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7-night Alaska Cruise

Seattle (Roundtrip)
Ship:  Norwegian Star
(Change cruise)





Cruise Ship
Norwegian Star


Traveler Opinions of Norwegian Star

Summary of Traveler Ratings of Norwegian Star


3.7  out of 5
Dining
3.4
Stateroom
3.8
Entertainment
3.9
Spa/Fitness
4.0
Children's Activities
3.6
Public Areas
3.8


Scores are based on a 1 (poor) to 5 (excellent) rating system.

 

Individual ratings and reviews
Comments By Lynda
 
Overall Rating   5


Age:
51
# of Cruises Taken:
1
Stateroom Type:
Oceanview
Sailing Month:
May 2010
Destination:
Alaska
Cruising with Children:
False


5
Dining
5
Stateroom
5
Entertainment
0
Spa/Fitness
0
Children's
Activities

5
Public Areas


Staff were excellent. Friendly, efficient. "Rahmel" (spelling???) was amazing at always remembering our names, even though we did not see him that often. (waiter/server). Weather was incredible, stops were well handled, time alloted worked well. Beautiful ship, didn't have a moment of boredom. Shows were the best. Only thing I questioned was the Bingo. $40.00 for 6 faces 4 games was way out of line, especially with the prizes given $150. 50 to $300.00. The $10,000.0 in 46 numbers is almost unwinnable. Been a Bingo player for 30 years. Have very seldom seen that accomplished. Lots of people paid $80.00 a day for that. Also, think the people paying $40.00 had no chance up against 24 or 36 cards by the others. Anyway wonderful trip



Comments By Liemy
 
Overall Rating   4


Age:
36
# of Cruises Taken:
3
Stateroom Type:
Oceanview
Sailing Month:
May 2010
Destination:
Alaska
Cruising with Children:
False


3
Dining
3
Stateroom
3
Entertainment
5
Spa/Fitness
0
Children's
Activities

5
Public Areas


The best part was the special rate they offered for the SPA. It made my whole trip worthwhile. However, their one and only rowing machine was not working properly. This is the only machine I use when I workout. For the most part, the dining experience was good; however, the non-paying restaurant required a bit longer wait and no seats were available to allow people to rest while we wait..also the staff there were rather aloof and cold. In the paying restaurants the staff were friendlier...During the Chocolate Night, I came at 10:12pm and the dinning staff was already packing...it was suppose to end at 10:30pm. I missed taking pictures on the sculptures. The off shore excursions were very expensive and some were quite a disappointment. For example, the Misty Fjord trip had wonderful view, great staff, great tour guide and speaker, but for $150, it was much too expensive. I also wondered why they needed to know our age range and the country we were born in. I hope there is no discrimination in their decision when rooms we are assigned. I saw a couple who were upgraded to a balcony (even when they did not request it)! The entertainment is ok...not very dazzling. More movies should have been available during the day, specially when we were at the sea... Overall, the cruise was both educational, relaxing, fast-paced...and expensive. However, I will still recommend this to friends and family...



Comments By Frederick Dy Lo
 
Overall Rating   2


Age:
51
# of Cruises Taken:
2
Stateroom Type:
Inside
Sailing Month:
May 2010
Destination:
Alaska
Cruising with Children:
False


3
Dining
3
Stateroom
3
Entertainment
0
Spa/Fitness
0
Children's
Activities

3
Public Areas


Making your patrons line up for meals in the main dining halls leads to chaotic and sometimes uncomfortable situations. Either set up a reservation system or have someone regulate the line-up process. The line-up spills onto the stairs and the walkways, impeding traffic. Furthermore, your paying guests should not have to contend with the aggressive behavior of some less considerate people. Most people I know go on cruises to relax and enjoy -- it would be nice if you organized things better -- especially the meal arrangements -- to facilitate that. Why is there no Sunday worship service on board? Service by the room stewards and the dining hall waiters and waitresses was very good.



Comments By BARRY
 
Overall Rating   2


Age:
51
# of Cruises Taken:
6
Stateroom Type:
Inside
Sailing Month:
May 2010
Destination:
Alaska
Cruising with Children:
False


3
Dining
3
Stateroom
2
Entertainment
3
Spa/Fitness
0
Children's
Activities

3
Public Areas


Best thing was the ports of call and the excursions. Most memorable thing about the ship was meeting people from many different places in the world. Things that could be improved: 1. More creative classes and project opportunities on the ship. 2. Conditioner in bathroom. 3. Receive a schedule of activities prior to embarkment date. 4. Encourage more sharing of tables at meals in-order to promote social interaction. 5. Change entertainment ... some where the same acts as a trip several years ago.



Comments By Pastor Charles
 
Overall Rating   4


Age:
51
# of Cruises Taken:
2
Stateroom Type:
Oceanview
Sailing Month:
May 2010
Destination:
Alaska
Cruising with Children:
False


2
Dining
5
Stateroom
3
Entertainment
5
Spa/Fitness
0
Children's
Activities

5
Public Areas


The best thing about the cruise was seeing Alaska. The beauty of the land, mountains, and the wild life I saw were breath taking. The fjords and glaciers were awesome. The free style dining was the most memorable thing about the ship. Being able to eat whenever you wanted to and not having to dress up was really nice. What can be improved is the overpricing of items on the ship. I felt like the gift shop was over priced. I don't think one should have to pay for non-alcoholic drinks such as pop and lemonade. The buffet was lack luster also. The eggs tasted like powder eggs. However if one wanted a real breakfast one only had to eat at one of the main dining rooms. Eating in one of the main dining rooms or one of the many specialty restaurants was a grand experience. Overall any thing negative I can say about the ship, cruise line is all mute when compared to the beauty of Alaska. I would undergo and endure all the negatives again, just to see, and be a part of such beauty. I have always wanted to take an Alaskan cruise and this cruise lived up to my expectations.



Comments By Deb
 
Overall Rating   5


Age:
51
# of Cruises Taken:
3
Stateroom Type:
Balcony
Sailing Month:
Apr 2010
Destination:
Mexico
Cruising with Children:
False


4
Dining
4
Stateroom
4
Entertainment
0
Spa/Fitness
0
Children's
Activities

4
Public Areas


The best part was being totally relaxed and free to dine whenever. The most memorable thing about the ship was the large pool/sundeck area. Although, I think the slides should be removed or put with the childrens pool at the stern. DISEMBARKATION!!!! was a disaster. I will be writing NCL about it. Too many people chose Easy Off and it was in no way easy for anyone!



Comments By Craig
 
Overall Rating   4


Age:
21
# of Cruises Taken:
3
Stateroom Type:
Oceanview
Sailing Month:
Apr 2010
Destination:
Mexico
Cruising with Children:
True


4
Dining
5
Stateroom
5
Entertainment
5
Spa/Fitness
4
Children's
Activities

5
Public Areas


1) The best thing about the cruise would have to be the crew, they all had such good attitudes and smiles on their faces. It made the cruise so much more enjoyable. 2) The most memorable thing about the ship would have to be the good entertainment that was provided for the week. eg. Comedians, Illusionist and the live band out by the pool. 3) The one and only thing that could be improved is to maybe have more activities out by the pool or even a late night party outside around the pool area. Activities could include such things as like putting on a show with the bartenders, like a contest between some bartenders, like fancy moves to make drinks or whatever. Basically put on a show for people to watch and enjoy. I'm not going to complain that sitting out in the sun on the pool deck and having a few drinks is boring it is quite enjoyable, but when you involve the people that are around the pool or deck in activities or even just to watch it makes it alot of fun. All in all we had a wonderful time on the ship, will definetly do it again.



Comments By William
 
Overall Rating   5


Age:
51
# of Cruises Taken:
10
Stateroom Type:
Oceanview
Sailing Month:
Apr 2010
Destination:
Mexico
Cruising with Children:
False


5
Dining
4
Stateroom
4
Entertainment
5
Spa/Fitness
0
Children's
Activities

5
Public Areas


Flexibility to eat and dine where you want to. The two ports we stopped at - beautiful. Response time when needing assistance from staff on board. Two hours is too long to wait for assistance especially when you've arrived at the port and time is of the essence. Also, longer visiting times at the ports.



