Just off the Star to Alaska 6/12-6/19

[steelgoddess]

Wow...what a vacation. The weather was perfect, scenery amazing,met some new friends, gained about 5 lbs. After reading some of the posts about the Norwegian Star I was a little worried, but turned out to be very nice. Food was good in the main dining rooms. If you order something and don't like it, tell them to bring you something else. The waiters are more than accommodating. Our room was large enough for four (mini-suite). We weren't in the room that much. My teenagers stayed out later than us and we woke up before them so we never felt crowded. We enjoyed the spa, facials and massages were awesome. Wait until later in the cruise and they offer some specials. Or get a message the first day for a nice discounted price. Rarely more than 5 or more people in the hot tub, pool etc. Misty Fjords float plane and Endicott Arm were the highlights of the cruise. Absolutely amazing. I'll be glad to answer any questions anyone has. Oh yes, only one rough day at sea and that was on Sunday...lots of sick people. I took bonine and wore the wrist bands and did fine.

 

Jill

[terrymtex01]

Glad you had such a great time with your family. Thanks for posting and telling us about it.

[steelgoddess]

Hi Terrymex: Did you go to the Quest game on the last night of the cruise? It was hilarious!! We got there too late to participate but had a great time watching. There were some CRAZY people on our cruise. The funniest part was when the guys had to wear a bra, their undies, lipstick and womens shoes!! Of course this was an 18 and older game. It's a don't miss in my opinion, but you have to have an open mind. Get there early if you want to participate, but have a couple of drinks ahead of time to loosen up. I see why they do this game on the last night. Some of those people were probably waking of the next morning hoping noone recognized them...It was great.

[wacopolumbo]

Glad to hear you had a good time. My wife and I just booked on the Star for next fall (completely on a whim). We are booked in one of the new Deluxe Owner's Suites where the Spinnaker Lounge used to be. Were you able to see if they are making progress up there with the new rooms, I understand they are not finished yet. Other than that, how did you like the ship?

 

Thanks!

[snorklinbarb]

Glad you had a great time and liked the Star.

 

Any comments on entertainment - shows/music?

 

Also was there a naturalist who boarded the ship and guided you through the glaciers? Anything you can tell us about that day, what you saw from your balcony (or decks) or about the quality and length of the commentary would be appreciated.

 

Did you have a Meet & Greet?

[44bones]

Hi,

thanks for the message as we are coming from AUS to cruise the inside passage in September.

Any other info from anyone would be appreciated

Cheers

[Budget Queen]

Glad you had a great time and liked the Star.

 

Any comments on entertainment - shows/music?

 

Also was there a naturalist who boarded the ship and guided you through the glaciers? Anything you can tell us about that day' date=' what you saw from your balcony (or decks) or about the quality and length of the commentary would be appreciated.

 

Did you have a Meet & Greet?[/quote']

 

NCL does not have naturalists, they have "lecturers" who may do narration.

[colonial traveler]

Glad you had a great time! We (wife, daughter and I) sail on July 24th and can hardly wait! Did you happen to get copies of current menus in MDR or dailies? How warm/cool was it?

[steelgoddess]

We found the Star in great shape. Didnt notice the construction too much except a couple of stairways roped off. One side of the pool sitting area was closed off but didn't seem to matter much. The weather was perfect. About 54 degrees in all the ports. Windy in Skagway so it felt colder. I wore jeans and yoga pants with a hoodie or fleece jacket and never felt cold. The coldest was when we went to the glacier up Endicott Arm. I still just wore a wind breaker and dockers and felt fine. No running commentary but they had a presentation before we got there. I didn't go and still had a great time.Saw a couple of huge pieces break off. Amazing. You really have to watch close or you will miss it. We got so close everyone was worried about how the captain would turn the ship around. The front of the ship has glass panels it's hard to see over if you aren't very tall but I saw a lot of people standing on the chairs. When he turns around slowly you can stand on the side of the ship where the jogging track is for a great unobstructed view. Then work your way to the back of the ship for a great unobstructed view. This was one of the most amazing experiences. I wish they would have played native music for a more mystical experience instead of rock music. Maybe download some soothing music on an ipod and listen to that to get a better experience. We ate at the main dining room about half the time. Versailles is way prettier than Aqua. Better views too. Same menu. The salmon dishes were always very good. Don't miss the creme brulees. All of them were excellent. The rest of the desserts were just ok but didn't matter if they offered the brulees. (not sure about my spelling). Prime rib on the last night was my husbands favorite. We ate at Cagney's and La Bistro. Both excellent. If you don't like something you order, don't eat it. Get something else. The waiters were so accommodating that way. I wanted to try some different dishes and didn't like a couple of them and the waiters would offer something different before I would ask. No need to make reservations for the fee dining areas. Always able to get right in.

 

We only went to the magic show which was just ok but he did his last show on Friday. I'm not sure who is replacing him. We spent a lot of time in the casino at night. 2 cent slots were fun. Dealers were very friendly and we made a lot of good friends.

