Questions from first time Star traveler

[emttl73]

Hi, we are looking at a May 8 sailing on the Star. My husband and I will traveling with our one year old daughter for her first cruise. We have sailed Carnival several times and I have been on RCL and Celebrity.

 

How much different is a mini suite from the next level up in suites?

Can our daughter go into the surcharge dining rooms?

How good is the food at the buffett and main dining room?

[flifish]

i will be up-front and say i am critical of food. And hold out and say something is good when it's an 9-10 on the scale. To me that is something to rave about. Personally i don't think the dinning room and or buffet rank that high, maybe a 5 or 6 at best. However it's done nicely considering how many people they are serving. Sometimes the quality of the dish is somewhat lacking and rather bland. For example i would be surprised to find they use Prime cuts of beef to me it seem like Choice cuts. At least two of the pay restaurants use higher quality seafood and meat that they use in the main dinning room. i don't know this for sure but it certainly taste and looked to be true. I have cruised both cruise lines you mentioned and in my experience i would rank Celebrity 1, RCL 2, and NCL 3rd as main dinning/buffet goes but we are paying less for the cruise also. But i'm definitely not saying all the pay restaurants are better. Some of those should feel like they a lucky to pick up extra money for that food. But Cagney's was a standout. An on going theme is the service and the only time we got top notch service you should was in Cagney's. As far as kids i would imagine they will accommodate you.

 

another cc'er says it best that the dinning room is upscale institutional. he hits it on the nose.

[terrymtex01]

You would be hard pressed to find a bigger fan of the Star than me. However i do have to say the buffet is horrible IMHO. I can't stand the layout of it and I can not stand how they have the tables and chairs arranged. The food was typical buffet food. Found the food in the MDR and Specialty restaurants to be outstanding.

 

We liked the layout of the ship, although I have read several times of people finding hallways, etc , that led to know where, but the two times we were no her we never found them. Her staff and crew are outstanding and we feel they are the best of the best. When booking our cruise to Alaska for next year we could have choosen any ship, any line, and we choose the Star. It will be our third time aboard her and we can not wait.

[Budget Queen]

Yes, you can bring a 1 year old into the surcharge restaurants, but, no flames please- hopefully one of you would leave, if they become disruptive?? Many parents do not, and other passengers have paid too, I think it needs to be considered.

 

Do realize going this early will be cooler, and you are very unlikely to get within glacier viewing, although the ship can and does detour to Endicott Arm. Which in my opinion, is way down the glacier scale. The Pearl has a far better itinerary.

[ictcruiser]

I am a huge fan of NCL suites and just got back from the Star last week.

 

A minisuite will give you a fold-out couch bed, a little more space, and a tub. You will have to go very high up the true suite scale to get an actual bed for your child...I think all the way to an AB, which would put the price points between the two likely very far apart.

[newmexicoNita]

Hi, we are looking at a May 8 sailing on the Star. My husband and I will traveling with our one year old daughter for her first cruise. We have sailed Carnival several times and I have been on RCL and Celebrity.

 

How much different is a mini suite from the next level up in suites?

Can our daughter go into the surcharge dining rooms?

How good is the food at the buffett and main dining room?

 

Big difference in mini versus reg suites: the mini suites are nothing more than upgraded and slightly larger balcony cabins:

 

Yes, your daughter can go into the special dining rooms, but remember, some of them are set up for very long and relaxing meals. Unless she will be content to sit for about 2 hours (certainly an hour and 1/2 ) you may want to put that off for a few more years. The less formal ones, like Endless Summer will be fine.

 

The buffet food on NCL is our favorite of all lines.

 

Nita