CruiseRVA

We cruised on Grandeur in May (5 nights to Bermuda) and loved it. We’re hoping to schedule another cruise for 2020. As previously noted, she doesn’t have some of the amenities that other ships have - no zip lines, water slides, etc. - but that was perfect for us. We are a couple in our 40’s and wanted a low key, relaxing vacation. Food ranged from good to very good; service was great. One of the shows was lots of fun (Motown review), others were somewhat painful, but that didn’t matter to us. Embarkation and debarkation were a breeze. Baltimore’s port is very easy to navigate. We had a great time and are ready to go again!

We cruised on Grandeur several months ago in a suite. Absolutely loved it. Definitely take advantage of the concierge services. We were able to get 8pm reservations at a specialty restaurant on the first night by talking with the concierge on the first day, but I’m sure it depends on time and availability. If you know that’s what you want to do now, I agree with that it makes sense to do it when they reach out to you via email the week before. Have a wonderful trip!

We were in a GS on Grandeur and took advantage of the Chops breakfast several days. Great, quick service and always got a seat by the window.  We enjoyed it. 

Up to what point can you reprice a cruise? My husband and I cruised in May (thank you for all the wonderful information from this group) and I never thought about getting a cheaper price after booking. Once we booked with the TA, I thought that was it. Are you all checking prices online after you book with your TA? Up to what point can you do that? Thanks!

My husband and I returned recently from a wondeful cruise (Grandeur to the Bahamas). One of my takeaways: the remarkable difference between the truly excellent service on the ship and the awful customer service pre-travel on the phone. I used a TA, but she was mediocre (lesson learned, will find another option for the future), so ended up calling RC a couple of times. In addition to extremely long waits, I got wrong information. For example, was told there was no concierge service for grand suites on the Grandeur. Because I had read this message board in advance (thank you!!!) I knew the info was wrong. I pushed to speak with a supervisor, who corrected the information, but went on to give me other information that turned out to be incorrect. Nothing that impacted how much we enjoyed the cruise, but it was frustrating. I’m sorry you ended up canceling as you may really have enjoyed the trip, but given your initial experience I can’t blame you for backing out. 

These pictures are beautiful. Thanks for sharing. 

8 hours ago, WAAAYTOOO said:

We did the Bermuda Triangle glass bottom boat tour a year ago and we were very disappointed.  It was pretty boring and you really could not see much of anything below.  IF you're just looking for something to pass the time then this one will be fine.  If you're looking to actually see something, I would not recommend it.

This is really helpful.  Based on your experience and JLMoran’s feedback, we are going to skip it. Thank you!

50 minutes ago, JLMoran said:

Hi there @CruiseRVA! Welcome to the boards!

1) This is a totally workable plan. You’ll want to take the Orange Line ferry, which is the first one to leave. You’ll want to be sure to get off the ship as soon as they clear people to leave, and scoot over to the ticket booth at the end of the pier. The first ferry leaves at 9:00 IIRC, maybe 9:30 (schedule wasn’t posted when I checked the bermuda4u.com site), so there’s not a whole lot of time to get the transit passes and get over to the ferry. If you miss that first ferry, the next one doesn’t arrive for about 90 minutes.

Once you’re in St George’s, it’s very easily walked and there are a decent number of sights to see. You’ll also have a good number of food options and art / craft stores to check out.

2) I haven’t done this excursion, but I looked at it for our first trip last year and found reviews on TripAdvisor that indicated there really wasn’t much to see through the glass bottom, and it was a bit of an uninteresting trip. As always, take Internet reviews with a grain of salt.

3) Horseshoe Bay is perfect for day 2, as most passengers will try and get there on day 1. Don’t take the public bus line, take the small minivan shuttles that you’ll find right at the end of the pier. $7 per person each way, and the shuttles are constantly coming and going so you can leave whenever you’d like. And take a couple towels from the ship with you for drying off 

Once at Horseshoe Bay, find the shack by the beach entrance to get loungers and/or an umbrella and/or a bucket of beers. An employee will walk down the beach with you to set up the loungers where you’d like, and also dog a hole for any umbrella. You must pay cash for all of these as I recall. Rates are about $18 for a lounger, $15-ish for an umbrella, and they have package offerings as well. People there are good about not stealing your lounger or umbrella and respecting the space where it was set up.

