Grand princess review-fairly long

[shofer]

GRAND PRINCESS EASTERN CARIBBEAN CRUISE

 

This was my third Princess and my tenth cruise overall. For my friend Jan, it was her first ever cruise and she couldn't have been more impressed. We left the hubbies home for a girls' week of fun. Stayed at the Embassy Suites 1 day pre-cruise which was an excellent choice. We had booked Princess transfers and the move from the airport to the hotel was seamless. Our room wasn't ready so we left our bags with the bell desk and set off in search of lunch since breakfast had been at the airport around 6:30 AM. Jan had some recommendations from a co-worker who had lived in Ft. Lauderdale so we chose Anthony's oven-fired pizza. Not knowing where it was, we took the shuttle for $3/pp. It turned out to be not very far from the hotel.

 

Sharing a large salad and a personal pizza each was way too much food for us to finish so we took the leftovers with us. The shuttle driver had given us his card so we could call for a pickup but he was stuck in a traffic jam on RT 75. Looking at the street signs, I figured out that we were only a few blocks from 17th Street so we walked back to the hotel without any problems. There was a CVS pharmacy right on the corner which was great since I had forgotten a few personal items.

 

Back at the hotel, our room was ready so we were happy to sit down in the air-conditioning and put our feet up for a few minutes. I don't know what it was, but we both were complaining of swollen feet which made walking around rather uncomfortable. After a brief rest, we took off in search of the Total Wine shop. Everyone said it was right behind the hotel but what they don't say is that there is quite a nice strip mall there and the wine store was in the far left corner. I even had some coupons to use. Purchasing one bottle apiece seemed to be the limit of our alcohol consumption.

 

Proceeding to the Dollar Store which is kitty-corner from the front of the hotel in another strip mall, we got gift bags for our Meet and Greet gift exchange. At this point, it was getting dark and we were getting tired. I was cranky because my feet hurt so we headed back to the hotel for the free evening cocktail hour. One drink each seemed to satisfy our thirst and made us very relaxed. Still full from the pizza, we opted out of dinner and headed back to our room for a shower and bed.

 

Setting the wake up call for 8 AM, we were up early and started getting cleaned up for breakfast. Our breakfast was great with made to order omelets and other things. The letter from the cruise line told us to have our bags outside our rooms by 10 AM and be in the lobby at noon for check in with the Princess reps. They were late so everyone was milling around getting antsy to leave. General chaos reigned as everyone tried to get their health forms and to identify their luggage for transport. This was the only problem with using the Princess transfers. Once the buses arrived and everyone had their luggage loaded, it was much better. They dropped us at the correct pier where we took our carry-ons through Security and checked in to receive our room keycards. We stopped for the boarding photo and then went up the correct ramp according to our cabin number. Found our room without any problem and dropped our stuff.

 

Our cabin attendant was Savone from VietNam and he got everything we asked for; robes, top sheets, extra hangers, 2 tote bags. He was quick with cleaning the room when we were at breakfast and did a superb job.

 

We were in Caribe 308. The room looked identical to the one I had previously on the Grand in 2008. I was disappointed in the balcony. Although it was quite spacious, there was no rubber matting and the 2 chairs were recliners but no foot stools so they were actually not very comfortable. The reason that was given to other cruisers for the lack of matting was weight which is ridiculous when you realize the ship lost 4 Tons with the removal of Skywalkers. What was 113,000 RT in 2008, is now 109,000 RT. The probable reason is cost cutting.

 

Jan wanted to do the "Treasure Hunt" card we were given upon boarding. It required you to find different departments on the ship and receive a stamp for each one. We dropped the cards into a box by the pool for a drawing. The nice thing about it was it makes you become familiar with the ship. Jan was totally blown away by the beauty and size of the Grand. She kept saying she felt she was in the first class section of the Titanic! This was the only frame of reference that she had to cruising. We ran up to the Sanctuary to reserve some space for a sea day only to be told we had to be there @ 8 AM on the day desired. International Cafe won our lunch choice for shrimp and chicken salad.

 

While eating lunch, we heard the first announcement for the muster drill telling us to bring our life jackets with us. When we got to our room, the luggage had been delivered so we dragged it in and got ready for the muster drill. With the Costa Concordia disaster so fresh in everyone's minds, I have to say this was the most attentive muster drill I have ever attended. Next up was the sail away by the pool with the band and lots of fun and excitement. Our names were not drawn for the Treasure Hunt but it was fun anyway. Got our specialty drinks and watched the ship leave the pier.

