WECoyote Posted June 6, 2006 #26 Share Posted June 6, 2006 Captain was so-so, I wouldn't sail with him again as his attitude filters down through the ranks. The head chef on Grandeur is terrible, he needs to be replaced, and soon. Hmmmm....they didn't come off the Vision did they? Sounds too much like me speaking about a left coast cruise...................... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
johnjen Posted June 6, 2006 #27 Share Posted June 6, 2006 We got back yesterday from the 9 night out of Balto. This was our 7th cruise and our first on Royal C. Boarding was great. On by 11:15am in our cabin by 1pm. FOOD: We thought the food left alot to be desired. Now we are not looking for 4 or 5 start eating here,,,,,just some good food. Breakfast was not too bad in the dining room or the Windjammer except for the day THEY RAN OUT OF EGGS,,,,,,,NO EGGS AT ALL. People were not happy. They were out of Coors Light in alot of the bars most of the trip. Never had trouble getting one in the dining room. Lunch in the dining room was ok but would have been much better if the menu changed daily or at least a few times during the trip. Lunch in the Windjammer STUNK. The food was never warm. The variety stunk. The "sandwiches" were one long sub (I watched them make it) cut up in slices. One day I picked up a BLT for my husband. The thing was so small that you had to make sure that there was even a piece of bacon on it. Same thing with the turkey sandwiches. Burger King was looking mighty fine by the 2nd or 3rd day. DINNER - OK, nothing to write home about. We did have some nice meals. HOWEVER, I MUST SAY IN MY 6 PREVIOUS CRUISES ON OTHER LINES I "NEVER" SAW FRIED CHICKEN AND CORN ON THE COB ON THE DINNER MENU. WHAT MADE IT WORSE WAS IT WAS ON THE 2ND DRESS UP NIGHT. The hot dogs and hamburgers at the Solarium were never done. On other cruise lines they cook them to order. They are not all cooked and sitting in one of those warmer pans,,,nasty! You never got your own ice tea or lemonade (we didn't drink it anyway). They had trays of full glasses sitting for you to take from,,,,,,,,,ice melting away. The food served in the casino at night wasn't good either. CHOC BUFFET: This was our first and we enjoyed that. SHIP: Very pretty, as another post said we had a broken dresser drawer but nothing we couldn't work with. I actually liked our cabin (outside). Beds were great (old bedding). Husband didn't care for the pillows. CLEANLINESS: I thought it was ok. HOWEVER, I was very disappointed when I noticed (all week) how they cleaned the tables in the Windjammer. They pick up the plates and glasses that someone used to dispose of then they TAKE ONE OF THE NAPKINS USED BY A PREVIOUS DINER AND WIPE THE TABLE WITH IT. They did this through the area EVERYDAY. And you wonder how those viruses spread !!!!!!!!!!!! I was shocked. No bottle spray and clean wipe like other places use,,,,,,,,,,,,,,just the napkin you wiped your mouth with or sneezed in! ENTERTAINMENT: The performers that were brought on to the ship were FANTASTIC. The RCCL singers and dances stunk. The Palladium was 1/2 empty when they performed and people left throughout their shows. All this aside we had a wonderful time. You make the best with what you have. We met some of the nicest people on this cruise than any other. With all the money we LEFT in the casino maybe they can buy some eggs and table cleaner. I must say, fried chicken and corn on the cob on the dining room menu? Say it isn't so! On a formal night too......this is something else. The story about the tables being wiped off with used napkins is gross, too. Running out of eggs wouldn't bother me in the least (I don't like eggs anyway). It sounds as if you had a terrible time and I would like to hear from other Grandeur cruisers on this same cruise. I haven't read the entire thread yet, so here goes. I cannot fathom the fried chicken bit on a formal night either......YUK!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
johnjen Posted June 6, 2006 #28 Share Posted June 6, 2006 Wow. I can't believe we were on the same cruise. We went to the shows everynight and there was a full house everynight except one. I thought the singers and dancers were fabulous. Yes, they did have fried chicken with a side of corn on the cob as one choice for dinner one night. If I remember correctly, they also had other choices too. I seem to remember eating duck, lobster, veil, rack of lamb, salmon, mahi mahi, cod, and plenty of other great stuff. I'm someone who believes in choices. If you didn't like Grandeur, you certainly don't HAVE to sail on her again. It'll just be one more available cabin for me! :D I sincerely hope you can find one that can make you happy. Grandeur was just as beautiful and amazing as I remebered. I can't wait to sail on her again! Yeah, but come on. FRIED CHICKEN on a FORMAL NIGHT, or even worse, IN THE DINING ROOM???? That is SAD - no, it's really REDNECK of them to pull that off. Sure, I joke around sometimes, but THIS takes the cake! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pumbaamd Posted June 6, 2006 #29 Share Posted June 6, 2006 RCCL does monitor these boards. That is a fact. Let's hope they have read these posts and are making an effort to do something about it. We are sailing the Grandeur this Fall, and if I see someone cleaning a table in the WJ with a used napkin, believe me, someone WILL know about it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kittyg Posted June 6, 2006 #30 Share Posted June 6, 2006 Last week on Mariner on Formal night 2, I ordered the lobster and it came with corn on the cob. However it was 1", maybe 1.5" long and I treated it more like a garnish than an ear of corn. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Molly BPOE Posted June 6, 2006 #31 Share Posted June 6, 2006 Mike, You are correct! Maybe I was too flippant in my earlier reply. I have two ships in RCI's inventory I will never sail on again, and that is due to the influence that the route and the pressure on the captains to make them profitable. On those two ships I saw room service dishes that set at the end of the hallway for three days. RCI, generally does not have these types of problems outside of the "left" coast. I have never had a Grandeur cruise that was described above. We are allowed to expect better service than was described and we SHOULD demand it!. Cruises are getting too pedestrian and we should demand better if they want us to continue cruising. UH OH:eek: We just booked our first RCI cruise....and it is on the left coast! Should I reconsider and book a caribbean instead??? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RayJay Posted June 6, 2006 #32 Share Posted June 6, 2006 We have sailed on Grandeur out of Galveston. We have also sailed on Queen Elizabeth 2, Queen Mary 2, all of the Voyager class ships, as well as many Carnival ships. This gives us a fair variety of lines to compare. Grandeur was excellent in every way. I hope when behavior of the crew is off that it is brought to the attention of the managing crew members. I have not had to do this with the exception of one cabin attendant that was quite sloppy. We've never had a bad meal on RCCL. Much better than Carnival. The dining room menues are always on par with what a formal dining room should be. I've found that passengers at the same table can view things very differently. Some of the remarks have been almost laughable. Amazing what folks can find to complain about!!! I hope all your future cruises are fantastic!!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FitzLA Posted June 6, 2006 #33 Share Posted June 6, 2006 Wow...Fried chicken and corn on formal night. Sounds like the kids menu to me. lol. The op also mentioned running out of eggs. It sounds to me like they had some food issues on this cruise. Like maybe they did not get their entire delivery. That is very possible. If that was the case, they would have to make due with what they had. None the less, I would not dress up for KFC. I don't think I have ever seen Fried Chicken on a cruise...not even on non-formal nights. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
xstitch cruiser Posted June 6, 2006 #34 Share Posted June 6, 2006 We also just returned from Grandeur of The Seas. All I can say that for the people who think this is the greatest ship to sail doesn't get out much. The food was edible, hardly ever anything past luke warm and the choices in the Windjammer were almost identical day after day. The cabins were very small and the beds left alot to be desired. The beds were a glorifed cot. The entertainment, with the exception of a group called Mosaic was pitiful. On the seventh day, they were out of a lot of food which is poor planning on RCI's part. The port was very easy to get in and out of. The ports of call were nice. Cozumel still needs some more time to recover from the hurricane. Costa Maya and Key West were wonderful. After speaking with other cruisers who have sailed with RCI many times also agreed this wasn't the best ship to sail from their fleet. I would give RCI another try if the price is right but it wouldn't be my first choice. As the old saying goes, you cant please all of the people all of the time but I was very disappointed with my RCI experience. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ericknow32 Posted June 6, 2006 #35 Share Posted June 6, 2006 RCI, generally does not have these types of problems outside of the "left" coast. What exactly are you trying to say here. How exactly would a ship being on the West Coast create problems. I have cruised out of the west cost many times and I can attest that we have no problems over here. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
