96 Hours On Royal's OLDEST, SMALLEST & WORST-RATED Cruise Ship! [Grandeur Of The Seas]

[@CruisingKat]

Have you sailed on Grandeur Of The Seas this year? What do you think? Is it too old and small or do you think it's still a great ship?

[@samiapendergrass6237]

This was actually the first cruise I went on, and it wasn't bad, but like I said, it was my first cruise. The crew was really nice, but the decor most definitely screamed 90s, and we had an interior cabin, and the bathroom smelled awful. Other than that, I had fun.

[@CruisingKat]

Try out some newer ships next. You’ll have more things to do and more options for pretty much everything on board. It’s good to start with smaller ships and then go from there. I feel bad for people whose first cruise is on Icon or Utopia. The bar is set way too high at that point.

[@josephrobertson4169]

Yes, my wife and I cruised on Grandeur this past Springs. 10 day southern Carribean and we loved it. Yes it was a smaller ship. But small and ship are perspectives. Our main dining team was the absolute best! And we totally got a chance to relax without tons of kids and lackluster parenting skillsl. It is a bit dated but everything in our stateroom worked great as did the common area restrooms. I would definitely book again especially for southern itinerarios where larger ships rarely port.

[@CruisingKat]

I'm glad you had a wonderful cruise! That's a very good point about going on a smaller ship to get to some of the southern Caribbean ports. Plus, most of those itineraries are port-heavy so you don't stay on the ship nearly as much as some other routes.

[@vintageoriginallegit]

I was just on one of the bigger ships and it was terrible elevators always full and people everywhere all the time

[@CruisingKat]

@ It really seems to vary by ship. We just got off Allure of the Seas and elevators were jam packed the whole time and stopped at every floor. On our Harmony cruise a few months ago, it was a LOT better and it’s the same class ship. Go figure…

[@davidtavakoli5858]

Very informative video. Quite honestly, I think I might like it! I've been on Icon and other huge ships on other lines, but the intimacy of these smaller ships appeals to me. Another great video!

[@CruisingKat]

Thank you so much! I had hard time trying to figure out if this ship is something I would recommend or not so I decided to make it in a way to present all the facts to help others make a decision that fits them more. I think some people are going to love it and others are going to hate it. I'm glad you found it helpful. 😊

[@jonkrispeterson6678]

We just got off the Vision of the Seas, for a 9 day cruise to Bermuda. It is virtually the same ship. It was a fantastic ship and cruise, in spite of the fact we didn’t get to go to the 2 Bahamas ports because of weather. In the past year we have been on both the Quantum and the Explorer. The food and service on the Vision were fantastic. We had a balcony room that was clean and roomy. The theater band was spectacular, and the cruise director Graeme was the best cruise director we have ever had. He used to,be the personal bagpipe player for The Queen. There were people who go on this ship once a month. I would travel on this ship again.

[@thomasmills3764]

Been on it three times this fall and have 3 more scheduled for this winter. Enjoy the ship and the crew.

[@CruisingKat]

Nice! I bet the crew know you by name by now ☺️

[@AndrewB..]

Here early! Just what I needed for a mid day pick me up! Have a great day kat!

[@CruisingKat]

You too, Andrew! I'm so glad it brightened up your day 😊

[@Steve-Goff]

Just got off Grandeur October 30. We had a good time and didn’t have any really negative experiences but would not sail on her again. I actually left somewhat poor ratings in multiple areas of my survey which I’ve never done on any of my previous sailings with Royal Caribbean

[@CruisingKat]

Thank you for adding your feedback. We're in the same boat. We had a good time but I don't think we'll sail on this ship again. There are better options for what we are looking for in a cruise.

[@claribelhernandez7948]

Thank you very much! You gave me the exact information I need!

[@CruisingKat]

@@claribelhernandez7948 Glad it was helpful!

[@johnflack4241]

We cruised on Grandeur's sister ship, Vision of the Seas - same size and layout, but not quite as old. I'll agree with much of what you said, both good and bad. We didn't miss the variety available on a larger ship. But we were there for the ports, so it was fine. We heard of one day with a plumbing problem but didn't experience it ourselves. Didn't see much rust or wear and tear. Our waiters in the Aquarious dining room were great, and the food was usually very good except one night when my salmon was overcooked. I enjoyed breakfast in the Windjammer most mornings, but a few breakfasts in the dining room were excellent. Lunch in the buffet was more hit or miss, and my one dinner there was lousy. Entertainment was great - both in the theater and other venues.

[@CruisingKat]

We were on Vision about 10 years ago. I'm glad to hear she's holding up nicely too 😊That cruise was before we started trying out bigger ships and we absolutely loved it. Now that we've cruised all sizes, I can definitely see that there is not one size fits all.

