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Note - this page contains multiple reviews.
Name: Mr. and Mrs. Chris Strasser
Email: Chris_Strasser@hotmail.com
Age: 32
Occupation: IT specialist
NumberOfCruises: 0
TravelAgent: No
Ship: Princess-Grand
SailingDate: November 21, 1999
Itinerary: Eastern Carribean
Cabin: D708
FoodDiningRoom: 94
CruiseDirector: 82
CabinComfort: 92
FoodRoomService: 80
CruiseStaff: 84
CabinAmenities: 90
FoodLidoDeck: 92
DiningRoomService: 94
CabinQuietness: 90
FoodMidnightBuffets: 90
CabinSteward: 94
ShoreExcVariety: 60
FoodVariety: 90
DeckService: 84
ShoreExcValue: 40
GoodForHoneymoon:
CasinoStaff: 80
PrivateIsland: 84
GoodForFamilies: 90
LoungeService: 90
TenderService: 72
GoodForSeniors:
BeautySalonStaff: 60
EntertainmentLounges: 88
WheelchairAccess:
ExerciseFacilities: 74
EntertShowLounge: 84
OverallPortsofCall: 60
BeautySalon: 40
EntertainmentPoolside: 82
CruiseActivities: 80
Casino: 84
AirSeaProgram: 70
MedicalFacilities: 80
ShipCleanliness: 90
EmbarkDisembark: 92
DiscoNightclubs: 82
DeckSpace: 92
Stabilization: 90
ShopsOnBoard: 84
SpaceRatio: 90
OverallCruiseValue: 88
Submit: Submit Review
Date: 29 Nov 1999
Time: 16:56:46
Remote Name: max4p246a.smart.net
Remote User:
Comments
This was our first cruise and, in general, it was quite a memorable holiday. We referenced
cruiseopinon.com prior to
traveling and it proved to be an excellent resource for managing our expectations. Thus,
we hope to help others as well
with the following insight.
Foremost, please note that in the end we believe we traveled at one of the worst possible
times … during Thanksgiving
week. The ship was at peak occupancy and several of the staff we spoke with noted there
were more children than ever
aboard, which led to overwhelming conditions once in awhile (the rates were also higher
than usual). Even though the
Grand Princess literature leads you to believe in the concept of 'Big Ship Choice, Small
Ship Feel' there is no denying that
at various times during the cruise the size of the ship and the crowds were daunting.
Unfortunately, we also traveled after a major storm that caused severe damage to St.
Maarten, and therefore we were
unable to visit this port as scheduled. The alternative port of San Juan, which was
basically closed for Thanksgiving when
we arrived, was quite disappointing.
We had no complaints though about the embarkation and disembarkation processes which
proved quite efficient. We
would recommend however considering making your own travel arrangements to and from the
ship. We purchased our
flight tickets through the cruiseline and did not find the rates, or the travel schedule,
favorable.
We reserved a mini-suite on the Dolphin Deck which was wonderful and highly recommended
for the special amenities it
offers (Marty Rehbein’s cruiseopinion.com review offers an excellent profile of this
room). We were pleased with the
gracious and attentive service of our stateroom steward, Eduardo, and appreciated the wit
and kindness of our butler,
Joel.
The Grand Princess also had exceptional dining selections. The pizzeria was a favorite of
mine … having visited Naples,
Italy, where pizza margherita originated, I can honestly state that this pizza is just as
good. For our evening meal, we ate in
the Michelangelo dining room, and had excellent service from our waiters Danny and Franco.
Our head waiter, Massimo,
visited our table every evening, and in addition to a diverse menu, we were offered a
special Italian pasta dish each night
which was outstanding. We did however have two food complaints: 1) the complimentary hors
d'oeuvres which arrived
every evening for those of us in the suites were fair at best … it would be better
not even to serve them, as they do not do
justice to the amazing meals which they precede. 2) it is a shame that you have to be
charged for ice cream when not
eating in the dining rooms during lunch or dinner … however it should be noted that
our waiter Danny did all he could to
make up for this, and one evening even brought my sister-in-law ice cream before and after
her meal!
I should also mention that my wife loved the formal tea which was served every afternoon.
She had tea delivered twice to
our stateroom and the other afternoons she enjoyed tea in the Davinci dining room. She
raved about the scones, clotted
cream and petite sandwiches. And the 24-hour room service proved to be prompt and
efficient.
We enjoyed the range of activities offered and found the entertainment enjoyable, though
not quite as high caliber as
expected. We were very, very disappointed however in the Adventures Ashore excursions
offered through Princess. A
WORD OF WARNING: We had pre-registered for a private sailboat charter in St. Thomas. When
we arrived aboard we
noticed our tickets had not been delivered to our stateroom. Our butler researched the
matter for us, only to learn that we
were not actually allowed to pre-register for this tour (even though this is not what the
literature stated). Unfortunately,
when we realized this, the tour had already sold-out. When we questioned the Tour Desk
about the matter, they admitted
that there was an error in the literature and we had been misled, although there were no
apologies and there was no
willingness to address the matter further. In general, I heard quite a few negative
comments about the Tour Desk and its
services during this particular cruise, including the high rates and low quality of tours.
Princess Cays was lovely, however the tender process in the morning was quite
disorganized. We were waiting in the
appropriate lounge ½ hour early to be certain to secure a space on the first tender.
However there was no rhyme or
reason as to how the staff distributed the complimentary tickets for the tenders. Once the
staff announced they were
ready to distribute tickets there was a mad rush to the front of the room, and inevitably
those folks which had just walked
in pushed their way to the front and secured tickets before those individuals who had been
waiting the longest. The island
though was enjoyable and the snorkeling good.
Finally, we do not recommend the Spa Services. We had a party of eleven onboard for this
cruise … after four of us had
such bad experiences the first two days at the spa, we canceled our remaining
appointments. The services (including
massages and skin treatments) were expensive and not well done. And each appointment
involved a heavy sales pitch for
additional products and services which was not appreciated nor appropriate.
Still at the end of the week the Grand Princess proved a hard ship to leave. We did indeed
have a memorable experience,
and wish you all the best with your travels as well.
Name: Dan Michels
Email: dan.michels@worldnet.att.net
Age: 29
Occupation: Estimating Manager
NumberOfCruises: 15
TravelAgent: No
Ship: Princess-Grand
SailingDate: November 21, 1999
Itinerary: St Thomas, San Juan, Princess Cays
Cabin: B503
FoodDiningRoom: 75
CruiseDirector: 90
CabinComfort: 95
FoodRoomService: 90
CruiseStaff: 90
CabinAmenities: 95
FoodLidoDeck: 95
DiningRoomService: 50
CabinQuietness: 90
FoodMidnightBuffets: 90
CabinSteward: 95
ShoreExcVariety: 85
FoodVariety: 90
DeckService: 95
ShoreExcValue:
GoodForHoneymoon: 90
CasinoStaff: 80
PrivateIsland: 99
GoodForFamilies: 80
LoungeService: 85
TenderService: 85
GoodForSeniors:
BeautySalonStaff:
EntertainmentLounges: 90
WheelchairAccess: 90
ExerciseFacilities: 90
EntertShowLounge: 90
OverallPortsofCall: 90
BeautySalon:
EntertainmentPoolside: 90
CruiseActivities: 95
Casino: 80
AirSeaProgram:
MedicalFacilities:
ShipCleanliness: 99
EmbarkDisembark: 95
DiscoNightclubs: 90
DeckSpace: 90
Stabilization: 85
ShopsOnBoard: 75
SpaceRatio: 90
OverallCruiseValue: 90
Submit: Submit Review
Date: 06 Dec 1999
Time: 19:42:36
Remote Name: 37.ojus-03-04rs.fl.dial-access.att.net
Remote User:
Comments
Grand Princess – Novemeber 21, 1999 Thanksgiving cruise to remember
For the second time in 3 years, I chose to cruise for the Thanksgiving holiday with my
Father. The difference this time was
that we were traveling with my girlfriend and her parents to enjoy the holiday together.
We have all cruised before, so we
knew we were going to have a great time….. I knew something else that they
didn’t, because I was going to use this
opportunity to propose to my girlfriend and make her my fiance…..and what a better
place to do this but on the Love Boat,
Grand Princess…
EMBARKATION: Kudos to Princess in how they have this arranged in Ft Lauderdale!!! We
didn’t know what to expect with
embarkation because of the 2,500 passenger capacity…we all know how cumbersome
embarking 1,500 passengers is on
a normal ship, imagine almost double that…. Keeping this in mind, we went to the pier
at 12:30 to get a jump on all the
incoming flights and the infamous 1:00 embarkation time….
As soon as we walked in the door, we were guided into the embarkation area….a half
hour before the stated time. We
were directed to the correct check in line by a Princess representative. They do this
based on your cabin category, and it
works quite well. Princess sends all the paperwork required at check in about two months
before sailing date, amazingly
enough, it’s filled in with all your information minus your credit card number and
passport number, so all you do is verify
the information and send it back to Princess. Since you’ve already done the
paperwork, all you do for check in is give your
credit card for validation. The shore staff hands you a handsome on-board card that has a
picture of the Grand Princess
on it, along with your dining room assignment and cabin number. Once you get this, you are
on your way to the ship.
You are stopped two more times before the anticipated entrance onto the ship…once is
for the usual ships
photographer’s embarkation photo, and the second is for a split second for the ships
security to snap your digital photo
that gets linked to your cruise card. I know you’ve read this before, but it is
amazing how your picture is what the ship uses
to look at in order for you to get back on the ship….amazing technology!!!
