Celebrity lovers try Princess...again!/Star Princess 6/14-21 review w/ pics!

[Infi]

We LOVE Angieszka! She was our junior waiter for three weeks on the Pacific Princess last year. Wonderful to hear she was promoted. Was Christophe (her BF, a ship's officer) also on board? They were such a cute couple!

Kathi & Leo

 

What a small world! Agnieszka is fabulous - it's great to hear she was promoted to being a waitress, she really deserves it. I don't know about her boyfriend - she didn't mention him - but we did see her holding hands with a young man while coming back to the ship one day, so it might have been him.

 

Here you go!

 

Thank you so much for posting this! What a neat video.

 

Did they have any seafood offerings for the first formal night or than beef?

I'm sorry if I am getting ahead of you, but did you have menus that you were posting. I guess I need something to eat, as these food photos are making me hungry... :)

Keep it coming! Thanks.

 

Most of the food photos are of the things my daughter ordered, so you can quickly figure out what her tastes are. ;) Princess does a good job with seafood (more variety than Celebrity IMHO), there's often at least one or two seafood dishes each night, and usually a seafood entree at lunch.

Here's a photo of the entrees for formal night to give you an idea.

 

BTW...we are right near Weston, by Sawgrass Mills. Small world!

[Infi]

I'm really enjoying your posts and pictures Infi!

I'm so glad to hear the Calypso pool (indoor) is being heated again. It wasn't heated when I was on last Sept, and they kept giving me the run-around and trying to tell me it was! I suspected then that it was simply "broken". I'm convinced now. It would have been a lot less trouble for all of us if they would have just said so...

Everything else on the star was really great, so I booked another cruise on her, and was just resolved that I wouldn't be doing as much swiming as I like. I'm hopeful now!

The Star is a really beautiful ship. Especially the Calypso pool area. Great place to swim or relax.

 

Thank you! I was pleasantly surprised that the pool was heated, most ship pools aren't...and now I see it wasn't always the case. Enjoy your next cruise, and here's hoping that pool heater is working then, too!

 

Great review! Am loving the photo pics!

Thank you!

 

:cool:..Thank you, Infi for your great review and photos...My advice to those who don't like your review...is to, not read it.....We are sailing in the Star on Sept. 6..I can't wait till the end of your review, Our big question is,exactly how long it took you to get to the airport..We have a early flight ,you see...and all this talk of traffic and crowding has us a little worried.:eek: We are going to get early off and our flight is at 11:40...Should we change our flight???...Any help you can give us, would be very helpful...:D We are Celebrity Fans also..But, Since they don't go to Skagway..We decided to try Princess...We have a mini-suite on the Emerald deck aft. Our friends have the one next door, so we should be able to open the divider:D...Plus, it looks like we will be close to the DR......Love the food pics..keep'em coming...and like I said...Applause, Applause...Well done...I do long reviews of my cruises too...The people who cruise seem to like them...just like your's...Keep it coming!!!!:D

 

Thank you so much! I didn't know Celebrity wasn't doing Skagway on their itins this year...we went there with them before, and it really is an Alaska staple.

As for your flight...it's hard to say. We flew out a few days after our cruise, so our experience isn't too helpful. It does take about a half hour to get from Seattle to Seatac, and you never know with traffic at the port. I'd probably do walk-off disembarkation (if you can manage it) to get off as early as possible. I hate cutting it close with airports and Pier 91 is such a wildcard - you never know how it'll be. You might try asking on the West Coast departures board, they might have some more advice there.

Will do on the food pics, they seem to be a big favorite around here. :) I hope you enjoy your first Princess cruise!

[Infi]

Infi, again thank you for your review so far. I am anxious to hear and see the Star Princess. I was on the Emerald in February and know what you mean about the traditional DR being downstairs with access from only the stairs and elevators although we did have 4 elevators on the Emerald. However, one of the Anytime DR's was across from the traditional one and that really led to more people crowded into the area.

I think that it's nice that you are giving your opinion and I don't look at your comments as negative but just "your opinion".

Keep up the good work and post more soon, please.

 

Thank you. I try for objectivity, so your comment really means a lot. I know what you mean about the DR...we were surprised after being on the Emerald, where you have 4 elevators. On the Star the inner elevators are right in the DR entrance, so there are only 2 available. It's too bad, but what can you do? Just a minor inconvenience - it doesn't make or break the cruise.

