Star Princess Baltic Cruise Review - Part 2 - Star Princess Information
< Continued from page 2
Star Princess Cabin Selection is a personal decision. Some cruisers complain that the balconies are staggered so that each deck can look down into the balconies of the lower decks. Personally, I think this adds sunlight to the balcony space. Some have said that aft balconies offer more privacy and wind protection, but I do not know if this is true. I would avoid the few balconies on deck 8 forward, which are surrounded by the promenade deck upper walkway, giving little privacy.
The lower deck balconies are larger than those on the upper decks due to the staggered arrangement. I would avoid cabins directly under the gym and laundromats, because of potential noise. Our cabin was directly under the spa pool. I was worried about possible noise from the pumps, but no noise was detectable. Because there is little to see while Baltic cruising and because the ship docks at industrial ports away from the city centers, this is one cruise where I was happy to save money and choose an inside cabin. The absolute darkness available with inside cabins is great for jet-lag and excursion-fatigue naps during the day.
The Star Princess Public Areas are adequate to handle the large number of passengers. Rarely did we have to skip a show because a theater was full. The main pools may not be large enough for a sunny Caribbean cruise, but they were little-used this far north because of the cool weather and perhaps because of the incessant loud muzak that was played around them. The gym is small but has about a dozen weight-machines, a small free-weight area, ten treadmills, and ten cycles or ski-tracks.
Fortunately the aerobics area is walled off so that the usual blast of gut-thumping music is muted during these classes. Unfortunately the gym has three TVs which usually run on three different channels, so bring your earplugs anyway. The library has small collection of books but a wonderful honor system ? there is no book sign out or threat of fines. The Cabaret Theater And Lounges have loud (but not painfully loud) good music, but few people danced on this cruise, unlike most other cruises with passengers of the "Sinatra" age. The Main Theater has very good sightlines and comfortable seating (it can be chilly, so take a sweater). The shops have a nice selection but seemed quite expensive. They augment the enclosed shops with "sidewalk sales" around the atrium, for those whose are threatened with shopping withdrawal symptoms between ports of call. The Internet salon is busy even though it has about 30 terminals (and a few more in the library). This is in part because frequent cruisers (6 or more cruises) on Princess get free Internet access. Otherwise, the Internet rates are quite high ($.35 per minute on our cruise was advertised as a "special" rate). The Internet response times are quick enough, but unfortunately Princess does not allow you to compose your messages off line and then cut and paste your messages quickly on line. There are no receipts for Internet use, so track this on your own ? you will be surprised by the size of your Internet bill at the end of the cruise. The Photo Gallery is near the lounges and dining rooms, so this can be a major bottleneck at dinnertime. The photos are good quality, but quite expensive as on most cruises. People seem to do almost as well with their own digital cameras, and there is a small digital vending machine to burn discs and make prints. The art auctions are standard for cruises. The art is left visible for browsers through most of the cruise.
Favorite Places Onboard: We especially enjoyed the wrap-around promenade deck (decks 7 aft and 8 forward) for walking. The Sky-walker lounge (deck 17 aft) is a great place to enjoy the sailaways in a cozy environment with 360 degree views. The pizza station and omelet station (deck 14 forward) were just around the corner from our cabin. They were little-used because they are distant from the buffet, but we were happy to have them nearby for quick snacks in our cabin.
Entertainment options on the Star Princess are impressively extensive on a ship this size. All of the musicians and most of the performers were very professional and quite enjoyable. A string quartet plays in the atrium in the evening, adding a touch of class to pop classics. I wish Princess would allow their quartet to give a real concert (classical music, onstage, with no microphones) during days at sea. Theater and cabaret performances are often scheduled mid-evening, with some repeat shows later for traditional diners. If you like evening entertainment, I suggest the anytime dining option for maximum flexibility.
Page 4 > > More of Star Princess Cruise Review > >
Star Princess Cabin Selection is a personal decision. Some cruisers complain that the balconies are staggered so that each deck can look down into the balconies of the lower decks. Personally, I think this adds sunlight to the balcony space. Some have said that aft balconies offer more privacy and wind protection, but I do not know if this is true. I would avoid the few balconies on deck 8 forward, which are surrounded by the promenade deck upper walkway, giving little privacy.
The lower deck balconies are larger than those on the upper decks due to the staggered arrangement. I would avoid cabins directly under the gym and laundromats, because of potential noise. Our cabin was directly under the spa pool. I was worried about possible noise from the pumps, but no noise was detectable. Because there is little to see while Baltic cruising and because the ship docks at industrial ports away from the city centers, this is one cruise where I was happy to save money and choose an inside cabin. The absolute darkness available with inside cabins is great for jet-lag and excursion-fatigue naps during the day.
The Star Princess Public Areas are adequate to handle the large number of passengers. Rarely did we have to skip a show because a theater was full. The main pools may not be large enough for a sunny Caribbean cruise, but they were little-used this far north because of the cool weather and perhaps because of the incessant loud muzak that was played around them. The gym is small but has about a dozen weight-machines, a small free-weight area, ten treadmills, and ten cycles or ski-tracks.
Fortunately the aerobics area is walled off so that the usual blast of gut-thumping music is muted during these classes. Unfortunately the gym has three TVs which usually run on three different channels, so bring your earplugs anyway. The library has small collection of books but a wonderful honor system ? there is no book sign out or threat of fines. The Cabaret Theater And Lounges have loud (but not painfully loud) good music, but few people danced on this cruise, unlike most other cruises with passengers of the "Sinatra" age. The Main Theater has very good sightlines and comfortable seating (it can be chilly, so take a sweater). The shops have a nice selection but seemed quite expensive. They augment the enclosed shops with "sidewalk sales" around the atrium, for those whose are threatened with shopping withdrawal symptoms between ports of call. The Internet salon is busy even though it has about 30 terminals (and a few more in the library). This is in part because frequent cruisers (6 or more cruises) on Princess get free Internet access. Otherwise, the Internet rates are quite high ($.35 per minute on our cruise was advertised as a "special" rate). The Internet response times are quick enough, but unfortunately Princess does not allow you to compose your messages off line and then cut and paste your messages quickly on line. There are no receipts for Internet use, so track this on your own ? you will be surprised by the size of your Internet bill at the end of the cruise. The Photo Gallery is near the lounges and dining rooms, so this can be a major bottleneck at dinnertime. The photos are good quality, but quite expensive as on most cruises. People seem to do almost as well with their own digital cameras, and there is a small digital vending machine to burn discs and make prints. The art auctions are standard for cruises. The art is left visible for browsers through most of the cruise.
Favorite Places Onboard: We especially enjoyed the wrap-around promenade deck (decks 7 aft and 8 forward) for walking. The Sky-walker lounge (deck 17 aft) is a great place to enjoy the sailaways in a cozy environment with 360 degree views. The pizza station and omelet station (deck 14 forward) were just around the corner from our cabin. They were little-used because they are distant from the buffet, but we were happy to have them nearby for quick snacks in our cabin.
Entertainment options on the Star Princess are impressively extensive on a ship this size. All of the musicians and most of the performers were very professional and quite enjoyable. A string quartet plays in the atrium in the evening, adding a touch of class to pop classics. I wish Princess would allow their quartet to give a real concert (classical music, onstage, with no microphones) during days at sea. Theater and cabaret performances are often scheduled mid-evening, with some repeat shows later for traditional diners. If you like evening entertainment, I suggest the anytime dining option for maximum flexibility.
Page 4 > > More of Star Princess Cruise Review > >
Source...