Note - this page contains multiple reviews.

Name: Tim Dunham
Email: slipknot@icubed.com
Age: 44
Occupation: Technical
NumberOfCruises: 2
TravelAgent: No
Ship: Princess-Grand
SailingDate: July 2, 1999
Itinerary: Barcelona to Istanbul
Cabin: C612 Deck 10
FoodDiningRoom: 90
CruiseDirector: 50
CabinComfort: 95
FoodRoomService:
CruiseStaff: 90
CabinAmenities: 95
FoodLidoDeck: 95
DiningRoomService: 85
CabinQuietness: 85
FoodMidnightBuffets:
CabinSteward: 80
ShoreExcVariety: 90
FoodVariety: 90
DeckService: 70
ShoreExcValue: 90
GoodForHoneymoon:
CasinoStaff:
PrivateIsland:
GoodForFamilies:
LoungeService:
TenderService: 90
GoodForSeniors:
BeautySalonStaff:
EntertainmentLounges: 80
WheelchairAccess:
ExerciseFacilities: 85
EntertShowLounge: 98
OverallPortsofCall: 100
BeautySalon:
EntertainmentPoolside:
CruiseActivities: 85
Casino:
AirSeaProgram: 20
MedicalFacilities:
ShipCleanliness: 98
EmbarkDisembark: 25
DiscoNightclubs:
DeckSpace: 80
Stabilization: 99
ShopsOnBoard: 80
SpaceRatio: 70
OverallCruiseValue: 90
Submit: Submit Review
Date: 16 Oct 1999
Time: 12:35:55
Remote Name: pgh344.icubed.com
Remote User:

Comments

More than you ever wanted to know about my Mediterranean trip on the Grand Princess

This is designed to give back. Because we used www.cruiseopinion.com to research our trip beforehand, we
thought it only right to give something back. This is it. If you have any questions about how this cruise works, I hope
I have answered them here.

TIPS ON PICKING A STATEROOM: My parents gave me the best advice about cruising – if you spend a lot of time
in your room, you’re doing it wrong. This argues for a small room on a lower deck. The four lowest decks of the ship
have no passenger accommodations. Deck 5 has some rooms forward. Decks 6 and 7 have no passenger
accommodations. This leaves Decks 8 through 14 (but there is no Deck 13). We stayed on Deck 10 amidships
(staterooms C612 and C616). Our rooms did not have portholes. I would be wary of staying too close to Decks 6
and 7, so that would leave out Decks 5 and 8. These are above or below the dining rooms, theaters, bars, casino,
etc., and I would be concerned about noise. I also would stay away from the aft fifth of the ship. When I was using
the Terrace Pool at the stern, I noticed a lot of vibration while we were under way. Since the pool’s on Deck 12, I
can only imagine what it was like lower than that. As far as getting around is concerned, there are top-to-bottom
staircases coincident with the forward and stern elevators; there are only stairways in the center of the ship in
Decks 4-7 (purser’s office, main dining areas, shopping areas, entrance/exit from the ship). The elevators were
fairly plentiful and I don’t recall feeling inconvenienced by the wait. As far as I know, there were no elevator
breakdowns during our trip.

THE STATEROOM: There are certain advantages to being on the largest cruise ship in the world. One of them is
the room. Our room had two twin beds pushed together. There were two night stands, a dressing table, a closet big
enough to get everything out of our suitcases (and the two thick terrycloth Princess bathrobes), a smaller set of
shelves just inside the door, and a bathroom with a shower big enough for two friendly people. The beds are high
enough that you can stash several very large trunks or suitcases under there. Every room has a safe with a
combination you personalize. There are movies on the television, which also broadcasts the port talks (but not often
enough; they should have their own dedicated channel where they go on an endless loop). There also is a channel
which keeps you up to date on the progress of the voyage and the weather.

BRINGING CASH: You may want to bring a lot of cash with you, expecting to pay for things in cash on the ship.
Forget it. Everything is charged to your room with your ID card/room key. You can use cash to settle your bill at the
end of the cruise, but it’s easier to put all of it on your credit card. Remember to register your credit card with the
purser’s desk sometime during the trip, and you can avoid a line at the end of the cruise, when it is really crowded.
Also, they give you a complete folio of your account the night before so you can review all charges. We had no
problems with our bill. I brought travelers’ checks and cashed some of them at the purser’s desk for dollars and
then exchanged them at the cash exchange machines on the ship. (The purser’s desk only deals in U.S. currency.)
The cash machines work like this: You have dollars, presumably, at the beginning of the voyage. You feed them
into this machine and it converts them to whatever currency you select (pesetas, francs, lire or drachma – no
Turkish lire). Once you have left that port, you feed what you have left in that currency and, instead of converting it
back into dollars, you convert it to the currency of your next destination (after Venice, we switch lire to drachma, for
example). Only at the end of the trip do you convert back to dollars. There is a $1.50-per-transaction fee (and I
think a $10 minimum), so you’ve got to have something worthwhile left to convert. If you get stuck with local
currency, you can drop it in a transparent plastic globe for donation to charity. (The globe is at the purser’s desk.)
The change machine doesn’t take metal money; convert any of it back into as large a denomination paper money
as you can. It also will convert only 10 bills at a time. Or you can take your chances at the bank machines. They
were available in every port (‘Cambio’ machines) and several people I talked to on the ship said they actually got a
better rate than on the ship. Comparing my receipts from the change machine on the ship with the rate published in
the New York Times on June 29, I found the ship was on both sides of the rate – sometimes higher and sometimes
lower than the published rate (but I don’t have any information on the currency fluctuation during the trip). For
dollars-to-pesetas on July 1, the NYT rate was 161.08 while the machine paid only 147.9999; for dollars-to-lire on
July 4, the NYT rate was 1,876.17 while the machine paid only 1,709.986; for drachma-to-dollars on July 11, the
NYT rate was .003185 while the machine gave me .0033333. I don’t know how often they changed the rates on the
machine. Remember, every stateroom has a safe with a personalized combination lock. You can keep cash or
traveler’s checks there for safekeeping until you need them. Just think ahead about how much cash you will need
(remember that everywhere, almost everyone takes plastic for purchases major and minor) and plan accordingly.

MEALS AND ENTERTAINMENT: We had been on a Royal Caribbean cruise before this one (in the Caribbean) and
found that Princess compared favorably. The food in the dining area (we were in the early seating in the Da Vinci
room) was quite good, but Royal Caribbean outdid them on the presentation. (There were theme nights, where the
waiters dressed differently each night.) Our waiter was very good; his assistant was only OK. Our waiter was
responsible for two tables of eight. One thing I enjoyed was the waiter’s habit of bringing extra desserts to the table
each night. We would make our dessert choices and then he would bring a few extra, place them in the center of
the table and encourage us to share them. He did the same thing on one of the last nights of the cruise with the
king crab legs, a welcome treat. There were four semi-formal nights and two formal nights. The formal nights are
held only when the ship is cruising up and down the Adriatic from Venice and isn’t in port (so you have time to
prepare). As your basic slob, I brought one dark blue suit and wore it all six nights. Women can’t get away with that,
though. The buffets were open 24 hours, but had danish and coffee in the early morning hours (2 to 6 a.m.). The
food there (the prepared items changed throughout the trip) was very good; they always had soup, pastries, salad
and very fresh fruit and juice. I wouldn’t have felt shortchanged if I was only able to eat at the buffets. Well, maybe a
little. We saw the movie ‘October Sky’ in the Princess Theater one night. They use a video projection screen (rather
small, compared to the size of the theater) and it had good sound. There were no drinks allowed there and, even
worse, no popcorn. The live shows (dancers and singers) were uniformly good, but I found the comedian, Dave
Heenan, predictable. They broke in a new music/dance act for us the last night on board and it was very good.
They had a lot of interesting, if expensive, arcade games on Deck 15 aft. I didn’t make it to the Skywalker Lounge
disco and I don’t gamble, so I only walked through the casino on my way someplace else.

