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Note - this page contains multiple reviews.
Name: Dean Harrington
Email: dean@shamrock-financial.com
Age: 39
Occupation: President, mortgage company
NumberOfCruises: 1
TravelAgent: No
Ship: Princess-Grand
SailingDate: 09/21/2000
Itinerary: Mederterainan
Cabin: D121
FoodDiningRoom: 95
CruiseDirector: 90
CabinComfort: 95
FoodRoomService: 90
CruiseStaff: 90
CabinAmenities: 90
FoodLidoDeck: 85
DiningRoomService: 85
CabinQuietness: 95
FoodMidnightBuffets: 85
CabinSteward: 95
ShoreExcVariety: 90
FoodVariety: 90
DeckService: 90
ShoreExcValue: 85
GoodForHoneymoon: 90
CasinoStaff:
PrivateIsland:
GoodForFamilies:
LoungeService: 90
TenderService: 90
GoodForSeniors:
BeautySalonStaff: 90
EntertainmentLounges: 90
WheelchairAccess:
ExerciseFacilities: 85
EntertShowLounge: 90
OverallPortsofCall: 8
BeautySalon: 90
EntertainmentPoolside: 85
CruiseActivities: 85
Casino:
AirSeaProgram: 85
MedicalFacilities:
ShipCleanliness: 90
EmbarkDisembark: 95
DiscoNightclubs: 85
DeckSpace: 90
Stabilization: 90
ShopsOnBoard: 85
SpaceRatio: 90
OverallCruiseValue: 90
Submit: Submit Review
Date: 05 Oct 2000
Time: 16:51:22
Remote Name: dsl-aggr02-pvc0091.bos.ma.meganet.net
Remote User:
Comments
This was our honeymoon and our first cruise. I look at this experience on three levels: The Grand
Princess. The ports of call. The excursions.
The Grand Princess: A wonderful vessel with both size and intimacy. A unique combination. We never felt
over-crowded yet we never felt isolated. The ship moved effortlessly and with the exception of one night it
never seemed like you was on the water. Incidentally, the rough part of the voyage was the route from
Monte Carlo to Barcelona. We were told that this is always a moody area of the Mediterranean. The cabin
we enjoyed was a mini-suite with a balcony. We would highly recommend this selection. The ninth floor of
the ship was not at all noisy.
Use the stairs whenever possible as the elevators tend to get slowed down with 2,600 passengers on
board. If you want e-mail and internet access on board I would recommend using an AOL mailbox as
other forms of e-mail seemed difficult to access from the ship. Plan to set up appointment times for
computer use through the Business Office on deck 7 the day before you need it. It tends to get busy.
There are only 5 computers and the office is understaffed.
The entertainment was better than I would have expected and the cruise director seems to really put an
effort into bringing in top talent and entertaining the passengers. Show times are convenient and there is
plenty of seating in all venues onboard the ship.
This cruise was comprised of passengers in their golden years. We were two of perhaps 100 passengers
under the age of 40. This isn't a bad thing for passengers 25-40 as the older folks are more user friendly,
dignified and interesting.
This was the Grand Princess final Mediterranean cruise. Next year, the sister ship, the Golden Princess
takes over this itinery. Same ship.
The Ports: It seems that everyone has a different opinion of all the ports. We didn't care for the first port
(Istanbul) and the last port (Barcelona), but perhaps that's because of the timing of the visits. In between
we loved every port. Nothing can beat Venice. A truly amazing experience. Monte Carlo was nearly as
remarkable. Athens, Lovirno and Naples were also excellent places to visit. Kusadasi was better than
expected.
The Excursions. First off - the value of these excursions runs from good to not so good. I would do Venice
without paying for the Princess excursion. You can easily do it yourself. I wouldn't pay for one in Athens
either. Taxis in Athens are very inexpensive and you can have them take you to and from the Acropolis
and Olympic Stadium. The other ports really require that you use the Princess excursion feature. In
Naples, we went to the Amalfi coast. Be warned: this is not for the faint of heart. The ride, on a large bus,
takes 2+ hours, all of which are on narrow roads that contain 1,100 turns. You could easily get nauseous.
In spite of this, it's probably worth it. The views and the history are amazing. If you got bad weather on an
excursion like this I couldn't imagine how difficult this excursion would be. Pompeii is a must-see. The
other ports all have worthwhile visits. St Paul DeVence is a hidden gem and should not be missed.
In summation, a great experience, aboard a fascinating ship. Highly recommended.
