Star Princess Cruise Reviews - Reviews

The ship looks brand new and very clean . Entertainment was excellent and the crew was friendly and helpful.

The only downfall was the food in the buffet and Capri ding room. There was plenty of food but not good. Someone said that was because we took the cruise north to south where Alaska has to import mostly frozen.

The 2 speciality restaurants were good.

Overall, we had a great time.

Our first cruise experience was a disappointment. The Star Princess folks spent more time nickle-and-diming their guests than attending to their needs. The buffet, available throughout the day, was mediocre, the anytime "elegant" dining served up tiny portions. The Princess website identified  great hamburger, pizza and ice cream shops, they turned out to be outside counters and not indoor locations. Traveling in Alaska is not the ideal time to stand at an outdoor counter waiting for a hamburger, that when provided, is already cold. The entertainment was not first-rate, it was ok if you had never seen a Broadway show or other more professional entertainment. Other than the Steward for our deck section, the staff was, at best, indifferent to the guests. During the upper deck mid ship departure celebration from Vancouver, with large crowds participating, I tripped over a lounge chair that was sitting in the middle of a crowd of celebrants (should have been secured before the celebration began). Bruised and bleeding, I went back to our stateroom where our Steward provided plastic bags containing ice to help with the wound. We went to the Medical Center and found it closed with a sign clearly stating that they would only deal with "medical emergencies" after hours. Not sure what to do, I called the Service Desk, explained that I was injured and asked for some direction as to what to do, the young lady at the Service Desk said that the Medical Center would reopen on Sunday at noon. She did not inquire as to the nature of my injury nor offer any other assistance. This was, for the most part, the type of "customer service" provided to guests throughout the cruise. Once on land at the Danali Resort and in the Westmark in Fairbanks, we had an opportunity to speak with other travelers who were on our cruise, they too felt that the Star Princess could have done a better job. Those who had taken other cruises said that we should not judge all cruises by the Star Princess experience. If you are thinking about a cruise, avoid the Princess and parent line Holland America.

Pro:

- Irish Bacon and United were absolutely great in setting up this cruise for us.

- As a first time cruiser traveling with a second time cruiser, this cruise was simply spectacular; Glacier Bay and the John Hopkins glacier, on a clear, blue sky day have to rival the best views on the planet; if you want to see glaciers, this is the cruise to take; the art auctions and art staff were fantastic; the room, steward, dining, and dining staffs were 5+ star.

Cons:

- Princess threw a twist into the mix by moving us from the Capt Cook for no reason to the Sheraton. The Sheraton is a well used hotel that is well removed from any activities.

- Putting handicapped and wheel chair cruisers in front for boarding excursion boat and for disembarkation from the ship bogged down logistics significantly; boarding these folks last would have sped up both processes and caused us not to have had an excursion to Misty Fjords cut short

This Alaskan cruise was the best ever yet mainly because it cruised along the Alaskan passage instead of cruising the middle of the ocean.You can see ice covered mountains and glaciers, and sometimes, small towns on the mountain sides as you do your daily walk around the ship. You will never get bored as you look out the windows for you will always see many different glacier formations. What a way to appreciate nature!

FAVORITE PART OF THE CRUISE WAS THE SCENERY.  THE STAR PRINCESS IS IN NEED OF UPDATING.  THE SHIP DOESN'T HAVE A LOT OF THE FUN FACILITIES THAT A LOT OF OTHER SHIPS DO.  THE STAFF IN THE RESTAURANTS ARE GREAT AS WELL AS THE ONES FOR THE CABINS.  

The pools were closed most of the trip. The one day that we were in port at the night dinner they served very little food and it was left overs from the day BEFORE.

I have been on 5 different cruise lines and taken dozens of cruises including many Princess cruises but this was ridiculously bad. I have never rated a cruise a "1" but that was generous for this cruise.

The order from room service for food was partially complete on the time delivered,  and it took an hour to arrive. It was NOT during any scheduled meal time and should have been no delays. The room instead of being clean twice daily which is normal was done once. Mini refrigerator had NO drinks. Called for the room porter twice and never received a return call or visit. Could never find him. BUT Princess still charged the complete doubled standard gratuity amount for both myself and the child traveling with me (the child gratuity was not booked to my account until the morning of the cruise ending in one lump sum or I would have complained prior to leaving. I went down to complain the morning of disembarkation but the line was too long to wait. So of course my credit card showed the doubled billed gratuity amounts.

The most positive thing from all staff and amenities offered was the Captain of the ship. He was extremely professional,  pleasant and always took time to meet and speak with the passengers. Even when a normal person would have ran out of patience on some of the requests, questions, and incidents that I observed.

Unfortunately I plan on choosing a different cruise line in the future.

From seas so rough the first night that I couldn't sleep for the cabin creaking & banging, to losing all sound half-way into a movie in the main theater -- with no one there to monitor or fix the problem -- to a cappucino that was supposed to be decaf but wasn't, to a head waiter that was supposed to know which dishes are saltier than others, but didn't, to bourbon that was supposed to be served plain but came over ice instead, etc. etc. -- too much went wrong unnecessarily on this cruise to be able to relax and enjoy it. (Ok, the rough seas are no one's fault, but these 3000-person ships are supposed to be fitted with modern stabilizers.)  And that's a shame, because the ballroom dance combo in Wheelhouse were good, the ship's layout is good, and some of the food was very good.  Their organization seemed strange this time:  no one we asked for help actually went & did the doing, they always handed it off to someone else... with all the attendant snafus.  Fortunately, we've had 2 good Princess cruises before this one, so this poor experience won't put us off the brand entirely.

