A few observations so far on the Star Princess repo cruise

[Host Mike]

• Cruise Director Richard Joseph is leaving the ship for vacation
• The Elite line at the pursurs desk only gives you a shorter line.  They were calling the first in the regular line ahead of the Elite line.
• The Platinum/Elite thing in Skywalkers before dinner is no big deal.  Just some free snacks which you can find at the same time in Horizon Court.
• Some of the cast is leaving for vacation, then on to the Crown Princess. This is too bad for the Star Princess as the current cast had the best singers and dancers I have ever seen and heard on Princess.

[obendus]

• Cruise Director Richard Joseph is leaving the ship for vacation
• The Elite line at the pursurs desk only gives you a shorter line.  They were calling the first in the regular line ahead of the Elite line.
• The Platinum/Elite thing in Skywalkers before dinner is no big deal.  Just some free snacks which you can find at the same time in Horizon Court.
• Some of the cast is leaving for vacation, then on to the Crown Princess. This is too bad for the Star Princess as the current cast had the best singers and dancers I have ever seen and heard on Princess.

Time to book on the 'Crown' Princess I guess.

[Host Mike]

• A large radio dome has, at some point, been added to the roof of Skywalkers
• The ship's only working waffle iron has been assigned during breakfast time to Sabitini's for excusive use for the suite passengers
• The music player wouldn't work in the Amalfi dining room tonight so there was no music for the baked Alaska parade.  Very strange.

[obendus]

• A large radio dome has, at some point, been added to the roof of Skywalkers
• The ship's only working waffle iron has been assigned during breakfast time to Sabitini's for excusive use for the suite passengers
• The music player wouldn't work in the Amalfi dining room tonight so there was no music for the baked Alaska parade.  Very strange.

Hmmm! Most interesting observations Mike. Thank-You for the uber-live update, from one Princess cruiser to the rest of us.

[Host Mike]

•   Richard Joseph is still the cruise director
•   Two really great male principal singers are still in the cast
•   Sam I am from Nottingham, the assistant cruise director, told me that if I believe that the Star Princess Wake show is actually produced bright and early each morning then I must still believe in the tooth fairy.
•   There are around 200 Elite members still sailing on this Repo/Baltic cruise.
•   You are allowed to trade in your elite mini-bar set up for a whole lot of water.
•   Significant numbers of Japanese, Chinese Canadians and Brazilians have joined the cruise.  It’s everyone for themselves now in trying to find passing space in the Piazza during prime time.  You know what I’m talking about.

[Host Mike]

•   The men’s dress code for formal and smart casual nights in the dining room is not being strictly enforced.  The shows are now repeating for the second leg of this cruise but with some new cast members.  There are actually two casts aboard the ship this week. The old cast and the new cast.

•   The Captain’s Circle host was unaware that Captain’s Circle members get a reduced deposit on future cruise as was reported here by Cruzy Suzie.

•   The ship anchored some 50 miles away from our Stockholm stop due to heavy fog and we tendered to a nearby dock to catch the shuttle buses.  We have been in heavy fog for the second day and night.

•   Ship laundry services will be suspended while in St Petersburg because the ship “can’t dump water” there.

•   The ventriloquist Gareth Oliver had such a potty mouth that my DW and I walked out of his Vista Lounge show.

•   While waiting for our tender call in Princess Theater this morning we got to watch the new cast dancers practice some of their dance routines.  They were all sweating from their dance workouts and I’ll tell you that they are all really good.  Oh to be young again.

•   There appears to be no set rate for using your cell phone on board.  The rate is now up to your cell phone company.

[obendus]

•   The men’s dress code for formal and smart casual nights in the dining room is not being strictly enforced.  The shows are now repeating for the second leg of this cruise but with some new cast members.  There are actually two casts aboard the ship this week. The old cast and the new cast.

•   The Captain’s Circle host was unaware that Captain’s Circle members get a reduced deposit on future cruise as was reported here by Cruzy Suzie.

•   The ship anchored some 50 miles away from our Stockholm stop due to heavy fog and we tendered to a nearby dock to catch the shuttle buses.  We have been in heavy fog for the second day and night.

•   Ship laundry services will be suspended while in St Petersburg because the ship “can’t dump water” there.

•   The ventriloquist Gareth Oliver had such a potty mouth that my DW and I walked out of his Vista Lounge show.

•   While waiting for our tender call in Princess Theater this morning we got to watch the new cast dancers practice some of their dance routines.  They were all sweating from their dance workouts and I’ll tell you that they are all really good.  Oh to be young again.

•   There appears to be no set rate for using your cell phone on board.  The rate is now up to your cell phone company.

Nothing could be so adequate, and understated as thanks again Mike.

[NSWP]

Thanks for the reports Mike, overall are you enjoying your cruise and the ship ? 

[Host Mike]

•   Elite line at Pursers desk still being ignored.
•   Skype is not being blocked despite what the Patter says, at least it is not being blocked today.

Overall this is a great cruise.  I'm now looking forward to returning home just to rest as the pace in St Petersburg and taking excursions each and every day is very exhausting.

[Host Mike]

•   Skype is being blocked again today. 

•   The Star Princess food is great.

•   Peterhof and Catherine Palace outside St. Petersburg is a must excursion

[Host Mike]

No questionaires were passed out at the end of the cruise.  They are sent via email after the cruise.

Almost no junk mail was put in our cabin mail box

Horizon Court bacon crispness varied every morning.

No noro virus outbreaks and minimal medical rumors on this 28 day cruise.

Bottom line:  It was a really nice Princess cruise but that said, we hate taking long air flights in "rat" class.