amygutman

Turning off my phone and spending time as a family...exploring the world as a family and making memories. The sounds and sights of the ocean are my happy places.

@Sydneyberlin thank you for your detailed and objectively fair review. From your pre-cruise postings you both were clearly excited for your first Haven even though it sounded like a terribly long trip to get to Miami. We appreciate the honesty and will take it to heart when we board the Encore in Sept for an Alaskan cruise. We love the Haven / suite experience on each of the NCL ships we have been fortunate enough to travel on, but there are definitely hits and misses each time. You are very reasonable in your concerns - and I have to say, the lack of proper entertainment across NCL is really disappointing. We love all different types of shows / venues when on a cruise, but only 1 show for an extended trip would not meet any reasonable expectation. In regards to the homophobic comedian, it's unacceptable. Full stop. There is a huge difference in poking gentle fun at large groups of people / stereotypes (why, hello...drinkers with walkers on a cruise? Shocking! 🤣) vs making you uncomfortable enough to actually leave a performance. I don't suspect from your postings that either of you are overly offended, and yes, comedians do push boundaries, but to have your audience leave because they felt attacked or unsafe is terrible. We cruise for fun but also to meet people, find out about their lives, their loves, their experiences. It's a big world full of different people and all should be welcomed warmly and openly (except Ohio State fans, of course...Geaux Tigers!). Thank you again, and I hope you had a safe trip back home! Warmest, Amy

@RocketMan275 it’s interesting the differences between personal experiences. Honestly, have yet to have been on a cruise in which we didn’t find someone who knew of / actively using CC. In fact, our last 10 or so cruises (even though we’ve not necessarily been involved in the meet and greets), we’ve always met up with people who are familiar with cruise critic, or recognize us from CC where we occasionally will post family photos from cruises (we are a very distinct looking family with my husband being a big burly Viking type). My TA searches CC as well as other sites for recs and reviews, as well as “heads up” on ship-specific info. He says he takes reviews with a grain of salt, but always pays attention to trends. warmest, Amy

Yes, well...we are guilty of "sneaking" in a diapered child once into a Disney pool ourselves so I feel that mom's pain. And I am glad to make you smile...that's the fun of cruise critic. Once you get past those who seem to have no agenda other than to critique posts (and posters), and get to the really useful information like "PPIs" vs "PVIs" (yes...it does involve Vomiting, usually adults, and always explosive). G-d bless those housekeeping crew - they do earn those gratuities! Warmest, Amy

I am so exited for you - first for the great cruise I am sure you will have and secondly to be in the Haven. However...0815 is a questionable time for a shuttle and I you should consider booking a later time. We were off very quickly today (I timed everything out of curiosity to compare against MSC's very efficient process for YC guests) and everything worked like clockwork: 0755 lined up in the Haven lounge with our luggage for self-disembarkation 0800 down the elevators where suite and Haven guests have priority disembarkation and are first to "key out" for security and to obtain passenger counts 0807 turned back at security desk as NCL owed us 200$ (paid in cash with paper receipt - delightfully old fashioned) 0816 back to re-scan our ship cards, then walked down the gangway to the very long terminal hallway to the customs area (which has elevators if you are in need) 0822 passed into the luggage holding area which we bypassed as we had our "carry-ons". If you have a US passport and your luggage you get sent to to the border patrol computer terminals, for a quick computer visual scan and off you go - anything else other than a passport you will have a different line to stand in and to pick up your luggage and I am not sure how long that takes 0827 out of the terminal 0829 boarded our hotel "stay and cruise" shuttle 0845 off the shuttle to our car, quick coffee stop 0941 back at home in Winter Park It takes about 45 - 60 minutes to get Orlando International Airport, but once at the airport exit, it can take 30-40 minutes to actually get to your terminal gate. Orlando traffic is notoriously terrible. I would suggest a later shuttle than 0815 - if the ship is late...your luggage gets searched, you have a payment issue, disembarkation is delayed - you will not make a 0815 shuttle. Hope my neurotic clock-checking is helpful, Warmest, Amy

Encore + Alaska + @justhappy sounds about perfect to me!

