LazyMary

12 hours ago, cougaraz said:

Saturday, 24 August, in port San Francisco

 

 

 

This morning weather conditions arriving in San Francisco were exactly what one would expect, low clouds, fog and cool conditions in the mid 50s.  We had little to no sea state as we slid quietly underneath the Golden Gate Bridge and made a smooth approach to our berthing location.

 

 

 

Yesterday was a perfect and very relaxing final sea day for this voyage.  Everyone cruises for different reasons and everyone has a different plan.  Some people want to maximize every minute and participate in every activity offered, some love to spend time outside, some like to nap, rest, recuperate and still others like a blend of all the above.  For us, relaxation and rest were high priorities.  We enjoyed another fantastic breakfast in the dining room with Giovanni cooking omelets to order, ham and cheese for Melissa and ham, cheese and mushroom for me.   Both were served with the usual side offerings and, of course, all the fresh pastries and coffee one could ever want.  After breakfast, we were out on the Promenade for a couple miles of walking.  We did well with walking on this cruise, each of us missed our 10,000 step goal just once and we had a high in the mid 18k range on Victoria day.  The sun was bright on the eastern facing (port) side of the ship and by the end of the walk, I was down to my shirt sleeves and wishing that I had some shorts. 

 

 

 

After our walk, we went to the culinary demonstration featuring our head chef Joel and Maitre d’ Joachim, along with the Cruise Director Steve were there.  In the end, the demonstration was short on culinary technique  and instruction and very long on humor.  There was a great rapport between Joel and Joachim and the result was really a comedy show about food.  The show went on much longer than any of the other culinary demonstrations we have been to, well over an hour.  However, it was fun and enjoyable.  At the end, they brought out a representative group from the front and back of house staffs and it was obvious the deep affection, respect and personal relationship that the big bosses had with even the lowliest staff onboard the ship.  I have spent my entire working life studying, practicing and being fascinated by leadership on ships at sea.  It is no exaggeration to say that the present leadership on Grand Princess is the best I have seen on any cruise and rival some of the finest teams that the US Navy has put together in the last two decades.  The ship was immaculate and getting better daily, the crew were friendly and engaged, the food and drinks were excellent and it was plain to see at every turn that was because senior officers, mid-level managers and front-line supervisors were engaged.  I saw countless moments of training and mentorship over 10 days and I can’t remember ever seeing more senior officers out and about on any ship.  When Joel and Joachim finished their routine, we had an opportunity to tour the galley.  I always love seeing the acres of clean stainless steel, gleaming in their anticipation of the work to come.

 

 

 

Of course, after a galley tour, one would be remiss if they didn’t take the opportunity to have some lunch in the dining room.  The lunch offering was tempting, I started with the bruschetta and then joined Melissa in trying Giovanni’s special lunch pasta.  He made penne with garlic, olive oil and shrimp.  He was a little heavy handed with the olive oil, but it was still delicious.  Melissa had a cheeseburger and I went with the Paella.  Given another chance, I would give the Paella a miss and go with something else.  It wasn’t bad, just a little pedestrian and forgettable.  What wasn’t forgettable was the dessert of a banana split featuring three flavors of homemade ice cream, real whipped cream and a fresh banana…can you say DELISH?!?!?

 

 

 

After lunch, we retired to our room for some reading time and a nap.  After obtaining a cup of coffee, we resigned ourselves to the unpleasant task of packing to depart.  Honestly, it wasn’t that arduous and we made quick work of it, probably no more than 30 minutes to complete the chore.  That gave us time to relax, change for dinner and then head to the Wheelhouse Bar for our traditional pre-dinner cocktail and Perrier.  It was a little bittersweet as we had another great set of cocktails and music, but had to say goodbye to some great staff.  Bon and Anthony are staying onboard, but it was the last night for Gladys before she heads home today.

