Tom's Blog...Star Princess May 23--RT from San Francisco to Alaska

[cotatica]

Peg are you and John on this cruise? Hope so.

[Mitchie]

Hi did you join the Roll call for July 17th. we are having a M/M

[fire.eye]

Any update on the virus? We have 3 rooms book with family and some of them now don't want to go after receiving a call from Princess about the outbreak. We're scheduled to leave tomorrow on the Star to Alaska

[RickEk]

Any update on the virus? We have 3 rooms book with family and some of them now don't want to go after receiving a call from Princess about the outbreak. We're scheduled to leave tomorrow on the Star to Alaska

 

Tom says that it's about 60 passengers/crew. A very small percentage of those onboard. Princess is being cautious and I appreciate that. I have zero problem sailing tomorrow. Cancel if you wish, but hopefully you have full insurance.

[ar1950]

Any update on the virus? We have 3 rooms book with family and some of them now don't want to go after receiving a call from Princess about the outbreak. We're scheduled to leave tomorrow on the Star to Alaska

 

They don't want to go?? Just take precautions (wash hands before eating, don't touch hand rails were ever possible, etc.) and you and they will probably be fine. We have been on more than one cruise when this happened and did not have any problem. My guess is with only 60 or so cases and the cleaning Princess will be doing at dock it may well be totally eliminated when you sail.

 

PS, if they still don't want to go contact me ASAP. We would love to go in their place. :cool:

[shiner6]

I am taking essential oils with us as a precaution. I recommend lavender, raventsara, or ravinsara and Sara. I just put a few drops on a cotton ball and inhale frequently. I also dilute some in any lotion and rub under my nose on plane rides.

 

 

Sent from my iPad using Forums

[trbarton]

Day 10 ...Sunday, June 1...Victoria, British Columbia

 

Took a nice city tour and tour of the Craigmont Castle. The best weather was today. Went for High Tea at the Empress Hotel. A very nice experience. After High Tea took a taxi back to the ship.

 

Shortly after we departed the captain announced that there was a medical emergency and the captain turned the ship around and they lowered a tender boat and the person, who I understand had a stroke, was transported to the pier. I heard that there was someone on the pier that had missed the boat and the tender brought the person to the ship.

 

Tonight a performance of a group, called "Flash Mob" very good and funny.

 

Tomorrow our last sea day.

 

Tom

 

Day 11...Monday, June 2...At Sea

Today there was a presentation by the video photographer with photographs of the fiord which was good to see. Also available on DVD.

 

Tonight was Baked Alaska and one of the Maître D's that I was friendly with invited me to join him and the waiters and later the cooks as the paraded around the ship.

 

The "Pop Choir" preformed in the Atrium with a very good concert.

 

There was a employee show which was so-so. Note enough variety.

 

Found out that when we went into the fiord that the glacier that we were supposed to see was blocked by too many ice bergs so the captain decided to continue and took the ship up a very narrow channel something the surprised everyone including the video photographer as he mentioned they went somewhere they had not been there before.

 

It seems like a later in the year cruise is better to go right up to the glacier.

 

Tomorrow we disembark.

 

Weather very cool most days.

 

There will be a through cleaning of the ship when it returns to San Francisco.

 

I remembered that I still had some $ on my card from that Casio and turned my $13 that was left into $65. WOW.

 

Tom:)

[RickEk]

Found out that when we went into the fiord that the glacier that we were supposed to see was blocked by too many ice bergs so the captain decided to continue and took the ship up a very narrow channel something the surprised everyone including the video photographer as he mentioned they went somewhere they had not been there before.

 

It seems like a later in the year cruise is better to go right up to the glacier.

 

Tom:)

 

We went to Tracy Arm a couple of years ago on Golden Princess in early June. We could only get as far as the little island in the middle of the fjord because of ice. We could see Sawyer Glacier off in the distance.

 

I'm glad our voyage on Star will be going to Glacier Bay.. :p

[O2Bcrusin]

Day 2...Saturday, May 24...Sea Day

 

This was a relaxing day at sea.

 

This was the first time that I had a M & G in the Afternoon, 1 pm. There were a number of officers there including the C/D and the answered questions that people had. One officer mentioned that they DO read the comments that people leave at the end of the cruise. We went around the room and people mentioned there name, where they were from and how they picked there screen name. Our group numbered about 30 out of 36 people signed up and I requested a photographer to come at 1:30 pm who took several photos of our group. Perhaps there was a good turnout because I left a reminder flyer outside each persons stateroom, a first time to try that out. There were people still there when I left at 2:30 pm.

 

A snack in the I/C and afternoon tea was enjoyable.

 

Before dinner 2 people, a mother & daughter from San Francisco, who we had met on our December holiday cruise to Hawaii, came to our cabin so that I could help get some corks out of their wine bottles. We sampled some wine before our 5:30 pm assigned dinner. We have also met some other people from our holiday cruise. A pleasant surprise and a first for me.

 

The show tonight was a hypnotist which was good and funny. That was followed by the "Match Game" with married couples on stage, also funny.

 

Then it was off to the Explores Lounge for dancing which ended at 11:20 pm. Then it was time for disco at the Skywalkers which was hopping when we arrived and still going on when I left at 12 midnight.

 

Weather today has been windy and cold.

 

Looking forward to another sea day tomorrow and tomorrow is formal night.

 

Reporting from sea somewhere heading to Alaska.

 

Tom:)

 

 

Tom, Never got the reminder flyer. That is why we never showed up. I didn't write it down since you said you were going to send out the reminder flyers.

[trbarton]

Tom, Never got the reminder flyer. That is why we never showed up. I didn't write it down since you said you were going to send out the reminder flyers.

