NCL STAR not a ship for Alaska cruising.

[Traveller20074]

Does the Star have a spa with the tropical shower, therapy pool, sauna, whirlpools, heated tile beds, etc.?

[OceanDreaming2]

Does the Star have a spa with the tropical shower, therapy pool, sauna, whirlpools, heated tile beds, etc.?

 

It has the pool, whirlpool and saunas but I'm not sure about the tile beds. The pool/whirlpool weren't working when we were on her in November :mad: or I would've gotten a pass.

[halos]

We just got off the NCL STAR's repositioning cruise from LA to ALaska, ending in Vancouver. I can not stress enough to chose and think carefully before booking this ship to Alaska.

 

Having moved the Spinnaker Lounge to an interior, there is NO INSIDE viewing for Alaska to keep you out of the elements. The pool area also does not enclose for a warm windfree pool deck. These are two very important elements to consider before booking an Alaskan cruise. The pool deck didnt open on our sailing until the final cruising day to Vancouver, as it was too cold, windy and rough seas.

 

IMO the cruise staff could have done alot more in the way of fun indoor activities. There just wasn't much to do, and we had 4 sea days on our sailing.

 

If you haven't already booked on the Star for alaska, I reccomend that you check out other ships for this vacation. Even though the price was right for us, we wish we had chosen more wisely for Alaska.

 

Thanks for posting this. :)

[Traveller20074]

Having moved the Spinnaker Lounge to an interior, there is NO INSIDE viewing for Alaska to keep you out of the elements. The pool area also does not enclose for a warm windfree pool deck. These are two very important elements to consider before booking an Alaskan cruise. The pool deck didnt open on our sailing until the final cruising day to Vancouver, as it was too cold, windy and rough seas.

If you haven't already booked on the Star for alaska, I reccomend that you check out other ships for this vacation. Even though the price was right for us, we wish we had chosen more wisely for Alaska.

 

So.....considering this...I would want to be OUTSIDE for viewing anyway...not inside (Spinnaker) so......as long as there is somewhere to see the sights, I'd be happy :D :cool:

[furluvcats]

*sigh*

 

I have a huge decision to make, and I hope I make the right one :o Would it be better to get a balcony on the Star, rather than an oceanview on the Pearl...that's the question I guess. if the Star doesn't have good public viewing areas....and the spa isn't as great...I just don't know.

I think I would chose the Pearl...it gets such awesome reviews...what did you decide?

[Traveller20074]

me thinks we will do the Pearl. I don't really want to do Sawyer glacier (the Star route) as they say you can't get close to it, and it's not as spectacular as Margerie.....I want a ship that my husband would love, and I think that's the Pearl :)

[Traveller20074]

I think I would chose the Pearl...it gets such awesome reviews...what did you decide?

 

not to threadjack :obut I noticed you were on the Oosterdam recently. You were docked next to us in Victoria I think? I was watching your ship and it's lights...very pretty :) Was on a balcony.

 

oh. 1 night? hmm........maybe not Victoria lol

[dcdiva]

Carnival cruise ships have a speciality steak restaurant. Carnival has free cappuccino and expresso in their main dining rooms at breakfast, lunch and dinner ( NCL now charges for cappuccino and expresso in their main dining rooms.) Carnival allows a passenger to bring one bottle of wine/champaign on board without a fee as (per person ) long as it is consumed in their cabin--NCL would charge $15 per bottle as soon as you check in. Carnival as a lower per night service fee of $10 per person.

 

These are subtle differences--I will sail Carnival next week so I will have a comparison to NCL when we get back--look for my review/comparison that is from my eyes that I will post.

 

BG

 

Thanks for posting some of the things I was talking about. You are certainly right about the differences being subtle. Often it's not even about the money, just the feeling that you are 'missing out' if you don't spend more.

 

I know some people love the freestyle dining concept, but it's just not for me. With traditional dining, there was never a wait for table. On NCL, I always felt like if I didn't want to wait, I had to pay for it by booking one of the specialty restaurants. (I know that's not technically true, but it still felt that way.) Other lines haveone or two specialty restaurants. If you didn't try one, no big deal. If you do, it doesn't cost much since you do it once or twice during the cruise. On my last NCL cruise there were seven specialty restaurants. It was hard not to feel like you weren't missing out, if you didn't try one. And if you went for more than one or two meals, the up-charges start to really add up. Again, it's not so much about the actually money as feeling pressured to spend it.

 

Once onboard, I am not exactly a frugal cruiser. I shop, gamble, book spa treatments, and rack up an impressive bar bill. :eek: So perhaps that makes me a bit more sensitive about the extras. These small things are more about perception than reality. And, it's not that NCL still doesn't offer value, it certainly does. It's just that I 'felt' the little charges.

[wg6530]

Stepfather always said, "When somebody says its not about the money, its about the money." I disagreed with him regularly, but sometimes the old guy was right.

 

Every cruise on every line, I've made choices about how to spend my time and money. No doubt I missed out on something terrific on every cruise. Like passing up the garden villa- yup, thats about the money.

[boaterette]

all repo cruises from the so part of CA or around the canal to the Pacific North West is usually occupied with a high number of Asians as so many live in the area. I don't know what that really has to do with who sat where on the ship???

 

Nita

 

When I did this trip last year it was a problem. You could not use the public bathrooms without checking out the seats. They took al of the window seats. In Spinnakers when they were playing trivia they would all sit around and talk really loud. We couldn't hear what was being asked. So it is something to be aware of when booking these type of trips. It made it less enjoyable.

[deepnite10]

even though we ve sailed on the Star 4 times..each time we alway s said * lets try another ship*..we ve usually rebooked on the Star in the end..

 

with all changes in cabin s.. we re waiting on all the new reviews to see how we ll be manage to book 30+ people for a family reunion in 2011..there ll be 2 grandma s with us so we ll be in atleast a couple suites..

 

though disappointed at times the lack of activities on the Star there are other things we could chose to do..i enjoy the gym and the wife is a spa freak..and the views of the scenery kept our rest times and picture taking opportunities at the highest level from our balcony..

 

depending on the weather..though we were prepared for cold wet weather, the weather was fantastic..i had wish we d packed more shirt sleaves and shorts..and though the ship was nearly full i did nt notice any large crowds..i suspect many spent their time on balconies enjoying the

Inside Passage as ourselves..

 

i was one who got sick on the cruise with a stomach ailement and was confined 2 days to our cabin:( yet did enjoy all the scenery of Alaska iteniary though for those 2 day s unable to go to shore..

 

i do have to mention though that the cabin stewards were totally FANTASTIC when they knew of my predictiment..it felt as though i had

gotten a butler assigned to our cabin and was a little disappointed when they lifted my quarantine..

[lizzie13]

It was WONDERFUL wasn't it? :) That glacier was incredible, and the weather just could not be beat :D

 

It was amazing, wasn't it? I want to go back right now!! :D I highly recommend the Pearl for Alaska...forget the Star :p. and as for spending extra money...I spent a total of $6.75 onboard - lol (splurged on a Mojito)- I never felt "nickel and dimed" as I knew of all the extras from reading these boards and I was very happy to eat at the Great Outdoors or the MDRs - didn't feel I missed anything by not going to the speciality restaurants.

[CornMuffinsMama]

We just got off the Star, May 15-22 to Alaska so I thought I'd throw in my 2 cents.

 

Our family is the flip side. We can have a GREAT time and spend almost no money at all.

 

I wish you better luck the next time on whatever cruiseline you choose.

 

Ditto. :) The only money we spent was on

1. Gratuity at the end to our Butler and Concierge

2. Portraits

3. Teppanyaki

4. Endless Summer

5. a couple of virgin drinks we splurged on

Most of it was to the gratuity, another large portion was to the portraits (when I say large I mean less than 60 bucks and considering how many pics I got that was a STEAL). We CHOSE to go to Teppanyaki (25 per person) b/c I'd never been to one and DH wanted me to see the show they put on for the cooking. It was worth it, and I don't even like Asian food (except Mongolian Grills). Endless Summer was CHEAP, especially considering the amount of food we got.

 

Thanks for posting some of the things I was talking about. You are certainly right about the differences being subtle. Often it's not even about the money, just the feeling that you are 'missing out' if you don't spend more.

 

I know some people love the freestyle dining concept, but it's just not for me. With traditional dining, there was never a wait for table. On NCL, I always felt like if I didn't want to wait, I had to pay for it by booking one of the specialty restaurants. (I know that's not technically true, but it still felt that way.) Other lines haveone or two specialty restaurants. If you didn't try one, no big deal. If you do, it doesn't cost much since you do it once or twice during the cruise. On my last NCL cruise there were seven specialty restaurants. It was hard not to feel like you weren't missing out, if you didn't try one. And if you went for more than one or two meals, the up-charges start to really add up. Again, it's not so much about the actually money as feeling pressured to spend it.

 

Once onboard, I am not exactly a frugal cruiser. I shop, gamble, book spa treatments, and rack up an impressive bar bill. :eek: So perhaps that makes me a bit more sensitive about the extras. These small things are more about perception than reality. And, it's not that NCL still doesn't offer value, it certainly does. It's just that I 'felt' the little charges.

 

We actually found that we never had to wait at any of the restaurants (except when we showed up early to Teppanyaki and it was a while before our reservation time). We found there was no charge for

Blue Lagoon

Aqua

Versailles

The Grill

Marketplace Cafe (aka the buffet which we never did eat at except for the Chocaholic Buffet).

 

We found that usually if bar staff came and asked if we wanted a drink and we said water, they left us alone after they delivered our water.

 

We went on the cruise with a budget that we were determined to stick to, and the attitude that we'd have a GREAT time anyways, and we did. Even on Sea Days we had a blast, whether it was going to a shopping show, DH loved the art auctions and talks even though we weren't buying (he got a kick out of bidding 10 bucks for a Rembrandt...), game shows, trivia, going for walks, spending time just hanging out and doing whatever. Granted, we don't gamble or drink so we didn't feel any pressure to do any of those things, maybe that made a difference. I will say that I don't quite understand how people say "I feel so pressured to spend money! All teh pressure ruined my cruise!" when pretty much all the pressure we experienced was ads in the Freestyle Daily and the inserts in it, and the occasional announcement or invitation placed under our door. Frankly, I feel more pressured to spend money when I go to the Mall and practically get assaulted by people grabbing me and following me down the concourse to show me a curling iron, or makeup, or cell phone, or whatever. Yes, there are ads EVERYWHERE in the Daily for the services, but they're very easy I found to ignore. Yes, bar staff will ask you everywhere if you want a drink but we found that a polite "No thank you, we don't drink" or "Water please" did the trick. They usually figured that they had a couple thousand other passengers who would spend money on alcohol so why waste time on us?

 

I think that in *many* cases (not all), a lot of it is about the attitude. At least, that's the opinion that I hold after the observations I made both on this board and now on the cruise we went on and what I saw of other people and of the staff and crew on the Star.

 

As far as how the Star is for Alaska, I've not been on other ships so I have no comparison, and we did have an Aft Balcony, but I found that there was always plenty of space to watch the scenery from inside or out (except of course on Glacier day at which point everyone wanted the same small spots even if they had a balcony of their own). The weather was pretty nice on our cruise so I didn't get rained on a lot and I didn't usually have to wear more than a couple of layers (which often consisted of a long sleeved t-shirt and a sweatshirt with jeans and socks and shoes... no thermal undies, no gloves, no heavy coat, and I'm a Southern girl who doesn't like to be cold so that's saying something!). WE found on OUR cruise that there were usually open spots inside and out at various vantage points and we never had to wait for a table at an MDR or a specialty. Of course, we also didn't decide to wait until the peak rush hours, we either ate before or after or found somewhere NOT so crowded to eat. Again, I think a lot of it is about attitude and prior experiences. I had not been on the Star previously so was not disappointed by differences in the ship pre-dry dock vs. post-dry dock. My biggest piece of advice to anyone going on an Alaskan cruise on the Star... even if you have concerns and are upset about the moving of the Spinnaker, don't go into it going "Well because they did this it's going to be horrible cuz it's not how it used to be". Go into it with an open mind and determined to have a good time. Go into it LOOKING for the good things and trying to keep everything in perspective. Do you have to look around for a good viewing spot? At least you're in lovely Alaska on a cruise and not in San Antonio where it's warm and muggy and a portion of the very busy interstate has been closed down for the construction that seems to be always going on and messes traffic up even further than it usually already is.... :D

[brunolvr]

I agree with you totally, cornMuffinsMama, in that ATTITUDE is probably the most important aspect of the cruise. We also go on our cruises knowing we're going to have a good time, no matter what!:)

 

During our cruise we always run into people who are complaining about everything and anything and are determined they're going to have a terrible cruise, and they definitely will!

