Norwegian Star Review
Rating by category
Additional details
We chose this cruise because it was the first time that a NCL ship would cruise Antarctica. We really enjoyed the 2 days spent cruising Antarctica. The captain was flexible in where we went and made changes according to the weather. NCL arranged for several professionals to be aboard who had worked in Antarctica, and they gave a number of presentations and also made announcements from the bridge to help passengers spot wildlife. This really enhanced our experience.
We did not really like the NCL Star. The quality of food was the wort we have ever experienced on a cruise ship. Most everything in the Garden Cafe seemed like it was reheated, prepackaged frozen food. They also ran out of lemonade, orange juice, cranberry juice, french fries, and other items. We only ate in the main diningroom twice, as the first time took almost 2 hours to receive a starter and an entree, and the second time we received BBQ ribs that were so tough we couldn't even cut them with a knife.
Cabin Review
Obstructed Oceanview
We were in Cabin 8062 with an obstructed ocean view. The view from this cabin was excellent, as there was not much equipment blocking the view. The cabin was very small, and there was a wall-mounted bunk on one side. We were just a married couple, so we did not need the bunk, and because of it, my husband had to bend at the wait and lean forward while side stepping along the bedside to get in or out of bed. The other side of the bed was even worse, as the foot of the bed was pressed up against the fixed desk, so I had to sit on the bed and swing my legs up and over the desk to get in or out of bed. Storage spac was adequate with 6 drawers and one closet for clothes. There were also shelved on one side of the closet, but they were tucked sideways, so they were pretty useless. There was a portable cot inder the bed, so we were only able to store one suitcase under the bed. Our cabin steward only cleaned our room at about 2pm each day, along with a turndown at about 9pm.
Port Reviews
Buenos Aires
We arrived a few days ahead of the cruise. We prearraged and paid for transfers to and from the airport and cruise port through Welcome Pickups, so we never needed to convert dollars to pesos, and never had to wait in line for a taxi or worry about taxi scams. The drivers were all on time and spoke some english. We stayed in the Arc Recoleta hotel, about a 15 min drive from the cruise port. Recoleta is an up-scale neighborhood, and we felt safe walking to restaurants and the the shopping mall. We arranged for a private tour in advance through Viator, and it was excellent. Embarkation was suspended at one point due to the interent link to the ship going down with many passengers standing in line. However, the free wifi continued to work in the terminal. You must take a bus from the terminal to the ship, as it is an industrial port. We had a noon flight on disambarkation day, and we had no problem making it on time, as you were able to get off the ship as early as 6:30am.
Montevideo
We did not enjoy this port. You can easily walk into the old town from the cruise port. We prepared a self-guided walking tour in advance, and there was a tourist tent right across the street from the port exit handing out maps for essentially the same walking tour. We found Montevideo to be quite dirty, with a number of beggars and bums around. We did anjoy a walk through the Mercado del Puerto, which is an old market that has been converted into a space for multiple Asado (grilled meat) restaurants, each having their own wood-fired grilling and seating areas. There is a tourist information center right outside the main entrance to the market with free wifi, good AC, and clean restrooms.