Star Princess roundtrip Hawaii from LA: 1/4/17 to 1/19/17

[shipfriend_max]

Hi Astro Flyer,

 

Thank you so much for your review... :)

 

We will board Star Princes the 28th of Mar 2017, and really look forward to it.

Do you also have any menus from your recent cruise, at least for main dining room?

[Astro Flyer]

What tours or excursions did you do in Hawaii?

 

I too would like to know about excursions please...

I would like to do the Germaines luau but does not run on mondays which is the day we are in port... and the other 3 stops are not long enough to attend one....

Do you know any place we can attend with the short port times. I've read many good reviews on CC & on Trip Advisor for the Chief's Luau at Sea Life Park which has a transportation option: http://www.chiefsluau.com

 

Thank you for your review... it will be our first long cruise ever....

We've been to Hawaii many times so we did not take any tours. I've read many good reviews on CC & Trip Advisor about the Chief's Luau at Sea Life Park: http://www.chiefsluau.com They also have a transportation option but not sure about the details.

 

In Lahaina friends brought us to their wonderful oceanfront condo; in Hilo we rented a car through Costco to visit Volcanoes NP; in Kauai we rented a car to visit Waimea Canyon (promoted as the Grand Canyon of the Pacific) and the southern end towns; in Honolulu we walked to Chinatown & downtown.

 

If you search the Hawaii forum, you may find some useful information or could begin a new thread seeking input. Or as previously suggested, go to your roll calls where some passengers seek others to join them on less expensive & less crowded independent tours.

 

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=2373251

 

Maui, Kauai & the Big Island are easily drivable without much traffic. Honolulu traffic is ranked near the top of the worse US cities & with their rail construction delays & rerouting would be even worse. On Oahu they have a great public bus system...The Bus (http://www.thebus.org)...and for $2.50 ($1 seniors) can go anywhere on Oahu without driving. We used it to visit Pearl Harbor but it might be better to share a cabin (about $35) to PH and could use The Bus to return to the ship. Or could do like my wife who returned via the Ala Moana Shopping Center. Even though Oahu is the most congested island, there's a lot of beauty to experience outside of Honolulu. :)

[Astro Flyer]

Hi Astro Flyer,

 

Thank you so much for your review... :)

 

We will board Star Princes the 28th of Mar 2017, and really look forward to it.

Do you also have any menus from your recent cruise, at least for main dining room?

I only have a photo of one menu but without using a photo sharing website could only provide a small image. I've been told how to produce larger images but haven't had time to do it yet.

 

Here's that menu:

 

Always available:

Shrimp Cocktail

Caesar Salad

Fettuccine Alfredo

Grilled Salmon

Country Chicken

Gourmet (?) Beef Burger

 

Starters, Soups & Salad:

Lomi Lomi Salmon

Tempura Vegetable Sushi

Pork Spareribs in Oyster Sauce

Alaska-Style Seafood Soup

Roasted Garlic Cream Soup

Chilled Coconut Soup

Mixed Greens Salad

 

Mains:

Spaghetti Carbonara

Sauteed Lemon Sole Filets

Tandoori Tiger Prawns

Indonesian Grilled Lamb Chops

Red Wine & Shiitake Braised Beef Short Ribs

White, Kidney & Red Bean Cassoulet (vegetarian)

 

Curtis Stone:

Chicken & Leek Pot Pie

 

They no longer list the nightly pasta course separately but instead under Mains. On most nights I get an appetizer portion of pasta something I've enjoyed since sailing on the amazing Sitmar cruise line which merged with Princess in 1989.

 

As you can see, there are sufficient options for most passengers to enjoy a meal. I applaud their effort to add some Hawaiian themed options which while most were okay they're not the same as what I enjoy in Hawaii...the same name but not the taste. ;)

 

On some formal nights additional more upscale options are available: lobster, prawns, escargot, Beef Wellington & chateaubriand. There are plenty of dessert options which I usually limited however there were too many tempting Chocolate Journeys that I couldn't resist. That gave me extra incentive to do my sea day Promenade deck 6 mile brisk walk! :p

Edited January 24, 2017 by Astro Flyer

[Astro Flyer]

I forgot to mention one of the new options I had not previously seen...All-Inclusive Photo Package.

