We loved this cruise!! We booked this cruise for my 40th Birthday, because we wanted to go to Egypt. Of course, a few weeks before the riots broke out there and we were informed the cruise would instead go to Istanbul. Istanbul? Ok, we just went with it. We had an inside cabin. We always book an inside cabin because we are only in our room to sleep. We have been on many cruises and this was our 2nd in the Med. The ship was uncrowded, which I have since determined to be directly relevant to whether or not you get good service. Our service was excellent, because the staff was not overworked. We booked our own air and spent 4 days in Barcelona prior to leaving. Barcelona was amazing, and we loved every minute of it. We stayed at the Le Meridien on Las Rambla and it was close to everything. Took the double decker tour bus one day and then went back to the places we wanted to explore the following days. Perfect. We boarded the ship as late in the day as possible to avoid the long lines. I was not in any rush to wait in long lines to get onto the ship just for a free buffet so we had a great lunch and by the time we arrived late that afternoon we walked right onto the ship. Regarding the ship... typical cruise ship. Everything is an up charge so you just have to watch it. We didn't like the casino though because they didn't have any real blackjack tables. I love to play blackjack and the tables they had all had automatic shufflers so the house's odds were too hard to beat. That was a huge let down. Other than that we found the staff to be great, they layout good, the entertainment to be surprisingly great and the food to be better than expected. I have celiac disease and after a few hiccups I was able to determine the best places for us to go. We ate a lot at the Mexican and Italian restaurants. Small upcharge and great food. We had our kids, ages 8/10. Not a ton of kids on the ship so they combined the age groups which was idea because our kids could be together. The cruise was great for them. They had the pool and hot tubs heated so we all did a great soak at the end of the day. I did get two spa treatments so I could use the relaxation room in the spa. WELL worth it! Our first port was Rome. We booked our own tour through www.LimousInRome.com and Roberto was FABULOUS. A huge savings from the ships fees and we got a private, great tour. No worries about getting back to the ship ontime, Roberto has you covered. It was a great day and we loved it! Our second port was Athens. I have no idea why the ship arrives in Athens so late as almost everything closes at 2. So... do NOT delay here and get off the ship the second you dock. We walked past the aggressive taxi drivers (they will follow you) and did the double decker tour bus. This was a huge mistake... the tour kind of sucks and you have to wait for it, missing precious time. We got to see the Acropolis and walk around a bit and that was all we had time for. I would have taken a taxi next time and maximized my time. Athens is a dirty city. I would not want to go back but everyone should go here once in their lifetime. Our next stop was Izmir Turkey. We did the ship's tour here. It was a good tour that took us to the home of the Virgin Mary and Ephesus. Both of these places were amazing. I could have skipped the rug factory. We were rushed through the first two places in order to make time for it. I am not going to pay thousands of dollars for a rug, but I guess it was a good little tour and my kids did enjoy it. At this point we were supposed to go to Egypt but of course, we were diverted. The ship's captain chose (of ALL places) Istanbul. I had heard a lot of things about Istanbul. It was quite the place and I am glad I went, but one day was MORE than enough! The first day we walked off the ship and walked directly left. If you keep walking (it is a hike) you can walk across the bridge that spans Europe and Asia. On the other side of the bride is where you can find the Grand Bazaar. It is a straight walk. Just go left on the sidewalk out of the port and keep walking. I am glad we walked it because my kids can say they walked from Europe to Asia and we did get more of the cultural feel. The Grand Bazaar is overrated. While there is a ton of stuff to see, it is a lot of counterfeit goods. I am not impressed by fake anything. Don't buy those things. We did buy some beautiful tablecloths that were hand sewn, but I found those in the shops that are outside the bazaar. I found a lot more authentic items there. Our second day we did the double decker tour bus and toured the Blue Mosque and Hagia Sophia. Definitely two amazing sites to see. Our last stop was Malta. EVERYONE wished that we had more time here. Dear Norwegian Cruise lines... EVERYONE wanted more time here!!! This was by far one of my all time favorite cruise ports. It was just magical. We did a horse and buggy tour first. It was kind of fun, but don't waste your time next time. After that we did the double decker tour bus. This is a must do... not for the tour on the bus but because it takes you through the amazing city up to the castle. YOu have to go to the castle! WHen you walk all the way through it, at the end there is an amazing view of the entire island of Malta. This was just awesome and I wish we had more time here. Debarkation was a breeze. Sad to leave the ship. This was by far my favorite cruise of all the ones we have taken. The only thing I would change is the duration of the time in Istanbul.