Balcony

Suite

Inside

Outside

Princess Cruises

Family Cruises

Romantic Cruises

Cruises for the Disabled

Senior Cruises

Fitness Cruises

San Francisco

Los Angeles

Vancouver

U.S.A.

Mexico - All

Mexican Riviera

Alaska

Caribbean - All

Hawaii

Caribbean - Western

Europe - All

Pacific Coastal

Caribbean - Southern

Columbia River

Mediterranean

Europe - Western Mediterranean

Transatlantic

Caribbean - Eastern

Baltic Sea

Europe - British Isles & Western

Europe - Eastern Mediterranean

Australia & New Zealand

North America River

US River

South America

Canary Islands

British Columbia

South Pacific

Cruise to Nowhere

Panama Canal & Central America

Canada & New England

Transpacific

Fiji

French Polynesia

Excellent

Very Good

Average

Poor

Terrible

Ruby Princess

Grand Princess

Emerald Princess

Sapphire Princess

Island Princess

Royal Princess

Crown Princess

Coral Princess

Diamond Princess

Caribbean Princess

Regal Princess

Good and bad

Hong Kong

We choose this cruise as it's been a "bucket list" cruise for us for a while, but mostly because back in November we were very concerned that our two week Caribbean cruise would be canceled, so we cancelled it proactively and booked the 15 day Hawaii cruise.  We had previously sailed on Grand in December for a 10 day Mexico cruise and really enjoyed it.

The trip across the ocean from LA to Hilo was an eye opener for us, as we had never been on a cruise with so many sea days.  The first day had some rough waves, leading to a run on Dramamine, but the captain routed us around the weather and we really enjoyed our time on the open ocean.

Our first stop was Hilo, which is on the rainy side of the big island and not ideal.  The good news is that we have a friend on Kona who was kind enough to drive over to pick us up and take us to the sunny side for a wonderful day at the beach.

We spent our time in Honolulu shopping, as the one excursion we wanted to get into (Pearl Harbor) was sold out.  Book that one early.  We did a nice tour of the National Botanical Garden in Kauai - and learned that bug spray is needed for the mosquitos.  And we ended our time in the islands in Maui on Wailea Beach.  I would have very much liked to have another day or two in the islands, as 4 days isn't enough.

Hits

* We had a Club Class mini-suite and were totally spoiled by the awesome team in the Club Class dining room.

* We love the mini-suite rooms

* We enjoy the shows, music and silly game shows on the ship.

* We were pleasantly surprised to find that the ship had fresh produce, fruit and veggies on day 15 of a cruise.

* We booked two hot stone massages - one early in the cruise - one late - and really enjoyed them.

Misses

* We had multiple plumbing issues. On the 10th day we lost hot water, which was fixed and then disappeared again.  And then we had dripping water coming down from the ceiling in the bathroom for the last two days.  Other guests on our floor had their rooms flooded much more seriously so I guess we should feel lucky.

* No table sharing in the dining room.  We really like meeting new people but on this cruise no table sharing was allowed in the Club Class room.

Mostly smooth sailing on Grand Princess to Hawaii April 4th-19th 2022

There arent too many positive things I can say about this cruise. The ship was kept uncomfortably cold the whole trip, the food was mediocre at best, entertainment was only fair, staff was pleasant but overworked, and the ship had numerous problems, including toilets either not flushing or overflowing.  The food at the buffet was not hot at any meal.  We ate breakfast and lunch there everyday, hoping it would improve, but most items were only lukewarm.  Soups were mostly broths or cream based with no chunks of meat or vegetables.  Many items were the same, day after day.  Dining room menus didnt offer nearly the choices that we have seen in the past.  Often, the meat options were very tough.  Most of the desserts that were tried were very good.  However, whatever recipes they use to make the 3 kind of cookies they serve should be replaced.  They are dry, tasteless, and a waste of ingredients!

This will be my last Princess cruise.

I have plenty to say here, mostly negative, but... in all fairness... there were positives to note:

PROS

Embarkation process was very simple

Using the Medallion for room access and purchases was very easy

Outstanding nature presentations 

Excellent musical entertainment, comedians

The ship band/orchestra is REALLY good

Alfredo's Pizzeria (complimentary) produces consistently good pizzas

The Princess shore excursions on the Hawaiian islands were generally very good.

The entertainment staff, especially DJ Lively (who is SO funny), was excellent.

