newbie500

On 2/12/2022 at 2:12 PM, macandlucy said:

Hi, hope someone can help answer this. We are new to Princess and have just booked cabin on Deck 11 on the Grand Princess. I chose it because it's, as it appears on the deck plan, close to the mid-ship staircase.

 

In reading some posts about the Grand this morning, I came across a couple that mentioned the lack of " a central staircase" or "no central staircase beyond deck 7".  

 

Could someone please clarify this for me? Is there a set of elevators and a staircase mid ship on deck 11? Or is it just for and aft? Or is it just deck 7 that lacks the mid ship stars? Or are "central staircase" and "midship staircase" different things?

 

It's important to us to be close to stairs, so I am now wondering if we have to change cabins. 

 

Thanks

 

 

I just got off the Grand yesterday. It does indeed have a central staircase, so you should be fine. The Royal was designed without a central public staircase. That proved to be a disaster for moving guests around the ship and the issue was corrected in dry dock. The "crew only" mid-ship stairs were opened up and carpeted for guest use. They aren't as wide as the fore and aft staircases, but they work. I believe this design flaw was corrected on other Royal class ships. Hope this helps.

We sailed the Silver Galapagos in Nov. 2019 and it was a wonderful experience. The naturalists were extremely knowledgeable, the service top notch, the food excellent (given the limitations of the Galapagos and Ecuadorian rules) and the ship was lovely. It made me sad to know that it was scheduled to be put out to pasture. That said, we're going back and have booked the Silver Origin for Nov. 2022. Enjoy!

There are several excursion options every day, so if you don't want to get into the water, you don't have to. BUT some of the zodiac landings are "wet" landings so your feet will get wet. The guides are outstanding, and I never felt unsafe, even getting on and off the zodiacs. Each evening, the next day's activities are clearly outlined so you'll be able to decide which excursion meets your needs and comfort level. Silversea has two 7-day itineraries. Our first Galapagos trip was in Nov. 2019 on the Silver Galapagos, sadly no longer part of the fleet. We are returning next year on the Silver Origin to do the other itinerary. It's an amazing trip and I encourage you to take advantage of every bit of it. And Silversea does an outstanding job!

And another vote for Woodwind. Truly one of the best snorkeling experiences we've ever had. Enjoy Bonaire - the underwater world is spectacular!

We had an inside cabin on the Ocean Princess (now the Oceania Sirena) for a 12-day cruise of the Med, and it was great. These cabins are relatively spacious for an inside with a love seat for lounging about. Didn't feel at all claustrophobic, and since we had a very port-intensive trip, we really didn't need anything larger. I like the near total darkness for sleeping. And I LOVE this ship. Go for it.

Our multi-generational family took a cruise to celebrate my parents 50th wedding anniversary. Mom had her heart set on Disney, but after much research, we found that just wouldn't work for us. Disney is an excellent brand and I'm sure it would have been an excellent experience, but we decided to sail on Carnival Liberty. There were 14 in our group, including 6 kids ranging in age from 3 to 16, and a great time was had by all. The grandparents enjoyed just watching everyone else have fun. The parents, particularly the moms in the group, enjoyed having someone wait on them - no cooking, no laundry, no babysitting - for an entire week. And the kids had fun in their age-specific kids clubs.

I know Carnival is considered a down-market line, but they do a great job for families. There really is something for everyone. And the cost was reasonable for a group of our size. Carnival Liberty gets generally good reviews, and I would recommend this ship as an economical alternative.