Norwegian Star Review

4.0 / 5.0
2,583 reviews

First time NCL - impressed

Review for the Mediterranean Cruise on Norwegian Star
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ukdeblarz
10+ Cruises • Age 50s

Rating by category

Cabin
Value for Money
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Additional details

Sail Date: Jun 2018
Cabin: Aft-Facing Penthouse with Large Balcony

First time on NCL but have sailed on many other lines for comparison. Have avoided NCL in the past because I had a misconception that it was cheap and tacky, I think because of the outside decor of the ships. I was wrong. It was much classier than I anticipated. The inside of the ship was beautiful. New carpet and other things had been updated. The layout is a little odd with not being able to get from one side to another on some decks. Never felt crowded at all even with a full sailing. At times, felt as if we were the only one on board.

Overall food seemed better than other lines. Wasn't a fan of the Italian restaurant. Loved Cagney's and Moderno. The portions in Le Bistro (especially the shrimp dish) seemed small.

Embarkation and disembarkation were smooth for suite guests. I will post the cabin review below.

Cabin Review

Aft-Facing Penthouse with Large Balcony

Cabin SF

Aft penthouse 10726. On the maps it shows a side wrap. This is a service area. You can't get to it, but the perk is no neighbors on that side. The balcony is a decent size just narrows slightly on the right side. No equipment blocking views or anything. The suite to the left appeared to have a very slightly larger balcony. It has two loungers, two chairs, and a small table. It is in the shade sometimes and full sun sometimes, depending on which way the ship is facing. Chair pads got soaked one sunny day in port - probably from windows above being washed - and it took 2 days for them to dry. Maybe bring them inside the suite if you are not using them to keep them dry.

The room is a nice size, lots of closet and drawer space and very quiet. No noise concerns at all. It is tucked back in a corner. If you book this suite watch out for the crazy balcony door. Even when open 2 feet wide, it would spontaneously slam shut on its own and lock itself, while we were outside on the balcony. We got locked out twice and it was not a pleasant experience having to yell for neighbors' help very early in the morning.

I would book this cabin again.

Concierge perk was great and used more than I thought. Didn't see butler much at all and perishable snacks were obviously dropped off hours before we returned from port and were warm when we returned.

Amenities included average size bottles of conditioner and lotion as well as the regular shampoo and body wash. So unless you are picky, no need to bring extra lotion or conditioner.

Would book this cabin again for the quietness, the size, and the balcony - just watch out for the door!

Port Reviews

Venice

A little disappointed. Beautiful YES. However, very very crowded on the day before our cruise that we were there. 7-8 other ships in port. Locals are not fans of the crowds and there was a protest from them the day we returned.

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