Grand Princess Ship Review (very comprehensive -- aka: long)

Below is a copy of my very long review of the Grand Princess for our December cruise. Please feel free to post any questions you may have. I would be more than happy to answer them if I can. Please note these are my opinions only -- I provided this cruise with an overall 3 out of 5 stars.

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We are a retired couple in our mid-fifties, early sixties that cruise often. This was our 20th cruise on Princess and our 48th cruise overall. We live in the Bay Area, much like a great majority of the others on this particular sailing.

EMBARKATION: Travel across the Bay Bridge to the pier in San Francisco was quick and easy in the late morning. Upon embarkation, we got in line inside the terminal and waited only a short period of time to get through the security line.

We took a couple of bottles of wine onboard, thus we were asked to join the short line to have these checked at another small table within the security area. This was also accomplished quickly and were in the preferred check in line in no time at all. Check in was also quick and efficient with the clerk being knowledgeable and friendly. After we were checked in, we were directed to the boarding area. The entire security and check in process only took about 20 minutes total followed by elite passenger embarkation that started just prior to noon.

We only took carry on luggage so unpacked quickly as soon as we boarded. We booked a cabin on the very aft of the port side on the Caribe deck and most everything looked to be ok. Our room steward greeted us shortly after we boarded and asked if there was anything else we needed. We headed down to the embarkation lunch in the main dining room. Oftentimes, the embarkation lunch in the main dining room is discouraged but we were greeted by a friendly host that seated us at a shared table for six without question.

We toured the ship a bit after lunch and soon it was time for the muster drill. Our station was in the Vista Lounge and noticed that all check in machines were functioning properly (unlike our drill on our last Princess cruise). The presentation started and ended on time so we were quickly back in our cabin to return our life jackets and start the cruise.

Because it started pouring outside, the sail away party was held in the centrum / piazza area by the cruise activities staff. We did not attend but noticed the hallways were very quiet throughout the remainder of the day. The sail away was delayed by a little over an hour and the captain came over the PA to notify us of the delay as well the sea conditions as we were leaving the Port of SF. We were warned that it would be rough sailing out and that was no lie. The halls were empty and there was a lot of creaks and knocks throughout the rather empty hallways. That night (and a few others) were so rough that it almost knocked us out of bed throughout the night and being in the very aft of the ship, lots of shaking of the cabin. I got many bruises from running into the handrail in the hallways so often. While there were not a lot of white caps during this cruise, the swells must have caused this type of movement which I liken to bouncing around in the ocean. Someone mentioned that the stability of the ship was affected when they removed Skywalkers but don't know if that is the case. I can only honestly say that is the least stable ship on which I have sailed. I've sailed on this itinerary many times before and in December before and this was worse than all the other times, possibly some of which was due to my cabin choice.

SHIP INFORMATION: I think the Grand is one of the older Princess ships in the fleet. Whereas we've sailed on several other ships, this would be my least favorite of all. The ship itself had some of what I would consider major design flaws, including the ventilation system, location of the casino, a lack of a central staircase leading to the passenger decks and did not feel very stable in the open ocean compared to other ships on which I have sailed in much rougher sea conditions. The whole ship creaked, knocked and shook quite a bit as already mentioned.

There were also some obvious maintenance issues and just an overall old and tired feeling in some of the public areas and at the very least, in our stateroom. The balcony edges, as well as the pipes and braces used to hold the pipes to the structure were broken, dented and/or rusted. There was a lot of paint dripped down onto the blue matting they use on the balcony with a lot of debris stuck within the small openings. This, in addition to the rust and railing dents, made the balcony way less appealing as it just felt filthy. It did appear that the above balconies were washed and ours caught the debris. The carpet near the balcony door was not secured so lifted up at the edges, the door itself would stick terribly on the tracks so it was nearly impossible to close the door all the way and our shower temperature control was broken. The latter two problems were fixed immediately upon reporting them and a follow up message was left on the phone to make sure they were fixed to our satisfaction, which they were. This was most appreciated!! Of note, the dial broke again on the last morning of the cruise so no hot water for our shower, whereas before it was fixed the first time, it was either burning hot or scalding hot. Our mini-fridge was not in working condition at first and had no cooler dial but seemed to work a bit better later during the cruise. Our room steward filled an additional ice bucket for us every day to keep our mini bar items chilled. He did this without our request so again, this was most appreciated.

Everything else was ok in our stateroom except for the sheets that were stained by the feet, that we hadn't noticed until later in the cruise. They weren't our stains, so this should never ever happen. One of the robes we also requested was quite stained, again, not our stains. They were laundered so not fresh stains but these should have never made it up to the passenger decks as such. The towels that were provided were fresh and clean each and every day.

There were several areas onboard that needed maintenance, such as the carpeting on the aft stairwell, the couches in the Wheelhouse Bar as well as some at the One5 and the ones outside the Explorers Lounge, some seats in the theater and the hot tubs throughout the ship. As mentioned, there were pipes that were supposed to be braced up against the structure of the ship but those had all broken free due to rust and painted over and rusted right through the coats of paint. So much rust down the length of the ship as far as the eye could see.

