Mitsugirlys STAR end of the world/pre-Christmas cruise detailed review & pictorial

[mitsugirly]

Mitsugirly,

 

Without reading this whole post, can you tell me about your Pearl cruise, or do you have a write up somewhere about that ship. Any information you can provide to me would be greatly appreciated. Thanks.

 

Yes, I did a Pearl review as well (although it is not as extensive as this of course). I have each section broken down into categories with 1 post each and the limit of pictures in 1 post allowed on here, with a link to additional pictures at the bottom of each review part). :)

 

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1609108

 

Thank you for your response Mitsugirly. I look forward to your review of the Jewel in Dec. :)

 

You're welcome. I'm looking forward to having more "review" fun. :D

[NewEnglandNANA]

Great Review! Thanks for sharing.

Getting me excited for May, it is nice to compare ships. I can't wait to check out Dawn but I have a feeling we will miss "The Great Outdoors" when we were on the Jewel last year that was our meeting spot :D. If family couldn't find DH and me we always said check there first!

[mitsugirly]

Great Review! Thanks for sharing.

Getting me excited for May, it is nice to compare ships. I can't wait to check out Dawn but I have a feeling we will miss "The Great Outdoors" when we were on the Jewel last year that was our meeting spot :D. If family couldn't find DH and me we always said check there first!

 

Thanks and you're welcome. I love the Great Outdoors too. We hang out a lot there. I can't wait to go on the Jewel in December. :D

[red-rose]

Sorry if you answered this somewhere else, but what kind of camera exactly did you use for all the beautiful underwater coral pictures?

[mitsugirly]

Sorry if you answered this somewhere else, but what kind of camera exactly did you use for all the beautiful underwater coral pictures?

 

For the underwater pictures I used a Olympus Tough TG620. I bought it on the ship because I forgot my battery charger to my other 2 cameras that I normally use (Canon D10) <---they take awesome pictures too (I have 2 of them if that tells you anything) and that's what I used on my previous reviews/cruises.

 

So a lot of the ship pictures were taken in the beginning with the Canon's and the rest were with the Olympus (after the batteries drained). All of the underwater pictures were with the Olympus. :)

[laurag35]

Thanks so much for the thorough review. We are heading out on The Star next Sunday for our 1st cruise ever. Loved all the pictures on the boat. Only doing same tour in Belize so great to see pics from Bannister Island. We have no expectations so we will hopefully be happy with everything. What room did you have? We are on the same floor with an obstructed view. We have 2 rooms side by side since there is 5 of us going. It was good to see what we can expect from our room. Thanks again and sounds fun.

[mitsugirly]

Thanks so much for the thorough review. We are heading out on The Star next Sunday for our 1st cruise ever. Loved all the pictures on the boat. Only doing same tour in Belize so great to see pics from Bannister Island. We have no expectations so we will hopefully be happy with everything. What room did you have? We are on the same floor with an obstructed view. We have 2 rooms side by side since there is 5 of us going. It was good to see what we can expect from our room. Thanks again and sounds fun.

 

We were in room 8580 and although it was obstructed, we were happy with it. I was surprised that the window was that huge and that we could actually see out to the ocean and land when in port. I was expecting a port hole. If you go on NCL's site and look at the layout, you will be able to tell if you have a room in between the life boats with a partial view. :) I'd try it out and see.

[bluehawks47]

Thanks so much for the thorough review. We are heading out on The Star next Sunday for our 1st cruise ever. Loved all the pictures on the boat. Only doing same tour in Belize so great to see pics from Bannister Island. We have no expectations so we will hopefully be happy with everything. What room did you have? We are on the same floor with an obstructed view. We have 2 rooms side by side since there is 5 of us going. It was good to see what we can expect from our room. Thanks again and sounds fun.

 

Laura,

We will be on the same cruise. If you want, you can join our Roll Call.

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1607780&page=7

There is a good group of us going on the same cruise.

We are looking forward to it!!

Kathleen

[Arzeena]

Nice review! I just noted that Norwegian Star will be doing main transcanal cruises from 2014 and that's what I plan to go next year too.

