Star to Alaska Review 5/21 to 5/28 AKA: The Amway/Blue Coat Cruise

[Amadawn1]

OP.. thanks for sharing your vacation with us. It brought back a lot of good memories.

 

 

 

OH WOW.. I didn't realize that when you took the Tracy Arm excursion that you went instead to Dawes. In my opinion, having done both, Tracy Arm and Dawes, Dawes is the better of the two. Both are beautiful, but I loved loved loved the time we took the excursion and went to Dawes. IMHO, you REALLY lucked out.. 8-) Can't wait to compare notes on the Spirit this Nov. When I saw the OP's title of this thread, I had to read the review because I knew you were on this cruise as well.. 8-)

 

terrymtex01,

 

Thanks for the kind words. BTW, I was really glad our Tracy Arm excursion turned out to be Dawes. It was really breathtaking. I hope you have a great cruise in November!

[Amadawn1]

Wow! Sounds like you have a bit of a chip on your shoulder. Obviously we didn't meet all 900 Amway folks, but the people we encountered were all very friendly.

 

Nope. Sorry. No chip here. Guess I just don't appreciate the anti-American sentiment in the post.

[Amadawn1]

Loved your flower picture from Pike Place Market ( I assume). Aren't the flowers there just fabulous and so inexpensive. Our youngest son lived in Seattle for 3 years and we did the Star/Alaska cruise during that time. Unfortunately we saw NO wildlife and it rained everyday, but the scenery was still incredible.

 

Janet

 

housepeepers,

 

Yes the flower picture was from the Pike Place Market. They were just incredible. I think they were selling the tulips for a dollar each. Sorry you didn't get any wildlife on your Alaska cruise. Maybe you could give it another shot? Do you remember what month you cruised up there? I am going back in September, and have heard September is the rainy season. Don't know how much wildlife we'll see this time around, but I am keeping my fingers crossed! Take care!

[Traveller20074]

Will read the rest (am curious about the Star) and my 1st question...I thought Spinnaker on the Star was redone (gotten rid of) and they did suites there?

 

 

Love detailed reviews...not too lengthy at all :)

[Amadawn1]

Will read the rest (am curious about the Star) and my 1st question...I thought Spinnaker on the Star was redone (gotten rid of) and they did suites there?

 

 

Love detailed reviews...not too lengthy at all :)

 

Hi Traveller!

 

Thanks for your comments! Yes, the Spinnaker on the Star was redone. They moved it from the front of the ship (and added suites). It is now located on Deck 7 Aft, right above the Versailles dining room. We really did not attend any events in the Spinnaker, but most of the issues I've read about on the CC boards have to do with the Spinnaker no longer having windows, and reducing the available indoor public viewing areas on the ship. Some folks have expressed that it seems a bit like a dark cave. You may be able to find several threads on this topic with a search, though. Take care!

[Traveller20074]

I am really glad you enjoyed the Lighthouse, Totems and Eagles excursion while on your cruise as well! It was a very enjoyable day for us, and the Captain and Princess were doing great. They both greeted our group at the bus too, and there was excellent weather that day. Captain Rob really does seem to enjoy presenting the excursion and piloting at the same time! You get a genuine sense that he has a great appreciation of Alaska, Ketchikan, the area's history and wildlife conservation.

 

Coincidentally, I will be heading back to Alaska on the Sapphire for my first Princess cruise in September, and can't wait! It will be interesting to get a comparison of the two different lines on almost the same itinerary.

 

Happy cruising!

 

We played "tag" with the Sapphire Princess the whole cruise :D 2 in one year, you're lucky! Have a good time :)

[AussieKathy]

thanks for taking the time to post a review! We just need a few more people now to post some more reviews to keep me going for another 3 weeks until my cruise!

[Amadawn1]

We played "tag" with the Sapphire Princess the whole cruise :D 2 in one year, you're lucky! Have a good time :)

 

Thanks Traveller!

[Amadawn1]

thanks for taking the time to post a review! We just need a few more people now to post some more reviews to keep me going for another 3 weeks until my cruise!

 

I'm glad you enjoyed the review AussieKathy! I know you will have a great cruise, and you will probably see a few more reviews before you go. The Alaska seaason has just begun! Have fun!

[margyrita]

Thanks for the great review Amadawn. We are going on July 16 with our 3 kids and are counting down. hope the weather is a bit warmer for the pools as that will make our lives easier!

 

one question (for now): is the mystery murder lunch ok for the kids (11 and 6).

[Amadawn1]

Thanks for the great review Amadawn. We are going on July 16 with our 3 kids and are counting down. hope the weather is a bit warmer for the pools as that will make our lives easier!

 

one question (for now): is the mystery murder lunch ok for the kids (11 and 6).

 

margyrita,

 

It may be appropriate for kids of that age. (I'm still trying to picture my son at that age, now that he's 21!) The thing to keep in mind, however is that input from the audience helps drive the storyline and the roles and lines of the actors. It really comes down to being improvisational theatre. With that said, there could be some adult themed lines spoken by audience members or the cast but I don't believe it ever went above the level of PG (movie rating-wise).

 

Whether it would interest the kids may be another question to consider. The mystery uses very few props, and focuses mainly on the actors interaction in the center of the dining area. Without any visual draw, I don't know if the show would hold the kid's attention for the full performance. They take two short breaks (which coincide with the salad to entree and entree to dessert meal service to guests), so you and the kids would be there for an hour and a half or possibly longer.