Name: Mark Giampapa
Email: giampapa@noao.edu
Age: 46
Occupation: Astrophysicist
NumberOfCruises: 7
TravelAgent: No
Ship: Princess-Grand
SailingDate: 10/22/00
Itinerary: Eastern Caribbean
Cabin: C333/BA
FoodDiningRoom: 75
CruiseDirector: 100
CabinComfort: 100
FoodRoomService: 85
CruiseStaff: 100
CabinAmenities: 95
FoodLidoDeck: 85
DiningRoomService: 80
CabinQuietness: 100
FoodMidnightBuffets:
CabinSteward: 100
ShoreExcVariety: 100
FoodVariety: 85
DeckService: 100
ShoreExcValue: 100
GoodForHoneymoon: 100
CasinoStaff:
PrivateIsland: 89
GoodForFamilies: 90
LoungeService: 90
TenderService: 100
GoodForSeniors:
BeautySalonStaff:
EntertainmentLounges: 70
WheelchairAccess:
ExerciseFacilities: 90
EntertShowLounge: 69
OverallPortsofCall: 100
BeautySalon:
EntertainmentPoolside: 85
CruiseActivities: 90
Casino:
AirSeaProgram: 50
MedicalFacilities:
ShipCleanliness: 90
EmbarkDisembark: 100
DiscoNightclubs: 90
DeckSpace: 100
Stabilization: 100
ShopsOnBoard: 90
SpaceRatio: 100
OverallCruiseValue: 89
Submit: Submit Review
Date: 06 Nov 2000
Time: 11:59:21
Remote Name: msgsun.tuc.noao.edu
Remote User:
Comments
This was our third cruise with Princess Cruise lines and our second on the Grand Princess. We
booked an outside stateroom with a verandah on Caribe deck. This selection was guided by the
comments of other reviewers in this forum who remarked on the larger balcony sizes and added
privacy available with outside staterooms on Caribe deck. This was the first time we had a stateroom
with a balcony and it was worth every extra penny! Your own balcony provides a whole new dimension
of private enjoyment on a cruise. We ordered room service most mornings and thoroughly enjoyed
breakfast on our balcony overlooking the sea. A simple, continental breakfast becomes luxurious
when relaxing on the verandah in one of the Princess bathrobes provided with each room, watching
the waves. In the early evening before dinner, we usually went to the Horizon Court 24-hour buffet to
get some bread and cheeseto take back to our cabin where we enjoyed it on our balcony while
watching the setting sun. It will be very difficult to cruise again in a stateroom without a balcony!
The outside stateroom itself was comfortable with just adequate storage space. We brought one
suitcase between us plus two carry-ons. If we had brought much more then storage would have
become somewhat more challenging. The hair dryer was fine for short hair but rather weak for long
hair. Our cabin steward on the Grand Princess, Armando, was excellent. He responded cheerfully and
efficiently to all our requests. In fact, the entire staff on the Grand Princess is excellent--cheerful,
efficient, outgoing without being intrusive and characterized by great attitudes.
The facilities of the Grand Princess are generally excellent. My wife often utilized the exercise facilities,
especially the treadmills. These popular machines require advance sign-ups with sign-up sheets
posted for each of the following two days. The ship's gym is dominated by a large floor for various
aerobic and exercise classes. Consequently, the area for weight machines is much more limited. My
wife noted that machines which are especially popular for women, such as leg abductor/adductors,
were absent. She felt the weight machines were geared entirely toward men. I especially enjoyed the
'lap pool.' This was a small pool with a device which generated a strong current that one can swim in
place against; the swimming counterpart of a treadmill! There are, of course, several other pools and
numerous deck lounge chairs which we found, much to our surprise, to be rather uncomfortable for
the most part.
There are many of the usual daytime activities on the ship during sea days. The announcements were
thankfully limited in number but, when they did occur, were annoyingly lengthy. We especially enjoyed
the stops at St. Thomas and St. Maarten. While at St. Thomas, we took a taxi in the morning to
Megan's Bay which is rated as among the world's best beaches. The taxi was $4 per person (one-way)
while admission to the beach costs $3 per person. The beach and water are beautiful though, by 10
am, the beach becomes fairly crowded. We then returned to the ship where we joined an afternoon
excursion to St. John's Trunk Bay on the 'Leyland Snead'. We highly recommend this excursion. The
beach and snorkeling at Trunk Bay beat Megan's Bay hands-down! Trunk Bay on St. Johns is the
most beautiful beach we visited. The Leyland Snead is a clean boat with a friendly, helpful and
informative crew. The rum punch on the way back to St. Thomas added to the enjoyment of the
afternoon which seemed to pass all too quickly. On St. Maarten we did the excursion to Orient Beach.
