The ship is huge, but Norwegian does a great job of breaking up nearly all experiences (dining, etc) so that you don't feel that you are on a huge ship with over 5000 people. Disembarkation, which is poorly organized, is the one time you will feel how many people are on this ship. Freestyle experience is quite good -- many great foods available in the open dining areas (cafeteria style) with FANTASTIC Indian food available breakfast-lunch-dinner. Sit down regular dining is good. Specialty dining (Japanese steak house Teppanyaki, Cagney's Steak House, Los Lobos mexican) all very good food. Service, as far as drinks go, at specialty restaurants, is only good at Cagney's. Sit down regular service restaurants (Taste, Savor, Manhattan) drink service is pretty poor. In Garden Cafe (cafeteria/Lido dining) -- there is only one bar and it is at the far end. This area is also the ONLY place to get soft drinks (truly poor design!!). Also very bad choices -- pepsi products only. Very disappointing. Deck 15 Observation -- nice bar, and very nice afternoon tea -- but again, you have to walk to the very front area to get sodas. Poor design. While the tea food choices are great, the actual tea offerings (mediocre to poor Liptons only) are pathetic. Balcony rooms comfortable with great bathroom. Wonderful staff in Garden Cafe (especially the Taste of India), deck 10 housekeeping (Fernando) plus some good folks throughout the ship. Truly poor music choices in BBQ specialty place (Country - awful). And, appalling choices in music on upper deck -- extremely loud and no way to sit on your own balcony or to go to sleep at a reasonable hour with your balcony door open without being blasted with annoying Country or Salsa music. No music should be played where patrons cannot get away from it while cruising scenic views -- nor after 10 pm. I would have liked to spend time on the deck -- but even during daytimes --and even when music choices were good -- simply too loud. Shows (Havana, Jersey Boys, crew Talent Show) were all quite good. Such a shame that we don't get enough time in ports to explore them properly. Why even dock at Victoria after 4:30pm?

Cruising after/during Labor Day cut down on excessive children.