Celebrity lovers try Princess...again!/Star Princess 6/14-21 review w/ pics!

[Infi]

Thanks for the review, as you can see my wife and I love Celebrity also they just suit us best!

But we are going on the Caribbean Princess this August for Canada New England and looking forward to it, but then its back to X and the Solstice in March! we will slip in a princess or rccl cruise every so often...but will always be based as X customers

 

We love Celebrity too, but lately we've been finding more attractive itineraries (and prices) with Princess. X doesn't seem to change their itins often enough. We sailed on the Solstice in November and she is such a wonderful ship...you will really enjoy your cruise on her. Hopefully we will be back to X sometime soon, too.

 

Thanks, loving the great pictures with the written descriptions! Hubby & I will be on the Star for the October 2009 30-night cruise from Sydney to Los Angeles, so we will have lots of time to get to know this ship. Please keep this review going, ok?

Peggy

 

Thank you! Your 30night cruise sounds great, I wish I had the vacation time for a cruise that long. I'll keep plugging away on this review!

[Infi]

After muster drill was over, there’s the infamous elevator rush, where everyone crowds the elevators and stairwells all at once. It’s very difficult to get an elevator on the first day, particularly midship as the crew holds most of the elevators on the lower decks for embarking passengers. We barely made it up to the top deck in time – the ship was already pulling away from the dock!

 

There was no sailaway party in the traditional sense, with games and live music. They played some canned music over the speakers, which surprised me because I had read reports saying that the ships weren’t allowed to play music near Pier 91 because of the homes nearby. The cruise staff did have some drawings for those who had completed the “treasure hunt” around the ship that afternoon. Most of the prizes were nice things, like dinner for two in the Crown Grill or a free spa treatment. If you’re a photohound like DD, the skyline of Seattle is on the starboard side, and the port side is just the pier. The Westerdam had left prior to us, though I’m not sure when, as she was pretty far away when we started moving.

 

Seattle skyline, as seen from port side of the ship.

 

Obligatory Space Needle shot, which is very close viewing from the ship while at Pier 91.

 

Our berth at Pier 91, and a fishing boat also docked there.

 

Seattle skyline.

 

After about twenty minutes, the naturalist came on and introduced herself and began narrating a bit about Seattle and the Washington coastline. Her name escapes me now, but she’s a native Alaskan who gave several presentations on wildlife, glaciers, and Alaska during our cruise. She narrates upon approach to Tracy Arm, as we left some ports, and also if there’s a wildlife sighting. Her narration (either fortunately or unfortunately, I heard both opinions!) does not come in on all decks, but can be heard from the promenade deck and balconies well. You can also hear her narration on the cabin TV.

 

We had early seating in traditional dining. Early seating was at 5:30 – yes, 5:30! Late seating was at 7:45. In all the cruises I’ve been on, I’ve never had early seating that early. I have to say I wasn’t really a fan, as it led to a lot of rushing around in the early evening after returning from ports. I wished for that “extra” 45min that 6:15 provides more than a few times! I did write about this on my comment card, but thought others should know, as this was certainly a surprise for us when we boarded.

The traditional dining room is the Amalfi dining room, on deck 6. Because it’s boxed in by the anytime DR’s kitchen, this dining room is only accessible by the aft stairs and elevators, and only two elevators at that. The location of the traditional DR is one of our pet peeves about Princess – it’s quite difficult to get down there, particularly with only two elevators at peak times. But, I know that if it were an anytime DR, no one would ever visit it because it’s so hard to reach, so this isn’t likely to change soon. The anytime DRs are Portofino (midship, deck 6) and Capri (midship, deck 5). Portofino also serves open seating breakfast (7-9:30am), lunch (12-1:30pm) and high tea (3:30-4:30pm).

 

Our waitstaff was Agnieszka (Poland) and Manuel (Portugal), her assistant. Both were excellent, very efficient and great servers. Agnieszka js a real gem, however. She always made us laugh, managed to ask us about our day, and get to know us in the limited time they have to serve three large tables. Most importantly, she always told us “don’t be shy!” if we didn’t like something or we wanted double entrees etc. She was so cute, the phrase quickly became our table’s catchphrase for the rest of the cruise. If you have her as your server, you are in for a real treat.

 

Now…the reason we’re all here…the food! Well…most of us, anyway.

