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The Norwegian Star tends to be selling at a lower price point due to the age and the size of the ship and if you can get a good deal, I would recommend going for it! All in all considered, I would give the Star a rating of 8 out of 10. A few areas of the cruise weren’t great but overall I had a really good time and would travel on the ship again.
What rooms to avoid on the Norwegian Star?
If you are going to cruise again on Norwegian, they really are a no-brainer to buy. I tend to book through the cruise line because I like things easy, but I’m not opposed to booking separately if the occasion arises. Check to see if your cruise is going to a destination that has a sunscreen ban. If so, you will want to be sure to pack some reef-safe sunscreen, so you don’t have to purchase it at an overpriced gift shop.
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There were also two small desk spaces for guests to charge their electronics and devices. Guests will find that there are both standard US outlets and European outlets in every stateroom. A great feature that was added during the refurbishment was a standard USB outlet under the lamps near the bed. A large closet with plenty of shelves, as well as several drawers, can be used by passengers to store their clothing and belongings. Norwegian Star was recently refurbished, and this refurbishment can be seen in the staterooms.
There was plenty of onboard shopping!
One of the great things about this cruise is that you start and end in one of the most unique cities on earth. We stayed one night pre cruise and one night post cruise in Venice. If there was ever a city to stay in and extend your vacation, it is Venice. Unfortunately, the art auctions on the Norwegian Star were the most unorganized and poorly run auctions of any ship I have ever been on. On the last day, the kids put on a show in the ship’s theater — it was a much bigger production than I was expecting.
In the past Norwegian cruises have offered a late night small buffet so you can have a snack after the show finished but it seems this stopped after COVID-19 which I think is a bit poor. We dined at Ginza, the included Chinese restaurant only twice over the 30 nights we were onboard the Norwegian Star on our back to back sailing. A benefit to the larger ships is that you don’t need to book shows in advance. I really liked this as it meant you didn’t have to plan your schedule in advance.
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These beds were very comfortable, and we had good nights of sleep during our sailing. Of course, variety acts are subject to change at any time; however, I thought the specific offerings onboard my sailing were fantastic. NCL's passengers run the broad spectrum of families with young kids to retirees who want a casual cruise experience at a reasonable cost. Additionally, all cabins and suites were outfitted with USB charging ports.
Unique Things on Norwegian Cruise Line You Won’t Find on Other Ships
The ship boasts more than 10 restaurants, including venues serving Tex-Mex, Japanese and French cuisine, and nearly 10 bars and lounges. In line with the Freestyle mantra, public spaces range from intimate to exuberant, providing a variety of spots for activities and entertainment day and night. There are also tons of accommodation options, from standard inside cabins to the enormous 6,694-square-ft., three-bedroom Garden Villas. One of the main selling points for me on this seven night cruise was that the ship stopped in six cruise ports. After all, you don’t go to see and experience Europe to spend half of your time on the ship.
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Although, I would rate the entertainment and comedic value as poor. Oftentimes, cruise ships have treadmills that face large windows, this way guests can workout while still enjoying the ocean views. In addition to the onboard spa, those guests looking to do a little self-care can also find the Pulse Fitness Center located on Deck 12. Working out on a cruise ship can be a unique experience, and if you are someone who enjoys some fitness on your vacation I recommend checking it out. When it comes to activities and public spaces, there is so much for guests to explore! While this ship does not have as much to do and see onboard as some of Norwegian Cruise Line’s newer vessels, I do still think guests can enjoy a great sea day when sailing on this ship.
Usually you have to cruise on the newer mega ships if you want 12 or more options for dinner. While I love mega ships and all that they offer, I prefer smaller or medium sized ships when sailing in Europe. (Especially since cruises in that region tend to be more port intensive) Norwegian Star, at 91,000 gross tons, is the perfect sized ship for this itinerary.
For example, as a platinum member, you are supposed to get chocolate covered strawberries delivered to the room. Despite asking multiple times, they did not arrive to our room on our last leg of the cruise. The boys really enjoyed it but my mother and myself didn’t really rate it. It does include a really nice buffet which includes sushi and yummy cheeses to start with as an entree which is really nice. The pub O’Sheehans was the only restaurant on the Star that opened 24/7.
The ship has a production team which consist of 3 lead female singers, 3 lead male singers and backup dancers. I believe this team rotates every 8 months or so so the production team may vary depending on when you travel. Another thing that I appreciated was that the ship was relatively easy to navigate and get around. After the first couple of days, I was fairly confident about how to get to various places and venues onboard. This adults-only venue is located at the back of the ship and has plenty of lounge seating for guests to relax and enjoy. There is one main pool onboard the Norwegian Star located on Deck 11.
Since we had three free nights to eat in specialty restaurants, we were hoping to eat there at least twice. My Dad was disappointed we didn’t have a comedian onboard on the first two legs of the cruise like there has previously been on other ships. Being a smaller ship, there was less overall entertainment than larger ships like the Norwegian Epic and less choice but it was still overall a very high quality. We were on back-to-back sailings and on the third leg of the cruise a comedian did come on.
We cruised on the Norwegian Star for over 30 nights on a back to back sailing from Southhampton UK to Reykjavík Iceland up the coast of Scotland and Norway. During this time, I noted my thoughts on the ship so keep reading for the good, the bad and the ugly of the Norwegian Star to decide whether you would like to cruise on it for your next vacation. Overall, we thought the Norwegian Star was a great older cruise ship capable of providing an excellent cruise vacation. Oftentimes, Norwegian Cruise Line conducts some of the most unique and interesting itineraries on their older vessels. For this reason, I always recommend choosing a cruise by the itinerary first and then by the ship; this will help ensure an awesome cruise vacation.
The Sail Away rates do not include the option to choose the free perks. Since we stayed in the EU for the entire cruise, there was no need to go through customs like you do here in the States. Since the ship recently updated, our cabin had several handy USB ports for charging electronics. We used Venice Water Taxi for transfers from the airport to our hotel and from our hotel to the cruise port.
I recommend either carrying the physical copy of the Freestyle Daily with you or referencing the digital version in the Norwegian Cruise Line app. Additionally, I recommend picking out activities and events you might be interested in seeing the night before to make sure you do not miss them the next day. In addition to interior staterooms, passengers can also find Oceanview staterooms, Balcony staterooms, Club Balcony staterooms, and Suites. There are many stateroom categories onboard that can help to accommodate many travelers' needs, desires, and budgets. One thing I did not realize is that with the Premium Beverage Package, it does not include bottled water, specialty coffees, Gatorade, or drinks like Red Bull. When booking my cruise, I had the option to choose a Sail Away Category rate which was $200 per person cheaper.
While it’s not as affordable as cruises from Florida especially when you factor in airfare and hotels in Venice, the experience is worth every penny. Go to the main dining room (Versailles) and skip the buffet for breakfast. The sink was in the middle with the toilet and shower on the sides.
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