Live from the NCL Star July 23-August 15, 2023. Will I survive 23 days without the beverage package?

[bstreep]

Just quickly jumping in. Got off of Spirit yesterday.  I’d say the food, overall, was generally better than good, and always well presented.  We only did one specialty restaurant, and it was excellent.  For the meat eaters out there, the do offer a Cagneys filet in the MDR for $15.  It’s excellent. 
 

single biggest disappointment is that Spirit continues to chicken out at Hubbard Glacier. There are many posts on this. Glacier viewing from the ship is THE highlight of Alaska cruising.  Spirit doesn’t go in, and the guests get to watch all of the other cruise ships go deep into the bay to view Hubbard.  This is wrong. Don’t advertise it if you aren’t going to do it. Fortunately, we are going back on RCCL, we will get to see it then. 
 

PS, we did Star a year ago, and the food was tragic. 

Edited August 10, 2023 by bstreep

[YVRteacher]

1 hour ago, Asawi said:

If you are meat eaters food won't be as much of a challenge as for a vegetarian. Food may not be fantastic, but if you look around you're sure to find something nice for every meal. Vegetarien options did not impress me (mostly vegetarian at home, meat/fish-eater on Star).

I'm not sure if there's more than one "internet person", but the one I met was the only grumpy staff person I came across. But I guess he had his reasons. Internet issues can do that to you. 😄 

This Internet cafe guy is the grumpiest ever. The Internet cafe manager on the Spirit was so amazing I wrote a Vacation Hero card for him. He was kind, helpful and friendly with everyone. 

[AstoriaPreppy]

26 minutes ago, bstreep said:

single biggest disappointment is that Spirit continues to chicken out at Hubbard Glacier. There are many posts on this. Glacier viewing from the ship is THE highlight of Alaska cruising.  Spirit doesn’t go in, and the guests get to watch all of the other cruise ships go deep into the bay to view Hubbard.  This is wrong. Don’t advertise it if you aren’t going to do it.

 

Not to hijack, but I believe Hubbard is where the Sun hit a pretty large growler (smallish iceberg) in 2022. I assume not going up to the glacier must be a corporate requirement to stay back, likely because of  maneuverability or insurance issues? 

[Asawi]

37 minutes ago, YVRteacher said:

This Internet cafe guy is the grumpiest ever

Yeah... I was not impressed... Let's leave it at that...

[KforKitty]

1 hour ago, Asawi said:

If you are meat eaters food won't be as much of a challenge as for a vegetarian. Food may not be fantastic, but if you look around you're sure to find something nice for every meal. Vegetarien options did not impress me (mostly vegetarian at home, meat/fish-eater on Star).

I'm not sure if there's more than one "internet person", but the one I met was the only grumpy staff person I came across. But I guess he had his reasons. Internet issues can do that to you. 😄 

Yes, I came across the very grumpy, unhelpful, Internet Cafe Manager on the Star in June.  He certainly needs some customer services training.  In my case it was the morning of disembarking and the 20 minutes internet access I had ‘saved’ to allow me to print boarding passes and make a taxi booking had been removed from our on board account as the account had been settled.  He just barked at me that it was not his customer service hours and pointed to the sign on his desk.  Managed to figure it out for myself as the credit reappeared when I logged on to the desktop in the Cafe which I could not access from the NCL app.

 

Catherine

[YVRteacher]

1 hour ago, www3traveler said:

Do they teach geography in your school district?  If so, you should be the teacher!!

All who are reading your postings have learned a lot about the places many of us will never get a chance to visit.

 

THANK YOU

I’m a very curious person who loves to learn and explore. I ask a lot of questions and I read and research ports before visiting. When I booked this trip near the end of May I chose one port a day and learned as much as I could. I’m so glad I did that because the background knowledge has absolutely added to my wonderful port experiences.

 

When I’m doing geography (Social Studies) with students I use an inquiry model where they identify areas of passion and research for themselves. For example, I had a student last year who was interested in cooking. She chose to do a project on Wales and together we researched recipes and traditions surrounding Welsh food. She made some of the recipes at home with her family! She is also a fan of Dr. Who so she presented her research in the form of a cardboard Tardis.

