Grand Princess Tips and Suggestions (newbies)

[ffspread]

I know many people ask this but i'm just having troubles finding the answers.

 

We are going on the Grand Princess in early Feb 08 and my wife and I have never cruised before (taking a late honeymoon). We always hummed and hawed about going but usually ended up in California.

 

We decided to go on a 7 day cruise leaving Fort Lauderdale.

 

Here's some questions I have. I have read tons of reviews and found them very helpful, but still would love some clarification.

 

Vaccinations? are they needed?

 

Seasickness? My wife gets car sick, so i'm assuming she'll get sea sick. What remedies do people use without the side effects ruining the trip?

 

Excursions? Is it best to book through the web or Princess' website?

 

Food and drink? Is is possible to bring our own drinks? (both alcoholic and non).

 

Clothing? How do people dress on cruises? We don't want to get on board and find out we've packed completely wrong.

 

Money? Cash? CC's? Travelers checks? What's the best way to go?

 

And lastly... please.... If anyone has any tips on excursions, how to's, etc.... PLEASE!!! I would love to hear from you.

 

We really want this cruise to be memorable.

 

Thanks to everyone in advance!

 

somenews@mts.net

 

[cereus]

Welcome to cruising! You will love it. I get carsick also in the mts or backseat and have only gotten seasick once and it was mild. Just took a pill from the purser, dramamine. It was our first cruise on an older ship and our suite was on an upper deck at the front. Try to book a cabin midship on a middle deck and you probably won't have any problems. My DH gets very sick on even small fishing boats in the ocean and he doesn't get sick on the ships.

I keep a few "cruise clothes" for the formal nights, otherwise, just church or country club casual. Of course, shorts and flipflops and bathing suit, etc.

Good luck and have fun:) :)

[alicam]

You will love the Grand Princess...it was the ship for our first cruise in Dec/05...we had a balcony on deck 14 which at night the motion affected my sleep (I don't get seasick, just had problems sleeping), so yes, a lower midship cabin would probably be better. I can't see that you need vaccinations for anything, unless you want to get the TwinRx for Hep A & B (like they show in the travel ads...at least here they show it), but I don't feel it would be absolutely necessary. We booked our excursions through the Princess website so that is fairly easy, but you could go to the other boards on here and check out the individual places you are going to(there should be lots of suggestions on there). As far as food and drink brought on board, the ships have policies against that although you will find threads on here in regards to how to smuggle stuff on board...in my opinion...why bother risking getting caught...not worth it...do you really want that memory? The ship uses a cashless system (backed up with your credit card) although you can plunk down a wad of cash at the purser's desk and all charges would be drawn from it....your choice if you want to do that. In regards to clothing, you can be as casual or as formal as you want, but if you are eating in the dining rooms at night, there are a couple of formal nights were you will dress up nicely (ie. suit and tie, or jacket, your wife in a nice gown or dress), other than that you can dress "smart casual" for the dining rooms or if you don't want to bother, you can grab meals at the other less formal eating establishments on board. As for excursion tips, do what you want or feel like doing...I don't know which sailing you are doing (western, eastern or southern) so can't give any suggestions as to what to try..(we did western out of Galveston)...

Anyway, hope you and your wife have a very enjoyable cruise aboard the Grand Princess...you will love it!

[Spikesgirl]

We've had ten cruises, mostly with Princess, so I'll try to help a little

 

"Vaccinations? are they needed?" Not for this particular region, but it helps to have your tetenus and flu shots updated. I also get Hep A & B. Your ship documentation (arrives after your final payment) will tell you what they recommend for the area

 

"Seasickness? My wife gets car sick, so i'm assuming she'll get sea sick. What remedies do people use without the side effects ruining the trip?"

 

You get a bazillion answers for this. I use Mecclazine - the active ingredient in Dramime or Bomine. Other swear by sea bands, ginger or the transderm patch, but the pills work for me without side effects. Start them a couple of days early if you're worried about being sleepy.

 

 

"Excursions? Is it best to book through the web or Princess' website?"

 

For a first time with a cruise ship, yes, I would recommend booking through the Princess website. Many folks do private excursions in the islands, but for a first timer, it's safer to use the ship excursions as you don't have to worry about making it back in time or being left. Plus if you don't make a landfall, you don't have to pay for the excursions - not always the case with a private company.

 

 

"Food and drink? Is is possible to bring our own drinks? (both alcoholic and non)."

