Just off Grand Princess 8/18/13 - 8/28/13

[Greyhound3]

Just got home from ten fantastic days aboard the Grand - here's a brief synopsis for those interested:

 

Embarkation: Thanks to the Louis Vuitton Cup finals being held on the 18th, traffic on the Embarcadero was a nightmare. We heard stories of it taking more than 90 minutes to get from AT&T Park to the pier, a distance of roughly two miles. A hint: use parallel streets such as Sansome, or use Van Ness to Bay Street and head over to the pier that way. Avoid the Embarcadero as much as possible - you'll thank me later. Parking is available just across the street from the pier at both 55 Francisco Street and 80 Francisco Street for $16/day. Reservations are highly suggested.

 

We arrived at Pier 35 at 12:30 and were onboard by 12:50. Porters were readily available curbside. Passports are checked as you enter the terminal. Fill out the health form, check in with one of (about) 30 agents, and on board you go!

 

Cabin: We had a balcony cabin portside on Lido Deck (14). The ship shows its age somewhat with rust on the balcony, but the cabin was clean and there were no glaring problems. Our Steward, Ernesto, was amazingly efficient and nothing was too much to ask. When DW's back acted up on Day 5 of the cruise, I asked Ernesto if there was any chance of getting an egg crate, knowing these get snapped up early. To call the mattress "firm", by the way, was an understatement - I've slept on softer rocks. But somehow, Ernesto found a pillow-top mattress cover for us. Back problems - gone!

 

Dining: We had second seating traditional, as is our normal preference. The Botticelli Dining Room was used for traditional dining, while the Da Vinci and Michelangelo Dining Rooms were used for anytime dining. Our waiter was Salvador, assisted by Mark, both from the Philippines, and they were possibly our best waitstaff combination ever. Anticipating our every desire, Salvador and Mark were attentive without being overbearing, and very personable to boot. These guys are good!

 

Head Waiter Martins was also excellent. DW is on a gluten-free diet and Martins met with her each night and reviewed the following night's menu, offering suggestions and recommendations. She was never disappointed.

 

With few exceptions, we found the food to be delicious, well prepared and nicely presented. There were a couple items that we tried and didn't care for, but hey - that's normal.

 

We also did the Chef's Table one night. It was offered three times on this cruise, and the only way to describe this experience is... WOW. A definite must-do, at least once, for any "foodie". I recommend not eating for two days prior, though. ;)

 

We did not do Alfredo's, Crown Grill or Sabatini's. Also, our cabin was very near to the Prego Pizzeria. I will confirm that Princess still has the best pizza on the ocean. :)

 

Cruise Staff: Captain: Justin Lawes

Staff Captain: Salvatore Caccioppoli

Hotel General Manager: Andreas Pitsch

Customer Services Director: Paolo Rellini

F&B Director: Mirko Millo

Shore Excursions Manager: Rex Donasco

Maitre D': Luigi Moretti

Cruise Director: Martyn Moss

Deputy Cruise Director: "Frenchie"

 

Entertainment: One of the downsides of second seating is that you'll either have to leave the early performance before its conclusion, or else hope to get a seat at the late performance. Consequently, we didn't catch many complete shows. The ones we did see (British Invasion and a comedian whose name escapes me) were quite good.

 

Casino: The slot machines were tight (what a surprise...) and the video poker paytables are absurd. Therefore, I pretty much stuck to table games. Blackjack games use an autoshuffler, but Three Card Poker, Let It Ride, and Caribbean Stud (yes, that game still exists, even though no one plays it) were all dealt by hand. Texas Hold 'Em was dealt on a PokerPro table. I ended up about $1400 ahead, thanks to some nice hits on Three Card Poker.

 

There were three non-smoking nights - the two formal nights and one other. All tables are non-smoking, but e-cigarettes are OK. Other smoking areas were Deck 15 aft, port side (a very nice covered area with plenty of seating) and Promenade Deck, starboard side - look for the metal ashtrays affixed to the wall outside the doors.