Some photos and thoughts to summarize this trip if anyone is thinking about booking on the Getaway or NCL in general. It was lovely meeting new friends, and @justhappy and her husband and friends could not even nicer. I’ve included a few photos of the Haven lobby, bar, and pool area so folks can see the outdoor dining that was so delightful. You can even see Alex and Lourdes at the Concierge just getting everyone ready for disembarkation. The staff in the restaurant, room attendants, pool crew,… Kind, funny, incredibly hard-working. This is something we’ve seen throughout the NCL brand, and it doesn’t matter what room, what floor, what venue. I know people have different experiences, but ours have 99% been positive. I know they have been entertainment cutbacks which are certainly disappointing, but the entertainment that we saw on the ship was outstanding. Posted below is a quick little video of the finale of The Million Dollar Quartet. Do not miss this show! I am not a fan of Elvis, Johnny Cash, or any of the singers portrayed in the show, but our whole family were on our feet, dancing and singing and enjoying this rocking good time. These actors are some of the most talented people I’ve ever seen on stage and Everyone in that audience was screaming for more. It was a fantastic vacation, and worth every penny to stay in a quieter area. I honestly don’t know if we would’ve had such a great experience if we had to contend with all of the crowding on the ship. That being said, in speaking with folks that we met on the ship and on the shuttle bus home, they said that yes, they had to wait for some venues, but they had a nice time overall. They said the main dining room said some of the best meals the’ve ever had. That’s pretty glowing praise. We have four NCL cruises coming up in four different parts of the world on four different ships. We are looking forward to all of them even more after this trip and hope we can convince @justhappy to share even a quick little post Alaska review as she will be on the encore with her family for weeks before we go on the encore for the same Alaskan cruise (yes, I’m begging 🥰🙌🏻). Warmest, Amy IMG_0335.mov

And the last photo above from the breakfast buffet is actually the coffee maker in our 2 bedroom stateroom. This is a different machine in the Haven then it is in the non-Haven rooms I believe from reading the other Tea options are English breakfast, chamomile, and jasmine but you can ask for whatever specific to you like if it’s not one of the options provided. I am an Earl Grey fan, and they delivered about six or eight to the room. @laumicmah was asking about the butler. Our Butler was Cyril, super nice, but I agree with @justhappy that it was difficult to have him not continually bring snacks treats to the room. He was so helpful with arrangements, late night snacks, and room service, but I always felt in someway we were offending him when we kept turning down the enormous amount of food he kept bringing us. Neil was our Butler and he made a special towel animal for our son every night. Our room was immaculate, and he, like Cyril, kept trying to do more for us than we needed. We do not need to twice daily cleanings, or the 2nd bed put away, turn down service, etc, but he was ever present just in case we did need some thing. Could not have been nicer and was one of our vacation heroes. Warmest, Amy

I know someone was asking about the restaurant: here is the breakfast buffet for the morning and a little sampling of items from the breakfast buffet. Tons of fresh made pastries and fruits and cheeses and meats and fish. There’s yogurt parfaits lots of little grab and go things.

Years ago, Vlogger Jim Zimm was on the Breakaway and did a comparison of the craziness of the pool deck versus the calmness of the Haven. I decided to do something similar for this trip. @justhappy has a wonderful live review of our Getaway April 26–May 1st out of Canaveral, and I will post this there as well. It certainly was a crowded and rowdy group of folks on the main ship. Sea days were definitely challenging to go to the Buffet or any of the events and I think that the general venue sizes of the atrium in Sid Normans were not well planned out for the size of the ship. I know the Haven is not for everyone, and it is certainly a heck of a lot more expensive than a balcony or even a regular suite, but as you can see in the video posted above, to us, for just that one reason alone, it is priceless. Warmest, Amy IMG_0327.mov

So sad to get off the ship - but 21 minutes from line up to outside the terminal even with being pulled aside because NCL OWED me 210$ 🥰. I’ll post a few thoughts to piggyback @justhappy but those interested here are the Day 1 dailies if you are getting on the ship! Warmest, Amy

