Princess Star or Grand?

[DMRick]

As I said she was a mess the week after her major rehab. This is an opinion board and my opinion can be given just as yours can. The issues I'm reading about her and that she needs another dry docking to fix remaining issues (your words) tells it all to me. Everyone obviously has different opinions on what makes a good cruise and if my cruise on her had been my first princess it would have been my last. The cruise line did make it up to us and hundreds of others, so that was appreciated.

We have decided the Star and Eula is where we want to be. Just don't want to take a chance on the grand shortly out of dry dock.

Grand Princess is not a mess. I've sailed her twice since June and the ship is in fine shape. There are no overwhelming plumbing problems and there are no workmen constantly in the passage ways. She does not smell musty. In addition, the ship is going into dry dock in December where I'm sure technical issues that remain will be addressed. I've had two great cruises on Grand Princess and there's really no reason to bash her.

 

And for the other side of the fence...are they sure the WHOLE ship smelled bad? What kind of plumbing problems did they have the whole time? It's probably just as well that they never sail Princess again...their complaints seem to be exaggerated.

[IdahoCruises]

We made a mistake and went on another line to Hi..boy, did we miss the complete feeling of being on our way to HI as well as the International Cafe and so many other things we have grown to love about Princess. So, we decided to do it again in February. We are seriously considering the Star since Eula is on them. But we have gone out from LA several times and San Francisco looks inviting which would mean the Grand. We were on the Grand the week right after her referb and it was a mess, so maybe we need to give her another chance...although I don't like that her middle stairs aren't available for passengers.

Does the Grand have someone teaching uke and wonderful leis? Is it as Hawaiian as I know the Star would be with Dave and his wife on her? Does the Star have the Italian pizza place in the atrium and the International Cafe?

Any help that will help us decide is welcome. Thanks!

Doris

 

Just back from HI on the Grand out of SF 10/26 - 11/10.

 

They do have a similar Hawaii experience by Kimo and Lokelina (live performances in the piazza, hula lesson, uke lessons, etc. - and they are VERY GOOD!)

 

Grand also has the International Café and Alfredos Pizza (very good).

 

Much of the carpet has been replaced in the hallways and by the exterior pool (all three decks).

 

We only had one incident of sewer smell and that was short lived and near the front of the ship.

 

Mattresses have also been replaced with new pillow tops and are comfortable.

 

We had an aft suite and were very please with room and how clean it was kept.

 

Staff all over the ship was very accommodating.

 

We found the Grand to be a very good expereice.

 

Happy cruising!

[slomotion]

My friend just took the Star to Hawaii and said the whole ship smelled bad. They had plumbing problems the whole time. They will never take Princess again.

Sheila

 

I always winder about "my friend" etc comments.

 

We were on the Star 10/21 -11/5 and it was a truly great cruise. NO odors (other than garlic upon entering Sabatini's!)

 

Good riddance to your friend and perhaps you, as well, should never cruise on Princess again.

 

The staff was as friendly as any I've ever encountered, the food was great, the service perfect. The CD, David Cole was the consummate host, the entertainment for the most part was very good, the knockwurst & fries for lunch at the Trident Grill had people standing in line every day (not a complaint, but a tribute to the quality, the desserts were outrageous! and in far too great quantities, the cookie lady was a daily 4:00 PM treat, and I could go on and on. We've been back for 12 days and have already booked next year's cruise, although it will be on the Grand as LA is closer than SF for us.

 

Go Princess!

[emilygrace]

Does anyone know what the OP meant by "the middle stairs aren't available for passengers" on the Grand? Are there 3 sets of stairs and elevators or not on this ship?

[Cruise Raider]

We made a mistake and went on another line to Hi..boy, did we miss the complete feeling of being on our way to HI as well as the International Cafe and so many other things we have grown to love about Princess. So, we decided to do it again in February. We are seriously considering the Star since Eula is on them. But we have gone out from LA several times and San Francisco looks inviting which would mean the Grand. We were on the Grand the week right after her referb and it was a mess, so maybe we need to give her another chance...although I don't like that her middle stairs aren't available for passengers.