Again, a beautiful beach with a stronger surf than either Trunk Bay or Megan's Bay. Lunch at a beach
restaurant was included along with a drink and a welcoming rum punch. The lunch was fair and the
accompanying glass of wine rather small. Nevertheless, an enjoyable morning and afternoon at the
beach with enough time at the end for shopping prior to returning to the ship. On the last day of the
cruise we decided to remain on the ship rather than join the beach party on Princess Cays. We had
been there before and, while the facilities are excellent, the water is a bit cold and the bottom
somewhat rocky. Besides, we had just been to three great beaches in two days! So, instead, we
stayed on board and felt like we had the whole ship to ourselves!
The entertainment offered on the Grand Princess seemed to be dominated by song and dance revues
which did not interest us very much. We were more interested in stand-up comedy and the hypnotists,
but the very late scheduling (for second-sitting) of these performances made them less accessible.
The performances we did attend ranged from the lame to the bizarre (with the comedic-acrobatic duo
in the latter category).
While this was one of our most relaxing and enjoyable cruises, it was not without some significant
negatives. We booked our air through Princess Cruises with the expectation that the air arrangements
would be reasonable (as they have been in the past). But instead of flying us in the day before and
overnighting us at a hotel in Ft. Lauderdale, Princess booked us on a red-eye from Tucson to Ft.
Lauderdale with stops in Phoenix and Atlanta (including a 3 hour layover in Atlanta!). We departed
Tucson at 11pm on Saturday night and finally arrived in Ft. Lauderdale at about noon the next day!
Princess Cruises gave us $50 of shipboard credit for this 'inconvenience.' This kind of treatment is not
simply 'inconvenient'--it's rude! We can no longer trust Princess Cruises management to make
reasonable air arrangements for those of us arriving from the west coast. We would strongly
recommend to those from the West to either make their own air arrangements or ask your travel agent
for an 'air deviation' if you decide to purchase your air from the cruise line. As a result of the overnight
travel, we felt like zombies during the first afternoon and evening on the Grand Princess.
The other important facet of the cruise which did not fully meet our expectations was the food served
on-board. The food in the buffet in the Horizon Court ranged from fair to good with the desserts rated
as mediocre. We thought the pizza was excellent. We also ate once in the dining room for lunch and
for breakfast, and the food and service were very good. By contrast, dinners in the Dining Room have
declined both in the quality of the food preparation and in some aspects of the service. The meats
were a bit tough and not necessarily prepared to order; the sides of vegetables were minuscule. The
service was efficient to the point of being rushed. On our previous cruises the waiter had done some
table side preparations of salads, pastas and desserts but this is no longer the case. The waiter does
not even ask anymore if you want fresh ground pepper. Rather, the pepper grind is left on the table
for all to serve themselves. The desserts were mostly mediocre with a few exceptions. One notable
exception was The Painted Desert restaurant. This alternative dining option serves excellent Mexican
food. It was a delicious difference from the Sonoran style of Mexican food we have in Tucson. We
highly recommend The Painted Desert. On the first night of the cruise we heard one passenger
remark while looking at the menu of The Painted Dessert, 'You have a better menu here than they do
in the dining room!'. The Princess dinner menu has changed little in the past several years except for
a decline in the quality of the preparation. The menu now seems rather outdated and not particularly
innovative or contemporary.
I should note that at The Painted Desert, passengers are charged a service fee of $3.50 pp for
reservations. We did not eat at the other alternative dining option, Sabatino's Trattoria. On our
previous cruise on the Grand Princess in 1998, Sabatino's also charged a $3.50 pp service fee but
now it charges a $15 pp fee! While the $3.50 pp fee was tolerable, we weren't interested in paying
$30 for the two of us to dine on a cruise ship!
In summary, we would recommend a cruise on the Grand Princess, especially in one of the many
cabins with verandahs. It is very relaxing and adds a lot to the entire cruise experience. However, if
superior cuisine is a key feature in your enjoyment of a cruise then we would recommend looking
elsewhere.
Name: Dawson Blackmore, Jr.
