Star Princess North to Alaska! Sept 10 2016

[Bimmer09]

The glacier sees that we have to turn and go so it drops a couple of chunks to arrest our attention

 

 

 

We pass a glacier that is shrinking, leaving a widened valley behind

 

 

The ship's lights are on

 

 

With it being cold and night falling I won't be staying up by Tradewinds for much longer. I'll go downstairs to my cabin and pack a couple of layers away before going to dinner tonight for the last time. On a Caribbean cruise I can milk that warm January night air until the last drop, knowing that soon I will be in Chicago with a down parka on, scraping ice off my car windows. It will soon be time to go indoors to the warmth.

[Bimmer09]

Down below on the Lido deck are the chunks of ancient glacier ice which may have traveled 30 miles to fall into the sea.

 

 

Posing for photographs

 

 

Just then the Captain, Michele Tuvo, strolls up as he was responsible for having the ice brought aboard.

 

 

 

If you sail upon the Star and you have this man as your Captain you will be lucky indeed. He's out and about and really enjoying his job.

[ar1950]

 

 

With it being cold and night falling I won't be staying up by Tradewinds for much longer. I'll go downstairs to my cabin and pack a couple of layers away before going to dinner tonight for the last time. On a Caribbean cruise I can milk that warm January night air until the last drop, knowing that soon I will be in Chicago with a down parka on, scraping ice off my car windows. It will soon be time to go indoors to the warmth.

 

Brrrr....Your pictures even look cold. Definitely not the Caribbean.

Edited October 22, 2016 by ar1950

[Bimmer09]

 

 

 

 

Another shrinking glacier

 

 

With a sigh for the shrinking glaciers and my shrinking vacation I head downstairs to prep for dinner at the Crown Grill. The next time I see daylight will be in Whittier.

[Bimmer09]

Before we go to dinner in the Crown Grill here is a video from Harvard Glacier including a calving incident.

 

[YOUTUBE]wczrXvUNfOM[/YOUTUBE]

 

Norris

[Bimmer09]

Our last dinner on board the Star was in the Crown Grill and anticipation ran high as we eat here every cruise. We've always enjoyed the food and service.

We were on time at 9 pm. No window seats available but it was dark outside anyway. We were seated at a booth near the entrance.

 

 

After a couple of minutes our waiter George appeared with menus and took our drink orders-a Nohito for Carol and a glass of Malbec for me. I ordered my usual Filet Mignon cooked medium but forgot to order a lobster tail. Carol reminded me of this after the waiter went scurrying off but I said-I'll tell him next time he passes.

 

I took a couple of photos while waiting as we were close to the open kitchen

 

 

 

The Head Waiter to my left

 

 

George did come back to our table-20 minutes after we sat down. He had been all over the room....oh there he is carrying a pepper grinder. Oh! I just saw him walking around with some napkins. "I haven't seen you in a while" I said and ordered a lobster tail as he delivered our drinks. Sure, no problem.

 

I remarked to Carol how many staff there were as new ones kept appearing. The restaurant was busy but by no means full. Other tables nearby were sitting with just drinks before them.

 

Our appetizers arrived at 10 pm an hour after we had sat down.

 

My lobster cake with olive tapenade and tarragon foam

 

 

The lobster wasn't very apparent but I was starving by now.

 

Carol's Heirloom tomato and beet salad

 

 

Sadly the tomatoes were not Heirloom and the beets were few in number.

 

The evening was taking a downhill turn, food and service wise, with this less than stellar start.

 

And it was about to go even further South....

 

More, much later

[cdngrl]

 

More, much later[/size]

 

norris, please don't leave me hangin'!

waiting (not so patiently) for the remainder of (your) dinner.

[JimmyVWine]

 

The evening was taking a downhill turn, food and service wise, with this less than stellar start.

 

And it was about to go even further South....

 

More, much later.

 

[Barky]

Norris you are just evil! Come back here and finish the story. This dropping a juicy bit and then taking off again has got to stop. Cdngrl and I are losing our patience. And you are preparing to leave for 4 days. I hope the entire ramble will be completed before you depart on your leaf peep. Pleassssssseeeeee. ;)

[CineGraphic]

I've been waiting for the Crown Grill trashing ever since you mentioned it at the beginning of this thread.

I too have some not-so-great meals/service at the Crown.

[Bimmer09]

norris, please don't leave me hangin'!

waiting (not so patiently) for the remainder of (your) dinner.

 

Well I wrote that around 6 a.m and had to be in the car by 6.30 after showering and eating breakfast and figured there was no time to continue.

 

If I had titled the post Murder in the Crown Grill that would have been a real Cliffhanger.

 

The story will unfold....

