AprilN

We all cruise for different reasons. I like the food and the ports of call best. I had a mini-suite on this ship. The spaciousness was fab, including a large sunken tub in the bathroom. However, there were two things that should definitely have been MUCH better: the quality of the food and the degree of professionalism of certain personnel working in the Lotus Spa. I was so looking forward to a great meal the first night leaving from Vancouver to Alaska. I was just desperately disappointed with the selection and quality of the food. IN addition, their pay-extra restaurant options are not worth the $30 for 2 payments. While the food was better there than in the dining room, (anything would be!) it wasn't worth $30 extra. The only things they didn't screw up were things they didn't have to "make," like fruit plates, sliced smoked salmon, you get the idea. BEST FOOD ON SHIP: Prego's Pizza! Seriously. I am a gourmet food lover but since none was available, I found that the pizza was superb! Great homemade crust, hand tossed, with creative toppings that changed daily. With regard to the spa, their "sanctuary" is really nice. It is where you can go and sit in aromatic steam or sauna and other niceties. However, I take issue with one of their employees for their lack of tact. The first night onboard (after my disappointing meal) I went for a massage. All of the girls are from England who do the different spa services. I spent almost a thousand dollars in the spa for different treatments but would not go back to the same girl I had the first night. (Yes, they soak you with the cost!) However, that is not my "beef." The girl I had my first spa treatment with for a massage apparently was never told how to properly finish a session. She never told me when our session was over or left the room. She just abruptly stopped and sat next to the table. We had great waiters in the Capri dining room: Francesco from Italy and Gyorgy from Hungary. We sat with them almost every night. They were a lot of fun. The best part about the ship was its enormous size and its itinerary. It is the largest ship to ever sail to Alaska (I was on the inaugural sailing). I loved all of the places we went to and was so glad to have been able to go to Glacier Bay and College Fjord, as well as the towns of Ketchikan, Juneau and Skagway, and especially loved Seward. If you only care about a lovely, spacious room to sleep in and a fabulous itinerary, then this is the ship for you. Also, I should mention, the entertainment was pretty decent. If you, like me, look forward to culinary excellence as part of your cruise experience, avoid this ship because you will be sorely displeased. I've never been on a Carnival ship, but I'm sure their food must be better than the food we had on this ship, despite the rumors to the contrary. This was my first Princess cruise. My grandfather and his companion travel all over the world on Princess and have for so many years I thought I would like it. Maybe the food is better on other ships of theirs. I'll tell you, I hesitate to go on another Princess ship if their food is as bad as on the Star Princess. There are just too many other ships to go on that have amazing cuisine.

My cousin and I went on the Norwegian Sea and also wrote a review.She has cruised before but it was the first time I had ever been on a cruise. We booked two cruises on two different lines. The one on NCL's Norwegian Sea went to the Western Caribbean. My cousin got the coolest braids done in Cozumel by a guy named Salvador. Even in the Bahamas, they told her she would have had to pay over $200 there but in Mexico, it was so much less. I think she paid like $20! Okay, the ship. Getting on and off were easy. In fact, being able to stay in your stateroom after the trip was over for disembarkation until your luggage tag was called was a big relief. We didn't feel rushed. In fact, we never felt rushed or pushed at all on this ship. It seemed like all of the people who worked on the ship were truly interested in us having a relaxing experience. They had the best attitudes ever. It was like everything was for our pleasure, our enjoyment. One night at the comedy show, we had our bare (clean) feet in front of us on the same type of velvet chairs we were also sitting on. A lady came by and we thought she was going to ask us to take our bare feet off the chairs so we hurriedly did before she said anything as she approached us. She was all, "It is fine! Rest! Please, relax, enjoy yourselves! It's okay!" We just thought that was the greatest. We found people everywhere to be this way. Because the dining room is not on a two-seating schedule, we could sit there forever and truly enjoy all the courses being offered. We did not ever feel like we had to rush to do anything. They truly made us feel like we could do whatever the heck we wanted (within reason, I'm sure, but you get the idea), because it was truly our vacation and was to be enjoyed with peace and relaxation. We did not feel stifled in any way or restricted in our activities. It was glorious. To think that we got such phenomenal treatment and food for such a great value makes me happy. It would be my true continued pleasure and joy to book another cruise on this ship. The photography that was going on everywhere was surprisingly good. The best picture of me anyone has ever taken was after snorkeling on one of the shore excursions and also had some great shots on formal night. We spent a ton of money on photos because so many came out so spectacular and it was so worth it. Who ever gets the chance or has the time to go to a professional photographer? The photo people on the Norwegian Sea were great. I truly relaxed and enjoyed myself on this ship. You will feel like kings and queens on this ship, even if your hair is a mess and you're wearing something less than glamourous. They treat their guests with respect and honor and humor. They were so real to us, not stuffy, rigid, with lots of rules and regulations. It was just the best.