We Discover What REALLY Happens Onboard The Star Princess

We Discover What REALLY Happens Onboard The Star Princess

This episode of the Ritzy Cruise Diary, 
we’re aboard the brand new Star Princess, the pride and joy of Princess Cruise Lines. 
It’s bigger, bolder, and more glitzy than anything they’ve put out before. They claim 
it will wow you and make you so excited you’ll book it on the spot. We’ll show you behind the 
scenes how it went for us and what you could expect. Everything from glamour to chaos! This 
is the Ritzy Cruise Diary for the Star Princess! Welcome back to the Ritzy Travel Guide. My name is 
Bill and it’s absolutely fabulous to have you back   with us. This episode we’re taking aboard one 
of the most talked about ships of the moment, the Star Princess. Part one was released a 
couple of weeks ago and is already available now for viewing. That episode is what we call 
the ‘Full Review and Verdict’ of the ship. We showed you everything from top to bottom. If you 
haven’t watched that episode, please do so after this as it is an important one and will give you a 
really useful insight. Later on, I’ll give you the links for that review. This time it’s video two, 
what we call our ‘Cruise Diary,’ where we take you right behind the scenes. You get to see what it’s 
actually like living aboard the Star Princess for a week. We’ll sample more food than is strictly 
advisable as my wife somehow manages to eat two dinners in one night. And we sneak into the ship’s 
galleys, the kitchens, and we also had to move cabins mid cruise. You’ll find out exactly why 
what happened. And we stumble upon one of the most unexpectedly brilliant Mediterranean meals we’ve 
had in years. And above all, we want you to get a real feel for the Star Princess because it’s so 
important to pick the right ship, the right cruise line. In fact, as we stand today, there are 400 
cruise ships plying the seas around the world. You need to try and find the one that’s best suited 
to you. In fact, Princess has been shifting its emphasis over the last couple of years. And these 
new sphere class ships, the Sun Princess and the Star Princess is this new bold path forward that 
Princess is taking and hoping that you will like what they’ve done because their new ships carry 
4,500 guests. That’s almost double the size of the older ships in their fleet. So, we were 
really keen to find out if this new vision for Princess has worked. Right, with that, let’s get 
us aboard down to the ship. Day one, embarkation. Are we ready for a bit of Princess? Bit of 
Star Princess? The Sphere Class. There it is. That big bulging glass bit on the 
side. That’s the one. There’s always a certain amount of anticipation when you meet 
a new ship and it’s only been out a few weeks,   just a couple of weeks. It’s almost 
brand new. It’s very unusual, isn’t it, when you look at it there? Just bulging out from 
the side. I think it looks more like a fishbowl. It does. Right. Are we ready? Let’s aboard. Got 
our medallions. We’re ready to zap ourselves in. Here we go. Ship gleaming in the background. And 
there’s our cabin for the cruise. A ‘Cove Balcony.’ It’s a little bit like a sheltered balcony. We 
thought we’d be in that for the entire cruise. Turned out it wasn’t. More on that a bit later. 
And the first thing you bump into is the Atrium, the Piazza. This area has been super-sized 
on the Star Princess. It’s a whopper of a space right in the center of the ship. And 
a lot of the bars and restaurants that you   know and love are directly off this. And there 
are huge LED screens as a backdrop. We’ll come back to all of these areas shortly, but 
it was time for the cruise to get going. It’s the Sail-away party! It’s always atmospheric to hear their Love Boat 
horns. It confirms you’re on a princess ship.   For a lot of people, the Sailaway party 
is the symbol of being on a cruise ship. Drinks out, party hats on, and 
into that electric slide. In fact, our cruise here was the second ever for the Star 
Princess. We were sailing out of Barcelona and Spain around the Mediterranean before the ship 
then sailed across the Atlantic for 2 years, cruising out of Miami and the west coast of 
the States. It’s also a good opportunity to take a look at the Lido pool area of the Star 
Princess. Right here in the center of the ship,   it’s quite spacious. Two pools and several large 
hot tubs. And there are more pools in other areas of the ship as well. Here we are right at the 
back, the aft with an infinity edge pool. You can imagine you’re a piranha swishing away as the 
ship steams off. This section is a bit hidden away on deck 8, so do take a look for it. A lot of 
passengers got right to the end of the sailing a week later and had no idea it even existed. 
There’s also another pool here by the Dome. That big glass structure. We’ll come back 
to what the dome is later, but quickly just   to show you so you can imagine and get your 
bearings. All in all, the ship is well pooled. Should we take a look at our cabin? It’s on deck 
six. It’s a balcony and it’s called a Cove Suite. Right, let’s go and check out our cabin. 
We’re in 6337. Always that certain amount of anticipation. What’s it going to look like? 
Well, it’s brand new. I hope it’s gleaming. Here we are. That’s us. That’s my little icon 
there. Cocktail glass. Look at that. The photo is still sober! Right. Are we ready? In we 
go. Love the fresh colors. Very fresh colors, aren’t they? A Princess blue is beautiful. 
It’s so fresh. Whites and blues feel like the Mediterranean. So, let’s have a look. So, 
we got our bed first when you come in. Then a little sofa area beyond. Huge TV opposite the 
bed. Lots of plump pillows. I’ll do a bed test in just a moment. Nice lighting above. Ah, 
okay. So, we have a mini bar for your Oh, no surprise drinks stashed inside. mini for your 
