Ongoing travel review including Getaway 14-21 Feb

[swemto]

Disclaimer:

What I write here is my experience and may not reflect someone else's opinion. In addition, I would like to take this opportunity to, say that English is not my native language, therefore, there may be some typos and grammar errors. I am absolutely not a writer. I'm just trying to share with you our experiences during this trip, both before and after the cruise is completed. With that boring part done let’s go ahead with our live travel blog.

This my first review or travel blog. This might be quite long and extensive

About us.

We are Mikael and Kerstin (49 years starting the cruise and 50 at ending)

Kerstin is a working as a registered nurse and I work with Server and Storage service. Our son is right now doing short term work at the national post terminal.

 

We are cruising with our adult son Alexander. This trip is our present to our self to celebrate Kerstin 50th birthday and my upcoming birthday nine days later.

This is our first cruise, even if we are Experienced travelers on the booze ferry’s to Finland. This is our first proper cruise. We love to travel. Our first trip to the USA went to Chicago. That was love at first sight, since Chicago we made few trips to USA.

Cities like Boston, Las Vegas, San Francisco, Los Angeles, and New York. So this is the first time in Florida. I love planning the holidays as much as I enjoy traveling on them. I sure there is a proper diagnosis for that behavior. :)

 

We will be flying in 3 days before the cruise. So we need to find some hotels and rental cars. Hotel prices in Florida was a shock. After checking the prices near the port, we realized that we need to extend search.

After doing that we found a good deal to near the shopping center The Palms at Town and Country in Kendall. At the Country Inn & Suites By Carlson.

 

Our journey began back in the mid-January 2015.

This was when it hit us, we will be 50 years old or young in 2016. A half century. We wanted to do something special. So we started looking at cruises. I found a criminally cheap flight with Lufthansa.

 

Round trip for less than 11 000 SEK for 3 people in cattle class. 11000 SEK is about 1250 USD. We will fly Stockholm Frankfurt Miami. In Frankfurt we have a short stopover in about 1 hour and ten minutes. To facilitate our change of plane in Frankfurt, we booked GATE-2-GATE Service. Someone comes to meet us, and then guide us to the right plane and thru security in time, is the idea.

 

How this worked out will be in a later post. So we have now booked flights to Florida on February 11 and home on February 24.

 

Now we have to find a cruise that fits our request and budget. My wife's birthday first of us. Her birthday is the 18th Feb and would then like to be on the ship. Self I hit 50, 9 days later. That birthday we will celebrate in the Stockholm archipelago with friends and family on a 24-hour cruise by a frozen and cold landscape between Sweden and Finland.

 

I began to compare travel alternatives to fit our budget. Disney was the first Cruise Company, which were deleted from the list. Next to be removed from the list was celebrity cruises and Royal Caribbean. These were beyond our budget. Remaining in the fight for our hard-earned money where: MSC, Carnival, and NCL.

 

We looked up MSC and the ship Divina. Its looks absolutely stunning and the cruise was cheap, we were very close to book with msc. But the experience with the booking agent in Sweden changed our minds. There was no customer service at all.

 

They were not able help answering any questions or get back to me with the answer. So MSC was also deleted from the list.

 

Last two contenders were Carnival and NCL.

 

Carnival next to be audited. We found an itinerary with Carnival that look promising and the food options was plentiful with one or two upcharge restaurants.

Cabin prices was very good. Information on the carnival website for additional cost was not so easy to find. The full package with ultimate beverage and gratitude’s and the Balcony stateroom wit taxes and fees was around 2400 USD.

This was a good price and the excursions was about 30% cheaper than NCL.

 

We were ready to book with carnival. At this time wife was cruising the forums and YouTube and found out that the spa on carnival splendor, that was our choice was more like YMCA and not a proper spa.

This was to my understanding the same for many carnival ships sailing from Miami area.

And for the sake of domestic peace, carnival was now scraped due to fact there is no “proper” spa onboard.

 

Let’s call up NCL and see what the can offer us.

 

I got hold of a Swedish agent on the ncl customer service. I make things a lot easier when they talk your native language.

 

We presented our wishes to the agent, and she recommended a cruise with NCL Getaway to the Western Caribbean.

 

We were offered a great deal on a spa cabin (B9) with prepaid UBP and gratitude’s. We took the opportunity to also select the UDP. All this was a good deal. Not as good as the Carnival price, but there was no spa on carnival. So Now were now booked on our first cruise and there is only 11 months to go.

 

Bing, Bing, Bing, Bing Bing, Bing: We have a winner.

 

Reminder to self: Need to stop booking taxi to the airport, this was a near death experience.

 

The airport at this time is quiet and not so busy. Plane is already at the airgate. Good hopes for ontime depature.

Crew just arrived to to the gate at 05:47.

 

Next update on the plane to miami, and maybe some photos

 

This is our travel schedule:

11th of Feb

Local swedish time:

 

Start Stop Notes

4:05am 4:45am Taxi to the Airport

6:35am 8:50am Flight from Arn-Fra

 

Live flight tracking for flight to Frankfurt

 

10:00am 2:30pm Flight from Fra-Mia

Live flight tracking for flight from Frankfurt to Miami

Local miami time

3:50pm 4:45pm Rental car from Mia to hotel in Kendall

5:00pm ----- Beer buffet

[garnet115]

Safe travels! I will see you on board at the Meet & Greet on Monday. :) your wife will love the spa. I've been in the one on the Breakaway (sister ship to getaway) and it is phenomenal. If spa is what she is looking for, you made the right choice!

