New to NCL and have some questions

Our first cruise with NCL will be on the Norwegian Star. We have sailed Carnival and Disney before.

I am wondering...

1. How is the food in the main dining room? Is it worth/recommended to eat in the specialty restaurant?

2. Are the shows/plays/comics/whatever at night family friendly? We have an 8 year old and keep things pretty PG

3. Is there a big difference between the standard balcony and mini suites?

4. Is there anything we should know compared to the other cruise lines? Or just general tips?

TIA

FMI, Looking at the Star's schedule,

I am wondering where you are from, and, when and why you are going on a cruise with an 8 year old?

IMHO, leave the 8 year old at home with family.

BTW, the food is good in the MDR; Specialties not necessary.

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TIA

Umm the 8 year old is my daughter and is traveling with my wife and I. It's a family vacation and we actually want to include her lol. This will be her 4th cruise with us. Is that weird or something?

Umm the 8 year old is my daughter and is traveling with my wife and I. It's a family vacation and we actually want to include her lol. This will be her 4th cruise with us. Is that weird or something?

Absolutely not a problem! There are plenty of families that sail NCL.

As to your questions:

1. How is the food in the main dining room? Is it worth/recommended to eat in the specialty restaurant?

We like the MDR food and don't feel the need to buy specialty meals. If they are given to us in a promo we take them, but rarely pay extra if not.

2. Are the shows/plays/comics/whatever at night family friendly? We have an 8 year old and keep things pretty PG

Usually they designate one of the late night comedy shows as the adult version, and there's plenty of warning. During the early evening, before 9 PM, it is usually pretty family friendly. On the Star the evening shows will be a musical/variety show in the main theater that has two showings, live music around the ship, and maybe a stand up comedian.

I'm gauging by my definition of "family friendly" so others may have a different opinion. If you let your 8 year old watch television then you won't have a problem with any of the entertainment prior to 10 or 11.

3. Is there a big difference between the standard balcony and mini suites?

On NCL the only difference will be a larger bathroom with a tub/shower combination instead of just a shower. The rest of the stateroom is the same size as the standard balcony cabin on the Star. I will take a mini-suite if the difference in fare is less than $100 total; if not, I don't think the larger bathroom warrants the extra cost.

4. Is there anything we should know compared to the other cruise lines? Or just general tips?

All dining in the MDR is Freestyle dining, and NCL handles it really well. You walk up, and they seat your party of three at your own table. There are two MDR on the Star and both will have the same menus each night. There is no formal night, so you can leave the extra clothes at home unless you like dressing up.

Absolutely not a problem! There are plenty of families that sail NCL.

 

As to your questions:

 

1. How is the food in the main dining room? Is it worth/recommended to eat in the specialty restaurant?

 

We like the MDR food and don't feel the need to buy specialty meals. If they are given to us in a promo we take them, but rarely pay extra if not.

 

2. Are the shows/plays/comics/whatever at night family friendly? We have an 8 year old and keep things pretty PG

 

Usually they designate one of the late night comedy shows as the adult version, and there's plenty of warning. During the early evening, before 9 PM, it is usually pretty family friendly. On the Star the evening shows will be a musical/variety show in the main theater that has two showings, live music around the ship, and maybe a stand up comedian.

 

I'm gauging by my definition of "family friendly" so others may have a different opinion. If you let your 8 year old watch television then you won't have a problem with any of the entertainment prior to 10 or 11.

 

3. Is there a big difference between the standard balcony and mini suites?

 

On NCL the only difference will be a larger bathroom with a tub/shower combination instead of just a shower. The rest of the stateroom is the same size as the standard balcony cabin on the Star. I will take a mini-suite if the difference in fare is less than $100 total; if not, I don't think the larger bathroom warrants the extra cost.

 

4. Is there anything we should know compared to the other cruise lines? Or just general tips?

 

All dining in the MDR is Freestyle dining, and NCL handles it really well. You walk up, and they seat your party of three at your own table. There are two MDR on the Star and both will have the same menus each night. There is no formal night, so you can leave the extra clothes at home unless you like dressing up.

I really appreciate this. I'm glad to hear about the freestyle dining. I'm not a huge fan of sharing tables with other parties, so knowing we can get a table to ourselves is a relief. Thank you.

Our first cruise with NCL will be on the Norwegian Star. We have sailed Carnival and Disney before.

 

 

 

I am wondering...

 

 

1. How is the food in the main dining room? Is it worth/recommended to eat in the specialty restaurant?

2. Are the shows/plays/comics/whatever at night family friendly? We have an 8 year old and keep things pretty PG

3. Is there a big difference between the standard balcony and mini suites?

4. Is there anything we should know compared to the other cruise lines? Or just general tips?

 

 

TIA

I don't know anyone named TIA but I will try to answer...

