princess-grand20

Note - this page contains multiple reviews.

Name: Peter Ober
Email: peter.ober@funb.com
Age: 44
Occupation: Systems analyst
NumberOfCruises: 11
TravelAgent: No
Ship: Princess-Grand
SailingDate: 03-04-2001
Itinerary: Eastern Caribbean
Cabin: AB
FoodDiningRoom: 92
CruiseDirector: 85
CabinComfort: 92
FoodRoomService: 85
CruiseStaff: 89
CabinAmenities: 96
FoodLidoDeck: 95
DiningRoomService: 91
CabinQuietness: 95
FoodMidnightBuffets: 86
CabinSteward: 95
ShoreExcVariety: 95
FoodVariety: 95
DeckService: 92
ShoreExcValue: 90
GoodForHoneymoon: 95
CasinoStaff: 97
PrivateIsland: 99
GoodForFamilies: 97
LoungeService: 95
TenderService: 95
GoodForSeniors: 93
BeautySalonStaff: 85
EntertainmentLounges: 89
WheelchairAccess: 94
ExerciseFacilities: 96
EntertShowLounge: 92
OverallPortsofCall: 97
BeautySalon: 85
EntertainmentPoolside: 90
CruiseActivities: 94
Casino: 98
AirSeaProgram:
MedicalFacilities:
ShipCleanliness: 96
EmbarkDisembark: 100
DiscoNightclubs: 93
DeckSpace: 93
Stabilization: 94
ShopsOnBoard: 83
SpaceRatio: 96
OverallCruiseValue: 96
Submit: Submit Review
Date: 29 Mar 2001
Time: 12:21:09
Remote Name: 63.104.62.66
Remote User:

Comments

This was our 11th cruise and first time on Princess. Overall it was a great vacation. I will give you the short
and sweet version of the positives and negatives:

POSITIVES: 1. Best embarkation ever. We were on board before noon. 2. Food was better than RCL but
not quite as good as Celebrity. 3. Breakfast and lunch buffet's were great. Lots of choices. Fried eggs
over easy in the am. 4. Pizza on deck was fabulous. Don't miss it. 5. For a huge ship we never noticed any
crowding. Amazing with 2600+ people on board. 6. Casino had lots of machines and table games. Let it
Ride and Spanish 21 (don't do it). 7. Cabin was AB on dolphin deck and was very spacious. Balcony was
not huge and open to top decks. 8. Video arcade was good with many newer games. Kids would love it. 9.
Go to Skywalkers during the day. Great view off the back of the ship. 10. In St. Martin, if you want a nice
quite beach with good snorkeling, go to Pinel Island. 11. Limited announcements over the PA.

NEGATIVES: 1. No towels on deck. They are in your cabin and you need to carry them with you. Very
annoying. 2. Most of the crew was friendly, but we did meet a few on the entertainment staff that were
rather surly. 3. Having to buy ice cream on deck. Having to buy soda at dinner. No juice or punch free with
lunch, only iced tea and water.

Overall impression: Excellent cruise. I would highly recommend it to anyone. I still think Celebrity is slightly
ahead in the dining experience, but not by much. It is a beautiful ship with lots for everyone. I will definitely
cruise with Princess again.

Name: David Rosenberg
Email: stompper3@aol.com
Age: 36
Occupation: Physician
NumberOfCruises: 4
TravelAgent: No
Ship: Princess-Grand
SailingDate: February 26, 2001
Itinerary: Eastern Caribbean
Cabin: A737
FoodDiningRoom: 100
CruiseDirector: n/a
CabinComfort: 80
FoodRoomService: 80
CruiseStaff: 90
CabinAmenities: 70
FoodLidoDeck: 80
DiningRoomService: 100
CabinQuietness: 90
FoodMidnightBuffets: na
CabinSteward: 70
ShoreExcVariety: na
FoodVariety: 100
DeckService: 80
ShoreExcValue: na
GoodForHoneymoon: na
CasinoStaff: na
PrivateIsland: 80
GoodForFamilies: 90
LoungeService: na
TenderService: 90
GoodForSeniors: 80
BeautySalonStaff: na
EntertainmentLounges: na
WheelchairAccess: na
ExerciseFacilities: 100
EntertShowLounge: 90
OverallPortsofCall: 90
BeautySalon: na
EntertainmentPoolside: 70
CruiseActivities: 80
Casino: na
AirSeaProgram: na
MedicalFacilities: na
ShipCleanliness: 80
EmbarkDisembark: 100
DiscoNightclubs: na
DeckSpace: 100
Stabilization: 70
ShopsOnBoard: 70
SpaceRatio: 90
OverallCruiseValue: 90
Submit: Submit Review
Date: 08 Apr 2001
Time: 20:48:45
Remote Name: ac93d307.ipt.aol.com
Remote User:

