Mirrasi

We used Captain Marvins and did both. It was wonderful.

Ill add to this. We are coming in Ochos Rios on NCL. Do you recommend sticking with ship excursion or just taking a taxi over?

Awesome, thanks!

Are there any hotels in the Miami area that offer parking for the cruise? Im not finding those specific ones in the search

Can you bring soda cans? Any limit?

Usually I book cruises way in advance. This time money is an issue and am doing a last minute cruise. I am looking at the Freedom of the Seas 3/13 sailing. I noticed the price recently dropped a bit.

I believe it's past the PIF date, I am looking to go cheaper this time with just an inside room and I am not picky about where I end up. So I am wondering if things get cheaper if I wait a week or two out. I've never paid last minute before.

Do priced tend to drop more when it gets very close or does it not matter?

Honestly, even if it books up there's a couple other cruises I am looking at. I just prefer this one. This is during a spring break time so I am surprised to see prices going down and not up.

Anyway, just wanted to check before I hit the buy button. Thanks!

Usually you can get free Bonine in the med clinic. I tend to take these as a preventative. It seems to take the edge off even if I'm not sick when the ship is rocking a lot. Most ships keep them on the lowest level and a grab and go jar.

I would really like to try a JetSki tour. I have never been on one and I have a 10-year-old so I'm concerned about the dangers. I know someone that did A tour and crashed into a pylon under a bridge. That being said I I know Grand Cayman doesn't really have bridges and it's just empty ocean. I have no interest in the high speeds would just like to simply try it because it sounds awesome. How do you think this fat fish tour would be for newbies with the child?

We did the smaller version because we did stingray city as well. I personally didn't find it that pretty it was just a bunch of turtles and some dinky little tanks. However, the kids are absolutely love touching and feeling and handling the turtles. They said it was one of the best things they have done. Their handwashing stations everywhere so no danger.

Going back in March it will probably go back to the turtles

Do they allow 10 year olds as passengers or is it 16 and up in general?

I am looking to do an Alaskan cruise next year and just starting to research. Someone once told me to book a smaller vessel to get in closer to things. But Ive always had good advice here.

It's just me and a 10 year old. My son is introverted and prefers quiet over noisy crowds. He doesn't like the kids clubs. The size of the ship doesn't matter. Normally he just likes to swim on the ship so this will be quite different. We actually preferred the NCL Getaway over Disney. Even though the ship was larger, it was less noisy. I am not loyal to any specific brand and this time money is an issue. We just prefer relaxing, laid back cruises. He wants to see snow if possible.

Any suggestions on where to start? I don't mind it being cold, we live in Florida and usually do carribean cruises so looking for something different. My parents went on the Princess Ruby last year and loved it. I just wondered if smaller cruises were really better. And if there is a downside to going earlier verses June-July. Any experiences would be nice to hear. Im not even sure what we want to see or do yet. Something cold! lol

We were on the same cruise and also had a great time.

And I agree, that adult POOL area is crazy loud with music and good natured drunkenness. I don't think you'd even notice if there were kids there because it was so crazy. We stayed in the family area because it was quieter! :p

I'm guessing the H20 and Vibe areas were quiet

As an added thought.....maybe someone can tell me how to stop swaying AFTER the cruise?? I swear I sway for days.

Holy crap on that video! :eek:

I seem to get sea sick very randomly as does my son. We rarely vomit (though I bet I might in that video), but I will often be a bit queasy and not want to eat. I don't worry too much about where my room is located. I DO take Bonine or Dramamine as a precaution. This last cruise I accidently forgot it and found myself down in the medical area grabbing the free packs they put out for you (nice little tip). So I still needed it but it was mild.

You will certainly feel it more at the front or back of the ship and worse the higher you go. Mid ship and low is best as the others have said. I'm not bad enough to worry about it. And I think few people feel sea sick after a day or two unless there's a bad storm.

On this last cruise, we did a small sailboat excursion. I took a Bonine from the ship as a precaution. We had some major rocking! But it didn't bother us in the least. Likely from the medication.

I saw carry Pepto Bismol tablets and I have anti nausea pills (Zofran) from my migraines. I bring them as a back up.

Nassau

Like most people, I am not a fan of Nassau and usually stay on the ship. But we had a good 3 sea days so decided to give it a go and picked the Blue Lagoon excursion. I would give it a 6 out of 10. My son gives it a 10 out of 10, so there you go. It made him happy, it was worth it. We did not do the sea lions or dolphins. Just the beach break. I think it was close to $100 for the two of us. It includes lunch and one drink. The lunch was edible. The fruit punch was actually great. Maybe we were thirsty lol. It was just a sugar drink.

So....Blue Lagoon is beautiful. The swimming area is lovely. It's not too crowded. No waves, pretty color. What got me is the costs to do all the extra toys and floaties which were not included. You can buy them singly but of course my kid sees that and wants to do them all. That cost another $80 for the two of us. So while the place was nice, Atlantis wouldn't have cost much more and we have yet to see it. Guess I'll try that next time.

But the toys were fun. My child tried the floaties and wore a life jacket. But that is a lot of climbing and there was slimy stuff on the bottom. He couldn't stay on them but still liked them. We kayaked together in a glass bottom kayak. And the water was shallow and clear enough that I let him kayak by himself with me standing by. There's not really any fish, it's like standing in a sandy pool. He also got to stand on a paddle board by himself and we peddled around on a water trike. He really enjoyed getting to do everything. This is an awesome place for kids. The ride back is loud with party music and drunken adults. But everyone was having a good time and we had fun people watching.

Sadly I did not take photos here other than one because I only brought a cell phone and we were in the water. I have GOT to go buy a GoPro. :)

Keep in mind all of these photos are just a cell phone unedited. The water is so darned gorgeous!

So that's it. We really enjoyed it and it's hard going back to work this week. I will be watching the NCL company to see how things progress with all of the changes. It would be nice to go back one day.

Lastly I will just touch on the excursions we did just in case anyone is interested.

St. Maarten

Our first stop was St. Maarten, and I think they just cut that and are now in Tortola. But if it goes back, we went outside of NCL and did the Random Wind sailing excursion. I found it on trip advisor and it was well worth it. It was both our first times on a sail boat. I loved the gentle rocking, and it wiped my son out who slept most of the way back. We sailed past Maho and saw planes land. Stopped at the beach by La Samanna (a pricey resort) and Mullet Bay. Everywhere was gorgeous. We swam (I got scared by a Barracuda) and they took my son for a ride on a paddle board. They have a tarzan swing to jump off the boat but we didn't do it. Had fun watching everyone though! I highly recommend this.

La Samanna

St. Thomas

In St. Thomas, we went on our own and took a taxi to Saphire Beach. I was torn between that and Coki. I chose Saphire thinking it wouldn't be crowded. It sort of was. The beach itself wasn't bad but every single shady spot possible was taken up. We were there early and it was nice at first, but soon I had other lounge chairs practically on top of me. The resort limited where we could go and there were 3 ships in port, so that might be why. I needed shade because I got really burnt in St. Maarten. Anyway, it was still gorgeous and the water was not crowded. I'm glad I saw it, but I will try a different one next time.

Also, my son can't swim. They gave him a life vest on the sailing excursion. He had no interest in snorkeling with me at Saphire. There is a rocky reef right near the beach and I was still able to snorkel around that area. There wasn't a lot, but I did see some fish and coral, and even a brain coral which was nice. I would have liked to go out further along the walls but wouldn't leave my son alone. I think I'll have him practice in the pool for next time!

Saphire

This one shows the crowd. As you can see, it's not horrible. But the shade was all taken. You can see all the feet right next to me. I had no idea who those people were. Everyone just squished in on top of me.

Onboard Entertainment

I did not get to see a lot of night time entertainment. We were always so tired from all of the sun that we just passed out too early. I did see Burn the Floor which I loved. My son went to the kid's club at that time. I don't think he would have been into the show, but I really liked it.

I also watched parts of Sugar Blue Grammy Experience and Howl at the Moon. Both were great. I had reservations for Legally Blonde and Levity comedy club and never made it to either. I would have really liked to see them. If I go back, I will try and get a nap in so I can see them.

We did a few trivia's in the atrium, a Bingo in the theater, and a Q&A with the Illusionarium cast. One thing I found interesting on NCL Getaway is that the crew can be found around the ship in their off times. You would see crew members eating in the buffet. The host and guy with longer hair from Illusionarium I saw in the coffee line. I got to say hello to the long haired guy. I also saw the mentalist married couple in the Howl at the Moon show and told them how much I loved their show.

