Norwegian Star Mini Suite - Guests 3 & 4 Share a bed?

[Rainy WA to Caribbean]

I'm seriously considering a NCL cruise to Mexico for my family. We loved our last NCL cruise, but we stayed in a sideways obstructed ocean view room and our 12 year was literally bunking above our heads. The balcony rooms on the star only hold 3 people, which seems crazy given their square footage. So I started looking at the mini-suites with balcony, which look like they'd be PERFECT! However, unlike other NCL ships that I've seen with a bunk that folds down, on the Star, guests 3 & 4 have to SHARE the sofa bed (full/double). I've had two different chats with NCL staff and both have confirmed this. Has anyone experienced this? It seems crazy that two guests would be expected to share a room.

[don't-use-real-name]

Copy of post I made on the STAR's sister ship the DAWN.

The deck layout is virtually the same.

 

Visit the NCL website and look for DECK PLANS !

 

In using the DECK PLANS orientate the elevators and/or stairs for better

reference to "X" you are here !

 

Take a look at the deck plans and see almost exactly where your intended

cabin selection is going to be relative to the deck (12) above - deck 10 below

is all cabins nothing to worry about there - back to deck 12 what is above the

cabin you are thinking of booking - Buffet; Pool deck; elevators; stairs; points

of traffic passageways ? Consider that unless the cabin you are selecting is

an IC (inside cabin) (there are no (OV) Ocean View on deck 11) you are going

to be on the perimeter edge of the DAWN with very little if any traffic overhead.

IC cabins may be just under or adjacent to a noisy area.

The center of the ship is where the galley; engineering; maintenance; elevators

banks both customer and crew are located.

 

The running jogging track is on deck 13 - so no problemo in that respect.

 

Like real estate - Location Location Location is where it is at for moving efficiently

about the ship and staying in a rather leisure noise free zone.

Of note cabins near the elevator foyers maybe apt to noise from passing

foot traffic.

On your first cruise you will be so excited that you will probably overlook all

the faults of some locations. On that first cruise ask questions of your cabin

neighbors - did you hear that noise last night - and those drunks knocking

on the doors - someone had a maintenance cart with squeaky wheels - you

get the idea to make a better choice on your next cruise.

The sooner you book you will be making a better pick of location. Wait till the

last moment and of course you get what is left.

 

 

NOW REGARDING: your questions - - -

 

The cruise industry has yet to build a cabin/stateroom like a hotel room with

two equal size Queen or King size beds - a real bummer - even in the suites

the 2nd couple get the beds fit for kids and even at that sometimes these are

not fit for the kids who are almost grown ups !

 

Mom and Pop get the Queen size bed that can be split into twins.

The other bedding is the convertible sofa that for the sake of room should be

left as a sofa until night when your cabin steward will make the sofa into a very

small bed for two. Good for children who get along with each other BUT !

I think we all know better.

Here is a solution take a sleeping bag along with your baggage and deploy the

bag in what usable space on the floor that you can manage - Yeah I know this

is rather goofy but some kids will tolerate this better thinking it is an exciting

escape from the norm. Could be an interesting experience for someone who

likes to camp out and sleeping on the balcony might be interesting - check

with NCL that this does not violate any restrictions - definitely not during

stormy or cold weather latitudes - if I had my druthers with a 6 foot frame

trying to sleep next to someone of the same dimensions in a sofa bed fit for a

5 foot xx inches - I'll take the sleeping bag out on the balcony deck and a

lounge chair - otherwise consider hot bunking it like on a navy vessel or get

a cabin where the beds drop out of the ceiling.

For some getting a second cabin is beyond the financial means and for your

mini-suite to have adjacent cabins would just be doubling your cruise expense.

You also could consider getting a Inside Cabin (IC) across the passageway

from your mini-suite balcony cabin a bit less money.

 

The truth be told:

I should point out the a mini-suite is NOT A SUITE - it is nothing more than

a Deluxe Balcony Stateroom with a bathtub and a few more square footage

of space.

 

When looking about the NCL website look for photos or videos of the various

floor plans for cabins and get a better idea of what is happening. Also look

or search on YouTube for more data (enter the ship and stateroom number

- perhaps a previous cruiser has done a video or photo shoot on that cabin).

 

But do check out all the opportunities to take that cruise - the Mexican

Rivera is one of the more relaxing cruises - with lots of sea time:

Los Angeles (Long Beach) a day and half at sea - a port call - next day another

port - followed the next day with the last of the ports - then a day and half

returning to Los Angeles. A prime cruise to observe sea life i.e. whales and

the weather is generally within the range of not needing excessive extra

clothing for the climate - swimsuits shorts polo shirts and plenty of NCL

FreeStyle activity.

[gymbomb]

I'm seriously considering a NCL cruise to Mexico for my family. We loved our last NCL cruise, but we stayed in a sideways obstructed ocean view room and our 12 year was literally bunking above our heads. The balcony rooms on the star only hold 3 people, which seems crazy given their square footage. So I started looking at the mini-suites with balcony, which look like they'd be PERFECT! However, unlike other NCL ships that I've seen with a bunk that folds down, on the Star, guests 3 & 4 have to SHARE the sofa bed (full/double). I've had two different chats with NCL staff and both have confirmed this. Has anyone experienced this? It seems crazy that two guests would be expected to share a room.

 

 

 

This is correct, I have slept on that sofa bed and it is supposed to hold 2 people. I would only do that if they were kids. And it is really uncomfortable. Definitely ask for a foam topper. Not only is it super hard, there is a crack between the cushion pieces that is annoying. I was in. My late 20s 5 foot 3 and around 110 lbs when I slept on it.

 

 

Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

[LadyStone50]

Our two daughters shared this couch/bed in a mini suite last year. It was small and cramped and uncomfortable. Ask for a foam topper for sure!

 

Just FYI: It is not in a separate room, there is a curtain you draw across the main room that separates it into two (very small) bedrooms at night. If you pull the curtain, people sleeping in the main bed do not have a view of the ocean from their bed.

[cb at sea]

If you don't want #3 and 4 to share a bad, book a cabin with 2 pullmans...or separate cabins, or 2 room suite....

 

Personally, I'd HATE to have anyone sleeping above me. And I know my kids (unless they were very young) would NOT want to share a bed.