Great vacation on the Getaway

[JeffTJI]

As I have learned over the years, how you experience a vacation is often the result of the planning and thought you put into the experience. I did a lot of research in picking the Getaway and am happy to say she met and exceeded my expectations.

 

For reference, we sailed on Sept. 4 on thr Eastern Caribbean route. The Getaway is a beautiful ship. It feels new and clean and the layout is really outstanding. A couple highlights in the design for me were 678 Ocean Place and The Waterfront. The former is a brilliant design that puts most all of your afternoon and evening fun on three decks close together and easily navigated by stairs (less elevator time than any other cruise I have been on). The latter highlight (Waterfront) is a game changer for the industry. On the Waterfront you will find al fresco dining for several restaurants, a phenomenal mojito bar, gelato, baked treats and numerous lounging areas all along an elegant promenade reminiscent of classic ocean liners. It was our favorite spot and we traversed it as often as possible.

 

All of these great spaces were all the more enjoyable given our room location on Deck 8. We usually opt for higher decks, but deck 8 has a wonderful gem in their mini-suites with large balcony. The only staterooms on the deck, they are tucked forward, are quiet and have a wonderful deck space. Loungers, table and chairs, all at a great price. It really made the room feel much bigger than it was. We had booked a birthday package which was all set up in our room when we arrived and looked great. And the room always stayed clean and maintained throughout the trip, though depending on where you are along the hall it could get rather late in the evening before the turn down service was completed. Our steward was always nearby though if we needed anything. Only negative was we could hear the sound of the neighboring toilet flushing at times during the night. Sounded a bit like distant thunder, but it did wake me up once or twice. Otherwise, super quiet and unbelievably smooth that far forward.

 

We found the food onboard to be quite good. We had the UDP, so we ate in specialty restaurants all but one night. All the eateries we tried were worth it, with Le Bistro and Cagney's being favorites. We also had a great time at the Illusionarium (additional fee but worth it) and enjoyed the one night we tried the Tropicana Room and loved the Burn the Floor show during dinner (ask to be seated near the dance floor). My advice - book all of your dinner reservations well before you sail. We did everything online before (dinners and shows), and that took so much stress out of the trip. Allowed us to walk up and walk in. Only complaint about prebooking is my iConcierge app didn't show my pre-booked reservations and nothing was in the room to show me when we booked what (glad I printed my itinerary from the boarding docs before we boarded). BTW, the iConcierge app is great for texting or calling each other on the ship if doing different activities (cost if $8 per phone; had occassional network drops, but otherwise worked). You can download before the trip but it will not work until you board.

 

Back to food. Food in Garden Cafe was what you would expect for a buffet, though the serving area could get a little crowded at times during lunch. Staff did a good job of trying to bus tables and free up space. Head to the back for a great view of the wake and a little less buffet traffic. O'Sheehan's was convenient and great pub atmosphere, with food OK to good (if you do breakfast there, get your eggs cooked to order as the scrambled eggs were watery with a strange spice). Flamingo Grill is a nice treat tucked away near the rock wall. Great plantains. Good for lunch at the pool.

 

Speaking of pool, it is small. But there is a second family pool which is decent and wasn't too crowded when we tried it. Slides were great and fun for all ages, and the rock wall is a good challenge (the hours of operation are a challenge to keep up with too). The ropes course was our favorite and we went on it multiple times during the cruise. The plank feels like you are walking a plank. Glad I did it, but about had a coronary watching my kids trot on out onto it without a care in the world. Miniature golf is also entertaining, though more of amusement than a competitive game. Colorful at night. If you are looking for shuffleboard, it is hidden on Deck 7 forward (both sides).

 

For indoor fun, the bowling alley is great for families, but can add up at $5 per person per game, as can the $1.50+ video games in the arcade. They had my favorite classic Galaga, so I was happy. If you have crafty kids, or if you want to have some culinary fun, sign up for Carlos Bake Shop cupcake decorating. A great hour of fun with photos and four cupcakes as a bonus ($40 pp). Spa was lovely, though I think the thermal suite (sauna, salt room, therapy pool, steam room)is a bit pricey to use at $199 for week per person, or $179 if you prebook before cruise). But nice. Treatments got cheaper as the week went on. Did a 60 min treatment (massage and facial) for $120 later in the week that was almost $200 when we first boarded.

 

We loved the entertainment onboard, especially Burn the Floor. My daughter loves to dance and was starstruck all week with the cast. Legally Blonde is not Les Miz, but it is still fun. The theatre is smaller than I expected and not very grand. But the sightlines are excellent. And the nightly dance parties in Spice H2O were full of energy and fun for our entire family. I was very pleased with how welcomed families were at almost all of the ship's activities. It was really a great memory getting to dance the night away at the 70s and 80s party with my teen daughter, wife and 4th grade son. And good to show them that their parents know how to have fun!

