Grand Princess -really that bad?

[mrsgoggins]

We sailed in C752 and had a wonderful cruise. We did start up the central stairs a couple of times and then had to laugh at ourselves because we knew it didn't extend upward very far. It was a minor inconvenience at the most.

 

That's the cabin we have booked on the Grand for our very first Princess cruise in May (Alaska) :)

[dickinson]

I took the 15-day cruise to Hawaii on the Grand Princess in February 2015, and honestly, I wasn't impressed. Everything looked a little tired - from the drab and outdated furniture in the cabins to the worn-out carpet and furniture in the main areas to the broken deck chairs. There were numerous leaks, as other people have mentioned. With extremely rough seas on the trip out to Hawaii and rough seas causing the cancellation of one island visit, we spent more time in the common areas than probably on most other cruises, so there was more time to notice how much the ship needed repair or, in most cases, simple updating.

 

The food was average - not a single meal stood out as being exceptional, and most of the dining room meals were bland (perhaps catering to the older clientele on this cruise). The buffet, however, was fairly bad at all times of the day.

 

Service was all over the map. My cabin steward was nice and attentive. A few of the dining room staff were engaging and polite; others were sullen and suffered from a lack of English - same goes for the bar wait staff. And the relentless pushing of cocktails and premium coffee drinks at the dining room tables was very off-putting.

 

I agree with everyone who mentioned the inconvenience of not having a central staircase. This was my first cruise with Princess (mostly have cruised with Norwegian in the past) and not having a central staircase just seemed odd. In fact, the overall layout of the ship never really made intuitive sense like the NCL ships do. Maybe that's just me.

 

I wouldn't do the 15-day trip to Hawaii again on the Grand Princess, and I probably wouldn't choose the ship if I had another option. I didn't have a bad time, but the state of the ship and the performance of the staff could have made a big difference.

 

And that's my two cents.

 

Food is subjective. We did not find the food in Horizon Court to be "fairly bad at all times". We found it the same as on all other Princess ships. We found the staff that we encountered to all be friendly and nice. Service was great. We didn't visit the bars though. Our only issues were seeing tired furniture that needed fixing and feeling a couple of the leeks. We had a wonderful cruise and would tell anyone who was considering this ship to go ahead and have a wonderful cruise. These things did not make us have a bad cruise but instead make us wonder why Princess has waited so long to fix these issues and just update the furniture. Anyone going on this ship should go and not be worried that these things will make their cruise "bad".

[Hawaiidan]

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!

 

People love to complain. many times because they think it shows a profound level of sophistication. A sort of , "do you know who I am"?

My taste and standards are indicative of my superior knowledge and experience as a world traveler.

Where most of the time they are trying to hide their poor self esteem and criticize things to draw others attention away of that fact..

 

And, just like a dog-pile one reader jumps up and spouts off, that he too is on that same pedestal of self anointed insight... and then another wanting to join the club...and another Like the emperors new clothes. Don't leave me out I am a sophisticate too as more and more want to be included

 

The reality is that long term experienced travelers have learned to go with the flow,make lemonaid out of lemons. Be mellow and understanding and be willing to forgive and forget. Life is too short.

 

In 30 years, I have never been on a bad cruise, some are better and some not so but NONE truly bad.

 

Rather than considering bad cruise/ships might one ponder there could be "Bad Cruisers" more often than not. Remember Eore in winey the pooh?

[DMRick]

How insulting. I've been on a fair amount of cruises and have done a lot of comments on them. All but two very good. Both of the bad on the Grand.

 

You think I was trying to show my sophistication when I warned others with allergies about the mold on the Grand? And the pails in the halls? The dripping in several areas? OMG

 

Wow, this is like no post I have seen on CC.

 

 

People love to complain. many times because they think it shows a profound level of sophistication. A sort of , "do you know who I am"?

 

My taste and standards are indicative of my superior knowledge and experience as a world traveler.

 

Where most of the time they are trying to hide their poor self esteem and criticize things to draw others attention away of that fact..

 

 

 

And, just like a dog-pile one reader jumps up and spouts off, that he too is on that same pedestal of self anointed insight... and then another wanting to join the club...and another Like the emperors new clothes. Don't leave me out I am a sophisticate too as more and more want to be included

 

 

 

The reality is that long term experienced travelers have learned to go with the flow,make lemonaid out of lemons. Be mellow and understanding and be willing to forgive and forget. Life is too short.

 

 

 

In 30 years, I have never been on a bad cruise, some are better and some not so but NONE truly bad.

 

 

 

Rather than considering bad cruise/ships might one ponder there could be "Bad Cruisers" more often than not. Remember Eore in winey the pooh?

[JudithLynne]

Let me begin by saying that I’m not a chronic complainer. My husband and I are Princess fans, having completed 24 out of 35 cruises with Princess. We have two future cruises scheduled with Princess. We have been cruising for over 25 years. The only time that we have written a letter of complaint to any cruise line was with our experience on the Grand in 2011. The public areas and the staff were up to Princess standards, but the cabin was not. Here are the concerns that I sent Princess regarding the cabin, which was a mini-suite:

1. The bathroom tile grout on both the walls and floors was dark and unsightly in many places due to mold and mildew.

2. The bathtub was worn and stained in many places.

3. The bathtub floor was spongy suggesting underlying rot. I love to bathe and that is one of our biggest reasons for choosing a mini-suite The thought of taking a bath in the cabin was repulsive. The bath tub floor was so unsteady due to rot that trying to balance to take a shower was a major feat!

4. The carpet was badly stained .

5. Part of the wall was missing in the corner by the slider door.

6. Tiles in the ceiling were out of place and pushed up.

7. The balcony was covered with rust.

8. The balcony had long standing, rusty, discolored water on the sides.

9. The blue mat covering the balcony was grungy.

 

Overall, our cabin felt unsanitary and unsightly. I love being in bare feet, I didn’t dare do that in that cabin or balcony. I felt like I was in a skid row flop house and not in a cabin on a Princess ship.

 

Princess took my letter seriously and gave us a handsome credit for a future cruise.

 

We will never sail on her again. We have been on 26 ships and this is the only bad experience that we have had with a cabin.

Edited March 6, 2015 by JudithLynne

[mammajamma2013]

We were on Grand end-of-August of 2014. We didn't see any leaks, buckets, or any of the problems cited on some of the posts. We didn't eat in any of the MDRs but frequented the buffets, Alfredo's, outdoor grills and never saw any of that. I never noticed any mold smell. *shrug* Maybe I'm just not very observant.

 

To me, everything look clean and well-cared for. My biggest complaint was not being able to regulate the temperature in our room, but we also didn't do anything about it. We also spent a lot of our time out and about.

 

My biggest complaint was trying to catch the waiters' eye to sell me a drink.

Edited March 6, 2015 by mammajamma2013
An added thought

[mellon1]

We were on the Grand for 30 days. First we love princess. Everything was great except

 

1. The bed had a hole in it and after the cruise my husband had to go see a back specialist and and had to have epidurmal shots. It was not good. Worse matress on any cruise we ever had, even carnival.

 

2. staff was exceptional

 

3. Stayed in a suite and there was and all over in the suite. I actually stole the vacuum to sweep up the sand. When I put I out in the hall the stewards said you were the one. Yes, I was the one!! Sorry, There was mold in the shower and in the tub. Thank goodness I brought bleach to clean this up as I am allergic to mold.

 

Just saying, don't think you would run into this on a suite. Enjoyed the cruise totally, just know this is something we may have to do.

[KruzPrincess]

People love to complain. many times because they think it shows a profound level of sophistication. A sort of , "do you know who I am"?

My taste and standards are indicative of my superior knowledge and experience as a world traveler.

Where most of the time they are trying to hide their poor self esteem and criticize things to draw others attention away of that fact..

 

And, just like a dog-pile one reader jumps up and spouts off, that he too is on that same pedestal of self anointed insight... and then another wanting to join the club...and another Like the emperors new clothes. Don't leave me out I am a sophisticate too as more and more want to be included

 

The reality is that long term experienced travelers have learned to go with the flow,make lemonaid out of lemons. Be mellow and understanding and be willing to forgive and forget. Life is too short.

 

In 30 years, I have never been on a bad cruise, some are better and some not so but NONE truly bad.

 

Rather than considering bad cruise/ships might one ponder there could be "Bad Cruisers" more often than not. Remember Eore in winey the pooh?

 

This is funny to me. This is Cruise CRITIC. People come here for honest opinions. We're asking people about their experience. I've learned a tremendous amount from these people who take time out of their lives to share their knowledge. I may not like or agree with everything I read, but I end up getting a picture from several people reporting their experience.

 

I was on the Grand in December 2014 for 15 nights on a Hawaii cruise. I meant to write a complete review, but I just didn't because I didn't want to write a really negative review. I had a good time because of the wonderful people I sailed with. I thought most of the staff was really good to great. After a rocky start, we had good service and food. Had great meals in the Crown Grill and a very good meal in the Crab Shack. We had very good service and good enough food in Sabatini's. The public rooms looked OK. I only saw one major leak by the Explorer's lounge. I don't care about the center staircase, so it didn't bother me. My cabin had newer carpet and the mattress was fine. Other parts of my cabin were in terrible condition. My cabin steward was more than disappointing. The furniture in some of the public areas is so worn out that you feel like you're sitting in a hole. This is only some of the problems I had. I will sail on Princess again, but I probably will not sail on the Grand Princess again.

Edited March 7, 2015 by KruzPrincess

[cruisequeen4ever]

Has anyone confirmed with Princess that they ARE in fact planning on fixing the leaks during the dry/wetdock in May? I called, but they didn't know what's being done.

[annie99]

I am so glad to hear that Princess is doing a repair on the Grand soon. I wonder where we can find out what they are going to fix? I really hope it is the leaking and mould. I don't think they fix soft furnishings unless it is a major refit - do they?

[annie99]

I just got confirmation from Princess that hte Grand will be going into dry dock in May /15. They did not say what they would be repairing or replacing.

[Hawaiidan]

This is funny to me. This is Cruise CRITIC. People come here for honest opinions. We're asking people about their experience. I've learned a tremendous amount from these people who take time out of their lives to share their knowledge. I may not like or agree with everything I read, but I end up getting a picture from several people reporting their experience.

 

I was on the Grand in December 2014 for 15 nights on a Hawaii cruise. I meant to write a complete review, but I just didn't because I didn't want to write a really negative review. I had a good time because of the wonderful people I sailed with. I thought most of the staff was really good to great. After a rocky start, we had good service and food. Had great meals in the Crown Grill and a very good meal in the Crab Shack. We had very good service and good enough food in Sabatini's. The public rooms looked OK. I only saw one major leak by the Explorer's lounge. I don't care about the center staircase, so it didn't bother me. My cabin had newer carpet and the mattress was fine. Other parts of my cabin were in terrible condition. My cabin steward was more than disappointing. The furniture in some of the public areas is so worn out that you feel like you're sitting in a hole. This is only some of the problems I had. I will sail on Princess again, but I probably will not sail on the Grand Princess again.

 

Yes this is "Cruise Critic and to be a critic means nothing more than personal opinion. I think, many assume that critic means that they have to dwell on the short coming's, pointing out every little thing and detail..

I mean people dwelling on all sorts of nit picks. I have seen it on about every level of cruise from discount economy to the penthouses on luxury ships.. from 20 years old to 6 months old.

I mean a dirty bathtub, rust spots, not liking the food, or a staff member.. a toilet backing up ( gee has that ever happened to you in you home..and did you want to move because of it?)

To be objective is one thing, but there is no litmus test to ones complaints, in that was this problem so bad that totally over shadowed everything else and more importantly the majority of the passengers ?

All I am saying is you or I choose whether or not something will make us happy or angry.. by our own attitudes.

Again I say...I have never been on a terrible ship or a terrible cruise.... its all personal really for the most part and the importance is bases on you...not the big bicture

[AliBaba N Vegas]

We completed a 15 day Hawaii cruise on the Grand Princess in December and didn't notice any problems except the lack of a central staircase. We have another cruise booked in May on the Grand going to Alaska. The ship is scheduled to be in wet dock the first part of May. We're looking forward to seeing if there is a noticeable difference.

[Pam in CA]

I just got confirmation from Princess that hte Grand will be going into dry dock in May /15. They did not say what they would be repairing or replacing.

The only break I saw in the Grand's schedule was May 1-8 in Victoria. Such a short dry/wet dock means just routine maintenance will be done. Hopefully they'll take care of all the leaks (I saw several and heard of others on Aloha deck in February/March) and other issues but that's not enough time to make major repairs.