 

It's described as ONLY $199! Take home all of your photos & digital files from this voyage for one great price!

 

I wasn't interested in the package but talked to a guy who said his family group staying in different cabins had paid for one package for all of their photos. If having a large group I'd confirm that fact but for just the 2 of us we'd never take enough photos to make it cost effective.

[LarryL]

I am trying to figure outhow to use this site. I am going to Hawaii on the Star Feb. 7 and want to visit turtle bay without the snorkeling exursion we have reserved. I understand it is 30 minutes or perhaps 30 miles awau by the Disney Hotel Aulani. Any thoughts or suggestion would be appreciated. My email is bartsmomme@aol.com

 

Hi Bartsmomme. We are on the Star the same sailing date. If you get a chance you should check out the roll call and ask any questions you have. Many on our roll call have done this cruise before and some of us have been to Hawaii several times, as well.

 

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=2373251

 

One of our favorite places to vacation on Oahu is at the Ko Olina Marriott which is just down the beach from the new Disney Aulani Resort. The only Turtle Bay I am aware of is on the North Shore which is in a different direction. The Ko Olina area is a 30-45 minute drive depending on the traffic. Turtle bay is about 1 1/2 hours on a good day. Sunday can be busy on that highway.

 

Please feel welcome to join our roll call. As we're getting closer to the cruise date I'm hoping the activity will increase.

 

Aloha :)

[hydrodriver831]

Very informative review. Thank you. :)

[SpareBrew]

Astro Flyer,

Thanks for your review.

I also heard the issues about the

Crowne Plaza. I'm staying at the Doubletree instead when we're going next month.

 

Do you happen to have copies of the patters you can upload from your cruise? Did you also happen to try out the Sanctuary?

 

 

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[Astro Flyer]

Astro Flyer,

Thanks for your review.

I also heard the issues about the

Crowne Plaza. I'm staying at the Doubletree instead when we're going next month.

 

Do you happen to have copies of the patters you can upload from your cruise? Did you also happen to try out the Sanctuary?

I do have all of the Patters & after I fully recover from being sick will try the procedure to download them to a photo website to post easily viewable Patters & not only a thumbnail size attachment allowed with the CC system.

 

My wife considered going to the Sanctuary closer to Hawaii however it never got above the low-70s so she didn't go. With showery cool conditions for parts of the crossing, it probably wasn't a desirable activity. Sometimes they promote Sanctuary specials in the Patter but either they didn't do it because no one was going or I missed the advertisement.

[RyanR1982]

Great pic of Angela and Dave.... I had them both on my first cruise back in Dec 2011 on the Golden..... They were great to hang out with

[Cruisin' Chick]

I have great memories of my three Hawaiian cruises (the last 2 Elua were on board, the first time was before the cultural program was developed). Hopefully in a few years after our girl gets through college...

 

the helicopter crash was a major story here of course.

 

Glad you enjoyed your cruise, but it's a great itinerary.

[cr8tiv1]

I am trying to figure outhow to use this site. I am going to Hawaii on the Star Feb. 7 and want to visit turtle bay without the snorkeling exursion we have reserved. I understand it is 30 minutes or perhaps 30 miles awau by the Disney Hotel Aulani. Any thoughts or suggestion would be appreciated. My email is bartsmomme@aol.com

 

There is a "Turtle Bay" resort on the North Shore of Oahu. It does NOT have turtles as the name suggests. Yes, sea turtles (aka honu in Hawaiian) can be found in all the waters surrounding all the islands. A few have more than others. It is against the law to "harass" any. I know you wouldn't do that.

 

This is one of the more accessible sites on Oahu. It is near Haleiwa (north shore) but would require a car. You "could" catch the bus out there...but it would be a really long ride. Parking is a problem.

