Just off Star. A few disappointments.

[woodley]

Prior to sailing the port in Portugal was removed and replaced with one in Spain and one in France. This was disappointing as we really wanted to go there and we never received a reason as to why. 

Our cabin, a sea view was really small with no seating except for on the bed.  It looked dated and tired.  The sheets were almost threadbare.

Entertainer's were very poor, we walked out most evenings.  The singers and dancers were very poor, no coordination and amateurish.  I think they thought if they were loud and held one note for a while we would be impressed.

Guitar player/singer was awful, couldn't understand most of what he sang.

The latitudes platinum party was a joke, cocktails were served but having the drinks package cost the cruise line nothing and the food offered was cubes of cheese, better cheese was being served in the buffet.  So basically they gave away nothing as a reward for our loyalty. in the past there have always been nice foods/snacks offered.

In Bordeaux we did a shore excursion called Bordeaux sampler.  It should have been called Bordeaux on your own as all it consisted of was a bus ride to the city.  We left 2 hours late due to port problems so we only had two hours in the city instead of four hours. the journey to the city was two hours there and two hours back. By the time we ate lunch we had less than an hour in the city to explore.  A complete waste of money.

The daily activities were lackluster, totally boring.

The port le harve was removed due to strike action.  We stayed overnight in Belgium but it was an industrial port so there was nowhere to go in the evening and we left the next day at 12pm so no shore excursions we offered that day so it became a day at sea.

Then on the last day Guernsey was removed due to the weather.  No port fees were refunded for missing ports. It has been a few years since we have been on NCL and it may be our last trip with them.

 

[EvanBedar]

Anytime I read a review by someone who absolutely hates everything right down to the buttered rolls, I give it a wide berth.   It sounds more like someone who just felt bad the whole time, and they just wallpapered it with negativity.  

[v3cruiser]

52 minutes ago, EvanBedar said:

Anytime I read a review by someone who absolutely hates everything right down to the buttered rolls, I give it a wide berth.   It sounds more like someone who just felt bad the whole time, and they just wallpapered it with negativity.  

Bwahahahahaaa. LOL. To be fair it seems like that cruise did get hit with not one but perhaps  four change of ports/ cancellations. my oh my. Given the challenge of cruise lines getting up to speed again, I dont have high expectations going on my cruise in feb, just enjoy the ports, appreciate the crew, and breath in that ocean air. Hopefully food is still good.  Going on three years now since we last cruised. 

[Georgia_Peaches]

A few disappointments?  My goodness, it sounds like you didn't enjoy yourself at all.  The ports sound interesting but in the event they are changed like you described, I am reminded as to why I tend to look to the ship for entertainment.  The Star is a small ship and doesn't have a lot going on.  I think I would probably cruise on a ship that has more to offer so that I  have a back up plan should something with the ports.  

[BaWBarmy]

6 hours ago, EvanBedar said:

Anytime I read a review by someone who absolutely hates everything right down to the buttered rolls, I give it a wide berth.   It sounds more like someone who just felt bad the whole time, and they just wallpapered it with negativity.  

 

To be fair we have just got off the same cruise and a lot of the complaints mentioned are quite valid. 

The entertainment was poor by NCL standards and we stopped going after Lifford Shillingfords first show, he could sing but his repertoire was a bit dull. A lot of the singing by the ships company was just shouting.

The dropping of Porto, although we were given plenty of advanced warning we were never told why. The Bordeaux day was poorly handled, as were shuttle facilities at most other ports. NCL can't be blamed for french industrial action or the weather round Guernsey.

There was no behind the scenes ship tour or wine tasting for platinums and above.

To counter some of the bad points. The food was excellent. The crew were excellent. The replacement ports were good. 

One last point the OP mentioned the Latitudes meet up just being lumps of cheese and poor cocktails, we didn't go to this one because on the previous cruises we've been on the latitudes meet ups have always been lumps of cheese and poor cocktails.

[BirdTravels]

I don't quite understand when someone books a cheap room, then complains that it is not a suite. The Star says that the room is only 158 sq ft and provides a 3D floor plan. Not sure what the expectation was. The floor plan clearly does not show a sofa and love seat in a separate living room and does not show a dining table. The ship had an major overhaul just prior to the pandemic shutdown, so it has the latest features of NCL ships. 

 

 

 

If someone wants a seating area, you could book a suite with a small living room and dining room area. 

 

Edited October 28, 2022 by BirdTravels

[woodley]

3 hours ago, BirdTravels said:

I don't quite understand when someone books a cheap room, then complains that it is not a suite. The Star says that the room is only 158 sq ft and provides a 3D floor plan. Not sure what the expectation was. The floor plan clearly does not show a sofa and love seat in a separate living room and does not show a dining table. The ship had an major overhaul just prior to the pandemic shutdown, so it has the latest features of NCL ships. 

