I awoke with the sunrise on my second day. Outside of work I normally don’t get up quite so early, but I had neglected to close the heavy drapes over the sliding glass doors leading to my balcony, so the sunshine flowed right in.



Good Morning Sunshine


It should be noted that I had intentionally booked a suite on the port or left side of the boat in the hope that I might be able to enjoy a view of the coastlines of Oregon and California as we cruised south. Alas, it was not to be. According to the cruise map displayed on one of the television channels, we were cruising about 40 miles off the coast. Between the distance and marine haze, I could not make out any sign of land.

Princess offers complimentary room service and to see it advertised in the brochures – online or otherwise – it usually shows happy couples dining on a sunny morning out on their balcony. Hmmph! They’re probably on a Caribbean cruise. Here on this crisp November morning off the coast of Oregon, it was looking to be a pretty day but one best enjoyed from the warmth of an indoor perspective.

As for room service, it’s great that it’s offered but I rather like the idea of eating out and so I settled on a compromise. I called room service and requested a pot of coffee and a Danish. I was told it would be delivered in 20 minutes to half an hour – perfect! I then padded off to the bathroom for my morning ablutions and a shower. Pleasingly, the shower had plenty of hot water and came out in a good strong stream.

Speaking of television, I mentioned earlier that I had not one but two big 42” screens in my suite. I like to watch the morning news and so I scrolled through the options and found one of the usual network offerings. Truth be told, I didn’t watch a lot of TV while on this cruise but I seem to recall a mix of about a dozen channels offering some traditional network programming like NBC along with some cable offerings like CNN and a movie channel or two.

It was about 9:00am when I made my way down to the dining room for breakfast. I had planned to meet fti (John) for a trivia contest in the Vista Lounge at 10:00am, so I kept breakfast light with an order of nova lox with cream cheese and a bagel with all the trimmings.



Lox & Bagel Breakfast


Making my way from the dining room to the Vista Lounge took me past a number of attractive lounge areas established around the ship. These were not formal named lounges per se but rather just pleasant and appealing areas to sit and enjoy the view, a good book, a quiet drink or perhaps a bit of conversation. Artwork was also on display in some of the promenades, both to look at and/or to purchase. I was impressed with a framed picture by Leonid Afremov – one of my favorite artists – but alas, the price was a bit more than fiscal responsibility would have allowed one of my limited means.



Artwork on Display


Star Princess Lounge Area


Star Princess Lounge Area


The Vista Lounge looked as nice as a Las Vegas style lounge but it was just smaller. It offered comfortable seating and a large stage with good lines of sight throughout the lounge. The lounge wasn’t particularly crowded when John and I met up, so it was easy to find a seat.


Vista Lounge and Stage
Photo courtesy of cruisedeckplans.com


At 10:00am on the dot, our host arrived – a young guy in his mid-to late twenties. From that point on, he did a great job running the Trivia Quiz, peppering us with questions and arranging for prizes. Me – I’m one of those guys who watches game shows like Jeopardy and knows about 70% of the answers. And of course everybody says “You ought to get on a game show!” and I think… maybe someday. But let me tell you, the questions we were presented on this day must’ve been culled from the very best of Jeopardy, i.e. the hardest and most eclectic. We were asked questions with a chance to answer individually and then later in teams. I was as good as worthless. Indeed, nobody stood out as particularly knowledgeable but clearly Princess had done their homework on researching these questions. Either that or they didn’t want to give out many prizes. Regardless, it was all in good fun and a nice way to spend an hour on a rather chilly November morning at sea.

John and I met later for lunch – this time I joined him in the main dining room – and that’s where I discovered that the “enhanced dining” marketed to Club Class passengers was limited to just one or two extra entrée and appetizer choices. Not that I was complaining though. On the whole, the food in the main dining rooms was very good. I wouldn’t call it gourmet exactly but it was solid. Good Stuff.

After lunch I headed up to my room for a bit of reading while John headed off to do something else – I can’t recall. It’s worth noting that each afternoon we’d find a copy of the Princess Patter – essentially a listing of all of the activities available the next day. The list was long and the variety wide. My scanner doesn’t work and I tried taking a picture of just one page worth of activities but the print is too small to read via photograph so I’m going to list below just a few of the veritable cornucopia of activities available on our first afternoon at sea.

