Avid Readers, Question for you

[kruznkanuk]

Hi,

We are sailing very soon on the Star Princess for a very long cruise, but just noticed the Libaray area on the deck plans looks tiny--Comparing to recent Eurodam and various Cunard and Celebrity ships. Reading on the deck is a great pleasure to us. Are there reasonable quantity and selection of books? Do they limit how many can be checked out? Do we rush to the Library on boarding to get a book or two? Experienced Princess cruisers, please tell me. :D

[MicCanberra]

Hi,

We are sailing very soon on the Star Princess for a very long cruise, but just noticed the Libaray area on the deck plans looks tiny--Comparing to recent Eurodam and various Cunard and Celebrity ships. Reading on the deck is a great pleasure to us. Are there reasonable quantity and selection of books? Do they limit how many can be checked out? Do we rush to the Library on boarding to get a book or two? Experienced Princess cruisers, please tell me. :D

I cannot answer for the Star, but the Diamond' was adequate. We always bring books and then leave them in the library for others to peruse.:D

[Essiesmom]

I have to admit I can't remember the Star Princess Library, even though we sailed on her inaugural - 11 years ago...But my experience on HAL and Celebrity is that there are book hogs, who hit the library early for multiple books, so the selection of recent publication is thin. If you are not particular, you should do okay. But having moved to an ereader in the last year, I have with me all I will need. EM

[SeaTheWorldBySea]

Hi,

We are sailing very soon on the Star Princess for a very long cruise, but just noticed the Libaray area on the deck plans looks tiny--Comparing to recent Eurodam and various Cunard and Celebrity ships. Reading on the deck is a great pleasure to us. Are there reasonable quantity and selection of books? Do they limit how many can be checked out? Do we rush to the Library on boarding to get a book or two? Experienced Princess cruisers, please tell me. :D

 

Hi Judy,

Can't say for sure on the Star because since they re-do the library really does look small. As MicCanbarra said, on Princaess ships, people leave books and there is usually an area for book exchanges in the library. These are for the taking/leaving and do not have to be checked out. Since Kindles and Nooks became popular, there are fewer books left behind. There will be a turn-over of these books during the cruise, so keep checking. If Noro happens, I've seen them cleared out. I would guess that you can check out a couple of books at a time from the library. For best choices, it's a good idea to go there early. Have lunch at the IC and you'll be near the library. See you soon!

Julie

[Treven]

I can't address any specific ship's library. I make sure my iPad is filled with enough new books to keep me occupied for the duration of any cruise I'm going on.

[ldubs]

Most of our cruising experience is on Princess. Relaxing with a good book is one of the things I enjoy most about these trips. I would recommend you not rely on the library for reading material during your cruise. You will most likely be disappointed in the available titles. If you are avid readers, the available selections of new material will likely be sparce.

[SeaTheWorldBySea]

Judy - do you have anything you can download a Kindle app (free) to? It's available for PC, Ipad, Android Tablets, Smart phones. That way you could download some books from Amazon.com. I have a huge collection - mostly free ones. I often read on my phone or ipod when stuck waiting.

[Cruisin' Chick]

I'm a bit picky about my vacation reading as I want to take authors that I'm familiar with (Cornwell, Evanavich, Kellerman, etc.) and maybe add a new one to the mix. So I'll put aside books I've bought to save for my next vacation -- since they're paperback, they don't take up space, and also a puzzle magazine. We do have an e-reader that my sister gave my daughter but the battery is pretty unreliable so one of these days, we'll get a non-cheapie one.

[gcvt]

I just had to ask the GF about this because I don't even remember the library on Star from last September. Apparently, we walked through it. She said it didn't take long ;)

[KruzPrincess]

I can't speak specifically to the Star, but most libraries on Princess are similar. Usually they let you check out two books at a time. Books do turn over as the cruise progresses. Now that Kindles and e-readers are so popular there seem to be more books in the library. I have a Kindle that I use for flying, but I like a real book and go to the library either the first or second day of the cruise. I'm not picky and have always been able to find something to read. I've tried authors that I wasn't previously familiar with and then come home to continue reading their other books. There will be a share shelf in the library, but I don't usually find much there. Hope you have a great cruise.

[caribill]

Library on the Star, part of the Internet Cafe on deck 5.

 

[gcvt]

Library on the Star, part of the Internet Cafe on deck 5.

 

 

LOL...still doesn't ring a bell. I'd remember the chess sets and those horrid chairs. I might have had some wine that night :p

[Nan_Sea]

I had a similar experience to what others have posted while on the Emerald. A decent variety of books but fairly small selection. How about games? Does anyone know if there are mahjong sets and how many?

[cruiserdru]

The only ship we have sailed on with a really good library is the QM2, supposedly having the largest library afloat.

