I see there are thousands of reviews so I'll keep it factual. Ship is huge but public space is very limited. I read reviews about the crowds and ignored it, do not! Really think through if all you want to do is wait in line and fight for a table all week. When we were on board, we became friendly with the director and we asked if there's any time of the year it might be less crowded (we sailed during spring break) because we really like cruises and wanted to go back. He said the last time he saw the ship under 95% occupancy was during 9/11 so no luck there. Restaurant and Show reservations must be done weeks in advance, otherwise don't even bother. Even with a reservation, you have to be at the theater 30 min prior to the show to find a seat because they are overbooked. Food is excellent, not just for a ship, really good, every where. The crew try but they can't speak English and come across rude because they really can't understand or express themselves. We wanted to play a board game without listening to one of the presentations (which are more like lectures) or games (sexy legs competition anyone?), we tried the whole week and could not find one spot that was quiet. My dad asked one of the restaurants that was closed for lunch, we were able to sit there for a few hours and play our game. The outdoor facilities look great but not usable because of the weather. It's either too cold, or when it's finally hot weather, you're off the ship for excursions. That, along with limited hours (and lines of course), we could not manage to have our kids (ages 10,8 and 6) do anything other than mini golf. We're not aggressive travelers so you might do better in that department. We had the balcony cabin which was very small but efficient use of space, once we were unpacked, the room worked well. It would be worth getting the suites or larger rooms because you will want to spend time in the room because of the crowds. Getting on and off the ship is VERY long, all organized so you don't get frustrated, no chaos. They definitely mastered the process but it still takes a very long time. Getting off on the way back was especially a big problem because you have to wait in cold (32 degrees to be exact) just to get in the terminal, it was about a 20 min wait. Getting off the ship for excursions, same problem, it takes forever, about an hour all said and done just to get off the ship and find your excursion meet. The security employees at the tendering and exit gates reminded me of the airport security. They order you around, push you around claiming "safety" for no apparent reason. Positives, food is great, fresh and always available. Ship is well maintained, very clean and new. And all the negatives come down to crowds. Shows are good quality but most of them are not for families. Burn the floor is an amazing show, such talented dancers. Rock of Ages was unnecessarily rawdy, there's a warning for audiences under 15 years old. We left about 20min into the show because it was tasteless, I wouldn't let my teenager watch it. Save time and don't even bother with the open seating shows, we couldn't even walk into the theater, let alone find a seat and watch. I'm back now, with a headache and I need a vacation after my vacation. Hope you have better luck! Read Less

Norwegian Cruise March 24th - 31st 2018 *this is written by a 17 year old* Dining - The first night we went to one of the included restaurants “ savour “ it was good, the food was well presented and had a great flavour, I highly recommend the warm chocolate lava cake that was one of the best desserts I’ve had in my life ( wasn’t too sweet, served with gelato ) The second night we went to the speciality restaurant “ teppanyaki “ it was very loud in there but it’s a lot of fun. The chef in front of you is full of jokes and makes super good food in a reasonable amount of time. The 3rd night after we spent the day in Florida we went to the Manhattan room, we expected to wait too get our table but they got us in right away! The appetizers and entrees were brought out fast for how busy it was. I ordered the chicken cordon bleu, it was juicy and tender. And for dessert I had to order the lava cake again. It was too good not too. The next night we had decided to go to “ taste “ it took a very long time to receive our food, it turned out to be 2 hours long and our waiter didn’t attend to us often. If you choose to dine at savour or taste the flavour is extremely similar to the buffet. The 5th night we decided to go to ocean blue! The highest rated restaurant on the ship. Food was very good, menu had all seafood you can think of. Service was very slow but the waitress was very kind and we enjoyed our time. I would recommend ocean blue. The 6th night we went to shanghai noodle bar at 9:50 right before closing, the service was fast but the food was cold and seemed like they just wanted you out of there so they could close, they