Mirrasi

Moderno

This was the most disappointing restaurant and not worth the upgrade, imo. The salad bar is fantastic and very upscale with a great selection of cheese like brie and stilton, meats like prosciutto, vegetables like roasted peppers and beets. Everything very fresh and tasty. But the meats were terrible quality, most were too tough to even cut through. It was very weird to have such an upscale salad bar with low quality meat. They were cooked and seasoned fine, they were just not good. The chicken breast and shrimp were both really good and the only meats we liked. We couldn't chew through they "specialty" steak or the lamb. The filet mignon was actually pretty tender and edible, but bland. The cod was really over done. I didn't try the sausages. Now the pineapple.....THAT was really good! The service was really good and we didn't complain. There was still plenty to eat and we left full. But I would not go back.

Cagney's

Our favorite by far. Without a doubt the best steaks on the ship. I had heard the sea bass was really good so I asked if I could get the 5 oz filet and the sea bass. It was not a problem at all. Score! They also had great desserts. This place was so good we tried to cancel our La Cucina res to come back here but they were full. :( We enjoyed everything.

My son wasn't hungry so only ate the filet and oreo cheesecake, but he devoured it. I had the short rib confit, filet, sea bass, and raspberry crème brulee....yeah, I was stuffed!

Teppanyaki

I only got video so no photos to post. In Orlando we go to a lot of hibachi grills and this was pretty typical. The food was good but really under seasoned and everyone at the table was asking for soy sauce. They should keep jars on the table. I did not find the garlic over-powering in the rice. They were very accommodating too, I asked if I could get the filet with lobster and my son wanted filet with noodles. They said yes to both and it was not a problem. All the restaurants were very accommodating in this manner. The lobster was cooked perfectly and not rubbery. I also found the chef's to be....better trained? more talented? than local restaurants. They had a lot more tricks up their sleeve. We enjoyed it a lot.

Le Bistro

This was really great and worth the cost. The service was impeccable and the food so good. Even the desserts! Our table was very close to another and we met some really nice ladies. We met a lot of nice people on the ship. Everyone was having a great time.

My son had the mussels, lamb, and chocolate fondue for dessert. The mussels are the best I have ever had, not rubbery at all and the cream sauce was good. The lamb was disappointing. It was very tough and hard to cut through. The fondue was great.

I had the mushroom soup, fruits de mer, and profiteroles. The mushroom soup is best I've ever had, but watch out because it's really filling. The fruits de mer is just sinful. I finally had a great dessert and could only manage a bite. I was SO full!

Taste

We ate here one night because the schedule said Burn the Floor dancers would be there, but they never showed so that was a little disappointing. But I got to see the show that night so no big deal. The restaurant is really pretty! I couldn't decide what to order so the server recommended the salmon and it was completely delicious. My son got the Szechuan chicken which was pretty good. I had the mushroom soup and he had the French onion. Both were good. The desserts were lacking again.

As much as I enjoyed the specialty restaurants, I felt the MDR's were just as good, if not better than a lot of them. The next time I would not get the UDP and just pay for a couple of specialty ones by themselves. I'm just not sure the specialties were worth an upgraded cost (except Cagney's and Le Bistro).

The Bakeries

We tried the lobster tail pastry (so good!!) and a cannoli as well as a white mousse ganache cake. All were good snacks. But they are over priced and why are we charged an 18% service fee for this?? It just attributed to the nickel and dime feel of things.

Then again....it's chocolate!

O' Shehans

We ate lunch here twice and it was pretty good. The burgers are huge. The mozzarella sticks were nice.

And the chicken pot pie was awesome.

Unfortunately I never got to try Shanghai's for the rice and noodles. I wanted that for lunch every single day but for some reason they are only open for dinner. Weird. We never got to try Wasabi, the Raw Bar, and didn't do Ocean Blue either. Next up, the specialty restaurants.

I will start with food because that is my favorite thing on a cruise, lol. Of course food is always subjective. We really tried to eat just about everywhere we could. I will just separate by restaurant.

Garden Buffet

We did not eat at the buffet often. I am just not a buffet fan. I find the food to be mediocre and they are always crowded. We ate one breakfast there and one lunch. It was decent as far as a buffet goes I suppose. My son did enjoy "raiding the dessert bar" every night. They also had a crepe station which was nice and pretty good. We had quite a few ice cream cones too. I was pleased to see them forcing people to sanitize their hands. I noticed the sit down restaurants never enforced it and I saw very few people using them.