glass of bottles of wine, hair dryer. Watch it. Now, what’s behind you? Let’s have a look. The 
balcony. It’s a slightly sheltered type. This is a special type of balcony. I ordered this one 
as I thought it was unusual. Good for rough seas because you have a certain amount of shelter. It’s 
reasonably spacious. Couple of chairs. There’s two doors, which means when it gets really rough, 
it’s like a sea door. When it’s really rough,   they can close it on you. Yeah. When it’s very 
rough, they need to close this door. It’s like one of these refrigeration plants where they 
have these huge doors. Should we have a look at   the wardrobes and the cabinetry? It’s very nice. 
Let’s check. We’ve got three drawers here. Are they easy close? Yes, they are. One, two, three. 
Some storage there. It’s a slightly small safe. May I may I suggest you come to this side? 
Okay, let’s call that the iPad and phone safe because you’re not going to get a laptop 
in there. But never mind. There we are. I have   to say there’s a reasonable amount of space. 
Well done. Because we’ve been to cabins with far less space in this. My favorite room is 
the bathroom. Okay, let’s go take a look. Show us around the bathroom. I think that’s 
looking quite nice, isn’t it? It’s not huge, but I tell you what, we’ve seen worse. Not 
huge, but it’s very modern, minimalist, but very fresh. The bathroom feels fresh. 
Height test. Well, there’s no overhead shower. So, there. Okay. Okay. If you are over 6’4, so Oh, 
it’s wet. If you were over 6’4 or 6’5, you may have to bend down. But anything else, you’ll be 
reasonably okay. I’m getting a shower now. It’s not the highest pressure shower I’ve be to. I’m going 
to give that a 6 out of 10. a notch above drip level. It’s not a power shower. It’ll get the job 
done, but not at any great velocity. All in all, we were pleased with the layout of the cabin in 
line with other cruise lines for this grade. A big three-seater sofa and a very comfortable mattress 
and bed. Princess are known for having some of the more comfortable beds at sea, and there is 
plenty of socketry around to plug in your gadgets. All that being said, during the cruise, we 
did request a change of cabin. And later on, I’ll tell you all about that as it was making 
us just a bit annoyed. In fact, very annoyed and could also do the same to you as well. We’ll go 
through why and what you might want to consider later on. Quick change of clothes for the evening. 
Time to explore the ship a little bit more. And Princess now likes to theme their ships with 
LED lighting. That night, as the ship is called Star Princess, it had gone all blue. Here we go. 
See what I mean? Walking through the ship for the first time, particularly at night, it catches you 
rather by surprise. You look at it and almost do a double take. Is this a Princess ship? It is 
different. Even the staircases have gone all illuminated. It’s a lot more modern than Princess 
of Old, isn’t it? Now, I reckon watching this, you’re either going to be a fan of this 
or not. If you’re a cruise traditionalist,   this is probably the “Love Boat Gone 
to a Discotheque”. Others would say, “Woohoo! How fancy. You tell me which of 
these two you are. What are you thinking?” The LED screens had shooting stars dripping 
down them. Into dinner at the main dining room, and we had chosen fixed dining in the 
Aurora restaurant. And I tell you what, we were so glad we had not chosen anytime 
flexible dining because every time we walked past that restaurant entrance, there were 
lines going round the block. So, if I were you, I would seriously consider opting for assigned 
fixed seating times. Here’s our table. We lucked out. Here’s our waitstaff. Two of the most 
friendly and fun people you could ever meet. What do we have now? Thank you. We have a short 
rib. We get the magic powder. The magic powder. You look like you’re going to shoot me. You 
look like from a 1930s Chicago movie. Yeah. Don’t shoot her either. Not tonight anyway. 
Thank you very Thank you. We know what that is. It’s beef short rib. Peashoot’s garnish. 
What garnish? Peashoot garnish. Two desserts. Which dessert belongs to who? That’s mine 
surely. Here we go. No way. No way. Is it! Very well then. I’ve got a lemon pie with this 
flicky flicky artwork. You’re having this under protest, aren’t you? Oh, absolute protest. 
I didn’t want it. I just was forced to have it I’m a sucker for desserts. Time for theater. 
Back through the dripping blue piazza and all that glow-in-the-dark and phosphoresence and through to 
the Arena. That’s the new name for their theater. This is very different from older 
Princess ships. It’s almost in the round,   very modern. That first night, the 
entertainment was an absolute blast. Pianist Jared Freiburg gave us a rip roaring 
time. I’ve never seen fingers move so fast. He was absolute entertainment. 
Great job, whoever booked him. I do have to commend the Star Princess for 
having varied and atmospheric evenings on   board because later on in the cruise they put 
on a series of candle lit evenings in the dome. This is one of the real features of these Sphere
Class ships. The Dome is part conservatory, part solarium and in the evenings a music venue. It really is enchanting. The candles 
flicker and it’s as romantic as it can get. [Music] “Falling in love with you” For us, the Dome is a real showstopper. It’s 
atmospheric. It’s pretty and almost unique as a facility at sea. This Princess has got 
absolutely right. We loved it in here. By the way, if you are enjoying this video, 
please do give it a like, give it a thumbs up,   or in fact, you can give it a HYPE. That’s the 
new button you can now see on YouTube because it lets us know if we’re on the right track 
with these videos, and we’ll try to put out   more of this type of material. So, the first 
