Star Princess North to Alaska! Sept 10 2016

[Bimmer09]

Now I can understand why you get such great pictures. I am looking forward to more outstanding photos. Thanks.

 

Thanks and I am glad you are looking forward to more as MORE is what I have!

 

I treated myself to the Canon camera as a Christmas gift to me (2012) after doing 3 cruises using a pocket Canon. I was seeing some remarkable things-like glaciers and bears, sunny beaches, but wasn't 100% happy with the clarity of the pics.

 

As a DSLR was a leap I kept the price reasonable and near the bottom end of the Canon price range @ under $700. That has left me room to buy lenses as time has gone by as the lens that came with it (18 to 55mm)can't give me all the shots I need. The camera is loaded with snazzy features and the manual is like a small phone book. There's a lot to learn and I spend a lot of time on youtube looking at tutorials. As a result I took more manual shots than usual this trip and will continue practicing until the cows come home (they usually get here around 6 o'clock).

 

The icing on the cake though is Adobe Lightroom where I can fix photos that I am not happy with- usually shots taken in Auto mode where the camera is in charge of aperture, shutter speed and ISO. I rent that for $10 a month.

 

If I upgrade the camera in the future it will probably be to a 5D SR which is a 50 megapixel- over 2.5 times more density/detail than the T3i now. But that's a $3700 investment on the body alone, which is how I would order it.

 

Thanks for the compliments!

 

Norris

[Bimmer09]

Looking up to decks 15 and 16

 

 

The HAL ship is gaining on us

 

r

 

 

 

For the cloud lovers

 

 

[Bimmer09]

Quickly catching up. "Full steam ahead Mr Bosun, full steam ahead!" (Yellow Submarine)

 

 

The HAL Captain has heard that there is only one piece of salmon left in Ketchikan and means to have First Dibs.

 

 

We didn't bother with the Elite cocktail hours (5 to 7pm) open to Elite, Suite and Platinum card holders up in Skywalkers. I can't remember the last time we attended that. I think the Diamond in 2012? We had dinner coming up at 7.45 anyway.

 

We were on time and greeted at the door with a warm welcome (the guy had been finishing a Creme Brûlée and his torch singed my eyebrows). There's a scarcity of window tables in Sabs when it's on deck 7 vs deck 16 on the Crown, Emerald and Ruby and they were taken. No matter we are here to eat!

Let's look at the vittles... (Annie rdsqrl that's your cue)

 

Carol waits for food

 

 

My traditional starter here-Veal Tonnato

 

 

It's usually served dry so I asked the waiter what the white stuff was - "It's tonnato sauce". Tasted a bit like a light ranch dressing. I cleaned the plate regardless

.

 

Carol enjoys a green salad (always)

 

 

Penne with short ribs always delights. When the waiter grates the parmesan and says "say when" my answer is usually "No, I will not!"

 

[shredie]

I like that cabin! :)

[Bimmer09]

We wait between courses and I'm intrigued by the action kitchen with it's big pizza ovens. They're not switched on and the chef guy standing there does little but put the little colored squirts on the plate before it comes to the table. I want that job! To be fair he also put the little chocolate sticks on our espresso creme brûlées that you'll see soon.

 

When I eat in a restaurant with an action station I hope to hear some yelling, see some flames, hear some sizzle (not my eyebrows) and smell some cooking.

In an Italian restaurant I want to hear Giuseppe and Mario calling out orders, maybe getting overexcited and starting a knife fight.

 

I'm a tough crowd.

 

Oh-here come the entrees!

 

Carol's lobster 3 ways where I had no time to prep the camera while the crustacean was still in it's shell.

 

 

and my Veal Saltimbocca with mashed taters and spinach.

 

 

Regular readers will know that my middle name is Veal Saltimbocca and in Italy I pig-out on it. This one was a bit tough and chewy but if it's veal I'm eating it anyway.There is one Italian working in the Sabs kitchen but I don't know if he's a cook or a bottlewasher or bottle squirter.

 

Tummies are filling up nicely. Do we have room for dessert? What chu talking 'bout Willis ? Yes, we have room!

 

Espresso creme brûlée for two!

 

A satisfying meal for $58 for two (up from $50 since our Ruby Jan 2015 trip) My glass of Pinot Grigio-the wanting Danzante as they have taken the much smoother Santa Margharita off the list- was extra but only $7 a glass

[Bimmer09]

I like that cabin! :)

 

Shredie-welcome aboard! Yes it worked out well because of the wide clear path down the middle of the room and the shower was big. It's location with a wake view and large balcony overrode any concerns. Bathroom photos much later.

 

Cheers,

 

Norris

[Bimmer09]

By the time we left Sabatini's and looked through the photo gallery for our embarkation photo it was time for the 9.30 Welcome Aboard show hosted by Neil Roberts, the Aussie Cruise director.

 

But you know what? I was beat from being up so early and walking a lot toting the cameras everywhere. So I bagged out and Carol went by herself. She saw a comedian there she raved about next day.

