NCL Getaway Live Journey - 9/3 - 9/12

[cruiseny4life]

Dinner tonight was La Cucina. I've often mentioned I was unhappy with Cagney's so that's not in our plans this cruise. We haven't been to LA Cucina so this is a first for us! We changed our reservation from 5:30 to 6:30 to attend the VIP Cocktail Hour with the captain. 

 

Turnout was great. We filled Bliss Lounge. Here's a photo of the lineup of officers. It was like walking the gauntlet. I'm just glad their were no spikes or fists, just handshakes. Phew! 

 

 

We had a delightful conversation with the other guests from Long Island. They regaled us with tails of their 78 (I think) cruised. We felt very inexperienced with our 1.5 cruises. A very pleasant experience! 

 

Next up, La Cucina. We arrived promptly at 6:30 and were seated after learning how bored the host was. Sounds like last week was a tough week. 4,400 guests! Any guesses the number onboard our cruise? No wonder it was so affordable! 

 

The very busy dining room and Waterfront:

 

 

 

We ordered a lovely pear salad and the Berrata salad, followed by Spaghetti Carbanara and Fettucine Alfredo. We finished with the Carrtacio (lots of fancy words followed) and my husband enjoyed the Spicy Shrimp Diavalo. Yum! What a fantastic offering of food. I would say it is a bit above Olive Garden in terms of yumminess, but certainly not fine dining. Still, I give it 4 of 5 Forks.

 

 

 

 

 

 

For all you dining package folks, Ill let you know if the extra Berrate Caprese we ordered was included, or if we were charged. I had to run to get my Concierge escorted trip to the Illusionarium for Broadway Unplugged.

 

Service, as all service on board has been, was impeccable. For all my whining, NCL still has an excellent crew that deliver. 

 

More to come...including Broadway Unplugged.

 

[cruiseny4life]

We're in the middle of Day 3 inside the cozy confines of Port Canaveral. Here's our neighbor, the Disney Wish.

 

 

Other ships in port are the Carnival Liberty and RCL's Independence of the Seas. Our room is aft which means we have a perfect view as the ships leave. Here's our perfect view. 

 

 

By the way, the Assistant GM stated we have 1,238 guests on board, with 1,673 staff creating glorious vacation memories for all of us! In April we had 4,400 passengers with around 1,300 crew. You can tell the difference in the crew's attitude, smiles, and small talk! Plus, so many of the crew have free time to explore Orlando today and tomorrow. They are so excited to get on solid ground for a few hours.

 

[cruiseny4life]

Day 3 Freestyle:

 

 

 

 

[cruiseny4life]

Those of you who see my posts know I'm not a huge fan of the evening shows due to the old music... so I think you'll be interested to know that from the very first note, I was in awe. The singing was wonderful, they all have such wonderful connections between each other, and I just loved the show! I've already made plans to attend Million Dollar Quartet with the TV Concierge. 

 

 

 

 

As you can see, almost every seat was taken. I do have some tips for a couple of guests. 

 

1. Mr. Edward (name changed to protect the guilty) asked for a drink. He didn't like it, so ordered a new drink. He didn't like the second drink either, so he ordered a third. Apparently drink number three was fine. Please do not do this fellow guests. Just order a drink you know you enjoy when there are three servers, a full Illusionarium, and a show about to start. 

 

2. Parents with children. Namely babies. Don't bring your kid to a loud, late evening of show tunes and expect sympathy when your baby starts to cry. Parenting 101 there... or maybe Respect for Others 100.

 

Beside these two incidents, what a lovely time I had! Yes, yall, maybe I was wrong about the NCL entertainment. 

[cruiseny4life]

A few selections from the Haven this morning and this afternoon for lunch on a very hot day! 

 

Mushroom Flatbread

 

Fritto Misto

 

Grits with cheese

 

Omelette loaded with cheese and chorizo and ham

 

Perfectly poached eggs for Eggs Benedict

 

As always the food did not disappoint. Service was exceptional, and I am satisfied. We both pre-ordered two filets for steak and eggs tomorrow morning. 

