The ship
Grand-class pioneer: Movies Under the Stars
Grand Princess from 1998 (refits ongoing) opened Grand-class: about 109,000 GT and room for roughly 2,600 guests. She set the Princess template of flexible dining, Movies Under the Stars and a social Piazza heart that later sisters still follow.
Main dining rooms and Horizon Court cover included hours; International Café fills the gaps. Specialty dining is the paid layer. Among them are Crown Grill and Sabatini’s. Drinks packages and covers are extra — price those into the week.
Evenings run Princess Theatre productions, Movies Under the Stars, Crooners and Wheelhouse Bar. Daytime is pools and Lotus Spa. She is classic Princess soft entertainment on the original Grand-class map — not Royal-class SeaWalk hardware.
If you want the original Grand-class Princess brief with Movies Under the Stars and Crown Grill, Grand still is a clear choice — budget specialty nights and drinks into the week.
On board
Dining, theatre, Movies Under the Stars
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Main dining and specialty
Main dining rooms and Horizon Court handle included meals; International Café covers coffee and bites. Specialty nights repay a reservation — among them Crown Grill and Sabatini’s. Book early on sea days. Specialty doors repay an embarkation-day reservation — the same 19:30 sea-day slot is popular across the ship. Keep one or two included nights in the plan so the week does not become cover-charge maths.
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Princess Theatre
Princess Theatre runs production shows sized for Grand-class crowds. Programmes change by season — check your sailing. Arrive early for centre seats on popular nights. Reserve popular specialty tables on embarkation day — sea-day 19:30 slots go first. Covers and drinks packages sit outside the simple cruise — price what you will actually buy.
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Crooners and Wheelhouse
Crooners and Wheelhouse Bar carry piano and pub-leaning evenings after the show. Drink packages sit outside many prices — price what you will actually drink. The mood is classic Princess, not megaship party. On a ship carrying roughly 2,600 guests, timing matters more than the brochure photo.
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Movies Under the Stars and spa
Movies Under the Stars own warm evening decks. Lotus Spa treatments are mostly extra. Claim a good deck seat early if the film night matters. Families chase splash edges; adults often want the quieter rail. Thermal spa time is a separate spend on most lines — book a sea-day pass if heat loungers are your reset rather than another crowded sundeck.
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Families
Youth clubs run Princess age bands. Peak weeks feel busier. Families who will use the clubs get good value; couples wanting hush should favour quieter lounge hours and spa time. School-holiday weeks feel full — book popular club windows early. Families chase splash edges; adults often want the quieter rail. Thermal spa time is a separate spend on most lines — book a sea-day pass if heat loungers are your reset rather than another crowded sundeck.
Crown Grill
Crown Grill is Princess’s specialty steakhouse — one of the pricier covers. Quieter and more dressed-up than Horizon Court or the main dining rooms. Go here for a splurge dinner, not a cheap filler night.
Sabatini’s
Sabatini’s is the Italian specialty — more of an occasion than the main dining rooms or Horizon Court. Cover charge applies; expect a higher spend than the buffet. Book early on sea days if Italian is your treat night.
Main dining rooms
Main dining rooms handle the included evening meals — assigned or flexible depending on your cruise. Included in the included dining — no cover charge for the standard sitting. Best for guests who want a classic cruise dinner without budgeting extras every night.
Horizon Court
Horizon Court is the big casual option for breakfast, lunch and low-fuss evenings. Included in the included dining — no cover charge for the standard sitting. Ideal if you prefer self-serve or a fast seat on a port morning.
International Café
International Café covers grab-and-go and casual bites between proper dinners. Some items are included or low-cost; fancy coffees and treats often extra.
Princess Theatre
Princess Theatre hosts Princess production shows. This is cruise-stage entertainment, not a fixed West End transfer — programmes change by season, so check your sailing. Included with your cruise. Grab a centre seat on night one if the headline show matters.
Movies Under the Stars
Pool-deck movies on warm evenings — big-screen, low-fuss entertainment under the sky. Included with the cruise; drinks extra. Best when you want a night without the theatre.
Crooners
Crooners are the after-dinner circuit — drinks, music and a place to sit when the theatre lets out. Check whether your cruise covers it before you treat it as free. Best when you want the evening to keep going without hiking the whole ship.
Wheelhouse Bar
Wheelhouse Bar is the after-dinner circuit — drinks, music and a place to sit when the theatre lets out. Drinks sit outside the simple cruise — price what you will actually order. Best when you want the evening to keep going without hiking the whole ship.
Lotus Spa
Lotus Spa is the calmer daytime reset — treatments and thermal loungers rather than pool-deck noise. Treatments and thermal access are mostly extra — not in the simple cruise. Book ahead on sea days if heat loungers and steam are your reset.
Fit
Who she is for
- Princess fans who want the original Grand-class brief — Movies Under the Stars, Crown Grill, theatre nights — on a learnable map.
- Couples and families happy with classic Princess soft entertainment rather than Royal-class SeaWalk thrills.
- Not for guests chasing the newest Royal-class hardware or quiet expedition travel. Choose Majestic Princess or a smaller luxury line instead.
Where
Where Grand tends to go
Princess rotates Grand-class ships through warm-water, coastal and repositioning seasons. Exact homeports shift by year.
Treat this as the ship’s range, not a fixed timetable. When this guide is public, sailings with two or more UK agent prices will sit at the bottom.
Before you book
What the brochure skips
- Price drinks packages, specialty dining and spa into the week — Princess prices are only the start.
- Compare UK agents on the same sailing — same date, cruise-only, two guests. The hero price should be the lowest bookable one, not the first logo you recognise.
Next step
Find a sailing
Compare cruise prices for Grand Princess, or open the live map and see where she is now.
Compare all Princess Cruises prices