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A good cruise by
Laurie C from Delray Beach, FL Sailing date: May 2010Pros: Dining Room Staff & Our Balcony Cons: Charges for all the extras The ship was clean and offered many activities. The staff was excellent and very accomodating. Ship Quality
Dining/FoodQuality of food was good. Would have liked more options for dining. Really believe that coffee should be available at a public area for each deck in the mornings. And to charge for soda is ridicluous. Stateroom QualityWe were very comfortable in our room. It was neat and clean Ship Staff QualityEveryone was wonderful Entertainment & ActivitiesNot enough variety or activities was offered on board. Don't believe any fitness classes should have been an extra charge. 
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Cozumel, MexicoWe visited the Tulum Ruins, if anyone is interested in history, I would recommend. Tour guide was knowledgeable.
Key West, FloridaPass on the Ghost and Legends tour, waste of time & money. Guide was nice but didn't have enough content.
 5 out of 5 people found this review helpful.
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  Overpriced, No Luxury Trip by
jackie c from Newtown, Ct Sailing date: Apr 2010Pros: The staff on the Grandeur of the Seas was excellent! Actually encouraged any that i was able to develop a relationship with to get off that boat and get on a better/newer boat Cons: Pool...Not heated, entirely too small, no lounge chairs available, same music over and over. rooms... gross, old/dirty/filthy sheets, curtains, rugs, shower curtains. tiles broken in Bthrm...pull out bed awful! excursions wayyyyy overpriced. $35 pp to go to a rocky, coral filled beach for 3 hrs the ship needs to retire. it is outdated and gross. there is no sense of the ship 'maintenance'. as we were getting off the next vacationers were getting on within an hour (no wonder the Bthrm and closets had 'reminents'. we were charged for soda, water and upgraded meals for dinner menu. there is a 'ben and jerrys' on the boat for a price. the pool was so small for the 2000+ people. it looked like sardines in a can...never went near the pool. the lounge chairs were hard to get. learned to wait until 1 o'clock (after people got fried and/or left for lunch). the same cd was played at the pool over and over. rooms were gross and small. i guess the 'small' should be expected but we did pay for a great upgrade...deck was sizable...but the plexiglass rail was filthy...rust stains typical site on deck and off the ship as you look at it. pull out sofa was so uncomfortable...i slept very little on the 5 nite vacation. the sheets and blankets were gross...the fitted sheet to the bottom of the sofa mattress kept coming off during my nites 'sleep', so i was confronted with this gross stained mattress. didn't bring a blowdrier...used the rooms...it was 'like' 25 years old with dust and cracks/ i had to keep hitting 'recharge' to get it going again (finally asked rm service to bring a replacement on the last day because it 'died...never did receive it). no iron/board, no laundry room to iron...yesss, of course, a charge is applied for someone else to iron my clothes (did not use...stopped caring what i looked like within 3 hours of being on the ship). the excursions were a production...around 2.5 hours to get on/off ship to excursions...which were highly priced. to save money i took my son to the beach in grand cayman...did not pay for lunch. was at the rocky beach for 3 hours for $60. the sand was hard and shoes needed to be worn in the water. they could have picked a better beach....my husband and other son went to 'swim with stingrays'...the cost $85 pp...they enjoyed it...i still can't get over the additional costs on this cruise. as we returned from one excursion we saw 'carnival' inspiration and 'freedom'....looked like gorgeous ships, both had huge water slides...one had an enormous screen t.v. by the poolside that we could clearly see from being on board our boat. i walk away feeling entirley ripped off. going to 'atlantis' in the bahamas would have been cheaper (checked the numbers) and a clean,updated luxury vacation would have been had. not so sure i will ever cruise again, if so i would look far more into the age of the boat and its immenities...as i said, this ship needs to retire. Ship Quality
Dining/Foodfood was average. the buffet was good. i love salmon, any time ordered or taken from buffet it was hard, dry and plain over cooked. Stateroom Qualitysmall, gross,no room to change or get up without disturbing the other 3 people in the room. when the pull out couch was open there was no access to the deck for half the room (drawers). stains on curtains, the curtains to our deck were actually falling off and a hassle to open to have sun lite or go outside. the shower curtain was pukish...it had mold mildew and rust stains.i Ship Staff Qualityour dinner staff was phenomenal...they were the best part of the trip. they were the only thing that made me feel as though i was on vacation, and they gave you the sense of true class and attention...our waitress Marina was outstanding. so friendly, kind and outrageously willing to go above and beyond. she cut our kids food (if needed). bartenders were also outstanding! i feel sorry for these people...they could do much better for themselves on a newer ship....not only in the way of tips but also for their own living conditions. Entertainment & Activities
4 out of 4 people found this review helpful.
