We had an amazing cruise on the Norwegian Star with stops in Kotor, Corfu, Santorini, Mykonos, and Dubrovnik. There were 10 of us in our party, we were all in different levels of rooms. We had a suite and the ship’s staff accommodated us with reservations and debarking even though we were not all in suites. All the restaurants – Specialty we ate at Cagney’s Steak House and Teppanyaki that were great food and service. Pool is ok, our day at sea we went out at 7am to get a chair by the pool which were already taken. We were the 2nd platform up the back wall which was fine, tip your waitress and they will take care of you. The only down side to this cruise is the amount of time you have on each island. In the end, while we didn’t have much time in each port we were able to see a lot of amazing places that we will go back to in the future to spend more time. Kotor we did the hop on hop off bus and toured the city on our own. Our friends climbed the wall to the fort and would say both were amazing. In Santorini there were 7 ships in port. We paid for the $175 per person city tour and Zorba the Greek Dinner and breaking the plates. Don’t pay for this. Our bus was stuck getting out of the port because a ferry came in and took priority and it went downhill from there. We only had 45 minutes in Oia (which is the most beautiful part of Santorini) and given the crowd and time it takes to make it to the top of the hill and back down maybe 30 minutes to take picture and shop. We were the last of the 5 busses to get to the dinner, so the dancing had already started. The food was a buffet. It was so crowded we couldn’t participate in the dancing and very difficult to get in to break the plates and take pictures. Mykonos be aware there are only 30ish taxi’s if you plan to go out on your own. You can take the city bus to Paradis and Super Paradise beach but note the first one doesn’t leave until 10:30. Dubrovnik was another great place. Again multiple cruise ships in port but I would say the tours were better organized. We did the Game of Thrones tour that walked the City Wall’s and Fort Lovrijenac or St. Lawrence Fortress. Read Less

First of all the ship was not in time to leave. When we arrived my package did not go through the drink included, i did ask for it because it was promoted to me when i bought the cruise.Some of are friends paid 750$us less then us and they had a bigger balcony,3 meals in speciality restaurant+drink package. We had to buy a wine Package onboard because regular wine taste like Kool-aid. Cagney's Steak house was a 6 out of 10. Cucina Italian restaurant we had to wait 40 min before appetizer food 5 out of 10,it was the birthday of my girl-friend and i have ask the Maitre of D for special service ,they gave us a piece of cake in a plastic contenant with the bill,SERIOUS !!! Japanese restaurant good food but not the best the food 6 out of 10. The show was between two cooks standing back to back we could'n here a thing, not funny and poor skills. Bistro French restaurant had a lot more class the service was excellent for a big kitchen but not very much ambiance no music and to much light, food 8 out of 10. All the other restaurant were serving you faster than McDonald's they want out so fast and it's very very noisy, food 3 out of 10. In cafeteria the food does not taste the best employee look stressed out and tired.If you want to go to Kotor the stairs are jam packed with unhappy people. We had to pay for water bottle on board, they charge you 3% to play casino and the dealer makes mistakes drawing card not very un-professional. You pay for to many things with NCL never again, this was my 20th cruise in life and i was not the only one un-happy !!!! Read Less

We wanted to see a bit of Venice and a lot of Greece. The Norwegian Star ship was beautiful inside and out. Other cruise lines and ships we have cruised on were a bit tacky with interior decor. Our balcony was the perfect setting and worth paying a few extra $ for the views. The cabin was roomy and beautifully decorated with lots of storage for clothes and a large shower. The ports were nothing short of amazing. Montenegro was an incredible surprise as they have the largest canyons in Europe. Corfu was the only port that was a bit small and didn't have a lot to offer in our opinions. Santorini was everything and more in terms of sites and locals who were very friendly. We will return to Santorini for the views, food and local shops. The pricing of goods could not be beaten. Mykonos was a bit more expensive than Santorini yet it was also beautiful. There were few children on this cruise and that was very nice as it was fairly quiet. The service was outstanding no matter where you went on the ship. All the bartenders were friendly and always had a few tricks to show off their skills while tending bar. They always had a few jokes to tell and great stories of their own homeland. We loved the freestyle dining as it didn't require assigned seating and you could sit anywhere and have breakfast, lunch or dinner when you wanted, and that was a nice change from our past dining experiences. Getting on and off the ship was fast and easy, no waits or lines to speak of. They have this part down fabulously. Read Less

