notthatpaulyd

Hello Cruise Critic Community,

So I have been consuming tons of information from these boards ever since January when I booked this cruise. I now feel I owe it to the community to provide a review on my cruise and share any observations, tips, and thoughts that I had throughout.

But first, a little background.

My name is Paul, my girlfriend, Lindsay, and I have been on 3 cruises. We are both 28 (no kids), and fell in love with cruising on our very first voyage on the Allure in May of 2012. We had a less than great experience the following May on Carnival's Liberty, and were really excited to give a new ship and new cruise line a shot. Enter NCL Getaway. We booked her in January, through Expedia, and NCL provided us $100 OBC and a free Balcony Upgrade. Expedia gave me an additional $150 OBC for paying with a MasterCard. (for reference, NCL's was applied immediately and viewable on myNCL on day 1... the Expedia $150 was a "gift" that was left in the stateroom and applied to our account).

Our Cruising Style

We love spending time at the pool, beer in hand, and enjoying the activities, sun, and, the always entertaining, people watching. We also love the evening game shows and entertainment (and beer again :)). We had a long internal debate as to whether buy UBP or not... the new price of $59pp/day ultimately turned us off. It ended up being the right decision for us.

I am not a big of eating dinner with strangers, so I never enjoyed the traditional dining setup on our other cruises. On each of our prior cruises we primarily ate in the buffets, and mixed in a few specialties here and there. The idea of Freestyle Cruising was quite intriguing to me. We did not buy UDP (never considered it).

On the Allure, since it was our first cruise, we booked all excursions through Royal. On Carnival, we felt more experienced, and leveraged CC and Trip Advisor to book our own excursions. We mixed it up again this time around (more on that to come).

On to the review, I'll go day by day. I also have most (if not all) of the Dailies still, so if you have questions on that, or anything else, I'd be more than happy to help. I should mention I took no notes whatsoever, so I will likely forget things until a question is asked on it ;). This review will be relatively detailed.

Day 1: Friday, May 23 - Travel Day

Lindsay and I met in Miami, and lived there for 2.5 (me) and 5.5 (Lindsay) years, before we moved back to the NYC area. We hadn't been back since we moved, so we wanted to take an extra day and enjoy some South Florida sun. We also knew, from our living there, that Memorial Day Weekend can be a bit crazy in Miami Beach, so we decided to fly into, and stay in Fort Lauderdale. We woke up nice and early and über-ed it over to Laguardia, where we caught our 6:40am flight to FLL. Once we got our baggage, we took a quick cab over to our hotel. Based on some word of mouth recommendations, I booked an Ocean View King Studio at the Hilton Fort Lauderdale Beach Resort. The room, and the resort, were absolutely gorgeous. We had a huge kitchen, living room, bedroom, bathroom (with jacuzzi tub), and a huge wraparound balcony overlooking the beach and Fort Lauderdale.

We spent all day at the beach, and the pool in the resort. It was fantastic! We also walked down to the Beach Place center where we ate alligator and got cocktails at Lulu's Bait Shack, and picked up some last minute cruise items at CVS (including a case of water bottles to bring on board).

At night, we went to the famous Elbo Room, and enjoyed some drinks and live music in one of our favorite Fort Lauderdale spots. All in all, a great day, and a great night... followed by a great night's sleep in our beautiful hotel room.