 

I wish we would have gone to more of the game shows because the Quest show was hilarious. Bingo was a bummer...only played twice..didn't win.

Didn't go to the Chocolate Buffet..heard mixed reviews. The last NCL cruise had the buffet in the main dining room which added to the "fanciness" but this one is in the Market buffet area. Doesn't seem fancy enough.

 

We really loved this cruise. I thought there was plenty of inside viewing areas but never really needed them since the weather was so nice.

 

Misty Fjords Float plane was the highlight (booked through the ship)

Whale watching - just ok for the whale part but the scenery was incredible (booked through the ship) I would do this again

Train ride - very nice but after doing the Misty Fjord, it was hard to compare - still would do this again but not through the ship- we went to the Klondike gold fields on this tour and I think you could do the train and gold field individually for way cheaper. My kids enjoyed panning for gold. Kind of hokey but they had fun. (Do not eat at the restraunt there...yuk!!)

 

Prince Rupert was a cute town. If you don't do an excursion, save some room in your tummy and eat at Smiles. Awesome fish and chips and shrimp chowder and strawberry rhubarb pie. Split a large..more than enough food for two. $17.00 for a large so it's kind of pricey. Nice marina at Prince Rupert..good for a few nice pictures. Not much else to do but it was nice to get off the ship and walk around. We bought Canadian Maple syrup for gifts.

 

This reply is much longer than I intended but you can probably tell we had a great time. Hardly was my teens on this "family vacation". They had a great time and are texting all their new friends non stop.

 

I only got mad once on this cruise and it was when we went on an indepenent tour in Ketchikan after the float plane. On the dock there was a stand that offered a wildlife quest and totem pole tour. I really wanted to see the totem poles. $50.00 per person so $200.00 for our family. They advertised bears, eagles, whales etc and totem poles. Could have taken a cab for way way less but thought it would be a nice tour. No whales, no bears, a couple of eagles. Tour guide dissed the cruising industry the entire time but here is the kicker...by the time we got to the totem poles,it was closed!!!!! I usually am not a complainer but let me tell you, I was livid. I very calmly explained my problem to the manager when we got back and at first they said there was nothing they could do but once I got slightly louder - my son thought it was cool- I got $100.00 back. Sooo not me to make a scene but this time it was a must. I don't want to name the tour agency on here but if you want to,email me directly and I will tell you.

 

I can go on and on and will be glad to answer more questions.

[steelgoddess]

I just remembered this...In Juneau, it's a short day so everyone gets back onto the ship about the same time. I would suggest you eat in Juneau. Find a good local eatery,maybe fish and chips or something because when you get back on the ship, everyone is trying to eat at the same time. The waits were really long. We ended up ordering room service which took about an hour. Usually room service is less than 30 minutes. We didn't want to spend the money since you can eat for free on the ship but were really hungry and had to wait a long time. Only the Versaille, market and blue lagoon were open and very crowded. (Don't know about the fee dining areas but would rather eat the local Juneau fare if you are paying for it anyway). Hope this helps.

Jill

 

P.S. Looking at pictures today....just beautiful!!!

[fidoprincess]

We just got back last night too and had a wonderful time! After all of my debating about which excursions to do, we ended up doing excursions in every port. We also did the float plane in Ketchikan through Misty Fjord and it was great fun. We booked when we got off the ship and saved lots of money and it ended up just being the 4 of us in the plane so dd (10) got to be the "co-pilot" and loved it. We did a jet boat and dd again got to drive and loved that too.

 

The best tour by far was the boat that went ahead of the cruise ship in Endicott Arm. It was supposed to be Tracy Arm but switched because of ice and we loved every single second of it. We saw a whale and watched it for about 30 minutes and a bear too. The whale put his head out of the water and we could see his face and it was so exciting. It was just the best thing ever and to see the glacier calving so close was exciting. Even my 15 year old ds was excited and loved it. I am so glad that I listened to my fellow cc's and didn't cancel it. Do it if you can! We did have a naturalist on board and she was wonderful. (Remember I was worried about having to get back on board-piece of cake! Easier than some ports with steep ramps or steps.)

 

I LOVED the minisuite but that sofa bed was hard as a rock just like others said so I packed a queen aerobed and it was perfect. I slept there with my dd and kept the curtains open the entire time and loved watching out the balcony late at night since the sun stayed up so long and rose so early. Dh and ds slept on the twin beds and were comfy and not bothered by me since the curtain is really heavy and blocks the light so well. The bathroom was great for us too with the sliding doors. 3 of us could really be in there at the same time but be warned, it really is a big step in and out of the tub.

 

We were more impacted by the construction and I will write more about that later but it was a great cruise and we also really loved Seattle too. My teen son also loved the teen club and spent every minute there he could. Good to be home but we could have easily stayed longer and wish we had more time in the ports.