Some of the interior areas of the ship were extremely drafty and cold, including some parts of the main dining room and in the casino. Numerous passengers complained but they couldn't turn the air conditioning down or the whole ship would be affected.

The smoke from the casino oftentimes poured out into the surrounding areas such as by the purser's desk and at one of the entrances to the casino. One passenger was heard complaining as he booked a window suite and was plagued by the smell of smoke in his room. Unfortunately, they could do nothing for him as the ship was full. Lesson learned as I could also smell a strong odor of smoke while at the front desk tending to my paperwork.

The dining areas, including the Crown Grill, the MDRs, the International Café, Vines, Alfredos, the buffet and outdoor grill / pizza bar were all in good condition and looked well maintained. I especially loved the area in which they tucked the library.

The Internet Café was ok, but many of the stations had no computers -- so looks as though half of the stations were empty and there were oftentimes lines waiting to use one of the available PCs. The internet was slow but not the worst -- it did kick me off once and logged me onto some other account when I logged back in. I reported it but the staff member said he had not heard of this before. Not wanting to even risk using someone else's minutes, I logged completely out of that PC and logged onto another one under my own log in.

I loved the area in the shade just above the back pool. It was furnished with comfy outdoor furniture -- great place to sit and read a book or just relax. It was very underutilized in my opinion.

The wine cellars is tucked into a nice little corner and beautifully appointed but also underutilized.

SERVICE: Now, this is where this ship excelled -- the staff and crew. We had amongst the best service ever and always with a smile.

Our room steward was fabulous, seemed to anticipate our every need. He would drop everything to let us into our room if we were carrying plates or coffee back to our room. He should have never be put in the position of having stained sheets / robes for the passenger cabins, so do not fault him for this. He was never intrusive and just did an overall excellent job....one of the best we've had. He also reported those problems mentioned above to his supervisor and maintenance ... which were remedied quickly.

Bar service in both the Wheelhouse Bar, Crooners, the casino and the One5 were exceptional. We were never left thirsty wherever we went.

The service at the pub lunch in the Crown Grill, in the Main Dining Rooms, Alfredos, the International Café, the Trident Grill and the buffet was never anything but perfect. I was so impressed by their new service at the buffet, especially in the morning hours. They bring your egg order to your table to you (piping hot by the way) instead of you waiting in the food service area to reduce congestion. It really is one of the best improvements that could have been made on Princess. There were always plenty of waiters to make sure your coffee was filled and that you got juice with your breakfast. In the evening, the chef would do most everything possible to make sure he would provide something to your liking.

The only question I would have is why there were no turkey products available throughout the ship during the morning hours. Sometimes, they would offer me a special order of turkey sausage in the buffet but couldn't do it in the main dining room. They only had pork sausage and bacon available and this wasn't so on the Star Princess last month. Also, service was fabulous in Alfredos but would have liked to have a Caesar salad option available as well. The International Café staff was great and seemed to go above and beyond to make sure their patrons were happy and satisfied. The coffee bar oftentimes had long lines but somebody would come by to see if brewed coffee was requested to alleviate having to stand in line.

The maitre'D in the main dining room was also fabulous, as were the waiters and waitresses.

Room service was always quick and our order was always accurate. Very friendly room service staff onboard.

The front desk, photography and boutique staff was knowledgeable, friendly and efficient....just excellent all the way around. We started referring to the entire staff as the staff of 'yes' as we rarely heard the word 'no'. Even the pool attendants were friendly and attentive and were always busy cleaning something.

ACIVITIES AND ENTERTAINMENT: The cruise director and activities staff were energetic and talented. They organized a very fun deck party as well as entertainment in the Piazza. We missed some of the shows as they conflicted with our dinner schedule but did see the comedians and enjoyed those shows immensely. We have noticed they no longer schedule any hypnotist shows and always enjoyed those. We wish they would bring those back. For trivia lovers, this would be your trip -- seemed like they were held several times per day. They did get a little too intense for us as the groups were a bit too competitive, so we stopped going after a few times. Bingo and line dancing classes were also offered but we didn't attend those either but they both looked very popular.

There were also drawings and contests throughout the cruise adding to the fun. If there were lectures offered, we missed those.

What is nice, is there is an app that can be used to check on the activities for the day as well as an area to check your bill from your own device without using any internet minutes. NICE touch, Princess.

The bands throughout the ship, the piano player at Crooners and guitar player/singer offered a variety of music throughout the ship. We particularly liked the band that oftentimes played at the Wheelhouse bar. They did a great variety of music just for listening or for dancing.

The wine tasting was fun although they no longer provide one of those cute little shot glasses with it. This was certainly not a deal breaker for us.

