Sailed from Barcelona on the 6th September. Had an apartment for 3 days beforehand in the Gracia area which we had booked independently. Taxi to port was only a short journey by taxi which cost about 12 euros Chose this ship because of route and the studio cabins. I have been on 6 cruises and this was my second with N.C.L. the previous one being the Jade.

Embarkation was smooth and efficient. Did not get access to cabins until 1:30 but was happy enough with the studio cabin which was roomier than I had expected. Ate in the complementary dining rooms initially but service was very slow. I waited for an hour for my main course one evening so gave up and ate in the buffet after the third night. The food in the main dining rooms was very mediocre and bland. My starter one evening was cold potato with 5 shrimps on top. Drinks were very expensive. Breakfast in the buffet restaurant was always crowded and noisy but the choice of food was very good.

The trips were outrageously expensive too and so my friend and I did some research at home on the Internet before we went. Took the train or local bus to Pompeii, The Colosseum, and Florence for a tiny fraction of what N.C.L. were charging. So do your research before going on board. Doing these trips on your own is really very straightforward. The design of this ship is not good. The casino is big and you have to go through this area to get to most things. Decor on the ship looks tired and drab in places. There is only a very small area to sit in if you do not like noise and on the sea day there were no beds to be had . Even though it was September there seemed to be many teens and young children on board and they occupied and often crowded the Jacuzzi for most of the day. Read more