annmarz

I was on the Getaway in January and I think I have found my soul-mate! I could not agree with you more!!! The smoke, the weird atrium, the bizarre cabin steward - we had exactly the same experiences and impressions. I had a server in Savor ARGUE with me when I said the coffee was cold one breakfast. A Margaritaville bartender also ARGUED with me when I received the drink I did not order. We were, however, able to find pool loungers, miraculously, but the smoke permeating the deck from the open-air smokers lounge drove us away. And the only time drunk passengers annoyed us was when they took over the Howl at the Moon show.

That being said, we had a great time. It was a lot of fun! We did not expect a 5-star experience and we certainly did not receive it but we had a wonderful vacation, much of which exceeded our expectations: Most of the food, the buffet, the shows, and our studio cabins were fantastic!

We never had trouble getting seated using the stand-by line.

Thank you for a wonderful review.

Very limited. Tables near the bar.

Tableside food preparation in the dining room: special pastas, cherries jubilee, bananas foster.

Don't go on NCL's island tour in Roatan - boring, bumpy, not much to see.

Costa Maya - just enjoy the area off the ship. Try the "Fish Spa." We loved that.

In Cozumel, if you go to the Chankanaab park, go on your own early, beat the cruise ship tour crowds and sign up for the Manatee Encounter. Best thinkg ever!!

I was not thrilled with Howl at the Moon on the Getaway two weeks ago. One night 2 drunk passengers took over the show and they allowed that. The second night, they repeated material, a very long birthday rendition to a passenger. The same songs, the same jokes. They seemed like talented pianists but their voices were shrill. I did not care for the female performer, "Sparkles". I guess it does depend on the particulars of the week, and even the night.

What time of year was this?

November 2017 on the Danube

To Tiggertastic:

Nope. Only Margaritaville for lunch twice. HUGE portions, great food. Great drinks. Inconsistent service.

We were happy with the MDRs, especially Tropicana, and Shanghai's and ate in O'Sheehans one night. We like to eat early and had no problems with being seated.

I would have tried the raw Bar and Wasabi but my companion did not care for that type of food.

I requested a birthday cake for my friend on our Getaway cruise last week. She never received it! And I didn't bother following up onboard, because it was near the end of the cruise and I just gave up.

Nothing wrong at all with Aquarium class. Note that our AMAStella room was a little smaller than others. Also, the wall under the water was cold. I slept on the wall side and was a little chilly some nights (turned up the heat). The window shelf provided another storage spot! And it was fun to watch the swans. All said, I would prefer a larger, lower window but the savings was awesome.

On the Getaway last week we had no problem bringing empty water bottles onboard.

The Glow Face Painting and Pre-Glow party starts at 10:00 pm.

To preface my comments - this was my first cruise on Norwegian, altho' I have traveled on many, many other cruises on many other lines so I have a lot to compare to. I am a 59 year old female.

I chose this cruise for one reason - the Studio cabins. I was planning a trip with a friend and we wanted our own space without a huge single supplement.

We had a blast, felt we got our money's worth and were very pleasantly surprised by several standouts that exceeded our expectations. There were several areas in which NCL needs to improve, IMHO.

The Studio Cabins -

Better than I expected in design. More than adequate storage. Bed was comfy. Perfect location on ship. Studio lounge was convenient and nice to grab cold water or good coffee without walking far. Our stewardess was not too efficient however. She would forget little things - kleenex, pillows etc. and would not remove dirty glasses. For the first time in my life I resorted to the slovenly practice of putting them out in the hallway. Several times when I called her on the phone, there was never any answer. In fact, this was usually the case, whomever I tried to call - guest services, whatever. Room service DID answer once.

Service - Very inconsistent. Most crew members were friendly and polite. I think most of them were overworked and just too busy. Perhaps the ship is understaffed? Some were snippy and actually ARGUED with me. Unacceptable. I noticed dirty uniforms in some cases, not much understanding of English, and general unprofessionalism. I think NCL needs better training. The service was the biggest negative on this cruise.

Food - Exceeded my expectations - Very very good - Some was excellent. We ate mostly in the complimentary venues and in Margaritaville. Shanghai's was fun and delicious. The buffet was as good as any ship I have been on.

Drinks - We had the Ultimate Beverage Package, like everyone it seemed. Great selection, specialty drinks - fun bars everywhere. As long as you don't mind getting your own drinks and waiting (few roaming servers), you will be very happy!

Entertainment - OMG!!!! Million Dollar Quartet!!! One of the best shows I have seen in my life - even counting Broadway. The talent! It is 90 minutes long. We went back again - it was that good! Burn the Floor is amazing. Loved this!!! One of the the comedians was excellent - rest were good. We enjoyed the Headliners venue at night a lot. Howl at the Moon was not as compelling as I thought it would be - one night it was spoiled by some inebriated passengers who took over. The next night it was a repeat of material.

