I got off this ship on 5-18-24. It was our first cruise. I got 2nd place and then 1st place on rock wall speed competition. The ship was beautiful. Classic and relaxing.
Ron - Welcome to Two Bears. Congratulations - We are honored, your the first Rock Wall competitor/winner to comment. Sounds like you had a great time. Keep On Trekking Randy and Jonathan
We just returned from this cruise today. You are completely on point with everything. We thought John the cruise director was the most hands-off cruise director ever. Thank you for this!
Elizabeth - Thank you for your comment and being a part of the discussion. We have only had two really good cruise directors that have been fully engaged with passengers. A good cruise director needs to be more than just a shtick. Keep On Trekking - Jonathan
I appreciate this video & honesty. As a musician who has worked on other ships entertainment is super important for me plus food. Was thinking of this ship, did Radiance of Seas my band friends were on & loved the band,they blew me away, the staff/crew was excellent, windjammer excellent almost better than MDR which was eh eh or fish was decent. Again MDR was not my favorite I enjoyed loved windjammer more. We stayed in grand suite which was awesome/huge balcony. I think I may think about Explorer and not do grandeur of seas BUT appreciate your video. Cabins are average & not as nice as Radiance. Again thanks for your honest input.
Thanks for the review! My lovely bride and I are on Allure next month and Grandeur in November, so both extremes of older and newer ships. We have one of the aft-facing suites on Grandeur, so we’re definitely going for that old school classic feel.
Welcome to Two Bears. I am sure that you and your lovely bride will enjoy classic lady. The view from the crown lounge will be close to your view from your aft suite. Let us know that you thought. Keep On Trekking - Jonathan
Last time I sailed Grandeur was in 2017. I would have rated her the same 6 years ago. Though the buffet was much better then. Also the solarium park cafe had a separate salad making station. Did Royal eliminate that? What I remember the most was Giovanni’s Table was the best of any Royal ship we’ve been on. The live music in the Centrum and Schooner Bar were also excellent. I agree about the crew. The best!
Alan - Thanks for the comment and your contribution to the discussion. The Park Cafe did have a salad area but they put them together for you. I would personally go on the ship again mainly because of the staff. Incredible! Keep On Trekking - J
I’m going on this ship in October. This will be my third cruise and my husbands second. We are laid back and I’m just trying to “get from here to there” mentality so I think we will be fine. My husband is higher maintenance than I am but he’s retired/disabled from his military career and I’m still working full time on a military base. I’m interested to see HIS opinion because I know I’ll make lemonade out of lemons no matter what. At least I’m not at work, right? LOL I’ll report back when we return 😂
Welcome from the Two Bears I am sure you will have a great time on the ship. It is more of a laidback experience. Your husband might be a bit more “alert” because of his time in the service but he should still have a good time. We look forward to hearing what your experience was like. Keep On Trekking R and J
We sailed the same ship. We were in the belly so no window but I wasn’t paying for it 😂. I honestly agree with most. of your assessments. Our shows were good but I’m not very cultured so there’s that 😂 We do like the smaller ships though. Less people. One thing I hated was the coffee. Just nasty coffee. They had a Starbucks on board then and I went there. Still had fun. Would sail her again 👍🏼
Salty - Anything is better if your not paying for it 🥳 We are currently headed to our 120 Day Challenge cruise (big ship) then the Celebrity Ascent in February (another big ship). If we survive you will be the first to know 😜 KOT - Jonathan
We went on grandeur just after covid when it sailed from Barbados. We had a grand suite and it was very tired which was understandable being such an old ship. We also got bed bugs and we ended up with food poisoning from Giovanni‘s. The sun beds on our balcony were covered in paint which wasn’t good considering it was a grand suite plus all the silicone was mouldy around the windows and doors. So unfortunately when we got back we complained about our experience and they refunded the whole cruise back and we will never go on that ship again.
Silver Honda - Welcome to Two Bears and we are glad we were able to give you the information you needed. You may not be sailing on grand lady but I am sure you will enjoy your time on Liberty. Let us know how your cruise turns out. Keep On Trekking R and J
Randy and I will check out Libertys schedule and see if we can enjoy a cruise on her before they decide to being in the Discovery class and start removing the older classes of ship. 😢KOT
@@twobearstrekking yes, I heard about this new discovery class. Is Royal Caribbean gonna do away with the older class ships? I thought Royal Caribbean was gonna make a discovery class to go into smaller ports?