EXERCISE: Of course, there are four pools. The forward one is a lap pool limited to adults. The two middle pools
are larger were often very busy. The stern pool is small and cold and was not used much. There is a room full of
exercise equipment on Deck 15 near the sauna and showers. The treadmills have a signup sheet; the exercise
bikes and weightlifting equipment is available on a first-come, first-served basis. (There were about 10-15 bikes and
10-15 treadmills.) They have an aerobics instructor and scheduled activities. There are Ping-Pong tables near the
stern pool. There is a running track around Deck 15 and a place to shoot basketball.

DRINK PRICES: All drink prices include a 15% gratuity, except the ones served at your dinner table. Coke or Ginger
Ale (12 oz.) $1.73 Amstel Light, Carlsberg, Bass Ale or Beck’s (12 oz.) $4.03 Coors Light or Bud Light (12 oz.)
$3.42 Kronenburg keg (1 liter, I believe) $6.90 Jack Daniels $4.60 Margarita or Planter’s Punch $4.55 Mimosa
$6.04

PHOTO PRICES: 5- by 7-inch portraits are $19.95 I don’t know the cost of the larger ones.

MY FAVORITE LOUNGING SPOT ON THE SHIP: My wife and I enjoyed the Terrace Pool at the stern the best. It was
less hectic than the Deck 14 pools amidships and it often was easier to get a seat – especially on the ‘all cruising’
days when we weren’t in port. The Skywalker Lounge overhead leaves you in shade most of the time. However, the
pool itself is very cold for the same reason.

PORT STUFF (the short version): The other three people at our dinner table did not reserve trips before the cruise
– big mistake. Everything was booked and they had to arrange things for themselves at several ports – unless you
like that sort of thing. They said the trains and buses are not air conditioned, for example. Be forewarned! One
other hint – each place we visit had ‘Art and History Of’ books for sale. In Italy, for example, they sold for anywhere
from 10,000 to 15,000 lire ($6 to $9). They are filled with color photos and, even though I haven’t read them yet,
they are worth the price. They are about 7 3/4 by 10 3/8 inches and are always in a rack with versions in many
different languages. (Our copy of ‘Art and History of Pompeii’ is 128 pages long, which seemed to be about average
size for these books.) I only bring this up because they seem a reasonable way to learn more about a place. Books
like this would be $15 to $20 in the States, so it’s well worth it. It is important to note that each tour has three
important people besides you: the guide, the driver and the Princess representative. The driver is always with the
bus and watches anything you might leave there. The guide is a local tour company employee who does all the
talking. The Princess representative answers questions and helps herd you around. Keep in mind when reading
below that I deliberately do not describe the ports and what we did there. If you want to know what you will see at
Pompeii, there are plenty of great travel books about that; you don’t need my observations about it. This is
designed to help you decide whether you want to take a tour and what parts you might want to avoid or enjoy.
Princess supplies you with the daily events calendar (‘Princess Patter’) that includes a separate guide to that day’s
ports. In every instance, they offered an inexpensive shuttle bus to town and for train connections to other places, if
you so desire. The only time we needed a water taxi to the port was Monaco; in all other cases we were docked.
The tour desk was always very helpful the few times we needed to use them. If you’d like to take a trip on your own,
I’d do some research before departure and then ask the tour desk to help you make the cheapest, easiest
connection. If you don’t feel like wading through the day-to-day stuff, here’s my short take on the ports: Barcelona –
You could tour or taxi. I would taxi to Las Ramblas, walk there and then see about taking the underground over to
La Segrada de la Familia. There is a subway station halfway up Las Ramblas and another just outside La Segrada
de la Familia. Monaco – Definitely take a tour here. Unless you want to gamble, there’s not much to see in Monaco.
If I had it to do over, I’d go to Nice or do the Nice-Cannes tour. Livorno – Take the tour of Florence over the one
that includes the Leaning Tower of Pisa. If you want to shop, you might try the Florence On Your Own tour and
catch ‘David’ and the Arno River sometime during the day. You definitely could do better on the food and shopping
than we did on the guided tour. There is nothing to do in Livorno. Naples – I enjoyed the Pompeii-Sorrento-Capri
tour. Naples looks beautiful, though, and I’m sorry I missed it. Great upscale shopping on Capri. Venice – We
couldn’t spend enough time in Venice. One day is not enough. We took the tour that featured the gondola ride
(rained out), the Doge’s Palace and St. Mark’s Square. If you can arrange a palace tour by yourself, do that. I
enjoyed just wandering the streets. Plenty of restaurants and shopping. All the guidebooks say it’s expensive, but it
didn’t cost me anything to look. Athens – I would highly recommend seeing the Acropolis (as early in the morning as
possible to avoid the heat), then poke around Athens. I don’t recommend the Temple of Poseidon, because you
lose so much time on the drive and the Parthenon is so much more impressive. Kusadasi – The people with us liked
Ephesus. Kusadasi is a tiny little port town that seems overwhelmed by the ship and its tourists. I’d rather spend
another day in Venice than visit here, especially since it’s the cheap country cousin of Istanbul anyway. Istanbul – I
would recommend getting to the Grand Bazaar or the Spice Bazaar. If you’ve ever seen travel documentaries on
Turkish bazaars and were curious, here’s your chance to see the real thing. Dollars spend like local currency; just
make sure to bargain. They don’t need English to sell you something.

