Just off the NCL Star May never sail NCL again

[Gunters Oma]

If you were not on the Star for this cruise - I appreciate your cheerleading, but the folks who are posting are telling you like it was. You can make any excuse you like - but it doesn’t change the facts. I will not go into the fiasco of embarking and debarking. You can blame those on shore…but once on the ship or trying to get off the ship - NCL management only made it worse.

 

To those of you cruising soon - take heart. This was a great cruise on the worst ship I have ever sailed on. We had a good time. There are many excellent things about this ships. The shows are entertaining. The energy of talented young people is contagious. At the end of the first production show their rendition of Queen songs brought down the house. The aerial duo and the hand balancer were outstanding. The comedian was funny. The show on the last night was outstanding. Even the crew show was great and if you don’t stay for The Fountain number - you will have missed a highlight of the entertainment.

 

The food in the MDR was good to excellent. We ate there breakfast (food was served hot and the quickest of all) The French Toast - yum! Lunch - the shrimp burger - give it a try. Dinner The soups were delicious. As the DH said - even the worst dinner was still good. The servers at all the meals were smiling and friendly - even with all the problems. They apologized for the wait as if it was their fault. Note: On all but the last night the waiters took the drink orders and had to wait just like everyone else. Of course, this took them away from the primary job - serving the meal. (Cheerleaders, please understand - this is management - poor management.)

 

We tried the Market Café once - that was enough for us. We are not cafeteria people and the sameness of taste was obvious. The desserts may be different shapes and colors, but if you taste one you’ve pretty much tasted all.

 

O’Sheehan’s - That place is a disaster. The bar, the food (If you looking for the delicious chicken pot pie - don’t bother - they no longer serve it. Our waitress chanted - chicken pot pie, chicken pot pie - she didn’t know what it was and was certain it hadn’t been served - maybe another restaurant she said.) BTW when she first arrived at our table, after a 15 minute wait, DH started to ask about said pot pie - Cute little girl - puts her hand up “No, I talk first then you ask questions” Seriously? Least you think we took this to seriously - we looked at each and shook our heads …we were smiling. She was obviously very new - as you will see as my story continues. I noticed on the drink menu a toasted almond….which read “…with vanilla ice cream” Yeah - I was going to have a burger with an adult milkshake. Well - that’s what I thought. Alas, cute, little waitress arrives with beer for DH and a regular cocktail for me. I said, Oh - I ordered it frozen…with ice cream. No, she said, this is what they gave me. Okay - but look here on the menu it says “with vanilla ice cream” She gives a big sigh, stamps her little foot, takes the drink menu and says I am going back to him and show him. (We are beginning to like our little newbie, a lot) She returns with bar manager in tow. He saids - we can’t make that - we have no blender. Yes folks, that’s right - we are the people mentioned above about the blender which they thought might not be a true story. Bar manager says I will go downstairs and get you one from another bar. He returns as I am almost finished with my burger and tells me he is so sorry it took so long. He went to three bars and no one has a blender! Really? These were his words and I am not making it up. But the moral of this story is if you want an adult milkshake - do not go to O’Sheehans. DH had the shephard’s pie. He said it had no flavor and was the least enjoyable meal of the entire cruise.

 

We had a great meet and greet. Thanks Mike! It was good fun. The officers made a very brief appearance and all quickly left except the hotel director, Ignacio. This guy (who sorta looks like Vin Diesel) is just starting with the Star. He had less information about the azipod then we, on cruise critic, had. He also said, don’t wait til you get off the ship if you have a problem. Tell us while you are on board. We just happened to see him after we left O‘Sheehan’s and told him about no blender. Like others he seemed to doubt our word. We ran into him the next day and he said - the bar manager said they never make frozen drinks. I asked, then why is it on the menu? HD - it’s not on the menu. Me - well, why don‘t you actually go look at the menu…because I think if you cannot offer a drink - you should not put it on the menu. He smiled, and off he went.