Comments

I went with my girlfriend, my parents and my grandparents on the Grand Princess 7 day cruise to the
Eastern Caribbean. Here is some background on us so you can better size up my comments. Our ages
are 36, 24, 58, 58, 80 and 83 respectively. (February, 2001) We represent of wide range, from first time
cruiser to old hats on many lines. Four of us are retired. I'm in the medical profession. My girlfriends job
is now just making me happy (not a tough job, she's wonderful). In all we have traveled on Carnival,
Royal Caribbean, Renaissance, Celebrity and Princess. Except for my girlfriend, we are all well traveled.
When I vacation, I look for value. I enjoy fine dining. For comparison purposes I will list some of the
restaurants I frequent and how I would rate them. My favorite restaurant is the French Laundry in Napa.
I consider this the finest restaurant I have been to in this country. When in NY my preference is La
Caravelle as my standby French restaurant. In Memphis I enjoy eating at the Peabody hotel's Chez
Phillipe. In Atlanta I consider the Park 75 in the Four Seasons Hotel to be excellent. I don't enjoy steak
houses. I prefer to BBQ my steaks at home. When I go to restaurants, the more unusual the food, the
more I like it. I enjoy wine with my meals, but almost never spend more than $30 a bottle at a restaurant,
preferring to choose a wine pairing option when available. I am willing to pay quite a bit extra to have
someone pair my wines. In addition, I am able to sample so many different wines this way and it
becomes quite a value. I don't eat this way everyday, just on vacation. I hate chain restaurants. When I
vacation, I like to explore and search out different cultures. I hate mass produced packages, which
include trips to various tourist traps and souvenir shops. I love to shop for bargains and for things not
available near home. I exercise while on vacation as I try to do at home. I no longer worship the sun, as I
am acutely aware of the dangers. I like to relax at the pool and when cruising I usually hang out in the
hot tub before dinner. I love beaches, snorkeling, and other outdoor activities. I love to dress up in a tux
for dinner, once or twice on a cruise as I rarely can do this at home. I'll go to shows on the ship at night
because it is something I usually don't get to do. While cruising I am precluded from such activities as
the casino and the bars for reasons I will explain below. I'll drink a half bottle of wine at dinner, but do not
drink to get drunk. Neither anyone that I travel with nor myself are snobs. We are a polite, helpful and
fun loving group. The catch is that those three descriptions are all relative and that is why I gave a bit of
background on myself. From everything I have read in ship reviews there was no real discussion of how
important your fellow passengers are to your enjoyment of the cruise. Many people hinted at this, but
there was no direct comment stating this. If the cruise line does not keep their standards in line to attract
the 'right' passengers there is going to be trouble.

A cruise line will market a certain type of person and
therefore certain people migrate to certain companies. For example, imagine attending an opera the
same day the 'center for incorrigible and troubled teenagers out on bail' packs the hall for cultural
appreciation day? Sometimes I felt as if I were experiencing a similar situation on this Princess' cruise.
When Princess attempts to pack a 3000 passengers ship each week with the type of high class of
passengers they position themselves to attract, they fail. They then lower their prices in line with
competing carriers such as Carnival. Why would anyone sail Carnival when for the same price or less
they can cruise Princess? My friends, here is the rub. As far as dining on board, I was very impressed.
You must consider that there are typically 4 to 5 appetizers, salads and entrees at each sitting's menu.
Princess is serving a few thousand people at each meal on the Grand. We ate in the dining room for
nearly every breakfast, lunch and dinner.