Day 2: Friday, May 24 - Cruise Day 1

We woke up around 9:30am, packed our bags, said goodbye to our beautiful room, and went downstairs to check out a little after 10am. We asked the staff at the Hilton to grab as a cab, and within moments, we were on our way to the Port of Miami. The ride took about 45-60 minutes, and cost us $100 with tax and tip (of note, we were prepared with cash, but the Fort Lauderdale cabs (or at least the one we took) have been updated to include CC payment, which was a nice convenience). We left our bags with the porters, and made our way into Terminal C. We got through security pretty quickly, filled out our forms, got our cards, pictures and such, and then entered the waiting area. We were boarding group 8. We waited for maybe 30 minutes or so (they hadn't started boarding at all), and made our way onto the beautiful Getaway. As we walked from the Gangway to the ship, we were met with a warm welcome from the NCL team, including the washy washy ladies, and some party music. Great way to set the tone. We walked into deck 7, and were immediately in awe of the beauty of the ship. I couldn't believe the size of O'Sheehan's... it was huge. We made our way through the ship a bit, and took the stair up to deck 15 to check out the area we'd spend most of our time, the pool deck. We loved the layout, and were immediately calmed by all the concerns we've read about the small area. The adult pool, as I am sure you have seen, has a deep center section, and wide wading areas, flanked by hot tubs, bars, and a stage. We walked around and checked out the slides, which were over the kids / family pool area (which seemed plenty adequate), and then Facetimed with family to make them jealous!

We got some quick lunch in the Garden Café (fyi - the salad bar was delicious), and by 1pm, we learned that our staterooms were already ready. It was great. We made our way down to deck 9, where we met our steward Roy, and entered 9736, our forward angled balcony (on the bump out... thanks cruise critic!) and got settled in. This was the first time we booked a balcony on a cruise (ocean view on the last two) and were pleased with the size. We could see the smaller, neighboring balcony, but even with those, would have been satisfied. Our angled bump out did give us a bit more space to spread out. We definitely could have fit a third deck chair if we needed. We also thought the shower was the largest of any of the staterooms we have had thus far. It also featured a nice bar on the bottom that we assumed was for washing (or shaving for you ladies) your legs without hitting your head on the door when bending over. Lindsay wanted me to send an FYI to the ladies on here that there is no conditioner on the ship, just shower gel and shampoo. She wished she had packed it.

We did a quick unpack, and made our way back out to do a quick ship tour, and then ended up at the pool. We loved the connection to Miami, especially having lived there for a number of years.

I should mention that we loved being on deck 9. It was nice and close to the 678, and wasn't a terrible hike to the pool/buffet. We never once stepped foot in an elevator, and took the stairs everywhere we went without issue. We bought a few of the Sail Away drinks and hung out at the pool until about 3:30pm. The pool stayed pretty empty throughout the afternoon, and we comfortably got spots sitting on the edge of the pool enjoying the cloud free sun! After getting a few drinks, we quickly realized that "our bartender" would be the fabulous Terasta, who was working at the bar on the right (facing the bars). I threw him a larger tip on our last round, and for the rest of the trip, he remembered my name, my drinks, and always expedited my orders. Some may disagree with this strategy, but it's a strategy I believe in, and have always employed. I gave him a few drinks to try out his service, was pleased, and gave him an early "thank you."

After reading on Cruise Critic about the day 1 promo (20% off), we decided to pre-book premium seats at the Illusionarium, and chose the 5:30pm time. As I had read on here, the $29 was refunded back to me and I was charged the discounted rate. Since sail away was at 4:15pm, we got ready for dinner early, and made our way back up top for the sail away. We said goodbye to our former home of Miami and loved seeing South Beach in the rear view mirror as our voyage officially began. We toured the ship a bit more, and then got to the Illusionarium a bit early (4:45pm or so) and were one of the first groups to arrive. We didn't wait too long at all, as doors open 30 minutes prior, and were walked to a great table in the center of the venue right in front. We ordered drinks, confirmed that we were good to eat the steak and shrimp (a few of the guests we shared the table with said that they were allergic to shrimp, and the staff didn't flinch in making the accommodation). While we are here, I'll just mention that I personally enjoyed the three course meal, which was a salad, steak and shrimp, and desert. I know some have complained on here, and for that reason I certainly wasn't expecting the quality or presentation of the meal to be as good as it actually was. Anyway, on to the show... it was MINDBLOWINGLY GOOD. I don't want to ruin anything at all, so I won't say anything else on this outside of; if you do anything on the ship at all, do this. You will not regret it.

