Grand princess a dump?

[johnmik1]

Yes, there is always exterior rust on all ships and then they paint it.

As for the photo of your toilet bowl, what are we supposed to see?

And BTW, I have far more days than you, but I never let little things make me crazy.

 

I have one question. Did you enjoy your cruise? Did you like the IC and Alfredo's?

 

Obviously nothing negative said about Princess will ever sink in with you!The toilet has a permanent ring around the bowl.The balcony divider was falling down and the balcony door could not be locked due to the rust on the latch.I have sailed on 60 cruises on 5 different lines and have never seen such disrepair.When I sent these pictures to Princess,they called and assured me that all the problems would be addressed in the dry dock.They were not!I did enjoy the cruise but was not impressed with Alfredos.Spending 30 days looking at a filthy balcony didn't make me crazy but did make me wonder what has happened to the cruise line I loved And sailed on exclusively for 11 years.JMHO!

[gertz]

Obviously nothing negative said about Princess will ever sink in with you!The toilet has a permanent ring around the bowl.The balcony divider was falling down and the balcony door could not be locked due to the rust on the latch.I have sailed on 60 cruises on 5 different lines and have never seen such disrepair.When I sent these pictures to Princess,they called and assured me that all the problems would be addressed in the dry dock.They were not!I did enjoy the cruise but was not impressed with Alfredos.Spending 30 days looking at a filthy balcony didn't make me crazy but did make me wonder what has happened to the cruise line I loved And sailed on exclusively for 11 years.JMHO!

 

I think I am going to have to side with Pia here. I probably can match or exceed your Princess records here also as can a whole lot of other people and I have been sailing with them since 1991. But in all our cruises we probably have run into as many problems as most and we have always found a way to get them handled without throwing a temper tantrum on a web site. Am I a Princess lover probably, but I have yet failed to get a problem handled. In my opinion you probably should find another line.

[caribill]

Food was good as usual although they close the Horizon buffet now at 11pm. You can still get food if you really need to at the International Cafe.

 

Are you saying that the International Cafe is now open all night and that there is no part of the Horizon court open during the nighttime hours?

[hmh60]

What I wrote was not a review,it was a synopsis of the issues regarding our cabin!I will post some pictures later today so everyone can understand what I mean.

 

Oh, John. No upgrade to a suite? Did you have breakfast at Sabatini's?

[DMRick]

In May, the Horizon closed briefly, about 10 minutes, at 11, then re-opened with fresh food. Did they stop doing that?

Johnmik, thanks for showing the pictures. Those items should have been taken care of, once pointed out. No one should be expected to not be able to lock their balcony door, rust or no rust. I do have to say that Princess was kind to us after our cruise, and I hope they did listen, and that those that sail after us, have a better experience because of those of us who wrote and pointed out problems. Some of our problems had nothing to do with the re-fit.

For me, if the problems are there, I'd like to know them, no matter how many days you have sailed on a certain brand. Just because some are just as happy when they have problems, doesn't mean everyone should expect to be. If something broke on my cruise, and it took a little bit to fix it, I have no problem waiting. If something had already been reported, or the cabin person has seen it, I can't think of a reason someone would think it's ok that the problem continue.

[san diego sue]

My balcony was worst than the photos shown. A real shame.

DMRick (Doris) you know I agree with all you said. Shame on the others for attacking JohnMik for his postings. Except for Pia, you weren't there and didn't experience what we did. I will say Customer Relations was wonderful

and fully agreed , and apologized for the conditions on board.In fact their apology was a very generous credit towards another cruise. It was nothing I ask for or expected, so a big surprise.

I think a lot of the problems have been taken care of now and I won't hesitate sailing on the Grand again.

[shofer]

Wow, this thread got a little heated. Thanks for the pictures John. You must be a lot taller than I am as I would never be able to get that close to the ceiling to spot the rust up there. This will be my 3rd Princess cruise and second on the Grand.

