Just off the Getaway....it was fantastic!!!

[jewliana]

I appreciated being able to read reviews before embarking on our cruise so I wanted to return the favor.

We have not sailed with NCL for a very long time. We have been pretty loyal to RCL and Celebrity. We saw a fantastic deal for this cruise. Balcony with the drink package. We jumped on it and are so glad we did!!

 

Embarkation

We live in Central Florida so we drove down and parked in the garage right across from the ship. No hassle parking although expensive. It was $140 for the week. However, I never had to question if the vehicle was secure. It was very quick walk to the ship and back on return,

The embarkation process was pretty painless. We got there about 11:30a and were on board within an hour.

 

We had a quick lunch in the buffet. We enjoyed the buffet and thought it was very well set up. All week long we never had to wait in lines even at the busiest times because they set up the same item in stations in multiple places. We had very good luck with tasty selections all week long when we made the buffet our choice.

 

We booked our dining in the Tropicana. We never waited. We LOVED the dining room which reminded me of an Art Deco Miami Supper Club from the past. It was lovely!! The band that played was soft and romantic not brash and annoying. Many couples danced. The burn the floor dancers did 2 floor shows during the week. The food and service were great. My favorite choices were on night one the grilled shrimp. They were seasoned well and cooked to perfection. My other favorite dish was shredded beef short ribs over gnocchi. OH MY!!! Each bite was so savory and delicious!

 

We did specialty dining at Cagneys. I LOVE the way we did it! We went at 6p as we left St Thomas. We ate outside and the views as we left and the sun set were gorgeous! The food was great and we were glad we did it!

 

We also did Illusionarium. The food was Ok, the show was OK. I am glad we did it but would not do it again.

 

We saw burn the floor and legally blonde. Legally Blonde was a bit too fluffy and long but enjoyable. Burn the Floor was outrageously good> DO NOT miss it!!

 

We had a good run in the casino. We spent several hours there every day and didnt loose much $$ :-)

 

We loved some of the other dining venues. O'Shean's was very beautiful. Loved the dark warm woods and cozy feel. The food was Ok. Not great, but I appreciated a 24 option.

 

The Columbian Grill was amazing. I had asked my husband to keep my away from the plantains because they are full of carbs and sugar but I could not keep away. I did intentionally only place no more than 3 on my plate and enjoyed the other offerings there. They had a cilantro sauce I would have eaten with a spoon :-)

 

We had the drink package and found that the hours of open bars was very good. We had great service except while in port in Miami while everyone was waiting for their rooms to be ready. It was dreadfully difficult to get even one drink but that was the only bump in the road as far as bar service.

 

My favorite bar was the Sugar Cane bar. They make amazing Mojitos and despite thinking i was going to just have Jack and Diet coke..(again trying to keep the carbs low) I just had to try that one Pineapple Coconut Mojito and the rest of the cruise that was my drink of choice!! OH so GOOD!!!

 

We thought the room and service were good. Felt spoiled by the coffee maker in the room. We brought our own coffee flavor enhancer and enjoyed it very much. I do wish cappuccino was included on the drink package as I am used to that with RCL and Celebrity. The balcony was so narrow you have to turn your chairs sideways but still, I love to be able to walk out and enjoy the breeze and views. Just letting you know what to expect :-)

 

We did the trivia events and actually won the 70's music session! Wahoo!! We have the key chain to prove it!! :-)

 

Debarkation was a bit disappointing. I know has nothing to do with ship but we had to stand in a very long line that at times didnt move for over 5 minutes for at least an hour before getting to the agents. Once there it went very fast.

 

All in all I would highly recommend NCL and the Getaway. Loved it!! Lots of quiet spaces with a ship that was almost full. It was never an issue.

 

If you have any questions I will do my best.

[roger001]

Thanks. We've been on her once and cruise her again in Nov. She is beautiful with a wonderful crew (as are all of the NCL crew we've ever met). And yes...isn't Burn the Floor great.

[Jaco5NC]

Thank you for sharing your experiences, so glad you had such a fabulous week! We sail in a few weeks and are so excited:)!!

[LrgPizza]

I'm glad you enjoyed it! Burn the Floor was my favorite show on Getaway, and Tropicana Room was my favorite restaurant ( despite having specialties all the other nights). And I agree that sail away is a perfect time for the waterfront dining. Thanks for sharing.

[Sand and Seas]

We love the Getaway too and have recently finished our 3rd cruise on her. Burn the Floor is amazing! Best show we have seen at sea. And like you, I couldn't get enough of those great plantains in the Flamingo Grill. Wish they had them on all the ships. Thanks for the great review!

