LIVE from the GRAND PRINCESS - FLL to Southampton 5/5/11

[wineforhealth]

Pua

 

You sure have a great following. Not sure how you will keep up with all the posts.

 

Thanks again for the LIVE :D

[IECalCruiser]

Answers:

 

1. Asst. CD is Matt

 

2. Cabins - nothing new in them, but I like those rock mattresses During the drydock they mentioned installing new tile in the bathrooms. Are you saying this wasn't done in your cabin?

 

3. Can't go up to old Skywalkers area yet, though we were told the new club would be open for us before the end of cruise Any other areas closed/unfinished?

 

4. Not that you asked, but window suites are not finished and were not sold. Supposed to be ready for next cruise. They certainly didn't look ready in the photos from May 4.

 

It's feeding time. Bye.

See above. Is there much noise/disruption for the remaining construction?

[manxstaff]

Thanks for the updates, we will be joining the grand in July and are looking forward to seeing how she's changed.

We've cruised princess for a few years now and only heard about power hour this year, can you tell me what drinks are available for $3.99. We like to have a drink in explorers before dinner so power hour 4 till 6 suits.

 

Have a good cruise.

 

Manxstaff

[hillslife]

Hi Pia - it is your new Star Trivia BFF!!! haha

 

Glad to see you posting a "LIVE" - good info. Can't believe HC is smaller - we could never find a place to sit on the Star as it was.

 

Glad Godiva is gone....who needs to buy chocolate on a cruise ship????

 

#1 - Awesome...congrats. Maybe we will be one of the lucky 40 on our TA in Aug.

 

Where are the 'Elite/Plat' cocktails and appetizers held nightly now with Skywalkers gone?

 

Enjoy your cruise....we will be following your adventure.

 

Dolores

[Putterdude]

I am interested in learning if the new ONE 5 club has any of the view opportunities that Skywalkers had.

Also in the pictures of the refit (not the videos) a number of steel plates were removed from the port side toward the bow and then replaced...any idea why? It is nothing that was addressed in Martyn Moss' videos.

[friend of Eeyore]

Thanks for the live from thread, Pia! It's nice to hear about all of the changes.

 

Regarding Alfredo's - is that a permanent pizza menu, or does it change daily? Is the pizza still available on the pool deck? (I'm a cheese-only person, or perhaps a couple of vegetables, and DH is a pepperoni-only type.... None of those choices would appeal to either of us.)

 

Thanks!

[L38]

Thanks for the live from thread, Pia! It's nice to hear about all of the changes.

 

Regarding Alfredo's - is that a permanent pizza menu, or does it change daily? Is the pizza still available on the pool deck? (I'm a cheese-only person, or perhaps a couple of vegetables, and DH is a pepperoni-only type.... None of those choices would appeal to either of us.)

 

Thanks!

 

Thanks for all this Pia.

 

I agree alfredo's menu not great.

[scopewest]

Pia, thanks for the updates, it's really appreciated!

[grandmaa]

On the Princess website in the "News" section there is the story and information about the

new Grand Princess. In the body of information they state that the One5 that is replacing Skywalkers will open on May 21..so will you still be our your cruise or will it open for the first group of passengers that do the European sailing?

Hope you are having blue skies and calm seas...and a great time!

[kywildcatfanone]

Thanks for the live from thread, Pia! It's nice to hear about all of the changes.

 

Regarding Alfredo's - is that a permanent pizza menu, or does it change daily? Is the pizza still available on the pool deck? (I'm a cheese-only person, or perhaps a couple of vegetables, and DH is a pepperoni-only type.... None of those choices would appeal to either of us.)

 

Thanks!

 

Yes, I'm curious about this as well. I'm sure the pizzeria on the pool deck will still be there serving the ones it always has, but Pia can confirm. I'm guessing now the pizzeria in the piazza was created to sell wine and other drinks in an upscale environment compared to the Lido deck.

