Live feed from the Grand Princess 9/25 and 9/30 cruises

[KruzPrincess]

On 9/27/2021 at 11:36 PM, Cruise Raider said:

They added him to the schedule late but we just came back from his show both my DH and I said it may have been one of the best shows we’ve ever seen on a cruise.  The man is so incredibly talented!  I’m so glad we didn’t go by the description on JourneyView, which was listed as a Variety Show.  We gave his show an A++++

I hope we get to see him again .. either on this cruise or in the future! 
you can pass that info along to him from us!  And thank you for the recommendation!  

You’re welcome. I’m glad you got to see him. I agree that he’s very talented. 

[Cruise Raider]

19 hours ago, mellon1 said:

That is so great they are serving the crew!  We usually do traditional in the main dining room at late seating.  Hoping that won't be an issue.  

 

That drink you are having sounds amazing and different.  What day is turnaround for you?  Wishing you best of luck that all is good and you are healthy for the testing.  

 

Mary

Sorry for the late response … my CC gets very wonky on me and I can’t post sometimes.  
A Bloody Caesar is a Bloody Mary with clam juice .. I think it’s a Canadian drink but wow, is it ever delicious!  
 

The crew all seem happy to be working again.  I’m happy they are being treated well, too.  
When we set sail out of LA, the crew that are in the Ruby were all out on their balconies waving to us.  So, it’s nice to see they are able to use the balcony cabins while still not operational for passengers.  

[cruzsnooze]

    I can't wait to board tomorrow and join you. I got back my Negative covid test this morning from Kaiser. It was only 24 hours to get results so one less worry here. Can anyone currently on board now ask how many passengers will be sailing tomorrow. I would assume there will be no more passengers added since we're within 24 hours of sailing and homeland security closes the manifest. 

   I did not use a smart phone or app. I registered on the phone with Ocean Ready. I will report how embarkation goes having to go into the tech dummy line! I did receive my medallion in the mail so it may not be to hard just show my covid test and fill out the health questionnaire. My friend did not get a medallion so we will see how long that takes. 

  I am in a full suite. I hope the amenities are as printed although someone reported the gold mesh bathroom amenity wasn't available. I'm bringing my own conditioner just in case. Since 2 bottles of water are supposed to be delivered each evening I guess we get turn down service or at least the water dropped off . Since it's a short cruise I am not entitled to a specialty restaurant the first night but since the ship is less then full capacity I am hopeful to get that invite. 

  Looking forward to tomorrow..............................

Edited September 29, 2021 by cruzsnooze

[mellon1]

7 hours ago, gmcwalker said:

No issues whatsoever. You can reserve your Dining time for your entire cruise at the same time on the Medallion App or have choices every 20 minutes from 5pm on. I choose 7pm so I could make the late show if it suited my mood. Turn around was at noon today Tuesday.

Thanks!

[mellon1]

8 hours ago, gmcwalker said:

At Cabo there was a 3-5" swell at anchor and heading north today it has increased to about 5-8' with 20 knot wind out of the NW that combined with the ship speed of 21 knots created a great wind tunnel on decks 14 -17. I was at the Oasis Hot Tub a bit sheltered but heading to the elevator on the side of the ship I had to lean into the wind for a short time. However my swimsuit dried out pretty quick.

As I'm getting ready to go to bed I will orient the bed or my position on the bed to the the swell to mimic a rocking motion that apparently my mind remembers and I sleep as they they say like a baby!

LOL, good way to dry the swim suit!  My DH will be jealous he is missing the action!

[fabby50]

11 minutes ago, cruzsnooze said:

    I can't wait to board tomorrow and join you. I got back my Negative covid test this morning from Kaiser. It was only 24 hours to get results so one less worry here. Can anyone currently on board now ask how many passengers will be sailing tomorrow. I would assume there will be no more passengers added since we're within 24 hours of sailing and homeland security closes the manifest. 

   I did not use a smart phone or app. I registered on the phone with Ocean Ready. I will report how embarkation goes having to go into the tech dummy line! I did receive my medallion in the mail so it may not be to hard just show my covid test and fill out the health questionnaire. My friend did not get a medallion so we will see how long that takes. 

  I am in a full suite. I hope the amenities are as printed although someone reported the gold mesh bathroom amenity wasn't available. I'm bringing my own conditioner just in case. Since 2 bottles of water are supposed to be delivered each evening I guess we get turn down service or at least the water dropped off . Since it's a short cruise I am not entitled to a specialty restaurant the first night but since the ship is less then full capacity I am hopeful to get that invite. 

