We chose Norwegian because of the freestyle aspect - my parents do not like getting dressed up, or told when to eat. I know other cruise lines have adapted a "your time dining" option, but I've heard that it can be chaotic, and overall, it is much more smoothly implemented on Norwegian. Also being a first cruise, we wanted something simple, so three days docked in Bermuda seemed to be perfect (also factor in that the cruise was a week after my 21st birthday!)

EMBARKATION: We loved embarking from New York, as it was only about a half-hour drive. I found it to be efficient and organized, and we did not wait very long at all to board.

CABIN: We knew that four people sharing a room (my mom's cousin had her own room) was going to be tricky to execute. We decided on an oceanview room because my mother felt she would be too claustrophobic in an inside, and also did not want to spend the extra $$ on a balcony room. While the cabin was indeed quite small, we found that we made it work well. The bathroom seemed to be utilized efficiently. Read more