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First Time Princess but 15 cruises on Royal Caribbean/Celebrity. Grand Princess in 16 days! What should we not miss??

ladytaekwondo

By ladytaekwondo,
in Princess Cruises

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ladytaekwondo

ladytaekwondo

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What should we not miss??  Food and dining?  Pools?  Shows?  Doing 4 day coastal from LA, San Diego, Ensenada, at Sea, and back.  Been to all those places, but specifically would like to know about Princess!  When can you board?  Do you have to go by time listed (lanes)?  Any specific dishes to try?  Give us details!!!

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jondfk

jondfk

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I'll second the vote for Alfredo's, a really nice alternative to the main restaurant and grab and go up on the lido deck.  You're served, there's rarely any wait whatsoever to get in and the pizza is always hot, fresh and cooked to order.  To make a meal of it, order your pizza then stroll across the lobby to International Cafe for a side salad or dessert (bring these things back to your table in Alfredo's).

 

The Club One5 is a bit of an odd space, added to Grand many years after launch.  No views from here, but a quiet alternate venue for a drink.  There is a nice, secluded outdoor space just behind One5 that often goes unused, another place for a quiet respite (the port side of this space is smoking permitted, the Starboard equivalent is non-smoking.

 

We especially like Crown Grill on Grand.  The space layout seems less congested than some other ships in the fleet.

 

Finally, the covered conservatory pool area can be a godsend on cold or hot days.  Since you're sailing to Mexico at the tail end of summer you might find the outdoor Lido deck a bit too intense sun wise, the conservatory area is the answer.

 

Please do a live from.  We're sailing on Grand in January and will meanwhile live vicariously through you!

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skynight

skynight

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If you enjoy sitting in a comfortable area with a nice reserved lounge you may enjoy The Sanctuary, deck 6 all the way forward. There is a fee for this area, $20/half Day, $40/full day. Go directly there once you board to book.

International Cafe deck 5 is a great place. No charge for food. Specialty coffee drinks available there. There is a charge for specialty coffees unless you have booked the plus fare that includes these beverages.

Indoor pool is the Calypso Pool. If you like a more peaceful pool experience try the Terrace Pool, deck 12 aft. 

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JF - retired RRT

JF - retired RRT

Posted
Posted
58 minutes ago, ladytaekwondo said:

What should we not miss??  Food and dining?  Pools?  Shows?  Doing 4 day coastal from LA, San Diego, Ensenada, at Sea, and back.  Been to all those places, but specifically would like to know about Princess!  When can you board? Pre-covid: anytime after 11ish usually. 

Do you have to go by time listed (lanes)?  Pre-covid: posted boarding times were generally ignored. So far, the Live Froms have seemed to say they're still not enforced.

Any specific dishes to try? Many swear by the twice-baked goat cheese souffle & flourless chocolate cake.  Give us details!!!

Along with things to not miss ON the ship. Don't miss out on things before you board.

Specifically: if anyone in your party is a veteran, active duty, retired military; send in the required paperwork (DD214 for veterans) and you'll get refundable OBC for any cruise on Princess ($50 to $250 depending on the length of the cruise).

If you enjoy Princess, be sure to purchase at least one Future Cruise Deposit for each cruiser. OBC for the next cruise you book ($15-$150 pp).

 

Also, try the "volcano" (I don't think they call it that anymore), it's on the kid's menu. You can order anything on the kid's menu (even if you're not a kid). DH loves the spaghetti & meatballs.

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fabby50

fabby50

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Some of my in laws say they book Princess over other cruise lines just for the International Cafe and the way the Atrium is set up.  They have some mobility issues and sitting in that area gives them lots of entertainment and easily accessible food choices.  I like a lot of the selections at the International Cafe and get coffees and lighter lunches from there - I like the side salads (watermelon and feta, yummy), sandwiches (caprese) and yogurt parfaits for breakfast,  I'm not one to people watch much, but its a good area to do that if you are.  I much prefer walking outside, so do a lot of laps on any deck that goes most of the way around the ship.

 

We will be on the cruise right before you - 

Edited by fabby50
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LACruiser88 "Live from...." Rare

LACruiser88

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46 minutes ago, need2cruisesoon said:

Don't let the Grand be your only impression of Princess. Good luck and have fun on your cruise.

I think this refers to the Grand being the oldest ship remaining in the Princess fleet (May of 1998).  IMHO, the newer ships look and feel "newer."  You will have a great time regardless of the ship!

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countess5 "Live from...." Rare

countess5

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Would love to hear your feedback when you return. 

We are like you and have sailed primarily Celebrity and Royal. You can see in my signature our status.

We just came off the Edge and Celebrity has the covid security under control! We did not have to wear a mask on board. Reading Princess, mask are required on the ship in all public areas.

We have a 14 day cruise on Princess Sky in February 2022 and thinking of canceling if mask are required. Things change, but final payment is Nov 1st and if no change by then, cancelation will happen and we will jump back on celebrity.