[Cruise-mom]

I enjoyed your review, thanks for sharing. I'm putting plantains on my 'must try' list.. and the pineapple coconut mojito :)

[woopuppy]

It is so nice to actually read a GOOD post with lots of positives vs. one that is all the negatives people seem to find. Thank you. We will be cruising on the Getaway in December for our 25th Anniversary and we can't wait!

[deladypilot]

Thank you for taking the time to give us your thoughts. It is much appreciated

[moopig]

Glad to hear you enjoyed the Getaway--I will be on her in a month :) What kind of room did you have that had a coffee maker in the room? Thanks!

[jewliana]

Glad to hear you enjoyed the Getaway--I will be on her in a month :) What kind of room did you have that had a coffee maker in the room? Thanks!

 

We had a balcony. It was a small hotel type coffemaker you place a flat paper pod in. They also furnished teas. It was refilled daily with creamers and sugars. It wasnt the best coffee however, I so appreciated that first cup on the balcony before getting dressed and going out.

[Poop_Deck]

We did specialty dining at Cagneys. I LOVE the way we did it! We went at 6p as we left St Thomas. We ate outside and the views as we left and the sun set were gorgeous! The food was great and we were glad we did it

.

 

 

We have been trying to decide when to eat at Cagney's; this sounds fantastic! Thank you for sharing. I'm going to "steal" your recommendation[emoji5]️

Edited September 17, 2015 by Poop_Deck

[drb247]

It is so nice to actually read a GOOD post with lots of positives vs. one that is all the negatives people seem to find. Thank you. We will be cruising on the Getaway in December for our 25th Anniversary and we can't wait!

 

x 2

[cruiser81!*]

How were the lines for the water slides/ropes course? What were the hours for the slides/ropes? Were they open when ship is in port? Thank you!!

[MoyCoy]

I am a Loyal RCCL and Celebrity cruiser too. I will be sailing NCL for the first time in December. Can you list any noticeable differences/similarities between the lines.

[MoyCoy]

We had a balcony. It was a small hotel type coffemaker you place a flat paper pod in. They also furnished teas. It was refilled daily with creamers and sugars. It wasnt the best coffee however, I so appreciated that first cup on the balcony before getting dressed and going out.

 

What kind of coffee did they offer. Which types of tea? Was it powder creamer?

[jewliana]

How were the lines for the water slides/ropes course? What were the hours for the slides/ropes? Were they open when ship is in port? Thank you!!

 

Oh my...we are in our 60's and didnt even think of looking at the ropes! LOL!! I am sure there are 60 yo's having fun on them but having fractured my wrist and hand I dont take chances anymore. I dont remember seeing anything about times in port or anything. So sorry. Maybe someone else will be able to answer that for you.

[jewliana]

What kind of coffee did they offer. Which types of tea? Was it powder creamer?

 

I cannot remember the brand of coffee. It was nothing that I recognized. The creamers were tiny liquids. We found small Folgers liquid flavors in the coffee isle at the grocery store that made them taste pretty good. The Folgers flavors are little 1.6oz squirt bottles that pack well and have lots of servings per container! Should have enough left over for 2 more upcoming cruises.

They offered some black tea and green tea. Again I had not heard of the brand names.

[jewliana]

I am a Loyal RCCL and Celebrity cruiser too. I will be sailing NCL for the first time in December. Can you list any noticeable differences/similarities between the lines.

 

In comparing with Celebrity I would say the age group is a bit wider. There were not many older children as school is in now. I think Celebrity is a bit more elegant but the Getaway was beautiful. Just in a different way.

My husband didnt like it that there is no bar service if you are sitting in a lounge. You have to go to the bar. He is just spoiled..LOL!!! They did have good drink service in the Theatre and MDR's.

 

Speaking of the MDR, my husband and I are on the quiet side and enjoy eating at a table for 2. This is more of an issue on RCL and Celebrity. We are pretty lucky at getting a table for 2 but then the next table for 2 is seating and they are sitting about 6 inches from our table..LOL!! We were never asked if we wanted to join another table but always walked right to a table for four where they immediately cleared the other settings away. The MDRs were all very quiet and the table nicely spaced so that it was hard not to think you were just in a very elegant restaurant.

 

The Getaway is about a year old. It was nice to see glistening rails on the balconys. Although the balconys are the narrowest I have ever seen.

 

The room steward is not that visible but we were well taken care of. My husband also didnt like it that you have to insert a key card to use air conditioning and lights. Again, he is spoiled!! I am all for improving the bottom line so I can get well priced cruises! However, the air conditioner has a mind of its own and will go off..My husband got warm and had to get up several times to prod it to go back on even though we had it at the lowest setting and it was then showing halfway back up to warm.

These are all little things, but I am doing my best to describe differences that I noticed.

 

I did like having a full ice bucket! Seems like that is a request that is not always fulfilled on Celebrity.

 

My biggest disappointment was in having the drink package and not being able to get water bottles or cappucino. There is no option to upgrade.

 

That being said we brought our own water bottle (from celebrity no less!! LOL) and were able to fill it with ice and water in the buffet. The water was very good and I am picky! I dont like any off or chemical tastes.

 

I am very sure you will LOVE NCL. We bought a cruise certificate onboard because we are looking forward to booking a sailing on the new Escape for next fall.

 

Have a wonderful time!!!

[Sand and Seas]

For the lights in the room, you can use any similar sized card instead of your key card. Just pop it up when you leave the room and all lights will go out. If you have one of your cards from a prior cruise or a key card from a hotel they will keep the lights on for you:cool:

[jljlinda]

 

We had a good run in the casino. We spent several hours there every day and didnt loose much $$ :-)

 

.

 

jewliana,

 

We, too, have sailed mostly with RCL but are planning to book the Getaway within the next day or two for a November sailing. DW enjoys playing the slot machines in the casino. Do the Getaway slots require the use of the guest's room key/charge card or are coins accepted by the machines? BTW, we are thoroughly enjoying your review of the Getaway. (We last cruised NCL on the Leeward in Nov 1996 and our very first cuise ever was on the S.S. Norway in Nov 1984. We are very excited about trying NCL again after having sailed most of RCL's and some other line's ships.) THANKS!!

[Sand and Seas]

jewliana,

 

We, too, have sailed mostly with RCL but are planning to book the Getaway within the next day or two for a November sailing. DW enjoys playing the slot machines in the casino. Do the Getaway slots require the use of the guest's room key/charge card or are coins accepted by the machines? BTW, we are thoroughly enjoying your review of the Getaway. (We last cruised NCL on the Leeward in Nov 1996 and our very first cuise ever was on the S.S. Norway in Nov 1984. We are very excited about trying NCL again after having sailed most of RCL's and some other line's ships.) THANKS!!

 

The Getaway's machines accept $$ bills (US currency). You can download money from your on-board account for a 3% fee. The casino is quite large and has a huge variety of machines and tables. Very easy to get money to play with:rolleyes:

[jewliana]

jewliana,

 

We, too, have sailed mostly with RCL but are planning to book the Getaway within the next day or two for a November sailing. DW enjoys playing the slot machines in the casino. Do the Getaway slots require the use of the guest's room key/charge card or are coins accepted by the machines? BTW, we are thoroughly enjoying your review of the Getaway. (We last cruised NCL on the Leeward in Nov 1996 and our very first cuise ever was on the S.S. Norway in Nov 1984. We are very excited about trying NCL again after having sailed most of RCL's and some other line's ships.) THANKS!!

 

The slots will be very glad to take your cash :-) You may wish to sign up for a casino card that you can place in the machine to track points and give you some rewards. You dont use your room key at all in the slots. Hope you have a wonderful time on your cruise!!!

[jljlinda]

The slots will be very glad to take your cash :-) You may wish to sign up for a casino card that you can place in the machine to track points and give you some rewards. You dont use your room key at all in the slots. Hope you have a wonderful time on your cruise!!!

 

Thanks for your taking time to answer our question about Getaway's casino. DW happy now!! (Sand & Seas - Thanks also!)

[Lorey2007]

My husband didnt like it that there is no bar service if you are sitting in a lounge. You have to go to the bar. He is just spoiled..LOL!!! They did have good drink service in the Theatre and MDR's.

 

Are all the lounges this way? We are not drinkers but like to sit in the bars/lounges to listen to music or people watch and hate being pestered by wait staff.

 

Speaking of the MDR, my husband and I are on the quiet side and enjoy eating at a table for 2. This is more of an issue on RCL and Celebrity. We are pretty lucky at getting a table for 2 but then the next table for 2 is seating and they are sitting about 6 inches from our table..LOL!! We were never asked if we wanted to join another table but always walked right to a table for four where they immediately cleared the other settings away. The MDRs were all very quiet and the table nicely spaced so that it was hard not to think you were just in a very elegant restaurant.

quote]

 

This is nice to know when we were on RCL ships and asked for a table for 2 we might as well have elected to share because we were so close we ended up chatting anyway with the folks next to us. Thanks for your review.

Edited September 19, 2015 by Lorey2007

[LrgPizza]

How were the lines for the water slides/ropes course? What were the hours for the slides/ropes? Were they open when ship is in port? Thank you!!

Just a tip - As soon as we boarded the ship (at about 11:45am), my son headed straight for the water slides. He did them over and over and over again with no lines whatsoever. He couldn't wait any longer, and it worked out perfectly.