One does not notice how crowded some of the largest ships in the NCL fleet, like the Getaway, can become until you find yourself in a transatlantic cruise Miami to Copenhagen (April-May) and the expected port stops don’t happen either because of the weather or technical issues with the ship propulsion system. While the first reason is understandable the latter, NCL US Guest Relations proclaims their “sole discretion may cancel, postpone or delay any port of call without prior notification.” So, be aware when you book a cruise because of their port of stops. Freestyle now extends to their stops.

The disembarkation and embarkation in Brest, France took hours in line. Senior citizens had a hard time with bathrooms. The long line was repeated again after arriving late in Southampton. This time had to do with the local immigration. Consequently sightseen in England had to be done at night. The Zeebrugge, Belgium stop was cancelled but as a ‘reward’ we arrived late in Rotterdam to stay overnight on Saturday and Sunday.

While NCL ships grow larger their commons areas stay the same. It’s impossible to stay in the ship for so many days and not notice how crowded and noisy all venues are; especially around deck six main desk where everything happens. Read more