LIVE from the STAR

[Colo Cruiser]

DH and I sailed on Princess for the first time on the Star - March 16, 2002 from Los Angeles to the Mexican Riviera. We haven't cruised on another line since :) Were you on that voyage? But for the sailing from the shipyard, we understood that this was the "maiden voyage" of the Star Princess.

Chris

 

Yes we were!! and it was! They did have a short 2 day to nowhere too. ;)

[Ahhh]

We were on the Inaugural of the Star and that space was built as a Mexican restaurant and stayed that way for a couple of years, then it was changed to the Sterling type steakhouse and now to the Crown Grill. ;)

 

The same location seemed to work much better on the Grand, we loved it.

 

Thanks for the info. I wondered what the space was originally designed for. Although the doors to the theater were never opened during dinner hours it still feels ackward and not intimate at all, especially with all the "windows" that look into the restaurant from the surrounding hallways.

I did like the ship though. It has some wonderful lounges and public spaces. Sabatini's is very nice.

[jsiegel]

Sorry disembarkation went so smoothly and quick. This morning when I checked the bridgecam it showed the Star still out at sea (and in the dark) Knew the image hadn't been refreshed in awhile but figured you all were getting a few more hours at sea before docking. ;)

 

Why does Princess set just the Wheelhouse and Sabatinis for Platinum/Elite passengers awaiting disembarkation? They've got to know how many passengers fall into those categories and how much space they may require. I bet the Vista lounge was empty. That's where I plan to head when I'm kicked out of my cabin.

 

Dona, looking forward to meeting you when you repeat your sailing in April.

 

Jackie

[jwattle]

Hey all-

I've been lurking on this thread, as my parents were going on Star right after you (they had me do the booking, etc., as I'm the obsessive one when it comes to picking the "just right" cabin / itinerary, etc., and then letting the trip handle itself after nailing down JUST enough specifics:o).

Anyway...thank you all for the information about things like MUTS, egg crate mattress toppers, etc., that I was able to pass on to them before they sailed; it is much appreciated! Also, they called before sailaway "from their perfect balcony" where they were looking at the city and sipping a Chardonnay (we sent as a Bon Voyage) and they appreciated all of the tips ahead of time, so again, thank you all!!!

Jo:)

[bdjam]

I'd be curious to see the ORIGINAL deck plans. It feels like it was may have been a restaurant for a number of years but has the feeling that it was not originally designed as such (dance floor still there, no intimacy, awkward seating arangements, passenger walkway that runs thru the middle to the Main Theater - although this was not used as such). I will look forward to it's new incarnation as cabins and see the new restaurant on deck 6. Thank for the info. David

Grand Princess – the prototype for the Grand Class trio – was originally designed with a southwest themed restaurant in the same area of the ship. So Tequilas in that area on Star Princess was not an afterthought – and the restaurant was meant to have a dance floor, much like a supper club might. The design wasn’t the best with the passage from the theater through the restaurant. On Golden Princess this May, the passage was closed so that passenger couldn’t meander through the restaurant during the evening.

 

The reason for the switch of the restaurant and the casino isn’t so much to better the restaurant but to put the casino on the same deck as the rest of the passenger entertainment venues – one would suspect to increase casino revenue. As someone who is not a big fan of the casino, I think its fine on Deck 6 where it is and that the restaurant on deck 7 (same as Sabitini) is a better place for it. Unfortunately, Princess didn’t ask me before they made the changes to Star Princess. :rolleyes:

[cruisepest]

Just got off the Star, there is no change to the Casino it is still on deck 6. The only change to Tequillas, is that it is now called the Crown Grill but it retains its orginal floor plan and decor. They finally got MUTS up and running the last sea day. The major changes all occured on deck 5 with the new International Cafe and Vines going in.

[crusdiva]

Just got off the Star, there is no change to the Casino it is still on deck 6. The only change to Tequillas, is that it is now called the Crown Grill but it retains its orginal floor plan and decor. They finally got MUTS up and running the last sea day. The major changes all occured on deck 5 with the new International Cafe and Vines going in.

cruisepest,

Thanks for the news about the changes on the Star. I'm happy that the Piazza changes took place. I love that area on the Crown and Emerald.

[DeRon]

So where is the Purser's Desk and Guest Relations now?

[TorontoTL]

Grand Princess – the prototype for the Grand Class trio – was originally designed with a southwest themed restaurant in the same area of the ship. So Tequilas in that area on Star Princess was not an afterthought – and the restaurant was meant to have a dance floor, much like a supper club might. The design wasn’t the best with the passage from the theater through the restaurant. On Golden Princess this May, the passage was closed so that passenger couldn’t meander through the restaurant during the evening.

