Grand Princess does it look like it needs a facelift???

[Hello-Kitty]

Just had friends come back from the Grand and said they were disappointed, i know everyone has there own opinion, they have been on 15 princess cruises so i kind of trust them.

Anyone can say different??? I was looking to try that ship I never have been on it.

What other princess ship does it compare too??

Thanks

[TNTLAMB]

Golden, Star and Dawn are similar. Well maybe not the Star. The Grand is due for a major Dry dock soon (this fall I believe) I like elegant, others like glitz. There is no glitz on the Grand but she is still my favorite, but she is due for "a little work" as they say on Rodeo Drive. \Nothing to be disappointed about though IMHO.

[imjazzedru]

Just got back Saturday from the March 18th sailing of the Grand. This was our second time on this ship. I agree some place on the ship need some work. The worse I saw were the chairs in the Princess theater they are in need of replacement or recovering. I didn't see alot of wear and tear other than the theater. This to me did not affected my cruise at all. I had a wonderful time and would sail again on the Grand if the Iteneary was right.

 

 

Grand Princess 3-17-2002

Carnival Pride 11-29-2004

Grand Princess 3-18-2006

[cws]

Golden, Star and Dawn are similar. Well maybe not the Star.

 

This is not true. The Grand, carrying 2,600 passengers, is a sister ship to the nearly-identical Golden and Star.

 

The Dawn on the other hand, carrying 1,950 passengers, is a sister ship to the nearly-identical Sea and Sun.

[spongerob]

Maintenance is an ongoing process on any ship. I saw a few things that needed attention when we were on the Grand in January - mostly small stuff, like our balcony railing was in need of varnish, for example. There were a lot of marks and scrapes on the hull because of all the tendering.

 

In some areas, particularly the atrium, Grand Princess is not as pleasing to the eye as her younger sisters. The design is the same, but the decor is very muted. Princess does a good job keeping their ships tidy, but it will always be possible to find signs of wear.

[Lady Vidora]

when in the fall? We're leaving the weekend after Thanksgiving, so that would be pretty neat to have new carpet and stuff (if they do it like the RC ship on the trave-channel)

[FEAndrews]

I also just returned from the March 18 sailing. I heard that it was going into dry dock at the end of the year to fix a stabilizer problem. This was my 6th cruise (first on Princess) and while I wouldn't complain about it, the ride was definately the rockiest of my cruises. Of course that could just be weather conditions in the gulf. The ship itself actually exceeded my expectations with regard to cleanliness, food quality, and service.

[edYYZ]

I wouldn't be surprised to see areas needing some touch up or a bit of work on these ships. They are, after all, sailing year round with thousands of passengers every week. When we were on the Coral last year, you could definitely see wear and tear on the ship's finish (e.g. railings). I'd imagine it's quite common.

[bhopal21]

According to the Princess cruise schedule the Grand is booked through April 2007 except for the period October 19 to November 1st 2006.

 

Is twelve days enough time to accomplish a refurb?

 

Mike:)

[spongerob]

You'll find that some of the things that you might think get taken care of while in dock (dry or wet) are carried out while the ship remains in service. A couple years ago on the Grand, our steward asked what our plans were during a port day and if we planned to be away for the day. The reason he asked is that the carpets were going to be replaced, and everything had to be taken out of the cabin. He wanted to make sure they could get the work done without disturbing us. When we returned to the ship, our cabin had nice new carpets.

 

In January, we watched while boxes marked "tables" and "chairs" were brought on board. I'm not sure what was replaced, but obviously some part of the ship got new tables and chairs.

 

You will see things like this going on all the time. They don't wait for an out of service period to do everything.

[14A04]

A little wear and tear just shows that the ship has character. When I was on the Grand in 2004 I noticed the seating in the theater was starting to look dingy (in need of a good cleaning) I'm guessing they'll just have them all recovered or replaced now.

 

I think overall they do a pretty good job of keeping the ships clean and replacing things that need replacement, however there are some items that could use a steam cleaning on occasion, it would keep things looking better between refurbishments. It seems they are always painting or varnishing something on the exterior of the ship, the salt water mist on the railings does more damage than fresh water would. It's not uncommon to see them replacing carpet as well during the cruises. While there are a few areas that they could do a little better in, I think overall they do a pretty good job considering that the only time they don't have passengers is during their wet/dry dock periods.

