Help me make the best decision! Norwegian Getaway

[LeesaB]

Hello all!  You were so very helpful the last time I needed to decide on a cabin type, so I thought I'd try again.  It'll be our first time on a large ship, so I can't tell if I'm overthinking it or having valid questions.

 

We're a family of 4 - my husband, myself (duh), and two stepbrothers.  Both will be 14 at the time of the cruise (way in the future... I'm a planner).  We'll sail on the Getaway when she's based in NOLA.  Typical 7 day western Caribbean cruise.

 

We need our space.  Cramming into one tiny room is NOT an option for us, for many reasons.  We sailed on the Pearl earlier this year in a 2 bedroom suite (not a Haven suite, one of the regular ones).  This setup was really ideal for us.  DH and I got a bedroom and a lovely bathroom, the kids got their own room and bathroom, and we had a living area to hang in as well.  Loved every bit of it (I'm quite introverted).  The perks were a bit give and take as far as to their "worth" for us.  Priority check in, embarkation, and disembarkation was awesome.  (BUT - haven't been on a  NCL cruise as a "commoner" before so don't know if it's a huge benefit or just really nice.)  Plus the price of the 2br suite wasn't *that* much more than the other option I was considering - 2 oceanview rooms.  (Which I totally would have regretted - I loved having a balcony... but I digress.)

 

So now for the Getaway.  There's not a non-Haven option for a 2br.  Haven rooms are EXPENSIVE - at least for when we need to sail.  Like twice as much OR MORE as the suite for the Pearl was.  WOMG.  Can we afford it?  Yes.  Could I spend that money on something else?  You betcha.  We're comfortable, but not 1 percenters or anything.

 

I'm looking at 3 options (and for the record, have already booked the least expensive one).  Options: 

 

Booked - Aft balcony + inside stateroom nearby.  Is it weird that a major turnoff is that 1 - it's technically 2 bookings (booked online) and 2 - we have to lie to NCL about the sleeping arrangements?  No way in heck am I going to sleep with my son in a room while my husband sleeps with his son in another room.  Again with we hang out in our room quite a bit so it's not just sleeping that would be messed up... hang out time would be screwy as well.  And we'll not have any other perks.  Will we feel way overcrowded on the ship and have nowhere to hide but our cabin?  Will we hate having to wait to embark and disembark?  Crowds are best served in small doses.  And while drunk.  Only sorta not really kidding.

 

Aft Haven suite.  Twice as expensive as the above option.  Twice.  Did I mention that rooms aren't cheap on this cruise?  They aren't.  Twice as expensive as my other option.  But that balcony.  Ooooooohhhhhhh my GAWD.  And perks!  It's on a big ship so will being Haven guests be THAT much better?  Twice as expensive.  Also - not certain how well the boys will like being out in the living room, and haven't entirely figured out if we can reasonably have them two separate sleeping areas (they can sleep in the same queen bed, but it ain't pretty).  And it's only going to get worse.  But that balcony.  And perks!  And Haven-y areas where we can go eat and get drinks without having to fight the hordes (though we'd have to schlepp to get there, understood).

 

2br Haven suite.  Price is Aft Haven suite plus another few thousand dollars.  Mega major ouch.  But perfect room (other than not having that balcony), and it's in the Haven itself.  So... perks!  Great location!  Great suite!  Everyone gets a bed!  Crappy balcony!  (But still a balcony, sure...)  But really rather ridiculous on the price.

 

Please... thoughts and opinions welcome.  What I DON'T want is to cruise and hate it because I feel crowded all the time unless I hide in my room.  Thus my current overthinking...

 

Thanks to all if you actually read this far.

[Two Wheels Only]

Aft-facing stateroom + inside stateroom.

 

Book 1 adult/1 child in each and get spare stateroom keys for entry (not for onboard purchasing). NCL doesn't (really) care who sleeps where. Married couple sleeps in the aft-facing and children sleep in the nearby interior stateroom. Depending on which deck is selected, the aft-facing balcony may be large enough for all 4 to enjoy. 

[zqvol]

Have you looked at two connecting balcony cabins, inside of an inside and an across the hall balcony?

[Pappion]

We have cruised the getaway both in a regular aft cabin and in the haven. If crowds bother you a lot, get the haven room.   The pool area is pretty packed on sea days, and the adults only area would be an escape for you but not your sons.  

 

If you can deal with crowds, get the aft balcony. It’s amazing, and you can hide on it because it’ll fit two loungers and two regular chairs no problem.   I’m told you can have extra key cards so your kids can come and go from their inside room to your room. 

 

We are booked for our 3rd trip on getaway and currently have an aft balcony, but are looking at upgrading because we really enjoyed the haven courtyard and restaurant on sea days. 

[Shidah]

One bonus to the Haven 2 bedroom is the amazing master bath, plus having a full second bathroom.  Yes, crappy balcony though.  Stayed in that room on the Getaway this past May, and loved the suite.

[myjillian]

Think logical....give the kids an inside room across from your balcony...they are young and you don't want to spoil them for future cruises....really...My cousins ..a brother and sister used to sail with us in inside cabins across from ours....Once I booked a balcony cabin for them and paid the difference from an inside as a surprise...it was booked well in advance...by time the ship sailed both had significant others and Madeline had a boyfriend that didn't like cruise ships and David had a girlfriend that had never taken a cruise before.  They took the cruise and she didn't like it...found fault with everything...and she was in a beautiful balcony cabin !  David is still with her and doesn't cruise anymore LOL...🤗

[LeesaB]

13 hours ago, Two Wheels Only said:

Aft-facing stateroom + inside stateroom.

