Having sailed on NCL multiple times, as well as Carnival and several other lines which are no more, I decided to give RCI a try...and had a lovely time.
EMBARKATION: Quick and swift. I rented a car having flown into Sanford, (which is much easier than MCO), and parked at a lot just a mile from the port at a cost of $47. A free shuttle to and from the ship was provided. Once at port, checked in and was on the ship in 15 minutes.
SHIP: I read several reviews commenting on how the ship is dated and worn. It is, but I found it to be clean and well maintained. This ship has been sailing since 1992, so a bit of wear and tear is to be expected. I sailed on NCL Getaway its inaugural year and found it to be banged up in places. When you are catering to 4,000 passengers a week, there is bound to be a few dinks. I prefer a smaller ship having sailed mega ships which always seem very crowded. Despite there being 2,600 passengers on board for the September 19 sailing, the ship never seemed crowded at all. Smoking is allowed in the casino and other designated areas, which made being in the casino difficult and on deck by the pool. Ugh.
Dirty and dangerous.
No excursions taken