Live Report- Norwegian Star May 11th-21st 2023. Is this my last time on a small ship?

[tsahall01]

This is a picture of the hole being closed up!  Even with the delay and port changes, it really was a great cruise--we had lots of fun!  Barcelona is a great port to get stuck in!!  I would sail on the Star any day! 

[FLAHAM]

Bring a book.  Better yet, bring a Kindle with several unread books.

[jennjess]

14 hours ago, ConnieTact said:

Story time! 

The last time we were onboard the Star was in July 2016 on a trip around Northern Europe which included two days in St Petersburg. The embarkation on this particular sailing is one that I will never, ever forget! We had an hour or so wait after we arrived at the Copenhagen airport for our transfer. Then, when on the shuttle to port to meet the ship, we were told we would be dropped off in the city ‘to enjoy a look around’ before going on to the terminal. The reason we were given was that the ship had not arrived yet. It had needed maintenance and then missed the tide, so was unable to sail Stockholm’s archipelago. This had unavoidably, delayed the ship. 

 

We got off the coach in Copenhagen, and we went for an Italian meal and, little did we know, this food would need to sustain us until the next day! When we went to meet the shuttle to go to the port there was a huge queue of around 300 people. When we got near the port the driver warned us the ship had only just arrived and there was “a lot of angry people at the port”. He requested for us to “please do your best not to take it out on staff!’ 

 

Nothing prepared us to see more than 2,000 people in the queue that wrapped around the front and both sides of the terminal buildings! Even worse, as we joined the end of the queue little did we know we would not board the ship for another four hours! We were outside standing for three hours and reached the inside of the terminal for the last hour. There were no seats so we sat in the floor of the terminal building as we were so tired! Ships crew had not disembarked when we first arrived, so people ahead of us where already tired and thirsty and some were even finding it hard to stand. 

 

We were one of the last to board and were in our cabin by 10pm. By then, of course, the main and specialty restaurants were closed and we missed the birthday meal we had planned-it was Mr CT’s birthday that day! 

 

I have no worries that history will repeat itself, as the very new Horizon terminal and our ship isn’t coming from Copenhagen this time! This was by far the worst embarkation we have experienced in all our cruises and hopefully will remain that way! 
 

As I write, the Star is on her way to Southampton so no delay this time! 😅

That was truly the boarding from hell!

[jennjess]

For you and those sailing tomorrow "Bon Voyage".  Hope the weather plays nicely for you.

[ConnieTact]

1 hour ago, goldmom said:

Beautiful kitties!  My son has this gadget that has a camera and treats.  I didn't know about it and was checking on the cats while they were away.  All of a sudden I hear my DIL's voice and a cat treat pops out of this machine.  I almost jumped out of my skin!  LOL!

Apparently, they can talk to their kitties and send treats even when they are traveling.  Technology is fascinating! 

Enjoy your cruise!

That’s so funny! Jumping out your skin hearing your DIL! 😅 I dint have a treat dispenser but leave lots for carers to dish out! One per kiss given! 😂😻❤️

Thanks Goldmom!

[ConnieTact]

18 minutes ago, FLAHAM said:

Bring a book.  Better yet, bring a Kindle with several unread books.

I get through quite a few books on a transatlantic cruise but not so many when it is port intensive such as this one. I do have a talking book ready on my iPad in case I wake up in the night or wake early in the morning. At the moment I have a 5am habit of waking! I’m hoping this trip, and the drinks package(!) may break that annoying habit! 😂🥂

[ConnieTact]

13 minutes ago, jennjess said:

For you and those sailing tomorrow "Bon Voyage".  Hope the weather plays nicely for you.

Thanks Jennjess. We are used to the coming and going of the rain in U.K. so will be making the best of it. One day, the forecast says one thing, and the next day it changes! That’s the trouble with clouds! They move! 😅😂

 

[AKR2011]

Thank you for sharing your vacation with us! I am excited to follow along. The Star often has some unique itineraries, so I hope to jump on board myself someday ❤️⚓️

[ConnieTact]

5 hours ago, AKR2011 said:

Thank you for sharing your vacation with us! I am excited to follow along. The Star often has some unique itineraries, so I hope to jump on board myself someday ❤️⚓️

Thanks for following along! Let me know if you want me to look into anything particular! 

[ConnieTact]

At our local train station in Filton Abbey Wood, Bristol. The next train is ours! 

[LouChamp]

On 5/2/2023 at 7:19 PM, ConnieTact said:

Over the past 13 years, we have sailed 31 times, with various lines and sizes of ship. To start with we sailed with Royal Caribbean, until we discovered the more relaxed dress code and dining style of NCL. We then tried MSC and loved it for its Italian roots and extremely fair prices and generous upgrades. 