@@SilverHonda0767 They have said so they could start retiring Vision and Radiance Class. We will have to wait and see. If you have a favorite Vision or Radiance Class ship that is still sailing I would book a cruise because we might be saying goodbye to some of our favorite ships soon.
2nd cruise he says and already giving a review, you need to compare 2 cruise is not enough . Funny part when he was astonished saying there are mirrors wow
question: do you take into account that a cruise on Grandeur costs 1/3 of what a cruise on one of the new ships costs ? What costs $1K on Grandeur might well cost $3K on Icon, or Wonder, etc.
@@michaelvitale4029 welcome to two bears and the simple answer to your question is 100% correct. If you choose older ships. First you will pay less, as we did, for your cruise. Secondly we went on the Ascent, sparkly new ship with a new ship smell and all, but $$$ compared to longer cruises on older ships. However When we are rating we don’t take that as a consideration. Keep On Trekking Randy and Jonathan
Thank you for your review. Next month we will be on that cruise ship for 5 days going to Mexico. 🫣 This will be our 2nd time on Royal Caribbean ship. We usually sail on Carnival Cruise were Platinum on Carnival.
Kim - Welcome to Two Bears. You will have a great time but keep in mind she is an older ship with a more laid back feel compared to Carnival. The ports are what made it for us in addition to the easy going friendships that me made and still stay in contact with. Enjoyed and keep up updated on your experience. Keep On Trekking Randy and Jonathan
First off I would like to say that your videos are very helpful! Our first cruise is in January on this ship. We had our worries of course because of the mixed reviews. This being our first cruise doesn’t really give us high expectations. I have to ask, what was your favorite ship of all time?
Eric - Thanks for the wonderful comment. I (Jonathan) would have to say the Celebrity Reflection primary because it was my first cruise of all time. However you will be interested in a video that is in the works: Hint It’s Awards Season! Keep on Trekking R and J
We just finished a Grandeur cruise and I'd say your review is spot on compared to our experience. Seems like some staff cared, others were fishing for something. For example, my wife on "formal" night had her hair put up at the spa and part way through (a $90 service) started getting harrassed by a sales person trying to sell her additional services. I texted at one point because I thought we'd be late for dinner and she texted back that she was trapped and almost in tears. Would you pay $90 to be in tears? We ate in the dining room most nights and the food was okay, not anything great but EVERY night we got a lecture from, I guess, the dining room manager about how they depended on a survey rating of 10 for their lively hood. What? Don't fish for a rating. On two occasions they asked what else they could do and I said, "Stop bothering us about the rating!" and unfortunately that just resulted in more pestering. Overall, I would never use this ship or this cruise line again. But.... disclaimer, that was the experience my wife and I had, you might have a wonderful experience.
Rebecca - Welcome to Two Bears and very good question. I are unaware if the tv actually moves but we can speak to the lack of comfort of the couch. It is more of a sit and put on your shoes piece of furniture. Keep On Trekking R and J
I am curious who they are "marketing" this ship to then, I haven't been on an old ship, I usually travel middle age ships. Are they thinking it is just for older people who just don't care or know the difference.
Vicki - That is a great question. I can say for sure who they are not “marketing” to and that would be people that love short cruises with lots of people and “cutting edge” entertainment. Often older ships cruise to different ports than the larger newer mega ships. Seasoned cruisers who want to try different ports look for cruises to those locations and often they are on older ships. Keep On Trekking R and J
@@nicholegilbert4041 Welcome to two bears and a great question that I would enjoy hearing others thoughts on it. For us … we went on the Ascent (three months new) and we experienced poor service experiences: Room Attendant and a whole service breakdown in one of the 4 dining rooms. I can understand the idea behind being the best of your best to the newest ships but that wasn’t true from our experience. Would enjoy other thoughts on the subject. Keep on Trekking Randy and Jonathan
2023 my wife and I cruised this ship. I ended up loving it. I am an a very outgoing person and I felt like a celebrity while on board. It was my second cruise with my wife and my third cruise overall. It is now 5/24. We have six more cruises planned till 12/24. Lucky enough for me our 7/24 cruise will be on the Grandure of the seas. I can't wait. We've cruised mega ship and they're lots of fun but I feel comfy cozy with less people.
