NCL Star and ‘Garden Villa Review’
Hawaii 7/14/2002
By Barry and Lori Cunningham
Also titled "The Voyeur Villa" or
"Lifestyles of the pretend-to-be-rich and famous"
Preface
Our first Hawaiian vacation was to be on the Norwegian Star. As many know, this ship
was built exclusively to sail in Hawaiian waters and has eleven different restaurants in
which to dine and no casino. The itinerary is a good one in our opinion and includes in
order Hilo (Hawaii), sea day, Fanning Island (Republic of Kiribati), another day at sea,
Lahaina (Maui), Nahwiliwili (Kauai) and back to Honolulu (Oahu).
We of course knew this was not the best way to see Hawaii in its’ full grandeur,
never the less we decided to give it a try and see what this ship had to offer. It is no
secret this itinerary has had mixed reviews in the past. The ship began sailing in the
winter of 2001, which is the most turbulent time for wind and waves in Hawaii. Winter is
when the best waves for surfing hit Hawaii and that can spell rocky weather for a cruise
ship. It just so happens we could not go until the summer and this was probably the best
time to go if one does not like uncertainty in the weather.
Hilton Hawaiian Village pre-cruise resort
We arrived two days earlier on the 12th to rest from the flight and enjoy as much of
Honolulu as possible. We stayed at the Hilton Hawaiian Village in the Ali’i towers
(booked a very reasonable Expedia rate), we ended up enjoying the property so much and
still on Arkansas time and exhausted, we never left the property. Had we not had the
children we would have forced ourselves out but the amenities are quite extensive and we
enjoyed every minute of our stay.
For those not familiar with the Hilton Hawaiian Village it is the largest resort in
Waikiki and has numerous buildings for accommodations and multiple swimming pools, loads
of shopping and plenty of restaurants. Some of the restaurants allowed children to dine
free with an adult fare and that alone saved us quite a bit of money so one might take
that into consideration when booking your hotel. Having heard the food and drink prices
were outrageous and expected the worst, we were actually surprised at the rates for food
and drink and thought they were inline with any good hotel or resort.
The Ali’i tower has it’s own private guest reception area and check-in,
private pool (Very handy!), and other amenities that are geared toward a business
traveler. Arriving around 3:30 p.m. via taxi we found a long line of probably 50 people
slowly checking in. The separate check-in was a blessing this day though we never saw
another line as long afterward. We particularly liked the private pool because people (as
usual) started very early to ‘save’ seating around the main pool. It is a
wonderful place to stay and well worth the extra dollars spent for a family versus say the
Outrigger Waikiki Hotel, of which we toured and dined the last day of the trip.
How a simple vacation turns into an
extraordinary, expensive once in a lifetime cruise
We traveled with our two children and many friends and family on this trip.
Barry’s sister and her travel companion, as well as her companion’s daughter and
friend. This fact made us consider looking at possibly booking one of the ‘Garden
Villas’ instead of multiple cabins. In the end, it was a no-brainer for a once in a
lifetime trip for our friends and family. We had to try the Garden Villas!
The opulence, the space, the Garden Villa!
One of only two aboard, as NCL puts it: 'Up on the rooftop sits our luxuriously
exclusive Garden Villas. These are the largest, most elegant suites afloat. Each villa
offers a living room, three penthouse bedrooms, outdoor private garden with hot tub and
private rooftop terrace to create 5,350 sq. ft. of secluded spaciousness. NCL's
appointments include rich cherry-wood detailing, panoramic views of the ocean, three
elegant bathrooms, and discreet butler and concierge service.'
Each Villa sits on the highest level of the ship, the fourteenth floor (nothing else is
there but the suites), complete with keyed-access elevator entrance, and staff that serves
only the two suites. In addition, there exists a 15th floor accessible from the Garden
area that overlooks all of the ship that is your own private sun deck (complete with 30 or
40 lounge chairs)! This area is approximately 100 feet by 60…large enough to have a
huge gathering.
Once the card issuing ceremony was accomplished at the pier, we were met by our
concierge ‘Claudio’ who proceeded to escort us to our suite. A brief informal
walk-through showing us the various amenities of the suite kept everyone’s attention.
He excused himself after giving us his card and his personal direct telephone extension
with instructions to telephone him at any time day or night.