 

I know these cruise lines spend millions upgrading the public spaces but aren't so concerned about the private ones. I guess they figure if they dazzle you when you board, you won't mind the condition of the cabin so much. Bathrooms must be the last thing they address, if ever. Maybe they think if you are unhappy in your room, you will be out and about spending money on the ship. Hopefully the new balcony furniture is on the horizon.

 

We booked a BF balcony guarantee and hoping for a nice upgrade. All I ask is the the room is clean and the ship floats. As long as the balcony doesn't fall off....LOL.

[JudithLynne]

Like John, my husband and I have had many cruises with Princess (Elite members) and two more booked within the next 8 months. We were on the Grand in March and were shocked at the condition of the room. It was filthy inside and on the balcony to the point that it was unsanitary in our opinion. We had never had this experience before with any cruise line including Princess. I hope the cabins received some attention during the last dry dock.

We wrote our first ever letter of concern to Princess about the condition of our cabin, itemizing each concern. They were very gracious and gave a nice credit toward our next cruise which is in September. The Princess Representative told me that they had received an avalanche of letters regarding the cabins on the Grand. She said that the most poignant sentence in my letter was “that if we were first time Princess cruisers, we would not be returning.” She said that Princess lost customers, many refusing the monetary credits on future cruises.

That being said, we continue to be Princess loyalists and consider the Grand experience to be a fluke.

Judith

[Times Prince]

I have been on the Grand 30 days this year and will never sail that rust bucket again!

And we've sailed 56 days on Grand Princess and would gladly sail her again.

 

All ships, even those in their first year, have rust externally from exposure to salt air. That's why there is constant painting and maintenance going on.

 

Based on CC comments I have looked for rust occasionally while cruising - then I ignore it and have a fantastic cruise.

[DMRick]

She said that the most poignant sentence in my letter was “that if we were first time Princess cruisers, we would not be returning.” She said that Princess lost customers, many refusing the monetary credits on future cruises.

Judith

 

The Grand was my second Princess, and I said the same thing in my letter. We were lucky, and our cabin itself was ok. I was in other peoples that were not. One couple had their rug replaced one morning, it was so bad. It did not appear they addressed the cabins at all during drydock. Princess certainly made up for it..however, I still would like to know if these things were fixed on the Grand before I made another trip on her.

 

 

 

All ships, even those in their first year, have rust externally from exposure to salt air. That's why there is constant painting and maintenance going on.

Rust itself in small amounts would not bother me, but a stained filthy toilet and tub would, as would a rug so stained and worn it couldn't be cleaned. I don't think anyone is complaining about one or two small issues..but they do build up, and when it's several things, then even the rust is irritating. I don't think people should try to shut up those who feel they have legitimate complaints. If it was said that there was a chip in the tub, and that's it, no biggy..but that tub looked disgusting, and then you do start to look around for mold, and stains in the toilet, etc.

[SwissDave]

Just because a bath or toilet is stained does not mean it is not hygenically clean. The staining is usually caused by the chemicals in the water reacting with the plastic. I habe never had a cabin where some trace of a ring or staining has not been present.

 

If the inside of that cabin or the balcony was filthy then the only person to blame is the steward. Did anyone speak to the steeward regarding unclean cabins or balconies?

 

The pictures of rust on the balcony are a non event in MY opinion. A ship sits in salt water 365 days of the year. Salt reacts with steel to produce rust - I really dont know what people expect here - if you can come up with a material that is economically viable that ships can be built from that dont rust at all then you would be a billionaire over night.

 

The first and possibly second cruises after a dry dock are always fraught with 'danger' in that things may not not be as they should be, but most people with an ounce of common sense would realise that. However, if your balcony or cabin was not clean, i.e. covered in building dust, visible dirt, then those people should speak to the steward or hotel manager to get them sorted there and then and not complain later.

 

On the 3rd and 4th cruises after dry dock there were no issues that I am aware of that spoiled anyones enjoyment, whether it be dirty balcony, room or carpet. Carpets in cabins were routinley being replaced during my time on board, but to complain that they were not done during dry dock is a phallacy - would you put new carpet throughout your house during building work, or would you wait until it was completed?

 

For anyone who is considering booking on the Grand, whether it be for this year or next year, do not hesitate to do so. If you ignore the one or two people who cannot accept that the problems have been resolved, (i.e, they had a bad experience so therefore you have to have a bad experience regardless of what anyone else says for the next 5 years), then you will have a good time.

I would be back on the Grand tomorrow if I could get the time off, and I know many people of the same mind who have cruised on her since the TA.

[Astro Flyer]

I'm not going to judge anyones opinions on this subject nor how they choose to react to it.

 

I have read many other posts by those who have experienced IMHO much worse situations. However their reaction was to deal with the problem & they choose not to stop sailing on Princess. Things happen on all cruise ships however in all of our cruises since 1986 it has never ruined our cruise. This is just how I choose to deal with such situations.

 

Princess continues to provide the experience we desire & we have found them to be very responsive to constructive criticism to improve their cruises for the majority of their passengers. Apparently they're aware of some maintenance problems on the Grand because they have been generous with their compensation. But as Pia said, they didn't experience any cabin problems so it wasn't a problem in all cabins.

 

It's impossible for any cruise line to provide exactly the experience each passenger desires. What is possible for those unhappy is to seek a different experience with another cruise line to increase their happiness.

 

Again, not seeking to judge anyones opinions or reactions, just some of my thoughts on why I enjoy cruising...nothing I've experienced has caused me to have a bad cruise, just some that were better than others. :p

[johnmik1]

Oh, John. No upgrade to a suite? Did you have breakfast at Sabatini's?

 

Hi Helen,They comped us Sabatini's but we never used it.Lost 25 lbs. Before the cruise and didn't think breakfast there every day would help.The PSD offered a suite but my rumrunners were already unpacked and the effort was not worth it!

[DMRick]

By themselves you are right, one or two of those things don't matter..but when they add up they do. I'm not happy with a cruddy room in a hotel, why would I be on a cruise ship. The rug I am talking about (it wasn't mine) was way beyond cleaning. The steward had tried and and he said he had reported it, but the rooms were not on the list to be done. They did finally replace the rug. A lot of these rooms had construction workers in them before we got there. It was hard to keep them clean. After several weeks of cigar/cigarette smoke some people complained of smelly rooms..they had to switch out everything that had material, and wash ceilings.

 

I do hope that several weeks past the refit, these problems have been repaired...but some were problems before the refit, and I do think those things should have been repaired..such as the serious elevator problem. That went on at least two cruises before us. Anything that was broken or dirty, they said was because of the refit, and that just isn't true, according to what some wrote before the refit.

 

These stewards were swamped with work, trying to get it all cleaned up after the workers, and it would have been impossible for them to clean up the rooms the way they needed to be cleaned, let alone the balcony's (some of them were really bad..way beyond a stewards ability), so no, I don't agree this was their fault.

 

As I said, Princess made good (took them awhile, because as several people have reported, they were inundated) and I hope the items that needed to be fixed were.

 

Everyone is not the same. Some can live with a filthy worn rug, a balcony not locking because of rust, mold and stains and still use a bathtub or toilet, others don't feel the same, even if the tub had been cleaned, and the stain just wouldn't come off. I see you said you have never had a cabin where there isn't a trace of a ring..I've never had one, until this trip (although it didn't bother me, because it didn't start out that way) on any other cruise line or the Golden in December.

 

I don't say that your opinion is wrong, just that it's your opinion and what you can live with. It's not what everyone is comfortable with, and that doesn't make them wrong. I surely don't think insulting people and saying anyone with an ounce of common sense would have known the cruise after a refit is going to have a problem is nice...I actually thought after a refit, that the ship would be like new. Silly me, all this time I thought I had common sense.

