Making the swith RCCL/Carnival to Norweigan Getaway

[tap_out]

Well I have been cruising for about 10 years. 5 on Royal and 3 on Carnival. We started off sticking to Royal but then switched to Carnival because of pricing and we were glad we made the switch. The ships on carnival on nothing to brag about but they truly are the fun ship. My wife is a teacher and now runs a summer school program which literally limits are cruising options to two weeks out of the year.

 

We were all set on booking another Carnival cruise when I decided to jump on NCL website. I had always been intrigued by NCL but honestly not sure why I never booked them. I figured it would be a little out of our price range but to my surprise I saw that they included the unlimited drink package with ocean view or balcony cabins. We had planned to purchase this on whatever cruise we decided to book. WOW that is such an awesome deal. Pretty much sold me on the deal there. Add the fact the its a beautiful new ship and sign me up.

 

I just had a couple concerns. Well not really concerns but more so questions for experienced NCL cruisers or people who had done both NCL and Carnival.

 

We love the comedy shows on Carnival and I know that Getaway has a dedicated comedy club. How many different shows/comedians are there throughout the cruise? Are there adults only shows and if so what time are they usually shown.

 

Are other favorite thing to do is watch movies out on the pool deck under the stars. I was re leaved when I saw a recent thread that said they show movies H2o zone. Can anybody comment on how often they show movies? Most of the nights? Are they newer run movies? Do they have popcorn?

 

I also see that there are some very well received shows that are on board. One thing that we didn't like when we said Allure was having to schedule or book in advance for shows. It kind of takes away from the whole freestyle aspect in my opinion. I think I read that we need to schedule all of these shows before or when we board? My concern is between scheduling restaurants and shows ahead of time how do you know if your not missing something else that you want to do on the cruise because you not even sure whats going on at the time of reservations.

 

All the being said I am a little nervous and excited to try a new line and new ship.

[tap_out]

Anybody? Also we are thinking about purchasing the dining package. But we are wondering how often the menu changes is the 3 free restaurants or if it's the same every night

[cantthinkofanythingfun]

The comedy shows on NCL are Second City comedy shows, and they don't run them every night. It is a lot of improv stuff. It is a comedy troop as opposed to stand up. I wasn't crazy about them, but I also don't like Carnival's comedians. I love stand-up comedy, but I've never seen anyone all that funny on a cruise ship. They really do seem to play it too safe, but they do have adults only shows. On nights that they don't have Second City, they will have Howl at the Moon dueling pianos. That has really been my favorite entertainment on any cruise ship. If the crowd is into it, it makes for a really fun night. The main shows on NCL blow Carnival's away. They do recommend booking ahead of time, but I never had issues getting front row seats the day of the show. There are always no shows. On any given night there is a good chance you will find good entertainment all over the ship.

 

I have never eaten in the MDR on NCL, but I believe they have 3 of them, but all have similar menus. I always have bought the dining package and eaten in the specialty restaurants. They are all good. They do not change their menu during the cruise, but there are enough on board to give you a good variety.

 

Sorry I don't know anything about the movies. The big screen is all the way aft on the ship. On Thanksgiving they did play the football games there, but at night they have a lot of parties in that area.

 

If you are going to buy the beverage package anyway, then you are getting a great deal with this new promo. Having sailed both NCL and Carnival, if the money is equal, I would choose NCL every time. With these new promos, NCL is coming out less than Carnival and it's really a no-brainer. I think you'll enjoy it.

[JAMESCC]

Well we have only done RCCL in the past, 4 cruises but just booked Breakaway for next October. The reason, price. The RCL ship Anthem is just too dam expensive. We did a better balcony room, an aft large balcony for 7 days to Bermuda for LESS money than a smaller room for 5 days to Bermuda. We had to make the switch. We also got the free drink package, what could be better?

Next October I can give a better comparison but fares wise NCL wins.

[brookie848]

I have not been on the Getaway, but have done enough research on it to answer a few of your questions.

 

Norwegian's MDR menus are divided into two sections. The first part has selections that will remain the same throughout the cruise. The second section will change each evening. However, the menu will be the same in all three restaurants each night (so it won't matter if you eat in Savor, Taste or the Manhattan Room).

 

The menus at the specialty restaurants remain the same throughout the week.

