Carnival Cruise Lines Discount And Cruise Review

Overview
Eight years ago, as my daughter and I were gliding through Alaska's Inside Passage on Regal Princess, we came upon a five-foot scale model of Grand Princess, which was in the process of being built at the Fincantieri shipyard in Italy. The model was in the foyer before the entrance to the dining room; overhead was a video with renderings of what the ship would be like when completed. "The biggest, the fastest, the most elaborate, the most technologically advanced ... the grandest ship on the ocean," enthused the voiceover.

"Good grief," I distinctly remember saying to my daughter. "I don't think you'd ever find me on a monstrosity like that!"

My, how times have changed. Here I was, not even a decade later, boarding Grand Princess in Galveston, about to set sail for a solo week of R&R on an exotic Western Caribbean cruise. And while Grand Princess had indeed spent a year as the biggest, fastest and most elaborate ship at sea, it is now dwarfed by many others ... bigger, faster and newer.

The ship, with its distinctive stepped-out balconies and rear upward protuberance (earning it the affectionate nickname "the shopping cart"), is still grand, and although it's very big, hardly the "monstrosity" that I imagined. In fact, I probably couldn't have selected a better mid-winter, stress-relieving getaway than this elegant vessel which -- after a short time in wet dock last fall -- looks and feels new, and has gorgeous design elements, plenty of entertainment and recreation options, a solicitous and genuinely warm staff, and pretty, comfortable accommodations.

Public Rooms
There are some ships that have the razzle-dazzle of a disco and some ships that look like children's playgrounds and some ships that are boringly bland, but Grand Princess has managed to evoke an understated elegance throughout this large vessel with no compromise on quality. There is no soaring atrium, no neon, no copious amounts of brass or marble -- just an overall feeling of elegance with a lot of golden wood trim, contemporary lighting fixtures and a subdued color palette in the carpeting and furnishings.

The only "wow" factors I experienced were at the Calypso Reef pool and at Skywalkers, the former being a glass-domed pool conservatory with plants, light and exquisite tile work, and the latter being the aft nightclub suspended 18 stories above the ocean, accessed via a moving sidewalk which is pulse-lit at night. This non-theme is consistent throughout the ship, from the shops that circle the atrium on Decks 6 and 7 to the many restaurants and lounges on board: Pretty, elegant, subdued decor that doesn't distract from the activities taking place in each venue. I loved it.

Flow, too, is excellent on Grand Princess. The cruise I was on was full, full, full -- but with all of the space and the way it's divided into smaller, more intimate areas, I never felt crowded. There are three elevator areas, the central one having "panoramic lifts" over the atrium as well as the four standard elevators, 14 in all.

As stunning as Skywalkers is at night, it's during the daytime that this space is most appealing as it offers uninterrupted and sweeping views behind the ship. There is no forward-facing observation lounge on this ship, which I missed, but the quiet isolation of Skywalkers and the view over the stern's wake almost makes up for it. The Vista Lounge and Explorers Lounge on Deck 7 are the best spots for nightlife. Both are attractive and comfortable, and both offer great entertainment options when the sun goes down and activities designed by the cruise director's staff during the day.

There is a small library on Deck 5, with a few comfortable chairs and three computer terminals. Checkout is on the honor system, which I found very adult, classy and appropriate for this ship; you take a book and commit to returning it before the cruise ends. There isn't a huge selection, but enough so that you're likely to find something appealing. There are also several board games available for checkout.

Not far from the library is what appears to be a very well-equipped Internet center, with several booths with flat-screen monitors. I say "appears to be" because while there are 20 stations, only five of the systems seemed to be working at any given time. To use the ship's computers one just needs to slide the room key-card through a slot; unlike other onboard Internet centers, there is no requirement for a "package" purchase nor is there a "start up" fee, which is typically $3.95 on other ships. The cost is a very reasonable 35 cents per minute, pay as you go. Except for the fact that the system is very slow, there is only one other downside, and that is that the system turns off at midnight on the last night of the cruise, so there is no way to check-in for your flight the next day, which many people like to do.

Wireless access is available but so frustrating that I would recommend against it unless it is critical. For the cost of $10.50 per 30 minutes, you are given an access number to enter into your laptop and you are then online. The problem is that the wireless access is horribly slow and there is only one weak router on the whole ship, located at the reception area on Deck 5. If you are not within about 10 feet of the router or if there is anything blocking direct infrared access, you get no signal. And, if you run out of time, your Internet connection disappears; you have to go to the reception desk, get a new access code, go through the steps to get online again, and start all over.

A well-equipped casino is located just forward of the main atrium on Deck 6, with several tables, slots, video poker and roulette.