After the show, which ended around 7pm, we walked around the Waterfront area, and enjoyed a drink at the Sugarcane Mojito Bar. A lot of the bars had a small, and of course hygienically individual, container of bar snacks like trail mix. The Sugarcane had something more unique and was this delicious roasted corn thing. It was so good. I need to learn how to make this snack (or figure out where to buy it!).

We are big fans of the land version of Howl at the Moon, so we mozied on over to Headliners to check it out a few minutes after 8pm and discovered that it was already PACKED! And not like, the venue was too small packed, but this huge venue was filled with happy cruisers. We got lucky, and two seats were available at the bar, right near the front corner, giving us a great view of the pianists.

We spent our whole night here, singing along at the top of our lungs, and got our first two buckets of the cruise from our favorite evening bartender, Jane. The convenience of the buckets were a huge advantage of not having UBP. Throughout the rest of the ship, we almost only bought buckets (when buying beer). A bucket of six 16oz Miller Lites was only $31 (including the 15% auto-gratuity). That's eight cans of beer (assuming a normal 12oz can) at under $4 a piece. It was a great deal and a huge convenience.

OK - I have been writing for a while, and need to take a break for a bit! I'll continue to post more soon. I hope you are enjoying so far... please ask any questions you have!

With the Miami influence, I'm hoping there's a place to get cuban coffee on board. Does Flamingo Grill have it? Or anywhere on the ship...?

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Is it possible to exchange an excursion? Strangely, the one I wanted to book was not showing as available a few weeks ago so I booked similar one. I just happened to check myNCL again, and noticed my originally desired excursion is back as an option.

Definitely not the end of the world, but was wondering if this was possible / easy. Anyone know how / have any experience?

Can't use OBC for prepaid can you

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Anyone ever sail with Joel?

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1st it was a JOKE

2nd it was a joke about cruise line cabin size which EVERYONE knows are on the small side it was not a joke about kidnapping

3rd It was FUNNY!

4th we all know the comedy of Joan Rivers

5th Thin skinned people will always find a reason to be offended

6th if this joke got you that riled up you need to get a freaking life

+1

Go back and listen to the clip; she didn't "make fun of the girls..."

She made an overtly ridiculous comparison to the size of the room she was staying in to a widely publicized and well known / recent story of captivity.

Was it in bad taste? Yup. But who cares? It's a joke. (Just bc you don't find it funny doesn't mean it's not a joke)

"Eventually, we'll just sit around and nod at each other so that we don't offend anyone."

At the end of the day, NCL can do what they please. But the phony outrage that major media outlets are manufacturing is really what's despicable here. Based on what they are saying you'd think she's advocating for the kidnapping and rape of girls all over the country.

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Forgot to mention that the coffee at Carlos is Lavazza!

 

 

 

We walked around the decks for a while. I did some reading in Vibe, and we returned to the room to relax some. We had a 6:45p reservation for La Cucina (Italian), but we arrived a little early (6:30p) to finish in time to make the farewell show. They seated us right away with no issues, I don't' even think they were fully booked. We had a lovely meal, though we weren't very hungry.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

My bruschetta starter

 

 

 

 

My entree - Vegetable lasagna

 

 

 

La Cucina was possibly the most vegetarian-friendly specialty restaurant, as Italian usually is. A lot of pasta dishes do not feature meat. There were 3 or 4 options here for me.

 

 

 

 

Chris got - you guessed it - steak...

I'm excited to eat on the waterfront. Was it "hard to get" a table there? Or was it more the norm than the exception?

Great review.

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This has BEEN EXTREMELY HELPFUL! Your diary rocks! Leaving this Saturday. Wondering if the $20 per day/ per person for Vibe is worth it??? Please advise. It seems as if everything we want to do or partake in... costs!!! This "reasonable" cruise is adding up and costing about double from what we thought!

It's $79 pp for the week.

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Interesting discussion. I suppose mileage may vary by person.