OK... now here goes the bad stuff (buckle your seat belts):

CONS

Plumbing - The entire plumbing system on this ship is shot. Our toilet clogged up once, as did many throughout the ship (In fact, many situations of overflowing into the hallway; you could see the blowers in the hallways on multiple decks). I walked into one bathroom next to the theatre, and there was water an inch deep in it, flowing out into the foyer. While disembarking, women were complaining that the main bathrooms were stopped up. You could smell sewer-like odors at different times (which when combined with the diesel fuel odors and the smoke smell from the casino in the main atrium areas on floors 5 and 6, made or a very unpleasant olfactory experience).

In addition, the sink on one side of the buffet which was not operational, said on Day 1 "We're working on it". Well, on Day 16, it still said "We're working on it". Granted, they did have a purel dispenser nearby, but most people we noted just walked by it. Also, other ships we have been on, even prior to Covid, would have someone in the front asking you to wash your hands. There was never ANYONE there to do that.

Buffet - 

1) Staffing (or shall I say lack of such) - This was clearly noticeable, where servers were running back and forth between stations to try to dish out food. I know they were doing the best they could, but you could tell they were not happy. Normally, the staff on ships are very friendly and "chipper"; it was clear that the morale on this ship was not great.

2) Food - OK... let me be upfront and fair... my wife is a vegetarian, and I am mostly a vegetarian (although I can eat a little chicken or fish if I have to). For my wife, other than the salad bar, and the same steamed vegetables day after day, there was not much of a selection. Pasta, which is always a safe choice, was not a good choice; someone needs to teach these "chefs" how to make pasta. I tried various pastas the first 4 or 5 days, none of which were good or prepared well. We even tried the pasta dishes in the dining room on several locations... just as bad! The lasagna noodles tasted like, and had the consistency of, plaster. Back to the buffet...at least half the time, things were not labeled, so you did not know what the item was. And one time, even when it was labeled as if it was a vegetable salad, there was chicken in it. There was very little creativity in the variety of selections on a daily basis. The breads were OK, but the same ones EVERY day. The selection of cheeses were limited, and did not even like the cheeses they were supposed to be. The dessert selection was fair at best, and the quality, again, was lacking. Other than a few of the desserts, most were pretty "blah". Every chocolate dessert tasted like the one before it... and the one before that.

Ship Condition - We knew this was an older ship(1998), but it had been refurbished. Honestly, I am not sure where. The staterooms were "worn" looking. The mattresses felt like they could have been from 1998. The carpet looks beat-up; the curtains look older than the age of the ship (I think they borrowed curtains from my Mom and the home we lived in in the 1970's!). The air conditioning in our room needed servicing TWICE. The first time it was suck on cold; it took three trips to the guest services desk and almost 9 hours for them to address it. The second time it would not get cold at all, so they had to fix it again. When walking throughout the ship, you can see that it needs attention in so many different ways, and so many different places. I heard someone say that the ship is scheduled for dry dock. My concern would be that they will just be putting the proverbial "lipstick on a pig". You can make it look nicer on the surface, but until you re-do all of the rooms, and until you address the "guts" of the ship... plumbing, AC/heat systems, etc... it's still going to be a pig.

Miscellaneous - We knew the mask mandate had ended, so we did not expect compliance to any great degree. I would say that maybe 25-33% wore masks. My wife and I wore our masks everywhere, except when we were eating at the buffet (and even then, we would) manage to get a table pretty far removed from the masses. The problem here is that the demographics of the cruise were skewed way older (at times, it felt more like an independent/assistant living setting, with all of the walkers, strollers, canes, etc). You had people walking to and fro, everywhere, with drinks in their hands and no masks on, (and too often in the elevators as well; if we saw people on an elevator with no masks on, we would wait for the next elevator or take the stairs). On about night 12, when sitting in the theatre for the evening show, we realized we were sitting in the middle of a giant Covid petri dish. Not a few seconds would go by before you would hear someone coughing/hacking/sneezing... some with mask on and a LOT without. The last nights of the cruise we just stood in the back, limiting our view, but avoiding the swirl of germs in the middle of the theatre. We truly did our best to stay safe; that said... both my wife and I tested positive for Covid after the cruise, and are home feeling pretty miserable. There will be no way to track the true Covid-rate for this cruise, but if my wife and I, who were younger than about 80% of the people on the cruise, and who "masked-up" religiously contracted it, I can't begin to imagine how many people got it during the cruise. One last comment side note: as I said, the overall entertainment was excellent, but the ship production shows were average at best; it's nothing you couldn't find at a college or local theatre production. There was one especially good female vocalist, but she was featured the least of the four main vocalists. Also, Princess management/recruiting... (and I am saying this as a white male)... if you are going to produce a show named "Soul", with all the great Motown music from the 60's and 70's, feel free to have some diversity in your singers and dancers; two white guys and white gals singing Motown just didn't cut it.

