Star Princess Review-Hawaii

[SuzyL]

I'm just going to recap the highlights of this cruise as I think my DH will probably do an actual Review in the Review section.

 

We haven't been on a Princess cruise since 2009...last two cruises were with Royal Caribbean. Honestly, I thought we'd probably stick with Royal for all future cruises (with the exception of our dream world cruise with Princess once we retire). But we decided we needed to get away from it all so headed to Hawaii for 15 days on the Star Princess on February 7.

 

The Star may be getting "long in the tooth" as they say, but I guess customer service is the selling point for me as I think this was my favorite cruise of all (lucky #7, I guess). On this ship, customer service was fantastic! From the best captain (Captain Tuvo) and best bar steward (Nico) EVER, to an amazing room steward (Gil) as well as waiter and assistant waitress (Tamas and Giovana), service was outstanding. Plus, I love the layout of this ship with Skywalkers intact. Walking on the Promenade Deck was good exercise, a good view and good fun especially when we had some wind and waves! We went to our first art auction which we found entertaining and we tried to go to most shows. We ate at the Crown Grill, attended the Chef's Table and tried out the Crab Shack dinner. We did some trivia, had 3 couple massages, did some ballroom dancing classes, I attended the Zumba classes and we had coffee from the International Cafe every morning. We watched a medical evacuation by helicopter which is a technical marvel to see (and we heard the passenger transported was in good condition once at the hospital in San Diego).

 

The weather wasn't great the first couple days but it wasn't horrible, either. In fact, hearing the fog horn made me think of bygone days for some reason and added some ambiance to the cruise. We have spent a fair amount of vacation time on Oahu and Kauai but I had not been to Maui or the Big Island so it was great to visit new islands. I wish there was more time to spend at each of them (especially the Big Island).

 

Prior to this our longest cruise was a 14 day transatlantic. My theory is that if we really want to do the world cruise, I think we need to work our way up to more days at sea. So with that in mind, we booked another cruise while onboard...a 17 day transatlantic from Rome on the Pacific Princess in late 2018. Although we hear the Pacific may not be doing the world cruise by the time we are (hopefully) retired in 2020 or 2021, we thought we should try an inside cabin on a small ship as a trial run. Hey, any excuse to book another cruise works for me!

 

Last year we booked the Explorer of the Seas to Alaska for May as I finally talked two of my siblings and their spouses to try a cruise. Now I'm wishing we'd chosen Princess! Oh well, we may just have to cruise twice as much so we can keep on comparing the two cruise lines ;p.

 

If anyone has any specific questions on this particular itinerary or ship, please feel free to ask and I'll do my best to answer. If I can't be on a cruise, I might as well at least be thinking and/or writing it.

[JF - retired RRT]

You'll LOVE the Pacific Princess.

Have you read Pescado Amarillo's blog. She and her DH have spent many days on the Pacific Princess.

Lots of great info about the ship.

They did a transatlantic a couple of months ago which you might find interesting.

http://www.pescadoamarillo.blogspot.ca/

[Ronnieslady]

I'm just going to recap the highlights of this cruise as I think my DH will probably do an actual Review in the Review section.

 

We haven't been on a Princess cruise since 2009...last two cruises were with Royal Caribbean. Honestly, I thought we'd probably stick with Royal for all future cruises (with the exception of our dream world cruise with Princess once we retire). But we decided we needed to get away from it all so headed to Hawaii for 15 days on the Star Princess on February 7.

 

The Star may be getting "long in the tooth" as they say, but I guess customer service is the selling point for me as I think this was my favorite cruise of all (lucky #7, I guess). On this ship, customer service was fantastic! From the best captain (Captain Tuvo) and best bar steward (Nico) EVER, to an amazing room steward (Gil) as well as waiter and assistant waitress (Tamas and Giovana), service was outstanding. Plus, I love the layout of this ship with Skywalkers intact. Walking on the Promenade Deck was good exercise, a good view and good fun especially when we had some wind and waves! We went to our first art auction which we found entertaining and we tried to go to most shows. We ate at the Crown Grill, attended the Chef's Table and tried out the Crab Shack dinner. We did some trivia, had 3 couple massages, did some ballroom dancing classes, I attended the Zumba classes and we had coffee from the International Cafe every morning. We watched a medical evacuation by helicopter which is a technical marvel to see (and we heard the passenger transported was in good condition once at the hospital in San Diego).

 

The weather wasn't great the first couple days but it wasn't horrible, either. In fact, hearing the fog horn made me think of bygone days for some reason and added some ambiance to the cruise. We have spent a fair amount of vacation time on Oahu and Kauai but I had not been to Maui or the Big Island so it was great to visit new islands. I wish there was more time to spend at each of them (especially the Big Island).

