Note - this page contains multiple reviews.

Name: Tiffany Truon
Email: ttruong@best.com
Age: 34
Occupation: Optometrist
NumberOfCruises: 3
TravelAgent: No
Ship: Princess-Grand
SailingDate: 7/1/99
Itinerary: Grand Mediteranian
Cabin: C107
FoodDiningRoom: 80
CruiseDirector: 75
CabinComfort: 90
FoodRoomService:
CruiseStaff: 60
CabinAmenities: 95
FoodLidoDeck: 85
DiningRoomService: 75
CabinQuietness: 100
FoodMidnightBuffets:
CabinSteward: 80
ShoreExcVariety: 80
FoodVariety: 75
DeckService:
ShoreExcValue: 70
GoodForHoneymoon: 75
CasinoStaff: 85
PrivateIsland:
GoodForFamilies:
LoungeService: 85
TenderService: 85
GoodForSeniors:
BeautySalonStaff: 85
EntertainmentLounges: 80
WheelchairAccess:
ExerciseFacilities: 75
EntertShowLounge: 70
OverallPortsofCall: 90
BeautySalon: 80
EntertainmentPoolside:
CruiseActivities: 60
Casino: 90
AirSeaProgram: 50
MedicalFacilities:
ShipCleanliness: 100
EmbarkDisembark: 100
DiscoNightclubs: 100
DeckSpace: 100
Stabilization: 100
ShopsOnBoard: 70
SpaceRatio: 100
OverallCruiseValue: 75
Submit: Submit Review
Date: 17 Jul 1999
Time: 21:32:06
Remote Name: dynamic11.pm01.east-bay.best.com
Remote User:

Comments

Our trip began with two direct flights from SFO to JFK, then JFK to Barcelona via TWA. The flights were timely but the
seats were tight and uncomfortable. We thought the ship was a gorgeous masterpiece and very well engineered. It was
clean and very spacious. Our cabin was a comfortable size and had a beautiful deck which actually had direct sun so you
can catch a tan. The ship moved gracefully and quietly. I never even felt it moved and was happy not to get sea sick. The
ports of call were very nice. Each port had something unique to offer. The Disco was very well decorated and commanded a
fantastic view since it was on the tallest deck. Now here are the negatives: The purser's office personel were inexperienced
and unfriendly. A couple of times my husband got upset with them. The dining experience was good but not very exciting.
The dining room food had some good points and some bad. The bread was always fresh baked and was great. The salads
were uninventive and reminiscent of Denny's. The soup and consomme tasted like they came from a can. The Entree were
like the ratings explanation above: "comparable to an upper scale restaurant in a big city" but nothing to rave about.
Perhaps there were too many people to feed at once so a lot of things had to be prepackaged. We were mistakenly put on
first seating but were switched to the second seating after some serious complaining to the Maitre D' on the second day.
However, we heard there were quite a few people upset because they were forced to choose the first seating. There were no
sing and dance, no napkins folding tricks, no table side cooking so it was pretty hum drum. Dinner always took about 2
hours because there were many people and we sometimes were late to the shows. But then the shows were nothing to
rush for. It was so-so entertaining; we fell asleep a few times. I think princess tried hard to get more shows going at the
same time and to have variety but at the cost of quality. On the tours some were good and some were bad. I think princess
should screen their tour guides more carefully. Some of the guides had such a heavy accent that we missed half the
information. The success of the excursions depended greatly on the tour guide. On the Monaco tour the bus was so not to
mention understand a thing. The Florence tour was fantastic. Marcos, our tour guide was very articulate and knowledgeable
and kept us on track and it was great. On the Venice tour, it rained so we couldn't go on the gondola rides so I felt the $140
per person price was a total rip-off. The money exchange machine on the ship gives only approximately 90% of exchange
rate of the local banks. We thought the art auction was a scam. It was basically a sale in an "auction style" and it was no
bargain like it was boasting to be. As for the ship activities, I thought there weren't many things to see and do on the ship.
There were no ice carving demonstration, no skeet shooting (I don't know how you spell that word), no tour of the kitchen,
no ballroom dancing lessons. The activities were pictionary games, boggling mind games, bingo, exsercising classes,
newly wed game. Boooooorrrrrring! And now the fiasco: On our returning flight, princess overbooked the chartered plane
from Tower Air (which was an old rundown, no cushion left on the tiny seat)which made the plane too heavy to fly direct to
New York. We had to wait on the plane 2 hours to fly to Ireland and get fuel and then to fly to New York. That caused the
entire plane (comprised of about 460 passengers) to miss their connecting flight. We had to go to the Ramada hotel, which
was a decent hotel, and had to wait 2 hours on a line to get our room. I think Princess knew about this but didn't want to
book another plane and as a result convenienced a lot of people. The next morning we were given a direct flight by United
Air which gave us excellent service. If I were to do this again, I would purchase our flights separately from the cruise and go
with United-Air.

