Norwegian Star Reviews

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Our first experience with NCL was in 2008 on the Dawn. Unfortunately, a woman fell overboard the first evening, and the seas were very rough on the way to Bermuda. The staff was not very friendly, but could have been a result of the tragedy. We decided to give NCL another try. I'll make comments about each aspect of the cruise. Embarkation: We arrived at the pier 10:15AM, went through an organized and quick registration. Approximately 11:30 we were able to board. Amazingly ALL staterooms were ready by 1:30PM! Stateroom: we selected 5082 which was about mid-ship. It was kept neat and clean throughout the cruise. Word of caution! - if you are a light sleeper, DO NOT select this cabin. It is below the Art Gallery and Gatsby bar. We got little sleep the first night as a result of hearing walking and chairs being dropped. They were setting up for the next days art auction. We called guest services twice (1AM and 2AM) to complain. The next day we went to guest services to discuss. They were VERY apologetic, and even gave us a complementary bottle of wine and cheese plate. We also mentioned the situation to the Hotel Director (Sean) and the Food/Beverage Director (Shailendra). They too said they would make sure this was addressed in the future. Aside from this the stateroom was excellent. Entertainment: First night was the ship's singers/dancers performing 70's songs. The performance was mediocre at best. Other performances included: the female contingent of the ship's singers/dancers performing 60's songs. It got old after about 10 songs so we left; a duo that were ex-circus clowns and they basically did tricks; a group from Second City Comedy. It was hilarious!; a husband/wife ballet duo. We're not into that, so we walked out after 15 minutes. The last night was a performance called 'Elements', performed by the singers/dancers, a magician, and the ballet duo. It was OUTSTANDING! Food: We ate in the Market Cafe (often), Aqua (2x), Versailles (3x), and Blue Lagoon (a snack). The food was adequate, but not excellent. The repetitive menu in the main dining rooms was frustrating. They do have specials each day however. Don't miss the BBQ at the pool deck (Oasis) each day for lunch! Bar: We mostly frequented Gatsby. The staff there was SO friendly and entertaining. We loved Lorelie, Elizabeth and Ricky! If you like martinis, they have a tasting available ($$). Disembarking: We decided to do the walk-off with our own luggage. Ship was cleared by 08:00 and we were off by 08:30. It's the easy way to go! Other: Advise for first-time cruisers - Cruise activities are always trying to sell you something. Bingo,'deal or no deal', lottery tickets, etc. It's a money maker for them. We chose not to participate, but it's up to you.

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My wife and I had the best cruise of our lives. The May 13th to May 20th New York City cruise to Bermuda was fantastic. The Star, while being 11 years old, is the best made, best maintained and the best executed (activities) ship in the NCL fleet. The food was good and plentiful. The shows were superb especially the last night's "Elements" show is not to be missed. Kyle the Cruise Director, sings well and is a great comedian. The "White Hot" party is great although it caters to a mostly under 25 year old crowd. We have three excellent days in Bermuda--I recommend the Bermuda, the whole drive, excursion trip, and a public bus trip(the number 7 bus) to Horseshoe Bay Beach. Don't believe that the Star is a worn out ship. All the carpeting is new. The crew members were the most upbeat, and positive crew that I have seen. The Star is the only NCL ship that has farewell send off parties at the port of call stop and the disembarkation. Sean, the hotel director, ext. 8888, can solve any problem you have with your room and services. The captain, Karl, is to be commended for giving a "free" bridge tour for the Cruise Critics members--not many captains do this. All in all, a great trip on a great ship. One minus, there is no chapel for religious service.

