Fun short repositioning cruise (with added storm action)!

Grand Princess Cruise Review

LisaKitty

Contributor Level: First Mate

7 Days Till Next Cruise

Cruises: 7+ cruises

Reviews: 14

Helpful Votes: 136

Overall rating:

4.6 out of 5

3 Night Pacific Coastal (Vancouver To San Francisco)

Sail date: September 23, 2023

Ship: Grand Princess

Traveled as: Couple

Reviewed: 7 months ago

Review summary

We had a wonderful time on our short 3-day jaunt, despite the nasty weather and very rough seas. The staff did an excellent job in keeping us all safe, as well as well fed and entertained. I only wish I could have stayed on for the full cruise, through to Sydney. I really liked the more personalized service we got on this smaller class of ship. We also found the Princess Plus package to be great value. 10/10 would do again.

Embarkation

5 out of 5

This was by far the smoothest embarkation I've ever had on any ship. It took less than 30 minutes to get from being dropped off at the cruise port to stepping on board the ship, and that included going through US Customs and Immigration pre-clearance. Having our Medallions shipped to us made a huge difference in our check-in experience.

Ship experiences

Food and Dining

5 out of 5

I was very impressed with both the quality of the food and the service. My last two Princess cruises (both on Royal Class ships), I couldn't say that, so I was pleasantly surprised. Not a bad meal, or even a mediocre one, the entire 3 days. Note: We never once ate at the buffet, so I can't comment on buffet quality.

Da Vinci (Main Dining Room)

5 out of 5

We enjoyed lunches and dinners here, as well as the not-to-be missed afternoon tea. Very glad to see that they offer Pub Lunch in the MDR. We were also extremely pleased to see the dining room hosts allowing (and even encouraging) sharing tables again! One of my favorite things about cruising is getting to meet new people over a shared meal.

Alfredo's Pizzeria

5 out of 5

This is our not-so-secret hack for embarkation day lunch on the Princess ships that have this venue. The pizzas are true Italian style, and are absolutely delicious. I am disappointed that Princess is now charging for this venue that used to be included. However, it's worth it to me (especially if you're already getting Princess Plus or Premier).

Sabatini

5 out of 5

Love the new menu and concept! This is a perfect place to come for a nice date night on board. Be sure to come hungry for the 6 course meal.

Botticelli Dining Room

5 out of 5

Both dinners we had in the Botticelli dining room were excellent. Our server, Clint, took excellent care of us. I was highly impressed with the quality of the food; better than my previous couple of cruises on Royal class ships.

Crooners Martini Bar

5 out of 5

We love coming here for sing-along time with the piano host. Plus, they have some of the best drinks and bartenders on the ship.

International Cafe

5 out of 5

Love coming here for a quick bite or a casual meal. The variety and quality of food is excellent.

Onboard Activities

4 out of 5

I like the chill vibe of Princess, so not having high-energy activities like water slides, zip lines, go carts, climbing walls, and surf simulators is actually a plus for me. I found there were plenty of activities available that I enjoyed, even when we were all kept mostly inside due to the storm.

Entertainment

5 out of 5

There was so much great entertainment on this ship, really something for everyone. We enjoyed performances in the main theater -- comedy, magic, musical productions. We also found a lot of excellent live music throughout the ship.

Princess Theater

4 out of 5

We enjoyed performances in the theater, and always had good views. My one complaint is that the seating itself is pretty cramped for people of somewhat larger proportions. I'd like to see more "cabaret style" seating available.

Service and Staff

4 out of 5

The majority of the staff members were absolutely fantastic, and gave 5-star service. Our room service and dining room wait staff were excellent. I did have an issue with some of the bar staff, in that they seemed unsure of how to "assign" drinks for people who had a drink package. On the second day, they began charging both my and my husband's drinks solely to him, which caused him to go "over" his limit (when he didn't really), and then they started charging bar prices for drinks that we had already paid for through Princess Plus. We had no idea this was happening until we saw a random "bar charge" on our account. I'm not sure if this was simple confusion, deliberate laziness, or borderline fraudulent direction on the part of Princess corporate. Nevertheless, it left a bad taste in my mouth.

Ship Quality

4 out of 5

For the most part, the ship was well maintained, and I could tell everyone was working hard. I think they could have done better keeping up with stocking public restrooms and clearing tables in common areas.

Cabin / Stateroom

4 out of 5

We enjoyed our balcony cabin on this short cruise. The Princess beds are still the most comfortable I've ever slept in. We did have some issues with temperature control at the beginning of the cruise (unusually warm and stuffy in the room).

Ship tip

Even though this is an older, smaller ship, it still has that Princess charm, and a lot to offer. One tip: If you have Princess Plus or Premier and are traveling with a partner or companion, you may need to be careful about how they count your drinks on the package.

Thumbs up

Ports of call

San Francisco, California

5 out of 5

San Francisco Bay Area is where I grew up, so I will always have a fondness for this city. So much to do and see here! We didn't stay this time; however, I got to fulfill a long time bucket list by sailing under the Golden Gate Bridge.

Thumbs Up 0

Victoria, British Columbia

5 out of 5

Port stop canceled due to storm

Thumbs Up 0