Star Princess review

[Cruise Raider]

Here is my review of the Star Princess from April 19th - 29th. 4 stars for the Star.

 

We are a couple, in the 55-65 year age range that love to cruise, especially when that cruise embarks in our home port of San Francisco. This was our 45th cruise overall, our 17th on Princess and our 3rd cruise on the Star Princess. There was a mix of all ages on this cruise with a number of children (they all seemed to be pretty well behaved), a large number of elderly and mostly people within our age range. Most people seemed to be either from the SF bay area and the Sacramento region here in California.

 

The ship is great shape for its age and the food, service and bedding has greatly improved since our last time on her approx. 3 years ago.

 

We arrived at the new pier, pier 27, in San Francisco around noon. Traffic was bad getting to the port as it was a beautiful Sunday with a cruise ship in town, construction on the way to the Embarcadero and an SF Giants game starting at 1 PM. Upon arrival, we were directed to the preferred boarding line and while there, heard the announcement that elite and suite passengers could begin boarding. The whole process only took about 15 minutes until we were in our room.

 

We chose an obstructed ocean view room that was across from the laundry room with minimal obstruction unless you were close to the window. There was no noise EVER from the laundry room area so would never be worried about booking a room in that location again. Because there were 2 tender ports on this cruise, there was a lot (I mean a lot) of noise from that as they used the tender located next to our room for both ports. It was quite early when the process started but not the fault of the cruise line by any means.

 

Our room was your basic Princess cabin and everything was in working order. The bed was comfy as I had ordered a mattress topper (no longer egg crate toppers) and there were 2 really nice feather pillows and 2 worthless pillows that were swapped out for better ones. There were no large feather pillows left in stock but our room steward did the best to find us something acceptable. A bit of a fiasco as in trying to find these, she swapped out one of the ones we actually liked for one that was not so good, but the next day, she found that original one and changed it back. She was efficient and the room was cleaned timely, but not overly friendly and nothing extra provided. We aren't at all messy but did have room service trays and dirty plates in our cabin pretty much constantly, so we did give her that extra challenge.

 

The bathroom was clean enough but the tile grout was in desperate need of being redone. It made the bathroom feel dirty even though it really wasn't.

 

The closets on Princess ships are the best -- as is all their storage. There are plenty of shelves, hangers, drawers, etc throughout the cabin. The desk has 3 draws on each side and 2 additional drawers on the nightstand on the opposite side of the cabin.

 

The carpeting was neither new or did it look shabby, same with the curtains.

 

After we arrived, we unpacked (we took only carry on luggage) and headed down to the elusive lunch in the MDR. They try to hide this and almost begrudgingly seat you if you get in prior to 1:30. We were seated at a table of 8 so go to meet some fellow passengers before sailing. Lunch was good although one of the passengers at our table ordered something that she didn't care for. It really did not look appetizing at all. They offered to bring her something else but it was already getting late as they waited to fill the table before they would even take our order.

 

After lunch, it was time to go to the fire safety drill, our muster being located in the Explorers Lounge. Their check in system is extremely efficient so this has gotten less painful in the passing years.

 

We hit the buffet the first night, followed by the casino and then for a nightcap up at Crooners. Henry Saxby was the piano player there and he is quite friendly and very talented. This became a staple for us during this cruise, especially if not much else of interest was going on.

 

We requested anytime dining, which is a great idea in theory, but it has gotten to be quite the amount of work. The Capri dining room was open early for anytime diners but the Portafino did not accept anytime diners until after 7:45. The dine line, if they ever answered, would only take reservations if you are willing to share a table and only for specific times. If you have no reservation at the Capri, it might take a couple of hours to get t your first course. We also had a bad experience in the Capri when the Maitre'D would seated us at a very badly located table semi in the main path so diners kept hitting the back of my chair and there was a very loud table next to us -- so not in the least bit enjoyable!! I asked if we would be moved to a little quite table by the window but he said no as it was a table for four, which incidentally remained empty through our entire dinner as we were still in port. There were others tables of 2 seated at tables for 4 but guess it just wasn't meant to be. The service by the waiters was impeccable, though...so credit given where credit was due.

