This was our first small ship experience (after several mega-ships) and it won't be our last! This was a trip to celebrate our 25th anniversary.
Pre-cruise: We stayed two nights at the Hotel Renew in Honolulu, which was excellent! Small, no pool or restaurant, but free beach chairs, umbrellas, etc. free continental breakfast, pineapple juice and a cool washcloth on arrival.
Small ship Vs. Big Ship: There were no waits for elevators, the buffet, disembarking, or anything else. Most of the time, it was easy to find chairs at the pool. The staff went out of their way to make us feel welcome. The people on this ship were older, but as I was there to spend time with my spouse, that didn't bother me at all. We did not see any wheelchairs and very few walkers. We saw only 4 children on the ship - this would not be my choice for a cruise with children. There was some motion, but not any worse than we've seen on the mega-ships (RCCL Freedom Class) Decor was understated, lots of wood.
Huge balcony, lots of space, lots of closet space, bathroom was fantastic with jacuzzi tub. There was some motion on the back of the ship, but I didn't think it was excessive. No noise at all from area below us. Balcony had two wooden lounge chairs, plus a table with 4 chairs - plenty of room for a party!