This was our 5th cruise, the first time on NCL. We stayed at a hotel across from the Madison Square Garden. We are from Northern California and spent the prior week in NYC. Took a cab from the hotel to the port which was very easy. Arrived at the port around noon. The check in process was smooth. The rooms were not ready so we went up to the spa and had a workout. The departure was very scenic.

The rooms were exactly as I thought they would be from the reviews I read. During the cruise the housekeeping staff did a great job. One problem with the room was the TV channel changer. It had apparently been used as a missile on a prior trip. It was taped together and worked if you shook it. They didn't have a replacement. The doors to the closet like to slide back and forth and woke us up early a couple of times. The bed was comfortable.

Had a lot of rain, but we still had some good sun time. Lots of smokers, but they all had their areas. The band was pretty good, but they did not get to play a lot due to the rain and weather. Often they would be on a roll, and of course they had to stop due to an announcement for a pitch to buy....whatever. This was the first cruise that I saw merchandise sold on the Lido deck. Even funnier was the mini casino they set up in another corner. The bar serving staff were few and far between. This was remarked upon by many of the guests. Read more