Princess Grand Dry Dock

[Luci lu]

Well, we leave on Saturday for Seattle to board the Grand on Sunday for a RT Alaska cruise. In reading reviews for the Grand I've noticed many have said she is looking old and tired, but didn't she just come out of dry dock in Jan. 2014? Doesn't that mean she's been spiffed up and in ship shape? I am not picky but I like clean and things to be in working order. When I think of the amount of money we have paid I so hope the ship will be a pleasure to be on! I am looking to you knowledgable cruise veterans for advice and/or reassurance. Thanks!

[Pam in CA]

The Grand had a standard, routine dry dock. Dry docks are for work that can't be done while passengers are onboard. Inside maintenance is done constantly. Most of the dry dock work is nothing passengers would notice or think about: hull scraping and repainting, thrusters checked and cleaned, engines checked and maintained, electronics updated, propellers checked and polished, public lounge soft goods deep cleaned, etc.

 

All ships show wear and tear. After all, not only are they subject to the elements but also thousands of passengers are walking on carpets (often with muddy or sandy shoes), putting their feet on chairs and otherwise causing wear and tear every week.

 

Everything is cleaned constantly and is in working order. If something in your cabin isn't, let your steward know. After all, even at home, light bulbs burn out. If you're expecting a brand new ship that looks as though no one has ever been on it, you'll be very disappointed.

 

I personally never care whether the balcony railing needs shellacking, there's a small stain on the carpet, there are rust spots on the hull, etc. That's meaningless to me no matter how much I spend for my cruise. After all, my home looks "lived in." So do cruise ships. It's the "living" that matters.

Edited May 23, 2014 by Pam in CA

[IdahoCruises]

Pam is right.

 

We sailed her to Hawaii in Oct. last year and found her to be in good shape.

 

Some rust on our aft balcony, but the crew was working on it while we were on board. We gladly let them do their maintenance and found other things to do (out of a large amount of options).

 

Anything in salt water will have rust and corrosion. Law of nature and chemical reactions.

 

We concentrate more on the experience itself rather than finding problems...

 

Have fun!

[Thrak]

Just sailed on the Grand to Vancouver. Had C752. What a great cabin! The railing on our balcony could certainly have used some varnish but it didn't seem to diminish our enjoyment at all and it certainly didn't remove the smile from my wife's face. :-) We had a wonderful time and the ship an don't crew were great.

 

I loved the Grand Princess pizza in Alfredo's and I actually ordered the Volcano for desert one evening.

 

I know that some people have said the ship is "showing wear" but we would be happy to get back aboard and head out again.

[KruzPrincess]

For those who have recently been on the Grand: Have they replaced the blue mats on the balconies? I recall reading that they were taken off during the big drydock a couple years ago and some people were saying they were never replaced.

 

To the OP: I'm sure you'll have a nice time. Some of the ships are older, but Princess does a good job in maintaining them. Hope you have a great time.

Edited May 23, 2014 by KruzPrincess

[secretcastle]

We just returned last Saturday from a BTB Hawaii then up the coast to Vancouver. We had a Caribe balcony , and the blue mats indeed had been replaced. We were very happy with our cruises, and if a person looked hard enough there is off course things that need updating, but we certainly were not bothered by it. The staff were fantastic, and we really enjoyed everything.

The only thing that seems to be a consistent critique is the lack of a central staircase above deck 7. We were fully prepared for this before the cruise, so it did not come as a surprise, so it did not really bother us. I would sail on her again without hesitation,

Have a wonderful cruise :)

[peety3]

If you're expecting a brand new ship that looks as though no one has ever been on it, you'll be very disappointed.

Agreed. Think of it this way: they can't build the ship in one day, let alone one year. Even on the first cruise, some of the ship's items will be more than a year old: some of the light bulbs will burn out, etc.

[BCCRUSINGCOUPLE]

Just off the grand 2 weeks ago. Overall in good shape the railings could use some stain which did stick out to many passengers. Otherwise rust here and there but would go on her again in a heartbeat.

[Love.II.Cruise]

We just returned last Saturday from a BTB Hawaii then up the coast to Vancouver. We had a Caribe balcony , and the blue mats indeed had been replaced.

