Norwegian Star and General Newbie Cruiser Questions

[Elwinnie]

Margaret, Thanks for all the wonderful tips & help. We sail Tues. & don't fully understand: May we book specialty restaurants more than 1 day in advance? Do you suggest we do the Bar B q upon sailing & do Wed.nite our first reservation. It gets a bit much second guessing what time we'll want to have dinner but want to see all the shows. Just find out that Zihuatanejo will be from 7am to 2. Early day & the shops probably don't open until 10. If you could please email me. thanks Ellen ronnalla@charter.net

My vote is still to arrive as early as possible. There is something about the feeling of the quiet ship, before the crowds. It is a great time to get photos without all the people in them. One of the main dining rooms will be open and serving lunch, take along your Freestyle to mark off the events you don't want to miss the rest of the afternoon. Have a tropical drink while sitting on your balcony/or upper deck watching the people waiting to get on the ship. Check out the beds to make sure they are comfortable. The ship will be holding an open house in the SPA, and usually have the casino set up with different promotions. Also the earlier you arrive the sooner you can make your Specialty Restaurant reservations, and possibly sign up for a shore excursion.

 

Don't forget to try the Fish and Chips in the Blue Lagoon at some point during the cruise, I must have ordered them about 10 times during our cruise, they were addictive.

 

:)

[immargaret]

duplicate post, so I'll add some more information.

 

They do offer the poolside BBQ several times during the cruise, and it's basically the same items each time. The ribs, baked potatoes, and corn on the cob were all very good. We never had a problem eating some of the BBQ and then later going to dinner as well, after all it's a cruise.

 

Occassionally when we eat our dinner early before the show we skip dessert and head back to the dining room after the show and get seated again and just order dessert, or maybe our favorite appetizer and dessert. With Freestyle dining there is no limit to the number of times you can visit the dining rooms for dinner. If you wanted you could go back for another whole meal.

 

 

Here's a tip that I didn't figure out until the last couple of days of the cruise. There is a coffee place set up in the main atrium, near the front desk area that sells coffees. They also have a great display case with desserts set up, well, the desserts are actually free...even if your not purchasing coffee. Many times these desserts looked better than the ones in the Buffet area.

 

Bring along a few ziplock bags and take a some treats with you in port, so you won't have to stop to eat along the way. My daughter loves the croissants from the breakfast buffet and would eat them while we were in port. They also have small boxes of cereals at the buffet that work great for a quick snack while sitting on the beach. Room service will pack up some of their items if you want a bagged lunch to take ashore. There are a few rules on taking food off, and bringing food on the ship but when I asked they had no problem with the items I took ashore. Just don't bringing back fruit on the ship...

[immargaret]

May we book specialty restaurants more than 1 day in advance? Do you suggest we do the Bar B q upon sailing & do Wed.nite our first reservation. It gets a bit much second guessing what time we'll want to have dinner but want to see all the shows. Just find out that Zihuatanejo will be from 7am to 2. Early day & the shops probably don't open until 10. If you could please email me. thanks Ellen ronnalla@charter.net

 

Hi Ellen,

I think I'll reply to you here so that others can get the same information. We were allowed to book our specialty reservations for the entire week once we got on the ship. There is a desk set up in the main Atrium, near the front desk. They will have menus for the week so you can choose which nights you want to try the specialty restaurants. Occassionally they offer half price in some of the specialty restaurants on the first night, and occassionally they offer half price for the first hour. Check to see what specials they will be offering on your cruise, and that may help in your decisions. We like to eat early, and that is when the restaurants are the least busy (right when they open), this usually gave us the option of seeing either the early or the late show. Eating dinner in one of the dining rooms will take a minimum of 1 hours, and occassionally 2 hours...depending on how many courses and how quickly the courses come out, so plan accordingly.

