Star Princess from San Francisco to Glacier Bay Review

[rayandshirl]

:)

We took the Vallejo ferry into the city on Sunday morning, July 6 and walked with our 1 suitcase each (there were 3 of us) to Pier 35. Our boarding time (we are platinum) was listed as 1:00 pm

 

We had eaten lunch on the ship by 12:30 pm

 

It was a very easy board.

 

Our cabins were on Carribe deck with a large balcony. We were on the Star last fall for the Wine Country Coastal Cruise and for the San Francisco to Hawaii trip last spring.

 

We like the Star!

 

There were a lot of 3 generational families on board and everyone was excited about seeing Glacier Bay. We have cruised out of Seattle and Vancouver to Alaska but it was wonderful not having any airplane or hotel reservations to make for this cruise.

 

We ate breakfast in the dining room and the Horizon Court and had room service in the mornings as well. This trip was all about scenery and variety.

 

I ate fish every day and it was very good. My husband had a coffee card and used it every day.

 

For the first time in 8 cruises on Princess, I could order a gluten free pizza and only have to wait 15 minutes -- in the past I had to order it 24 hours in advance!

 

Enjoyed movies under the fog several times. The fog was thick (you couldn't see over the railing on promenade deck) cruising up and back BUT IT WAS SMOOTH AS ICE. NO ROCKING.

 

There were 3 comedians on board and we enjoyed the one that was a math professor at UCLA who juggled as well.

 

The naturalist on board, Shari, is fantastic. She started her first lecture with...Alaska is about more than jewelry stores!

 

Her lecture on humpback whales bubbling was just what we saw on an evening excursion. The herring are back in numbers and so are the whales and orcas.

 

All in all it was a grand cruise. The Star Princess looks great, the working crew were always enthusiastic and pleasant to talk to.

 

Can't wait to go back!:)

[JJ2sail]

Thanks for the review!

 

We are on the very last Glacier Bay sailing in September. I will check into the Ferry to get to the pier, we are in American Canyon.

 

Did you do any tours?

[Smokeyham]

Thanks for the great review! The Star seems to have a loyal following, which is great to see. Looking forward to being on board in a few months.

[Northender]

Thanks so much for your review. We will be on the Star next April.:):)

[Love.II.Cruise]

Thanks for the review! We just booked a cruise on the Star today and can't wait!

[cdngrl]

movies under the fog! :D

I also like the star, I'm glad you had a good trip, how I wish I was on board!

[workinggal]

Thanks for the review. We will be on the Star in Sept. Tell us about disembarking. We want the earliest walk off. Flying from SFO to Indiana. Please continue to post more. We cruised to Alaska from Vancouver 8 yrs ago. Will be in San Francisco three days prior to cruise. Plan to use Exec car from pier to SFO.

[Smokeyham]

Thanks for the review. We will be on the Star in Sept. Tell us about disembarking. We want the earliest walk off. Flying from SFO to Indiana. Please continue to post more. We cruised to Alaska from Vancouver 8 yrs ago. Will be in San Francisco three days prior to cruise. Plan to use Exec car from pier to SFO.

 

Just an FYI that ships will start using the new San Francisco Cruise Terminal in September, so the current embarkation/disembarkation experience will likely change.

[lovevacadays]

Thank you for your review. Love your comment: "Movies Under the Fog":D:D:D

[PathfinderEss]

Thanks for your report, glad you had a good time and can't wait to go back.

[Colo Cruiser]

Thanks for the comments.

[KirkNC]

Thanks for the report!

[Keith1010]

Glad you enjoyed the cruise and thank you for your report/review.

 

Keith

[wowsmom]

Did you have clear skies for sailing away under the Golden Gate bridge? We were on the cruise before you and the fog rolled in right about the time we got moving, so the view of the Golden Gate was rather obscured. Luckily, the people who were standing in the front of the ship started shouting when we passed under so other people knew to look up and see it for those few seconds. :D

[onefine89]

Nice review ........quick and simple:)........Alaska cruising is the greatest......hope to be on the Star in the near future.......right now will be on the Crown, then Golden, and then Ruby.

[phonystark]

We were on that cruise as well and really enjoyed it. Both the cabin steward and our waiter were the best we've had since our first cruise back in the early 90's (on old Regal). The bar had been set high and never met again--until this cruise. Really great staff! My only gripe was that the cruise director was the invisible man--I only rarely saw him out and about, most often drinking with a bunch of folks at Explorer's Lounge, and of course doing intros in the Theater, but that was it. I guess I'm accustomed to the CD being one of the most, if not the most, visible members of the staff.

 

But it was surely, as Mico "the pastry guy" in Horizon Court would say, "FANTASTIC!"

[mek]

We'll be on Star Princess the end of August - thanks for the review.

[satxdiver]

Thanks for the review. We will be on the Star later this fall and will be sailing out of the new terminal. We sailed on the Island out of SF and the day started out foggy per usual for the area but by the time we left the pier, the fog had cleared out for a beautiful sail under the GG. The top deck was crowded with pax and their cameras. It was truly a magnificent sight to sail under the GG. Perhaps we will be as lucky this time as well. Looking forward to the new terminal.

[marinermarquise]

Thanks for the review. I am sailing on the same cruise Aug. 19th. I will be in the "steerage" section; it was such a great deal, I could not refuse. This is my third cruise, but the last one was 10 years ago--Royal Caribbean cruise to guess where? The Caribbean. (I had a balcony room.) I live in Contra Costa County, so I will also have an easy time getting to the pier.

 

Was there flu on board your cruise? Another thread posted about all the flu on the Coral Princess and other Princess ships in July. I am trying, so far without luck, to find where I can get a flu shot this month (I had one last October, but my sister the infectious disease specialist and veteran cruiser recommended getting another one if I can).

 

I am going to start a new post on my newbie questions.

[Freezone Cruiser]

Greetings, thanks for the wonderful review. Star Princess will be our first major cruise and we're very excited!