Anyone been on the Star since the dry dock?

I was on the transatlantic just before she went into dry dock. It was my first NCL cruise and I was mildly concerned, having read the thread about what happened on Sun prior to her dry dock.

Honestly, I just didn't see a whole lot that I thought looked terribly old and out-dated. I expect ships to show wear and tear given the number of people they haul!

I enjoyed it enough that I bought a future cruise certificate and while it would be nice to try another ship, I liked Star enough that I'd happily sail her again. The reburishments sound great. I loved it back there by the kiddie pool but there was nowhere to sit. It was usually too cool to be outdoors a lot. We didn't have a whole lot of sun, even after we reached Europe.

Anyway, I'm not going to join FB groups just to look at photos. I'm sure there will be plenty posted elsewhere soon enough. I just do a Google search occasionally.

Last two are the new H2O area in the back of the ship. More below:

The pool before and after:

Restaurants:

More restaurants:

I am afraid I can't see the pictures.

Now I also have seen some of the pictures in the FB group.

I really like they removed the aft pool for kids and redesigned it to the Spice H2O area.

Seems it is directly connected with the Market Café and Spice H2O also has some outdoor seats - so it seems you finally can eat and sit outside! :)

 

Further the ship now looks much more mature and decent and not as fancy and glitzy as before where it seemed to be designed by unmature kids and teenagers...

 

However does anyone know what the High End Bar or how it is called now serves? It was the Bier Garten before.

Does it still serve food, or just drinks now?

Hi I am searching for the Facebook group; no luck, can you please paste the link here, thank you :)

Type this in

NCL- Norwegian Dawn Sun Sky Star Spirit and Pride of America Fan Page. No punctuation, exactly as I’ve written it.

Hi. Has anyone been on star with kids since the dry dock? We booked a week in August with 3 kids, and they’ve got rid of the kids pool and the water slides.

That’s telling us it’s not much of a ship for kids. If we’d known that we wouldn’t have booked it, last thing we want is feeling awkward all holiday because we have kids and no one else does.

It’s school holidays so we’d imagine it would still have some families, but they could have let us know the changes when booking it, it’s not like they made a last minute decision and threw the ship in the dock.

Hi,

does anybody know if the shows have chnaged after the drydock?

I saw some recent freestyle dailies (same facebook group as the pictures) with different shows than what I can see in MyNCL.

Regards

Mafe

I am afraid I can't see the pictures.

I can't see them either.

Also unable to see those pics posted

The pool before and after:

 

Uploading as attachments.

We are sailing in 5 days on the Star and we have 2 very disappointed boys aged 6 and 9 as we have just been informed the water slides have been removed!!

We are sailing in 5 days on the Star and we have 2 very disappointed boys aged 6 and 9 as we have just been informed the water slides have been removed!!

Yup, I was quite drunk when I got the email about the changes, sent a very strong complaint in. Not because they’ve done it but they must have known this was happening and they didn’t tell us before now. We didn’t know much about star but got a great room and it looked like there was enough for kids so we booked on that strength but now nothing. The fact they’ve done it I presume means it’s generally not a great cruise for kids. We’ve got 3 to keep happy.

Yup, I was quite drunk when I got the email about the changes, sent a very strong complaint in. Not because they’ve done it but they must have known this was happening and they didn’t tell us before now. We didn’t know much about star but got a great room and it looked like there was enough for kids so we booked on that strength but now nothing. The fact they’ve done it I presume means it’s generally not a great cruise for kids. We’ve got 3 to keep happy.

Sign them up for the kids clubs on the FIRST DAY and they will keep them busy.

What is the Seven Seas restaurant? Don’t see it on the Star Dining options.

I was wondering this as well. Something new?

Sign them up for the kids clubs on the FIRST DAY and they will keep them busy.

I know, our older 2 will be ok but we’ve got one that’s just turned 3. Not sure how he’ll be in those. The older ones are also disappointed though.

The main thing for us is what it says about the ship as a whole. They must have done this because it’s geneally not got many families with kids on, last thing we want is being awkward at meal times and such like.

We are sailing in 5 days on the Star and we have 2 very disappointed boys aged 6 and 9 as we have just been informed the water slides have been removed!!

Can you let me know how it goes please? We’re sailing in August in peak school holidays so I still presume it will have a load of kids, but am interested to know how kids get on now it’s removed so much.

NCL replied to my complaint, they said they had to do it for reasons beyond their control which sounds like a load of rubbish to me.

Can you let me know how it goes please? We’re sailing in August in peak school holidays so I still presume it will have a load of kids, but am interested to know how kids get on now it’s removed so much.

