The Ship was way too large, having 4000 passengers. It seemed the hallways were narrower also. The common areas were smaller, all of which leads me to believe the smaller areas allowed for more cabins, thus more $$$ by allowing more passengers. The Shows were always booked to capacity requiring reservations well in advance to get a seat. Long lines at the three dining rooms, and the buffet on deck 15 was always crowded. We are used to Ships half the size (and capacity), that allows us more room to move around when the Ship is docked, as we usually wait for most to leave the Ship first (on tenders and on tours). This Ship seemed crowded even while in Port. Tender tickets had to be reserved the day before, and they called for 15 tenders(those having ticket #15) before opening up the tenders to anyone without a ticket.
The food was good, and we ate in two specialty restaurants (Cagney's and Moderno) as a perk for being Platinum Members. Cagney's was exceptional, however Moderno's was a disappointment-food was bland, cold, and not presented in a timely manner.
We booked the Cruise due to the incentives, Pre-paid gratuities, and Ultimate Beverage Package along with aforementioned dining options. It cost us less than a 7 day Cruise for this 11 day Cruise.
We probably won't book another Cruise on NCL out of New Orleans as long as the Breakaway is here. The sister Ship, Getaway is coming to New Orleans in 2019 to take Breakaway's place but since it is the same size, we will book Carnival or Royal Caribbean before a Cruise on one of these Mega Ships again.