[YVRteacher]

6 minutes ago, KforKitty said:

Yes, I came across the very grumpy, unhelpful, Internet Cafe Manager on the Star in June.  He certainly needs some customer services training.  In my case it was the morning of disembarking and the 20 minutes internet access I had ‘saved’ to allow me to print boarding passes and make a taxi booking had been removed from our on board account as the account had been settled.  He just barked at me that it was not his customer service hours and pointed to the sign on his desk.  Managed to figure it out for myself as the credit reappeared when I logged on to the desktop in the Cafe which I could not access from the NCL app.

 

Catherine

I’m so sorry that happened. What a frustrating experience.

[KforKitty]

2 minutes ago, YVRteacher said:

I’m so sorry that happened. What a frustrating experience.

I thought I’d just got him on a bad day, but clearly not!

 

Enjoying your trip report so thank you for your words and photos.

 

 Catherine 

[YVRteacher]

So the brown building.

This is a place of wonder. 
Enter the doors and you’ll find magic!

 

 

This brown building houses Kaffi Husid. It is a cafe, bakery, coffee roaster, wedding cake maker, local handicraft and art gallery and is perfect.

 

This is the pastry case.

This is my vegetarian sandwich. There were flavours in here I’ve never before experienced. So fresh and delicious. I didn’t even restrain to mmmmmm noises. That bread is dense in taste, light in texture and delightful in shape. The world needs more round bread.

 

 

I almost bought coffee by the bag. I don’t even drink coffee at home! It’s just a treat when traveling. If I ever return to Tørshavn I will buy the coffee.

 

This. This is my treat.

 

The person who dreamed this up is a cake guru. A layer of brownie, a layer of praline, a layer of feuilletine (I don’t know what that is but every layer was dreamy) a layer of pink stuff, a layer of vanilla mousse, all draped in pink fondant and decorated with merengue, macaron and delicate round crunchies. As if this wasn’t enough they gave it a fancy name so you feel elegant and sophisticated rather than gluttonous and calorie-infused.

Edited August 10, 2023 by YVRteacher

[Cruisewilm]

2 hours ago, YVRteacher said:

@Cruisewilm You have an incredible itinerary to enjoy! Have you been to any of these ports before?

We were in Alesund and Bergen in 2015, and Edinburgh in 1984.  We are betting it has changed a bit since then!  Most of our travels are via cruise ship.  Many times, we rent a car and travel further out for the day.  Finding convenient car rentals on this itinerary has proved challenging.  I am definitely not a garden person due to issue with bees, so that is a never for me.  Though your pictures were awesome!

[Cruisewilm]

2 hours ago, Asawi said:

I had most of my food in the buffet, and will do so on my next Star cruise in October. Why? Because then I see the food before it's on my plate! I'm an average cook at home and I suck at food presentation. But I'm not as bad as what has been shown here! Wow!
There are at least two professionals involved in bringing out this "food" (cook and server). Surely at least one of them should react and think "this does not look all right" and act accordingly??

I think I might be an above average cook at home - I spend a lot of time considering presentation.  I suspect we may have issues as I will not be shy about telling someone how I feel (if something is not served up to at least minimal expectations).  On the other hand, I am also not shy about giving good feedback too.  We shall see....

[newbie63]

Thank you so much for your report, YVRteacher! I will be on the Star (solo) from August 26 - September 9, stopping at so many of the ports you've covered (4 ports in Norway, 5 in Iceland, the Faroes, Shetland and Orkney Islands plus Edinburgh).

 

I'm now planning on eating the world's best cake on my 60th birthday thanks to you telling me about it, walking the path by the sea, and doing so looking for so many other things that you've shown me!

 

Also coming to my cruise with expectations very low re food, on board entertainment and internet - way better than being disappointed on the cruise itself. Thanks for all!!!

