NCL Star 2/26 to 3/5/2011 Just got back

[cacj]

Just a quick hello, and short report (more detailed review to follow).

 

The Star crew is fantastic! We found smiling faces, efficient service, kindness and ready willing and able to assist attitudes.

 

The MDR was our main hangout, never went up to Market Cafe but twice to walk thru. Did go to Le Bistro, and had good food and great service...but sadly no longer can you get the filet mignon there....We also went to La Cucina and that was by far the best dining experience. The staff there were terrific (and the tiramasou was fantastic.)

 

Against our better judgement we tried the Mystery Lunch....much too pricey for the experience....and would never do it again.

 

Shows were fabulous, varied and many! So many choices....if we were bored then it was our own fault, but we were not.

 

The spa....well, that is another story, and will be revealed later...as I have to digest the nonsense that occurred and I want to report it faily and balanced. Right now, I am too steamed to do so.

 

Just a quick note...the thermal spa on the Star doesn't have the thermal lounges....just 12 lumpy teak lounges, and 10 chairs. Folks leave their towels and robes and disappear or stay on the lounges reading and reading and reading. Pretty difficult to distinguish an empty lounge by the reserved look of them.

 

Also, you need to bring your own slippers....they do not offer any rubber sandals or slippers....anywhere in the spa.

 

In a few days I will post a fuller review, but if you have questions, I will try to answer them.

[ilovesassy]

Thanks for your thoughts. I am looking forward to your more detailed review. I'm glad you had a good time.

[bryanjaync]

Was Endless Summer (the Tex-Mex speciality restaurant) still on the Star? It has been dropped from some NCL web site mentions.

[ilovesassy]

I am looking forward to your more detailed review. It sounds like it was a good vacation for the most part! Glad to know that you liked the MDR. Was kind of worried about that! Thanks for posting.

[cndycruiser]

What were your favorite foods in the MDR? Anything stand out? And is the Endless Summer in two sections? I know the Blue Lagoon is across from it, but I am not talking about that. Someone says the "tapas" section of ES is free. Just wondering what you know? Thanks. Also, how is the general condition of the ship?

[Gohogs34]

What were your favorite foods in the MDR? Anything stand out? And is the Endless Summer in two sections? I know the Blue Lagoon is across from it, but I am not talking about that. Someone says the "tapas" section of ES is free. Just wondering what you know? Thanks. Also, how is the general condition of the ship?

 

 

What is served in this area? "Someone says the "tapas" section of ES is free"

[CounselorCruiser]

Crew fantastic? Our cabin stewards were very friendly (Daisy & Joseph), but after that, for the most part, if you didn't speak first, it was likely that they would walk past you with no eye contact or voice. Jaime's crew (Cruise director) was quite friendly and outgoing. Sorry, we were two of those who sat in the spa and read ... at the cost of $119 each to have that privilege. We had a Mini-Suite, but since the temps were not good until the third day, the spa was a 'relief' and 'respite' for us. For us, this was the overall most 'non friendly' staff we've met in 8 cruises. I don't blame the staff, rather I believe it's a systemic problem in that it isn't a priority to make eye contact and interact prior to having a passenger, 'client', initiate the conversation. There were a few on the wait staff in the MDR that were helpful, but for us, give us a set time, set table, set waitstaff and then you have a relationship that works for both staff and the paying customer.

[Chipster2]

Thanks to both of you for posting you experiences on the Star. I look forward to reading more as you have time.

[cacj]

Was Endless Summer (the Tex-Mex speciality restaurant) still on the Star? It has been dropped from some NCL web site mentions.

 

Endless Summer is on Deck 8 midship....it overlooks deck 7, kind of loft setup, and you can also see the Internet Cafe up at Deck 9. On port is Endless Summer, and starboard has the Blue Lagoon. We didn't enjoy the setup for the Blue Lagoon, tables were crowded, chairs uncomfortable and it was the only time we felt that the wait staff didn't "gel"....the food was okay, but not as good as it had been in the old Blue Lagoon.

