Review of the Safety Precautions First Hand While on the Grand Princess

This is a review from Janet who was recently on the Grand Princess.  She shares what she noticed in regards to the safety precautions Princess has put in place.  

Tomorrow, I’m leaving the Grand Princess after a 5 day cruise to Cabo. This is what I experienced and my observations. Warning: This is long but will hopefully help answer looming questions.

1. Boarding was super simple, similar to the last time with medallion except this time we had to show physical copies of our vaccine card and Covid test results along with our passports. 

Had to keep masks on going through security but mask lanyards and medallions had to come off. 

When we got on the ship, before we got indoors, security had to verify our identity (mask off) with our medallion and they took a picture of us.

2. We checked into our muster station on our way to our room and watched the drill on the TV in our room. 

3. The food and service has been excellent. We had Club Class with our friends and got the same waiters and table each night. They were so happy, chatty and attentive. We ate at the Crown Grill one night and the staff couldn’t do enough for us. They were so happy. 

4. The crew missed the passengers so much and have been a pleasure to talk to. I had some long conversations with many of the crew, something I wouldn’t have been able to do on a full ship. 

5. We had 646 passengers, which was an increase from the last cruise. The passenger count is increasing with each cruise. Some rooms are set aside in case someone has to be quarantined. 1017 crew. The Covid protocols they have in place are working and they are improving on them. This is what I was told by Passenger Services.

6. I like the buffet setup. There were sections where we were served by the crew and sections of takeaway items. 

7. I do not like the layout of JourneyView on the app. We did receive a physical Patter (two-sided) that showed only the day’s activities. 

8. I do not like Shipmate Chat anymore. It worked fine on our first medallion cruise but it doesn’t notify me when one of our traveling companions sent a message to me. So we ended up using WhatsApp since they have Android and we have iPhones and we all had internet. 

9. I do not like how I can’t shrink down my shipboard account so I can see the description and charges on one screen on the app. I recommend checking your shipboard account daily and do screenshots if you are using an electronic device. 

They have moved the kiosk (to print your shipboard account) away from the Passenger Services desk to keep the amount of people at the desk low. The kiosk was right by the piazza stairs. 

10. No boutique sale because they did want large gatherings. (However, large gatherings for trivia were okay.) When I paid for something and had to sign the sales slip, the pen was sanitized after I used it. A crew member was cleaning all handrails and counters. 

11. Except as mentioned, the medallion and app worked like a charm. The Shipmate Locator could be glitchy at times.

12. A USB port in all three of our lamps in our room. Made charging our devices a lot easier. 

13. It was my first time on the Grand and hopefully not my last. Yes, she’s old but we can still see her beauty and the crew was working hard to keep her maintained. Our room was comfortable and I slept like a happy baby. 

14. No mid-ship stairs. It’s not that they weren’t open. It’s they are not available to passengers. One passenger told me this ship wasn’t built to have mid-ship stairs for passengers. As one who takes the stairs every time we cruise, it was an adjustment. Elevators were easy to get and we were the only ones on them most of the time. 

15. Cabin steward service was once per day and no chocolate on the pillows (I didn’t miss that). Could request twice per day if you wanted. Steward said it was because they are trying to keep their distance from passengers since this area is close proximity. The crew gets tested often.

16. “Sip and Cover” signs in Explorers lounge but not in Crooners. Masks required inside the ship (that’s what it seemed like) but not outside. If we were outside and other passengers were going by us, we put our mask up to our face as a courtesy. People masked up where required for the most part and tried to keep distance. There were some that did neither but that is for Princess to deal with and not me.

17. The wonderful Daniel Oliver was the entertainer in Crooners. We also heard Danny Rembadi, who was excellent. 

18. At each food or drink location, there was a sign with a QR code so you could get the menu. We were given physical menus in the main dining room and the Crown Grill. 

19. Hand washing stations at the entrance to the buffet (which felt great) but also hand sanitizer all over the ship. 

20. Other than Daniel Oliver and Danny Rembadi, I don’t know anything about the entertainment, coffee, drinks, bingo, casino, pools, spa, gym or art auction. 

21. If you don’t have Princess Plus (like us), for Elite passengers, I recommend (and Passenger Services does too) purchasing MedallionNet before boarding. It’s cheaper buying before boarding. The discount is applied as a credit to your shipboard account. If you pre-purchase excursions, for Elite, the 10% discount is applied to your shipboard account. 

22. When we met in the Princess Theater for our excursion, there was no “social distancing” but everyone had a mask on. Same with the tender. 

23. Lots (and I mean too numerous to count) container ships waiting outside of the Port of Los Angeles to come in and unload their cargo. Pouring rain and a beautiful lightning show sending us off on a wonderful cruise. We had the best time on this cruise and can’t wait to sail again, even if we have to do it like this. We felt safe and cared for.