Grand Princess Review
Nursebec
2-5 Cruises • Age 50s
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Sail Date: Jul 2023
We had a wonderful time on the Grand Princess for the seven day Alaska cruise out of Vancouver BC and ending in Whittier. This is only our third time cruising and the first with PCL. We thought the ship was beautiful. We had an inside room because we booked fairly last minute and the pricing was excellent. The ship never felt crowded and was a really great size for my 74-year-old mother to navigate easily. We had stateroom in a quiet an excellent location fairly close to the elevators mid ship aft. Everyone says that you need a balcony state room for Alaska but I disagree. There was always a place on deck for us to hang out and lots of indoor, closed seating with great window viewing, which we never needed because the weather was fabulous during our cruise.
We thought the decor on the ship was beautiful, the ship appeared to be in very nice shape, our interior room was actually very comfortable for 2 pkus-sized women who slept on the twin bed configuration. I did not feel that the bathroom or shower were too small. And the room was excellent for sleeping when the sun did not set until late in the night.
Alfredos pizza was our favorite place to eat which was located on the same deck as our room. We ate in the Da Vinci dining room most nights. The food looked amazing but I would say that our biggest complaint was that the taste of the food was fairly bland. Some things were amazing and some things were just not great. Next cruise we will bring our own seasonings! We had breakfast in the buffet most mornings and it was very good. Lunch was just so so and we never tried dinner in the Buffet.
Cabin Review
Inside cabin on the plaza deck five which we thought was an excellent location. Close to the elevators but far enough from the piazza as to not hear any noise. Snickers cigar bar was directly above us but we rarely heard any noise from above. There was a two washer into dryer laundromat not too far from our room. I would recommend the plaza deck for a convenient location. My 74-year-old mother enjoyed being able to stroll through the art gallery and end up in the Piazza with several dining options and entertainment right on our own deck.
Port Reviews
College Fjord
Absolutely stunning. I did not know what to expect but there was glacier upon glacier upon glacier. It was the only day where I actually needed a coat because the wind was so cold coming off of those glaciers.
Glacier Bay
Gorgeous views from every direction. The captain turned the ship slowly so there was not a bad view from any part of the ship. The weather was pleasant on the day we visited and I only needed a light jacket on deck. Stunning photos.
Juneau
Beautiful port. We booked a whale watching excursion through Alaska Tails via Tripadvisor and it was the highlight of our trip! Orcas, humpbacks, seals, otters, eagles and the boat ride itself was amazing. Staff was incredible. They also took us briefly to the Mendenhall glacier which was a complete bonus and surprise.
Ketchikan
Here we just walked off the boat and booked a quick tour with a local company. I don’t even remember their name. We had a sassy bus driver on a school bus take us around town and try to show us some bears and wildlife, which we didn’t see. It was about $50 a person. Ketchikan is a tiny little town. If you’re interested in fishing, this is the salmon capital of the world and I would recommend a fishing excursion.
Skagway
This is a tiny little town that is very easily walkable if you take one of the smart buses into town. It’s only three dollars each way and they pick you up right at the port. I highly recommend that. We did book an excursion into the Yukon via a small company on TripAdvisor and it was a gorgeous bus ride up to CarCross and Emerald Lake with several stops along the way for photos. I’m glad we did not just stay in town because there was not a lot to see there.
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