We always had a private table. I think we only sent back one
entrée the whole cruise as it was a bit over done. There was nothing served that was five star, to coin a
phrase I see misused and overused on these boards. However, everything was excellent. When I say
everything, I mean it. I typically ate at least two appetizers, two soups and two entrees and at least two
desserts at each meal. I had green-lip muscles that melted in my mouth. Not one sunny side up egg
came broken nor did any fail to spill when punctured. The fruit was consistently sweet and tender and I
had papaya at every breakfast. I heard complaints about fatty prime rib in other reviews. Prime rib is
supposed to be fatty and have fat around the muscle and that is why it tastes so good. If it does not
come trimmed enough for your tastes, cut around the fat and then don't eat the fat. The beef Wellington
was superb. I am sure it was not as good as 'Mum's', but I loved it and so did many of the Brits. I had
one of the most wonderfully prepared snails dishes I had ever experienced. The frog's legs were
wonderful. The sweet breads… sucked (Ok… the chef was nearly perfect). The variety of pastas blew
me away, especially the fact that the noodles or macaroni were cooked perfectly each time. I have never
had better rack of lamb. The lamb came just as I ordered it, medium rare. It literally melted in my mouth.
Their seafood appetizers were tasteful fragrant and tender. Their cold soups were a fun experience and
I enjoyed them all.

Their hot soups were consistently good. Their desserts while good were basic and
sometimes uninspired. However, there was not a meal that I did not find a dessert to enjoy. I
experienced a new favorite dish called a Banger. This is an English breakfast sausage that was mild and
tasted as if it had breading. I couldn't get enough of these things once I discovered them. Bottom line is
that there were a tremendous variety of very tasteful and well-prepared foods. You cannot go away
anywhere in the world and eat as well, breakfast lunch and dinner, as easily or as inexpensively as on
board the ship. While it does not approach the finer restaurants I listed above, Princess never pretends
it does. It is as good as any yuppie trendy restaurant I have ever been to. How did my fellow passengers
like the meals? My girlfriend has limited exposure to 'the best' restaurants, but she does know what is
good. She loved everything in the dining room. By the third night the waiter just brought out the
chocolate mouse for her dessert without asking. My parents were thrilled and very impressed. They
couldn't keep up with my appetite, but they had no real complaints. They still have working taste buds
and moving to Florida recently has not converted them into 'early bird' diners. My grandparent's taste
buds are to be questioned. Grandma likes bland chicken and anything salmon. They are no longer nor
were they ever into fancy restaurants. Although they try, it is difficult for them to appreciate what I
consider quality and probably never ate fancy stuff anyway. They always found stuff they liked on the
menu and I don't think the kitchen ever had to work hard to clean their plates. Grandma never says
anything is better than good or OK. She gave the calamari (she still does not know it is fried squid) an
excellent. Here discription of something as excellent blew us all away. I still couldn't get her to try a snail
even when my dad offered 'anything' if she did. Grandpa tried everything and liked everything. Our
waiters were head over heels above others I dined with at breakfast and lunch, but the others were very
competent also. Five nights I brought my own wine and was never charged a corking fee. I used the ten
dollars I saved each time to give to my waiters in addition to what was charged to my room
(~$6/person/day) for tips. We also gave the headwaiter some cash early on because he treated us well.
We were treated like royalty.

We were always seated by a window when we wanted,even when others
tried to seat us elsewhere, thanks to our headwaiter. We always received special attention. I am sure
others were treated well, but they did such a good job that we always felt special. Please remember it is
quite different when you show up to a meal with 6 people versus two. When you are two, you never
know who they will seat you with. I tried some of the wines that were offered by the glass but fell in love
with the one Spanish red they had on the menu for about $24. There were many good wines under $25
and they were not outrageously priced. They only had two basic stems and my reds were always served
in a basic white wineglasses. It was not the end of the world. Your waiter is your wine steward and
cocktail server. We never felt the ships people were pushing the sale of anything, particularly drinks.
The wine list was well chosen and there was no need for a sommelier. When it comes to the buffet in the
horizon court we only had one question. 'Why did they put chairs with arm rests in this area?' With all
due respect, this is not my idea of 'dining'. Cruise lines attempt to cater to many different people and
they do it very well.

