This was my best experience with NCL but, as on previous cruises, the full time assault on your senses with the myriad methods of selling is offensive and pervasive. The cruise itself was wonderful with an excellent crew and wonderful food as long as you stay away from the assaultive passengers in the Garden Cafe. The ports were of great interest for me and I bought more excursions than I usually do but I would say that they were disorganized and clumsy. I heard many comments from fellow guests wondering if this was the first time they were organizing these events. The food was wonderful and Chef Bennet was personable and very helpful with my dietary requirements. If he had a restaurant I’d be there every day. Miroslav, Barnabe and Mylene stood out as excellent ships ambassadors. Maybe the ship is just too big. I’ll try a smaller one next time. Read Less

I had a voucher PLUS I like the solo cabin option. However, the solo lounge director staff was unable to get us to know once another.. Still nice to have our own place for coffee, etc. I never had to wait too long at the complimentary restaurants. However, at Taste and Savour the service was very slow and many of the staff appeared to have a language issue. NCL need to make sure each waitstaff has a good understanding of English. Also, when I asked someone for something and it was NOT in there service area, instead of getting it, they passed the request along to someone else which caused taking additional time. Several time I had to ask the manager to provide menus as no one claimed responsibility as our waitstaff!!!! Speciality restaurant service was excellent. I had three excellent massages. But please cut the hard sell. So off-putting.The LGBT meet and greet in the Sunset Bar was well attended and bar staff friendly. Even the cruise director stopped by to introduce himself. I avoided NCL shore excursions. Very expensive and more intimate to find your own tour guides,especially in St. Petersburg. I only took SPB tour as many of the ports could be seen on your own with a local map. Disembarkation was a disaster. Took much too long. Just get off the ship early and do not wait until you tag color is called. I would book NCL again but only on a smaller ship. Read Less

I chose Norwegian Cruise Line because several websites said they are the best for Solo Travellers. I liked the idea of the Studio Lounge for occupants of the studio cabins. I did the Baltic Capitals cruise 5th - 14th Sepember, 2018. I was delighted with my choice, and will definitely book one of these cabins again in the future. The Studio Lounge was a friendly place. It was easy to strike up a conversation with others over a cup of coffee. Every evening there was a meet up for solo travellers who wished to attend. Bennie, the staff member who organised these meet ups, was great at putting people at their ease, and Alex, the barman on duty at the meetups, was equally good with people. I was amazed when he greeted me by name when he met me elsewhere on the ship. After the meetup Bennie asked us who'd like to go to dinner as a group, then she rang the restaurant to book, and came with us until we were seated at our table. On the last evening she dined with us. For me, the only part of travelling alone that I dislike is being forced to dine alone every evening, and with Norwegian I was sure of good company at dinner. One slight problem was that towards the end of the cruise the closing spring on one of the doors to the Studio Lounge became weak, so that the door didn't automatically shut and anyone could come in without a keycard. I felt this was a security issue. I mentioned it on my evaluation. Read Less

I chose this cruise for the itinerary because it lets you see all the capitals of so many different countries all in 9 days. Also, they offer solo cabins for the single cruiser of which I am one. They said there is no single supplement but call it what you will, I did not pay the single traveller price but almost the full travel price of 2 people. Cruise lines are really missing "the boat" on single travellers. The food was very good and they have a lot of selection. There is a myriad of different restaurants - Italian, Sushi, steak, seafood, asian noodle bar- and cuisines to choose from and so many bars that I don't know if I ever saw them all- though I did my best LOL. They had a lot of slides for kids, and rock walls, somthing to do with ropes, bowling, movies, a plethora of different musical venues, broadway shows, and lots of activities to keep you busy if you want to do it. (I would have liked to have seen Netflix on all the televisions in the rooms and you can watch what you want to watch when you want to watch it. As it is, the selection on tv is minimal and sometimes a show would end and then there was absolutely nothing on till the next show started). Everyone made me feel comfortable being a solo traveler with one exception. My first full day at sea I went to the savor dining room and told them 1 diner. She looked at me with a perplexed expression so I quickly added on, a table that seats 2 is fine or I will share a table. She told me no one was sharing right now and she waved her finger in the air (my personal favorite) and said there is nothing she can do to help me and walked away. I was awestruck and stood there with my mouth open. Can't I eat by myself in this dining room? She hurt my heart with her words and I was so saddened I almost cried. A couple days later I was eatting in this same room with 2 people I had met aboard ship when the assistant matre de' came by to ask how everything was. I told him this story and asked if single people were not allowed to eat here and he said no she should have never treated me that way and took my room number. I thought surely he would send a bottle of wine to my stateroom as a sorry you were treated this way gesture. But no, no bottle of wine, he didn't even offer to buy me a glass of wine. Very disappointing that. Besides this one glitch I had a wonderful cruise. The ports were fantastic. Cobblestone streets, breathtaking architecture, outdoor markets, cathedrals.... It would have been nice to spend 2 days in a different port that ST Petersburg Russia because in Russia you cannot get off the boat and walk around by yourself. You have to be on a excursion through either the boat or a professional company- unless you have a Russian Visa which costs $300 and takes 6 months to get. I like to get off the ship and walk around on my own so this was disappointing. All in all a great cruise and can't wait till my next one! Read Less