[Bennett'sCruise]

Margaret, Thanks for all the wonderful tips & help. We sail Tues. & don't fully understand: May we book specialty restaurants more than 1 day in advance? Do you suggest we do the Bar B q upon sailing & do Wed.nite our first reservation. It gets a bit much second guessing what time we'll want to have dinner but want to see all the shows. Just find out that Zihuatanejo will be from 7am to 2. Early day & the shops probably don't open until 10. If you could please email me. thanks Ellen ronnalla@charter.net

 

On Embarkation day, you can eat the BBQ early afternoon ... and then have dinner in one of the dining rooms, etc. In fact, on embarkation day the dress codes everywhere on the ship are relaxed because they realize not everyone has received their luggage yet. Yes, you CAN wear jeans into the dining rooms that day.

 

I believe you can book specialty restaurants 2 days in advance ... although when we sailed the STAR in September (5-day from Vancouver to LA), they let us book for the whole 5 days when we boarded (they started taking reservations at 1 p.m. that day).

 

Zihua: when there is a ship in port in Mexico, the shops will be open. Particularly in very small towns like Zihua they wouldn't miss this opportunity. The ONLY port we've ever sailed to in the world that this was NOT true was Victoria ... they had 4 ships in until midnight and most all the stores in town were closed by 6 p.m. ... very weird!!! Here we are with all this vacation money to spend and no where to spend it!:eek: HA!

 

Highlighters: very good idea. In fact, we always take two colors. One for me and one for hubby. I have yellow and he has blue. When we both want to do the same thing, the color we get when we've both highlighted that activity is green.

 

Post-it notes: absolutely ... and don't forget to bring a pen or two or three.

 

Another thing I've found I can't do without are zip-lock baggies. I bring several of the sandwich size and the 1-gal size. They are terrific for all kinds of things along the way.

 

Blue Lagoon is the most forgotten place on the STAR, IMO. The fish & chips are a MUST, also their chili is fabulous ... and I dream about their pound cake!!:) BTW: the pound cake is left out for anyone to grab 24/7. The BL is very small, but you can usually find a place to sit .. the waitress will come and take your order.

 

If you want a quick sweet (besides the pound cake in the BL), don't forget about the freshly baked cookies in the Java Cafe at all hours. Yummmmm....

 

We much prefer Aqua over Versailles. But, you need to try Versailles just for the incredible beauty of the room. If you get there early enough, you can get close to the back windows ... incredible.

 

We love Le Bistro and the Tepanyaki is very, very good. Cagney's is good, too. Another much forgotten restaurant on board is Soho, which is Pacific Rim dining. The presentation and taste of the food is fabulous.

 

I'm not sure if Kieron Buffery will be on board during your cruise. He's the usual Cruise Director but does take some time off from time to time. He is fabulous ... his sense of humor and energy is really great. Some times CD's can be really obnoxious, but we've found this not to hold true with Kieron. BTW: Kieron is a member of CruiseCritic and does read the threads when he has time. If you see him, mention that you are on Cruise Critic.

 

Don't forget about the Trivia Contests held a couple of times during the day in The Pub. These are so much fun and you really learn a lot!!! HA! I need to know why I can remember all this useless Trivia and I can't remember what I did when around here!!:eek:

 

The most important piece of advice anyone can give a new cruiser, is that a cruise is what you make of it. Do everything ... or do nothing, whatever is your style. But have a great, relaxing time. Afterall, it's your vacation. Also, we've found that NCL staff will want to do everything to make your time on board a good one. Sooooo ... if you find something wrong, that you just can't live with, let them know and they will try to fix it. Just try to be "reasonable" in your requests.

 

Another thing .... we always try to get to know our stateroom stewards. We find them as soon as we get on board, introduce ourselves, let them know of any special needs and ask them about themselves (family, country, etc.) Whenever we see them throughout the trip, we always go out of our way to chat a minute or two. They are working hard for you. We always give them a little more than the automatic tip ... phone cards are good, or cash is always appreciated(given directly to them on the last day).