As soon as my daughter organizes her photos, I will post a link to the albums here. Those albums will include the menus for each meal, along with pictures of the dishes. For now, I’ll just post some shots of the entrees and desserts.

Prime rib:

 

Flourless chocolate cake with cream and berries…this dessert is divine.

 

After a delicious dinner, our next stop was the Welcome Aboard show. Yes, these are pretty much all the same, but we like to go and check out the cruise director and the entertainment acts. The singers and dancers performed “We Are Family” and the CD, Lee Childers, introduced himself. Now, this is definitely a subjective thing and YMMV, but I really did not like Lee as a CD. He wasn’t very visible onboard (his staff did almost all his emceeing for him), and his morning show of dully reading the Patter was enough to put you to sleep again. I kind of got the “used car salesman” vibe from him, as did our tablemates, so I was relieved I wasn’t the only one. However, I will get tremendous credit to his cruise staff, all of whom were excellent and very fun. Special mention goes to Eric and Boogie, who are both enthusiastic, terrific to talk to, and would make great CDs in their own right.

The comedian that performed that night was Jim Macdonald. He was only okay, not the greatest, and he definitely took some time to warm up. The highlight of his show is at the end, when he presents a slideshow of hilarious cruising photos and commentary.

MUTS had an early and late showing of Twilight this evening, and Frost/Nixon was played in the Vista lounge as well. If you plan to watch MUTS on an Alaskan cruise at night, be sure to dress VERY warmly. Two of our tablemates were dedicated Twilight fans who braved the cold outside by wrapping themselves in four – yes, four! – blankets each in order to watch the movie. The flannel blankets are available on deck, but you need to ask one of deck stewards to bring them to you, as they keep them in a cabinet indoors. If you plan to sit out on your balcony at night, you might want to "borrow" a blanket for your cabin...we did and it was a good idea.

 

Now that was a long post. We’ve reached the end of day 1 (finally!), so I think this is a good stopping point for tonight. More to come tomorrow!

[fifties chick]

This is the best review I've seen on these boards...very interesting to me , as we will be on the Star in September, San Francisco to Sydney...you are truely making the ship come alive...Thank-you very much..Ciao Ronda

[Billy and Charlie's Mum]

Wonderful review - more? Please?

[bcnvcanada]

Thanks for the great review and the pictures too!! A most enjoyable read. Thanks

[Solstice23]

I have a concern about the food pics so far...why does it all look like tis from a chilis? or something? is that typical of princess these days or just alaska? I am sure Princess will have good food for us but it just appears basic looking?

[firefly4423]

thanks for sharing all of those

[Coral]

i'm not sure why someone would book a trip when they already anticipate it will be bad?

 

I agree! I am almost giddy about my cruise tomorrow as I haven't been on a ship since October. I had my choice of many cruise lines for Alaska and it came down to Holland America and Princess. I knew I would enjoy myself on both lines and picked from that. BTW - all the cruises (with the exception of Regent and CruiseWest) costs approx the same. I choose the ship/itinerary that I thought I would enjoy the most.

[kimchee1212]

I have to tell you something right now. When we passed you in the Endicott Arm Fjord, you guys were so loud! We were so quiet. I thought to myself that we picked the wrong ship :p. You guys were partying! I videotaped you passing by, so loud!

[rdsqrl]

Infi, I'm really enjoying your review and the photos, which are making it totally come alive. I feel like I'm onboard right with you. Looking forward to reading the rest. Thanks so much for taking the time to do this.

[Pradagal]

Fabulous review. Great pictures. Can't wait till 09/12 for our Alaska cruise on the Star. I know on these boards we get people focusing on the food so much.

Personally cruise food is cruise food. I love to cruise for the experience,adventure,relaxing,meeting new people on a beautiful ship.

 

Sure the cuisine is important, but the food is all pretty much the same. They are serving thousands of people everyday.RCL.,Celebrity,Princess,Cunard,NCL. all pretty much the same.(specialty dining a little different on different lines).

 

If you are only interested in the fine dining stick with land vacations.

 

Okay off the soapbox(Sorry just tired of hearing about the food).

[Hemi001]

Infi - what a great review and using pictures of what you are reviewing gives it an added dimension, I can't wait for the rest and I will be looking for that link to your photo's, they are wonderful. I must be missing something, I thought that food looked delicious and well presented, nothing to complain about there except for a slightly damp keyboard from the drooling.