[cruiseny4life]

This morning I spent about two hours in a quiet thermal suite. I went in at 9:30. First to the big pool, then I laid on the lovely heated ceramic lounger for a bit, and then found myself sweating my fat away in a 130 degree sauna. There was another guy in there, laying on his front. I have no idea how he was able to do that for 20 minutes. 15 minutes and I was out to a cold shower. Someday I'll have the after sauna snow room experience. Alas, no snow room on the Getaway.

 

 

All was well as I then went back to the pool to get unsolicited relationship advice from someone who dislike her brothers, sister, and ex husband. Methinks it may be a her problem. But, most importantly, I should divorce my husband and never look back. I think I'll be ignoring this as I love my husband.... usually. Now one of those Broadway Unplugged singers did have me swooning!

[rbxlady]

37 minutes ago, cruiseny4life said:

A few selections from the Haven this morning and this afternoon for lunch on a very hot day! 

 

Mushroom Flatbread

 

Fritto Misto

 

Grits with cheese

 

Omelette loaded with cheese and chorizo and ham

 

Perfectly poached eggs for Eggs Benedict

 

As always the food did not disappoint. Service was exceptional, and I am satisfied. We both pre-ordered two filets for steak and eggs tomorrow morning. 

How do you like your grits? Regular, creamy, or al dente?

[cusematt4]

Enjoying the live review thanks!

 

few quick questions - any idea why the passenger count is so low?  Does this have to do with low demand, ncls higher than average pricing, or have most sailings been filing up and is this an off week?

 

also how is the live music on the ship?  It looks like there is one less band and one less duo than usual.  The dailies show two bands and two duos whereas I think there are usually at least 3 of each.

 

thanks!

[www3traveler]

Passenger counts always lower in late August, early September with the beginning of a new school year.  Counts will be lower until the Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year's sailings.  Counts will go down again until it gets into Spring vacation season and the Easter holiday.

[Aldeya]

1 hour ago, cruiseny4life said:

This morning I spent about two hours in a quiet thermal suite. I went in at 9:30. First to the big pool, then I laid on the lovely heated ceramic lounger for a bit, and then found myself sweating my fat away in a 130 degree sauna. There was another guy in there, laying on his front. I have no idea how he was able to do that for 20 minutes. 15 minutes and I was out to a cold shower. Someday I'll have the after sauna snow room experience. Alas, no snow room on the Getaway.

 

 

All was well as I then went back to the pool to get unsolicited relationship advice from someone who dislike her brothers, sister, and ex husband. Methinks it may be a her problem. But, most importantly, I should divorce my husband and never look back. I think I'll be ignoring this as I love my husband.... usually. Now one of those Broadway Unplugged singers did have me swooning!

 

Edited September 5, 2022 by Aldeya

[graphicguy]

2 hours ago, cruiseny4life said:

Those of you who see my posts know I'm not a huge fan of the evening shows due to the old music... so I think you'll be interested to know that from the very first note, I was in awe. The singing was wonderful, they all have such wonderful connections between each other, and I just loved the show! I've already made plans to attend Million Dollar Quartet with the TV Concierge. 

 

 

 

 

As you can see, almost every seat was taken. I do have some tips for a couple of guests. 

 

1. Mr. Edward (name changed to protect the guilty) asked for a drink. He didn't like it, so ordered a new drink. He didn't like the second drink either, so he ordered a third. Apparently drink number three was fine. Please do not do this fellow guests. Just order a drink you know you enjoy when there are three servers, a full Illusionarium, and a show about to start. 

 

2. Parents with children. Namely babies. Don't bring your kid to a loud, late evening of show tunes and expect sympathy when your baby starts to cry. Parenting 101 there... or maybe Respect for Others 100.

 

Beside these two incidents, what a lovely time I had! Yes, yall, maybe I was wrong about the NCL entertainment. 