 

Hi Infi.:) Great and wonderful review as always. Love your DD's pics---as always. Tell her hello from the JWJs.

 

I'm trying to get our Alaska cruise booked for September. Most likely will do a Cruisetour. You mentioned that having a balcony is almost a necessity for Alaska. I've been considering an inside to save a few $$s since we are looking at the Cruisetour.

 

Looking forward to seeing you both on the Ruby!

 

Best regards,

 

Jeanne

 

Thank you, Jeanne. I'm sure DD is reading this too, but a thank you from her as well. :) I hope you get that cruise booked soon, those Alaska prices are making me jealous. ;) The cruisetour sounds great, too. As for the balcony - it's a necessity in Alaska for me...I enjoy sitting out there and hanging out for scenery ops like the glaciers. DD is the complete opposite, she loves running around to all the decks and seeing all the angles from outside. I guess it just depends on what type of person you are. You can catch some really neat sites from the balcony...DD saw whales one day, and we both saw a fantastic rainbow as we left Ketchikan. Whatever you choose, I hope you have a wonderful time in Alaska, and please tell us all about it (and show us all the photos!) when you get back. Looking forward to seeing you on the Ruby - see you on the rollcall!

Cindy

 

I just looked on a Time Zone map and it appears Alaska is in a time zone one hour earlier than Seattle. Does the ship time go back at some point, on a sea day, before you hit the first port? Since I have excursions planned, it would make a difference!

 

The ship does switch times on Monday night (back one hour) and forward one hour on Friday night. It's mentioned in the patter, but it's very small, so make sure you don't miss it!

[Infi]

Sorry for the delay...real life is getting in the way! Here's the next part.

After setting our clocks back one hour last night, we arrived in Ketchikan bright and early this morning. The ship was cleared very early, shortly after 6. There were 3 other ships in port: Norwegian Sun, Sea Princess, and the Veendam. All of them left before the Star did at 4pm, so the town was very empty during the afternoon – perfect for walking around and shopping. My uncle and my daughter went on a fishing excursion early this morning, and my aunt and I stayed back on the ship to enjoy a later breakfast and wait for our Princess excursion, the Paddlewheel waterfront cruise. Now, unfortunately, neither my aunt nor I are photographers – that’s my uncle and daughter’s job. So the only photos you’ll be seeing are of fishing, not of the paddlewheel cruise.

 

We met on the dock at 9:45 for the cruise, which began at 10. There were only 3 people from our ship on the cruise, so we were told to walk over to the Sea Princess, where the tour would pick us up. I didn’t want my aunt to walk that far, so we spoke with the tour operator and she managed to send a minivan over to our dock. It was a short ride to the paddlewheel boat’s dock, about 10min.

Here’s a picture of the paddlewheel boat, which we saw again as we were sailing out of Ketchikan:

 

The dock was kind of narrow for my aunt, who is not too crazy about being close to water. There aren't any railings on the dock or gangway, so this tour might not be the best for those who are of limited mobility.

When we boarded, they gave us a wooden coin, which was good for one free drink (with or without alcohol) at the bar. The boat itself had two floors, both of which had restrooms. There was also a snack bar. The second floor is where the crew performed a vaudeville-type show, dressed in period costumes. On the first floor (where we sat) there were tables and large TV screens to watch the show if you didn’t feel like going upstairs. The show illustrated the gold rush and red light district and their role in the settling of Ketchikan. If you’re not a fan of a little cheese, you might not like this tour. After the brief show, they narrated the sights along the waterfront. You don’t go down Creek Street (red light district), however. The show then continued as the paddlewheel boat returned to the dock. We got back to the dock around noon. Busses there would take you either to town or back to any of the ships. We had a great bus driver who told us about living in Ketchikan: the story of the first Walmart (it had to close for a week after opening day because the locals cleaned out the entire stock), and how you need to buy your groceries early on after the shipment arrives, otherwise you might not get what you need until the next week. Overall, I wouldn’t take the tour again, but it was okay enough for a two hour jaunt. It was very low key with a side of cheese, so if you’re looking for that, it might be good for you.

 

And now for something completely different….