First & last cruise. The pool is microscopic. Food is average at best. Interior is dated & worn. Level 2 smells like musty sewage. It’s for older ppl. If you have kids or like actual nice vacations do not go on this ship. Cozumel port is so run down. Literally a place for Senor Frogs & T shirts.
Why do the older ships have the best itineraries. I hate that. I booked this ship for the itinerary. I'm looking forward to the ports we're visiting but I'm afraid I may hate the ship. Glad to see you at least five it a 4 out of 5. That makes me hopeful.
Yemisi - Welcome to two bears and thanks for your comment and question. First: We have found that to attract passengers cruise lines use their newer ships to attract more first time passengers. Most often the newer ships cruise the Caribbean when they are reaching out to the U.S. market. More established cruisers want a different experience and are willing to cruise on an older ship as long as the ports are enjoyable and the ship is well maintained. Secondly: As to Grandeur herself. We enjoyed what she had to offer because that is the style of cruisers we are. (Read - laid back, easy going, don’t require being entertained, enjoy a meaningful conversation about traveling adventures with like minded cruisers) It seems that we were helpful to you in your cruise planning, that is why we give honest reviews. Let us know how your cruise goes. Keep On Trekking Randy and Jonathan
I got off this ship on 5-18-24. It was our first cruise. I got 2nd place and then 1st place on rock wall speed competition. The ship was beautiful. Classic and relaxing.
Ron -
Welcome to Two Bears.
Congratulations - We are honored, your the first Rock Wall competitor/winner to comment. Sounds like you had a great time.
Keep On Trekking
Randy and Jonathan
@@twobearstrekking thanks. It was a blast. We're carefully planning our next trip now lol.
@@RonFleener that is great to hear! We are so glad you had fun and we might have helped just a bit.
Keep On Trekking
Randy and Jonathan
We just returned from this cruise today. You are completely on point with everything. We thought John the cruise director was the most hands-off cruise director ever. Thank you for this!
Elizabeth -
Thank you for your comment and being a part of the discussion. We have only had two really good cruise directors that have been fully engaged with passengers. A good cruise director needs to be more than just a shtick.
Keep On Trekking
- Jonathan
I appreciate this video & honesty. As a musician who has worked on other ships entertainment is super important for me plus food. Was thinking of this ship, did Radiance of Seas my band friends were on & loved the band,they blew me away, the staff/crew was excellent, windjammer excellent almost better than MDR which was eh eh or fish was decent. Again MDR was not my favorite I enjoyed loved windjammer more. We stayed in grand suite which was awesome/huge balcony. I think I may think about Explorer and not do grandeur of seas BUT appreciate your video. Cabins are average & not as nice as Radiance. Again thanks for your honest input.
Thanks for the review! My lovely bride and I are on Allure next month and Grandeur in November, so both extremes of older and newer ships. We have one of the aft-facing suites on Grandeur, so we’re definitely going for that old school classic feel.
Welcome to Two Bears. I am sure that you and your lovely bride will enjoy classic lady. The view from the crown lounge will be close to your view from your aft suite. Let us know that you thought.
Keep On Trekking
- Jonathan
"The shower curtain that sticks to you when you spin around." 😂😂
Are you telling me you don’t spin in the shower? You’re missing out on all the fun! 🤣😂🤣
Last time I sailed Grandeur was in 2017. I would have rated her the same 6 years ago. Though the buffet was much better then. Also the solarium park cafe had a separate salad making station. Did Royal eliminate that? What I remember the most was Giovanni’s Table was the best of any Royal ship we’ve been on. The live music in the Centrum and Schooner Bar were also excellent. I agree about the crew. The best!
Alan -
Thanks for the comment and your contribution to the discussion. The Park Cafe did have a salad area but they put them together for you. I would personally go on the ship again mainly because of the staff. Incredible!
