Mitsugirlys STAR end of the world/pre-Christmas cruise detailed review & pictorial

[Shayhooper]

Well, I will need to take a break now. The snow is coming down like crazy and I just got a phone call that my youngest son has been in an accident.

 

I will resume once things are better.

 

Yikes! Hope he is OK.

 

Edit to add: Just saw your update and am glad to hear he is OK. My 17 year old son is driving now so I can sympathize with your panic. BTW I also have a young (3 years old) daughter so your review has really piqued my interest.

Edited December 27, 2012 by Shayhooper
Saw OP updated.

[Sizzlechest]

We always book the cheapest interior room we can find. This allows us to cruise more often and spend more on other things. We are on the go all the time and only come to the room to change, shower and sleep. So, it just doesn’t make sense to book anything else at this point.

 

Very smart. The suites are really nice, but at the end of the day they're just a place to sleep and shower. They're bigger and include perks of questionable value (which you pay for whether you want them or not). I know some cruisers are old and enfeebled, so they like to stay in their room most of the time. For the rest of us, this is probably the most important bit of advice you could give.

[jdvmd]

Thanks for everyone's concern. My son is fine. I was just freaked out because he is a newly licensed driver (just got his license 2 weeks ago-short 1 week before we left for our cruise). He's 18 and he's been driving (on temps) for about 8 months. However, he's never driven in the snow before either. It was a waiting game for me waiting for him to call me back with details about the accident, then when the police arrived, then after they left, then when he was on his way home. Nervous momma here. :eek:

 

The accident was not his fault (he was going down a busy 4 lane road and a car coming in the opposite direction decided to turn in front of him and didn't make it in time). He was unable to stop to avoid the jeep, so he slammed in to them. But at least he didn't get a ticket since it wasn't his fault.

 

The front bumper and bumper bracket is smashed along with the headlight washers (he has an Audi). So that will need to be replaced. But it is still driveable and it doesn't seem like the alignment is off.

 

When he got home, his work called him in because 6 people called off...well yea, there's a mini-blizzard outside duh! We are suppose to get about 10 inches today and snow continuing for the next week with only 1 day of a break with no snow. But he volunteered to go in and work a few hours. I'm on pins and needles waiting for him to get off and make it back home safely. He did text me that his headlight on the side he got hit on is no longer working. :rolleyes: Geesh, not good since that will get you a ticket.

 

Ok, I'm looking at a bunch of my ship pictures and I will continue with the review again as soon as I get them sorted out.

 

Once again, thanks so much for your concern about my son.

So scary. Glad he is alright!

[mitsugirly]

Yikes! Hope he is OK.

 

Edit to add: Just saw your update and am glad to hear he is OK. My 17 year old son is driving now so I can sympathize with your panic. BTW I also have a young (3 years old) daughter so your review has really piqued my interest.

 

So glad you can relate. A lot of people think I'm crazy, I just think I'm blessed! :D

 

Very smart. The suites are really nice, but at the end of the day they're just a place to sleep and shower. They're bigger and include perks of questionable value (which you pay for whether you want them or not). I know some cruisers are old and enfeebled, so they like to stay in their room most of the time. For the rest of us, this is probably the most important bit of advice you could give.

 

I totally agree. However, I was able to view a mini-suite that one of my fellow cc cruisers had and it was very nice. More on that later in my review.

 

For the others, thanks again for your concerns. We seem to keep finding more things wrong with the car, but I'm still grateful it was the car and not him. I thrive on traumas at work, but if it came to my own child, I'm not I could go in to that "mode" and handle it. He made it safe and sound home from work now...so I can continue with my journey on the Star now.:)

[mitsugirly]

From here, I think I’m going to change things up a little and do a little “tour” of the ship with pictures before I get in to my actual review and thoughts. That way everyone can drool over the pics and get a feel for what she looks like and has to offer.

 

So, we’ll start with the Grand Atrium…and I do mean GRAND. I took so many pictures both day and night, so be prepared.

 

The atrium when we arrived

 

 

This is the atrium when they have the big screen down:

 

 

Taken from a few floors up:

 

 

This picture was taken from one of the many balconies that over hang in between the glass elevators on each floor:

 

 

In this picture you can see the balconies I'm referring to on each floor:

 

 

Here is a picture at night of the elevators and balconies:

 

[mitsugirly]

They have several bird sculptures hanging in the atrium by the elevators.

 

 

The birds flying high at a different angle looking up:

 

 

Another shot of the glass elevators:

 

 

Another shot of the beautiful atrium from up on the 8th floor looking across: (See those stairs? Well, remember them because I took a lot of pictures of the stairs because I loved them so much)

 

 

This is where the bands were playing in the atrium every night:

 

 

One of the beautiful lights at the service desk:

 

[mitsugirly]

The Christmas tree located in the atrium:

 

 

The atrium "fountain" which always managed to keep the wall ledge around it wet. I watched numerous people sit there and get up really quick with a wet tush.