 

What were your favorite foods in the MDR? Anything stand out? And is the Endless Summer in two sections? I know the Blue Lagoon is across from it, but I am not talking about that. Someone says the "tapas" section of ES is free. Just wondering what you know? Thanks. Also, how is the general condition of the ship?

 

We preferred the Versailles over Aqua....and both have same menus. We are not big into beef, preferring fish and lighter fare. However, they did always seem to have some beef available, and one night I did order the grilled sirloin which was done just the way I ordered it. I had the salmon twice, and enjoyed it both times. The soups are really good, and for lunch we often just went in for a bowl of the chicken noodle soup. Some of the desserts were excellent....a warm coconut souffle stands out. We had excellent service, and no problems with ordering wine or having glasses brought to us when we brought our wine back to the dining room.

The lobster night was good....one lobster tail and a red snapper filet, perfectly cooked. And I must say that all food was at perfect temperature every time we had a meal there.

 

I am afraid we are not ES people, so cannot give feedback about tapas. I did take a photo of the posted menu, but I don't know how to post the pic, there is no mention of tapas on that menu. Cover charge is $10 and includes a free margarita. Main courses include shrimp skewers, sizzling fajitas, beef burritos, lobster tacos, pork baby back ribs, vegetable enchiladas. Dessert includes ice cream, chocolate cake, pineapple and mango compote, flan and a carmelized margarita tartlet.

 

The general condition seemed great to us...with exception of some of the seats in Stardust theater.....there are some that are broken or dip down so low that when you are watching the show your body feels pitched and pinched.

 

We spent some time in Spinnaker...the dance floor is way too small for the number of folks who show for dancing....the chairs are cramped together and there is some danger in trying to find your way around them. We really missed the second dance area that used to be where they have put teppanyaki restaurant.

 

What is served in this area? "Someone says the "tapas" section of ES is free"

 

Again, I am sorry to say that we didn't check into that area. But you can get popcorn at the Red Lion as reported.

[cacj]

Crew fantastic? Our cabin stewards were very friendly (Daisy & Joseph), but after that, for the most part, if you didn't speak first, it was likely that they would walk past you with no eye contact or voice. Jaime's crew (Cruise director) was quite friendly and outgoing. Sorry, we were two of those who sat in the spa and read ... at the cost of $119 each to have that privilege. We had a Mini-Suite, but since the temps were not good until the third day, the spa was a 'relief' and 'respite' for us. For us, this was the overall most 'non friendly' staff we've met in 8 cruises. I don't blame the staff, rather I believe it's a systemic problem in that it isn't a priority to make eye contact and interact prior to having a passenger, 'client', initiate the conversation. There were a few on the wait staff in the MDR that were helpful, but for us, give us a set time, set table, set waitstaff and then you have a relationship that works for both staff and the paying customer.

 

Yes, it sounds like we were on different cruises. No offense intended toward you regarding the spa...yes, the $119 insures you that privilege and access. The real issue is when someone left their towel and robe over the lounge to reserve it, and they didn't reappear.

 

We also had the coldest cabin for two or three days....finally our stewards got the situation resolved and that made it easier for us.

 

As for your experience with MDR, it was not ours...quite the contrary...we always had friendly and helpful servers. Not once did any server act in any manner that left us feeling unattended or ignored. We like freestyling, and could never have the rigidity of set table and time.

 

Most of the crew we encountered were the first to wish us good morning or ask how our day was going. There was only one exception that I can think of, and it happened in MDR....a rather shy server was somewhat reluctant to have conversation at all.

 

We were told often, by our own steward and wait staff that there were quite a number of new staff being trained with a senior staffer. Our stewards were one experienced and one brand new....we had a minor issue on the first night, and it was taken care of by second day....the problem was due to the lack of knowledge of the inexperienced steward.

