Grand Princess information Alaska cruise

[retired2816]

We are considering cruising Alaska 17 days in May 2025 on the Grand Princess. Have concerns about recent reviews of the ship with numerous issues due to her age. They range from water leaking into cabins, toilets backing up, poor ship heating during Alaska cruises, furniture and bedding problems, average food ratings, etc. This will be our 48th anniversary trip and want it to be special as we reflect on the blessings we have had in our lives. I realize reviews can be subjective and that is why I am writing to inquire from those who have recently sailed on the Grand Princess with positive or negative feedback. Appreciate your time and input. 

[davy jones]

We sailed for 14 days ending last week.  Since it was built in 1999, some of the decor looks a bit dated, but everything was in good condition.  We had no problems and it was a good cruise.  As with all ships, you will see crew working daily to keep the ship clean and in good condition.

[qhatoff]

We cruised on Grand to Alaska last May and had an incredible time. We also had concerns given the complaints we had read online but found the ship to be in great condition. Obviously the decor won't be flashy or modern as a new ship, but we felt it actually provided a classier atmosphere. The crew and food were top notch, to the point that it almost felt like Princess was trying to compensate for the perception of its oldest ship. Compared to the larger ships, Grand-class ships are the best option for Alaska since they have wraparound promenade decks for sightseeing and are small enough that you don't have to worry as much about skipping ports due to wind/weather or getting delayed in/out of Vancouver (high tides can create clearance issues for larger ships passing the Lions Gate Bridge).

 

One tip: See if any S7 Window Suites are available. For our cruise, these priced out cheaper than a Mini Suite but provided full suite perks (incredible suite breakfast, Reserve Dining, free laundry, etc.). We really didn't feel like we missed having a balcony since the promenade deck was one flight of stairs away, and we honestly found this room type to be more modern/bright than the other suites.

[Bemidji Ty]

Agree with qhatoff.  We did a 14 day Voyage of the Glaciers, up and back from Vancouver June 2024 in a window suite.  The ship is fine.  We had no problems and had a wonderful time.  The suite perks including Reserved Dining, Sabatini's for breakfast and more made it very special.  We are celebrating our 48th anniversary all year long.  Cheers

[Torfamm]

We spent 32 days on the Grand in Australia and New Zealand October and November and experienced both very hot and very cold weather. We had no problems with heat or air conditioning or in fact any issues at all.  We also sailed in Alaska on the Grand in 2022 and I would absolutely do it again. It's a great ship for that itinerary.  If you go, I hope you have a wonderful time.

[swabs]

6 hours ago, qhatoff said:

We cruised on Grand to Alaska last May and had an incredible time. We also had concerns given the complaints we had read online but found the ship to be in great condition. Obviously the decor won't be flashy or modern as a new ship, but we felt it actually provided a classier atmosphere. The crew and food were top notch, to the point that it almost felt like Princess was trying to compensate for the perception of its oldest ship. Compared to the larger ships, Grand-class ships are the best option for Alaska since they have wraparound promenade decks for sightseeing and are small enough that you don't have to worry as much about skipping ports due to wind/weather or getting delayed in/out of Vancouver (high tides can create clearance issues for larger ships passing the Lions Gate Bridge).

 

Ditto above comments.

We had a super 14 days on Grand Princess in May and the proper promenade deck was perfect  for Glacier viewing!

Excellent crew - lots  of the Officers were English  (not that I’m bias) 😂

I did find the ship was not that warm in the public areas on the first week and needed to wear a gilet a lot of the time however week two I think the Captain had turned the heating up 👍

 

 

[memoak]

I am on the Grand now halfway through a b2b. Ship in great shape, corridors coolish but not a big deal. Lots of hot water is shower.  Captain and crew are amazing best service in years 

[retired2816]

Thanks everyone so much for your insight and experiences. It will definitely help us in planning this cruise. We have been to Alaska once and are drawn to its beauty and the itinerary for the May 2025 sailing looks incredible. Take care and God bless. 

[memoak]

3 hours ago, retired2816 said:

Thanks everyone so much for your insight and experiences. It will definitely help us in planning this cruise. We have been to Alaska once and are drawn to its beauty and the itinerary for the May 2025 sailing looks incredible. Take care and God bless. 

If you are referring to the 17 day May sailing yes it is a great itinerary and we are on it as well

[Ken the cruiser]

On 8/6/2024 at 10:51 AM, retired2816 said:

We are considering cruising Alaska 17 days in May 2025 on the Grand Princess. Have concerns about recent reviews of the ship with numerous issues due to her age. They range from water leaking into cabins, toilets backing up, poor ship heating during Alaska cruises, furniture and bedding problems, average food ratings, etc. This will be our 48th anniversary trip and want it to be special as we reflect on the blessings we have had in our lives. I realize reviews can be subjective and that is why I am writing to inquire from those who have recently sailed on the Grand Princess with positive or negative feedback. Appreciate your time and input. 