 

Second City shares a space with Howl at the Moon, the dueling piano players. For me, Howl at the Moon was one of the best parts of my Epic cruises. So if you are looking for entertainment in a small venue, you should be happy here each night. The entertainment becomes more adult as the hour grows later (this holds for Second City and Howl at the Moon).

 

Yes...you should make entertainment reservations before you board for the big shows. You should also book certain specialty restaurants (Teppanyaki, possibly Cagney's and Le Bistro) if you are set on a particular time. Reservations can be adjusted on board if you'd like. People often post dailies so you can figure out what is going to happen when for your cruise. You can also make reservations in one of the MDRs if you'd like.

 

I would give yourself two hours if you plan on eating dinner before going to a show. If you are going to dinner at a MDR after an early show, it might be good to have reservations. That was our only long line/short wait for a table on the Epic this year -- when we went to dinner after an early show.

 

Enjoy planning your trip!

[SuiteTraveler]

There show recent movies on the Getaway including 3-D movies in the theater, movies in the Atrium and movies in H2O.

 

You can see some of the dailies here, although they are for 2014:

http://www.beyondships2.com/norwegian-getaway-daily-programs.html

 

On our cruise in May, they showed 4 different movies that I am aware of and there may have been more.

[tap_out]

Thanks for the replies guys

 

I guess we still have to make our mind up on weather we want the ultimate dining package or if we buy the $59 pack that will let us goto 3. How is the food in the MDR's?

 

I am a little disappointed to hear about the comedy! So there is no stand up acts its all improv? While I have never seen an improv show I was really hoping to see some stand up. I guess we have lucked out on our carnival cruises as we have seen some awesome stand up.

[Niquein99]

Thanks for the replies guys

 

I guess we still have to make our mind up on weather we want the ultimate dining package or if we buy the $59 pack that will let us goto 3. How is the food in the MDR's?

 

I am a little disappointed to hear about the comedy! So there is no stand up acts its all improv? While I have never seen an improv show I was really hoping to see some stand up. I guess we have lucked out on our carnival cruises as we have seen some awesome stand up.

 

I was just on Getaway the week of May 30th and the comedians were stand up. It was 3 different comedians throughout the week and they each gave their own shows, both family friendly and adults only. It was not a troop or improv. Most of my cruises have been on Carnival and the comedy shows were set up the same way. However I would recommend making reservations for the shows as they do fill up quickly. Getaway was my first NCL cruise and for us, our experience on Getaway blew away all the Carnival cruises I've been on.

 

If you have any specific questions about Getaway and how it compares to Carnival, please feel free to ask. :)

[HarpHarp]

Thanks for the replies guys

 

I guess we still have to make our mind up on weather we want the ultimate dining package or if we buy the $59 pack that will let us goto 3. How is the food in the MDR's?

 

I am a little disappointed to hear about the comedy! So there is no stand up acts its all improv? While I have never seen an improv show I was really hoping to see some stand up. I guess we have lucked out on our carnival cruises as we have seen some awesome stand up.

 

My last 2 cruises were on the Breeze & the Breakaway so here are some of my observations.

1 The entertainment on Norwegian is far superior to Carnival. We saw many outstanding comics on NCL (Dave Heenan!) & the musical entertainment is top notch. There are many venues to have a drink, listen to music, and relax after a busy port day. Not true on the Breeze. Don't miss Howl at the Moon if you love comedy.

 

2. The pool is better on the Breeze, but the waterpark & the ropes course on the Breakaway is superior. The spa also gets a big ++ from me.

 

3. Food in the main DR is about equal but NCL seems to be pulling ahead with the new menus, at least as far as this dessert lover is concerned:)

[tap_out]

Thanks guys! I feel better about the comedians now.

 

My last cruise was on the breeze as well and to be honest we were very disappointed. That could have a lot to do with it raining the entire cruise and missing 2 of our ports along with arriving in the other 6hrs late. We were pretty disappointed with the production shows on the breeze as well.

 

How late is the ship up? I mean we are both 31 and like to have a good time and generally wouldn't go back to the cabin on Carnival till around 1. Is there still things to do this late on Getaway. We love playing mini golf late when it was crowded or jumping in the hot tub or pool. Generally when do the shut down the pools and hot tubs?

 

I know on carnival on sea days you might as well forget about the slides unless you want to wait in line for 15+ minutes. They also shut them down pretty early. What about the slides on the getaway?