 

When we asked if they could just pack up our dinner to go, they wouldn't do it after checking with the same Maitre'D. We really felt as though we were not valued customers in the Capri dining room. When we left, we explained that the service and food were great but that table was horrible at which point he nearly yelled at me telling us that we should have asked to be moved. Well, we explained we did but he wouldn't allow it. He was very confrontational at this point and raised his voice saying he couldn't give us a table for four. When I looked over at this table for four, still empty, he just turned his back. I was done there! We waited until late to have our dinners so we could be treated with some respect at the Portafino. We went one last time to the Capri after that and the wait to be seated was over an hour and it took nearly another hour to receive our first course.

 

Of note, with all other dinners in the main dining room, the waiters were fantastic and the food was great to excellent. We were surprised that with not even during one of our dinners in the main dining room were greeted by one of the table captains to check on how everything was, although we saw this service being offered to surrounding tables. Again, the main dining room service from head guys needs improvement.

 

We did eat one meal at the Crown Grill, which was beyond amazing, again with fabulous service. The Maitre'D there was most accommodating. At the pub lunches, both of which were held in the Crown Grill, again had amazing food and servers.

 

The entertainment on the ship was very good to excellent. There was a comedian onboard that was absolutely hilarious, so much so, we saw him twice in different shows. The newlywed show is always a treat, we missed seeing a hypnotist onboard (they are always funny but not one scheduled for this cruise) and the Piano player, as mentioned, was quite good. The bands onboard seemed to do a great job as well and the violinists treated us to some beautiful music in the Piazza.

 

The onboard activities staff was great. John, the assistant CD was personable and always upbeat. The captain was very much in the forefront and quite informative during his daily announcements. The future cruise sales guy is very good; we've actually gotten to know him on past cruises. We never needed to meet up with the Captain's Circle representative but she arranged a wonderful past passenger party that we attended.

 

A shout out to the bar personnel in the Wheelhouse Bar, Explorers Lounge, Crooners and in Skywalkers for the Captains Club happy hour. They were all fantastic. The staff at the International Café, at the Trident Grill, the Pizza counter and in the Horizon Grill were also top notch! Room service was quick and so friendly as well, although the menu is a bit limited.

 

The internet café was maintained well and so very useful for checking e-mails and pretty quick for most of the days -- all except for the day in Loreto. It is a rather remote location so this is understandable. There were some days with large crowds but never had a problem finding at least one empty cubby with an available PC.

 

The movies shown were pretty good -- nice way to spend a warm evening. More concerts than movies during the day, which isn't my preference and didn't appear to have many viewers. Movies on the tv were also available and were relatively recent so a nice option if the timing was right. We really enjoyed the old episodes of the love boat they made available on one of the stations.

 

The casino was ok but tight. I had actually done much better on my last cruise on this ship. Also, they had a lot of machines that were out of order, so that was disappointing. It was very crowded in there sometimes and they needed just a bit more variety with their machines. The non-smoking nights were most appreciated by us non-smokers.

 

I did end up picking up a nasty cold a little past halfway through the cruise so liked that the boutique had all the medicines that I needed. However, once I caught this bug, I really didn't want to share it with others so laid low.

 

The ship itself seemed to be maintained pretty well with some areas of new carpet noticed. The indoor pool was being resurfaced so remained empty a couple days. The MUTS screen was in decent shape but there were some deck loungers that desperately needed to be replaced.

 

Disembarkation was the best ever. We went to our disembarkation lounge, called immediately even before our designated time and were outside waiting for our ride within 10 minutes total.

 

It would be nice if the port authority added some benches at the port -- not sure why that wasn't done but can guess the reasons why they were intentionally omitted.

 

All in all a great cruise with a point deducted only because of our anytime dining experience.

[timetravler]

Thanks for your review. It was honest and I like that. Also the Star is my favorite ship. It does look great for it's age.

[RetiredNTraveling]

Very good review! It's always interesting to see someone's review that is specific. Facts, just the facts! :D Thank you for being detailed!

[geoherb]

Thanks for posting your review. It confirms why we like having traditional dining.