 

 

 

Dinner was in the dining room with Arnold as our main waiter, assisted by Kamlesh.  As we were expecting, the service was fantastic and so was the food.  We don’t like to rush dinner, it is a great opportunity to savor the food, the wine, the atmosphere and the chance to spend time together.  There are plenty of cruisers that don’t prefer the dining room or that want a shorter experience, but for us, 2 hours over dinner is the highlight of the day.  For starters, I had the sweetbreads and Melissa had the seafood soup.  I love sweetbreads, they are so decadent and quite honestly I wouldn’t even know where to look for them on a menu back home.  The chef’s execution was right on and the puff pastry vessel they were served in was perfectly executed.  The pasta last night in Club Class was a farfalle mare e monti, seafood and mushrooms in a tomato-based sauce.  This is what I would refer to as graduate level pasta dining.  The flavors were strong, complex, rich and not for the faint of heart.  Honestly, it was super delicious, rich and intoxicating, but I can easily see how many people would not have preferred it.  For our mains, I opted for the pork belly and Melissa had the mussels.  Both were very nicely executed and little was left on the plates when we finished.  For our final dessert, neither of us could pass up the Baked Alaska accompanied by an Irish Coffee.  It was a fantastic way to close out our last dinner of the cruise.

 

 

 

After dinner, it was back to the room, into our PJs, bags out into the hall and then off to bed for us.  However, the good news is that there is still more to come.  I will be posting a summary of disembarkation, an overall review and lots of photos and videos.

 

 

 

I want to extend a special thanks to The Mikado for contributing and perhaps pioneering the idea of a collaborative “Live” with more than one poster!

 

 

 

 

 

Thank You so much. We enjoyed your cruise, felt like we were at sea along with you. Safe travel to you. 

On our cruise July 25th this year to Alaska on the Grand ....our room steward (suite) said he could not refresh the bed sheets on the day we visited the glaciers ...first time I ever heard that one......he changed the bed linen only once in 10 days ....we are on the Sept. 3rd 2019 cruise to Alaska on the Grand ...same suite, waiting to see if we have the same room steward. Not sure what I should think.....We also love Club class and only use it for diner , as we do room service in the morning. Great staff . 

Thank you for your review......

Side note: if anyone from Princess is reading this, the princess@sea app is coming along nicely but why can you not put the dining room menus on this app? You put most of the patter on it, it really should not be complicated.

Totally agree about putting the menu in the patter

The Grand Princess has a DVD in the living room and the bedroom in the Owners Suite and the Grand Suite...just wondering about a Penthouse Suite on the Grand Princess ?

Does anyone have the answer to the number of DVD players they have in a Penthouse Suite ? The Grand Suite has one in the living room and the bedroom. We have never booked a Penthouse Suite before and love to watch a DVD we bring from home when we rest in the afternoon or at bedtime. I know they have one in the living room, but how about the bedroom ?

Thanks

Question about B2B....my husband and I both need wheelchair assistance to board and disembark the ship in SF due to his knees and my hip. The ramp is more than we can handle. Question ....will we be able to get wheelchair assistance from the ship to go through immigration and then reboard on our B2B next year ?

I really wish they would post the menu in the Patter....

I did not realize till I read this blog....thank you....I called my TA and they called Princess, it took a long time to get an answer and then it still was not clear. Does the loyalty OBC pop up automatically like the military? Or do you apply for it the same as stockholder credit ? And what's the deal about 5 days before you sail.

I just booked in the last week for a 10 day cruise in October 2019. I got a quote with the Sip 'n Sail promo. Then I asked for a quote without the promo and got a price for two that was $700 less. We took the price without the Sip 'n Sail because my husband doesn't drink at all and I just drink wine. We'll take a few bottles onboard with us and swap out our Elite minibar setup for coffee cards. Easy decision for us given our preferences.

Smart ....I'll try that next time...Thanks

On the current promotion?

Booked August 29, 2017 for a September 2018 cruise

So does that mean ....If I leave the daily tips in place and then give my room steward , waiter and assistant waiter and room service person an extra cash gratuity , they must pool it ?

