Grandeur question

[Catnip]

We currently have a "hold" on a Grandeur cruise next spring.  Aft cabin, 2 bedroom "Grand Suite"

Was wondering, in general, how this older ship is holding up?   I've read some reviews saying how bad it is cosmetically and food is subpar, but everyone says the crew is great.
The Vision and Radiance class are my favorite RCCL ships, have sailed on quite a few of them, but in years past.  Would love to do another sailing for
"old times sake", but am now getting a little concerned.
And does anyone know about the balcony....do they still have lounge chairs on the balcony?

Any info will be appreciated. 

[firefly333]

I did grandeur and wasnt my favorite but bad timing. I was on it out of texas right first time, after it came from the islands. Had bugs in my bathroom pipes first 2 legs for instance. So I'm probably not the right person to ask. Had a dominating waiter one leg, I went above her. She told me what I could order. Back then they still had 3 menus kids regular and vegetarian and she said i wasnt allowed to order anything not on regular menu twice .. they put me at a table with newbies who were ok with being told what she suggested they order. I knew i was allowed to order from the kids or other menu that were fleet wide. 

 

I havent been back on her. I saw she was out of Tampa next year. Decided no for me.

[Biker19]

1 hour ago, Catnip said:

I've read some reviews saying how bad it is cosmetically and food is subpar, but everyone says the crew is great

Most of that can change with every sailing and food is very subjective. Search a site like cruisedeckplans to see pics/video of the cabins - also look at Enchnatment as that should be the same for those aft cabins.

[smokeybandit]

Ignore any review that discusses food or condition.

 

 

[RoperDK]

We were on a B2B on Grandeur this April in a regular GS.  It was our first time on a smaller ship and we were actually quite impressed.  It was the second sailing once it came out of drydock.  I thought everything looked just fine, but then I don't go out of my way to look for scuffed furniture or worn upholstery.  Our cabin looked like it had been recently refreshed and looked great.  We did have a lounger on our side balcony, along with a table and two chairs.  The internet was screaming fast!  Most meals were very good. The service from the crew really stood out.  We did have a couple of cabin maintenance issues that were quickly fixed.  We will definitely cruise on her again.  I don't think that this class of ship is the best choice for kids, though.    

[firefly333]

11 minutes ago, RoperDK said:

The internet was screaming fast! 

Wow that's a big improvement then. When I was on I could email but not attach a picture to a email and send and I tried various locations. I was ok but wifi was terrible. 

[edrussell]

Grandeur was one of my favorite ships.  For reference we've been on Wonder/Oasis/Anthem etc.  The crew alone for me is one of the biggest reasons.  We knew going in what her age was, and some older carpet or rust on the hull makes no difference to us.  That said we were impressed with her condition.  We'd sail her again in a heartbeat.  Just know what you are getting into.  DO NOT go on expecting Icon.

 

[biomedbob]

Only been on 104 cruises.  Grandeur is our favorite and will be first choice if available.

[RoperDK]

21 minutes ago, firefly333 said:

Wow that's a big improvement then. When I was on I could email but not attach a picture to a email and send and I tried various locations. I was ok but wifi was terrible. 

We had heard about the terrible internet from previous reviews, but during the drydock they totally upgraded the infrastructure for the Wi-Fi.  There were repeaters everywhere.  Great reception even on the balcony!  

[Catnip]

1 hour ago, edrussell said:

Grandeur was one of my favorite ships.  For reference we've been on Wonder/Oasis/Anthem etc.  The crew alone for me is one of the biggest reasons.  We knew going in what her age was, and some older carpet or rust on the hull makes no difference to us.  That said we were impressed with her condition.  We'd sail her again in a heartbeat.  Just know what you are getting into.  DO NOT go on expecting Icon.

 

Thank you!   Yes, almost every single review I've read comments on how wonderful the crew is on Grandeur. I have sailed on several ships in this class years ago and love it.  I prefer the smaller-mid size ships .

[Catnip]

1 hour ago, RoperDK said:

We had heard about the terrible internet from previous reviews, but during the drydock they totally upgraded the infrastructure for the Wi-Fi.  There were repeaters everywhere.  Great reception even on the balcony!  

