GRAND PRINCESS WESTERN CARIBBEAN CRUISE
HENRY NOWICKI
13 DECEMBER 2001
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The Grand Princess is a huge (109,000 GRT), 951-ft long, modern cruise ship with a capacity of 3,100 passengers. It was this big ship experience I was looking for and in this I was not disappointed as the design is successful in not projecting a feeling of being immersed in a sea of people. The so-called Personal Choice dining plan of choosing one's own restaurant at one's own schedule also contributed to the uncrowded perception aboard this two-block-long vessel. In addition, the Grand Princess has often been very favorably reviewed and there was no reason not to try this highly-touted flagship of the P&O line.
I started from Chicago driving my 92-yr-old traveling companion in his new turbocharged Regal and in three days we were in Ft. Lauderdale/Port Everglades to embark by Sunday mid-afternoon in good fashion.
25 Nov Ft. Lauderdale. Departed 2000 after a few hours of exploring the ship and dining at one of the two main Personal Choice restaurants (Michaelangelo/Da Vinci). Incidentally, the food was excellent throughout the voyage and there really is no reason to further elaborate. Unlike other cruises, I found no one who adversely criticized the food for whatever reasons.
I was delighted to find I could use one of the ship's wheelchairs (with a $100 credit card deposit) for the entire length of the voyage and that provided all the accessibility we needed to scoot from one end of the ship to the other. It would have been very, very slow going without the device.
26 Nov Princess Cays was supposed to be canceled because of Hurricane Michelle which visited the area a few weeks earlier; however, enough reparations had been completed (the southern beach was still off limits) so that this ship was the first to visit Eleuthera Key since the disturbance. It turned out to be a fine visit and I snorkeled along the local shoreline although the range of fish visible was on the scant side. Food from the ship was tendered in before we arrived and it was a neat picnic scene. Although this is a Princess operation on privately leased land, there is a local small shopping area just inland from the cruise lines plot that offers access by taxi to the rest of the 30-mile long island if one has the time and energy to explore.
27 Nov is a day at sea spent cruising around the eastern end of Cuba which is clearly visible on the starboard side. A variety of activities and entertainment takes up all one's time it seems and the day just slips by. I particularly liked the Roddy Montez and Copacabana latin rhythms.
28 Nov George Town, Grand Cayman Island is reached early in the morning and, after tendering into the port, a full day is spent at Seven Mile Beach. I walked most of the beach viewing some of the reconstruction work and damage inflicted by Michelle. It was a very easy walk as the beach is smooth and easily traversed. The Cayman Islands are best for those interested in water sports and activities. Fellow passengers found a variety of attractions, all having to do with the sea. The Rhapsody of the Sea, Jubilee and Masdam are all in port on this day.
29 Nov Costa Maya (Mahahual) was scheduled but due to high winds from the southeast, it was decided to turn north to Cozumel to arrive at 1345 and spend an extra day there. Cozumel Island is some 30 miles N/S and 9 miles E/W and has a limited coastal road only around its southern two-thirds. There are a number of attractions especially for those who like water activities and everyone seemed to find a favorite destination. I chose snorkeling and ocean swimming. The Norwegian Sun and Jubilee are also in port.
30 Nov is spent in Cozumel as the ship overnighted giving the crew an exceptional chance to go out on the town. They need something like this every once in a while otherwise it is constant work on the vessel with its quick turnaround in Ft. Lauderdale. The Voyager of the Seas, Imagination and the Regal Empress are also in port.
1 Dec is a day at sea cruising around the western end of Cuba through the Gulf of Mexico. It will be most enjoyable when Cuba opens up for Americans which cannot come soon enough. I still bridle at the thought that one of our precious freedoms, the right to travel, is being denied Americans from finding out first-hand what is going on just one-half hour away by air from our shores. The day flits by and I realize once again why I usually choose cruises of at least two weeks duration.
2 Dec debarkation at 0900. The return drive to Chicago took only two days and was without incident which made it an altogether successful vacation.
Log of the Grand Princess:
Ft. Lauderdale - Princess Cays 273nm
Princess Cays - Grand Cayman 738nm
Grand Cayman - Cozumel 459nm
Cozumel - Ft. Lauderdale 551nm
Total = 2,021nm
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