Welcome back Star cruisers!

[Charcan54]

We were on this cruise as well and so I'll add my two cents!

 

First off, we were on deck 10 as well and Cactgurl, I sure hope it wasn't *my* snoring husband you heard but might have been because I also heard the jumping kid a deck above. I'm thinking you were not right next door to us though...at least I hope you weren't:-)

 

Secondly, Emi, I don't think there are any kinks to work out. This cruise went like clockwork and I don't think anyone missed a beat as far as NCL goes. I did not see or hear about a CC meeting either.

 

Next, I'd like to comment on the entertainment. The cruise director and his assistant, Ricky and Kevin, are just two wild and crazy guys. Every show was great. Don't get too excited about Alfreda Gerald, though, because I believe she said she was heading home to Palm Beach FL to start rehearsals today, in fact, for her next Yanni tour. Now, that girl can sing!! Keep in mind, though, we can all see her again at the Mandalay in Vegas in November with Yanni:-)

 

I agree with others here. Forego a shore excursion or those poolside cocktails and spend the money on the specialty restaurants. We ate at Cagney's twice and absolutely loved it. In fact, we thought it was as good as Ruth's Chris Steak House where we have gladly paid $160 for dinner for two. Trust me, you are getting a steal at Cagney's where dinner will run you $40 to $50 for two.

 

Acapulco -- I have always wanted to see the cliff divers. I got to do that -- at night and it was well worth the visit. As far as ever returning to Acapulco, I never would. Just trying to get a taxi at a reasonable price in order to go have lunch at Senor Frog's was not an easy task. We did manage to get the ride but it turned into a near nightmare for us and I will not go into the bitter details here but suffice it to say be careful in Acapulco. It is a larger city and with that comes a whole lot more than what you bargain for in the smaller ports. I'm sure, in it's heyday, Acapulco was probably a very beautiful city but it has seen it's glory days and now is mostly a tourist destination for residents of Mexico City. Sadly, the bay is quite littered and dirty. You might not want to think about going in the water here. I'm with the person who said that Acapulco should be nixed and put Manzanillo or Mazatlan in its place as a port stop.

 

Regarding Zihuatenejo/Ixtapa -- you might want to consider some sort of a tour to Ixtapa. Zihuatenejo is a lovely and quaint village (the captain even commented that it was one of the most beautiful ports he has seen -- much like Portofino) not to be missed yet on the other side of the hills lies Ixtapa with its lovely resort hotels, beaches and shopping areas. The two towns are so close yet worlds apart from one another. It's interesting to experience both worlds in one day.

 

We were one of the couples left behind on the Resort Tour in Zihautanejo. We were told to meet the tour at 12:20 at the end of the pier. Well, we sat in the shade of a tree on the beach at the center of town and then headed to the meeting spot, arriving there at 12:15, believing we had five minutes to spare. When we arrived, one tour bus (with empty seats...our seats) had already departed. The second bus was full. So, the tour operators quickly dispatched someone to come and get us with the idea that we would meet up with the first bus. We headed off with Elsa, the tour guide and lo behold she was called about three blocks from departure -- there were four more people who had been left behind. Someone brought those four to meet up with us in the middle of town and since we had six people, Elsa (a lovely local woman who spoke fluent English) told us she would just give us a personal guided tour in her new air conditioned van. So, what started out as a fiasco ended up on a positive note with such a personal tour. Elsa even took us on a side journey that the tour buses did not go on.

 

In PV, the shore excursions were sold out so we took a chance on a tour offered under a blue tent on the pier just off to the right side of the gangway. For $20 each we were taken on a wonderful 3-hour guided tour that included city sights, Casa Kimberly (Liz and Richard's hideaway), Tequila tasting, and a run out to Mismaloya Beach with a couple of photo op stops. We drove past the church (Our Lady of Guadalupe, however, we did not stop). Again, this tour was in a new air conditioned van. The tour operators need at least six people before they will take off on a tour. Our tour guide, Bernardo, gave us each his calling card so I have his number if anyone is interested. We talked to people who took a similar tour through NCL and they said their tour was not as good as ours and I think they paid $37 each (to our $20 each). NCL will try to discourage you from going with independent tours but, in this case, we really could not go wrong. Bernardo is honest and full of info; he was born in PV and knows a lot about his city.