The food was VERY bad. SALTY! I heard people complaining every night about the bad food. Three tries to get a med. rare steak and it never happened. Lines for the all three eating areas were 45 minutes every night. Best place to eat was the Japanese restaurant. I felt the dining was really bad and the only way to get a table was to be there lined up before the restaurant opened. Service was usually good. Entertainment was fine. Although not always child appropriate. The ship was a little on the older side but clean. Our first cabin 4520 was a nightmare because of the toilets the often didn't flush and the noice from the water hitting the ship and one night the noice of pipes or something woke us many times. Others on the same deck also mentioned the noice issue. We were moved to deck 11 and that was great. Don't stay on deck 4!!!! Shore excursions were good. Enjoyed that part of our trrip. I would not book a trip on the Star again. I may try another of NCL's ships but I would research it really well before doing so. Read Less

the shows were good, the food decent but the location of our room was such that we could hear chairs dragging across the floor, some kind of machine going on at midnight and not ending until 2:00 am and either carts or furniture being rolled across the floor beginning at 5:00 am until 10:00 am. It was difficult to sleep due to the noise. The young man who attended to our cabin was very nice but the credit desk person was rude and the hostesses at some of the restaurants seemed overwhelmed. The disembarkment process was smooth. I feel like it would be a nice perk if we were allowed to fill water bottles to take on the deck while lounging rather than paying for a case of water. We went on 3 excursions which were nice and reasonably priced. I have been on 6 cruises which 2 were NCL. Not sure I will do NCL again. Read Less

We chose this cruise mainly for the itinerary - we were keen to visit the Adriatic coast and Greece. This was our fourth cruise, before we sailed with AIDA, Club Med 2, and MSC (YC), so we were new to Norwegian. The ship was just the right size for us, not too massive - although I still managed to get lost all the time (says all about me, nothing about signage or layout ;-). I though the decor was a little bit worn, but was pleasantly surprised by how new and clean the public bathrooms for example were. (Maybe because of the dry dock this year..?) What was lacking is space in the pool. I understood they took away one pool and some slides to make room for an adult only area at the dry dock this year, but the pool that is remaining is too small for so many passengers. And it was dirty too - I went in once, and noticed a clump of hair, like you might find in a shower - yikes!! And salt water, ouch ... But since my kids are teenagers and we both don't swim much , this didn't bother us. I would take this into account if you have younger children who love the pool and swimming. We loved loved loved our cabin, we were in 12510, this is a family suite with balcony on deck 12. Couldn't be better: fabulous bathroom with walk in shower, bath tub (I even used it once!!), enough storage space for the 4 of us (with 3 girls, imagine all the toiletries!!!). Plenty of cupboard space for all of our clothes, suitcases under the bed ... perfect. Nice coffee maker which also made tea. We appreciated the dividing curtain which separated the 2 sleeping areas, and we spent many a happy hour on the balcony, which had room for 2 chairs, a table and a deck chair. Perfect!! Food and drink were to our liking. We had 3 specialty dinners, which were great: we tried le Bistro which was nice, Cagney's was excellent (great steak!), Teppanyaki was moreover FUN, and we were also happy with the MDS - we tried Aqua and Versailles, and liked the atmosphere in the latter more. Ginzay (sp?) the Japanese one was great too, but had to wait a long time for food, but the waitress was the best, she was so friendly, we didn't mind. Bar staff seemed a bit grumpy in all the bars, and service was varying from slow to fast, depending on the hour and how busy it was. All in all, we never had to wait long to get a table anywhere. I didn't realise cocktails (which I normally don't drink) don't taste as good without a straw, so bring a metal of a paper one if you drink them! I liked how NCL seem to be eco-friendly. We don't usually go to shows or use any of the entertainment, but watched one show, which was good, if you're into that sort of thing (hard for me to judge, as I enjoy a different type of entertainment). The Bingo was a rip off in my opinion, very few prizes to be won ... The itinerary was great: right amount of time in all the ports, and great sail away times. One thing to take into account, is that in August (when we sailed) ports are super overcrowded, most so in Venice and Dubrovnik. If you can sail in another time of year, I would try either in the Fall, or in the Spring, these cities are SO crowded it does take away the pleasure in visiting. We didn't use any of the ships excursions, just did our own thing in the ports. All in all the whole family had a good time, the kids made friends and spent time in the Arcade, we loved exploring the ports and spending time on the balcony. There were always enough beds on the decks if we wanted to do a bit of tanning and reading - mind you: we did find the everplaying music annoying. Who needs music when you can listen to the waves of the sea?? (Somebody else made a comment about the overly loud music inside and I have to agree, that IS annoying.) What we loved about Norwegian in comparison to the other cruise lines we tried, is the Anglo-saxon atmosphere (more English speaking guests) and the relaxed and open vibe there is. I would definitely cruise with Norwegian again. Read Less

It was ok. The cruise staff was very pleasant. The ship was pretty old. The food was ok, nothing to write home about. But then again I am a foodie, but only for really good food. I felt that there was not much variety in the food. Unless you had a drink plan they offered flavored water. It was pretty disgusting. Not even soda. This was of course designed to get you to spend money on the drink plan. then, even if you were on the drink plan you were limited to two drinks at a time. I went to two shows. they were mediocre at best. One show was of a guy who was a juggler and who won an award for juggling. Not to take anything away from the gentleman but he also had to beg for applauses. To be fair, I went on the Disney Cruise so when you compare entertainment, Disney sets a very high bar. Finally, I was disappointed because they advertised two pools on this ship but I only saw one. The hot tubs got pretty crowded. Read Less