 

Prior to this our longest cruise was a 14 day transatlantic. My theory is that if we really want to do the world cruise, I think we need to work our way up to more days at sea. So with that in mind, we booked another cruise while onboard...a 17 day transatlantic from Rome on the Pacific Princess in late 2018. Although we hear the Pacific may not be doing the world cruise by the time we are (hopefully) retired in 2020 or 2021, we thought we should try an inside cabin on a small ship as a trial run. Hey, any excuse to book another cruise works for me!

 

Last year we booked the Explorer of the Seas to Alaska for May as I finally talked two of my siblings and their spouses to try a cruise. Now I'm wishing we'd chosen Princess! Oh well, we may just have to cruise twice as much so we can keep on comparing the two cruise lines ;p.

 

If anyone has any specific questions on this particular itinerary or ship, please feel free to ask and I'll do my best to answer. If I can't be on a cruise, I might as well at least be thinking and/or writing it.

 

 

 

Does the Star have ping pong [emoji971] tables and if so how many ???

The reason I am asking is because recently on the Ruby,we found them really lacking

Thanks we are boarding the Star in 2 weeks

Grace

 

 

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[nbist]

There are 2 ping pong tables. Deck 15 in the Conservatory area above the Calypso Pool.

[srpilo]

I have to agree, the Star remains one of my favorites.

 

 

Glad you enjoyed her too :)

Srpilo

[easyboy]

Sounds like you were surrounded by wonderful crew & staff on the Star.\

Glad you enjoyed your return to Princess!

[blondee419]

I second Nico!! He knew our names and drink orders AND folio numbers as soon as we arrived each night in Skywalkers for BOGO. Capt. Tuvo certainly sets the bar for any other cruises, and like any other organization, his enthusiasm shines all the way down the crew ladder. Shout out to Peter (bar steward) and Jay our room steward. In all my cruises, I'd also say Andrew was the most fun, engaged cruise director.

 

We also did trivia (won the last one - music through the ages! as well as 3 others (Movie posters, Country Music, adn Art Jeopardy). We got really tired of the one team winning all. the. time., and were so glad on the last day when Mikoko(?) was back out of quarantine and stood up to them! We actually witnessed them changing answers on their sheets.... It takes a lot to make trivia un-fun.

 

Overall, LOVED this cruise.

 

~Kathryn

[SuzyL]

Same with us for Nico! First night, one drink at Happy Hour (first time getting the perks of platinum!) and he remembered us from then on. It's a talent (maybe an art?) that should be rewarded. I'm not sure what an advancement would be for him but he sure deserves it! I sang his praises on the comment card on the ship and on the emailed survey. I'm seriously thinking of writing Princess a long letter...that's how much he impressed me.

 

As for trivia, we played sporadically and yet I know exactly the team you are referring to!! We did manage to be in a three-way tie for the romantic movie quotes but I went blank on the tiebreaker. That was the game where you had 3, 2, 1 or no points based on when you guessed and showed your answers to Duvall or Melanie. My guess is the aforementioned team must have guessed on the first hint each time and were not quite as smart as they thought (and had no chance to change their answers). Usually we play more trivia but we were trying to be more relaxed and unstructured this cruise and it worked! Came home relaxed and sad to be off the ship.

 

I'd do this cruise again in a heartbeat. And, truth be told, I'd probably follow Captain Tuvo to another ship because I think you are right...his personality permeates the entire ship! If only there I knew how to be a stowaway!

[blondee419]

wait! I was also on the 3 way Romantic Movie Quotes tie!! I wanted the Dance off!!

 

I Remember you from Skywalkers!!! :)

[kitegirl]

So happy to see a great review of the STAR to Hawaii.. I will be going April 2018 so wanted to ask about excursions you did. Also how the elevators where... I am disabled and use a walker but with the amount of walking on a ship this size I will be using a scooter some of the time.

How did you enjoy so many sea days.... That is my only concern for hubby... I love to just people watch and read but he is another story...

Looking forward to hearing from you .....

[SuzyL]

Blondie419, I remember you too! You were so good at the dance off but you weren't out there dancing at Skywalkers...what's up with that?!;p It was a good time nevertheless (oops, that reminds me of the Captain!).

