Tips for Star

[mommacl]

Cruising on the Star in Aug., our second trip to Alaska. Does anyone have any tips & info. on the Star. Last year I found a tip sheet on the Princess Sun everything to where the straws were located to blue carpet on one side of the ship & red on the other in case you get lost.

Trying to make up my own.

Example : whats in the balcany room,where light switches are. Things you wished you had brought, or didn't need.

 

Thanks in advance:D

[terrymtex01]

I really don't have much specific that will answer your question, but I will tell you that we have been on the Star twice and LOVE her and her staff. I can tell you some things like... we did not enjoy eating in the buffet because of how the seating is layed out. We loved La Trattoria and felt it was worth every penny of the $10.00 PP you pay. The main dinning room is great, but Aqua we did not care for because it was too loud and felt crowded. The casino staff is extremely nice, don't miss Monte Carlo night. It was a blast. I enjoy getting a cup of coffee at the coffee bar directly in front of the front desk and just sitting and watching people..

 

We were in a PH suite (AE) so I don't know if you want any info on it. I can tell you it had a lot of storage, lots of cubbys to put your stuff in. The TV channel selection sucks, but we only watch TV on a cruise as we are going to sleep. The room stewards were top notch on both of our times on the Star.

 

If I can think of anything more specific that you have asked for I will come back and post. Just wanted to tell you that you made a great choice and I am sure you will LOVE your cruise.

[alaskafan2]

We'll be on the 8/23 sailing to Alaska. As a 2nd time cruise to Alaska, maybe you have some tips for us!

 

Have you read the NCL FAQ? That has some great tips. One I remember is that the closet light is on the inside wall of the closet.

[cruzeluver]

If you are a fish and chips fan, gotta hit the Blue Lagoon! Yummy!!:p

 

We loved the Star. Easy to learn your way around for a ship that size, and the crew was terrific.

[mommacl]

Alaskafan2

This is what I've collected on this cruise so far. I will try to remember things from last year & write you back.

Once you get in the passenger check in area, make sure you have a pen so that you can fill out the form that confirming that you haven't been sick while you're waiting in line to have your picture taken and key card issued. Within 10 minutes you'll have your key cards in our hands and will be waiting for your boarding group number (this was given to you when you entered) to be called. By 11:30 am you are on the ship!

Stay away from the buffet and head to Versailles for lunch. Lunch is excellent. 1. Go make reservations for whatever restaurants you want to eat at that evening (if you have a balcony or higher room you can make reservations 48 hours in advance). 2. If you aren't starving, don't go to the Market Café like the recommend you do as you board the ship. At 12:30 they serve lunch in Versailles and it is wonderful. If you like bananas, highly recommend is the chilled banana soup! It sounded weird but one cruiser said he tried it anyways and his only regret was he didn't ask for a second bowl of it.

1. Lots of storage for bags under the bed. Fits 3 large and 2 medium suitcases under the bed after unpacking. 2. A lightswitch at the back of closet. It's in about the middle top of it. You need to feel around for it but once you find it, it comes in handy to see in the closet. 3. The t.p. isn't the softest in the world so you may want to bring your own.

CABIN: Bathroom: Are a divider for the toilet, the opening is only 17" a little small. Shower was good size. Shampoo & soap dispenser, you have to push the button several times to get a little. Good closet, 4 shelves on the left and about 20 hangers. 3 drawers next to closet and 2 shelves above the fridge. Coffee maker on make up table w/1 electrical outlet. Standard hair dryer. Desk has 2 shelves, lower shelf has TV. Balcony is about 11X5 and has 2 chairs & 1 table.

The Welcome Aboard show is excellent. This show highlights most of the entertainers and you meet the fun and wacky cruise director, Ricky Matthews.

I have a tip list & packing list from last year in an old computer that is not on the internet. If you want them let me know & I'll move it to this computer & email them to you.;)

[Shollow]

Don't forget to join the roll call for your sailing. You will get more tips from people on that board, too.

 

If you get to Pier 66 early, you can check you luggage into the concierge at the pier for $3.00 per bag. Then you can walk to Pike's Place Market or along the waterfront. There is a great aquarium just a short walk from the pier as well as a 1 hour tour of the harbor which was very informative. When you return, you retrieve your luggage and check in. It's very convenient. We were also able to talk to a lot of people from the previous week's cruise because they got off the ship a little later than usual.

 

If you like to go to the spa, get a couples pass and enjoy the indoor pool, jacuzzi and hydrotherapy pool. It's a great place to be while leaving port to go see the glacier. It's located in the aft of the 11th deck. We spent a lot of time there.

