A little background, DH is 73 and I'm 61. This was my fifth and his fourth NCL cruise, but our first in a suite. We had an SF category aft penthouse on deck 10. Also, I had both of my knees replaced 3 and a half months before the cruise! By cruise time I was walking quite well with the cane, but stairs could still be challenging.

We arrived at the pier around 11:30, porters took our bags and we headed for security with our carry-ons. After security went to the desk to pay the corkage fee for our wine and then off to priority check-in. There were a few couples ahead of us, but all went quickly. We were then directed to the suite waiting area and happily we weren't there too long as the room was way too cold! We were escorted onto the ship and brought to the Star Bar to meet Firorentina, the concierge. There was a brief wait as some folks had more requests than others. After a brief hello, confirmation of our Cagney reservation for Sunday (our Anniversary), we were off to Cagney's for lunch. One of the great perks of the suite life is being able to sit down to a calm lunch at Cagney's. Other times we've done the MDR, but that was not as relaxing as lunch at Cagney's.

After lunch we stopped by the top siders bar to meet some folks from our roll call. One couple was there and we chatted a bit, but by that point my knees were aching and it was time to head off to our suite. The room was just as expected, but none of my requests from the pre-boarding concierge were there. No problem, once we talked to the room steward and butler all was quickly taken care of. One of my concerns was stepping into the tub with my new knees. I mention this to the room steward and he immediately got me a step stool to get in and out of the tub. Problem resolved and no need for a spa pass just to use the showers! Read more