[@FamilyAtSea]

Another great video! You are so talented... There's no doubt you're going to be the next big cruise KZbinr. I'm rooting for you!

[@CruisingKat]

@@FamilyAtSea Thank you so much! I’ve been enjoying your videos too. You have a great channel! Hope our paths cross on one of these cruises! 😁

[@FamilyAtSea]

@@CruisingKat Looking forward to it... Happy sails!

[@cyrusoverland8461]

We used to cruise Disney a lot. Great line, but we finally had enough of all the kids. Took this cruise and it was great. We loaded up our iPads with movies, Kindles with books, and I had a new game for my SWITCH. We were not bored and had the most stress free and relaxing cruise we have had in some years. It was also less than half the cost of a Disney cruise. I guess it’s all relative. 🤷🏻‍♂️

[@CruisingKat]

I'm glad to hear you liked it! I agree... If you want to get away from kids, this ship will do it. I think we saw a total of 5-10 kids on our cruise, lol.

[@danielpinzone2800]

I've been on over 35 cruises but I liked grandeur of the seas cuz it left out of Baltimore and I'm from Western New York so it was a 35-minute plane ride, the amenities were good the food was good the ports are called were wonderful and they were 12 day cruises

[@CruisingKat]

@@danielpinzone2800 I think it’s a good ship for longer cruises with many ports. It has everything you need and is pretty convenient due to smaller size.

[@savageshutter7211]

I am so glad we didnt book this .we were extremely close to..i would have been really mad.

[@CruisingKat]

@@savageshutter7211 I’m glad it was helpful! That’s my goal for this channel - not to try to sway people one way or the other but to present helpful info so that everybody can decide if it’s for them or not 😊

[@danielpinzone2800]

I wish the MS bolero was still around it was a great ship very nostalgic it was owned by festival Cruise line a company out of Montreal

[@CruisingKat]

I haven't heard of it before so I looked it up. Wow, now THAT's a small ship! 😊

[@paulmorgado8047]

It is a great ship with a great crew. The food is great and so is the service. Is it old, is it small... yes and yes... it is a great small ship if you want to just relax and want a quiet ship to do it on. If you want a new ship and a big ship then book one... do your research 1st... I love cruising and the ship is not the 1st thing I look at when I choose to cruise, destinations come 1st for me... Just an FYI the Sunset aft junior suites are awesome...

[@CruisingKat]

That's a perfect assessment of this ship. I agree 100%!

[@coloradomtnbiker99]

I have been on enchantment twice. I like the size It's a perfect ship it does show her age as well would I sell on Grainger now it's too old. I wouldn't even consider it, But FYI, it is a vision class ship just so you know. I hope the discovery class will be just a tad bigger. Don't really need all that big stuff as the big ships but hopefully it will be awesome.

[@CruisingKat]

I'm with you on that one. Hoping Discovery will be worth the wait. We've been on Enchantment once but it was about 10 years ago. Good catch! I meant to say "Freedom class" in the video but didn't catch it until after I published it. 😊

[@dewannasmith3516]

I will be on Grandeur in 6 days 🎉 I'm a big kid at heart and would prefer a newer bigger ship but I think my family and I will still have a great time. I have plenty for my 8yr old to stay entertained.

[@CruisingKat]

You can definitely have a great time on this ship. As long as you plan stuff for your 8 yr old, it will be a great vacation for your child too. It's just easier on the other ship where they have so much for kids to do that you barely see them the whole cruise, lol. Enjoy your vacation!

[@dewannasmith3516]

@CruisingKat Thank you!!

[@danielpinzone2800]

It's a nice ship I've been on it 5x out of Baltimore and the and it has all the amenities you, need.

[@nostromo4539]

Comedians crack jokes, they don't crack up jokes. You crack me up!

[@CruisingKat]

@@nostromo4539 Haha! Thank you for keeping me straight on this. 😁

[@jlawrence0181]

I saw the Brilliance of the Seas in Alaska this September. I was surprised to see how much rust was on the ship and how neglected it looked compares to the Nieuw Amsterdam and the Solstice. Is RCCL so focused on the "latest and greatest" and letting the old ships deteriorate??

[@CruisingKat]

@@jlawrence0181 I haven’t seen Brilliance in a while but it’s one of the oldest ships too. Royal does refurbish their ships every 4-5 years but they can only do so much when it starts getting to 30 years old. You’re right that they’re focused on the new ships and many people (me included) are waiting for that new Discovery class they’ve been mentioning for a couple of years. It’s going to be a new class of smaller ships. That will be a nice change for anybody who wants a better ship that’s not a mega-ship.