Thanks, my husband will be happy to hear that!   We're not on the internet much during a cruise, but do rely on it for daily texts from our cat sitter  😂

[Catnip]

1 hour ago, biomedbob said:

Only been on 104 cruises.  Grandeur is our favorite and will be first choice if available.

I love the Vision and Radiance class.....my favorite's.   I remember when they were HUGE compared to Song of Norway & Song of America  🤣

 

[Catnip]

2 hours ago, smokeybandit said:

Ignore any review that discusses food or condition.

 

 

I usually do, but there were so many bad reviews and the majority were complaining about similar things about food quality and maintenance.   But, I really want to sail on this class of ship  as I would imagine they will retire them in the not-to-distant future, so we're gonna go for it!

[Catnip]

2 hours ago, Biker19 said:

Most of that can change with every sailing and food is very subjective. Search a site like cruisedeckplans to see pics/video of the cabins - also look at Enchnatment as that should be the same for those aft cabins.

Thank you, will check it out!!!!

[smokeybandit]

People most likely to do reviews are also most likely to think every cruise ship will be like Icon or Wonder.

[Catnip]

2 hours ago, RoperDK said:

We were on a B2B on Grandeur this April in a regular GS.  It was our first time on a smaller ship and we were actually quite impressed.  It was the second sailing once it came out of drydock.  I thought everything looked just fine, but then I don't go out of my way to look for scuffed furniture or worn upholstery.  Our cabin looked like it had been recently refreshed and looked great.  We did have a lounger on our side balcony, along with a table and two chairs.  The internet was screaming fast!  Most meals were very good. The service from the crew really stood out.  We did have a couple of cabin maintenance issues that were quickly fixed.  We will definitely cruise on her again.  I don't think that this class of ship is the best choice for kids, though.    

 

[Catnip]

2 hours ago, RoperDK said:

We were on a B2B on Grandeur this April in a regular GS.  It was our first time on a smaller ship and we were actually quite impressed.  It was the second sailing once it came out of drydock.  I thought everything looked just fine, but then I don't go out of my way to look for scuffed furniture or worn upholstery.  Our cabin looked like it had been recently refreshed and looked great.  We did have a lounger on our side balcony, along with a table and two chairs.  The internet was screaming fast!  Most meals were very good. The service from the crew really stood out.  We did have a couple of cabin maintenance issues that were quickly fixed.  We will definitely cruise on her again.  I don't think that this class of ship is the best choice for kids, though.    

Thank you, that makes me feel better.  We will not be traveling with kids and don't need all the "bells & whistles" of a mega-ship.  We just want a balcony with loungers we can relax on & decent food. 

[Catnip]

3 hours ago, firefly333 said:

I did grandeur and wasnt my favorite but bad timing. I was on it out of texas right first time, after it came from the islands. Had bugs in my bathroom pipes first 2 legs for instance. So I'm probably not the right person to ask. Had a dominating waiter one leg, I went above her. She told me what I could order. Back then they still had 3 menus kids regular and vegetarian and she said i wasnt allowed to order anything not on regular menu twice .. they put me at a table with newbies who were ok with being told what she suggested they order. I knew i was allowed to order from the kids or other menu that were fleet wide. 

 

I havent been back on her. I saw she was out of Tampa next year. Decided no for me.

Thanks!  That waiter sounds terrible!  I'm gonna keep my fingers crossed and hope we have better luck than you did.  👍

[Mum2Mercury]

We sailed Grandeur last fall (2023) and had a great time.  To answer your questions: 

- The ship is showing its age.  Our cabin was great, and any issues in the public areas were cosmetic -- worn carpet and that type of thing.  The only thing that bothered us was that we had a massive storm the last two days, and the Windjammer roof was leaking!  Literally leaking!  The crew set out buckets.  

- BUT my understanding is that the ship was scheduled to go into Dry Dock very shortly after our cruise.  

- We paid for an Inside Guarantee and were assigned to an Inside Handicapped room ... loved the space!  So no balcony for us, but I can't imagine they wouldn't have lounge chairs. 

- On the subject of lounge chairs, Chair Hogs were essentially non-existent ... we could always find a space.  

- I also loved the love seats in the theater.  

