This was our fifth cruise, fourth with NCL, and our first on a mega ship. As usual, we had a fantastic time, even though there were a couple things we didn't like. We arrived in Fort Lauderdale the night prior and used the NCL transfer to Miami, which is always quick and easy. We didn't know what to expect for check in and embarkation due to the size of the ship, but check in went really quickly and we were then directed to the waiting area. Upon arrival at the waiting area, we were given a boarding number and waited about 15 minutes or so until our number was called to board. The transfer left Fort Lauderdale around 10:30 am and we were on the ship just before noon (an hour before staterooms were ready), so we were quite pleased with that.

When we got to our room (mini-suite) our room steward, Michael, greeted us and was very excited to show us our room and how everything worked. Without a doubt, he was the best room steward we have ever had. Our room was very nice and a decent size, although we missed having a coffee table in the room as we have had on some of the smaller ships in the NCL fleet. We were surprised by how much storage space there was considering the room felt small width wise. You could probably bring enough clothes for a month long cruise and have room for them all. The bathroom setup did not bother us. I wouldn't say it helped us in any way in terms of efficiency, so I could take it or leave it. The one thing we did not care for was the sink. It was very small and it seemed like there was always water all over the counter. We chose a room with the bed closer to the balcony, and we were glad we did that as it provided some separation with the bathroom and made the room feel more open.

There was plenty to do on the ship throughout the day. We had 2 days at sea to start the trip and this provided ample time to get to know the ship. The ship is very nice and has a very modern feel to the decor, which was a nice change from some of the more traditional decor we have seen. The ship was laid out well and was easy to navigate and most places never felt crowded when passing through. The gym was very nice and included pretty much anything you could want. We went in the afternoon on sea days and never had an issue finding open equipment. The biggest complaint about the ship itself was how crowded it got in the pool area on sea days. On multiple occasions in the afternoon we would be looking for chairs to sit on, but never had any luck close to the pool or slides. We were able to find chairs one day behind the rock climbing wall, but it was like a wind tunnel back there, so we didn't hang out long. There seemed to be plenty of room on deck 18 in the quiet sun deck, but again, you aren't close to the pool or slides up there. The slides were also closed most of the port days and every sea day for maintenance, so that was a let down as we were really looking forward to trying them out. Read more