CRUISE REVIEW OF THE MONTH

Star Princess – Alaska’s Inside Passage 

What We Learned On Our First Cruise

by Denny Beck

My wife and I recently enjoyed our first cruise. We spent a week onboard the Star Princess visiting the Inside Passage of Alaska. I had done a fair amount of research on “cruise tips” before we left, so there weren’t too many big surprises for us. I thought I would provide a few tips about those things that you may not find in other articles about cruising in Alaska. Hopefully these may be helpful as you plan your next cruise.

Our cruise was with Princess Cruise Lines, Star Princess, June 1, 2008. Overall, I would say we were very happy with Princess and the experience on the Star Princess. We found the food and dining service to be excellent; however, I would have loved some fresh brewed iced tea – the pre-mix tea tastes a bit like shoe polish. Our room was small but adequate and was taken care of without a problem.

Star Princess docked in Juneau © 2008 dbeck - indianalight photography

There were more than adequate activities to keep us busy and the evening shows were well done, but short of outstanding. If you are on a tight budget, you will want to keep a handle on your extra spending – the casino, liquor, art sales, jewelry sales, photographs, souvenirs, etc, etc. There are plenty of temptations to spend money – don’t forget, Princess wants you to have a good time, but they are still in business to make a profit. Still, I would highly recommend Princess and would travel with them again.

Here are a few things we learned that may be helpful:

CELL PHONES: Don’t expect to use your cell phone while cruising in Alaska. They only worked while in port, and then they dropped calls and weren’t dependable. They were totally worthless out at sea. The ship is so large that it would have been very useful for my wife and I to be able to contact each other while we were not together on the ship – forget using cell phones. Instead, consider buying a good quality set of walkie-talkies before you leave.

Star Princess Ice Carving © 2008 dbeck - indianalight photography

CLOTHS: The weather was not ideal, a bit cool and damp; but what we hadn’t planned for was the wind. My advice, as they say, dress in layers – but pack a hooded sweatshirt or hooded jacket that can block the wind. Of course you may be able to get some better weather for a July or August cruise, but of course at a premium rate (and more kids).

DINING: I believe that Princess and Norwegian are the only lines that offer “anytime” dining. Great concept. Unless you are traveling with a group, I ‘m not sure why you wouldn’t want the flexibility to dine when you want; and you will meet a bunch of new people each night. That way you aren’t stuck with the same “duds” for every meal all week.

TRAVEL ALARM: Take one. We had an inside room to save money. It was very dark and very quiet, and had no alarm to wake us up. You couldn’t tell if it was 3AM or 3PM. Plus the time changed to Alaska Time and our cell phones didn’t change until we got into port, close to a cell phone tower.

EXCURSIONS: There are probably some special excursions you should book ahead of time; maybe sea-plane rides or other excursions with limited seating; however, most all of the “touring” type excursions could be booked without a reservation as soon as you get off the ship. There were more than adequate bus tours and trolley tours and such that you really don’t need to book ahead of time. Plus, if your plans change, or the weather is nasty, you don’t have to worry about having already committed.

SEATTLE: Our cruise left from Seattle. If you have the time, and money, go to Seattle (or wherever) a couple of days early. We really enjoyed Seattle and the stress level was greatly reduced by not worrying about arriving for the cruise at the last minute.

Sunset from the Star Princess © 2008 dbeck - indianalight photography

If you would like to see some additional photos of our Alaskan cruise and Seattle, please visit my website at www.indianalight.com. If you would like to ask questions about our cruise, my e-mail address is on my website, Contact Info.

Happy Cruising
Denny Beck 

Editor's Note: Denny has a great gallery of Alaska photo's that are a must see. Click here to view them all.