Grandeur in Tampa, Big problems loading

[PH8]

We are also on a 4 day cruise from Tampa leaving on Feb. 14th. Please e-mail me the compass for each day - I am also wondering which night is formal? Family cruise with 9adults and 9 children.

The 2nd night is formal night:)

[Rancher Dave]

If anyone has any burning questions please post them here as I will be boarding on Saturday and plan to do the web site and email thing on Saturday and again on Sunday while we have some time in Key West...at least that is the plan.

 

Happy New Year!!!:D

[katbid10]

I went to Guest Services on the first sea day to ask about Express Departure because we had noon flights like you and we were on Deck 3. Since they usually assign colors from the top decks down (after priority groups have debarked), I wanted to make sure we got off early. Since there was no option to self-debark, I was offerred an early color which was fine. They were making a list there of people whose flights were before 12:30 (I think that was it), and those people were issued early colors if requested. It went White, Beige, Grey... On other cruises the color scheme has been different so you have to check. We had Grey and were off about 10 minutes after they started calling -- well before 8.

 

So my advice is to go get your name on the list early in the cruise. Also, you might want to double-check the color order with a second person at Guest Services at another time. Two cruises ago I was assured I had an early color and it was one of the last. Luckily, I protested enough so that I got it switched to Express or we would have missed our flight for sure. Since that time, I always go for Express if it's offerred, and I always get it taken care of early in the cruise.

 

Thanks very much for the advice. I will definitely look into doing that.

[Raceroc]

If you don't mind... I also would like a copy of the compass.

We board on the 17th. Glad to hear the cruise itself was good.

Thanks again and have a GREAT New Year!!

 

raceroc@tampabay.rr.com

[Caughrons]

I would also like to see the compas, thanks in advance.

 

bcaugh@windstream.net

[Rancher Dave]

In just a few hours we will get aboard and can later today let folks know if the same issues exist with boarding today. We will be heading to the port to check in around 11....I know RCL sends a note not to show up till 2pm but we know better. Thus, it may or may not be the same as someone who boards the boat later in the afternoon.

 

Anyone else going today? Join the CC unofficial M&M party today at 3pm in Schooner Bar. Bring your life jacket with you since from the party everyone will go to their lifeboats...for the mandatory drill not for any other reason.

[winncove]

Rancher Dave: [Fellow Texan!] We'll be sailing the Grandeur for the first time on Feb. 4th. Looking forward to your posts! Esp. interested in food options & entertainment.

 

Bon Voyage!

[Rancher Dave]

No, I am not surfing the web while at sea...we are fogged into the Port of Tampa right now. Oh joy!!! Such is life, if we can't see the Sunshine Bridge to pass under it safely, staying in port is probably the safest thing to do...

 

As for boarding today. We arrived at the port around 11am, dropped bags, drove to parking garage...walked back with our carry ons and got aboard... I think the whole process took us less than 30 minutes...and about 15 minutes of it was dropping bags and parking/walking back to the cruise terminal. From front of terminal to on board was not bad 10-15 minutes top. There is a bottleneck getting into the terminal and at security but by being early it was not bad.

 

So far the food was acceptable, service by our server is great. Windjammer food at lunch was just that...mass prep buffet fare. Not bad, but not great.

 

The big issue right now is the fog and when we will depart the port of Tampa. That decision by the captain, and likely the Ship Pilot for port of Tampa will affect significantly when or even if we will make our stop in Key West. Last word I heard was if we left at 9pm (nearly an hour ago) we would be an hour late to Key West and we would get that hour on the back end in Key West. Not sure what happens when we leave...hopefully any of the future cruisers do not face this fog, which I believe is associated with the cold front moving thru.

 

I'll provide updates as I can when I have access to Verizon wireless internet...or upon return home.

 

Happy New Year!!!

[winncove]

Dropped your bags & then went to the garage? I'd read you could not get into the pier area w/your car. Don't remember if it was on CC or Tampa Pier site but happy to read it's not true! Hope the fog has lifted and you're on your way!

Thought I was gonna say "Hook 'em Horns" but DH said they lost 24-28 while I was feeding my obsession here!:(

[PH8]

Sorry to hear about the fog........same thing happened to us back in 03.........on the Empress outta Tampa.........It was so foggy,you couldnt see too far in front of you........we did leave on time,but we couldnt even see the bridge till we were right under it................it was really spooky.....(im used to blue sky Caribbean type sailaways:) )......

