Star Pride - bad? Single traveling

[Luv my furbaby]

Have been reading some very bad reviews (with pictures) of the Star Pride. The pictures looked horrible, is this true?

I really like the Caribbean itinerary (Antilles Island Hopping) and would love to book for next year. 

I am a 60+ woman and would be traveling by myself. 

[milepig]

When are those pictures from. She was in bad shape when WS took over from Seabourn, but we've been on the pride several times with no major issues.

[Luv my furbaby]

No idea - think there were posted on a review on cruise critic. They looked really nasty. 

[milepig]

Ok - I took one for the team, and went through the past 18 months of the reviews for the Pride and here are my thoughts.

 

The last batch are mostly from the Eastern U.S. Canada cruise, and some things that happened were so bad they made the US news. Let's call that an outlier.

 

Some people are just grumpy. Let me say that I can be a very picky outspoken traveler. When I check into a hotel and find a used room service tray still outside my door I not only report it, but I take a picture and sent it to the hotel management and copy corporate. On one WS itin when we arrived there were water circles on the coffee table and the shower still had used soap in it. I didn't run in circles but pointed it out to the hotel manager (who we knew from a previous trip (WS is family)) and he looked embarrassed, comped us a drink in the bar for our trouble,  and the entire room was recleaned at the speed of light. Yes, there are always things to do on a ship - but people need to realize that it's surrounded by sea water (heavens, who'd have thought) and things rust all the time.

 

In a fairly recent review there's a nice set of pics, that fully reflect exactly what I get (except for the guy sitting on the couch, LOL.) Modern, clean and mostly well maintained.

 

Some don't make sense - "we didn't care for the limited menu at Candles so cancelled the rest of those reservations." Um, the menu has steaks, veal and seafood - what do you expect from a steakhouse? And, you can't make more than one reservation - how did they get several?

 

I can't explain the one set of photos of truly bad things - just let me say that this has never been my experience.

 

The picture of the big black marks on the side of the bow is a one off. Clearly they just hit a dock hard somewhere, that will be painted over the first chance they get. Things happen. I was on one itin were the port pilots slammed the ship into the stone wall of the dock (with the captain screaming STOP, STOP YOU IDIOT, STOP - followed by a BOOM that shook the entire ship. There were major dents. We sailed her again a few months later and thy were all taken care of.

 

"The booze is expensive, bad quality and with small watered down servings." Nope. It is priced relative to what you'd pay in pretty much any bar, the brands are mid-top shelf, and pours are good. The wine list in fairly priced. I have no idea where these people normally drink.

 

Stale food in the lounge. Something I've never experienced myself.

 

"I have food restrictions, I didn't feel taken care of. " Huh? The process I've seen every time is that  they're shown the lunch and dinner menus at breakfast each day and a dining captain goes over what they can make work for them. They are then properly served in the dining rooms.

 

Some resonate:

 

The coffee is bad. Yes, the coffee they pour is and has always been bad. Drink tea or have them make you a latte or cappuccino. Solved.

 

bad crew - we'd had a few bad apples over the years.

 

Not well managed - yes, this can happen. On one recent cruise the dining manager was brand new and not bonding with the crew. They wanted to do it their way they'd been trained for, he wanted them to change, and things were at loggerheads. We all suffered but again it was really a one off experience. I pulled him aside and quietly said "we're having some issues here." He listened and we were treated like VIPs from that point forward and service in general did include.

 

Billing problems. Yes again. But this happens at almost any hotel I stay in. Read your bill and get it corrected. I had an issue with not receiving a shipboard credit I'd expected, and the crew worked very hard with Seattle to figure out that I'd first requested that many months earlier and had later traded it in for the liquor package instead. My mistake but they worked to figure it out.

 

You mention being a single traveler. If you're outgoing you'll make friends in no time - pick a table at the bar with a single person sitting there and ask if you can join them. Start a conversation and before you know it you'll have a dinner companion. On a tour pick the seat with only one person sitting there and ask if they're alone. This was couples, but we met a group pair that way. They were on the bus in the seat in front of us, we started chatting and  kept it up the entire excursion. Ate most of our meals with them and then after the cruise had dinner two nights in a row.  Sit in the lounge and work (or pretend to work) the jigsaw puzzle and people will join you. Chat them up. Go to a lecture and sit next to someone not off by yourself.  If you go to dinner alone tell the maitre'd that you'd like to join someone and they'll seat you at a partially occupied table. WS people are a very friendly bunch and you'll meet all sorts of fascinating guests.