Comments By Anne
 
Overall Rating   4


Age:
51
# of Cruises Taken:
3
Stateroom Type:
Balcony
Sailing Month:
Mar 2010
Destination:
Mexico
Cruising with Children:
False


3
Dining
4
Stateroom
4
Entertainment
5
Spa/Fitness
0
Children's
Activities

5
Public Areas


We had a very nice time on board. When we arrived to book in it was very disorganized no-one to tell you where to go, no signs to tell you that you need to fill in health forms. Is was just as bad when we were disembarking the walk offs were just walking round and round the ship. No one to tell you where you should be. Once they started calling the colours for disembarking it got a lot better. This is one thing they need to work on. I know it was not like that in Barcelona. That was a breeze. I was disappointed with the food in the market cafe it just seemed to be the same every day. The restuarants were really good. The stops were terrific the first stop Cabo with it being tenders it took a long time to get a shore. So that felt rushed. On the way into Cabo we seen Whales a mom and her baby Dolphins it was amazing. I think we need a suite for the full bathroom rather than the tiny thing. All in all I would say it was most enjoyable 7 days.



Comments By Shirley
 
Overall Rating   3


Age:
51
# of Cruises Taken:
2
Stateroom Type:
Balcony
Sailing Month:
Mar 2010
Destination:
Mexico
Cruising with Children:
False


3
Dining
3
Stateroom
3
Entertainment
0
Spa/Fitness
0
Children's
Activities

3
Public Areas


The best thing about this cruise was the quality time we were able to spend with our friends. The most memorable thing was to witness the excitement of seeing our friends with a "first time cruise experience". Since I have cruised with two other cruise ship companies I could not help but compare the three cruise experiences that I have had since 1999. If I had to rank these I would place my Norwegian cruise as third place. I feel there are a number of ways this company could improve and be more comparable to the other cruises. The entertainment on Norwegian was excellent the FIRST night of each act, unfortunately the same preformers had a second night and their programs seemed to be "watered down" the second time. On the other cruise lines there were seven different preformers one each evening with acts that were entertaining. It seemed to me that Norwegian was trying to save $ by using the same people again. A new act each evening would improve this cruise. The beverage card at $50.00 each was unacceptable. The problem seemed to be a lack of places to get beverages like iced tea or lemonade by yourself. I feel paying for alcohol beverages is OK just like other cruise companies do, but charging for LIMITED selections of soda or juices is not OK. Other cruise ships include this in the cost of the cruise and make coffee shop atmospheres available where you can also get iced coffee, mochaccino, latte etc. Adding something like this on Norwegian would improve this cruise experience. Lastly it felt like the focus and goals of this cruise line are questionable. I felt like they had a goal amount of $ they were trying to solicate from each passenger above and beyond the price of the cruise. I did not feel this on the other cruise lines that I have experienced. The other cruise ships felt like they were providing memorable things, experiences and entertainment as part of the cruise experience. Unfortunately I did not feel this way with the Norwegian Cruise Line. I do feel that Norwegian could improve with a change of focus of the CEOs of this company. I would be more that happy to further discuss my observations with Norwegian.



Comments By Gordo
 
Overall Rating   4


Age:
36
# of Cruises Taken:
1
Stateroom Type:
Balcony
Sailing Month:
Mar 2010
Destination:
Mexico
Cruising with Children:
True


2
Dining
5
Stateroom
3
Entertainment
0
Spa/Fitness
5
Children's
Activities

3
Public Areas


The best thing about the cruise was the kids programs. Our kids (10 & 14) could go off on their own on the ship and do things without us having to supervise. The most memorable thing about the cruise was all of the things we never ever thought we would do or see. I think the food quality could be better. It was OK, but there was only one or two things that I thought were worth having seconds of.



Comments By Juvy
 
Overall Rating   5


Age:
36
# of Cruises Taken:
4
Stateroom Type:
Balcony
Sailing Month:
Mar 2010
Destination:
Mexico
Cruising with Children:
True


5
Dining
5
Stateroom
5
Entertainment
5
Spa/Fitness
5
Children's
Activities

5
Public Areas


the entertainment was phenominal.service was over the top,and the freestyle is the best way to go



Comments By Juvy
 
Overall Rating   5


Age:
36
# of Cruises Taken:
4
Stateroom Type:
Balcony
Sailing Month:
Mar 2010
Destination:
Mexico
Cruising with Children:
True


5
Dining
5
Stateroom
5
Entertainment
5
Spa/Fitness
5
Children's
Activities

5
Public Areas


the cruise itself was outstanding but the way everything was arranged for us by DOJO AGUILAR from Expedia CruiseShip Centers was highly commendable.He worked with us on our budget our accomodations and kept us updated with everything we needed to know including making sure our flight from jfk to lax went without any problems it made vaction a real joy to plan,THANK YOU FOR A WONDERFUL EXPERIENCE



Comments By Norman
 
Overall Rating   2


Age:
36
# of Cruises Taken:
5
Stateroom Type:
Balcony
Sailing Month:
Mar 2010
Destination:
Mexico
Cruising with Children:
True


2
Dining
4
Stateroom
2
Entertainment
4
Spa/Fitness
3
Children's
Activities

2
Public Areas


Food was mediocre, not a lot of public areas. Ship was showing its age. Cabin mini suite was great and excellent value. Good cruise for kids, but overall definitley a budget cruise compated to Princess, RCL or even Carnival. Overall service was good.



Comments By Parminder
 
Overall Rating   3


Age:
36
# of Cruises Taken:
1
Stateroom Type:
Inside
Sailing Month:
Mar 2010
Destination:
Mexico
Cruising with Children:
True


4
Dining
2
Stateroom
3
Entertainment
0
Spa/Fitness
3
Children's
Activities

1
Public Areas


the service was by most staff was very good the show where very good The down side of my cruise was on the STAR the hot tubs and main pool was out of service for most of the trip , it took staff 3 days to fix my shower no hot water .



Comments By Daphne
 
Overall Rating   4


Age:
36
# of Cruises Taken:
3
Stateroom Type:
Oceanview
Sailing Month:
Mar 2010
Destination:
Mexico
Cruising with Children:
True


5
Dining
4
Stateroom
3
Entertainment
0
Spa/Fitness
3
Children's
Activities

4
Public Areas


The food was excellent and even though the specialty restaurants had a cover charge - they were well worth it. This was a great sized ship - not too big, not too small. Lots of amenities. Shows were OK. Kids program was good and leaders were friendly and accomodating. We were surprised there were not more planned activities for families (i.e. scavenger hunt and such). Kids spent much of their time in the designated rooms and could have been more opportunity for family activities. Kids pool and slides were a hit, but ship exhaust goes directly over this area. This was an issue for two of the days at sea. The smell of exhaust was also very prevalent in the kids program area inside the ship. Overall, we had a great trip and would consider Norwegian again.



Comments By Julie
 
Overall Rating   5


Age:
0
# of Cruises Taken:
2
Stateroom Type:
Inside
Sailing Month:
Dec 2009
Destination:
Panama Canal
Cruising with Children:
True


5
Dining
5
Stateroom
5
Entertainment
5
Spa/Fitness
5
Children's
Activities

5
Public Areas


- The overall was excellent...except my son wanted to play on some computer or with games and all computers had crashed. Unable to use at all time on cruise. - My son prefer more Wii game which were not schedules too many hours in the programs. - Kids pool were not close to adult pools so everytime my son had to go to pool then I have to stay over at the kids pool area.



Comments By Terry
 
Overall Rating   2


Age:
36
# of Cruises Taken:
5
Stateroom Type:
Suite
Sailing Month:
Oct 2009
Destination:
Mexico
Cruising with Children:
True


2
Dining
2
Stateroom
3
Entertainment
3
Spa/Fitness
3
Children's
Activities

3
Public Areas


Overall this cruise paled in comparison to NCL Pearl and other Princess Cruises we have been on. The quality of food and service was much weaker than in prior cruises. It was a major disapointment!!