Granted... maybe if our first Princess cruise was aboard one of their new/newer ships, this review would have been a little different; that may have at least eliminated the "Plumbing section" of the review. But there were other issues here that eliminates Princess from our list for future cruises.

Take this "Princess" to the Middle of the Ocean... and Shoot it!

This was my retirement cruise. I alerted Princess and added the milestone in the Medallion app, but nothing was done to acknowledge.

The ship should be in drydock by now, but should have been done much sooner. There were plenty of water leaks, a shattered window in the buffet. It is long overdue for maintenance.

There were a lot of people / staff getting COVID. The Cruse Director, Steve, just disappeared and was replaced without mention, like he was never there. By the end of the cruise, there were so many sick people walking around hacking out a lung or constantly blowing their noises and not wearing a mask, even in the Princess Theater or any enclosed area. My wife and I both wore masks religiously.

I really think that Princess should have been much more transparent and explained there was an unusually high number of COVID cases and let the passengers know that, for safety of other passengers and crew, mask would be required in indoor events and should be considered outside of the cabin. The Captain / Bridge Staff did "suggest" these things, but it was never enforced. 

As a result, my wife got sick on the last day (Ensenada). We self quarantined. She almost asked for a wheelchair to disembark, but muscled through. As soon as we got home, I tested negative (and still do), but hers came back positive with a "high concentration" reading.

Had this been our first Princess Cruise, I don't think we'd go back. We will, but this really tarnished our view.

Disappointed in Princess

We chose this itinerary for the seadays involved in getting to and from HI.  We'd also had nice experiences with Princess pre-pandemic so we opted for them again. 

While we were in lockdown, Princess spent two years developing an onboard network tool called Medallion.  It's a device, the medallion they issue you on boarding to wear on your person, and it's a network for interfacing with services on the ship.  But, it's the most godawful thing you can imagine.

1.  My virus software, Bitdefender, would go nuts when I would open the "Medallion" app.  Bitdefender is a top product in terms of rating and market share.  So I conclude that Medallion is virus infested or at least makes you vulnerable to one.

2.  It's really complicated.  There's Medallion Net, Medallion Class, Medallion this that and another.  Very confusing.  I think they should offer IT classes onboard to understand it ...... but they don't.

3.  Most of the system seems not to work.  Online menu's were missing or wrong dates.  It kept giving people reservations for specialty dining even though they were sold out.  They tell you "sorry" at the door when you show up to be seated.  Very few people were using it from what I could tell from wall monitors that supposedly told you how many people were going to various daily events.  In a ship of 2100 passengers, you'd see 8 people signed up for evening theater... even though theater was packed.

4.  Their internet service allows 4 devices.  You have to log on in order to use it.  If all 4 slots are being used, you have to knock one of them off but they don't identify what each device is.  Even though I've given a name "Kevin's Iphone 12" to my phone, it just shows "i-phone".  So tempers were short as we inadvertently knocked each other off.  

5.  Medallion does next to nothing good, but, because you now have to wear it, they made us stand in line each night to go into the dining room for dinner SO THAT THEY CAN SCAN EACH PERSON IN EVERY NIGHT.  Like lemmings, people stood for it.  The Maitre' D said it was required but I just walked past them and refused to be "inventoried" like a can of tomatos.  What could they possibly use that scan inventory for???? 

There's more than just that but I'll stop there.  

I won't sail on Princess anymore unless and until they fix that network or offer an alternative.  

But, on a positive note, I thought that they handled the virus pretty well.  They had preset up sections of decks for quarantine.  Whenever a person was symptomatic, straight into one of the rooms they went.  They got room service until they were better and then rejoined us.  No drama and there were no widespread outbreaks of any kind.

