What do you want to know about Grand Princess? Cruise Critic onboard July 13th-20th

[dpalmquist]

Recent CC reviews of the Grand are pretty awful, and have me reaching for the other brochures. The main problem seems to be the attitude of staff.

 

Are these representative views?

 

Thanks. Please say "no" and save me from P&O..............I can't afford the incontinence pants (average P&O passenger is 128 years old). But I want to sail from Southampton, and avoid all that airport stuff.

 

Just got off of the Grand on Sunday. The staff was fantastic!! One of the friendliest I have been on. The cruise was wonderful.

[rich_cathybrock]

It is so wonderful to read all the positive reviews. From what I can see, the Grand is still "all that and more". I started getting nervous about our "mini-2009 CC reunion". Two other couples we were lucky enough to meet on the Golden in 2006 will be joining us on her in 2009, and after seeing some of the negative posts on other threads I was wondering if we didn't all make a big mistake, but Kelly (with our thanks again!) and all the cc'ers who have weighed in on this thread have certainly put us at ease, and have me chomping at the bit to go!

Keep the wonderful reviews coming. Any pix when you return (aft cabins inside and.or out especially) would be deeply appreciated.

 

Fair winds and following seas!

[strummer]

Thanks for the great blog - as mentioned previously it is such a relief hearing positive things about the grand and her staff :) .

 

Sorry about the previous rain but according to the bridgecam you are waking up to a glorious day sailing to Geiranger. Would love to hear your views as we were unable to get on the kayaking excursion so are planning to follow some of the hiking trails which look fantastic.

 

Have a wonderful day and will be looking forward to your next report.

[shelly h]

Couldn't get a view of the ships yesterday as Stavanger cam was still showing Monday's date.

[aclay]

Hi Kelly

 

hope you are having a great Day in Stavanger! Do you know if the Grand is offering the Special Dining option called 'The Chef's Table'?

http://www.princess.com/news/article...rticleId=na923

It was launched a few months back but I'm not sure if it's available on the Grand yet?

 

Thanks a lot!

 

A

[burm]

While on the Cruise I booked the Grand Princess for a 14 day cruise from Ft Lauderdale for March 12th, 2009 again Caribbean. While on the Ship, some of the crew were saying it was an Old Bucket and leaked,

 

I sure hope that's one of the things they fix in December! We'll be on it following you on March 27 for our own 14 days in paradise.

[burm]

We will be taking our honeymoon on the Grand Princess to the Mediterranean. I would just like to know what are some of the quiet romantic places on the Grand. Thanks!

 

 

Any railing, any time. Will you have a balcony?

 

Have a wonderful honeymoon!

[suron]

Couldn't get a view of the ships yesterday as Stavanger cam was still showing Monday's date.

 

Got your e-mail thanks but stupidly deleted before adding your e-mail address to our list. Could you send it to me again and I will contact you soon with updates and general chat. Thanks - sorry about that.

 

Suzanne

[dot73]

While on the Ship, some of the crew were saying it was an Old Bucket and leaked

 

You should take what the "crew" say with a grain of salt. There are always some malcontents on a ship who will say anything, especially some of the Eastern European crew. Don't flame me about this comment as I was born in Eastern Europe and I heard the same crap from a few of the crew when I was on board the Grand in April. There is nothing wrong with the ship as long as you remember that it is after all 10 years old. Obviously, it is not going to have the sparkle of a newer ship with all the new bells and whistles. When I was on board, the ship was spotless. You could see that it was being updated little by little, i.e. mattresses were being replaced while in port, you could see where the carpet was being replaced, etc. On the decks, in the evenings, varnish and paint was being applied. The ship had just passed a Coast Guard inspection in FLL so it couldn't possibly be "leaky". I am again booked on the Grand in late January. It should look even better after the quick wet dock in December. The Grand is not "perfect" and could use a little more TLC, which I think it will get in December, but overall the ship, for its age, is in great condition. That's just my opinion, of course.

[kelly@]

Last night we chose to eat dinner at The Painted Desert Steakhouse, where a $15 cover charge applies. Both of us opted for the Filet Mignon (well, when in Rome!), my partner chose the 10 oz. while I went for the slightly smaller 8 oz. They were beautiful, cooked just right and served with a lovely peppercorn gravy and garlic butter... it was a good job we had gone for a run around the ship's track earlier!

