SliceofLife's GETAWAY REVIEW (including pictures, MDR menu's and more!)

[SliceOfLife]

Dinner Menu's

 

 

 

 

[SliceOfLife]

Beef Burger Slider

 

 

Chicken Cordon Bleu

 

 

Spaghetti Carbonara

 

 

Warm Chocolate Volcano

 

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Tonight's towel animal

 

[david_sobe]

Wow. Great start. Its only morning but looking at the menus made me hungry :eek:

Love the photos... so colorful. Really enjoying this since I board in just a few months!

[brookie848]

Really enjoying this review and looking forward to more!

[SliceOfLife]

Day 4 – St. Martin

 

Land!! Once again we headed to the Garden Café for breakfast and we both had the same thing as the day before. I am so glad I had my maple syrup! I didn’t try the creepy new syrup but it looked pretty gross! I forgot to mention every morning the head maître d walks around the Café making rooster noises and saying Wakey Wakey, Eggs and Bakey makes you Happy Happy. He is a trip!! He also like to put a batter operated candle on his head and balances it and walks around. Some days he would trade the candle in for a head piece made of fruit. His rooster call is so loud we could hear it off the ship in Miami while waiting for pickup!!

 

Today we booked Robinson’s Speed Boat Tour. It was $109 per person and that includes lunch and free drinks while on board the boat. For lunch you need to purchase your beverages. I was a bit nervous booking this excursion because I get a bit motion sick if I am in rough waters. Captain Mike assured me I would be good to go and I read the reviews so I went for it. Check in was a nightmare! Captain Bob’s speedboat tour also leaves the same marina and the same guys do the paperwork for both excursions. We were there early about 9am, and you’re supposed to be there by 9:30. No one had Captain Mike’s paperwork so we didn’t get to check in right away. We waiting around for a half hour while others were checking in and getting on boats. Finally we were checked in but it was close to 10 before we got on our boat for the day.

 

They changed the itinerary for our trip due to last week’s hurricane. We went counterclockwise around the island a way they normally do not take because the water is too choppy. They said since the hurricane came through everything was very calm and by going that way we would save 40 minutes of travel time and we could use the extra time at one of our stops. I thought awesome! Calm water is good. We took off and all was well for a few minutes and then things really choppy! Of course riding a speed boat only made it feel a million times worse. I was pretty sure at some point I was going to die. Thank goodness I had my sea bands on and took Bonine before we left. At one point our captain stopped the boat to give a little speech about an area we were at. I took the opportunity to take another Bonine and eat a ginger chew. I was close to getting sick because being stopped the boat was going up and down and side to side very quickly. The captain took off and I was feeling a bit better while we were moving but I was also praying it would be over soon. At one point I considered just swimming to the shore and taking a taxi back! My prayers were answers and a short time later we reached Pinel Island. I think in total it took a little over a half hour to reach Pinel. The island sustained damage during the hurricane so we would not be having lunch there as planned, we would go to a different lunch spot later in our tour. Pinel Island is so pretty! There was no on there but us on the speed boat tour (5 boats in total). The boat drops anchor and you get in the water which is waist deep. The water clear and so warm! I think it was about 86 degrees in the water. It was heavenly and I could have stayed there all day! We meet another cruise critic couple FlashCruiser while on the excursion so we talked for most of the day. They were very nice people and I’m glad we got to chat. After about a half hour at Pinel we were off to an area to snorkel. I don’t remember what the spot is called but there can be sea turtles there. My husband saw a turtle a few minutes after diving in. We brought our own snorkel equipment but the boat also provides snorkel gear and noodles to float with. We stayed there for about a half hour and then went to another snorkel spot. I believe we spent about 45 minutes there and then it was time to go to another spot for lunch time. Again the boat drops anchor and you get in waist deep water and walk to the beach. We had time to swim and layout before lunch was ready. We had the choice of ribs, fish or chicken. I had the chicken and my husband and the ribs. The chicken was fried and seasoned well. My husband thought the ribs were pretty good. You had a choice of French fries or rice and beans as your side and we both and the fries. After lunch we had another hour and a half to lay on the beach and digest or float around in the water. Next up was a beach area next to Maho and we were able to swim and hang around until 3:15. The next big plane was landing at 3:30 so we made our way over to watch it land. It was pretty amazing to watch the plane fly over your head in a boat! On the Epic we went on Bernard’s tour and went to Maho beach so it was cool to have two different perspectives. Our day was coming to an end so we all headed back to the marina. All the boats decided to race each other back. For a bit of the journey we rode five across and it was pretty neat to see us all lined up. After that they were swerving around each other and I think it’s a miracle we didn’t tip over at some point. I’m sure it was safe the entire time but for someone who has never been on a boat like that it was a bit scary! At one point a boat came close to ours and turned hard so we got drenched with a wave. We made it back to the marina in one piece!

