Getaway Oct 10-17 Review with some comparison to Disney Fantasy

[justhappy]

First some background on us and our cruise experiences: we took this cruise to celebrate our 40th wedding anniversary. We are in our late 50's and this was our first cruise on the Getaway. We had actually booked the Disney Fantasy for this cruise and after several cruises with DCL under our belts we came to realize we were burned out on DCL due to seeing the same shows, eating the same foods, and basically not really getting any enjoyment out of those things that DCL offers that causes their rates to be so much higher than other cruise lines. Namely the characters, the evening stage shows, and the Disney theming.

We still love Disney for the service, the beautiful ships, and their private island. After deciding we wanted a more modern and less child themed ship, I focused on NCL after my father decided to book an NCL cruise to Alaska for my sisters and I. We traveled on the Pearl the month before this cruise and that was my first cruise with NCL. We cancelled our Fantasy cruise after we found we could splurge on a Haven H5 for only a net difference of $200 more than our cat 4e on the Fantasy. I say net difference as we we able to get the unlimited beverage package, unlimited dining package, and $300 onboard credit, and paid gratuities, including gratuities paid on the unlimited packages. That brought the $2100 price difference down to $200.

The only perk we had with Disney was a $200 stateroom credit and 10% discount on our cabin due to booking onboard.

We had spent the week previous to our cruise at Walt Disney World enjoying the Food and Wine Festival at Epcot, and attended the Halloween Party at the Magic Kingdom. We left Friday Oct 9 to drive down to Plantation Fl, where we spent the night with our daughter and grandkids. We enjoyed a great meal that night at La Bamba Mexican and Spanish Restaurant, highly recommended if you are in Plantation to go shopping at Sawgrass Mills! We got to play with the grandkids the next morning while their Mom went to take an exam for work Saturday morning. As soon as she returned we said goodbyes and headed in our rental to the Budget Car Rental location on 2nd Street.

Within 10 minutes of dropping our car off, we were in the shuttle bus for the port where we arrived at 11:30. Right next to the shuttle bus was an employee loading baggage on a cart for the ship, so no lugging bags around to them! Score! We had a shopping bag with an 8 pack of diet coke and one shrink wrapped 6 pack package of flavored bottled water plus an opened pack with two bottles left. We had put a luggage tag on the bag and tied the handles together, but the luggage guy said he couldn't take them and we had to carry them on. This was different from what I experienced when boarding the Pearl, as they took my sisters canned cokes and they arrived in her stateroom with no problems. I chalked it up to differences in ports, or the fact it was plastic bottles vs aluminum cans. After tipping him and getting directions to the security line, we were soon inside the building and facing our first "hiccup".

To be continued, with photos soon!

Edited October 18, 2015 by justhappy

[MandyMommyof2]

Can't wait to hear all about your trip! Our first cruise with NCL was this past summer, with all of our previous cruises being with Disney too!! :) The Getaway quickly became our favorite. In fact, we came home and booked again, same cabin and all for next year.

[cruizinwithkids]

I'm looking forward to hearing about your cruise as well. My last 5 cruises have been the Breakaway 2 times, the Fantasy 2 times and the Getaway one time. Next up is the Getaway next week - WOOT HOOT!!!

 

Could I ask you to double space between paragraphs?

 

Thank you

[justhappy]

I'm looking forward to hearing about your cruise as well. My last 5 cruises have been the Breakaway 2 times, the Fantasy 2 times and the Getaway one time. Next up is the Getaway next week - WOOT HOOT!!!

 

Could I ask you to double space between paragraphs?

 

Thank you

 

I will try to remember to double space! Sometimes I get in a writing groove and forget.....

 

Enjoy your cruise next week, wish I was back on the ship already!

Edited October 18, 2015 by justhappy

[justhappy]

Can't wait to hear all about your trip! Our first cruise with NCL was this past summer, with all of our previous cruises being with Disney too!! :) The Getaway quickly became our favorite. In fact, we came home and booked again, same cabin and all for next year.