[Coasty]

Thanks for the quick reviews, will be looking forward to more details as this post grows. Sorry to hear "no more filet at La Bistro". We liked theirs better then Cags. We have always enjoyed the NCL crews and never felt we were be ignored.

[che5904]

It’s always comical to read reviews for the same ship and time as what you have been on.

Food is very subjective and I am an extremely picky eater, so I rarely comment on the food in restaurants, I really didn’t like the food on the Dawn 2 years ago in the MDR however on the Star my husband and I always found something to enjoy and cooked well in the MDRs. Good job Barrington (head chef). I do have to say I preferred the Versailles over the Aqua for a couple of reasons. One the décor and two the noise level is louder in the Aqua (I think due to the different floor levels in the Versailles). We ate one night at Cagneys and the food was very good. We did go to the Market Café for breakfasts. I will say no more about that since I am really NOT a buffet person and therefore could not give a fair account.

I think the only complaint I would have about the cruise was the new Spinnaker. Although I didn’t go to any of the dancing events, I could see how the dance floor would be considered very small. The events we did attend in the Spinnaker we found the seating arrangement terrible, you felt like you were squeezed in like sardines. In order to get in or out of an inside seat you pretty well had to climb over the seat in front of you.

Our cabin stewards were fantastic (Conrad & I’m sorry I can’t pronounce his partner’s name). Always willing to help and want to know if everything was to our liking. Any crew or stewards we came upon in the hallways always nodded and said hello. I found all the crew to be polite and helpful, not overly friendly (chatty) in the dining venues or lounges but pleasant and I have no complaints.

Jamie (cruise director) and her staff, did a good job and I enjoyed any events we attended. I also have to make note here that on the Dawn we were bombarded with bingo and shopping announcements constantly. I did find it a pleasure that we didn’t have to be constantly interrupted by those announcements on the Star.

Except while in port, the weather sucked :(, cold and windy. Although I was disappointed at not being able to enjoy deck time the ship did a good job of amusing us with many indoor activities.

All in all a very enjoyable cruise and I am looking forward to booking another one next year.:)

[cndycruiser]

CACJ: Thanks for your answering my questions!! REALLY appreciated it! :)

[mbisson]

Thanks to those who have posted their recent experiences.

 

I'm looking forward to my sailing in a few weeks :)

[mking8288]

I also have to make note here that on the Dawn we were bombarded with bingo and shopping announcements constantly. I did find it a pleasure that we didn’t have to be constantly interrupted by those announcements on the Star.

 

Thanks for sharing the review. We missed the STAR while sailing the Jewel last month and thinking about booking her later this year while it's still out West (before making NYC its new home in 2012)

 

We're getting constantly bombarded with bingo, shopping and port talks 2 years ago on the Star's MR sailing, I swear that I can still hear the "voices of Jeanna, the Asst CD - announcing it's "Bingo time again in the Spinnaker" This time around, we hardly noticed it and it was, well, at least less intrusive - to the point where I wondered is the PA system working. And, of course, we hardly got any daily updates or greetings from our "Captain" on the bridge - always get them on other NCL ships.

 

Sounds like the same energetic, young & happy crew is still doing "magic" on the ship and keeping folks happy and it's good to know as we are planning our next one. In contrast, we noticed many more older or "mature" crew members working in the public area this year, and, subjectively speaking - not exactly "bonding" with many of the cruisers onboard (but, still efficiently, getting their jobs done.)

 

How're the Asian fusion restaurants? Were they crowded or busy? It was fairly quiet and no reservations needed 2 years ago, so it was easy to just walk up and get seated .... folks living along the West Coast probably are not as interested in sushi and hot pot on the ship, as they can easily get it in their hometown at very good prices anyway.

[Susie51]

Thank you for your post. This is just my thought on the subject of using the lounge chairs in the spa area. I feel with such limited space a 30 min. rule would be nice so everyone who has spent $119 will have a chance to use them.

[Planmaam]

Interesting to see the different reviews! We just got off the Star on February 5th, and had a great time.

