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

[LauraAnneC]

8 hours ago, YVRteacher said:

So…

sometimes you come home from a trip and everything is fine.

 

Sometimes you come home and the pipe in the upstairs bathroom bursts the moment you turn the water back on at the source and you have water damage all through the walls and the downstairs bathroom ceiling and the downstairs bathroom walls.

 

 

 

Oh no Yvonne! I’m sorry to hear that. I had a similar catastrophe not so long ago. Thought I was going to have to replace all of my flooring after a pipe flooded my kitchen. But I was able to borrow a dehumidifier and left it running for a few days. It made such a huge difference. So far I don’t have to replace anything. Definitely worth a try.  Keeping my fingers crossed for you. Xxx 

[graphicguy]

11 hours ago, YVRteacher said:

So…

sometimes you come home from a trip and everything is fine.

 

Sometimes you come home and the pipe in the upstairs bathroom bursts the moment you turn the water back on at the source and you have water damage all through the walls and the downstairs bathroom ceiling and the downstairs bathroom walls.

 

 

 

Oh NO!!!!!!!  So sorry to hear of this.  It’s a real PITA (speaking from recent experience).  Insurance call forthcoming, I’m betting.  It will get sorted out.  But, you have my sympathy!

[YVRteacher]

Oh, I called the insurance company. Due to all the fires in BC they are not accepting non-emergency claims. Here’s how the problem solving went yesterday:

-noticed water on ceiling of main floor bathroom

-called insurance agent 

-called insurance company 

-submitted online claim

-called plumber

-cleaned the bathroom

-ate Icelandic chocolate 

[quack2]

18 hours ago, YVRteacher said:

So…

sometimes you come home from a trip and everything is fine.

 

Sometimes you come home and the pipe in the upstairs bathroom bursts the moment you turn the water back on at the source and you have water damage all through the walls and the downstairs bathroom ceiling and the downstairs bathroom walls.

 

 

 

That sucks.  I had something similar happen last year.  Easy to find someone to do the demo and drying; not so easy to find someone to do the reconstruction.  Hopefully your contractor situation is better in Vancouver.

[newbie63]

On 8/19/2023 at 12:49 PM, YVRteacher said:

Oh, I called the insurance company. Due to all the fires in BC they are not accepting non-emergency claims. Here’s how the problem solving went yesterday:

-noticed water on ceiling of main floor bathroom

-called insurance agent 

-called insurance company 

-submitted online claim

-called plumber

-cleaned the bathroom

-ate Icelandic chocolate 

So sorry to hear about your "welcome home" gift. 😖

I've been waiting with baited breath to hear about the rest of your trip, and especially about where and how you saw that beautiful Fabio horse ... because I board the Star on Saturday and I want to see him (and his cousins) too.

Do tell!?!

[libtrek]

On 8/19/2023 at 1:49 PM, YVRteacher said:

Oh, I called the insurance company. Due to all the fires in BC they are not accepting non-emergency claims. Here’s how the problem solving went yesterday:

-noticed water on ceiling of main floor bathroom

-called insurance agent 

-called insurance company 

-submitted online claim

-called plumber

-cleaned the bathroom

-ate Icelandic chocolate 

I am the eternal optimist, half full kind of person. I can’t help but think thank goodness you turned off the water at the source before you left on your trip (I don’t think many people do that). You would have come home to fallen ceilings, a huge water bill, and worse. You’ll make it through this annoyance with your wonderful sense of humor. Besides, you’re a librarian, you could look up how to fix it yourself. LOL

[schmoopie17]

On 8/19/2023 at 12:49 PM, YVRteacher said:

 

-noticed water on ceiling of main floor bathroom

-called insurance agent 

-called insurance company 

-submitted online claim

-called plumber

-cleaned the bathroom

-ate Icelandic chocolate 

Maybe you should have reversed the order. 😁

And if I were you, I would have inserted "have a beer" in between every step. 

