Norwegian Star

The 2001-built Norwegian Star cruise ship is the first Dawn-class liner of NCL-Norwegian, with sistership Norwegian Dawn.

History - construction and ownership

Norwegian Cruise Line (NCL) is a subsidiary company of the shipping corporation Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings Ltd (NCLH). NCL was founded in 1966, headquartered in Miami (Florida USA) and publicly traded (NASDAQ) company listed on NYSE (NYC). NCLH's major shareholders are the corporations Apollo Global Management (American), Genting Group (Malaysian) and TPG Capital (American). In 2017, the brand NCL had a worldwide cruise market share 8,7% (passengers) and 8,4% (revenue). NCLH (shipowner) owns the brands NCL, Oceania and RSSC-Regent.

The 2350-passenger ship Norwegian Star became operational in 2001 and was specially designed for Freestyle Cruising. The cruise ship has eleven restaurants, plus venues serving Tex-Mex, Japanese and French cuisine, and eight bars and lounges. In line with the Freestyle mantra, public spaces range from intimate to exuberant, giving passengers the chance for 24/7 entertainment.

Decks and Cabins

Norwegian Star staterooms ((1174 total, in 33 grades) include 151x Suites, 368x Balcony, 250x Oceanview and 383x Inside cabins. Most staterooms are sized 140-165 ft2 (13-15 m2). The largest accommodation is the 2-Bedroom Garden Villa (2285 ft2 / 212 m2, with a huge terrace of 3610 ft2 / 335 m2).

The boat has 14 decks, of which 11 are passenger-accessible and 9 with cabins.

Shipboard dining options - Food and Drinks

There are two main dining rooms onboard Norwegian Star for traditional-style dining, Versailles, located aft, and Aqua, located midship. Both are lovely, and Versailles looks very much like its namesake with lots of gold and French Renaissance flourishes. Aqua is contemporary and cool. Besides the main dining room, there is a bevy of alternative venues. In addition to the two main dining rooms, Norwegian Star features a wealth of distinct restaurants to choose from. Themes range from steaks and classic French bistro fare to Benihana-style Teppanyaki. Overall, food is flavorful and even inventive. Service is excellent throughout, though it's not unusual to wait to receive your dessert during the busiest dinner hours (6:30 p.m. - 8:30 p.m.). Meals are cooked to order, so the food passengers receive is hot and fresh. Reservations for Star's speciality restaurants can be made only 24 hours in advance, so if you want to try one of the more popular spots, such as Moderno Churrascaria (Brazilian-style steakhouse), Cagney's (American steakhouse), or Le Bistro (French), you should book as early as possible.

Follows the complete list of Norwegian Star restaurants and food bars.

• Versailles Restaurant (502-seat aft Dining Room; complimentary; Freestyle dining)
• Aqua Restaurant (322-seat forward Dining Room, complimentary)
• Le Bistro (82-seat French speciality dinner-only restaurant; reservations-only; US$20 cover charge)
• La Cucina (112-seat Italian speciality restaurant; reservations-only, US$15 cover charge; with outdoor seating waterfront area)
• Ginza (98-seat Asian restaurant; complimentary)
• Sushi Bar (17-seat Ginza restaurant); Sake Bar (8-seat, inside Ginza)
• Teppanyaki (12-seat Japanese Hibachi speciality, reservations-only restaurant; US$25; open for Lunch and Dinner; features live cooking demonstrations)
• Blue Lagoon (66-seat 24-hour fast food restaurant, complimentary)
• Moderno Churrascaria (62-seat Brazilian steakhouse; reservations-only; US$20 per person cover charge; with outdoor seating waterfront area)
• O’Sheehan’s Neighbourhood Bar & Grill (24-hour English pub/sports bar; complimentary)
• Market Cafe & Kid’s Cafe (475-seat indoor buffet restaurant, complimentary; with a special kids' dedicated area)
• Topsiders Bar & Grill (128-seat)
• Cagney’s Steakhouse (143-seat speciality Dinner restaurant for prime steaks and gourmet seafood specialities; reservations-only, US$30 cover charge per person and free Kids Menu)
• The Sky High Bar (replacing the 126-seat Bavarian-themed al fresco snack and beer bar Bier Garten during 2018 refurb), is an outdoor bar & lounge with seating for nearly 120 people.