[bdjam]

I was a sworn traditionalist when it came to dining rooms but my last three cruises I've used Anytime. I eat late, usually arriving at about 7:45...never had a wait for a table whether it be a table for two or larger. It seems that early dining requires a table in traditional or patience to wait for a specific table that one might want in Anytime.

[Baatman]

You cruised with only carry on luggage....I'm impressed!

 

Do you remember the name of the comedian?

[Lakesrider]

Thanks. Great review. We are excited to be going on the Star in just a few weeks on the 7 day Alaskan cruise.:D

[MarkBearSF]

Did you catch the name of the Maitre d'?

I'll be aboard next week with a large group and would appreciate a helpful host - being able to avoid your guy would be very helpful.

[Colo Cruiser]

thanks for the review.

 

Any names other then "John"? For the CD/Comedian/Capt etc?

[skrodle]

we were on this cruise also... amazing cruise... everything pretty much top to bottom was fantastic.. the Love Boat disco party is OUTSTANDING

 

but I am curious about your "cold" 3 of us have gotten very sick since this cruise... started about 3 days before it ended, and 2 of us have been in the ER... wonder if there was something that we picked up.. I am going to see my doc tomorrow as what ever the infection is it has moved to my ear and I along with my husband and one of our friends will now be on antibiotics... ugh

 

but it was amazing cruise... and worth a little "cold" :)

 

-David

[trbarton]

Here is my review of the Star Princess from April 19th - 29th. 4 stars for the Star.

 

We are a couple, in the 55-65 year age range that love to cruise, especially when that cruise embarks in our home port of San Francisco. This was our 45th cruise overall, our 17th on Princess and our 3rd cruise on the Star Princess. There was a mix of all ages on this cruise with a number of children (they all seemed to be pretty well behaved), a large number of elderly and mostly people within our age range. Most people seemed to be either from the SF bay area and the Sacramento region here in California.

 

The ship is great shape for its age and the food, service and bedding has greatly improved since our last time on her approx. 3 years ago.

 

We arrived at the new pier, pier 27, in San Francisco around noon. Traffic was bad getting to the port as it was a beautiful Sunday with a cruise ship in town, construction on the way to the Embarcadero and an SF Giants game starting at 1 PM. Upon arrival, we were directed to the preferred boarding line and while there, heard the announcement that elite and suite passengers could begin boarding. The whole process only took about 15 minutes until we were in our room.

 

We chose an obstructed ocean view room that was across from the laundry room with minimal obstruction unless you were close to the window. There was no noise EVER from the laundry room area so would never be worried about booking a room in that location again. Because there were 2 tender ports on this cruise, there was a lot (I mean a lot) of noise from that as they used the tender located next to our room for both ports. It was quite early when the process started but not the fault of the cruise line by any means.

 

Our room was your basic Princess cabin and everything was in working order. The bed was comfy as I had ordered a mattress topper (no longer egg crate toppers) and there were 2 really nice feather pillows and 2 worthless pillows that were swapped out for better ones. There were no large feather pillows left in stock but our room steward did the best to find us something acceptable. A bit of a fiasco as in trying to find these, she swapped out one of the ones we actually liked for one that was not so good, but the next day, she found that original one and changed it back. She was efficient and the room was cleaned timely, but not overly friendly and nothing extra provided. We aren't at all messy but did have room service trays and dirty plates in our cabin pretty much constantly, so we did give her that extra challenge.

 

The bathroom was clean enough but the tile grout was in desperate need of being redone. It made the bathroom feel dirty even though it really wasn't.

 

The closets on Princess ships are the best -- as is all their storage. There are plenty of shelves, hangers, drawers, etc throughout the cabin. The desk has 3 draws on each side and 2 additional drawers on the nightstand on the opposite side of the cabin.

 

The carpeting was neither new or did it look shabby, same with the curtains.

 

After we arrived, we unpacked (we took only carry on luggage) and headed down to the elusive lunch in the MDR. They try to hide this and almost begrudgingly seat you if you get in prior to 1:30. We were seated at a table of 8 so go to meet some fellow passengers before sailing. Lunch was good although one of the passengers at our table ordered something that she didn't care for. It really did not look appetizing at all. They offered to bring her something else but it was already getting late as they waited to fill the table before they would even take our order.