 

 

Some of the fake cheesy flowers (I thought) they had around the fountain.

 

 

Ice sculpture in the atrium:

 

 

Taken from up on one of the higher floors (I know, you guys are probably saying...duh, like we can't tell this, but I bet you didn't know that it was taken from the Internet Cafe...well maybe you do if you've been on the Star)

 

 

This is looking up in the atrium by the elevators. It goes up 13 floors and is beautiful:

 

[mitsugirly]

Ok are you guys ready for some stairs? Yep, I thought so. Here a stair, there a stair, everywhere a stair stair. Stairs gone wild...

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Ok, I was just kidding, I won't bore you with all 50 pictures of the twisting, winding, head spinning stairs. :D

[PathfinderEss]

Enjoying your review and wonderful photo's. Thanks for posting, looking forward to more of your review.

[mitsugirly]

...and last but not least, the ceiling on the 8th floor that is on both sides of the atrium and located in Blue Lagoon and (what NCL's floor plan claims it to be) Moderno (sorry I never really noticed very many people here).

 

 

 

As you can tell by the "color-cast" of the pictures above, they were taken in the evening when it was all lit up.

 

The following was taken during the day:

 

 

I "think" (which I know is very hard for me to do right now after the day I've had) that I'm done with the Atrium pictures that I wanted to share.

 

Is your mouth watering yet? Is it not the most gorgeous thing you've ever seen? Well my husband tells me that I am, but it's his duty to say that-yes I got it in writing at our wedding....juuuuustttt kidding. But you guys will have to accept the 2nd best thing according to him. :D :p ;)

[mitsugirly]

Well since I teased you a little bit with some of the upper floor views, I'll take you on up to the Blue Lagoon, located on the 8th floor, just above the atrium. As everyone knows, they are open 24/7 and have the best wings!!

 

I have to say that it was a little different than what I have experienced on the other ships. On the other NCL ships you pretty much went in and sat down and a server came to take your order. Here there was a sign that ask you to wait at the entrance to be seated. They would ask you how many in your party and what your room number was :confused: and write it down on a paper. Then they would seat you where they wanted you to sit. Ok, but different I guess.

 

*Disclaimer #2* I want to let you all know that I apologize in advance for some of the day time pictures you might see throughout the photo tour. I’m referring to those taken by any windows with the sun glaring in. Yes, I do know how to meter for a window and interior, yes I actually took a photography course on this, but hey, I’m on vacation and my goal is to snap a picture and go on about my vacation like it never happened. So therefore I chose not to take the time to make the pictures perfect in regards to most of the windows…and I might as well throw in those that are blurry (which I guess I could blame a few of those on my daughter and you’d never know the difference hehe, but I’ll chose not to), also those that may have water spots on them because I either forgot to wipe the camera off after being in the water or I was too lazy to get out and go grab a towel to wipe it off, and also those that for some reason seem to have a bit of a “foggy” look to them. I can’t even explain that…maybe because I was inside where it was hot and came outside in to the heat? Either way, my apologies in advance…try to get the meaning behind the picture and not criticize the reporter.

 

 

See I told ya it was coming ^^^^^^

 

They have seats in the front half around the atrium on this floor for others to just come in and sit down. They did not serve food from Blue Lagoon to these people.

 

 

 

This is the side that they said is Moderno. I really never seen too many people there or at least I didn't notice it if there were. I did notice a few people sitting at some of the tables 2 days playing games like checkers there.

 

 

 

 

 

[mitsugirly]

Up to the next floor where I took a few select pictures of the atrium is the Internet Café. For those that want to know pricing…this was on the computer monitor:

 

 

This is as you come in to the cafe, it was weird because when you are in the elevator hallway, you really can't tell it was there until you opened the door and seen what it was OR stood out on one of the balconies that overlook the atrium and know there has to be a door to get in there.

 

 

Notice the neat carpet in there? @ haha

 

 

This area just had seating for those that might have their own computer maybe??? The ships computers were at the back and along the other side. I do have to tell you that we walked through this area once when several people were on the computers along the side wall and it was hard to get by them sitting in the chairs because of the tables that sat behind them.