After this, you are on the gangway and into the ship. They use two gangways and separate
you based on your cabin
deck. We entered on deck 5 and my fiance’s family entered on deck 6. Once you enter
the ship, you are greeted by a line
of stewards that lead you to awaiting elevators. They have an elevator attendant at
embarkation that takes you to your
floor, and once you get there, another steward is awaiting to take you the rest of the
way.
When we got to our cabin (deck 11, cabin B503), we noticed that our names were on the
placard next to the door. The
Grand also has a kind of mail slot that has your room number on it in which they put your
daily Princess Patter and other
correspondence.
CABINS: My father and I had a cabin with a balcony. We chose the cabins on deck 11 with
the shorter balconies so we
wouldn’t have people peering over at us as we enjoyed our balcony. The cabin
arrangement is different on Grand
Princess than on other lines we’ve cruised. They don’t use the usual straight
line cabin approach with closet on one side,
bathroom on the other, they use a hallway on one side with a mini hallway going to the
bathroom that has your closet and
some drawer space. Awaiting us in our closet were 2 terry cloth robes…ahh, comfort!!
The bathrooms were extremely
generous size with a big shower. You’ll be glad to know that you can use the toilet
and not have to worry about having the
door open to have room for your feet.
The cabin was decorated very nicely. The beds are arranged from the long wall out, leaving
a little aisle for you to walk on
past. In the corner by the sliding doors to the balcony was a nice size refrigerator and
television. Out on the balcony we
had 2 patio lounge chairs and a table.
My fiance and her family had a cabin on 5 deck that was a quad. It was about the same size
as ours, with a little different
layout. Both cabins were very comfortable for a week cruise, The only downside was that
there wasn’t a lot of storage
space, so pack light.
THE CRUISE: The hurricane had just left the Caribbean and destroyed St Maarten, so we
didn’t know our itinerary until we
got to our cabin and read the Princess Patter. We were going to redirect and substitute
San Juan for St Maarten, which
was fine with me.
We left on time that Sunday at 7:45pm….smooth seas for the first 2 days at sea. This
works out well because the ship is
so big, you can use the time to find your way around and take advantage of this beautiful
ship. We were never left without
anything to do for those 2 days…always activities!!!
On Wednesday we pulled into St Thomas… you don’t realize how big the ship is
until you take the tram to the lookout
point and see the Grandeur of the Seas behind us. Grand makes Grandeur look like a small
ship. After going to the
lookout point, we went into town and shopped, then went back to the ship to change for a
great trip to Magens Bay. We
left St Thomas after dark, what a perfect way to go, watching the sunset over St Thomas.
The ship has a great sail away
party from St Thomas in the back of the ship under the “shopping cart”
handle….very festive!!!
Thursday we arrived at San Juan…unfortunately, being Thanksgiving, not much was open.
This ended up working out
great, it gave us time to walk to both forts, San Christobal and El Morro. Unfortunately,
neither were open, but is was still
nice to see them from the outside. What a great place for pictures. We stopped on the way
back from the forts at a corner
bar, reminiscent of Key West…. As we sailed away from San Juan at sunset, we were
passing El Morro on the way
out….absolutely beautiful!!! What a memorable Thanksgiving.
Friday was the last sea day… one last chance to get the sea air and sun….
Saturday was Princess Cays in the Bahamas…. Absolutely the best private island there
is by any cruise line. Cays is
beautiful and very well taken care of. Princess has certainly put time into this island
because it runs so organized with the
meal service and the accomodations on the island. Make sure you acquire a hammock early if
you want one because
there aren’t too many….
Sunday and disembarkation….the saddest point of the week. We were off the ship by
8:30am…. They need to work on
this yet. Our bags were not were they were supposed to be, so it took us a little extra
time to find them….be prepared.
THE SHIP: One word, beautiful!! This ship was so well designed that you really don’t
need a map to get around. For being
as big as it is, you very seldom have congestion problems. The only time you realize there
are 2,500 people on board is
when you want an elevator during meal times or in port. Plan on waiting a while.
The centrum spans 3 decks and is arranged very well. Not as many shops as I thought there
would be, so don’t plan on
shopping a lot on board. The boutique has very limited Grand Princess shirts or
souveniers, they have opted to just put
“Princess Cruises” on everything….I guess it increases their buying power
in the t-shirt arena. The Promenade Bar is a
relaxing spot where they have a piano player at night. It is also adjacent to the
pasteria/caviar bar.