24 hours under our belt, we awoke to a sea day. Perfect time to check out if we’d made the right 
or wrong decision. Booking this cruise ship,   Mrs. Ritzy got into her gym gear and was on the 
hunt for a lightweight breakfast. I of course had other ideas and suggested the buffet. We got 
on the breakfast counter this morning? Lots of fried eggs and hash browns and baked beans and 
bacon and scrambled eggs. It’s all manner of excitement and delights and fascination. 
Oh, how did I go past that counter there with all the sticky banana bread and the strawberry 
danishes and the blueberry muffins? Blueberry   muffins. probably. My god, they look good. How 
have I not spotted those? Am I allowed one of those? No. No. Oh, apparently we’re moving 
on. We’re moving on past all this carb fest and delights and waffles and French toast and 
maple syrups and caramel sauce. Apparently, we’re not stopping for these. We’re pointing 
at them, but we’re not eating them. Oh,   even more! These are behind glass. Why are 
these particularly high value items? Why are they behind glass and those ones aren’t behind glass?
Yes. What? What? What? How did you miss this.   What? What have I missed? What? For breakfast? 
I don’t believe it. For breakfast. Well, why not for breakfast? With, that apparently 
we’re going to the gym. Just the thought of   those. The sight of those was enough to march 
vehemently towards the gym. Sorry. When I say we’re going to the gym, let me just reclassify 
that one. I’m just going to have a look. But I   was determined to have a snack. And so started 
my love affair with the International Cafe. Think of it as the ship’s bakery, cum coffee 
shop. Let me show you what you can’t have. Show me what I can’t have? Okay. Oh, why are we not having 
any of those? Why are we not having an emergency pit stop? Naughtiness disguised as something 
good. Now at breakfast time, they also have some little muffins. It does look really good. Why are 
we not having one? Almond, pistachio, chocolate, and look at the glaze on that. That almond croissant 
looks absolutely decadent. Whole raft of desserts at the top. Oh, hang on. Look, look, 
look, look. Those do look good. They look good. Why are we not having any of those? Look, they 
got some gluten-free bites. We’re often asked   if there’s gluten-free options. Yes, there we go. 
There. See? Doesn’t that look nice? For research. Yum. Just for research. No other purpose. You were 
supposed to film the cafe. Yes, I’m filming the cafe and you know some of the items from the cafe. 
Film. We have some pizza muffins, some fat, some egg croissant, sandwiches. Caught red-handed. Caught 
red-handed! I don’t feel half as guilty. This is actually yogurt. Oh, it’s mango with yogurt. 
It’s practically a health food. On the basis she was having practically a health food, I ordered 
something myself, too. Pasta del nata. I ordered just one. Just one. How restrained. Thank you very 
much. That looks delicious. Thank you. One pasta Pasta del Nata going through the ship. By the way, Ritzy 
Travel Guide is on Instagram and Facebook. If you enjoy following us around in real time in between 
filming for YouTube, you can follow us on both of these. You’ll see what we get up to, the countries 
we visit and behind the scenes. The channel name is the same as here, Ritzy Travel Guide. There 
is the link up at the top, and I’ll also put the address in the description box for this video. So 
follow along with us on Facebook and Instagram and we’ll see you in those. Time for us to take a brisk 
walk around the deck. And I promised my wife I’d do some highly athletic sports. Spoiler alert, my 
version of highly athletic mostly involves walking around at an amble pace rather than a brisk pace. 
Right, got to do some sort of circuits. Got to do some sort of laps. Oh, hang on a minute. Let’s see 
what we got here. We’ve got pickle balling. See, sport de rigeur. It’s the sport of the moment. 
Pickle balling, isn’t it? Look at that. Deck quoits   long gone. Shuffleboard no longer popular. It’s 
all about pickle ball. You see, nobody here. It’s the sport of the previous decade. Sport of the 
previous century, maybe. Around the corner is   the Lido deck. I have to say, by and large, it is 
a sizable area. Several hot tubs dotted around the ship. Well done. More than on other cruise ships 
of this size. Normally, there aren’t anywhere   near enough. Here, there are. There’s actually 
two pools here and a big open deck. Actually, open being the operative word. This is not 
a covered pool, not a retractable roof. So, do check what sort of itinerary you’re going on. 
If it’s a coldish one, such as to Alaska, and this ship is going to Alaska for 6 months of the 
year, just remember there’s no roof. That’s why Holland America is popular for Alaska. They have 
roofs. Now, that’s the fancy section down there. That’s the Sanctuary. We can’t go in there. We 
haven’t paid for that one. It’s that little posh down there. They got nice padded recliners. As you 
know, lots of cruise lines are cashing in on these sections now because it earns them a lot of money. 
They can charge a lot more because you get an exclusive deck area, pool, restaurant, and other 
perks. It is an adults only facility which may appeal to you. Next up for our Sea-day extravaganza 
was a visit to the ship’s kitchens, the galleys Through the door that said ‘Do not Enter.’ 
Morning. Wow. How about that for a slab of meat? Welcome to Italy. Welcome to Italy. Morning. 
Hello. Hello. They’re showcasing some of the restaurants. We got the Catch by Rudi, in 
case you haven’t already been there. Oh, look at those cakes. I haven’t seen 
any of those yet. This cruise. Where   have they been going to? They’ve been 
going to the Sanctuary and completely bypassing us. Love by Britto. We’ll 
be going to that one later. Makoto Ocean featuring all 
