James Ackerman

Number of Cruises: 9
Cruise Line: Princess Cruises
Ship: Star Princess
Sailing Date: March 23rd, 2002
Itinerary: Mexican Riviera

As most know, this ship is HUGE! What impressed us the most was that you never felt "crowded" at any times. They designed the ship and passenger flow very well.

I have sailed on Celebrity, Princess, Royal Caribbean, NCL, and Holland America and I was very satisfied with the Princess experience. While each line has their respective strength and weaknesses, I would offer that none of the differences would impact our satisfaction with our vacation in any way. In short, unless you are a very critical person, I think you'll enjoy Princess very much.

One thought, however, was that I noticed the staff throughout were not as "customer oriented" as other lines. Specifically, we would walk down the stateroom hallways and cleaning staff would not move out of the way for us as on other lines, but would expect us to move around them. Lido deck staff were not aggressive in offering drinks, service, etc. This didn't affect our satisfaction, however, it was noticed. I guess in short, I didn't feel the staff was very customer service motivated as I have seen on other lines. I don't know if that is because we are billed our gratuities up front rather than cash envelopes at the end or not. This attitude was not noticed when I sailed on the Grand Princess in 1999.

The ship, although new, was spotless. The drinks along with their prices were quite tasty, and the food was well-varied, fresh and was not recycled in any fashion...even the next day on the Lido Deck.

They didn't pressure you to buy drinks or shore excursions and the TV programming was good.

This is an excellent ship, line, and a good cruise for all ages and family.

Ask a Question About Princess Cruise Lines

Here is something new from Google
Click on the Keywords you are interested in and then
follow the links for more information about Princess Cruises.
(Use Your "Back" Button to Return)