The dining rooms are located just off the atrium on deck 5 and deck 6. We were in the
Michelangelo Restaurant on deck
5. The dining room is very elegant looking, although the service from the waiters is poor
and needs refinement. They do
not have wine stewards, so be prepared to order wine from your waiter (I did this once, I
asked his opinion on 2 bottles of
wine, and he had no clue what I was asking). The head waiters are very involved in your
dining experience and make
pasta 2 nights and desert 2 nights. Finally, the assistant waiters do the baked alaska
parade, not the waiters.. One
comment, that was the absolute best Baked Alaska I have ever had, reminded me of how ships
used to prepare it….not
how it usually is now.
They have 3 main theaters for your nightly entertainment with at least 3 different shows
nightly. The Princess Theater is
the mail show lounge and is arranged like a theater. No bar service in this lounge. The
Explorers Lounge is located mid
ship and is open to the inside promenade. They have comedians and the
“passenger” shows here. Nicely decorated
lounge, makes you feel like you are Indiana Jones….really cool. The last lounge is
the Vista Lounge located aft. This is
where the production shows are done. Very poor sightlines….get there early.
The most elegant lounge is the Wheelhouse Bar….cherry wood paneling and cruise ship
models. They play club music
here for classic dancing. Very relaxing bar for after dinner drinks.
Skywalkers is the “shopping cart handle” located 15 stories above sea. The disco
has a different appeal depending on
when you are there. In the daytime, it is a great observation lounge to see for miles, and
at night, you take the moving
walkway into the future…..really cool!!
OVERALL: I would rate Princess right up there with Celebrity….the only downfall is
the dining service. The food is good,
but the professionalism is lacking. Celebrity is the king in that category and places it a
tad higher on the Dan scale of
cruise lines over Princess. The rest of the staff and the cruise itself are top notch!!! I
would highly recommend this ship to
anyone looking for a great experience…..
One thing to consider, regardless of how calm the seas were, the Grand moved!!! There was
no side to side motion, only
constand pitching….maybe because it is so tall and long….. but even in 2 ft
seas, it was up and down.
Name: Rick & Diane Richardson
Email: brichar499@erols.com
Age: 52
Occupation: government
NumberOfCruises: 5
TravelAgent: No
Ship: Princess-Grand
SailingDate: 12/5/99
Itinerary: Eastern Caribbean
Cabin: P301
FoodDiningRoom: 90
CruiseDirector: 98
CabinComfort: 85
FoodRoomService: n/a
CruiseStaff: 95
CabinAmenities: 90
FoodLidoDeck: 85
DiningRoomService: 90
CabinQuietness: 94
FoodMidnightBuffets: n/a
CabinSteward: 95
ShoreExcVariety: 92
FoodVariety: 90
DeckService: 90
ShoreExcValue: 80
GoodForHoneymoon: n/a
CasinoStaff: n/a
PrivateIsland: 99
GoodForFamilies: 95
LoungeService: 90
TenderService: 90
GoodForSeniors: 95
BeautySalonStaff: n/a
EntertainmentLounges: 96
WheelchairAccess: 95
ExerciseFacilities: 98
EntertShowLounge: 98
OverallPortsofCall: 85
BeautySalon: n/a
EntertainmentPoolside: 80
CruiseActivities: 90
Casino: 90
AirSeaProgram: 85
MedicalFacilities: n/a
ShipCleanliness: 94
EmbarkDisembark: 95
DiscoNightclubs: 92
DeckSpace: 90
Stabilization: 92
ShopsOnBoard: 90
SpaceRatio: 85
OverallCruiseValue: 90
Submit: Submit Review
Date: 15 Dec 1999
Time: 16:31:33
Remote Name: 207-172-62-14.s14.tnt2.rcm.va.dialup.rcn.com
Remote User:
Comments
We chose Grand Princess for our 5th cruise because of its size. We saw the ship in port
last year during a
cruise on Celebrity's Mercury and we just had to do it based on appearance alone. We had
also heard
good comments about Princess.
The pluses include outstanding entertainment variety, smooth embark and disembark, very
good food, and
the enormity of the ship and its variety of activity. Service is first rate and there is a
sense of personality
not found on other lines from the Capitan down to the service staff. Princess' private
island is outstanding
and a highlight of the trip.
On the down side, there are a number of deficiencies designed into the ship. The main
theatre is too small.
I have never been turned away from a show before but on this ship the theatre would often
fill up 30
minutes before showtime. There were frequent lines at public ladies rooms. Elevator
capacity is
inadequate.
On balance, another great cruise. We would sail Princess again, however, Celebrity edges
them out overall
because of their exquisite food.