 

Has the price of the spa pass gone up? We paid $99.00, and I see you quoted $119.00.

 

Just had to mention some of my favorite food items; we had the stuffed mushrooms in Versailles, and they were quite a hit at our table. The next lunch my DH and I just ordered two orders of that and a salad; yum! Portobello mushroom caps with a goat's cheese filling on a bed of marinara. The goat's cheese was mild enough not to overpower the dish. We liked these so much that my DS and I have both tried making these at home since.

 

Le Bistro may not have filet mignon anymore, but they do have tenderloin, which is basically the same cut. Mine was so big I could not finish it the first time we ate there because I also tried the to-die-for cream of mushroom soup and it was filling.

 

We found the staff all to be very friendly, also, with one exception. We had a waiter in Versailles that was all business, and we did not get a smile out of him. But Jefferson served us there upon embarkation, and got our cruise off to a great start. Chichi and Johnson served us in Le Bistro and were very friendly and accommodating, and Violet was outstanding in Endless Summer. During our dinner in Endless Summer, we sat in one of the balcony areas overlooking the atrium while the band was playing below. We sang along, and requested songs all during dinner, and Violet joined in the singing; she has a great voice! She told us to request "What a wonderful world" because they do it so well, and she was right! A fabulous Louis Armstrong imitation.

 

Our room steward always greeted us by name whenever we came into sight, and our bartender in the Star Bar, Marlon did, too, after the first night. He's a lot of fun, and if the bar is not too busy, he has card and rope tricks to show you, and he's quite good!

 

There were two places I did see some wear on the ship, and that was at the seams in the hall carpet on deck 10, and our aft balcony railing was in need of refinishing. Other than that, the ship was in fine condition.

 

Happy Sailing, all,

[Kelly07]

Thank you for posting your reviews! I am hungry now for cruise food! :) Really appreciate it!

[eargal]

Do you remember the tender times for cabo?

On the first day (12:00-7:00) did you arrive any earlier than noon?

On the second day (8:00-3:00) do you remember what time the last tender was heading back to the ship?

 

Thanks for any information you can offer.:)

[cacj]

Here is part one of review:

 

Embarkation: We arrived around 10:45 AM and the doors were not open. There was an unusually cold wind blowing at the terminal, and although there was sunshine, we were pretty cold, but patiently able to huddle up and wait until 11:30 for admittance. After passing security, we were given a white ticket with the number 8 on it. We had a minor computer glitch at check in, but were eventually checked in and told to sit in seats until our number was called.

 

Within relatively short order we were told to move to the opposite side and sit there as a group. Then someone started shouting for group 1, no one responded, then group 2, no one....then out of the blue a man shouted, "everyone with white tickets you are free to board." And everyone moved toward the entrance. A bit chaotic, but it worked.

 

We bypassed the embarkation photo team and moved up the escalator....it took about five minutes or so to get to the deck. We entered the ship at the atrium on Deck 7. We quickly went over to the restaurant reservations desk and made two reservations and then searched out the Versailles to enjoy our first lunch.

 

Outside the Spinnaker (just near the Versailles stairwell) a crew member called to us that we could leave our bags with him in the Spinnaker, which we did. He gave us a claim ticket and told us that we should pick them up before 2 PM or they would be sent to the reception area.

 

 

Overview: We found the cruise to be fun, well staffed and we enjoyed it. We attended most of the shows, and we missed a few of them too....there are so many things to choose from that you cannot possibly do it all.

 

 

Smoke is now a problem for us on the Star. It wasn't always so, but it is now. I think it is because they have opened the casino up, and perhaps made it bigger. There are more openings in walls so that you can see the casino action, and a wider doorway, I think.

 

The smoke from the casino hits you midship, starboard, and a bit aft. It is always present. Worse when the casino is open.

 

And if you are in the Stardust theater, stay away from starboard side as the smoke from the casino infiltrates that side of the theater.

 

It is an absolutely disappointing experience to deal with the smoke. I feel for all crew who have to endure it. It reminds me of when flight attendants had to endure second hand smoke on all domestic flights.

