Grand Princess and RCCL Voyager Class

[NewHere]

OK-I am a RCCL fan -let's get that out of the way! Be that as it may, I have never cruised on Princess before. So I am coming here in hopes of some honest comparison.

 

I have sailed the Voyager class ships several times and have the opportunity to book a very reasonably priced cruise on another. However, the same week we can book the Grand Princess for about the same $ and a better itinerary.

 

We have 2 kids (daughter 19 and son 16).

 

So-what will I find different (not better or worse-please don't turn this into a Princess vs. RCCL thread :D) about the Grand Princess vs. the Voyager class as far as options for shopping, dining, entertainment, activities, etc.

 

Thanks

[caribill]

So-what will I find different (not better or worse-please don't turn this into a Princess vs. RCCL thread :D) about the Grand Princess vs. the Voyager class as far as options for shopping, dining, entertainment, activities, etc.

 

Thanks

 

Compared to the Navagator OTS

 

o No ice skating rink or rock climbing wall

o No ship long shopping arcade. Deck 7 is closest thing to it, but a totally different atmosphere. No parades on it.

o Three seperate main dining rooms, not one dining room with three levels

o No inside facing window staterooms

o No dedicated inside movie theater

o Passenger names by the cabin doors

o No day of week floor rugs in elevators

o Muster drill is held inside. In case of emergency, report to your inside muster station, not outside by a lifeboat.

o Cooking demonstration held in main theater, not around a table on the shopping arcade

o No Johnny Rockets. Trident Grill on deck 14 has burgers, etc. with no cover charge.

o Shopping, about the same. Some shops on deck 6 and some on deck 7.

o Dining, a main dining room is open for lunch every day, not just on sea days, with a different menu each day. Buffet area is not as spacious when getting the food, but is organized so you do not have to wait in a long line to get to the part you want. If you have purchased a soda card, you do not get soda yourself in the buffet area. Also, the free soft-served is not self dispensed.

o Plenty of activities and demonstrations if you wish to partake.

o One of the pools on the Grand is covered so it can be used in cold or inclement weather.

o Shows and entertainers about the same on both lines.

o In cabin TV does not have ability to display ship account. However, you can easily get a printout at the Purser's desk.

o Can hear ship's public announcements on a channel on your cabin TV.

 

Hope above helps

[NewHere]

What about the size? Does it feel bigger/smaller? Teens and teen program (for 16 YO)?

 

Thanks again

[nellydean]

I'm going on the Grand this Saturday - now I'm wishing I wasn't! Joking :D

 

Been on the Navigator, lovely big ship, but preferred the smaller Brilliance with all its wonderful windows and cosy feel.

 

Guess I'll see for myself soon enough how it compares to the Grand, in terms of enjoyment, but being on a ship going to the Norwegian fjords has to be better than stuck at home working, and running round after the mad chocolate labrador :)

[Pam in CA]

You'll find that instead of large open spaces, the Grand is designed with many smaller venues (lounges, theater, etc) so that even though you're on a large ship, it has a small ship, fairly intimate, feeling. The dining rooms are separated into sections so even though you're in a very large room, it's like being in a nice-sized restaurant. With activities spread throughout the ship, there's little sense of being crowded. The main pools being the exception. :) Children have their own area with plenty to do so they are less evident. Again, pools are the exception. There are fewer physical activities, such as the rock climbing wall or flow rider, on Princess. The buffet is designed in stations so that rather than standing in line, you go to the station, get what you want and go to the next one... usually without a line. It's confusing at first but once you get used to it, it works very well.

[Parvatiiv]

Grand was my first ship and I was a teen at the time. Enjoyed the teen center then, as they did lots of activities and ship hunts and such. Made a lot of friends so I think your teens will have a good time. It is as others said a more laid back style then RCCL is. I've always loved the atmosphere. Grand used to have a massive arcade on it which was appealing at the time, they've since reduced it though so that took some of the fun out. one of my favorite memories from then was in full formal dress an heels, hopping into a flight combat simulator to shoot my other three competitors (teen guys! :p) out of the air! I honestly don't know if said simulators are still on board though.

