Star Refurb---This just in

[bdjam]

[quote name='CL-JW'][FONT=Verdana][SIZE=3][COLOR=black]We just returned from San Francisco to see the Star Princess in drydock @ Pier 70.[/COLOR][/SIZE][/FONT]

[FONT=Verdana][SIZE=3][COLOR=black]For better or for worse, MUTS (Movies Under the Stars) is definitely going in – the frame was already installed.[/COLOR][/SIZE][/FONT]

[/quote]
[FONT=Comic Sans MS][COLOR=black]Thanks for the shots - the ones under the stern are great. Unfortunate that there's that tumor growing from her superstructure, but otherwise, great stuff![/COLOR][/FONT]

[rdsqrl]

[quote name='bdjam'][FONT=Comic Sans MS][COLOR=black]Thanks for the shots - the ones under the stern are great. Unfortunate that there's that tumor growing from her superstructure, but otherwise, great stuff![/COLOR][/FONT][/quote]
[FONT=Comic Sans MS][COLOR=indigo]Ditto, ditto, ditto -- wonderful photos, thanks so much for posting them. And truly an abomination up there on the Lido deck! I said it before and I'll say it again: if you have a ship with only one pool that gets direct sun all day long, adding MUTS to it is a terrible thing to do. I don't like MUTS any better on the [I]Crown[/I] or the [I]Emerald[/I], but at least there's another pool up there to go to and avoid the noise. First they ruined the [I]Grand[/I], now the [I]Star[/I], and it's only a matter of time before they get their mitts on the [I]Golden[/I]. Grrrr. If they're going to do that, they should take down that stupid elevated Skywalkers and let the Terrace Pool get sunshine.[/COLOR][/FONT]

[Travelrd]

craig and jack....let me add my thank you to you both for the fabulous pictures!

[CL-JW]

[B]Thanks all for your nice comments! [/B]

[B]It was nice that the ship is bow-in on the drydock - most of the time we see them stern-in so all we can see is the bulbous bow. It was really nice to see the props and rudders this time.[/B]

[tvaud]

[B][COLOR=magenta]Great pics! I never realized how shallow the draft was though...wow.[/COLOR][/B]

[TorontoTL]

I have to agree about the MUTS location on the Star, just like the Grand it does ruin the lines of the ship. Now the poor Star will have a wart midships that wasn't there prior to the dry dock. It will be very interesting to see what other modifications do in fact get completed during this dry dock.

[spongerob]

Thanks for the photos. I agree that the MUTS location is awful. Most of the people on the deck below can't even see the screen, but get the dubious benefits of all the noise including the thumps and booms.

[cruzinchris]

On one of our Caribbean cruises, the lovely [I]Sea Princess[/I] was docked beside us in port. Talk about a malignant growth...:eek:
[I]Chris[/I]

[aaerobear]

Hello all from onboard the Crown out in the atlantic heading to St John's (hoping to avoid Kyle)

I look forward to being home next week and seeing the Star at the end of the drydock.

Brian, Brett says hi, I said hi to him for you.

Ed

[LARGIN]

[FONT=Comic Sans MS][COLOR=Black]Great pics. Thanks[/COLOR][/FONT]

[spingal]

Craig and Jack,

GREAT PICTURES!!! It is amazing to see the way the ship is lifted out of the water. The picture of the props is very interesting. Something I have always wanted to see.

THANKS for sharing!! :D :D

[4cats4me]

Aw,come on muts wasn't bad when we were on the
EMerald in April

I'm just relieved they kept the indoor pool intact

But where will they put the calypso band?

Largin please report back in october

[LARGIN]

[quote name='4cats4me']Aw,come on muts wasn't bad when we were on the
EMerald in April

I'm just relieved they kept the indoor pool intact.. [B][FONT=Comic Sans MS][COLOR=Red]Me Too..[/COLOR][/FONT][FONT=Comic Sans MS]
[/FONT][/B]
But where will they put the calypso band? [B][FONT=Comic Sans MS][COLOR=Red]Next to the rock climbing wall.. :D[/COLOR][/FONT][FONT=Comic Sans MS]
[/FONT][/B]
Largin please report back in october[/quote]

[B][FONT=Comic Sans MS][COLOR=Red]Will do.. [/COLOR][/FONT][/B]

[vickie_bernie]

i loved it on the Emerald but that ship was built for MUTS - but I will have to find a quiet area on the star to find some sun.

