RCL to NCL - Our Jan 3-10 Getaway Review incl. Vibe Cabana & Spa

[M&JfromSDL]

My wife and I just returned from a lovely cruise on the NCL Getaway.

 

This is our 5th cruise together; all of our previous trips have been on Royal Caribbean. We came close to booking a cruise on Getaway last year but stumbled on a last-minute deal on Independence of the Seas.

 

After coming back from Paris in August we knew we would have a busy 2016 ahead of us and wanted to try squeezing in a relaxing trip but on a smaller budget. When we saw a deal on the Norwegian Getaway through USAA including UDP and UBP we knew we had found our trip.

 

January 2, 2016

 

I had to work the Saturday before our cruise so we ended up flying out of DCA around 8:30pm Saturday night. I had an Admirals club to burn so we kicked off our vacation in the lounge.

 

 

Luckily our air travel went according to schedule and the flight left ontime. There’s a great wine and cheese shop in our neighborhood that prepares awesome to-go-boxes of cheese. My wife grabbed one since she knew I would need to eat dinner. Great inflight meal suggestion if you have a similar shop nearby.

 

 

With a glass of wine and a Bailey’s in my system I slept the rest of the way to Fort Lauderdale.

 

[M&JfromSDL]

We arrived at FLL around 11:30pm and were shocked at how jammed the airport was. Our bags arrived pretty quickly and soon enough we were curbside.

 

I did not prearrange a ride so we used Uber to get to our hotel in Downtown Miami. Our ride request was accepted in almost no time but it did take our driver a while to get through the arrivals traffic and grab us.

 

Once in the car it was a really quick hop down to the Hilton Miami Downtown. Our ride started at 11:41pm and ended at 12:10am; at a cost of $34.11.

 

Overall, the hotel was just okay. will say, for a pre-cruise say it is ultra convenient. There is a Publix directly across the street and it is very close to the port. It appears to be undergoing a much needed renovation. It was very clean but appears outdated. Since we arrived so late and wanted to be at the port early for Vibe passes; I didn't put too much stock in where we stayed. Hotels were expensive this weekend and as far as I am concerned this Hotwire.com deal fulfilled it's obligation.

 

We popped down to the bar for a night cap and to catch the end of the ASU (go Sun Devils!) vs. WVU game. Then... off to bed. We had a cabana to secure.

Edited January 13, 2016 by M&JfromSDL

[M&JfromSDL]

January 3, 2016

 

We woke up and took a peek out the window. Not exactly sail away weather but it would do.

 

 

For some reason all of the coffee packets in the room were decaf. Sick joke considering we were flying on roughly 5 hours of sleep.

 

 

View of the Publix across the street.

 

Edited January 13, 2016 by M&JfromSDL

[M&JfromSDL]

January 3rd (cont.)

 

Off to the port we go. Via UberLUX it was a quick and easy ride over to the port. We left the hotel at 9am and were there within 15 minutes.

 

 

 

Because of where we were dropped off it was difficult to find porters to hand our luggage over to. For your reference, passengers dropping bags for embarkation will turn them over to porters on the island in the road.

 

 

Once we figured out the drop off we walked into Terminal C and were handed a coveted Group 1 Boarding Card.

 

 

Then the waiting game began....

[M&JfromSDL]

Our hard work paid off. At around 11:45 the boarding door opened and we were the first non-Haven passengers through the door. Kind of an odd feeling.

 

 

But then it was GAME ON! We knew we had to get to guest services early if we wanted a Vibe Cabana.

 

Little background here... I surprised the Mrs. with a cabana in Labadee during our cruise last year. While researching the ship she learned we could rent one for the whole week in the Vibe and asked for it as a birthday present.

 

With deck plan in hand, we ran downstairs, speed-walked through the art gallery and arrived at Guest Services behind one other family who also wanted a cabana. By the time the agent processed their cards; the line for Vibe passes was well behind us. This would be somewhat odd considering how empty the Vibe would be during the week. But I digress. We secured a coveted cabana and were thankful many times throughout the cruise we had done so.

 

At this point I was starving so we put exploration of the ship on hold and headed up to Deck 16 for lunch in the Garden Cafe.

[M&JfromSDL]

I enjoyed a very nice Hawaiian Pork burger, a sliver of short rib, waffle fries and a side of Thai Glass Salad.

 

 

Once out of the Garden Cafe we resumed our exploration of the ship.

 

Given our last 2 cruises were on Freedom Class ships we were excited to explore something new. The Getaway did not disappoint. She is beautifully decorated and has a much more modern and polished decor when compared to the RCCL ships.

 

The first stop was the Vibe.

 

 

We introduced ourselves to Courtney working the bar and explored cabana #2 while he cooked up a couple of mojitos

 

Practice makes perfect...

 

 

After daydreaming about what lies ahead in the VBC we continued our exploration. First stop was the ropes course.

 

I am part Cuban and LOVE cuban food so I was excited when I learned the Getaway had a Cubanish restaurant onboard.

