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Reassure me about the star

bostonfred

By bostonfred,
in Norwegian Cruise Line

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bostonfred

bostonfred

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Taking our longest cruise ever in February on the Star...a lot of negative reviews. We usually don't pay much attention and things have always been fine. Last cruise in mar/April on Epic was great despite many sour reviews..however, would be nice to hear some recent positives about the star...thanks

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spidybabe

spidybabe

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Posted (edited)

We took the Star last January, and enjoyed the ship very much. Great pool area, and we loved the BeirGarden very much. Excellent bar area. We had no problems and as usual loved our NCL experience.

Safe sailing

Edited by spidybabe
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gymbomb

gymbomb

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The Star and Dawn are my favorite NCL ships. Was on Star in March and had a fabulous cruise! Was very disappointed that our Dawn sailing in June was cancelled and we had to switch to Breakaway. Had a great trip that time too, but looking forward to visiting the smaller ships again :)

 

 

Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

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Strangerush

Strangerush

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We were on the Star in January. It was our very first NCL cruise after many with Royal Caribbean, and it impressed us enough that we booked another one on the Gem. I have never met a better crew, we had excellent food and drinks, and an all around great time. While we noticed some areas that were a little "run down"...well...those things don't really matter to us in the long run!! You will have a great time!

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RanchoDeluxe

RanchoDeluxe

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Last trip on Star November 2015

 

The Star is the only ship I have sailed on twice. I sailed first with a balcony and the second time inside. Two people fit fine in an inside. Plenty of storage – and we are able to overpack because we drive to the port. There is no extra space though and if you want to go back to your cabin and relax the only resting place is on the bed.

 

I really like a ship with long corridors and comfy couches so I can curl up and watch the world go by. The Star had inside open spaces, but more chairs than comfy seating. That, and the buffet, are my big dislikes.

 

We never had a problem finding sun loungers outside, but we never tried to get a place right by the pool.

 

We liked both the casual dining room, Taste and the posher room, Versailles. I cannot tell you about the extra restaurants. Specialty dining is not my husband’s thing so these rooms were his preference. We did not like the buffet, Market Café, only because it feels like a cafeteria. When we ate there the food was OK, just the ambiance wasn’t great. However, crepes made to order found there at night are wonderful. My husband also likes to stop in O’Sheehans – or as he calls it Shenanigans. When we first cruised the Star, the restaurant was called Blue Lagoon but the 24-hour concept was the same.

 

We never had a problem with bar service. On the first day the bars were a little crowded and there were lines sometimes at the deck bars, but as people settled into their drink packages that improved. A lot of people need to wear out their room card on the first day.

 

We enjoyed the theater. No bad seats. The evening entertainment in the main theater on NCL is far superior to Carnival, my only comparison. (Carnivals’s shows just meh – her comedy is pretty good though.)

 

When we had the inside cabin we purchased passes to the Spa Thermal Suite. Well worth the price. The Star does not have a public adults-only area so we bought one for the week. Loved the thalassotherapy pool and the Star spa has a lap pool. You can actually swim for exercise.

 

One of the finest features of the Star is her promenade on deck 7. I spend hours there. If you are lucky you can get a lounger. I think they are on the starboard side. Nice walking and viewing.

 

She is a lovely ship with a hint of old ship style – she leans more toward brass and wood than neon and glass. I’d do her again but I have others to try. Next up Epic.

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Heather1972

Heather1972

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Posted
Taking our longest cruise ever in February on the Star...a lot of negative reviews. We usually don't pay much attention and things have always been fine. Last cruise in mar/April on Epic was great despite many sour reviews..however, would be nice to hear some recent positives about the star...thanks

 

 

 

I personally thank all the negative reviews about the epic are unfounded. It's my favorite cruise ship out of all the ones I've been on.

 

So the star doesn't have a lot of bells and whistles like the big mega ships. My 11-year-old son was complaining big time about there being nothing to do on the star. I think all he did for a week was play basketball. With that said, we were just on the pearl which had similar amenities to the star. My son loved the cruise! He was constantly begging to go to kids club.

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

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tomk3212

tomk3212

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I think you have to take ALL the reviews you read here on CC with a grain of salt. How big that grain is depends on who/whom is writing the actual review.

 

Two things I look for when I'm reading a review are 1) How many cruises the reviewer has actually been on (look at their signature) and 2) The # of posts they've made here on CC (upper right-corner)

 

If I see a review where the person has been on a LOT of cruises on different cruise lines AND has over 50 or so postings here on CC I take that review with a small grain of salt. On the other hand if I see a review where the reviewer doesn't have a lot of previous posts and/or not a lot of cruises I'm inclined to take that review with a larger grain of salt.

 

My 2 cents.

 

Tom K.

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jpcdds6

jpcdds6

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Posted
Taking our longest cruise ever in February on the Star...a lot of negative reviews. We usually don't pay much attention and things have always been fine. Last cruise in mar/April on Epic was great despite many sour reviews..however, would be nice to hear some recent positives about the star...thanks

Was on the Star out of Tampa last January. Great Ship, Great Crew, Concierge and butler were very good. She looks good after the refresh and the dining options were fine. Relax, you will have a great time.

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bostonfred

bostonfred

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Just what we needed, I'm sure we'll have a great time after reading posts...forgot Dawn is sister ship..we really enjoyed the Dawn a few years back out of Miami...looking forward to February..thanks to all who took the time to respond...::)

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Travelinbucketlist

Travelinbucketlist

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Boston Fred - we just got back from a 9 day Baltic Cruise on the Norwegian Star and had a great experience. The ship is not the biggest or the nicest we've been on but has everything we wanted in a cruise experience: a good variety of restaurants and all had great food and service. Ate at 3 specialty restaurants and they were outstanding. Had a deck 10 balcony suite that was nicely furnished, not very large (wasn't in it much anyway) but comfortable bed, a fridge and great shower. Crew was outstanding as was the cabin service. Entertainment, while not all world class, was excellent with very talented performers. I would sail the Star again without hesitation.

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Budget Queen

Budget Queen

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Taking our longest cruise ever in February on the Star...a lot of negative reviews. We usually don't pay much attention and things have always been fine. Last cruise in mar/April on Epic was great despite many sour reviews..however, would be nice to hear some recent positives about the star...thanks

 

What do you consider long? The Star is a nice ship, nicer than the Sun that I was on for 4 weeks in March. :) Also depends on your itinerary? I couldn't care less about ships, so not an issue for me anyway. :)

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smithco18

smithco18

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Taking our longest cruise ever in February on the Star...a lot of negative reviews. We usually don't pay much attention and things have always been fine. Last cruise in mar/April on Epic was great despite many sour reviews..however, would be nice to hear some recent positives about the star...thanks

 

We took the Star in July 2016 on the 9 night Baltic Sea itinerary, and were very happy with the accommodations (balcony room) food and staff. The ship was refurbished very nicely, didn't experience any aging or snafus. Freestyle dining is a bit more hectic than the normal/formal dining room seatings, but it offers great flexibility, and all in all it was great. Hope this helps. JAS :)

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