the food that they have. Time to find my wife. I wonder where she might be. Right. Well, we’re stepping into unknown territory 
here. Well, unknown for me. We’re heading towards   the gym. Good news. If you’re a fitness fan, the 
gym is quite sizable on the Star Princess. And there she was, bending herself double like 
a napkin in a very intense folding class. Hello. I almost felt like joining in. It was 
that much fun. Apparently, she was impressed with the gym. Loads of equipment, and it does 
have a great view looking out the front and to both sides. Some gyms are in these dark, dingy, 
depressing places. This one here is good. Though, my wife did have one complaint. Why are all the 
classes for an extra fee? She reckons it’s a bit of a money grab, as most other cruise lines toss 
in several classes complimentary. One guest in the gym at the moment. Can I commend you for being 
in the gym? Yes, because on a mountain trail, nobody else is cycling 19 to the dozen. Under 
clearly mistaken opinion that I was now a convert to healthy living, my wife suggested 
a healthy, healthy lunch to compound it all. Apparently, I needed a salad, and she had 
spotted just the place. Not the pizzas or   the lovely tacos. Salad. Hello. I decided to 
immediately pimp mine out with all the extras I could think of. Lots of blue cheese, please. Lots 
of blue cheese. I like blue cheese. Lots of blue. Double helping. Want more? Yeah, why not? It’s 
supposed to be healthy. Yeah. Don’t show my wife. Look at that. She then attempted to confiscate it. 
Your healthy salad has turned into a heart attack salad with triple blue cheese, triple bacon, 
and double blue cheese dressing. Well done me. I apparently failed that test, so it was time to 
take a stroll. We noticed some game shows were going on in the atrium. It was Deal or No Deal. 
I reckon half the ship were there watching it, really getting into the swing of things. Hear 
the reaction. Everybody’s really into this,   aren’t they? There’s one player. But a bit of 
a tragedy was unfolding. How much was at stake, you ask? Was it a massive bounty on offer? 
Well, 12 cents. Apparently, the contestant had chucked away all the wrong cases. In the end, 
he walked away with 25 cents. Later that night, we decide to turn up that romance dial to 11 and try out the first of our specialtity restaurants   for that cruise. Well, guesses where we’re dining 
tonight? Tonight is all about hearts. It is. It’s the most romantic restaurant aboard. It’s Love 
by Britto. I think this is where every meal is Valentine’s. It is. I should almost have a rose 
clenched between my teeth. So, welcome to Love by Britto, the ship’s boldest, brightest, and 
possibly most flamboyant dining experience. The kind of restaurant where subtlety has completely 
gone on a holiday in 50 shades of red and pink. Happy Valentine’s. Yes, happy Valentine’s. 
It’s actually miles after Valentine’s Day,   but never mind. Everything in here is pink 
themed. Pink related, isn’t it? It’s hearts. Red. What have we got here? Oh, are those little hearts 
as well as that say love? Yes. It’s Valentine’s every day. Look, it’s a pyramid of love. It 
very very romantic. You’re feeling romantic tonight. My little pyramid of love to you. It 
just feels quirky in a nice way. Quirky. So, bring on various courses of hearts and flowers. 
Your amuse bouche is an oyster. First course, oyster. One oyster with tabasco and gold leaf. And 
here we are, the second course. There’s the frothy cappuccino. A cappuccino of wild mushroom to be 
precise. Yet again, well, we’ve got some sort of heart-shaped thing here. Recurring theme, isn’t 
there, dear viewer? A recurring theme. And ah, what have you got there? Tuna ceviche. Oh, what 
have we got here? This is intermezzo, just to clean your pallets before main course. Thank you. Thank you.
It’s all decor. I don’t think I’ve seen so many roses in my life. Everything is pink and rosy. This 
is like a little sorbet. It’s like the iced up, frozen perfume. Look at that. That’s the Wagyu steak, 
isn’t it? Very ornamental. It’s very decorative, isn’t it? Look at that. It’s a visual feast, isn’t 
it? The service here was spot on. Friendly, playful, and clearly enjoying the theater of 
it all. It’s all a bit of fun. Nothing serious. Whimsical is how I describe it. Yes, you can put 
lots. Well, that’s a lot. Okay. All right. That’s that’s a huge amount. When I said I want lots, 
she took that one to heart. I have a chocolate lake now. Because sometimes, and I feel a song 
coming on here, sometimes: “All you need is love.” Next day we had arrived in port and I tell you what, please do watch
this because it’s a port that’s an absolute peach. It’s a beautiful place 
to go for some of the best tapas we have had for   many a year. Come and look at it. Here we go. 
Malaga. And it’s a bit of a rich playboy’s backyard. Loads of mega yachts clustered around 
the port. You walk past all of these as you get off the ship. You half feel as though these people 
have come from an episode of TV’s ‘Below Decks.’ Had to give them a close look to see if I recognized 
any of them. Malaga’s also got one of these easy   to get to what we call a tourist market. It is 
really a tourist market. Oh, here’s a tourist buying something for 5 minutes. And an Irish guy 
came to me. Chatted me up, “Can I buy you coffee?” Pardon? Who? Who? Who? Sorry. Hang on. We need more info. 
Sorry. Wait, wait, wait, wait, wait, wait. What? Tell me about this Irish guy who chatted you up? 
Chatted with me and then he said, “Come on, let   me buy you a coffee because I stay here.”  
Well, where where is said individual? Right here. Was he here? Well, I’m wondering what else 
is going to happen in Malaga now. Apparently, my wife had stopped to check out some Spanishy items 
and was chatted up by an Irish expat who lived there. I had to sit Mrs. Ritzy down for a debrief 