Name: William Knoderer
Email: knoderer@ix.netcom.com
Age: 50
Occupation: Retired
NumberOfCruises: 3
TravelAgent: No
Ship: Princess-Grand
SailingDate: 25 July
Itinerary: Grand Med
Cabin: D737
FoodDiningRoom: 90
CruiseDirector: 92
CabinComfort: 85
FoodRoomService:
CruiseStaff: 92
CabinAmenities: 85
FoodLidoDeck: 90
DiningRoomService: 92
CabinQuietness: 92
FoodMidnightBuffets:
CabinSteward: 95
ShoreExcVariety: 95
FoodVariety: 90
DeckService: 88
ShoreExcValue: 90
GoodForHoneymoon:
CasinoStaff:
PrivateIsland:
GoodForFamilies: 90
LoungeService:
TenderService: 90
GoodForSeniors:
BeautySalonStaff: 90
EntertainmentLounges: 90
WheelchairAccess: 95
ExerciseFacilities: 95
EntertShowLounge:
OverallPortsofCall: 95
BeautySalon:
EntertainmentPoolside:
CruiseActivities: 90
Casino:
AirSeaProgram:
MedicalFacilities: 96
ShipCleanliness: 95
EmbarkDisembark: 98
DiscoNightclubs:
DeckSpace: 90
Stabilization: 95
ShopsOnBoard: 90
SpaceRatio: 90
OverallCruiseValue: 90
Submit: Submit Review
Date: 10 Aug 1999
Time: 20:23:54
Remote Name: dal-tx10-01.ix.netcom.com
Remote User:

Comments

This was our third Cruise. Previously on the Sun and Veendam.

Ship At 109000 tons and a 116-foot beam you would think this newest Princess ship would be a blessing for space
and planned usage for its 2600 passengers. Actual passenger count was 2715 with 1153 crew. In reality it is too
much in too little space. Suites are smaller than on the Sun, Sea, Dawn and Ocean (SSDO) actually in the VS
categories and above the cabins suffer from a considerable lack of space.

The "walk in" closet is more of a space into which you open the door -once it has clothes in it there is no going in.

Unlike the SSDO the bathroom are step up affairs and not as well laid out as the SSDO.

The suite floor layout is cluttered with too much furniture, making it difficult to get around. Once the sitting area sofa
is opened the feet of the two beds are about 2 feet apart. Thankfully there is the curtain that closes and divides the
room. This is not the CASE on the SSDO. But the cabins have more floor space. Verandas on the Grand are either
excellent or awful. Port and starboard depending on the deck you could have someone looking down into your
space. At the stern the situation is much better. The deck space here is much better than on the SSDO. Here you
have a sheltered area and nicely done rubber flooring- an idea that could be utilized on the SSDO. Again however
the space is marred by too much deck seating. There is little room to stand around or walk.

Fixtures and fittings are adequate but for a ship this new there are items that are showing their age poorly. Cabinet
space is really limited considering the size of the suite and again this is not true of the SSDO layout. We packed light
(1SC each) and easily filled all the drawers and spaces.

Beds are nice in size and softer than on HAL, but the toilet noise will wake the dead. Likewise the water in the head
suffered from odor during our cruise

When the steward was asked to remove some of the furniture the only solution was to place it on the veranda.

The butler thing that Princess is promoting is greatly over rated. Since each suite and mini-suite has this "butler"
service this staff category is not much more than an extra steward on the floor.

One aspect that is improved on the Grand is the use of offset doors in the halls. With all the balloons etc. that the
staff uses it keeps them out of the line of traffic. Not that much can be said for the ever-present carts in the halls.
Several times we have had to move carts out of the path just to get by.

My overall impression so far is that P&O has made much of this ship class but failed to carry off the details.

The promenade deck is so narrow in places at the bow and stern you have to walk it single file. In the straight areas
on port and starboard there is simply not enough room for deck chairs- a shame. Also Princess closes off the
forward portion of the deck at sunset. This is the part where you go up one flight at the bow. Princess says it is for
safety reasons but I suspect it has to do with the passenger and crew quarters that are there, After sunset one can
see into the heavily tinted windows and patio glass removing any privacy one might have. It is again an oversight in
ship design where the goal has been maximize passenger load vs. anything else.

The Princess Theater is another place that suffers. Again is an effort to get as many passengers to sit in shows as
possible they have packed in the seats. It ends up feeling like the standard coach airline seat- you know way to
narrow for us average folks and no legroom.

Dining rooms of which there are three seem to keep that small feeling and the service was good.

Most areas of the ship were clean but I have a habit of wandering where I should not and I saw many areas that were
untidy and should not have been that way.

We had mostly calm seas so we really can't complain about any motion of the ship. For its size it seems to handle
well.

Cruise

Getting on was the typical breeze. We came to Barcelona several days early to be sure we caught up with our bags-
it was not a problem. We got to the ship about 11am that morning and got to go right on- no problem

We took the Grand Med. tour from Barcelona to Istanbul. 25 July -6 August. This certainly makes the trip. The ports
of call we fascinating to say the least. Princess still does a good job of shore tours and the like. One area I think
demands improvement is the practice of letting street vendors come on the bus to sell their wares. I don't know if
Princess approves but a stop needs to be put on that.

Another option not really discussed by Princess is the availability of private taxis and guides for the well-heeled
traveler. If you abhor the bus thing and are willing to spend a little more this is the way to sightsee. We did this in
Barcelona, Florence, Athens and Istanbul. If you do the bus tour like sightseeing it cuts the time in half so you really
get to see a lot more. Worth every penny. And just like the buses since you are booking with Princess through their
agents the will watch out for you if there is a problem.

I noticed on this trip a great reduction in the number of ship wide announcements. This is a great improvement over
what we had in Alaska.