  Looking forward to tomorrow..............................

I am in a suite.  Conditioner, shampoo, lotion, liquid shower soap all in room.  We have not gotten the water except the first day and afternoon snacks only on 1st and 2nd.  I am sure we could ask for it though.  Dinner coupon in room on arrival.  Room has been freshened twice a day.

[cruzsnooze]

15 minutes ago, fabby50 said:

I am in a suite.  Conditioner, shampoo, lotion, liquid shower soap all in room.  We have not gotten the water except the first day and afternoon snacks only on 1st and 2nd.  I am sure we could ask for it though.  Dinner coupon in room on arrival.  Room has been freshened twice a day.

That's good to know, thanks. Do you know why the bottles of water aren't daily? I'm glad to hear you got the dinner invite on a short cruise, I hope we get it too. Are you by chance in a WS?

[fabby50]

1 minute ago, cruzsnooze said:

That's good to know, thanks. Do you know why the bottles of water aren't daily? I'm glad to hear you got the dinner invite on a short cruise, I hope we get it too. Are you by chance in a WS?

Not sure, we have just been using the 2 they gave us and refilling.  But our room steward is as "suite" as she could be and I am sure if we asked, they would be provided.  Not in a window suite this time, but have had one twice, a very good selection!  Did you have a question about that type of room?  We are on the Caribbe deck, midshipman, and very happy with room and location.  Three decks up or three decks down get you to just about everything.

[sthygesen]

28 minutes ago, fabby50 said:

I am in a suite.  Conditioner, shampoo, lotion, liquid shower soap all in room.  We have not gotten the water except the first day and afternoon snacks only on 1st and 2nd.  I am sure we could ask for it though.  Dinner coupon in room on arrival.  Room has been freshened twice a day.

We are also in a suite for a 4 day starting tomorrow.  I’m wondering if we’ll get the dinner coupon.
Was your cruise 5 or 6 days? 

[donswife]

14 minutes ago, cruzsnooze said:

That's good to know, thanks. Do you know why the bottles of water aren't daily? I'm glad to hear you got the dinner invite on a short cruise, I hope we get it too. Are you by chance in a WS?

We will be in a window suite in a couple of weeks. We had one twice on the CB, loved it.

[cruzsnooze]

16 minutes ago, fabby50 said:

Not sure, we have just been using the 2 they gave us and refilling.  But our room steward is as "suite" as she could be and I am sure if we asked, they would be provided.  Not in a window suite this time, but have had one twice, a very good selection!  Did you have a question about that type of room?  We are on the Caribbe deck, midshipman, and very happy with room and location.  Three decks up or three decks down get you to just about everything.

Yes, I am in a window suite. On the Caribbean Princess the WS does not have the casino outside the wall of suites. I have never sailed on the Grand and was worried about noise and smoke.  Did you also get the little bag of sleep goodies in your suite?

[cruzsnooze]

10 minutes ago, sthygesen said:

We are also in a suite for a 4 day starting tomorrow.  I’m wondering if we’ll get the dinner coupon.
Was your cruise 5 or 6 days? 

The specialty dinner per the suite amenity page is for cruises of 6 nights or longer. Since the ship is well below capacity I thought they might extend the invite to these shorter cruises. 

[BrandiGreg]

International Cafe breakfast selection.  They now have small breakfast burritos with salsa (egg and mild link sausage).

[sthygesen]

10 minutes ago, cruzsnooze said:

The specialty dinner per the suite amenity page is for cruises of 6 nights or longer. Since the ship is well below capacity I thought they might extend the invite to these shorter cruises. 

That’s what I’m hoping!! 

[wineforhealth]

1 hour ago, Cruise Raider said:

Sorry for the late response … my CC gets very wonky on me and I can’t post sometimes.  
A Bloody Caesar is a Bloody Mary with clam juice .. I think it’s a Canadian drink but wow, is it ever delicious!  
 

The crew all seem happy to be working again.  I’m happy they are being treated well, too.  
When we set sail out of LA, the crew that are in the Ruby were all out on their balconies waving to us.  So, it’s nice to see they are able to use the balcony cabins while still not operational for passengers.  

Thank you for the very informative posts along with the other CC members  on your cruise. Wish I could of made the trip. 

Once again thank for taking you time to answer questions.

[wallyj]

Can anyone report if the ship is still expected to arrive ‘late’ back to San Pedro tomorrow, September 30. 
 

