Back from Getaway with small kids. Review and ask me anything.

[MrsWhite831]

We are doing the UNDP but I want to go to tropical a when the dancers are there. Do you remember which nights they danced?

Thanks!

 

We went on the last sea day at 6pm. The time they will be there is in the freestyle I know it was more than one day. Get there early for a table near the floor.

 

Don't forget it's the "nicer" dining room. We got a little added entertainment of watching people turned away for not following a dress code... noted several times in the freestyle. One woman's husband was not allowed in and the woman was screaming in her waiters face and demanded they comp her wine since she "had to leave". insane.

[Optiwoman]

I guess I'm not quite sure why you are posting your own mini review of the Breakaway right in the middle of someone's Getaway review.

 

Because I read it wrong. Sorry. Disregard.

[mitsugirly]

Nassau- we booked the blue lagoon beach day and loved it. Blue Lagoon cannot book NCL customers directly so we went through the ship. The price isn’t all that bad considering you get transportation, lunch and a beach day. You CAN see some of the dolphins from the beach/walkway so if your kids are too little to do an encounter, they can still catch a peek. The lagoon is small with warm calm water and our kids had a wonderful day. We walked around Nassau a little bit afterwards and I remembered it’s not a port that I love.

 

Nickelodeon- Really fun activities, our kids favorite part of the cruise. The nick splash pad was great for little ones. Go to the Nick craft days- our kids got to color their own T shirt and their own tote bag FOR FREE! The storytime and dance party were really fun with lots of great photo ops. The pajama jam breakfast was a great time with a big yummy buffet

 

Did you take any pictures of the Blue Lagoon that you could post? We have this booked for next month.

 

I am a little concerned with the time that you get. I believe the excursion says something like "4 hours" and it has been reported that it takes about an hour to get there? There have also been reports that the boat that takes you over there also stops along the way to pick up people at Paradise. Can you tell me, did the boat actually pick you up right there at the ship in port and did you stop along the way to get more passengers (therefore taking up a lot of valuable time)? How long did it take to get to Blue Lagoon? How long were you actually ON the island before you had to leave? Did you find that the last boat trip back was at 4pm? Or did they stay longer since you were on a ship excursion? What time did you leave the island and did they come around and tell you when you needed to pack up and go?

 

My daughter (who just turned 6 this month) loved the Nick Jr nights and themed parties. She did the tee shirt coloring too (but they didn't have the tote bag on the Jewel). I have to say you are the first person that said the pajama party breakfast was "yummy". Everyone has always reported that it is the worse thing ever and not worth the money. What all did they serve? We may have to try it out this time. How much did it cost?

 

Thanks in advance. :)

[LrgPizza]

Did you take any pictures of the Blue Lagoon that you could post? We have this booked for next month.

 

I am a little concerned with the time that you get. I believe the excursion says something like "4 hours" and it has been reported that it takes about an hour to get there? There have also been reports that the boat that takes you over there also stops along the way to pick up people at Paradise. Can you tell me, did the boat actually pick you up right there at the ship in port and did you stop along the way to get more passengers (therefore taking up a lot of valuable time)? How long did it take to get to Blue Lagoon? How long were you actually ON the island before you had to leave? Did you find that the last boat trip back was at 4pm? Or did they stay longer since you were on a ship excursion? What time did you leave the island and did they come around and tell you when you needed to pack up and go?

 

 

I'm also interested in these answers. My husband and son are doing a different excursion without me, and I was considering this one.

 

 

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[lwrandall]

I was on the Getaway as well...

 

 

 

do you know what happened with the US coast guard helicoptor? Looks like someone was medevaced out. I think it happened on Day 5 of the cruise or so in the evening.

 

 

From what the crew said a passenger had a heart attack.

 

 

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[MrsWhite831]

Did you take any pictures of the Blue Lagoon that you could post? We have this booked for next month.

