Looking to "Getaway"... Lots of questions.

[Vacationdreamer<><]

We are newer to cruising, but caught the bug hard after a family DCL last May. I then took a Princess cruise in the fall with BFF. Now, we are looking at another family cruise next May. We were certain we'd go after the DCL Fantasy, but their delay in releasing their summer 2016 schedule actually prompted me into looking at what else was available. And Getaway has really caught our eye.

 

I spent the weekend researching NCL and Getaway and have gleaned a lot of information. I still have questions and thought I'd ask here. I have tried the "SEARCH" feature, but unfortunately (?) that often leads me to trip reports which can be, um, rather verbose. It is hard to find exactly what I am looking for.

 

Our travel party will be mom, dad, six kids (3, 5, 10, 11, 13, 15); plus my mom and sister. We'd book two staterooms for the 8 of us, and my mom and sister would book their own. We'd want to dine together.

 

 

I get that the DCL and NCL products are different. And I even think I understand (more or less) the idea of "Freestyle" cruising. But it seems that Freestyle isn't the same as "No Planning". Am I right?

 

I still would be best served by reserving our shows, dinners, etc., ahead of the cruise, correct?

 

And that is after the PIF date?

 

How would I know what the available shows are? Do they do the same show 7 times?

 

Now, the Getaway has 3 traditional dining rooms and one buffet, I believe. If I were to reserve a table for 10 every night in the same restaurant, would we get the same servers each night? Would the menu stay the same each night? We LOVED DCL rotational dining, so I can see that we'd likely enjoy trying new restaurants. But I've very much enjoyed consistent servers, too.

 

On the NCL website, it says that all entertainment, except dinner shows and character breakfasts are included. How much additional is the dinner show?

 

Would you consider the shows family friendly, or more adult-themed. The shows I saw on Caribbean Princess were definitely adult-themed. If, in fact, the shows are more geared to adults, what is there to do in the evenings on the ship?

 

I'm also trying to determine upfront what isn't included in the costs, so that I can fairly compare it to the DCL Fantasy. We'd want the soda package for each of us, and I have found that information. Are activities such as the ropes course, mini-golf, and waterslides all included? Are you limited to how much time you can spend in each one? Are their limits like, "One ropes course per person per cruise," with additional trips through at a charge?

 

I am very interested in the itineraries for next year on the Getaway. They certainly trump DCL. But I am trying compare the ships as far as what to do on sea days and in the evenings. It almost appears as though Getaway has more to do during the day, and DCL has more to do during the evening.

 

I don't think my kids will be super intrigued in the clubs, but I may be wrong. They only like the DCL clubs minimally. What they did enjoy were dodgeball games and scavenger hunts, and watching movies. Is there a theater on Getaway?

 

Thanks in advance for your information and opinions.

 

If you need to know more about our family to make suggestions, just ask.

[garnet115]

I have not been on Getaway, but did 3 trips on her sister ship, the Breakaway, last year. I will do my best to answer your questions, in red below.

 

 

I get that the DCL and NCL products are different. And I even think I understand (more or less) the idea of "Freestyle" cruising. But it seems that Freestyle isn't the same as "No Planning". Am I right?

 

I think that previously "freestyle" was synonymous with "no planning required." More recently' date=' and particularly on the newer and larger ships, I think more planning is required, especially if there are certain shows/specialty dining in which you wish to participate.[/color']

 

I still would be best served by reserving our shows, dinners, etc., ahead of the cruise, correct?

 

I would recommend pre-booking the things that are important to you.

 

And that is after the PIF date?

 

It used to be at the PIF date, but I believe it has been moved farther out.

 

How would I know what the available shows are? Do they do the same show 7 times?

 

Once things are available for booking, you will see them in the vacation planner on myNCL. On the Breakaway/Getaway there are two big production shows that share the main theater, so it is not the same show every night.

 

Now, the Getaway has 3 traditional dining rooms and one buffet, I believe. If I were to reserve a table for 10 every night in the same restaurant, would we get the same servers each night? Would the menu stay the same each night? We LOVED DCL rotational dining, so I can see that we'd likely enjoy trying new restaurants. But I've very much enjoyed consistent servers, too.

