Getaway 5/9-5/16 Short Review

[vjpiott]

My wife and I just got back from the Getaway. We are 32 years old and have sailed a total of 5 times with NCL including the Breakaway last year. I'd defer to so many other awesome reviews on the boards for specifics so this review is just random observations of our time and holes that research didn't fill.

 

1) You roll the dice with Vibe. It's on the side of the ship so when the boat is moving the winds can be strong enough to knock you over. There isn't a pool and the hot tubs are luke warm. We were lucky enough to have met some great people so with a couple of nice, calm weather days, it was worth the cost.

 

2) For those who have asked about TVs/Sports, prepare for disappointment unless you like random soccer all day. It's not the live version of ESPN so there is no scoring updates or episodes of Sportscenter. The same goes news. It's 99% human interest stories on MSNBC and CNBC. They will show the occasional live game that happens to be carried by ESPN.

 

3) O'Sheehan's needs better late night food. If you want burgers, wings, or chicken pot pie, you'll be fine. We were looking for more appetizer things (mozz sticks, potatoe skins, dip, etc).

 

4) Shanghai's is super popular now that it is free. We had a one hour wait but they gave us a buzzer so we just went off and gambled a bit before getting buzzed.

 

5) The UBP is a steal. Not totally sure we'd do it if we paid out of pocket, but if you can grab a promotion, take advantage. All the drinks and liquor are top shelf and unlimited. Despite this, I didn't see that many people who couldn't handle their booze. The service was just as good with the UBP.

 

6) If you are a party of 2, reservations are not needed in the MDRs. We never waited more than 5 minutes in peak hours. Do yourself a favor and take the risk so you are more flexible with pre dinner drinks or activities.

 

7) Excursions. We did St Johns Eco Hike (St. Thomas) and Virgin Gorda Baths (Tortolla). Both were excellent, but be warned, both require a 45 minute boat ride on choppy waters early in the day. If you had a long night of fun with alcohol, it's a rough ride.

 

8) Chef's Table. Best time of the week for the food AND the company. You feel like royalty.

 

Overall, we had a blast and I can speak to just about anything on the boat.

[david_sobe]

Shanghais is free? That's interesting. When did that start? It has the same menu?

[beachlover827]

I was on the same cruise,everything was great till someone stole our towels off our chairs when we went for a bite to eat! No seats near the tiny pools after 10am was annoying!

[jacketwatch]

We were on the preceding cruise to yours and I do agree that sports coverage is dismal. I don't dislike soccer but hey we embarked from Miami so how about some U.S. Sports? Last Sept. on Princess out of Yokohama they had MLB playoffs so I see no reason why NCL can't get some baseball, basketball or hockey. I was trying to follow the playoffs and I discovered that sports center was on at 0300 and one night they had NBA playoffs but that was about it. Actually X cruises we took in the fall do 2013 and 2011 had the World Series on and this was in the Med and the Holy Land.

 

We as a couple had no problems with dinner times at the MDR.

 

As this was our first NCL cruise and not our last we were pleased over all a d especially like the entertainment. This is where NCL laps the field.

 

Thanks for your observations. They were spot on!

[vjpiott]

Shanghais is free? That's interesting. When did that start? It has the same menu?

 

Started two or so cruises ago. It's 99% the same menu but no cost or limits on food. It's a small space at the back of the casino so it's a good meal for something quick and easy (if you are seated in the time frame that you want).

[vjpiott]

I was on the same cruise,everything was great till someone stole our towels off our chairs when we went for a bite to eat! No seats near the tiny pools after 10am was annoying!

 

I don't think this will ever be a problem that gets solved on the big boat cruises. Our strategy has always been find an easy spot away from the pool and just walk over when we want to cool off.

[vjpiott]

We were on the preceding cruise to yours and I do agree that sports coverage is dismal. I don't dislike soccer but hey we embarked from Miami so how about some U.S. Sports? Last Sept. on Princess out of Yokohama they had MLB playoffs so I see no reason why NCL can't get some baseball, basketball or hockey. I was trying to follow the playoffs and I discovered that sports center was on at 0300 and one night they had NBA playoffs but that was about it. Actually X cruises we took in the fall do 2013 and 2011 had the World Series on and this was in the Med and the Holy Land.

 

We as a couple had no problems with dinner times at the MDR.

 

As this was our first NCL cruise and not our last we were pleased over all a d especially like the entertainment. This is where NCL laps the field.

 

Thanks for your observations. They were spot on!

 

They just need a direcTV package for the boat. What they have now is an a la cart package with some networks for their on demand channels. There are american sports but the issue is that they can only show what is airing live on ESPN, so you get the occasional basketball game. Anything that would normally air on ABC, NBC, CBS, FOX, TBS, TNT, etc won't be available in the current system.

[allyfrizzle]

7) Excursions. We did St Johns Eco Hike (St. Thomas) and Virgin Gorda Baths (Tortolla). Both were excellent, but be warned, both require a 45 minute boat ride on choppy waters early in the day. If you had a long night of fun with alcohol, it's a rough ride.

.

 

Oh man, I was on this cruise and took that dreaded ferry ride to The Baths at Virgin Gorda. I'm lucky I didn't lose my breakfast like many other people around us. At least the ride back was much more air conditioned. The Baths were excellent, and required a lot more physical energy than I thought. It was worth it in the end, though!

Edited May 19, 2015 by allyfrizzle

[aquarianne11]

7) Excursions. We did St Johns Eco Hike (St. Thomas) and Virgin Gorda Baths (Tortolla). Both were excellent, but be warned, both require a 45 minute boat ride on choppy waters early in the day. If you had a long night of fun with alcohol, it's a rough ride.

 

Thanks for this info. I have read about this several times in the last few days. We will probably have to pick different excursions since DD and I are prone to seasickness.

 

Thanks for sharing your review.

Edited May 19, 2015 by aquarianne11

[aquarianne11]

Oh man, I was on this cruise and took that dreaded ferry ride to The Baths at Virgin Gorda. I'm lucky I didn't lose my breakfast like many other people around us. At least the ride back was much more air conditioned. The Baths were excellent, and required a lot more physical energy than I thought. It was worth it in the end, though!

 

Wow, thanks for the warning. That happened us the last two times we took catamaran excursions. :o I was planning to book The Baths excursion...

 

We are probably going to skip this one.

[vjpiott]

Wow, thanks for the warning. That happened us the last two times we took catamaran excursions. :o I was planning to book The Baths excursion...

 

We are probably going to skip this one.

 

The baths are a pretty unique experience so it's just a matter of weighing temporary discomfort for something you may never get to try. If you sit on the inside of the boat, it's much better on your stomach.