isujim Posted June 6, 2006 #36 Share Posted June 6, 2006 Was the chicken extra crispy or original recipie? Inquiring minds want to know?:) You know, some posts...........you just don't know what to say.........so you don't.....:) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
superjerryw Posted June 6, 2006 #37 Share Posted June 6, 2006 I guess the secret is out now. In order to save on food preparation costs the cruise lines are bringing big buckets of fried chicken on board. They can replace 5 people in the galley with one person that drives over to KFC or Popeye's to pick up the chicken. I guess the lobster and fish will now be replaced by frozen fish sticks......:rolleyes: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PADutchman Posted June 6, 2006 #38 Share Posted June 6, 2006 Was on the same cruise. The Food, entertainment, Rooms on the Grandeur are way over rated by posters. Learned a lesson. This was a C- cruise. OP that started this thread was right on. Also add the ATM was down for all 9 days. First time I was ever on a cruise and they ran out of Ice cream, even the head waiter didn't know they were out. Still looking for the Maui Maui that was to be inside the fried dough. Steak saved the day, just make sure it's rare. The only good thing was our waiters and table partners. I look back on this cruise and can say , Yep I was on the Grandeur. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kelly in md Posted June 6, 2006 #39 Share Posted June 6, 2006 Actually the chicken is supposed to be a Maryland thing. I think that's why they do it on Grandeur out of Baltimore. They even call it "Maryland fried chicken". I must admit that I am from MD and have never considered this to be a MD tradition! I'll take steamed crabs and beer any day, but not fried chicken on formal night! :) Kelly Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
happy cruzer Posted June 6, 2006 #40 Share Posted June 6, 2006 I would like to thank the OP for their honest expression of their experience. It's not easy to put your opinions out there to possibly be flamed. I've been on one cruise so bad that I expected to get at least a 50% refund and did get a cruise credit. I still enjoyed that cruise in spite of the cruiseline's problems because I worked at it. So I understand where OP is coming from. When I do a review, I too tend to point out the bad details but summarize the big picture, it is just a way to communicate. Thank you, Happy Cruzer Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
caviargal Posted June 6, 2006 #41 Share Posted June 6, 2006 I really do not understand why it is necessary to belittle the experience of a poster whose experience does not match anothers. I realize all cruise lines have fans but find the sarcasm really out of place. Perhaps it is attempt to dissuade any negative postings for a favorite line? This is the situation on most every board on this site. I have cruised with RCI 47 times. Some of the cruises were fabulous, some very good, most middle of the road, and a few downright awful :mad: like my Granduer cruise over spring break five years ago where I thought I died and went to hell. Whether another had the same experience as I did on the exact same cruise is irrelevant. We all measure cruises (and other vacations) based on our own experiences, tastes and expectations. What is one man's pleasure is another man's poison. I posted live from Freedom a few weeks ago and, my goodness, I apparently am a Philistine as I was not wowed by the ship :eek:. She is pretty, yes, with some fabulous artwork, but I would never cruise aboard as I cannot imagine ever again setting foot on a Voyager class ship (I have cruised on AOS and VOS). Those, however, are only my opinions and impressions, and I do not need others to validate them. Nor do I think others have the right to treat them as worthless because they are not in agreement with the legions of fans for those classes of ships. __________________ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cruising89143 Posted June 6, 2006 #42 Share Posted June 6, 2006 It sounds to me like RCI corporate needs to take a hard look at the officers on this ship and make some needed changes. Especially in the food and beverage department. There is no excuse for being out of anything near the last couple of days when the ship stopped in Pt. Canaveral. I see more complaints on this ship than any other and it seems to be the same ones over and over. I hope that all of you put this down on your comment cards. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Happy ks Posted June 6, 2006 #43 Share Posted June 6, 2006 UH OH:eek: We just booked our first RCI cruise....and it is on the left coast! Should I reconsider and book a caribbean instead??? I think you should cruise where you want and not take one persons opinion as fact, instead of what it is, an opinion. People, myself included, reallly enjoy petting their pet peeves. Base your cruise on where you want to go. Base your cruise on the overall experience, not just the food, especially not buffet food, not just the entertainment. My husband and I enjoy every one of our cruises to the fullest and we hardly ever set foot in the show room nor the buffet. Personally, a Caribbean cruise doesn't even appeal to me. Mostly because it is so crowded. I haven't been, because I read about how many ships are in port at one time and how everyone recommends the same excursions. If I want crowds, I can go to Disneyland 20 minutes from home. When I'm on a cruise, I want a little space, I don't need to go shopping in a crowded port. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cruising89143 Posted June 6, 2006 #44 Share Posted June 6, 2006 I think you should cruise where you want and not take one persons opinion as fact, instead of what it is, an opinion. People, myself included, reallly enjoy petting their pet peeves. Base your cruise on where you want to go. Base your cruise on the overall experience, not just the food, especially not buffet food, not just the entertainment. My husband and I enjoy every one of our cruises to the fullest and we hardly ever set foot in the show room nor the buffet. Personally, a Caribbean cruise doesn't even appeal to me. Mostly because it is so crowded. I haven't been, because I read about how many ships are in port at one time and how everyone recommends the same excursions. If I want crowds, I can go to Disneyland 20 minutes from home. When I'm on a cruise, I want a little space, I don't need to go shopping in a crowded port. Before you condemn a certain area maybe you need to try it for yourself. Not all ports in the Caribbean are crowded. Most are very nice in fact. People that go by hear say or what they read is doing a disservice to themselves and to others. It's like people stating that they would never cruise a certain line because of what they heard or read about it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Happy ks Posted June 6, 2006 #45 Share Posted June 6, 2006 cruisingator, I agree with you completely, but I am basing my thoughts on reading about how many ships are in ports on a certain day. Therefore, before booking any Caribbean cruise, I would have to find a port calendar, to see what other ships are in port. We all cruise for different reasons. Ours is not just the ship, but the port is very important to us. Also, we have found that if we are in a port with other ships, we aren't happy with the tourist crowd, nor do we have to be entertained. Scenery is probably the single most important factor for us. We have found that Hawaii is a wonderful place and Alaska, although mostly crowded with cruise ships, is wonderful. Being so close to the ocean and beach, we don't need to cruise for that. We look forward to cruising the Med and Europe in the future, probably a Southern Carib route would work best for us. I don't know yet, we hope to take many cruises to many places in the future. The typical Caribbean cruise just doesn't appeal to us right now. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cruising89143 Posted June 6, 2006 #46 Share Posted June 6, 2006 cruisingator, I agree with you completely, but I am basing my thoughts on reading about how many ships are in ports on a certain day. Therefore, before booking any Caribbean cruise, I would have to find a port calendar, to see what other ships are in port. We all cruise for different reasons. Ours is not just the ship, but the port is very important to us. Also, we have found that if we are in a port with other ships, we aren't happy with the tourist crowd, nor do we have to be entertained. Scenery is probably the single most important factor for us. We have found that Hawaii is a wonderful place and Alaska, although mostly crowded with cruise ships, is wonderful. Being so close to the ocean and beach, we