 

Back to the room to unpack and clean up for dinner. We had Anytime Dining and this was the first time I had tried it. I think it worked very well and I would do it again. First night at 7:00 was very busy but we got a pager and only had to wait 20 minutes. We agreed to share a table at every dinner and met lots of very nice people. I was wondering how Jan would like the menus as she is a picky eater. Princess now has "Down-home" entrees on the menu and Jan ate them at least 3 times.

 

There was quite a range of ages onboard from a 6 month old baby on up. It was nice because the late night activities were well attended. The Princess Pop Star competition was quite good and we really enjoyed attending it. Some very talented people were there. We went to the casino and I started out with a bang by winning almost $200. Jan won $30 on the slots.

 

Sunday was a sea day and One5 was the location for our CC meeting. The Meet and Greet was a big success. We met the Captain, Purser, Maitre'd, Executive Chef and Trent, Customer Relations. ( A real cutie!) Jan and I got our pictures taken with Captain Bilton who was so nice and accommodating. We met lots of nice people and loved crossing paths with them all during the trip.

 

Tried the pool that day but it was rather windy and had some sprinkles. I tried the hot tub and it was very relaxing. Of course we went to Bingo at least 5 times and never did win but we had fun anyway.

 

Our first formal night we had to wait a short time with the pager but sat in the Piazza and watched the fashion show. Turned out we got a table for 2! Lots of jokes about our "romantic" dinner. Saw the comedian show and it was ok. Lots of people were walking out. Back to the casino and I won big again. Jan hit the slots for $65.

 

Monday was a partial sea/tour day. We arrived in San Juan @ 4 PM and we had planned a tour. Jan had never been to any of these places so we did a tour at each stop. In SJ, we went to San Cristobal fort for a self-guided tour and then a short stop in Old SJ for shopping. Jan loves to shop so she was in hog heaven in every port. Back to the ship for dinner and see a show but don't remember which one. We were too pooped to stay up too late and the casino did not open until 11 PM. Saw the first part of Princess Pop Star and thought it was very entertaining.

 

Tuesday was St. Maarten and this was the best tour we took. Booked the Orient Beach stop with lunch which was very good and 2 drinks. The beach was very nice and the water had big waves which I love!. I was sorry I didn't have a boogie board to ride them. We come from Chicago where not only is our land flat but so is our water. Lake Michigan is not known for it's surf. LOL! Going back to the ship we could have gotten off the bus to go shopping but we had done some with the local vendors and were anxious to get the sand and seaweed out of our bathing suits. Another nice dinner and back to the casino again. This time Jan won $300 on the slots and I didn't know when to quit when I had doubled my money so had a loss.

 

Wednesday was St. Thomas and we thought we were being so good to get up at 6:30 to we could eat breakfast before going on our tour to Magen's Bay. Thinking we had lots of time, we decided to go to the dining room for breakfast and as usual, were chatting away with our table mates while eating our meal. Excused ourselves to go back to the room and get our suits on for the tour. Looking at my watch, I was shocked to see it was 8:39 as our tour left at 8:20! We threw on our suits and ran off the ship to see no one waiting for us. Jan was for grabbing a cab to Magen's Bay and catching up with the tour. At this point, it started raining and I was not too keen on that idea. Back to the Shore Excursion desk where they were so kind to book us on another tour leaving in an hour.

 

Changed out of our suits and were on time for this tour which took us around part of the island and to Blackbeard's castle and it's 99 steps down to street level. From there we hit street level and all the shops in downtown Charlotte Amalie. Our best stop was Mr. Tablecloth where we both scored great Christmas linens. Jan really wanted to go to the flea market to score some deals and I was ok for a while but, still suffering with swollen feet I headed back to the ship by taxi. I sat on the balcony and finally opened up my bottle of wine. Jan came back just long enough to get more cash and run back to the shops on the pier to make one more purchase.

 

We stood on our balcony and watched the Eurodam back out first while we waited our turn. Hearing some cries of "wait, wait, don't leave without us" directed our attention to the entrance to the pier to see several young women running to our ship. I heard someone on a balcony above us saying she heard the ship was missing 6 passengers. The "missing" made it to the gangplank where they boarded and were duly checked in.

