We've always wanted to visit the Greek Isles and Croatia, so when this cruise came up, we splurged. We thought NCL would be a little higher class and we'd get all we hoped for. We got two penthouse suites, one for me and my husband, the other for my mother and two adult children (23 and 26) and went all out! It was expensive, but once in a life time, right? We spent three days in Venice before boarding, renting an apartment. It was wonderful! Because we were VIP, we embarked immediately and got to eat in the steakhouse (no buffet for us) or long lines. That was fantastic! We were off to an amazing start! Our room was spacious, balcony a good size for a ship and the bathroom and walk-in closet better than we expected. We were excited about the espresso machine in our room until we realized it only had decaf coffee and were informed there'd be no regular coffee available this cruise? We're BIG coffee drinkers, so this was a blow. So, we never got to use the cool machine, instead, had to order a pot of coffee each morning which we were charged extra for. Each day, food was delivered as a snack, which would have been special if it was actually edible.

This brings me to the food aboard the Star. It was terrible! We tried every restaurant, including the specialty dining, each time, hoping this would be the night we had a great dinner, only to be disappointed. My steak at the Aqua was literally inedible. I took two bites and pushed it away. Potatoes undercooked or cold, bad cuts of beef, canned sauce, bland food, even my eggs benedict was screwed up - the eggs were solid (not runny). The quality of food was similar to a college dorm or a hospital cafeteria.

The shore excursions were bad, unless you like being herded like cattle with headsets. By the third port, I hired a private guide because I couldn't take it anymore (best thing I did). On our day at sea, a kid pooped in the pool! So it had to be drained! Yes, it was a Caddy Shack experience! Yes, it was gross and it ruined the day. PS there is NO kid pool, so if you want to relax, you're out of luck. You're suck with hot tubs jammed with kids, kids splashing, screaming, kicking and crawling all over the place. The music was so loud you couldn't carry on a conversation or listen to an audiobook. And the bands played the same set everyday. If you like Journey, and bad 80's covers, you're in luck. If not, suffer through it and hope you don't want to speak to another human all day while enjoying the sun. Lastly, we could not anchor in Croatia due to waves. It was the one port we wanted to go to and the entire reason we booked the trip and it was missed. Kotor was awful, don't bother getting off ship - you'll be accosted by over aggressive drivers and sales (con) man, possible pick pockets, and the town is not worth it. The climb to the fortress is so treacherous that many won't be able to do it. I felt very uncomfortable and only spent about 45 minutes before hurrying back to the tender. NCL needs to make sure amenities in suites are working and up to stands, the food needs to greatly improve, and there needs to be a kids only or an adult only pool or run the risk of being dubbed the 'poop cruise' as we called it. Re-consider extended time in Croatia, since this is the 'hot spot' and ditch Kotor all together. Santorini has up to 7 cruise ships in port at the same time, which is a nightmare given it has one cable car. It makes for a miserable experience in an incredible destination. Also, be aware public restrooms in Santorini are few and far between and if you're lucky enough to find one, it will cost $0.50 euros to use one - hope you have change or find a quiet corner. Read more