Grand + Pacific Princess

[Lynniepoo]

Hi all,

 

DH and I will be sailing on the Grand in May of 2014 and then the Pacific in January of 2015.

 

We have only been on the Ruby, Diamond and Coral ships so far, and I was wondering if anyone could talk about the differences between the ones we have been on vs. the ones we are going on? I'm thinking of laundry access, the size of the piazzas, etc. Thanks!! :D

[chrysalis]

Did you check out the deck plans?...and notice that there really is not Piazza on the small ship.

 

We are talking bit ship vs small ship...lots of differences.

 

And there are laundry facilities on all Princess ships.

[Seafoam Green]

The Pacific Princess is a beautiful small ship in the R class. What a special treat it is to cruise on her IMO.

 

You will get to know more fellow passengers on the Pacific. You will also have a closer relationship with staff members during your cruise. It's small in size, but you will never feel crowded. The ship can visit shallow ports that the larger ships can't even get close to. I loved having the opportunity to visit St Barts during our cruise last January.

 

I hope to cruise on the Pacific again one day...:D

[Lynniepoo]

Did you check out the deck plans?...and notice that there really is not Piazza on the small ship.

 

We are talking bit ship vs small ship...lots of differences.

 

And there are laundry facilities on all Princess ships.

 

Just a little bit so far. Just looking for people's perspective!

[chrysalis]

Another big difference is that there is only traditional dining on the small ships.....and that many cabins have a small sofa.

[partybarbie]

I just spent 30 days on the Pacific Princess. The main differences are no central atrium, only one swimming pool (uncovered/salt water), no MUTS, no IC, no wine bar, only one show lounge, and no ship stabilizers. I hope you like to "rock'n'roll" as your Trans-Pacific itinerary should provide plenty of that. If you get seasick at all, I would not recommend this cruise for you.

 

The Pacific Princess does have an excellent staff, a beautiful library, and delicious food, but you will need to decide if the other issues are a deal breaker/deal maker for you.

[Wehwalt]

I just spent 30 days on the Pacific Princess. The main differences are no central atrium, only one swimming pool (uncovered/salt water), no MUTS, no IC, no wine bar, only one show lounge, and no ship stabilizers. I hope you like to "rock'n'roll" as your Trans-Pacific itinerary should provide plenty of that. If you get seasick at all, I would not recommend this cruise for you.

 

The Pacific Princess does have an excellent staff, a beautiful library, and delicious food, but you will need to decide if the other issues are a deal breaker/deal maker for you.

 

There are stabilizers, they are just not as effective.

 

I greatly prefer the small ships. Yes, there are not ten restaurants or seven bars, but what there are do the trick fine, are rarely crowded, and like others have said, you get to know people better. The Caberet Theatre may not have a stadium setup, but if you want front row, get there half an hour early and there won't be an issue.

 

I find the small ships are a lot less rulesy. Since there are no hordes of passengers washing from activity to activity, they don't have to crack the whip to keep us in line. Generally, they do not restrict wine or beer brought aboard, only full-size liquor bottles. You can disembark very easily, and it doesn't take too long to clear the entire ship by tender. If you are ashore, there are only 680 shipmates to avoid :) or in other words the port is unlikely to be overwhelmed by the sheer number of your shipmates.

 

Ships like the Royal are a small city. Think of the Pacific as a small, very livable town. It has a lot of the same stuff as in the city, just not as much of it. But that's OK, even though big ships have more activities, they don't have more in proportion to the number of passengers. You can get anywhere on the ship you need to go in three or four minutes.

 

Also, in places like Barcelona or Stockholm, you get docked much closer to the city than the Royal would.

 

Another downside is that fares are generally higher. The captain's salary is split fewer ways, so to speak.

 

It really depends on what you want out of a cruise

Edited January 1, 2014 by Wehwalt

[paul929207]

I just spent 30 days on the Pacific Princess. The main differences are no central atrium, only one swimming pool (uncovered/salt water), no MUTS, no IC, no wine bar, only one show lounge, and no ship stabilizers. I hope you like to "rock'n'roll" as your Trans-Pacific itinerary should provide plenty of that. If you get seasick at all, I would not recommend this cruise for you.

 

The Pacific Princess does have an excellent staff, a beautiful library, and delicious food, but you will need to decide if the other issues are a deal breaker/deal maker for you.

There are a few other differences. On the small ships, you can get anywhere in just a minute or two. You get to know the other passengers and the crew much better than on big ships. The small ships can get into ports that the big ones have to pass by or they get to dock in town while the big ships are an hour or more away.

 

We love the R class ships. We have nearly 250 days on the Ocean P and 50+ on the other ones.

[partybarbie]

There are stabilizers, they are just not as effective.

 

I greatly prefer the small ships. Yes, there are not ten restaurants or seven bars, but what there are do the trick fine, are rarely crowded, and like others have said, you get to know people better. The Caberet Theatre may not have a stadium setup, but if you want front row, get there half an hour early and there won't be an issue.

 

I find the small ships are a lot less rulesy. Since there are no hordes of passengers washing from activity to activity, they don't have to crack the whip to keep us in line. Generally, they do not restrict wine or beer brought aboard, only full-size liquor bottles. You can disembark very easily, and it doesn't take too long to clear the entire ship by tender. If you are ashore, there are only 680 shipmates to avoid :) or in other words the port is unlikely to be overwhelmed by the sheer number of your shipmates.

 

Ships like the Royal are a small city. Think of the Pacific as a small, very livable town. It has a lot of the same stuff as in the city, just not as much of it. But that's OK, even though big ships have more activities, they don't have more in proportion to the number of passengers. You can get anywhere on the ship you need to go in three or four minutes.

 

Also, in places like Barcelona or Stockholm, you get docked much closer to the city than the Royal would.

 

Another downside is that fares are generally higher. The captain's salary is split fewer ways, so to speak.

 

It really depends on what you want out of a cruise

 

Your description of life aboard the Pacific is very accurate for the first 12 days of my cruise, however days 13 through 30 were significantly different.

 

The show lounge for the first seating show was extremely crowded and the lines to get into the lounge extended past the gift shops. The club bar and casino bars were also crowded and there were massive lines just to get into the dining room for dinner.

 

At the repeat passenger party, a crowd of about 50 people stormed into the lounge, with one woman actually pushing the captain out of the way in her urgency to get a free drink. And being on a small ship meant that we got to see the same obnoxious people over and over again.

 

It's nice to go to the smaller ports, but don't think that you will be the only ship there. That's not always the case.

 

For the right price and itinerary, I would cruise on the small ships again (this was my third time on a small ship) but they are not my first choice.

[partybarbie]

The small ships can get into ports that the big ones have to pass by or they get to dock in town while the big ships are an hour or more away.

 

 

Unfortunately, even though we were on a small ship, we still had to dock at the commercial terminal in Venice, a half hour from the Maritime dock. We were supposed to tender in Sorrento, but the weather was so bad that we docked in Naples instead. Being on a small ship doesn't guarantee that one will actually get to the port.

[Pia1913]

Hi all,

 

DH and I will be sailing on the Grand in May of 2014 and then the Pacific in January of 2015.

 

We have only been on the Ruby, Diamond and Coral ships so far, and I was wondering if anyone could talk about the differences between the ones we have been on vs. the ones we are going on? I'm thinking of laundry access, the size of the piazzas, etc. Thanks!! :D

 

Hi: misplaced your email, so if you still have mine, send a note. I've been on both ships lots of times and for many many days.

[Wehwalt]

Your description of life aboard the Pacific is very accurate for the first 12 days of my cruise, however days 13 through 30 were significantly different.

 

The show lounge for the first seating show was extremely crowded and the lines to get into the lounge extended past the gift shops. The club bar and casino bars were also crowded and there were massive lines just to get into the dining room for dinner.

