Norwegian Star Review

4.0 / 5.0
2,583 reviews

It was okay, I guess...

Review for Alaska Cruise on Norwegian Star
User Avatar
retiredredleg
First Time Cruiser • Age 60s

Rating by category

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

Additional details

Sail Date: May 2011
Cabin: Mini-Suite with Balcony

Our cruise experience on the Norwegian Star was, at best, uh, okay. We chose NCL because, my wife and I, being strongly independent, were taken by the notion of the "Freestyle Cruising" (which we took to mean do what you want, when you want) touted by Norwegian. We were especially taken by the concept of not having set dining arrangements. I guess had the restaurants been better, that would have made a difference, but more about that later...

The check-in process for our Alaska cruise was pretty straightforward, but it certainly helped that we were there early. We ended up being the fifth and sixth people to embark, so we didn't see a lot of pushing and shoving. Once onboard, we found the Norwegian Star to be an adequate ship. Certainly not a five-star floating hotel, but not a Motel Six either. Our balcony stateroom was clean and of an adequate size for two with only a bit of "waltzing" to get out of each other's way. I can't imagine how our next-door neighbors stayed sane with four people in the same room though... Bathrooms were small, but at least our room had a shower-tub combination. The room TV was pretty disappointing. I hadn't seen a 19-inch CRT TV since college, and, being a little older now, things were kinda hard to see when trying to view from bed (which, given the layout of the room, was the only place to view the TV). The selection of movies running during the cruise was pretty good though (from what I saw of them).

The food at most restaurants was "workmanlike", neither great nor totally terrible. The fare at the Market Cafe, served buffet style, left a lot to be desired. Think slightly more upscale cafeteria food... "Free" sit-down restaurants (of which there were four) were okay and have suitably diverse menus, but it was certainly nothing special. Expect your food to be lukewarm when it arrives, depending on how far you are from the main galley and how efficient your waiter/waitress might be. There were also four restaurants with "service charges" (added over-and-above the price of your ticket), with slightly higher quality fare, but these restaurants can charge from $10 to $25 more per person, not inclusive of any tip you might consider for the wait staff. We liked the "Ginza" (the Chinese/Japanese sushi restaurant) and "La Cuchina" (the Italian restaurant) the best, probably as much for the friendliness of the wait staff as for the food.

Cabin Review

Mini-Suite with Balcony

Cabin MB

A bit noisy, as the Market Cafe was directly above, but we liked the fact there were no neighbors aft of our room. Good size for two, but more would have been an issue.

1 Helpful Vote
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.