1) Subjective question. We find the food to be just fine. Much better than on CCL, especially late night food.

2) Most shows yes. The late night shows at the comedy club can be adult theme, if so it will be disclosed.

3) The size of the bathroom only.

4) MUCH nicer and cleaner ships than CCL. Much less of a zoo atmosphere as well.

Our first cruise with NCL will be on the Norwegian Star. We have sailed Carnival and Disney before.

 

 

 

I am wondering...

 

 

1. How is the food in the main dining room? Is it worth/recommended to eat in the specialty restaurant?

2. Are the shows/plays/comics/whatever at night family friendly? We have an 8 year old and keep things pretty PG

3. Is there a big difference between the standard balcony and mini suites?

4. Is there anything we should know compared to the other cruise lines? Or just general tips?

 

 

TIA

1- food is subjective, but on a recent review all three mass marketed lines were pretty even based on CC review professionals. NCL was at the top, but the difference was not worth even mentioning

2-shows are family friendly most of the time, but sometimes the subject might be a little over the heads of an 8 year old. I know our grand kids enjoy going to the kids club in the evening over most of the shows.

The main difference between the mini suites and a standard balcony cabin is: a few more sq ft and a curtain that separates the 2 areas.

The one thing that comes to mind for me as for differences: Disney has much larger cabins, no casino and is totally family oriented. CCL also has slightly larger cabins. But where, inn our mind NCL stands out: so much food variety whether paying extra or choosing the food that comes with your cruise fare and the wonderful crew. Of all the cruise lines we have sailed none have friendlier crew members than NCL>

Umm the 8 year old is my daughter and is traveling with my wife and I. It's a family vacation and we actually want to include her lol. This will be her 4th cruise with us. Is that weird or something?

cruising is a great vacation for the entire family. And you will see plenty of kids on NCL, depending on when you are cruising. In fact we were on the Breakaway a few years ago and there were 2254 kids, that was over 1/2 the ship capacity or about 1/2. It was during spring break, but toward the end. A lot of the kids were from other countries.

Captain Scruffy - we are very much like you - began cruising Disney when our kids were 5 and 8, then moved to Carnival (with a few other lines thrown in) and now like NCL very much. If you did not get specialty dining as a perk, I would stick to the other eating venues and buffet. I like the buffets on NCL better than Carnival. Also, O'Sheehans is a nice pub-like restaurant - your 8 year old will like eating there! As far as entertainment goes, the main showroom shows should be fine to attend. They always post a "warning" if the shows are pg or higher!

On the new mega-ships, only the bathroom is bigger in the minisuites. However, on the older ships, everything is bigger. Hopefully someone will chime in with personal experience on the Star.

I have only been on the larger ships except for the Jewel. We have really liked the food in the buffet and MDR. However I still have not found a good apple pie on board. Even at Thanksgiving time.

That comment about "why are you bringing your kid" is very odd. Of course there is always a lot for families to do on NCL, kids clubs, kids menus, pools, game shows, etc... We always have a good time as a family.

1. How is the food in the main dining room? Is it worth/recommended to eat in the specialty restaurant?

2. Are the shows/plays/comics/whatever at night family friendly? We have an 8 year old and keep things pretty PG

3. Is there a big difference between the standard balcony and mini suites?

4. Is there anything we should know compared to the other cruise lines? Or just general tips?

1 we find the MDR doors great. There is absolutely no need to spend extra money on food.

2 depends what ship you are on. Mega ships (Epic, Breakaway, Getaway, Escape, Bliss) have Broadway shows which could deal with adult themes. Lots of kids in the shows, just parent choice. Small ships, the main theater shows are all family appropriate.

Comedy shows always have Early shows that are family friendly and late shows that are 18+.

3 on the mega ships, the extra space is in the bathroom only.

On small ships, the minis will give you more room space

On some ships, you will get a bathtub vs shower in a mini.

4 freestyle crusing is the best for the contemporary cruiser. You eat when you want and take however long you want. No more group dining where you are always waiting on the chatty couple that drags dinner out to a multi-day event.

You are on vacation. You dress how you feel comfortable for dinner. No more feeling out of place because you don’t own a gown or tux. Shorts are allowed in most dining rooms (2 restaurants on the ship will ask that you wear long pants).

Ignore all of the whiners talking about expenses. Other than your daily service charge (which can be pre-paid), you can leave the Ship with a zero bill. We have. And have a full week of excellent food, entertainment, and all the ice cream you can eat.

Though I have never been on the Star, we have cruised NCL 5 times with a 6th cruise planned for July. My kids were 2 and 5 when we went on our first family cruise and they love it! It's a great family vacation!