on the whole situation and two cups of frothy coffee. Maybe an Irish coffee. Malaga is actually 
very historic with beautiful cobble streets and everything from ancient Roman theaters to Moorish 
fortresses. We were about to go on a fascinating tour, but first we wanted some authentic tapas 
and sangria. Time for a drink and some tapas. Got a lot of atmosphere this one. Got some nice 
music, nice snacks, nice drinks. People love tapas because it turns a meal into a social event. It’s 
a simple but delightful pleasure. Look at that bright red. That’s full of goodness, yumminess, 
and excitement and happiness. Right. Well, first set of tapas. We have some crocquettes. Crunchy on the 
outside. That was the sound of appreciation. that good? Does it melt in the mouth? Does it 
really melt in the mouth? So creamy. If there’s a cream-ometer, if you want to know how much this 
is creamy, it’s 10 on the cream-ometer. What? OK?! Okay. You got that? What 
did he say? Repeat, please. Now, these were the chef’s recommendations. So 
that’s octopus, brie, lola, and the fourth one is a black pudding. Black pudding. Which 
one is black pudding? Black pudding. Is black pudding. Yes. I want the recipe for 
this. Do you? Olive oil, buttery, oozing, unctuous flavour to it. Yeah. Just call that 
a garlic croquette. Really. I tell you what, that is seriously some of the best tapas and 
pinchos we’ve had for a very, very long time. It’s authentic. It’s tasty. There’s a fabulous 
atmosphere in there. If you’re in Malaga, this is not sponsored. We haven’t been paid to say 
this, it’s just honestly what we feel. That is an   extremely good restaurant. You may not go here on 
the Star Princess, but if you have an opportunity on a different ship, a different cruise line, do 
take it. Still to come in this video, we show you our new cabin, go to another beautiful port in 
the Mediterranean, we eat at Rudi’s speciality, and give you our honest thoughts on what 
we thought of our cruise and whether you   should book the Star Princess. Later on that 
evening, it was gala night, formal night. And it’s gala night on the Star Princess. Got 
to dress up in your glad rags and smart outfits. In fact, I think on Princess, they call 
it the Dress to Impress Night. Anyhow,   it’s your opportunity to put on your best 
outfits. That night on the Star Princess, they had a Captain’s welcome and a champagne tower. 
The LED screen in the piazza was on overload, and we got given a little glow-in-the-dark 
wristbands. Felt like we were at a Coldplay   concert. The acrobats with their airborne hula 
hoops were out. Time for a gala feast as we sashayed our way down into the main dining room. 
And tonight being Gala Night, we’ve got high expectations. The menu actually looks rather nice. 
Well, I tell you what I’m thinking of having. I’m   thinking of having Duck a l’Orange, followed 
by Surf n Turf. Now, this is going to be a test for you. There’s escargot on the menu. It’s your 
absolute favorite favorite. Escargot!. Yes. Now, Can I have two? Two plates, not two pieces?Right. 
Two portions of it. Well, definitely you can. In fact, I think you should. Dessert menu not here, but I’m 
thinking chocolate lava cake. Almost guaranteed to be on the menu. It’s a firm staple. Two escargot. 
She’s gone for it. Two escargots. I don’t believe it. Oh, so it’s two starters and a main course. 
Yes. Only only. I’m only having one appetizer. No. Uh, I’m with you. You’re with me. 
And could I have the surf and turf, medium. Medium rare rare evidence. Is that a bad idea? 
You want You want that recorded? You want that   recorded? Is it going to be dripping with blood? 
No. Is it going to be still mooing? Yes. No. It’s mooing me. What’s that? Honey. Honey. Oh, for 
the tea. I thought maybe it was the appetizer. So before your escargot arrives here 
on Princess, which is your favorite   cruise line escargot? Celebrity! And that’s 
because I can have it every night. Wow, there we are. Double loaded. It’s a double barrel 
shotgun of snails. Escargot on the menu. So I went all out. Yes. And ordered a dozen, which 
means it came in two portions. Yes. It it it is dripping garlic. There we go. Duck!. There we 
are. Doesn’t that look pretty? And verdict on the duck. Very tender. Cooked it just right. It’s 
quite tart and orange. It’s really quite sharp. Now, after that gala meal, you might think 
we’d had more than enough to eat that night?! Um, why are we up here at the buffet? Can we just 
clarify? We just had dinner and we’re down here to check out the seafood buffet. But yes, out of 
curiosity, we came up to see what was here. Look at the prawns. Got a big vat of mussels there. 
Got some more shrimp here. Shrimp galore. Got some scallops. Got some smoked salmon. Got some 
smoked mackerel. Got some baked salmon there. So, is this #2 dinners? #stuffed  
#guilty #gluttonous. What is the appropriate hashtag? #MutuallyGuilty. 
So, if you’re going to commit a culinary sin, do it together. And you can’t blame each 
other. Feeling all the more guilty by now, we tried to dance it off. So rolled into the 
silent disco. Just how many hours you have   to dance for to burn off 25,000 calories. Still 
got one more specialtity restaurant to show you, plus our all important verdict and summary. 
Now, let’s show you our second cabin. Do you remember at the beginning of the video I 
mentioned we’d started off in one of these Cove   Cabins, but then we moved? Well, let me now tell 
you the whole saga. These cove cabins are quite nice, low down by the sea, so you feel part 
of it. But here’s the kicker. Ours was here, right in the center, and significantly just 
under the Sphere. This huge bulging window that gives the ship its sphere class name. Everything 
happens in here. At times it gets extremely noisy. They have parties, dance classes, in fact, 
everything you can think of. On our cruise,   this was very late into the night. Now, 
my wife, who has the patience of a saint, eventually got fed up. At 1:00 a.m., she 
said, “I’ve had enough.” And she marched   off to guest services down on deck 6. Thankfully 
for us, they were very accommodating. In fact, they were very understanding. I’m guessing 
we weren’t the first people who had mentioned   this is the noisiest part of the ship and 
they found us an alternative cabin. Now, I can’t guarantee you’d feel the same if 
you got one of those cabins, but please,   please do check the floor plans for this ship, the 
two sphere classes, the Sun Princess and the Star Princess. Our suggestion is pick a cabin far away 
from the central piazza, the central atrium. Right, here’s our brand new cabin up several floors 
on deck 15. Still a balcony, but crucially away from the noise. The most we could hear now was a 
mischievous wave, and the odd mermaid swimming by. The layout and size of the cabin were the same as 
were the wardrobes, cabinets, and bathrooms. So, no size difference, just that sea view and not the 
noisy nightclub at the piazza. Right now, time to show you our second port of call. that I’m showing 
you. In fact, there were four, but I’m going to   show you just these two because they are the 
prettiest ones. It’s to the port of Cartagena. No, not the Cartagena in Colombia. This is the 
Spanish one, the city that gave it its name. And good morning and welcome to Cartagena in Spain. 
Isn’t it absolutely stunning out there? Both Cartagenas are beautiful. This is the original 
and it is quite the stunner. as we walked down to breakfast. It was a beautiful morning. And right 
behind us there was the Azamara Pursuit. We’d been on exactly that ship the year before. We love it. 
If you haven’t seen those two videos we’ve put out on Azamara, please do because it’s a beautiful 
ship, lovely experience. It’s hugely enjoyable. It’s in the small ship luxury cruising sector. And 
I’ll leave the links in the description of this video. It’s well worth watching. But breakfast 
today is as balanced as balance. It is. Yes. Which one do you like? Oh my goodness. Good. My 
goodness. You’ve come with Oh, hang on. What? What are those ones? Are they muffins? Muffins. I’m 
going to take that jam one there. Right there. Thank you. Okay. Good luck trying to get her 
to take a pastry. Can we edge that slightly towards your side of the table? So, if any passers 
by, I think is option. Well, well, they came so willingly to the table. They came so nicely to the 
table. I felt I felt like they would they would   be upset if I didn’t take something. # calming 
slimline breakfast overlooking the view. Anyhow, back up to the cabin to take a look at the view 
before heading out to Cartagena. Now, we were off that morning on a tour that we’d pre- booked. It’s 
one that I thoroughly recommend, and I’ll give   you the details in a minute because Cartagena
was once a major Roman port, and you can still see their influence everywhere. And there’s 
a remarkably well preserved amphitheater which   I’ll show you. Wandering through the old town is 
the best idea here as you’ll pass all sorts of art nouveau buildings and bustling plazas right into the 
amphitheater we go through an atmospheric tunnel. Then into the museum before heading to the arena 
itself. They had a brilliant scale model so you could see what it was like in its full glory back 
in the day and then outside to see it for real. The amphitheater of Cartagena is one of Spain’s 
most extraordinary archeological discoveries. When you stand there, history seems to flow over 
you. When builders were digging foundations   for a new market, stumbled upon this ancient 
amphitheater. It was built during the reign of Emperor Augustus. It was capable at the time of 
holding 6,000 spectators, roughly the population of the entire city at that time. As I stood there, 
I was quite imagining my name was no longer Bill, but now Bill Claudius Maximus, a famous senator 
of the day. And here by my side, Flavia Cornelia Ritzy Today it has been beautifully restored, and 
you can walk the same terraces that Romans used to midway through our tour. In fact, the price of the 
tour included a tapas stop. Woohoo! We’re stopping for tapas. Why not? That’s my sort of tour. Glass 
of wine, sangria in your case? Yes. I’m always down for a tapas anytime, night or day. Somebody says to 
me, “Sangria and tapas?” I’m your man. Here we go. Look at that. I think that is salsa 
with a quail’s egg. Just what the doctor ordered, really. Well, just what anybody ordered, let 
alone the doctor. Cheers. Nothing better than   sangrai at 11:00 in the morning. Wakes you up. A 
zing goes through your body. Orange juice and wine best of both worlds. Yes. Why aren’t we having 
this on the ship? Why can’t we have sangria with   our breakfast? When we’re in the main dining room 
and they say, “What would you like, sir?” Sangria! Now, we’re often asked by viewers when 
we go to port stops, do we take a booked tour?   Sometimes yes, sometimes no. We did on this 
occasion, and we’re very glad we did. It made sense to get some local expertise. This tour 
was booked with Shore Excursions and it was so much more enjoyable because we had no idea about 
Romans and Carthaginians and the guide was very useful telling us all about it, navigating around 
those side streets, giving the little insights   that were appreciated. I’ve left a link to Shore 
Excursions in the description. We’ve used them on several occasions in Europe and the Caribbean, and 
their prices are usually cheaper than the cruise, so it’s a win-win situation. Okay, about to 
give you our verdict and our recommendation or not for the Star Princess. That’s coming 
up in just a moment. But before that,   our second specialtity dining and it was at 