- All our food was good ... some was great.  The Windjammer did a different-marinated chicken thigh every day at lunch ... paired with a big salad, that was an excellent lunch.  We enjoyed the roast beef sandwiches, and I particularly liked that the Park Cafe is located inside the Solarium.  

- My husband missed the Promenade Cafe.  An early riser, he likes to go get coffee early-early.  On Grandeur the Windjammer set coffee out at 6:00, and my husband wasn't the only person waiting.  

 

We summed up our trip to one another, saying we'd definitely sail Grandeur again ... but we'd expect to pay a lower price than for a larger ship with more amenities.  And we probably wouldn't want to do a B2B on Grandeur ... unless it were port-heavy.  

 

 

Edited July 9 by Mum2Mercury

[Catnip]

4 hours ago, Mum2Mercury said:

We sailed Grandeur last fall (2023) and had a great time.  To answer your questions: 

- The ship is showing its age.  Our cabin was great, and any issues in the public areas were cosmetic -- worn carpet and that type of thing.  The only thing that bothered us was that we had a massive storm the last two days, and the Windjammer roof was leaking!  Literally leaking!  The crew set out buckets.  

- BUT my understanding is that the ship was scheduled to go into Dry Dock very shortly after our cruise.  

- We paid for an Inside Guarantee and were assigned to an Inside Handicapped room ... loved the space!  So no balcony for us, but I can't imagine they wouldn't have lounge chairs. 

- On the subject of lounge chairs, Chair Hogs were essentially non-existent ... we could always find a space.  

- I also loved the love seats in the theater.  

- All our food was good ... some was great.  The Windjammer did a different-marinated chicken thigh every day at lunch ... paired with a big salad, that was an excellent lunch.  We enjoyed the roast beef sandwiches, and I particularly liked that the Park Cafe is located inside the Solarium.  

- My husband missed the Promenade Cafe.  An early riser, he likes to go get coffee early-early.  On Grandeur the Windjammer set coffee out at 6:00, and my husband wasn't the only person waiting.  

 

We summed up our trip to one another, saying we'd definitely sail Grandeur again ... but we'd expect to pay a lower price than for a larger ship with more amenities.  And we probably wouldn't want to do a B2B on Grandeur ... unless it were port-heavy.  

 

 

Thanks, appreciate the great info.  It's been so many yrs since we sailed on this class of ships, but I am looking forward to it after the good reviews here on this thread. 

[Catnip]

4 hours ago, smokeybandit said:

People most likely to do reviews are also most likely to think every cruise ship will be like Icon or Wonder.

I agree.  We were just a little concerned since on other threads some were bashing it, but this is the size ship we prefer and I am fine without all the bells & whistles....just want good food and a quiet balcony.  😉

[PhillyFan33579]

I cruised on Grandeur twice last year and we are cruising on her again this Thursday. I think she is a great ship with an experience that reminds me of the “older” days of cruising. 

[mandyleighflies]

We sailed Lady G back in April 2023 and loved her. I am biased as I prefer the older/smaller ships as they are intimate and more like being on an actual ship versus an island. She is showing her age in places but nothing that would deter me from sailing on her again. The crew love working on her and we heard that she is a crew favorite and it shows. We had a one bedroom GS and yes we had deck chairs, two loungers and one table with chairs, I would imagine the aft 2 bedroom GS has a similar set up. It's up to you which experience you want out of your vacation but if you want the "island at sea" experience (Icon, Oasis class) you won't find it on Lady G but if you want a laid back and comfortable true at sea experience, then give Lady G a try! 

[Catnip]

52 minutes ago, mandyleighflies said:

We sailed Lady G back in April 2023 and loved her. I am biased as I prefer the older/smaller ships as they are intimate and more like being on an actual ship versus an island.

That's exactly what we want!  A small-mid size ship that we can relax on.  Not interested in all the huge ship bells & whistles.  We've been on this class ship many yrs ago and always enjoyed it.

[Catnip]

10 hours ago, PhillyFan33579 said:

I cruised on Grandeur twice last year and we are cruising on her again this Thursday. I think she is a great ship with an experience that reminds me of the “older” days of cruising. 

That's great to know!  I prefer the older RCCL ships and have loved this class of ships in the past.  I think the biggest RCCL ship we've been on was Mariner and that was way big enough.  I started cruising on Song of Norway in the early 80s and love those older cruises.