• Piano Favorites with Serena Dixon – In The Piazza, Deck 5 Midship
• Jewish Sabbath Service – Deck 15 Forward
• Grand Spa Raffle (Win $500 in spa credits) – Deck 15 Midship
• Free Footprint Postural Analysis – Deck 15 Forward
• LGBTQ+ Get Together – Wheelhouse Bar, Deck 7
• Classical String Melodies with The Adagio Trio - In The Piazza, Deck 5 Midship
• Evening Movie: Rocketman – Vista ounge, Deck 7 Aft
• Comedy Showtime starring comedian Steve Caouette – Princess Theater, Decks 6&7 Forward
• Name That Tune Challenge – Explorers Lounge, Deck 7 Midship
• Texas Hold ‘Em School followed by $1-2 No-Limit Cash Game – Grand Casino, Deck 6 Forward
• Karaoke Power Hour – Explorer’s Lounge, Deck 7 Midship
• Dance to the Music of Pinnacle – Explorers Lounge, Deck 7 Midship
• Paradise Lotto Draw $2 Tickets (Jackpot over $442,000) – Grand Casino Deck 6 Forward

Unfortunately, I seem to have misplaced my Princess Patter sheets from the other two days of the cruise, but rest assured each day was packed with a host of different activities and informative talks on everything from sea birds to California history.

Aside from organized activities, the ship also offered

• Art Gallery
• The Grand Casino
• Internet Café
• The Lotus Health, Fitness, Spa and Beauty Salon
• Medical Center
• Photography & Video Gallery
• A variety of Retail Shops
• Youth & Teen Centers (Offering a variety of activities geared toward the younger set)

I should note here that wireless internet was also available in the individual cabins. The only reason to go to the internet café would be if you didn’t have a laptop or some similar internet reception platform. That said, the prices were not inexpensive. Check out these rates!



Internet Pricing Plans on the Star Princess


And of course, what would a cruise be without food, glorious food! The Star Princess offered the following cafes and restaurants:

• International Café – Open 24 Hours
• Capri Dining Room – Open for Dinner from 5:00pm-9:00pm
• Amalfi Dining Room - Open for Dinner from 5:00pm-7:15pm
• Portofino Dining Room – Open for Lunch and Dinner at appropriate times
• Crown Grill (Steakhouse with surcharge) - Open for Dinner from 5:00pm-9:30pm
• Sabatini’s (Italian with surcharge) - Open for Dinner from 5:00pm-9:30pm
• Prego Pizzeria – Open from 11:00am – 10:00pm
• Sundaes Ice Cream Bar - Open from 11:00am – 10:00pm
• Trident Grill - Open from 11:00am – 10:00pm
• Horizon Court - Open from 11:00am – 11:00pm (Closed from 5:00pm to 5:30pm)

And finally, for those who enjoy a drink at a bar, there are 11 bars, clubs and lounges available:

• Lobby Bar – Open from 11:00am to 11:00pm
• Vines (Tapas, Sushi & Wine) - Open from 4:30pm to 11:00pm
• Shooters Bar - Open from 4:30pm to Midnight
• Crooners Bar - Open from 11:00am to Late
• Explorers Lounge - Open during specified entertainment activities
• Wheelhouse Bar - Open from 4:30pm to Midnight
• Mermaid’s Tail Bar - Open from 4:30pm to 10:00pm
• Calypso Bar - Open from 5:30am to 11:00pm
• Outriggers Bar - Open from 4:30pm to 7:00pm
• Tradewinds Bar - Open from 11:00am to 7:00pm
• Skywalker’s Nightclub – Open from 10:00pm Onwards

I mentioned earlier that drinks were not cheap on the Star Princess. If you were to drink at the bars and clubs, you could expect to pay between $6-8 for most bottled beers and $8-12 for most cocktails. Thankfully, Princess offers what’s called a Premier Beverage Package where for just $59.99/day + 18% gratuity you can enjoy unlimited individual beverages worth up to $12 each. Plus, you’ll get a 25% discount on all bottled wines! Imagine being able to drink $60 worth of booze a day! I think I’d be spending a lot more time on my balcony if that were the case. Either that or I’d be requesting wheelchair assistance from the bars to wherever!

