Get Savy or sit

Get Savy Quick or sit in your rooms. 
Free style cruising for the first timer has a sad learning curve to it. 
Here is our experience. 
All dinning and entertainment, even tenders were booked solid soon after we walked onto the ship. Your to use the ships app or the interactive TV in your room to make reservations for "everything". 
Keep this in mind, there is NO PUNISHMENT for over booking diners or entertainment. 
A savy or gluttonous cruiser books multiples of everything. He knows now he has plenty of choices all day, all night, or all week long to enjoy. 
The UN-SAVY cruiser will see no shows (entertainment) and will probably eat buffet style  meals every day. 
Note,,,  If it's just the two of you cruising, booking is even tougher on only 2 guest. So when making reservations book them for 4 guest, this I heard worked. 
 My wife and I tried a standby status for this high-end restaurant. Hostess lady said we had a 3 hour wait.. Ugh..  We were about to leave when some friends of ours walked in, they booked a large group for 16 but 2 couldn't make it so we joined. While looking around in the restaurant I noticed 50% empty seats.  This made my blood boil. I asked the waiter why, he said for people that made reservations. Our dinner took approximately 1 hour thr restaurant was still half empty. Right then I realized what people were doing. 
My thoughts. 
NCL should impose a $10.00 per person no show penalty. This might help give others a great vacation experience too.  
So until then, get Savy or sit in your rooms. 
I'm not saying be like the other dirt bags, book as early as the cruise line will allow you to. 
My 5 time experience with Royal Caribbean 5☆
My first time with NCL 2☆ 
We will never cruise NCL ever again even if they offered us a free cruise.