 

And take time to talk to (and thank) your servers, room stewards, crew members around the ship, etc. They are hard-working young people who want to please you and want you to have a wonderful time.:)

[dcdiva]

CornMuffinsMama -- thanks for sharing your experience on the Star. I found it really helpful. Glad to hear you encountered no wait at the MDR. That's actually one of my biggest worries, since we are a group of five. One of my sailing companions gets really cranky if there's a long wait for a table, and he won't want to try the specialty restaurants. (In spite of this huge character flaw, we love him anyway.;))

 

I also appreciate the weather report. I've never sailed Alaska before, and packing is a bit intimidating. I know the weather can vary, but was glad to hear you didn't need a heavy coat.

 

Did you book any excursions at all?

[Traveller20074]

It was amazing, wasn't it? I want to go back right now!! :D I highly recommend the Pearl for Alaska...forget the Star :p. and as for spending extra money...I spent a total of $6.75 onboard - lol (splurged on a Mojito)- I never felt "nickel and dimed" as I knew of all the extras from reading these boards and I was very happy to eat at the Great Outdoors or the MDRs - didn't feel I missed anything by not going to the speciality restaurants.

 

Yep. i think I'm spoiled. Totally spoiled with the weather we had on that cruise. I want to go back, but I think I might never get that good of weather again LOL

I won't say what my bill was, but with 3 excursions you can probably guess :eek::D I didn't eat at a pay restaurant the whole time. I like the main ones and the buffet. The BBQ outside was fun - I did that every time they had it :)

[CornMuffinsMama]

CornMuffinsMama -- thanks for sharing your experience on the Star. I found it really helpful. Glad to hear you encountered no wait at the MDR. That's actually one of my biggest worries, since we are a group of five. One of my sailing companions gets really cranky if there's a long wait for a table, and he won't want to try the specialty restaurants. (In spite of this huge character flaw, we love him anyway.;))

 

I also appreciate the weather report. I've never sailed Alaska before, and packing is a bit intimidating. I know the weather can vary, but was glad to hear you didn't need a heavy coat.

 

Did you book any excursions at all?

 

Nope, we did it on our own.

 

I will say, some people had waits for the MDR, but they were the ones who decided to go at the same time as seeing a huge group go in or at the same time they saw everyone else go for supper. You should be able to figure out the first day or two what the rush times are and avoid them. Also, if the Versailles is full and has a wait, go to the Blue Lagoon. They're open 24/7. Frankly, that may be how we avoided a lot of waiting I read about. We ate at "off times" and didn't only eat at Versailles or the Buffet. Even if you're not in a suite, there ARE other dining rooms besides the two BIG ones you can eat in without an upcharge. The Freestyle Daily will have a list of restaurants and their times and have a mark beside them and price if there is an upcharge. We also learned you can get your food to go and take it to a pub or a window seat or your cabin or wherever. :)

 

We did not do any shore excursions. We just wandered around and saw it all on your own. Make sure you talk to Flash Gordon and ask him what the stores are that are offering freebies. I came away with a TON of free jewelry. They also do raffles at Diamonds International and, um, I can't remember all the others...

[lizzie13]

Yep. i think I'm spoiled. Totally spoiled with the weather we had on that cruise. I want to go back, but I think I might never get that good of weather again LOL

I won't say what my bill was, but with 3 excursions you can probably guess :eek::D I didn't eat at a pay restaurant the whole time. I like the main ones and the buffet. The BBQ outside was fun - I did that every time they had it :)

I did do one shore excursion - the wilderness/nature expedition in Haines (you take a ferry from Skagway) - it was great and I am so glad we got to see the town of Haines and go outside the town and take a walk in the woods. We saw tons of Bald Eagles and other birds and it was just beautiful! That and the one mojito I had were the only extra expenses. I loved sitting out on the deck of the Great Outdoors (you can get your food from there or in the Garden Cafe and walk out there) and just watching the scenery and getting a tan! :) I want to go back right now!! It was incredible weather and such an amazing trip...I am definitely hooked on cruising now :)

[newmexicoNita]

Thanks for posting some of the things I was talking about. You are certainly right about the differences being subtle. Often it's not even about the money, just the feeling that you are 'missing out' if you don't spend more.

