cr8tiv1

Not on the 4 post pandemic cruises on the Grand. I also enjoyed the Pub Lunches.

You are correct. Bingo/Casino is never closed on a sea day (going and coming). Hawaii has a no gambling law (including Bingo). As long as you remain in Hawaiian waters (between the islands), the casino will remain closed. Example: Cruising at night from Hilo to Honolulu/Honolulu to Kauai. The casino will be closed. Occasionally, the captain may take the ship outside of island waters to open the casino. That depends on itinerary.

You can tell where my priorities are… Deck 5: * one set of bathrooms near Good Spirits at Sea Bar (port) Deck 6 * one set of bathrooms either side of Guest Services * one set either side of Princess Theater entrance Deck 7: * one set single stall bathroom by Vista Lounge, aft (secret restroom….lol) * Male bathroom aft of Photo Gallery / Forward of Explorer’s Lounge (port) * Female bathroom forward of Wheelhouse Bar / forward of Explorers Lounge (port) * one set of bathrooms near Princess Theater entrance There are multiple bathrooms on Lido Deck (14), 15, and 16….not my specialty.

There's no BIngo while cruising around the islands (but those would not be considered sea days anyway). The casino is also closed, even in the evenings. Unless the Captain decides to take the ship out to International Waters (outside of Kauai, sometimes). Hula and ukulele lessons are specific to Hawaii cruises and/or sometimes the ones that include Tahiti. Yes, be aware of the "SPA" seminars and Art Auctions.

There is no way to book specialty restaurants early (pre-cruise) using OBC. Catch 22. If you wait to use OBC to pay for your dinner, there MAY not be available time slots that meet your preference. I would not advise charging your credit card and then "re-adjust" once on board. That is complicated at best. You are able to make reservations if you have specific promotional dinner credits.

I looked at your itinerary, WOW....that's a lot of sea days! Going over, you will be traveling in a Southwest direction. Coming back in a very North/Northeast direction. It looks like you will have more sea days on your return. I can only speak to Honolulu (starboard side will be against the pier/terminal). Lahaina will drop anchor and "swivel", but most likely starboard side will be facing Lahaina for most of the day.

@robthensWhich cruise line has a Presidential Suite? Would it be comparable to the Owner's Suite or the new Sky Suite? I agree with you: Lastly, any cabin you pick is great. Just cruising is great!

Oh, shield my eyes….the visual imagery is too much for me, at this time.

Unfortunately, I do not want to read through 73 pages so ask for your forgiveness ahead of time. I have a cruise departing Canada in a few months. I am vaccinated and boosted. Looking for clarification: 1. Does it matter if it is a rapid PCR or standard 2-3 day PCR test? 2. WIthin 72 hours....example...test after 12 noon on Friday, get on ship on Monday before noon. What happens if embarkation is delayed? Please quote this post so that I will get a notification. Thank you anyone who has taken this test and was allowed on the ship.

You can test at Canada Place, but it may incur a cost. https://covidtravelvancouver.ca

It will depend if you have a Cultural Ambassador on board (they are considered "entertainers. I can only speak about LA to Hawaii experiences. So this is a "should have" list. 1. Port talks (not shopping talks by Princess). Usually given by Cultural Ambassadors who are familiar with Hawaii. One port a day. 2. A naturalist. Sharon ? was on the one from LA. She was a Hawaii Volcano National Park Ranger and gave excellent talks about everything. 3. Guest Lecturer. Gary did his Route 66 presentation over 4 days. He is wonderful. 4. Cruise Director Staff will do ribbon leis and fresh orchid leis on the way back. Plus other crafts. VERY LIMITED space available. 5. Ukulele Classes 6. Hula Lessons 7. Sometimes Cultural Ambassadors will have craft activities for a small fee. 8. Maybe a couple of movies about Hawaii. 9. Check out your Roll Call to meet other passengers. 10. I am biased toward ELUA (LA to Hawaii). Do a goggle search for Tiki Dave. Lots more to do.

