11 day Spain, Gibraltar, Portugal

Norwegian Star Cruise Review

Cruises: 2-3 cruises
Reviews: 2
Helpful Votes: 33

Overall rating:

3.6 out of 5
Norwegian Star

12 Night Europe: Spain Portugal & Canary Islands (Lisbon Roundtrip)

Sail date: November 12, 2023

Ship: Norwegian Star

Cabin type: Suite

Cabin number: 12006

Traveled as: Family (young children)

Reviewed: 11 months ago

Review summary

Lots of disappointments, but made the best we could from it!

Embarkation

5 out of 5

Ship experiences

Food and Dining

2 out of 5
The food in specialty dining was lackluster. Not cooked through (not steaks, but chicken and side dishes), received multiple drinks that tasted of soap because the glass wasn’t rinsed.

Onboard Activities

3 out of 5
It’s a small ship, so not much there but the arcade always had at least two to three “green” games broken or out of service at all times.

Entertainment

3 out of 5

Children's Programs

1 out of 5
Had a son with us, but did not utilize the kids area. However, they took out the kids pool, which was a huge disappointment, that’s the one area that kids really benefit from having their own space. The adults on the ship as well.

Service and Staff

3 out of 5
The butler and room steward were amazing. But staff in the rest of the ship were hit or miss. Servers would mess up orders, not take away extra dishes, long waits for food with low customer number, and would forget side dishes or not refill drinks. A few times we just left after not being able to get service at the table.

Ship Quality

4 out of 5
The ship was always clean and had many signs to help point passengers to the right place.

Cabin / Stateroom

5 out of 5
Nice and open, there was an issue with the room being extremely hot at first (the whole floor was affected) but that was quickly resolved. It was clean and well managed with no issues.

Ship tip

It’s a small ship without the bells and whistles of the big ones, not a problem for us. However, if you love the itinerary and have to be on the Star, be prepared for a lower levels of service. I would suggest the Dawn (sister ship) or another vessel instead.

Ports of call

Portimao, Portugal

3 out of 5
This was the substituted port for Morocco. There is a beautiful landscape, but it is no substitution for Morocco. Therefore it was a little disappointing. It is a tender port as well, so be prepared for a 15 minute tender ride. It’s not terrible though! Definitely get a tour of Benagil Caves and the coast through Get Your Guide or Viator. MUCH cheaper than an NCL excursion and you see more!

Arrecife, Lanzarote, Canary Islands

4 out of 5
Cute island, I highly recommend seeing the green caves. They are far, and you will need a tour, but it’s worth it if you can get one on Viator or Get Your Guide!

Lisbon, Portugal

5 out of 5
Embarkation was here. However we spent three days before in Lisbon to include Sintra. I highly recommend coming early to enjoy the city, and get to Sintra! It’s well worth the small trip for the well, moorish castle, and palace!

Las Palmas, Gran Canaria, Canary Islands

3 out of 5
A bit smaller island. It would have been nice but almost all activities were closed that day for preparation for a music festival that was going to happen later that night.

Gibraltar (U.K.)

5 out of 5
Great port! Loads to see on the Nature Reserve. Top tip: get the cable car to the top of the mountain and then walk down stopping at the sites you choose. It takes about four to five hours to walk down depending on how many places you stop. It is worth it!

Malaga, Spain

5 out of 5
Beautiful port! I have never been let down by Spain. There is a beautiful fortress and cathedral that are must sees. Don’t miss them!

Santa Cruz De Tenerife, Canary Islands

4 out of 5
There is a lot of small activities around the island to see. Very fun and easy to walk around!

Disembarkation

5 out of 5
There was a port pilot strike, so those with early flights were given priority. We simply stayed on in our room till they called for anyone with flight in the afternoon once the early flights were off. Once we left, we were off in under ten minutes. Easy.
Was this review helpful? 9

8 Comments

HWCrew     10 months ago

@Niavyls, the missed ports, the bad food compared to other ships, and the bad service compared to other ships.

DessertSteaks     10 months ago

Thanks for sharing

Gwbigdog     11 months ago

Thanks for sharing

Ruby13     11 months ago

Glad you had a good time

bubbles60     11 months ago

Wonderful itinerary!

javawoody     11 months ago

Appreciate the feedback

Niavlys     11 months ago

What were your disappointments?

cruising2004     11 months ago

Sorry this cruise was not up to par.

Other reviews of this sailing