Live From The Getaway..... 1-8-2023

[mking8288]

@kitkat343  - Thanks for the comment about various SD and we aren't going upstairs to Haven, zero chance ... The last remaining Courtyard went past $2,650 p/p x 2 is what I read, crazy - that's enough for 7 to 10 days worth of vacation, not necessary cruising.  Please do feel free to comment on Ocean Blue as we have yet to try it, Le Bistro was our favorite for a decade plus until the cuts that started several years ago ... Cagney mostly still good, Moderno can be hit-n-miss with the earlier days being superior w more variety choices at the salad bar (just need to resist offers of sausages & certain cuts and wait for the better cuts to come along)  We have both Platinum & SD meal meal vouchers but beginning to feel like Teppanyaki is a waste, seen the junior chef's show often, more than "once & done with and enough" now with the substituted meat cut.  Too bad, Food Republic isn't on the GA - but we'll not go hungry for 12 nights. 

 

As always, opinion & reviews of food are personal and subjective, but temperature of food served isn't one of them - having different perspective in dining onboard are always helpful.  

 

To all and all others onboard the ship, have a wonderful evening onboard the Getaway.  

[trbarton]

Question…Does NCL offer a chef’s dinner?  Other cruise lines offer one & it’s a great experience. 
 

Tom😀

[debenson0723]

Just now, trbarton said:

Question…Does NCL offer a chef’s dinner?  Other cruise lines offer one & it’s a great experience. 
 

Tom😀

No they do not.

[cruiseny4life]

1 hour ago, Laszlo said:

Last dinner in the Haven. The waitstaff has been great! Anita one of the bar staff is my favorite. Alex the concierge and Mark our butler have been great even though we didn’t really use them for much. Alisa our cabin steward is fantastic

 

I’m ready to get off, have a bunch of things at home I’m working on and I’m ready to see my 90lb Golden Furbaby 

Anita!!!!!! She called us Double A, so we called her Triple A (our names both start with "A").

 

I'm glad to see we have something else in common - Goldens! We have two which you could probably tell from my profile picture. All fur babies are the best!

 

2 hours ago, kitkat343 said:

We sailed the NCL Star precovid, and back then the specialty restaurants served really good meals.  Now, they are generally serving something slightly better than should be served in the MDR.  

I never sailed NCL pre-COVID, but I do know the specialty restaurants are junk. That's why we stick with the Free at Sea meals only. I did enjoy (for a cruise ship pizza) my pizza at La Cucina in September. Sorry your son's wasn't good. The buffet pizza has really improved since our previous sailings, although those sausage things are disgusting. I've found pepperoni and cheese is edible though.

[Laszlo]

Pulled in around 3:30am

 

 

 

Edited January 20, 2023 by Laszlo

[Joesantos]

Queen Ship is boarding today toooo!

Let the getting onboard begin!
Namaste 🙏🏻  Relax and enjoy the rest of your cruise 🚢 

[kitkat343]

11 hours ago, mking8288 said:

@kitkat343  - Thanks for the comment about various SD and we aren't going upstairs to Haven, zero chance ... The last remaining Courtyard went past $2,650 p/p x 2 is what I read, crazy - that's enough for 7 to 10 days worth of vacation, not necessary cruising.  Please do feel free to comment on Ocean Blue as we have yet to try it, Le Bistro was our favorite for a decade plus until the cuts that started several years ago ... Cagney mostly still good, Moderno can be hit-n-miss with the earlier days being superior w more variety choices at the salad bar (just need to resist offers of sausages & certain cuts and wait for the better cuts to come along)  We have both Platinum & SD meal meal vouchers but beginning to feel like Teppanyaki is a waste, seen the junior chef's show often, more than "once & done with and enough" now with the substituted meat cut.  Too bad, Food Republic isn't on the GA - but we'll not go hungry for 12 nights. 

 

As always, opinion & reviews of food are personal and subjective, but temperature of food served isn't one of them - having different perspective in dining onboard are always helpful.  

 

To all and all others onboard the ship, have a wonderful evening onboard the Getaway.  

Ocean blue was really good!   The spicy shrimp appetizer was amazing and all the food was served hot.  The poster above who only pays for the specialty dining included in the room and doesn’t get the add on meals is making the right call overall.  
 

I hope those of you who are sailing on future vacations have a wonderful trip.  

[disfan13]

14 hours ago, kitkat343 said:

I'm on the 1/8 sailing.  The risotto and the pasta besides the lasagna was good at La Cucina, but the pizza absolutely should not have been served (my son chose it and didn't eat it, a first for him not finishing a pizza. he'll eat the pizza at the buffett to give you a sense of the quality of that).

 

Moderno has sushi on its salad bar, and good cold cuts there.  The lamb was overcooked, so it wasn't as good as it could have been.

 

At Cagney's, the steak was perfectly cooked but served slightly more than lukewarm.  The garlic mashed potatoes were ice cold, and they ran out of risotto.  The scallops were really rubbery.  

 

Teppanyaki was good teppanyaki food (though we picked it so our kids could watch the show which once again wasn't the best but good enough to keep kids entertained). 

