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

[fabby50]

Just now, Ken the cruiser said:

Were you late leaving port?

No, great sail away.

[Ken the cruiser]

1 minute ago, fabby50 said:

No, great sail away.

Just curious as you referenced folks were having their excursions cancelled and the Captain was hoping to make up time.

[fabby50]

1 minute ago, Ken the cruiser said:

Just curious as you referenced folks were having their excursions cancelled and the Captain was hoping to make up time.

They slowed the ship down, told us originally won't get to Cabo till 3 tomorrow.  They sped up last night, made good time and Captain announced we will get there earlier, just not sure when yet.  He will tell us later, probably tomorrow morning after he sees how we do tonight.

[Cruise Raider]

7 hours ago, Steelers36 said:

 

You have not forgotten as I have not yet asked.  😉

If you are passing through or in there yourself, I am interested to know if the poker table is operating.  (Majestic doesn't have one, for example, but I am presuming the Grand does).

 

They were playing poker last earlier today when we went there.  

[MsSoCalCruiser]

@fabby50Do you know if that was the number of passengers for the ship that you are on or is that the number allowed for all ships at this time?  

[Cruise Raider]

5 hours ago, Ken the cruiser said:

If I might ask, when you were on the Majestic in July, was mask wearing indoors required or is this something new?

We were on the first sailing on the Majestic and masks were not required anywhere except when in port and recommended in the elevators.  
we haven’t rode the elevator much on this sailing but people seem to be adhering to the capacity rules and definitely to the mask mandates in the elevators.  There is now proper signage within each elevator stating masks are required.  

[Ken the cruiser]

Just now, Cruise Raider said:

We were on the first sailing on the Majestic and masks were not required anywhere except when in port and recommended in the elevators.  
we haven’t rode the elevator much on this sailing but people seem to be adhering to the capacity rules and definitely to the mask mandates in the elevators.  There is now proper signage within each elevator stating masks are required.  

So, just are masks just required when riding the elevators or everywhere inside, except when eating or drinking?

[fabby50]

2 minutes ago, MsSoCalCruiser said:

@fabby50Do you know if that was the number of passengers for the ship that you are on or is that the number allowed for all ships at this time?  

That is the number of people on our sailing per the dining room manager

[MsSoCalCruiser]

1 minute ago, fabby50 said:

That is the number of people on our sailing per the dining room manager

Thank you. I’m booked on a cruise right before Christmas so I’m wondering how many will be allowed to book.  

[fabby50]

Just now, Ken the cruiser said:

So, just are masks just required when riding the elevators or everywhere inside, except when eating or drinking?

There are signs up.  They are required in the spa for example.  When I went this morning, lady in front of me did not have one, so they gave her one.

[Ken the cruiser]

Let’s say we’re walking from our cabin in the aft to go to the evening show in the theater and will use the stairs rather than the elevators. Will we have to wear a mask on our walk through the ship to the theater or just when we enter the theater?

 

The reason I’m asking is because of what @Cruise Raiderwrote in an earlier post after boarding:

 

Mask wearing indoors is being strictly enforced unless you are seated at a table with food or drink.  Nobody really appears to be cheating!  They even asked that in the theater or the lounge to attend a show, take a sip and replace you mask.  We have mask mandates in California anyway, so it’s not all that new to us.  I don’t love having to wear it but, it’s so much better than not cruising!  So, masks it will be.  

Edited September 26, 2021 by Ken the cruiser

[fabby50]

13 minutes ago, Ken the cruiser said:

Let’s say we’re walking from our cabin in the aft to go to the evening show in the theater and will use the stairs rather than the elevators. Will we have to wear a mask on our walk through the ship to the theater or just when we enter the theater?

I have the health advisory notice in front of me. Quote is "we strongly recommend you wear a face mask when indoors."  More stuff, then, "you are required to wear face masks in designated indoor areas".

So, I would say no, you are not required to wear a face mask unless you are in a designated area.