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This is our 18th cruise with NCL in 4 years and we are at the Platinum level. We recently moved to Florida, so Tampa was the perfect port to leave from. The drive is only 3 hours from our home and it was nice to not fly to a port. On our way we stopped in Sarasota for lunch at Greco Cafe (1592 Main St.) and it was like eating in Santorini! We stayed at the Hyatt Regency (downtown) which is just a short walk to the trolley which will take you along the sea port and to Ybor City. We were able to see the ships that were in the day before ours and we ate and drank at the wonderful Tampa Bay Brewing Company in Ybor City, for lunch. Dinner was at Jackson's Bistro-Bar-Sushi and it was fabulous! It was especially fun as lots of high school seniors were there for their prom night dinner. The dresses on the young ladies were to die for! (Just a little jealous!) The morning of our cruise we dropped our large cruise bags at the port and then parked in a secured lot. A shuttle took us back to the port where we were escorted to the VIP lounge and were checked in by a very pleasant lady. We then got to see our Concierge, Monica, whom we have sailed with before. It wasn't long and we were escorted to Cagney's for the VIP lunch, but as we had friends aboard we opted to head to the pool deck and await their arrival in the sunshine. About 1:30 the announcement was made that cabins were ready so we all headed out to our various decks. We booked a suite aft on Deck 9 (Deck 10 is the preference, but they were already booked). The wine and Proseco we ordered through Miami office was awaiting us and we began to unpack. (Unfortunately one of our fellow passengers fell ill and left the ship midway through the sail, offering their suite on Deck 8 to our friends. Thus the change in how this is written.) It wasn't long until there was a ringing of the doorbell and our Cabin Steward, Pelam, introduced himself. He said that his brother-in-law, Maxi, would be our butler and that he would present himself shortly. And he did. We could see that we would be well taken care of on this cruise by two such seasoned veterans of the cruise line. Hallelujah! Believe it or not, we had our cruise bags in our cabin, unpacked, and slid under the bed by the time we went to Muster. Once we were able to relax a bit we headed onto our deck and noticed a diver in the water with camera gear. Our fear is always the nasty Azipod problem, but we decided that Captain knows best, so we put our worries aside. Later we would learn that it actually was a propeller problem; a fish net had become entangled. It was obviously on the port side as we hardly ever saw that side running at full power. Our friends arrived shortly after Muster and the 'pop' of the bubbly bottles heralded the beginning of another fantastic cruise, one with new ports to come! We were all excited to be leaving from a port new to us and photo taking was the order of the day. As we neared the Sunshine Bridge our anticipation grew as we all love the architectural beauty of it. How disappointing to realize that the fascination for the bridge can only be realized from the roadway, not the waterway! But it was still a great sail away...and now it was time to get ready for dinner. The sail away dinner is always in Le Bistro and this night did not disappoint. We had a fabulous time...the food was delicious, the wine so fine, and dessert was just what we needed to 'start' us off right. Our servers were wonderful and even offered to deliver a little something to Captain who was dining just a few tables away. The Ship: We have sailed many times on M/S Norwegian Star and she is a favorite. She's not quite as big as the Jewel class ships, so it is possible to see someone more than once during a cruise! The only complaint we have is this: Since removing Spinnaker and putting it aft on Deck 7, the heart and soul of this ship is gone. The 'new' Spinnaker is like a convention center meeting room. It lacks warmth, it lacks, windows, it lacks a soul. It would have been preferable to cut the size of the old Spinnaker, but leave it in its glorious location. And now when you sail to Alaska or through the Canal, your viewing spots are limited. That's a shame for those that have inside or window cabins. And if you have a suite aft on Deck 8, you better be a night owl as the noise from the bands and recorded music is awful (as told to us by our friends). One night we could even feel the vibration on our deck! NOT acceptable! One other point about this great little ship: She needs to be refurbished in the cabins. Our suite was much like the one on Gem with the cabinet door over the refrigerator almost falling off; the tie-backs for the curtains pulling out of the walls, and the closet doors rattling in rough seas (tighten the screws!). And our deck was worse...the glass panels were missing almost half of the screws to hold them in place!!! We also understand those glorious coffee makers are about to bite the big one! Hurry! Order