The new "Medallion" tool is awful and there is no alternative offered to this horror

We chose a Princess Cruise to “Hawaii” to enjoy time away after being “stuck at home” because of the pandemic. We have been aboard the Grand Princess two or three times before so we were very familiar with the ship and the amenities. The only differences we saw from previous voyages were associated with the use of the Medallion App which still has “software bugs” and doesn’t work as fast as one would expect for a high-speed internet service. Be aware that the benefits enjoyed by Elite Members of Princess Cruise Lines continue to see benefits reduced or charged. The four ports-of-call in Hawaii and the islands themselves are not back to pre-pandemic conditions with many tourist sites closed, out-of-business or under-staffed. We rented cars on each of the islands and had a lot of difficulty getting taxis to take us to the car rental agency as they do not pick up or drop customers off at the cruise terminals because there is a lack of personnel. The islands are as beautiful as expected and the weather was perfect while on the islands. The days “At-Sea” both ways were mostly cold and cloudy and the Promenade Deck 7 was usually closed to passengers’ use.  The crew of the Grand Princess was friendly and provided excellent service to its passengers. Overall we had a wonderful time and would recommend the cruise line and ship to fellow travelers.

Hawaiian Adventures 2022

The customer service for this cruise was spot on, all the staff members were great! We stayed in a mini-suite which was very nice and the room service and cleaning staff were great. The food could have been better, I wouldn’t say it was bad, but definitely not amazing either. If you go on this cruise expecting five star dining, lower that expectation. My favorite food ironically was the pizza, really good! My biggest complaint is the ship itself, it is a very old ship and in a lot of the areas (dining room, entertainment lounges, etc) the entire room would rattle because of the old engine. And I am not talking about a soft rattle, it was LOUD, and enough to spill your drink. Would I sail with Princess again? Yes, but I think I would choose a newer ship. I don’t have any desire to go back on the Grand Princess, that ship needs to retire.

Amazing Service but Old Boat

We liked the ports the ship was going to, Cabo was just okay... to built up. PV is busy but much more to do. The ship is nice but needs a refresh. the food in dining rooms was very good. we were un happy in the steakhouse and the Italian restaurants, they were over booked and the food suffered. Te shows were better than we have had in the past we were very surprised. Buffet breakfast is good but the same everyday, much is good and does change everyday. 

As I said Cabo was just disappointing from our last visit 15 years ago, OMG has it changed... not for the better. Hotels now surround the beaches, not good. town is run down, just disappointing. La Paz is a cool small city with a beautiful boardwalk and very walkable. prices in town were reasonable, but town is a free 45 minute bus ride from port. Laretto is very small but nice too, not much to do but walk an visit a church an watch dancers, we liked it.

the small new ports are very nice

Great cruise, familiar ports (Cabo, La Paz, Loredo, Puerto Vallarta), good food onboard, exceptional staff and area has  lovely weather. Cabo port requires using a tender to get to the pier. Since 2 other cruise ships were already there, our ship used its tenders which are a bit slower  than Cabo's.  La Paz is a walk-off port and  a 40 minute bus ride to town. Once there, you'll see fun sculptures on the boardwalk and lots of good cafes!  Plus, Sears is still there!!  Loredo is a walk off port and is a lovely, sweet little town...quiet and has good local shopping.  Puerto Vallarta is walk off and fun!!

 Onboard, few people, except for staff, masked or distanced. Fortunately, Covid didn't hit us until we got home!!  Not so fortunate for our loved ones!  Fortunately we were all "double shot & boosted".  Unfortunately, some passengers have other conditions to be concerned about too.  BIG dilemma.  To cruise or not to cruise.  For me the answer will evolve.

  However, those I'm concerned about most are the ship staff who see thousands of passengers every week or so.  Could we mask up for them??  We need them to cruise. We need them to eat. We need them in order to have ourselves a great time!!  They need us for their jobs, their family support, their enhanced experience onboard ship, day after day.  We can do it for them!  Win-Win!!

Covid Got Me & Friends!

Return to Princess and the Sea

Wow. Just finished our first cruise since February 2020. Had 6 cruise cancellations due to the Covid. Made it back on the Grand Princess for a 10-day cruise to Cabo, then up the Sea of Cortez to La Paz and our favorite Loreto. Finished with a day in Puerto Vallarta. Had good weather and calm seas the whole time. Sometimes a little wobbling to rock you to sleep.

The staff on the Grand were superb. Always a smile and request to help in any way. We had a ventilation problem, which took a couple days to remedy. Staff were skilled, gracious and sent us chocolate covered strawberries and future cruise credit for our trouble. And most impressive was assistance with my wife who has mobility issues. At terminal, after entering and riding elevator we were greeted by a man and wheelchair. Took us to ship, where ship staff took my wife to room door in a wheelchair. Unbelievable. When we disembarked, staff with a wheel chair took us to terminal, then a hand off to staff there. We were taken across street to handicapped parking lot, and the luggage came also. These aides were very friendly. The last had taught school in LA for 40 years. He and my wife, a retired teacher, shared stories as we maneuvered to street.

