CRUISING HAWAII ON THE NORWEGIAN STAR
By Paula Hughes Court
The Norwegian Star, a $400 million supership, is the largest cruise ship
ever to set sail in Hawaii, accommodating 2,200 passengers, and 1,100
crewmembers. Built for the specific purpose of freestyle cruising, the ship
has 10 restaurants and 14 bars. The 7-day Hawaii itinerary includes stops
in Maui, Kauai, Hawaii (the Big Island) and Fanning Island in the Republic
of Kiribati.
FREESTYLE CRUISING
“Freestyle Cruising” is the theme on the Norwegian Star and it’s all about
choices. The concept works like this. For meals, instead of two main
dining rooms with an assigned seating time, you can now choose from a
selection of ten restaurants open from 5:30 p.m. to midnight. Choose
Spanish tapas one night, gourmet French the next. Eat whenever,
wherever, and the best part-with whomever you choose.
The choices aren’t limited to dining. Norwegian has eliminated the
mandatory formal dinners and personal attire is left up to each passenger’
s discretion with resort casual being the preferred attire.
Another change introduced to smooth the way for passengers is pre-paid
tips. No more scrambling around for cash the last night to divvy up among
room stewards and restaurant servers. And if you wish to tip more or less,
simply contact the Front Desk to make any appropriate adjustments.
Since this was our first cruise on Norwegian Cruise Lines, we were
curious about how well the freestyle concept would work. After a seven-day
Hawaiian cruise aboard the Norwegian Star, I’m happy to say it’s a
resounding success.
CRUISE HAWAII
Norwegian Cruise Lines advertises this cruise as a “Taste of Hawaii” and
that’s exactly what it is. Know this beforehand so you won’t be
disappointed. The actual time spent in port on the Big Island of Hawaii,
Maui and Kauai is shorter than most people would prefer. But after all, this
is Hawaii. You could spend a lifetime here and never get your fill.
The Norwegian Star makes up for this by extending the Hawaii theme onto
the ship. Hawaiian music plays continuously and June, the superb Hawaii
Ambassador instructor, offers a variety of Hawaii theme classes, such as
hula dancing, lei making, sarong tying, and palm frond weaving. There are
performances by the famous Matangi Polynesian Dancers in the Stardust
Theater and lectures on Hawaiian history. There’s even a sculpture of
endangered Nene Geese, the state bird of Hawaii, flying high above the
atrium.
THE NORWEGIAN STAR SHIP LAYOUT
The Norwegian Star is a beautiful ship, tastefully decorated in primary
colors of blue, red and green. Our tour guide, Jessica Shonwise, let us in
on a secret. If you’re ever confused as to where you are in the ship simply
look down at the carpet. Red carpet means you’re in the middle of the
ship, green is aft, and blue is forward.
The Norwegian Star has 11 passenger decks, numbered from 4 to 14.
Decks 4 and 5 consist primarily of cabins, with the Medical Center being
located on Deck 4.
The two main dining rooms, Versailles and Aqua, are located on Deck 6.
Both of the
restaurants are somewhat tricky to find. Aqua is located between the
midship elevators on Deck 6. To reach Versailles, get off the aft elevator at
Deck 7, then walk down the stairs. The two most popular specialty
restaurants, Le Bistro and The SoHo Room are located midship on Deck
6.
From those of you who enjoy a good cigar there’s the Havana Club, which
offers hand-rolled cigars and cognac. Next door is the Wine Cellar, and the
art deco champagne bar, Gatsby’s. Going forward is Dazzles Lounge &
Nightclub where theme nights are held. The main seating area for the
Stardust Theater is forward on Deck 6.
Deck 7 is the heart of the ship and where you’ll find the Grand Atrium, the
Reception Desk, Gift Shop, Excursion Desk, and Java Café. There are also
two restaurants, the Blue Lagoon, a 24-hour diner, and the Red Lion Pub,
a sports bar complete with wide screen television located just off the
atrium. Midship is Ginza Teppanyaki Room and Sushi Bar, the Teen Club,
Karaoke Circus and the Photo Gallery. The balcony for the stardust theatre
is located on Deck 7.
The beautiful Endless Summer restaurant overlooks the atrium on Deck 8.