Shipboard entertainment options - Fun and Sport

While Norwegian Star provides the usual fare during days at sea, such as bingo, arts and crafts, art auctions, wellness seminars, the real highlights of entertainment are the nightly shows. The "main event" each evening is held in the Stardust Theater, which features everything - from Broadway-style song-and-dance acts to variety shows. The Stardust Theater spans Decks 5 through 7. It is designed in a European opera house style and is quite comfortable. The spa and sports facilities on Norwegian Star are open until 11 p.m. most nights. The ship also has 7 jacuzzis and 3 pools (Splash Down kids pool). Entertainment options also include the NCL's FIREWORKS show (on each voyage), "Rock of Ages", "Cirque Dreams", "Illusionarium" (magicians show).

Additional amenities include: Complimentary 24-hour Room-Service, Supervised Kids Program ("NCL Kids"), Internet/WiFi Access, Laundry. NCL Star tipping/gratuities (US$12 pp per day). For your Norwegian Star cruise ship weddings, there's a small chapel on board.

Follows the complete list of Norwegian Star lounges, clubs and other entertainment venues for kids, teens and adults.

• Stardust Theatre (1037-seat; features Broadway-style musical productions; two grand shows per night)
• Grand Atrium (2-deck midship hub area); Art Gallery
• Gatsby’s Champagne Bar; Wine Cellar; Red Lion (pub); Five O’Clock Somewhere Bar; Java Cafe (73-seat coffee & tea bar); Sugarcane Mojito Bar; Internet Cafe
• Star Club Casino
• Bliss Ultra Lounge (replacing the 405-seat aft Show Lounge & Nightclub Spinnaker Lounge during 2018 refurb)
• Spice H2O (Norwegian's adults-only top-deck spot featuring a private pool, full bar and hot tubs, added during 2018 refurb)
• The Galleria Shops (tax-duty free shops); Port o’ Call (perfumes & cosmetics boutique); Photo Gallery & Shop
• Barong Spa (beauty salon, treatment rooms); Barong Fitness Centre; Oasis Pool; Splash Down Pool/Kid’s Pool; Jogging Track; Golf Nets; Combined sports court (basketball, volleyball, tennis)
• Teen Club & Disco; Video Zone; Planet Kid’s center.

Itineraries

Norwegian Star itinerary program is based on Baltic Sea cruises from Copenhagen in the summer months. The Star ship also offers 7-day Western Caribbean sailings from Tampa FL and seasonal Transatlantic repositioning crossings between Europe and Florida.

In February 2016, the ship was listed among the booked vessels at Overseas Passenger Terminal (Sydney NSW Australia) for a total of 11 visits (between October 7, 2017, and May 1, 2018). In January-February 2017, the ship operated all 3 itineraries to/from Australia and New Zealand.

In January 2021, Norwegian Star's itinerary program includes cruises to Antarctica (14-day "Extraordinary Journeys") from Buenos Aires Argentina. The voyage visits Elephant Island and Deception Island.

In March 2022, the NCL Star's program includes the fleet's first South American cruise that visits in Brazil Fortaleza and Salvador de Bahia. The 15-day itinerary leaves out of Rio de Janeiro. Also in 2022 (departures July 14 and July 25) are planned Northern European voyages (10-day and 11-day B2Bs) that depart from Reykjavik Iceland and visit Greenland (NCL's first-time) with 3 port calls - Nuuk, Qaqortoq, Nanortalik.

Norwegian Star is of the Dawn-class NCL vessels, with only sistership Norwegian Dawn. NCL Star's history started as an order placed to Meyer Werft GmbH by Star Cruises. The order was for a new Libra-class vessel, to be named "SuperStar Libra". Order's cost was USD 400 million. When NCL was acquired by Star Cruises in 2000, a decision was made this new liner to be transferred to NCL Norwegian and renamed "Norwegian Star". The 1st Libra-class ship ("SuperStar Scorpio", also on order) was also transferred to NCL and renamed "Norwegian Dawn".

Ship's Inaugural Cruise (maiden voyage) was on November 19, 2001. Vessel's christening ceremony was dual - together with NCL Sun and traditionally held at PortMiami (November 17, 2001). Liner's godmother was Brooke Burke (US actress and model, born Sept 8, 1971).

2001 was the year when to NCL were delivered two brand new ships - Star and Sun. Both vessels were ordered and built specifically to embrace NCL's revolutionary "Freestyle Cruising" concept. All the three Sky-class ships together worth over USD 1 billion - at that time a huge investment in this market.