 

Disembarkation: Went off smoothly with little crowding and plenty of porters to help with those (somewhat heavier) bags. The biggest hassle was trying to get the car curbside to pick up DW and our luggage. Even with SFPD directing the traffic flow, it took three attempts before I could pick up DW and our bags. However, the task was finally accomplished and we headed home (a 90 minute drive away). Got a jolting reality check when we stopped at In-N-Out burger for lunch and I instinctively reached for my cruise card... :eek:

 

Okay, I probably forgot a ton of things here, but I'm happy to answer any questions. Seven years between cruises was WAY too long and we purchased Future Cruise Credits to make sure it's not another seven years!

 

Happy cruising!

Grey

[ar1950]

............

 

Okay, I probably forgot a ton of things here, but I'm happy to answer any questions. Seven years between cruises was WAY too long and we purchased Future Cruise Credits to make sure it's not another seven years!

 

Happy cruising!

Grey

SeaBreeze - 11/92

OceanBreeze - 1/94 - the BERTIFICATION cruise!

Norway - 11/98, 7/00

Caribbean Princess (with the PUNA KAHUNAS and BERT!) - 10/05

Caribbean Princess - The Spooky Halloween Cruise (PUNA KAHUNAS Redux and even more BERT!) - 10/06

Grand Princess - 8/13

 

Thanks for the review. I would agree, 7 years is WAY too long. And, OK, I'll bite. What or who is BERT??

[Greyhound3]

Thanks for the review. I would agree, 7 years is WAY too long. And, OK, I'll bite. What or who is BERT??

 

That would be Bert Stratton...

 

 

 

:)

Grey

[caribill]

Entertainment: One of the downsides of second seating is that you'll either have to leave the early performance before its conclusion, or else hope to get a seat at the late performance. Consequently, we didn't catch many complete shows. The ones we did see (British Invasion and a comedian whose name escapes me) were quite good.

 

What was the timing of the shows vs. dining times?

 

I thought when they shortened the shows to about 30 minutes and started presenting them three times an evening with timing that allowed passengers at either fixed seating time an opportunity to see a full show.

[pris993]

Glad you had a great time. We are due to board in another month.

 

If you get the bug, you might go every 6 months, like we do... we are booked now til 4/2015. We cruise several lines Princess, HAL, Celebrity, Cunard and NCL... keeps it interesting.

 

We did our first cruise on the Grand in 1998, look forward to returning.

[greenie082756]

I might have missed it but where did you cruise to?:D

[tkbk]

Grey, (Dan)

It was a pleasure meeting you and thank you again for putting together our meet n greet. You seem like a very nice guy , loved that we continued to run into you during the rest of the cruise.

Teri and Bill

 

 

Sent using the Cruise Critic forums app

[Greyhound3]

What was the timing of the shows vs. dining times?

 

I thought when they shortened the shows to about 30 minutes and started presenting them three times an evening with timing that allowed passengers at either fixed seating time an opportunity to see a full show.

 

I believe first seating was 6:00, second seating was at 7:45. The showtimes were (rough guess) 7:00, 8:30 and 9:45. We were pretty much locked into catching the late shows as DW was part of a group of quilters on this trip and spent a lot of time piecing a quilt after their classes. Earlier arrival to the venue would have helped, but most nights we didn't leave the dining room until 9:20 to 9:30. Not Princess's fault, it's just the way things worked out for us this trip.

 

I might have missed it but where did you cruise to?:D

 

You didn't miss it... I forgot to put it in. :o

 

Scheduled ports were Ketchikan, Juneau, Skagway, Tracy Arm (scenic cruising), and Victoria, B.C.. We missed Skagway due to high winds; instead, we docked at Haines.

 

Grey, (Dan)

It was a pleasure meeting you and thank you again for putting together our meet n greet. You seem like a very nice guy , loved that we continued to run into you during the rest of the cruise.

Teri and Bill

 

Hi Teri!

 

I had tons of help from Dian (Retired Educator). Glad we had the chance to meet, and I hope you guys had a fantastic time and we can do this again someday!

 

All the best!

Grey

[DougH]

I hope Frenchie is still on in a couple of weeks when I do the Mexico cruise. I've sailed with her a couple of times and she is a blast, lots of fun and full of energy

[morriscats]

I know it can change but what was your weather like? Rough seas? We leave in 10 days.