[Lori3015]

My experience on Getaway was that you do not have to book the main shows like Burn the Floor and Legally Blonde ahead of time. We did not. They do not assign seats.

 

The comedians, 3 of them, were stand up and were funny but the acts were short. We loved Howl at the Moon which is come and go as you please. Burn the Floor was awesome. The entertainment each night in the atrium was great, very funny but limited seating. We usually just stood around and watched unless we arrived early. There's so much to do on board and you will not be disappointed. Don't stress about it.

 

We didn't book dining ahead of time but booked a few specialties the first and second day on board for later in the week. We ate at MDR 5 nights and honestly the food there was better than La Cucina. I will say that the food in Cagneys was great but the service was super slow.

 

I like the idea of freestyle and if you are not too picky you will do fine just getting on board and then deciding when you want to do things. If you are dead set on eating at specialties all week and at 7pm you should book ahead. We never once waited to eat dinner at a MDR(3 of them) and each night it was a different time.

[crooksy532]

Hi guys!! It's the wife here! I have a few questions, too and since Mike already started this I figured I would just add on....

 

1. Those of you who have been on the Getaway before...which of the specialty restaurants do you recommend? We will probably buy the 3 restaurant package and know we want to do Ocean Blue (love me some GZ so I definitely have to check out his restaurant!) and the Brazilian Steakhouse.

 

2. Hows the sushi??? I'm a sushi lover and when we went on the Breeze it looked good....but not something I thought would be worth the money they were charging. And also, is the sushi restaurant and the raw bar open for lunch?

 

3. Where can I eat late night? We need 4th meal every night (which is actually probably 6th or 7th meal if you consider the amount of food and ice cream we eat throughout the day) and I admit I haven't investigated thoroughly but I've gotta get my palate ready.

 

4. And most importantly.....what's your favorite drink? Since we have the drink package I'm going to have to start making my list now. I want it all!!

[cantthinkofanythingfun]

Hi guys!! It's the wife here! I have a few questions, too and since Mike already started this I figured I would just add on....

 

1. Those of you who have been on the Getaway before...which of the specialty restaurants do you recommend? We will probably buy the 3 restaurant package and know we want to do Ocean Blue (love me some GZ so I definitely have to check out his restaurant!) and the Brazilian Steakhouse.

 

2. Hows the sushi??? I'm a sushi lover and when we went on the Breeze it looked good....but not something I thought would be worth the money they were charging. And also, is the sushi restaurant and the raw bar open for lunch?

 

3. Where can I eat late night? We need 4th meal every night (which is actually probably 6th or 7th meal if you consider the amount of food and ice cream we eat throughout the day) and I admit I haven't investigated thoroughly but I've gotta get my palate ready.

 

4. And most importantly.....what's your favorite drink? Since we have the drink package I'm going to have to start making my list now. I want it all!!

 

 

I haven't been on the Getaway, only the Breakaway, but it's nearly the same ship. When I went, Ocean Blue was not included in the dining package. One time I went GZ was actually on board. My favorites were Cagney's and Teppanyaki.

 

The sushi was pretty good. Not the best I've ever had, but still very good. Sory, I don't remember if it was open for lunch. I believe it was on sea days.

 

The buffet always had something out late at night and O'Sheehan's is open 24x7. The food at O'Sheehan's was pretty good.

 

I'm a simple drinker. I stick with Captain and Coke. My theory is dance with the devil you know, but NCL also has a drink of the day like Carnival. If you don't get the souvenir cup, it is included in the drink package.

[crooksy532]

I haven't been on the Getaway, only the Breakaway, but it's nearly the same ship. When I went, Ocean Blue was not included in the dining package. One time I went GZ was actually on board. My favorites were Cagney's and Teppanyaki.

 

The sushi was pretty good. Not the best I've ever had, but still very good. Sory, I don't remember if it was open for lunch. I believe it was on sea days.

 

The buffet always had something out late at night and O'Sheehan's is open 24x7. The food at O'Sheehan's was pretty good.

 

I'm a simple drinker. I stick with Captain and Coke. My theory is dance with the devil you know, but NCL also has a drink of the day like Carnival. If you don't get the souvenir cup, it is included in the drink package.