 

A tip for those who want to go on this excursion, if you sit in the back of the boat it’s more stable but you can get wet, if you want to feel all the motion and stay dry, ride in the front.

 

It was after 4pm so we headed back to the ship to clean up and get ready for our Ocean Blue reservations.

 

Today we celebrated our 7th wedding anniversary so we wanted to do something special for dinner. We loved Ocean Blue on the Breakaway so it was a no brainer to go there and celebrate tonight. We had 6:30pm reservations and the place was empty when we arrived. I love the attention and service you get here. I ordered the Crispy Calamari and my husband ordered the Mussels Tom Ka Gai. Both appetizers were amazing! The mussels could be a meal all by itself, there had to have been over 20 mussels in the dish. The bowl of crispy calamari is also huge. I don't understand people who say they walk away hungry from here. For dinner we both ordered the Delmonico steak, I know... it's a seafood restaurant, but these steaks are superb!! Perhaps next time I will get a seafood dish? On the Breakaway my husband had the Delmonico steak and I had the Light Roasted Sea Scallops with Pork Belly, amazing dish, but I loved his steak! Anyway, the steaks did not disappoint! They were cooked to perfection and I love the seasoning. I wish I would have taken pictures of the menu because it is slightly different than the Breakaway menu (unless it has also changed by now). There are two side dishes you can choose from, charred broccoli or chilled beans. We both went with the charred broccoli. Let me tell you, charred is the correct description because this broccoli was black and charred! It wasn't crispy but it did have a slight burnt taste to it. It was good but I don't think I would get it again as the aftertaste comes back to haunt you all night. For dessert I had the chocolate flourless cake which I do not remember from the Breakaway and my husband had the Apple Strudel with Cardamom. The chocolate cake is pretty small but after eating a few bites and tasting how rich it is, there is a reason it's not huge! I liked the Lemon Meringue Tart I had on the Breakaway better. My husband loved his dessert, in fact he ordered the same thing on the Breakaway.

 

After dinner we rushed to Spice H20 to catch the last 45 minutes of Ghostbusters. It is my husband's favorite movie and he enjoyed watching it.

 

Levity Entertainment Group had a show in the theater at 9:30 pm featuring all three acts, James Ervin Berry, John Wing, Jr. and Collin Moulton. The description promised all new material so we decided to check it out. Again, James is hilarious, he is the host but I feel he should be one of the main acts. Next up was John and he was not funny at all. The audience only laughed here and there but it was nothing like the laughter from James. Colin was last and he was really funny. We really enjoyed his segment!

 

Tonight was fireworks night but we were so tired from our boating adventure that we went to bed.

[SliceOfLife]

Lots of pics from our excursion

 

 

 

One of the boats used for the tour

 

 

Pinel Island

 

 

 

Snorkeling spot where everyone saw sea turtles

 

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More snorkeling areas

 

 

 

 

 

 

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We saw a lot of damage from the hurricane that hit the previous week. Lots of boats were turned upside down in the waters or had been pushed up onto the beaches.

 

 

 

 

Planes landing at Maho

 

 

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Video of the plane landing. I wish it would have turned out better but considering we were in a rocking boat, it's pretty decent.