 

SNIP

 

That's good to hear. There is a cruise we are interested in, but only if the Grand has the mats back. ;)

[KruzPrincess]

We just returned last Saturday from a BTB Hawaii then up the coast to Vancouver. We had a Caribe balcony , and the blue mats indeed had been replaced. We were very happy with our cruises, and if a person looked hard enough there is off course things that need updating, but we certainly were not bothered by it. The staff were fantastic, and we really enjoyed everything.

The only thing that seems to be a consistent critique is the lack of a central staircase above deck 7. We were fully prepared for this before the cruise, so it did not come as a surprise, so it did not really bother us. I would sail on her again without hesitation,

Have a wonderful cruise :)

 

Thanks for the info on the balcony mats!

[runnerodb83]

I'll go so far to say that other than the closet space in non suite cabins, the Grand is my favorite of the class. The atrium is a bit more cosmopolitan than the "piazza" and the One5 is great venue.

[Love.II.Cruise]

I'll go so far to say that other than the closet space in non suite cabins, the Grand is my favorite of the class. The atrium is a bit more cosmopolitan than the "piazza" and the One5 is great venue.

 

You are making us bite at the bait!!! :D We are planning our 10th anniversary and are considering the Grand. I sailed her back during her inaugural sailing when she had butlers for Mini-Suites. Back then she had skywalkers, but I'd like to see One5.

Edited May 26, 2014 by Love.II.Cruise

[AskMeHow]

We got off the Grand yesterday. DId the inside passage. Was a terrific cruise. Be warned: Embarkation is awful…almost 2 hrs waiting in lines and disembarkation is also awful. Our flight was at noon yesterday, by 9am we were nowhere close to getting off so we just got in a random line and walked off the ship. With the $22 pp shuttle to SeaTac and the long ride there, plus security we only had about an hr 15min prior to boarding. So be warned. We were on Caribe 106, that fluke of an inside room that is vertical rather then horizontal. Crew is attentive but does not go out of its way in anyway shape or form. The captain is invisible. The elevators are slow but I would certainly sail GP again.;)

[sunrise2]

I too am a bit concerned about choosing the Grand for our Alaska trip next year after reading reviews on her. Hopefully, all will be OK by the time we board. This is our first Alaska and also first for Princess. Cruised HAL, RC, Celebrity and also Carnival previously.

[IdahoCruises]

Interesting comments....

 

We sailed her on a 15 day to HI out of SF.....crew was outstanding for us...

 

Knew what our drink preferences were and the staff in Sabatinis always had a window table ready for us and had our drinks waiting for us.

 

Crew in the casino and other bars also knew what we wanted and brought our drinks without even asking....we'd sit down and presto....our drinks were there for us....

 

Love the Grand, also....

[4cats4me]

We got off the Grand yesterday. DId the inside passage. Was a terrific cruise. Be warned: Embarkation is awful…almost 2 hrs waiting in lines and disembarkation is also awful. Our flight was at noon yesterday, by 9am we were nowhere close to getting off so we just got in a random line and walked off the ship. With the $22 pp shuttle to SeaTac and the long ride there, plus security we only had about an hr 15min prior to boarding. So be warned. We were on Caribe 106, that fluke of an inside room that is vertical rather then horizontal. Crew is attentive but does not go out of its way in anyway shape or form. The captain is invisible. The elevators are slow but I would certainly sail GP again.;)

 

Hi, what time did you arrive to the ship? Maybe due to it being the first voyage of the season had something to do with the long wait time. Did you have priority boarding and still have to wait two hours or just regular boarding? I am trying to gauge our arrival time. Last time we sailed from Seattle and arrived at 11:00 am and had no problems embarking

 

Also, did you do express walk off disembarking or wait for your group number to be called?

Edited May 26, 2014 by 4cats4me

[AskMeHow]

Interesting comments....

 

 

 

Knew what our drink preferences were and the staff in Sabatinis always had a window table ready for us and had our drinks waiting for us.

 

 

 

We ate at Sabatini's once. Service was impeccable. But you pay extra for a service that used to be the standard in dining rooms.

[AskMeHow]

Hi we were asked to come to the ship at 1. We arrived @ 12:30 with lines already backed way up. No one checks baggage in, there are scanners security just like at airports. We would leave one line to get into another line. Everyone was complaining. Our embarkations in FL are never more then a 1/2 hr. I think the problem was that Princess has disembarkation delays in Seattle thus delaying passengers from getting on.

