Star Princess Review

4.0 / 5.0
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Excellent second Alaska cruise; land extension was a bit disappointing

Review for Alaska Cruise on Star Princess
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DCMN
2-5 Cruises • Age 50s

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Sail Date: Jun 2018
Cabin: Interior

We'd had such great fun on a Princess Inside Passage/roundtrip from Seattle cruise a few years ago that we came back with extended family for a somewhat different itinerary. Definitely enjoyed the one way Vancouver to Anchorage itinerary as there was less time at sea/more scenery plus the addition of College Fjord, which was spectacular. The cruise itself was fine with excellent food and service. The new beds are very comfortable and we particularly enjoyed the Vines wine bar. We opted for the 3 day land extension at the end of the cruise, which included rail service to Denali Princess Lodge, then coach to McKinley Princess Lodge followed by coach to Anchorage for the final night. The train was nice though a bit bouncy, and we weren't prepared to be onboard for nearly 10 hours. The weather didn't cooperate, so scenery was limited. Upon evening arrival at Denali Princess lodge, the eateries were crowded, and we had little time to relax as we'd been automatically booked on the 6AM Denali National Park tour departure the next morning. This presented a challenge while traveling with elderly parents as there was no elevator in our lodge building and the staff showed little flexibility on the 11AM checkout time (the 6AM tour was to last past 11AM and one member of our party didn't go on the tour). In the end it worked out but the situation was stressful for everyone. The ride to McKinley Princess lodge was fine, though people were generally exhausted and sleeping. It rained the entire time we were at McKinley lodge, making for a restful though disappointing time waiting for the 2:15 coach ride to Anchorage (again after an 11AM room checkout). The Captain Cook hotel in Anchorage was fine and well-located for exploring the charming downtown tourist attractions. All in all, it was a wonderful trip, though the rainy weather and unfortunate tour scheduling made us regret spending the money on the 3 day extension.

Cabin Review

Interior

Cabin IB

Interior cabin on Princess is fine. The new beds are very soft. The midship location is very quiet and the lack of windows helps with sleep since there isn't much darkness in Alaska in June.

Port Reviews

Glacier Bay

Glacier Bay National Park is a relaxing and informative place to learn about glaciers

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