My upgraded score of the Grand Princess

[Cruise Raider]

Here is the review I submitted for my recent cruise on the Grand Princess. Please feel free to post any questions you may have for me.

 

Background information: We are a couple in our mid 50's / early 60's traveling with my brother and his wife, both in their 50's. This was our 50th cruise, with over 20 cruises on Princess and our second time within a year on the Grand Princess. My brother and his wife were enjoying their 2nd cruise and their first cruise on Princess. It was their first and our ninth cruise up to Alaska.

 

We all live just a few miles from San Francisco and took the opportunity to treat our driver that transported us to the pier to the Bon Voyage Experience.

We arrived at the port by 10:30 AM, went through security and stopped by the wine table to pay our corkage fee. Since we live close to the port, we brought a case of wines that we enjoy onboard and paid the $15 per bottle corkage for each bottle above our 1 per person limit. Security did not have a long line and neither did the wine table, so we were on our way to the check in table. Since we booked the BVE package for our guest, they directed us to this line but there was a mix up here and we were passed up by many other passengers in both the regular and elite lines. I think someone was new as she didn't provide us with the correct pass to board the ship and also forgot to give us a map of the ship. We were finally checked in by 11:45 but had to wait another 30 minutes or so in order to board. There seemed to have been an issue with some passengers on the previous cruise that weren't disembarking as instructed. Maybe so, maybe not, but that is what we had been told.

Lindsay, the future cruise consultant, led us onboard and off we went to drop off our carry on luggage in our rooms, and afterwards, enjoy our lunch with our BVE guest in the main dining room. Our food was good and the service was equal to that of the food.

 

Ship information: The Grand is my least favorite ship in the fleet and as mentioned, we have previously sailed on her down to Mexico in December. I had a more favorable opinion of her on this trip, even though she has not yet gone into dry dock. Our cabin was maintained better than our previous one. We also encountered some very rough seas on our previous trip which I thought was attributable to the ship's design since they removed Skywalkers. We had very smooth seas during this sailing though, so I feel it appropriate to retract my previous opinion on the stability of the ship itself. I still believe that having no center staircase is ludicrous for a ship of this size. Either you waited and waited and waited for an elevator in the center of the ship or you had to wind your way past the photo booth area just to get to your room via the aft staircase. I hope that ship never encounters a fire or an emergency as the crowds that formed in this area were a real hazard. People would park their strollers and scooters right in the middle of the aisle so nobody could pass through.

Another design flaw is the casino and smoking room that affected anyone wanting to enter the Princess theater on deck 6 or anyone standing in line at the guest services desk. Since we booked a window suite on this ship for a future date, we made a point to walk down the hallway of these rooms to see if they were also affected by the smoke but it didn't seem obvious in that hallway.

I understand this ship is going into dry dock or at least for a two week wet dock for refurbishment this December but had noticed some maintenance that had taken place since our last cruise on her. The carpets are still worn in some sections but some looked like it has been recently replaced. There was a crew member replacing the strings of lights under the stairs while we were onboard. However, there was a lot of the furniture that needs to be replaced in the lounges and sitting areas. The dining rooms, including the specialty dining rooms are in very good shape, though. The Crown Grill is beautifully done, as is the library / tea room area and also the piazza.

The seating areas outside of the One5 Club are in desperate need of new furniture cushions. They also switched the non-smoking side back here which obviously caused a lot of confusion because people were smoking in both sides back there. The one time I did not see smokers on both sides was when the one side was closed to the public because corporate had a meeting scheduled in the One5. We were able to use this area for viewing the glacier but we had to inform the smokers that visited our only non-smoking area that they moved the smoking side to the starboard side. I had already requested that some signage should be displayed two times previous to this but it had not been carried out.

The public bathrooms on this ship were pretty bad last December and still much the same. They did place some fresh flowers in the women's bathrooms but they still looked as though they were in need of some major maintenance and a deep cleaning. There were some extremely cold areas on the ship but most of the lounges, the theater and dining areas were kept at a very comfortable temperature.

