Grand Princess Review
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Additional details
We have just returned from a wonderful holiday on the Grand. Before I start my review I would like to give out an important warning. The roads into Southampton are really congested, it was especially bad for us as there was the boat show and a big event at Goodwood. From what I heard from fellow passengers about 40 actually missed the ship because of traffic hold ups. Please allow plenty of time to get to docks, if possible travel the day before. Traffic is bad at all times into Southampton.
Embarkation was good, we did not have to wait too long once we got there.
The ship is in better shape than we expected. Yes, she is looking just a little tired and is ripe for the April refit but this does not mean she is not in good shape, she just needs a face lift and a new pair of knickers. All areas are kept spotlessly clean. Our cabin was extremely clean although the bathroom was crying out 'please update me soon'. We were in cabin D605 which is a mini suite. We asked for egg crate mattresses and found the beds to be really comfortable, we all slept really well. The balcony was fine, yes there were a few rust spots but anyone who lives near the sea like we do knows that rust is always a problem with salt air. I am sure it will all be spruced up in the refit and it did not stop us enjoying our balcony. I hate showers so was delighted to have a bath and shower in the mini suite. The only thing was that you could not reach to turn off or adjust the water from a sitting position.
Cabin Review
Lovely mini suite, close to centre of ship which means less movement if the sea is rough. The bed was comfortable with the enhancement of egg crate mattress. Sofa bed again comfortable but we understood that there were 3 egg crate mattresses on it. Balcony spacious, plenty of room for 3 adults, furnished with four chairs and a table. The balcony is uncovered which was fine for us as but could be a problem if you like privacy as everyone above can see into it. Bathroom average, very clean but in dire need of a refit. The bath was marked, the grouting between the tiles were discoloured but again spotlessly clean. The shower was looking old too but again clean. We found it very difficult to work out how the shower/bath worked. You had to regulate the temperature every time as from what we could see the only way to turn the water off was to turn both knobs off thus losing the heat setting. Toilet worked well. The cabin was in a really good position as you were never too far from anything. Our room steward Jimmy was marvelous, always happy and helpful. I would recommend this mini suite, especially after the refit!