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Note - this page contains multiple reviews.
Name: Mark Mace
Email: markmace@yahoo.com
Age: 47
Occupation: Engineering Construction Inspector
NumberOfCruises: 0
TravelAgent: No
Ship: Princess-Grand
SailingDate: January 2 2000
Itinerary: Eastern Caribbean
Cabin: P 229
FoodDiningRoom: 100
CruiseDirector: 95
CabinComfort: 100
FoodRoomService:
CruiseStaff: 90
CabinAmenities: 100
FoodLidoDeck: 95
DiningRoomService:
CabinQuietness: 100
FoodMidnightBuffets:
CabinSteward: 100
ShoreExcVariety: 85
FoodVariety: 100
DeckService: 100
ShoreExcValue: 75
GoodForHoneymoon:
CasinoStaff: 95
PrivateIsland: 100
GoodForFamilies: 85
LoungeService: 85
TenderService: 100
GoodForSeniors: 90
BeautySalonStaff:
EntertainmentLounges: 100
WheelchairAccess: 90
ExerciseFacilities: 85
EntertShowLounge: 100
OverallPortsofCall: 85
BeautySalon:
EntertainmentPoolside: 75
CruiseActivities: 90
Casino: 75
AirSeaProgram:
MedicalFacilities: 50
ShipCleanliness: 100
EmbarkDisembark: 50
DiscoNightclubs:
DeckSpace: 75
Stabilization: 95
ShopsOnBoard: 100
SpaceRatio: 85
OverallCruiseValue: 88
Submit: Submit Review
Date: 21 Jan 2000
Time: 11:56:08
Remote Name: user33235.public.state.mt.us
Remote User:
Comments
My wife and I made this cruise our 25th wedding anniversary,and we were more than amazed at the size
of the Grand Princess. We had a couple other family members who had been on a few cruises before,
so we did get comparisons from time to time. My wife and I, both had a great experience. The people
were very friendly and clean. The ship was very clean and new, and we loved the food and service. We
did however have a tough time finding enough deck chairs on the sun decks, due to some people
saving chairs with towels and books and such, and partly due to our groups size. The elevators were
full at peak times, thats to be expected. The lines did appear from time to time, especially during
embarkation and disembarkation. I did witness a medical alert at a table during a wine tasting session,
and it was handled very poorly and no medical help came for at least 20 to 25 minuets. I hope that can
improve in the future. Some of our party members were overbooked on a few excursions and were
bumped off to have nothing to do. My wife and I lost only one excursion. We did make up for it shopping
though. We had a ball on the Wild Thing in St Thomas. The St. Johns tour needs more to it. We think
the St. Maartens stop could have been eliminated. I didn't care for the island, but I do realize it was so
dirty due to the recent hurricane. In St. Maartens defense, We did have a fair time in Marigot shopping.
Our favorite stop by far, was the private island Princess cays. What a great finish to a cool cruise.
Thanks Princess for a fun time. Hopefully we will be back sooner than we first thought.
Name: Mel Goff
Email: mgoff@pcisys.net
Age: 54
Occupation: Business Analyst
NumberOfCruises: 2
TravelAgent: No
Ship: Princess-Grand
SailingDate: 01/09/2000
Itinerary: Eastern Caribbean
Cabin: C626
FoodDiningRoom: 95
CruiseDirector: 90
CabinComfort: 90
FoodRoomService: 95
CruiseStaff: 95
CabinAmenities: 90
FoodLidoDeck: 98
DiningRoomService: 90
CabinQuietness: 98
FoodMidnightBuffets:
CabinSteward: 100
ShoreExcVariety: 80
FoodVariety: 100
DeckService: 70
ShoreExcValue: 80
GoodForHoneymoon:
CasinoStaff: 90
PrivateIsland:
GoodForFamilies: 90
LoungeService: 95
TenderService: 95
GoodForSeniors: 95
BeautySalonStaff:
EntertainmentLounges: 100
WheelchairAccess:
ExerciseFacilities: 95
EntertShowLounge: 100
OverallPortsofCall: 85
BeautySalon:
EntertainmentPoolside: 85
CruiseActivities: 100
Casino: 95
AirSeaProgram:
MedicalFacilities:
ShipCleanliness: 100
EmbarkDisembark: 100
DiscoNightclubs: 95
DeckSpace: 90
Stabilization: 95
ShopsOnBoard: 90
SpaceRatio: 95
OverallCruiseValue: 100
Submit: Submit Review
Date: 28 Jan 2000
Time: 10:38:06
Remote Name: 166.34.140.31
Remote User:
Comments
We had a grand vacation on the Grand Princess. We arrived a day early in Ft. Lauderdale, and
stayed at the Marriott Harbor Beach Resort. We recommend it highly. Princess had bus service to
the port that was on time and very handy.
Embarkation was very smooth. Four full busses arrived at the same time, and yet we were through
the boarding process in less than 20 minutes. Even though we booked late (3 weeks before sailing),
there were no snags. We got the cabin we had booked, all paperwork was ready, and we were
onboard and having fun by noon.
The Grand is a gorgeous ship, and even with over 2500 passengers we never felt crowded. There
were some tie-ups at the elevators during peak times, but that is to be expected. The ship itself is all
you could ask for, with places like the casino and Skywalkers Lounge for noise and fun, and quiet
lounges for relaxing.
The highlight of the cruise was the production shows. They were truly as good as any we have seen
anywhere - land or sea. The talent and enthusiasm of the dancers and singers was infectious. The
two couples at our evening dining table had been on more than 60 cruises between them, and they
also raved about the shows. We also enjoyed watching playoff football by satellite in the sports bar,
seeing movies in the theater, and taking part in the endless shipboard activities.
There were only 3 ports-of-call, St Thomas, St Maarten, and Princess Cays. We loved St Thomas.
We took an island tour with great views and great shopping. We visited the Hard Rock Cafe to
gather collectibles, and took some great photos of the scenery. We enjoyed St Maarten more than
some others on our cruise, but it had to do with the activities we chose. I went on the snorkle tour of
Shipwreck Cove. The guide with the advanced group was fun and informative. He knew just where to
look to find some sea life I would have missed on my own. My wife took a Sea & See trip that
included a semi-submersible ship for viewing fish that were attracted by a diver who was feeding
them. Due to very rough seas on the last day of the cruise we chose not to tender to Princess Cays,
so I can only say that others enjoyed themselves by there was no sun that day, so they were
unhappy about that.
Our stateroom was on Carib deck and had an extended balcony. It was great to have the larger
deck and we recommend it. We spent more time on the balcony than we did on our first cruise. (You
can see my review under the Dawn Princess for Jan, 98) The room was much like the Dawn, but if
memory serves, the closet/drawer space on the Dawn was bigger. Our cabin steward was excellent,
as were the wait staff. Do yourselves a favor and have a couple of lunches in the dining rooms
rather than the buffet. You meet some great folks and you get to be pampered a little more. The
hamburger grille on the Lido Deck is excellent and fast, and after all you can only have so much
gourmet food before you need a burger and fries. Also, be sure to have a meal at the southwestern
restaurant. It was very good, and the margaritas in every lounge were excellent.
I could go on and on, but suffice it to say we had a terrific vacation and see no reason not to
consider Princess for our next cruise. I have some pictures on my webpage. If you are interested,
send me an email at the above address and I'll send you the URL. If you were on the cruise, I look
forward to your review.
Name: Keith Hendershot
Email: Keithh000@hotmail.com
Age: 39
Occupation: Insurance salesman
NumberOfCruises: 1
TravelAgent: No
Ship: Princess-Grand
SailingDate: 1/16/00
Itinerary: St. Thomas, St. Martin, Princess Cays
Cabin: ee
FoodDiningRoom: 97
CruiseDirector: 95
CabinComfort: 93
FoodRoomService: 95
CruiseStaff: 95
CabinAmenities: 93
FoodLidoDeck: 94
DiningRoomService: 100
CabinQuietness: 94
FoodMidnightBuffets: 93
CabinSteward: 96
ShoreExcVariety: 93
FoodVariety: 96
DeckService: 94
ShoreExcValue: 85
GoodForHoneymoon: 95
CasinoStaff: 87
PrivateIsland: 92
GoodForFamilies: 95
LoungeService: 91
TenderService: 94
GoodForSeniors:
BeautySalonStaff:
EntertainmentLounges: 94
WheelchairAccess:
ExerciseFacilities: 94
EntertShowLounge: 96
OverallPortsofCall: 93
BeautySalon:
EntertainmentPoolside: 93
CruiseActivities: 93
Casino: 90
AirSeaProgram:
MedicalFacilities:
ShipCleanliness: 97
EmbarkDisembark: 96
DiscoNightclubs: 95
DeckSpace: 95
Stabilization: 96
ShopsOnBoard: 93
SpaceRatio: 93
OverallCruiseValue: 95
Submit: Submit Review
Date: 30 Jan 2000
Time: 10:21:18
Remote Name: 1cust221.tnt1.veg1.da.uu.net
Remote User:
Comments
Absolutely the best vacation of my life. The ship is beautiful, the service was great it was an all
around great time. The staff on this ship was so helpful and friendly I dreaded going back home to
Las Vegas where just the opposite exists. The variety and quality of the food could not be beat
whether in the dining room, the buffet, poolside or in the cabin. I certainly didn't lose any weight on
this cruise.