Does the Grand have someone teaching uke and wonderful leis? Is it as Hawaiian as I know the Star would be with Dave and his wife on her? Does the Star have the Italian pizza place in the atrium and the International Cafe?

Any help that will help us decide is welcome. Thanks!

Doris

 

While I have not sailed on the Grand, I was very disappointed with the Star so would be more willing to give the Grand a try. I sailed on the Star twice and the food was just BAD. I am a fan of Princess -- just not of the Star. One of the staff said it was his favorite ship and we said the food was just so bad and he said he heard that complaint a lot. While food is so subjective, I cannot speak for what everybody likes and dislikes, I just didn't meet anybody that really liked the food on this ship. The service in the dining room and buffet also lacked, as did the embarkation. They all got an overall zero.

The ship was clean and our room steward was amongst the best we've ever had but there were too many negatives they needed to address to get me back on that ship.

With that being said, our friends just sailed on the Grand and they, too, were disappointed with that ship. Guess the air conditioning went out on the entire aft half of the ship on their deck and the toilets were also problematic. I know these things can happen -- but might be another thing to consider.

My favorites might be the Caribbean and the Golden, although that wasn't your question. Sailing out of SF is really spectacular -- hopefully, their embarkation processes have gotten better.

[IdahoCruises]

While I have not sailed on the Grand, I was very disappointed with the Star so would be more willing to give the Grand a try. I sailed on the Star twice and the food was just BAD. I am a fan of Princess -- just not of the Star. One of the staff said it was his favorite ship and we said the food was just so bad and he said he heard that complaint a lot. While food is so subjective, I cannot speak for what everybody likes and dislikes, I just didn't meet anybody that really liked the food on this ship. The service in the dining room and buffet also lacked, as did the embarkation. They all got an overall zero.

The ship was clean and our room steward was amongst the best we've ever had but there were too many negatives they needed to address to get me back on that ship.

With that being said, our friends just sailed on the Grand and they, too, were disappointed with that ship. Guess the air conditioning went out on the entire aft half of the ship on their deck and the toilets were also problematic. I know these things can happen -- but might be another thing to consider.

My favorites might be the Caribbean and the Golden, although that wasn't your question. Sailing out of SF is really spectacular -- hopefully, their embarkation processes have gotten better.

 

We had no problems with the ship and constant work is being done on her.

 

No air conditioning or toilet problems reported by anyone we know of

so far.

 

We found the food on our 10/26/13 departure to be well above average - although the king crab legs in the Crab Shack were a disappointment...

guess I'm used to larger king crabs....and yes...food is a subjective thing....

[DMRick]

Wow, that's a bit harsh just because someone has a different opinion!!

 

Good riddance to your friend and perhaps you, as well, should never cruise on Princess again.

[IdahoCruises]

Forgot to mention that embarkation was a snap. We called a cab from our hotel (5 blocks from the pier) and were directed through a set of doors and inside to embark. We filled out our "sniffle cards" , got our cruise cards, and were on board within 15 minutes. We arrive at the pier at 11:30 and in our room at 11:45.

 

Hope all goes as well for others....

[cruises r us]

We were on the Grand on Oct 26-Nov 10 (San Fransisco to Hawaii). We had a wonderful time. The lectures by Gary on the Hawaiian ports and many other topics were fantastic. He is very knowledgeable and very willing to "talk" when you see him around the ship. We really enjoyed his talks on earthquakes and tsunami's as well as his Route 66 talks. He gave us great advice on what to do on the different islands. We rented a car at 3 of the 4 islands and he gave us a lot of help.

The couple teaching lei making and hula dancing and giving ukelele lessons seemed very good - but it didn't interest us, so we didn't participate. It's difficult to compare them to Eula since we don't know her.

The ship itself was in great shape. No plumbing issues on the Emerald deck and we never heard of any problems anywhere. They were constantly working - painting, varnishing, replacing outdoor carpeting on the Lido deck and in some hallways. It didn't usually affect anything. One day when we were doing our laps around the promenade deck, they had a section of it closed. That was the only inconvenience we encountered.

[cruises r us]

Does anyone know what the OP meant by "the middle stairs aren't available for passengers" on the Grand? Are there 3 sets of stairs and elevators or not on this ship?

