blondee419

So happy to see a great review of the STAR to Hawaii.. I will be going April 2018 so wanted to ask about excursions you did. Also how the elevators where... I am disabled and use a walker but with the amount of walking on a ship this size I will be using a scooter some of the time.

How did you enjoy so many sea days.... That is my only concern for hubby... I love to just people watch and read but he is another story...

Looking forward to hearing from you .....

Kitegirl-

My mom has trouble with her foot, and I have a plate and screws in one of my ankles as of about a year ago (so I still have issues). We used the elevators more than I ever have on previous cruises, and I will say there was never a long wait. The elevators were being serviced on the way out, I heard because they were banging against the elevator shafts one night due to exceptionally rough/high seas. I noted a higher number of scooters & walkers than I've seen on previous cruises also.

For convenience we tend to do ship's excursions, and picked excursions for all 4 islands but not Ensenada. I also did different ones from my mom and sister on 2 islands (I don't do helicopters, nor am I in biking condition due to said ankle injury)

We did a very long excursion on Oahu (Arizona, Bowfin, Pacific Aviation Museum, Missouri), and were in a small party bus (24 people). One woman had a walker, and it was not too much trouble for her. The key is not to push yourself. For instance, she didn't do the submarine. Everything was ADA at the sites, minus the sub (i work in a park for a government system, so that's something I actually look at when I visit other historic sites, but I'm nerdy like that)

On Kauai, we did horseback riding, so I'm guessing that's not for you. But I was glad to discover that I can still ride with this rod in my leg! There is a free shuttle to town, and it seemed like there were many bus tours available to see the sights.

On Maui, I did the National Park/Maui Ocean Center. That was a large motor coach, and there was very little walking required. Again, everything seemed very accessible.

On the Big Island, we did the Tastes of Hawaii tour. On this tour, we were in a large passenger van, and mom and I sat in the back, being the youngest in the group (65 & 37). One woman did have concerns about walking & getting into & out of the van. The van did require a step up/down. She also sent her husband ahead when we were at the Lava Tube in Volcanoes NP. I would *not* recommend attempting going to the lava tube if there's any question, as the descent may be an issue including the slope and several areas with stairs, and there are stairs required to exit the tube itself. The trail back was gradual in the upward slope. However, the rest of the tour was not strenuous. The art gallery we visited for lunch did have gravel/no paved walkways, and the gallery was packed with gorgeous art, if you think space is a concern.

In Ensenada, there is a shuttle from the terminal to the shopping area ($3, round trip) and the same company offers a trip to La Bufadora for $15, and Mom and I did that. The van/bus things have steps up into them, and it's like an airplane - space-wise for your legs. It's also uneven terrain to get to the blowhole, and crowded in the market. I can't comment on the shopping area in town, if you choose to take just the first van to the main drag.

Hope that helps!

~Kathryn

Trouble with the trivia on Star is that some of the entertainments staff like Joel are lazy and have the same questions every cruise. So back to back passengers know the answers. Even the same tiebreakers which are some of the weirdest questions. When we mentioned this to Joel he said it wasn't his problem that Princess attract back to back cruisers.

And yes we do know people who do back to back Hawaii cruises on Star. When I have time I will do it myself if its the right price.

Well, it was more that this team were sore losers AND winners. Whenever they lost, they glared at the winning teams, they constantly complained about scoring, stuff like that. One member of their team even called another passenger stupid on the last day, when the other passenger had a question about scoring. We actually sat behind them one time during one game and watched them cheat (changing answers and claiming they had it right to begin with). It's just a game, and there's no reason to be nasty to your fellow cruisers for an honest question. That really p*ssed me off. They legit did not know the 80s and 90s music my sister and I (35 & 37 respectively) were able to ID, and so yeah, I took a bit of pleasure in defeating them on the very last game of trivia by 10 points.

~Kathryn

wait! I was also on the 3 way Romantic Movie Quotes tie!! I wanted the Dance off!!

I Remember you from Skywalkers!!! :)

I second Nico!! He knew our names and drink orders AND folio numbers as soon as we arrived each night in Skywalkers for BOGO. Capt. Tuvo certainly sets the bar for any other cruises, and like any other organization, his enthusiasm shines all the way down the crew ladder. Shout out to Peter (bar steward) and Jay our room steward. In all my cruises, I'd also say Andrew was the most fun, engaged cruise director.

We also did trivia (won the last one - music through the ages! as well as 3 others (Movie posters, Country Music, adn Art Jeopardy). We got really tired of the one team winning all. the. time., and were so glad on the last day when Mikoko(?) was back out of quarantine and stood up to them! We actually witnessed them changing answers on their sheets.... It takes a lot to make trivia un-fun.

Overall, LOVED this cruise.

~Kathryn

Just got home from Star's 2/7 sailing. We could see some molten lava on the "Tastes of Hawaii" tour. That tour took us to the Jaggar museum, and from the outdoor viewing areas, you could see the lava spewing up. However, we could not see lava flows from the ship at any time.

Have fun!!!

~Kathryn

So, I usually get sick when I go on vacation (I'm 37). I sometimes wonder if it's because when i'm working, I'm powering through and I don't allow myself to get sick. When I'm on vacation, I'm relaxed, I don't have to be at work ALL THE TIME. I'm also around strangers, in an enclosed space, when I'm on an airplane or on a cruise ship.

I'm currently suffering from "Con Crud" from the recent pop culture/comic con that I attended this past weekend. And I was using hand sanitizer and washing my hands frequently and regularly, I used allergy eye drops and nasal spray in addition to my daily pill to avoid touching my face, and I took off an extra day after coming home to let my body rest. But there were 77,000+ people at the con, so of course I'm going to get breathed on and not realize it!

There is a balance between being TOO sterile (and thus not having as much immunity to the general population) and being gross and all Typhoid Mary in a crowd. It is this reason I avoid buffets and get very irritated when sick people insist on gracing the rest of us with their presence (I do send employees home if they're sick. It's not worth it).

Hope you stay well on your next journey!

Thank you all for your comments!

We wanted to be sure that we saw the memorial, so we had reserved a spot on an excursion.

We decided, though, that we're going to try and get our own tickets, and probably get a car, keeping our reservation just in case I can't get the free tickets for some reason! I will keep the other tips (target for thieves, food, belongings, etc.) handy when doing the planning.

The reason rental car, rather than take a cab, is for one reason. We have a family member who is memorialized at the Punchbowl, and we want to be able to spend time there as well. He was on a sub that was lost off of the coast of Japan late in the war. We inherited the family home, and with it came boxes of papers. Some of those papers were the telegrams sent by the war department informing his mother and father of his disappearance and eventual declaration of being KIA.

Again, thanks! This is why I love this community!!!!

~Blondee419

So, we had reserved an excursion through Princess for our Hawaii cruise, and I just received an email that said it was "cancelled due to operational reasons". Now I'm curious - what does that mean? The tour operator no longer has a contract with Princess? Something is or will be closed (We are in port on a Sunday)?

It was the Pearl Harbor/WWII Military Bases. We are mostly interested in ensuring that we are able to visit Pearl Harbor memorial, and rather than attempt to schedule myself, I'm going to pay the extra just to be sure :)

Thank you, hive mind!

~Blondee419