The cabins are just fine but don’t forget your hair conditioner if your hair tangles. I would prefer a return to having individual soaps instead of sharing the shower gel and shampoo which, according to many web sites, are unhygienic. I pack my own SOAP, shampoo and conditioner, especially on longer cruises.

The bed linens are OK, not great; just OK, a bit on the thin side.  Because they are not fitted, they kept coming off the bed despite my sleeping alone. I also did not see a mattress pad which would protect the mattress and improve over-all bed hygiene.  The towels, on the other hand, are absorbent & quite thick; loved the towels. The water pressure and temperature controls are excellent. Overall, the bathrooms are appropriately sized and larger than those I’ve encountered on other ships. The room stewards keep them extremely clean and in order. The a/c is also excellent. You can adjust your stateroom temperature with ease.

I also like having ice available at all times in my room, and the steward made sure I always had ice. I always bring a small Brita pitcher which I use to prepare filtered water for drinking. Although the water in each room is potable, taking a small Brita filtration pitcher is advisable.

If you end up in Grand Cayman, intentionally or not, rent a car.  There isnt much to do or see near the port. Grand Caymans Save More Car Rental, a/k/a  GoGo Cayman is family owned (Parsons brothers Alvin & Nick) and offers very attractive prices and excellent service. I rented from GoGo Cayman in 2017 and 2019 and loved their price, service, quality of cars, flexibility and professionalism. Their website has a Deals section that offers extra discounts. Also, if you use the Discount Code Hilarion10 you will get an additional 10% off your car rental. We added the comprehensive insurance for a very reasonable $25.

Picking up your car is easy. When we arrived, we called and a company car collected us at the town clock tower which is just one block from where the tenders disembark. When we returned the car, they will drove us to the tenders to return to our ship. Easy. To speed up your rental car pick-up send them a copy of your drivers license before your arrive. The brothers Alvin and Nick Parsons are kind, accommodating, helpful and professional.

Although my credit card provides primary insurance for Car Rentals I find that I feel better if I buy the rental company insurance if it is not too much to avoid any last minute stressful conflicts upon returning the car. One of the owners  at GoCayman will also drive you back to your dock in your own rental car.  GoCayman provided honest service at the BEST price in Grand Cayman, and I priced everyone! 
             
This is the second time I rented a car in Grand Cayman and it is worth it even if you are alone. Here is my recommended itinerary for cruisers:
            1. Drive 45 min. directly to Rum Point where there is a very nice less crowded beach, with hammocks and  Hi chairs and a bar serving the famous mudslides.  It is FREE to park & use the excellent facilities there if you purchase drinks and food there. The drive to Rum Point is easy especially if you use a GoogleMaps. It will also allow you to get a feel for this island. Just stay on the LEFT!
            2.  Drive 6 min. to Starfish Point where you will see starfish and find a very nice small uncrowded beach and free parking. No facilities but you will LOVE the small beach with so many starfish close to shore.
            3. Drive back towards George Town to Smiths Cove which is a gorgeous small beach without too many people with parking, picnic tables and bathrooms. Parking is across the street but be careful crossing the very busy road, looking first to your right before you cross! If you do not have any food, you could pick up something en route and have a picnic at Smiths Cove. Across the street is a gorgeous mansion which may look like the Governors Residence but I learned it belong to a wealthy family of shipowners by the name of Thompson.
         4. If you find you have extra time, you may want to stop at the Botanical Garden which is en route to Rum Point. It is not too large and quite beautiful if you enjoy seeing local plants in a beautiful garden setting. I did not stop on this trip as we did not have too much time.
            After Rum Point stopped at Star Beach and-before returning the car to Andys and being taken back to the cruise port.


Now, if the chef and food preparers could be reminded of what makes for a good cinnamon bun, soft scrambled eggs, moist French toast, tender and juicy pork or beef roast, tender ribs, edible scallops and what should be a very basic baked fish dish, I would have rated the food on the NCL Star as excellent; however, it wasn’t.Even if you included the service charge when you paid for your cruise, tip them a little extra before you disembark.

Norwegian Star Review

A+ ship, service & entertainment; C- embarkation, dining, activities, ports

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