My uncle loves fishing, as does my daughter, so we booked this excursion with Northern Lights Charters. It was less expensive than the ship and I had read a lot of great reviews on CC, and I wasn't disappointed. The owner is Ken, and this is one-man operation. I had been in contact with Ken via email and phone prior to the trip and he was always friendly and easy to talk to, and he gave me all the details I needed as to meeting up on the dock etc. He didn’t promise that they would catch salmon, because you never really know what’s going to happen on any given day. He does fish for salmon (trawling, I believe – I’m no fishing expert here) and if he doesn’t catch any salmon, he switches to bottom fishing for other fish. He promised he would meet the two of them on the dock shortly after the Star Princess arrived.

 

The two had breakfast in the Horizon Court at 6:30am. They were in shock at how crowded it was – my uncle said it was like the whole ship fell out of bed early. DD’s breakfast…she’s not the biggest HC fan, as you can probably tell:

 

As expected, it was raining pretty hard as they disembarked the ship in Ketchikan. Ketchikan is practically the rain capital of Alaska - it rains most days of the year here, and there's a rain gauge in town to prove it. The Star was docked at the second pier – not directly in town, but very close. Thankfully there are some covered ramps that lead down to the docks, so there’s shelter available. For those interested, the Aleutian Ballad, the crab boat from the Deadliest Catch is also docked in the small harbor beside the ship. Apparently, this is the boat that turned over in a storm and was rendered unusable for fishing ever again…but it now gives tours of the crab fisheries. Beats me!

 

 

After waiting about ten minutes, Ken showed up with his boat and docked in the small harbor..

 

Three others joined the boat, and after filling out the necessary fishing licenses (~$15, I think), they were off on the boat after 7am. After about 15min, they were out in open water and Ken set up the lines for trawling. Ken mentioned that on the previous day, they had seen a lot of orca whales. DD was all excited about seeing whales until Ken informed her that the orcas make a lunch out of the salmon, leaving no fish for the boats. No whale watching on this trip!

They also saw some of the larger boats used for the Princess fishing trips. (Small note here: you’re only allowed to bring fish back aboard the ship if you’re on a Princess excursion, due to “health and safety reasons”. My uncle found this especially humorous – Princess trips catch the same exact fish that the private boats do, they’re not special fish. Ken mentioned that he used to work for the Princess trips, until they started demanding more of the fishermans’ cut, then he began his own business. Just keep that in mind if you plan to bring back your catch!)

 

Ken set up the four poles in the back for trawling. Thankfully, the rain had cleared up by then, though it was still a bit overcast.

Trawling – the lazy man’s way to fish, according to DD:

 

They saw some nice homes and scenery out on the water as they were sailing around.

[Infi]

Many eagles – if you don’t see an eagle in Ketchikan, you probably had your eyes shut the entire time. This is by far the best port for eagle spotting (they love the salmon too!) We saw them while walking around town, from our balcony, on our tours, everywhere. Ken’s sage advice for spotting eagles: look for a softball in the trees. Sounds silly, but it works. Keep your eyes peeled!

 

This was a little cove where one of the drive-your-own zodiac excursions from the ship went. I don’t know the name of the excursion, but Ken mentioned the passengers’ driving can make trouble for the fishing boats.

 

 

Another private boat trawling:

 

As you can probably tell by the volume of scenery photos, trawling wasn’t working out so well. Of course, everyone comes to Alaska looking to catch salmon, so Ken tried his hardest, but it just wasn’t working out. He then switched to bottom fishing, aka “the old fashioned way”.

 

Immediately after switching, the other woman on the trip caught a small flounder.

 

After that, the hits came in fast. My uncle caught a turbot, which is not the world’s prettiest fish (or the kindest – look at those teeth!)

 

The other gentleman on the trip caught another turbot – at least something was biting today! His wife caught another flounder, too. Everyone on the trip had caught a fish except DD, and time was ticking away...to be continued...

[atlasali]

Aw come on, infi! You got us hooked! You don't need a "cliffhanger" to get us to come back...did DD get a fish?

[MacThespian]

I didn't know Celebrity wasn't doing Skagway on their itins this year...we went there with them before, and it really is an Alaska staple.

 

We'll be on both Princess and Celebrity in about a month, and our Celebrity itinerary definitely does include Skagway. (I'm not sure about the round-trip ones, though.)

[traceye]

Thank you so much for posting this review. We just got off on Sunday and I'm loving seeing and reading your review. We had a wonderful time as well.