Amen!

[Kruizin'Kath]

2 hours ago, cruiseny4life said:

By the way, the Assistant GM stated we have 1,238 guests on board, with 1,673 staff creating glorious vacation memories for all of us! In April we had 4,400 passengers with around 1,300 crew. You can tell the difference in the crew's attitude, smiles, and small talk! Plus, so many of the crew have free time to explore Orlando today and tomorrow. They are so excited to get on solid ground for a few hours.

 

We

 

Loving your review! We are on her next week and hope the numbers are the same!

[Seas2mountains]

Thank you for taking the time to post the photos and dailies. Hoping our cruise right after yours also has the lower passenger count. 

[cruiseny4life]

1 hour ago, Kruizin'Kath said:

We

 

Loving your review! We are on her next week and hope the numbers are the same!

 

20 minutes ago, Seas2mountains said:

Thank you for taking the time to post the photos and dailies. Hoping our cruise right after yours also has the lower passenger count. 

From what I've heard I believe you're going to be in luck! The number other passengers have thrown out, so take with a grain of your favorite salt, is 900'ish. Honestly the ship seems like a ghost ship at times. Except of course for the sold out Haven, but we have plenty of space to spread out.

[cruiseny4life]

1 hour ago, graphicguy said:

Amen!

I was thinking of you when I wrote that post! 

[cruiseny4life]

3 hours ago, rbxlady said:

How do you like your grits? Regular, creamy, or al dente?

Old fashioned, stone ground, and lumpy! With Velveeta. The server asked if I want butter. No way! I'll take it the southern way every day.

[TenForward]

Thanks for posting the dailies!  We are on this cruise departing New Year's Eve.   Very interested in your review.

[trbarton]

On 8/29/2022 at 12:38 PM, cruiseny4life said:

Welcome to the Party!!!

 

Welcome to the pre-game! My husband and I are headed to the Bahamas, Bermuda, and Orlando on Saturday! 

 

We can't wait to get back on our favorite ship, the NCL Getaway! Yep, we've only had one cruise before and it was on her. What a lovely Bermuda cruise it was. You can find the review here - it's lengthy - what can I say? I'm a verbose guy. https://www.cruisecritic.com/memberreviews/memberreview.cfm?EntryID=686418

 

Photo of the NCL Getaway as we were getting in line to board her in Manhattan.

 

This time around, I'll be keeping y'all up to date as best as the internet can handle. Unlike @BennyBrun I can't promise hundreds of photos. I'll try to take some and add them, but a lot of time I'll just be enjoying myself on the ship. 

 

The Bermudian travel authorization came in via email on Saturday, so lord willing, and a negative test, we'll be sailing away on Saturday afternoon. 

 

 

There's a lot of lovely activities planned for our cruise, including a Meet & Greet which I'll likely skip out on. It's super early on Sunday morning and I'm not into waking up that early! Then we've got a lovely slot pull set up for Sunday at 10:30 AM which is much more civilized.

 

Every day, we'll be finding fellow passengers to play Cards Against Humanity matches with. Ooops, did I leave you hanging? My husband would be so proud that I know what a preposition is and that I really shouldn't end sentences with one. Alas, I strive to be a bother. 

 

It's kind of hard to find a safe for Cruise Critic photo of this game. Suffice it to say, myself and our fellow "horrible" cruisers will be enjoying this in the Atrium every day. 

 

Next up is the all important negative COVID tests. I'll be buying some home test kits tonight and scheduling a proctored booger swab for Thursday evening. 

 

Here's a copy of our itinerary. I'm hoping the itinerary sticks, but you never know with NCL where you'll go, until you've been there. 

 

 

Here's where I leave you, until next time. I'm looking forward to you all journeying the high seas of the Atlantic with us on this glorious nine day voyage. 

 

BON VOYAGE in T Minus 5 days.

I’ll be on the Getaway as a newbie in February 2023 so any suggestions or tips you can add appreciated. I’m in a studio stateroom. 
 