The kids programs were fantastic, my kids couldn't wait to get back to them each day and hated to
leave each night. The staff was wonderful and the activities fun and stimulating.
Since we had children with us, my wife and I took the first seating for dinner, this caused the only
problem of the whole vacation. By the time we were done eating and we got the kids to their
programs, the showrooms were already quite full. One night we had to forego seeing a show and
other nights we had to sit higher up than we would have liked. But the entertainment was top-rate
and would have been worth it if we had to stand to see it.
The ports that we visited, although very nice, came secondary to the experience onboard. We could
have stayed on the ship and had a fantastic vacation. But we didn't. From the tenders which were
very organized, quick, and spacious to the friendly and knowledgable cabdrivers on the islands
everything seemed like a dream. Everybody was so friendly and did their part like they had done it a
thousand times before (they probably had) making the whole experience run smooth without a hitch.
All in all this is one vacation that I intend to repeat again and again. I may choose other destinations
but for the service, quality and value I will definitely choose Princess every time.
Name: Mr. & Mrs. Kenneth Saxon
Email: kmbls@aol.com
Age: 56
Occupation: retired
NumberOfCruises: 5
TravelAgent: No
Ship: Princess-Grand
SailingDate: 27 Nov 99
Itinerary: Eastern Caribbean
Cabin: P2402
FoodDiningRoom: 85
CruiseDirector: 90
CabinComfort: 45
FoodRoomService:
CruiseStaff: 90
CabinAmenities: 80
FoodLidoDeck: 80
DiningRoomService: 85
CabinQuietness: 0
FoodMidnightBuffets:
CabinSteward: 40
ShoreExcVariety:
FoodVariety: 80
DeckService: 95
ShoreExcValue:
GoodForHoneymoon:
CasinoStaff:
PrivateIsland: 80
GoodForFamilies:
LoungeService: 85
TenderService: 90
GoodForSeniors:
BeautySalonStaff:
EntertainmentLounges: 90
WheelchairAccess:
ExerciseFacilities:
EntertShowLounge: 90
OverallPortsofCall: 50
BeautySalon:
EntertainmentPoolside:
CruiseActivities:
Casino: 90
AirSeaProgram:
MedicalFacilities:
ShipCleanliness: 95
EmbarkDisembark: 95
DiscoNightclubs: 80
DeckSpace: 80
Stabilization: 70
ShopsOnBoard: 70
SpaceRatio: 75
OverallCruiseValue: 75
Submit: Submit Review
Date: 30 Jan 2000
Time: 20:18:27
Remote Name: spider-wb051.proxy.aol.com
Remote User:
Comments
This was a rather disappointing cruise for us. We had heard mixed reviews from prior passengers
on the Grand Princess but decided to book on her and go with an open mind. Upon arriving in our
cabin (an inside one)we noticed that there were several wooden "shims/wedges" placed between
the top of the wall and the ceiling. I didn't think anything of this until the noise in that cabin kept us
from sleeping. It sounded like someone was prying open a wooden crate with a crow bar. After
several nights of getting no more than a couple of hours sleep each night we notified the front desk.
At midnight one night, the night manager came to our cabin and admitted that it was extremely
noisy. He also admitted that there had been problems with that cabin previously. He quickly found
another cabin and moved us...well, actually we moved ourselves as there was no stewards on duty
to help us!!! I think it's very poor of the cruise line to place passengers in a cabin that is known to
have problems and expect them to enjoy their cruise!
Another disappointment was the fact that we purchased a piece of jewelry from one of the
recommended jewelers. They were not only recommended by the port expert on shopping, but were
also listed in the daily newsletter as one of the most reputable jewelers on St. Thomas. When I went
to pick this piece of jewelry up before returning to the ship, I was told by the sales person that the
promised certificate of authenticity would be mailed to my home and not given to me at that time.
She made quite a point to get my home address. To this date, 30 Jan 00, and after numerous
e-mails to said jeweler, I still do not have the certificate!!! The jeweler has not even had the courtesy
to acknowledge my inquiries. I will never purchase anything else from Omni Jewelers on St. Thomas.
We are frequent cruisers, but will not take another ship this large. There seem to be too many
problems. Even the night manager admitted that these large ships are quite noisy in certain places
due to the fact that they flex so much. What a shame that the only time that the passenger finds out
is after they've paid their fares and are in hopes of a restful vacation!!!