 

Thanks for reading MandyMonmmyof2, we bought two cruise next certificates while onboard and we'll be back for sure, just trying to decide if we want to try the Escape next or do the Getaway again first.

[justhappy]

We made it through security very quickly, and were not surprised when we were pulled aside to have our beverages checked. At a table just past the X-ray machine and steps from the Haven checkin area, the security personnel shook our cokes, then shook our water bottles, frowned, shook them some more, then frowned again. He then said we could take the cokes but not the water, the plastic shrink wrapped water. Humm....We explained it was just water, and my husband opened one of the bottles and guzzled half the bottle. He still insisted it couldn't go on. Finally another security person came over, looked at the bottles being shaken, and then said they were fine, it didn't bubble like regular water does after being shaken because it was flavored sparkling water. We were free to head to check in.

 

There were several people ahead of us in line so we grabbed two health forms and filled them out then got back into line. Just a few minutes later we were checked in and had our room keys. We were sent across the hall to the Haven waiting area to sit. There were snacks and drinks to nosh on while waiting. After a 10 minute wait we were escorted with several others to the front of the line for boarding the ship. After climbing the gangway and having our room key scanned we were taken up in an elevator that took us directly to deck 16 and escorted to the Haven lounge. It was very busy and all the seating inside was already taken so we went out to sit by the pool at an outside table. The concierge staff walked around letting everyone know that the Haven restaurant would soon be open and they were introducing themselves.

 

Servers walked around offering sliders with fries and beverages while we waited for the restaurant to open. 10 minutes later we were in the Haven restaurant having lunch and enjoying our first drinks of the cruise.

[justhappy]

I ordered the Pan seared scallops and shrimp served with artichoke and chive risotto, the mixed green salad and the signature cocktail, the Pear Pleasure. It was all very good. My husband had the roasted chicken with rosemary and the salad. He did not care for the chicken as it was overpowered by the rosemary. He enjoyed the cocktail also, but not as much as I did, I think it was a bit too sweet for him. Halfway through lunch the hostess came and announced that the Haven staterooms were ready for us. We took our time finishing lunch then headed down the hall to our home for the next week.

[justhappy]

A few photos of our stateroom which was an H5:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[justhappy]

We made it through security very quickly, and were not surprised when we were pulled aside to have our beverages checked. At a table just past the X-ray machine and steps from the Haven checkin area, the security personnel shook our cokes, then shook our water bottles, frowned, shook them some more, then frowned again. He then said we could take the cokes but not the water, the plastic shrink wrapped water. Humm....We explained it was just water, and my husband opened one of the bottles and guzzled half the bottle. He still insisted it couldn't go on. Finally another security person came over, looked at the bottles being shaken, and then said they were fine, it didn't bubble like regular water does after being shaken because it was flavored sparkling water. We were free to head to check in.

 

There were several people ahead of us in line so we grabbed two health forms and filled them out then got back into line. Just a few minutes later we were checked in and had our room keys. We were sent across the hall to the Haven waiting area to sit. There were snacks and drinks to nosh on while waiting. After a 10 minute wait we were escorted with several others to the front of the line for boarding the ship. After climbing the gangway and having our room key scanned we were taken up in an elevator that took us directly to deck 16 and escorted to the Haven lounge. It was very busy and all the seating inside was already taken so we went out to sit by the pool at an outside table. The concierge staff walked around letting everyone know that the Haven restaurant would soon be open and they were introducing themselves.

 

Servers walked around offering sliders with fries and beverages while we waited for the restaurant to open. 10 minutes later we were in the Haven restaurant having lunch and enjoying our first drinks of the cruise.

 

The view of Miami from the Haven restaurant

[justhappy]

After dropping off our cartons, and checking out our stateroom, we headed out to do a quick tour of the ship. We had watched lots of YouTube videos of the ship, read JimZim's great review and studied deck plans for months. The only way to really get aquatinted with a ship is to walk it. We quickly found out there are places that get congested, and plenty of quiet spots too.

 

 

We started by stopping by the Sugercane Bar for mojitos to go, then walking deck 8 outside, we really liked the seating areas and the way the bars had outdoor and indoor access.

 

 

 

 

 

We spent a few minutes putting away our clothes, then left for the Theater where our muster station was located. The muster drill was pretty quick and painless, luckily our station was in the hallway into the theater itself so we were able to beat most people to the elevators and caught a quick ride back to our room. We finished putting away our things and watched the sail away from our balcony.

 

 

 

 

We watched the marine police go after a boat that was clearly powering through the restricted area near the ship as it sailed out. It had no intention of stopping and we heard the dust up between the police and the guy on the boat

 

 

 

 

[justhappy]

Sailing away....

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[justhappy]

We soon sailed into a storm a few hours later, and I love a storm at sea so I was a happy camper but I'm sure all those folks out by the pools were not happy.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The storm lasted several hours with lots of lightning and thunder, quite the show Mother Nature put on for us!

[ncklhaus]

I'm really enjoying your review. Looking forward to reading more.

[justhappy]

I'm really enjoying your review. Looking forward to reading more.

 

Thank you, I hope I can keep posting Ina timely manner, but a family member is in the ICU and the next few days are going to be busy.

[justhappy]

I made online reservations before our cruise for the Illusionarium for 8:45pm tonight, and we were informed by the concierge to meet in the Haven lounge at 7:55pm to be escorted down to the show. It was cool to get brief glimpses of the backstage areas we saw when using the crew elevator. It took us down to just outside of the show entry. Entering this way we bypassed most of the hallway but we went back one afternoon to check out the decor.

 

 

I loved the steampunk look and feel of the theater and the costuming. We were seated at the front table facing the stage, even being so close the illusions are so well done you can't figure out how they do them. We enjoyed the storyline and the acts themselves. Mr justhappy ended up being asked to hold an apple for one magician and one of several cards for the mentalist.

 

Dinner was good, not the best of the cruise but did the job. It started with a nice salad, then steak that was served medium rare, and had a nice flavor, I didn't finish it all. The shrimp were ok, but we had better steak and shrimp in other restaurants on the ship. The sampler of three desserts was wasted on me, I ate 2 bites. They had that gelatin based taste that so many cruise ship desserts that are made en masse seem to have.

 

The entry way to the Illusionarium

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I would highly recommend the show, I am by no means into magic shows but really enjoyed this one. For the price difference between banquet seats and floor seats I think it would be worth the difference to have floor seats.

 

 

After the show we went to Howl at the Moon for a little while, we ended up going 3 different a nights and planned to go the last night of the cruise but I ended up crashing early. These guys were super talented, funny and let's just say people watching in Headliners during their show is a hoot!

 

 

We ended up back in our room just after midnight, Happy Anniversary dear! Hey let's sleep in and order a late morning room service breakfast! We put our

Breakfast room service tag on the door and enjoyed a great night of sleep on what has to be one of the most comfortable beds I've ever slept in. I loved the blue "nightlight" that comes out from under the bedside tables, it makes finding the way to the bathroom in the middle of the night so easy.

[justhappy]

First Day at Sea, and 40th Anniversary Day!

After sleeping late and waking up to a glorious day at sea (we left our curtains open so we could enjoy the view from bed), we showered and dressed and promptly at 8:27 am (we'd put down 8:30 to 9am as our delivery time), our butler Arnie was ringing our doorbell.

I answered the door was was given a single red rose (A wed wose, how womantic!) and wished a very happy anniversary by Arnie. Again he reminded us if there was anything he could do for us to not hesitate to let him know.

I did tell home for afternoon snacks we like sweet and salty snacks and I love smoked salmon. In later days I would come to regret telling him that!

