Just Cruises Plus

Grandeur of the Seas anchored in Georgetown’s harbor.

We were looking for an early November cruise that was reasonably priced and didn’t require flying. The ship that came closest to meeting our needs was the Grandeur of the Seas departing Baltimore on November 2^nd. We had to make one compromise. While we would have preferred a balcony, the price for balconies was a lot higher than we planned to spend. This is common for the Grandeur and similar ships. Since there is only one deck of balconies, they are in short supply and can therefore command premium prices. However, there are lots of oceanview rooms and there were great deals on them so that’s what we chose.  As a bonus, the cruise was 10 days long which was good since we were leaving from Baltimore in cold weather so 10 days gave us lots of warm weather days.

Western Caribbean Ports of Call

The ports were Falmouth, Jamaica, Georgetown, Grand Cayman, Cozumel and Labadee. These are standard cruise ship ports and except for Falmouth, we had visited the other ports before. Falmouth was a sleepy little town on the

Falmouth Cruise Port

north coast about 20 miles from Montego Bay. The port was developed specifically for the giant Royal Caribbean ships, the Oasis of the Seas and the Allure of the Seas. As soon as you get off the ship, you are in a large shopping area with newly built “fake” warehouses which are the stores. Jamaican people are required to have a permit to enter this gated area. This is to protect us from the folks who (sometimes pushy) hawk their wares. The real Jamaica is in Falmouth, just outside of this protected area.

We took a culinary tour, not offered by the cruise line. Two very competent and informed women escorted us around town where we visited street vendors, restaurants and a private home where we sampled typical Jamaican food including coconut water and jerk chicken. They not only explained the food but they also gave us a running history of Jamaica and its culture. We discovered that marijuana is a key part of the

Our culinary tour guides with one of the food vendors.

Rastafarian religion but marijuana (ganja) is illegal in Jamaica. We highly recommend this tour to folks who are a bit adventurous. And it is only $45 per person.

Clients who were on the cruise with us took a private tour of Montego Bay which first went through the mountains to the area where the Maroons live. This is a community which descended from refugees who escaped slavery in the Americas and formed independent settlements. They thought the tour was excellent.  Another possibility is to go to Montego Bay and Doctors Beach. There is a small entrance fee but it is a beautiful and clean beach.

Our next port was Georgetown, Grand Cayman.  Sting-Ray City and 7 mile beach are the big attractions in Grand Cayman. Since we’ve experienced both, and we enjoy snorkeling, we found a great snorkeling spot within easy walking distance of the tender dock (note that all ships require tendering in Grand Cayman) where the fish were plentiful and you can rent fins and masks.

An artistic display on Cozumel’s main street.

We usually scuba dive in Cozumel (for divers, we recommend Sergio Sandoval). However, on this trip, we taxied into town, checked some of the shops and ended up in Pancho’s Back Yard (not a bad place to end up). The Margaritas are huge. Another favorite spot in Cozumel is Chankanaab Lagoon which is a short taxi ride from the ship. There are some Mayan ruins on Cozumel and the cruise line offers a tour to Tulum but you need to be aware that this tour requires a ferry ride which occasionally can be a bit rough.

The final stop was Labadee which almost everyone who has taken a Royal Caribbean cruise has visited. The beaches are beautiful. However, the food lines can be long if you don’t get in line early. There is a very appealing zip line but it is nearly $100 (we skipped it because of the price).

The Ship

The Grandeur of the Seas is a seagoing contradiction. As ships go, she is both small and old.  The Oasis of the Seas is 3 times as big as this 18 year old veteran.  Most of the size difference is in the width

Bar in the Centrum

(she is about half as wide as the Oasis of the Seas) and height (she has 6 fewer decks). However, her 866 foot length makes her feel pretty big.  As for the age, after her complete overhaul in 2012, she is completely up to date. Her sleek public spaces are as modern as any cruise ship, with the possible exception of the Quantum of the Seas. The wide wooden promenade deck is a feature that she has kept and we love it. It gave us (remember – no balcony) a chance to sit out, watch and listen to the ocean.

For a before dinner drink, Diamond members have their own lair where the drinks and appetizers are complimentary. The Schooner bar is always hopping before dinner usually with a musical trivia game. For those looking for a quiet drink with a view, head to the Viking Crown Lounge.

A sampling of Izumi

We were quite impressed with the food in the main dining room. The beef dishes were just OK but every other dish was excellent. We also tried each of the extra cost restaurants and we rank them as follows: Giovanni’s was the best in terms of both service (beyond outstanding, in part due to the warm and welcoming hostess) and food (fantastic). We had lunch at Izumi, a Japanese restaurant specializing in sushi. For sushi lovers, it was great. Non sushi people had the option of chicken or beef on a skewer. Chops was fine and if you want great beef, this is your spot. However, while the staff did their job correctly, there was no WOW to the service.

While we appreciated the “main stage” entertainment, we especially loved the crew’s creative use of the multi-level Centrum for aerialist acts and late night audience participation entertainment. The South Pacific lounge was also put to good use for game shows and a fun version of “crew” karaoke.

Aerialist entertainment in the Centrum

Embarkation could be lengthy if you arrive between 11AM and 1PM. Later arrivals should be able to board quickly. However, in order to board the ship, you must walk up about 5 decks through a zigzagging walkway. If you have any physical challenges or concerns, don’t be shy, ask for a wheelchair. The Royal Caribbean staff will wheel you aboard on the lowest deck where you can ride the elevator to your deck.

Overall this was a terrific cruise. The staff was superb the food well above average and the price of an oceanview room made this a great value. We booked the cruise 6 months in advance and were glad we did. As we got close to the cruise, the price went up and the sailing was full.