What do you want to know about Grand Princess? Cruise Critic onboard July 13th-20th

ginagirl · July 17, 2008

Thanx so much, Kelly, for all your information. We will be sailing on the Grand mid January and were wondering what is the best way to attempt to schedule a reservation for the Chef's Table. Also, how frequently do they offer it on a 14 day sailing? Thank you for any info you can provide on this subject.

Kez100 · July 18, 2008

I see you are bound for Honningsvag. Can you ask cruisers what their plans are for this stop - both in paid excursions and, more cheaply, on foot.

We have three options open to us - North Cape centre, Island trip with christmas shop, or on foot - We have two children which makes excursions x 4, and much as we don't mind paying for a good trip we really cannot decide what to do.

kelly@ · July 18, 2008

I will be on the Grand for the August 6 sailing, so I've got a couple of questions.

How acceptable are US dollars in Norway? Are credit cards the way to go or would you recommend local currency?

I was on the Princess Baltic cruise 3 years ago and there was a daily lecture in the theater giving the highlights and shore tips for the next port. Are they doing that on this itinerary?

Thanks!

Hi! To be honest I haven’t used US Dollars in the ports myself. So far I have used my credit card, Maestro (debit card) and Kroner with no problem at all. The daily newsletter, the Princess Patter, generally states that Dollars (and the British Pound for that matter) are NOT widely accepted in Norway, and that you can change your money onboard. The current rate of exchange is $1 = 4.98 kroner. In some ports such as Trondheim, it does say that taxi drivers for example, will often accept the Dollar/Pound or Euro, but personally I think it is easier to use the local currency.

There are port lectures in the Princess Theater, yes. For example, today at 10 a.m. there is a talk in Honninsvag and Tromso.

kelly@ · July 18, 2008

Trondheim -- This may just be personal choice, but this is the one port so far that I wish I had booked an excursion as I think there is probably a lot more to this coastal city than I managed to see on foot. However we arrived in port early in the morning and hopped onto Princess Cruises' shuttle bus to the city centre. This costs $5 per person, each way. (We actually ended up walking back which took about 30 minutes). Of the ports we have visited so far, this was by far the busiest city centre with shopping malls and a large marketplace. We decided to just take a walk to the river (which was full of fishing boats and lovely wooden clad houses) and surrounding areas, but I know that others took a wander to the Cathedral, which was just a few minutes away.

Shore tours offered in Trondheim include a trip to the Open Air Folk Museum, a walking tour of the city and Bakklandet (where all the homes were built by sailors and fisherman) and a visit to the Thamshavn Railway. Like I said, if I were to do it again, I would recommend a organised trip in Trondheim.

kelly@ · July 18, 2008

Firstly, this morning in the Princess Theater there is a Master Chef Culinary demonstration by Princess Cruises' master chef Commendatore Alfredo Marzi -- he is onboard this week checking that all is running smoothly in the kitchen. No wonder the food is so yummy. Lol! I will ask how often they do these demonstrations and get back to you.

Also on Monday (July 21), Grand Princess hosts its Maitre d'hôtel Wine Club where you get to sample six premium wines (white and red) from Grand Princess' wine cellar. A wine seminar (to help you become a connoisseur now doubt!) and Canapés are also included. Unfortunately I will not be onboard on Monday (we leave on Sunday) but it does sound tempting. It costs $25 per person to take part. I believe this is only done once on the cruise.

P.S. Still no sign of the crab legs.... but our waiter Maciek thinks it is in a couple of days.

English Tim · July 18, 2008

Hi, I checked this last night actually -- it is available onboard Grand Princess yes! At a cost of $75 per person, the Executive Chef Giuseppe De Gennaro gives you his insight into the working of the kitchen, you'll get a sneak of the galley followed by a multi-course tasting menu at the Chef's table in the dining room.

I picked up a copy of Princess Patters, whilst onboard last Sunday. I believe the above gourmet experience also includes 'matched' wines.

lake5298 · July 18, 2008

Good luck posting regularly - we were on Grand Princess on the previous cruise and the Internet connection varied between slow and very slow.

It seems that a wi-fi network has been added since the ship was built, but bandwidth has not been increased to take account of this.

The manager of the Internet Cafe spent the entire 12 days apologising - the poor chap was at the end of his tether.

kelly@ · July 18, 2008

Hi, I checked this last night actually -- it is available onboard Grand Princess yes! At a cost of $75 per person, the Executive Chef Giuseppe De Gennaro gives you his insight into the working of the kitchen, you'll get a sneak of the galley followed by a multi-course tasting menu at the Chef's table in the dining room.

The Chef's table is available twice on our cruise (12-night cruise) and there is space for up to ten people. The dates on our cruise (tonight and Sunday) are fully booked so make sure you book up well in advance when you get onboard.

kelly@ · July 18, 2008

We crossed over into the Arctic Circle this morning, heading further north to Honningsvag -- and there really is a difference in the air. The sea is calmer and darker-looking, the air is so crisp and clean, and looking across to the land as we pass by, it all feels so tranquil. Amazingly I also saw a whale! It was in front of the ship, but as we passed by it disappeared! Such a treat though! It feels like a great day to be at sea.

kelly@ · July 18, 2008

If you like to kick back and watch a nightly show after dinner then I strongly recommend taking a seat for hypnotist Michelle Van Ree's show if she is onboard during your cruise. I literally had tears in my eyes watching fellow passengers dance about like monkeys on stage or pretend to be a human seatbelt (I am not joking!). Hypnotism may not be everyone's thing, but we thought this was great and so funny. I'm hoping to see some of the participants around the ship and ask them how they felt afterwards! Michelle performed in the Princess Theater at 8:30 p.m. and 10:30 p.m.

kelly@ · July 18, 2008

I see you are bound for Honningsvag. Can you ask cruisers what their plans are for this stop - both in paid excursions and, more cheaply, on foot.

We have three options open to us - North Cape centre, Island trip with christmas shop, or on foot - We have two children which makes excursions x 4, and much as we don't mind paying for a good trip we really cannot decide what to do.

Honninsvag (and The North Cape) looked like the most popular port for pre-booked shore excursions and nearly all tours were sold out on embarkation day. I checked the shore excursion board today and pretty much everything is sold out (it looks like they are adding departures to the Stappen Island trip though).

We have booked onto the Ez Honninsvag - Mageroey Island Scenic Drive (we will hopefully get to see reindeer!). We booked this the day we boarded and only the early morning departure (8:30 a.m.) was available. This costs $64 per adult and $59 per child. A few cruisers we have spoken to plan to head off on the North Cape excursion (this includes a visit to the North Cape Hall and then stop at the cliffs which overlook the Arctic Ocean). This again, was pretty much sold out (all but one departure I believe) and costs $129 per adult and $79 per child.

One couple mentioned they have heard there is an Ice Bar by the port -- not great if you have kids of course -- I think we will check this out after our tour. I'll report back following the trip on what options there are to do independently as well.

NY Cruisers · July 18, 2008

Hi, Kelly! Great job. I've really enjoyed your posts this week. My husband and I will be sailing on the Grand on August 30 from Southampton to Rome. We're trying to pack as lightly as possible but we don't want to look/feel out of place. How are your fellow passengers dressing in the evenings? Are most "dressing up" for the formal nights? Thanks in advance for your help. Enjoy the rest of your cruise!

Kez100 · July 18, 2008

Thanks Kelly. The trip you have booked sounds like the one we have our eye on.

matherwood · July 19, 2008

Hi Kelly

Sorry so late in your trip, and you may not have time to answer, but can you tell me about disabled facilities on the Grand Princess...we just took my 91 year old MIL on her first cruise, and she wants to go again! What are disabled cabins like, staff helpfulness, lift availability and accessibility to all parts of the ship? P&O were very helpful, but we might want to try another line, and there is a good itinerary on the Grand next year that I have just seen.

Many thanks

Debbie

bettyboo · July 19, 2008

thanks for all the updates Kelly - it has been really informative.

just a couple more questions:

how warm is the ship generally in public areas - does it have that icy air conditioned feel or is it ok?

have you used the gym facilities - what are they like?

what is skywalkers nighclub like? what kind of music do they play?

how can i get a job like yours? must be great!

kelly@ · July 19, 2008

We have just spent a great (and now sunny) day in Honninsvag. As I said in a previous post we were booked onto the Ez Honninsvag scenic drive this morning. The ship has to anchor in this port so we had to wait our turn for the tender before heading across ready to board the bus.

Anyway onto our tour -- we visited two fishing villages on the island, Kamoyvaer and Skarsvag. Kamoyvaer is a really quaint little area where less than 100 residents live. One resident here is German-born Eva Schmutterer, who now runs her own art gallery from her home here in the harbour. She sells the art (from as little as £3.50) so take a peek at the bright yellow house if you end up here.

Next stop on the drive was Skarsvag, but en route we encountered some other residents of the island --reindeer! There are apparently around 6,000 of them here in the summer months (they migrate south in October) and they are all roaming freely at the side of the road, and sometimes across it!

As it was a clear day we also saw Cape Horn in the distance.

Skarsvag is the home of the world's most northerly fishing village, the most northerly cemetery and even the most northerly football pitch! Lol! This village is also the place to find the Christmas shop -- in the middle of July it felt a little strange walking into a festive grotto but the alluring smell of cinnamon (or perhaps it was the homemade cake...) pulled me in any way! It was packed full of people searching for Christmas goodies and also those in need of a bathroom break!

Heading back to port there were a number of shops and there are two pubs and two restaurants. An interesting thing to note is that all the buildings and homes were built after 1945, as during the war everything but the local church was burnt down.

We decided to venture into the Arctico Ice Bar which is right by the area where the tender boats dock. It cost 120 Kroner per person (£12/$24). You get a free shot (non-alcoholic) and a chance to sit in an igloo or sled while getting rather cold! However, one family came in shortly after us, but their youngster was so cold that they didn’t stop for their drink.

Independent excursions -- I am yet to find a person who went to the Christmas shop independently but I know that there are buses and taxis around the island. I did find out though that a taxi will take you up to the North Cape for $270. It will also wait for you for an hour. If I find someone that used the public transport, I will post it here later.

kelly@ · July 19, 2008