Going back to an earlier question about romantic spots for couples -- I would say that The Painted Desert could be an option. Purely because it has an intimate setting and you are not surrounded by hundreds of people (more like 20). Otherwise your balcony is of course an option and Champagne breakfasts are available here for $32 for two people. This includes homemade pastries, smoked salmon, berries, crab quiche and of course, Champagne.

 

 

 

[kelly@]

This morning I woke up at 5:30 a.m. in the hope I would witness our entrance into the Geirangerfjord -- a UNESCO World Heritage site.

And I wasn’t disappointed -- as I drew back the curtains I was faced with a view of a much smaller cruise ship, the Delphin Voyager, but beyond the ship the backdrop was already beautiful -- lush green mountains were already in sight. And the sea was almost still, apart from the trail of the ships moving through. The view just got better and better as we moved deeper into the fjord and you soon start to see the log cabin homes nestled into the gorge. It was so pretty.

We arrived in the picturesque Geiranger at about 8:30 a.m. and after a quick breakfast in Horizon Court, we headed down to get the tender across to the town. Many people we spoke to were just going across and deciding what to do once ashore.

As you arrive off the tender you are greeted by the usual mix of tourist shops full of Norwegian souvenirs such as Viking hats and fridge magnets. The tourist office was again bustling with people. We decided to take an hour and a half sightseeing boat trip along the fjord. This cost 130 Kroner (£13/$26) per person. I have to say it was great to get up close to the waterfalls such as the "Seven Sisters" and the "Suiter". The weather was fine (spots of rain) so the Kayaking was going on too -- looked like great fun!

Before boarding for the tour I spotted an Internet cafe (the ship's wifi seems to be going as we were deep in the fjords now) inside a quaint and kitsch little cafe, Laizas (which to note, is recommended in the Lonely Planet guide). With a hot chocolate in hand (at the cost of 30 Kroner) I attempted to get onto the internet, but unfortunately I couldn’t connect. Worth going in for the atmosphere and the yummy drink though!

Overall I would say Geiranger is one of the most scenic places I have ever visited -- for me it is similar to parts of New Zealand's South Island, and that is my favourite region in the world.

[strummer]

Thanks Kelly - just over three weeks and we'll be there!!:D

 

The painted desert sounds great - is that the same as sterling steakhouse?

 

Have they had crableg night yet??:D :D

 

Hannah

[kelly@]

Thanks Kelly - just over three weeks and we'll be there!!:D

 

The painted desert sounds great - is that the same as sterling steakhouse?

 

Have they had crableg night yet??:D :D

 

Hannah

 

It sure is -- I think they kept the name from when it was a Tex-Mex eatery.

Haven't seen the crabs legs...yet! :)

[bettyboo]

hi Kelly,

 

Gerianger sounds amazing - i think that is the place i am looking forward to seeing the most!

 

have you manage to sample afternoon tea yet?

 

what is the mix of passengers are they predominently Brits or a mix?

 

how busy are the dining rooms - do you struggle to get a table or is it fairly relaxed?

[Sailemite]

Hi Kelly,

Just wanted to say that we were on the Grand in October 2007 and had a wonderful time going from New York to Quebec City. The crew was wonderful and MD Giorgio Pisano made us feel very welcome (our second cruise with him as our MD, first was in Alaska on the Island), and James Ibraim was a real treat as CD. Am looking forward to reading the rest of your posts.

[Ncl35]

I am looking for a cruise for next year and love princess. Is a fjord cruise like an alaska cruise?

[aclay]

I am looking for a cruise for next year and love princess. Is a fjord cruise like an alaska cruise?

I've done Alaska, Spitsbergen (including Norway/North Cape) and Antartica all on Princess.

Compared to Alaska, we saw less sealife in Norway, no carving glaciers (unless you are lucky enough to get up to Spitsbergen), and you don't get that Alaskan sense of 'vast wilderness'.

Norway (IMHO) has it's own charm, wonderfully scenic fjords which you sail right into (eg Geiranger), pretty towns and villages plus 'real' 24 hour sunlight once you get above the Arctic Circle. You also see lots of oil rigs off the coast of Norway. Other than reindeer we didn't see much wildlife in Norway vs Alaska..