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Searching for sunshine! by
Gramma and Grampa from Ruskin, FL Sailing date: Mar 2010Pros: We started our search for sunshine at nearby Port Tampa. This was great for us since we live only 40 minutes away and didn't have the hassle of airports and buses. Cons: Our least favorite thing was losing our way too often. However, that way we saw new places! We didn't find as much sunshine as we wanted, but the ship/captain/crew can't contral the weather. As a vetern cruiser, I personnally was pleased at the warm welcoming attitude of the all the staff. The Grandeur is one of the "great old dames" of the sea and has held up well. Undoubtably due to the diligance of the maintainance team.
This was fun way to spend a short while away from home and forget any worries for awhile. Ship Quality
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2 out of 2 people found this review helpful.
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Nice Get-A-Way by
A Traveler from Fox Lake, IL Sailing date: Mar 2010Pros: Jungle Beach Break in Costa Maya, and Ernesto's Fajita Factory in Cozumel. Modest outside cafe with Fresh food and drinks just outside of ship port. Cons: Too many college kids that took over EVERYTHING! We thought that spring break started at the end of March, not the beginnning. Clean ship with top notch crew and services. Onboard musical entertainment was great. "Johnny Take Four" lead singer sounded just like Michael Buble. Ship QualityOnly area that needed some maintenance on the ship was the pool in the solarium. Needed some rust repair. Facial fountain icons on the sides of the pool were not operating. Jacuzzi in Solarium only operated on 1 spead. Second setting was inop. Solarium was an adult only area that was very nice and a great place to get away from all the noise.
No Chocolate buffet anymore! Must bring it back! Dining/FoodWait staff great. Food excellent but at times had small portions. Lobster tail could have been larger. Stateroom QualityClean and comfortable, however balcony room was smaller than what we've had on other ships. Took time to get used to. Shower very small as usual I guess. Ship Staff QualityAbsolutely no problem here. Entertainment & ActivitiesShips song and dance team productions seemed very low budget. Choreography didn't make sense. Music could have been louder. I was embarrassed for the performers. Productions did not do the performers justice. Featured guest entertainment was great. 1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.
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Great respite by
Ed M. from Rochester NY Sailing date: Jan 2010Pros: Perfect operations - no issues with luggage, rooms, etc. Cons: Art auction is a waste of time. This is an older ship with obvious areas in need of upgrade, but still very attractive and sufficiently modern. Service is top notch. Food is quite good, but not up to "foodie" levels. Activities seemed a bit sparse, although we did not really seek them out. Art auction is just above a waste of time, unless you'd like to spend a few grand. Good selection of games in the casino, but like most cruises, the craps table is the last to open. While we did not have our kids with us, we did tour the childrens facilities and they seemed quite good. We did ask some older kids about their experience, and without fail all reported a great time. Ship QualityIn need of an upgrade. Dining/Food
Stateroom QualitySmall, but nice. Ship Staff QualityClearly the strong point of the ship. Entertainment & Activities
2 out of 2 people found this review helpful.
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Grandeur of the Seas - Jan 2010 by
A Traveler from Dallas, TX Sailing date: Jan 2010Pros: Food Cons: Smell of sewage in the hallway Going out of Tampa FL, crowd was geriatric. Ship clean, but showing it's age.
Food exceptional. Sewer smell in hallway, not so much.
Comedian booked for entertainment was great, and exceeded expectations.
If you are looking for a small ship, with excellent food and a quiet and older clientele, this is the one for you. All I wanted to do was relax and get to some warmer weather.
This trip was perfect for that. Ship Quality
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1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.
