This was my 5th cruise (others were with RCCL) and my husband's first and we had a blast! I know the freestyle cruising doesn't suit everyone, but it really suited us.

Embarkation: Embarkation was long and chaotic...and that was when many people found out about the change in itinerary (we found out from our travel agency about two weeks prior to the cruise...and when we confirmed our cruise with NCL so we knew two weeks ahead of time)...people were not happy and were very vocal about it. Luckily we met a wonderful couple in line and spent the entire embarkation time chatting and having a few drinks. My advice...when you get to the port, ask a porter if you're "forward" or "aft"...get the correct tags and put them on your luggage...and then have a porter to take your luggage...they (the porters) are all over the place, but it's not obvious what you're supposed to do or how you're supposed to do it. Also...make sure you have your tickets, passport, and credit card (for onboard charges) handy when you get up front...just makes it easier for everyone.

Ship: We thought it was beautiful! And very clean...they were constantly cleaning the ship. Once we got onboard, we checked out the ship's facilities and got our bearings...there are little maps at each exit and the elevators so navigating the ship was pretty easy. We also made our spa appointments and our dinner reservations (at the specialty restaurants) right away. We wanted to be on deck when we sailed away and we ended up right in front of the ship's horn...it is very loud! Read more