Kenneth Eden

Occupation: High School teacher, in learning services
Number of Cruises: 55 (7 with Princess)
Cruise Line: Princess Cruises
Ship: Grand Princess
Sailing Date: April 21st, 2002
Itinerary: Western Caribbean

We started our vacation four days prior to sailing date. We flew from Manchester, NH (we live in central Vermont - the fares out of Burlington, VT are usually absurdly high, the drive to NH worth the trip). We flew Northwest, and the flight was pleasant, the flight crew very nice - far better than the usual USAirways bums rush. We changed in Detroit. Two people in front of me commented on the "Great Lake", how we just flew over the Mississippi River, and how pretty Vermonts seacoast was-so much for 40-something geography. There were several ships in on the day of sailing, the Millennium, two HAL's and the Ocean Breeze, and one RCI. The Millennium was voted the ugliest ship by many on deck as we watched her sail out of Port Everglades. I will save my comments about the Ocean Breeze, as they were most unkind.

We have had many, uncountable "sail away special drinks" on deck as we sailed out. I must say, the Bon Voyage drinks on this cruise were MADE TO ORDER, at small tables placed about the open decks, and HAD REAL BOOZE in them, and were NOT watered down somethings to hold in your hand while you set sail. We opted for the Rum Punch, as good as any made in the islands!

Let me give you a little background about our traveling party; Grandma came, with her attendant (Grandma uses a wheel chair, takes a HP stateroom), we used to take a mini-suite, now a standard outside with balcony (Princess did away with the butler service and free bar set-up last year, a service we enjoyed and miss), our son and his girl friend, he 19, she 18, in an inside cabin (she paid her own way for the entire trip), and our cousins, who took on of THE best suites, and a couple of from Vermont, who are our very best friends (this was their second cruise, and our third on Grand Princess).

We enjoy Traditional Dining, and probably shall never opt for Personal Choice. We like the individual attention to every detail in the dining room, at dinner, and enjoy our wait staff, and avidly enjoy learning about their lives, their family and so forth. In the Boticcelli Dining Room, we were privileged to have Abel, our head waiter, a charming, bubbling with humor good soul from Portugal, and his equally charming assistant, Andros, from Hungary. We enjoy wine with dinner, and they were very helpful with suggestions. Our Table Captain, Memo, from Mexico, was so excited so see us back on board!! He is one perfect gentleman, and HE remembered us from earlier Princess Cruises. After seeing thousands cruise after cruise, is nice to know that we are remembered fondly, and that we also remembered Memo.

We all purchased the now $20.00 soda option. It is worth it. It is for soda fountain drinks, NOT canned soda, and it can not be used on Princess Cays. Cans of soda were $1.50, Hagen-Daas $2.50 per minute scoop, soft serve $1.50. Beer drinkers - the selection has been expanded. One very nice touch, we forgot to purchase, is in- cabin 375 ml bottles of select liquors, your choice, and appropriate mixers - for $15.00-the beer package is $14.75. We found the quality of mixed drinks to be good throughout the ship, with the exception of the disco, where the quality was low. Some review I read stated the Princess was charging $7.00 for a rum and coke. I am looking at my copy of the Beverage Menu, from the Wheel House Bar, and drinks start at $3.65, Stoli is a mere $4.00. Frozen drinks may be purchased in 12, 20 and 32 ounce sizes. Non-drinkers may enjoy non-alcoholic drinks for $2.00, and non-a beer for $3.50. And, yes, Princess forbids, make that FORBIDS bringing liquor on board. They x-ray your purchases and confiscate any liquor, which is returned to you at cruise end. Princess must have a good reason (too many balconied cabins, with too many passengers tippling their own and not buying, is what we think)!! Also, Princess does not tape and show the evenings entertainment any longer....HMMMM?!?

Ok, Private Island time - we ate on board, went ashore, got sun burned, shopped in the boutique (your ship board card may be used for purchases) - some really nice tropical shirts and sun dresses here). Our son had the BBQ here, and said the lines moved very quickly. It was rumored we had 3100 passengers on this cruise, and it sure looked it on the island. MOBBED.

Some do not like the auctions on Princess - well, nearly every ship has them now - we have had some wonderful deals from the auctions, and lasting memories as a result. We also buy unset stones - worth every penny, and they make outstanding gifts. Another memory builder are the ships photos - They are now-gulp-$9.95-ouch-each, but, they are now 6" x 8"'s, and they do not fit into the pretty little album they sell. We spent over $120.00 on pics alone.

Horizon Court is a zoo - crowded this time beyond imagination. Excellent selection of goodies at breakfast and lunch. The pre-made omelets were gawd-aful, as were the scrambled eggs, pancakes and waffles, and the maple syrup is not pure-we are from Vermont, we know our syrup), and the orange juice was a joke. Plenty of coffee, tea, iced tea, and ice water 24/7 here.

Grand Cayman, well, we never enjoyed this island, and probably never will. St. Thomas it is not, as far as shopping. Lalique is priced lower in Costco!!! Every cheap tee had Grand Cayman on it, and the locals attitude stunk, as it always has. Our cousins took the $3.00 PER TAXI EACH WAY TO THE BEACH RIP OFF RIDE - well, they were charged $30.00 and the driver never went back for them. There is no Little Switzerland her - they have Grand Switzerland, which has nothing to do with Little SW. We saw Carnival Triumph here, with rust on it.

Costa May - loved the town, all purple-magenta-orange-good local crafts shopping, free salt water pool in the center of town, lively, colorful folkloric dancers - JADEs is a great shop, guaranteed by Princess, as are the "perimeter" shops. USE THE SHIPS SHOPPING LIST/MAP here.

Cozumel, my how it keeps growing - and getting better - again, use the ships shopping guide - Viva Mexico, for really unique, well priced craft items that you won't fin at Pier 1. Rachat Romero is the shop to set the gems you bought on board. We had USCG Cutter Mohawk docked with us, and the Regal Empress, so tiny by today’s ships (we knew her as the Greek Line Flagship Tss Olympia - passengers said the food was outstanding on the Empress. She was is excellent livery!

Princess "Where I belong....." Well, we do. We love the product, and wish everyone else did. Sabatini’s once for dinner was a culinary highlight. The main dining room, outstanding. Pizza - best ever at sea, bar none. Hamburger junkies? order them DOUBLE - you'll get about a pound of choice sirloin!

"I want to go back...........

We do, and are - 10 day Panama Canal on the brand new Coral Princess in February 03. Same length as the Grand, same 17 decks, 10 feet narrower, AND ONLY 1976 PASSENGERS!!! Now, that’s spacious.

If you are not a member of the Captains Circle, join. We enjoy the perks, and the advance notice it gives us, and by booking our next cruise on board the one we just took, our trusted travel agent gets the booking, and Princess gives $200.00 ship board credit, plus any future benefits that come up before our cruise day.

So, its May 2, its snowing here, we missed Vermont’s 5.1 and 5.5 earthquake, but, we are happy knowing we are going back to our favorite line, and who knows, some of you may have been on with us, and we may see some of you in the future.

Oh, this is the only cruise review site we like and trust for pure passenger review, good or bad.

Happy cruising.........

Ask a Question About Princess Cruise Lines

Here is something new from Google
Click on the Keywords you are interested in and then
follow the links for more information about Princess Cruises.
(Use Your "Back" Button to Return)