Cruised with HAL before and found them good, same service etc on this cruise. I didn’t book the drinks package and found it was cheaper to pay as you go especially as the cruise had happy hour a few times each day. (Buy one and get another for 2$) The entertainment was good from the main dancers and singers but the comedian was awful. The group ‘Five o’clock somewhere’ where good singers but didn’t really like their quirky act. The B.B. kings were great but it was the same show each night I enjoyed the Lincoln centre stage The billboard on board see,ed to be popular but I only went on one occasion The trivia was good fun and good way to meet people The food in the dining room was a little cold on some occasions Overall the food was excellent I didn’t go on any of the HAL excursions Tallin This is an easy city to do on your own - it has a free walking tour from the main tourist office at Niguliste at noon for 2 hours, although the town is pretty compact so you could easily walk about on your own. It is about 5/10 minute walk from terminal The small train that goes around the city does not have commentary St. Petersburg I completed a 2 day tour with SPB who were half the price of HAL with the same itinerary. The hermitage was packed and very uncomfortable to tour. Helsinki This is a large city, you are given a map by the tourist office on arrival, if you ask them to show you were your location and follow the sea this will take you to senate square etc. About another half hour walking will take you to the rock church and sibilieus monument. There is a shuttle bus service for about £10 Euro return. Stockholm I did the hop on hop off bus tour which was good, you could equally do the hop on hop off boat tour which will take you to the same sights or just take the ferry to all the sights which would be slightly cheaper. I went to Glama Stan to see the palace etc. Rostock The ship supplied a shuttle bus to this small town for free, easy to get around to see the huge clock in the main church. Kiel I did a free walking tour from the port at 0930 for 2 hours this was by Maggie and very good, it is also a small town and easy to get around, only about 5 minute walk to centre of town Copenhagen I got air luggage to take my case to the airport £15 Euro and then caught the number 27 bus into the little mermaid then walked into town. There is a bus number 11 takes you around all the sights but this an easy city to manage on foot. Went to Rosenberg castle to see the changing of the guard at 1130 hours I booked a city pass ticket for public transport for 80 DEK which got me the train from central station to the airport as well, you can buy this ticket from outside the terminal but I got it online. Read Less

Overall cruise experience was really nice. Embarkation went without issue and staff going around to give drinks as t was hit the day we were embarking. Very professional Service from all crew staff in all front. They are always there to make sure we are comfortable and satisfied. Our room were always clean & organized. The stuffed towel animals are always a nice welcome when you come back to the room.Variety of food offerings is also good. However, consistency of food and quality of food can be better on the complementary restaurants. I expect better food quality from Manhattan, Savour & Taste. Out of 5 meat dishes I ordered only 1 of them was acceptable. Pesto Pasta wa the same. It’s better to get the pasta dish from the pasta station in the Garden Cafe cuz they heat it up for you. Maybe you can have bubble tea in the future and ramen offerings since you have the noodle bar. The entertainment team was always very energetic especially Adriano, Shirley & Romeo. Roberto the entertainment director is also very professional. Guest service manager should smile more like the rest of the team. We took 1 shore excursion to check out & we were disappointed. Driver was good but the guide was not. She doesn’t know a lot of local and general information regarding Sweden. I will rethink the shore excursion next time especially the ones we took privately the rest of cruise was really good & cheaper. Read Less

