I am a 51 year old orthopedic surgeon who just returned from my 4th Caribbean cruise - My wife and I cruised with our 2 sons who were on winter break from college - Thrilled that they actually wanted to be with us, I threw a little money at the problem and booked a mini-suite, then lucked into an upgrade to a courtyard villa - We had such an outstanding time, and met some fantastic cruise critic members on board, so I felt compelled to sign up and relate our experiences

The boat itself is fantastic - Shiny, new, easy to navigate - Plenty of things to do, including rock climbing, tennis, basketball, bowling, great fitness and spa areas - My problem with the megaboats has always been claustrophobia from the crowds - That's where the VIP comes in - NCL has really gotten it right - The concept of a separate area within the boat is really true - Your keycard is required to get the elevator to the 14th floor, where a few select lucky cruisers are rewarded with the sense of being at a Ritz - There is a butler and a concierge, with several phones in the room that literally have a direct button that gets either of them within 2 rings - It was so sweet we were all pinching ourselves all trip - We were so tired the first night we just let the butler set up a quiet, private dinner by the private pool - There is pool, whirlpool, private sunning deck, small fitness area (bike and treadmill) - all for just a few fellow VIPs - no crowds, no hassles - All the complaints about NCL freestyle dining just don't apply for VIPs - We just told our concierge where and when we wanted to eat, and he made it happen - No standing in line for tenders, or anything else for that matter, all week - You get on the boat and off the boat with VIP status - first tenders, no long lines - incredible - You don't have to wait early to get a seat for any of the shows either -yep - you guessed it - there is a separate balcony for VIPs - The room itself was unlike any boat room I have seen - We had 2 bedrooms, 4 TVs (very important to watch TV in the bathroom!), a fancy coffee machine that made delicious cappuccino, top of the line bathroom with a shower with 8 spray nozzles, DVD library through the butler, large balcony, upgraded great bed with fancy linen.........

Best of all, they reserve Cagney's, the specialty steakhouse, for VIPs only at breakfast and lunch - Usually Cagney's dinners are a $20/person upgrade at this restaurant - We never felt the need to go for dinner, since we ate there in quiet kingly elegance each day for breakfast and / or lunch - I had filet mignon and eggs for breakfast 6 of the 9 days for no extra cost - It was fantastic Read more