 

Pia,really enjoying your information, keep it coming. We have booked the Grand in December and are enjoying learning about all the new changes. As Toto mentioned, I'm curious about the seating in the buffet area.

 

Mike

[Scottydogs]

Pia,

 

Enjoy reading your "live froms."

 

Is there anything in your cabin that tells you what the featured cocktail and appetizers are each day at the Platinum/Elite cocktail hour? Last year on the Ruby there was a card in the room that told what the featured items were each day. At the end of March this year on the Emerald the Captains Circle host told us that did not do that anymore. He did not say if it was only on the Emerald or fleet wide and we did not ask. You had to go up to Skywalkers to find out.

[chrysalis]

At the end of March this year on the Emerald the Captains Circle host told us that did not do that anymore. He did not say if it was only on the Emerald or fleet wide and we did not ask. You had to go up to Skywalkers to find out.

 

We were on the March 17th and 27th sailings of the Emerald and we got the card on both cruises. I got the sense that the host worked hard at avoiding doing things.....

[Pia1913]

Good evening. It was a lovely, slightly sunny and very calm sea day. After a trivia tie this morning, which we lost, we decided to try Alfredo’s. I am not a major pizza lover; hardly ever eat it and almost never on a ship. So, this was a major undertaking for me and surprise! I liked it. A lot. We ordered two different kinds to share: Capricciosa and Grand Princess. If you look back to almost the beginning of this thread, you will find descriptors. Anyhow, they serve you individual 12” pies; thin crust, more like what you get in Italy than in the U.S. I liked both kinds, but I ate very little crust. Not possible to finish a whole one if you eat it all. Hahaha……… no trouble for Mike. I brought my own Diet Pepsi, Mike had Dos Equis, our friends had Diet Coke and water.

　

We decided to go to the Ben Affleck movie “The Town” at 2:00. Really enjoyed it. Then to Where in the World Trivia which had 44 teams. Unbelievable amount of trivia folks aboard this ship. Perfect score would have been 30; we tied at 28 and lost. YUK! BTW, all the prizes have been decks of cards and this time it was champagne. We were happy not to have won champagne. Between our friends and us we have 9 bottles to get rid of and not up to par yet.

　

Just finished dinner and are back in the cabin waiting to watch The Tourist. The Captain just made an announcement that the ship will be diverting to Bermuda at approx. 3:00 AM to offload a seriously ill passenger. We heard a code called about 5:30, so assume this is for the same person. He also stated that this diversion will not hamper our arrival into Ponta Delgada next Thursday.

 

 

Answers:

 

1. Only pizza at Alfredo's - menu doesn't change.

 

2. Crown Grill not open yet

 

3. Yes we have Elite/Plat menu for cocktail hour in cabin

 

4. Have heard no construction noise because construction is only up top

 

5. Capt. said One5 would be open before 5/21. If so, I will tell you.

 

6. Prego pizza still on Lido. And ice cream bar is no much large because it circles around into the other pool area.

 

 

Movie time. See you tomorrow.

[6pack]

Thanks for all the updates! Disappointing to hear about Power Hour!! Hope they still offer the beer bucket discount.

 

Enjoy your cruise!

[compozer]

Enjoy your cruise Pia and thanks for the updates. Look forward to them.

[septrack]

Hi Pia,

 

Just curious. We were on the Grand last fall and the rear elevators were the joke of the ship. Sometimes you would get on and push a button and it would skip right by that deck. Also one was very creaky and received many comments. Did they address these on the refit.

 

Have fun!

[donna5]

Hi Pia,

 

Have a "Grand Cruise":D. Where do they hold the plat., elite, suite cocktail hour?

[Captain Rhone]

Just out of curiosity, has anyone heard what the new tonnage is now that the ship no longer has Skywalkers? Obviously it will be less but curious as to how much space it amounted to compared to the overall internal volume.

