My partner and I took the 7-day cruise on Norwegian Caribbean Lines' "Norwegian Star" in early January 2003. This was our first cruise on NCL. The Star is an attractive new ship; we had a great time, and are glad we went. However, we probably won't be back on NCL anytime soon. Read on to see if this cruise is for you.

We're a gay couple from the West coast, both around 40 years old. We travel to relax first and to see new sights second. We've cruised on Celebrity, Princess, Royal Caribbean, and now Norwegian. We're both very partial to Celebrity, and I'll try to make comparisons when appropriate to help you understand where we're coming from. As I said, we had a great time, and the things that we did not enjoy might not matter to you. Everyone has different tastes, which is why there are different cruise lines.

I'll try to break this review up by subject, rather than a day-by-day description. First, the itinerary. As you should already be aware if you're considering this cruise, you shouldn't expect to get a real sense of the Hawaiian islands from this cruise. The port stops are even shorter than usual for a cruise, due to the need to sail 1,200 miles south to the Fanning Islands and back in order to comply with US shipping law. I understand that NCL is trying to get an exception from this law, which would significantly change the experience of this cruise. My partner and I particularly enjoy days at sea, so we didn't mind at all, but others complained about spending so much time in transit. Until the law changes, if you really want to see Hawaii, plan to spend some time in the islands before or after the cruise. Read more