I had to visit the Medical Center, not just to see the space but because what I had thought was allergies turned out to be a sinus infection. I've seen other ship's medical centers before, but this was the best, as classy as the rest of the ship in both decor and the behavior of the staff. Instead of being dispatched to an antiseptic-looking space with gray linoleum flooring and starched, stiff, uninterested personnel, I sat in a cozy, carpeted waiting room. Attentive nurses inquired after my well-being until I could see the doctor, who was equally caring and concerned. The cost for the visit was astonishingly reasonable, lower than my local Urgent Care, and the prescription I was given probably had a very small percentage over wholesale added to it. I hated being sick, but my experience with the medical staff (and the prescribed antibiotics) made me feel better almost immediately.

Smoking is limited to the port side in most outdoor venues with the exception of the area around Calypso Reef on the Lido Deck and the conservatory above it. There is no smoking in the Grand Atrium, in any of the bars or lounges surrounding it, in any of the restaurants, nor in most of the show lounges including the Vista Theatre (aft), the Explorers Lounge (midship) or the Princess Theatre (forward). The casino is large enough that it didn't seem smoky at all, although people were certainly smoking there.

Dining
The first thing I noticed about Grand Princess's three main dining rooms was how quiet they were. This, to me, is telling: When the ship was being built, someone got it right.

Bowing to the trend of "anytime dining," Princess has adopted "Personal Choice," wherein guests may choose to dine at will (whenever they choose with whomever they choose), or traditionally, with two sittings nightly. Two restaurants are dedicated to the at-will dining concept and one to traditional dining.

Botticelli, the traditional dining room, is located aft on Deck 6; the two Personal Choice restaurants, Da Vinci and Michelangelo, are located midship on Decks 6 and 7 respectively. All are pleasant spaces with attentive wait staff and knowledgeable sommeliers; in Botticelli, guests have the advantage of seagoing traditions like the Parade of Baked Alaska and the introduction of the waiters to the napkin-waving tune of Tarantella. Dinner times are fixed at 6:30 and 8:30 p.m.

Meals are attractively presented and dining is leisurely. The menus are mostly continental in orient, with few surprises; lobster tails were really nice, very fresh and well-prepared, and the prime rib was lovely. The crunchy-on-the-outside, creamy-in-the-middle bread and rolls are terrific. Kudos to the master baker!

Although the main dining rooms serve a formal breakfast and lunch (open seating), most guests tend to avail themselves of the Horizon Court buffet, located just aft of midship on the Lido Deck. It's an extremely pretty place, with table groupings flanking the window walls on both sides of the ship and two food courts in the middle. The "stations" are set up well, but flow in the cafeteria section itself is poor. I always seemed to end up going in the wrong direction to get my food items.

Breakfasts tend toward Princess's British roots, with bangers, baked beans and grilled tomatoes always available. Instead of an omelet station, fried eggs are laid out on a griddle. There is an array of breads, butter and jam; toasted bagels and smoked salmon; and pre-made pancakes. A large variety of fresh fruit, including sliced melon, berries and fresh fruit salad, is a welcome addition to breakfast and the fresh-baked breads and muffins are excellent. For some reason, the croissants are not very good at all (even the chocolate croissants, which usually have me swooning).

Lunch and dinner in the Horizon Court follow the dining room menus, serving many of the same items. The salad stations are wonderful, with tons of add-ons and several dressings from which to choose. Pastas are creative, and there is usually a roast of some sort at the carving station. Freshly made mashed potatoes and gravy are always good.

Horizon Court is open 24 hours with an occasional elaborate midnight buffet available for several hours.

Just forward of midship on Lido Deck is the pizza station and grill, open daily from 11 a.m. until 8 p.m. The pizzas, with a slightly crunchy crust, a spicy tomato sauce and ample cheese and toppings, provide a great snack option or an alternative to lunch items in Horizon Court. The grill serves hamburgers, hot dogs, grilled chicken breasts and sausages with all the fixings, including sauerkraut.

Grand Princess has two alternate dining rooms, Sterling Steakhouse and Sabatini's Trattoria. Sterling, which had been a Tex-Mex eatery (The Painted Desert) prior to its conversion to a steakhouse, has been renovated so that the passenger flow from the showroom to the shops no longer goes through the middle of the restaurant; it's rerouted to the starboard side instead. Dining here is pleasant and the food very good, with perfectly prepared steaks and fresh fish, and a to-die-for raspberry creme brulee for dessert. Surcharge is $15 and reservations are required.