 

That night was the Chef's special dinner which was just ok. There was a sorbet for the Chef's Special night which I passed on as I am diabetic and thought it would be too sweet. No one at the table liked the combination of flavors, especially with a sprig of thyme in it.

 

We went back to the casino where Jan won another $300 and I was chasing my money. Saw the Motor City show and liked it but everyone who saw the Magician said he was fabulous. Sorry we missed him. Stayed up late to watch a movie in the Vista lounge; "The Debt" which neither of us had seen before.

 

Thursday was our last sea day and I ran upstairs at 8 AM to reserve our spot in the Sanctuary from 1-5 PM. Jan got her lounger in the sun but I am definitely a shade girl and I had trouble finding and keeping a spot. Most of the loungers are set up for 2 together so the odd single person is hard to accommodate. Everyone talked about how great the service was up there but honestly, no one came around with water spritzers, I-pods or menus. I asked for a menu and finally got one. Jan and I both ordered something and waited quite a while for it to arrive. Turns out one of the waiters dropped a whole tray full of lunches and they had to re-make everything. I wanted the tuna pate with pita bread but the "tuna" was not what I received. Vlade from Macedonia was knocking himself out to please us. I mentioned the food error and he went to get us 2 additional entrees as well as to replace my mistaken order. We ended up with 3 lunches!

 

We went to the Captain's Circle cocktail party in the Vista lounge that I was invited to as a repeat cruiser and got a free drink and snacks. I have learned not to accept the drinks the bar staff is pushing at these things and wait for someone to ask me what I want. The Captain was very welcoming and mentioned that there were so many repeaters so they had 3 of these meetings scheduled. The most cruises accumulated by one person was 99!

 

Off to our last formal night and we sat with one couple from Texas and 2 couples from Canada. There were 7 lobster dinners and 1 short ribs. (guess who?) I was very disappointed in this meal as I think they feel that the lobster is the star of the plate. It was served with white rice and carrots. This is an elegant dinner? I thought the presentation was not that great.

 

Back to the casino where they finally got us good and we left with our tails between our legs. Saw the show British Invasion and it was not bad but the usual cruise ship show.

 

Friday was our Princess Cays day and we had rented a bungalow. Unfortunately or not, we slept in and had a late breakfast. Our priority tender tickets were a moot point since almost everyone who wanted to be off the ship was already there. Jan had popped for the Gourmet Lunch which they wanted to serve us immediately. We prevailed upon them to wait a little time. The appetizer alone was enough for a meal. They brought 8 dinner rolls for the 2 of us! Vlade was our server at the bungalow also and brought us plates loaded with everything on the buffet table. There was enough food for 4 people. We had a table with 4 small chairs in the bungalow and 4 loungers outside it. I was never a big fan of the beach there and even though we both had surf shoes we did not really venture too far into the water because of all the rocks. After Orient Beach, this is actually a come-down. Princess really has a huge facility there with 3 different buffet areas, very nice clean bathrooms and some vendors. Jan wanted to do her last bit of shopping so we ventured outside the gates to the small area of vendors there. It was the usual tourist stuff but Jan found some jewelry for her granddaughter. I was all shopped out by that time. The line for the tenders was long but moved fast. It was good to get back on the ship.

 

Being the last night for our cruise, it was a bittersweet ending. We went for anytime dinner and ended up at a table for 4 which we shared with one of the couples from our first night! We decided to head back to the cabin just to get everything packed so we could enjoy the last evening. Back to the casino for one last chance and joined all the other losers. One of the nice things about playing the table games, you get to know several people because you all are there together every evening. We crashed for the last time and set a wake up time for 7 AM.

 

Our last breakfast was in the buffet and we shared that with one of the couples from our formal night dinner. Jan had just discovered the chocolate croissants and grabbed one for the wait in the airport. Our disembarkation group met in Explorers lounge and we were only there for about 15 minutes before we were called to disembark. Found our luggage, went through customs and headed for the bus to the airport. While we were sitting waiting for our flight we heard people talking about an outbreak of illness on other ships. So glad it wasn't on the Grand!

 

Hubby picked us up at Midway Airport and our vacation was over but not forgotten. All in all, we had a great time and Jan can't wait to take her next one. We are hoping to get our nursing school classmates together for a 4-5 day reunion cruise next year.

[Shogun]

Hi There

 

Will be on the Grand later this year thanks for posting.

