Random thoughts on my recent Grand Mexican Riviera cruise

[elycelynne]

I was on the Grand for the 10-day Mexican Riviera sailing that embarked on January 12th of this year. Since I asked a bunch of questions and was apprehensive about going from the Royal to the Grand as well as the roominess of my cabin, I thought I would report back and give a few observations.

 

The cabin was more comfortable than expected. Even though it wasn't nearly as roomy as my deluxe balcony on the Royal last year, it was laid out pretty well. I had more than enough closet space. The bed was fantastic -- Never had anything quite so comfortable on a cruise ship. The pillows initially were too soft and flat, but after asking my steward if he could find a firmer pillow he came through and after that my slumbers were great! I appreciated that the vanity/dresser was right next to the nightstand because my CPAP machine is a bit too wide for the nightstand (because the lamp is right in the middle of it), so I could just keep it right on the vanity with no problem. The shower was indeed small and I did get the floor pretty wet at times, but I dealt with it. Something that I considered a bonus was that there was plenty of room between the toilet and the sink so that I didn't have to sit "side-saddle". And the turquoise and white tile (along with the turquoise cubbyhole door) just made me laugh. The TV was, how shall I say, "primitive"! Hopefully that will be upgraded sometime in the near future.

 

For some reason the food didn't thrill me. As I mentioned on the "pizza thread", I thought it was horrible -- Both at Prego and Alfredo's. But I know that it's a subjective thing, so I'll just leave it at that. The lunchtime offerings at the Horizon were pretty uninspiring without much variation. Thank goodness for the Trident Grill and the DaVinci dining room! However, I am officially addicted to their French toast for breakfast. Most of the desserts looked better than they tasted. Dinner was okay -- Not thrilling, but edible. One standout -- The scones at tea. Oh my heavens -- So flaky and delicious!

 

Entertainment and activities were pretty good -- Lots of trivia and "name that song", which I both like. Pop Choir was fun and cheesy. The production shows were pretty good, although it seemed like the costume changes were the focal point. "Born To Dance" was very well-done. I think the Mainstage on the Grand lacks some of the high-tech features of the newer ships, which may or may not be the reason that they don't feature the same shows as some of the others.

 

The ship was pretty easy to navigate. The one shortcoming was that there weren't any lounge chairs in the shade -- Only tables and chairs. However, it was too cold to spend a lot of time at the pool decks on some of the sea days, so I guess it wasn't that big a deal.

 

Ports -- I did all Princess shore excursions. Let's just say that with a couple of variations, they all seemed to blend together. My fault, I suppose, for sticking to bus tours, but they all seemed to follow the same pattern -- See a church, take in some vistas, go to a shopping stop, etc. But I did want variation from the Caribbean, so that was accomplished.

 

Embarkation and disembarkation were pretty painless and well-run. The transfer back to the airport was pretty helpful although I thought it odd that they didn't ask for the actual tickets, so pretty much anyone could have probably taken one for free.

 

All in all, a pretty good experience. Let me know if you have specific questions or comments.

[Keith1010]

Thank you for your report.

Keith

[Clarea]

Thank-you for your review.

[jennybenny]

Thanks for sharing. My mom's first cruise was on the Royal Princess and I worry her next cruise might not be as great because it will be on the Island. Happy to hear you enjoyed the Grand. Crossing my fingers mom will enjoy the different ship.

[jasbo49]

Thanks for the report, Elyce. I've been thinking I should do a quick report, too, but haven't yet.

 

You didn't say what kind of cabin you had on this cruise. A standard balcony?

 

I felt a little better about the food than you did, but I tend to think primarily in terms of the MDR. We had late traditional dining and really enjoyed the familiarity. Having waiters we felt like we knew, and new friends we had met at the table made dinner more enjoyable.

 

I do hope you got to see Steve Moris. He is a musician/comedian who my wife and I though was a riot.

 

The singers and dancers on the Grand are by no means on a par with Royal-Regal talent. But our main complaint is with this Motor City show, where they continue to have a bunch of white people from the suburbs singing Motown but exhibiting no soul. It's just kind of sad.

 

Jim

[riclop]

Thanks for the review.

[Woobstr112G]

Thanks for taking the time to post your thoughts.....:):):)

Bob

[elycelynne]

Thanks for the report, Elyce. I've been thinking I should do a quick report, too, but haven't yet.

 

You didn't say what kind of cabin you had on this cruise. A standard balcony?

 

I felt a little better about the food than you did, but I tend to think primarily in terms of the MDR. We had late traditional dining and really enjoyed the familiarity. Having waiters we felt like we knew, and new friends we had met at the table made dinner more enjoyable.

 

I do hope you got to see Steve Moris. He is a musician/comedian who my wife and I though was a riot.

 

The singers and dancers on the Grand are by no means on a par with Royal-Regal talent. But our main complaint is with this Motor City show, where they continue to have a bunch of white people from the suburbs singing Motown but exhibiting no soul. It's just kind of sad.

 

Jim

 

Hi, Jim. I was indeed in a standard balcony cabin and it was perfectly fine.

 

I did get to see Steve Moris (both shows) -- He was pretty darn funny! I agree somewhat about the talent level of the singers, although they were all at least pretty good and they certainly blended well when they did harmonies. It's strange, but for some reason I thought the dancers were almost better than those on the Royal. I just can't put my finger on why that was. I got a kick out of your comment about the Motor City show!

[centralcalicruzer]

The singers and dancers on the Grand are by no means on a par with Royal-Regal talent. But our main complaint is with this Motor City show, where they continue to have a bunch of white people from the suburbs singing Motown but exhibiting no soul. It's just kind of sad.

 

Actually, the singers and dancers rotate from ship to ship and you might very well be seeing a production performer who has previously been on the Royal or Regal. In fact, our daughter has been a production singer for the Emerald, Ruby, Grand, Royal, Island and Regal, all in various orders most recently premiering Born to Dance on the Regal and will be on the Grand this summer as vocal captain. Reasons for being offered and accepting certain contracts vary, but a lot of times it boils down to what other contracts are ending shortly after the performers current contract ends. Of course, some performers may be better than others at certain styles of music or dance. As far as Motor City goes, that show has definitely run it's course no matter who the vocalists are!

[srpilo]

Appreciate the report

 

 

Srpilo

[Gladysgoing]

Thank you for your thoughts. :)

[anteaters]

I was on the Grand for the 10-day Mexican Riviera sailing that embarked on January 12th of this year. Since I asked a bunch of questions and was apprehensive about going from the Royal to the Grand as well as the roominess of my cabin, I thought I would report back and give a few observations.

 

The cabin was more comfortable than expected. Even though it wasn't nearly as roomy as my deluxe balcony on the Royal last year, it was laid out pretty well. I had more than enough closet space. The bed was fantastic -- Never had anything quite so comfortable on a cruise ship. The pillows initially were too soft and flat, but after asking my steward if he could find a firmer pillow he came through and after that my slumbers were great! I appreciated that the vanity/dresser was right next to the nightstand because my CPAP machine is a bit too wide for the nightstand (because the lamp is right in the middle of it), so I could just keep it right on the vanity with no problem. The shower was indeed small and I did get the floor pretty wet at times, but I dealt with it. Something that I considered a bonus was that there was plenty of room between the toilet and the sink so that I didn't have to sit "side-saddle". And the turquoise and white tile (along with the turquoise cubbyhole door) just made me laugh. The TV was, how shall I say, "primitive"! Hopefully that will be upgraded sometime in the near future.

 

For some reason the food didn't thrill me. As I mentioned on the "pizza thread", I thought it was horrible -- Both at Prego and Alfredo's. But I know that it's a subjective thing, so I'll just leave it at that. The lunchtime offerings at the Horizon were pretty uninspiring without much variation. Thank goodness for the Trident Grill and the DaVinci dining room! However, I am officially addicted to their French toast for breakfast. Most of the desserts looked better than they tasted. Dinner was okay -- Not thrilling, but edible. One standout -- The scones at tea. Oh my heavens -- So flaky and delicious!