 

I retired to my chambers to hit the hay (our room was next to where they keep the ship's donkeys).

 

As I fell asleep, lulled by the sway of the ship, my mind drifted back to our sail away and I had visions much as you'll see in this video...

 

[YOUTUBE]QKcCUnvfIQc[/YOUTUBE]

 

With apologies for the wind noise...

[Jasperdo]

Excellent photos of the sailway. Vancouver is one port we have never cruised out of. Even though we live only 2 hours away and spend a lot of time there. We need to correct that soon!

[MGnut]

Excellent photos of the sailway. Vancouver is one port we have never cruised out of. Even though we live only 2 hours away and spend a lot of time there. We need to correct that soon!

 

Jasperdo, I have enjoyed following your reviews and pictures. I know you are in Washington State, and 2 hours from Vancouver, BC, so that means you must be close to us. Mind sharing your location? We are in Anacortes. (battanhr at comcast dot net)

[exbiologist]

I absolutely love all the food photos and ship photos.

Thank you

[donswife]

I wonder if the Niew Amsterdam had the same captain we had on the Westerdam 2 years ago. He seemed determined to beat the Norwegian Jewel into Victoria the last evening. Was it a coincidence that the next day's sailing was turned around and returned to dock due to a fire in the engine room?

[nanabananna]

Espresso creme brûlée for two!

 

 

 

No way am I going to share that Espresso Cream Brulee !! It's mine, all mine.

 

Enjoying your review...I look forward each evening to read before bedtime.

Thank you for your many hours putting this together. :)

[perfect match]

Thanks for sharing your cabin pictures, Norris. We had a decision to make on our upcoming Panama Canal cruise on the CB, either the last mini aft on the Dolphin deck, or the last one on the Emerald deck. I had heard about the different room configuration in the Dolphin deck, but weren't sure how it would work for us. After seeing your pictures, I think we would have been fine. We opted for the last mini on the Emerald deck, starboard side. I'm glad to hear you had a wake view because I was counting on that from our extended balcony. From what you are saying, sounds like we will be happy with our view. :D

[CaravanDriver]

Now I can understand why you get such great pictures. I am looking forward to more outstanding photos. Thanks.

 

I see that Norris has already responded with a detailed reply. But I wanted to chime in and say that his fine camera equipment has comparatively little to do with the quality of his pictures. It's (much) more about his good technique and high level of skill.

 

Hi Norris, this my first post! And I am compelled to use it to compliment you on this great thread. Your pictures and commentary are wonderful.

 

One question: have you (or others) had good luck with the lighting onboard the Star Princess? I was on it last year and they use those awful compact fluorescent lamps that cast a terrible color onto every picture. Especially around the grand stair case area. I took some pictures there but couldn't correct the color cast to my liking, even when using Lightroom. Had to hide it via a conversion to black and white.

[Bimmer09]

I see that Norris has already responded with a detailed reply. But I wanted to chime in and say that his fine camera equipment has comparatively little to do with the quality of his pictures. It's (much) more about his good technique and high level of skill.

 

Hi Norris, this my first post! And I am compelled to use it to compliment you on this great thread. Your pictures and commentary are wonderful.

 

One question: have you (or others) had good luck with the lighting onboard the Star Princess? I was on it last year and they use those awful compact fluorescent lamps that cast a terrible color onto every picture. Especially around the grand stair case area. I took some pictures there but couldn't correct the color cast to my liking, even when using Lightroom. Had to hide it via a conversion to black and white.

 

Hi and welcome to posting on CC!

 

There's a lot of indoor pics coming up and as you say the lighting causes problems even though I change the White Balance setting from it's usual "cloudy" (it was Alaska after all) Sometime of course when I went outside I still had the WB on "tungsten" and got some atmospheric blue shots before I realized my error which I haven't used. We're stuck with the orange hue of the indoor lights but I use Lightroom 5 for those to tame the color down. We're stuck with it and the Staff Captain told me "No, you can't bring your own lightbulbs aboard".

 

I had the same issue on Celebrity in the dining rooms and it is what it is.

 

Thanks for the compliments on the photography. Much appreciated!

 

Cheers,

 

Norris

[Bimmer09]

No way am I going to share that Espresso Cream Brulee !! It's mine, all mine.

 

Enjoying your review...I look forward each evening to read before bedtime.

Thank you for your many hours putting this together. :)

 

We had one espresso creme brûlée each as we enjoy them so much.

 

I have spent a lot of hours but today I won't as I am working and then have a theater show to attend this evening in Chicago.

 

Next is our first sea day including MDR breakfast, pub lunch,afternoon tea and Formal Night dinner so an awful lot of food pics! Then we go to a show.

 

After that it is Ketchikan and the Misty Fjords which lived up to their name and provided some good photos.

 

I'm glad you are following along again!

 

Norris

[ccv]

Quickly catching up. "Full steam ahead Mr Bosun, full steam ahead!" (Yellow Submarine)

 

 

The HAL Captain has heard that there is only one piece of salmon left in Ketchikan and means to have First Dibs.