 

 

We are doing the April 20, 2014 Panama Canal on the Star. Just started a roll call since I cannot find one that is already there.

[mommaof 3]

Great review! I am in nursing school too, and I am SO antsy to be done (8 weeks + NCLEX) and the reviews are my incentive to keep studying, lol. Study 50 minutes, goof around for 10 - that's my plan and I have to stick to at least til I get through the cardiac exam, lol. I go to the ER this week also, we rotate through acute care areas this semester, I'm hoping it's a better experience that last year.

 

You should do the drive to NYC and go to Bermuda. We drove to Wisconsin last summer and Ohio to NYC would be a breeze. Bermuda was SO pretty and it's so nice to be there for more than a day.

 

Thx!

[mitsugirly]

Great review! I am in nursing school too, and I am SO antsy to be done (8 weeks + NCLEX) and the reviews are my incentive to keep studying, lol. Study 50 minutes, goof around for 10 - that's my plan and I have to stick to at least til I get through the cardiac exam, lol. I go to the ER this week also, we rotate through acute care areas this semester, I'm hoping it's a better experience that last year.

 

You should do the drive to NYC and go to Bermuda. We drove to Wisconsin last summer and Ohio to NYC would be a breeze. Bermuda was SO pretty and it's so nice to be there for more than a day.

 

Thx!

 

I wish I could say I only have 8 weeks to go. I still have a year and I'm in Med Surg this semester and it is killing me. :( Well, actually the Pharm part is killing me. They decided to cram everything they taught in 2 semesters now in to 1 and now it's online. I don't think that's a wise move for something so important.

 

The ER is fun. I work in the ER and you never know what you'll get and you see it all. :D

 

I would love to do Bermuda and the drive would be great. But my only problem is that the 2 times a year that I can get out of school between semesters isn't convenient for me. We get a break in May and I'm thinking the water in Bermuda is just too cold for us around that time (we love all water/snorkeling activities). The other time is August and that's high season and the prices are outrageous at that time. :( Some day I'll make it there.

[mommaof 3]

Hi - Ok, I hate to talk prices, but we did find an outrageously good deal for the middle of last August to Bermuda. It was $1000 total for a 6 night cruise for the 2 of us. It was an inside, and it was on an older RCCL ship, but it was still very nice. We had to go cheap, our house flooded during Hurricane Irene, so we really had nothing extra in savings - but we had planned to go away for our 20th for a few years, had babysitters lined up and couldn't give up on it. It's worth looking at a bunch of sites every once in a while! I think it was last April when we found that price for August. It was HOT though, I'd greatly prefer May, but I'm not a hot weather girlie.

 

I remember like yesterday being in 2 and thinking how far away 4 seemed, but it actually flys by! You'll get there! Do you all have a high failure rate? We've lost 1/2 the students we started with and it's very sad. However, the last couple of years they've had 100% of the students pass the NCLEX on the first try, so I figure they make it tough during so we fly through when it comes to the test. We do all our content as one course, so no separate pharm course - but most of the last few days have been remembering dig. levels, and the ACE inhibitors end with -pril and so on...not my favorite either. But, test tomorrow, so I must.

 

I was all excited for ER last spring and the nurses just did not want to have anything to do with me or the other student assigned that week - it kind of ruined it. The floors we've been assigned to and other areas we've visited the nurses have been great about us helping and explaining things. This is a different, bigger magnet hospital though, so I'm hoping things will be better.

 

Thanks again for the diversion!:o

Edited March 3, 2013 by mommaof 3

[mitsugirly]

Hi - Ok, I hate to talk prices, but we did find an outrageously good deal for the middle of last August to Bermuda. It was $1000 total for a 6 night cruise for the 2 of us. It was an inside, and it was on an older RCCL ship, but it was still very nice. We had to go cheap, our house flooded during Hurricane Irene, so we really had nothing extra in savings - but we had planned to go away for our 20th for a few years, had babysitters lined up and couldn't give up on it. It's worth looking at a bunch of sites every once in a while! I think it was last April when we found that price for August. It was HOT though, I'd greatly prefer May, but I'm not a hot weather girlie.