We've cruised a few times but so far this is our new favourite. The only reason I gave 4 stars was because of the location of the casino, it was right smack in the middle of Deck 7 where all guests including children passed by, so you inhaled the smoke and all, but I guess it had a strategic location and purpose by NCL. The shows were good especially Cirque Dreams, vocalist Karl Loxkey and the female violinist. Food was tasty and had a variety of selection. There were themed nights at the Garden Cafe, and the Grilled Night was the best! The Prime Rib special of the day at O'Sheehans Is a must try, tender and mouth watering, cooked to perfection! The Indian themed lunch at Moderno's was very flavourful and tasted authentic! The cruise director, Dan Dan was my favourite of all. He was quick, witty, smart, hilarious and very generous and attentive! He even rendered a duet with Karl Loxley at the Matinee Farewell Show. He was such a great singer! His staff was amazing! The Matinee Farewell Show by the way is not to be missed! There was so much things to do and see for the family. Lots of free demonstrations and health seminars during the last sea day. Crew were attentive to guests' needs. There was also Lounge and cabins for single cruisers. Overall it was a cruise to remember! Read Less

I love ship life and really enjoy the days at sea so thought a Transatlantic on the "Getaway" should make a good fit. I was not disappointed with ample activities to do during the day as well as the many dance classes. I am a solo traveller and made friends with others at the solo studio lounge who were also addicted to dancing. I can't speak highly enough of the live bands and the genres of dance music they covered. I enjoyed the cruise so much that I am doing another one on the "Breakaway" in October this year. Overall the food was excellent, though the service was a little slow at times. The ports were very interesting, with Bermuda certainly a highlight. The entertainment was first class, especially "Burn the floor" and the comedy shows. Most cruise lines probably do it, but I'm not a fan of the daily grat. charges, I prefer to do my own direct personal tipping. Embarking and disembarking was satisfactory. I am a fan of NCL,as they are more solo traveller friendly, but over the last two years have noticed a marked increase in prices of everything - and making it harder to get your hands on the "perks". Overall, I loved the crossing and would recommend. Read Less

Friends were going on this cruise and we decided to join therm for the itinerary mostly. We travelled to Copenhagen via a layover in Iceland and that was wonderful! I have sailed mostly S class Celebrity ships the last few years and find them more to my liking , especially for the transatlantic cruises I favour now. Regal has only 1 pool and no inside pool, so that made for a very crowded ship during our many sea days. I am glad I tried a Royal class ship but intend to return to Celebrity. I'm elite on both lines and prefer the perks on Celebrity. What was good about Regal? The coffee card (love it!!!!!), the piazza, the entertainment. What was not so good? You'd think they'd have put better beds on this relatively new ship, but no, they were the same awful Princess beds. They need to rejig the timing of the theatre shows in the evening. The early 1 is overattended and I suspect the 10pm 1 under attended. Celebrity usually has 2 or 3 guest lecturers on TA's, but Regal had only 1. The cabin was comfortable and I do love the hanging storage on Regal, but the bathroom seems very cramped compared to S class baths, the best I've ever experienced. Service was fine. I did not take any Princess excursions as I prefer to arrange my own. Spent a delightful day in Cobh Ireland, but nary a word from Princess about this delightful town, because they want everyone booking expensive bus tours out of town. Horizon Court was amazing and could always find a seat. Read Less

Back on the Norwegian Cruise line again. Did some trips with Costa, but Norwegian Cruise Line is so much better. I love the quality of the entertainment and the friendliness of the staff. The studios are very good for single travellers especially with the solo-lounge. With the beverage pack you can also get non-alcoholic drinks, but these are not on the bar menu. The ship has everything you can think of. Spa, whirlpool, miniature golf and high-ropes. And not to forget the amazing waterslides. The food is of a very high standard in all the restaurants. You don’t have to use the extra dining options, but if you do you are pleasantly surprised. The down side of the ship is that there are only two lift/staircases. And that there is only one entrance to the ship from the shore. We encountered long wait times because of this. Shore excursions are a bit too expensive. To little value for money. Read Less

