Another Grand Review 4/7-4/14

[sanjosebarbie]

First, a little background so you'll know where I'm coming from. I'm 34 years old and live in California. This was my spring break, and I did this cruise with my mom from North Carolina. I'll let you know right off that this is nothing short of a glowing review, because I had a really great time. Things may not have been perfect, but you'd never know it by me. This is sort of a long review, but I'm going to categorize everything.

 

Embarkation: Great for me, horrible for my mother. I think her experience was the norm, as a lot of people said it took forever to get on the ship in Galveston. I guess I was lucky, because I was on very quickly.

 

The Room: We had an Oceanview room (E210), and it was quite acceptable. I had no trouble at all with the beds. It's possible we had some of the new beds, but the major complaint seems to be that the beds were hard, and for me, that's not an issue. I prefer my mattress to be really firm. I slept like a baby for the whole cruise.

 

Service: Service was so good on this cruise. Our room steward, Sakol, was on top of everything, and despite the fact that he seemed to work about 20 hours a day, he was still always cheerful and smiling. We had anytime dining, and while we ate at different times, we always asked for table #162 if we could get it, because we LOVED the waitress, Adina, and Jr. Waitress, Monika. They were exceptional and gave impeccable recommendations. If there was something we wanted to try, we would get an extra plate for the table. These two just made our dining experience really nice. Also, we loved all of the bartenders who helped us, particularly Sid (in the Atrium bar) and Moises (in the Promenade bar). I would rate this service as some of the best I've ever had.

 

Food: The dining room was up and down. I had some really great food and some that was just okay. Horizon Court was okay. I don't love buffet food, but when I was in a hurry, it was perfectly adequate. I'm crazy about the way they sanitize your hands when you walk in now. I wish that was a feature everywhere! I sure could have used it in the airport. I didn't love the food at Sabbatini's, but I loved the company and it was an interesting experience that was worth doing. All in all, the food met my expectations, but then, it was my 3rd Caribbean cruise on Princess, so I've had this menu before.

 

Coffee: Yes, it is terrible in Horizon. It is perfectly fine in room service, and I enjoyed it in the dining room. Even in the Horizon, I managed to swig it down, because I didn't want a massive caffeine withdrawal headache.

 

The Captain: This was the best captain with whom I've ever sailed. He was incredibly friendly and very verbose. His announcements were often hilarious, as he really wanted to inform us of what was going on. I particularly loved when he told us that our Pilot out of Roatan (or was it Costa Maya?) was taking his final exam to become a pilot on our cruise. TMI? Maybe, but the passengers by the aft pool were all laughing.

 

Cruise Director: James Ibrahim was perfectly nice and good. I really liked the Assistant Cruise Director, Julie James. She was very funny and she seemed to spend a lot of time out talking and socializing with the passengers. Too bad she's going home to Australia in two weeks.

 

The Passengers: Without a doubt, this was the coolest group of passengers I've ever sailed with. I didn't hear anybody complaining about anything ever. People were so nice and friendly. There were a lot of kids on board, but as usual, Princess has lots of activities for them.

 

Shows: I didn't go to many, really, but I did go see the comedian, Cary Long, and I thought he was very funny. With a cruise this port-intensive, though, I was usually completely exhausted by the 10:30!

 

The Ports: These were really fun ports. I honestly couldn't choose a favorite. We had a great time in all of the (went to Majahual to the Cat's Meow when we were in Costa Maya, went to the Sante Wellness Center in Roatan, went snorkeling by Caye Caulker in Belize, and did the Mexican Cuisine tour...our only ship excursion...when we were in Cozumel). Everything was outstanding.

 

Disembarkation: Very easy and smooth. I knew from reading these boards that you wait awhile in Galveston, so mom and I found a comfy place to wait. We waited a bit, but once our color was called, it was very quick and easy getting off the ship.

 

Transfers: the transfers to and from Houston Intercontinental were easy and smooth. It was easy to find them at the airport (mom said it was slightly harder at Hobby, but still pretty easy), and if you have a transfer, they disembark you near the beginning (which stank, because I sat at the airport forever before my flight).

