Rich Gallo

Age: 35
Occupation: IT Manager
Number of Cruises: 7
Cruise Line: Princess
Ship: Grand Princess
Sailing Date: September 22nd, 2002
Itinerary: Western Caribbean

As an experienced cruiser, I thought it was time to finally sit down and write a review. Together, my wife and I have taken 7 cruises on a total of 4 different lines (Princess, RCI, HAL and Celebrity) and I think I am qualified to comment on our experience. We usually go away for our wedding anniversary and this year was no exception. I booked this less than 2 weeks before the sailing date and I think I got a very good price on the cruise and my airfare, which I booked on my own.

I will assign a final grade based on the A to F scale to various categories, and then expand on some details. I have high expectations and my comments may be more critical than other reviews you may have read. I am just trying to be as honest as I can, so please remember, “your mileage may vary”. I hope that you find the information and tips I provide to be useful.

Embarkation: A
We arranged our own air and transfers to the ship. If you are a smart shopper, you should be able to get a better price on your airfare and also be able to pick your flight times better. A short Taxi ride to the Port Everglades is $10 or less on the meter. There is no reason to use their transfers and be herded like cattle onto a bus. We got to the cruise terminal by about noon and got our business squared away pretty quickly. We were onboard shortly thereafter.

The Ship: A
The Grand Princess is a big, magnificent vessel. We sailed on her last year and were happy to be back. It’s a big ship but we felt right at home. The layout is pretty good, but there are a few dead-end spots to look out for, like near the dining rooms. The mid-ship stairs stop at deck 7, and it was a pain to wait for the elevator to go to up one floor to our cabin on the Emerald deck. The elevators are slow and patience is required for those people who seemed like using an elevator was a new experience. Be sure to check out the very tip of the ship, located forward on Deck 8. You can get there from the Promenade deck (Deck 7), which actually goes up one level near the front. Or, you can try the secret door at the end of the Emerald Deck (forward), which also gets you right there.

This is a very sleek looking ship. It has nice, flowing lines. I especially like the rear section, the part that looks like an air wing! This actually contains Skywalker’s Disco, which is 210 feet above the sea! Nice view from up there! This ship makes an impressive statement when you see it for the first time, or anytime for that matter. It truly is a GRAND ship! We docked next to an NCL ship in one port and I was not impressed. That ship had cartoon-like images painted all across the promenade deck, and it looked very tacky!


The Room: B-
We had Emerald 620 on Deck 8, port side and aft. It had a partially obstructed view with the front of a tender boat hanging outside. The view was fine for us even when the tender was there, and when they took it down to use for the day at Princess Cays, the view was totally unobstructed. The noise during this process is a bit loud, but since we were already awake at the time, it didn’t bother us (too much). We were just outside one of the self-service laundry rooms, which was a big plus because we both used the (free) irons available in there each night before we got dressed. There are also washers and dryers available for a small charge, but we didn’t need those.

I was surprised to find that the mid-ship staircases did not go all the way up to the Emerald deck; they terminated on Deck 7, one deck below. The floor plan I referred to when I chose my room did not indicate this fact, and this turned out to be pretty inconvenient as far as I was concerned.

Our room was tight but functional, however storage space was limited. A TV with A/V inputs, refrigerator, and safe were included. The beds were not very comfortable since they use thin cots as mattresses, and they have minimal support. After a few days our backs were not doing the best. Temperature control was good, and the A/C worked fine. The bathroom is very tight and I seemed to bang my elbow on the support bar in the shower a few times – ouch! Water temp in the shower was constant and did not vary like on other ships. Cabin steward was efficient and kept the room in order. I asked for some real feather pillows and she provided them right away the first night. If you feel the need to spend more on a balcony, remember that most of them are not actually “private”. I’ve had them on different ships in the past, and we really didn’t spend enough time in the room to get full use from it. TIP: Ask your cabin steward to bring you some terry cloth robes to use for the week. You can’t keep them (you can if you want to buy them), but you can use them all week for free.

