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Name: John Egbert
Email: johnegbert@webtv.net
Age: 42
Occupation: Attorney
NumberOfCruises: 5
TravelAgent: No
Ship: NCL-NorwegianStar
SailingDate: 06/02/97
Itinerary: Western Caribbean
FoodDiningRoom: 90
CruiseDirector: 75
CabinComfort: 90
FoodRoomService:
CruiseStaff: 90
CabinAmenities: 90
FoodLidoDeck:
DiningRoomService: 90
CabinQuietness: 95
FoodMidnightBuffets: 90
CabinSteward: 95
ShoreExcVariety: 90
FoodVariety: 90
DeckService: 85
ShoreExcValue: 99
GoodForHoneymoon:
CasinoStaff: 75
PrivateIsland:
GoodForFamilies:
LoungeService: 90
TenderService:
GoodForSeniors:
BeautySalonStaff:
EntertainmentLounges: 95
WheelchairAccess:
ExerciseFacilities:
EntertShowLounge: 90
OverallPortsofCall: 85
BeautySalon:
EntertainmentPoolside: 90
CruiseActivities: 85
Casino: 80
AirSeaProgram:
MedicalFacilities:
ShipCleanliness: 95
EmbarkDisembark: 95
DiscoNightclubs: 90
DeckSpace: 90
Stabilization: 90
ShopsOnBoard: 85
SpaceRatio: 99
OverallCruiseValue: 90
Submit: Submit Review
Date: 21 Aug 1997
Time: 00:14:24
Remote Name: 207.79.35.30
Remote User:
Comments
This cruise was a great surprise. My wife and I decided to take the cruise on the spur of
the moment. We did not expect much since the
ship was old and it was only the second time that the ship departed from this port. The
ship was a quality adventure and was very
entertaining.
The ship was a Piano/Cigar/Tequila Bar. Fantastic. Wally Blake was the piano player -- the
wildest piano player on the high seas. The
place was hopping until four in the morning every night. Too many cigars, too much
tequila, too much fun... The bar became known as
Wallyworld.
The staff on this cruise wasas efficient as on other cruises. The main difference was that
this staff just tried harder to impress and please.
They were very friendly but not overbearing.
The entertainment was great. This is a result of hat appeared to be free cruises for
various entertainers. We had more entertainment than
you could ever expect.
The ship has a basketball court on the top. Basketball games in the middle of the Gulf of
Mexico is quite enjoyable.
Name: Pamela S. Newlands
Email: newlands@ismi.net
Age: 42
Occupation: professional
NumberOfCruises: 1
TravelAgent: No
Ship: NCL-NorwegianStar
SailingDate: 09-07-97
Itinerary: Calica, Cozumel, Roatan (Honduras)
FoodDiningRoom: 90
CruiseDirector: 90
CabinComfort: 85
FoodRoomService:
CruiseStaff: 99
CabinAmenities: 95
FoodLidoDeck:
DiningRoomService: 95
CabinQuietness: 95
FoodMidnightBuffets: 95
CabinSteward: 100
ShoreExcVariety: 90
FoodVariety: 85
DeckService: 100
ShoreExcValue: 95
GoodForHoneymoon:
CasinoStaff: 95
PrivateIsland:
GoodForFamilies: 100
LoungeService: 95
TenderService:
GoodForSeniors: 95
BeautySalonStaff:
EntertainmentLounges: 90
WheelchairAccess:
ExerciseFacilities:
EntertShowLounge: 85
OverallPortsofCall: 90
BeautySalon:
EntertainmentPoolside: 95
CruiseActivities: 89
Casino: 86
AirSeaProgram: 85
MedicalFacilities:
ShipCleanliness: 99
EmbarkDisembark: 96
DiscoNightclubs: 99
DeckSpace: 95
Stabilization: 99
ShopsOnBoard: 75
SpaceRatio: 85
OverallCruiseValue: 95
Submit: Submit Review
Date: 15 Sep 1997
Time: 13:12:28
Remote Name: 206.31.56.57
Remote User:
Comments
During the entire duration of this cruise, I felt like royalty. At poolside I only needed
to lift my head and someone was there to see if I needed
anything. We had 3 teenagers in our group of 11 and there many activities available. The
teen director was great. The casino staff was always
courteous and willing to help if you needed it. The only downside was that the computer in
the casino was inoperable and we unable to get
extra cash to gamble with. Maybe that was a good thing. There were places for us to gather
as a family and always ample seating for all of us.
We were very pleased with the amount of stops because the ship had sooooo much to offer
that we almost never left. We did go snorkeling in
Roatan WOW!!! And the shopping in Cozumel was the best.
I highly recommend this cruise to everyone!! There is always something going on, but if
you want peace & quiet, you could find that too.
The entire staff should be commended & rewarded for making our vacation the best that
we've ever had!!!
Name: Salli Hohmann
Email: chris@neurotech.net
Age: 27
Occupation: Stay at home mom
NumberOfCruises: 2
TravelAgent: No
Ship: NCL-NorwegianStar
SailingDate: 09-07-97
Itinerary: Western Caribbean
FoodDiningRoom: 70
CruiseDirector: 90
CabinComfort: 90
FoodRoomService: 90
CruiseStaff: 95
CabinAmenities: 90
FoodLidoDeck: 80
DiningRoomService: 100
CabinQuietness: 90
FoodMidnightBuffets:
CabinSteward: 85
ShoreExcVariety: 85
FoodVariety: 70
DeckService: 95
ShoreExcValue: 60
GoodForHoneymoon:
CasinoStaff: 95
PrivateIsland:
GoodForFamilies: 85
LoungeService: 75
TenderService:
GoodForSeniors:
BeautySalonStaff:
EntertainmentLounges: 85
WheelchairAccess:
ExerciseFacilities:
EntertShowLounge: 90
OverallPortsofCall: 85
BeautySalon:
EntertainmentPoolside: 95
CruiseActivities: 95
Casino: 95
AirSeaProgram:
MedicalFacilities: 95
ShipCleanliness: 90
EmbarkDisembark: 80
DiscoNightclubs: 85
DeckSpace: 80
Stabilization: 80
ShopsOnBoard: 80
SpaceRatio: 90
OverallCruiseValue: 90
Submit: Submit Review
Date: 19 Sep 1997
Time: 18:03:39
Remote Name: 208.219.169.38
Remote User:
Comments
My husband, two sons(ages 5 and 2), father in law and his wife deceided to go on the
Norweigan Star because the accessablity-they live in
Hou. and we live in DFW area.
The other review is totally opposite of how I saw the ship. One reason might be that we
took the kids along with us. The staff was exceptional.
They gave alot of attention to the kids.
My five yr old had the best time of all with the kids corner program. Toby, the kids
director, was great. She was in mid 20s and my son loved
her. We even checked in on him periodically when he didn't notice and he was having so
much fun. He got to sit in the captain's chair, see the
bridge, play games, have scavenger hunts, and even won a gold medal at the olympic games
by the pool. He was so proud of the medal that
he didn't want to take it off.
