CAPT OF A B737 DELAYED DSCNT DURING A STAR ARR RESULTING IN ATC ADJUSTING THE DSCNT ALT IN ORDER TO BRING RPTR'S ACFT DOWN AT A LATER POINT THAN PLANNED. APCH ACCEPTED THE CAPT'S MISUNDERSTANDING OF THE ALTS TO WHICH ORIGINALLY CLRED BY THE CTR CTLR!

Narrative

THE CAPT WAS FLYING AND I WAS THE PNF; THE FO. ZOA GAVE US THE CLRNC TO CROSS PAPEE AT OR BELOW 16000 FT THEN DOWN TO 12000 FT. I READ BACK THE CLRNC AND PUT 12000 FT IN THE ALT WINDOW. CAPT CONFIRMED. HE STARTED DOWN AND CROSSED PAPEE AT 16000 FT; HE THEN LEVELED OFF AND WAITED TO DSND TO 12000 FT. APPROX 20 MI AFTER PAPEE HE STARTED DOWN. WE THEN WERE SWITCHED TO APCH CTL. I CHKED IN AND WAS TOLD TO DSND TO 8000 FT. I READ THIS BACK. THE CTLR CAME ON AND ASKED ME IF I WAS TOLD TO CROSS PAPEE AT 16000 FT THEN TO 12000 FT. THE CAPT SAID HE THOUGHT IT WAS PAPEE AT 16000 FT THEN JAWWS TO 12000 FT. I TOLD THE CTLR THIS AND HE SAID OK. I DO BELIEVE THE CLRNC WAS DSND TO CROSS PAPEE AT OR BELOW 16000 FT THEN DOWN TO 12000 FT. I DID REALIZE THIS BUT DIDN'T NOTICE RIGHT AWAY AND WHEN I DID; IT JUST DID SINK IN; WHAT THE CAPT WAS DOING. I GOT BUSY WITH OTHER DUTIES AND FELL A LITTLE OUT OF THE LOOP. THIS COULD BE AVOIDED IF ALL CREW MEMBERS ARE ALWAYS KEPT IN THE LOOP AND WHEN SOMETHING DOESN'T SEEM RIGHT TO SAY SOMETHING.