 

Have fun! You've chosen a reeeeeaally good ship for a first cruise!!:D

 

~Dianne

[immargaret]

Another thing .... we always try to get to know our stateroom stewards. We find them as soon as we get on board' date=' introduce ourselves, let them know of any special needs and ask them about themselves (family, country, etc.) Whenever we see them throughout the trip, we always go out of our way to chat a minute or two. They are working hard for you. They always end up with a little more than the automatic tip ... phone cards are good, or cash is always appreciated.[/quote']

 

I'm not sure if this is the place to post it, but why not. On our last STAR cruise when we first met our room steward we informed him of our needs for the week, ice...bathrobes and little things like that. After our first meeting I gave him one of those plastic puzzle case gadgets with a $20 bill inside it. I told him if he hadn't figured out how to get the money out by the end of the trip we would also give him the soulution... He worked all week and finally one of the other crew members helped him get the money out. He left it for us with a thank you note in it on our final morning. He said he though it was a great idea and that he had lots of fun with it and that we should have the box back for the next cruise to share again. I'm sure It could hold a phone card in it just as well.

[Bennett'sCruise]

I'm not sure if this is the place to post it, but why not. On our last STAR cruise when we first met our room steward we informed him of our needs for the week, ice...bathrobes and little things like that. After our first meeting I gave him one of those plastic puzzle case gadgets with a $20 bill inside it. I told him if he hadn't figured out how to get the money out by the end of the trip we would also give him the soulution... He worked all week and finally one of the other crew members helped him get the money out. He left it for us with a thank you note in it on our final morning. He said he though it was a great idea and that he had lots of fun with it and that we should have the box back for the next cruise to share again. I'm sure It could hold a phone card in it just as well.

 

We usually give a little beforehand as well ... but this is a super creative way to do it!!! You see, you ALWAYS learn something new on CCritic!!:D

 

~D

[Bennett'sCruise]

Hi Ellen,

We were allowed to book our specialty reservations for the entire week once we got on the ship.

 

When we sailed the STAR last November, we weren't allowed to book any more than 2 days in advance ... then this last September, we were able to book for the whole 5 days. So, perhaps they've made this change permanent. Which is a good thing .... ever improving!:)

 

~D

[Elwinnie]

Were you in a balcony cabon or suite to be able to ask for bathrobes & my husband always likes extra pillows.

we are in cabin #10108 w/balcony. Love your suggestions for tipping. Where do we get the phone cards (in any port?)We sail Tues. & almost through packing. Thanks for everything.

Ellen

I'm not sure if this is the place to post it, but why not. On our last STAR cruise when we first met our room steward we informed him of our needs for the week, ice...bathrobes and little things like that. After our first meeting I gave him one of those plastic puzzle case gadgets with a $20 bill inside it. I told him if he hadn't figured out how to get the money out by the end of the trip we would also give him the soulution... He worked all week and finally one of the other crew members helped him get the money out. He left it for us with a thank you note in it on our final morning. He said he though it was a great idea and that he had lots of fun with it and that we should have the box back for the next cruise to share again. I'm sure It could hold a phone card in it just as well.

[Bennett'sCruise]

Were you in a balcony cabon or suite to be able to ask for bathrobes & my husband always likes extra pillows.

we are in cabin #10108 w/balcony. Love your suggestions for tipping. Where do we get the phone cards (in any port?)We sail Tues. & almost through packing. Thanks for everything.

Ellen

 

You are in a BA category. In suites (AG and higher) you get the robes automatically. In a BA, you'll have to ask for one. Personally, I've never understood the bathrobe thing anyway! I'm always more comfortable in my own light-weight duster robe I pack for travelling. The belt-wrapped robe you get on ships/hotels, etc., drive me crazy for being uncomfortable. Whatever ....:o

 

Pillows ... they give you lots in the stateroom. If you want more, ask for them.

 

~D

[immargaret]

Were you in a balcony cabon or suite to be able to ask for bathrobes & my husband always likes extra pillows.

 

We were in a BA balcony and our room steward didn't seem to mind locating us 2 bathrobes, I'm not sure if the tip helped with this or not. Extra pillows were already in our cabin, since it was set up for 3 passengers.

[SailAways]

Margaret...