We then met ‘Arnie’ our butler whom proceeded to explain his role and the
amenities he was to provide. Arnie explained guests receive personal mobile telephones to
carry with you at all times onboard with direct extensions to your concierge whom arranges
dining, shore excursions, or any special needs and his number for in-suite requests. We
used our butler ‘Arnie’ for bartending a private party and generally keeping us
stocked with complimentary canapés, beverages, etc. We also had direct extensions to the
hotel manager, and the food and beverage manager. These telephones are the same ones used
by the staff onboard and operate throughout the ship. You may of course call others in
your party (three are in each villa) or other extensions from these telephones, in effect
having ‘mini walkie-talkies’ with you onboard.
Each villa is given a list for the guests to choose six complimentary bottles of liquor
for your bar (and several bottles of Chandon champagne), escorted VIP reserved seating at
all shows by your concierge, and VIP tender tickets going ashore that allow boarding
tenders at any time. In addition, villa guests receive VIP Immigration status (to be the
first in line) as well as an invitation to a VIP cocktail party hosted by the Captain.
This party was composed of the other suite guests and the officers, around 40 people
attended due to the fact that many brought friends and family.
The layout
There are three bedroom suites with a fold out couch in the living room. To get an idea
of how large and spacious these villas are try to imagine the living room of both villas
being Royal Caribbean’s entire ‘Viking Crown Lounge’ overlooking the pool.
We occupied the port side ‘Thai’ designed villa as opposed to the starboard
‘Japanese’ villa. Very little difference except for the pagoda designs out in
the garden and the fact that ours had a large built-in wet bar with stools and the other
villa does not. Both have player grand pianos, dining tables for eight, laptop computer
with Internet access and printer. Standard Internet charges apply and is sold by bundled
minutes or by the minute. The living room was a perfect place for all of the suite guests
to generally meet and be together, watching the rest of the passengers from this unique
vantagepoint.
One main entrance leads into a hallway that continues to the three bedroom suites each
with its’ own doorbell. Oddly enough, the main entrance does not have a doorbell and
the staff would come in and out (announcing themselves) freely. One bedroom is near the
living area and would likely be labeled the master. All rooms have Bang & Olufsen
27-inch televisions with built in DVD players and act as your personal stereo. Two of the
rooms have incredible bathrooms complete with ‘digital’ showers
(yes…digital thermostat, water controls, etc.). In addition, they incorporate
beautiful dual glass-bowl sinks and Jacuzzi bathtubs that have a 10-inch LCD television to
watch while you bathe. Marble floors and walls complete the bath that overlooks the slide
and pool area with huge slanted windows. You literally look out over the pool as you brush
your teeth in the morning! The glass is very close to being one-way in the daytime as it
is nearly impossible to see in, however at night if the electric wooden blinds are not
drawn you will be in a fishbowl for all to see. That was always an ‘odd’ treat
to watch what other passengers were doing as you prepared for the day. The second
large bedroom opens out into the garden area via sliding door, has virtually the same
bathroom amenities, and is as large in square footage as the master.
The middle bedroom is a bit smaller and incorporates sliding drapes surrounding the bed
that blocks out all light in the room. Here, the bath is smaller and is much more like
regular suites with a bathtub. This room also is the only room that has a game table that
seat four as well as a small couch and seating area. Each room has a bar area,
refrigerator, extensive storage, seating areas for two to four, gigantic panoramic windows
that slant out over the ocean and come complete with pants pressers in the huge closets.
The Garden Villa is nothing short of incredible digs for a cruise ship of any caliber!
There is a maximum of seven people allowed in the villa by design to thwart four
couples splitting the villa. We can see NCL’s point on one hand, but at the prices
being charged, and considering they do sail empty occasionally, we could see some
flexibility here might be in order. However, it is a hard rule so far with no leeway.
Obviously, it would be nice to throw the kids on the couch and let adults take the
bedrooms.
The Garden
The garden itself is an incredible space to say the least. Each morning breakfast was
served outside on the large teak table that seats eight overlooking the ocean. Additional
teak seating and tables make this area capable of catering to a very large party, and the
sunning loungers are massive teakwood with thick cushions.
The garden has a private elevated hot tub covered by a pagoda that could hold four (or
more) and was the hit of the garden for us. Evenings were often spent basking in the hot
water watching the ocean roll by. Next to the tub is a steam room and shower stocked with
towels and robes and acts as a changing area.