The MDR menu will change daily. There are some "classic" items that are available every night, and then a large number of nightly specials to choose from. I imagine that with a large party pre-booked nightly in the same dining room, you would probably have the same server. You might want to specifically request this from the Maitre D.

 

On the NCL website, it says that all entertainment, except dinner shows and character breakfasts are included. How much additional is the dinner show?

The dinner show is $34.99 pp. If you have the Ultimate Dining Package, you can book it free of charge on the first night.

 

Would you consider the shows family friendly, or more adult-themed. The shows I saw on Caribbean Princess were definitely adult-themed. If, in fact, the shows are more geared to adults, what is there to do in the evenings on the ship?

It varies widely. I know the comedy show does a "family friendly" version earlier in the evening. I would not have taken my tween dd to Rock of Ages on the Breakaway. I'm not sure how Legally Blonde stacks up in this regard. Burn the Floor is appropriate for all ages, but not sure a younger child would sit through the full performance. If you want to see a show, you can always have your kids attend Splash Academy. There are also lots of activities always going on around the ship.

 

I'm also trying to determine upfront what isn't included in the costs, so that I can fairly compare it to the DCL Fantasy. We'd want the soda package for each of us, and I have found that information. Are activities such as the ropes course, mini-golf, and waterslides all included? Are you limited to how much time you can spend in each one? Are their limits like, "One ropes course per person per cruise," with additional trips through at a charge?

The only thing that limits your access to these activities is the number of passengers and amount of available time. There is no extra charge or explicit limits, but there may be long waits for some of the activities.

 

I am very interested in the itineraries for next year on the Getaway. They certainly trump DCL. But I am trying compare the ships as far as what to do on sea days and in the evenings. It almost appears as though Getaway has more to do during the day, and DCL has more to do during the evening.

 

I don't think my kids will be super intrigued in the clubs, but I may be wrong. They only like the DCL clubs minimally. What they did enjoy were dodgeball games and scavenger hunts, and watching movies. Is there a theater on Getaway?

No movie theater, but sometimes in the evening they will show movies outdoors at Spice H20, or during the day on the big screen in the Atrium or in the main theater. That is one thing we loved on HAL and really missed on our NCL cruises.

 

Thanks in advance for your information and opinions.

 

If you need to know more about our family to make suggestions, just ask.

[KeithJenner]

But it seems that Freestyle isn't the same as "No Planning". Am I right?

 

You are absolutely correct. This is, as far as I can tell, one of the great misconceptions about Freestyle.

 

Maybe I've missed something somewhere, but I have never seen anything where NCL claim that no planning is required. In fact, on the UK website, this is what it says about freestyle:

 

"Aboard our stunning fleet of modern cruise ships, you’re free to plan your days on your own schedule."

 

You often see comments on here saying things like "that's not very freestyle" relating to the need to make reservations, but as far as I can tell that is because people have misunderstood what freestyle is.

 

Freestyle means that it is up to you to decide when and where you eat, what shows you watch, and various other things, but I haven't seen anything to suggest that you should be able to just walk straight into your chosen activity without reserving or queueing. That isn't to say that you often can't do that, but it isn't guaranteed.

 

Just like on land, if you want to do something that is popular at a busy time then you will need to reserve or queue.

[KeithJenner]

To answer some more of your specific questions:

 

You don't need to make reservations, but if there is a show that you really want to see then it is probably safest to reserve. As for meals, I've always found that there is good availability on the day, but again if you specifically want to eat somewhere or at a certain time then you may want to reserve to be safe. We usually wait until onboard to make our reservations, and have only ever had trouble getting in once.

 

You can reserve shows and meals from 90 days out. On the Breakaway at the moment they seem to be trialling having no reservations for shows, but we don't know at the moment whether this will happen on the Getaway. The shows that are available for booking will show up in your "myncl" page at that time.