 

Tonight is Ocean Blue so I can let you know how that goes.  If you have access to the haven restaurant (and we don't) you might just want to stick to that. 

 

We sailed the NCL Star precovid, and back then the specialty restaurants served really good meals.  Now, they are generally serving something slightly better than should be served in the MDR.  

Unfortunately this was our experience as well on the Joy in November. Le Bistro was our favorite but not one "great" meal. 

[Red-Sol]

4 hours ago, Laszlo said:

Pulled in around 3:30am

 

 

 

 

Welcome Home Laszlo and thanks very much for taking us along! Looking forward to your videos.

[Lchiles]

mking8288,

We were on the 12/8/22 sailing of GA out of Port Canaveral. Just wanted to say that the Teppanaki dinner was the best filet I have had in years on a cruise ship. Shrimp were good as well. Might give it a try if you like. Know you are leaving out of NY and they might have different sourcing for their provisions..but just my 2 cents worth.

[cruiseny4life]

30 minutes ago, Lchiles said:

mking8288,

We were on the 12/8/22 sailing of GA out of Port Canaveral. Just wanted to say that the Teppanaki dinner was the best filet I have had in years on a cruise ship. Shrimp were good as well. Might give it a try if you like. Know you are leaving out of NY and they might have different sourcing for their provisions..but just my 2 cents worth.

Unfortunately, no more filet at Teppanyaki. It's a NY Strip. 

 

Source: https://www.ncl.com/sites/default/files/Teppanyaki_Dinner-Dessert_Mobile-Menu_122022.pdf

[Laszlo]

A few from about 7:00am this morning

[Laszlo]

First of several videos..... this one I got done on the ship. The others will take a while

 

 

 

[Laszlo]

 

[Laszlo]

The BEST part of staying in the Haven..... and the FASTEST way off any ship!!!

 

 

 

[Bonobochick]

11 hours ago, cruiseny4life said:

Unfortunately, no more filet at Teppanyaki. It's a NY Strip. 

 

Source: https://www.ncl.com/sites/default/files/Teppanyaki_Dinner-Dessert_Mobile-Menu_122022.pdf

 

I was on this cruise but didn't hit up Teppanyaki this time. I am disappointed to see the filet is gone as that is my go-to for this restaurant as it's so good, esp with extra garlic. 

 

The self-assist disembarkation was a breeze this morning. I appreciated that. I was off the ship and out of customs by 7:40a.

 

Good cruise for the most part. No real issues other than some logistics in getting on / off the ship in a few ports (Puerto Rico was particularly a mess) cause only forward was open in every port. I usually like to grab flavored tea to make in my cabin for late night but the buffet only had Lipton. Thankfully my attendant was able to find some chamomile and lemon tea for me. 🫖 

 

Food was mostly fine IMO, no truly bad meals. I didn't do much specialty dining this time around since I got a sailaway deal, just my latitudes meal at Moderno & Le Bistro. Mostly ate in Savor and its dining crew was really good. The 90s Throwback party was a highlight for me. 

[Bonobochick]

On 1/16/2023 at 7:25 AM, registrar said:

How was Antigua? Any beach recommendations?

 

I did the NCL beach excursion, which went to runaway beach this time. It's a really lovely beach. 

 

(We got rained out, though, after a few hours)

[Laszlo]

[Laszlo]

[Red-Sol]

15 minutes ago, Laszlo said:

 

The hardest part of going on any cruise is leaving our dog(s) behind. Returning and being with them again is so completely satisfying!

[Laszlo]

28 minutes ago, Red-Sol said:

 

The hardest part of going on any cruise is leaving our dog(s) behind. Returning and being with them again is so completely satisfying!

We got home about 10:00am Friday morning. My wife picked him up at the boarder at 10:15am came home and said he needs a good bath. I ran him over to the doggie wash at 10:30am. He was bathed before I stared unpacking Lol

[Laszlo]

 

[Maplemoose]

Correct me if I am wrong but I see only one production of the Million Dollar Quartet on the last  night. However Burn the Floor and the comedians seem to be on night after night. So how popular could they be after pax had seen them more than once. The attendance must have been abysmal. And I wonder how many people were shut out of the major production, a lot perhaps forsaking future NCL bookings. They are killing the Golden Goose. 

[Laszlo]

 

[www3traveler]

11 hours ago, Maplemoose said:

Correct me if I am wrong but I see only one production of the Million Dollar Quartet on the last  night. However Burn the Floor and the comedians seem to be on night after night. So how popular could they be after pax had seen them more than once. The attendance must have been abysmal. And I wonder how many people were shut out of the major production, a lot perhaps forsaking future NCL bookings. They are killing the Golden Goose. 

I have seen Million Dollar Quartet and Burn The Floor multiple times with very full theatres.  With MDQ--there are only about 7 people in the production.  Burn The Floor has a number of dancers that they can interchange show to show or night to night.

 

In 38 cruises, I have never gone to a Comedy show except twice when it was in the theatre and part of something else.

 

Ships have a wide variety of entertainment for a wide variety of passengers.  Not everyone likes everything.