From there, you may take the stairs up to the private sunning area. Unbelievable is the
only word to describe the size of this area! We had been on the inaugural of the ship and
we entirely missed this wonderful spacious private area. A tall opaque wall separates this
area from the other villa on the starboard side (a door can be opened to share both
villas). This was the supreme vantagepoint for coming into or leaving ports or for
simply watching the world go by. Many nights we found our companions relaxing on the deck
in loungers enjoying the stars of the Pacific.
The Staff
Overall, our concierge Claudio was stupendous in his duties. For instance, we had a
scuba trip cancelled and he handled squeezing one more into a ‘sold out’ tour at
the last minute (on the morning of cancellation)! Although we didn’t personally phone
him too often he made his presence felt daily with invitations for the VIP seating at
shows, letters concerning VIP tender tickets, information and suggestions about the ports
of call, etc. A true professional. For those wondering how the VIP seating worked, the
concierge would typically meet you and escort you to the theatre. The balconies closest to
the stage were roped off with a sign stating ‘VIP seats’.
Tender tickets were brought to our villa that allowed boarding of any tender at any
time, thus avoiding the numbers game and the long lines to get the tickets themselves.
What we found most valuable were the VIP immigration tickets. We would meet our concierge
at a predetermined time and we were the first people immigration clears. Combining that
treat with the tender tickets and we were really feeling golden to be the first off having
fun! We only used the concierge for dining twice; we booked the rest ourselves and had no
problem at all getting reservations at any restaurant (and yes…before giving them the
suite number).
The butler on the other hand, taking care of the duties within in the villa left a tad
bit to be desired. Although in general he was seen many times a day and did an adequate
job, we found ourselves often asking him to fill ice buckets, pick up trays in the living
area, etc. With this many people to take care of, we expected more from him in the
‘details’. After all, six or seven people do not necessarily time their dining,
etc. to coincide at the same time.
There were two lovely Malaysian girls that literally sit in a room off the main hallway
between the villas and do nothing but wait for the appropriate time to come clean, provide
new glasses and the like. When we asked how they liked taking care of villa guests, they
jokingly explained they always make ‘working the villas’ out to be very
difficult and not desirable to avoid losing their jobs to someone else. In truth of
course, they loved it!
To say the least this is cruising at its finest if you like to be ‘noticed’.
Everywhere we presented our card or gave our room number we were taken well care of in all
aspects. And each and every time we dined either a headwaiter, Maitre d' or senior staff
member would make a point of coming over to visit and asking how we were enjoying the
villa and if there was anything they could do for you in general. If they did not know you
by name or face perhaps, the telephones we carried with us gave it away!
There are no other 14th floor guests so it is easy for staff onboard to figure out that
you are in a Garden Villa. After all, from our sailing date only around 150 people have
occupied the villas. As the House Manager told us one day, "You know you can have
just about anything you want don’t you?" We simply thanked him and grinned as we
walked away.
Surprisingly, only the upper staff members know much about the villas. At one point
during the cruise, we invited a wonderful bartender that was from the ‘Star Bar’
to come up, visit, and bring a bottle of bubbly for a party we were having for our friends
sailing with us. She was stunned at the size and opulence of the villa. Tears almost came
to her eyes, as she could not believe that this was all ‘private’ and not a
public area. She explained that virtually no regular staff has seen this area and even the
maintenance workers must contact the butler or concierge to gain access and that the staff
is told when asked, simply ‘those are suites’.
By the way, each villa has binoculars and a telescope to scope out the activities below
and thus the term ‘Voyeur Villa’ comes into play. We found ourselves literally
watching all that goes on around the ship. We felt like Jimmy Stewart in ‘Rear
Window’, complete with dinner from ‘21’ served in our room by
Grace Kelly (well okay…Arnie wasn’t Grace but we’re trying our best to be
funny here).
"Let’s eat! Which of the eleven do we go to tonight?
Let me get the schedule…"
It is a good idea to plan all your possible restaurants on the day of embarkation and
make the reservations early. Most complaints we heard about reservations involved people
who wanted to dine at peak hours and waited to ask for reservations until that afternoon.
However, we did not have any problem at all on the last night booking last minute
reservations for six at one of the most popular restaurants.
The restaurants we favored most were the ‘Soho’ Pacific Rim Cuisine for their
Rice Wine marinated sea scallops, Sautéed Jumbo Tiger shrimp and Szechwan encrusted beef
tenderloin. Service was exemplary and the food is simply outstanding in our opinion.
Also, the ‘Le Bistro’ French cuisine restaurant had very nice escargot, cream
of forest mushroom soup and a wonderful Mille-Feuille of Seabass and mushroom duxcelles.