[Buck Turgidson]

Was on the Grand last year, good time's. I think I like it better than the Star, because I like to lay by the aft pool and the skywalk on the Star, block's the sun.

[Colo Cruiser]

And there are those who prefer the blockage of the sun by Skywalkers and prefer to go to Skywalkers. ;)

[DanaPointBob]

Good to hear! My husband, dad and I will be in C751 on the Grand in September and I've been reading with trepidation all the negative reviews. I don't doubt them, but the irrational part of me hopes they're wrong. :)

 

How did you like C752? Any hints for maximizing our enjoyment? TIA!

 

I was on her recently and the cruise on a whole was fine. The ship however is quite tired and in need of serious attention. Drydock would help!

 

Sent from my D2-927G using Forums mobile app

[cr8tiv1]

I just got off the Grand Princess (Hawaii Voyage). The only problem I had was a small "drip" while in the Vista Theater. Toilets, air conditioning, elevators all worked.

 

Going over on 2/17 was absolutely fantastic. A couple of rough days coming back but it settled down. (Not Princess' fault)

 

Traffic patterns can be a little challenging on the Grand (no center staircase, narrow passage ways on deck 7, etc). Staff was fabulous and entertainment the best ever with ELUA and Rhapsody Trio.

 

I added the following to another thread about the Grand and thought I would update this post as well.

 

Okay, I have to chime in here. Just returned from a 15 day cruise to Hawaii on the Grand Princess (2/17 to 3/4). I will agree that she is not one of my favorite ships (Coral and Golden rank way up there), but it will be recorded as one of my best cruises.

 

She doesn't have a central staircase, but she has Alfredos.

Stairs and elevators were not a problem because she is one of three ships that have Window Suites.

Best entertainers by far with ELUA and Rhapsody Trio in the Piazza.

She did spring a drop of two on me while I was sitting in the Vista Lounge.

 

I don't mean to down play any of her structural problems. I am sure there were some, but I did not encounter any.

 

Her positives made up for any lapses she may have.

 

I requested a particular waitress by email and I was assigned to her table.

 

I requested a Traditional Dining table in DaVinci (I was on Deck 6 and could not see a reason for traipsing to the back of the ship / up to 7 over and down to 6). This was also granted.

 

The Boutique manager Claire, hotel manager, customer service agents, Facet's salesperson Zuber, room steward Arnel, Head Waiter, wait staff Angie, Mike Witte (CD), and the list goes on, were personable, helpful, friendly, and totally made the cruise enjoyable.

 

And I can not beginning to give accolades to David and Leialoha (ELUA) for bringing Hawaiiana to the ship from the moment you stepped aboard. I do understand that Danilo Portoso (Hotel General Manager) also changed the atmosphere by having the staff wear aloha attire and piped Hawaiian music to all of the public spaces for 15 days.

 

The Naturalist Gary gave outstanding lectures going over and fun lectures on the return.

 

Maybe I was blinded by all the positives, but this is one of my favorite itineraries and limited to departures from San Pedro. I prefer her to the larger ships that will be deplored next season. Everybody has their opinions and rights to choose the ship that best suits their needs. Next season she will be out of San Francisco.

 

Boo Hoo to Princess for taking all of the good ships away from the Los Angeles market.

[marykhal]

I am booked on the Grand for the first southbound Alaska (anchorage to Vancouver) on 5/16. She sails north on 5/9, so I called to inquire about what was planned for the "wet-dock".

 

The Princess agent told me they were going to work on Deck 14 and 15 and also in the Casino/Piazza areas. She did not have details other then that, but we can only assume that means the leaks/mold and the smoke ventilation problems. Hopefully, they have enough time (and crew) to replace some furniture and touch up some of the cabins.

 

Since I'll be on the 2nd cruise after the work, I'll be happy to give an update. I am looking forward to Alfredo's (they make a mean gluten-free pizza) and Leaves, (love tea, never been) and my cabin is near the aft staircase, and since I make it a rule to only take the elevator if I'm in heels (which is rare). I walk the promenade, walk the stairs, etc, and have NEVER gained weight on a cruise. That's my story and I'm stickin' to it!

 

:o Mary

[cruisequeen4ever]

Thank you for the update, marykhal!

[Interlochencruiselover]

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!

[Once Upon A Time]

I added the following to another thread about the Grand and thought I would update this post as well.

