Can you calm my nerves....

[ajf1007]

Hi Everyone!
I'm hoping that you can provide me some calm. My boyfriend and I booked the Grandeur of the Seas in September, to Bermuda, for his 50th bday present. I haven't heard horror stories but I haven't seen rave reviews of the ship either. Actually, I haven't seen too much at all in regard to this ship. We sadly probably should have done more extensive research on the actual ship but we didn't. We saw 5 days to Bermuda, out of Baltimore - on his actual birthday - and it was reasonably priced - we pulled the trigger.

Can anyone share anything they loved about their cruise on the Grandeur? I've only been on one other cruise (RCCL Enchantment of the Seas) and this will be his first cruise so I am hoping that he will love it.

Please help calm my nerves....thanks so much!

 

[Vijoge]

I haven't been on as many cruises as a lot of people, but I've been on 8 and haven't had a bad cruise yet. Relax.

 

[ajf1007]

I haven't been on as many cruises as a lot of people, but I've been on 8 and haven't had a bad cruise yet. Relax.

Thanks so much! I'm trying! It's just such a special cruise that I want to make sure he loves it and it doesn't taint him for another.

 

[Vijoge]

I have sent you a message privately

 

[Laz]

If you go on any cruise looking for problems, you will probably find them. If you go looking to have a great time, you will probably find that as well.

 

[moericus]

It's a "small" ship compared to the more popular RCCL ships. And because of that it isn't reviewed fairly, like going to Disneyland while expecting Disneyworld.

 

[Vijoge]

Our first RCI cruise was on the Majesty of the Seas, a long, long time ago. It got poor reviews then, and still does. I spent way too much time worrying about the reviews and wondering if I had made a huge mistake. We had a lovely time. Actually, outside of our Golden Princess cruise to Hawaii none of our ships have gotten very good reviews but we have enjoyed them all.

 

[Nike4000]

I've not been on a Royal cruise, we set sail on our first this July, but it appears that the "thing" seems to be slagging on the ship or the cruise itself. It's challenging to find a positive review of a Royal ship, yet everyone I've spoken to who has been on a Royal cruise has thoroughly enjoyed it. I'm right there with @ajf1007, concerned about our upcoming Royal cruise because of the overwhelming number of negative reviews I've read online. However, I subscribe to the mantra that "A bad day cruising is WAY better than a good day working." I know we're going to have a blast on our cruise, Royal does not completely control my enjoyment of the vacation.

Quick story for you - my wife, like most of us, had heard nothing but horror stories about Carnival cruise lines. Last year she and her sisters decided to do a "sister's getaway" and take a cruise to bond. They booked Carnival because it was cheap and the dates worked with everyone's schedule. My wife was extremely concerned about the cruise because she had read so many negative reviews. In fact, she left for the trip with the thought of getting it over with as quickly as possible. You know what? She absolutely LOVED the cruise. Was it a "perfect vacation experience?" No, but it was still a great trip. The sisters bonded, fought, bonded more, had some adventures, drank too many fruity rum drinks, ate too much, and overall had a spectacular time! It was a wonderful experience for them and totally changed my wife's perspective on Carnival to the point where we'll probably try Carnival as a family next year - unless Royal completely knocks our socks off this summer.

The moral of my story - drink lots of rum drinks and it won't matter what cruise ship you're on!

 

[ajf1007]

If you go on any cruise looking for problems, you will probably find them. If you go looking to have a great time, you will probably find that as well.

You're so right! It's not that I'm looking for problems, I am more looking for someone that has something nice to say about the ship.

 

[ajf1007]

It's a "small" ship compared to the more popular RCCL ships. And because of that it isn't reviewed fairly, like going to Disneyland while expecting Disneyworld.

Gotcha, thanks! I remember my initial visit to DL too and thinking this is it? But at the end of the day, we had a great time.

 

[ajf1007]

Our first RCI cruise was on the Majesty of the Seas, a long, long time ago. It got poor reviews then, and still does. I spent way too much time worrying about the reviews and wondering if I had made a huge mistake. We had a lovely time. Actually, outside of our Golden Princess cruise to Hawaii none of our ships have gotten very good reviews but we have enjoyed them all.

I'm just going to stop worrying, plus he's never been on a cruise so he doesn't really have anything to compare it too! LOL! We tend to have fun no matter where we go and what we do and I'm sure this will not be the exception. He's so laid back but as you can see, I'm the worryer in the family.

 

[ajf1007]

I've not been on a Royal cruise, we set sail on our first this July, but it appears that the "thing" seems to be slagging on the ship or the cruise itself. It's challenging to find a positive review of a Royal ship, yet everyone I've spoken to who has been on a Royal cruise has thoroughly enjoyed it. I'm right there with @ajf1007, concerned about our upcoming Royal cruise because of the overwhelming number of negative reviews I've read online. However, I subscribe to the mantra that "A bad day cruising is WAY better than a good day working." I know we're going to have a blast on our cruise, Royal does not completely control my enjoyment of the vacation.