 

I am a little concerned with the time that you get. I believe the excursion says something like "4 hours" and it has been reported that it takes about an hour to get there? There have also been reports that the boat that takes you over there also stops along the way to pick up people at Paradise. Can you tell me, did the boat actually pick you up right there at the ship in port and did you stop along the way to get more passengers (therefore taking up a lot of valuable time)? How long did it take to get to Blue Lagoon? How long were you actually ON the island before you had to leave? Did you find that the last boat trip back was at 4pm? Or did they stay longer since you were on a ship excursion? What time did you leave the island and did they come around and tell you when you needed to pack up and go?

 

My daughter (who just turned 6 this month) loved the Nick Jr nights and themed parties. She did the tee shirt coloring too (but they didn't have the tote bag on the Jewel). I have to say you are the first person that said the pajama party breakfast was "yummy". Everyone has always reported that it is the worse thing ever and not worth the money. What all did they serve? We may have to try it out this time. How much did it cost?

 

Thanks in advance. :)

 

Uploading some pics right now. The boat ride was about 30 mins. It goes right from the cruise dock to the lagoon. We met at 12:50. Got to the lagoon around 1:30, then you can take the 4:30 or 5:15 ferry home. They make loud announcements on the island about the time and which ships may board. The ride is actually really pretty- we got to see lots of celebrity homes, there's music and the water is beautiful. We did have 1 stop on the way back to drop off hotel customers.

 

The pajama jam WAS great lol. They had waffles, pancakes, french toast, omlette type sandwiches on english muffins, hot dogs in crescents, fruit skewers and a huge baked good assortments- things you didn't find on the buffet; donuts with colored icing and sprinkles, giant cupcakes, danishes. For the $20 the kids got breakfast, the dance party, a nick cup, bubbles and a little sparkly pom pom thing.

[MrsWhite831]

Blue lagoon pics

 

My kids were too small for the encounters but you could watch people doing them, Right behind my son was the swim and in the right hand corner of the pic was the encounters.

 

Photo of beach/lagoon entry

[mitsugirly]

Uploading some pics right now. The boat ride was about 30 mins. It goes right from the cruise dock to the lagoon. We met at 12:50. Got to the lagoon around 1:30, then you can take the 4:30 or 5:15 ferry home. They make loud announcements on the island about the time and which ships may board. The ride is actually really pretty- we got to see lots of celebrity homes, there's music and the water is beautiful. We did have 1 stop on the way back to drop off hotel customers.

 

The pajama jam WAS great lol. They had waffles, pancakes, french toast, omlette type sandwiches on english muffins, hot dogs in crescents, fruit skewers and a huge baked good assortments- things you didn't find on the buffet; donuts with colored icing and sprinkles, giant cupcakes, danishes. For the $20 the kids got breakfast, the dance party, a nick cup, bubbles and a little sparkly pom pom thing.

 

 

This is awesome news. It looks like you got to spend a few hours there, so I'll be happy. You said you could take the 4:30 or 5:15 ride back, but then said they made announcements as to which ship could get on. Can you pick either of those times? We of course would want to take the latest since we have no intention on doing any shopping or anything once we get back (that I know of) and want to make the most out of the day there at Blue Lagoon.

 

Sounds like they may have stepped up their program with the pajama jam breakfast. I guess we'll play it by ear this time and see.

 

Also thanks for the pictures. What cuties you have! :)

[MrsWhite831]

We planned on taking the 5:15 back and as the 4:30 was leaving there was still plenty of blue NCL towels along the beach chairs but some dark gray clouds rolled in... the wind picked up so we quick got ready and hopped on the 4:30

[mitsugirly]

We planned on taking the 5:15 back and as the 4:30 was leaving there was still plenty of blue NCL towels along the beach chairs but some dark gray clouds rolled in... the wind picked up so we quick got ready and hopped on the 4:30

 

Awesome, thanks for the info. :)

[staceyeileen]

Thanks for your review! We are getting on the Getaway with our 4yo son on Saturday so it's just in time for us :)

 

Question on your excursions - how did you handle the transportation with the small children, especially your cab ride? Did you bring a car seat?

 

Did your kids go on any of the water slides?

 

Do you remember what exactly was on the kids menu in the MDR? I haven't been able to find a copy yet.

[MrsWhite831]

Thanks for your review! We are getting on the Getaway with our 4yo son on Saturday so it's just in time for us :)

 

Question on your excursions - how did you handle the transportation with the small children, especially your cab ride? Did you bring a car seat?

 

Did your kids go on any of the water slides?

 

Do you remember what exactly was on the kids menu in the MDR? I haven't been able to find a copy yet.

 

We did not bring carseats.. (ducks from judgements on board). 99% of our travel was via van/bus and we were told seats were not needed.

 

In the splash pad there are 2 water slides, one about a foot long and one about 3 feet long. I went on 3 of the big slides... they were "intense" lol. I cant imagine my kids going on them. However the purple slide I went on, I never went under water, even at the end, if that helps.

 

The kids menu was always the same; cheese or pepperoni pizza, mac and cheese, chicken tenders and fries, pb&j, grilled cheese... I may be missing something but my kids were always fine with those choices.

[staceyeileen]

We did not bring carseats.. (ducks from judgements on board). 99% of our travel was via van/bus and we were told seats were not needed.

 

 

Was the transportation in St. Thomas a cab or one of he open air buses? Did you feel comfortable with your little ones? I assume the ship-sponsored excursion to Coral World/Coki Beach takes a large bus, so maybe it'd be worth just paying the extra money for the peace of mind.

[big al]

Just got home from our cruise on the breakaway. Been on almost 30 cruises, mostly rccl, but this was our first ncl. Not impressed. First of all, our mistake, we booked on spring break. Omg. Whoever turns their teens loose and thinks they are going to be well behaved needs their head examined. Lol. My husband even ended up in a selfie!!

 

Our room was great. It was accessible, very roomy, in the very back of the ship. Lots of rocking and vibrations but nice.The room and balcony was about 500 sq ft. There was not one staff member who walked past without speaking. Very friendly.

 

Here is the negative. The menus in the main dining room was practically the same everyday. I loved the freestyle dining but the food was just average. The buffet had some variety and was nicely presented . It is very obvious that they want you to go to one of the pay a fee venues tho. Maybe that's the way the industry is headed. I hope not. We have always enjoyed wonderful menu choices but they just didn't have it here. They have close to 30 places to eat but most of them are not free.

 

They have bowling, for a fee. They charge for pizza delivery. They have an adult only place to layout and hot tub but there were kids in it and no pool.One pool and everyone is there. Very crowded.

 

My biggest disappointment was the buffet. They sing to you " washy washy happy happy" stressing the importance of washing your hands. That part is good. But not one time did I see anyone using any solution to wash off a table,a salt and pepper shaker,or anything else. They either used the guests napkin, or a damp to dry rag that they used all day and I never saw them rinse it out. They also used that rag on the seats and then the table.

 

This may sound petty to some but my husband got the norovirus once and cleanliness is important.

 

Also the I concierge thing was a fee and didn't work half the time.

 

The ship was nice with a lot of little places to sit. ( not around the pool tho.)

 

Going back to rccl

 

You forgot several important factors: The shows & entertainment on the Breakaway I thought were TEN times better than RCI ( other than the diving show, Hairspray, a few others on Oasis ships..)..and the alternative dining venues are SUPERB...MDR dining on RCI, IMO, is very mediocre, although MDR food is suppose to be mediocre...I thought the buffet area was very good...you should've tried Le Bistro, Teppanyaki, Cagney's and La Cocina....when you go on a ship that specializes in specialty dining, that's what you should do...escargots, and the Fruit Fondue dessert in Le Bistro is out of this world...Teppanyaki, the Japanese Steakhouse was so much fun, and the food was delicious..we are Diamond on RCI, and we eat 2-3x in Chops, Portifinos,etc.,every cruise because we think the MDR food is pretty uneventful...BTW, just got off the Getaway doing a ship tour last Sat., and she is even nicer than the Breakaway...has a more tropical, latin Miami feel to it...just MHO...