 

Princess allows one bottle of wine per person,although many folks bring more. They don't allow hard alcohol or beer in carry-ons, but that doesn't stop folks from trying. Non alcoholic stuff has no limit. Prepackaged commercial food is fine as well, but I couldn't imagine why you'd need to bring food on board a cruise ship. There is stuff available 24/7.

Clothing? How do people dress on cruises? We don't want to get on board and find out we've packed completely wrong.

 

Money? Cash? CC's? Travelers checks? What's the best way to go?

 

Most folks take a little cash or TC, but rely upon their credit cards to handle big purchases. You will need a card (or cash) to open your account on the ship. You are then charged along the way for your expenses (alcohol, gift purchases, spa treatments, etc). On the last day, you are presented with your bill. You can check it at any time at the purser's desk as well.

 

And lastly... please.... If anyone has any tips on excursions, how to's, etc.... PLEASE!!! I would love to hear from you.

 

The Grand is a nice ship, make sure you check out Skywalker's Lounge (use the back elevator bank - the elevators on either end go up to the lounge). Lots of folks never seem to get up there and the views are something else, especially for a sail away.

 

Charlie

[firefly333]

At least you will have MUTS on the Grand. We did the Grand but were less than awed, but it was still nice.

[ffspread]

I forgot to mention that this is a Western Caribbean cruise. So please any pro's or con's on the excursions would be greatly appreciated!

 

I love this site. You guys are the best!

[CaliJohn]

ffspread:

 

Thanks for starting this thread as I'll be on the same cruise & ship in 3/29 and am also a first time Princess cruiser.

[mii]

I strongly suggest two things for newby cruisers. Go to the Ports of Call board and scroll down to where your ship docks. You will find that forum on wht I call the Table of Contents and then scroll down to Ports of Call Board. There is a valuable information there on the stops you will make. Also join the Roll call Board. You will also find that on the same page as the Ports of Call board. Just scroll down to that forum. Hit Princess, then the Grand and then find your date. You may have to go to the 2nd page but I bet there is one started for your cruise. Then you can chit-chat with fellow cruisers beforehand and get to know each other and then finally meet on board. Hope this helps some.

 

Marilyn

[Times Prince]

I know many people ask this but i'm just having troubles finding the answers.

 

We are going on the Grand Princess (Western Caribbean) in early Feb 08 and my wife and I have never cruised before (taking a late honeymoon). We always hummed and hawed about going but usually ended up in California.

 

We decided to go on a 7 day cruise leaving Fort Lauderdale. Here's some questions I have. I have read tons of reviews and found them very helpful, but still would love some clarification.

 

Vaccinations? are they needed?

Seasickness? My wife gets car sick, so i'm assuming she'll get sea sick. What remedies do people use without the side effects ruining the trip?

Excursions? Is it best to book through the web or Princess' website?

Food and drink? Is is possible to bring our own drinks? (both alcoholic and non).

Clothing? How do people dress on cruises? We don't want to get on board and find out we've packed completely wrong.

Money? Cash? CC's? Travelers checks? What's the best way to go?

And lastly... please.... If anyone has any tips on excursions, how to's, etc.... PLEASE!!! I would love to hear from you.

 

We really want this cruise to be memorable.

Thanks to everyone in advance!

Vaccinations? are they needed? -

In our experience vaccinations are not needed for Western Caribbean. You may however want to have a good non-aeresol mosquito repellent for Costa Maya or mainland Cozumel if that is part of your itinerary.

 

Seasickness? - Grand Princess is a BIG ship. You will feel some motion, mostly on the sea days where the ship has to cover a lot of distance (e.g. Cozumel to Ft. Lauderdale run). Most of the time the slight motion is soothing. Our daughter, also highly prone to car/airplane sickness had no problem. Obviously people's body chemistry is different - they sell Dramamine in the gift shop. You will probably need something if you take the "ferry" from Cozumel to mainland Mexico for the Tulum trip.

 

Excursions? Is it best to book through the web or Princess' website?

A first time cruise - use Princess excursions, especially for full day (e.g. Tulum in Cozumel ) or late day excursions, as time can slip away from you easily while on vacation, and you really don't want to miss the ship. If on a Princess excursion, they will delay sailing for a delayed excursion return (e.g. for flat tire on a bus) - we've seen this happen.