 

[SliceOfLife]

Ocean Blue Dinner!! I forgot to mention in my review along with a side dish they also give you baby potatoes.

 

Crispy Calamari

 

 

Mussels

 

 

Delmonico Steak (side dishes in the black pots)

 

 

Flourless Chocolate Cake

 

 

Apple Strudel

 

[SliceOfLife]

Ghostbusters in Spice H20

 

 

 

 

 

[SliceOfLife]

Main Dining Room Menu's for Dinner

 

 

 

 

 

Tonight's towel animal

 

[SliceOfLife]

Day 5 - St. Thomas

 

Today we had tickets to ride the sky ride to Paradise Point. I wanted to get some good aerial photos of the cruise ship and the island. We ate the usual omelet and waffles from the Garden Cafe and we were off to enjoy St. Thomas.

 

I purchased the tickets in advance from NCL so we just had to exchange the ticket for the wristband at the window outside the sky ride. We were there early so there was no line or crowd of people to deal with. By the time we got to the top of the stairs the ride was almost to the loading area. We shared a car with another couple and a mom with her two kids. If you are afraid of heights and wobbly cars this is not the ride for you!! We reached the top and I took some pictures and we then walked around a bit. I wish I had done more research before going on this excursion. There really isn't much to do up there besides take pictures and get your drink on. We looked around a few of the souvenir shops and then left. We had a car to ourselves on the way back. I am glad we got there early because the line was insane when we got off our car! We shopped around for awhile and then headed back to the ship. Once onboard I dropped off my camera and we went to the pool to relax.

 

We went to the Garden Cafe since your lunch options are limited on port days. I tried the chicken parmesan and some random pasta dishes. My husband and the blue cheese burger and some fries. I wish the chicken parmesan would have had more sauce but other than that is was really good. My husband enjoyed his burger so it was a happy lunch adventure. We stopped by the soft serve ice cream machine for dessert and went back to the pool deck.

 

For dinner we went to the Main Dining Room Savor again. I forgot to take pictures of the menu, oops! For an appetizer I ordered the lemon chicken cesar salad and my husband ordered the calamari. I thought the salad was really good and my husband said the calamari was good but not as amazing as the calamari from Ocean Blue. For dinner we both had the steak diane entree. Both of our steaks were cooked the way we asked them and overall it was a very good dish. For dessert I had the snickerdoodle pound cake a la mode and my husband had some type of rice pudding, I think it was apricot. We both enjoyed our desserts.

 

We went to watch the family show, Who's the Boss in the atrium. There were three contestants, each pair a parent and their child. They asked some pretty entertaining questions. I think the show could be really funny if you have the right kids participating.

 

After the show we went back to our cabin to relax and then go to bed.

[SliceOfLife]

 

 

 

 

He looks like Achmed from Jeff Dunham's skits.

 

 

[SliceOfLife]

No dinner menus from tonight.. my iPhone ran out of space and I didn't realize when I took pictures they were not saving them... boo :(

 

Steak Diane

 

 

Snickerdoodle pound cake

 

 

Rice Pudding

 

 

 

 

Tonight's towel animal

 

Edited November 1, 2014 by SliceOfLife

[SliceOfLife]

Day 6 - Sea Day

 

We woke up a bit later and the Garden Cafe was a bit hectic but again, keep on walking and you will find a less crowded area. I saw the omelet lines were insane and I was going to give up until I spotted a station that was empty! Yes, no omelet wait!! I was a happy camper!

 

Today there was a fruit and vegetable carving demo in the Atrium at 10 am so we went to go check that out. There were three different chef's all creating all sorts of interesting carvings. I am amazed on a moving ship on intricate they can carve a fruit and not slice into their fingers!! The chef's took questions while they carved their creations. The demonstration lasted about 45 minutes and you could take pictures afterwards. I managed to get a few good pictures at the table before the masses of iPad welding people got in the way trying to take pictures. People can be so rude!

