I took my wife and two teenage daughters on the Norwegian Dawn for our first ever cruise a few years ago after taking the kids out of school early before Christmas. We'd always wanted to go to New York so picked this cruise to get a bit of Christmas shopping in and combine it with a bit of sunshine. After two hectic days shopping in Manhattan we boarded the Dawn for a 7 night cruise down to the Bahamas. We opted for a cabin with a balcony for the wife and myself and the girls had an inside cabin opposite ours. Both were bright and spacious, although the bathroom could of done with being a little bigger. Another reason we chose NCL was because of the freestyle dining that they offer. As fist time cruisers we weren't keen on being fixed to a set time to eat in the evening. We were not disappointed. We all loved the fact that we could pick and choose from so many restaurants each evening. Word of advise though, make sure you book early for the more popular restaurants such as the Teppenyaki and Le Bistro to avoid disappointment. After dinner in the evening we would watch one of the shows, which were all excellent, it really was like being at a Broadway Show. Now, I normally hate that kind of entertainment but after being dragged along for a show on the fist night I couldn't wait for the next one! We had a fantastic time at the ports of call, especially in Orlando where we took a trip to Universal theme park. With it being early December the place was pretty deserted so no queing for any of the rides! Also had a brilliant day on Great Stirrup cay, which is NCL's own private Island in the Bahamas, the beach barbeque was fantastic! We have now cruised 3 times since, all with NCL and are looking forward to trying out the Gem in a few weeks time.