Grand Princess 12/17-24/05

[jbobst]

Whether this is a valid person/review or not, I certainly appreciate the comments and perspective (although much of it is a bit ridiculous). I am confident, that if I had been on this particular cruise, I would have had a better outlook on things and not been so negative, but not everyone has the same attitude obviously. I have to say that complaints about the ship rocking in the sea (or going fast), or complaints about tender problems, weather, etc., are not valid. Since you are on a cruise ship there are just certain things you or the crew cannot control. Also, since everyone has different tastes in food or entertainment, no one should expect that all the food or all of the shows will always be to your liking.

 

HOWEVER, cruises are very expensive...even the so called "discount" cruises aren't cheap (at least not for me when I am paying for a family of four and I don't have very large vacation budget). Now, if you compare the cost of a cruise to a week at Disneyworld (for example), I would have to say that you get more bang for your buck on a cruise. I only mention that because I do like cruising and I do think it is a good value - still alot of money though. My point is, that if there are some major problems, and you've spent alot of money on the cruise, it is going to leave a bad taste in your mouth, and make all of the other "little" things seem "big".

 

There seem to be certain things that Princess could control that they just don't seem to want to change. I am going on the Grand in about 5 weeks, and so far, my dealings with the customer service reps at Princess have been REALLY bad. Now, I am not going to let that ruin my cruise, and I have only made a few phone calls to them to ask questions and such, so maybe I just got the "bad eggs" in their call center or something like that.

 

I have been following all the threads and the reviews concerning the Grand Princess, and it does seem like there is a major lack of communication between the crew and passengers, and that there is a lack of organization as well. Whether it be trying to get 3000 people off the ship on tender boats, checking people in for their cruise in Galveston, or getting them off the ship. Those things should be addressed and I believe that Princess should somehow let the cruising public know what their current problems are and what they are doing to try and fix them.

 

Imagine if you were to go to the Princess web site and they actually had a REAL TIME information page that gave updated information about their ports, ships, embarkation/disembarkation problems etc, and then gave a brief report on what they were doing to fix it or deal with the problems. Maybe I am just dreaming here, but it would sure be nice to have some better information on the web site. I would bet that no where on their web site does it mention the electrical problems that the Grand experienced last week and what is being done to fix the generators. Or, imagine if they could actually post information letting passengers know that Cozumel no longer has a Pier, but that you have to tender there instead. Maybe they could even give some helpful hints on how to best handle the tender situations at Cozumel and Grand Cayman. I am just looking for someone at Princess to acknowledge some of the potential frustrations that people have had, and just communicate what they are doing to fix them. The fact that they give so little information on their web site, and the fact that their customer service reps know nothing about the excursions, ports, or problems that are going on is just frustrating.

 

Even though there have been some problems reported on the Grand lately, I still am looking forward to my upcoming cruise immensely! Just remember that some people might need to vent after they spend alot of money on something they feel was done poorly or unsatisfactory. And when they do vent, they probably do say some silly things (like about towel animals and captains messing around in Galveston). Thanks for listening :)

[TexasMom2]

I was on this cruise and want to point out that this was not the cruise with electrical problems. We were late leaving Galveston because of the snafu at the Hotel Galvez. One family we talked to had a 7-hour wait between the time they landed at Hobby and the time they boarded the ship. Tons of families didn't get the word about the hotel check-in and went straight to the pier, only to be directed to a bus to check in at the Galvez. Needless to say there were some pretty stressed out people complaining and that's why we ended up with a $50 credit per person.

 

I enjoyed the cruise, but in my opinion the experience didn't even compare with my two prior experiences with RCI.

 

The towels were kinda ratty....

[bdjam]

Yes there were lines all week at the Pursers desk. Princess gave every single person onboard a $50 credit to their shipboard account for the trouble.

Interesting this wasn’t mentioned in the original post.

[JLC@SD]

Interesting this wasn’t mentioned in the original post.

 

Probably didn't accept it, it would have jepordized the class action lawsuit.......:)

[Rachelle]

Well said hulagirl...

I too was on this particular sailing... and as I've said before... we were part of the unfortunate group who got to stand in the rain and cold for 5 hours... and on the 2 hr tendering in Cozumel and 1.5 hr tendering in Grand Cayman... THAT SAID... CAN A CRUISE (beaches, open ocean, unlimited food, good company, entertainment, relaxation) REALLY BE THAT BAD????? I love every cruise I go on and this was no exception. I think that things are only what you make of them... most people had a grand time despite the problems :)

Also I dont think our dear Capt. Andy Proctor was out to get anyone... He didnt get to that position by screwing around. I'm sure he was as distressed about the situation as anyone. I hope to work on a cruise ship within the year after graduation and I would consider myself lucky to work under him. It was the shoreside staff that seemed to have the issues at embarkation. The crew was probably beaten down (as was I) after hearing about how bad the cruise was for the 50 millionth time. Maybe thats where the apparent bad attitudes were coming from. The poor people cant escape it. I however thought the crew was great and had an incredible waiter, Asst. waiter, Maitre'd, and Head Waiter, and steward...Also just for reference... in the Log of the Cruise it states very different times and speed than those stated in the OP...