This itinerary was exhausting. At first when we booked we were worried about the 2 sea days and being bored. When
we got them we were so very glad to have the time to rest up.

Princess has really picked some of the best cities for first time touring they are the places you write books about so I
will forgo comments on them.

Overall I guess I'd have to say I preferred the Sun over the Grand. The size difference isn't that noticeable but the
suite size is. (Although the 'mini-suites appear bigger on the Grand that the Sun) My feeling is there has been too
much effort to maximum passenger rooms over common space and design. Do I like Princess- yes but I like HAL too.

Name: Tori Dell
Email: sprouty3@cwnet.com
Age: 46
Occupation: speech therapist
NumberOfCruises: 6
TravelAgent: No
Ship: Princess-Grand
SailingDate: July 13, 1999
Itinerary: Istanbul-Barcelona
Cabin: D724 mini-suite
FoodDiningRoom: 90
CruiseDirector: 87
CabinComfort: 97
FoodRoomService:
CruiseStaff: 85
CabinAmenities: 98
FoodLidoDeck: 95
DiningRoomService: 95
CabinQuietness: 99
FoodMidnightBuffets:
CabinSteward: 90
ShoreExcVariety:
FoodVariety: 90
DeckService:
ShoreExcValue:
GoodForHoneymoon:
CasinoStaff:
PrivateIsland:
GoodForFamilies: 91
LoungeService:
TenderService: 97
GoodForSeniors: 85
BeautySalonStaff:
EntertainmentLounges: 83
WheelchairAccess:
ExerciseFacilities:
EntertShowLounge: 86
OverallPortsofCall: 99
BeautySalon:
EntertainmentPoolside: 81
CruiseActivities: 84
Casino:
AirSeaProgram: 94
MedicalFacilities:
ShipCleanliness: 98
EmbarkDisembark: 97
DiscoNightclubs:
DeckSpace: 95
Stabilization: 90
ShopsOnBoard: 85
SpaceRatio: 93
OverallCruiseValue: 94
Submit: Submit Review
Date: 12 Aug 1999
Time: 15:41:06
Remote Name: usr1-d34.stk.cwnet.com
Remote User:

Comments

What a great vacation! My mother, who is in her 80's, and my two teenage daughters and I just returned from a great
cruise on the Grand Princess. It wasn't perfect, but the positives far outweighed the negatives, in my opinion. I'll
begin with the ship itself and general travel, and then discuss each port specifically. We began the trip spending 15
hours on three different planes to reach Istanbul. In retrospect, I wish we would have planned to arrive a few days
earlier just to see more of the city and to catch up on sleep! I was impressed with how smoothly the connections were
made. The Princess staff were very visible and organized at the Istanbul airport and terminal. We arrived in our cabin
around 7:30pm, and our luggage was delivered shortly afterwards. The four of us shared a mini-suite on the Dolphin
Deck, and it was great.

Having a balcony was such a treat, it would be hard to adjust to an inside stateroom next
time. The shower was hot and spacious, and the beds and pillows were extremely comfortable. Our steward was
pleasant, but I have to admit, I enjoyed the stewards on Holland America more, in that they did some little extras like
twisting the towels into animal shapes and leaving them on the pillows at night. (In the same vein, the dining room
staff was also pleasant, but they also didn't do anything out of the ordinary, like folding napkins creatively.) Getting
back to our suite, I thought the butler service was a complete waste - it should have been optional. Our butler was
extremely nice - but all he did was inquire about our day and bring us a plate of appetizers which we rarely found
appetizing. The food on board was generally good. We usually ate breakfast at the Horizon Buffet.

My only complaint
is that pretty much the same food was available every day. The buffet lunch was usually good. My only complaint
there was that most of the desserts were too fancy. I would have loved some chocolate chip cookies or peanut butter
cookies! We never ate the ice cream on board, because we didn't want to pay for it. Dinners were actually better
than I expected. Some of the fish was outstanding! The portions were too large ( as always) but always served
attractively. I love chocolate, and I thought their dessert menu lacked good chocolate items - until I discovered a
chocolate mousse cake that was always available and delicious! The pizza on board was also quite good. The
entertainment was rather bland. For me, the highlight was Elliot Finkel playing the piano. I would pay to hear him in
concert. The shows were ok - but, here again, I would have liked more of a variety. The activities during the day were
al.so quite limited. I would have enjoyed some craft classes (Princess makes you purchase a needlepoint kit for a
class, whereas Carnival provided them.), or even some basic language classes or dance classes. I loved the art
auctions, though. They were fun and informative - and I love my purchases!

The teen program didn't seem quite as
organized as it had been on other ships - but both my daughters found nice teens to hang out with. They
participated in some activities, but mainly created their own fun. The ship was BIG - yes - but I thought it was laid out
nicely so you really didn't notice it. I found my way around easily, and enjoyed using the stairs. I came back home in
better shape than when I left! The only drawback is that with such a large ship, you don't tend to run into familiar
people as often. I have two main suggestions for improvement. First, it would be nice to have staff at the tour desk
who actually knew about the ports we visit and how to do things on one's own. I was grateful they had copies of the
train schedules for both Livorno and Naples, but many of my questions went unanswered. And second, for ports
where the ship isn't close to the center of town, I think Princess should provide free shuttle transportation. For a
family, $4.00 per person each way really adds up quickly. That nicely leads me into my second topic - the ports. I
would highly encourage anyone with even the slightest sense of adventure to skip the organized tours and launch
out on your own.