 

BTW - I asked another bartender if he could make a Christmas Cookie…he said, I only make what is on the menu. Yeah, right? Maybe you do and maybe you don’t!

 

Like most folks on the Star cruise - I have many more stories about the lack of concern by upper management. (Go to the Q&A - see how they glance at each other and/or roll their eyes at legitimate questions or dodge others).

 

Service IS slow. There are many broken seats in the theater - be careful when you set down. One elevator was not functioning properly. A gentlemen put his hand into the door to keep if from closing so that another couple could get on and it closed on his hand. - be careful if you are being helpful.

 

Oh - FYI - Aqua and Ginza are casual. Versailles requires men to wear long pants and they enforce that rule. There is a sign at the door (Norwegians dress well) and we saw them turn people away.

 

Our room steward was fantastic. While we didn’t see him very much - out room was made up quickly and he always gave us fresh ice. When my husband mentioned the bed was a little too firm for him, Jonathan went to storage and put an eggcrate layer on the bed. He was great.

 

The workers - almost without exception (- if you want rude go see the woman who works the restaurant reservation desk at guest services) are friendly, helpful and trying their best…but upper levels - not so much.

 

We still had a great cruise because when you travel if you make the best of what you are given you will not be disappointed. Would I cruise NCL again? Absolutely…we have had several excellent cruises with them. Would I cruise the Star again? Well - only if it were free.

 

To all the cheerleaders - you are entitled to your opinions on what we experienced - but….

 

To those sailing soon. Again there are many good things on board. You can have a great time. If you know ahead of time there are some issues and are prepared for them - they will not be a problem for you.

[Laszlo]

We cruised the same itinerary 2 years ago on the Dawn. We were the first sailing of the year. The ship did not have any propulsions issues but I've got to tell you boarding was a cluster phuck. It was everyone's first day back to work who worked in that terminal. Nothing work, we also waited and waited for them to run our credit cards and we did finally board. We were told the ship was getting over 150 "New" people for this first cruise and you could see it during the week. Their were certain food items they ran out of. I later found out this was because two tractor trailers coming from Orlando and Jacksonville just never made it.

 

To add insult to injury it took us over 2 hours to get off the ship because of a customs issues.

 

I learned one thing from that cruise, I would never take a cruise again when your the first one out of the gate

[denas]

If you were not on the Star for this cruise - I appreciate your cheerleading, but the folks who are posting are telling you like it was. You can make any excuse you like - but it doesn’t change the facts. I will not go into the fiasco of embarking and debarking. You can blame those on shore…but once on the ship or trying to get off the ship - NCL management only made it worse.

 

To those of you cruising soon - take heart. This was a great cruise on the worst ship I have ever sailed on. We had a good time. There are many excellent things about this ships. The shows are entertaining. The energy of talented young people is contagious. At the end of the first production show their rendition of Queen songs brought down the house. The aerial duo and the hand balancer were outstanding. The comedian was funny. The show on the last night was outstanding. Even the crew show was great and if you don’t stay for The Fountain number - you will have missed a highlight of the entertainment.

 

The food in the MDR was good to excellent. We ate there breakfast (food was served hot and the quickest of all) The French Toast - yum! Lunch - the shrimp burger - give it a try. Dinner The soups were delicious. As the DH said - even the worst dinner was still good. The servers at all the meals were smiling and friendly - even with all the problems. They apologized for the wait as if it was their fault. Note: On all but the last night the waiters took the drink orders and had to wait just like everyone else. Of course, this took them away from the primary job - serving the meal. (Cheerleaders, please understand - this is management - poor management.)

 

We tried the Market Café once - that was enough for us. We are not cafeteria people and the sameness of taste was obvious. The desserts may be different shapes and colors, but if you taste one you’ve pretty much tasted all.