[AskMeHow]

Hi, what time did you arrive to the ship? Maybe due to it being the first voyage of the season had something to do with the long wait time. Did you have priority boarding and still have to wait two hours or just regular boarding? I am trying to gauge our arrival time. Last time we sailed from Seattle and arrived at 11:00 am and had no problems embarking

 

Also, did you do express walk off disembarking or wait for your group number to be called?

 

we did not do express walk off…..those people were waiting too. We heard a man say he had priority boarding but still was stuck in line, the employee just said "Im sorry", and did nothing. Once you are on the ship life is wonderful. Maybe this was just a blip by Princess.

[sashas_mom]

The Grand had a standard, routine dry dock. Dry docks are for work that can't be done while passengers are onboard. Inside maintenance is done constantly. Most of the dry dock work is nothing passengers would notice or think about: hull scraping and repainting, thrusters checked and cleaned, engines checked and maintained, electronics updated, propellers checked and polished, public lounge soft goods deep cleaned, etc.

 

All ships show wear and tear. After all, not only are they subject to the elements but also thousands of passengers are walking on carpets (often with muddy or sandy shoes), putting their feet on chairs and otherwise causing wear and tear every week.

 

Everything is cleaned constantly and is in working order. If something in your cabin isn't, let your steward know. After all, even at home, light bulbs burn out. If you're expecting a brand new ship that looks as though no one has ever been on it, you'll be very disappointed.

 

I personally never care whether the balcony railing needs shellacking, there's a small stain on the carpet, there are rust spots on the hull, etc. That's meaningless to me no matter how much I spend for my cruise. After all, my home looks "lived in." So do cruise ships. It's the "living" that matters.

 

Love how you think, Pam:):)

[Near PDX]

The embarkation delays were caused by a delay in disembarkation caused by customs/immigration. Fairly typical of a first cruise of the season cruise.

 

Our experience seems to be a little different than others that have posted. We found the staff to be very friendly and going out of their way to please us. This was one of the first cruises in a long time in which after interesting with staff such as paying for a drink and then seeing them later they would ask "how are you Mr Gary". This was the rule and not the exception. We were very impressed.

 

We only saw the captain once out and about on the ship but personally his primary job is to run the operation of the ship and not be out and about mingling with passengers.

 

Overall, from a cruise experience perspective this was one of the better cruises we have been on. And we are elite on Princess so we have a few cruises under our belt to rate it against other cruises.

 

We will definitely cruise on the Grand again in the future if it has the itinerary we are looking for.

[runnerodb83]

During a repo earlier this year, we overheard a rumor that customs officials are up for a new contract (didn't know if they are union or not or what) but apparently someone overheard they were intentionally working slower than necessary to prove a point. not sure if thats true, and don't want to get into a political debate. i have not seen immigration this bad in both Seattle (2 times this may) and SF before, ever.

[runnerodb83]

You are making us bite at the bait!!! :D We are planning our 10th anniversary and are considering the Grand. I sailed her back during her inaugural sailing when she had butlers for Mini-Suites. Back then she had skywalkers, but I'd like to see One5.

 

For a proper night club to work, the ambience has to be correct as does the crowd. The crowd is out of the cruiselines control, however the ambiance of the One5 is as close to a vegas club as I have seen.

 

We really liked the grand, and the updated areas are very nice. It was also nice having the wider companionways, the cabins seemed bigger two, but i know they aren't...weird.

[gatorguy56]

I'm relieved to hear you were pleased with the Grand. I've read some reviews recently that were less than stellar. We're headed out on the Grand to Tracy Arm the end of July. We were on the Star to Alaska in 2012 and Sapphire to Alaska in 2013. We were very happy with both ships and I was afraid we might be disappointed with the Grand. We're going on the Grand because they are the ship this summer out of Seattle that goes to Tracy Arm. Can't wait to go back again this summer. If dh gets his way, we'll go every summer for the next 20 years.

[gatorguy56]

oops, meant to ask you, what are the MUTS movies on the Grand? We had so much fun going to a couple of late night MUTS and then having a midnight snack.