Keep On Trekking
- J
I’m going on this ship in October. This will be my third cruise and my husbands second. We are laid back and I’m just trying to “get from here to there” mentality so I think we will be fine. My husband is higher maintenance than I am but he’s retired/disabled from his military career and I’m still working full time on a military base. I’m interested to see HIS opinion because I know I’ll make lemonade out of lemons no matter what. At least I’m not at work, right? LOL I’ll report back when we return 😂
Welcome from the Two Bears
I am sure you will have a great time on the ship. It is more of a laidback experience. Your husband might be a bit more “alert” because of his time in the service but he should still have a good time.
We look forward to hearing what your experience was like.
Keep On Trekking
R and J
We sailed the same ship. We were in the belly so no window but I wasn’t paying for it 😂. I honestly agree with most. of your assessments. Our shows were good but I’m not very cultured so there’s that 😂 We do like the smaller ships though. Less people. One thing I hated was the coffee. Just nasty coffee. They had a Starbucks on board then and I went there. Still had fun. Would sail her again 👍🏼
Salty -
Anything is better if your not paying for it 🥳 We are currently headed to our 120 Day Challenge cruise (big ship) then the Celebrity Ascent in February (another big ship). If we survive you will be the first to know 😜
KOT
- Jonathan
Saw that show on our 1st Royal Caribbean cruise. I loved that show 😍 Argentina Tango show.
We went on grandeur just after covid when it sailed from Barbados. We had a grand suite and it was very tired which was understandable being such an old ship. We also got bed bugs and we ended up with food poisoning from Giovanni‘s. The sun beds on our balcony were covered in paint which wasn’t good considering it was a grand suite plus all the silicone was mouldy around the windows and doors. So unfortunately when we got back we complained about our experience and they refunded the whole cruise back and we will never go on that ship again.
Thanks for the review. I think you help me make my decision. We’re gonna take Liberty of the Seas in October instead.
Silver Honda -
Welcome to Two Bears and we are glad we were able to give you the information you needed. You may not be sailing on grand lady but I am sure you will enjoy your time on Liberty.
Let us know how your cruise turns out.
Keep On Trekking
R and J
Liberty is a nice older ship as well, I’ve been on all classes and voyager is my favorite
Randy and I will check out Libertys schedule and see if we can enjoy a cruise on her before they decide to being in the Discovery class and start removing the older classes of ship. 😢KOT
@@twobearstrekking yes, I heard about this new discovery class. Is Royal Caribbean gonna do away with the older class ships? I thought Royal Caribbean was gonna make a discovery class to go into smaller ports?
@@SilverHonda0767 They have said so they could start retiring Vision and Radiance Class. We will have to wait and see. If you have a favorite Vision or Radiance Class ship that is still sailing I would book a cruise because we might be saying goodbye to some of our favorite ships soon.
2nd cruise he says and already giving a review, you need to compare 2 cruise is not enough . Funny part when he was astonished saying there are mirrors wow
question: do you take into account that a cruise on Grandeur costs 1/3 of what a cruise on one of the new ships costs ? What costs $1K on Grandeur might well cost $3K on Icon, or Wonder, etc.
@@michaelvitale4029 welcome to two bears and the simple answer to your question is 100% correct. If you choose older ships. First you will pay less, as we did, for your cruise. Secondly we went on the Ascent, sparkly new ship with a new ship smell and all, but $$$ compared to longer cruises on older ships.
However
When we are rating we don’t take that as a consideration.
Keep On Trekking
Randy and Jonathan
Thank you for your review. Next month we will be on that cruise ship for 5 days going to Mexico. 🫣
This will be our 2nd time on Royal Caribbean ship. We usually sail on Carnival Cruise were Platinum on Carnival.
Kim -
Welcome to Two Bears. You will have a great time but keep in mind she is an older ship with a more laid back feel compared to Carnival. The ports are what made it for us in addition to the easy going friendships that me made and still stay in contact with.
Enjoyed and keep up updated on your experience.
Keep On Trekking
Randy and Jonathan
First off I would like to say that your videos are very helpful! Our first cruise is in January on this ship. We had our worries of course because of the mixed reviews. This being our first cruise doesn’t really give us high expectations. I have to ask, what was your favorite ship of all time?