Comments By Teena
 
Overall Rating   2


Age:
36
# of Cruises Taken:
6
Stateroom Type:
Balcony
Sailing Month:
Oct 2009
Destination:
Mexico
Cruising with Children:
True


1
Dining
2
Stateroom
5
Entertainment
0
Spa/Fitness
4
Children's
Activities

3
Public Areas


Sailing on the Norweign Star was a disappointment. Dining - The main diningroom or the buffet were the only places to have a sit down dinner - without a charge. All other dining options involved a charge from $10 per person to $25 per person. The result was that you had to wait to have dinner, unless you wanted to pay. The pay restaurants sat empty as people did not want to spend the extra money. The food was poor compared to other cruises I have been on. Entertainment - The entertainment on board was excellent. The magican was great and so were the singers and dancers. Childrens Activities - The childrens activites were okay. My son felt that they were sometimes boring compared to our other cruises. Overall, I felt like the Norweign Cruise Line was like a big cash grab; everything was extra - even a tour of the ship!!! The Cruise staff kept trying to sell everything. The Ports-of-Call were great, and I would recommend going on a Mexican Riveria Cruise - just not with Norwiegn. I did the same cruise last year on Royal Caribbean and it was awesome.



Comments By Heather
 
Overall Rating   4


Age:
51
# of Cruises Taken:
5
Stateroom Type:
Oceanview
Sailing Month:
Oct 2009
Destination:
Mexico
Cruising with Children:
False


4
Dining
4
Stateroom
4
Entertainment
0
Spa/Fitness
0
Children's
Activities

4
Public Areas


the staff member that sold us our liquor, a Canadian, told us that the duty/tax would only be about $5.00 per bottle so I bought 3 bottles; guess what I left 2 at the border as the duty/tax was going to be $71.75...liquor was not worth it...always everything was great...enjoyed the speciality dining rooms for the quietness and great service; room service was good as usual; and the cabin boys were great...love the animals



Comments By Chris
 
Overall Rating   4


Age:
36
# of Cruises Taken:
2
Stateroom Type:
Oceanview
Sailing Month:
Sep 2009
Destination:
Mexico
Cruising with Children:
False


5
Dining
4
Stateroom
5
Entertainment
0
Spa/Fitness
0
Children's
Activities

4
Public Areas


BEst thing about the cruise was the super friendly staff onboard ship who made us feel welcome and relaxed right from the first moment we stepped on board ship. The entertainment was great! THe comedians were excellent and the stage shows were phenominal! The only complaint we had was that when we were in Los Angeles for a stopover between 2 cruises aboard the same ship there was no tour for those of us staying onboard and there were about 200 of us. In other ports this would not be as much a problem but in LA the port is nowhere near anything!



Comments By Chris
 
Overall Rating   4


Age:
36
# of Cruises Taken:
2
Stateroom Type:
Oceanview
Sailing Month:
Sep 2009
Destination:
Pacific Coastal
Cruising with Children:
False


5
Dining
4
Stateroom
5
Entertainment
0
Spa/Fitness
0
Children's
Activities

4
Public Areas





Comments By Brenda
 
Overall Rating   3


Age:
51
# of Cruises Taken:
4
Stateroom Type:
Inside
Sailing Month:
Sep 2009
Destination:
Pacific Coastal
Cruising with Children:
False


3
Dining
5
Stateroom
4
Entertainment
0
Spa/Fitness
0
Children's
Activities

3
Public Areas


The accessible stateroom was the best of the four cruises I've taken. The entertainment was, as well. It was startling to learn of the cost at several restaurants; however, the two 'free' ones were good. The transfer was a mess as two ships docked at the same time and accessible transport did not work out. We were on the last van and barely made our flight.



Comments By Renee
 
Overall Rating   4


Age:
36
# of Cruises Taken:
2
Stateroom Type:
Oceanview
Sailing Month:
Sep 2009
Destination:
Pacific Coastal
Cruising with Children:
False


4
Dining
4
Stateroom
4
Entertainment
0
Spa/Fitness
0
Children's
Activities

4
Public Areas





Comments By Janice Margaret
 
Overall Rating   3


Age:
51
# of Cruises Taken:
2
Stateroom Type:
Oceanview
Sailing Month:
Sep 2009
Destination:
Mexico
Cruising with Children:
False


3
Dining
2
Stateroom
4
Entertainment
0
Spa/Fitness
0
Children's
Activities

4
Public Areas


The first thing that I'd like to mention that was upsetting was the fact that our itinerary said we were flying on Air Canada and when we tried to check in online the day before our flight we were unable to. My friend Jude, after several hours of trying and making phone calls, finally found out that the reason she couldn't was because we were flying on United. This caused a lot of frustration for her. We were also told that we had to pay $15.00 US for our one piece of checked baggage each and then paid another $20.00 each on the flight home. I don't know if all the airlines are doing this now but we were not aware of this. When I was on Air Canada's web site they talked about charges for oversize and overweight baggage, but not charges for your 1st pc of checked luggage. We also experienced frustration at the airport in LA waiting for the transfer to the cruise ship. It was 2 hours before they arrived to pick us up. Some people waiting had been there 1 1/2 hrs before us. The representatives at the airport offered no explanation as to the long wait, they just said they had called the bus line several times and were not getting an explanation. I finally told them after several times that I didn't understand that if they were actually speaking to someone why they were not getting some sort of reason for the delay or a time on when they were going to show up. They finally told me that they had just switched to a new bus line and this was the first day they were using them. I told them they were not making a very good first impression and should maybe go back to their old bus line. I found the bed very uncomfortable. After a very bad night's sleep the first night I discovered another mattress on a fold away bed underneath the bed that I put on top of the mattress on my bed. I was then able to have a more comfortable sleep. Some people I spoke with on the cruise who have taken several cruises did not rate the Norwegian Star as one of their favorites. I have not sailed on any other ships so I have nothing to compare it to. Overall I rated my cruise experience as good. The things I've mentioned above, other than the bed had nothing to do with the actual cruise.



Comments By Sherri
 
Overall Rating   5


Age:
51
# of Cruises Taken:
1
Stateroom Type:
Inside
Sailing Month:
Sep 2009
Destination:
Alaska
Cruising with Children:
False


5
Dining
5
Stateroom
3
Entertainment
5
Spa/Fitness
0
Children's
Activities

5
Public Areas


The weather was awesome, the staff were very friendly and in most cases very helpful. We enjoyed most of the entertainment. The things that stuck out the most for us was incorrect information given about duty free which caused a bit of a hiccup at the airport. We also felt that there's just a bit too much overselling of product on the boat (ie pulltabs, drinks, etc). We were also quite disappointed in one of the cruise director's staff who was quite vocal in his dislike of Prince Rupert. He's certainly entitled to his own opinion, but as people have paid an awful lot of money to go on this cruise and see each of the stops, this doesn't encourage people to get out and see Prince Rupert. Frankly, although we enjoyed each of the stops, the three Alaskan stops were all somewhat the same in their shopping - same clothing stores, same jewellery stores etc. Prince Rupert's was different and we appreciated that. All in all we enjoyed our trip immensely and hope to cruise again some day.



Comments By Elaine
 
Overall Rating   3


Age:
36
# of Cruises Taken:
5
Stateroom Type:
Oceanview
Sailing Month:
Sep 2009
Destination:
Pacific Coastal
Cruising with Children:
True


1
Dining
4
Stateroom
2
Entertainment
0
Spa/Fitness
4
Children's
Activities

4
Public Areas


We were very disastisfied with the dining room (Versaille). The service was very poor (took over 2 hrs to recieve our 3 course meal, which was all ordered at the beginning of our meal). The food was poor and the presentation was lacking. The dining room was nowhere near full there were lots of tables available.



Comments By Sara
 
Overall Rating   3


Age:
36
# of Cruises Taken:
4
Stateroom Type:
Oceanview
Sailing Month:
Sep 2009
Destination:
Pacific Coastal
Cruising with Children:
False


1
Dining
3
Stateroom
3
Entertainment
0
Spa/Fitness
0
Children's
Activities

3
Public Areas


We dined in one of the main dining rooms included in the cruise for the late seating (not one of the restaurants that you would pay extra for) and we were very unimpressed with the quality of both service and food. The buffet lunch was good, but the formal dinner was very poor. I have been on three other cruises and due to my other cruise experiences I was expecting much better service in the dining room as well.



