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Live From Lady G


WAAAYTOOO

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I am not going to promise lengthy entries but I will try and provide some daily observations.

5 night Bermuda cruise.

Deluxe drink packages for both of us and also Ultimate Dining Packages.

We were able to have lunch at Chops on embark day using our UDP.  While there, (BTW we were the only ones in the restaurant until just minutes before we left when 1 other couple came in.  It was a wonderful “private” lunch) the maiter’d made all of the specialty dining reservations for us for the rest of the cruise.  Very nice.

Good news for Sweety - they still have red velvet cake at Chops on Lady G !  Yippee.  Dan and I shared a slice. More than that would have been decadence and an obvious exercise of “cruise privilege”.

I’ve already reported the delay in leaving port (5 PM vs 4 PM) due to Fleet Week activities.

Cruise Director is Bob Leininger. I don’t know yet who the AM is. Will report if/when I find out

Capt is Thordur Thorsson. We’ve sailed with him many time. Very good Capt

HD is Adriana Tibaudo. Don’t recall her name so no opinion yet

Diamond Concierge is Carlington Berry.  We’ve had him as our Concierge before.  Suites/D+ Concierge is Francis Calimag. 

While the casino is officially closed tonite (til we get out of Chesapeake Bay) there are  “free”  slot and BJ tournaments at 8 PM tonite   First time I’ve seen this.  I guess they will just be for “fun”.  The casino hostess (Joyce Ndubane) was the asst casino hostess on our Liberty cruise last month.  Near the end of that cruise, she left Liberty and we knew she was coming to Grandeur so it will be nice to see her again so soon.

Dan’s suitcase has not yet been delivered.  He is already gun shy since Liberty lost our luggage last month (never been recovered, either) so he’s a little “concerned “.  Actually , he’s napping at the moment so I guess he’s not THAT worried.  The planes have quit zooming overhead so I guess his interest has waned.

More later if anything of interest pops up.

 

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Just now, twangster said:

In the case of lost luggage on Liberty, how was that handled?

Hmmm...

I left on a biz trip immediately after we got back from the Lib cruise and had a B2B trip (Charleston, WV and Reno, NV) so it was a couple of weeks before I even contacted Guest Relations but when I finally did, they assigned me a case worker to handle the case.  He first contacted the ship to see if there has been any update and of course, there had not been.  Then he had me create an inventory of what was lost (who could even know really ?  It was suitcase full of dirty clothes !).  I did my best. I made a spreadsheet of lost item and replacement values. Some items we have already replaced (the luggage, for example) so I have real time receipts for those things. Others I just had to estimate.  I had to send along a copy of the report that we received on Lib before we left the terminal.  I really don’t know what happens next.  I seem to recall that the cruise line will reimburse us up to $500 (my very hastily created list was well over that...in the neighborhood of $1500 and I’m sure there were plenty of things I don’t even know are missing yet !). I do have travel insurance but whether or not I will bother with that has yet to be determined. 

I guess I have to say that they have been responsive enough so far. I kept holding out hope that the luggage would be “found” but it looks like that’s not going to happen ??. I have to believe, at this point, that the luggage left the terminal either accidentally or on purpose.  Since no one has offered to return it, I am leaning towards the latter, unfortunately.  

I’ll let you know what happens when they contact me re:reimbursement.

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Have fun anyway.

My luggage didn't show up Liberty to start off with either, but then the officer came to the suite and of course I had to go to the naughty room?

We had packed a small plastic shovel with a wooden handle for my grandson to have at the beach (He loves to dig holes in the sand), anyway in the best broken English I could understand, it was considered a "Tool", I could come and check it out every day we were going to a beach and then check it back in, or they would give it to me at the end of the cruise. I told them to keep it.

So Dan's may be in the naughty room...

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Dan’s suitcase finally arrived. How did the 2 of them even get separated ?  So weird.  Anyway, it arrived shortly after I completed my last post.

We had Izumi for dinner (Matt !!) and it was delicious.  We ordered a mountain of food and I am certain it exceeded the $70 limit but our bill was $-0-.  We left a $20 cash tip.  So worth it. Tomorrow lunch will be Giovanni’s and dinner tomorrow will be Chops.

When we got finished with our Chops lunch, we happened to pass by the entrance to the deck 4 MDR and there was a sign saying “Private Event”.  I think it may have been the special luncheon for B2B’ers.  Don’t know that but just a guess.

Going by Twangbot’s sophisticated spread on such things, we purchased 2, 1 device Voom Surf & Stream plans. They applied a D+ discount to each. This is the first time I’ve ever purchased Voom. We’ve had the plans that are included for Star Class before but never purchased separately like this.

