Interlochencruiselover

Just got off the Caribbean. No Princess 50th anniversary, Ruby level or Platinum level charms. They were, still, celebrating with the balloon drop. Any ideas for those charms? Thanks!

I have been reading many reviews about the Grand Princess and they are quite negative. I know you can't just rely on a few opinions, however, the reviews are overwhelmingly bad. I usually choose a cruise based on an itinerary and we are interested in a Pacific coastal cruise this Oct. The Grand has a great itinerary and we are not looking for luxury -just clean ,in relatively good shape and decent food.If these items are not there on the Grand, it would be like staying in a bad hotel for a holiday. The leaks all over the ship with buckets to catch the water are very concerning to me. Has anyone had sailed her recently with some further insight?

Thanks!

We had so much fun! There was slight mildew in one place and a fan in another. But who cared? No one that I heard of. Dinner was great. The cabin was fine. The balcony was great. The food was very good. Our cabin was quiet. As a matter of fact, we've booked her again, Sf to Mexico ten days in September. Don't sweat the little things. Pick a cruise and have fun!

Well, there sure we're a lot of happy faces on my 15-day LA to Hawaii. There was one area, about ten steps, where I could smell mildew. There was also a fan blowing on Aloha deck. Yet, I never heard anyone complaining. Have you never had a complaint about a hotel? For 15 days I had one of the times of my life! I ate creme brûlée every night, and when they had soufflés I had one of those as well! There were too many great things that outweighed the bad! Sure you can see rust on your balcony, but you should be looking at the ocean or sailing a higher-priced line. She will always be Grand to me; her customer service can't be beat! And because of dancing every night in the One5, I only gained two pounds! By the way, I'm 64. And I never slept better than those 14 nights!

Tne internet on grand princess is not working properly and there seems to be no rush to fix it. You can only access it from one of thier computers in the intermet cafe on deck 5.. Laptops ipads and other tablets will not work. Vetter to goin to town when at a port. In Hawaii. hilo hatties along with the normal outlets have wifi.. I am writing this from Nawiliwili where Papalani Gelatoin anchor cove has free wifi with a min 3 dollar purchase.and is the closest to the dock. the person there told me the every time the grand princess is in, passengers would tell her that the wifi was not working. They said that replacement parts would arrive in honolulu yesterday.

I had no problem connecting on the Grand with my iPad until the last day. I always connect late at night, say after 12, after dancing at the one5. The Internet cafe manager was working very hard to sort out and fix the problem. While disembarking in Los Angeles I noticed 3 large servers being loaded on board. I am a computer instructor and I'm sure you know how long it can take to fix a computer problem! But, I also agree that connection at sea can be iffy. Bon voyage, all!

Could someone please tell me which pier Grand Princess uses in Honolulu? I have set up a private tour and the vendor wants to know this. Cruise ships in Honolulu apparently use either pier 2/3 or 10/11.

 

Also, does anyone know which nights will be the formal night on the 15 nite GP cruise to Hawaii?

 

Lastly, does anyone know if Eula and David Cole are still scheduled to be on the March 4 GP cruise to Hawaii? I have been reading a lot of favorable comments about them so it sound like fun if they will be aboard.

 

Thank you in advance for your input.

Eula will be on the 3/4 cruise. Join our roll call for lots of info!

We have always cruised Celebrity, never Princess. Just signed up for the March 4 Hawaii cruise of Grand Princess. How does dining work? It looks like there are two main restaurants. I told TA to sign us up for Select Dining and to request tables for two. Can we go to either restaurant? What is the difference between the two? Do they feature the same menu?

 

What does it cost to go to the specialty restaurants? Are they worth the upcharge?

 

Are there any other dining tips a Princess newbie should know about?

 

BTW, I tried to get info on the Princess website but it was very uninforming.

 

Also, the Celebrity board has a search engine on the first page. There doesn't seem to be one on this board. Is it hidden somewhere?

 

Thanks for you help.

Have you signed up for the Grand Princess Roll Call for March 4, on cruise critic? I think there are 38 members, which means at least 76 of us are meeting online before the cruise. We have a meet and greet planned for 3/5, a slot pull, an anniversary/birthday celebration, a cabin crawl and a farewell lunch. Some of the members are meeting the night before we embark at the Crowne Plaza hotel where the out of towers are staying. Join the roll call; we're a fun group, and we'll teach you all you want to know at the meet and greet! Happy sailing!

I played mahjongg on the Hawaii cruise 2 years ago, just met up with others wanting to play. There should be sets on board, although sometimes you do have to make sure they are complete. They are kept in the library area and we were able to sign one out for the duration of the trip. There is a book in the same area where you can sign up that you want to play, however the Princess Patter usually lists playing time and location. Not sure if Princess does this automatically or if a passenger needs to ask for it to be mentioned. Anyway, some of the cruise director staff can do this for you. You can play in most public spaces at any time of the day, not just in the designated area, but initially that is where people will first go. Have fun!

Dear shipscat, thank you so much for the info! I'm addicted to maj and have been for over ten years. To play with people I don't know, and on a ship, is something I'm really looking forward to!

I appreciate your reply!

Victoria

Yes I Play. Can't bring my set, traveling to LA from Ft Lauderdale. Can you bring yours?

 

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One of two reminders! Don't forget your 2014 card! I'm going to teach Susie so there will be at least three of us. Still looking for a fourth! See you at the M&G!