 

Per the ports, I wasn't sure I would love the Eastern Caribbean itinerary, but it really worked well for us. Loved two sea days at the start to rest and enjoy the ship. Since we had done Magen's Bay before, we rented a Jeep from Budget in St. Thomas (right next to ship in dock) and took the car ferry in Red Hook (25 min drive from port) to St. John. So beautiful and pristine. Trunk Bay is worth the trip. Like a movie location. In Tortola (still developing as a port), we took a ferry to Virgin Gorda and did the Baths. So different from any other beach I have visited and unique geology. More adventure than beach day. Be warned though, the ferry can get a little choppy going over. Recommend open air seating as some got seasick that were inside (not much air flow and hot). The skipper went a bit slower coming back which was much better. Bahamas is very commercial but can be fun. We did the sea lion encounter at Blue Lagoon Island. If you are debating Atlantis vs. Blue Lagoon Island, I heard many people who had done both say they prefer Blue Lagoon. Much cheaper and the dolphin and sea lion activities (while a bit more) are worth the trip.

 

All in all, a wonderful family vacation on a lovely ship. Except for a few instances, the ship didn't feel too crowded and the larger balcony with loungers in our room helped us avoid having to scrap for a pool chair (which often were hard to find for sunning on sea days until mid afternoon) when we wanted to sun ourselves. The staff were generally very helpful around the ship and always spoke to us. Many went above and beyond to help when needed. And the boarding and disembarkation were pretty much a breeze (15-20 mins each way)

 

My tips:

- Check out the mini-suites with large balcony on Deck 8 - great value

- Fly in a day early and stay in South Beach. Getaway is a Miami-themed ship, so why not experience the real thing and relax on the beach before you sail. The Tides in South Beach is a great choice to be in the center of the action

- Prebook your restaurants before you board and then you won't have to stress about it. Booking starts up to 3 months before the cruise, I believe. And get the Ultimate Dining Package. The food quality in the specialty restaurants is worth it.

- Bring a power strip with you. Only two plugs in the room. There are some really cool travel ones that have USB charging jacks, too

- There is a clothes pressing deal on night one (half price) and a laundry deal ($20 or so to fill a bag) later in the week. Great for freshening up your wardrobe. And there is a hairdryer in your room, so one less thing to pack.

- A photo book ($149) is a relatively cost effective way to get lots of photos of your trip without breaking the bank (packages can be much higher for as many pics as in the book)

- The mojito bar on the Waterfront is a great place to hang out and drink excellent mojitos (raspberry guava mojito is a must)

- Carlos Bake Shop and Gelato are great but have odd hours. Check your Daily to see hours. And do the cupcake decorating class.

- Get Guest Services to punch a hole and add a lanyard to kid's key card. Will save you multiple trips to replace the card when your child loses it.

- You can bring a case of bottled water or sodas on the ship. I keep a rolling bag empty to get them in town before the cruise. Ask your steward to empty the mini-fridge and put them there.

- Bring Band-Aids for the blisters those fancy cruise shoes are going to make. If you forget, they have lots of toiletries for sale in the duty free liquor store.

- If you go to The Baths, I recommend aqua socks. Flip flops did not work well and you wade through water and over rocks a lot.

- It's Freestyle cruising, so wear what makes you comfortable. But it's fun to dress up a little now and then. Step out a little and have fun! Oh and don't forget clothes for Glow Party, 70s dance and 80s dance. Makes it more fun if you have a little fun with it.

- And come with a smile, a little patience when things aren't perfect, and a sense of adventure. After all, it's the best vacation afloat! Enjoy!

[wilmingtech]

Great review. Thanks!

 

-Sean

[bradleyk]

great review! we sail soon

[Cruise-mom]

Sounds like a great vacation, thanks for sharing.

[Jaco5NC]

Thank you for sharing your experiences and tips! Sounds like you had a great week! We are excited to be sailing on her soon!!:)

[Hpham1013]

Thank you for your detailed review and helpful tips. Regarding punching a hole into the keycard and putting in a lanyard, did NCL provide a lanyard, or should we bring our own? Will they do it for adults too? Thanks for your response.

[roger001]

Thank you for your detailed review and helpful tips. Regarding punching a hole into the keycard and putting in a lanyard, did NCL provide a lanyard, or should we bring our own? Will they do it for adults too? Thanks for your response.

 

NCL has some available for sale in the ship's gift shop, with NCL logo. Or, you can bring some.

[travelin4fun]

Thanks for the great review and tips! Sail her in two weeks and I can't wait!

[JeffTJI]

Thanks for all the replies! Hope you all have great trips!

[rs45thompson]

I enjoyed your review. By the way do you have your dailies you could post? Will be on the Getaway on Saturday.

[JeffTJI]

rs45thompson, I think we still have them. Will be tomorrow or Wednesday before I will have time to scan and post, but will try to get them for you.

[rs45thompson]

rs45thompson, I think we still have them. Will be tomorrow or Wednesday before I will have time to scan and post, but will try to get them for you.

 

Thank you so much. It is appreciated.