Grand Princess C 752 Good-Bad -Ugly

[EDRI]

Just returned from the Grand Princess May 14-26 Mediterranean cruise and have a different twist on Caribe C752 cabin.

 

I'm one of those who found great interest in the critic forum on Best Cabins and decided that if available I would attempt to secure C 752 for our May cruise. What you about to read "DID HAPPEN" .

 

The Good:

Our 17th cruise, and this is the best balcony cabin I have ever had. The privacy, balcony size and all those comment are true. it's a great cabin!

Great place for a nap. Covered, two lounge chairs, two small chairs and a table. No noise, very, very private.

 

The Bad;

It is private. The end of the hall, no one on one side, one balcony on the other. At times, too private.

 

The ugly: (well maybe at this point funny might be a better word)

We are in Livorno. Docked, the ship backed into port with the C 752 balcony

towards the dock (port) side. We returned to our cabin after lunch at the Horizon Court. On cabin had not been cleaned. We are on the balcony at about 1:15 pm when the room steward knock's on cabin door and states that he would like to clean room, that he was unable to complete his morning tasks due to crew emergency practice drill. Since we were enjoying our balcony, we said OK,no problem.

 

Upon completion of cleaning, the room steward came to the balcony door, announced that he had completed the cleaning and closed the door.

We enjoyed the next 1/2 hr, then decided to watch the afternoon movie.

One small problem, we could not open the door. The Room steward had locked the door. We are stuck on the balcony. I began banging on the partition seperating our balcony form the next cabin. No response. I was not about to attempt to climb over the partition, if I slipped !

 

Below our balcony were two Princess employee's cleaning the back of the ship. We called to them, their response, they did not understand english. We need help C752, no response. We tried several times and finally they relayed to someone inside "C752". The two crew members disappeared under the ship.We waited 15 minutes, no one responded.

 

About 10 min. later two Italian gentlemen came by to admire the ship. I called to them, that we needed help. Their initial reply that they did not understand english. After a few "we need help", one gave me the finger, the other gave the gesture (hand together) dive over board, laughed and walked away.

 

While all this is going on, a man was fishing off the dock about 50 yard away. He was taking in the whole ordeal. Another 15-20 minutes go by and a truck stops at the dock. Two men get out, again I call out that we need help. This time the guy fishing on the dock comes up to the two men and they begin talking, looking up at my wife and I. One motions that the two men in the truck will go down towards the gangway. Off they go. Returning in about 5 min, they give the OK sign and off they go. In the mean time the guy fishing returned to his fishing area. About 10-15 min go by. No Help.

 

I'm getting desperate. I call out to the guy fishing, he walks up the dock to about 20 feet from the ship. I have my wife write with a ball point pen a message on the back section of one of the plastic chairs " Help C752 locked out of cabin. On balcony Help". I motion to the guy, that I have written a message on the chair. He motions that he understands. I throw the chair overboard to the dock. (we are about 50-75 ft above the dock). The chair brakes into 10- 15 pieces, but the back section stays together. The guy picks up the chair piece and off he goes.

 

He returns in a few min, giving me the OK sign.

 

About 10 min. later the Head Steward opens the balcony door. I won't say what I told him. He immediately calls the Room Steward. He asks,Did you clean the room, Yes. Did he let the passangers know when he was finished, Yes. Where we the passangers when you told them that you were finished, out on the balcony. And what did you do after that, I closed the door.

The Head Steward apologized.

 

About that time, the Security Officer comes into the cabin. He stated that he had received a call from the Bridge that passangers were throwing furniture overboard. Were we the ones throwing the furniture overboard? I said Yes and (other comments) ask's if I was going to be billed? Later in the day, I received a call from Public Relations stating they were very sorry for the lockout.

 

Lucky that this did not happen at sea. Well, I still think that C752 is a great cabin. It's certainly private down there!

 

Have a nice day ! And leave that balcony door open.

ED

[crusdiva]

Ed,:D :D You're killing me.

 

I am ROTFLMAO...what a great story. One of the funniest stories I've ever read.

I was wondering where you we going :confused: with "The Bad...too private".

 

I'm so glad you finally escaped;)

[Layla]

Great story!!!! The next time our room is being cleaned while we're on the balcony - I'm going to remember you!!!!! And leave the door open!

[Looney4cruising]

Loved the story!!! We will have this cabin in December. Will think of you often when we are on the balcony!!!:p

[sealegs9]

Ed-

Great story- LMAO :) :D

Glad you enjoyed your cabin. Did you really throw the chair????? ;)

[Tania]

Thanks for the warning! We'll keep an eye on the steward...

[queeng]

HAHAHAHAHAHA!!!

 

It is those stressful times that can make a great story afterward. I do thank you for the heads up too. I will be careful out there.

Aloha,

Ginger

[meemeec]

Ed,

 

I am DYING with laughter. Thanks for sharing this hilarious story. You will get so much mileage with this story it will almost be worth the agony of the lockout. We just got off the Grand on May 2nd and remember the Livorno dock very well.

Thanks, again, for the great laugh!

Maureen

[cruise fairy]

:D LMAO:D

This is one of the funniest stories I"ve read yet! Glad you were okay.

[judyjudy56]

Way too funny. I needed a good laugh tonight.