 

I will also say that most people are wearing them.  All the staff are wearing exceptionally good quality masks, some even double masking.  

[Ken the cruiser]

1 minute ago, fabby50 said:

I have the health advisory notice in front of me. Quote is "we strongly recommend you wear a face mask when indoors."  More stuff, then, "you are required to wear face masks in designated indoor areas".

So, I would say no, you are not required to wear a face mask unless you are in a designated area.

 

I will also say that most people are wearing them.  All the staff are wearing exceptionally good quality masks, some even double masking.  

Thanks. That clears my confusion up. We were on the Edge in August on a B3B where everyone was vaccinated and also had to provide a negative antigen/PCR test prior to boarding. On those cruises you were not required to wear a mask anywhere except when going ashore.

[fabby50]

Just now, Ken the cruiser said:

Thanks. That clears my confusion up. We were on the Edge in August on a B3B where everyone was vaccinated and also had to provide a negative antigen/PCR test prior to boarding. On those cruises you were not required to wear a mask anywhere except when going ashore.

I guess what we are trying to say is most people, and all crew members are wearing masks, everywhere.  If you are from some where where mask wearing is the exception, rather than the norm, it probably does seem strange.  My cues are coming from the comfort level of the crew and the discussions I am having with them.  This being their first cruise in about 16 months or more, they seem a bit nervous.  Most have been quarantined on the ship for 6 or so weeks, now we come along and who knows?  If it makes this very hard working group of people feel safer for me to wear a mask, regardless of my personal opinion, DOUBLE ME UP BABE AND HAND ME A MOJITO!

[brisalta]

12 hours ago, Cruise Raider said:

We went to the DaVinci for both the embarkation lunch and dinner.  The food was quite good.  We found out that the Michelangelo is being used for the crew’s dining area.  We haven’t been given menus but are asked to scan the QR code at our tables both in the dining room and at Vines. 

 

Who is the executive chef of the Grand Princess for this voyage?

[brisalta]

On 9/23/2021 at 7:58 PM, 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.

 

 

 

Speed reductions in that area are due to regulations to protect migrating whales. It is a rule that went into effect in the past several years.

[SwimCarrie]

12 hours ago, Cruise Raider said:

Our flight landed in Long Beach at approximately 10:30 AM and we ordered an Uber.  The ride was just under $50 to get to the pier.  There was a bit of traffic but I would estimate we got to the terminal for check in around 11:30, which was our assigned check in time.  Nobody was checking on arrival times as we checked in.  They did have a priority boarding lane for Elite and Suite passengers.  When we checked in, there was nobody really waiting in line, though.  We walked right up and we’re all checked in quickly.  They only needed to see your passport, vaccination record, negative CoVid test results and you were then given the go ahead to get into the security lane.  We were given a boarding pass for elite passengers and it was collected again shortly afterwards and we walked onto the gangway.  I didn’t notice anybody that was waiting to board.  There was a bit of a line up on the gangway as we were having our security photos taken.  After that, we were greeted warmly by many of the crew that were lined up and clapping or holding big red hearts. 

We stopped by the guest services desk and inquired about possible upgrades. Our info was taken and we were promised that we’d get a phone call by the time of sail away.  Since we never got a call, we checked back another couple of times but still, they had no answer for us.  We never fully unpacked because the last gentleman we spoke with told us not to expect any news until tomorrow.  It appears they have quite the list of passengers that are asking for the same.  They are requesting you stay in the same cabin for any B2Bs.  
We overheard a passenger state that there are on 1100 guests onboard.  I heard someone say it was only at 1/3 capacity.  Not sure which one is true but it’s so nice to be able to catch a show without having to go so early to get a seat.  Nothing feels crowded.  
 

