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.

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.

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

Having booked our cruise on the Island Star in January then reading reviews in April we did have some reservations about the cuise ship we had booked. These proved to be totally unfounded. It was abundantly clear on our arrival at the ship that cleanliness and friendliness of staff would not be a problem Also, on going to the sun decks the issue regarding the number of sun beds had clearly been resolved. The food and entertainment were excellent and we could not fault the service levels we received from all of the staff. This was our second cruise, the first being on an identical vessel operated by Celebrety Cruises from New York to Bermuda. We both felt that the cruise on the Island Star was far superior than the U.S. cruise. We will definately be travelling on this ship again.

wat can i say,,,fantastic holiday from start to finish,,never had such a laid back time,,,
we had a room on golden deck which was excellent for all amenities,,which were either 2 decks up or down and plenty lifts which never seemed full,
all the staff would do anything to make your holiday relaxed and enjoyable,,and they love the kids who get treated even better!! kids club was excellent with a different theme every session and the talent show day where they got on stage at the theatre,,special moment :)
food was fine,,always something to eat,,or last resort have pasta with watever you want in it!!! plenty salad,fruit,cheese etc at every sitting..never tried the pay resturants but steakhouse didnt get rated highly by who had used it,,
sunday was only day that was a struggle for sunbed,,but plenty on deck 12 if your not that bothered about using the pool,,jacuzzis a bonus as they use sea water in the pools,
piped music was fantastic,,covering everything from 50s to 90s,great hearing tunes i had not heard for years,
always someone cleaning or painting where ever you go,,and cabins were done twice a day,,having kids this is a bonus lol..and loved the things they made with towels for you to get when you come in,:)
shows in theatre were always well done,,enjoyable,,
every kind of bar you could wish for,,from quiet to nightclub,,
trips are not cheap and you find when you get of ship at port they are available close especially at barcelona and marseille when you get into town,
barcelona duty free best for cigs if you smoke and only 100mtrs from ship,and has a barcelona fc shop there too at real bargain prices but not alot of choice,
my gripes,,,1.40 for can of coke on board for kids..it soon adds up and pint only 2.65.
some of pool staff ask everytime they pass if you aint got a drink,started to annoy me eventually,,if i want one i will ask!!
all in all it was brilliant,,kids cried all the way to airport as they didnt want to leave,,and will deffo be doing it again ,,