Food in dining rooms is good. There is always a hit or miss item, but you can order something different if your entree is not what you expected. We have never had a night where we went to bed hungry. We do specialty restaurants probably 3 times on a 7 day cruise but main dining room is definitely good. If you are doing specialty, my kids love Teppenyaki which is the hibachi restaurant where the chef puts on a little 'show' while cooking.

As others have mentioned, shows are generally family friendly. If they are not, there is a note in the daily that notes the show is adult themed.

Splash Academy, the kids club on board, provides a large variety of activities throughout the day and evening. They have their own separate schedule so your child can decide what they want to go to. Sometimes my kids go every day for a bit, sometimes they don't go as much. Depends on the activity and whether they find friends and like the vibe of the group that week. Not sure if its on every ship but on the Breakaway there was a circus the last sea day where the kids performed. They go to a rehearsal earlier in the week and then perform the last sea day. If that's something your daughter would like, you might want to look into it.

Have a great time!!

We have been on several NCLs with kids - just got back from the Jewel to Alaska with our 8-yr-old & 10-yr-old. Our kids always wanted to be in the kids club rather than go to the shows, but I really wish I'd at least taken them to the circus night! I think they would have enjoyed it! Like others said, they do try to keep all the shows family friendly, except the late-night ones. On this one, there was a special kids' show where they got to practice while in kids club and then did a fun circus performance on the big Stardust stage one of our at-sea days at 11am. We like the dining room food, but it does last quite a long time, so we usually let the kids have buffet pizza or whatever then go to kids' club while we go to the dining room. :D Some in our party really enjoyed Le Bistro & Cagney's and we paid extra one night for Moderno Brazilian and enjoyed it... We like the included Chin Chin asian restaurant and O'Sheehan's Pub, also!

We have no idea on balconies...always been inside :)

We have been on Carnival, Royal Caribbean, and NCL and the main difference we see with NCL is the freestyle dining and that you don't need any formal wear... but I still take casual dresses for evenings, because I like to.

FMI, Looking at the Star's schedule,

I am wondering where you are from, and, when and why you are going on a cruise with an 8 year old?

IMHO, leave the 8 year old at home with family.

BTW, the food is good in the MDR; Specialties not necessary.

Our first cruise with NCL will be on the Norwegian Star. We have sailed Carnival and Disney before.

 

 

 

I am wondering...

 

 

1. How is the food in the main dining room? Is it worth/recommended to eat in the specialty restaurant?

2. Are the shows/plays/comics/whatever at night family friendly? We have an 8 year old and keep things pretty PG

3. Is there a big difference between the standard balcony and mini suites?

4. Is there anything we should know compared to the other cruise lines? Or just general tips?

 

 

TIA

We have sailed on the Star on 4 occasions. We have always enjoyed it. To answer your specific questions:

1. The food in the MDR (Versailles) and the secondary dining room (Aqua) is average to above average for NCL. I would say better than Carnival and perhaps a little behind Disney.

2. The specialty shows like magicians and comics are good while the production shows tend to be a bit boring. The theater will accommodate all of the passengers so there are no reservations required. The daily schedule will tell you if the show is age appropriate and there is generally g-rated matinees offered for the younger set.

3. My wife prefers the mini suites because they have a tub. The standard mini is 203 sq ft including a 37 sq ft balcony for a net of 166 sq ft. The mini suites are 283 sq ft including a balcony of 54 sq ft for a net of 229 sq ft. So the mini is almost 1/3 larger than the standard balcony room.

4. As with most ships we have found that there can be a pretty wide variation from one cruise to another. On one occasion we found that getting served in the Versailles was painstakingly slow. On another occasion we felt the quality of the food in the buffet was lower than usual. One of the reasons that we returned to this ship several times is that overall the consistency of service is quite good. If you decide to do any specialty restaurants Le Bistro is a nice choice followed by Cagney's. (Moderno and La Cucina not so much).

Additional tips: Avoid the Art Auctions. Trust me when I tell you that you really did not win a "free" art print. The casino odds make it remarkably difficult to enjoy yourself. Try a Mojito in the Sugar Cane Mojito bar. It doesn't open until 5 or 6 pm but it is rarely crowded and they have great bartenders. If you get a chance to upgrade or you just want to splurge a little, the SJ Family Suites on 12 generally become well priced as the cruise date gets closer. They don't have a balcony but they have a huge wall of windows from ceiling to deck. Gatsby's on deck 6 (in front of Le Bistro) is a great place to catch lounge entertainment and the waiters are the best on the ship. After the last dry dock the water slides are gone but they were pretty lame and rarely used. Enjoy.

Umm the 8 year old is my daughter and is traveling with my wife and I.