 

Anyway, keep us posted........

[icanflossu]

Sorry to hear about the fog........same thing happened to us back in 03.........on the Empress outta Tampa.........It was so foggy,you couldnt see too far in front of you........we did leave on time,but we couldnt even see the bridge till we were right under it................it was really spooky.....(im used to blue sky Caribbean type sailaways:) )......

 

Anyway, keep us posted........

 

As I was reading the post about the fog I was having Deja Vu and now i know why, we had the same problem on the Empress out of Tampa in '03. That was our first cruise. Wow, seems so long ago.

[PH8]

As I was reading the post about the fog I was having Deja Vu and now i know why, we had the same problem on the Empress out of Tampa in '03. That was our first cruise. Wow, seems so long ago.

Any chance you were on the Mardi Gras cruise??? THAT was so much fun..........wish RCCL would do one of those again......

[Jay Bee]

So...does anyone know what's happening with the Grandeur? Ship tracking has a noon location just off the coast from Tampa (with coordinates of Tampa itself). The Key West webcam shows one ship - presumably the Disney Magic. Did it never leave?

[flyankfan]

We were on the cruise that ended on Thursday Dec 20th. Don't know why you had such a problem, when we left we were onboard before noon. We are C&A members so maybe thats why we get on so quickly. Hope your cruise was good once it started, the ship was decorated beautifully for Xmas, we had a great time.

[BadBoysDriveAudi]

We do this family trip every year right before Christmas. Next year, if he doesn't want to drive, I'm giving him cabfare to the port for Christmas.

 

Funny - I was just about to suggest that.

 

If he called me during breakfast, I probably wouldn't have even answered my cell phone; if he called me at 6 AM on the cabin phone, I'd be ready to kill. :p

 

I can only hope to learn and acquire your level of self-control.

[PH8]

So...does anyone know what's happening with the Grandeur? Ship tracking has a noon location just off the coast from Tampa (with coordinates of Tampa itself). The Key West webcam shows one ship - presumably the Disney Magic. Did it never leave?

Not so sure you could even see the GR if she was there...........they were docking at the Outer Mole pier,not the one right there in town.......

 

I sure would like to know the story though.......

 

 

Did anyone get a copy of the 4 night compass from the OP??? I sure would like to see one..........

[SeaPA1]

No, I am not surfing the web while at sea...we are fogged into the Port of Tampa right now. Oh joy!!! Such is life, if we can't see the Sunshine Bridge to pass under it safely, staying in port is probably the safest thing to do...

 

As for boarding today. We arrived at the port around 11am, dropped bags, drove to parking garage...walked back with our carry ons and got aboard... I think the whole process took us less than 30 minutes...and about 15 minutes of it was dropping bags and parking/walking back to the cruise terminal. From front of terminal to on board was not bad 10-15 minutes top. There is a bottleneck getting into the terminal and at security but by being early it was not bad.

 

So far the food was acceptable, service by our server is great. Windjammer food at lunch was just that...mass prep buffet fare. Not bad, but not great.

 

The big issue right now is the fog and when we will depart the port of Tampa. That decision by the captain, and likely the Ship Pilot for port of Tampa will affect significantly when or even if we will make our stop in Key West. Last word I heard was if we left at 9pm (nearly an hour ago) we would be an hour late to Key West and we would get that hour on the back end in Key West. Not sure what happens when we leave...hopefully any of the future cruisers do not face this fog, which I believe is associated with the cold front moving thru.

 

I'll provide updates as I can when I have access to Verizon wireless internet...or upon return home.

 

Happy New Year!!!

 

Hope you guys have gotten out of port by now, Dave. We were down in the Channelside area Saturday afternoon/evening & were very surprised to see her still in port at 6:30. Was the fog really that bad when you got moving? I'm surprised (and somewhat leary). I have a 30 mile drive home from Tampa, through an area that is very foggy when the conditions are ripe for fog - but there was no noticeable fog last night.

 

We wondered if they were maybe waiting for a very large group who'd had travel delays as a result of assorted winter storms.

[PH8]

Heres what Dave posted on another thread....

 

 

"We finally left at about 2am. Arrived to pier in K/W about 1730, all aboard 2130, sail away at 2200 this evening. Captain said he will make it up by giving us 0700 to 1900 in Coz, MX in a couple days.

