NCL STAR the worst Buffet

Food is subject but I found the Star was far below average in their buffet. The set up of tables was more like a Jr. High school cafeteria. There is nothing positive to say about their market cafe buffet. The good part though was I was on a cruise.

Quality wise? Or choises?

Last March we were on the Star- Service and Food were the worst. The Buffet was worse than Circus Circus in Las Vegas. Never again will we go on that ship. We have been on many NCL cruises and the Star is the worst.

Both quality and choices. Very low end products, lots of starch and few fresh veggies. The fresh fruit was the only good thing they offered. They don't come around with beverages which is different then other cruise lines. We had breakfast and lunch in Cagneys and that wasn't so good either. This was our second NCL and the first was Pride of Hawaii about 9 years ago. We didn't care for that cruise and waited a long time to go back. The Star is definitely not up to par with other mass cruise lines IMHO.

I,too got off the star on 12/14 and while I was not impressed with the food in the Buffett it was no better or worse than carnival or princess for that matter.

The crepes were good. And so were the cookies.

But then I don't cruise for food.

I don't know about the NCL Star but I recently sailed on the NCL Jade and overall, the food was pretty good and comparable to all that we have ever had on Royal Caribbean.

This was our first cruise on NCL. We are Diamond on Royal.

All that said, I agree that food is subjective and we should all respect that.

For that reason, I try to make videos of the food I eat and share them, so that we have something more concrete to compare with. For example, I made 2 videos of the buffet food on the NCL Jade.

Embarkation Day Lunch

Dinner

OP, if you could do me a favour, could you watch the videos briefly and let me know whether the buffet you had on NCL Star was similar or different. If different, how different. I am very curious to know.

I never have high expectations on buffet food whether it be on a ship or a catering place on land.

IMHO, Restaurants are different and the expectations are and should be much higher in their respective venues.

I use the buffet on cruises to supplement the restaurants, to grab a quick snack or meal if needed. For instance, I love the soft ice cream in the buffet and in the morning, the omlet and oatmeal station provides a better breakfast many times than the restaurant.

On the NCL ships that have "the Great Outdoors" there is not a nicer place in the morning to enjoy breakfast in the morning. :)

That being said, opinions are what these boards are about and the more opinions we have, the better we will be able to make decisions on what we do and where we eat once onboard. :)

Don

Everyone is correct, food is very subjective.

We are like Don and only use the buffet to grab a quick bite to eat at lunch on port days if we need something to tide us over to dinner. We have always found it to be satisfactory and have always been able to find something to eat there. While it is not gourmet food, it suffices for our needs.

We try to grab breakfast in the dining room or Moderno which has a pretty nice breakfast that is free of charge as well.

We usually eat in the MDR for dinner and find it to our likling most nights. If we don't like something, we can always get something else, but that hasn't happened often.

We were on the Star for 28 days in September and October. The Buffet is not as large as the Gem, since it doesn't go all the way back to the stern. It is an older design.

As far as the food was concerned, we thought the food was generally good. There were people we dined with and went on tours with that had been on the Star earlier in the year and they said that the food and menus on the Star had defiantly improved.

We had a couple of poor meals in one of the MDRs, but otherwise the food was very good.

I am surprised that the OP "had breakfast and lunch in Cagneys and that wasn't so good either". From recollection I personally loved the menu and breakfast items in Cagney's and the lunch in Cagney's was good also. Perhaps the OP's tastes are quite a bit more discerning than mine are.

Being in a suite or at least a VIP of some sort (I am guessing because typically that's who gets to eat breakfast and lunch in Cagney's... ) and having access to the concierge, I wonder if they mentioned anything about their displeasure while on board...

Re: refilling beverages in buffet... All cruise lines are different. NCL chooses not to bring beverages to you at the buffet.

Re: refilling beverages in buffet... All cruise lines are different. NCL chooses not to bring beverages to you at the buffet.

We have been offered coffee refills in buffet during breakfast on several cruises. - never seen it other times though. So it's not a norm but happens also with NCL.

I am surprised that the OP "had breakfast and lunch in Cagneys and that wasn't so good either". From recollection I personally loved the menu and breakfast items in Cagney's and the lunch in Cagney's was good also. Perhaps the OP's tastes are quite a bit more discerning than mine are.

We had Cagney's on the NCL Jade for Breakfast and Lunch, as suite guests.

Breakfast

Lunch

Was your menu at Cagney's the same?

We thought that the breakfast and lunch at Cagney's were really good.

Was your menu at Cagney's the same?

