This is our 6th cruise and the first with NCL - a 9-day Baltic Sea started September 10, 2017. It was the best by far in the category of on-board experience.
The staff (state room, dining room and customer service) seemed to work harder in their efforts.
My husband and I had had reservation about the free-style dining before the cruise. But we definitely believed that this dining experience was better and more intimate, including that you did not have to dine with any other strangers that you might not care for, or vice versa. We enjoyed our 3 special meals very much, and the service was superb - you got what you paid for. Meanwhile, the dining experience at the complimentary restaurants (Tropicana and Savory) was also very good. All the wait staff (including the specialty ones) received our "extra" cash tips whether a mandatory 18% was applied or not, as they earned them.
In cabin condition was the best among all the cruises that had taken before. Maybe it is due to the fact that the ship (Norwegian Getaway) is only 3 years old. It also seems that the German ship-builder used better materials (am not a German). Our cabin staff was very friendly and also received our "extra" gratuity appreciation.