This cruise was the second one for my extended family (mother, sisters, spouse and kids) - 11 of us altogether. Our prior cruise was on Royal Caribbean's Explorer of the Seas 2 years previously. Overall, we enjoyed the Star Princess much better.
Embarkation: We arrived a few days early and stayed with my mother (who lives about 45 minutes from Port Everglades). We hired a van to take us; based on their recommendation and that of our travel agent, we arrived about 12:45 pm. The process was very smooth and quick, with minimal lines. We were in our staterooms quickly, then moved on to lunch and exploration of the ship.
Ship: We thought the ship was in great condition throughout the cruise; workers were continually performing maintenance to make sure that all was working well and looked good. As others have experienced, it took awhile to get used to the layout. We were on the Caribe deck, so there was an easy walk to either the pool/buffet deck or the promenade level and dining rooms. The ship was full, but did not seem that way. There were only a few occasions when we felt a crush of people (which was more evident on Explorer of the Seas). The ship, despite its size, had a cozy feel to it.