 

Ken

[Emma Chisit]

Thanks so much for the informative review and great pictures, please don't stop! Am on the Star Princess in September from SFO to Sydney and really enjoying this.

[Tak8]

Great details in your review. Princess is my favorite line but I like to try other cruise lines out and I'm anxious to hear your comparison of the 2 lines.

[Infi]

This is the best review I've seen on these boards...very interesting to me , as we will be on the Star in September, San Francisco to Sydney...you are truely making the ship come alive...Thank-you very much..Ciao Ronda

 

Thanks so much. I hope you enjoy your cruise on the Star!

 

Wonderful review - more? Please?

 

More is on its way (finally)!

 

Thanks for the great review and the pictures too!! A most enjoyable read. Thanks

 

Thank you!

[Infi]

Re: Princess vs. Celebrity debate we've had here...please, folks, I don't mean for this thread to start a fight, so no bashing here. I thought the thread title would be a cute "sequel" to my previous review as a new Princess cruiser. This is not a Celebrity or Princess cheerleader thread, I just tell it as (hopefully) objectively as I can.

Both are wonderful lines, and each has their respective hits and misses. Nobody's perfect! I would sail both in a heartbeat.

 

Now, back to our previous programming of a rambling photo review... ;)

[Infi]

thanks for sharing all of those

 

You're welcome, thanks for your comment!

 

I agree! I am almost giddy about my cruise tomorrow as I haven't been on a ship since October. I had my choice of many cruise lines for Alaska and it came down to Holland America and Princess. I knew I would enjoy myself on both lines and picked from that. BTW - all the cruises (with the exception of Regent and CruiseWest) costs approx the same. I choose the ship/itinerary that I thought I would enjoy the most.

 

Coral, I'm sorry this is a bit late, but I hope you enjoy your cruise today. Be sure to tell us all about it when you return, we'd love to hear a report.

 

I have to tell you something right now. When we passed you in the Endicott Arm Fjord, you guys were so loud! We were so quiet. I thought to myself that we picked the wrong ship :p. You guys were partying! I videotaped you passing by, so loud!

 

I heard about this from my daughter, who was out on the deck (our balcony was on the starboard side, so we missed it). She thought you were very loud and we were quiet - how funny! She said it was a really neat moment and was sad she didn't get all the cheering on video. If you have it online, would you mind sharing it? I'd love to see it.

[Infi]

Infi, I'm really enjoying your review and the photos, which are making it totally come alive. I feel like I'm onboard right with you. Looking forward to reading the rest. Thanks so much for taking the time to do this.

 

Thank you so much. BTW, I have to tell you that I always enjoy reading your posts on the boards - I like your writing style, it's always informative and fun.

 

Fabulous review. Great pictures. Can't wait till 09/12 for our Alaska cruise on the Star. I know on these boards we get people focusing on the food so much.

Personally cruise food is cruise food. I love to cruise for the experience,adventure,relaxing,meeting new people on a beautiful ship.

Sure the cuisine is important, but the food is all pretty much the same. They are serving thousands of people everyday.RCL.,Celebrity,Princess,Cunard,NCL. all pretty much the same.(specialty dining a little different on different lines).

If you are only interested in the fine dining stick with land vacations.

Okay off the soapbox(Sorry just tired of hearing about the food).

 

I agree with you 100%. The food is important, but there's so much more aboard to enjoy. I hope you have a great time on the Star!

 

Infi - what a great review and using pictures of what you are reviewing gives it an added dimension, I can't wait for the rest and I will be looking for that link to your photo's, they are wonderful. I must be missing something, I thought that food looked delicious and well presented, nothing to complain about there except for a slightly damp keyboard from the drooling.

 

Ken

 

Ken, thank you so much, I appreciate it. Even though it may not show up well in some photos, I assure you that ALL the food was all delicious and I have no complaints!

[Infi]

Thanks so much for the informative review and great pictures, please don't stop! Am on the Star Princess in September from SFO to Sydney and really enjoying this.

 

Thank you! I'm glad you're enjoying it, it makes me happy that future cruisers are getting something out of my review. :)

 

Great details in your review. Princess is my favorite line but I like to try other cruise lines out and I'm anxious to hear your comparison of the 2 lines.

 

Thanks! I have been forgetting to include some comparisons, so thank you for reminding me about that.

[Infi]

Morning two onboard Star Princess. For those wondering about Alaska weather, while it’s pretty unpredictable in the ports, the ship is a great constant weather-wise. It’s never too warm or too cold indoors, just comfortable. Most folks wore jeans and shirts, either short or long sleeved. My aunt and uncle were worried about daywear, but Alaska is very casual in the daytime. Layer and dress for comfort (and the weather!)

 

We’re not big buffet fans, so we eat almost all of our meals in the dining room. Wow, was it crowded! Almost every table was taken. Usually the DR isn’t crowded at all, but it often was on this cruise. Breakfast is open everyday from 7 until 9:30am. Every morning there are two different breakfast specials, and they're usually good - definitely worth a try.

Maine blueberry pancakes, the morning’s special – very blueberry, according to DD:

 

This morning had plenty of activities: a church service (there wasn’t one on Sunday), trivia, line dance class, MUTS (Hotel for Dogs and Hancock), and most importantly – the port and shopping talk. We went to this and I wasn’t too happy with it. The shopping lecturer, Tana, was heavily pushing jewelry and barely even mentioned the more “native” Alaskan items, which is what most folks would probably be interested in. I like jewelry shopping as much as the next person, but IMHO, Alaska is not the place to buy it. Yes, the chain stores are everywhere, but at least the Caribbean is duty free! She also tried to sell the Princess coupon book, which IMHO (again) is a ripoff. I think it was about $20, and it had a lot of vouchers for “free” jewelry pieces, like small pendants and little chip earrings. Like I mentioned before, the Alaska coupon book handed out in the terminal is far superior for actual souvenirs and can save you some money. Disclaimer: Despite my multiple endorsements of the Alaska coupon book, I do not work for them, I swear! I just love a good coupon.

 

There was a sushi buffet at 11:30 outside the Horizon Court, in the Calypso (enclosed) pool area. There was a different buffet here daily, which I thought was a nice touch that I hadn’t seen before on Princess.

 

 

 

 

 

 

DD, who is the lone sushi fan among us, reported it was a tasty snack.

 

 

Now, for a late lunch in the DR.

Appetizer: turkey breast on greens, with honey mustard.

 

I just realized that all of the photos in this section were of food! In the next section, I’ll post some pictures of the ship interiors.

[Clutterlady]

Loving your review! Please, you can post more food pictures.....looks yummy to me:)

[mississauga]

Excellent review! Love all the photos accompanying your comments. :D Thank you!

[Infi]

For the ship, we’ll start at the top and aft end. There’s more pools here than I had originally thought – three total, four if you count the kids’ pool.

At the end of Aloha deck, there’s a door and some stairs up to the aft pool. Very convenient if you’re as far aft as we were, and even nicer if you’re on a warm weather cruise. On our cruise, I never saw anyone in this pool, as it was far too cold. I believe this is the adults only pool, and it has stairs as an entrance, as opposed to the other pools, which have ladders.

Aft pool, from Aloha deck:

 

Skywalkers is suspended above the pool on the Star Princess, here’s a view of how it (and the Skywalkers walkway) half-covers the area.

 

Aft decks: Lido, below; Sun, middle, with childrens' netted playarea; and Sports.

 

On Sun deck, there’s a large outdoor play area outside the kids’ clubs, and they even have a small splash pool.

 

On the sports deck, there’s another shallow splash pool and the Oasis pool/bar, and a hot tub. These pools are situated directly under the Skywalkers walkway (there it is at the top of the photo - mind your head!), so I imagine they don’t catch much sun, even in warm climates.

 

The aforementioned hot tub and giant chess set on the starboard side. Some shuffleboard courts are on the port side of the pools.

[Infi]

One last shot of the aft pool, because I liked the sailboat in the background and because it's so rare to see an empty pool!

[atlasali]

Infi - Since I will be on the Star for 30 days...I will be experiencing a lot of food!!!! So I am enjoying your pictures. I like your style of photos and captions. Keep it up!!!

 

I like Princess, I like Celebrity, I like NCL, I like Royal Caribbean. When i am cruising: the ship that I am currently on is my current favorite.

 

And any ship is better than no ship.