sillymonkey23

My parents are in cabin E307 on the Empress deck. Great cabin! Great location near forward elevators on deck 8.

Tom,

I used Photobucket to upload my photos for the review. I was worried that the photos were too large but I think they came out pretty well.

When we completed our online check in we set up our credit card information. When we checked in at the pier we were given key cards that had charging privileges. We simply used our key cards exactly as though we were sailing on the cruise. It was great!

After obtaining our photo I made it a point to find the Laundromat area closest to my parents' room as my parents may need to do a few loads of laundry on a 15 day cruise. I showed them the one on their deck and was impressed with the number of irons and ironing boards as well as the washers and dryers.

My parents are attending a Cruise Critic Meet and Greet on their first sea day at Skywalker's so we headed up to Skywalker's to check it out.

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Skywalker's on the Star is a little different from Skywalker's on the Golden. We actually decided we prefer Skywalker's on the Star because it feels more open and airy. I encouraged my parents to return here in the evenings to dance and have a good time.

Upon returning to my parents' room their bags had arrived so my husband and I helped them unpack and put their empty luggage under their bed. The room steward knocked on the door, introduced himself and said he would bring their robes. I felt pleased with his level of friendliness and service and knew that my parents would be looked after well for the next 15 days.

It was almost time for my parents to attend their muster drill so we grabbed the life jackets and walked to the Crown Grill, which is their muster station. We promised to take good care of their precious little dog, told them to have a great time, and said goodbye for 15 days.

Overall, this was a great experience. It was important for me to make sure that my parents got on board safely, and the BVE allowed us to go one step further and actually join them on board for a few hours. I am pleased with Princess for offering this and would absolutely recommend this to anyone who is interested and able to join their guests on board for a few hours.

After lunch we spent some time walking around the ship. We had all sailed on the Golden Princess a few months ago and the layout was very familiar to us. We had no problem navigating the ship and quickly obtained tasty beverages at the bar on Deck 14 near the pool.

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Husband and I didn't bring swimsuits on board but we could easily have gone for a swim if we had!

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We were given two copies of the photo so my parents kept one and my husband and I took one. I think that's a pretty nice deal. I like to have photos to remember nice days, and this was absolutely a nice day!

After checking out my parents room we headed down to the Portofino Restaurant for lunch. We were seated at a table for four and given special limited menus. My husband and I were given a complimentary glass of red wine. My dad requested a coke and was not charged for it.

My husband ordered the Red Snapper Mojito Ceviche. I had some and it was amazing!

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As an entree, I ordered the Trout. It was well-seasoned and tasty.

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After the meal our friendly and well-informed server (Chris) answered our questions about the drink programs on board and my dad purchased the Ultimate Kid's Beverage Program (UKP), which entitles him to unlimited soda, milkshakes, hot cocoa, and mocktails for the duration of the cruise. Though the title of the program seems to cater to children, adults are more than welcome to buy this as well. It came out to about $7 a day and included a nice souvenir cup.

My parents left today on their 15 day cruise to Hawaii on the Star out of LA. My husband and I were fortunate enough to be able to purchase the Bon Voyage Experience to join them for embarkation, lunch and a few hours of relaxing on board.

As we began to research the Bon Voyage Experience (BVE), it was difficult for us to find answers to some of our questions and a few times we came across conflicting information. So I thought I'd write a review of our experience and maybe it will be helpful for someone else planning to do the Bon Voyage Experience in the future. In my opinion, this is a great deal (both the overall value and the overall fun of it).

For those of you who are not familiar with the BVE, it is a service that allows people who are not actually going on the cruise to join friends/family members who are on the cruise for a few hours prior to the ship setting sail.

It was easy for us to make the reservation. We simply called the main number for Princess and asked for the Bon Voyage desk. We were told that for $39 each we would be able to board early with my parents, have our photo taken, have lunch, and spend up to four hours on board with them. We did need to give the booking number for my parents, so be sure to have your guests booking number if you call to reserve the BVE.

Upon arrival at the pier on the day of my parents cruise, we came across a few staff members who did not know what the Bon Voyage Experience was, but we were able to find plenty of people who did know what we were doing. At check in my husband and I were given envelopes with a welcome letter, a key card (that would allow us to make purchases on board) and a map of the ship. My husband, parents and I then proceeded through security and were directed to a small area of chairs with a sign that said "Bon Voyage Experience Guests."

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SDMike: I just wanted to let you know that you have been an enormous help to me and my family as we have planned our Epic vacation! Thank you for the wonderful links in your signature as well as your insight on these boards. So many times I have had questions about cabin selection or entertainment or even where to stay in Miami, and I inevitably find myself reading a post that you have heavily contributed to. Thank you, sincerely! I haven't actually had to post any questions because I have found that they have all been answered already!

My family and I are now happily preparing for our Epic cruise this November. We are in two B6 balcony cabins (11100 and 11104) and an inside across the hall (11098). With the insight i've gained on this forum I was able to select what I think are great rooms for my husband and myself, my parents next door and my brother and his girlfriend across the hall.

I know this is an Epic thread, and I don't mean to hijack it, but I also wanted to thank you for your lovely Alaskan review. My husband and I are going on the Pearl in August and have read your review many times. Even though you went on the Jewel, there was tons of information to glean from it that was relevant to our trip!

Thank you for your contributions to this community!