Overall great cruise. It has been over 10 years since we cruised with NCL - some things were better than other cruise lines, some things could use improving. So here we go...
We drove to the cruise terminal. It was easy to find. You drop your bags first and then park. Arrived at ~1:00 pm for a 4:00 pm departure. It was not that crowded. Short walk. Parking is $17/day.
Embarkation - it was not crowded on the outside because everyone was in line on the inside. Took about an hour to get on the ship. It kept moving. Not sure why it took so long - but it was the longest we've ever been in line. The Cuba VISA was ready for us - that worked out great.
We used NCL's upgrade bidding process to go from an interior cabin to the balcony. I kept an eye on how many empty balcony cabins were available. Ended up submitting a bid of slightly below average (on their meter) and got a great balcony. Saved over $300 compared to booking this cabin directly. Cabin was clean and location was great.
Explored city on our own - it was our second time there. Duval street is a dump, but we were able find a great restaurant off the beaten path. Had a great visit.