 

In Cabo, my husband was hell-bent on visiting Sammy Hagar's Cabo Wabo so that's where we ate. He had a hamburger (I know...I know) and it was a healthy size and he said it was tasty. I opted for an appetizer of coconut shrimp and I think that included at least 8 nice size shrimp with a yummy soy-ginger dipping sauce. The food was good but I noticed downstairs in the marketplace, you could get four tacos and a beer for US $6 and the tacos looked pretty darned good too!

 

I have to agree with the crowd in that this cruise was an overwhelming success. It was our first cruise so I have absolutely nothing to compare it with, however, it has made us hungry for more. We liked the Freestyle gig and so would definitely cruise with NCL again in a heartbeat.

 

Now, I have to ask -- are my fellow cruisers still feeling the movement of the Star or is it just me two days later...?

[Stingray77]

We are on the Thanksgiving cruise... just a couple quick questions..

 

Do they still grill lobsters on deck (at the BBQ) on Lobster night?

 

Can you give me some details on the Canapy tour... We've booked it and I really do not know what to expect~!!

 

Glad you had a great cruise...

A big fat no on this one...However the deckside BBQ was done pretty well the days that they did it. That was one of the more pleasant lunches

[Stingray77]

Ok..will be going on the Star on the 28th of this month!!!! Getting soooo excited as it will be our first cruise! Was just reading about some descriptions of public places on the ncl website! I saw that the Red Lion Pubs description was: Traditional English Pub featuring darts, pool and large screen TVs.

 

Has anybody been to that pub and do they really have a pool table?? I didn't imagine a pool table would work on a ship!

 

Another question I have is are the seas calm or rough in the mexican riviera waters??? I am a little bit worried about getting sea sick. What was the motion like on the Star?? Could you even tell that the ship was moving??

 

And does anybody know if those seasick bands work???

 

One more thing...:) I thought somebody posted something about the free dailies! Is it possible to get those???

 

Thanks in advance!

We were in the pub and I definitely don't remeber a pool table. However it was pretty cool, if dark.

 

As for the seasickness bands, they definitely work.

[Charcan54]

P.S. I envy any of you taking this cruise from December on. It was hot, hot, HOT!!! I asked Elsa, our tour guide, what was the best time of year to visit to avoid this heat. She told me that around December 15 it gets more bearable in that the humidity goes away but the temperature is still warm. If I had anything to do over again regarding this cruise, it would be to book it December or later.

[Stingray77]

For Veggies: The lunch buffet has a complete vegetarian selection with lots of Indian food that was very good. I suspect it is stuff they are already making for all of the Indians that work on the ship since it certainly was a step above the quality of a lot of the other lunch fare. Also, the vegetarian food in many of the specialty restaurants was really first rate. Very well thought out and spiced nicely.

 

Sprinkles Ice Cream: I don't know the name of it, but there is an ice cream place behind the spa just before you get to the kids pool. Its only open in the afternoon but the ice cream is free and pretty good. (You can also buy Haggen Dazs by the pool, but it seemed unnecessary given the free option.)

[Charcan54]

Sprinkles by the pool is a thing of the past. We saw the sign for it but they had tried to cover it with tape. I did see the little ice cream place by the kids play area, though, we never did make it there when it was open. I thought I also read that you could get ice cream inside the spa but not sure.

 

I want to know...was anyone brave enough to try the tortolini (sp?) with chocolate sauce at the chocolate buffet?

 

Someone asked my husband if we watched any movies at the movie theater and he told them no -- we never had time to do that. Now, that's the sign of a pretty good cruise, no?

[seashore]

For Veggies: The lunch buffet has a complete vegetarian selection with lots of Indian food that was very good. I suspect it is stuff they are already making for all of the Indians that work on the ship since it certainly was a step above the quality of a lot of the other lunch fare. Also, the vegetarian food in many of the specialty restaurants was really first rate. Very well thought out and spiced nicely.

 

Could you please expand on the specialty restaurants vegetarian options and the ones worth paying extra at. My guess is that Cagnies is out for us. Thanks in advance... ss

[agehman1]

We will be on the 10/28 cruise #9 for us. We have used the bands before and they do work if positioned correctly. The ones we have have a plastic button that if positioned on the wrist correctly use accupressure and we have never been seasick on a cruise. Except for those nights in the atlantic during a storm when nothing seems to help.