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14 minutes ago, WAAAYTOOO said:

Going by Twangbot’s sophisticated spread on such things, we purchased 2, 1 device Voom Surf & Stream plans. They applied a D+ discount to each. This is the first time I’ve ever purchased Voom. We’ve had the plans that are included for Star Class before but never purchased separately like this.

Woot!  For a 5 night cruise with the C&A discount it should have been pretty reasonable.  

Royal does have a pretty good loyalty program, especially as you advance up the ladder.  

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29 minutes ago, WAAAYTOOO said:

I think it may have been the special luncheon for B2B’ers.  Don’t know that but just a guess.

We've been on three B2B's and didn't get a special luncheon on any of them, not even a firm thank you handshake from the ship Captain. We did, however, get a "welcome back" from our room attendant. :27_sunglasses:

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Day 2

Got up early (for us) and went to the Diamond side of MDR b’fast on deck 4. Normally they have the doors open so that it’s obvious that this side of the dining room is open but today the doors were closed. Being the cruise entitled folks that we are, we just busted through those closed doors and went in.  If we had not just been on Lady G 2 months ago and known that the port side of the MDR was the Diamond side, we would never have tried to do that, but combined with our historical knowledge and the fact that we saw plenty of people already seated, we just “went for it”. The host did check our Seapass cards to be sure we were legit but then seated us immediately. We were thrilled to find that our favorite servers, Yogi and his twin brother, BooBoo were still there. They recognized us right away and Yogi even served our table even though it wasn’t supposed to be his table. Delightful b’fast. Dan had a Bloody Mary and I had a mimosa.  Getting an early start on the DDP. Today’s special was onion and bacon quiche.  Really yummy. Left a nice cash tip as we always do.

After b’fast, went up to the Concierge Lounge to grab a cappuccino and say “good morning “ to Francis.  As we left we noticed a sign in the Crown Viking Lounge stating that there is going to be a Private Event there later.  What ?  I can’t find my invite !  Humph !

We are going to have to change our lunch plans as Giovanni’s is not open today for lunch. Only Chops and Izumi, so we will either have to have B2B Izumi or B2B Chops or change our dinner rezzies tonite to Giovanni’s vs Chops. Oh, the unbearable pressure !

The seas were very swellish last night (and remain so today).  Our room creaked all night. Luckily Dan and I both love these kinds of seas so we slept like babies being rocked by our mamas !  Some haven’t enjoyed the motion quite so much though.  

Dan is going for some sun and sauna action, neither of which appeal to me in the slightest, so I will either hang out in the room for a while or just head over to the casino.  Can you guess which one is most likely ?  ??

The suspense ends !  Heading to the casino !  Who didn’t win that bet ?

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7 hours ago, WAAAYTOOO said:

Day 2

Got up early (for us) and went to the Diamond side of MDR b’fast on deck 4. Normally they have the doors open so that it’s obvious that this side of the dining room is open but today the doors were closed. Being the cruise entitled folks that we are, we just busted through those closed doors and went in.  If we had not just been on Lady G 2 months ago and known that the port side of the MDR was the Diamond side, we would never have tried to do that, but combined with our historical knowledge and the fact that we saw plenty of people already seated, we just “went for it”. The host did check our Seapass cards to be sure we were legit but then seated us immediately. We were thrilled to find that our favorite servers, Yogi and his twin brother, BooBoo were still there. They recognized us right away and Yogi even served our table even though it wasn’t supposed to be his table. Delightful b’fast. Dan had a Bloody Mary and I had a mimosa.  Getting an early start on the DDP. Today’s special was onion and bacon quiche.  Really yummy. Left a nice cash tip as we always do.

After b’fast, went up to the Concierge Lounge to grab a cappuccino and say “good morning “ to Francis.  As we left we noticed a sign in the Crown Viking Lounge stating that there is going to be a Private Event there later.  What ?  I can’t find my invite !  Humph !

We are going to have to change our lunch plans as Giovanni’s is not open today for lunch. Only Chops and Izumi, so we will either have to have B2B Izumi or B2B Chops or change our dinner rezzies tonite to Giovanni’s vs Chops. Oh, the unbearable pressure !

The seas were very swellish last night (and remain so today).  Our room creaked all night. Luckily Dan and I both love these kinds of seas so we slept like babies being rocked by our mamas !  Some haven’t enjoyed the motion quite so much though.  

Dan is going for some sun and sauna action, neither of which appeal to me in the slightest, so I will either hang out in the room for a while or just head over to the casino.  Can you guess which one is most likely ?  ??

The suspense ends !  Heading to the casino !  Who didn’t win that bet ?