Sabatini's, tucked into a corner near the aft of the Promenade Deck, charges $20 for a meal that's more of an "experience" than a simple dining foray. What seemed like hundreds of hot and cold antipasto items kept coming and coming and coming to our table, served in teeny little bites by a cheerful waiter. First came three kinds of marinated mushrooms, then olives and sun-dried tomatoes, then grilled Mediterranean vegetables, prosciutto and melon, carpaccio, pasta and gnocchi, pizza slices ... it seemed to go on forever. My two dining companions and I were shocked when, after about an hour of this, our waiter asked us what we wanted for dinner. Between us, we shared the veal chop (exceptional), langoustines (great, but one of my dining companions was disturbed that the heads were left intact on her plate), and the grilled Chilean sea bass. Make reservations early and plan to spend at least two hours dining.

Room service is offered 24 hours a day, with salads, sandwiches, hot dogs and hamburgers available, as is a continental breakfast via a door-hung card.

I would be remiss if I didn't mention Grand Princess' oft-ridiculed coffee. I like coffee, I drink a lot of it. I am not a coffee snob, don't grind my own beans, and don't demand exotic blends. I purchase pre-ground nationally known brands in two-pound cans. Wish that Grand Princess did the same! Unfortunately, the ship uses what's known as "coffee starter," which is syrup made of freeze-dried coffee ... and I have to say it makes a ghastly beverage. The brew has a very slight chocolate odor, is slightly sweet, and leaves an aftertaste for hours as though one had just sucked a handful of nickels. It's served with real cream though -- none of that fake stuff for Princess -- which I found really amusing. It's the equivalent of putting a Porsche Boxster motor in a Yugo.

There is a small measure of redemption, though. The bar just forward of the midship elevators on the starboard side of the ship has a pot of brewed coffee at all times, and the bar in the casino has it in the mornings. Real brewed coffee, made with real grounds! I met several people who were overjoyed at discovering this secret. The other alternative is to purchase espresso or cappuccino ($1.50 and $1.75) at any of the bars onboard.

There is an ice cream bar on the Lido Deck that serves Haagen-Dazs sundaes and cones for a fee (ice cream is available for a few short hours every day in Horizon Court with no charge). White-gloved tea service is offered daily in the Botticelli dining room.

Fitness and Recreation
The Lotus Spa is a unique, self-contained environment located high up and over the bow of the ship. The spa and workout facility itself surrounds an outdoor pool enclosure, with hot tubs, sauna and steam, chaises and chairs for relaxing. There's a generator to create a resistance current in the pool so you can swim laps without moving. It's a nice, quiet, adults-only area ... or it's supposed to be. There were a couple of children splashing around the hot tubs while I was there, with no one asking them to leave.

Spa services run the gamut of "the usual" (facials, massages, wraps) to exotic rituals and pseudo-medicinal (Get rid of cellulite! Remove toxins!). There is also a nicely equipped beauty salon for hair and nails.

The workout room has a variety of new equipment including treadmills, stair climbers, bikes and weight stations, but the space is fairly small and gets crowded. There is also a large aerobics room at the very front with fabulous views. Pilates and yoga instruction is available for a fee, usually $10.

There are five pools on Grand Princess: the spa pool, which is supposed to be for adults only; the family-friendly and always active Neptune's Reef; the quieter and elegant Calypso Reef; the aft Terrace Pool for adults; and the Splash Pool for kids, located in the children's center. Teens have their own hot tub.

The Promenade Deck does not make a complete circuit of the ship, but you can complete one by climbing one deck up near the bow and then back down again. It adds a bit of aerobics to a morning walk. A jogging track is available on the Sports Deck, as is a tennis court. A putting green and golf simulator is located on the Sun Deck. Guests can always get a great workout by taking one of the many line-dancing classes, offered twice daily on most days.

Dress Code
"Smart casual" is the way Princess prefers to label its general dress code, and smart it was on my cruise. Even the pool-wear seemed to exude "smartness" and class. There are two formal nights on a seven-night cruise: lots of beaded gowns for the ladies and tuxes for the men, although cocktail dresses and dark suits are perfectly acceptable. No swimwear, jeans, tank tops or shorts are allowed in the restaurants at dinnertime.

Cabins
These days, of course, an abundance of balconied cabins is no big deal, but when Grand Princess was built, the concept was revolutionary. The outside cabins on the top four accommodation decks all have balconies, and one of those decks is dedicated to mini-suites. (Grand Princess's more recent sister Caribbean Princess has an additional passenger deck as well, also filled with balconied staterooms.)

