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| | Island Star Cruise Ship Reviews
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Island Star Ship Information This quite spacious handsome ship offers a good cruise experience and a selection of nicely decorated public rooms. Passengers on the Island Star tend to be younger, families and all British. When all cabins have double occupancy, the ship provides a space ratio of 31.1 tons per passenger and a crew to passenger ratio of one for every 2.6 passengers. At full capacity the space ratio is 25 tons per passenger and the crew ratio is one to 3.3 passengers. |
| Holiday-Truth Readers Reports |
 Stevie G from Glasgow sailed on Island Star with
First Choice
on a couples holiday.
There were 2 adults and 0 child(ren) in the party. The travel date was 3
2008 | Stevie G
rated the Island Star as follows:
| Ship Cleanliness |  | | Crew |  | | Ship Food | | |
| Onboard Entertainment | |
| Stevie G said: We booked our cruise on the Island Star for September 2007, but this was cancelled due to the ship being adrift off Italy on the Tuesday, but didnt tel us until the Friday night 12 hours before we were due to leave the house for the airport. They gave us a 25% discount voucher for future travel.
We booked to travel on the first European cruise from Palma in MArch 2008.
On arriving at the airport and having collected our luggage, we queued along with about 1000 other passengers in the one queue, only to find as we got closer to the front that there were 3 queues, each representing an airport you arrived from, although no signage or staff inform you of this.
We then queue to get on a bus. Took us 2 hours to get out the airport, only to queue at the ship terminal.
The staff just were not ready to accept passengers.
We got our room 1005, Sapphire deck with balcony. The walls creaked if a fish farted close enough to the ship to cause a small wave.
We complained, they sent engineers while ship was in dock, looking at me as if i was mad.
Next day at sea, was force 9 gales, couldnt sleep due to creaking wall, so recorded it on the voice recorder on my mobile phone. The engineers came in again while at dock. I played the voice clip back to them and they confirmed that there was a problem behind the walls. Thought they would fix it but no. Due to more storms we arived in port early meaning we could sleep dock side in calm water, so got some sleep then. Engineers then state they would need days to repair it when back in Palma, so if you get room 1005, take ear plugs.
The carpets through out were stained, which could be the remains of the toilets flooding cabins and halls in September 2007, when adrift.
There was a strong toilet smell at certain decks.
The food was shocking. It was cold, the meat was stringy, very cheap. There was not one day we could enjoy a good meal, except when we went ashore. If you like salad only for the duration of your holiday, this is for you.
The bars, shops and entertainment stop as soon as you dock, and due to late arrivals at ports, shops at resorts were closed, and weather was not the best, so you go back to the ship for 8 hours of nothing, because everything is closed on board apart from buffets.
They cannot be blamed for the weather, but when it was this bad, and the passengers were on board, they could have done something to entertain us.
This is not a cruise i would take again. I liked the idea of informal, and reasonable price, but this was a company sending you on a ship that needs totally refurbished, right down to the lumpy mattress with blood on it(look under your sheets).
Save your money, or spend a wee bit more and go on a cruise that isnt part owned by First Choice. | | |
 John Wilkes from Dursley sailed on Island Star with
First Choice
on a singles holiday.
There were 1 adults and 0 child(ren) in the party. The travel date was 3
2008 | John Wilkes
rated the Island Star as follows:
| Ship Cleanliness |  | | Crew | | | Ship Food |  | |
| Onboard Entertainment | |
| John Wilkes said: John Wilkes said:
This was my third cruise with 'Island Cruises' and my second trip on my favourite of the two ships - The Island Star. Make no mistake readers - to get the best out of a trip like this you have to treat it as a huge exercise in personal and time management. If you get organised and stay organised - and healthy - you can have a grand time. The weather is of course in the lap of the Gods. On this cruise we were lucky. From beginning to end, the skies were cloudless. Nothing to do with the cruise really but some attention should be given to the number of times you show passports and sign bits of paper before you get on the ship - especially if you, like me, are a late booker. Three flights arrived at once in Palma so there was a bit of a 'log jam' at the coach park and at the side of the ship. Once on, someone might escort you to Passenger Relations to get your swipe card. I had a superb cabin 4104 on Bronze Deck, Level 4. If you have the afternoon in Palma Harbour, get off and take a walk to the Cathedral and Old Town - you have plenty of time. Before disembarking that evening a sudden gust or two of wind toppled several parasols and tables on aft sun deck sending plates and wine glasses and passengers scattering. Luckily no one was hurt. Parasols are not erected on windy days and the crew was caught out - but it should not be possible that such a thing could happen under any circumstances. Sailaway to the live band Indigo playing Quanta-na-mera and the lights of Palma in the background was breathtaking. Day at sea is time to adjust, do the emergency drill, enjoy the Beachcomber, sample the Jacuzzi. Great shows throughout the week. Comedian Phil Doyle very funny. Super Elvis tribute act Joseph King. Big 'West End-type' shows - 'The Magic of the Musicals', 'Hollywood'. An Irish group of passengers brought their own DJ and dance organiser and had pre-booked 'The Pub' 5-7pm daily. They were just great and to me, made my holiday. Clocks moved on Saturday night and one lady missed her booked tour to Tuscany.
Dial 78 for a wake-up call on the automated system. Book a wake-up at 7am daily. You will be OK then. 700 passengers left dreary Livorno port for gorgeous excursions. I did 'Florence at your own pace'. I had 5 great hours in the city - watched a pageant/parade at Vecchio Piazza, climbed the 414 steps of the campinile, bought a slice of pizza by the Ponte Vecchio and saw a huge free art exhibition in the Pitti Palace. Next day Genoa. Walked around the city having taken the free shuttle bus to Ferrari Square - then took the funicular up the mountain and walked back down to the ship. Next day fabulous Marseille. The Cassis trip was great. Then Barcelona where I walked miles and took a lift up inside Sagrada Familia - and walked to the Olympic Port for a thimbleful of cappucino at a beach cafe. Then Valencia where I took the £29 17 mile bike ride. Great fun and you see everything and have a good stop to walk around in Old Town. The City of Arts and Sciences by architect Calatrava
is stunning. Half day trips like that enable you to have a late lunch on board ship - in the Beachcomber. There were always sunbeds available and the children on board for the Easter holiday break added life. The staff/crew on the ship are helpful, friendly and cosmopoliton. Captain John Brocklehurst is charm itself. I have absolutely no complaints
about the cabin or the jacuzzis, entertainment. The food might just be served a little hotter.
| | |
John Wilkes from Dursley sailed on Island Star with
First Choice
on a singles holiday.
There were 1 adults and 0 child(ren) in the party. The travel date was 3
2008 | John Wilkes
rated the Island Star as follows:
| Ship Cleanliness | | | Crew | | | Ship Food | | |
| Onboard Entertainment | |
| John Wilkes said: This was my third cruise with 'Island Cruises' and my second trip on my favourite of the two ships - The Island Star. Make no mistake readers - to get the best out of a trip like this you have to treat it as a huge exercise in personal and time management. If you get organised and stay organised - and healthy - you can have a grand time. The weather is of course in the lap of the Gods. On this cruise we were lucky. From beginning to end, the skies were cloudless. Nothing to do with the cruise really but some attention should be given to the number of times you show passports and sign bits of paper before you get on the ship - especially if you, like me, are a late booker. Three flights arrived at once in Palma so there was a bit of a 'log jam' at the coach park and at the side of the ship. Once on, someone might escort you to Passenger Relations to get your swipe card. I had a superb cabin 4104 on Bronze Deck, Level 4. If you have the afternoon in Palma Harbour, get off and take a walk to the Cathedral and Old Town - you have plenty of time. Before disembarking that evening a sudden gust or two of wind toppled several parasols and tables on aft sun deck sending plates and wine glasses and passengers scattering. Luckily no one was hurt. Parasols are not erected on windy days and the crew was caught out - but it should not be possible that such a thing could happen under any circumstances. Sailaway to the live band Indigo playing Quanta-na-mera and the lights of Palma in the background was breathtaking. Day at sea is time to adjust, do the emergency drill, enjoy the Beachcomber, sample the Jacuzzi. Great shows throughout the week. Comedian Phil Doyle very funny. Super Elvis tribute act Joseph King. Big 'West End-type' shows - 'The Magic of the Musicals', 'Hollywood'. An Irish group of passengers brought their own DJ and dance organiser and had pre-booked 'The Pub' 5-7pm daily. They were just great and to me, made my holiday. Clocks moved on Saturday night and one lady missed her booked tour to Tuscany.
Dial 78 for a wake-up call on the automated system. Book a wake-up at 7am daily. You will be OK then. 700 passengers left dreary Livorno port for gorgeous excursions. I did 'Florence at your own pace'. I had 5 great hours in the city - watched a pageant/parade at Vecchio Piazza, climbed the 414 steps of the campinile, bought a slice of pizza by the Ponte Vecchio and saw a huge free art exhibition in the Pitti Palace. Next day Genoa. walked around the city having taken the free shuttle bus to Ferrari Square - then took the funicular up the mountain and walked back down to the ship. Next day fabulous Mareille. The Cassis trip was great.. Then Barcelona where I walked miles and took a lift up inside Sagrada Familia - and walked to the Olympic Port for a thimbleful of cappucino at a beach cafe. Then Valencia where I too the £29 17 mile bike ride. Great fun and you see everything and have a good stop to walk around in Old Town. The City of Arts and Sciences by architect Calatrava
is stunning. Half day trips like that enable you to have a late lunch on board ship - in the Beachcomber. There were always sunbeds available and the children on board for the Easter holiday break added life. The staff/crew on the ship are helpful, friendly and cosmopoliton. Captain John Brocklehurst is charm itself. I have absolutely no complaints
about the cabin or the jacuzzis, entertainment. The food might just be served a little hotter.
| | |
cunningham from sunderland sailed on Island Star with
island cruises
on a couples holiday.
