Grandeur of the Seas Be Wary 12/17-12/27

[Morecruisesplz]

14 hours ago, bren61 said:

This has me very concerned & upset to see how bad the condition of the ship is, as we are leaving tomorrow on our 12 day cruise on the Grandeur. I realized that this was an older ship when I booked our cruise but felt that RCCL has always maintained their ships pretty well, (obviously not this one), but some of these issues don't require a dry dock to make the ship presentable, such as the dust, sheets, towels, thermostats hanging out of the wall and the painting and varnishing. This almost makes me not want to go, but I guess I will try to overlook it and be grateful we are able to get away. Lesson learned today, no more booking on older ships. I will try to remember to comment on our thoughts when we return.

Please let us know your thoughts and experiences.

[NateUpNorth]

Reading the letter I thought "how bad could it really be?"
Seeing those photos - sheesh - nobody would pay what they ask for those accommodations/amenities if they saw those in advance

[Biker19]

8 minutes ago, NateUpNorth said:

Seeing those photos - sheesh - nobody would pay what they ask for those accommodations/amenities if they saw those in advance

The thing is, if you look hard enough you can probably find stuff like that even on Oasis.

 

Again, if wear and tear is a criterion for cruising, don't book anything more than about a 3–4-year-old ship.

[alfaeric]

One thing the letter does not mention is what they did while on the cruise.  

 

If I got soiled pool towels, I would have just returned them and pointed out that they are stained.  If we got soiled sheets, we would have mentioned that to the stateroom attendant immediately to change them.  Both of those- sometimes people miss stains as they go through the cleaning process.  

 

For the thermostat hanging down, I would have called maintenance and ask them to fix it.  

 

For the found condition of the ship, I've seen similar things on my very first cruse on the Monarch of the Seas back in 2001.  And different degrees of that since.  Some better, some worse.  Heck, I didn't even see what the issue of the stairs vs. what we just saw on the Liberty in December.  Anymore, I don't see that as a big deal at all, as you can see similar things from a distance on other ships.

 

Food- I get it that people are complaining a lot these days.  But that's happened every time the menu had a major turn over.  The big deal this time is more the loss of the "classics" to drop back on.  I will still contend that the food now is a lot better than it was on our first cruise in 2001.

 

Anyway, I do hope the OP tried to address this on board to deal with issues immediately instead of stewing on it, and then finding flaws as time went on.  We've had WAY better luck getting things dealt with on board, INCLUDING unexpected compensation.  Yes, we got compensation on board which we never expected or asked for.  Heck, we've even become friends with people in GS when they have become so helpful.  

 

Issues happen.  IHMO, its better to deal with them immediately if they need to.

[Engineroom Snipe]

1 hour ago, Biker19 said:

The thing is, if you look hard enough you can probably find stuff like that even on Oasis.

 

Again, if wear and tear is a criterion for cruising, don't book anything more than about a 3–4-year-old ship.

Adding to @Biker19's point:

 

I sailed on Oasis in September of 2022 and 2023. I have mentioned that my wife and I walk at least five miles per day on a cruise. In this case, it was on deck 5. Normally from 7:55am to 10am. 

 

EVERY day we saw crew washing the decks, vacuuming the gunnels of water (so they would not rust), touch-up painting (to the point of having to shutdown part of the walking track so they did not drip paint on passengers) and maintaining the lifeboats. This was not a one-off. I saw crew working on that deck everyday. We greeted the crew with a smile and "Hello" and were always responded in kind. We passed many of them our whole walk (15 revolutions).

 

Side note, I did see dishes and cups go unnoticed by this crew for almost two hours. I joked with my wife that the officers left items for clean-up to see how long they would go without action (failure, we constantly noticed the same dishes and cups in different locations on different days with crew just walking by them).

 

If the ship showed some wear, I felt the crew was constantly trying to address it.

 

I can appreciate trying to keep a ship this large from showing signs of rust in a corrosive saltwater environment as it is nearly impossible to address every little rust streak instantaneously.

 

The OP does have a point about how badly some of the wear looks on that particular ship at that particular time.