 

After lunch, it was time to go to the fire safety drill, our muster being located in the Explorers Lounge. Their check in system is extremely efficient so this has gotten less painful in the passing years.

 

We hit the buffet the first night, followed by the casino and then for a nightcap up at Crooners. Henry Saxby was the piano player there and he is quite friendly and very talented. This became a staple for us during this cruise, especially if not much else of interest was going on.

 

We requested anytime dining, which is a great idea in theory, but it has gotten to be quite the amount of work. The Capri dining room was open early for anytime diners but the Portafino did not accept anytime diners until after 7:45. The dine line, if they ever answered, would only take reservations if you are willing to share a table and only for specific times. If you have no reservation at the Capri, it might take a couple of hours to get t your first course. We also had a bad experience in the Capri when the Maitre'D would seated us at a very badly located table semi in the main path so diners kept hitting the back of my chair and there was a very loud table next to us -- so not in the least bit enjoyable!! I asked if we would be moved to a little quite table by the window but he said no as it was a table for four, which incidentally remained empty through our entire dinner as we were still in port. There were others tables of 2 seated at tables for 4 but guess it just wasn't meant to be. The service by the waiters was impeccable, though...so credit given where credit was due.

 

When we asked if they could just pack up our dinner to go, they wouldn't do it after checking with the same Maitre'D. We really felt as though we were not valued customers in the Capri dining room. When we left, we explained that the service and food were great but that table was horrible at which point he nearly yelled at me telling us that we should have asked to be moved. Well, we explained we did but he wouldn't allow it. He was very confrontational at this point and raised his voice saying he couldn't give us a table for four. When I looked over at this table for four, still empty, he just turned his back. I was done there! We waited until late to have our dinners so we could be treated with some respect at the Portafino. We went one last time to the Capri after that and the wait to be seated was over an hour and it took nearly another hour to receive our first course.

 

Of note, with all other dinners in the main dining room, the waiters were fantastic and the food was great to excellent. We were surprised that with not even during one of our dinners in the main dining room were greeted by one of the table captains to check on how everything was, although we saw this service being offered to surrounding tables. Again, the main dining room service from head guys needs improvement.

 

We did eat one meal at the Crown Grill, which was beyond amazing, again with fabulous service. The Maitre'D there was most accommodating. At the pub lunches, both of which were held in the Crown Grill, again had amazing food and servers.

 

The entertainment on the ship was very good to excellent. There was a comedian onboard that was absolutely hilarious, so much so, we saw him twice in different shows. The newlywed show is always a treat, we missed seeing a hypnotist onboard (they are always funny but not one scheduled for this cruise) and the Piano player, as mentioned, was quite good. The bands onboard seemed to do a great job as well and the violinists treated us to some beautiful music in the Piazza.

 

The onboard activities staff was great. John, the assistant CD was personable and always upbeat. The captain was very much in the forefront and quite informative during his daily announcements. The future cruise sales guy is very good; we've actually gotten to know him on past cruises. We never needed to meet up with the Captain's Circle representative but she arranged a wonderful past passenger party that we attended.

 

A shout out to the bar personnel in the Wheelhouse Bar, Explorers Lounge, Crooners and in Skywalkers for the Captains Club happy hour. They were all fantastic. The staff at the International Café, at the Trident Grill, the Pizza counter and in the Horizon Grill were also top notch! Room service was quick and so friendly as well, although the menu is a bit limited.

 

The internet café was maintained well and so very useful for checking e-mails and pretty quick for most of the days -- all except for the day in Loreto. It is a rather remote location so this is understandable. There were some days with large crowds but never had a problem finding at least one empty cubby with an available PC.

 

The movies shown were pretty good -- nice way to spend a warm evening. More concerts than movies during the day, which isn't my preference and didn't appear to have many viewers. Movies on the tv were also available and were relatively recent so a nice option if the timing was right. We really enjoyed the old episodes of the love boat they made available on one of the stations.

