This was my seventh cruise with NCL since 2004 and my fifth as a solo cruiser. Having previously cruised on the Dream, Dawn, Gem, and Breakaway I was aware of NCL's freestyle cruising, culture, and had my own set of expectations.
Getting to the port: For those of us who take public transportation arriving at the port is not difficult. Metro-North and LIRR deliver you to Grand Central or Penn Station from there you can either hoof it - which I did on the way home or you can catch a cab which I did on the way there. To keep your cab ride short and inexpensive have the driver drop you off at street level across the street and not have him or her drive up to Pier 88. If you choose to drive and to park at the pier expect to pay a premium for parking and allow extra time. Driving in NYC is not for the faint of heart.
Embarkation: What a lovely experience compared to the Gem from NYC and the Breakaway from NYC. It was fast and organized, I was on the ship within 60 minutes of arriving at the port. The longshoremen will take your luggage, make sure you have printed out your luggage tags and affixed them before you hand over your bags. It's also customary to give them a cash tip. For me, it was $3 for one bag.
Studio cabins are small, centrally located. Fantastic places for solo cruisers, quite, studio lounge is lovely.