[bdjam]

[quote name='aaerobear']Brian, Brett says hi, I said hi to him for you.

Ed[/quote]
[FONT=Comic Sans MS][COLOR=black]Thanks Ed! Tell him I got his email and will be in touch soon.[/COLOR][/FONT]
[quote name='4cats4me']Aw,come on muts wasn't bad when we were on the
EMerald in April
[/quote]
[FONT=Comic Sans MS][COLOR=black]I think MUTS is fine on ships built for it - I think retrofitting it is where the issues lie - the ships built for MUTS have reasonable alternatives, the ships retrofitted...not so much.[/COLOR][/FONT]

[GoodAsGold]

Is this why they're calling it a WETdock because they don't actually need a DRYdock now? Or is drydock only needed when they also plan to do exterior refurbishing? I can't imagine them needing the ship out of the water if they just plan to work on the interior. In that case, it never really was intended to be a drydock. I think! :p


[quote name='abbydancer']What day is the Star scheduled to start the drydock? Also, anyone know exactly where the facility is? We're scheduled to go on the Star in just over a year, and I'm toying with the idea of driving up to SF for dinner and to take a peek at the ship before we leave for Disneyworld on the 26th.

Also, what is now going to be done during the drydock?

thanks![/quote]

[sultan_sfo]

Any exterior work below the water line needs a drydock. They may replace the propeller seals, repair thrusters, stabilizers, and scrape and repaint the hull / keel. Star "is" in a drydock now -- a floating drydock that raises the ship.

[GoodAsGold]

I tired to edit my last post and my computer froze. :( After reading some more posts, I now realize that the SF news anchor made a mistake by calling it a WETdock. I should have known better to get my information from them and not here on CC! :) Thanks for clarifying it.


[quote name='sultan_sfo']Any exterior work below the water line needs a drydock. They may replace the propeller seals, repair thrusters, stabilizers, and scrape and repaint the hull / keel. Star "is" in a drydock now -- a floating drydock that raises the ship.[/quote]

[GoodAsGold]

I take it you don't care for MUTS? I know I don't like the concept. I sailed on the Star when she was 3 months old, as well as her older sis, Golden last year. Neither had MUTS and it didn't bother me at all. :p

[quote name='bdjam'][FONT=Comic Sans MS][COLOR=black]Gag :eek: As I said, poor Star Princess.[/COLOR][/FONT][/quote]

[Crown Prince]

[quote name='GoodAsGold']I tired to edit my last post and my computer froze. :( After reading some more posts, I now realize that the SF news anchor made a mistake by calling it a WETdock. I should have known better to get my information from them and not here on CC! :) Thanks for clarifying it.[/QUOTE]
[SIZE="3"][B][COLOR="Black"]
I understand there was a Wet Dock before the dry dock. There is a post somewhere about it - look back.
The Wet Dock was in Seattle. ;) [/COLOR][/B][/SIZE]

[Crown Prince]

[quote name='GoodAsGold']Is this why they're calling it a WETdock because they don't actually need a DRYdock now? Or is drydock only needed when they also plan to do exterior refurbishing? I can't imagine them needing the ship out of the water if they just plan to work on the interior. In that case, it never really was intended to be a drydock. I think! :p[/QUOTE]

[FONT="Arial Black"][SIZE="3"][COLOR="Black"]You obviously have not been following this thread.[/COLOR][/SIZE][/FONT]

[GoodAsGold]

Amen! I am right there with you, bdjam! When I visualize that huge screen overheard, all I can think of is NOISE POLLUTION and the opposite of eye candy. It just seems so intrusive. Do I want to hear the drone of cartoons all day and old movies at night? Or whatever they're playing. One of my favorite places to be during the day is poolside, usually reading and taking in the sights and sounds of passengers laughing, yelling and generally enjoying themselves. Or even a loud pool game or band playing in the background. THAT'S my idea of "poolside noise". At night I sometimes enjoy a dip in the main pool. Or just hanging out on a lounge having a conversation with someone. I don't want to be "shushed" or have to worry about not being able to hear someone speak to me.