The Internet café is located on Deck 9. Decks 10 and 11 contain only
rooms with the exception of the Barong Spa & Beauty Center on Deck 11.
You’ll find most of the action on Deck 12. The kid’s Splash-down pool, a
great play-area for children of all ages with two water slides is located aft,
along with the fitness center and juice bar. Going forward you’ll find the
market café and La Trattoria. Far forward is the Spinnaker Lounge and the
Chapel. Midship on Deck 12 is where you’ll find the Oasis Pool, The Grill,
Topsiders Bar, and Sprinkles Ice Cream Bar. The Cinema, meeting
rooms, shuffles card room and life styles rooms are all located starboard
side Deck 12.
Deck 13 holds the Heli Pad and a secluded sun deck. Planet Kids, the day-
camp style program for kids is located on Deck 13, along with a sports
deck and golf driving net. The Las Ramblas Tapas Bar & Restaurant and
the Star Bar are also located on Deck 13.
The sports court is on Deck 14, as is the Bier Garten, which overlooks the
oasis pool. The luxurious Garden Villas with their private garden, roof
terraces, and hot tubs overlook the pool on Deck 14.
DINING ON THE NORWEGIAN STAR
The Norwegian Star offers an impressive selection of ten top-quality
restaurants to choose from. I strongly recommend trying out the specialty
restaurants. Yes, there’s a modest service charge of $10-12.50 per
person, but it’s well worth it for a five-star meal. My attitude is-why not
spend an extra $125 per couple for the week and enjoy the very best?
According to the upper level staff, Le Bistro and Soho Room are their
favorites. Followed by Ginza, Teppanyaki and Endless Summer (no fee,
but reservations only).
All of the specialty restaurants require reservations. The most difficult
restaurants to reserve are Le Bistro, which only seats 66, and Endless
Summer. Reservations can only be made for the same day or the next day,
so plan ahead. On the first night, the specialty restaurants are empty so
this is a good opportunity. Also, service charges are sometimes reduced
on the first night since everyone is at the sail-away party. Occasionally, the
specialty restaurants open for lunch. Check the Freestyle Daily for times.
For a good deal, try Ginza’s $10 all-you-can-eat sushi lunch.
Our first night we dined at Ginza and discovered an exotic fusion of
Thai/Japanese/Chinese flavors along with an impressive selection of
sake and sushi. Ginza features an a la carte section, and a sushi and
tempura bar. Don’t miss the house special, Peking Duck, and the Banana
Pancakes for dessert. The service charge for Ginza is $10 per person. The
Asian servers were gracious and gorgeous in their traditional sarongs.
Monday night found us at The SoHo Room, the favorite of Hotel Director,
James Deering. SoHo features high-end Pacific Rim cuisine in a stylish
atmosphere with colorful pop-art. SoHo’s specialty is live lobster. Other
menu items include Szechwan encrusted Beef, Tuna Tartare, Rack of
Lamb, Filet Mignon and Stir-fried Lobster. The broiled lobster with drawn
butter was the best I’ve ever eaten.
Tuesday night, we dined at the Hawaiian themed Endless Summer
overlooking the Grand Atrium. Endless Summer features true Hawaiian
specialties such as Fish Chowder, Bar-B-Que Ribs, and Pineapple
Cream Pie. There’s not a service charge, but reservations are required.
Not to be missed is the Wednesday afternoon chocolate buffet in
Versailles. We returned from Fanning Island to find a huge buffet set up
with every kind of chocolate dessert imaginable. Since most of the tables
were already taken we filled a plate and took it back to our balcony where
we could view our departure from Fanning Island.
One hint about the chocolate buffet: Don’t book an early dinner reservation
for Wednesday night because the chocolate will ruin your appetite.
Unfortunately, we had already booked a 5:00 reservation at the fun and
entertaining Teppanyaki Room.
Teppanyaki won the vote as the hands-down favorite among the kids in
our group. The personable, knife-wielding chefs charmed and amazed the
children with egg and butter tosses. The kids laughed when they caught
the eggs in their hats, and roared even louder when they missed and the
egg landed on the floor. Teppanyaki features Filet Mignon, scallops,
shrimp and vegetables grilled Benihana style in full view of the diners. The
menu in the Teppanyaki Room is a la carte. Most entrees run $10-$12 for
an enormous amount of food. This restaurant offers three seatings a
night, with the first starting early at 5:00.