 

I also wanted to comment on the airport question. If you have an early flight you can get the proper color needed to get off early in the morning. My parents got off the ship at 8:30am. Our color was for 9:45 and we got off at 9:35. We used a porter to help us with our bags and he walked us to the front of the customs line where we just walked by everyone. The customs agent took our form and simply looked at our passport. The Porter then walked us outside and to the front of the taxi line. I think we were in our hotel by about 10:15. So I think if the flight in question is at 11:40 there is no problem with that, just get the early color for dimebarkation from the pursers desk. You could also use EZ check out if your airlines and flight times work for that service too and you can walk off first while your bags are delivered to the airport.

 

Looking forward to the rest of your review.

 

Tracey

[Cruisex234]

What a small world! Agnieszka is fabulous - it's great to hear she was promoted to being a waitress, she really deserves it. I don't know about her boyfriend - she didn't mention him - but we did see her holding hands with a young man while coming back to the ship one day, so it might have been him.

 

 

 

Thank you so much for posting this! What a neat video.

 

 

 

Most of the food photos are of the things my daughter ordered, so you can quickly figure out what her tastes are. ;) Princess does a good job with seafood (more variety than Celebrity IMHO), there's often at least one or two seafood dishes each night, and usually a seafood entree at lunch.

BTW...we are right near Weston, by Sawgrass Mills. Small world!

 

Wow, I remember when Sawgrass Mills was first built. I would walk around there and thought I'd never get to the end. And all the shoe stores!

 

Thanks for the photos BTW. I like the one of the ship from Deadliest Catch! :cool:

[Clutterlady]

Loving every minute of this great review and beautiful pictures....thank you:)

[sand piper]

This is so great! I just can't wait for the next segment. My first cruise will be Sept 13 on the Star!

Salley

[jefa]

Isn't it just!!!!! I'm coming back here to check every hour nearly!!!! My first time on the Star on 23rd Sept, and my first cruise too!!!!

 

Thanks infi!!!:)

[Infi]

DD waited…and waited…and waited for a fish to bite. She said bottom fishing was more difficult than normal fishing, because the weights used were so heavy that it's hard to tell when you have a tug or if it's the weight of the line. And finally, at the eleventh hour (or so she says, you know how those fish tales are), she thought she had one and started reeling it in. Ken checked out the line and agreed. After reeling in her line all the way from the bottom of the ocean floor, she caught her fish! She was so excited.

Another turbot…smile for the camera. BTW – turbot was on the menu at dinner that very night, and DD refused to eat it…I think you can see why.

 

At the end of the fishing trip, Ken took some of the leftover bait and threw it to the eagles who were waiting in the trees. DD insisted I post a link to the “best eagle video EVER” she nabbed of an eagle that flew right by their boat and over their heads, so here it is…stay tuned to the end, the eagle comes back for another round:

Another eagle picture - they’re just gorgeous, aren’t they?

 

At around noon, Ken brought them back to the dock. He even went a little overtime to make sure DD caught her fish and reeled it in, which I thought was really great of him. So, at the end of the day, the two fishermen didn’t catch a salmon, but they went fishing in Alaska, which is what they both wanted to do.

 

We met up on the ship for lunch in the DR, which was delicious.

Gnocchi with gorgonzola…one of our favorite pastas on this cruise.

 

Lox and bagel sandwich

 

Double fudge chocolate cake…every bit as rich as it looks.

[Infi]

After lunch, DD and I disembarked to do some shopping and walking around Ketchikan. The downtown (aka the tourist area) is small and makes for a nice walk. There’s even crossing guards on some of the busier streets.

Harbor when you disembark the ship:

 

Boardwalk and shops right next to the dock:

 

One thing you might not expect in Alaska is a lot of flowers. Wildflowers are everywhere in the ports, and they’re gorgeous.

 

Eagle statue in town:

 

The big souvenir shop here is Tongass. They have three stores along the waterfront, all very close to each other. The first one is kind of neat, it has a lot of hunting and fishing gear and a rustic feel to it.

 

Inside Tongass…the only bear we saw in Alaska!

[Infi]

Front street, right along the docks:

 

Welcome to Ketchikan! This sign, and the rain gauge are located right next to the Ketchikan Visitor’s center.

 

158 inches of rain so far this year:

 

After the front street, the next streets have a little more variety: there’s a salmon shop (you’ll find enough salmon in Ketchikan to satisfy any salmon lover), a chocolate shop, and how could I forget – lots of jewelry stores!