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I know it's inherent with any cruise ship, but I feel like I'm reading a higher number of reviews for the Getaway mentioning that it was quite rocky or you that you could feel it moving a lot.

On the Allure it was like a parking lot, loved it. Carnival Liberty was a bit rockier (I understand the size impacts that...)

Anyway; anybody have an opinion on whether the GA is same, worse, or better based on average experience.

I'm not affected much but my GF can be a bit sensitive to motion sickness.

Thanks!!

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According to the booking info on myNCL for my cruise in a few weeks:

Illusionarium 90min

Burn the Floor 55min

Legally Blonde 90min

I haven't booked the comedy show so can't comment on that one sorry.

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Thanks! They should partner and get it on the ships :)

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NCL posted a pic from a port of a Fat Tuesday drink cup on their Facebook page yesterday. Anyone know what port has a Fat Tuesday bar?

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Tomorrow is 45 days out for me (!!) and I am starting to more seriously plan my evenings… I can't seem to find anything, including the kindly posted dailies, that indicate how long the Illusionarium, Burn the Floor, nor Legally Blonde shows are. Can someone help?

Never been on a NCL...Getaway will be my first but the only cruise ships I have seen Quest was on Royal Caribbean.

 

Shari & John

They had it on Carnival Liberty, and it was really quite awful as compared to the Allure (I suppose that's Apples and Oranges though).

Does anyone know how variable these are week over week?

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Thanks. Hope I can apply this to my existing December cruise on the Breakaway. I was able to do this 2 years ago when they had this promo. Was a big hassle but it paid off.

This would be great. I have a cruise on GA in May!

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Thanks for posting. Judging by this, all beers but Foster are eligible for UBP.

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Which one are you looking at? I'm curious for my sailing also.

I've read a lot about the $100 OBC included with the cabana... Is it just a folio credit or are there restrictions on what it can be used for? I plan on buying UBP and was wondering if this OBC could benefit us.

Thanks in advance!

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we did magen's bay last year. be sure you get off the ship ASAP and try to be among the first at that beach. you don't need an excursion, it's an easy taxi ride right over there and small fee to get in. taxis are right off the ship, they are trucks that take a good 10 people or so. it gets CRAZY busy by noon, like you can lose your children crazy.

Awesome. Thanks for the advice.

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Sure -

Booking through NCL means they won't leave without me, so that's reassuring.

I plan on hitting Orient Beach and Magen's bay at the other ports already. I hear they can't be missed, but haven't been to either island before.

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This is what is available in Bahamas... idk if any of them are any good though, reviews seem solid on myNCL

Athol Island Snorkel - $39pp, 2.5hrs

Board your powered catamaran for a narrated harbor cruise on the way to the snorkeling site off of Athol Island. While cruising around one of the most beautiful harbors in the world, you'll be briefed on historical points of interest as well as the homes of the rich and famous. Once at the snorkel site you'll discover the real beauty of the Bahamas. You'll snorkel in some of the clearest water you've ever seen. The friendly staff will guide you along the reef and highlight the fish that you see, answering any questions that you might have.

Seahorse Sail & Snorkel - $49pp, 3.5hrs

This tour offers the ideal combination of sailing and snorkeling. After a short stroll, you'll board your catamaran, which features a shaded lounge and spacious deck, for a cruise through historic Nassau Harbor en route to one of two spectacular reefs. Here, you'll see natural coral reefs teaming with the ocean's wildlife on a snorkel adventure. During your sail, you'll receive your snorkel gear and instructions from the knowledgeable crew, who will accompany you into the water to ensure your safety and enjoyment. Unlimited rum punch is offered after snorkeling, and a full premium cash bar is available at an additional cost.

Undersea Snorkel - $44pp, 2.5hrs

See the best of Nassau Harbor's oldest cities and its history while enjoying music aboard a double-deck 48 foot catamaran. When you reach the snorkel site, dive in and spend the next hour exploring the undersea world with a live colorful reef and where the fish can feed from your hands.