[swemto]

The gate2gate service was the best airport transfer exper we ever had. We was greated at the gate by an Airport officer. We jumped the que for passport and secuirty.

After the passport Control we were driven in a golf car to the gate. Just in time of the boarding.

 

Even with the price of 85 Euro for the service (max 3 pax) i can highly recommend this if you have a short transfer time at Frankfurt Airport.

 

A380-800 even in cattle class provides ambient room for legs, and the cabin is quiet.

 

Now to a intresting bit. I am allergic to seafood and fish. So i preordered a meal with out fish.

 

I got only polenta and broccoli. Non special meals choices was Chicken and pasta, or tortellini with cheese sauce.

 

Non of them had fish in them. Polenta was like corn porridge it was horrible. No protein was offered. No cheese or butter.

 

I asked the steward and all special meals on Lufthansa get the same: So if you order Low lactose, Gulten free, and so on you will get the same.

 

As i am post gastric bypass, i need my protein and non were offered.

After the surgery i dont handle starch that good

They would not give me another meal. Wife was kind to trade meals with me so i can have some chicken. I get very hangry if i dont get something to eat.

 

internet on the flight is slow, so i will update with some Pictures when we get to the hotel

Edited February 11, 2016 by swemto
Dyslectic Swede

[K1mmyD]

Hope everything else goes well. I am excited to read this review. I cannot wait to see your pictures, and read all about your adventures!

[swemto]

We had a really pleasant experience with alamo at mia.

 

Can really recommend the bypass the counter option. You check in online, fill in the information (creditcard, and driverslicence) choose your options and print out the ticket. Just go down to lower level choose your car and drive away.

 

We collapsesd at 9pm and woke up 03:15 am. Now we looking forward to breakfast. Will upload some pictures in the afternoon.

[TSUmom]

Enjoying your live blog. Looking forward to more. We cruise on the Getaway in April. Oh, and your English is fine!! Hope you have a great cruise:D

[Mistizoom]

Looking forward to your review. Would love to see copies of Dailies and menus if you are able to post them. I think you are the first sailing on the Getaway with the new menus?

 

Have a great cruise!

[garnet115]

Looking forward to your review. Would love to see copies of Dailies and menus if you are able to post them. I think you are the first sailing on the Getaway with the new menus?

 

Have a great cruise!

 

Yes, this will be the first Getaway sailing with the new menus. I expect they will be pretty much the same as Escape.

[swemto]

We left our home at 04:05am and it was starting to snow lightly, this weather was the same at push off.

 

Nice legroom on the connecting flight to Frankfurt.

 

Light snack on the flight to Frankfurt, nutella filled croissant and coffee.

 

Vacation has now started

[chipis]

Have a safe trip... and enjoy!! :)

 

As requested above, please post Dailies and Menus... I will be sailing on the Getaway in May, so really interested in your review! :D

[scopewest]

Have a wonderful time, am looking forward to your review!

[swemto]

We arrived at hotels about 4:30 pm, room was ready. Check in was painless and i was greeted as Carlson club member. We were given chocie of room on the 1st floor or the 3rd. We took the room on the 3rd floor.

 

Lobby of the hotel is newly remodeled and very nice, the rooms are not newly remodeled. But for the price and my free night its hard to complain.

 

Outside of the hotel

 

The "wetarea" is direcly in side the door.

 

Coffee maker with pod filters with good tasting coffee.

 

The provide you with some minatures products.

[swemto]

 

Room view

 

Large fridge and microwave on the room. The microwave was fully tested with some WhiteCastle Sliders. We crave thoose little burgers. We always buy a pack and have them as we arrive.

 

 

Beds are large queen size and very comfortable.

 

Room was clean, Ac with custom setting by the bed at the window.

 

Coffee are free in the lobby 24/7. Breakfast was nice. Three hot items, today it was Bacon, hashbrowns, hardboild eggs. A selection of cereal, oatmeal, bread and fruit. I was almost forgot make your own waffels.

[ericande]

Looking forward to following your vacation. My wife and I sail on the same ship in 2 weeks, so take good care of her.

[Sand and Seas]

Looking forward to your review! I think you will love the Getaway. We have been on her three times and are booked to go again in June. Great entertainment and lots of nice options for food. Don't miss the Flamingo Grill one deck up from the buffet. Can't wait to see what you think of the B9 Spa Suite. We will be in one for the first time in June. Hope you have a great cruise:D

[sheila0866]

Looking forward to you updates! We're going on the Getaway in November so this will give us a "first look". Have Fun!

Edited February 13, 2016 by sheila0866

[tampadee]

Looking forward to more!

[scorp646]

Hope you are having a great time!

[happyscmom]

Keep it coming! I am enjoying your review.

[Clarea]

Enjoying the review so far.:)

[Timbek2]

Can't wait to hear more. We sail in 2 weeks!!!

[swaterbury]

Enjoying your review - and it looks like a couple of cruisers from my same sailing are too! lol

 

I did find it cute that you described the fridge and the queen-sized beds as "large". ;):p For us, that's a mini-fridge and I hate it when we get stuck booking a room with anything smaller than a King-sized bed! hehehe...

 

Can't wait for the next update! I bet your family is having a great time on the Getaway! We cruised on her in Sept 2014 and really enjoyed this ship.

 

Sara

[Keith1010]

Enjoying your posts.

 

Keith

[KirkNC]

Thanks for your reports.

[tawaik]

Nice start, can't wait to read the conclusion :)