Norweigan Star Cruise Ship Review

Check out our review of the Norwegian Star Cruise Ship! This smaller, older ship offers some of the most unique itineraries.  With tons of dining options, entertainment venues, and a well-designed atrium, there’s something for everyone on board. While it may not have all the bells and whistles of newer ships, the NCL Star’s size and offerings make for a more intimate experience. Perfect for those who prefer a smaller, more relaxed atmosphere while still enjoying all the amenities of a cruise ship.

norweigan cruise line

Did you know that Norwegian Cruise Line, also known as NCL,  offers a fleet of 18 ships.  The oldest set sail in 1998 and the most recent ship set sail in 2022. The Norweigan Aqua is set to debut in 2025.  NCL’s ships are registered in various countries, including the Bahamas, Bermuda, and Panama, allowing them to visit an array of unique and exotic destinations around the globe. From the sunny beaches of the Caribbean to the breathtaking fjords of Alaska, Africa to Antarctica, and so many more – NCL offers a variety of itineraries to suit every type of traveler.

One of the things that sets Norwegian Cruise Line apart is their innovative onboard offerings, including Freestyle Cruising concept. This allows guests to enjoy a more flexible dining experience, with no set dining times or formal dress codes. In addition, NCL’s ships feature incredible entertainment options, many dining options, and attentive service to ensure every guest has a truly memorable experience.  Typically, NCL attracts a diverse range of guests, from families with young children to couples celebrating special occasions. Whether you’re looking to relax on a tropical beach, explore ancient ruins, or simply enjoy a luxurious getaway at sea, Norwegian Cruise Line has something for everyone.

norwegian star cruise ship

This review will focus on the Norweigan Star that we sailed on in February of 2024. The ship is one of the oldest and smallest, but the size is what allows it to do some of the more unique itineraries.

norwegian star cruise

NCL offers a comfortable cruise experience with everything you need to have a nice vacation from entertainment options to food options. You can visit some really great ports, and all at a great value.  Plus, you will be well looked after. I would say Norweigan Cruise Line is not a premium line, not the most WOW offerings, not the best food, and not the “best” service.  But the value is good and the itineraries are among the most unique and creative!

Norweigan cruise attacts families, singles, couples, empty nesters, and retired guests. There is a wide range of cost conscious vacationers onboard.

Currently the Norweigan Star sails to: South America, Europe, Mediterranean, Baltic Sea

Norweigan Star cruises out of the following ports: Buenos Aires, Reykjavik, Tromso, Manhattan, Oslo, Lisbon, Copacabana Beach, Rio de Janeiro, Ushuaia, Southampton, Southampton, Portsmouth

what’s included on norwegian cruise line

NCL frequently offers deals such as kids sale free, 70% off 2nd guest, free drinks, free shore excursions, free gratuities, free specialty dining, and more. Make sure you are watching their deals page to get the best price on your upcoming cruise! So with your cruise fare, what is included?

The following is NOT included on a NCL cruise:

• Daily service fee of $15 per person /per day ($18 for suite guests)
• Soda, alcoholic beverages, specialty coffees (Starbucks onboard)
• Spa services
• Exercise Classes
• Room service fee of $9.95 (waived for suites and continental breakfast orders)
• Specialty dining (some is a la carte while others are a flat fee)
• Select daily activities including bingo, Deal or No Deal, after-hours kids supervision , Internet access, photos taken by shipboard photographers, artwork from the art gallery

norwegian star

I wanted to share the deck plans with you and talk about some of the spaces on aboard.

norwegian star Dining

Their are 14 restaurants on board to choose from. But this section was getting too long so see my post exclusively on Norweigan Star Dining.

We found the idea of free style good, but in practice it didn’t work very well. If you didn’t make a reservation for the included dining options (Versaille or Aqua) by the first day at the latest (before you leave home is better) you will not dine until 9pm. There is not enough space for everyone to eat. So if you think you will just walk up and eat wherever you want, that is not the case. If you are flexible with time and a variety of free options (buffer,  O’Sheehans)  it may work for you. I missed having a set time I knew I would eat at everynight.