 

 

yours Shogun

[snoodqueen]

Good review! I always go to Mr. Tablecloth for Christmas linens - great minds think alike! I'm hoping we get Roger Bilton as Captain later this year on the Grand - he's the best.

[shofer]

Hi There

 

Will be on the Grand later this year thanks for posting.

 

 

yours Shogun

 

You are very welcome. The ship looks very good and the new La Piazza is lovely. No complaints here.

 

Sue

[Shogun]

Hi There

 

Was on the old Grand a few times so looking forward to seeing the changes.

 

Sounds like you had a good time

 

 

yours Shogun

[solosailer1]

Hi Shogun. Saw your name on the board and thought I'd pop in to say hello! Didn't we have a great time on the Ruby. I'm flying to Perth today to catch up with Pam then we sail around the top end of Australia for 18 days on the Celebrity Century.

How's your dear wife and that gorgeous dog?

Hugs from Australia, Colleen :D

[Shogun]

Hello Solosailer,

 

Nice to hear from you, must get to your part of the world one year,

doing a few cruises this year on the Grand,

 

Puppy is a big ball of fluff.

 

Have a great cruise.

 

yours Shogun

[Mia63]

Your post was really great . We will be going on our first cruise next January and so I'm lapping up any information I can about the Grand Princess and the Eastern Carribean

[shofer]

Your post was really great . We will be going on our first cruise next January and so I'm lapping up any information I can about the Grand Princess and the Eastern Carribean

 

Thanks. I will answer any questions you have if I can. LOL!

 

Sue

[princessfan12]

I was on this cruise also and had a wonderful time too! I wonder if our paths ever crossed? I was travelling with my husband and 13 month old daughter who loves to wave to everyone...we were also on Caribe but aft.

[jean s]

Thanks for a great review. We board the Grand on Saturday and are really looking forward to a relaxing week.

[Palmist]

Thanks for the long review. My sis and I will be on the Grand Feb. 25 for a week. A lot of what you wrote about will be helpful. We are both Platinum so

we know Princess but not the Grand. Should be great week (no hubby's this time).

Myrna

[bighairtexan]

SUE, I LOVED your review. Especially your adventures in the casino!! Been there done that. Don't you just love "girl trips?" I'm doing one next month... leaving our guys back home.

A couple questions if you have the time.

1) International cafe... .lines? crowded? places to sit? (ok that's 3 questions)

2) Have they replaced the televisions w/ flat screens?

I'll miss the mats on the balcony. They kind of kept the floor cooler and just looked better. No big deal I suppose.

3) I agree about "lobster night". Anything absolutely fabulous that I need to order?

4) I also have anytime dining. Did you notice if there were "off times" where it was easier to be seated right off? Was one dining room more/less crowded than the other?

 

Um... I think that's my "couple of questions". Again thanks so much for the review!

Sharon

[coops]

Sue,

Thank you so much for the great review. We are cruising next month and you just made it that more exciting for me.

 

On the transfers , this is our first time using princess transfers as it was cheaper doing it this way than normal. How was the pick up at the airport? And did the buses get very packed at airport and at hotel the day of cruise? We are coming in on Thursday so shouldn't be to bad.

 

We love the Embassy as that is our choice stay. Also did you notice if there were alot of video poker machines in the casino? I know after the refit it seems they made the casino smaller.

Thanks again ,

Dawn

[shofer]

SUE, I LOVED your review. Especially your adventures in the casino!! Been there done that. Don't you just love "girl trips?" I'm doing one next month... leaving our guys back home.

A couple questions if you have the time.

1) International cafe... .lines? crowded? places to sit? (ok that's 3 questions)

2) Have they replaced the televisions w/ flat screens?

I'll miss the mats on the balcony. They kind of kept the floor cooler and just looked better. No big deal I suppose.

3) I agree about "lobster night". Anything absolutely fabulous that I need to order?

4) I also have anytime dining. Did you notice if there were "off times" where it was easier to be seated right off? Was one dining room more/less crowded than the other?

 

Um... I think that's my "couple of questions". Again thanks so much for the review!

Sharon

 

1.) No real lines if 2 people ahead of you means anything. Most of the time you just walked right up to the counter. Never really crowded except during formal nights when there was picture taking on the staircase. Not too many people were eating there then. There are several small tables and chairs scattered around in the general vicinity, but Alfredo's and Vines are right there also and you can sit there if the other places are taken. We always found a table and chairs.

