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Grand Classica Cruise Ship Reviews

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Are Royal Seas Cruises And Bahamas Paradise Cruise Line The Same Thing

Grand Classica Bahamas Paradise Ship Tour & Review

If the ships, departure port, and destination are the same, are they both the same company?!

A review of the Royal Seas Cruises revealed that the two companies are not the same company. Rather, the Royal Seas is most likely a third-party supplier that sells cruises and books them for the customer, usually on a cruise with BPCL.

Is There A 2 Night Cruise In The Bahamas

Welcome to the only 2-night cruise sailing from the Port of Palm Beach to Grand Bahama Island and Nassau every day of the week! Get a glimpse of all the fun that awaits aboard your getaway to paradise. Were the only cruise line that combines the fun of the ship with a beach-resort stay on Grand Bahama Island or Nassau.

How To Starve On A Cruise

In fairness, in February, I sailed the Disney Fantasy and in December, I was on the MSC Meraviglia. Both are absolutely beautiful ships with immaculate rooms and dining choices galore. I did not set that expectation when sailing that cruise, I knew better than to make such an assumption.

What I did expect though was some sort of post pandemic COVID standards that seemed acceptable or in the realm of at least avoiding gastro-intestinal issues. What I saw was the opposite. There were 2 washing stations at the entrance which I watched no one use at any point. There were bottles of hand sanitizer placed by a few food stations and people were randomly serving themselves.

On both previous cruises, masks were required indoors, handwashing was mandatory as you entered, sometimes even temperature checks were done, and staff served all food at each station. There was no staff to enforce any of this in the buffet area, just a couple of people cleaning tables here and there. Honestly, Ive never walked into a cruise buffet area without someone armed to spray your hands singing washy, washy.

And so I walked right back out, being the only one in a mask anywhere and knowing that washy washy was probably not a concern of any of the patrons I saw there. I looked to see where else I could get something to eat.

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The Ship Is Still Actively Being Refurbished

Though I hadn’t sailed on this ship before, I could easily pick out which carpeting, furniture and wall colors were left over from the ship’s prior life as Bahamas Paradise Cruise Line’s Grand Classica. In fact, painters were actively updating the ship’s Euphoria Lounge during my cruise

After chatting with other passengers, I learned that the ship is currently only in phase one of a three-phase refurbishment.

Because the inaugural sailing had already been delayed, I assumed that meant the ship would be fully renovated when I stepped on board. Because that wasn’t the case, I asked the cruise line’s public relations team what the timeline was for completion.

Updates are ongoing, they told me, such as the painting I witnessed during my trip. Here’s what’s changed in the couple of weeks since my cruise:

  • New carpet has been installed in the Euphoria Lounge.
  • Smokers were installed to provide cruisers with barbecue lunch options when they return from their shore excursions.
  • The styling of the buffet has been updated to match the Margaritaville vibe.
  • Back-of-house updates have been made to improve the guest experience in terms of air conditioning and sanitation.
  • Upgraded kitchen equipment has been installed to enhance the JWB Prime Steakhouse experience.

If I’d known this in advance of my cruise, I would have waited to book until the rebranding process was complete for the full Margaritaville experience.

Are Royal Seas Cruises Safe

The Oasis on Grand Classica Cruise Ship

With financial acquisitions, your instinct is usually a powerful tool. If you feel the way the salespeople market and promote the products is iffy, try checking somewhere else.

Using Royal Seas Cruises as a case study, since their website is not secure, we do not recommend making payment through their site. They dont have a valid SSL certificate which means that all information that goes through its website could be easily hacked, garnered, or intercepted.

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The Switch To Margaritaville At Sea

At the time of writing this post, Margaritaville at Sea has already announced that the April 30 sailing date is being moved to May 14, 2022 and canceled those scheduled cruises. They cited supply chain issues as the cause but I suspect it may have come to light just how much repair is necessary in order to make the rebranding efforts fall in line with the Essence of Margaritaville.

Travel is my passion but I also continue to maintain a real estate license for over 20 years and love home renovating. I can spot a good or bad renovation a mile away and there was no way 12 days wouldve given them enough time to fix what I saw.

Half of one of the pool decks was completely roped off with caution tape and the part you could walk on had dips and weak spots hidden underneath badly worn synthetic grass. Deck areas that were bare, were exactly that, bare wood, no protective finishing could be seen, just weathered and damaged.

We tend to use humor to cope with bad situations so we survived off non-stop jokes during this adventure. At one point, we mused, was this the Costa boat that capsized in the Mediterranean that time the captain wasnt even on the ship? No worries, that ship was scrapped but some of the doors on here look like they were under water with water damage visibly seen all down the door. Particularly in the hallway on deck 8 with the peculiar art.

My Personal Assumptions Of The Intended Repairs

I watched them start wrapping the columns throughout the ship with sisal ropes, definitely the beginning of the transition to the look of the pictures weve seen for the ships future facelift. But, it worried me knowing that some of the floors have major problems. Would they just try to cover them rather than gut them? You wouldnt wrap columns on floors youre going to take out.