Name: John Weibel
Email: wood_boat@yahoo.com
Age: 57
Occupation: Graphic Designer
NumberOfCruises: 2
TravelAgent: No
Ship: Princess-Grand
SailingDate: Oct. 31, 1999
Itinerary: 3 island/4 days at sea
Cabin: 323
FoodDiningRoom: 85
CruiseDirector: 75
CabinComfort: 95
FoodRoomService:
CruiseStaff: 75
CabinAmenities: 85
FoodLidoDeck: 75
DiningRoomService: 85
CabinQuietness: 95
FoodMidnightBuffets:
CabinSteward: 90
ShoreExcVariety: 95
FoodVariety: 85
DeckService: 75
ShoreExcValue: 85
GoodForHoneymoon:
CasinoStaff: 90
PrivateIsland: 85
GoodForFamilies: 85
LoungeService: 85
TenderService: 85
GoodForSeniors: 85
BeautySalonStaff:
EntertainmentLounges: 95
WheelchairAccess:
ExerciseFacilities: 95
EntertShowLounge: 95
OverallPortsofCall: 90
BeautySalon:
EntertainmentPoolside: 90
CruiseActivities: 90
Casino: 95
AirSeaProgram: 85
MedicalFacilities:
ShipCleanliness: 90
EmbarkDisembark: 50
DiscoNightclubs:
DeckSpace: 75
Stabilization: 65
ShopsOnBoard: 85
SpaceRatio: 75
OverallCruiseValue: 65
Submit: Submit Review
Date: 19 Dec 1999
Time: 18:50:10
Remote Name: 209.37.134.7
Remote User:
Comments
A Grand Nightmare on Grand Princess The following is a summation of our recent experience
on Grand
Princess, leaving Ft. Lauderdale Oct. 31st. It would take too long to relay all the
details but I'll try to give
you the high(low)lights. We were supposed to board at 1 p.m. on Sunday and sail at 7:45
p.m. We arrived
at Princess' pier at 11:30 a.m. allowing time to check in. Princess' employees told us
that the ship would be
an hour or so late, due to rough weather in their repositioning cruise across the
Atlantic, and that we would
be taken to a place where we could have something to eat. They also said a shuttle to a
nearby outlet mall
would be available. Our luggage was collected, including our carry-on bags. We were taken
to the Grand
Signature, a banquet center, and discharged to join hundreds of other people. A small
buffet with turkey
and ham sandwiches was available. After an hour or two, when it looked like nothing was
going on to get us
back on schedule, we inquired why we weren't being registered there while we waited, and
were told that
‘they were waiting for the computers from the ship to arrive’ so they could
start processing us. After
another hour or more, we were told that additional Princess employees were en route to the
holding center
and that when they arrived, we would be processed quickly.
By this time all the tables and chairs were filled
and people had nowhere to sit but on the stairs and on the floor in the hallways. By this
time (late
afternoon) people's tempers, both employees and passengers, were becoming strained. It
became clear
that none of the promises made by Princess employees were true. No computers were coming,
and no
additional staff was coming. Any time a Princess staff member was questioned about what
was going on,
they responded in a very unpleasant, irritated and nasty tone. Finally, we were told that
they would begin
processing our boarding information by hand. In one room, people whose last name began
with 'A' should
start lining up. Another room would begin with surnames beginning with 'N'. Several times,
announcements
made over the loudspeakers let us all know, in no uncertain terms, that only people with
those surnames
had better be in line. After an hour or more, no additional letters had been called.
People stood in line,
literally, for hours. I then discovered that they were no longer going in any particular
order. My wife then
got in line and started waiting for our turn to be registered. After another hour or more,
busses began to
arrive but we were told, that if we were in the room where the registration was taking
place, and not still
waiting in line in the hallway, we would be better off waiting to finishing registering
there. The others would
be registered at the ship. It took an additional hour and a half to get through the line.
It was about 9:30
p.m. when we finally finished our registration at the Grand Signature banquet facility and
were put on
busses back to the ship. When we got to the pier, we went to the line where people with
our stateroom
numbers were supposed to go, but there was no employee there to issue us our stateroom
keys. After
waiting (again) we complained and finally a gentleman working in another line came to help
us. Then, we
were yelled at to 'hurry, hurry!' to get our identification pictures taken. 'Smile!,
smile! Stand here! Hurry!
Now run over there where the cute little boarding picture would be taken. Smile, smile!'
At this point, no one
was in the mood to smile. Then we were told to hurry to the elevator and go directly to
the Horizon Court,
the buffet restaurant, to eat. When we got there, many of the food items were gone. We
later found out
that people who had gone to the ship immediately, instead of staying to register at the
banquet facility, had
had a sit down dinner. We had to make due with a pretty poor buffet, at 11:00 p.m. I went
to a nearby bar
and ordered 2 beers and a mixed drink which was on the drink menu, and was told by the
bartender that
he 'didn't have the proper ingredients to make that drink'. At 12:15 a.m. my
brother-in-law was told that all
the luggage was aboard and we would be departing momentarily. I took him to the top deck
railing and
showed him the many bins of luggage which still remained on the dock. We finally departed
the dock at
about 12:55 a.m. but our luggage was still nowhere to be found. Carry-on luggage with
medications
couldn't be located. (Remember, it was collected at 1 p.m....)