 

The "prawn" (their name) salad is fabulous! Just shrimp, chives, celery with a light vinaigrette. It was my favorite lunch. I usually went back for seconds! Jan tried 2 of the paninis and said they were very good. There is also a soup choice. No free beverages available. There is a coffee bar adjacent and a bar nearby. We just popped for a couple of Diet Cokes. The desserts are small but just enough for good taste. Black/white mousse in a large "shot" glass was delicious.

 

 

2.) Yes, flat screens are there.

 

3.) Don't honestly remember what else was on the menu on formal night except for Jan's short ribs which she said were delicious.

 

4.) Usually before 7 and after 8:30 were the easiest times to get seated. The first night was the most crowded. Both dining rooms were the same. We only got a pager 3 times, the rest we were seated immediately with a group.

 

Glad to answer. You are very welcome.

 

Sue

[kywildcatfanone]

Thanks for the thorough review, sounds like you had a good time. We were on the Grand doing the Southern itinerary in December and had a good time, and have her booked next month for the Easter.

 

Mike

[shofer]

Sue,

Thank you so much for the great review. We are cruising next month and you just made it that more exciting for me.

 

On the transfers , this is our first time using princess transfers as it was cheaper doing it this way than normal. How was the pick up at the airport? And did the buses get very packed at airport and at hotel the day of cruise? We are coming in on Thursday so shouldn't be to bad.

 

We love the Embassy as that is our choice stay. Also did you notice if there were alot of video poker machines in the casino? I know after the refit it seems they made the casino smaller.

Thanks again ,

Dawn

 

Hi Dawn,

 

The transfers are so easy to use, it should be illegal! There will be a Princess rep down by baggage claim. She/He will be wearing the Princess logo/uniform. They will have your name on a list. Once you have claimed you luggage, she will call for a bus and walk you out to a pickup location and wait until you are on board.

 

The bus was not crowded but it depends on the time of day and how many flights. Coming in on Thursday, I would imagine it will be pretty empty.

 

Leaving from the hotel on cruise day it is definitely more crowded but everyone gets a seat. No standers. They are usually dropping off at more than one Princess ship. We only had 1/2 bus full but they dropped at the Crown and the Island before the Grand.

 

I didn't notice that the casino seemed smaller than on our previous cruise on the Grand. I did see several video poker machines against one wall. I should have played those. My money might have lasted longer! LOL.

 

Sue

[shofer]

I was on this cruise also and had a wonderful time too! I wonder if our paths ever crossed? I was travelling with my husband and 13 month old daughter who loves to wave to everyone...we were also on Caribe but aft.

 

We saw several children but I don't remember seeing your little girl. I certainly would have noticed a cutie waving at me.

 

Jan has 3 granddaughters and my first granddaughter is due anytime now. We are definitely gaga over little girls.

[sez809]

Good review! I always go to Mr. Tablecloth for Christmas linens - great minds think alike! I'm hoping we get Roger Bilton as Captain later this year on the Grand - he's the best.

 

 

He was Captain when we did the Med, on the Grand last summer. Have to say, I agree totally with your sentiments and hope he is again when we repeat this trip!

 

Great review by the way, thank you!

[picture]

GRAND PRINCESS EASTERN CARIBBEAN CRUISE

 

This was my third Princess and my tenth cruise overall. For my friend Jan, it was her first ever cruise and she couldn't have been more impressed. We left the hubbies home for a girls' week of fun. Stayed at the Embassy Suites 1 day pre-cruise which was an excellent choice. We had booked Princess transfers and the move from the airport to the hotel was seamless. Our room wasn't ready so we left our bags with the bell desk and set off in search of lunch since breakfast had been at the airport around 6:30 AM. Jan had some recommendations from a co-worker who had lived in Ft. Lauderdale so we chose Anthony's oven-fired pizza. Not knowing where it was, we took the shuttle for $3/pp. It turned out to be not very far from the hotel.

 

Sharing a large salad and a personal pizza each was way too much food for us to finish so we took the leftovers with us. The shuttle driver had given us his card so we could call for a pickup but he was stuck in a traffic jam on RT 75. Looking at the street signs, I figured out that we were only a few blocks from 17th Street so we walked back to the hotel without any problems. There was a CVS pharmacy right on the corner which was great since I had forgotten a few personal items.