There were 2 adults and 0 child(ren) in the party. The travel date was 3
2008 | cunningham
rated the Island Star as follows:
| Ship Cleanliness | | | Crew | | | Ship Food |  | |
| Onboard Entertainment | |
| cunningham said: Just returned transatlantic trip 1mar to 21mar 2008, first time with island cruises on island star
We travelled via Milan, (others from Glasgow direct, Manchester direct, hrow to Frankfurt, hrow to paris) with our flight from Newcastle we were travelling for 28 hours, it was chaotic at port, we got there 8am (1st flight in) & could not check in till passengers had all disembarked, by 10 30 there was nearly a riot as new passengers arriving were trying to check in first, however we were allowed to check in then but were warned that cabin may not be ready which it wasn’t but at least the surroundings were more pleasant & food & drink were available, people who booked late had to stay in Rio for 1-2-3 or 4 days as there were no scheduled flights available
Cabin coral deck 5021 twin inside (booked before went for £30) at front in a quiet cul de sac, near customer services, a good size, lots of wardrobe space (not many hangars) 18 drawers, 1 chair, 1 table, dressing table, hairdryer, soap, shower gel, towels changed when you want, pool towels also, mini bar (to pay for) duvet torn at bottom, blanket had seen better days was from when the ship was the horizon I think
The lounges on board were in the main comfortable except part of the pub, the theatre was spacious 2 levels, most lounges & the pool area were ½ non smoking with no smoking in any restaurants including the outdoor area the grill
There were plenty daytime activities especially at sea, evening shows + other guests ie comedian, singer, comic magician who we never saw (BA lost his props) & another comedian, the show team were professional & the costumes were vg, there were singers etc in pub & some karaoke, pianists in captains table & harbour café & tv game shows, bingo, a 5 piece resident band etc in the bounty bar, the only one of the entertainment team who created havoc where ever he went was Josh although a likable enough lad (age 18) he wasn’t really experienced, however he had a 30 min singing slot which we quite enjoyed
Food & drink – we only once went to the island restaurant because there were always queues & the food was same as beachcomber the only difference was that beachcomber had no table covers & u had to collect your own cutlery, the staff wore disposable gloves & there were material napkins for the 1st few days then paper napkins (because of all the sickness & diarrhoea on board), there were hand sanitation machines but a lot of people ignored them, island tables were set, both were buffet with same food, 2 other restaurants to pay steakhouse £35 for 2 inc bottle wine & oasis £30 for 2 inc bottle wine. 12 to 6pm the grill(outside) was open with burgers etc
Food was not very varied, similar salads most of the time, very predictable, very few veg usually only 1, 1 meat on carvery, pasta available to be made but very slow, food usually not very warm, cold desserts & every evening there was crumble & custard. Would only give food 2 & a half star rating
Dress code – I know that it is an informal ship but when people come to the evening meal in what they have been wearing all day it’s not good, I have no objections to men & women wearing smart shorts & tops but some people I think just like to see how far they can go
Drinks – similar to uk beer on tap only for 1 day then onto cans then bottles all same price £2.40
Bars had 2 for 1 but were smaller & weaker-all bars different offers pays to ask at each, brazilian beer small can £2.40 often on offer 2 for 1. bottle wine £8.50 changes daily, 150 ml wine £2.40, carafe 250ml £3.15, water litre & half £2.15 cans coke etc £1.40
Trips – we went on Rio extravaganza which was so disappointing we were up sugar loaf for 75mins & only at top of Christ redeemed for only 10 mins we did complain but were just fobbed off, we wish now we had got a taxi & done it ourselves but rio is a place you need to take care, other people went on a different trip with shopping, the shopping was cancelled for some reason, also did Casablanca trip where we were rushed round, some were left in kasbar, just so guide (who was very difficult to understand) could take us to a shop where he obviously had ‘an arrangement’, the las Palmas trip to volcano was good, the Valencia trip was very good, (except when we came to board ship, we had to stand in this hugh queue with people boarding ferry & once again there was nearly a riot), other ports of call we got off & explored by ourselves, the only gripe with that was, there was a lack of information as to how far out of town we were, some ports had free shuttle buses to port gates or to town, but we were’nt told of this
Island chat – daily newsletter, did give a lot of information but could have been more precise & included when docking, when sailing what to expect in ports ie how near or far, shuttle buses etc
Days at sea – plenty sunbeds if u want to lie on stretched canvas ones in the sun deck 12, most uncomfortable definitely need replacing, some people would reserve a chair & a sunbed & hop between the 2, not good for other people, so selfish, I used to ask if chair or sunbed wasn’t being used if I could sit on it till it was required, plenty of comfy lounges if weather inclement
Weather - 31% in brazil, becoming slightly cooler as we sailed, showers & cloud 2 days out of 4 days to cape verde, it rained very heavily the day we crossed equater everyone got wet watching Neptune ceremony. Palma, Casablanca & Gibralter hot, Valencia cloud & cold, Palma sun & cloud but very cold, we booked a night here (good Friday) & were fortunate to see the easter religious parade which was fantastic
Cashless system – a credit or debit card is swiped on check in & all you spend is put on this card, I used to get a statement regularly fromcustomer relations,because if you don’t you don’t have time to do much about any mistakes as you don’t get final statement till 2am on departure day (there were a couple of minor mistakes )
Medical costs – I tripped going up the stairs on the 7th night & split my shin, so had to see doctor on a 1 or 2 daily basis, the cost is £466 hopefully I will claim most back from insurance, 1 lady had a heart attack & had to be flown home, apparently 4 people died so goodness knows what their costs would be (there were a lot of really old people on board, plenty sticks wheelchairs etc
Gripes – hoovering round the lift area at 8pm, part of beachcomber, yellow dustbins wheeled through on a very regular basis, rubbish bags carried through while eating, not good, lots of noise from kitchen area, staff very noisy, lifts, at busy times ie trips or disembarking lifts were used for transporting allsorts, which should have been done in the less busy periods, daily quiz, entertainment team couldn’t pronounce a lot of the words it could be hilarious, theatre, clearing glasses away during finale of shows, 1 lift out of action all 3 weeks, show times not adhered to, in fact we think this is the most disorganised cruise we have ever been on.
We think the basic fact was that island cruises are penny pinching as much as they can.
Although we reckon we got value for money we don’t think we will ever travel with them again, maybe try ocean village, seemingly similar price & 100% better in all aspects
| | |
conor from liverpool sailed on Island Star with
first choice
on a family holiday.
There were 2 adults and 2 child(ren) in the party. The travel date was 3
2008 | conor
rated the Island Star as follows:
| Ship Cleanliness | | | Crew | | | Ship Food | | |
| Onboard Entertainment | |
| conor said: this ship is a bueatiful ship! the enterainment is fabulous. all the crew on board always greeting you. i find traveling with the island star is a fantastic experiance. they have clubs for all ages. they is always some enterainment happening on the ship all the time. on the ship you could never get bored on the ship with all the choices you can do. | | |
gillies from dunfermline sailed on Island Star with
my travel
on a couples holiday.
There were 2 adults and 0 child(ren) in the party. The travel date was 3
2008 | gillies
rated the Island Star as follows:
| Ship Cleanliness | | | Crew | | | Ship Food | | |
| Onboard Entertainment | |
| gillies said: The ship was tired that is the best . way to describe it. The carpets were badly stained and in areas throughout the ship were well worn and holed, especially at the pool area. At times soot was landing in big blobs on the decks sunbeds and passengers. The sunbeds on deck 12 were stained sagging canvas, well passed there sell by date,the others were white hard rigid plastic with no cushions.In fairness to the deck hands they managed to clean the soot up each evening.As there were no laundry facilities for passengers to use themselves it meant either complaining and getting it done free ,but, one only feels able to do this once .parasoles were not put out until we reached Europe and by then the real heat was gone and shade not a top priority. The corridor on deck 9 leading to our cabin stunk the carpet was stained and wet driers were on but to no avail. Unfortunately for us the people in the cabins on iether side of us smoked and the smell came through the air vents,I complained twice to reception to no avail. Food was o.k. but canteen style is not my liking.One could pay for service £30 or £35 per couple including wine. Unfortunately 10days into the cruise both my husband and myself developed the sickness and diarrhoea virus which many others had.No advice was given unlike other cruise companies we have sailed with where they have notices in the cabin asking that it will be reported and treatment given free. Not on the Star I wrote to the Captain saying please can other passengers be given advice. The tales of bills from the Dr. anything from £90 for an injection to £15 for the plaster to cover the puncture wound no wonder people were treating themselves. The shops well suntan factor 4 for mainly Brits I ask you ???? No Paracetomal nothing for indigestion and certainly no immodium for the D. and V. For the last part of the cruise I had no appitite. Our felloow passengers were lovely and we had some very good company and we enjoyed the shows.The staff were all pleasant and helpfull, it was a pity the Captain did not refrain from mentioning "The so called rumour in CapeVerdy" people are not blind and it was most insensitive to say the least.I liked the idea of a relaxed informal cruise a pity the ship was so lacking. | | |
Mike from Manchester sailed on Island Star with
First Choice. Go Travel
on a couples holiday.
There were 2 adults and 0 child(ren) in the party. The travel date was 11
2007 | Mike
rated the Island Star as follows:
| Ship Cleanliness | | | Crew | | | Ship Food | | |
| Onboard Entertainment | |
| Mike said: We were very pleasantly surprised with the efficiency of all involved in getting us and our luggage onboard, the ship itself was very impressive, from the outside, newly painted steelwork, and the entrance to the reception area was superb, the issue of pass cards was handled very well ,we were photographed and very quickly onboard ,the security check on entry was re assuring ,your picture was displayed as the card was swiped.
Our cabin was on Coral Deck, around the section near to the AFT lift,cabin 51xx not too far back to be noisy, and within easy reach of the lift and stairs.
The cabin was a nice surprise ,the bed was a good sized double ,maybe King sized, there were four wardrobes in a row along the righthand wall, with lots of hanging space and plenty of drawers, there was a full sized dressing table with more drawers ,both sides and an illuminated full size mirror above it, the cabin had a window ,which could not be opened. The bathroom and toilet were very clean and everything worked as it should ,the hairdryer did become disconnected on the hose ,but it was immediately replaced, the housekeeping team on this ship deserve full marks ,they were excellent in every respect!! The linen was changed frequently, most days the pool towels took on the shapes of animals ,the housekeepers can make anything with them ,yes, a swan, pig, dog, elephant, chimp they do go that extra mile to make your cabin homely ,the covers are turned down each night, there is always a full toilet roll on the holder and two spares!! You could not ask for more , the only negative was that the carpet was showing signs of wear ,but they should be replaced fairly soon I was told.
The mini bar was minimal and reasonably priced ,with the exception of bottled water, which was £2.15 per litre!!!!
We tried all the restaurants, they were all good in their different ways ,we used the Island most frequently, sometimes a short wait ,or instant if you were prepared to share a table, we used the Beachcomber for afternoon tea .