My sister-in-law was in need of some of her
personal supplies from her luggage. She went to the purser's desk and explained her
predicament, and
was given two pads for $1.29 which were charged to her stateroom! We finally turned in to
go to bed at
about 2 a.m without any sleeping clothes, toothpaste or toothbrushes. We had nothing but
the clothes we
had worn all day. A young man who was a baggage handler was exhausted in the hallway near
our rooms.
At 3 a.m., my brother-in-law went to locate his luggage. He found it down below and hauled
it up himself. He
also retrieved our luggage. Even after the horrible start to the cruise, I felt the staff
was under trained. The
wait-staff we spoke with told us they had only been employed aboard the ship between 3
months and 6
months. One morning at breakfast in the dining room, I asked for a croissant, as a subtle
reminder that the
server had forgotten to offer the bread tray to the table as he had on previous days. He
brought me the
croissant. I then requested that the tray be brought to the table for the others sitting
there. And I had to ask
again about five minutes later. I asked directions to a particular lounge and was told, 'I
think it's this was,
but you'd better ask someone else.' I found almost all of them to be very unfriendly,
aloof, and in a few
cases, rude. I spoke to a young man from England who was a drink server.
He told me he had been a
bartender in England and thought he should be a bartender on the ship. He said he wasn't
sure he would
sign on again after his initial contract had expired. A young woman from Poland told us a
similar story. It
seems to me that the employees aren’t happy, and have a difficult time keeping
passengers pleased. I
cruised five years ago and found it to be the best vacation I have ever taken. We sailed
on Norwegian's
Windward, which had a large number of Jamaican employees. Without exception, we were
treated as
though we were the most important person in the world. They were the most friendly, happy
and helpful
people to be with. At the end of the cruise, I felt as though our waiter and room steward
were our friends. I
have no such misgivings about the staff from Grand Princess. Over the course of the
cruise, I felt that the
stateroom was very nice, the ship is beautiful although it rides like a tank, and having a
private balcony was
a real treat and one of the highlights of the trip. There was only a light chop on the
water surface, yet the
ship rolled more than I think it should have. The Windward was a much smaller ship, but it
has been
lengthened since we were aboard. But I felt it was a more comfortable cruise. The on-board
entertainment
was very good and we all enjoyed it very much. I looked forward to a nightly midnight
buffet like we enjoyed
on the Windward; not so much for the food, but the theme of the day which permeates the
daily activities.
On Country Western Day, the wait staff dressed with bandannas around their necks and wore
jeans,
line-dance lessons were held pool side, on-deck western ice carvings were made, and
barbecue was the
featured item at the midnight buffet. On Caribbean Day, limbo contests, traditional
Caribbean rum drinks
were featured, and the highlight was the Caribbean midnight buffet. To my surprise,
Princess offered no
midnight buffet on the Grand. I guess that was my fault for assuming that the midnight
buffets were always
part of a top-notch cruise. One shore excursion I took was the Americas Cup Regatta on the
island of St.
Maarten. It was outstanding! If I’m ever in that part of the world again, I would be
sure to include this in my
itinerary. I felt that Princess Cruise Lines mishandled the entire fiasco at the start of
the cruise. We were
herded like cattle, lied to repeatedly and shouted at. We were kept in an area that was
unsafe due to
overcrowding and we were told that the only reason busses arrived when they did, is
because one of the
passengers called the local fire department and the fire marshall was dispatched to the
banquet facility. A
lot of people had seats at tables, but just as many had to sit on floors in hallways or on
staircases, or on
the ground outside. I understand the frustration of the Princess employees, but I feel
there is a massive
distinction between their frustration and ours. They were being paid to be there; we were
paying a lot of
money to be there. We were certainly not treated like passengers on a top-of-the-line
cruise ship. I feel
Princess Cruise Lines made another massive blunder, when, on the last night on our cruise,
a note was left
at our door stating that there would be no compensation for all we endured. Surly, a small
ship board credit
would have gone a long way to help passengers believe the company was truly sorry for our
shabby
treatment. It would have been an attempt to appease 2,600 unhappy passengers before we
left the ship.
Now, I'm sure that there are a lot more people who will never again sail with Princess.
Please feel free to
contact me at wood_boat@yahoo.com if you have any questions or comments.
P.S. A letter similar to this review was sent to Princess’ headquarters on November
18, 1999 and as yet, I
have not received the courtesy of a reply.