 

The reason for the switch of the restaurant and the casino isn’t so much to better the restaurant but to put the casino on the same deck as the rest of the passenger entertainment venues – one would suspect to increase casino revenue. As someone who is not a big fan of the casino, I think its fine on Deck 6 where it is and that the restaurant on deck 7 (same as Sabitini) is a better place for it. Unfortunately, Princess didn’t ask me before they made the changes to Star Princess. :rolleyes:

 

Perhaps Princess was trying to move the new Crown Grill from a very busy level to one that is quieter with less foot traffic in order to create a more intimate atmosphere? I agree it is more likely that they wanted more traffic through the casino, but you never know, maybe they didn't have money matters in mind.:p

[crusdiva]

So where is the Purser's Desk and Guest Relations now?

Still on Fiesta, deck 6.

[surfgram]

I just got off the Star and have decided that I will never again cruise on a ship that is just out of drydock! Every time there was a problem, the crew said "well, we've just come out of drydock". It was the excuse for everything.

 

I subscribe to the "I've never been on a bad cruise, some are just better than others" philosophy. and this wasn't one of the better ones.

 

We were in a minisuite on Dolphin deck. On the third day, the cold water in our sink faucet turned into hot water. I reported this twice a day for six days. Never got fixed.

 

I joined the Thermal Sanctuary in the spa. It didn't work for the first 2 days. It was wonderful for the rest of the cruise. except for the side showers in the rainforest showers that were scalding hot in one shower and nonworking in the other. Reported this every day. never got fixed.

 

The new International Cafe was great. If you like coffee, buy the coffee card, it's a good deal. The corporate pastry chef was on board to teach the staff how to make the new dessert menu. most all the pastries and desserts were delicious. This was a good place for lunch. they have soup and these really great sandwiches that they toast and yummy salads. And really good cookies. The food and service in the dining rooms (anytime dining) was hit and miss. some great, some so so. 30 to 45 minute waits at peak dinner times if you don't make your reservations as soon as you board.

 

The internet was down for 3 days. The gal said that they were changing satellites. it was supposed to be out for 12 hours to make the change. The poor internet cafe woman was a champ being nice to irate passengers. It must have been the worst 72 hours of her life! People were really nasty. I mean, they tell you up front that the internet is iffy and not guaranteed. She did refund leftover minutes for people who had purchased packages.

 

The Horizon Court buffet was almost always crowded. Again, the food was so so. Pizza was great. The whole ship seemed very crowded. especially on sea days.

 

Embarkation and disembarkation had a few problems, too.

 

If you have any questions, i'll try to answer.

[shellbeachjim]

We were in a minisuite on Dolphin deck. On the third day, the cold water in our sink faucet turned into hot water. I reported this twice a day for six days. Never got fixed.

I stood in line with a woman at the passenger service desk on disembarkation day talking this. Her cabin and her friend's cabin both had this problem.

 

The internet was down for 3 days. The gal said that they were changing satellites. it was supposed to be out for 12 hours to make the change. The poor internet cafe woman was a champ being nice to irate passengers. It must have been the worst 72 hours of her life! People were really nasty. I mean, they tell you up front that the internet is iffy and not guaranteed. She did refund leftover minutes for people who had purchased packages.

Princess ended up flying 6 people from Santa Clarita to fix the internet problem. Stacy at the internet cafe did a great job trying to keep people informed, but I saw her get some abuse too. The worst was some joker in a Georgetown Law School shirt. All lawyer jokes apply to this guy. Dreadful behavior.

 

The Horizon Court buffet was almost always crowded. Again, the food was so so. Pizza was great. The whole ship seemed very crowded. especially on sea days.

I'd describe the buffet as "unimaginative" at best. We hit the pizza stand a couple of times and it was very good.

 

One other issue we had was the cleanliness of the balcony railing glass. It was impossible to see through if you were sitting down. A few of us on the port side cleaned our own and it was obvious which cabins did this. Our cabin steward did get around to ours eventually but it took a few days of us getting bathroom towels filthy before he acted.

 

The crew had two days of emergency exercises. Normally this is done on a single port day, but the crew did not have a successful muster on the first day so they had to do it all over again on the next day. Considering the history of the Star, you'd think the crew would take safety more seriously. I've never heard of a crew failing a muster before.

 

My wife wanted to get a facial at the spa on the last sea day prior to arriving in San Francisco. I would have gone with her and had one too. Unfortunately the spa folks would only book her for their "special" of the day and would only book one for me if it was the shave and facial package. We were turned off by the "upsell" tactics and so they didn't get either of us in there. Yes I know the spa employees come from Steiner, but they should be willing to book appointments for the treatments we want and not the ones they want us to have. They lost two easy sales.

[mycruz]

Internet issues I take to be the norm. I have resigned myself that there are going to be times when it's not available. Why do so many passenger have to get ugly when it's not working? We sailed on the Sea Princess and it was down a couple of days, you would have thought the world was coming to an end and they way the passengers treated the Internet Cafe manager was horrible.

