Sailing on an older cruise ship is not everyone’s cup of tea. Some cruisers want the latest and greatest attractions, restaurants and onboard technology. Others are perfectly happy trading the flashy amenities for a smaller ship and a more subdued experience.
I tend to fall somewhere in the middle. I love sailing on a brand-new cruise ship, but I also believe older ships can offer a fantastic vacation, especially when the itinerary is the main attraction.
That was exactly the case when I sailed on Norwegian Star for a 10-night British Isles cruise from Southampton, England. Built in 2001, Norwegian Star is one of the oldest ships in Norwegian Cruise Line’s fleet. Our itinerary included nine planned port visits around England, Ireland and Scotland with only one sea day.
This was also my longest Norwegian cruise. Before boarding Norwegian Star, I had only sailed with the cruise line twice: once on Pride of America more than a decade ago and more recently on Norwegian Sun for a quick two-night cruise.
Because of this, I was curious to see how Norwegian Star would hold up over a longer sailing. Would the ship feel noticeably dated? Would there be enough restaurants and bars? And would we be bored in the evenings without the flashy attractions found on Norwegian’s newest ships?
After 10 nights onboard, Norwegian Star surprised me in more ways than one. The ship certainly had a few quirks, but her age was hardly the biggest factor in our cruise experience.
Here are the things that stood out most during my time onboard Norwegian Star—and who I think should consider booking this older ship.
Norwegian Star did not feel like a 20-plus-year-old cruise ship
Before sailing on any older cruise ship, I always try to manage my expectations. You can’t book one of the oldest ships in a cruise line’s fleet and expect it to have the same features as a brand-new mega-ship.
Even with realistic expectations, I was impressed by Norwegian Star’s overall condition. The updated lounges, bars and staterooms helped the ship feel more modern than I anticipated.
Of course, there were areas where Norwegian Star’s age was more apparent. Some of the decor felt dated, and the ship did not have the open, easy-to-navigate design found on many newer vessels.
In fact, we struggled to find our way around during the first few days of the cruise. We were constantly checking deck plans and occasionally hit a dead end while trying to reach a restaurant or lounge. Eventually, we figured out the ship’s quirks and could navigate around with more confidence.
However, I never felt like Norwegian Star was poorly maintained. The public spaces were clean, the furniture was in good condition and nothing about the ship felt neglected. If I had boarded without knowing her age, I would not have guessed Norwegian Star was built in 2001.
This is an itinerary-first cruise ship, but that can be a good thing
Norwegian Star is not a ship I would book specifically for a week filled with onboard thrills. You will not find waterslides, go-karts or a seemingly endless list of high-tech attractions.
Compared to Norwegian’s newest ships, the onboard experience is much simpler.
For our British Isles itinerary, that was not a dealbreaker. Most days were spent exploring ports, and we often returned to the ship ready for dinner, a drink and an early bedtime. We did not need an endless list of attractions because the destinations were the highlight of our cruise.
In fact, I think Norwegian Star’s smaller size worked well for such a port-intensive itinerary. The ship felt calm and intimate, which was exactly what we wanted after long days ashore. I never felt pressured to rush around the ship trying to experience everything.
Norwegian Cruise Line often uses its older ships for some of the company’s more interesting, destination-focused itineraries. This is one reason I typically recommend choosing a cruise based on the itinerary first and the ship second.
This would be a different story on an itinerary with multiple sea days. If you want the ship itself to be the destination, Norwegian Star might feel too limited. However, if your priority is visiting unique ports and you view the ship as a comfortable home base, the simpler experience can be a major advantage.
Norwegian Star is no-frills, but there was still plenty to do onboard
Although Norwegian Star lacks the flashy attractions found on newer ships, the vessel was not completely devoid of activities.
The ship has one main pool and six hot tubs, which is actually an impressive number for a ship of this size. We did not use the pool much because of the cold and rainy weather around the United Kingdom. Some of the hot tubs also felt more lukewarm than hot, so we occasionally moved to another one in search of warmer water.
One of my favorite outdoor spaces was Spice H2O, the adults-only area at the back of the ship. This was a relaxing place to sit outside and take in the views without being in the middle of the busy pool deck.
Norwegian Star also has a walking and jogging track that wraps around the ship. The track offered beautiful views, although the wind could be brutal during our colder sailing. Anyone taking a walk on an itinerary like ours should remember to bring a jacket—or perhaps a scarf and hat as well.
There was also trivia, live music and a variety of scheduled activities throughout the day.
I recommend looking through the schedule before going to bed. Because Norwegian Star is a quieter ship, activities are not necessarily happening around every corner. You need to be a little more intentional about finding the events that interest you.
The complimentary food was the biggest surprise of the cruise
Food is highly subjective, but Norwegian Star’s dining exceeded my expectations. In fact, the complimentary food was one of the highlights of our entire cruise.
I had previously sailed on Norwegian Sun, another older ship in the fleet, and was disappointed by some of the food during that cruise. Because of this, I was unsure whether Norwegian Star would provide a similar experience.