I think that is a big no no with Disney, maybe even RCCL too. I've never seen crew in their off time. But I love that NCL allows that! How great that they get to enjoy the ship and they are so friendly. I really think they like meeting the guests. There's another review here where someone met the older guy with the birds, and again, super friendly. I hope NCL never changes that and other cruise lines consider allowing crew to mingle.

The Ropes Course

My son went up the stairs, peeked down at the ground and looked at me like hell no! And that was that, lol. I, on the other hand, felt like I discovered a hidden talent I never knew I had. I was practically running and skipping around this thing. Where did all this balance come from (I am not a small woman!)? And how can I be so brave about walking over the edge of the ship yet act like such a baby around water slides :confused:

There were all types of people up there, of all ages, with all fears. I don't think you know how you will react until you at least try. There were certainly a lot of scared people and others were completely comfortable. But it's worth at least trying. I tried a few times to get my son up there, but he wasn't having any of it. :p

Tomorrow I will post about on board entertainment and excusrions. Night all!

More FunInside in O'Shehan's there is an area with all sorts of games to play for a fee. Beware, they are REALLY expensive. But very fun and I would suggest budgeting for a game night. I was surprised to not have to wait for anything. I'm not sure if it was the cost or random luck. Be he sure loved it.

There was bowling ($5 per person, per game...OUCH), basketball, darts (which I got the heck out of the way), and pool. We played them all.

Library/Card Room

Hidden off to the side of guest services near the atrium, is an exit door. Through that, there is both a library and a card room full of games. My son loves Percy Jackson and found a book in Spanish and had fun trying to read it.

The game room had all sorts of board games which he loves. We played Monopoly, Yahtzee, and Checkers (the little snot beat me without either of us taking an opponents piece. I couldn't move. That tells you how badly I suck.) I'm not a huge board game fan but he wanted to play so badly I couldn't say no. It's also a nice quiet area on the ship that is good to wind down after too much stimulation.

The Kid's Club

He only went to the kid's club twice. He loved it there, it's just that there was so much to do on the ship he preferred to do other things. Had I been with another adult and done more adult things, he would have been just as happy to spend more time in there.

Compared to Disney, it was a lot more bare. There wasn't too much to it though they decorated it each night. But they spent all of the time playing games and doing activities. The Getaway club was more group oriented and Disney was more of a "do what you want". Personally, I think Disney is better for the real young group and Getaway better for my son's age group. But it's really almost a 50/50 toss up.

Every time I went by, the workers were always playing fun games and interacting with the kids. At one point we walked into the theater as the kids had finished putting on a circus show for the adults. When I offered, my son wanted to go swimming instead. But when he saw the show, he was bummed he didn't do it. It was really funny and cute.

There are plenty of things to do up top. Swim in the pool, use the slides...... we didn't do the blue or green drop slides. You have to be at least 100 pounds which he wasn't. And while I, emm, more than qualified, I had done that on the Disney Magic and once was enough, lol. The red and orange slides are a fast spiral. My son loved it. But I was dumb and sat up, instead of lie down like you are supposed to. But I was too tall sitting up so spent the ride hunched over like a hunch back. It wasn't comfy. :o The purple slide is awesome and more my level.

There is the bungee jump, spider climb, mini golf, rock climb, jogging track (which my weirdo kid had fun running a mile at 10:00 at night :rolleyes:), basketball and soccer up top, and the rope course, all of which are free. (I'll get to the rope course in a few). There is a video arcade up there which is pricey too.

More pics...sorry to spam my kid, but what can I say, he's cute. ;)

There are so many fun things to do on this ship, you really can't do it all in one sailing.

Pool

This was my son's favorite area. And the pools are the polar opposite of Disney cruises. On a Disney cruise, the adult area is serene and relaxed. On the Getaway it is a crazy, loud, party area. It just depends on what you're into. For me, I prefer a quiet surrounding and the pool deck isn't that. But everyone was sure having a good time.

A Disney family/kid's pool is what I call "people soup". Super crowded. The family pool on this ship was not crowded at all. It always had people in it, but it was comfortable. There are no lounge chairs next to the pool, but there is a bench all around it and plenty of shade. Most of the loungers on any sun deck were filled anyway.

It never got more crowded than this.

Stuff to Do on the Upper Decks

We spent a lot of time in this area. He loved the spider climb. It's right next to the bungee trampoline and he did both. The first time he went halfway up the spider climb, after that he made it all the way up. They are both pretty high.

I'm from the Orlando area and we will be on the Getaway in June. Did you drive down the Morning of the cruise or the night before? How long did it take to get to the port and did you park at the port? We are still trying to decide.

Thanks for your help!

I am curious about this too. We are thinking of staying in Orlando before our cruise.

 

THis is a great review - looking forward to seeing what you did for fun. We are on the Getaway in January with our three kids - all close in age to your son.

I have sailed out of Miami a couple of times. This time I stayed the night on Friday and we sailed on Wed. I prefer this whenever my work allows because it's just too stressful driving down the morning of. Traffic in Miami is nuts and you never know what will happen.

For example, when I went home, the Turnpike got closed down and I had to reroute to I95. It took me 5 hours to get home.

So if you are able, I would recommend staying over. But sometimes you have to do what you have to do.

I generally priceline something in the downtown area. But fees can be higher there and generally it costs a ton to park. But I like to make a day of things and downtown is really close to the port and you can see the ships. Last time I stayed at the JW Marriot Marquis. This time we stayed at the Intercontinental. Both were nice but it was $40 a day to park. We usually walk over to Bayside which is really touristy.....but I'm a tourist so I like it, lol.

Here is the view from the room.

We also rode the Twister speed boat out of Bayside and we both loved it! I'll see if I can upload a video. Not sure is it will work but

Ship stuff next.

On our past cruises, we have cruised all styles. With Disney I have been in an inside room, then a balcony, and the last cruise was in the royal suite-the biggest on the ship. This cruise we were on a budget and just booked an inside room. Originally we were on floor 5 but I was concerned it being under a restaurant so upgraded to an inside on a higher floor. I had hoped to upgrade but it just stayed too expensive with spring break season and the cruisers coming over from the panama canal cancellation, so we never got the chance. This was the smallest square feet we had ever been in so I was worried it would feel claustrophobic.

It did not at all. We were very comfortable. We didn't have a couch, but this bed was so darned comfy that we didn't need it. As tight as the space was, we had more storage than we needed. The tv was nice though Disney's programming is far superior. There was only one movie channel and one tv channel. The rest was news, sports, and NCL promos...unless you wanted to pay $10 for a movie. But we did get to see quite a few nice shows including Mockingjay and Maleficent.

Our room steward was awesome and always remembered our names and we saw him often. We loved him. We got towel animals every night except the first. He really took care of us and kept us well stocked with towels, ice, and toilet paper (hey, I have a kid :D). The room was so great and considering it was half the cost of a window or balcony, I wouldn't hesitate to book it again. It was very quiet too. It was room 11419

We brought our own soda (first time I have ever done that) and it worked out well for us so we saved money on the drink plans. I bought a few sodas here and there which came to $2.66 with the tip. I only bought one alcoholic drink (the rebellious fish which was great). I do like to drink occasional drinks but alcohol tends to give me migraines so I general stay clear.

The bathroom was nice and roomy and the shower was great. Water pressure was lacking but it was a pull down arm which helps with a 9 year old and it has a little stand for shaving your legs.

My son and I generally run early hours with my work and his school. So we tended to get up very early and were so tired after dinner from all the day's activities we missed a lot of the night's entertainment. We still found tons to do though. There is more to do on this ship that can be done in one sailing!

That's all for today, tomorrow I will post on all the fun stuff we did.

Thanks for the review so far. Sorry about the troubles you had, but glad to hear you had some good experiences too.

Thanks! It far more good than bad. We enjoyed ourselves very much!

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La CucinaIt was better than I expected though I am not sure it's any better than the MDRs. My son got calamri (nice) and pizza which was not good at all, so I would recommend steering clear of that. I had caprese salad (just okay, it was better at Illusionarium) and couldn't decide so got the shrimp risotto, it was good but clumpy and too thick. I also got the osso bucco which was really good. The desserts here were really good too. I had a lemon ricotta cheese cake and my son had a chocolate tart. It might be worth going here just for the desserts!

That covers the food. Next up....our room and entertainments.