I received a call from Princess  yesterday saying I have not completed Medallion check in. The APP has ‘lost’ my passport info, Medallion support says they are aware of the problem and ‘sorry’, will probably need to have passport scanned at port.

 

I mentioned to agent current sailing was notified ship expected to arrive late back to San Pedro so will this affect embarkation for Sept 30 sailing?

 

Reply was she has no info regarding delay and first arrival group is still 11:30- 12. 
 

Guess we get to find out tomorrow.

[fabby50]

56 minutes ago, cruzsnooze said:

Yes, I am in a window suite. On the Caribbean Princess the WS does not have the casino outside the wall of suites. I have never sailed on the Grand and was worried about noise and smoke.  Did you also get the little bag of sleep goodies in your suite?

Our cruise is 5 days and we got the dinner.

 

When we had the window suites, I remember a couple of days when we could smell smoke in the hallway but not in the room.  No noise problems.

No bag of sleep goodies, just room service breakfast menu left on pillow.

[Cruise Raider]

18 hours ago, srpilo said:

 Sip & Cover.... What ??

 

Even pre-vaccine, at the worst of it, through out the country once you were seated in lounge you could take you mask off... As far as I know at this point the only occasion where sip & cover is asked and enforced is on a airplane flying, or public transportation.

 

Why hasn't anyone mentioned this earlier in the thread, this certainly isn't the policy on the Alaska cruises or other cruise lines. This is contrary to the protocols Princess has posted on their web-site before we booked. 

 

I hope the cruising public hears more about this, maybe cancellations will awaken HQ that there's line where customers won't cross, specially when when they're told something different when booking or seeing on other lines

I noticed the signs only just a couple of days ago.  They are posted in the Vista Lounge and in the Explorer’s lounge.  For the most part, we’ve seen people complying.  I don’t see the signs at Crooners, at Vines and in the piazza and only those without drinks (or food) seem to be wearing masks.  
The elevators have signs stating masks are required and recommend no more than 6 passengers or one travel party group.  There is a lot of compliance for that rule. There are always going to be exceptions due to those that don’t want to comply but, they may ruin it for everyone else.  I sure hope we don’t see what happened back in 2020 ever again.  
With all due respect, it’s probably best for those that don’t want to comply if they just wait for the restrictions to be lifted.  We don’t love wearing a mask 😷 but, it’s so awesome to get a chance to cruise again … we are willing to do what it takes. 

[fabby50]

15 minutes ago, wallyj said:

Can anyone report if the ship is still expected to arrive ‘late’ back to San Pedro tomorrow, September 30. 
 

I received a call from Princess  yesterday saying I have not completed Medallion check in. The APP has ‘lost’ my passport info, Medallion support says they are aware of the problem and ‘sorry’, will probably need to have passport scanned at port.

 

I mentioned to agent current sailing was notified ship expected to arrive late back to San Pedro so will this affect embarkation for Sept 30 sailing?

 

Reply was she has no info regarding delay and first arrival group is still 11:30- 12. 
 

Guess we get to find out tomorrow.

Yes, late arrival is expected, we picked the first walk of group of between 10:15 and 10:45.  We are hoping we get their earlier since we were suppose to get to Cabo by 3 and actually made it there around 2ish.  Captain has not said anything yet however, maybe later.

[Cruise Raider]

11 hours ago, HBCcruiser said:

@Cruise Raider I know you are enjoying your cruise and don’t want to impose but do you happen to know if they offered the Chef’s Table dinner? Love that but not sure they offer it on shorter cruises. Thx 😀🚢

I have seen nothing about the Chef’s Table and as a matter of fact, it was only available on the Majestic because the person who set up our roll call and the live feed thread had made arrangements for it.  They required that she got a number of people together (somewhere around 16 people, if I recall) before they would schedule it.  
 

I asked the sommelier at Vines if they were going to do the wine tasting and he didn’t think so but lo and behold, they had one yesterday and the premium one today.  We’ve had so much good luck at having such wonderful servers that have recommended excellent wines at Crooners and Vines that we didn’t feel as though we needed a formal wine tasting event.  
my point being, they are adding events as we are cruising …

[ClassyApplePie]

2 hours ago, cruzsnooze said:

    I can't wait to board tomorrow and join you. I got back my Negative covid test this morning from Kaiser. It was only 24 hours to get results so one less worry here. Can anyone currently on board now ask how many passengers will be sailing tomorrow. I would assume there will be no more passengers added since we're within 24 hours of sailing and homeland security closes the manifest. 

