amygutman

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

We cruised the Panama Canal in December in the DOS. Essentially, expect all of the standard "Haven" perks, but without a Haven restaurant. If you are in the DOS you should also get three bottles of alcohol (they will give you a list to choose from). You will have breakfast and lunch in Cagney's or Moderno's as there is no "Haven" restaurant - there is no dinner "restaurant" which is a bit of a bummer, but the specialty dining (and honestly, every restaurant choice) is pretty darned good. Depending on what Latitude level you are, you may also get additional perks, but the basic suite perks from the CruiseMummy website are: Priority embarkation when you cruise, with a personal escort onto the ship, Priority boarding with a personal escort at every port of call, A distinctive keycard to show that you are a suite guest, The services of your own butler, 24 hours a day, including unpacking for you and pouring you Champagne, Champagne, bottled water, fruit, sodas and a custom selection of liquor provided in your suite, A Nespresso coffee machine and Tea Forte tea bags provided for your use throughout the cruise, 24-hour room service included, Invitations to exclusive breakfast and lunch events with other suite guests, A cocktail party with the ship’s officers, The option to have speciality dining meals delivered to your room from any restaurant on the ship (though you still have to pay for the food), Complimentary treats delivered to your door each night, such as chocolate-covered strawberries, A special Bliss Collection by Norwegian mattress topper for an even more comfortable sleep, Luxury bed linens including a feather duvet and a pillow menu, so you can choose the pillow(s) that suits you best, Plush bathrobes and slippers to use during the cruise along with oversized bath towels, A selection of luxury bath products We LOVED our DOS with large balcony and hot-tub. The service / room attendants were amazing and it was an incredible trip. The Pearl is beautiful and never felt crowded. It is not a "bells and whistles" ship, but it suited our family including our 13 yo son perfectly. Happy sailing! Warmest, Amy

I second this. We actually have a small suitcase packed with Filipino, Thai and Indian snacks for our Getaway cruise crew next week after hearing about how much our last cruise crew missed these little tastes of home. All snacks individually wrapped so no worries about being confiscated. The only "food" I bring for personal consumption are individual non-dairy creamer packets. The almond milk brand NCL stocks has a nasty aftertaste, so I just bring my own. Warmest, Amy

So excited to be following along on this and the other Epic thread for the TAs. We will be on the Epic next November for a TA and incredibly excited for this bucket list trip. Thank you in advance for all of the information especially in regards to the electronics as we always struggle with what to pack. your posts are always wonderful. Details and thundering and thank you in advance for sharing with the CC crew. Warmest, Amy

Last time we were in the Pearl and Escape spas for pedicures they did not have flip-flops for free. They had post pedicure slipper type things, but they are thin plastic and not appropriate for a spa - way too thin and slippery. I’m sure if you didn’t want to pack flip-flops you could get them at the gift store, and they did have them (I don’t recall if both men’s and women’s) for sale on the Pearl. Hope that helps! Warmest, Amy

@justhappy completely agree that "more is merrier". I don't know about you, but in between cruises, I haunt these boards just to get my "cruise fix" in. Although it's not exactly as good as cruising, it's certainly awesome to tag along to everyone's great (or not so great, or perhaps even bad) experiences. Looking forward to meeting what sounds like a very friendly crew in a week...5 shifts to go! Whooo!!!! Warmest, Amy

We were laughing as well...but it is a testament to how clean the MSC ships are (we felt like they should have stickers on those mirrors like they do for birds on buildings to avoid the collisions). 🐦 And yes - the dreaded "oh no...we have to talk to each other at mealtime" does happen at least until we order. That is a a standing rule in our household. We treasure that 5 minutes of interaction with our kiddo. @cruiseny4life DH Mike is from Oneonta and went to Fredonia - we met in Cooperstown. I'm sure we can trade some NY stories! Warmest, Amy (the klutz)