Sincerely, John 'Jack' Weibel
Name: Diane & Bernie Mogil
Email: comfy1617@worldnet.att.net
Age: 662 & 69
Occupation: retired
NumberOfCruises: 16
TravelAgent: No
Ship: Princess-Grand
SailingDate: 12/12/99
Itinerary: St. Thomas, St. Marteen, Princess Cay
Cabin: E605/ E
FoodDiningRoom: 90
CruiseDirector: 75
CabinComfort: 90
FoodRoomService:
CruiseStaff: 90
CabinAmenities: 90
FoodLidoDeck: 90
DiningRoomService: 90
CabinQuietness: 90
FoodMidnightBuffets:
CabinSteward: 95
ShoreExcVariety:
FoodVariety: 95
DeckService: 90
ShoreExcValue:
GoodForHoneymoon: 95
CasinoStaff: 85
PrivateIsland: 80
GoodForFamilies: 95
LoungeService: 90
TenderService: 90
GoodForSeniors: 95
BeautySalonStaff:
EntertainmentLounges: 95
WheelchairAccess: 85
ExerciseFacilities: 95
EntertShowLounge: 95
OverallPortsofCall: 85
BeautySalon:
EntertainmentPoolside: 85
CruiseActivities: 85
Casino: 85
AirSeaProgram:
MedicalFacilities: 90
ShipCleanliness: 95
EmbarkDisembark: 85
DiscoNightclubs: 85
DeckSpace: 85
Stabilization: 95
ShopsOnBoard: 90
SpaceRatio: 90
OverallCruiseValue: 100
Submit: Submit Review
Date: 20 Dec 1999
Time: 14:02:10
Remote Name: 51.tampa-18-19rs16rt.fl.dial-access.att.net
Remote User:
Comments
We have cruised 16 times, but never with Princess. I am sorry that we waited. The ship is
everything that it
is advertised to be, and everything that friends of ours who had sailed on her in the
Mediteranean said that
she would be. This was by far the best cruise that we have ever taken. Boarding was very
simple as we
had all of our paper work filled out and waiting along with picture identification, etc.
We got our room keys
(plastic cards) that also were set up as our ship board charge cards and
debarking/embarking I.D. cards at
this time. We had been told that we would be using a different boarding ramp than friends
of ours who were
also taking this cruise, but that didn't turn out to be the case as we all boarded using
the same ramp, as
did everyone else coming on board at that time. We easily found our cabin, located on the
Emerald deck.
In order to save a few dollars we had chosen a cabin with an 'obstructed' view.
The life boats and tenders
were outside the windows on our deck. We have done this in the past as we found that the
diagrams in the
cruise lines catalogs are very accurate depictions of the ships layout and when we find a
cabin with a
window between two boats we are fairly sure that we are going to get an excellent view.
That was the case
on the Grand. This also gives us a cabin on a higher deck. The cabin was very nicely
appointed. Not large,
but comfortable. There was a TV, refrigerator and room safe. Our friends complained that
the closet and
drawer space was not sufficient for them, but we had no such problem. As an aside they
also complained
that they took too many changes of clothes and we suppose that could have been the
problem. The room
also had a desk chair and an easy chair. The bathroom was small but adequate and we didn't
feel
squashed. The lotions, shampoos, etc. were top notch stuff. We very quickly met our room
steward Raul,
who knocked on the door shortly after we entered the room. He proved to be excellent at
his job, very
attentive and industrious. He greeted us by name whenever we met during the next 7 days.
We went to
have a quick look at some of the ship and when we returned a short time later, our baggage
had been
delivered. The mandatory muster station drill was, compared to all of the other ships that
we have been on,
a pleasure. Our station was a comfortable lounge and we got to sit during most of it. It
wasn't drawn out
and tedious. Our first dinner was a dissapointment. Not food wise but service.
We had a junior waiter and a
first time assistant waiter taking care of our table for six and a table for eight and
another six table. We felt
that we were being ignored in favor of the other tables throughout the meal, and indeed,
we were still
sitting and waiting for our dessert menus after the other tables had finished and vacated.
A quiet talk with
the maitre de and service improved remarkably for the rest of the meals that we had in
that dining room,
the Da Vinci. We had few complaints about the food. The chefs do beef very well. We had
two experiences
with fish that caused us not order it again during the trip. We had ordered grilled
mahi-mahi and grilled
salmon. Both looked like they had been grilled, but tasted as if they had been poached
first and then put
on a grill to get the burn marks. We would also recommend to Princess that they add
sherbert to the nightly
menus, and that they institute continental service for vegies and potatoes. We were
continually asking for
more of them as what comes on the plate with the order is adequate for models only. We ate
all of our
breakfasts and lunches up in the Horizon Court on the Lido deck.
