Embarkation: Arrived 11:15 by bus and since this is a smaller pier than Lauderdale or Miami; check in was easy. We were on the ship before noon but the cabins were not ready so we went directly to the buffet for lunch. We should have gone to a dining room as it was like a cattle call!

Cabin: We had a balcony cabin which we love. Unfortunately, the balcony was extremely small and the chairs there were much too big for that space. Also, it looked as though it had not been cleaned in awhile. The cabin was not up to standards. There were scuffs along the wall, mirrors were not cleaned, and a small table that had an inch of dust on it. We didn't meet the cabin steward for 2 days but by then I had housekeeping in the cabin and pointed everything out. Right after that, we met Janice who claimed she was looking for us. She was so busy making towel animals that she would leave her cleaning sprays in our cabin, beach towels were always missing and the mirrors were not cleaned until I did them! The bathroom was very nice with a sliding door to separate the toilet from the sink area and a sliding door for the shower area instead of the dreaded shower curtain! The biggest perk for us was a coffee maker in the cabin. I wish all cruise lines did this as we love our coffee in the morning but do not like being bothered by room service.

Dining: As on other cruise lines we are used to anytime dining. NCL has freestyle dining but there were lines outside every dining room. Several times we decided to just go to the buffet for dinner. The first night was very good, after that it seemed to be leaning towards Indian or Oriental and the aroma was a turn off! We had a delicious dinner in the Italian specialty restaurant La Cucina and a couple of times we ate at the 24 hour Blue Lagoon. It wasn't until the end of the week that we met a couple and joined them in the Venetian. Again, 2 nights were delicious and on the last evening dinner was like shoe leather. The dining room experience on a cruise is supposed to be one of relaxation and enjoyment. NCL does not provide that and drives the customer out to their premium fee restaurants. Good marketing for NCL; not for me as the passenger. Read more