Hey, I love drive-in theaters. Ours just closed down several months ago after 50+ years. I also love sitting on our beach and watching movies when they do this during the summer evenings. BUT, the difference is these places aren't so confined. Harder to escape on a ship. And, why do they need to show movies in such a central area where other activities are going on? WHY does everyone need to be entertained by technology??? Isn't one of the very reasons we take a cruise OUT ON THE SEA is to get away from all of this??? Why don't they think we can't amuse ourselves with something as innovative as a conversation or maybe a book or just soaking in the sun or evening stars???

I don't get it.



[quote name='bdjam'][FONT=Comic Sans MS][COLOR=black]The comments might be meaningful to people who don't like MUTS, but you're right, mine in particular wasn't very constructive. But I do have to balance the fact that some people think that I have nothing bad to say about Princess with something.[/COLOR][/FONT]

[FONT=Comic Sans MS][COLOR=black]As for cruises revolving around MUTS, in some cases on the ships being retrofitted with the monstrosity, the cruise does revolve around it - whether or not one wants it to. I can no longer enjoy an afternoon at the mid-ship pool on Star Princess unless I want my cruise to revolve around MUTS. I cannot enjoy an afternoon at any pool on Sea Princess unless I want my cruise to include a big-screen TV hanging over me. I can't have a quiet walk after dinner on the upper decks unless I want to be exposed to MUTS on either ship. I can't take my meal from Horizon Court or the grill and enjoy it outside with a fellow passenger without the TV screaming at me. Further, as I've said before, I don't understand how Princess is going to get any return for their investment - unless they're also investing in heavy-duty blankets - when Star Princess is spending most of the next year or so on cold water itineraries.[/COLOR][/FONT]

[FONT=Comic Sans MS][COLOR=black]I'm totally fine with MUTS on ships built for it - I think Princess does a disservice to a good deal of its passenger base by adding it to ships that weren't. Not to mention, as a ship enthusiast, I think the addition of the big screen does horrible things to the original architectural design of these ships.[/COLOR][/FONT]

[FONT=Comic Sans MS][COLOR=black]I don't know how constructive they are, but those are my feelings.[/COLOR][/FONT][/quote]

[GoodAsGold]

I made that point last year and someone reminded that the "S" in MUTS can also stand for "SUN". Arrrghhhh! I think that's the part that bothers me the most. I can kind of see it at night. But, having that thing going all DAY is nuts. That's my new motto:

[COLOR=purple][B]"MUTS is NUTS...during the day".[/B][/COLOR]

[quote name='NorthPhoenixGuy']i would have thought that muts, movies under the stars, would only be shown when you can see the stars. from the other posters, i guess it's shown during the day when you can't see the stars, but nevertheless, they are still there! this is strange.[/quote]

[GoodAsGold]

Now that makes sense! I could very well see Paul utilizing the screen for this very purpose. I really enjoyed him as our CD.


[quote name='crusdiva']Hi David,
You would think so but it hasn't exactly been our experience.
It plays incessantly at massive decibel levels. There will be a movie schedule in the Patter everyday and when it's not a movie a concert will be playing.

The best use I ever saw of MUTS was on our first cruise on the Caribbean Princess in 2004 - just one month after it's deployment. Cruise Director Paul O'Loughlin used the MUTS pool area for Island Night Party and it was the best Island Night I'd ever seen. Robert Smith and the band were on a raised stage, the CD staff was below dancing with the passengers, the Princess videographers were panning the festivies and it was all being shown on the MUTS screen. Everyone, including the wait-staff loved seeing themselves on the big screen. That was a fabulous evening and though I've sailed the CB 3 times since then I've never seen another Island Night Party at the MUTS pool.
I've often wondered why.[/quote]

[DanJ]

Even in daylight, the stars are still up there, we just don't see them LOL. So, movies under the stars still applies.

I'm still not sure what the big controversy is. It's not like there is only one pool. Sure, if you happen to like *that* particular pool, it's an inconvenience. But obviously they have enough positive response to muts that they feel like spending the cash to retrofit other ships with it.

I agree the retrofit isn't exactly pretty, but then again, most modern cruise ships aren't all that pretty either