Grand Princess Cabins to AVOID - WARNING!
Save your vacation! We list the noisy, obstructed, and poorly located Grand Princess staterooms to skip. Plus, our expert cabin recommendations.
Selecting the proper cabin can easily determine the quality of your cruise holiday. Grand Princess might be a ship that is widely appreciated and has a faithful clientele, but, quite the opposite, not all cabins have similar qualities — some positions lead to the presence of noise, movement, blocked views, or other disadvantages that can easily ruin an otherwise nice trip.
This presented article provides info about the cabins that are ones to avoid in the Grand Princess, reasons for their undesirability, and how to select a more appropriate one according to your personal travel priorities. The layout of the ship being known will help boost a cabin that gives the highest comfort, and thus the best experience, whether you are a first-time cruiser or an experienced traveler.
About Grand Princess
The Grand Princess has been part of Princess Cruises' fleet since 1998, and though she has gone through several changes, her layout is still characteristic of the older, larger ships. In other words, the number of cabins is variable, and so are the defects: public places located directly above staterooms, balconies that have stayed the same for ages, and places where there is more ship motion.
This write-up will focus solely on those cabins that have been subject to complaints from guests time and again, along with ways to bypass such inconveniences when picking your room.
Cabins to Avoid the Grand Princess
The following are the key classes of cabins that you might reconsider before making a reservation. These cautions are based on continuous guest comments, deck-plan reviews, and standard cruise-ship arrangement factors.
1. Cabins under the Lido/Pool deck
Guests in rooms right under the large outdoor pool areas or the sun deck which is usually crowded (for instance, Deck 14 or similar) complain very often about noise caused by moving deck chairs, cleaning activities, and foot traffic very early in the morning, etc.
If you are a person who loves to sleep late, or if you want to have quiet afternoons in your cabin, then do not choose rooms directly below these sun-deck areas.
2. Balcony cabins near the front of the ship
Cabins or balconies facing forward that are too close to the bow might go through: when the sea conditions change these may cause very strong winds; and vibration (a “rocking” sensation) because they are located further from the ship’s center of motion; and thus less comfort on the balcony. On the Grand Princess one reviewer even suggested that the cabins at the bow were too breezy and hence less relaxing.
Where a balcony is your choice, mid-ship or slightly aft location will usually guarantee a smoother-ride and a calmer sweep of balcony.
3. Rooms that easily get on sick during the sea or motion
In case you are worried about feeling the ship's motion, it would be best to stay in cabins:
- at very high decks
- at the extreme front or extreme rear of the ship
- near the bow or stem where waves and ship motion are more noticeable
A few guest posts on the Grand Princess tell about experiencing more movement in the front and aft ends, especially on some routes.
Suggestion: Mid-ship and lower deck will be the most stable area.
4. Rooms that are next to laundry or busy service areas
Only a few cabins are perfectly located adjacent to the laundry, crew access, or service areas. Such rooms might get the worst of it with noises from the machines, people passing in the corridor, or noises from service/cleaning. According to forum discussions, certain cabins were mentioned by guests concerning the Grand Princess.
If it is sound and silence that will be your top priority, then you better not choose cabins that are adjacent to the laundry or service/mechanical areas.
5. Rooms located near to crew staircases or elevator shafts/corridors.
Noise from the very beginning of the day, people passing by, doors opening/closing, and vibrations are among the things that can be experienced by rooms next to the stairways used mainly by crew. For instance, cabins located near forward crew stairs on the Grand Princess were pointed out.
Instead, seek a room far from the elevator banks or stairwell service to reduce disturbance.
6. Obstructed-view Oceanview or Porthole cabins
It is suggested that you verify if the view is not blocked at all before you decide on an Oceanview (or window) cabin. On the Grand Princess, some cabins in the Oceanview category (marked with codes OV, OW, OY, and OZ) are not only situated next to the lifeboats but also their view is largely obstructed.
In terms of a nice view, it is very much worth the additional price to obtain a window without any obstructions and confirm the deck plan again.
7. Window Suites (or “corner” suites) in the vicinity of noisy public venues
Some “suite” or high-end rooms are situated next to the busiest public areas (such as the casino and lounges). The Window Suites situated on the Grand Princess’ Deck 6 (Fiesta deck) were mentioned as being next to the casino and night traffic.
Suites are mostly priced higher anyway, so if you take one, ensure that they are in a peaceful area away from the entertainment hubs or corridors.
8. Aft cabins if you want to avoid soot, exhaust or vibration
Aft-facing balcony staterooms can be very good with wake views, but some guests on the Grand Princess mentioned that fine soot or dust from the ship’s exhaust stacks were building up in those aft balcony areas (particularly in the higher decks) while the ship was sailing.
If you choose an aft cabin, think about getting a lower deck aft or one that is somewhat away from the stack area.
Best cabin practices & how to choose wisely
According to the above-mentioned “avoid list,” several practical tips are presented here to assist you in selecting a cabin of better quality on the Grand Princess:
- Mid-ship, lower deck: If your aim is for a mid-ship location on a lower deck (but not too low that it’s below public venues), then peace and stability will be yours.
- Check the deck plan: Take a closer look at the ship’s deck map. Point out the spots that are close to the theatres, buffet decks, laundry rooms, casinos, and pool decks.
- Read the cabin code carefully: The cabin grade letter/number can give you a clue about the location or type of obstruction (for example, “OV” means obstructed view).
- Ask about balcony exposure: In the case of balcony rooms, determine the wind exposure (the forward balconies are more vulnerable) and whether the balcony is under an overhang (which may limit the view).
- Avoid known trouble spots: According to the guest feedback for this ship, it is advisable to completely avoid cabins located directly under sun decks or next to service areas.
- If you’re prone to seasickness: Go for the lowest deck possible (but comfortable), stay away from the front or rear ends of the ship, and keep away from high decks.
- If the budget is tight: Interior cabins are fine, but still make a good choice—steer clear of the interior rooms beneath theatres or near heavy foot-traffic corridors.
Conclusion
Even though the Grand Princess still be a very good ship with many comfy Grand Princess cabins available, not all cabins in the same locations are equal. A little extra payment (or picking the right way) for a better position may result in a more restful, pleasant cruise. On the other hand, the “cabins to avoid” – pools, extreme ends of the ship, near the service or entertainment areas – might be a bit cheaper but will come with the noise, movement, or inconvenience disadvantages.
If you are going to make a reservation, do not forget to take the time to carefully examine the deck plan, check the reviews of previous guests (especially for that ship and sailing season), and choose according to your own comfort priorities (sleep, view, or motion sensitivity). A clever choice of cabin means that you will start chilled out each day and ready to enjoy your cruise.
If you want, I could get you particular cabin numbers for the Grand Princess in the 2025–2026 season that are currently being pointed out by reviewers as good or bad—this will be quite useful if you already have a booking idea.
Frequently Asked Questions About Grand princess cabins to Avoid
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