We turn Diamond on our Grandeur sailing next year, so won't be able to join in that breakfast, but curious.  Do most ships have a special spot for Diamonds for breakfast? 

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16 hours ago, KathyC said:

Do most ships have a special spot for Diamonds for breakfast? 

It’s hard to say these days.  In the “good ol’ Days” all ships had a small area of the MDR set aside for Diamonds and above. To be honest it’s nothing that special, really. Just a separate place to make you feel special.  You can get “specialty” coffee and fresh squeezed juice (as opposed to juice from a concentrate) but that’s about the extent of the perks.  It had been a while since I had seen a D area in a MDR so I think it’s all dependent on the ship’s Hotel Director. I was delighted to see it on Grandeur.

...and congratulations on achieving Diamond !

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Day 3

Pulling  into Kings Wharf  right now.  Finally no rocking and rolling !  Much appreciated relief.

Momentary flashback to yesterday and last night. Lunch at Izumi. Delightful. Much busier than I expected but service and food were still great. Dinner at Chops was ok.  Our steak on embark day was much better.  Service was S.L.O.W.  We actually got up and left before they even offered dessert which means we missed our red velvet cake (sorry, Sweety) dessert.  We never got a receipt to sign or anything. I guess they know where we “live” if they need to talk to us ! Tonite is Giovanni’s.

Back to the present.  Coolish in Bermuda. We have no plans to get off the ship so likely we will just saunter down this evening and ride the  shuttle train around the circuit. It’s one of my fave things to do here. One of the items that was lost in my recent luggage debacle on Liberty was a beautiful hand woven wrap that I bought in one of the craft shops here at Kings Wharf a number of years ago (it was my favorite wrap to wear at nights in the casino where it’s always arctic temps) so maybe I will see about replacing it. <Still pissed off that somebody took our bag in Galveston>

To my great surprise Izumi is open today for lunch and is eligible for the dining package. I never even looked in the Compass b/c I figured today would not count as a sea day (arriving in port around lunchtime) but the lovely lady who has been at Izumi on Grandeur for as long as I can remember was walking through the WJ this morning hocking the sushi-making class and asked if we were coming to Izumi for lunch today.  Dan’s sleepy eyes came to full attention immediately and a recognizable look of pure joy spread across his face instantly. Guess we’re Going to Izumi for lunch AGAIN today !  As a matter of fact, he has asked me twice, while I was doing this post, when we were likely to be ready to go.  He’s so easy to please !  Just shove some eel, salmon or tuna nigiri in his face and he will agree to anything. ??

So why were we in the WJ for b’fast this morning instead of the D area of the MDR, you may ask ?  B/c of the stealthy time change last night, I would answer.  We got up at what we thought was 8:30 AM just to realize later that it was actually 9:30 AM and the MDR was already closed.  PLUS, this morning at 10:15 AM was the Diamond event (referred to by us as the “cattle call”) and for reason not fully understood, Dan loves going to those things.  I hate them but I went.  At any rate, there was not enough time to eat a sit-down b’fast AND get to the D event by 10:15 thus, the WJ it was.  Lovely b’fast, BTW. We missed Yogi and BooBoo and I’m sure we’ll hear about it from them tomorrow morning.  They so absolutely adorable. You canNOT tell them apart.

Dan has started making impatient movements towards the door so I think I’d better cut this off.  Another best day on Lady G.  Happy Columbus Day, everyone.

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Day 4 - Casino edition

The biggest change I have noted at the Casino on this cruise is that all of the tables (that I have visited) now have at least a $10 minimum. In the past most tables had a $5 minimum. Conversely, the Texas Hold’em table (as opposed to the Ultimate Texas Hold’em table), which had been a $2/$5 table is now a $1/$3 table, which is a welcome change.

i have already mentioned that Joyce is the hostess. She has been moderately visible but has not presented a dynamic environment. When Kaia was the hostess here she had lots of fun events like a 007 scavenger hunt and some fun tournaments. Nothing like that going on this week.

Not that we expect it, but we have not received any casino gifts at all on this cruise.  Sometimes we get champagne or a specialty dining meal (which would have been wasted on us this cruise) but nothing at all on this cruise.

IMO the casino on Grandeur needs some TLC.   Carpets, chairs and table top felts are looking very worn and dated.  I don’t play slots so I have no idea if the games need updating or not but my guess is that some of them have been there a while. I noticed that the chips are filthy.  Last night 2 of my chips were completely stuck together.  I’m sure drinks get spilled all the time but they need to wash them very once in a while.  Gross.

I’m certain that someone will have a question about craps odds or other similar subjects. I will say now that I just don’t know but if anyone is interested in knowing, ask and I will try and find out.  The craps tables have been very popular on this cruise; they’ve been very enthusiastic and vocal.  ??