DAY-TO-DAY LOG

June 30-July 1 – Barcelona arrival notes We had Princess arrange our flight for us. Our flight from Pittsburgh was
on a TWA Express puddlehopper into one of the old terminals at JFK. The JFK terminal, even the new #1 terminal,
is not well designed. In Pittsburgh, you can take it for granted that you can get anywhere without having to ask for
directions. Not so at JFK. The old terminal where we came in was cramped, dark and crowded, with few toilets. The
’50s and ’60s ‘futuristic’ style looks old and tired now. At Pittsburgh, we checked our bags all the way to Barcelona,
so we didn’t have to worry about them. However, our travel documents said we should go to the baggage claim at
the TWA Express terminal to meet a Princess Cruise representative to find out where we should go for the Tower
Air shuttle. When we met the Princess rep, she had no idea what we were talking about. When we told her we were
going to be taking a Tower Air shuttle to meet the Grand Princess in Barcelona, she told us to catch the Tower Air
shuttle bus to the Tower Air terminal. After getting to the shuttle location, there was an airport employee – you can’t
miss them; they all wear bright red coats – who was helping out at the shuttle bus stop who told us that we should
take a regular shuttle bus and go to Terminal 1, instead of the Tower Air terminal. He said that people had been
sent to the Tower Air terminal by mistake on a previous occasion. Once we got to Terminal 1, we waited in line (they
had many people handling check-in, so the wait was not a long one) and picked up our boarding coupons for the
Tower flight. We met my wife’s brother and his wife, who flew in from Syracuse, N.Y., and boarded the plane within
half an hour. Unfortunately, we sat on the plane almost two hours while they waited for other passengers whose
planes were late. (A word of advice for any charter flier – always be the last one to get on the plane. Even if
everyone is there for the flight, there will always be delays and there’s not much room on those sardine cans. Do it
for your butt – and your sanity.) The 747 was about three-quarters full for the 6 1/2-hour flight. We don’t sleep well
on aircraft, so we were pretty tired by the time we got to Barcelona. The Tower Air flight attendants did a good job
getting us watered, fed and movied (except they served the second meal too soon after the first for my wife’s
tastes). The plane was in pretty good shape; it wasn’t new, but it was clean and everything worked. There was a
1-hour delay to get through Customs and take the bus ride to the ship. (Two things: 1. The Barcelona airport
smelled like it was next to a giant stable. Luckily, the terminal is air-conditioned. 2. The thing built into the hillside to
your left as you enter Barcelona is a cemetery.) Once we arrived at the port, they herded us into a giant terminal
building where we entered lines depending on our stateroom assignment and deck. Naturally, our line moved the
slowest (and the terminal isn’t air-conditioned). There was a near-riot in our line when, after waiting about 45
minutes, they tried to let some people cut in line in front of us. (They explained that these people had been
incorrectly placed into the wrong line. However, all the lines were very clearly marked with signs. Go figure.) Only
after that did they let us move into other lines to get processed. First suggestion to Princess: Figure out how to
handle lines better. There were plenty of people standing around managing the lines, answering questions and
whatever. What they weren’t doing was telling us what we needed when we got to the front of the line. This was
endemic. If there was a line, it happened. What it means is that you get to the front of the line and they want your
passport, or your credit card, or your flight coupon or just the thing someone doesn’t have. If some would walk up
and down the line and say, ‘You need a passport, a credit card and your transfer coupon,’ you could have all this
stuff ready and get through the line in half the time. What I started doing when I was second or third in line was to
see what they were asking for and then turn around and wave the stuff over my head and tell everyone who would
listen. I had an awful lot of people thank me for this. Also, we often had one line with dozens of people waiting and
then other lines with no one at all and they didn’t make it clear whether it was OK to change lines. Princess, there
has to be a better way. One of the things you get is your cruise card. This ‘credit card’ acts as your boarding pass,
room key and charge card for everything on the cruise. The system takes a digital image of you the first time you
step aboard ship; from then on, whenever you come back aboard, you stick the card in the machine and it shows
the crew guarding the gate your picture, so they can make sure someone hasn’t stolen your card. We weren’t
supposed to be able to get into our rooms until 2 p.m. (Remember, the ship had docked that morning with a full load
of passengers and, although all the passengers were out of their staterooms, the rooms still were being prepared.)
We hung out in the public areas of the ship, had lunch in the buffet and had a few beers (the cards were good as
soon as we got them). My sister-in-law got a couple hours sleep on one of the very comfortable deck lounges near
one of the pools on Deck 14. (Some of the pools had nets stretched over them while they were being drained, so
you can’t be sure that the pools will be open when you arrive on board. This happened a couple times while we
were on board, and they were always returned to service quickly.) We were able to get into our rooms before 2
p.m., but the last of our luggage didn’t arrive until 5:45 p.m. (Two of the bags were there at 2 p.m.; the other two at
5:45 p.m.) Since the clothes we wanted to wear to dinner that night was in the latter two suitcases, we had to
scramble to unpack and be ready for the 6:15 p.m. dinner seating. (We were in the early seating in the Da Vinci
dining room.) After dinner, I felt restless so I walked into town from the ship. The harbor district was well-lit and there
were cabs and other car traffic up. A boulevard overlooks the way, so there are people there walking and waiting for
buses. You go through the private ship dock area next (there were some great-looking boats docked there), then
past the Catalan museum (lots of outdoor restaurant seating around it that were about a quarter full at 8:30 p.m.
and booked solid at 10:30 p.m. when I walked back). Down about four blocks (one of the things you pass are the
armed guards watching the national mint building) was the Columbus monument that marked the beginning of Las
Ramblas. Hordes of young men on skateboards and roller skates zipping in and out of the crowd and the traffic. Las
Ramblas is like a five-lane street that has had its center three lanes turned into a brick-paved (raised slightly; not
level with the street) plaza. (The two ‘outside’ lanes are one-way in each direction for cars and the millions of
motorcycles and scooters.) There are trees, kiosks and benches in the plaza and most people walk there, instead
of the sidewalks on either of the sides of the street. The car traffic at 8:30 to 9 p.m. on a Wednesday night was
solid. I used the walks lights almost all the time to get between the plaza and the sidewalks. One restaurant had its
outdoor tables on the plaza; when I was walking in front of it, a waiter holding a huge tray of food walked out of the
restaurant, stepped into traffic and crossed over to his customers on the plaza. One of the side squares in the
Greek area had a belly dancer entertaining. There were lots of young people everywhere. Later in the evening,
many of the kiosks closed and the ‘people with tables who sell things’ came out. One guy was creating these
colorful, futuristic-looking posters with spray paint and bowls and other objects. Only 1,000 pesetas ($15-$16). I had
an Estella Damm pilsener at Cafe de La Opera (across from the Opera house) – a little costly at 385 pesetas, but I
was thirsty and the glass was pretty big. I stopped here because it looked like one of the better establishments
along the way (of course, there were McDonald’s, KFC, etc., all open late, if that’s your thing). On the walk back,
there were fewer people (I got back to the ship around 11) and fewer cars. I got accosted by a guy looking for
cigarettes in one of the nearly empty plazas. If safety concerns you, the cab ride to the Columbus statue at the near
end of Las Ramblas is short (less than 10 minutes) and probably pretty cheap. It’s easy to catch a cab back, as
well.

Our travel day (all times approximate): Noon (Eastern Standard Time) – Leave home 1:45 p.m. EST –
Pittsburgh-to-NYC flight takes off 3:45 p.m. EST – Flight lands at JFK 5 p.m. EST – Board Tower Air jet 7:15 p.m.
EST – Take off from JFK 2 a.m. EST/8 a.m. local time – Arrive at Barcelona airport 3 a.m. EST/9 a.m. local time –
Arrive at port terminal building 4 a.m. EST/10 a.m. local time – Get on ship 8 a.m. EST/2 p.m. local time – Room
officially becomes available (actually ready sooner) 11:45 a.m. EST/5:45 p.m. local time – Last luggage arrives
12:15 p.m. EST/6:15 p.m. local time – Eat first dinner in dining room

July 2 – Barcelona and at sea The four of us went on a taxi tour of Barcelona. (8,000 pesetas plus a 500-peseta tip
for almost exactly two hours, negotiated in my high school Spanish.) We went to see La Segrada de la Familia (a
fantastic church) and La Pedrera (the nickname for the structure – which means ‘Pile of Stones’; it’s a condominium
building) by the architect Goudi. Then we went on to the upper end of Las Ramblas, including the Mercado (a
covered food shopping area). Check your guide books for details here. Barcelona is a beautiful city, obviously
designed for walkers rather than for cars. Beautiful boulevards, lots of ‘mini squares’ to set off the architecture. The
ship left at 6 p.m.; we go to formal dinner that night, snapshots galore. We missed the Commodore’s cocktail party
(he’s not the ship’s captain; he’s the commodore) held in the atrium area in the center of the ship on Decks 5-7.
The drinks are free – the only time on the cruise. We tried to dance later, but didn’t have much luck with the band –
they switched to a cha-cha and we decided not to try. The comedian’s show was filled to overflowing; we also got
rave reviews from our traveling companions about the cabaret singer.