Instead, Norwegian Star had some of the best complimentary food I have experienced with Norwegian Cruise Line. There were five included dining venues during our sailing: Versailles, Aqua, the Garden Café buffet, O’Sheehan’s Bar and Grill, and Topsider’s Bar and Grill.
Versailles became one of our favorite restaurants, and we ate there several times during the cruise. The restaurant had a more traditional atmosphere with French-inspired decor, while Aqua offered a darker and more modern dining environment.
Both main dining rooms served the same menu each evening, although the selections changed throughout the cruise. There was also a Classics section with familiar options available each night. We found the food to be fresh, flavorful and consistently high quality.
O’Sheehan’s provided casual pub food around the clock, while Topsider’s was a convenient place to grab lunch when the Garden Café became busy. The buffet could develop long lines during peak times, so having another quick-service option nearby was helpful.
Older cruise ships sometimes struggle to offer much variety beyond the main dining room and buffet, but that was not the case here. Norwegian Star might lack flashy attractions, but Norwegian certainly did not skimp on complimentary dining options.
Freestyle dining made our busy port days much easier
Norwegian Cruise Line is known for its Freestyle Cruising approach, which means there are no assigned dining times in the main dining rooms. You can arrive for dinner whenever it fits your schedule.
This was especially convenient on our British Isles cruise because no two days looked the same. Some evenings we returned to the ship early, while other days we stayed in port as long as possible. I appreciated not having to plan our time ashore around a set dinner reservation.
After an exhausting day of sightseeing, we could return to our cabin, get ready at our own pace and head to dinner when we were hungry. It is a small detail, but it made the entire cruise feel more relaxed.
Freestyle dining will not appeal to everyone. Some cruisers enjoy having the same table, waiter and dining time each evening. Personally, I thought Norwegian’s flexible approach was a perfect match for this particular itinerary.
The entertainment was good when offered, but the schedule felt limited
The biggest disappointment of our Norwegian Star cruise was not necessarily the quality of the entertainment. It was the limited number of major performances during our 10-night sailing.
The acts we watched were excellent. Our sailing included impressive variety performers, including a magician, contortionist, juggler and acrobat. The performers themselves were talented, and we enjoyed the shows we attended.
However, some evenings did not have a major performance in the Stardust Theater. I knew an older and smaller ship would not have the same entertainment lineup as Norwegian’s newest vessels, but I still expected more theatre shows during a cruise of this length.
There were other ways to stay entertained. Norwegian Star offered live music in several lounges and the atrium, ranging from bands and singers to classical music. There were also game shows, including “Deal or No Deal” and “The Newlywed and Not So Newlywed Game.”
However, cruisers who love ending every evening with a large production show might be disappointed by the sporadic schedule.
On the other hand, the quieter atmosphere might be exactly what some travelers want. Our sailing attracted an older demographic, and the ship rarely felt rowdy or overly crowded. Norwegian Star was more of a place to enjoy a relaxed dinner and a cocktail than to race from one major show to the next.
Norwegian Star had an impressive number of bars without long lines
Although the entertainment was limited, Norwegian Star had an impressive selection of bars and lounges with extensive cocktail menus. We rarely waited long for a drink, even though one bartender told us that around 80% of guests onboard had a drink package through Norwegian’s Free at Sea promotion.
The Sugarcane Mojito Bar was one of our favorite places onboard. The bar served a wide selection of mojitos, including a mojito flight for anyone who wanted to try several flavors.
We also enjoyed Proof Whisky Bar, which had comfortable seating near large windows. The bar was located on the side of the ship that frequently faced the port, making it a great place to watch sailaway with a drink.
Bliss Ultra Lounge was another hub for evening entertainment. The space hosted dancing, music and game shows before transforming into a nightclub later in the evening.
The nightlife was not flashy, but the variety of lounges gave us somewhere different to visit each night. Service was generally quick, and the venues rarely felt overwhelmingly busy.
For an older ship, Norwegian Star offered plenty of places to sit with a cocktail, listen to music and unwind.
My inside cabin had modern touches, but the location was a gamble
Because I needed to travel to Europe for this cruise, I wanted to keep my costs down. I booked an inside guarantee cabin, which was the cheapest stateroom available. With a guarantee cabin, you save money by allowing the cruise line to assign your stateroom location. As expected, our cabin was not in an ideal spot.
We were assigned cabin 8667 at the very back of the ship. The location was a long walk from the nearest elevators and stairs, although Deck 8 was otherwise convenient for reaching the atrium and restaurants.
Our cabin was also directly above Bliss Ultra Lounge, which transformed into a nightclub each evening. We could hear the music playing until midnight. In fact, the music was so loud that we never needed to visit the nightclub—we could listen to everything from our cabin! Luckily, earplugs and white noise helped us sleep.
We were also located next to a crew-only door. In all my years of cruising, I have learned this is not where you want your cabin to be. Throughout the day, we heard drilling, banging and clanking as crew members completed maintenance work.
The cabin walls were extremely thin as well. We could hear coughing, snoring, conversations and even alarms from the neighboring stateroom.