Comments By Cassandra
 
Overall Rating   5


Age:
21
# of Cruises Taken:
1
Stateroom Type:
Inside
Sailing Month:
Sep 2009
Destination:
Mexico
Cruising with Children:
False


5
Dining
4
Stateroom
5
Entertainment
0
Spa/Fitness
0
Children's
Activities

4
Public Areas


It's hard to say what the best thing about this cruise was. The food was amazing, the restaurant service and room attendants were amazing (with the exception of a fair few), the facilities were great, and karaoke and the talent show definitely made the experience a memorable and great one. For anyone who says that the food was terrible or the service was terrible; I don't know what cruise you were one, but the one I was one was exceptional... There were a few problems. Me and my husband went for our honeymoon. We are almost 21 and we are Canadians anyway (which means our legal drinking age is 19..) going to Mexico (where there legal drinking age was 18...) and yet we were not allowed to drink. It's not like we were trying to get hammered.. we would like to have celebrated with a few drinks though or some champagne since it was our HONEYMOON. That was a bit ridiculous. We were told if our parents were on board, we could have some beer or wine (which we don't particularly like anyway because we aren't big drinkers..) but, since it was our honeymoon and we have been living together for over 2 years, obviously our parents weren't on board..(...) and they didn't know what to do with that. We were an exception to the rule of having to be 21 or older to embark on the ship without a parent because we are married, but they had no backup rules about parental consent.... it was pretty stupid. We didn't mind too much, it was just frustrating considering half the ship is filled with bars and lounges and we weren`t sure if we could enter or not for the first few days. After a little while though we just started entering anyway and started ordering virgin cocktails. Pretty much the first day sucked because of the alcohol celebratory thing, and the fact that they lost our luggage and wouldn`t give us any answers... but after getting into the swing of things we had an amazing time. I don`t know why any one complained about the food. We didn`t even need to go to a specialty restaurant because the free ones were so good. We adored the Versailles. It reminded us of the keg only the service was better, the decor was better and we didn`t have to pay for the food. Haha. We loved the theater, loved the casual dining of the Market, and thought the casino was beautiful. We absolutely loved the Stardust theater. The Blackstreet boys were hilarious and the Chinese acrobats were superb. The Guest talent show was a lot of fun, especially since I hadn`t performed for a couple of years. It was great that musicians had that option. I also really liked karaoke. Anyway, I highly recommend this cruise line. I`d give it a five out of five, but there is always room for improvement in everything, so I give it a 4.75 out of five. I got of the boat, immediately called my consultant and started picking out another one. I have always wanted to go to Mexico and we had a blast, but we found ourselves almost rushing back to the ship. I don`t even really care where I go next.. I just want to get back on the ship! :) I do recommend the lowest grade cabin.. you get the same food, service and amenities no matter pretty much what you pay for your room. Give yourself a deal. You`re hardly ever in your room anyway.. Happy cruising everybody!



Comments By Fred
 
Overall Rating   5


Age:
51
# of Cruises Taken:
1
Stateroom Type:
Balcony
Sailing Month:
May 2009
Destination:
Alaska
Cruising with Children:
True


5
Dining
5
Stateroom
0
Entertainment
0
Spa/Fitness
4
Children's
Activities

0
Public Areas


We loved everything about the cruise, we filled out a cruise review for NCL. We found the bathroom to be exceptional clean, but not so the rest of the cabin. Very pushy with their jewelry sales. We recommended they look at some of the excursursions as they were very expensive and a waste of time, usually the city tours. These could be improved. Glacier tour was perfect in Juno. Train ride in Skagway was also excellent, heard many other tours were great too. Ran into someone I knew on the Alaska/ Yukon border, go figure We will cruise again and will call you when ready as we were happy with your service and overall you just can't beat the feeling while sailing. I am very happy I took your advise to book an outside cabin with balcony, my review would not have been a good one otherwise. Many passengers did switch or tried to switch to an outside cabin. We spent many hours there, sometimes with a heavy coat on, but it was worth it. By the way May turned out to be an excellent month as the snow in the maintouns made everything more beautiful, and we hate the cold.



Comments By ROBERT BENG ANN
 
Overall Rating   4


Age:
0
# of Cruises Taken:
1
Stateroom Type:
Oceanview
Sailing Month:
May 2009
Destination:
Alaska
Cruising with Children:
False


3
Dining
3
Stateroom
4
Entertainment
0
Spa/Fitness
0
Children's
Activities

3
Public Areas


Best thing - Good entertainment. Colour tag check out is good, disembarkation process was smooth and quick. Worst thing - Embarkation process, no proper signage as to where to drop off the luggages. For those holding foreign passport, no proper embarkation process for them - long wait before they can get through customs. Memorable thing - Meeting and talking to friendly crew and fellow passengers. Could be improved - embarkation process. All else is great. Thanks!



Comments By Evan
 
Overall Rating   4


Age:
21
# of Cruises Taken:
1
Stateroom Type:
Balcony
Sailing Month:
Apr 2009
Destination:
Mexico
Cruising with Children:
True


3
Dining
4
Stateroom
5
Entertainment
0
Spa/Fitness
2
Children's
Activities

4
Public Areas


1. Spending time with my young family, seeing new parts of the world. Feeling secure. 2. The experience of that form of travel (the ocean view, arriving at Cabo) 3. Change up menu in the Market cafe from day to day. Include menu items that reflect destinations (ie Wide selection of Mexican food). Clear (honest) explaination of gratuties (who gets what and how much is reasonable)



Comments By Glenn
 
Overall Rating   4


Age:
36
# of Cruises Taken:
2
Stateroom Type:
Inside
Sailing Month:
Apr 2009
Destination:
Mexico
Cruising with Children:
True


5
Dining
2
Stateroom
4
Entertainment
0
Spa/Fitness
4
Children's
Activities

5
Public Areas


The staff (well most of them) were wonderful...so friendly and willing to help. I thought that the supervisor was not friendly though when we spoke of our concerns. We had felt that our stateroom was way too small for our family of 4; it really would only fit 3 people comfortably. There were 2 single beds and one that came out of the wall. They offered to put in a pull out but when they set it up it was one big wall to wall - literally- bed with no room to get out. It was so disappointing. Another disappointment was that one of the shows was suppose to be 'family friendly' however there was a lot of sexual context and the last straw for us was when they pretended to blow up the blow up doll! This was at a 8:00 regular show and when my husband spoke to the cruise director there really was no apology. I tried to find an email address to complain to with NCL and couldn't find one. In saying all that though we had a wonderful time and would definitely cruise again. The ship was beautiful and clean and generally the staff were so nice.



Comments By Joanne
 
Overall Rating   4


Age:
36
# of Cruises Taken:
2
Stateroom Type:
Inside
Sailing Month:
Apr 2009
Destination:
Mexico
Cruising with Children:
True


3
Dining
3
Stateroom
4
Entertainment
3
Spa/Fitness
4
Children's
Activities

4
Public Areas


Best thing: kids were safe, having fun, and well taken care of Memorable thing: Versailles restaurant, chocolate buffet, pool & slides Improved: Less cover charging restaurants; tip fee of $12/person should not include kids or at least reduce the price.



Comments By Linda
 
Overall Rating   2


Age:
36
# of Cruises Taken:
6
Stateroom Type:
Inside
Sailing Month:
Apr 2009
Destination:
Alaska
Cruising with Children:
False


1
Dining
4
Stateroom
3
Entertainment
3
Spa/Fitness
0
Children's
Activities

4
Public Areas


This was our first time on NCL and we were very disappointed. The food was not as good as any of the other cruiselines we have been on (RCCI, Celebrity, Princess, Carnival), very bland, lukewarm most of the time. Even in the specialty restaurants we found the food was sub-par. Staff everywhere seemed very unhappy and unmotivated. There seemed to be more than the usual attempts to separate guests from their money. We did, however, like the beds very much and the fact that the art auction was held in a lounge rather than the atrium, as on some other ships. If they truly want you to be able to eat "when you want", they should allow reservations in the main dining rooms. It would have been helpful to have fewer talks on port shopping, and some (or at least one) on local history and wildlife (we overheard one groups of Australians swearing they saw penguins swimming around).