 

Food and drink? -Food on board is awesome, and there are plenty of options. We tend to bring something salty (e.g. peanuts) to have in our room for days when we've been in the sun a lot. Drink is a personal choice. If you are OK with Coke, Diet Coke, Sprite then there some in your cabin when you want it - the available drinks are listed now in the brochure they send out with your luggage tags. My advice is to not nickel and dime yourself to death trying to save money on drinks. (Note: I am not commenting on alcoholic drinks here).

 

Clothing? During the day, light clothes (shorts, t-shirts, polo shirts) are the norm. Evening casual -My wife usually brings some mix/match blouses/light skirts/pants outfits. I usually wear slacks and polo shirts.

Formal nights - see the Princess guidelines. Glitz is the watch word for ladies wear, dark suits/black tuxedos for men. Recommend against sport coat and slacks. Great opportunity for formal pictures on board.

 

Money? Cash? CC's? Travelers checks? The only place you can cash Traveler's checks is onboard ship and some major shops. We usually bring $300+ in cash for souveniers on shore, where there are a lot of small vendors, shops etc. Also most excursions have a tip jar on the bus/boat so bring lots of small bills.

[Pam in CA]

I agree with "Times Prince" -- good answers. There is plenty of food and drink onboard; unless you have an absolute "MUST" drink that isn't carried, it's generally not worth the effort to buy and schelp onboard. My impression is that the people who smuggle liquor onboard couldn't afford the cruise otherwise. The cost of drinks is pretty reasonable and if you're OK with Coke products, you'll be fine with the available soft drinks.

 

As for clothing, resort casual is pretty much the standard except for formal nights.

[MercedMike]

There are some good answers above. I will just make a couple of comments:

 

We did the Grand Western Carib last year. Check out

http://www.elite.net/~thehalls/wcarib.html

 

I think the itinerary has changed since then but you will see a few suggestions of things we liked.

 

Our "secret" spot is the Plantation Pool inside the spa. You don't have to have a spa treatment to use it. You can walk through the spa to it, or access it from the deck above. Few people discover it. It is small but has some nice deck space, hot tubs and also steam rooms next to it.

 

And here's my tip for packing:

 

1) Put the clothes you absolutely have to have on the bed.

 

2) Put all the money you can afford to spend on the pillow.

 

3) Now take half the clothes and twice the money!!;)

 

Have a GREAT cruise!

[CruisinMinnie]

There are some good answers above. I will just make a couple of comments:

 

We did the Grand Western Carib last year. Check out

http://www.elite.net/~thehalls/wcarib.html

 

I think the itinerary has changed since then but you will see a few suggestions of things we liked.

 

Our "secret" spot is the Plantation Pool inside the spa. You don't have to have a spa treatment to use it. You can walk through the spa to it, or access it from the deck above. Few people discover it. It is small but has some nice deck space, hot tubs and also steam rooms next to it.

 

And here's my tip for packing:

 

1) Put the clothes you absolutely have to have on the bed.

 

2) Put all the money you can afford to spend on the pillow.

 

3) Now take half the clothes and twice the money!!;)

 

Have a GREAT cruise!

 

Great packing tip, Mike! :D

[ffspread]

Thanks for all the wonderful tips. They're great! The excursions look wonderful. Love the tips on packing. lol. My wife will defintely follow those rules, and we'll still end up with a trunk of clothes.

 

We've been a little nervous, but after reading your reviews and how much fun people have, we just can't wait to go now!

 

The reason I was asking about alcohol was because I will only drink Grey Goose vodka. Does anyone know if they have this brand on board?

 

Thanks again.

Ben

[fathercop]

Hello, and welcome to cruising! I think what the previous posters mentioned about Cruise Critic will help you get started with answers to your questions. The search engine was a great help for me in finding answers to my questions.

 

I miss that feeling amazement of walking onto a cruise ship for the first and even second time. I love cruising since I started almost five years ago, but that first cruise, to Alaska, was terrific. I hope yours is just as enjoyable and memorable.

[shofer]

We will also be on the Grand early February with our adult "kids" & their spouses. This will be our 9th cruise but their first. The Western Caribbean was our first cruise also and a good choice for newbies.

 

MONEY:

You will need cash for the casino and spending money on shore unless you want to use your credit card for everything. They will give you a receipt for everything you purchase on the ship from drinks to souveniers. Save them all in one spot so you can compare them to your final bill. We have been overcharged more than one time in error and having all our receipts aided in getting the bill adjusted by the purser. The ATM on ship charges $5.50 per transaction.

