Sos-princess star - or grand?

[malibu007]

does anyone know if they have a coffee bar on the star? :)

[Commodore]

I just came back on Feb 18 on the Grand. I would not sail again on this ship which is the oldest in the fleet.The upholdtery is finished.No lounge chairs on deck 7 and also very difficult if not impossible to get into a dining room for anytime as it has a set time of 5:30pm or after 7:30pm.

[secretcastle]

Check the itinerary for these two options very carefully!

 

I am booked on the Grand departing SF April 28th since the Star's departure date wasn't an option for me with work. As I was planning my excursions I found out the Polynesian Cultural Centre in Honolulu is closed on Sundays... the day we're there.

 

So before booking, if it matters to you, check very carefully everything you'd like to do and choose a ship based off of that.

 

Nodales, you are welcome to come check out our roll call for the April 28th cruise on the Grand :)

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1685614

[dchip]

I just came back on Feb 18 on the Grand. I would not sail again on this ship which is the oldest in the fleet.The upholdtery is finished.No lounge chairs on deck 7 and also very difficult if not impossible to get into a dining room for anytime as it has a set time of 5:30pm or after 7:30pm.

 

You must have been going to the MDR (DaVinci) on Deck 6. It is open for Anytime after 7:30 pm. Before that it is Early Traditional. The MDR (Michelangelo) on Deck 5 is opened for Anytime Dining from 5:30 to 9:00.

 

The Promenade on the Grand isn't wide enough for lounge chairs. One reason why the Diamond and Sapphire are such great ships.

 

Cheers, Denise

Edited February 21, 2014 by dchip
content

[Thrak]

does anyone know if they have a coffee bar on the star? :)

 

You would need to go to the IC. You can get fresh-brewed coffee or specialty coffee there. If you like to drink specialty coffees (mocha, latte, etc.) get a coffee card. It's $31 if you purchase in advance or $33 if you purchase on the ship. You get unlimited fresh-brewed coffee and 15 specialty coffee drinks. The specialty coffee requires a punch to the card. Unused punches can be used on subsequent voyages on any Princess ship. The fresh-brewed coffee is for the current voyage only.

 

Some people use the unlimited fresh-brewed privilege to supply coffee for their spouse, friend, etc. but it is supposed to be for the card holder only. I get a coffee card for my wife but I drink the free ship coffee.

[lukesgrammie]

Out of all our cruises over the years, the Star was our least favorite. Search Star leaves a lot to be desired. Just my opinion, but very disappointed. Was not impressed by the food at all, but a good tip. Order the Love Boat volcano on the childrens menu. It's delicious!!!

[FritzG]

I just came back on Feb 18 on the Grand. I would not sail again on this ship which is the oldest in the fleet.The upholdtery is finished.No lounge chairs on deck 7 and also very difficult if not impossible to get into a dining room for anytime as it has a set time of 5:30pm or after 7:30pm.

 

I have to agree with you about the condition of the ship. The Grand is by far our least favorite ship. We were on an April, 2013, trip, and we were beginning to wonder if we were going to give up on Princess due to the condition of the ship, many maintenance and plumbing issues on Baja aft, the quality of the food, and the overall feeling. Luckily we were on both the Emerald and Ruby in January, and we loved everything about both ships.

I love sailing out of San Francisco, and I'm glad to see that other ships sailing from SFO.

[Colo Cruiser]

Order the Love Boat volcano on the childrens menu. It's delicious!!!

 

That is really good!!

[cardqb]

We decided to book the Grand out of LA because it has Alfredo's pizza. We wanted that extra dining option and enjoyed it several times on our Alaskan cruise. Another factor we looked into was the taxes/port charges and parking SF vs LA. It was cheaper taxes in LA and parking and dropoff should be easier compared to SF.