 

We just saw President Carter getting back aboard. He and his wife are aboard either as part of a group or just on vacation. It is becoming the talk of the ship. "

[lmurf]

December 26-31 of 2005, this was our exact experience! Our entire family went with our 2 year old grandson, and standing in line was miserable. And...we departed out of Tampa.

 

Getting off the ship was even more stupid. We were rushed off at 7:00, got to the airport by 8:30, and then couldn't fly out until 4:00. (Of course, Royal Caribbean had arranged our air).

 

After I cooled down from the entire experience, I wrote RCCL a letter complaining about the checkin and boarding process in Tampa. They sent me a response saying, "we're sorry, but that's the way it is."

 

So...

 

:(

[looneytunes31419]

I was wondering if you forgot about sending me the compass. We would really like to see them if at all possible. My email is looneytunes31419@gmail.com :o. We hate to be a bother.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

We sailed on the Grandeur last week (left Thursday, got home Monday) out of Tampa. They had MAJOR issues getting passengers on & off the ship, both at the beginning and the end of the cruise.

 

Embarkation day - it took between 2.5 & 3 hours to get through the line & onboard. Much of the line is outdoors, exposed to the elements (it was a pretty hot day here Thursday). We decided to just sit down in the shade & let the line go through, and board at the end (no way was my 4 y/o boy going to stand patiently in that line). Ship was supposed to sail at 4, didn't leave until around 5:15. We completely missed the muster drill, as did (in my estimation) at least 1/3 - maybe 1/2 - of the passengers (who were in line with us). There were a lot of very unhappy cruisers, and most everyone was in a rather foul mood after showing up happy & excited.

 

Getting off the ship wasn't much better at the end of the cruise. Very long, slow process. Ship was docked in Tampa at 6am, nobody off until 8. We got off at around 11, and there were still a LOT of people onboard waiting to exit.

 

The cruise itself was very enjoyable. The ship is nice, the food excellent, the onboard entertainment quite good (especially the poolside band, they were outstanding & played for a long time).

 

But the loading & unloading procedures need some serious attention.

[MTcruiser]

We sailed on the Grandeur last week (left Thursday, got home Monday) out of Tampa. They had MAJOR issues getting passengers on & off the ship, both at the beginning and the end of the cruise.

 

Embarkation day - it took between 2.5 & 3 hours to get through the line & onboard. Much of the line is outdoors, exposed to the elements (it was a pretty hot day here Thursday). We decided to just sit down in the shade & let the line go through, and board at the end (no way was my 4 y/o boy going to stand patiently in that line). Ship was supposed to sail at 4, didn't leave until around 5:15. We completely missed the muster drill, as did (in my estimation) at least 1/3 - maybe 1/2 - of the passengers (who were in line with us). There were a lot of very unhappy cruisers, and most everyone was in a rather foul mood after showing up happy & excited.

 

Getting off the ship wasn't much better at the end of the cruise. Very long, slow process. Ship was docked in Tampa at 6am, nobody off until 8. We got off at around 11, and there were still a LOT of people onboard waiting to exit.

 

The cruise itself was very enjoyable. The ship is nice, the food excellent, the onboard entertainment quite good (especially the poolside band, they were outstanding & played for a long time).

 

But the loading & unloading procedures need some serious attention.

 

Could you also send me the compass. I will be sailing on the 17th out of tampa. I have never sailed on this cruise line. Am excited and am anxious to learn what i can about it. Thanks and i hope your next cruise is alot faster to get on and off the ship. Email address is jessanddawn@msn.com

[SeaPA1]

Sorry I haven't gotten the compasses done yet, gang. My 4 yo "helped me unpack" and I'm still trying to track stuff down. Between his assistance, and Christmas with 4 yo & 2 yo boys, things have been adventurous around our house.

 

I'll dig through the scattered ruins that used to be my home & find them this evening.

[PH8]

Thanks!! BTW.not sure if you use anything like Webshots,but you can scan them there and just put a link here.............so you dont have to keep emailing everyone....

[HockeyMom44]

We sail on her in 2 weeks. What time do you suggest getting to the port? I DO NOT want to stand in a line. Early or late? We're driving over to Tampa from Miami.

[PH8]

Sorry I haven't gotten the compasses done yet, gang. My 4 yo "helped me unpack" and I'm still trying to track stuff down. Between his assistance, and Christmas with 4 yo & 2 yo boys, things have been adventurous around our house.

 

I'll dig through the scattered ruins that used to be my home & find them this evening.

Any luck finding the compass yet??:confused: