My NCL Star to Alaska 7/31--8/7 review

Norwegian Star cruise to Alaska 7/31--8/7 This review is
of the actual cruise. I'll report about our flight, hotels and train
ride in a separate review.

We cruised with a group of friends and family, 22 of us in all. We
picked this ship for Glacier Bay. Otherwise, I really wanted to sail on
Sapphire Princess. But, they did Tracy Arm. My in-laws insisted we see
Glacier Bay. So, the NCL Star it was.

I saw a mixed group of passengers, both in ages and "class". I would
say this was the most casual looking crowd I've seen...and that
includes Carnival. It could be that it was Freestyle. Saw a large
number of teens, pre-teens and kids. None were misbehaving. Never in my
face or acting out in my space. In fact, I was impressed at the
impeccable table manners of more than a few children.

Scale of 1 to 10:

Embarkation: 9

Probably the quickest and most painless embarkation I've experienced
with a cruise. Port was in Seattle. We arrived from our hotel to the
port around 11:30 ish. On the ship maybe 45 minutes later, give or
take.


Arrival on ship: 8

An employee walked us directly to our cabin which I've never
experienced in the past.


Overall "first reactions" to the ship itself: 5

I was not impressed initially (and mostly thereafter) with the decor
and layout of the NCL Star. I know that comparing it to the Star and
Sun Princess had a lot to do with that. I found it difficult not to
measure every little thing up against Princess. But, isn't that what we
do when we try different lines and even different ships within a line?
By the end of the week, you can bet my family was sick of me saying,
"Well, Princess does it THIS way...or Princess is so much NICER...blah,
blah, blah". :-)


Our cabin: 8

We had a balcony cabin on the 9th deck ideally located amidships and
close enough to the elevators without any noise. The balcony, although
small, was great. We probably enjoyed it more the first day while still
in Seattle. The weather was gorgeous there. From then on, though, it
was almost too chilly or windy to be out there for any length of time.
That doesn't mean we didn't take advantage of it, though. We did! It
was our first balcony, after all, and NOT to be wasted! In fact, even
though my husband didn't usually sit directly out there, I know he
spent more time in the cabin reading than he usually would if we had an
inside or outside cabin. There are pros and cons to that! As for
storage, I felt that there could be more, but then we managed just
fine, especially if we stored some of our clothing in areas not really
designed for that, ie; on the shelf over the tv, etc. The shower was
nice, but I never did figure out the way the hot and cold water worked.
Or the pressure. Kind of hit or miss for me. And, I honestly have to
say that I preferred the layout of the toilet area in the INSIDE
cabins. We had a separate little "closet" for the toilet. While the
thought was nice, I would have liked a more open area for the toilet. I
often felt like I was squeezing into a sardine can whenever I had to
use the loo...and I am not a big person. I feel sorry for those of
"significant size".

Cabin steward: 7

I have to say that even though our woman steward kept our cabin in
order, I really missed the warmer feeling I had with my Princess and
Carnival stewards. This gal, while pleasant whenever we saw her, just
didn't seem to be as sociable. Very down-to-business. I also saw a
gentleman steward helping her at times. He never did introduce himself.
Again, he was pleasant...just didn't make an effort to socialize. On my
last Princess cruise, I really felt that I got to know our steward. He
shared so much about his life and NEVER in a "feel-sorry-for-poor-me"
manner. Same with a couple of my CCL cruises, although with the old
envelope tipping, you do tend to get more of that I think.


Eating establishments:

Market Cafe: Decor: 0 OBNOXIOUSLY plain and reminded me of a cheap
corner cafe...so the name is fitting.

Food: 1+ With the exception of breakfast, I was not impressed with
the Market Cafe food at all! Maybe that's the reason I didn't gain more
weight. I never had the desire to knosh on any of their "food". In a
word: YUCK. Breakfast was okay, although nothing outstanding. Your
usual fare. But, I wouldn't call their lunches and dinners anything
worth eating. Gee, when I compare this whole lido buffet experience to
the gorgeous Horizon Courts on Princess, there IS no comparison!
Princess would put out plates of large shrimp and cocktail sauce or
yummy, deep fried prawns...they had a sushi day, as well as other
themes where the food was edible! Their salads and other foods were
just tastier all the way around. Not all of them, of course, but all in
all, MUCH better selection. Even the older Carnivals I've sailed did a
better job with their lido buffets. They offered wonderful pizza and
ceasar salads, as well as soft serve ice cream all day. I hear that the
new Spirit class Carnival ships have outstanding lido deck buffets. NCL
did a BAD job with this buffet, in my opinion.