The buffet area and tables in the oceanview were kept nice and clean. There were always plenty of crew working these areas to make sure dirty dishes were cleared quickly so others could sit down for their meal.

The casino was fun -- and we broke even. Most of the machines seemed to be in working order. I recall the buttons would stick horribly last time around so it appears they have been maintaining these since last time onboard. There is a small non-smoking section here which is most appreciated.

The internet cafe was never too crowded and while service was slow, it was steady and we never lost our connection. This is rare considering where we were when using it. The room was kept tidy and clean and the computers were up to date.

The kiosks where you can print out your folio are a very nice touch.

 

Cabin: Our cabin was in decent shape with a couple of issues and our room steward kept everything nice and tidy. Our window rattled something fierce and maintenance came up immediately and tightened the face and placed some small pieces of cardboard around the edges so it didn't rattle incessantly throughout the rest of the cruise. It did work and he would have added some silicon sealer but said the smell would make us ill. We were quite happy with the results. The other issue was our toilet wouldn't flush on the disembarkation day. We notified our room steward and she cheerfully said she would report it to maintenance. Luckily, my brother's room was right down the hall from us so we were able to use their commode.

Our bed was worn but with a topper that our room steward placed on there, it was pretty comfortable. The pillows were the best!! The refrigerator worked quite well in keeping everything nice and cold. The lights were all in working condition and thermostat kept the temperature at a constant nice cool temperature, just like we prefer.

 

Activities: This is where I believe the ship was lacking. We did find ourselves without anything of interest going on during many times of the day. The cruise director was so so -- not horrible but not really engaging. The enrichment seminars by Greg Wheeler, the geologist onboard were quite interesting, though. Kudos on scheduling him for several talks throughout the cruise.

 

Service: Once again, the service went above and beyond expectations on the Grand!! This is where the staff and the crew excelled and what brought us back to sail on this ship again. Our room steward, as mentioned previously, did a wonderful job and anticipated our every need. She always did so with a smile.

The guest services team was very helpful in the couple of visits we had to make. There is still a question about the onboard credit we were to receive that couldn't be fixed while onboard. However, they did everything within their authority to fix any issue the passengers had ... all with keeping their cool. Nice job!!

We booked a future cruise with Lindsay, who was not only functioning as the future cruise consultant but also had to take over as the captain's circle host for this sailing. She made it look pretty easy even though we know she was very very busy.

 

Dining and Service: Even though we had anytime dining, we loved our waiters, Jimmy and Shekar, so much that we requested the same table in the DaVinci dining room for the same time every evening. Michael, the head waiter made sure that request was fulfilled and would check on us at least once during each meal! This may have been the best team we've ever encountered on our many cruises....sheer perfection!! Most of the food in the MDR ranged from very good to excellent and some was just ok. We never left hungry, that's for sure. We only needed to order something once and they always remembered our preferences from then on.

The last evening of the cruise, we went to the Crown Grill. Franco found us a very suitable table after learning that all the window seats had been taken and checked on us a couple of times to make sure everything was perfect. Our service there, Sharon was our waitress, was impeccable. The food was also excellent! Well worth the cover charge of $29.

We were always able to find something we liked at the buffet or at the Trident Grill, which had a special Alaskan menu on several of the evenings. We watched a movie at MUTS while dining on crab cakes one evening. It was great fun and really good food. We didn't go to Alfredo's -- we are not big fans of their pizza there. It was actually the first time we've never gone to the International Cafe -- not sure why. I did go to the coffee bar here every night for a cup of milk and Allen always served it to me with a smile. It only took one time and he would have it ready for me when he saw me.

We did go to the One5 a few times and to the Wheelhouse Bar several times throughout the cruise during happy hour and received excellent service there from Abdul, Pele, Anoop and Marcelino. We actually won one of the bottles of wine they raffled off at the end of the cruise from the Wheelhouse.

