OK - step one - TOTALLY ignore all the bad reviews you've probably read. Some people just aren't right for cruises - and some people just have bad weeks, which they would have had they been at home anyway!
I'm not suggesting everything's perfect, but....for example, NCL have a buffet option during the day; it's enormous, and if you can't find something good - from roasts to indian to chinese to light bites to salads to fish to fresh fruit to grills to pizzas to pasta to....you get the picture! And the quality is usually the better side of average.
The main dining rooms are of a mid-range hotel type, and the "pay extra" eating options, such as teppenyaki, chinese, brazilian are worth every penny extra!!!
9626 - balcony cabin aft; between two stairwells/lifts, and nice and quiet without being too far from anywhere. Very impressive storage for a smallish space; adequate bathroom/shower; very comfy bed; nice little dressing table and perfectly fine sized balcony.