[odie1024]

4 hours ago, GALSews said:

So, I do have to ask, where are you in Central Mass? Leominster is my hometown. If you aren't from Mass, or served in what was Ft. Devens, I challenge you to correctly pronounce Leominster.

I actually grew up in New Bedford, currently live in a little town near Sturbridge called Brookfield that I have been in since I got divorced 20 years ago. When I worked in retail I was a manager at the Marshalls In Leominster till I got into the corporate office in Framingham. Actually heading to Leominster on Monday as I had to reschedule a mammogram and that was the only place with an opening.

[odie1024]

5 hours ago, Cruisewilm said:

Except for the food, and possibly the internet person, we are pretty excited to be on this same ship on Sept 9.  Still showing a few rooms available...

I wish, I am actually doing a New England/Canada cruise out of NYC on NCL Escape and after that flying to the North Carolina coast for 10 days to enjoy the beach. I looked for next year and could not see the same thing. Looks like such an amazing trip. The food would definitely concern me.

I'm doing a land trip to Iceland In November but don't think we'll see what Yvonne has been taking pictures of.

[Tyskie]

On 8/9/2023 at 2:40 PM, YVRteacher said:

 Bus tour in Olden

 

 

 

I saw a trail and headed up it. 4 women from the bus were ahead of me on the trail. Just as I made a move to pass one of them she whipped down her pants and squatted. I turned around to head back down the muddy path and the three other women all had their pants down and were peeing, right on the path where I was walking.  “I have no words situation.” 

 

OMG what a gorgeous blue the water is - so pristine!

 

"I have no words" is quite an understatement - but I understand this happens frequently in some European counties.

 

Enjoying all the pictures - flowers are my favorite! 

[YVRteacher]

1 hour ago, newbie63 said:

Thank you so much for your report, YVRteacher! I will be on the Star (solo) from August 26 - September 9, stopping at so many of the ports you've covered (4 ports in Norway, 5 in Iceland, the Faroes, Shetland and Orkney Islands plus Edinburgh).

 

I'm now planning on eating the world's best cake on my 60th birthday thanks to you telling me about it, walking the path by the sea, and doing so looking for so many other things that you've shown me!

 

Also coming to my cruise with expectations very low re food, on board entertainment and internet - way better than being disappointed on the cruise itself. Thanks for all!!!

Oh, happy birthday in advance! I think there’s a secret rule that you can have cake every day when on a birthday cruise!  Please visit the brown building when in Tørshavn. You need to walk up and around to access it.

Sounds like a fabulous itinerary!

[YVRteacher]

2 hours ago, Cruisewilm said:

We were in Alesund and Bergen in 2015, and Edinburgh in 1984.  We are betting it has changed a bit since then!  Most of our travels are via cruise ship.  Many times, we rent a car and travel further out for the day.  Finding convenient car rentals on this itinerary has proved challenging.  I am definitely not a garden person due to issue with bees, so that is a never for me.  Though your pictures were awesome!

Do you like to walk? I’ve really enjoyed all my walks on this cruise. 
 

I don’t know the name of the app or the company, but I know some people on the cruise  have been using the program that is like AirBNB but for cars. You use a person’s car for the day as opposed to renting from an agency. Does anyone know the name of this program?

[YVRteacher]

@Cruisewilm

More importantly, do you like cake?

[YVRteacher]

1 hour ago, newbie63 said:

Thank you so much for your report, YVRteacher! I will be on the Star (solo) from August 26 - September 9, stopping at so many of the ports you've covered (4 ports in Norway, 5 in Iceland, the Faroes, Shetland and Orkney Islands plus Edinburgh).

 

I'm now planning on eating the world's best cake on my 60th birthday thanks to you telling me about it, walking the path by the sea, and doing so looking for so many other things that you've shown me!

 

Also coming to my cruise with expectations very low re food, on board entertainment and internet - way better than being disappointed on the cruise itself. Thanks for all!!!

I’ve actually enjoyed not going to all the evening shows. The hours in port are quite long so it has been nice to relax in the cabin for a couple of hours and watch a movie, read or write. 