Email: ctemsi@snet.net
Age: 55
Occupation: Computer Technician
NumberOfCruises: 20
TravelAgent: No
Ship: Princess-Grand
SailingDate: 10/22/00
Itinerary: St Thomas/St. Marten/Princess Cay
Cabin: B434
FoodDiningRoom: 90
CruiseDirector: 75
CabinComfort: 95
FoodRoomService: 95
CruiseStaff: 80
CabinAmenities:
FoodLidoDeck: 100
DiningRoomService: 95
CabinQuietness: 80
FoodMidnightBuffets: 95
CabinSteward: 100
ShoreExcVariety: 50
FoodVariety: 90
DeckService: 90
ShoreExcValue: 0
GoodForHoneymoon:
CasinoStaff: 95
PrivateIsland: 75
GoodForFamilies: 90
LoungeService: 90
TenderService: 75
GoodForSeniors: 90
BeautySalonStaff:
EntertainmentLounges: 90
WheelchairAccess: 100
ExerciseFacilities: 90
EntertShowLounge: 90
OverallPortsofCall: 80
BeautySalon:
EntertainmentPoolside: 75
CruiseActivities: 75
Casino: 90
AirSeaProgram:
MedicalFacilities:
ShipCleanliness: 90
EmbarkDisembark: 100
DiscoNightclubs: 90
DeckSpace: 95
Stabilization: 75
ShopsOnBoard: 75
SpaceRatio: 90
OverallCruiseValue: 85
Submit: Submit Review
Date: 07 Nov 2000
Time: 10:03:20
Remote Name: cf1.utc.com
Remote User:
Comments
Being a cruiser of over 20 various trips I found my recent trip on the Grand Princess to be rated
"GOOD". I have had better food. and better service.
The embarkation and debarkation was excellent, both very easy. This is our second trip on Princess,
the first being out of LA on the Pacific Princess. The room was nice with it's own balcony, about 10 by
5 with two seats and a small table.
The size of the ship was not a problem but for the size I felt the there should have been more shops.
The tour desk staff only seemed interested in selling spaces not helping passengers to understand
the tours available.
The dining room waiter was excellent but his assistant left a little to be desired, after a couple of nights
we found that this was only his second cruise and he didn't understand that much English. The area
Captain was excellent and attentive, not the usual "Only see them on TIP night".
ST. Thomas was exellent as usual. But as far as St. Marten goes it was the worst part of the trip. We
were acosted by a local and after telling him to leave us alone he threw a drink on me and hit a friend
of mine with a cup. We restrained the person and turned him over to the local Security Staff. No police
presence was noted in the area around the shopping. Princess Cay was nice but the food lines were
long and we returned to the ship for a meal on the balcony.
After being on two of the biggest ships afloat (Destiny & Grand Princess) I feel that my next trip will be
on something a little smaller.
Name: Jessica Andrews
Email: jess@thejebianstudio.com
Age: 27 (with grandmother, 87)
Occupation: web/graphic designer
NumberOfCruises: 1
TravelAgent: No
Ship: Princess-Grand
SailingDate: October 29, 2000
Itinerary: Eastern Caribbean
Cabin: C715 (stateroom with balcony)
FoodDiningRoom: 87
CruiseDirector: 92
CabinComfort: 92
FoodRoomService: 95
CruiseStaff: 95
CabinAmenities: 94
FoodLidoDeck: 89
DiningRoomService: 100
CabinQuietness: 98
FoodMidnightBuffets:
CabinSteward: 97
ShoreExcVariety: 88
FoodVariety: 98
DeckService: 85
ShoreExcValue: 88
GoodForHoneymoon:
CasinoStaff: 78
PrivateIsland: 98
GoodForFamilies:
LoungeService: 90
TenderService: 95
GoodForSeniors: 95
BeautySalonStaff: 80
EntertainmentLounges:
WheelchairAccess:
ExerciseFacilities: 92
EntertShowLounge: 93
OverallPortsofCall: 85
BeautySalon:
EntertainmentPoolside: 98
CruiseActivities: 90
Casino: 92
AirSeaProgram: 50
MedicalFacilities:
ShipCleanliness: 96
EmbarkDisembark: 95
DiscoNightclubs: 90
DeckSpace: 85
Stabilization: 90
ShopsOnBoard: 95
SpaceRatio: 95
OverallCruiseValue: 93
Submit: Submit Review
Date: 14 Nov 2000
Time: 10:00:32
Remote Name: dialup1926-pri.dialup19.voicenet.com
Remote User:
Comments
This was my first cruise and I was blown away with how nice it was, - primarily, how nice the crew and
other passengers were. I think that was what made the trip so wonderful. I have traveled extensively
through Europe and the US on several occasions (never part of a tour group, just with 2 or 3 friends,
charting our course as we go along), and have never experienced such positive/happy attitudes
wherever I went.
My grandmother had been wanting to go on a cruise for quite some time, and she offered to pay for me if
I would accompany her and make all the arrangements. I gladly did so because she’s a wonderful person.
So I trusted the travel agent's recommendation, and booked the Grand Princess with no expectations. I
never really desired to take a cruise, and now I cannot wait to go again. It is pure luxury.
