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Getaway Review October 4, 2014


Medtech2
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Hi there!

 

I am going to share our experiences on our recent Getaway cruise. I am not planning on posting any pictures as there have been some posted who have definitely better photography skills than I! When we were in New York prior to our Breakaway cruise our Irish pedi-cab driver had dropped my camera and I replaced it with a Panasonic that either doesn't take as good of pictures in automatic (i.e. photos for dummies like me) or I just don't "get." That said if there is something you want to see I will try to post requests. I will also post a link if I learn how to upload videos of an amazing swim with a green sea turtle in St. Thomas...

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I had wanted to get the Intercontinental but didn't want to pay too much so I tried using Priceline bidding to see if I could get it. I had never used Priceline before so I picked 4 stars, and then a price. I think that if I ever use Priceline again I will pick 5 stars and a lower price than I bid. We ended up in the Hyatt Regency for only a $20 savings over what I could have gotten on my own.

 

Check in was pleasant, quick and easy. We were early and just hoped to drop our luggage and spend the day wandering around downtown but they had a room available at 9am, no extra charge! All staff were very friendly. The only anomaly was that the maid woke us from a sound nap, around 3pm, knocking on the door, and actually entered before we could answer. She had her purse with her and looked like she was leaving for the day. She kept talking in Spanish and I could not understand what she was saying. I got the feeling she was angling for a tip. I certainly hope she had not planned to enter our room on her way home without us being there...

 

The room was clean. (The only thing I noticed was that the phone was very dirty and I had to wipe it down with a Lysol wipe). The king bed was very comfortable, soft without sagging. Unfortunately it was also very springy, and every time my husband turned over I was bounced awake.

 

The layout for the bathroom was a bit strange. The vanity area was basically behind the bed's headboard behind a partial wall. The walk-in closet was behind a louvered half swinging door. The toilet and tub were in their own small room very dimly lit by one ceiling lamp. There was no fan :(

 

We were given a river view room. The view was nice once the sun burned off the condensation on the window. Actually this should have been a sliding glass door because there was a balcony but it was sealed shut and so unusable. The desk clerk had mentioned that some guests had complained of noise on this side of the hotel because of the bridge traffic, and offered to move us if it was a problem, but I found it helped lull me to sleep.

 

The location was a $27 taxi ride from the airport and was connected to a free Metromover station which was convenient.

 

Friday night we met up at the Intercontinental with some friends from the Roll Call. Because of a torrential downpour we stayed in the lobby for drinks and appetizers, which were all $5 for Happy Hour. That lobby is a happening place, noisy and busy! The food was excellent! The company was better! After the rain ended we walked to Bayside to check it out. There was a live band which was good. There is a Metromover station 1 block up from the end of Bayside, in addition to the one across from the Intercontinental.

 

All in all I would recommend this Hyatt and it was a very convenient quiet location.

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Getaway October 4.

 

Priority check in for suite guests:

 

There was a line outside the terminal waiting to get into the building when we arrived. I went to the front to show the man there our ticket information and make sure this was where we should be. Luckily, since we were in a suite he told us to go to the next doorway, where there was no line. Once inside we waited in a small line to go through security. It was a bit confusing in that we entered a roped line but other people lined up along the wall and when they started screening those people just went ahead of all of us in line. Regardless, everyone made it through really quickly. Priority check in was in a small room and was also very fast. Then we were told to go to a small room across from that to wait. There were open faced sandwiches, cookies, coffee, tea and water. When the room filled someone came to escort us to the main suite waiting area. From there we were escorted onto the ship. Because we mentioned we wanted the embarkation photo we went by that area before proceeding onto the ship.

 

We were taken in a crew elevator up to the Haven, where we were given a welcome speech by Ruth the concierge. Our group was then taken to the bar for a welcome Mojito (I believe it was nonalcoholic) while another small group came in for the welcome speech. They also had sliders and fries while waiting for the Haven restaurant to open at 12 for lunch. We actually ended up eating lunch at the Flamingo grill with its Cuban food. It was okay, and I did enjoy the fried plantains and fried yucca with a cilantro lime sauce but otherwise, at least to me, the menu looked better than it tasted. The spinach empanada tasted like one of those frozen mini quiches you find. It would be nice if they had a meat empanada that you could use that wonderful sauce on.

