Jump to content
Cruise Critic Community

apietros

Members
 View Profile  See their activity

  • Posts

    164

  • Joined

 Content Type 

Posts posted by apietros

    Okay so I'm a dude whose never been to the spa, but now I have a spa pass. Help.

    in Norwegian Cruise Line

    Posted

    I have a spa balcony. Do I kneed to be prepared for hand to hand combat to secure a heated tile lounger?

     

    Do people pee in the spa pool/hot tub as much as the ones up on deck?

     

    What are all the things I can use without having to spend any $? I got the spa balcony on a GTY deal and have no interest in treatments or anything....would never book a spa balcony on its own, and after 6 cruises on the BA have never even set foot in the spa.

     

    I've never been in the thermal suite, but love your questions! LOL!

    Garden Villa keycard question

    in Norwegian Cruise Line

    Posted

    For all practical reasons - this stateroom is a shared facility.

     

    You could shut each cabin door and slide a latch for privacy.

     

    From what I understand any one key fits all the doors.

     

    Access to this stateroom is either by elevator (key card required)

     

    or by the stairs adjacent to Cagney's again the key card is

     

    required for entry.

     

    The two Garden Villa's staterooms share a common foyer on

     

    deck 14 with individual key cards.

     

    On the GEM class ships two staterooms on deck 15 share

     

    a common stairway (no elevator) and the same common foyer

     

    as the deck 14 suites with key card access.

     

     

     

    As with any cabin arrangement on the ship if more key cards

     

    are necessary this can be arranged with the Guest Services

     

    desk - these cards are only for access only and not for on board

     

    account expenses etc.

     

     

     

    On the ships with the Haven suites - restrictions may apply !

     

     

     

    For more detailed or personal arrangements contact NCL

     

     

     

    And of course the Cabin Steward Butler and Concierge have access.

     

     

     

    Thank you for your detailed reply! Much appreciated!

     

     

    Sent from my iPhone using Forums

    Garden Villa keycard question

    in Norwegian Cruise Line

    Posted

    Hi friends! Question on keys for the Garden Villa — I know there are 3 bedrooms with 3 locks, but can you get a keycard that opens up all 3? We are traveling with our sons and they will each be in a separate bedroom within the Villa, but I want to be able to open all 3 rooms with my keycard. TIA!

     

     

    Sent from my iPhone using Forums

    Getaway 1/14/18-1/21/18 Review: Haven, Birthday, and Scuba

    in Norwegian Cruise Line

    Posted

    Never done a review before, but first time for everything, yeah? This was my second NCL cruise, the first one was last year on the Escape where we stayed in a mini-suite. Since this was for my 30th birthday, we decided to go all-out and stay in a Forward-Facing Penthouse Suite!

     

     

     

    Ports

     

     

     

    Honduras:

     

     

     

    In Honduras we did the NCL two-tank scuba dive tour. The equipment was acceptable, but definitely a bit old/well-used. Interestingly, the tour company didn’t include any snacks (but did have fresh water); fortunately, I came prepared with some boxes of cereal from breakfast. The tours we did were gorgeous: Romeo’s Elbow and Mary’s Place. Mary’s Place was stunning; my husband said it was possible the best dive he had ever done. Just gorgeous coral and a really fun tour!

     

     

     

    Belize

     

     

     

    I’m not going to lie, I wasn’t super interested in Harvest Caye. It’s a very manufactured island; beautifully manicured and obviously fake. However, there is a large beach and pool which is great since the pools on the Getaway are tiny! We didn’t do any excursions, just mostly walked around and then hung out on a mostly-empty ship, which was nice!

     

     

     

    Costa Maya

     

     

     

    Here, we did the NCL Kohunlich & Dzibanche Ruins Combo. There was a 2.5 hour drive to the first ruins, then 45 minutes to the second, then two hours back to the ship. We were late getting off the ship for clearance, and so we ended up being late to the ship for all aboard (but since we booked through NCL, the ship was held for us). We barely got to see the ruins at all; they were gorgeous, but I just wish we had more time! So while I would totally do the ruins again, I’d probably do them through an actual trip to Mexico instead of trying to fit it all in on a cruise excursion. I had also wanted to check out the local wares, but since time was cramped we weren’t able to, which was disappointing.

     

     

     

    Cozumel

     

     

     

    Here we did the NCL two-tank dive; while Roatan was the prettiest dive, these dives had the best wild life! We saw two enormous turtles, a nurse shark, an eagle ray, and five lobsters. It was pretty spectacular; would definitely dive again! I’d have to check my log book to remember where the dive spots were (if I don’t unpack, that means I’m still on vacation, right??). The equipment here was much nicer, and they did have snacks offered between dives. Afterwards, we wandered the town a bit and bought some crafts and amazing tequila (there was one store we went to that had tastings, and we got this amazing almond tequila and vanilla tequila).