[Mandee]

Well said hulagirl...

Also I dont think our dear Capt. Andy Proctor was out to get anyone... He didnt get to that position by screwing around. I'm sure he was as distressed about the situation as anyone. I hope to work on a cruise ship within the year after graduation and I would consider myself lucky to work under him. .

 

Best thing I have ever read...thanks for the laugh :)

 

I hope to work on a ship after graduation too...only 5 more semesters til I'm out of the cold, hellish Michigan winters!

[Decali]

My family and I were also on this sailing. Most of the problems encountered this trip were due to Galveston terminal capacity problems over-crowded ports, and pier damage and the tendering process associated with that. A major hassle to be sure but not much Princess can do about any of those things.

 

Opinions on food and movie choices on this or any cruise are always highly subjective. One persons great meal is anothers pig slop. As for movies, I would rather gouge my eyes out than watch a Tina Turner concert video but that's just my personal taste. I did however, notice some sort of undercurrent in the PC dining rooms that we didn't notice last year but it's always hard to measure service levels with the PC option. I personally thought the food was fine and service good as well but I picked up on some kind of vibe for sure.

 

I also noticed a sign posted when leaving one of the dining rooms saying that "Excellent service isn't necessarily perfect service" or something to that effect. That struck me as kind of odd and lead me to believe that maybe the customer evaluations haven't exactly been glowing recently. That might expain some attitudes.

 

Overall, we had a great time and felt that the good easily outweighed the bad but there definately were issues on this trip so don't be too hard on the original poster. We will do this one for a third time but not until Cozumel rebuilds their piers.

[JLC@SD]

Best thing I have ever read...thanks for the laugh :)

 

I hope to work on a ship after graduation too...only 5 more semesters til I'm out of the cold, hellish Michigan winters!

 

Best of luck in your pursuit to work on a ship, but don't become a Captain.............everything that goes wrong.......your fault........:rolleyes:

 

We sailed with Captain Andy as well, he is one of Princess' best..........:)

[KAYEF]

clucky

 

Sorry you've been "attacked" by the usual people who don't believe this site is a place for EVERYONE to state feelings/opinions.

We had many complaints on our Island Princess, 15 day Hawaii cruise last year as well..................from holes in linens, to food poisoning, to really, really out of control RUDE servers in the Lido who refused to clean off and/or clean tables. It was filthy. Many reported it to the front desk and were told, "We can't seem to do anything about it."

If we asked for something in the Lido (as in ketchup) we were told...."go get it on the line."

Meanwhile they stood around talking..................as did the servers around the pool.

We had a pretty good cruise and really enjoyed the anytime dining but the food was often lacking..............warm salads, cold entrees, etc. The servers in the D.R. were, as you said, pretty rude, as well.

The entertainment was fantastic.......................the service was NOT.

The activities were great.

[JLC@SD]

WOW that is depressing.Princess does not do towel animals.

 

marilyn

 

After I shower and wad my towel up and throw it on the floor (so I can get a clean one)............ and if you do it, and if you look close and at different angles, you can see animals...........:)

[JLC@SD]

clucky

 

Sorry you've been "attacked" by the usual people who don't believe this site is a place for EVERYONE to state feelings/opinions.

 

Hey everyone......... clucky has a right to cluck too.........:D

[catmand]

I gotta say I couldn't get through the entire original post. It was just hard on these old eyes. I should mention that I am wearing my new computer glasses and they seem to be just fine, it must be the type and lay out that's the problem.

Also; just today on another board someone was complaining about the service and food on a ship that we sailed about 20 months ago. At that time we loved everything about it and now of five cruises it ranks tops with us. I decided not to bother talking about it, after all, many things can change in a year or so. So, why is it that when someone has a bad experience they keep dragging it out again and again? OK, enough already, please don't look for every bad review and pop in with your OLD awful cruise.

I also think we should stop with the "one post wonders" and assume they are all put-ons. Y'all know that those that feel they were wronged need to find someplace to bitch and moan until they get someone to agree with them.

[alibail]

With regards to the tendering issues;

 

It has been my experience that when you are required to use Tenders to go ashore, regardless of the distance, the first 2 hours, and last 2 hours of tenders tend to be very busy and take alot longer, due to more passengers trying to leave and return to the ship.

 

Having never sailed with Princess, I am not sure wether they inform guests of this, but my experiences with Carnival, Thomson, Island Cruises and P&O are that they tend to announce in the morning, as well as putting in their onboard news papers that the early and late tenders to / from the ship tend to be busier, and that you should expect a delay.

 

The comments regarding the sea sickness;

 

As others have pointed out, you are on a ship, which does move, and blaming the captain for delaying the departure to allow all the guests to board is rediculous, and also for choosing to travel as fast as possible to make up for lost time, granted this may have resulted in the ship being less stable, but I am sure both yourself, and the other guests would have had more complaints had he taken the decision to miss out that port of call.

 

Regarding your other complaints;

 

Yes, i agree, there is no excuse for rudeness, and you should expect to receive the level of service you have paid for.

 

- Alistair

[houstoncruisers2001]

After I shower and wad my towel up and throw it on the floor (so I can get a clean one)............ and if you do it, and if you look close and at different angles, you can see animals...........:)

 

Um......and how many cocktails did we have before that shower?

[bdjam]

Sorry you've been "attacked" by the usual people who don't believe this site is a place for EVERYONE to state feelings/opinions.

We had many complaints on our Island Princess, 15 day Hawaii cruise last year as well..................from holes in linens, to food poisoning, to really, really out of control RUDE servers in the Lido who refused to clean off and/or clean tables. It was filthy. Many reported it to the front desk and were told, "We can't seem to do anything about it."

If we asked for something in the Lido (as in ketchup) we were told...."go get it on the line."

Meanwhile they stood around talking..................as did the servers around the pool.

We had a pretty good cruise and really enjoyed the anytime dining but the food was often lacking..............warm salads, cold entrees, etc. The servers in the D.R. were, as you said, pretty rude, as well.

The entertainment was fantastic.......................the service was NOT.

The activities were great.

When were you on Island Princess – I was on board last year too and wonder if perhaps we were sailing at the same time? I certainly wouldn't sail Princess again if this is the type of cruise you had. As for stating opinions, of course everyone can state them here - they should just be prepared to back them up.

After I shower and wad my towel up and throw it on the floor (so I can get a clean one)............ and if you do it, and if you look close and at different angles, you can see animals..

:D A certain amount of alcohol will help facilitate that as well…

[PescadoAmarillo]

I also noticed a sign posted when leaving one of the dining rooms saying that "Excellent service isn't necessarily perfect service" or something to that effect.

 

I consider that a tacky, tacky, tacky sign to encounter in a cruise ship dining room.

[Rachelle]

I hope to work on a ship after graduation too...only 5 more semesters til I'm out of the cold, hellish Michigan winters!

 

Great!!! Maybe we can both show that Capt Proctor how its done ;)

What positions on board do you want to do?

 

 

Oh and I also saw that same sign about the service... thought it a little odd as well...

[Mandee]

Great!!! Maybe we can both show that Capt Proctor how its done ;)

What positions on board do you want to do?

 

 

Oh and I also saw that same sign about the service... thought it a little odd as well...

 

I really don't know what I want to do. Work with the kids or something to that effect. Maybe pursers desk with my amazing customer service skills ;) The head waiters told me working on a cruise ship was too hard of work for me...but I'm going to try!

 

What about you?

 

 

 

I saw the sign too, I didn't think it was odd. It said something more to the effect "Excellent service doesn't mean perfect, but it means better than expected". It seemed motivational to me. But maybe that is too many years of motivational Wayne Gretzky quotes before hitting the ice for me...

 

 

JLC- trust me Captain is not in the plans. I can't parallel park my Honda Civic, I don't think pulling a ship into port would be something they would want me doing. And I agree, Capitain Andy is an amazing captain.

[KCTeach]

I too have to comment on this line. I was on the same cruise with this poster and had a wonderful time. There were 24 in our group (sorry I didn't meet any cruise critic people). We went to the hotel to check in and arrived early! If you want to get something you don't wait until the last minute. We were checked in by a great lady that was cheerful and not a granny. We were on the ship eating by 12:30. The cruise was wonderful. We ate in the anytime dining room at 6pm every night due to making reservations and our waiters were fantastic! This was my 6th cruise (Carnival, Royal Carribean, and Princess). They were entertaining, attentive and polished. The food was wonderful. Everything we had was great. Some of our friends didn't care for all the deserts so they asked for ice cream every night. I personally loved every desert I had. The bread was wonderful and fresh. Most of the time I had at least 2 pieces. I don't normally eat bread due to diet. The ship did rock the first night but I heard others talk about the time of year and the weather. I didn't get sick but then I wear sea bands and take Ginger pills. I know there is always that possiblity on a ship. The towels were fresh and clean (nothing ratty about them). I personally don't care about the towel animals. The entertainment was great. The night mentioned with the guy from Ok was boring but thank goodness there were other options. We simply went to see something else. My group never had a problem getting chairs for the MUTS because I believe in getting to places early. The tender situation was not the challenge I had heard because I got up and stood in line with some very nice people. My group was on the first tender every time. Our excursions were never shortened. We had a wonderful time at each port and we did great things. As the previous poster mentioned, the tenders were fast and held anywhere from 150 to 400 people. We stood in line at one place and quickly walked by the group from the Royal Carribean ship. Unfortunately people want things to happen instantly and when they don't they blame someone. Not one complaint from anyone of our 24. We are booking another cruise next year.The 50 dollar credit was great!

