Grand Princess

[KAYEF]

New to this ship. Please tell us things you like about her and what to not miss on her; we'll be on for 17 nights............repo from Barcelona to Galveston so we'll have lots of time to explore and enjoy.

Thanks!;)

[TEXASMUNK]

but would recommend.....

 

she is a big ship, as such, many folks tend to find one or two areas and focus on them. Be sure to wander around the ship, stem to stern. Hit the "spoiler" (the giant wing on ther stern) in the evening, never crowded and the DJ will play what you are looking for if you are into dancing in the evening!

[Stevesan]

New to this ship. Please tell us things you like about her and what to not miss on her; we'll be on for 17 nights............repo from Barcelona to Galveston so we'll have lots of time to explore and enjoy.

Thanks!;)

 

Permit me to be a bit lazy and extract from a review I wrote last year:

===================================

This, our first Princess cruise, was terrific included by far the best food and service of any ship we've sailed.

Although a 109,000-ton ship is a physically imposing object, GP’s interiors were intentionally designed to minimize the impact of her size. As a pioneer among mega-liners, her interiors were scaled down to lessen any potential intimidation factor.

The ship’s condition was near faultless. Despite 2,000 plus passengers tramping through every day for the last seven years, signs of wear are virtually invisible. Maintenance is obviously a priority for the ship’s crew. GP’s mechanical condition seems faultless. On the large scale, engines perform as intended, side thrusters function, tender operations go off without a hitch, elevators function properly, etc. On the more personal level, our cabin’s thermostat correctly responded to settings, drawers and doors opened and closed properly, every toilet we used flushed instantly. No obnoxious odors, aka sewage, were evident anywhere. In our observation, absolutely everything worked as designed. This ship is a model for those in the cruise industry who claim that unpleasant odors and malfunctioning toilets are inevitable and unavoidable on sea-going passenger vessels. Grand Princess, although not a maiden, puts the lie to that mistaken bit of nonsense.

We found little fault with either the quality or presentation of the food, either in the main dining room or buffet, the Horizon Court. Warning: My wife, Japanese by birth, says to avoid the buffet’s sushi. The rice is a gluey mess. Also, the butterfish in main dining is to be avoided as too tough and chewy. I thought the escargot lacked firmness. That’s it – the only criticisms!

The best part of the dining experience was the food. Preparation was first-rate: ordered medium rare – the item was delivered medium rare, sauces were fully flavored, all dishes were consistently served at the correct temperature. The desserts possessed intense flavors, indicative of quality ingredients.

Entertainment was typical cruise ship fare: Quizzes, trivial pursuit, swimming pool games, Pilates (for a fee), water volleyball, and many others including the inevitable snowball bingo and art auctions. The bars and lounges are too numerous to list. We found Wheelhouse Bar to our liking with a small trio playing a variety of dance music. The main showroom, Princess theatre, featured two production shows, some single acts and a movie during one evening. The production shows were just ok, not creative but an acceptable after dinner diversion.

The MUTS (Movies Under The Stars) screen on Lido Deck at “Neptune’s Reef” pool was a popular attraction for adults and kids alike. A variety of videos are shown daytime, and feature-length films in the late afternoon and evening. The video quality is startlingly good. The MUTS audio is loud, but is sufficiently directional so as to not be obtrusive outside the pool area. Our category CC cabin was located not far from this pool, and the only MUTS audios detectable were overloud low bass notes. These were not noticeably bothersome.

The only negative, which presumably applies to all the standard cabins, is a shortage of storage space and an extremely small bathroom. Although the closet is small and drawer space at a premium, they are adequate for seven day cruises. That, however, could be a problem on longer trips or cruises in colder climes. Our daughter had a minisuite, which was very satisfactory in all respects, comfortably accommodating two adults and a child.

[corkpopr]

last year it was rome to galveston but we got off in ft. lauderdale. one way nonstop to L.A. was 136. each. bus from galveston to houston and back to L.A. was 285 each. we loved this trip!! Lisbon, the azores, and bermuda great. Loved the sea days. we had a minisuite. the ship sailed with 1840 pax out of a possible 2600. that meant no lines for shows/food/spa/even the gym. Also, all inside pax were upgraded to outside so princess could do deep cleaning and repairs without time turnaround problems that a one day changeover brings. Anytime dining, ask for dennis and alan if they are still on board. used the rear bar on lido deck (covered and never crowded) great for rainy days to read outside.

we are on the golden this year for the transatlantic from rome to new orleans.

you should go to the roll call list and check in with other cruise critic members that are sailing the grand transatlantic.

have a great time.

[ssbeagle]

last year it was rome to galveston but we got off in ft. lauderdale. one way nonstop to L.A. was 136. each. bus from galveston to houston and back to L.A. was 285 each. we loved this trip!! Lisbon, the azores, and bermuda great. Loved the sea days. we had a minisuite. the ship sailed with 1840 pax out of a possible 2600. that meant no lines for shows/food/spa/even the gym. Also, all inside pax were upgraded to outside so princess could do deep cleaning and repairs without time turnaround problems that a one day changeover brings. Anytime dining, ask for dennis and alan if they are still on board. used the rear bar on lido deck (covered and never crowded) great for rainy days to read outside.

we are on the golden this year for the transatlantic from rome to new orleans.

you should go to the roll call list and check in with other cruise critic members that are sailing the grand transatlantic.

have a great time.

 

That was a fun trip. After all 450 of you got off in Fort Lauderdale the ship was almost deserted. We stayed on to Galveston. The crew was so nice and even the waiters in the dining room were not so rushed because all the table were not filled. My favorite was the daily trivia question posed by the CD and you had to make something to go with the answer. We won a couple of prizes with that one. Even my cabin steward helped with one of the questions. I liked to use the computers in the library as they weren't as busy as the ones in the computer room. There were also some great deals on spa treatments.

[Esprit]

It was our first Princess cruise too. WOW!

 

Really impressed so booked Emerald for next year.

 

We enjoyed the Wheelhouse and Explorers bars most evenings as we are into Ballroom/Latin dancing.

 

We ate in the Horizon Courts a couple of evening times which were great as ther food is the same as what youi are served in the Restaurants. We also did "anytime" dining which suited us perfectly.

 

My favourite bar was the Sea Breeze were I enjoyed a Becks or three with my "Beer Bucket Buddies" from about 5.30 pm onwards. What a way to see each port disappear into the distance.

 

Peter

[KAYEF]

Gosh, but I love CC!!:p

Just wish I'd have found it before our first (24 day repo) cruise a few years ago. How did I pack and organize without all the advice I now depend on from these threads? :confused:

THANK YOU for the replies so far.

[budaman]

Take the Promenade Deck all the way to the bow of the ship. There is a stairway towards the front that takes Promenade up to Emerald and continues to the bow. They close it after dark though. Very peaceful up there....no sounds but the wind.

 

Mike

 

www.homepage.mac.com/csealove/

[crossstitcher]

I have sailed the Grand 3 time, 2x caribbean and once to Canada/New England. She is a beautiful ship (although she needs a bit of cosmetic work now) and you will love sailing on her.