[jla418]

Thanks for all the great feedback! I'm going on the 12th and am past ready to be on-board! Can anyone tell me if there is time difference ship vs. shore - especially in Puerto Vallarta? I've read that on some ships they chose not to change the time to local time there.

[carol459]

We were on this cruise as well and so I'll add my two cents!

 

In PV, the shore excursions were sold out so we took a chance on a tour offered under a blue tent on the pier just off to the right side of the gangway. For $20 each we were taken on a wonderful 3-hour guided tour that included city sights, Casa Kimberly (Liz and Richard's hideaway), Tequila tasting, and a run out to Mismaloya Beach with a couple of photo op stops. We drove past the church (Our Lady of Guadalupe, however, we did not stop). Again, this tour was in a new air conditioned van. The tour operators need at least six people before they will take off on a tour. Our tour guide, Bernardo, gave us each his calling card so I have his number if anyone is interested. We talked to people who took a similar tour through NCL and they said their tour was not as good as ours and I think they paid $37 each (to our $20 each). NCL will try to discourage you from going with independent tours but, in this case, we really could not go wrong. Bernardo is honest and full of info; he was born in PV and knows a lot about his city.

 

 

 

Now, I have to ask -- are my fellow cruisers still feeling the movement of the Star or is it just me two days later...?

 

 

We will be on the 10/20/2004 Star cruise. Could you please post Bernardo's number? Thanks

[Stingray77]

For Veggies: The lunch buffet has a complete vegetarian selection with lots of Indian food that was very good. I suspect it is stuff they are already making for all of the Indians that work on the ship since it certainly was a step above the quality of a lot of the other lunch fare. Also, the vegetarian food in many of the specialty restaurants was really first rate. Very well thought out and spiced nicely.

 

Could you please expand on the specialty restaurants vegetarian options and the ones worth paying extra at. My guess is that Cagnies is out for us. Thanks in advance... ss

Cagney's is pretty much out but all of the others had fantastic options including a delicious spinach/filo napoleon in Soho, some sort of Timbale in Le Bistro, and a fantastic curry (this one was the best) in the Japanese restaurant.

[seashore]

Thanks for the info. Stingray77... ss

[Stingray77]

Hi Folks,

 

I just checked her website and it looks like the 9/26 sailing was the last one for the fabulous Alfreda Gerald. Here's what she says there for those that are interested:

 

10/4 WEEEEE!!!!!! Man, I've had a BLAST singing on the high seas!! Hawaii was FABULOUS and Mexico was. . . .AMAZING (especially the margaritas!!). You can surely believe that I "danced my buns off" too!! All of my shows were a BIG success!!!! The audience danced in the aisles and screamed to the tops of their lungs! A good time was had by all. On the Norwegian Star, the Cruise Director, Ricky Matthews, along with Jean Ann Ryan production cast members Alan and Martell, joined me posing as "The Pips" in my rendition of "Midnight train To Georgia", by Gladys Knight and The Pips! The audience went WILD when they came out, dressed in matching black suits and afro wigs. They had choreography and EVERYTHING!! We were in heaven!!!! Ricky, you are the bomb!! I miss you guys. Well . . .now, the party is over. It's time to start rehearsals for the Yanni "LIVE" tour. I can't wait to hang out with my buddy Dan!! We have a BLAST together! I'll get to catch up on all the latest computer programs, AND, I'll get to eat at his favorite eating place, the "Cracker Barrel" again!! WEEE!! Hahaha! I can't wait to see Lance (busdriver) and our new "Star Coach"! Stopping at truck stops for gas in the middle of the night is a hoot! They have the BEST Cd's, fried chicken, and crazy stuff there. (Did I say fried chicken?). The truckers are really interesting! They seem to find me interesting too. Hmm . .wonder why?? Hahaha!! Oh well. . .that's all I know for now. I'll have more news for ya as the rehearsal rolls along. I'll resume our chats when I find out our rehearsal schedule. I love you guys and miss you VERY much! OXOX. .

[Jessica_2020]

Thanks everybody for all of your wonderful information! I do have one more question! For those of you that just got back off of the Star from Mexico, did any of you go on the Welcome to Paradise Excursion in Aculpolco?? We are considering booking this excursion, but would like some input on if it was fun or not??

[eileenie]

LOL...I had to reply...yes I tried the tortelloni (sp?) and chocolate sauce...very weird...tasted like chocolate covered Cheetos...