 

SEA SICKNESS: Ok, we are very good sailors and I can read in the car w/o any problem. We did this itinerary last February and the the sea was like glass. Your wife will acclimate quickly and have a great time. Until you see it up close, you have no idea how big these ships are. We have gone on cruises with people who swore they would get seasick and by the second day were ripping off their SeaBands and patches.

 

Our first cruise was on the Zenith which was 44,000 tons and was a medium sized ship in 1993. Our second day, which was formal night, we had a scrumptious dinner, attended the show, had a late night drink, went to the casino and were going to bed about 2 am and we couldn't believe we were on a ship. It felt like a luxury resort! And it has gotten better with each cruise.

 

EXCURSIONS:

For your first time, take the ship's excursions so you get a feel for what is out there and what you like to do. Expecially in Jamaica, which is not a good place to go wandering on your own. Grand Cayman is great for snorkeling and easy to get around and feels very safe. Cozumel is great for shopping & snorkeling. Take a taxi into town for the Great Bargaining Shopping Experience.

 

CLOTHES:

You will be fine in casual clothes during the day. Formal night is outlined in the brochure and the website. But there is a lot of latitude for the ladies here. Guys are a tux or dark suit. But us girls can really mix it up. I have seen everything from a Sunday-go-to-meeting dresses to elaborate long gowns. I have done sequined dresses and palazzo pants with sparkly tops and long dresses. So have fun with that. For all other nights, DH has done Hawaiian shirts with Dockers and I have worn capri outfits.

 

Have as much fun as you can, because it is over too soon. If you are like us, you will be talking about your next cruise before you get off this one.

[motherchic]

Yes they will have Grey Goose. That is a high end vodka-they will offer it.

Enjoy your first cruise. As stated by another poster-there is nothing like your first cruise. When you see and board the ship. Though I must admit I still get soooo excited!

Nadine

[ffspread]

Once again thanks to everyone who posted. We are very excited to be cruising in Feb. We look forward to seeing other CC'ers onboard!

[Sanibel*Gal]

ffspread - All of these posters have given you wonderful info!@ The first cruise is the best - and then you'll be hooked like us!!!:)

 

Have a wonderful time - you will love the Grand, she is a beautiful ship!

[Dame Delilah]

So, which cruise in "early Feb" will you be on -- We will be on the Feb 2 which will include Super-Bowl Sunday? Will you be with us?? You will love cruising--It's a great life, Too bad we can't afford to do it all the time!

[Cruisin' Chick]

Vaccinations? are they needed?

Unless you're going to some strange location, probably not necessary. I would agree with making sure your tetnanus is up to date.

Seasickness? My wife gets car sick, so i'm assuming she'll get sea sick. What remedies do people use without the side effects ruining the trip?

 

If she's on any medication, she should probably talk to her doctor to make sure she doesn't take something that is counterdicted. Other than that, she should try out different remedies while on land. She can take a couple with her that doesn't give her any side effects and have them handy. I took ginger on my last cruise which had rough seas. She can buy something from the ship's store, but their items are pretty pricey.

 

Excursions? Is it best to book through the web or Princess' website?

 

Usually recommended for one's first cruise. Most of the time, we just read up on a port beforehand, walk into the town (or take a taxi if it's a distance) and just walk around. You'll see tours available when you get off the ship, but if you have problems, Princess isn't responsible (while if there's a problem with a ship-sponsored one, you can comment to the shore exs desk). Just make sure, no matter what you do, that you're back on the ship at least an half hour before sailaway. If it's a tender port, get in line to return to the ship by at least an hour before (as the line will start getting very long). Take the Patters (the daily newsletter) with you so you'll have the info on when to return.

 

Food and drink? Is is possible to bring our own drinks? (both alcoholic and non).

 

I don't care for Coke so I'll bring on Pepsi products as well as Vitamin water (we pack a plastic crate with our drinks and a bottle of wine). I also take Power Bars that I take off the ship in port just in case I'm lagging before I get a regular meal (many ports don't allow you to take food off the ship unless it's prepackaged).

 

Clothing? How do people dress on cruises? We don't want to get on board and find out we've packed completely wrong.

 

Just read the cruise answer book that will be sent to you by Princess. I like sundresses for Caribbean cruises -- along with a sweater because the ship's interior is usually too cold for me.

 

 

Hope this helps.

[ffspread]

Thanks again for the tips. We will be on the Feb.2 cruise. Watching the SB on MUTS! Can't wait, not long now!