 

Yes, there are open stairs on the Grand from decks 5 to 7. They create a wonderful, open feel and so many people congregated on these 3 levels in the middle of the ship. Very nice!

[DMRick]

When we were on her you couldn't take the stairs above I believe the 7th floor in the middle. I was talking about near the elevators (which were problematic on our cruise and people continue to report that). I wasn't talking about the sweeping stairs which are from the 5th to the 7th floors. We liked to take the stairs but had to walk to either end of the ship and our room was in the middle or take the elevators when they were working.

Yes, there are open stairs on the Grand from decks 5 to 7. They create a wonderful, open feel and so many people congregated on these 3 levels in the middle of the ship. Very nice!

[cruises r us]

When we were on her you couldn't take the stairs above I believe the 7th floor in the middle. I was talking about near the elevators (which were problematic on our cruise and people continue to report that). I wasn't talking about the sweeping stairs which are from the 5th to the 7th floors. We liked to take the stairs but had to walk to either end of the ship and our room was in the middle or take the elevators when they were working.

 

That hasn't changed. You do need to go to one end of the ship or the other; or take the elevator.

Elevators were fine - although we took stairs most of the time.

[duck addict]

Wow - you folks really know our program! Flattering to say the least! Yes, the ukulele classes start as Introduction to Ukulele, but due to popularity we offer this twice on the first sea day (Dave Soreff & myself), with the opportunity to sign up for the Progressive Class (of which there are now 7 classes), which run the remaining sea days. The Aloha `Oe Show is on the new 9th (final) sea day in the afternoon, and combines the talents of the Hula Masters. Leialoha offers Hula Kahiko (ancient hula) on Sea Day #2, then Hula `Auana (modern hula) on Sea #3. On Sea #4 Elua does a talk on "Eat & Speak Hawaiian." My daily port talks are every morning at 10:00 am en route to the Islands. But I have also put together a new, in-depth talk on The Hawaiian Monarchy, which I now present on the 2nd sea day of the return. I've had requests for more Hawaiian history talks over the years, and have been wanting to put this together for quite a while. I finally got caught up and have now presented it on my first 2 cruises since I've returned from my most recent vacation. It has been well received. Now to start working on a separate talk on Annexation. Whew! So much to be said about Hawaii nei. Come sail with us - I'm on through late Feb. 2014 (as of now, this might change and I may stay later or take a short break and come back - next year's CD schedules are still not finalized). I check in here a few times a year, so if you leave a message or reply and I don't get back to you, please don't be offended! It's been a great start to the season, the whole ship has embraced the Aloha Spirit, we've had a lot of past friends cruise and look forward to making a whole lot of new ones! Dave Cole, Cruise Director, Star Princess

 

Looking forward to meeting you and attending the classes on the Grand in January 2014 (already bought a ukulele to bring along..so someone else can use one of the loners)

[emilygrace]

That hasn't changed. You do need to go to one end of the ship or the other; or take the elevator.

Elevators were fine - although we took stairs most of the time.

 

Well, this is a bummer since we are definitely stair people and our cabin is near the central stairs and elevators. I am talking about the stairs that go all the way up, not the semi circular ones in the atrium.

 

And what is the reason that these stairs are not for passenger use?

[DMRick]

It's something they changed after they removed sky walkers and redid the center. Since we were the first group on we didn't know about it. It has a sign staff only. It was really tough because of all the elevator problems. A lot of wasted time. It is still a beautiful ship.

Well, this is a bummer since we are definitely stair people and our cabin is near the central stairs and elevators. I am talking about the stairs that go all the way up, not the semi circular ones in the atrium.

 

And what is the reason that these stairs are not for passenger use?

[cr8tiv1]

Looking forward to meeting you and attending the classes on the Grand in January 2014 (already bought a ukulele to bring along..so someone else can use one of the loners)

 

Sorry to disappoint you but Dave Cole (CD) will be on the Star in January 2014. Smart to buy a ukulele. I did the same thing because I didn't want to bring my more expensive one on the cruise. Announced it before reaching the islands and sold it before the performance so I didn't have to bring it home. (I participated in the hula instead of the ukulele festival).

