Star review: 6/7-6/14

[shorefolks]

First and foremost, sincere thanks to those who have provided many helpful tips over the past several months. Hopefully, this review will be of some value to others. Admittedly, our likes and dislikes are not those of the majority of posters to these forums.

 

Reviewers: My wife and I have taken two previous cruises together, both with NCL. The first was in the early 80's on the Skyward. That was so horrendous that we did not cruise again for over 20 years. Essentially, it was the antithesis of Freestyle: fixed seating in terms of time and table mates, endless lines, regimentation, etc. We hated it with a passion. In January of 2005 our very good friends convinced us to give Freestyle a try and sail with them on the Dawn out of NYC to the Caribbean. We took an upsell to a bow AC penthouse suite and enjoyed the experience such that we now remain open to cruising when the destination more or less dictates it. Thus, we took this SE Alaska voyage. However, I should stress that the traveling is the objective, not the cruising. For us, the ship is the transportation to the destination and not the destination itself.

 

Transportation to/from ship: We used a tip seen here and reserved one-way, one-day cars from Thrifty (airport to cruise docks and vice versa). The shuttles were quick and efficient, and the cars gave us the ability to choose a pre-cruise hotel and also to explore Seattle before returning to the airport. Total cost, not including gas: $53.

 

Suite: Given our previous experience, we again chose AC suite 9500. In addition to liking the spacious cabin and accompanying amenities, I am also an avid birder and knew that I could have good pelagic birding on the two "at sea" days. The room was almost identical to that on the Dawn, although there were some differences. The draft from the balcony door was severe and required the use of the outside, waterproof door to keep out the wind. The bedding had not yet been upgraded for Freestyle 2.0, and that was a major disappointment. My wife had a lot of trouble sleeping on the very thin, hard mattress. Worst of all was the noise, however. The cabin is above the Stardust Theater, and the very loud volume there caused us to endure every note of every performance and every afternoon practice.

 

Perks: The privileges of the penthouse suite have been described at length elsewhere, so I won't go into detail. However, three stand out. First is the very significant advantage of being able to have breakfast and lunch in Cagney's. The menu is superior, the service is much better, and the atmosphere is far removed from the convention-floor chaos of Versailles. Second, when we took the glacier explorer excursion at the end of the day in Juneau, we were escorted first onto the excursion boat and were able to take our preferred seats before the boat filled. That was minor but nice, nevertheless. Third, embarkation and debarkation go very quickly and smoothly. You are given expedited service both times, especially at embarkation when you can relax with some excellent snacks in a separate VIP room.

 

Staff: I must give NCL high marks for employing and training a fine group of young people. They were unfailing in their competence, cheerfulness, and eagerness to make the week a pleasant one. Smiles come naturally to them, not just in preordained interactions but in candid conversations as well.

 

Concierge: Simone has gotten rave reviews on this forum, and she deserves all of them. She goes beyond the rote duties of her position (dining reservations, for example) to oversee the broader cruise experience of her guests, checking on their well-being and making helpful suggestions. A perfect example of the latter was her recommendation to have dinner served in our suite after the glacier visit. The ship sailed rather slowly down the fjord, and the spectacular view could be enjoyed in total privacy.

 

Butler: Cris has gotten some mediocre reviews here, and I am at a loss to understand why. I can only guess that other reviewers did not utilize his services as they could have. That, combined with a certain natural shyness and reserve (born, I believe, of a very conscious sense of respect), might have made some think less of him. We certainly employed him quite frequently, and we were very happy, although I'm sure we ran him ragged at times without meaning to do so. He is very conscientious, and his good services added measurably to our week.

 

Food: This was probably our biggest complaint. Versailles had some good dishes but, for the most part, it was glorified cafeteria food. I ordered gnocchi in a gorgonzola sauce that was inedible. The best restaurants were Le Bistro and Cagney's by far. A cassoulet made with foie gras in Le Bistro was the finest interpretation of that dish I have ever had. Cagney's was consistently good. We ate at Soho once, and it was only fair. We ordered from the Italian restaurant once, and that was also disappointing. The osso bucco was so tough as to be not worth eating.

 

Price structure: Much has been said, pro and con, about the cover charges at some restaurants. Regardless of individual opinions, however, the effect on restaurant utilization was striking. With the exception of Cagney's, the specialty places we saw were quite sparsely populated. In Soho, we had the entire place to ourselves. Ginza was always lightly attended. Even in Le Bistro, there was only a light crowd. Meanwhile,

Versailles and Aqua were packed. (I never had a meal in Versailles when my chair wasn't repeatedly jostled by people walking by.) The result of all this, as we were told by several staff members, is that NCL is taking a hard look at the situation and may at least alter the cover charge system.

 

Noro: As the cruise progressed, the number of cases obviously grew. Announcements were quite frequent, and self-service was ended at buffets. Still, I must fault NCL for not having staff members enforce passengers' use of the ubiquitous sanitizing stations. On the Dawn, they would not let us enter a dining room without using them. Given the potential for disaster, I just don't understand the laxity on the Star. One warning: make liberal use of the moisturizing lotion in your room. The alcohol in the sanitizer will severely dry your hands.

 

Dress: Those who worry about formality should relax. The most "formal" I ever got was dark dress slacks and a business shirt, never a tie or jacket. Not once did I feel under-dressed. Most frequently, I wore khakis and a polo shirt. The supposed rule against jeans in the dining rooms was never enforced. As a perk of the cabin, we were invited to the captain's cocktail party. Dress there ranged from one fellow in a tux (looking very much out of place, frankly) to several in jackets (with or without ties) to most of us who followed the "resort casual" suggestion all the way down to one 60-ish man in very worn jeans, work boots and a black "Got Tequila?" t-shirt (looking about as much out of place as the first person described here).

 

 

Ketchikan: Nice town to start off the trip. We walked around town doing some early shopping, going to the totem museum, exploring Creek Street, and having smoked salmon chowder and a great salmon sandwich for lunch at Steamer's, across from the docks. When shopping, make ample use of the coupon book you get at embarkation. It's great for taking care of the nephews and nieces back home.

 

Juneau: We were met by my wife's cousin and his wife who live in Juneau and who gave us a personalized tour. We went to Mendenhall Glacier and up the Mt. Roberts tram, both of which are easily done independently without paying cruise ship excursion prices. Afterwards, we followed CC recommendations and took the "Tracy Arm" excursion which ended up going to Endicott Arm instead. Although I obviously can't compare destinations, Endicott was most enjoyable. As CC reviewers have said, this is probably the one NCL excursion you really should take. The boat stops frequently for whales and other wildlife, and it also spends a good amount of time at the glacier. You will see a lot of what you came to Alaska to see.

 

Skagway: We rented from Avis and drove to Carcross. It was a great ride with fantastic views, and we could stop whenever we pleased to take too many pictures. Wildlife was plentiful, including a bear and caribou. The cost was $129, including gas, for three of us. If you go, take Murray's Guide, a bargain at $5. Did some souvenir shopping when we returned. Beautiful day. Be forewarned: Avis does not take debit cards.

 

Prince Rupert: Essentially a waste of a port, satisfying only the one-foreign-port rule. There is a nice museum with local history and native art, but go there first because it closes at 5:00. One hour is sufficient there. Other than that, stroll to stretch your legs and head back to the ship for a drink.

 

Weather, clothing, etc.: Prince Rupert was the only very rainy day. The others were at least dry and sometimes sunny. Temperatures were in the mid-40's to high 50's, except beyond the pass going to Carcross when it got to the 60's. We took the wear-layers suggestion to heart, and it worked well. The Stearns waterproof jackets are great ($29 at Walmart) and, over a fleece, will keep you warm. I spent all of both sea days at our bow rail birding, and I was fine using those layers plus silk glove liners and long johns but, obviously, few people will need the latter.

 

Thoughts for the future: Was it a good cruise? Yes, on balance. Would we sail with NCL again? Very possibly, but I think it is time to check around elsewhere.

 

 

I am sure there is more, but I can't think of it now. Feel free to ask questions.