 

Back at the hotel, our room was ready so we were happy to sit down in the air-conditioning and put our feet up for a few minutes. I don't know what it was, but we both were complaining of swollen feet which made walking around rather uncomfortable. After a brief rest, we took off in search of the Total Wine shop. Everyone said it was right behind the hotel but what they don't say is that there is quite a nice strip mall there and the wine store was in the far left corner. I even had some coupons to use. Purchasing one bottle apiece seemed to be the limit of our alcohol consumption.

 

Proceeding to the Dollar Store which is kitty-corner from the front of the hotel in another strip mall, we got gift bags for our Meet and Greet gift exchange. At this point, it was getting dark and we were getting tired. I was cranky because my feet hurt so we headed back to the hotel for the free evening cocktail hour. One drink each seemed to satisfy our thirst and made us very relaxed. Still full from the pizza, we opted out of dinner and headed back to our room for a shower and bed.

 

Setting the wake up call for 8 AM, we were up early and started getting cleaned up for breakfast. Our breakfast was great with made to order omelets and other things. The letter from the cruise line told us to have our bags outside our rooms by 10 AM and be in the lobby at noon for check in with the Princess reps. They were late so everyone was milling around getting antsy to leave. General chaos reigned as everyone tried to get their health forms and to identify their luggage for transport. This was the only problem with using the Princess transfers. Once the buses arrived and everyone had their luggage loaded, it was much better. They dropped us at the correct pier where we took our carry-ons through Security and checked in to receive our room keycards. We stopped for the boarding photo and then went up the correct ramp according to our cabin number. Found our room without any problem and dropped our stuff.

 

Our cabin attendant was Savone from VietNam and he got everything we asked for; robes, top sheets, extra hangers, 2 tote bags. He was quick with cleaning the room when we were at breakfast and did a superb job.

 

We were in Caribe 308. The room looked identical to the one I had previously on the Grand in 2008. I was disappointed in the balcony. Although it was quite spacious, there was no rubber matting and the 2 chairs were recliners but no foot stools so they were actually not very comfortable. The reason that was given to other cruisers for the lack of matting was weight which is ridiculous when you realize the ship lost 4 Tons with the removal of Skywalkers. What was 113,000 RT in 2008, is now 109,000 RT. The probable reason is cost cutting.

 

Jan wanted to do the "Treasure Hunt" card we were given upon boarding. It required you to find different departments on the ship and receive a stamp for each one. We dropped the cards into a box by the pool for a drawing. The nice thing about it was it makes you become familiar with the ship. Jan was totally blown away by the beauty and size of the Grand. She kept saying she felt she was in the first class section of the Titanic! This was the only frame of reference that she had to cruising. We ran up to the Sanctuary to reserve some space for a sea day only to be told we had to be there @ 8 AM on the day desired. International Cafe won our lunch choice for shrimp and chicken salad.

 

While eating lunch, we heard the first announcement for the muster drill telling us to bring our life jackets with us. When we got to our room, the luggage had been delivered so we dragged it in and got ready for the muster drill. With the Costa Concordia disaster so fresh in everyone's minds, I have to say this was the most attentive muster drill I have ever attended. Next up was the sail away by the pool with the band and lots of fun and excitement. Our names were not drawn for the Treasure Hunt but it was fun anyway. Got our specialty drinks and watched the ship leave the pier.

 

Back to the room to unpack and clean up for dinner. We had Anytime Dining and this was the first time I had tried it. I think it worked very well and I would do it again. First night at 7:00 was very busy but we got a pager and only had to wait 20 minutes. We agreed to share a table at every dinner and met lots of very nice people. I was wondering how Jan would like the menus as she is a picky eater. Princess now has "Down-home" entrees on the menu and Jan ate them at least 3 times.

 

There was quite a range of ages onboard from a 6 month old baby on up. It was nice because the late night activities were well attended. The Princess Pop Star competition was quite good and we really enjoyed attending it. Some very talented people were there. We went to the casino and I started out with a bang by winning almost $200. Jan won $30 on the slots.

 

Sunday was a sea day and One5 was the location for our CC meeting. The Meet and Greet was a big success. We met the Captain, Purser, Maitre'd, Executive Chef and Trent, Customer Relations. ( A real cutie!) Jan and I got our pictures taken with Captain Bilton who was so nice and accommodating. We met lots of nice people and loved crossing paths with them all during the trip.

 

Tried the pool that day but it was rather windy and had some sprinkles. I tried the hot tub and it was very relaxing. Of course we went to Bingo at least 5 times and never did win but we had fun anyway.

