Just back from Star with Pics and dailies

[JMHAM1]

joybuckley1@cox.net AND thanks

 

You have mail :D

[medicalma'am]

GREAT description of the mushroom soup!!! Also got that response from everyone in my group who tried the stuffed portabella mushroom in the MDR and Le Bistro!

 

We were there in early January '09 and had beautiful weather, though it is HOT. Clouds and a bit of rain would be a godsend.

[JMHAM1]

Well it is Day 6 and we are coming into a port that I have been to many times and to tell you the truth, it is not my favorite. We have done everything from snorkeling and dolphins to horseback riding on the beach in previous cruises so we decided to go with our relaxation mission and not "plan" anything for this port.

 

We slept in and then grabbed a bite of breakfast in the MDR. Again, service was efficient and the food was tasty. We got off the ship and strolled around the area. Nothing much exciting from us at the port. We bought gifts for the folks back home. DH had a silver medallion made at a jeweler while we waited to use as a keychain. It had his name spelled in Mayan letters. The people at the store were extremely nice and we chatted with them while the silversmith worked.

 

After that we people watched which is one of my favorite past times. I like to see what "famous" person I can find in any crowd. There is usually a few folks who look like someone famous that I can spot. We chatted up some local people and then wandered back to the ship.

 

I'm guessing a big chunk of the others on our cruise felt the same way about Cozumel because the ship was packed! We picked up lunch at the buffet and I couldn't believe it was day 6 and I had yet to have any pretzel bread. A situation that was remedied forthwith. After lunch we lounged on the top deck aft...more cloud watching that catching rays because it was overcast. The Pearl was docked right beside us so it was nice to be able to walk the length of our ship and check out the differences we could see. We also checked out the other areas of the ship, like the library, that we had not seen earlier in the week. Pretty soon it was time for a nap! :rolleyes:

 

Pretty soon we heard all sorts of music and cheering, etc. It was nearing time for all aboard for both us and the Pearl and they had music playing and people dancing on the dock in between the two ships. We enjoyed the balcony a bit during this time.

 

That night we went to the show in the Stardust. We were finally able to find a couple of seats together for the Second City 7:30 show. About 15 mins into it we realized that either we were not improv people or this particular group was not all that funny. Comedy is subjective so my idea of funny and yours might vary. It did make me wonder if the Murder Mystery Lunch we had booked the next day would be entertaining because it was the same group of actors. More on that topic later.

 

After the show we caught dinner at Aqua and then hit up the casino. There were a couple of late night activities that we wanted to do and we knew if we went to the room the bed would be calling our names.

 

We caught both the Late Night Comedy "The Liar's Club" at the Spinnaker and then the Adult Only show by the hypnotist (did I mention we loved him?) Both were good although I think some of the participants in the hypnotist's show were a bit tipsy which impaired their ability to remain hypnotized. Still worth the time. At that point it was 1:30AM and I was glad we had a sea day in the morning.

[JMHAM1]

GREAT description of the mushroom soup!!! Also got that response from everyone in my group who tried the stuffed portabella mushroom in the MDR and Le Bistro!

 

We were there in early January '09 and had beautiful weather' date=' though it is HOT. Clouds and a bit of rain would be a godsend. [/size']

 

 

It was HOT and extremely humid. I'm not sure if they "set" the A/C onboard the ship to make it more comfortable for the older folks on board who were in the majority or if 73-74 degrees is just the coolest they can make it. Our room was stuffy and we could not open the balcony door because it was a blast of heat into the cabin. I tried several times to cool the cabin down by using the controller in the room. I think that controller is just there to make you feel like you can change the temp but it doesn't really do anything. My travel clock displays the room temp and it was never below 73 degrees. My DH is like a heater and we keep our house around 68/69 degrees at night so I was a bit uncomfortable. Might have just been our room tho and I was glad I always bring a small travel fan.

[JMHAM1]

<Sigh> The info regarding debarkation was in our cabin when we returned from the late show the night before. Is the cruise almost over? It went by soooo very fast.

 

We had an invitation for a bridge tour for our cc group but it was at 9:30 AM on the final sea day when we were up til 2AM the night before. Needless to say we skipped it and ended up sleeping in. Maybe others will post how the tour was. I know that Captain Kenneth was very personable and professional whenever we interacted with him during the cruise.

 

We had planned earlier in the week to sign up for the Presumed Murdered Luncheon at noon so we skipped breakfast and went down to LaCucina in time for lunch. Second City were the actors for this and once again, I was not super impressed with their skills. There was one actor that was better than the other 4 but one person can't do it alone. Don't get me wrong, it was a meal with entertainment but I think it could have been a bit better. It may have been the audience as well because there is some play off audience participation. The meal was good and I actually liked the dessert. In my opinion, NCL is not a line that is known for excellent desserts. I will say that the banana pancakes in Ginza and the brownie thing in Cagney's are the exceptions.

 

It was windy and overcast on this day. The wind was a factor every day and I think that is why I felt a bit seasick on and off during the day. We also seemed to be moving quite fast back to Tampa.