 

The casino was ok but tight. I had actually done much better on my last cruise on this ship. Also, they had a lot of machines that were out of order, so that was disappointing. It was very crowded in there sometimes and they needed just a bit more variety with their machines. The non-smoking nights were most appreciated by us non-smokers.

 

I did end up picking up a nasty cold a little past halfway through the cruise so liked that the boutique had all the medicines that I needed. However, once I caught this bug, I really didn't want to share it with others so laid low.

 

The ship itself seemed to be maintained pretty well with some areas of new carpet noticed. The indoor pool was being resurfaced so remained empty a couple days. The MUTS screen was in decent shape but there were some deck loungers that desperately needed to be replaced.

 

Disembarkation was the best ever. We went to our disembarkation lounge, called immediately even before our designated time and were outside waiting for our ride within 10 minutes total.

 

It would be nice if the port authority added some benches at the port -- not sure why that wasn't done but can guess the reasons why they were intentionally omitted.

 

All in all a great cruise with a point deducted only because of our anytime dining experience.

 

You asked about benches at the port. Please see my photo below.

There are plenty of benches at the new terminal pier 27. Do you think that there should been something else added or perhaps you didn't notice the benches that are in the photo that I took.

 

Tom:)

[Cruise Raider]

You cruised with only carry on luggage....I'm impressed!

 

Do you remember the name of the comedian?

 

Oh yes, it was Doug Funk. He even made fun of his own name...as you can imagine. He was not only hilarious but didn't pick at people in the front rows ... or anyone for that matter. He got this 12 year old up on stage with him for some improv ... the kid was a stitch. Doug commented that in all his years of doing this, he was by far the best. He was right!!

 

In terms of the carry on luggage, it is something we now strive for and it is liberating to say the least. How many times do you pack up clothes that were not worn at the end of the cruise? Plus, if you book one of the specialty restaurants on formal nights, you can rely on the smart casual dress code. Wearing something twice is not out of the question for us plus, I forgot to mention, Princess did a great job on our laundry.

[Cruise Raider]

You asked about benches at the port. Please see my photo below.

There are plenty of benches at the new terminal pier 27. Do you think that there should been something else added or perhaps you didn't notice the benches that are in the photo that I took.

 

Tom:)

 

That is so funny....never even saw those. I think there were so many people waiting for their rides that these were hidden behind the rows of people standing in front of the people that were seated. We disembarked about 30 minutes ahead of schedule to boot.

[Cruise Raider]

we were on this cruise also... amazing cruise... everything pretty much top to bottom was fantastic.. the Love Boat disco party is OUTSTANDING

 

but I am curious about your "cold" 3 of us have gotten very sick since this cruise... started about 3 days before it ended, and 2 of us have been in the ER... wonder if there was something that we picked up.. I am going to see my doc tomorrow as what ever the infection is it has moved to my ear and I along with my husband and one of our friends will now be on antibiotics... ugh

 

but it was amazing cruise... and worth a little "cold" :)

 

-David

 

Mine started the day in PV so just hours before yours and spoke with others that got it onboard towards the end of the cruise. You are right, definitely picked up on the ship ...mine also went into my ears and then my chest and it went with the sorest throat I have ever had -- the sore throat lasted an entire week. My DH staved it off during the entire sailing but is now sicker than a dog. This is really something for a couple that very rarely gets sick...we are such habitual hand washers. Still a great cruise up until that point!

[Cruise Raider]

thanks for the review.

 

Any names other then "John"? For the CD/Comedian/Capt etc?

 

I think the cruise director's name was Neil Rose. He was good but John made his way out to talk with passengers so he made more of an impression. The captains circle host was Abigail Jacobs and for the life of us, cannot remember the Captain's name.

 

The funniest comedian was Doug Funk and the other one, who was pretty funny as well was Al Katz.

[Cruise Raider]

Did you catch the name of the Maitre d'?

I'll be aboard next week with a large group and would appreciate a helpful host - being able to avoid your guy would be very helpful.