It's a family vacation and we actually want to include her lol.

This will be her 4th cruise with us. Is that weird or something?

No, it's not weird.

We see it many times... pax with kids at the center of attention.

However, I look at it as a waste of time and money.

No, it's not weird.

We see it many times... pax with kids at the center of attention.

However, I look at it as a waste of time and money.

That's awfully narrow-minded. We look at it as some of the best money we've ever spent. Our kids are grown now but still absolutely love cruising. After our daughter graduated from college, she did a 7 month contract with Carnival working in the kids program (and in case you think that was wasted money on a college education, Carnival requires a degree in education to work in the children's program). We started them cruising when they were 14, 12 and 8 yo. All three have at least 10 cruises under their belt with two more each booked.

It's a good thing we all have the freedom to make our own choices for our family. Those cruises have been some of the best vacations we've ever taken as a family. My children had the chance to see early on that not every place in the world has the lifestyle that we are so very fortunate to have. They came back from every cruise deeply moved by what they had seen.

While you may think it a waste of time and money, we have experienced the exact opposite. I wouldn't take one penny or minute back of any of our family cruises.

Regarding the MDR and the question do you need to go to specialty restaurants - what did you do on Carnival? The MDR food is about the same on CCL and NCL. We don't think it's as good as others on these boards state, so, we tend to hit specialty restaurants a few times in a week-long cruise. If you think Carnival food is good and you have no problem eating it for a week, then you will be happy eating in the MDR and no specialty restaurants needed.

(and we always brought our daughter on all trips. Wouldn't have it any other way. We just took her on Bliss 2 weeks ago, for college graduation trip. I fear that may be the last trip we do together for a long time as she enters the career world. Cherish every single moment of these trips, the time goes by really fast.)

No, it's not weird.

We see it many times... pax with kids at the center of attention.

However, I look at it as a waste of time and money.

I only asked if the late night entertainment was child friendly. I'm not sure how you extrapolated that our child was going to be the "center of attention". I also have questions about the thermal suites (for my wife) and the dining room question was for me. I'm not sure if you have a family, but if you actually like spending time with each other you don't mind looking into things that each other will enjoy.

Regarding the MDR and the question do you need to go to specialty restaurants - what did you do on Carnival? The MDR food is about the same on CCL and NCL. We don't think it's as good as others on these boards state, so, we tend to hit specialty restaurants a few times in a week-long cruise. If you think Carnival food is good and you have no problem eating it for a week, then you will be happy eating in the MDR and no specialty restaurants needed.

 

(and we always brought our daughter on all trips. Wouldn't have it any other way. We just took her on Bliss 2 weeks ago, for college graduation trip. I fear that may be the last trip we do together for a long time as she enters the career world. Cherish every single moment of these trips, the time goes by really fast.)

CCL MDR was okay. DCL MDR was not as good IMO. I was wondering if the specialty restaurant were miles above the MDR. It doesn't sound like they are.

I understand your sentiments. Family moments are fleeting. We should enjoy them while we can.

That's awfully narrow-minded. We look at it as some of the best money we've ever spent. Our kids are grown now but still absolutely love cruising. After our daughter graduated from college, she did a 7 month contract with Carnival working in the kids program (and in case you think that was wasted money on a college education, Carnival requires a degree in education to work in the children's program). We started them cruising when they were 14, 12 and 8 yo. All three have at least 10 cruises under their belt with two more each booked.

 

 

It's a good thing we all have the freedom to make our own choices for our family. Those cruises have been some of the best vacations we've ever taken as a family. My children had the chance to see early on that not every place in the world has the lifestyle that we are so very fortunate to have. They came back from every cruise deeply moved by what they had seen.

 

While you may think it a waste of time and money, we have experienced the exact opposite. I wouldn't take one penny or minute back of any of our family cruises.

Thank you for your tirade 🤨I was only giving my opinion.

CCL MDR was okay. DCL MDR was not as good IMO. I was wondering if the specialty restaurant were miles above the MDR. It doesn't sound like they are.

Well, consider the sources: The people commenting on the specialty restaurants are the same ones saying the MDR is good.

I believe the specialties are much better than the MDR. IMO Cagney's is miles above them. But, if you are OK eating a week of DCL or CCL, then you'll be fine eating a week of NCL.

Thank you for your tirade 🤨I was only giving my opinion.

Well, consider the sources: The people commenting on the specialty restaurants are the same ones saying the MDR is good.

 

 

 

I believe the specialties are much better than the MDR. IMO Cagney's is miles above them. But, if you are OK eating a week of DCL or CCL, then you'll be fine eating a week of NCL.

Food is food. After eating nothing for a few hours, you may be eating the words you just said.