 

I remember like yesterday being in 2 and thinking how far away 4 seemed, but it actually flys by! You'll get there! Do you all have a high failure rate? We've lost 1/2 the students we started with and it's very sad. However, the last couple of years they've had 100% of the students pass the NCLEX on the first try, so I figure they make it tough during so we fly through when it comes to the test. We do all our content as one course, so no separate pharm course - but most of the last few days have been remembering dig. levels, and the ACE inhibitors end with -pril and so on...not my favorite either. But, test tomorrow, so I must.

 

I was all excited for ER last spring and the nurses just did not want to have anything to do with me or the other student assigned that week - it kind of ruined it. The floors we've been assigned to and other areas we've visited the nurses have been great about us helping and explaining things. This is a different, bigger magnet hospital though, so I'm hoping things will be better.

 

Thanks again for the diversion!:o

 

I will definitely keep looking at prices. I look all the time (especially those "kids sail free" specials...gotta love those!) Hopefully they'll have something like that and it will seal the deal. :D I don't mind the heat, actually I love the heat. That's why we've been cruising the Caribbean every cruise plus with us doing the beaches and snorkeling...gotta have heat.

 

Actually the college I'm going to has a good success rate and all the hospitals love the students that they get from this college. However, we have always been on "quarters" and we just switched to "semesters" this past August last year. It has been nothing but a cluster flark since then. Some of the "instructors" (and I use that term lightly at this point)...just need to retire and stop teaching point blank!

 

So sad to hear about your previous experience with the ER nurses. Ours are great when it comes to teaching the students or being preceptors. I just seen a bunch of students from my school (in their last semester now) at the hospital there Friday and it was neat to watch. I can not wait to get to that point. But our hospital is centrally located and a big hospital...plus we are a trauma center as well. So maybe that's the difference. We get a lot of action that's for sure. :)

[BaylorMustang]

I took a picture of the key machine on cruise last week for you. I will post it as soon as I get all the pictures off my camera. :)

[mitsugirly]

I took a picture of the key machine on cruise last week for you. I will post it as soon as I get all the pictures off my camera. :)

 

What's the key machine? Where they make the room card key to get in to your room when you check in? :confused:

[BaylorMustang]

The key game outside the casino. I am pretty sure it was in your review where you talked about but never took a picture of it. So when i passed it i thought of you and took a picture of it :)

[mitsugirly]

The key game outside the casino. I am pretty sure it was in your review where you talked about but never took a picture of it. So when i passed it i thought of you and took a picture of it :)

 

OOOOHHHHH....yes!! The most aggrevating, money munching, funniest game to watch people on the ship play. I forgot about that. Yes, please do post a picture. It looks SO easy and it's far from easy! :p

[cherylroslyn]

I wish I could say I only have 8 weeks to go. I still have a year and I'm in Med Surg this semester and it is killing me. :( Well, actually the Pharm part is killing me. They decided to cram everything they taught in 2 semesters now in to 1 and now it's online. I don't think that's a wise move for something so important.

 

The ER is fun. I work in the ER and you never know what you'll get and you see it all. :D

 

I would love to do Bermuda and the drive would be great. But my only problem is that the 2 times a year that I can get out of school between semesters isn't convenient for me. We get a break in May and I'm thinking the water in Bermuda is just too cold for us around that time (we love all water/snorkeling activities). The other time is August and that's high season and the prices are outrageous at that time. :( Some day I'll make it there.

Can you do August 30?

 

The Dawn is sailing out of Boston and the prices are amazing.....

 

 

I'd really like to meet you someday..... I remember all of your reviews....I did Epic right around the same time you did....I even remember you falling and hurting your leg on one of the cruises....... Some reviews just stay with you...

 

And late May the water will be fine in Bermuda.... I often go first few days of May and I swim....the water is a little cold but you get used to it.

 

Great job as always......

Edited March 5, 2013 by cherylroslyn

[mitsugirly]

Can you do August 30?

 

The Dawn is sailing out of Boston and the prices are amazing.....

 

 

I'd really like to meet you someday..... I remember all of your reviews....I did Epic right around the same time you did....I even remember you falling and hurting your leg on one of the cruises....... Some reviews just stay with you...

