This was only my second cruise with Princess and both have been on older ships, The Island and the Grand. I could easily nitpick the design, or the carpeting, or the occasional smells, but I won't. I'm on vacation and I have only one mission: to enjoy myself. And that I did. There were five sea days that I filled with making new friends to playing trivia and eating more bread than I normally manage in a year. There were 4 ports of call that I had never visited before. What's to complain about?
Embarkation
5 out of 5
We were checked almost before we arrived, it was that quick!
Ship experiences
Food and Dining
4 out of 5
We ate in the MDR almost every night, The food was tasty, with a few exceptions. The anytime favorite Alfredo was beyond bland unfortunately and one of the Curtis Stone choices was inedible. But I actually enjoyed most of the dishes I ordered and the deserts were delicious. While the buffet is limited, every breakfast and lunch we had there was good.
Onboard Activities
3 out of 5
Well, if you like bingo, then you are in luck. Me? I enjoy trivia and other similar activities such as scavenger hunts and the at sea heist. Unfortunately many of these are scheduled at the same time!!! I have to ask why? These will attract the same people. Otherwise, there are a variety of activities suitable for a varied audience.
Entertainment
Didn't care to attend
Service and Staff
4 out of 5
MDR and Horizon Court staff were great and very friendly. Our room steward was AWOL for most of the trip. I'm sure he was around as our room was serviced but he made no special effort to get to know us.
Ship Quality
4 out of 5
With an older ship, there will be some rough edges but all in all, the Grand provided a comfortable home away from home.
Cabin / Stateroom
2 out of 5
The room was adequate to our needs but the air conditioning decided to take a vacation. We were provided a fan and a partial refund for the inconvenience. Princess was very attentive to our situation.
Ship tip
Overlook some antiquated design flaws, etc. You're on a wonderful vacation.
This was a nice surprise. We had nothing booked for this stop and so set off to explore the city on our own. We stopped at a local grocery store -always a good place to find sauces, spices, candies, etc. from the region- and 3 ladies in the line behind us began a conversation. Because my sister speaks Spanish, it was an engaging exchange. As they were leaving, they asked if we wanted to follow them to the local iguana sanctuary. Well, understandably, we were just a bit apprehensive. The clerk assured us that the people of Manzanillo were very friendly and trustworthy and that we should take the chance. So we followed them! And what a delight it was. They had timed our visit to the sanctuary for feeding time. SOOOOOO many iguanas. Fabulously interesting. We took pictures of our little group, exchanged phone numbers and said "till next time." What a lucky encounter!
We booked an excursion online with shoreexcursioneers for a catamaran sail and snorkle. We had a great time with the crew and other passengers. Go for the sail, swim, lunch, drinks, and dancing. The snorkeling is just passable. Wonderful!
I like your attitude! When your on vacation you shouldn't let little things bother you... Sounds like you had a wonderful time and made some new friends!
Love your attitude about the aging ship...we are on vacation/cruise to have fun, relax and enjoy...always something to complain about if one looks for it...so long as it isn't dangerous and doesn't impede having fun...easy to ignore...plus they are in service 24/7...bound to have a little wear and tear
*Cruiseline.com is not a booking agent or travel agency,
and does not charge any service fees to users of our site. Our partners
(travel agencies and cruise lines) provide prices, which we list for our
users' convenience. Cruiseline.com does not guarantee any specific rates or
prices. While prices are updated daily, please check with the booking site
for the exact amount. Cruiseline.com is not responsible for content on
external web sites.
Contact us
Submitting...
Need help from a personal vacation planner?
Loading...
Find the perfect cruise with weekly tips and cruise deals for as little as $30/night!
Sign up for weekly cruise deals
Join other subscribers and get the best
cruise deals of the week in your inbox every Thursday.
