Starboard with obstructed view; almost uncomfortably cozy but assisted with a mirror and picture window. Desk was not quite large enough at night for handling charging devices, day bags, pocket items, and the odds-and-ends of travel. Comfortable beds, decent closet, thankful for hangers, limited floor space for luggage management. Bathroom ordinary.

Worthwhile and interesting; even with waves of other tourist boats the material characteristics and scale of El Arco are worth seeing from a closer distance than simply from where the ship anchors. The right-hand, front corner (closer to the arch) is probably the best vantage point as the boat does not decelerate on the return trip to provide an equal pass. Hat and sunscreen recommended - if you're booked with Princess, you might be waiting for multiple groups with an overlapping itinerary.

An interesting drive to a pleasant, touristic setting - perhaps less interesting to those residing closer to the region.

A lengthy trip from Puntarenas to La Paz. Included lunch is quite good and a welcome difference from cruise quality. However, be aware that this excursion via Princess is a very curated experience: there is no free walking to explore the grounds, and I was rather disappointed to be left with very little time to view the waterfalls themselves at the very end of the tour. Those with mobility issues should be aware that there are numerous steps involved in the walking path.

For independent excursions, be warned that traveling the five minutes from the ship to the port gate is extremely difficult due to the supposedly mandatory, 1.5-hour circuit that Princess bus shuttles must take into the Lima city center, further complicated by intense traffic and gridlock within Lima. There were no dedicated port gate shuttles in place when the Star Princess was at Callao.

The city tour itself, with stops including the Basilica and Convent of San Francisco and its catacombs, Plaza Mayor, Huaca Pucllana, Morro Solar, and Barranco was very interesting in learning about the history of Lima while getting a glimpse of all its different manifestations.

Paired with the Larco Herrara Museum as a Princess option. More interesting than expected, but mostly to view for the collective aesthetics once getting a little deeper into the market.

Paired with the Indian Market as a Princess option. The museum visit itself a bit too brief considering its collection - most of my group opted to detach from the tour guide and group (the exhibition galleries are compact and relatively sequential) to view the artifacts quickly but independently from the crowd. The grounds are lovely as well - a visit here is better than no visit at all.

A very beautiful landscape that presents a different side of Chile with views of Petrohue Falls, the river, and the nearby Todos los Santos Lake. Going with a smaller, independent operator affords more mobility that the larger bus tours cannot manage as we were able to view Osorno through the nearby La Ventana point and briefly visit the lakeshore.

After a brief tour of the city, our tour took us to park located south of Punta Arenas. The hour's drive itself is beautiful with the land on one side and the waters - with kelp and wildlife - on the other. We were glad to have a tour guide and driver to help with entry into the park which is separated into several portions that require vehicular access regardless. The information center is modern and attractively presented; the fort reconstruction is interesting - don't miss the short trail just past the fort to the viewpoint. The park is worthy of a longer visit in itself.

We took a taxi to visit Tierra del Fuego National Park and were very thankful to do so as it allowed a little more flexibility - we had small stops for different viewpoints and a slow pass of some of the more scenic features without extraneous coffee/drink timing (and the added perk of our driver being a considerate photographer for the family as well!). Tierra del Fuego has some beautiful viewpoints, but be advised that it would be recommended to head out early in smaller independent groups - a continuous stream of cruisers will be through for as long as the ship can schedule.

After Tierra del Fuego, we had scheduled a trip up to the Lake District outside of Ushuaia. In honesty, this trip provided views to rival and surpass any that we had seen earlier in the day. The drive is gorgeous and scenic, and there were few other cars to be seen - a very different side from the bustle and tourism of Ushuaia and Tierra del Fuego. I'd highly recommend a visit in this direction if time allows - truly breathtaking.

We were very glad to make it to Stanley and made sure to line up for an early tender. The ride to Volunteer Point consists of a lovely scenic drive on paved then unpaved road to a brief restroom stop before pathfinding directly over the brush to the site. This hour-long second half is a memorable ride, for sure, akin to constantly riding a slow mechanical bull - not as extreme as imagined, but nevertheless held pretty much in constant motion as we rocked back and forth across what was dusty terrain for the season. Volunteer Point itself is pretty much a dream - do abide with guidance to respect distance with the penguins and their delineated areas, but visitors still get very close in seeing king, gentoo, and Magellanic penguins. There is ample time to take in the surroundings and walk along the beach portion of the site as well. Do research and book early - this is a popular excursion and both independent and ship vendors fill with good reason.

Our visit to Montevideo took place on New Year's Day, meaning that most of the significant tourist sites were closed but with much of the walking district to ourselves. We booked an independent city tour with an addition of a barbecue lunch. The tour was interesting, though most of its highlights are actually very much within walking distance from the cruise ship (there was plenty of time to do a walk and return later in the day to Plaza Constitucion and Plaza Independencia). What really set the day apart was the home barbecue (with plenty of wine, meat, vegetables, and a finish of ice cream and dulce de leche) - a delight in both sharing the food and generosity of our guide and his family.

On the final day, we disembarked the ship with an excursion to the Tigre Delta. I was apprehensive about booking with Princess, but this turned out to be the occasion that we were pleasantly surprised - a stop at San Isidro Cathedral was all too brief, but the river cruise and cooperative weather sustained us (along with the small coffee and alfajor provided). The cruise loop is quite lovely along some of the main channels of the delta; do note that for the most part it does not retrace its path. Both sides are scenic, and the guide suggested the left - I came to think that the right-hand side was possibly more interesting (especially as that was the side that the Sarmiento Museum appeared on as we cruised by). Viewing was done from a covered, single-level passenger space but with mostly enough room for most passengers to be comfortably seated along the open viewing windows.

On the penultimate day of the cruise we spent a full day doing a tour of Buenos Aires by vehicle. We were quite surprised by a full-sized tour bus dedicated to our group of 12, but as it was we were quite grateful for its refuge by the end of a humid, hot, and overcast day. Our tour guide and driver still rather expertly navigated through the city for visits to La Recoleta, Buenos Aires Metropolitan Cathedral and Plaza de Mayo, La Boca, and viewing the grand architecture of the city. We had a well-timed lunch stop in which we ordered too much food, belatedly learning that some menu items (particularly meat) are evidently meant to be enough for several people. Walking tours are an option, but we couldn't imagine having covered the ground we did by ourselves in the summer heat and rain of the day. If planning, prior discussion on what the group plan for lunch and also perhaps researching to enumerate specific stops with your guide would provide more structure - we had a great day thanks to the skill of our guide and driver, but agree with the opening statement: "If you really want to see Buenos Aires, you have to live here."

Entertainment, Programming, and Ship Life:

Programming/ship life unfortunately was probably the flimsiest portion of our cruise experience, whether navigating past the cascade of jewelry and gallery events to queuing for limited seating in craft sessions to the early morning scheduling of enrichment lectures and so on.There are also some awkward moments, such as locating the nearest bathroom of the Amalfi 6th-floor dining room one floor up, the random corridor/dead end in navigating from one side of the ship to the other, and what came to be called 'elevator roulette' in trying to figure out which door opened (sometimes behind you) - small details and decisions that don't necessarily make sense or feel accommodating to the passenger.

Star Princess Review

Good cruise - with some effort

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Cabin Review

Oceanview (obstructed view)

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