 

The one we didn't care for was Carlos in the Capri. The ones in the Portafino were great, though. However, that dining room didn't open until 7:45 so sometimes didn't fit so well into the show schedule.

[cubfan63]

The one we didn't care for was Carlos in the Capri. The ones in the Portafino were great, though. However, that dining room didn't open until 7:45 so sometimes didn't fit so well into the show schedule.

 

 

I was also on this cruise.

 

If Carlos is the one at the door at the Capri, I agree he was unpleasant. He also handled the door at lunch in Portofino, unfortunately.

 

To answer a question in an earlier post, the Captain was Stefano Rivera.

[flutprop]

DH and I made it off the ship without getting sick. A first for our family; usually at least one of us gets something.

John Loney was the Deputy CD, and I agree he was amazing. I couldn't have picked Neil Rose out, but we interacted with John and the rest of the Cruise staff frequently. He is scheduled to head to the Ruby in a couple months, but there was also talk of him taking over for Neil as CD. Great promotion for him if it happens, and seems well deserved.

 

Funny about the dining room service. We were in a suite, and when we would show up at the dining room without a reservation, we would get almost chastised for not having one. Then get seated at a table to 2. We wanted larger tables, so I guess I should have specified that.

[oskidunker]

For those who were sick, did you mostly eat in the horizon court or the dining room?

[Cruisin' Chick]

On the two Mexican Riviera cruises I've been on, both times I've gotten sick in Puerto Vallerta, but I believe they were allergy attacks as our port days were when trash was being burned there.

[Cruise Raider]

For those who were sick, did you mostly eat in the horizon court or the dining room?

 

We never ate off the ship and actually stayed onboard in both Cabo and PV -- but in answer to your question, we ate at every dining venue on the ship except Sabatini's. So, split out time between the main dining rooms, the buffet, room service, the Crown Grill, Pizza station, the Trident Grill and the International Café.

We also used the internet café and casino but washed up immediately after use. We went to the BOGO events in the Explorers Lounge, had late night drinks at Crooners and attended several shows in both the theater and lounges. We hung out both at the back hot tub, indoor and outdoor pools and watched a couple of movies at night at MUTS.

So, cannot really say where we picked it up but can tell you by the end of the cruise, a lot of people were coughing and sneezing.

[Cruise Raider]

On the two Mexican Riviera cruises I've been on' date=' both times I've gotten sick in Puerto Vallerta, but I believe they were allergy attacks as our port days were when trash was being burned there.[/quote']

 

It is funny you say this

We've been down to Mexico about 3 dozen times, always including PV and this is the first time sick. I don't really suffer from allergies so not that but this was the sickest we've both been in quite a long time. I think the last time my DH was sick was from the last time we were on the STAR....that's the 'funny' or should I say, the coincidental part. I really did enjoy most aspects of the cruise and don't hold Princess responsible for this illness unless the crew serving food or beverages were knowingly sick, but it is coincidental that this same ship and is probably not one I will get my DH to go back on. He now says it is snake bit. Oh, he'll forget the name of the ship and I will rebook in a couple of years on her and nobody will be the wiser. :D

[SRQfireman]

can anybody deny or confirm that the messenger@sea is up and running on the Star? I just saw a post that had a quote from iTunes about the app, and it said it was available on the Star.......Got my fingers crossed.

Thanks for confirming that

[cubfan63]

can anybody deny or confirm that the messenger@sea is up and running on the Star? I just saw a post that had a quote from iTunes about the app, and it said it was available on the Star.......Got my fingers crossed.

 

Thanks for confirming that

 

 

I was on the April 19th cruise on the Star as well. They rolled out Princess@Sea on this cruise. I did not download the app. I used the address supplied, connecting to the Intranet via the wifi (for which there was no charge) to check my folio and look at the online Patter. This worked very well.

 

I spoke with someone who said that her and her traveling companion were using the Princess@Sea messaging (not sure if it was with the app).

 

And on the Wake Show, the CD and Deputy CD mentioned the messaging as well, noting on several days, the different between Intranet (which is free) and Internet (which is not).

[SRQfireman]

saweeeeeet........I love it. I used it on the regal and liked it

Thanks for the update