We had not travelled Norwegian before; decided to give it a go.

Embarkation in Auckland was an absolute nightmare - by far the worst we have ever experienced. Apparently everybody was told to arrive at midday and the port facilities were completely overwhelmed. We had to stand in a waiting area for over an hour before finally being allowed upstairs to queue, again, for another 45 minutes to check in and get our cabin cards. We were only offered one glass of ice water during the entire time. Dear Norwegian, it is actually very hard for us older types to stand for such a long time.

The selection of restaurants / eating areas is amazing. O'Sheehan's is the best place for breakfast. The kitchen is right next door and our omelettes always came out piping hot. Having cruised many times it was very pleasant to receive food that is the right temperature. And hooray for decent coffee. Lunch and dinner, however, were more disappointing. The bar staff in the afternoon and evening were great fun. Also, the ship as a whole rarely felt crowded. The freestyle cruising and food options made an amazing difference to wait times. Teppanyaki was great fun. Cagney's was very nice indeed. The Asian restaurant Chin Chin was also very good. Bistro, the French restaurant, was a bit disappointing because the comfit duck was so overcooked it had become floury. Moderno was fun although the salad bar could have been better. We only ate in Aurura once, and weren't disappointed. We also ate in Tsar's once, and were happy with the meal.