 

Cheers! 

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jondfk

jondfk

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4 hours ago, fabby50 said:

Can you elaborate?  We are on her in 10 days, what's different?

 

I'll kick in.

 

Grand get's kicking from some because she's the grandmother of her class and there's no denying she shows her age here and there.  Mainly what you realize if you, say, sail Regal and Grand back to back, as we have done, is how much further along things have come in terms of glitz and glitter.  Grand seems rather plain by comparison.

 

However, we love Grand, second only to Coral in the current Princess fleet.  Although she was briefly the largest passenger ship afloat when she launched, she is today one of the smallest of Princess ships carrying "only" ~2500.  Enormous amounts of deck space, but one full deck of cabins fewer than her class mates, she never feels as crowded as say Ruby or Crown.  Her original Skywalkers was cut away to save weight on the stern, the replacement, One5 is a pale substitute.  For whatever reason we've had consistently fantastic staff on Grand, I realize service is subjective, and I'm not a particularly harsh critic but we've had disappointments on other Princess ships, but never Grand.

 

I'll tell you how much we love her.  We were on her final cruise, the one that landed us at Travis.  Believe me when I say no part of the experience was any fun.  Still, our first cruise back with Princess will be . . . on Grand.  We want to give her a fresh chance to impress and we fully expect she will.

 

 

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billco

billco

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8 hours ago, ladytaekwondo said:

What should we not miss??  Food and dining?  Pools?  Shows?  Doing 4 day coastal from LA, San Diego, Ensenada, at Sea, and back.  Been to all those places, but specifically would like to know about Princess!  When can you board?  Do you have to go by time listed (lanes)?  Any specific dishes to try?  Give us details!!!

 

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cr8tiv1 Holiday Sharing Rare

cr8tiv1

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Posted (edited)

I am always happy to have cruisers from another line join Princess Cruise Critic to get familiar with her fleet.  It gives all of us a chance to voice our opinions and be the cheerleaders for our favorite ships.  Rah Rah Grand and Coral.  Planning is half the fun (without the APP).  Getting to know posters sometimes can be a hoot.  I have become familiar with quite a few during the pandemic.  

 

Don't let others rain on your parade.  Enjoy the journey toward getting on your next voyage.

 

Check out your Roll Call.  4 days will not be enough to hit all of the food places.  There was (pre-pandemic) cold milk and warm cookies (peanut butter, chocolate chip, chocolate) in the piazza at 4 PM.  Tea and scones starts at 3/3:30 PM.  Lemonade up in the buffet is free.  Bring a refillable water bottle to take some back to your stateroom.  Tap water is purified and very drinkable.  And double trouble Volcano (aka kid's sundae) is worth every calorie.  

Edited by cr8tiv1
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MishelleMcc

MishelleMcc

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We sailed on her in Dec 2019 and we loved her!  We were on the SF to Hawaii and back 15 wonderful days!  She had just come out of a Dry Dock so lots of new upholstery, carpeting, paint and wood refinishing.  The decor of the ship was varied and appreciated!  There are a lot of comfortable spots all over!

 

We had a balcony cabin and we loved the TV on the wall - so extra plugs on the upper shelf above the mini fridge (where TV's used to be.)  We did watch a movie or two and loved being able to leave our cabin for a fun activity and return to finish them later.  Also, the new end table lamps had built-in USB charging plugs!  The WIFI was excellent the entire trip.

 

I thought the variety of Dining and Beverage Venues were plentiful and very good to excellent!  We never felt like we were in a rut or routine!  We ate or drank or participated in different things - in different places around the ship every day!

 

The Crew were AMAZING!  We would sale on her again anytime! 

 

Enjoy your Cruise!!  You will have a BLAST!!! 

 

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brisalta

brisalta

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5 hours ago, shipsealand said:

Definitely do the International Cafe, best desserts and no charge.  On embarkation day, a Princess secret: go to Alfredo's for lunch instead of the very large crowds at Horizon Court.  Oops the secret is out!

 

Actually on embarkation day one of the main dining rooms is open for lunch and the menu used to be very good for the embarkation lunch so worth checking. If nothing is to your liking head over to Alfredo's.

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MsSoCalCruiser

MsSoCalCruiser

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I recommend trying the sorbet in the main dining room at dinner time. The flavor changes each day and it’s really good.
 

I also really like watching Movies Under the Stars (MUTS).  Also, there is free On Demand Movies (huge selection) in your cabin for the times that you want to just relax.

 

The interactive game shows are super fun.
 

Oh and almost everything from Room Service is complementary.  We always make sure to leave a nice tip for the delivery person.

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MsSoCalCruiser

MsSoCalCruiser

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Also, I wanted to add that I know the water on the ship is drinkable but I do like to have my bottled water available. I like to keep it on the bedside table without worries of knocking it over in my sleep.  You can order a package of 12 bottles of water delivered to your cabin for just over seven dollars but if you want to do so you need to order it before your cruise.

Edited by MsSoCalCruiser
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