This was our first NCL cruise. We've been on Princess, Royal Caribbean, and Carnival. I cruised with my husband and our 18 and 20 year old sons. We all had such a good time, we were certainly sad to see it end. People will always find something negative to say, so remember it's all in what you make of it. You could nit-pik anything apart. We loved the Freestyle Cruising. My boys never had to get dressed up more than their shorts and t-shirts . My husband and I only moderately dressed up 3 nights. We actually brought home two suitcases full of clean clothes that never got touched. For this reason only, we would choose NCL again.

We stayed the night before at the Hampton Inn Blue Lagoon near the airport. Hotel and staff were nice. There is a free shuttle to/from the airport. They also have a shuttle to the port for $10/pp, but it was cheaper (and more convenient) for us to take a taxi to the port. Front desk called for one and it was there within 5 mins. Free breakfast, free wifi, free parking. There is a McDonalds, Starbucks, and Publix within walking distance.

Embarkation was super easy. We got to the port about 10:30, got checked in right away, and then hung out in a waiting area until they were ready to have us board (about 11:30am). NCL has coffee, juice, and water available while you wait. They assign you a boarding group based upon your arrival (we got group 4). Getting on and off in each port was equally as easy and efficient. A+ to NCL for managing this many passengers so efficiently. Read more