Bad Baltic On The Star

[swimsimcoe]

My cousin just returned from baltic cruise on Star Princess and was cruise from hell.Broken pipes in spa so no spa or fitness,bad bad food-until much complaining and then last 5 days ok,no service on decks,bad service everywhere.sounds like totally new crew.Anyone know what happened?

[Pam in CA]

Sorry to hear that but perhaps your cousin could get on the board and be more specific. The "cruise from hell" doesn't really explain a lot. (I was on the Goldein in February and ran into a woman who complained about the "wierd" food onboard, such as lamb and veal, and she was very upset. While food is subjective, one person's "hell" is another person's "heaven.") I've found that a lot of reviews lose something in translation when the person on the cruise doesn't post -- someone else does via hearsay.

[dforeigner]

Sorry to hear that but perhaps your cousin could get on the board and be more specific. The "cruise from hell" doesn't really explain a lot. (I was on the Goldein in February and ran into a woman who complained about the "wierd" food onboard, such as lamb and veal, and she was very upset. While food is subjective, one person's "hell" is another person's "heaven.") I've found that a lot of reviews lose something in translation when the person on the cruise doesn't post -- someone else does via hearsay.

 

I guess that woman's gourmet meal is going around the corner to Taco Bell or Mc Donald's. It never seizes to amaze me how many people will never try anything else besides a cheese burger.

[crusdiva]

My cousin just returned from baltic cruise on Star Princess and was cruise from hell.Broken pipes in spa so no spa or fitness,bad bad food-until much complaining and then last 5 days ok,no service on decks,bad service everywhere.sounds like totally new crew.Anyone know what happened?

 

I'm sorry and surprised to hear this. Having sailed the Star twice in the last year (once in the Baltic) we found her to be an excellent ship with a great crew.

I agree with Pam, more specific information from the actual cruisers would be helpful.

[kruzin']

:) we will be doing a b2b nov21 to dec 20 on the star plus we are looking into doing the baltic next year on the splendor so any info on either the star or the baltic will be appreciated...thanks:) quote=crusdiva;10346609]I'm sorry and surprised to hear this. Having sailed the Star twice in the last year (once in the Baltic) we found her to be an excellent ship with a great crew.

I agree with Pam, more specific information from the actual cruisers would be helpful.

[bacm]

I've been on the star and found the food & service in the dining room to be very good. Exceeded my standards, even though they were pretty high to begin with.

[crusdiva]

:) we will be doing a b2b nov21 to dec 20 on the star plus we are looking into doing the baltic next year on the splendor so any info on either the star or the baltic will be appreciated...thanks:) quote=crusdiva;10346609]I'm sorry and surprised to hear this. Having sailed the Star twice in the last year (once in the Baltic) we found her to be an excellent ship with a great crew.

I agree with Pam' date=' more specific information from the actual cruisers would be helpful.[/quote']

 

Hi, DH and I will also be on the 11/21 Aegean/Egyptian sailing of the Star, here's a link to that roll call - it's quite active: http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?p=10337183#post10337183

 

The Star is a ship we truly love and I have tons of pictures of her and the Baltic from our 9/06 sailing - follow the link below.;)

 

The Baltic cruise has come to be one of our favorites, with fascinating ports of call. Here are just a few thoughts that I'd posted previously:

 

It is port intensive and all about sightseeing, making for long, busy (but exciting) days. The sail-in to Nynashamm and the sailaways from Nynashamm, Helsinki, Olso and St. Petersburg were spectacular. Sailing under the Great Belt Bridge was amazing as well.

 

We toured Copenhagen, Helsinki and Tallinn on our own quite easily and took ship sponsored tours in Oslo, Gdynia and St. Petersburg.

 

St. Petersburg is like no where else and I would love to visit again. And Tallinn is magical. While I enjoyed the other ports very much - I just adored Poland - we did the Tri-City tour (Gdansk, Gdynia and Sopot) on a beautiful 70 degree day, I loved the people, the sights, the food -absolutely everything! :)

 

 

We would sail this itinerary again in a heartbeat.

Here's a link to our photos...warning there are 4 albums!:D

http://new.photos.yahoo.com/cpebmw/a...17700702#page1

 

I'd be happy to answer any questions you may have, feel free to write me at cpebmw@yahoo.com

[Evelyn143]

My cousin just returned from baltic cruise on Star Princess and was cruise from hell.Broken pipes in spa so no spa or fitness,bad bad food-until much complaining and then last 5 days ok,no service on decks,bad service everywhere.sounds like totally new crew.Anyone know what happened?

 

We just returned from the Star transatlantic and Baltic cruises. On the Baltic cruise a water pipe broke and flooded the spa and fitness areas, and put them both out of comission. The food was the usual Princess menu and I would judge it as fair to good. Service in all areas was excellent. Both these cruises were port intensive and most passengers were very busy with 10-12 hour tours. Entertainment on the transatlantic portion was the best that we have had on 50 cruises. Entertainment was good on the Baltic portion. This was not a cruise from hell. I was disappointed that the spa was out of service, but heard very few people complain about it. Things can go wrong anywhere and anytime. We had a good flight home on British Air, but none of our luggage arrived with us. Hopefully we will get it this weekend. But no way does our personal problem change our opinion of the cruises or the airline.