 

Finally, the eternal criticism that continues to irk me. "It wasn't the luxury experience I was expecting." WS  does not currently, nor has it EVER marketed itself as luxury. It is "small, upscale and friendly."

 

This is explains why they call you by name - it isn't being rude, it's part of their goal to be welcoming and friendly. If it irks you, just politely say "I"d prefer to be called Ms. Smith" and they will. Actually, they'll probably spread the word and by the next day they'll all call you Ms. Smith.

 

 

Edited November 6, 2018 by milepig

[Luv my furbaby]

Thank you so much for your reply. I usually do not think twice about negative comments, but the pictures scared me. Considering the amount of favorable reviews I should have just ignored the post. 

I know that food is very subjective so I ignore those comments, the same for nasty crew - who could be happy all of the time. 

Im looking forward to booking my first Windstar cruise to the Caribbean for next year and hopefully Tahiti for 2020. So excited!

[Joolsverne]

 

 

I like this very sensible post Milepig - I hope we sail with you one day!

[Geezer Cruiser]

My mom and I did the Iceland cruise a year ago, I believe on this ship. 

 

Everything was great; we had a fantastic time! I loved the veal chop at Candles, which was the only time I had alcohol on the cruise, two glasses of wine that were priced about the same as I would expect at a nice restaurant at home.

 

 

[dandee2]

On 11/6/2018 at 2:46 PM, Luv my furbaby said:

Im looking forward to booking my first Windstar cruise to the Caribbean for next year and hopefully Tahiti for 2020. So excited!

No matter where you travel in Polynesia - Go! It's been on our bucket list for many years and finally went with WS in 2017 - Great memories. And if you're alone, people are generous and very friendly on-board - you may even sit at the captain table one night.

Many people go single to these faraway place, be it on Aranui 5, PG or WS.

PS: Check with WS if they have special for single fare during the year. https://blog.windstarcruises.com/5-reasons-cruise-solo/

[Strenz]

Go, go, go, We were so happy we went. It was magnificently beautiful. Being on a sail boat in that lagoon indescrible. We are alone people but often we met lovely single people and had lovely dinners with them. When we went in particular we met a man in his nineties, perhaps by birth yes but extremely young in spirit. Great. Wonderful trip, fabulous memories. Have a very Happy Sail. 

[sunfl0wer]

On 11/6/2018 at 2:46 PM, Luv my furbaby said:

Thank you so much for your reply. I usually do not think twice about negative comments, but the pictures scared me. Considering the amount of favorable reviews I should have just ignored the post. 

I know that food is very subjective so I ignore those comments, the same for nasty crew - who could be happy all of the time. 

Im looking forward to booking my first Windstar cruise to the Caribbean for next year and hopefully Tahiti for 2020. So excited!

We're from Ewing and on Pride on Feb. 9.  Would be happy to meet you if you happen to choose that sailing.

[Geezer Cruiser]

On 11/6/2018 at 11:46 AM, Luv my furbaby said:

Thank you so much for your reply. I usually do not think twice about negative comments, but the pictures scared me. Considering the amount of favorable reviews I should have just ignored the post. 

I know that food is very subjective so I ignore those comments, the same for nasty crew - who could be happy all of the time. 

Im looking forward to booking my first Windstar cruise to the Caribbean for next year and hopefully Tahiti for 2020. So excited!

 

The only "nastiness" I encountered had to do with a passenger lecturing a tour guide as though that person were a servant/employee. 

Onboard, I found the staff at the lounge coffee stand/snack bar perhaps businesslike, but the dining staff and other folks were so incredibly friendly in comparison that I don't mean the former were surly or grouchy. 

 

 

[Strenz]

Hope all of you have a happy journey. We are on the Surf for 2 weeks starting 1/5. In the Caribbean it is always  one of the Sail boats. We like the motor yachts but we love sail boats. September we are on the Hurtigurten, feeling disloyal to WS but our schedule is such we have to go in September. 2020 we are hoping WS does the trip to Malta we will be on that. We hope it will be the Surf. In the winters we love the Caribbean. Always fun to meet WS people. Happy Sailing to each and everyone of you. 

