Embarking on the Star was smooth and efficient as always with Norwegian. I found myself comparing the Star to the Gem, a newer ship, and was a little disappointed at some areas that seemed "rough" and need of attention. After the first couple of days, I didn't notice it any more and it wasn't an issue.

The food was great, as was the staff. Our cabin was clean and comfortable, though we couldn't enjoy our balcony because the people next to us were chain-smokers. Wish there was something NCL could do about that (set aside a non-smoking section of the ship?) We enjoyed the various stops, (Costa Maya was a favorite) but did feel rather unsafe in Belize City. Next time we will make it a point to go outside the city.

A huge issue for my husband and myself was the nightly shows. Since we're not song-and-dance lovers, we didn't care for them, though we loved Second City. We enjoyed the entertainment on the Gem sooo much more. But that wasn't the real problem. The problem was the volume. It was absolutely ear-splitting. Even with ear plugs, my husband and I left one of the shows with our ears ringing. There is absolutely no reason why it had to be that loud. It was the same problem with the band at the pool. We couldn't stay without fear of damaging our ears. Between the balcony issue and the volume of the entertainment, we don't feel we got our money's worth this time. We will be checking out some other lines for a comparison.