The prices in all the bars were reasonable ,with Draught Boddingtons, Draught Stella, and these were often buy one get one free ,similarly the cocktails were cheap and also bogof.
The biggest negative was the constant pestering of the waiters to buy drinks, they must work on a commision only basis ,they are so hard selling, it was a good idea to nurse a drink for hours in theatre or bounty club to keep them away, and then go elsewhere to have a drink in peace.
The entertainment was to be honest not our cup of tea ,Butlins standard at best , a couple of the lady vocalists were good , the lead male dancer was excellent ,but should stay a long way away from microphones, he is a great dancer, the guitar vocalist kept the room very happy with a wide range of songs, played to backing tracks, the pianist also appealed to many of the dancing crowd.
This was our first two week cruise and will be our last.!! It just wasn't our style of holiday ,it was too restricting , a lot of travelling, and very little time at the destinations, THE EXCURSIONS WERE VERY EXPENSIVE, with a little investigative work and preparation all could be done much cheaper under your own steam.
The travel was not helped by very rough weather during the last few days ,when even crew members were turning green ,plates were flying in the restaurants ,and sleeping became impossible ,all in all an unpleasant couple of days and nights.
The staff were absolutely brilliant in every area, the food was good at every meal, the drink was cheap , the entertainment was avereage , but there was also the casino ,the coffee bar ,the library, internet cafe, gym, sauna, kids club , so it might suit a lot of people,
but it a floating hotel and if that's what you enjoy then it is fine , at this time of the year it was like a floating rest home , we are pensioners but not quite ready for this experience. | | |
w wright from southminster sailed on Island Star with
first choice
on a couples holiday.
There were 2 adults and 0 child(ren) in the party. The travel date was 11
2007 | w wright
rated the Island Star as follows:
| Ship Cleanliness | | | Crew | | | Ship Food | | |
| Onboard Entertainment | |
| w wright said: Like many of the previous reviews I cannot speak highly enough about the 14 day cruise around the Med. we have just returned from.
The cleanliness of the ship and cabins was first class, food was good although we chose to eat in the Beachcomber because we felt the Island Restaurant was very cramped.
The staff were extremely helpful at all times especially the bar staff in The Pub. The entertainment in The Pub was good with quizzes etc. and the Show Team were excellent, their singing and dancing was fantastic. Unfortunately due to bad weather on our last night, the show was curtailed, but still they did their best, with the ship rolling in all directions, and most of the cast feeling under the weather.
We went ashore every day, taking an onshore trip most days. All were excellent value for money and provided such wonderful information about all those places you had only previously heard about, Rome, Pompeii, Monaco, Venice etc.
I would certainly sail on this ship again at some time in the future - if we had won the onboard lottery we may have stayed on and sailed down to Brazil for three weeks!!! | | |
Beth Pritchard from Kendal sailed on Island Star with
First Choice
on a family holiday.
There were 2 adults and 1 child(ren) in the party. The travel date was 10
2007 | Beth Pritchard
rated the Island Star as follows:
| Ship Cleanliness | | | Crew | | | Ship Food | | |
| Onboard Entertainment | |
| Beth Pritchard said: Cleanliness----------5++++++++
EVERYTHING was spotless, When we got off in one of the ports of call one of the cleaners came outside and cleaned the windows!!!! No-one got ill OR seasick.
Fresh towels everyday.We were on the bottom passenger deck(bargain basement!!!!) and it was just as nice as the classier decks!!!
Ship food -----4
Ok so it did get a little repeatitive after 2 weeks onborad but everything was nicely prepared and put together>Very well presented!!
Staff-------5+*++++++******+++++++++++++********++++++++++*
Wow everyone was so friendly i am only 10 but i was treated like royalty. So yeah most of the staff were asian and south americans but sooooooooooooo freindly
Entertainment
.1 show a night
.pub
.first day sailaway party.
NOOOOOOOO DISCO so dont be disappointed
I LURRRRVE tHis SHIP SHIP AND ITS STAFF espicssily archie prisscilla george and missy to name a few!!!! | | |
Linda Comer from Manchester sailed on Island Star with
First Choice
on a friends holiday.
There were 2 adults and 0 child(ren) in the party. The travel date was 10
2007 | Linda Comer
rated the Island Star as follows:
| Ship Cleanliness | | | Crew | | | Ship Food | | |
| Onboard Entertainment | |
| Linda Comer said: Ship cleanliness very good, food was excellent and always hot,a lot of choices.The staff were lovely, always friendly and smiling.Our cabin steward Cintia who was brazillian was really nice, and made us the animals out of the towels.We really enjoyed the shows every night.The show team were very professional and Jay Harrison had a marvellous voice.The dancers were great too,especially Mr Flexible.Also thank you to Granville for looking after us in the pub.He is an asset to the Island Star.Yes i would sail on this ship again.A real friendly feel to the star. | | |
Dot from Wirral sailed on Island Star with
First Choice
on a couples holiday.
There were 2 adults and 0 child(ren) in the party. The travel date was 10
2007 | Dot
rated the Island Star as follows:
| Ship Cleanliness | | | Crew | | | Ship Food | | |
| Onboard Entertainment | |
| Dot said: I was very apprehensive as this was our first cruise and was not sure whether I would enjoy it. However, we had a really lovely time. The transfer to the ship was very well organised, with a nice cool drink on arrival whilst waiting to have photos taken/credit card authorised. We were very pleased with our cabin although would have preferred an outside cabin. We were on Coral deck very near the front. The cabin was very spacious with plenty of wardrobe/drawer space and kept very clean. The only downside I think is that the carpets are a litle shabby in parts.
We found the food to be varied and plentiful. We had breakfast at the Island Restaurant most of the time, with no problems whatsoever. We never waited more than a couple of minutes to be shown to a table. There was always a "special offer" white or red wine at dinner at £9.95 a bottle, which we thought was reasonable. We had lunch at the Beachcomber on the days we were on board. Again this was very good and it was pleasant to sit out on the sundeck, where we ejoyed chatting to other couples. We booked for dinner at the Oasis Restaurant on two occasions. Mid week there was a special offer of £24 for dinner for 2 with a bottle of wine, though on the last night it cost £30. However we felt it was worth it to be waited on as a change from buffet meals. The waiters were very attentive and friendly and there was a really nice atmosphere.
We found all the staff to be very friendly and helpful. They seemed to be so cheery all the time!
We found the entertainment OK but nothing special. We would generally go to the Ocean Theatre after dinner and have a final drink before going to bed. We didn't visit the Bounty Club as we are not really into this type of entertainment.
We were unaware that it was Scotland's half term holiday and there were quite a number of children on board. Although they were not a major problem, it was extremely busy and noisy around the pool deck and although they were not supposed to use the Jacuzzis without a parent, or stay in longer than 15 minutes, they were in them constantly making it very difficult to use them.
Also the ship was full, partly I think because an earlier cruise ship had had engine trouble and people had been rebooked and the ship was sailing at full capacity.
It was a little difficult at times getting a sunbed and as others have said, lots of sunbeds were left unoccupied with towels/books left on them. However, most of the time it was possible to squeeze in somewhere!
We only booked one excursion to Rome, which was really good, though tiring, but a lovely lunch was included. We just did our own thing at other ports and had no problems whatsoever.
We had a very rough crossing from Nice to Mahon and I, along with many others, was very sick in spite of taking a tablet. I think if we were to cruise again I would try seabands to see if this helps.
In general we really did enjoy the cruise and would probably do another, though I think I would prefer it to be less crowded. There were some quieter places on deck and also in the library where you could play cards/Scrabble etc. The Captain's Lounge was nice for a quiet pre or post dinner drink also.
| | |
JPEvans from Swansea sailed on Island Star with
Island Cruises
on a family holiday.
There were 4 adults and 0 child(ren) in the party. The travel date was 9
2007 | JPEvans
rated the Island Star as follows:
| Ship Cleanliness | | | Crew | | | Ship Food | | |
| Onboard Entertainment | |
| JPEvans said: We travelled last September on the Island Star when it broke down and left us drifting 13 miles off the French coast from 22.15 to 9.00am the next day.
So anyone thinking of taking a holiday with Island Cruises just realise that whilst everything is going OK you will be fine although the food is not very good in the beachcomber bar. But when things go wrong don't expect any help from anyone with a uniform (the waiters and entertainment staff were fine) the captain ignored our pleas for information and the Hotel Director was Obstructive to the point of rudeness.
I asked from day 1 why soot was falling on passengers from the funnel and was ignored. As stated for the price when things are going alright it was a fairly good cruise. But the Managing director promised us a 100% refund when on board (infront of 1500 passengers) but renaged on the offer and we only received 50%! He has nevber returned my correspondence. | | |
Em from London sailed on Island Star with
Cruise Store
on a singles holiday.
There were 1 adults and 0 child(ren) in the party. The travel date was 9
2007 | Em
rated the Island Star as follows:
| Ship Cleanliness | | | Crew | | | Ship Food | | |
| Onboard Entertainment | |
| Em said: I had a really fantastic time on this cruise, I have cruised once before with another ship which wasn't as good. Everything was really well organised from arrival to departure, really couldn't be better.
The cabins were really nice and much larger than expected, I had an inside cabin midship on Coral Deck and experienced no noise problems at all. The TV was really good all English channels plus 3 films to watch each day. There are safes in the cabins but you do have to pay £14 a week.
The food was good, spoilt for choice, I ate breakfast,lunch, afternoon tea at the Beachcomber - you could also take food up on to sundeck and eat it wherever you wanted. There was tea and coffee and water available to help yourself all day too. For dinner I went to the Island restaurant as I liked the atmosphere there and although you didn't have to dress up at all it was a bit more formal than Beachcomber, I drank wine which at £2.40 a glass I thought very reasonable.
The shops on board were surprisingly well priced, cheaper than the duty free at the airport! Also the bureau de change was offering good rates £1 to 1.41 euros.
All the staff were always happy and very helpful.
At each port I went ashore and did my own thing, maps are handed to you by each island's tourist office which was really useful.
I would definitely go on Island Star again.
| | |
Graham Jacobs from Watford sailed on Island Star with
Cruise Store
on a singles holiday.
