Grand Princess
Reviewed by: Malcolm Leyland
Date: October 2023
Cruise line and ship: Princess Cruises – Grand Princess
Size of ship: 290 meters in length – 122,000 grt
Passenger capacity: 3,100 max (crew 1,100) Year built: 1997
Year refurbished/revitalised: March 2019
Currency onboard: USD, however, on select Australian-based itineraries, the onboard currency is in Australian dollars.
I was fortunate enough to be invited along to board the lovely Grand Princess as she was docked in Carrington Port, Newcastle. This 2600 passenger ship couldn’t be missed as we round the bend into the port, definitely giving us a big ship feel, however once onboard there was this lovely small ship aspect with plenty of lounges and nooks to carve out some privacy of your own.
The Grand Princess is the oldest ship in the Princess fleet, however the feeling of the ship was anything but! The ship has been decked out with popular Princess eateries like Alferdos Pizzeria, Coffee and Cones and the Salty Dog Grill to ensure that the quintessential Princess vibe remains intact.
Whilst onboard, we were taken through all the areas of the ship, from the beautifully decorated atrium and fully specced kids club to the secluded private sanctuary on the upper outside deck. There really was something for everyone.
Princess talks about the importance of the Medallion system and how it is transforming the cruise experience. Medallion allows guests to have touchless embarkation and disembarkation, Keyless stateroom entry, on-demand food and drink anywhere onboard the ship, Guest Services chat and entertainment content via smart devices. This allows their guests to tailor the experience to what suits them best.
In addition, the new features of the Princess Plus and Premier packages are wonderful. Specifically (now included with Plus and Premier) the new casual dining concept is designed to give their passengers more choice.
With casual dining options, guests can choose from a selection of restaurants and enjoy an a la carte meal in a purpose-built sit-down restaurant rather than taking food away poolside or eating at the buffet. There are still plenty of food options for those that don’t wish to utilise casual dining with freshly made pizzas, burgers, street tacos and more offered poolside.
There are 3 kids clubs onboard for guests ages 3 through to 17. The range of activities available meant children of any age would have plenty to do onboard. This being said Princess is really family-friendly, but not family-focused.
One huge standout while visiting the Grand Princess was the friendly team onboard willing to greet us along the way, whilst also ensuring that all the guests were being well looked after. It was clear Princess still has a large focus on customer service.
Finally, our hosts finished our day in one of the main dining rooms and treated us to a selection of food offered onboard. Again our wait staff were outstanding and nothing was too hard for them, however, the real standout was the delightful food. Princess really did have something for everyone onboard and nobody left hungry!
Thanks again to Princess and our wonderful hosts, it was a wonderful day and lovely to be onboard.
Video – https://vt.tiktok.com/
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