 

Port & shore excursions: All the ports are favorites of mine. We were treated to extremely good weather in all our ports, except maybe Victoria. It was still beautiful but was expecting sunny warm weather and it was rather cool and windy here.

 

In Ketchikan, we didn't have an excursion. We hiked up the Married Man's Trail to the fish ladder. The water level is really low but we did see some salmon swimming back upstream. We then hiked up to the hotel at the top of the hill. The tram was not working so hiked back down after enjoying some gorgeous views from up top. We did a little shopping here and then stopped at our favorite bar, the Sourdough Bar, before getting back on the ship.

 

In Juneau, we were planning on going to the Brewery but the timing didn't work out so well with my brother's excursion so we instead hiked up to the government buildings and the Governor's House followed by a little walk through town. My brother and his wife toured the Mendenhall Glacier, Salmon Hatchery followed by a salmon bake. They really enjoyed this tour but thought the visitor's center at the glacier was way too crowded. We were going to meet up after their tour at the Red Dog Saloon but it was impossible to even walk in the place as the line went way down the sidewalk by this time.

 

In Icy Strait Point, we noticed that they've done a lot of work without ruining its natural beauty. We took a walk through the museum and parted ways here again. We continued by doing a little shopping in the old cannery buildings and gone are the bargains that once existed here. We took a walk into Hoonah and made it as far as the Icy Strait craft Brewery and enjoyed a nice cold beer with a beautiful view. While the town of Hoonah really does not have much to see, it is the journey that is the excursion in this port of call. We then walked back and hiked on the nature trail until finally reboarding the ship. My brother and his wife loved their excursion here, which was a bear watching tour. They said the bear was so close, they could hear him crunch on the salmon he just caught.

 

Instead of sailing down the Tracy Arm, we were treated to the Endicott Arm and the star of the show, a beautiful glacier that calved while we were there. This was the most amazing day of all. While sailing on our way back to Canada, we were treated to seeing whales slip out and back into the water. WOW!! What a special sight to see.

 

In Victoria, we all did an excursion that included city highlights, Mt Tolmie and the Craigdarroch (sp?) Castle. It was a very interesting tour and we learned a lot about the city as well as Robert Dunsmuir. We booked this tour from the ship and felt as though it was well worth the price.

 

Entertainment: The entertainment they had scheduled was excellent. We just noticed that the variety didn't really exist. However, the singers were all so good ... from Tricia Kelly, to the piano player at Crooners and Alexander on the guitar as well as vocals, Ric Steele, Quarto (?) and the girl that was the Idol finalist were all so good.

The magician / comedian was also good ... but we miss having a little more comedy and the hypnotist show. We were busy during the marriage game and during one of the movies they showed in the Vista ... and couldn't find it on the tv or the lounge ever again. We love trivia but always seemed to be about 5 minutes late so didn't participate but stayed to guess anyway. The wine tasting event was not enjoyable. We were seated in back with the rest of the elite passengers and other tables were so loud back there, we couldn't even hear what the presenters were saying about the wines. Not really the fault of Princess but it just wasn't worth our time for this event.

 

Disembarkation: This is where I have seen the most improvement. Passengers were designated to specific rooms that weren't overcrowded. They ran about 15 behind the schedule but the port had everything set up so well that we were through the customs and out the door so quickly.

 

Summary: Overall, we had a very nice and enjoyable cruise with great weather, great service and some great experiences as well as meeting some really nice fellow passengers and staff. The seas were extremely calm, especially for this particular itinerary.

The captain of the ship is so friendly and has quite the sense of humor. We even met his family during the cruise and they are all such warm and friendly people. We really enjoyed meeting them.

While the Grand is not my favorite ship as explained above, the crew and staff went a long way towards making this cruise special for us. They made us feel like family!! What more can you ask for?

[shredie]

Thanks so much for the review. I'm on the Grand next week (first time on her for me) so I'm very interested in all the details. One question: if there were no signs saying which side was the smoking side, how did you know to tell people where to go?