The 'Island Star' and the cruises organised using it are superb. I really did not know what to expect only having the brochure to rely on. I booked at 23 hours notice having dithered for a couple of days about the concept of an inside cabin. On the Friday a twin 'outside' cabin on Bronze deck was available so I booked and paid for the trip. The First Choice travel agent provided the travellers cheques. I flew from Bristol - two hours to Palma at lunchtime. Don't forget, clocks go forward one hour so that time in your day disappears. Palma airport was clean. A coach took us to the port. As a late booker my 'swipe card' was prepared at this time. This card is used to account for items purchased on board including shore excursions. You settle at the end of the week in cash if you do not have a credit card account. The huge ship looked welcoming. My cabin - 4102 on Bronze deck was spacious and clean and had a big window. The air
con was cool and quiet. Elsewhere in the ship there are reportedly noise problems in cabins - rearmost 10 cabins on Bronze, cabins under jacuzzis, cabins under the Disco. We set sail for Sicily. The following day was at sea. In the morning Emergency Drill with lifejacket use demonstration was efficient. Go to the shore excursions presentation in the huge Ocean theatre to assess your options. I went to the solo travellers' meet in the Captain's Club and met some very nice people who I often ate and went on trips with, throughout the week. That night the very good singer Jane Beaumont was marvellous singing Abba, Shirley Bassey and Dusty Springfield songs in the theatre. I ate mostly at the Beechcomber but twice in the Island restaurant with parties of the solo group. The quantity and variety of food on offer is stupendous. Messina, Sicily I opted for the Mount Etna trip. The journey there was interesting but the destination swathed in cloud somewhat. That afternoon I walked round Messina on my own. Leaving port just ahead of us was 'Wind Spirit' - a glorious sight. We headed for Stromboli. It was a black shape in the dark. Marvellous Captain Brocklehurst described what we would have seen had anything erupted.
It was a non-event but a great one nevertheless. I awoke to see the sunrise over Vesuvius as we approached Naples. There I joined an intrepid band of five cyclists for a four-hour fifteen mile cycle ride round Naples and up to a promontory overlooking the Bay. Outstanding but not for the faint-hearted.
That afternoon I looked round Naples on foot. Be sure to look at Ischia from the boat after leaving port. I enjoyed swimming and jacuzzi on the Island Star that afternoon also - and a 40th birthday party for a fellow solo traveller that night. Members of the crew serenaded her with songs and guitar playing - and just when you thought you could not possibly eat another thing - a large chocolate sponge birthday cake was produced. The bars and public rooms and casino on the ship were all buzzing with life and several entertainers were playing live music. At other times on the ship enjoy the ice carving and fruit carving demonstrations by staff. All the crew were polite and friendly - to the point that I actually saw a grown man cry on saying goodbye to his cabin steward at journey's end. His wife was patting him on the back and saying 'Now, don't get emotional'. Why not, I say. Anyway I digress. Next stop Livorno. Here the romantic aura of the cruise temporarily evaporates as you moor in an industrial container port. Many went off to Pisa and Florence for the day. I had visited those places before and opted for Lucca. In any case, if you book full day tours everyday, you will probably end up tired out beyond belief. Lucca is a Tuscan walled city and very pretty. We then headed to a vineyard at Montacarlo and wine tasting We also had a sit-down meal of Tuscan cheese and ham and olives. Totally delicious. Our courier encouraged a jovial sing-song on the coach back to Livorno. Next stop Toulon on the French Riviera. There I took a full day coach trip to St Tropez and Port Grimaud which I enjoyed. Leaving Toulon port that evening was simply spectacular. There was salsa dancing on the deck by the pool - the views of the receding coastline were glorious. Next day, an early arrival in Barcelona. The Gaudi bus tour took us to Park Guell for a walk round there but we only had a brief outside look at Sagrada Familia Cathedral as the coach had no place or time to park and could just drive round for a time, while we were out walking. We went then for a Tapas Bar lunch but nobody had told the bar owner so there was some hasty food preparation undertaken and a few extra beers to make up for it, As an Architect I wanted to see more of Gaudi's work so I walked back into the city later in the day and visited the 8 Euro Pedrera Gaudi apartment building and museum. Good value.
At night there was another very good show. Earlier on the cruise the comedian Phil Melbourne was hilarious. Why do we never see these very good acts on TV? Next morning back to Palma. Some people took the free tour that ended up in a bedding retail outlet. I walked to the Cathedral from the ship then up to Bellver Castle. Back on board for an excellent lunch in the Beachcomber then later the bus to the airport and smooth flight home. Be aware at Palma airport, you might have to walk a very long way, inside the terminal, to the departure gate. All in all, the cruise was great. I met Majorca-based people who had been on the ship - or its sister ship - ten times; and knew others that had been on it 35 times. I met people on board who had extended the Ancient Odyssey 14 day trip to include the Med Spirit cruise. Many others praised the friendliness, courtesy and helpful nature of all the staff and crew. Well done Island Cruises!

This was our first time cruising and due to this experience on the Island Star would definately do it again.
This cruise was the first of the summer Med season after it's trip from Brazil.

The organisation from the flights through to unpacking your stuff in the wardrobes was fantastic. We were a bit anxious that everything was going to go right but it did.
We booked in Going Places 2 weeks before sailing so got a fantastic price, £1022 for an outside twin cabin with restricted view on Golden deck.
The room considering we were on a ship was a good size..not far off the size of a TravelLodge one. Good sized bathroom with a shower big enough for two if you were that way inclined. The loo took a bit of getting used to. It uses a vaccuum system and makes one hell of a noise when flushed...out of consideration for neighbours we didn't flush it at 2.00am! Having said that the cabins were fairly well insulated and not much noise was experienced from either side.
The twin beds were comfortable (once you got used to the rocking motion of the ship), the two double wardrobes were big enough to carry 6 suitcases of stuff if you could afford the excess baggage for the plane.
A table with two chairs were also provided with a selection of drinks should you want to purchase on a tray..always a fresh bucket of ice on the tray also. TV provided as well...I left it on all night so I could keep the channel on which had the bridge webcam on...I'd wake up in the early hours and see the distant lights of the next destination.
Ample drawer space...and the restricted view, a lifeboat accross the window, but that had windows in so you could see straight through anyway. It wouldn't have mattered that much as you would still get loads of natural light coming in anyway.
The room was serviced twice a day, once in the morning to make you bed and tidy up, once in the evening to turn your bed down, tidy up and make various animals out of your towels.
The room was kept extremely clean as was the whole ship, there was always someone polishing, hoovering, dusting, etc.
This being Easter week there was a number of children aboard, all in kids clubs so they seemed well catered for.
This was advertised as an informal and relaxed way to cruise and it certainly was. There were young families, grandparents with their grandchildren, large 3 generation groups, couples like ourselves of various ages...a good mix.
On really hot days it didn't take long for the sunbeds to be taken up, so if that was your bag you may be disappointed if you left it late to get your place...and I think the ship was only 2/3rds full.