[mitsugirly]

I’ll tell you now; we did not eat in the Aqua Restaurant. I actually took these pictures on the first day when we were wondering around the ship and it was OPEN. I use that term loosely. Every time I wanted to go try it out, they were closed. I have no idea what hours they were open, I just knew it wasn’t when I was ready to eat. :(

 

Also it might have just been me but the “signs” on the ship saying that the Aqua Restaurant was -> (that way) were kind of confusing. I kept seeing those signs and walking that way only to end up at another sign that said it was <-- that way. After a few days I found that there was an opening between the elevators that led to it. How I discovered it on the first day I’m not sure. Oh yea, “maybe” it was because the DOORS WERE OPEN. The other thing that kept me from finding it, not just because it was closed every time I went, but they put a huge free standing sign out in front of the door which kind of blocked the view like if there wasn’t a door there. I think that was the confusion with me trying to find it every time…not that it did any good because as always…you guessed it, they were closed when I arrived. Now that I think about it, I don't recall seeing an actual sign AT the restaurant to indicate that it was the Aqua. Maybe someone can correct me if I'm wrong. :confused:

 

Here is a picture of that dreaded sign I kept running in to:

 

 

 

The desk when you first enter:

 

 

 

A few dining room shots and then I moved on...never to find or see this restaurant again:

 

 

 

 

[mitsugirly]

Since I gave you the Aqua, I might as well move on to Versailles since we did manage to eat there several times and love the look there.

 

It is designed just like the Pearl was and you could not get to it by elevator. You had to go to the 6th floor on the aft of the ship and then walk down the stairs mid-way to the entrance.

 

 

 

 

Some times in the evening, if it is crowded (which seem to be a hit or miss) then someone will be at the top of the steps taking your name, amount of people in your party, and giving you a “buzzer” to carry off with you to let you know when your table is ready.

 

It did have a Christmas tree at the entrance:

 

 

 

Each round circle window located within the arched windows at the aft of the ship had a wreath on it and they were lit up. Very pretty…also hard to get a picture of during the day, so I settled for a night picture with no window/sun glare. I know, I cheated this time around.

 

 

 

Another picture in the evening. I love the ambience there at night. It is so different than in the day.

 

 

 

And of course another blown out window picture for your “laughing at her picture skills” enjoyment for the night:

 

[mitsugirly]

Enjoying your review and wonderful photo's. Thanks for posting, looking forward to more of your review.

 

Thanks for stopping by and enjoy. There's a lot more to come so grab some popcorn and enjoy the show (and hopefully you'll have a lot of time on your hands) :p

[dr.d]

Thank you for your review. I'm anxious for more!

[mitsugirly]

Thank you for your review. I'm anxious for more!

 

Coming right up now... :p

[mitsugirly]

Ok, moving on now that you all have composed yourselves after that little chuckle…

 

 

I will now present to you the Stardust Theater where we went A LOT. We caught a lot of the shows, well at least the one’s we were interested in. I have to admit, we usually don’t go to many of the shows on our other cruises (with the exception of the Epic of course) unless it’s either a magician or a comedian. This time we thought we would try a few that we have never done before and I have to admit, I enjoyed them and was glad we did go as much as we did. Next cruise, I will definitely add to the list!

 

 

The entrance to the theater is beautiful. I'm usually not a "gold decor" type of person and thinks sometimes it can look tacky, but I actually liked this one:

 

 

 

Outside the theater there is a glass display with some of the staffs "professional pictures" that were quacky and funny. Loved it. (You will also find a glass case that had the shows being presented that night in them).

 

 

^^^Sorry, I do not claim to know this couple coming out of there or what they were doing in there when the theater was closed....just kidding if you happen to be someone that was on my roll call and know me, otherwise, I'm not joking.

 

Do you think they did the seats in red in honor of Christmas?

 

 

Yea, I think they did...boy were they in the holiday spirit here:

 

 

Have you had enough red yet?

 

[mitsugirly]

Some pictures of the small details of the Stardust:

 

 

 

 

During the days that we were in port, they had the doors closed. The doors are....yep, you guessed it RED. This of course gave the entrance way a different look so I just had to take another picture:

 

 

Ok, enough red for now.

[mitsugirly]

On to the next color combo: purple and yellow!

 

 

The Spinnaker Lounge is where we gathered for the latitudes party and also the White Hot party (and also where they stuck you when you were waiting on your buzzer to go off to get a seat at Versailles).

 

 

 

The entrance walking in:

 

 

 

We have purple:

 

We have yellow:

 

We have purple and yellow:

 

And yellow and purple:

 

 

I hope you guys don't think I'm making fun of or complaining about the colors at any of the places. I love color and I love cruise ship colors and combo's. I'm just having a little fun with it that's all. If I could be lounging there right now, you bet I would be!!!

[mitsugirly]

I’m going to refer to the next set of pictures as the “Art Gallery Collection” since there was an art gallery along the walkway in the Gatsby’s Champagne Bar that seem to grow more and more in pictures as the cruise went along making it “sometimes” almost impossible to get through there without almost tripping over some of the things they had laying on the floor including speakers, cords and lights.

 

This is located on deck 6 and you have to walk through this side of the ship if you are on deck 6, remaining on deck 6, and don’t want to head up the stairs. You cannot go on the other side because La Cucina is located there.

 

 

That picture was taken on the first day, so I don't think they had much out yet.

