We chose Norwegian mostly out of options. We wanted to drive from St. Louis down to New Orleans so we did not have to fly my family of 5. With two kids in high school and one in college, we had a very short window to make this work over Christmas break. The two options were Carnival 5 day or the Norwegian 7 day. We went with the 7 day. First of all, we stayed the night before the cruise at the Hyatt on Convention plaza. Perfect place to stay. Ask for the cruise package at the hotel. The cruise was very enjoyable. The staff was extremely friendly and helpful. Our room with a picture window was just the right amount of space for my wife and I. The kids shared the other room which was a little tight. The ship was decked out for Christmas and the staff and cruise director Dan did everything they could to promote Christmas. We even had a visit from Santa Claus. The entertainment was very good. I was extremely happy with each show. The buffet was average but gave us different options each day. The hamburgers and fries are very popular and are very good. The Venetian and Aqua dining rooms were okay with their sit down menu's. O'Sheenan's pub was our favorite place to hang out and the food was good. The salad bar and deserts were also very good at the buffet.