Name: Paul Eichman
Email: anton22@home.com
Age: 69
Occupation: retired
NumberOfCruises: 2
TravelAgent: No
Ship: Princess-Grand
SailingDate: 1/30/00
Itinerary: Caribbean
Cabin: C726
FoodDiningRoom: 85
CruiseDirector: 90
CabinComfort: 90
FoodRoomService: 85
CruiseStaff: 95
CabinAmenities: 85
FoodLidoDeck: 85
DiningRoomService: 95
CabinQuietness: 90
FoodMidnightBuffets:
CabinSteward: 95
ShoreExcVariety:
FoodVariety: 90
DeckService: 95
ShoreExcValue:
GoodForHoneymoon:
CasinoStaff:
PrivateIsland: 90
GoodForFamilies:
LoungeService: 95
TenderService: 80
GoodForSeniors: 95
BeautySalonStaff:
EntertainmentLounges: 85
WheelchairAccess:
ExerciseFacilities:
EntertShowLounge: 85
OverallPortsofCall: 85
BeautySalon:
EntertainmentPoolside: 90
CruiseActivities: 90
Casino:
AirSeaProgram: 80
MedicalFacilities:
ShipCleanliness: 90
EmbarkDisembark: 95
DiscoNightclubs:
DeckSpace: 90
Stabilization: 95
ShopsOnBoard: 87
SpaceRatio: 85
OverallCruiseValue: 90
Submit: Submit Review
Date: 08 Feb 2000
Time: 12:59:00
Remote Name: proxy3-external.nash1.tn.home.com
Remote User:
Comments
Just returned from the 1/30/00 cruise on the Grand Princess. This was our 3rd cruise but first with
Princess. We were extremely pleased with most aspects of the cruise. Our biggest problems
stemmed from our travel to and from Ft Lauderdale with delta. Another tale. As for the cruise itself I
couldn't have been more pleased with the embarkation procedures (about 15 min if you had your
paperwork filled out) and debarkation where the airlines had reps on board the ship with your
boarding passes -avoiding airport ck in- and customs officials on board to collect any duty owed.
Took less than 20 min for both. The food was very good-not always 5 star but close. We ate in the
Painted Desert one night and Sabitinis another. Both excellent. For breakfast we opted for the
continental served in the cabin except for 2 mornings where we chose the dining room. Did not
partake the buffet except for lunch one day so have no opinion to share. Did take advantage of the
pizza bar several days-very good- as was the hamburger bar. Our cabin was on the Caribe deck(10)
and had a large balcony. The room was average size-not overly large. Ship didn't appear overly
crowded except for the sunning days at sea when lounges were at a premium. Plenty of lounges to
relax in and enjoy your favorite beverage. Entertainment was mostly good although some shows
were less than exciting. We chose no off ship tours as we had already been to St Thomas and St
Maarten, instead we just went ashore for a few hrs and shopped. Negatives were few. For openers
you must pay for your ice cream-no more open ice-cream bar. Elevators were mostly slow-we did a
lot of stair climbing. Tender service to St Maarten was time consuming but the service to the
Princess Cay was fine. The outing at Princess Cay was great-a nice change. As for service it was
outstanding throughout the voyage-couldn't ask for better. Princess does a bang-up job. Now all we
have to do is recover.
Name: Les Weir
Email: weirl@xcelco.on.ca
Age: 45
Occupation: Police Officer
NumberOfCruises: 1
TravelAgent: No
Ship: Princess-Grand
SailingDate: 13 February 2000
Itinerary: Eastern Caribbean
Cabin: C747
FoodDiningRoom: 100
CruiseDirector: 99
CabinComfort: 90
FoodRoomService: 85
CruiseStaff: 90
CabinAmenities: 85
FoodLidoDeck: 95
DiningRoomService: 99
CabinQuietness: 95
FoodMidnightBuffets: 80
CabinSteward: 90
ShoreExcVariety: 70
FoodVariety: 99
DeckService: 89
ShoreExcValue: 70
GoodForHoneymoon: 90
CasinoStaff: 80
PrivateIsland: 99
GoodForFamilies: 99
LoungeService: 80
TenderService: 90
GoodForSeniors: 90
BeautySalonStaff:
EntertainmentLounges: 89
WheelchairAccess:
ExerciseFacilities:
EntertShowLounge: 95
OverallPortsofCall: 78
BeautySalon:
EntertainmentPoolside: 89
CruiseActivities: 90
Casino: 80
AirSeaProgram: 80
MedicalFacilities:
ShipCleanliness: 95
EmbarkDisembark: 99
DiscoNightclubs:
DeckSpace: 80
Stabilization: 95
ShopsOnBoard:
SpaceRatio: 85
OverallCruiseValue: 98
Submit: Submit Review
Date: 21 Feb 2000
Time: 14:12:46
Remote Name: sarusr-ip236.xcelco.on.ca
Remote User:
Comments
My wife and I and my cousin and her husband just got back from a one-week cruise on the Grand
Princess. This was our 25th wedding anniversary and we thought we would like to do something
special. This was indeed a memorable trip. On arriving at the docks at Port Everglades in Fort
Lauderdale we were totally overwhelmed at the immense size and beauty of the Grand Princess as it
towers about 150 feet above the edge of the dock dwarfing other cruise ships in the vicinity. We
arrived at the dock at about noon on the embarkation day along with what appeared to be most of
the other voyagers. I immediately thought that it was going to be a nightmare to board this vessel
but the Princess Cruises people have this process down pat and within about 15 minutes we were
on board and headed for our stateroom.