 

We thought that the breakfast and lunch at Cagney's were really good.

All menus are fleetwide, only exception being the new MDR menus that are not yet rolled out on all ships (most of the fleet got them by the end of July and Jade got them very recently).

This is where the OP lost me in his review, "there is nothing positive to say about their market cafe buffet", "we had breakfast and lunch in Cagneys and that wasn't so good either" and finally, "the Star is definitely not up to par with other mass cruise lines IMHO". How do you jump from a review of the buffet to a thumbs down on the entire ship? I compare these statements to my experiences on various NCL ( and other ) ships, including the Star, and file this info my mental "round file".

We had Cagney's on the NCL Jade for Breakfast and Lunch, as suite guests.

 

Breakfast

 

Lunch

 

Was your menu at Cagney's the same?

 

We thought that the breakfast and lunch at Cagney's were really good.

The lunch menu was identical on the Gem in 2013... but the breakfast was different by one item... the delicious crab cake eggs benedict rather than the classic eggs benedict. Either way, it was a delicious way to start the day in Cagneys :)

I think how adventurous you are will definitely effect your opinion. I was on the Star on Nov 3-17 sailing. If the food was bad the people that were packed in their every day sure didn't get the memo. Realistically mass produced buffet food is only going to be so good but I always find some really good ethnic options in the buffet. Sometime you need to check both sides and both the front and back areas because there are differences. Each day I would try Indian, Thai, Chinese, and other interesting choices. Some days I would try the food cooked on deck by the pool. Bottom line is there are a lot of choices. Some may not be to your liking but I think if you look hard enough you will find some really good food.

We have been on both Jade and Star and I have watched that earlier video - it is pretty much as I remember Jade from the spring. The Star buffet has a quite different style and physical design and I think it makes it look a bit less quality than the one on Jade, hence the school canteen comments. The range of foods on both is pretty extensive but, it is sometimes a bit like scanning the TV channels and not finding on that interests you at the time! One thing I did remember from the Jade was that crepe station because it was superb. The one on the Star did not have the same choice of fillings and the crepes seemed to be thrown together - might be a staff issue.

The single most common complaint about the buffet on both ships (and probably all) stems from the poor range of hot veg on the main dish section. I have found that there is rarely more than one choice of veg (excluding differing versions of potatoes) and if you don't happen to like that choice then upwards of a third of your main meal is going to be missing. Surely it would not be too difficult to have things like peas, corn and carrots available - these veg actually live well on buffet heaters even when cooked from frozen. Those guests who only go to the buffet for a snack probably wouldn't even notice this issue.

I do have to agree with others who thought that breakfast and lunch in Cagney's was excellent. The range of cold choices through from that lovely muesli via the fresh fruits and nuts right to the hams and cheeses is beyond reproach. The layout of the cold table on the Star is not quite a good as the Jade because Cagney's on the Star is reduced in size by having to allow for the space taken up by the atrium and glass elevators. The hot choices do not change so can get a bit repetitive if you don't like enough to have a change, but we have found them all beatifully cooked and well served. The desserts are also very good in there, as are coffees and a wide selection of teas served to your table. Apart from the stability of the menu I can't see how anyone can fail to be impressed by Cagney's.

We did eat a couple of times on the Star in the Blue Lagoon because we got our timings of shows a bit messed up and the rush out from what was a packed first show made both dining rooms and the buffet a bit of a scrum. The tomato soup in the Blue Lagoon was to die for and burgers and fish and chips were very tasty and freshly cooked and provided an excellent alternative to the range and style of the buffet. The Blue Lagoon also seemed to be a peaceful retreat and you get the benefit of music wafting up from the atrium band! And by the time we had finished, the crepe station was still in business!

My wife and I have cruised NCL seven times, the last being a 14 day on the Star. I realize that food is subjective and that we all come from different backgrounds and perspectives. What sets some of these posts off are the embellishments and exaggerations, my favorite being; comparing the NCL buffets to a school cafeteria.

I thought I went to a fairly nice HS but I guess not. We did not have; silverware, rolled in cloth napkins at our table; we did not have staff come by regularly to take away our plates and cups; we did not have someone pushing a cart up and down the buffet area (at breakfast at least) refilling our coffee and juice; we did not have the great variety of foods to pick from (in fact, the only variety was take or leave); we did not have veal and lamb to choose from; and so on.