 

http://liveinhawaiinow.com/lanikai-beach/

 

https://www.yelp.com/biz/laniakea-beach-haleiwa

 

The other location is Keana Point.

 

http://dlnr.hawaii.gov/dsp/parks/oahu/kaena-point-state-park/

 

But I would not recommend this area on the west end of the island for non-locals. You can not get there from the north shore.

 

If you really want to see an abundance of sea turtles, you could rent a car and drive to the "City of Refuge" on the Kona side of the Big Island. It is, at least, a 2 hour drive over and 2 hours back. You have a very short stay in Hilo. Any traffic accident will guarantee that you will miss the boat.

 

https://www.nps.gov/puho/planyourvisit/directions.htm

 

Driving to Ko O'lina is not your best option.

 

http://moveto-hawaii.com/see-hawaiian-green-sea-turtles-koolina-lagoons/

 

I part time (live) on Oahu and don't see many sea turtles out of the water. (I don't swim or go into the ocean...haha).

 

I hope you find your sea turtles/green sea turtles/honu on your trip to the islands. They are magnificent to see.

 

BTW...I've also seen sea turtles in Hilo Bay from Coconut Island in town. That's a quick shot from the cruise port. But I would suggest going to the Volcano National Park instead of wandering around town.

 

Displaced local girl

[tinybiny]

I am trying to figure outhow to use this site. I am going to Hawaii on the Star Feb. 7 and want to visit turtle bay without the snorkeling exursion we have reserved. I understand it is 30 minutes or perhaps 30 miles awau by the Disney Hotel Aulani. Any thoughts or suggestion would be appreciated. My email is bartsmomme@aol.com

 

If you want to visit Turtle Bay without snorkeling when you get there, you can rent a car for the day. There was a car rental place at Hilton Hawaiin Village that had rental cars for the day. The car needs to be back by 5:00pm. I cannot remember which car company it was.

 

Turtle Bay is a hotel/resort. You can can drinks and a meal in the sand overlooking the snorkel area or you can go inside and eat in the restaurant. Hours may be limited, so look that up on their website or call them to make sure whatever it is that you are hoping to do is open when you will be there.

 

If you are looking for turtles, there are some a few miles away from the resort. There are always volunteers out making sure nobody touches the turtles, but you can get very close to them. They are very special. The North Shore offers really nice ocean waves if you want to watch surfers, check out Bonzai Pipeline (extremely close to the turtle area).

 

Another area worth checking out on that side of the island is Waimea Valley. There you can do a really nice botanical walk to a natural waterfall. Just before the turn to go into the valley area is Waimea Bay, where surfers from all over the world come to surf.

 

I love the North Shore. It's my favorite part of the whole island. While I enjoy Turtle Bay, I usually stop there to snorkel in their lagoon. I'm not sure I'd stop there if I didn't want to snorkel. Lots of other stuff to do around that whole side of the island, though.

[shipfriend_max]

I only have a photo of one menu but without using a photo sharing website could only provide a small image. I've been told how to produce larger images but haven't had time to do it yet.

 

Here's that menu:

 

[...]

 

On some formal nights additional more upscale options are available: lobster, prawns, escargot, Beef Wellington & chateaubriand. There are plenty of dessert options which I usually limited however there were too many tempting Chocolate Journeys that I couldn't resist. That gave me extra incentive to do my sea day Promenade deck 6 mile brisk walk! :p

 

Thank you very much for your effort, that sounds nice. :)

 

Did they also feature petit fours and sorbet as "intermezzo" on some selected evenings?

As far as i know, it's featured on formal nights.

[Astro Flyer]

Thank you very much for your effort, that sounds nice. :)

 

Did they also feature petit fours and sorbet as "intermezzo" on some selected evenings?

 

As far as i know, it's featured on formal nights.

 

They did have the sorbet "intermezzo" for the Chef's Dinner menu in the MDR which as I recall was on a formal night & petit fours on a couple of nights (probably on formal nights).

