As we’ve previously proclaimed, this is a beautiful ship. It’s contemporary décor, furnishings and design is pleasant to be in and experience. To be clear, this is not what most Princess ships look like. Most come with more traditional décor and furnishings, which we do not mind at all. Give us some wood and nautical décor and we’re good. However, the Star is the new face of cruising, a lighter, neutral and more modern vibe, which we’ve decided we like as well.

We’ve taken a few pictures and will provide our thoughts on the Star.

Improved Showers – The shower in our Balcony room was very nice. Gone is the clingy plastic shower curtain; now there is a glass door. The size is approx. 50% bigger, with a nice adjustable shower wand. And for the ladies, a foot rest to help you shave your legs. Wow!

Smaller Laundry Facilities – This is a miss. This ship is the largest in the fleet, yet the laundry facilities are smaller by 50%. On every floor, there is a room with 2 washers and 2 dryers. Yes, we know we are Elite and can get our laundry done for free. But every now and then, we like to do our own and the experience was frustrating.

Narrow Passageways – This is also a miss. As previously reported, there are several “choke points” on this ship that get backed up due to the sheer narrowness of the hallways. The ceilings are also low, giving it a claustrophobic feeling. Thankfully, the passageways are generally short.

Smaller Wheelhouse – We love the traditional Wheelhouse bar. You play trivia there, you listen to music there, you watch the amateur dancers there…it’s a popular place. The Wheelhouse on the Star has become a “waiting room” for the Crown Grill. It’s smallish, hosts no music, and it seems as if Princess is phasing out the concept. Thankfully, the servers and bartenders are excellent. If you dine in either of the MDR’s, it is a good place to meet for drinks beforehand.

Less Classical Music – We did not hear much classical music on this sailing. Maybe it was just the way the artist bookings went. But we missed hearing violin duets and chamber music offerings.

Using the Piazza for Everything – Gone are the days when you could stand on any of the floors of the piazza and see and experience what is happening on floors below. On the Star, and assuming on the Sun as well, the piazza now has stadium seating. Meaning, unless you get seat, you are not seeing anything in the piazza. We didn’t get a good photo, sorry about that.

Crooner’s is Gorgeous – This space is spectacular. With its location inside one of the spheres, there are multi-story windows as the backdrop to the grand piano. Unfortunately, after 3 weeks on the Star, we never saw a single person playing the piano. Maybe we missed them, but we were watching. This could just be a programming issue, but with such a grand space, it’s a shame not to have a really excellent pianist on the schedule daily.

Lots of Restaurant Options – This ship has more than we’ve ever experienced. While we only experienced four (Crown, Makato, O’Malleys and Rudi’s), we heard nothing but praise from people who had experienced the others. There is a nice variety, from Italian to Sushi to French to Japanese to steakhouse or fish house. Each restaurant has beautiful décor and the signature excellent waitstaff.

Wake View Terrace – Sitting on deck 9 aft, the Wake View Terrace is smallish but stunning and there is no better view on the entire ship. With loungers, pods, and sling chairs, you’re sure to find a comfortable seat in the sun or shade. We went there nearly every day and never had an issue finding a place to sit and enjoy the view. There is a full bar for drinks, two warm tubs and an infinity pool. This is the hidden gem of the ship.

In summary, we like the Star Princess and look forward to sailing on her again. We were concerned about the size of the ship but we were pleasantly surprised at how well everything is managed. The layout of the ship took a little to get used to and it’s just a different experience. However, we decided that that’s ok; the things that matter are still here – an excellent crew, wonderful food, and a comfortable ship.

Tomorrow: Final Sea Day