Just returned from Alaska on NCL Star

[boss_lady]

We arrived home yesterday from Alaska on NCL Star. We had a wonderful first time cruise. The weather was perfect in all the Alaskan ports. Sunny and in the 70's. Everything from start to finish was perfect for us. Didn't do any excursions but we walked the ports and made good use of our time. I will post a full review in a few days. Came home to a death in the family and the funeral is Monday. Still unpacking and putting things away. To sum it up we enjoyed this cruise so much we went ahead and made a deposit for a future cruise. Any questions please ask and I will try to answer them for you. We didn't want the cruise to end.:(

Bosslady:)

[att]

Sorry for your loss.

We are sailing on NCL Star 9/15 and are eager to go. We have not scheduled any excursions yet. Did you find enough to do? any suggestions for the ports. Any well kept secrets for the Star? I'm hoping our weather will be like yours although its a month out. We are in a very forward port balcony cabin on 9th floor, where did you stay? Will be glad to read your review.

[boss_lady]

att,

Yes, we found enough to do. DH is a history buff so we did the walking tours and learned about the history in each port. For the ports be sure and shop early because the stores get quite crowded when there are 4 or more crusie ships in town. Also bring a good pair of walking shoes. If there are any well kept secrets on the Star I couldn't find them. They weren't excatly giving them out. We were on deck 8 cabin 8652 oceanview, port side aft. It was very good. Saw lots of whales, orcas and seals. One thing that I would suggest to anyone is check your on board account at least twice before your final bill. I did ours just to make sure that everything was correct and I am glad I did because my obc of $50 was not posted and they had it correct the same day. I had brought a copy of my final bill from NCL showing that I had an obc due to me. Have a wonderful cruise and I hope the weather is great for your cruise.

Bosslady:)

[neverthought]

Boss lady,

Our sympathy for your loss. We are thinking of doing Alaska next year, would you recommend an August sail date? Where would a good cabin be located, port, starboard, forward or Aft? We will hopefully be able to have a balcony room, as DH and I enjoy sitting on the balcony first thing in the AM and last thing in the PM. Where did you cruise out of? Did you do a pre/post day? Did you book airfare on your own or go with NCL booking it? I'm finding their airfare rates are higher then if I book them myself. Thank you for any help you can give us.

[boss_lady]

Boss lady,

Our sympathy for your loss. We are thinking of doing Alaska next year, would you recommend an August sail date? Where would a good cabin be located, port, starboard, forward or Aft? We will hopefully be able to have a balcony room, as DH and I enjoy sitting on the balcony first thing in the AM and last thing in the PM. Where did you cruise out of? Did you do a pre/post day? Did you book airfare on your own or go with NCL booking it? I'm finding their airfare rates are higher then if I book them myself. Thank you for any help you can give us.

Thank you. August worked for us. The ship was full and my understanding is the weeks following us are also full. Usually in August the weather starts to change. At least this is what we have heard. We just got lucky on the weather. Being on deck 8 port side aft made it easy to access deck 7 which is the main deck. I believe the balcony rooms are forward on deck 8 on either side. We sailed out of Seattle from pier 66. We did a preday stay because we live in Washington and drove to the hotel. The hotel offered a night stay, parking for the duration of our cruise and transporation to/from the pier for $145.00. I have heard not book airfare with NCL because it is more costly then booking on your own. Next cruise we are going with a balcony. Had an oceanview and loved it. Were able to see whales, orcas, and seals from it. August to us seems to favor more animal watching. Hope this helps. Let me know if you have anymore questions.

Bosslady:)

[neverthought]

Boss Lady,

Thank you so much for your time and input.

Neverthought

[Preds]

We sail on Star this week. We have a Starboard Mini-Suite.

 

Do you feel there was an advantage to being port or starboard on this particular itinerary, or isn't there much difference?

 

Was Second City on you recent sailing still? Also, do you recall the other entertainment (names of comedians and whatnot).