     

     

     

    Productions

     

     

     

    Cirque Dreams and Steam

     

     

     

    The food was classic wedding fare; I know people complain about the food here, but the fact of the matter is when you’re trying to serve a hundred people at the exact same time, this is more or less what you’d get. The filet mignon was “medium to medium-rare.” I had a perfect medium-rare steak that was great, but my husband had an okay medium steak. But we’re not really here for the food! While dining, the performers are walking around in very elaborate and gorgeous steam-punk styled costumes, and the actual performance was phenomenal! Two aerial acts, an equilibrist, some juggling, various acrobatics, and the tiniest cyr wheel act I have ever seen. My only complaint is I wish the woman on the cyr wheel had more time--she was amazing!

     

     

     

    Burn the Floor

     

     

     

    So this is a bit embarrassing; we were so exhausted that my husband and I fell asleep halfway through! However, the dancing was phenomenal (for what we saw of it!) Would definitely recommend, and I wish I had a chance to see it again while awake!

     

     

     

    Million Dollar Quartet

     

     

     

    This was absolutely fantastic! All the performers were amazing, and the fact that the music was live by the performers really made the show stand out. Highly recommended!

     

     

     

    Specialty Restaurants

     

     

     

    Teppanyaki

     

     

     

    It’s hibachi, and if it’s good hibachi, then it’s the same as hibachi everywhere. We had done this on the Escape as well, and the food continues to be tasty and the chefs continue to be fun. We had the filet mignon and shrimp and they were great, as always. Do recommend.

     

     

     

    Cagney’s

     

     

     

    I had heard such great things about Cagney’s, but honestly we were quite disappointed. The crabcake and pork belly appetizers were nice, but nothing to write home about. The steaks were a downright disappointment. I had the filet mignon while my husband had the porterhouse; I’ve never had a more tough filet mignon in my life (and it was medium-rare). We’re honestly a bit baffled as to how this happened. We had the raspberry creme brulee desert and it was okay. Would not recommend.

     

     

     

    Ocean Blue

     

     

     

    On the Escape, Bayamo was our favorite restaurant, so we had high hopes for Ocean Blue. It was certainly good, but not worth the $15 upcharge to the Specialty Dining Package. While I could see us doing it again, we wouldn’t use the dining package, we’d just pay a la carte (it comes to about the same a la carte as, say, Le Bistro). I don’t recall what my husband had for the appetizer, but I really enjoyed the lobster bisque. I also don’t recall what we had for the entrees, but they were also very good. This was where we went for my birthday, so instead of desert we had the cake that was presented to me for my birthday; I’ll talk about that later. Would recommend, but not on the dining package.

     

     

     

    Le Bistro

     

     

     

    We were wow’d by Le Bistro on the Escape, and this time was the same. The food is incredible; I had the french onion soup, lamb (medium rare), and creme brulee. My husband had a salad, filet mignon, and creme brulee. Honestly, their creme brulee is the best we’ve ever had, and we went back again another night just for desert! The lamb was fantastic; I know some people complain about the portion sizes, but while they were small compared to most restaurants, it was still a meal, and we were already pretty full from eating so much all week! Highly recommend.

     

     

     

    Steak

     

    Because we had a filet mignon at numerous places, here’s my steak ranking! Each was filet mignon was ordered medium-rare.

     


    •  
    • Le Bistro
       
    • The Haven Restaurant
       
    • Teppanyaki
       
    • Cirque Dreams & Steam
       
    • Cagney’s
       

     

    The Haven

     

     

     

    The Suite

     

     

     

    So we stayed in a forward facing penthouse suite on the 10th deck. If we were to do this again, I think I’d want to spend the extra money to stay in a penthouse suite instead just so we didn’t have to walk so far to get to and from our room! Also, we felt like we really had to pack for the day if we were going to hang out in the Haven, instead of having the luxury of popping over to our room if we forgot something like those in the penthouse suites could. The reason we originally picked the forward facing suite was for the extra space; we liked the idea of having a separate living area, which we did use to invite friends over to play card games. It was also nice if one of us wanted to take a nap and the other didn’t; the other could just read in the living area. However, if we stayed in the penthouse, then one could nap while the other hung out by the pool or in the lounge, so as long as we weren’t planning on having guests then it wouldn’t be a problem. The deck is the size of a normal deck, but it was really windy this week so we didn’t use the deck much. The butler was very nice and frequently checked on us; if he gave me any more of his business cards I could probably fill a book! But we never had much need for him, which I almost felt bad about. The bedroom has so much closet and cabinet space that our clothes fit very comfortably. The bathroom was amazing; I liked having the vanity, and while we never took baths the tub was incredibly useful for rinsing off my wetsuit and personal scuba gear. The shower was a bit odd in that the showerhead was in the middle of the long side, as opposed to the short side of the space, but it didn’t bother me as much as I expected.

     

     

     

    The Haven Decks

     

     

     

    The pool is tiny; it’s about 4’ deep and not very large, but it’s nice to hang out in to cool off. There are also loungers everywhere (on that main deck and on the upper deck) which was great; I remember always struggling to find a lounger by the main pool on the Escape, and I’m sure the Getaway is no different.