Flamingo Buffet

We only sampled a little bit here. I tried the potato ball and the chicken croquettes and didn't care for them. I don't think there was anything wrong with them, just not my style and my child didn't like them so we never went back.

Illusionarium

Since I had the UDP, we did this the first night. We really loved this show and found it worth the cost. We had floor seats and got there one hour early and still weren't first in line. We ended up pretty close in the second row after the Haven people. If you want to sit up close in the floor area, you really need to be there an hour early. Otherwise, get the banquet seating. They had nice cushy booths. The floor seats are REALLY close together. I had no elbow room at all. While it was nice to see the dome on the ceiling, I had expected this amazing thing based on reviews on these boards. It was a neat effect but didn't overly add anything. Plus they had smaller screens all over the place where you could still see. Next time, I would get banquet seating.

However, sitting up close, my son did get picked to go on stage so that was really cool and he absolutely loved it. The food was far better than I expected. I had read some reviews on here that said it was "just edible". But I thought it was really good. The beef tenderloin, while cooked medium-well and I prefer more pink, it was still very tender and really good. The shrimp was great too. I had read the desserts were not good, and I agree. I didn't like any of them. I found NCL overall to be lacking in desserts. But the meal was great. With the exception of Cagney's, it was the best steak on the ship. I would gladly see this again and the host was hilarious.

Savor and Taste

When we got on the ship, we went to Savor to avoid the buffet rush. It's so much better to do a sit down. We both weren't too hungry and got chicken nachos. They were just okay. But everything else we got from the MDRs was really good. Every single day we ate breakfast at one of them. I would like to note that on the daily schedules, it only lists Savor as being open for breakfast, but both were open.

Everyday we got the same things, lol. My son got the banana caramel Belgian waffle and I got eggs benedict. We did not have any drink packages. Options for breakfast here were juices, milk, tea, coffee. The orange juice tasted fresh squeezed. I was surprised to not have a charge for the juice.

There was also a really funny guy in Savor that would go around making rooster noises. My son loved him. And he always made time to come talk to my son. In fact, a lot of the staff made time to speak with him. He got a LOT of attention on this ship, both from staff and random passengers. I think this is one of the reasons he liked the Getaway better.

My eggs benedict....yum!

Random pic inside Savor

We just got off the Getaway and I wanted to do a little review. Usually I take a good camera but this time I only took a cell phone so just a few pics and they aren't great. This trip was just myself and my 9 year old son. We are from Orlando and have done a few other cruises, mostly Disney. So I will be comparing that a lot. I love Disney but they are pretty expensive and I wanted to try some other cruise lines. We really loved the Getaway.

There were some negatives so I will cover that now since everything else was great.

1. I prepaid my UDP in Feb. I was told at the time I could not purchase one for my son because he was half price. When I got on ship, they did not have my UDP listed as well. It took almost 2 days of research for them to tell me they had refunded me. After giving me internet access to look over my bank account, I found this to be true and I had missed it. I do not know why they did that, I certainly didn't ask to be refunded. I did upgrade my room and their guess was that they refunded me and I needed to start over. Not that it makes sense, but even if that is true, I'm not sure why I wasn't told. So of course I had to repurchase since I needed it. But then they charged me for my son so they charged me $280 I had not planned on. I was told the policy changed and children were no longer half price as of that cruise. After taking days to sort what had happened to my own UDP, I was really angry. I put my foot down and refused to take no for an answer. The excuse I was given was that "things are subject to change" to which I responded "not when it comes to my pocket book". In the end, they did charge me the half for my son which was what I had originally signed on for. But it took a lot of fighting over it and left a very bad taste in my mouth. Not to mention it caused confusion the rest of the cruise in every restaurant we went too. My issue is not with having to pay full price for the UDP for a child, I had originally tried to do that. My issue is with the NCL company making these kinds of changes without any communication. I am unclear as to whether I would sail with NCL again. I would like to. I LOVED the Getaway and her staff. But I don't trust this company. I am aware there is a new CEO so I will be watching these boards to see if things settle down in the future.

2. I knew from these boards they were testing out charging for room service and it was $4.95. But I guess the test is over because it was $7.95. Again, that is cheap compared to ordering room service at a hotel. But I have never encountered this on a cruise ship before. I do happen to like ordering room service so again, it's a reason for me to look elsewhere next time. I hope this is a temporary thing that they reverse.