[budaman]

I agree, little maintainance work gets carried out all the time. On our cruise in Feb., some cabins got new carpet and we had our balcony rails varnished. There were also crews painting the whole week. One area that really shows wear is along the side of the ship where the tenders come in. You can't see it at a distance, but up close you can see layers upon layers of paint that has been worn off since the last drydock so the paint looks very uneven.

 

Mike

 

www.homepage.mac.com/csealove/

[Upandadam]

I was on the Grand last week and although I enjoyed the trip, I have to say that I was expecting much more. The ship is showing major wear and tear. Stained ceilings, worn out tiles on the floor, woodwork showing major wear. All-in-all, it appeared to me like a Motel 6. No glamor, no glitz. I was on the Carnival Triumph 3 months ago and it only being one year newer was in sparkling condition and much, much more glamorous. Go figure.

[Upandadam]

But it still beat not cruising.

[Hello-Kitty]

what great feed back, everyone has there own thoughts.

I always praised princess on their cleanliness, i constantly see them cleaning, and ialso see them refurbsidhing things during the cruise, i have caught them pollyurithaning the rails alot (love that smell, lol).

I did hear they were going to refurbish in the fall but that would be before the cruise that i wanted to look at. oh well. Who wouldnt like a spanking new ship??? Guess i am spoiled i went on the cb almost new, coral was new, golden was new, sun and dawn were newer so i guess the princess came out in me. This last trip on the star i noticed some wear, didnt mind it just minded the smelly outside carpet by the pool, but i guess that wont be an issue now.

[Casshew]

Motel 6? :rolleyes:

[Cindy]

I was on the Grand last week and although I enjoyed the trip, I have to say that I was expecting much more. The ship is showing major wear and tear. Stained ceilings, worn out tiles on the floor, woodwork showing major wear. All-in-all, it appeared to me like a Motel 6. No glamor, no glitz. I was on the Carnival Triumph 3 months ago and it only being one year newer was in sparkling condition and much, much more glamorous. Go figure.

 

I was on the Grand the week of March 11th, and I didn't see any of this. With the exception of the upholstery in the Princess Theater needing replacement, I thought the ship was in very good condition. I guess it's all a matter of perception!

[Tresa]

On the balcony I was too busy admiring the ocean (love those white caps) and my book and my DH's handsome face or that great Champagne Balcony Breakfast to notice if my railing needed a little polishing.

 

At the theater I noticed the amazing talent of the dancers and singers.

 

At dinner and all around the ship I just was too busy taking in the smiling faces of my children and the sound of their laughter to notice if there was any wear and tear.

 

I did notice the capret being repaired right outside my room that went on about a day and a half. But they were very courteous to me and my family. That 8am hammer wake-up call was a dosey though! LOL

I looked at it like this, hey, I'm up so maybe I'll make it to the dining room for breakfast!

 

We were also on the Grand the week of March 18th thru 25th. I love the subtle colors of the Grand vs. the Las Vegasy-make-you-dizzy colors of the Elation. It's all personal preference. I'd even sail the Elation again for the right price.

 

A tip: Keep moving, keep smilin', keep enjoying everything and don't slow down long enough to check out if the rails need varnished. And if you do slow down have a good book that you have been waiting to read at the ready. You'll never notice ;)

[CruisinChris]

The interior decor in the Atrium in particular is different on the Grand than her sisters Star and Golden. The latter have beautiful screens on the glass elevators (also on Coral, Island, Diamond and Sapphire) - the Grand does not. The entrances to the shops are far more decorated and sophisticated on the Golden and Star than on the Grand, which is quite plain.

 

For what it's worth, a dry dock doesn't necessarily equate to a refurbishment. Refurbishment is far more extensive than routine cleaning or replacing of carpet, upholstery, etc.

[Audia]

We were on the Grand for the Inageral season, when was that, 2001? And again in Feb. of this year. Anyway, after being on the new Golden and Star, you see the difference in the elegant feel of the Grand compared to the glitz of the others. That is the sign of the age of the building era's I guess. She's still "Grand".

[Upandadam]

Hey, I had a great cruise, don't get me wrong. The condition of the ship just wasn't what I expected. It stood out immediately having been on my last cruise only 3 months ago. I expected the Grand to be....well.....Grand. It was a notch down with regards to upkeep. I'm not talking glitz here, I'm talking grandeur. Stains on the ceilings and walls, worn out tiles on the floor without any color left in spots...... wasn't what I expected. Did it detract from the trip? No, not really. But I thought the OP asked if the Grand looked like it needed a facelift. Yes, it needs a facelift. But so do I for that matter. ;)