 

I know some people love the freestyle dining concept, but it's just not for me. With traditional dining, there was never a wait for table. On NCL, I always felt like if I didn't want to wait, I had to pay for it by booking one of the specialty restaurants. (I know that's not technically true, but it still felt that way.) Other lines haveone or two specialty restaurants. If you didn't try one, no big deal. If you do, it doesn't cost much since you do it once or twice during the cruise. On my last NCL cruise there were seven specialty restaurants. It was hard not to feel like you weren't missing out, if you didn't try one. And if you went for more than one or two meals, the up-charges start to really add up. Again, it's not so much about the actually money as feeling pressured to spend it.

 

Once onboard, I am not exactly a frugal cruiser. I shop, gamble, book spa treatments, and rack up an impressive bar bill. :eek: So perhaps that makes me a bit more sensitive about the extras. These small things are more about perception than reality. And, it's not that NCL still doesn't offer value, it certainly does. It's just that I 'felt' the little charges.

 

of course you don't have to wait or choose a specialty dining room and most other lines charge more for their sur charge choices..We were on the Pearl last month, we only had to wait more than a couple of minutes once, they said it would be up to 45 minutes but we had a buzzer and 20% off on drinks. We went to the bar, ordered a glass of wine, saved 20% and within a couple of minutes we were called to the dining room. We did choose twice to eat in specialty dining rooms, both were outstanding. We did Le Bistro and the Italian restaurant.

 

That being said, freestyle certainly isn't for everyone, people who like regimentation do fine with traditional dining, others prefer the open seating idea. This is the reason we have so many cruise choices.

 

Nita

[amandacommando]

Just got off the Star on Saturday, June 6. It was my first cruise.. I found the Market to be always crowded no matter when I went and pretty much always to have the same things there. Versailles supposedly is free-style but when my mom and I wanted to have breakfast together by ourselves we were told we would have to wait, even though there were tons of tables for two available. We just went ahead and shared to be seated. We did not find the food to be that great and it was often cold. The exception was Ginzu - very good! We did get a pass for the spa, and both of us got a massage. Mom's masseuse was very nice but mine was incredibly pushy about products even though I told her from the start I just wanted a massage and was not interested in anything else. The staff were all great and helpful. There was a really bad smell in a lot of different places all over the ship for the entire cruise. I washed all my clothes the minute I got home because they smelled so bad. i don't know if it was because of the construction near our cabin or what, but it was bad! Several others I met noticed it as well. The poor quality of the food, the bad smell, the over-crowdedness of the ship and the short times in port make me think that a cruise is not the way to see Alaska for me. I'm going to make a different plan for my next vacation.

[Smokeyham]

*sigh*

 

I have a huge decision to make, and I hope I make the right one :o Would it be better to get a balcony on the Star, rather than an oceanview on the Pearl...that's the question I guess. if the Star doesn't have good public viewing areas....and the spa isn't as great...I just don't know.

 

I've been on both the Star the Pearl (just recently got off the Pearl). With the move of the Spinnaker Lounge I would definitely choose the Pearl. We really enjoyed the crew aboard the Pearl, and the ship is just beautiful.

[Hikini]

We have been on the Star twice and the Pearl once. (As well as the Sky and the Spirit.) The Star has been our favorite ship and because of that, when we booked our AK cruise again for this year we chose the Star because of our love for her. The Pearl is very nice too, just not the Star.

 

Now I am finding out about the change in the Spinnaker as well as the removal of the game/card room. We travel with my elderly parents (80's) and my Dad can no longer get around very well. They spend a LOT of time sitting in the Spinnaker and the game/card room with the floor to ceiling windows. They do book a suite, but that's different than having a large, comfortable place to sit with a great view, especially when in port, as they don't get off the ship.

 

We will have a great cruise no matter what, but I must say that I'm not crazy about this change. Mostly because I feel responsible for making sure that Mom and Dad are comfortable. They don't complain - ever - they let ME do that for them!:D But I think you get my drift....

 

Hikini

[egwilly]

My wife and I were on the repo cruise from LA to Vancouver in May. There is no point in going into detail what went wrong, but NCL at least attempted to make it right after I wrote and complained about the overall cruise experience we had on this cruise. There were too many folks with nothing to do but hang around the hallways of the ship, and pack the dining rooms and buffet to the max 2 hours before they opened. We are thankfull we opted for the spa retreat!

 

Be very carefull not to book a cabin on deck 10 aft....they are still working above you in this area during the day, and if you like to nap, forget it. They are refitting all the plumbing and structures there, and it gets real noisy!

 

We think we'll stick with Royal Carribbean or Carnival from now on.