Norwegian Star

Norwegian Star is a Dawn-class ship built in 2001 at Meyer Werft in Papenburg, Germany. She measures 91,740 gross tonnes, carries 2,348 passengers at double occupancy, and is the fastest ship in NCL's fleet at 25 knots. She has 14 decks and 1,174 staterooms. She entered service on 17 November 2001. Three significant refits followed: Norwegian Edge in May 2018, further work in 2021, and a technical drydock in November 2024. In fleet terms, she sits in the mid-range - bigger than the Jewel-class ships, smaller than the Breakaway-class giants.

The 2018 Norwegian Edge refit was the most substantial upgrade. All 1,174 staterooms got USB ports, new headboards, carpets and select furniture. Three new venues appeared: Sky High Bar, Bliss Ultra Lounge and Spice H2O. Public spaces were overhauled throughout, including Atrium Cafe and Bar, Garden Cafe and the main dining rooms. The 2024 drydock replaced an 80-tonne stabiliser and serviced two azipods. Three bow thrusters were overhauled and hull cleaning and painting completed. It is solid mechanical work that matters more than most passengers realise.

The honest trade-off is straightforward. At 25 years old, Norwegian Star lacks the headline amenities on newer NCL ships - no waterslides, no go-karts, no ropes course, no race track. The ship shows its age in some corridors and cabins. What it offers in return is a more manageable scale and strong itinerary variety. Norway, Iceland and Caribbean itineraries are all in the rotation. Prices are consistently lower than the Breakaway or Prima-class fleet. If the experience and destinations matter more than the hardware, Norwegian Star delivers.

Norwegian Star attracts a mixed crowd shaped heavily by whichever itinerary you are on. On Norway and Iceland sailings, expect more Europeans, retirees and experienced cruisers who chose the ship specifically for the ports. Caribbean and Bahamas departures from Tampa or other US homeports bring a broader American demographic - families during school holidays, couples and solo travellers. The ship is small enough that you will recognise faces by day three. That intimacy is either a selling point or not, depending on your preference.

On my August 2023 sailing, Australians made up a notable share of the passenger list. A 14-night Scandinavia route is a serious undertaking from that distance. It attracted people who had planned carefully and knew exactly what they wanted from the itinerary. The tender ports were a consistent friction point across the sailing. To get off in reasonable time you needed to queue for tender tickets early. On a voyage with multiple tender stops, that pattern repeated throughout.

NCL's Freestyle Cruising format applies here - no set dining times, no formal nights, no assigned seating. In practice on Norwegian Star that means smart casual is perfectly fine everywhere, including specialty dining. Nobody will raise an eyebrow at clean jeans and a shirt. The energy is relaxed rather than buzzy. Bliss Ultra Lounge handles late-night activity, but this is not a ship that pulses until 3am. The casino draws its crowd, and Second City improv comedy pulls consistent audiences. Days at sea tend to be genuinely quiet.

Norwegian Star has 1,174 staterooms across five main categories: inside, oceanview, balcony, suites and Garden Villas. Inside cabins are compact but functional. Oceanview cabins run 166 sq ft - adequate for a port-heavy itinerary. Categories OF and OG have portholes rather than picture windows. Categories OK and OX have obstructed views from lifeboats - fine if the rate is significantly lower, less fine if it is not. Balcony cabins measure 229 sq ft plus a 54 sq ft balcony, with two lower beds convertible to queen. Owner's Suites run to 571 sq ft with 150 sq ft balconies and Jacuzzi baths. The two Garden Villas on Deck 14 are the headline accommodation: three bedrooms, a private garden terrace, outdoor whirlpool and up to 6,694 sq ft. They are priced accordingly.

The best zones for standard cabins are Decks 9 and 10 midship. These sit closest to the vertical centre of gravity, which matters on a long Norway or transatlantic crossing. I sailed an ocean view cabin that was not midships and noticed the movement on rougher days. The cabin interior runs to orange pine tones from the 2018 refit. Functional, but dated by current cruise standards. The fold-down upper bunk made getting in and out awkward on the rougher North Sea days. Avoid Deck 8 aft, which sits directly above the nightclub and can be noisy on late nights. Deck 4 forward can transmit anchor and bow thruster noise in port. Solo travellers should look at the IT and BT inside and balcony categories. NCL periodically waives the single supplement on these, and on lower-demand sailings the rates can be very competitive. I booked last-minute as a solo passenger on a 14-night Norway and Iceland itinerary for around $500 USD. That kind of value exists on this ship.

