DaisyGirl55

I know the walls of the cabin are metal. I always pack magnets and keep my papers, schedule, excursion tickets up on the wall.

I was wondering about the cabin door...are they metal too? We like to decorate our door. Usually I pack removeable sticky putty but I thought I read that strips of magnetic tape will work just as well with less fuss to the door.

I am thinking that they are...but can someone verify this?

Thanks for your review! We sailed on the Getaway in March and are going again this September. We loved this ship! The Waterfront and Sugarcane Mojito Bar were two of our favorite stops. My dinner in LaCucina was one of the best Italian dinners I have had in a while. Tasted just like my grandma's cooking!

Looking forward to sailing on the ship again!

What about plastic cups around the pool area? Will they stop serving drinks in those plastic cups and go to glass cups?

If so, I will need to pack lots of Band-Aids for the broken glass around the pool area that the drunks are going to be causing! :')

Not sure about noise from deck 9, but we had a balcony cabin on deck 8 and never had an issue with noise

Great review!

We sailed on the Getaway the end of April, and just fell in love with this ship and the crew! We are sailing her again in September and are even more excited now that we are a bit familiar with the ship. There were things we missed before that I know we will enjoy this time.

One thing I am looking forward to enjoying again is The Waterfront!

Choose your parents, even if you go by yourself on your extra weeks that your partner does not have. Regret is a terrible thing to live with

Yikes! I am getting on the Glory in 4 days...hope everything is okay, back to normal, and in working order.

Sailing on the Glory in just a few weeks. I was wondering, do they still do the two dressier nights? I am pretty sure they do one the first sea day, but when is the second one? Trying to plan my week out a bit as we are a family of 13 travelling together. With that many people, a schedule definitely works!

Love your review!

These are really a great help...thanks! We cruise in just a few weeks, so the excitement is building strong!

I see the first dressy night is the first sea day, but when is the second one? Is there a second one?

TIA :D

We sail in a few weeks (yay!) and I am going through some last minute preparations before we go. My DH and I bring our family every 3 years on a cruise: 3 DSs, 3 DILs, and 3 grandkids

I already know my photo bill be high so I am prepaying what I can before we sail, such as soda package and water and tips.

I saw where I can prepay the Social Package, which we are all getting with the Carnival Hub. With this many people, communication is important. It has worked great for us on past cruises to keep in touch while on the ship.

If I prepay for the social package, how do I activate my phone once on the ship? Do I go to the Hub center on the ship? Am I given an activation code to use as a log-in?

Has anyone prepaid for the Wifi before they sailed? TIA :D

I have them, but not sure how to upload them. Sorry....:(

Ship - Getaway

Deck - 8

Stateroom # - 8726

Stateroom Category – Mini-Suite

Starboard or Port Side - Starboard

Quiet Stateroom? (With comments on problems) – Very Quiet. Towards the end of the hallway so not too much traffic.

Was stateroom a connecting stateroom? - No

Balcony View - Give comments on view, noting if location of any obstructions was an issue. – The balcony was an extended balcony. Two loungers, two regular chairs, and a nice sized round table. It does extend out so balconies above have a clear view, but the extra size was well worth it. No obstructions at all.

Balcony Size? Normal or oversized for class? - Oversize. Balconies got smaller and narrower on decks 9 and then 10 and up

Was wind a problem? - No

If an aft cabin, was soot a problem? - n/a

Any specific problems with this cabin? - not at all. Plenty of storage space. Bathroom has a double sink and the Rainshower system with glass shower doors. Hair dryer works great and fridge kept our water cold

Any other comments? - Hallways are very narrow and low. My husband is 6'7 and kept hitting the exit signs with his head if he did not duck. Don't forget the look for the swimming fish on the carpet as they point towards the front of the ship.

I recently sailed on the Getaway with the Hubs and thought I would share some tips and observations. I had previously said with NCL on the SS Norway, so it has been a while since I tried NCL again. After the fantastic week we had I don't know why I waited so long! We had an absolutely fantastic week. I tried to just jot notes as the week went by, so I hope that some of my observations will help you.

