Just do it! This is a fabulous cruise.. one that I will repeat again. I am a big fan of sea days, so having 9 sea days total is just the best ever!
Embarkation
5 out of 5
Quick and efficient! No lines really... on board in a flash!
Ship experiences
Food and Dining
5 out of 5
I'm always happy to be on-board and never second guess the offerings. Would I LOVE to have donuts for breakfast? Sure! The danish just don't do the trick. Like the desserts, they look great but are just OK. But hey... if you don't like it, don't eat it! I'm always grateful that I'm on a cruise! MDR is always fun and interesting food. I tried escargot for the first time and actually enjoyed it!
Onboard Activities
5 out of 5
Always something to do on-board. The most difficult thing is prioritizing what you must do over what you want to do! This was 2nd cruise of same itinerary and stayed plenty busy and had to schedule down time. No complaints there as the activities are always fun and enjoyable!
Entertainment
5 out of 5
Everything was great. This cruise was an older crown so I felt bad that the venues weren't as full as they should have been based on the great talent offered. My gain... and a loss for the early to bed folks!
Service and Staff
5 out of 5
Except for a couple "the bar is closed" when 2 bartenders were standing behind the bar and it was obviously open and then served when I showed my disappointment... every thing was very good. Our stateroom attendant was amazing and got additional tip every several days in addition to the pre-paid gratuities. I would have liked the cocktail servers to be a bit more diligent about checking if people needed drinks. Too many times I had to go to the bar myself to order (I know... poor, poor me!)
Ship Quality
4 out of 5
The old gal can use some maintenance and refurbishment. The issues she had 3 years ago (before dry doc refurbishment) are still an issue. Some of the public restrooms are in BAD shape. I've seen better restrooms in gas stations. I generally went back to my stateroom to use the bathroom but a few times I used the public restrooms, I was dismayed by the dismal condition of them.
Cabin / Stateroom
5 out of 5
Love this balcony stateroom! Same stateroom we had 3 years ago, so felt like home! No issues whatsoever with this room. The addition of the pre-Medallion screen to unlock door with cruise card is a plus... although it's sometimes touch to get the reader to read the card. I'll assume with the Medallion, it will be easier to use. They've eliminated anywhere to place paperwork, Patters, etc on the door... so they're either stuck in he door handle or stuck in the back of the Medallion screen, which is odd.
Ship tip
She's a grand old lady and I respect the service she's offered to us. Sure, there are newer, larger, more spectacular ships out there but the Grand is such a nice size for a cruise. I don't appreciate the mega-ships, so I prefer something this sized. Oh yea, and I should have won bingo! haha
Easy to get on the city bus for a trip down to Waikiki. We'd rented 2 lounge chairs and an umbrella in advance at the Royal Hawaiian, so had a pleasant afternoon relaxing there!
Did the Fern Grotto boat tour and while it was fun... it was HUMID! Nonetheless, it was a nice air conditioned bus ride and fun boat ride to the Fern Grotto and back to the bus!
Took tender to Lahaina and enjoyed walking around and shopping at the cute little shops. Easy to get around and the tender service was handled very well. Even ice water and cool cloths offered by Princess to cool us down.... yes... even in November!
Fantastic review Jim, we felt the very same way earlier his year and loved every moment on board Grand. Great service, and food. Loved the rooms as well.
*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.
