Grand Princess Caribe Balcony Vs. Other Decks (Compared To Recent Ruby Experience)

[thanosmano]

TLDR; Does the Grand have cabins on certain decks that seem "newer" and more "refreshed" compared to other decks?

 

I'm 90% certain I'm going to book a Caribe deck cabin on the Grand to take advantage of the extended balcony. My 10% uncertainty stems from my recent experience with the Caribe deck on the Ruby (another Grand class, as you all already know). Maybe it was just luck of the, unfortunate, draw but our stateroom was really dingy, all light bulbs were dim, carpets were heavily stained, bathroom floors looked like a car shop floor, the list goes on. I want to clarify that this has NOTHING to do with the exceptional service of our steward, he even warned us as we approached the cabin for the first time that he apologizes the cabin looks dreary but he assures us that anything that seemed dirty is just stained and battered. Maybe it's because it's a 4-person cabin and gets a lot more wear than other cabins?

On the second leg of this B2B on the Ruby we moved up to Aloha and it was a night & day difference. It was like I was on a new Royal class ship. Brand new carpet, bathroom fixtures, everything was pristine not only in that stateroom but even out to the hallways (wallpaper, hand rails). Is this the same case on the Grand?

I can assure you I do not spend my vacation fixated on if my stateroom looks new vs old. What I did notice though was that it elevated my experience a bit more when I came back to my cabin for the night and everything felt nice and shiny. Lighting plays a big role and it was nice not having to question if I can lay my toothbrush on the brownish sink counter ha! Just a little comfort feature is all. Anyways, let me know if this is the same case on the Grand or if you have any idea what may have happened on the Ruby. Perhaps some decks were prioritized in the dry docks more than others?

 

Edited April 15 by thanosmano

[PacnGoNow]

Sounds like the Ruby needs a dry dock upgrade on the Caribe deck. Did you notice if other balconies on the Caribe were drab also?  
 

IDK about the Grand, but hopefully it’s not the case. 
 

Thanks for bringing this to our attention.  I, for one, book those large balconies.

 

 

 

[cr8tiv1]

The Grand went into dry dock recently (April 2022 ?}.  Much of it was cosmetic.  The lamps have USB ports.
 

I am not doubting your comparison between decks, but that does seem really odd.  
 

The difference between the Grand and the Ruby:
The Grand has Alfredo’s and 400 less passengers.  The staterooms and balconies should be similar.

 

 

[thanosmano]

10 hours ago, PacnGoNow said:

Sounds like the Ruby needs a dry dock upgrade on the Caribe deck. Did you notice if other balconies on the Caribe were drab also?  
 

IDK about the Grand, but hopefully it’s not the case. 
 

Thanks for bringing this to our attention.  I, for one, book those large balconies.

 

 

 

 

10 hours ago, cr8tiv1 said:

The Grand went into dry dock recently (April 2022 ?}.  Much of it was cosmetic.  The lamps have USB ports.
 

I am not doubting your comparison between decks, but that does seem really odd.  
 

The difference between the Grand and the Ruby:
The Grand has Alfredo’s and 400 less passengers.  The staterooms and balconies should be similar.

 

 

Thank you guys! Unfortunately I didn't peep much but I can say that the Caribe hallway lighting and panels were older than Aloha, the carpets of the cabins I walked by during cleaning were the same pattern as ours. So I can't say they were also as drab as our particular cabin (C502) but it does confirm that the entire deck was consistent cosmetically. Which makes sense because they would just refresh the entire deck (whenever the dry dock happens) not just random cabins that need it.

I did see the Grand dry dock in 2022 and I am excited to see how it looks in person. I sailed on the Ruby summer of 2023 before its 3-week dry dock. From what I read, still no USB lamps and still has the annoying motion sensor trim lights so it looks like cabins didn't get much love during those 3 weeks. The casino however did get revamped and I'm sure they spent a little more TLC on that patch where they hit the pier during this time.

I also forgot to mention that I have come across many reviews for the Grand that specifically point out that it's in much better condition than the Ruby. Seems like the Ruby gets compared often.


 

Edited April 15 by thanosmano