 

Entertainment and activities were pretty good -- Lots of trivia and "name that song", which I both like. Pop Choir was fun and cheesy. The production shows were pretty good, although it seemed like the costume changes were the focal point. "Born To Dance" was very well-done. I think the Mainstage on the Grand lacks some of the high-tech features of the newer ships, which may or may not be the reason that they don't feature the same shows as some of the others.

 

The ship was pretty easy to navigate. The one shortcoming was that there weren't any lounge chairs in the shade -- Only tables and chairs. However, it was too cold to spend a lot of time at the pool decks on some of the sea days, so I guess it wasn't that big a deal.

 

Ports -- I did all Princess shore excursions. Let's just say that with a couple of variations, they all seemed to blend together. My fault, I suppose, for sticking to bus tours, but they all seemed to follow the same pattern -- See a church, take in some vistas, go to a shopping stop, etc. But I did want variation from the Caribbean, so that was accomplished.

 

Embarkation and disembarkation were pretty painless and well-run. The transfer back to the airport was pretty helpful although I thought it odd that they didn't ask for the actual tickets, so pretty much anyone could have probably taken one for free.

 

All in all, a pretty good experience. Let me know if you have specific questions or comments.

 

Hi! We'll be boarding in less than two weeks and I'm taking you up on your offer to ask questions. Do you happen to know what the earliest time was that people taking their own luggage were actually able to disembark? Were any of the pools warm enough that adults were actually swimming/making use of the pools? You mentioned that the shows were different on the Grand--Was there a live show of some kind in the theatre every night? And was the theatre crowded--did you have to go early for seats together? Was there line dancing on sea days? Were there any "Don't miss this" activities/events that you can think of? Thanks for any answers you might have.

[elycelynne]

Hi! We'll be boarding in less than two weeks and I'm taking you up on your offer to ask questions. Do you happen to know what the earliest time was that people taking their own luggage were actually able to disembark? Were any of the pools warm enough that adults were actually swimming/making use of the pools? You mentioned that the shows were different on the Grand--Was there a live show of some kind in the theatre every night? And was the theatre crowded--did you have to go early for seats together? Was there line dancing on sea days? Were there any "Don't miss this" activities/events that you can think of? Thanks for any answers you might have.

 

I don't remember the exact time for early walk-off since I never do it, but I believe it was somewhere around 7:30. I didn't do any swimming, but there were definitely adults in the pool when the weather was warm enough (and even some in the covered pool when it wasn't). When I mention "different" shows, I'm referring to the fact that Grand doesn't feature the newer Stephen Schwartz shows like "Magic To Do" (which I haven't seen as of yet). There was one night when there was only a movie in the theater, but other than that there was something live every night. Yes, the theater was definitely crowded. I sailed solo so getting seats together wasn't an issue. However, on nights when there's more than one showtime I would definitely recommend going to the later show if you can -- Much less crowded. I did see line dancing listed in the Patters. I don't know of any activities or events that were "don't miss". As mentioned I enjoyed the "name that song" contests, but don't know whether or not that's up your alley.

[anteaters]

I don't remember the exact time for early walk-off since I never do it, but I believe it was somewhere around 7:30. I didn't do any swimming, but there were definitely adults in the pool when the weather was warm enough (and even some in the covered pool when it wasn't). When I mention "different" shows, I'm referring to the fact that Grand doesn't feature the newer Stephen Schwartz shows like "Magic To Do" (which I haven't seen as of yet). There was one night when there was only a movie in the theater, but other than that there was something live every night. Yes, the theater was definitely crowded. I sailed solo so getting seats together wasn't an issue. However, on nights when there's more than one showtime I would definitely recommend going to the later show if you can -- Much less crowded. I did see line dancing listed in the Patters. I don't know of any activities or events that were "don't miss". As mentioned I enjoyed the "name that song" contests, but don't know whether or not that's up your alley.

 

Elyce, thanks so much for getting back to me! I'm not sure about the "name that song" contest but I have really enjoyed the pop choir in the past....and line dancing....two of my favorite ship activities along with sitting out on the balcony reading and taking walks outdoors looking for any flying fish, dolphins, or whales that might want to appear. Oh, I also really enjoy the Teas and I'm glad you mentioned the scones, a fun treat. Oh, one last question....Did you happen to hear anyone talking about the Princess excursion to Colima and the ruins in Manzanilla? Four of us are signed up for that....

