Julie reporting Live from the Grand

[12Cruise]

Hi Julie - just give it all to the Pursers desk and they'll get it to their office there in FLL. I left a bag full of my electrical cords...laptop, camera, i-pod, etc, it was turned in and then the Princess office in FLL contacted me and we made arrangements for them to ship the bag to me. It worked perfectly. Good luck!

 

Hope your cruise is going Grandly!! :)

[love2bonboard]

Julie, thank you for the "live from" info. I know there is no "real" International cafe, but is there a place to get regular ground coffee and specialty ones on the Grand? We can live without the sandwiches and salads, just not the coffee.

There is not an "international cafe" yet, I believe they may be adding one though when dry docked next. There are plenty of places to use the coffee card. As a matter of fact, it is one of the reasons I love my cabin..I can almost reach my hand out and reach the coffee bar :D. Good drip coffee or specialty.

[love2bonboard]

Is the phone active? Better to ring a number from the phone and ask them to contact the owner who could ring you on your cell phone? There could be a 'mom' or 'dad' contact on the phone that you could ring? Just a thought?

 

How is the Grand looking....is it in good shape? So many negatives recently regarding its state of repair.

 

Enjoy!

 

I am afraid to turn the phone on as I don't want the person to get roaming fees. Wendy (thanks again Wendy) called the cell phone and got a message that the phone couldn't receive calls. So, I will take the items to the purser desk and hope they make it back. It isn't that I distrust Princess, it is just that if it had been my phone and keys I would have appreciated it if the "New" cabin passenger would have taken it upon themselves to mail the items back to me just to ensure that I receive them. Oh well. I hope the guy doesn't think he lost them elsewhere and gives up. Thanks everyone for the help.

[love2bonboard]

Plus, as posted earlier they would be able to contact the prior resident of love2bonboard's cabin very quickly.

 

I hope the movie "500 Days of Summer" is still playing on our cruise. I wanted to see it.:)

Denise

 

Yes, MUTS featured that movie last night. Tonight is "The Boys Are Back" with the incredibly hunky Clive Owen...I'll be there.:D

[love2bonboard]

This posting live thing rocks!

I love it. What caught my eyes was your experience in the casino.

I would like to hear more details about your 65 dollars. Thanks!

Maybe I can help you make some of it back! :D

 

I played the penny machine. I played all lines at 1 Cent each line. Yesterday, I played the penny Progressive machine, same thing all 20 lines for 20 cents. This however, I played for almost 6 hours and only lost $40.00..not to bad as I really just enjoy playing. Tips would be great. I know...stop playing:D

[Yo Eleven]

I played the penny machine. I played all lines at 1 Cent each line. Yesterday, I played the penny Progressive machine, same thing all 20 lines for 20 cents. This however, I played for almost 6 hours and only lost $40.00..not to bad as I really just enjoy playing. Tips would be great. I know...stop playing:D

The end of the rainbow is at the craps table. Get the gold! :D

[Coolmama_1]

Thanks for the live post. Looking forward to hearing more!

[love2bonboard]

Okay, today is our second day at sea. Yesterday, we played bingo (lost), went to the pub lunch (yum) at the Painted Desert, went to the art auction (nope, we didn't buy anything), hubby watched NCAA on MUTS while I went to the casino (lost only $40.00 after playing for about 6 hours, not bad) and then had a late dinner (10:00) of just some fruit (skipped formal dinner, didn't feel like dressing up). We have not eaten in the dinning room yet and have not seen any shows. Today they have church services, ceramics, bridge play lectures, line dance classes, Caribbean port and shopping talk, photography @ sea classes, rum tasting, trivia challenge, another bingo, another art auction, gift card/scrapbooking class, another pub lunch (best fish and chips), deck music w/ Flare, wine club, afternoon tea (good scones) and my new favorite which is free soft serve cones up by the pool. Tonights MUTS is The Boys are Back, with Clive Owen :D. We love our room..quiet and close by the internet cafe and the coffee station. We are having a lovely time. They are doing a great job of keeping the announcements to a minimum. The Grand is a nice ship, but we have noticed it is looking a little worked. We typically just don't care as we are here to relax and eat. However, it is time for a drydock; you will notice if you are one to care about worn carpet, sagging beds, overall wear and tear. Again, we don't mind it, but I'm just updating you. I'm off to do nothing today...can't wait. Tomorrow is Aruba. We don't have any plans for any of the ports except Barbados, which we are doing an independent tour with Sasha catamaran...swim w/ the turtles. I'll let you know how Aruba goes...been there before, so may not even get off the ship. Happy sailings.