more! Activities: We really didn't partake in Bingo, Art Sales, etc., and we never do. We are on board to relax and unwind. The most rambunctious we got were cocktail parties and trips to the spa for massages and mani-pedis. Now THAT is relaxing! But I will say that we saw our CD, Kyle, EVERYWHERE, and he did a fabulous job as did his assistant. Kudos to Kyle! Service: We had wonderful service from those tending to us in our suite to the wait staff and the laundry folks. We were especially interested in one waiter at Moderno who was one of the best we've ever had. His name is Renante and he has the uncanny ability to make every single person at your table feel special. Once you go past four people that's hard to do; we had five and we all felt like he was catering just to us. We also must tip our hats to a few others who went above and beyond for us: Beverage Manager, Katya, who helped one of our friends order some very special wines. Restaurant Manager, Deepak, who arranged a lovely dinner for us one night. Hotel Director, Sean, who also arranged a lovely dinner for us at Moderno (more on this later). And, as previously mentioned, our Cabin Steward and Butler could not have been better. They were there to ask after us twice a day and the rest of the time they were very attuned to our wanting to just relax. They were great! A Big thank you to Martin for pinch-hitting for Captain at dinner (sorry you were ill, Captain), but we're glad we finally got to know the famous Martin. To Anne, Michelle and Sawant for taking us under their wings and being such wonderful friends. Chef Barrington...always a pleasure! Excursions: We took two excursions this time and both were adequate for the price paid. The first was in Jamaica where we signed up for the private beach time. This sounded like it was a private hotel/club, but was actually just a private beach with some tiki type buildings, very antiquated toilets, and little else. The wait in the tent was horribly hot and was much better once we moved outside (a half hour wait). The ride was quick, with a great driver named Big Mike, but the road into the place was a rutted dirt road. Beach chairs and lounges were awaiting us and the woman 'assigned' to us was very good about tending to us. About every half hour of the four hour stay we were brought a small plate of food. It started off with a rice offering, followed by a strange vegetable dish, then chicken from the grill. Rum punch or beer was available for free, but the rum in the coconut was $5 for one shot of rum, $7 for two shots of rum. At one point she came by with a tray of ice water that really appealed to me and I forgot the first rule of travel: Don't Drink The Water!!! I did and I paid for it just prior to dinner aboard ship that night. (I spent five hours praying to the porcelain God!) That aside, we didn't bring a camera as we thought we'd be snorkeling only to find out there is none. So it was sit on the beach, cool off in the water, eat the food, and drink the booze. It was a beautiful spot, but it could be so much more with just a little thought. Our second excursion was in Curacao; our third time there and we decided it was time to do more than just shop and drink cold beer (there was still time for that!). We took vans to the town center (got to go over the big bridge) and board the little train trolley. We were very glad we did so as we learned more about the city than we had imagined possible. We would encourage first-timers to do this. It also helped that the wind was blowing and the temps weren't as high as normal. This was worth the money and small amount of time involved. Aruba: Our third time and still not a favorite...maybe due to politics. We did go shopping for a bit and then hit Iguana Joe's for the always fabulous lunch and the service is top notch. St. Marten: Our first time here and we fell in love with the place! How wonderful that you get off a big ship and then take a water taxi to the town center. We were there on a Sunday and, in addition to that, it was also a day the children were having a parade at 2 p.m. We walked around town waiting for the shops to open (bought a new Nikon 1 at Chulani's Seiko House for a fab price!) as well as the restaurants. A lot of shops didn't open at all and we were warned they would all close at 2. Our friends took a boat excursion to the French side (which we had hoped to see, but the parade closed the roads) and they reported that all shops were closed. By 1 p.m. we had lunch beachside, did a bit more shopping and then headed back to ship. We want to go back again on a week day! St. Thomas: Always a favorite of ours; been there too many times to count! We five headed downtown for some serious shopping, then hit the bar in the midst of the walkway (you know where I mean if you've been there). Afterwards we headed back towards the ship and Grand Cru at Yatch Haven Grande for lunch. The food was great, the service was wonderful, and the drinks were delicious. After 3 days of a lot of smack talk, a few drinks, and a 'Double Dog Dare