 

We walked through the Flamingo Grill and I was unable to help myself.

 

I shared a plate of Lechon, Papa Rellena, Croqueta, rice and maduros with my wife.

 

Edited January 13, 2016 by M&JfromSDL

[M&JfromSDL]

After lunch we continued our tour across the pool deck then over to the Mandara Spa. We booked a Spa Balcony and were excited to explore the Thermal Suite area.

 

 

 

 

The Thermal Suite looked so relaxing. But as we were finishing our tour the announcement was made that cabins were ready.

 

Down a deck to our spa balcony.

 

The room was a little smaller interms of living space, but the bathroom was very nice. We did not have a mini-suite with the larger bathroom but it was sufficient. The Mrs. was excited there was a bar in the shower.

 

Out to the balcony and we found there to be just enough room for the table and chairs. It was small to say the least but enough for what we used it for during the week.

 

We don't put a lot of stock in the physical cabin. We enjoy having a balcony to sit out on in the morning but for the most part, use the cabin to sleep, shower, dress and sleep.

[cincicruisers]

Looking forward to the rest of your review!

[M&JfromSDL]

With muster out of the way important decisions such as where to drink during sailaway lie ahead.

 

We've never sailed out of Miami so when in Rome, do as the Romans do. So we settled on the Sugarcane Mojito bar along the Waterfront for sailaway.

 

 

 

According to the bartender, NCL rolled out new menus that day so there was a little confusion over what was what. Oddly the signature mojito was listed as being in a special glass for an upcharge. Kind of chinzy considering it's a mojito bar. How many special glasses can you come home with?

 

One other point of confusion was the sales tax collection. People were being handed bills that listed their entire drink bill along with the sales tax. The bartenders were trying to explain passengers would only be charged for the sales tax if they had the UBP but most guests seemed apprehensive.

 

 

2 mojitos in and we were starting to push off. I was hoping we would not be the first ones out but it looked like we would be..

 

Edited January 13, 2016 by M&JfromSDL

[M&JfromSDL]

 

Nice cars loading up on the Fisher Island ferry.

 

 

One day....

 

 

If you are ever in Miami on a weekend, I highly recommend stopping by McCormick and Schmick's and watch the ships sail out.

 

 

Edited January 13, 2016 by M&JfromSDL

[M&JfromSDL]

We moved over to the Sunset Bar for a drink. But after an errant electrical wire and lots of cigarette smoke we decided to take the party indoors and headed up to O'Sheehans for bowling and skiball.

 

 

 

 

After a few games we returned to the spa for a little R&R. I decided to test out the heated loungers and after roughly 2 hours determined them to be the perfect place for a nap.

Edited January 13, 2016 by M&JfromSDL

[M&JfromSDL]

Unfortunately, we slept through our dinner reservation at Tropicana and ended up returning to O'Sheehans to catch the end of the Green Bay game.

 

 

 

The Mrs. opted for the Chicken Sandwich and I went with the fish and chips.

 

 

 

The Chicken sandwich was grossly dry but my fish and chips were pretty good. Disappointed with dinner we moved along to the casino so Mrs. could find her signature cat slot machine. No sign of Kitty Glitter here but OMG! Kittens would fit the bill. After a few games we caught some Groove International in the atrium and walked through the Garden Cafe late night snack options before retiring to our room.

 

Edited January 13, 2016 by M&JfromSDL

[happyscmom]

Loving this review! Can't wait to read the rest.

[watchdiva]

We board on Sunday and really enjoying your review!

[BeachBecky]

Reallllly enjoying your review!

[newcastlemam]

Nice review so far. Nice to see someone else like myself trying out ncl after Rci and enjoying themselves.

[grossnmoe]

Sailed the Getaway with my family last year and loved it. Sailing escape in a few weeks. Hoping for same outcome.

 

Love the review and the RCL comparison.

 

We like RCL too but lately have been leaning more towards NCL with the kids.

[DMH15]

Nice review. Great writing style and presentation. Love the pics...

 

Following.

 

Thank you.

[Kfamilycruise]

Great review so far! Looking forward to reading the rest!

[jcathers1]

Excellent review, and great pics.

[M&JfromSDL]

Okay. Here come the Day 1 Dallies.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited January 14, 2016 by M&JfromSDL

[M&JfromSDL]

January 4, 2016

 

We woke up to what would be an awesome day at sea. My wife started out by firing up the inroom coffee maker. Initially we were a little upset by the push away from room service and towards the inroom coffee maker, but it worked out. We have never programmed room service for the correct time so they're either way to early or deliver after we've been up and about for a while.

 

This view is why I cruise.

 

 

We sat out on the balcony for a bit then decided to head up to the Garden Cafe for breakfast.

 

I have to say, for buffet food, it was pretty good. The layout of the Garden Club is decent so traffic flows through with relatively little bumping and grinding. Over the course of the week we came to the determination that the Garden Buffet offered the most consistently enjoyable food of the cruise. Sad but true.

