Mid-size-ship fans who want lots of dining choice without a mega-ship crowd.
Think twice if: Oldest refurbishment date in this group of NCL mid-size ships (2021), so some areas may feel dated.
See her Europe sailings ↓ · Where is she now? → · Norwegian Cruise Line's page for this ship →
What she's like
Lots of choice on board. Expect some lines at the buffet and to get off in busy ports. About 39 tons of ship per guest. As a rule of thumb, 40 or more feels roomy and under 30 feels busy.
Unknown from line's site.
Our judgment, from $ (budget) to $$$$$ (ultra-luxury).
Cabin, main dining and buffet, entertainment, kids' clubs. 'Free at Sea' add-on (sold with many fares) gives unlimited drinks for guests 21+, some specialty dining nights, 150 Wi-Fi minutes, and a $50 shore-excursion credit. Gratuities and excursions extra.
Infants must be at least 6 months old on boarding; Splash Academy kids' club and Entourage teen club (adults 18+ not allowed in).
Unknown from pages checked (NCL dress code page not reachable).
Her Europe sailings, October 2026 to November 2027
26 sailings in Europe on the published schedule, 7 to 13 nights. Tap a start port to see how to get from the airport to the ship.
Where they start
- Southampton , 17 sailings how to get there →
- Barcelona , 4 sailings how to get there →
- Lisbon , 3 sailings how to get there →
- Copenhagen , 1 sailing how to get there →
- Tarragona , 1 sailing
What it costs beyond the fare
| Tips for the crew | $20 per person per day; Suites: $25 per person per day; Added to your bill automatically; Amounts found on NCL's India-market terms page (stated in USD); the US service-charge FAQ page returned 404. 20% added to spa, drinks and specialty dining. |
|---|---|
| Drinks package | Unlimited Open Bar comes with Free at Sea promotion; stand-alone price not published on pages checked. 20% service charge on drink purchases. Guests 18+ may drink on round-trip European voyages, but unlimited packages only for 21+. |
| Wifi | 150 minutes included with Free at Sea; package prices not published. |
| Specialty restaurants | Some nights included via Free at Sea; otherwise cover charge plus 20% service charge (price not published). |
| Money on board | USD ('The currency used onboard all Norwegian Cruise Lines International ships is US Dollars.') |
How tipping and money work on a European cruise → · Build a full trip budget →
Her restaurants · 5 included, 8 extra
| Where to eat | Cost |
|---|---|
| O’Sheehan’s Neighborhood Bar & Grill | Included |
| Garden Café | Included |
| Aqua | Included |
| Versailles | Included |
| Topsiders Bar & Grill | Included |
| Cagney's Steakhouse | Extra charge |
| Teppanyaki | Extra charge |
| La Cucina | Extra charge |
| Le Bistro | Extra charge |
| Atrium Café with The Bake Shop Treats | Extra charge |
| Ginza | Extra charge |
| Moderno Churrascaria | Extra charge |
| Sushi | Extra charge |
Which cabin to book, and which to avoid
| Cabin type | Size | Decks |
|---|---|---|
| 3-Bedroom Garden Villa | 6694 sq ft | 14 |
| Deluxe Owner's Suite with Two Balconies | 900 sq ft | 10 |
| Owner's Suite with Two Balconies | 721 sq ft | 9 |
| 2-Bedroom Deluxe Family Suite with Balcony | 574 sq ft | 11 |
| Deluxe Owner’s Suite | 667-732 sq ft | 12 |
| Penthouse with Balcony | 409 sq ft | 12 |
| Forward-Facing Deluxe Penthouse with Large Balcony | 513 sq ft | 10 |
| Forward-Facing Penthouse with Large Balcony | 495-587 sq ft | 9,10 |
| Aft-Facing Penthouse with Large Balcony | 374-396 sq ft | 8,10 |
| Aft-Facing Penthouse with Balcony | 355-368 sq ft | 8,9 |
| Family Suite | 409-495 sq ft | 12 |
| Club Balcony Suite | 283 sq ft | 11 |
| Guarantee Club Balcony Suite | 283 sq ft | 11 |
| Aft-Facing Balcony | 203-262 sq ft | 8,9,10 |
| Balcony | 203-303 sq ft | 8,9,10,11 |
| Solo Balcony | 203 sq ft | 8,9 |
| Guarantee Balcony | 203 sq ft | 8,9,10,11 |
| Family Oceanview | 159 sq ft | 8 |
| Oceanview with Picture Window | 159 sq ft | 5,6 |
| Oceanview | 159 sq ft | 4,5 |
| Obstructed Oceanview | 159-195 sq ft | 8 |
| Solo Oceanview | 159 sq ft | 4 |
| Guarantee Oceanview | 159 sq ft | 4,5,8 |
| Family Inside | 142-151 sq ft | 11,12 |
| Inside | 141-276 sq ft | 4,5,8,9,10,11 |
| Solo Inside | 142 sq ft | 4,5 |
| Guarantee Inside | 142 sq ft | 4,5,8,9,10,11,12 |
Good to know before you pick
- Obstructed Oceanview category listed by the line (decks 8): view partly blocked
- Solo cabins for one traveler: Solo Balcony on decks 8, 9; Solo Oceanview on deck 4; Solo Inside on decks 4, 5
If you use a wheelchair or walk with difficulty
NCL deck plan marks wheelchair-accessible and hearing-impaired cabins with icons; no total count is published. Tender boats hold about 100 people and board from a tender platform; wheelchair tender policy not published. Our accessibility guide →
Find your way around
Our own deck plans, drawn from the line's official plan: tap a deck to see it from above, with what's at the front, middle and back of the ship. Use “Find on board” to light up every deck with a pool, a bar or a restaurant. Not to scale.
