Norwegian Star Review

4.0 / 5.0
2,583 reviews

Anxious in Alaska

Review for Alaska Cruise on Norwegian Star
User Avatar
Statman
First Time Cruiser • Age 70s

Rating by category

Value for Money
Embarkation
Dining
Public Rooms
Entertainment
Fitness & Recreation
Service
Cabin

Additional details

Sail Date: Jun 2008
Cabin: Mid-Ship Balcony

Background:

This was our first cruise, and since the cost would be ten times that of our typical vacation, there was plenty to be anxious about. I had heard that cruises are a good value for your money

This was a fan club cruise which is not an inexpensive way to cruise; the fares were about $400/person (about $100/day) higher than the same cruise without the fan club events. This probably cost ten times the amount of a typical vacation for us, so expectations are high. It was about 7 days into the trip before I could say I was having fun, and 2 days later I got sick. When enough time has passed that I have forgotten about the credit card bills, but remember the good parts, the trip will have been worth it.

Cabin Review

Mid-Ship Balcony

Cabin BA

We had a balcony room (Category BB, 9th deck, Rm 9612) and really liked the location. It was on the same level as the internet cafe, which was great for us. It was relatively centrally located and not too much rocking. It reminded my wife of an RV. The bathroom was small, but adequate with liquid soap and shampoo and a bottle of lotion. The shower was a Grohe more typical of a European hotel (separate temperature (in C) and volume controls). The bed was tolerable, but not very comfortable, even by hotel standards. There is a small hotel safe, but we couldn't open it, so we never used it. The view of the mountains while on the ship is nice, but not spectacular since the ship is so far from land.

They do housekeeping twice per day. In the evening, we got a bulletin with the next day's events. We also got a towel folded into a cute elephant.

You hear lots of safety messages at the beginning. It may sound old, but is valuable for new cruisers, e.g., don't burn candles or throw cigarettes overboard.

It was nice to have a balcony room in two ways: (1) it was fun to take pictures of the ports as we came into port, and (2) being between Floors 8 and 11 means we didn't have to walk too many stairs to get to things. The restaurants are on Decks 6, 7, 8, and 12, the shows are on Deck 12, and the pool, fitness center, and sports activities are on Decks 12, 13, and 14. The wireless hotspots were on Decks 7, 8, 9, and 12.

We found one US and one UK electrical receptacle. Bring a power strip and/or extension cord and maybe a foreign adapter if you plan to charge more than one item.

There is no self-service laundry on the ship, but plenty of places to hang clothes, so you can do laundry in the sink, pay for NCL to do it, or bring enough clothes for the whole trip.

If you plan to drink alcohol, you are stuck buying it onboard, but if you plan to drink soda, buy some in the originating city to bring on board. Otherwise, learn to drink water, juice, coffee, tea, and hot chocolate.

previous reviewnext review

Find a Norwegian Star Cruise from $594

Any Month

Get special cruise deals, expert advice, insider tips and more.By proceeding, you agree to our Privacy Policy and Terms of Use.

© 1995—2024, The Independent Traveler, Inc.