This was our first cruise and overall it was a great experience. Perfectly suited for this itinerary where you get a snapshot of each port. Weather was fabulous this time of year...hot and sunny every day. Ports were all quite congested, especially Santorini since there were at least 4 other ships in port that day. We did not purchase a dining package, so therefore only ate in the restaurants that were included in the fare. Overall the food was good quality and there was lots of variety, and lots of options. Inside room was as expected....very small but adequate for the time we spent in it. We didn't go to a single show at night so cannot comment on the quality there, however there was a great rotation of live artists in various parts of the ship that we did enjoy. The ship's "house band" was probably my least favourite, however the rest of the entertainers were top-notch. Service was excellent in all areas of the ship. Yes, there were lineups at the bars for drinks, but no big deal. Embarkation and disembarkation went very smoothly with little to no wait time.

Biggest disappointment was that we missed our last port, Florence, due to mechanical issues. Instead of going to Florence, we went back to Civatevecchia for the day and overnight. Quite the surprise to wake up in the morning and find we are not in Florence. Norwegian offered a free shuttle to the train station for those who wanted to go into Rome, as well as a $100 onboard credit per cabin. Unless you go into Rome, there is nothing to offer in Civatevecchia, and the port itself is quite ugly.

I would do this itinerary again as most ports were worth seeing again, with the exception of Crete. Not sure why they included this one...only there for 5 hours, the port city isn't worth seeing and it wasn't long enough for most excursions. Would be a great day to stay on the ship!