 

Our first formal night we had to wait a short time with the pager but sat in the Piazza and watched the fashion show. Turned out we got a table for 2! Lots of jokes about our "romantic" dinner. Saw the comedian show and it was ok. Lots of people were walking out. Back to the casino and I won big again. Jan hit the slots for $65.

 

Monday was a partial sea/tour day. We arrived in San Juan @ 4 PM and we had planned a tour. Jan had never been to any of these places so we did a tour at each stop. In SJ, we went to San Cristobal fort for a self-guided tour and then a short stop in Old SJ for shopping. Jan loves to shop so she was in hog heaven in every port. Back to the ship for dinner and see a show but don't remember which one. We were too pooped to stay up too late and the casino did not open until 11 PM. Saw the first part of Princess Pop Star and thought it was very entertaining.

 

Tuesday was St. Maarten and this was the best tour we took. Booked the Orient Beach stop with lunch which was very good and 2 drinks. The beach was very nice and the water had big waves which I love!. I was sorry I didn't have a boogie board to ride them. We come from Chicago where not only is our land flat but so is our water. Lake Michigan is not known for it's surf. LOL! Going back to the ship we could have gotten off the bus to go shopping but we had done some with the local vendors and were anxious to get the sand and seaweed out of our bathing suits. Another nice dinner and back to the casino again. This time Jan won $300 on the slots and I didn't know when to quit when I had doubled my money so had a loss.

 

Wednesday was St. Thomas and we thought we were being so good to get up at 6:30 to we could eat breakfast before going on our tour to Magen's Bay. Thinking we had lots of time, we decided to go to the dining room for breakfast and as usual, were chatting away with our table mates while eating our meal. Excused ourselves to go back to the room and get our suits on for the tour. Looking at my watch, I was shocked to see it was 8:39 as our tour left at 8:20! We threw on our suits and ran off the ship to see no one waiting for us. Jan was for grabbing a cab to Magen's Bay and catching up with the tour. At this point, it started raining and I was not too keen on that idea. Back to the Shore Excursion desk where they were so kind to book us on another tour leaving in an hour.

 

Changed out of our suits and were on time for this tour which took us around part of the island and to Blackbeard's castle and it's 99 steps down to street level. From there we hit street level and all the shops in downtown Charlotte Amalie. Our best stop was Mr. Tablecloth where we both scored great Christmas linens. Jan really wanted to go to the flea market to score some deals and I was ok for a while but, still suffering with swollen feet I headed back to the ship by taxi. I sat on the balcony and finally opened up my bottle of wine. Jan came back just long enough to get more cash and run back to the shops on the pier to make one more purchase.

 

We stood on our balcony and watched the Eurodam back out first while we waited our turn. Hearing some cries of "wait, wait, don't leave without us" directed our attention to the entrance to the pier to see several young women running to our ship. I heard someone on a balcony above us saying she heard the ship was missing 6 passengers. The "missing" made it to the gangplank where they boarded and were duly checked in.

 

That night was the Chef's special dinner which was just ok. There was a sorbet for the Chef's Special night which I passed on as I am diabetic and thought it would be too sweet. No one at the table liked the combination of flavors, especially with a sprig of thyme in it.

 

We went back to the casino where Jan won another $300 and I was chasing my money. Saw the Motor City show and liked it but everyone who saw the Magician said he was fabulous. Sorry we missed him. Stayed up late to watch a movie in the Vista lounge; "The Debt" which neither of us had seen before.

 

Thursday was our last sea day and I ran upstairs at 8 AM to reserve our spot in the Sanctuary from 1-5 PM. Jan got her lounger in the sun but I am definitely a shade girl and I had trouble finding and keeping a spot. Most of the loungers are set up for 2 together so the odd single person is hard to accommodate. Everyone talked about how great the service was up there but honestly, no one came around with water spritzers, I-pods or menus. I asked for a menu and finally got one. Jan and I both ordered something and waited quite a while for it to arrive. Turns out one of the waiters dropped a whole tray full of lunches and they had to re-make everything. I wanted the tuna pate with pita bread but the "tuna" was not what I received. Vlade from Macedonia was knocking himself out to please us. I mentioned the food error and he went to get us 2 additional entrees as well as to replace my mistaken order. We ended up with 3 lunches!

