Just got home from our 12 day NCL cruise from Venice to Barcelona. This is my 6th cruise, my 4th with NCL.
Before I get into too many details, I want to stress - I had a great time. As many have said, the ports/itinerary make the vacation. In addition, the people you meet on the ship - make the experience a lot more exciting. My partner and I met 20 couples on this cruise, and we’ll continue to stay in contact via social media. Overall, I couldn’t be happier with my vacation, it was a good value, and the photos/food/friends/experiences I had really make this a stand-out vacation.
Leading up to the cruise, I participated in the cruise critic forums, and also moderated the group’s Facebook page. (Folks know me as Shelby Bruno - the names of my two dogs.) During the cruise critic meet and greet on the 2nd day - I got a round of applause from nearly 60 people who follows my travel blog, tips, best practices, advice. It moved me a bit, for I didn’t know my ramblings were of value to folks. So - my point is - I was really looking forward to this trip - and for nearly 5 months, the excitement grew.
Average room, just a place to sleep/shower/shave. Didn't spend much time in it. Yes, dated. But it served its purpose.