Cruise Diva's CRUISE
DIARY
~ Grand Princess Caribbean ~
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Grand
Princess in Istanbul, 1999 |
Flashback: June
1999
We stood on the verandah of
Istanbul's Dolmabahçe Palace, admiring the view of the Bosphorus. As
our guide pointed out the sights along the waterfront, a member of our
tour group asked him if that building off in the distance was a
hotel.
With a gleam in his eyes, our tour
guide solemnly said, "No, that is the Shopping Cart."
Of course it was Princess Cruises' Grand Princess, then the
world's largest cruise ship. When the group looked puzzled by his
answer, he explained that Shopping Cart was an affectionate
nickname given to the ship when guides in Istanbul first saw her
rakish profile. From a distance, Grand Princess reminded them
of the grocery carts they had spotted in American television programs.
What would it be like to gaze down at
the sea from the height of the Shopping Cart's
"handle"—Skywalker's Disco—at 150 approximately feet
above the water? Would I feel dizzy? Are the interiors on Grand
Princess as grandiose as those inside Dolmabahçe Palace? I'm
about to find out.
Fast Forward:
September 2003
The Grand
Princess Cruise Diary takes a bit
of a turn this time as Mel Coffman joins Linda in offering
observations and commentary, in addition to his usual photo handiwork.
Join us to follow our "he said" and "she said"
Grand Journal.
|
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The itinerary:
- Fort Lauderdale Embarkation
- Princess Cays
- At Sea
- Grand Cayman
- Majahual, Mexico (Costa Maya)
- Cozumel
- At Sea
- Debarkation Fort Lauderdale
|
We could have been sailing
into troubled waters—this is hurricane season, after all. With
good luck and fair weather, our Western Caribbean itinerary proved uneventful, except for
a few sprinkles and a serious downpour ashore.
For the most part, we
enjoyed everything the Grand Princess and our mini-suite
had to offer.
The Grand Princess
Cruise Diary -> Part
One
Cruise Line Profile - Princess
Cruises
Fun Facts about Grand
Princess
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