     

     

     

    The Haven Bar

     

     

     

    Prior to NCL, I had done a Disney cruise; there was one bar that we frequented, and the bartenders really got to know us. That was something I had missed when I was on the Escape last year, and something I gained in the Haven. The bartenders don’t rotate (outside of their shifts, and you always knew who was working when), and they really got to know you and your tastes, and would mix up fun drinks that were off the menu. The environment was also very sociable; we met lots of interesting people from various places. Definitely one of my favorite places on this trip.

     

     

     

    The Haven Restaurant

     

     

     

    There is both outside and inside dining; outside dining is different than inside for lunch. For breakfast you can have a plated meal or do the small buffet, which is nice if you want something smaller. My biggest regret is possibly not eating at The Haven Restaurant more, especially for dinner. The lamb here was fantastic, and we enjoyed everything that we ate here. Also, the coffee served was phenomenal!

     

     

     

    Birthday Celebration

     

     

     

    So something interesting I learned; your birthday cake is 100% dependent on where you go for dinner. When we were at Teppanyaki, someone at our table was celebrating a birthday and got what looked like a corner of a sheet cake for their cake. A friend who also had a birthday had something else at Cagney’s (though I can’t remember what), and at Ocean Blue I had this amazing chocolate mousse cake that is also available in The Haven (though of course this one was much bigger, since all the birthday cakes were bigger). So if you are celebrating an occasion on NCL, restaurant choice matters!

     

     

     

    Overall

     

     

     

    We had a great time and were definitely spoiled rotten! We definitely preferred the Escape to the Getaway, so we may not do this ship again (we missed the District Brewhouse and Bayamo!) We enjoyed the Haven experience; my husband doesn’t want to go back, but honestly I could go either way; it was definitely amazing, but it’s also the cost of two cruises! We are definitely considering NCL again for a future cruise, but are also at this point looking at other options (such as MSC, or maybe just a resort for more diving options).

     

     

     

    Thanks for reading!

     

     

     

    Thanks for the review! Can you please tell me who the concierge and Haven restaurant maitre’d is? Thank you!

     

     

    Sent from my iPhone using Forums

    Garden Villa - Guests in Room Question

    in Norwegian Cruise Line

    Posted

    Hi friends! I have a quick question on the Garden Villa. Does anyone know if guests from other cabins can join you for dinner delivered to your Garden Villa (if from specialty restaurant, they would obviously pay). But can your butler bring in food to enjoy dinner en suite with guests not staying in the Garden Villa? TIA!

     

     

    Sent from my iPhone using Forums

    Escape - Live 7/22

    in Norwegian Cruise Line

    Posted

    That's it for Day 4.

     

    In the morning we'll return to Maya Chan, with an opportunity to meet proprietor Mark for the first time.

     

    Sue and I phone-interviewed Mark during our Dawn live feed, and he'll be onsite tomorrow because his son (David) will be on vacation.

     

    As always, thanks for following along.

     

    In closing, I'm more confident than ever that we'll see a Brew House on the Bliss. 57.8% sure. Up from 31% - when we boarded on Saturday.

     

     

     

    We were at Maya Chan on David's last day before his vacation - tell Mark the "Italian food people from Rhode Island" say hi!! And hope his granddaughter is doing well :)

     

     

    Sent from my iPhone using Forums

    Almost time to board the Escape [emoji847][emoji322][emoji509]⚓️

    in Norwegian Cruise Line

    Posted

    I am at baymont inn and suites Miami/Doral and it is pretty decent. Comfy king size bed all to myself. Friendly staff. Clean and no "old" smell like some hotels. Free breakfast and airport shuttle. Close to restaurants and shopping. AND hot water lol. Sorry you did not have a great experience. Not sure how a hotel has no hot water. That's crazy. The escape showers are very hot so you can look forward to that!!!

     

     

     

     

     

    Sent from my iPhone using Forums

     

     

     

    I've been dreaming about my cruise shower for 2 days!

     

     

    Sent from my iPhone using Forums

    Almost time to board the Escape [emoji847][emoji322][emoji509]⚓️

    in Norwegian Cruise Line

    Posted

    Been awake since 4 am. Anxiously waiting for the clock to hurry up and tick faster!! Can't wait to board

     

     

    Sent from my iPhone using Forums

     

     

     

    I made it til 6:00 but we had a terrible nights sleep Thurs night so I was exhausted! We are at the Bahia Mar Fort Lauderdale Beach and are very disappointed! I ended up sleeping on the floor Thurs night, my husbands back is stuff from the bed and there is no hot water [emoji35] We ended up getting a second room so we could all sleep more comfortably and last night was better. Not looking forward to my cold shower this morning, though!

     

    Actually, as I'm typing this, I can hear the people in room next to ours going to the bathroom. Get me out of here!!!

     

     

    Sent from my iPhone using Forums

×
×
  • Create New...