in for a cruise to Hawaii. Can't wait to see San Fran and the redwoods.

 

Never been west of Pittsburg so I'm really looking foreword to seeing California and this seems like the perfect way. I went to Disney World in October and decided I had to get to Disneyland. 2015 is the 60th anniversary and it just happened that in October a RCCL showed up in LA's port schedule making it the perfect time. I originally booked the 26th round trip from LA but switched to the 18th. I figured that if we have to fly all the way to and from the west coast we might as well get to see a little more of it. It should be a lot of fun. Never done a radiance class ship or a port intensive itinerary before though so it'll be a new experience for me. We booked cabin 8088 on deck 8 on the hump next to the glass elevators.

 

By the way, I just took notice we don't live too far from each other. Had enough snow? Come on spring!!!

 

Wow, really didn't expect anyone else from PA to be flying to the west coast, great to know it won't all be BC and CA people onboard. I know the Grandeur is almost all MD and PA people. I've been enjoying all these snow days at work, but I'm so tired of shoveling! I wouldn't mind some bursts of spring between the snow just to get it melted. We've just got too much to drive or park anywhere lately.

[cruiserking]

Terrific pictures of the Grandeur Derek, thanks for posting them. I will be perusing these shots over the next year in anticipation of our cruise aboard her next February. Just completed our first ever voyage with RCCL aboard Explorer and fell in love with the cruise line and the ship.

 

Jonathan

[Bonnie Voyager]

Never been west of Pittsburg so I'm really looking foreword to seeing California and this seems like the perfect way. I went to Disney World in October and decided I had to get to Disneyland. 2015 is the 60th anniversary and it just happened that in October a RCCL showed up in LA's port schedule making it the perfect time. I originally booked the 26th round trip from LA but switched to the 18th. I figured that if we have to fly all the way to and from the west coast we might as well get to see a little more of it. It should be a lot of fun. Never done a radiance class ship or a port intensive itinerary before though so it'll be a new experience for me. We booked cabin 8088 on deck 8 on the hump next to the glass elevators.

 

 

 

Wow, really didn't expect anyone else from PA to be flying to the west coast, great to know it won't all be BC and CA people onboard. I know the Grandeur is almost all MD and PA people. I've been enjoying all these snow days at work, but I'm so tired of shoveling! I wouldn't mind some bursts of spring between the snow just to get it melted. We've just got too much to drive or park anywhere lately.

 

And I am another East-Coaster (Delaware) headed to Vancouver to sail on the September 18th Jewel of the Seas Pacific Coast cruise! Have you joined our roll call yet? http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1993096 Come on over! :D

[DEIx15x8]

And I am another East-Coaster (Delaware) headed to Vancouver to sail on the September 18th Jewel of the Seas Pacific Coast cruise! Have you joined our roll call yet? http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1993096 Come on over! :D

 

Thanks, I just joined!

[Jacru]

Thanks for taking the time to deliver a thorough review of your trip.

 

Jan

[DEIx15x8]

Today I've got a very Royal video featuring no other Royal Caribbean ship docked with us but two passed at sea! Today's video is on our arrival and departure from Grand Cayman on January 16th, 2014. In the early hours about 12:15am I spotted the Brilliance of the Seas in the distance. It was easy to do since I knew she was traveling from Grand Cayman to Cozumel while we did the opposite and even calculated out based on the distance and travel time that we should have crossed paths at 12:30am. Since she officially passed us within 5 minutes of that time I was pretty impressed with how well the math actually worked out, lol. Following the Brilliance though was the Carnival Breeze who I hadn't realized would be in the area. The seas were a bit rough that night and you can easily see the waves splashing up to the promenade deck on the Breeze.

 

In the morning as we neared Grand Cayman I spotted the Allure of the Seas off in the distance. She was on a sea day headed from Falmouth to Cozumel and even from a distance looked huge. Nobody was able to dock in George Town due to the sea conditions so everyone was shifted over to Spotts Bay. The Norwegian Pearl docked about 2 hours ahead of us and the Carnival Liberty was right in front of us as we made our arrival. I included some footage of the tendering which was pretty crazy with the boats raising and falling nearly a full deck at times. As well as footage from our visit to the deserted George Town port area where the waves were smashing into the coast.

 

[tispwisp]

Thanks so much for taking the time to write this awesome review! We are considering this ship for Bermuda and really like how much glass there is to the sea which is unlike the Oasis Class ships. Looking forward to sailing on a smaller ship as well!

[DEIx15x8]

Today I've got an absolutely beautiful sunrise over Royal Caribbean's new port of Falmouth Jamaica. We had a 7am arrival along with the Louis Cristal who docked at Montego Bay and could be seen in the distance. It was a beautiful day until some showers in the afternoon. I've got a complete port tour coming up as well.

 

[DEIx15x8]

I've got the arrival and departure from paradise, Labadee, to share today. We arrived at about 9:30am and the Explorer of the Seas was already in port having arrived at 8:00am. It was an incredibly hazy looking day leaving the island of Haiti cloaked in mystery. As we got closer the haze gave way to the detailed beauty of the mountains.

 

The Explorer was the first to leave at 4:00pm. As she started to depart she blew her horn to try and get the Grandeur to respond but she wasn't having any of it. Later though as the Explorer was turned to the sea and getting ready to leave the Grandeur behind she gave it another go and this time the Grandeur responded leading to a quick horn battle. It's always fun to see these massive ships talking to one another.

 

The Grandeur then left at 5:00pm as the sun began to set over Haiti.

 

Arrival and Departure Video:

 

[DEIx15x8]

Today is the final video the series. It is the Baltimore arrival and departure. The departure day was met with heavy fog and rain. On our way out the fog creates some beautiful scenes and as we passed under the bridge we were met with tons of ice to carve our way through.

 

 

 

Next up I will be working on TheCruiseView, an informational series that I filmed for each day of the sailing complete with the cruise compass, menus, location, and weather. This will be very media heavy with video/photos of many of the events to help go along with it and will really bring the whole series together. I am not very comfortable in front of the camera and did it more as a beta for Quantum in November so I will be editing all 10 episodes, but based on what kind of feedback people have on here I may choose to only post the 10th day, when I was most comfortable. I'm not sure yet, please let me know your thoughts on this project.