The captain's club event was nice but the drinks they served were just ok. The white wine they served had actually turned a bit. I didn't think it was drinkable. The red wine was ok.

DINING: Beyond the excellent service, the food was anywhere from ok to excellent. Options for those that don't eat red meat were not as plentiful as on other cruises we've sailed on but did manage to find something somewhere onboard; sometimes better than other times. The pizza up on the pool deck was very good, maybe even better than that in Alfredos. The Trident Grill now has cooked chicken available rather than having you wait 10-15 minutes for this option. Additional items such as ribs, onion rings, chicken wings, etc are available after 6 PM for a casual style dinner. The items at the International Café are also very good for a small snack and we never found it hard to find a seat to enjoy it.

CABIN REVIEW: Our cabin was all the way aft on the Caribe deck. There was an extra little area on the balcony but not used. The balcony furniture was adequate but the balcony was rather unappealing as described above. The room was average with a couple of malfunctions that were quickly remedied. This was not a great room choice for an unstable ship. The curtains blocked out the light very well furniture was in good condition. The bed was ok but could have been softer, a pillow top was added to make it more comfortable. The tv worked well with a nice clear picture. There were plenty of drawers and shelves for storage. The closet is about half the size of the other Grand and Crown class ships but definitely adequate. The bathroom tiles and sink were in good condition and the air conditioning system worked well no noisy fans. We could feel the walls shake from slamming doors of surrounding cabins but otherwise was a quiet location.

ADDENDUM: While I forgot to add this to my original review, whomever is in charge of the public restrooms might take another look. The upkeep and monitoring was not at all apparent....certainly not a bragging point for Princess.

PORTS OF CALL: Since we only took one tour from Princess, this is the only one in which I will go in depth. We took the Cuyutlan Turtle Sanctuary and Salt Museum tour. This was definitely one of the best tours we've ever taken and was well worth our time and money while visiting Manzanillo. Our bus was air conditioned and quite comfortable with a tour guide that spoke English well. The turtle sanctuary was, of course, the highlight and we were lucky enough to each release our own recently hatched turtle into the ocean. The salt museum was interesting to us, but not so much by others. We finished the day with a fabulous lunch in a local restaurant, complete with frosty beers. An excellent day all the way around. We had time to tour the pier area which is now located down by the sailfish statue instead of by the container port so this was a plus.

We took a tour off the ship in Puerto Vallarta which was just ok but was then highlighted with a stop at the Tequila distillery in the Mismaloya area that was fantastic. We stopped for a bucket of beers inside the terminal area ... they were ice cold and so appreciated and had very friendly service there.

We only got off to go to the little shops in the pier area in Mazatlán to pick up some hydrocortisone cream to stop the itch from some bug bites I got in either Puerto Vallarta or Manzanillo and then headed back onboard. There were 4 ships in town that day so extremely crowded and chaotic.

We stayed onboard while in Cabo and enjoyed what we thought would be the solitude of an empty ship. There were a lot of people that had the very same idea so not exactly quiet but was very enjoyable, nonetheless. While sailing from Cabo back towards San Francisco, we were on the balcony to get some great shots of the sunset. The captain came over the PA to announce our position and that we might see some whales. No sooner did he say that did a whale completely breech right off the aft port side of the ship. It then continued the show by slapping it's tail in the water at least 2 dozen times. It looked to be having quite a lot of fun providing us with quite the show. That was probably the best whale watching tour we've been on ... and all just off the side of the ship.

DISEMBARKATION: One of the most organized disembarkations that I've experienced. Our ride was available a bit earlier than thought but were given an earlier walk off disembarkation that morning and were disembarked within minutes of our scheduled time. Well done, Princess!

SUMMARY: Overall, the cruise was pretty good and we met some very nice people onboard and had some of the best service ever. Although this was my first cruise on the Grand, this ship is my least favorite in the Princess fleet and will most likely cancel one of two future cruises I have booked on her. If the service weren't so great, I would probably cancel both. I usually try to sail in the first couple of weeks in December as our schedule is flexible and pricing is good. I do hope that Princess swaps out one of her newer ships to be home based in San Francisco in the very near future and hope to get such a great staff and staff onboard.

Thanks for the review. We're doing this cruise January 9th so good to know what to expect. We booked the turtle sanctuary too. Looking forward to that.

Thanks for the review. We're doing this cruise January 9th so good to know what to expect. We booked the turtle sanctuary too. Looking forward to that.

We've been on dozens of tours -- both from the excursions desk or just from the pier. This one will not disappoint. It really was something special and not really expensive either. Hope you enjoy it!!

Leaving on the Grand this coming Wednesday, New Years cruise. We were on the first cruise on the Grand in l998 out of Istanbul, did a 7 day California Coastal to check the ship out about 2 years ago. We always book forward in a mini suite. When we were on board last time, did not see any issues with our balcony even though I have read reviews of rust and dirty balconies.

Agree with you, the service we had on the Grand on our last cruise was fantastic. We are hoping of a repeat, from your review looks like we will get our wish.

Like you we have many Princess cruises, think this will be our 23 or 24th..I have to check out our profile. Our favorite ship is the Ruby, not interested in the new Royal or Regal, too much like Celebrity ships for us. We cruise Celebrity as well but prefer Princess.

I am happy to have the Grand home ported in San Francisco, we live near SFO, so an easy trip for us, take a taxi to the ship. Beats flying to met a ship which we have done for years. Have over 50 cruises on 9 different lines over the past 30 years. If Princess switch to another ship that would be okay. vcesne

Thanks for your review, we will check our sheets! We have never done a New Years cruise. Going to help my sister celebrate the new year after a year of treatment for cancer. She is doing well and we have a lot to be thankful about. This will end a tough year and start fresh in 2016.

Happy New Year to everyone!

I believe the Star cruised out of SF last year but was switched with the Grand for this year's itineraries. I'd be OK with that switch.

The Star did fly out of SF last summer, I was on it. Personally I'm glad that if they had to swap it out they choose Grand Princess.

Why? Grand has two things I really like. First, they have Window Suites, including the wondrous handicap accessible F-315. The other thing is that Grand has Alfredos, the sit down, made for you, thin crust pizza restaurant. Would it be better with Caesar Salad? You betcha, but you can get a salad at the International Cafe and bring it over. In any event, it beats having to eat at either the International Cafe or the buffet whenever we are in port.

Color me happy.

M.

Very thorough review.

Thank you.

Keith

Like you we have many Princess cruises, think this will be our 23 or 24th..I have to check out our profile. Our favorite ship is the Ruby, not interested in the new Royal or Regal, too much like Celebrity ships for us. We cruise Celebrity as well but prefer Princess.

 

I am happy to have the Grand home ported in San Francisco, we live near SFO, so an easy trip for us, take a taxi to the ship. Beats flying to met a ship which we have done for years. Have over 50 cruises on 9 different lines over the past 30 years. If Princess switch to another ship that would be okay. vcesne

 

Thanks for your review, we will check our sheets! We have never done a New Years cruise. Going to help my sister celebrate the new year after a year of treatment for cancer. She is doing well and we have a lot to be thankful about. This will end a tough year and start fresh in 2016.

 

Happy New Year to everyone!

We are certainly happy to have Princess (or any other line) based out of SF. While we probably sail on Princess about twice as often as on any other line, we absolutely love Celebrity, the Infinity being our all time favorite but certainly the S-class ships have never been anything but wonderful in our opinion.

Best of luck to your sister ... yes, happy new year and hopefully a fresh cancer free start in 2016!

I believe the Star cruised out of SF last year but was switched with the Grand for this year's itineraries. I'd be OK with that switch.

Yes, indeed. We have sailed on the Star out of SF a couple of times in the past and once out of Vancouver last month. I much prefer the Star over the Grand (ship wise) but the crew was not on par with those on the Grand -- decent but a few problems with the front desk, the captain's circle host as well as any communication about the disastrous disembarkation in San Pedro. I understand that people with late afternoon flights were scrambling to rebook the flights that were missed. Ouch. That's a one time deal, though. I did also think the food was much better on the Grand, but the ship itself was not really to my liking.

PS -- the Grand is based out of SF for 2015 - 2017.

The Star did fly out of SF last summer, I was on it. Personally I'm glad that if they had to swap it out they choose Grand Princess.

 

Why? Grand has two things I really like. First, they have Window Suites, including the wondrous handicap accessible F-315. The other thing is that Grand has Alfredos, the sit down, made for you, thin crust pizza restaurant. Would it be better with Caesar Salad? You betcha, but you can get a salad at the International Cafe and bring it over. In any event, it beats having to eat at either the International Cafe or the buffet whenever we are in port.

 

Color me happy.

 

M.

Without the least bit of sarcasm, I truly am happy that some passengers like the Grand....as I don't want Princess to pull out of SF because it isn't profitable or too congested, like all the other lines have seemed to have done. However, the Grand just isn't my cup of tea....speaking of the ship itself and not the lovely aspects of the cruise.

Although, I do think some of the other Princess ships have window suites, the placement next to the smoking side of the casino seemed odd to me. I probably wouldn't have noticed that had it not been for the suite passenger complaining at the front desk while I was up there.

And the last ship we were on that had Alfredos was the Sky and possibly could have been on the Dawn or Ocean Princess...so years ago. I absolutely loved it then but that is when you could order a nice salad there as well. This time we sat down and had a meal with some fellow passengers, all of them eating the pizza and afterwards, I went to the IC to get something to eat. But they actually don't have Caesar salads over at the IC ... so got a small plate of grilled veggies instead. I was just commenting that it would have been nice if they had a salad option or two so I didn't have to go get food for my lunch after everyone was done eating. I guess I might have been able to go get my own food and bring it back into the restaurant with me but that certainly defeats the purpose of a sit down eatery and is a bit awkward. Not a deal breaker for me, though -- we just didn't end up going back a second time. I was surprised to hear my DH state that he thought Alfredos wouldn't make it for long. I do think it will last but I don't think we ever saw many people in there during our entire cruise, though. It might be utilized a little more heavily if they had a couple simple other options available.