It is so much fun to use local transportation, and go at your own pace, and buy a nice illustrated
guidebook of each city. Besides saving money, we got to talk with local people and visit some out of the way places.
Istanbul: Most people spoke some English. We bargained with a taxi driver to take us to St. Sophia. (about $9.00
each way, compared to $32.00 for the shuttle). There is so much to see, but St. Sophia, The Blue Mosque and
Topkai are all within walking distance of each other and they're all interesting. The people on the streets are usually
friendly, and even though they persistently beg you to buy things, it's easy to say no. I bought a rug, and that was
such an interesting experience. Beware - if you need to use the bathroom, you look for the WC sign, and you need
local currency to pay for it! We didn't have a chance to see the Grand Bazaar, but I'd love to go back again!
Kusadasi: It's about a 1/4 mile walk to this town, and they have a mini Grand Bazaar here. We found the shops to be
great and the people again were good natured and very nice. We bargained with a taxi driver to take us to Ephesus,
St. John's Basilica, and Mary's House.

My daughters and I shared a large taxi with another couple, and we paid
$50.00 for a 3 1/2 hour tour of the area. All three of the sites are worth seeing, but they are a distance apart, so you
need the taxi for the whole time. Athens: The city is crowded, and I believe it is easier to take the train to the
Acropolis and the Plaka shopping area rather than a taxi. We found a taxi to take us to the train station, and there
we bought train tickets. The stops are nicely labelled. The Acropolis is about a 20 minute walk from the train stop.
This is a fascinating place. Some of the areas involve climbing over very slippery rocks, so beware. I wish we would
have had more time in Greece. Venice: Our favorite port - it is beautiful. It was easy to get around - we bought a
24-hour pass for the vaporettos (water busses) which let you ride them as many times as you want. They are very
inexpensive and fun, but crowded. The maps are very easy to read. We saw St Mark's Square, the campanile, and
the Doge's Palace, then took the vaporetto to the Guggenheim Museum. We took another vaporetto to see some
churches and found THE BEST gelatto shop. I wish I would have bought more souvenirs from Venice - we found the
best buys here. We took a gondola ride at night. It was a fun experience, but once was enough. Naples: The taxi
drivers here are the scariest. We took a taxi to the train station, and then the train to the Pompeii exit. I enjoyed
looking at the area, but to see it fully would have taken more than four hours. The line to get in was over 30 minutes
long. To understand what you're seeing, you really need to buy the map of the ruins - the map in the tour book
doesn't correspond with the numbered ruins. The area we saw from the ship and from the train was not especially
attractive. I'd love to see more of the coastline next time. Livorno: Again, we took a taxi to the train station, and then
the train to Florence. The trip takes about 1 1/2 hours each way, but it's comfortable and very scenic. It also stops at
Pisa, but I understand that the leaning tower is about 3 miles from the train station, and we didn't have the time (or
the energy) to see it. Getting off the train in Florence, it was about a 15 minute walk to the Duomo - and near there
are a lot of interesting areas. It appeared to me that people were allowed into the cathedrals wearing shorts and tank
tops. Museums close from about 2:00-4:30, unfortunately. There was so much to see in this area, but not enough
time to do it justice. Monte Carlo: This was our least favorite port. It was still nice, but this is the only one we all
decided that we had no desire to go back and explore further. We walked to Old Monaco and saw the palace, the
changing of the guard, and the cathedral. The casino area is also easily accessible, but if you're under 21, you can't
even look inside. Barcelona: We took a taxi to Las Ramblas, and that area is a strip of shops and stalls and street
performers. It's full of side streets for shopping and exploring, and the Gothic Quarter was fascinating. We bought a
pack of 10 metro tickets and took the subway to La Sagrada Familia. Don't miss this! If we had more time, we would
have explored so many more areas - it was so easy to do! So - I'd love to answer anyone's questions:
sprouty3@cwnet.com

Name: David Siu
Email: david.r.siu@wcom.com
Age: 42
Occupation: Telecommunications
NumberOfCruises: 1
TravelAgent: No
Ship: Princess-Grand
SailingDate: June 19, 1999
Itinerary: Grand Mediterranean
Cabin: C615
FoodDiningRoom: 95
CruiseDirector: 70
CabinComfort: 100
FoodRoomService: 80
CruiseStaff: 90
CabinAmenities: 95
FoodLidoDeck: 85
DiningRoomService: 90
CabinQuietness: 100
FoodMidnightBuffets:
CabinSteward: 90
ShoreExcVariety: 90
FoodVariety: 90
DeckService: 70
ShoreExcValue: 60
GoodForHoneymoon: 90
CasinoStaff: 70
PrivateIsland:
GoodForFamilies: 95
LoungeService: 90
TenderService: 90
GoodForSeniors:
BeautySalonStaff: 75
EntertainmentLounges: 90
WheelchairAccess:
ExerciseFacilities: 90
EntertShowLounge: 90
OverallPortsofCall: 98
BeautySalon: 85
EntertainmentPoolside: 75
CruiseActivities: 90
Casino: 85
AirSeaProgram:
MedicalFacilities: 90
ShipCleanliness: 89
EmbarkDisembark: 99
DiscoNightclubs: 95
DeckSpace: 99
Stabilization: 99
ShopsOnBoard: 90
SpaceRatio: 99
OverallCruiseValue: 89
Submit: Submit Review
Date: 15 Aug 1999
Time: 22:25:27
Remote Name: 204.189.236.157
Remote User:

Comments

The Grand Princess – Grand Mediterranean Cruise Istanbul-Barcelona Cruise Date: June 19, 1999

Summary:

We did a lot of research by speaking with travel agents, friends who have cruised and by surfing the World Wide
Web. The Grand Princess was NOT our original choice for our cruise. However, after determining what we were
looking for in a cruise ship and itinerary, it became apparent that The Grand Princess would become our choice.

