We arrived in Barcelona from Dublin and, having not booked any transfer with NCL, hopped in a cab and went straight to the port. Dropping our bags was easy enough, but it was unclear why the porter would only take two of our three large bags to the cabin. I suspect there was a bit of a language barrier. Nevertheless, we were happy to carry our smaller bag with us to the cabin. Upon entering the terminal we were asked what our cabin number was and, as we had a balcony cabin, we had access to the express balcony/suite check in line. It took all of 5 minutes to get from the door of the terminal to the gangway. NCL handled everyone quickly and efficiently.

It is important to note that, since the porter did not take our third bag, taking part in the champagne reception as soon as we were on board proved difficult. The aloha bar/main reception area filled quickly and it was hard to grab a glass and stand anywhere. But, that was a minor fluke and as we were exhausted from our delayed 7am flight, we weren't in the mood to fight the crowd. When we got on board - after having disinfectant sprayed on our hands (not a big deal, and somewhat reassuring) - we found our way to our cabin at the stern of the ship. Our cabin stewardess, Morena, was just finishing our cabin. She was very nice and apologetic that it was not completed. She suggested that we leave our bags, which we did.

-Cabin- We were pleasantly surprised by the size of the aft balcony cabin. My partner was particularly pleased with the size of the bathroom. While not enormous, the three compartments for each the toilet, the sink, and the shower (each separated by a frosted glass partition) allowed us both to use the bathroom at the same time with no problems. The Elemis shower gel, shampoo, and hand soap were welcomed additions. The balcony was large and very private. Do NOT stay in an aft balcony cabin/suite on Deck 10 (1/3 covered) or Deck 11 (not covered). The aft Great Outdoors Cafe is directly above, allowing for food and garbage to tumble down to the balcony as well as the loss of privacy. Our cabin was quiet, the balcony large, and the wake of the ship enchanting. An added bonus was that, on this itinerary, 6 nights had the sun setting aft of the ship, making our balcony the perfect place to enjoy it. Read more