   I did not use a smart phone or app. I registered on the phone with Ocean Ready. I will report how embarkation goes having to go into the tech dummy line! I did receive my medallion in the mail so it may not be to hard just show my covid test and fill out the health questionnaire. My friend did not get a medallion so we will see how long that takes. 

  I am in a full suite. I hope the amenities are as printed although someone reported the gold mesh bathroom amenity wasn't available. I'm bringing my own conditioner just in case. Since 2 bottles of water are supposed to be delivered each evening I guess we get turn down service or at least the water dropped off . Since it's a short cruise I am not entitled to a specialty restaurant the first night but since the ship is less then full capacity I am hopeful to get that invite. 

  Looking forward to tomorrow..............................

Thank you for your post. Getting covid test results from Kaiser within 24 hours is indeed one less worry. Looking forward to your on board reports

[Cruise Raider]

12 hours ago, 4cats4me said:

Thanks, @Cruise Raider

It’s been a while since we were last onboard so I appreciate your time.  I had to laugh when you mentioned the little leaks in Explorer’s as that was the situation back in 2011, and in 2016 we had a little bucket outside our cabin , but nothing major.   

I do recall now someone mentioning earlier that Michaelangelo is being used for crew.  

Regarding Wheelhouse, I recall some very cool paintings of ships. Hoping that they’re still there.  

 

Glad to hear the food has been excellent.  Is your next cruise leg the 80s themed one? 

 

Thank you for  your great thread and for your time.  I appreciate it.  

You will notice a lot of new furniture  and carpeting .. the ship does look fresher all the way around.  There are still the major flaws, though … some of the public bathrooms just need a complete redo and some leaks haven’t been fully repaired and the balcony furniture is definitely old but functional. But, for the parts that really matter, she is looking really good for a ship of her age.  I think she looks better than when we last sailed on her in which was right before the pandemic.  
Most of the paintings have remained from before … so, I’d think it would still be the same.  

[cruzsnooze]

15 minutes ago, Cruise Raider said:

  There is a lot of compliance for that rule. There are always going to be exceptions due to those that don’t want to comply but, they may ruin it for everyone else.  I sure hope we don’t see what happened back in 2020 ever again.  
With all due respect, it’s probably best for those that don’t want to comply if they just wait for the restrictions to be lifted.  We don’t love wearing a mask 😷 but, it’s so awesome to get a chance to cruise again … we are willing to do what it takes. 

There are exceptions that are medical. People like myself who have COPD are exempt,  however I always wear my N95 mask to protect myself and others. People who are exempt are the most vulnerable and take extra precautions to stay safe because we are not able to ever be put on a ventilator. I plan to walk the running track every morning for exercise at my slow pace without a mask because during any exertion I don't oxygenate well enough. Of course there are always some who feel the precautions don't apply to them and those are the people I would avoid. 

[Cruise Raider]

16 hours ago, sthygesen said:

My DH and I just got our Covid tests. So we are all set to embark on 9/30!! So excited!! We haven’t had a cruise in 2 years!!! It’s a short one but looking forward to get back on a ship!! 
Please keep the info coming… Thanks for starting this thread!! 

Welcome … hope to see you onboard as we are staying for a B2B.  I know you will have as great a time as we are having.  
I have a question for you … did they change your arrival time as we are supposed to be getting back to LA late?  
We weren’t quite as late getting into Cabo as we thought we would so I’m curious as to what time boarding will start for the second leg of the cruise.  

[fabby50]

9 minutes ago, Cruise Raider said:

I have seen nothing about the Chef’s Table and as a matter of fact, it was only available on the Majestic because the person who set up our roll call and the live feed thread had made arrangements for it.  They required that she got a number of people together (somewhere around 16 people, if I recall) before they would schedule it.  
 

I asked the sommelier at Vines if they were going to do the wine tasting and he didn’t think so but lo and behold, they had one yesterday and the premium one today.  We’ve had so much good luck at having such wonderful servers that have recommended excellent wines at Crooners and Vines that we didn’t feel as though we needed a formal wine tasting event.  
my point being, they are adding events as we are cruising …

Hey!  Did you on any other thread do your impressions of the Majestic?  Reason I am asking is a person we ate lunch with said it was his least favorite ship because of the way they did the set up for the Asian market and the conversion was badly thought out.  We are on her for a California Coastal in April and I was looking forward to her because of the uniqueness, not in spite of it.