3. I had an issue with the spa. I had wanted to do one of their $150 specials. So I went down and she took me room number and was going to get me right in but then said, "Oh, you want the special. The times available are early morning, evening, and port days." I shook my head no, told her I had a 9 year old and could not do it when the kid's club wasn't open and we had excursions and dinner plans. I told her never mind and then left. Two days later I had a call at 7:30am telling me I needed to be there for my appointment. I explained that in no way had I ever made the appointment or even indicated that would be okay. I guess she was wanting to charge me because I had to argue with her over the fact that I had never made an appointment and certainly never would have for 7:30. In the end, she apologized and cancelled it. Between this and the UDP issue, it just felt like no one had a clue what was going on.

Now with that out of the way, everything else was fantastic! I was surprised to find that my 9 year old loved this more than Disney and that is really saying something. So I will review each area and what we loved next.

Thanks so much guys!

If I get the one in the email I want to call attention to some of the employees that really made things great.

I did find a general feedback thanks to your posts so wrote my grievance one separate since it was more of NCL's general new stuff verses the actual ship which was great.

I would like to send feedback about the cruise we just came off of. I can't find a form or email on their site. Does anyone have a link or the email?

I just got off the Getaway today and that was not my experience. I booked in Feb. and they charged me on board for my son. In the end, I got it fixed but I really had to fight for it. Another poster also mentioned the same, that it was not fixed until she refused to take no for an answer.

I will also say that after getting them to remove his charge and agree to the 1/2 price originally promised, it was an issue in every single restaurant. None of them knew how to handle it and had to call management.

Unless they just made that decision as of today, which is possible considering the many complaints and issues I am sure they had. But I wouldn't trust it.

Get it in writing so you have proof.

Just got off the Getaway and it was definitely $7.95. I refused to order any room service because of it which sucked.

Just got off the Getaway and I will also confirm this. I was TICKED.

First of all they could not find my UDP. When I insisted I had paid for it they had to put in an inquiry. A day later they came back saying it had been refunded to me in Feb. I made them give me internet access to find out if I had missed it, which I had. They did refund me though I had never ordered it. They couldn't explain why. I mentioned that I moved a Floor 5 inside room to a floor 11 for about $100 more. They said that was why, that when you get a new room everything wipes out. I was irritated because you would have thought someone would have told me, right??? But okay, I missed it on my own account so told them to add it.

But then they charged me $280 and I was like, wth??? I was told it was for my 9 year old. I argued that I had TRIED to add him when I was originally booked and was told no, kids can't get the UDP because they are half off. So I budgeted accordingly. She told me that now they are full price as of that cruise. When I complained she shrugged and said that things are subject to change without notice. I responded that I can expect whether changes, port changes, etc....but I would absolutely not accept then making a change to my pocket book without any notification.

They did eventually wipe his UDP and charged me the half but as the other poster said, it took a LOT of fighting and several days of this. I felt a good portion of my cruise was fighting just to get what I had originally bought and was told.

I will post my review of the cruise once I get my pictures downloaded. Other than this, we had a fantastic time. I loved the staff and we had an amazing time.

It's a shame because I am hesitant to go back on another NCL knowing they will just spring charges on you like that. $280 was a lot I wasn't expecting.

And in case it wasn't mentioned, the room service is now $7.95 on the Getaway. Guess the test period is over and they raised it. :mad: I wanted to order room service but did not because I didn't want to contribute to that

I'd like to know this as well. We are coming in on NCL and I am confused because the ship excursion is only 5 hours starting at noon. But we are there fairly early in the morning. Can you go on your own and make a longer day out of it?

I just tell them no, straight and to the point. Then I ignore them and move on. I've never had anyone follow me or touch my child. That's crazy! :eek: I'd feel sorry for anyone who attempted that. You don't have to be mean, but you do have to give a pretty definite no.

That's terrible. :(

For comparison, Disney did this to us 3 days before a cruise. We were devastated. I got a phone call. We were reimbursed ( also told wait two weeks, though it was about1) plus a free cruise of the same category. I think we had a year. They made an exception for me because my category want available so I got longer. They did a good job making it up to us though I was heart broken at the time. They were very empathetic too.