 

O’Sheehan’s - That place is a disaster. The bar, the food (If you looking for the delicious chicken pot pie - don’t bother - they no longer serve it. Our waitress chanted - chicken pot pie, chicken pot pie - she didn’t know what it was and was certain it hadn’t been served - maybe another restaurant she said.) BTW when she first arrived at our table, after a 15 minute wait, DH started to ask about said pot pie - Cute little girl - puts her hand up “No, I talk first then you ask questions” Seriously? Least you think we took this to seriously - we looked at each and shook our heads …we were smiling. She was obviously very new - as you will see as my story continues. I noticed on the drink menu a toasted almond….which read “…with vanilla ice cream” Yeah - I was going to have a burger with an adult milkshake. Well - that’s what I thought. Alas, cute, little waitress arrives with beer for DH and a regular cocktail for me. I said, Oh - I ordered it frozen…with ice cream. No, she said, this is what they gave me. Okay - but look here on the menu it says “with vanilla ice cream” She gives a big sigh, stamps her little foot, takes the drink menu and says I am going back to him and show him. (We are beginning to like our little newbie, a lot) She returns with bar manager in tow. He saids - we can’t make that - we have no blender. Yes folks, that’s right - we are the people mentioned above about the blender which they thought might not be a true story. Bar manager says I will go downstairs and get you one from another bar. He returns as I am almost finished with my burger and tells me he is so sorry it took so long. He went to three bars and no one has a blender! Really? These were his words and I am not making it up. But the moral of this story is if you want an adult milkshake - do not go to O’Sheehans. DH had the shephard’s pie. He said it had no flavor and was the least enjoyable meal of the entire cruise.

 

We had a great meet and greet. Thanks Mike! It was good fun. The officers made a very brief appearance and all quickly left except the hotel director, Ignacio. This guy (who sorta looks like Vin Diesel) is just starting with the Star. He had less information about the azipod then we, on cruise critic, had. He also said, don’t wait til you get off the ship if you have a problem. Tell us while you are on board. We just happened to see him after we left O‘Sheehan’s and told him about no blender. Like others he seemed to doubt our word. We ran into him the next day and he said - the bar manager said they never make frozen drinks. I asked, then why is it on the menu? HD - it’s not on the menu. Me - well, why don‘t you actually go look at the menu…because I think if you cannot offer a drink - you should not put it on the menu. He smiled, and off he went.

 

BTW - I asked another bartender if he could make a Christmas Cookie…he said, I only make what is on the menu. Yeah, right? Maybe you do and maybe you don’t!

 

Like most folks on the Star cruise - I have many more stories about the lack of concern by upper management. (Go to the Q&A - see how they glance at each other and/or roll their eyes at legitimate questions or dodge others).

 

Service IS slow. There are many broken seats in the theater - be careful when you set down. One elevator was not functioning properly. A gentlemen put his hand into the door to keep if from closing so that another couple could get on and it closed on his hand. - be careful if you are being helpful.

 

Oh - FYI - Aqua and Ginza are casual. Versailles requires men to wear long pants and they enforce that rule. There is a sign at the door (Norwegians dress well) and we saw them turn people away.

 

Our room steward was fantastic. While we didn’t see him very much - out room was made up quickly and he always gave us fresh ice. When my husband mentioned the bed was a little too firm for him, Jonathan went to storage and put an eggcrate layer on the bed. He was great.

 

The workers - almost without exception (- if you want rude go see the woman who works the restaurant reservation desk at guest services) are friendly, helpful and trying their best…but upper levels - not so much.

 

We still had a great cruise because when you travel if you make the best of what you are given you will not be disappointed. Would I cruise NCL again? Absolutely…we have had several excellent cruises with them. Would I cruise the Star again? Well - only if it were free.

 

To all the cheerleaders - you are entitled to your opinions on what we experienced - but….

 

To those sailing soon. Again there are many good things on board. You can have a great time. If you know ahead of time there are some issues and are prepared for them - they will not be a problem for you.