Comments By Donna
 
Overall Rating   4


Age:
36
# of Cruises Taken:
1
Stateroom Type:
Oceanview
Sailing Month:
Mar 2009
Destination:
Mexico
Cruising with Children:
False


4
Dining
4
Stateroom
5
Entertainment
4
Spa/Fitness
0
Children's
Activities

4
Public Areas


We had a great time! This is a great way to travel with teenagers. There is lots for them to do and always something for them to eat! The food generally was very good. The staff is amazing. They give you plenty of choices of activities and parties on board. The ports were great, fantastic shopping!



Comments By Monica
 
Overall Rating   2


Age:
36
# of Cruises Taken:
1
Stateroom Type:
Oceanview
Sailing Month:
Mar 2009
Destination:
Mexico
Cruising with Children:
True


3
Dining
3
Stateroom
2
Entertainment
4
Spa/Fitness
1
Children's
Activities

3
Public Areas


I was shocked by the lack of transparency when one books the cruise through the travel agency. We were never told how much the service fee would be only to find out we would need to pay an additional $350 when it was too late to make a decision about pulling out of the trip (we would have to jump off board). Also, we were never told that more than 50% of the restaurants would charge additional fees. So, bottom line, being a family on a budget, it was very uncomfortable for us. You get the feeling that the moment you get on board all the cruise wants is your money. The internet, the phone, everything is very expensive, again for a family like ours. All this would be fine if you had a clear knowledge of what the famous "deal" is going to cost you. Therefore, I was stressed all the time about what I was not being able to do. Same with the presentations. I attended two, on detox and menopause, and again, they were just "marketing" schemes to sell you something. I don't think I will ever go to a cruise again because of this. Memorable things: the sheets were very soft, the pizza was outsanding and I didn't have to cook for a full week. That is about it.



Comments By Karen
 
Overall Rating   4


Age:
51
# of Cruises Taken:
3
Stateroom Type:
Balcony
Sailing Month:
Mar 2009
Destination:
Mexico
Cruising with Children:
False


4
Dining
4
Stateroom
5
Entertainment
0
Spa/Fitness
0
Children's
Activities

4
Public Areas


This was my first time sailing with Norweigan. It was one of their smaller ships but I thought it was acceptable. The cabins are a little smaller than other cruise lines I have been on but that would be due to the age of the ship. I was most pleased with the entertainment aboard the Norweigan Star. It was by far the best entertainment I saw on a cruise ship! Disembarkation could be improved - not sure how but it seemed somewhat caotic getting off the ship. I will definitely sail with Norweigan again!



Comments By Adrian
 
Overall Rating   2


Age:
51
# of Cruises Taken:
14
Stateroom Type:
Balcony
Sailing Month:
Mar 2009
Destination:
Mexico
Cruising with Children:
False


2
Dining
3
Stateroom
2
Entertainment
4
Spa/Fitness
0
Children's
Activities

3
Public Areas


As long time Holland America cruisers, we thought it would be interesting to try out something different. The cabin was similar to what Holland America offers, but with a smaller balcony. One of the first things we noticed was the smell of what can only be described as raw sewage in the bathroom. When we phoned to report this, we were told this is not uncommon when the ship is in port, and that it "should" dissipate when we got underway. After about 12 hours, it did. The bed was the second area of concern, as we could clearly see on the crisp white linens, a couple of long black hairs...and upon opening the bedding, more were in between the sheets. The linen itself was so pilled, it felt like sandpaper. We advised our cabin steward of the problems, and new sheets were promptly supplied. (We had to request "non pilled sheets" 3 more times during this week) We were disappointed in the new "freestyle" experience the first night, when we found we were up against a 60 minute wait to get a table in one of only two, "no extra charge" dining rooms. Rather than wait, we went to a fee per passenger restaurant "le bistro", and paid $30.00, ($15.00 each) to be able to be seated without a wait. Two of the ordered items had to be returned to the kitchen, the seating was terribly uncomfortable, and the maitre'd surly. The other fee per passenger ($20.00 each) restaurant "Cagney's" while very good, was no better than we would expect from the regular dining rooms aboard Holland America. Of the 12 restauants on this ship, I believe that 8 of them involved an upcharge of between $10 and $20 per person. During this cruise we noticed that these "extra fee" restaurants were frequently empty. Would we recommend this line? No. We will happily return to our regular "DAM" ships for our next cruise.



Comments By Jim
 
Overall Rating   4


Age:
51
# of Cruises Taken:
2
Stateroom Type:
Balcony
Sailing Month:
Mar 2009
Destination:
Mexico
Cruising with Children:
False


4
Dining
4
Stateroom
4
Entertainment
2
Spa/Fitness
0
Children's
Activities

4
Public Areas


The spa announced a discount offering for the last 3 days but refused to adjust for people who had booked earlier. Also had a large cancellation penalty. Not impressed.



Comments By Richard
 
Overall Rating   3


Age:
51
# of Cruises Taken:
3
Stateroom Type:
Balcony
Sailing Month:
Mar 2009
Destination:
Mexico
Cruising with Children:
False


3
Dining
3
Stateroom
4
Entertainment
0
Spa/Fitness
0
Children's
Activities

3
Public Areas


The specialty restaurants were excellent, but we did not feel that the regular dining rooms were quite as good as what we have experienced on other cruises. The tours/excursions focussed too much on shopping. We were more interested in seeing the history and culture of Mexico. NCL does not allow guests to bring their own liquor on board to enjoy in their stateroom, and we did not totally agree with the auto gratuity on all beveridge items (including canned pop & bottled water) as well as the $12 per day per person service charge. We prefer to tip in cash to those who provide good service, and we did have excellent service. Overall, we did not find our cruise experience with NCL quite as enjoyable as other cruises.



Comments By Josefina
 
Overall Rating   5


Age:
36
# of Cruises Taken:
2
Stateroom Type:
Inside
Sailing Month:
Mar 2009
Destination:
Mexico
Cruising with Children:
True


5
Dining
5
Stateroom
5
Entertainment
5
Spa/Fitness
5
Children's
Activities

5
Public Areas


The fine dining restaurants are the best and the service of the waiters and waitresses are excellent. The most memorable is the Blue Lagoon restaurant for which you have the freedom to go there anytime to grab a bite to eat. Overall we had an excellent time and the only comments are the increased tipping for children from $5 it became $12 and when the ship docks to an island if you want to leave your child/children in the planet kids class you need to pay $5 each hour. When we dock at Mazatlan we know that there will be a lot of walking and my 7 year old daughter has asthma so I thought I could leave her in the ship but unfortunately I need to pay the fee. One last is the pool is so small, so many seating areas where no one is occuying. They should adjust the pool size to accomodate more people only for kids the pool is already overcrowded.



Comments By Sheila
 
Overall Rating   4


Age:
0
# of Cruises Taken:
4
Stateroom Type:
Inside
Sailing Month:
Mar 2009
Destination:
Mexico
Cruising with Children:
False


4
Dining
3
Stateroom
4
Entertainment
0
Spa/Fitness
0
Children's
Activities

4
Public Areas





Comments By Kim
 
Overall Rating   3


Age:
36
# of Cruises Taken:
3
Stateroom Type:
Balcony
Sailing Month:
Mar 2009
Destination:
Mexico
Cruising with Children:
True


4
Dining
3
Stateroom
4
Entertainment
0
Spa/Fitness
4
Children's
Activities

3
Public Areas


Cruise was good except that our balcony stateroom was very noisy due to ship movement (the worst of our 3 cruises). We finally had to ask to have another cabin to sleep in because it was impossible to sleep with all the banging, knocking and creaking. NCL was very good though and gave us another cabin (inside the first night and oceanview the last two nights) as well as a stateroom credit and a free dinner. We used NCL to book our airfare - flight down was good, but for the flight home the wait was too long from when we had to leave the cruise ship until our flight left LAX (over 5 hours). I would suggest booking your own airfare rather than have NCL do it. Other than that the cruise itself was fine - good food, entertainment, very nice staff on board, etc.