We began our vacation with our own holiday in Greece and Istanbul. We made our own airfare arrangements, since
we wanted to explore the Greek Island of Santorini on our own. We decided to start our trip 5 days before our cruise
date, since we wanted to adjust our body clocks before we embarked on the ship. This would allow us to fully enjoy
the start of our cruise.

Our arrival at the Istanbul airport was quite interesting. We met our transportation driver who helped us load our
luggage into a van. He drove us to our hotel, which was located in Sutalhamet, nearby the Blue Mosque. We stayed
at a converted Ottoman house, called the Hotel Spectra. The owner of the hotel was an extremely nice man by the
name of Dr. Dogan Sumagen. Our room was quaint and faced the street. At night, our room was rather warm. Since
we did not have air conditioning, we would leave our windows open, facing the street. As a result, we could hear the
Muslim prayer early in the morning and late at night.

Our hotel had a great view from the top-level dining terrace. Please see URL below for a picture of the views…

http://hotelspectra.com/JPG/restauIyi.jpg

You could see the Blue Mosque and the minarets, and a distant view of the Marmara Sea. During breakfast one
morning, we saw the Grand Princess making its’ way into port. It was quite exciting to see the ship that we were about
to embark upon.

Impressions of the Grand Princess:

When you look at this ship from a distance, it is unbelievably gigantic! It doesn’t have the classical appearance from
the exterior, but that didn’t matter to us. We were so impressed with the size of the ship and the internal layout.

The embarkation process was unbelievably fast. From the moment that we arrived via taxi at the Istanbul port
terminal, we were processed through and walked through the gangway in about 15 minutes or less. For such a large
number of passengers, Princess has perfected the embarkation process.

The food was really good. We dined in the DaVinci Room with some great people from Canada. There were several
nights when we did alternative dining at Sabatinis and the Horizon Court (menu dining in the evenings). I really
enjoyed the prime rib, King Crab legs, and lobster. I also liked the wonderful deserts; i.e. soufflés and bananas
flambé. Our dining room service was great. Our waiter’s name was Catlin and the assistant waiter’s name was Anna
Marie. Catlin is actually engaged to marry Ann Marie’s sister this fall. They took care of us and made sure that we
were happy with our dining experience there.

The following is a list of our impressions from and positive and negative perception of the Grand Princess:

Positives

? Embarkation process was organized and quick! ? Dining room service and food at DaVinci’s was super. ? Pizza
was very tasty. I ate pizza at least four times. ? Fresh fruit is provided in your room on a daily basis. ? Skywalker’s
Disco has a great view of the water late at night while cruising ? The ship is unbelievably stable. We felt little motion
while going through gale-force winds from Athens through the Ionian Sea towards Venice. ? Jeff King’s speeches on
the ports were very informative. He has a very nice speaking voice too. ? The Venice sail away from the top-level of
the ship was awesome and very romantic with the music of Enya and Andrea Bocelli playing in the background. ?
Our stateroom with a balcony was fabulous. We enjoyed our breakfast from the balcony and also watching as we
approached a port. The size of our stateroom was surprisingly spacious. You could stuff luggage and goods
underneath the bed and out of the way. ? Our Room Steward was very nice and helpful. He opened bottles of wine
for us, took pictures of us during our formal nights, before we left our room, and attended to our needs throughout. ?
Activities were fun… art auctions, trivial pursuit, karaoke, ballroom dancing, etc. ? The tenders were spacious and
well coordinated. The return back to our ship in Athens was a bit time-consuming.

Negatives

? The price of the spa treatments are extremely high. The therapist are there to sell you services and products.
They must be commissioned to push their products on you at the end of your session. At first, they give you the
impression that they’re trying to make you healthier. DO NOT BELIEVE THIS! They simply want you to buy more
services and products. Also, their claim to losing inches is so misleading. They tell you that you’ll lose X inches at the
end of an “Inothermie” treatment. What they do is measure water loss in numerous locations of your body and add
those losses up to create a significant result! This was a turn-off! I’m surprised that Princess doesn’t listen to the
surveys from its passengers. ? The excursion to Pompeii/Sorrento/Amalfi was disappointing. We’d been to Sorrento
and Amalfi a couple of years ago. These are wonderful resort towns. However, the manner in which this excursion
was coordinated, made it very poor. First of all, we all stopped at a Cameo factory, which wasted 30 minutes of our
time. It was a worthless tourist stop to buy a Cameo. Pompeii was impressive, and you could certainly spend more
time there. Our drive to Sorrento was long and delayed by traffic. We ended up eating lunch at a restaurant off the
beaten path. Sorrento has many shopping areas. Unfortunately, we were taken to an area with none of the great
shops. Our drive to Amalfi was quite harrowing. There are many narrow roads across the bluffs. You see cars and
buses making tight turns and even backing up to allow another to enter a narrow road. Amalfi was pretty, but again
time was too limited. We wish that we could have replaced the Sorrento/Amalfi portion of our excursion with the
hydroplane ride to Capri. Our friends told us it was beautiful and they did not experience delays. ? Princess should
not charge for soft drinks. ? Ice tea at the Horizon Court was inconsistent and the icemaker was empty a lot of times.
? Breakfast and lunch service at the Horizon Court was not very good. They need to bus tables faster to allow
people to sit down and eat their meals. Also, it would be nice if they brought your drinks to your table. ? The
currency converter machines did not provide competitive exchange rates. ? Princess charges a ground
transportation fee in Istanbul, Piraeus, Livorno and Barcelona. ? Virtual Reality Game Room requires that you
purchase game credits in $20 increments. They should offer smaller denominations if you plan to play sparingly.