[Cruisewilm]

I am so sorry that you had such a rough time when you returned home.  I  don't drink beer, so I would have had to insert "have some chocolate from Iceland" in between each step. You posted a picture of a box that should have allowed lots of steps followed by chocolate comfort.

I am starting to read this whole post at the beginning.  Approximately 2 weeks and we leave for our Star voyage.  So I have to ask:  what was your decision on your initial questions? 

We know what the food was like, but how about the smell? 

We went to South America earlier this year and it was Azamazing!  (No other cruise line mentioned here of course.)  Depending on your answer, there are other fish - ie vessels - in the ocean!  Keep watch - there are good deals to be found if you keep looking.

1. I read a balanced review here on CC and the writer said the Star no longer smelled like sewage
2. 3.  One day I’d like to cruise to South America and the Star is the ship doing this itinerary.  Perhaps the experience this summer will be positive and I will consider booking the Star for a southern hemisphere adventure.

[YVRteacher]

On 8/20/2023 at 3:23 PM, newbie63 said:

So sorry to hear about your "welcome home" gift. 😖

I've been waiting with baited breath to hear about the rest of your trip, and especially about where and how you saw that beautiful Fabio horse ... because I board the Star on Saturday and I want to see him (and his cousins) too.

Do tell!?!

Grundarfjordur! Do you go to this port? I absolutely LOVED it there.

[YVRteacher]

Hi @Cruisewilm

I have a longer response typed up but am not quite ready to post. Here’s the short answer:

 

I’m reluctant to say “never” so it is highly, highly unlikely I will ever travel on the Star again. The food, the run-down ship and cabins, the lack of an observation lounge or Spinnaker, the poor response to my concerns and repeated serving of poor quality and poorly presented food, the outdated approach from management and the crappy (often non-existent) entertainment options (I am NOT referring to the production cast-they are fabulous!) all contribute to this conclusion.

 

My experiences in Iceland, Norway and the Faroe Islands actually put this itinerary at the top of my list. What a spectacular selection of ports with stunning sights, experiences and cake. Being on the Star did not detract from my joy, but as someone who LOVES cruising and being on a cruise ship, the Star is not for me.

 

[YVRteacher]

Update:

there is so much damage to my home I feel like a character in Chicken Little (the sky is falling! The sky is falling!)

 

A water damage restoration assessment person who represents the insurance company is coming tomorrow to make a damage report. The response has been slow due to the wildfires in BC and the amount of claims the insurance companies are receiving daily. I understand this.

 

I haven’t been sleeping well and am really stressed. I will continue posting when I feel less shaken. I’m excited to share more of Grundarfjördur, the last supper, my NCL tour that ended at the airport (boiling mud pots were involved!!!) all about the flights home and that souvenir from which I walked away.

 

Please send powerful thoughts because in the midst of the home flood I have a job interview tomorrow.

[YVRteacher]

On 8/21/2023 at 11:26 AM, libtrek said:

I am the eternal optimist, half full kind of person. I can’t help but think thank goodness you turned off the water at the source before you left on your trip (I don’t think many people do that). You would have come home to fallen ceilings, a huge water bill, and worse. You’ll make it through this annoyance with your wonderful sense of humor. Besides, you’re a librarian, you could look up how to fix it yourself. LOL

I did research how to repair a ceiling! Then I made a smart decision and called a professional!

[YVRteacher]

I have also been researching how to make Icelandic and Norwegian recipes.

 

Then I researched to see if I could I order the BEST salted liquorice out of all the ones I tried.

[newbie63]

17 minutes ago, YVRteacher said:

Grundarfjordur! Do you go to this port? I absolutely LOVED it there.

Yes we go to Grundarfjordur! Did you see the horse while wandering around town or was it on an excursion? I don't have an excursion booked so hoping that it was while wandering (and also hoping that you'll tell me about the cake in Grundarfjordur). 🤞🤞🤞

[YVRteacher]

I was on an excursion but it wasn’t really worth doing as you can do the same walk yourself and take all the time you want with the gorgeous horses.