Activities - Lots and lots of the typical cruise ship stuff. Something for everyone all day long.

The ship itself - Big, noisy and crowded of course. We usually were able to find seats however, except in the bustling horribly packed atrium at night where everyone converges for the game shows, the bar, etc. It is a beautiful ship, lovely decor. We did miss having a lounge where you could just go and sit and look out and enjoy the views without a loud activity occurring. And the SMOKE. We avoided Deck 7 as much as possible because the smoke from the casino wafts everywhere. Ditto with the Sunset Bar area. And the starboard side of the pool deck. They DO NOT enforce the smoking policy.

Speaking of the pool deck - it is strange. The pool is smallish, which we didn't really care about. But I didn't understand the wasted space between the kids play area and the adult pool. It looks like they were intending to put a shopping are there but didn't? When the ship gets retrofitted in the future, they should redesign this deck. If you have a family, this looks like a great ship for you - the kids area was very cute and lots to do for them.

I will continue later!

Just got off the Getaway and enjoyed the trip very much! Will post some comments ASAP and happy to answer any questions.

I will be travelling as a solo in a studio cabin on the Getaway. What exactly is the role of the singles coordinator? Does he/she arrange group seating in the dining rooms and shows? Any other activities?

Stuffing wet clothes into the paper laundry bag, will not end well :rolleyes:

Thanks for the laugh tonight!

I'll also be reading along, we board as you leave. I haven't managed to find the prices of the optional additional concert or excursion to Schoenbrunn Palace, so please post when they tell you, if you wouldn't mind.

 

Safe and fabulous travels!

On our AMAStella cruise last month the Schonbrunn Palace excursion was $56 - and well worth it. The concert was over $100 - sorry I don't have the exact amount.

Firstly, thanks so much for the daily reviews, although we will be traveling next year with APT, it will of course be on an AMA ship so your thoughts and comments are still most welcome.

 

 

 

 

I can understand your sensitivity to the style of menus as the food is one of the distinguishing features of AMA and while it is what attracts us, I can understand that it is not what everyone is looking for.

 

Are there not items on the 'Always available' side of the menu that might work to give you some relieve from the normal cuisine?

 

I'd also have thought it was worth a quiet word with someone to ask if they could accommodate you with something more basic on occasions?

 

I imagine the menus are available early enough for you to spot the days when nothing much appeals and request a simple alternative on those occasions.

Yes they have "always available" familiar menu items and yes, the menus are posted in advance outside the dining room.

When I was recently on the AMAStella, I was told those cabins were smaller than the ones on the bottom deck, which we had. I sure wouldn't want anything smaller than what we had!

It was late for us also. The dinner time varies. One night was 7:45! There were no other options for dinner. I think the earliest dinner was 6:30.

Good morning, they must have changed when they give the gift......I got on the last evening of the cruise.

Yes. I was expecting the gift at the end, based on cruise critic posts, and was surprised to see it in the beginning. It was nice to have the items during the trip!

I am trying to think of anything I forgot to mention so far and I apologize for not responding to the requests to post copies of the tip sheet and Daily Programs. Have been really busy since I returned. I Will try.

I did not mention the Oktoberfest party they had for us upon embarkation in Vilshofen. This was really fun! Actually we embarked first and then went out to a heated tent for free beer and a big pretzel with musicians and entertainment. Since I am a beer person, not a wino like most on the cruise, I "owned" this event. It lasted an hour. A festive way to start the cruise.

The Staff - The captain was a big presence onboard. He made an effort to personally greet everyone and appeared throughout the week at various events. The Cruise Manager, Reza, was delightful, energetic, and very very competent. If I was going to be just a little bit critical, it would be with the front desk staff. Perhaps I encountered a trainee or two, but several times my simple questions were met with confusion, although always polite. And during the busy times of preparing for the departure of excursions, sometimes we felt like we were being barked at to "wait in the lounge." But in the staff's defense I must say that so many passengers failed to educate themselves on the procedures (obtain color coded ticket, sign out with your cruise card, etc.) that it had to be frustrating for them as well. So it works both ways.

The gift shop - What you would expect for a ship this size. A nice selection, average prices. Meager and high-priced selection of sundries. A diversion, for browsing, didn't see anyone actually buying anything.

The in-Cabin gift - At the beginning of the cruise they place a gift on your bed for each male and female in the cabin, I won't spoil the surprise.

Aside from the fitness center, there did not seems to be any special fitness options. No yoga, etc.

Yes - there are quite a few booths and tables for 4. You will have no problem finding one.