Hawaiian cruise (pandemic) a bit different

Grand Princess Cruise Review to Hawaii

Cruises: 7+ cruises
Reviews: 2
Helpful Votes: 75

Overall rating:

3.7 out of 5
Grand Princess

15 Night Hawaiian Islands (Los Angeles Roundtrip)

Sail date: January 04, 2022

Ship: Grand Princess

Cabin type: Inside

Cabin number: L249

Traveled as: Couple

Reviewed: 2 years ago

Review summary

We found the crew working hard to serve us well, yet with so relatively few passengers onboard the services at staterooms and in restaurants was clearly sub-par. The drastic cut to onboard entertainment was a huge disappointment.

Embarkation

4 out of 5
Overall smooth embarkation

Ship experiences

Food and Dining

3 out of 5
Food was good but selections reduced from typical Princess fare, and dining rooms management was quite disorganized

Onboard Activities

3 out of 5
Low passenger counts meant activities and facilities were very accessible without crowds

Entertainment

2 out of 5
The severely pared down onboard entertainment program (no stage shows or performers) was a huge disappointment and marked departure from the level of quality we’d had on any past cruises

Service and Staff

4 out of 5
The staff worked hard to serve us well, although it was clear that they were operating understaffed which resulted in mediocre service levels in cabin stewards are dining venues

Ship Quality

4 out of 5
This is an old (1998 vintage) ship, but it was well maintained. We did not get to enjoy the full promenade deck track as forward and aft sections were closed off throughout most of the cruise

Cabin / Stateroom

4 out of 5
This cabin was small, relatively quiet and comfortable with great access to the open deck areas and dining venues on the Lido deck.

Ship tip

The Sanctuary and pools/tubs were open and readily available to all passengers (no restrictions for adults-only)

Ports of call

San Pedro (Los Angeles), California

3 out of 5
The port was efficient for embarkation and disembark

Honolulu, Oahu

5 out of 5
Great stop, longer stay and so many choices for adventure

Nawiliwili, Kauai

3 out of 5
Few cabs or busses, Kauai did not know we were coming

Hilo, Hawaii

4 out of 5
Good adventure and opportunity for exploring

Kahului, Maui

5 out of 5
Amazing port and island

Ensenada, Mexico

4 out of 5
Decent stop, few crowds, easy to shuttle about

Disembarkation

5 out of 5
Very smooth and efficient
Was this review helpful? 24

10 Comments

jipsen    2 years ago

Going on the Grand Princess with my mom on Feb 13. Just seeing what the weather was like on the sea days. Thanks for your help.

Gwbigdog    2 years ago

Thanks for sharing your cruise with us. Going on her in March.

paulcreemers    2 years ago

I think u just got to be happy to cruise .. COVID could have wiped cruising out for a lot longer . Just be happy don’t whinge . Here in Australia we would love to cruise again .

AuntPinkie    2 years ago

Appreciate your feedback. Sounds like lower occupancy isn’t always a good thing. Glad you enjoyed your cruise in spite of it.

izrgreen    2 years ago

Thank you for taking the time to write a review.

CaraJ    2 years ago

Thanks for this. We were on the same cruise, & definitely noticed the difference. I thought maybe it was just us.

javawoody    2 years ago

Thank you for the review, the Grand Princess is a grand old lady

cruising2004    2 years ago

Thank you for sharing your experience.

johnjoanne    2 years ago

Thank you for your review, it was very helpful.

PiratesWorld    2 years ago

Thanks for the review

Other reviews of this sailing