Review Norweign Star 08/08/04 Part 4

[alonzo14]

Tuesday:

We were entering the inside passage!!! We wanted to be on deck to view this. Now, something I really like about the Norweign Star is it's Promenade deck. Unlike most new ships built within the past 4 years or so, the Star's Promenade wraps all the way around the ship!!! And this is a long ship!!!! Another unusual feature that you will find on this ship are doors leading into the main venues from the Promenade deck. There are painted murals depicting something related to that venue. There are nicely painted signs over the door giving the name of the venue you are at. For example, the Stardust Theater or the Blue Lagoon etc.

 

One thing I missed that the Promenade deck didn't have were loungers lined up along the deck. There were only some chairs outside the Blue Lagoon and Red Lion Pub.

 

The Captain came on the PA and gave his daily report each afternoon. He told us how many miles traveled, how many to the nexr port, temperature, sea conditions and time of arrival in port.

 

We spotted our first wildlife that evening after we left Juneau. We saw some dolphins!! Later, there was a commotion at the window by the casino. I went over and people were spotting whales!!!! One whale waved goodbye with his tail for us! I heard that there was even more on the other side of the ship!! There was a big pod of them, but I didn't get to see them.

 

We had lunch in the Versalles again. Great service! For lkunch today the options were to go to the poolside grill from 11:00am to 2:00p.m. Or you could go to the Market Cafe from 11:00am to 3:00pm. Lunch in the Versallis is from 11:30 to 1:30p.m. They have an International Vegetable Table in the Market Cafe from 12:00 to 1:30p.m. And from 3:00 to 5:00pm., they serve snacks in the Market Cafe.

 

Activities: The cruise director Kieron Bufferty and his assitant Clint have a morning show each day from around 6:00a.m. to noon. From 7:45 to 8:a.m. there is walk a mile followed by yoga. Great way to begin the day excercising! Well at least for some. The Barong Spa is opened from 8:a.m. to 10:00p.m. If you want to make, change or cancel Shore Excursions the desk is open from 8:30a.m. to 12:30p.m. on this day. At 9:00a.m. there is spinning class, the casino opens and the shops and photo gallery is open. Also beginning at 9:00a.m. to 5:00p.m. you can go to the reservation table in the Grand Atrium and make alternative dining reservations for today and tommorrow including the free alternatives, Endless Summer on Deck 8 midship and La Trattoria on deck 12 midship. You will be given a slip of paper with your names, the date and time of your reservation which you will give to the hostess at the restaurant when you arrive. At 9:15 there is morning trivia in the Red Lion Pub on deck 7 aft and making Beaded Bandanas in Gatsb's on deck 6 miship. At 9:30 there is a diamond braclet giveaway in the Spinnaker on deck 12 fwd and handwring lecture in the Carousel Nightclub on deck 7 fwd. At 10:a.m. there is golf putting,a law enforcement and firefighters meeting in the Star Bar on deck 13 midships, step aerobics, competive bidding lecture by the Bridge instructor in the Card Room on deck 12 fwd, and you can get juneau jewelry discount cards from the port and cruise consultants in the Grand Atrium. At 10:15 there is a destination lecture on Alaska in the cinema. At 10:30 1000$ giveaway bingo in the Soinnaker on deck 12 fwd. From 11:00a.m. to 11:30 a.m. there is a stretch and relax class. We have to relax after all of those activites don't we? There is a Spa raffle drawing in the spa, andan ice carving demonstration poolside. If youv'e worked up an appetite there is a deck BBQ with the Cruisers Trio from 11:30 to 1:30p.m. Welcome to Juneaa folks!!!

 

 

Nighttime Activities: They have the various musicians mentioned earlier beginning at 5:15 for Todd Wells in the Grand Atrium. And at 8:00p.m. for Stan Styes, Karen Esaaryk, Vic Pore and the Norweign Showband. The Ironics play in the Spinnaker beginning at 11:30p.m.

 

Dining and Entertainment: We ate in the Aqua this evening. They had the Chefs Dinner begining at 5:30p.m. in Aqua and 6:00p.m. in the Versallis. At the buffet there was an oriental buffet fromm 5:00p.m. to midnight. The last orders are taken in the dining rooms at 10:00p.m. They also had Pub Snacks in the Red Lion Pub from6:00p.m. to 9:00p.m. and casino late night snacks from11P.m. to 1:00p.m.

 

Begining at 5:00p.m. there is Friends of Bill W. in the boardroom on deck12 fwd. From 6:00 to 10:00p.m. you can have professional portaits taken. The Shore Excursion Desk is opened again from 6:30 to 8:30p.m. At 8:45 and 10:45 there is Comedy Showtime with Joe Yannety in the theater. We thought he was very funny. At 9:00p.m. there is an informal gathering of the Masonic Brethren. From 9:00 to 9:30p.m. they sell Krakits outside the Stardust theater. From 10:00 to midnight there was Karaoke in the Carousel Nightclub. So polish up your singing talents. It's going to be a LONG night. At 10:15 there is a Pub Team Trivia followed by a Pub singalong (more singing) with your cruise director and Jared in the Red Lion Pub. It is a jammin good time! The Star Club Casino reopens at 11:00p.m. and at midnight D J Bob Rider will rock the Carousel Nightclub with the tunes of your choice. The movie this day is: Man on Fire at 12:30p.m., 3:00p.m., 6:00p.m. & 8:30p.m. We are tired ffrom our port day and retire to our room and very comfortable bed after the show. Good Night!!!