We started off in Palma where we were ushered into registration and apicky for security pass. The organisation was first class.
The ship itself was magnificent. Loads of places to walk, shop, dine, snack, sit and read or take part in many of the activities laid on.
The crew were mainly Brazilian or from the Phillipines, were very friendly and seemed well trained in what they were doing. Nothing seemed too much trouble for them and their service superb.

The food aboard was nothing short of great. There were several restaurants to choose from, the Oasis and Steakhouse carried a supplement to dine, these were waiter served and the food excellent.
The Island Restaurant was table cloths, linen napkins and pottery plates...a self service buffet style once you were guided to your seat. The food here was superb with various menus during the week...you could eat as much or as little as you want. Waiters serve you coffee or tea here and were very friendly.
The Beachcomber restaurant was I would say, 'cafe' style you self serve yourself with anything from the ample choice and find a table to sit. The food here was also excellent with various themes during the week, curry night was one, italian another. Lunch time menus were good with plenty of choice, and scones and cream for afternoon teas to boot.
The Island restaurant was open for Brekky, Lunch and Dinner only but the Beachcomber was open for 24hrs both with free tea and coffee.
We used the Island for breakfast and dineer, the Beachcomber for lunch and afternno tea (full english breakfasts are to die for).
Other eateries were the grill bar which had burgers, hotdogs and chips etc and the harbour cafe for cakes etc (which you had to pay for, which was strange...as all the other food was in the cruise price).
Now if you want to eat burgers all the time for your hols then go ahead, but with the fare at the other restaurants you'd be mad, salads, vegies, proper dishes such as pork steak in Dijon mustard sauce or beef in guiness, beef roasts etc etc.
Before entering any of the restaurants you had to put your hands under a hand cleaning dispenser to prevent the spread of germs...many a cruise in the past has been wiped out by gastroenteritus (don't know whether that's spelt right) and it was good to see that this cruise at least was taking all the precautions it could against this...we even had to sign a form on the bus in to say we hadn't had any stomach bugs in the last 3 days.
The ship has a multitude of lifts to get from deck to deck. If you're fit enough leave these well alone and use the stairs to keep the weight of from all the food you'll be eating.
There is a 'navigation' plan of the ship in your room for use to find your way round, also directions posted at each stairwell, but I defy anyone not to get lost...I was still taking the wrong turns or wrong stairs on the 6th day! But this was the fun of it, getting round the ship to find the various bars, clubs the theatre, the library, gym, sauna, health spar, pools, jacussis, casino etc etc.
The first full day after setting off was a day at sea and it was a chance to get to see all the ship...even have a tour on the Bridge. There are too many areas to talk about here but all were really good, clean and well laid out. The decor superb and all the crew whether polishing the stairs, hoovering or walking by had a 'good morning or afternoon' in them.
Each evening we had a newsletter delivered to our room detailing the next port of call, tour information, ship activities, night time events, dining times and menu themes and a host of other useful info. Again these just showed the work going on behind the scenes.
There were many differnt tours that you could choose from all at various prices. We booked the Rome tour on the Internet before we went, the tickets were in our room when we arrived. We didn't book any before we went but decided to book Monaco and Monte Carlo the day before we arrived at Nice..this worked out OK too as the tickets arrived that night.