 

As for the spa, didn't use the spa at all during our last 14 day cruise and didn't miss it at all. I am also not willing to deal with some of the sales tactics that are used on most of the ships and I work in sales.:eek: In my opinion, if they would not be so hard sell, bordering on despserate and use a more consultative selling approach, I believe they would do better getting my business back.

 

As for the Star itself, I hope that everything gets worked out, I imagine there must have been a lot of new crew members since it just came out of dry dock, maybe that's why they didn't get the muster right the first time. Just glad to see that they did it until they got it right!

[Irishjayne]

Sorry for the problems you all encountered and thank you for your posts.

May I inquire about the entertainment? Was it good or bad? A must see?

In anytime dining, was there a special wait staff that you liked? Names?

Did anyone try the specialty restaurants and if so were they good?

Irish

[SFParrtHd]

Irish - I can honestly say that this is the first time that I could not recommend any of the waitstaff - anytime or traditional. We were in Traditional for the first 5 nights, which got worse each night. We switch to anytime and it was better, but certainly not what we have had on our past cruises. I felt bad for our "kids" as we wanted them to experience what good service really was. They did notice the difference between our traditional vs the anytime, so they did get the "idea". Even though the Crown Grille lacks the atmosphere, the service was excellent there. Never made it to any of the shows, so can't comment on that. I will say except for the CD, I was not impressed by the cruise staff - never a hello or even meeting of the eyes when passing in the hall. The assistant, Frenchy, got on my nerves during the Morning Show.

 

I agree, we won't go on a ship after the dry dock again - we couldn't change once we found this out as our kids had already put in for their vacations and couldn't change.

 

The few small issues in our cabin were taken care of quickly and our balcony glass was cleaned the 2nd day out - we were very pleased with our cabin stewart.

 

I agree that I can't understand why people get so outraged with the internet being down. We also saw poor Stacey being abused by some passengers.

 

I have given up on the Spa a few years ago. Even if you start out asking for no sales pitches, it still happens.

 

The Crew did fail their 1st muster and had to do a 2nd. Apparently, the Coast Guard is coming on in SF after the current cruise for inspections.

Dona

[CruzinNoony]

Is the internet cafe still over by Tequila's/Crown Grill or did they move it to deck 5 in the piazza?

[shellbeachjim]

We prefer traditional dining with a table for two. Our first task after embarkation is to meet with the Maitre 'd and verify our dining assignment. Luigi was very apologetic, but the traditional dining room only had large tables. We ended up having a set reservation in the Capri dining room for a table for 2. Our reservation was at 7:30pm so it was a bit of a scheduling issue if we wanted to see the shows. Our waiter Ar Thit was excellent, but the assistant waiter wasn't quite as good - mainly because of communication issues.

 

The internet cafe is on deck 5 in the piazza and it shares the space with the library.

 

We only saw one of the ship's shows - Motor City in the Vista Lounge. All I could think of was how "Vanilla Wafer" it sounded. It's Motown after all. Great music, bad singing. We did see two other shows. They had a folkloric show - it think it was in Acapulco. It was very good. They also flew the Los Angeles cast of Beatlemania in for a performance. It also was very good.

[Colo Cruiser]

As far as the Crown Grill and other changes on the Star, why bother if you are not going to do it correctly.

The location of this restaurant has now seen 3 name changes since the ship was built and no specific design changes. Why not do it right or don't attempt it at all. :rolleyes:

[LARGIN]

HIYA ALL..

 

Currently on the Star and will post more when I have time..

 

So far.. Crossing fingers as nothing has gone wrong with our room.. Steward invisible but room has been quickly cleaned and all of our requests have been answered..

 

Ship slightly confusing but we are getting use to it.

 

We switched from Traditional to PC. We did not like the location of the dining room. It is all the way aft and hard to get to.

 

We lucked out on waiters as ours has been fantastic. We will remain at their table for the rest of the cruise.

 

Yes we have large wine glasses but it seems we the only ones...

 

Last night was the first formal night.. We saw a few sport coats and ties but the rest were in suits or tuxes.. However we did see 3 men without a jacket and one that was wearing what looked like a bowling shirt.. Go figure..

 

We all time to run.. Will check in probably late Friday or Saturday..

[crusdiva]

HIYA ALL..

 

Currently on the Star and will post more when I have time..

 

So far.. Crossing fingers as nothing has gone wrong with our room.. Steward invisible but room has been quickly cleaned and all of our requests have been answered..

 

Ship slightly confusing but we are getting use to it.

 

We switched from Traditional to PC. We did not like the location of the dining room. It is all the way aft and hard to get to.

 

We lucked out on waiters as ours has been fantastic. We will remain at their table for the rest of the cruise.

 

Yes we have large wine glasses but it seems we the only ones...