Ports of Call:

Istanbul This is a very interesting city in which there is a taste of the Middle East, Europe and Asia mixed together.
The merchants are very desperate to sell their goods. It’s fun to bargain at the Grand Bazaar. Turks are quite
inquisitive people. We found them asking many questions about our origins. Be advised that if you are invited to sit
down and drink tea, you are about to be propositioned to buy a carpet, jewelry, or some other good. We would
definitely return to this marvelous city in the future to explore the Bosphorous and the Black Sea beaches.

Kusadasi This city possesses a beautiful port. We went on our own and met another American couple to share a taxi.
Our driver took us to all the famous sites. It culminated at Ephesus, which is an incredible city of ruins. There are
several resort style beachfront hotels in Kusadasi. Our driver told us that the daily rates are quite reasonable. We
ate at a seafood restaurant next to our port terminal. We also did some great shopping in a smaller Bazaar. You can
find some really nice leather goods reasonably priced.

Athens Due to strong winds, we were forced to anchor our ship and tender into a different port other than Piraeus.
Athens is a very dirty city. There are many sites to see in this city. We did an excursion to see the Acropolis, the
Plaka and the Temple of Poseidon. This is an excellent excursion. We enjoyed the walk up the Acropolis. It is
impressive to see. The Plaka has many interesting homes. There is so much character with the style and
architecture there. Our favorite Greek restaurant is located in the Plaka and called the Poseidon. They have
excellent Souvlakia, Gyros, and Greek Salads. The Temple of Poseidon is also an interesting place. You can see the
ferry ships cruise by as they make their way into the Aegean Sea. At the tip of the Temple of Poseidon, there is a
strong breeze along the bluffs.

Venice This was our favorite port in the entire cruise. The canals, gondolas, shops, etc. We were very happy that the
Kosovo war ended and did not impact our cruise up the Adriatic Sea to Venice. When we first arrived at the Princess
drop-off point (Princess provides a shuttle from the berth to St. Marks Square), we were approached by a man who
claimed that he worked for the Chamber of Commerce. He gave us (my wife and our friends) free water taxi tickets to
Murano. I asked him if the tickets were roundtrip and he said “yes”. This seemed ideal, since we wanted to visit
Murano and possibly buy some glass. When we arrived at Murano, we were immediately taken into an area where
they demonstrate their trade. We gave the guy a small tip and moved into the retail store area. The glass works in
Murano are fabulous, but pricey. Don't expect to negotiate a deal similar to what you can do in Turkey. They will
bargain, but not aggressively. After all the shopping, we found out that we would have to obtain our own
transportation back to St. Marks, since our tickets were one-way only (I should have verified earlier). We took a
Vaporetto back to St. Marks Square.

Venice is full of great character. You really can spend a couple of days shopping in and around the canals, drinking
cappuccino, eating pasta and pizza and simply marveling at the sights. Do not forget to visit the Doge Palace. It is
very large and the architecture is beautiful. You can even visit the old prison that is attached to the palace. You
actually walk through a narrow passage, which connects the two structures. This passage is in reality the Bridge of
Sighs from the outside. I highly recommend that you find a gondolier to take you on a ride up the Grand Canal to the
Rialto Bridge and back through the smaller canals finishing at the Bridge of Sighs. Buy a bottle of your favorite wine
and get a couple of glasses to drink the wine. I recommend that you do this right around sunset. Venice is so
beautiful and romantic.

Naples This is a dirty city, but most people don’t go specifically to Naples. Pompeii is such an interesting place to
see. The excursion doesn’t allow enough time to really see Pompeii. There are so many tours there, that they break
it up into different groups, which see both common and different sights. We rated the Sorrento/Amalfi portion of the
excursion as bad. There simply is not enough time to really see both towns. If you get caught into traffic, which we
did, you might as well forget about any shopping. When we began our return drive from Amalfi to the ship, our bus
drove through Salerno. Our bus driver drove our bus up against the wall along the road. It kind of shocked everyone
inside, not knowing if we hit a car or something else. If ever you want to experience some true beauty and adventure,
I highly recommend that you rent a car and drive to Positano. It is just beyond Sorrento. This town is our favorite
Italian beach resort. You can see all the whitewashed hotels built into the bluffs. The town has a main road and there
are quaint shops to browse. The beachfront is fabulous and the view from the Hotel Le Sireneuse is beyond
description. Positano used to be one of Aristotle Onassis’s favorite getaways. He’d dock his yacht right out in front.