 

Norris

[Bimmer09]

Norris you are just evil! Come back here and finish the story. This dropping a juicy bit and then taking off again has got to stop. Cdngrl and I are losing our patience. And you are preparing to leave for 4 days. I hope the entire ramble will be completed before you depart on your leaf peep. Pleassssssseeeeee. ;)

 

Indeed it is my goal to have this finished before Tuesday morning at 5 a.m when we are setting off in the dark from our other home in Michigan on the long trek North to Traverse City and the gorgeous Mission Peninsula beyond (Google Image Mission Peninsula...)

 

Norris

[Bimmer09]

I've been waiting for the Crown Grill trashing ever since you mentioned it at the beginning of this thread.

I too have some not-so-great meals/service at the Crown.

 

Ah! a new name and most welcome!

 

Thanks for joining us here.

 

The wait is over...

 

Norris

[Bimmer09]

I love steak. I have been eating it since I was 5 years old or so when a little butcher van would stop at our house a couple of times a week. Meat from (once)happy grass fed animals from the pastures of Northern Ireland, where the grass is indeed very green and the soil rich enough you could lift a handful and eat it.

You would vomit immediately of course, let's not get carried away in a wave of hyperbole...we're gonna build a wall, and it'll be HUGE and we'll make the Mexicans pay for it...

 

I know steak and I love it. Love to cook it-on a charcoal grill in the summertime or indoors in a cast iron pan, finished in the oven.

 

A good steakhouse like Pappas Brothers in Houston has me waxing lyrical. My favorite national chain is Ruth's Chris where the steak comes spitting hot butter in your face and they offer you a welder's mask and it's gladly accepted.

 

I have always enjoyed the Crown Grill. Good quality meat (not Pappas Bros good but those are $50 8oz cuts and the sides are a la carte).

 

That's why we were here tonight-our enjoyment of 8 cruises with a good steak.

 

Our meals arrived 80 minutes after entering and taking our seats.

 

I cut into my medium Filet..

 

 

"This is well done George, I asked for medium"

 

Across the table Carol was looking at her Pan Seared Halibut with onion fried rice and creamed spinach only to notice that it was oven baked and lacked the char and crispy skin that Pan searing offers. Eyebrows were raised but not tempers.

Carol began to eat while my steak was whisked away after the offer of "I'll ask the chef to butterfly it so it cooks faster" was squashed by my HUH? expression and eyebrows that almost left my forehead. No thank you! I'll wait.

 

"Pan Seared" (NOT) Halibut

 

 

(The rolling trolley of 3 natural salts had been brought to the table but were now taken away before they could be introduced. The waiter was obviously rattled.

I would have taken the Hawaiian Pink.)

 

Wait I did as Carol picked through her desultory not-as-advertised meal. At home she is an expert cooker of fish and we regularly dine on halibut, cod, tilapia and salmon. It cooks very quickly so she should have asked for a new dish but she rolls with the punches like me.

 

The Head Waiter brought my replacement after ten minutes and presented it with a flourish. Nice sear on the outside. I took a knife to it. Not well done!!!

 

It was however a reminder that I was about to eat a once living animal whose raw bloody and cold tissue was apparent. It hadn't even reached the temperature necessary to qualify as rare. A lion on the Serengeti would have tucked into it with gusto but would he have forked over $29 for it?

 

My herbed fries sat growing cold. They were good but I like the composed bite of steak and fries on the same fork and just ate three. I asked that they be taken away and replaced.

 

Meanwhile a plate of lobster tails was brought forth and placed on the table

 

 

These were good but if I had had my druthers (I had left them back in the cabin) I would have liked a surf 'n turf on my plate with some crispy fries.

 

My steak MEDIUM came to the table, delivered by the Head Waiter 110 minutes after we came in and long after Carol had eaten although her dirty plate was still on the table.

 

Now I could eat a composed meal!

 

 

All was good except for the fries which had been taken away and re-fried and were thus grease sponges. Doh! You couldn't drop a fresh batch for the patient gentleman who's been at the table so long he needs a shave? Apparently not.

 

By this time I had little confidence in the kitchen and as a trumpeter of the virtues of Princess was saddened by the poor showing here. Obviously it is not like this every night.

 

I am not a complainer who gets "irate" or "Horrified" or claims "my night has been ruined". I am a calm realist who knows the phrase "we're only human" all too well. I've never spent the night in a shanty town in Mumbai or Rio where the rain comes in through the tin roof and soaks the rats trying to stay warm next to me as I sleep. I've never known hunger or pestilence. Never had a river of effluent run past my door or despaired over what tomorrow might bring.

I am a quiet easy-going man and in situations like this, privileged situations in the First World, I keep my cool, speak quietly and firmly and yet can kill a man with sarcasm and wit if matters go too far. Must be the Oscar Wilde in my genes.

The Head Waiter brought me a complimentary glass of wine for my troubles.

