We chose this cruise because it was an easy drive (less than 2 hours) to NYC as well as diverse activities that would meet everyone's needs/desires. The 1.5 hour wait in a long line to board the ship was very much indicative of what the week was going to feel like. Throngs of people all jockeying to try and score an advantage over the next person. For example, in order to get chairs by the pool someone would have to wake up between 5-6am and place towel placeholders. Otherwise, you weren't getting a chair until after 3pm.
Our stateroom was very small, the carpet was matted, stained and generally showed signs of extreme wear. I normally don't complain or nitpick but it was really dirty and looked like it hadn't been vacuumed for a while. The bathroom smelled like a urinal and old smoke and that smell persisted the entire time. The tile was cracked inside the shower and hair was littered around the edges of the shower door. I felt like I needed to wear flip flops in the shower and questioned how thorough the cabin stewards clean these staterooms between cruises.
Overall, it was extremely crowded, lines for the pool, the buffet and elevators all the time. I think if NCL could charge extra for clean air they would. The Cirque show cost extra, The thermal spa cost extra, bottles of water cost extra. I really started to feel like I was being "nickled and dimed" on this cruise. I was ready for it to end.