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Norwegian Getaway Review (Jan. 29 - Feb. 5, 2017)

stickey_mouse

By stickey_mouse,
in Norwegian Cruise Line

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stickey_mouse

stickey_mouse

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My group sailed on the Norwegian Getaway's Western Caribbean itinerary. We consisted of 20 adults, and I was the group leader, coordinator, and travel agent. Overall, we had a great time and enjoyed the experience very much. It was everyone's first experience sailing with Norwegian.

 

 

Embarkation

We arrived the evening before and stayed at the Crowne Plaza at the Miami Airport. We left the hotel the next morning at 9:00 a.m. and were there by 9:30 a.m. Judging from the line, we were within the first 20 people at port. Security opened around 10:00 a.m., and we waited in the waiting area until around 11:45 a.m. It was a fairly smooth process, and we were comfortable while we waited.

 

 

Vibe Beach Club

Arriving early allowed all 20 of us to get access to Vibe. Let me tell you, this is worth every penny! I'm not sure we would have liked the cruise nearly as much as we did without Vibe. The area was so serene and made for a great meeting/hang out spot for our group. It is definitely nicer than the regular sundecks, which were always crowded and hectic. Don't think twice, opt for Vibe passes!

 

 

Public Spaces

 

The Getaway is a beautiful and very large ship. Its size becomes especially apparent when you check your pedometer at the end of the day. I agree with others regarding the configuration of the pool deck, as it feels cramped and crowded. However, we spent most of our outside time at Vibe, which was wonderful. We also enjoyed the ropes course and water slides. Floors 6, 7, and 8 contain the public internal spaces and are well appointed and utilized. I didn't mind the design at all, and I found most public areas to be enjoyable. The Waterfront is a nice concept, but I did not spend much time there. My least favorite space was probably the Getaway theater, which suffers in comparison to other ships' larger and prettier showrooms. The neon lighting on the ceiling isn't just ugly, but seizure-inducing! And yes, the chairs are quite uncomfortable, albeit doable. The atrium/O'Sheehan's area is fine, but my favorite was the 6-7-8 area surrounding the chandelier, as I like to spend time in the casino. However, I agree with others that in this day and age, allowing smoking in internal areas is a bit of a head-scratcher. There were always people smoking in the casino, and the smell in and around the casino was obvious- not overpowering or disgusting, but certainly noticeable. For me, a stale stench of smoke cheapens the place and automatically makes me think of a local, dingy casino. Hopefully, the days are numbered for this practice. Oh, can I also complain about the elevators? For whatever reason, maybe due to the number of passengers onboard, the elevators seemingly stopped more often to let more people on (ex. in taking the elevator from deck 10 to 15, it would often stop 3 or more times). I realize this is an odd complaint, but others noticed, too.

 

 

Bars/Lounges

 

We all had the drink package and put it to good use! Getting a drink was fairly easy, but obviously more difficult during busier times and in more crowded places (such as the atrium bar or at O'Sheehan's during an event in the atrium). The drinks at Sugarcane were delicious, although it seemed to have the longest wait times given the time needed to make each drink. The bartenders at Vibe were amazing, particularly Desiril and Vinod (sp?). It was worth going to Vibe just to see those two.

 

 

Guest Rooms

 

We had mini-suites and found them to be quite nice. They were a bit smaller (especially the balcony!) and less attractive looking than what we have seen on Celebrity, Holland, and Disney. However, the shower was amazing!

 

 

Service/Staff

 

We found the service to be very good. Almost all passing crewmembers were eager to say 'hello' or wish us a good day. My wife found some not-so-friendly crewmembers in the Spa, but I can't speak to that personally. We ran into Silas the cruise director a few times, and he was always eager to say hello and wish us well. He even bought my friend a coffee at the coffee bar one morning. We also loved Captain Lars' daily announcements, as they were laced with good humor and funny quips.

 

 

Dining

 

For me, this is the most important aspect of a cruise. I love to eat! We found the food on the Getaway to be very good. We all had a 7-night SDP, which was well worth it. I will break it down by venue.

