Just returned from our first NCL voyage (Jewel, Alaska southern route), DW and I were very pleased. Our background: many RCCL cruises, several Celebrity and Carnival trips, one Princess cruise.
Things we really liked:
-Staff on this ship was very pleasant and eager to please (something we've seen declining on other lines)
-Food in the non-specialty restaurants (including the buffet) was consistently good, we didn't see the need to bother with the upcharge places.
-Ship was clean and kept that way throughout the cruise. No issues with non-bussed tables in the buffet or dishes left in hallways like we are seeing on other lines.
-Decent entertainers in the smaller ship venues- we never even made it to the big production shows!!
We realize that this is just one data point but this strong first impression certainly will lead to a second NCL cruise!!