Live feed from the Grand Princess 9/25 and 9/30 cruises

[gmcwalker]

11 minutes ago, gmcwalker said:

Actually, there is no mandated speed reduction off the Mexican coast as the cruise ships now cruise further out to sea to avoid the known whale migration paths.

However there is voluntary incentive program off the coast of California to cut pollution and protect gray whales.16 Shipping Lines Slow Down to Protect Blue Whales and Blue Skies (maritime-executive.com)

Edited September 27, 2021 by gmcwalker

[aprilsp88]

21 hours ago, Cruise Raider said:

Hi HDWT …

There is a testing site right in the terminal parking lot next to to Iowa for those that haven’t gotten there test results.  Someone mentioned it was free of charge.  
 

 

@Cruise RaiderThank you for the information. Do you know if the testing site is for Princess only? Any line? 

[wallyj]

7 hours ago, manunia said:

It is Barbara from Brazil

here is information provided by her: 5 days cruise - top 40 lunch, 4 days cruise- top 20 dinner, no officers in attendance but photo with captain will be taken

total passengers 2043, blue 388, gold 164, ruby 87, platinum 232, elites 172, cut off for mtp lunch is 448

Hi @manunia, Thank you for following up on my questions, it has been so long, I forgot the cutoff when MTP/MTG event goes down to 20. I appreciate you also taking the time to get the breakdown of each level and the cutoff number. 
 

I believe the first Alaska sailing had a high number of Elites and the cutoff number of days was ‘high’ compared to average Alaska sailings. 
 

With your sailing being the first from LA, it was interesting to see the breakdown, I was expecting more passengers being the first, enjoy your sailing, I join you on Sept 30.

[cr8tiv1]

******  I WAS CURIOUS  *******

So I did a google search for Covid Testing near USS Iowa (San Pedro).  NOT encouraging news.  So sorry.

 

https://www.nbclosangeles.com/news/local/la-county-opens-free-covid-19-testing-kiosk-at-uss-iowa/2534345/

 

Highlights:

 

•  The county kiosk at 250 S. Harbor Blvd. was opened in partnership with Fulgent Genomics Laboratories and will be open seven days a week from 10 a.m.-5 p.m. It has capacity for 500 PCR nasal swab tests per day. Insurance is not required.

 

•  Walk-ins are welcomed, but appointments may also be scheduled at la.fulgentgenetics.com/appointment. Test results will typically be available within 24 to 48 hours.

 

•  LA County Residents can get tested for free. We encourage you to first call your doctor to get tested. If you cannot get a test through a doctor, make an appointment for a COVID-19 test.

[MsSoCalCruiser]

6 hours ago, Steelers36 said:

 

And with pax in there smoking and no masks, I'd like to know what's the problem with walking around in open areas with no mask?  Some of the rules just don't make sense.

 

I asked the same with smoking in the Casino.  I guess you can’t spread or get Covid if you are spending money. We have to wear masks to walk to our table in the main dining room but we can take them off and smoke. Makes sense to me, not.

[mellon1]

9 hours ago, Cruise Raider said:

When speaking to one of the supervisors at guest services desk, she hadn’t heard about in transit passengers having to be tested in between each sailing.  I’m hoping that she does get a chance to follow through on my question to her.  I asked if we needed to pack up between the legs of the B2B.  She was going to check into it for us.  
I understand the crew is being tested at least every two weeks.  
in a answer to your question, you only have to pack up if you think you might test positive.  My advice is to get some of the testing kits, they wouldn’t necessarily  have to be monitored but would give you an idea if you have contracted CoVid.  

Thanks for getting back to me.  It is on Princess FAQ area that on b2bs you have to leave the ship to get tested (Alaska was in country so they did on ship, Caribbean would be off ship, which is what we are doing, as it is out of the country).  We talked about the testing kits last night.  It comes down to for 42 days, plus driving 2 days there and 2 days back and spending 4 days in Florida to be tested, if we are sent home after 7 days, I would be crushed.  Hate the idea of driving, but in coming home at the beginning of all this covid from a cruise ship we were fine as we kept our distance, but on the plane someone was very sick behind us and we both got very very sick, sickest I ever was in my life.  So, don't want to risk being on a plane and not being able to get away from someone.  

 

We just said instead of knowing we were on the ship and not having to put our luggage out, there always may be that what if hanging out there every 7 days and didn't know if we could enjoy ourselves with knowing someone may have to pack up our stuff or a false positive.

 

I would be interested in what happens.  I think they test OFF the ship, so they don't have to include that count in the covid numbers ON the ship, as technically, you are not ON the ship.  In looking at the CDC site, there are a lot of ships with YELLOW.  Green for most with just crew.