Ya', the guys went into ICE to get their ears pierced! Then it was back to shopping around the port (the power was out so many shops could only take cash) and then back aboard. And not to be forgotten: SEA DAYS! We love, love, love sea days. A time to really relax, unwind, get a massage, a mani-pedi. The folks at the spa did not disappoint as they needed weary muscles, did reflexology, painted nails, massaged legs and feet. Ahhh.... Note re Spa Services: This is the second time this has happened, so it's worth reporting. At one of the cocktail receptions the good doctor from the Spa was in the receiving line and told me I should come visit her as she could "make me look ten years younger". When I responded that I didn't want to look ten years younger she responded, "Okay, five years". I then told her she could do her magic on someone else, I am happy with whom I am and I don't need that stuff. Really, I'm always stunned when this happens as it is neither the time nor the place. I actually was insulted that she would say this. If I want something like this done I will go for a consultation. The payback was seeing ONE person attend her seminar in the reception area. BTW: Watching her slide show of before and after was NOT appetizing as I had breakfast at Blue Lagoon one morning. NCL: You need to put these 'shows' in one of the conference rooms. If there isn't enough business for this then maybe it's time to delete it. You know how to do that, don't you? Dining: We were so glad to see that some of the menus have not only changed a bit, but have been reduced. It makes for better dining in every respect. We were especially glad to see this in the VIP dining at Cagney's for breakfast and lunch. And we always have a night that we 'pig out' in the cabin with our friends. We have our butler get the Blue Lagoon menu for us and we order up a storm! We can drink, eat, be silly, get serious...it doesn't matter...we just enjoy! Moderno: This venue opened at the beginning of our sea days. We were invited to dine there with the compliments of one of the officers and it was so good that before the evening was over we had booked another night. But be prepared...don't eat a lot that day. As I told the officer responsible for our running amok that we were in a 'Carnivore Coma' the day following! You must start with the Caipiroska cocktail (2 are better), followed by the salad bar and the Pao de Queijo (Brazilian bread)...the beet salad was to die for...so simple and so refreshing. The salads were amazing, but the real star was the seafood chowder...OMG! It was soooo good! The first night we tried to do it all...every meat, every side...impossible! I will tell you that the lamb chops are perfectly prepared, the filet is to die for, the garlic beef is succulent, the sirloin is like buttah, the linguica and chorizo are perfection, the ribs with their fabulous dry rub are heaven, and the marinated chicken legs are like nothing you've had before. For sides I can only remember the fried sweet bananas...yum! And the one dessert was the coconut flan although my table mates loved the mango rice pudding. The only thing to improve it would be to have that wonderful Senior Waiter, Renante, hand feed you! LOL! It was THAT good! NCL got this right!!! Disembarkation: It's always so sad to leave the ship and as Star is truly our home away from home, this is no understatement (I think NCL's new ads had us in mind). We were all up early to take pictures of Lady Liberty as we sailed up the Hudson. We noticed the river was running pretty swiftly, but we failed to see how high she was. After a wonderful breakfast in Cagney's, with our usual Mimosas to get us in the festive mood, we sensed a problem. With both the river high and swift it was difficult, if not nearly impossible, for Captain to dock. We waited in the theatre, as assigned, and missed the 747 with Enterprise atop flying by. After two long hours we were finally docked (hey, sh** happens!) and off we went. What a fabulous surprise to see officers and crew on deck waving to us as we left. It's not 'good-bye' it's just 'until next time'. And they know we mean it. We found ourselves a porter to take all the bags for the five of us, were whisked through Customs, and off to a waiting limo. Our trip to lower Manhattan was almost too fast to digest, but staying at the Hilton Millennium, across from 1WTC, was a treat! We had great views of the tower, the memorial, the river. And if you're there for any time, have breakfast at Kitchenette (lower and mid locations) and enjoy the house coffee (Gramercy Park brew from Dallis Bros). Then, if you like French food and a relaxed atmosphere, visit Les Halles (two locations as well) and have the duck...it's fabulous and so is the service. Flying out of JFK we found ourselves, in the wee small hours of the morning, driving right by the hanger where the 747 and Enterprise were housed. Upon take-off we actually got a clear shot of both through the airplane window. Wow! What wonder-filled memories, both on the ship and off...