 

Kitegirl, as far as elevators and accessibility...my rules are never to use an elevator except on formal night when I'm wearing shoes and a long dress. However, there were plenty of scooters and the ship appeared to be very accessible. I saw a lot of walkers, scooters and even guide dogs around the ship and they seemed to be able to move around freely. As for the sea days, there is plenty to keep your hubby occupied. We never even managed to get to some of the venues! I predict you will both find the ship accommodating and entertaining and may even wish for more sea days!:)

 

I'm afraid I won't be much help with excursions. We did a walking tour in Maui that was informative. One of the individuals on the tour was using a walker but the terrain was a bit iffy if you ask me. I don't know that I would recommend it. On the Big Island, we did the Land of the Frozen Fire which appeared to be was very popular. We were in a 12 person mini-van that I think would be difficult for the elderly or those with mobility issues as far as getting in and out of the van we were in. However, the first 24 participants were transported in a "shuttle bus" type of conveyance that I think would be more conducive for those with accessibility issues. On the van, my husband and I figured we were the youngest (at 55 and 65) so sat in the way back part of the which meant we had to walk over the tire wheel and sit with no air conditioning vents. If we had any kind of mobility problems, it would've been an issue. So I would suggest being proactive and asking for the better transportation vehicle in that situation. The rest of the excursion would be good to go.

 

All in all, I think this cruise will be fine for you and your husband. So relaxing and beautiful and the customer service was magnificent. Have fun planning!

[jeromep]

I'm glad to hear that the cruise was wonderful. Service and presentation do make the difference.

 

I'll be on the Star in a few weeks. You say she is long in the tooth. Any particular issues that you felt were outstanding in terms of the condition of the ship?

[FritzG]

Thanks! Your thorough review made us even more excited for our cruise to Hawaii in 2 weeks. We've been on many Princess cruises, but this is our first time on the Star.

[Griller]

We also did trivia (won the last one - music through the ages! as well as 3 others (Movie posters, Country Music, adn Art Jeopardy). We got really tired of the one team winning all. the. time., and were so glad on the last day when Mikoko(?) was back out of quarantine and stood up to them! We actually witnessed them changing answers on their sheets.... It takes a lot to make trivia un-fun.

 

Overall, LOVED this cruise.

 

~Kathryn

 

 

Trouble with the trivia on Star is that some of the entertainments staff like Joel are lazy and have the same questions every cruise. So back to back passengers know the answers. Even the same tiebreakers which are some of the weirdest questions. When we mentioned this to Joel he said it wasn't his problem that Princess attract back to back cruisers.

And yes we do know people who do back to back Hawaii cruises on Star. When I have time I will do it myself if its the right price.

[blondee419]

Trouble with the trivia on Star is that some of the entertainments staff like Joel are lazy and have the same questions every cruise. So back to back passengers know the answers. Even the same tiebreakers which are some of the weirdest questions. When we mentioned this to Joel he said it wasn't his problem that Princess attract back to back cruisers.

And yes we do know people who do back to back Hawaii cruises on Star. When I have time I will do it myself if its the right price.

 

 

Well, it was more that this team were sore losers AND winners. Whenever they lost, they glared at the winning teams, they constantly complained about scoring, stuff like that. One member of their team even called another passenger stupid on the last day, when the other passenger had a question about scoring. We actually sat behind them one time during one game and watched them cheat (changing answers and claiming they had it right to begin with). It's just a game, and there's no reason to be nasty to your fellow cruisers for an honest question. That really p*ssed me off. They legit did not know the 80s and 90s music my sister and I (35 & 37 respectively) were able to ID, and so yeah, I took a bit of pleasure in defeating them on the very last game of trivia by 10 points.

 

~Kathryn

[blondee419]

So happy to see a great review of the STAR to Hawaii.. I will be going April 2018 so wanted to ask about excursions you did. Also how the elevators where... I am disabled and use a walker but with the amount of walking on a ship this size I will be using a scooter some of the time.

How did you enjoy so many sea days.... That is my only concern for hubby... I love to just people watch and read but he is another story...

Looking forward to hearing from you .....

 

 

Kitegirl-

My mom has trouble with her foot, and I have a plate and screws in one of my ankles as of about a year ago (so I still have issues). We used the elevators more than I ever have on previous cruises, and I will say there was never a long wait. The elevators were being serviced on the way out, I heard because they were banging against the elevator shafts one night due to exceptionally rough/high seas. I noted a higher number of scooters & walkers than I've seen on previous cruises also.

 

For convenience we tend to do ship's excursions, and picked excursions for all 4 islands but not Ensenada. I also did different ones from my mom and sister on 2 islands (I don't do helicopters, nor am I in biking condition due to said ankle injury)

We did a very long excursion on Oahu (Arizona, Bowfin, Pacific Aviation Museum, Missouri), and were in a small party bus (24 people). One woman had a walker, and it was not too much trouble for her. The key is not to push yourself. For instance, she didn't do the submarine. Everything was ADA at the sites, minus the sub (i work in a park for a government system, so that's something I actually look at when I visit other historic sites, but I'm nerdy like that)

On Kauai, we did horseback riding, so I'm guessing that's not for you. But I was glad to discover that I can still ride with this rod in my leg! There is a free shuttle to town, and it seemed like there were many bus tours available to see the sights.

