Random Thoughts - Star California Coastal 3/14/15 to 3/21/15

[Daniel1313]

Now that is a significant change. I wonder if it is also on other ships?

 

It must be a recent change. I was on the a Regal a month ago and we had fresh pool towels everyday in our room.

[Marjorie O]

Thanks PartyBarbie! I'm writing down all your suggestions:D

[partybarbie]

Thanks PartyBarbie! I'm writing down all your suggestions:D

 

You're very welcome. Make sure you and your bff go up to the Skywalker's disco. You can get the two for one drinks there too, between 11:00 pm and midnight.

[sissylala]

I was wondering, are the formal nights 2nd and last night. Third through 6th are all port days?

[partybarbie]

I was wondering, are the formal nights 2nd and last night. Third through 6th are all port days?

 

Our first formal night was the second night, featuring the 50'th Anniversary Dinner.

 

The second formal night was held on the sixth night, even though it was a port day (Ensenada on our cruise). This was the lobster and escargot night. :D

[DrivesLikeMario]

Now that is a significant change. I wonder if it is also on other ships?

 

The towels weren't in the cabins but up by the pool on the Crown last month too.

 

Thanks for the review. Totally "get" your irritation with the lack of a dress code.

Edited March 25, 2015 by DrivesLikeMario

[Nancyquilts]

Formal night would never be on the last night because everything would be packed.;)

[Marjorie O]

You're very welcome. Make sure you and your bff go up to the Skywalker's disco. You can get the two for one drinks there too, between 11:00 pm and midnight.

 

Are there formal nights for anytime dining on our 7day cruise and if so, how formal? I have only casual ankle length dresses. would I get by with dressing it up with nylons and a silk scarf or do I need something dressier? Again, thanks

[partybarbie]

Are there formal nights for anytime dining on our 7day cruise and if so, how formal? I have only casual ankle length dresses. would I get by with dressing it up with nylons and a silk scarf or do I need something dressier? Again, thanks

 

You will have two formal nights. They are the second and the sixth nights of your cruise. I normally wear a cocktail dress, but many women were dressed as you described. My aunt and my stepmom wore dressy pants and a nice blouse. You might see a couple of women in long gowns, but the majority dress like they would for a wedding or a nice dinner out.

[alreadypacked]

Thanks for the review partybarbie!:)

 

We'll be doing a Pacific Coastal on the Crown this coming weekend out of LA. Though I've been on almost 30 cruises, they've all been Carribean itineraries as we live in Fort Lauderdale. What was the weather like during your at-sea days? Was it cold? I'm trying to figure out what type of daytime clothing to bring... Capris, long pants, shorts? Should I even bother to bring a swimsuit?

 

Thanks!

[partybarbie]

Thanks for the review partybarbie!:)

 

We'll be doing a Pacific Coastal on the Crown this coming weekend out of LA. Though I've been on almost 30 cruises, they've all been Carribean itineraries as we live in Fort Lauderdale. What was the weather like during your at-sea days? Was it cold? I'm trying to figure out what type of daytime clothing to bring... Capris, long pants, shorts? Should I even bother to bring a swimsuit?

 

Thanks!

 

We actually had very nice weather on our sea days. It ranged from mid-sixties in the morning to mid-seventies in the afternoon. I spent a lot of afternoons by the MUTS pool and came home with a little tan. I brought two light-weight sweaters and a light-weight coat, but I never even wore the coat. Definitely bring your swimsuit. I think I brought two pairs of jeans, two pairs of cotton capri pants, one pair of jean capri pants, and one pair of yoga pants. I wore a shirt with a sweater in the mornings, but by the afternoon I didn't need the sweater at all. We're supposed to have nice weather next week, but you might want to wear jeans and a light jacket on your San Francisco day. Bon Voyage!

[alreadypacked]

This is very helpful info--thanks so much for the prompt response!!:):)

[puli]

Just off the Star Princess California Coastal Cruise and I wanted to share some "Random Thoughts" with my fellow Cruise Critics. Please keep in mind that these comments may or may not apply to your cruise. ;)

 

Embarkation Thoughts

 

The new terminal at Pier 27 in San Francisco made it incredibly easy board the Star. We dropped off our luggage with the porters, tipping $8.00 for two bags. The porter told us thank you and to enjoy our cruise. There was no request for a bigger tip and our luggage arrived all safe and sound in our cabin by 2:30 pm. I believe our ship left port around 5:00 pm, so pretty much on time.

 

Staggered boarding was in effect, so if you don't have priority boarding, I wouldn't arrive early. At least this pier has plenty of indoor seating for those that do have to wait. We arrived at 12:30 pm and used our priority boarding so that we didn't have to wait at all.

 

We dropped off our carry-on luggage and picked up the Princess Patter to see if any of the dining rooms were open for lunch. Much to our dismay, none of the dining rooms were showing open. Unwilling to give up, and after being told by three different crew members to go to the Horizon Court, we found that the Portofino Dining room, Deck 6, was indeed open from 12:00 pm to 1:30 pm. We had a lovely lunch, including a souffle for dessert, so don't miss out on going to the dining room if you board before 1:30 pm.

 

Drink and Wine Policy Thoughts

 

Warning! The "Random Thoughts" here may be controversial.;) I actually had two bottles of wine in my carry-on bag and my aunt had one bottle in hers. We were directed to the wine check station and produced two of the three bottles of wine to be checked. The third bottle was taken on board without paying the corkage. I later took the third bottle down to the dining room and paid the corkage when it was opened. We did not try to smuggle any hard liquor on, as the mini-bar in our cabin was sufficient for the week.

 

We did avail ourselves of the "2 for 1" specials in the Wheelhouse Bar from 3:00 pm to 4:00 pm daily. I bought a couple of the mini Korbel bottles "to go" and had some lovely mimosas on the balcony with my complimentary room service orange juice.:D

 

In Santa Barbara, I went to a couple of the wine and beer tasting rooms by the pier. I purchased one bottle of wine and a 6-pack of micro-brews and was allowed to take those to my cabin without being asked to check them. My stepmother brought on a bottle of tequila from Ensenada, and she wasn't asked to check her bottle either.

 

Formal Nights and Smart Casual Thoughts

 

It was very apparent on this cruise that "Smart Casual" was a secret code word for holey, faded t-shirts and shorts, while "Formal Night" was a secret code for the same faded t-shirts and "hoochie" skirts. I would say that only about 50% of passengers observed the dress code, less than on any other cruise that I have ever been on. It was pretty much a "free for all". I don't know if the shorts people were allowed in the dining room, but the hoochie skirts were.

 

Most Traveled Thoughts

 

I took my aunt to the Most Traveled Passenger Party, which on this cruise was a cocktail party. It was pretty nice, with a good selection of appetizers and desserts, but not as nice as the luncheons. For anyone that's interested, the cut-off to attend the party was 333 days. The Most Traveled Passengers had about 780 days, and the third most had about 560. There was a little over 200 Elite Passengers, almost 10% of the ship.

 

Our Cabin Thoughts

 

We had an aft balcony stateroom, A735. We loved the proximity to the aft pool, the Horizon Court, the Vista Lounge, and Skywalkers. There was some vibration during docking, but not too bad. Unfortunately, in the stateroom next to ours, our neighbor spent the majority of the day talking on her cell phone, often on speaker mode. The only day she was quiet was in Ensenada because she didn't have an international plan. How do I know this? She was on the the phone with her tech support for a half hour, on loud speaker. :rolleyes: If you go on a cruise and have a balcony, please "don't be that person that talks non-stop, all day, on their cell phone".

 

Well that's it.:) We had a good time and if anyone has any questions, I would be happy to answer them. This is a great casual cruise for a quick get away and I would highly recommend it.

 

I was just told by Princess that there is no longer "priority boarding" that suite/elite passengers must wait until their deck is called.

[ar1950]

I was just told by Princess that there is no longer "priority boarding" that suite/elite passengers must wait until their deck is called.

 

Princess reps say a lot of things. I will wait to hear from people who actually have done the boarding process from this point on to reasonably know if there has been this change.

[Colo Cruiser]

I agree.

[puli]

well I will be boarding on the 23rd of May so will report back!

[ar1950]

well I will be boarding on the 23rd of May so will report back!

 

Please do. An actual experience is always welcome info. :cool:

[caribill]

I was just told by Princess that there is no longer "priority boarding" that suite/elite passengers must wait until their deck is called.

 

Princess reps say a lot of things. I will wait to hear from people who actually have done the boarding process from this point on to reasonably know if there has been this change.

 

The staggered boarding notices usually say that those with priority have the priority during the assigned boarding time.

 

Actual practice is another conversation.

 

By the way, if you have a GTY booking, print out boarding passes (when possible) before receiving a cabin assignment. With no deck listed on the form, you do not have to worry about matching an assigned time by deck.