As a fun fact, there was another passenger ship operated between 1996-2001 under the same name - "Norwegian Star". That was ms Albatros - built 1973, and currently owned and operated by the Phoenix Reisen. That ship was also referred to as "NCL Star" since it was in service for "Norwegian Capricorn Line".

Originally, Norwegian Star operated 7-day Hawaiian Islands cruises from homeport Honolulu, starting on December 16, 2001. Deals were on roundtrips visiting Hawaii, Oahu, Maui, Kauai and Fanning Island. This itinerary was operated up until 2004 when NCL Star was relocated to US West Coast for voyages to Alaska and Mexico Riviera. The change also included a new hull-art and adding Cagney's Steakhouse and "Star Club" casino as new onboard venues. On the Hawaiian market, NCL Star was replaced by Pride of Aloha ship (now Norwegian Sky).

In late-2011, the ship was once again relocated and homeported in Tampa Florida for Western Caribbean itineraries. In 2012, it was homeported in NYC New York where replaced NCL Gem for roundtrips to Bermuda, while NCL Jewel replaced Star in Alaska-Mexico. In 2013, Norwegian Star started a new set of itineraries - in Northern Europe, operating Baltic Sea cruises leaving from homeport Copenhagen Denmark.

NCL Star refurbishments review

The list of deckplan changes after the ship's 3-week drydock refurbishment in 2018 (May, in Barcelona Spain) includes:

• extensive renovation of all staterooms, public areas, restaurants, bars, lounges
• stateroom upgrades - new flat HDTVs (infotainment system), USB ports, carpets, headboards, artworks, some furniture
• Bliss Ultra Lounge (ex Spinnaker Lounge) - redesigned, new carpets, custom-made loungers, expanded seating, upgraded bar menu, new artworks
• Spice H20 (adults-only serenity deck with swimming pool, hot tubs, full-service bar, nightly live entertainment, DJs)
• Los Lobos Cantina (Mexican restaurant, former Las Ramblas Bar Restaurant)
• Spinnaker Lounge (ex Observation Lounge)
• Sky High Bar (ex Bier Garten) - enlarged (to 120 seats), updated bar menu)
• renovated Atrium Cafe and Bar, Garden Cafe, Cagney's Steakhouse, Casino (new VIP section), Main Dining Rooms (Aqua, Versailles), La Cucina, Le Bistro, Teppanyaki, Atrium Cafe, Mandara Spa, pool deck, Theatre, Atrium Cafe

Drydock 2018 was part of NCL's "Norwegian Edge" program for fleetwide upgrades (2-year project budgeted USD 400 million). Each drydock costs around USD 35-40 million.

The boat's 2015 drydock refurbishment (March 8-22) resulted in the following deckplan changes

• (Deck 7) The Jimmy Buffet’s eatery now has the Five O’Clock Somewhere Bar.
• Cover charges were dropped for the Ginza (Asian) restaurant.
• Added were the O’Sheehan’s Pub (on deck 8) and the Sugarcane Mojito Bar (on deck 13).
• New digital signage boards (touch-screens) were installed throughout the ship.
• Renovations were done to the casino (deck 6), photo gallery (deck 7), pool deck (Lido deck 12).
• All public areas received new carpeting/flooring, and windows were replaced.
• (technical enhancements) - new hull painting, new scrubbers were added (by Green Tech Marine) reducing fuel/energy consumption. Upgraded were the ship’s tender boat release systems. General maintenance works were done.

Refurbishment 2018 project was part of NCL’s “The Norwegian Edge” fleet renovation program, budgeted around USD 400 million.

The list of deckplan changes after drydock 2010 included:

• (Deck 6) the “SoHo Room” restaurant was renamed “La Cucina”.
• (Deck 7 – relocation of old venues) Photo Gallery, duty-free shops, Spinnaker lounge (from deck 12, the new Spinnaker is larger), new conference rooms
• (Deck 8) new restaurants were added – Moderno, and O’Sheehan’s.
• (Deck 12 changes) Public spaces were converted into Suites. The deck area where the old Spinnaker, Art Gallery and Meeting Rooms were located was converted – new 48 Suites were added, including 28 Penthouse Suites, with a new category suites added (Deluxe Owner’s Suite- SA, without a balcony, but with floor-to-ceiling slanted panoramic windows), new Family Suites and a new category Interior Rooms (IC). Also, the old cinema area was converted into 4 new conference rooms.
• Shipwide carpeting and cabins renovation.