Grand Princess Refurbishing.

[yags]

Does anyone know is the Grand is going to be refurbished this year?  We booked Hawaii in March of 2020 and just having been on the Grand to Alaska (June of 2018) noticed it needed a little help. Thanks for any info or good gossip.

[FritzG]

She's going into an extended dry dock early in March.  We'll be on the first post dry dock cruise on March 20th.

[nukesubsailor]

9 minutes ago, yags said:

Does anyone know is the Grand is going to be refurbished this year?  We booked Hawaii in March of 2020 and just having been on the Grand to Alaska (June of 2018) noticed it needed a little help. Thanks for any info or good gossip.

March 3-19, 2019.  17 days in a San Francisco shipyard.

[memoak]

I have heard either San Francisco or Portland for the refurb

[fishywood]

Grand Princess already received the newest Princess features/venues during its previous drydock:

 

• Sabatini's upgraded to Sabatini's Trattoria
• Scoops changes to Coffee and Cones
• Kid's/Teen's clubs renovated to Discovery at Sea format
• New or reupholstered chairs and tables in the Horizon Court
• Replaced the MUTS screen (I believe)
• Unlimited internet packages available for more than a year now

For most of those I listed Grand was actually one of the first ships they appeared on. 

So unless there are some even newer programs Princess is holding back on announcing I wouldn't be expecting much in the form of "refurbishing". While technology upgrades are certainly ongoing, no future Grand cruises though Summer 2020 are listed as 'Medallion Preview' yet.

 

My understanding is that since Grand Princess has passed the 20 year mark the routine drydocks will be scheduled more frequently and for longer stays simply as a failsafe. Princess has never been know to do any en masse rehabilitation of cabins so if you believe that a magic wand will be waved and suddenly she will only look half her age you will be disappointed. 

 

I was on Grand in December 2012, when complaints about her age were raging far worse than they are now. To me any issues I discovered--such as the bedside lamps in the cabin very obviously having been cobbled together from spare parts---were interesting character traits rather than basis for criticism. Taking a similar approach rather than worrying about the lack of "new ship smell" will have  you enjoying your cruise no less than on any of the new monsters.

Edited January 9, 2019 by fishywood

[Astro Flyer]

On 1/2/2019 at 10:32 PM, Gimer said:

Off Grand on Dec.3rd and here is the scoop for Grands Dry Dock up in Portland at the Vigor Ship Yard.  We got to tour the Bridge and spent 1/2 hour with the Captain.  This dry dock is required by IMO and Lloyd's of London.  They will inspect, repair / adjust and clean the following:  propellers, exchangers, propulsion efficiency and thrusters.  Replace the hot and cold water main lines.  Many Hotel renovations like reupholster all lounge chairs in the Explorer's Lounge, Crooner's Bar, Wheelhouse Bar, Crown Grill, Library and the Snooker's Bar.  Replace all Stateroom Cabin Sleeper Sofas.  New sofas for the Explorer's Lounge, and Crooner's Bar.  Replace all Astro Turf in the Open Decks.  Refinish the Wheelhouse Bar Dance Floor.  All of Horizon Court Buffet carpets will be replaced, along with the tiles.  Coffee Station Wood Cabinets in the Horizon Court will be refinished.  New carpets for the Botticelli Dining Room and Crooner's Bar.  Finally, Installation of the first phase of wiring for the Ocean Medallion and to finish it on the next dry dock.   Yep !, I did not miss speak or write... I guess their continuing up grade goes on, even if the ship is scheduled to be sold in the future.  

 

That’s information posted on another thread about the Grand’s March dry dock.

 

 

[seattleslew]

She's coming here to Portland for the second time since her tender platform accident near Hawaii in 2016.  Several of our beloved crew members are going to try to get time off so I can give them a tour like I did last time.  The most popular drydock duty for the crew is Fire Duty ... they get more time off if they are assigned it.  Many, like room stewards, keep their same jobs because all the contractors (many of them flown in from all over the world) live aboard.  The crew is looking forward to Portland so they can go to an NBA game and maybe see snow as happened last time.

[boltnut55]

On ‎1‎/‎9‎/‎2019 at 12:29 PM, FritzG said:

She's going into an extended dry dock early in March.  We'll be on the first post dry dock cruise on March 20th.

Us too :)

[memoak]

We are moving to Portland in early March and hope to get a chance to see her while going through dry dock

[seattleslew]

You won't be able to get very close to her because of security down on Swan Island, but if the trees are still leafless (?), which they will be,  you can get a sort of long shot from up by Univ of Portland on the edge of the cliff.  Welcome to Portland.  We're not all crazy.

[bmct]

I've heard from a friend, who was on her a few months ago, that the soft goods -- seat cushions, upholstery, carpet etc -- are in dire need of replacement.

 

I will be on her Jan 27 to Hawaii.

[memoak]

20 hours ago, seattleslew said:

You won't be able to get very close to her because of security down on Swan Island, but if the trees are still leafless (?), which they will be,  you can get a sort of long shot from up by Univ of Portland on the edge of the cliff.  Welcome to Portland.  We're not all crazy.

Believe me we are looking forward to coming up North - we are willing to trade the Warriors for the Blazers and our new place will be just 2 Max stops from the Moda

[cruisingrob21]

Pretty cool drone video linked on this page of the grand in drydock last time in PDX.

 

https://sites.google.com/site/princesscruisesfaq/ships/grand-princess

 

[Ship Buff]

I saw her in dry dock last weekend. You can at least see the starboard side from the bluff by University of Portland off N Willamette Avenue in Portland Oregon. If you go to the south end of campus near the admission office there is a Lewis and Clark plaque marking where they were. That should give you a view of the bow. Binoculars would be good to bring.

[Colo Cruiser]

2 minutes ago, Ship Buff said:

I saw her in dry dock last weekend. You can at least see the starboard side from the bluff by University of Portland off N Willamette Avenue in Portland Oregon. If you go to the south end of campus near the admission office there is a Lewis and Clark plaque marking where they were. That should give you a view of the bow. Binoculars would be good to bring.

Welcome to Cruise Critic!

 

Here is the current thread on the dry dock with some great photos of both the interior and exterior.

 

https://boards.cruisecritic.com/topic/2640951-grand-princess-drydock-march-2019/