 

At the repeat passenger party, a crowd of about 50 people stormed into the lounge, with one woman actually pushing the captain out of the way in her urgency to get a free drink. And being on a small ship meant that we got to see the same obnoxious people over and over again.

 

It's nice to go to the smaller ports, but don't think that you will be the only ship there. That's not always the case.

 

For the right price and itinerary, I would cruise on the small ships again (this was my third time on a small ship) but they are not my first choice.

 

Beats me. I'm back aboard her in 19 days. Hopefully there won't be those issues. As for the Captain, it must have taken all his training not to order a keelhauling ...

[Lynniepoo]

Hi: misplaced your email, so if you still have mine, send a note. I've been on both ships lots of times and for many many days.

 

 

Hi Pia!! My email is lynn.mcmiller@yahoo.com. I don't think I have yours. I think we are disembarking the day you board for your world cruise - maybe we can figure out a way to say hi!

[Lynniepoo]

Thanks to everyone!! I do tend to have seasickness problems, but we were careful to get a midship cabin. Maybe I'll ask my doctor to give some seasick pills too, just as a precaution.

 

I'm really looking forward to the small ship experience! We've never done anything but anytime dining, so that will be a change for sure. But it will be nice to not get lost or go the wrong end of the ship for a change too! :D

[rdsqrl]

I just got off the Pacific last week and I absolutely adored my 18 days on her. All round, a much better cruise experience than on the bigger ships, in my opinion (not that I didn't love the Coral or really enjoy the Crown). She's a beautiful ship inside, the food was fantastic (they're only cooking for 600 v. 3000 and that makes a difference), and all the staff was just great (well, one or two exceptions, but that's life).

 

I'm not sure why that other poster was surprised by lines to get into a show or into the dining room; they were the same lines I've seen on every ship. Just slope off and have a drink and 10 minutes later, the line will have evaporated.

 

Certainly venues are smaller and certainly (well, duh) there are fewer of them, but what's there is very nice and all you need.

 

Someone *cough* has recently posted both a Live from that cruise and a review. With photos. Not to self-promote, but you might want to check them out.

 

 

[Wehwalt]

I just got off the Pacific last week and I absolutely adored my 18 days on her. All round, a much better cruise experience than on the bigger ships, in my opinion (not that I didn't love the Coral or really enjoy the Crown). She's a beautiful ship inside, the food was fantastic (they're only cooking for 600 v. 3000 and that makes a difference), and all the staff was just great (well, one or two exceptions, but that's life).

 

I'm not sure why that other poster was surprised by lines to get into a show or into the dining room; they were the same lines I've seen on every ship. Just slope off and have a drink and 10 minutes later, the line will have evaporated.

 

Certainly venues are smaller and certainly (well, duh) there are fewer of them, but what's there is very nice and all you need.

 

Someone *cough* has recently posted both a Live from that cruise and a review. With photos. Not to self-promote, but you might want to check them out.

 

 

 

I'm actually a bit surprised that it was the FIRST show that there was a line for, as generally the Caberet Lounge is open at least 30-45 minutes before hand and people just wander in as suits them. The second show, though, there is often a line for with people waiting for the first show to let out. As for dinner, you have probably close to 300 people all expecting to get in the dining room at the same time and it is going to take a little time to get that sorted.

 

Although we will spend most of the time on my upcoming Transpacific at sea, I have the new T mobile plan and an iPhone that acts as a hotspot for my laptop, and that covers all the ports (except Tahiti and Moorea) plus our time passing through the Panama Canal, so I will look in on the boards if I have time and inclination and post an update on first-show lines! I am afraid my internet minutes may be too precious.

Edited January 2, 2014 by Wehwalt

[jollyjones]

The Grand has no passenger stairs mid-ships above deck 7, so unless you want to be condemned to waiting for elevators all the while, consider a cabin location closer to the fore or aft stairs.