 

We just routed ourselves away from Deck 6 whenever it was possible.

 

The spa was okay, and I will post about that in a separate review...but in general, unless you really have the money to burn, I don't recommend that you buy the $119 thermal suite package....it is a waste of money for a weeklong cruise...spend it on something else, like a tour or wine package and really get to enjoy your dollars.

 

 

Details: We recovered our bags and walked around deck 7 to acquaint ourselves with some of the changes. The trades shops are nicely arranged and there is a change to the area where the Carousel bar used to be, it seems to havea new stairwell and the Teppanyaki restaurant. The glass elevators are here midship. And the art is here as well.

 

Below on Deck 6 is Gatsby's and a lounge area and the entrance to La Cucina. Many nights a pianist would be playing at Gatsby's.

 

 

Our cabins were open to us at 2 PM.

 

Upon entering our balcony cabin the first unhappy thing happened, we were greeted with an overwhelming smell of cigarette smoke. This is the very first time we have had this happen in 7 cruises with NCL. DH wanted to go immediately to reception and ask for a change, but I felt we would be no better off, and hoped that the smell would diminish once we set sail.

 

The cabin was very cold, and I even added more cooling in hopes to send the smell away. We also opened the balcony, but that proved to create a suction which drew in more smell rather than eject it.

 

I took out my handy wipes and wiped down all surfaces and hoped that would also help the smell diminish. I was wrong.

 

The cabin continued to have smoke in it until mid Monday....we couldn't figure out why, except it did seem to be coming from the overhead vent (above the bed.) We tucked pillow cases around the vent and that cut off some of the flow. (I realized now why everyone says bring duct tape!)

 

We never brought the problem to anyone's attention, as we did not want any ionization equipment into the cabin while we were present. Finally, mid-Monday the scent had disappeared.

 

But we were unable to get the cabin warmer, and this was now Tues. a.m.......the warming aspect of the thermostat did not bring relief from the cold. It was at this point that we contacted our stewards (who were tremendous at their attention to our requests) and they had the problem fixed that afternoon.

 

Unfortunately, on Saturday night during the middle of the night there was a medical emergency....and a woman was in great distress, unable to breathe without assistance...all medical personnel (I believe it was 2 doctors and 3 nurses) were working to help her, and it was decided that she had to be evacuated. Because she could not breathe on her own, the captain was forced to turn the ship around and head to the nearest port....Ensenada.

 

I had awakened in the wee hours and heard the ship slapping like mad, and thought we hit rough seas, but it was the ship being driven at top speed to rescue this woman. Airlift was impossible because she needed to have help breathing and could not have survived the basket lift to helio.

 

This delay caused our itinerary to be changed yet again.

 

We had already heard that Mazatlan was removed from the itinerary two days before we left, but they had arranged for 2 port days in Cabo to replace Mazatlan. Now because we had to turn around we no longer could land in Cabo on Monday....so instead of a day at Cabo, we had an additional sea day. While it was a bummer, we felt the captain proved just how serious he and his crew are about the well being of his passengers. It was gratifying to know that this kind of dedication to health and safety is a tradition with Captain Gunner and his crew.

 

By Monday the air was warmer and pool deck busy with action. We enjoyed exploring the ship and continued to enjoy the ship throughout the days.

 

We had been on the MR cruise before, and felt no real attraction to any of the tours this time, and as we both needed some serious rest, we decided to forego an excursion....in this case, it seemed provident, because I am sure there were many excursion disappointments with the double changes in itinerary.

　

Dining: DH loved the portobello mushrooms at lunch in Versailles. I enjoyed the chicken. We also enjoyed the chicken noodle soup and shrimp salad.

 

We are not big foodies, so our enjoyment of a meal will not meet most foodie standards, I suspect. We like meals to be appropriate temperature, cooked as promised and tasty....beyond that, we are novices as to how to "judge." We like what we like, and that is that. We found our standards were met and sometimes exceeded.