Catch by Rudi. He is the creative chef behind a few restaurants on both Princess and Holland 
America. This one specializes in fish dishes, but you can also get a surf and turf and other 
meat items. The cost to dine here is $65. Hello there. Catch by Rudi. Catch by Rudi. We’re very 
pleased to be here. Thank you. It will be a pleasure to serve you!. Sorry. So So this is 
called what? Caponata. Caponata. Yes, sir. And this is the whipped butter with the oil and fresh 
baked baguette. Ready? What’s inside? We are ready. One, two, three. Can I just say the entire cast of 
Little Mermaid is on your plate? It is. Oh yeah. Yes. Well, it is visual if nothing else. Quite 
a performance. A little bit of drama. It’s a little bit of theater, isn’t it? It is swimming 
with crustations. It is and then flowers. It is very beautifully represented. Got the whole of the 
Mediterranean in there. Really? It’s visual drama. Ah, wow. That look pretty. Thank you. It is a very 
prettily presented dish and apparently the most ordered item on the menu. Time for dessert and my 
wife was about to be in for a shock. Look at that. Souffle. It’s a souffle. Look at the size of that. Can 
I just say that is the calories of dessert for the entire cruise in one place. Oh, can I just say for 
once I’ve actually gone for the smaller dessert? Yes. And I love the face. Oh, it’s so cute. This 
rarely happens when my dessert is way larger than what’s across the table. What’s that sound? I 
hear? A halo going on my head. Healthy, healthy, healthy berries, strawberries, chocolate. The 
Grand Canyon is inside. Look, I’m just thinking how many hours you’re going to the gym tomorrow. 
From sunrise to sunset, I’m thinking it’s quite large, isn’t it? She didn’t know what to do with 
all that dessert. If a gym had been stage left, she would have gone immediately. Now, 
time for our final verdict and summary. So, did we enjoy it on the Star Princess? Yes, 
we did. But then again, we love almost all of   the cruises we go on. So, and perhaps a better 
question might be, did we like it more or less than some of the other more recent cruises we’ve 
been on? Let’s go through the plusses and minuses. For us on Star Princess, the large pool area 
is a positive. It’s spacious. There are two main lido pools and countless others around 
the ship with enough hot tubs that you don’t   have to fight for one. The buffets are generous 
and have a good variety around the clock with long opening times. And the choice was wide. We 
really love the Dome. By day, it’s a bright, airy lounge with beautiful sea views. And by night, 
it transforms into something magical. It’s one of the ship’s signature spaces. The main theater, 
too, deserves a mention. It’s modern, comfortable, and technically well equipped. Just make sure to 
get there early when the doors open because seats disappear fast. There’s only 900 plus seats for 
4,500 people. Cabins. Once we moved out of our original Cove Cabin and into a different one, we 
were much happier, so much quieter. Dining in the main restaurant was okay. No better, no worse than 
similarly priced premium lines. The service was extremely friendly, and whilst the menu didn’t 
push the boundaries, we always found something   enjoyable. Now, what is stopping us wholeheartedly 
recommending the Star Princess and the other in the Sphere class? Well, take a look at yourself 
in the mirror and ask yourself this important question. Are you a traditional cruiser who likes 
things quiet and relaxed how they used to be or someone who wants a punchier, louder, more hectic 
ship? Because cruise ships are evolving. They’re not what they used to be. These new Sphere Class 
are a different ball-game. To me, the Piazza, the atrium is the big indicator of this. The ship’s 
designers made this the heart, and to us, it’s the busy, noisy heart of the ship. Crooners and Bellinis. 
Some of the most popular bars for Princess are directly affected by the noise from the atrium as 
are several food outlets. If you’re looking for a quiet, relaxed evening cocktail, glass of wine, 
drink with your friends, you may not find this on these new Sphere Ships. That’s not to say we are 
against modern new generation ships. Some of them we really like. On that note, I will be bringing 
out a brand new video comparing all of the premium cruise lines, going through what we think each 
does best to give a helping hand in selecting one for you. They all have aspects that they shine at, 
going through what we think each does best. It’s a matter of trying to match them to your personal 
wish list. That video will be coming out over the next couple of months. Remember to be subscribed 
with that notification bell turned on soon when   that video drops. As you watch this video, we will 
be on the first of two trips going out of Florida. Firstly, we’ll be aboard the MSC World America. 
Yes, I know we swore blind we would never go on an MSC ship again. But the World America does 
look a bit different. Have MSC finally got it right? We’ll let you know as soon as that one’s 
finished. And the second ship right after that,   also being out of Florida, around the Caribbean, 
and to Central America, is with Oceania. Totally different experience. You may or may not be 
familiar with Oceania. They’re positioned one   notch up from Princess. They claim to have the 
best cuisine at sea. Let’s see if we agree. It’s a much smaller ship, just 1,200 people. So, 
a different feel and pace. We’ll be reporting live from both of those ships. So, do follow 
along with us on social media. In the meantime, thank you so much for joining us here on the Ritzy 
Travel Guide. Here is the link for video one,   the full review of the Star Princess. And here you 
can watch our full playlist of all of the cruise ships and cruise lines we’ve reviewed. And we’ll 
look forward to seeing you in one of those now