Mask wearing indoors is being strictly enforced unless you are seated at a table with food or drink.  Nobody really appears to be cheating!  They even asked that in the theater or the lounge to attend a show, take a sip and replace you mask.  We have mask mandates in California anyway, so it’s not all that new to us.  I don’t love having to wear it but, it’s so much better than not cruising!  So, masks it will be.  
 

We went to the DaVinci for both the embarkation lunch and dinner.  The food was quite good.  We found out that the Michelangelo is being used for the crew’s dining area.  We haven’t been given menus but are asked to scan the QR code at our tables both in the dining room and at Vines.  This is different than the Majestic in that we were given menus as we were seated.  The QR code procedure is just fine with us, though.  It’s very efficient but I can see how some people wouldn’t like it.  There were menus available for those that didn’t have a smartphone.  

The Princess Patter is still being delivered in paper form but now, just on one page.  They are cutting down on the paper waste.  I did notice that they are still printing out the photos unlike on the Majestic where you ordered them through a kiosk.  Although there are no longer embarkation photos, we did notice a couple, photographers onboard to take your picture if you wished.  
The muster drill is now done by watching it on your device or on the TV and you just check in at your muster station with your medallion.  Be sure you each get a ✅ mark by your name after watching it.  

 

We attended the informal CC meet and greet up by the aft bar behind the Horizon Court.  In all, I think about 9 members attended.  
From there we went our separate ways to attend the sail away.  The Ruby Princess was docked next to us and the crew members were all out on the balconies waving to us as we sailed by.  
 

The crew and staff onboard so far have been wonderful.  They all seem incredibly happy that we are back onboard.  
Our room steward fulfilled all our requests pronto!  We are all the way aft on the starboard side of the ship on the Caribe deck.  The cabin is nice and clean.  Our steward does a great job.  Room cleaning is done once a day unless you request the additional evening service.  We don’t need the room steward to come in more than once a day but he assured us, just a call and they will be more than happy to bring towels or any other needs you might have in the evening.  He gave us a card with his number and I asked what time the stewards were off and he stated it is 9:00 PM.  I doubt if we will need anything. 
BTW, at the back of the ship everything is very shaky with a lot of vibration.     It is pretty noisy, which is why I’m still up at 2:00 AM writing this.  
We were in an aft facing cabin on the Majestic a couple of months ago and it was as quiet as can be.  I’ll get all caught up on my sleep soon, though.  I usually don’t mind the movement of the ship.  
 

Our CD is Gary and he is very energetic and funny!  He reminds me a bit of Matt O for those that have sailed with him in the past.  
We attended the Yes / No game show (very funny) in the Explorers Lounge after dinner and then off to see the comedic magic of Naathan Chan (I may have the spelling wrong) for the late show.  The comedian / magician was super talented and hilarious!   I understand that Carlos Oscar will be performing two shows.  He’s also quite funny.  The shows we attended were at 7:45 and 8:45.  It worked our perfectly for a 6:00 PM dining time.  
 

It was a long day so we turned in after the show.  
If I’ve forgotten to address any questions anybody has, just remind me.  I will attempt to get around to them as it seems my CC is behaving more rationally that it does at home when I am on my iPad.  The WiFi is pretty decent.  Just remember to logout on one device before you can use a different one or you will wonder what you may have done wrong.  Or .. you have the option to upgrade to a 4 device plan but it’s not really needed for us.  The MedallionClass app still works without an internet plan.  

We pretty much are sold on the app but, it’s not been without its problems for us.  I think the B2Bs have the IT team a bit stumped.  But, it’s working well onboard so far.  
 

So did you get an upgrade? 😁

[SwimCarrie]

And one more question for anyone in this forum...I read somewhere that they changed the lamps over and the new ones have USB ports. Is that the case for interior cabins, as well? Is there also an additional plug?

Thanks!

[manunia]

3 hours ago, wallyj said:

Hi @Cruise Raideror anyone else onboard willing to reply, would you find out on your 5 day sailing is the MTG (Most travel Guest) event for  the Top40 or Top20. As some are B2B, will the 4 day sailing be Top40 or Top20, I believe on the shorter cruises a MTG ‘event’ is not held, but a voucher/certificate is given to allow dinner for 2 in a specialty restaurant.

 

Would you verify who is the ‘Events and Loyalty Ambassador’ previously know as the Captains Circle Host. Heard it was supposed to be Barbara Z from Brazil. 

It is Barbara from Brazil

here is information provided by her: 5 days cruise - top 40 lunch, 4 days cruise- top 20 dinner, no officers in attendance but photo with captain will be taken

total passengers 2043, blue 388, gold 164, ruby 87, platinum 232, elites 172, cut off for mtp lunch is 448

[cr8tiv1]

 

@Cruise Raider and other posters:  Thank you for your detailed comments.  They are much appreciated.  Great to hear that the Grand made it out of San Pedro.  

[mellon1]

On 9/17/2021 at 3:43 PM, Cruise Raider said:

I was on the Majestic 7/25/21sailing and HaveDogWillTravel started a very helpful post about the first sailing out of the US for Princess in over 16 months.  

So, not quite a live feed yet but thought I would start a similar post for those that have questions about the initial sailings on the Grand Princess out of Los Angeles.  

My iPad is a bit wonky when posting to CC but will try to answer any questions you all may have about these sailings.  We, along with many others are doing a B2B (back to back) cruise starting on 9/25 and we will be continuing on until we disembark on 10/4.  I see a couple of others on our roll call stated they would jump in with answers to the questions you may have or even just post about their experiences.  

 

Precruise MC (Medallion Class) app experience:

Our MC app experience has been a little rocky for this sailing.  I'm not sure if it was related to doing a B2B so my Princess Cruise Vacation Planner tried unlinking them for me but, that didn't work.  She made several attempts but realized that the same thing was happening to others from our roll call.  We also encountered some further issues with the app, like not taking my credit card for both me and my DH that was keeping us from getting all our green check marks to hold.  I called the Navigator help line and they did fix this lickety split.  Of note, there were items we didn't have to enter back into the app after having just recently sailed on the Majestic.  That was nice!!  

The timeline for getting in that green lane status was slow but we finally got most everything situated on the MC app.  Still missing is anything listed in JourneyView.  I realize that for most shows and events, we probably won't need any reservations but I did want to book my spa appointments and such around things that I wanted to do or see onboard.  BTW, these can be scheduled on the personalizer ahead of time and it's really the way to go.  When we used the spa onboard the Majestic, it was hard getting a listing of their port day specials.  I realize that these don't come out of your OBC but, I'm sure we will find a way to spend that during the cruise.  Also, I noticed that the 10% elite status discount wasn't applied to those services onboard unless you asked for at the desk.  We didn't bother doing so with the photos or spa services but we did ask for it with an expensive tour we had booked.  I thought the discount would be automatic but, as of July, it wasn't.  

About 28 days prior to our sailing, we were able to reserve our dining times in the DMW (Dine My Way) link.  They had dining rooms to choose from and every time slot with 20 minute intervals were available.  About 4 or 5 days ago, those reservations for the first leg of our sailing, our dining reservations just disappeared.  No harm as we were able to reset them,  just not in the Michelangelo....so, the DaVinci it is!   Because this cruise appears to have a very limited capacity, we are curious as to whether or not this dining room will just not be used or it may be that they are using it only for those that want a more traditional style dining experience, even though that term no longer exists.  I found it interesting that Princess took into account if you wanted a shared or private table as that is now asked when you set up your dining reservations in the app.  They've obviously listened to those that want to meet new people when cruising.  

We were also able to reserve and pay for our special dining for the Crown Grill in the app.  Whatever credit card you have posted for your sailing is automatically charged.  Again, if you want to use your OBC to book the specialty dining, you will have to wait until you are onboard.  That hasn't changed.  

