First RCCL cruise,,,AND THE LAST! At least on the Grandeur

[sabast1]

Just to be clear...

 

A real Bault-e-more dinner consists of:

 

- several dozen steamed Chesapeake Bay blue claw crabs smothered in Old Bay seasoning

- a table covered with newspaper

- several wooden mallets (for cracking open the crabs)

- a few good friends

- and a case of cold Natty Boh Beer...

 

Hon...

 

Now that's what us Balitmoreans would like to see....

[VABeach]

Just to be clear...

 

A real Bault-e-more dinner consists of:

 

- several dozen steamed Chesapeake Bay blue claw crabs smothered in Old Bay seasoning

- a table covered with newspaper

- several wooden mallets (for cracking open the crabs)

- a few good friends

- and a case of cold Natty Boh Beer...

 

Hon...

 

Now that's what us Balitmoreans would like to see....

 

Us Virginians too. ;)

[RayJay]

Perhaps folks get a little annoyed when one pays for a middle-of-the-road cruise and then complains that it isn't Ritz quality. I sailed on QE2 and QM2, paying for Ritz quality but didn't receive it. Carnival is reducing fares on that ship due to it's not-so-popular reputation. They were the smallest cabins I've ever experienced. Food and entertainment were great but zillions of small spaces on that huge ship just doesn't make sense. There is a reason that the Voyager and now the Freedom classes of RCCL enjoy near capacity occupancy on most every cruise. Can't say that about many other cruise lines. The cruise industry ( travel agents ) by in large are behind RCCL as the most bang for your buck, hence the enormous popularity of it's newer ships. It offers the most to do onboard for the widest range of passengers. Not a party ship and not the stodgy "Liners". RCCL overall is not an expensive line and should not be judged as such. It is a shame that all have not experienced the great time I have had on these ships. I guess I'm just consistantly lucky.

[waterbound]

Wow.. sorry your cruise wasnt a great experience.. I normally cruise Carnival but we cruised RCCL last year and although it was ok, it wasnt great.. Nothing went bad, I just didnt seem to enjoy it as much.. I told myself though that I was going to give it another go at another time because things happen that are sometimes beyond our control.. I am looking at a cruise with RCCL later this year and I just know it will be great..

 

I think I would have a problem with wiping down the table with a used napkin too.. but I would have said something.. If you dont say something noone knows..

[sun & fun]

Perhaps folks get a little annoyed when one pays for a middle-of-the-road cruise and then complains that it isn't Ritz quality. I sailed on QE2 and QM2, paying for Ritz quality but didn't receive it. Carnival is reducing fares on that ship due to it's not-so-popular reputation. They were the smallest cabins I've ever experienced. Food and entertainment were great but zillions of small spaces on that huge ship just doesn't make sense. There is a reason that the Voyager and now the Freedom classes of RCCL enjoy near capacity occupancy on most every cruise. Can't say that about many other cruise lines. The cruise industry ( travel agents ) by in large are behind RCCL as the most bang for your buck, hence the enormous popularity of it's newer ships. It offers the most to do onboard for the widest range of passengers. Not a party ship and not the stodgy "Liners". RCCL overall is not an expensive line and should not be judged as such. It is a shame that all have not experienced the great time I have had on these ships. I guess I'm just consistantly lucky.

 

I was not expecting an Ritz quality cruise. I was expecting great service, and food that was very good. I understand they are feeding 2,500 people every day, but the quality of steak was less than Applebee's! I never saw a steak that was 1/3 inch thick! The food was a bit bland, including most deserts. As I said before I thought the CCL Miracle (two years ago) was better as far as cabins, service and food. The presentation of the food on the Granduer was good but the taste and quality was not always there.

[superjerryw]

When I was on Princess I was eating probably two desserts every night, but on this cruise the desserts were barely edible, with the exception of the chocolate cake, which was OK. The appetizers were also better on Princess, and the entrees were way better on Celebrity and slightly better on my Princess cruise.

 

We just had a similar experience having sailed on Golden Princess last month. We had two or more desserts each night on Princess but seldom find any desserts worth eating on RCCL anymore.

[madelinerose]

Gotcha...you have a fabulous attitude, Jenny. ;)

 

I would never expect any more than 3* dining on a mass market cruise ship, and that's just what I'm expecting from the Grandeur. I'm sure we'll have a wonderful cruise.