[snorklinbarb]

All excellent info, thanks to all who've posted about their wonderful cruise on the Star.

 

Does anyone by chance have the dailies? Nobody so far this season has posted the week. It's a lot of work to scan and post but if one of you is willing, I bet a lot of people would join me in a big thank you!:D

 

BTW, don't know if the totems that were missed on that private tour were Saxman Village in Ketchikan or Totem Bight State Park but I hope you have another opportunity. Good for you for giving feedback to the operator and getting some results after your tour did not meet your expectations (or their description).

[steelgoddess]

Hi Fidoprincess: I would have enjoyed meeting you but I'll bet our kids met as both of mine spent a lot of time in the kids club. My kids are Tory and James from Texas. They had a great time and are already facebooking and texting each other. Lots of great stories to share.

 

So you were on the boat that got so close to the glacier? That looked really cool. You guys got really close. I wish we could have done that one too. Weren't you surprised though how close the ship got to the glacier. He kept going and going and getting closer and closer. It was amazing watching that huge ship turn around in such a limited space.

 

I really enjoyed the relaxing atmosphere of the ship. Freestyle is just that. I did meet a couple of people that wished it was a little fancier but for us,it was perfect. Washing clothes today...ugh.

 

I didn't keep the Freestyle Dailies. I would definately take a highlighter to mark what you want to do. The time gets away from you really easy. Take it with you when you leave your room so you won't forget anything.

[wwumarine]

Waco,

 

We will be sailing in your cabin (12502) this September. I'll be sure to post lots of information and pictures when I get back.

 

Grant

[fidoprincess]

steelgoddess, Yes, my son did meet your kids. His name is Jake and we are from California. He said your kids were really nice. I think they all had a really really good time at the teen club. He also met a friend who is a cousin of one of his friends here so it just goes to show it is a small world. One night I came back to our cabin and the whole cabin was spotless but his bed was all messed up and I admit, I was concerned so we went to check him out and it was a toga party and he needed the sheet-lol.

 

Yes, the little boat was great but I did read that on the cruise before us the ship came in almost as far and that is when I almost cancelled the excursion. In the end though, we loved it and that was the only bear we saw so Dh was very happy. I am glad to hear that you did get to see the calving too because that is a sight to see! Most people on the ship did not see it I guess. Only the people who were out specifically looking from what I heard. I loved all the baby seals and just the whole adventure and I was so glad we went. We loved the float plane too. It was exciting and beautiful and money well spent.

 

My dd did not do the kids club so I never did hit the spa and it really put a dent in the night life with Dh. She went the first night but after that, she was so tired and we were so busy that she did stuff with us and then I went with her to the cabin around 11 so she could go to sleep. Dh hit the casino and did some other things but I would not leave her in the cabin alone. That is about the only time I had to relax and didn't really mind missing anything because it was our family vacation and she had such a good time.

 

Both of the kids loved everything about the trip, except ds did not like the food in the main dining room. After the second night, we just let him go and the 3 of us had dinner without him. It felt like we were on the go the entire time and it is a good thing for freestyle because we would have missed dinner all of the time. We only made lunch in the dining room the first day and breakfast the last day. We spent a lot of time on deck at the pool, hot tub, kids pool, just watching for whales up front and doing all the activities.

 

The first day at sea, I was so tired and took a nap and Dh took dd and did all kinds of fun stuff. They both golf so they enjoyed the little driving area and they played the big chess game but mostly, dd loved the pools and we had to drag her out all the time. The last sea day, I spent some time packing us all up and Dh took dd to the art auction and they had a lot of fun. Ds was gone mostly the entire time! I got worried on the Prince Rupert day because we had an excursion and he was late getting back to the cabin. We had to meet at 3:40 in the theater and at 3:37 he showed up!

 

I will write a review when I finish the mountain of laundry. Dd starts Girl Scout Day Camp tomorrow but got sick on the cruise so I am just watching and hoping she will make it. There was a woman on that little boat who was sick as a dog and sat right next to dd and sure enough, dd has it now but at least it is just a cold and not noro. We talked to a lot of the Princess cruisers and noro was on their minds and some of the crew told me they got sick so we were lucky it did not get passed to our ship!

[Ms belp]

NCL does not have naturalists, they have "lecturers" who may do narration.

 

Yes, they were on our cruise in May 2008. Park service employees. They were upstairs in the front lounge on the Pearl. They had books and videos for sale and gave a great talk.

[dow cruiser]

Since most of you just got off the ship and had tons of fun, i do have a question about the beverage program. Can you buy it only on the first day? Right now I don't plan on paying the daily charge, but I might change my mind. Does NCL offer the program after the first day?

 

Waiting patiently for September 18.

[Traveller20074]

NCL does not have naturalists, they have "lecturers" who may do narration.

 

We had a Park Ranger - Glacier Bay. Got my passport stamped :D

 

(different ship, I realize...Pearl)