 

Most activities, like the rope course, slides etc are free and you can do them as many times as you want to queue up for. The main activities I can think of which cost extra are bowling, arcade games & things like pool, bingo, other games like "deal or no deal" and things which involve alcohol (like wine tastings). I'm sure there are some others, but they aren't hard to avoid. Other than a couple of games of bowls, we have never paid anything extra for activities.

[Vacationdreamer<><]

Thank you, both, for all your responses. I'm going to book today to grab what I consider a favorable rate; but I am going to continue my research. I'm not 100% sure this will be a perfect fit for us, but I am very intrigued and your answers helped lot!

 

I don't mind planning. I rather enjoy it. But I like it to be complete before the vacation starts.

 

I do think my family will miss the committed service of a single waitstaff team... but will we give it up for waterslides and a rope course...? ;)

[bfamily4]

Thank you' date=' both, for all your responses. I'm going to book today to grab what I consider a favorable rate; but I am going to continue my research. I'm not 100% sure this will be a perfect fit for us, but I am very intrigued and your answers helped lot!

 

I don't mind planning. I rather enjoy it. But I like it to be complete before the vacation starts.

 

I do think my family will miss the committed service of a single waitstaff team... but will we give it up for waterslides and a rope course...? ;)[/quote']

 

 

after 3 dcl cruises, i was apprehensive about trying other lines. but the price is right when it came to ncl, so we booked last week to try it out. i even convinced my sister's family to try it out, and they are also dcl fans. i'm sure there are things that we will miss about dcl, but at the same time excited to try something new. dh is really excited about freestyle dining and the kids are excited about the ropes course/rock climbing wall. i have been on this board almost everyday doing research and it's been fun! but i like that sort of thing. lots of great info on here.

[Vacationdreamer<><]

after 3 dcl cruises, i was apprehensive about trying other lines. but the price is right when it came to ncl, so we booked last week to try it out. i even convinced my sister's family to try it out, and they are also dcl fans. i'm sure there are things that we will miss about dcl, but at the same time excited to try something new. dh is really excited about freestyle dining and the kids are excited about the ropes course/rock climbing wall. i have been on this board almost everyday doing research and it's been fun! but i like that sort of thing. lots of great info on here.

 

 

When are you cruising?

[dexddd]

Thank you' date=' both, for all your responses. I'm going to book today to grab what I consider a favorable rate; but I am going to continue my research. I'm not 100% sure this will be a perfect fit for us, but I am very intrigued and your answers helped lot!

 

I don't mind planning. I rather enjoy it. But I like it to be complete before the vacation starts.

 

I do think my family will miss the committed service of a single waitstaff team... but will we give it up for waterslides and a rope course...? ;)[/quote']

 

Pretty much the same thing I tell someone who is looking at NCL and has sailed DCL is do not compare the two. Look at whatever line/ship you are interested in and see if there are things that would fit your interests. The BA and GA have many things for families to do.

 

While you won't have the same waitstaff, you also have the ability to eat at numerous free or pay venues at times that may fit you better than at 5:00 or 8:00.

 

There has been some discussion about tests on changing the reservations for some shows in the last couple days so you may want to look for those threads.

[bfamily4]

When are you cruising?

 

 

feb 2016. we paid $3165 cdn for a large balcony on the getaway and chose the prepaid dsc. we can't even get an interior room on the fantasy for that much. we do have booked cruise on the magic for the same date but we will just move it when the 2017 dates come out. we love dcl so we will go back to them for sure but they are just too expensive that we can't afford to do it every year anymore. the money that we are saving by going on ncl we will be spending at wdw instead. planning to drive to orlando after the cruise. that way we get 2 vacations and still get our "disney fix."

[Vacationdreamer<><]

Pretty much the same thing I tell someone who is looking at NCL and has sailed DCL is do not compare the two. Look at whatever line/ship you are interested in and see if there are things that would fit your interests. The BA and GA have many things for families to do.

 

While you won't have the same waitstaff, you also have the ability to eat at numerous free or pay venues at times that may fit you better than at 5:00 or 8:00.