brought our dessert with our dinner which was weird... finnaly the last night we went to the sushi bar “ wasabi “ the service was excellent and we received our sushi fast, the quality was very good and everyone enjoyed there meal for a cheap price. Overall I would recommend getting a specialty restaurant package because most simply don’t care enough about you at the free restaurants and food comes cold sometimes. Activities- There are a vast amount of activities for all ages on the ship. Deal or no deal was always fun too watch. The basketball court seemed too full most of the time to just shoot around so if you want to play you’ll probably have to play a game with some other strangers. Ping pong was open early and had a nice view of the ocean, we went to play around 10PM but they had closed it so watch out for that. The crew does a fantastic job with making the activities fun for everyone. Crew- our housekeeper “ Elias “ was very friendly, he was always on top of our room when we needed it cleaned and he made very impressive towel animals! Most waiters were quiet but always did their job correctly and were friendly. Waiters at savour and O’Sheehans didn’t talk to you and didn’t care about you. Ports- Our first stop was Port Canaveral, we waited for about an hour until we left off the ship so crowds wouldn’t be gathered at the exit area. After that was smooth and we didn’t have to wait once too leave. You just scan your card ( and show government ID if your over 18 ) and off you go. Getting cabs and shuttles to Cocoa Beach ( we went there ) was super easy, a little pricey for a family of 6 but everyone around was super helpful. Our next stop was Great Stirrup Cay, we had reserved a tender boat for 10am. At about 940 an announcement stated that we will not be going to the island because it has been “ deemed unsafe “ this was the most disappointing part of the trip and if you choose to sail on this cruise don’t get your hopes up for the island. At a Q and A with the captain a question was asked about Great Stirrup Cay and the captain said the ship is only able to go there 50% of the time. The good news was we got to go to Nassau a day early. We got there around 2pm which was fabulous , we had over a full day to spend there, the crystal blue water and views from the deck were sure something amazing. The second day in Nassau was the best day. We went on an excursion to blue lagoon to make up for missing Great Stirrup Cay. Blue lagoon was a very spacious island with dolphins and great for snorkeling. It was only about a 25 minute boat ride over. We had about 4 hours on the island. Stateroom- we had 2 rooms in total for a family of 6 and they were quite spacious. A Queen size bed that was very comfy and a pullout which was enough for 2. We had a balcony which I highly recommend. It’s perfect for relaxing while docking/leaving ports or even just watching over the ocean. The bathroom was big enough, the shower was enjoyable ( walk in shower ). There was room under the bed for the suitcase which is very helpful for creating space. We wouldn’t sail with Norwegian again based on the crowded pool area and free restaurant quality and service. It was still a fantastic vacation and would still love too go back. Read Less

I liked the idea of Freestyle Cruising. As it was our 1st cruise ever. I wanted to be able to explore and not be held to a strict schedule. The personnel on board were very attentive and friendly. Our steward, Margarita, was fabulous! She kept our room clean and neat. She made the cutest towel animals. We were always greeted with a smile and a friendly word. The food was delicious! The buffet was great, albeit, crowded at times. We chose to eat at O'Sheehan's Irish Pub most of the time. their food and service were great. We also ate at the Manhattan room (nice, but not very intimate) , Savor and Taste. Of those 3, my favorite was Savor. It was elegant, intimate and the service was good. We saw the show Rock of Ages, which was incredible. Jungle Fantasy is worth your time and money. We spent a bit of time in the casino, which rivals any land based casino I've ever been to.We were not able to visit Great Stirrup Cay, which was a huge disappointment, as the surf was too rough for the tenders. Our visit to Airboat Adventure and Alligator Jungle was a highlight of our trip. Wouldn't mind going back. We walked around the port of Nassau, visited the souvenir shops and the Straw Market. Our visit to the Bahamas ended with an excursion to Blue Lagoon Island. It is very nice, but don't dawdle getting off the ferry or you won't get a chair. We ended up going over to the ocean side which was much quieter and peaceful. Be aware, there is no lifeguard on that side. It was a nice time, even though the weather could have been nicer. (it was only around 75 degrees and cloudy). All in all, we had a fabulous time and cannot wait to cruise again on Norwegian. Read Less