The itinerary on this cruise was good. Ship was very large so it took a few days to get orientated. Solo cabins are super cute but the housekeeping in this area of the ship needs attention. Solo staff leader was a lot of fun which made the cruise a little better. Spa deals could have been better advertised. Port stops were really smooth and had good flow which was good. Food was fine but a little boring after a while. This cruise did not have any outdoor BBQ like others. Service in restaurants was very good and the entertainment was excellent. Smoke from the casino drifted a bit which was a bit unpleasant at times but it was not as bad as I expected with the casino being open to mid ship. Lots of outside bar seating which was really nice as it gives you the opportunity to sit outside. Read Less

I originally wanted to do a Baltic itinerary because I wanted something I hadn't done before, wanted to make sure work couldn't follow me, and I wanted a non-beach itinerary as I don't do beaches. History and art and culture sounded like a good time to me, and I'd been wanting to sail on an NCL cruise anyhow as a trial balloon for a family that doesn't do formal attire unless someone's being held at gunpoint. Copenhagen is a lovely city with a great public transportation setup -- except to the cruise terminals. Bus #25 runs out to Oceankaj, but that's about it other than a taxi or private shuttle. If you're a heavy packer like me, wrangling that much luggage on a bus is no fun, and that goes double if you're jetlagged. Taxis are expensive but might just be worth it if you're wrangling kids or a lot of luggage. The Norwegian Getaway is a beautiful ship with plenty to do and plenty of places to eat, drink, and party - and a good amount of quiet if you want that. The only thing I note is that this ship was meant for warmer climes. When it's too cold to swim or high winds drive everyone inside, the inside venues get crowded and loud quickly. That happened on our second sea day. I could go anywhere and get good quality and tasty food, although the buffet during busy times was tough for a solo traveler as the crew were so efficient at clearing tables that I'd lose my table and my food because I got up to get another drink! I ended up focusing on the dining rooms for most meals for that reason. There were two things on the ship that annoyed me -- the shops and the spa. I've been on cruises before, but HOLY COW were the spa people pushy. Very aggressive sales tactics that ignored my explicitly stated needs and requirements and dismissed my mention of doctor's orders for what type of massage I needed in favor of a pricier option that my doctor had explicitly warned me not to get. I was so uncomfortable that I left and never came back. The shops claimed that the Russian bazaar was authentic handmade stuff that came from Russia-- don't. Just don't. Get rubles and get the stuff in Russia, because what was on offer was either so pricey it was ridiculous or cheap mass-produced kitsch. I got all my souvenirs in port in St. Petersburg and was really glad I did. The service was ... okay. Certainly they met expectations. They just didn't stand out. When I got into my stateroom and started exploring, I found a plate of cookies hidden by the previous resident - oops on the cleaning staff! I handed them in with a chuckle and my steward was very embarrassed but handled the matter expeditiously. Other than that, cleanliness was more than decent and gracefully handled. The dining room staff were awesome and very fun. Probably the neatest thing about the cruise was the guest demographic. People from literally all over the English-speaking world (South Africa, Australia, Canada, USA, UK, Caribbean) plus Europe and a large contingent of Asians, the biggest I'd ever seen on a cruise ship. I will say that it was an older crowd, and that a Baltic itinerary might not be a good one for kids -- while there was plenty of stuff to see and do for kids on the ship, the ports were not so inclined. The shore excursions were very adult and mature in nature and focused on history, art, and culture -- and booze :) I had a great time overall, and I'm looking forward to many more sailings with NCL. Read Less

