Star Princess May 10-17 Alaska
Star Princess Alaska Cruise 5/10-5/17/2026
Boarding was easy and I was on the ship by 10:30am. The gangway had multiple lips on it, which made it hard for the wheelchair pusher to get me up and into the ship.
I met my cabin Stewart at noon and Dennis was fantastic,  very friendly and kept my cabin spotless.
Reviewing my food, allergies with the sanctuary restaurant manager was very easy we went over lunch and dinner and he told me what I can have that wouldn’t have the specific food. I’m allergic to in it.
 Each night he would write down my orders for the next evening, so then I would be able to just walk in and they bring my food out to me. I wouldn’t have to discuss my allergies with the staff.
One night, I ordered the vanilla soufflé  and the Manager saw it and asked the server what was in the sauce and it had hazelnuts in it which I am allergic to. I’m grateful that he caught that.
The menu did not state what type of sauce came with the soufflé.
The welcome lunch in the  the sanctuary restaurant should not be missed.  I had a really good salad and then the beef tenderloin was so tender. You can cut it with your fork. Mostly empty room

The Welcome dinner in the sanctuary restaurant I had prime rib from the carving trolley. It was very tender and well seasoned. The cesear salad with balsamic dressing was very good. The salad and balsamic dressing was garlic free.
Ate 1 time at Sabatini’s and while the service was excellent I found the food to be about the same quality as a good Olive Garden.
The Chicken Parm did not have a lot of sauce so it was dry but I was able to swap the potatoes that came with the dish to the spaghetti with meatballs at no additional charge.
The spaghetti meatballs dish was definitely better than the chicken Parm, but it was very heavy on the garlic which my stomach does not like. I asked for bread without garlic, and they gave me the best tasting and most tender focaccia bread I’ve ever had.
I ate at Crown Grill one night and in my opinion, the waiter had problems with women.
He clearly did not listen to when I placed my order- I asked for my beautiful Porter house to be cooked a medium rare and he said “oh you wanted medium well” I corrected him immediately and he said he understood.
There was two types of bread with the dinner. They had what they called garlic bread and then they had what they called a cheese bread.
 The garlic bread had no garlic in it and the cheese bread had so much garlic that when you cut into it, that’s all you smelled. I didn’t even eat the cheese bread but the focaccia one was fantastic.
Well my steak came out medium to almost well but I was too tired to send it back. I did let them know as feedback that it was not medium rare and was told by the same waiter that “I’m sorry I didn’t like way the steak was cooked.”
I ordered the pecan pie for dessert and they came out and gave me Keylime pie for dessert and by that point I was just over everything.
 The same waiter when waiting on the table next to me, ask the man what he wanted to eat before he even addressed the man’s wife.  What’s correct me if I’m wrong in fine dining, the woman in the party are usually addressed first.
First sea day went to Alfredo’s  and was told because I’m eating by myself that the wait was gonna be an hour and was rudely asked if I wanted to wait for the table.  I asked if I could eat outside and they said the outside was closed for dining. So I waited an hour and went back and inquired when the table would be ready and she told me she did not know that there was no table ready for me.  This is after I watched her seat a party of two who just woke, walked up without waiting. So she ends up sitting me outside, and there was no other customers in the restaurant being sat outside. Had the pepperoni calzone well good I thought it could’ve used a little bit more sauce inside the calzone .
Had a calzone as lunch on another day and the pepperoni pizza on another port day since the Sanctuary Restaurant was closed for lunch on port days.
Ate at O’Malleys 2 times, the salad app was very good and the fish and chips were much better with lemon, malt vinegar and Tabasco sauce. 
O’Malleys did not have consistent times for when they’re open for lunch on port days.  Even on the TV it did not say what time O’Malley’s is open for food service.
Both casual dining venues get all of their drinks, alcohol alcoholic, and non-alcoholic from the bar, which leads to you getting your appetizers before you even get your beverages. At one point at O’Malley‘s even though I showed up before they opened and was some of the first customer’s served it took me 20 minutes to get a bottle of water. The servers at both restaurants were very nice but they need more servers.
The Sanctuary Club:  the sanctuary club was very nice and the Service by everybody there was friendly, fast and professional.
Michelle the bartender in the Sanctuary club was so friendly and a great mixologist. She was my favorite bartender on this ship.
Bellini’s bar was the bar I drank at when inside the ship. The traditional tiramisu martini was so good and was too easy to drink too many of.
All the bartenders and servers there were very friendly and fast.
The bar on the promenade and in the sanctuary club had canned carbonated 0 proof beverages.
There was one which tasted like a mescal margarita and was really good.
Ports: Ketchikan we were docked the furthest away from town, I had a tour that transportation was included to Saxman Village. The guide talked about the different totem poles and then we shopped in the gift shop. I was too tired to walk thru the shops at the former red light area.
We talked in Juneau and the red dog saloon was right across the street.  it was raining so I just ducked into their gift shop and got my daughter a T-shirt.  I got her a T-shirt from Saxman village and Red Dog salon and from a huge gift shop in Skagway.
 Skagway:
the ship shuttle takes you from the ship gangway to the end of the dock that we were docked at.  it’s a very short distance because we’re not allowed to walk where the construction is .
They let you off the shuttle at the Skagway Fish House.
At that point you are told you can either walk into town 1/4 mile or you can wait for a paid shuttle service. $3 per person each way or $5 per person for all day. Cash only.
You catch the shuttle where the ship shuttle dumps you. In town there are clear posted shuttle stop signs.
The walk from the railroad pier in Skagway to town was a quarter of a mile and I wish I didn’t make that walk because it was hard and in my opinion, the town was too touristy for me. If you didn’t have a tour in that city not getting off the ship would be a fine option.
 I had a trolley tour in Skagway that the cruise canceled without letting me know the only way I figured it out was that I didn’t have a ticket for the tour in my cabin.
The only show I saw on this ship was in the Piazza and it was CeCe Tennille. She sings Motown songs and was fabulous.  I would love to see her again.
The ship was a challenge to walk if you have mobility issues. I’m not quite sure why the sanctuary mini suites on each floor were midship when the restaurant and the sanctuary was in the aft of the ship.  I feel like I would’ve spent more time at the club if it wasn’t such a long walk.
The clientele on the ship for the most part was fine, but I ran into a couple very rude people.
 Normally if you see somebody walking with a cane, you give them plenty of room but some of the clients on this ship I swear we’re aiming for me.  a couple of people bumped into me and some mom told their seven-year-old child “ Just a zoom around me”  why can’t you teach your child to look out for people who are disabled and have some type of compassion for others? 
Food wise, the best meals I had was in the sanctuary restaurant the food there was even better than in Sabatini’s and the Crown Grill.
While the food in The sanctuary was fantastic, I found the tacos on the pool deck to be poor. I had a great grilled chicken breast sandwich at the promenade grill.
On Sea days the Sanctuary restaurant was open from 8am-12:30 for brunch then closed till dinner at 5:30pm.
I did not have a bad dinner in the sanctuary restaurant on any night.  The food came hot to the table and service was excellent.
 If I go on another cruise, It will be in The Sanctuary collection on The Star.  I have never sailed Princess before.
The sanctuary restaurant handled my many food, allergies with ease and  all of the servers were fantastic and the restaurant hostess she always had a smile on her face and always greeted you by name when you walked up to her.
Any questions about anything I may have missed please let me know.