Current Condition of Grand Princess

[getting older slowly]

Hi All,

 

We will be on the Grand in November this year, and wondering what the condition of the ship is

knowing it was built in 1998 and had a refit in 2019.

 

How are the cabins     we will be in an aft suite

Heard something about the stairs aft of the piazza  don't go all the way up and down is this so

 

Also Where is the club class dining room, and where are suite breakfasts held.

and are canapes before dinner held in One 5 on deck 15.... 

 

the only grand class ship we have been on in the Golden which is now part of P&O

 

Thanking you for your time

 

Don

 

[cr8tiv1]

45 minutes ago, getting older slowly said:

Hi All,

 

We will be on the Grand in November this year, and wondering what the condition of the ship is

knowing it was built in 1998 and had a refit in 2019.

 

How are the cabins     we will be in an aft suite

Heard something about the stairs aft of the piazza  don't go all the way up and down is this so

Correct.  No middle stairs from deck 7 up.  Aft elevators are wonky.  You will have to transition to Deck 7 to go forward to Piazza.

 

Also Where is the club class dining room,

DaVinci, deck 6/starboard

 

and where are suite breakfasts held.

Crown Grill/deck 7

 

and are canapes before dinner held in One 5 on deck 15.... 

Yes

 

the only grand class ship we have been on in the Golden which is now part of P&O

 

Thanking you for your time

 

Don

 

Read between the lines for most of your answers.  I love the Grand Princess and have had 4 cruises post pandemic and one more coming up.  She had water bucket problems pre-Covid, but that seems to be all fixed.  She recently (April) completed dry dock for a few weeks.  
 

Her crew is phenomenal.  Stage shows are tired, seen them one too many times.  Must try out Alfredo’s (free) Pizza restaurant.  Love her size, wrap around Promenade (depends on crew smoking), and covered pool.  Disappointed she doesn’t have a thermal spa.

[getting older slowly]

3 hours ago, cr8tiv1 said:

Read between the lines for most of your answers.  I love the Grand Princess and have had 4 cruises post pandemic and one more coming up.  She had water bucket problems pre-Covid, but that seems to be all fixed.  She recently (April) completed dry dock for a few weeks.  
 

Her crew is phenomenal.  Stage shows are tired, seen them one too many times.  Must try out Alfredo’s (free) Pizza restaurant.  Love her size, wrap around Promenade (depends on crew smoking), and covered pool.  Disappointed she doesn’t have a thermal spa.

Thank for your reply.... we have spent 100+ nights on the golden and enjoy the Grand Class ... the crew on the golden was amazing.. particularly the way they would remember us from past cruises... generally we do not do many shows   but do enjoy the musical performances on board..

 

Cheers Don

[wallyj]

5 hours ago, getting older slowly said:

Hi All,

 

We will be on the Grand in November this year, and wondering what the condition of the ship is

knowing it was built in 1998 and had a refit in 2019.

 

How are the cabins     we will be in an aft suite

Heard something about the stairs aft of the piazza  don't go all the way up and down is this so

 

Also Where is the club class dining room, and where are suite breakfasts held.

and are canapes before dinner held in One 5 on deck 15.... 

 

the only grand class ship we have been on in the Golden which is now part of P&O

 

Thanking you for your time

 

Don

 

Hello @getting older slowly, just off the Grand yesterday. 
 

The midship staircase only has public/passenger access to decks 4-7, any higher is crew only. Access to higher floor via elevators. This being midship there are 6. The 2 glass elevators are on their own controllers , meaning you need to press each call button to activate.

 

Club class dining is deck 6 Da Vinci starboard entrance, suite breakfast is held at Crown Grill, which is deck 7 forward of the atrium. Yes, One5 is the location of the Platinum, Elite, Suite lounge for ‘happy hour’ and snacks, evenings 5-7, except usually the evening of the Captain’s Circle party.

[cr8tiv1]

 

Grand Princess Dry Dock Oregon April 2022

 

 

Taken from Deck 7 looking up Staircase to Nowhere (aka crew only).

 

 

Grand Princess in Honolulu.  She's a beauty.

 

 

Edited July 21, 2022 by cr8tiv1

[nini]

@getting older slowly-

We also really enjoyed the Golden (sailed with her 4 times) and miss her.

We saw the Grand in dry dock in Portland earlier this year and will also sail on her this

September. We are sad that Skywalker's has been removed, but understand why.

We are glad that there is an Alfredo's and Vines, as we missed Alfredo's on the Emerald.

 

For your sake, I hope that Princess will wise up soon regarding the aft crew smoking area on the Promenade deck. We had a corner aft cabin on the Emerald and the smoke was very obvious.

[Senga]

Have never been keen on “older” ships but we had NO complaints on the condition of the Grand in June.  We had new carpet.

[cr8tiv1]

One more comment.  Sofa bed in suite for October cruise was the old/awful/no support/sliding cushions sofa.  By March, they had been replaced it with a comfortable, firm sleeper sofa.  No, had no need to open up but I did nap on it a couple of times.  Yes, carpets were upgraded.  

 

I was a fan of the Golden until Princess ditched it.  So allegiance moved over to Grand Princess (as you can probably deduce).

Edited July 21, 2022 by cr8tiv1

[getting older slowly]

Thanks all for your replies....

 

Also found a video on you-tube of the Grand taken Nov 21

 

2 hours ago, cr8tiv1 said:

I was a fan of the Golden until Princess ditched it.  So allegiance moved over to Grand Princess (as you can probably deduce).

Totally agree.... always had a soft spot for the Golden....

 

Interestingly on one of our cruises   the sofa in the suite had a block of wood under it as something was broken.....

 

We just go with the flow....

( we have had most things a fire, man overboard, many missed ports. storms but nothing has stop us enjoying ourselves )

 

Cheers Don

[Coral]

I was on the Grand in December and thought she was in great shape. I was pleasantly surprised.

 

I thought I would miss Skywalkers but enjoyed One5. 

 

The crew were amazing! Best crew I have ever had on a ship. I would go on that ship in a heart beat and would put her as a priority over some other newer ships.

[waltd]

Window Suite in March  have air conditioner that would not turn off.   Could not / would not fix it.   Froze in the stateroom at night. Two thermostats did not work.   Guess they were waiting for drydock.   Other then that we enjoyed the ship. I guess it was cheaper for them to compensate us a few hundred dollars.

[CruzeQueen2]

24 minutes ago, waltd said:

Window Suite in March  have air conditioner that would not turn off.   Could not / would not fix it.   Froze in the stateroom at night. Two thermostats did not work.   Guess they were waiting for drydock.   Other then that we enjoyed the ship. I guess it was cheaper for them to compensate us a few hundred dollars.

I am booked in a window suite for next year...which cabin were you in?

[Sarnia 432]

9 hours ago, Coral said:

The crew were amazing! Best crew I have ever had on a ship. I would go on that ship in a heart beat and would put her as a priority over some other newer ships.

Totally agree, we were on her in May and loved the ship and especially the crew

[Dar & Bob]

Just off the Grand on July 13th.  First, the majority of the staff is top notch and friendly.  Only had an issue with one bartender at the Outrigger bar with a bad attitude, not once but twice.   

First of all, I think some of my issues on the ship may personal preference.  However, many of the areas, including our CC cabin were tired.  Our couch was like sitting on cement and the cushions didn't cover the whole hide a bed.  Our bed was not as comfortable as those we have had in the past.  Due to some circumstances, we slept in another mini suite one evening and it had a much better bed.  

For us the entertainment was lacking.  The violiinists in the Grand Piazza, while good musicians lacked variety.  For me the hearing the same music over and over is just tiring. The production shows were like a high school musical.  The one comedian was good, the comedian/magician was terrible (we walked out)

The buffet was very unappetizing with few alternatives on a port day.  The Alfredo's was not as good as on the Regal and had a very limited menu, again comparing to the Regal.  The dining room in the evening was good, but I think they did not have enough seats since we had to wait one evening for dinner and once for lunch and were seated in what I will say was an annex area. 

For us I would not book on the Grand again.  We received very good service and it was Alaska so it was a very good cruise. 

PS The problem we had was a one off - noise from below our cabin, every 19 to 22 minutes 24/7.  We reported the morning of  day 5 after no sleep and timing the loud bumps since you can't just say there's a noise in our room.  We thought it would stop but hadn't been resolved yet when we left, but we were compensated.  Again the staff when notified did a good job.

[waltd]

10 hours ago, CruzeQueen2 said:

I am booked in a window suite for next year...which cabin were you in?

We were in F305.

[cr8tiv1]

4 hours ago, Dar & Bob said:

Just off the Grand on July 13th. 

 

PS The problem we had was a one off - noise from below our cabin, every 19 to 22 minutes 24/7.  We reported the morning of  day 5 after no sleep and timing the loud bumps since you can't just say there's a noise in our room.  We thought it would stop but hadn't been resolved yet when we left, but we were compensated.  Again the staff when notified did a good job.

 

Did they ever let you know what was causing "the bumps in the night"?  Good detective work (timing the bumps).  Always good to have quantitative data.  Sorry you had to stay up to record bumps.   

 

@waltdThe thermostat dials on the Grand Princess are archaic, not to mention hard on arthritic hands.  They need to be updated.  That is why I travel with an alarm clock that also gives me the temperature.  Sorry you had issues in your Window Suite.  Hope you enjoyed all the rest of the positives for choosing a Window Suite.

[waltd]

Just now, cr8tiv1 said:

 

Did they ever let you know what was causing "the bumps in the night"?  Good detective work (timing the bumps).  Always good to have quantitative data.  Sorry you had to stay up to record bumps.   

 

@waltdThe thermostat dials on the Grand Princess are archaic, not to mention hard on arthritic hands.  They need to be updated.  That is why I travel with an alarm clock that also gives me the temperature.  Sorry you had issues in your Window Suite.  Hope you enjoyed all the rest of the positives for choosing a Window Suite.

Even though I caught a cold and Covid on that cruise we like the Grand and love Window Suites.  Even without the balcony.   What do they say, even the worst cruise is better then no cruise at all.   

[Coral]

5 hours ago, Dar & Bob said:

 

For us the entertainment was lacking.  The violiinists in the Grand Piazza, while good musicians lacked variety.  For me the hearing the same music over and over is just tiring. The production shows were like a high school musical.  The one comedian was good, the comedian/magician was terrible (we walked out)

The buffet was very unappetizing with few alternatives on a port day.  The Alfredo's was not as good as on the Regal and had a very limited menu, again comparing to the Regal. 

Entertainment is scheduled by corporate office and it has varied quite a bit since startup from COVID. I don't think this is related to the Grand itself. This has been a common theme with ships. Thankfully in Alaska - Alaska can be the entertainment. When I was on the Grand, several entertainers had COVID and it reduced what they could do. I have heard this on other ships and other lines as well. Plus, the cruise lines are not spending the money to bring in better entertainers. They have had to scale back as finances are not what they used to be.

 

The buffet - they have scaled these way back on all ships and with COVID protocols, a lot of the items were grab and go. I had a friend on the Regal and sections were closed off - just a few areas were open. So not sure if you are comparing this to before COVID or after.

 

Alfredos definitely has a smaller menu. It was added after the ship was built vs on the Regal, the ship was designed with this.

 

Climate control will always be a ship issue. I have seen issues with brand new ships and old ships alike. It can vary from day to day or from cabin to cabin.

[cr8tiv1]

The Cruise Director on the Grand (when asked during the Meet and Greet) says that a production show is 3 years in the making and dependent on the stage.  Newer ships have a higher priority for shows.

 

The Grand's 3 shows (British Invasion/Stardust/Sweet Soul Music) have been around pre-Covid.  It would really be nice to have another choice.  

 

As far as the roving entertainers....They are really scraping the bottom of the barrel to get them onboard.  I have seen some good ones, but the majority can be skipped.  

 

I remember the days when there was a show in the Princess Theater, one in the Aft Lounge, classical acts in the Piazza, and a great dance band in the Wheelhouse.  

[gvre]

Was on Grand for 10 days in March in a Mini Suite. The ship is great shape. We like the layout of the Royal Class min-suites better but it ours was fine. Alfredo's menu isn't extensive as other ships, but you can walk over to IC and get a salad and bring it back to your table.

Have fun.

[MamaStang]

We were also on the Grand with Dar & Bob.  I agree the Piazza musicians were dull and repetitive, and the magician was awful.  The nature speaker was okay.  Guy playing in Crooners really played up his audience and gave us some laughs.  Food was hit or miss in restaurants and really poor/limited in the buffet. They only had a small section of the buffet even open. The Beef Wellington on formal night in dining room was very good. The veal in the steakhouse was good, though my tablemates were less enthused about the lamb chops. The Grand does lack dining choices.  We missed having sushi/Asian options and Alfredos was severely limited in choices as opposed to the Regal.  It was pizza or...pizza. None of the other dishes or antipastos. Our service in dining room and cabin were great and all but one bartender was extremely friendly and did all they could for us.  Ronnie in Vines was fantastic. The ship was worn looking, but not as bad as I expected other than the cabin.  The couch was hard and lacking any pillows and the bathroom is old and tired looking.  We also found the narrow hallway going into the cabin odd.  Our friends' balcony was underwater most of the time.  I did appreciate that our cabin steward opened the balcony doors between our cabins so we could go back and forth.  The trip was all about Alaska and we were willing to accept a smaller, older ship in order to get a more intimate viewing of the state, but would not take the Grand again.  We've got a trip on the Enchanted scheduled for October and looking forward to a new ship with more dining and entertainment choices.

[nini]

@MamaStang What do you mean by "Our friend's balcony was underwater most of the time"?

[Earthworm Jim]

17 hours ago, nini said:

@MamaStang What do you mean by "Our friend's balcony was underwater most of the time"?

 

I knew that Deck 0 balcony deal I got was too good to be true.

[MamaStang]

20 hours ago, nini said:

@MamaStang What do you mean by "Our friend's balcony was underwater most of the time"?

They had a couple of inches of water that remained along the far side of the balcony floor the entire cruise.  Would soak their shoes if they stood on it.  

[nini]

1 hour ago, MamaStang said:

They had a couple of inches of water that remained along the far side of the balcony floor the entire cruise.  Would soak their shoes if they stood on it.  

Well, that is certainly a bummer! I wonder what caused it? What deck and cabin number if you remember.