 

I'm not saying people shouldn't sail the Grand..by now I would hope the problems are sorted out, and if so, I'd bet she's beautiful and clean, but I don't like it when someone who wasn't on her, and had problems after the refit, says that everything should just be accepted. I wouldn't accept it on NCL or HAL, or Princess.

 

 

Just because a bath or toilet is stained does not mean it is not hygenically clean. The staining is usually caused by the chemicals in the water reacting with the plastic. I habe never had a cabin where some trace of a ring or staining has not been present.

 

If the inside of that cabin or the balcony was filthy then the only person to blame is the steward. Did anyone speak to the steeward regarding unclean cabins or balconies?

 

The pictures of rust on the balcony are a non event in MY opinion. A ship sits in salt water 365 days of the year. Salt reacts with steel to produce rust - I really dont know what people expect here - if you can come up with a material that is economically viable that ships can be built from that dont rust at all then you would be a billionaire over night.

 

The first and possibly second cruises after a dry dock are always fraught with 'danger' in that things may not not be as they should be, but most people with an ounce of common sense would realise that. However, if your balcony or cabin was not clean, i.e. covered in building dust, visible dirt, then those people should speak to the steward or hotel manager to get them sorted there and then and not complain later.

 

On the 3rd and 4th cruises after dry dock there were no issues that I am aware of that spoiled anyones enjoyment, whether it be dirty balcony, room or carpet. Carpets in cabins were routinley being replaced during my time on board, but to complain that they were not done during dry dock is a phallacy - would you put new carpet throughout your house during building work, or would you wait until it was completed?

 

For anyone who is considering booking on the Grand, whether it be for this year or next year, do not hesitate to do so. If you ignore the one or two people who cannot accept that the problems have been resolved, (i.e, they had a bad experience so therefore you have to have a bad experience regardless of what anyone else says for the next 5 years), then you will have a good time.

I would be back on the Grand tomorrow if I could get the time off, and I know many people of the same mind who have cruised on her since the TA.

[Kamloops50]

Myself and a long time friend who has never cruised before just booked the Grand for a 7-day Caribbean leaveing on 1/28/12. I was on this ship in 2008 and thought it was nice. No complaints about the ship or service.

 

I was just reading some reviews on this site from last month AFTER the ship had left drydock and was appalled by all the negative comments on how dirty the cabins were and the problems with the plumbing. We got a very good price on this voyage and I am wondering if we made a mistake.

 

Has anyone recently returned from the Grand and is it looking as bad as they say? We still have lots of time to look for a bargain somewhere else.

 

Thanks for any and all your input. I have found this board and its members to be a wonderful source of information.

 

I find that reviews of cruises before and after a dry dock tend to a little more negative then any other time. Usually dry dock work starts before and finishes after the ship sails.

[SwissDave]

DMRick - I appologise if you took a couple of my comments as an insult, they were most certainly not meant to be. I really am sorry. I agree with you that my comments are my opinion, in the same way yours are your opinion. Just think how boring life would be if everyone always agreed with everyone else :)

 

If carpet in my room had been in the state you describe, then no, I would not accept that either. I am not saying anyone should. Staff on the Grand must have been working their backsides off to get everything ready but of course there will always be the cases where things are not quite right. You do however seem to have enjoyed the cruise overall - and i think that is the main thing.

 

Certainly there was lots of general maintenance going on, one morning coming out of my cabin to go to breakfast there were rolls of carpet stacked all along the dolphin deck for replacing in cabins and the corridor its'elf.

 

We did not have any issues with elevators, except the 2 panoramic ones which broke early on the TA (??). They were fixed at Tenerife half way through the 4th cruise. According to the engineering officer the part that broke had never broken before (on any ship) and so there were no spares available from the manufacturer - they had to wait until a part could be specially made - and that was loaded in Tenerife.