NCL Getaway: Tips and Observations

• NCL has an online app called iConcierge. It is an absolute waste of money. The download is free, but it costs $14.99 toactivate it once on the ship. That isn’ttoo bad except it is virtually useless. You can send text messages, but unless the recipient has the app openand active the messages do not come through. It will show as SENT, but not DELIVERED. So many times it would log itself off, and then you had to log back into receive all of the missed messages. Yes, it has your on-board account totals, and you can see what is goingon around the ship – but then again, all of that is available in your FreestyleDaily without paying the $14.99. Thereis no Social Package like Carnival HUB has that includes Facebook and Facebookmessaging. Internet starts at $150.00for the week. Kind of pricey.
  
• We had a mini-suite on Deck 8. The room was 204 SqFt, with a couch. The bathroom has double sinks, and the showerhas a door rather than the clingy shower curtain. The best part of the room was thebalcony. It is far bigger than thebalconies on decks 9 and up. You willneed a key card to power the room for lights and outlets. I used an old movie card and kept it on alanyard by the door. We were able tokeep the room comfortably cool. There isa thermostat by the door that you can press and up or down button to regulatethe air. You will notice a snowflakebutton. Use that only to quickly coolthe room off. Once it is cool, it willgo back to middle setting. No need to packa hair dryer. There is one under thecounter by the mirror and it works great. Full size, with several settings – and you don’t have to hold the buttonfor the hair dryer to stay on. Not a lotof drawers but a nice size closet with shelves is by the bed. We had no problem finding space for all ofour stuff.
  
• NCL has this strange thing about Ship Time. Normally, a ship will stay on the time of theembarkation port, and not the actual time zones that we travel in. Be prepared to change the time on your watchseveral times during the week. On Mondayand then again on Tuesday, clocks are pushed back one hour each evening. Yay! Extra time to have fun 😊 Wednesday is no change,but then on Thursday and Friday clocks go forward an hour each evening. ☹ It is rather confusing and messes withyour sleep, but just be aware when you get off the ship to be sure your watchis set correctly.
  
• The pool area is set up nicely. There is a rather nice size adult pool with 4hot tubs. The depth of the water is about6’8”, so you can’t really stand. Thereis so much salt in the water that I had no trouble floating, although DH andmost of the guys did not. There are twobars, so no issues getting something to drink, and the buffet is close too ifyou get hungry. On the other side of thetowel stand is the kids area and the slides. One thing to note is that the towel stand is for exchange only. They do not give out towels so be sure to bringyour towel from your room. You canexchange it for a dry one at any time, or your cabin steward will bring youfresh pool towels. We never really hadany problems getting chairs as they have quite a few set up. The only time was if we went out to the poolon a sea day later in the day. A fewchairs had towels saving the chairs, but it really wasn’t too much of anissue.
  
• The Atrium is the hub of the ship with decks 6,7, and 8 being the focus. Deck 6 hasGuest Services, Excursions and Future Cruise consultants. You can also make reservations for any of thespecialty restaurants. There is a nicebar and lots of chairs. Trivia is oftenheld here as are other demonstrations. There is a large screen and movies are shown here daily. The CD will host different entertainmentshere, so it can get crowded and loud. Some of the Specialty restaurants are located on Deck 6 as well
  
• Deck 7 has the casino which wraps around theentire atrium. There is a smoking and anon-smoking section, both with lots of machines. Table games are set up on both sides, but Idon’t think any of the tables are non-smoking.
  
• For a nice place to sit and watch the world goby, go outside on Deck 8. The deck hastables, chairs, and lots of quiet places to read a book, sip a drink, and justrelax. It was our go-to place all weekwhile on the ship. Several bars are onthis deck as well as outside tables for some of the specialty restaurants.
  

We thought the food was very good on this shipand the service good as well. Here is abreakdown of some of the restaurants:

• Buffet– For breakfast, the buffet was the place to go and is located on Deck 15. We ate in one of the restaurants one morningand the food was cold and not good. Itwas our only bad meal. The Buffet haslots of selections and the Omelet station moves quickly. Lunch at the buffet was okay, but then again– I am not a buffet person for lunch and dinner.
  