Thanks for the great review.

We will not sail the Grand again either. :(

I'm perfectly happy with both the Star and the Grand and each have their own positives and (slight) negatives. First of all, I'll sail anything that sails out of San Francisco and preferably it be on a Princess ship.

I'm not sure of the complaint by the person who did not enjoy their window suite because of the smoke from the casino. My husband and I truly hate the smell of smoke and we didn't have ANY trace of the odor in our window suite the end of November. I do admit that the odor was strong near the service desk which was closer to our location but the hall door provided a sufficient separation. It's possible the much heavier smoke from the Snookers bar affected the cabin closer to that entrance which was further down the hall.

We love Alfredos and walking over to the IC to pick up a salad was a no-brainer. It took all of 15 seconds and we enjoyed them before the pizza came out. I would hate to see it be replaced by just another retail spot to sell wine and/or chocolates like the Star.

I cannot recall who the CD was on the Star but we couldn't help but remember Dave Cole on the Grand as he created a wonderful schedule for every day's entertainment.

Cruise ship food is at the mercy of the Executive Chef and not always are they equal in every manner or skill. Perhaps they move around as often as the Captains? Not sure, but I do see different names from time to time.

Our steward was only so-so this time (always came late in the day) but we ALWAYS had spotless linens and towels, in fact, it appeared they all were changed daily. Perhaps this is a perk of a suite?

It can't be easy for the maintenance crew to work on the railings and metal parts between all the ship's cabins when there are new guests exchanging cabins every week. I did see them painting the areas that are open to the public every day and the work looked beautiful with fresh, new blue and white paint.

One obviously shabby area I saw were the small sofas and chairs in the hall/walkway outside of the Wheel House Bar and the Explorer's Lounge. The furniture has seen its day and then some.

The points I made above are only my observations and not in any way taking away your very own observations of things that are important to you. I enjoyed you review.

Everything you've listed about the Grand, both positive & negative, sounds just like when we were on it in 2010. ;)

Thanks for the great review! We will be on the Grand next June and I appreciate all of your info.

Thanks for taking the time to share your experience. Great review.

Thanks for your review. We board the Grand on the 30th. We are very excited to have Dave Cole as the CD. He is the best CD we have had on Princess. I hope the whales have a repeat performance for us!! Looking forward to relaxing after having a very hectic year.

 

The points I made above are only my observations and not in any way taking away your very own observations of things that are important to you. I enjoyed you review.

I also enjoyed your review and in no way took any offense to your observations. As a matter of fact, will do just as you mentioned and take a salad / veggies into Alredos from the IC next time we are on the Grand.

We also had David Cole on this cruise and while we didn't take part in a ton of the activities that he had planned, we so enjoyed the ukulele / pop choir show on the last day of the cruise. He is very personable and talented as all get out.

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I was surprised to hear my DH state that he thought Alfredos wouldn't make it for long. I do think it will last but I don't think we ever saw many people in there during our entire cruise, though. It might be utilized a little more heavily if they had a couple simple other options available.

On the Regal and the Royal Alfredo's on those ships have what you want. It was great.

Thanks for the review, btw. Lots of information.

On the Regal and the Royal Alfredo's on those ships have what you want. It was great.

.

Good to know....might try again to request it when we are on the Grand this summer. We have a group that we've booked with us so are definitely doing this sailing but at least know what to expect this time around. This next cruise is for my SILs 50th birthday and she really wants to sail out of SF -- even though I mentioned she might want a newer ship for her big celebration. She insisted on the Grand. We will have fun as this will be a fun group of people. Plus, we have booked rooms in better locations.

Again, good to know about the Regal and Royal!! We will have to check them out one day but have some Celebrity cruises booked over the next couple of years so will probably have to wait.

Below is a copy of my very long review of the Grand Princess for our December cruise. Please feel free to post any questions you may have. I would be more than happy to answer them if I can. Please note these are my opinions only -- I provided this cruise with an overall 3 out of 5 stars.

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We are a retired couple in our mid-fifties, early sixties that cruise often. This was our 20th cruise on Princess and our 48th cruise overall. We live in the Bay Area, much like a great majority of the others on this particular sailing.

 

EMBARKATION: Travel across the Bay Bridge to the pier in San Francisco was quick and easy in the late morning. Upon embarkation, we got in line inside the terminal and waited only a short period of time to get through the security line.

 

We took a couple of bottles of wine onboard, thus we were asked to join the short line to have these checked at another small table within the security area. This was also accomplished quickly and were in the preferred check in line in no time at all. Check in was also quick and efficient with the clerk being knowledgeable and friendly. After we were checked in, we were directed to the boarding area. The entire security and check in process only took about 20 minutes total followed by elite passenger embarkation that started just prior to noon.