Edited January 25, 2017 by Astro Flyer

[DMRick]

Dave was a wonderful CD. He told us when we chatted, he was just filling in on the Star while the regular CD was on vacation. We were told he was leaving after the short cruise after ours. We were told that he was as leaving and going to his girlfriends ship. I didn't get the feeling that the Angela on our cruise was his girlfriend, but maybe she was.

 

 

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[bartsmomme]

Larry, I'd love to visit with other cruiers on the Star going t Hawaii 2/7, but this site just stumps me. I appreciate the info on Ko Olina and will talk with my friends. There are 5 of us and it is a little like herding butterflies. Please tell me how to stay in contact with you and the other cruisers on the Star, 2//7/2017

[bartsmomme]

Thanks. The car rental idea is a good one. I will check with my friends. I keep trying t figure t the roll call and it is beyond me. I appreciate your info and hope we can chat again.

[Astro Flyer]

Larry, I'd love to visit with other cruiers on the Star going t Hawaii 2/7, but this site just stumps me. I appreciate the info on Ko Olina and will talk with my friends. There are 5 of us and it is a little like herding butterflies. Please tell me how to stay in contact with you and the other cruisers on the Star, 2//7/2017

I'm not Larry but if you click on this link it takes you to the roll call for your cruise.

 

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=2373251

[DMRick]

I'm not Larry but if you click on this link it takes you to the roll call for your cruise.

 

 

 

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=2373251

 

 

Be sure you are signed in (that you join cruise critic) to see and participate in roll calls. Unlike the other parts of cruise critic, you have to be a member.

 

 

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[Photofinish4]

These are merely my subjective thoughts written as objectively as possible by .04% of the total number of passengers on the Star Princess…me! ;) Thus some of the other 99.96% of the passengers sailing with me may have different experiences & opinions. My wife & I don't need to be continuously entertained & we enjoy being at sea while reading a good book or for her to scrapbook or quilt. However there was no lack of things to do on the ship so hopefully no one got bored. The hardest working entertainers at sea…Elua (Leialoha & Tiki Dave)…must have cloned themselves as they seemed to be everywhere leading the excellent Princess Aloha Spirit program.

 

Pre-cruise:

 

Our drive to San Pedro was holiday light on 1/3/17 taking only an hour. Checked in for our first visit to the Crowne Plaza hotel at 1230 & our 8th floor room was ready upon our arrival. I talked to a few people who had heating issues but there were none with our room. We had a sail & park package so our 15 days of valet parking was included in addition to a glass of wine at the bar, buffet breakfast on sailing day & shuttle to/from the Port of LA’s World Cruise Ship terminal. The package worked great for us & it was cheaper than parking at the cruise ship terminal lot. We walked a block to have lunch at San Pedro Brewing with a cruise friend who drove to meet us & later a half block to split a Subway for dinner.

 

Embarkation Day:

 

Shuttles to the ship officially began at 1000 & no reservations were accepted like a previous stay at the Doubletree Cabrillo Beach hotel. The valet/shuttle driver said to arrive before 1000 because as he dropped off disembarking passengers we could get the shuttle earlier. Many of us lined up early at the pick up point & some later came from the lobby so it got chaotic when the shuttle arrived. With 3 ships sailing that day all hotel shuttles were probably very busy. We arrived at the ship by 1015 to drop off our luggage, check-in by 1045 and with priority boarding were onboard the ship at 1145 which has always been our experience at our homeport of LA. Our cabin was ready & we had lunch in the Portofino dining room (6-midship) & since Club Class hasn't started on the Star they didn't limit it to Club Class only like what I’ve recently read about on the Ruby.

 

We sailed an hour late at 1700 & sadly later learned that a small helicopter taking aerial photos of the 3 cruise ships crashed during our sailaway near the breakwater resulting in two fatalities. We had gone inside early to prepare for our 1730 dinner after passing the battleship museum USS Iowa but read that passengers who saw the crash called 911 to report the tragedy.

 

Sea Days:

 

There are many activities & it was mostly overcast with temperatures in the mid to upper 60 degrees range for the 3 days closest to the west coast; near Hawaii the sun returned bringing low 70s temperatures & about 80° in the Islands. On most sea days there was only some gentle rocking…perfect for being rocked to sleep. Crewmembers told me the preceding holiday cruise was much rougher so we got lucky.