 

Thanks for the great response. I once sailed on a Disney cruise on one of the original ships the exact same week of the inaugural sailing on the Disney Dream. In hindsight, I should have thought about the fact that this new ship required them to double their staff and would result in huge hits to service on the older ships with almost entirely new staff.

 

We had a ton of problems on the ship ( so much so that Disney actually gave me some significant OBC to come back and try again and they are a notoriously stingy company for anything like that). Anyway, I posted on a cruise board dedicated to Disney about my experience and received so much backlash from people who just insisted I was completely wrong, hard to please, or in general that it was my fault I had a bad cruise and how dare I complain about it on a board dedicated to discussing all things related to a cruise. It wasn't my first Disney cruise (nor was it my last - we did use the big OBC credit they gave us to try again). I have learned that the first cruise to a new itinerary, on a new ship, or after any big change is likely to have tons of problems. I try and avoid those sailings because I don't get to cruise very often.

 

I am sailing on the Star in January. It will be our anniversary cruise, first time in a suite, and first vacation without kids in years. I am hopeful that things are worked out, but I actually appreciate this because it helps me temper my expectations so I am not disappointed.

 

We did sail on RCCL last summer and noticed that with the advent of drink packages, it is much harder in general to get drinks. There is no incentive for bartenders to hustle to sell drinks as the drinks are already sold ahead of time and tips are accounted for already regardless. In fact, it is an incentive for the cruiselines to maximize their profits by making it harder to get drinks! Of course, people used to complain about the waiters wandering the pool decks/show lounges pushing drinks non-stop as well!!

[RuthlessBoss]

Did I say I was going to cancel??????? We will be on the cruise, trust me. We have the Garden Villa booked and we are going to enjoy!!!!!!:D

 

Not "scared" anymore?;)

[luvtheships]

We sail on the Star in one week. Hoping for little issues to be worked out. Three years ago we went on a Princess cruise right after it came from Europe. What a nightmare. We stood outside the terminal for 3 1/2 hours in the heat waiting to have the ship clear customs. I felt so sorry for anyone who was elderly or disabled. I understand how frustrating it can be, that is why we make sure we don't book that first cruise after repositioning. So I guess these kinds of problems happen on all lines. Btw, Princess never offered anything for our trouble. A free drink would have done wonders for their PR!!

 

 

I know the cruise lines want their ships on the sea 24/7 and try to make turnaround go quickly and use minimal hours turning the ship....but really Ncl....after a repo cruise it would probably be in your best interest to have at least 24 hours of down time

 

Ship and crew can get through whatever immigration/customs issues there may be

 

New crew can actually have a few hours to acclimate

 

Provisions can be properly taken on

 

Etc etc

 

I know Andy Stuart has the profit margin down to how many drinks need to be sold to be profitable and how many bingo cards need to be sold....but really turnaround day after a major repo.....

 

Take a downtime day!!!!!!

[jpcdds6]

We cruised the same itinerary 2 years ago on the Dawn. We were the first sailing of the year. The ship did not have any propulsions issues but I've got to tell you boarding was a cluster phuck. It was everyone's first day back to work who worked in that terminal. Nothing work, we also waited and waited for them to run our credit cards and we did finally board. We were told the ship was getting over 150 "New" people for this first cruise and you could see it during the week. Their were certain food items they ran out of. I later found out this was because two tractor trailers coming from Orlando and Jacksonville just never made it.

 

To add insult to injury it took us over 2 hours to get off the ship because of a customs issues.

 

I learned one thing from that cruise, I would never take a cruise again when your the first one out of the gate

Where you the first sailing of the calendar year or the first sailing after the change in itinerary?

[gpb11]

If you were not on the Star for this cruise - I appreciate your cheerleading, but the folks who are posting are telling you like it was. You can make any excuse you like - but it doesn’t change the facts.

Perception plays a big part in such matters. The "pro NCL" posts I've seen on this thread seem to me to be reassurances that the issues were abnormal and that folks may not want to write off an entire fleet because of one experience. I too would caution future cruisers about people's sweeping categorical remarks.