Comments By Darren
 
Overall Rating   4


Age:
36
# of Cruises Taken:
2
Stateroom Type:
Suite
Sailing Month:
Feb 2009
Destination:
Mexico
Cruising with Children:
True


4
Dining
4
Stateroom
4
Entertainment
0
Spa/Fitness
5
Children's
Activities

4
Public Areas


To many of the restaurants had additional charges to eat at them. It would have been nice if the two restaurants with no cover charge would have had different menus. The kids had a great time in the kids club. The ship was showing its age, the kids were finding alot of the tiles around one of the pools at the bottom of the pool. I did enjoy the freestyle dining.



Comments By Kathryn
 
Overall Rating   3


Age:
51
# of Cruises Taken:
4
Stateroom Type:
Suite
Sailing Month:
Feb 2009
Destination:
Mexico
Cruising with Children:
False


3
Dining
5
Stateroom
3
Entertainment
0
Spa/Fitness
0
Children's
Activities

3
Public Areas


The penthouse suite with very large balcony, butler, concierge and all that amenities was super. There should be a pool attendant to handle the hordes of children whose parents seem to think that they do not have to watch over them once the board the ship. Hard to find a place (other than your room) where you can have some quiet time. Weather was cold for 2-/12 days so you have to be imagintive to find something to do to occupy your time.



Comments By Brandi
 
Overall Rating   3


Age:
21
# of Cruises Taken:
2
Stateroom Type:
Balcony
Sailing Month:
Feb 2009
Destination:
Mexico
Cruising with Children:
False


2
Dining
4
Stateroom
3
Entertainment
0
Spa/Fitness
0
Children's
Activities

4
Public Areas


We had a good time. The shore excursions on NCL were excellent - lots of fun things to choose from! We did four excursions and all of them were great! Our room was very nice and the balcony was well worth the extra cost! The ship itself was nice - lots of specialty restaurants to choose from. We also really liked the "freestyle" cruising with NCL - eat when you want, do what you want. The other cruisers were nice and young -mostly families and young couples, which suited us well. We met a lot of very nice people. The food was a bit of a disappointment though - - the buffet was not very tasty at all (compared to my previous cruising experience on Royal Caribbean). We tried different specialty restaurants each night and loved Le Bistro and Cagney's, but really disliked Ginza and La Trattoria. Endless Summer was a great value as you pay only $10 and get a free margarita! The evening entertainment was a bit "budget" with one of the shows being a full hour of juggling (???).... Overall though we did have a good time - loved the excursions, the people, and got lots of R&R. thanks for everything!



Comments By Navpreet
 
Overall Rating   5


Age:
21
# of Cruises Taken:
2
Stateroom Type:
Inside
Sailing Month:
Feb 2009
Destination:
Mexico
Cruising with Children:
False


4
Dining
5
Stateroom
5
Entertainment
0
Spa/Fitness
0
Children's
Activities

5
Public Areas


The best thing about the cruise: overall very organized. Had good continous entertainment. Even with three days at sea the cruise staff always had something to do, or nothing at all if you wished. The most memorable thing about the ship: housekeeping service. Improvement: Bingo, too much pushing the casino products. I will never look at bingo the same way.



Comments By Robin
 
Overall Rating   5


Age:
36
# of Cruises Taken:
0
Stateroom Type:
Inside
Sailing Month:
Feb 2009
Destination:
Mexico
Cruising with Children:
False


5
Dining
4
Stateroom
5
Entertainment
5
Spa/Fitness
0
Children's
Activities

4
Public Areas


The best thing was that we had the freedom to choose when and what we wanted to do, to eat, etc. There were always plenty of options! The ship was well-designed with differently-themed areas so you could hang out and listen to nice, live music of various kinds and feel one way one evening, then the next day or evening go somewhere else for a totally different experience. Although the boat usually didn't feel crowded, if you want to get to the live shows or game "show" events, you need to get there early as all the seats get taken in the Spinnaker Lounge. Other ideas for future improvement would be that I'd like to stop somewhere (?) else or maybe back at Cabo on the way back, as two days at sea on the return part of the journey seemed to drag a bit -- not much scenery when you are way offshore.



Comments By Jim
 
Overall Rating   5


Age:
51
# of Cruises Taken:
7
Stateroom Type:
Oceanview
Sailing Month:
Feb 2009
Destination:
Mexico
Cruising with Children:
False


4
Dining
4
Stateroom
5
Entertainment
0
Spa/Fitness
0
Children's
Activities

5
Public Areas


The ship is very comfortable,this is the 2nd time we have sailed in her. The staff are helpfull and courteous, the food was very good and the entertainment in the theatre and bars was excellent. The ports were very interesting. Overall an excellect cruise. Of course the great weather helped also. I am not sure how you can fix it, but the age old problem of people leaving towels on lounge chairs early then disappearing for most of the day is a real annoyance especially on sea days.



Comments By Deborah
 
Overall Rating   4


Age:
51
# of Cruises Taken:
2
Stateroom Type:
Inside
Sailing Month:
Feb 2009
Destination:
Mexico
Cruising with Children:
True


4
Dining
4
Stateroom
5
Entertainment
0
Spa/Fitness
4
Children's
Activities

4
Public Areas


Best thing - getting away from Prince George winter Most memorable - the hot sunshine Buffet was good but not as good as Princess and that area could be updated. Meals in the dining room were as good as Princess and the decor was very nice there.



Comments By Joey
 
Overall Rating   5


Age:
21
# of Cruises Taken:
1
Stateroom Type:
Balcony
Sailing Month:
Feb 2009
Destination:
Mexico
Cruising with Children:
True


5
Dining
5
Stateroom
4
Entertainment
4
Spa/Fitness
5
Children's
Activities

4
Public Areas


the best thing was the food it was really good the market buffet was a little bland but otherwise excellent the most memorable would have been coming into cabo and the view i had from my balcony with dolphines swimming beside the ship and the whales swimming by that was really cool the wait times to embark and disembark were terrible they had one way on and one way off that was the worst and also the trip should be divided better the wed night to sat morning non stop cruise is to much they should go from la ,cabo,puerta then mazatlan to la that would save some time . overall awesome and would do it again .



Comments By Roland
 
Overall Rating   3


Age:
51
# of Cruises Taken:
5
Stateroom Type:
Suite
Sailing Month:
Jan 2009
Destination:
Mexico
Cruising with Children:
True


3
Dining
4
Stateroom
0
Entertainment
4
Spa/Fitness
2
Children's
Activities

5
Public Areas


The staff are friendly and helpful. The ship is well maintained and the suite was comfortable. There are far too many announcements pushing bingo, casino, art auctions, jewelry sales, etc.



Comments By Christine
 
Overall Rating   5


Age:
36
# of Cruises Taken:
3
Stateroom Type:
Oceanview
Sailing Month:
Jan 2009
Destination:
Mexico
Cruising with Children:
True


4
Dining
4
Stateroom
4
Entertainment
4
Spa/Fitness
3
Children's
Activities

4
Public Areas


The ship was very nice, friendly staff and of course the weather in Mexico couldn't have been better. We had a wonderful New Year's Eve with a countdown to midnight from the captain which capped off a great week at sea. I would prefer more choices of places to eat without a surcharge or at least a smaller amount. Breakfast would be more enjoyable in the buffet with more selection from day to day, having an omlet station would be great and more selection of egg dishes such as eggs benedict would also be a nice change from the regular choices. Also having the main dining room open later for breakfast for those who don't get moving that early in the day. An overall wonderful trip, can't wait till the next time.



