 |
 |
|
Name: Bethanne Warrack
Email: warrack@bms.com
Age: 35+
Occupation: chemist
NumberOfCruises: 11
TravelAgent: No
Ship: Princess-Star
SailingDate: 9/24/97
Itinerary: Hawaii-Tahiti
FoodDiningRoom: 78
CruiseDirector: 85
CabinComfort: 95
FoodRoomService:
CruiseStaff: 95
CabinAmenities: 95
FoodLidoDeck: 78
DiningRoomService: 78
CabinQuietness: 90
FoodMidnightBuffets:
CabinSteward: 95
ShoreExcVariety: 80
FoodVariety: 78
DeckService: 95
ShoreExcValue: 75
GoodForHoneymoon: 82
CasinoStaff:
PrivateIsland:
GoodForFamilies: 82
LoungeService: 90
TenderService: 89
GoodForSeniors: 95
BeautySalonStaff: 85
EntertainmentLounges: 88
WheelchairAccess: 98
ExerciseFacilities: 95
EntertShowLounge: 80
OverallPortsofCall: 95
BeautySalon: 85
EntertainmentPoolside: 95
CruiseActivities: 85
Casino:
AirSeaProgram: 30
MedicalFacilities: 95
ShipCleanliness: 95
EmbarkDisembark: 83
DiscoNightclubs:
DeckSpace: 95
Stabilization: 80
ShopsOnBoard: 85
SpaceRatio: 95
OverallCruiseValue: 89
Submit: Submit Review
Date: 04 Nov 1997
Time: 08:39:59
Remote Name: 140.176.1.84
Remote User:
Comments
Our most recent cruise was an exotic voyage from Hawaii to Tahiti on the Star Princess.
This was one of her
final four voyages, so by the time that I post this, the ship will have been transferred
to P&O. To briefly
summarize, we loved the ship and its layout. The dining room was disappointing. And, while
I can never
imagine one cruise line outdoing another for the ‘most awful air/sea
arrangements’ award, with each
successive cruise, the arrangements do indeed get worse. Whenever possible, I make my own
arrangements,
but with a cruise that started in Hawaii and ended in Tahiti, we were at their mercy. I
had arranged our air
from New York to LAX so that we arrived in Los Angeles at 1:30 AM on the day of our
departure. (Delta
misdirected one bag, so we were still in the airport at 3:00 AM and didn’t get to
spend much time in our hotel
room since the onward flight departed at 8:30 AM.) I had also done my homework and
arranged rental cars
on each island in Hawaii and a helicopter tour on the Big Island.
The cruise documents arrived 5 days prior to departure. Princess pulled the stealth air
arrangements,
itinerary, and documents tricks. Numerous calls to our travel agent between February and
August could not
pry loose any return air information. According to the agent, Princess did not reply to
her calls. And nowhere
can a mere mortal locate a phone or FAX number for Princess customer service. They deal
exclusively
through agents. The documents themselves didn’t even have a phone number, much to
Delta’s dismay when
trying to deliver the misdirected bag. In August, we were finally told that we would have
a ‘special Princess
charter on a major carrier.’ What this meant was that Princess arranged an 11:59 PM
departure on American
International Air (I guess that ‘major’ applied to the size of the aircraft
since it was an older 747) rather than
the 9 AM departure used for the major carriers’ daily scheduled flights from Tahiti
to LAX. I was so busy
re-booking our air and ground arrangements to New York after discovering that I
wouldn’t arrive in LA until 12
hours after my flight to NY had departed that I failed to notice that the revised, revised
itinerary had changed
(i.e. 3 changes between Feb. and Sept.) I made this discovery on the morning of our
departure to Hawaii,
thanks to Delta and the ‘where do we send your bag if we ever locate it’ form.
So, while waiting to board our
flight to Hawaii, I re-booked 3 rental cars and one helicopter. It would have been nice if
the documents had a
note on top advising of yet another change to the order of islands visited and even the
port on Kauai. Thank
you Princess and Delta for a wonderful start to our vacation.
