I sailed on the NCL Sky about 5 years ago. The ship was "old" at that time but in better condition and much better food. This trip, the ship really showed its wear and tear! Rust coming through paint around the bathroom door and balcony - anywhere there was steel; paint "patches" everywhere where workmen had just patch-painted instead of painting the whole wall, etc. leaving spots; one end of the rail on my balcony didn't even have a screw to hold it in place; shower head not adjustable; peeling wall paper in the dining room; drawers in the wardrobe wouldn't stay closed. Most of the machines in the casino were old with a few new ones in the mix. The food was near awful! I pride myself on having a cast iron stomach and can eat / try most anything. The food all week was pretty bad: casseroles made of anything with cheese melted on top to cover it, salads made with anything they mixed together and mixed with mayo or some dressin. Salad dressings were made with whatever was mixed together! For example, Mustard Vinagrette salad dressing sounded pretty tasty, right? It was regular mustard mixed with water and maybe a touch of vinegar! I could have just squirted some mustard on the salad and had the same taste! Roasted chicken had no flavor, Prime Rib from the buffet on the first night was the main entree in the dining room on the last night! Soups were hit and miss. The Split Pea with Ham is usually good but this soup had MINT LEAVES in it! Very weird taste. The chef on this ship should be fired! People usually waste a lot of food on cruises but the staff definitely contributed to the waste by serving food so poor in taste and quality that all you could do is throw it out! The BBQ on the beach - the only edible thing I could eat was a hamburger and hot dog. Salads were awful! Beans were straight out of the can! Just awful. Breakfast was the best meal of the day everyday, but they served the same foods everyday! I had to bring to the staff's attention some foreign objects that were floating at the bottom of my coffee cup. Didn't see it when it filled and not before I drank it near empty. They tried to say it was coffee grounds but it didn't have the texture of grounds - it was soft and I have to wonder if it was some kind of mold inside the machine.

Cabin Steward. Usually I meet them the first day. They come around and introduce themselves. I didn't see ours until the THIRD day!

Guest Services: On every cruise I've been on, I've been able to pay my shipboard down or in full with cash to eliminate or reduce the amount to be charged to my credit card. The desk agent told me since they had already pre-authorized my card to just leave it that way. He didn't want to take the cash! Read more