Some input from our Star Cruise 05/30

[kadcad]

The Star is a wonderful ship that provided us with the only way to see and experience the inside passage of Alaska. I’m sure they’re be plenty of reviews about this trip, so we wanted to share these little tidbits of information to help future cruisers enjoy their trip more.

· First, the trip is worth whatever you paid for it.
· Get a balcony if you can, we spent hours out there and it adds so much to the size of your room.
· If you keep your expectations about the food in check, you’ll enjoy your meals. You don’t eat in a fancy restaurant at home everyday, so deal with the fact that the best way to get a good breakfast, or a fast lunch is to go to the Market Cafe. It works!
· For all those thinking about sneaking liquor on board, I’ll ask this question: Do you sneak it into the restaurants you enjoy at home? No I didn’t think so. If you want some wine in your stateroom, call room service, they’ll deliver it in about ten minutes. Want hard liquor? Same deal. You can pay as much as you would like, however we found a good French Chardonnay for about $20 a bottle, no more than we would pay going out to a family restaurant.
· Pack lightly you don’t need it all. Pack more warm things, dress in layers.
· Under your stateroom number is a dial to tell your Room Stewart that you want to have the beds turned down or for privacy. We found it at the end of the trip.
· The bathroom is small, but it works. Yes a large man can fit into the shower, no problem
· The safe is small, but was prefect for wallets and important things you didn’t want to carry with you around the ship.
· We ordered coffee delivered every morning to enjoy on the balcony, then we went to breakfast
· The soda card is worth the money, get it the first day and enjoy your drinks at meals or just sitting on the deck.
· The Cruise Director works hard; he met us on the first night and remembered our names the entire week. He was great!
· The shows are really good; try to make all of them.
· Whatever time you would like to eat, go earlier. A meal in the main dinning rooms takes 90minutes to 2 hours, enjoy!
· The staff was excellent. They all work hard to please you. Remember when you go home they start a new cruise.
· If you have a handicapped person in your party, be prepared for steps everywhere. The ship is not built for easy movement in a wheelchair.
· Tendering takes time. Plan ahead and get an early ticket we always had a #1 and never regretted it.
· If you really want to see wildlife, book a wildlife tour.
· Ask for deck blankets the first day, you’ll need them.
· The staterooms are not large, but storage is good. The beds are high enough for large suitcases to fit under them.
· Embarkation is time consuming, get to the dock before 11:00 AM and stand near the stairway.
· Debarkation is very unorganized. Mark you bags with something colorful the night before, you’ll need it to find them in the large warehouse
· Take along an extension cord and a clock.
· Relax you’re on vacation. Just enjoy the wonders of Alaska and the splendor of the Star.

[luvs to cruise]

Thanks for sharing the great tips. We leave on the 20th for our cruise. One question though, what are the deck blankets you talk about?
Thanks again
Robin


Elation 3-30-03
Spirit 11-02-02 (Panama Canal)
Elation 3-31-02
Holiday 8-18-01
Rhapsody of the Seas 4-2-00
Sensation 5-30-99
Elation 6-14-98
Jubilee, Tropical

[kadcad]

The deck blankets are just regular bed blankets, but when you are sitting on the balcony, it can get cold and windy. We enjoyed being out on the balcony late at night, the sun doesn’t go down until after 11, and it does get cold out there.

[didan]

Kadcad,
Thanks so much for the great tips. We are cruising the Star in late August and I've noted some the things you wrote. DH and I went back and forth, but did get a balcony cabin. Sounds like this was the right choice.

[HB]

Hi Kadcad, That is a real good review you wrote and good to the point recomendations too. Keiron the cd was great wasn't he. We had him on the Dawn 2003 but he seemed so much more out going this time than then, but then he had his new wife on the Dawn cruise at that time so I guess we know why his time was taken up a little then, when your new at love we know where our heart is. It was a wonderful cruise and I agree about getting a balcony if you can, but never stop from going if you can't as I think Alaska is about one of the nicest cruises you will ever take. Sure there are problems that come up but show me any cruise that does not have them, make the best of them and enjoy.

[kadcad]

NJR, Thanks for putting together the Cruise Critic meeting. I forgot to mention that is worth the time to attend. We learned a lot and it was neat to see people throughout the cruise that you knew by name.

[alonzo14]

[img]http://messages.cruisecritic.com/infopop/emoticons/icon_cool.gif[/img]thanks for the tips Kadcad. Also thank you NJR for your input. I have a question for either of you. Was Jane Powell ( black singer) on this cruise? Thanks.

[kadcad]

Yes Jan Powell was there and she was fantastic!
We went to both her shows and bought her CD. She was not everyones cup of tea, some folks lwft as she started, but if you like great music and interaction from the stage Jane Powell is a hit.

[kadcad]

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><font size="-1">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by kadcad:
Yes Jane Powell was there and she was fantastic!
We went to both her shows and bought her CD. She was not everyones cup of tea, some folks left as she started, but if you like great music and interaction from the stage Jane Powell is a hit.<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

[kadcad]

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><font size="-1">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by kadcad:
Yes Jane Powell was there and she was fantastic!
We went to both her shows and bought her CD. She was not everyones cup of tea, some folks left as she started, but if you like great music and interaction from the stage Jane Powell is a hit.<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

[alonzo14]

[img]http://messages.cruisecritic.com/infopop/emoticons/icon_cool.gif[/img]thanks kadcad. I hope she is there when we cruise in August. I think she's great!!!!