It was an extremely smooth process throughout. We
originally had a room on a lower deck but were upgraded to a room on the Caribe deck on our
arrival. Our first impression of the room was that it was small. This was our first cruise so we had
nothing to compare. We were at the rear of the ship and situated beside a suite. We managed to
sneak a peak inside the suite and it was fairly lucrative compared to our room but you get what you
pay for. The rooms had mirrors on two walls, which did provide the illusion that it was bigger than it
actually was. We did not spend that much time in the room throughout the week so the size did not
bother us. It was well maintained for us throughout the week by a very hard working, polite and
helpful Stewart and was immaculately cleaned, comfortable and amazingly quiet for our entire trip.
We found it to be an adventure finding our way around the ship for the first couple of days. It is
huge but once you get to know your way around you realize that the Princess Cruise people and
builders put a lot of thought and effort into the layout.
Opulence is abundant wherever you go on
the ship. We had first sitting in the Bottecelli Room (restaurant). We were seated with another two
couples who turned out to be from the same part of the country as ourselves. Subsequently, we had
a lot in common and it made for easy refreshing dinner conversation. I have a sneaking suspicion
that this might have been planned by the Cruise people to make the dining experience even more
enjoyable. The food for the entire week was absolutely amazing in both presentation and taste. It
gave us the opportunity to experience foods from all parts of the world and items that I would not
dream of ordering up in a regular restaurant because of the price. This was all included in the cruise
package of course. The staff in the formal restaurants including the Maitre De, the HeadWaiter and
his Assistant was very professional and courteous and gave us their full attention during dinner. The
other main dining option was the Horizon Court, which is a huge buffet, which runs down both sides
of the ship near the back (aft) of the ship.
The presentation, selection and taste of the food in this
area was also phenomenal and a cruiser could very well have all of their meals right in this area if
they were so inclined. We ate breakfast and lunch here most days but opted for the pampering in
the Bottecelli Room for all of our dinners. There were tons of things going on throughout the day.
This was usually initiated the previous night with a daily paper put out by the ship called The
Princess Patter. This paper listed the upcoming day’s events including the nightly entertainment,
allowing you to plan your day to the ultimate. This was supplemented by a morning show put on by
the Cruise Director, called Big G TV, which was both entertaining and informative. We have been to
Las Vegas 5 times in the past ten years and the entertainment we saw on this trip easily matched
the lucrative Vegas entertainment. We were even fortunate enough to have Marty Allen and his wife
entertain us onboard and he graciously agreed to pose with us for a picture. We booked two tours
on the trip; one in St.Martin/ Sin Maarten and the other in St. Thomas. St. Thomas was the first tour
and although the view of the harbor in St Thomas was amazing the tour was a little disappointing.
This tour was completed by a scenic cable car ride up the mountain, which unfortunately was
manned by some individuals who were obviously bored and very impatient with tourists. St. Thomas
is set up as a shopping center for the tourists but we found the so-called low jewelry prices less than
attractive. St. Martin had obviously suffered from the hurricane last year and appeared to be trying
to recover. We found that it was really not a very pretty place generally. We had a great say at
Princess Cays in the Bahamas in the Saturday of the cruise. We have visited the Bahamas before
and enjoyed it immensely. There was one down side to the package that we bought. We left it with
Princess to arrange an air/sea package. We had no problems getting to Fort Lauderdale but the
return trip called for a connection involving a two hour layover and a further two hours of flying
time.Minor detail really in an otherwise perfect vacation. Over all the ship, crew, entertainment,
restaurants and staff were even more than we could have expected. We will definitely cruise with
Princess Cruise Lines again.
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