Background: I was travelling with my wife, son(2), in-laws and niece(4). I have been on 5 cruises, all with Carnival. This was my first NCL cruise, so all of my comparisons are going to be with Carnival Ships (Miracle/Pride).

Embarkation:

Embarkation was fairly easy. We drove to the terminal and parked our van. It was $280 to park for the week, but the ease of having our van for the return home beat out having to get to the train station, wait for the train, etc. We walked downstairs, got our number and were on the ship within probably and hour and a half around 1:45. I have waited for several hours at the NYC terminal before, this was an easy experience. Our rooms were ready by the time we got there. We dropped our luggage and were upstairs getting fat within 20 mins. The safety brief was quick and easy. They scan your card to ensure you attend. Read more