We also took the Great Rivers of Florida cruise in 2019 as our 9th cruise. We had to take this cruise again because we had vouchers from a cruise that was canceled because of COVID. The vouchers expired by the end of 2021, so our options were limited. On both of these cruises, Lake George was included as one of our destinations. I would very much have enjoyed cruising Lake George and observing the onshore wildlife, but on both of these cruises, we did not visit Lake George. Because we had a minor problem with silt in the St. Johns River, I suspect that the river is no longer navigable to Lake George. Still, it appears in every brochure and on-line as a destination. If they can't get there, it should be removed as a destination.

The boat was quite shabby and was scheduled for drydock and refurbishment after our cruise. We were not told that in advance, so the condition of the ship was very much a disappointment, especially since we have sailed on the Star a few other times. The food was generally good but there was a lamb with a big slab of fat which should have been taken off in the kitchen. On day 4 of the trip there was a toilet blockage that was fixed after we were told that we might have to leave the room. This was a problem since there were no other cabins available. The maintenance crew managed to get the toilet cleared before we went to bed.

Our on-board lecturer, Dale, has been on other cruises and we are not impressed with him at all. He gave lectures on Thanksgiving and Charles Dickens instead of providing information about local lore - nothing about local flora and fauna or about the history of the area along the St. Johns River. Read more