The Ultimate Texas Hold’em table is very very popular this trip. This is “my” game and I have gone down just to find the table completely full only minutes after the casino open multiple times.  Guess I’ll have to get there before they even open to be sure and get a seat.

As of day 4, I am dead “even”.  I won $700 on the first day the casino was open and I lost $700 yesterday ?? so I’m back where I started.  Frankly, by day 4 I’m usually well “in the hole” so being even at this point is welcome.

 

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Day 5 and wrap-up

Last night dinner was at Chops. We both ordered the lobster tail from the MDR along with our choices from Chops.  I had the petite filet, which I split with Dan and he ordered the shrimp which he shared with me.  

The reason that we decided to purchase the Ultimate Dining Plan on this trip was b/c on our last 5 night Bermuda cruise (July 4th), they did not serve the 2 dishes that we most enjoy in the MDR - lobster and lamb shank.  We assumed (we all know what happens when you ASSume) that they would not serve these 2 dishes on this trip either, only to find that they were serving BOTH.  But we weren’t going to let them deprive us of our fave meals...we just had them bring them to us in the restaurant(s).

Nothing  much to report about the evening. Casino actions as always.  I am happy to report that on this cruise I got both a straight flush and 4 of a kind (Ultimate Texas Hold’em) so I had a profitable trip for the first time in MANY cruises.  Dan also came out ahead. Woohoo !

Nothing particularly interesting to report for today.  B’fast in the D section of the MDT, lunch at Izumi and dinner at Giovannis (Dan had the lamb shank brought from the MDR and it was disappointing for the first time ever.  Just wasn’t as good as it usually is).  Casino closed around 9 PM as we entered the Chesapeake Bay.

Random musings

This is the first time we have been to Bermuda that the NCL Dawn was not also there.  As a matter of fact, we were the only ship at King’s Wharf both days.

Due to the anticipated affects of Hurricane Michael, Grandeur will be leaving port tomorrow early (New England 9 day)  - around 2 PM. Normal departure is 4PM.  We are now in the Bay and are having the smoothest seas we have experienced since we left Baltimore on Saturday.  Not likely to stay this way.

Never saw a drink card but it could have been offered.

Was not able to get any information about the unplanned dry dock being discussed for March 2019.

We will walk off tomorrow morning and will catch the hotel shuttle back to the hotel where our car is parked.  I will drop Dan at work (Washington Navy Yard) and I will go home and work the rest of the day.

Next stop - Navigator for Thanksgiving.  Then we will be back on Grandeur for Christmas and NY.

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11 hours ago, WAAAYTOOO said:

This is the first time we have been to Bermuda that the NCL Dawn was not also there.  As a matter of fact, we were the only ship at King’s Wharf both days.

 

In 2016 (late September), we were the only ship there, then, in 2017 (mid-September), the Dawn was there ...... I know there will be a ship at King's Wharf when we arrive on the 27th -- I just can't recall which one, I DO know it's not an NCL ship and the Disney Magic leaves the day before we arrive.  Ugh, 2 weeks to go.... the LONGEST 2 weeks of our lives ... lol.  @JLMoran - I'm jealous, you've got 2 DAYS.

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Just now, coneyraven said:

@JLMoran - I'm jealous, you've got 2 DAYS.

It'll be here before you know it, @coneyraven! And look at it this way, you won't be wondering about whether a hurricane blowing through is going to get clear of the area in time for your ship to make it back to port when scheduled! (Yeah, I know for certain at this point it's not an issue, but Sunday through Tuesday had me glued to the NHC site for updates) 

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I know what you mean...going straight to work is a major bummer but we have to save all of the vacation days we can.  I asked Dan if he wanted to just come home with me and work from home this afternoon instead of going into the office but he said "no".  I fear that with all of the rain we are likely to get, the ride home from the Washington Navy Yard may be quite unpleasant this afternoon.  He's quite dedicated though...good for him !

It was raining when we disembarked this morning.  You can tell that the bad weather is coming.  There was very little wind earlier but it's definitely picking up now.

Something else to mention re: the room.  We were in Aft JS 7656.  It is a lovely room with one of the big balconies on the fantail of the ship but I noticed a couple of the nights when I was in bed early (normally never happens !) that there was definitely a lot of bass noise coming from somewhere.  It was either coming from the Viking Crown Room 4 levels up or coming from 2 decks below in the Star Lounge.  My bet is on the latter.  Last night the bumping lasted until after 1:30 AM so we were not very happy as it kept both of us awake most of the night.  We have had lots and lots of rooms on the aft of Grandeur and never remember having this noise before.  I'm not sure what changed.

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