 

We tooled around the ship a bit in the afternoon and visited with people we met during the week. We also checked our account balance and discovered we had OBC's to spend. We hit the shops and bought a couple of watches in order to make sure we spent our non-refundable OBC's. We went back to the cabin to begin packing. We did the carry off our own luggage option as our flight was out at 10:45AM so we packed everything and then tucked the suitcases in the closet to get them out of the way.

 

That night we went back to Ginza. DH ordered sushi only and said it was way above his expectations. I ate off the Ginza menu. In case you are wondering like we did....One person can eat at Ginza for the $15 charge and the other can eat a la carte off the Sushi menu. The food and the service was once again exceptional. We chatted a bit with our waitress who I noticed had braces. I asked her how she managed the upkeep and she said her dentist gave her the tools and the instructions and she tightened and adjusted them herself while onboard. How cool is that?

 

Again we mistimed getting to the Stardust for the Elements show so we missed it. I heard it was really good. Since we missed the show, we stopped by the casino to try to donate the money we had on our CAS card but luck was with us again and we were able to cash out another $100. We went out on deck for our King of the World Titanic moment then called it a night.

[JMHAM1]

We did the walk off on your own thing and had time for one last breakfast in the MDR. We came back to the cabin, left our cabin attendant Michael a nice note, some chocolates we brought for him and an extra tip and we were on our way. We walked right off, caught a cab to the airport and easily made our 10:45 flight back home. Customs was super quick and the whole process was painless. (Except that our cruise was over of course)

 

Overall we were pleased with the Star. There have been quite a few negative reviews with people complaining about everything from worn carpeting to terrible food. We saw the areas where the carpet was worn and yes the couch in our room was showing signs of wear and tear but this did not impact our enjoyment of the cruise one bit.

 

The seats in the Stardust were uncomfortable and some of the seats were broken and in need of repair. We were still able to enjoy the event that we caught in there tho.

 

The hairdryer in the cabin was full sized and was able to dry my hair with no issues. The shower had the type of pressure that I LOVE. Hot water that is just shy of being able to knock you down is perfect for me. Our shower door kept coming off the track but you just had to be careful when closing it and a door is better than a curtain any day.

 

We totally forgot to bring an extension cord...remembered the power strip but forgot the extension cord which meant that DH and I had to switch sides of the bed so he could plug in his Cpap machine. If you need that, the only plug in the cabin was mid cabin under the mirror in the balcony cabins. There was not a socket behind the TV because we checked. There is one in the bathroom if you need one there for a nightlight or a flat iron or something.

 

We found the food to be good at both the pay restaurants and the MDRs. The service was a good pace as well. The staff seemed to be in good spirits and always took the time to chat with us. Cleaning was being done everywhere at all hours of the day and night. They are also diligent with what my daughter calls "hanitizers" the washy washy people were out at the entrance to the buffet and automatic hand sanitizer was near all the restaurants and the casinos. No reason not to take advantage of that.

 

We enjoyed the ports, the ship and the time of year that we cruised and would not hesitate to go on the Star again. If you have any specific questions, let me know!

[JMHAM1]

I also have copies of all the dailies but am not sure how to post them here. When I scanned them in, they are so tiny. I think I saw instructions on how to post them but for the life of me I can't find them now.

 

Later Folks!!

[ChasK]

:confused: One question about the Sushi option at Ginza; you mentioned that "One person can eat at Ginza for the $15 charge and the other can eat a la carte off the Sushi menu." ... does that mean the $15 charge covers the sushi, or do you pay based on what you order (a la carte)?

 

Thanks! :D

[JMHAM1]

:confused: One question about the Sushi option at Ginza; you mentioned that "One person can eat at Ginza for the $15 charge and the other can eat a la carte off the Sushi menu." ... does that mean the $15 charge covers the sushi, or do you pay based on what you order (a la carte)?

 

Thanks! :D

 

 

DH was not charged the Ginza cover charge. He just ordered off the sushi menu and was charged for whatever he ordered. The portions were quite large. He ate $25 worth of sushi and I ate off the Ginza menu for the $15 service charge. He said it was well worth it!

[fergusonvt]

Loved your review Julie, almost felt like I was there! Wait, I was! It was so nice to meet you and Larry and I'm glad you enjoyed yourself. We also had a great time and while I didn't like the Star as well as the Sun I wouldn't hesitate to cruise on her again if the itinerary was right. Have fun our your next cruise, you'll have to let me know how you like the aft.

 

 

Kathy

[jasperess]

We made reservations at LeBistro. We enjoyed it on the Gem and knew the food would be good. LeBistro on the Star is extremely small and shaped like a long rectangle with the kitchen near the front entrance and a row of windows that overlooks the walkway. There was a large party seated in the back of the restaurant so we were seated at the front near the "window". The kitchen is open so you can see the food being prepared. It does not look like this was on purpose because it is not pretty. You can see the back of what looks like a microwave and the prep and pick up areas for the servers. My DH did not like the atmosphere in this area. People walking by also paused to look in the window at the table. Not romantic if you are looking for that...be sure you ask to be seated in the rear. We bring our romance with us so it was not a huge thing for us...just sharing for y'all.