Enjoyed all the aspects of the cruise.  The food was very good in the dining room and buffet.  Also ate at the Crown Grill which was excellent.  The balcony cabin (C514) was good and I would book the same cabin again.  The balcony was larger than expected and would have used more if the weather cooperated. The evening productions were better than expected, Born to Dance was exceptional don't miss it.  The ship is very health conscience and they make sure you use purell before going into the buffet.  I was concerned about some of the negative reviews that the ship was worn and tired, the carpet in the cabin could have been replaced but otherwise it was good.

I have only travelled Carnival in the past so I was curious to compare. This was the only weekend cruise so I loved that option. Our room Steward Gerald was amazingly attentive, personable, informative and got a hug goodbye. The repoire he made with my 75yo mom for her first cruise was amazing in such a short time of 4 nights.

the weather and Beauty once in the strait of Juan de Fuca and Canada could not have been better as we expected rain the whole time.

the Captains interaction with passengers and crew was a delight to witness throughout the cruise and the fact that he travelled with his young son was sweet.

annoyances: our room L243 was under the gym dumbbell area. We could hear the weights being dropped to the floor during early morning workout and falling off rack during a rough night at sea. When we went to investigate - not complain, and mentioned that we solved the mystery, the one female employee at the desk quickly denied that's what it could be as if she used to hearing the complaint and had a coined response. The annoyance is that she was lying and questioning our intelligence with the obvious truth. Again, I didn't go to complain so I just walked away feeling insulted. Advice- just apologize. And perhaps put up a sign explaining to weight users that there's a room below which shows your attempt to be courteous to all passengers.

we chose anytime dining which allowed us the use of Portofino and Capri dining rooms. The service in Portofino was quick, efficient to the point of rushed, I never had to refill my own wine glass they were very attentive but it truly lacked any personable relationship with the staff and left me feeling snubbed and rushed. The portions are small but adequate. Wine prices at least twice as much - $30/bottle for low end. The last night we visited Capri dining room and it was completely opposite! We even took pictures of our waitstaff. Joked with them all through dinner and felt valued as a customer. Finally what I was expecting! This service is what I've always received on Carnival for scheduled dining and we've always felt compelled to leave a extra tip for the service. My waiter said he is the "only Romanian waiter on Princess Star" so ask for him! If sections don't change, he and his helpful staff are in the middle.

Dining and entertainment are over good.  Staffs are friendly.

Captain Michele Tuvo is very friendly, informative, communicated well, highly visible to greet passengers.  We like his ending sentence NEVER-THE-LESS BYE BYE.

The Captain made this cruise.  He interacted with passengers on a daily basis.  He was present in the dining room on the Lido deck and attended some of the shows.  He was the most personable I have ever encountered.  Loved him.  I would take another cruise on a ship I knew he was in charge of. 

I have taken 11 cruises. It took 5 minutes on the Star Princess to know this was the prettiest ship I had been on. For me, typically in a one-week cruise will have 4 nights of quality shows. In a two-week cruise, 7-8 very good shows. In 15 nights on this cruise there were 13 great shows. AND most of the acts had a second show in the Vista Lounge later in the week. Because of that, many evenings we had 2 quality shows to see. The MUTS (movie under the stars) was a very nice feature, although it was chilly at night outside, but they supplied blankets. On sea-days they showed 3 movies over the course of the day. The cruise director, Andrew Kadalak was exceptional! Captain Tuvo was omnipresent. He was exceptionally social and has a very playful, fun personality. The food quality was as good as any, and the service all over the the ship was outstanding. This was my best cruise to date.

This is the perfect cruise.  You can choose to relax or participate in the daily events.  The lectures were informative.  The entertainment was great.  The classes in the Fitness Center were motivating.

Highlights of the cruise...  The crew and the food!

Captain Tuvo was the friendliest captain we have ever had on all of our cruises. He made a point of greeting each person every day more than once.  Also the captain from the Love Boat TV series Captain Stubbing was also there. 

Having taken over 20  cruises to many parts of the world, I am comfortable in calling thi.s Hawaii trip the best ever:  the captain, the crew, the sea days--all were perfect.  The island stops, howdver, felt rushed/ and too short

I thought everything was great. Everyone was very nice and helpful. I was celebrating my birthday I like the balloons  in front of my cabin, I love the hospitality  the entertainment, the different selections of foods and restaurants. etc.

Comfortable quarters...Stateroom with balcony. Great food, lots to choose from and always well presented. Service amazing...humour shared, personable and well prepared. For those that wish entertainment ...enough for all! All in all thank you Star Princess cruise!

I had an excellent time on this trip.  Being a professional Santa Claus and wearing different attire everyday made the trip great.  My picture was taken by a great many people from all over the world.  My wife passed away last November and this was a trip we were planning to take before she had a debilitating stroke.  After she passed I took the trip and I am glad I did.  The trip was a way for me to handle my grief and the people I met certainly made it a success. The crew also made my cruise enjoyable.  The captain and I had our pictures taken by a great many of our fellow travelers. I am looking forward to another cruise.   

Days at sea were relaxing and enjoyed the activities provided by the Princess. Evening entertainment was first class from Piano in the lounge to the fantastic shows in the evenings

would not recommend due to  excessive number of sea days with very few fun activities on ship during sea days.  this cruise would not interest many folks.  good one for those who only enjoy sleeping and reading.   No fun deck offerings except outside movie screen  with movies you could not see due to sun glare and no music or activities on deck throughout days.  Evening entertainment mostly for very senior guests and those who preferred to knit.