 

 

Big Al

[MrsWhite831]

Was the transportation in St. Thomas a cab or one of he open air buses? Did you feel comfortable with your little ones? I assume the ship-sponsored excursion to Coral World/Coki Beach takes a large bus, so maybe it'd be worth just paying the extra money for the peace of mind.

 

When we got off the boat there was a ton of regular taxis- we took one of those, it's $9pp. Our driver gave us a business card and said we could call him to come back anytime and he'd be there within 20 mins. On the way back there seemed to be a majority of open air buses at Coki beach and I thought it would save money.... nope $9 a person. I was leery of getting on with the kids but the sides are pretty high and 3 different drivers convinced us that it's safe as long as the kids sit in the middle. The kids loved it and nothing beat the warm breeze.

[Optiwoman]

You forgot several important factors: The shows & entertainment on the Breakaway I thought were TEN times better than RCI ( other than the diving show, Hairspray, a few others on Oasis ships..)..and the alternative dining venues are SUPERB...MDR dining on RCI, IMO, is very mediocre, although MDR food is suppose to be mediocre...I thought the buffet area was very good...you should've tried Le Bistro, Teppanyaki, Cagney's and La Cocina....when you go on a ship that specializes in specialty dining, that's what you should do...escargots, and the Fruit Fondue dessert in Le Bistro is out of this world...Teppanyaki, the Japanese Steakhouse was so much fun, and the food was delicious..we are Diamond on RCI, and we eat 2-3x in Chops, Portifinos,etc.,every cruise because we think the MDR food is pretty uneventful...BTW, just got off the Getaway doing a ship tour last Sat., and she is even nicer than the Breakaway...has a more tropical, latin Miami feel to it...just MHO...

 

 

Big Al

 

That's what I was saying. The ho hum menu choices force you to go to specialty dining. We are diamond members on rccl as well and they have different menus everyday. Guess we are just rccl people. The breakaway was a beautiful ship just not for us I guess.

[staceyeileen]

That's what I was saying. The ho hum menu choices force you to go to specialty dining. We are diamond members on rccl as well and they have different menus everyday. Guess we are just rccl people. The breakaway was a beautiful ship just not for us I guess.

 

The MDR has a different menu everyday, I thought? Some of the items are available everyday but the rest changes daily. This is the same way RCL menus work. At least, that's what I saw on the posted Getaway menus.

[RCmommy]

We will be taking our 11 year old twins on the Getaway this October. They are very excited to see a much bigger ship and some warm sandy beaches.

 

On our first cruise aboard the Gem the kids club staff were very accomodating. There were only 39 kids in total on the entire ship for our cruise. So the kids were kept in one big group for the most part. Our daughter has OCD and the staff were very interested in how they could help out and makes things easy for her. Luckily she is great without us for the most part. We did get called once to come back when she got very upset because someone in the kids club told her sharks were in the water and they were going to bite a hole into the side of the ship. Of course, she was about to panic thinking we're Titanic doomed. When we got to the club one of the staff had got her busy helping them clean up a space and we were not really needed. I thought that was very cool of them.

 

While at SA they did tour around the ship at different times to go to a dance party, eat with the group, etc. We always knew if they were leaving and I did not feel concerned. My two are older however. We were sitting in public areas at times when the group would walk through and the leaders had them singing at the top of their lungs. I thought "oh boy" guests will not be thrilled but in fact they started clapping along.

 

Did anyone have any luck with the slides on Getaway? My two were literally getting stuck on the Gem slide and all the kids would start to walk down the rest of the way. :confused:

Edited May 1, 2014 by RCmommy