 

Thanks!

[Toyz711]

i had a balcony on deck 10, port side..last sept. loved it!!! quiet, nice to sit out on. we were just a little forward of mid-ship. but we did glacier bay, for that port side viewing is best. for sawyer glacier i don't know. just for cruising around, either side will have views.

[Budget Queen]

We sail on Star this week. We have a Starboard Mini-Suite.

 

Do you feel there was an advantage to being port or starboard on this particular itinerary, or isn't there much difference?

 

Was Second City on you recent sailing still? Also, do you recall the other entertainment (names of comedians and whatnot).

 

Thanks!

 

 

No difference on side on this itinerary. But it is highly recommended you consider the add on Tracy Arm jet boat. WAY superior to just sailing in on your ship. You get right up to the South Sawyer glacier, probably over a mile away viewing from your cruise ship. Also plenty of stops for wildlife, scenery along the way. Definately worth the extra cost.

 

The Star, out of the current 3 NCL ships sailing Alaska, has the best deck viewing. So consider getting out and enjoying, proper attire will make all the difference.

[milolii]

bosslady,

 

So sorry to hear about your loss.

 

Has NCL introduced the new smoking regulations? Where is smoking allowed? Where is it not?

 

Glad you had a good time.

[Preds]

No difference on side on this itinerary. But it is highly recommended you consider the add on Tracy Arm jet boat. WAY superior to just sailing in on your ship. You get right up to the South Sawyer glacier, probably over a mile away viewing from your cruise ship. Also plenty of stops for wildlife, scenery along the way. Definately worth the extra cost.

 

The Star, out of the current 3 NCL ships sailing Alaska, has the best deck viewing. So consider getting out and enjoying, proper attire will make all the difference.

We have the Tracy Arm Fjord Excursion booked already! :)

[boss_lady]

We sail on Star this week. We have a Starboard Mini-Suite.

 

Do you feel there was an advantage to being port or starboard on this particular itinerary, or isn't there much difference?

 

Was Second City on you recent sailing still? Also, do you recall the other entertainment (names of comedians and whatnot).

 

Thanks!

I don't think it really matters except when you pull into port the port side is on the dock side. Really enjoyed watching this process. When we went to Sawyer Glacier viewing from the starboard side was best unless you were lucky enough to be up front to watch. We couldn't get real close due to icebergs all over the place. We didn't do any of the shows. Did go and listen to Stan Sykes in the Carousel Lounge. Thought he was great. Listened to him several times. Jana Seale in the Gatsby was good too. We spent alot time on deck viewing and people watching. Second City was on board and we happen to watch part of their act and they were pretty good. Hope this helps.

Bosslady:)

[boss_lady]

bosslady,

 

So sorry to hear about your loss.

 

Has NCL introduced the new smoking regulations? Where is smoking allowed? Where is it not?

 

Glad you had a good time.

 

Thank you. NCL has introduced it and you could smoke in the casino, outside decks, your cabins (even if you had a balcony) and the cigar lounge. We are non smokers and it didn't bother us.

Bosslady:)

[milolii]

Thank-you. We are also non smokers and in our crise in July it was everywhere. Glad to hear about the changes.

[wannabetravelin]

We too experienced our first cruise which was wonderful. Everyone in all the ports told us we were very lucky to have the beautiful weather we had. The only rain was Prince Rupert and our last sail day but it gave us a chance to relax. We did 2 exursions- the zipline and the glacier catamaran tour after reading about them on this forum. Our biggest disappointment was that the staff was not overly friendly which we figured was because of the mandatory $10/day per person tip and the 18% gratuity added to everything else you buy. Not as much incentive to give extra service.