July 3 – Monte Carlo Monte Carlo was the only port where we had to use tenders to get to the shore. Since we were
late getting up (it was about three days before we really got over the effect of jet lag and the seven-hour time shift)
we walked around to the far side of the harbor and climbed up the steps to the palace (it overlooks the harbor) for
the changing of the guard at noon. It was very crowded up there. If you choose to walk up the hillside, there was a
bathroom about three-quarters of the way up, so we were able to get some water. After that, we went back out to
the ship for lunch and then decided to take our chance to swim in the Mediterranean. We didn’t have francs, so the
cab ride cost us about $15 for a two-mile ride. The cabbie took us to an exclusive beach club, where they wanted to
charge us $50 a head for essentially standing-room-only! We walked a quarter mile back to the public beach, which
had a fresh water shower but was all stones – no sand. The large rocks on the bottom out in the water were
covered with moss, so it was hard to stand up. The taxi back from Hotel Le Meridien – about 1 1/2 miles – was $20
U.S. They really stick it to you if you don’t have the francs. We noticed that some people were diving off the rocks
on the outside of the harbor. They even had a small ladder over there to accommodate swimmers. If I had Monte
Carlo to do over again, I wouldn’t. It was overpriced. We should have taken one of the tours there. It probably would
have been more enjoyable and cheaper in the long haul, unless you want to go to the casinos, as many from the
ship did. Walking around Monte Carlo (the town is actually quite small) was only OK (it’s the only time I’ve ever seen
three Ferraris in the same place at the same time – at the Ferrari dealer right behind the police station). But be
aware that you have to keep your shirt on (yes, they have signs) when you aren’t at the beach.

July 4 – Florence (Firenze) The port stop is Livorno, but that place is an armpit. There is essentially nothing within
walking distance to see or do, unless you want to walk around an oil tank farm, a railyard and a container ship port.
If you plan to leave the boat, then make sure you book a tour or take the shuttle bus over to the train station to get
to Florence, Pisa, or whatever your destination is. We took a tour here. Our guide’s name was Guido. He did an
excellent job. The bus left early, so we ate in the Horizon Court on Deck 14 (the buffet). Our tour was called ‘The
Best of Florence.’ There was another that went to Pisa for a short stop at the Leaning Tower, but I’m glad we did
this one because Florence is so beautiful and Pisa has essentially nothing but the tower, according to Guido.
During the drive up there, he gave us a pretty good rundown of Italian history. Italy has been handed off from
country to country for a good long while. The bus was nice but the seats are cramped. Long-legged, tall
passengers would probably be uncomfortable. (This is true of all the buses we rode on the tours.) They are air
conditioned, but one of the fleet had the A/C break down. Bummer in this heat. The ride to Florence was about 1½
hours, including a 15- to 20-minute stop at the rest area on the highway for a bathroom break. (Guido said we didn’t
have to tip the washroom lady.) The hills and plains of Toscany were in full bloom in early July. There were a mix of
standard suburbs and very old farm communities (11th- and 12th-century churches). Enrico Caruso’s villa is on the
way into Florence. The first stop was Michelangelo Plaza, which overlooks the Arno River and downtown Florence.
This was a great picture stop and our first exposure to the souvenir shops. There were restrooms, but I think you
had to pay. Then we went downtown to the Academy to see Michelangelo’s ‘David’ and some of his other,
uncompleted works. When we left the bus, we carried everything with us that we would need for the day (the driver
stayed with the bus to watch any valuables left on it, but we didn’t go back to the bus until our return to the ship).
Guido did yeoman service – he obviously was a fan of Michelangelo. We waited about 5 to 10 minutes outside the
museum, then Guido handed out the tickets and we went in as a group. (This was the routine at all the stops on all
the tours. People who don’t travel in groups wait in line while the tour groups go in first. I felt sorry for those who are
waiting in a long, hot line on those sunny days – but I didn’t want to change places with them, either.) After ‘David’
(what can I say; it’s famous for a good reason), you can skip most of the rest of the museum, unless you like small
statuary or paintings, etc., of religious significance. The museum has a souvenir shop and restrooms in the
basement accessible when entering or leaving. We left the museum and walked to the Duomo Santa Maria del
Fiore. The artwork on the outside is very impressive. As it was Sunday, we did not go in. Guido paused about 10 or
15 minutes to talk about its construction. Lunch was in a former palace, the Palazzo Borghese. We were handed
meal coupons – which were never collected – and led into a room with about 10 to 12 tables. There was gold inlay
on the walls and a chandelier (painted gold) about the size of a Volkswagen hanging from the ceiling. There was
chianti, mineral water and bread on the tables. We were served two courses after that – rice and tube pasta
followed by mystery meat with carrots. The food was only so-so (Guido warned us the history at this place would be
excellent, but the food only OK). After lunch, we went to the main square of Firenze to see the statuary and
fountains and get a closer look at the old bridge over the Arno River – the only one not destroyed during World War
II. Then we went to a shopping area for about a half hour. This was the first time we had to ‘pay the piper’ for a
bathroom stop. This row of stores and shop stalls was in an area with no public toilets. We had to hear a
demonstration of leather imprinting inside one of the stores if you want to use the restroom. The demonstration was
mercifully short. We lost one of our group at the shopping area and Guido had to waste about 30 minutes chasing
after him (he got separated from his elderly aunt and was afraid she had not made it back to the bus – she had, but
he did not). The Princess Tour representative said they usually give people like him a half hour’s grace. After that,
they assume you’ve left the tour and are going to find your way back on your own. The ride back had no stops.

July 5 – Naples, Pompeii, Sorrento, Capri Naples looks beautiful when you pull into port; it’s a shame we didn’t have
time to see any of it. We took the Pompeii-Sorrento-Capri tour which started early and finished just before dinner.
(We docked right in downtown Naples. The city is very close to the port and affords easy access if you want to
walk.) The first thing we did was drive out of Naples. Our guide was Massimo. He was not as good as Guido. He
spoke with a more pronounced Italian accent (still understandable) but he seemed to be much less knowledgable
about Pompeii than I would have expected a guide to be. He seemed to repeat himself often. We had to make a
25-minute stop for selling at a cameo place. This is an example of the worst of the ‘pay the piper’ arrangement. We
were only on the road about 35 minutes and yet we had to waste 25 more minutes looking at cameos. It was very
crowded at Pompeii. On arrival, we were each given a 12-oz. bottle of cold water outside the restaurant/gift shop
building. (Yes, we needed the water later.) Massimo got us through the gates OK, despite the crowding, and did
pretty well here – reserving the most detail for the discussion of the whorehouse. Pompeii alone was certainly worth
the trip; I think I could have spent longer there, but not much longer because of the heat. Then we took a 45- to
60-minute bus ride to Sorrento on the coast. We immediately went to the restaurant – Ristorante Il Mulino – for
lunch. (Wine, pasta and a white cake.) After lunch, we had about half an hour to 45 minutes to shop. Then we
walked down to the boat dock (many, many steps) to catch the hydrofoil to Capri. (They call it a hydrofoil, but there
are no skis. Very noisy on the stern. They sold beer, soft drinks, snacks and trinkets at fairly reasonable prices.)
We spent almost no time at ‘lower Capri.’ We went through the funicular (inclined railway) after Massimo handed out
the tickets. The view was incredible. We skipped the 20-minute walk to the other side of the island (supposedly
another good view) and shopped. We spent about two hours up there. We bought some expensive (but very good)
lemon ices and had a beer. There are pay toilets down the steps under the funicular stop (500 lire per). We
rendezvoused at the funicular stop, went down the hill to the dock, onto another hydrofoil and back to the ship in
Naples.