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My boyfriend and I (both first time cruisers) were very excited for our first cruise because we both didn't know what to expect, but sea sickness and all, this was the best vacay ever! Day 1 Embarkation in NY was very smooth. The guy who took the embarkation photos let me view the photos and pick what I liked... Which was nice cuz usually it's like Snap...Next.. We boarded and rooms were already ready, with our lil towel mouse waitin for us, and Gede ( good day) our stateroom steward also waitin with a warm smile. Luggage came about an hr after boarding. Sail away BBQ was awesome. Music drinks food fun!!!!!! Emergency drill was short and sweet, then we were let free to roam. we watched the sunset at 7 30, ate at blue lagoon (some good ole comfort food), then watched movies for the rest of the night. Day 2 Woke up to WATER.....and more WATER. I was poppin sea sickness pills all morning. We stayed in most of the day until I felt better. When I was up to it we went to dinner at Aqua( as one of the restaurants that are included it was awesome). I had salmon and the bf had chicken and shrimp. The food and service were good. After we ate we went to the casino, the bf loved the blackjack table ( go table! go table!go table!)...lol . We ordered a bottle of wine and bucket of beer and called it a night. Day 3 This day was play day. Breakfast in the room. We went to the gym, played BIG CHESS and pingpong and golf and hung out by the pool, which wasn't as big as I thought would have been, but thats ok since the bf and I both are not swimmers. We ate lunch in the market cafe, Another late night dinner at the lagoon, had some wings and a few drinks and called it a night. Day 4 Woke my bf up by jumping on him shouting We're in Bermuda We're in Bermuda! Breakfast at market cafe, Gede was up bright and early too wishing us a great day! We took a Ferry into Hamilton and craaaaazzzzzyyyy bus ride to st George's... We saw the sights, and went shopping. Things in Bermuda are lil pricey, but hey it's vacation. Headed back to the ship we kissed under the moongate and made a wish.. Then it was off to Sushi! Bf played a cruel trick on me with the wasabi, so let's just say the night ended with that. Day 5 Beach Day/ shore excursion. Had a huge breakfast poolside. We chose to go to horseshoe bay. It was a bit windy but still a great time. We flirted with the water a bit... Since we r not swimmers, until I saw 2 dead mana wars, then we just relaxed. We rushed back to the ship to get cleaned up and changed for the rum swizzle cruise excursion. I'm not sure what was more beautiful, the sunset or the free flowing rum swizzles..lol. This excursion was nice and simple. We listened to music, drank, laughed with the folks on board, drank, and enjoyed the beautiful sunset....and drank. This night we ate at La Cucina, where the bf bought me a rose, I guess to make up for the awful wasabi joke..lol. Night ended a little better. Day 6 Rainy Bermuda day...sigh. We shopped a little at dockyard headed back to the ship until we sailed off.. We were getting a lil sad cuz the trip was coming to an end. We caught the show with dimitri and his wife...didn't catch her name..lol, got pics with them as well. That was one of the best shows we've seen in a long time. Another night at the casino and late night comfort food in the room, with a bottle of wine. Day 7 Last day at sea. Purchased the cheapest liquor I've ever seen, chose the photos we wanted to buy, we went to the elements show.. Sat in the front and it was 10 times better than the show the night before.. Wakey Wakey Washy Washy! We ate dinner at Versailles. I felt this restaurant had a titanic feel to it. But nonetheless it was beautiful and the food was great. Last day Looking back on our trip. Gede was awesome, room was always cleaned towel animals were awesome, was always there making sure we got what we needed. Room, obstructed with a view was quite comfortable. Bf didn't really care for the bed. Obstructed window wasn't bad at all (piece of life boat). Food was AWESOME. Well I had a lil finger sandwich and a hotdog that I want to forget about...lol other than that it was great. Wish I could've had a drink special, because that bill did add up but it's vacation. Bermuda was lovely, a bit pricey but again vacay.. We saw 2 shows that were awesome, gambled, played, laughed, loved.. First vacay together was awesome and NCL helped.

