Before this cruise, the last time I sailed NCL was before freestyle cruising and I was treated like a Persian prince aboard the "Norway". Now NCL is completely different. I cant say its bad, but I cant say its good either.

The service was all over the board. I witnessed a little bit of poor service, a little bit of outstanding service but mostly the service was fair. I would also describe the dinning exactly the same.

I attribute this to the freestyle cruising model rather than management. I had a few chances to meet some of the management staff and I will tell you that they are 100% commited to giving us a wonderful vacation experience. Their challenge is getting their staff motivated beyond the pooled tips as though their money is being payed directly from the guest, like traditional cruising. Unfortunately, if you want the flexability that comes with freestyle, this may just be the nature of the beast. The mediocre service and food was almost worth having the ability to schedule our days to avoid the crowds. We intentionally planned our meals to avoid people and enjoy a more relaxing atmosphere. We could not have done this on a traditional cruise. Read more