Grand Princess for our very first cruise

[wrg11]

What do you think? Will DH and I (early - mid 30s) have a good time? We will be on the 14-day Caribbean tour and would like a mini-suite (but will do a balcony if it comes down to that). Any suggestions? Thanks.

[fridaythecat.u.k.]

What do you think? Will DH and I (early - mid 30s) have a good time? We will be on the 14-day Caribbean tour and would like a mini-suite (but will do a balcony if it comes down to that). Any suggestions? Thanks.

 

I haven't done a Caribbean cruise, but I'm sure you will have a fantastic time :D There is something for all ages on board, and of course on shore. I am still in my thirties (just!! I am hanging on with my fingernails :eek:) and I am now wondering where to take cruise #2 ;)

 

Just make the most of CC to get all your questions answered in advance and then you will really be able to make the most of it! There were some things I knew as a first timer that experienced cruisers didn't have a clue about on my recent Ruby cruise - e.g. different coloured carpets on Port / Starboard - this was all due to CC :D

[Shogun]

Hi wrg11,

 

A fine ship that you will enjoy, go fo it.

 

yours Shogun

[DIVEP]

have fun on the shipURL=http://www.cruisecritic.com][/url]

i am going on won 17 day to alaska

[-Lew-]

Hi wrg11 and welcome to CC...

 

We enjoyed this cruise on the Grand so much this year we decided to do it again in 2010!

 

We had a fantastic time on this great ship. The crew, the food, the ports of call all made it a wonderful cruise.

 

If you're open to suggestions and don't have your heart set on a mini-suite, you might want to consider a balcony cabin on Caribe deck. It's a smaller cabin than a mini, but the balconies on Carib deck are half covered so you can either be out in the sun or in the shade as you desire. The balconies on most minis are open to the full sun.

 

Our preference is a cabin from about mid-ship toward the aft end for the smoothest ride.

 

Lew

[deenanmoose]

I also went on the Grand for my first cruise a few years ago. Things I learned: Brought waaaaay too many clothes and shoes. I did not need my hairdryer or shower products (other than my face wash and conditioner). The blow dryer and products Princess provided were fine. There is more storage that I thought there would be in the room. I enjoy planning my own, more intimate, excursions rather than through Princess. Go to the ports of call boards and start reading. You can also just google the city and check there. Spent waaaaay too much on my cruise card on drinks:) Oh well, what did I expect!! Cruising is addicting! I am going on the Emerald Princess in November.

[sunluva7]

What a great choice.:) Our very first cruise was on the Grand Princess in 2002. You will love it, and if you are like us, you'll wonder what took you so long!;) We had a mini-suite on our first cruise. We loved the extra space. Just keep in mind that the balconies for the mini-suites on Dolphin Deck are totally open with no covering. A good alternative would be Cat. BA, the balcony cabins on Caribe deck. It's a standard size cabin, but the balcony is larger and half covered (half shade/sun). The balconies above those are totally covered, but smaller than those on Caribe deck. When are you thinking of sailing? These boards will be your new best friends, so read as much as you can. There's nothing like an informed first-time cruiser. Enjoy!:D

[jim_m123]

Our first cruise in 2006 was to the Caribbean on the Grand Princess. We had a mini-suite, mid-ship on the port side of Dolphin Deck. It was wonderful. We were hooked. Next year was the Rhapsody of the Seas and then the next year was a week in St. Maarten (Westin Resort at Dawn Beach) to "test" if we really rathered crusing than a "land-lubber" destination vacation.

 

We found that we clearly preferred cruising and this year we were on the Golden to Alaska. Again, we had a wonderful time on a beautiful sister ship of the Grand Princess.

 

I'm not sure what ports you will visit - but - we fell in love with the beauty of Belize. The water was an indescribable crystal blue. Have a fantastic cruise on a grand ship! Also, learn from the participants of this community discussion board. We look forward to reading your review! :)

[georoc01]

Our first cruise in 2006 was to the Caribbean on the Grand Princess. We had a mini-suite, mid-ship on the port side of Dolphin Deck. It was wonderful. We were hooked. Next year was the Rhapsody of the Seas and then the next year was a week in St. Maarten (Westin Resort at Dawn Beach) to "test" if we really rathered crusing than a "land-lubber" destination vacation.

