Disorganized crew. Restaurant maitre'd and serving staff did not know the menus. Bar staff did not know basic cocktail terms (neat, up, dry, etc). Food in MDR and buffet looked good, tasted blah (knives in buffet were so dull every time that I could cut neither an Eggs Benedict English muffin nor a carved slice of roast beef). That said, both the food and the service in the specialty restaurants was top notch. Restaurant billed as 24 hours turned us away twice, claiming they were still setting up; the place was near-empty both times. Of the lounge/bars & restaurants advertised on the ship, 3 were not open or not serving the promised food menus. Pools closed at 8pm, not midnight as promised prior to embarkation. Some staff members were lovely, but most could barely mask the obvious distaste that they felt for the guests. Everything shuts down at midnight (except, of course, the so-called 24 hour restaurant), so if you are not an old fart who gets up at 5am, there isn't much fun in store for you. Most of the musical groups were dreadful and far too loud. It was difficult to find a place to enjoy a quiet, if badly made, cocktail. Cabin was kept very clean by a lovely steward, but it was really, really tight. It made me wonder how large people, or those with mobility issues can manage. High pressure salespeople from photographers to those in the shops. By high pressure, I mean that I was sitting somewhere, minding my own business, and approached on more than one occasion by someone with a heavy handed sales pitch.
NCL wasn't high on my list of cruise lines; I've never had a great experience with them. I took this cruise because it was going to the right destination at the right time. I won't be cruising with them again in future.