 

With 2600 passengers on board then of course no two people will have exactly the same experience or level of happiness, and I'm pleased Princess came through for you in the end.

[DMRick]

Accepted, thank you.

 

And we did enjoy our cruise, and were happy with how Princess handled it once we got home.

The staff were very overworked. I felt sorry for them. The staff at the pursers desk according to Princess after the cruise, were all new, and they realized not ready to handle all the problems.

Several elevators were not working right, and the rear ones seemed to trap people the most. Were the center stairs reopened by the time of your cruise? They said crew only, so it added to the frustration.

 

 

DMRick - I appologise if you took a couple of my comments as an insult, they were most certainly not meant to be. I really am sorry. I agree with you that my comments are my opinion, in the same way yours are your opinion. Just think how boring life would be if everyone always agreed with everyone else :)

 

If carpet in my room had been in the state you describe, then no, I would not accept that either. I am not saying anyone should. Staff on the Grand must have been working their backsides off to get everything ready but of course there will always be the cases where things are not quite right. You do however seem to have enjoyed the cruise overall - and i think that is the main thing.

 

Certainly there was lots of general maintenance going on, one morning coming out of my cabin to go to breakfast there were rolls of carpet stacked all along the dolphin deck for replacing in cabins and the corridor its'elf.

 

We did not have any issues with elevators, except the 2 panoramic ones which broke early on the TA (??). They were fixed at Tenerife half way through the 4th cruise. According to the engineering officer the part that broke had never broken before (on any ship) and so there were no spares available from the manufacturer - they had to wait until a part could be specially made - and that was loaded in Tenerife.

 

With 2600 passengers on board then of course no two people will have exactly the same experience or level of happiness, and I'm pleased Princess came through for you in the end.

[SwissDave]

The center stairs have never been there on the Grand - they have always been 'crew only'. It was one of the 'mistakes' in the design they corrected with subsequent builds though. I've sailed on her enough times now to have alternative routes worked out, usually by going outside on promenade deck to avaoid the really bad bottle neck round the photo gallery, walking either forward or aft depending on where I want to go then inside again to use the forward or aft stairs. I have found that the forward elevators are used a lot less then the mid or aft ones.

 

I have also observed (when all the elvators are working normally) that a lot of the issues of them stopping at floors where no-one want to get on is because people wanting an elevator press both the up and down buttons regardless of where they want to go. When one stops the usual 'are you going up/down?' is asked and of course 95% of the time the person wanted to go the other way.

[DMRick]

And they told many of us at the Purser's Deak and then afterwards when talking to them, that it was crew only at this time, because of the problems with the elevators, that they were working on them by those stairs, so they had to close them off. They really shouldn't show the stairs, because when picking a room, we souldn't know that they can't be used, IMO. During our cruise, many people who said they had been on teh Grand several times said that was knew, that they had used them in the past. See why there is confusion?

 

The problem with the elevators (besides just not working) was that they often stopped in between floors, and held you there for several minutes..so it was scary, and sometimes they opened too high, where you would have to step down to get off..if the doors stayed open long enough. Sometimes the doors were shutting quickly (an actual slam), before you could get off or on.

 

The center stairs have never been there on the Grand - they have always been 'crew only'. It was one of the 'mistakes' in the design they corrected with subsequent builds though. I've sailed on her enough times now to have alternative routes worked out, usually by going outside on promenade deck to avaoid the really bad bottle neck round the photo gallery, walking either forward or aft depending on where I want to go then inside again to use the forward or aft stairs. I have found that the forward elevators are used a lot less then the mid or aft ones.

 

I have also observed (when all the elvators are working normally) that a lot of the issues of them stopping at floors where no-one want to get on is because people wanting an elevator press both the up and down buttons regardless of where they want to go. When one stops the usual 'are you going up/down?' is asked and of course 95% of the time the person wanted to go the other way.