 

 

Arnie set our table for two with a tablecloth and place settings and left us to enjoy breakfast while enjoying the views. I could get used to this way too easily!

 

 

[ncklhaus]

Thank you, I hope I can keep posting Ina timely manner, but a family member is in the ICU and the next few days are going to be busy.

 

Prayers going out.

[justhappy]

Prayers going out.

 

Thank you so much, as of now the prognosis looks good.

[LrgPizza]

I love your storm pictures!

[perditax]

Thanks for the review.

[justhappy]

Comparisons to our DCL cruises so far are limited to interactions with bar staff and servers in Headliners. We found service to be prompt and friendly, the staff and officers we pass are comparable to those on DCL. I can't compare the concierge staff as we have never been concierge on DCL.

 

 

So far the entertainment has been better than DCL's, we loved the dueling pianos, and our very first cruise on Disney's Wonder in 2002 there was a show in the Route 66 area, but it was a much more laid back show than Howl at the Moon. Disney does not have a show or for that matter a venue that compares to the Illusionarium, it is quite one of a kind. While Disney's main theater shows are top notch, after seeing them once we really didn't feel the need to see them again on subsequent cruises.

 

Food has been as good or better in some cases than Disney's, the scallop and shrimp risotto dish in the Haven restaurant compared favorably to a similar dish in Palo, Disney's extra fee restaurant.

Room service breakfast was fresh and served piping hot, we would not have been able to have a similar meal on Disney if in the 4e we had booked.

[justhappy]

We spent the rest of our morning up until time for the CC Meet and Mingle on what would become our favorite spot this cruise: the round loungers on the upper sun deck of the Haven.

 

 

The speakers on the vertical posts played a very quiet spa type music, I enjoyed it but Mr justhappy had his earphones and listened to his music on his phone...probably Buffet.

 

 

We left our cozy view of the ocean for the meet and mingle in Cagneys and enjoyed talking to several officers and meeting some fellow CC members. Thanks to Kerry for putting it together!

We would later be recognized by several officers later in the cruise as we passed them on the ship.

 

After SpongeBob led us in a few dance moves, we left Cagneys and headed to the Garden Cafe to check out the lunch offerings. They were just setting up lunch and the food was fresh, hot and very good! We found the selection to be much better than DCL's, plus the variety of international cusine was a plus.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[justhappy]

After lunch we head back to our favorite spot on the Haven sun deck, where we indulge in a few drinks....like these bushwhackers

 

 

 

 

 

And we just enjoyed the day and our view

 

 

Later we drop by our stateroom and find that Madonna has been very busy! We were blown away by all that decoration! And flowers! And more treats!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[justhappy]

Really enjoying this review. I'm noticing that I'm getting quite hungry!

 

I'm getting hungry too just posting the photos! Ahh memories!😊

[Meekofigaro]

We spent the rest of our morning up until time for the CC Meet and Mingle on what would become our favorite spot this cruise: the round loungers on the upper sun deck of the Haven.

 

 

 

 

 

 

The speakers on the vertical posts played a very quiet spa type music, I enjoyed it but Mr justhappy had his earphones and listened to his music on his phone...probably Buffet.

 

 

 

 

 

We left our cozy view of the ocean for the meet and mingle in Cagneys and enjoyed talking to several officers and meeting some fellow CC members. Thanks to Kerry for putting it together!

 

We would later be recognized by several officers later in the cruise as we passed them on the ship.

 

 

 

After SpongeBob led us in a few dance moves, we left Cagneys and headed to the Garden Cafe to check out the lunch offerings. They were just setting up lunch and the food was fresh, hot and very good! We found the selection to be much better than DCL's, plus the variety of international cusine was a plus.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Loving your review!!!

It was a fun meet and greet! I was so pleased with the turn out we had! It was great meeting everyone .

I will agree with you.. I loved the Haven Sundeck, a piece of heaven to relax!!

 

Kerry

 

 

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