Other dining areas: Overall: 7

Versaille: 6 (ate there 3 times) The prettiest of the non-charge
dining areas. Service wasn't consistent, nor was the food. I didn't
have an overly welcomed feeling, nor did I even feel like there was
time to get to know the waitstaff. I thought their selection of dinner
rolls was a joke. I also didn't feel their food was as tasty as
Carnival's or Princess. Just something about it didn't have that
pizazz. I just wasn't as fond of the selection, either. And, the night
we celebrated our daughter's 13th birthday, we had an area
reserved...but unfortunately, we also got the waiter from hell. Sloooow
and I think he hadn't completed "waiter school" yet. The service left a
lot to be desired that evening. No personality, either. But, I can't
complain too much...I didn't have to cook! :-)

Le Bistro: 8 A $15 charge. I paid $5 more for the "surf and turf". My
filet mignon and lobster tails were delicious. I wasn't thrilled with
any of the rice dishes on board. Tastes like Minute Rice to me. We had
the Chocolate Fondue for dessert and it was delectable. Various cut up
fruit came inside a pineapple "bowl" with a few skewers and the pot of
chocolate syrup over a fondue plate. Tasty! The service was more
personable, as well. Worth the extra money, although it still kind of
irks me that we need to pay extra to have food and service we used to
have in the regular dining rooms.

Endless Summer: 6 Tex-Mex. Although this was non-charge, it was a
specialty restaurant and you need reservations. It was fun to have
chips and salsa after the "gourmet-type cuisine" elsewhere. But,
overall, I wouldn't pay to eat here. It really didn't taste like
Mexican food to me. Something about it tasted processed. And, not spicy
enough for me. But, still, it was a nice change and setting. And, the
service wasn't as rushed or cattle-like.

La Trattoria: 6 Italian (one side of Market Cafe). Again, no charge,
but reservations needed. We were lucky to be seated near a window and
saw some whales the evening we were there. I wouldn't pay for this
food, either. My pasta side dish was on the dry side and a bit
lukewarm. I had has the medallions of beef which was nice, but overall,
I wouldn't give the food served here a huge thumb's up. Nothing
spectacular. Definitely not like our local Italian eateries. But,
again, something different. Service was fine. And, I still didn't have
to cook! grin

Blue Lagoon: 8 I think I ate here more than anywhere. I probably had
a dozen bowls of their stir-fried Cantonese noodles over the course of
our cruise. In fact, it was probably the tastiest dish I had the entire
time, although depending on the time of day or night I went and who was
cooking, even that could be inconsistent. I tried a few other dishes
there, but I always came back to the noodles. It was kind of a strange
location where you had to walk through it to get the other side. But a
nice little place for a quick bite to eat 24 hours a day.

Outside grill: 2 I ate there once and that was enough. Unlike
Princess they don't grill the burgers fresh to order. Instead, they
have pre-frozen, pre-grilled patties piled on top of another in the
buffet. Various condiments, as well. The French fries were nothing to
write home about either. Again, just not as hot and fresh tasting as
Princess. I didn't try the hot dogs. They also didn't have the variety
of Princess grills.

Chocoholic Midnight Buffet: 7 I don't have a huge sweet tooth, so this
wasn't a big thing for me. I will say, that there was enough chocolate
there to satisfy anyone's sweet cravings, however. The thing I don't
like about a lot of the desserts on cruise ships (even Princess) is
their abundant use of "whipped fillings". Not whipped cream...just
whipped, flavored and colored, creamy lard. I get so tired of taking a
bite of a dessert only to discover this same type of "filler". I saw a
lot of that with the chocolate buffet. I preferred the dipped fruits
and a scoop of ice cream with chocolate sauce.
We didn't try any of the other eating establishments. Others in our
group liked SoHo, Ginza and Cagneys.


Public areas: Overall: 6

This was one of the areas that I feel Princess and yes, even Carnival
in some places, did a better job. I wasn't keen on the decor of the NCL
Star. I much preferred the understated, elegant look of Princess. I
missed the extensive use of brass railings and fixtures on Princess. I
saw a lot of fake-looking wood on NCL. I also like the pastel, subdued
peaches and soft greens on Princess. Gee, I even missed some of
Carnival's joyful decor. And, I liked the outside promenade deck a
LOT better on Sun and Star Princess. More inviting. Since it was
colder in Alaska I didn't spend as much time out there this time, but I
would have been disappointed by their lack of wooden reclining deck
chairs that Princess had. I also don't remember Princess using the same
type of outside flooring that I saw on NCL Star's deck. I prefer wood.

General layout of the ship: 6 Naturally, it often takes several days
to acclimate to a large ship, but something about this vessel just
didn't feel right in the layout. I always felt like I was either
walking through a restaurant or in narrower hallways off to the side to
get from one end of the ship to the other. On Princess and Carnival, I
felt like there was more of a central, inside promenade with more
activity. Although none are perfect. On NCL Star often these winding,
narrower walkways seemed isolated. Hard to explain. Again, I'm
comparing it to Princess and even to Carnival to some degree.

Stardust Theater: 4 Get rid of those seats!! I was not happy to sit
down and not only have absolutely NO leg room, but the seats
themselves, felt like they were going to pour me out toward the front!
They literally slanted and actually felt like they might touch the
floor at times! VERY cheap material and construction, it felt like. I
asked about this (and particular the way my knees were cramped) and an
employee said the ship was originally designed for the Asian market,
which I knew...but since it's obviously being utilized by the Western
market instead, why don't they modify it accordingly??!! I have bad
knees that dictate that I need to have some stretching room. This
theater offered NONE. I also wasn't overwhelmed by the beauty of this
room, either. It just wasn't as elegant as some. I also like the
subsantial feel of Princess' seats. And, they also have pull-out drink
trays, much like a school desk.

Cinema: N/A I never saw a movie on board. Timing wasn't convenient. I
had heard from someone that their seat-backs were high enough cause
some of the view of the low screen to be blocked. I tried out their
seats. A bit hard, but at least they didn't slope down. More leg room,
too.

Spinnaker's Lounge: 9 Probably my favorite large, public room.
Comfortable, swivel seats,cocktail tables and couches. Good view of the
stage. Nice view outside during the day.

Bars/nightclubs: 7 I don't drink much nor do I smoke, so I really
didn't hang out at any of the pubs and small bars. I did try to watch
Karoake one night in the Carousel Nightclub. I wasn't impressed by the
host or the few people who took part. Maybe it got better as the cruise
went on, but it sure didn't measure up to my last two Princess cruises.
The nightclub was okay. Nothing special. I liked Explorer's Lounge and
Wheelhouse Bar on...yes, Princess!

Gym and Spa: 7 I worked out once in the gym. I preferred the layout
of my last two Princess cruises. I like to have the treadmills, etc.
face the ocean. The one on NCL seemed dark to me. And, the equipment
seemed worn. My husband and daughter went almost everyday, though. I
took a peek at the Spa pool and hot tubs and they looked inviting. I
just never found the time or inclination to try them. I imagine it
would have been a quiet and private retreat. Very nice area, actually.
No kids allowed.

Casino: 6 It was nothing spectacular. Again, I thought Princess'
were nicer. I also like their selection of Penny and Nickel slots
better. NCL was okay, but I didn't win as much! :-) They did provide
basically 'leftovers' from the various restaurants for those who liked
to "gobble and gamble". Nice touch if you didn't want to leave your
favorite machine or table to knosh.

Library: 8 Several books available to read. I didn't sit in there, but
it looked an inviting place. I wasn't too fond of the frameless, glass
cabinet doors, though. I was worried they might swing back and crack if
they hit something. Also, noisy if people were trying to be quiet.

Reading room: 9 I sat here a couple times with a book and it was
especially nice sitting in a chair looking out through a window.

Game/card room: N/A. My in-laws spent a lot of time playing cards
there. I think they enjoyed it. They've sailed on this ship previously,
to Hawaii. I just never found time to go in as I did with two of my
daughters on our Sun Princess cruise.

Main pool area: 7
Since this cruise wasn't warm, I never took advantage of the pool or
the deck. I had mixed feelings about the deck lounges up on the
terraced areas. On the one hand you don't see a mish-mash of chairs all
around the pool deck, but I like to sit closer to the pool so I can
take a quick dip without having to walk past a lot of people worried
that I might trip on my way down.:-) I saw kids playing in the pool a
few times and various age groups using the hot tubs. Nothing like a
tropical cruise, though. I would have preferred the fresh-water pools
and at least one with a retractable ceiling for cold weather cruising.

Starboard and Port private rooms off of Spinnaker lounge--10

On the second evening at sea our group was given a complimentary
cocktail party in the Starboard room from 5:30--6:30. This was a
spacious, bright room overlooking the fore right side of the ship.
Several moveable chairs and cocktail tables. We could order as many
drinks as we wanted during that hour. They also provided dry snacks.
I'm not talking those cheap, watered down drinks they often serve at
these freebie nights. No---these could be ANY drink, as expensive and
exotic as we like. Damn I wish I had studied the drink list first!
This was enjoyed by everyone in our group.

Another time I asked if we could use a similar room to celebrate our
nephew's birthday. He was turning 3. Since we had four little ones
along, as well as three teen girls, we felt this would be better than
the dining room. We bought a $30 birthday party package and they let us
use the Port room in the same area as the first room, on the other side
of the ship. We bought our own drinks, of course, but they also
provided us with cartons of milk and pitchers of water. It also
included a nice, 10" cake with the little boy's name inscribed on top.
Decorations, balloons, plates, cups, etc. Well worth it. It was
supposed to be from 4-5 pm but they let us use it until 6 pm. We WERE
buying drinks, after all! Anyway, I was impressed with these rooms
and the fact that they made them available to us.


Service personnel other than stewards: Overall: 6

I was not altogether thrilled with the folks who waited on us and were
there to see that we enjoyed ourselves. For one thing, there seemed to
be more women servers and employees. That's fine if they genuinely
seemed pleased to be there. But, more than once I noticed gals who
seemed to come from places OTHER than Asia with a sour look on their
faces. Or they came across as exasperated or impatient. There was just
a sense that they were either burnt out by their jobs or that they were
just starting a contract and were counting the months when it would
end. One woman said a lot of the dining staff was new. I didn't feel
this way as much with the Filipinas and Filipino employees. The work
ethic seemed different. And, for some reason, I've always had more
positive experiences with male employees on my other cruises.

I did think the front desk reception staff were pleasant. Most were
women, too. I also dealt with the Guest Services Director and
Photography Manager and both were very professional and friendly.

Cruise Director and other show personnel: 8

I liked Kieron Buffery. He wasn't quite as "proper" British as some
CDs in my past. Easier to understand, too. I liked the guy. I also
liked the Magician, Shawn Farquar. What a nice person and seemed to
come from a different era. Very family-oriented. The Comedian, Carl
Wolfson, was funny the first night, but then his form of comedy got
old. He depended on too much audience participation. I still liked him.
He just needed to modify his format. One of the funniest nights is when
they had the Liar's Club event. The above 3, plus the art director
were all up on stage being very funny and somewhat PG-13--R rated. :-)
We especially enjoyed the singer, Jeffrey Allen's tribute to Elton
John. At times if you blurred your eyes and listened, you'd swear Elton
was in the room. We really liked Jane L. Powell, too! What a pleasant
surprise when she walked out! What a fantastic range she has with her
voice. And, she's a very upbeats gal with a fun personality. I wish we
saw more of her.

Entertainment: 7 I've decided if I never, ever see another Las
Vegas/Broadway type show upon a cruise ship again, I won't be missing a
lot. These things get louder and more robotic each time I see them. Why
do they have to crank up the band so loud that you can barely hear the
singing? Not to say that it was all that good. I just don't care for
those choreographed, dancey-singy kinds of shows as much as I used to.
I did like the concert format of Jane L. Powell as well as the magician
and comedy formats. Just not into those big productions as much.

Bits and Pieces: I was astonished to see that their soda cards for one
week were $40! Someone we met later on the Sapphire Princess paid $27
for the same week. I felt some of the alcoholic drinks on the NCL Star
were a bit expensive, too. At least the larger drinks. But they also
had more moderate drinks and sizes to choose from.

I always ordered the free cappuccino in the restaurants when available.
Tasty. The ice cream on board was not very good. Too soft and without a
lot of flavor. The teens in our group agreed. There weren't as many fun
game-type shows as I've seen on Princess and CCL. And, there was no
mention of the Talent Show, except for a brief listing in the
paper...even then it wasn't worded in a way that one would even know it
was a talent show, in my opinion.

Kids' Club: My brothers and sisters in-law gave it a good rating, but I
know between the 5 and 3 year old boys and the 2=BD+ year old twin
girls, they had a good time. And, their respective parents enjoyed
having that time to themselves.

Teen Center: Again, I wasn't in there to rate it, but judging from what
my daughter and her two cousins said, it was okay. Nothing spectacular,
but a place to meet friends the first night or two. I know they took
part in a couple activities, so it couldn't be too bad. I noticed a big
difference this time with my daughter and her "socializing skills". She
just turned 13 on the cruise and I think her hormones are starting to
dictate all her actions. The last couple of times I took her on a
cruise, she was 9=BD and 10=BD. The minute we got there, she was off to
the kid's center ready to meet friends. Even I was surprised at her
willingness to jump right in. She's been known to be a bit shy at
times.

Well, THIS time she didn't want to be seen walking around the ship
alone...heaven forbid! And, her cousins who are a year and two years
older than she, sometimes had their own agenda. So, the first couple of
days she was a bit bored. BUT, I know that changed. Even though she
didn't come home with a half a dozen kids' e-mail addresses, nor did I
ever see her visibly hanging out with someone on the ship, I think she
was okay. It also gave her some "daddy-daughter" time, too. Ol' mom is
waaaay too square to be seen with!

As for the ship and cruiseline itself, I probably wouldn't
intentionally seek out an NCL cruise again. Oh, if the price was too
good to pass up or the ship/itinerary were exceptional, yes I might
sail on NCL again. But, for now I plan to stick to Princess and
Carnival and try RCI someday. Oh, and Celebrity...maybe.

Itinerary: 6


Okay, I'll admit, I wasn't jumping for joy when I found out that Alaska
was the itinerary of choice for our family cruise. But, hey, I love
cruising, so who cares! :-) There's always the ship to enjoy, after
all! I had good expectations for the NCL Star. I knew it wasn't going
to be my typical, warm weather cruise, either, but I'd just dress
accordingly and go with the flow.

I happen to live in an area where we are surrounded by redwoods and
pines. We also have a narrow gauge railroad that can take us up there.
We live on the coast and many days our mornings or entire days can be
foggy or misty. We have lots of whales and otters and dolphins. So for
me, Alaska didn't feel like a huge difference. In fact, I was rather
under-whelmed by the mountainous, tree-laden terrain. Been there, done
that. "BUT, WAIT!", you say. "What about the glaciers and icebergs and
the deafening sound of the calving?" That was to be one of the
highlights of our trip, after all...

..=2E.but, the captain announced the day before that there was a
maintenance problem with one of the Azipods. It would cause no safety
or maneuvering issues...BUT the Environmental Engineer on board said
that a small oil leak was detected. The contract with Glacier Bay Park
Services states that a ship will be banned from sailing in the Park
under these circumstances. I have absolutely no problem with this,
especially living in a very "green" area with our own marine sanctuary.


I do have to wonder, though, if NCL is telling the whole story in
regards to their faulty azipod. Did this suddenly just happen or was
there perhaps a problem before the last cruise even ended? I'm
wondering when it will be mentioned to the passengers who just sailed
after we disembarked. Were they able to fix it that fast? Or will they
wait and spring it on everyone 4 days into their cruise? Why don't they
just drydock the ship and fix it right? Does it cost to much to lose a
week of passengers? I've heard some interesting theories on this whole
thing. Obviously the ship was able to sail everywhere else, so I
realize that the environmental laws were the biggest factor here.

We sailed to Sitka instead and each CABIN was given a $200 shipboard
credit. Of course what made this missed "port" especially frustrating
for most people was the fact that sailing through Glacier Bay was THE
reason to sail this particular ship. Some traveled from far away to see
it. It was to be the highlight of the cruise for many. For me, I really
didn't care either way. 'Ship' happens. Frankly, I would have been more
disappointed if they told me I couldn't stop in Puerto Vallarta on a
Mexican Riviera cruise. Oh, to see and hear the glaciers calf would
most definitely be an awesome experience, no doubt about it. Maybe I
just wasn't expecting a lot since the rest of Alaska wasn't that
Earth-moving to me. :-)

My favorite port was Ketchikan. Nice little town. I also liked Sitka
and the Russian history. Skagway was rainy and my least favorite. The
little town looked like a movie set, complete with storefront facades.
My daughter and husband decided not to venture into town. Since we were
on a tour in Juneau and had to meet with our group on the ship later,
we didn't experience a lot in Juneau. Bought a few souvenirs at the
local stores. Victoria, BC was a pretty port. Very clean. The
parliament building and Empress Hotel were nice, but the downtown
shopping was more expensive than the previous Alaskan ports. And, we
were there late and we needed to pack and have our luggage out. If my
husband wasn't itching to get back, I might have liked to stay longer.

Getting off the ship in Victoria was unprofessionally handled. You
basically were horded like slow-moving cattle off the ship down one set
of stairs with the line going back several decks. Just horrible. And,
this wasn't even tendering! WHY didn't they open another gangplank?
When we finally got off the ship we were met with ANOTHER long line for
a shuttle to town. Forget that. We walked the 20 minutes, although my
feet were killing me! Walked back, too. Hubby was on an exercise kick
after visiting the gym all week. :-)

Oh, and I have a security issue. One evening I went to the reception
desk asking for 2 more room keys since we only had one for that
particular cabin. No problem. They didn't even ask for ID or anything.
She simply asked the cabin number and handed me two more key cards.
Wouldn't you think she would have at least asked for some verification
that the cabin, indeed, belong to us??


You know, I realize that those who REALLY take the time and spend the
bucks DO see a whole different aspect of Alaska than someone like us
who didn't do more than walk around the little towns and empty our
wallets in the souvenir shops. Oh, we took a ride out to Mendenhall
Glacier and to a salmon hatchery. Reminded me of a school field trip.
The college-aged woman who drove the bus and narrated was BEYOND
annoying.

And, we rode the White Pass-Yukon railway in Skagway...but that really
wasn't getting INTO Alaska. Good narrator, though. Quite frankly, we
just couldn't afford to do some of the things that allow you to see
more. I've learned that I can still enjoy Mexico and the beaches and
just the fact that the weather is warm, without having to take
expensive excursions. Heck, most of their tours are more reasonable
anyway. Not so in Alaska. I can see why people say that you HAVE to
really splurge and do some of these adventurous things if you truly
want to experience Alaska. Or take a South or Northblound with an
inland stay. But, it wasn't in our budget this time around so that's
that. I think for me to continue to enjoy cruise ships at this point in
my life, I'm simply going to have to limit my cruises to itineraries
where we can drive to the ports (ie; Los Angeles, San Diego, San
Francisco). That mostly means Mexico and maybe Alaska again out of SF.
Maybe that savings would allow us to partake in more adventures up
there.

All in all, I would have to say that this might have been the most
disappointing of my 7 cruises. I'm not saying that it was a bust, by
any means. It just didn't quite live up to my past cruises and that
includes my two 4 nighters on Carnival. Perhaps if I hadn't had
Princess and Carnival to compare them to, I wouldn't know the
difference. You know, people might poke at Carnival, but I honestly
felt I got more for my money with them than I did on this NCL ship. In
part that could be that I kind of missed the traditional dining and
getting to know the wait staff. Those folks on CCL really seemed like
they wanted to make us feel welcomed in the dining areas. I didn't get
that feeling on NCL Star. I even prefer Princess Anytime Dining over
Freestyle. At least you have a choice and can pick Traditional Dining
or mix and match.

Something is just lacking in Freestyle for me. I know when I first
started out cruising in '88, one of the biggest draws for me was
sitting in the dining room around a large table of virtual strangers at
the beginning of the week and by the end, feeling like you know one
another. Knowing your place each and every night. And, there has to be
something said about being pampered by the same staff, having them
remember that you like cappuccino or tea. I hope that the freestyle
concept doesn't become the norm for all cruiselines in the future. In
that case, I might as well go on a land-based holiday and eat out at
different restaurants every night. Maybe it's time for me to cruise
Carnival again while they still have Traditional Dining.

As I sit here and write this with my various "whines and complaints", I
almost feel like I'm being a "brat" and should be happy for being able
to enjoy a cruise at all.....ANY cruise. And, I am. But, I also know
that this forum is about stating our honest feelings and to share OUR
experience, the way WE felt it. It's not necessarily everyone's
opinions and I know there are many who were on this same exact cruise
who might have an entirely different view than me. On board the ship I
got mixed reactions. Maybe some of it was a result of missing Glacier
Bay...but I don't think so. I felt the frustration from folks who were
fed up with flavorless food and less than flawless service. Again, this
wasn't everywhere on the ship. There were many positives tucked in
there, as well.

Would I take this particular itinerary on this ship again? Perhaps if
much of it was being paid for again by my in-laws. :-) And, I would
know what to expect and how to modify things in order to get the most
out of my experience. Some of that might allowing more money for
higher-end excursions. Or making dinner reservations for the specialty
restaurants all at once. Arranging my time to take part in more on
board activities. (That's not always an easy feat.) Just little things
like that. Who knows, with a little attitude-tweaking and being able to
see Glacier Bay as planned might change my whole review! grin

Pre/post hotels, flight and train trip review to follow.

I hope I didn't leave too much out! Feel free to ask any questions.

~Lindsay

In article .com,
Linsifer wrote:

NCL did a BAD job with this buffet, in my opinion.

Sounds like the buffet on NCL Dawn.

We sailed to Sitka instead and each CABIN was given a $200 shipboard
credit. Of course what made this missed "port" especially frustrating
for most people was the fact that sailing through Glacier Bay was THE
reason to sail this particular ship.

I am sure it was disappointing but that is a generous credit.

As I sit here and write this with my various "whines and complaints", I
almost feel like I'm being a "brat" and should be happy for being able
to enjoy a cruise at all.....ANY cruise. And, I am. But, I also know
that this forum is about stating our honest feelings and to share OUR
experience, the way WE felt it.

Thanks for posting your review and your honest feelings. I was recently
on my first NCL cruise and my thoughts about NCL and Freestyle match a
lot of yours.

Also you provide a lot of food for thought about the Alaska itinerary.
I am going to reread your review again tommorow.

--
Charles

"Linsifer" wrote in message
oups.com...
Norwegian Star cruise to Alaska 7/31--8/7 This review is
of the actual cruise. I'll report about our flight, hotels and train
ride in a separate review.

We cruised with a group of friends and family, 22 of us in all. We
picked this ship for Glacier Bay. Otherwise, I really wanted to sail on
Sapphire Princess. But, they did Tracy Arm. My in-laws insisted we see
Glacier Bay. So, the NCL Star it was.

************************************************** *********************************************
Lindsay, what a bummer! Your NCL Star experience was sooo different from
ours on the NCL Spirit...the Spirit is a little smaller than the Star and
she is one of my favorites and so different in every way from the Star......

I think not going to Glacier Bay may have colored your feelings more than
you give credit... plus the food not being very good.. I know how much you
were looking forward to this cruise and I'm sorry it was a disappointment in
so many ways.
Seeing unhappy passengers around you did not help either... Unfortunately,
you could not help comparing it with the Princess ships...I like Princess
very much, but for Alaska, I would advise Holland America as the best to
take..
I know with your love of cruising, you will be out there again looking for
another cruise!

Welcome Home! I look forward to the rest of your review.

--Jean

Hi Charles,

I'm glad you felt some of things I did in regards to NCL and Freestyle.
I don't mean to paint a negative picture and since I do love cruising so
much, I'll always find enough positives to keep me coming back! And,
like some of you have done here on RTC, perhaps someday I'll give the
NCL Star another chance and really see her in another, more positive
light. Or, maybe try another NCL ship.

I agree, $200 onboard cabin credit was generous, although I think for
many people, especially those who came from afar, it didn't feel that
way. One couple I met onboard sailed on the Star in Hawaii last year and
they had the same azipod issue, but they didn't get any credit for
missing a port. So, they lucked out this time. I do think that NCL
should consider putting that ship into drydock to fix this thing once
and for all.

As for the Alaskan itinerary, if I had the time and money I would almost
consider a Southbound or Northbound cruise with the added inland tour. I
know those who have seen Alaska this way were really impressed.

Lindsay

My NCL Star to Alaska 7/31--8/7 review Report Abuse
From: Charles
To: Linsifer
Date Posted: Aug 10, 2005 9:15:31 PM
Message-ID:


In article .com,
Linsifer wrote:

NCL did a BAD job with this buffet, in my opinion.

Sounds like the buffet on NCL Dawn.

We sailed to Sitka instead and each CABIN was given a $200
shipboard
credit. Of course what made this missed "port" especially
frustrating
for most people was the fact that sailing through Glacier Bay
was THE
reason to sail this particular ship.

I am sure it was disappointing but that is a generous credit.

As I sit here and write this with my various "whines and
complaints", I
almost feel like I'm being a "brat" and should be happy for
being able
to enjoy a cruise at all.....ANY cruise. And, I am. But, I also
know
that this forum is about stating our honest feelings and to
share OUR
experience, the way WE felt it.

Thanks for posting your review and your honest feelings. I was recently
on my first NCL cruise and my thoughts about NCL and Freestyle match a
lot of yours.

Also you provide a lot of food for thought about the Alaska itinerary.
I am going to reread your review again tommorow.

--
Charles


--
Sent via Travel Newsgroups
http://www.travelnewsgroups.com

Hi Jean,

After re-reading my review, I hoped I wasn't too tough on NCL! Hey, the
longer I am away from a particular ship and sailing and the more I read
other people's "takes on it", I often go back and look at what I wrote
and realize it wasn't all that bad after all! :-) Especially when I'm
yearnin' for another cruise. It ALL looks better than staying home and
scrubbing bathroooms and cooking my own meals!

We saw the Spirit docked more than a couple times when we were in
Alaska. It sounds like your cruise on her was really nice.

I just need to stop comparing and look at each cruiseline and ship as
something unique and that doesn't necessarily mean it's a bad
thing...except for that #!&# Market Cafe! I will never say anything good
about that! Or, those horrible seats in the Stardust Theatre! grin

Lindsay

Jean had replied:

Lindsay, what a bummer! Your NCL Star experience was sooo different from
ours on the NCL Spirit...the Spirit is a little smaller than the Star
and
she is one of my favorites and so different in every way from the
Star......

I think not going to Glacier Bay may have colored your feelings more
than
you give credit... plus the food not being very good.. I know how much
you
were looking forward to this cruise and I'm sorry it was a
disappointment in
so many ways.
Seeing unhappy passengers around you did not help either...
Unfortunately,
you could not help comparing it with the Princess ships...I like
Princess
very much, but for Alaska, I would advise Holland America as the best to
take..
I know with your love of cruising, you will be out there again looking
for
another cruise!

Welcome Home! I look forward to the rest of your review.

--Jean


--
Sent via Travel Newsgroups
http://www.travelnewsgroups.com

"Linsifer" wrote in message
...
Hi Jean,

After re-reading my review, I hoped I wasn't too tough on NCL! Hey, the
longer I am away from a particular ship and sailing and the more I read
other people's "takes on it", I often go back and look at what I wrote
and realize it wasn't all that bad after all! :-) Especially when I'm
yearnin' for another cruise. It ALL looks better than staying home and
scrubbing bathroooms and cooking my own meals!

LOL! Lindsay! This is so true, in fact as I was reading your review, I was
wondering if in a week, you would be looking at it as not being so bad after
all!!! I have come home after a cruise that was not up to par to the last
one that I came off of and *ventilated* and then a couple days later,
thought, *Hey, it wasn't really that bad...it was just different!* But I
agree, the things that REALLY were disappointing, remain disappointing
....but then you start remembering some of the more pleasant times.
I loved the Norwegian Sea, but I hated the Apple Cafe on it...and still
think of it that way...it seems both the Sea and Star have similar flaws in
that area. I used to compare ships long ago..now I just consider them as
just different...just like people,
they each have their own personalities.. Don't give up on NCL...if you try
one of their ships again, try the NCL Spirit. Some have really liked the NCL
Dawn, too.

I love cruising with my entire family, but would not want to take every
cruise that way because I feel that I have a responsibility to make sure
that everyone is having a good time..(I never stop" mothering!") This might
have been the case in this cruise for you, with so many of your relatives
there....you were not a free spirit taking off whenever you wanted, doing
only what you wanted, when you wanted and felt an obligation in trying to
keep everyone happy...I'm just guessing here, as you have taken some your
other cruises with just your daughter..

We saw the Spirit docked more than a couple times when we were in
Alaska. It sounds like your cruise on her was really nice.

She really is a great ship, but if you are able, take a Dam ship to Alaska
next time!

--Jean

Hi, Lindsay,

What a great review. I love your detail and format.

We were on the NCL Star in Hawaii in 2002, and we came back feeling almost
100% the way you did about it in every respect. We decided then that NCL was
not a good fit for our tastes.

While you were in Alaska, we tried HAL for the first time on a Baltics
itinerary. I wrote a mini-review plus comments. That cruise experience was,
similarly, not a good fit for us. Like you, I felt badly writing our
personal negative reaction to what was a perfectly fine cruise. And, like
you, as time goes by, it doesn't seem all that bad! However, we're crossing
HAL off our list, just as NCL bit the dust with the Star.

Our Alaskan cruise experience on the Dawn Princess remains our entire
family's #1 favorite cruise experience. I think you should "dance with the
one who brung ya" for your Glacier Bay make-up cruise!

I know in the grand scheme of things, y'all had a wonderful, memorable trip,
as we did. Those young teens are something else, aren't they? I was LOL over
your description of your daughter's experience. Our kids had a ball, too.

Take care, enjoy your last days of summer 'til back-to-school,

Diana Ball
near Houston, TX




"Linsifer" wrote in message
oups.com...
Norwegian Star cruise to Alaska 7/31--8/7 This review is
of the actual cruise. I'll report about our flight, hotels and train
ride in a separate review.

"Karen" wrote:
I know we'll be on the new HAL ship Noordam at some point soon after
it becomes home-ported in New York, and I'm anxious to try the Dawn
out of New York. I wonder if we'll come back thinking it's time to
cross them both off our list permanently this time? I hope we're
pleasantly surprised by both.

Yes, Karen, I hope you are, too!

Philosophically, I don't think it is a bad thing that some of us like Brand
X and others prefer Brand Y. Our differences of opinion demonstrate that, to
some degree, the lines are not trying to please all, but are offering a
cruise product that is somewhat unique to that line and certainly
differentiated from the others. Exmple: Freestyle is just not our thing! We
are stodgy traditionalists and proud of it!

Of course, there's the "failure to perform" aspect of negative cruise
reviews that is a different animal, i.e., when I say dining service was
poor, then that's one person's subjective opinion; when a number of cruisers
return saying dining service was poor, that's a shipboard problem (and
depending on the source, a line problem) that needs to be fixed. On the
Rotterdam, for example, dining service is poor. The primary reason? Staffing
cutbacks. It is no secret HAL has cut staffing. So that's a line issue. A
secondary reason, of course, would be onboard management's failure to
compensate for that to the extent possible. Our servers did not have any
time to get to know us or guide us in our dining selections, much less
remember standing preferences; made frequent mistakes in recording orders
because they were too rushed to carefully listen and record our orders; had
difficulty with the timing of courses and often delivered diner A's
selection to diner B; ... I could go on and on, but you get the picture. Was
our situation an isolated occurrence, i.e., did our section just get an
experienced waiter? No. Our waiter was on his 3rd or 4th contract. And we
made a number of pax acquaintances on this cruise among the "trivia
regulars," many of whom were HAL repeaters, and one group conversation
turned to dining service, during which the consensus was as I have said. Of
course, a few pax had no dining problems, as Val Kraut has reported here.
Our group felt that those lucky pax had more experienced waiters, or perhaps
actively involved head waiters, who seemed to be able to juggle the large
number of tables better than most. But, all in all, and from what I read
here and elsewhere from returning pax on HAL ships generally, dining service
is an issue across the board because of staff reductions.

Reverse expectations is not a bad thing!!! When you try the Dawn and
Noordam, as certainly you must and I would if they were in our home port,
you will go with such low expectations, you'll be pleasantly surprised!

Diana

Karen,

Not to beat dead horses, but just an observation about your comment, to-wit:

If the truth be told, I'm worried about freestyle dining, too.

Freestyle as we experienced it on the NCL Star is most definitely a concept
that extends beyond dining. I didn't like the dining. I didn't like the
"wear whatever you like" "do whatever you like" "it's your vacation, make
your own rules" twist to freestyle.

YMMV!

Diana

D Ball wrote:

If the truth be told, I'm worried about freestyle dining, too.

Freestyle as we experienced it on the NCL Star is most definitely a concept
that extends beyond dining. I didn't like the dining. I didn't like the
"wear whatever you like" "do whatever you like" "it's your vacation, make
your own rules" twist to freestyle.

I've travelled on the Dawn and Majesty on NCL, and this was definitely the
case. In both cases I enjoyed the cruise, indeed the Majesty was the best
cruise I've taken yet, but this is definitely true.



--
Julie
**********
Check out the blog of my 9 week Germany adventure at www.blurty.com/users/jholm
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