There were 1 adults and 0 child(ren) in the party. The travel date was 9
2007 | Graham Jacobs
rated the Island Star as follows:
| Ship Cleanliness | | | Crew | | | Ship Food | | |
| Onboard Entertainment | |
| Graham Jacobs said: There were plenty of Island Cruise reps at Palma to direct me to the desk to pick up my info envelope & direct me to the coach. On arrival at the port i had my photo taken and my Boarding/charge card updated. This was my first Cruise so i was not sure what to expect. A cabin steward led me to my Cabin 5146 on Coral Deck. This is near the back of the Ship. My Case arrived soon afterwards. My Cabin had plenty of room. The Ship looked clean and tidy. I ate mainly in the Beachcomber. There were lovely Breakfasts and being buffet style you can eat as much or as little as you like and being an English company, a good fry up was available as well as cereals, porridge and Fruit. I went off the Ship every Day,mainly on excursions. The cut off time in the Beachcomber was 6.30 so i had a choice of the Lunch or Dinner menus. There was always The Grill at the Back of the Ship for Burgers, Steaks and chips if required.
I thought the Excursions were reasonable value for money.
I went to Mt Etna and Taomina in sicily. i only had about 15 mins free time on Mt Etna and we only went half way up. I would have liked more time to explore.
Naples the next day and a visit to Pompeii and Sorrento. once again we only had 2 hours in Pompeii. I went on my own a few years ago and was there for 5 hours and still did not see everything. Just over an hour in Sorrento was fine.
Puccini and Pisa the next Day. The timings were good on this tour.
Marseilles the next day and very scenic drive from Toulon. only half Day so some spare time in Toulon in the Afternoon. A small Scenic Train takes you to the Beaches.
Barcelona the next day. The Ship docks about a 10 minute walk from the Ramblas and the Metro is really cheap so it is easy to visit Barcelona yourself.
The Ships staff were really good and helpful. The tables were cleared as soon as you had finished your meal and Drinks were very easy to buy. Coke was expensive at £1.40 a can but most Beers were reasonable. Stella £2.65 a pint. Cans were £2.40 for other Beers. I was lucky as Budweiser (my favoutite) was buy one get one free in most Bars for the week.
I went to all the shows in the Ocean Theatre. The best ones were the Island Stars own Showteam ones. There was also a Robbie Williams Tribute act and a Comedian. Other live entertainment was available in the Bounty Club or The Pub.
I would recommend getting a Cabin near the front as there is alot of Engine noise and vibration when the ship is manouvering.
I would definately cruise on this Ship again. | | |
John Bennett from Hayling Island sailed on Island Star with
First Choice
on a couples holiday.
There were 2 adults and 0 child(ren) in the party. The travel date was 9
2007 | John Bennett
rated the Island Star as follows:
| Ship Cleanliness | | | Crew | | | Ship Food | | |
| Onboard Entertainment | |
| John Bennett said: First impressions of the ship are positive. My wife uses a wheelchair so we are reliant on the lifts, obviously at meal times they can be quite busy but no real problem. With nearly 1800 passengers there are always some who will let the side down e.g the heaving obese sun burnt sweating male in his Speedo’s squeezing into the lift, the lady in the Beachcomer wearing some very thin dressing gown to cover her bathing costume which it didn’t, but overall not bad at all. I think it is as well to remember that your fellow passengers are what make the cruise comparatively cheap. Everyone we spoke to was friendly and happy to spend time small talking, however, the ship is so large and with so many people it can become a bit impersonal.
Cleanliness 4.5 out 5 some towels a little threadbare, some of the carpets could do with renewing as could the sun beds.
The shows in the theatre we found were quite good, however the finals of the talent competitions is not for the faint hearted. Only the back of the theatre is really suitable for wheelchairs, i.e. some steps down, however, providing you got there 10 mins before the start there was never a problem getting a back seat.
Food. Beachcomer Restaurant good & plentiful, tries hard. I have no problems with the chap who had four breakfast's, we all try and get different things from our holidays, however, a lot of human flesh on view, if you prefer more tasteful surroundings then the Island restaurant is a bit more up market. We tried the Oasis Restaurant on our second evening, I thought it would be rather empty but it turned out to be very busy, which it remained throughout the week. I am told other than the first night where passengers are still sorting themselves out the paid restaurants get full quite quickly. We tried the Steakhouse on our last night. Both very good. There are various offers throughout the cruise for each restaurant. Dress code for the Oasis and Steakhouse. The impression given by the advertising blurb is that these are more formal restaurants (which they are). I dressed in a suite with shirt and tie, other than the waiters I was the smartest male there. Most men had open shirts hanging over there trousers, they ladies made more of an effort.
The staff in the restaurants tried extra hard to make the evening pleasant. If you have a celebration and are not too timid let the manager know when you book and you will probably be serenaded by the manager and the waiters sometime during the evening.
Beach towels seemed to get plenty of sun on the loungers whilst their owners were doing other things, did not see any evidence of staff removing them as reported elsewhere.
Make sure any electrical equipment you take can be used/charged with 110 volts. There is an efficient hairdryer in the shower room and the TV is limited in channels (though all English). I took a camera which takes rechargeable batteries only to find the charger would not charge them on 110 volt's, though all the lights showed as normal.
FM radio on MPG player none existent on ship. There is only one 110 volt outlet in the bedroom and 2 in the shower room (for electric razors).
We had Cabin 5090 on Coral Deck, I thought I had done my homework re noise, we were situated about a third of the way from the stern of the ship on the starboard side, yet we still had a continuous whine even when the wife was not there. We spoke to passengers above and below our deck, generally the nearer the bow the better. May pay to seek advice when booking if you are especially sensitive to this sort of thing, though I understand if you complain that earplugs are given out.
Be aware that the organised trips start early, normal meeting time is 08:15 though breakfast can be had in the Beachcomer Restaurant beforehand. We had three trips out all involved little or no walking. I don’t think they represented bad value for money and the commentary is good. We went to Corsica (Prunelli Gorges) Santa Margherita, for Portofino, Rome and Monte Carlo. A little cloud cover on our Rome trip otherwise perfect weather and good sea’s. The gorges were worthwhile though at the break there was a very step short walk to the restaurant and toilet. Rome was disappointing due to the abundance of graffiti and litter, interesting historical buildings. Monte Carlo interesting, clean, loads to see, many celebrity’s houses pointed out, Nice also nice, lovely beach, clean modern city.
Disaster! I took over 200 digital photos only to find when I got home I had nothing on the memory card. Went on the Internet and it is stated that the x-ray equipment does not harm digital memories, however the hand held scanner may. My camera was in the wife’s hand bag and she was scanned with this device as she was in the wheelchair and could not go through the normal walk through scan, either that or I wiped them out in error. If any one has got any shots of the above ports, Saint Margherita etc, I would appreciate a copy my email address is johnben@ntlworld .com
Remember there could be 1,800 points of view about this cruise this is only one of them.
| | |
John Bennett from Hayling Island sailed on Island Star with
First Choice
on a couples holiday.
There were 2 adults and 0 child(ren) in the party. The travel date was 9
2007 | John Bennett
rated the Island Star as follows:
| Ship Cleanliness | | | Crew | | | Ship Food | | |
| Onboard Entertainment | |
| John Bennett said: First impressions of the ship are positive. My wife uses a wheelchair so we are reliant on the lifts, obviously at meal times they can be quite busy but no real problem. With nearly 1800 passengers there are always some who will let the side down e.g the heaving obese sun burnt sweating male in his Speedo’s squeezing into the lift, the lady in the Beachcomer wearing some very thin dressing gown to cover her bathing costume which it didn’t, but overall not bad at all. I think it is as well to remember that your fellow passengers are what make the cruise comparatively cheap. Everyone we spoke to was friendly and happy to spend time small talking, however, the ship is so large and with so many people it can become a bit impersonal.
Cleanliness 4.5 out 5 some towels a little threadbare, some of the carpets could do with renewing as could the sun beds.
The shows in the theatre we found were quite good, however the finals of the talent competitions is not for the faint hearted. Only the back of the theatre is really suitable for wheelchairs, i.e. some steps down, however, providing you got there 10 mins before the start there was never a problem getting a back seat.
Food. Beachcomer Restaurant good & plentiful, tries hard. I have no problems with the chap who had four breakfast's, we all try and get different things from our holidays, however, a lot of human flesh on view, if you prefer more tasteful surroundings then the Island restaurant is a bit more up market. We tried the Oasis Restaurant on our second evening, I thought it would be rather empty but it turned out to be very busy, which it remained throughout the week. I am told other than the first night where passengers are still sorting themselves out the paid restaurants get full quite quickly. We tried the Steakhouse on our last night. Both very good. There are various offers throughout the cruise for each restaurant. Dress code for the Oasis and Steakhouse. The impression given by the advertising blurb is that these are more formal restaurants (which they are). I dressed in a suite with shirt and tie, other than the waiters I was the smartest male there. Most men had open shirts hanging over there trousers, they ladies made more of an effort.
The staff in the restaurants tried extra hard to make the evening pleasant. If you have a celebration and are not too timid let the manager know when you book and you will probably be serenaded by the manager and the waiters sometime during the evening.
Beach towels seemed to get plenty of sun on the loungers whilst their owners were doing other things, did not see any evidence of staff removing them as reported elsewhere.
Make sure any electrical equipment you take can be used/charged with 110 volts. There is an efficient hairdryer in the shower room and the TV is limited in channels (though all English). I took a camera which takes rechargeable batteries only to find the charger would not charge them on 110 volt's, though all the lights showed as normal.
FM radio on MPG player none existent on ship. There is only one 110 volt outlet in the bedroom and 2 in the shower room (for electric razors).
We had Cabin 5090 on Coral Deck, I thought I had done my homework re noise, we were situated about a third of the way from the stern of the ship on the starboard side, yet we still had a continuous whine even when the wife was not there. We spoke to passengers above and below our deck, generally the nearer the bow the better. May pay to seek advice when booking if you are especially sensitive to this sort of thing, though I understand if you complain that earplugs are given out.
Be aware that the organised trips start early, normal meeting time is 08:15 though breakfast can be had in the Beachcomer Restaurant beforehand. We had three trips out all involved little or no walking. I don’t think they represented bad value for money and the commentary is good. We went to Corsica (Prunelli Gorges) Santa Margherita, for Portofino, Rome and Monte Carlo. A little cloud cover on our Rome trip otherwise perfect weather and good sea’s. The gorges were worthwhile though at the break there was a very step short walk to the restaurant and toilet. Rome was disappointing due to the abundance of graffiti and litter, interesting historical buildings. Monte Carlo interesting, clean, loads to see, many celebrity’s houses pointed out, Nice also nice, lovely beach, clean modern city.
