I read a review before I went which made me think "Oh no, this is going to be Benidorm at Sea" which is very unlike what I would have expected from a cruise, but then again, it was about half the price that I paid for the last cruise I went on. I am a down to earth person that expects to get what I pay for. I can tell you that this is exactly the case when it comes to the Island Star. Talking to other passengers, comments were all pretty similar. One family told me that the Ocean Village was far superior in entertainment and facilities and this is the same price range as far as I know. Hygiene was very good, with staff waiting at the entrance for you to sanitize your hands but there were other food areas where people walked in without sanitizing which was not good. I have been on another ship where the waiter/waitress will only give you your plate when they have seen you use the hand sanitizer.
I would say that the best meal of the day was breakfast. The other meals were very good and it seemed that everybody on the ship enjoyed the choice. There was an allowance for special dietary meals if requested.
The ship was far too overcrowded with no sunbeds being available when the ship was at sea and the swimming pools were so small, we didn't bother! Some children were boisterous and running around, throwing each other into the pool but it was the parents that kept them in check, with no staff intervening.