The wait staff is severealy overworked! They also are way overworked and so the service is slow and inaccurate. We laughed because in the 14 days we were on the ship not one meal did they get everything right. Didn’t matter the restaurant or time of day, someones order was really wrong every single time. In addition, because your server varies nightly, they never get to know you or your preferences.  There is basically no chit chat or magic tricks for the kids.

Only half the specialty restaurants were good, and they would have cost a pretty penny extra if we hadn’t gotten some meals included in our offer.  Don’t get me wrong, the ones that were good were really good, but for $70/person at La Cucina I expected the food to be good.

norwegian star Entertainment

We knew going into it that this was a smaller ship with fewer bells and whistles.  I find the idea of a go kart track on some of their ships a little off putting as it takes away from the tranquility and peace of a cruise. We found the entertainment to be a mix bag, let me share more

For daytime entertainment there were 1-3 planned activities such as origami, how to make balloon animals,  etc. They were fine. The activities staff was nice enough and the activities were pretty well done. You could pay extra for BINGO or extra to go to the casino. But there were really no choices – one activity in the morning and maybe one in the afternoon. Take them or leave them, no choices.

Live music throughout the ship was extrordinairy! There was live music almost constantly. And it wasn’t your run-of-the-mill mediocre singing with the piano or guitar. We loved the amazing string quartet, brass duo, piano, and more. They could be found playing in the atrium for the enjoyment of those at Starbucks, O Sheehans, or sitting in the areas along the overlook of the 3 story deck. Truly they shined above any other cruiseline we’ve been on in this regard!

For a fee you could do a guided art class where they made a variety of projects on canvas. They would show the options daily in the library and then you could sign up for the project you wanted. They were small classes, but with a variety of projects each day to pick from. I though this was a nice offering, although I’m not sure how I would have packed all those canvases in my suitcase to go home.

Because of our itinerary there were daily lectures beginning on day 5 that were very well done. They were jam packed with many people left standing, but they were interesting and engaging!

We ended up spending a lot of time playing games in our 3 bedroom garden villa (learn more about this amazing room we got for ancredible price thanks to the bid to upgrade program)

For the evening there were ocassional game shows like Deal or No Deal and Wheel of Fortune, but they cost extra. There was a headliner performance every night, like on all cruises, at the Stardust Theatre.  There were several music groups that sang and did a nice job, an illusionist which was truly fantastic, a aerial acrobatic that was highly sexual and sensual and completely inappropriate for families, and then there was the Norwegian Production Cast and Show Orchestra which only performed 2-3 times on our journey. Usually the cruise line singers and dancers are my favorite, but on this ship the show was deffinetly more vegas then broadway.  There were lots of colorful costumes and high energy dance moves. However the costumes were a little revealing for us and the vocals were not very accurate. As a musical family, that was super dissapointing.

norwegian star Activities

Other than the planned entertainment that occured throughout the day, there were some activity options you could go and do at your leisure.

There was one main pool and 4 hot tubs. We had a colder itinerary so the pool wasn’t jam packed most days, but it was used a lot on warm days. When the weather cooperated there was a band on the pool deck that played on and off and led swimmers in some dances in the pool that seemed to be well received. The hot tubs were utilized, but seemed to be half closed most days and at random times so people would show up and find them unexpectadly closed. There is plenty of seating around the pool on a nice tiered area which gave the feeling of a theatre, but without a screen to look at.  There are an additional 2 hot tubs elsewhere on the ship.

The spa offers a wide variety of services to pamper you. You can also purchase a pass to their Spa Thermal suite with a heated pool and relaxing spaces to unwind. It seemed expensive and small.

The gym offers a chance to stay active on board. There is also a jogging and seperate walking track up on deck that was used a lot. You could also walk down on deck 4 with a complete lap.

An outdoor basketball court  was available, but not utilized much on our journey. There is also a large chess game, shuffle board, and golf driving net available.

There is a library with some books as well as limited number of board games to check out.

Professional portraits were offered every evening and on the main decks occassionally while in picturesque spot. They were never really crowded.

There was a large arcade with a variety of game options, it is additional.

The kids spaces were small, but functional. There wasn’t anything particularly amazing or dissapointing about the spaces. The councelors were very friendly and the check-in was secure. We were frustrated by the inconvenient timings. They were open from 9-11, 1-3, and 7-9. Outside of that you were out of luck – so IF you want to utilize the services you need to play around their schedule. They didn’t have a lot to do, but it seemed to be run more around activities. This day from 9-11 is super hero and they did a related craft. So if your kids didn’t like the activity, they will be unhappy as that is their option.  They offer evening babysitting after 9pm, for a fee.

There were only a couple limited tv options on your stateroom, with long periods of nothing between them. So you could watch kids cartoons, Shark Tank, a comedy (The Good Place), and some movies – like Black Panter, Indian Jones and the Dial of Destiny. So there was generally something on, you just may not like what it was at the time it was on.  There were not even pay options. I wish they had options to pay to watch a particular movie or show at a convenient time on demand.  If you bring the newest version of the Kindle Fire 10th generation with a special adaptor you can pair it to watch your own movies on the television. There are no movie theatres on board and no funnel vision for movies under the stars or by the pool.

The Internet was a pleasant surprise. We got the basic internet included in our package deal for the first and second guest. We opted to upgrade since we were heading to Antarctica and knew it would be hard to get service. I was amazed we were able to utizilize at least social media, and really the internet, for the entire trip with few dead zones. Truly amazing when you think about it.

There are shops onboard that offer limited necessities and some NCL merchandise. Nothing really called to us, but there were some options and duty free jewlery offerings as well.

The art auction was alive and well on this ship. The kids did enjoy seeing the rotating artwork on the hallways, but we aren’t really the buy art on vacation people so it wasn’t an activity for us.

norwegian star Staterooms

If there are just two of you in your stateroom you will be happy. However, if there are 4 of you, the way they add the 4th passenger is super inconvenient and uncomfortable. See the picture above. But the rooms were well maintained and meticulously cleaned by the room attendant.

I liked the little spinny wheel by your room number that allowed you to share details like do not distrub with your stateroom attendant.

One of the advantages of this ship is the wide variety of suite options available. IF you can afford them, or are lucky enough to bid on a stateroom upgrade and get it you will love the suites on the Star. Besides the larger accomadations, you will appreciate the perks such as free room service, breakfast and lunch dining space just for suite guests that is much, much better that the food you get elsewhere on the ship (about average compred to other cruiselines). There is a suite only reserved seating for the evening entertainment that is super handy and helpful. Plus suite guests get priority debarkation at port which saves you getting a tender ticket and waiting hours to get off the ship! Learn about our cruise on NCL 3 Bedroom Garden Villa suite!

norwegian star ship

After being on the ship for  14 days we got to know the Norweigan Star really, really well. Let me share with you are favorite 5 things and our 5 least favorite things.

Best Things about the Norweigan Star

• Itineraries – This ship goes to some of the most unique places on earth! I love unpacking once and using a cruise as a moving hotel – it saves money and hassle.
• Suite Accomadations – This ships has a wide variety of unique suites perfect for a variety of sailing parties! And if you are lucky, you can bid on an upgrade and save over 50% on some amazing rooms liek the 3 bedroom Garden Villa!
• Cagney’s Steakhouse and Tepanyaki specialty restaurants were absolutely amazing! We ate there for free as part of our promotion, but it was worth it either way – Yum!
• Live music almost continuously on the ship! There was a wide variety of music from string quartects, brass ensembles, piano converts, and more
• Walking path that goes around the entire ship on deck 4 and deck

Worst Things about the Norweigan Star

• Getting Reservations for included dining was very difficult and not possible to change once you finally got it
• Most food was mediocre, eve specialty restaurants like Cocina were
• Things to do on the ship were lacking. You can sit, eat, or choose from 1-2 activities a day. There was one show in the evening, but the shows were not all very family friendly.
• Lack of movies, even if you are willing to pay for options!
• Food servers were nice, but there was not a single meal where they got our order correct, not one. Plus they were s-l-o-w, like really slow.  It’s not their fault, I think there are not enough servers so they all have to attend to a large amount of tables. In addition, their free style cruising means no server ever gets to know you. So there is very little chit chat or magic tricks like on other cruise lines

star cruise ship

So would we sail on the NCL Star again? Probably not, unless they had an amazing itinerary AND I booked a suite for a very discounted price.

You can learn more about the best family cruises, Norweigan Cruise line here, and our antarctica cruise here!