 

Okay, I have to chime in here. Just returned from a 15 day cruise to Hawaii on the Grand Princess (2/17 to 3/4). I will agree that she is not one of my favorite ships (Coral and Golden rank way up there), but it will be recorded as one of my best cruises.

 

She doesn't have a central staircase, but she has Alfredos.

Stairs and elevators were not a problem because she is one of three ships that have Window Suites.

Best entertainers by far with ELUA and Rhapsody Trio in the Piazza.

She did spring a drop of two on me while I was sitting in the Vista Lounge.

 

I don't mean to down play any of her structural problems. I am sure there were some, but I did not encounter any.

 

Her positives made up for any lapses she may have.

 

I requested a particular waitress by email and I was assigned to her table.

 

I requested a Traditional Dining table in DaVinci (I was on Deck 6 and could not see a reason for traipsing to the back of the ship / up to 7 over and down to 6). This was also granted.

 

The Boutique manager Claire, hotel manager, customer service agents, Facet's salesperson Zuber, room steward Arnel, Head Waiter, wait staff Angie, Mike Witte (CD), and the list goes on, were personable, helpful, friendly, and totally made the cruise enjoyable.

 

And I can not beginning to give accolades to David and Leialoha (ELUA) for bringing Hawaiiana to the ship from the moment you stepped aboard. I do understand that Danilo Portoso (Hotel General Manager) also changed the atmosphere by having the staff wear aloha attire and piped Hawaiian music to all of the public spaces for 15 days.

 

The Naturalist Gary gave outstanding lectures going over and fun lectures on the return.

 

Maybe I was blinded by all the positives, but this is one of my favorite itineraries and limited to departures from San Pedro. I prefer her to the larger ships that will be deplored next season. Everybody has their opinions and rights to choose the ship that best suits their needs. Next season she will be out of San Francisco.

 

Boo Hoo to Princess for taking all of the good ships away from the Los Angeles market.

 

I feel the need to applaud your post.. We sailed the next two cruises ofter yours (15-day Hawaii and 3-day coastal) and felt exactly as you did.. We had also sailed her during October 2014 (15-day Hawaii, Coastal & Sea of Cortez) and again January 2015 (Sea of Cortez)… If she was as bad as some people seem to think, we would have never sailed with her so many times..

 

Yes, she's pretty well used, but also pretty well loved by an exceptional crew..

I saw a leak here and there, but always with crew working to repair any problem quickly. Every one of our cruises was wonderful and Princess did their best to make sure we wanted to come back again.. They succeeded...:D

[cr8tiv1]

I feel the need to applaud your post.. We sailed the next two cruises ofter yours (15-day Hawaii and 3-day coastal) and felt exactly as you did.. We had also sailed her during October 2014 (15-day Hawaii, Coastal & Sea of Cortez) and again January 2015 (Sea of Cortez)… If she was as bad as some people seem to think, we would have never sailed with her so many times..

 

Yes, she's pretty well used, but also pretty well loved by an exceptional crew..

I saw a leak here and there, but always with crew working to repair any problem quickly. Every one of our cruises was wonderful and Princess did their best to make sure we wanted to come back again.. They succeeded...:D

 

Thank you for your kind comments. Mahalo Nui Loa and hope the Aloha Spirit stays with you until your next cruise.

[GolfMom321]

I'm confused. Y'all are talking about the lack of center stairs. I'm looking at the deck plans from the cruise atlas, and it definitely shows center stairs! From Deck 5 to Deck 14.

 

Since we're looking at a suite on 10 midship, I imagine those would be the most likely stairs we'd use. Am I seeing things? Or are the steps really there??

[peety3]

I'm confused. Y'all are talking about the lack of center stairs. I'm looking at the deck plans from the cruise atlas, and it definitely shows center stairs! From Deck 5 to Deck 14.

 

Since we're looking at a suite on 10 midship, I imagine those would be the most likely stairs we'd use. Am I seeing things? Or are the steps really there??

If the steps are there, they're "trapped" within a crew area. On Deck 7, it's quite odd: the stairs go up half a flight, then make a u-turn and come back down on the other side of a wall. It's almost entertaining to watch the endless stream of passengers go up one side and back down the other, NEVER able to convince others to avoid the steps. :) The stairwell does exist 5-7, but that's about it.