 

We were on this sailing. Our first NCl trip. Was it perfect? No. I expected some hiccups it being the first trip of the season and they definitely had some issues.

 

Our embarkation was okay. Got to the cruise port a bit before 10am for out 10-10:30 arrival slot and stood in line for a while. Made it through check in uneventfully and had group #7 embarkation. I don't recall just when our bags were delivered, but it was well before dinner. Nothing remarkable about it to me.

 

We had some good bartenders and a couple cr@ppy ones. I asked for a drink not on the menu one day and had to tell him how to make it, but he was glad to do so. They were definitely overwhelmed the first sea day. Other days were better. They didn't run out of any of the stuff we drink, and the toasted almonds & mudslides were definitely tasty.

 

The food we had was generally good, we only did the buffet for snacks to take to our balcony and one or two breakfasts. Otherwise we hit the complimentary restaurants and they were fine and with little to no wait. Apart from waiting too long to have our embarkation lunch OSheehans order taken, the worst was ordering chicken linguine alfredo and having it served with marinara sauce. Server was clueless about alfredo and offered to get us something else, but it tasted good and we had a good laugh over it.

 

My biggest gripe I guess would be that on the first sea day the entire bow section was closed off due to high winds, and the main pool area was overwhelmed with Chair Hogs.

 

Disembarkation was fine for us. We do self-disembark and went to Spinnaker a bit early to avoid clogged elevators from the last minute folks. We were off the ship, through customs and at the curb calling for our shuttle to our car at 8:33am.

 

Did we have a great time and enjoy our vacation? Yes. We've had better cruise experiences, and not being prone to histrionics, we'll definitely consider NCL in the future. I expect the staff and crew will get things sorted out and later sailings this season will be better. It'll be interesting to see the reports from the current sailing to see if they've evened things out.

 

.

Edited October 26, 2015 by gpb11
typo

[Barb Nahoumi]

We were on this cruise too. We will not be sailing NCL again. They did everything in their power to NOT serve cocktails on this cruise. The beverage package is a joke.

 

I think that the problem is there are not enough bar tenders and servers to handle the increased volume of sales.

 

People have complained about slow bar service on many ships lately. NCL needs to hire more bar crew to handle UBP.

[Laszlo]

Where you the first sailing of the calendar year or the first sailing after the change in itinerary?

 

After the itinerary, the Dawn had just made a 10 or 12 day sailing from Boston to Tampa. We were the first one's sailing from Tampa to Roatan, Belize etc....

[Demonyte]

Where you the first sailing of the calendar year or the first sailing after the change in itinerary?

 

After the itinerary, the Dawn had just made a 10 or 12 day sailing from Boston to Tampa. We were the first one's sailing from Tampa to Roatan, Belize etc....

 

In other words, the first cruise of the season, just after the reposition - just like with Star now. Calendar years do not mean anything in the cruise business, with NCL the summer/winter seasons are from spring to fall and from fall to next spring.

Edited October 26, 2015 by Demonyte

[Laszlo]

In other words, the first cruise of the season, just after the reposition - just like with Star now. Calendar years do not mean anything in the cruise business, with NCL the summer/winter seasons are from spring to fall and from fall to next spring.

 

Yes, I should have said the first sailing out of Tampa for the 2013 Season

[LMaxwell]

People are fine with CCL being basically like a giant Frat party as they know exactly what they are getting into - NCL is in the same tier so I don't know what people are expecting.

 

Decent service and management that listens is a good start.

 

I wouldn't pay service charges for service as poor as what was described on this cruise. And I have always paid them.

[gpb11]

I wouldn't pay service charges for service as poor as what was described on this cruise. And I have always paid them.

 

I actually agree here; those who feel they received poor service ought to get with NCL about discounting/removing their DSC charges.

 

Of course, they should be also be specific as possible regarding the individuals / venues / times when they experienced that poor service. Fact and even-handed comments will be more likely to be listened to than hyperbole.