I must say that things did improve somewhat after that. When we arrived in Hawaii, we were
met by a
Princess rep and escorted to baggage claim. The labeled bags were taken off the carousel
by baggage
handlers and grouped for our inspection. If your bag was there and intact, you didn’t
need to do a thing, if it
wasn’t there or if it was damaged, you could deal with Delta. This was a pleasant
surprise since most cruise
lines just pick up the bags and transfer them to the ship, so you never really know if you
have your bags until
it’s too late to do anything. The remaining bag did arrive in Hawaii but there was
still no word on the lost one.
Delta wanted a list of contents and advised us to shop and keep all the receipts. We
didn’t really want to visit
Pearl Harbor, did we? I can’t comment on Oahu, because all we saw was the Sears and
the JC Penneys.
However, we have never encountered more helpful sales staffs than in these stores. They
went out of their
way to locate dress trousers for my husband since he wore a 34” inseam and this was
not a stock size in
Hawaii (any length beyond 32” was catalog order only). We were glad to have the car.
It simplified the ordeal.
We had no way to replace the missing tuxedo, but we did find socks, swim suits, etc. I had
packed each bag
with half of my clothes and half of my husbands, so it wouldn’t have been a total
disaster, but it wasn’t the
best way to start a vacation.
After shopping we returned the rental car and visited the Delta counter. The bag had been
located (only 26
hours after we had last seen it) and was supposed to rejoin the cruise in Maui. We took a
cab to the pier and
boarded immediately. Since embarkation had started 3 hours earlier, there were no delays
and our one bag
was already waiting in our cabin.
The first dinner was ordinary at best, and since it was open seating and we were totally
exhausted, we
assumed that things would be better in the morning. This was the first time in 12 cruises
that I was too tired
to explore the ship layout on the first day.
Our first port was Lahaina, Maui. We tried the breakfast buffet and found it to be more
interesting than many.
The croissants were fresh and addicting. The ship’s layout was lovely. The 3 floors
of the central atrium were
beautiful--perfect for the captain’s cocktail party or a quiet drink before dinner.
The pool decks never felt
crowded and we spent many hours sitting on the top of the waterfall in the forward pool.
The library was large
and provided a quiet place for reading. The NY Times FAX was available every morning. The
cabin TV had
Newsscript as well as ship’s current weather conditions and an assortment of videos.
The deck entertainment,
especially the Blue Rose Band, was some of the best we have experienced. They did a mix of
contemporary
and country which was a pleasant change from the non-stop calypso found on Caribbean
cruises.
Princess did an excellent job with tender service and the rental car shuttle arrived
promptly. For anyone who
surfs the net or calls all the major companies only to discover that there are no rental
car agencies in or
near Lahaina, this is not true. Avis, Alamo, and Dollar are all only a 5 mile shuttle
drive away. You need to ask
for the West Maui location. We spent the morning on Kapalua Bay beach and spent the
afternoon driving
along the north shore. Fodor’s had suggested turning around before the road became
single track along the
side of a cliff; however, this point is not sign-posted. We had no problem in our Neon
(and previous
experience driving on single-track roads in Scotland), but others who made the same
mistake in Luminas
appeared panic stricken. We watched lots of backing up and waited for the traffic to
dissipate before turning
back at the first opportunity. Lahaina is a quaint little town with lots of interesting
shops and restaurants.
Having done forced shopping in Oahu, we passed on Lahaina.
We were hoping to be reunited with our suitcase when we got back to the ship; however,
there was a flight
delay and the bag didn’t reach Maui before we sailed for Kauai. We departed Maui at
sunset along with an
unidentified US nuclear submarine, an unusual surprise for everyone. Dinner offered no
improvement over the
previous evening. Throughout the cruise, the menus just weren’t very interesting. The
beef was usually safe,
as long as it wasn’t a sirloin steak. Salads contained an abundance of iceberg
lettuce. Fish was sent back
because it was tough or dry. Baked potatoes were tepid at best. Lamb was overcooked, tough
and gamy. The
pastas were usually nice, but I didn’t want pasta for 11 nights. Our waiter never
offered any advice as to what
was good and what wasn’t. For some reason, being served tea while others had coffee
was impossible. The
others at the table had coffee refills and dessert before the hot water arrived, and this
happened every night.
