Grand Princess

The 1998-built Grand Princess cruise ship is the first GRAND-class Princess Cruises liner, with sisterships Crown, Diamond, Caribbean, Golden (now Carnival Adventure), Emerald, Ruby, Star (now Carnival Encounter) and Sapphire.

The vessel (IMO number 9104005) is currently Bermuda-flagged (MMSI 310327000) and registered in Hamilton.

History - construction and ownership

Princess Cruises is a US-based passenger shipping company headquartered in Beverly Hills, CA. A former subsidiary of P&O Princess Cruises (founded in 1977), the company merged in 2003 with Carnival Corporation, the world’s largest cruise shipowner. Among Princess Cruise Lines Ltd’s assets is the Caribbean private-island resort Princess Cays (on the southern end of Eleuthera Island, Bahamas), located approximately 80 km (50 mi) from Nassau.

When she debuted in 1998, the 2,600-passenger Grand Princess was promoted as “the biggest, the fastest cruise vessel in the world, the most advanced… the grandest cruise liner on the ocean.” She did, in fact, spend a year as the largest and fastest at sea, but is now surpassed by many ships that are bigger, faster, newer, and more technologically advanced. More than a decade later, the core design that anchors Princess’ most popular class still holds its own, thanks to a major refurbishment in May 2011. That multi-million-dollar overhaul transformed the atrium into the livelier Piazza (a signature feature on newer fleetmates combining theatre-in-the-round with food and drink venues). Grand also received The Sanctuary—an adults-only sundeck first introduced on Crown Princess in 2006.

Decks and Cabins

Most Grand Princess staterooms (1,301 total, in 34 grades) are 170-ft² balcony cabins (502). Almost 80% of the ship’s outside staterooms have private step-out balconies. Wheelchair-accessible cabins number 27. The largest accommodation is the Grand Suite (615 ft² / 57 m², with a 115-ft² / 11-m² terrace).

The boat has 16 decks, of which 13 are passenger-accessible and 8 have cabins.

Shipboard dining options - Food and Drinks

Grand Princess guests choose between open seating and two assigned dinner seatings. Breakfast and lunch in all Princess restaurants are open seating. Alternative dinner venues include the reservations-only Sabatini’s Italian and Crown Grill restaurants (both with a cover charge). All Princess Cruises Lido buffets operate around the clock. The Wheelhouse Bar serves pub lunch, and a grill and pizzeria offer casual snacks. The ice cream bars and patisseries charge for premium ice cream and specialty coffee. A wine bar offers extra-charge artisan cheeses and evening snacks. Chef’s Table and Ultimate Balcony Dining are also available, as are afternoon tea and room service.

The following is the complete list of Grand Princess restaurants and food bars.

• Michelangelo Restaurant (aft Dining Room; dinner only; offers “Anytime Dining” between 5:30 p.m.–10 p.m.)
• Crown Grill (160-seat steakhouse/seafood restaurant; reservations recommended; on select days serves complimentary British Pub Lunch)
• Da Vinci Restaurant (forward Dining Room; Breakfast 7–9 a.m., Lunch 12–1:30 p.m., Afternoon Tea 3:30–4:30 p.m.; features “Anytime Dining” for Dinner between 5:30–8 p.m. or 8–10 p.m.)
• Botticelli Restaurant (aft Dining Room; dinner only, with two fixed seatings at 5:45 and 8 p.m.)
• Sabatini’s Restaurant (Italian specialty restaurant; reservations recommended). The officially named “Sabatini’s Italian Trattoria” debuted on Grand Princess in 1998 and is now fleetwide. In 2017, Princess announced a fleetwide enhancement via a partnership with celebrity chef Angelo Auriana, including new interior design and an updated menu (antipasti and handmade pasta by Chef Auriana). The transformed Sabatini’s debuted on Caribbean Princess in April 2017.
• Trident Grill & Prego Pizzeria (self-service, complimentary fast-food bar)
• Alfredo’s Pizzeria (complimentary)
• Horizon Court (self-service buffet restaurant; complimentary)
• Sterling Steakhouse (specialty restaurant)

In April 2024, Princess Cruises announced that starting September 14, 2024, three distinct main dining/dinner table-service options would be introduced fleetwide—Traditional, Reservable, and Walk-in Anytime. Under this program (introduced with Sun Princess), each ship allocates three separate dining rooms: one for Traditional dining (early and late seatings), one with Reservable times, and one for Walk-in Anytime (open seating). The options integrate with OceanNow, allowing anything to be ordered anytime and delivered anywhere onboard.

Shipboard entertainment options - Fun and Sport

Grand’s Piazza is a showstopper. Its versatile entertainment makes it a popular gathering place where guests never know what they’ll see next. Prime views are from the Piazza seating or from tables in adjacent lounges such as the International Café and the Vines wine bar.