Tom😀

Edited September 6, 2022 by trbarton

[trbarton]

On 9/4/2022 at 5:52 AM, cruiseny4life said:

Good morning from Drain Island, Atlantic Ocean!

 

 

I've taken the Day 1 and Day 2 Freestyle photos, but before posting them, here's a photo of my photo desk, complete with our resident puppy and a gorgeous arrangement of flowers.

 

 

Day 1 Freestyle:

 

 

 

 

 

 

Day 2 Freestyle:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Questions from a newbie. 
 

What is considered the MDR?  Can I make a reservation in advance for the whole cruise & can I ask for a share table so I have the same wait staff each night.

 

Thanks!

 

Tom😀

[gatorchinsky]

After looking at the Dailies that have been posted so far, I noticed that for dinner that both Taste and Savor are not offered each night but it’s one or the other, along with Tropicana.  Could this be because the sailing is not full or because of staffing?

[graphicguy]

9 hours ago, trbarton said:

Questions from a newbie. 
 

What is considered the MDR?  Can I make a reservation in advance for the whole cruise & can I ask for a share table so I have the same wait staff each night.

 

Thanks!

 

Tom😀

Not meaning to step on toes as this is not my thread, but Manhattan Room, Savor and Taste are considered the MDRs.  No reservations are required.  And yes, you can ask to share a table.

 

Just go to the MDR you want to dine in and make any reservations there.

 

But, not sure you'll need them as they usually seat you within a few minutes of being checked in.  

 

Can't help you on wait staff.  I just do walk up when I want to dine.  They seat me/us where they have open tables.

Edited September 6, 2022 by graphicguy

[rbxlady]

15 hours ago, cruiseny4life said:

Old fashioned, stone ground, and lumpy! With Velveeta. The server asked if I want butter. No way! I'll take it the southern way every day.

They wanted to know if you wanted butter and cheese? You'd think you were on a cruise or something with that kind of suggested gluttony!

[trbarton]

20 minutes ago, graphicguy said:

Not meaning to step on toes as this is not my thread, but Manhattan Room, Savor and Taste are considered the MDRs.  No reservations are required.  And yes, you can ask to share a table.

 

Just go to the MDR you want to dine in and make any reservations there.

 

But, not sure you'll need them as they usually seat you within a few minutes of being checked in.  

 

Can't help you on wait staff.  I just do walk up when I want to dine.  They seat me/us where they have open tables.

Thanks for your information!  Since I’m new to NCL I’m use to having the same waitstaff each night as they get to know my likes & dislikes plus I give them something extra at the end of the cruise. 
 

Tom😀
 

 

[bluesea777]

1 minute ago, trbarton said:

Thanks for your information!  Since I’m new to NCL I’m use to having the same waitstaff each night as they get to know my likes & dislikes plus I give them something extra at the end of the cruise. 
 

Tom😀
 

 

 

The waitstaff rotate both the areas and dining rooms each day, sorry. 

 

[graphicguy]

14 minutes ago, bluesea777 said:

 

The waitstaff rotate both the areas and dining rooms each day, sorry. 

 

 

18 minutes ago, trbarton said:

Thanks for your information!  Since I’m new to NCL I’m use to having the same waitstaff each night as they get to know my likes & dislikes plus I give them something extra at the end of the cruise. 
 

Tom😀
 

 

Just tell the waitstaff what you want.  They'll bend over backwards to make you happy.

 

Freestyle dining is exactly that.  Just show up at the dining venue you want, and you'll be seated.  Reservations really aren't required.  That's an NCL staple.

 

As far as tipping, feel free to tip whomever you want at any dining venue you want.  

 

Having the same table for dinners along with the same waitstaff isn't how NCL is really set up.

 

That said, I find bars and bartenders I gravitate to, and tend to go to those bars and bartenders.  I tip them extra for their service throughout the week.  But, I dine in a different restaurant just about every night.