All are awesome and are different in their own right, well worth visiting.:cool:

[kelly@]

For those of you interested I have found out some information about the ship's forthcoming wet dock.

Grand Princess is due for wet dock from 13 December to 19 December in Ft. Lauderdale before embarking on its Caribbean Christmas cruise.

So what is going to take place? Basically it's a bit of a refurbishment -- carpets across the ship are going to be replaced and the public lounges are going to get some new upholstery/furnishings as well.

A little bit more exciting though is the fact The Sanctuary will be added (work on this will start during the trans-Atlantic crossing as it takes a little more time). The current tennis court and running track (up on Deck 16 Forward) will be moved to the aft area of the ship to make way for the Sanctuary area with its gazebos and massage areas.

Another feature to be added down on Deck 5 of the Atrium is the Piazza area -- where passengers can sit and indulge in caviar, pastries etc... I am told this won't appear on Grand Princess until later next year -- I wasn’t able to get specific dates, but will try to find out more!

[kelly@]

hi Kelly,

 

Gerianger sounds amazing - i think that is the place i am looking forward to seeing the most!

 

have you manage to sample afternoon tea yet?

 

what is the mix of passengers are they predominently Brits or a mix?

 

how busy are the dining rooms - do you struggle to get a table or is it fairly relaxed?

 

Tea -- this has been popular with the Brits already. I popped my head in yesterday and it was all very civilized with mini sandwiches, pastries, cakes and of course, tea in china cups (made in England as well)! It is worth dropping by to the Da Vinci dining room between 3:30 p.m. and 4:30 p.m. for this.

There are currently 2661 passengers onboard and more than 1500 of us are Brits! Other big groups of nationalities onboard include 637 Americans and 120 Spanish. There also 121 children (under 21) on Grand Princess right now. Lots of tea and Boddingtons to be had on this cruise I expect! Lol!

Dining -- we haven't had a problem, we have generally been going down around 8 p.m. and there are a few people waiting for tables but it seems pretty relaxed considering it is a full ship!

[kelly@]

hi Kelly,

 

Gerianger sounds amazing - i think that is the place i am looking forward to seeing the most!

 

have you manage to sample afternoon tea yet?

 

what is the mix of passengers are they predominently Brits or a mix?

 

how busy are the dining rooms - do you struggle to get a table or is it fairly relaxed?

 

Tea -- this has been popular with the Brits already. I popped my head in yesterday and it was all very civilized with mini sandwiches, pastries, cakes and of course, tea in china cups! It is worth dropping by to the Da Vinci dining room between 3:30 p.m. and 4:30 p.m. for this.

 

There are currently 2661 passengers onboard and more than 1500 of us are Brits! Other nationalities onboard include 637 Americans and 120 Spanish. There also 120 children (under 21) on Grand Princess right now. Lots of tea and Boddingtons to be had on this cruise I expect! Lol!

[aclay]

Sorry to ask again Kelly - but is the new 'Chef's Table' dining option offered on the Grand currently?

cheers

[kelly@]

Sorry to ask again Kelly - but is the new 'Chef's Table' dining option offered on the Grand currently?

cheers

 

Hi, I checked this last night actually -- it is available onboard Grand Princess yes! At a cost of $75 per person, the Executive Chef Giuseppe De Gennaro gives you his insight into the working of the kitchen, you'll get a sneak of the galley followed by a multi-course tasting menu at the Chef's table in the dining room.

[aclay]

Hi, I checked this last night actually -- it is available onboard Grand Princess yes! At a cost of $75 per person, the Executive Chef Giuseppe De Gennaro gives you his insight into the working of the kitchen, you'll get a sneak of the galley followed by a multi-course tasting menu at the Chef's table in the dining room.

 

fantastic - thanks:D :D

[Mary Sea]

I will be on the Grand for the August 6 sailing, so I've got a couple of questions.

 

How acceptable are US dollars in Norway? Are credit cards the way to go or would you recommend local currency?

 

I was on the Princess Baltic cruise 3 years ago and there was a daily lecture in the theater giving the highlights and shore tips for the next port. Are they doing that on this itinerary?

 

Thanks!

[Colo Cruiser]

Thanks Kelly,

actually Antonio Banza is not an MD but an assiatant and usually at the Painted Desert.

When you get a chance I think any of the asst MD at any of the restaurants should know if he is still onboard or not.

 

Thanks again. :)