 

We only took carry on luggage so unpacked quickly as soon as we boarded. We booked a cabin on the very aft of the port side on the Caribe deck and most everything looked to be ok. Our room steward greeted us shortly after we boarded and asked if there was anything else we needed. We headed down to the embarkation lunch in the main dining room. Oftentimes, the embarkation lunch in the main dining room is discouraged but we were greeted by a friendly host that seated us at a shared table for six without question.

 

We toured the ship a bit after lunch and soon it was time for the muster drill. Our station was in the Vista Lounge and noticed that all check in machines were functioning properly (unlike our drill on our last Princess cruise). The presentation started and ended on time so we were quickly back in our cabin to return our life jackets and start the cruise.

 

Because it started pouring outside, the sail away party was held in the centrum / piazza area by the cruise activities staff. We did not attend but noticed the hallways were very quiet throughout the remainder of the day. The sail away was delayed by a little over an hour and the captain came over the PA to notify us of the delay as well the sea conditions as we were leaving the Port of SF. We were warned that it would be rough sailing out and that was no lie. The halls were empty and there was a lot of creaks and knocks throughout the rather empty hallways. That night (and a few others) were so rough that it almost knocked us out of bed throughout the night and being in the very aft of the ship, lots of shaking of the cabin. I got many bruises from running into the handrail in the hallways so often. While there were not a lot of white caps during this cruise, the swells must have caused this type of movement which I liken to bouncing around in the ocean. Someone mentioned that the stability of the ship was affected when they removed Skywalkers but don't know if that is the case. I can only honestly say that is the least stable ship on which I have sailed. I've sailed on this itinerary many times before and in December before and this was worse than all the other times, possibly some of which was due to my cabin choice.

 

SHIP INFORMATION: I think the Grand is one of the older Princess ships in the fleet. Whereas we've sailed on several other ships, this would be my least favorite of all. The ship itself had some of what I would consider major design flaws, including the ventilation system, location of the casino, a lack of a central staircase leading to the passenger decks and did not feel very stable in the open ocean compared to other ships on which I have sailed in much rougher sea conditions. The whole ship creaked, knocked and shook quite a bit as already mentioned.

 

There were also some obvious maintenance issues and just an overall old and tired feeling in some of the public areas and at the very least, in our stateroom. The balcony edges, as well as the pipes and braces used to hold the pipes to the structure were broken, dented and/or rusted. There was a lot of paint dripped down onto the blue matting they use on the balcony with a lot of debris stuck within the small openings. This, in addition to the rust and railing dents, made the balcony way less appealing as it just felt filthy. It did appear that the above balconies were washed and ours caught the debris. The carpet near the balcony door was not secured so lifted up at the edges, the door itself would stick terribly on the tracks so it was nearly impossible to close the door all the way and our shower temperature control was broken. The latter two problems were fixed immediately upon reporting them and a follow up message was left on the phone to make sure they were fixed to our satisfaction, which they were. This was most appreciated!! Of note, the dial broke again on the last morning of the cruise so no hot water for our shower, whereas before it was fixed the first time, it was either burning hot or scalding hot. Our mini-fridge was not in working condition at first and had no cooler dial but seemed to work a bit better later during the cruise. Our room steward filled an additional ice bucket for us every day to keep our mini bar items chilled. He did this without our request so again, this was most appreciated.

 

Everything else was ok in our stateroom except for the sheets that were stained by the feet, that we hadn't noticed until later in the cruise. They weren't our stains, so this should never ever happen. One of the robes we also requested was quite stained, again, not our stains. They were laundered so not fresh stains but these should have never made it up to the passenger decks as such. The towels that were provided were fresh and clean each and every day.

 

There were several areas onboard that needed maintenance, such as the carpeting on the aft stairwell, the couches in the Wheelhouse Bar as well as some at the One5 and the ones outside the Explorers Lounge, some seats in the theater and the hot tubs throughout the ship. As mentioned, there were pipes that were supposed to be braced up against the structure of the ship but those had all broken free due to rust and painted over and rusted right through the coats of paint. So much rust down the length of the ship as far as the eye could see.

 

Some of the interior areas of the ship were extremely drafty and cold, including some parts of the main dining room and in the casino. Numerous passengers complained but they couldn't turn the air conditioning down or the whole ship would be affected.

 

The smoke from the casino oftentimes poured out into the surrounding areas such as by the purser's desk and at one of the entrances to the casino. One passenger was heard complaining as he booked a window suite and was plagued by the smell of smoke in his room. Unfortunately, they could do nothing for him as the ship was full. Lesson learned as I could also smell a strong odor of smoke while at the front desk tending to my paperwork.

 

The dining areas, including the Crown Grill, the MDRs, the International Café, Vines, Alfredos, the buffet and outdoor grill / pizza bar were all in good condition and looked well maintained. I especially loved the area in which they tucked the library.

