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

[Cruise Raider]

23 hours ago, HBCcruiser said:

@CruiseRaider What excursions are you doing (if any)? Our B2B is the opposite of yours with the 4-day California Coastal followed by the 5-day Cabo. 

 

Believe it or not, we are not planning on doing any excursions as we've been to these ports of call so many times in the past.  We weren't even planning on getting off the ship in Cabo due to the tender.  I recently had knee surgery so, I'm definitely not going to ruin my progress.  I can honestly say, though, I've enjoyed the whale watching in Cabo and I've heard the wine tasting tour in Ensenada is supposed to be quite good.  San Diego has a million things to do right there by the dock.  I think the Midway Museum is fantastic and it's right next door to where we dock.  Balboa Park also has a lot to do including the famous SD zoo.  A tour to the Wild Animal Park is another great option.  

Anyhow, we are mainly cruising to enjoy being on a ship!! 

I'm hoping someone else will jump in to answer these questions.  

[Cruise Raider]

28 minutes ago, cruzrbachoua said:

We will be on the Majestic out of LA on 10/16 so can't wait to hear how boarding and what not goes from LA on your sailing.  If you have time would love to know if they are doing embarkation photos out of LA...I know they are not doing them currently on the Alaska voyages....have a great time.

 

We were also a bit disappointed that we didn't get an embarkation photo in Alaska but they just want to move things along so, I understand that.  We nearly always purchase the embarkation photo and have them print it up with the itinerary template.  It's fun to have those to refer back to ... just what year we started turning gray!  Haha!

On the Majestic, they did give you the ability to mark up a photo with the dates and such before they printed it for you.  Unfortunately, they did not have any itinerary templates available.  We did a makeshift one but they are really expensive.  We got a 5x7" and it was nearly $30.  We were supposed to receive a 10% discount ... we didn't push it, though.  

Thanks so much for the bon voyage wishes and I will try to come back to the embarkation photo question once onboard.  

[cr8tiv1]

@Cruise Raider  I understand your knee recovery.  Been there, done that (both at the same time).  I will be on the ship to cruise, not to get off at the ports.  You are correct, the Ensenada wine tours are a good way to see the town and country.  AND tons to do within walking distance of San Diego Pier.  I will add a short trolley ride to Old Town.  Walk up to the train station, catch a ride on the Trolley to the border or to points inland....with a senior fare.  

 

If you decide to do the Midway, pick up tickets online (no need to stand in line).  Walk on as soon as it opens and head straight up to Command Tower.  Then come back down and do the flight deck.  

[Cruise Raider]

The MC app is now displaying the evening entertainment for the first two days of the Sept 25th sailing.  

Looks like there is an activity in the Explorers Lounge at 7:45 PM and 9:45 PM and the theater shows are at 6:45 PM and 8:45 PM.  I think our 6:00 PM dinner reservations will work out perfectly to catch the 7:45 event in the Explorers Lounge followed by the 8:45 show in the theater.  That's probably going to work out well because there won't be huge crowds of passengers on these sailings.  

It seems like the Grand usually pushes everything up by 30 minutes ... on the Majestic, the show times were at 7:15 in Princess Live and 9:15 in the Princess theater ... the 6:20 PM dining time for two worked out perfectly to catch these two shows every night.  

[Cruise Raider]

1 minute ago, cr8tiv1 said:

@Cruise Raider  I understand your knee recovery.  Been there, done that (both at the same time).  I will be on the ship to cruise, not to get off at the ports.  You are correct, the Ensenada wine tours are a good way to see the town and country.  AND tons to do within walking distance of San Diego Pier.  I will add a short trolley ride to Old Town.  Walk up to the train station, catch a ride on the Trolley to the border or to points inland....with a senior fare.  

 

If you decide to do the Midway, pick up tickets online (no need to stand in line).  Walk on as soon as it opens and head straight up to Command Tower.  Then come back down and do the flight deck.  

 

Great advice!!  Thanks for chiming in.  I love Old Town in SD and even really like SeaPort Village.  We found discount tickets at the Chamber of Commerce right across the street from the dock for the Midway Museum.  Also, last time we were docked in San Diego, they had a free bus to take you into SeaPort Village, right as you walked out of the terminal.  