The location was easily the worst part of our cabin. Paying a little more to choose your own stateroom could be worthwhile, especially on a longer cruise.
The cabin was tiny, but the bathroom was ahead of its time
Our inside cabin measured only 142 square feet, making it smaller than many inside staterooms on modern cruise ships.
Because I was traveling with my friend Hayley, we separated the beds into a twin configuration. This helped the cabin feel more open, although there still was not much room to move around.
The cabin did not have a couch or loveseat, so the beds were the only places to sit. After spending a rainy day exploring the United Kingdom, we did not always want to sit on our clean beds while wearing our damp clothes.
I was also disappointed to see an exposed bunk bed hanging above one of the twin beds. Since only two people were staying in the cabin, we did not need the bunk. Having it permanently folded against the wall made an already-small room feel more cramped.
Despite these flaws, the cabin had some surprisingly modern features. Each bed had a reading light with a USB charging port, allowing us to keep our phones nearby at night. We also found additional USB ports, along with American and European outlets, on the small counters.
Storage was plentiful, with drawers, shelves, hangers and additional space near the cabin’s safe. We were traveling with bulky coats, scarves and other cold-weather gear, so the extra storage was appreciated. However, the lack of a proper vanity and limited counter space made it challenging to keep everything organized.
The bathroom was easily one of the best parts of the cabin. It featured a spacious walk-in shower with a glass door instead of a tiny capsule shower and clingy curtain.
In fact, this was probably one of the best showers I have had on a cruise ship—especially one more than 20 years old. I certainly do not book cruises for a luxurious showering experience, but the additional space felt like a luxury.
The bathroom also had plenty of shelving for toiletries. Unfortunately, the toilet started flushing very slowly halfway through the cruise. As you can imagine, our anxiety increased as the toilet’s reliability decreased. Even with this issue, I was impressed by how much space Norwegian allocated to the bathroom.
Our cabin was compact, noisy and occasionally difficult to keep organized, but it eventually became our cozy home away from home. The pitch-black interior also made it easy to sleep, whether at night or during an afternoon nap after a long port day.
I would book another inside cabin on Norwegian Star, but I would probably pay extra to choose its location next time.
Our Norwegian Star cruise was an incredible value
One of the most compelling parts of our cruise was the price.
The inside cabin portion cost about $850 per person, including the cruise fare, gratuities, taxes and port fees. Our total trip cost around $1,600 per person once our round-trip airfare to London Heathrow on Delta was included, which is a fantastic deal!
We also received free internet minutes and a $50 shore excursion credit in each port through Norwegian’s Free at Sea promotion. When everything was considered, the trip cost approximately $160 per person, per day.
Considering the international airfare and port-intensive itinerary through England, Ireland and Scotland, the value was hard to beat. We could have added the drink package for around $220 per person. In hindsight, that probably would have been worthwhile, but we were trying to keep costs down.
Norwegian’s pricing and Free at Sea promotions can be confusing, so it is important to compare the total cost rather than only looking at the advertised cruise fare. For our particular sailing, however, the promotion made an already appealing itinerary almost irresistible.
Who should book a cruise on Norwegian Star?
Norwegian Star is not the right cruise ship for everyone. If you want a vacation centered around waterslides, high-energy nightlife and impressive production shows every evening, you will probably be happier on one of Norwegian’s newer ships.
For instance, this ship also would not be my first choice for a warm-weather family cruise. Although Norwegian Star has youth clubs, a sports court, a pool and other family-friendly spaces, there are fewer attractions for children compared to Norwegian’s newest vessels.
However, Norwegian Star makes a lot of sense for cruisers who care more about the itinerary than the ship. I would especially recommend her for travelers who enjoy a quieter atmosphere, flexible dining and a good variety of complimentary restaurants.
You should consider Norwegian Star if:
- You are booking a port-intensive itinerary with limited sea days.
- You prefer a smaller and more relaxed ship.
- Complimentary dining variety is important to you.
- You appreciate traditional cruise ship spaces such as a walking track and library.
- You do not need nonstop entertainment or onboard thrills.
- You find a fare that offers strong value through Free at Sea.
I would be more hesitant to book Norwegian Star for an itinerary with several sea days, especially if entertainment is a major priority. I would also recommend choosing your cabin location instead of leaving it to chance.
Norwegian Star proved that an older ship can still deliver a great cruise
Norwegian Star was not perfect, but her age was never the biggest issue.
The ship was clean and well maintained, the food was excellent and the variety of complimentary restaurants and bars genuinely surprised me. The smaller size and relaxed atmosphere also worked well for our busy British Isles itinerary.
The limited entertainment was the biggest downside, and the confusing layout took time to learn. In addition, our guarantee cabin location was also less than ideal. However, none of these issues overshadowed the experience of sailing around the British Isles for 10 nights.
With the right itinerary and realistic expectations, Norwegian Star can offer a comfortable and affordable cruise. I would not hesitate to sail on the ship again, but I would choose another destination-focused itinerary where the ports, not the onboard attractions, are the main event.