 

The Internet Café was ok, but many of the stations had no computers -- so looks as though half of the stations were empty and there were oftentimes lines waiting to use one of the available PCs. The internet was slow but not the worst -- it did kick me off once and logged me onto some other account when I logged back in. I reported it but the staff member said he had not heard of this before. Not wanting to even risk using someone else's minutes, I logged completely out of that PC and logged onto another one under my own log in.

 

I loved the area in the shade just above the back pool. It was furnished with comfy outdoor furniture -- great place to sit and read a book or just relax. It was very underutilized in my opinion.

 

The wine cellars is tucked into a nice little corner and beautifully appointed but also underutilized.

 

SERVICE: Now, this is where this ship excelled -- the staff and crew. We had amongst the best service ever and always with a smile.

 

Our room steward was fabulous, seemed to anticipate our every need. He would drop everything to let us into our room if we were carrying plates or coffee back to our room. He should have never be put in the position of having stained sheets / robes for the passenger cabins, so do not fault him for this. He was never intrusive and just did an overall excellent job....one of the best we've had. He also reported those problems mentioned above to his supervisor and maintenance ... which were remedied quickly.

 

Bar service in both the Wheelhouse Bar, Crooners, the casino and the One5 were exceptional. We were never left thirsty wherever we went.

 

The service at the pub lunch in the Crown Grill, in the Main Dining Rooms, Alfredos, the International Café, the Trident Grill and the buffet was never anything but perfect. I was so impressed by their new service at the buffet, especially in the morning hours. They bring your egg order to your table to you (piping hot by the way) instead of you waiting in the food service area to reduce congestion. It really is one of the best improvements that could have been made on Princess. There were always plenty of waiters to make sure your coffee was filled and that you got juice with your breakfast. In the evening, the chef would do most everything possible to make sure he would provide something to your liking.

 

The only question I would have is why there were no turkey products available throughout the ship during the morning hours. Sometimes, they would offer me a special order of turkey sausage in the buffet but couldn't do it in the main dining room. They only had pork sausage and bacon available and this wasn't so on the Star Princess last month. Also, service was fabulous in Alfredos but would have liked to have a Caesar salad option available as well. The International Café staff was great and seemed to go above and beyond to make sure their patrons were happy and satisfied. The coffee bar oftentimes had long lines but somebody would come by to see if brewed coffee was requested to alleviate having to stand in line.

 

The maitre'D in the main dining room was also fabulous, as were the waiters and waitresses.

 

Room service was always quick and our order was always accurate. Very friendly room service staff onboard.

 

The front desk, photography and boutique staff was knowledgeable, friendly and efficient....just excellent all the way around. We started referring to the entire staff as the staff of 'yes' as we rarely heard the word 'no'. Even the pool attendants were friendly and attentive and were always busy cleaning something.

 

ACIVITIES AND ENTERTAINMENT: The cruise director and activities staff were energetic and talented. They organized a very fun deck party as well as entertainment in the Piazza. We missed some of the shows as they conflicted with our dinner schedule but did see the comedians and enjoyed those shows immensely. We have noticed they no longer schedule any hypnotist shows and always enjoyed those. We wish they would bring those back. For trivia lovers, this would be your trip -- seemed like they were held several times per day. They did get a little too intense for us as the groups were a bit too competitive, so we stopped going after a few times. Bingo and line dancing classes were also offered but we didn't attend those either but they both looked very popular.

 

There were also drawings and contests throughout the cruise adding to the fun. If there were lectures offered, we missed those.

 

What is nice, is there is an app that can be used to check on the activities for the day as well as an area to check your bill from your own device without using any internet minutes. NICE touch, Princess.

 

The bands throughout the ship, the piano player at Crooners and guitar player/singer offered a variety of music throughout the ship. We particularly liked the band that oftentimes played at the Wheelhouse bar. They did a great variety of music just for listening or for dancing.

 

The wine tasting was fun although they no longer provide one of those cute little shot glasses with it. This was certainly not a deal breaker for us.

 

The captain's club event was nice but the drinks they served were just ok. The white wine they served had actually turned a bit. I didn't think it was drinkable. The red wine was ok.

 

DINING: Beyond the excellent service, the food was anywhere from ok to excellent. Options for those that don't eat red meat were not as plentiful as on other cruises we've sailed on but did manage to find something somewhere onboard; sometimes better than other times. The pizza up on the pool deck was very good, maybe even better than that in Alfredos. The Trident Grill now has cooked chicken available rather than having you wait 10-15 minutes for this option. Additional items such as ribs, onion rings, chicken wings, etc are available after 6 PM for a casual style dinner. The items at the International Café are also very good for a small snack and we never found it hard to find a seat to enjoy it.