 

The murder mystery dinner was a lot of fun coupled with a great meal at Versailles. We met some nice people that we did see during the remainder of our cruise. And, there was no extra charge. Just watch your daily.

 

We brought a power strip but found we really didn't need it. None of us used our phones except in port. We did bring hi-liters to mark what we wanted to do that day on the dailies. We brought clear tape to put our luggage tags on our luggage once we got to Seattle. We just cut out the tag, laid it on the tape, and then wrapped it around the handle of our luggage. Not one of us lost our tags.

 

I agree with Terry about the buffet. It's crowded and hard to find a seat. You may want to have lunch at Versailles. The food there was very good. I may also suggest, if you have a special occasion, try La Bistro or Teppanyaki. Both have wonderful food...my Mother said the lobster at La Bistro was the best she's ever had. Teppanyaki was fun as well as tasty! They were both worth the extra surcharge!

 

I hope you have nothing less than a wonderful cruise.

[more cruises]

We taped a long map on the wall so I could always tell where we were. They sell them in the Galleria for the same price we paid at home.

 

Okay, flame away, but we loved the buffet, especially the cheese platter. We'd cut off some big chucks, get some sliced meats and some of that flat bread and keep it in our fridge for snacks. Yum!

 

My husband was in 7th heaven when he discovered he could get cookies in the buffet then walk a few feet aft to get ice cream on top.

 

Take your own binoculars. We used ours constantly.

 

We pretty much lived in the spa - the view out the back was spectacular.

 

Take hair conditioner if you use it.

 

I got a little plastic bin with suction cups on the back at Target and stuck it to the mirror in the bathroom. Great for corralling things like aspirin, lip gloss etc. Also got a little mirror w/ suction cups so DH could shave in the shower.

 

I'm a latteaholic. By taking my own mug I got a venti size for the same price as their little paper cups.

 

Forward and aft elevators are less crowded than the central ones.

 

Take a travel alarm clock. I couldn't trust my cell phone because for some reason the time got a little wacky everyday.

 

Don't forget to check out the window to view the ships control room - behind the curtain in the spinnaker lounge.

 

There's another hot tub on the bow of the ship. From the pool deck on the starboard side go half way up the stairs to the bier garten then veer right to the other stairs and then go forward. Lovely area and fairly private.

 

Paella was served as a special lunch one day at the grill on deck 12 - it'll be announced in the daily

 

The captain announces when he expects to meet up with the pilot boats. It's a spectacular show:D :D

 

Go on the 5pm ship tour, not the 2pm one - it's less crowded.

 

Easiest way to make dinner reservations is by using the special button on your room phone.

 

Lobster was the second day - the first sea day. We put all our life preservers in one cubby. That freed up 2 for our shoes, jackets, etc. Really helped keep the room tidy.

 

After your steward gives you ice put it in your fridge to make it last. Just be sure to have it out when they make up the room or they won't refill. You can refill the bucket in the Blue Lagoon.

 

Ice dispensers in the buffet are weird - hold the glass with your fingers in back and then sort of twist your hand around - without touching the sensor. Once you figure it out you'll have to help everyone else - it's just not very intuitive.

 

Have a fabulous cruise. :D :D We thought the port staff was great in Seattle. I about wore out my "thank yous" so many people told me to have a great cruise.:) And thanks for asking for the tips - makes me feel like I'm back there again. If you see a goofy girl (okay - woman) waving like mad from the pier during sail away it'll be me. It'll be sad in Sept when the ships go away.

[texascat]

. If you see a goofy girl (okay - woman) waving like mad from the pier during sail away it'll be me. It'll be sad in Sept when the ships go away.

 

Golden Egg - I will wave at you on the docK!! thanks for posting your information!!! It really looks like it is going to be a wonderful cruise!!!

[BaileyandBella]

I brought 3 extension cords and used them all.......Playstation, my portable fan etc...LOL

 

Coffee is not that great, so I brought Coffeemate vanilla powdered creamer and it helped a lot. Also, if you are a coffee drinker, bring a big cup!

[alaskafan2]

Thanks for all the tips. I've heard both good & bad about the buffet (assume that is the Market Cafe?), but we have no choice but to try it since my son is your basic kids menu eater. We'll take turns trying out the grown-up restaurants!

[more cruises]

Golden Egg - I will wave at you on the docK!! thanks for posting your information!!! It really looks like it is going to be a wonderful cruise!!!