July 7-8 Venice July 6 was an all-cruising day. After Naples, we needed the rest. We pulled into Venice around noon
on the 7th. The channel is very shallow, se we assume that – plus the size of our ship – mean that we cannot pull in
during the early morning as we often do. It was somewhat cloudy when we docked, which was some undertaking.
First, you pass the Lido beaches – fancy hotels, etc. – then go into Venice itself. You sail right past St. Mark’s
Square, turn around (!) and then sail back about half a mile past the square, to our docking point on the main
sidewalk along the canal near a municipal park/island. (Get on the starboard side of the ship as high as you can to
see the arrival; it fills up fast and early.) I could have thrown a rock from Deck 7 into the window of the houses
across the promenade. The ship towers over everything. It’s almost twice as tall as most of the buildings. It’s like
seeing Venice from a helicopter, without the rotor noise. We immediately went on our gondola ride/museum tour.
This was a half fiasco. First, they herd you onto launches for a 5-minute ride to a spot on the promenade you can
see from the stern of the ship. Then it started to rain. We all huddled against a building for a half hour getting wet –
one of our party quickly bought a huge umbrella from a vendor and we stayed reasonably dry. They also sold
plastic rain suits for 2,000 lire. (The kicker is that the ship’s recorded weather forecast we checked earlier said
nothing about rain at all.) Finally, they said the gondola rides were canceled (we got a 50 percent refund on the
tour) and we went on the the Doge’s Palace/Museum. After waiting for 20-25 minutes (we were early, naturally) for
our tour guide – in which the Princess reps sort of flailed around before they figured out what was going to happen.
We got a museum guide named Louisa who was very good. She had a clear grasp of the subject matter, was loud
enough to be heard, told anecdotes, spoke colloquial English and just did a great job. (When somebody asked her
why they call them Venetian blinds, she said, ‘I know about Venetian blondes, but I don’t know why they call them
Venetian blinds.’) I found the palace, crossing the Bridge of Sighs and her commentary insightful and interesting.
Then Louisa led us to St. Mark’s Square, right next to the palace. She talked for another 10 to 15 minutes there and
then took us to a Murano glass store just off the square for a ‘pay the piper.’ That was blissfully short – and actually
had the best demonstration, glassblowing. After that, you were free to go. (Remember, in Venice you can duck out
at any time because finding your own way back to the ship is no problem.) Since we were right on the main
promenade, access to and from the ship is easy. Everyone warns you about pickpockets, but I felt no apprehension
about walking down the narrow alleyways (some were about 2 people wide) at 10 o’clock at night. The big daytime
destination is the Rialto Bridge over the Grand Canal. This is about 10 to 15 minutes’ walk from St. Mark’s – unless
you linger in all the upscale shops along the way. There are unattended pay toilets (500 lire) and some take
1,000-lire notes for two. They can be hard to find. They are run by the city of Venice and were very clean. Just
around the corner from where we docked was a beautiful, tree-lined street with benches. It’s as wide as a regular
street (remember, there are no cars on this part of Venice) and lined with pea gravel. I found it just before I left and I
wish I’d had a chance to spend more time there. The park just beyond the ship was very nice, too. Follow the main
promenade away from St. Mark’s and you’re there. The side street is the same way, only turn left after crossing the
first bridge after you leave the ship. Venice is not handicapped or kid friendly. The bridges make the going very
tough for chairs and strollers. There are seven small bridges between the ship and St. Mark’s. Expect a lot of lifting
and carrying if you have strollers. We left at noon the next day. I recommend sitting on the stern on the bench-like
seats the overlook the Terrace Pool. The ship slides sideways, pulls out into the channel and Venice is framed by
the Skywalker Lounge arch. When the music came up as we left (they talk a little and then played Italian opera over
the ship’s loudspeaker system), this was a very surreal moment. With the shining city of Venice laid out before us
and the lounge’s proscenium arch overhead, it seemed like we were watching the end of a movie about leaving
Venice on a ship. I half expected the titles to roll up and a copyright date to appear. Then we all get in our cars and
drive home.

July 9-10 At sea and Athens The port of Pireus is a suburb of Athens. If you aren’t going to take a tour, then I would
get into Athens on a shuttle bus, taxi or whatever. We took the ‘Acropolis, Plaka and Temple of Poseidon’ tour. The
guide (Machie) was the best of all – both in knowledge of colloquial English and in depth of knowledge about the
topic. The problem was that the tour takes all day. If you’ve seen the Parthenon, why would you drive three hours
(1½ hours each way), take an hour for lunch and then go to a smaller copy of the Parthenon for 45 minutes in the
boiling sun? Skip Poseidon and use the time to poke around Athens, or do something else. We did get an hour of
shopping in downtown Athens (the ‘Plaka’ part of the tour). Athens is hot and dirty. The streets downtown are
narrow and crowded. We were lucky to get to the Acropolis first thing. It wasn’t too bad, but you could see where the
temperature was going later in the day. Bring water. (The tour didn’t supply any at this stop.) The stalls outside the
Acropolis were – by any standard – expensive. They sock you on pricing if you don’t have drachma. There is a free
restroom just outside the gate. The Parthenon is on the Acropolis, but the climb is not as bad as it sounds. The
many steps go up a long slope, so it’s not like climbing a bell tower. There is an air-conditioned museum at the top.
You can’t walk inside the temples, so that limits greatly what you can see, but the close-up view of the Parthenon is
amazing because it is so large. The stadium for the 1896 Olympics is pretty impressive. You can see that on the
drive downtown. You drive by a number of other buildings, including the presidential palace. Ho-hum. The Plaka
stop has no restrooms (or at least she didn’t point out any). Remember, this isn’t Monte Carlo or Capri, so you won’t
find a whole lot of fancy stuff. (There is plenty of gold jewelry, but I have no idea whether it was competitively
priced.) The drive along the coast to Poseidon’s Temple was more interesting than the temple. It’s mostly two-lane
road the closer you get to the temple. Lunch was at the Aegean Hotel at the bottom of the hill from the temple. The
meal was traditional Greek food, buffet-style. The fried calamari was excellent. There was cake and watermelon for
dessert. We got back to the ship and were out of port about an hour later.

July 11 – Kudadasi, Turkey (I pronounce it Koo-shuh-dah-see) The people who saw Ephesus said they were
impressed with what they saw, but they were put off by the heat. I didn’t take any tours. The town starts right at the
end of the dock. This is the smallest place we visited. (Livorno was probably smaller in terms of population, but it
was the gateway to Florence and Pisa.) Kusadasi is pretty much what-you-see-is-what-you-get. It’s a small, poor
port town that doesn’t have much to offer except gold jewelry, knockoffs of designer goods, rugs, dust and heat. If I
were running this trip, I’d dump this stop and add a day to Venice. I was talking to some Belgian (non-ship) tourists
in a cafe. They were telling me how all the prices went up just before we got there and would probably drop again
after we leave. There’s a pool hall on the third floor of a rug shop about half a block from Customs. Tables were $5
an hour and the half-liter beers were $1.50 – and cold! One of the single women in our dinner group said she was
practically chased all the way back to the ship by the aggressive shopkeepers in the bazaar. I just say this as a
point of order – these people want you to notice them, to talk to them, to shake their hand (‘Gimme five – hokay,’
one said). When shopping, wear sunglasses (so they can’t see what you are looking at), keep your eyes straight
ahead and, unless you see something you want, keep moving. I found that ‘No, thank you,’ ‘not interested’ or ‘not
today’ got me away from most of them. If someone was able to slow me down, I didn’t feel the need to be rude. Once
I made it clear that there was no way I was going to get into their shop and that I wasn’t going to buy anything no
matter what they said, then I was able to move on. Remember, some of the aisles in the market (and the ones in
Istanbul) are very narrow, so it is easy to get slowed up. Being firm – telling them you aren’t interested and then
following through by not even paying attention to their goods – is the best way to get a look at what’s out there
without spending all your time waving away shopkeepers. The Belgians also said that their relatives in the tourist
business had been told to steer people away from Turkey because of the arrest of a famous Kurdish separatist
leader. All the Germans and French were staying away. The shopping is mostly in narrow stalls along what seems
to be endless alleys – pretty much the image I had before I went there. You don’t have to change your money in
Turkey – the dollar was good for everything. (The change machine wouldn’t even give Turkish lire out because of
Turkish currency regulations.) Be careful, though. Somebody tried to sell two Sno-cones for $10 to someone at our
table, after knocking the price down from $20.