Went on this cruise as a last-minute alternative to ordinary overland trip to Norway. Exceptional value for my solo discount that is no longer avail in any future cruises. Emission of the ship was a considerable issue. To be more specific, it was the visible pollutants that apparently were not removed inside the chimney. That smoke ruined the view of Geiranger on an otherwise perfectly clear day. The Costa (and many other) ships ' soot were not quite as visible. The airy, daylight-filled grand atrium of the Star is stunning (becoming a rarity on NCL I reckon), but the top deck space desperately needs a redesign to improve layout - much of the original lounge space with great views has been converted to suites and extra rooms, leaving little public space overlooking the sea. The only way to appreciate the remarkable fjords without catching a cold is to grab a table at buffet restaurant or sitting on one of those benches along hallways on lower decks. Or, put on the windbreaker and layer clothing to brace the chill - forward top deck and promenade can occasionally be bearable. It might improve the experience to relocate children/teen area to expand the Lido restaurant into the aft top deck. While I did enjoy the aft promenade, integrating that part into Spinnaker Lounge could make more efficient use of the space. There might also be potential to add indoor space on aft deck 13. A cruise passenger asked when the ship had a makeover at the last day's Q&A - she was probably shocked to learn the Star received drydock facelift just in 2015. Cabin furniture need update urgently, as with the Market Cafe out-fit. But I liked the Art Deco design in certain public space, adding class to an otherwise hectic, crowded ship. Entertainment is generally good, exceptional attention to technical details for the flagship show towards end of cruise deserves high praise. But it was not for everyone's taste, esp for non-American audience. It's impossible to keep everyone happy for such a long, port-intensive cruise, however. There was no enrichment to speak of. All lectures. albeit informative to varying degrees, were designed to boost revenues - worse than my MSC that offered language lessons. The same revenue-hungry mindset was noticeable all over the place. Could be the new industry norm, but not what most people enjoyed. Game shows, bingo, dance class were most common during the day. Matinee shows were sparse on sea days. Art auctions were good for free champagne. The lizard work of Miro may still be there for a quick glimpse. Food was way better than what I expected and to my surprise, the Star team did Asian dishes generally well! Asian options are always avail in breakfast and main dining room. Breakfast options did not rotate. Variety in bakery items could have gone a long way. Service was attentive for most of the time. There was confusion over corkage fee but was sorted out after two days. Bring your own soda or sparkling water, while tea and water are free at buffet all day. Free juice in the morning is decent. North Cape cruises are somewhat an once-in-a-year event for NCL and many other mainstream lines, but if you do take one, beware satellite reception is bad beyond Arctic circle for obvious reason. You may get more Internet with a SIM card with consistent signal off the Norwegian coast than the onboard WiFi. Surf with Opera Mini when signal drops to 2G. In the end the cruise is worth solely for the itinerary. Hammerfast and Honningvag had little to offer, but the Lofoten was a gem that blended great view and seafood. Did not take any excursion except city transfers. Allow flexibility to do your own excursion esp for tender port. Read Less

PRE CRUISE I originally booked a different cruise but as it was too much to pay I transferred to this one. despite doing the STAR before. I flew out the day of the CRUISE something I have not done before but as work could not tell me if I was working I had to book the flight. I Stayed in GATWICK AIRPORT the night before and checked in(a great idea) Then got minibus from hotel in the morning. It was easyjet but all went well ands landed on time. I booked transfer from AIRPORT to the port for $30. Had to wait a while for a bus, there were a lot of others waiting too. We had a double decker bus for short trip to the port. EMBARKATION. I left my luggage by the bus as it would be taking to my cabin. Joined the queue to check in, shame nobody said there was a priority queue for gold members(which I am). I got the check in and showed passport and DEBIT CARD. Got my cruise card in return. I went straight to my cabin 9563 an inside cabin on deck 9. CABIN. Quite a large cabin with a shower in the bathroom, only liquid soap which I do not like much. 2 twin beds and a table and a chair. TV was a good size and 3 drawers not a great deal of space for clothes. It took ages to get my luggage and I was getting worried it was lost as I am sure I saw it along the corridor. LIFEBOAT DRILL. This was very quick in the SPINNAKER lounge. DINING. I used the main dining rooms-AQUA and VERSAILLES, a good choice of food and good service, I had to say I wanted to sit with others and they kept giving me a table on my own. ENTERTAINMENT. Very good shows and easy to get a seat, HYPNOTIST,3 cast shows, a Mexican duo playing lots of instruments A juggler.A sort of 4 tenors, The crew show was really good. LATITUDES EVENTS. As a gold member I had 2 events, a cocktail reception with Captain telling us about the ship and the future plus a prize draw. The 2nd event was very poor! No pictures with the captain just sat and 20 mins of music then the CRUISE DIRECTOR just said thanks for coming and that was it! CUSTOMS. AS ST Thomas was the 1st port of call in U.S. we had to go through customs. Last year I was on the EPIC and never booked an excursion I never got off till 1PM! so I booked an excursion. I was told to wait till CUSTOMS started but nothing was said so I heard CRUISE DIRECTOR said there was a long QUEUE. As I overdid it on deck and got SUNBURN. I found it hard to stand. THE queue took over and hour not helped by some people not even filled out the visa waiver form. EXCURSIONS. I only booked one in ST THOMAS to ST JOHN as I had not been there before. On a boat for 30min trip there then a lovely bus trip around the island for the boat back to the ship, really enjoyable. The other port PONTA DELGADA I did independently It was a lovely excursion for only 50 euros. BBQ. When the weather improved we had a bbq on deck almost everyday, it was a nice change. DISEMBARKATION. As a gold member I had priority disembarkation, I had to ask twice to get a luggage tag. Had to wait 45mins after the time quoted. I never got a ship pin either and could not get hold of cruise consultant. SUMMARY. A good cruise met some really nicer people organised a lot of events through cruise critic. had to go to reception as my bill my slightly wrong. The start of the cruise sadly was windy and a bit rough meaning all the open decks was closed. Also I thought there was a cigar bar, there was not only on one side of the windy open deck. when the weather improved the BEER GARDEN opened they did had cigars you could buy but only on the last few days.   Read Less