 

 

Buffet

 

The food in the buffet was very good but lacked some of the refinement and variety we had on Celebrity. I also preferred the pod setup of Celebrity over the straight-line setup. Of course, we enjoyed the soft serve machines a little too much!

 

 

O'Sheehan's

 

This was our first meal on the ship, and I must say, I was disappointed. I did not like the wings, as they were soggy and not very hot (in temperature). My burger was also nothing special. We also ate here for breakfast the morning of debarkation. The eggs and bacon were fine, but the French toast was horrible. Also, is it me, or does this place stink? I think it has a funny smell to it. Not sure what it is, but I noticed it throughout the week.

 

 

Cagney's

 

We ate here twice. It was probably the favorite of the group. Great steaks and seafood! The standout items were the steaks (I enjoyed the porterhouse very much), baked potato soup, crab cakes, and sea bass. Very good food and service!

 

 

Moderno

 

The salad bar was quite nice, and the grilled pineapple is excellent. Some meats were tasty, but others, not so much. The service was spotty here and left a lot to be desired.

 

 

La Cucina

 

I liked this venue very much. Not sure why others have complained. The service was great, and the food was very good. The highlight for me was the seafood cioppino linguine- so tasty and full of seafood! The cheesesteak was also great. My wife's chicken was not very good, however, and prepared in an odd, rolled-up way.

 

 

The Illusionarium

 

Probably not fair to rate this as a restaurant, as it is a set menu, and let's face it, you don't go for the food. That being said, it was just fine for what it was.

 

 

Le Bistro

 

We all enjoyed this restaurant, although it probably took longer for a full meal than the other venues. Standouts included the French onion soup, sole (fish), filet mignon, and crème brulee. I don't' think there were any weak spots. I thoroughly enjoyed my fish, and my wife's filet cut like butter and was excellent!

 

 

Teppanyaki

 

Great food, and a great show! I had the filet and chicken. The filet was one of the best things I had all week. And that's saying something! We skipped dessert to make it to that night's show.

 

 

Margaritaville

 

A small group of us ate lunch here on the last sea day. We enjoyed it, as the nachos and burgers were a step above the 'free' items found elsewhere. It did pain me to pay over $40 for a lunch for 4 of us, though (4 sandwiches and 2 appetizers, plus tip).

 

 

Restaurant Ranking

 

I would definitely rank Cagney's first, Le Bistro second, and Teppanyaki and La Cucina a close third, as they are all great. Moderno is probably the only one I would skip next time.

 

 

Entertainmment

 

We missed Burn the Floor but thoroughly enjoyed Million Dollar Quartet. It's no Jersey Boys, but it is much better than most main-theater shows at sea. We also saw the Levity comedians and Howl at the Moon, and both were enjoyable. The house band was good, but I much preferred the soloist, Aliah Sheffield, who spent most of her time at Sugarcane but also appeared in the Atrium a few times. I'm glad I saw the Illusionarium, as it was certainly entertaining, albeit somewhat cheesy. I can do without the dramatization scattered among the magic. Some tricks were truly impressive.

 

 

Activities

 

We certainly were never bored! Some of us particularly liked the morning trivia, which was a great way to start the day and convene to set out plans for the rest of the day. Many others also enjoyed Bingo, Deal or No Deal, and the fitness classes in the morning.

 

 

Ports of Call

 

We were unable to visit Harvest Caye because of an obstruction in the waterway. at his Q&A session, Captain Lars said that even he wasn't told what it was. It was a disappointing omission, but we were given $50 in compensation. In Roatan, we went on an island tour with Bodden, and in Costa Maya, we went to Dzibanche with Native Choice. Both were enjoyable. In Cozumel, we went to Nachi Cocom, which made for the best port day of the week.

 

 

Debarkation

As others have reported, debarkation is much worse than embarkation and requires patience. Be prepared to stand in line!

 

 

Final Thoughts

 

We all had a GREAT time on the Getaway. I would probably rate it 7.5 out of 10, largely because of our great experience at the specialty restaurants. Many in our group preferred our last group outing on Celebrity but still enjoyed themselves. There are things I preferred on Celebrity (cabins, open public spaces, removable balcony dividers, décor, casino, and solarium), but others I preferred on Norwegian, namely the specialty dining each night and the ability to forego formalwear. I would sail NCL again if the pricing remains competitive, but will not rule out other cruise lines.