 

We stayed put in the Atrium because up next was The Masters of Magic Q&A with the magicians from the Illusionarium. If you have time you should check out this session. They all went over how they got into magic, some of them met on prior cruises and ended up getting married. They won't reveal how they did their tricks so don't ask. They performed a few more tricks and together they asked six people in the audience to pick a card from a deck. Each of the six magicians then called out a card and they all got them right. Crazy! It was a very entertaining session and I'm glad we got to see it.

 

Next up we went to the future cruise presentation. I obviously keep up with Cruise Critic so most of the information that was discussed about the Getaway and Escape I already knew. I thought it was a waste of time but I did get the cruise schedule for next year.

 

For lunch I wanted to try the Waterfront and my husband wanted sushi. We went to the waterfront first and we shared the ever delicious crispy calamari, yes, the same one you can order from Ocean blue but a bit smaller portion. I ordered the Maine Lobster roll. The lobster pieces are huge and the roll is nice and buttery. It had a really good sauce too but the whole thing was so rich! I gave the other half to my husband because I felt if I hate the whole thing I would not have a happy stomach later. We walked over to Wasabi so my husband could get a sushi roll. I decided to get the shrimp tempura roll since I didn't eat all of my lobster roll and he got the godzilla roll. Both rolls were excellent and we were happy with our choices.

 

O'Sheehan's has specialty dinners posted in the dailies, prime rib, chicken and waffles, and all you can eat ribs. I don't remember seeing prime rib repeat itself, but chicken and waffles and the ribs did. Tonight was rib night and nothing in the main dining room was calling our names so we went to O'Sheehan's. For an appetizer I ordered the spinach artichoke dip and my husband and the chicken fingers. I feel the dip changed a bit and was a bit bland. I added some pepper to it and it helped. My husband said the chicken fingers were really good. For dinner he ordered the ribs, they come with two different sauces, one is a Jack Daniel's sauce and the other is a more tradition bbq ( it looked like Tennessee bbq sauce but I could be wrong). I ordered the chicken pot pie. My husband said the ribs were really good, very tender and almost falling off the bone. The dinner came with cornbread but it was a bit dry and not that exciting tasting. My pot pie was good, they are so hot when they arrive so be careful not to burn yourself. I love the pot pie crust, it's so flakey.

 

We skipped dessert because it was chocolate lover's dessert night in the main dining room and buffet. I went to the buffet to get the chocolate nutella pot de creme but they didn't have it. I was most disappointed. My husband ended up getting a cherry filled crepe and was in heaven. Afterwards we stopped at the Savor to ask if I could get the chocolate nutella dessert to go, and the answer is yes you can! I waited about five minutes and out came the dessert.

 

I took it with me to the atrium where we waited for the Battle of the Sexes game show to start. Be advised, if you sit up close you could be picked to participate! The show was very entertaining especially when each team had to pass an orange from neck to neck without using their hands. I was dying from laughter watching the men. It is a great game to go see.

 

I noticed in the Casino they had Wheel of Fortune slot machines! I decided to play $10 and was pretty sure my money would be gone in minutes. We walked around the casino area and some spots are so smoky! It was so disgusting! Thankfully the Wheel of Fortune machines are towards the outside of the casino and not too smoky. Luck was on my side, after my third bet I won $486!!! I promptly cashed out and made my way to the cashier to cash in my winnings.

 

We wanted to go see Colin Moulton from the Levity Group and didn't have reservations as they were completely booked. We got in line early for standby. The hostess thought we were crazy because we were there so early but we really wanted to see the show. I think at 8:30 they started letting people in and the hostess let us go in with those people with reservations. I thought it was really sweet of her because standby usually is not let in until 10 minutes before the show starts. Colin did not disappoint, he was very interactive with the audience and I wish we had seen more of his acts earlier in the cruise.

 

We were beat after the show so we went back to our cabin to read and then go to bed.

[SliceOfLife]

Fruit and Veggie carving demo

 

 

 

 

 

 

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The Grammy Experience, there is more memorabilia but I didn't get pictures because people were in the way. Everytime I wanted to go inside it was closed for private functions. The Future Cruise Presentation was held in here so I managed to get a few pics.