We dined only one night at Versailles, a formal dining room offering the
traditional six-course dining experience, and found the food to be good,
though not on the gourmet level of the specialty restaurants. Some of the
menu items other guests raved about include Macadamia Crusted
Chicken, Beef Wellington and Seafood Bisque.
For our final dinner, we chose Le Bistro, a fabulous five-star restaurant
serving nouvelle cuisine and French classics. The quality of the food rivals
any land-based restaurant. We ordered Sauteed Foie Gras Appetizer,
French Onion Soup and Filet Mignon with béarnaise sauce. Though
stuffed, we managed to make room for their fabulous desserts-crème
brulee and chocolate fondue.
Due to time constraints, we didn’t make it to the following free restaurants.
La Tratorria, a casual Italian restaurant serving pizza, pasta and other
Italian specialties, Las Ramblas Tapas Bar & Restaurant, which serves
authentic hot and cold Spanish tapas and terrific Sangria, or the Blue
Lagoon, a 24-hour food court style eatery featuring hamburgers, pot pies,
wok dishes and from what I’ve heard, great fish and chips.
For breakfast, my husband enjoyed Versailles every morning, while my
daughter and I ate at the kid-friendly Market Cafe where action stations
serve made-to-order omelets and waffles.
For lunch, the 130-yard-long Market Cafe buffet offered a huge selection of
fruit, ethnic dishes, pasta, salads and desserts. A separate buffet held a
good variety of vegetarian choices. Kids even have their own section with a
child-size buffet, chairs and tables.
I was impressed by the quality of food served at The Grill by the Oasis
Pool. Unlike most standard poolside barbeques of hotdogs and burgers,
The Grill also served ribs, lamb, and bratwurst.
Children’s menus are available in all restaurants and include standard
favorites such as, hotdogs, hamburgers, macaroni and cheese, fries etc.
Some of the specialty restaurants, like SoHo and Ginza, don’t offer a
children’s menu, but they will order your child’s food from the nearby Blue
Lagoon.
ENTERTAINMENT:
On Norwegian Star there’s top-notch entertainment for everyone. The
amazing comedy and illusions of Charles Bach, sensational singing and
piano playing by Roger Carr, comedy of Kermet Apio, the authentic Matangi
Polynesian Dancers, China Stars Acrobat Company, and several Andrew
Lloyed Webber’s shows featuring the Jean Ann Ryan Company. This is
not to mention the first run films playing in the cinema, theme nights, and
the hilarious Not-So-Newlywed Game with Cruise Director, Patti Honacki.
SPORTS AND FITNESS:
If you want to get away from everything and relax, head to the tranquil
Barong Spa and Fitness Center. There’s an adults-only indoor lap pool
(the largest at sea), beauty salon, jacuzzis, saunas, and a multitude of
treatments and massages. No children under 18 are allowed in the spa.
The 24-hour gym features a variety of equipment, treadmills, stationary
bikes, rowers, etc. There are also classes available for a small fee.
The Oasis Pool, a terraced area with sun lounges, tables, and beach
umbrellas is located midship on Deck 12. Children and adults love the two
large water slides that end in shallow water. The oasis pool is over 5-feet
deep everywhere, so if you have small children, head over to the children’s
pool. The Splash-Down Pool is one of the best children’s play areas at
sea with two water slides, a wading pool that occasionally turned into a
wild wave pool, and a small hot-tub. Ping-pong tables are located
poolside.
The basketball/volleyball courts and golf-driving nets are located on the
Sports Deck-Deck 13. The jogging deck runs 13, 350 yards in total length.
Just remember 5 laps equal 1 mile. There are many hidden nooks and
crannies to sunbathe in seclusion on Deck 13.
CHILDREN'S PROGRAMS ON THE NORWEGIAN STAR
Norwegian Star offers a children’s program for three different age groups,
Junior Sailors (2-5), First Mates (6-9) and Navigators (10-12). The program
offers a range of fun activities to entertain children. Pizza parties,
scavenger hunts, Un-birthday parties, waterballoon fights, and free arcade
games.
