We really felt compelled to write this review to ease the fears of those people who are planning on taking this cruise. There was so much negativity about this ship, the staff, the food, etc. that we had convinced ourselves that we would never cruise NCL again even before we had boarded the ship. Let me say that our worries were unfounded and unnecessary. This was a fun cruise on a fine ship.
We drove to L.A. from Tucson and stayed overnight in San Pedro at a friendly but undistinguished Holiday Inn. The following morning we took the shuttle to the port at 10:45. Embarkation was quick and easy and we were boarding by noon.
Our cabin was a mini-suite with a balcony. It was clean and comfortable with no off odors. The beds were very comfortable and we slept well on the cruise. As a side note our sons were in an inside cabin across the hall. It too was satisfactory but later in the cruise we found that it creaked quite a bit. To the staff's credit, despite this being a full ship, they made arrangements for them to move. But they decided to stay put and got used to the sounds. Our cabin on the other hand was quiet with minimal lateral and vertical noise transmission. Our cabin steward came by promptly and introduced himself. He was very pleasant and accommodating. Our room was always kept tidied with fresh ice and turned down nightly. In fact, we rarely passed any staff in the hallways without being given a smile and wished a good day. Far from being uncaring like some reviewers found, we found the crew cheerful and helpful.