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Princess Cruises aboard the Star Princess
Above: Princess Cruise Lines Star Princess Cruise Ship.

Passenger reviews

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Ship Details
Began service: February, 2001
Guest capacity: 2,590
Total staff: 1,150
Length: 951 feet
Passenger decks: 16
CDC inspection score: 99



Star Princess Overview

The Star Princess cruise ship departs from New York, NY, Fort Lauderdale, FL, Quebec City, Canada, and London, England. Throughout the year, she offers ocean cruises to Canada, Caribbean, and Europe.

Check Dates & Prices for cruises to Canada, Caribbean, and Europe.

Star Princess aims for America's mid-market passenger. The ship is big and offers a wide variety of onboard features that appeal to just about anybody. At the same time, it offers passengers a choice of a traditional or contemporary cruising experience.

New on this ship is the Lotus Spa, the Hearts & Minds wedding chapel that transmits ceremonies on the Internet (so folks at home can watch), and an expanded youth facility that's currently the cruise line's largest. One other difference is that as a result of the expansion of Kids Zone and Off Limits, there is no virtual reality center on this vessel.

We found service on Star Princess to be mediocre, fairly consistently, whether it was the dining room or cabin stewards. Be prepared for lines, particularly at embarkation and disembarkation, which were equally horrific in terms of "hurry up and wait" and rude direction.


Cabins

The ship's 1,301 cabins are divided into four categories. Standard inside/outside cabins number 1,096; of these 711 have balconies. There are 22 suites with separate sitting areas and sofa beds, 180 mini-suites, 2 family suites with interconnected doors and one grand suite. All cabins come with color TV and a variety of channels.


Dining

Personal Choice dining is a big hit on this ship. Capri and Portofino, two of the three traditional-styled dining rooms, were open seating, while Amalfi was aimed at those preferring an established dining routine.

There are two alternative restaurants. Sabatini's offers a multi-course feast and charges $20. The restaurant is open for lunch on sea days and dinner everyday. Sterling Steakhouse is the ship's steakhouse; the cover is $15 per person. And the Promenade Lounge offers, for an extra fee, caviar.

Much of the Lido deck is consumed by food options. During the day, the Trident Grill offers hot dogs, hamburgers, and french fries, as does the pizza-oriented Prego. Scoops, which has become a Princess tradition, dishes up Haagen-Dazs ice cream for an additional fee.

The Horizon Court, the buffet eatery, has round-the-clock dining. Food stations are short and separated by type, so lines tend to be minimal. Breakfast offers the usual while lunch features various dishes representing different international cultures. From 10pm - 4am, the Horizon Court transforms itself into a bistro with menu service. Seating is available inside and on the deck.

Room service, also 24 hours, offers a limited menu of hot and cold sandwiches along with salads and desserts. At dinnertime you can order off the evening's menu. Service was prompt and pleasant.




Entertainment

There are a broad range of entertainment options, particularly in the evening. The big, lavish productions are presented in the Princess Theater. The Vista Lounge is a cinema and live performance venue; hosting a variety of "big screen movies" throughout the week as well as comedians and cabaret performers. The Explorers' Lounge, with its dance floor, hosts "70's Night" and dancing to the various onboard orchestras. Skywalker's Nightclub, sitting high atop the ship, comes alive after 10pm with disco. Those who like more mellow entertainment can choose from a country-western singer in Tequila's or showtunes and classic numbers in the Promenade Lounge.

Fitness & Recreation

Despite Star Princess' huge passenger capacity, pool areas were so varied and plentiful that none seemed overcrowded.

There are two main pools. Neptune's Reef and Pool is a festively colored area with tile mosaics. The two-story Conservatory is equally vibrant but comes with a retractable crystal dome/roof, which will come in handy in Alaska. A deck higher is the peaceful, uncrowded, Oasis Spa and Pool. The Lotus Spa has its own pool, allowing you to swim-against-the-current, and two whirlpools.

The Asian-influenced Lotus Spa encompasses a gym, workout studio, beauty salon and treatment rooms for the usual (massages, facials) -- and unusual, such as the wild strawberry back cleanse. Unique to Star Princess is a tropical floral aromatherapy bath and the Asian Lotus Ritual, a two-hour treatment that includes Reiki, Thai Massage, Hawaiian Lomi Lomi, Chinese Tui and Balinese Massage. One neat feature is the spa's thermal suite, with aromatherapeutically-oriented steam rooms. A less appealing feature is the hard sales pitch for beauty products at the end of a treatment.

Daily programs are varied, including conditioning and aerobics workouts, as well as yoga, pulse cycling and kick boxing; the latter involve an extra $10 fee. More specialized services, such as one-on-one conditioning and Pilates are available as well.

Other sporty activities on Star Princess include a jogging track on the top deck, paddle tennis court, virtual golf, shuffleboard, outdoor chess , ping pong, and Princess' Links, a nine-hole putting course.

Public Areas

The ship's public activity is designed around two primary areas. The three-story Grand Plaza Atrium at the center is a pleasant, though not dramatic, area. Circling the atrium are passenger service areas -- pursers desks (there are two) and the shore excursion area -- along with three retail shops, the small Chapter & Verse Library, the Writing Room, and Full House, a room filled with card tables (and stocked with games). Several lounges are tucked into cozy spaces.

Other major shipboard attractions lie just off the atrium, such as the Hearts & Minds wedding chapel, the Princess Fine Arts Gallery, the 24-hour Internet Cafe (which, incidentally, was out of operation for much of the week), and the Atlantis Casino.

The Promenade is styled as a "boulevard" that spans the distance between the three main showrooms -- Princess Theater (forward), the Explorers' Lounge (center) and the Vista Lounge, it is lined with other attractions, such as Sabatini's, the ship's Italian-themed alternative restaurant, the nautically-decorated Wheelhouse Bar and the photo shop.

Kids

Princess' Kids Zone is divided into two groups. Princess Pelicans (ages 3 - 7) and Princess Pirateers (8 - 12) take part in a variety of activities, from arts and crafts to learning-based projects in conjunction with the ship's relationship with the California Science Center and the National Wildlife Federation. There's also an enclosed area with a mini-basketball setup and a wading pool. Programs typically break up at mealtimes (to promote family togetherness) though there are special food-related functions as well.

Expert Star Princess reviews are edited by Michelle, and provided by Ian and Cruise Critic.com, an award-winning cruise community. This objective information can help you choose just the right ship for your next cruise vacation.

Check Dates & Prices for cruises to Canada, Caribbean, and Europe.

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Star Princess cruise reviews

Cruise Ship Inspection Report
All passenger cruise ships arriving at US ports are subject to unannounced CDC inspection. Star Princess Score: 99

Cruise Critic: Star Princess
The Cruise Critic gives Princess' Star Princess a 4-ribbon rating.

Web links

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