 

Book 1 adult/1 child in each and get spare stateroom keys for entry (not for onboard purchasing). NCL doesn't (really) care who sleeps where. Married couple sleeps in the aft-facing and children sleep in the nearby interior stateroom. Depending on which deck is selected, the aft-facing balcony may be large enough for all 4 to enjoy. 

Ok, yes.  I have an aft-facing balcony booked currently.  Touche'.  That is the current plan, I'm simply concerned that my husband and I might think the main part of the ship is way crowded if there's no good place to go to escape the crowds.  I'm not silly enough to think that he'd be willing to hightail it to wherever Vibe passes are sold.  The kids will be ecstatic wherever we are.  We're booked on 12 so the balcony would be plenty deep (I'm no dummy and do my research!).  Thanks.

[LeesaB]

9 hours ago, zqvol said:

Have you looked at two connecting balcony cabins, inside of an inside and an across the hall balcony?

I'm... picky?  LOL  I've looked at where connecting cabins are and I just plain don't want them.  I want a big balcony if I'm going to have a "regular" room, so was looking at the aft-facing balconies and the mini-suites with huge balconies on 8.  But none of those connect.

 

I know, I know... suck it up, buttercup.

[LeesaB]

8 hours ago, Pappion said:

We have cruised the getaway both in a regular aft cabin and in the haven. If crowds bother you a lot, get the haven room.   The pool area is pretty packed on sea days, and the adults only area would be an escape for you but not your sons.  

 

If you can deal with crowds, get the aft balcony. It’s amazing, and you can hide on it because it’ll fit two loungers and two regular chairs no problem.   I’m told you can have extra key cards so your kids can come and go from their inside room to your room. 

 

We are booked for our 3rd trip on getaway and currently have an aft balcony, but are looking at upgrading because we really enjoyed the haven courtyard and restaurant on sea days. 

Crowds *can* bother me, which is my concern.  But my current room would have a nice large balcony, so I could certainly hide there.  And luckily I'm not one for hanging out at the pool much (I give vampires a run for their money on skin tone) so it's really more the inside areas that concern me.  Thanks.

[LeesaB]

8 hours ago, Shidah said:

One bonus to the Haven 2 bedroom is the amazing master bath, plus having a full second bathroom.  Yes, crappy balcony though.  Stayed in that room on the Getaway this past May, and loved the suite.

Yeah... those suite bathrooms are something else.  The aft suite bathroom is nice as well, though the tub and shower look out over the balcony which is a bit HELLO I'LL KEEP THE SHADES DOWN THX.  No worries on that with the 2br though, lol.

[LeesaB]

1 hour ago, myjillian said:

Think logical....give the kids an inside room across from your balcony...they are young and you don't want to spoil them for future cruises....really...My cousins ..a brother and sister used to sail with us in inside cabins across from ours....Once I booked a balcony cabin for them and paid the difference from an inside as a surprise...it was booked well in advance...by time the ship sailed both had significant others and Madeline had a boyfriend that didn't like cruise ships and David had a girlfriend that had never taken a cruise before.  They took the cruise and she didn't like it...found fault with everything...and she was in a beautiful balcony cabin !  David is still with her and doesn't cruise anymore LOL...🤗

LOL  It might be a bit too late for that as my son has been cruising with my parents for years.  Honestly the accommodations won't mean jack to them, but they're really looking forward to those water slides.

[phillyguy31]

Just finished doing this same situation, we started out booking 2 minis connecting which means there is no argument about allowing the kids to stay in a separate room. It was a bit of a pain because both of ours are under 14 and they can't have an account online so I couldn't see that room. After some discussion we decided to upgrade to the Haven Aft cabin. It really wasn't that much more than 2 minis. My only concern about the aft and the inside is that NCL could start enforcing their policy about 1 adult in every cabin unless the cabins are connecting. All it will take is something to happen because 2 minors were in cabin by themselves and they will lock down that policy faster than racing to get passes to the vibe.

My vote would be the Haven AFT if the boys can share a bed if not then a 2 BR Haven. If you don't want the Haven do 2 connecting balconies or minis.

We have stayed in both the 2 BR and the AFT havens as well as a mini.

[Two Wheels Only]

3 hours ago, LeesaB said:

Crowds *can* bother me, which is my concern.  But my current room would have a nice large balcony, so I could certainly hide there.  And luckily I'm not one for hanging out at the pool much (I give vampires a run for their money on skin tone) so it's really more the inside areas that concern me.  Thanks.

 

Keep what you have and add Spa access. 

[Aprille]

On 1/2/2019 at 3:23 PM, LeesaB said:

So now for the Getaway.  There's not a non-Haven option for a 2br.  Haven rooms are EXPENSIVE - at least for when we need to sail.  Like twice as much OR MORE as the suite for the Pearl was.  WOMG.  Can we afford it?  Yes.  Could I spend that money on something else?  You betcha.  We're comfortable, but not 1 percenters or anything.

 

Haven! If you can afford it which it seems you can. The restaurant alone is worth it. Plus all the other perks - concierge, butler, courtyard, sun deck, lovely 2br suite. I say GO FOR IT!!

[LeesaB]

Thanks all!  For now I'm going to stick with my current reservation and tell myself to stop doubting, lol.  If I upgrade to Haven I'll not be as happy to spend a lot of money in the ports, which kind of defeats half the purpose of the cruise.