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I want to start by telling you a bit about me and my cruising experience to give you an idea of where I am coming from with my review. I am a 32 year old female and my cruise on the Star was my 6th. I have cruised on Celebrity through Alaska, Princess through the Panama Canal, Carnival through the Western and Southern Caribbean, and Norwegian last April from New York to the Bahamas. I feel that I have experienced everything from 'Four Seasons' quality down to the 'Super 8' from staying in the top suite on Celebrity with a dining room table for 12 and a butler to an inside cabin on Carnival with 4 people wedged into it. I expect to get what I pay for, nothing more and nothing less. Although I have read many posts on this site, I have never commented on a post, let alone started my own thread. This most recent cruise made such an impression on me that I was literally compelled to write a review. Before I launch into the Star I want to say that my cruise in April 2011 on the Norwegian Gem from NY to the Bahamas was THE best cruise I have ever been on. My best friend and I stayed in an inside cabin for $499 and had the time of our lives. We loved the ship, staff, food, and everything else about this vacation. When I saw an inside room on the Star from NY to Bermuda for only $499...I jumped on it. Check In Easy, easy, easy. My dad dropped my boyfriend and me off, we checked our suitcases with the porters, went through security, and waited in line to check in. The suggested tip for each porter is $2 per checked piece of luggage. We arrived at noon, which wasn't quite early enough. Last year I arrived earlier and didn't wait in line to check in, but had to wait to board the ship. This year we didn't have to wait to board the ship, but we waited at least 20 minutes to check in. I think if you arrived between 10:30 and 11:00 that would probably be the perfect time to avoid a check in line and be one of the first one's on the ship! Remember to take a credit card with you for your sign and sail account. If you use a debit card they put a hold on your money for 30 days. Beverages We took on two 6 packs of soda in our carryon luggage and nothing was said. Moreover, a family behind us had 3 cases of water and 2 cases of soda bungee corded to a cart that they were carrying on. Needless to say, there were no issues. Wine/champagne is a different story. You can bring on as much wine as you want, but you need to pay a $15 corkage fee for every regular size bottle no matter where you consume it, even if it is in your stateroom. My bag wasn't even out of the x-ray machine yet and the security officer asked if there 2 bottles of wine in it. I told her there was and she said my options were to throw it away or move to the left and pay the $15 corkage fee per bottle. This is before I even checked in and had my sign and sail card! A Norwegian employee took down my room number and the charges eventually appeared on my account. Obviously we had wine in the dining room for 2 nights. Hey, if I had to pay for it, I was going to drink it at dinner! The charge for larger (more than 750ml) bottles are listed on Norwegian's website. Staff I can't say enough about the staff. Their motto is "I can" and they truly live up to it. The first night in the theater they showed a video that explained Norwegian's commitment to customer service and they certainly live up to it. No matter where we were on the ship or what we were doing, if a staff member passed us, they always said a friendly 'hello.' The drain was clogged in our shower and I asked our steward to take care of it. Not only was it fixed before dinner that night, but he practically chased me down the hallway to let me know he had fixed it. I also asked for an extra blanket and it was in our room the next time he was. I started to ask at dinner one night "would it be possible...." and was told, "ma'am, anything is possible." That about hits the nail on the head. There were nights at dinner that my boyfriend and I practically created our own menu by taking a main course from this offering, a starch from that offering, and a vegetable from yet another offering. All requests were met with a smile and an, 'of course.' The only issue we had with any staff member was a photographer. Before I launch into this, please know that I LOVE the photographs on the ship. Whereas most people spend money on booze, I spend it all on photos. Formal night? I am posing in front of every possible backdrop. A pirate to pose with at the end of the gangway? Sign me up. Now, I understand that this is a money making opportunity for Norwegian, but the photographs while you are trying to eat in the dining room are a bit much, but I deal with them. One night, when I was literally putting spoon to mouth with my soup, this photographer approaches and tells (not asks) my boyfriend to leave his seat and stand behind me. Then she points at him with her finger and motions for him to move behind me. I looked at her and simply said, "we are in the middle of eating dinner." Well, if looks could kill. She literally gave us the dirtiest look I have ever seen, rolled, her eyes, and all but stomped away from our table. I was so shocked at her behavior because it was so contrary to the other staff we had encountered that I just sat there with my mouth open. We did lodge a complaint with guest