[boss_lady]

We too experienced our first cruise which was wonderful. Everyone in all the ports told us we were very lucky to have the beautiful weather we had. The only rain was Prince Rupert and our last sail day but it gave us a chance to relax. We did 2 exursions- the zipline and the glacier catamaran tour after reading about them on this forum. Our biggest disappointment was that the staff was not overly friendly which we figured was because of the mandatory $10/day per person tip and the 18% gratuity added to everything else you buy. Not as much incentive to give extra service.

 

We didn't get off in Prince Rupert either because of the rain and it gave us time to relax also. Were also told by everyone that the weather was the best. Sorry to hear that the staff was not overly friendly. We did not have that problem. Everyone we encountered were always friendly and willing to help. Our room stewards were very friendly and always smiling. If we needed anything all we had to do was ask. We did give them extra for their kindness. Not sure about the gratuity I thought is was 15% and I am sure that is what we were charged. Glad to hear that you had a great time in spite of this. The only dissappointment we had was with the casino. Not enough penny machines and the table stakes were to high. Needless to say they didn't get of our money. All in all a very wonderful first cruise. Looking forward to our next one in about 2 years. Can't wait.

Bosslady:)

[wannabetravelin]

I will say the housekeeping staff was the best by far. Our experience was more with the dining room staff and bar staff who were openly disappointed when we didn't order cocktails continually. Certainly nothing to complain about in the big picture for sure. Someone asked about floors/rooms and I can tell you we were on 8 forward starboard side. It was a great place to be because it was very near the elevators and also a short hop to the Spinnaker and theatre where there was always something happening. The down side was that our view was the bottom of the lifeboats since we were on that side. Definitely would get a window no matter what with the beauty that the area has to offer.

[boss_lady]

My review has been posted. Under members review you will find it or you may use this: http://www.cruisecritic.com/memberreviews/memberreview.cfm?Entry1D=31800

Thank you to all who had offered or given advice or information before our cruise. It all was a big help.

Looking forward to hearing your comments.

Bosslady:)

[milolii]

Loved your review! We loved the Star, too. ;) Glad you had a great time. We are also history lovers. Too bad I could not make a living at it!

[gr8grannie]

Thank you for your review. We sailed on a one-way from Whittier this summer. Next summer we would like to do a round-trip. Is the Star a best choice? Would like some advice.

[boss_lady]

Thank you for your review. We sailed on a one-way from Whittier this summer. Next summer we would like to do a round-trip. Is the Star a best choice? Would like some advice.

 

Beings this was our first cruise the Star worked for us. Enjoyed all the ports just wished we had more time in Juneau but we did Sawyer Glacier in the late afternoon/evening. Which I believe is better then in the morning. I am sure it would be a lot colder in the morning. We like Star because we were free to do what we wanted. No dining schedule which was great because a couple of time we skipped dinner. The weather is unpredicatable in Alaska. You take your chances no matter what month you go. Hope this helps. Let me know if you have any more questions.

Bosslady:)

[knorrisb07]

we sailed Star couple of years and really enjoy it. One of my favorite things to do is to soak up in their indoor hottub then relaxed on the wooden beach chairs watching the ocean through its panaroma viewing window in its fitness/spa area.

[renanzel]

thanks for the review, boss lady. Can you tell me what hotel you stayed at with the parking and transportation to the pier?

[boss_lady]

thanks for the review, boss lady. Can you tell me what hotel you stayed at with the parking and transportation to the pier?

 

I would be more than glad to. We stayed at the Sutton Suites & Extended Stays close to the airport. Another cruise critic member had mention this website to use for booking and here it is: www.parksleepfly.com. Just had to make a $19.50 deposit to reserve which was deducted from total bill. I would use this site again. Sutton is not fancy but they are clean, convenient and they are kitchenettes. There is a Safeway up the hill if you want to buy things to eat. We walked to it and got some much needed exercise. It was a piece of cake going to/from the pier. Made life a whole lot easier. It was worth it. Please let me know what you think.

Bosslady:)

[renanzel]

Thank you, boss lady, for the hotel and the website info. I will be checking those out!