Just back from my first Costa (have done Cunard, Princess, HAL, RCCL, Carnival before). Deliziosa is a new ship and a such was in excellent condition. Embarcation at Copenhagen was painfully slow. They had only 2 desks, manned by ship's dancers who only had to check name on embarcation form you carried with your passport. No computer terminal or even a printed list to tick names. Still took them for ever. I stood in a queue for 1 hr 25 mins. An elderly lady behind me fainted, and I'd be surprised if she was the only one that day. Costa Card (combined room key/on board charge card) was in the cabin. Plenty of storage space in cabin, cabin steward excellent with high standards and desire to help when needed, cabin tv channels not good unless you speak Italian, French, German, Spanish. Only English-speaking channel was BBC World. Whole ship was very clean, most staff speak reasonable English, announcements were made in 5 languages but I got used to that and would just switch my ears off after hearing the first one I understood. Evening shows were ok - the multi-lingual ventriloquist (sounds painful) was a scream and I literally cried laughing. Excursions expensive but I do my own thing anyway - you can find everything there is to know and see about your destinations on line and don't have to spend a fortune on ship's tours. Food - well, compared to other lines it was disappointing. Buffet at lunchtime was ok, but nice to have waiter service in main restaurant at lunchtime if you're not ashore. It's open dining then so you can go when you want between 12 - 1.30 and don't have to sit at your assigned dinner table. Evening buffet not good, unless you like pizza. All they have is pizza, one pasta dish, one fish that to me screamed 'school dinners fish' and when I was there, the meat option was luncheon meat. Restaurant dinner menu disappointing but you can always get salmon or steak if you don't like that evening's menu. Hazlenut ice cream - now that really was Deliziosa. Room Service continental breakfast was ok and no extra charge. If you want RS any other time there's a 2 Euro charge. They don't do room service for lunch or dinner - I guess they're busy in the restaurant. Drinks very expensive. Even the Cocktail of the Day was 5 Euros which gets to almost 6 by the time they add the service charge and I don't think £5 for the day's cheap cocktail is particularly cheap. I'd gone on a last minute super-cheapie and had no budget for many extras, so stuck to normal water at dinner and didn't suffer from it. You can always get tea (lots of choice of fruit, herbal, normal, etc)or coffee in the lido buffet up to 11pm. Several bars to relax in, but none for peaceful relaxation as they all have some sort of live music in the evening. Casino - only takes your Costa Card, not cash, inc. the slots, so restraint needed there. Can get a bit smokey. There are smoking areas in the bars and one side of the pools. Less than half those dining had dressed to the "Gala" dress code on both those nights, so if you don't want to take fancy clothes you won't feel out of place. Internet's expensive but before I went I'd googled free wifi and found plenty of places I could use their computers (usually public libraries) or my netbook wifi for free. Some places you could get on line just off the ship - watch for where the crew go - when you see lots of Filipinos at their laptops, chances are there's free wifi. Would I go Costa again? If I got a good deal like this one (under £350 for balcony cabin for sole occupancy for a week including flights), Yes. Read Less