 

We found that we clearly preferred cruising and this year we were on the Golden to Alaska. Again, we had a wonderful time on a beautiful sister ship of the Grand Princess.

 

I'm not sure what ports you will visit - but - we fell in love with the beauty of Belize. The water was an indescribable crystal blue. Have a fantastic cruise on a grand ship! Also, learn from the participants of this community discussion board. We look forward to reading your review! :)

 

We cruised the Grand at the same time out of Gavelston. The port we really fell in love with was Roatan & Anthony's Key. Have been back there twice since.

 

That's one of the beauties of cruising, you get to see a variety of places and figure out where you want to spend more time exploring later.

[Stevesan]

What do you think? Will DH and I (early - mid 30s) have a good time? We will be on the 14-day Caribbean tour and would like a mini-suite (but will do a balcony if it comes down to that). Any suggestions? Thanks.

 

What a silly question.

You don't have to be at work. No cooking or house cleaning for two whole weeks. The ship's staff will wait on you hand and foot. There are beautiful beaches in nearly all the ports, and numerous port actitivities.

How can you NOT have a good time? :p

 

I've done a lot of Caribbean cruises and loved them all, but then I'm a snorkel freak. If you enjoy water sports, you'll have a great time.

 

Minis are a lot more expensive, but it is nice to have a balcony. The bathrooms are tiny in all categories up to the mini. A balcony cabin is a good choice for drying your snorkel and/or dive gear, as well as just watching the world go by.

 

These were my comments after my first Princess cruise:

 

Although a 109,000-ton ship is a physically imposing object, GP’s interiors were intentionally designed to minimize the impact of her size. As a pioneer among mega-liners, her interiors were scaled down to lessen any potential intimidation factor. The more recent trend, notable among Royal Caribbean’s mega-ships, has been in the opposite direction. Many now intentionally celebrate size, even expanding interiors to obtain the greatest possible spectacular effect.

The ship’s condition was near faultless. Despite 2,000 plus passengers tramping through every day, signs of wear are virtually invisible. Maintenance is obviously a priority for the ship’s crew, clearly a tribute to her Captain. GP’s mechanical condition seems faultless. On the large scale, engines perform as intended, side thrusters function, tender operations go off without a hitch, elevators function properly, etc. On the more personal level, our cabin’s thermostat correctly responded to settings, drawers and doors opened and closed properly, every toilet we used flushed instantly. No obnoxious odors, aka sewage, were evident anywhere. In our observation, absolutely everything worked as designed. This ship is a model for those in the cruise industry who claim that unpleasant odors and malfunctioning toilets are inevitable and unavoidable on sea-going passenger vessels. Grand Princess, although not a maiden, puts the lie to that mistaken bit of nonsense.

Dining is an important factor for cruise passengers. We found little fault with either the quality or presentation of the food, either in the main dining room or buffet, the Horizon Court. We had late traditional dining. The dining staff in the Botticelli was personable and very efficient. The headwaiter was first-rate, frequently visiting tables and overseeing service. One evening he prepared a special pasta dish employing his own authentic Italian recipe for the sauce. It was intended as a sampler plate, but was so delicious people were enjoying full bowls as the entree.

The best part of the dining experience was the food. Preparation was first-rate: ordered medium rare – the item was delivered medium rare, sauces were fully flavored, all dishes were consistently served at the correct temperature. The desserts possessed intense flavors, indicative of quality ingredients.

The MUTS (Movies Under The Stars) screen on Lido Deck at “Neptune’s Reef” pool was a popular attraction for adults and kids alike. A variety of videos are shown daytime, and feature-length films in the late afternoon and evening. The video quality is startlingly good. The MUTS audio is loud, but is sufficiently directional so as to not be obtrusive outside the pool area.

I suppose this reads as a promo for Princess. Well, so be it. We had a great time on a magnificent ship.

[pmcue]

If getting a balcony room, get it on the floor with the Large Balcony, I beleive it is the Caribe Deck on the Grand. Twice the size, half covered, half open.