Ensenada has been doing a lot to attract tourism.  The area for the cruiseships is pretty safe now.  You can walk into a part of town from there, which is all fenced in and you can hit this area (I believe it is near the marina) where they have all sorts of restaurants, bars, shops and a large fountain with music.  They even built a nearby museum (can't remember the type) but, the immediate area near the ships is somewhat revitalized.  It's nice for a walk if we don't do the wine tasting tour.  We might even be the first ship to dock there in a long time.  I believe the Panorama is heading to Mazatlán, PV and Cabo.  

[Astro Flyer]

5 hours ago, Cruise Raider said:

We found discount tickets at the Chamber of Commerce right across the street from the dock for the Midway Museum.

I received a free lifetime pass to visit the Midway…it only cost me a couple of years of hooking up aircraft to the starboard catapult. ☺️
 

I always appreciate your helpful information & thanks for starting this thread. We board Majestic on 10/23 on the same day the Grand is embarking passengers in SP. Your boarding process might be different for you at the larger B93 terminal than for me at the smaller B92 terminal but would appreciate reading about your boarding experiences. And to know if it’ll be similar to your Seattle boarding experience where I’ve read they weren’t enforcing Arrival Group times. We have the early group A at 1130 and are eager to cruise again after a 2 year hiatus. Thankfully we’re in the Green Lane with all tasks completed until the day before boarding to answer the Health Questionnaire.

[cruzmore99]

We have been hesitant about going on a cruise in January but I think yesterday we decided to go for it. We booked a B2B  last March when Covid wasn't as bad. We are Canadians so we need a PCR test done 3 days before getting on a plane and clearing U.S. immigration in Toronto, but Princess wants a test done 2 days before boarding so we will fly down 2 days early to Fort Lauderdale and do a test there (likely at a Walmart).   I am curious about the theatre shows and other entertainment on board (that plus the food is why I love cruising more than an all inclusive resort).

[17pandd]

Great thread, thanks so much!

[Steelers36]

On 9/21/2021 at 2:28 PM, Cruise Raider said:

the theater shows are at 6:45 PM and 8:45 PM.

Quite a bit earlier than pre-Covid.  I don't think our typical early dining time is going to get us to the early show like we used to do.  I mean in time in future when we cruise with a full ship.

[Steelers36]

10 hours ago, cruzmore99 said:

We have been hesitant about going on a cruise in January but I think yesterday we decided to go for it. We booked a B2B  last March when Covid wasn't as bad. We are Canadians so we need a PCR test done 3 days before getting on a plane and clearing U.S. immigration in Toronto, but Princess wants a test done 2 days before boarding so we will fly down 2 days early to Fort Lauderdale and do a test there (likely at a Walmart).   I am curious about the theatre shows and other entertainment on board (that plus the food is why I love cruising more than an all inclusive resort).

Sorry, but you have some misinformation.  In order to fly TO the USA, you don't need PCR - that is when you fly back to Canada.  So, you can get the same test for both flying and for Princess - just do it two days before the cruise.  We fly down one day before the sail date when leaving from FLL.  But, suit yourself.  And remember, Princess will offer you the necessary PCR to get back home.  Just don't book a super-early departure time.

 

[gmcwalker]

Time to chime in on this first cruise out of LA from the Roll Call to Live.

Tomorrow, I will get the Covid testing done twice at different venues to be sure. 

Then Saturday a short drive from north San Diego County to San Pedro. Short for California that is. 

75 minutes from my home to the World Cruise Center. I will drop off my suitcase to the porters first and then park at the World Cruise Center lot, $19 a day. There is a shuttle to the terminal from the large lot but as we are the first and only cruise there, I should be able to park close to Berth 93 where the Grand is waiting which is also the closest to the terminal. As I have early boarding I should be on the ship by noon and as the ship is ready to go, as there are no previous passengers, I should be able to go to my cabin right away. I can't wait to test out the Medallion app ordering system!

I am wondering if Princess will have a special celebration for their first cruise out of California since they suspended operations.

Aloha, stay tuned and enjoy the ride with us!

Edited September 23, 2021 by gmcwalker

[Steelers36]

6 hours ago, gmcwalker said:

As I have early boarding I should be on the ship by noon and as the ship is ready to go, as there are no previous passengers, I should be able to go to my cabin right away.

You could be on well before noon if you are showing up earlier - based on the Seattle departures.

