We sailed out of NYC on July 17th and I have to say that I have never had a better cruise. We have sailed 6 times. This was our 4th on NCL. I have always had great cruises but for some reason this one just had it all. The staff was fantastic. I really felt connected to them. In every area they went all out. We arrived at the port around 11 am and were eating on the ship by 12:00. I was able to drop off a heavy bag in my room after lunch even though the rooms were not ready. I have a daughter with food allergies and type 1 diabetes. I had contacted the NCL access desk by email prior to our trip and I was advised to see the Maitre D in Tsars to discuss food options. I met with Nelson and he couldn't have been more terrific. We preordered her food the night before so that they could prepare it separately. We also met with the Food and Beverage manager Kristofer who became like family to us. He was so kind and considerate and took very good care of us. I couldn't have asked for more!! We miss you Kristofer. We also met and got to know Parker the Cruise Director very well. He is fantastic. Not only is he funny but very talented. He sings, dances and is just plain funny. He is very visible on the ship and seems to be everywhere. I really don't know how the staff do it. They are non stop and so energetic. Again I couldn't have asked for better entertainment. JP the comedian/magician is fantastic, 2nd City (Carissa!!!!) are very funny and the Cats Meow (although they only have one more week) are very talented. It was amazing how even the entertainers seemed to just show up everywhere even when they weren't performing. They all loved to talk and get to know you. It really did feel like a big extended family for the whole week. Last but not least, Adrian the Concierge, thanks for making us feel so special. My kids are so spoiled now!! Port Canaveral.... Went to Cocoa Beach via buses. Very easy to do on your own. Exit out of the terminal and follow the signs that say buses. You will see people selling tickets. Travel Lynx is very professional. It is $10 round trip and you can use them all day. They go to the beach, Walmart, and the Mall. They stop every 15 minutes so you never wait very long. When you get dropped off at the beach there is a 7/11 there to purchase drinks/snacks etc. Once on the beach you can rent chairs/umbrellas. Water was warm, clear and the waves were great. All in all a great beach day. One note Cocoa Beach shuttle is very popular too but I heard it stops every 1/2 hour (not sure that this is true but thought it was worth mentioning). I did not hear any complaints about either shuttle.

Private Island.... rented 2 clam shells. We were on first tender so we set up in first row of clam shells and grabbed some chairs in front of them. As mentioned on Cruise Critic the clam shells are a great idea. They are $29 and are available at the excursion desk once you board. You cannot book them ahead of time. Once you arrive on the Island go to the left and find an attendant to claim your clam shell. BBQ is available. The kids can use their soda cards if they purchased them otherwise there is water or coffee for free. My daughter purchased the Hippo slide once on the Island. She is 14 and used it all day. Well worth the $20 for her. We also brought our own snorkeling equipment. You must rent a vest even if you bring your own equipment although I saw that some people didn't. So not sure how strictly this was enforced. The vests I believe were around $5 so it wasnt much of a big deal.

Bahamas: Followed advice off of the port board and took the #10 Jitney (which if you don't know what a jitney is like I did it is an airconditioned bus so very comfortable) to the Wyndham. You leave the port and head to Bay street. Even though everyone is trying to get you on their tour or bus the people were kind enough to give us directions to the bus stop. This is a very easy trip to do on your own. Once on the bus you pay when you arrive at the Wyndham which is $1.25 ( no change so bring exact). We bought the $40 day pass which includes the buffet ( and also tip for the buffet). You go to check in and they give you wrist bands to wear. When you purchase a day pass at the Wyndham you get to use the facilities at the Sheraton next door. It is a quick walk and we went back and forth several times. My kids liked the pools at the Sheraton better (there are 3). FYI there is a casino but only slots are open during the week in the summer so no table games. When we left we exited the Wyndham and were told to wait down by the street. We did not wait more than 5 minutes for the #10 bus to take us back. We shopped a little but not much. Read more