 

CABIN REVIEW: Our cabin was all the way aft on the Caribe deck. There was an extra little area on the balcony but not used. The balcony furniture was adequate but the balcony was rather unappealing as described above. The room was average with a couple of malfunctions that were quickly remedied. This was not a great room choice for an unstable ship. The curtains blocked out the light very well furniture was in good condition. The bed was ok but could have been softer, a pillow top was added to make it more comfortable. The tv worked well with a nice clear picture. There were plenty of drawers and shelves for storage. The closet is about half the size of the other Grand and Crown class ships but definitely adequate. The bathroom tiles and sink were in good condition and the air conditioning system worked well no noisy fans. We could feel the walls shake from slamming doors of surrounding cabins but otherwise was a quiet location.

 

ADDENDUM: While I forgot to add this to my original review, whomever is in charge of the public restrooms might take another look. The upkeep and monitoring was not at all apparent....certainly not a bragging point for Princess.

 

PORTS OF CALL: Since we only took one tour from Princess, this is the only one in which I will go in depth. We took the Cuyutlan Turtle Sanctuary and Salt Museum tour. This was definitely one of the best tours we've ever taken and was well worth our time and money while visiting Manzanillo. Our bus was air conditioned and quite comfortable with a tour guide that spoke English well. The turtle sanctuary was, of course, the highlight and we were lucky enough to each release our own recently hatched turtle into the ocean. The salt museum was interesting to us, but not so much by others. We finished the day with a fabulous lunch in a local restaurant, complete with frosty beers. An excellent day all the way around. We had time to tour the pier area which is now located down by the sailfish statue instead of by the container port so this was a plus.

 

We took a tour off the ship in Puerto Vallarta which was just ok but was then highlighted with a stop at the Tequila distillery in the Mismaloya area that was fantastic. We stopped for a bucket of beers inside the terminal area ... they were ice cold and so appreciated and had very friendly service there.

 

We only got off to go to the little shops in the pier area in Mazatlán to pick up some hydrocortisone cream to stop the itch from some bug bites I got in either Puerto Vallarta or Manzanillo and then headed back onboard. There were 4 ships in town that day so extremely crowded and chaotic.

 

We stayed onboard while in Cabo and enjoyed what we thought would be the solitude of an empty ship. There were a lot of people that had the very same idea so not exactly quiet but was very enjoyable, nonetheless. While sailing from Cabo back towards San Francisco, we were on the balcony to get some great shots of the sunset. The captain came over the PA to announce our position and that we might see some whales. No sooner did he say that did a whale completely breech right off the aft port side of the ship. It then continued the show by slapping it's tail in the water at least 2 dozen times. It looked to be having quite a lot of fun providing us with quite the show. That was probably the best whale watching tour we've been on ... and all just off the side of the ship.

 

DISEMBARKATION: One of the most organized disembarkations that I've experienced. Our ride was available a bit earlier than thought but were given an earlier walk off disembarkation that morning and were disembarked within minutes of our scheduled time. Well done, Princess!

 

SUMMARY: Overall, the cruise was pretty good and we met some very nice people onboard and had some of the best service ever. Although this was my first cruise on the Grand, this ship is my least favorite in the Princess fleet and will most likely cancel one of two future cruises I have booked on her. If the service weren't so great, I would probably cancel both. I usually try to sail in the first couple of weeks in December as our schedule is flexible and pricing is good. I do hope that Princess swaps out one of her newer ships to be home based in San Francisco in the very near future and hope to get such a great staff and staff onboard.

Just returned from the Grand New Year's cruise. Had very good service in our cabin, a mini suite forward d208; same in the MDR, traditional late dining table for 2. Went to the Crown Grill the last night, it was excellent as well.

Saw only 1 bucket collecting drips one day on deck 14. Ship is in very good condition. Sure there are some chairs that might be better if redone. But these small things don't take away from the enjoyment of being on board for us. The atmosphere on board with holiday decor, real Mexican musicians from Mexico city playing all sorts of Latin Music, good weather, good food, nice cabin, room service... relaxing time. We book for the same cruise next year.

Does the Grand offer any ballroom dancing before dinner? I know on our only other Princess cruise they had recorded music for about two hours in one of the lounges, am hoping the same for the Grand!

snow bunny

Does the Grand offer any ballroom dancing before dinner? I know on our only other Princess cruise they had recorded music for about two hours in one of the lounges, am hoping the same for the Grand!

 

snow bunny

They did seem to have plenty of variety for pre-dinner dancing....tango, waltzes, etc. I think the band that played a variety of great music for dancing was Quatro Tiempo. People of all ages were enjoying them.

Thank you, do you recall which venue this was held?

snow bunny

Thank you, do you recall which venue this was held?

 

snow bunny

They sometimes had this in the Explorer's Lounge but mostly saw it in the wheelhouse bar.

Just got off the Grand - I saw both record music -- and life... recorded I think was in the Vista Lounge. It was a New Year's cruise so lots of options.

Even had musicians from Mexico City who did a lot of Latin music which we enjoyed.