Just off the Star Mexican Riviera ........

[luv2cruz62]

Any questions? I would be more than willing to try to answer any questions you may have! Not sure if I'll do a full review.....NCL did drop the ball regarding a couple of things....but over all we had a good time!!

[eargal]

I'd love to hear the details when you find the time. I'll be on this same cruise in 5 weeks. Hopefully you'll post a full review:)

 

For now, could you tell me what you did in Cabo for both days and how you liked it? Thanks.

 

Shannon

[Rayefan]

We are cruising for the first time on NCL and Star on April 9th.

Any tip would be appreciated by us.

 

Thanks!

Barb

[NEW 2 CRUISIN]

This Mexican Riviera cruise on the STAR is one of my favorites! We had so much fun that we did it TWICE! :D

 

I have not been on the ship since all the changes were made to the Star Bar, lounge areas, etc, and to be honest -- I kind of don't want to be disappointed by them! What did you think?

 

We also like Mazatlan and are glad to have been able to visit twice before all the trouble. Are they still working in two days at Cabo instead?

 

You can't tease us with the whole "ball dropping" comment -- what happened?

 

Glad you had a good time! I'd defintitely consider doing this one again under the right conditions!

[luv2cruz62]

Let me start by saying that we did have a fun time! This was the first cruise where I did not take 6 days to familiarize myself on the ship...very easy to get around and did not get lost at all!!

 

eargal......We did 2 days in Cabo....what a beautiful port! Loved it soo much better than PV......We didn't do anything special the first day (let me say that my 17 yr old DD complained that it was too hot !! lol) We tendered in to port which ran quite smoothly! we waited until all the passengers with shore excursions were off and avoided the mass congestion on deck 4 and 5! We wondered around the marina area and just did some looky loo stuff....snooped around the shops and the market...although DD did not like that because of the pushy vendors always pushing to sell you something and also all the water taxi vendors....I've never said 'no thank you' more times in a couple of hours in my life!! On the other side of the walkway....many 'private' vendors trying to sell their wares through the chain link fence...(mothers with children in tow....)

The ship left port and went and sat out at sea for the night...then returned for 8 am the next morning... again we went into the harbour and decided to take a water taxi for a tour. We went to the only 'female' vendor....only because she looked more reputable than some others along the marina. She took us out to her boat with a different driver, which had about 6 other tourists..then we dropped the other people off at Medano beach and we continued on our tour .....just the 3 of us and the driver (?)...we bargained $12.oo per person for a 45 minute tour out to Lovers beach, sea lion rock etc.....was well worth the money for the tour! have some great photos ! Then just finished off with some shopping and went back to the ship. There is alot to do there.....if I had more $$ I would have booked a snorkeling tour and done that...it looked wonderful when we went out to that area in the glass bottom boat! and if I was braver...I would have done the parasailing! That looked like alot of fun also!! You can rent seadoos from the far beach...I think they were going for $95/hour for 3 people....and they were everywhere in the bay!!

Hope this gives you a bit of insight.....I'll try to answer any more questions!! (once I get started typing....I just keep on going!!!):D

[luv2cruz62]

New 2 Cruisin..... I cannot really comment on the changes because I don't know what the ship was like prior....this was my first sailing on her!! But I did like the layout...and as I mentioned in my other post...I did find getting around the ship quite easy!

Regarding NCL dropping the balls.... We were booked into the Hilton LAX for the night prior to departure.....TA wanted us in a hotel that NCL was 'affiliated' with so we would be looked after properly! We were told to be down in the side lobby area by 11:30 am for the shuttle...so we were there by 11:15....there were 4 other rooms that were also booked for the shuttle to take us to the ship. We waited and waited......hotel staff said they were not too sure where the shuttle was and would phone....they came back with the reply that the shuttle was not coming...no reason why.....so 'we were basically on our own'.... so we had the scramble to get cabs for all of us.....luckily we did make it not a problem, but if that was the case...I would have left way earlier in the morning and avoided the mass line ups at the pier (that wait was about an hour). I like to board early and get a feel of the ship and avoid all those line ups!! But all said and done....we didn't not miss the boat...

Another thing that happened was partly to blame for my TA (which I will NOT be using again..) My latitudes number was never registered on board, so we did not receive the invite to the Latitudes party...missed that.....also, we were celebrating our 25th anniversary on board...and again...according to my TA...we were to receive 'something' on our 2nd last day at sea....and again ....nothing happened....

Nothing major to complain about...I will elaborate more if you want...:p

I have to go and view all my 600 photos.....I will be back!!

[carebear71]

I'd love to hear the details when you find the time. I'll be on this same cruise in 5 weeks. Hopefully you'll post a full review:)

 

For now, could you tell me what you did in Cabo for both days and how you liked it? Thanks.