Beyond the Piazza, entertainment includes production shows in Princess Theatre, first-run movies in Vista Lounge, daytime poolside music by the Calypso Band, and a full slate of activities by the cruise director’s team. Guests can enjoy the nighttime strains of Rosario Strings in the Grand Atrium, individual performers and comics in Explorers and Vista Lounges, a country band in Wheelhouse Bar, and the action in One5—a sophisticated venue that replaced Skywalkers disco.

The following is the complete list of Grand Princess lounges, clubs, and other entertainment venues for kids, teens, and adults.

• The Piazza Atrium (three-deck open space; live entertainment and Bar Piazza)
• Princess Fine Arts Gallery; Photo Gallery & Shop; Platinum Studio
• International Café (24-hour specialty coffee bar and patisserie)
• Vines Bar (wine/seafood/sushi bar)
• Internet Café (24-hour)
• Princess Grand Theatre (two-level musical and show productions; hosts workshops, seminars, game shows)
• Snooker’s Lounge & Bar (smoking lounge and sports bar)
• Calypso Cove Shop; Essence Shop; Meridian Bay Shop; Facets Shop
• Princess Grand Casino
• Leaves Tea Lounge & Library (specialty teas room and library)
• Crooners Lounge & Bar (live music; also used for seminars)
• Explorers Lounge & Bar (disco/show lounge; karaoke, comedy, game shows, art auctions; also hosts dance classes and quizzes; after 7:30 p.m. becomes a disco nightclub)
• Vista Lounge & Bar
• Wheelhouse Bar (piano bar by day; English pub at night)
• Scoops Bar (Sundaes Ice Cream Bar; complimentary)
• Al Fresco’s Bar; Sea Breeze Bar
• Grand’s Lotus Spa complex; Beauty Salon; Fitness Center (with Aerobics Studio)
• Hearts & Minds (Wedding Chapel)
• Movies Under the Stars (LED-screen outdoor cinema)
• Video Games Arcade; Teen Center; Youth Center with paddling pool and outdoor play areas
• The Conservatory (recreation area); The Sanctuary (adults-only open-air retreat); The Oasis relaxation area
• Calypso Reef & Pool area; Neptune’s Reef & Pool area
• Sports Court (volleyball, basketball, European football); shuffleboard; deck chess; Princess Links mini-golf course
• The One5 Lounge & Nightclub

Itineraries

The Grand Princess itinerary program is based on Hawaii and Mexican Riviera voyages departing from California homeports (Los Angeles and San Francisco). In summer, Grand Princess cruises in Alaska, leaving from Vancouver, BC, Canada.

In 2020, Grand Princess was scheduled to begin a seasonal Singapore homeporting program (December 2020 through March 2021) as the first MedallionClass Princess ship homeported in Asia; however, the plans were canceled due to the Coronavirus crisis.

For winter 2025–2026 (October–April), the ship was slated for deployment in Australia–New Zealand (homeporting in Sydney, NSW, and Brisbane, QLD). In May 2024, the South Pacific program was canceled and replaced with 7-day Southern Caribbean itineraries roundtrip from San Juan, Puerto Rico. The new Caribbean schedule (October 2025–March 2026) opened for booking on May 16.

The Fincantieri Monfalcone-built Grand Princess is Princess Cruises’ first GRAND-class liner, with sisterships Golden/Carnival Adventure and Star/Pacific Encounter.

The inaugural cruise (maiden voyage) began on May 27, 1998. The ship’s godmother was Olivia de Havilland, the US actress born in 1916 in Japan to British parents, best known for her role in the 1939 film “Gone with the Wind.” The naming ceremony took place on September 29, 1998. The liner differs slightly from her sisters, with darker wood finishes and an interior design style closer to the smaller Sun-class ships.

During her inaugural season, numerous well-known performers appeared onboard, including actors Al Martino, Lorna Luft, Bob Anderson, Rita Moreno, and Red Buttons. Musical performances featured the Canadian band “Mud Sharks” and Dominic Halpin with his band.

A fun fact: Grand Princess was used as a backdrop in an episode of the UK’s TV reality game show “The Apprentice.”

Grand Princess Refurbishments Review

Drydock 2025

The ship’s drydock refurbishment in April-May 2025 was conducted at Vigor Shipyard in Portland, Oregon.

The project included routine maintenance, classification and safety inspections, technical works, hull cleaning/repainting, and minor updates to passenger staterooms and public areas.

Drydock 2013

During the 2013 drydock, Skywalkers Nightclub was removed from the stern, making way for new venues: Crown Grill, Pizzeria, Leaves (tea lounge), and “The One5” nightclub.

Circle Pacific Voyage 2027

The table below shows the ship’s scheduled 2027 “Circle Pacific Voyage.”

This 79-night/80-day itinerary is offered as a roundtrip from three ports: Brisbane (Queensland), Sydney (New South Wales), and Auckland (New Zealand).

The voyage concludes in Sydney on September 4 and in Auckland on September 6.

The itinerary covers 32 destinations in 13 countries (including 15 UNESCO sites) and features 23,600 nautical miles of worldwide navigation and scenic cruising, including Alaska’s College Fjord (Prince William Sound).