We did a lot of research getting ready to book this cruise and had the help of our friend, a travel agent.  My husband and I are in our 40's and 50's, respectively, and this was our first venture in to cruising.  We decided on Alaska after numerous recommendations.  We decided on the Star Princess primarily because my husband wanted a big ship and our travel agent recommended it. We flew to Seattle the morning of our departure.  Everything went smoothly getting our luggage and transfers and onto the bus at the Seattle Airport to take us to the pier where the Star was docked.  Upon arrival there, however, everything was chaotic with lines everywhere and no proper direction guiding any one.  After nearly two hours of snaking through one line after another, we were aboard the ship (tired, hungry and a bit cranky) where we had to fend for ourselves to find our cabin.We were pleased with our cabin, overall.  We had upgraded to a balcony and were so very happy we did.  It really made our time spent in the cabin enjoyable and being able to watch pulling in to ports was very nice.  Somewhere I had gotten the idea that when this ship was recently in dry dock that the cabins were going to be updated with new bedding, pillows, etc.  They weren't.  The bedding was very mediocre and the pillows past their prime.  I asked our cabin steward, Maria, for extra pillows and that helped some.  The cabin was maintained very nicely every day by Maria and we were satisfied and happy with the time spent in our cabin.Getting to the preconceived ideas - we had been led to believe that not only were there enormous quantities of food available all the time but the food was of superior quality and flavor.  Yes, there was food available any time you wanted to eat but, often, it was at the Lido Deck Horizon Buffet which we found to be of inferior quality.  The food was generally flavorless and bland.  The crew servicing the Horizon Buffet were also among the least friendly and genuine of all the crew on the ship.  The dining area is cramped and was often noisy and crowded with people - not at all conducive to relaxation. We didn't care for the soft serve ice cream (which there was an additional charge for) and the pizza was also mediocre.  The hot dog and hamburger grill was pretty good.  The food in the dining room was acceptable but, with a couple of exceptions nothing to brag about.  We kept waiting for it to get better or to find something that really wowed us, but that never happened.The other preconceived idea was that the crew would all be friendly and helpful.  For the most part, we never felt at all welcome or special in almost any area of the ship we ventured.  Two experiences that we did find favorable were the coffee bar (additional fee) and the International Bakery (right next to the coffee bar).  We had good and friendly service each time we visited these areas and even though the pastries there didn't wow us, they were freshly baked and presented beautifully.Leaving the ship to visit ports was relatively uneventful and easy though, again, personnel were not friendly or courteous.We aren't drinkers or gamblers, so we can't comment on the bars or the casino, though we did walk through the casino on several occasions and it seemed nice.We had thought we would see wild life and whales while sailing but the most we ever saw were a few birds.  Being on the ocean and cruising itself we found very relaxing and enjoyable and we met some nice people - many who had cruised frequently. Visiting the portside towns was also a very nice experience and it was at these times when we found some excellent seafood and food, in general.  We didn't take any shore excursions as we were happy to wander around the towns by ourself and to spend time on the ship getting acquainted.  It was also a great time to be on the ship when so many passengers were ashore.  It was much more quiet and relaxing.We don't have anything to compare the Star Princess to but we do think if we cruised again, we would try a smaller ship and a different cruise line.  Many of the passengers on the Star recommended Holland America to us after we described to them what our concerns were with Princess.Overall, we are giving cruising itself a big thumbs up and the Star Princess not so many thumbs up.  I think it's really important to decide what is most important to you about your cruise and then pick the ship and the line based on that.