A few observations from Grand Princess 1/8-15/2005

[mt_goodrich]

I had a wonderful time. It was my first cruise and I will certainly take another. I met many wonderful folks and actually exchanged addresses and plan to keep in touch.

 

I'll post a better review later, but wanted to post a couple of items that I just had to get off my chest.

 

1. If you are a smoker and are smoking on your balcony, please DO NOT throw your butts off of your balcony. Or your matches. Each morning I had over 15 cigarette butts and their accompanying matches on my balcony. I had to explain to cabin steward that my wife and I don't smoke and someone else was doing it. My neighbors on both sides had same problem. It stopped after the third day.

 

2. Just because you paid for a cruise, it doesn't give you license to berate and abuse crew members. Several times, I saw passengers turn vicious towards a dinning room attendant or a bar tender. Never did the crew member attack back. In one instance when a supervisor came to mediate the dispute, I had no choice and had to stand up for the crew member.

 

3. If you need to use a motorized cart to get around, please do not constantly run me down. I think these are wonderful and have help many folks lives much better because they are now more mobile; however, after getting rammed and run over several times, I was about to scream.

 

4. Don't be in such a hurry and quit being pushy in lines. We are not in a race. This went on in lines for Bingo cards, lines at the Horizon Court, lines at the Trident Grill, and lines for tender tickets. On a few occassions, I had folks shove their Platinum color cruise card in my face like it was a police badge and state they had "priority" over me. Heck, if you need that piece of bread that bad, have at it!

 

Okay...I feel better now.

[toothgirl]

Hi,

I just read what you had to say, and found all your complaints reasonable... I too hate it when people just can't lay back and enjoy their vacation.

I'll be going on my very first cruise in March (Sun Princess), and the words tender tickets caught me eye! What does that mean? Do I have to pay in order to get off the boat when I wish to visit the islands?

Best wishes,

Kristin

[mt_goodrich]

For the tender tickets, if you are in a port that can only get you to shore via a boat tender, you will need to go to the designated location (on the Grand, it was the Explorers lounge) and get a ticket (they are free). Usually, those with a paid excursion will get to leave first. It is just a system they use to orderly get folks off the ship.

[Speechless]

You seem like a sensible person.

 

Sometimes we just have to tell ourselves.....maybe he/she just needs that piece of chicken more than we do.

[Flyer]

I am Platinum and have NEVER thought I had priority over anyboby...First time cruisers have the same right in lines as any other card holder. Just don't move from your spot and enjoy your cruise. As I remember the only priority I received was a separate check-in desk and a separate lounge to wait in at disembarkation. I glad you enjoyed your cruise overall. I think the rude people are the exception.

[CamelliaCity]

We feel the same!

But in fairness....isn't just the Grand....every cruise we've been on had and will continue to have 'spoiled rude people' aboard.

These are the same rude people you see everyday in the shopping malls, parking lots, concert ticket lines.......:rolleyes:

 

We were on caribe deck and had cigarette butts & matches finding their way down to our balcony. We even had nasty cigars, yuk.:(

[spongerob]

One thing is true, you can choose your cruise but not your fellow passengers. Etiquette, and simple respect for fellow passengers seems to be declining. At least, on the ship, it's still better than most places one can go.

 

For those who might suggest that the cruise line should, "Do something," remember that it is very difficult to take action unless a passenger is caught in the act by a crew member. Even then, it is difficult to confront an offender. For a good example, I recall a teenager being asked by a waiter to put on shoes and a shirt before entering the Horizon Court serving area. The teen shoved the waiter aside, and when management intervened and parents were called, the parents backed their son up with the old, "It's his vacation and he should be able to do as he likes," excuse.

 

It's no wonder that crew members are reluctant to take action, when doing so can result in physical assault and puts them in the position of being called a liar.

[bdpacker]

I have a question regarding embarkation and disembarkation, specifically of those who were on this cruise (January 8-15). I am on the Feb. 5 sailing of the Grand, which appears to have the exact same arrangements with the Port of Galveston (according to their cruise schedule). Your departure (as ours will be) was out of Terminal 1 with no other ships in port. Your return (as ours will be) was back to Terminal 2 with the Carnival Ecstasy occupying Terminal 1.

 

For those of you who just returned from your cruise, when did you arrive at the port and how was your process of embarkation? With only one ship in port, did you find it to be an efficient process? Also, did any of you use EZ Parking? If so, how was the transfer from their parking lot? Upon your return, was the disembarkation chaotic? With the other ship also in port, what impact did that have on your departure. If you used EZ Parking, how did the transfer back to the lot work? Could you have walked to the parking lot instead?

 

Your responses would be greatly appreciated.

 

Barry

[bdjam]

The teen shoved the waiter aside, and when management intervened and parents were called, the parents backed their son up with the old, "It's his vacation and he should be able to do as he likes," excuse.

 

It's no wonder that crew members are reluctant to take action, when doing so can result in physical assault and puts them in the position of being called a liar.

I think there must be a way for those of us who witness these types of situations to impress upon Princess that it is also our vacations and that the guidelines for behavior on board are accepted and appreciated by some of us. It’s a shame that some of the staffs on board are saddled with the “customer is always right” credo – and the result is a lack of empowerment and control. I’m waiting for something to happen – not only are the lapses in behavior issues of sociability, they are also issues of safety. I bet the parents of that teenager would have sued Princess if something had happened to his little bare feet while he was doing what he wanted on his vacation…

[juliejoe]

Barry,

 

We were on the 11/27 cruise, but the ports were the same in Galveston. We did use EZ cruise parking and yes, it is easy to walk to. My DH dropped us and the luggage off, drove on to EZ cruise parking and then walked back for embarkation. We arrived about 11:30 and there was quite a line. 30 min. or an hr. later would probably be a bit better.

 

Following disembarkation, DH walked to EZ cruise parking picked up the car and drove thru to pick us up. We feel sure that the walking is better than waiting on the shuttle, it is close enough and the weather was good for us to do that.

 

Julie

[JanMD]

FYI-

It is Elite that can use the early tender tickets and people that are in suites.

I agree with the scotters, they are dangerous in tight places.

Jan

[mt_goodrich]

Leaving Galveston on the Grand on Jan 8th was easy for wife and I. We showed up at about 3:00 pm and breezed our way through in about ten minutes.

 

Disembarkation was another story. It seemed like a mad house once you got off the ship.

 

We were strongly encouraged to be out of our rooms by 7:00 AM and downstairs in the area of the Vista Lounge. Each group is given a color code and number. We were Orange 2. The first folks off the ship were those with flights and other travel groups.

 

Wife and I didn't get off the ship until about 10:15 AM. We parked at EZ Cruise Parking and had to wait about 30 minutes until our turn to get on a van to the lot. I could have walked and picked up our vehicle. However, it was such a mad house of folks and their vehicles picking up passengers and their luggage that I decided it was best I didn't do this.