I must tell you that during the day at sea from Venice to Naples, we caught sight of Stromboli. It is an active volcano.
You could see the visual effects of the lava flowing along the sides of this wonder. I saw this around 11:00 p.m. the
night before we arrived in Naples. This was a special treat!

Livorno This has been one of Italy’s more important shipping ports. The port is nothing to brag about. If you decide
to go into the town of Livorno, Princess will charge you a shuttle fee, which I think is ridiculous.

We had visited Florence several years ago on our own. So this time we did the excursion to Tuscany. Our tour took
us to a winery in Lucca, which was gorgeous! You see so many lush green vegetation and olive trees. On the way
to/back Lucca, you could see the Leaning Tower of Pisa from afar.

The winery was small in comparison to what you see in Napa or Sonoma Valley (California wineries). The name of
the winery was Monte Carlo di Lucca. We were all seated at tables and presented different types of cold cuts, such
as ham, pepperoni, and cheeses. They also gave us bread and olives too. We were poured both a red and white
wine and at the end, they gave us an after dinner liquor (similar to port wine). The experience was very nice and we
enjoyed sitting around and marveling at their gardens. They grew their own vegetables and fruits on this property. It
had majestic views and such tranquility.

Monaco We tendered into this pristine city. We took the tour bus to Nice and spent about 30 minutes of free time on
our own. We walked over to an upscale store and shopped very briefly. Afterwards, we sat down and had a
cappuccino. We then walked over to the Farmers Market, which had the most beautiful flowers and fruits.

We then took this motorized train that drove us throughout the streets, so that we could see all the interesting sights.

On our bus drive back into Monaco, we saw the road where Princess Grace crashed in her car and died. We also
saw the castle of Eze, which looked interesting too.

Our bus dropped us into the town of Monaco where we ate lunch and walked up the hill to the Royal Palace in Monte
Carlo. The walk is somewhat steep, but worth the exercise. You’ll find various curio shops and a magnificent view of
the town below. We stopped at the church where Princess Grace and Prince Rainier were married. This is also
where Princess Grace was buried after her death. Another place of interest to visit is a museum of the famous
oceanographer, Jacque Costeau.

Barcelona While we were excited to see the city of Barcelona, we started to realize that indeed our cruise was
coming to an end. During our approach into the port, we had mixed emotions…

The Princess provided a free shuttle bus from our berth to a drop point which was 2 blocks from The Rambles which
is a walkway that is for people watching. There are various shops, cafes, and mimes that perform for tips on this
strip. Be careful of professional pickpockets. We saw a couple of gypsy women harass a man. They had their hands
in his coat pocket as they surrounded him.

Barcelona is a wonderful city. If you want to experience a great meal, I recommend that you walk or take a taxi to
Siete Puertas. This is a great restaurant located diagonally across from the main postal office down by the
waterfront. They serve the best ever paella.

This city has many sites to see. Everyone talks about Sagrada Familia, which is an unbelievable cathedral that is still
being built. Gaudi’s artwork can be found throughout this city. We loved the Picasso museum in Barcelona. We
thought it was much more comprehensive than the one in Paris.

Closing:

Our last night on the ship was sad. We met with our friends to exchange addresses and phone numbers.

We had our final dinner that evening and afterwards met with our friends from California to do karaoke. Yes, we
finally went up and sang as a trio. One of our friends even videotaped it.

Afterwards, we went to our room and began packing all that we had accumulated during our entire holiday and more.
We quickly packed our main belongings into suitcases and placed them outside our cabin with the appropriate
colored tags. Princess uses these tags to separate your luggage for retrieval in the port terminal.

Our disembarkation process was quick. We received our final statement in the morning. We had our final breakfast
in the Horizon Court and then walked right off the gangway into the terminal. You pick out your luggage and have a
porter bring it to your bus. From there, you hop on the bus and head out to the airport… We were surprised at the
ease of disembarking from the ship. This was a great way to end a wonderful cruise.

We recommend The Grand Princess. Overall it was a great cruise. The itinerary was exactly what we wanted and the
service onboard made you feel special! We will definitely be back on board with Princess. Hopefully we’ll book a
cruise on one of the new ships, such as the Sea Princess…

Name: Dorothy Martin
Email: dotmart@cybernex.net
Age: 74
Occupation: Realtor
NumberOfCruises: 4
TravelAgent: No
Ship: Princess-Grand
SailingDate: 7/24/99
Itinerary: Barcelona to Istanbul
Cabin: c703
FoodDiningRoom: 100
CruiseDirector: 90
CabinComfort: 90
FoodRoomService: 100
CruiseStaff: 100
CabinAmenities: 85
FoodLidoDeck: 80
DiningRoomService: 100
CabinQuietness: 100
FoodMidnightBuffets:
CabinSteward: 80
ShoreExcVariety: 90
FoodVariety: 90
DeckService: 100
ShoreExcValue: 100
GoodForHoneymoon:
CasinoStaff:
PrivateIsland:
GoodForFamilies: 80
LoungeService: 100
TenderService: 100
GoodForSeniors: 100
BeautySalonStaff:
EntertainmentLounges: 90
WheelchairAccess:
ExerciseFacilities:
EntertShowLounge: 90
OverallPortsofCall: 100
BeautySalon:
EntertainmentPoolside: 80
CruiseActivities:
Casino:
AirSeaProgram:
MedicalFacilities:
ShipCleanliness: 100
EmbarkDisembark: 100
DiscoNightclubs:
DeckSpace: 100
Stabilization: 100
ShopsOnBoard: 90
SpaceRatio: 100
OverallCruiseValue: 100
Submit: Submit Review
Date: 18 Aug 1999
Time: 08:27:19
Remote Name: dhyp1-104.cybernex.net
Remote User:

