Embarkation: We arrived at the port of NY via the Entertainment Tours bus from Providence, RI around noon. Memory is a little fuzzy, but I believe we were on board by 12: 45 or so. The port of NY is always chaotic, but if you know the system it's easy to get to the right place to board!

Cabin: We were in 11150, an aft AF. This cabin has a slightly different configuration from other AF's in that the location of the bed/couch is reversed, so the bed is closest to the balcony doors. No curtain separating the two areas (but it looked like there may have been one there - perhaps they remove it since there were only two of us in the cabin?). We LOVE the aft cabins! However for some it could be problematic, since there's more motion in the stern, and more vibration (yes, trying to talk EVERYONE out of booking these cabins so they're left for us!). We also had issues with our balcony door (I understand this has been an issue for many of the aft cabins), which despite many visits from maintenance, continued throughout the cruise. Around day 8 I realized that if, while out on the balcony, you "pushed" the door inwards, it would stay latched. Other times we wedged one of the chairs against the door so it wouldn't open and close. Inside, we got the famous "stick" to keep the door closed. This didn't in any way detract from our overall enjoyment of our cabin. We loved the huge closet and bathtub/shower combination; the tons of storage, as well as the extra (231 SF) space in this cabin, and would book this cabin again! Our cabin stewards were excellent - they knew our schedule by the end of the first sea day and were very much on top of keeping our cabin spotless, with ice around 5:00, just when we needed it, and towel animals nearly every night.

Ship: WOW! Saw pictures on line and thought some of the dEcor was over the top, but in person it worked very well. The pool area was great - loved the "misters" around the perimeter of the pool deck to cool us off - this is the absolute BEST thing I've EVER seen on a cruise ship! It was impossible to snag one of the comfy couches under the overhang, but we found plenty of available tables, or sat at the bar. When sunbathing, crewmembers come around with cold, aromatic towels - heaven! Love the Great Outdoors in the stern with its small buffet area; and the buffet "action stations" in the Garden Cafe cut down lines. LOVE the coffee/cappuccino/latte machines! The rest of the ship reminded us very much of the Dawn, with the exception of "bar central" and "Bliss." We never saw anyone in Bliss, but I think we just didn't stay up late enough! We saw two people bowling - once - for the entire 10 day cruise. I think the price ($10 per string) kept people away, which I have heard has been reduced to $5. The restaurants (pay and free) are all beautifully decorated in keeping with the theme of each. LeBistro is very nice on this ship; I prefer it to the Dawn's version. The two-story high screen in the atrium I thought was distracting, and there seemed to be too much going on in this area. The coffee bar is very nice here! We were on board for the Presidential inauguration, and it was shown on the "big" screen as well as many of the TV's in the public areas on board. Yes, it was an historic event, but I felt I was bombarded by it (I think this was due to passenger influence). We loved the bridge viewing room, and of course our visit with Robbie, the Gem Mermaid! We found the latitudes lounge around day 8 or 9, what a busy place that was! There was not a seat to be had in there! Unfortunately NCL has done away with this perk... Read more