 

Dining:

 

As always, our early traditional dining time was earlier…6:00 became 5:30; 5:30 became 5:15. Earlier dining times are routine on our cruises & I don't understand why Princess continues to show 6:00 & 5:30 when it's rarely at those times. Based on posts I’ve read, HQ & onboard staff continue to blame each other for the inaccurate dining times shown in our Cruise Personalizer.

 

My taste buds mostly enjoyed the dining room food however after a couple of buffet lunches I stopped eating there. It's buffet food & found most of it lacking much taste & was dry which to me isn't unusual with most ship's buffets. The International Café was where I mostly ate thereafter for breakfast & lunch.

 

I’ve read posts that some ships use Sabatini's as an Alfredo's Pizzeria on sea days for freshly baked pizza lunches. Unfortunately freshly baked individual pizza was not an option on the Star. I don't understand why some ships can use Sabatini's as an Alfredo's Pizzeria while other ships do not. I’ve too often been disappointed by the Prego pizza & wished they'd offer tasty freshly baked Alfredo's Pizzeria pizzas at Sabatini's without having to order pizza from their limited room service options.

 

Service & food at our early traditional dining in Amalfi was good & up to our previous Princess experiences. Each night they had a Curtis Stone entrée (seafood stew, leek & chicken pot pie or pork belly) and my wife enjoyed his seafood stew. There were very few beef entrées unless you wanted the always available burger. Instead I enjoyed many tasty fish & seafood options which we don't often prepare at home. Norman Love desserts were available less often than previously & our waiter said only about 3-4 times on our 15-day cruise but on other nights there's a Guittiard chocolate dessert.

 

Sabatini's & the Crown Grill had good service however the CG’s filet mignon continues to disappoint. It wasn't as tender & tasty as several years ago and having the filet at the MTP lunch I know they can still provide a quality steak.

 

Crab Shack was only offered twice during our 15-day cruise which is how often it was available on our 7-day cruise. That was before the price increased from $19 to $29 (same as CG & Sabatini’s) and having it less often on our cruise is an indication to me that fewer passengers are going to the Crab Shack since the 53% price increase.

 

Pub Lunch was only available on 2 of the 9 sea days and we’ve had it more often on other cruises with a similar number of sea days.

 

The Wine Packages were available from our dining room waitstaff but I didn't see any promotion of the packages. I’ve never understood why Princess doesn't promote wine packages anywhere on their website & very little to none onboard. One change from previous wine packages is that when paying extra for wine exceeding the limits they now add a 15% gratuity to that amount.

 

Cabin:

 

We had a portside Emerald deck obstructed oceanview mid-forward cabin without a lifeboat & only a couple of cables to block our view. There was no noise from the woman's lavatory below us located outside of the deck 7 entrance to the Princess Theater. Our cabin steward anticipated that we’d need a pillowtop pad for our mattress which are not scheduled to be replaced on the Star with their new Luxury Beds until 2018. Upon boarding we had the newer waffle robes which are much longer than the old over laundered “miniskirts” but are not much larger elsewhere.

 

Cruise Critic M&G:

 

Thanks to Putterdude, we had an enjoyable M&G with the newly promoted staff captain, entertainment director & the young CD who explained the recent entertainment staff changes. As I understand it, the entertainment director does most of the organization of events allowing the CD to be the more visible face of the entertainment staff. The CD also said the assistant CD position has been eliminated but I don't know the duties of other entertainment staff. I thought CD David Clark was an excellent & entertaining CD who seemed to very much enjoy interacting with passengers.

 

Miscellaneous information:

 

The question has been posted about the brand of water used for the 12-bottle half liter water package for $6.90 which must be pre-purchased. It was Niagara (Ontario, CA; reverse osmosis) water & not the Crystal Geyser spring water available elsewhere for purchase on the ship.

