we wanted to go thru panama canal and cross it and we booked a week ago Food was awesome and we did not drink alcohol I was not happy about water You have to buy it Entertainment was great except magic show I am a magician and have seen better shows 'Magician Greg Gleason is very good but did not perform amazing magic as one would expect from him Star show team did fantastic shows 4-5 times and singer and dancers were great Samantha Ivy awesome so was the stand up comedian Room and bathroom was small AC worked well once we waited 10 minutes to get on after a tour Tour prices worth it I will not go again on this trip as not much to see but will go to this ship and cruise line Not for kids they had some kids and some activities for them i hope you enjoy Read Less

My husband and I are mid-60's early 70's. The cruise had only a handful of children and we were pleased. This trip through the Panama Canal was 14 days from Miami to Los Angeles. We were a little worried about the food on this ship after reading some of the previous reviews. However, we were on this ship for 14 days and did not have one disappointing meal. We ate at 3 of the speciality restaurants (Cagney's (twice), Teppenaki, and Le Bistro). Never had a problem getting drinks although a few of the bartenders weren't that friendly. The room was great and I didn't feel to crowded. Loved the toilet/shower area. You have a door that you can close while you're on the toilet leaving the sink & shower open for your roommate. I loved having the coffee maker in the room so I could have my tea first thing. We went on several excursions: -Magnificent Cartagena - Nice bus trip. -Beach Day at Monterrico (Guatemala) - Beautiful Resort - no food or drinks provided but we purchased some. Food was great and reasonably priced. -Scenic Costa Rica - OK bus trip. (Not sure it was worth the price) Did enjoy the local dancers. Did think the word "scenic" is misleading. -Up Close Whale Watching by Zodiac - Wonderful trip in Cabo San Lucas. We saw so many whales I can't count them all. There were a lot of trips offered when you go off board the ship that would have been 50% cheaper. I'd do that if I was coming back. - Nicaragra & Acapulco - These stops were not that great for us. We did walk the town of Acapulco and found it not that impressive. Wouldn't care to go back. Read Less

Four senior couples enjoyed sailing from Miami through the Panama Canal to Los Angeles. We picked January for our trip in an attempt to get away from winter weather. However, we had no way of know temperatures in the States would drop to record lows in some places. We experienced sunny skies and ideal temperatures for the entire duration of our trip. Everyone felt pampered as we enjoyed breakfasts and dinners as a group in the formal dining rooms. It was agreed that the food was better than some of the other cruise lines we had experienced. Entertainment on the ship was very good. Between the various ports of calls and the nightly shows at sea our time passed quickly. From the ship's captain down everyone was well pleased with the professionalism and friendliness of the staff. The captain made himself available to anyone who wished to speak to him which is not always the case on cruises. Two of our group had to visit the female ship's doctor and both were effusive in their praise of her skills and her ability to assist them. Finding agreement among eight seniors is not easy, but everyone in our group concluded we would all travel on NCL again. Read Less

1. Orange juice tasted like powdered OJ with artificial sweeteners. 2. 24 hour Pub O'Sheehans not open 24hours. Breakfast starts at 6 AM but staff won't let you sit there before 6AM. 3. Coffee is free at O'Sheehans pub but they charge you for the same coffee at O'Sheehans bar. The pub will not deliver the coffee to the bar. 4. The"Cruise Norwegian" app shows the restaurants but doesn't show hours or menu. 5. The"Cruise Norwegian" app only shows activities 24 hours in advance. 6. Changes to activities not shown on app. 7. Golf driving range had 2 right hand 3 irons and 2 left hand pitching wedges at one cage and the opposite combination at the other cage. 8. No video of activities shown on TV available for purchase. It would have been nice to get videos of bow cam. 9. Medical care extremely costly. Over $900 to be seen by on board medical personnel for flu like symptoms. 10. Texas hold em tournament structure leaves a lot to be desired. 11. Toilets broke several times. Read Less

I did not personally choose this cruise, but was invited to go with people who did because I wanted to experience going through the Panama Canal. Service for the most part was good. The free Wi-Fi incentive was a joke. Getting online was nearly impossible. Onboard entertainment was enjoyable, but seating in the large theater was quite uncomfortable. Food ranged from awful to very good. I was shocked to discover that the “orange juice” served was nothing more than Tang. The real thing cost extra! Really?!? I paid thousands of dollars for a mini suite that didn’t include orange juice. Ridiculous! I was not happy. Going through the Panama Canal was amazing. I recommend reading the book “The Path Between the Seas” beforehand. I went on 6 shore excursions. Two were excellent, two were good, one was fair, and one was poor. I seriously doubt I will choose Norwegian again. Read Less