 

Sorry...2 of us went to everyone's stateroom and left my reminder flyer in the box outside the stateroom. We also verified the name on the stateroom tag with the name that I had. We did have one flyer that we didn't leave as the names didn't match and they mentioned at our meeting that there stateroom was changed. Each flyer had a label with the person's name and stateroom number on it.

 

I had you in C107. Was that correct?

 

Tom:)

[trbarton]

We arrived in SF on schedule. The ship is still on code red and there is delayed boarding, 2:30 pm with the ship leaving at 6 pm. Even Back to Back have to leave the ship so that they can preform special cleaning.

 

Everything went smoothly. I had Brown 1 at 8:30 am and within 15 minutes I was in the terminal.

 

Decided to go the MDR which was slow. The buffet would have been much faster.

 

I will post soon some of the photos that I took and my overall thoughts of the cruise.

 

Tom:)

[O2Bcrusin]

Sorry...2 of us went to everyone's stateroom and left my reminder flyer in the box outside the stateroom. We also verified the name on the stateroom tag with the name that I had. We did have one flyer that we didn't leave as the names didn't match and they mentioned at our meeting that there stateroom was changed. Each flyer had a label with the person's name and stateroom number on it.

 

I had you in C107. Was that correct?

 

Tom:)

 

No, but I had sent you an email telling you my new room number and you responded that you had noted it.

[Gimer]

Tom, welcome home and thanks for doing your Star reviews. Looking forward to your photos. My question is, after doing many mid morning Meet & Greets and just finish doing one at 1pm, do you think it's a better venue in the afternoon? Is there more Cruise Critic members and Crew Staff attending? Thanks again.

[elliair]

This was by far the best Alaskan cruise we have taken. It was a real treat to go in to Tracy Arms and see different scenery than we did before. The captain - Captain McBain was great and very accomplished at maneuvering the ship and turning it around in such a tight spot.

 

The worst part of the trip was the dreaded noro virus. We knew something was up the second day when the salt and pepper shakers disappeared from the tables in the buffet. The next day it turned code red and that's when the self serving stopped for passengers. It was a PITA to have to ask for everything. We were left with the impression that even the crew wasn't liking it at all - not too many happy faces.

 

Had 3 medical emergencies, but the most dire was the one today before debarkation. It occurred on the Baja deck and we happened to see the medical crew with the patient laying on the hallway floor and they were administering CPR. They made 2 calls for the medical response team. In Victoria after we departed, there was another medical emergency. They lowered a tender and took a man off in a wheel chair along with a woman. The captain turned the ship around to meet the tender. I was impressed with how the whole ordeal went. Also, a woman was taken off by ambulance in Victoria.

 

As a side note: About 5 cabins from us a man was bringing a woman out of their cabin in a wheel chair. She was in her nightgown with a mask over her face. This was 2 days into the cruise. I told her I hoped she got to feeling better. Her response was "So do I, I was sick when I boarded!" :eek: I wondered if this was the host of the noro. Getting on a ship sick isn't a good idea.

 

Might post some pictures later. It's laundry time. :cool:

Edited June 3, 2014 by elliair

[trbarton]

Tom, welcome home and thanks for doing your Star reviews. Looking forward to your photos. My question is, after doing many mid morning Meet & Greets and just finish doing one at 1pm, do you think it's a better venue in the afternoon? Is there more Cruise Critic members and Crew Staff attending? Thanks again.

 

Gimer:

 

The only reason that I changed my time to afternoon was because of what the C/D said on my Hawaii cruise. I had around 30 people including some of the staff. We didn't have the captain though.

 

I did attempt to leave a flyer for each person as a reminder once on board. I'm sorry that I forgot to change one persons stateroom number on my list, thus they didn't attend.

 

Sorry that I didn't ask how many people attended because of my reminder flyer but 30 out of 36 is a good number for a M & G one of the best that I have had. I may try the afternoon again along with reminder flyers.

 

A suggestion to CC people, print out any important papers for activities and post them in your stateroom wall using refrigerator magnets that you bring which will act as a reminder.

 

Tom:)

[trbarton]

Please enjoy my photos.

 

Trident Grill...Burgers, Chicken sandwiches etc.

 

Deck area around Calypso pool

 

Calypso pool & MUTS screen

 

Nerptune's Pool...This pool is usually covered

 

Horizon Buffet

[trbarton]

Terrace Pool

 

Ramp to Skywalkers

 

Vista Lounge

 

Deck 7 photo department and location for photo displays

 

Elevators..Deck 7

 

 

 

 

 

[trbarton]

 

Piazza

 

 

Vines Bar

 

Princess Theatre

[trbarton]

Calypso Pool

 

Calypso Pool & MUTS

 

Skywalkers ramp entrance

 

Chess anyone?

 

International Café...Open 24/7

[Gimer]

Thanks Tom for the heads up on the Meet & Greet and sharp photos.

[tgmg00a]

Tom, when did you take the photo's? Was it just before you left the ship? Did not see a lot of people in them. Thanks again for all you did. If do get a chance to post the patters that would be great.

[masterty]

Great shots, looking forward to more if you have the time, patters, menu's, and more. So excited!

[#1Nanna]

Great pics! Thanks for sharing!

[trbarton]

Here's some more photos. FYI...I boarded with some friends with the BVE and took my photos before there were a lot of people on the ship. That's the only way to get these kind of photos.

 

I will post copies of the Patter in a few days but I don't have any menu photos.

 

Here's our M & G group. Thanks to all who attended.

 

Another photo of the Princess Theater.

 

Here's my boarding photo with Becky and my friends. I was not charged for these photos.

 

Sailing under the Golden Gate Bridge

 

Champaign Party

 

 

 

 

[trbarton]

 

Princess Theatre Show

 

 

 

 

Champaign Breakfast Photos