Clearly, the biggest thing to happen to Grand Princess in recent years is the massive refurbishment that Princess undertook last Spring. Reportedly, Princess spent $80 million to transform Grand Princess into a new ship.
Accordingly, when I spoke with the two people who are directly responsible for providing the cruise experience on Grand Princess, her Captain and her General Hotel Manager, the conversation focused on the refurbishment (often referred to as the “drydock” by those onboard). What was done? And perhaps more importantly, how has it affected the cruise experience that Grand Princess offers?
Captain Roger Bilton, first went to sea in 1979 and has been with Princess since 1989. Hotel General Manager (a position formerly called “Passenger Services Director” at Princess) Adam Gorst has been with Princess three years longer, joining after graduating from hotel school. Thus, both men have a substantial experience at sea.
It is difficult to see how anyone could dislike what Princess has done to Grand Princess. The public areas of the ship are comparable to any in the Princess fleet and Princess is a first rank cruise line. However, what I found interesting was these two men’s insights into how the changes have affected the ship both nautically and from a hotel perspective.
My conversation with Captain Bilton and Mr. Gorst is posted at http://www.beyondships2.com/grand-princess-captain-hotel-manager-interview.html
Two major changes made to Grand Princess were the addition of two new specialty restaurants. Accordingly, I have posted reviews of both venues.
Alfredo’s Pizzeria is a concept that debuted on the new Grand Princess. It is an informal venue located in the ship’s new Piazza complex. I found it an ideal place to relax after returning to the ship from a morning ashore on one of the Caribbean islands. You can sit by one of the large picture windows and enjoy the sunshine, the view and of course, the food. More at http://www.beyondships2.com/grand-princess-alfredo-pizzeria-review.html
The refit also gave Grand Princess the Crown Grill steakhouse. Yes, Grand Princess had a steakhouse before the refurbishment. But the Crown Grill is a much more upscale venue with a wider menu. The concept first debuted on Crown Princess and was so successful that Princess has been adding to its ships ever since. My review covers both this new Crown Grill and the original Crown Grill on Crown Princess, which I revisited a week after sailing on Grand Princess. It is posted at http://www.beyondships2.com/grand-princess-crown-princess-crown-grill-review.html
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