 

I try to be easy to please. It makes it that much easier for me to go through life with a big smile on my face. There is the distinct possibility that you will not be as impressed with your vacation as I was with mine. I had a great time, but six star luxury, it wasn't.

[madelinerose]

Aaaah, now you're talking! Care to charter a ship? ;)

 

 

Just to be clear...

 

A real Bault-e-more dinner consists of:

 

- several dozen steamed Chesapeake Bay blue claw crabs smothered in Old Bay seasoning

- a table covered with newspaper

- several wooden mallets (for cracking open the crabs)

- a few good friends

- and a case of cold Natty Boh Beer...

 

Hon...

 

Now that's what us Balitmoreans would like to see....

[VABeach]

Gotcha...you have a fabulous attitude, Jenny. ;)

 

I would never expect any more than 3* dining on a mass market cruise ship, and that's just what I'm expecting from the Grandeur. I'm sure we'll have a wonderful cruise.

 

There were definately things that I've had better on other ships, but I only paid $649.00 for my 9 days. My attitude was I was just happy to not be at work. Had I paid more, it would have been a different story all together.

 

Enjoy your cruise! :)

[novicecruiser1]

sun&fun - thanks for the clarification of the room size - I appreciate it!

[Mikew0805]

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

 

 

ok that totally cracked me up!

[kelly in md]

Just to be clear...

 

A real Bault-e-more dinner consists of:

 

- several dozen steamed Chesapeake Bay blue claw crabs smothered in Old Bay seasoning

- a table covered with newspaper

- several wooden mallets (for cracking open the crabs)

- a few good friends

- and a case of cold Natty Boh Beer...

 

Hon...

 

Now that's what us Balitmoreans would like to see....

 

Now THAT'S what I'm talkin' about!!! I am THERE too! :D:D

[LittleBit]

Just to be clear...

 

A real Bault-e-more dinner consists of:

 

- several dozen steamed Chesapeake Bay blue claw crabs smothered in Old Bay seasoning

- a table covered with newspaper

- several wooden mallets (for cracking open the crabs)

- a few good friends

- and a case of cold Natty Boh Beer...

 

Hon...

 

Now that's what us Balitmoreans would like to see....

 

 

mmmmm... I feel a road trip back home now (currently stuck on Long Island.... and now in desperate need of some good blue crabs....)

 

Missing Bal'mer more and more . . .

 

(funny how things change - I remarked earlier about Fried chicken being a staple in our Sunday dinner in Baltimore, but I guess 20 + years has changed that for many.... Phillip's was also always THE place ( never know when you'de run into those cute ballplayers!) when I was in school, but when I was backa few years ago, noticed how badly it had declined in quality)

[tarheelmjfan]

There were definately things that I've had better on other ships, but I only paid $649.00 for my 9 days. My attitude was I was just happy to not be at work. Had I paid more, it would have been a different story all together.

 

Enjoy your cruise! :)

 

The price you pay can make a huge difference in how much you look over. :D People keep talking about how great of a deal cruising is. In some cases, that's definitely the case. In some, it's simply not. I think that's why reviews can vary so much from one person to another. We've been on cruises that we got such a good deal on, that anything short of the ship sinking wouldn't have bothered us. :p Our next RCCL cruise is more at the rate of a 5* hotel, & 4 & 5* dinners for a week. Hopefully, the ship will not only float, but they'll feed us something a little better than McDonalds or KFC (I couldn't resist ;) ). :D

[wrp96]

The price you pay can make a huge difference in how much you look over. :D People keep talking about how great of a deal cruising is. In some cases, that's definitely the case. In some, it's simply not. I think that's why reviews can vary so much from one person to another. We've been on cruises that we got such a good deal on, that anything short of the ship sinking wouldn't have bothered us. :p Our next RCCL cruise is more at the rate of a 5* hotel, & 4 & 5* dinners for a week. Hopefully, the ship will not only float, but they'll feed us something a little better than McDonalds or KFC (I couldn't resist ;) ). :D

 

Good one Tammy!

[ElvisandTracey]

Well to say the least it sounds like it could have been better. I feel like you paid big bucks for this cruise and you should have gotten what you paid for.