The 2yr old was with us nearly the entire cruise. The kids program only takes 4yrs and
above. We took shifts with him since he couldn't be out
in the sun for long periods of time or be in the casino(we tried)
We all enjoyed bingo in the mornings after breakfast. The cruise staff hosted it in the
Midnight Sun lounge. Melissa, one of the staff, gave alot
of attention to Cole, our youngest. So nice! Service at bingo and the one night show we
did attend with the whole gang was lacking. We had to
flag a waiter from across the room on several occasions.
The show that we did attend was Doug Anderson. It was a comedy/magic show. Our whole
family attended (even the kids) and it was a very
funny but clean show.
During the day, I usually laid out by the pool and the service was excellent. The waiters
came around and sprayed us with cold water which felt
very good. It took the hassle of getting in and out of the pool every 15 min. to cool
down. My husband usually took the little one for a nap
during this time. I would take the kids to bed early while he played in the casino. This
was our trade off.
In the late afternoons, we attended the art auctions. It was very interesting. I actually
bought a painting on the last day.
Shore excursions: Calica--- My husband and I took the Cancun night trip. We took a
vacation there last yr. & had enjoyed it. The inlaws had the
kids. This was a party group. On the way to Cancun, one girl threw up all over the bus
driver. We had to stop several times for her so we were
late getting to Cancun. We went to Fat Tuesdays for buffet and unlimited beer(Corona and
rum punch. Then, went to Daddy O's -great laser
show. When we got back on the ship, I tripped over my husbands shoe & sprained my
ankle. The doctor wrapped my ankle and gave me pain
pills, ointment, and told me to stay off it.
Cozumel---My inlaws took my oldest son to Tulum. They liked it and the pictures were
amazing. We had planned to go to San Fransico beach by
taxi but I could not walk.
Roatan----With everyones help, I managed to go to Tabayna beach. If you love to scuba dive
or snorkel, this is the place to go. The clear
water, no waves or current, and the shallow reefs make it the ideal place. We have
snorkeled in Cancun and Bahamas, and scuba dive in
Cancun. This ranks very high. Bring bug repellent though. Unknowingly, bugs that leave
ugly spots bite you when you are on the beautiful,white
beach Toby(kid dir.) even brought pails and shovels and we built a sand castle.
Excursion prices: I had a big problem with this. They wanted to charge the kids full price
to Tabayna beach. That would have been $100.00 just
for the four of us. So, all six of us took a taxi for $40.00. It was $16.00 for all of us
to use the beach. So, instead of $150.00 for all, it was
56.00.
Food: One word: Unremarkable. The variety was lousy. I do not like seafood. It seemed that
everything was served with some type of seafood. I
was really looking forward to Mexican night, but that was the night of Cancun. I probably
lost five pounds. I lived on fruit, cheese, rolls, bagels,
beer, margaritas. Eventhough the pizza by the pool was bland, I wolfed it down. They
premake their sandwiches loaded down with mayo-Yuck.
One bright thing about dinner was the wait staff. The waiter, William Walter, and the
helper were very attentive. The service was exceptional I
did try alot of the things on the menu-I just didn't like them. My husband and his family
like seafood and they said it was good to OK
Sports fans watch out- it isn't a sports bar- it is an ESPN bar with a good live band. We
couln't get any of the football games and we couln't
even get the Monday night Cowboy game. Peole were really upset. They only get ESPN &
CNN from the satellite. The bar does serve snacks
that resemble trail mix to go with your cold ones. One day they even had cheese dip(good)
The kids even liked the cold air and atmosphere.
Overall, The cruise was great Hits: The service went beyong my expectations(dining staff,
Toby from kids corner, pool waiters, casino
guys(Barish and others) & the cruise staff especially Melissa.
Misses: food-more variety more channels available price of excursions for kids I do not
understand why the other review gave 80 to the pool
staff and some other ratings. I lived at the pool every day and the service was great.
Maybe things get better with time(hopefully the food will)
Name: Jerry Kaiser
Email: thejerrys@earthlink.net
Age: 64
Occupation: Retired
NumberOfCruises: 3
TravelAgent: No
Ship: NCL-NorwegianStar
SailingDate: 11/9/97
Itinerary: Western Carribean
FoodDiningRoom: 95
CruiseDirector: 100
CabinComfort: 90
FoodRoomService:
CruiseStaff: 90
CabinAmenities: 90
FoodLidoDeck: 90
DiningRoomService: 95
CabinQuietness: 50
FoodMidnightBuffets: 90
CabinSteward: 100
ShoreExcVariety: 20
FoodVariety: 90
DeckService: 80
ShoreExcValue: 50
GoodForHoneymoon:
CasinoStaff:
PrivateIsland: 95
GoodForFamilies:
LoungeService: 95
TenderService:
GoodForSeniors: 40
BeautySalonStaff:
EntertainmentLounges: 100
WheelchairAccess:
ExerciseFacilities:
EntertShowLounge: 100
OverallPortsofCall: 25
BeautySalon:
EntertainmentPoolside: 70
CruiseActivities: 90
Casino:
AirSeaProgram:
MedicalFacilities:
ShipCleanliness: 60
EmbarkDisembark: 90
DiscoNightclubs:
DeckSpace: 90
Stabilization: 1
ShopsOnBoard: 80
SpaceRatio: 90
OverallCruiseValue: 50
Submit: Submit Review
Date: 20 Nov 1997
Time: 00:30:31
Remote Name: 153.37.69.161
Remote User:
Comments
The cruise had great entertainment, food, service,staff,and facilities. The cruise would
have been wonderful except for
the incredibly poor stability and ballast, as well as electrical, plumbing, and water leak
problems. we were delayed
over three hours before leaving port after our initial boarding because of electrical
problems...no lights and no power
to cook or heat food. that put us too late at our first port of call to do any touring of
any kind. One day out we began
listing at a rate of 1 foot per 10 feet (18 degrees). I calculated this based on the
swimming pool water which showed a
2 foot variance in a span of 20 feet. I took pictures of this because I felt that no one
would believe we were listing to
such a degree. My wife and I felt we were in danger in any kind of rough weather. At one
point the ship veered sharply
to one side (perhaps to shift the ballast or fuel in order to level out). Dishes, trays
and what have you flew off the
shelves and tables in the dining room, but no explanation was given by the Captain or
crew. When we asked one of the
officers about the problem they were evasive or said , Oh are we listing? What a joke. The
ice machine in the 9th deck
bar constantly leaked water an inch or more deep near the entry way, partly covered with
several towels. There were
several leaks throughout the ship. The drains didn't drain on the low side of the ship and
several rooms were flooded.
The worst part is that this ship left the same day that we docked for another 7 day cruise
in this same state of repair.
Do not take this cruise until this ship is completely gone through mechanically.
Name: tomas gayer
Email: thegayers@worldnet.att.net
Age: 48
Occupation: electronic standards technician
NumberOfCruises: 4
TravelAgent: No
Ship: NCL-NorwegianStar
SailingDate: 11/16/97
Itinerary: cozumel,roatan
FoodDiningRoom: 95
CruiseDirector: 95
CabinComfort: 95
FoodRoomService: 99
CruiseStaff: 99
CabinAmenities: 99
FoodLidoDeck: 90
DiningRoomService: 99
CabinQuietness: 99
FoodMidnightBuffets: 90
CabinSteward: 99
ShoreExcVariety: 90
FoodVariety: 85
DeckService: 90
ShoreExcValue: 60
GoodForHoneymoon: 30
CasinoStaff: 90
PrivateIsland:
GoodForFamilies: 30
LoungeService: 90
TenderService: 99
GoodForSeniors: 70
BeautySalonStaff: 99
EntertainmentLounges: 99
WheelchairAccess: 60
ExerciseFacilities: 99
EntertShowLounge: 99
OverallPortsofCall: 99
BeautySalon: 99
EntertainmentPoolside: 85
CruiseActivities: 80
Casino: 70
AirSeaProgram: 70
MedicalFacilities: 70
ShipCleanliness: 95
EmbarkDisembark: 90
DiscoNightclubs: 70
DeckSpace: 99
Stabilization: 90
ShopsOnBoard: 99
SpaceRatio: 90
OverallCruiseValue: 90
Submit: Submit Review
Date: 24 Nov 1997
Time: 12:54:17
Remote Name: 12.67.84.14
Remote User:
Comments
My wife of 29 years and myself had a most enjoyable week at sea on the Star. We are both
48 years old and this
was our fourth cruise. It was our first with NCL and we were a little shocked that we were
the young people on
board. We were also shocked that the ship pretty much shut down at one a.m. . We were
accustomed to staying
up til dawn in the disco. We were able to play basketball and golf all night if we wanted
to. Our port of call at
Calica , Mexico was cancelled due to wind conditions, and we were glad because we both
like Cozumel much
more and got to spend the extra day there. The ship was pretty much the same as all the
others we have taken,
only the showroom was not as big. It was difficult to see the entertainers at times
because all the seating is
pretty much on the same level. The three outside hot tubs were very nice and had water in
them at all times. The
swimming pool was five and a half feet deep and very nice for swimming. Unlike Carnival,
you could swim or
jacuzzi any time you desired. The mariachi band on mexican fiesta night sang all the
favorite Spanish tunes. They
were absolutely beautiful. Cielito Lindo, Alli en Rancho Grande, Guantanamerra and many
others. Overall we had a
beautiful cruise.
Name: Mark Mitsock
Email: dpgardner@worldnet.att.net
Age: 39
Occupation: Safety Engineer
NumberOfCruises: 3
TravelAgent: No
Ship: NCL-NorwegianStar
SailingDate: 11/16/97
Itinerary: Calica, Cozumel, Roatan
FoodDiningRoom: 90
CruiseDirector: 20
CabinComfort: 90
FoodRoomService:
CruiseStaff: 90
CabinAmenities: 80
FoodLidoDeck: 95
DiningRoomService: 90
CabinQuietness: 80
FoodMidnightBuffets:
CabinSteward: 90
ShoreExcVariety: 85
FoodVariety: 80
DeckService: 90
ShoreExcValue: 80
GoodForHoneymoon:
CasinoStaff: 90
PrivateIsland:
GoodForFamilies:
LoungeService: 90
TenderService:
GoodForSeniors:
BeautySalonStaff:
EntertainmentLounges: 95
WheelchairAccess:
ExerciseFacilities:
EntertShowLounge: 95
OverallPortsofCall: 90
BeautySalon:
EntertainmentPoolside: 80
CruiseActivities:
Casino: 90
AirSeaProgram: 95
MedicalFacilities:
ShipCleanliness: 75
EmbarkDisembark: 5
DiscoNightclubs:
DeckSpace: 90
Stabilization: 45
ShopsOnBoard: 50
SpaceRatio: 90
OverallCruiseValue: 60
Submit: Submit Review
Date: 27 Nov 1997
Time: 12:15:02
Remote Name: 12.68.106.44
Remote User:
Comments
Norwegian Cruise Lines has a good idea in basing a ship in Houston, the problem is they
have not worked out all
the bugs and developed a system to handle the ship as efficiently as is the industry
standard.
Our cruise started on Sunday with the local temperature hovering in the 40's. It wasn't
until Tuesday that we
were able to get out of our long pants and sweaters. I wouldn't recommend this trip to
anyone who has to have
warm weather. Houston routinely has temperatures in the 40's and 50's in the winter and
the ship has to steam
for at least a 24 hours to get to the same southern latitude (and warmer weather) as
Miami.
The ship itself is on the old side but has been maintained well. The interiors aren't
palatial but they are
functional. I have not been on that many ships but the Star didn't seem that stable in the
6-8 foot seas we
encountered. Many passengers skipped meals for the first couple of days. I don't know if
this is typical but the
passengers were an older crowd. We estimated 80% were over 65. If you are looking for a
wild time this isn't the
trip for you. The food was good but not outstanding. I recommend going to the breakfast
and lunch buffets in the
Midnight Sun lounge, Deck 9. The food is plentiful, the Maitre d' spent time here insuring
the food is top quality
and you are not limited by the dining room menus.
Due to high winds the Mexican authorities prohibited us from docking in Calica and the
shore excursions for that
port were canceled. We sailed directly to Cozumel and docked a day early. The trip to
Rotan was uneventful. The
snorkeling on Roatan lives up to its reputation as being some of the best in the world.
After we went to Tabyana
Beach with a ship tour on a 55 minute bus ride (each way on muddy roads over the
mountains), one of the crew
told us the best way to get there is by taking a cab to West End (all paved roads, about
10 minutes) and take a
water taxi to the beach (another 10 minutes). You can pay to use the beach and you can
rent snorkeling
equipment there to save some money compared to the ship tours.
On Friday during the trip home we were delayed when a medical emergency caused us to turn
back as we
passed Cozumel to evacuate one of the passengers. This was obviously necessary but the
ship never seemed to
be steaming at full speed to try to get us back to Houston on time. The cruise line
rescheduled plane
reservations for later in the day on Sunday knowing we would be late.
This is where the system fell apart. The ship didn't dock until 12:30, a full 9 hours
late. Colored luggage tags had
been issued in an effort to prioritize disembarkation and attempt to get those passengers
off first who needed to
make it to the airport. The passengers were allowed to take the tags they needed on the
honor system and not
issued by the cruise staff based on actual flight times. Needless to say many passengers,
including some who live
in the Houston area and had cars parked at the pier, got off with the first group of
people trying to make it to the
airport. By the time the ship cleared customs (an hour and a half) and we were loaded onto
a bus (another 45
minutes) and we got to the airport (a 1 hour trip) we missed our second flight and had to
wait 3 hours until the
next one. The ordeal of getting home at 1:00 AM instead 6:00PM and having to go to work
the next day almost
wiped out the all the relaxation we enjoyed on the trip.
Overall I feel NCL could have done a much better job in organizing the return to Houston.
The ship's crew and
shore support staff were very disorganized and did little to facilitate getting us to the
airport. What an
organization does in response to an out of the ordinary occurrence really shows how well
it is run. NCL needs to
work on getting it right, otherwise when this sort of thing happens again they will have
another 1200 frustrated
passengers trying to get home, leaving a sour taste in everyone's mouth.
Name: David Rae
Email: dsrae@juno.com
Age: 53
Occupation: retired
NumberOfCruises: 6
TravelAgent: No
Ship: NCL-NorwegianStar
SailingDate: 11-23-97
Itinerary: Cozumel,Roatan
FoodDiningRoom: 95
CruiseDirector: 95
CabinComfort: 10
FoodRoomService: 90
CruiseStaff: 95
CabinAmenities: 30
FoodLidoDeck: 85
DiningRoomService: 98
CabinQuietness: 60
FoodMidnightBuffets: 90
CabinSteward: 98
ShoreExcVariety: 50
FoodVariety: 98
DeckService: 80
ShoreExcValue: 30
GoodForHoneymoon:
CasinoStaff: 90
PrivateIsland:
GoodForFamilies: 50
LoungeService: 60
TenderService: 40
GoodForSeniors: 30
BeautySalonStaff:
EntertainmentLounges: 90
WheelchairAccess:
ExerciseFacilities: 80
EntertShowLounge: 90
OverallPortsofCall: 30
BeautySalon:
EntertainmentPoolside: 90
CruiseActivities: 75
Casino: 90
AirSeaProgram:
MedicalFacilities:
ShipCleanliness: 40
EmbarkDisembark: 40
DiscoNightclubs: 80
DeckSpace: 80
Stabilization: 5
ShopsOnBoard:
SpaceRatio: 20
OverallCruiseValue: 25
Submit: Submit Review
Date: 30 Nov 1997
Time: 22:15:35
Remote Name: 209.16.0.242
Remote User:
Comments
Taking a cruise on this ship seemed to be a good idea, as we are from Houston, and did not
have to go to Miami.
My family, composed of a total of 11 people including my parents, siblings, and four
children. We have all been on
cruises before, so we know what is right and wrong, as a matter of fact my parents had
cruised on The Norwegian
Star three previous times as The Royal Viking Sun and The Royal Odyssey. Onboard, the
first problem was that
our key would unlock or lock the door. I was treated like an idiot and we could not lock
our door From Sunday
until Friday when they had a carpenter look at it and he changed the lock because he
realized it really didn't
work. Our tv never did work, they were told about it, but nobody ever came to fix it. Our
bathtub drained onto the
bathroom floor, as my parents bathtub also did, my son looked under the bathtub and
discovered they had tried
to tape and putty the drain into a former shower drain. My wife was seasick the first four
days of the cruise, it was
rather rough and the stablizers didn't do much. More people were seasick on this cruise
than any we've been on.
The problems mentioned above just illustrate the decline the ship has gone through, my
parents had many good
memories of this ship which were quickly changed. The biggest problem was the air
conditioning which has been
mentioned in most reviews of this ship, but I couldn't believe that it would be as bad as
it was. The first night it
was like a poor air conditioner, then it got bad. The second night it was hot all over the
ship. On Thursday night,
my father asked the maitre'd if it would get any cooler. He went and checked and told us
that they had shut down
an air conditioner, but it was now running and would soon cool things off. About 10:30 PM,
I went to the purser's
desk and asked if the air conditioner would be fixed soon. They looked at me increduously
and asked if the room
was hot. The next day it just kept getting hotter. The captain finally came on and said it
was not the air
conditioner, it was just the engine that generates the power to run it. This was one of
the formal days which they
quickly changed to a casual day, some of the few people who went to dinner, just wore
shorts to dinner. By this
time the only place to stay cool was outside on the deck, many people got their food in
the restaurant and
brought it out on deck to eat. As people began making plans to sleep out there, they were
told they would not be
allowed to sleep on deck, but when asked where we could sleep NCL's people couldn't
answer. About 99% of the
passengers, including those with penthouse staterooms, slept on deck. One thing that
really irritates me is that
much has been written about the shortcomings of this ship, yet NCL acts surprised and
denies knowing about
them. This cruise is a good idea and bookings on it show it will work, however NCL needs
to have a ship that can
be relied upon, not The Norwegian Star. I had come to expect a good cruise aboard NCL,
previously my preferred
line, but I will not use them again unless they do a complete about face.
Name: sherwood floria
Email: sheavedude@aol.com
Age: 39
Occupation: Regional Manager
NumberOfCruises: one
TravelAgent: No
Ship: NCL-NorwegianStar
SailingDate: 11-23-97
Itinerary: Mexico/Honduras
FoodDiningRoom: 90
CruiseDirector: 70
CabinComfort: 80
FoodRoomService:
CruiseStaff: 80
CabinAmenities: 80
FoodLidoDeck:
DiningRoomService: 85
CabinQuietness: 75
FoodMidnightBuffets: 90
CabinSteward: 90
ShoreExcVariety: 90
FoodVariety: 90
DeckService: 75
ShoreExcValue: 90
GoodForHoneymoon:
CasinoStaff: 90
PrivateIsland: 90
GoodForFamilies: 80
LoungeService: 70
TenderService:
GoodForSeniors:
BeautySalonStaff: 90
EntertainmentLounges: 80
WheelchairAccess: 70
ExerciseFacilities: 80
EntertShowLounge: 80
OverallPortsofCall: 85
BeautySalon: 85
EntertainmentPoolside: 80
CruiseActivities: 80
Casino: 85
AirSeaProgram:
MedicalFacilities:
ShipCleanliness: 80
EmbarkDisembark: 75
DiscoNightclubs: 80
DeckSpace: 90
Stabilization: 60
ShopsOnBoard: 75
SpaceRatio: 80
OverallCruiseValue: 75
Submit: Submit Review
Date: 01 Dec 1997
Time: 20:04:59
Remote Name: 152.163.206.104
Remote User:
Comments
The boarding process should have been a forwarning of the week to come. Boarding started
about three hours
late with no real reason given. During the first two days at sea the ship wallowed like a
pig in heavy seas. The
smell of vomit was everywhere throughout the ship. If the 8 to 10 foot waves didn't get to
you, the smell certainly
did. The ship experienced air conditioning problems throughout the entire cruise and the
passengers suffer with
little or no A-C for at least 4 of the 7 days at sea. On the fifth day of the cruise the
air conditioning completely
failed at 3:00PM and within three hours temperatures inside the ship were over 100
degrees. That night (the day
after Thanksgiving) practically every passenger was forced to sleep outside on the deck.