[YVRteacher]

59 minutes ago, odie1024 said:

I actually grew up in New Bedford, currently live in a little town near Sturbridge called Brookfield that I have been in since I got divorced 20 years ago. When I worked in retail I was a manager at the Marshalls In Leominster till I got into the corporate office in Framingham. Actually heading to Leominster on Monday as I had to reschedule a mammogram and that was the only place with an opening.

Fingers crossed for your mammogram. It’s so hard to wait for those results!

 

Is someone going to tell us how to pronounce Leominster??

[YVRteacher]

55 minutes ago, odie1024 said:

I wish, I am actually doing a New England/Canada cruise out of NYC on NCL Escape and after that flying to the North Carolina coast for 10 days to enjoy the beach. I looked for next year and could not see the same thing. Looks like such an amazing trip. The food would definitely concern me.

I'm doing a land trip to Iceland In November but don't think we'll see what Yvonne has been taking pictures of.

You’ll see and experience incredible scenery on a land based trip. Which places will you visit?

[YVRteacher]

Fueled by excellent coffee, a perfectly crafted sandwich and the pinkest cake, I continued exploring. As I said, I loved the Shore Excursion and I also loved having the time so wander, get lost, and just BE here.

 

There is an old town in the Faroe Islands with black-tarred houses, grass roofs and white framed windows. The houses are tiny and were built in the 14th century. I’m wondering where the wood came from as there are few trees here.  This town didn’t come up in my research but I saw one house and was drawn to the rest.  The streets are not a grid. They are narrow passageways that intertwine and meander. I have no idea how long I spent in Reyn; I was just lost in the joy of photographing and exploring. As the sign says visitors are welcome.

 

 

 

 

 

 

[GALSews]

37 minutes ago, YVRteacher said:

Is someone going to tell us how to pronounce Leominster??

lemon-ster. Uusally, you get Leo-minster or Lominster. You should try the town my sister lives in in Mass. Billerica.

 

Oh, Leominster is the birthplace of Johnny Appleseed, the guy who wandered around planting apple trees in the US Midwest. His real name was John Chapman. 

 

BTW, love your pictures of the Faroe Islands. I had to get out a map to find where they are. 

 

 

[YVRteacher]

Tórshavn (back on board)

Just a note for anyone visiting this port: it is an industrial port and passengers can’t walk through the port. Free shuttles are provided and they run non-stop. The shuttle drop off point is the perfect spot to begin exploring this beautiful place.

 

The captain just came on for the afternoon announcements.

 

He said he liked this port because it was “cute.” He said the king of Norway is on the ship docked next to us but he didn’t see any royalty, he only saw military. Then the delightfully cheeky captain said that it was probably too windy for the royalty.   Captain is going to wake up the Norwegian royalty when we leave port with a salute of three short blasts of the ship’s horn.

 

We were supposed to leave Tórshavn at 4:00pm but the wind has picked up to 90 miles per hour and that just won’t do. There is supposed to be a wind-free window of time around 6:00pm so we will try to depart quickly and safely. 

 

Meanwhile I made myself a hot chocolate and am watching Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows.

 

I’m so, so grateful we came to Tórshavn today!

 

Update at 6:00pm. 

I watched Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows part 1 then watched 80 for Brady. Harry Potter was better. The captain has given us an updated departure time of 8:00pm.

 

Update at 8:00pm

We just blew the horn three times to say farewell (and wake up! to the Norwegian King and Queen.) The turnaround in the harbour afforded gorgeous views of Tórshavn.

 

 

 

 

 

Update at 10:19pm

I am watching Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows part 2. It is better than Top Gun Maverick but not as musical as Mamma Mia: Here We Go Again. I ate roasted cauliflower salad and crackers for dinner.

 

Skip this part if you don’t like cemetery talk. The cemetery in Tórshavn is full and there is no crematorium here. A law prohibits unearthing graves that are more than 90 years old. Our guide didn’t tell us what happens now. I’ve got some research to do. 

 

[YVRteacher]