We are a family of 4, girls 8 & 17, sailing NCL for the first time. Previous cruise lines were Disney (Wonder) and Royal Caribbean (FOTS). Overall it was a very nice cruise, consistent with many of the reviews on Cruise Critic. We took this cruise for the ports (beaches), sea day activities, and good food. NCL generally delivered, although the food could have been better.
Outdoor and youth activities: Kids (and parents) had a blast at the onboard water park and the ropes course. Lines were generally very short, the activities were lots of fun, and you could generally play until you were exhausted. I would say that the FlowRider on the RCI Freedom of the Seas was a higher adrenaline activity, but lots of time standing in line. I'd rank Getaway highest above all of our cruises for active water play. However, if you're looking to lounge by the pool and take it easy, this is not your ship. One tiny adult pool [rowdy and packed], a kids pool, splash area, and slides. Chair hogs were a problem, although you could usually find something on an upper deck somewhere. Ropes course was a blast, we spent hours up there until we got pretty good at doing many of the features no hands. My 8 yo ranked the kids club a close second behind disney (well above RCI), and the youth staff was engaging and took very good care of the kids.
Night Life: We went to Burn the Floor. The show had great dancing and percussion, but it was difficult to follow the storyline. One hour performance. The broadway show was 90 minutes and we weren't sure that we'd keep our kids interested that long so skipped it. We preferred the shorter shows of other cruise lines (usually around 45 min). Note that these shows are reservations only (as were many things on the ship and they sell out fast). The casino slots didn't seem as loose as RCI. We aren't big gamblers, but could nurse a $20 on RCI for an hour or so, with small payouts along the way. On NCL, $20 would last about 15 min, with a few hits, but it was gone quick. It looked like when they paid, they paid bigger. That just isn't our style though.
Generally a reasonably sized cabin. Has the Ikea contemporary look. Balcony was nice (but small). Good storage, but note that it is mostly cubbies (few cabinets or drawers). Lots of room under bed for luggage. We were traveling heavy for 4 and everything fit with room to spare. Bathroom was very nice. Trough sink, large shower, water would get very hot. TV selection very limited for OTA programming (ESPN, some news channels, Nick was about it). On demand movies (free and pay) were nice, and the stateroom folio could be viewed from the TV- nice.