Comments By Edward
 
Overall Rating   5


Age:
51
# of Cruises Taken:
4
Stateroom Type:
Oceanview
Sailing Month:
Dec 2008
Destination:
Mexico
Cruising with Children:
False


5
Dining
5
Stateroom
5
Entertainment
0
Spa/Fitness
0
Children's
Activities

5
Public Areas


This was our fourth cruise and all with NCL. This was our second on the "Star" which we took in May '08 to Alaska as well as this Mexican cruise in December. We have enjoyed all four and have put down a deposit again for another one in the near future. We took our daughter, son-in-law and two grandsons (3 and 6) this time as first cruisers and they enjoyed it emensely and said it was better than staying in a resort which they did last year. They are definitely hooked on cruising now. We can't say enough on how the children were treated by all the staff and especially our stewards. None of the staff ever forgot their names and always acknowledged them throughout the ship. We loved the Christmas decorations throughout the ship and it really added to the atmosphere. We loved the ports of call and had a great time in each. We would definitely do the Mexican Riviera again. We love the "freestyle" aspect where we can do what we want when we want especially when it comes to eating. That is a real plus with no set time or place and not having to eat with others. So far NCL has treated us well and we have no complaints.



Comments By George
 
Overall Rating   3


Age:
51
# of Cruises Taken:
1
Stateroom Type:
Oceanview
Sailing Month:
Dec 2008
Destination:
Mexico
Cruising with Children:
False


3
Dining
3
Stateroom
4
Entertainment
4
Spa/Fitness
0
Children's
Activities

3
Public Areas


Our first cruise experience proved to be refreshing and enlightening. The best thing about the cruise was being at sea; the worst thing was the smoking policy of NCL. Non-smokers beware and be sure to read the company's policy on smoking. The most memorable thing about the ship was the size and wide selection of places to go and to eat; the least memorable was having to run the gauntlet of smoke in open areas where smoking was permitted - even in open-air eating places. The most significant improvement would be to have clearly designated smoking areas that are screened off from all public places - and either no-smolong in staterooms or designated non-smoking staterooms. A good experience overall but we would not choose NCL again.



Comments By Kevin
 
Overall Rating   4


Age:
51
# of Cruises Taken:
2
Stateroom Type:
Balcony
Sailing Month:
Dec 2008
Destination:
Mexico
Cruising with Children:
True


3
Dining
5
Stateroom
4
Entertainment
4
Spa/Fitness
5
Children's
Activities

4
Public Areas


We definitely liked the stateroom with a balcony. Our room stewart was great and the room was kept very well. The ship was very nice. The upper deck was comfortable and clean. Our teenage girls experience was excellent. They enjoyed the supervisor who organized some fun activities and they made some friends. The evening shows were very good and the 3 ports were great! Although the food was good/consistent, it was not exceptional. Service was polite, but not as freindly & entertaining as our other cruise with Princess. I also thought there were too many restaurants with a service charge. The one steakhouse (Cagney's) we paid an additional $25 for, was again, good, but not exceptional food, but the service was a bit higher quality. Given the extra service charge, I was expecting an exceptional experience. I have purchase and cooked better T-Bones myself on my BBQ! I was hoping for something a little bit better. The freestyle dining does result in having to endure lineups at the dining rooms, at times, since they didn't take reservations. Princess's arrangement was better where we didn't have set times exactly, but had a choice of varied times to book. Lastly, I got the feeling that the dining rooms were a bit crammed. the tables were close together and the servers had difficulty, at times, serving us. Maybe this is to accomodate all of the space for the other dining rooms that charge a cover. Based on my observations, these restaurants didn't get a lot of business. Overall, we had a very good experience and there were no real "bad" experiences to say we wouldn't cruise on this ship another time. It was very enjoyable.



Comments By Annette
 
Overall Rating   4


Age:
36
# of Cruises Taken:
2
Stateroom Type:
Balcony
Sailing Month:
Dec 2008
Destination:
Mexico
Cruising with Children:
False


5
Dining
4
Stateroom
3
Entertainment
0
Spa/Fitness
0
Children's
Activities

4
Public Areas


Nice ship with great service teams. Decadent dining room with excellent food. We did have a small issue with our room as they'd only expected 2 of us so we had to continually remind them that we needed 3 of everything like lifejackets, towels, etc. and that they'd have to turn down the second sleeping area. Also, got a shipboard credit for one parent and the son, but not the other parent...Enjoyed the shore excursions very much and wished we'd known that we could have taken an LA shore excursion upon leaving the ship and therefore not had such a long wait at LAX as we got off the boat at 1030hrs and our flight didn't leave until 2030hrs. We already had paid for an airport transfer from the ship to LAX so didn't change those plans. LAX isn't as nice as Vancouver airport and there isn't as much interesting shops, restaurants, or things to do or see...therefore the long wait at the airport was the worst part of our trip (we didn't know, but for next time...)



Comments By Lisa
 
Overall Rating   2


Age:
36
# of Cruises Taken:
2
Stateroom Type:
Inside
Sailing Month:
Dec 2008
Destination:
Mexico
Cruising with Children:
True


2
Dining
4
Stateroom
4
Entertainment
0
Spa/Fitness
1
Children's
Activities

2
Public Areas


The best thing was spending time together as a family. Most memorable thing about the ship was standing in lines to eat, to get to shore excursions, to see a show, get on the elevator, etc. While waiting, staff would offer us drinks- at high prices. The restaurants that did not require additional fees required standing in lines and/or eating dinner after 9 p.m. It was terribly crowded over the Christmas holidays. The cruise ship staff were very patient, my co-cruisers were not always. To improve, I recommend travelers NOT travel this line during kids' Christmas break, or perhaps this cruise line should reconsider their maximum capacity. 2800 people can be squeezed aboard this ship, but this will most likely detract from the experience of their guests. If we had been willing to spend much more money (at the $15 - $25 additional-fee per meal per person restaurants) we could have avoided some of the meal frustrations...but this expense seemed excessive, especially when traveling with children.



Comments By Peter
 
Overall Rating   5


Age:
51
# of Cruises Taken:
3
Stateroom Type:
Inside
Sailing Month:
Dec 2008
Destination:
Mexico
Cruising with Children:
False


5
Dining
4
Stateroom
5
Entertainment
0
Spa/Fitness
0
Children's
Activities

5
Public Areas


The hotel booked by our cruise consultant the Westin by the airport was excellent, going down to LA the night before was a great idea given the weather problems after we left Victoria and Vancouver. Our stateroom was very comfortable on the Star but this was our first experience with an inside cabin and our preference would be to stick with a view cabin or a balcony. NCL's new line of ships have no inside cabins. NCL lives up to its name for freestyle cruising and we enjoyed the trip very much. Good food to eat when you wanted and where you wanted make it a very relaxed way to travel. Next cruise is already booked on the Norwegian Jewel (with balcony) and we are looking forward to it.



Comments By Jennifer
 
Overall Rating   4


Age:
21
# of Cruises Taken:
1
Stateroom Type:
Oceanview
Sailing Month:
Nov 2008
Destination:
Mexico
Cruising with Children:
True


5
Dining
4
Stateroom
5
Entertainment
4
Spa/Fitness
4
Children's
Activities

5
Public Areas


Overall we had a wonderful time. We had no negative things happen, connections, customs all went very smoothly. The food was excellent with a wide variety to choose from. If you wanted something more quiet then a restaurant was right there. We found that after a day of walking around the ship it was very easy from then on to find things and places. The enerteinment was excellent. We had a first class experience. Thank you for a memorable vacation. Jennifer and Julian Boyd



Comments By Phyllis
 
Overall Rating   2


Age:
65
# of Cruises Taken:
4
Stateroom Type:
Inside
Sailing Month:
Nov 2008
Destination:
Mexico
Cruising with Children:
False


2
Dining
3
Stateroom
2
Entertainment
0
Spa/Fitness
0
Children's
Activities

2
Public Areas


Do not care for the NCL cruise line. Too many staff always trying to get you to buy. The weather was great and that was the best part of my cruise. Both outside and inside the ship. It was good considering what I paid. The only other line I have traveled is the Holland American line and that is the type I prefer.