 

NCL replied to my complaint, they said they had to do it for reasons beyond their control which sounds like a load of rubbish to me.

You are lucky to have gotten even that much of a quick response from NCL. As someone else on a different thread mentioned, they must have the summer interns answering complaints.

Even before these changes, compared to the new ships, the Star didn't have much for kids other than the back area and the clubs. The yellow slides didn't work well.

"Beyond Their Control" if they said that is ridiculous. Was the drydock operated by aliens? IMO this is only to make/charge more money somewhere or reduce costs. The Star has been doing more and more less family traveled routes so to Miami it made sense for areas to be removed that don't get used a lot.

NCL is a poor communicator about any changes and this is surely one of the last things they'd tell anyone about in advance.

You are lucky to have gotten even that much of a quick response from NCL. As someone else on a different thread mentioned, they must have the summer interns answering complaints.

 

Even before these changes, compared to the new ships, the Star didn't have much for kids other than the back area and the clubs. The yellow slides didn't work well.

 

"Beyond Their Control" if they said that is ridiculous. Was the drydock operated by aliens? IMO this is only to make/charge more money somewhere or reduce costs. The Star has been doing more and more less family traveled routes so to Miami it made sense for areas to be removed that don't get used a lot.

 

NCL is a poor communicator about any changes and this is surely one of the last things they'd tell anyone about in advance.

Thanks for the info. I'm more worried there won't be any families onboard and we'll spend the whole cruise worrying about annoying other guests. The little one is happy running around and the older 2 are 11 and 14, they will spend the whole time on their phones if there's nothing better to do. With it being peak school holidays do you think there will be a lot of kids onboard?

Here is NCL's fantastic reply:

"Thank you for your email.

First and foremost, NCL would like to apologisefor any inconvenience caused in regards to the removal of the kids pool on theNCL Star.

This was a decision made outside our control.

May we inform you that the Spice H20 pool will stillbe available with adults supervision.

Rest assured, your comments and feedback are dulynoted and welcomed and we leave no stone unturned. Your comments will be passedonto the relevant department for their attention however, please do feel freeto email our Guest Relations department on XXX upon your return from the cruise."

I might just get drunk and let the kids run riot in Spice H20, if anyone complains I'll show them this email (I won't really but it would be quite funny).

Thanks for the info. I'm more worried there won't be any families onboard and we'll spend the whole cruise worrying about annoying other guests. The little one is happy running around and the older 2 are 11 and 14, they will spend the whole time on their phones if there's nothing better to do. With it being peak school holidays do you think there will be a lot of kids onboard?

 

Here is NCL's fantastic reply:

 

 

"Thank you for your email.

 

 

 

First and foremost, NCL would like to apologisefor any inconvenience caused in regards to the removal of the kids pool on theNCL Star.

 

 

 

This was a decision made outside our control.

 

 

 

 

 

May we inform you that the Spice H20 pool will stillbe available with adults supervision.

 

 

 

 

 

Rest assured, your comments and feedback are dulynoted and welcomed and we leave no stone unturned. Your comments will be passedonto the relevant department for their attention however, please do feel freeto email our Guest Relations department on XXX upon your return from the cruise."

 

 

I might just get drunk and let the kids run riot in Spice H20, if anyone complains I'll show them this email (I won't really but it would be quite funny).

Yeah, I read that as they can go so long as supervised.

Hard to say how many kids. From guess only based on Baltic trip with only 50 kids mid-June to Med mid-June with more kids I'd say the Star being a less family oriented ship probably not a ton of kids. As someone else mentioned, it is pretty port intensive so probably not too much of an issue.

Outside of control is funny other than literally outside of that specific department.

Yeah, I read that as they can go so long as supervised.

 

Hard to say how many kids. From guess only based on Baltic trip with only 50 kids mid-June to Med mid-June with more kids I'd say the Star being a less family oriented ship probably not a ton of kids. As someone else mentioned, it is pretty port intensive so probably not too much of an issue.

 

Outside of control is funny other than literally outside of that specific department.

Thanks a lot. Just got another response from them, no idea why. Not going to post whole thing but the start is funny:

"Thank you foryour email and I am sorry to hear about your disappointment with your upcomingcruise with Norwegian Cruise Line.

I can reassure you that we have informed youabout the change as soon as we had the information here in our European officefrom our Headquarters in Miami."

They informed me last Saturday, 16th June 2018. So they found out about the changes after the ship had set sail with the changes. They should get their info from this forum in future, people here obviously know more about NCL than NCL do.