There is a teen club for teenagers, but the 10-12 children’s program takes
this over during the day. At night the teen disco features a video wall
showing the latest music videos.
Detailed review of Norwegian's Kids Crew
NORWEGIAN STAR CABINS
We loved our room, a 284 sq. foot, spacious mini-suite on Deck 11. The
room was furnished with two lower beds made into a king, dressing table,
bathroom with bathtub and showers doors, and balcony. The couch made
into a comfortable full size bed. The cabins are spacious with cherry-wood
and lots of mirrors. Outside the door is a neat disk you can turn for “make
up cabin”, “do not disturb” or “turn down cabin.”
The oceanview staterooms with balcony are basically the same, just a little
smaller at 204 square feet. Oceanview rooms at 161 sq. feet have large
windows, a combined sleeping/living area with two lower beds, and wall-
mounted Pullman bed. The inside staterooms are the same as oceanview
minus the windows with 141 sq.ft.
SERVICE
The staff onboard the Norwegian Star were warm, welcoming and to put it
bluntly, wonderful. I believe the success of the Norwegian Star is largely
due in part to Hotel Director, James Deering. His charm and attention to
detail adds a great deal to this ship. Unfortunately, Mr. Deering left the
Norwegian Star in August. The good news is, he’ll be back in Hawaii in
July 2004 with the new US flag ship Pride of America.
DEBARKATION
On our final morning, we took advantage of another feature of freestyle
cruising and enjoyed our cabin until 10:00 a.m. We walked off the ship and
found our luggage waiting for us with no problems. We immensely
enjoyed our cruise on the Norwegian Star and hated to leave. We hope to
see her again in Alaska.
FUTURE OF NORWEGIAN STAR
The Norwegian Star will continue the Hawaiian itinerary until May 2004
when she will move to Seattle for a new summer Alaskan itinerary. She’ll
be outfitted with a casino and a new steakhouse to replace the Hawaii
themed Endless Summer. In September 2004 she will begin Mexican
Riviera cruises out of Los Angeles.
HAWAII CRUISE PORT INFORMATION
By Paula Hughes Court
The Norwegian Star, a $400 million supership, is the largest cruise ship
ever to set sail in Hawaii, accommodating 2,200 passengers, and 1,100
crewmembers. Built for the specific purpose of freestyle cruising, the ship
has 10 restaurants and 14 bars. The 7-day Hawaii itinerary includes stops
in Maui, Kauai, Hawaii (the Big Island) and Fanning Island in the Republic
of Kiribati.
FREESTYLE CRUISING
“Freestyle Cruising” is the theme on the Norwegian Star and it’s all about
choices. The concept works like this. For meals, instead of two main
dining rooms with an assigned seating time, you can now choose from a
selection of ten restaurants open from 5:30 p.m. to midnight. Choose
Spanish tapas one night, gourmet French the next. Eat whenever,
wherever, and the best part-with whomever you choose.
The choices aren’t limited to dining. Norwegian has eliminated the
mandatory formal dinners and personal attire is left up to each passenger’
s discretion with resort casual being the preferred attire.
Another change introduced to smooth the way for passengers is pre-paid
tips. No more scrambling around for cash the last night to divvy up among
room stewards and restaurant servers. And if you wish to tip more or less,
simply contact the Front Desk to make any appropriate adjustments.
Since this was our first cruise on Norwegian Cruise Lines, we were
curious about how well the freestyle concept would work. After a seven-day
Hawaiian cruise aboard the Norwegian Star, I’m happy to say it’s a
resounding success.
CRUISE HAWAII
Norwegian Cruise Lines advertises this cruise as a “Taste of Hawaii” and
that’s exactly what it is. Know this beforehand so you won’t be
disappointed. The actual time spent in port on the Big Island of Hawaii,
Maui and Kauai is shorter than most people would prefer. But after all, this
is Hawaii. You could spend a lifetime here and never get your fill.
The Norwegian Star makes up for this by extending the Hawaii theme onto
the ship. Hawaiian music plays continuously and June, the superb Hawaii
Ambassador instructor, offers a variety of Hawaii theme classes, such as
hula dancing, lei making, sarong tying, and palm frond weaving. There are
performances by the famous Matangi Polynesian Dancers in the Stardust
Theater and lectures on Hawaiian history. There’s even a sculpture of
endangered Nene Geese, the state bird of Hawaii, flying high above the
atrium.