 

@ Dave Cole....looking forward to your talks about the Monarchy. Sure wish your lectures were more than an hour long. Would love to be on board when you finally do the Annexation talk. So much history, so little time. How about 2015? Dropping the ukulele lessons and hope to find more time for ELUA and all the other activities on board. See you soon.

[RetiredNTraveling]

Sept of '12 we were on the Star to Alaska. We had a suite amidships and while one day there was a minor plumbing problem it was nothing to write about. Then in Mar/April of '13 we were on the Golden to Hawaii. Here we had a suite on the Sun Deck and again there was a couple of times where there was a plumbing issue. (People flushing things down the vacuum plumbing system that they shouldn't.) Again nothing to complain about. We just finished a cruise in Oct. of '13 on the Caribbean in a suite on the Riviera Deck amidships. No plumbing issue at all. We are glad that the Grand is going in for a refurbishing this Dec, since we are scheduled for a return cruise to Hawaii on her in Feb. of '15.

People sometimes complain to hear themselves talk. Relax and enjoy, after all you are on vacation!

 

~~Aloha~~

 

Edited November 20, 2013 by RetiredNTraveling
editing

[RetiredNTraveling]

We were fortunate to have had Eula on the Golden in Apr of '13 and hope that they will be on the Grand in '15. They are superb entertainers. I plan on participating in the Ukulele lessons on the next trip!

 

But the highlight of the cruise was a saxophonist named Wes Anthony! WOW, was he ever good. You couldn't find a chair, or a place to stand when he was in the Piazza entertaining.

 

Our Naturalist, John Manka was extremely interesting. We didn't miss one of his lectures going or coming back. Both he and his wife, who was also on the cruise, are retired US Park Rangers and have served at many National Parks across our wonderful country. They really made the mornings on the sea day interesting and informative. If he is your naturalist, then you are in for a treat!

 

~ ~ Aloha~ ~

Edited November 20, 2013 by RetiredNTraveling

[scanditaly]

Let me start off by saying that I haven't actually been on the Grand.

 

BUT....I have been on the Emerald and the location of Sabatinis was most excellent! High up facing aft, with a wonderful view of the tiered decks and beautiful pool.

 

On the Sapphire/Star, Sabatinis is on a lower deck, promenade maybe? and is tucked in a side slot. Same wonderful menu, same wonderful service, but oh so much nicer to have our morning lattes and enjoy the peaceful planning of our day.

[Mare10]

This has been an interesting thread and goes to show how peoples opinions can vary so drastically.

We'll be doing our first cruise to Hawaii in March of 15. I suppose it's too soon to know who will doing the cultural program but I look forward to the cruise and to experiencing the Grand for the first time!

RetirednTraveling... are you going in Feb for sure? I know you were considering March in 15?

Marilyn

[christinelee]

And for the same price you get an extra sea day if you go out of SF

[Holomoku]

My friend just took the Star to Hawaii and said the whole ship smelled bad. They had plumbing problems the whole time. They will never take Princess again.

 

Sheila

 

We did the Hawaii cruise last April on the Star and the ship and crew were both wonderful. There were no physical problems with the ship that we experienced or heard of during the voyage. There were lei making, laau weaving, and hula classes, one just had to read the Patter or walk through the Atrium during the day to be aware of these.;)

[DMRick]

I just booked the Star and that is a 15 day cruiuse, the same as the Grand out of SF. I got a great deal and decided we really wanted to be on the ship with Eula. We've done it twice without them and we missed them! Maybe another time we'll do SF.

 

And for the same price you get an extra sea day if you go out of SF

[san diego sue]

All the Hawaii cruises are now 15 days. We are leaving on the Sapphire for Hawaii out of LA. soon.

As far as the Star is concerned, love the ship. Have cruised on the ship four times.

The Grand is my least favorite Princess ship. It is one of the oldest and even though had that major refit in atrium and removing Skywalkers, still a tired old ship.

[Working 2 Cruise]

DMRick, the name is ELUA, not EULA. Several posters tried to tell you but...

 

I would also go with the Star