[EDRI]

I just re-read my story and remember I left out one part.

 

Going back to the two Italian men in the truck. The Head Steward did tell me that they did report that passangers in C 752 were locked out of their room. The Head Steward sent someone to the room. That someone reported back that no one was outside the door, they tried the door and it did open OK.But that person did not came into the room.

 

I'm glad you are enjoying this. At the time it was not funny, but as I tell my story everyone gets a good laugh.

 

Ed

[EDRI]

Sealegs9

 

Did I really throw the chair. YES

 

I was lucky that the back section stayed in one piece. The remainder of the chair broke into many small pieces.

 

About an hour after the incident, I went back out on the balcony to take a picture of the mess. But Princess did a fast cleanup. I could only see a few small pieces.

 

Ed

[gopher's girl]

Ed,

That would have scared the heck out of me! I wonder how long you would have been out there if it was a sea day? Did you tell your fellow passengers in the neighboring cabins?

 

Glad that you can say it was funny now though!

 

GG

[cruzemaven]

Only we were on our hotel balcony eleven floors up in South Beach in Miami. We were on a side street...only a few hotel cleaning staff people on the street from time to time...but they couldn't understand us. We were stuck outside in brutal heat (about 95 degrees sunny and humid) for about two hours screaming our lungs out. Finally, my husband took the book I had with me and slammed it several times against our glass door. Someone from the next room stuck his head out after hearing the pounding and we told him to get help. The maid finally came and opened the door. She was very apologetic. She did not lock us out. The problem was that the door locks behind you automatically and there were no warnings posted because this was a brand new hotel and the signs weren't ready...a Ritz Carlton! The management apologized...but needless to say it was scary being stranded outside and not knowing when we would be rescued. I can relate to your story.

[Dreamer333]

I throw the chair overboard to the dock. (we are about 50-75 ft above the dock). The chair brakes into 10- 15 pieces, but the back section stays together. The guy picks up the chair piece and off he goes.

 

LOL!!!! I CAN'T believe you threw the chair overboard!! :eek:

I wonder what people from the ground must've thought! Or imagine if someone was on a lower balcony... what they must've thought, seeing a chair flying past them!!!!

[gc]

Hey Ed

 

That’s too much!!! I have booked the same cabin on our next cruise. Also....do you remember the room Steward name?? gc

 

[EDRI]

Response to questions:

 

GG - How long we could have been out on the balcony? I thought about that as we waited. The Room Steward would turn the covers at about 7-8 pm.

 

That about 6-7 hours from our lockout.

 

Fellow passangers in the neighboring cabins - We had one neighbor, I don't believe they used the balcony during cruise. C752 has a cabin on the left side, and on my right is the frame work that supports the Skywalkers Night Club. We are on a seperate corridor with an exit door to upper and lower decks. As stated it is very private.

 

Dreamer333 - I did not have to worry about people from the ground. Other than the people I mentioned, no one was in the area. I did try to throw the chair as far out, away from the AFT balconies as I could. My main concern was the chair reaching the dock and not going into the water. Maybe one of my fellow passangers in a balcony above or below reported the chair overboard?

 

GC - Room steward name - Nestor

 

Ed

[EDRI]

Response to questions:

 

GG - How long we could have bee out on the balcony? I thought about that as we waited. The Room Steward would turn the covers at about 7-8 pm.

 

That about 6-7 hours from our lockout.

 

Fellow passangers in the neighboring cabins - We had one neighbor, I don't believe they used the balcony during cruise. C752 has a cabin on the left side, and on my right is the frame work that supports the Skywalkers Night Club.

 

Dreamer333 - I did not have to worry about people from the ground. Other than the people I mentioned, no one was in the area. I did try to throw the chair as far out, away from the AFT balconies. My main concern was the chair reaching the dock and not the water. Maybe one of my fellow passangers in a balcony above or below reported the chair overboard?

 

GC - Room steward name - Nestor

 

Ed

[Missybud]

That is a truly hilarious story!!! Are you related to Stephanie Plum, lol?!

[Dreamer333]

That is a truly hilarious story!!! Are you related to Stephanie Plum, lol?!

 

LOL! You are right! This is exactly the type of situation that Stephanie (& Lulu, of course) would get themselves into!!

[dog]

Sailed in C752 in March. Nestor was the steward.Thank God I didn't get locked out. He did clean the room really late one day and we sat out on the balcony when he did it and he never came out to tell us he was done.

You were smart with that chair...I wouldn't even have a pen to write with out there with me.

[MaryPoppinz]

Note To Self: Be sure to leave impliments of writing on balcony.

 

That's one of the funniest cruising stories I've ever heard!

[Bsan1221]

I hope they didnt make you pay for the chair. lol..

 

Am glad you where prepared with a pen I personally would have been stuck out there for hours.. LOL.

 

 

Hubby and I did get a good laugh... Thanks for the great story.

[sondi 14]

Ed,

 

I know that at the time you didn't find this funny, but it really has to be

one of the funniest cruise stories that I have heard. I have cruised

Princess many times and know people who work on board and this story

still tops any I have heard.

 

By the way, how big C752's balcony - does anyone know?

 

Sondi

[sunprincess]

Ed,

 

I may think twice about trying to book this cabin.

After a hell day at work, thanks for the laugh !!

Glad you both were ok.