 

 

 

 

Head Maitre d with his fruit hat

 

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Waterfront lunch

 

Crispy Calamari

 

 

Lobster Roll

 

 

Sushi

 

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Dinner Menus

 

 

 

 

Nutella Pot de creme! It was so amazing

 

 

Tonight's towel animal

 

[SliceOfLife]

Day 7 - Nassau

 

Sadness, our last full day on the cruise. Where in the world did the week go?? I woke up to bleak skies and thought it was not going to be a pretty day. Walking to the Garden Cafe for breakfast we noticed some people have tour cancellation notices on their doors. We later found out their trips to Atlantis were cancelled. We didn't make it to breakfast until almost 9:45 and it was very hectic in there. Even with walking around trying to find a calmer area it was still pretty crazy. I skipped the omelet line and went with waffles and fruit. Waffles.. yum!!

 

Afterwards we went back to our cabin to start packing up our suitcases. After an hour or so we left to sit outside and watched the rain start to move it. It was a complete downpour for awhile and I felt bad for those off the ship who were shopping and trying to enjoy a beach day. We went back to our cabin and ordered the $5 anywhere anytime pizza. It took about a half hour for the pizza to arrive. It was steaming hot! We ordered the pepperoni pizza, it was decent, I thought it could use more sauce. This pizza is different than what is served in the Garden Cafe.

 

We stopped by O'Sheehan's for dessert. I wanted the brownie cheesecake again and my husband wanted to try the banana split from the ice cream bar ($4.50). He enjoyed his banana split, the banana was not ripe enough for my liking, and the brownie cheesecake was very yummy.

 

We went to the atrium to watch Win, Lose or Draw. My husband went up and participated. He did a great job because everyone guessed his drawing (a hearing aid) within seconds. Some of the objects you had to draw were really hard, math homework was one of them. You cannot draw symbols or numbers so no one got that right. It was a good way to pass some time on the ship.

 

Later we went back to the Waterfront and watched the rain and read books. My husband tried one of the pineapple coconut mojito's from SugarCane. It was strong!! You get your money's worth with those drinks. We stayed there until sailaway so we could listen to the Disney ship honk it's horn. Our ship left first and it was before the 6pm time listed on our itinerary. I guess the rain drove everyone back on the ship early so we didn't have to wait for anyone. We were still within range of hearing the Disney horn and after than we left to get ready for dinner.

 

We decided to try the Tropicana Room for dinner tonight. Oh what a mistake that turned out to be. With the storms that had rolled through it brought strong winds so there was significant movement back there and it was starting to make me feel ill. I ordered the bean and cheese empanada for an appetizer and my husband ordered the crab and cheese soufflé. My dish was pretty good, it did have a strong onion taste but it was still edible. My husband thought the soufflé was good. For dinner he ordered the prime rib special and I had the chipotle pork loin with chorizo hash. I had thought about ordering the potato gnocchi with mushrooms and really wished I had ordered that. The pork was good, moist and tender, and they gave me two huge pieces. I normally love spicy dishes but with all the movement in the back of the ship I started to not feel well. I finished eating and left my husband to wait for the check (he ordered a beer) and we skipped dessert. I needed some fresh air and that helped me feel better. I thought the Tropicana Room felt very enclosed because you can't really see out of the back windows. I think from now on I will skip the aft dining rooms! Later we went to the Garden Cafe to get some ice cream since we skipped dessert. We had just missed the crepe station. I guess everything closes up early the day before the cruise ends.

 

We made our way to Headliners to watch Howl at the Moon. The place was pretty empty even after the show started. We left about a half hour into the show. I didn't care for the performers, they did not have good chemistry and I was tired of hearing the same songs. It never fails, each Howl at the Moon we have been too on the Epic and Breakaway, they all play Sweet Home Alabama, the Piano Man, and some others I can't think of.

 

We decided to call it a night and we finished packing up everything for the next day.