Today we had the good fortune of participating in a Bridge tour of the new Star Princess. Peter made this happen for us and we were very grateful to have the opportunity. There were only 16 of us, which made the meeting and tour very personal. We met Captain Gennaro Arma and presented him with a magnet that Marshall had made to commemorate the inaugural cruise.

Captain Arma is not only the captain of the ship; he oversaw the entire construction of the ship. This is his baby and you can feel his excitement when he talks about her. We love his evening and noon navigation announcements. He signs off, “enjoy your afternoon, on the beautiful AND friendly, Star Princess.”

The Bridge is very high tech. We’ve been able to see the Bridge on a couple of other ships, but this was “star trek level” technology. There are so many cameras and sensors around the ship, allowing precision “parking” of this 1133-foot-long, 155-foot-wide, vessel. We learned that the ship has incredible tolerance for wind, which you wouldn’t expect for a 21-deck vessel. He said that the Star (and her sister-ship the Sun, both sphere class ships) are the only ships in the Princess fleet that would have been able to dock in Mallorca the other day, when we had 80mph winds.

Speaking of wind, someone asked about hurricane Melissa, and whether any adjustments were being made to our navigation. He replied with an emphatic “no”, continuing that they are keeping an eye on the storm but it is far too early to be making adjustments. We also learned that when they board a pilot to help enter a harbor or port, that the controls are never turned over to them. They just advise and provide updated information on channels, traffic and potential issues. There is a direct elevator that allows the pilot to board the ship at deck 4 and go directly to the Bridge on deck 15.

The only exception to turning over the Con is when going through the Panama Canal. There, by law, the pilot must take over the Con through the entire length of the canal, but that all of the Bridge crew have important responsibilities that day. He said it is a very stressful but exciting day and that he was looking forward to taking the Star Princess through the new Panama Canal next year, when the ship repositions from the Caribbean to Alaska.

We also enjoyed seeing mementos and the typical flag station which we’ve seen on other ships. There was a crystal carafe displayed, filled with sea water from the shipyard where the Star Princess first entered the water. Pretty cool!

The Bridge is spacious, modern and incredibly clean. Captain Arma runs a tight ship! His Second Officer was at the helm, with the Navigator at his side and two Helmsmen keeping watch. There were also several friendly Security Officers on the Bridge, keeping an eye that no one touched anything, and Melissa the event coordinator. Captain Arma could not have been more gracious and we thank him and his staff for the opportunity to learn more about the “beautiful AND friendly, Star Princess.”

Tomorrow: Sea Day