Of the 4 cruises I've been on, this one was by far the least enjoyable. The cruise ship seemed to have more kids (16 and under) than a Disney Cruise and most of the on-board activities were either designed to entertain them or were hijacked by their presence. It's hard to relax when children and running wild and unsupervised in the public "buffet" dining areas or running around and screaming like banshees in the formal restaurants. The adults (over-18) late night parties were teeming with underaged kids as well. Minors were allowed to roam the casino; allowed to play slot machines or other gaming machines without so much as an ID challenge from casino staff. Children were in the bars as well. It was nearly impossible to get away from children for a quiet, adult only evening of relaxation aboard the ship UNLESS you purchased the $20 per person per day spa pass (which we did). That was about the ONLY place on board to get any peace and quiet.

The shore excursions sounded great; but 2 of 4 were canceled due to inclement or pending inclement weather. Not NCL's fault, so I have no grudge there. The 2 excursions we participated in were fun and a good value.

Food was nothing special; average or less buffet meals and nothing special in the formal dining rooms. A nice Thanksgiving dinner was offered and enjoyed though; however, the "freestyle" atmosphere was a detractor from the overall experience. Something about sleeveless shirts, shorts, jeans, and flip-flops really downgraded the experience of formal dining. There were ridiculous lines and waiting times on the first night of the cruise, but the rest of the week was easy walk-in service to the main (Venetian) dining room...which is a far better experience than "Aqua". Read more