 

And late May the water will be fine in Bermuda.... I often go first few days of May and I swim....the water is a little cold but you get used to it.

 

Great job as always......

 

Our break in August is from Aug 3 to Aug 21st. So not really the "end" of the month because I'll be going back to school on the 21st. (They make it real inconvenient for us now I tell ya. We use to be on semesters, which is why I was cruising Sept 11th for a few years in a row...cheap prices, now I miss that).

 

Wow you remember my Epic failure fall. Yes, I did hurt my leg that day, but if you think back, think of bright fluorescent pink...as in a pink cast, on my hand that I broke. Whew, what a trip. I still have problems with that hand and every so often it hurts. With all of the school work lately and writing, I have actually had a few days that I wrote so much and it ached so bad that I could no longer pick up a pen by the end of the night. I still have some numbness in the left hand pinky. I don't think it will ever go away at this point. But I was a trooper and snorkeled 2 more of my cruise days and didn't even get it checked until a few weeks after I returned. I love Maho Beach, but some day when I return...I will NEVER walk that concrete wall again. :D I have learned my lesson...the wall will win. :p

 

I had a friend that told me that they have went in May and it was the best cruise time for Bermuda ever, but then again they don't snorkel. Every place I want to go there involves the beach. Must-have-warm-water! :)

[cherylroslyn]

Our break in August is from Aug 3 to Aug 21st. So not really the "end" of the month because I'll be going back to school on the 21st. (They make it real inconvenient for us now I tell ya. We use to be on semesters, which is why I was cruising Sept 11th for a few years in a row...cheap prices, now I miss that).

 

Wow you remember my Epic failure fall. Yes, I did hurt my leg that day, but if you think back, think of bright fluorescent pink...as in a pink cast, on my hand that I broke. Whew, what a trip. I still have problems with that hand and every so often it hurts. With all of the school work lately and writing, I have actually had a few days that I wrote so much and it ached so bad that I could no longer pick up a pen by the end of the night. I still have some numbness in the left hand pinky. I don't think it will ever go away at this point. But I was a trooper and snorkeled 2 more of my cruise days and didn't even get it checked until a few weeks after I returned. I love Maho Beach, but some day when I return...I will NEVER walk that concrete wall again. :D I have learned my lesson...the wall will win. :p

 

I had a friend that told me that they have went in May and it was the best cruise time for Bermuda ever, but then again they don't snorkel. Every place I want to go there involves the beach. Must-have-warm-water! :)

You would love the snorkeling in Bermuda!!!! The fish are big and so colorful. I can never believe how big they are.......

 

 

Your family is beautiful by the way...

[mitsugirly]

You would love the snorkeling in Bermuda!!!! The fish are big and so colorful. I can never believe how big they are.......

 

 

Your family is beautiful by the way...

 

Mitsugirly requires proof of the big fish...where's the pictures? :D Do you see different fish there than you do in the Caribbean?

 

Thanks so much for the comments. I really appreciate it. :)

[cherylroslyn]

Mitsugirly requires proof of the big fish...where's the pictures? :D Do you see different fish there than you do in the Caribbean?

 

Thanks so much for the comments. I really appreciate it. :)

I wish I had proof.... I am actually going to to buy myself the same camera that you have........

 

The fish are definitely different some of the ones that I saw were the size of cats and small dogs.....

[BaylorMustang]

Here is the Key Game that is located in front of the casino. Sorry it is a bad picture. I took it on my phone. :)

Edited March 7, 2013 by BaylorMustang
picture did not work

[BaylorMustang]

While we were on our cruise we played the game at least 12 times. Only two items were won. One on the bottom row and one on the middle row.

[Luckynana]

We disembarked from the Star in NOLA three hours later than we were supposed to. It was utter chaos in November, also! We had such a great repo cruise from NY to NOLA; once getting off the ship, however, the chaos began from the long lines to the hallway where people embarking and people disembarking were all together. It was awful! One of the porters asked us to "please don't judge the people in New Orleans by what is happening here". After finally leaving the terminal, we had an amazing time in New Orleans and met wonderful and friendly people everywhere we went!