Our first stop was Ajaccio in Corsica. The town and the scenery behind were just spectacular...I guess I never thought of it before but you get a differnt perspective when arriving by ship to thwese places.
The town was in easy reach off the ship and we walked in. Saw Napoleon's statue and the Citadel, had a coffee in a lovely cafe and had a good general mooch around.
Next stop Rome. We had booked a tour..Monumental Rome. This again was really well organised. Even though it was a long day it was well worth it. We had a local guide who was extremely well informed and kept us going. Whether it was because it was Easter week I don't know but there were many people in Rome, lots of traffic and the Basillica was chok-a-bloc...but it was good all the same.
Next Santa Margarita in Northern Italy. This was a really picturesque place. The ship anchored in the bay and we were 'tendered' onto shore. They used the lifeboats for this...and our 'restricted view' room became unrestricted for the day as they used, among others, the lifeboat from outside our window.
Next Nice which was really nice. We took the 1/2 day tour to Monaco and Monte Carlo which once again was very good. The guide was very good and pointed out several things of interest. A short time to shop we bought pressies for home from here. The Hotel de Paris and the Casino are well worth seeing as well as the sloping square adjacent to these with lovely laid out planting.
After lunch on the ship we walked around the harbour.
Next we went to Menorca...Mahon. The arrival here is spectacular with the long entrance into the harbour. The town we found rather less spectacular than others but it was worth the walk in. Most shops were shut due to it being Good Friday, but a number were still open. If you have the money there is a lovely shop here selling Lladro figurines.
Out of Mahon along the long bay this was our last departure. Lots of people line the top decks to see the departure from every portand it really is a lovely experience.

During the week we did a few evenings in the theatre. The entertainment cast were very good. They put on several 'west end' style shows which would rival many of those put on in London. Some cracking singers and the guest comedian Andy Wilkins was very funny.

All in all this trip was a great experience. We've not been on a cruise before so haven't anything to compare it to. But right from the start to the finish of the holiday everything went without a hitch, the ship was good, the food superb, the tours good, the crew and the entertainment great. All credit to the captain and his cruise directors and the rest of the neary 600 crew members.

Another thing I forgot to mention...they love to take your photo, so smile for the camera, and if you like the picture which is posted in the shop buy it. I think they must make a bit of money out of this activity cos they're always snapping you...but they're not too expensive and you don't have to buy.
Oh and the drinks...considering they've got a captive audience the prices of the drinks aren't all that bad...Stella £2.65 pint, Boddies £2.55 pint. Wine 2.60 to 2.90 per 150ml glass, bacardi 2.65, but it's double the quantity of UK pub measure. You can of course buy a bottle of Dom Perignon for £76.99 !

We've had an excellent holiday, a different port every morning, superb food and entertainment and loads of wonderful memories...and I've only put on 2 lbs !