[Pia1913]

Good Morning and Happy Mother’s Day. It is decidedly cooler, skies are still overcast and a bit windy. The temperature is not likely to get out of the 60’s, so I suppose the wearing of shorts has run its course. Tried to watch The Tourist last night; hated it, so quit and read. Mike stuck with it, but he’s a TV junkie and will watch anything. Right now we are looking out at the Bermuda shore. Evidentally we had bad weather during the night (I sleep thru everything) and weren’t able to disembark the ill patient. The captain just made an announcement that patient is ashore and we will be underway in about an hour. This definitely can affect our arrival into Ponta Delgada, but he will try to get us there on time weather permitting.

　

All kinds of stuff in the Patter today with some conflicts. The name of the game is pick and choose, though one of them will be difficult for me. I have been looking forward to seeing The King’s Speech and it will be shown at 2:00 PM. I have also been looking forward to participating in the Princess Pop Choir and first rehearsal is at 2:30. Sigh…………..

　

The lectures today consist of one on Dublin and another on how to stop worrying. I must mention this second lecturer, James Brown. He is extremely arrogant and rude and has been outright nasty to some of the passengers. I can’t understand how/why he was hired and I for one intend to write a little missive when we get our critique sheet.

　

Tonight’s entertainment will be a comedic hypnotist in the theater (David Knight) and a comedic magician in Vista (Keith Fields). I believe we’ve already missed the hypnotist on a previous cruise. MUTS has Secretariat, which we’ve also not seen, but no way can be sit outdoors in this weather. Clocks go forward another hour tonight; still need to do it 3 more times.

 

 

Answers:

 

1. Plat/Elite cocktails held in Explorer's on left side. Awful spot. They should switch to Wheelhouse

 

2. Elevators are still a problem, but we walk steps most of the time.

 

3. Tonnage? Not my forte' ;)

 

Breakfast time. Bye.

[cruiseron36]

Just out of curiosity, has anyone heard what the new tonnage is now that the ship no longer has Skywalkers? Obviously it will be less but curious as to how much space it amounted to compared to the overall internal volume.

 

The ships tonnage is not based on the actual weight or the weight of the displaced water - per Captain Yeomans. It is based on a formula which includes volume alloted for cargo which are the passengers. You can calculate it from this:

 

Gross tonnage (GT) is a function of the volume of all ship's enclosed spaces (from keel to funnel) measured to the outside of the hull framing. The numerical value for a ship's GT is always smaller than the numerical values for both her gross register tonnage and the GRT value expressed equivalently in cubic meters rather than cubic feet, for example: 0.5919 GT = 1 GRT = 2.8316 m³; 200 GT = 274 GRT = 775,88 m³; 500 GT = 665 GRT = 1,883.07 m³; 3,000 GT = 3,776 GRT = 10,692.44 m³), though by how much depends on the vessel design (volume). There is a sliding scale factor. So GT is a kind of capacity-derived index that is used to rank a ship for purposes of determining manning, safety and other statutory requirements and is expressed simply as GT, which is a unitless entity, even though its derivation is tied to the cubic meter unit of volumetric capacity.

 

Tonnage measurements are now governed by an IMO Convention (International Convention on Tonnage Measurement of Ships, 1969 (London-Rules)), which applies to all ships built after July 1982. In accordance with the Convention, the correct term to use now is GT, which is a function of the moulded volume of all enclosed spaces of the ship.

 

It is calculated by using the formula : , where V = total volume in m³ and K = a figure from 0.22 up to 0.32, depending on the ship’s size (calculated by : ), so that, for a ship of 10,000 m³ total volume, the gross tonnage would be 0.28 x 10,000 = 2,800 GT or 3531.46 GRT. GT is consequently a measure of the overall size of the ship. For a ship of 80,000 m³ total volume the gross tonnage would be 0.2980617 x 80,000 = 23,844.94 GT.

 

Net tonnage (NT) is based on a calculation of the volume of all cargo spaces of the ship. It indicates a vessel’s earning space and is a function of the moulded volume of all cargo spaces of the ship.