 

If you knew what my definition was of LOTS of digital pictures, you would understand why buying extra memory cards isn't an option. (The cards would cost double what I paid for the camera.) LOL.Gregg

 

I found an amazingly low price for memory cards at Wal Mart Online. I believe they are more in the store. I saved a bundle on the ones which I purchased for our recent trip.

[tas-99]

Thanks again to everyone that has helped answer my questions. Your input and suggestions have been greatly appreciated. My wife is even starting to feel like this isn't going to be a journey into the great unknown!

 

I do however have one more question.

 

My wife and I are in an AE Penthouse. The rest of our group (including my 6 year old son) are booked into two J inside staterooms.

 

I have been told that the Penthouse guests have a separate line for boarding (with the Latitude members). I realize it would be unfair to bring all of the other 6 guests in our party into the line with us, but what about my son and father (who are booked to share a J stateroom)?

 

We booked the Penthouse on the family plan. Get the Penthouse and pay 50% for the J stateroom. (Great deal actually. No more expensive than 2 outside balconies.) Needless to say, we won't be taking advantage of the "special" check-in without our son with us.

 

Are they going to let my son and father join us in line?

 

For that matter, are they going to let us use the butler to book dinner reservations for others who aren't in our room. (Our son is actually going to sleep in our room, but it was cheaper to book 2 and 2, rather than 3 and 1, which is why my son ended up on my Dad's ticket.)

 

Any thoughts and shared experiences would be welcome.

 

Gregg

[LaRee1L]

Just wanted to add one little tip - let me preference this by saying that I haven't sailed on the Star before so this may be a moot point, but many of the staterooms on other ships lack enough electrical outlets. The suite you booked may be fine, but for the inside staterooms I suggest that you pack a couple of power strips. With trying to hook up battery chargers, cell phone chargers, extra hair dryers or curling irons, etc. you'll find that the power strip will come in really handy.

[seahorse]

Thanks again to everyone that has helped answer my questions. Your input and suggestions have been greatly appreciated. My wife is even starting to feel like this isn't going to be a journey into the great unknown!

 

I do however have one more question.

 

My wife and I are in an AE Penthouse. The rest of our group (including my 6 year old son) are booked into two J inside staterooms.

 

I have been told that the Penthouse guests have a separate line for boarding (with the Latitude members). I realize it would be unfair to bring all of the other 6 guests in our party into the line with us, but what about my son and father (who are booked to share a J stateroom)?

 

We booked the Penthouse on the family plan. Get the Penthouse and pay 50% for the J stateroom. (Great deal actually. No more expensive than 2 outside balconies.) Needless to say, we won't be taking advantage of the "special" check-in without our son with us.

 

Are they going to let my son and father join us in line?

 

For that matter, are they going to let us use the butler to book dinner reservations for others who aren't in our room. (Our son is actually going to sleep in our room, but it was cheaper to book 2 and 2, rather than 3 and 1, which is why my son ended up on my Dad's ticket.)

 

Any thoughts and shared experiences would be welcome.

 

Gregg

 

Your son and father can join you in line.

 

The concierge will book your dinner reservations........if the others in your party are dining with you, yes you will be able to book them. If they are dining elsewhere, they have to book their own.

[Ocean Spirit]

We were on the Star week of October 8th.... We really enjoyed the cruise.

 

We unfortunately arrived at the port at 1:00 as the tickets said. The whole process took over an hour to complete. NCL did a very good job keeping the line moving and had some punch to drink along the way.

 

My child was in the kids program and really enjoyed it. The group of teens on our cruise were young.... each cruise is different.

 

We never needed any peso's .... everyone took dollars. For the first time we didn't take any of the ships excursions. Took taxi's at each port.

Also as for massages, I got a 75 minute massage for $30 (off season) at the Kystal Resort....5 minute drive from the port. You have to email for a appointment.

 

I agree that the one show not to miss is the magic show.... it was the best show we've been to.

 

All during the cruise they sell the crack it's will is a pack of tickets that you can win some money or a cruise. There is 2 $1,000 and I only heard some folks got a $5 ticket. On Friday, they sell them with a extra card and a NCL bag for the same amount.

 

Enjoy your trip