 

Evelyn & Bob

[Colo Cruiser]

Maybe the info from the cousin to the OP got a little skewed. :rolleyes:

[Jacqueline]

Generally speaking, on European and other port intensive cruises, the fitness center is not quite as necessary as on leisure trips. When I did this itinerary I was exhausted every day !

As far as I am concerned, having the spa closed would be a bonus, just to avoid the nasty flyers every day and the product pitches that come with any treatment.

In the past, cruisers have had the ship stranded at sea due to equipment problems causing them to miss ports. That's really a disapointment.

Food is pretty subjective so I can't say on that front other than its been pretty consistant on my cruises (not to say that it has been consistantly wonderful, but usually there is so much to choose from that one can find something to enjoy.)

Not to make apoologies, but as other posters have said, the complaints are too vague to carry weight.

[kruzin']

:) thanks for your prompt reply and it eases mind greatly,,,I could not access your photos however..glad to hear you are on the 11/21 cruise are you also doing the transatlantic to ft laud?:)

Hi, DH and I will also be on the 11/21 Aegean/Egyptian sailing of the Star, here's a link to that roll call - it's quite active: http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?p=10337183#post10337183

 

The Star is a ship we truly love and I have tons of pictures of her and the Baltic from our 9/06 sailing - follow the link below.;)

 

The Baltic cruise has come to be one of our favorites, with fascinating ports of call. Here are just a few thoughts that I'd posted previously:

 

It is port intensive and all about sightseeing, making for long, busy (but exciting) days. The sail-in to Nynashamm and the sailaways from Nynashamm, Helsinki, Olso and St. Petersburg were spectacular. Sailing under the Great Belt Bridge was amazing as well.

 

We toured Copenhagen, Helsinki and Tallinn on our own quite easily and took ship sponsored tours in Oslo, Gdynia and St. Petersburg.

 

St. Petersburg is like no where else and I would love to visit again. And Tallinn is magical. While I enjoyed the other ports very much - I just adored Poland - we did the Tri-City tour (Gdansk, Gdynia and Sopot) on a beautiful 70 degree day, I loved the people, the sights, the food -absolutely everything! :)

 

 

We would sail this itinerary again in a heartbeat.

Here's a link to our photos...warning there are 4 albums!:D

http://new.photos.yahoo.com/cpebmw/a...17700702#page1

 

I'd be happy to answer any questions you may have, feel free to write me at cpebmw@yahoo.com

[cusyl]

Great pictures, just follow the link in her signature rather than the one in her post.

[crusdiva]

:) thanks for your prompt reply and it eases mind greatly' date=',,I could not access your photos however..glad to hear you are on the 11/21 cruise are you also doing the transatlantic to ft laud?:)[/quote']

Sorry I wasn't aware that the link no longer worked. As cusyl says try the one in my signature - it'll take you to all my photos.

No we're on the r/t from Rome only - can't wait!:D

 

Great pictures, just follow the link in her signature rather than the one in her post.

Thanks so much!!;)

[SPI_Rick]

We just returned from the Star's Transatlantic crossing followed by the Baltic Cruise.

 

As Evelyn and Bob mentioned the gym and spa were closed during the Baltic segment due to a broken salt water pipe that flooded the area. The spa did re-open in a limited capacity before the end of the Baltic cruise, but the gym remained closed.....and the ship's 'wake-up call' system was down for a day or two.

 

We also found the food to be 'normal' Princess faire....good, not great....except at Tequila's Steakhouse where we had great steaks on both visits.

 

But, in spite of a few inconveniences, it was an excellent cruise.

 

If anyone is interested, I posted comments, travelog and pictures most days during the cruise. You can find them at the travel website listed in my signature below.

 

Note to Evelyn and Bob: Sorry to hear about your bags. We managed to make it back with 75% of our luggage. We are still missing one of our bags somewhere between Copenhagen and Toronto.

[senior lady]

We just returned from the Star's Transatlantic crossing followed by the Baltic Cruise.

 

As Evelyn and Bob mentioned the gym and spa were closed during the Baltic segment due to a broken salt water pipe that flooded the area. The spa did re-open in a limited capacity before the end of the Baltic cruise, but the gym remained closed.....and the ship's 'wake-up call' system was down for a day or two.

 

We also found the food to be 'normal' Princess faire....good, not great....except at Tequila's Steakhouse where we had great steaks on both visits.

 

But, in spite of a few inconveniences, it was an excellent cruise.

 

If anyone is interested, I posted comments, travelog and pictures most days during the cruise. You can find them at the travel website listed in my signature below.

 

Note to Evelyn and Bob: Sorry to hear about your bags. We managed to make it back with 75% of our luggage. We are still missing one of our bags somewhere between Copenhagen and Toronto.

 

 

Oh, my god, have you ever thought about writing a book!!! You've had me in stitches laughing, reading your posts.

 

I can't imagine going on this cruise withou............. Mr Superglue, or Mr James Bond.