[Kenosha Cruiser]

Looking forward to following along since this will be the first cruise out of San Pedro since the virus outbreak. We have never been on the Grand Princess but are booked on it for May 2022 to Alaska. We are also booked on the Majestic Princess out of San Pedro on Oct. 16th, so any information from this live thread will be more than welcomed! Hope everyone has a "GRAND" time on the "GRAND PRINCESS". 

 

Cheers - Ken & Darlene

 

[Cruise Raider]

On 9/21/2021 at 5:14 PM, Astro Flyer said:

I received a free lifetime pass to visit the Midway…it only cost me a couple of years of hooking up aircraft to the starboard catapult. ☺️
 

I always appreciate your helpful information & thanks for starting this thread. We board Majestic on 10/23 on the same day the Grand is embarking passengers in SP. Your boarding process might be different for you at the larger B93 terminal than for me at the smaller B92 terminal but would appreciate reading about your boarding experiences. And to know if it’ll be similar to your Seattle boarding experience where I’ve read they weren’t enforcing Arrival Group times. We have the early group A at 1130 and are eager to cruise again after a 2 year hiatus. Thankfully we’re in the Green Lane with all tasks completed until the day before boarding to answer the Health Questionnaire.

Thank you for your service!  
BTW, there was someone posted in the parking in Seattle as you drove in, as,I guess people about their boarding times.  He never really checked further than that  and there were zero lines when we showed up to check in.  In essence, nobody was really checking but we were in the A group and they were already allowing people to board prior to 11:30. 

[Cruise Raider]

11 hours ago, Steelers36 said:

Quite a bit earlier than pre-Covid.  I don't think our typical early dining time is going to get us to the early show like we used to do.  I mean in time in future when we cruise with a full ship.

The Grand seems to have set the clock earlier than the other ships we’ve sailed on even before CoVid.  They had even set their PES lounge time to start at 4:30 PM last time we sailed on her, which was October of 2019.  
I thought the timing for everything on the Majestic earlier this summer was perfect!  

[fabby50]

We made our dinner reservations for 5:30, a little earlier than we like, but I figured show times would be earlier.  We have gotten caught by that before on other west coast sailings, no matter what the cruise line.  Not really sure why they do that - 

[Cruise Raider]

So, we got our Rapid Antigen CoVid tests this morning at CVS and our results were sent to us even before we got home.  Both ‘Negative’ so Grand Princess, here we come!  
Mostly packed and ready to go!  

 

[Thrak]

We did the 2 winery tour in Ensenada once. It was "okay" but nothing to write home about. Of course we have both worked in a huge winery at one time in the past so take that with a big grain of salt. Princess did allow folks to board with their "complimentary" and also purchased wine.

 

The last time we were in Ensenada we just walked through town to Hussong's Cantina. Yes, it's nothing special but it's a landmark. The drinks were quite good and inexpensive. One can go to Senor Frog's or somewhere for a more "trendy" experience but we enjoyed the casual, "just a bar" atmosphere in Hussong's.  We had 2 margaritas each (not giant things but quite good) and then I asked for a "shot" of Cazadores. He must have poured a double at the very least. It came to a total of $16.

 

Note: The bar had a peso to dollar chart posted on the wall so you knew in advance what rate you were getting. I've found that some places in Mexico have kind of a "sliding scale" as to how many pesos are in a dollar. I would rather pay with local cash but this was the only "foreign" stop on the cruise and I didn't want to hassle with it for one stop.

[gmcwalker]

Looks like we hit a bump in the road before we even have left. This came via email From Princess an few hours ago. Hang on folks it's going to an interesting time!

 

MPORTANT NOTICES ITINERARY CHANGE Please be advised that due to an operational speed reduction, Grand Princess will now arrive in Cabo San Lucas, Mexico 3:00 PM on Monday, September 27, 2021, rather than 12:00 noon as previously scheduled. Additionally, our scheduled arrival to Los Angeles on Thursday, September 30 will now be at 10:00 AM, rather than 6:15 AM. We want to assure you that this speed reduction in no way affects the safe operation of the ship, which is our highest priority. As a result of this change, our disembarkation flight guideline in Los Angeles for guests with independent air arrangements has changed. The earliest flight departure time is now 4:15 PM. Guests with Princess EZair flights that depart before 4:15 PM will have their flights changed and will receive their updated flight information soon. Guests will receive updated shore excursion information onboard. Please note that the itinerary that displays below does not yet reflect this change. Thank you for your attention to this notification.

