One of the things I like about Royal Caribbean Lines is the pampering you receive from the time you step off of the plane until you are ready to fly home. My flight landed in Ft. Lauderdale even though the ship sailed from Miami. As we deplaned we were met by one of the employees and directed to a very nice lounge with comfortable chairs and tables to wait for the bus to the port. There was a great view of the runways so you could watch the planes come and go . I was fortunate enough to meet a very nice couple close to my age, who insisted I join their group when they found that I was travelling alone. The group was great and we had loads of fun. Have still kept in touch and visited since the cruise. The trip to the port was uneventful, which in this case is good. Boarding was smooth with a not too long wait in line. RCI usually has enough agents to keep the lines moving rather quickly.
The ship is just gorgeous, with lots of cream marble, brass, and windows, windows, windows. Wonderful views of the sea or ports from all decks. The Centrum soars upward and makes for a great first look at the interior of the Grandeur. Like all of the RCI ships the Granduer is understated elegance without being stuffy. I especially liked the Great Gatsby dining room with it's grand staircase. A nice touch was the piano music at dinner. I was fortunate enough to be seated at a table hosted by the ship's physicians. There were two on board and each took an evening to join us at dinner. My table mates were really an international group. One couple from Norway, one from Canada by way of St. Vincent's and the other from Miami by way of Cuba. We all got along really well . In fact I am still corresponding by email with the couple from Norway. I hope to be able to visit them someday.
RCI usually has excellent entertainment and this trip was no different. The headliner was Davy Jones from the 'Monkees'. He is quite talented. His show was a mix of tunes from his appearance on Brodway in Oliver, some Monkee's tunes and some that were favorites of his.
For casual dining the Windjammer Cafe can't be beat. Tastefully decorated and wonderful views from all areas of the dining area. Of course you can choose to eat indoors or on deck.
I usually choose an inside cabin , in the interest of economy, and this time was no different. I hardly ever spend much time in the cabin, long enough to shower and dress or to sleep a little at night. I try to catch up on lost sleep somewhere on deck so as not to miss the sun or the sea air. Another nice feature of the RCI ships is the ability to walk fore to aft on each deck. Unlike some ships the galley, dining room, etc. does not impede progress.
We sailed from Miami and spent one restful day at sea. I try to keep active but this time around I just vegetated by the pool most of the day. Our first stop was Labadee, a private "island" on the coast of Haiti. There are nice beaches with areas for snorkeling and other water activities. Lunch is served on the island and is a nice buffet, considering that everything has to be brought from the ship I have heard some complaints about the buffets on the private islands, but I guess some people just expect too much and are unable to make any allowances. I did some snorkeling on my own since I always carry my own mask and fins. In the afternoon there was one excursion, a sightseeing boat trip around the island to the spot where Columbus is said to have landed. It was a really interesting trip even though we did not get to go on shore. Our guide did point out some areas that had history and we were able to see the native houses and fishing boats. On the return we were entertained by Voodoo dancers. All in all a rather nice trip.
The two main stops were San Juan and St. Thomas. Having been to San Juan several times I thought maybe I would stay on board, but the lure of the shopping got the best of me. At the visitor's kiosk just outside of the terminal I learned that there is a free "trolley" that makes a loop of the old city with stops on Calle Forteleza where the shops are. I was lucky enough to sit next to a lovely lady who pointed out all of the sights on the way. I got off ,did my shopping, and hopped back on for the ride back to my starting point. Really a great way to get around the old city.
St. Thomas.....my most favorite place on earth. I had not seen the Mountaintop since my first visit in 1987 so I took a ship's excursion, to not only see the vistas from the mountaintop but to recapture some wonderful memories. We also stopped at St. Peter's Greathouse, a beautiful house built on the side of the mountain overlooking Megan's Bay. The house and gardens are lovely and the views breathtaking.
Another relaxing day at sea and on to Coco Cay. This private island is smaller that Labadee but I liked it just as much. The snorkeling was absolutely marvelous. The water was calm and crystal clear. I never saw so many fish at once. One of the aquatatic staff had a small rowboat near a sunken plane that served as a feeding station. He would throw dog kibble into the water to attract the yellow tail perch. Suddenly one would find themself in the middle of a fish feeding frenzy. It's quite a strange feeling to have all of those fish thrashing about and you in the middle.