Disaster! I took over 200 digital photos only to find when I got home I had nothing on the memory card. Went on the Internet and it is stated that the x-ray equipment does not harm digital memories, however the hand held scanner may. My camera was in the wife’s hand bag and she was scanned with this device as she was in the wheelchair and could not go through the normal walk through scan, either that or I wiped them out in error. If any one has got any shots of the above ports, Saint Margherita etc, I would appreciate a copy my email address is johnben@ntlworld .com
Remember there could be 1,800 points of view about this cruise this is only one of them.
| | |
Graham Parsons from Chesham sailed on Island Star with
First Choice
on a couples holiday.
There were 2 adults and 0 child(ren) in the party. The travel date was 8
2007 | Graham Parsons
rated the Island Star as follows:
| Ship Cleanliness | | | Crew | | | Ship Food | | |
| Onboard Entertainment | |
| Graham Parsons said: This was our first try at cruising and as it was our 25th wedding anniversary, we thought we would give it a go and booked a balcony cabin on the gold deck. The ship was clean and the cabin was spotless. Special thanks to the lady who looked after and cleaned it.
The on-board food varied between restaurants but was generally ok. Sometimes it could have done with being a bit hotter. Well worth paying the supplement and trying the steakhouse.
The ship staff are excellent and work very hard to make your cruise enjoyable.
Now for the bad bits.. The pool area and sun deck get very busy,not much chance of getting a sun bed, the usual trouble with people leaving towels on them all day. We ended up dragging the chairs from our room and putting them on the deck at the back of the ship.
Ok, I don't want to sound like an old misery, but below our cabin was a bar. At midnight,every night this bar became a late night disco and the music was loud. The floor of our cabin thumped with every beat until 3am. It was impossible to sleep until the disco finished. Not much fun if you need to get up early to do the excursions! We were offered ear plugs by the staff on the relations desk.
Entertainment, this varied from "Butlins" type stuff to some really good shows in the theatre. There were lots of children on board and they seemed to be kept well entertained, this seems to be a good cruise ship for families.
All in all I enjoyed the cruise but the lack of sleep put a downer on it. I would like to cruise again but I don't think it will be on this ship and I would be very careful where the cabin was located. | | |
W&L from Bromley sailed on Island Star with
First Choice
on a friends holiday.
There were 1 adults and 1 child(ren) in the party. The travel date was 8
2007 | W&L
rated the Island Star as follows:
| Ship Cleanliness | | | Crew | | | Ship Food | | |
| Onboard Entertainment | |
| W&L said: We have just enjoyed the most fantastic week's holiday aboard the Island Star. We went because my 12-year-old daughter, as one of a group of 10 from her dance school, had the opportunity to dance in some of the entertainment shows on board, so we travelled in a group with the other girls and their families.
The flight (my daughter's first!) was fine, and the transfer and embarkation procedures at Palma were efficient, and your luggage is delivered to your cabin door. The 'swipe card' system is also very efficient - it's used when you go ashore, so you don't have to take your passport; and instead of cash for anything you buy on board. (Your statement/bill is delivered to your cabin on the last night...!)
We were very impressed with the ship ( which seemed huge to us!) - all the facilities were excellent, and our cabin (Diamond deck, outside) was spacious and comfortable, and quiet, too. Our lovely cabin steward, Ramon, tended the cabin twice a day, and my daughter loved the towel animals he made for us!
We thought the ship's cleanliness was very good; and there was anti-bacterial gel at the entrances to all the restaurants for everyone to use to clean their hands. Staff reminded you if you forgot. Even the waitress folding the napkins around the cutlery wore disposable gloves.
Meals : we used the Beachcomber for breakfast (sitting out on deck), and the Beachcomber or The Grill for lunch. The Island Restaurant was nice for our evening meals, as it had a rather more formal atmosphere. The food for all our meals was super - buffet-style, with a huge array of different dishes, hot and cold, and beautifully presented. It was very convenient to be able to eat when and where we wanted.
The ship's staff were lovely, very friendly and helpful everywhere. They work so hard! Captain John seemed very nice, too - we often saw him around the ship.
The evening shows in the theatre were excellent, very entertaining, and of a high standard. My daughter's dance group performed in 4 of the week's shows, and this was a brilliant experience for them. The ship's resident show team were great, singing and acting as well as dancing. We were especially impressed with Hugo ( Mr Flexible!).
Our itinerary was Mediterranean Spirit, and we enjoyed visiting all the different ports of call, usually on a coach excursion - like everything else, very efficiently organised, and your tickets are delivered to your cabin. On board, there was an amazing variety of activities, talks, demonstrations, etc. We didn't have enough time to do many!
This was our first proper holiday, and it certainly lived up to expectations. We had such a fantastic time, we would love to go again, if we were able. (I suspect that this will probably have to be a once-in-a-lifetime experience, though!) We will always have many happy and special memories of our Island Star cruise. | | |
Sarina Patel from Kent sailed on Island Star with
First Choice
on a family holiday.
There were 5 adults and 0 child(ren) in the party. The travel date was 8
2007 | Sarina Patel
rated the Island Star as follows:
| Ship Cleanliness | | | Crew | | | Ship Food | | |
| Onboard Entertainment | |
| Sarina Patel said: This was our first time on a cruise ship, we weren't quite sure what to expect before as we had heard mixed reviews about cruises but having taken this holiday each one of us in our party of five can't wait to go on another cruise!
Getting on the ship and to our rooms went smoothly, there was plenty of staff to direct you and tell you what to do and the process of getting your security passes was quite quick. The security pass is what you need to get on and off the ship as well as any purchases you make on the ship.
We took the cruise for two weeks, the first week we did 'Essence of Mediterranean' and the second week we did the 'Spirit of Mediterranean'. We had two adjoining outside cabins on Diamond deck (6) which were positioned in the middle of the ship so we felt the motion less and there was no noise whatsoever from the engine. However, at night time we could hear singing from the bars and pub on seventh floor but that was expected and it wasn't so loud that you couldn't sleep!
The ports of call were more relaxing in the first week and more scenic. First week we went to Corsica, Mahon, Las Margeritas, Villefranche, Rome. I strongly suggest you take the full day tour of Corsica, it's beautiful. Mahon isn't all that, don't bother taking an excursion just look around yourself. Las Margeritas also has little to see so best not to take an excursion there and save those pennies for a more worthwhile trip! The day we went to Las Margeritas we had the most awfull weather, there was a storm and we had to take a tender boat from the ship to the port and the waves were massive!! It was fun though... We just walked around the town for a while and had a coffee then came back to the ship. As the weather was so bad not many people came off the ship so they put on movies in the Ocean Theatre which was nice. Villefranche was superb, take the excursion there, there's a lot to see! Rome is also great of course, although as we have already been to Rome we took the 'Rome alone' excursion which quite litearlly meant roaming around Rome on your lonesome. However, the price of the trip was extortionate considering there was no tourguide so we were only paying for the bus ride there. It may be wise to check the prices of a taxi or train to see if that works out cheaper!
Second week we stopped at Messina, Naples, Livorno, Toulon and Barcelona. Messina (Mafia town) was like a ghost town, there was no one in the town except my family and two shady guys sitting at a cafe... No shops were open but thats because we went in the afternoon and everyone was sleeping! In the morning we went to see Mount Etna which was quite cool to see it letting off steam.... Naples was nice, actually it was a bit of a dump, we went on the Pizzas and Piazas tour so saw how they make pizza and then got to eat one! It was tasty... Not as nice as Pizza Express though ;( Two of our party went to Pompei and Sorento and they said it was amazing, I think that's the better excursion to do if you don't mind walking a lot. Livorno was the dock for Pizza and Florence and we did the excursion to Puccini's lake which was fab! We also saw the leaning tower of Pizza but you don't get much time in Pizza so just quickly take some pictures of the tower and then run back to the coach! Toulon is a relaxing place, just sit have a drink and watch the traffic pass you by.... Barcelona is fantastic and the ship docked ten minutes from the main shopping street 'Las Ramblas' so it was great.
The ship itself is very well kept and clean. The reason I gave it a 4/5 is because the Beachcomber Restaurant and The Grill were sometimes a bit dirty and the Beachcomber smellt, I think this was due to the combined factor of dirty dishes constantly being piled up and the more stomach turning problem of the passengers coming into the restaurant in their swimwear straight out of the pool. If that isn't enough to put you off eating there then I would say go for it, apparantly the food was the same as in the Island Restaurant and the Beachcomber even had themed nights which the Island Restaurant didn't have.
We always dined at the Island Restaurant and the food was fantastic with a lot of variety, there really was something for everyone! The staff were very good, always at your service and very friendly. There was a man making fresh pasta too by the name of Archand, he is a lovely fellow, always smiling!
Entertainment on the ship was fantastic, we had a different programme for each of the weeks, the showteam put on the best performance, in my opinion they were better than the singers and comedians that got flown in!
The housekeeping staff were amazing, we had a lovely man called William that used to tend to our cabin and make us animals out of towels. The bed was made so often and the cabin cleaned so many times a day!
In conclusion, I would definately consider going on a cruise again, it was not at all how I imagined, it was a fantastic experience and I can't wait to go again! | | |
Josh from Sunderland sailed on Island Star with
First Choice
on a family holiday.
There were 2 adults and 2 child(ren) in the party. The travel date was 7
2007 | Josh
rated the Island Star as follows:
| Ship Cleanliness | | | Crew | | | Ship Food | | |
| Onboard Entertainment | |
| Josh said: We hav just got back from our mediterranean explorer itinerary on board the island star and we loved it.
We ate mostly in the beachcomber restaurant but also dined in the island restasurant and both were excellent. The downside being that for the island restaurant you have to queue up to 15 minutes to get a table we thought this a bit unnesscery as there was always plenty tables they mainly serve the same food anyway so we avoided queues by dining in the beachcomber.
The staff on board were all very friendly and always wished you a good day or a have a nice evening and they could not do enough to help you.
The entertainment onboard was excellent with robbie williams tribute act and the uk comedian leading the way for me but there was also shows of grease and broadway which were both great.
The only downside to the cruise was that on our day at sea the sea was very rough and many people including my family were seasick however this was not island stars fault.
overall we had a fantastic time and will definitely be cruising again! | | |
Luke and Gerosa mcgillian from Ireland sailed on Island Star with
island star
on a family holiday.
