Our previous cruising experience involved P&O, Olympus and Celebrity so this was our first exposure to the "freestyle" format. Both my wife and I are quite gregarious so we often chose to dine with other passengers and for us, this was a culturally enriching experience.

This cruise was what I would describe as an "adventure" as opposed to a cruise that focused on relaxation. The ports we visited were excellent from the perspective of anyone who has an interest in the geography and culture of this part of South America. We were fortunate in being able to go ashore at Port Stanley in the Falkland Islands as the two previous cruises were unable to do so due to inclement weather and heavy seas. We also enjoyed our stops at Ushuaia, Punta Arenas and Puerto Montt. We participated in organized land tours at Puerto Madryn (to visit a large penguin rookery) Ushuaia and Puerto Montt. These land excursions were well organized and the guides friendly and knowledgeable. These tours were, however, overpriced in the opinion of vitually everyone with whom we communicated.

If you have had any experience with cruising and have any business acumen, you will quickly realize that the "hustle" is on at almost every turn. Almost every activity directed toward the passengers is designed to motivate them to spend more money. This is, of course not unique to NCL but rather a characteristic that has engulfed the entire cruise industry during the past decade. Read more