 

We found that the newer ships were more stable and the larger ones even better. In the past few years we have generally stuck with new, larger ships. This month though, we will return to a smaller ship to give it one more try!

 

We are booked on the Norwegian Star and our itinerary circumnavigates Ireland. We have been on the Star twice before and a few of the main ports in Ireland, such as Dublin and Belfast. We haven’t gone to all the other smaller ports though so we’re attracted by this cruise.

 

We wonder if we will be disappointed by the smaller offering of entertainment, dining venues and bars having been spoilt by larger MSC Grandiosa, Virtuosa nod RC Anthem of the Seas. Maybe there will be benefits of a smaller ship? I will let you know! Follow along, and I promise lots of port pictures, and food ones too! 
 

Anything I think that will help future passengers to know before they board the Star I will also add.

Aloha. Thank your for your posts and reports. My first cruise was in 1971 on a ship of about 25k tonnes. That was small lol!

[ConnieTact]

On the train and nearly arriving at Southampton- around half an hour left. Sat next to self confessed chatterbox Cathy! She’s got off now but she was good to talk with.

We are enjoying the views of countryside.we miss that if travelling by road.

I heard my friends have just boarded! All very exciting. 

[ConnieTact]

View from the train.

[ziggyuk]

We were one of the first onboard at 11.30

 

NO ALCOHOL IN ANY UK PORT

 

Just been told they will not serve alcohol while in ANY UK port what!

 

This is not a UK law as they tried to bluff me with, what a joke, we had this in Athens a year ago, now here in the UK, my home 😡

[jimbri]

Have a wonderful time.

[ConnieTact]

1st glimpse of ship!

[ConnieTact]

Half hour to get through security then a breeze getting cruise card using priority line ( we were first in ‘line’. Now a bit of hold up actually getting onboard.

[ConnieTact]

43 minutes ago, ziggyuk said:

We were one of the first onboard at 11.30

 

NO ALCOHOL IN ANY UK PORT

 

Just been told they will not serve alcohol while in ANY UK port what!

 

This is not a UK law as they tried to bluff me with, what a joke, we had this in Athens a year ago, now here in the UK, my home 😡

Weird as MSC didn’t do this! 😨

[ConnieTact]

1st meal onboard. We both enjoyed it although more salted than we are used to!

[ConnieTact]

Sadly, no alcohol served until we are out of port! Ridiculous! Is this because NCL don’t pay tax for this? If so, I’d gladly at the very small additional amount for a couple of drinks!  Sadly, for now it’s just a glass of Adam’s ale! 
cheers! 

[ziggyuk]

42 minutes ago, ConnieTact said:

Weird as MSC didn’t do this! 😨

NCL never have before, when this happened in Athens it was due to tax payments to the authorities, it's certainly not a UK law as they claim.

 

[Huntingdon1701]

I spent 5 years influencing and writing UK licensing legislation and now work on UK Tourism policy - that's an outright lie. You should complain at guest services - if they need a UK lawyer who understands the law then they can try Philip Kolvin KC. 

[IrieBajan54]

6 hours ago, ziggyuk said:

We were one of the first onboard at 11.30

 

NO ALCOHOL IN ANY UK PORT

 

Just been told they will not serve alcohol while in ANY UK port what!

 

This is not a UK law as they tried to bluff me with, what a joke, we had this in Athens a year ago, now here in the UK, my home 😡

I hope you're not taking it laying down and you should demand a prorated refund on the beverage package. This also falls into the category of unsatisfactory service which doesn't warrant higher service fees.

[Algie21]

Another cost cutting exercise by NCL.

I take it that NCL Dawn departing on the 14th May from Southampton is not serving any

alcohol on the entire cruise as it is a 10 days of cruising in entirely UK coastal waters.

If people have paid for a an alcoholic beverage package it should be available on the day of departure.

 

[cruiseny4life]

21 hours ago, ConnieTact said:

I get through quite a few books on a transatlantic cruise but not so many when it is port intensive such as this one. I do have a talking book ready on my iPad in case I wake up in the night or wake early in the morning. At the moment I have a 5am habit of waking! I’m hoping this trip, and the drinks package(!) may break that annoying habit! 😂🥂

I hope that terrible 5 AM habit goes away for you too! We wake at 5. First it was my job, then I quit that abhorrent place. But, my husband decided to get a job that required him to wake up at 5, so we're back on the 5 AM schedule. It follows us on vacation too!