That is honestly one of the craziest things I have heard. How can you forgo ALL specialty dining for a cruise for all but a few passengers? How big is that Expedia group? And good lord - to only find out when you got on-board? You are really lucky to have the YC dining, but consider those who really look forward to having a special night at a special restaurant. who are not in the YC - or perhaps are in the YC, but still wanted to have a special night out. Curious - if you had known this pre-final payment, would you have cancelled and re-booked? I suppose it's a matter of how important this is in the overall vacation planning. Warmest, Amy

I'll put in my 2 cents here - internet is somewhat spotty (have the premium plus as well), but other than some lag kiddo noticed on his youtube videos, no real issue in connectivity. I've been listening to streaming music constantly on my laptop without any problems. However, it has been a pain in the tush switching between devices. Love that on NCL you can have 1 package but switch between one device to another (in my case, my laptop to my phone) - on MSC you only can have one device total, no switching at all. However, on this trip have only been able to toggle my phone and laptop once. My show and ship photos that I wanted to share will have to be downloaded tomorrow on the way home as after day 1, could not activate my phone. Hope that is helpful - this is not a "starlink" ship apparently, and I think that should help even out any lag at all in the future. Warmest, Amy

Happy to report that we are finishing up a 5 might Getaway and both the French Press and the "regular" coffee (a single cup from the Haven kitchen, not 'pressed' at the table) was wonderful. That being said, I like my coffee strong so I can see that it may not suit everyone. It was definitely not gritty though and sorry to hear about that on other ships. Warmest, Amy

Same menu as inside for breakfast and lunch. Not sure for supper, honestly. The only downside of the outside area for breakfast is the breakfast buffet (which is AMAZING) is inside. Yes, you can go back and forth and it's only a few yards, but it's important to know. Night-and-day for ship crowding and rudeness today. 75% of pax are off-ship, and everyone left on-board are smiling, happy and gracious. No wait for the slides and main pool deck chair-hoggers were absent. The only issue was the temporary closing of the kiddie pool-play area due to a "diaper incident". Apparently a kiddo removed his "fully-loaded" diaper into the pool in a "PPI" ("public poop incident"). Parents were mortified - I was on the jogging track and witnessed the "poop explosion". Impressive to say the least. Learned a new tip from @justhappy and family today - we usually bring snacks and gifts for the crew (i.e. Amazon cards, phone cards, Tilipino, Asian and Indian snacks, socks, toothpaste and bathroom supplies, laundry detergent "balls", socks and pantyhose if anyone wants to know examples to bring on board), but she and friends went into Cozumel today and picked up sardines and spam. Swears they are proven happiness-maker for crew members. Who knew? I think it's fantastic and speaks to their kindness. 🥰 Yes...she is as happy as her name implies and a lovely human. Tons of cool people in the Haven - kids, young adults, older adults, couples, family. May I just say how cool our new Lake Nona Haven friends are - best nerdy t-shirts and travel stories, and helping keep our veterans safe and healthy when not seeing the world. Forgot to ask permission to post their names but they are awesome. Warmest, Amy

Not to step on @justhappy's review, but a few observations from today. It was a sea day and super busy. The decks and pools were packed, the buffet was a madhouse (kiddo came home empty-handed from his first solo foray out as the crowds were...well...too crowded), and the bars were overflowing with what seemed to be very rude and loud people. We saw one poor woman in a motorized chair trying to get off an elevator but people kept piling into the elevator not let letting her or anyone out despite us hearing her ask repeatedly for help backing-up her chair. The crew were working extremely hard and were so polite but I was really struck (not for the first time) by the difference between the Haven and the rest of the ship. Honestly though, even the Haven was uncharacteristically busy today - more people than i've ever seen on the deck even on Breakaway+ class ships. I think one of the reasons is the Haven restaurant is smaller then similar class ships (compensates with outdoor seating). Luckily, there was no fighting for Haven loungers (unlike by the pool and nearby decks where it was a madhouse), and everyone was smiling. Other than at the peak of lunchtime there was no wait for meals or drinks - and no problems getting a hot tub spot. Did have an amazingly terrifying time the ropes course. Highly recommended as it was so much fun, even though the wind was whipping. Yes, there was a wait but worth every minute. What I did not like was being weighed in public - yes...I understand the need to weight everyone for safety, but they actually put me on the "you must be this tall to ride" measuring board. Now really...I'm five feet tall and weight like a buck ten. I suppose it was worth the giggle to see if I was >48 inches but seriously...it was just mean🤣. Slightly queasy at the thought of looking at my "walk the plank" photo tonight at the photo studio which is bound to be horrible.. Looking forward to NOT getting off with the crowds tomorrow at Cozumel and experiencing a (hopefully) less busy ship atmosphere. Warmest, Amy

