This is the second time my wife and I have been on the Star, the first time in May, 2005, the repositioning cruise from Los Angeles to Vancouver, Canada. Thus, we knew what to expect, and had high expectations, and were not disappointed. We live in southern California, so transportation to the dock was a rather short drive for us. Embarkation was longer this time, probably because the ship left Los Angeles earlier, giving a shorter time period to embark all the passengers. However, it was not unreasonable, we were in our room shortly and most of our luggage reached our room in short time. I say "most of our luggage", because one of them got held up by security. We received a note on our door that there was an irregularity with the security screening, and where to go to pick up our luggage. The line to pick up the luggage was rather long, mostly those that tried to sneak alcohol on board. They were only allowing one person at a time in the room, thus saving any embarrassment. We didn't know what was wrong, but soon had a good laugh when we heard a buzzing coming from one of the suitcases, and it turned out to be my wife's electric toothbrush that had turned on inside her luggage. We had an outside room on the fifth deck, which was small, but adequate. The window was large, and there was sufficient storage space. The bed was very comfortable. There is a pullout bed under the main bed, and one that folds down from the wall. However, I couldn't imagine having more than two people in this room, unless one is a small child. If there were four, booking two adjacent rooms would be a better option, and no more expensive. The room was very clean, and housekeeping was exceptional. As soon as we left the room in the morning, the room was cleaned right away, in the evening, the beds were turned down, mints left on the pillows, and towel animals left on the bed. This cruise leaves Los Angeles at 4:00 pm, then arrives in Acapulco at noon on day four, giving two full days at sea. There are enough activities on board to occupy the time, my favorite (a small touch, admittedly, but nice) was the daily crossword, Sudoku, and trivia games that were available in the library every morning. The shows were exceptional. I told my wife that if we were to see a show like this in Las Vegas, the cheap seats would be $100. We found the balcony seats to be the best, a good view, much roomier, and easier to get in and out of. Each lounge has their own entertainer, so between the shows, lounge acts, and games, there's always something going on. The first sea day was the Latitudes Party for returning Norwegian passengers. Out of 2100 passengers, there were over 500 Latitudes members. Prizes were given out, and the winner had to do something silly when they won the prize. A 25 minute facial in the spa was given out, my room number was called, and I had to do a hula to get it. I hope my wife appreciates what I do for her. :-) The casino was the equal to anything in Las Vegas, on a smaller scale. The staff was friendly and professional. I hit a royal flush on video poker, the first one in my life. I was playing nickels, so won $200. I took my winnings to the craps table and won another $200. I saw another man playing spin poker who hit 3 or 4 royal flushes, he cashed out over $1,600 playing nickels. We ate most of our dinners in the Versailles. The food, atmosphere, and service is such that we didn't have any desire to pay extra at the extra cost restaurants. One thing I especially appreciated was that the portion sizes were adequate, and not a lot more. An appetizer, salad, entree, and dessert could be finished off without feeling stuffed. Of course, if you want to have more, you can, but you can enjoy the entire meal without regretting it later. While the Versailles was open for breakfast and lunch, we mostly ate at the more casual places. The Market Cafe is good for lunch or breakfast, and has a section with small tables and chairs for the children. The food was improved from the last cruise I was on, and is quite good if you just want something quick and casual. The grill was good for barbecue type foods. In the morning, they also had a good selection, with waffles made fresh. My favorite casual dining was at the Blue Lagoon. The menu is limited, but is a good place for a snack. The fried rice and potato skins are quite good. The last time we took this ship, there was a dispenser of alcohol gel at the entrance to each restaurant, which passengers were encouraged to use to sanitize their hands before eating. They are still there, but now, there is a crew member with a spray bottle of alcohol to make sure it gets done. I appreciated this attention to health matters, as a contagious disease could spread through a confined area (like a cruise ship) rather quickly. My "baby" is 29, but I noticed a lot of children's activities, and there is a deck with playground equipment, a pool, and spa just for the kids. The only shore excursion we took was in Acapulco, the city tour and cliff divers. The bus was new, very clean, and the three employees (driver, guide, and assistant) were all friendly and very helpful. The cliff diver show is not to be missed, whether you are on the shore excursion or on your own. After the cliff divers are done, there is a show of traditional Mexican dance. The excursion was scheduled for four hours, but being on "Mexican time", was closer to five. Since the ship doesn't leave until 12:30 AM, there is no problem with time though. Being Mexico, expect to be surrounded by vendors. If you go into a shop, don't even look at something, much less ask the price, unless you want to buy it. And remember, the first price they tell you is not what you'll pay, it's just the start of the bargaining process. My favorite stop was Zihuatenejo. Less commercialized than the other three ports (although all were beautiful, warm, sunny, and well worth going to), it reminded me of something out of a Hemingway novel. Cabo San Lucas was the most fun stop. There is a shopping area near the dock, it looks like the open air vendors are not allowed there, so you can shop without being chased by the vendors. Musicians are all over the place. When we were going back to the ship, we got behind a Mariachi group that was playing and singing as they walked a couple blocks to their stage, with a crowd of people following, singing and dancing. My wife has severe arthritis, so can't walk far, and uses a wheel chair. We had some trouble getting around in Canada before, and weren't expecting much from Mexico, but found Mexico to be quite handicapped accessible. Everywhere we went had a ramp. All too soon, it was over, and we had to disembark. This was the only problem we had on the ship. Customs was in the Spinnaker lounge in the front of the ship, and the line for it went through the pool area in the middle of the ship, and wrapped completely around the pool. We asked a crew member for some help, and she guided us to the back of the line. After waiting for about 45 minutes, we'd made about half a lap around the pool, when another passenger in a wheelchair told us that there was handicapped disembarkation in the reading room. Once we got there, the process was quick and smooth, but we were not informed ahead of time, and apparently, neither was most of the crew. While it was an inconvenience for us, I saw one elderly man with a walker, and another one on oxygen, the wait in line must have been horrendous for them. I did complain to one of the officers in the reading room, and sent an e-mail to Norwegian about it. Other than the trouble with customs, I have not one complaint. Service, food, entertainment, and cleanliness were all superb. For those going on this ship, here's a few pointers: 1. Bring a power strip. There is only one electrical outlet in the room. 2. Bring your own soft drinks and bottled water with you. There is a small refrigerator in the room. Oh, for you caffeine addicts, there's a coffee pot too. A can of Coke is $2.01, bringing your own will save you a small fortune. And all that space it takes up in the suitcase? Use it for the souvenirs you buy. Sorry, but they don't allow you to do the same with liquor, you can't carry it on the ship. If you're a soda addict, a 600 ml Coke (a bit bigger than 20 oz.) can be had for 80 pesos (about 72 cents) at the Oxxo stores (the Mexican counterpart to 7-11.) 3. If you're in your room, and there are announcements, turn the TV to the station with the GPS position of the ship, or the web cam. Those stations also carry the announcements. 4. Norwegian is making a big deal that they now have cell phone roaming on their ships. Before you get too excited about it, realize that it's INTERNATIONAL roaming, and check your cell phone carrier for it's rates. For Sprint, it's a $36 set up fee, and $1.50 a minute. If you have to keep in communication with home while you're gone, the cheapest way is internet, and even that's 75 cents a minute, but you can buy blocks of time at a cheaper rate. There are internet cafes at all the ports, but I didn't use them, so don't know what the rates are. 5. Like all cruises, cash is not used on board, everything is charged to your room via your room key. Charges can run up quicker than you think, so go to the front desk any time you want, and ask for a print out of your charges in order to keep track of them.