Overall Score

BERLITZ'S RATING
	Possible	Achieved
Ship	500	430
Accommodation	200	166
Food	400	256
Service	400	293
Entertainment	100	82
Cruise	400	314

How this score is created

Grand Princess (sister to Golden Princess and Star Princess) presents a bold, forthright profile, with a racy “spoiler” effect at the stern that many do not consider handsome (this acts as an observation lounge with aft-facing views by day, and a stunning disco­theque by night). The ship has a flared snub-nosed bow and a galleon-like transom stern. At 118 ft/36 meters (but more than 43 ft/13 meters wider than the canal, including the navigation bridge wings) Grand Princess is too wide to transit the Panama Canal, with many balcony cabins overhanging the ship’s hull.

There is a good sheltered teakwood promenade deck, which almost wraps around (three times round is equal to one mile) and a walkway that goes right to the (enclosed, protected) bow of the ship. The outdoor pools have various beach-like surroundings. One lap pool has a pumped “current” to swim against.

Unlike the outside decks, there is plenty of space inside the ship (but also plenty of passengers), and a wide array of public rooms, with many “intimate” (this being a relative word) spaces and places to play. The passenger flow has been well thought-out, and works with little congestion, except at the photo gallery on Promenade Deck (Deck 7), where there is congestion at peak times when passengers try to go through the gallery to get to the Vista Lounge. The decor is very attractive and warm, with lots of earth tones. In fact, this ship is the culmination of the best of all that Princess Cruises has to offer from its many years of operating what is now a well-tuned, good-quality product.

Four areas center on swimming pools, one of which is two decks high and is covered by a magrodome, itself an extension of the funnel housing. High atop the stern of the ship is a ship-wide glass-walled disco pod. It looks like an aerodynamic spoiler and is positioned some 150 ft (45 meters) above the waterline, with spectacular views from the extreme port and starboard side windows (you can look along the ship’s side and onto lots of “private” balconies).

There’s an extensive collection of art works, which complements the interior design and colors well. If you see something you like, you’ll probably be able to buy it on board.

This ship also has a Wedding Chapel (a live web-cam can relay ceremonies via the internet). The ship’s captain can legally marry (American) couples, due to the ship’s Bermuda registry and a special dispensation (this should, however, be verified when in the planning stage, and may vary according to where you reside). Princess Cruises offers three wedding packages: Pearl, Emerald, Diamond – the fee includes registration and official marriage certificate. However, to get married and take your close family members and entourage with you on your honeymoon is going to cost a lot. The “Hearts & Minds” chapel can also be used for “renewal of vows” ceremonies.

Another neat feature is the motion-based “virtual reality” room with its enclosed motion-based rides, and a “blue screen” studio, where passengers can star in their own videos. There is an excellent library/CD-Rom computer room, and a separate card room. Youngsters have a two-deck-high playroom, teen’s room, and specially trained counselors.

Gamblers should enjoy what is one of the largest casinos at sea, with more than 260 slot machines (all with dolphin-shaped handles); there are blackjack, craps and roulette tables, plus games such as Let It Ride Bonus, Spanish 21 and Caribbean Draw Progressive. A highlight is Neptune’s Lair, a multimedia gaming extravaganza.

Ship lovers should enjoy the wood-paneled Wheelhouse Bar, finely decorated with memorabilia and ship models tracing part of parent company P&O’s history.

Princess Cays – Princess Cruises’ own “private island” in the Caribbean – is “yours” (along with a couple of thousand other passengers) for a day; however, you will need to take a shore tender to get to and from it, and this can take some time. A high-tech hospital is provided with live SeaMed tele-medicine link-ups with specialists at the Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles available for emergency help (hardly useful for international passengers that do not reside in the USA).

This ship is full of revenue centers, designed to help you part with more money. The dress code has been simplified – reduced to formal or smart casual. Gratuities are automatically added to your account, at $10 per person, per day (gratuities for children are charged at the same rate). If you want to pay less, you’ll have to line up at the reception desk to have these charges adjusted. The onboard currency is the US dollar.

Whether this really can be considered a relaxing holiday is a moot point, but with so many choices and “small” rooms to enjoy, the ship has been extremely well designed; the odds are that you’ll have a fine time, in a controlled, well-packaged way. If you are not used to large ships, it will probably take you some time to find your way around (take good walking shoes), despite the company’s claim that this vessel offers a “small ship feel, big ship choice”.

The automated telephone system frustrates many passengers, and luggage delivery needs to be more efficient

Berlitz Guide © Apa Publishing 2008