There were 2 adults and 2 child(ren) in the party. The travel date was 7
2007 | Luke and Gerosa mcgillian
rated the Island Star as follows:
| Ship Cleanliness | | | Crew | | | Ship Food | | |
| Onboard Entertainment | |
| Luke and Gerosa mcgillian said: the island star curise ship was amaising .
Our children enjoyed it so much as the had the aracade and kids club .
Us adults loved it cos we got a break away from the children so we could do our own thing it was wonderful.
The staff was excellent and the food was perfect.
And the shows in the ocean theatre was also 5 stars very very good as they all put in so much effortinto the shows .
And our cleanyer that done room 6175 was excellent at tindying the room .
All our family would go on it again.
thank you for the wonderful stay on your ship 4 2 weeks .
good uck in the furture.
xxxx | | |
J Marek from Nr Peterborough sailed on Island Star with
First Choice
on a couples holiday.
There were 2 adults and 0 child(ren) in the party. The travel date was 7
2007 | J Marek
rated the Island Star as follows:
| Ship Cleanliness | | | Crew | | | Ship Food | | |
| Onboard Entertainment | |
| J Marek said: We booked this cuise just a week before we sailed. This was our very first cruise and can I say will not be our last! It was fantastic! We flew into Palma where we boarded the ship, as we arrived at our cabin so did our bags. The only downside of the holiday would be the noise in our cabin, but I doubt they can help that.
Ports of call were: livorno and genoa in Italy, marseille in France, barcelona and valencia in Spain.
They were fantastic, we only did two excursions as they very highly priced.
Everything about the ship was brilliant, the cleanliness, the food, the staff.
The entertainment team put on shows each night which were amazing and a joy to watch.
| | |
Tony and Debbie from Chepstow sailed on Island Star with
Cruise 1 st
on a couples holiday.
There were 2 adults and 0 child(ren) in the party. The travel date was 7
2007 | Tony and Debbie
rated the Island Star as follows:
| Ship Cleanliness | | | Crew | | | Ship Food | | |
| Onboard Entertainment | |
| Tony and Debbie said: We booked this cruise four days before sailing to get away from the rain there were only three cabins left so we had a outside in aqua deck. As this was our 4th cruise on the Island Star we were a little concerned regarding the cabin. From start to finish it was a fantastic trip very organised transfer to the ship, luggage waiting outside .The cabin was a little smaller than we had before but was excellent it appeared brand new and had all we needed, it was kept spotless by the staff.I wrote a review in June where I thought the food was not as good as it had been, on this trip the food was excellent plenty of everything hot food was hot and the cold food was cold, the ship was kept spotless.Unlike in June , the pool area had far more youngsters, and the Captain did appeal to parents to control the kids due to complaints, During some of the shows i saw very young children running up the aisles and onto the stage during the acts, the parents just seemed to switch off and let the kids run riot.
The old chestnut about sunbeds always appears, despite a first day appeal from the Captain people still hogged the sunbeds with towels, one member of staff timed the beds for an hour then removed the towels allowing people to use them, well done island star.
The weather was hot the ports of call ok but we did not park up at Nice as we thought we were but four miles down the coast. Mahon harbour has got to be one of the best to sail in and out of it is really stunning.
The shows were good with a motown singer Steve Simone really something, the ship staff put on fair shows but if you want better you have to pay Royal carribean prices.
Captain John Brocklehurst was a very friendly man he bought us a drink at the bar and was interested in our opinions of the product. We both like casino's and the Island star has a good one however the manager Nic was forever trying to get young kids out who were running around in there. I may be biased about the casino as on the second night a slot machine was kind enough to present me with £3000 jackpot which is a nice start to any vacation and no, I didnt give it back.
A point of interest was the Captain announced they were ceasing the winter Brazil trips and going to the Carribean next year.
In conclusion the cruise was excellent value for money the best staff we have known in over 15 cruises, we were made to feel welcome and special I would recommend this cruise to anyone, and if it is your first cruise you will love it. | | |
The Guthrie Family from Glasgow sailed on Island Star with
My Travel
on a family holiday.
There were 2 adults and 1 child(ren) in the party. The travel date was 7
2007 | The Guthrie Family
rated the Island Star as follows:
| Ship Cleanliness | | | Crew | | | Ship Food | | |
| Onboard Entertainment | |
| The Guthrie Family said: We have just returned from a fantastic weeks holiday on board the Island Star
Just like every holiday there were a few little things that slightly annoyed us £1.40 for a can of fizzy juice was a bit on the steep side, however all other drinks were very well priced. As with other comments, we agree that there are not enough sunbeds, however as the capatin said there is no ship that has the deck space for a lounger for everyone.
Well thats the bad bits, now for the good bits.
Arrival at the terminal and then to ship was pretty slick, we were welcomed with an orange juice whilst we waited in the queue and had the obligatory photo taken before we got on board.
We had been in the cabin for no more than 5 minutes when our cases arrived
We booked an outside cabin on Diamond deck and we had very little engine noise, however we met some people during the week who were below us and nearer the back and they felt like they were part of the engine room staff (very noisey)
Our cabin attendanat was Eddie and he was a complete star. The room was attended to at least 3 times a day with clean towels every day for both showering and pool side use.
The ship was very clean and in our view was very modern, we were on the Thompson Destiny last year and the Star is definately much more modern and the rooms are much bigger than the Destiny
The staff, like most ships, are fantastic and have a superb sense of humour and fun,One little off put was the amount of times you were asked if you wanted a drink. They may work on commission who knows, however you can just say no.
We took in a few shows in the Ocean Theatre and these were extemelly well planned and presented. There is tons going on within the ship. As well as the main theatre there is a club at the stern called the Bounty which had all the usual fun and games going on. There are some nice quiet areas too, The Captains Club / Card Room and the Harbour Cafe which had a chap playing the piano and there was the Pub which had a variety of music playing each night.
During the day there is the usual pool side games together with cocktail making, napkin folding etc demonstrations. A good tip if you dont need to be beside the pool for the kids is to get a bed up at the front of deck 12 it is lovely and quiet and you dont even get to hear the tannoy anouncements.
We had Captain John Brocklehust as our master for the week. He works 8 weeks on and 8 weeks off which aint a bad gig. Capatain John is also full of fun and you see him quite a bit during the cruise talking to passngers etc. If you can do the bridge visit (£2.50 extra) it is well worth the extra cash.
Our trip was the Mediterranean Discovery which took in Olbia, Rome, La Spezia, Villefranche and Mahon
Olbia is very nice to sit on deck and watch the ship arrive however the town itself was described my our 13 year old as "a bit of a dump" He was right. We would advise you to take the organised trip to the beach. It is a wee bit expensive however looked worth it. If we went back that is what we would do.
Civitavecchia was next and this is where you take in Rome. Again the trips are a wee bit expensive. We went on Monumental Rome however, on reflection, it was well worth the price.
La Spezia, Dont take a trip at this port as you will miss one of the gems of the Med. We went on a boat trip to Portovenere which was only half an hour away. It cost us about £25 each and was good however you can get a bus from La Spezia for about £3. We would suggest that you have a good look round La Spezia in the morning and then hop on a bus to Portovenere in the afternoon. Both places are a must for a vist.
Next it was Villefranche where you can get the train (a five minute walk to the station from the pier) to either Nice or Monaco. We just stayed in the town and crashed out on the beach however others we met went on trips or made there own way. Whatever you do this is a great port.
Mahon next and you have to get up early and watch the ship sail into this magnificent harbour. Threading the eye of a needle comes to mind. We bearthed right at the town and within 5 minutes we were in shoppers paradise.
Despite the few mumbles mentioned at the start we could not fault this ship and could not sign off without mentioning the food.
Plenty, Plenty, Plenty and of a superior qulity we ate in the Island resturant which is self service however whatever your likes are you will find something to eat. There is another self service called the beachcomber which is open 24 hours and the food is just as good.
There are two other restuarants where you can pay a suppliment however we never felt the need to eat there so we cant comment.
We met some great people on this trip, Brad & Mandy from Engerland and Brian, Sheena and Emma from Scotland.
We had a ball and yes we will go back
Great flights, great ship, great ports (Olbia was nice to look at from the ship), great entertainment, staff,food and great passangers and some new friends.
Roll on next July
| | |
Ken and Julie from Largs, Ayrshire sailed on Island Star with
First Choice
on a couples holiday.
There were 2 adults and 0 child(ren) in the party. The travel date was 7
2007 | Ken and Julie
rated the Island Star as follows:
| Ship Cleanliness | | | Crew | | | Ship Food | | |
| Onboard Entertainment | |
| Ken and Julie said: This was our first cruise, so high expectations but nothing to compare it with. We had chosen Island Cruises based on the informal and friendly atmosphere that was promised. We drove south to fly from Manchester - one of the disadvantages of a late booking. Our flight to Palma was delayed, as they always seem to be these days. Flights apart, the service level was soon set by a team of folk leading us to the bus, where we had a couple of forms to fill-in. This was effectively the last red-tape we saw, with the room key taking the strain for the rest of the trip. The embarkation process was again new to us, with friendly staff at every turn. We were escorted to our cabin on Coral deck, where our bags were waiting for us. Our outside cabin was certainly spacious and clean, with loads of storage space. I'm not sure what's to be gained by paying extra for a cabin on a higher deck.
With other flights being late, we went up to the Beachcomber (buffet-style) restaurant, where we selected our first meal, which was eaten on the open rear deck, watching the sun set over Palma. Great food and an even greater view. The waiting staff bring you drinks, which reportedly included a 5% tip. It was still t-shirt weather as the Island Star left port at 9pm, with upper decks full of high expectations and high-spec digital cameras.
Like most newcomers (there were a lot who had been on the Island Star before) we explored the ship over the next few hours, to discover a layout which remained slightly confusing to the very last day.
The itinerary included Palma, Levorno, Genoa, Marseilles, Barcelona, Valencia and back to Palma, but the first day was at sea.
We had read reviews on this site suggesting a shortage of loungers on the upper deck, and due to being at sea all day, and presumably a few secret Germans, there were periods of shortage. This problem did not recur during days in port due to excursions etc.
We soon got used to the room being tidied in our absence, and begun to look forward to the odd animal fashioned from towels, a treat which we now realise isn't restricted to just Island Cruises, but fun non-the-less.
There are five main food outlets.
Beachcomber - open 24 hours, with a wide selection of food, and the choice in indoor or outdoor consumption.
The Grill - on the open rear deck. With the ready-to-eat food in the Beachcomber, we never felt inclined to wait for burgers, chips etc.