[@wendyarndt5688]

Was that the Nashville Tenors I saw in the entertainment clips? Aren't they amazing??!!??

[@CruisingKat]

@@wendyarndt5688 Yes! They were so good! We didn’t expect to have such great headliners on this ship.

[@davee8113]

I Cruised on the ship earlier this year, every time it rained, water came in on the front glass on the Buffet, this gave the buffet seats near the front to have a musty, moldy smell, not bad but just annoying that it would never get better during the cruise, just the way it is. Old, worn out and lackluster at best. Its a ship that goes to sea but soon, you just want to get off sooner than what you would expect

[@CruisingKat]

Thank you for sharing that. We didn’t have any rain on our cruise but I can see that this would be a negative.

[@daniellaowens2348]

Sounds perfect for me

[@CruisingKat]

Excellent! Many people love this ship 😊

[@autobotdiva9268]

my auntie is 85, widow, i paid for a 3 night for her. She loved it!

[@CruisingKat]

I think for older cruisers, it's a great ship.

[@Lyle-tm1tm]

My last 2 cruises this year on Royal Caribbean I felt the food quality has gone downhill. Also, we had constant pluming issues on Harmony of the Seas so it is not just Grandeur. We are trying Carnival for the first time this December.

[@CruisingKat]

Oh, I'm sad to hear that you had plumbing issues on Harmony. We went on her this May and had a great cruise. But it is also getting up there in age. Hope you are going on a newer Carnival ship. I've heard about so many plumbing problems on their older ships. Seems like that's the number one problem as ships start aging.

[@melvinjacobs2328]

The Grandeur is a Vision Class

[@CruisingKat]

Yes! I meant to say Freedom class and didn't realize it until after I published the video. I was waiting for somebody to notice and mention it. You win the prize! 😁 Thank you for watching.

[@1JohnnyCruiser]

Good review and perspective. The plumbing issues are a deal killer for me and the hit or miss service and food is unacceptable for the price and gratuities we pay. Even the Radiance class ships seem small and old. The voyager class seems to be my happy spot for now.

[@CruisingKat]

@@1JohnnyCruiser yes, I wish the ship sizes didn’t correspond to ship ages. Some people really do like smaller ships, but then they have to settle for the oldest ones and end up dealing with all these problems. I’m looking forward to the new Discovery class to have some nicer options for smaller ship cruising

[@1JohnnyCruiser]

@CruisingKat Right! Discovery class is at least 5 years away. RCL doesn't want to leak details so the competition can try to match or beat. Look at MSC says they are building a ship bigger than Icon. It seems these older smaller ships get the newbie employees that are in training too.

[@benjaminsmith2287]

There are some misconceptions that need to be cleared up. This ship, though "small" by today's definition, is not really small. It's a fairly large ship especially if you're used to ships in the 40K to 50K range. The next thing is size of ship has nothing to do with service or food quality. Nor does its age. The reason why the staff felt inexperienced is cruise lines put their best crews on the newest ships. The food quality onboard and size? Some of the best food in the industry is on smaller ships than the Vision of the Seas. Variety. OK, there's more of it on the bigger ships if it is designed into them. This is a 1990s cruise ship but it is still a modern ship. It's just an earlier modern ship. To me, a vintage ship is an SS something, doesn't have balconies for regular passengers, has much more modestly sized staterooms and so forth and most of them aren't sailing with North American lines but some are still sailing. This is just not the most trendiest in decor of ship, but it is still a fairly modern ship. I'm looking at the footage and seeing a lot of nice lounges with dance floors and I think the priorities of cruising have changed from meeting/mingling/dancing with some dining to getting nicer and bigger staterooms, more dining, but far less mingling and dancing and that's where ships are fundamentally changing. Also, there's more introduction of class distinctions (suite classes and some ships having stateroom class restricted exclusive areas) on newer ships. I don't think that's a good thing whatsoever. Grandeur of the Seas is a Vision class ship and it is the blueprint, the foundation, of a lot of what's in Royal Caribbean's ships through the cruising boom form the 1990s to present.

[@CruisingKat]

I agree with you on all points. There are definitely smaller ships, mostly on luxury lines or even river cruises. This video was specifically highlighting Royal Caribbean's smallest ship since most of RCCL's ships are bigger and all the new ones have been mega-ships. Since we mostly cruise on Royal, I wanted to see how their smallest ship compares to all the larger ones and what the experience on it is like.

[@davee8113]

I would not suggest sailing on this ship. Just not enough to offer for the cost of a cruise, though cheaper, a bit more money can get you a better cruise on a newer ship.

[@CruisingKat]

I completely agree. Many other options for just a little more money.

[@AngieLangdon]

It's not for me!

[@CruisingKat]

Yeah, I don't think we'll be going on it again either.