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Good 1st cruise experience by
Alexander D from Detroit, MI Sailing date: Jan 2010Pros: Entertainment onboard, some food items Cons: Expensive add ons, Costa Maya and Cozumel geared toward tourists, expensive For the 1st cruise, this was a good experience. Great if you're outgoing person and like to meet people, play various trivia games, and attend shows. Ship went from Tampa to Costa Maya, then Cozumel, and back to Tampa. There was quite a bit of shaking leaving Tampa and my spouse got sea sick and had to resort to pills which in turn made her very drowsy. She spent most of her time in a cabin and will definitely not cruise again. I, on the other hand, enjoyed the cruise. There were lots of things to do on board the ship. Food is included in the price but drinks or any other extra items will cost a lot. Excursions are very expensive. Some people bought excursions online before boarding the ship and saved almost half. Be prepared to spend additional $500 on average while on the ship. This doesn't include purchases made in ports and to tell you the truth I was shocked at the prices in Costa Maya and Cozumel. These towns are geared for tourists so the prices are equivalent to those you'd find in the United States. Be wary of the exchange rates as well. Ship QualityIt was obvious the ship is not new and had lots of voyages. Most areas were clean but there was often smell in the bathrooms coming from toilet, in my cabin as well. Carpeting needs updating. Overall layout was good. Dining/FoodDepending who you are, the food selection and quality can be great or not so much. For me, it was fine. Some Italian dishes weren't that good but all in all food was very good. However, you won't find freshly squeezed juices or smoothies, salad varieties, or exotic fresh fruits which seems ironic since this is a Caribbean Cruise and one might think to have plenty of such selection. My spouse was really struggling as she is into fresh, raw, and healthy foods. Another reason she won't go on the cruise again. Stateroom QualityStaff did a very good job keeping the stateroom clean and inviting. Ship Staff QualityStaff was very friendly Entertainment & ActivitiesI was never bored. Always something to do whether play trivia, listen to music, go to shows, hang out in the pool and hot tub, dancing, or just relaxing in spa. Children's ProgramsDon't have children, can't comment but the ship had a room for children as well as game room. 2 out of 2 people found this review helpful.
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An Excellent Cruise by
Chetna K. from Laurel MD Sailing date: Jul 2009Pros: We loved the wonderful staff that were respectful and polite all the time Cons: No Cons we went on the Grandeur of the seas. We had a wonderful and relaxing vacation. This was the first time we took a cruise. we would definitely go on it again. Ship Quality
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4 out of 5 people found this review helpful.
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First Time Cruiser...loved it! by
Beth J. from Yorktown, VA Sailing date: Jun 2009Pros: So much to do in such close proximity for all types of people, old, young, and in-between! Cons: Bathrooms a bit small, Some foods on buffet not so great. My first cruise out of Norfolk, VA to Bermuda, 4 nights 5 days. We had 3 days of clouds and rain and some lightning and thunderstorms, but even those didn't hamper my fun much. Loved the ship, wished bathrooms were a bit bigger but you don't spend a lot of time in there, so I lived! :-) Loved all the various things to do, gamble, shows, lounges, discos, art gallery, shopping, main dining was fabulous. Loved Bermuda, everyone there was very nice. Did Dolphin Quest, a bit pricey but if you love the sea, and animal life it is worth it at least just once. Wished you actually had a bit more time, and direct interaction with the dolphins, but to just be in the water and touch them or kiss their nose was wonderful! Nice beach at half moon bay, but be sure to take the taxi to the top! It's only $2 per person, and I would have paid $50!! Did shopping in the Dockyard shops, very unique and nice place to go. Watch out for driving, narrow winding roads...saw too many unstable motoscooters being passed by large buses to scare you. I would stay on the bus! Overall a 8 out of 10 for me.
Ship QualityClean, excellent customer service, excellent servers in main dining hall. Dining/FoodMain dining hall food was outstanding, our servers actually gave two of us 3 dinners each night to share! And desserts! The food in the Windjammer buffet was give and take for me some days. Ate lunch there and breakfast every day. Breakfast to me was better than lunch usually. For lunch I mostly ate sandwiches and salads. Not much of the hot stuff. Stateroom QualityAlways clean and neat, loved the towel animals each night. Ship Staff Quality
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King's Wharf, BermudaDon't Miss: Half Moon Bay ride was as much fun as beach and Dolphin Quest. 9 out of 9 people found this review helpful.
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Fantastic Cruise by
Jennifer R from North Carolina Sailing date: May 2009Pros: Clean, tons of stuff to do, great activities, awesome entertainment Cons: Liked everything. The ship was clean, staff was very helpful, the activity staff did a great job with making sure there were things to do for all age groups, entertainment after dinner was amazing, and everything was well organized. Ship Quality
Dining/FoodFood was overall great, but just a little bland at times. Stateroom QualityThe rooms were really small and you had to keep everything put away so you didn't trip over it. The rooms were clean and had decent amenities. Ship Staff QualityAmazing staff!!!! Entertainment & Activities
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King's Wharf, BermudaMillions of things to do, went swimming with the dolphins and snorkeling. Had an amazing time.
Don't Miss: Swimming with the dolphins is a must. 1 out of 2 people found this review helpful.
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