We chose this twice a year itinerary because we wanted to see Hawaii and French Polynesia. The Star is older but clean and a manageable size. Our obstructed view 8th deck cabin was conveniently located, and we had a pretty good view. I have to say that my husband is a picky eater so we chose the Horizon Court more than the dining room. When we went to the DR, the service was good. Entertainment: good comedians, OK singers. The entertainment staff were mostly English as a second language speakers and this negatively affected some communication and particularly the trivia questions, which were often awkwardly structured.

But...Captain Bye Bye! We’ve never experienced a captain that mingled with the masses like Capt. Tuvo. He established a good rapport from day one. Each day he was out and about SPEAKING with the passengers. We looked forward to his noon reports each day, which he’d finish with: “Nevertheless, Bye Bye!”

We enjoyed all the ports except, surprisingly, Papeete. It was dirty and heavily trafficked. It was the only port we wished we had less time, but it was the longest, probably due to resupplying. Read more