services and the director of the photo department and were offered photographs for free, but we declined them. We just didn't want anyone to have to experience what we did and the photo manager assured us she would be spoken to. Food A-MAZ-ING. I have pretty plain taste when it comes to food, so for me eating Norwegian food every night was like being in heaven. I enjoy eating at the Olive Garden for Italian, so that might make my standards lower than someone who will only eat at a 5 star Manhattan restaurant, but I don't see how anyone could complain about the food. We ate in the Versailles dining room almost every night. We tried Aqua once, but the tables for 2 were so close together we felt like we were dining with our neighbors, so we stayed in Versailles where it was more intimate. My favorite meals were the vegetable cheese risotto (final night) and the vegetable primavera pasta (available every night). The deserts were kinda bland, I never have been a fan of Norwegian's desserts, but they weren't so terrible that I didn't eat them! We didn't try any of the pay restaurants as I feel as though I already paid for my food with my cruise fare and shouldn't have to shell out anything additional. However, I will say that the wait for the 'free' dining rooms is horrendous. Plan on adding an additional 20-30 minutes to your plans each night for the wait to be seated. They don't take reservations, first come, first serve. Often, we would be seated and there would be plenty of empty tables. I found myself wondering if they invented the wait so you would walk next door to the Red Lion Pub and buy a drink. The buffet wasn't great, unlike the setup on the Gem, which is fantastic. On the Gem there is a large area with buffet stations to your left and right with great signage. You can just walk to the section of the buffet you want your food from and grab it, no line. The buffet on the Star is the old fashioned "everyone wait in line so you can see all there is to see" set up. Lines sometimes took 10-15 minutes to go through because you can't just pick and choose what you want. You have to wait in line to get to what it is that you want to eat. The setup is also really weird. As you enter the Market Cafe from the front of the ship, the first station to your left and your right always had the same food items for lunch. On your right, there was an additional section that didn't open until 3pm and that was where the good stuff was: panini's, grinders, hot dogs, etc. On your left, there were 2 additional sections. One had pizza, pasta, and wok items and the other had fruit and desserts. So, if you went to the station to your right, you wouldn't think there were any desserts at all as you had to go to the left and walk all the way to the back of the 3rd buffet station to find them. One nice feature (not that we needed it) was that staff pushed carts with iced tea and coffee on it so you didn't have to get up and go to the machine's if you didn't want to. There is ice, water, iced tea, coffee, and hot water at the self-serve machines. At breakfast there is cranberry, apple, and orange juice as well. There are signs on the ice and water machine that say you must take a new glass and that you can't refill water bottles. Ship Overall Old, outdated, small and awkward. I will only use the Gem as a comparison for this as it is the only other Norwegian ship I have sailed on, but in doing so, there just is no comparison. When we boarded the ship, we entered at the rear of the ship into a stairwell. I thought it was so odd because last year we entered the Gem and went right into the grand atrium where there was a band playing, bar, and waiters with trays full of 'drinks of the day' on them. It was very anti-climatic. Well, then I saw the supposed 'grand atrium' on the Star. The area where guest services was located was only one story. There was a ceiling right over it and it felt very small and claustrophobic. The other half of the atrium was only open for 2 decks with the grand atrium being the 'first floor,' two restaurants being the 'second floor,' and the internet cafe being the 'third floor.' I am used to huge, open atrium's that are open at least 6 decks above you. It was just disappointing. There is a severe lack of nightlife areas on this ship. On the Gem there was a HUGE Spinnaker lounge with a really big dance floor and then a smaller 'club' named Bliss with a smaller dance floor. On the Star there is only one 'club,' the Spinnaker, but it is the size that Bliss was on the Gem. It has more seats than Bliss did, but the dance floor is ridiculously small. We went to the country and western night and they couldn't fit everyone that wanted to learn line dances on the floor. People were trying to dance in-between chairs. It's just way too small. There is another 'pub' on board called the Red Lion. You know the hallways you walk through on a ship where they display your photographs? Ya, that is where they put this pub. They try to cram in karaoke, sing a longs, and tribute nights into this place and it's ridiculous. There is the performance space, a bar, and a small area with maybe a dozen tables. Then there is a huge wall separating the bar/entertainment area from the rest of the seating, so if you get a table along the wall, you can't see a thing. It was so frustrating because they had some good entertainment there, but either you couldn't