This was our first NCL cruise and we quite enjoyed it. We have cruised in the past with Royal Caribbean and Carnival. It is not fair to compare this ship with the new super ships as this is an older smaller ship. I will say that the only real downside was the smell of sewage in our cabin bathroom. Not acceptable at all, they really need to fix this or get rid of the ship if that is not possible.

We have stayed away from travelling on NCL in the past because the reviews of the food quality were not all that great and as a Chef that is one thing that is really important to me. I can tell you that I was pleasantly surprised at not only the quality of the food that was being served but the presentation as well. The few dishes that I did not care for were immediately taken care of by the wait staff and they brought me something else. That is the beauty of cruising, if you don't like it, get something else. No Problem. It wasn't that there was anything wrong with the dishes, it was more of the fact that I was trying something new and I just did not care for it. My hat's off to the Executive Chef: Matthew Cole for running a tight kitchen and making sure that all of the guests needs were being met. I actually had the chance to talk to Chef Matthew and we talked about the challenges of feeding a large group of people on a daily basis. I personally think that NCL is very lucky to have Chef Matthew as he was the Hardest working officer on board.

Other points of the cruise (other than the food). The ship seemed clean enough but the furniture and carpeting need to be replaced soon as they are starting to look a little worn. If you are planning to cruise with this ship, please research all of the amenities on board before you book. This ship does not have as many bars as some other ships and it does not have a comedy club, witch I personally like. We chose this ship for the Itinerary and not the amenities. We were off the ship almost every day doing tours and came back for dinner, maybe a show and then off to bed as we were exhausted. Read more