LIVE/Grand/Oct. 23 - Nov.1, 2021

[HBCcruiser]

8 minutes ago, c-boy said:

I would need a four oz. pour to define the various flavors it would be imparting on my palate .

Which is why we had a lot more than that. 😂🍷👍

[AnyMajorCruiseDude]

It was great to read your live reports while we were on board with you.  We slso had a great cruise and hope to see you again soon onboard.  

[coopco]

13 hours ago, XBGuy said:

 

A dinner is much different from a tasting.  At the Princess Chef's Table events, glasses are similarly appropriately filled, and refills are offered.

 

I don't know where people are going for wine tastings where they get full fills.  Most of my tastings have been at wineries.  I think a 1-oz, pour is pretty standard,  That is why bachelorette parties have to make sure they visit five or six tasting rooms in order to get the proper buzz.  My wife and I usually split a tasting,  There seems to be plenty enough to get what is going on with.  Also, since I am driving, I usually spit.

I don’t know either where they are going but I assure you it’s not Napa! 😊

[PRNole47]

On 10/31/2021 at 8:04 PM, brisalta said:

 

It is a tasting not a get drunk session.

 

Yeah, all one needs is 1 or 2 swigs, rinse, then go on to another one.

[HaveDogWillTravel]

@cr8tiv1 I had hoped to run into you as well. @HBCcruiser. I am also sailing in April but will be out of SF on the Ruby. After that 6 hour drive home yesterday I appreciate even more how close to home I am when I get off in SF. 
 

Someone earlier in the thread asked about the condition of the Grand. I’ve sailed on her since 2015 at least a couple of times each year. In my experience she is in the best condition ever.  No more buckets under water dripping from the ceiling,  new and really nice furniture on the promenade deck & crooners. I posted pics earlier in this thread. 
 

I will have to add………. I was disappointed that they didn’t put in new furniture in the Explorers lounge. In fact my GF and had to sit in a dozen chairs before we found one where our knees weren’t in our chin. Thankfully we sailed at 20%. 

The crew on the Grand is still the BEST in the fleet!  I was so happy to visit with Joachim again.  His title (and all in his position) has been changed from Maitre D’hotel to DORO (Directer of restaurant operations) and he mainly works in an office behind the computer now. 
 

It was my first sailing with Jerry Dias, the executive chef, and he gave my favorite Princess chef, Joel Directo, a real run for his money. I found the menu selections and food quality excellent. The Dover sole with beurre blanc sauce came with this incredible mushroom side that was addictive. When we finished our own plates we ordered a third to share. It was offered at lunch one day. 

My GF said the duck pate was outstanding…..smooth and creamy.  
 

We also found the Kingclip to be outstanding. Neither of had had this fish before. The lamb chops were tender and with a perfectly mild lamb flavor. On the last night we had excellent and I do mean excellent prime rib. And Yalchin had chef make us the Parmesan bowls with our Alfredo. 
 

In the Crown grill for suite breakfast Gabriel had strawberry crepes prepared for us that were outstanding. 
 

if you are on the Grand try these dishes out and please give Valentin a huge hello from from Jacqueline and Sue. 

Edited November 2, 2021 by HaveDogWillTravel

[HBCcruiser]

1 hour ago, PRNole47 said:

Yeah, all one needs is 1 or 2 swigs, rinse, then go on to another one.

Sorry, I disagree. When you are paying $25 a person for wine tasting 2 oz should be the minimum serving IMO. Plus you should be able to revisit a wine if you request it. We have done numerous tastings throughout California, not just Napa and Sonoma (Temecula, Paso Robles, Santa Barbara) and are also members of several local wine clubs. We have always received larger pours than we did on this cruise. In addition, we have participated in other wine tasting (suite/elite tastings) on the Royal, for example, and received larger pours. This is my perspective being the OP of this thread. 

[Sea Emerald]

9 hours ago, coopco said:

I don’t know either where they are going but I assure you it’s not Napa! 😊

Or the Yakima Valley.  😉

[cr8tiv1]

@HaveDogWillTravel, Thanks for the photo.  Now I know who you are.  On my second leg of the cruise, Yalcin had mentioned that "someone" else had asked him about the Parmesan basket...I "saw" you...

 

I agree.  No more buckets for the Grand leaks.

Best crew (John, Faye, Yalcin, Savio, Salim) and attentive staff.  

 

I missed the lamb chops, hmmmmm.

 

Looking forward to another voyage on the Grand.  

[PRNole47]

1 hour ago, HBCcruiser said:

Sorry, I disagree. When you are paying $25 a person for wine tasting 2 oz should be the minimum serving IMO. Plus you should be able to revisit a wine if you request it. We have done numerous tastings throughout California, not just Napa and Sonoma (Temecula, Paso Robles, Santa Barbara) and are also members of several local wine clubs. We have always received larger pours than we did on this cruise. In addition, we have participated in other wine tasting (suite/elite tastings) on the Royal, for example, and received larger pours. This is my perspective being the OP of this thread. 

Excellent!

[greenie082756]

Thanks to all who shared their experiences on the Grand!! How wonderful it looked.

 

Our first cruise back will be on the Grand next April and I hope that some personal changes happen for me. Trying really hard to get to "cruising weight" so I can eat and drink whatever and whenever (more or less).

 

Again, thank you all!