[Pia1913]

Hi Pia!! My email is lynn.mcmiller@yahoo.com. I don't think I have yours. I think we are disembarking the day you board for your world cruise - maybe we can figure out a way to say hi!

 

You are also embarking the Ruby on Jan. 23rd; the day WE get off. :) Will email later today.

[caribill]

I'm actually a bit surprised that it was the FIRST show that there was a line for, as generally the Caberet Lounge is open at least 30-45 minutes before hand and people just wander in as suits them.

 

It may have been closed for a rehearsal until closer to showtime.

[caribill]

Hi all,

 

DH and I will be sailing on the Grand in May of 2014 and then the Pacific in January of 2015.

 

We have only been on the Ruby, Diamond and Coral ships so far, and I was wondering if anyone could talk about the differences between the ones we have been on vs. the ones we are going on? I'm thinking of laundry access, the size of the piazzas, etc. Thanks!! :D

 

The Grand atrium will be pretty m,uch like what you experienced on the Ruby.

 

The Grand will have laundry facilities like you had on the Ruby, Diamond and Coral. The Pacific has only one laundry room, located on deck 7.

 

The Pacific is a twin of the Ocean Princess which was formerly named the Tahitian Princess. You can see pictures of the Tahitian Princess at http://fp.caribill.com/

Edited January 3, 2014 by caribill

[Wehwalt]

The Grand atrium will be pretty m,uch like what you experienced on the Ruby.

 

The Grand will have laundry facilities like you had on the Ruby, Diamond and Coral. The Pacific has only one laundry room, located on deck 7.

 

The Pacific is a twin of the Ocean Princess which was formerly named the Tahitian Princess. You can see pictures of the Tahitian Princess at http://fp.caribill.com/

 

The PP's laundry room occupies the space an interior cabin might. There are I believe eight washers, and eight dryers, with the dryers over the washers. Two ironing boards, and a vending machine for supplies (before I became Elite, I always brought detergent pods and fabric softener sheets onto the ship). It can get crowded in there, especially since sometimes you see husbands in there who are doing nothing as wife irons or so forth. Others stare in fascination as the dryer counts down from 0:05 rather than glancing at watch and coming back in a few. Good people, seeing how many can fit in a telephone booth went out with the telephone booth.

 

The room opens in theory at 8 am but that's a little hypothetical. I once arrived at 7:55 to find the room open and all machines in use. Make sure you are putting the quarters in the right coin slot, easy to get burned that way.

 

It's good to be Elite ...

Edited January 3, 2014 by Wehwalt

[caribill]

The PP's laundry room occupies the space an interior cabin might. There are I believe eight washers, and eight dryers, with the dryers over the washers. Two ironing boards, and a vending machine for supplies (before I became Elite, I always brought detergent pods and fabric softener sheets onto the ship).

 

 

[Wehwalt]

Excellent photos! They also have one of the few public garbage cans on the ship! :)

[Lynniepoo]

The PP's laundry room occupies the space an interior cabin might. There are I believe eight washers, and eight dryers, with the dryers over the washers. Two ironing boards, and a vending machine for supplies (before I became Elite, I always brought detergent pods and fabric softener sheets onto the ship). It can get crowded in there, especially since sometimes you see husbands in there who are doing nothing as wife irons or so forth. Others stare in fascination as the dryer counts down from 0:05 rather than glancing at watch and coming back in a few. Good people, seeing how many can fit in a telephone booth went out with the telephone booth.

 

The room opens in theory at 8 am but that's a little hypothetical. I once arrived at 7:55 to find the room open and all machines in use. Make sure you are putting the quarters in the right coin slot, easy to get burned that way.

 

It's good to be Elite ...

 

We will have just attained Platinum status when we arrive on the Pacific Princess, so we will still need the laundry room for a long time! :( But we also pack some laundry pods and dryer sheets. If I'm really on it, I bring a few rolls of quarters too.