It’s late and I’m not near my computer. I am not sure if you are on the 8/3 or 8/10 Grand cruise. You mentioned that you are in E 101. I don’t know if there will be a price difference, but here are my reasons to moving your cabin to the Plaza Deck (5): 1. A little more toward the center of the ship. 2. More importantly, there are public bathrooms nearby on Deck 5, 6, and 7. None on deck 8. 3. Be absolutely sure you have a quad cabin. I’m guessing if you picked 3 passengers, it would default to a quad. Some deck maps indicate quads with a red dot. 4. My trick is to being magnetic hooks and a cloth shower curtain to create a privacy area for changing or reading if everyone else goes to sleep. Let me know if you need design plans. 5. By choosing the Plaza Deck, you will have more public areas to sit outside of your cabin. good luck. You will love the Grand Princess.

Agree with @westcoaster. And you may have a chance (2-4 AM) to see the Northern Lights if conditions are just right. A lot less crowded. Great sales/clearances. But colder, damper, could be drearier.

Both are the fleets' "smaller" ship. I am partial to the Grand, but the Sapphire is also a good ship. She has not been put into service yet (therefore no comments posted). Check out the itinerary of both ships. Make sure Glacier Bay is included. Since you are doing the land portion first, it would be "easier" if you pick up the ship in Whittier and cruise back to Vancouver.

Are you in a suite? Suite passengers have the first night at a specialty dining room complimentary. A gift from your travel agent? I would take a screenshot or printed document with me onboard. Did you try to make dinner reservations? If they are valid, you will see the credits applied and a balance of zero.

You had a very creative steward with excellent critical thinking skills.

I've sent out items to be pressed after unpacking. Yes, things get wrinkled and creased in the wrong places. Depending on how many Elites are onboard, it may take it awhile to get back. 1. There's always the ironing board (never used this) 2. Laundry is not sent out by your steward until the next morning (around 9 AM).

Generally not. Heard of a few exceptions.

It would be interesting to find out if they reported this to their steward/Housekeeping supervisor. Did they know where the water was coming from?

And so what was Princess' reason behind getting rid of the Golden and keeping the Grand? Grand has no middle staircase from Deck 8 and above. Grand does have Alfredo's. I believe (but can't remember) that the Golden had a slightly different public area configuration. Deck 6 (Fiesta Deck) had the Crown Grill, Captain Circle Office/Cruise Consultant office, excursion desk, and larger/open space and Casino was on Deck 7. The Golden also had Sun Deck suites and Skywalkers.

I am surprised that GHM or Housekeeping supervisor did not send your items out to be cleaned before you had to pack them. That's the very least they could have done. I agree...not a "good" experience.

The Cruise Director on the Grand (when asked during the Meet and Greet) says that a production show is 3 years in the making and dependent on the stage. Newer ships have a higher priority for shows. The Grand's 3 shows (British Invasion/Stardust/Sweet Soul Music) have been around pre-Covid. It would really be nice to have another choice. As far as the roving entertainers....They are really scraping the bottom of the barrel to get them onboard. I have seen some good ones, but the majority can be skipped. I remember the days when there was a show in the Princess Theater, one in the Aft Lounge, classical acts in the Piazza, and a great dance band in the Wheelhouse.

Did they ever let you know what was causing "the bumps in the night"? Good detective work (timing the bumps). Always good to have quantitative data. Sorry you had to stay up to record bumps. @waltdThe thermostat dials on the Grand Princess are archaic, not to mention hard on arthritic hands. They need to be updated. That is why I travel with an alarm clock that also gives me the temperature. Sorry you had issues in your Window Suite. Hope you enjoyed all the rest of the positives for choosing a Window Suite.

Does this apply to people agest too? Yes, I was on the Caribbean Princess when she went dead in the water after leaving the Grand Cayman Islands pre-Covid. It was a most interesting experience. The ship listed slightly to one side (port). The lights blinked. It was eerily quiet. She was already having propulsion problems. Was I concerned? No, I did not run up to my muster station with my life jacket. I looked at it as an experience that I would never have had. The Captain came on immediately and explained the situation. Everything was rebooted and we were on our way. Glad it was during the day. At my age, I am just happy to be on a ship. Ship destinations 35%/Ship experience 65%. I stand by my loyalty to Grand Class ships over the Royal class. We will age gracefully together.

One more comment. Sofa bed in suite for October cruise was the old/awful/no support/sliding cushions sofa. By March, they had been replaced it with a comfortable, firm sleeper sofa. No, had no need to open up but I did nap on it a couple of times. Yes, carpets were upgraded. I was a fan of the Golden until Princess ditched it. So allegiance moved over to Grand Princess (as you can probably deduce).