[SwissDave]

The video arcade as it was, has gone, replaced by one5 nightclub in the same area. I do not know of any games arcade area on the Grand now.

 

The teen center was fully refurbished, updated and enlarged. Wii, playstation etc available in there.

 

Also added during recent dry dock was Vines wine bar, Alfredos sit down pizza resturant, international cafe (a fantastic option for breakfast/lunch), new lobby bar, refurbished casino, leaves library and tea room, and Crown Grill steak house. Horizon Court was refurbished and layout changed and works even better than it did in the past.

 

Prego pizza and Trident grill on pool deck do the best pizza, burgers, hotdogs compared to anywhere else in the world (imo :) )

 

MUTS movie screen by the main pool - good for late night movies - with free popcorn.

[NewHere]

OK-was pretty set on another RCCL, but now this just became a harder decision!

:confused:

 

Thanks all!;)

[Gabrielle R.]

Good luck! Have a great tiem whatever you choose!

[liverpool08]

Hello there, i hope that i can be some help in assisting you with your decision.

 

To start off, ime 19 have been on sea princess in 2008 (16 at time) grand princess in 2009 (17 at the time) and going on Grand princess again in 10 days time for 2 weeks around the med.

 

First sailed on sea princess which was similar to grand before the dry dock, only sea princess was alot smaller. I made a large group of friends and literally had the best 2 weeks ever. We kept in contact and 2 months after we came back, out of pure coinsidence the main 5 friends that i had made booked the Grand princess for a year later (2009) along with myself and our families.

 

The grand princess definately was the most enjoyable, just having a bit more "wow" factor and more ammenities.

 

--- Movies under the stars outdoor theatre, serving popcorn at night and blankets. Excellent place that we enjoyed just chilling at night.

 

---Teen centre, to be honest the teen centre is mainly for going on the very first night, as it the night were everyone is in the "same boat" and doesnt know each other. Once i had made my own group of mates, we generally just did our own thing for the rest of the holiday and so did everyone else, we hung around the pool and jacuzzis in the day, and ventured about the ship at night, goin to the shows, dining together sometimes and generally walking around. We did go back to the teen centre a few times and used the video arcades, playstations, karaoke etc and had some laughs but generally it was only the young kids there who cudnt leave without parents signing them out.

 

Theres many more points i could cover but if you have any other questions ide be happy to answer them.

[SwissDave]

OK-was pretty set on another RCCL, but now this just became a harder decision!

:confused:

 

Thanks all!;)

 

Whichever you choose, you will have a good time.

 

A bit more info on the entertainment side......I believe (could be wrong) on RCL you can prebook shows, but you cant do that on Princess. The main theatre is small compared to the number of passengers and due to that shows are often repeated a couple of times during the cruise. Entertainment is also available in Vista lounge, comediens, singers, etc, and in the Wheelhouse and Explorers lounges, mainly bands, jazz etc. In the main atrium they have several 'street' entertainers on at different times of the day doing 10-15 minutes shows such as jugglers, string quintet, jazz, ships band - that sort of thing. 2 or 3 trivia sessions a day, plus daily soduko and brain teasers from the library, bingo, all the usual stuff.

 

More on the food side, except for Sabatini's and Crown Grill all food is free including the sit down pizza place and international cafe. Pub Lunch in Crown Grill on sea days is free. Food is available 22 hours per day via horizon court and International Café, room service is 24 hours and is free, except for pizza which is $3 delivery charge to deter the teens from ordering loads of them :)

 

On the drinks side I personally find drink prices to be reasonable, wine by the glass from about $6.50, bottles from about $22, don't drink much beer but I think it is about $4.50 a bottle, or 5 for the price of 4 special offers.

 

size wise, the ship holds 2600 passengers and I have never felt it crowded except if the weather is really bad on sea days so everyone is inside, but even then I have always managed to find a 'quiet spot' to sit and read or whatever.

 

Ask away if you want any more info.