[honeyb2]

Thanks for the live from....enjoying it very much. We will be on the Grand next for the TA.:D:D

 

Bingo questions.....Are they still using the paper bingo cards for bingo, how many games each session and how much are they? Do I need to bring my daubers? Bingo is one of my favorite shipboard activities and I try never to miss it.:) I'm hoping Princess hasn't changed anything like some of the other cruise lines have.:(

[dchip]

Julie, we just got home from the Grand and it was our best cruise ever!! Even though there was Noro and we were Code Red for most of the cruise. Hope you enjoy your time as much as we did!!!

 

Cheers, Denise

[stlrboo]

Many thanks for the live posts! :) We are on the next sailing of the Grand from FLL to Southampton UK! :p

 

Great to hear that everything is good on the ship.. Sounds like we won't be bored!!! :D ;)

[kymbakitty]

Another beautiful sea day. Tomorrow is Aruba. We got "accepted" for tonight's Chef Table experience and were very pleased to see that they acknowledged DH's allergy to shell fish today at the pre-meeting. We have the lobster balcony set up for April 6th, but other than that, we haven't been to any dining rooms yet! We did go to the Pub Luncheon yesterday, but they happened to be serving shrimp & chips (husband allergic to shellfish) and not fish (cod), so we are going to try again. There are other things, but DH wants the fish and chips so maybe we'll try on the next sea day (didn't go today because of the HUGE dinner tonight...trying to eat light).

 

Ship is very nice....lots of things going on throughout the ship. If anyone ever utters that they are bored, they simply can't read. There are so many activities in any given hour.

 

Only downside are the beds. I did read this before hand, didn't say anything to DH, but it didn't matter. DH slept on couch both nights. We have 2 egg crates but it doesn't help. I can sleep anywhere, so it really doesn't bother me. But I have to say, I laid cross wise on bed, reading one of the platters, and I could only lay there for about 10 minutes. DH said it is not that they are hard, but he can feel springs all over the place.

 

When we get to Aruba, we are going to see if we can find Pricesmart (similar to Costco) and see if they have any memory foam mattress covers. I know a queen size one at Costco is $150, so I'm hoping it won't be more than $200-$250. I know it sounds silly, but I really don't want DH to spend the next 13 nights on the couch. We haven't slept apart in the same "house" for nearly 20 years. I know the memory foam will make all the difference. Perhaps they'll get new beds during dry dock.

 

Okay...time to return to balcony with nice cold ice beer and company of DH....he is living out there, as per usual. Trying to save my appetite for Chef's Table....

 

Weather is fabulous.....couldn't be nicer.

 

Dawn

[love2bonboard]

Thanks for the live from....enjoying it very much. We will be on the Grand next for the TA.:D:D

 

Bingo questions.....Are they still using the paper bingo cards for bingo, how many games each session and how much are they? Do I need to bring my daubers? Bingo is one of my favorite shipboard activities and I try never to miss it.:) I'm hoping Princess hasn't changed anything like some of the other cruise lines have.:(

 

There are 4 sheets to each bingo. Yes, they still use paper bingo cards and for $1.50 you can buy a dauber (I just use a highlighter). The games are $20.00 each.