 

I certainly will have my items to suggest improvement on in the survey I expect to submit. Still, I had a fun time and I am certainly glad that I didn't have all the sky falling in around me as others seem to have experienced.

[maja651]

Not "scared" anymore?;)

 

Nope! We don't have the UBP so getting drinks will be a non issue. We plan to eat most meals in the villa, so long lines should not be an issue. We expect the butler to be amazing and I'm sure he will be. If not, we will chat with him about our needs and get it fixed. If that doesn't work we will talk with the cocierege. In other words, we will be the squeaky wheel. We are not super demanding but we will definitely speak up if we need to.

 

I'm sorry the guests of last week's sailings had to deal with such poor service! Their complaints are valid and I'd be upset too.

 

OP thanks for posting the good too along with all of the details. That helps a lot!

[jobey]

At the end of the first production show their rendition of Queen songs brought down the house.

 

I have to hear that! What's the name of that show?

[nhtraveler313]

We'll be sailing on the Star in a year. I know a lot can change in a year, especially with NCL, but these reviews leave me with two thoughts about my cruise.

 

First, the positive. After being a bit disappointed that 16+ day cruises don't get Freestyle Choice, I'm now glad the UDP/UBP aren't included. Perhaps fewer lines, better service and a staff less overwhelmed.

 

And the negative, we're on one of a series of repositioning cruises, so these issues could apply. The Star will make multiple one-time cruises after sailing the Baltic for the summer. My leg is from Istanbul to Dubai, and then it sails on to Asia.

 

Does anyone have an idea of when/if the staff will change?

[NYcruzzer]

Nope! We don't have the UBP so getting drinks will be a non issue. We plan to eat most meals in the villa, so long lines should not be an issue. We expect the butler to be amazing and I'm sure he will be. If not, we will chat with him about our needs and get it fixed. If that doesn't work we will talk with the cocierege. In other words, we will be the squeaky wheel. We are not super demanding but we will definitely speak up if we need to.

 

I'm sorry the guests of last week's sailings had to deal with such poor service! Their complaints are valid and I'd be upset too.

 

OP thanks for posting the good too along with all of the details. That helps a lot!

 

Sounds like you have a great game plan. Wishing you a smooth seas and a great cruise.

[jetter2]

I hope they get everything fixed!

Edited October 26, 2015 by jetter2

[gpb11]

After being a bit disappointed that 16+ day cruises don't get Freestyle Choice, I'm now glad the UDP/UBP aren't included. Perhaps fewer lines, better service and a staff less overwhelmed.

 

I'll say one thing though, smuggling liquor aboard at any of the three ports last week on the Star would have been stupid easy.

 

The liquor collection point was a table between the staircases, not in direct line of sight from the scanner. If you were carrying bottles of liquor aboard it would have been simple to take your bag from the scanner and then just walk up the steps.

 

Twice I inadvertently sent my backpack through the scanner with a Tervis bottle full of water in an outside pocket and nary a peep out of anyone.

 

Now I did hear word that some guy got busted trying to bring pot aboard at embarkation in Tampa.

[Gunters Oma]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Gunters Oma

At the end of the first production show their rendition of Queen songs brought down the house.

 

I have to hear that! What's the name of that show?

 

It was called Band on the Run - Day Two. Fantastic show.

 

[hbears341]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Gunters Oma

At the end of the first production show their rendition of Queen songs brought down the house.

 

I have to hear that! What's the name of that show?

 

It was called Band on the Run - Day Two. Fantastic show.

 

Thanks for the heads up on the show. We'll definitely try and make that one during our cruise starting 11/8.

 

I am slightly concerned reading some of the other comments here though. We were on the Star back in 2007 (I know that was a long time ago) and thought the ship was pretty good.