 

For breakfast, I enjoyed a lovely plate of Eggs, sausage links and pineapple. (Sorry no pics). The Mrs. was excited to see Museli on the menu but found it to be too sweet.

 

After breakfast we donned our bathing suits and proceeded directly to the Vibe. There were a couple of people trying to swipe their room keys to access the area during the week. But alas, you need the super secret, VIP access white card that discreetly mentions VBC to access.

Edited January 14, 2016 by M&JfromSDL

[M&JfromSDL]

Allow me to discuss 2 things about the cruise.

 

1.) VIBE

 

Without the Vibe access I think we would have enjoyed this cruise far less. The general pool areas of the ship are jammed. Lounge chairs are on top of each other. There's people everywhere and the environment seemed far from relaxing. I know we sound like spoiled brats but the general pool area, especially the level above the pool (deck 16?) was far too chaotic to enjoy on sea days.

 

As far as the cabana goes, we struggled with whether or not it was worth the extra money over the normal Vibe pass. In the end we only exited the ship once the entire week so we got plenty of use out of it. If I had the opportunity to rent one again I probably would not pass it up. But I also would not be heart broken if I was regulated to one of the cozy beach beds, loungers or an excellent bar stool at Courtney's bar.

 

2.) Ultimate Beverage Package

Overall, we were very pleased with the alcohol selection on NCL as compared to Royal. My wife kept ordering "Bacardi Mojitos" which was her way of saying...use Bacardi not crappy well rum in my drink. Turned out to be unnecessary because the alcohol options are all very nice and the bartenders were not afraid to offer up the good stuff. I will address this later in my review.

 

We had 2 small issues with the UBP. One was the fact that upgraded coffees are not included in the way they are in RCCL's Ultimate Package. We are coffee drinkers and love an espresso after dinner as well as a couple of the coffee cocktails on our IoS cruise from last year. We had to pay for those on this cruise. The other thing was the disappointing lack of champagne on this cruise. The bar offering is a fairly ho hum prosecco though one can obtain a lovely glass of Moet & Chandon in Ocean Blue and Veuve Clicquot in Le Bistro for an upcharge.

 

Well... now back to your regularly scheduled CC review.

 

Meet Stuffed Porter. Our version of Flat Stanley.

 

 

There's that view again.

 

 

Coast of Cuba

 

 

My wife loved when Marian brought over chilled fruit skewers. Being the cookie lover I am, I enjoyed the warm cookies. And the cold towels too!

 

 

Edited January 14, 2016 by M&JfromSDL

[M&JfromSDL]

My notes from the afternoon read something like this:

 

"#cabanalife"

"#cabanasohard"

"Temp perfect. Sun perfect. Drinks perfect."

"Courtney Mojitos"

 

Well obviously the drinks were good. We started out with Grey Goose L'Orange and soda water. But my wife quickly realized Courtney our cocktail afficiando knew how to put together an awesome mojito (with less sweet!).

 

Soon enough it was time to put some food in our belly. So we perused the $10 BLOWOUT MEGA SALE that was anything but for a pair of sunglasses since I left mine at home.

 

Off to lunch we go. Once again we found ourselves up in the Garden Cafe. I fixed a plate of glass noodles, steak enchilada, a small sliver of roast chicken and my wife and I shared a pretzel roll.

 

 

After lunch we headed back to Vibe for a little R&R but needed a break from the sun. So we relocated down to the Mandara Spa where we enjoyed the various hot rooms and grabbed a pair of loungers for a nap.

 

Thermal Suite naps are epic. The room is warm; it's generally quiet; and motion of the ship combined with the constant sound of running water allowed me to easily fall into a deep sleep.

 

We set an alarm this time since we were excited to explore the menu at Ocean Blue. No missing reservations tonight ;-)

Edited January 14, 2016 by M&JfromSDL

[M&JfromSDL]

We are some of the few who actually enjoy getting a little dressed up for dinner on a cruise.

 

My wife feels special when I throw on a collared shirt and sometimes a suit for a date night with her as opposed to just doing so for my job.

 

After our nap and dinner prep we decided to head down to Meridian 360 which sits in between Cagneys and Moderno for a cocktail. We both enjoyed EXCELLENT Martinis.

 

 

 

After nursing our drinks and people watching for a bit our reservation approached. We made this reservation online before the cruise and were excited we had since the restaurants filled up pretty quickly.

 

Ocean Blue was a nice treat. Everyone was dressed for a nice dinner and the food lived up to the expectation.

 

My wife ordered the snow crab legs to start and the stone crab for myself.

 

 

 

 

 

Sorry for the lack of light. There was a nice table of ladies next to us so I didn't want to be obnoxious with the flash.

 

For the main course my wife ordered a seafood trio which featured shrimp, lobster tail and a white fish. The fish escapes me. I want to say halibut but I cannot say for sure. I also ordered the scallop and pork belly.

 

 

Edited January 14, 2016 by M&JfromSDL