The Food: Overall B-
Dining Room: B+
We chose Anytime Dining (formerly known as Personal Choice) and we elected to sit at a table for two each night. Only one of the three main dining rooms was for the traditional fixed seating people. I like the flexibility of Anytime Dining; you can come anytime you want between 5PM and 10PM. Keep in mind you will have a wait if you arrive around 8:00PM since this is prime time. They will assign a huge beeper to you and you will be called when your table is ready. TIP – Make a reservation to avoid the wait. If you show up at 9:45, you won’t have a leisurely dinner, since the waiters have to set up for the next day and would like you out ASAP. The Dining room food was generally good and presented well. Service was usually attentive and friendly. My favorites during the week were the Prime Rib, Rack of Lamb (I had an extra order!) and the Twin Lobster tails (moist and succulent).TIP - You can order espresso or cappuccino with dinner, no extra charge.

Horizon Court: B-

Horizon Court buffet was fine for a quick breakfast. TIP – You can order a custom made omelet if you just ask for it. There was not enough variety on the muffins for my liking; I only saw the same 2 or 3 types during the entire cruise. How about a good old CORN or BLUEBERRY muffin once in a while? I thought the orange juice was pretty watered down, and the regular coffee was too weak for me (but hey, I like Starbucks). Lunch and dinner items were acceptable, but in my opinion bland and uninspired. The location was clean and organized. Seating during prime times was difficult.

Sabatini’s Trattoria (Italian): C+
Make reservations early for this alternative dining experience. It is truly an experience, and a long one at that. It involves a tasting menu of everything they offer and takes 2+ hours!! The service seemed a little frazzled and confused when we first got there, and we spent at least 15 minutes before the bread arrived. Also, because there were a few large tables of noisy people, it was not as intimate as I had hoped for our anniversary dinner (it was more like a cafeteria, it was so loud!). The chairs in this place were not comfortable enough to spend two hours in. Once the food started coming, it didn’t stop. The appetizers and pasta courses were good but I was disappointed with my main course. My Veal Chop was dry and overcooked and the lobster tail was also dried out. It didn’t matter that much because by the time the main course came I couldn’t eat much more anyway. The Tiramisu and Zabaglione (custard) were good desserts, if you had room for them (somehow I managed). I can’t say my experience justified an extra $15 per person cover charge. TIP: Book your reservation ASAP and make sure you are VERY hungry that night!

Painted Desert (Mexican): C-
We didn’t eat there this time, but we did last year. At that time, I was not overly impressed with the Mexican food I was served. There is an $8 cover charge, which includes a margarita. I will discuss the margarita in the drinks & booze section.

Also, note that there is no big finale buffet showing off fancy desserts or chocolates near the end of the cruise. I remember this on other lines, but I guess Princess does not do this.

Entertainment: B
The shows we saw were OK. Comedians were funny, but not side splitting funny. The hypnotist show is pretty funny, but you have to invest some time before it gets good. We didn’t see the 2 production shows due to scheduling conflicts, but we did see the same 2 shows last year and they were entertaining, but probably were geared more toward an older crowd. Seating for all shows got tight close to start-times, so don’t expect to walk in 5 minutes before the show and get a great seat. Seems like some people have nothing better to do than to get there ½ hour early just to get a good seat. TIP: Arrive early for the best seats.

Gambling: C-
The casino was smoky, with poor circulation. You could smell the thick smoke as you got closer to the entrance. I only played Craps and I felt the staff at the table was rude and condescending. I was doing pretty well one night and I noticed that the staff got ruder as I won more! I don’t like to be rushed when I am throwing the dice and I don’t like to be prodded to make 2 way bets for the dealers. I got a few choice comments in myself, and I did not tip them before I left. Their rules allow for only 1x odds, and the minimum hard-way bet is $5. Las Vegas or Atlantic City this is NOT!

Bingo is very popular on board, and is a big revenue generator for the ship. So much so that they made announcements before every single session started over the shipboard PA system! At $20 per card and several hundred cards being sold each time with less than $1000 total prize money given out each session, well, you do the math. The jackpot on the last day was only about $2200, which is pretty nice, but where is the rest of all the money going????


Drinks & Booze: B-
Drinks were reasonably priced as far as I was concerned (I’m from NYC) While most people like Bud and Coors beers, I don’t. Corona’s were also available, as were Fosters and Grolsch. I don’t go much for heavy drinks like Pina Coladas or Frozen Daiquiri’s. The lobby bar (Deck 5) made an excellent dry Grey Goose Vodka martini for me. Good selections of top shelf alcohol were available EXCEPT for Tequila. If you like a premium 100% Agave Tequila, you will not find one on board. The “best” they have is Cuervo 1800, which is aged (good) but is also blended (bad) and is not 100% Agave. If you don’t know what this means don’t worry, chances are you will enjoy a frozen margarita with whatever they put in it! RECIPE – ULTIMATE MARGARITA: 2 shots of Premium Reposado or Anejo Tequila (like Don Julio, Chinaco, Cabo Wabo, or El Tesoro to name a few), 1 shot of Cointreau and the juice of a freshly squeezed lime shaken with fresh ice and poured straight up into a very lightly salted margarita glass. Depending on your limes, a pinch of powdered sugar in the shaker is a good idea to cut the tartness of the lime.