 

If you scroll back to post #912 I posted a map of Grundarfjördur. The cake place is across the street from the school and it looks like this

 

 

You’ll see the little free library outside. They have a large yard with outdoor seating, a patio and indoor seating.

 

Not only are they the cake place, they are the wool shop,

 

the bookstore,

the coffee shop

 

and the knick knack shop.

 

 

The cake selection is plentiful. The day I was there the owner was baking fresh cinnamon knots so you can imagine the smell!

 

 

 

 

 

 

This was my last piece of cake on this trip and it almost didn’t happen but I’m sure grateful it did! Yum!!!!!!

 

 

Meringue with fresh pear inside! Heavenly!!

Edited August 23, 2023 by YVRteacher

[libtrek]

23 minutes ago, YVRteacher said:

I did research how to repair a ceiling! Then I made a smart decision and called a professional!

Oddly enough, a dear friend (we did library school together) was in Florida for a month, in winter, Their pipe burst, home watcher screwed up and didn’t catch it. They had $200000+ damage. BTW, smart move to call in help. I just had to replace sink/counters and contemplated doing demo myself - briefly. Good luck on the interview. Mary

[YVRteacher]

For the horses, they are along the walk to the waterfall. I did the Mt. Kirkjufell and town walk excursion.

 

 

In retrospect what I wish I had done and what I recommend is getting off the tender and taking the shuttle to the waterfall.

 

 

Once you’ve enjoyed the waterfall you can walk back to town along the path (not the road) and the path takes you by the horse stables. You can see the stables on the map.
 

There’s also a horseback riding tour in Grundarfjördur-you might like that!

 

 

This horse walked in front of me while I was taking a photo of Mt. Kirkjufell

 

 

 

 

Edited August 23, 2023 by YVRteacher

[SenatorsFan]

Sorry to hear your house is so badly damaged. 😢But, I do wish you well for your interview tomorrow and I hope you are able to get some sleep tonight.

[YVRteacher]

8 minutes ago, libtrek said:

Oddly enough, a dear friend (we did library school together) was in Florida for a month, in winter, Their pipe burst, home watcher screwed up and didn’t catch it. They had $200000+ damage. BTW, smart move to call in help. I just had to replace sink/counters and contemplated doing demo myself - briefly. Good luck on the interview. Mary

Did insurance cover the cost? That’s major damage!!

[libtrek]

21 minutes ago, YVRteacher said:

Did insurance cover the cost? That’s major damage!!

Yes it did but they had to move out, replace most floors, the furnace, and more. The paperwork alone ……

Had a first neuro appointment today and she’s changing all of his meds. She confirmed the dementia but is concerned about his one droopy eye. Did your dad ever get an MRI? How did he react if so? Mary

[LauraAnneC]

Best of luck with your job interview! 

[Scotswoman]

Just to let you know I'm sending loads of positive energy your way. Fingers crossed 🤞 for your interview and good luck 🍀 with the house repairs. This, too, will pass! Morven

[graphicguy]

Water woes….it is stressful.  I would almost want my house to burn down to the ground than have a pipe burst.  

 

One item to take care of at a time.  Trying to take it all in with one gulp will make you crazy.  It may take a while, but progress will be made.  Personally, I had my own company do an estimate in addition to the one my insurance company sent.  

 

I preferred working with people I knew vs people the insurance company sent.  I had to front some of the cost (reimbursed) to get them started.  And, once started, they dealt with the insurance company themselves, which was a huge help.

 

Again, I’m sure you’re thinking about all the things that have to be done.  Make a list.  Do them one at a time.  Cross them off as they’re completed.  That made a stressful situation a little easier.

[Ottawa Lynne]

@YVRteacher thinking of you today - for both the interview and the remediation company. I hope both go well!! What a lot of stress!

[GALSews]

Good luck on the job interview. I'm sure you'll do great as since your personality shines through in your posts, it can only be that much better in live.