Biggest praise I can make for Voyager is that its premise is set up in a way that feels much more progressive than on DS9, which created a lot of conflict just by filling its cast with aliens. This trick was learned on TNG, which often used Worf and Ro for conflict because they too were aliens, with strange alien ideas. VOY, meanwhile, crafted its conflict on ideology alone – 'Maquis' and 'Starfleet' were just ideas, equally accessible at any time to any the show's characters, human or otherwise.
The setup of Voyager's pilot is my favourite detail in 90s Trek, because most of the hard work and exposition was done and shown to audiences before the pilot even launched. The trick had already been used in DS9's pilot, but this went much further.
We've got established characters. Locarno is reformed into Tom Paris without even a casting change to allow for some "joined the Maquis" inserted backstory and to save on royalties (sigh). Half-Klingon-half-Human biological/cultural issues have been done to death with both Worf and K'Ehleyr so Torres can quickly move to new ground. Native American Anthwara, nice-man-turned-fighter Macias, and Starfleet-turned-rebel Cal all contribute to Chakotay, so we don't need to waste time explaining his heritage, history, motivations, capabilities, or circumstances. We've already seen Vulcans and empaths and short white men caked in prosthetic as comic relief. Even our token teaser antagonist Evek has been seen five times before so we don't need to spend any time figuring out how dangerous/fun he is.
The ship, its functions, and its setting are also well-established – Voyager's bridge is a very nice blend of Defiant's cramped greyness and Enterprise's vibrant opulence so it's immediately familiar. We start off from the familiar DS9 and we know where the Badlands and the Cardassians are so it's not a shock when we're into the thick of it so quickly. And, since the last DS9 episode broadcast was 'Past Tense', we've established that everyone except Quark isn't on DS9 when the pilot happens so our crossover is short, sweet, fun, and mostly functionless, and I like that. All the time we would spend awkwardly acquainting ourselves with the cast is saved, and that makes VOY's pilot confident in a way the other pilots aren't, and that's a joy to see.
The story of the pilot? I don't love it, but that's fine. The character work is a bit clumsy in places but again, fine. The ending where the Maquis crew are adopted into Starfleet with new uniforms? That was probably a mistake, but it was damage that could easily be undone in later episodes when it was time to rekindle the conflict – and that conflict could include anyone. Here's hoping they don't forget to tap that potential...