The food was excellent. We ate at the Crown Grill twice and Alfredos twice. Did not use main dining room this time. Horizon buffet modified to provide single service, help yourself glasses with things you’d otherwise take from a platter. Cheese, meat slices, fruit, vegetables, etc. The main serving line moved fast with servers to put what you wanted on your plate. We got addicted to the slices of red, orange and green bell peppers. Service was outstanding at the buffet dining room.

We also ate several lunches at the Salty Dog. Street tacos are very good. And of course, if you want a burger with two patties and two slices of cheese, just ask. Or three if you want. Service in this area poolside was excellent also.

The ship had about 60% capacity. There were never crowds.  Elevators not crowded. There were signs asking the elevators to be limited in the number of passengers. Never had the “shove in” experience so common in the past. So, what was different than before the dreaded Covid? Staff always wore masks. Masks for passengers were optional except when in line and for tender, while on tender and when in line to leave or return on the gangway. At first 50% of passengers were masked. The last few days maybe 30%.

There were events that did not occur due to avoiding close contact situations…such as the champaign waterfall and organized games in the atrium. There were performers in the lounges and no limits on where one sat. Port lectures in the main theater occurred also.

No chocolate on the beds at night! My wife missed that. But alas we brought a pound of Sees candy as a backup! Not sure why they did that, but at 2 per night for ten nights and say 3000 passengers is 60,000 pieces of chocolate. Say 10 cents each, that’s a saving of $6000. They deserve to recover losses.

The Princess Platter was one page, rather than four. Hard to read, a lot information left out Interactive medallion terminals were though out the ship and easy to use to find events. The internet was superb, like being at home. Easy to connect. Reliable. The ship appeared to be in good shape and well maintained. 

Cabo was crowded as there were three ships in port and we were told 30,000 students for spring break. We took a ships tour to a glass factory and Cabo San Jose. The guide, German, met us on pier. He saw a number of canes and sticks, and walked very slowly to the bus area. There, tour staff seated people with problems in the front and always helped folks get on and off the bus.  The tender staff from the ship were always very concerned and assisted when people were getting on and out. We overnighted in the bay, so we took two shore trips to Cabo. One trip was just to shop and have a cold beer as we explored the bay. Other ports were not crowed at all. At La Paz the flea market and beer garden were set up on the pier. But the folklorico performance in the port building had been suspended due to Covid. Too bad, we always enjoy the children in brightly colored fancy dress performing. We took a ships tour to a ceramic factory, weavers’ factory and the Malecon. Well done, assistance was available for those that needed it.

Loreto was beautiful, of course. The Covid and lack of tourism took a toll. Our favorite cantina across from the main plaza was boarded up, as were other eateries we have seen in the past. Too bad. There were no performers in main plaza, however a smaller performance area had been created opposite the church. We watched mariachis and dancers perform for an hour. Just wonderful. Everyone was happy.

 I might add, that on the entire cruise we spoke with many people. All agreed, it was great to be back. All were happy and raring to return to cruising.

We found a place to eat on the right as you leave just before the arch. My wife ordered shrimp tacos. Wow! Three bulging with giant shrimp tacos were served. Very good. Will return next time.

The day at sea on the way to Puerto Vallarta was appreciated for R+R after 5 port days.  

We were the only ship in port. And, hurray, there is now an entrance right opposite ship for going to the cantina and flea market. In the past, after the new terminal was built, you had to walk a mile or so past all the shops to double back to this area. This made it much nicer. We took a van to the Malecon. $5 each. Walked the whole length and back. Seemed everything open as usual. Plenty of human statues, rock balancers, sand castle makers, the Indians that swing around the high pole, etc. There are many benches and places to take a break to watch activities. Had pizza at Pinocchio’s below the bridge at end. Great as always. Talked to a number of people, all happy to be able to travel. Saw many dogs being walked. Cab back to ship was $10. Driver said they weren’t hurt badly by Covid as have so many snow birds from USA and Canada that kept coming to town.

And the best part of a cruise is looking at the ocean. Beautiful sunsets and sunrises, whales jumping, schools of dolphin flipping by and some flying fish. That diamond glisten on the ocean surface is mesmerizing. The Grand has a full promenade deck with plenty of chairs and recliners. Sitting there listening to the waves splash off the hull, feeling the wind is something you can get nowhere else. After almost several years without cruising, we truly appreciated our experience on the Grand Princess. We are looking forward to future cruises with Princess.

Return to Princess and the Sea

Filters

1-10 of 575