On most Caribbean, Mexican or Mediterranean cruises, after a day or so at sea most of the days would be taken up at a variety of different ports of call but as this was a re-positioning cruise, it was a straight two and a half day cruise down the coast to Los Angeles. In fact, following our 8:30am arrival in LA, the Star Princess was then scheduled to depart at 5:00pm for a five day sail to Honolulu followed by a week circuit of the Hawaiian Islands. And indeed, I met a fair number of passengers who were planning to continue on to Hawaii with the ship.

John (fti) had cruised a number of times previously with Princess and so had attained a level of status that entitled him to a few perks while at sea. One of those perks was admittance to a members only cocktail hour in the Skywalker’s Nightclub, located at the rear of the ship on the very highest level. I joined him for a couple of drinks at 6:00pm.



Uphill People Mover access to Skywalker’s Nightclub
Photo courtesy of cruisedeckplans.com


Skywalker’s Nightclub
Photo courtesy of cruisedeckplans.com


Prior to the cruise, we had both made arrangements to meet for dinner in the Crown Grill Steakhouse. This and Sabatini’s Italian Restaurant are premium facilities for which you must pay an additional $29. That fee included everything except alcoholic drinks. I imagine it probably didn’t include gratuities either but Princess offers an option where for $43 one could have all shipboard gratuities taken care of in one fell swoop. I should imagine that price would vary depending upon the length of the cruise, but when you consider all of the possible service people in a position to be tipped, I felt that over three days it was a pretty fair deal.

As mentioned earlier, the Crown Grill is a steakhouse. The service was excellent throughout the meal. We were cordially
Greeted at the entrance and shown to a nice, well-lit table. As you might imagine, we both ordered steak! I accompanied mine with a nice $12 glass of Cabernet Sauvignon.



The Crown Grill Restaurant aboard the Star Princess


Steak dinner at the Crown Grill


Dessert at the Crown Grill


Fortunately, we had very nice conditions at sea for our cruise down the coast. The ride was smooth throughout the cruise. Unfortunately, as I mentioned earlier, the temperatures were a bit cool to spend any extended time outon my deck. Remember, we’re talking early November here at about latitude 45°N and so the daytime temperatures were generally in the 40s. The Star Princess is said to have a maximum cruise speed of 23 knots or about 26 mph. I have no idea if the captain truly put the coals to her all the way down the coast, but even if we were cruising at about 20 mph the wind chill effect made the ambient temperature considerably cooler.

On our last morning prior to arrival in Los Angeles (Well, San Pedro actually, about 15 miles south of LA) I had breakfast while sat next to a man who claimed this was his 158th cruise. That is a remarkable number! I’ve come across a number of our summer cruise patrons that ride our busses in Denali National Park who claim to have ridden 30-40 cruises, but 158? That’s in a whole nother stratosphere.

Then again, I’ve flown 5.6 million miles aboard 201 airlines so I guess I can commiserate to some extent.

Arrival in San Pedro was very well organized. There were various disembarkation points combined with varying times of disembarkation dependent upon your location and room type aboard the ship. And of course, one of the benefits of my Club Class upgrade was preferred boarding and disembarkation. As such, I was amongst the first off the boat.

John was renting a car in nearby Long Beach and offered to drive me up to LAX for my 12:30pm flight. However, given that he needed to make his way somehow from the port to the rental office – probably by taxi – the timing didn’t sound as safe as the bus direct to LAX that I’d arranged and paid for prior to the cruise. As such we bid each other farewell and looked forward to getting together again in Denali next summer. Little did we know at that time that a virus emanating from a little known city (to most Americans at least) in China would plunge the world into a full-blown pandemic and effectively cancel the summer plans for many people all over the world.



The Star Princess docked in San Pedro


In closing, I was very impressed with Princess Cruises. From the reservations department to the ship to the crew, everyone did a fantastic job.

That said, I also feel that when it comes to boat rides aboard ships of this size, one cruise is enough for me. The main thing for me is that the ship is so large that often times I had a hard time enjoying a sense of being at sea. Honestly, much of the time this cruise felt more like being aboard a sea-going shopping mall. For many people, I suspect this is part of what makes cruising so attractive to them. For me however, I’m more comfortable being on a ship more in keeping with the size of the Alaska Marine Highway ferries. The largest one – the M.V. Columbia – is designed to carry 500 passengers, although during the off-season times of year that I’ve ridden it, the total number is much less. As a result, the on-board ambiance is much different and – for me at least – more to my tastes.

So – hats off to Princess for doing a really wonderful job, but I think from here on any further cruising I do will be aboard much smaller vessels.