 

There has been some discussion about tests on changing the reservations for some shows in the last couple days so you may want to look for those threads.

 

Yes. And I have gone into this not expecting the same product. At this point (four days of on-and-off data gathering) it looks as though NCL will offer us more to do during the day and more unique ports of call for 66% of the cost as DCL. But it sounds like we will have more limited evening options and possibly a less enjoyable dinner.

 

My son has a ton of food allergies. Like gobs of them. DCL handled them exquisitely. Threads on here sound like it is doable with advanced planning. I am okay with that. Having consistent servers and a consistent head waiter on DCL was very comforting, though.

 

Thank you for your input.

 

And I will likely seek out a consistent dinner time to BE our evening entertainment??? Still gathering info on reservations for dinner. As a family of 10 it sounds like we might be there for a looooong time. ;)

[Vacationdreamer<><]

feb 2016. we paid $3165 cdn for a large balcony on the getaway and chose the prepaid dsc. we can't even get an interior room on the fantasy for that much. we do have booked cruise on the magic for the same date but we will just move it when the 2017 dates come out. we love dcl so we will go back to them for sure but they are just too expensive that we can't afford to do it every year anymore. the money that we are saving by going on ncl we will be spending at wdw instead. planning to drive to orlando after the cruise. that way we get 2 vacations and still get our "disney fix."

 

THIS is EXACTLY our goal!!! Three of my kids were crushed that I am even looking somewhere other than DCL (they were arguably the best days of our lives!!!). When I told them we would save enough money to do one week on NCL and grab 5 days at WDW I won two of them over. One is still absorbing my plan. ;)

 

The DCL rates aren't even out for next May. And if by same bizarre change DCL rates drop (ha ha) I will cancel NCL and head back to DCL. But we've booked connecting balconies on NCL for far less than I expect to find connecting 10As on Fantasy.

[bfamily4]

THIS is EXACTLY our goal!!! Three of my kids were crushed that I am even looking somewhere other than DCL (they were arguably the best days of our lives!!!). When I told them we would save enough money to do one week on NCL and grab 5 days at WDW I won two of them over. One is still absorbing my plan. ;)

 

The DCL rates aren't even out for next May. And if by same bizarre change DCL rates drop (ha ha) I will cancel NCL and head back to DCL. But we've booked connecting balconies on NCL for far less than I expect to find connecting 10As on Fantasy.

 

 

it was easy to convince ds (4) to try ncl but dd (5) only wanted to do dcl. but she's at the age where she looooves princesses and disney jr. when we told her that we will be going to wdw after the cruise and she'll still see her fav characters, she was fine. i also showed the kids videos of the getaway to get them excited. now they can't wait to see dora and diego!

[garnet115]

My son has a ton of food allergies. Like gobs of them. DCL handled them exquisitely. Threads on here sound like it is doable with advanced planning. I am okay with that. Having consistent servers and a consistent head waiter on DCL was very comforting' date=' though.

[/quote']

 

If you contact the Access Desk in advance, they should be able to work with you. I've heard that they will supply the next day menus the night before so that you can discuss options and arrange for a meal that meets your needs. When I was on Breakaway last year, my brother in law always asked for "no garlic" on his meals due to allergies. I was very impressed with how well this was handled. If they weren't sure, the servers would go to the kitchen and inquire about what whether certain dishes were prepared with garlic. They were usually able to prepare my brother in law's without, although sometimes he had to wait longer because it was being cooked to order rather than straight off the assembly line.

[gilsan]

We are also DCL cruisers trying NCL for the first time. We booked a Fantasy Star Wars cruise in Feb 2016, but we can get a Haven suite, beverages, dining, OBC, and gratuities for about $800cdn less then we were planning on spending on the Fantasy in 6B verandah. We would never pay for concierge on DCL/suite the prices are insane.

 

The NCL suite is way nicer, and my daughter (9) is looking forward to the different water slides and rope course. I am looking forward to eating when we want and I like having the same serving team at dinner, but I don't think we will miss it. We only had one serving team that was really amazing.