On the plus side, the bread and pastries were excellent. And our wine steward was
wonderful. He knew
everyone’s names and preferences by the second evening and when he saw you on deck,
he remembered
your name as well and never failed to say hello.
The dining room also didn’t try to do any sort of age grouping. Our four tablemates
were almost 80 (we’re
approaching 40). They were delightful people and we enjoyed dining with them, so we
didn’t change tables,
but the Princess staff really made no advance effort in this regard. There were a handful
of younger people
on the ship, but no one could be bothered to try to put them together at tables until they
requested it.
With the exception of the Chinese acrobats, most of the shows, were disappointing. They
catered to a crowd
that was 70 plus. Many evenings we walked out--the music was popular in the 1930s and 40s
(Broadway
shows and performers that we had never heard of) and even the jokes told by the comedians
had no appeal
unless you were retired.
In Kauai, Princess made the last minute switch from Port Allen (where there are no rental
cars) to Nawiliwili
Harbor. Watching the passage through the narrow channel was worth getting up before
sunrise. We docked
there rather than tendered. After collecting the rental jeep from Avis, we drove up the
mountain to experience
Waimea Canyon, the ‘Grand Canyon’ of the Pacific, a worthwhile excursion. On our
return, we stopped for
swimming at Salt Pond Beach and Poipu. Both were nice, but I would recommend Poipu. I
could have spent
the entire day there. Much to our surprise, there was a visitor in our cabin when we
returned to the ship--our
long lost suitcase. We almost didn’t recognize it and thought that we had entered the
wrong cabin. Dinner
that same evening was our first formal night and the tux had been folded for almost 4
days. We made an
emergency call to the Purser’s desk, who had been most helpful through all of this,
and asked if there was
any way to get the tux pressed before dinner. We had no sooner hung up the phone when our
cabin
stewardess knocked to pick up the tux for pressing, and it was returned within the hour.
Potential disaster
averted.
Our next port was Hilo, Hawaii. All my research had indicated that the helicopter tour
over Kilauea volcano
was the thing to do. Words can’t describe this fabulous trip. The best analogy is a
honeybee collecting nectar.
We spiraled down over the volcano and had spectacular views of the caldera, and then we
flew over to the
coast where the lava was flowing into the Pacific. If we go back, we will do it again. We
had to arrange this on
our own. Princess offered no helicopter tours on any of the islands. After this, we drove
1 1/2 hours over to
the Kohala coast and spent the afternoon on Hapuna Beach near the Mauna Lani resort. The
drive over the
mountain was interesting. The vistas were reminiscent of Scotland--sheep, cattle, and
horses and about a 20
degree temperature differential compared to sea level. It was raining on the mountain and
clear at the
beach. On the drive back to Hilo, we were rewarded with numerous rainbows. After we
departed Hilo, we
sailed along the coastline, towards the volcano. There was a party on deck and the cruise
staff handed
everyone ‘wishing petals’ which were cast into the ocean. Around midnight, we
stopped to enjoy the volcano in
the dark. We will never forget the views of the lava flows.
We had two days at sea. Again, the deck never felt crowded. The entertainment on deck was
enjoyable and
not overwhelming. There was ample quiet time for reading as well. The bar staff was
attentive but not pushy.
Christmas Island was everything that I had read and more. Since Christmas Island is a
member of the Kiribati
group and most of the other islands are on the other side of the international date line,
the ship’s calendar
said Tues., but it was Wed. on the island. Never have I seen so much beautiful beach
turned into a dump for
rusted, surplus WW II equipment (generators, pumps, axles) and beer cans. We were
reluctant to swim there
and you absolutely needed to swim. It was stiflingly hot, without a hint of breeze. Shells
were plentiful and I
collected some nice ones. There were also lots of crabs and colorful fish. You didn’t
need to snorkel to enjoy
them. After an hour, we had exhausted our supply of ice water and went back to the ship.
