Norwegian Star Review
Great first Panama Canal cruise
Rating by category
Additional details
Here are some scattered thoughts on my trip on the Star, Miami-Los Angeles, starting October 13, 2013.
- It was a really good trip. I don't think I've ever been so sad to have a cruise be over.
- We arrived in Miami a few days early, and took a Segway tour of the Miami River that left from the Bayside Marketplace, which is near the port. We were lucky and had a really good guide, and the two of us were the only gliders (it was the end of the season). http://segwaymiami.com/ I mention other Segwaying opportunities below. I've managed to convert several of my fellow travelers into Segway addicts. It's a lot of fun. It takes a few minutes to get used to it, and you have to be able to stand for long periods, but I think it's easier than riding a bicycle.
Cabin Review
12512 is in the renovated section of the ship that used to contain the main lounge. They converted that whole front area of the ship to rooms, and put the spa, gym, and lounge at the back of the ship. It was a good idea to put the noisy public areas together so passenger cabins wouldn't be below the gym or disco, but the new rooms were neither well designed nor well built. The light switches were confusing. The curtains, when you could get them to move at all, did not cover the entire area they should have covered. The alcove containing the bed contained neither electric outlets nor ventilation - if you use a CPAP machine you'll have to unplug the DVD player and use an extension cord.. The coffee machine kept breaking (we went through 3 - two because of blown fuses). NCL cabins are usually quiet unless you're below the pool deck, but we could hear the people in the next room and people in the hall. One of the windows had broken seals and water had gotten between the panes, making it unusable for viewing. Finally, there's a metal plate sticking out from the side of the ship between decks 11 and 12, so we couldn't look straight down to see the side of the ship as it went through the Panama Canal. Unless you're absolutely stuck on having a suite and there's nothing else available, don't stay in one of these category SG cabins.