Overview
The third of a trio -- sister ships are Grand Princess and Golden Princess -- Star Princess flat out aims for America's mid-market passenger. The ship is big and offers the pluses -- mostly pluses -- and occasional minuses of its size with a wide variety of onboard features that appeal to just about anybody. At the same time, it offers passengers a choice of a traditional cruising experience or a contemporary one -- or even a smattering of elements of both.

New on this ship, which closely follows Grand's and Golden's precepts, is the first developed-from-scratch Lotus Spa, the Asian decor and concept of which Princess is gradually enfolding throughout the fleet. Also debuting on Star Princess is technological capability at the Hearts & Minds wedding chapel that enables transmission of special ceremonies on the Internet (so folks at home can watch) as well as an expanded youth facility that's currently the cruise line's largest. One other difference is that as a result of the expansion of Kids Zone and Off Limits, there is no virtual reality center on this vessel.

For the most part the staff on Star Princess handles its passengers well enough though we found service to be mediocre, fairly consistently, whether it was the dining room or cabin stewards. Be prepared for lines, particularly at embarkation and disembarkation, which were equally horrific in terms of "hurry up and wait" and rude direction.

Ultimately, though, Star Princess, like its siblings, offers something for virtually every type of cruise traveler -- as long as being part of the masses is no big deal.

Gratuity
Princess recommends a $10 per passenger per day flat service fee that goes to cabin stewards and wait staff. A 15% tip is added to all bar and wine tabs.

Dress Code
Generally casual. Officially there are two formal nights (tuxedos or suits for men and cocktail dresses for women) though passengers not inclined to dress up can head up to the Horizon Court in any attire. Otherwise, the ship's evening dress code is "smart casual."

Dining
A bright spot on Princess Star in terms of quantity, quality and convenience. It would be impossible to go hungry on this ship. Personal Choice was a big hit on the inaugural; Capri and Portofino, two of the three traditional-styled dining rooms, were open seating while Amalfi was aimed at those preferring an established dining routine.

Beyond those, there are two alternative restaurants. Sabatini's offers a multi-course feast and charges $20 per passenger cover. The restaurant is open for lunch or, brunch, as it's called, on sea days and dinner everyday. Sterling Steakhouse is the ship's steakhouse; the cover is $15 per person. And the Promenade Lounge offers, for an extra fee, caviar.

Much of the Lido deck is consumed by food options. During the day, the Trident Grill offers up hot dogs, hamburgers, french fries and the like as does the pizza-oriented Prego. Scoops, which has become a Princess tradition, still dishes up Haagen-Dazs ice cream (for an additional fee).

The Horizon Court, the buffet eatery, has round-the-clock dining and, interestingly, is tucked into its own nook behind attractive garden-style gates. Food stations are short and sweet -- and separated by type -- so lines tend to be minimal. Breakfast offers pretty much the usual while lunch can be eclectic, with various dishes representing different international cultures. Everything from salads to hot dishes to desserts was plentifully and quickly restocked as necessary. From 10 p.m. to 4 a.m., the Horizon Court transforms itself into a bistro, with menu service. Seating is available inside as well as on the deck.

Room service, also 24 hours, offers a limited menu of hot and cold sandwiches along with salads and desserts. At dinnertime you can order off the evening's menu. Service was consistently prompt and pleasant and usually correct.

Public Rooms
Interestingly, public rooms on Star Princess emphasize relatively cozy intimacy as if to de-emphasize the ship's massive size. There are lots of nooks and crannies that passengers can tuck into.

Basically, the ship's public activity is designed around two primary areas. First is the three-story Grand Plaza Atrium at the center, a pleasant though not necessarily dramatic area. Circling the atrium are passenger service areas -- pursers desks (there are two) and the shore excursion area -- along with three retail shops, the surprisingly small Chapter & Verse Library, the Writing Room, and Full House, a well-used room filled with card tables (and stocked with games). Several lounges are tucked into cozy spaces.

Other major shipboard attractions lie just off the atrium, such as the Hearts & Minds wedding chapel, the Princess Fine Arts Gallery, the 24-hour Internet Cafe (which, incidentally, was out of operation for much of the week), and the subdued -- if well equipped -- Atlantis Casino.

The Promenade is another major focal point. Styled as a "boulevard" that spans the distance between the three main showrooms -- Princess Theater (forward), the Explorers' Lounge (center) and the Vista Lounge, it is lined with other attractions, such as Sabatini's, the ship's Italian-themed alternative restaurant, the nautically-decorated Wheelhouse Bar and the photo shop.