Beautiful photos. Aft balconies are so lovely - very tempting every time we make a booking but we love being in the Haven. Kiddo loves a quick trip from room to pool. After all of the amazing food this trip, I probably need to get more steps in!

@justhappy and family are lovely as her posts. I chose my embarkation shirt with her in mind 🥰 This ship is beautiful, but I miss my “what direction am I going in” fish. Small quibble. Muster drill was fantastic… We had watched the video so we walked on-board, they checked our muster station, scanned our card and we were free to go. Literally took 30 seconds. Enrolled our son in the kids club. Kiddo has some special needs due to ASD and often does not have a great time in the kids club due to this. The Entourage staff could not have been more accommodating - asking very appropriate questions, reviewed all of the activities that would be appropriate for his age / interests and made special plans to ensure that he has as much of a fantastic time is any other teen. As a mom, this made my heart sing. Plus, the added benefit of Alex as the Haven Concierge. He was on the Pearl for our Panama trip and one of the nicest human beings we’ve met. Other than missing the Falcon launch due to the storm, a great first day on the ship. Warmest, Amy

This is amazing, thank you so much! Hope you had a great time. Heads up … ship is not at 0 count yet. According to our shuttle driver the ship got in to port on time, but held up in disembarking. The pier is backed-up and slightly chaotic. warmest, Amy

That’s lovely!

If anyone is interested in more Spirit info, youtube travel vloggers Ben and David are on the ship now for the Hawaii to Alaska route. They usually start posting their ship reviews a week or so after their trip. We love their channel as they tend to pay great focus on the food and ship areas, including public and specific rooms. They give funny and honest reviews, are super personable and we look forward to these upcoming episodes. In 2025 June we are doing the return trip (Alaska to Hawaii) to celebrate our 20th anniversary and the Spirit looks just so lovely. Warmest, Amy

Fishlips Port Canaveral tonight …. Kiddo turned 14 and a great way to celebrate pre-cruise. safe travels everyone for tomorrow - so happy to be back on NCL and explore this new ship! Warmest, Amy

Great photos! And it’s awesome because it shows exactly on the ship where our room will be for our TA on this ship, I need to Europe back to the United States around next year. Plus, my past home, Bermuda looks just as beautiful as when we left it. Thank you for making me smile. I’m loving this thread so much for your sense of humor and information. It’s wonderful to follow. Have a great day, warmest, Amy

4 emails for us as well. Seems a bit odd, but I'll take email overload every day vs an in-person muster. Weather looks iffy for Weds' launch I agree but will cross fingers with you as well. Looking forward to exploring the Getaway - I love the familiarity of the NCL "brand" plus all of the excitement of a brand new ship for us. Honestly, with the exception of the Prima (which looks like a crowded spaceship furnished by Ikea), I can't think of an NCL ship we wouldn't sail on in a heartbeat. There are things we love more or less on each ship, but it's the adventure itself that keeps us coming back. 2 more long days at work...then let the fun begin! Thanks for keeping the excitement alive! Warmest, Amy

We saw this scheduled as well and are so excited! Our last cruise out of Canaveral we had gone to Kennedy Space Center the day prior but missed the actual launch as we (embarrassingly) fell asleep before 2000. From our condo in Orlando, we can actually see the launches so we get to experience the fun every time a rocket launches but it is thrilling each and every time. Even more reason to get excited for the cruise!!!! I am working every day until Weds, but dragged the suitcases out after work yesterday. It is a wonderful pleasure to drive and not have to fly to the port. Maybe we can all meet on the Haven deck to watch the launch and toast to "Space...The Final Frontier"? Warmest, Amy