This was our 1st cruise to the Western Caribbean, our 1st time leaving out of Port of Houston, and our 2nd ever cruise on NCL (10 years ago).
Cons
The embarkation process was not a great start to the trip. We stood in line to check in for over an hour. Of the other 10 or so cruises we have been on, we have never experienced a line like this, nor have ever waited in line for more than 15 minutes.
Our cabin was very standard. We had a balcony on deck 10, roughly mid way between midship and the rear. It was very quiet both day and night. Balcony was a nice size.
The embarkation process was terrible. Very long line, and the port itself is nothing to write home about, no surrounding.
We booked independently through the Dolphinaris website. It was much cheaper than the cruise line prices and we saw many people from our ship who did the same. Open bar after the dolphin experience as well as 2 different buffet options for all you can eat. Great value for our money.
After this we took a taxi down the highway a bit to Paradise Beach. Amazing location with a large private beach and very large private pool. Inexpensive to use as long as we wanted to. Great location