Fitness and Recreation
Surprisingly, despite Star Princess' huge passenger capacity, pool areas were so varied and plentiful that none seemed overcrowded (and very few people "reserved" deck chairs). With 9 whirlpools sprawled across the top outdoor decks there was usually room for everyone.

There are two main pools. Neptune's Reef and Pool is an extravagantly and festively colored area with tile mosaics. The two-story Conservatory is equally vibrant but comes with a retractable crystal dome/roof, which will come in handy in Alaska. A deck higher -- and a very peaceful, uncrowded spot -- is the Oasis Spa and Pool, located at the very back of the ship. And The Lotus Spa, the ship's Asian-influenced area for all-things-fitness, has its own pool, this one allowing you to swim-against-the-current, not to mention two whirlpools.

The Asian-influenced Lotus Spa, run by the ubiquitous Steiner, encompasses a gym, workout studio, beauty salon and treatment rooms for the usual (massages, facials) -- and unusual, such as the wild strawberry back cleanse. Unique to Star Princess is a tropical floral aromatherapy bath and the Asian Lotus Ritual, a two-hour treatment that includes Reiki, Thai Massage, Hawaiian Lomi Lomi, Chinese Tui and Balinese Massage. One neat feature is the spa's thermal suite, with aromatherapeutically-oriented steam rooms. A less appealing feature is the Steiner hard sales pitch for beauty products at the end of a treatment.

Daily programs are pretty varied, including conditioning and aerobics workouts as well as trendier classes in areas such as yoga, pulse cycling and kick boxing; the latter involve an extra $10 fee. More specialized services, such as one-on-one conditioning and Pilates are available as well.

Other sporty activities on Star Princess include a jogging track on the top deck, paddle tennis court, virtual golf, shuffleboard, outdoor chess (with huge plastic pieces weighted down by sand), ping pong, and Princess' Links, a nine-hole putting course.

Fellow Passengers
Star Princess, because of its kids program and its range of multi-generational activities, attracts a lot of family groups. Passenger ages ranged all over the board. This is not a great ship for solo travelers (because so many fellow guests arrived in "packs") and disabled ones, who may find it difficult to navigate such a large ship, not to mention the occasional long line.

Family
Princess' Kids Zone is divided into two groups. Princess Pelicans (ages 3 - 7) and Princess Pirateers (8 - 12) take part in a wide variety of activities, from arts and crafts to Nintendo to learning-based projects in conjunction with the ship's relationship with the California Science Center and the National Wildlife Federation (i.e. creating "save our seas" mobiles). There's also an enclosed area with a mini-basketball setup and a wading pool. Programs typically break up at mealtimes (to promote family togetherness) though there are special food-related functions as well.

Teens have their own program. Off Limits is geared for those aged 13 - 17 and the clubroom has a juice bar, jukebox, teen disco and big screen TV.

One plus about Princess' kids program is that the activities staff arrange diversions while the ship is in port -- at no charge -- to give parents a chance to engage in the occasional kid-free day off.

Entertainment
Really broad, entertainment options, particularly in the evening, are head-spinning. The big, lavish productions are presented in the Princess Theater. That room also hosts major variety shows. The Vista Lounge does double duty as cinema and live performance venue; hosting a variety of "big screen movies" throughout the week as well as comedians and cabaret performers. The Explorers' Lounge, with its dance floor, is home to more energetic themed evenings, such as "70's Night" and dancing to the various onboard orchestras. Skywalker's Nightclub, sitting high atop the ship, comes alive only late at night; from 10 p.m. onward it's a disco scene. And those appreciating more mellow entertainment can choose from a country-western singer (who was awesome) in Tequila's or showtunes and classic numbers in the Promenade Lounge.

Cabins
The ship's 1,301 cabins are divided into four categories. Standard inside/outside cabins number 1,096; of these a whopping 711 have balconies. There are 22 suites with separate sitting areas and sofa beds, 180 mini-suites, 2 family suites with interconnected doors and one grand suite. Interestingly, the mini-suites -- which are quite family friendly for four -- have balconies that jut out from the rest of the ship's verandahs. It's a pro and con. The pro is there's no roof and it's a great place to watch the stars at night. The con? No privacy. You're totally visible to anyone in a balcony above you. All cabins come with color TV with remote and a variety of channels.