 

 

We didn't bother with the Elite cocktail hours (5 to 7pm) open to Elite, Suite and Platinum card holders up in Skywalkers. I can't remember the last time we attended that. I think the Diamond in 2012? We had dinner coming up at 7.45 anyway.

 

We were on time and greeted at the door with a warm welcome (the guy had been finishing a Creme Brûlée and his torch singed my eyebrows). There's a scarcity of window tables in Sabs when it's on deck 7 vs deck 16 on the Crown, Emerald and Ruby and they were taken. No matter we are here to eat!

Let's look at the vittles... (Annie rdsqrl that's your cue)

 

Carol waits for food

 

 

My traditional starter here-Veal Tonnato

 

 

It's usually served dry so I asked the waiter what the white stuff was - "It's tonnato sauce". Tasted a bit like a light ranch dressing. I cleaned the plate regardless

.

 

Carol enjoys a green salad (always)

 

 

Penne with short ribs always delights. When the waiter grates the parmesan and says "say when" my answer is usually "No, I will not!"

 

 

 

 

Enjoyed your pictures, video and comments on the sailing out. They have brought back happy memories. Thanks.

[PrincessDano]

Hi Norris, excited to be reading your review. We boarded the Star in Whittier last Saturday and disembarked just this morning in Vancouver. She is a beautiful ship and Captain Tuvo is a gem! Look forward to more pics.

 

Diane

[Bimmer09]

Hi Norris, excited to be reading your review. We boarded the Star in Whittier last Saturday and disembarked just this morning in Vancouver. She is a beautiful ship and Captain Tuvo is a gem! Look forward to more pics.

 

Diane

 

Diane, thanks for the feedback and I'm glad to have you reading along!

 

More pics on the way of course.

 

Are you staying overnight in Van?

 

Norris

[Bimmer09]

Enjoyed your pictures, video and comments on the sailing out. They have brought back happy memories. Thanks.

 

It's my pleasure to share. Pure and simple.

 

Oh and speaking of Share I got to try my first Curtis Stone dish on this cruise.

 

Norris

[PrincessDano]

Diane, thanks for the feedback and I'm glad to have you reading along!

 

More pics on the way of course.

 

Are you staying overnight in Van?

 

Norris

 

Norris, no we didn't stay. We are fortunate to live only a 40 minute plane ride from Vancouver so we are home and unpacking.

 

Diane

[Bimmer09]

Having retired to the cabin to sleep the Sleep of Sleeps I awoke at 5.00 which is my wont when seafarin'. I dress and grab my camera bag and head up on deck, usually via the Horizon Court where there is no one dining, to get a cup of coffee. It's the syrup kind but with sugar and cream it does the job. It's not the Lavazza that they put out on Celebrity, that's a for a sure a (think Chico Marx for the pronunciation)

 

The foghorn is telling me it's foggy. My eyes tell me it's dark but I am on a ship and can wait for the light to come so I can take some photos. The only people around are the deck hands with their raincoats on and their long squeegees moving the water from the deck washing that happens each morning.

 

The good thing is that there is no other foghorn heard every 2 minutes so we are alone on the British Columbian waters.

 

I'm not going to have breakfast here this morning as we have a full day of eating ahead and sipping coffee doesn't burn too many calories.

 

After 6 am, with the fog lifting somewhat it's the right conditions to take some photos to get the day underway.

 

 

 

The next cup of coffee I take forward through the HC, past the Calypso indoor pool, out past the Neptune pool where the water is restlessly sloshing around and up the wet stairs to the shelter of the Tradewinds Bar deck 15.

 

 

I have the smoking section all to myself

 

 

 

Somewhere 93 million miles away, a vast number of Football fields, the Sun is struggling to show himself.

 

[Bimmer09]

I was so excited to see the start of another wonderful review. I must admit to stalking your "recent posts" a few days ago, as I remembered you were cruising soon.

 

I had been disappointed to not find a review starting, and then to my great joy I saw your announcement off the Silhouette thread!

 

Thank you so much for keeping so many of us entertained!

 

5 days after you wrote this I am just finding it again after searching back 5 pages!

 

So glad to have you aboard!

 

Hope you like mountains and mist, train rides and sled dogs!

 

Norris

[jlf1]

I can't believe that I had missed this review. Guess what I'll be doing today.

 

Your reviews are the best.

 

Off to check all your pix......especially the food. Yummy!

 

Judy

[Bimmer09]

One very nice gesture by Princess for the smokers is the coffee, tea and juice set up at Tradewinds (on the smoking side so be aware) which is ready soon after 6 a.m. It's here that I meet Kevin from Pennsylvania sailing his first Princess/first Alaska cruise. He's even enjoying the fog as it is so atmospheric

 

 

The fog has lifted and the foghorn silenced

 

 

 

View from atop the bridge

 

The Gym (deck 15) topped by the Sanctuary where today we have an all day pass @ $80 for two. I picked out our loungers on Saturday.