This was our first cruise with Norwegian and only our second time crusing (the previous was a Caribbean cruise with Royal Caribbean). Our family of three (two adults, one child) had an inside cabin (#9019) and found it more than adequate. We thought this would work for us because, on our last cruise, we didn't spend much time in the cabin, so a porthole or balcony really wouldn't have been worth the additional cost for us. The cabin was smaller than the RC cabin, but still had an adequate amount of space for storage. There was really no room for lounging (such as on a sofa), but, again, we didn't spend a lot of time on the cabin so this wasn't an issue for us. The bathroom size was fine and we rarely heard any noise from the cabins on either side of ours. (There was only slight noise when they flushed the toilet.)

In some ways, we found this experience to be superior to RC. Why? We appreciated the Freestyle Dining idea because we were able to eat whenever and wherever we wished. On the other hand, we missed having the same wait staff each evening as on RC, although this wasn't a big deal for us. All the wait staff were friendly and chatty when things weren't too hectic for them. The food was almost as good as on RC--it certainly wasn't bad! I'm referencing just a minor degree of taste difference as I recall the food on the previous cruise, but it's difficult to compare the two because the cruises were at different times of the year in different regions, so the menu offerings were bound to be different. Also where dining was concerned, on RC the menus noted what dishes were vegetarian or vegan. As a vegetarian, I appreciated that menu feature. Portion sizes were excellent--not too much and not too little. We didn't have any problem eating where and when we wanted. I should note that we didn't take advantage of the premium restaurants because we didn't feel it was necessary.

The entertainment on board the ship was much better than we experienced on RC. From the ship's performers (a very talented group) to the magician, the Tenors of Rock, the acrobats, and the female singer, all were of a high quality. There was definitely something for everyone. We appreciated the fact that films were screened in the theater or there were matinee performances on days when the ship was at sea. We also had fun at the karaoke nights/contest, the trivia contests, and found the art lecture somewhat interesting. I say "somewhat" because the woman who presented the art history lecture (she also served as the art auctioneer) gave a lively talk, although I'd label it a high-school (even middle school) level presentation. This was not surprising because she has a degree in business, not art. Anyone who knows even a little about art wouldn't have learned much. Read more