 

 

Edited September 24, 2021 by gmcwalker

[Westsail32]

3 minutes ago, gmcwalker said:

Looks like we hit a bump in the road before we even have left. This came via email From Princess an few hours ago. Hang on folks it's going to an interesting time!

 

MPORTANT NOTICES ITINERARY CHANGE Please be advised that due to an operational speed reduction, Grand Princess will now arrive in Cabo San Lucas, Mexico 3:00 PM on Monday, September 27, 2021, rather than 12:00 noon as previously scheduled. Additionally, our scheduled arrival to Los Angeles on Thursday, September 30 will now be at 10:00 AM, rather than 6:15 AM. We want to assure you that this speed reduction in no way affects the safe operation of the ship, which is our highest priority. As a result of this change, our disembarkation flight guideline in Los Angeles for guests with independent air arrangements has changed. The earliest flight departure time is now 4:15 PM. Guests with Princess EZair flights that depart before 4:15 PM will have their flights changed and will receive their updated flight information soon. Guests will receive updated shore excursion information onboard. Please note that the itinerary that displays below does not yet reflect this change. Thank you for your attention to this notification.

 

 

I just read the email.  I feel bad for those with earlier flights.  Driving it just means I will miss morning rush hour.

 

[BrandiGreg]

We booked four b2bs starting Saturday on the Grand.  We booked them way back in May (online...we never use an agent or vacation planner). Then I heard rumors that b2b's were not allowed (and the CDC never technically banned them...they just banned cruises more than 7 days.....so as long as each separate cruise of a b2b is 7 days or less, it is ok)  So I called Princess, and they said they were fine and our bookings were ok.   And as it turns out, they were right.  We just wanted to economically get back on the water, even for 3 Cabo visits.  We live in central Calif, but got airfares that morning of $120 round trip, which is about what driving and staying at the Doubletree with free parking would cost.  B2B Carnival cruise vloggers reported that they disembarked on turnaround days as usual, but were retested in the terminal.  We will gladly take any upgrade from our interior aft cabin, but would prefer it not involve moving between legs.  Doing the Ensenada wineries tours ( we've done them twice before), and "Best of Cabo" on our October 9 leg, to use up some OBC.   Otherwise, it's 19 days of "free" drinks and eating as much seafood as I can find.  Oh, and my passion at home, team trivia games.  

[manunia]

6 hours ago, Westsail32 said:

I just read the email.  I feel bad for those with earlier flights.  Driving it just means I will miss morning rush hour.

 

less traffic is great but i was supposed to be at work at 10:30 that day😟

[cruzrbachoua]

10 hours ago, gmcwalker said:

Looks like we hit a bump in the road before we even have left. This came via email From Princess an few hours ago. Hang on folks it's going to an interesting time!

 

MPORTANT NOTICES ITINERARY CHANGE Please be advised that due to an operational speed reduction, Grand Princess will now arrive in Cabo San Lucas, Mexico 3:00 PM on Monday, September 27, 2021, rather than 12:00 noon as previously scheduled. Additionally, our scheduled arrival to Los Angeles on Thursday, September 30 will now be at 10:00 AM, rather than 6:15 AM. We want to assure you that this speed reduction in no way affects the safe operation of the ship, which is our highest priority. As a result of this change, our disembarkation flight guideline in Los Angeles for guests with independent air arrangements has changed. The earliest flight departure time is now 4:15 PM. Guests with Princess EZair flights that depart before 4:15 PM will have their flights changed and will receive their updated flight information soon. Guests will receive updated shore excursion information onboard. Please note that the itinerary that displays below does not yet reflect this change. Thank you for your attention to this notification.

 

 

OH no I hope nothing is too wrong with the ship...safe travels and take care of her we are to be on her in 2023...hopefully this 3rd time will work for us

[nycruiser2006]

Any ideas about CD, entertainment direct, captain?  I looked on the cruise director list and it doesn’t seem to be updated.  Looking forward to all your info! 

[fabby50]

I have been following the Panorama threads since they were the first ship out of Long Beach.  They did the same thing with her, slowed her down and came in later.  It doesn't seem to be quite as late as they predict (except for the 1st cruise), but seems they are taking caution so those that are flying don't miss a flight (change your flight to later).  I've seen people book 11 am flights, assuming they can get off by 8.  I've only done that once and we've done lots of cruises out of LA and Long Beach on every line that ports at the two.