Typical expectation from an NCL cruise. People were all friendly, service was great, food was great (!!), but a couple down sides to this mega-ship. First, too many decks. Stayed on 13th deck, so only 2 decks to the pool deck and buffet, but 7 strenuous decks of stairs to get to the dining rooms, atrium, promenade, etc. Second, the balconies were very small - smallest we've had on any ship. Third, although lines were managed fairly well for the buffet, the lines could get long for getting on and off the ship. Getting on in Miami was a fiasco!! Worst experience ever of 21 ships I've been on. Getting off was not much better. Another flaw was the entertainment. As many may recall, NCL was famous for using the Jean Ann Ryan Co. for their entertainment, and they had some of the best shows at sea. Nowadays, NCL does their own productions in-house, and their shows were a far cry from what they used to be. Very disappointing.

Balconies are non-smoking, but some will smoke anyway. ANNOYING!!! One cabin was even smoking marijuana, but there's no way to know which one in order to report them.

One last downside was the Cruise Director for this ship. Ms Belinda was not what I expect of a cruise director. The Assistance Cruise Director was 100 times better, and we all wondered why HE was not the Cruise Director instead. Belinda did not appear to know how to use a microphone, as her voice was often muffled and could not be understood. In addition, her English is not that great. Most of us could not understand her message over the PA, or even when she would speak in person. Don't get me wrong!! I have spent over 20 years living as an expatriate all over the world in various cultures (including Asia!!), and I understand the issue of culture and language better than most. But if someone is going to be the Cruise Director of such a large ship, they should have better English skills. People are depending on this person to provide CLEAR information throughout the cruise. Read more