The way they kept the Horizon Court buffet packed, it seems that more than a few
people were enjoying themselves. Proceed with caution to this area on the first day of the cruise. (I
make this mention jokingly as there is no real danger of loss of life or limb in this area.) The way these
people packed the lines, overloaded their platters (they don't uses 12 inch plates here, they use
platters) and crowded the tables, it seemed as if they were afraid the ship was going to run out of food.
By the end of the cruise you realize that these passengers were not worried about running out, it was
business as usual for most of them. I really don't have room to talk as I did justice to the food in the
dining room (I'm 5'7' 160lbs) and soon I was piling my platter high too. Typically the food here seemed to
be leftovers or nearly the same food from the dining rooms, but seemed never as good. The best thing
here is that you serve yourself. If you want to pick out all the shrimp from the scampi platter, so be it. If
you want to be able to keep your gravy separate from the fruit, you can place your food as you wish. If
you only want a taste, take one little piece. If all you want is muscles, load on up. This is great if you
have kids or a picky husband. Other ships serve you behind a barrier which allows you none of the
abilities I described above. The wait staff here never seemed happy. Don't load up your tray heavier
than you can carry as they don't prescribe to the waiter carrying your tray to a table for you. We had
brought lots of bottled water on board with us. This proved useless on the Grande as there was always
water and iced tea available at all times. They even had water fountains on the deck. They placed both
8 and 12 oz plastics cups at the iced tea stations where other lines may only place the 8 oz. Other lines
limit the iced teas.

We never experienced cases of dehydration on the Grand. I was on the Dawn
Princess where they had a sit down pizzeria. On the Dawn, the pizza was cooked by Italian crewmembers
and it was in my opinion excellent. There were fragile crusts, delicate sauces and minimal cheese with
the freshest toppings. Each pizza was made to order. I always had looked forward to brining a pizza back
to the room after the evening entertainment. The pizza on the Grand was served reheated by a Philipino
crewmember. It seemed perfect for the kids and my grandparents. My parents, girlfriend and myself
found it to be the worst thing on board next to the smokers. The crusts were bulky and soggy and they
were loaded with bad sauce and lots of cheap cheese. I'm not averse to cheap things. I get the
cheapest room available when I cruise as I spend little time there. If I get upgraded, all the better. My
parents and grandparents agree about this for the Caribbean but say a balcony is better for Alaska and
the Mediterranean. I agree. I am usually so exhausted by bedtime that really nothing the other reviews
stated as problems about noise and stuff would bother me.

The inside cabins were nice. The morning
light never woke me. The beds were more comfortable than on other ships which may just mean that the
mattresses were newer. While others sat on their balconies at night, we typically had the back of the
ship and the hot tubs there to ourselves to watch the sun sets. I use the extra money I save not getting a
balcony to buy wine at dinner and gifts for my girlfriend and family. My parent's and I shared the same
cabin steward. She was weak, but I got over it. My grandparents enjoyed their steward. Tips: We gave
the stewards the basic, about $3.50/person/day. We were charged $6.50/person/day for the standard
dining right to our accounts. We dropped about another $120-150 on the dining room staff and it was
worth it. At the end of the cruise, go to a bar and have them charge your tips to your room. This is great
if you have a perks or millage credit card. Give the receipt you get from the bartender to whomever you
want the tip to go to. There is an electronic safe in every room. You need to have a 4 number code. The
closet space is limited on this ship and the rooms are a bit small because of this. There was plenty of
room under the bed. Check your safe before you leave the ship.

Tips: Art Auction: I got off the boat and headed to the flea market in West Palm with my parents before
heading home on Sunday. I found things about the same price as they were auctioning on board. Their
retail prices are a bit inflated but it seemed as if you could get a good deal especially if you don't have a
great flea market near you. They try to make it seem as if they are giving away the art. Trust me,
Princess is not that altruistic, they are making quite a bit of money. A little research prior to the cruise
will go a long way. Just remember why you are going on a cruise. To buy art?

What to buy in Philipsburg, St. Maarten. Kahlua $8.5 liter. Tanq. Vodka $10.50 750ml. Stoli $4.5 750ml.
Drambuie $16 750ml. Frangelica $7.50 liter. Absolute regular $5.50 liter. This is about the least
expensive place in the Caribbean, much less than St. Thomas.

Learn what a tanzanite is and get a lesson from a knowledgeable jeweler before leaving home. I bought
my girlfriend a ring, 14k 2 diamonds (pinpoint) about 1/2 carat tanzanite and two supposed genuine opal
slivers for about $275. It was pretty. It wasn't what she was hoping for, but she asked for it and she loves
it. Similar rings closer to the water taxis were at least $150 more. Sam's Club by me sells a tanzanite ring
and tennis bracelet. Check these out before you go to get a baseline on the cost. Keep in mind, when
we got back into Florida, the big Flea Market did not carry tanzanite. One of the older ladies selling the
jewelry told me tanzanite is bigger on the West Coast. I still don't get what she meant? Black diamonds
are making a showing, so learn about these also. Check out the reputations of such businesses such as
Diamonds International before you fall for the cruise lines 'most favorite retailer' status. This just means
that someone gets money for Princess to send you to these stores. Use your credit card.

Have your travel agent rent you a car from budget in St. Thomas. It is a short walk through the shops at
the peer to the car rental place. I got a mini van for the day for $75. Follow a tour bus around. Get lost if
you can. Don't buy in St. Thomas if you can hold out for St. Maarten. Come back and eat lunch on
board, you can park for free in the shops parking lot at the peer. You then walk a block to the ship,
enjoy a wonderful meal and then head back out to the car. You could also go to the Petit Pump Room
on the water where the water planes take off. This is a very nice local restaurant for lunch. I had the
conch platter here and it was awesome. I also had some stuff called fungi, fried plantains, rice… It is a
pink two story building and you can park right outside. You eat watching the planes take off. Driving is
weird to say the least. Let a man drive as you will make his day and you wont be troubled with the stress
of driving backwards… On St Maarten, skip the taxis and rental cars. Walk two blocks perpendicular to
the main shopping street away from the water and catch a Reggae Bus. It will look like a taxi van. Only
the locals ride these and it is the best-kept secret… until now. Talk to some local off the main drag if you
need help. Most will insist you need a taxi, but insist on the local bus. Hop in a bus and for $1.50 a
person you can go to the French side. Head up towards Grande Case. Stop at the first big town on the
French side where there is great shopping and outdoor market and great looking French bistros. Then
get back on a bus towards Grande Case $1.00. Go to the beach and eat at the restaurant by the glass
bottom boat docking right on the water. This restaurant has outdoor grills cooking the best ribs I have
ever had in my life. There is a menu board in the street right next to the oil barrel grills. Eat some ribs,
$4.00 a large platter and skip the sides. You sit right on the beach. Take a dip while they prepare your
food. When you are done eating see if you can't get a bus driver to take you back to town a different
way. It may cost you $3.00 a person? A taxi is typically $5 a person one way or $12 for two and then $4
each additional person. People seemed nicer on the French side.

On the Dutch side of St. Maarten, prices are better at the end of the strip farthest from the boat.

When you go to Princess Cays, get off the boat and go to the right (please don't spread this around).
Even if you are the last one off the Grand, a lounge chair will be waiting for you under a cabana, unless
you have told others this trick. When you go into the water, continue down the beach a while and there
is a pleasant sandy spot not full of rocks. No one will know about this, trust me.

There is plenty of iced tea for free on board.

Bring an alarm clock, as the wakeup calls are not reliable.

My major complaint with this cruise and Princess centers on some of the classless rude passengers and
smokers they attract. I should not have been surprised by the rudeness I experienced on board.
Cruisers, be prepared for smokers smoking everywhere the ship asks them not to smoke. Be prepared
for them to smoke what they were asked not to smoke and where they were asked not to smoke these
things. Be prepared for them to smoke extra in places that allow smoking. Princess allows smoking in the
lounge where the movies are shown. On the night I went to a movie there were at least 75 people in the
theater. One lady sat in the back and smoked. This one person filled the theater with her smoke. A
movie theater should be the one safe haven a passenger can enjoy a public activity without the assault
of smoke. Anyway, when I politely asked her to stop. She held up her butt, took a long drag and blew it
into the air and ignored me. I then stood in front of her, persistently blocking her view of the movie, until
she got the hint and put it out. She did not light up another one. The staff will not stop people from
smoking almost anywhere but the dining room. People do not smoke in the dining areas; they smoke at
the doorways just outside the dining rooms and blow their smoke inwards. A headwaiter closed the
doors on one jerk that lit up a cigar at these doors. By the way, they ask you not to smoke cigars or
pipes on board, except in designated areas, but you will find these idiot 'men' sucking these phallic
tubes everywhere. People smoke in the portrait viewing areas packed with families viewing their images,
where it is clearly prohibited. One guy came to the water aerobics class, sat upwind of the pool and
smoked his cigarette. When he was content that all of those excercising had filled their lungs
adequately, he finished got up and walked away. Typically smokers will go outside and smoke as they
watch the joggers and walkers travel around deck making sure all of the healthy people enjoy their
smoke also. People take their last drag as the elevator doors open just before entering to exhale inside,
once the doors close. Those were actually the polite ones who do not actually bring their cigarettes into
the elevator. Princess does this exercise thing where people ascend and descend the steps for
cruisercise cash. Smokers will smoke there as they watch the people exercise. You cannot see across
the casino at night through the smog. On the islands smokers will typically walk into the stores with lit
cigarettes. This is something they would never consider here in the States. My last point is that smoking
aboard the Grand was a big problem. Princess should take the lead in the industry and ban it or at least
do what Celebrity does by splitting the boat in half for smoking and nonsmoking areas.