The food issue: I would have went directly to the head attendant and said something to him/her. And if I ever would have seen anyone take a napkin that was used and wipe off a table I certainly would not have stopped at the head attendant! And then they Bi---h if you do not wash your hands with their solution before you enter the windjammer! It makes you wonder just how many of the workers really wash their hands after they wipe their butts!!!!

YUK!!!

Rebecca

Rfrenchbaxter

 

Are you supposed to wash your hands after you wipe your butt???:eek:

Thanks for the info!!!

 

WOOF!!!

[sherin65]

We were on the Grandeur in March 05. We thought the ship was beautifully decorated without much wear for its age. We also got a feeling of space; the ship didn't seem overcrowded even though it was fully booked. The food was very good + and our servers were fun and really good at their jobs. Our room steward was great also. The ship was very clean and we had a wonderful experience.

 

Our trip, however, was before the Grandeur had its little crash in Costa Maya, has there been a change in Captain and other staff since that time? I think workers contracts only run for 7-9 months at a time. I'm not sure how the system works but if large numbers of staff were replaced in a short period of time, that would account for some of the lax in cleanliness and procedures that we are hearing so much of lately.

 

I hope RCCI will hear of all these complaints and take action to fix the problems with the Grandeur.

[attitudeda]

So You Had A YOU HAD A BAD DAY

 

The Course

You HAD A BAD CRUISE

Everyone now join in

 

SO YOU HAD A BAD CRUISE

 

Let's Put this to bed already.

[Cruising89143]

When you have a cruise line that has as many ships as RCI does you are going to find some inconsistency. I have found the same thing on Carnival. Both lines have a large amount of ships in service. Some ships are better than others. It depends on the Captain and officers. Take the Navigator of the Seas for example. This ship IMHO is one of the best that I have ever cruised and to me it starts with Captain Bang and goes down to rest of the officers and crew. Great ship in all areas.

 

If there are enough people that find problems with the Granduer and are honest on their comment cards then I would think that RCI would look into the opportunities that exist and correct them.

[madelinerose]

Ok, agreed that 20 years ago Phillip's may have been the place for seafood, but maybe even more like 25 years.

 

Hey, LittleBit, since you're feeling nostalgic, the "Honfest" is this weekend and a dozen large, steamed crabs now cost about $70. ;)

 

Missing Bal'mer more and more . . .

Phillip's was also always THE place ( never know when you'de run into those cute ballplayers!) when I was in school, but when I was backa few years ago, noticed how badly it had declined in quality)

[sun & fun]

There were definately things that I've had better on other ships, but I only paid $649.00 for my 9 days. My attitude was I was just happy to not be at work. Had I paid more, it would have been a different story all together.

 

Enjoy your cruise! :)

 

Jenny,

 

My point is most people don't know about CC and paid a lot more for this cruise! I know if I did, I really would be really upset with the food quailty.

 

Janet

[Lightsluvr]

I was born in Ball'mer and lived the first 22 years of my life in Ocean City, MD - all this talk about Phillips is killing me. I was a bus boy in Phillips in the 60's, I hung out with the Phillips "boys" who now run part of the operation...I loved Bryce and Shirley P. Sorry to hear they are considered the Micky'Ds of seafood now. I still enjoy their Crab Imperial and crab cakes when I visit OC. I steam my own crabs here in Oklahoma. There is an Asian Market that actually flies in live blue crabs on the weekends! Use lots of Old Bay and National Boh (which we can still get at specialty liquor stores)!

Back on topic, there ain't no cruise ship that can put Maryland Fried Chicken or Maryland "style" crabcakes on their menu without their nose growing to Pinnochio proportions! ;) But the same holds true for land restaurants all over the country...people have no clue unless they have experienced the real thing...

Excuse me now, I'm going to go make some crab cakes!

 

LL

[ready2sail40]

Jenny,

 

I agree with you. We enjoyed it too, but like you said a 6 star cruise it was not. I found the cabin to be a bit warm, our air was not working that well.

 

Do you have any pictures to share?

 

My camera gave out mid way through that stinks..

 

Gail

[2ctheworldbyc]

My 1st RC cruise was on the Grandeur out of Baltimore in 2004 and it was probably my favorite, great staff and other guest.

[Logie]

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 agree with your assement. I was on this ship in April and was disapointed in food, cleanliness, and generally the service. Hoping Raphsody will be better next month. Did enjoy the nautical bar before dinner.