I'm so sorry you are going through this. I would be livid. 6 days out, they should be doing a lot more. I'm not impressed by what I keep reading with NCL

You are awesome~!

Loved the video! This gets me very excited for mine. 2 weeks to go! I have a few questions...

1. Which GoPro model are you using?

2. How did you harness it for the plank?

3. Which excursion did you do in Nassau?

While of course rain dampens things like swimming and shore excursions, there is most than enough fun to be had. And it is a pretty cool site from the ship. You'll still have a great time. :D

The Ruby is heading out today and my mom is on it. Is there a camera for this port? I can't find one on Google.

That's the crux of most of the complaints though. Those of us that paid and are past final payment date don't have a choice. It would be one thing if they as a company decided to raise fees. That's their right. But they can't impose a new fee for a service that was advertised as complimentary on those that have already paid for their cruise (and are unable to cancel). That's where the outrage is coming from, not because they've decided to impose a new fee, but because they've done so in a near fraudulent manner.

 

Compare this to the raise in the DSC they imposed. On that fee, at least, they gave notice, and gave everyone a chance to pay and be "grandfathered in." That's the correct way to do something like this.

Agreed, I am past the final payment date too and it's annoying. I go in 2 weeks. Maybe it will be over by then. Thought I wouldn't mind if it's really as the OP said

So when the crap is free, all is just fine. But when there's a charge for it, all hell breaks loose.

It was free when I bought and paid for my cruise which is past the point of cancellation. Not to mention, it's free on all other major lines (to my knowledge) so it's pretty expected on my end.

If they are going to roll out things like this (and the tipping), there should be fair warning, especially to those past the paid in full dates. Between the two, I am wishing I had picked a different line.

Just since booking in Feb for my April cruise they changed the tipping which I will now have to add for my kid since he couldn't get the UDP and doesn't eat kid food. Now I will have to account for or do without room service (do any other lines charge for that?).

This is my first NCL cruise and I am wishing I had taken the RCCL that I was back and forth about but wanted to give NCL a try. It better be one hell of a ship.

And IMO, it's not complimentary if there is a convenience fee. Hopefully it will be better clarified.

Hopefully they dont shatter like they did at home. I'll try it

This will be my second time out in Miami, and I considered using off site parking. But everyone I Googled (not even using Cruise Critic) had some pretty scary reviews. In the end, I've decided to just pay and park there again. It's a short walk from the parking garage to the ship, very easy and simple so I would recommend it for you.

If you get there too early in the morning (and I say this because last time I drove down from Orlando and got there about 8am), you could stop by Bayside and get some breakfast or coffee. It's pretty touristy and I think it's $10 to park, but you can sit outside, look at boats, walk around a bit, and it's 5 minutes from the port. I rather enjoyed it.

I would like to tack on another question though for myself. Friday night I am staying at the Intercontinental in downtown. It's $39 per day to park there (ouch). I am wondering if it would be any cheaper to just park at the port an extra day, leaving my suitcase in the car, and just hopping on a bus nearby with a backpack to the hotel. Are there any buses from the port that would make it easy? I'd assume a taxi wouldn't be worth it by the time I paid the $40 port fee. Or should I just suck that one up to and pay the $39?

GETTING on Getaway next week. What are Vibe passes?......Never gone out of port of Miami..usually Fort Lauderdale.....worried about alot of traffic......is getting there difficult and tons of traffic??

Yes, Miami has a lot of traffic. Especially if you come through downtown. Where are you coming from and are you staying the night?

I brought my own tea on the Getaway last month because of this thread. I did not think the new was that bad. It does not taste like lipton but every tea has its own taste. After making my own tea a day or two, I used the Select Fields the rest of the trip. I like my iced tea strong with no sugar. I got used to it and think its not bad at all.

You made your own iced tea? How did you do it?

I absolutely hate that syrup fountain tea. I'm not sure it would be safe to brew your own and pour over ice would it? The last time I tried that in a glass at home it shattered, so now I use plastic or metal glasses. How did you do it on the ship?

I can deal with different brands. I just need actual brewed iced tea.

I'm very confused by how this will work for me. I booked in Feb for an April cruise. I prepaid for the UDP and booked the Illusionarium as well.

But I am traveling with a 9 year old who will not eat off the kids menu so his meals will be 50% off since I couldn't buy him an UDP.

So does that mean I won't be charged the 18% but he would? :confused: