I want to start off by saying this is a great introductory cruise to go on if you have never been…read moreon one before, which was the case for my boyfriend and I. We just went on the Grand Classica from Tuesday-Thursday to Grand Bahama Island. We wanted to take a short cruise somewhere relaxing and that is what we got. We got a pretty good deal overall, which was great as well. I would give the entire experience 4/5 stars.
We were set to leave on Tuesday and I received an email on Saturday stating that we were required to get tested for COVID-19 prior to boarding. This was never an issue, but the woman I spoke with previously told me that vaccinated guests were not required to be tested. This change came abruptly with little notice. The worst part was that guests were required to pay $25.00 to be tested, when COVID tests are free everywhere else. The way that they get you is that they give you the $25.00 back in the form of credit to use on the ship. This was definitely annoying, but we got through it.
First of all, check-in was relatively smooth and simple. The front desk staff was friendly and polite and good customer service seems to be rare these days. After checking in, there was the option to purchase additional packages, such as alcohol or spa deals. Once we boarded the boat, we got to our cabin to settle in, which was the interior cabin. We had no issues with the actual cabin other than the bed was very uncomfortable. We were told that we reserved a queen bed for two but it was actually two twin beds pushed together, making it somewhat difficult to sleep comfortably. Other than that, it was clean, and the staff was quick to bring us any extras we needed.
After we settled in, we went straight to lunch at the Ocean View Buffet. I was pleasantly surprised by our options and we ate a hefty lunch. A plus is that meals are included and only speciality dining is an extra charge. The ship has plenty of things to do aside from dining, such as a fitness center, a pool and jacuzzi, a spa, a casino, and more. We spent a lot of time exploring and catching great ocean views from the top deck.
We had dinner at the Yellow Elder which was more of a fancy restaurant than the buffet. The food was decent and servers were wonderful. However, like my boyfriend said, be sure to bring your own hot sauce or preferred condiment because the food does lack sufficient flavor and seasoning.
That night we actually hit a storm with 70 mph winds which made me a bit anxious, especially since we have never been on a cruise before. The captain reassured us by coming on the loud speaker to keep us updated about our sail. We decided to book an excursion for the next morning when we would arrive to the island. There were a few options, but we chose swimming with the pigs to try something different. I was super excited about this.
The Grand Bahama Island was beautiful. Our bus driver who gave us a tour on the way there and back was so awesome. Swimming with the pigs was definitely an experience to remember and I do recommend it, especially if you are an animal lover like me.
Arriving back on the ship, we went to dinner at the Yellow Elder again. Keep in mind that the dinner portions are extremely small. When we made it back to our room, I felt sick and I ended up throwing up. I am not sure if it was something I ate or maybe from the sun, because I did get a pretty good sunburn. Either way, I had a pretty rough night following that.
One downside of the cruise was that I paid $25.00 for WiFi but it never actually worked. I made multiple calls to the front desk about it and they tried to tell me it was due to weather but I let them know that my boyfriend's worked fine for the most part. They said they'd call IT, but I never actually heard back. I am still waiting to see if they refunded me or not since I was never able to use it.
Overall, this was a pretty good experience for our first cruise, with just a few hiccups. We learned a lot and we will know how to best be prepared for our next trip.