July 11 – Istanbul The ride into port was nice; we arrived in the late morning. The Bosphorus was a little choppy and
windy, but it had no practical effect on the ship. It’s a very picturesque location, being at the edges of the European
and Asian continents. Again, I opted not to take any tours. There is a park within a short walk of the place we dock.
In the opposite direction is the Galata Bridge (one of the two car/pedestrian bridges that doesn’t go over the
Bosphorus). I walked over it to the Spice Bazaar (at the far end of the bridge). The Spice Bazaar was pretty similar
to what I saw in Kusadasi, except it was much bigger and more active. Because the ship tours took people to the
Grand Bazaar, further on than the Spice Bazaar, the people at the Spice Bazaar were mostly locals. If you’ve ever
wanted to buy spices by the barrel, this is the place. One old fellow had set up his rows of new and used shoes. I
was actually accosted and bothered much less here than in Kusadasi. The bazaar had a large building where the
more well-to-do merchants had stores and, except for the caviar dealer, I was left completely alone. (There were
armed guards with portable metal detectors at the entrances here; they didn’t even bother to scan me.) I was out for
about two and half or three hours here; the wind and heat defeated me. The wind is very strong (I assume it gets
funneled down through the Strait by the land). When I got back, I changed into my swimming trunks and noticed that
I was covered with a fine layer of black grit wherever I had not been covered with clothing. Believe me, the pool was
quite nice after the wind and heat. We visited, of course, before their recent earthquake. I certainly wish them well.

July 12 – Return home You pack up your luggage the night before and leave it out for the stewards to take away.
They put it onto trucks and get it out to the airport for you, so you only have your carry-on bags and traveling
clothes with you on the day of the flight. This was the worst part of the trip. Princess could have made this a little
better. Their air tour operator could have done a lot to make this better. In short: -- The plane couldn’t make it over
the Atlantic without a fuel stop, and we were delayed while they were arranging this. (It was a surprise that a
planeload of us were going back that day? Duhhh?) Originally, they had said it would be a non-stop flight back.
After we got to the airport, we learned we were going to stop in Paris for fuel, but we ended up going to Shannon
Airport in Ireland, instead, because the Paris airport was too busy and would have delayed us even longer. -- The
747 was messy and dirty and the plane had some of the reading lights duct-taped over because they wouldn’t turn
off. The plane was warm and dry; one of the flight attendants seemed to agree because she passed out during the
refueling stop. They had to give her oxygen to revive her. -- Because of the delays, we all missed our connecting
flights and had to spend the night in a motel near JFK Airport (at Princess’ expense). They also provided us with a
meal voucher. We were at the head of the line for check-in, so we didn’t do badly. I expect there were some people
who waited another hour and a half just to get their rooms. Getting to the hotel involved a bus driver who didn’t
know where he was going taking us the wrong way down a one-way street. -- They showed three different movies
during the flight and one of them, ‘October Sky,’ was shown twice. (We saw it on the ship, too.) -- All the toilets in
the front of the plane and half of them in the center of the plane failed during the Istanbul-to-Shannon part of the
flight. Luckily, repairmen at Shannon got some of them working again. -- We flew out the next morning using the
same ticket as the day before. This was all arranged by Princess and worked fine, except for the fact that we
couldn’t use the curb check-in service and had to wait in another line. Here’s the timeline for the ride home: 6 a.m.
(Turkish time) – Up for breakfast. 7:30 a.m. – Left ship. 8:45 a.m. – Got through Turkish Customs at the airport. 10
a.m. – Started boarding. 11 a.m. – Everyone is on the plane. 12:30 p.m. – Took off. (The delay, in part, was
deciding whether or not to go to Paris for fuel and then waiting for the landing slot at Shannon.) 4:30 p.m. – Arrived
at Shannon. 5:15 p.m. – Shannon takeoff. 1:50 a.m. Turkish time; 6:50 p.m. Eastern time – Leave Customs at JFK.
7:20 p.m. EST – Get in line at the hotel. 8:15 p.m. EST – Get in line for dinner (after dropping the bags in the
room). 9 p.m. EST (4 a.m. Turkish time) – Get into the shower before bed.

Name: Armand Priore
Email: armand.priore@falconjet.com
Age: 47
Occupation: Corporate Controller
NumberOfCruises: 5
TravelAgent: No
Ship: Princess-Grand
SailingDate: 11/7/99
Itinerary: Eastern Caribbean
Cabin: D725-Mini Suite
FoodDiningRoom: 80
CruiseDirector: 95
CabinComfort: 85
FoodRoomService: 100
CruiseStaff: 100
CabinAmenities: 95
FoodLidoDeck: 70
DiningRoomService: 100
CabinQuietness: 60
FoodMidnightBuffets:
CabinSteward: 95
ShoreExcVariety:
FoodVariety: 90
DeckService: 90
ShoreExcValue:
GoodForHoneymoon:
CasinoStaff: 60
PrivateIsland: 100
GoodForFamilies: 95
LoungeService: 85
TenderService: 95
GoodForSeniors:
BeautySalonStaff:
EntertainmentLounges: 85
WheelchairAccess:
ExerciseFacilities:
EntertShowLounge: 90
OverallPortsofCall: 95
BeautySalon:
EntertainmentPoolside: 80
CruiseActivities: 100
Casino: 95
AirSeaProgram:
MedicalFacilities:
ShipCleanliness: 100
EmbarkDisembark: 100
DiscoNightclubs: 95
DeckSpace: 100
Stabilization: 85
ShopsOnBoard: 90
SpaceRatio: 100
OverallCruiseValue: 89
Submit: Submit Review
Date: 16 Nov 1999
Time: 14:42:58
Remote Name: 206.152.2.9
Remote User:

Comments

The Grand is a beautiful ship, and even though it holds 2600 passengers, there is never a crowded area. We had a mini
suite toward the aft of the ship and starboard. We travelled with family who had a mini suite next to us. Overall this was a
fun cruise. As you will read not everything was excellent, however there were enough good things to make this vacation
very enjoyable. As you will read I did have a noise problem in my cabin. I am going to pursue this room problem with
Princess, and if it is resolved to my satisfaction, I would definitely book another Princess cruise in the future.

Below is a summary of the major areas of the ship.

Embark/Disembark - Well organized and the best I've seen. I arrived at the pier in Ft Lauderdale at 1PM, and was in my
room within 20 minutes. My luggage arrived at my room 15 minutes later. Disembarkation is just as good. Airline personnel
come on board the morning of disembarkation, and give you luggage tags which you attach to your liggage after you
disembark. We were disembarked before 9AM, found our luggage in 5 minutes, got a porter and checked it into the
American Airlines area within another 5 minutes. We travelled from NY to Florida the nite before the cruise. We booked
our own air, and hotel. The flights were fine, but the Best Western Marina we stayed at was horrible. It's dirty, and the
rooms were awful. Thank goodness we only stayed there one nite.

