Thread: NCL Star cabin info

I am not sure if this is the place to ask this question, but you all seem to have lots of knowledge about the Star.

We are sailing the Mexican Riviera in April 09. The information that I have read says that our cabin (F category with a porthole) will have a small refrigerator. We didn't have that on the Carnival or RCI ship that we were on in previous years.

It sounds like it will be full and we will be charged if we consume the things in it. Does anyone know what is in it? We are considering ordering a bar set up for a bottle of vodka and I am looking for mixers to make drinks.

Can we take out the things that we aren't going to consume to make room for our own things? Perhaps I can bring back juice or lemonade from the buffet. I have also read that people put the ice bucket in the refrigerator to keep the ice longer. Is it big enough for that?

I didn't find this info on other forum pages but I apologize if I am repeating another thread.
Thanks

I have not sailed NCL but the size is a small dorm size fridge. It has, usually, soda and water bottles. You can ask your steward to remove it all, then either you brought your own stuff or order what you want to put in there after paying for it on board. Not sure if the ice will fit but you can ask the steward to replace the ice in the morning and at suppertime when he/she is in there for cleaning.

We were on the Star a year ago. We had a balcony cabin but probably the same fridge. It had soft drinks and those little airline size bottles of booze in it. When you board the ship the fridge is locked and you must ask your steward to unlock it.You get charged for anything missing from the fridge after that. If you don't want to chance getting charged by mistake, don't ask to unlock it. If it is not locked, ask to have it locked up.

We asked our steward to remove some of the brands and double others we wanted to drink and he did. Also. I have some meds that have to be kept cool and our stewart made room in the fridge for that.

Our room steward kept the ice bucket filled twice a day minimum and we always had ice when we wanted it.

The soft drinks in the cabin fridge were a good value as far as onboard pricing goes. I can't remember the exact price of a Coke but I remember it was cheaper than at the bar and it was a real Coke and not watered down with warm ice.

If you have read all this to here please let me say that all the "extra" attention we got from our room stewart did not go un-noticed. He went out of his normal duties to give us what we wanted in our fridge and we made it worth his while.

If your cabin steward, or any crew member for that matter, goes above and beyond at your request you should compensate him/her for the action. This keeps them trying hard and our vacations go smoother!!

Thanks for the info. It sounds like I will be able to figure out the refrigerator. I think it will be a nice amenity to have in our cabin.

As far as tipping for good service. On past cruises, I have asked the room steward for a small favor when I first meet them. This gives me the excuse to hand them a cash tip and thank him or her for the help. I found this keeps them interested in what I need. I have always had very attentive room stewards. This good service might have happened without the tip on the first day, but I have read some horror stories and prefer not to take the chance. And of course, that isn't the only tip that I give for the entire cruise. I agree that good service needs to be recognized and rewarded.

Excellent idea hrt4girls!! We do something similar just to let the steward know we are paying attention. If you give them something on the first day they stay close and try harder huh??

Another thing my wife and I do is bring some snacks and candy with us. Those little candy bars, nuts, crackers and of course M&Ms. As soon as the onboard shopping stores open we buy a nice dish or two and put them on the little table in our cabin then fill them with the candy. We tell the room stewards to help themselves and they usually do. These kids have never been around this much candy and they think it is nice that they can get all they want. We enjoy having the snacks available too!!

mowdoc

did the same cruise last year. fridges are the same.managed to get our stuff in and still left their stuff in there.

Hi Smitty,
Do you have any tips or info that I should know about this ship or this cruise? This is my third cruise and the second with the family. (DH and 2 teenage daughters). I don't need to know the basic cruise stuff, but thought you might have some interesting insights since you have been on this one.

Where did you eat dinner and how was it? Did you find a lounge area that you enjoyed? Is there a show or activity that we shouldn't miss? Did you spend any time in the casino? I would love to hear anything that you can share.

Our family is getting excited about this April trip. Of course, as I write this we are getting another 6 inches of snow. Gotta love Wisconsin!

hi hrt4girls,
ours was a slightly different itinerary, but puerto vallarta is not to be missed.the italian on the star is a very good restaraunt. they convert part of the buffet in the evening, and it's got a totally different atmosphere. other than that we mainly ate in aqua 'cos it was not very far from our cabin and has a more intimate atmosphere than versailles. the food is the same in both by the way.
lounge wise, spent most of the time in either the red lion pub or gadsbysother than that anywhere where there was live music.
only went to the casino for a smoke and the occasional slot, i'm not a big gambler.
shows. anything that the JEAN RYAN company do is pretty good. band on the run , south side, and bollywood are the shows you'll probably get. for bollywood get in early and get about six rows from the front central.... you'll see why when you see the show.
the breakfast at the GREAT OUTDOORS is pretty good in the morning, as is the B.B.Q. that they do at lunch.
i'm an outdoors sort of person, particularly if it's good weather, and don't want to keep going inside to get food.
if you have any more specific questions i'll be happy to answer them. i do not envy you your snow, it's sunny and 50f over here at this moment.
have a great cruise, don't be scared to ask questions
kind regards
smitty ( davy )

My DH and I have sailed the Star twice to Mexico. We've always enjoyed the mini bar as it is convenient and not pricey. On our first trip the Endless Summer Restaurant was very good. The second cruise no so good. Now I hear they have a cover charge for dining there. Italian on the closed off side of the buffet was excellent. The French (can't remember the name was absolute heaven and we went to the steak house twice so no doubt it was a favorite. We ate in the dining room only twice but very good as well.

Thanks to both of you for the advice. It will be fun to try the different restaurants and pubs to find our favorite. I think our ship will be full since it is the week of Easter. I have read some very good things about the Star and I am sure we will have a wonderful time.

My 2 daughters and I have planned a zipline excursion in the morning at PV. Then we are meeting my husband for some time in town. Is there something that we should make sure we see in the time we have left? We are not really beach people and prefer to see the sights in the ports and swim at the pools on the ship. My family teases me because I am a teacher and I think we should learn something about the places we go. They call them my field trips. I think cruises are the perfect mix of relaxing and doing.