This was an amazing 7 day cruise, with a dream itinerary. My bride wanted to see Athens, I wanted to see Croatia & Montenegro. We both got our wish! And no one fell/jumped off the ship! :) We booked an inside room when pricing was at its lowest possible point. We could have received a free specialty dining package but instead we brought my mother along for free (I think she looked more forward to the trip than we did). It was a bit tight for the three of us in an inside room but we made it work. The storage was sufficient and the bathroom was terrific. Thanks to the reviews on cruise critic, we knew exactly what we were getting into so, I won't hold the tight room against NCL. This was about my 7th cruise and I don't think I've ever been on a smoother ship. Maybe it was the seas, maybe it was the stabilizers. There were times we were in the dining room watching the ship leave and we couldn't feel any movement whatsoever. For the price, I think the food was decent overall. There were a few items that were outstanding! These included the Hawaiian pork belly in Versailles, my ribeye at Cagney's, the macadamia ice cream sandwich at Cagney's, the German chocolate cake at the buffet (seriously!!), but the best thing I had on the cruise was the carbonara pasta at La Cucina. Some of the best I've EVER had, the chef came out to accept my compliment. I was ready to tell him to hold the entree I'd ordered and bring me more of the carbonara. One miss though was Moderno, the Brazilian steak house. My girls loved the salad bar but most of the meats were just too salty, especially the bacon-wrapped chicken. We ate the rest of our meals and most of our breakfasts in Versailles, a very classy dining room with a nice view out the back of the ship. Breakfast food was just OK. Service was very good overall, with just a couple of misses (they were slow to refill our coffees one morning). We had no trouble getting deck chairs when we wanted them. I might have wished for a second, quieter pool without blaring music so I could nap/read. There were plenty of deck chairs in quieter areas if I'd wanted them, but it was hot and sunny most of the cruise and I wanted the pool close by. I hit plenty of golf balls in the driving nets. The cruise director was very entertaining and we enjoyed the shows. I wish they'd had a comedian one of the nights though. As usual, we liked the art auctions and gift shops (too much so)! My mother enjoyed the casino, she spent a lot of time playing penny slots and didn't spend much of her own money. I received a spa treatment (massage) on embarkation day, got 75 minutes for the price of 50. A nice way to put the embarkation process behind you (not that it wasn't smooth), but a massage is a great way to kick off one's vacation. We had a little bad luck in Athens as a ferry had caught fire which slowed down the many boats in the harbor. We got off the ship about an hour late, which ate into our private excursion time. Not NCL's fault at all though, the captain kept us very well informed. The ship's arranged transportation back to Venice airport was VERY reasonably priced at only $20 per person, which we greatly appreciated. The Star was very clean and we enjoyed meeting many other passengers. NCL may now be my second favorite cruise line, but next time we'll book a bigger room..... Read Less

We choose this cruise to visit the ports. Embarkation on Aug. 19 was the worst travel experience we have ever had. Arrived at nine thirty AM and stood in line all day. The ship was very delayed due to a jumper the day before. Norwegian expressed endless concern about this woman, but it was the coast guard that took care of the situation, Concerns about their customers were non-existent. After the tortuous all day boarding process, the captain made the unfortunate decision to skip our first port, Kotor, even though we approached this port at close to the scheduled time. He announced that certain staff members were exceeding their duty time and had to be delivered to a port called "Borne". We were not allowed to get off the ship and simply watched while the employees were delivered home. It was made perfectly clear that customer satisfaction was the last priority. We enjoy swimming for exercise but the pool was horribly crowded and almost inaccessible. We were told when we booked that that there were two pools, and one was adults only. Not true. Food was tasty for the most part, but long lines and delayed service but a damper on meals. Excursions were rushed and very crowded, with inadequate descriptions provided beforehand. For example, we would have been able to swim on two of our excursions, but were told "No" by the ship's employees. The excursion to Delos was a positive experience, mainly due to our incredibly knowledgeable and patient guide. She was truly enthusiastic and seemed to welcome all questions. Cabin condition and service was another positive area. Read Less

Arrived Venice a few days early to explore the city, including Murano and Burano, which I recommend if you've never visited and enjoy shopping. This was my second cruise ever but first on Norwegian. Good experience except for the British woman who jumped off the ship as it was coming to pick us up. This delayed our departure which meant we were sent on a free shuttle back to Venice/San Marco. This wouldn't have been a problem had we not been there prior. This caused us to miss Montenegro. To add salt to the wound, we were in eyeshot of the island while the ship changed crews. We were given a $50 credit which could not be used for service fees or in the casino. Ship: It is a newer ship and the staff maintains it well. Cabin: Balcony cabin for 2ppl (10710 and ) and mini suite for 3ppl (11666) were good sizes. Good layout except for the full length mirror which was inconvenient to access. Balconies didn't have lounge chairs. Dining: Though we preferred the Garden Cafe buffet, dinner in the Aqua dining room was usually tasty though dessert usually left much to be desired. Jennifer was our sommelier. She was attentive, kind, professional and knowledgeable. Entertainment: Club scene was fun. DJ played all types of music. Service: Cleaning staff was great. Everyone had a nice disposition. Excursion: Our guide for the Santorini wine tour was interesting and amusing. I will probably try Norwegian again. Read Less