The cabins are not big (average insides measure 165 square ft.) but are attractively designed, with brocade spreads and drapes, honey-colored wood and excellent lighting options. The entry door is offset to one side; rather than the closet and bath being opposite each other with the cabin entry in the middle, you walk through the closet area to access the bath. It's a unique arrangement, and aside from the fact that the closet is quite small, the main drawback is that there are no doors to it, so anyone passing by can see your clothing and shoes if your cabin door is open.

The bathroom in standard cabins is of adequate size -- certainly not spacious -- with a small sink console, fairly roomy shower and toilet. Lighting in the bathroom seemed awfully dim to me, but I did appreciate the tiled floor and trim, not easy to find in newer ships with their pre-fabricated plastic bathrooms. There is plenty of hot water and good pressure in the shower. Shampoo, soap and lotion are presented in degradable cardboard packs (suites get large bottles) and are a refreshing eucalyptus scent.

There is a nice-sized desk/vanity area with a salon-style hairdryer and drawers, two end tables with drawers, and a console with a mini-fridge and television. The twin beds can be put together to make a queen, but in fact, the size is much closer to a king. Standard cabins have a small chair rather than a sitting area, and a nice-sized table for room service items, flowers, or stacks of Princess Patters.

I have a couple of friends, mature adults, who love to enjoy their cruise ship balcony "au naturel." They'd better be careful if they choose Grand Princess, with its stepped-out balconies visible from both above and below. The top level cabins (Lido, Aloha and Baja decks) are like other ships, but starting at the Caribe Deck, the balconies extend outward. The Dolphin Deck balconies are completely uncovered, with no shade, and are totally visible to those above. Caribe Deck has the best option, with gigantic verandas (about 10 ft. by 10 ft.) that are partially covered. It is on this deck only that anyone wanting some privacy can actually hide from view, as long as they stay under the covered part which remains out of sight from above and below. All balconies, with the exception of some of the lower cost cabins at the bow of the ship, have Plexiglas enclosures, which is why those with extended balconies below can see into the balconies above. The furnishings are heavy plastic and include a dining-height table rather than a low one, making it easier to enjoy room-service breakfast outside.

Suites have an entry foyer, separate bedrooms and an elaborate bath with whirlpool tub. Mini-suites have an extended cabin with a sofa and a divider between the sitting room and the bed. The bathroom is large and has a tub, but not a whirlpool. Suite guests get bathrobes for use onboard, and slippers, which they can take home.

All guests get a small basket of fresh fruit which can be replenished by request.

I was particularly grateful for the extensive in-cabin television programming, which included several first-run movies not yet out on tape or DVD. There is also CNN International; ESPN; Cartoon Network; TNT; a couple of pre-programmed channels with shows from the Discovery Channel, the Travel Channel, HGTV and A&E; plus onboard programming highlighting port talks and shopping options. My one disappointment is that the ship's shows were not replayed on TV.

There is a self-service laundry on each passenger deck.

Handicap-accessible cabins are available in almost all categories, have large roll-in showers and rooms large enough to support any turning radius. All show and dining venues are wheelchair accessible, and public bathrooms have accessible stalls. Kits are available for hearing-impaired guests and the cruise line even provides ASL translators. Service animals are accepted with prior notification.

Gratuity
Princess adds $10 per day to each adult's onboard account (half of that for children under 12) as a pre-paid gratuity. Envelopes are available at the Purser's Desk for those wishing to reward individuals and most guests choose to give cash to their attentive room stewards. An automatic 15 percent is added to bar and spa bills. Although not required, it is recommended that gratuities be offered for room service, usually just a dollar or two.

Fellow Passengers
Princess guests are typically sophisticated but not stuffy, mostly Americans (on Caribbean routes) who enjoy a quality product in an atmosphere of casual elegance. Many families choose Princess; multi-generational groups (grandparents, kids, grandchildren) enjoy the dining and entertainment options and family programs. During the Caribbean season the average age is mid- to high-40's; on European itineraries, the average age skews higher.

Family
Grand Princess has programs for both teens and younger kids, with the aptly named "Off Limits" for the former (parents aren't allowed) and Fun Zone for younger children (ages three to 12). On any given day, I was likely to see some youngster walking with an original art masterpiece created with mini-marshmallows, beans and macaroni, or with a face painted to resemble a macaw. Teens enjoyed their own private space, with a hot tub and sunning area, and nighttime disco. The Voyage of Discovery virtual reality arcade is very popular as well.

Parents get some alone time with occasional evening programs for young kids; group babysitting is available at night by prior arrangement; plan on spending $6 per hour per child. Princess does impose an age restriction: Infants under six months are not allowed on board on most itineraries, and 12 months on "exotic" itineraries.

Although the children's program is not available for toddlers under age three, parents can spend time with younger kids in the children's center, availing themselves of the toys, games and available activities.