Our last cruise (the TA on the Star) we mostly ate at the MDR as we enjoyed being seated and waited on. Our few experiences at the buffet were fine. The service was more than fine. Early on my wife asked one of the staff when some fresh fries would come out as the ones on the buffet were a little stale. He asked where we were sitting and 10 minutes later arrived with a plate of fresh, hot fries. Every afternoon when we passed the same staff person, he asked us where we were sitting and again brought us a plate of fries. Never got that at a school buffet.

Our only downside to the buffet is the crowd of people and at times trying to find a place to sit. That would tell me that either the bulk of the cruisers have no taste or the buffet really is pretty good.

Just sayin

Everyone has a opinion and various standards for what they think is good or bad regarding food. I have been on over 40 cruises and in my opinion NCL has the worst food. The only reason we continue to cruise with NCL is because Harrah's casino comps our cruise. So you get what you pay for. We sailed on the Dawn in July the sister ship of the Star it was like night and day. The food and service were great.

Pretty much what my post meant. Everyone has their own opinions and shouldn't be put down for stating them.

I never have high expectations on buffet food whether it be on a ship or a catering place on land.

 

 

 

IMHO, Restaurants are different and the expectations are and should be much higher in their respective venues.

 

 

 

I use the buffet on cruises to supplement the restaurants, to grab a quick snack or meal if needed. For instance, I love the soft ice cream in the buffet and in the morning, the omlet and oatmeal station provides a better breakfast many times than the restaurant.

 

On the NCL ships that have "the Great Outdoors" there is not a nicer place in the morning to enjoy breakfast in the morning. :)

 

 

 

That being said, opinions are what these boards are about and the more opinions we have, the better we will be able to make decisions on what we do and where we eat once onboard. :)

 

 

 

Don

+1

Buffets on land or sea are average at best. They have to feed the masses.

I got off on 12/14 as well, and we'd go to the buffet for crepes of something small.

Maybe my expectations were very low before the cruise so I was pleasantly surprised with food quality in Cagney's, Le Bistro and La Cuicina.

We never ate in main dining rooms so I can't comment on those.

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Food is subject but I found the Star was far below average in their buffet. The set up of tables was more like a Jr. High school cafeteria. There is nothing positive to say about their market cafe buffet. The good part though was I was on a cruise.

I certainly can not judge cause I wasn't there but I have been on the Star. Yes, the buffet is set up a little different (not very large) but certainly that has little to do with the overall quality of the buffet. Most people do not love NCLs food, but it is rare to see a real complaint about their buffets. Remember, the older, smaller ships do not have the wonderful buffets with 100s of choices, not to mention, buffets serve one purpose: a decent selection when in a hurry. They are not meant to be anything more. Sorry you were disappointed.

This is where the OP lost me in his review, "there is nothing positive to say about their market cafe buffet", "we had breakfast and lunch in Cagneys and that wasn't so good either" and finally, "the Star is definitely not up to par with other mass cruise lines IMHO". How do you jump from a review of the buffet to a thumbs down on the entire ship? I compare these statements to my experiences on various NCL ( and other ) ships, including the Star, and file this info my mental "round file".

glad you still use the round file: me too and I do about the same. It seems if OP was eating breakfast and lunch in Cagney's they must have depended on the buffet for dinner. Why would anyone eat dinner in the buffet unless it was just one time for some reason. I have to wonder how many lines the OP has really sailed and what they expected?

Everyone has a opinion and various standards for what they think is good or bad regarding food. I have been on over 40 cruises and in my opinion NCL has the worst food. The only reason we continue to cruise with NCL is because Harrah's casino comps our cruise. So you get what you pay for. We sailed on the Dawn in July the sister ship of the Star it was like night and day. The food and service were great.

I have to wonder how many times you have really sailed NCL; the reason, the Dawn is not the sister ship to the Star. The Sun is, if fact both ships were purchased at the same time, and only partially build. The Dawn was the first ship built for freestyle from the bottom up.The Sun and Star were redisigned for that purpose.

If the buffet is as bad as you said, why is there always such a long line up at meal time? May be the problem is not the food after all.

I don't know about the NCL Star but I recently sailed on the NCL Jade and overall, the food was pretty good and comparable to all that we have ever had on Royal Caribbean.

 

This was our first cruise on NCL. We are Diamond on Royal.

 

All that said, I agree that food is subjective and we should all respect that.

 

For that reason, I try to make videos of the food I eat and share them, so that we have something more concrete to compare with. For example, I made 2 videos of the buffet food on the NCL Jade.

 

Embarkation Day Lunch

 

Dinner

 

OP, if you could do me a favour, could you watch the videos briefly and let me know whether the buffet you had on NCL Star was similar or different. If different, how different. I am very curious to know.