 

My unasked for advice to all cruisers:D: Join your roll call and go to your cruisecritic meet and greet!!!!! I had the greatest time with our cruisecritic.com buddies (you guys know who you are). Undoubtedly, meeting these people made the cruise 10 times greater than it would have been otherwise (high praise, because it was already nearly perfect). I feel like I've made potential life-long friends, and their company was outstanding. Majahual was much better because of our large cruisecritic group, Belize was better because we were on our excursion with another cruisecritic family, and Cozumel was better because we were cooking with two of our new friends from cruisecritic. I can't say enough about how much fun I had with all of them.

 

I'm certain I've left out a ton of information, so if you have questions about anything, particularly port excursions, don't hesitate to ask.

[sanjosebarbie]

I will be posting a link to pictures soon, and if anybody needs info from the Patters (or about the menus), my mom saved all of the Patters and we took pictures of almost all of the menus.

[VegasGreen]

I will be posting a link to pictures soon, and if anybody needs info from the Patters (or about the menus), my mom saved all of the Patters and we took pictures of almost all of the menus.

 

That will be AWESOME! Can't wait! Glad you had such a great time, and thanks for the review!!!

[sanjosebarbie]

That will be AWESOME! Can't wait! Glad you had such a great time, and thanks for the review!!!

 

They will be up on my Yahoo 360 page soon. As soon as we get them up, I'll post the link. I will have to remove some of the pictures to protect the innocent (and the guilty):D

[TXTraveler76]

Hi,

 

Barbara- Thanks for a wonderful and complete review. So glad that you had a great time. I will be on the Grand on April 26 and have a question. Since you have all the patters, can you check to see if the dining room (DaVinci- deck 6) was open for lunch on embarkation day. It was when I was on board in December but I have heard that in March it was closed and the only option for lunch was the buffet. I am not a buffet person and my Mom is less of one. Any information you can provide would be greatly appreciated.

 

Jacki

[sanjosebarbie]

Hi,

 

Barbara- Thanks for a wonderful and complete review. So glad that you had a great time. I will be on the Grand on April 26 and have a question. Since you have all the patters, can you check to see if the dining room (DaVinci- deck 6) was open for lunch on embarkation day. It was when I was on board in December but I have heard that in March it was closed and the only option for lunch was the buffet. I am not a buffet person and my Mom is less of one. Any information you can provide would be greatly appreciated.

 

Jacki

 

I'm afraid I'm going to be terribly unhelpful here. We didn't get on until 3:30, so the dining room would have been closed by the time we got there, and of course it says nothing in the patter. I say I don't think it was, but my mom says she thinks it usually is. How's that for completely conflicting and unhelpful information?:D

[LonghornKJK]

Hi,

 

Barbara- Thanks for a wonderful and complete review. So glad that you had a great time. I will be on the Grand on April 26 and have a question. Since you have all the patters, can you check to see if the dining room (DaVinci- deck 6) was open for lunch on embarkation day. It was when I was on board in December but I have heard that in March it was closed and the only option for lunch was the buffet. I am not a buffet person and my Mom is less of one. Any information you can provide would be greatly appreciated.

 

Jacki

 

Just so you know, the pizza kitchen and the hamburger/hotdog/chicken sandwich grill are both open on embarkation day. That's where we've eaten the first day on both on Grand Princess cruises. They serve French fries with the sandwiches, too. It's also fun to make a snack tray of cheese, cold cuts or salmon, and crackers from the buffet to nibble on at sailaway from your balcony, if you have one. Even if you don't like buffet food, they can't screw that up! :)

[B40 Tha Cruisa]

Thanks for the review, I cant wati to get onto the grand in January! Im glad you had a great cruise!

