Good

Freestyle dining - we liked the concept and ate in nearly all the restaurants which were worth the extra charge. Teppanyaki was full every night and we made full use of the extra 24 hours we had to book by being in a balcony cabin. Our favorite was the French restaurant but all were good. The food in specialty restaurants was of a good standard and the service while not brilliant was at least better than the regular restaurants.

Layout/design of the ship - with 700 under-school age children on board it could have been a difficult environment for adults without kids. However there were good lounges away from the popular areas particularly the area by the champagne and martini bars. Well laid out and with good windows to view out. On deck there was a quiet zone high at the front of the ship with big double circular layouts that had to be grabbed early but were worth the effort and the wait. Entertainment - the entertainment was good, although we don't know how the comedian and magician came across to the high number of Spanish guests on board. Highlight was a three-person modern Flamenco group that played and danced with will passion and spirit and drew a standing ovation from the (largely Spanish) audience. Probably the best show we've seen on any ship and a real change from the rather formulaic songs and dances on most ships. Stargazing - why don't all cruises feature this? The Cruise Director organized a viewing of the night sky with great explanations. All the lights were turned down and we had perfect viewing of the enormity of the cosmos. We've had it once before but the oceans give you great opportunities to view the heavens without the light interference we get on land. Well done NCL for organizing this. Embarkation and Disembarkation - really good. No fuss boarding and no waiting for cabin. Also good options for disembarking with self-service baggage tagging option. We didn't take the opportunity to stay on board as we had a mid-morning flight, but next time we may plan this in. Read more