The Filet Mignon was excellent served with a very fresh béarnaise sauce. The best afloat?
No, but wonderful and definitely worth the price of admission.
We heard from our friends that the ‘Aqua’ contemporary cuisine restaurant was
fabulous and we missed the chance to dine there. Indeed, the last night we looked over the
menu after dinner and regretted not going there instead of our choice the
‘Ginza’ for Asian Fusion cuisine. It is almost impossible to dine at all the
restaurants. Perhaps if you throw out the Sushi bar and really tried it might be possible
to cram in all of them in one week.
We will not comment on every restaurant, because they all have something to offer just
about anyone onboard. We did not try the main restaurant and had heard in conversation
with others that the food and service was very good. Honestly we were thrilled to be going
to the other restaurants and it rarely crossed our minds to deviate and go to the main
dining room. After all, in our opinion one of the main reasons to book the
‘Star’ is the many choices in dining.
Oh yes…the rest of the ship...you mean there is more?
Is she perfect? Hardly. It is true there is not alot of space to sit in the shade by
the pool as the slides do take up a large amount of space. This particularly is a problem
when they serve a huge barbecue outside and people are wandering around looking for a
place to sit and eat. We did love the barbecue though and it was a nice treat from the
regular poolside grill on most ships serving lamb, ribs, burgers, brats, etc. We did
not notice crowding at all in most places onboard, except in the shore excursion area
where alot of people line up to book anything they can. We had the impression they
did not pre-plan and were shocked that tours were sold out. Plan ahead early for most
excursions.
The shows were decent, well prepared and rehearsed though not good enough to make us
stay through the entire show (we are not big show people). The comedian(s) were funny but
not a must see. Adding to the fact there is no casino and we were thrilled to be watching
the world go by in and out of the villa and going to sleep early. The piano bar was fun
but we tired of the concept rather quickly. Karaoke is not our thing so we abandoned that,
though others loved it and seemed to be having a great time. Overall there is plenty to
do, though the locations of the bars are a bit odd and by far the best is the German
‘Bier Garten’ overlooking the pool. On several occasions during the week, they
served great Bratwursts and all the trimmings.
As far as the décor goes, there are a million pictures of the ship interiors on the
Internet and elsewhere so, we will not go into details. We thought the ship décor was
nicely appointed and well thought out.
The dreaded Fanning island!
We enjoy sea days and the trip to Fanning Island let us enjoy real tropical
cruising. We had heard the comments about this ‘fly ridden, middle of nowhere waste
of my-good-Hawaii-time’ island and we were anxious to see for ourselves what it was
truly like. We encountered that very statement from a young couple coming off the tender
from Fanning. Literally, she said "too many flies, nothing to see, it’s a great
place to get off, buy some trinkets and get back to the ship ASAP!"
When taking the tender over you first notice it is a beautiful group of islands. The
dock is well covered to keep the line of people out of the sun as they wait to board for
the return trip. As we came on shore the group of Kiribati people sitting under a tree in
the shade singing really did make us want to sit down and join their song. They truly do
seem very happy to see you, not just putting on a show for the
‘tourista’s’.
From the beginning, we were not impressed. We saw hoards of people in the murky water
close to the tender swimming at the beach. We thought to ourselves "this is IT?’
No one seemed to be having a great time…almost putting up with the bad beach, crowds,
and sun.
Our first priority was finding where to book the private beach ‘tour’ via
boat. We had a very difficult time finding it, as there were no signs pointing people here
and there. After finally finding an NCL employee behind a wooden ‘desk’ and
inquired about the trip we were told the last boat had left and there was no way to get
there unless we wanted to ride the ‘potty boat’. Then she said, "you really
don’t want to do that" (they apparently haul people back and forth to do their
business in a small fishing boat). We asked if there was any other place to simply snorkel
and enjoy the beach and she nonchalantly said ‘not really’.
At this point, we were ready to get back in line to the tender. Fighting the urge, we
instead wandered behind the craft selling area on a dirt path (about a three-minute walk)
and what did we find? One of the most pristine, beautiful beaches we have ever seen. A
total of five or six people were swimming or enjoying the sun here, and we could not
believe our eyes! It was total nirvana for hours. We drifted in perfect water
temperatures, comparing the feel of the sand to that of Bermuda. Smooth, soft, wonderful
one-degree-off-the-equator island paradise sand. Just like in the brochure.
