My wife and I are in our 40's and this was our first cruise. We stayed in New York for a couple of days before the cruise and took a taxi from Midtown Manhattan to the Brooklyn terminal. The taxi cost $30 with tip and the driver had no problem finding the ship. It seems that all Yellow Taxis in NY have a GPS mapping system so you can follow the route and see that you are not being taken on an expensive joy ride.
Boarding was efficient and all of the staff we dealt with were friendly and helpful. It took about 30 minutes from the time we were dropped at the terminal until we were standing in the Grand Lobby onboard the ship. Our luggage arrived at our cabin within 2 hours of boarding.
The temperature on our first day at sea rose to 20c by 6pm and on the second day most people were lounging in the sun on deck.