 

The only exception about our pleasure with the dining is that there are inadequate servings of vegetables. Most main courses had few if any vegetables....and this is one area that greatly disappointed us. There were no side dishes of vegetables that one could order. You got what you got on the plate and that seemed sort of "factory" arranged. This is the down side of the dining.

 

Saturday night we had reservations at La Cucina....and we were happy we did. The food was delicious. The service extremely attentive and friendly. The only other specialty dining we did was on Monday night, at Le Bistro. We enjoyed it, but actually decided that it was not worth the extra cover charge for us. The service was fine, and the meal perfectly served.

 

We went to Acqua on Sunday, and realized that it was a big mistake...the venue is just loud, chaotic and lacks calm. From then on it was the Versailles, and we enjoyed each meal there.

 

We didn't take ourselves back to La Cucina, and I wish we had, but perhaps on the next cruise.

 

We bought the reservations for the Mystery Lunch, at $20 a piece ($40 in total), it just wasn't worth that. To pay $40 for something should mean that you truly are getting something special. It isn't. While the cast members of Second City are sharp witted, the play fell flat for us. There was little comedy to it...I don't fault the cast, I fault us....we expected something bigger, it wasn't. The "interactive" promise also was rather weakly played out. So I don't recommend it....and the dining itself was well, poor. Overdone chicken marsala and 2 mini chocolate eclairs, and a salad. Just overpriced and truly not a rewarding way to spend $40. The shows are much better.

 

We attempted to attend the chocolate buffet Thursday night, but the lines were huge and no chocolate is worth the wait it would have been.

 

We didn't have a single thing up at the Market Cafe....it is set up cafeteria style, and had no appeal to us.

 

We used the juice bar once, and the bartender was quite friendly and was a little bit disappointed that we didn't ask for more than carrots and celery to be juiced.

 

 

SHOWS: will be in part two of the review

[cacj]

Do you remember the tender times for cabo?

On the first day (12:00-7:00) did you arrive any earlier than noon?

On the second day (8:00-3:00) do you remember what time the last tender was heading back to the ship?

 

Thanks for any information you can offer.:)

 

Unfortunately, we didn't get the first day in Cabo...see part one of my review above to find out why. I believe we had a slightly different schedule due to the changes made for the emergency...but it was clear that the ship would leave on time, with or without passengers. One of the captain's crew told us that it was too expensive to delay, with the current price of oil.

 

Has the price of the spa pass gone up? We paid $99.00' date=' and I see you quoted $119.00.[/quote']

 

Yes, it is now $119.

[OceanDreaming2]

Did go to Le Bistro, and had good food and great service...but sadly no longer can you get the filet mignon there.

 

I asked NCL on their Facebook page and they stated the beef tenderloin is still available in LeBistro. It is possible it wasn't available the day you were there - but it's normally on the menu.

[marelind]

How're the Asian fusion restaurants? Were they crowded or busy? It was fairly quiet and no reservations needed 2 years ago, so it was easy to just walk up and get seated ....

 

We were on the same cruise as cacj. We enjoyed the Ginza and the teppanyaki. Every time we went past Ginza it was not overly busy and it looked like you could be seated without reservations. We both loved the ribs and fried rice, DH loved the crab wontons, and I had moo shu pork. Very good and more food than we could finish.

 

Teppanyaki was different than the Pearl; there was two grills side by side and two chefs that worked together (one doing veges and at the same time one doing the friend rice, etc.)

[singinglizzie]

Loved reading your review! Thanks for all the tips! I'll be on the Star in 4 days woo hoo!!!

[cacj]

I asked NCL on their Facebook page and they stated the beef tenderloin is still available in LeBistro. It is possible it wasn't available the day you were there - but it's normally on the menu.

Beef tenderloin was on the menu....on our last cruise Le Bistro offered 2 sizes of filet mignon in Le Bistro with bernaise/hollandaise sauce....this is not on the menu now.