Norwegian Star Transatlantic Cruise: Now Cool With The Backpacking Crowd

What’s this? Our third Transatlantic Repositioning cruise in a row? Right now, with the Caribbean cruise high season well underway, repositioning cruises are the best deals in the business. Besides, this one’s really inexpensive and a bit unique in that it originates in Copenhagen and not Barcelona or ports in the U.K.

With prices as low as $399 per person (based on double occupancy) for an inside stateroom onboard the Norwegian Star on October 6, 2014 for its 14 night Transatlantic journey, it’s no wonder the vagabonding crowd have started to wake up to the idea of travel via cruise ship. After all, that price rivals some big city Europe hostels and is certainly cheaper than most hotels in the civilized world.

The Cruise

 

Norwegian Star embarks from Copenhagen, Denmark at 5pm on Monday, October 6, 2014. Before arriving at Miami, Florida on Monday, October 20 at 7am, Star makes just two port calls. There is lots of time at sea to enjoy everything the ship has to offer. Or, you could write a book. I recently read an article by an author who takes these cruises across the ocean for just that reason.

On Saturday, October 11, Norwegian Star docks at Ponta Delgada in the Azores Islands of Portugal. She is in port from 8am until 5pm. Ponta Delgada is the capital of the Azores and is located on the island of Sao Miguel. The city is home to around 65,000 residents. This stop will not be a hot, sweaty tropical experience but the average October daytime high of 21.9 Celcius is more than comfortable.

Next stop for Star is in the Caribbean. She docks at Charlotte Amalie in St. Thomas Harbor on Friday, October 17 from 8am until 6pm. This, of course, is the island of St. Thomas in the U.S. Virgin Islands. Be sure to hitch a ride to the other side of the island and relax at Magens BayBeach.

The Price

October 6, 2014 is still a long way away. However, the price will most likely not get any better than this. For an inside stateroom on the Norwegian Star, prices start as low as $399 per person in Canadian dollars, based on double occupancy. There is an additional $110.35 per person in government taxes and fees. This means that an inside stateroom for two can be had for as low as $1,018.70, taxes included.

Pricing on higher levels of staterooms is reasonable. An Ocean View stateroom can be had for as low as $549 per person. A Balcony stateroom is priced from $899 per person. Suites start at $1,349 per person. If you book before April 4, 2014, Norwegian Cruise Lines throws in one coupon book per stateroom valued at over $300 in onboard savings.

The Ship

Norwegian Star is barely within Panamax sized limits when it comes to width. Meaning, it just squeaks into the locks of the Panama Canal. Back in 2000, this ship was intended to be dubbed SuperStar Libra in the Star Cruises fleet. Instead, she made her maiden voyage on November 19, 2001 as Norwegian Star.

She is a NCL Dawn Classship with just one younger sister. Norwegian Dawn came into service in 2002. Star has a gross tonnage of 91,740 and is 294 metres or 965 feet in length. There are 15 decks on board, eleven accessible to passengers. Guest capacity is 2,348 with a staff of 1,083 crew members.

The Small Print

·Because of the nature of last minute deals, the pricing printed here is fleeting and could change at any time.

·Prices are in Canadian dollars.

·Most meals are included in a typical cruise price but DRINKS ARE NOT!

·Also not included are gratuities.

·Cruise pricing does not include air fare, ground transfers and hotel accommodations before and after the cruise.

Cruise On The Royal Princess From Just $549

Put in service in 2013 and one of the top ten largest cruise ships on the high seas, Royal Princess is the latest big thing in cruising and the new flag ship of the Princess Cruises fleet. Because of the novelty of the new ship and the big to-do that Kate Middleton christened her, pricing is set at a higher level than the rest of the Princess ships.

Typically, her Eastern Caribbean itinerary starts at anywhere from $699 to $1,200 per person. For a limited time, an interior stateroom can be had for as low as from $549 per person.

The Cruise

The Royal Princess embarks on this seven night Eastern Caribbean cruise from Port Everglades at Ft. Lauderdale, Florida at 4pm on Sunday, January 5, 2014. Because of the size of the ship, the typical Princess Eastern Caribbean itinerary is reduced to three port calls from four. The ship is unable to dock at Grand Turk.

On Monday, January 6, 2014, Royal stops at Princess Cays from 9am to 5pm. Princess Cays is a private beach at the southern tip of the Bahamas island of Eleuthera. There is no pier for ships to dock at so they must moor a ways away from shore and tender guests to the island on board smaller boats.

Royal Princess then travels south overnight and the following day to reach Charlotte Amalie on the island of St. Thomas in the U.S. Virgin Islands. Royal docks in St. Thomas harbour on Wednesday, January 8 from 8am to 6pm. The highlights of the island include shopping and a trip to other side of the island to visit the famous Magens Bay Beach. Have you seen ‘Weekend at Bernie’s 2’? If yes, you will recognize Magens Bay immediately.

Her final port call is at Philipsburg on the Dutch side of the island of Sint Maarten. Another shopping mecca, Sint Maarten is also home to Princess Juliana International Airport. The airport is famous for jumbo jets flying mere feet above the beach before landing.

The Price

Currently, Princess has a flash fare sale on this cruise with interior staterooms starting at $549 per person. This equates to $78.43 per person per night. Once she heads to Europe for the summer, the lowest price on Royal Princess starts at between $200 to $400 per person per night. One of her 10 to 11 night cruises on the other side of the Atlantic cannot be had for less the $2,300 per person before taxes are added.

With the $95 per person in government fees and taxes added, an interior stateroom for two can be had for $1,288 total. Normally, Eastern Caribbean cruises on Royal Princess start from $699 to $1,200 for the same interior stateroom. It should also be noted that the flash fare rate is available on all of Royal’s January cruises while still available.

The Ship

Royal Princess made her maiden voyage on June 16, 2013 after being christened by a pregnant Catherine, the Duchess of Cambridge. Royal is the first of two Royal Class ships in the Princess Cruises fleet. Regal Princess is coming sometime in 2014 and will be nearly identical.

Built by Fincantieri on the northern Adriatic shores of Italy, Royal Princess has a gross tonnage of 141,000, making her the ninth largest cruise ship by weight on the high seas today. She is 330 metres or 1,083 feet long, making her the 13^th longest cruise ship.

Passenger capacity on Royal is 3,560. There are 19 decks on the ship with 15 accessible to passengers.

The Small Print

·Because of the nature of last minute deals, the pricing printed here is fleeting and could change at any time.

·Prices are in Canadian dollars.

·Most meals are included in a typical cruise price but DRINKS ARE NOT!

·Also not included are gratuities.

·Cruise pricing does not include air fare, ground transfers and hotel accommodations before and after the cruise.