Good Itinerary/Ship needs work

Norwegian Star Cruise Review to Panama Canal, Central America

Cruises: 7+ cruises
Reviews: 2
Helpful Votes: 78

Overall rating:

4.1 out of 5
Norwegian Star

14 Night Panama Canal Westbound (Miami To Los Angeles)

Sail date: February 16, 2018

Ship: Norwegian Star

Cabin type: Oceanview

Cabin number: 8500

Traveled as: Couple

Reviewed: 6 years ago

Review summary

It was a 14 day cruise which is a long time. The entertainment was very good from the lounges to the main show room. Food was average in the main dining rooms, above average in specialty dining, and excellent a Cagney's Steakhouse. Bar service was good (we had the drink package). It came with the booking. I think NCL is running a bit of a scam on the packages. They charge $89 a day for each person if you buy it, plus 18% tip. Royal Caribbean only charges $45 plus 15% tip per day. So NCL includes a drink package option when booked. They charge the tips at the time you book based on $89 a day for each person. It's their way to get you the package (you can cruise for less if you don't take it) for less. Of course the price to buy ala carte if terribly inflated. The ship needs fixing. Out of order toilets and broken seats in the theater don't cut it. Overall the cruise was fun and worth it

Embarkation

2 out of 5
Once checked in we had an hour and half wait in the holding pen. They had juice and coffee and plenty of chairs. My experiences lately (including January) was this process was much quicker.

Ship experiences

Food and Dining

4 out of 5
The ship has 2 main dining rooms and a number of specialty restaurants. Let me start by saying Cagney's steak house is excellent. Teppenyaki is fun and the food excellent. Moderno (Brazilian steakhouse) was OK. Aqua main dining room had old fashioned ship menu and service. Food was good but not excellent. Took 2.5 hours to eat one night and we missed the show. The fancy main dining Versaille was over crowded one night we ate there. Tables were so tight back by the windows staff was bouncing off our chairs every time they went buy.

Cagney's Steakhouse

5 out of 5

It is worth the time and money (part of our package) to eat there. My filet was tender and tasty and done to perfection. My wife had a rib eye that she said was excellent and she is not much of a steak eater. Service is always a cut above in the specialty restaurants too. Kind of like it used to be on cruise ships.

Cagney's Steakhouse

5 out of 5

It is worth the time and money (part of our package) to eat there. My filet was tender and tasty and done to perfection. My wife had a rib eye that she said was excellent and she is not much of a steak eater. Service is always a cut above in the specialty restaurants too. Kind of like it used to be on cruise ships.

Cagney's Steakhouse

5 out of 5

It is worth the time and money (part of our package) to eat there. My filet was tender and tasty and done to perfection. My wife had a rib eye that she said was excellent and she is not much of a steak eater. Service is always a cut above in the specialty restaurants too. Kind of like it used to be on cruise ships.

Cagney's Steakhouse

5 out of 5

It is worth the time and money (part of our package) to eat there. My filet was tender and tasty and done to perfection. My wife had a rib eye that she said was excellent and she is not much of a steak eater. Service is always a cut above in the specialty restaurants too. Kind of like it used to be on cruise ships.

Cagney's Steakhouse

5 out of 5

It is worth the time and money (part of our package) to eat there. My filet was tender and tasty and done to perfection. My wife had a rib eye that she said was excellent and she is not much of a steak eater. Service is always a cut above in the specialty restaurants too. Kind of like it used to be on cruise ships.

Cagney's Steakhouse

5 out of 5

It is worth the time and money (part of our package) to eat there. My filet was tender and tasty and done to perfection. My wife had a rib eye that she said was excellent and she is not much of a steak eater. Service is always a cut above in the specialty restaurants too. Kind of like it used to be on cruise ships.

Cagney's Steakhouse

5 out of 5

It is worth the time and money (part of our package) to eat there. My filet was tender and tasty and done to perfection. My wife had a rib eye that she said was excellent and she is not much of a steak eater. Service is always a cut above in the specialty restaurants too. Kind of like it used to be on cruise ships.

Cagney's Steakhouse

5 out of 5

It is worth the time and money (part of our package) to eat there. My filet was tender and tasty and done to perfection. My wife had a rib eye that she said was excellent and she is not much of a steak eater. Service is always a cut above in the specialty restaurants too. Kind of like it used to be on cruise ships.

Cagney's Steakhouse

5 out of 5

It is worth the time and money (part of our package) to eat there. My filet was tender and tasty and done to perfection. My wife had a rib eye that she said was excellent and she is not much of a steak eater. Service is always a cut above in the specialty restaurants too. Kind of like it used to be on cruise ships.

Cagney's Steakhouse

5 out of 5

It is worth the time and money (part of our package) to eat there. My filet was tender and tasty and done to perfection. My wife had a rib eye that she said was excellent and she is not much of a steak eater. Service is always a cut above in the specialty restaurants too. Kind of like it used to be on cruise ships.

Cagney's Steakhouse

5 out of 5

It is worth the time and money (part of our package) to eat there. My filet was tender and tasty and done to perfection. My wife had a rib eye that she said was excellent and she is not much of a steak eater. Service is always a cut above in the specialty restaurants too. Kind of like it used to be on cruise ships.

Cagney's Steakhouse

5 out of 5

It is worth the time and money (part of our package) to eat there. My filet was tender and tasty and done to perfection. My wife had a rib eye that she said was excellent and she is not much of a steak eater. Service is always a cut above in the specialty restaurants too. Kind of like it used to be on cruise ships.

Cagney's Steakhouse

5 out of 5

It is worth the time and money (part of our package) to eat there. My filet was tender and tasty and done to perfection. My wife had a rib eye that she said was excellent and she is not much of a steak eater. Service is always a cut above in the specialty restaurants too. Kind of like it used to be on cruise ships.

Cagney's Steakhouse

5 out of 5

It is worth the time and money (part of our package) to eat there. My filet was tender and tasty and done to perfection. My wife had a rib eye that she said was excellent and she is not much of a steak eater. Service is always a cut above in the specialty restaurants too. Kind of like it used to be on cruise ships.

Cagney's Steakhouse

5 out of 5

It is worth the time and money (part of our package) to eat there. My filet was tender and tasty and done to perfection. My wife had a rib eye that she said was excellent and she is not much of a steak eater. Service is always a cut above in the specialty restaurants too. Kind of like it used to be on cruise ships.

Onboard Activities

5 out of 5
There is a lot to do on a ship. I prefer to read during the day. We did trivia every night and had a lot of fun. The pools came in handy when it was in the 90s and the whirlpools on the cooler days.

Entertainment

4 out of 5
The entertainment overall on the ship was very good. Music and shows were geared to an older crowd that this ship had. Much appreciated. The lounge entertainment particularly Jason and Felicia were great. The stage shows were very good. "These Guys" and "Band on the Run" were excellent.

Children's Programs

No Kids

Service and Staff

5 out of 5
My room steward Francisco was one of the best I have ever had. Always prompt and toll care of any needs we gave him. Tipped him extra, something I rarely feel a need to do. Lounge staff was great with Kudos to Arturo and Ray. Arturo had us for 14 days and remembered all 4 of our names from day one. The dining wait staff was good, but I think they are understaffed and rushed. People can eat when they want and sometimes the dining rooms are packed. In one case we were so tightly squeezed in the wait state couldn't get around the tables. Don't let them seat you in the back of the Versaille dining room. The staff woeks hard to please and deserve an excellent for the job they do.

Ship Quality

3 out of 5
The design of the ship is fine. However it is feeling old and needs repairs in critical areas. Women's toilets in public areas had way to many 'out of order' stall according to my wife. Also flooded public toilets was no uncommon. The Stardust theater has a lot of bad seats in need of repair. I'm surprised they sail with such a problem. The ship is clean all the time. The issue is maintenance.

Cabin / Stateroom

4 out of 5
The cabin was up front port side. It is a rocking area of the ship when it's rough. We had a first few days of uncommonly rough seas. I prefer a balcony mid ship, but no balconies were available. I booked 6 months ahead of the trip, so if you are doing a Panama Canal cruise book as early as possible. The room was small, but clean. Everything was in working order.

Ship tip

I would go on this ship again once it is refurbished. It is a smaller ship by today's standards (about 2200 passengers). It does not offer some of the things the newer ships do. When booking a cruise know what you want. There is no bowling or giant slide on this ship. As a senior cruiser I don't mind that.

Ports of call

Miami, Florida

4 out of 5
Stayed there 2 days before the trip. Saw some sights and ate some good food.

Panama Canal Transit

5 out of 5
It is an all day experience going through all the locks. Everyone should do it once in a lifetime. There is a narrator explaining the area and the whole process on the public address system all day.

Puntarenas, Costa Rica

4 out of 5
Did an excursion. It is a poor island and we saw it by old fashioned train, boat, and too much bus.

Puerto Quetzal, Guatemala

4 out of 5
Wandered around the port area and saw some traditional fashions at an outdoor show while sipping a cold beverage. My wife did a bit of shopping as there was a lot in the immediate area

Cabo San Lucas, Mexico Did not visit port

I have been here before and prefer the quiet of the ship when it is available.

San Pedro (Los Angeles), California Did not visit port

Went straight to airport to get home

Disembarkation

1 out of 5
Awful. We had a late flight (3:30 PM) so we took a luggage tag that was to get us off the ship at 10:00 AM. We walked off at 11:00 AM and they still hadn't got to us. They blamed it on customs, which was probably true.
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