Started cruising with NCL in 2010 thru the Canal on the Star. Enjoyed it a lot. Glad we have those memories because the rehabbed NCL Star is not worth booking. Lazy crew or maybe a bad attitude. Also they removed the Spinnaker lounge and replaced it with cabins, without increasing places to relax. Bliss Lounge is dark with uncomfortable seating. Game rooms are gone. Players use seats in the Cafe. Also gone were the mini-suite mid-room curtain, basically making it a large balcony cabin. Food is mediocre, meats are tough and gristly. Even at Cagney's. Would have like chopped fruits instead of whole fruit. I don't want an entire apple or orange. I'd like a little bowl of mixed fruit. And the noise. Don't get a mini suite under the pool area. Maybe bowling would be quieter - less chairs to slide alone. Not enough bars. And Gatsy's musicians were too noisy for conversation. Even though they were asked to tone it down. I can usually find something good to say, but I can't! Don't sail the Star; not worth the money. Read Less

There is practically nothing to do on that ship. One good show in 14 days, boring violin music (sometimes) most of the time no music at all. Decent music on pool deck but all chairs reserved so no place to sit. Most people on that cruise were playing cards or reading. Drinks are watered down so bad that you can't tell if they have alcohol in them or not. Food not terrible but nothing great either. Lounge chairs are reserved (some people leave the towel on them overnight so no one can use the chairs the next day and they don't show up until 2pm (I checked and towels are left overnight) staff should pick them up after an hour or so if no one shows up on chairs. Went through Panama canal but crew had blocked the view on deck 7 so everybody was on deck 12-13 so we couldn't see anything then they try to sell you the pictures that their photographs took. Service stinks, waiters are also bored and it shows, if you want a drink you have to go get it yourself because waiters will not come and see if you want something. Most of the time you're ignored. Drinks are watered down, there is a 20% gratuity automatically added to the bill and they want more... Bottom line: If you're under 85 years old, get on a different ship Read Less