Room - There were 4 in our mini suite (my wife and I, my 11 YO daughter, and my 9 YO son). There was a full bath, and
the room was a decent size, with many amenities. The space was somewhat cramped for 4 people. I am told that the Sun,
Dawn, etc have larger mini suites, however none of those mini suites are available in a quad configuration. That is a
shortcoming on Princess' part. There is adequate room for storage, although storage is tight for 4 people. This was a
balcony room, and we loved it. I will never cruise again without a balcony. Also, I read many negative comments that the
Dolphin deck balconies are in view from the balconies above. This was no problem, and you shouldn't worry about this
issue. The mini suites have butler service, and this is an excellent amenity. Our butler's name was Andrew, and he was
fabulous. This is really a great feature. Also, our room steward Henry was very good. I did have a problem with a loud
rattle near the shelf by the Tv's. We had trouble sleeping the first 3 nites due to this noise. Princess maintenance tried to
fix the noise, but the problem was contained in the bulkhead, and it could not be fixed. I spoke to the head purser, and he
explained this probably happened on the repositioning cruise from the Mediterranean, where very rough waters were
encountered. He informed me I would have been moved moved to another mini suite, howerver the ship was 100% full. I
told the head purser that I will pursue this issue with Princess Customer Service, because it did tire us out the first few
days of the cruise. In my opinion, a ship this large should always travel with available rooms in case of such a situation.

Food/Dining Room Facilities - We were in the Boticelli Dining room. The dining room was beautiful, and well laid out, and
we had a corner table by a window. The only negative is the room is hard to get to, and you must go upstairs to get to the
bathrooms. Our waiter was George from Romania, and our assistant waiter was Tony from England. Both were excellent,
and George was the best waiter I had on all my cruises. The head waiter was Carmello from Italy, and he was very
attentive. The food was very good at times, and fair at other times. The lamb, served twice, was excellent. Fish usually had
a fishy taste. The Lobster and Shrimp was excellent. Pastas were good. Steak was either very good, or tough. Desserts
and cappucinos/expresso were very good. Overall the food was good, but not consitent. Food at the Horizon Court, the 24
hour restaurant was fair. I don't like buffet food, so I am probably more negative than most. Sabitini, the alternative Italian
restaurant, was also just fair. The selections at Sabitini's was limited. The pizza served at the pool was very good. The
hamburgers served at the pool were fair.

Entertainment - In general entertainment was good. Some was excellent, such as Marty Allen, Duo Magacci (a comedy
acrobatic husband and wife), and a great song dance show in the Princess theater. Other entertainers were fair. The
Princess theater is beautiful, with a great sound system.

Service - Service was excellent throughout the ship, except at the Casino where most dealers had an attitude problem.
Other than the casino everyone was helpful, and pleasant.

Pools/Public Rooms, etc. - There are 4 pools on the ship. Though we hit terrible weather, when we did go to the pool it
appeared to have adequate lounge chairs. The Public rooms/ bars were all lovely. The casino is the largest ship casino
I've ever been in. For the kids there is a large gameroom. There is a a great excercise facility. Also, there is a basketball
court, and miniature golf. Skywalkers lounge is a disco at the aft of the ship on the 17th floor. It extends over the aft of the
ship with a sensational view and a great place to dance late at nite.

Ports of Call - We didn't take any excursions. The ports were St. Thomas, St Maarten, and Princess Cays. We took cabs
to beaches at St Thomas and St Maarten. Megan's Bay in St. Thomas was nothing spectacular, and had a narrow beach.
The surrounding view, however was beautiful. We went to Orient beach in St Maarten, and the beach was crowded, but
beautiful. Shopping was good at both islands, but if you buy jewelry at smaller shops, you must negotiate. The prices
dropped dramatically with just a little negotiation. The private island, Princess Cays, was a beautiful experience. a
beautiful beach, with many water activities. Princess prepares a barbecue on Princess Cays, and everything was very nice
here.

Name: John Wood
Email: woody17@gateway.net
Age: 33
Occupation: Fireman
NumberOfCruises: 1
TravelAgent: No
Ship: Princess-Grand
SailingDate: November 14, 1999`
Itinerary: Eastern Caribbean
Cabin: D509 Mini Suite
FoodDiningRoom: 85
CruiseDirector: 90
CabinComfort: 95
FoodRoomService: 90
CruiseStaff: 90
CabinAmenities: 95
FoodLidoDeck: 80
DiningRoomService: 85
CabinQuietness: 75
FoodMidnightBuffets: 90
CabinSteward: 100
ShoreExcVariety: 80
FoodVariety: 85
DeckService: 80
ShoreExcValue: 80
GoodForHoneymoon:
CasinoStaff: 80
PrivateIsland: 90
GoodForFamilies:
LoungeService: 85
TenderService: 95
GoodForSeniors:
BeautySalonStaff:
EntertainmentLounges: 90
WheelchairAccess:
ExerciseFacilities: 85
EntertShowLounge: 95
OverallPortsofCall: 85
BeautySalon:
EntertainmentPoolside: 80
CruiseActivities: 85
Casino: 85
AirSeaProgram: 80
MedicalFacilities:
ShipCleanliness: 95
EmbarkDisembark: 90
DiscoNightclubs: 90
DeckSpace: 80
Stabilization: 90
ShopsOnBoard: 85
SpaceRatio: 85
OverallCruiseValue: 89
Submit: Submit Review
Date: 22 Nov 1999
Time: 23:36:06
Remote Name: 1cust54.tnt3.dfw5.da.uu.net
Remote User:

Comments

My girlfriend and I flew out of Dallas bright and early Sunday morning, we did the land sea program. We arrived in Fort
Lauderdale about noon. We met with our Princess rep at the airport terminal and got on a bus to the port. Embarking was
quick and easy, it took about 20 minutes (would have been 10 if the lady in front of us had her paperwork filled out). We
immediatly boarded the ship after checking in, their was plenty of help to guide you to your room. We had booked a
mini-suite with a balcony, what a great move. Our room had a queen bed, sofa and two tv's, by no means was it huge, but
it was plenty comfortable for 2 of us.

Shortly after getting settled in our room, our steward and butler stopped by and introduced themselves. Throughout the
trip both were great, we had our breakfast in the room several mornings, our butler delivered it to at exactly the times we
requested.

Finally, 7:00 rolls around and it's about time to leave port. Then comes the bad news, hurricane Lenny is headed right
where were headed. The Captain informs us that we will be going to Nassau as a first stop, and for the time being the rest
of the trip will be a mystery. It ended up, we went to Nassau, Cozumel and Princess Cays. It's not where i wanted to go but
with the situation as it was, i must credit those who were in charge for doing their best to find ports, and making it and
enjoyable trip.

I wasnt overly impressed with the formal dining room. It was nothing more than average food.

As for the bar service I felt it lacked. Their were plenty of bars but it took a long time to get served when you walked up to
the bar, and if you ordered a drink from a waiter it was often half melted before you got it. Their is an automatic 15%
gratuity added to your bar bill, and i feel like the service lacks because of that. The drinks aren't cheap either, anywhere
from $3 to $7 and at that price I want it to be frozen when I get it if thats how i ordered it.

Their was alot of nickel and dimeing, but maybe I just wasn't used to that being a first time cruiser. I plan on cruising again,
maybe on Princess or possibly something else.