We were just on the Grand in May for 22-days cruising around Alaska and had a great time, with no onboard issues that we were aware of! For details of the cruise and our experiences on and off the ship, you can check out my Live From thread in my below Signature area.

 

I will also note we were in an aft-facing Vista Suite and would highly recommend booking at least a Reserve Collection mini suite if your budget can afford it. Dining in the Reserve Collection dining area is awesome and would be an extra treat for your 48th anniversary cruise. 

[memoak]

1 hour ago, Ken the cruiser said:

We were just on the Grand in May for 22-days cruising around Alaska and had a great time, with no onboard issues that we were aware of! For details of the cruise and our experiences on and off the ship, you can check out my Live From thread in my below Signature area.

 

I will also note we were in an aft-facing Vista Suite and would highly recommend booking at least a Reserve Collection mini suite if your budget can afford it. Dining in the Reserve Collection dining area is awesome and would be an extra treat for your 48th anniversary cruise. 

The crew in Reserve Dining and Sabatini’s breakfast crew are still outstanding. On board now. 

[Ken the cruiser]

10 minutes ago, memoak said:

The crew in Reserve Dining and Sabatini’s breakfast crew are still outstanding. On board now. 

Ours were definitely top notch as well.
 

But I will say that wasn’t the case when we were just on the Sky for 22-days. We went to Sabatini’s the first morning and the hollandaise sauce for my eggs benefit was orange, rather than the normal yellow, the link sausage was way overcooked, and the OJ had no pulp. I know that’s sounds pretty picky, but we’ve come to expect higher quality service and food when eating breakfast in Sabatini’s when we’re in a suite.
 

However, the next morning I ordered the same breakfast in the Reserve Collection dining area and it was just like I had come to expect in Sabatini’s . Who knew! Needless to say, we had breakfast in the RC dining area every morning and never tried Sabatini’s again the entire cruise. 

[AnyMajorCruiseDude]

On 8/7/2024 at 8:59 AM, memoak said:

If you are referring to the 17 day May sailing yes it is a great itinerary and we are on it as well

See you in January and may then!

[memoak]

16 minutes ago, AnyMajorCruiseDude said:

See you in January and may then!

Love being able to sail out of the West Coast. The Grand will be dry docked in Portland just before the May cruise

[AnyMajorCruiseDude]

7 minutes ago, memoak said:

Love being able to sail out of the West Coast. The Grand will be dry docked in Portland just before the May cruise

Exactly.  We are on her in April too, right before Drydock.

[memoak]

14 minutes ago, AnyMajorCruiseDude said:

Exactly.  We are on her in April too, right before Drydock.

We will try to see if we see any crew in town and see if any major changes are coming. So far it looks like mechanical and carpeting plus a spruce up

[AnyMajorCruiseDude]

1 hour ago, memoak said:

We will try to see if we see any crew in town and see if any major changes are coming. So far it looks like mechanical and carpeting plus a spruce up

Crew think Portland dry dock is fun, although A little far from the action!

[AnyMajorCruiseDude]

We also like to meet up with crew we know when they're in drydock.

[memoak]

30 minutes ago, AnyMajorCruiseDude said:

Crew think Portland dry dock is fun, although A little far from the action!

Sean Island is not that far from either side of the river

[farjar]

On 8/6/2024 at 5:11 PM, memoak said:

I am on the Grand now halfway through a b2b. Ship in great shape, corridors coolish but not a big deal. Lots of hot water is shower.  Captain and crew are amazing best service in years 

Does the Grand Princess have motion detector lights that come on when they sense movement if the cabin is dark? I have read on the Sun Princess, for example, people try covering up the sensors at night to prevent that from happening. Is it an issue on the Grand? Thanks.

[Bemidji Ty]

16 minutes ago, farjar said:

Does the Grand Princess have motion detector lights that come on when they sense movement if the cabin is dark? I have read on the Sun Princess, for example, people try covering up the sensors at night to prevent that from happening. Is it an issue on the Grand? Thanks.

There weren't in our Window Suite in June.  We enjoyed the ship and staff so much we are going back to her in Feb.

 

Cheers

[memoak]

1 hour ago, farjar said:

Does the Grand Princess have motion detector lights that come on when they sense movement if the cabin is dark? I have read on the Sun Princess, for example, people try covering up the sensors at night to prevent that from happening. Is it an issue on the Grand? Thanks.

There are no sensor lights in our aft suite. We are traveling on her in January again great crew. There is a dry dock scheduled for April so we will see if they get added. We are on the first cruise after so we will see 

[andimark]

On 8/11/2024 at 12:53 PM, AnyMajorCruiseDude said:

See you in January and may then!

I've been looking at the May cruise for a week now... when hubby gets home from work today I'll see if he will go for it!