I just arrived home today from taking the Grandeur OTS from 8/8-8/15 to the Bahamas. This was my first time taking a trip out of Baltimore and when compared to Port Canaveral, it was about 30 minutes faster from the time you arrive to the time you actually board the ship. I would estimate it was about 25 minutes from parking to boarding.

I was traveling with a group of 8, including some first time cruisers and a 1 year old. I had balcony 7072, and as this being my first time with a balcony, I will never go back to any category less. The room was bigger than the standard ocean view room with a decent sized balcony and plenty of storage space. I found the room to be functional and just big enough for two adults and a pack n play set up for the baby. The state room attendant was friendly and efficient, as expected on RCI.

The food was definitely a highlight for all of us on this trip. We ate most meals in the MDR, the Great Gatsby, and found our waitstaff excellent. Both were interactive and friendly and were very playful with our 1 year old daughter as well. I had lunch one time in Izumi for an upcharge and found that to be excellent as well. However, the MDR food was great at just about every meal. I also found the Park Cafe to be a hidden little gem that served more deli style sandwich's etc. The Windjammer is your standard cruise buffet. The food was good, but it is focused more on quantity than quality. Read more