- Deck 14 , Sky High Bar & Grill
- Deck 13 , Sugarcane Mojito Bar; Moderno Churrascaria; Jogging/Walking Track; Cagney's Steakhouse; Splash Academy
- Deck 12 , Perspectives Photography Studio; Meeting Rooms; Topsiders Bar & Grill; Topsiders; Garden Café; Entourage; Spice H2O
- Deck 11
- Deck 10
- Deck 9
- Deck 8 , O'Sheehan's Neighborhood Bar & Grill
- Deck 7 , Tradewinds Tax & Duty Free Shops; Sake Bar; Sushi; Ginza; Atrium Bar; Proof Whiskey Bar; Photo Gallery; Bliss Ultra Lounge
- Deck 6 , Stardust Theater; Le Bistro; La Cucina; Versailles
- Deck 5
- Deck 4
What to book, and when
Booking, check-in and reservations
Online check-in should be completed at least 4 days before sailing (lose the option 3 days before). Deposit $250 per person on 7+ day cruises ($100 on 1-6 days); final payment 120 days before sailing. Flights ticketed about 30 days before.
Paying and cancelling
Club Balcony Suite and below: 25% at 119-91 days, 50% at 90-61, 75% at 60-31, 100% at 30 days or less.
Tips for her Europe sailings
Guests 18+ may buy alcohol on round-trip European voyages. Ports can switch from docked to tender for operational reasons.
The ship in numbers
- Cruise line
- Norwegian Cruise Line
- Kind of ship
- Mass-market
- Built
- 2001
- Last refit
- 2021
- Guests
- 2,348
- Crew
- 1,031
- Guest decks
- 11
- Gross tons
- 91,740
- Length
- 294 m (965 ft)
- Width
- 32 m (106 ft)
- Flag
- Bahamas
- Class
- Dawn class
- Ship number
- IMO 9195157
- Sister ships
- Norwegian Dawn
- In Europe 2026–27
- Western Mediterranean, Northern Europe & Baltic, Norwegian Fjords, British Isles, Iceland, Atlantic Coast (Spain, Portugal, France)
Highlights
- About 2,298 guests and 1,031 crew (NCL)
- Last refurbished 2021 (NCL)
- Eight-plus specialty venues including Ginza, Teppanyaki and Moderno Churrascaria (cover charge)
- Mid-size ship that fits smaller European ports
More pictures
Sources & what we could not confirm · 10 sources · checked 2026-11
- NCL: Norwegian Star ship page
- NCL: Norwegian Star deck plans
- Wikipedia: Norwegian Star (secondary)
- NCL: cancellation fee schedule and terms (US)
- NCL: terms page, India market (service charge amounts)
- NCL FAQ: What is included in Free at Sea
- NCL FAQ: age requirements
- NCL FAQ: smoking
- NCL: before you cruise
- CruiseTimetables.com: Norwegian Star schedule (independent listing)
- cabin count not published on NCL ship or deck plan pages
- Norwegian Cruise Line: Service charge amounts confirmed only on NCL India-market page
- Norwegian Cruise Line: Dress code
- Norwegian Cruise Line: Wi-Fi and drinks package prices
- Norwegian Cruise Line: Specialty dining prices
- Norwegian Cruise Line: Wheelchair tender policy
- Deck plan: Positions read by text recognition (OCR) from the official per-deck plan images; each image is cropped to its own deck, so forward/mid/aft is relative to that deck's own length, not aligned across decks
- Deck plan: Cabin presence per third inferred from stateroom numbers read on each deck image
- Deck plan: Elevator positions are drawn as symbols and were not read
- Deck plan: Listed on the line's ship page but not located on the plan by text reading: Aqua (deck 6); Teppanyaki (deck 7); Atrium Café with The Bake Shop Treats (deck 7); Gatsby's Champagne Bar (deck 6); Barber Shop (deck 11); Casino (deck 6); Guppies (deck 12); Pulse Fitness Center (deck 12); Basketball Courts (deck 14); Golf Driving Net (deck 13); Hot Tubs (deck 12); Internet Café (deck 9); Main Pool (deck 12); Mandara Spa and Salon (deck 11); EFFY Jewelry (deck 7); Park West Gallery (deck 6); Swarovski® (deck 7); The Time Zone (deck 7); The Beauty Shop (deck 7); The Collection (deck 7)
- Deck plan: Sister ships not checked separately: norwegian-dawn