Lets assume that the current owners are generally interested in their own success but simply have lacked capital to do what was necessary. Without knowing how much or where they are actually getting the capital to create Margaritaville at Sea, I can only estimate minimal changes but based on the delay announced, it is possible that they will invest in much needed updates.

While paint and fixtures can instantly give a new vibe, core issues of flooring structure and rotting wood with leaks can not be masked for long. Even on a cheap cruise, one wouldnt want to worry about whether they are safe and safety has many forms from the kitchen to the environment, not even considering the issues and constraints of COVID safety the last 2 years.

I took a long look at the proposed photos of what the Oceanview cabin will look like as opposed to what I was in. Cosmetically speaking, Im sure they will paint, add wallpaper, new lighting, new TV, hopefully a new fridge . When I put the photos side by side,

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Bahamas Paradise Cruise Line

Review Highlights

For my first cruise ever I would definitely recommend the Grand Classica for the Bahamas Paradise cruise line.in 23 reviews

This was my first cruise and first trip to the Bahamas both exceeded my expectations.in 44 reviews

The ship is large, but not as large as the new ones from the big brands.in 184 reviews

Location & Hours

About the Business

Bahamas Paradise Cruise Line is the exclusive cruise line of the Palm Beaches, with a 2-night cruise to Grand Bahama Island from the Port of Palm Beach. Enjoy delicious dining and amazing live entertainment. Try your luck in the casino or a relaxing spa treatment. There is something for everyone and with year around sailings, the perfect time is anytime.Looking to extend your stay? Our Cruise & Bahamas Resort Stay Packages give you a deeper dive into the Bahamian way with the flexibility to vacation when it fits your schedule. The Grand Celebration was ranked in the top ten for Best Entertainment, Best Dining, Best Shore Excursions, Best Cruise Value and Best Overall Cruise by Cruise Critic. The Grand Classica: Coming April 2018

Recommended Reviews

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This Cruise Line Is A Rip Off

Bahamas Paradise Grand Classica (Embarkation & Walkthrough Tour)

THIS CRUISE LINE IS A RIP OFF . THEY GET YOUR MONEY IN A SECOND BUT IF YOU HAVE TO CANCEL BECAUSE OF COVID. THEY SAID IF TAKE 90 DAYS FOR A REFUND. ALSO TAKE HALF OF YOUR MONEY.AFTER THE 90 DAY PASS ALL OF A SUDDEN IT WENT UP TO 120. THEY CONNECT YOU OVER TO ACCOUNT FOR INFORMATIOM AND SHE NEVER CALL BACK. I HAVE CALLED EVERYDAY AND IT IS LIE AFTER LIE. NO ONE CAN TELL ME WHEN OR IF I GETTING MY REFUND BACK.

Date of experience:November 02, 2021

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The Last Sailing On The Grand Classica Review

Life works out in weird ways. To be honest, I had no idea that this was the last sailing under the Bahamas Paradise brand and I was not even supposed to be on this sailing. I was under the impression that I was taking a preview of the new Margaritaville, maybe a soft opening or something like that. The company had been offering travel advisors a free cruise so I booked to sail April 4 6, 2022 but woke up with sick children that day.

They graciously allowed me to reschedule to April 16 18, 2022 . I realized it would be Easter weekend, which weve never spent more than one night away from the children so 2 nights and during a Holiday is truly unheard of for us. Yet, I was excited!

I hadnt received any documents for my first sailing but since I had actually spoken with a rep for the reschedule, I immediately received an email and she confirmed that I did not need anything other than my ID when I arrived at the port. COVID testing would be at the port as well.

Rip Off Rip Offanyone In Favor Of

RIP OFF RIP OFF!ANYONE IN FAVOR OF JOINING ME WITH A CLASS ACTION AGAINST THESE PEOPLE. I booked a cruise for July 10th 2021. They cancelled A couple of days before. I USED their rip off partner uplift to pay for the cruise. SO UPLIFT IS NOW CHARGING ME EVERY MONTH TO COVER THE CRUISE THAT I DIDNOT USE! I WENT TO MY BANK AND CANCELLED THE CARD AND TMY BANK GAVE ME MY THREE MONTHS OF PAYMENTS!!!

Date of experience:September 01, 2021

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Caribbean Cruise Line Scam

NBC 6 is airing a story about Caribbean Cruise Line alleging that the company routinely offers essentially free cruises via unsolicited phone calls or vouchers in the mail, and deceives the public by not disclosing hidden fees.

It also claims that businessmen behind the scenes at the travel company have been in trouble for deceiving customers before.

We have covered stories about this outfit before Caribbean Cruise Line Lies and Steals?

The story is a bit confusing because the Caribbean Cruise Line, although technically active with the Florida Department of State, essentially went out of business after the Bahamas Celebration ran aground on October 31st while departing from Freeport, ripping a hole in the hull. In December 2014 it was announced that the newly formed Bahamas Paradise Cruise Line would operate the MS Grand Celebration which would replace the old damaged ship.

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The Parts Bahamas Paradise Did Well

Plunge Pool on Grand Classica Cruise Ship

They can keep all of these elements because they are actually the better parts of the experience that they offer.

Staff The majority of the staff on the ship were the only redeeming feature. Ive seen crappier staff on better ships. Besides the 1st server in the dining room and the wholly unpleasant woman running the pizza shop, everyone else was amazing. They were pleasant, gracious, and tried their hardest to do their job as best they could with the tools they had. My cabin steward, Wuawahn , took the time to make a good towel animal, completely unexpected given the circumstances.

The Valet Parking I thought I would hate it but they brought us our car within 5 minutes.

The Dinner it was tasty enough. I felt transported away from the rest of the ships environment when we went to dinner and I needed that.

The Announcements some of the clearest announcements Ive ever heard on a cruise.

The Drink Package typically not something I would use but it was convenient and the pricing was not horrible. Being able to purchase a 10 drink ticket package for $75 feels very fair for a couple where one might not drink more than 1 or 2 drinks. Some cruises force you to buy a package for every adult in the room which can be costly and unnecessary.

The internet Package was reasonably priced at $25 for the 2 day trip and worked well enough.

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Inside The Port Of Palm Beach

The next step was to show your documents and receive your sailing card. This couldve gone much smoother but just when I was next in line the system went down and we were at a stand still for another 45 minutes. When things resumed, Andrew, an IT person and a female Chief Financial Account Officer were the ones to process ours as they helped deal with the backup. They asked for my pink copy from testing which I wasnt given and even asked about. Then they looked at each other and shrugged at their own disbelief in how things were being run. We finally made it on board at 3:45 PM.

Review Of Margaritaville Paradise

The 1991-built MS Margaritaville Paradise cruise ship between 2014-2018 was operated under the name “Costa neoClassica”. In April 2018, neoClassica was renamed to “Grand Classica” and joined the fleet of the Florida-based Bahamas Paradise Cruise Line – a company run by NCL‘s former President Kevin Sheehan. Until 2020, the company’s fleet consisted of two ships – Grand Classica and Grand Celebration .

The vessel is currently Bahamas-flagged and registered in Nassau.

In December 2021 was announced that Margaritaville Resorts & Hotels signed a partnership deal with Bahamas Paradise to start the new cruise brand “Margaritaville at Sea”. The new travel brand is currently scheduled for inauguration on May 13, 2022 . The renamed Grand Classica starts service for Margaritaville at Sea following an extensive wetdock refit at Grand Bahama Shipyard .

  • The Margaritaville Cruise Line brand is expected to add more ships to its future fleet, with Margaritaville Paradise being the first one.
  • The long-term ship charter was signed by John Cohlan and Oneil Khosa .
  • The shipowner remains the same .

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The Best Bahamas Vacation Package

Are you looking for a superior trip with fantastic deals? Emerson Travel has been working together for over 20 years to provide our travelers with unique discounts and incentives through the provision of hotels, cruise ships, and travel partners.

Your dream is to have a perfect Bahamas experience and with our specialist, you will receive nothing but what you want. Inexpensive Bahamas cruise vacation packages is not just an addition to what we do, it is the only thing we do. We are working to create the most comprehensive travel package available. We keep up-to-date with all costs with cruise tickets, hotel rates, and tourism events. With every seasonal change, small or large, we pay close attention. We guide you to pick the right time of the year and days that offer the best enjoyment on your vacation in the Bahamas.

When Thinking Of Treating Yourself To That Dream Vacation Thoughts Of Tropical Islands Shopping And Romantic Getaways Might Fill Your Head With The Grandest Of Hotels And Pricey Destinations

Grand Classica arrives at Port of Palm Beach for test cruise

While cruise ships can be sold to other cruise lines, given the current climate with the pandemic, ships may go straight to the scrapyard. When you’re about to head on a cruise it can be a little stressful to make sure you’re fully prepared before you leave. By proceeding, you agree to our privacy policy and terms. Rd.com travel vacations experiences cruise ships are a way to explore the world and have a vacation o. Maybe it’s geographically or physica. Seagoing vacations have come a long way since tv’s sunny love boat sailed across 1970s screens. Small cruise ship lines offer a pleasant alternative, delivering all of the seafaring excitement with les. In watching all the horrific tragedy and devastation in new orleans and the rest of the gulf coast, i can’t help but wonder: Instead of being arranged in floors as structures are, cruise ships are arranged in what are called decks. Be the first to discover secret destinations, travel hacks, and more. We looked at ships including disney magic, disney wonder and more for the best disney experiences. It’s time for you to sit back and relax. While it may not be for everyone, cruises are extremely popular for many vacationers.

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Have Traveled On This Cruise 5 Timesalways A Great Experience

Have traveled on this cruise 5 times now and every time the experience gets better. The staff is on point and pleasant. The casino host Santino takes amazing care of the casino guests. The day at the private beach was incredible. If you are looking for a quick getaway this is def the way to go.

Date of experience:June 11, 2019

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