 

There wasn't a production show on one of the formal nights which isn't what I recall on other cruises. Early shows were nearly full by 15 minutes before performances & we’d arrive about 45 minutes early to relax & read. I overheard an upset passenger who said it was the third time they could not get seats for an early show & I had to wonder why they hadn't adjusted to arrive earlier.

 

• Formal nights: evening 3, 10 & 14

• Production shows: Stardust (3-formal); British Invasion (12-casual); Born to Dance (14-formal): 7:45 & 9:45. A couple of other shows were at 7:00 & 9:00 with that late show having plenty of available seats.

 

One day before arriving in Ensenada two USAF Blackhawk helicopters (and an aerial refueling C-130) arrived to medevac a passenger & hopefully he’s doing well

 

Sickness:

 

On the final night everyone received a Health Advisory informing us about an increased number of respiratory illness described as “cold & flu symptoms”. Unfortunately some inconsiderate passengers with hacking coughs went to the crowded Princess Theater to spread their sickness to other passengers...including some of the passengers seated around me. I thought I’d got lucky to avoid getting sick but shortly after returning home developed a cough & fever. Whether it’s a cold or the flu (we get yearly flu shots but realize that all strains are not included) that's irrelevant because sick passengers should avoid other passengers to not spread their illnesses to other passengers.

 

Post-cruise:

 

We disembarked as late as possible at 1000 which was 30 minutes earlier than scheduled. We did this to avoid shuttle crowds back to the CP however it didn't work well despite being the only cruise ship in port. The Doubletree had a sign with a sign up sheet but nothing for the CP. Several of us called & were told the shuttle would arrive within 15-20 minutes. After an hour of no CP shuttle I walked the 15 minutes to the CP with another passenger to get our cars to return to port to get our wives & luggage. I thought our previous Doubletree experience was disorganized but learned that the closer CP was even worse.

 

That's some of our experiences although I understand that other passengers on our cruise will have different experiences. I’ve attempted to make this as factual as possible while minimizing subjective opinions which can vary from passenger to passenger even on the same cruise. Overall it was another enjoyable cruise and our cabin & all of the public areas we visited were all in good shape except for a few broken Princess Theater seats. I kept the Patters so if anyone has any questions I may be able to provide some answers.

 

We try not to sweat the small stuff & as long as we're healthy & on a cruise, nearly anything else is just small stuff. :D

Is the lunch in Portofinos on embarkation day a buffet

[Astro Flyer]

Is the lunch in Portofinos on embarkation day a buffet

The lunch is a sit down table service meal although if you ask staff they always direct passengers to the buffet. It's only available between noon & 1:30 and is rarely displayed in the Patter. Both are probably ways to not be overrun by too many passengers. Sometimes they say it's for in-transit passengers only & I bring a copy of the Princess email sent a couple of days before sailing stating that the MDR is available for an embarkation day lunch.

 

For us it's a relaxing start to all of our cruises & my wife enjoys the salmon & I like the beef tenderloin. :)

 

Appetizers, Soup & Salad

Antipasto of Dry-Cured Salami & Roasted Vegetables

Avocado & Bay Shrimp

Tuscan-Style Chickpea Soup

Limestone & Baby Oak Leaves with Cucumber Carrot & Red Onion

 

Ground Sirloin Burgers & Fries

Princess Homemade Hamburger, Cheese Burger or Bacon Burger

Veggie Burger

Large Plate of French Fries

 

Pasta

Spinach & Ricotta Cheese Ravioli

 

Main Courses

Broiled Salmon with Lemon & Dill Sauce

Cacciatore-Style Chicken Braised in Tomato-Wine Sauce

Grilled Herb-Spiced Beef Tenderloin

 

Desserts

Apple Tart Tatin

Orange Soufflé

Sherry Trifle

Ice Cream (Nutella, banana, espresso, papaya frozen yogurt

[Luvmyrotti]

Thanks for sharing. We're scheduled to be in the Star fo the Hawaii itinerary in February next year, so like to hear your trip was good.