On Maui, I did the National Park/Maui Ocean Center. That was a large motor coach, and there was very little walking required. Again, everything seemed very accessible.

On the Big Island, we did the Tastes of Hawaii tour. On this tour, we were in a large passenger van, and mom and I sat in the back, being the youngest in the group (65 & 37). One woman did have concerns about walking & getting into & out of the van. The van did require a step up/down. She also sent her husband ahead when we were at the Lava Tube in Volcanoes NP. I would *not* recommend attempting going to the lava tube if there's any question, as the descent may be an issue including the slope and several areas with stairs, and there are stairs required to exit the tube itself. The trail back was gradual in the upward slope. However, the rest of the tour was not strenuous. The art gallery we visited for lunch did have gravel/no paved walkways, and the gallery was packed with gorgeous art, if you think space is a concern.

In Ensenada, there is a shuttle from the terminal to the shopping area ($3, round trip) and the same company offers a trip to La Bufadora for $15, and Mom and I did that. The van/bus things have steps up into them, and it's like an airplane - space-wise for your legs. It's also uneven terrain to get to the blowhole, and crowded in the market. I can't comment on the shopping area in town, if you choose to take just the first van to the main drag.

 

Hope that helps!

~Kathryn

[caribill]

Trouble with the trivia on Star is that some of the entertainments staff like Joel are lazy and have the same questions every cruise. So back to back passengers know the answers. Even the same tiebreakers which are some of the weirdest questions. When we mentioned this to Joel he said it wasn't his problem that Princess attract back to back cruisers.

 

 

The person to mention it to is Joel's boss, the Cruise Director.

[kitegirl]

Blondee419... thank you so much for all the excursion info. We will sail on Star next April.. vancouver return so no other ports other than the 4 hawaii ones. I am making notes on all the suggestions so we are ready to book once the excursions open up for our cruise.

I too have metal and screws in my left leg. My accident was four years ago and still have pain. I wish you luck with your healing. No horseback riding for this larger size gal... LOL The horse would not be happy....

Again thanks and I look forward to any other suggestions others may have... the one for sure I want to do is Maui Ocean centre.... Cannot wait....

[Clarea]

Thanks much for the report.

[stocks]

Have the new beds arrived on the Star yet. We will be on her in July.

 

Don

[SuzyL]

Jeromep,

 

No big issues with condition...the furniture is just a little banged up, carpet a little stained and some areas just kind of worn looking. I really only commented because some reviews I read seemed very put off by these things so I was wondering just how bad things were going to look. Not bad at all!

 

Stocks,

 

I don't think I can answer your question, I'm afraid. I will say that the bed seemed fine and I have found some to be too hard on previous cruises. But I believe she is going in for some changes in April so my guess is that the beds are not new.

 

As far as the trivia games, we didn't go enough to even see a Joel...unless he was the previous CD because I think Andrew Kadlec joined the ship for our cruise (I could be wrong). And we did meet a woman who was doing a B2B2B! I think I could handle 45 days on the Star!!

[stocks]

Thanks we was on the 1st cruise on the Star. Since then we have done 5 other on her for over 100 days.The boss said the cruise in july is going to be the last cruise#58.

 

Don

[jeromep]

Have the new beds arrived on the Star yet. We will be on her in July.

 

Don

 

 

The only thing I do know is that Club Class starts on the Star on April 11th. I believe that the roll out of the Princess Luxury Bed begins with Club Class and Suites and goes from there after that date. I suspect that the roll out of the PLB will require a number of port visits to change out all the beds. Changing out mattresses isn't something that requires a dry dock; just sufficient time and staffing for shore-side workers and crew to go in and make the swaps.

[Colo Cruiser]

Thanks for the review.

[paylady]

Thanks for the review. We are Diamond Plus on RCL and have been slowly trying other lines.

 

The Star was our first Princess ship and I wouldn't hesitate to cruise her again. We were in Alaska on Star Princess and I have to say it was our best Alaska cruise after six previous ones on RCL. Princess does a superior job in Alaska. Aside from going to Glacier Bay, they bring Libby Riddles aboard, have puppies in the piazza, a guest lecturer that's actually decent and the cruise director staff dresses as lumberjacks. They really immerse the cruise in the Alaska experience.

 

 

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