The wine list in the dining room is pretty extensive – you can find some very good wines in there. They also have a wine tasting on board for $5, and this is great for beginners. If you then preorder a bottle for dinner during the wine tasting, they will not charge you for the $5 tasting fee. If you don’t finish a bottle at dinner, they will save it for you and serve it next time. You can bring your own wine on board, but if you want to drink it in the Dining Room, they will charge you a $10 corkage fee. So, bring your own corkscrew and drink it in the room! Better yet, pour out a glass and then walk to dinner with it in hand, no problem!

If you drink soda, a soda sticker for $22.50 may be a good idea. Soda normally costs $1 per glass, and you have to sign the receipt each time. This sticker is good for any size fountain soda for the whole trip EXCEPT on Princess Cays (they don’t have soda fountains on the island, only cans).

Pools: B+
Among the 4 pools, I enjoyed the pool at the back of the ship the most. It was usually quieter and has more shade if you like to get out of the sun. You overlook the wake of the ship and it is very relaxing. The main pool is where you go to “see and be seen”. Chairs get reserved with towels early and sit all day unused with a towel on them. Sadly, the staff doesn’t seem to be able to combat this problem effectively. Pizza and the Grill (Burgers & Fries) are available by the pool, good for a quick bite. The pizza was not up to my standards, but people seemed to eat it anyway.

Photos: D- (just for the ANNOYANCE factor!)
The photographer is in your face from the moment you walk on the ship. Boarding the ship, SNAP! Arrive at a port of call, SNAP! Formal night, SNAP! Eating dinner, SNAP! One night, the waiter had JUST served our main course served, and here is the photographer rearranging our table and interrupting our dinner. I thought that was annoying and rude. I’m surprised they don’t knock on my door while I’m sleeping and take my picture then, too. And since they destroy all those photos they don’t sell anyway, why not give us a freebie? Bring your own camera and don’t be shy asking other people to take your picture. TIP: Make new friends by offering to take someone else’s picture for them with their camera!

Shopping: N/A
I suggest that you remember to take extra film with you. If you forget your toothbrush or need suntan lotion, you’ll pay a premium to purchase it on the ship. While I am on the subject, Princess really pushes shopping on you, both on the ship and off. Remember that any establishment that Princess talks about to “recommend” shopping there has paid them a nice promotional advertising fee for doing so. Shopping on board is also an “in your face” experience, because they set up tables of various merchandise each day in the Atrium for you to choose from. I think this cheapens the whole cruise experience, since I’m supposedly on a luxury cruise and not a floating flea market! If I really want to buy something I think I can find my way into the store to buy it. Maybe they should just save me the trouble and leave some T-shirts and Fossil watches on my pillow at night “as a convenience” and ask me to sign the receipt for them!

They also really push the Fine Art Auctions on board too. Princess owns every piece you see, so this is another revenue generator for them. They had several auctions during the cruise and then the final one. However, the final one wasn’t really the final one because the very next day they advertised for the “Final Art Auction – The Return”.

SPA: N/A
We didn’t book any massages this time around. A full body massage costs $100 and a 15% tip is expected on top of that. This is the most expensive massage out of any other ship I have been on. Sometimes there are specials on port days, so check it out first. Don’t let them sell you additional EXPENSIVE products or agree to additional EXPENSIVE treatments; remember
they are sales people and work on commission.

Virtual Reality: N/A
This is an arcade style game-room with a bunch of video games and motion simulators that you can play, for a price. You need to buy a card for $20 first, and each game may be $1.00 or more. They had an Air Hockey table and a bunch of other games, but no classic games like Pac-Man or Space Invaders. They run ½ price specials on port days, so that is usually the best time to go.

Internet: N/A
If you REALLY can’t be without online access for a week, you can spend $7.50 for 15 minutes of online time. I’m sure that can go real fast, since the satellite connection they use is only marginally faster than dial up. You have to use all your time in one sitting, you can’t carry over your minutes.