 

With a lot of people having the UBP now I can understand where drink lines might be a little longer, but I don't feel the service should suffer. I'll just have to make sure I have a few extra bucks to tip to make them keep coming back! :)

[phatsneaks]

We just got off the star also and believe me the staff made you feel like you were a nuisance to place an order, one runner actually only went to young girls, I told my wife I cant believe this, we actually watched him go girls to girl as I kept yelling for him that I was thirsty. Never again!

 

I have been sailing NCL since 1997. I have never had a problem with service or with the sailing itself. We always sail suites and we have always received service in line with the extra charges. Butlers and concierges have been fantastic. This January will be our first cruise with the unlimited beverage plan, and I have to admit I am a little worried. Unlike previous cruises I expect it to be a lot harder to get a drink, because MORE people will be drinking than on previous cruises and those people will be drinking a lot MORE often. Like an HMO health plan, the providers show more of a profit for the least amount of services rendered. In this case, NCL will make less money the more drinks that are served. I remember sitting on the pool deck and hearing the servers calling out every couple of minutes. I believe that will be a thing of the past. I am also concerned about a lot of short tempers on board, by both crew and passengers.

[phatsneaks]

We were also there with you and had all the same experiences, the last night I ordered the chocolate chip cookie ice cream sandwich, they brought me a chocolate cookie with ice cream and said Yes that's it! Were is the cruise service everyone is used to, may as well be self service.:mad:

 

If you were not on the Star for this cruise - I appreciate your cheerleading, but the folks who are posting are telling you like it was. You can make any excuse you like - but it doesn’t change the facts. I will not go into the fiasco of embarking and debarking. You can blame those on shore…but once on the ship or trying to get off the ship - NCL management only made it worse.

 

To those of you cruising soon - take heart. This was a great cruise on the worst ship I have ever sailed on. We had a good time. There are many excellent things about this ships. The shows are entertaining. The energy of talented young people is contagious. At the end of the first production show their rendition of Queen songs brought down the house. The aerial duo and the hand balancer were outstanding. The comedian was funny. The show on the last night was outstanding. Even the crew show was great and if you don’t stay for The Fountain number - you will have missed a highlight of the entertainment.

 

The food in the MDR was good to excellent. We ate there breakfast (food was served hot and the quickest of all) The French Toast - yum! Lunch - the shrimp burger - give it a try. Dinner The soups were delicious. As the DH said - even the worst dinner was still good. The servers at all the meals were smiling and friendly - even with all the problems. They apologized for the wait as if it was their fault. Note: On all but the last night the waiters took the drink orders and had to wait just like everyone else. Of course, this took them away from the primary job - serving the meal. (Cheerleaders, please understand - this is management - poor management.)

 

We tried the Market Café once - that was enough for us. We are not cafeteria people and the sameness of taste was obvious. The desserts may be different shapes and colors, but if you taste one you’ve pretty much tasted all.

 

O’Sheehan’s - That place is a disaster. The bar, the food (If you looking for the delicious chicken pot pie - don’t bother - they no longer serve it. Our waitress chanted - chicken pot pie, chicken pot pie - she didn’t know what it was and was certain it hadn’t been served - maybe another restaurant she said.) BTW when she first arrived at our table, after a 15 minute wait, DH started to ask about said pot pie - Cute little girl - puts her hand up “No, I talk first then you ask questions” Seriously? Least you think we took this to seriously - we looked at each and shook our heads …we were smiling. She was obviously very new - as you will see as my story continues. I noticed on the drink menu a toasted almond….which read “…with vanilla ice cream” Yeah - I was going to have a burger with an adult milkshake. Well - that’s what I thought. Alas, cute, little waitress arrives with beer for DH and a regular cocktail for me. I said, Oh - I ordered it frozen…with ice cream. No, she said, this is what they gave me. Okay - but look here on the menu it says “with vanilla ice cream” She gives a big sigh, stamps her little foot, takes the drink menu and says I am going back to him and show him. (We are beginning to like our little newbie, a lot) She returns with bar manager in tow. He saids - we can’t make that - we have no blender. Yes folks, that’s right - we are the people mentioned above about the blender which they thought might not be a true story. Bar manager says I will go downstairs and get you one from another bar. He returns as I am almost finished with my burger and tells me he is so sorry it took so long. He went to three bars and no one has a blender! Really? These were his words and I am not making it up. But the moral of this story is if you want an adult milkshake - do not go to O’Sheehans. DH had the shephard’s pie. He said it had no flavor and was the least enjoyable meal of the entire cruise.