 

I hope all will be OK with your trip and you will stay healthy and covid free!  Have fun and keep us posted on this please.  

[dskenn]

@manunia and @wallyj  I am confused with what you are talking about the top 40, top 20 lunch?  Can you explain.  Sounds very interesting!

[dskenn]

8 hours ago, Cruise Raider said:

Just a bit more about life on the Grand today…

We love to go to the International Cafe Coffee Bar for a nice cappuccino to start our day .. not one in a to go cup but in a real ceramic cup.  
Everyone helps out in this area.  And they tell you to get a seat and find you with your coffee order.  Ashley is a beverage manager and always looks to be willing to lend a hand to the staff.  Amel , who normal can be found in Vines also can be seen helping out where’s the need is the greatest!  Both these men will brighten your day with their energy and lighthearted spirit…always with a smile.  
After our cappuccino ritual, we went to the MDR for breakfast.  We had a wonderful server and an excellent breakfast.  
We ate a small lunch of street tacos at the Salty Dog.  ‘Street Tacos’ was a misnomer .. they were more like street burritos.  When we saw the size, we decided to split one order.  They were excellent!  
The weather has been great so we decided to eat outside.  There was some pool game happening which you could play on your app.  It was a bit loud in my opinion but, People seemed to enjoy it so who am I to say.  
We went to the spa to request a barber for a haircut for my DH the day after tomorrow.  She seems to really give him the confidence he needed to go for the cut!  I did check over their menu of services and the prices are way better if you pre-purchase them before the cruise.  The same message that I booked before the cruise was now nearly $50 more when onboard.  Gone are all the flyers that come in your daily mail onboard so, I am not sure if they offer any daily specials.  However, it does seem like depending on how busy they are, you may be able to make a deal with them.   
As before, our room steward did a wonderful job .. we just don’t see him but that’s probably because we don’t have people occupying the cabins next to us.  
The Captain held a toast in lieu of the Champagne  waterfall event and it was broadcast throughout he ship on the PA system.  Everyone raised  a glass to toast, whether they were in the dining room or the piazza.  It was a fun way to toast being back onboard.  He also announced that we should arrive in Cabo by approx 1:30 PM tomorrow.  I can tell you, he really sped up last night and being in an aft cabin, we really felt it.  
We spent a bit of time on our balcony and it’s so nice to see that blue matting on the balconies has been replaced.  the balcony furniture seems a bit, shall I say, rustic.  
I had forgotten to mention that the little gold goodie bags for elite passengers were not given out … there was a tube of lotion, a shower cap and a nail file placed in the bathroom instead.  It’s not a huge deal to me either way.  
The bedding and pillows are absolutely wonderful.  The flat screen TVs is also very nice with many on demand options.  Getting rid of the box type TVs now gives you another shelf over by the mini fridge. 
as many of you might already know, the closets on teh Grand are a bit small but still have the open design.  The in room safes are also very small.  An iPad will only fit if finagle it in there.  
The desk has lots of drawer space and there is also a sufficient amount of shelf space in the closet area as well as in the small but functional, bathroom.  No complaints about the cabin other than experiencing a lot of vibration.  We knew about this before this sailing but if you are bothered by rattles and bumpiness, I’d go more midship.  
The Grand got a bit of a facelift since we’ve last sailed on her prior to CoVid.  She got all new furniture and carpeting in most of the public spaces,  it looks good!  There are still some areas that can use a little attention (such as the public bathrooms and the balcony furniture) but for the most part, she looks good with all the improvements made.  
There are now Purell dispensers nearly everywhere … you don’t have to search very hard to find them. 
that’s all for now … 

 

Thank you!  

[SwimCarrie]

10 hours ago, Cruise Raider said:

No, we did not.  I think they were going to give us a mini suite but they couldn’t tell us until tomorrow for sure since we are doing a B2B.  Plus, it was a mini on the Dolphin deck and we don’t care for those uncovered balconies.  We finally unpacked earlier today are so are now settled in.  
 

I was thinking last night...I wonder if it is more difficult to move people now with the medallion app? Especially as the crew is getting the hang of it? Just speculation, of course. I'm in the lowest level interior and was hoping for an upgrade... Looks like I'm getting what I paid for! 🤣

[pro76]

Cruise Raider, did you get to see your Packer game on MUTS?

[fabby50]

Out on the balcony, start of a beautiful day!  Getting ready to head up to the Crown Grill for the suite breakfast.  Missed yesterday due to early appointment.

They have been having some interesting enrichment talks, trying to catch one on the Aztecs today after we try to walk off at least the appetizers from last nights wonderful dinner.

[Steelers36]

Anyone bring on own wine?  If you arrived early for check in, was there a wine table?  Are they charging corkage at DR table?