 

The food was great and I believe I had a little food-gasm when they brought my mushroom soup and poured the cream part over the roasted mushrooms. One bite and I was in soup heaven. That soup was worth the price of the whole meal in my opinion.

 

May I ask what was the item in the ice cream cones in your first picture?

[JMHAM1]

May I ask what was the item in the ice cream cones in your first picture?

 

In Le Bistro this was the Les Quatre Cornets appetizer. They looked really pretty but I think they were made in advance and kept in the fridge until serving. Would not have been bad that way except the little ice cream cones were wet at the bottom. All the fillings were cold. I tried them all but really did not enjoy any of them.

 

The mushroom soup as I had mentioned earlier was amazing and I was glad they brought it to me second instead of before the cornets.

[JMHAM1]

Loved your review Julie, almost felt like I was there! Wait, I was! It was so nice to meet you and Larry and I'm glad you enjoyed yourself. We also had a great time and while I didn't like the Star as well as the Sun I wouldn't hesitate to cruise on her again if the itinerary was right. Have fun our your next cruise, you'll have to let me know how you like the aft.

 

 

Kathy

 

It was so nice to meet you too. I have never done the Sun but would like to. I did not like the Star as much as the Gem. The Gem seemed like it was laid out better. I like being able to walk forward to aft without having to go up or down a flight.

 

We are seriously thinking of changing our upcoming Princess cruise to a family cruise taking all 6 of the kids. We kept saying how much they would have enjoyed the kids area on the Star. Are we nuts?? :eek:

[KAS-Cruiser]

Great Review ... we are going to be on the Star in April! Looking forward to some R&R!

[getty50]

Really thorough review. I will be on the Star departing March 11th. We have a family group of 50 going in Family Suites and one of them is in the Owner's Suite. We are excited to experience the different ports and will take your advice for Costa Maya which I have never been to before. Great Job!!!

[beyer4]

I also have copies of all the dailies but am not sure how to post them here. When I scanned them in, they are so tiny. I think I saw instructions on how to post them but for the life of me I can't find them now.

 

Later Folks!!

JMHAM1-

Would you please email me a link with the dailies?

beyer@hometownsolutions.net

Thanks in advance!

[ChasK]

I also have copies of all the dailies but am not sure how to post them here. When I scanned them in, they are so tiny. I think I saw instructions on how to post them but for the life of me I can't find them now.

 

Later Folks!!

 

Loved reading your reviews, and would love to see the dailies, so if I can help I'd be glad to.

 

Here's a link to an excellent "how to" for posting large pictures.

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showpost.php?p=21090044&postcount=207

 

The above link talks about using a site called Webshots.com, but there are other options too, like photobucket.com, imageshack.com, shutterbug, flickr.com, picasa.google.com etc.

 

Thanks again!

[Starry Eyes]

thanks for posting the review and pics....I really enjoyed them.

[fergusonvt]

It was so nice to meet you too. I have never done the Sun but would like to. I did not like the Star as much as the Gem. The Gem seemed like it was laid out better. I like being able to walk forward to aft without having to go up or down a flight.

 

We are seriously thinking of changing our upcoming Princess cruise to a family cruise taking all 6 of the kids. We kept saying how much they would have enjoyed the kids area on the Star. Are we nuts?? :eek:

 

 

Nope I don't think you are nuts at all. I wish our DS still wanted to vacation with us more. He and DH are going to Jackson Hole, WY to ski during winter break next year and we may all go to Maine this summer for a week but he is at the point where he wants to go places with his buddies. I totally understand but enjoy them while they still want to go places with you! We will be checking out the Gem in 2014 unless we change our minds and want to go sooner. I reserved it mostly just to keep the aft balcony until we decide exactly where we want to go. It may very well be that cruise because I wanted to try cruising out of NY.

[Loves2tan]

Oh I would love to see the dailies I leave on the star in 11 days and I am so excited to see what activities are going on, on the ship !!

[fergusonvt]

Loved reading your reviews, and would love to see the dailies, so if I can help I'd be glad to.

 

Here's a link to an excellent "how to" for posting large pictures.

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showpost.php?p=21090044&postcount=207

 

The above link talks about using a site called Webshots.com, but there are other options too, like photobucket.com, imageshack.com, shutterbug, flickr.com, picasa.google.com etc.

 

Thanks again!

 

Thanks! Trying this to see if it works. Edited - doesn't seem to be displaying the pic.

 

http://s1199.photobucket.com/albums/aa462/fergusonvt/Star%20Cruise%20Jan%202012/?action=view&current=P1010336.jpg

[peg013]

Test - Copying the image code from your link.

 

[/img]

[peg013]

Thanks! Trying this to see if it works. Edited - doesn't seem to be displaying the pic.

 

http://s1199.photobucket.com/albums/aa462/fergusonvt/Star%20Cruise%20Jan%202012/?action=view&current=P1010336.jpg

 

You copied the "direct link" instead of the IMG link.

[fergusonvt]

test trying again with the right link. Approaching the bridge in Tampa.

 

 

[/img]

[fergusonvt]

and again[/img]

 

 

What the heck am I doing wrong? Clicked on the IMG Code link and it says copied. Clicked on the little mountain icon and pasted.