Walking down one of the streets:

 

So everyone can now say they’ve seen a whale in Alaska:

 

Whale park, a tiny park off one of the side streets:

[Infi]

Totem pole inside the park…Ketchikan is known for their totem poles.

 

There’s another small indoor mall and some restaurants at the very end of the docks.

 

The Star is the only ship left in town, as an eagle enters the photo:

 

Looking down the front street, from the opposite end:

 

After we did some shopping in some practically empty stores (thanks to all the other ships leaving before the Star did), we headed back to the ship. There was a long line to get back onboard and it had started raining again. Thankfully, the ramp to the dock was covered and Princess had set up some tents for their security as well. Always be prepared here with an umbrella – you never know when the rain will pop up.

But, after the rain, always comes the rainbow:

 

If you have a chance, stick around the decks as you sail out of Ketchikan. There’s a lot along the waterfront to see, and the naturalist will narrate as you go.

[BAGLADY.45]

Thank you so much for your review and photos! We board the Star on 7/12...and you have made the anticipation almost unbearable! The scenery is spectacular and the food...oh the food! I am gaining weight just looking at the photos.

 

Thanks again!!

 

Lindy

[dottiedef]

Good to see the Deadliest Catch boat--we did that tour in May. They do a great tour and I highly recommend it. We were on the Pacific Princess. You can book it independently. They tell you all about fishing in the Bering Sea and demonstrate how the various things are caught. They also feed the eagles and boy do they put on a good show. We even got to touch an octapus! What fun.

 

Really enjoying your tour vicarously and in part reliving our great cruise to Alaska in May.

 

Dottie

[Infi]

Tonight’s dinner was Italian. At the end of this dinner, the waitstaff offers limoncello for purchase in a collectible shotglass. The shotglasses had a nautical scene, the Star Princess, or a Princess logo on them. I really think the shotglass is what encourages most people to buy these drinks. All of our tablemates ordered some and the votes were mixed: half said it tasted like lemon pledge, and the other half enjoyed it.

Eggplant parmigiana appetizer

 

Sparkling peach soup with Prosecco…all of the cold soups came prepared in a drink glass on this cruise, not in a bowl like we’re used to. It does make them fun to drink, though!

 

Veal scaloppine…this was DD’s dinner and she said the meat was pretty tough.

 

One of the homestyle cuisine entrees, chicken cutlets with mushroom and fontina. This was very good.

 

Fruit and berries with an Italian touch

 

Tonight’s show was Motor City, which was held in the Vista lounge. There were three showings: 7, 8:30, and 10pm. I appreciated the extra showings, as the Vista lounge is even smaller than the Princess theater and the multiple viewings helped minimize the crowds. Supposedly, this show was written to be performed in the Vista lounge rather than the Princess theater. We had seen this show on the Emerald in December and I have to say, I preferred this viewing of it. I guess I just like the smaller showrooms and being closer to the action. This show is a lot of lively Motown numbers and very enjoyable to watch. It was my favorite aboard this cruise.

 

I should also mention that besides the production show, there was also music trivia and a dance-through-the-decades party in Explorers. There was also live music in both the Wheelhouse and the Promenade bar. The comedian, Jim MacDonald, repeated his show from the previous night twice in the Princess theater as well.

 

Whew…that’s all for tonight. When I get on a roll with the pictures, there’s no stopping me. Thank you all again for the wonderful feedback, and thanks for your patience with me…I know I’m not the fastest writer!

[JSWalk]

Infi,

Thanks again for posting all this information and I Love the pictures.

[Billy and Charlie's Mum]

Thanks sooo much for this review. Alaska is on our bucket list.

[bragstarr]

Please, please, please! Keep rolling with the pictures. I leave for Seattle 2 weeks from today!

 

You are doing a fabulous job--thanks so much!:)

[Lynda90]

"Veal scaloppine…this was DD’s dinner and she said the meat was pretty tough."

I couldn't agree more. I had the veal on the Star in May and I thought it was awful. They also served it at the most traveled lunch and it was just as bad--really tough!

[mississauga]

Enjoying your fabulous review with pictures. Thanks for your ( and your DD's ) generosity in sharing all your pictures with us.

[Pia1913]

The eggplant parmigiana is wonderful. I order it as an entree instead of just an appetizer.