 

Shannon

 

Eargal - If you are on the April 23rd cruise, I will be going too. I will be celebrating my 40th birthday with my family. Please join the Roll Call, we are trying to get a Meet and Greet together. We would love to see you there! :)

[valleyvillage]

Eargal - If you are on the April 23rd cruise, I will be going too. I will be celebrating my 40th birthday with my family. Please join the Roll Call, we are trying to get a Meet and Greet together. We would love to see you there! :)

Ours was wonderful and Captain Gunnar invited us on the best bridge tour ever! I hope you get Nikko as your guide. Enjoy!

[CruiseLover824]

Hello....I am getting ready to sail on the Star on April 16th. I have a few questions for you.

 

1. In your opinion, is there a "can't miss" show? I saw that they have the regular shows in the theater along with comedy/hypnotist shows elsewhere.

 

2. Did you attend the "White Hot" party? Was it fun?

 

3. How was the MDR food compared to the specialty restaurants?

 

4. Does NCL use their lifeboats for the tenders or do they use the locals?

 

Thanks in advance for your answers!!

Wendy

[luv2cruz62]

Hello....I am getting ready to sail on the Star on April 16th. I have a few questions for you.

 

1. In your opinion, is there a "can't miss" show? I saw that they have the regular shows in the theater along with comedy/hypnotist shows elsewhere.

 

2. Did you attend the "White Hot" party? Was it fun?

 

3. How was the MDR food compared to the specialty restaurants?

 

4. Does NCL use their lifeboats for the tenders or do they use the locals?

 

Thanks in advance for your answers!!

Wendy

 

1. The best 'can't miss' show was on Friday night..."Elements" absolutely fantastic!! Go early because the seats fill up fast!! 2 shows.. one at 7:15pm and the second at 9:30 pm.

Sunday night...Band on the Run....'70's Disco show....was entertaining..but not fantastic.

Monday night - Extreme Vegas - Illusions, magic, a bit of comedy. again....entertaining!

Tuesday night - Second City Comedy....this was border line 'adult'...even though they state a show later in the evening was adult only. I guess it depends on how open minded you are....although there were some 'seniors' who opted to leave half way through the show.

Wednesday night - Dr. Scott Lewis hypnotist...I guess this would be a 'not miss' show also! Anytime hypnosis is involved...expect some good laughs!

Thursday - Angels. This was very good also. Aerialists....add this to the don't miss list!

Friday 2:30 pm - International Crew Show....Talent of the crew members. Don't miss 'Fountains'...take your camera! (I don't want to give it away as to what it is.!!):eek:

Friday night - Elements is a combination of a few of the previous acts with the Star Dance crew....

 

2. Didn't attend the white hot party but spoke to some who did attend...they had a good time! (I was long in bed before that!!)

 

3. The MDR food was good (although some nights the service could have been better) I am not a pickey eater (as some on these boards complain way too much about!!)

We only ate in Cagneys one night. If you like huge shrimp....mmmmmm:p make sure you have the shrimp cocktail! ! I had the prime rib, DH had a T-bone steak. Was very good, and the service was outstanding!

 

4. Yes the Star uses their lifeboats as tenders for Cabo....and also local tenders to get the last of the passengers back on the ship...while they load the Star's tenders back on board.

 

Hope this answers all your questions! Be sure to join the M & G for your sailing. We met great people there, and also got a wonderful tour of the bridge!

[IWORK2CRUISE]

Hi,

We took a repo cruise on the Sun about 3 years ago that went from Vancouver to Alaska and then the Mexican Riviera. While on that cruise we previewed PBSBeach. We were fortunate in that last year while booking a cruise we ran into a promotion from Amer**** Exp**** and scored a free 7 night stay.

Anyway, we were there last week and were so pleased to see the Star while lounging on Medano Beach!

So, luv2cruz62, we probably waved to you!

[lotoda]

hello everyone :)

 

i will be going on the april 16th star cruise and i can't wait! this will be my first cruise, so i have so many questions :p

 

just a few- i was wondering if anybody went on some of the paid excursions? are there any recommendations for a specific one? also, i have to be in carson by 11:00am on the day we get back, will i have enough time to make it on time? thank you for any advice in advance! :)

[luv2cruz62]

hello everyone :)

 

i will be going on the april 16th star cruise and i can't wait! this will be my first cruise, so i have so many questions :p

 

just a few- i was wondering if anybody went on some of the paid excursions? are there any recommendations for a specific one? also, i have to be in carson by 11:00am on the day we get back, will i have enough time to make it on time? thank you for any advice in advance! :)

 

My DD and I did the Dolphin Swim Experience in PV....had a great time!!! A bit pricey, but all the dolphin swims are expensive. But now I can cross that off my 'bucket list' and move on to the next item!!

 

Not sure where Carson is (?)! You have the choice to walk off the ship first with ALL your luggage (which I think is a pain because you have to haul it with you where ever you go)...but this poses a big problem....there were SOOOO many people choosing to walk off with their luggage, it took way more time and delayed everyone else who had chosen to let the cruise line take care of their luggage and put it outside their cabin the night before. When you do that, you are given a certain colour of luggage tag, and the ship will call what colours are able to disembark at that time. We were almost 45 minutes later than scheduled for leaving the ship....and we had to get to the airport for a flight! I think there were some people who did have their luggage looked after by the ship, then chose to walk off with all the other early passengers.....again....it just delays the whole process.

