We weren't quite sure how we would like NCL since the Freestyle concept was new to us. We were pleasantly surprised and would try it again. The Star was an interesting ship and a very different layout from RCL's ships. At times, it was a bit confusing since not all hallways connected to both ends of the ship but by the end of the week, we had figured it out (mostly!) Our children loved the big waterslides and the kids area slides. We also had fun with ping pong and loved the ice cream parlor.

Dining worked well for us since we ate early and didn't have a problem with a wait. Our group made a 5:30 reservation at Versailles and often enjoyed 2 tables with a beautiful view out the back windows. Overall, the food was good. There were a lot of appealing choices and if you wanted two of something, no problem. It does seem strange to have a different waiter every night, even when you are sitting at the same table. (I'm not sure why it's done this way). My dh is on a low salt diet. He felt that NCL did not handle it as well as Royal Caribbean has in the past. RCL has completely made a low salt meal from scratch where as NCL tended to just leave off sauces and gave the same winter vegetables every night.

We also ate in the Market Cafe. The food here was better than I expected considering what others have posted. I loved the French toast and fresh fruit. It is a little strange that the Market Cafe is also a thoroughfare, but generally not a big deal. Also, at the pool grill there were delicious made to order omelets. Our group definitely ate our share of ice creamboth soft serve and at Sprinkles. Read more