 

 

 

If someone wants a seating area, you could book a suite with a small living room and dining room area. 

 

We knew we booked an inside cabin but the picture posted above shows a chair we did not get a chair and the space around the bed was blocked by the vanity unit on one side and a pull down bed on the other so the room was quite different from the picture you posted above.

[woodley]

My post was a true recollection of our disappointments while on the cruise.  I thought it may help people who were planning a future cruise on the star.  Of course there were good points but that was not what the title of the thread was about.  The food was good, the staff were lovely and the ports I did not mention were enjoyable.  Having been on 44 cruises prior to this one many of which were on NCL I can honestly say this one was our worst experience.   

[phillygwm]

I can understand OP's disappointment, for the most part.  People probably chose this sailing for the itinerary, not the ship.  While most of the port issues may not be NCL's fault, perhaps they could have been better communicated.

 

As for the ship, it's one of the oldest (though renovated) and smallest in the fleet.  It's not going to be the Prima.  In fairness to OP, I suspect they knew that much going in.  The smaller ships can get into the smaller ports but there's a tradeoff.

[dexddd]

14 hours ago, EvanBedar said:

Anytime I read a review by someone who absolutely hates everything right down to the buttered rolls, I give it a wide berth.   It sounds more like someone who just felt bad the whole time, and they just wallpapered it with negativity.  

Welcome to CC.

[dexddd]

22 minutes ago, phillygwm said:

I can understand OP's disappointment, for the most part.  People probably chose this sailing for the itinerary, not the ship.  While most of the port issues may not be NCL's fault, perhaps they could have been better communicated.

 

As for the ship, it's one of the oldest (though renovated) and smallest in the fleet.  It's not going to be the Prima.  In fairness to OP, I suspect they knew that much going in.  The smaller ships can get into the smaller ports but there's a tradeoff.

We've sailed Star twice and always had a good time although last time was ten years ago.  We also just sailed Prima and while plenty of staff, we had a port cancelled with no return of port fees, entertainment venues too small, and Lats Rewards was a joke. 

[Oakman58]

I will say, the Latitudes Party has been a joke for quite a few years.

[Mira28]

To the OP. Since you’ve been on CC for a while you probably knew that when you posted this you’d get lots of negative responses. Apparently one is not allowed to be a critic here! While some posters make good points here, there is often a lack of courtesy and empathy on these boards. I’m not sure why it’s like this.

I can empathize with your experience. I’m glad that some aspects of your trip were positive, as I know how much time, money, and hopes go into planning a cruise. I do hope you’ll give NCL another chance at some point.
 

[spanishguy1970]

1 hour ago, Oakman58 said:

I will say, the Latitudes Party has been a joke for quite a few years.

i agree. To me those parties are more about the hard sell than the actual appreciation of customers IMO.

[EllieinNJ]

Why doesn't NCL refund port charges if they do not dock there?  In January we went on a RCI cruise and missed two ports.  We were refunded (some?) of our port charges.

[MagnoliaBlossom]

We were on the Star in August, Southampton to Reyjakvik.   Our cruise was cut from 11 days to 10 in order to accommodate the Prima and her big event.  I found the food t be the worst we have had on any of our 82 cruises.  Even the drinks were not mixed properly. ie, at two separate bars a whisky sour was made with whiskey and lemon lime juice.  Period.  No simple syrup, no cherry.  
they did take on 140 new staff members during our stop in Norway so maybe these bartenders were rookies,  even the specialty restaurants were bad.   Very poor cuts of meat, filled with gristle, fish looked like it was freezer burned.

 

But we didn’t starve and everything else was fine.  One of the best itineraries we’ve ever done and I would certainly do it again.

 

we did not go to any of the shows, but we made a point of listening to the trio of violinists who played in the atrium most evenings.  A great treat.

[phillygwm]

2 hours ago, Oakman58 said:

I will say, the Latitudes Party has been a joke for quite a few years.

I've never gone.  I've read previous reports that it's basically a marketing ploy to sell CruiseNext/book new cruises onboard.  If that's worthwhile to people, great.  I don't find it a good use of my valuable drinking time 🙂 Particularly now that most people have the bar package, we don't need free drinks at the reception.  

 

 

Edited October 28, 2022 by phillygwm

[SeaShark]

3 hours ago, Mira28 said:

To the OP. Since you’ve been on CC for a while you probably knew that when you posted this you’d get lots of negative responses. Apparently one is not allowed to be a critic here! While some posters make good points here, there is often a lack of courtesy and empathy on these boards. I’m not sure why it’s like this.

I can empathize with your experience. I’m glad that some aspects of your trip were positive, as I know how much time, money, and hopes go into planning a cruise. I do hope you’ll give NCL another chance at some point.
 

