This was our first cruise. There were three of us: my parents and I. By far the best thing we had done was extensive research on cruises and Alaska - this made all the difference. We knew what to expect, many dos and don'ts. Many, many thanks to all the CC'ers, especially on the NCL and Alaska boards for sharing their experiences and advice.
Embarkation: We were there early - reached the cruise terminal at 12:00, and were on board before 1:30 (maybe sooner). We heard there was a glitch later, delaying embarkation due to three ships boarding that day, which delayed our sailing by an hour. This seemed to be outside NCL's control, and I did not hear anyone complain. There was a lively party as we cast off.
Cabin: We loved having a balcony cabin. Our room steward and stewardess took excellent care of us, my mother loved the towel animals. We knew in advance we would not have a refrigerator and did not miss it.