An Alaska Cruise on the Norwegian Star has been one of the top ways to see the Alaskan coastline since the ship first began service in 2001.
Along with its sister ship, the Norwegian Sun, the Norwegian Star was launched in a unique two-boat ceremony in 2001 that marked the beginning of NCL's "freestyle cruising" concept.
Freestyle cruising is a new concept that lets passengers choose when and where they want to eat their on-board meals, and the Norwegian Star, like its sister ship, was built specifically to showcase the freestyle cruising concept.
The Norwegian Star, which can accommodate up to 2,230 passengers, was built with ten different restaurants on-board, intended to give passengers a wide range of choices in dining while also allowing them the freedom to choose when they eat.
Traditional cruise dining involves taking meals in a large, formal dining room at a set time each night, with the same set of other passengers at your table.
Those passengers who prefer this traditional dining structure can still choose this option on the Norwegian Star, taking their meals in one of the ships two large dining rooms.
For everyone else, passangers are allowed the freedom each meal to choose one of the large dining rooms or one of the smaller, themed restaurants.
Dining Options on the Norwegian Star
The ten restaurants on the Norwegian Star showcase a wide variety of different culinary styles and cuisines.
The restaurants include:
Versailles - One of the two formal dining rooms, specializes in traditionally prepared cuisine.
Aqua - The other large dining room, which offers the same cuisine as Versailles, only with a modern flair.
La Trattoria - Italian food, requires reservations.
Endless Summer - Tex-Mex, requires reservations.
The Bier Garten - Serves typical German style cuisine.
Garden Cafe - A buffet style restaurant.
The SoHo Room - Pacific Rim inspired food. Requires $15 surcharge per guest.
Ginza - serves Asian food and requires a $12.50 per person surcharge. Also offers a la cart sushi.
Le Bistro - French cuisine, requires $15 or $20 surcharge per guest.
Blue Lagoon - a 24-hour restaurant with simple menu.
Cagney's Steakhouse - Elegant steakhouse cuisine with $20 per guest surcharge
In addition, 24-hour complimentary room service is available for all passengers, so when you just want to stay in, catch a movie, and watch the view out your balcony, you can order in.
Activities and facilities aboard the Norwegian Star
There is always plenty to see and do during an Alaska Cruise on the Norwegian Star, from working out in the well-equipped health club to catching a show at night in one of the many clubs and theaters.
The Stardust Theater offers Broadway style shows and revues nightly, produced by the Jean Ann Ryan company.
These nightly shows include magic acts, Cirque du Soleil type acrobats, comedians, and singers.
In addition, movies are show daily in the theater, and various singers and musicians play at night in the ship's many lounges.
The athletic facilities include a large outdoor pool (complete with two slides) and hot tubs, an indoor lap pool, and a full spa.
There is also a basketball court, two golf cages, and a volleyball court.
There is so much to see and do on your Alaska Cruise on the Norwegian Star that you will never be bored. It's a great ship on which to explore Alaska!
