BACKGROUND: We are a retired couple in our 60's and have sailed with Princess 10 times previous. We booked air and cruise only with our local travel agent. This is our first cruise on the STAR. We were sailing with 2 other couples. TRANSFER - HOTEL & EMBARKATION: Transfer to the hotel from the airport and from the hotel to Civitavecchia were with Italy Services which we booked online. Italy Services' driver showed up on time, spoke English and got us to the hotel very fast. We would highly recommend them. They can be found on the internet. We had booked the Crown Plaza St. Peters and found it to be a very nice hotel. Princess Services Counter was set up and very helpful, although they would not let us pre-check-in as we did not have transfers with them. Which was not a problem. Italy Services picked us up at 10:30 am and whisked us off to the ship - there were no line ups and we boarded the ship by 12:00. Embarkation was easy and smooth. They key is to get there by noon, we have found, no matter where we travel, that there are no line-ups at that time. FIRST IMPRESSIONS: As we walked onto the ship we were delighted to find that it was decorated for Christmas in a very tasteful manner. The staff were easy to talk to and very helpful.

FOOD & DINING SERVICE: We really enjoy the fixed seating and opted for the later dining. We were assigned to table 230 in the Amalfi Dining room. Our table was for just the 6 of us and our waiters, Larry and Theo were very attentive and professional. I like to have a proper red wine glass, and Theo appeared with one within minutes. It was always in place every night. Two of our party drank soft drinks and never had to ask, they were always there with second glasses waiting! The food overall was excellent. The only dish which did not please was the Quail. We found it a little tough, but alternates were brought immediately. Our Head Waiter, Murat, came round to the table every night, and made sure that we had everything we needed, including a second night of escargot! ROOM STEWARD: Our Steward was not as good as we had hoped. We saw him in the morning mostly. On two occasions he opened our door when we were getting ready for supper. We thought that he should have known that we ate late and therefore would be getting ready between 6:00 and 7:00pm. Our room was kept neat and clean, but on occasion the bed was not made until close to noon. ENTERTAINMENT: We were disappointed that all the parties, Toga, Back to the 70's, Retro 80's, etc were held while we were eating. The shows were excellent, however and even the comedians were good!

CRUISE DIRECTOR STAFF: Frank & Julie and the rest of the staff were fun and organized lots of activities. We played trivia with Gemma, Isabelle and Ben, mini golf with Romeo and participated in as much as we could. We found all the staff to be upbeat and eager to please, even when some of the conditions were not the best. At trivia, there were loads of people who wanted to play, but the rooms that were assigned weren't always the best choice. Certainly not the fault of the cruise director staff, but they took the brunt of the complaints from some of the travellers and handled it well, in my opinion. PRINCESS TOURS: We took two tours through Princess, one of Pompeii and the Amalfi Coast, and one of Florence and Pisa. We were pleased with them both. We felt that they both were excellent value for the price. PROBLEMS: Just a few days into our cruise the Captain made us aware of the Norovirus on board. Restrictions were put in place - strict use of the hand gel and served buffet. Every day he kept us up to date with the status of the virus and the restrictions were later lifted. None of our party ever felt like we were in danger of contracting the virus, as we were diligent in the use of the hand gel, using our own bathroom facilities, and washing our hands. Read more