Name: Al Rinkerman
Email: arinkerman@msn.com
Age: 54
Occupation: transportation sales
NumberOfCruises: 2
TravelAgent: No
Ship: Princess-Grand
SailingDate: 11/14/99
Itinerary: Magical Mystery Cruise
Cabin: D-221/mini-suite
FoodDiningRoom: 94
CruiseDirector: 90
CabinComfort: 98
FoodRoomService: 88
CruiseStaff: 90
CabinAmenities: 95
FoodLidoDeck: 90
DiningRoomService: 97
CabinQuietness: 94
FoodMidnightBuffets: n/a
CabinSteward: 95
ShoreExcVariety: 90
FoodVariety: 95
DeckService: 90
ShoreExcValue: n/a
GoodForHoneymoon: 99
CasinoStaff: 95
PrivateIsland: 95
GoodForFamilies: 85
LoungeService: 95
TenderService: 95
GoodForSeniors: 90
BeautySalonStaff: n/a
EntertainmentLounges: 96
WheelchairAccess: n/a
ExerciseFacilities: n/a
EntertShowLounge: 95
OverallPortsofCall: 92
BeautySalon: n/a
EntertainmentPoolside: 90
CruiseActivities: 92
Casino: 95
AirSeaProgram: 80
MedicalFacilities: n/a
ShipCleanliness: 99
EmbarkDisembark: 99
DiscoNightclubs: 90
DeckSpace: 98
Stabilization: 95
ShopsOnBoard: 90
SpaceRatio: 95
OverallCruiseValue: 98
Submit: Submit Review
Date: 27 Nov 1999
Time: 19:35:38
Remote Name: 1cust80.tnt1.buffalo.ny.da.uu.net
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We were booked on an eastern caribbean itinerary but since 'Lenny' had other plans for St Thomas and St Martin, we set
sali on a magical mystery cruise. Commodore Mike Moulin explained as we departed Ft Lauderdale on time that we would
go directly to Nassau for the day and depending on the weather he would advise us where we were going. Monday
afternoon we learned that our next port of call was Cozumel. We spent Tuesday at sea and early Wed morning we docked
at the main pier in Cozumel. Just a short walk from the ship and we were in the heart of the shopping area. After Cozumel
we spent 2 days at sea headed for Princess Cays. We spent 6 1/2 hours there, tendered from the ship in a very
comfortable and efficient manner.

e departed Princess Cays for Ft Lauderdale Sat afternoon and that was when we
encountered the roughest seas of the voyage. While the seas were rolling the movement of the ship was not unpleasant. I
saw another ship to our starboard (later learned it was the Veendam) that was really taking a pounding. We arrived back
in Ft Lauderdale on time. We arrived in Nassau early Monday morning and to witness the pilot turn the Grand 180
degrees in her own length was amazing. Once docked we watched the Disney 'Wonder' come into port. Very cute with all
the Disney characters; great for kids. Since we had been to Nassau before we decided to explore our ship. Huge,
magnificent, comfortable. One never gets the feeling that there are 2598 other guests on board. And one is truly treated
as a guest. With very few exceptions, and none worth mentioning, the entire crew and staff were genuinely pleasant and
made every effort to ensure a positive, enjoyable and memorable cruise.

We opted for the mini-suite complete with butler
and verandah. A very wise choice. Darren, our butler, greeted us with champagne and was never more than a phone call
away. He had my wife's dress pressed in plenty of time for the first formal dinner. After dinner we noticed a spot and
Darren had it cleaned (spot removed) and returned within a day. Every morning, except disembarkation day) we enjoyed a
full breakfast on the verandah. He delivered it promptly and everything was hot and fresh. One morning when breakfast
did not arrive on time we called Darren and he explained that someone had apparently stripped the doors of the requests
the night before. He apologized, took down our order and breakfast was delivered within 10 minutes! The mini bar was
another nice treat. We prefer bottled water and Darren made sure it was always there. The food was outstanding. Our
waiter Sergio and his asst Don made sure that everyone at our table of 10 had everthing exactly as ordered and always
went that little extra that makes cruising so memorable. He even arranged for our dining mates to get a tour of the galley.
The dining room, Michelangelo, was very comfortable and felt very intimate in spite of the fact that there were 80 tables
seating over 400 diners per seating. The noise level was minimal; easy to hold conversations at the table without raising
one's voice. The lighting was soft and subdued making for a very relaxed and even romantic setting. We ate lunch in the
Horizon Court. Usually the same menu as the dining room only served buffet-style. Only once was it crowded (only one
side open) but as the crowd grew, the second section was opened for service.

The pools give the guest several options
and there are plenty of deck chairs available for sunning and relaxing. We retreated to our verandah when the deck area
around the pool started to fill up and a party of about 12 had a very loud conversation. We are readers and enjoyed the
public space while we could. There were other deck areas that were quieter and available but we enjoyed the privacy of
our own verandah. Didn't use the swim-against the current pool but it was beautiful. We walked the promenade deck daily
putting in at least one mile per day; just 3 circuits. Could have done the group thing and gotten points to spend in the
boutique but we prefer to do it early (7am) and have breakfast afterwards. Believe me, anyone who can not find
something to do to please himself on this ship would not be able to find anything to please himself anywhere! Even Oscar
the Grouch would have a good time. The entertainment was unbelievable. Marty Allen and his wife Karon 'Kate' Blackwell
are not to be missed. Good wholesome clean humor and entertainment acceptable to anyone over the age of 14. Mr Allen
made himself available for pictures and autographs and when I ran into him later in the cruise and expressed how much
we had enjoyed his performance, he was congenial and warm. No ego problem for this star.

The production numbers were
very professional and the talent was as good as in the best venues in Las Vegas or anywhere else. We enjoyed Billy
Vader, a fellow native Buffalonian,who, when he spotted a group of teens (whom he refered to as 'jockeys')in the front row
he adapted his routine making sure the language was appropriate for his whole audience. The humor was as funny as
ever and refreshing. Alexander the hypnotist was brought back for an additional show and it was truly deserved.
Incredible! The dance team of Kathy & James Taylor was a pleasure and the Duo Macaggi was indescribable! To see him
go across the stage on one hand while the ship is swaying was awesome. Duo Macaggi was an exciting and humorous
acrobatic experience. One sour note....Princess could do without the humorless Dave Heenan. Even if it was an off-night
for him, his style and material were not Princess-calibre in my opinion. There are plenty of options, many we did not see.
The disco, on deck 16, is not to be missed for the view alone. Every lounge we passed had high quality entertainment in a
relaxed, uncrowded atmosphere.

The cruise director, Keith Cox,participated in several shows and does an excellent job of
making sure his guests are aware of all tha options available to them. We overpacked as usual. I opted for rented tux
through Princess and was very pleased. I rarely wear even a suit and tie and yet I felt very relaxed wearing the tux for the
2 formal dinners. I checked pricing at home and it was actually cheaper to rent the tux in Florida. It was in the suite when
we arrived (one less thing to pack and have pressed). It fit perfectly. Men, don't sweat it. The formal nights were fun to
dress up for but if you don't want to that's ok too. There were men wearing suits or blazers. One Scotsman was wearing a
kilt. Everyone looked good and no one was conspicuous. The day at Princess Cays was ideal. Again, there were areas full
of activity and there were places to get away from it all. Bar service people moved unobtrusively through the area and
were available to bring drinks but there was no push to buy. Just good service.

There was a buffet lunch served with
hamburgers, hot dogs, sausage, all the fixings, chicken, ribs, etc. Just perfect for the beautiful beach setting. Crystal clear
warm water with ideal snorkeling. Plenty of colorful fish in a safe environment. Everything Princess promises and more.
Disembarkation was amazing for those of us in suites. We were off the ship with our luggage within 10 minutes of US
Customs clearing. We were treated to newspapers, coffee, tea, juice, danish, etc., in the Vista Lounge until we were
escorted to the gangway. The luggage retrieval was very easy. We boarded our bus and were at the airport by 9:30AM.
We purchased the fly and cruise. A bit disappointed with the service on Northwest into Ft Lauderdale...delay in Detroit and
late getting into Ft Lauderdale. US Air home was on time in spite of minor mechanical before leaving Philadelphia. Overall,
we had a fantastic experience. The way Princess handled the weather inconvenience only added to the pleasure of the
cruise. We look forward to sailing again with Princess. While a cruise might not be for everyone, the Grand Princess would
be an excellent choice for any one's first cruise experience.

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