NCL with 18 month old

[Olive]

I posted about this briefly on the NCL board, but was hoping for more responses from the kids & family crowd over here. We have just booked on the Gem for next January, when our son will be a year and a half. We have never been on Norwegian, so we don't know too much about what to expect other than brighter colors and more kids, which is great with a baby. Can anyone provide some insight? We really wanted to leave from NY, and only the Gem and Jade were leaving from NY in January, and we preferred the itinerary on the Gem, so that is pretty much how we ended up booked on it. Also, a coworker just sailed on the Gem's Christmas sailing and enjoyed it very much. We booked an AE aft penthouse (9172 or 9170, can't remember which because we have switched back and forth). The balcony looks kind of shallow but could totally just be the way the pictures were taken- will it be okay with a baby? Does anyone know roughly what the dimensions are? Is there a child lock on the balcony door? Is there decent space in the cabin for the three of us, and in the bathroom to bathe him? We were thinking it might make sense to eat with him in the cabin some nights. Were the butlers pretty accommodating? Do people recommend those inflatable pools for the balcony? I don't think he will be able to go into the kiddie pool onboard because I doubt he will be potty trained in a year. And did you bring your own pack n play or just use theirs? Sorry for all the questions. I'm a little nervous about our first family trip. One set of grandparents is joining us (in the adjacent cabin) so we will have some help, but mostly I want to know if this cruiseline and ship are a good fit, and if we made a good cabin choice. We are pretty excited, so I am hoping your expertise can allay my concerns.