 

Not sure that empathy is the right reaction....after all, this is a public forum, not a support group. Nobody is owed unconditional support for their opinion.

 

I also disagree with the idea that people can't be a critic here. Assuming, of course, that by "critic" you mean:

 

"one who expresses a reasoned opinion on any matter especially involving a judgment of its value, truth, righteousness, beauty, or technique"

 

...and not:

 

"One who tends to make harsh or carping judgments; a faultfinder"

[weltek]

My sense is that the entertainment quality is being held to a higher standard on the newer ships, where the smaller, older ships are getting the leftovers. I'm pretty much done with the smaller, older ships for their tired feel and poor entertainment quality. If I wanted to live by the pool, I might still choose an older ship, but I spend about three hours total there during any given cruise.  I don't love the higher passenger counts on the newer ships, but I like the modern feel and entertainment choices.

[Mira28]

22 minutes ago, SeaShark said:

 

Not sure that empathy is the right reaction....after all, this is a public forum, not a support group. Nobody is owed unconditional support for their opinion.

 

I also disagree with the idea that people can't be a critic here. Assuming, of course, that by "critic" you mean:

 

"one who expresses a reasoned opinion on any matter especially involving a judgment of its value, truth, righteousness, beauty, or technique"

 

...and not:

 

"One who tends to make harsh or carping judgments; a faultfinder"

I suppose it’s all a matter of opinion,

and personal choice.
I maintain that (even in a public forum), one can speak courteously and with regard for the experiences of others. 

[SeaShark]

45 minutes ago, Mira28 said:

I suppose it’s all a matter of opinion,

and personal choice.
I maintain that (even in a public forum), one can speak courteously and with regard for the experiences of others. 

 

We could, of course, say and expect the same from those who are sharing their experiences as well. Not everything is perfect and sometimes the experience shared will be negative. However, there is no reason that the post sharing that experience can't be reasonable, thoughtful, and mature. We are adults here...no need for anyone to throw an online tantrum. (iow, nobody likes a Karen).

[phillygwm]

42 minutes ago, Mira28 said:

I suppose it’s all a matter of opinion,

and personal choice.
I maintain that (even in a public forum), one can speak courteously and with regard for the experiences of others. 

Complaints are valid but when someone only posts negative stuff (or all sunshine and lollipops!) I'll tend to discount them.  For everyone else, I try to give the benefit of the doubt. 

 

Someone in my recent roll call posted our cruise on the Joy was the worst they've ever been on.  The Joy isn't my favorite ship but I didn't find it horrible by any stretch.  But hey, maybe they had a different steward, did different excursions, restaurants, etc.  

[craig01020]

On 10/28/2022 at 8:21 AM, Mira28 said:

Apparently one is not allowed to be a critic here!

Ironic since the website is named Cruise Critic.  🤙

[SeaShark]

1 hour ago, craig01020 said:

Ironic since the website is named Cruise Critic.  🤙

 

IOW you didn't read post #18. 🙄

[New2cruise2022]

Criticism about Criticism: Why it’s a problem in an online forum

(A dissertation you will probably be bored to tears by, but here I am putting forward anyway)

The simple answer to the problem of online criticizing people’s criticism is that we are all different. Consider the differences between each poster. Age, gender, upbringing, nationality, culture. Without even talking about cruises or travel, we have enough variables in our differences as humans that it is hard to understand one another in a quick review laid out in a forum — about ANY topic. Criticism, even fact-heavy criticism, is still largely subjective. 
 

If that weren’t enough variables to make it amazing that we understand each other at all, let’s add some more variables. First cruise vs 100th cruise. Even first cruise vs second cruise is enough to make a huge difference in perspective. Traveling as a couple vs traveling solo vs traveling with kids. Spending a small portion of your income vs a large portion of your income on a cruise. Booking a cruise two years in advance vs two weeks in advance.
 

These differences impact the critic’s perception of the value delivered and they impact the way a reader receives those criticisms. And let’s not forgot, to the reader that is at home and didn’t just get home from a cruise — there is jealousy at play: “I wish I just got back from a 7-day vacation and here you are complaining about it?”

 

@Sthrngary writes some of my favorite stuff on CC. He self admits that his writings are lengthy, but the detail helps the audience know who he is and how he sees the world. My situation is very different than his (experience and finances) but I understand that enough to know where he is coming from and understand his perspective. 
 

Lastly, my grandpa always said (I don’t know why my grandpa gives this any more authority, but just go with it): “You can get a horse to eat an onion if you give him an apple too.” Even if the topic is disappointment or negative impressions, offering the good provides a baseline and helps the reader know that you can appreciate things in life and therefore your expertise in finding flaws is better received.