[VegasGreen]

They will be up on my Yahoo 360 page soon. As soon as we get them up, I'll post the link. I will have to remove some of the pictures to protect the innocent (and the guilty):D

 

ha!!! good thinking! :) Can't wait to see all your stuff! :)

 

You mentioned embarkation was a breeze for you and a pain for your mom -- did you guys arrive at significantly different times? Trying to decide what might be the best strategy to board next week. :)

[sanjosebarbie]

ha!!! good thinking! :) Can't wait to see all your stuff! :)

 

You mentioned embarkation was a breeze for you and a pain for your mom -- did you guys arrive at significantly different times? Trying to decide what might be the best strategy to board next week. :)

 

I came from California into Houston Intercontinental and she came from North Carolina into Hobby. She got in at about 11:20 and I got in at noon...since Intercontinental is farther away, that means I got into port about an hour or 90 minutes after she did (I think I arrived at around 3pm and was in my room by 3:30). The main difference, as far as I can tell, is that I got into the middle line (after security), and she got into the left line. A Princess employee told me that US Citizens with Passports should get into the middle line, but nobody directed mom where to go. I would ask if you're in doubt. Our line moved very quickly, and the one to the left moved really slowly it seemed.

 

And yes, the grill is always good, so for those of you who hate buffet food, I would do that (or just enjoy a pina colada...doesn't that count as food?)

[Breezinontheocean]

I was just on the Grand too! We had a fabulous vacation and I could go on and on but suffice it to say that I agree with Barbara's review. All went well and there's plenty to do for everyone. The ship is lovely and now I can't wait to book my next cruise.

 

Someone had a dining question and the answer is NO. The DaVinci was not open upon embarkation just the Horizon Court buffet (which we really thought was just fine). My kids marveled that we didn't have to wait around at the end to pay our bill. They asked "you mean we can just get up and walk away? How cool is that?"

 

As for embarkation, my DH dropped us off at 11:30 then had to return the rental car. (We arrived the day before which I highly recommend if it works out). The lines were very small through security at that time but began to grow quickly by 12:30. It was a gravel returning the car so my DH didn't get back until then but still we got through security then the check in line and to our room by 1:30. It really wasn't a bad experience plus you forget about it anyway once you are on the ship enjoying yourself. :)

 

PS- it was nice meeting you Barbara at the Roll Call gathering (loved your hibiscus tattoo). I'm sorry I never saw you after that (although I did see others throughout the cruise) and I agree that joining the CC Roll call is a great way to go!

[sanjosebarbie]

I was just on the Grand too! We had a fabulous vacation and I could go on and on but suffice it to say that I agree with Barbara's review. All went well and there's plenty to do for everyone. The ship is lovely and now I can't wait to book my next cruise.

 

:)

 

PS- it was nice meeting you Barbara at the Roll Call gathering (loved your hibiscus tattoo). I'm sorry I never saw you after that (although I did see others throughout the cruise) and I agree that joining the CC Roll call is a great way to go!

 

I remember you, of course. It really was one of the best cruises I've ever taken (although they've all been pretty good, so it's hard to compare). What I found amazing was the lack of people complaining in public places. It seemed to me like the other passenger's attitudes added so greatly to this wonderful cruise. People were friendly and smiling everywhere I would go, and most people even said hello when I passed them in the halls. What a pleasure!

 

Thanks for the info. on the Da Vinci. I didn't think it was open, but I wasn't 100% sure. I barely ate anyway, since I got there so close to muster. But somehow I found time to drink a Texas Iced Tea or two:D

[VegasGreen]

You guys are really getting me even MORE excited about driving down to Houston on Friday (doing a 1 night pre on our own downtown HOU) and setting sail on Saturday!!!! Anxiously awaiting barbara's photos, patters, etc...! Thanks so much for all this great info! :)

[beaner24]

Barbera,

We are heading out on the same cruise this next week. What nights did the formal evening happen? We are celebrating some birthdays and an anniversary just wondering if they will coincide.

[Breezinontheocean]

There were 2 formal evenings - Sunday night (first full sea day) and Wednesday night (Belize). Monday was Italian night, Tuesday was Island night (or Caribbean night), Wednesday was lobster night (formal), Thursday was what they called Chef's night (but don't quote me on that) and Friday was American night where the junior waiters parade around with the baked Alaska dessert. We enjoyed all our dining room dinners immensely. We missed one night (Tues) to go to the Painted Desert Steakhouse which I highly recommend. Hope this helps!