[cruze610]

Thanks for all the wonderful tips. They're great! The excursions look wonderful. Love the tips on packing. lol. My wife will defintely follow those rules, and we'll still end up with a trunk of clothes.

 

We've been a little nervous, but after reading your reviews and how much fun people have, we just can't wait to go now!

 

The reason I was asking about alcohol was because I will only drink Grey Goose vodka. Does anyone know if they have this brand on board?

 

Thanks again.

Ben

 

Grey goose is always available. But as im sure you know, not cheap.

[riverboatgambler]

They take a ton of pictures and then put them up for viewing. There is no organization for finding the picture, you just look until you find yours.

 

Once you do, you can take it to the counter and ask for them to hold it for you. Using this method, you can look at all your pictures toward the end of your cruise and buy the best pictures of the bunch.

[KCSungirl]

FFspread -

 

You have gotten some great advice and suggestions. I would like to give you an alternate opinion regarding excursions. The ports on this cruise are extremely easy to navigate. DO NOT spend the extra $$ to book a tour through Princess UNLESS you want to take a speciality tour like Horseback Riding, 4WD drive tours, or Catamaran snorkel tours. The tour costs are double what you would spend on your own. The savings will allow you to shop and drink more! You can get a lot of good ideas from the port of call section of this site.

 

Suggestions:

 

Ocho Rios - Book a private tour with one of the many providers listed in the "Port of Call" section. I have used Marva Shaw and another guy. OR you can taxi to the Falls/beach on your own. This past visit I hired a driver for $100 for the day. We went everywhere we wanted at our own pace - The Falls, Fern Gully, Shopping, Lunch, beach, etc.

 

Cayman - You can secure a taxi in port for different types of tours. I say shop, go to seven mile beach via taxi or if you want to see Stringray City. I took the Princess sponsored horseback riding excursion on my last visit and it was fun. The guy dropped us at the beach after the riding and we taxied back to the ship

 

Cozumel - Walk or taxi downtown to shop, taxi to one of the many beaches - Paradise, Mr. Sanchos, etc. A day pass at the Occidental Grand is also really nice.

 

You will need a lot more cash if you are booking private tours or taking a lot of taxi's. We don't like to be on the schedule of a Princess tour and we can do everything the tours do at half the price. Bring traveler's checks to cash on board if you need cash. ATM's are always available, but I don't want to deal with the local currency. US money is always accepted.

 

A few more tips:

 

Do not leave home without the Bonine. Your wife should start taking it everyday from the time she leaves home. It should prevent any problems. My travel companions always take this everyday. I have been known to need one about one day per cruise.

 

As far as clothing is concerned, Country Club casual is the norm in the evenings. It's entirely up to you if you want to partake in the formal nights, not required. I am pretty sure you will overpack on your first cruise, but I haven't learned how to pack after 20 some cruises. It's a real problem. ;-)

 

Food and Drink - We "smuggle" a bottle of Grey Goose in our checked luggage for use in the cabin. We also bring a case of caffeine free diet coke's, some water, wine, and diet tonic. We watch the caffeine and sugar so it's no problem for us to schlep the stuff. I aso can't tolerate the coffee, so I bring Folger's singles to enjoy each morning. You don't have to bring an abundance of beverages because you can buy additional items in port.

 

Have a great cruise, Sungirl

[Shelby Cruiser]

Why don't you go to a drug store or to your local Walmart pharmacy area and pick up a package for your wife that is called by several different names to combat motion sickness. Sometimes it is called "Queaz-Away" or "Sea Band". These are very inexpensive & are just elastic wrist bands or "braclets" that you put on when starting to feel motion. They cost about $10 I think & are wonderful. No need for medication. I used to always get car sick & when going on a boat, I would get sea sick. After trying these out on a Maine whale watching trip, I never go anywhere near water without them. The waves were quite high & many people were getting sick. The captain came on to explain they had these available for sale. I immediately bought some & the motion sickness feeling went away very rapidly. You don't have to wear them all the time. Just put them on if it starts to get a little rough & you can even sleep in them. There are instructions in the container to explain how to position them on your wrist. Very easy. I always carry an extra set with me & I have even loaned them to others when see they are having difficulty. On one of our catamaran tours in St. Lucia I spotted a Russian girl who was getting very ill. I explained to her husband how to put them on & it helped her after only a few moments & she kept saying to me in her broken English, "God Bless you". Sure hope it works for your wife. Enjoy cruising without worries.

 

Donna