We went for the glitz and entertainment and we got it. It was the wrong week--vacation for many so the ship was full and this did take away from the ambiance and the ability to set foot in a pool. But that said, the only place we felt overwhelmed with other cruisers, little kids, etc., was the pool deck and the cafeteria at peak hours.
We arrived at about 1:30 to avoid the lines and walked right in. Got our luggage within an hour or so. The main shortcoming as everyone will tell you is the size of the rooms. We had a beautiful balcony, but we could not get by each other at the sink. A foot or two more in the width would have made life so much more convenient. The end of the bed is literally 6-8 inches away from the credenzas. Everything else in the cabin was OK. Shower and toilet by the front door was less than lovely, but manageable. It all had to do with the width of the cabin. How families managed, I don't know. The sink is tiny and in the wrong place to pass by. Only one of us could use the whole bathroom area of the room at once. It was unbelievably quiet, however, and we did not hear neighboring toilets or slamming doors.
The rest of ship is lovely. Not a lot of promenading space, the outside pools are minuscule for such a large population of sun starved passengers going South. It always looked like Coney Island on a hot 4th of July. The major rooms are glitzy and perfect for such a ship. Gold, crystal. spangles-- just what we wanted. Loved the parties at the H2O area-- the Cruise Director Paul Scally works harder than any other I have ever seen--really hands on, funny and gets everyone involved. Enjoyed the FABBA and other parties he had. The TV is the worst seen on any ship and the movies were all for kids, even the ones at 11:15 pm. Kids seemed to enjoy the Nikelodeon events, but most are at a price. I met Sponge Bob and had a picture for my grandchild and there was no none there but me. I like Trivia and have really enjoyed it on 3 other NCL Cruises. This was not a Trivia crowd/ship and had uneven and sometime small (5) participation.