[Greyhound3]

I hope Frenchie is still on in a couple of weeks when I do the Mexico cruise. I've sailed with her a couple of times and she is a blast, lots of fun and full of energy

 

Frenchie is definitely high energy, that's for sure!

 

I know it can change but what was your weather like? Rough seas? We leave in 10 days.

 

Weather was mostly partly cloudy to overcast, although we did get a little liquid sunshine in Ketchikan and some sun in Juneau. Seas were 3 to 4 meters northbound until we hit the Inside Passage, so the ship was definitely moving around. Didn't bother us, but your mileage may vary. Coming southbound we went through a low pressure system that had the ship bouncing a bit as well with 3.5 to 4.5 meter seas.

 

Winds, however, were another story - 50 knot relative winds between Haines and Victoria going through the aforementioned low pressure system. Announcements were made that some open deck areas might be closed off, but I wasn't aware that any areas actually were. Passengers were advised to exercise caution, though.

[ofthesea]

Lovely review! Thanks for it!

I was there for my 3rd BVE and the drop off/pick up area in front of Pier 35 was crazy. Never have I seen in like that, this year. The embarcadero was smooth sailing though!

 

But Aug 18 was a weekend and San Francisco gets CRAZY packed.

[dforeigner]

Thanks for taking time to write a review.

[IdahoCruises]

Thanks for the review. We will be on her Oct. 26. Good to get another perspective.

 

May all your seas be smooth and fair skies....

[Retired Educator]

Wrote a lengthy review earlier then "Poof" out to cyberspace somewhere... Hate when that happens...:eek:

 

Must say it was great to finally meet and greet so many of you. Thank you Dan for getting the M&G going along with everything else you did...

 

While the weather wasn't exactly what we had hoped for the trip was great, our interactions with crew were ALL pleasant and positive, enjoyed the luxury of doing as much or as little as we wanted...all part of what makes cruising so wonderful!

 

Will try again tomorrow to share a few details and such from our experiences, possibly post a photo or two (but NOT the pink underwear shots :rolleyes:) and possible provide a few bits of trivia information to others planning to sail this route in the future...

 

Have a super safe L O N G weekend and safe travels to all...

Dian

[Greyhound3]

Glad to pass on what information I can.

 

One note about carry-on wine - at embarkation, security was directing anyone with wine in their bags to a table off to the side, where you had to remove the bottles from the bag and they recorded your cabin number with the number of bottles. Of course, nobody checked to ensure you had removed all the bottles... didn't matter in our case as we only had two. But I'd say the days of sending a bottle of Jack through the scanner without anyone raising an eyebrow are over, sadly.

 

 

Grey

[Greyhound3]

Wrote a lengthy review earlier then "Poof" out to cyberspace somewhere... Hate when that happens...:eek:

 

Must say it was great to finally meet and greet so many of you. Thank you Dan for getting the M&G going along with everything else you did...

 

While the weather wasn't exactly what we had hoped for the trip was great, our interactions with crew were ALL pleasant and positive, enjoyed the luxury of doing as much or as little as we wanted...all part of what makes cruising so wonderful!

 

Will try again tomorrow to share a few details and such from our experiences, possibly post a photo or two (but NOT the pink underwear shots :rolleyes:) and possible provide a few bits of trivia information to others planning to sail this route in the future...

 

Have a super safe L O N G weekend and safe travels to all...

Dian

 

Oh, DRAT! I wanted to see those shots... :D Hopefully that review shows up somewhere and you don't have to retype it!

 

Thanks again for all your help with the M&G, Dian. Can't wait to see the pictures - I know Tom was taking a ton of them!

 

 

Best,

Grey :)

[Retired Educator]

Oh, DRAT! I wanted to see those shots... :D Hopefully that review shows up somewhere and you don't have to retype it!

 

Thanks again for all your help with the M&G, Dian. Can't wait to see the pictures - I know Tom was taking a ton of them!

 

 

Best,

Grey :)

 

Still working on the editing and such...will email you the link to smug mug once I get them up...I don't post photos in public galleries with persons out of respect for their privacy so most of those would be scenery.

 

If anyone wants to see the M&G shots I can be messaged or contact dabbey at cabbey dot net...

 

 

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Keep smiling...make them wonder what you're up to!