 

Keep posting about all your cruises!!!!

[Stepilyn]

I would love to see those photos and daily reviews you posted, but I do not know what you mean by check signature below to get the link.

 

Please list instructions on how to do that.

[crusdiva]

I would love to see those photos and daily reviews you posted, but I do not know what you mean by check signature below to get the link.

Please list instructions on how to do that.

 

Stepilyn,

1) At the top of this page just under the Cruise Critic banner click on "user CP"

2) Choose "edit option" on the left side (under Control Panel)

3) Scroll to the bottom to "thread display options" and click "show signature"

4) Click "Save Changes"

 

After that when you view threads you should be able to see people's signature - which often includes their cruise history and links to their webpages and photo albums (at least mine does!:D )

[friend of Eeyore]

I would love to see those photos and daily reviews you posted, but I do not know what you mean by check signature below to get the link.

 

Please list instructions on how to do that.

 

To show signatures: go to "User CP" and choose "options". Make sure the box for "show signatures" is checked, and then "save changes".

 

Then, below many people's posts, you will see their "signature", which usually consists of their names, a list of their cruises and upcoming cruises, and perhaps an email address or website to check out.

 

In this thread, there are two such websites:

 

CruiseDiva's pictures:

http://home.comcast.net/~bmwsmw/Bruce_Sharon_Home_Page.html

 

SPI Rick's travelpage:

http://www.ricklongbrake.com/

 

-Cathy

[nrdsb4]

I guess that woman's gourmet meal is going around the corner to Taco Bell or Mc Donald's. It never seizes to amaze me how many people will never try anything else besides a cheese burger.

 

That's a funny typo. A medical professional says seizes instead of ceases.:D Not a criticism, just struck me as funny since I've noticed in your posts that you work in the health profession.

[SPI_Rick]

I would love to see those photos and daily reviews you posted, but I do not know what you mean by check signature below to get the link.

 

Please list instructions on how to do that.

 

Stepilyn, sorry, I never realized that some people couldn't see the 'signatures' at the bottom of the posts.

 

Among other things in my signature are the following links:

 

Photo slide shows at:

http://www.photodex.com/sharing/viewalbum.html?bm=34001

(when show starts: right-click and select 'full screen' for best viewing. Note: people behind corporate firewalls may not be able to view)

 

Travel Website at:

http://www.ricklongbrake.com

 

 

The posts that I mentioned are located in the Travel Website. Go there, then click the link on the left side of the page that says "May 2007 Transatlantic-Baltic Cruise".

[SPI_Rick]

Oh, my god, have you ever thought about writing a book!!! You've had me in stitches laughing, reading your posts.

 

I can't imagine going on this cruise withou............. Mr Superglue, or Mr James Bond.

 

Keep posting about all your cruises!!!!

 

 

Karen, I'm glad you enjoyed the narrative. I'm never sure whether the things that strike me as odd or interesting as they are happening to me will translate into something others can relate to.

[Evelyn143]

We just returned from the Star's Transatlantic crossing followed by the Baltic Cruise.

 

As Evelyn and Bob mentioned the gym and spa were closed during the Baltic segment due to a broken salt water pipe that flooded the area. The spa did re-open in a limited capacity before the end of the Baltic cruise, but the gym remained closed.....and the ship's 'wake-up call' system was down for a day or two.

 

We also found the food to be 'normal' Princess faire....good, not great....except at Tequila's Steakhouse where we had great steaks on both visits.

 

But, in spite of a few inconveniences, it was an excellent cruise.

 

If anyone is interested, I posted comments, travelog and pictures most days during the cruise. You can find them at the travel website listed in my signature below.

 

Note to Evelyn and Bob: Sorry to hear about your bags. We managed to make it back with 75% of our luggage. We are still missing one of our bags somewhere between Copenhagen and Toronto.

 

Hi Rick,

 

All of our bags arrived in good condition yesterday. Hope your luggage shows up soon. It was a special cruise that we will always remember.

 

Evelyn

[jajohnson]

I love to watch people twist and turn when a troll yanks their chain. A simple comment, with no follow up, really sends some poeple over the edge.

[swimsimcoe]

Re my cuz who had all the problems.did not get too specific to avaid boring you but didn't realize you all hunger for the details.Next time.I was also on the Star Princess once and it was pretty good but someof her complaints were valid.

My very good friend who has been a TA for 20 years and has been on over 40 cruises says that this year they are getting a lot of complaints about Princess.Maybe they are slacking a bit more.

Thanks for all the comments.always fun.

Am going this weekend on aTHousand Island cruise-in Kingston Ontario-it's 1 1/2 hours.And so much cheaper.Of course there are no cabins,entertainment,spas,casino.Will have to suffer and look at the pretty islands-1,2,3,4,5,6........................When do I get to 1000?

[lostatsea200]

loved your site, laughed about mr. and mrs superglue--though i hope she got her diamonds in antwerpen or amsterdam------i too, was on the cruise--missed seeing and meeting you------------so sorry-- hope that your cases have arrived by now---we got one three days after flight. thanks again for the pics and all