[chamima]

Hi Pia

Thanks for all of the updates. I may be the only person that will still try Leaves. I love a good cup of tea.

Is the Revolution tea still available at the IC or have they done away with it entirely ?

Also, what is the point of the Elite/Suite cocktail hour if the drinks are the same price all over the ship?

My advice would be to go see "The King's Speech" and go to the second rehearsal of the choir.

I hope it gets warmer again!

[Krazy Kruizers]

Thank you Pia for doing this "live" report -- am enjoying it.

we first sailed on the grand princess in june 1998 and i have been following all the videos and pictures that were posted about her to see all the changes

don't think we would recognize this ship if we were to go back on her

[bellebaby]

Hi Pia

Thanks for all of the updates. I may be the only person that will still try Leaves. I love a good cup of tea.

Is the Revolution tea still available at the IC or have they done away with it entirely ?

Also, what is the point of the Elite/Suite cocktail hour if the drinks are the same price all over the ship?

My advice would be to go see "The King's Speech" and go to the second rehearsal of the choir.

I hope it gets warmer again!

 

You won't be alone in Leaves. I, too, love a good cup of tea and can't wait to try-out Leaves.

 

B

[Sauvignon]

The ships tonnage is not based on the actual weight or the weight of the displaced water - per Captain Yeomans. It is based on a formula which includes volume alloted for cargo which are the passengers. You can calculate it from this:

 

Gross tonnage (GT) is a function of the volume of all ship's enclosed spaces (from keel to funnel) measured to the outside of the hull framing. The numerical value for a ship's GT is always smaller than the numerical values for both her gross register tonnage and the GRT value expressed equivalently in cubic meters rather than cubic feet, for example: 0.5919 GT = 1 GRT = 2.8316 m³; 200 GT = 274 GRT = 775,88 m³; 500 GT = 665 GRT = 1,883.07 m³; 3,000 GT = 3,776 GRT = 10,692.44 m³), though by how much depends on the vessel design (volume). There is a sliding scale factor. So GT is a kind of capacity-derived index that is used to rank a ship for purposes of determining manning, safety and other statutory requirements and is expressed simply as GT, which is a unitless entity, even though its derivation is tied to the cubic meter unit of volumetric capacity.

 

Tonnage measurements are now governed by an IMO Convention (International Convention on Tonnage Measurement of Ships, 1969 (London-Rules)), which applies to all ships built after July 1982. In accordance with the Convention, the correct term to use now is GT, which is a function of the moulded volume of all enclosed spaces of the ship.

 

It is calculated by using the formula : , where V = total volume in m³ and K = a figure from 0.22 up to 0.32, depending on the ship’s size (calculated by : ), so that, for a ship of 10,000 m³ total volume, the gross tonnage would be 0.28 x 10,000 = 2,800 GT or 3531.46 GRT. GT is consequently a measure of the overall size of the ship. For a ship of 80,000 m³ total volume the gross tonnage would be 0.2980617 x 80,000 = 23,844.94 GT.

 

Net tonnage (NT) is based on a calculation of the volume of all cargo spaces of the ship. It indicates a vessel’s earning space and is a function of the moulded volume of all cargo spaces of the ship.

 

Clearly from the nature of his question Captain Rhone understands that gross tonnage relates to volume.

 

I think it is necessary to appropriately reference your source for the information you have reproduced, assuming ofcourse that the material is not your own.

[cruiseron36]

Clearly from the nature of his question Captain Rhone understands that gross tonnage relates to volume.

 

I think it is necessary to appropriately reference your source for the information you have reproduced, assuming ofcourse that the material is not your own.

 

Sorry, I just thought it would be interesting to know. And, clearly, his/her post did not suggest volume, it mentioned tonnage. Many people are under the impression that it is the actual weight of the ship or the displaced water weight - which it isn't. My information comes from Captain Tony Yeomans, which I menttioned but you must have missed, and several websites - the one pasted is from wikapedia.