 

I have found Princess libraries to be lacking for a voracious reader such as myself and used to devote large portions of my luggage space/weight to paperback books.

 

Now I have converted to an ereader that fits in my purse and can carry hundreds of books. In preparation for a cruise (over a period of months) I start accumulating books that I really, really want to read and save them for my cruise. I am never without a book on a cruise now. :D

[skynight]

The library on the Star is small, a wall & 1/2 of books. There is no seating there. It shares the room with the internet cafe which takes up almost all the floor space. It is on deck 5 in the Piazza.

 

Go as soon as it opens, check the Patter for times.

 

There are less and less paper back leave behinds as more and more people are using readers.

 

A week into the voyage the shelves are fairly well picked over.

[PurpleHays]

 

Now I have converted to an ereader that fits in my purse and can carry hundreds of books. In preparation for a cruise (over a period of months) I start accumulating books that I really, really want to read and save them for my cruise. I am never without a book on a cruise now. :D

 

I can't load them over a period--I read them. I accumulate a list and download them a week or two before hand. :rolleyes:

[AKman2495]

The library on the Coral is great! There are lots of books and a great reading room with a nice ocean view.

 

I spent several hours in their great chairs enjoying books (on my Kindle).

[akeasley]

I didn't think the library on the Star was all that great...it is part of the computer lounge so it's pretty tiny. There is a small section for books that people just drop off when they are finished reading so they aren't considered library books and can be borrowed anytime while the other books are locked up during certain parts of the day. I thought their reference books were really out of date as well. They also have board games and decks of cards available.

[kendon]

While the book selection may be reasonable, the library hours are not! Books are usually taken out on the honor system. Be sure to check when the library is open. It is closed way more than it is open.

[jnc411]

I no longer need to pack stacks of books, I got a kindle , and just load it up and I have lots to read and keep me happy. And it is small and weighs very little , its all good, well worth the investment.

Cori

[kruznkanuk]

Thanks everyone for your ideas, info, the photo (worth at least 993 words!), etc. Julie, thanks for the suggestions and yes, we'll see you very soon!!

I have an ereader but our library only allows 2 week loans, so that will take me through travel, Lima, Buenos Aires and day 3 of a 29 day cruise. I can log in with my laptop and get more but it is a very very slow website and on very very slow marine internet I will be broke and bored before I get a book. :D

I do like reading a paper book but hate to lug them. And each of DH and I can easily go through a book every 2 days so even paperbacks are too heavy. I know I can buy books on the ereader but $10+ each (at a whole $1 off the 'paperback' price) seems such a rip-off so I usually only have a few purchased ones, plus a lot of classics 'free' ones.

It's true the QM2 had/has a great library, but I was astounded at how good the one on the HAL Eurodam was when we were on a one week cruise just before Christmas. I would guess about 15 times the size of the one pictured on the Star, and always open and always well organized. And lots of books about the history and ports of call coming up, which were not to be removed and that seemed to be mostly respected.

 

Ah, well, I will have to pay the price and buy more books for my Kobo ereader tomorrow I guess. At least get a couple to keep in reserve for the long flight home. Assuming I get time between doing laundry and packing. Let's see... clean clothes or reading material? Hard choice!

Judy

[kruznkanuk]

Well, this thread was very helpful and here's what we found!

The library was open all the time; except perhaps the last night. The slign-out was on an honor system. And they must have had more books stashed away somewhere as the shelves seemed be replenished even though the area was small. More people are bringing e-readers so that reduces the demand, but we always found lots of options!

And yes, it was a wonderful 29 days!

:D

[PunkiC]

I think I probably qualify as a voracious reader as I cannot remember a time in my life when I did not have a book in progress for the last 65 years. I even have an audio book going in my car every time I drive anywhere.

 

Some my favorite books ever have been books I picked up randomly at book exchanges--that is how I first found Ken Follett and Anne McCaffrey and many other of my favorite authors. So I just grab anything and see where it goes. If I am not hooked by the end of the second chapter, which almost never happens, I just take it back and get another.

 

I also pack along at least 3-4 paperbacks for travel and pick up more in airports if I ever get down to just one left to read.

[NearEnough]

I would say get into the library early as, from my experience, the selections are not plentiful, especially if you want to read your favourite authors. If you are going on a long cruise I would consider an eReader. I take my Kobo reader and can download anything from my local library, anywhere in the world, for free.

[LoveThisCruisingThing]

I used to cart 2 to 3 books with me and leave them behind. Last year I bought n IPad and haven't regretted it. I always have a book ht interests me and cn delete it when finished. It was well worth the investment. My sister wo swore she never get an ereader is now using a kindle and loves it. I still buy books because I love the feel of a book in m hands.