 

 

Carol thinks I should have asked for the meal to be comped or at least the Head waiter should have comped it as a gesture...but that's not me. I eventually ate the food, bar the fries, after all.

 

$58 back in my pocket wouldn't have erased the memory of a great cruise where we lauded the food at every meal, being besmirched by this farrago of Circus-Clownery.

 

I have only ever had a couple of meals comped and both were without asking.

The most memorable one a couple of years ago in a "trendy" foodie place in Traverse City, Michigan, where the chef had a reputation for "bold flavors" and innovative cooking came to our table to ask why both my appetizer-bruschetta ,which I had just eaten in Italy two weeks before and my entree which I can't even remember now, were both uneaten and pushed aside.

 

I was paying the bill for all the food I didn't enjoy as I figured I took a chance on this guy's kitchen and it was not to my taste. He was very defensive but my palate doesn't lie to me. He had to force the comp on me as I just wanted to walk away and chalk it up to experience.

 

So I am not angry, like when someone poisons your well or wants to talk when I am listening to Debussy creating a sonic French dreamscape, at the Crown Grill.

Just disappointed. I normally get up from the table there laughing and smiling.

 

I also normally get up from the table there without ordering dessert but this time after 2 hours at the table watching the comedy unfold I went for the Crown Dependence dessert extravaganza which required no grilling!

 

It hit the spot!

 

 

Carol's notes on her iPhone tell me we ate; a lemon tart, a chocolate soufflé Some Oreo thing and some S'mores. Yummy. The highlight of course was by Norman Love-his peanut butter slap you silly flavor bomb chocolatey thing which Carol ordered as a full portion and we both devoured like starving badgers

 

More....

[Bimmer09]

Can Norman Love do no Wrong? (rhetorical!)

 

 

I realized that if we had just sat down and ordered "Four Normans each please" the night would have taken on a better complexion.

 

I paid the $58 check but left no $12 tip as I normally do.

 

A walk on deck peering into the darkness was how we always ended the night.

Promenade Deck. One which can take you all the way around the ship. One that is covered from the elements.

 

Our hallway luggage was gone, not to be seen again until Chicago if I recall correctly.

 

We had to sleep.

 

Tomorrow our original plan of getting off the ship late and taking a Princess Shuttle ($27 each) and booking a room for the day at the Captain Cook Hotel to use for naps and bathing before our flight, had been replaced by a 6 plus hours excursion, by Carol, who wanted to savor every moment of the 12 hours before our 8 pm flight back to Chicago.

 

Yes, we have an excursion in the morning...and it's a doozy!

[Bimmer09]

I am not often a dessert guy as I don't usually eat a lot at a sitting. Just seeing that Norman Love creation has reminded me of the Celebrity version of the Crown Dependence which we had on our Silhouette Cruise.

 

The explanation of the delights we were eating is in the review and I can't put my hands on Carol's notes to tell you what the treats were. You'll have to read the review I guess.

 

The Celebrity specialty restaurants are priced way above the $29 on Princess but two of them-Murano ($50 pp) and Lawn Club Grill ($45 pp) really outshine any Princess offering.

 

Here's X's idea of a blow-out dessert....

 

and was followed by chocolates

 

 

If you haven't read that review and are curious about Celebrity (as I was) then give it a read. We are very happy to have two great cruise lines to choose from.

 

Norris

[Lucky TGO]

Norris, all I can say is Wow!! We were on the Royal Princess this year and it was just as bad at the Crown Grill. It took THREE HOURS from the time we sat down to the time we finished. The service and food were atrocious and cold. Unlike you I did complain.

The next day we went to Sabatini's and the food & service was fabulous!!!

Tony

[rdsqrl]

Thanks for all the food porn. Will I lose your respect and friendship if I tell you that I would have totally eaten your first steak?! A certain gentleman of my acquaintance will no longer permit me to order steak when we dine out together, as he says that ordering it well-done is an affront to his sensibilities. What can I say, I'm a philistine. Or his sensibilities are too delicate.

 

Your glacier photos were breathtaking.

[Bimmer09]

Thanks for all the food porn. Will I lose your respect and friendship if I tell you that I would have totally eaten your first steak?! A certain gentleman of my acquaintance will no longer permit me to order steak when we dine out together, as he says that ordering it well-done is an affront to his sensibilities. What can I say, I'm a philistine. Or his sensibilities are too delicate.

 

Your glacier photos were breathtaking.

 

Annie, glad to see you are still reading!

 

Had I been at home cooking my own steak and had overdone it I would of course have had to eat it but here I had a choice to send it back as I was paying for it. It was awfully dry looking and could have been a long chew. There are half a dozen temperature requests that can go with a steak order and I guess the cook forgot how long mine had been on the grill. It was a surprise that they had to cook three steaks to get it right.