Island Restaurant - A bit more up-market, with waiters to show you to your table and get drinks. Gents asked to wear long trousers in the evening, to keep the standards up. You can ask to sit on your own, or with random others. We really enjoyed meeting new friends at every meal! A great opportunity to swap notes and get advice.
Oasis Restaurant - we only splashed out the extra £30 for two (including a bottle of wine) on our last night. Fantastic service and superb food.
Steakhouse Restaurant - we never tried it, but heard only good stories from other passengers.
I'm not sure how many bars there are on board, but I know we didn't get to see all of them. You effectively have to stay in your cabin to avoid being offered a drink, not that they are pushy in any way, just attentive.
The entertainers were very talented, from their efforts to get folk dancing around the pool, to the shows in the Ocean Theater. I've seen a friends video from Royal Caribbean, and with double the number of passengers, you can see it in the productions, but just how many entertainers do you need on a stage at any one time!?
I'm not one for watching vocalists, but the "History of Soul" and the "Robbie Williams Tribute" were brill!
Being a lover of all comedy, I had high expectations for Rudy West, and I WAS NOT disappointed! We were soon scanning the daily ships newspaper to ensure we didn't miss any of his other performances, which were all unique. Not the kind of guy you walk in front of when he's performing!
Excursions: Being new to every port, we booked excursions at Levorno, Genoa and Barcelona.
Florence "at your own pace", was just a bit disappointing, as we seemed to have too much time on our own (each to his own) although we did see filming for the sequel to "Room with a View" being filmed on the Cathedral steps. Massive queues prevented us from entering.
Genoa was a very short hop across the harbour by ferry, followed by walking tour. The girl was very knowledgeable and helpful - a great tour! The largest aquarium in Europe is at the harbourside, and as a bit of a "fish geek", I really really enjoyed it.
Barcelona had lots of excursions to chose from. We opted for Montserrat and Cava, which proved to be a real highlight. At £45 per head it seemed steep, but was so worth it. Trying to describe it would not do it justice. Not to be missed!
Marseilles was a bit like any other big city away from the central harbour, but a quick train ride up to Notre Dame de la Gare is well worth it for a spectacular view. After a cheap shuttle into town, we took on a hop-on-hop-off bus, but with only one bus every 2 hours, it didn't really do what it said on the tin. Go for the wee train.
A lot of people get trains, buses and taxis at the port, to see things at there own pace or further afield, but we were told by the girl booking the excursions that the best photo you'll get on any cruise, is the view from the harbour as your ship leaves without you. Well she would, wouldn't she! Anyway, that thought stayed with us, and I'd still be loathed to venture far under my own steam.
We were all excurshioned-out for Valencia, so stayed on board for a change. By this time, I'd figured out just when the large bowls of trifle were introduced at the Beachcomber ;-)
Bags are packed and left outside your room after midnight, to be unloaded for you at Palma. A list of all our purchases was posted under our door on the last morning, and didn't turn out to be too much of a shock at all. With a late flight back, we had a whole extra day on board (minus the cabin if you don't pay a small supplement), so we worked on adding that 8th pound on a 7 day cruise, just to break the pound a day rule.
Bearing in mind that this was our first cruise, we were thoroughly impressed by boat, staff, food and itinerary. We would enthusiastically recommend Island Star to anyone, particularly if they are not so keen on the formal or semi-formal nature of many other cruises we investigated. I honestly don't know what was missing, that would make me want to pay much more for it on another ship and can see why there were so many cruisers returning to the Island Star.
| | |
Pamela Black from Glasgow sailed on Island Star with
First Choice
on a family holiday.
There were 2 adults and 1 child(ren) in the party. The travel date was 7
2007 | Pamela Black
rated the Island Star as follows:
| Ship Cleanliness | | | Crew | | | Ship Food | | |
| Onboard Entertainment | |
| Pamela Black said: This was our second cruise, our first was on the Ocean Village four years ago. We found The Island Star embarkation process and reception to be much smoother than on the Ocean Village. This was the case for disembarking too, but we were left at the airport to clamber into the underside of the bus to retrieve our own suitcases (!). This did seem a bit much, particularly for the wee old pensioners!
Our first impression of the ship was good. It was, like others have said, a bit worn out looking. It needs a good refit! Where the Ocean Village has a flow to it, with one area running into the next, The Island Star has lots of seperate areas, on different levels. This was probably more inconvenient for us with the buggy though. It does lack the waow factor of atrium area of the OV, but this really didn't impact on our enjoyment of the cruise.
We booked a cabin on Sapphire deck (10), a 'deluxe outside cabin'. We tried to book a cabin with a balcony, but weren't allowed as we have an infant. The room was spacious and clean, and the beds were comfortable. The houskeeping was spot on. We did experience some unpleasant sewage smells from the bath when we pulled the plug out, and once it did linger for a few hours (yuck). Also, we did smell cigarette smoke a number of times, but they never figured out who it was.
The food was good. We would strongly recommend going to 'The Island' buffet restaurant, rather than the 'Beachcomber' one (the one next to the pool). The Island restaurant was really good. The staff were attentive and interacted really well with our daughter. The food was fresh, hot and prepared well.
The other buffet restaurant had the same food each night (except on themed nights - The Island one doesn't have the same variety on these nights). However, the Beachcomber just wasn't the same. The staff were just as cheery and just as helpful, but they seemed to cover wider areas and so were much busier. It was difficult to order a drink/get a high chair at times. There was also the stench of the washing up machine wafting through one section of the seating area.
There was also 'The Grill' restaurant, at the back of the Beachcomber. It was great for us - burgers and grilled chicken, salad and daily specials. Oh, and chips :) So it suited us to go there for lunch after a morning off ship. The lunches in the other restaurants weren't very varied, and 'The Island' restaurant shut quite early in the afternoon giving us little choice anyway!
The entertainment on the ship was a bit of a let down. The shows were low budget - no spectacle at all. The staff did their best and really were talented, but there is only so much you can do with a backing track and fancy lighting. The theatre is a great space, but they seemed to use it for solo singers/comedians/kids' activities. This was the main act on a huge stage - seemed a bit strange. The stage could have hosted really top class performances, so it seemed a bit of a waste. In the OV the singers and comedians performed in the bars and other social areas, and it was a great atmosphere.
Also, 'sailaway' was a non-event most nights. There was entertainment on the top deck on the first and last nights. It was fine but nothing compared to the laser shows and acrobatic feats of the OV.
Overall the staff were fantastic. They helped however they could and grinned most of the time! They were really cheery. My husband did NOT complain about being offered a drink every five minutes, as it saved him moving his backside to the bar (it was not harrassment at all - how can you complain about attentive service?). Thee was a rumour going round that the bar staff were paid commission only - reckon it was started by the staff. Our cabin steward (Himawan) couldn't do enough for us. We also saw the Captain a few times - he seems down to earth and happy to socialise, although his dancing leaves much to be desired, tee hee.
We went on one organised excursion, to Pisa. It was well organised but, like most organised tours, left us little time to explore on our own.
For the other ports we toured independently. Genoa was good - you can walk from the port to the town centre, but make sure you get a map.
Marseille was disappointing. If I went back I would aim for a definite tourist attraction, rather than wandering the centre. The town had few pedestrian areas and was infested with mopeds. The shops were mainly the same as the ones at home - so no novelty there either.
Barcelona was Barcelona. Fab. Wouldn't get the tour bus again though - the queues are awful. You spend the same amount on speedy taxis which are plentiful. There is a lovely beach there which I didn't know about until the bus tour, however.
We went to the beach in Valencia. It's a 20 minute walk from the ship. It has lovely cafes where you can buy tapas and the beach is clean and long. You can hire a shade and bed for less than 10 Euros a day.
I wouldn't say don't go - we had a fantastic holiday! I would say check out the availability on the Ocean Village first though ;) | | |
PAUL TURNER from WOLVERHAMPTON sailed on Island Star with
FIRST CHOICE
on a couples holiday.
There were 2 adults and 0 child(ren) in the party. The travel date was 7
2007 | PAUL TURNER
rated the Island Star as follows:
| Ship Cleanliness | | | Crew | | | Ship Food | | |
| Onboard Entertainment | |
| PAUL TURNER said: MY WIFE AND I HAVE JUST COME BACK FROM A CRUISE ONBOARD THE ISLAND STAR THE SHIP AND CREW WELL EXCEEDED OUR EXPECTATIONS VERY CLEAN IN ALL AREAS THE FOOD EXCEPTIONAL GOOD VARIETY AND PLENTY OF IT, STAFF AND CREW COULD NOT BE MORE HELPFULL AND CURTIOUS YOU WILL NEVER BE BORED OR HUNGRY OR NOT HAVE A GREAT TIME ON THIS SHIP, FIRST CLASS ENTERTAINMENT PARTICULARLY THE SHOW TEAM WE WOULD DEFINATELY SAIL ON THIS SHIP AGAIN. | | |
Jeff & Pat from Pontefract sailed on Island Star with
First Choice
on a couples holiday.
There were 2 adults and 0 child(ren) in the party. The travel date was 6
2007 | Jeff & Pat
rated the Island Star as follows:
| Ship Cleanliness | | | Crew | | | Ship Food | | |
| Onboard Entertainment | |
| Jeff & Pat said: Dont bother reading any reviews, just pick up the phone and book. We have been lucky enough to sail on both the Island Escape and Island Star, although the Escape is a lovely ship the Star is that bit more luxurious. We have already booked on the Star for next year and are booking the Star Caribbean cruise for winter 2008. The staff are friendly, the food is fantastic and you will not see better shows if you go to the Londons west end, very, very professional. Cant wait for next June to board the ship again | | |
Dave Gillen from Hamilton sailed on Island Star with
First Choice
on a family holiday.
There were 2 adults and 2 child(ren) in the party. The travel date was 6
2007 | Dave Gillen
rated the Island Star as follows:
| Ship Cleanliness | | | Crew | | | Ship Food | | |
| Onboard Entertainment | |
| Dave Gillen said: We arrived at Palma airport about an hour late from Manchester, and were quickly directed onto our coach to take us to the ship. We had been due to sail at 2100hrs, but due to the flight delay, this was put back to 2200hrs. No biggie, but this seems to be a regular delay on the Manchester flight (was late 2 weeks earlier, as well as the week we flew home).