Norwegian Star runs Freestyle Dining throughout - no set times, no assigned tables, show up when you like. Included venues are Versailles and Aqua - the two main dining rooms. Garden Cafe is the buffet, open most of the day. O'Sheehan's Bar and Grill runs 24 hours and is the go-to for late arrivals back from ports. Topsiders Bar and Grill handles poolside casual eating. The main dining rooms cover a standard range of starters, mains and desserts. Quality is consistent rather than remarkable - this is cruise ship MDR food, not a restaurant.

Six specialty restaurants are available for an extra charge. Cagney's Steakhouse is the most popular booking - premium Angus beef, consistently full. Le Bistro is French and consistently well-reviewed. Teppanyaki is an interactive grill - book early, it fills up. Moderno Churrascaria does Brazilian tableside carving. Ginza covers Pan-Asian including sushi. La Cucina is Italian. NCL's Free at Sea promotion often includes a specialty dining credit, so check your booking before paying a la carte. Honest note on specialty dining: Cagney's and Le Bistro reliably outperform the others. Moderno is fun but the meat quality is inconsistent. Ginza is solid for lunch. On a long voyage, the variety helps, but the included venues are adequate if you are watching spend.

Entertainment centres on the Stardust Theatre, a three-deck venue with 1,037 seats. Production shows include Women of Rock and The Wild Cards. The headline booking is Second City, the Chicago improv comedy company - one of the better live acts NCL runs across its fleet. Shows are included in the fare. The bar scene is anchored by Gatsby's Champagne Bar, Sugarcane Mojito Bar and Bliss Ultra Lounge nightclub. O'Sheehan's runs 24 hours and becomes the default meeting point by day two. Proof Whiskey Bar and a Wine Cellar round out the options. The casino is mid-size for a ship of this capacity.

Activities are solid rather than spectacular for a 2001 build. Spice H2O is the adults-only area on Deck 13, added in the 2018 refit. Mandara Spa on Deck 11 has a thermal suite and over 50 treatments. A jogging and walking track, sports courts and a video arcade cover the rest. Six hot tubs across the ship. Starlink internet was installed fleet-wide - the basic Voyage Wi-Fi pass runs around $29.99 per day per device, the Streaming pass around $39.99 per day. The honest note: Norwegian Star has no waterslides, no go-kart track, no ropes course and no aqua park. If those things matter, look at Norwegian Epic or the Breakaway class. On Norway and Iceland sailings, you will spend most of the voyage in port or on deck watching scenery. The ship's entertainment limitations barely register.

Norwegian Star's strongest suit is itinerary variety for a ship of its age. The summer season runs Norway and Iceland - typically 11 to 14-night voyages taking in the fjords, Reykjavik, and northern European ports. I sailed a 14-night Tromso to Reykjavik run in August 2023 and the routing was excellent, hitting smaller Norwegian ports that larger ships cannot access. The routing called at Tromsø, Harstad, Ålesund, Bergen, Kirkwall, and Lerwick. From there it continued to Torshavn, Djupivogur, Seyðisfjörður, Akureyri, Ísafjörður, and Grundarfjörður before ending in Reykjavik. The itinerary was originally routed via Greenland before a schedule change. That change is likely why last-minute availability opened up and solo pricing dropped as far as it did. Several of the Iceland stops are tiny communities. A vessel of 2,000 passengers arriving in a village built for a few hundred creates a striking scale mismatch. The places are beautiful, but it is worth knowing before you arrive. The ship is one of NCL's go-to deployments for this region precisely because its size and 25-knot capability suit long northern runs. Spring and autumn often include transatlantic repositioning crossings, which attract experienced solo cruisers and sea-day enthusiasts. Homeports for northern Europe sailings have included Southampton, Copenhagen and Hamburg.

Winter deployment moves to the Caribbean and Bahamas, with Tampa and other US East Coast ports serving as homeports. Itineraries typically cover the Southern Caribbean - Curacao, Aruba, Dominican Republic - as well as shorter Bahamas runs. In 2026, NCL redeployed Norwegian Star from South America to Southern Caribbean and Bahamas for the winter season. The range of deployments is a genuine selling point: one ship, very different experiences depending on season. Check departure ports carefully - some Norway routings start or end in ports that add cost and complexity for UK and US travellers.