The ports are definitely the "Star" of this cruise. This was our fifth NCL cruise and as always we received outstanding service from booking to disembarkation. As a ship the Star falls in the middle of the ships we have been on. We stayed in cabin 10088, a mid ship balcony and could not have been happier. Plenty of room and a good sized balcony. Our steward, Frank was outstanding. We have never had a bad steward on NCL. The ship itself, though one of the fleets oldest has recently been refurbished with a couple of new additions. The 5:00 Somewhere Bar was outstanding. Being a Jimmy Buffett fan, we were not disappointed. Sugar Canes Mojito Bar is a hidden gem on the 13th deck. Try the mojito sampling flight. An O'Sheehans has also been added if you are looking for a pub and a soccer game to watch. The food was okay. The main buffet lacked in variety. The two main dining rooms offered identical menus which I had not seen before, so again the variety was lacking. The food was generally good though and the desserts were outstanding. Service was also excellent and never had to wait. Entertainment was good, but being a mid sized ship, lacked in options. The production shows were entertaining as was the fiddler, E Sarah Carter. Ian, the cruise director was also excellent.

The ports were outstanding. St. Petersburg, the main event was definitely all it was made out to be. Tallinn was more than a pleasant surprise. Helsinki was a bit boring. We did not use NCL's shore excursions, but instead used TJ Travel for each port and we were glad we did. Much less expensive than the ship and great service as well.

One negative. We got roped into doing a bio analysis in the spa, which essentially was a sales tactic for Elemis Detox. Brandon the fitness director was little more than a snake oil salesman trying to sell an over priced detox program. Stay away.