We were processed through check-in very quickly, credit card details recorded and the kids wristbands given out with very little queuing. Once we got our photos for the ID card, and the first of many boarding photographs taken, we wandered out to dockside, where we were very impressed by the Island Star. Our luggage was waiting in the cabin as advised. We were on the Bronze deck (Level 4) in an inside cabin for 4. Was fairly impressed by the size of the facilities and we were well looked after by Frankie, our cabin steward. Kids wouldn’t let use use any of the towels that’d he’d made into animals !
After a quick stop in the Beachcomber for a bite to eat (very impressed by the range and quality of the food) , we took a stroll around the Star before settling in at the Sailaway Bar. Service was excellent (which continued to be obvious throughout our week) and prices reasonable.
Over the course of the week, we ate mainly in the Island Restaurant for breakfast and dinner, with lunch either in port or the Beachcomber and Grill. Food was so good, and such a good choice, that we decided not to bother with either of the “pay” options.
Our ports of call were Livorno (did the trip to Pisa – docks are NOT pleasant), Genoa (wander along the seafront, visit to the top-class aquarium), Marseilles (shuttle bus into Port from docks – plenty of shops and cafes but very busy), Barcelona (open-top bus tour, visit to the Gaudi park, tapas on the Ramblas) and Valencia (service bus into town centre, nice stroll round the alleys and cathedral then service bus back to docks).
An excellent introduction to cruising, I felt, and great mix for the kids.
Sailing was, for the most, smooth, with only 1 really rough night crossing the bay from Marseilles to Barcelona. Facilities on board were excellent – didn’t have time to do everything we wanted, which is always a good complaint. Spent most evenings in the Ocean Theatre or Bounty Club, and the kids were having a rare time at their Kids clubs. Entertainment was very good - Theatre shows very well done and the Club shows were a laugh. Did the Bridge tour (taken by a VERY enthusiastic cadet) and wine tasting (well worth the £4.50 cover) during our day at sea. Managed to get sun beds near the pool most days with no great effort.
Disembarking was well organised, with 2 or 3 groups going every 15 minutes. We left at 1015, bang on time. Our cases were located where they were meant to be, and we were directed onto our coaches efficiently.
No complaints at all about our time – we all had a great time thanks to the helpful and friendly Island Star crew and we’d go back like a shot.
| | |
Susan from Dumfries sailed on Island Star with
First Choice
on a couples holiday.
There were 2 adults and 0 child(ren) in the party. The travel date was 6
2007 | Susan
rated the Island Star as follows:
| Ship Cleanliness | | | Crew | | | Ship Food | | |
| Onboard Entertainment | |
| Susan said: This is our fourth cruise, having sailed with Royal Caribbean, MSC and Carnival previously. We picked this cruise because of the itinerary as we hadn't been to any of the ports of call, and we certainly were not disappointed with any of them. Having read loads of reviews after we booked it we were a little apprehensive about what to expect, but we thoroughly enjoyed our cruise.
It is certainly the shabbiest ship we have been on, but the largest cabin, it was huge, although I think we just got lucky as we didn't see any other cabins like it on our deck. We had an inside cabin on Bronze Deck.
Some of the public areas could do to be refurbished, especially the carpets.
Some of the sun loungers are way past their best and it was also difficult to get one on the day at sea. We didn't manage to get one until later on in the day, although this didn't bother us, as we are not great sun worshippers.
My husband and I are vegetarian and this ship had by far the best choice of any ship we have been on. We ate in the Beachcomber Restaurant all the time as it had everything we needed. It was great not having to clock watch as we have had to do on previous cruises, especially when you are on first sitting for dinner. We loved being able to eat when we felt like it. Having done the formal dressing up for dinner on all of our other cruises we loved the 24-hour buffet and not having to get really dressed up. If you like fine dining and silver service then this ship is probably not for you.
The entertainment was good, definitely not West End standard as some reviewers have said, they have obviously never been to a West End show, but it was very good. Everything was geared to the Brits and they did have bingo, karaoke, quizzes and all the tacky game shows but there was always plenty going on.
The staff were excellent as they have been on every cruise, always smiling and very helpful, we couldn't fault them.
We are not really big drinkers, but the drinks prices were the cheapest of any ship we have been on. There was no 15% service charge on top of the prices quoted. Our only gripe would be that the soft drinks are expensive in comparison to the alcoholic drinks, £1.40 for a can of coke.
We went on two organised excursions to Mount Etna and St Tropez, as these places were a long way from the port. They were both excellent. In Naples we did the Hop-on Hop-off bus tour for 22 Euros each, which covered you for two tours lasting about 1 hour 15 mins each. In Livorno we went to the Leaning Tower of Pisa by ourselves on the bus and train and it cost 15 Euros for the two of us, it would have cost us £68.00 with the ships excursion! In Barcelona we went to the Nou Camp on the Metro and it cost us 30 Euros, the ships excursion would have cost us £60.00! The excursions are expensive, but I think that if you are going a reasonable distance from the port then you are safer doing them.
We booked this cruise in February and were annoyed to find the price coming down quite considerably as the departure date got nearer. We could probably have saved about £400 on the total price of our holiday if we'd waited until about 4-6 weeks before booking.
We would definitely travel on the Island Star again, but wouldn't book as early next time.
| | |
Ivan McKeon from Fleetwood sailed on Island Star with
First Choice/Island Cruises
on a couples holiday.
There were 2 adults and 0 child(ren) in the party. The travel date was 6
2007 | Ivan McKeon
rated the Island Star as follows:
| Ship Cleanliness | | | Crew | | | Ship Food | | |
| Onboard Entertainment | |
| Ivan McKeon said: Our first real cruise (previously did a Mini-cruise Newcastle to Amsterdam on DFDS Ferries) so we have nothing really to compare with but anyway:
The ship was very neat and tidy and the only reason I have given 4 stars instead of five for cleanliness is the state of one of the ¨public¨ gents toilets near the bars. It stank to high heaven on the night I went there. This may have just been a temporary problem - I didn´t go back to check.
The food was very good but we only visited the self-service buffet restaurants. We used the Island Restaurant most evenings and it was on a par with a good four star tourist hotel. The Beachcomber was slightly more down-market, no table-cloths, find your own table, but the food seemed just as good.
The staff were very friendly and efficient.
The entertainment was a mixed bag and, overall, slightly disappointing. There was a Broadway-style show on every other night which was quite excellent but there was no orchestra/band so everything was performed to backing tracks. This was OK for the song-and-dance material but poor when used as backing tracks for solo singers. Sorry, but professional singers using karaoke tracks is a pet hate of mine! There were two guest singers ¨flown in from the UK¨ on different nights but the singers from the ship´s own team were actually better than them when they did their own cabaret spots. There was a decent pop/rock band and an acoustic duo who played in the bars and they were reasonable.
We didn´t get involved in any of the games and activities so I can´t comment on those.
The organisation at Palma and on the ship itself was first rate.
I suppose that seasoned cruisers might think the ship a bit down-market but there are premium restaurants and quieter bars etc. which probably have more of a stereotypical ¨cruise¨ feel to them, and where you could feel more exclusive. Case in point - a certain Daniel O´Donnell was holidaying on the ship the same week as us but we never saw him at all.
I would certainly travel on the Island Star again and it definitely represents excellent value for money | | |
Les Williams from Kidderminster sailed on Island Star with
First Choice
on a couples holiday.
There were 2 adults and 0 child(ren) in the party. The travel date was 6
2007 | Les Williams
rated the Island Star as follows:
| Ship Cleanliness | | | Crew | | | Ship Food | | |
| Onboard Entertainment | |
| Les Williams said: My wife and I booked a cruise/stay 36 hours before the day of travel with Hayes Travel and paid £695 each for a week on the Island Star and a week in a 4 star hotel, half board in Majorca.
Having cruised on the quality cruise line RCI on several occasions in the Caribbean, our expectations of what we were to experience on the Island Star were well below to RCI.
Having experienced the cruise with island Star, our feedback to all is as follows:-
Checking in at Palma Port: Seemless & Efficient
Outside Cabin on Deck 5th: Comfortable, clean & lots of cupboard space etc
Cabin Steward: Nivia was 1st class
Restaurants: First class, the buffet offered quality food, with variety and cleanliness
Entertainment: Some night better than others, but in the main, certainly of high quality. Eve Sherrat was 1st class.
Shops: Yes, they want you to spend as much money with them - as all shops do!
On deck: 40% of deck chairs need replacing, however, sufficient chairs where available to all who required one.
Majority of fellow travellers: Aged 25+
Would we go again: Yes
Value for money: 9 out of 10
As for the Hotel: Don't stay in Magaluf, its the pits! Full of drunken, noisy & unfortunately some nasty revellers - great if you're under 20, nots so great if you're not!
First Choice plane: Probably the worst I have been on in 10 years - the seat space was ridiculously small. Having flown 7 times this year both in the UK and abroad, I can definately equate the standard of seating as "Cattle Class" - if you are 6 foot+, slash out on an upgrade. Food was good though, albeit, eating in such a limited space was a pleasure I could have done without. | | |
Tony O'Connor from Chepstow sailed on Island Star with
First Choice
on a couples holiday.
There were 2 adults and 0 child(ren) in the party. The travel date was 6
2007 | Tony O'Connor
rated the Island Star as follows:
| Ship Cleanliness | | | Crew | | | Ship Food | | |
| Onboard Entertainment | |
| Tony O'Connor said: We cruised on the Island Star twice last year,and told everyone we know how fantasic it was, my previous review was 5 suns for everything, sadly this is no longer the case. Cost cutting was obvious from the first day of the cruise,there was no live band playing on the poolside stage,occasionaly a member of staff would put some music on, One member of staff told me the area was dead,when it should have a party feel. We had two meals in the steak house last year and they were perfect,this year the price had gone up some 75%.My steak had obviously just come out of the freezer as had the sushi.The buffet which we always raved about was ok but had lost its sparkle the food quality and choice was no where near as good as last year.
The staff were excellent always cheerful and helpful, it was sad to see that captain John Mc Neal has left the company also a great loss was the cruise director Rob Boyd who was the best we have ever seen.The new cruise director and his assistant reminded me of Butlins in the 60s and I did not feel they were up to the job.In the past there was always something to do or see on rainy days, on this occasion they were just trying to sell spa products so we ended up playing draughts in the library. In conclusion we were disapointed and I no longer can rave about this ship apparently they have moved their operations to Brazil. If Island star turns the clock back and returns to what was a high standard I would book today. | | |
John Wilkes from Dursley sailed on Island Star with
First Choice
on a singles holiday.
There were 1 adults and 0 child(ren) |
|