I have just returned from a great Panama Canal cruise. I do not have allegiance to any one cruise line, but choose the cruise according to their itinerary and dates available. First of all, a few comments about the cruise itself on Norwegian Star. This itinerary was for a very hot climate - I would have appreciated more lounge chairs outdoors in shaded areas - these were always at a premium - at times, having to put up with cigarette smoke just to get out of the sun.The meals were not as great as I have become accustomed to while cruising - there wasn't anything wrong with them, but they lacked the variety and "pizzaz" I would have liked. Breakfasts in the buffet were the same every day for 2 weeks. They did offer a variety of foods, but my quest for that "something a little different" each morning went unanswered. FreeStyle Dining means that jeans, shorts and even HATS are allowed in the main dining rooms at dinner - this took away from MY experience of elegant dining while cruising. With this cruise being for 2 weeks in Jan, there were very few children on board. Now for the ports and excursions: We were very fortunate to be the only cruise ship in each of the ports that we attended. We booked all of our excursions through NCL for safety reasons. In Cartagena, Columbia we took the Exclusive Hop On Hop Off Bus - we quite enjoyed this tour but did not have time to hop off and back on again - the bus toured the city and then included a 1 hr walking tour of the Old City. The only negative was all of the people trying to sell you something in the Old City and they were very persistent - our guide seemed to have his favourites that he didn't mind recommending, and he stopped for certain street performers to ensure they received tips. Don't miss out on the "Nature Reserve" hidden in a corner of the pier - it's free and a great chance to see lots of birds and animals. The cruise of the Panama Canal was great - we took someone's advise and got up early to stake out our claim for a lounge chair in a shady spot and were very happy we did. We enjoyed the narration of what we were seeing as we passed through the different sets of locks. In Puntarenas, Costa Rica we enjoyed the Pacific Train, Bus and Boat Adventure. Although, not quite as nice as the train ride we had previously enjoyed in St Maartens, this train ride was enjoyable and gave one an opportunity to see the conditions under which some people actually live in this county. The boat ride was enjoyable and we were able to see a large variety of birds and small animals, but I yearned for more time to try and see that "big crocodile". Oscar was a great guide. After the tour, we strolled along the beach at the pier for awhile, amazed at how black our feet turned from the volcanic sand. Corinto, Nicaragua: we did not book an excursion here due to the long drive out and back to see the attractions, such as Antigua. I was a little anxious re even getting off the ship after reading some older reviews (2009) but was pleasantly surprised! The port was very industrial with trucks loading and unloading in the area where we disembarked from the ship, but there were guards managing this traffic. The locals were very friendly, asking us where we were from, if we spoke French (we're Canadian) , and even giving us directions to the "beach and restaurants". When the many vendors approached you, they quietly went on their way when you said "no, thanks". There were lovely costumed people dancing in the town square and a lovely park to rest in the shade. I got the impression that the people were trying very hard to impress us and bring more cruise ships and more money into their desolate town. I would love to return in a few years to see their progress. Puerto Quetzal, Guatemala: Coffee Plantation - Wow - to watch smoke erupting from several live volcanoes as we drove towards the city - incredible! And then to see the site where one of these volcanoes erupted on June 3 of last year, killing many and closing the road we are driving on for 3 months - truly amazing! -work continues to be done on this road but it is very easy to see where the streams of ash rolled down the side of the mountain and the damage it caused. The tour of the coffee plantation was also lovely, getting to stroll through the coffee fields, learn about the processing and enjoy a great cup of coffee. Our guide was very informative, giving us inside information about the politics, health care and education system. Acapulco, Mexico: Again I wasn't too sure about safety here, considering the US Dept of State has issued a Travel Warning. We booked the Bay Cruise and Cliff Divers and enjoyed a wonderful tour of the bay, enjoying unlimited beer and margaritas as we cruised, with lots of space to enjoy the sun or shade. Viewing the La Quebrada cliff divers from the perspective of the bay was great with some of the divers swimming out and boarding our boat after their jumps - of course they were after tips, but they were very friendly, offering to have their pictures taken with many of us. Cabo San Lucas, Mexico: unfortunately we docked here at 7 am and left by 2 pm - much to short a time to enjoy such as wonderful place. We enjoyed the Famous Arch, Sea Lions and Whales tour. We did see several sets of whales from our ship that morning before the tour, but were able to get much closer on our fast, inflatable boat, seeing one breach not far from us, as well as many tail splashes and even a fin flap! In the small inflatable boat we were able to get a good view of The Arch and Sea Lion colony. Our guide Beth came a great running commentary the entire 2 hours of our tour. After our tour, we stopped by the Dolphin Encounter and were able to sit and watch people swim with the dolphins (no admission charge to just watch). Our one disappointment was the Beachfronts and Beverly Hills ending at Airport in Los Angeles - the reviews weren't great but we needed something to do while we waited for our 11 pm flight out of LAX and didn't want to carry our luggage around with us all day. This was a 5 hour tour, but I would have enjoyed it so much more if it had taken about 8 hrs to complete. The scenic coastal drive to Beverly Hills was on the freeway with lots of traffic and I seemed to be on the wrong side of the bus to view everything that was pointed out. We did a walking tour of Rodeo Drive but had no time to shop as it was difficult keeping 30 people of varying athletic abilities together, getting through stop lights, etc and it was very difficult to hear our guide Allan due to the distance we were often away from him. Our next stop was the Santa Monica pier where we were given 1 hr - the problem was it took 15 min to walk to the pier, another 15 min to walk back and were expected to get ourselves some lunch during this time. Our last stop at Venice was even more rushed - only 15 min total, with it taking 5 min to walk to the beach boardwalk and another 5 min to walk back - that left 5 min to take a few quick pictures - no time for a lovely stroll along the boardwalk. Our guide, Allan, was very personable, but wasn't very helpful when he would state "if you look over there" you will see such-and-such without giving directions to those of us in the back as to where we should be looking. He chatted quite heartily with those in the front of the bus, but those of us in the back were not included in the conversations. All in all, a very enjoyable 2 week tour. Another trip off of my bucket list :) Read Less