This embarkation was relatively painless. Once we arrived in Fort Lauderdale (from a direct flight from
Philadelphia), the Princess rep was not at our gate, but another cruise line rep told us where we could
find them. We did have to walk a bit to where the Princess Rep was. I’m not sure why there wasn’t anyone
at our gate, especially since there were 4 other Grand Princess passengers on our plane. But after we
found the rep, it was all very simple from there. We shortly boarded the bus to the port terminal, waited in
a short line to check-in and boarded the boat.
The disembarkation was almost a piece a cake. The fact the airline reps board the ship and check you in
(for transfer flights too) was a wonderful, convenient accommodation. The only bad part of
disembarkation was finding our luggage in the port terminal once we got off the ship. However, it is still
much more convenient then having to take the luggage off the ship ourselves. Princess said there would
be porters to assist us with out luggage, and take them to the airline van. There was probably 1 porter for
every 40 people. Luckily, my grandmother (Nan) and I only had 3 pieces of luggage (many passengers
had 3-4 large suitcases per person... what they packed for a one week trip eluded me!) so we hauled our
suitcases ourselves across the terminal, around hundreds of other disoriented people and out to the
airline van.
The most negative thing I have to say is about our flight arrangements. They were ludicrous! We booked
our trip 2.5 months prior, and flying down via US Air we were almost bumped. We did not have a seat
reservation (although many people who checked in after me did). Luckily, USAir put us in first class after
everyone else was boarded. The flight home was so much worse!! We flew via Continental out of Ft.
Lauderdale at 12:30pm and into Newark, NJ at 3:30ish. Then our connecting flight to Philly was at 6:20.
We spent the entire day either sitting in an airport or on a plane. Now, our travel agent, and then I, called
Princess several times to change these arrangements, and they flat out refused. They said it was
something to do with buying the airline reservations in bulk, and that they were purchased only one
month before departure. So it was too late to change. This I did not understand because, as I said
already, we booked the cruise 2.5 months prior. If I had been traveling with friends my age, I would have
been able to ”suck this up” much easierly. But this was very uncomfortable for my 87 year old grandmom.
Although I was told at every airport someone would be waiting with either a wheelchair or a cart for my
grandmom, this only happened in Newark. Both in Fort Lauderdale and Philadelphia, I had to find these
accommodations myself.
Well, let’s get on with the positive...
DINING: The best experience was dining in the main dining room. We were originally slated for the second
seating but requested the first. When we boarded the ship, we found we had been moved up to first. Our
dining room was the Botichelli. It was a beautiful elegant room. Our travel agent said she requested a
table with varied ages of passengers so both my grandmother and I would have people to talk to. Well, it
did work out that way (a pre-senior citizen couple from Chicago and a mid-thirties couple from Montreal),
however, we all talked collectively as a group each and every night. We were very fortunate to have such
friendly and nice dining companions, it really added to our trip. Our waiter, Pedro, was a real charmer
who did anything possible to please us. Pedro overheard me ask Diane (the woman from Montreal) if I
could try her frog-legs when they came out. So, he instead brought me my own plate of frog-legs along
with the meal I did order. This was entirely too much food, but I enjoyed trying it all. The head waiter,
Guido, and the assistant waiter, Sandor were also alot of fun in have around, very friendly, sweet to the
ladies, joked with the men. The three of them all made the evening dining experience that much more
enjoyable. We spent most of our dinner in laughter.
As for the food, it was certainly very good, but I would not go so far as to say great. None of the meals
really blew me away. The sauces were simple, the prime rib was a bit too fatty and the creme bulee tasted
like Jell-o vanilla pudding. The French night was the most lack-luster. Surprisingly, I enjoyed the cold fruit
soups (odd, isn’t it?) alot. Everything was displayed on the plate quite elegantly, the waiters served them
with much fan-fare, and although the portions were not huge, they were more then enough. The
selections every night were always plentiful so it seemed no one had any difficulty picking an item to
order.
The formal nights were certainly formal. I felt a bit underdressed in my long, simple black dress and scarf.
I could kick myself for not thinking of wearing one of the five bridesmaid dresses in my closet. The best
advice I could give to a young woman taking a cruise: here’s the opportunity to wear that bridesmaid
dress again!!
DINING AT THE BUFFET: I’ve heard so many people say that cruise buffets were spectacular. Again, I
was not overly impressed. Perhaps its because it open 24-7 that it’s a bit generic. Everyday there was
tons to choose from, so enjoying a meal there was never hard. The waiters here are very on the ball with
clearing our dishes and empty tables, but I found they were not as patient (as the guys in the main dining
room) with my grandmother and her slow speed. Fortunately, she did not pick up on this.