 

Please let me know if you have any questions!

Edited by stickey_mouse
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category5wolverine

category5wolverine

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Was on the same cruise. We opted for the Mini-suite with large balcony on deck 8. The balcony was so big and perfect for laying out in the sun. Yes people above you can look down , but oh well.

 

Agree with Cagney's. The Tomahawk Rib chop was really good . The problem with O'Sheenan's is consistency. Definitely got better as the week went on.

Margaritaville is worth a visit for lunch. Buffet was decent .

 

Always something going on. Kids loved the ropes course. Spice H20 had some movies at night , so that was fun.

 

As op stated missed Harvest Caye . Was a corporate decision and not the Captain.

 

Overall would definitely cruise the Getaway again.

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js

js

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What a great review! Thank you. Sailing on Getaway in a few weeks. Were the gym classes complimentary? Im looking for boot camp, abs and total body conditioning.

 

Thanks so much.

 

 

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stickey_mouse

stickey_mouse

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What a great review! Thank you. Sailing on Getaway in a few weeks. Were the gym classes complimentary? Im looking for boot camp, abs and total body conditioning.

 

Thanks so much.

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Forums

 

Some were and some weren't. I'm afraid I don't know the specifics, sorry.

 

 

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stickey_mouse

stickey_mouse

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Thanks for the positive feedback.

 

I forgot to mention that despite the numerous reports of narrow hallways and tiny balconies, these issues did not really detract from my cruise. However, we did really miss the ability to combine our balconies into one mega-balcony. It was a convenient way to stay in touch, communicate, and hang out on our Celebrity cruise.

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sclipere23

sclipere23

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Thanks for the positive feedback.

 

 

 

I forgot to mention that despite the numerous reports of narrow hallways and tiny balconies, these issues did not really detract from my cruise. However, we did really miss the ability to combine our balconies into one mega-balcony. It was a convenient way to stay in touch, communicate, and hang out on our Celebrity cruise.

 

 

Thanks so much for the great review.

We have adjoining balcony's on our March Getaway sailing and we were hoping we could open the connecting balcony door as we have in the past. Are there no connecting balcony doors on the Getaway or is it that the staff just won't let you keep them open?(I've seen this done on other ships).

Thanks again

Lisa

 

 

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stickey_mouse

stickey_mouse

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Thanks so much for the great review.

We have adjoining balcony's on our March Getaway sailing and we were hoping we could open the connecting balcony door as we have in the past. Are there no connecting balcony doors on the Getaway or is it that the staff just won't let you keep them open?(I've seen this done on other ships).

Thanks again

Lisa

 

 

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They can be opened, but it is NCL's policy not to do so.

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stickey_mouse

stickey_mouse

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That's a shame about the balcony on Getaway. We had 3 connecting balconies open for the whole cruise on the Escape last year. We were hoping to do the same for our sailing on the 19 Feb.

 

 

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Be glad you got away with it on the Escape. Normally they don't allow it on any ship.

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stickey_mouse

stickey_mouse

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Did all 20 have to be present to buy vibe passes?

Yes and no. We all were there, but they allowed some people to present the room cards of others farther back in line and essentially jump the line up to the front. I really did not want to do this and anger those in line in front of me, but the lady working the desk insisted I come up out of turn. I wasn't expecting that.

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www3traveler Holiday Sharing Rare

www3traveler

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I also forgot to mention how much I hated Miami's airport. We had to walk for what seemed like miles after landing through cramped, crowded passages that induced claustrophobia.

I will take the Miami Airport over Fort Lauderdale any day. Lauderdale is on 3 levels: Ticket Counter on the uppermost level- no check in prior to 2 hours before your flight. TSA and gates are in the middle level. Baggage Claim on the lowest level. Coffee for sale on the lowest level and some snacks. Food Court is beyond TSA on the middle level.

 

I loved being on this cruise and can not wait to get back in November for my birthday.

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