I hope you have a great trip, and I hope you read the other replies that I wrote above about the shows!!

[luv2cruz62]

Hi,

We took a repo cruise on the Sun about 3 years ago that went from Vancouver to Alaska and then the Mexican Riviera. While on that cruise we previewed PBSBeach. We were fortunate in that last year while booking a cruise we ran into a promotion from Amer**** Exp**** and scored a free 7 night stay.

Anyway, we were there last week and were so pleased to see the Star while lounging on Medano Beach!

So, luv2cruz62, we probably waved to you!

 

WOW!! That's a great score!!! and the repo cruise sounds great too!!! Our balcony was on the starboard side...Did you see me waving back??:D

[Army/Police Vet]

IMO if you grew up in the 70's-80's you will LOVE Band on the Run. It was my favorite show. Elements was a lot of so-so dancers writhing around for much too long. Totally subjective.

 

While the food in the MDR can be good, the service is terribly slow. The place is usually packed during dinner and so much chaos. It is well worth the $10-$20 to eat in a speciallity restaurant to me. Food seems tastier, portions seem bigger and the service is much more personal. You can also get in and out quickly if you choose to. Some people are on a budget and hate spending any money beyond their cruise fair, I get that. However, for a few measly dollars you can make your dining experience so much better. Again, just my opinion.

[CruiseLover824]

Thanks for the scoop on the shows. I hate when we go to a show that wasn't worth seeing. It sounds like there are quite a few good ones! I can't wait to see what the "fountains" thing is. lol

 

I do love shrimp---may have to check out Cagney's.

 

Again, Thanks for answering my questions!! :D

 

Wendy

[Shoegal62]

Was there wifi in the rooms or did you have to use the internet cafe? Thanks:D

[luv2cruz62]

Not too sure about the wifi in the rooms....my computer savey DD says no.....We left all computer stuff at home......the only thing we needed to plug in was the ipod charger and camera batteries!!

Hopefully someone will answer who knows for sure!!

[valleyvillage]

We had WiFi in our DOS, not sure if it is all over the ship. All I used was the NCL site to check some things, no charge for that!

[roger001]

hello everyone :)

 

i will be going on the april 16th star cruise and i can't wait! this will be my first cruise, so i have so many questions :p

 

just a few- i was wondering if anybody went on some of the paid excursions? are there any recommendations for a specific one? also, i have to be in carson by 11:00am on the day we get back, will i have enough time to make it on time? thank you for any advice in advance! :)

 

Here's another CC location that is specific Mexican Riviera that you might want to visit also.

 

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/forumdisplay.php?f=203&order=desc

[Inuvikcouple]

New 2 Cruisin..... I cannot really comment on the changes because I don't know what the ship was like prior....this was my first sailing on her!! But I did like the layout...and as I mentioned in my other post...I did find getting around the ship quite easy!

Regarding NCL dropping the balls.... We were booked into the Hilton LAX for the night prior to departure.....TA wanted us in a hotel that NCL was 'affiliated' with so we would be looked after properly! We were told to be down in the side lobby area by 11:30 am for the shuttle...so we were there by 11:15....there were 4 other rooms that were also booked for the shuttle to take us to the ship. We waited and waited......hotel staff said they were not too sure where the shuttle was and would phone....they came back with the reply that the shuttle was not coming...no reason why.....so 'we were basically on our own'.... so we had the scramble to get cabs for all of us.....luckily we did make it not a problem, but if that was the case...I would have left way earlier in the morning and avoided the mass line ups at the pier (that wait was about an hour). I like to board early and get a feel of the ship and avoid all those line ups!! But all said and done....we didn't not miss the boat...

Another thing that happened was partly to blame for my TA (which I will NOT be using again..) My latitudes number was never registered on board, so we did not receive the invite to the Latitudes party...missed that.....also, we were celebrating our 25th anniversary on board...and again...according to my TA...we were to receive 'something' on our 2nd last day at sea....and again ....nothing happened....

Nothing major to complain about...I will elaborate more if you want...:p

I have to go and view all my 600 photos.....I will be back!!

 

We had some confusion with our Latitudes membership as well but when I asked about it we received an invitation to the second party.

 

Dave

[Inuvikcouple]

Ours was wonderful and Captain Gunnar invited us on the best bridge tour ever! I hope you get Nikko as your guide. Enjoy!

 

Hi Richard,

 

Nice to have met you and the rest of your family.

[Shoegal62]

Thanks for the info!

[valleyvillage]

Hi Richard,

 

Nice to have met you and the rest of your family.

 

Keep in touch! Is there a way on CC to send private messages? So great meeting you 2!

[Inuvikcouple]

Keep in touch! Is there a way on CC to send private messages? So great meeting you 2!

 

Posting #233 from our cruise thread will give you our contact info Richard. I don't know of a way to private message here.

 

Dave & Doris