[4x4bob]

Your report was in detail and contained lots of information. Good Job.

 

Bob

[jamesr3939]

Great review, thanks! We are booked on her in Apr 2018 for RT SF to Hawaii. I hope she gets a little "lipstick" before then.

[dchip]

Thanks for a well rounded review. We are quite fond of the Grand since we sailed her Inaugural TA in September 1998. She is docked at our home port so we have cruised her more than any other Princess ship. We have always had amazing wait staffs in the MDR. The staff calls the Grand "the happy ship". We sure think so.

 

Cheers, Denise

[Cruise Raider]

Thanks so much for the review. I'm on the Grand next week (first time on her for me) so I'm very interested in all the details. One question: if there were no signs saying which side was the smoking side, how did you know to tell people where to go?

 

There weren't any smoking or non-smoking signs out in back of the One5 club. People just seemed to grab an ash tray and go to both sides. I think the reason for this was that the smoking side used to be on the other side and Princess put ashtrays out on what used to be the non-smoking side. I can't say I really blamed the smokers on this one as nobody from Princess would mention it. At the roll call meeting, I mentioned it and they said they would address it, which they never did. So, I filed a formal complaint at the front desk ... never heard back from anyone on it. The only time I was really irritated was when we were in a port and the smoking side was completely full of smokers and we lost access to the non-smoking side and we couldn't use it even though nobody else was out there.

 

We've sailed on the Golden and Star each a few times previously so if you know these ships, you will definitely think she is similar to them. However, the Grand has smaller closets and no central staircase....otherwise, they are much the same. I did notice quite a bit of rust all over the ship ... maybe so on the other Princess ships but I can honestly say, I have never seen it on any Celebrity ship before and never noticed it on any Princess ship to that extent before either. It is not falling apart by any means and as mentioned, some rooms on the inside were just beautiful. She is just showing her age is all but actually looked better than when we were on it last December.

We had a balcony room last year but an obstructed OV room this time around. This room was in better condition so maybe that had an impact on my overall impression. The staff was equally as friendly and competent last time around and that makes up for a lot!!

[Gimer]

WOW! A through review and much appreciated. Thanks. Joining her in Oct.

[Cruise Raider]

Great review, thanks! We are booked on her in Apr 2018 for RT SF to Hawaii. I hope she gets a little "lipstick" before then.

 

She is supposed to be all spruced up and have the new heavenly bedding by then as well. We are booked on her for April 2018 again but one the coastal itinerary under the sip and sail promo.

 

Oh, I forgot to mention, all the hot tubs on this last cruise seemed to be in working order. This wasn't the case on our December cruise. It was most appreciated this time around!!

Edited August 31, 2016 by Cruise Raider

[shredie]

Thanks for the update. I hope they have fixed the smoking sign thing by next week.

[easyboy]

Thank you for your review.

[Pam in CA]

Thanks for the review. Just as an FYI, there are stairs mid-ship currently used by crew and available during Muster or in an emergency. They are metal, unfinished stairs but they're there. :)

[4cats4me]

Great review. I appreciate hearing an update on the Grand's condition as we will be aboard in less than six weeks, having last sailed on her two years ago. I had forgotten all about the smaller closets. Thank you so much for the reminder

Glad to hear the food was good. Hopefully we will have many of the same crew members you had [emoji3]

 

 

Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

[Cruise Raider]

Thanks for the review. Just as an FYI, there are stairs mid-ship currently used by crew and available during Muster or in an emergency. They are metal, unfinished stairs but they're there. :)

 

I did see them on the last day ... wish we could have used them during the cruise. I actually made a comment that the middle of the tiny space between the photo line and photo displays was a smart place to park a stroller on one occasion. It was just such a bottle neck and forget about it when they are holding any contests there, especially if you have a drink in hand. It would be a different story if you didn't have to wait forever for an empty elevator in the midship area. Otherwise, not really any other real frustrations besides not having a non-smoking section as mentioned.