 

There is also a “wine cellar” located there as well. I forgot to take a picture of it. I’m not a wine drinker so we never went in to view it except a glance through the window. (You can see it in the above picture a little in the back).

 

 

I thought the hallway leading to it (or from it depending on which way you were going and we went both ways MANY times) was very pretty. It had windows to view outside with seats (yea those pesky windows I don’t like taking pictures of) and on the other side where windows to view in to Le Bistro.

 

Pay attention to the big hump in the carpet in the picture...yea, we'll get to that among other things later in the review.

 

 

I liked the color scheme and the look as if you were “outside” of a building looking in.

 

 

The ceiling was painted with murals. I’m not sure why I chose to only take 1 picture of it. It must have been a hurry-up-we-are-late-to-get-somewhere moment when I took it (or maybe the real reason was we were headed to the casino to win big money) once again a girl can dream right?

 

 

 

I'm really not an "art-liking" type of person and I honestly don't think I have very many pictures in my home (well maybe a few that match something that is on a cabinet below it and goes together). I'm more in to wrought iron and sculptures. However, I thought this picture was pretty neat. I guess it just caught my attention because it was such a "busy" picture and so much to look at so I snapped a picture of it.

 

[mitsugirly]

Since I had you touring the art gallery at Gatsby’s, I think I’ll turn back around in that lovely hallway and go back to Gatsby’s and show you around. See, I told you I went up and down that hall a lot and here I go again.

 

Gatsby’s is a 2 story lounge with a piano there for the entertainment at night. It was basically just like the other ships on the Jewel class, but they were just called the Champagne bar I believe. Although this was missing the little bubble walls at the bar.

 

 

 

They did have a few small Christmas trees in there. It’s weird how I didn’t even notice it while I was there but now notice it in the pictures.

Around the top of the lounge was of course a walk way to go to other areas of the ship and also on one side was the Sushi Bar and Ginza, which all overlooked Gatsby’s. (Try to say Gatsby’s 3 times in a row, I dare you).

 

 

 

 

 

 

The ceiling at the top floor was really brightly colored (once again, I enjoy bright!) and beautiful.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

This is the hallway leading from Gatsby's and to the CASINO...yea boy!

 

[msunrullieone]

I’m going to refer to the next set of pictures as the “Art Gallery Collection” since there was an art gallery along the walkway in the Gatsby’s Champagne Bar that seem to grow more and more in pictures as the cruise went along making it “sometimes” almost impossible to get through there without almost tripping over some of the things they had laying on the floor including speakers, cords and lights.

 

This is located on deck 6 and you have to walk through this side of the ship if you are on deck 6, remaining on deck 6, and don’t want to head up the stairs. You cannot go on the other side because La Cucina is located there.

 

 

That picture was taken on the first day, so I don't think they had much out yet.

 

There is also a “wine cellar” located there as well. I forgot to take a picture of it. I’m not a wine drinker so we never went in to view it except a glance through the window. (You can see it in the above picture a little in

 

 

too funny about the art work, my husband and I thought the same thing. I ended up tripping over one of the light boxes despite the caution sign warning me about it! It was very crowded and we felt like we were in an art obstacle course.

[snorkelmom19]

Enjoying your review. Glad your son is OK--I have a new driver also, and know your anxiety! Waiting for Roatan to see if you met "Superman" :)

 

Snorkelmom

[mitsugirly]

Turn back around once more and head back to Gatsby’s and up the stairs and we’ll take a look in Ginza. It was set up the same way as….yep, the Pearl was. The exact same layout. It’s very appealing and I like it.

 

 

We had only planned on eating at 1 specialty restaurant this cruise and that would be Ginza. We love their food and it has been a do-not-miss restaurant on the ships before. The others are just kind of a “been there done that and never have to do it again on the ship” kind of restaurants for us. However, in the end, we did not make it to Ginza for another “special” reason, which I’ll reveal toward the end of my cruise review. I know, you are going to be sitting on edge just wondering what that “special” reason is now right?

 

We did however get to spend a little time in here. This is where they had to move our meet & greet to because it got so big. Yes, I worked very hard at begging people to come to it (I organized our meet & greet) and was real proud to say that we had 86 people that said they would come. If they actually came, I’m not sure. But it was crowded.

 

 

 

Ok, back around and out Ginza and down the steps toward Gatsby’s again…I told ya I get my exercise, how else am I supposed to work off the 7 pounds I gained on this cruise? Wait, did I just admit to that out loud? :eek: Oops. Shh, don't tell anyone.

 

A little peek in to La Cucina. We've ate here before and enjoyed it (on the Epic), but nothing will ever beat the ambience of La Cucina as the Epic did with its 2 story entrance and trees.

 

 

 

 

 

I don't know, this place kind of reminded me of some of the country kitchen restaurants I've been to before instead of an Italian restaurant. :confused: