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.
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!
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!
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!
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.
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!
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.
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