Live from the Grand, May 10 - 20 SF to Alaska

[meemeec]

We've successfully done it twice ,once with 26 folks and 4 generations from both sides of the family.

I was the worry wart ... worried and checked then double checked everything ... all worked out well ... two wonderful cruises.

You seem to be covering all the bases i would and should be on a good track.

Have an amazing family cruise!

 

Oh, thank you for your encouraging comments! Some family members have cruised before but nearly half have never stepped foot on a cruise ship! Part of my concern is that I hope they love it as much as I do!!! I always consider "Murphy's Law" and we've had relatively few very minor hiccups in over 30 cruises and don't wan't the averages to catch up on this Grand cruise!! It doesn't keep me up a night and my family's long suit is humor so I think we'll be just fine!!

Maureen

[FritzG]

Does anyone recently off the Grand know of water/mold problems on Baja Deck 11 mid-ships? How were the beds? and, what was the deck furniture like? Thanks!

 

On the April 10 sailing there were lots of water problems on Baja mid to aft. The beds were firm, but we like firm beds. The balcony furniture was uncomfortable, but the biggest balcony issue was the bare metal floor. Floors were rusty, dirty, and not when the sun shines on them. The biggest issue we had was the noise from others moving furniture on the balconies.

 

We loved Sabatini's; the veal chop was excellent, and the service was terrific. Our server Newman in Da Vinci was the best waiter we've ever had. Alfredo's was great for lunch.

[san diego sue]

With all the same complaints about the Grand Balconies, you would think by now Princess would put those blue mats back on .

We were on for the first cruise after the refit with lots of issues.

Seems like that ship still has the same problems. No Grand for us.

It is such a shame because it is a beauiful ship.

[trbarton]

With all the same complaints about the Grand Balconies, you would think by now Princess would put those blue mats back on .

We were on for the first cruise after the refit with lots of issues.

Seems like that ship still has the same problems. No Grand for us.

It is such a shame because it is a beauiful ship.

 

FYI....I was told by staff when the Grand goes into dry dock in December one of the things that will happen is Matt's on each balcony.

 

Tom:)

[Travelrd]

i don't personally know what the balconies look like now, but why would a great line like princess put off for 6 or 8 months what they can take care of now. putting mats on balconies can't be too much effort if they removed the mats without the ship being in dry dock. and why did they remove the mats if the natural balcony flooring was in such bad shape? like i said, i really don't know the whole story but it seems to me they should have left the old mats on until the drydock.

 

i'm looking forward to my grand cruise in september but by that time, i'm sure whatever is wrong with the grand will just be waiting for the december drydock.

 

cheers

[bdjam]

i don't personally know what the balconies look like now, but why would a great line like princess put off for 6 or 8 months what they can take care of now. putting mats on balconies can't be too much effort if they removed the mats without the ship being in dry dock. and why did they remove the mats if the natural balcony flooring was in such bad shape?

 

The balcony mats were removed as part of the major refurbishment of Grand Princess when Skywalkers was removed. Why? That's a good question - I have seen comments that they were removed because of the weight they added to the ship (weight and structural integrity were the reasons for the Skywalker removal). I agree with you - I'm not sure what they were thinking, especially when the bare deck plating is so undesireable. Glad that Princess will be taking care of this.

 

I would imagine that replacing the mats requires some disruption of the balcony access and so they've probably chosen to do it all at once during dry dock. It seems like the water issues are on the mend (see BEAV's post) but something like that should be rectified before dry dock as that's a major inconvenience and disruption of service.

[Travelrd]

bdjam...."see BEAV's post" where is this post?

 

thanks and cheers

[bdjam]

Here you go...

 

We were off yesterday's first Alaska sailing of Grand. Although not near our cabin on the aft of deck 10, we did notice wet carpets, fans and mildew odors in the corridor more midship. That situation improved greatly toward the end of the voyage vs. beginning. As to the veggies at dinner, I actually made a mental note because ours were always cooked perfectly -- a little crispy vs. the usual overcooked when you're dealing with a mass market dining room serving hundreds of meals!

[Shippy]

We went to a liquor store in Ketchikan where they sold 'Boda Boxes'.

I was not familiar with this but the store clerk said they held the equilavent of 3 bottles of wine. They had all kinds. He said for sure we could get it on the ship....he sells them all the time to cruise passengers....$24.00.

We bought a box of Merlot. I figured since we drove to the port, in the worst case, they would take the box & give it back the last day. We did not have to worry about luggage weight, it was heavy.

Well, he was right. We waltzed right through the xray with it :O)

[bluebelle2010]

Hi Carla, What a great way to touch base again. Lets see, we cruised the Sea Princess to Alaska and Star Princess to Hawaii. This Alaskan Cruise was a last minute booking for us. Frances is doing well and now keeping busy playing tennis and still taking Hula classes. I'm sure Becky is doing well and give her my love. We will meet again on some cruise ship. Great hearing from you. GIMER

Hi Gimer ~ I'm so glad to hear you and Frances are doing so well! We sure had a good time on those cruises and I remember Frances sharing the Double Chin story! :D It makes me smile to think of you two! Happy travels, Stan, and tell Frances I said "Hello!"