[cruisincdns]

Thank you Elyce for the review.

 

DW and I board the Grand on the 16th. A few questions if you don't mind:

 

1) Did you take the tour "Colonial Colima with Lunch" in Manzanillo and if so, how was it? I know 'anteaters' asked below too.

2) What nights are the formal nights?

3) What nights were the Crab Shack held? Should say in the Patter. On our last Princess cruise last year, we booked the Crab Shack on its first night but discovered it was also the first formal night where they had lobster on the menu so we moved our Crab Shack date to the next slot.

 

I think is all for now.

 

Thank you in advance Elyce for answering!

 

Paul

[Knickearth]

We got off the Royal on the 19thof Jan. We will be on the Grand in May. Having done both ships numerous times I do agree with your evaluations. Spot on. Thanks. :)

 

 

 

 

 

 

I was on the Grand for the 10-day Mexican Riviera sailing that embarked on January 12th of this year. Since I asked a bunch of questions and was apprehensive about going from the Royal to the Grand as well as the roominess of my cabin, I thought I would report back and give a few observations.

 

The cabin was more comfortable than expected. Even though it wasn't nearly as roomy as my deluxe balcony on the Royal last year, it was laid out pretty well. I had more than enough closet space. The bed was fantastic -- Never had anything quite so comfortable on a cruise ship. The pillows initially were too soft and flat, but after asking my steward if he could find a firmer pillow he came through and after that my slumbers were great! I appreciated that the vanity/dresser was right next to the nightstand because my CPAP machine is a bit too wide for the nightstand (because the lamp is right in the middle of it), so I could just keep it right on the vanity with no problem. The shower was indeed small and I did get the floor pretty wet at times, but I dealt with it. Something that I considered a bonus was that there was plenty of room between the toilet and the sink so that I didn't have to sit "side-saddle". And the turquoise and white tile (along with the turquoise cubbyhole door) just made me laugh. The TV was, how shall I say, "primitive"! Hopefully that will be upgraded sometime in the near future.

 

For some reason the food didn't thrill me. As I mentioned on the "pizza thread", I thought it was horrible -- Both at Prego and Alfredo's. But I know that it's a subjective thing, so I'll just leave it at that. The lunchtime offerings at the Horizon were pretty uninspiring without much variation. Thank goodness for the Trident Grill and the DaVinci dining room! However, I am officially addicted to their French toast for breakfast. Most of the desserts looked better than they tasted. Dinner was okay -- Not thrilling, but edible. One standout -- The scones at tea. Oh my heavens -- So flaky and delicious!

 

Entertainment and activities were pretty good -- Lots of trivia and "name that song", which I both like. Pop Choir was fun and cheesy. The production shows were pretty good, although it seemed like the costume changes were the focal point. "Born To Dance" was very well-done. I think the Mainstage on the Grand lacks some of the high-tech features of the newer ships, which may or may not be the reason that they don't feature the same shows as some of the others.

 

The ship was pretty easy to navigate. The one shortcoming was that there weren't any lounge chairs in the shade -- Only tables and chairs. However, it was too cold to spend a lot of time at the pool decks on some of the sea days, so I guess it wasn't that big a deal.

 

Ports -- I did all Princess shore excursions. Let's just say that with a couple of variations, they all seemed to blend together. My fault, I suppose, for sticking to bus tours, but they all seemed to follow the same pattern -- See a church, take in some vistas, go to a shopping stop, etc. But I did want variation from the Caribbean, so that was accomplished.

 

Embarkation and disembarkation were pretty painless and well-run. The transfer back to the airport was pretty helpful although I thought it odd that they didn't ask for the actual tickets, so pretty much anyone could have probably taken one for free.

 

All in all, a pretty good experience. Let me know if you have specific questions or comments.

[suekel]

I just booked this cruise for next January. I've never been on this ship so I am excited to learn my way around a new (to me) ship. Between the anniversary sale and casino credits, I got a great price so I'm stoked!