This was the Oct. 9 sailing from Istanbul to Barcelona. We have done more than 30 cruises, and we would both rank this one as #1 or #2! It's a tossup with South America two years ago, also with NCL.

The ship is new, so we expected and received a higher level of luxury than on our other NCL (8) cruises. The theme is Caribbean, somewhat jarring in the Med, but it grows on you. There were issues, but overall, it was a great cruise.

I cannot say enough about the staff. At every juncture, they were incredible. We had a mini-suite, so we had access to the concierge, and had arranged for a cruise critic gathering early on in the Garden Villa thanks to our hosts who stayed there. Alex was the concierge and he was outstanding. He helped us with local arrangements, dining reservations and even a repair to our luggage. I was surprised to find out that he is not included in the tip calculations, so we made sure to find him at debarkation and remedy the situation. He seemed most appreciative. Everyone else, waiters, cabin steward, dining room personnel, bar staff were the best we have encountered. Read more