 

Carla

[In Retirement]

Really quite sorry to hear about the condition of the Grand, and always wonder considering the amount of constant use these vessels take, if engineering and structural issues are always taken care of versus quarterly profits?

 

Sailed RT Southampton on the Caribbean Princess June 2012 and the ship seemed quite fit, though showed its age (no mechanical problems for those 12 nights), but last winter we were on the HAL Maasdam for 14 nights and I was told by several that it would be its last season (surprise, looks like schedule continues into the substantial future!).

 

We are a family group for late July RT Seattle on the Star Princess, I also assume as the same generation as the Grand and the Caribbean -- should I expect engineering issues? We selected this itinerary because (1) length, (2) minimal days only at sea - one, and (3) the half-day visit to Glacier Bay (my third) which I want to share, especially with my grandsons as in reasonable weather this is an amazing experience.

DJ:)

[Belle]

Built in that order.

 

Been on all three. The Grand and

Star..both in last seven months.

Both were "good" no problems for

us.

 

Clean ships, no engine problems.

Great crew!

 

Bn Voyage!

[bdjam]

We are a family group for late July RT Seattle on the Star Princess, I also assume as the same generation as the Grand and the Caribbean -- should I expect engineering issues? We selected this itinerary because (1) length, (2) minimal days only at sea - one, and (3) the half-day visit to Glacier Bay (my third) which I want to share, especially with my grandsons as in reasonable weather this is an amazing experience.

DJ:)

 

As noted above, Star Princess was the third of the original trio, Grand Princess was the prototype. Caribbean Princess is actually second generation with the addition of 500 passengers.

 

For what it's worth, I think Princess takes very good care of their hardware. Not only is it their corporate culture, but it makes for a good business model. If a ship fails and is out of service (think Carnival Triumph) it's going to cost the cruise line a heck of a lot more than putting money into ongoing maintenance. The refurbishment of Grand Princess in May 2011 was a multi-million dollar effort. It doesn't make business sense to put that kind of money into a ship and then let it go to pot.

 

All that being said, you're right - these vessels take a lot of punishment when you consider that at a minimum, 2500 people are rotating in and out every week. While Grand Princess seems to have had some isolated incidents, it is fair to note that last October my stateroom on Star Princess - a ship that's being lauded in comparison to Grand - had a number of bathroom tiles missing and obvious water damage behind the mirror. It was disappointing that the stateroom wasn't perfect but when you evaluate the overall vacation, it was so insignificant that I had forgotten all about it until reading the Grand-bashing.

 

Your trip sounds wonderful, your grandchildren will love Glacier Bay and I'm sure Star Princess will serve you well.

[c-legs]

The balcony mats were removed as part of the major refurbishment of Grand Princess when Skywalkers was removed. Why? That's a good question - I have seen comments that they were removed because of the weight they added to the ship (weight and structural integrity were the reasons for the Skywalker removal). I agree with you - I'm not sure what they were thinking, especially when the bare deck plating is so undesireable. Glad that Princess will be taking care of this.

With respect, I suggest ''weight & structural integrity'' had nothing to do with the removal of Skywalkers, whatsoever. Golden & Star were born with them ( a.k.a. shopping cart...:D) , same as Grand. Still have them .

I suggest the idea of removing ''the shopping cart'' from Grand was part of a wider plan governing the entire class when their next drydcok session would come up....It is worth noting that when that session came up for Star & Golden, the shopping cart was left untouched....perhaps an indication the outcome of its removal from Grand didn't quite work out delivering expected results VS the major costs involved.

But removing the balcony mats !!!! ???? as you say ''what were they thinking'' ??:eek:...and not putting them back on, following massive negative reactions from their guests ?? What are they indeed thinking ?:mad: Weight hasnot got a thing to do with this...

My opinion.

Cheers

[bdjam]

With respect, I suggest ''weight & structural integrity'' had nothing to do with the removal of Skywalkers, whatsoever. Golden & Star were born with them ( a.k.a. shopping cart...:D) , same as Grand. Still have them .

I suggest the idea of removing ''the shopping cart'' from Grand was part of a wider plan governing the entire class when their next drydcok session would come up....It is worth noting that when that session came up for Star & Golden, the shopping cart was left untouched....perhaps an indication the outcome of its removal from Grand didn't quite work out delivering expected results VS the major costs involved.

 

I have no inside information what so ever, but from I've read on these boards and in general, Grand Princess had structural issues with Skywalkers because it was fabricated from steel and therefore quite heavy. The configuration for Golden, Star and Caribbean include construction from aluminum making them much lighter and not a threat to the structure of the ship.