• Tropicana, Taste, and Savor are thecomplimentary main dining rooms. Allhave the same menu each night. Tropicanahas live music and dancing, so it gets a bit loud. Tropicana is located on Deck 7 and Taste andSavor are both on Deck 6. We waitedabout 10 to 15 minutes each time we ate there, but it wasn’t too bad. You get a pager and can go have a drink whileyou wait. We enjoyed the food in theMDRs and thought the service was very good. Some of the waiters spoke better English than others, but all in all weenjoyed our meals there.
  
• O’Sheehans is another complimentary venue toeat. It is open 24 hours, and hastypical pub food like wings, burgers, nachos, fajitas and such. We ate there a couple of times and lookforward to going back. It is located onDeck 7 with tables inside the restaurant area as well as chairs overlooking theatrium. On days when a movie is playing,it was nice to sit down with a drink and a snack. The opposite side of the restaurant hasSkee-Ball, Duckpin bowling and Basketball games on a machine. I believe there are a couple of pool tablesas well.
  
• We ate in 4 of the Specialty restaurants. Cagney’s Steak House on Deck 8 wasgood, but very slow. It was about thesame type of food as the steak restaurants on Carnival. LaCucina on Deck 8 was the Italianrestaurant on the ship, and probably the best meal I ate all week. Just be careful not to fill up on the breadbefore your meal! Teppanyaki onDeck 6 is a hibachi-style restaurant. The food was okay in my opinion but was certainly plentiful. Moderno on Deck 8 was my secondfavorite specialty restaurant. It is aBrazilian Steak house, and the food was delicious. The salad bar was fresh and the meats camenon-stop. Be sure to try the grilledpineapple!
  
  

We did order the water package, and thought itwas not a bad deal. I believe it wasabout $15 for 6-2 liter bottles of water.

We did not buy any photos but the price iscomparable to other lines. $25 for thelarger size, and $14 for the embarkation or port size pictures. Really do not understand why the prices areso high, but I suppose as long as folks keep shelling out the money there is noreason for the cruise line to lower them. While some pictures are on the walls for you to hunt and find, if theyscan your key card your pictures are all together in a book. Much easier to find and look at. Photographers are all around but not reallyin your face.

We did not get off the ship in Costa Mayabut hung around the pool and enjoyed a mostly empty ship. Harvest Caye (pronounced Harvest Key)was like Grand Turk on steroids! Clean,and very spacious. Lots and lots ofchairs, huge pool, swim up bars, beach, and even zip-lining. Roatan was okay as we just walkedaround the port a bit. We actuallystayed on the ship in Cozumel as well. It was a week of R and R for us, so we did not get off the ship alot.

One last thing to note that is different thanwhat I was used to, and that is regarding the luggage tags needed fordisembarkation. They are not deliveredto the room. You need to go to Deck 6 byGuest Services and pick them up.

Couple of other tips: You can make reservations for the Specialtyrestaurants 3 months before we sail, which we did. However, when we added another restaurant wehad no problem making an additional reservation while on the ship. We did not go to any of the shows this time,but I heard that they were all very good. It is recommended that making reservations ahead of time is the best wayto see the shows.

I had Shrimp Cocktail, Mushroom Cappuccino*, Spinach & Mushroom Salad, Surf & Turf (Filet w/ 5 Spice Rub* & Lobster Tail), Truffle Mac & Cheese*, Cream Spinach, & Chocolate Sampler.

 

Wifey had Mushroom Cappuccino*, Tomato & Mozzarella Salad, Filet w/ 5 Spice Rub*, Wasabi Potatoes, Mushrooms, Cheese Cake.

 

*Special or Custom Requests.

 

Did I mention is was AMAZING

3 more Days!!!! :cool:

Sailing on the Getaway out of Miami on Sunday, April 29

I've been packed for two weeks! :D

So sorry for the mess up that you endured after all of your planning. Not what you had envisioned, I am sure.

But...congratulations on your marriage! Wishing you both a long and joy filled life together!

I will be boarding The Getaway next weekend on Sunday, April 29. I have not sailed with NCL since cruising on the SS Norway back in the late 90's. I've been on other cruise lines, but not NCL. All that will change in less than 2 weeks!

I have my IConcierge app downloaded. Dinner reservations are made. I have watched videos about the ship. I have read reviews and posts about NCL and the Getaway. I think I am ready!!

I am a planner, so if anyone has any last minute suggestions I would love to hear them. Otherwise, thanks for all of the guidance and help that this Board has given me.

I am so excited! :D Freestyle Cruising...Here I come!

Sailing on the Getaway next month. We have not sailed with NCL since the SS Norway and I was wondering about the Freestyle Cruising concept on NCL ships.

I get that the dress code is more casual, that my DH can wear his golf shorts and a polo to dinner. In fact he is thrilled not to have to pack his suit! We have reservations in 3 of the specialty restaurants. But my question has to do with the complimentary main dining rooms: Savor and Taste.

As there are no reservations required, do we just go to the main entrance of the dining room when we are ready to eat? Or do we need to choose a time to show up? I am hoping it is more the just show up and be seated kind of place but either way will work.

Going on the Getaway next month and again in September. Lots of great tips on Cruise Critic, and I got some great port info too. We haven't sailed NCL since the SS Norway was in service.

Looking forward to a more relaxed ship. We have our reservations set for the specialty restaurants, and my DH is very happy that I am only having him wear Dockers and a button down shirt 1 night.

I'll be sure to post here when I get back from my cruise next month!

I just booked a cruise on the Sky going to Cuba next year. I was sent info on the Unlimited Beverage Package for Norwegian Sky Open Bar Package.

All guests over 21 years of age will receive complimentary beverages which include designated spirits, cocktails, bottled beer, draft beer and wines by the glass. Also included are unlimited fountain soda and juices at all bars. lounges, restaurants, and Great Stirrup Cay.

Does not include mini bar purchases, bottled water, fresh squeezed juice, Lavazza coffee beverages, energy drinks or souvenir drinks. Also not included are room service, package sales, beer buckets, bottle wine, or designated Super Premium brands.

I am not sure about what drinks are included and what drinks are considered Super Premium, but I have lots of time to find out since I am not cruising until next year.

Hope this helps!

I have cruised with Felipe 3 times, and I love this guy! He is warm, and approachable, and loves his job.

I cruise with a group each year, about 20 to 30 of us. He remembered us from prior cruises, always will take a picture with our group, and helped our group do a flash mob dance for a group member battling end stage cancer. After she passed away, he messaged us on our Facebook group page. Very classy in my opinion

We bring an assortment of our own tea bags that we enjoy, 3 collapsible multi colored bins (one for each of us) to put assorted items into for our "shelf in the closet (it is easier to pull it out and look thru it to find something quickly), little plastic clothespins (to hang wet bathing suits up on the clothes line in shower), a nightlight so lights do not need to be turned on in middle of night (this depends on the ship and the electric units in or near the bathroom), binoculars (for our balcony and/or on deck), a good book to read!

I really like the idea of the collapsible bins! Easy to pack and it would be great for the stuff on the shelves.

Thanks for the info!

When I sailed on Freedom OTS a few years ago I was able to print a copy of the cruise planner for the week (activities, shows, and such). I also was given one either at pier check-in, or there was one in my room, I think.

I know on the bigger ships like Oasis, if you do not reserve a seat for the shows there is a good chance that you will miss the show.

I remember that tickets were required for some shows on the Freedom (Ice Show, Magic Show). As I am cruising on 3/18, is it too late to reserve a seat? Or can I still do this on the ship?

Is there still a planner of sorts available at the start of my cruise?

Thanks in advance for your help!

When I sailed on the ship a few years ago, there was a schedule in our room for activities and shows for the week ahead. Do they still do this?

Any issues getting the tickets for the Ice Skating show or Magic show?