 

Have a great cruise....I'm so envious because I want to be back in the caribbean :D

[VegasGreen]

There were 2 formal evenings - Sunday night (first full sea day) and Wednesday night (Belize). Monday was Italian night, Tuesday was Island night (or Caribbean night), Wednesday was lobster night (formal), Thursday was what they called Chef's night (but don't quote me on that) and Friday was American night where the junior waiters parade around with the baked Alaska dessert. We enjoyed all our dining room dinners immensely. We missed one night (Tues) to go to the Painted Desert Steakhouse which I highly recommend. Hope this helps!

 

Have a great cruise....I'm so envious because I want to be back in the caribbean :D

 

This is a GREAT help, Breezin'... thanks so much!!!!

[sanjosebarbie]

All of Betsy's info about the dining room menus is absolutely correct. She, however, was lucky enough to have eaten elsewhere on Island night (Tuesday). This used to be my favorite night, because I loved the Flying Fish in a Traditional Coo Coo, but they have changed it and now it is awful. I asked my waitress if she could recommend anything that night and she said "you want me to be honest? Not really." ROFL! She was right. I had the vegetarian pasta that night, and it was good, but the other choices were really not my favorite (although my mom did the other seafood dish, and it was quite decent).

 

I did Sabatini's, and while it is quite an experience, i wouldn't do it again unless I were with a large group like I was on this past cruise. If you're a steak eater (which, as a pseudo-vegetarian, I naturally am not), you might try Painted Desert Steakhouse (the same thing as Sterling's on the other ships), because I understand they are quite good. I ate there several years ago, but I had fish, so I'm not qualified to comment on the meat selection.

 

Vegasgreen, You will have a fabulous time on the Grand. The Captain and staff were so excellent. Again, I can't emphasize enough that you should absolutely go to your cruisecritic meet and greet. You will see many of them again and again.

[badduck1974]

Hey VegasGreen. Why haven't you joined our roll call yet?????

 

Here is the LINK. We have a pre party planned on the strand on Friday and a meet and greet after the muster drill

LINK: http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=364733&page=51

 

Mike

[andygoblue]

I agree 100% with your comment to meet up with the Cruise Critic Group at the start of the cruise. We had a blast hanging out with all of you. (especially at the Cat's Meow!)

 

P.S. - Meredith said to tell you "thanks again" for the necklace.

[pmck]

ha!!! good thinking! :) Can't wait to see all your stuff! :)

 

You mentioned embarkation was a breeze for you and a pain for your mom -- did you guys arrive at significantly different times? Trying to decide what might be the best strategy to board next week. :)

 

We were on the Grand the week of 3/31-4/4/07 and our embarkation was a breeze too. We took the Princess transfer for IAH to Galveston and once we got there (long ride, lots of rain) we were on the ship in less than 10 mins. We got to the ship around 12:30 pm and there were no lines at all at that point..! Have a great trip...I am jealous! It was wonderful!!:D

[sanjosebarbie]

I agree 100% with your comment to meet up with the Cruise Critic Group at the start of the cruise. We had a blast hanging out with all of you. (especially at the Cat's Meow!)

 

P.S. - Meredith said to tell you "thanks again" for the necklace.

 

Tell Meredith she is welcome for the necklace, although as I said, if I had been more sober, I would have bartered them down from that ridiculous price. In the state I was in after that Cat's Meow margarita, I probably would have given them $100 for it:D

 

Mom and I loved meeting you and Kris and the kids. You have the most well-behaved kids. They were great. Tell everybody I said hello, and stop by our roll call, because it is still active!!

[cpayne]

Can someone confirm whether the laundry rooms have working irons in them? Our friends traveling with us said on their last cruise (Royal Rhapsody) the irons had been removed from the laundry rooms. Apparently a passenger had forgotten to turn one off and it started a small fire!

 

Thanks.

[sanjosebarbie]

Can someone confirm whether the laundry rooms have working irons in them? Our friends traveling with us said on their last cruise (Royal Rhapsody) the irons had been removed from the laundry rooms. Apparently a passenger had forgotten to turn one off and it started a small fire!

 

Thanks.

 

They did on my last Princess cruise a year ago, but I didn't use the laundry room this past time, so I can't confirm. Anybody???

[wlee]

I just got off the Grand a few days ago, and there were irons in the laundry room. You turn on a timer to turn the iron on, so it automatically shuts off.

[VegasGreen]

SJB, did you ever get the Patters/Menus up? :)