Except they keep this to themselves. No, not the Fanning people…the NCL staff! We
were soon sunning and swimming with the waiters and busboys and maybe one or two guests
who happened onto this beautiful stretch of beach. As far as the eye could see, there was
unspoiled beach to roam. It is a shame because it really did remain that way all day. Part
of us wanted to run to the other side and yell "Hey! Over here!" However, of
course…we did not. It was the only place where we could sit on an overturned fishing
boat in the shade, looking over the clear topaz waters and have almost total silence
except for the sound of the breeze through the palms above. Moreover, most
importantly…no flies! Apparently they are totally attracted to the main area and the
food and drink that are everywhere along the beach.
On the way back, we noticed a small wooden handwritten sign that said simply
‘beach’ and an arrow. If only they knew. Less than 60 feet further and the
crowds would take back a totally different view of Fanning we thought. Today we think it
was definitely one of the best beaches we have been to…period. Simply go through the
craft area down the dirt path and look left.
As far as the craft area goes, the Fanning people have not yet learned to be rude and
bother you with endless chatter trying to hawk their wares. They simply sit quietly, wait
for you to approach, and help when you want to buy something. The Hotel Manager told us
when NCL first started coming there the natives would sell hats, straw goods, etc. for
$1.00 or so, which of course goes a long way in the Republic of Kiribati. Now they are up
to 5’s and more for this and that. Still a great deal for goodies. After all, when do
you have another chance to travel back in time? The children are really cute and we
wanted to adopt one right then and there! Many people brought candy or some small change
to give to the little tikes.
Oh yes, we almost forgot about…Hawaii!
As for the ports of call, we offer these comments as constructive criticism short and
sweet. First, we might like it better if they reversed the trip entirely. Meaning, give us
Kauai first and work it backwards because if you are active, there is so much to see and
do, you wear yourself out the day before you disembark. On the other hand resting for the
first few days has its merit so the jury is still out on that topic.
Hilo was the first port of call and we opted to take the Blue Hawaiian ‘Circle of
Fire’ helicopter tour. Norwegian Cruise line uses Blue Hawaiian Helicopter tours for
their bookings, however we booked direct on the Internet and saved a substantial amount of
money due to their online discounts. A five minute five dollar cab ride is easy to obtain
right on the pier. The flight is unbelievable and well worth every penny! Save your money
for this trip as you tour the most geologically active environment on earth, with emphasis
on the most current areas of volcanic activity.
After a sea day and Fanning Island we had a fabulous day on Maui. One can truly begin
to appreciate the Hawaiian Islands and all they have to offer. This is the longest day you
have on any of the islands and the only evening stay until 9:00 p.m. We rented a car to
take us along remote beaches and to see the various sites. This was when we began to think
of ways to move our lives and business to this remote, exotic American dream (we gave up
after considering the time zone difference). Try to imagine the finest Caribbean islands,
multiply the serenity times five, and add the fact everyone is an American and there you
have it. It is a must to stay and watch the sunset from one of the many beaches.
Our last stop was Kauai, the most exotic of the larger islands. We decided to take the
Napali Coast tour booked through Norwegian. The 3 to 4 thousand foot high cliffs of the
world famous Napali Coast are truly one of nature's most brilliant masterpieces. Hollywood
has used these magnificent cliffs and valleys as backdrops in movies such as Jurassic
Park, 6 days 7 nights, and many others.
Over five hours of the most spectacular scenery awaits you, however, be forewarned this
trip is not for those who are incapable of handling a bumpy ride. In fact, most of the
group ends up on small 15 foot Zodiacs while we (because of the kids) were placed on a 35
foot Zodiac that had a head and other amenities the others did not enjoy. In addition to
the scenery, we were treated to hundreds of dolphins doing flips beside us and chasing our
boat. The boat operators take the Zodiacs inside caves and under waterfalls as well. We
thought Norwegian did a fine job of organizing the tour and it was a trip well worth the
money.
In the end, it seemed that this cruise experience was one of the most fleeting weeks
for a vacation. Although we had two days prior and a full seven days onboard, we left
wanting more.
Hawaii is truly the jewel of America and enjoying it from NCL’s Garden Villa was
definitely a once in a lifetime experience. Next time the ole’ family reunion is
coming up for discussion, whether it’s small or large…if at all possible, drag
your friends and family into the Garden Villa for a week of total spacious pampering that
cannot be beat!