Personally I like the look of Grand Princess without Skywalkers - much more sleek and nicer lines. But then again the nightclub's position was somewhat iconic.

[c-legs]

Thanks BDJAM ,for the clarification about steel VS aluminum.

Cheers

[secretcastle]

Hi Tom,

Thank you for all your great info ( and everyone else as well!) . We are booked on the Grand next spring in a similar cabin, and just wonder what your thoughts were of the cabin as well as the location.

Thank you :)

 

Julia

[trbarton]

Hi Tom,

Thank you for all your great info ( and everyone else as well!) . We are booked on the Grand next spring in a similar cabin, and just wonder what your thoughts were of the cabin as well as the location.

Thank you :)

 

Julia

 

 

Julia:

 

Not having this type of cabin before I chose forward because it was cheaper. The cabin was great but because of the cold weather I didn't use the balcony as much as I thought I would.

 

Here's some observations.....You are close to the Princess Theatre. A few decks below, my deck 10. You don't say which deck you are considering but the balconies on deck 10 are about 1/3 longer, part covered, part uncovered. I like this deck choice.

 

The Horizon Court and my restaurant for dinner, deck 6, was forward so be prepared for some walking, which will help with the food that you eat. I used room service many times in the morning on port days, as I had early tours around 8 am, and being that the Horizon was far away and with room service I didn't have to get up as early.

 

If i were to get this type of cabin again I would consider paying a little more and get a cabin in the aft part of the ship and possibly right near an elevator so I was right near my cabin when I returned. I only went to the Horizon Court a few times because of what I mentioned before. Missed the Horizon Court for breakfast.

 

As I said before the cabin was great, nothing to complain about. If you bring electronic gadgets there is 2 plugs in the living area but bring a surge protector just in case of any problems.

 

Let me know if you have any questions. Glad to help!

 

Tom:)

[secretcastle]

Thanks so much Tom! It is also a forward Caribe balcony we are looking at . We don't mind the walking part at all, and love the idea of the larger balcony.

Glad you had a great cruise!

Julia

[trbarton]

Thanks so much Tom! It is also a forward Caribe balcony we are looking at . We don't mind the walking part at all, and love the idea of the larger balcony.

Glad you had a great cruise!

Julia

 

I was in C235 and here are some photos of the cabin.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Enjoy the photos.

 

 

Tom:)

[In Retirement]

Greetings,

It is a treat to leave/return to your home city. The upside also is no airfare. The downside is more days at sea (if this is a downside for you). Similarly, at least with Alaska, the weather and demand is down before and after the school holidays -- but then again, Alaska weather even in July and August is quite unpredictable.

 

As for as Princess balcony issues: Cruise Critic was quite informative and I would suggest a research attempt on forum before making a choice. We have only (as a couple) selected Caribe balconies and either aft or facing land (such as port-facing with Bacelona to Venice). On Princess balconies you do miss couches, or even a love seat, however.

DJ:)

[secretcastle]

Thank you for the photos Tom, that is so thoughtful of you! :)

Julia

[johnsfo]

I was also on the 5/10 cruise. We had a mini suite on deck 8-Emerald which I would highly recommend but only on the starboard side. There are 6 mini suites at that aft location which are totally covered--do not book the port side (as told to me by the future cruise sales person, Renee) as you will be above the stage of the Vista Lounge and will probably hear the music. This was our 14th cruise on various lines but the first on Princess. I think the food on the ship was OK but the sauces which accompany various dishes were bland and uninteresting even thou the salmon served at lunch on embarkation day in the Da Vinci DR was excellent. Best food IMHO was the pizzeria on deck 5 which is fresh and made to order and is available with about 6 different selection of toppings. The One 5 nightclub with DJ Shane was hopping on most nights if a little loud. For smokers, you con indulge on deck 15 aft just outside the One 5 club, The starboard side of deck 7 (Promenade), some areas of the Casino (deck 6 just forward of midships), and Snookers Cigar bar (deck 6 just forward of the casino). The distances necessary to walk on the ship are long especially if your cabin is far aft or far forward--I asked if they rent roller skates--answer NO. Regular brewed coffee is available at the International Cafe (deck 5 midships) which is open 24 hours a day. I think all the other coffee is made from syrup. I highly recommend buying the $8.05 per day soda and more card which includes sodas, juices (after breakfast juices are charged) and mocktails (cocktails w/o alcohol). Overall we had a great cruise. We booked the Grand for this fall from SF to Hawaii, return.

[MauiLvrs]

I always consider "Murphy's Law"... Maureen

You're aware of the Murphy Factor - You should be good to go :cool:

[Nancyquilts]

[quote name=In Retirement;38494123 On Princess balconies you do miss couches' date=' or even a love seat, however.

DJ:)[/quote]

You even miss having two comfortable chairs, as they have one regular chair and the desk chair. It was nice when they had 4 chairs on the Caribe balconies, so we could bring one in and both sit comfortably.