Is Grand Prnicess a good choice for a honeymoon?(From Galveston TX)

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nvillacci

Guest
Im trying ot plan my honeymoon. Will be taking place next october or november. Were getting married Oct 23 2004. Id like to pick a good cruise but not too sure how to go about this. I did a search fro Galveston departures to the Caribean. Princess was the only Company that offered Premium ships out of Galveston that time of year.
The ships the Grand Princess, Im probably going to get a BB or BA Oceanview Cabin with Balcony.
I cant see spending more considering we wont be spending that much time in cabin. This will be our first REAL vacation. Weve been together 7 years and I think its well earned after both of us getting degrees.
Anyways is this the ship and company for us? Were both 24, will be 25 when we leave. Will the whether be nice in the carribean in November?

So many questions... i want this to be spectacular.

Thanks for all help you can provide.

Nick
 
M

mlzangel78

Guest
Nick,


I am sailing on the Grand this December, I have a bb cabin on the caribe deckk ,which fom what i am told has the biggest balconies with partial cover, so if you want sun, you got it, and if you want alone time with your new bride, youve got that to, one thing i havenoticed from these boards is that there are just not enough pics of the ship... this will be my first cruise and we are doing the western carib, i promis that i will take lots and lots of pics, and send you an email when we return i am also 25,, so im sure we will have the same views in minds. after ALOT of research, princess has the best prices for balconies with the best itineraries... we chose to do a cruise for our first vaca in 6 years becasue we will get to see so many different places. the only other real vaca we have been on was to jamaica. Congrats on the wedding and i will keep in touch,

Ps the people on these message boards are the greatest, super nice, willing to answer any questions you may have, as you can see ive posted alot :)


-Melissa
 
L

Lady Jag

Guest
I've only been on the Grand twice, but something I noticed is the atmosphere on it. It's quiet, intimate, and perfect for honeymooners, IMO. You'll mostly likely be one of the youngest couples onboard. Seems to me that it attracted a 45 & up age group, but there should still be a good mix of people.

Remember that you'll be going at the end of hurricane season, so be prepared for a change in itinerary if it's needed and a possibility of rain.

Definitely go with the Caribe balcony cabins, they are about twice the size of the Aloha and Baja Deck balconies.

Read the reviews on this website and then ask any more specific questions you might have. If you're looking for a younger crowd, go with RCI. Both cruise lines are great, IMO - you can't go wrong with either one.

Best wishes to your bride-to-be and congratulations to you! :cheers
 
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DJA

Guest
We've been on the Grand several times and keep going back...it's a really nice experience all around. You'll find a lot of young people on the Grand, especially with the Galveston departure. Although you'll certainly be in the youngest group at 25, there will be lots in the 30-35 range. We're mid 40's now, but have been cruising since your age including many on Princess. Being on a vacation with a population much older than us was one of the main reasons we enjoyed cruising so much at that age...it's a much more relaxing and enjoyable experience.

Unless you're really looking for a lot of non-stop action, Princess and the Grand will be a terrific experience and a really nice honeymoon for you. You can find the action if you seek it out, but that's the difference with Princess...you can find it, but it doesn't find you.

Definitely go for the big balcony on Caribe...unquestionably the best cabins on the ship. Take a BB in the forward section (not too far forward) or a BA in the forward section of midship (the brown ones in the deck plan).

Also, the Galveston departure has a really nice itinerary...Belize is a great stop as are the others, and the sea days are in exactly the right spots...one at the beginning and one at the end. If you go in November, the odds of a hurricane are much lower than earlier in the hurricane season...but don't worry about it, they always do a great job of getting around them and compensating for their effects. Usually the aftermath of hurricane season is limited to some rough or murky water when you go snorkeling, or a shore excursion that gets cancelled or modified.

Hope this helps...any more questions, don't hesitate to ask.

Congratulations and have a great honeymoon whatever you decide!



Post Edited (10-03-03 08:51)
 
D

DJA

Guest
Nick,

Yes, the size of the balcony in BA & BB is different depending on the deck. The Caribe balconies are half covered, half exposed and nearly twice the depth of the balconies in those categories on Lido & Aloha. Plus the Lido & Aloha balconies are fully covered...stick with the Caribe Deck.

Definitely skip the mini-suite, absolutely not worth it on this ship based on what you're looking for... and the mini-suite balconies on Grand have the annoying feature of being fully exposed so that all the other deck's balconies overlook them. Take a look at this picture of the Island Princess that robertew posted -- http://community.webshots.com/photo/50947364/57526701cgFgPL -- It's the same configuration as the Grand. The bottom row of balconies are the mini-suites, you can see how they are fully overlooked from the Caribe balconies (the middle row in the picture)... and you can see how the Caribe balcony is partially covered by the Baja balcony above it.

Your assumption that the more expensive the ship, the older the passengers is correct. But the major driver of age is the length of the cruise...it goes up on cruises over seven days, and goes way up on cruises of fourteen days or more.
 
C

connie seabee

Guest
Ahhhhh, you bring back great memories. My youngest daughter and hubby went on the Grand Princess for their honeymoon a little over 21/2 years ago. They too had just recieved their degrees and were the same age.

They really enjoyed the Grand Princess, they had a BA balcony cabin.

Congratulations!
 
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p.g.

Guest
Don't let the age thing bother you, there is about 1500 cruiseres on board and all different ages , we went on first cruise for our honeymoon and we were 27. We had a fabulous time and loved it. The Grand is a beautiful ship ( much more elegant than gaudy) and we had a balconcy cabin on the Baja deck , we felt our balcony was fairly private( not THAT kind of private though) and really enjoyed the whole ship! Enjoy!
 
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cathymct

Guest
When we were on the Golden, sister ship of the Grand, in April there were three weddings on the ship. We saw the bridal parties having pictures taken and they were all beautiful. There were plenty of couples your age on the ship, so don't feel you'll be out of place...you'll love the ship. We're sailing in November on the Grand and we can't wait!
 
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MyNextCruiseIsNotSoonEnough

Guest
You'll be among the younger passengers, but I think it's a great choice and the *best* choice out of Galveston. You definitely don't need a minisuite, unless you want a bathtub (a regular bathtub, nothing special.)

Best Wishes!
 
K

KarolnDick

Guest
We just got back from a cruise on the Grand. It seemed that every second or third stateroom had balloons on the door offering wedding congratulations. Also, don't fret about the age thing. We saw people of all ages on the ship. If you want to be around a younger crowd, there are places on the ship that attract a younger crowd (such as the skywalkers disco).

Have fun.
 
A

aznsweetpea

Guest
Hi, my boyfriend and I went on the Grand Princess the past April, I am 24 and he is 25. We had a great time , we had the bb balcony cabin on the caribe deck. We were really lucky, cause we booked an interior cabin and got upgraded to this great room.

The most romantic thing is to have breakfast on the balcony...the cruise was awesome, and we are planning our next cruise with Princess already! Don't worry about the age thing, you will be having too much fun with each other, you won't even notice other people. The ship has a lot of hiding spots, and it's really quite at night, so you can have a midnight swim or enjoy the hot tub when everyone is sleeping....

Hope you have a great time!
 
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