Edited August 31, 2016 by Cruise Raider

[Cruiser411]

We were on the 8/9 sailing and I was traveling with a bunch of smokers. The smoking section outside of the One5 was on the starboard side and it seemed that all the smokers kept to that side during the cruise. The other side was usually deserted... The only time the non-smoking side was full was during Glacier Bay day when a large TA group had it reserved.

 

Oh, and disembarkment did seem to run late. We were literally among the last off the ship and that was around 10:45am.

[Cruise Raider]

We were on the 8/9 sailing and I was traveling with a bunch of smokers. The smoking section outside of the One5 was on the starboard side and it seemed that all the smokers kept to that side during the cruise. The other side was usually deserted... The only time the non-smoking side was full was during Glacier Bay day when a large TA group had it reserved.

 

Oh, and disembarkment did seem to run late. We were literally among the last off the ship and that was around 10:45am.

 

Aha.... that is exactly why we were not able to board as the BVE group until late. That's ok, we had enough time to enjoy a nice lunch and we did our own tour with our driver.

We understand your cruise did not have the best weather. We lucked out, I guess. Who knows what it will be like when we book ... we were prepared for bad weather but didn't encounter any of it.

[Luvmyrotti]

Thanks for your review. We will be on the Grand in three and a half weeks and are happy to hear that you found her to be in reasonably good shape.

[tomsawyer]

Very interesting review. The Grand being my home based ship is my favorite and I will be back on her September 18th.

[Colo Cruiser]

Thanks for the review.

As the first Grand Class ship......

IMO its time for the Grand to go.

[Luvmyrotti]

Thanks for the review.

As the first Grand Class ship......

IMO its time for the Grand to go.

 

What makes you say that? It actually sounds like the OP experienced her being in pretty good shape, and of course she should get a nice sprucing up during her upcoming drydock.

 

We actually really enjoyed the Grand when we were on her a few years ago. We particularly enjoyed some of the changes that were made during her major refit when skywalkers was removed.

[Kingofcool1947]

Here is the review I submitted for my recent cruise on the Grand Princess. Please feel free to post any questions you may have for me.

 

Background information: We are a couple in our mid 50's / early 60's traveling with my brother and his wife, both in their 50's. This was our 50th cruise, with over 20 cruises on Princess and our second time within a year on the Grand Princess. My brother and his wife were enjoying their 2nd cruise and their first cruise on Princess. It was their first and our ninth cruise up to Alaska.

 

We all live just a few miles from San Francisco and took the opportunity to treat our driver that transported us to the pier to the Bon Voyage Experience.

We arrived at the port by 10:30 AM, went through security and stopped by the wine table to pay our corkage fee. Since we live close to the port, we brought a case of wines that we enjoy onboard and paid the $15 per bottle corkage for each bottle above our 1 per person limit. Security did not have a long line and neither did the wine table, so we were on our way to the check in table. Since we booked the BVE package for our guest, they directed us to this line but there was a mix up here and we were passed up by many other passengers in both the regular and elite lines. I think someone was new as she didn't provide us with the correct pass to board the ship and also forgot to give us a map of the ship. We were finally checked in by 11:45 but had to wait another 30 minutes or so in order to board. There seemed to have been an issue with some passengers on the previous cruise that weren't disembarking as instructed. Maybe so, maybe not, but that is what we had been told.

Lindsay, the future cruise consultant, led us onboard and off we went to drop off our carry on luggage in our rooms, and afterwards, enjoy our lunch with our BVE guest in the main dining room. Our food was good and the service was equal to that of the food.