STATEROOM: We had a stateroom with balcony, C715, near the back (aft) of the ship. It was a very
simple room with 2 single beds, small bathroom and shower, and enough closet space if you didn’t
over-pack. The steward, Danny, kept our room very clean. He came in after we went out in the morning,
and then again when we went out for dinner. He even folded our clothing. I had to be careful with leaving
any unmentionables around. We rarely saw him, but always knew he was there. I left him notes about the
TV remote not working and the balcony light being out, and they were fixed immediately. I’ve read other
people say their rooms were ordinary, and I agree with this, but we were only in it to sleep, so it was
perfect to me.
C715 was on floor 10, caribe deck, in the middle of all the floors with staterooms/suites. Our room itself
was very quiet but the balcony was not. You had to be careful what you said because I could easily here
the conversation of anyone up to 10 rooms away. This really wasn’t a problem, just something I noticed.
The only downside of being near the back of the ship was getting to anything in front of the ship.
Fortunately, the main dining room, buffet and one theatre were at the back too. This wasn’t really a
problem for me, and I assume nor for most people. But since my grandmom doesn’t walk well, and isn’t
ready to succumb to a wheelchair yet, it was very tiring to walk to such things as the Princess Theatre
and casino which were in the front. But we knew all this when we booked the trip.
THEATRE/SHOWS: The shows were amazing. I’ve seen several Broadway shows in NYC, and the shows
on-board the Grand Princess were just as enjoyable and well produced. The main theatre, the Princess
Theatre, always had plenty of seating, all with perfectly good views. The other theatre, actually lounge,
was the Vista Lounge and it was nice because it had cocktail service and small tables besides the chairs.
However, it was hard to see the production well if you were not up close. Again, this was more a problem
for my grandmom then me, since I could more easierly move around in my chair (sit on the edge, etc.)
then she could.
POOL DECKS: Very lovely, good entertainment during the days at sea. However, although the ship does
stress no saving of poolside seats, this is not enforced. And thus, finding a seat by noontime was very
hard, especially since close to one-half of the seats were being saved and not actually used. I'm sure we
could have taken seats that had a towel on it, but who really wants to do that?
SPA/GYM: Maybe I was naive, but I did not know when they did spa demonstrations (make-up tips,
relaxation advice) it was really a sales pitch to buy the products sold in the spa and/or use the spa
services.
I did go to a bunch of the aerobic classes in the gym. They were great and just as professional as any
others I have gone too. And although there was not a whole lot of gym equipment (bikes, treadmills, etc.),
I tried to go off-peak hours (mid-afternoon to before dinner) and I was always able to get on what I
wanted.
ISLANDS: My grandmom and I signed up for van/bus tours of both St. Thomas and St. Maarten. It was the
only option that did not require much walking. The St. Thomas tour was in an open-air safari van that was
a bit difficult for my grandmother as well as some of the other older adults to get in and out of.
Fortunately, there was a very nice couple from St. Louis who assisted me with my grandmom in helping
her on and off the van. The tour guide/van driver was not very informative and drove a bit erratically. He
took us up the mountains where we saw wonderful views of St. Thomas. However, at two out of the three
stops, several flights of stairs were there to get to the outlooks. This really wore out my grandmom and a
few of the other senior adults.
I heard that the jewelry shopping was excellent in St. Thomas. I did shop for a tanzanite ring, and in two
cases I was able to get the salesperson to come down 50% off the list price. I ended up buying a beautiful
ring, however, in the end, the prices are no better then here in the states. It all depends on your
negotiating tactics and the willingness of the salesperson to make a deal. I spoke with a jeweler here in
Philadelphia, and he said fellow jewelers have moved to the islands because they can make a killing from
the tourists. Tourists are in a hurry to buy (especially cruise ship tourists), and think they are getting a
great deal. Keep all this in mind if you do want to buy jewelry.
As for St. Maarten, I was very disappointed yet amazed. The island itself is very poor and not very
attractive yet the people are very content and happy. I guess they have to be since their only source of
income in tourism. On this tour, we had an air-conditioned bus. I enjoyed the open-air van more, but the
bus was definitely more comfortable for my grandmom. And the tour guide was a very informative and
nice woman. We learned much about the island, both the Dutch and French sides. Now the stops along
the way didn’t have the steps like St. Thomas did but they were not as scenic and every stop was where
the flea-market-like vendors were. A bit of a trap if you ask me.
I wonder if I would have liked St. Maarten more if I did a beach thing or something else confined to one
area.
The stop at the Bahamas was pure relaxation. It was on the cruise-line owned Princess Cay island. It was
made up very picturesque, and although I was told to arrive early to get a chair, we arrived late morning
and fared just fine after a short walk. The buffet line here was incredibly long the entire day, but since
everyone is so pleasant and the island is so beautiful, I did not mind waiting, and made small talk with
those around me.