During this time the crew
did work very hard providing soft drinks, bottled water, rum punch, and food, but no
special medical provisions
were made for the many elderly passengers with health problems. I was on the cruise with
my family, and my
In-laws. My Mother-in-law is 73 years old and she suffers from Diabetes, and a heart
condition. Needless to say,
spending a night out on the deck was not the best situation for her. I know I'm supposed
to say something nice
about the cruise, but it's really hard to think of much that was positive. I will say that
the worker bees worked like
turks the night we spent on the deck.
Name: Celia Skrivanek
Email: c.skrivanek@mail.utexas.edu
Age: 46
Occupation: attorney
NumberOfCruises: 1
TravelAgent: No
Ship: NCL-NorwegianStar
SailingDate: November 23, 1997
Itinerary: Calica/Cozumel/Roatan
FoodDiningRoom: 90
CruiseDirector: 80
CabinComfort: 85
FoodRoomService: 75
CruiseStaff: 80
CabinAmenities: 85
FoodLidoDeck: 75
DiningRoomService: 90
CabinQuietness: 85
FoodMidnightBuffets:
CabinSteward: 70
ShoreExcVariety: 70
FoodVariety: 90
DeckService: 65
ShoreExcValue: 65
GoodForHoneymoon: 80
CasinoStaff: 80
PrivateIsland:
GoodForFamilies: 85
LoungeService: 80
TenderService: 70
GoodForSeniors: 80
BeautySalonStaff: 85
EntertainmentLounges: 85
WheelchairAccess:
ExerciseFacilities: 75
EntertShowLounge: 90
OverallPortsofCall: 70
BeautySalon: 85
EntertainmentPoolside: 85
CruiseActivities: 85
Casino: 85
AirSeaProgram:
MedicalFacilities:
ShipCleanliness: 75
EmbarkDisembark: 65
DiscoNightclubs:
DeckSpace: 75
Stabilization: 80
ShopsOnBoard: 70
SpaceRatio: 75
OverallCruiseValue: 80
Submit: Submit Review
Date: 01 Dec 1997
Time: 22:58:18
Remote Name: 128.83.112.148
Remote User:
Comments
This was our first cruise, and there were lots of things that we enjoyed about it. The
food was very good, as was
the service in the dining room. The evening entertainment was also good. Especially the
Jane L. Powell show. The
ship had a very friendly feel to it, and there was plenty to do onboard. Other highlights
were Xel-Ha at Cozumel,
and Tabyana Bay at Roatan. The snorkeling at these two places was great. Our ten year old
had a ball in both
places. Our room was small, but well equipped. Now for the downside. Embarkation was a
nightmare. The boat
was delayed getting into port, and we were delayed getting out. The people handling
embarkation were very
unhelpful. Next, because of bad weather, the ship was not able to dock at Calica/Cancun.
This left only two stops
for a seven day trip. Not enough! The excursions we took, (Tulum, Xel-Ha and Tabyana Bay)
were nice, but they
were very over-priced. Much of the crew seemed to have a chip on their shoulder. The
reception desk was
especially unfriendly. Our room steward was hardly ever around, and sometimes would not
make up our room
until evening. Room service was fast, but the food was very average. The biggest problem
on the cruise was that
the air-conditioner was out for three days of the cruise. The heat was extremely
uncomfortable. On Friday, it got
so hot inside the ship, that older people were fainting, and most people moved blankets
and mattresses outside
to sleep on the promenade deck. Instead of a lurury cruise, we had a campout!The extreme
heat inside the ship
also prevented people from attending the formal, farewell dinner and the Broadway show.
This whole thing was
really a disaster, and there were many unhappy passengers. The captain sent a letter out
to all cabins that NCL
was going to give a $100.00 credit to each cabin. Most were not appeased. We were
effectively denined the use of
the ship for almost two days. There was also a big problem with water leaking on the ship.
Carpets were wet
continually, and wet towels were in evidence all over the ship. In summarey, there were
many things we liked
about the trip, but there were some serious problems. We would not recommend taking this
cruise until the
itenirary is beefed up, and the ship is docked long enough to address the physical
(leaking) and mechanical
(air-conditioning) problems.
Name: Katie English
Email: sukieng@fuse.net
Age: 44
Occupation: clerk
NumberOfCruises: 1
TravelAgent: No
Ship: NCL-NorwegianStar
SailingDate: 11/23/97
Itinerary: Southwest Caribeanian
FoodDiningRoom: 65
CruiseDirector: 50
CabinComfort: 50
FoodRoomService: 85
CruiseStaff: 90
CabinAmenities: 50
FoodLidoDeck:
DiningRoomService: 85
CabinQuietness: 65
FoodMidnightBuffets: 80
CabinSteward: 100
ShoreExcVariety: 75
FoodVariety: 60
DeckService: 90
ShoreExcValue: 60
GoodForHoneymoon: 20
CasinoStaff: 50
PrivateIsland:
GoodForFamilies: 50
LoungeService: 65
TenderService:
GoodForSeniors: 40
BeautySalonStaff:
EntertainmentLounges: 80
WheelchairAccess: 40
ExerciseFacilities:
EntertShowLounge: 55
OverallPortsofCall: 40
BeautySalon:
EntertainmentPoolside: 75
CruiseActivities: 40
Casino: 30
AirSeaProgram: 10
MedicalFacilities:
ShipCleanliness:
EmbarkDisembark: 10
DiscoNightclubs: 45
DeckSpace: 85
Stabilization: 10
ShopsOnBoard: 10
SpaceRatio:
OverallCruiseValue: 10
Submit: Submit Review
Date: 10 Dec 1997
Time: 23:25:27
Remote Name: 208.16.146.65
Remote User:
Comments
We arrived at Houston at 1:55pm our ship was to depart at 5:00pm. We waited at the airport
until 5:10pm. We
were told not to leave the area as we may miss the bus. My husband is diabetic and needed
to eat.
When we arrived at the ship we had missed the tour of the boat, the farewell party, the
"life boat drill", and the
excursion discussion. We had no idea how to get the the dinning room or what we really
were suppose to do.
By Tuesday we started to notice that there was a problem with the AC. The toilets did not
work properly. The bed
we had in our cabin was a roll away bed. The old fashion, metal frame, 1 1/2 inch mattress
with a foam wafel pad.
We are kinda plain people who expected steak, lobster, shrimp, etc. Instead we had menus
which we really had
no idea what it was or what it might taste like. Our waiter did not speak much english so
he was no help.
We did not get the dinning arrangements which we had planned. Of course since we were late
we had missed the
Maiter D's time frame from being available for changes.
I feel they sailed us around in cooler water as long as they possibly could because the AC
was not working. They
painted the hallways during the day when it was already hot, sticky, and now even more
smelly. On top of it we
were expected to bounce from side to side of the hallways avoiding the painted area.
The end to the perfect cruise involved sleeping on the deck due to the heat of the ship.
Then on Saturday all you
could do was to take a nap, pack you bags, then go to bed so you could be up for breakfast
at 6:00am to leave
your room by 8:30am. We sat in closed lounge for 2 1/2 hours while they called for people
to come meet with
immigration. Even the crew.
We were so late getting off ship we spent the rest of Sunday running for planes. The plane
that they had us on
from Cincinnati to Cleveland had no restrooms, one seat on each side of the plane. This
plane carried 19
passengers. I never had any idea that was the air transportation that awaited me.
All I have heard they are offering is a discount on your next cruise. Please... who is
likely to take another cruise
with them?
Fool me once shame on you...Fool me twice shame on me!!!
Name: Brent Jensen
Email: jenjohan@execpc.com
Age: 40
Occupation: Salesman
NumberOfCruises: 1
TravelAgent: No
Ship: NCL-NorwegianStar
SailingDate: Dec. 21-28, 1997
Itinerary: Houston-Calica-Cozumel-Roatan
FoodDiningRoom: 99
CruiseDirector: 80
CabinComfort: 50
FoodRoomService:
CruiseStaff: 90
CabinAmenities: 80
FoodLidoDeck: 90
DiningRoomService: 90
CabinQuietness: 50
FoodMidnightBuffets:
CabinSteward: 99
ShoreExcVariety: 75
FoodVariety: 90
DeckService: 85
ShoreExcValue:
GoodForHoneymoon: 70
CasinoStaff:
PrivateIsland:
GoodForFamilies: 65
LoungeService: 80
TenderService:
GoodForSeniors:
BeautySalonStaff:
EntertainmentLounges: 85
WheelchairAccess:
ExerciseFacilities: 80
EntertShowLounge: 85
OverallPortsofCall: 85
BeautySalon:
EntertainmentPoolside: 85
CruiseActivities: 80
Casino:
AirSeaProgram: 85
MedicalFacilities:
ShipCleanliness: 85
EmbarkDisembark: 75
DiscoNightclubs: 7555555575
DeckSpace: 75
Stabilization: 40
ShopsOnBoard: 70
SpaceRatio: 80
OverallCruiseValue: 75
Submit: Submit Review
Date: 30 Dec 1997
Time: 00:31:45
Remote Name: 169.207.1.19
Remote User:
Comments
I discovered this web site just a few days prior to embarking with my family on the
Christmas cruise of the Norwegian Star. My brother, who
lives in Galveston had tipped me off about the many problems this cruise had encountered.
But with my mother-in-law graciously flying every
member of her family in from all over the country to enjoy this cruise, there was no
backing out. I had read every review prior to this one on
the Star, but hoped that NCL would have had the integrity to solve these mechanical
problems since Thanksgiving.
Our group of 18 (14 adults and 4 children, including our 2 and 5 year old boys)
encountered few problems getting to and on the ship, with
the exception of our niece, whose luggage containing her clothing wound up traveling to
Virginia thanks to Continental Airlines. She was
reunited with this luggage in Cozumel.
As a parent of two preschool children, my perspective is slanted toward those services
which best accommodate a family. The trip through
the Gulf of Mexico was largely uneventful, with weather just chilly enough to discourage
time on the pool deck. I decided to check out the
Kid's Corner area to see if my children would enjoy some time there. The room - not much
larger than a cabin - was adequate for most
activities. I seemed to be ignored by the caretaker on hand for a while before being asked
for information to be used for the childrens' name
tags. When I informed her that my youngest son was not yet three, I was told, ‘We
can't accept them unless they're at least three.' Unable to
separate the two boys, this quickly became a non-option.
Food quality on this cruise was exceptional. My wife and I have dined at several highly
regarded metropolitan restaurants at home and in our
travels and we found the menu in the main dining room to be no less than inspired. I was
encouraged to order many of the more adventurous
menu items after the first night, and was rewarded with exciting and delicious appetizers,
soups and entrees every time. Because of young
children, we chose to dine at the buffet for most breakfast and lunch meals. The
selections were many, varied and terrific. The only item I
didn't enjoy the entire voyage was a hamburger, ordered at the grill on the 9th level by
the spa pools. I felt it was overcooked and had a
strong peppery taste which reminded me of faux hamburgers I've eaten in Mexico. The
servers, including our primary waiter Malcom, were
consistently friendly, helpful and efficient - even under duress - and enjoyed giving
extra attention to the boys, making them feel included and
welcome.
Our cabin steward, Noel, was also very thorough, efficient and friendly. We returned to
our cabin following breakfast each day to find a
spotless, restocked room. After dinner each evening, we would return to a cabin similarly
tidied up and ready for sleep.
At least one member of our party had difficulty with sea sickness. Only two of the seven
days were tolerable due to the ship's constant listing.
It seemed the ship was never level. Maybe this is normal - as a first time cruiser, how
would I know? But the ship deck was at a 10 to 20
degree grade throughout the trip, and it seemed the slightest waves would cause noticeable
listing. All of our cabins were on the fourth floor,
and we compared notes daily on the excessive engine noise we would hear at night in our
cabins.
After hyping the ‘free' tour to Xcaret following an announcement that we would be
late to our first port of call at Calica, Mexico, we would
later listen to an apology from the captain announcing that we would proceed directly to
Cozumel due to problems with the main engine.
After enjoying a day of shopping and swimming in Cozumel, we reboarded the ship to
discover that the air conditioning system was failing.
Our bodies told us this, for it wasn't until later in the evening that the captain was
again apologizing for mechanical problems affecting the
A/C. He announced that they expected to have the problem corrected by 9:30 or 10:00 p.m.
Meanwhile, we tried to prepare for a formal
night with sauna-like conditions.
While trying to put the boys to bed at 9:00 (and give my wife a night out), I soon
discovered that no such repair had been made. Our cabin -
and the entire interior of the ship - was sweltering. The humidity and lack of any kind of
air flow had me sweating uncontrollably and
breathing deliberately. I decided it was time to head for the deck, an idea which was
somewhat late as we encountered few deck chairs
available. Due to the kindness of a few passengers, I managed to get four chairs together
for all of us to sleep. Because I'm a light sleeper, I
know our two-year-old will wind up on a few rolls of film and camcorders as he slept face
down on the deck chair oblivious to all. I should
mention that this was Christmas eve.
Although the problem was not fixed by Christmas morning, a cool night made conditions
barely tolerable to wake up and take a cold shower.
A beautiful day and docking at Roatan allowed most of us to enjoy Christmas day outside.
We chose to blow off the private beach tour
sponsored by NCL and instead found a local cabbie who drove us to a resort beach called
Fantasy Island. With a beach I've only seen in
dreams before, and great accommodations including a fresh water pool, outdoor cafe,
playground equipment for the kids and a coral reef a
short walk from the beach, we felt as if Santa had rewarded us all.
We returned to the ship to discover the nagging air conditioning problems still unsolved
and passengers growing irritable. Those most
affected by the terrible onboard conditions - the cooks, waiters/busboys, stewards and
bartenders were heroic in their ability to cope with
frustrated passengers and horrible conditions without compromising service or civility.
They refused to let us feel we weren't still on vacation.
By contrast, the treatment from higher ranking officers and personnel aboard the ship
ranged from denial to B.S.-ing to outright lying.
The family spent the evening (9:00 to midnight) of Christmas out on the deck, before
retiring to the cabin. By morning, the sweet flow of cool
air again pervaded the cabins and corridors. The captain again announced his apologies for
the conditions, and was quick to point out that
the source of our discomfort was an auxiliary engine driving the A/C, not the main engine
driving the propeller. Therefore, we were to ignore
rumors that the ship would be late getting back to Houston. By the morning of the 26th,
the seas began to get choppy and the excessive
listing the ship had encountered on days 1 and 2 returned. By evening, the captain was
announcing that the rough waters had slowed
progress and yes, indeed we would be late arriving at Houston.
By the time we arrived in Houston, NCL was in full damage-control mode and had rescheduled
all flights and offered a free 7-day cruise on
any future NCL ship (sans air transportation and subject to availability, etc.). An
adventurous and often charming cruise was ruined by
mechanical problems which should have been solved long ago. I truly hope NCL replaces this
ship or takes measures to permanently correct
the mechanical shortcomings. To do less would be a disservice to its dedicated employees
and the Port of Houston - if not its customers.
Name: Gloria and Ted Feit
Email: TedFeitNY@postoffice.worldnet.att.net
Age: 67
Occupation: Rtired
NumberOfCruises: 7
TravelAgent: No
Ship: NCL-NorwegianStar
SailingDate: 12/21/97
Itinerary: Calica-Cozumel-Honduras
FoodDiningRoom: 20
CruiseDirector: 75
CabinComfort: 85
FoodRoomService:
CruiseStaff: 85
CabinAmenities: 80
FoodLidoDeck:
DiningRoomService: 90
CabinQuietness: 75
FoodMidnightBuffets:
CabinSteward: 100
ShoreExcVariety:
FoodVariety: 20
DeckService: 85
ShoreExcValue: 20
GoodForHoneymoon:
CasinoStaff:
PrivateIsland:
GoodForFamilies:
LoungeService: 90
TenderService:
GoodForSeniors:
BeautySalonStaff:
EntertainmentLounges: 50
WheelchairAccess:
ExerciseFacilities: 5
EntertShowLounge: 70
OverallPortsofCall: 70
BeautySalon:
EntertainmentPoolside: 75
CruiseActivities:
Casino:
AirSeaProgram: 85
MedicalFacilities:
ShipCleanliness: 90
EmbarkDisembark: 60
DiscoNightclubs:
DeckSpace: 40
Stabilization: 20
ShopsOnBoard: 35
SpaceRatio:
OverallCruiseValue: 1
Submit: Submit Review
Date: 30 Dec 1997
Time: 07:56:50
Remote Name: 12.68.136.12
Remote User:
Comments
This ship has a history of problems, which can't be solved in the way NCL follows. We left
Houston on time at about 5 pm Sunday and by
Monday night, the air conditioning was off again (this has happened repeatedly on prior
cruises). As a result, the ship passed by the first port
of call, and arrived late at the second, forcing cancellation of a major t2our. Air
conditioning resulted in people sleeping on deck,
honeymoorners separated. Temperatures in cabins and dining room (and rest of ship) was at
intolerable levels. Air conditioning came on
Tuesday, only to fail aagain by Thursday. All in all, air conditioning was off about half
the seven-day cruise. This was caused bsy the fact that
two engines were down, resulting in loss of electricity--and the captain's choice was to
sacrefice amenities to keep the ship moving. Lack of
power also resulted in loss of stabilizers (and in gale-force windes on Saturday, going
was rough and ship arrived in Houston hours late
forcing NCL to reschedule airline reservations resulting in our arriving home six hours
later than planned).
It is our understanding that at least 70 passengers left the ship in Honduras because of
the conditions at their own expense (NCL refused to
reimburse them).
Food preparation and menu are at best pedestrian. Serice staff on the other hand aare
excellent.
OOn the Thanksgiving crusie when the breakdowns occurred (and the media called it a
"Cruise from Hell") NCL offerd passengers a 50 per
cent credit toward another NCL cruise. On the Christmas cruise 97 the offered a full
credit toward a Caribbean cruise. Why they think this is
compensation for NCL's utter disregard for its customers is beyond us. NCL literally
thgumbs its nose at its customers, and shows an utter
disregard for the health, safety, comfort and well-being of its customerfs
Name: Kathy Goodmon
Email: BILLYGOODMON@prodigy.net
Age: 49
Occupation: clerk
NumberOfCruises: 1
TravelAgent: No
Ship: NCL-NorwegianStar
SailingDate: 12-14-97
Itinerary: Calica,Cozumel,Roatan(Honduras)
FoodDiningRoom: 89
CruiseDirector: 90
CabinComfort: 95
FoodRoomService: 95
CruiseStaff: 95
CabinAmenities: 85
FoodLidoDeck:
DiningRoomService: 89
CabinQuietness: 95
FoodMidnightBuffets: 85
CabinSteward: 99
ShoreExcVariety: 95
FoodVariety: 90
DeckService: 95
ShoreExcValue: 89
GoodForHoneymoon:
CasinoStaff: 89
PrivateIsland:
GoodForFamilies:
LoungeService: 75
TenderService:
GoodForSeniors:
BeautySalonStaff:
EntertainmentLounges: 90
WheelchairAccess:
ExerciseFacilities:
EntertShowLounge: 90
OverallPortsofCall: 90
BeautySalon:
EntertainmentPoolside: 95
CruiseActivities: 85
Casino: 85
AirSeaProgram:
MedicalFacilities:
ShipCleanliness: 89
EmbarkDisembark: 85
DiscoNightclubs:
DeckSpace: 95
Stabilization: 70
ShopsOnBoard: 89
SpaceRatio: 99
OverallCruiseValue: 90
Submit: Submit Review
Date: 02 Jan 1998
Time: 21:46:46
Remote Name: 204.237.14.108
Remote User:
Comments
We had a wonderful cruise on the Star. The ship did list as mentioned in previous reviews,
but only slightly. Stability was not as good as we
had expected, but neither my husband nor I were ever seasick. The ports of call were
wonderful, especially Roatan. I went snorkeling, the
water was clear and warm with no currents. Especially good for beginner snorkeling. The
staff was excellent. Our room steward introduced
himself on the first day, after that we never saw him again but whenever we returned to
our room the beds were made, there were clean
towels in the bathroom, ice in the icebucket, and everything straightened up. This
happened not only in the morning, but whenever it was
needed throughout the day, for instance, if we took a nap in the afternoon the beds were
remade after we left. Our waiter (Luis) and busboy
(Oscar) were also excellent. If we didn't know what something was on the menu, our waiter
told us in very good English. Our busboy learned
very quickly who liked tea and who liked coffee with dinner. The food was very good and
there was a good variety. A previous review said that
everything on the menu was seafood, but on our cruise there was always something that
didn't contain seafood, such as the T-bone steaks
that were served on Western night. There were no electrical, a/c, or water leak problems
on our cruise. In fact, we had such a great time that
we booked this same cruise for the same time next year.
Name: Paul & CherylHaupt
Email: dr.no@marinet.com
Age: 48 & 42
Occupation: physician & self-employed
NumberOfCruises: 4
TravelAgent: No
Ship: NCL-NorwegianStar
SailingDate: 12/21/97
Itinerary: Houston-Cozumel/Calica-Roaton
FoodDiningRoom: 85
CruiseDirector: 70
CabinComfort: 20
FoodRoomService: 75
CruiseStaff: 95
CabinAmenities: 30
FoodLidoDeck: 80
DiningRoomService: 95
CabinQuietness: 35
FoodMidnightBuffets:
CabinSteward: 95
ShoreExcVariety: 95
FoodVariety: 80
DeckService: 85
ShoreExcValue: 95
GoodForHoneymoon:
CasinoStaff:
PrivateIsland:
GoodForFamilies: 75
LoungeService: 85
TenderService: 85
GoodForSeniors:
BeautySalonStaff:
EntertainmentLounges: 75
WheelchairAccess:
ExerciseFacilities: 85
EntertShowLounge:
OverallPortsofCall: 85
BeautySalon:
EntertainmentPoolside: 70
CruiseActivities: 70
Casino:
AirSeaProgram: 45
MedicalFacilities:
ShipCleanliness: 70
EmbarkDisembark: 20
DiscoNightclubs:
DeckSpace: 75
Stabilization: 60
ShopsOnBoard: 55
SpaceRatio: 75
OverallCruiseValue: 45
Submit: Submit Review
Date: 03 Jan 1998
Time: 15:18:09
Remote Name: 205.148.241.34
Remote User:
Comments
I am 48 and my wife is 42. We took our two teenage sons on a Christmas trip which was our
holiday present to each other. The trip started
out fine, with a nice embarkation party and pleasant weather. On Tuesday, at sea, however,
the air conditioning broke down. We found out
later that this was not the first time. We were told that it would be fixed soon, but it
turned out that it took three days. Because of the air
conditioning problem, many passengers slept on deck. Also, because of other engine
problems, the boat was late for Calica and could not get
in to port. It went to Cozimel instead and we ferried to Tulum. The Chichten Izta had to
be cancelled because of the delay. The off shore
excursions were very good. The beach at Roatan is exceptional. Food was fair to good but
not as good as some ships we have been on. The
service from waiters to cabin stewards was very good. The captain was very diplomatic
about the problems, but we never seemed to get
accurate information about what was going on and when things would be fixed. Embarkation
was a disaster. The ship was late in returning to
Houston and it took several hours to get off the boat. Many people had to catch late
flights. Our flight was changed too, however, no one
informed us of the change so we ended up taking a taxi at our expense (we had the air-sea
program) to get to the airport, only to find that
the cruise company had cancelled our flight. We had to scramble to get on a plane. I would
not recommend that one sign up for this cruise
until NCL works out the bugs. The itinerary is excellent and Houston is closer than Miami
or San Juan, but there are just too many problems
that are still to be solved before one spends valuable vacation time and money on this
one.
Name: Steve Merwin
Email: themerwins@wavefront.com
Age: 30
Occupation: Corporate Security Supervisor
NumberOfCruises: 2
TravelAgent: No
Ship: NCL-NorwegianStar
SailingDate: 11/23/98
Itinerary: Houston, Cancun, Cozumel, and Roatan
FoodDiningRoom: 88
CruiseDirector: 80
CabinComfort: 85
FoodRoomService: 80
CruiseStaff: 90
CabinAmenities: 80
FoodLidoDeck: 85
DiningRoomService: 95
CabinQuietness: 95
FoodMidnightBuffets:
CabinSteward: 85
ShoreExcVariety: 90
FoodVariety: 90
DeckService: 85
ShoreExcValue: 80
GoodForHoneymoon: 90
CasinoStaff: 85
PrivateIsland:
GoodForFamilies: 90
LoungeService: 90
TenderService: 80
GoodForSeniors: 90
BeautySalonStaff:
EntertainmentLounges: 85
WheelchairAccess:
ExerciseFacilities: 85
EntertShowLounge: 88
OverallPortsofCall: 90
BeautySalon:
EntertainmentPoolside: 90
CruiseActivities: 88
Casino: 88
AirSeaProgram: 88
MedicalFacilities:
ShipCleanliness: 90
EmbarkDisembark: 75
DiscoNightclubs: 85
DeckSpace: 90
Stabilization: 80
ShopsOnBoard: 85
SpaceRatio: 90
OverallCruiseValue: 90
Submit: Submit Review
Date: 19 Feb 1998
Time: 23:32:50
Remote Name: 206.146.214.21
Remote User:
Comments
My wife and I recently spent our vacation/wedding anniversary on a cruise. As we were
preparing for our second cruise
vacation the time came to decide which cruise line to choose. After considering a number
of factors (quality,
recommendation of friends & family, cruise line reputation, and value) we chose
Norwegian Cruise Line, and selected the
Texaribbean package.
This being our last big vacation before we have children, we were very anxious to spend
seven days having fun and
relaxing. Upon our arrival at the port of Houston, we were informed that the Norwegian
Star was going to be delayed. We
heard secondhand from other passengers that this delay was due to a medical emergency on
board. After waiting for
what seemed to be all day, we boarded the ship. We understand that issues such as these
may arise, but the lack of
communication was difficult to understand.
After a series of mishaps (missing Calica, having air conditioning fail twice, and losing
our camera) we were disappointed.
However, after the captain announced a $100.00 shipboard credit and a 25% discount we were
somewhat pacified.
Of particular frustration was the loss of our camera. While we certainly do not hold
Norwegian Cruise Line responsible, we
are very disappointed in the level of assistance and concern displayed by crew members. On
the sixth day of the cruise,
we accidentally left the camera in the Midnight Sun Lounge during the breakfast buffet,
only to return an hour later
unable to locate it, and finding the wait staff very unhelpful. We spent the remainder of
the day checking the reception
desk and trying to locate the maitre-d who was reportedly on duty in the Midnight Sun
Lounge that morning.
We want to underscore that we have been describing the things that went wrong on our
vacation. There were a lot of
things that went great, and we have many fond memories! Roatan was absolutely beautiful!
We highly encourage the
Dive-in snorkeling package. The experience was well worth it. The food and service stand
out as exceptional!
About a month ago Norwegian Cruise Line displayed their commitment to customer
satisfaction by giving us a free cruise!
So we are taking one more last big vacation before we have children. We will be spending
spring break on the Seaward
cruising the southern Caribbean.
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