Get ready to set sail on the all-new Star Princess! We explore the second Sphere Class ship from Princess Cruises, debuting in 2025. Discover the stunning features that set this vessel apart, including the iconic glass-enclosed Dome and the next-generation Piazza.

From Ritzy Travel Guide, this is the ‘Cruise Diary,’ the second in our series on the Star Princess. We take you inside every part of the ship, sister to Sun Princess, and give our honest impressions.

Links mentioned in this video:

1. Part One of our Review of Star Princess:

2. Shore Excursions trip in Cartagena Spain, and other world destinations: https://www.shoreexcursionsgroup.com/?id=1812860

3. The Ritzy Travel Guide Review of Azamara:

4. Ritzy Travel Guide Review of Holland America:

Instagram:
https://www.instagram.com/ritzytravelguide/

If you’re wondering whether to book Star Princess in 2025 or 2026, or just love seeing new cruise ships up close, this is the review for you.

The Star princess will be cruising the Caribbean and Alaska in 2026 and 2027

The Star Princess had its maiden in October 2025

What We Cover in Our Full Ship Tour & Review:
Star princess vs Sun princess
The Dome.
The Pools
Dining Guide: Our take on the Main Dining Rooms, O’Malley’s Irish Pub, and specialty venues like Umai Teppanyaki.

Which Star Princess staterooms are best? (Balcony, Mini-Suite, Sanctuary Collection) The SkyDeck Sports Court and the non-smoking casino section.
Tips for using MedallionClass service on a new Sphere-class ship.
Is the Star Princess better than the Sun Princess? Our honest comparison!

Three-Level Dining Room (Aurora Dining Room & Celestial Dining Room)
Americana Diner
The Eatery (buffet / casual)
International Café (24-hour coffee & snacks)
Lido Dining venues: Lido Greens, Lido Grill, Lido Slice, Lido Tacos
Promenade Dining: Promenade Grill, Promenade Slice, Promenade Ice Cream
Alfredo’s Pizzeria
Crown Grill (steakhouse)
Sabatini’s Italian Trattoria
The Catch by Rudi
The Butcher’s Block by Dario
Makoto Ocean (Japanese cuisine)
Umai Teppanyaki
Umai Hot Pot

The captain of the Star Princess is Gennaro Arma, with Commodore Nick Nash taking over when Arma is on leave. The cruise directors are Dan Looney and Nikki Jayne

Our sailing was from Barcelona, around the Mediterranean, calling in at Ibiza, Malaga, Cartagena, Gibraltar and Marseille

Thank you to Gibraltar Yachting for departure shots from Gibraltar dock.
You can see their channel here:
https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=gibraltar+yachting

Hi, welcome to Ritzy Travel Guide, my name is Bill, we are here bringing you our latest travel reviews from around the globe! We’ll be travelling right around the world on cruise ships, all inclusive resorts, tropical destinations… and the deals of the day.

#StarPrincess #PrincessCruises #CruiseShip #SphereClass #CruiseLife #Travel2025 #NewCruiseShip #LuxuryTravel #CruiseVlog

In this video :

00:00 – Introduction to Star Princess
2:31 – Embarkation Day – Star Princess
03:50 – Sailaway Party
4:43 – Pools on Star Princess
05:27 – Our Cabin on Star Princess
09:18 – Nights on Star Princess
10:12 – Main Dining Room on Star Princess
11:44 – Arena Theater on Star Princess
12:23 – The Dome on Star Princess
13:55 – Sea Days on Star Princess
15:30 – The International Cafe
17:17 – Ritzy on Social Media
19:10 – Sanctuary Collection on Star Princess
19:41 – Galley & Kitchen Tour on Star Princess
20:50 – The Gym on Star Princess
22:04 – Lunch!
22:58 – Gameshows on Star Princess
23:34 – ‘Love by Britto’ Speciality Dining on Star Princess
26:24 – 1st Port of Call – Malaga Spain
28:03 – The Best Tapas!
30:15 – Gala Night on Star Princess
33:09 – Late Night Buffet!
34:28 – Our NEW Cabin
36:16 – Our 2nd Port of Call : Cartagena
40:19 – Shore Excursions Tours
41:04 – ‘Catch by Rudi’ Specialty on Star Princess
43:30 – Our Summary & Verdict on Star Princess
45:58 – Upcoming Premium Cruise-line Comparison
————————————————-

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