 

Ship information: The Grand is my least favorite ship in the fleet and as mentioned, we have previously sailed on her down to Mexico in December. I had a more favorable opinion of her on this trip, even though she has not yet gone into dry dock. Our cabin was maintained better than our previous one. We also encountered some very rough seas on our previous trip which I thought was attributable to the ship's design since they removed Skywalkers. We had very smooth seas during this sailing though, so I feel it appropriate to retract my previous opinion on the stability of the ship itself. I still believe that having no center staircase is ludicrous for a ship of this size. Either you waited and waited and waited for an elevator in the center of the ship or you had to wind your way past the photo booth area just to get to your room via the aft staircase. I hope that ship never encounters a fire or an emergency as the crowds that formed in this area were a real hazard. People would park their strollers and scooters right in the middle of the aisle so nobody could pass through.

Another design flaw is the casino and smoking room that affected anyone wanting to enter the Princess theater on deck 6 or anyone standing in line at the guest services desk. Since we booked a window suite on this ship for a future date, we made a point to walk down the hallway of these rooms to see if they were also affected by the smoke but it didn't seem obvious in that hallway.

I understand this ship is going into dry dock or at least for a two week wet dock for refurbishment this December but had noticed some maintenance that had taken place since our last cruise on her. The carpets are still worn in some sections but some looked like it has been recently replaced. There was a crew member replacing the strings of lights under the stairs while we were onboard. However, there was a lot of the furniture that needs to be replaced in the lounges and sitting areas. The dining rooms, including the specialty dining rooms are in very good shape, though. The Crown Grill is beautifully done, as is the library / tea room area and also the piazza.

The seating areas outside of the One5 Club are in desperate need of new furniture cushions. They also switched the non-smoking side back here which obviously caused a lot of confusion because people were smoking in both sides back there. The one time I did not see smokers on both sides was when the one side was closed to the public because corporate had a meeting scheduled in the One5. We were able to use this area for viewing the glacier but we had to inform the smokers that visited our only non-smoking area that they moved the smoking side to the starboard side. I had already requested that some signage should be displayed two times previous to this but it had not been carried out.

The public bathrooms on this ship were pretty bad last December and still much the same. They did place some fresh flowers in the women's bathrooms but they still looked as though they were in need of some major maintenance and a deep cleaning. There were some extremely cold areas on the ship but most of the lounges, the theater and dining areas were kept at a very comfortable temperature.

The buffet area and tables in the oceanview were kept nice and clean. There were always plenty of crew working these areas to make sure dirty dishes were cleared quickly so others could sit down for their meal.

The casino was fun -- and we broke even. Most of the machines seemed to be in working order. I recall the buttons would stick horribly last time around so it appears they have been maintaining these since last time onboard. There is a small non-smoking section here which is most appreciated.

The internet cafe was never too crowded and while service was slow, it was steady and we never lost our connection. This is rare considering where we were when using it. The room was kept tidy and clean and the computers were up to date.

The kiosks where you can print out your folio are a very nice touch.

 

Cabin: Our cabin was in decent shape with a couple of issues and our room steward kept everything nice and tidy. Our window rattled something fierce and maintenance came up immediately and tightened the face and placed some small pieces of cardboard around the edges so it didn't rattle incessantly throughout the rest of the cruise. It did work and he would have added some silicon sealer but said the smell would make us ill. We were quite happy with the results. The other issue was our toilet wouldn't flush on the disembarkation day. We notified our room steward and she cheerfully said she would report it to maintenance. Luckily, my brother's room was right down the hall from us so we were able to use their commode.

Our bed was worn but with a topper that our room steward placed on there, it was pretty comfortable. The pillows were the best!! The refrigerator worked quite well in keeping everything nice and cold. The lights were all in working condition and thermostat kept the temperature at a constant nice cool temperature, just like we prefer.

 

Activities: This is where I believe the ship was lacking. We did find ourselves without anything of interest going on during many times of the day. The cruise director was so so -- not horrible but not really engaging. The enrichment seminars by Greg Wheeler, the geologist onboard were quite interesting, though. Kudos on scheduling him for several talks throughout the cruise.

 

Service: Once again, the service went above and beyond expectations on the Grand!! This is where the staff and the crew excelled and what brought us back to sail on this ship again. Our room steward, as mentioned previously, did a wonderful job and anticipated our every need. She always did so with a smile.