I've cruised six times, but haven't done so in ten years. I'm booked on the 15-day Grand to Hawaii with my BFF. My husband thinks I should buy the all-inclusive drink package. I'm hoping someone will be kind enough to help me make a decision. I can see myself having a virgin Bloody Mary or real Mimosa or two each morning. I will drink at least four if not six bottles of water each day (sparkling or still), I will drink water or ginger ale during the day, except for the possible mimosa. I will have a cocktail or glass of wine or champagne before dinner. I will have two to three glasses of wine at dinner (which I may go to Vines to get). After dinner I like an Irish Coffee. At that point I will probably go back to bottled water. Maybe a final glass of wine or another Irish Coffee to take back to the cabin for sitting on the balcony at the end of the night (if it's not raining!). Add to that seven specialty coffees. That's for days at sea. I think I will still drink close to that on port days. I also understand the package includes fresh juice that you can't get at the buffet. If so, I'll be having a juice a day. Sooooo, does it sound like the $55ish a day is worth me doing? It seems so, but I don't know the prices that well. Any help will be Greatly Appreciated! Thanks, Victoria

Yes I Play. Can't bring my set, traveling to LA from Ft Lauderdale. Can you bring yours?

 

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Dear mhkanter1,

Please see my reply, Post number 6. Thanks!

Victoria

i'm so glad you can play! Now we need at least one more. Don't forget to bring your 2014 card. I'll bring my tiles, racks and dice. The case will be too heavy so I'll use a ziplock bag for the tiles. Have you joined our roll call? We have lots of events planned; our first is a meet and greet at 10 a.m. in the One5 nightclub on our first day at sea. I hope to meet you there. You can also stop by the cabin. Susie and I are in A206 on Aloha deck. If we're not there, please leave a note. I look forward to playing with you!! Two weeks without maj would have been tough!

Victoria

Why are they doing surgery? I've had kidney stones twice, also too big to pass. So they performed Lithotripsy, which smashes the stones so you can pass them. It's performed outpatient so you don't have to stay at the hospital. You will both be in my prayers tonight. Being a caregiver you deserve angel wings!

ope you find some partners. On the ship there is usually a book for people looking for others to join in different games. It is usually in either the Card Room or the Library.

Thanks for the information, Paul. So far no takers. It's early so you never know. Cheers!

While the Princess float was going by on your TV' date=' it was about 45 degrees there in Pasadena (about 34 degrees where I live, about 20 miles away).[/quote']

Monday it was 7. Right now it's 13. Friday's low is supposed to be 6. I love it!!! Being from California I definitely enjoy the season changes here in Northwest Lower Michigan.

 

I heard them mention on tv that it was cold there. But watching that stealth bomber fly by made a lot of people warm, I'm sure!

Thanks Juliefan, I'll make a mental note of that. I had already told DH that next year I was going to scroll through ALL the channels to look for one without commercials. We had run out for a big evening and at the last minute set the DVR for the two prime channels showing it here. At least I did that or would not have seen it at all, for the first time in forever we did not get home until 3:00am - lol.

 

For the rest of you locals, yes I'm envious. How many of you remember the year that KTLA tried to replace Stephanie Edwards with a "younger" woman? I felt so bad for her out in the rain - but she was a trooper and at least public opinion won out and the next year she was back in the booth.

 

Tammy

Being a little old lady from Pasadena the Rose Parade is near and dear to my heart! I now live in Michigan and learned a few years ago that Bob and Stephanie cover the parade, commercial-free, on the Hallmark Channel. And they are the same as always! I used to watch HGN because, I, too enjoyed hearing about each seed and flower. Then I found my Bob and Stephanie!

Hello,

That's terrible about not being able to get the channels. Our satellite did a self-check at the beginning of the game. All of a sudden everything stopped... and the reset began. Grrr. It's a good job it wasn't the 4th quarter. The Rose Bowl ended being one sided and may Floridians weren't happy. The Sugar Bowl with Ohio State and Alabama was a nail biter down to the end. :D

 

We watched the parade on our NBC affiliate, although, I had Hubby check it on HGTV and it wasn't listed on the Guide. We should have checked, anyway. We even tried to find it on the 3-D channel but it wasn't there, either, so we had Al Roker and Hoda? as our commentators.

 

I was so surprised, but happy, to see the Princess float. I missed most of the floral details, though, because I was engaged in watching the Love Boat crew. LOL. I'll have to catch it in pictures. Dave did send us a splendid one, though. Thanks, again.

 

So, for me, I've started to save my pennies and change, literally, towards the payments for our Regal Jan. 2016 cruise. Every cent counts!!! LOL.

 

Lynne

In the past I channel-surfed for the best commentators because I now live in Michigan. The Hallmark Channel has Bob Eubanks and Stephanie Edwards. My absolute favorites!

Beautiful photos!

 

Unfortunately, we were seated behind palm trees and a light pole so my photos are less than ideal. Still, it was so much fun to be there.

I've spent many a New Year's Eve sleeping (sort of) on the parade route! One year, we bought bleacher seats. They turned out to be between two tall buildings and we could only see what was right in front of us, for about 3 seconds! One day I will sit below Bob and Stephanie! Bucket List item!

Hi all! Does anyone scheduled for this itinerary play Mah Jongg? I've also posted on my Roll Call.

Happy New Year! May each cruise be better than the last! Woo Hoo!

Victoria

Hi all! Does anyone scheduled for this itinerary play Mah Jongg? I've also posted on my Roll Call.

Happy New Year! May each cruise be better than the last! Woo Hoo!

Victoria

Oops! Maybe someone will find this thread!!

Ah, I bet you have snow in NH, like we do! It's a lovely 25 here while I watch the parade from my hometown, Pasadena. Yes, I'm a little old lady from Pasadena!

Saw the Loveboat crews' pre-parade interview. They, like their float, are fabulous! It's so cool to see the Princess float. We are part of the Princess family!