 

 

 

Wednesday Day 3: Whebn we awoke it was raining outside, but by the time we could disembark the sun was shining. We awoke to a beautiful view from our port hole of the bottom of the docks!!! This is one disadvantage of having a cabin on the lowest deck.We arrived in Skagway at 4:40a.m. This captain was early in every port. The shore excursion desk was opened from 7:00 to 8:30a.m. The Barong Spa was opened from 8:00a.m. to 10:00p.m. this day. To prepare for a long day in port we ate ate breakfast at the buffet.

 

Good Morning & Good Afternoon: Walk a mile is at 7:45. Spinning is at 8:30a.m. You can pick up a $50.00 gift certificate at the gangway to use towards the purchase of jewelry in Skagway!!! Future cruise bookings are from 8:30 to 9:30a.m. for those of you that can't wait to book another cruise. At 9:30 ther is an awsome abs and back care clinic. At 9:15 there is another morning trivia in the Red Lion Pub. If you are staying on board you can meet for games and gabbing in the Library. At 2:00p.m. there is informal bridge play. At 3:00p.m. there is a 5 minute mystery with the cruise director's staff in the Java Cafe on deck 7 midships. At 4:30 you can go to Gatsby's to make Flower Combs if the artist or craft bug has bit you!!

 

Good Evening: This is a busy night in the dining rooms!! This is Lobster Night!! YUM! We ate in the Versallis tonight. I asked for steak and lobster together, but they said I would have to have it as a separate entree with it's own sides. So I ate my lobster and then they brought me my filet mingnon with it's sides. Strange! They also had Baked Alaska! It was delicious. There are no baked alaska parades on Norweign ships if you are curious about this. There is a Mexican Buffet in the buffet from 5:00 to 10:00p.m and late night snacks from 10:00 to midnight. Every night there is the usual pub snacks from 6:00 to 9:00p.m. and casino snacks from11p.m to 1a.m.

 

Activites and Entertaiment: At 5:00p.m. there is singles scrabble and friends of Bill w. At 5:15p.m. there is the Steve Hites Show in the Spinnaker. Steve is a well known singer in Alaska. At 5:30 there is pub team trivia in the pub of course. At 6:00p.m. you can walk a mile or have your portrait taken. If you haven't booked that cruise yet , you can do so from7:00 to 8:00p.m. At 7:15p.m. friends of dorthy meet in the Star Bar. At 7:30p.m. All Aboard!! Don't get left behind!!! It is a cold swim to the ship!!! bKrakits are sold outsside the Stardust theater right before and after the shows. They didn't make enough money yesterday!!! At 7:45 and 9:45 the Andrew Loyd Webber Production, Music of ther Night is shown in the theater. The shops open at 8:30p.m. in case you didn't get enough in Skagway. At 8:45p.m. there is special music of the 50's and 60's with Stan Sykes in the Carousel Nightclub along with your various musicans playing or singing around the ship beginning at5:15p.m. At 9:00p.m. they have a singles mingle, a tribute to the Big Band Era in the Spinnaker with the Showband and your cruise director,a spi to win slot pull as the casino is now opened. Again karkoke will be in the Carousel Nightclub from10:00p.m. to midnight each night. And in the Spinnaker is the BIG party of the evening which is a 50's and 60's sockhop. Lookout for Elvis!! He isn't dead after all. At midnight your DJ Bob Ryker plays your favorites in the Carousel each evening. Ladies, get ready for a night out. It's " Ship N Males All Adult Male Revue in the Spinnaker. No one under 21 admitted. The movie this day is Bobby Jones: Stroke of Genius at 1:00pm.6pm & 9:00pm. What a day!!! I am tired! Goodnight.

[Shellbelle28]

Excellent review! And yay for the paragraphs, thank you so much! It was much easier to keep track of where I was! You've written some great stuff and it will help a lot of people.

[pcann]

Alonzo, do you have to make reservations in the restaurants that you do not pay extra for? Endless Summer and La Trattoria are the 2 free alternatives you mentioned - what are the other non paying restaurants? I was under the assumption you could just go to these restaurants and have dinner :(

Did you happen to get copies of the menus? I will be sure to have the steak and lobster too :).

[alonzo14]

pcann: Yes you do have to make reservations for the Endless Summer and La Trattoria although they are free. I will tell you about this in my next installment.

[didan]

Alonzo,

 

Thanks so much for the great, detailed reviews. We are leaving tomorrow morning for Seattle, then onto the Star on Sunday! So I'm taking all this in as fast as I can!

[alonzo14]

Didan: I'm posting another today. I hope I can cover most of the days before you leave. I don't know if you have access to a computer after this, but I hope so. I will be covering Thursday, Friday and hopefully Saturday in my post today. After this I will cover disembarkation and finally the ports.