The guest services team was very helpful in the couple of visits we had to make. There is still a question about the onboard credit we were to receive that couldn't be fixed while onboard. However, they did everything within their authority to fix any issue the passengers had ... all with keeping their cool. Nice job!!

We booked a future cruise with Lindsay, who was not only functioning as the future cruise consultant but also had to take over as the captain's circle host for this sailing. She made it look pretty easy even though we know she was very very busy.

 

Dining and Service: Even though we had anytime dining, we loved our waiters, Jimmy and Shekar, so much that we requested the same table in the DaVinci dining room for the same time every evening. Michael, the head waiter made sure that request was fulfilled and would check on us at least once during each meal! This may have been the best team we've ever encountered on our many cruises....sheer perfection!! Most of the food in the MDR ranged from very good to excellent and some was just ok. We never left hungry, that's for sure. We only needed to order something once and they always remembered our preferences from then on.

The last evening of the cruise, we went to the Crown Grill. Franco found us a very suitable table after learning that all the window seats had been taken and checked on us a couple of times to make sure everything was perfect. Our service there, Sharon was our waitress, was impeccable. The food was also excellent! Well worth the cover charge of $29.

We were always able to find something we liked at the buffet or at the Trident Grill, which had a special Alaskan menu on several of the evenings. We watched a movie at MUTS while dining on crab cakes one evening. It was great fun and really good food. We didn't go to Alfredo's -- we are not big fans of their pizza there. It was actually the first time we've never gone to the International Cafe -- not sure why. I did go to the coffee bar here every night for a cup of milk and Allen always served it to me with a smile. It only took one time and he would have it ready for me when he saw me.

We did go to the One5 a few times and to the Wheelhouse Bar several times throughout the cruise during happy hour and received excellent service there from Abdul, Pele, Anoop and Marcelino. We actually won one of the bottles of wine they raffled off at the end of the cruise from the Wheelhouse.

 

Port & shore excursions: All the ports are favorites of mine. We were treated to extremely good weather in all our ports, except maybe Victoria. It was still beautiful but was expecting sunny warm weather and it was rather cool and windy here.

 

In Ketchikan, we didn't have an excursion. We hiked up the Married Man's Trail to the fish ladder. The water level is really low but we did see some salmon swimming back upstream. We then hiked up to the hotel at the top of the hill. The tram was not working so hiked back down after enjoying some gorgeous views from up top. We did a little shopping here and then stopped at our favorite bar, the Sourdough Bar, before getting back on the ship.

 

In Juneau, we were planning on going to the Brewery but the timing didn't work out so well with my brother's excursion so we instead hiked up to the government buildings and the Governor's House followed by a little walk through town. My brother and his wife toured the Mendenhall Glacier, Salmon Hatchery followed by a salmon bake. They really enjoyed this tour but thought the visitor's center at the glacier was way too crowded. We were going to meet up after their tour at the Red Dog Saloon but it was impossible to even walk in the place as the line went way down the sidewalk by this time.

 

In Icy Strait Point, we noticed that they've done a lot of work without ruining its natural beauty. We took a walk through the museum and parted ways here again. We continued by doing a little shopping in the old cannery buildings and gone are the bargains that once existed here. We took a walk into Hoonah and made it as far as the Icy Strait craft Brewery and enjoyed a nice cold beer with a beautiful view. While the town of Hoonah really does not have much to see, it is the journey that is the excursion in this port of call. We then walked back and hiked on the nature trail until finally reboarding the ship. My brother and his wife loved their excursion here, which was a bear watching tour. They said the bear was so close, they could hear him crunch on the salmon he just caught.

 

Instead of sailing down the Tracy Arm, we were treated to the Endicott Arm and the star of the show, a beautiful glacier that calved while we were there. This was the most amazing day of all. While sailing on our way back to Canada, we were treated to seeing whales slip out and back into the water. WOW!! What a special sight to see.

