Norwegian Cruise Lines'
Norwegian Star was christened in a festive dual ceremony in 2001 at the Port of Miami with fleetmate
Norwegian Sun. While
Norwegian Sun represents an improvement on
Norwegian Sky,
Norwegian Star is the most innovative of the three. It was one of the first ships to participate in NCL's move into Freestyle Cruising, which offers a wide choice of dining venues and a broad window of hours to enjoy lunch and dinner.
This 91,000-ton, 965-ft ship is, with the 2002-built Norwegian Dawn, NCL's largest, accommodating up to 2,240 passengers and an international crew of 1,100. The two ships are also NCL's fastest, with a maximum speed of 25 knots.
Norwegian Star currently sails weekly from Los Angeles to Acapulco (overnight in port), Zihuatanejo, and Puerto Vallarta and Cabo San Lucas.
The Star's flexible dining concept allows passengers to dine wherever, whenever and with whomever they wish between 5:30 and midnight. While several dining venues are included in the cruise, several others either command a surcharge (usually US$10) or offer an a la carte menu. A central reservation number gives access to them all, including: Le Bistro for Mediterranean French; The Soho Room for Pacific Rim; Ginzafor Asian; Endless Summer for Hawaiian; La Trattoria for informal Italian; Las Ramblas for Spanish tapas; and Versailles for French-inspired fare (this is the main restaurant). Other options include on-deck grilling of steaks and shrimp, a coffee and pastry shop, an ice cream bar, a German bier garten for weisswurst and pretzels, and room service.
The onboard theater spans three decks and seats 1,150 in a traditional opera-house setting. The ship has both a quiet reading room and a separate library. A wedding chapel is on this ship, too.
Recreation focuses on the two-deck fitness center and spa, the driving range, paddle tennis, horseshoes, volleyball and basketball courts, jet-current exercise pool, indoor 60-ft lap pool, and whirlpool and hydrotherapy facilities. Curiously, a woefully small lido with a single pool is a hold-over from the Star Cruises' short cruise design. This ship is especially child-friendly, with a huge children's center complete with playroom, movie theater, video arcade, teen area, computer rooms, outdoor pool, and a nursery and toddlers' nap room.
The ship set new NCL standards in cabins, with rich cherry accents and much larger baths than on the other ships. Some 70% of the cabins are outsides and most have balconies. Most cabins include third berths and many have a fourth. A large number of interconnecting staterooms and suites offer up to five bedrooms. There are 20 cabins designed for passengers with disabilities. Two of the largest suites afloat, measuring 5,350 ft, are a pair of Garden Villas located on Deck 14. Each offers three double bedrooms with separate bath facilities, a large dining lounge and a grand piano. Each looks forward down to the lido pool and water slides deck, whirlpool bath and an outdoor garden patio. The space comes off as great fun for a large family or a group of friends.
The Norwegian Star is a winner on West Coast cruise routes.
