We are a couple in our 50's traveling without our adult kids this vacation. 2nd cruise on NCL - we did the Dawn out of NYC last March. Platinum on RCCL. This is our 11th cruise.

Embarkation: A breeze compared with the NYC nightmare! It was a $24 cab ride from the airport to the dock. Arrived at 10:30 AM - processed almost immediately and sat at the front of the seating area for about 50 minutes. We got up on the ship at 11:30. Went to the Great Outdoor Cafe to bask in Miami's glorious weather and waited for the dining room to open at 12:30. Rooms were open at 1:00. Chilled sparkling wine (but no champagne glasses) and chocolate strawberries waiting for us (anniversary package)! By 1:30 we were in the Jacuzzi on Deck 11. Back to the cabin to grab life jackets for muster drill at 4. We spent sail away back in a very crowded Jacuzzi.

Ship: The ship is beautiful. Nice manageable size. Understated (except for some of the art work). Well maintained. Funky thing with deck 6A - you can only get there by stairs but this didn't affect us. Getting to Il Adagio and the main dining at the rear of the ship can be confusing (the galley is between the two main dining rooms and you can't get from one to the other). Not as open and spacious as the Dawn, but a nice layout none the less. Wished for an indoor pool and they really do need more than 4 main Jacuzzis - they were ALWAYS crowded. Deck space at a premium around the pool but available in other spots. Towels are ALWAYS in short supply (ie: NON-EXISTANT). Deck hands taking towels off chairs with personal items on them at the end of the day, leaving people dripping wet getting out of the pool. Hint - leave your personal items on TOP of the towels and they won't touch them. The basketball court could have been moved elsewhere. That would have alleviated some of the crowding. Plus - it was not exactly the prettiest thing to view at the pool deck. Showroom - some seats with pole issues but a nice venue. Balcony seats were better and always had availability. Dazzles was always too crowded for shows - go early or you'll get to stand. Observation lounge was way underutilized. Casino was very smoky - but no more than Atlantic City. Didn't stop me! Played Let It Ride and penny slots. Read more