THE NORWEGIAN STAR SHIP LAYOUT
The Norwegian Star is a beautiful ship, tastefully decorated in primary
colors of blue, red and green. Our tour guide, Jessica Shonwise, let us in
on a secret. If you’re ever confused as to where you are in the ship simply
look down at the carpet. Red carpet means you’re in the middle of the
ship, green is aft, and blue is forward.
The Norwegian Star has 11 passenger decks, numbered from 4 to 14.
Decks 4 and 5 consist primarily of cabins, with the Medical Center being
located on Deck 4.
The two main dining rooms, Versailles and Aqua, are located on Deck 6.
Both of the
restaurants are somewhat tricky to find. Aqua is located between the
midship elevators on Deck 6. To reach Versailles, get off the aft elevator at
Deck 7, then walk down the stairs. The two most popular specialty
restaurants, Le Bistro and The SoHo Room are located midship on Deck
6.
From those of you who enjoy a good cigar there’s the Havana Club, which
offers hand-rolled cigars and cognac. Next door is the Wine Cellar, and the
art deco champagne bar, Gatsby’s. Going forward is Dazzles Lounge &
Nightclub where theme nights are held. The main seating area for the
Stardust Theater is forward on Deck 6.
Deck 7 is the heart of the ship and where you’ll find the Grand Atrium, the
Reception Desk, Gift Shop, Excursion Desk, and Java Café. There are also
two restaurants, the Blue Lagoon, a 24-hour diner, and the Red Lion Pub,
a sports bar complete with wide screen television located just off the
atrium. Midship is Ginza Teppanyaki Room and Sushi Bar, the Teen Club,
Karaoke Circus and the Photo Gallery. The balcony for the stardust theatre
is located on Deck 7.
The beautiful Endless Summer restaurant overlooks the atrium on Deck 8.
The Internet café is located on Deck 9. Decks 10 and 11 contain only
rooms with the exception of the Barong Spa & Beauty Center on Deck 11.
You’ll find most of the action on Deck 12. The kid’s Splash-down pool, a
great play-area for children of all ages with two water slides is located aft,
along with the fitness center and juice bar. Going forward you’ll find the
market café and La Trattoria. Far forward is the Spinnaker Lounge and the
Chapel. Midship on Deck 12 is where you’ll find the Oasis Pool, The Grill,
Topsiders Bar, and Sprinkles Ice Cream Bar. The Cinema, meeting
rooms, shuffles card room and life styles rooms are all located starboard
side Deck 12.
Deck 13 holds the Heli Pad and a secluded sun deck. Planet Kids, the day-
camp style program for kids is located on Deck 13, along with a sports
deck and golf driving net. The Las Ramblas Tapas Bar & Restaurant and
the Star Bar are also located on Deck 13.
The sports court is on Deck 14, as is the Bier Garten, which overlooks the
oasis pool. The luxurious Garden Villas with their private garden, roof
terraces, and hot tubs overlook the pool on Deck 14.
DINING ON THE NORWEGIAN STAR
The Norwegian Star offers an impressive selection of ten top-quality
restaurants to choose from. I strongly recommend trying out the specialty
restaurants. Yes, there’s a modest service charge of $10-12.50 per
person, but it’s well worth it for a five-star meal. My attitude is-why not
spend an extra $125 per couple for the week and enjoy the very best?
According to the upper level staff, Le Bistro and Soho Room are their
favorites. Followed by Ginza, Teppanyaki and Endless Summer (no fee,
but reservations only).
All of the specialty restaurants require reservations. The most difficult
restaurants to reserve are Le Bistro, which only seats 66, and Endless
Summer. Reservations can only be made for the same day or the next day,
so plan ahead. On the first night, the specialty restaurants are empty so
this is a good opportunity. Also, service charges are sometimes reduced
on the first night since everyone is at the sail-away party. Occasionally, the
specialty restaurants open for lunch. Check the Freestyle Daily for times.
For a good deal, try Ginza’s $10 all-you-can-eat sushi lunch.