 

Last night was the first formal night.. We saw a few sport coats and ties but the rest were in suits or tuxes.. However we did see 3 men without a jacket and one that was wearing what looked like a bowling shirt.. Go figure..

 

We all time to run.. Will check in probably late Friday or Saturday..

 

GREAT to hear from you Larry. Glad to hear you made the switch - hope it worked out as I had hoped...

Thanks for checking in - can't wait to hear more.

[cruzinchris]

We prefer traditional dining with a table for two. Our first task after embarkation is to meet with the Maitre 'd and verify our dining assignment. Luigi was very apologetic, but the traditional dining room only had large tables. We ended up having a set reservation in the Capri dining room for a table for 2. Our reservation was at 7:30pm so it was a bit of a scheduling issue if we wanted to see the shows. Our waiter Ar Thit was excellent, but the assistant waiter wasn't quite as good - mainly because of communication issues.

 

We had a table for two near a window at late seating on the Star last month. It was a small round table that usually accommodates four. There were two other such tables in our part of the dining room that were also parties of two. I don't think anyone had a table for two at early seating, though; we heard it was packed!

Chris

[bdjam]

IThe crew had two days of emergency exercises. Normally this is done on a single port day, but the crew did not have a successful muster on the first day so they had to do it all over again on the next day. Considering the history of the Star, you'd think the crew would take safety more seriously. I've never heard of a crew failing a muster before.

In defense of the crew - first of all, they do take safety seriously and second, this is not the same crew that was on board when Star Princess burned. Most of the passengers who reported back to Cruise Critic after that incident were complementary of the crew and the actions that they took to ensure the safety of the passengers and to save the ship. To infer that the crew takes safety lightly is really unfair especially when their actions prevented 3500 people having to go to the survival craft.

 

That being said, there have been many times that I know of when ships fail Coast Guard safety drills – often times this results in the ship sailing late. It doesn’t take much to fail and when trying to coordinate 900 people in a safety drill, it’s obvious that something could go awry. I think rather than assuming that the crew didn’t take safety seriously we should assume whatever caused them to fail was rectified and the ship sailed with a fully drilled and prepared crew on board. Sometimes the result of mistakes is better preparation for the future.

[figmentdj]

We just returned. Here's some thoughts.

 

First, out of all the cruises we've been on, this group of passengers complained more than any other, about everything. And we've traveled on the Crown out of new york.;) Folks needed to relax more.

 

That said, there were some issues and some exceptions.

 

First the cons:

The balcony glass was dirty but that was soon remedied.

 

Lee the CD was useless, as was Julie the Deputy CD. The rest seemed to work hard but direction comes from the top and there was clearly none. Hopefully they get up to speed.

 

TVs and Tv reception was dreadful. Since the TVs are now flat screen digital, there were alot of gliches and hiccups in the broadcasts and sound was horrible. But since we don't spend the cruise waching TV it was a minor inconvenience.

 

Casinos closed on a whim. Probably saved us money:D, but even when the Patter said slots open 24 hours they weren't.

 

Dining service was slow. Sometimes waited 25 minutes between courses. We weren't assigned a table because we were confirmed traditional table for wo. As said by another poster, there were no two tops in traditional and we had to accept a standing reservation in anytime. It was fine, but the service was slow. Plus, other than crab and lobster, our requests for additioanl portions like escargo were met with excuses.

 

Went to two shows. After the first one "Words and Music" I was sure I wouldn't get my wife to another. It was dreadful, slow and boring. I know the age on this cruise was quite older but the weren't dead. Lighting and singing was sunpar. The next sow was better "Cinemastatic" but clearly not on par was past production shows. Other acts were mediocre and the bands very amature. Seen better in dives on land.

 

But again, these things didn't break the cruise or us but it seems like it did for some.

 

I know I mentioned it earlier but it seemed like complaining was the major past time for folks. Complaints about everything from the weather to the food to the ports. It got so bad we just found places to be away from people. Once again, lighten up people.

 

Pros:

Embarkation/debarkation smooth.

Room steward, sweet and did a great job.

Ship was clean.

Staff were nice although some were still green.

Luigi the Maitre 'd was accommodating, even with this crowd.

Ports were nice. Tender service was decent, timing is everything here.

New additions were great, International Cafe, etc.

Plenty of food to be had, ranging from fair to excellent.

I'm sure I'll think of more but this is already long. Questions will be answered.

[bdjam]

We switched from Traditional to PC. We did not like the location of the dining room. It is all the way aft and hard to get to.

Nice to hear from you, sir. How come I'm the only one who finds getting to the aft dining room on these ships easy? I guess maybe because I hang out in Wheelhouse with Scotch long enough to let the crowd die down? :D

Have fun and "hi" to Ginger.

[crusdiva]

figmentdj,

Holy cow! What's wrong with people?

Thanks for posting, great information I appreciate your candor.