 

GZ WAS ON BOARD???? I would have loved that!!! He's my favorite! I also just heard they do a lobster roll on port days at "their window"? I guess I'll have to start doing some research on what is included in the dining package.

 

A Captain and Coke (or ginger ale is how we do it around here) is always a great choice!!

Edited June 28, 2015 by crooksy532
said something wrong

[Lori3015]

The buffet on Getaways is not open late at night and I believe it closes around 10pm. O'Sheehans is the only option late at night and it is a limited menu with things like chicken wings, a burger, etc. This is one area I was a little disappointed in, the limited choices of food after ten pm. There is also room service but for a service fee of $7.95. If you go to O'Sheehans don't try to order food in the bar side, go over to the dining room side where they have much better service.

 

Everyone raves about the Mojito bar drinks, one I think particularly popular is a raspberry Mojito. I loved the drinks of the day. We enjoyed wine with dinners and on the pool deck or at spice H2O during the day we enjoyed lots of margaritas, dirty bananas, mud slides, etc. We loved hanging out at Spice H2O during the day as it wasn't as crowded as the main pool deck and the nice waterfall feature was refreshing when you get hot.

[Lori3015]

Don't miss Cagneys! Everything is great from salads and appetizers down to the desert. Only down side is service is very slow so give yourself two hours for this dinner.

[Jaco5NC]

I love reading all of these positive comments about the Getaway!! We are so excited about our upcoming sailing:D!!

[tap_out]

I was a little nervous about booking this ship. I read a bunch of reviews but only take them for what there worth. As time is going on I am getting more and more excited and I think its going to be a good fit for us.

 

Little disappointed to here the light night dinning options are limited I think this is one thing carnival did well. I am sure we will be able to find something at the pub though.

 

How crowded is the pool deck and spice h20 in. Were cruising in Aug so I am assuming it will be a full ship. We come from Carnival so we are used to tiny pools. I think we will be spending more time in Spice. I have heard conflicting reviews. One person said forget about getting in the waterfall area it was so packed.

 

Most importantly how late are the pools and mini golf open. We love to go for a swim before bed or later on when the crowds are down. Nothing beats a game of mini golf before bed after some drinks

[CruisinHarvey]

Sorry I can't answer the time that the pools close, but it's early.

 

As for Spice, we've been on the Getaway twice. It has never been packed, like the main pool area. It's very low key, given it's adults only during the day. You can usually just walk up to the bar too, which is nice, especially with UBP. The waterfall was never very full when we were there either. Actually, other than folks going in for a minute or 2 to cool off, it was pretty empty. We actually like Spice on the Epic better, since it has a small pool, rather than the waterfall. I do need to mention though we were on the Getaway in November and again in January, so it wasn't really hot.

 

For dining. Teppanyaki and Cagney's are our favorites. We went to Ocean Blue in November, and didn't go back in January. The appetizer and dessert was great. In November there were 3 of us. We all ordered different main courses, as a test. None of us were thrilled with any of them. They weren't bad, just not great. If it's costs an extra 39 bucks, it should be memorable. It wasn't.

 

Favorite drink - jalapeno cucumber Mojito at the Mojito bar. See if Lorelie can make it for you. She'll be back from vacation then. She'll make sure it's right. Don't miss the chocolate cowboy on the waterfront side of the Mojito bar either. He's very entertaining. Maybe we're there too much!

 

Enjoy your cruise.

[shorzka]

We love RC, but we tried Norwegian for the first time last September. We were on the Getaway and we LOVED it, so much so that I am planning to book it again next year.

 

We are not Carnival fans, but we did sail on the Breeze in 2013. The comedians on the Getaway were far superior to any we saw on the Breeze. I personally like being able to book shows in advance. Our experience on the Breeze was horrible trying to get in the comedy club. The crowd swarmed around the entrance, and then when they opened the doors, the people leaving from the prior show turned around at the door and went back in ahead of the crowd of people waiting to get in! Carnival really should organize that.

I also agree that Howl at the Moon is great. I thought that Legally Blonde was the best show I've seen at sea so far. We really enjoyed it.

 

We had the dining package and tried all of the restaurants. They were all good - we enjoyed them all. Teppenyaki was my least favorite, although I don't really like that style of restaurant at home, either. I kind of regret not dining in the main dining room just to see how the food compares to other lines.

 

Enjoy your sailing!