Princess says they upgrade past passengers, but we were all past passengers and did not get
upgraded. Nevertheless, this is an awesome boat and cruise. The boat is too big which creates some of
the problems mentioned above. They did a great job of giving it a 'small' feel. Unfortunately the size was
especially problematic for my Grandparents in getting around the ship. The ship could be better labeled
also. The cruisercise program aboard the Grand was superb. We went on the Celebrity Galaxy the
month following this trip. Compared to Princess this was a tremendous disappointment as far as the
food, service and excercise. Smoking was not the problem it was in the Grand, but getting an iced tea
was. I'd never go on a Celebrity cruise again. I can't wait for my next Princess Cruise.

Name: Travis Quast
Email: tquast@yahoo.com
Age: 30
Occupation: sales manager
NumberOfCruises: 1
TravelAgent: No
Ship: Princess-Grand
SailingDate: 4/15/01
Itinerary: Eastern Carribbean
Cabin: C645 - BA
FoodDiningRoom: 99
CruiseDirector: 100
CabinComfort: 98
FoodRoomService: 98
CruiseStaff: 100
CabinAmenities: 98
FoodLidoDeck: 98
DiningRoomService: 99
CabinQuietness: 99
FoodMidnightBuffets:
CabinSteward: 100
ShoreExcVariety: 99
FoodVariety: 100
DeckService: 98
ShoreExcValue: 99
GoodForHoneymoon: 100
CasinoStaff: 96
PrivateIsland: 100
GoodForFamilies: 85
LoungeService: 96
TenderService: 100
GoodForSeniors:
BeautySalonStaff:
EntertainmentLounges: 100
WheelchairAccess:
ExerciseFacilities:
EntertShowLounge: 98
OverallPortsofCall: 99
BeautySalon:
EntertainmentPoolside: 98
CruiseActivities: 99
Casino: 98
AirSeaProgram:
MedicalFacilities:
ShipCleanliness: 99
EmbarkDisembark: 98
DiscoNightclubs: 98
DeckSpace: 98
Stabilization: 97
ShopsOnBoard: 90
SpaceRatio: 97
OverallCruiseValue: 99
Submit: Submit Review
Date: 28 Apr 2001
Time: 19:59:12
Remote Name: hdrinc.com
Remote User:

Comments

We sailed on the Grand Princess on April 15, 2001. This was our first cruise, so I am unable to give you a
comparison to other ships or cruise lines. We choose the Grand Princess in part for her itinerary. We were
looking forward to the days at sea. Plus that fact that she is large and has lots of options. We were not
disappointed.

Embarkation – We arrived at the Fort Lauderdale port around noon and they were already checking people
in. We had filled out all of our documentation and faxed it back in to Princess. They had forgotten to give us
a Bahamas immigration form, so we had to take a few minutes to fill that out. We then found our line for our
cabin and only had one person in front of us. From the time we walked into the terminal, filled out the form,
and stopped for our boarding picture, it was less than 20 minutes until we were standing in amazement
inside this ship. Were directed to our room with very friendly staff at every turn to make sure we made it to
our room.

Cabin – At this point I want to mention we were booked in a Cat. FF with an obstructed view on the Emerald
deck. We even received our cabin number before we left home. When we arrived, we found that we had
been upgraded to Cat. BA – on the Caribe deck to a cabin with a balcony! That was a pleasant surprise.