 

I rarely pay a high price point for older ships so I am willing to accept some of this wear compared to paying peak top dollar cruise prices (I would not be a happy camper).

 

I adapt my expectations according to the price point I pay.

[Cruising89143]

I have been cruising with RCI for over twenty years and I have never witnessed a ship in as bad shape as the photos are showing and I cruise on ships older than three or four years old. At one RCI cared about ongoing ship maintenance. Right now it’s paying back those loans. 
 

We cruised on the NV just after the Covid restart. The large pool side screen was distorted with a green hue. I spoke with one of the officers and he said that corporate would not approve the funds to replace. It took a year to get the screen replaced. 

[notscb]

On 1/21/2024 at 12:13 AM, BigPapi21 said:

The letter with names was sent in December to RC, there has been no reply

I haven't read through the thread yet- but based on the length of your letter I'm not surprised you didn't get a response.

 

Try re-sending a brief letter with bullet points and a potential resolution you'd have in mind. If you already had a meeting with them to discuss your concerns, they might just file the letter away anyway. Best of luck.

[bren61]

5 hours ago, Morecruisesplz said:

Please let us know your thoughts and experiences.

I will, maybe he weekend after we get back. Had I seen these pictures prior to booking I would have booked a different ship.

[wreckem2013]

It’s pretty clear that Vision and Radiance class ships are going to be retired in the next 5 years or so. I don’t think the Voyager class ships will be far behind. 

[Morecruisesplz]

1 hour ago, bren61 said:

I will, maybe he weekend after we get back. Had I seen these pictures prior to booking I would have booked a different ship.

Thank you! Go with an open mind (if you can un-remember the photos) and form your own opinions. 

[luv_crusing]

After reading this post, we are kind of worried since we will also be on the Grandeur at the end of next month for a 10 night cruise..

 

While booking, we were well aware of the age of this ship, but we've been on quite a few RC ships, and they were all very well maintained. But then again, we have not cruised since 2015, so things may have changed quite a bit since Covid...

 

In any case, keep and open mind, and we are looking forward to your reading your feedback...

 

 

[Saab4444]

8 hours ago, wreckem2013 said:

It’s pretty clear that Vision and Radiance class ships are going to be retired in the next 5 years or so. I don’t think the Voyager class ships will be far behind. 

It is not that pretty clear as they can not simply retire all smaller ships without having at least some replacements that are required for many itineraries and ports.

[A&L_Ont]

On 1/22/2024 at 8:02 PM, HicksRA said:

It’s hard for the Royal cheerleaders to poo poo this complaint when the pics back it up.

I spent 16 nights on Radiance in October and was saddened to see the demise of what I believe is one of the most beautiful and ornate ships ever in Royal’s fleet. 

The efficiency experts are killing the brand. 

 

The brand is being held back for sure.  Jason Liberty is my guess to be the main “hostage” taker.
 

Oasis and the big girls are making their way there slowly over time. Oasis turns 15 soon, half the age of Grandeur.

 

14 hours ago, Biker19 said:

The thing is, if you look hard enough you can probably find stuff like that even on Oasis.

 

Again, if wear and tear is a criterion for cruising, don't book anything more than about a 3–4-year-old ship.

You said that the other day on a different thread.   I  agree with you. RC certainly can’t hide the big items not fixed over time, but if one looks on the newer ships you can always find small items of disrepair.

Edited January 24 by A&L_Ont

[bren61]

8 hours ago, Morecruisesplz said:

Thank you! Go with an open mind (if you can un-remember the photos) and form your own opinions. 

I definitely will!

[Buffettphan1]

I have to take 5his with a grain of salt. If you look hard enough you will find problems. Every review I have watched on YouTube in the last 12 months has been very good. I’ll be my own critic in March. 

[Another_Critic]

I remember when the jogging track infrastructure was broken above the towel station.  It had no impact on any my cruises before or after they fixed it at the next drydock.

[ILOVESHIPS]

I just got off the Grandeur.    The  Captain is not heard or  visible on the  ship.  Also the Hotel Director and Staff  captain never  seen.  I have never been on a ship where there is no   noon  day   talk from the   bridge.

[BigPapi21]

“Anyway, I do hope the OP tried to address this on board to deal with issues immediately instead of stewing on it, and then finding flaws as time went on.  We've had WAY better luck getting things dealt with on board, INCLUDING unexpected compensation. “

 

Please know that we tried to address these concerns while on the ship with GSV. I left out of the original post that we tried to address these issue half way through the cruise. There were several at seas days. The towels and linens we more than one occasion, the broken jacuzzis in the solarium was for the entirety of the cruise. We removed peoples names out of respect. We were not looking for compensation. We believe that RCL taking families money on a Christmas cruise knowing this was its condition is just unethical. The ports were fabulous and we spent as much time off the ship as possible. We were not looking for issues but were reminded every time we returned to the stateroom.

[Engineroom Snipe]

@BigPapi21,

 

This was your first posting on Cruise Critic.

 

Overall, the cruise just seemed to be one awful situation for you.

 

I have been lucky that in my many years of cruising, I have not had to endure a cruise that you have experienced.

 

Some were great, so many were very good, but none as disappointing as yours.

 

After such an experience as yours, you would probably not cruise again and no one would blame you.

 

It is what it is.

 

Thank you for sharing your experience.

[Germancruiser]

Grandeur was my first cruise - well my first cruise on a Mega- Liner- as the Grandeur was called during her Inaugural season- that cruise was in 1996. Loved the ship- loved RCI - unforgetable cruise- since then I spend almost all my vacations on board ships. Grandeur is slowly approching her 30th year- an old Lady now. I was rather shocked, seeing those  pictures. Well not the hardware- the ship itself- but of the maintenance level. Shabby is not chic my opion. This shabbyness of furniture could easy remedied. A 30 year old ship is an old ship - no question about it. Old pipes, old superstructur and so on. But soft goods- no excuse for that. They charge a pretty penny- so RCI should not let that happen.

I stopped sailing RCI about ten years ago- just no longer to my liking- to much Party to less class! The then new introduced towel policy was the turning point for me. Cruising with RCI is just no longer someting special - the experience - well the last one - changed beyond regocniton - compared to the 1996 experience.

[OBX-Cruisers]

On 1/21/2024 at 12:09 PM, lenquixote66 said:

We cruised on the Grandeur in 2015,2016,2017 and 2018 all in the same cabin because our Stewards were great and we loved the cabin.

I am visibly handicapped and the Hotel Manager was wonderful to me as was the wait staff.There were no negatives for us.However,having not been on the ship for 5 plus years I cannot comment on the OP’s issues.

You likely did those cruises out of Baltimore where we fell in love with the Grandeur along with many hundreds of people in that area during the years you mentioned.  We were on the Grandeur 4 times and loved each voyage.  It is very sad to see RCI letting the small ships go without proper maintenance and cleaning.  Their focus has now become money it seems from the reviews I have read about the changes in the buffet and dining room menus along with major changes in entertainment.  Apparently all their attention has not gone to the massive ships that make tons of that cash they are focused on.

[lenquixote66]

11 hours ago, OBX-Cruisers said:

You likely did those cruises out of Baltimore where we fell in love with the Grandeur along with many hundreds of people in that area during the years you mentioned.  We were on the Grandeur 4 times and loved each voyage.  It is very sad to see RCI letting the small ships go without proper maintenance and cleaning.  Their focus has now become money it seems from the reviews I have read about the changes in the buffet and dining room menus along with major changes in entertainment.  Apparently all their attention has not gone to the massive ships that make tons of that cash they are focused on.

I would assume that owners of cruise ships were always in it for the money .

[Cruiser24]

We just got off the 12 night Southern Caribbean sailing on Grandeur.  I read the OP's review just before  leaving and was rather disheartened.  Thankfully, we did not have the same experience.  

 

We prefer the same ships and are well aware that most of them need to be updated.  You can see wear and tear on furniture both in the cabin and around the ship.  This is to be expected when these ships are 20+ years old and I absolutely agree this needs to be addressed by Royal.  However, I did not think that the Grandeur was "filthy and ill maintained".  It seems that all day, every day, there were crew members cleaning in the public areas but indoors and out.  

 

We ate in the MDR most nights and found it to be quite good.  The food was hot when delivered and we enjoyed the variation the menu.  On the nights we ate in the WJ, we also had no complaints.  I did not seem to us that they served the same food every day.  

 

We did not go into the solarium, fitness room or sit on the pool deck so I cannot address those areas.  

 

My problem with the linens is not that they are threadbare but that they are SO ROUGH!  I have a problem with this on every ship.  

 

Since we cruise with Royal a lot, we had seen several of the entertainers and production shows before.  Nothing outstanding but fine, especially for first time cruisers.  

 

We also found the app to have incorrect information on many occasions.  

 

One thing I absolutely agree on is the WIFI.  It was horrible.  We had no WIFI service in our room and had to go the Schooner Bar to sign on.  

 

Even though it is old and could use some TLC, we would not hesitate to go on the Grandeur again.

[sgmn]

On 2/3/2024 at 4:28 PM, lenquixote66 said:

I would assume that owners of cruise ships were always in it for the money .

But one presumes they want to be proud of their product, if only to get repeat custom 

[bren61]

On 2/7/2024 at 2:59 PM, Cruiser24 said:

We just got off the 12 night Southern Caribbean sailing on Grandeur.  I read the OP's review just before  leaving and was rather disheartened.  Thankfully, we did not have the same experience.  

 

We prefer the same ships and are well aware that most of them need to be updated.  You can see wear and tear on furniture both in the cabin and around the ship.  This is to be expected when these ships are 20+ years old and I absolutely agree this needs to be addressed by Royal.  However, I did not think that the Grandeur was "filthy and ill maintained".  It seems that all day, every day, there were crew members cleaning in the public areas but indoors and out.  

 

We ate in the MDR most nights and found it to be quite good.  The food was hot when delivered and we enjoyed the variation the menu.  On the nights we ate in the WJ, we also had no complaints.  I did not seem to us that they served the same food every day.  

 

We did not go into the solarium, fitness room or sit on the pool deck so I cannot address those areas.  

 

My problem with the linens is not that they are threadbare but that they are SO ROUGH!  I have a problem with this on every ship.  

 

Since we cruise with Royal a lot, we had seen several of the entertainers and production shows before.  Nothing outstanding but fine, especially for first time cruisers.  

 

We also found the app to have incorrect information on many occasions.  

 

One thing I absolutely agree on is the WIFI.  It was horrible.  We had no WIFI service in our room and had to go the Schooner Bar to sign on.  

 

Even though it is old and could use some TLC, we would not hesitate to go on the Grandeur again.

We were also on your sailing and were very concerned after reading the OP review. I seen a few imperfections, but nothing I couldn't over look and didn't impact our cruise in anyway. With that being said we both realized the bigger ships are more suited for us.

 

One thing that I do hope they do at the refurbishment is replacing the whole shower unit and include doors. The shower curtain sticking to my body was my biggest complaint every day.

 

As far as the ports, Columbia is a port that I would never leave the port gates. Really there is no need to since they have a really nice zoo area without having to leave. We heard of some horrifying experiences that happened to several people in Columbia and 3 of them were our table mates, a brother and 2 sisters in their 30s, at our main dining table. They were held and robbed from the cartel, taken to an ATM to drain their accts and sent back to the port to bum money from whoever they could. The girls were not allowed to speak and were held  by the group of 12, and the brother was sent into port. The taxi driver called the Police and they were eventually let go. They are just so very lucky to be alive. I tried to warn them not to go outside if port and they said, we should have listened to you. 

 

The other incident was 2 beautiful little children was physically trying to be taken from their parents, on a ship's excursion, until everyone seen what was happening and then the entire group surrounded the mother and child so they couldn't get to them. I really think RCCL should not be doing port stops there, it is not safe.

 

Overall we had a great cruise....but the day we got home I tested positive for Covid. I'm so glad this didn't happen in the middle of our trip, because I've been really sick with this, and yes, we had our boosters 3 weeks before our cruise.

 

Happy sailing to those of you going on this ship, it will be fine. If it's not to your liking, just do what we are for our next cruise, going bigger. We have the Odyssey booked for next January.