Jump to content
Cruise Critic Community

Grand Hawaii Dec 19th Christmas and New years cruise live review

rwstout

By rwstout,
in Princess Cruises

 Share

Recommended Posts

rwstout

rwstout

Posted
Posted

Day O on the Grand to Hawaii. I am going to try and do a live from. It was easy getting in board and our room is all in packed. Lunch was good and services was even better. Safety briefing done. We are setting sail just a little late but supposed to dock in Hilo on time. We'll hope I help some. But just know I will post good and any bad if there is any.

image.jpg.9ddd933b382f07f866e7c0be4c27da0e.jpg

Link to comment
Share on other sites
Gimer

Gimer

Posted
Posted

Looking forward to your daily reviews. We are considering Grand to Hawaii next year. I do have one question for you to check out, if it's not too much trouble. At the Deck 14, Sundaes Ice Cream Bar, please find out if they serve 'Hot Fudge Sundaes" ? Thanks....

Link to comment
Share on other sites
cr8tiv1 Holiday Sharing Rare

cr8tiv1

Posted
Posted
I haven't heard of hot fudge sundaes served there... your best bet for this would be the dining room.

 

OP, thanks for the live and enjoy your cruise, it's a great one!

 

No hot fudge at Sundaes or the MDR. If you request a Volcano dessert (from children's menu) you will get chocolate syrup. They are beginning to sort of have sundaes in the MDR. Volcanos are more fun with bananas and sprinkles.

 

I am interested in hearing what Hawaiiana lectures are on your cruise over and back (without Dave Cole/CD). I know ELUA are on board and will provide you with excellent entertainment.

 

Mele Kalikimaka me ka Hau'oli Makahiki Hou

 

Displaced local girl waiting for her turn on the Grand

Link to comment
Share on other sites
jollyjones

jollyjones

Posted
Posted

I'm on this cruise too - don't get too excited about 'live' - the internet is much worse than usual, I hope it improves.

 

The Maitre d' is still Guiseppe Franchina.

 

Weather overcast and cool but not chilly. Sea has big, long, slow swells, not too bad.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
Pig1959

Pig1959

Posted
Posted (edited)

Wait about two days... those swells will increase .... LOVED THAT PART !!!

 

Oh, and the internet? It will NOT improve... hope you brought an air card/hotspot with you... it'll work great in Honolulu and semi-great in Maui and Hilo.....otherwise, keep it packed.

Edited by Pig1959
Link to comment
Share on other sites
jollyjones

jollyjones

Posted
Posted

Actually, the internet has improved considerably and is back to working at usual satellite speed. I’ve cruised the Pacific a number of times and usually had adequate internet speed.

The swells are no worse, I’m quite comfortable with them, but I have seen a couple of people being seasick around the ship. The HC is, nausea notwithstanding, as full as usual. I haven’t noticed any deterioration in the quality of the food in the HC altho’ perhaps the variety on offer is slightly less - the raw salad bar in particular seems to be a bit skimpy.

I’m afraid I don’t do the casino, spa, gym, art auctions (amazingly, we haven’t actually had one yet), zumba, line dancing, acupuncture or shopping shows, nor do I ever go to the MDR - maybe the OP will comment.

The naturalist and port lecturer is Gary Shahan - I have cruised with him before and I found his two lectures today to be up to his regular interesting and amusing standard, I will make an effort to go to the rest.

The enrichment lecture today by Shelly Bonus was entitled ‘What’s new in the Cosmos? Shellys (sic) Galactic Update! Black Holes! Exploding Stars! Exoplanets and More!’ - potentially interesting but too many exclamation marks for me, plus it clashed with one of Gary’s lectures. The CD is Mike Witte who I haven’t met before - he has the patter absolutely packed with activities - probably a good idea as the first sea days out of LA are a bit cold to be at the pool - but it does lead to conflicts of timing with multiple events at the same time; difficult to choose.

This evening I’ll take a look in at Garry Carson, a magician in the Vista lounge, I probably won’t stay long, I’m just interested to see if the ship movement upsets his sleight of hand. There’s a pianist, Derek Floyd, in the main theatre for those who might be interested, and Elua in the Piazza at 8.15pm.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
NeptuneSeas

NeptuneSeas

Posted
Posted
I'm on this cruise too - don't get too excited about 'live' - the internet is much worse than usual, I hope it improves.

 

The Maitre d' is still Guiseppe Franchina.

 

Weather overcast and cool but not chilly. Sea has big, long, slow swells, not too bad.

 

Thank you for kindly posting. We wish you Bon Voyage, Bon Apetit & Seasons' Greetings. Cheers! Mario & Rose

Link to comment
Share on other sites
jollyjones

jollyjones

Posted
Posted
Jollyjones, it's too bad you never go to the dining room, they offer really delicious meals!

 

Enjoy your cruise!

 

"Delicious' they may be, but food is subjective and I prefer to choose my own meal composition with far more vegetables and much less starch. Plus patience was never my strong point, I'm generally not interested in taking an hour or more for a meal.

 

That said, I have been to Sabatini's and Grown Grill on many cruises and I may well go again for a change, but with HC, IC and Alfredo's, I'm not short of choices.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
Pig1959

Pig1959

Posted
Posted

Funny you mention more veggies and less starch.... we ate 2nd seating dinner in Botticelli at a fantastic table with even better service. My wife and I do not eat bread, potatoes, or rice. We had to tell the waiter/assistant ONCE the first night of this and never had to mention it again and they got it right every time. Try that with "Anytime Dining".... you'd have to do that same spiel at EVERY meal..... you're missing out not being on fixed dining, ESPECIALLY since you eat the same way we do. Just sayin'....