Quick story for you - my wife, like most of us, had heard nothing but horror stories about Carnival cruise lines. Last year she and her sisters decided to do a "sister's getaway" and take a cruise to bond. They booked Carnival because it was cheap and the dates worked with everyone's schedule. My wife was extremely concerned about the cruise because she had read so many negative reviews. In fact, she left for the trip with the thought of getting it over with as quickly as possible. You know what? She absolutely LOVED the cruise. Was it a "perfect vacation experience?" No, but it was still a great trip. The sisters bonded, fought, bonded more, had some adventures, drank too many fruity rum drinks, ate too much, and overall had a spectacular time! It was a wonderful experience for them and totally changed my wife's perspective on Carnival to the point where we'll probably try Carnival as a family next year - unless Royal completely knocks our socks off this summer.

The moral of my story - drink lots of rum drinks and it won't matter what cruise ship you're on!

I love your mantra and it's so true when you look at it that way. I said above that this is his first cruise ever so he really doesn't have a point of reference, which is good for me I guess and your right, Royal isn't in complete control of my enjoyment of the vacation so I'm just gonna quit worrying and stop reading reviews. Thank you for the story too, that helps put things in perspective! When in doubt though, the drink package will come in handy!

 

[Nike4000]

I love your mantra and it's so true when you look at it that way. I said above that this is his first cruise ever so he really doesn't have a point of reference, which is good for me I guess and your right, Royal isn't in complete control of my enjoyment of the vacation so I'm just gonna quit worrying and stop reading reviews. Thank you for the story too, that helps put things in perspective! When in doubt though, the drink package will come in handy!

The one thing you don't want to do is build up his expectations. We made that mistake with some friends of ours. We kept telling them how awesome cruising is, best vacation ever, the food, the sun, tons of fun, great shows, etc. They absolutely HATED it. They got on board expecting a life altering experience because that's the way we had described it. Unfortunately they didn't have that life altering experience and the trip was a complete disappointment to them. They will never cruise again.

On the other had, for my wife's sister's trip, one sister had never cruised before. Instead of overselling it as potentially being the best vacation of her life, the other sisters all kept floating the "hey, you could be at work" line of thinking. The noob cruiser had an amazing time and is now coordinating a cruise for her and her kids this fall. She's hooked!

Don't oversell the greatness of the cruise, let him discover it on his own. Have fun, enjoy the time together and just cruise!

 

[ajf1007]

The one thing you don't want to do is build up his expectations. We made that mistake with some friends of ours. We kept telling them how awesome cruising is, best vacation ever, the food, the sun, tons of fun, great shows, etc. They absolutely HATED it. They got on board expecting a life altering experience because that's the way we had described it. Unfortunately they didn't have that life altering experience and the trip was a complete disappointment to them. They will never cruise again.

On the other had, for my wife's sister's trip, one sister had never cruised before. Instead of overselling it as potentially being the best vacation of her life, the other sisters all kept floating the "hey, you could be at work" line of thinking. The noob cruiser had an amazing time and is now coordinating a cruise for her and her kids this fall. She's hooked!

Don't oversell the greatness of the cruise, let him discover it on his own. Have fun, enjoy the time together and just cruise!

That is excellent advice and thank you for that! I will definitely follow it too! I haven't really said too much to him except that I did love the cruise I took and more so because it was with my best friend and we spent a lot time in the spa and the bar. LOL. I am probably more nervous because I think that he may propose on this cruise (there have been hints and his best friend kinda slipped up and I pretended I didn't hear). BUTTTTT - proposal or not, it's his 50th bday and we're going to have a blast no matter what!

 

[Nike4000]

... it's his 50th bday and we're going to have a blast no matter what!

That's the key! You guys will have a great time celebrating. Focus on that and everything will be spectacular!
Congrats by the way!

 

[ajf1007]

That's the key! You guys will have a great time celebrating. Focus on that and everything will be spectacular!
Congrats by the way!

Thank you! We'll see what happens, but you've definitely given me the attitude adjustment I needed!

 

[frank808]

Been on grandeur a few times in the past year. Love the ship and crew. Does not have the bells and whistles like the newer ships of the freedom or oasis class. But love the music every night in the centrum. You dont say when you are sailing but the crowd tends to be on the mature side. We have been sailing the grandeur in late feb early march for the past few years. A few months before that we were on allure and i liked the grandeur just as much.

 

[kdonnel]

You're so right! It's not that I'm looking for problems, I am more looking for someone that has something nice to say about the ship.

Reviews suffer from self-selection bias.

It is usually those who had a bad time that take the time to create a review because they want someone to feel bad for them.

Those that had a great time move on.

 

[TEM1234]

I got engaged on Grandeur! It was my husband's first ever cruise and he arranged to be invited up on stage during the Captain's welcome aboard reception and he proposed there. We really enjoyed the cruise. That being said, having cruised on the bigger ships with all their extra things to do, I think I would be bored to sail on Grandeur again now (especially since we now have 4 kids and the nursery on the bigger ships is a wonderful thing!)