We needed to
shower before we could go up to the pool. My advice, next time stay on the ship.
There were 2 more days at sea before reaching the Society Islands. On the first day, we
celebrated our
transition from pollywogs to shellbacks with a series of pool games. This fine, ancient
naval ritual was used to
initiate those passengers who were making their first equatorial crossing and involved
kissing a plastic
lobster, being cleansed with a pitcher of ice water, and then jumping into the pool. We
also encountered the
beginning of the ‘long high swells.’ We really came to appreciate the
ship’s stabilizers when we saw the waves
breaking across the ship’s bow. We felt a good bit of motion, and can only imagine
what it could have been
like without the stabilizers. The wave motion in the pool was worthy of the New Jersey,
and sitting at the top of
the waterfall to watch it was a popular spot to sip your favorite drink. Between Christmas
Island, we passed by
three uninhabited islands--Vostok, Flint and Malden and saw one old freighter. Other than
that, the days were
uneventful and filled with sunshine.
Bora Bora was as beautiful as I had remembered. We spent the morning at the beach by the
Bora Bora Park
Royal Hotel and then took a 4 Wheel Drive shore excursion during the afternoon. This
adventure was not for
the frail. We drove up mountains, through mud, had the driver open the door while we were
moving and get
out and run in front of the Land Rover Defender for a while before rejoining the tour.
Definitely a photo
opportunity and a lot of fun. The captain had the farewell cocktail party on deck at
sunset. (This was a change
from a formal evening to a casual one that the itinerary never mentioned.) It was a
perfect end to another
perfect day.
We had booked a similar excursion in Moorea and it was so tame, we could have been on a
tour bus. The
ship was too long to anchor in Cook’s Bay, so we dropped anchor in Opunohu Bay and
had a longer tender
ride than expected. This made for long lines when all the shore excursions returned at
about the same time.
There was only enough dock space for one tender to load/unload at once. There were plenty
of tenders
running, but the time limiting step was getting passengers on board. Had we known this, we
would have
packed our beach gear and not returned to the ship for lunch. We did return, however, and
had another great
afternoon on the beach at the Moorea Park Royal Hotel. The have a dolphin experience
habitat there and lots
of fish, sea anemones, and large spiny sea urchins in the lagoons.
Our final port was Papeete, Tahiti. We spent 2 nights docked there. I had originally
booked a 4 wheel
adventure, but when they didn’t schedule our excursion until Monday (I had requested
a Sunday trip), I
canceled it. Because of the modified air arrangements, I booked a day room at the Tahiti
Park Royal Hotel for
Monday. Before lunch, we had to find our bags on the pier and check them with the charter
reps, also on the
pier. Boarding cards were issued at that time. It was necessary to vacate the cabins by 1
PM, but you were
welcome to use the ship’s facilities until the bus to the airport at 10 PM. They were
serving a light meal at 5
PM for the 2nd seating passengers. Since we had 23 hours of travel ahead of us, we wanted
to be able to
shower and have a nap before the journey home. We took care of the baggage and then took a
taxi to the
hotel. It was a great alternative to a shore excursion. We spent the day on a white sand
beach next to a
swimming pool that had all the features of the lagoon (sandy, sloping bottom and a little
current) minus the
sea urchins and there was also a swim up bar off to the side. We had both a nap and a
shower before
concluding our vacation with a delicious, outdoor, candlelit dinner overlooking the beach
and a final stroll
along it before going to the airport.
PS I can’t really comment on the accommodations which most passengers experienced on
charter flight. Due
to another glitch in the system, we were asked to give up our seats in row 19 and move to
the first row of the
747 (all seats were coach) which had plenty of leg room. We slept most of the way to LAX.
Want to book your cruise at a great rate?
Click here.
Questions or comments? Mail to webmaster@cruiseopinion.com.
Copyright ©1996-2001 CruiseOpinion.com. Last modified: March 23, 2000.