The Ports: OVERALL B-

Princess Cays: B
You must tender to the beach. Relaxing beach, get there early to get a shady spot. Facing the beach from the ship, the left side is more crowded and the right side is a bit more private. Bar service and clean bathrooms are available. Food quality at the Princess provided cookout was barely acceptable, not much to brag about here. After a few beers I guess it tasted better. TIP – Eat lunch on the ship!

Grand Cayman: N/A
Cancelled due to unsafe conditions at the tender pier on the island. I heard there were 15 foot swells that morning and that the island received 20 – 30 inches of rain due to Isidore. This was very disappointing, as we were looking forward to return to this island. We had a good time there last year. The cruise staff had to scramble to come up with more activities for the day since it became another sea day instead of a port day. We were also supposed to pick up another performer on that island who obviously never made it onboard.

Cozumel: B
We booked a snorkel tour on a Catamaran. The boat held over 100 people, but I was expecting a smaller tour. Oh well, it was fun except for the GIANT water bug that was crawling on my leg before we set sail. We don’t have them that big here in NYC!! Kind of grossed me out for a while, and made me wonder about the sanitary conditions aboard this vessel. A few free beers helped me forget about that soon enough. The 45 minutes in the water went quickly and then we pulled up to a private beach for 1 hour.

The afternoon was spent walking and shopping in town. Merchants are very aggressive and some literally try to PULL you into their shops! I don’t want to be touched by strangers, thank you. Nothing has prices marked; I think they make them up as they go along. Bargain with them and then immediately walk out if you don’t get the price you ask for. They’ll come after you with a counter offer. If not, another store has the same item. The silver merchants will make some computations on a calculator and show you a number. I took the calculator, erased their number and put in my own number and showed it back to them. They’ll work with you!

BIG TIP – DON’T BUY CUBAN CIGARS FROM ANYONE WHO SOLICITS YOU. Over 90% of the cigars sold as Cuban as FAKES. Unless you go to a REPUTABLE cigar merchant whose only business is selling cigars, anything you buy off the street will be a fake. Be prepared to spend $15 or $20 EACH for REAL cigar in a store if you must have them. Don’t believe a street vendor when he shows you a glass top Cohiba box (obvious fake) and says his brother goes to Cuba to get them. I heard that story 3 or 4 times in 15 minutes! Some of the cigar bands I saw were such poor quality, (smudged, blurry and not lined up properly) that I could print a better one on my inkjet at home. I saw cigars with little holes in them, indicating an infestation of tobacco beetles (not good). If you really don’t know much about cigars, avoid getting ripped off by not buying any. Bring a few favorites from home to make sure you will enjoy your smoke if you like that sort of thing. I also noticed that prices for good Tequila in the stores were much more expensive than I would pay back home, judging by a few brands which I know. So much from buying Tequila in Mexico!

Costa Maya: D-
This is a souvenir stand in the middle of a jungle with a big cruise pier. Not much going on here unless you book a tour or want to shop more. Got rained on pretty good walking back to ship. Last year we did a bike/kayak adventure, which was fun. I think Princess must have a financial interest in this port since they are the only line that I know that stops there. Maybe in 15 years this will be a happening place, but not now. As I saw on the Princess web site, future Western voyages will stop at Jamaica instead of this port. I’m not sure that is better tradeoff!

Debarkation: A
Ship was in by 7:00AM and we were off by 9:00AM. We had an early flight and got our luggage tags changed at the pursers desk so we could get off a bit sooner. Although they really want you out of the room after you eat breakfast, we still had some last minute packing to do. We were still in the room when they called out tag color for debarkation. We breezed through Customs and Immigration in a few minutes. I found our luggage quickly and we hopped in a cab and were at the airport before 9:30.

Overall: B
It’s great to get away for a 7-day vacation. Spending this time sailing the high seas aboard the Grand Princess was a good experience, even with the nit picking I outlined above. The time aboard goes very fast, and that is the key to knowing that you are having a good time. We chose this cruise based on a few factors, and overall value was the main reason. The ship itself, the Anytime Dining and our personal schedules were also determining factors. Sailing out of Ft. Lauderdale was much more convenient for us than sailing from San Juan, as we had done in the past. While this itinerary was not the best or strongest we have done (especially without the stop in Grand Cayman) we still had a good time. I would sail with Princess again and I would also sail on another Grand Class ship in their fleet (Star Princess or Golden Princess) too.

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