We signed up for this Panama Canal cruise in May 2017 while we were cruising with NCL in Alaska. After our 20 months wait, this cruise was finally a reality. We arrived a day early to ensure our flight was not delayed due to winter weather and stayed at a hotel in San Pedro, CA. We had a fun time in San Pedro and would recommend it for a pre-cruise day before hand. Things started out perfectly as we arrived at the Los Angeles Cruise Port on Friday 04 Jan 2019 and quickly went through the embarkation process. This was the smoothest we've experienced during our six (6) cruises. Our Kudos to all involved. The NCL Star is the same size of ship that we've sailed on with RCCL and NCL so we were prepared for it and easily found ourselves at home on it. The Star looked attractive, clean, and well maintained considering the constant use it is put through. The crew was seen actively cleaning all areas daily. We found dining to be excellent to outstanding. We are not pampered guests from our daily lifestyle so we appreciated the hospitality shown to us in all dining venues on the Star. Did we like everything they offered? Of course not, it depends on our likes and dislikes. Did we find really yummy food? Yes, just about all the time for every meal. More Kudos to the Star's chefs and serving staff. We dined in both MDRs, the Garden Cafe Buffet, O'Sheehan's Bar & Grill, Topsiders Bar & Grill, Cagney's, La Cuchina, Moderno, Teppanyaki, and Ginza Asian Dining Room. Our only dining complaint was our meal at the Ginza Asian Dining Room. The group of five (5) of us were all disappointed with the taste of the food served there and recommend NCL take a closer look at the taste of the items offered there. This one unsatisfying meal did not over shadow the rest of the great food we experienced on the Star. Entertainment was a designed to fit most people on board. The two nightly shows (7:30pm & 9:30 pm) in the Stardust theater ran from 40 minutes to one hour long. The only drawback was uncomfortable seating. The ship's Star Show Band was outstanding on stage and then when they played jazz in the Bliss lounge at different times. The ship's singers and dancers worked hard to please everyone with their four production shows as well as the other performances they supported. Well done ladies and gentlemen. We loved the juggler Randy Cabral. The other musical groups that moved throughout the ship provided a good mix of music and some of them became our favorites as the cruise went on for two weeks. The cruise director Roberto was all over the ship involved with a little bit of everything each day. He was very personal, easy to approach, and made us feel welcome on board. Kudos to Roberto. His staff conducted themselves in a similar manner so there was smiles and fun to go around daily. You just had to find something that fit your interest. We've worn ourselves out doing too many excursions on past cruises so we limited ourselves to whale watching in Cabo. The operator of this excursion was Cabo Wave who provided an outstanding time for two (2) hours. We highly recommend this excursion. At the other ports, we were happy to visit the shops that were available there. The Panama Canal crossing was our MAIN EVENT and it was fantastic! NCL brought a narrator on board who provided details of the canal crossing process which took ten (10) hours to complete. Thank you NCL as this person was invaluable for making this the most memorable event of our cruise. Looking back at the two weeks we spent on the NCL Star it was a trip of a life time. Our expectations/wishes for a great time were met and exceeded. We would recommend this cruise to anyone seeking another cruise adventure. Well done NCL Star and crew! Read Less

This past January, my friend and I were looking for a fun way to escape our winter weather and see another part of the world. We ultimately chose to do a 14 day cruise through the Panama Canal and it did not disappoint. It fact, it was absolutely awesome! We were very fortunate to book a cruise that was reasonably priced, included free flights and transfers, as well as a specialty dining package (complementary dinners in four of the ship's exclusive restaurants). Our itinerary was amazing: leaving Los Angeles, with stops in Mexico (Cabo and Acapulco), Guatemala, Nicaragua, Costa Rica, through the Panama Canal to Cartagena, Columbia and finishing up in Miami! I highly recommend it!! It was an excellent blend of sightseeing, history, beach life, and natural beauty. We explored some ports on our own, did a few excursions with the ship (one to Antigua, Guatemala and the other, an eco-tour in Costa Rica), and arranged a few taxi adventures with others we met on board. It worked out really well. I was a bit worried about choosing an inside cabin, but I ended up loving our cozy stateroom. Special shout out to Arnold who was warm and personable took great care of us every morning and evening. The entertainment and the recreation team (Roberto, Phillip, Una, Marta, and others) were absolutely A-1!! Every single performance in the theatre was impressive and showcased so many excellent musicians and dancers. Morning, noon, and night, the upbeat and hard-working staffers were SO MUCH FUN!! While we indulged in a custom made omelet most mornings from the buffet, we explored various venues at midday. We ventured to O'Sheehan's Bar and Grill only once and were underwhelmed, so from then on, tended to pick and choose lunch most days from the Garden Cafe. We opted to dine at the Versailles dining room for most dinners - couldn't understand why so many went to the buffet instead. The food and service at the Versailles was outstanding, offering a delicious array of starters, entrees, and desserts. To help counter the effects of all the great food, we circled the deck several times a day, took the stairs every time we moved from deck to deck, and even went to workout when we had time. I was really impressed by the facilities, especially the gym. During our days at sea, we spent a lot of time by the Oasis pool; reading, sunning, and watching the passing parade. Things really came to life when there were groups performing there, or when the crew organized games or a bit of dancing. All 'n' all, mine was a great first cruise and I look forward to booking another trip in the near future. Read Less