Our first night we dined at Ginza and discovered an exotic fusion of
Thai/Japanese/Chinese flavors along with an impressive selection of
sake and sushi. Ginza features an a la carte section, and a sushi and
tempura bar. Don’t miss the house special, Peking Duck, and the Banana
Pancakes for dessert. The service charge for Ginza is $10 per person. The
Asian servers were gracious and gorgeous in their traditional sarongs.
Monday night found us at The SoHo Room, the favorite of Hotel Director,
James Deering. SoHo features high-end Pacific Rim cuisine in a stylish
atmosphere with colorful pop-art. SoHo’s specialty is live lobster. Other
menu items include Szechwan encrusted Beef, Tuna Tartare, Rack of
Lamb, Filet Mignon and Stir-fried Lobster. The broiled lobster with drawn
butter was the best I’ve ever eaten.
Tuesday night, we dined at the Hawaiian themed Endless Summer
overlooking the Grand Atrium. Endless Summer features true Hawaiian
specialties such as Fish Chowder, Bar-B-Que Ribs, and Pineapple
Cream Pie. There’s not a service charge, but reservations are required.
Not to be missed is the Wednesday afternoon chocolate buffet in
Versailles. We returned from Fanning Island to find a huge buffet set up
with every kind of chocolate dessert imaginable. Since most of the tables
were already taken we filled a plate and took it back to our balcony where
we could view our departure from Fanning Island.
One hint about the chocolate buffet: Don’t book an early dinner reservation
for Wednesday night because the chocolate will ruin your appetite.
Unfortunately, we had already booked a 5:00 reservation at the fun and
entertaining Teppanyaki Room.
Teppanyaki won the vote as the hands-down favorite among the kids in
our group. The personable, knife-wielding chefs charmed and amazed the
children with egg and butter tosses. The kids laughed when they caught
the eggs in their hats, and roared even louder when they missed and the
egg landed on the floor. Teppanyaki features Filet Mignon, scallops,
shrimp and vegetables grilled Benihana style in full view of the diners. The
menu in the Teppanyaki Room is a la carte. Most entrees run $10-$12 for
an enormous amount of food. This restaurant offers three seatings a
night, with the first starting early at 5:00.
We dined only one night at Versailles, a formal dining room offering the
traditional six-course dining experience, and found the food to be good,
though not on the gourmet level of the specialty restaurants. Some of the
menu items other guests raved about include Macadamia Crusted
Chicken, Beef Wellington and Seafood Bisque.
For our final dinner, we chose Le Bistro, a fabulous five-star restaurant
serving nouvelle cuisine and French classics. The quality of the food rivals
any land-based restaurant. We ordered Sauteed Foie Gras Appetizer,
French Onion Soup and Filet Mignon with béarnaise sauce. Though
stuffed, we managed to make room for their fabulous desserts-crème
brulee and chocolate fondue.
Due to time constraints, we didn’t make it to the following free restaurants.
La Tratorria, a casual Italian restaurant serving pizza, pasta and other
Italian specialties, Las Ramblas Tapas Bar & Restaurant, which serves
authentic hot and cold Spanish tapas and terrific Sangria, or the Blue
Lagoon, a 24-hour food court style eatery featuring hamburgers, pot pies,
wok dishes and from what I’ve heard, great fish and chips.
For breakfast, my husband enjoyed Versailles every morning, while my
daughter and I ate at the kid-friendly Market Cafe where action stations
serve made-to-order omelets and waffles.
For lunch, the 130-yard-long Market Cafe buffet offered a huge selection of
fruit, ethnic dishes, pasta, salads and desserts. A separate buffet held a
good variety of vegetarian choices. Kids even have their own section with a
child-size buffet, chairs and tables.
I was impressed by the quality of food served at The Grill by the Oasis
Pool. Unlike most standard poolside barbeques of hotdogs and burgers,
The Grill also served ribs, lamb, and bratwurst.
Children’s menus are available in all restaurants and include standard
favorites such as, hotdogs, hamburgers, macaroni and cheese, fries etc.
Some of the specialty restaurants, like SoHo and Ginza, don’t offer a
children’s menu, but they will order your child’s food from the nearby Blue
Lagoon.