 

I'm glad you enjoyed the glacier photos. A couple will make it into our annual Walgreens calendar as 8 X 10s.

 

Almost done-have some animals and scenic vistas to share up ahead.

 

Norris

[Bimmer09]

Norris, all I can say is Wow!! We were on the Royal Princess this year and it was just as bad at the Crown Grill. It took THREE HOURS from the time we sat down to the time we finished. The service and food were atrocious and cold. Unlike you I did complain.

The next day we went to Sabatini's and the food & service was fabulous!!!

Tony

 

Tony, yes three hours is beyond endurance for what they have to cook in the CG.

Steaks don't take long to cook nor require a lot of stirring and attention when on the grill. I had the kitchen clock in my field of view which maybe made matters worse as I saw the time taken for our orders to appear.

 

Did they comp your meal on the Royal when you complained?

 

We have always had issue-free dinners in Sabatinis. It would be nice if they could change up the menu though.

 

Norris

[Bimmer09]

We were up at 6 a.m to give us enough time to be at the Explorers Lounge at 8 to leave the ship and join our excursion.

 

One last time I had my coffee at my favorite spot

 

I met our room steward, Decilone in the hallway. I left a tip envelope in the room for him

 

 

We went to Portofino for breakfast only to find it a staging room for disembarkers. We went to another MDR, probably Capri and found the same thing. As we were near the IC and imagining the buffet to be a zoo we found a window table and Carol fetched some croissants and such. We ordered coffee and a butter knife so I could spread some on my croissant. They didn't have a butter knife and gave me a soup spoon. Huh? Really? LOL.

 

We didn't have long to hang around in Explorers and were soon being scanned off the ship and down the gangway. A long walk up ramps and through a big hall then out to a waiting tour bus.

 

Our tour was called Turnagain Arm, Wildlife Refuge and Bird Sanctuary or something to that effect and would take over 6 hours but we would end up in Anchorage at the end which was the important thing.

 

There was to be an Ariel Tram Ride at the Aleyska Resort which we were looking forward to.

 

See you on the bus!

[Goldenpaw]

Bimmer09 in your post #9 you show screen shots of your phone with the ship listed. What app is this? Thanks for any info

 

 

Sent from my iPad using Forums

[BoopTennis]

Great review, Thank you.

What is the earliest they let people get off the ship in Whittier? (it appears that it docks shortly after midnight!) And how did you arrange to depart when you needed to?

We are on the same ship and itinerary next summer, and want to get off as early as possible to head to our next activity in Alaska.

 

thanks again!

[s2c4r5a4p]

Hi Noris,

 

I am enjoying your review so very much.

 

I do have a question though, we are taking that same cruise in September 2017 and have an aft suite. You indicated that the ship turns so both sides get to see the glacier. If you are on the back of the ship does it just pass you by or does it stop for a while so those of us at the back can sit on our balcony and enjoy the view? What are your thoughts, should we change cabins? The glaciers are the best part of the cruise for me as we have already been on 3 Alaska cruises.

 

Your opinion would be greatly appreciated.

 

Thanks,

Janet

[MisterMet]

We were up at 6 a.m to give us enough time to be at the Explorers Lounge at 8 to leave the ship and join our excursion.

 

One last time I had my coffee at my favorite spot

 

I met our room steward, Decilone in the hallway. I left a tip envelope in the room for him

 

 

We went to Portofino for breakfast only to find it a staging room for disembarkers. We went to another MDR, probably Capri and found the same thing. As we were near the IC and imagining the buffet to be a zoo we found a window table and Carol fetched some croissants and such. We ordered coffee and a butter knife so I could spread some on my croissant. They didn't have a butter knife and gave me a soup spoon. Huh? Really? LOL.

 

We didn't have long to hang around in Explorers and were soon being scanned off the ship and down the gangway. A long walk up ramps and through a big hall then out to a waiting tour bus.

 

Our tour was called Turnagain Arm, Wildlife Refuge and Bird Sanctuary or something to that effect and would take over 6 hours but we would end up in Anchorage at the end which was the important thing.

 

There was to be an Ariel Tram Ride at the Aleyska Resort which we were looking forward to.

 

See you on the bus!

 

Norris,

 

I love pictures of the pool areas at night for some reason. I love sitting out by my pool here in Naples, FL at night and watching the breeze make the light shimmer off the water. After being entertained by you for so long during this journey on The Star, I went rummaging through some photos of our Sapphire RT from Seattle in 2011. I was floored when I remembered the name of the glacier we went dog sledding on in Juneau:

 

 

I absolutely cracked up and wanted to share this with you. You are even more of a "Star" than you know! :):) I hope you had a good weekend in Michigan and thanks for doing this for all of us. Go Cubbies (although I am a Mets fan, I want them to win).

 

Thanks,

 

Trip