I think that about sums everything up... I definitely plan on taking a cruise again next fall, this time with a
couple friends. I’m very interested in taking one solely from a younger adults advantage. My grandmother
also thoroughly enjoyed herself and plans on cruising again next year with my aunt.
I have just begun to put together a website with my travel adventures. Photos from this cruise should be
up shortly. Go to: http://www.thejebianstudio.com/attic.html
Name: Dawn Cullo
Email: snryse@yahoo.com
Age: 27
Occupation: Homemaker
NumberOfCruises: 1
TravelAgent: No
Ship: Princess-Grand
SailingDate: 11/26/00
Itinerary: St. Thomas, St. Martin, Princess Cays
Cabin: C401
FoodDiningRoom: 90
CruiseDirector: 90
CabinComfort: 95
FoodRoomService: 90
CruiseStaff: 90
CabinAmenities: 90
FoodLidoDeck:
DiningRoomService: 80
CabinQuietness: 80
FoodMidnightBuffets: 80
CabinSteward: 90
ShoreExcVariety: 80
FoodVariety: 90
DeckService: 80
ShoreExcValue: 85
GoodForHoneymoon: 100
CasinoStaff: 85
PrivateIsland: 100
GoodForFamilies: 90
LoungeService: 85
TenderService: 80
GoodForSeniors:
BeautySalonStaff:
EntertainmentLounges:
WheelchairAccess:
ExerciseFacilities:
EntertShowLounge:
OverallPortsofCall: 80
BeautySalon:
EntertainmentPoolside:
CruiseActivities: 90
Casino: 80
AirSeaProgram:
MedicalFacilities:
ShipCleanliness: 95
EmbarkDisembark: 75
DiscoNightclubs:
DeckSpace: 90
Stabilization: 90
ShopsOnBoard: 80
SpaceRatio:
OverallCruiseValue: 95
Submit: Submit Review
Date: 05 Dec 2000
Time: 13:15:51
Remote Name: nas-165-113.oakland-t.navipath.net
Remote User:
Comments
My husband and I booked a cruise for our honeymoon about a year ago. We had been looking forward
to sailing on the Grand Princess for a long time. The wait was well worth it.
We stayed in a suite, caribe deck # 401. We had a Butler and a room steward. Our butler was Simon
and he was very nice. Basically what ever we needed Simon would get it for us. He made dinner
reservations, brought us canapes and the dinner menu every night, made shore excursion plans, room
service, laundry pick up...you name it, he did it. He was very nice, and we really miss him! Andy was our
room steward, he was also very nice and kept our room spotless. Even after we came back from St.
Martin with 1/2 the sand from the beach in our swim suits. Andy cleaned it all up. They also decorated
the front of our door with "just married" balloons and a sign. At dinner the waiter sang "Happy
Honeymoon" to us and gave us a cake.
Cabin: Our suite was big, it had two rooms which were divided by a curtain. We had 2 TV's, a fridge, a
stocked mini bar, a bar area with a sink and a desk. The beds were two twin beds pushed together to
make a queen bed. There was a desk in the bedroom, which I took over for all of my girly stuff. There
are two lamps on either side of the bed with dimmer switches. The light switches in the rooms seemed to
not be hooked up properly. We couldn't get one of the lights on the balcony to work and two sets of ligts
worked the same lights...in the other room. We could never figure out which switches went to which set
of lights. Anyway, not a big deal, it was funny to say the least.
The bathroom was a good size too. It had a jeted-spa bathtub and seperate shower. The sink and toilet
are in a seperate room from the shower & tub. There is plenty of space to put all of your bathroom gear,
6 shelves in all.
The closet space & drawer spaces were large enough for all of our clothes. (They provide you with
wood hangers.) There were also 2 large terry cloth robes in the closet. These have a gold embroidered
"Grand Class Cruising" symbol on them. They also give you a pair of slippers.
My only complaint about the room was that when you go out on your balcony you are downwind from all
of the smokers who are killing them selves on their balconies. It was a tad annoying, but there is nothing
princess can do about that.
We ate breakfast & lunch on our balcony only once. We spent a lot of time on our balcony enjoying the
view. If you have some extra pennies to spend I would try to get into a suite. The balconies are twice the
size of everyone else's.
Food: The breakfast was the worst meal of the day. The eggs were watery and the toast was cold. They
give you an ity bity glass of orange juice, they have to keep filling it up. We ate breakfast in the DaVinci
room once and it was ok. I found that the service in the dining rooms seems rushed.
The Horizon court is where we ate most of our meals. It just worked out that way because we slept in
most days and missed breakfast in the dining rooms (ends at 9:00am). The food is ok, I have had better
on land. The selection is huge, and you take whatever you want.