[Cruise Raider]

1 hour ago, SwimCarrie said:

I was thinking last night...I wonder if it is more difficult to move people now with the medallion app? Especially as the crew is getting the hang of it? Just speculation, of course. I'm in the lowest level interior and was hoping for an upgrade... Looks like I'm getting what I paid for! 🤣

It does appear to be more difficult to move to a different cabin when doing a B2B.  I still think that if you are to book separate cabins and test positive in between sailings, someone else most likely has booked your contaminated cabin.  It would seem like they wouldn’t want to knowingly put anyone into a dirty cabin with an extra deep cleaning.  Just a thought.  

[Westsail32]

Starting Day Three.  I'll echo everything others have posted.  Had a nice meet and greet with CruiseRaider and others on Day One on deck 14.  Sorry I'm terrible with names but I enjoyed meeting everyone.  I'm on Deck 8 Emerald.  I forgot the Grand doesn't have a central staircase but the elevators aren't bad with the reduced occupancy. 

 

Yesterday I had a nice dinner at Crown Grill.  Filet Mingon was fantastic, very tender, and the lobster was OK.  Service was top notch.  Spent a few hours at Crooners and enjoyed some conversations.  Ruben and Melody were the bartenders.  I showed them a picture of my last bartenders from an earlier cruise and they said one of them, Honey, was up on Deck 14 at Calypso, so I went up to see her.  She remembered me from the Ruby and what I used to drink!  I don't know how they do it.

 

This morning I had a nice breakfast in the dining room at 8am.  There weren't many people there and the service was good.  Then I headed down to Good Spirits on Deck 5.  Visited with bartender Joy and enjoyed a morning adult beverage.  

 

Masking hasn't been an issue for me.  It seems all the passengers are compliant.  I haven't seen anyone make an issue of masking indoors.  I will say the crew seems very happy to be back.  Several have told me they were off 18 months.  

[Cruise Raider]

Just a review of the room service and ordering your food and beverages from the app since we wanted to enjoy this absolutely perfect weather out on our balcony!  
 

You have to do each passenger’s order separately if buying specialty coffees or juices via the app.  
And the app has been getting stuck this morning … just a circle going round and round and round.  Never fear, there is always the TV.  
So, for my DH, I ordered a decaf Mocha with caramel syrup, extra hot.  It seemed like just two minutes later, before I could even order my coffee, there was a knock on the door … A special shout of from Juan!  I explained to him that I could not order my cappuccino from the TV without syrup and I don’t like any sweet in my coffee.  He said, he would report it to his supervisor.  I was ok just using my legs to get my coffee.  A minute later, his supervisor called and took my order … such awesome service.  A minute later, Juan was back at the door with my coffee.  I usually only like my cappuccino in a ceramic cup but this was actually quite good!  
 

After our coffee, we decided to just have breakfast on our balcony and ordered that through the TV as my app was still not loading.  
Of note, even though we have the beverage package,  there was a charge for the one glass of juice on our order.  

No big deal but they have a few things to work out for the app.  
The service was just phenomenal … another knock on our door with a hot and delicious breakfast order in just minutes!  Sorry to have not caught the name of the man that delivered our food but he was just as friendly and efficient as Juan, the server that brought our coffees.  
BTW, they no longer have you sign for the orders and thus, no longer a place to leave them a tip so, be sure to have some cash on hand if you wish to tip.  
 

[voljeep]

16 minutes ago, Cruise Raider said:

Just a review of the room service and ordering your food and beverages from the app since we wanted to enjoy this absolutely perfect weather out on our balcony!  
 

You have to do each passenger’s order separately if buying specialty coffees or juices via the app.  
And the app has been getting stuck this morning … just a circle going round and round and round.  Never fear, there is always the TV.  
So, for my DH, I ordered a decaf Mocha with caramel syrup, extra hot.  It seemed like just two minutes later, before I could even order my coffee, there was a knock on the door … A special shout of from Juan!  I explained to him that I could not order my cappuccino from the TV without syrup and I don’t like any sweet in my coffee.  He said, he would report it to his supervisor.  I was ok just using my legs to get my coffee.  A minute later, his supervisor called and took my order … such awesome service.  A minute later, Juan was back at the door with my coffee.  I usually only like my cappuccino in a ceramic cup but this was actually quite good!  
 

After our coffee, we decided to just have breakfast on our balcony and ordered that through the TV as my app was still not loading.  
Of note, even though we have the beverage package,  there was a charge for the one glass of juice on our order.  

No big deal but they have a few things to work out for the app.  
The service was just phenomenal … another knock on our door with a hot and delicious breakfast order in just minutes!  Sorry to have not caught the name of the man that delivered our food but he was just as friendly and efficient as Juan, the server that brought our coffees.  
BTW, they no longer have you sign for the orders and thus, no longer a place to leave them a tip so, be sure to have some cash on hand if you wish to tip.  
 