 

Okay, Texascat, I've got your cruise date on my calendar. ;) I think I'm going to need to be there. We'll just be back from our Mexico cruise and I'll probably be going through a severe case of PCD :(

[texascat]

Golden Egg, what ship are you going to Mexico on? I am truly looking forward to this. I have always done the Caribbean, so this is a totally new expierance to me. My dad has always wanted to go to Alaska so I am taking a small family group, 9 people, and bringing dad to Alaska! (he is 77) Hopefully after waiting a lifetime to visit Alaska, he will still love it when he returns home!!!

;)

[mommacl]

Thanks ALL for the wonderful tips. Keep writting. Maybe I missed it, what about laundry room? We used it several times on the Sun Princess last year. It really helps.

[BaileyandBella]

There is no laundry room on the Star. :(

[mommacl]

Oh man!! That sucks:(

We're planning to go 2 days early.

[mommacl]

Golden egg,

 

That's the kinda tips I was loking for.

 

Thanks:p

[macruise]

I also recommend eating in Versailles on embarkation. There were very few people there, so we enjoyed a leisurely lunch until the announcement was made that the staterooms were ready. Don't forget that cappucino is free in Versailles. We had another cup to bide our time after the stateroom announcement was made. That way we missed the stateroom stampede.

 

The Market Cafe may have decent food, but it is set up like a high school cafeteria and looks like one, too.

 

We weren't impressed by Ricky, the cruise director, but know that is a personal thing.

 

Try out the martini tasting if offered. It was great. The margarita tasting wasn't as well done or as interesting as the martini tasting, but we still enjoyed it because of the other pax that we met.

 

macruise

[98Charlie]

Thanks for all the tips. I've heard both good & bad about the buffet (assume that is the Market Cafe?), but we have no choice but to try it since my son is your basic kids menu eater. We'll take turns trying out the grown-up restaurants!

 

 

NCL has a kids menu in the main dining room, at least I have seen them on our pst NCL cruises.

 

Blue Lagoon is a great place to eat a quick lunch with kids or grab a snack-type meal of hot dogs, hamburgers, fries or chili. Blue Lagoon as great warm hand-sized cookies you grab as you walk through the area as well.

 

Hand dipped ice cream located at aft of ship is great when your sweet tooth gets the best of you. Flavors change day by day. DH has probably eaten a gallon or two of the different flavors during our 3 cruises on the Star.:D

 

Dianne

[98Charlie]

Oh man!! That sucks:(

We're planning to go 2 days early.

 

Pack a small travel-size bottle of your favorite laundry detergent to wash some items out in your bathroom sink. I always pack a few wood clothespins to hang washed items on the retractable clothesline you will find in your shower.

 

A couple of days before the end of your cruise you will find a laundry promotion offering you to pack all items for laundry into a bag for a set price. Clothes come back washed and pressed the next day. It's a great value. I have used it on many of our NCL cruises.

 

Dianne

[packercruising]

Good tips on here, thanks! :)

[MT_DreamChaser]

If you are planning on making coffee in your cabin, you'll need to bring the coffee pods for 4-cup size coffee pots. I didn't know they took pods and I had taken ground coffee. The stuff in the market cafe is really bad and not much better in the dining rooms (unless you order cappucino). I'm big on coffee and usually drink it black. In the Market Cafe, I needed to do coffee w/ cream-sometimes more cream than coffee :p

[MT_DreamChaser]

There were a lot of things we took that I know I'll never take again but there were two items I won't leave home without

 

1. Powerstrip-had numerous uses - used it to charge phones, camera batteries, ipod and many other things

 

2. Over the door shoe holder. My family thought I was nuts when I pulled it out and hung it up but by the end of the week, there wasn't an empty pocket.

[mommacl]

WOW! This has become a really great thread. Hope that this hepls a lot of people.;) I know it's helped me.

[BaileyandBella]

A couple of days before the end of your cruise you will find a laundry promotion offering you to pack all items for laundry into a bag for a set price. Clothes come back washed and pressed the next day. It's a great value. I have used it on many of our NCL cruises.

 

Dianne

 

I was going to do this, but the clothes do not come back until Friday night. The promotion is to bring home clean laundry.

[BaileyandBella]

2. Over the door shoe holder. My family thought I was nuts when I pulled it out and hung it up but by the end of the week, there wasn't an empty pocket.

 

I didn't bring one....we had a Minisuite and figured we would have enough room for stuff. I regret it. I was constantly straightening up....iPods, baseball caps, sunglasses etc. It sure would have been nice to have one.