I was able to trade the Sip and Sail for $400. OBC :)

Thinking about trading in Sip and Sail for OBC. Does anyone know how much OBC will be given.

We just returned from Alaska and had Sip and Sail, maybe we had an average of 4 drinks a day between the two of us. We are sailing again in September and have the Sip and Sail . Any opinions will be appreciated.

Lazy Mary,

Just got off the Grand today. First time Princess cruisers and first time in Club Class. We loved it! Club Class is not open for lunch on embarkation day; however the other side of the same room- Da Vinci, was open.

We had a wonderful breakfast in Club Class this morning- debarkation - Ana took our bag at the door and set it aside for us. It was a great way to end our cruise!

-Jerie

Thank You....on our last two cruises we had Club Class and really enjoyed it. Never made it to the Crown Grill for breakfast although we keep saying we will ( someday) we are sleep in ...breakfast in bed people. (Room service) So never made it to lunch in Club Class either. I can't understand how we put on weight on a cruise ! must be the sea air ....lol

It wasn't a few weeks ago when we sailed on the Grand. The lunch was being served on the other side of that same dining room on deck 6, though. Service and food were both great and the selection was quite adequate! As a matter of fact, our waiter we had in the club class dining area was the same one that waited on us for lunch that first day.

Thank you....that was our experience last year

Is the Club Class side open on embarkation day ?

Remember only people who are in the suite can go to CC. If you are traveling with someone not in a suite they will not be able to dine with you in CC. On our last cruise we had to wait a few times as tables in CC were full. IMHO they don't have enough tables in CC at prime times.

We are booked in the Grand Suite on this cruise, when I smelled something fishy I booked two other cruises just in case, so will I be able to use the cancellation offer for one of the new cruise?

When we had a cruise canceled due to a charter (on another line' date=' but gives you a comparison point) we were offered a very generous price reduction on any cruise we wished to book of the same length or shorter within 12 months.

 

The benefit to the cruise line is that they have sold out the ship for a good rate--possibly more than they'd get if the cruise didn't sell out and they offered last minute rates to sell cabins. I'm sure they built enough money into the contract to compensate those booked passengers who had to move to another cruise.

 

I'm with the others here. It is far worse to be on a cruise with one or two large groups than to have a group charter a ship and effectively cancel your cruise. Large groups have a tendency to think they own the ship. I have no problem with them closing certain venues so they can do their private activities, but they also tend to take over many public spaces and make things uncomfortable for people who are not part of their groups.[/quote']

 

That would be fine with me...but how far in advance do they let you know ? Today I booked Jan 2019 and March 2019 as a backup I will decide later witch one I'll keep. On the December Cruise I got an amazing price for the Grand Suite . The new cruises I booked today are a lot higher.

I have a bad feeling I think they are going to cancel this cruise....can't even bring it up on My Princess Page...all my other cruises come up but not December 3, 2018...very suspicious. Wonder what they will do if anything to compensate ?

I have found a lot of times it is kids....on our last cruise kids would go by and flip the Privacy Please to Clean the room....so the stewart would come in when we were taking a nap...not his fault...those darn kids:evilsmile: :evilsmile:

How do you get past TSA with wine ?

We are sailing on The Grand Princess to Alaska B2B June/July. We have a Sip and Sail package on both. I really don't drink alot but I do like wine with lunch and diner . On our last cruise I would buy Robert Mondavi Private Selection Chardonnay by the bottle. Does anyone know if they sell it by the glass ? That way it will be covered by the Sip & Sail. Thanks

I booked the Grand Suite on the Grand Princess to Mexico on Dec. 3, 2018. The price was $9588.00 I keep checking every now and then to see how the ship is selling, and low and behold I saw a price drop . The new price was $ 6122.00. I thought it might be an error as there is only two Grand Suites and the other was still available . So I called and just put $3466.00 back in my pocket. So keep checking it is well worth it.

We will be sailing on a 10 night cruise to Alaska and have the Sip and Sale promotion , I would like to trade it in for On Board Credit ...do you know what the value of OBC would be ? Thanks