 

We had a great meet and greet. Thanks Mike! It was good fun. The officers made a very brief appearance and all quickly left except the hotel director, Ignacio. This guy (who sorta looks like Vin Diesel) is just starting with the Star. He had less information about the azipod then we, on cruise critic, had. He also said, don’t wait til you get off the ship if you have a problem. Tell us while you are on board. We just happened to see him after we left O‘Sheehan’s and told him about no blender. Like others he seemed to doubt our word. We ran into him the next day and he said - the bar manager said they never make frozen drinks. I asked, then why is it on the menu? HD - it’s not on the menu. Me - well, why don‘t you actually go look at the menu…because I think if you cannot offer a drink - you should not put it on the menu. He smiled, and off he went.

 

BTW - I asked another bartender if he could make a Christmas Cookie…he said, I only make what is on the menu. Yeah, right? Maybe you do and maybe you don’t!

 

Like most folks on the Star cruise - I have many more stories about the lack of concern by upper management. (Go to the Q&A - see how they glance at each other and/or roll their eyes at legitimate questions or dodge others).

 

Service IS slow. There are many broken seats in the theater - be careful when you set down. One elevator was not functioning properly. A gentlemen put his hand into the door to keep if from closing so that another couple could get on and it closed on his hand. - be careful if you are being helpful.

 

Oh - FYI - Aqua and Ginza are casual. Versailles requires men to wear long pants and they enforce that rule. There is a sign at the door (Norwegians dress well) and we saw them turn people away.

 

Our room steward was fantastic. While we didn’t see him very much - out room was made up quickly and he always gave us fresh ice. When my husband mentioned the bed was a little too firm for him, Jonathan went to storage and put an eggcrate layer on the bed. He was great.

 

The workers - almost without exception (- if you want rude go see the woman who works the restaurant reservation desk at guest services) are friendly, helpful and trying their best…but upper levels - not so much.

 

We still had a great cruise because when you travel if you make the best of what you are given you will not be disappointed. Would I cruise NCL again? Absolutely…we have had several excellent cruises with them. Would I cruise the Star again? Well - only if it were free.

 

To all the cheerleaders - you are entitled to your opinions on what we experienced - but….

 

To those sailing soon. Again there are many good things on board. You can have a great time. If you know ahead of time there are some issues and are prepared for them - they will not be a problem for you.

[rapata]

I have been sailing NCL since 1997. I have never had a problem with service or with the sailing itself. We always sail suites and we have always received service in line with the extra charges. Butlers and concierges have been fantastic. This January will be our first cruise with the unlimited beverage plan, and I have to admit I am a little worried. Unlike previous cruises I expect it to be a lot harder to get a drink, because MORE people will be drinking than on previous cruises and those people will be drinking a lot MORE often. Like an HMO health plan, the providers show more of a profit for the least amount of services rendered. In this case, NCL will make less money the more drinks that are served. I remember sitting on the pool deck and hearing the servers calling out every couple of minutes. I believe that will be a thing of the past. I am also concerned about a lot of short tempers on board, by both crew and passengers.

We were on the Gem last week, out of New York and it appeared the majority of pax were on the UBP. Having a high passenger load of East Coasters who like to live it up had me a bit worried at the start, but Except for right after sail away when the great outdoors bar was very busy, we never waited more than a few minutes for drinks, and the barmen were all friendly and happy to serve.

[cruiselvr1]

Little late to cancel if they don't get it together by then ?

Can't wait for the reviews from the ongoing cruise.