[Photofinish4]

The lunch is a sit down table service meal although if you ask staff they always direct passengers to the buffet. It's only available between noon & 1:30 and is rarely displayed in the Patter. Both are probably ways to not be overrun by too many passengers. Sometimes they say it's for in-transit passengers only & I bring a copy of the Princess email sent a couple of days before sailing stating that the MDR is available for an embarkation day lunch.

 

For us it's a relaxing start to all of our cruises & my wife enjoys the salmon & I like the beef tenderloin. :)

 

Appetizers, Soup & Salad

Antipasto of Dry-Cured Salami & Roasted Vegetables

Avocado & Bay Shrimp

Tuscan-Style Chickpea Soup

Limestone & Baby Oak Leaves with Cucumber Carrot & Red Onion

 

Ground Sirloin Burgers & Fries

Princess Homemade Hamburger, Cheese Burger or Bacon Burger

Veggie Burger

Large Plate of French Fries

 

Pasta

Spinach & Ricotta Cheese Ravioli

 

Main Courses

Broiled Salmon with Lemon & Dill Sauce

Cacciatore-Style Chicken Braised in Tomato-Wine Sauce

Grilled Herb-Spiced Beef Tenderloin

 

Desserts

Apple Tart Tatin

Orange Soufflé

Sherry Trifle

Ice Cream (Nutella, banana, espresso, papaya frozen yogurt

Thank you for the quick response. I don't know if I have ever gotten a letter before stating lunch on embarkation day. Are you elite? We are only platinum we are on the Feb.22 sailing so guess I will find out.

[Astro Flyer]

Thank you for the quick response. I don't know if I have ever gotten a letter before stating lunch on embarkation day. Are you elite? We are only platinum we are on the Feb.22 sailing so guess I will find out.

You're welcome...I am at the elite level but that isn't a criteria for sending pre-cruise emails. Receiving these emails can be very inconsistent but were more reliable with my recent cruise.

 

My email had the subject line of "Final Information Before You Sail" and was sent 2 days before sailing. Under "First Day Dining" they stated "Shortly after we welcome you onboard your spectacular Princess ship, you may dine at the Horizon Court or in one of the ship's multiple dining rooms".

 

If you don't receive the email, the same thing is stated in their FAQs under "1st Day Dining":

 

http://www.princess.com/learn/faq_answer/onboard/dining_nightlife.jsp

 

"Shortly after we welcome you onboard your spectacular Princess ship, you're invited to relax and dine at the Horizon Court or in one of the ship’s multiple dining rooms.

 

Open from 5 am to 11 pm (12 am on select itineraries), the Horizon Court offers a wide selection of buffet meals or snacks. A primary feature of Princess ships, the top-of-the-ship restaurant features floor-to-ceiling windows with stunning sea views as a backdrop.

 

Or join us in one of our main dining rooms for lunch served up by a staff -- from chefs to waiters -- dedicated to making your dining experience something special".

[Photofinish4]

You're welcome...I am at the elite level but that isn't a criteria for sending pre-cruise emails. Receiving these emails can be very inconsistent but were more reliable with my recent cruise.

 

My email had the subject line of "Final Information Before You Sail" and was sent 2 days before sailing. Under "First Day Dining" they stated "Shortly after we welcome you onboard your spectacular Princess ship, you may dine at the Horizon Court or in one of the ship's multiple dining rooms".

 

If you don't receive the email, the same thing is stated in their FAQs under "1st Day Dining":

 

http://www.princess.com/learn/faq_answer/onboard/dining_nightlife.jsp

 

"Shortly after we welcome you onboard your spectacular Princess ship, you're invited to relax and dine at the Horizon Court or in one of the ship’s multiple dining rooms.

 

Open from 5 am to 11 pm (12 am on select itineraries), the Horizon Court offers a wide selection of buffet meals or snacks. A primary feature of Princess ships, the top-of-the-ship restaurant features floor-to-ceiling windows with stunning sea views as a backdrop.

 

Or join us in one of our main dining rooms for lunch served up by a staff -- from chefs to waiters -- dedicated to making your dining experience something special".

Thanks again