[nekolover]

We stayed at the Sheraton in San Pedro for two nights prior to the cruise. We took a water taxi over to Catalina while there.

 

What company did you take to Catalina and what did you do when you were there. We are also staying at the Sheraton pre and post cruise. Do they have a shuttle to the cruise port? Deirdre

[cactgurl]

The concierge at the Sheraton got us the water taxi and their shuttle will take you there. We waited until that morning and just made it onto a 1:30 taxi with a return at 9:30. Call ahead to get on an earlier water taxi because it's nicer during the day. We walked around and looked in the shops, ate and drank, walked around, ate and drank some more. You can rent a golf cart but it's around $30.00 per hour. If we had gotten there earlier, we would have done that and explored the island a bit more, but it starts getting dark fairly early. Have fun!

 

They also provide a shuttle to the port. I think they run every half hour or so.

[Charcan54]

Carol and others who are interested in hooking up with a great tour guide in Puerto Vallarta, here is Bernardo's e-mail addie:

 

juan_onlyjr@hotmail.com

 

His full name is Juan Bernardo Pena but he goes by Bernardo or Bernie. He has a new van with a/c and he took 6 of us (unrelated but all from the cruise ship) on a 3-hour tour of PV, showing us the city sites, stopping for tequila tasting (don't miss the almond flavored tequila--some good stuff!)and jewelry shopping at Diamonds International (shop only if you want as it's at the same stop as the tequila place), past Liz & Richard's Casa Kimberly, and out to Mismaloya Beach. He charged us each $20 and I believe a comparable tour via the ship excursion office was $37, however, we talked to some folks who went via the ship and they grumbled that the tour guide really did not narrate their trip at all and they were quite disappointed. They also said the bus was hot so not sure if the A/C was not working? Bernardo did not stop at Our Lady of Guadalupe, however, we did drive past it. It wouldn't have mattered if we had stopped as apparently they were having a high mass and no one was allowed to go through the church. Bernie is a great guy and tell him his tortilla and carnitas friends from his October 1 excursion say Hola! (Bernie stopped so my husband could buy fresh tortillas and carnitas which everyone shared. We had a great time!).

 

Not sure if that e-mail address is going to show up correctly so let me spell it out:

 

juan(underscore)onlyjr@hotmail.com

[VegasCath]

We had a great time! Our cabin was on Deck 5, we ate in most of the specialty restaurants, we liked Versailles for breakfast and dinner, and even tried the free ice cream one day. Our tours were:

Acapulco - City Tour with Cliff Divers

Zihua - Ixtapa Resort Tour [for silver, go to Alberto's! see Frank Mendoza]

Puerto Vallarta - Off The Beaten Track

Cabo San Lucas - Boat Tour (45 minutes)

We missed the chocolate buffet, unfortunately, because I was so tired, I could not stand in line for it. Really enjoyed Teppanyaki and Le Bistro - except for the "singing" of Ms. Esaryk in Gatsby's lounge [did anyone else think she was flat?]. I had my hair and nails done at the spa, and we really enjoyed the pool after we returned to ship early in Cabo. Also really enjoyed the talks given by Claire and Rheal about the ports. We loved the shows at the Spinnaker lounge late each night, too! Ricky and Kevin are awesome!! There is a time difference between ship time and port time - an hour I believe - watch out for that. The locals/tour guides don't know that we need to stay on ship time.

 

In retrospect, I'm really glad I read these boards before we took our trip. I'm so glad I brought extra hangers for clothes! I'm also glad we had lots of photos taken - the photographers are really nice and take good photos.

 

I'm happy to give more detailed restaurant reviews, also. I think we only missed Aqua, Soho and Ginza.

[nealstuber]

Cactgurl - Would love a copy of the Dailies - stuberlake@aol.com Thanks

[Travelingtoo]

You guys make this cruise sound great. We are thinking about booking it in January. Reading some of the comments, I think I will make definate plans to do so.

Thanks

[seashore]

Why don't you join our cc cruisers on the January 24th cruise! Please see NCL Star Mexican Riviera 1/24/2005 Roll call.

[CalicoCat]

The next group should be docking in L.A. tomorrow. Can't wait to hear of their adventures! :)

[CalicoCat]

I know you're just home tonight, but we're looking forward to hearing how your cruise was.

[CalicoCat]

msprinttkmk has posted her review. She started her own forum. Wow. She didn't like Acapulco much. :(