Grand Princess Refurbish?

[rich_cathybrock]

Quick question - we will be sailing on the Grand in September 2009. We were on her sister ship, the Golden, in 2006. She is newer than the Grand, but definitely showed her age, although she was a wonderful ship overall.

 

I have been searching the threads, but the only detail I can find on the Grand is that she was last refurbished in 2004.

 

Can anyone who has sailed on the Grand recently weigh in on her current condition for us?

 

I would appreciate any information including any plans for her for the next 18 mos. Many thanks in advance, all.

[Toto2Kansas]

Try this link, it was discussed a while back and I got the search function to work this time. :) We sail January 2, so we will know a lot more after that cruise.

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=710135&page=2&highlight=Grand+Drydock

[BayCalif-Ariz R Us]

We just sailed on the Grand for the last 20 days, Ft Lauderdale to Rome. This ship has just been equipped with Internet WiFi which allows you to use your lap top in your cabin and it works well. From my observations, the ship does need some maintenace especially it does need some painting and sanding but they were working on that in every port, sanding and repainting as needed. This ship is also equipped with Cell Phone service, with mini cell sites located throughout the ship and works with most US cell services. It is not cheap, something like over $2 per minute and it is turned on only when you are out to see and never in port. The crew on the Grand is great, need I say more. The only thing that I do not like is the middle stairway is in the crew area between the Emerald deck and the top decks so you can not walk up and down. On the Golden and the Star sister ships it is available for the passengers to use. I am one that likes to use the starways. There are some carpets in the Lido deck that needs to be replaced but that would be on going maintenance. Everything else seems to be the same as on the Golden and the Star and I have been on both.

 

Alan

[caribill]

The only thing that I do not like is the middle stairway is in the crew area between the Emerald deck and the top decks so you can not walk up and down. On the Golden and the Star sister ships it is available for the passengers to use.

 

 

The middle stairway on the Golden and Star was one of the improvements over the first of the Grand class, the Grand itself.

[kywildcatfanone]

Quick question - we will be sailing on the Grand in September 2009. We were on her sister ship, the Golden, in 2006. She is newer than the Grand, but definitely showed her age, although she was a wonderful ship overall.

 

I have been searching the threads, but the only detail I can find on the Grand is that she was last refurbished in 2004.

 

Can anyone who has sailed on the Grand recently weigh in on her current condition for us?

 

I would appreciate any information including any plans for her for the next 18 mos. Many thanks in advance, all.

 

We have sailed on the Grand twice in the last year and she is our favorite Princess ship that we have sailed on. While I'm not picky at all, and she does need some maintenance, they are constantly working on her while sailing, and we found her to be in great shape. While she is not as fancy in some respects as her newer Grand class siblings, we enjoy her mostly because she hold 500 less people than the other ones.

 

Mike

[ttwalker23]

She will go into Wetdock for a few days in December 2008 so all of you who sail on her in 2009 will come to a just refurbished ship.

[rich_cathybrock]

I really appreciate all the news, as well as the link to the other thread on this topic (searched Grand refurbish and came up with none of this??).

 

I am inclined to agree that 10 years is hardly old, particularly if a ship is cared for regularly as seems to be Princess' way with their fleet.

 

If, however, their parent company's intent is to sell her off in 2010 it would seem that the work in the dry dock (or wet dock, depending) will be minimal maintenance and cosmetics to keep her in saleable (pardon the pun) shape for the 2009 season rather than a complete overhaul of room furnishings, which can be costly, and would only be justified if they were keeping her in the fleet for a few more years.

 

I suppose I will just have to wait 18 months to sail her and find out more then! Again, many thanks to everyone for the wonderful information!