I dont think that I can paint as rosy a picture as that described by Steve from Chester. Steve do you moonlight as the Promotions Officer for the ship?
My wife and I were the only Australians on board. We boarded at 11.30am. We travelled to Palma Majorca after staying in Barcelona and this combined seemed to throw out of wack any smooth boarding.
In fact we were directed to a point by spanish port officials which saw us turn up a few steps from ship side PAST the security checks! We even then were directed to just board by ships staff and we had to explain that we had not been 'processed' in the same manner as other passengers. When the penny dropped we then were told by ships staff that there was a problem with our passports. We had been traveling for 3 weeks prior and did not 'have a problem' with our passports before. As the norm we left the passports with ships staff and heard no more of this 'Problem'again. Staff pedantics.
One good thing about arriving under your own steam early is that you can start enjoying your cruise early also. A local bus (route 01) will take you directly from the airport to the ships wharf/port.
We travelled in a balcony cabin. The cabin was fine. Most enjoyable. Worth the extra in my opinion. The flush on the toilet was as loud as that on an airplane. There are no 'extras' given for paying the higher amount for a balcony cabin. Our previous experience with Star Cruises in S/E Asia saw us gain extras such as a champagne welcome, exclusive use of the upper level of the (smaller)theatre and $S110 drink and food credits.
The ports of call were good. We had originally booked the cruise to visit a 2nd French port but went to Menorca instead. However on that day we stayed mostly onboard and relaxed enjoying the ships facilities. We purchased some champagne from a small shop to the right of the wharf and popped the cork as we started off in the late afternoon back towards PM. Magic!!
A highlight was when our's and the Ship's sister ship both left the french ports on the riviera together and met up soon at sea drawing alongside each other and saw both ships frantically greeting each other by passengers and ships staff. A very special moment.
I thought that the ships excursions were over priced. Our Aussie dollar does not go far against the uk pound. For the most part if you are confident or know your destinations it is best to just travel under your own steam. It is easy to get to Rome from its seaside port (if cycling is your go they seemed to have a good day out on this shore excursion as we saw them on our train into and back from Rome) and when you go to La Spencia the best thing to see is the 5 villages of CINQUE TERRE by train (8.5 euroes) which the ship keeps quite about because they dont have a tour there. Some tours also returned very late delaying the ships departure times. Go to ships reception to get a photocopy of the port to help you with any self guided exploration.
The ship is dominated by retired british pensioners. Most of whom will tell you "we dont like to go on those posh type cruises". There are no fixed dinner sittings. I was amazed how many couples wanted only a table for two and would wait ages for such at the island resturant. It would have been nice to have had at least one night where those who had paid a higher amount got access for one night to the pay your way resturants. Which we did not go to.
Whilst the beachcomber and the Island resturants were both free I found that the standard of food was better in the Island resturant (buffet also) than the Beachcomber. The fruit was top quality, bread, cheeses and carvery good fried eggs instead of scrambled but unfortunately nothing excelled to get even 4 stars let alone 5. For example, it would be so easy to establish an Omlette servery each morning in the Island resturant. Some of the food from "The Grill" looked inedible. Burst hot dogs sunk in gease pooled water & dried old hamberger patties. There are better ways to cook and present this food. Why not be able to cook a fresh meat pattie on demand or use a hot dog rotisorie.
A char grill proper should be in place.
Beer was to me overpriced. I could only afford to have a few when it was half price and that was always at the beachcomber buffet resturant. Why didnt the other bars have happy hours? Always the Beachcomber. 1/2 price was from 6.30 to 9.30 for Stella. Nice to sit on the deck behind with weather permiting.
The wines did not show vintage years so make sure that you taste before agreeing to purchase. One of the daily changing specials was a white which had clearly turned the colour of urine and tasted like it. Even the cork stank. Why serve this rubbish or why does the ship even purchase such. the 10 pound house wine was ok. but again showed no vintage year. The ship needs to sack its cellarmaster have a good review of its wine listings and make sure that the wine is sold during its drinking life.
Captain Horne(?) was a real pleasure. His talk to the passengers each morning and afternoon were a real delight. He could consider making an imprompture tour of the 'free' resturants (if he did then my apologies) The entertainment was top quality. This was enhanced by a theatre that is really well set up for a good production. Great quality light and sound. The 'Grease' production was 10 out of 10 (except for the two 12 year old boys who ran down the stairs as the dancers were running up them!!)
The housie or bingo was a bit disappointing after starting 45 minutes late it was all over in 15 minutes. The staff more interested in the money it seemed. Very expensive at 6 pounds for 3 games. Why not have a few more games for less valued prizes. why not have a brief discussion with the winners like - Where are you from,who are you with? Why not a lucky door prize such as free meal in the paying resturants. Surely they can do more than just calling "legs eleven, number 11".
There was only one wide screen TV on the whole ship. In the cocktail bar! Surely 'the pub' could get a nice big wide screen. The Grand National was on and unless you scrummed down with the keen punters you couldn't even see the old style screen. The Ship should spend a couple of grand and get a decent sized LCD screen and show some sports. it cant be that hard to show some of the top football games especially when it is the business end of the season.
Ok just my view. A lot of criticism but overall the cruise was of the value paid for. And when you pull into ports like VilleFrance and Menorca the view is still the same as those of the expensive "posh" cruise ships. Now i am going to put back on my rose coloured glasses and enjoy Steve from Chester's write up again.

Travelled 14th to 21st October visiting Nice (instead of Villfranche), La Spezia, Marseille, Barcelona and Ibiza.
This was our 3rd cruise in 12 months as we have been bitten by the cruising bug. Previously sailed on the Island Escape and P&Os Arcadia.
We booked about 5 weeks before and paid approx £1120 for the two of us.
We had an outside twin cabin midship on Coral deck. Room was spacious with plenty of wardrobe space and hangers and was clean but unfortunately smelt of cigarette smoke even though smoking is not allowed inside the cabins. We noticed early on that our bathroom sink was emptying very slowly indeed and so reported this to guest relations. A maintenance man arrived promptly and was sorting the problem out within the hour. He found loads of cigarette nub ends in the outlet pipe that previous occupants had obviously disposed of in their eagerness to conceal their dirty disgusting habit, which could also have endangered other passenger lives if they had caused a fire - some people! Anyway once they had been cleared the sink worked perfectly and the smell of smoke / dirty ashtray cleared very quickly thank goodness.
Our cabin maid Maria was very attentive and kept the room spotless. She also noticed our cards for our wedding anniversary and made us two swans and a flower from the towells and wrote us a congratulations note also. She was from Romania and had made the sacrifice of leaving her two children to work on the ship so that she could afford to provide for them and to send them to a good school. She put the beggars that we encountered in most of the ports to shame. Their only effort was to shake an empty cup under your nose. In fact a lot of the staff on board had made huge sacrifices in leaving their homes and families so that they could earn what is for them a decent wage. I respect them immensely.
The onboard entertainment was good, especially the show team who gave wonderfull West End style performances in the theatre. There were two comedians, one good the other not so good, and the cruise director Rob Boyd did an excellent show also. There were also other caberet acts in alternative venues which were enjoyable too.
The food in both the 24hr beachcomber buffet restaurant and the semi-waitered Island restaurant was plentifull, tempting and appetising. The restaurants are also decorated with fruit carvings and other displays which are very pleasing to the eye.We ate in the Oasis restaurant once, which carried a small supplement and the food and service was excellent. Alcoholic drinks are reasonably priced especially when you consider that all spirits are double the UK equivalent (although I found they didn't measure them at all - just tipped up the bottle and stopped when they pleased - hic hic!!).
All of the staff were extremely pleasant, helpfull and always smiling. They were a credit to the captain and the ship. Talking of the captain, he was often seen around the ship and was very pleasant. He did a question and answer session and also hosted a Captains cocktail evening for previous passengers of Island cruises where free champagne and canapes were given out.
The ship was kept very clean and hand sanitising gel was available and its use encouraged at all entrances to the restaurants.
We only took one organised trip to Florence which was very interesting. It was a long tiring day though. The rest of the time we made our own way around the ports of call.
In comparison to the other cruises we have taken we were happy. Obviously with P&O it is more expensive and formal and things are done on a grander scale, especially the food, but Island cruise holidays are good value for money and we have had two great cruises with them. You do get what you pay for but in no way were any of them any less enjoyable than the other.
In all we had a very pleasant holiday and luckily the sea was calm for all but one night. Would definatly sail on the Island Star again.

We're aged over 50 and sailed on October 7th to 14th - our first cruise, booked 4 days before we sailed!!!! We only booked after reading the reviews on this website so thank you everyone for your comments!!Were both unsure what to expect but were sure we'd enjoy it. . . . . . and we did!!!!
From arriving on the ship, we were treated like royalty, by all the staff, it would appear their only aim in life is to help you to have a perfect holiday.We paid £380 and had an outside cabin on Coral Deck, No 5144.Our cabin steward, Amr, from Egypt, looked after us magnificently. We found the food was excellent, we dincd twice in The Steakhouse with the a la carte menu, it was a supplement of £24.99 per couple, which included a bottle of wine.Excellent value for money,steaks cooked to perfection.Also ate in the Island restaurant and were looked after by Sakhim.
The cabin was excellent,very comfortable,loads of storage space, a little noisy but considering what we paid, we had no complaints.
We enjoyed the informality of the ship and met lots of fantastic people, ages on the ship were prob 70% over 60's and the other 30% was a mixture, including a few children.
Can;t comment on the entertainment in the theatre as we didn;t go in there, HOWEVER, we did stay in The Pub every night and enjoyed the entertainment provided by Andy Martin, Keith Kerslake and the two Irish sisters, Saffire........ thanks to everyone for making the holiday so marvellous......... Island Star is definitely the relaxed, informal ship we would love to sail on again . . . . . . . Already looking at the Ancient Oddysey cruise next April!!!! We're hooked!!!!
Weather was marvellous too, what more can we say????