[honeyb2]

Thanks so much for the quick answer. I'm glad to see Princess is still using the old system...RCCL has gone to the machines in addition to paper and it's much more expensive.:( I'm just going to have a good time not spend a fortune doing it. Hope you win:D

[love2bonboard]

Today is Aruba. Hubby and I are just going off briefly to shop for jewelry. Last night we saw the show and I must say I think the show is geared for people over 60 years of age. The singers and dancers were good, but the show will probably be our last of that type. The songs were so old that I didn't know any of them and I am 41 years old. Today they are showing "Precious" in the theater and on MUTS they are showing "An Education". We went to the art auction and had another successfull day of not buying anything. They still have the Salt and Pepper shakers out, so no sign of Noro virus yet...great!!! Keep washing hands!!!! The food in the buffet, I hate to say, has been fairly bland. We will keep trying new things, but at least there will be no weight gain for us.:D. Today they are having Chess games, Quoits Tournament, table tennis, quiz, water volleyball, balderdash, scrabble play on your own, golf chipping, afternoon tea, ceramcis at sea, and the usual piano players and quartets. There are a lot of complaints about the casino. Not only is it very tight, but the way you have to use your room card/players card is just plain annoying. I have spent a great deal of my own time just helping people who don't know how to do it. It is a horrible system. The guy I meant last night said he will not gamble the rest of the cruise due to the new system...can't say I blame him and I think I agree...save me some money. Anyway, having a nice time. The staff, as always, have been very nice.

[12Cruise]

[quote name='love2bonboard']There are a lot of complaints about the casino. Not only is it very tight, but the way you have to use your room card/players card is just plain annoying.[/quote]

So do the machines no longer take cash at all?

Thnx for the great reports!! :)

[love2bonboard]

Today is Curacao. Yesterday in Aruba we just did some light shopping (didn't buy anything except a $1.00 water right off the ship). We don't have any plans today, just walk around. Last nights entertainment was again geared for a much older crowd...a voice immpressionist (while he was good, just not our cup of tea). I think that will be the last show we try. Everything is going very well. The views are fantastic, most of the crew are helpful and friendly. We went to the Michelangelo restaurant last night and requested a table for only two or four and the Maiterd (sp?) was quite rude. I have never experienced such a rude staff member on Princess. It kind of ruined the evening meal...at least until the Creme Brulee came (yum) :D.Today is more of the same activities as yesterday. I think they do the same thing everyday during port days. My favorite food items has been the chicken sandwich from the grill, free frozen ice cream, and vanilla bean latte. Tomorrow is a sea day. Since we are not going to any more shows nor doing any excursions it will probably be a couple days until I get back to you as my free minutes are dying down. I will be happy to answer any questions you have. Oh yes, on MUTS tonight is "Everybody's Fine"; it is windy up there, but love the big screen and pizza!

[beachgirl50]

Hi Julie! Enjoying your "live from" posts. We were on the Grand in January --- same itinerary --- and loved it. If you are into the penny slots, try "Nurse Follies: in the casino. I discovered that machine on our last night and it's a hoot, with fairly good payouts. Enjoy the rest of your cruise --- wish I was there!

[love2bonboard]

Another gorgeous day at sea. We have been enjoying staying on the ship while in port as we have the suana (by the gym) and the adult pool to ourselves for the most part, with just a brief 1 -2 hour shopping trip only to get right back on the ship. There is just nothing like being slowly cooked in the sauna, then jumping into the pool, followed by a free soft serve ice cream. We are getting spoiled. On the MUTS: Everyones Fine, Couples Retreat, The Informant & Precious (in movie theater), and tonight MUTS is The Invention of Lying. Tonight they have a comedy juggler so we may go to this show. So far we have really enjoyed this cruise. The entertaiment is aimed for the Frank Sinatra crowd, so that is not our cup of tea. Since this is a cruise critic forum I will try and post both the good/bad... So far the ship, entertainment, and service has all been a little worked. The ship, for instance, is not a beauty but she gets us to the ports. The sauna, spa, gym are all old, but I have gotten my work out in and have enjoyed the sauna and steam. The crew have not been as friendly as I usually expect from Princess, but they are not rude (except for the Bottechelle Maitr'd, sp?) and are doing their job, albeit without too many smiles. This is the last Caribbean sailing, so maybe a lot of the staff are at the end of their contract??? The staff during the Pub lunch have been excellent! The dinning room (anytime dinning) staff are working, but the process is very slow...food, for the most part, is good. The food is hit or miss in the buffet, although most is kind of bland. However, the creme brulee (dinning room) and some of the sea food (both buffet and dinning room) have been excellent. I have not been back to the casino and continue to hear negative remarks from others about the way the cruise player card works with the machines now...also, the poor payout or lack of. Michael is the shopping guide and he is excellent. He is really there to help people on getting good deals on jewelry while in port. I have enjoyed the Tempo Quarto playing in the lobby. Today we are in Trinidad. We are not getting off the ship at all today and plan to enjoy the ship to ourselves! More of the same port day activities on the ship...games, shuffleboard, trivia, tea, basically the same things every day. We enjoy hanging around the pool, going to the gym, and taking a nap. That is about all so far. Again, I'm trying to be very unbiased and state both the pros and cons of this cruise. If you have questions I will be happy to help you. Sorry for long and poorly written sentences...I am trying to rush as my internet minutes are running out fast. Have a great week...I know I will :D