Juice "used to' be free at breakfast even with room service and without any kind of beverage package ... at least OJ was ... guess this changed ??

[HBCcruiser]

@Cruise Raider How is the internet? Weak or strong? 

[gmcwalker]

A warmer morning with increased humidity today, a nice change as we proceed further south. Perfect for enjoying my buffet breakfast outside, above the Terrace Pool.

The Captain just announced we will be ported and ready to tender in by 2pm today. As my 1/2 day sail was cancelled due to the late arrival, I booked the Sunset Sail from 5-8pm. I will let all know how it went later. Off to the hot tub now. 

[emerald777]

For those of you who booked through the Casino, were you able to use the $200. deposit you got back in the casino?  Thanks!   

[srpilo]

13 hours ago, Cruise Raider said:

Yes it is! 

 

Thanks !!

[Westsail32]

1 hour ago, HBCcruiser said:

@Cruise Raider How is the internet? Weak or strong? 

 

So far it's been pretty good.  I was able to watch some YouTube video in my cabin last night on my iPad.  

[wallyj]

4 hours ago, dskenn said:

@manunia and @wallyj  I am confused with what you are talking about the top 40, top 20 lunch?  Can you explain.  Sounds very interesting!

Hi @dskenn, Princess has an ‘event’ to recognize guests with the top number of ‘days’. For cruises 5+ days in length, normally a lunch with officers and the Captain or a cocktail party(decided by Captain’s preference) for Guests having the top 20 number of days sailed on that voyage and their guest making a total of 40. Note, many times couples in the same cabin will have the same number of days, only one person is counted as usually the cabin mate will be invited as the guest. Even if the number of days do not match, if the guest with the higher number of days makes the ‘cut off’, the number of days for for the second passenger becomes moot and not used. I have seen rarely when 2 unrelated passengers share a cabin, each is counted individually, but usually it is by cabin to identify.

 

For cruises 4 days or less, the top10 will receive a letter/voucher informing them they can take a guest to a specialty restaurant thus a total of 20.

 

The Events and Loyalty Ambassador contacts/invites these passengers, in cases where guests ‘decline’ the ambassadors have been known to go down the list to the next qualifying guest/cabin.

 

The list is determined by the number of days sailed thus far on day1 of the cruise.

[Cruise Raider]

1 hour ago, HBCcruiser said:

@Cruise Raider How is the internet? Weak or strong? 

It is in and out … there were a bunch of posts I did on here this morning that aren’t showing up.  So, I think it must have cut out when I tried to post.  
To repeat those posts, at least the ones I can remember, no football on the ship last night … but saw the Packers won.  
We did just get an upgrade notification for the second leg of our B2B but think we may pass.  
We were treated to quite the show the dolphins were putting on for us this morning from our balcony.  
There were probably more so, if I you see that I didn't answer any questions, don’t hesitate to ask again.  

[CapeAliso]

1 hour ago, gmcwalker said:

 

The Captain just announced we will be ported and ready to tender in by 2pm today. As my 1/2 day sail was cancelled due to the late arrival, I booked the Sunset Sail from 5-8pm. I will let all know how it went later. Off to the hot tub now. 

I look forward to learning more about the tender process especially for those without Princess booked shore excursions. 

[dskenn]

3 hours ago, voljeep said:

Juice "used to' be free at breakfast even with room service and without any kind of beverage package ... at least OJ was ... guess this changed ??

 

1 hour ago, wallyj said:

Hi @dskenn, Princess has an ‘event’ to recognize guests with the top number of ‘days’. For cruises 5+ days in length, normally a lunch with officers and the Captain or a cocktail party(decided by Captain’s preference) for Guests having the top 20 number of days sailed on that voyage and their guest making a total of 40. Note, many times couples in the same cabin will have the same number of days, only one person is counted as usually the cabin mate will be invited as the guest. Even if the number of days do not match, if the guest with the higher number of days makes the ‘cut off’, the number of days for for the second passenger becomes moot and not used. I have seen rarely when 2 unrelated passengers share a cabin, each is counted individually, but usually it is by cabin to identify.

 

For cruises 4 days or less, the top10 will receive a letter/voucher informing them they can take a guest to a specialty restaurant thus a total of 20.

 

The Events and Loyalty Ambassador contacts/invites these passengers, in cases where guests ‘decline’ the ambassadors have been known to go down the list to the next qualifying guest/cabin.

 

The list is determined by the number of days sailed thus far on day1 of the cruise.

Thank you!  do you know how many days the top 40 is on your cruise?  Or the top 20?