The cabins are very nicely appointed and amply space for your clothes for 7 days. We found plenty of
hangers, shelf and drawer space. The balconies on the Caribe deck are huge. They are partially exposed
to the decks above, but we never found this to be a problem. Having never cruised before and
experiencing a balcony, I must say this is the way to go. The balcony was big enough for two chairs and two
lounger, a large and small table and there was still room.

I would recommend bringing an alarm clock as there are none and it was nice to see what time it was. Each
room has a refrigerator (we made a quick stop before boarding the ship for our own beverages and had no
problem taking them on board.) The luggage all fit under the bead and we found ample room to move
around.

Our cabin steward was terrific. He kept the room tidy, the ice bucket full, and any request was fulfilled. (Ask
for extra beach towels when you go to Princess Cays)

Dinning/Food – We choose the Personal Choice option and this worked wonderfully. We opted to eat alone
some nights and join others on some nights. It is true you do not have the same tablemates and waiters,
but it was nice getting to know different people. If you go to dinner between 7:00 and 8:00 you may
experience a short wait for a table. The longest we waited was about 10 minutes. You can call down and
make reservations, which I recommend on formal nights. You table will be waiting when you arrive. The
dinning rooms, there are three of them, are very nice and the service and food was excellent.

We did not eat in the Painted Desert, but we did eat at Sabatini’s. There is a $15 per person charge, but
the experience and food was well worth it. I lost track of how many courses, but the food just kept coming
and it took over 2 hours to eat. Make reservations on Sunday when you board as they fill up very fast.

We found the Horizon Court to have good food. Always seemed fresh, hot, and delicious. My wife is not a
big fan of buffets, but I never heard her complain about the Horizon court.

We have room service breakfast every morning. If you don’t see what you want on the slip they give you,
try writing it in. We asked for fresh strawberries everyday and they brought them to us.

Don’t miss the pizza and hamburgers/french fries by the pool. They are the some of the best I have ever
had.

Public Areas/Pools We always found deck chairs. Maybe not right by the pool, but we enjoyed having some
quiet time to read and relax. The pools are fresh water and were very clean. There were plenty of bar
servers going around if you needed a drink.

The casino is nice (they took my money). The lounges are very comfortable. The spa looked nice, although
we did not use them. My wife went to a makeover class a came back with merchandise. So husbands
beware!

Over all the facilities are well designed and very clean.

Entertainment – The entertainment was top notch with the exception of the juggler/comedian. Somebody
needed to tell him he was not performing at a 5-year-olds birthday party. Marty Allen was on the ship and
his show was spectacular. (I heard he has left the Grand.) The hypnotist was great (or should I saw the
participants were). Don’t miss Pub Night. The crew does a fantastic job. I have not laughed that hard in a
long time. Speaking of the Cruise Staff, they are great and now how to put on a show. Graham Seymour is
absolutely hilarious. I think the guy may need some medication, but you just look at him and start laughing.

The production shows (lights, camera, action and rhythm of the city) were done very well. You forget you
are sitting on a ship in the middle of the ocean when you are watching these shows.

They also have various singers and bands playing in the lounge. We enjoyed them all.

When going to shows, be there about 10 – 15 minutes early and you should never have a problem getting
a seat.

Excursions- At St. Thomas we shopped (I got stuck buying diamonds) in the morning and went snorkeling at
Trunk Bay on St. Johns. That was fabulous.

St. Marteen we took the Island tour and had a great time. Did a little more shopping and found prices very
comparable between the two islands.

Princess Cays is great. We snorkeled, ate and spent the day laying in a hammock.

Disembarkation – This could use a little work. Looking for your luggage in a big warehouse is not fun.
Especially when they put it in the wrong pile. We were told our disembarkation time would be around 9:00
am – so we went down after breakfast around 8:30 – they called our tag color within 10 minutes. We
provided our own transportation to the airport and were gone within a few minutes of finding our luggage.

Overall – I highly recommend the Grand Princess. The ship is beautiful, the staff wonderful. They do know
how to put on a cruise. A great mix of days at sea and in port. They are very good at getting people on and
off the ship at ports. Cruising is a great value for the dollar and know we will cruise again, and probable with
Princess.

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