get a seat or you couldn't see! One of my favorite activities on the Gem was the pub crawl. Since there is no formal, assigned dining with strangers on Norwegian, the pub crawl was the way I met all of my new cruise friends last year. The crawl's were done at night, maybe around 10pm or so, and after the official crawl ended, we all stayed around and hung out. It was one of the most fun activities I have ever done on a ship. When was the pub crawl on the Star? 2pm!!!!!! Who wants to go to 5 bars and get toasted in the mid-afternoon? I certainly don't. And then after the crawl is over you have to go to another activity or get ready for dinner...no opportunity to continue the socializing. A huge disappointment. Maybe it was because there were no young people on this cruise? And by 'young' I mean under 40. This cruise was primarily attended by a much older crowd, the majority being over 55 I would say. Stateroom We had an inside stateroom on deck 9. I will not complain about the size, darkness, lack of space, or anything else I expected to get for paying $499. However, I didn't expect a half an inch of dust on top of our ice bucket and glasses, mold in the shower, creaking when we were at sea, or paper thin walls. This was hands down the worst stateroom I have ever stayed in on any of my cruises. When we were at sea, it literally sounded like the cabin was going to break into pieces the creaking was so loud. The noise kept me up every night we were underway. The other major issue was the thinness of the walls. I have never been on a cruise where I could hear the neighbors. When I say 'hear,' I mean every single world. I can tell you that the guy next door decided to drink beer on night 2 because the cognac really put him on is 'rear end' night 1 and that there were sticky buns on the buffet at 7am one morning. I won't even go into the details of the arguments we had to sit through. Even for $499, no one should have to endure what we did. Bermuda THE most amazing island I have ever been to and I have been to a lot: St. John, St. Thomas, St. Martin, St. Lucia, Dominica, Barbados, Cayman Islands and more. Bermuda tops them all. No poverty, the people couldn't have been friendlier, and the transportation system is a breeze. You can't rent cars on the island, only mopeds, and I wouldn't recommend it. The drivers are crazy and the roads are narrow. Get an unlimited transportation pass for $28 for the 3 days and ride the busses and ferries all day long. We only had 2 good days of weather as Friday was a washout, but we went to Horseshoe Bay, Tobacco Bay, Hamilton, Fort St. Catherine, St. George, the Swizzle Inn, and the shops around the Dockyard. Horseshoe Bay is a must, especially the Port Royal Cove to your right and climbing the volcanic rock structure straight ahead as you enter. Bermuda is expensive. $18.99 for a pulled pork sandwich that was barely edible. If you are trying to save money, eat on the ship as much as possible. One exception is Flannigan's in Hamilton. An amazing Irish pub with fantastic food that was worth every overpriced dollar we spent on it. Get there early in the day to make a reservation to eat on the second floor outdoor balcony, go shopping, then return and your table is waiting. Wednesday nights in Hamilton is Harbour Nights, which is a street festival with Gombi dancers, live music, and street vendors. Although it wasn't a great night in terms of weather, I did get some good deals on some costume jewelry. The official drink in Bermuda is the "rum swizzle." A trip to the Swizzle Inn is a MUST for anyone going to Bermuda. Their original location is 2 floors, both have outdoor balconies for eating. We had rum swizzles and nachos...both were amazing. Summary I loved being on the same island for 3 days and there is no better island than Bermuda for this itinerary. Although there were some positives from the ship, overall I wouldn't cruise on the Star again. It first sailed in 2001 and was 'refurbished' in 2010, but it shows its age. I originally thought that this ship must not have built for freestyle cruising and that when they refurbished it they must have just plugged things in here and there to make freestyle work. That is how awkwardly laid out this ship is. After further research, I discovered that this was actually the first ship constructed specifically for freestyle cruising. I would have to say that Norwegian has evolved in the design of their ships since 2001 because the Star misses its mark. Although, we chatted with a couple on a ferry ride who were on the Celebrity Summit and their experience was even worse than hours. Maybe NY to Bermuda is where all bad cruise ships go to die? Maybe since you aren't at sea every night they don't send the 'good' ships there? Who knows? I have read many, many reviews about the Star where people just love her and I just don't get it. Will you have a bad cruise if you already have a cruise booked on the Star? Other than the noise issue in the stateroom, no, you won't. You will have a fabulous vacation. Are there better ships out there that provide a better cruise experience? Yes, there are. I have been fortunate enough to sail on them. If you can take the Gem to Bermuda over the Star, DO IT! If you have any questions about the port, ship, Bermuda, or anything else, I am happy to help. Please let me know!

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