Comments

this cruise was superior in every way! The staff could not have been more helpful. Our dining room waiters were
outstanding - especially Nathan and Al! They were especially helpful to my 12-year old companion and he was
delighted with their friendship and the extra service they provided for him - especially the pot of hot chocolate at
every meal! Ben and I were fond of the pizza counter during the day, as well as the variety of food at the buffet. I did
think sodas could have been provided free of charge, and the portions of liquor at the bars seemed very small. The
only other negative was the lack of ample drawer space in the cabins. we loved the balcony and it was delightful to
spend time there overlooking the various ports. Would I take this trip again? You bet! Every year I take one
grandchild on a trip of their choice and I am sure Ben will be selling his younger cousins on the Grand Princess!

Name: Hinemoa Xhori
Email: hinemoa@hotmail.com
Age: 40
Occupation: Lecturer
NumberOfCruises: 1
TravelAgent: No
Ship: Princess-Grand
SailingDate: 25 July 1999
Itinerary: Barcelona - Istanbul
Cabin: D714
FoodDiningRoom: 92
CruiseDirector: 80
CabinComfort: 90
FoodRoomService:
CruiseStaff: 80
CabinAmenities: 90
FoodLidoDeck: 88
DiningRoomService: 99
CabinQuietness: 89
FoodMidnightBuffets: 87
CabinSteward: 86
ShoreExcVariety:
FoodVariety: 93
DeckService: 82
ShoreExcValue:
GoodForHoneymoon:
CasinoStaff:
PrivateIsland:
GoodForFamilies: 95
LoungeService: 90
TenderService: 93
GoodForSeniors:
BeautySalonStaff:
EntertainmentLounges: 89
WheelchairAccess:
ExerciseFacilities: 90
EntertShowLounge: 97
OverallPortsofCall: 82
BeautySalon:
EntertainmentPoolside: 77
CruiseActivities: 85
Casino:
AirSeaProgram:
MedicalFacilities:
ShipCleanliness: 82
EmbarkDisembark: 98
DiscoNightclubs: 71
DeckSpace: 84
Stabilization: 91
ShopsOnBoard: 73
SpaceRatio: 88
OverallCruiseValue: 99
Submit: Submit Review
Date: 22 Aug 1999
Time: 06:24:47
Remote Name: s38h032.hct.ac.ae
Remote User:

Comments

Our family decided to take a cruise, because we wanted a holiday, in which we had to unpack only once, enjoy the
comforts of a luxurious resort and see more than one place without having to drive or fly there. Cruising with the
Grand Princess met all these expectations. The Grand Princess is a huge ship yet the service was superb. There
were four of us my two daughters, twenty and thirteen, my husband and myself. When we booked the cruise the girls
were worried there wouldn't be much for them to do on the ship. They loved it. There were so many things for them
to do that they didn't want to leave on our last day. The embarkation procedure was amazing. No more than ten
minutes after we arrived at the check-in we were being guided on to the ship and directed to our staterooms. From
then on it was five star treatment everywhere we went. I would like to point out that our staterooms were inside, so
not the most expensive, and we still received all services. The restaurant was probably the best experience of all. I
had read in cruise comments about the food and wondered why people raved and now I know. The food is superb
and so beautifully presented one can't help but comment on it. However what really made the restaurant special for
us were our waiter, Francesco and the junior waitress, Viorica, who were always on hand to offer more than excellent
service. The shows were fantastic and there was one band, the Mudsharks who really played to please. I watched a
60 minutes show on TV in New Zealand a week after I had been on the cruise and was disappointed to see that the
only passengers shown were senior citizens, giving the impression that that is the age group the cruise caters for.
The Grand Princess catered to all ages and on our cruise the passengers were mainly mid thirties and upward with a
huge number of younger adults and children. We didn't take any of the organized tours preferring to explore
ourselves. The tour desk staff were most helpful in giving detailed information on how to get to places and they even
published a pamphlet on each of our ports of call with a map and tips and advice which were invaluable. Also there
was a talk organized in one of the lounges in which the city or cities we were approaching were described in detail
and if one missed the talk then it was broadcast several times on one of the ship TV channels. The ship provided a
free tender service in Monte Carlo, which ran continuously so you weren't stranded either on the boat or on shore. In
Venice they provided a free boat ferry service to St. .Marks square. We found in Barcelona and Livorno that it was
cheaper for four of us to get a taxi to and from the ship than to use the shuttle, which was $4 a person each way. We
didn't much enjoy Naples and would have preferred to have called in to Civitavecchia, which is close to Rome. Sailing
into Venice on the Grand Princess was such a privilege. We sailed in around midday and once we entered the
channel the historian on board gave us detailed commentary on the islands and buildings we were passing so we
had a head start in discovering Venice. Kusadas is a must to see. The bazaar offers such wonderful bargains and
the people are so friendly.

In conclusion I would recommend this cruise to anybody who wants to see the eastern Mediterranean or to anybody
who just wants a relaxing and entertaining holiday with excellent service.

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