Almost a year had gone into the planing of this family cruise with girlfriend, her 2 daughters and there husband. We were very excited about this cruise as we had been told on ncls website how great it was. From the moment we got on the ship, we were disappointed. First, the three cabins in a row at the front of the ship, of which we paid for a balcony, had a solid steel plate up to chest level where there would normally be glass. It is very hard to sit on the balcony watching the sun set or rise through solid steel. after much effort and explaining why it was so important to be able to see, we were moved to another section of the ship, three rooms in a row, great. The only problem now was the horrible order of mold. Unfortunately, three of us have allergies and almost instantly had breathing problems. By this time we were several miles out to sea and was told the ship was full and could not move. After more complaining, we were told the problem they were aware of the issue and were correcting it. Flash foward 6 days and we arrived back at the cabin to find the maintenance crew ripping up the carpet, which was moldy, and also welding a new steel plate and door seal around the crew door into the food prep area where water had been leaking for a long time. We had complained every day and were told it was already taken care of.
Other issues were a lack of interest on the part of bar and restaurant staff if you did not order alcohol. Not all the wait staff was this way, but it was more common than not. A small pet peeve is one of a mandatory tipping, which has increased from $10 to $12 a day. So you are getting less service but paying more. I feel that the only people that truly earned this money, is the room attendants, they were great(even though they don't leave mints on your pillow anymore(not there fault))
The room layout leaves a lot to be desired,and I think it makes the room seem smaller. The sink was very small and located in a bad spot and had a very tall water spout, which made for awkward hand washing and brushing teeth. Toilet and shower were marginal.