don't need to cruise for that. We look forward to cruising the Med and Europe in the future, probably a Southern Carib route would work best for us. I don't know yet, we hope to take many cruises to many places in the future. The typical Caribbean cruise just doesn't appeal to us right now. The best time to cruise in the Caribbean is the summer months since most ships are in Alaska and Europe. I belong to another cruise board that has a lot of Europeon posters and they are now starting to post how the ports of call over there are becoming over run with ships. Alaska is becoming the same way. It seems that the more ships that are built the more we are all going to be puttting up with more and more crowds. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
caviargal Posted June 6, 2006 #47 Share Posted June 6, 2006 cruisingator, I agree with you completely, but I am basing my thoughts on reading about how many ships are in ports on a certain day. Therefore, before booking any Caribbean cruise, I would have to find a port calendar, to see what other ships are in port. We all cruise for different reasons. Ours is not just the ship, but the port is very important to us. Also, we have found that if we are in a port with other ships, we aren't happy with the tourist crowd, nor do we have to be entertained. Scenery is probably the single most important factor for us. We have found that Hawaii is a wonderful place and Alaska, although mostly crowded with cruise ships, is wonderful. Being so close to the ocean and beach, we don't need to cruise for that. We look forward to cruising the Med and Europe in the future, probably a Southern Carib route would work best for us. I don't know yet, we hope to take many cruises to many places in the future. The typical Caribbean cruise just doesn't appeal to us right now. Kathy, IME the southern itinerary is less crowded with ships and therefore, for my taste, more enjoyable. Personally, I find the eastern and western ports are a mess with so many ships in port and I agree with your concerns. I get as far away from the tourist fray as I can as quickly as I can when in St. Thomas, Cozumel, etc. Not my cup of tea :):). I can only imagine that it will get worse as the ships get even bigger. I cruise less and less these days for these reasons and prefer a land based vacation, unless the itinerary is special or the ship is special. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
madelinerose Posted June 6, 2006 #48 Share Posted June 6, 2006 Hmmmm....Greasy finger food and formal wear. Lovely pairing! :eek: To the OP....Well, at least you didn't have to pay for airfare and deal with airport hassles. Sorry your cruise wasn't great for you. I've been battling with a Grandeur cruise myself, since I'm 10 minutes from the Baltimore port. I may do the Canada/New England cruise next year, but at least there is a drydock scheduled for April 2007. Of course, if the galley staff remains the same, what to do, what to do? Too bad. Yeah, but come on. FRIED CHICKEN on a FORMAL NIGHT, or even worse, IN THE DINING ROOM???? That is SAD - no, it's really REDNECK of them to pull that off. Sure, I joke around sometimes, but THIS takes the cake! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aces389 Posted June 6, 2006 #49 Share Posted June 6, 2006 Having been on the May 26th Grandeur cruise I have to say the cruise was ok, not great. The staff was very friendly and the service level was good. In the Gatsby room the lunch menu was the same every day except for 1 special dish of the day. The evening meal typically had 5 or 6 main courses each day. Actually the fried chicken was good. I found that the prime rib was good but the steak was very tough and chewy. The veal marsela was also tough. The lobster tail to me was mushy. Even with the above comments I still gained weight on the cruise. The shows were nothing special to my taste but I enjoyed the accapella group mosaic. The casino staff was friendly as they took my money. We had a JS that disappointed me because it was smaller that I expected. No walk-in closet. It had some of the oddest shaped drawers all over the room, but did not find they held much of anything. Would I go on the Grandeur again; sure but I would like to try some of the newer ships that RCL has. :) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
copnlpn2 Posted June 6, 2006 #50 Share Posted June 6, 2006 Maybe the fried chicken and corn on the cob is RCCL's special way of accomodating all those folks who wear jeans to dinner on formal night! :p Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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