ENTERTAINMENT:
On Norwegian Star there’s top-notch entertainment for everyone. The
amazing comedy and illusions of Charles Bach, sensational singing and
piano playing by Roger Carr, comedy of Kermet Apio, the authentic Matangi
Polynesian Dancers, China Stars Acrobat Company, and several Andrew
Lloyed Webber’s shows featuring the Jean Ann Ryan Company. This is
not to mention the first run films playing in the cinema, theme nights, and
the hilarious Not-So-Newlywed Game with Cruise Director, Patti Honacki.
SPORTS AND FITNESS:
If you want to get away from everything and relax, head to the tranquil
Barong Spa and Fitness Center. There’s an adults-only indoor lap pool
(the largest at sea), beauty salon, jacuzzis, saunas, and a multitude of
treatments and massages. No children under 18 are allowed in the spa.
The 24-hour gym features a variety of equipment, treadmills, stationary
bikes, rowers, etc. There are also classes available for a small fee.
The Oasis Pool, a terraced area with sun lounges, tables, and beach
umbrellas is located midship on Deck 12. Children and adults love the two
large water slides that end in shallow water. The oasis pool is over 5-feet
deep everywhere, so if you have small children, head over to the children’s
pool. The Splash-Down Pool is one of the best children’s play areas at
sea with two water slides, a wading pool that occasionally turned into a
wild wave pool, and a small hot-tub. Ping-pong tables are located
poolside.
The basketball/volleyball courts and golf-driving nets are located on the
Sports Deck-Deck 13. The jogging deck runs 13, 350 yards in total length.
Just remember 5 laps equal 1 mile. There are many hidden nooks and
crannies to sunbathe in seclusion on Deck 13.
CHILDREN'S PROGRAMS ON THE NORWEGIAN STAR
Norwegian Star offers a children’s program for three different age groups,
Junior Sailors (2-5), First Mates (6-9) and Navigators (10-12). The program
offers a range of fun activities to entertain children. Pizza parties,
scavenger hunts, Un-birthday parties, waterballoon fights, and free arcade
games.
There is a teen club for teenagers, but the 10-12 children’s program takes
this over during the day. At night the teen disco features a video wall
showing the latest music videos.
Detailed review of Norwegian's Kids Crew
NORWEGIAN STAR CABINS
We loved our room, a 284 sq. foot, spacious mini-suite on Deck 11. The
room was furnished with two lower beds made into a king, dressing table,
bathroom with bathtub and showers doors, and balcony. The couch made
into a comfortable full size bed. The cabins are spacious with cherry-wood
and lots of mirrors. Outside the door is a neat disk you can turn for “make
up cabin”, “do not disturb” or “turn down cabin.”
The oceanview staterooms with balcony are basically the same, just a little
smaller at 204 square feet. Oceanview rooms at 161 sq. feet have large
windows, a combined sleeping/living area with two lower beds, and wall-
mounted Pullman bed. The inside staterooms are the same as oceanview
minus the windows with 141 sq.ft.
SERVICE
The staff onboard the Norwegian Star were warm, welcoming and to put it
bluntly, wonderful. I believe the success of the Norwegian Star is largely
due in part to Hotel Director, James Deering. His charm and attention to
detail adds a great deal to this ship. Unfortunately, Mr. Deering left the
Norwegian Star in August. The good news is, he’ll be back in Hawaii in
July 2004 with the new US flag ship Pride of America.
DEBARKATION
On our final morning, we took advantage of another feature of freestyle
cruising and enjoyed our cabin until 10:00 a.m. We walked off the ship and
found our luggage waiting for us with no problems. We immensely
enjoyed our cruise on the Norwegian Star and hated to leave. We hope to
see her again in Alaska.
FUTURE OF NORWEGIAN STAR
The Norwegian Star will continue the Hawaiian itinerary until May 2004
when she will move to Seattle for a new summer Alaskan itinerary. She’ll
be outfitted with a casino and a new steakhouse to replace the Hawaii
themed Endless Summer. In September 2004 she will begin Mexican
Riviera cruises out of Los Angeles.
HAWAII CRUISE PORT INFORMATION
FAMILY TRAVEL FUN.COM
CRUISING HAWAII ON NORWEGIAN STAR
CRUISING HAWAII ON NORWEGIAN STAR
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