This was the first time my husband and I were ever on a cruise. We liked the idea of the "Freestyle" cruising of the Norwegian line so thought we would give it a try. Our children are grown and we really didn't want to spend our vacation with hundreds of "other peoples" kids so we thought September would be a great time as the kids are back in school. There were probably less than 100 children and with the size of this ship, there were no problems. Mostly little one's in strollers. We flew into Miami a day early and stayed at the LaQuinta East. Nothing fancy but very comfortable, reasonable rate plus a free breakfast the next morning. They also provided a free shuttle from the airport to the motel and then a free shuttle from the motel to the port. That saved a few $$ right there. Embarkation was easy and we were on the ship in no time. Enjoyed the champagne while we took a little "look see" around. We found ourselves at the rear "aft" of the ship where a buffet was set up for lunch and we could relax in the sunshine of the deck. While I read about the soda package, neither my husband nor I felt we would drink enough to justify the price. We were happy with the unsweetened iced tea. It tasted fresh brewed even tho it came out of a dispenser. Our room was ready by 2p.m. We had a balcony room on the 9th floor. While not real big, it was fine for the two of us. Plenty of storage in the bathroom for your toiletry items. The balcony also was fine for the 2 of us and we enjoyed just sitting back enjoying the warm breeze. We purchased the anniversary package and enjoyed a chilled bottle of champagne plus chocolate covered strawberries awaiting us on Day 1. The package also included a cake party, a free 8 x 10 souvenier picture of us plus dinner in the LeBistro, their French restaurant. There is usually an up-charge for dining here but that was included in the package. We had our choice of a red or white wine. We chose a very nice Italian Pinot Grigio. My husband tried the escargot and I had the seared scallops for an appetizer. We also both enjoyed the French onion soup. We each also had the filet mignon which was excelent. Done to perfection. Then for dessert, two young ladies came out with a cake and sang to us. All very nice and well worth the price. We didn't really enjoy Freeport or Nassau all that much but were glad we got off the ship just to see. Great Stirrup Cay had tons of lounge chairs plus the short legged sand chairs. We enjoyed just parking them in the water and enjoyed the sun and surf. The beach is wonderfully maintained and the water is so clear, you could see little fish swimming all around you. Back and forth on their tendor was quick and easy. We agree with all others that Matt Baker the crise director was terrific. He really goes all out to engage the crowd. You feel that he truely wants you to have fun and enjoy all the ship has to offer. We went to all the shows and if you should miss it, they're recorded and available to watch on t.v. The pools and the hot tubs were nice, although we only used them once. Like another reviewer stated, the servers are asking quite often if they can get you a drink but you're never made to feel cheap if you said no. While a lot of guests enjoy their alcohol, we didn't want our bar bill to be more than the cruise. Not to ramble on any longer, but we truely had a great time on the Norwegian Sky. There is so much to do (casino, shows) that we can't wait to try this again.