Eric -
Thanks for the wonderful comment. I (Jonathan) would have to say the Celebrity Reflection primary because it was my first cruise of all time. However you will be interested in a video that is in the works: Hint
It’s Awards Season!
Keep on Trekking
R and J
We just finished a Grandeur cruise and I'd say your review is spot on compared to our experience. Seems like some staff cared, others were fishing for something. For example, my wife on "formal" night had her hair put up at the spa and part way through (a $90 service) started getting harrassed by a sales person trying to sell her additional services. I texted at one point because I thought we'd be late for dinner and she texted back that she was trapped and almost in tears. Would you pay $90 to be in tears? We ate in the dining room most nights and the food was okay, not anything great but EVERY night we got a lecture from, I guess, the dining room manager about how they depended on a survey rating of 10 for their lively hood. What? Don't fish for a rating. On two occasions they asked what else they could do and I said, "Stop bothering us about the rating!" and unfortunately that just resulted in more pestering. Overall, I would never use this ship or this cruise line again. But.... disclaimer, that was the experience my wife and I had, you might have a wonderful experience.
Thanks. Can you watch tv from the bed? The angle looks like you have to be on the couch to see it?
Rebecca -
Welcome to Two Bears and very good question. I are unaware if the tv actually moves but we can speak to the lack of comfort of the couch. It is more of a sit and put on your shoes piece of furniture.
Keep On Trekking
R and J
I am curious who they are "marketing" this ship to then, I haven't been on an old ship, I usually travel middle age ships. Are they thinking it is just for older people who just don't care or know the difference.
Vicki -
That is a great question. I can say for sure who they are not “marketing” to and that would be people that love short cruises with lots of people and “cutting edge” entertainment. Often older ships cruise to different ports than the larger newer mega ships. Seasoned cruisers who want to try different ports look for cruises to those locations and often they are on older ships.
Keep On Trekking
R and J
I'm almost wondering if there is where all the new employees start. And like Utopia is the best of the best employees.
@@nicholegilbert4041 Welcome to two bears and a great question that I would enjoy hearing others thoughts on it.
For us … we went on the Ascent (three months new) and we experienced poor service experiences: Room Attendant and a whole service breakdown in one of the 4 dining rooms. I can understand the idea behind being the best of your best to the newest ships but that wasn’t true from our experience.
Would enjoy other thoughts on the subject.
Keep on Trekking
Randy and Jonathan
I enjoyed your review
Yolanda -
Welcome to Two Bears and so glad you are enjoying our videos.
Keep On Trekking
R and J
2023 my wife and I cruised this ship. I ended up loving it. I am an a very outgoing person and I felt like a celebrity while on board. It was my second cruise with my wife and my third cruise overall. It is now 5/24. We have six more cruises planned till 12/24. Lucky enough for me our 7/24 cruise will be on the Grandure of the seas. I can't wait. We've cruised mega ship and they're lots of fun but I feel comfy cozy with less people.
First & last cruise. The pool is microscopic. Food is average at best. Interior is dated & worn. Level 2 smells like musty sewage. It’s for older ppl. If you have kids or like actual nice vacations do not go on this ship. Cozumel port is so run down. Literally a place for Senor Frogs & T shirts.
Why do the older ships have the best itineraries. I hate that. I booked this ship for the itinerary. I'm looking forward to the ports we're visiting but I'm afraid I may hate the ship. Glad to see you at least five it a 4 out of 5. That makes me hopeful.
Yemisi -
Welcome to two bears and thanks for your comment and question.
First: We have found that to attract passengers cruise lines use their newer ships to attract more first time passengers. Most often the newer ships cruise the Caribbean when they are reaching out to the U.S. market. More established cruisers want a different experience and are willing to cruise on an older ship as long as the ports are enjoyable and the ship is well maintained.
Secondly: As to Grandeur herself. We enjoyed what she had to offer because that is the style of cruisers we are. (Read - laid back, easy going, don’t require being entertained, enjoy a meaningful conversation about traveling adventures with like minded cruisers)
It seems that we were helpful to you in your cruise planning, that is why we give honest reviews.
Let us know how your cruise goes.
Keep On Trekking
Randy and Jonathan