 

In Victoria, we all did an excursion that included city highlights, Mt Tolmie and the Craigdarroch (sp?) Castle. It was a very interesting tour and we learned a lot about the city as well as Robert Dunsmuir. We booked this tour from the ship and felt as though it was well worth the price.

 

Entertainment: The entertainment they had scheduled was excellent. We just noticed that the variety didn't really exist. However, the singers were all so good ... from Tricia Kelly, to the piano player at Crooners and Alexander on the guitar as well as vocals, Ric Steele, Quarto (?) and the girl that was the Idol finalist were all so good.

The magician / comedian was also good ... but we miss having a little more comedy and the hypnotist show. We were busy during the marriage game and during one of the movies they showed in the Vista ... and couldn't find it on the tv or the lounge ever again. We love trivia but always seemed to be about 5 minutes late so didn't participate but stayed to guess anyway. The wine tasting event was not enjoyable. We were seated in back with the rest of the elite passengers and other tables were so loud back there, we couldn't even hear what the presenters were saying about the wines. Not really the fault of Princess but it just wasn't worth our time for this event.

 

Disembarkation: This is where I have seen the most improvement. Passengers were designated to specific rooms that weren't overcrowded. They ran about 15 behind the schedule but the port had everything set up so well that we were through the customs and out the door so quickly.

 

Summary: Overall, we had a very nice and enjoyable cruise with great weather, great service and some great experiences as well as meeting some really nice fellow passengers and staff. The seas were extremely calm, especially for this particular itinerary.

The captain of the ship is so friendly and has quite the sense of humor. We even met his family during the cruise and they are all such warm and friendly people. We really enjoyed meeting them.

While the Grand is not my favorite ship as explained above, the crew and staff went a long way towards making this cruise special for us. They made us feel like family!! What more can you ask for?

 

Thanks. Nice review.

 

I'll be on the Grand 9/25 10 day Mexico cruise. Looking forward to sun and fun South of the border :)

 

By chance, did you notice if Grand offered dining at the Crab Shack?

[Cruise Raider]

Thanks. Nice review.

 

I'll be on the Grand 9/25 10 day Mexico cruise. Looking forward to sun and fun South of the border :)

 

By chance, did you notice if Grand offered dining at the Crab Shack?

 

They were offering dining at the Crab Shack. While we didn't go to the Crab Shack, one of the options in the dining room was Alaskan King Crab legs ... they were just ok, though. And the specialty dining might use a different batch. I can say that the Crown Grill served us one of the best meals we've had.

 

For you Mexico cruise, I highly recommend the Turtle Sanctuary in Manzanillo. It was one of the best tours I have ever done.

[Cruise Raider]

What makes you say that? It actually sounds like the OP experienced her being in pretty good shape, and of course she should get a nice sprucing up during her upcoming drydock.

 

We actually really enjoyed the Grand when we were on her a few years ago. We particularly enjoyed some of the changes that were made during her major refit when skywalkers was removed.

 

While we did have a really good time on her this last time out, I do wish we could get one of the Island or Crown class ships home based out of SF since they seem to like giving us the older gals. Would the new Royal or the Regal be too much to ask for??? I am ready for a change. :D

[Kingofcool1947]

They were offering dining at the Crab Shack. While we didn't go to the Crab Shack, one of the options in the dining room was Alaskan King Crab legs ... they were just ok, though. And the specialty dining might use a different batch. I can say that the Crown Grill served us one of the best meals we've had.

 

For you Mexico cruise, I highly recommend the Turtle Sanctuary in Manzanillo. It was one of the best tours I have ever done.

 

Thank you!

Crown Grill is on my bucket list.

And, I will check out the Turtle Sanctuary shore excursion.

[kc320]

Thank you for the thorough review!! I will be on the Grand in just a couple weeks...really excited for my 1st Princess Cruise!:D

[Lucky TGO]

Great review thank you!!

Tony