On day 11 before our cruise, we were finally able to choose our arrival time.  One day later, that disappeared.  I went back into the app and noticed that they had an earlier boarding time within Group A (it changed from noon to 11:30 AM) so, I choose that and got right back into the A group.  

Like I said, the only thing missing on the app now is the ability to see what shows and events are happening.  Life is all good, though!  

 

Testing mandates:

I booked this cruise immediately when I saw it was available through my PVP (or CVP).  I later thought that I may want to book the next sailing, as B2B sailings were then allowed.  At first, we were not able to get the same cabin but the one right next door.  While not optimal, we were happy enough with that.  We had also heard that B2Bs in different cabins weren't going to be allowed so, instead of chancing it, we were able to upgrade to another category in staying in the same room during the BOGO sale.  After that, the testing mandate within 2 days of the initial sailing and testing in between B2Bs was implemented.  

We were able to make an appointment at CVS for the rapid antigen test two days prior to our first leg of the cruise.  We were told that we will have to disembark the ship between sailings and get tested (compliments of Princess) and reboard only after getting a negative result.  We may consider taking home test kits with us just to know if we should pack up our items in between sailings.  We were assured the staff would pack up our belongings but it just seems safer for us to do it instead.  Given this added requirement, I would probably reconsider doing a B2B again while CoVid is still so active.  I did ask my PVP what would be done if we were asymptomatic and tested positive.  She assured us that Princess would take care of the necessary arrangements and costs to get us home as we'd not be able to fly on a commercial flight.  A car rental was mentioned and that sounded reasonable because it would just be from Los Angeles up to the SF Bay Area.  

As for others, I think the monitored home test kits that are now offered via a link on the Princess FAQs site, are a very popular option.  Many have noted their health insurance will reimburse them when submitting a claim.  The tests are $70 for a set of and can be found using this link ... CruiseHealth™ FAQ: Sailings from the United States - Princess Cruises

 

I almost forgot to mention, there seem to be a lot (I mean a lot) of cabins available on these cruises and it doesn't appear anybody is getting any upgrade or upsell offers.  On the Majestic, we had received an upsell offer and we turned it down because we already had the exact cabin we wanted.  Now, when we'd like a larger cabin  ... we'd really love to get one of these offers.  

 

Please feel free to chime in if you are on either of these initial sailings

.... or if you just have some questions that any of us might be able to answer for you.  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Thank you for posting.  This is my fear.  We are doing 6 b2bs starting 1/16/22.  I do not want to have to pack up all those times.  Final payment is due in a few weeks.  I don't feel comfortable having to do that and feel we would not be able to enjoy our trip.  I wonder if they will still be doing it in 2022? UGHHHH

[mellon1]

On 9/24/2021 at 12:32 AM, BrandiGreg said:

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.  

Would you mind posting about the b2b cruise procedure and how many were doing b2bs?  Thanks.  Enjoy

[flwinejunkie]

Could you please post any information and details about "cruise next certificates" if it's offered?  I have my eye on a specific cruise next year so wondering if I should go ahead and book it now or wait until my December cruise to take advantage of a cruise next certificate offer.

 

I'm also concerned about trying to use the medallion for the first time, so I appreciate the info you've provided thus far.

 

Thanks in advance for your help!! 

Mary Jon

[cr8tiv1]

You guys made the local news:

 

https://ktla.com/news/local-news/cruise-ship-sets-sail-from-the-port-of-los-angeles/

 

 

[gmcwalker]

1 hour ago, SwimCarrie said:

And one more question for anyone in this forum...I read somewhere that they changed the lamps over and the new ones have USB ports. Is that the case for interior cabins, as well? Is there also an additional plug?

Thanks!

I am in a balcony cabin. By the phone there are two 110 outlets. The lamps each have a USB port. The bathroom has a small 110 -220 combo plug, one I am not familiar with. I assume it is a European standard plug. For the interior I am not positive but I'm pretty sure it is the same.

Edited September 27, 2021 by gmcwalker