[MRGACRUZR]

On 11/21/2018 at 12:49 PM, sunfl0wer said:

We're from Ewing and on Pride on Feb. 9.  Would be happy to meet you if you happen to choose that sailing.

We're on the Feb 2 and Feb 9 on the Pride. Surely well run into each other. Formerly from Lakehurst, New Jersey.

[Luv my furbaby]

I will be on the Pride in November 2019. I grew up in Ewing and now live in Hamilton (Mercer County). Small world

[stingraynz]

thanks Milepig that was a great review synopsis with great comments.

[judi666]

Was on the Star Pride for 37 days this year.  I would run quickly in another direction.  I’m not a picky person. You could do much better. That said, the food and staff are beyond excellant. The ship needs a dry dock renovation. It has great bones and possibilities.

[Geezer Cruiser]

No need to write anything like a full review, but a few key details (experiences) would be helpful if you feel so strongly. 

 

[judi666]

On 1/5/2019 at 4:23 PM, Geezer Cruiser said:

No need to write anything like a full review, but a few key details (experiences) would be helpful if you feel so strongly. 

 

There is an extensive review in the Reviews for Star Pride.

[wripro]

As with all cruise lines (or anything else for that matter) I always average out the amount of good reviews versus bad and eliminate the best and worst if they do not conform to what most people are saying. I have taken enough cruises to know that I will always run into both someone who is disgruntled and cannot find anything positive as well as someone who is a dedicated cheerleader and will not admit to anything negative.

[milepig]

On 1/8/2019 at 5:39 PM, judi666 said:

There is an extensive review in the Reviews for Star Pride.

To save the rest of you time looking for it - here's a direct link to judi666's review:

 

https://www.cruisecritic.com/memberreviews/memberreview.cfm?EntryID=627063

 

 

[waterguy631]

Just got off her on Saturday. We had a great trip there are a few things that will be taken care of on her next dry dock in a couple of months and she is scheduled for a long dry dock in 2020 when she will be stretched 100 ft. But I'd go back on her in a minute

   

[muenchner]

21 hours ago, waterguy631 said:

Just got off her on Saturday. We had a great trip there are a few things that will be taken care of on her next dry dock in a couple of months and she is scheduled for a long dry dock in 2020 when she will be stretched 100 ft. But I'd go back on her in a minute

   

I am glad to hear that. We are on an ocean crossing in a month and have been very worried. Unfortunately, the reports were really shocking. How were the drinks prices? Was there a deck party?

Edited February 7, 2019 by muenchner

[milepig]

1 hour ago, muenchner said:

I am glad to hear that. We are on an ocean crossing in a month and have been very worried. Unfortunately, the reports were really shocking. How were the drinks prices? Was there a deck party?

 

If you hunt around, there are several drinks menus posted here. I find them very reasonable - you can get a mixed drink with decent brands for around $10, there's always a "drink of the day". You can get very drinkable wines by the glass in the $10-12 dollar range (maybe less) and bottles are reasonably priced. The few I've checked over the years are priced at maybe 2 to 2.5 times retail, and most restaurants, in Chicago at least, are now at the 3.5 to 4.0 times retail price. The wines tend to be middle of road, I've been told because the list is selected to include things that are available for restocking in ports around the world. If you see a bottle you won't but don't want that much at a single meal they'll save it for you.

 

Deck part is always dependent on the weather, sometimes the BBQ is still held, but inside. I'm not sure what they do on ocean crossings.

[beachtrl]

When you mentioned a dry dock visit in a couple of months, can you be more specific (if you know). We are scheduled to be on Pride in May and just wondering if it before that.

[Grayboots]

2 hours ago, beachtrl said:

When you mentioned a dry dock visit in a couple of months, can you be more specific (if you know). We are scheduled to be on Pride in May and just wondering if it before that.

I am also scheduled to be on the Star Pride at the end of May.  I looked at her schedule and it looks like there is a gap in the schedule in Lisbon from April 1-12.  So I am guessing she would be in dry dock during that time?  Correct me if I am wrong.  I have no idea what is being done while she is is dry dock though. 

Edited February 8, 2019 by Grayboots
corrected date