Former Bermuda resident here... Go for the taxi every time. The taxi drivers are awesome and generally throw in some very cool stuff to see in Bermuda. You meet some great local people and they're also fantastic for local tours. There is no "bad beach" in Bermuda. It has some of the prettiest water you'll ever see in your entire life. Our favorite is John Smith Bay. It's small, pristine, has a little park right next to it and aside from holidays is never busy. There are clean bathrooms and a local BBQ place that is not the quickest but it's incredibly fresh. It's also right on a bus route if you prefer to do a bus. Horseshoe is wonderful, Elbow is wonderful, any place on the South Shore (or...honestly, the North as well) is wonderful, but we will take John Smith any day of the week. Have a wonderful time! We miss our Bermuda home and cannot wait to go back. Warmest, AMY

Thank you so much for doing a live review. These were so helpful to us when we were choosing a cruise out of Canaveral. We love the NCL "brand" - having been on large and small NCL ships, and like the familiarity of knowing the basic layout and expectations. The Getaway is particularly interesting to us as it's a really different looking ship but still has everything in the Haven that makes cruising so special. We are going to be in the Haven with you and your friends for the same sailing. Our son's birthday is today (14 years old!), but we are celebrating it with gusto next week on this cruise. We live in Orlando so it's a 45 minute trip to the cruise terminal. To get into cruise-mode, we stay at the Springhill Marriott Port Canaveral the night before and take advantage of the park and stay rate from the hotel that includes hotel night, breakfast, parking for the entirety of the cruise and a shuttle back and forth (runs every 15 minutes). Reading all of the prior live reviews helped us commit to the Getaway vs other ships. We've had 2 recent MSC Yacht Club cruises (and one more later this summer left over from Covid funds) that were good, but not great. The Yacht Club is a wonderful product but honestly, it's the Yacht Club staff that are excellent not so much the ships which are a bit "European Fancy" for us (we were bruised multiple times from smacking into the mirrored walls on both ships). Very excited to return to NCL and looking forward to meet our fellow passengers! Just look for the big bearded Celt, the short terrible postured wife, and the ever growing teen glued to his phone. 🙂 Warmest, Amy

Loved, Loved, Loved the Dawn. And here's the thing - we are "Havenites"...it's our favorite way to cruise and the Dawn does NOT have a Haven. LOVE the Haven on ships with their own pool and restaurant just for the safety aspects (kiddo is not a strong swimmer and the private pool is a wonderful perk for him), and convenient indulgence of having the staff really know you well. So, we booked the Dawn in 2019 for the itinerary out of NY where we lived at the time and indulged in a DOS with TWO balconies - it was HEAVEN. Yes - not having the private pool was disappointing, but in the grand scheme of things, having the wonderful suite staff, an amazing room, the "Haven experience" for breakfast and lunch, plus all of the other suite perks was fantastic. The ship - beautiful, elegant. Showing her age? A little bit. But it was charming and we loved not fighting to get into venues / shows (like I understand is the norm on the Prima), and tons of activities. Here we are upside down (darn it...can't fix it) enjoying the most amazing balcony. Make your own decision, but try not to let the naysayers sway you. Warmest, Amy

So very excited to read this and will be following along eagerly. We will be doing the transatlantic on the Epic next year and cannot wait to hear details of your experience. Thank you so much for getting us excited for our first transatlantic!!! Warmest, Amy

It’s funny, when all the cruises were canceled for Covid, I had hoarded some of the Haven toiletries. I used to take them out every now and again, and just smelling the scent brought me back to my favorite place to be, the ocean, and in a Haven. On our first Haven post-Covid, they had changed the toiletries completely. Made me a bit sad and nostalgic. It’s lovely seeing that green bottle again! Warmest, Amy

This...this is BRILLIANT!!!! Warmest, Amy

The Easter display looks wonderful!

Following along with interest! Have a great time in Bermuda...it's our favorite place in the world. Warmest, Amy

Aside from any cruise ship requirements, I wholeheartedly echo obtaining extra notified copies of birth certificates, and not just passport cards, but actual passports for the entire family. As a physician who has worked in multiple locations overseas, arranging emergency medical transport is incredibly complicated and can lead to delays or inability to transfer without definitive proof of citizenship (and insurance). Take photos of all documents and keep on your phone and in a cloud for easy access. Make sure someone at home knows your phone and cloud passcodes. In a pinch, the US embassy can usually help expedite travel with a letter from the consulate allowing travel back to the US. Yes, I know your main focus is in boarding / disembarking the ship, but I am a "worst case scenario" type of gal ... and I've unfortunately seen many "worst cases". Now, with all that gloomy advice, I hope you have a wonderful trip! Warmest, Amy

Happy Easter and Happily Following! On The Encore in 168 days for an Alasakan cruise and cannot wait to get the "Bird's Eye View" 🦩😃. Have a great trip! Warmest, Amy

We were silly and spent the whole first day waiting to use the hot tub because we didn't know we could turn it on / fill it ourselves. There will be a spigot - flip it backwards and "voila" - literally the easiest thing to do. So - if not filled, turn on the spigot immediately as it takes a while to get to "start those bubbles" level!!! Have a wonderful cruise - will be following you here and on the NCL Boards for the B2B! Warmest, Amy

@vacation44 I booked Feb 7th for an April 26th cruise = 78 days. Usually excursions are posted at 120+ days so it was a bit of a wait. The pre-concierge and shore excursion staff said the villas are not showing up until about 60-80 days but unsure why. @rather be in Hawaii As for the cost, I agree...it's not cheap. With discounts, shore credit and some credit $ from our TA, it was about 550$ for the day (I believe 799$ without discounts). We literally spend all day there, so for a 7-8 hour day, that's 68-78$ an hour. If we were to do an GSC family excursion + zipline, it would also add up to a pretty decent expense. It is a huge splurge, but we usually find someone / family to share our fun with for the day. It spreads our good fortune and a great way to make good friends. Good luck on your villa search...it's definitely an (expensive) personal choice, but one we look forward to and we are always on the lookout for awesome people to share! Warmest, Amy

Well...that gives me a place to start the hunt. Much appreciated. After reading this thread, I hit Google for past NCL logos and had a fun time watching the evolution. The more "plain block" font is now favored by many brands and there is lots of discussion online re: "brand blanding". Super interesting (for those geeky enough to appreciate such dives into brand psychology). Warmest. Amy

YES!!!! My apologies if I did not update the boards. Kept my eyes out twice daily checking the listed excursions, then finally the bookings for all of the cabanas and villas showed up. We booked a "basic" villa - no bedrooms (which we do not need), and this will be our splurge for the cruise. Glad we jumped on them; they went from being posted, to only the 2 bedroom available within about 5 days (at 1299$ ...lord have mercy). Not sure if we are sharing GSC with another ship as I cannot imagine all but one of the villas being booked by one ship. The pre-concierge actually called me the day after I booked to make sure I was happy with the one we chose. Thought it was a very nice touch. Any luck on your end?

You are giving me such happy Bermuda vibes with these photos. I miss our BOT home so much and love watching the port cam to see all of the activity. 😇

We printed out the PDFs that printed out for our family (1 for each family member with their specific identifiers at the top of the page) and presented it to the check-in agent with our etickets. Worked fine, and no delays in check-in. Agent stated that these forms can be filled out at the time of boarding as well. Warmest, Amy

Thank you for the very interesting and well balanced review. You gave both the positives and negatives and come away with a great decision to continue on with your cruising adventures. I think people are often swayed by one bad experience on one ship and apply it universally to all ships whereas yours may have been a very specific experience on a specific ship due to what sounds like a very inattentive Butler / YC staff. Make sure that you do fill out the survey you receive from MSC. Because you also have access to a pre concierge via email, I would send them a specific e-mail detailing your concerns. In the future, related to your requests that were not fulfilled, never forget you can go in real time to the Yacht Club hotel manager / Director and have those concerns addressed. If they are still not addressed, then that would be a very good indicator that you need to perhaps take your next cruise on a different ship / line. Thank you again for the informatively detailed review, Warmest Amy