 

We went to the Captain's Circle cocktail party in the Vista lounge that I was invited to as a repeat cruiser and got a free drink and snacks. I have learned not to accept the drinks the bar staff is pushing at these things and wait for someone to ask me what I want. The Captain was very welcoming and mentioned that there were so many repeaters so they had 3 of these meetings scheduled. The most cruises accumulated by one person was 99!

 

Off to our last formal night and we sat with one couple from Texas and 2 couples from Canada. There were 7 lobster dinners and 1 short ribs. (guess who?) I was very disappointed in this meal as I think they feel that the lobster is the star of the plate. It was served with white rice and carrots. This is an elegant dinner? I thought the presentation was not that great.

 

Back to the casino where they finally got us good and we left with our tails between our legs. Saw the show British Invasion and it was not bad but the usual cruise ship show.

 

Friday was our Princess Cays day and we had rented a bungalow. Unfortunately or not, we slept in and had a late breakfast. Our priority tender tickets were a moot point since almost everyone who wanted to be off the ship was already there. Jan had popped for the Gourmet Lunch which they wanted to serve us immediately. We prevailed upon them to wait a little time. The appetizer alone was enough for a meal. They brought 8 dinner rolls for the 2 of us! Vlade was our server at the bungalow also and brought us plates loaded with everything on the buffet table. There was enough food for 4 people. We had a table with 4 small chairs in the bungalow and 4 loungers outside it. I was never a big fan of the beach there and even though we both had surf shoes we did not really venture too far into the water because of all the rocks. After Orient Beach, this is actually a come-down. Princess really has a huge facility there with 3 different buffet areas, very nice clean bathrooms and some vendors. Jan wanted to do her last bit of shopping so we ventured outside the gates to the small area of vendors there. It was the usual tourist stuff but Jan found some jewelry for her granddaughter. I was all shopped out by that time. The line for the tenders was long but moved fast. It was good to get back on the ship.

 

Being the last night for our cruise, it was a bittersweet ending. We went for anytime dinner and ended up at a table for 4 which we shared with one of the couples from our first night! We decided to head back to the cabin just to get everything packed so we could enjoy the last evening. Back to the casino for one last chance and joined all the other losers. One of the nice things about playing the table games, you get to know several people because you all are there together every evening. We crashed for the last time and set a wake up time for 7 AM.

 

Our last breakfast was in the buffet and we shared that with one of the couples from our formal night dinner. Jan had just discovered the chocolate croissants and grabbed one for the wait in the airport. Our disembarkation group met in Explorers lounge and we were only there for about 15 minutes before we were called to disembark. Found our luggage, went through customs and headed for the bus to the airport. While we were sitting waiting for our flight we heard people talking about an outbreak of illness on other ships. So glad it wasn't on the Grand!

 

Hubby picked us up at Midway Airport and our vacation was over but not forgotten. All in all, we had a great time and Jan can't wait to take her next one. We are hoping to get our nursing school classmates together for a 4-5 day reunion cruise next year.

 

So how did you find the public areas??? over all condition of the ship?

[srpilo]

Shofer

Thanks for your thoughts, and the Grand update

 

 

 

 

 

Sorry to say, "Welcome" home :)

Srpilo

[Firepenguin]

Great review - exactly what we've been looking for. We are booked for our first ever cruise on 7April (14 night/TA) and have been soaking up any information we can find. Don't even know enough to know what to ask right now, so just reading everything we can find.

 

Thanks again...

 

Firepenguin and Turbotim (from the frozen south of Antarctica - looking forward to thawing out on the cruise)

[shofer]

So how did you find the public areas??? over all condition of the ship?

 

The new public areas are lovely and well done. I thought the ship looked great. Did not notice any rust or worn carpet. All seating areas looked fine. Our room was fine if still the same decor. Bath area clean without mold. My friend was blown away by how beautiful the public areas were.

 

Sue

[shofer]

I just wanted to add something to my review. I was also freaking out about all the negative reviews posted here about the Grand before we sailed. I want to reiterate that my worries were unfounded. Did not go around with a magnifying glass looking for dirt or rust.

 

I would have liked the rubber matting on the balcony but we were never out there w/o shoes. Only disappointment with Caribe deck is the lack of more furniture out there. Why they have recliners w/o a foot stool is beyond me. It makes the recliner useless.

 

It was large but we didn't utilize any more space than a regular balcony. I would never pay extra for this deck. We got it as an upgrade for a guarantee purchase.

 

Sue