Link to comment
Share on other sites
jollyjones

jollyjones

Posted
Posted (edited)
Funny you mention more veggies and less starch.... we ate 2nd seating dinner in Botticelli at a fantastic table with even better service. My wife and I do not eat bread, potatoes, or rice. We had to tell the waiter/assistant ONCE the first night of this and never had to mention it again and they got it right every time. Try that with "Anytime Dining".... you'd have to do that same spiel at EVERY meal..... you're missing out not being on fixed dining, ESPECIALLY since you eat the same way we do. Just sayin'....

 

Sorry, I never, ever do fixed dining - the idea of eating at a set time is completely at odds with my unstructured cruise style (ditto in my life style). And I'm not terribly keen on being served my food, I prefer to get it myself as much as possible. I absolutely do not understand able-bodied people in the HC sitting a few yards away from the drink counter and asking a waiter to get them tea/coffee/water etc.

Edited by jollyjones
Link to comment
Share on other sites
jollyjones

jollyjones

Posted
Posted (edited)

One little frustration this morning is that the scan display doesn’t show the outside temperature (it’s N/A) so I have to get dressed to go out and find out what I need to get dressed in ...

 

Sunday, still at sea of course, still bouncing a bit, the first formal night tonight, then we gain an hour. And it’s the Captain’s Welcome Aboard party too - the Patter says ‘Our photographers will be there for this once in a lifetime event’ - well, there’s a surprise, but since this is my eighteenth once in a lifetime event (with Princess), maybe I’ll contain my excitement.

 

Once again, Mr Witte serves us a fully stuffed Platter. A selection of the offerings:

9am - Knitters and Natters, or Zumba, or Ping Pong Doubles, or Lei making

9.30am - Trivia or a Spa infomercial (Happy Hands and Feet)

10am - Ballroom dance class or Golf putting or Chocolate recipe demo or the $10 sale (3 hours only!!!) or American sport on MUTS

11am - Lahaina port talk (actually it says Lahaina, Oahu, I hope the Captain knows where we’re going) or an infomercial for designer watches, or a free (!) tutorial on slot machine playing or the Gingerbread House competition or a martini demo in the Piazza or Texas hold’em in the casino

11.15am - Chess or crepe paper flower making

11.30 - Advanced photography seminar or a fat-burning fitness infomercial or ukulele class

Noon - Enrichment lecture - The Sun! The Moon! The Terrestrial Planets: Mercury! Venus! & Earth! Still with the !!! but at least not clashing with Lahaina, Oahu.

1pm - Gary lecturing on Earthquakes and Tsunamis or a magician show in Wheelhouse (caught some of his show last night, long on patter, light on tricks) or a weight loss infomercial

1.15pm - Pop choir rehearsal

1.30pm - Wrinkle remedy infomercial or the Princess singers and dancers in the Piazza or the movie Non-Stop in the theatre or the champagne art auction (knew that was coming, didn’t you)

2pm - Hula lesson or Tahitian pearl infomercial or spa pampering infomercial or ribbon lei class or bridge and mahjong ...

 

And on and on it goes all busy afternoon and evening, you get the idea, I’m exhausted just typing it, I don’t know how people do it all!

 

Now time for a brisk promenade on the Promenade deck - what were they thinking of with the Royal/Regal, this is one of the best parts of cruising - hopefully blowing enough cobwebs away so I can string a couple of neurones together for morning trivia. I did quite well yesterday, lost it on a tie-breaker - the question was ‘how many people are killed each year by vending machine accidents?’ (See next installment for the answer.)

 

Aha! The scan display is finally telling me that it is 65 degrees outside with a brisk wind coming in from the starboard bow. So maybe not the swimsuit yet.

Edited by jollyjones
Link to comment
Share on other sites
Pig1959

Pig1959

Posted
Posted

December 4th, we had lunch in the dining room. I understand that this December 19th cruise left late, and my assumption for the reason is that they probably had the Princess Cruises corporate Christmas party on board, and I bet that lunch was NOT served in the dining room. I also imagine that in January, they'll be back to serving lunch in the DR on Embarkation Day.

 

Merry Christmas.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
jollyjones

jollyjones

Posted
Posted

Lunch was served in the Da Vinci dining room on embarkation day from noon till 1.30pm according to the Patter - I to looked in to check (since it seems to be such a contentious issue) and it was definitely being served to pax and a small BVE group. No sign of any Corporate bods.

 

Our sailing was delayed according to Captain Wilson by slow bunkering, the fuel barge did not go away until about 4.40pm.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
BabsinTX

BabsinTX

Posted
Posted
Day O on the Grand to Hawaii. I am going to try and do a live from. It was easy getting in board and our room is all in packed. Lunch was good and services was even better. Safety briefing done. We are setting sail just a little late but supposed to dock in Hilo on time. We'll hope I help some. But just know I will post good and any bad if there is any.

 

I'm so glad you're doing this. We'll be on the Grand to Hawaii on 2/2/15, our first cruise on Princess (we're platinum on NCL). So your comments, pro and con, will be much appreciated!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Please sign in to comment

You will be able to leave a comment after signing in



Sign In Now
 Share
Go to topic listing
  • Forum Jump
    • Categories
      • Welcome to Cruise Critic
      • New Cruisers
      • Cruise Lines “A – O”
      • Cruise Lines “P – Z”
      • River Cruising
      • ROLL CALLS
      • Cruise Critic News & Features
      • Digital Photography & Cruise Technology
      • Special Interest Cruising
      • Cruise Discussion Topics
      • UK Cruising
      • Australia & New Zealand Cruisers
      • Canadian Cruisers
      • North American Homeports
      • Ports of Call
      • Cruise Conversations
×
×
  • Create New...