This was our first cruise with NCL and our first freestyle cruising experience. I previously sailed with both Carnival and Royal Caribbean on the same 3 night Nassau itinerary. I traveled alone with my 8 year old daughter to start her Spring Break vacation (my husband hates cruising, but that doesn't stop me). Timing is everything when cruising and some of the reviews on this site are bad merely because of things beyond the control of NCL. We had a wonderful cruise and lucked out with perfect weather. Boarding the ship in Miami was quick and easy. My husband dropped us off at the port, so as to save the $20.00 per day charge to park your car. Upon boarding, the photographers take a few welcome aboard photos and then you are free to help yourself to the buffet and to start exploring the ship. Cabins are ready around 2 pm and luggage arrives shortly after. The concept of freestyle cruising is genius! No worries at all and no reason to wear a watch while aboard, except if you want to see a show or participate in an activity. Aboard the Sky you will find casual dress and casual dining. Participate in as much or as little as you like.

FOOD: Buffet is basic, but enough choices for everyone. If you decide to dine at one of the more upscale reservation needed restaurants, be prepared to be charged a surcharge. On the last night my daughter and I decided to try the Italian restaurant called Il Adagio. The food and service is a step up from anything else offered on the ship. That old saying, "you get what you pay for," is certainly applicable here. There is ample food selection on the Sky & quality was slightly above average. We ordered room service for breakfast on Saturday and Sunday, so that we could get a jump start before everyone else to debark and enjoy our day. It pays to be the early bird. Not a lot of food choices, but enough to hold us until lunch time. CABIN: Overall, the ship was pretty nice considering its age. The ship was the prefect size ship for a 3 or 4 night Bahamian cruise. The cabins are on the smaller side, but more than enough room for me and my daughter. The bathroom is tiny. We are tiny, petite girls and I had a hard time imagining some of the people we saw aboard being able to use the shower! We had a cabin with a balcony, which we absolutely loved and was worth the extra money. Our cabin was in the front of the ship. There's only 1 outlet at the desk and 1 in the bathroom. Charging electronics, cell phones, and camera batteries is challenging, but I managed. There was a hairdryer in the desk drawer, but I ended up using the one I brought. There's a bucket of ice, which is always restocked for you, a large bottle of water and a stocked mini bar. The 2 room stewards were great, attentive and they enjoyed surprising my daughter with towel animals every time we left the cabin.

ENTERTAINMENT: The on board entertainment was excellent and kid friendly. Two of the nights were all ages show. The cruise director, Matt Baker, was the best I've ever experienced. He's multi talented and he really knows how to do his job. He's high energy all the way and you can tell he goes all out to make the passengers feel it. He'll be a hard act to follow, since he announced that he will soon be leaving to another NCL ship out of NY to Bermuda. We both enjoyed the comedian/magician Rich Purpura. He invited the kids back the day after the show to learn how to do some magic tricks. Of course I ended up purchasing his dvd and magic set for my daughter! Read more