[HaveDogWillTravel]

@HBCcruiser I am with you 100% on the wine tasting comments. I, like you, take wine tasting as a serious and quite enjoyable hobby.  Really it’s so easy when you live in Ca to expose yourself to world class wines regularly. 
 I have an excellent palate and love blind side by sides. I can tell you which grape on side by sides of different types.  Do a vertical from the same vineyard of the same grape…. and if it’s one of the 6 or so California regions I am very familiar with I’ll tell you the years. I have never paid attention to how many ounces I need to do this but it certainly is at minimum 3 or 4 each. I like to keep to 3 wines. At the end I’ll take another 6-8 ounces of my favorite to sit and enjoy. I am by NO means drunk at the end. Tastings last hours not minutes. 
I find it incredibly offensive that anyone would imply you are doing anything so gauche as “getting drunk” at a wine tasting. Simply ridiculous and absolutely uncalled for. Thanks for keeping the thread going even after the inappropriate comments about the wine were made. I would have been hard pressed to. 

Edited November 2, 2021 by HaveDogWillTravel

[CruzDayz]

1 hour ago, greenie082756 said:

Thanks to all who shared their experiences on the Grand!! How wonderful it looked.

 

Our first cruise back will be on the Grand next April and I hope that some personal changes happen for me. Trying really hard to get to "cruising weight" so I can eat and drink whatever and whenever (more or less).

 

Again, thank you all!

My first night on the cruise I put some dress pants on with a belt. I had to go to a notch that I usually use at the end of a cruise. 😩I’m a pound a day guy but I have fun.  Good luck. 

[brisalta]

5 hours ago, HBCcruiser said:

Sorry, I disagree. When you are paying $25 a person for wine tasting 2 oz should be the minimum serving IMO. Plus you should be able to revisit a wine if you request it. We have done numerous tastings throughout California, not just Napa and Sonoma (Temecula, Paso Robles, Santa Barbara) and are also members of several local wine clubs. We have always received larger pours than we did on this cruise. In addition, we have participated in other wine tasting (suite/elite tastings) on the Royal, for example, and received larger pours. This is my perspective being the OP of this thread. 

 

Poor quality wineries give large pours so that you get tipsy and spend money on inferior wines that you would not have purchased otherwise.  The $25 charge at many wineries is because people just come in to taste and then leave without buying anything.

One of the vintners of the best wines in the USA has no charge unless it is a bus load of tourists. They do small pours of samples to taste and that is sufficient for people to decide to buy. This winery sells everything from the premises...never to a distributor.

[HBCcruiser]

27 minutes ago, brisalta said:

The $25 charge

The $25 charge was on Princess. 

[memoak]

On any wine tastings I would expect small pours - it is a tasting not a drinking

[Sailing12Away]

🙄 Whatever... those who want to take a baby sip and spit it out, go right ahead. Your palette is clearly more advanced and refined than mine where I need more than 1 sip to appreciate a complex wine.

 

If I judged every wine I drank by a single sip, I would be missing out on a lot of good wines. Stop judging the rest of us and let everyone enjoy their vacations and wine as they choose.

[HBCcruiser]

1 hour ago, Sailing12Away said:

🙄 Whatever... those who want to take a baby sip and spit it out, go right ahead. Your palette is clearly more advanced and refined than mine where I need more than 1 sip to appreciate a complex wine.

 

If I judged every wine I drank by a single sip, I would be missing out on a lot of good wines. Stop judging the rest of us and let everyone enjoy their vacations and wine as they choose.

 

And anyone who enjoys drinking good wine can join (should have been both of us) on the November Discovery cruise where we will host a wine party in the Sky Suite (should have been suite(s). 😉🐀

[brisalta]

6 hours ago, HBCcruiser said:

The $25 charge was on Princess. 

 

That does not negate the fact that these days most wineries charge $25 dollars for tasting.

[XBGuy]

14 hours ago, HBCcruiser said:

 

And anyone who enjoys drinking good wine can join (should have been both of us) on the November Discovery cruise where we will host a wine party in the Sky Suite (should have been suite(s). 😉🐀

 

That sounds like fun.  I wish I was going to be there.  I would love to share some of my wines with people.

 

Speaking of wine, I am expecting UPS to deliver recent orders from two different wineries today,  😄

[c-boy]

16 minutes ago, XBGuy said:

 

That sounds like fun.  I wish I was going to be there.  I would love to share some of my wines with people.

 

Speaking of wine, I am expecting UPS to deliver recent orders from two different wineries today,  😄

it would be wonderful to attend a social event that HBC is planning. I have some particular vintages I would share.

[HBCcruiser]

8 minutes ago, c-boy said:

it would be wonderful to attend a social event that HBC is planning. I have some particular vintages I would share.

Join us!! 11/10/22. 🥂🍷🥂

[c-boy]

29 minutes ago, HBCcruiser said:

Join us!! 11/10/22. 🥂🍷🥂

would love to but; we are transitioning some vineyards 🪓   🍇  =  💲

[muffin]

Back to flowers. Would be wonderful if you could give us some info on costs to order onboard. We need to tell our kids how much to allow on a planned Xmas gift card from them to us  for our next cruise.  I presume they supply a vase?  Thx. 

[Steelers36]

31 minutes ago, muffin said:

Back to flowers. Would be wonderful if you could give us some info on costs to order onboard. We need to tell our kids how much to allow on a planned Xmas gift card from them to us  for our next cruise.  I presume they supply a vase?  Thx. 

I don't see ordering of flowers in my Personalizer.  Login to your voyage and see if you can order flowers for your booked voyage (Cruise Personalizer - Onboard Services).

[HBCcruiser]

53 minutes ago, muffin said:

Back to flowers. Would be wonderful if you could give us some info on costs to order onboard. We need to tell our kids how much to allow on a planned Xmas gift card from them to us  for our next cruise.  I presume they supply a vase?  Thx. 

 

Interesting, I just logged into my account to view my Grand Princess cruise in April and do not see an option to buy flowers.