[Bobed1927]

Julie, if you like the creme brulee so much you probably have them make it for you on nights that it's not on the menu. Ask your head waiter.

I'd be a bit wary of the stores that Michael steers you to. I'll bet that he really pushes Diamonds International. Are you aware that the ship gets a kickback from the stores that the ship shopping guide recommends?

[love2bonboard]

Happy Easter! I have been busy doing nothing for the last two days. Not too much to report. Yesterday we were in St. Vincent. Many people stayed on the ship. Today we are getting ready to dock in St. Kitts. We are going to get off briefly to shop...hubby is looking for a watch. To previous posters...Yes, the casino takes cash, but if you need to cash out you will have to have a players card (you probably won't need to cash out ;)); I lost another $20,00 last night in the casino. Yes, I know Michael/Princess gets a kick back from Diamonds International. We do appreciate his advice and suggestions though. He does seem to go the extra mile to help with port questions not related to jewelry. So far today I have not seen any decorated easter eggs or anything related to Easter. They have a church service at 9:30. The service is still lacking...first time ever on any of our Princess cruises. There is a lot of banging and drilling work being done as well. We have only eaten in the dining room four times as the service is just so slow. On the flip side, the coffee bar, grill & pizza, and ice cream bar are still my favorite places to go! Hubby says the seafood up at the buffet is very good. They had the NCAA on MUTS all night last night. Tonight is Mamma Mia. Well, I'm off to enjoy a good cup of coffee and get ready to go off the ship. Have a great Easter...hope you are blessed today.

[12Cruise]

Thanks for checking in and letting us know how much fun you are having. I need the roll of the sea in the worse way...have to wait for January though, only way to make it through is reports such as yours! So a double thanks! :)

Happy Easter and enjoy St. Kitts, it will be one of our new ports. We've heard it is stunning.

[stlrboo]

Thanks again for the updates! :) We get on the Grand when you get off... :p Maybe we will have a happier/new crew!! :D ;)

No matter what.. We will make the best of it...!! Have never had a 'bad' cruise!! Especially when traveling with good friends! :)

[love2bonboard]

Today was a great day. We went into St. Kitts and bought a lovely ring and my hubby got a new watch. Just a warning for all...if you are trying on rings, expect your hands to have swollen a 1/2 size after getting off the ship. I bought a ring after being off the ship for a couple of hours, got back to the ship and after a few hours my ring was loose. Michael, the cruise shopping and port person was so very kind in offering to have it sized for me while he is in port (very, very nice person). Anyway, the service was much better today...friendlier faces and the food at tonights meal was just wonderful! The goat chees souffle, strawberry/lemon sorbet to cleanse the pallet, and hubby said the fish was the best he has ever had. Dessert was an Italian Easter Lemon cake which was very good. They did put out the lovely easter chocolate eggs today and some Easter decorations. Overall, a very nice day and great service. More shopping tomorrow in St. Thomas. I hope you all had a wonderful Easter...so much to be thankful for.

[12Cruise]

[B]Quote:[/B] the food at tonights meal was just wonderful! The goat chees souffle, strawberry/lemon sorbet to cleanse the pallet, and hubby said the fish was the best he has ever had. Dessert was an Italian Easter Lemon cake which was very good.

Julie - my mouth is watering!! :D

Thanks for the updates...can't wait to go...only 8 months and 27 days...woo-hoo!!