This is great information.  Thank you!

My husband and I will be cruising to Bermuda on Grandeur of the Seas in a week. We’ve never been to Bermuda, so would appreciate any input other travelers may have. From what I have read on this forum and other places, Bermuda is a port that can be enjoyed without signing up for excursions. 1) The first day we arrive at 1pm. We are thinking about taking the ferry to St. George’s and walking around. We enjoy historic sites and walking around new towns. Thoughts on this? 

2) The one excursion we are considering is the Bermuda Triangle Nightlife Glassboat Cruise, but I am having trouble finding any details about when it leaves (after dark, I’m assuming, but not clear when) or how long it is. Has anyone been on this or know any details, including the vibe of the excursion?We’re 48 and 50 and are not looking for a party atmosphere, but the glass bottom at night looks like it could be interesting and fun.

3) We’re thinking about a beach for our second day. Maybe Horseshoe Bay Beach, but I’m open to other suggestions. It looks like many beaches can be reached by the bus line. Any experiences with that? (The ship is scheduled to leave at 2:30pm).

I’m open to any and all suggestions about how to best use 24 hours in Bermuda! Thank you.

16 minutes ago, dodgestang said:

I have heard that Carlington has taken over for Francis.  I can neither confirm/nor deny since I haven't been on Grandeur since end of Dec when Francis helped us have a great time.  So just parroting what I have heard.

 

As for tipping that is always a hot topic.  Francis on the Grandeur and Wendy (Genie) on Anthem I tip with a large bill when I met them and another one when we left.  Is it too small?  Is it too large?  Who the heck knows....it's what I did and I felt perfectly fine doing it.

I like this tipping advice. We’ll do what we can do and be fine with it. Thank you!

4 hours ago, WAAAYTOOO said:

Yes, we have always gotten an email from the Grandeur Concierge prior to boarding.  I have been getting emails about 5 days prior.  We used to get them about a week ahead but lately it's been a bit closer.

Frances was the Concierge on Grandeur the last time we sailed.  He is a great Concierge.

The Grand Suite on Grandeur is a very nice step up.  You will definitely appreciate the extra space - very noticeable on that ship.  The only complaint I have about all of the big suites on the Vision class ships is that they are all shoved way up at the front of the ship.  I also noticed a lot of noise from the Windjammer on our Christmas/NY cruise last year. ...but we love the suites on Grandeur.

Enjoy your cruise !!

Thank you for this info! So glad to know you’ve enjoyed the suites on the Grandeur. After we booked I noticed how close we were to the Windjammer above and wondered if we might have noise issues. Hopefully all the other good things about the suite will balance that out. One additional question about the concierge: if we believe the service is especially good, is it appropriate to tip? I know it isn’t required, but we do plan to have some cash on hand for tips. Thanks again for the great information!

1 hour ago, Lovetocruise2002 said:

Yes, usually you will get an email about a week prior to sailing. They can make all reservations for you. Once on board, they usually have hours in the lounge. Usually 8am-12pm and 4-8pm +/- half hour.

Thank you!

My husband and I are scheduled to cruise out of Baltimore on the Grandeur of the Seas for 5 nights in May. We haven’t cruised in over 10 years and so much has changed! I’ve read all kinds of helpful info on this forum, so I thought I would check in here for advice. 

We have splurged on a grand suite and have questions about the concierge service. I’ve gotten mixed information about whether we should expect an email in advance of the cruise from the concierge offering to help with things like dinner reservations at the specialty restaurants, etc. Does anyone know if we should expect an email in advance, and if so when? If not, does the concierge have certain hours in the concierge lounge?  Do those start on the first day?Thanks for any advice on this topic!