This is the buffet resteraunt that is open
24 hours. What a great idea. No time restrictions. Come in any time to get something to
eat or snack on, or
grab a cup of coffee or tea or milk, or just plain ice water. Great variety and what is
suppossed to be cold is
and (amazing for ship's buffets) what is meant to be hot really is. There was plenty of
seating space
available, and if you wanted to you could eat out by the pools that are located
immediately forward of the
Court (two of them), or overlooking the pool immediately to the rear of the Court. The
personnel were very
attentive and would fetch you drinks if you were to lazy to get up and pour them yourself,
and they kept the
tables cleaned off and available. The entertainment was super. We saw three shows one
night. We never
had trouble finding seating in any of the lounges or show rooms. The Princess theatre
where the major
shows are staged is set up like a regular theatre without tables, and amazingly enough
there are no bar
waiters/waitresses circling around trying to get drink sales, or delivering drinks during
a show and getting in
your field of vision. We think that it is wonderful that Princess gave up a profit source
for the
viewing/listening pleasure of their passengers. They are to be applauded for that. This is
the only place on
the ship that doesn't seem to be handicap friendly, as two entrances are through hallways
with steep stairs
in them, and two have 'terraces' that have to be navigated. I would think that people in
wheel chairs or on
walkers would find this place tough to get into. The dance/singing cast was immense by
cruise standards
and more importantly were very talented and energetic.
They put on great shows. I think that we were in
the minority in our dislike of the cruise director. We found his voice and accent
annoying, and his
mannerisms too. We have to give his administrative abilities top marks though. The
specialty acts were
also very good. The featured performer for the week was Marty Allen who'se comedy kept us
in stitches.
He was accompanied by his very talented and beautiful wife and they put on a great show.
The casino is
very large and amazingly enough to the delight of many passengers there were nickel slot
machines. Now if
they would put in some two dollar blackjack tables, wow! We had been to St. Thomas and St.
Marteen
several times so we stayed on the ship. We got off at the private island just to see what
it was like, and I
suppose that if you like a lot of people at the beach you would like this. It wasn't our
thing, but it seems to
be well thought out. Unfortunately for the beach goers, it was an overcast day with not
too much sun and
some heavy rain. Debarking back at Ft. Lauderdale was uncomplicated and went pretty
smoothly. We
actually got off the ship an hour earlier than we anticipated. We hated having to get off
the ship, and if our
budget allowed it we would rebook in a flash. Great ship. For the most part wonderful
attention to the care,
feeding and entertaining of the passengers. Good job, Princess.
Name: Penny M. Mack
Email: jpmack@peoplepc.com
Age: 37
Occupation: manager, print shop
NumberOfCruises: 3
TravelAgent: No
Ship: Princess-Grand
SailingDate: 2/7/99
Itinerary: Caribbean
Cabin: outside stateroom
FoodDiningRoom: 88
CruiseDirector: 90
CabinComfort: 92
FoodRoomService: 88
CruiseStaff: 88
CabinAmenities: 92
FoodLidoDeck: 90
DiningRoomService: 85
CabinQuietness: 92
FoodMidnightBuffets: 92
CabinSteward: 88
ShoreExcVariety: 90
FoodVariety: 90
DeckService: 88
ShoreExcValue: 90
GoodForHoneymoon:
CasinoStaff: 88
PrivateIsland: 90
GoodForFamilies:
LoungeService: 88
TenderService: 92
GoodForSeniors:
BeautySalonStaff: 88
EntertainmentLounges: 92
WheelchairAccess:
ExerciseFacilities: 90
EntertShowLounge: 96
OverallPortsofCall: 88
BeautySalon: 90
EntertainmentPoolside: 96
CruiseActivities: 88
Casino: 90
AirSeaProgram: 90
MedicalFacilities:
ShipCleanliness: 90
EmbarkDisembark: 96
DiscoNightclubs: 92
DeckSpace: 94
Stabilization: 88
ShopsOnBoard: 90
SpaceRatio: 94
OverallCruiseValue: 90
Submit: Submit Review
Date: 13 Jan 2000
Time: 14:56:05
Remote Name: ppp-370.tnt-1.dbry.smartworld.net
Remote User:
Comments
Our overall experience with the Grand Princess was very good. The embarking/disembarking procedures are very
efficient and smooth. We were also very pleasantly surprised at how quickly the tender services were able to get such
a large number of passengers efficiently off the ship in such an organized, prompt manner. The entertainment was
absolutely superb ... from the wonderful pool band to the unbelievable shows ... absolutely no room for improvement in
this category! However, we were not as pleased with our dining room staff. Unlike other cruise lines, they just didn't
seem to anticipate our needs or remember our favorite things. I was also surprised that soda was served in cans, at
the dining table. The food was not as good as we had hoped, but there was a nice variety of chices. We just felt that
the overall attention to minute detail was not quite up to par. But overall, a very well run ship and the amenties were
endless. A very nice vacation experience!
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