We also tried the pizza and the hot dogs and hamburgers available by the pool. They were ok, not
great, just ok. The pizza sauce is a bit salty and the hamburgers are small.
The best meal we ate was at the Painted Desert. We didn't get a chance to try the Italian place, but I am
sure it was just as good. We had to wait a while for our table, but oh man it was wonderful. We sat at the
bar and visited with Tony the bartender. He was so funny. Even if you don't eat there you can go an
have a drink at the bar. Just go to it so that you can visit with Tony.
The dining room meals were fancy, but good. The service was good, but we felt like we were being
rushed through our meal. We sat at a 4 person table at the second seating. The couple we sat with
were very nice and they were getting married on the ship. The only night we didn't go to dinner was
"French" night. That was the night we went to the Painted Desert.
Entertainment: We didn't get to do as much as we wanted on the ship because there was so much to
choose from. My husband took a tour of the bridge when we were in port at St. Thomas. He highly
reccomends it. I wanted to take a tour of the kitchen, but I slept in too late and missed it. My husband
played bridge with a bunch of people in the card room. We played scrabble a few nights and I checked
out a book from the library. The seas were a little rough on our trip so I wasn't feeling too well, so we
kept our activities low-key. My husband also took in a movie at the Princess Theater and said that it was
very comfortable and the screen was a good size.
The casino was fun and we actually won money. They have new slot machines like Jackpot Party,
Monopoly and Yatzee etc. They have all the card tables and low limits on a few. Like Roulette was $1
chips with a $5 min. The only draw back to the casino is that they let people smoke in there. I guess it
ads a bit of the "vegas" style they need to make it a real casino.
The art auctions were my favorite part of the whole trip. Michael was fantastic. He was funny, informative
and entertaining. He knew a lot about the artists, and art history. His wife Monika worked the computer
and they were cute together. I actually bought a few pieces, it was fun. One day my husband even made
his way to one of the auctions and he loved it too. They give away a lot of art, so make sure you stay
until the end of the auction to claim your prize. The auctions last about 1 1/2 hour.
Ports: St. Thomas & St. Martin were kinda the same. Eveyone wanted to braid your hair, it was really
annoying. We docked in St. Thomas, which was a beautiful day. I found an ATT calling center right
behind the mall and it was only .25 a minute to call home. It is 9.99 to call home on the ship. Anyway, we
did a tour around the island in an open air bus/truck thingy. We couldn't understand anything the driver
was saying so we just made things up. We went to the top of a mountian and then ended our trip at the
gondola area. We then went on a submarine dive. It was fun. The ride out to the dive area was very
bumpy and several people were sick. The submarine itself was warm and it made me a little sick as well.
Not to mention the seats are really small and the larger man next to me took up half of my seat.
St. Martin was fun, but we had to tender ashore and that was the worst ride ever. The weather was cold
and windy. When we finally got ashore we went on an air conditioned bus ride around the island. Our
tour guide was funny and we could understand him. The next thing we did was the "Everything Cool" all
day pass at the beach. You get a meal, 2 drinks, beach mat, and a locker. It was a good deal. There is
also a live band that played rock & roll. The sea was kinda icky that day and we couldn't stay in the
water that long because it kept knocking us down. We layed on the beach and relaxed in the sun. We
headed back to the tender through the downtown area. There are a lot of shops and I think I was asked
if I wanted my hair braided about 50 times.
Princess Cays is the best place in the world. However, it began to rain about 2 hours after we got there.
We snorkled, relaxed on the beach, ate BBQ (here's a tip, the sign at the BBQ said that it opens at
11:30, but they started to serve at 11:00...so go early and avoid the lines) and we also laid in a two
person hammock at the end of the area. Everyone seems to just stop in the middle of the island, keep
walking because there is a lot of space at the ends. The hammock area that we laid in had about 6
empty hammocks around us. There is also a cool kids area.
Misc: Pictures - They take lots of pics on the ship. On the formal nights they have several backgrounds
set up around the ships atrium areas and take professional pics. We bought just about all of them. We
even took black and white pics one night.
Spa & Salon - I really wanted to go to both of them, but they were expensive. They looked clean and the
ladies looked nice, but I never made an appointment.
Extras - You have to pay for soda & alchol & ice cream.
Kids - Great kids areas, I hardly ever saw any rug rats.
Stairs - If you can, take the stairs. The "lifts" get really crowded and it is just quicker to take the stairs.
Overall: The ship is beautiful and it is very very large. Don't expect to do everything on the ship because
you will just get pooped out.
We loved every minute of it. We have booked a cruise to Alaska in May on the Ocean...we can't wait!
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