Comments By Edmond
 
Overall Rating   4


Age:
36
# of Cruises Taken:
2
Stateroom Type:
Oceanview
Sailing Month:
Nov 2008
Destination:
Mexico
Cruising with Children:
True


4
Dining
5
Stateroom
5
Entertainment
0
Spa/Fitness
3
Children's
Activities

4
Public Areas


Entertainment and the shows are excellent . Should take care travelers first time on a cruise and make sure they don't feel dizzy (sea-sick}



Comments By Peter
 
Overall Rating   4


Age:
36
# of Cruises Taken:
2
Stateroom Type:
Inside
Sailing Month:
Nov 2008
Destination:
Mexico
Cruising with Children:
True


3
Dining
3
Stateroom
3
Entertainment
0
Spa/Fitness
3
Children's
Activities

4
Public Areas


Best thing was it nice & hot with great weather. We really like the freestyle dining & buckets of beer by the pool. Buffet (kids & adults) closed early - maybe some longer openings ?? Our oldest (13) son really enjoyed the teen club but our younger 3 (11 & 9) were not really interested in their kids club. They thought that there wasn't anything interesting for them. We enjoyed the shows in the theatre. We really liked the price of the cruise. With a family of 6 it is important to us to get the best value and I think we did very well with this trip.



Comments By Alan
 
Overall Rating   4


Age:
0
# of Cruises Taken:
3
Stateroom Type:
Balcony
Sailing Month:
Nov 2008
Destination:
Mexico
Cruising with Children:
False


4
Dining
4
Stateroom
4
Entertainment
0
Spa/Fitness
0
Children's
Activities

4
Public Areas


Best- freestyle seating for dining. Included dining rooms very nice (in particular the Versailles). Stateroom very large and comfortable. Excellent entertainment in particular Mexican group in P.V. Staff very accomodating. Memorable - The ports of call are lovely locations and the shore excursions very nice. The reception staff were very helpful, understanding and resourceful. One suitcase was delayed by the airlines and without the help of reception I would not have been able to make all the required phone calls as well as doing shore excursions etc. Improved - Market Cafe (buffet) and the state rooms mirrors and art work could have used a good cleaning - dusty and smeary. Also the sofa had a torn seam on the skirting. I have reported all of this to the cruise lines.



Comments By Ronald
 
Overall Rating   4


Age:
51
# of Cruises Taken:
13
Stateroom Type:
Oceanview
Sailing Month:
Nov 2008
Destination:
Mexico
Cruising with Children:
False


5
Dining
3
Stateroom
4
Entertainment
0
Spa/Fitness
0
Children's
Activities

4
Public Areas


too many children on board and too many lineups for dinner. prefer smaller ships, less people. drink waiters always pushing to buy drinks.



Comments By Nigel
 
Overall Rating   4


Age:
51
# of Cruises Taken:
2
Stateroom Type:
Balcony
Sailing Month:
Nov 2008
Destination:
Mexico
Cruising with Children:
False


4
Dining
5
Stateroom
5
Entertainment
4
Spa/Fitness
0
Children's
Activities

4
Public Areas


The Norwegian Star is a very nice ship, well-run, clean and efficient. We liked the freestyle dining - go to dinner when you wanted to (within limits for the restaurants). Occasional line-up but usually not long wait at non-reservation restaurants. Food was decent to very good depending on selection. Smaller portions (good), but not much veggies (bad). Staff were great (except woman in Aqua restaurant for breakfast). Our stateroom cleaner was particularly friendly. Entertainment was generally very good, though a lot of events started quite late. Usually two sittings for the main shows though, which was nice. Went on one excursion in Puerto Vallarta to Yelapa, which was excellent value. Tendering in Cabo San Lucas took a long time (due to other ships in port), so not as much time as would have liked. All in all, a very good value, and I would certainly choose this cruise line again.



Comments By Violet
 
Overall Rating   5


Age:
65
# of Cruises Taken:
2
Stateroom Type:
Oceanview
Sailing Month:
Oct 2008
Destination:
Mexico
Cruising with Children:
False


5
Dining
5
Stateroom
5
Entertainment
0
Spa/Fitness
0
Children's
Activities

5
Public Areas


Everything was excellent the ship and ALL the staff........courteous...friendly......always willing to "go that extra mile for you" which impressed me and my friends........some of them also remembered your name which is amazing with so many people onboard...........altogether a fabulous cruise.......as for improvement all I can say is keep up the good work...... A BIG THANK YOU, Violet



Comments By Linda
 
Overall Rating   4


Age:
36
# of Cruises Taken:
2
Stateroom Type:
Balcony
Sailing Month:
Oct 2008
Destination:
Mexico
Cruising with Children:
False


4
Dining
4
Stateroom
3
Entertainment
0
Spa/Fitness
0
Children's
Activities

4
Public Areas


We were on the Norwegian Star deck 11 room 11098. We had a mini suite b/c we took our two boys age 9 and 12. We do everything together so they never used the children's activity groups. The best thing about the cruise? Definitely the balcony....with children we used it alot more than we thought. It was relaxing; we saw dolphins and seals; and watching outside during port docking was so much fun. We had two great cabin Stewards that enchanted my children with their expertise in towel animals each night. We looked forward to our surprise animal each night on our bed. It was nice to hang their bathing suits out to dry at nighttime too. Most memorable? The Dolphin swim in Puerto Vallarta....it was a life experience...magical creatures...wish it last longer....and the beach at Cabo...wish the cruise ship stayed longer there...buy the silver bracelets there from the beach vendors...prices are worth it...I was shy and didn't...and lost out in the end regretting my inability to barter. Most memorable about the ship? The Magician Murray-the shows were fun for kids to watch too(except for the artsy fartsy dancers one night-I like the vegas style stuff better myself). We loved the Versailles room to eat dinner everynight...no fee but it was like sitting in a Titanic setting decorum....it was beautiful. Improvements? More pools...only one pool for 2000 passengers...it got really packed on hot days. They have another lap pool but it is in the spa and you have to pay to use it per day. More kid friendly drinks like smoothies promoted etc...we don't drink pop and the juice was only available at breakfast time. More information meetings regarding each port. These could be informal or formal discussions so guests would know typical taxi fees; good places to shop-and not just the NCL diamond hangouts-real shops for everyday shoppers; good beaches; etc....guests could share their past experiences....places to avoid etc. A clock in each room would be nice. Conditioners for the showers would be nice(I bought a bottle when I read reviews they did not offer any)... Fix the slides....the kids don't slide down...When one kid goes-the next kid bumps into them b/c they stop half way....wasn't any fun for such an expensive addition. More assortments of chocolates at the chocolate buffet night...not just cakes galore....they had one fountain with some fruit but the rest was all cakes; and how about making it at 9 pm so ALL GUESTS can go to it. I had to get a plate for my son that fell asleep waiting for the 11pm show of chocolates...and all these people lining up looked at me like I was some kind of pig! The popcorn machine should actually work. Only once did the guy hand out popcorn...many passengers were angry with his attitude about having to dispense bags to people. Get better photographers...the silly hand poses they do turned us off even when I asked at one formal night NOT to pose us with clinging hands on top of each other...then he did some other dorky pose...I never bought one picture from those photographers...many people complained about the poses and how silly they were...not natural at all. No prob...we have many that we took on our own. I do believe they should SCRAP the extra charges...now too many restaurants have an additional fee -the brochures are wrong when they say some are free...wait til you get on the ship...two that were said to be free started charging...I think that's unfair. We need more variety without extra fees. Overall we had a fabulous time...met many interesting people-the freestyle dining did not take away from meeting and getting to form relationships with other guests....the food was great and the ship is beautiful. The best were our stewards Rosario and Marvin on deck 11! Thank you thank you! Sincerely Linda DG Vancouver BC CANADA



Comments By Leslie
 
Overall Rating   5


Age:
51
# of Cruises Taken:
3
Stateroom Type:
Balcony
Sailing Month:
Oct 2008
Destination:
Mexico
Cruising with Children:
True


5
Dining
5
Stateroom
5
Entertainment
5
Spa/Fitness
5
Children's
Activities

5
Public Areas


We found the cruise very relaxing and enjoyable. Good food, entertainment, ship and staff. Nice, memorable holiday.



Comments By DONALD S.