Karen

[Rachelle]

I really don't know what I want to do. Work with the kids or something to that effect. Maybe pursers desk with my amazing customer service skills ;) The head waiters told me working on a cruise ship was too hard of work for me...but I'm going to try!

 

What about you?

 

I want to work as a purser... Working on a cruise ship is really hard... long hours and very close to a military type atmosphere. I have been studying up on it... probably too much... I got laid off right before the cruise... so I have too much free time right now :D

But if you do work with kids, you will be part of the staff and will have alot more flexibility and less restrictions. Time off in ports and such :)

What are you studying?

[Cindy]

:mad: :mad: :mad: :mad:

Captain Andy messed around in Galveston so that we did not leave port till after 8pm - 4 hours late.

 

This cracks me up. The captain was waiting for the passengers to board because the Port of Galveston arranged check-in for the Grand at the Galvez. As miserable as this was, can you imagine if Captain Proctor had left on schedule and left all those passengers behind? :eek: Then people would really have been outraged.

I guess this complaint made me laugh because the late departure was something completely out of the control of the shipboard staff. It reminded me so much of some of the complaints I get in my job (I'm an elementary school principal). Something will happen in the neighborhood long after school lets out and everyone has gone home, but everyone wants to know what I'm going to do to fix it. I do the best I can to be helpful, but some things are just beyond what I can control.

[niborHS]

"I can't wait to hear Judge Judy when the poster sues for no towel animals"

I don't know how you copy things, but this quote really cracked me up. I would want to watch how she handled the whole complaint. What I am really wondering is why all of you assume this is a woman poster? I actually thought the tome of it was a man, but I guess "Clucky" is a name for a woman?

After reading all these responses, I'm not sure if the OP said how many other cruises she has been on, but there are times during the winter due to bad weather that the first night out and the last night back are very rocky. That's part of cruising. I remember 2 years ago when we had a very smooth cruise, so I packed all my sea sickness stuff, and got very sick on the way back the last night. Couldn't find anything to help.

The one thing that really does surprise me about Princess, which I have not been on before, but will try for the first time on 2/18, is that they don't have pool towels. Most of our cruises have been on Celebrity and NCL, although we tried, years ago, RCCL & Carnival, all of whom had pool towels. As far as MUTS goes, I remember other people talking about a wide variety of films, so not sure what her problem was with them.

[Rachelle]

The one thing that really does surprise me about Princess, which I have not been on before, but will try for the first time on 2/18, is that they don't have pool towels.

 

They have pool towels... :)

They were in the closet of our cabin on the Grand and were replaced every day if we used them. They even took them as we boarded the ship from each port.

[alibail]

I want to work as a purser... Working on a cruise ship is really hard... long hours and very close to a military type atmosphere. I have been studying up on it... probably too much... I got laid off right before the cruise... so I have too much free time right now :D

But if you do work with kids, you will be part of the staff and will have alot more flexibility and less restrictions. Time off in ports and such :)

What are you studying?

 

Hi Rachelle, I am not sure if you are american or British, but P&O Princess have an officer cadet ship scheme, for persons between 17 and 25 (at time of starting), which, dependant on the options you choose, leads to either a career in navigation, or engineering. It lasts for 3 years with both college course's intermixed with time at sea. I think the P&O one below may only be open to persons in the U.K, but I may be wrong, and I am sure similar schemes will probably exist in the USA.

 

The web site is at http://www.oceanopportunities.com/ - Ive applied, and got through to the assesment stage, so I hope I just have to pass that, and soon I could be sailing the world ;-)

[cruise fairy]

Geeze people, some of you sure can be nasty. The OP had a bad cruise, it didn't meet her expectations, she is entitled to have a few complaints. Some of her complaints may seem unreasonable, but she is entitled to her opinion and to voice it. What's wrong with getting your frustrations off your chest? I don't think any of her comments were directed to anyone on this board?

Some people seem to derive pleasure from making fun of others....disappointing.:(