 

The muster drill was relatively pain free. I did notice a big difference between the station attendants as to whether they engaged the guests or not. I learned much more listening to the young man who was in charge of a station 4 stations away. Our crew did not speak.

 

We did go to the sail away party but could only stay a few minutes before having to leave to attend the Illusinarium. Surprisingly most people were NOT at the sail away party, since it was in Spice H2O. I think the layout of the Epic pool deck is much more conducive to a sail away party. Crowds on the Miami side of the ship were huge, and really made me thankful we were in the Haven this trip.

 

 

As suite guests we had to meet at 4:35 with Ruth to be escorted to the Illusinarium theatre in order to be seated before anyone else. Because I had wanted to use OBC I had not pre-booked but had e-mailed the pre-concierge for the reservation. They had booked us the 5:30pm "premium" seating at 29.99. (Minus 20% for booking the first night). We found others who had pre-booked theirs for 24.99 regular seating and some who had it included in their UDP, and we were all seated early as suite guests, so it definitely is not necessary to pay any extra if you are in a suite. We were seated front and center, with all at our table facing the stage, as opposed to some of the tables which were perpendicular to the stage, so that they had people on both sides of their table. We were packed elbow to elbow, though. The show was pretty good. There was a variety of magicians, each of which had their own take on magic. All were very good. The storyline was not that great and, for me, added nothing to the show. I feel the magicians could easily have just come out and done their thing and it would have been just fine. The meal was good, although the sauce on the filet was a bit overpowering. No one asked us how we wanted our steak but it was cooked fine for us. The meat was very tender. The shrimp seemed to be fried but then soaked in a tangy sauce which made the breading limp. They DID ask about food allergies, and you could speak up to request a vegetarian meal.

 

We walked around and ended up buying a 4 bottle package of rum for $35, to be boxed and ready for pick up Friday night. We wanted to see the spa and arrived at 9:40pm for a quick dip before it closed. We were the only ones there at that time. I wish we had utilized the Spa more but there were so many activities we didn't have time.

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Day 2 Sunday:

 

We went to breakfast in the Haven restaurant where I wanted to try the Fruits de Mer in Brioche. For some reason I thought it would be whole scallops and lobster chunks enveloped in a Brioche bread, as the description specifically said Lobster and Scallops in Toasted Brioche. Instead it was chopped bits of seafood that was somewhat fishy, on top of sliced dry Brioche, with a poached egg. The chorizo sauce on top did nothing for it. Coffee was a wonderful treat, as it was French press.

 

The CC M & G was a wonderful success, judging by the noise level. Unlike on the Breakaway where the CD Dan took control of the meeting, introduced the Officers, gave a talk and did a Q & A, the Getaway CD Joel made a brief general introduction then handed the microphone over to me. Needless to say I was a bit unprepared. The Officers had been mingling before the meeting and then left. We passed the microphone so everyone in attendance could introduce themselves, chatted, visited, then did a gift exchange. It was a lot of fun.

 

I will take a moment here to address the "perks" of running a Roll Call as I was asked that somewhat tacky question in the hallway later in the cruise (I say tacky only because of the tone and timing of the question--no chitchat, no howdy doo, but a green-eyed "so what did you GET" not even stopping midstride type of interaction). The short answer is not much, on this large ship. Because we were suite passengers we were getting afternoon treats. There MAY have been an extra tray of chocolate covered strawberries from the HD, or those may have come anyway. I couldn't tell. The biggest perk for me was meeting everyone, and seeing people coming and going, chatting and saying "Hi!" Do NOT decide to "run" a Roll Call or coordinate a M & G if your sole purpose is to "get" something! You do it because it is a way to meet people. In my case it helps with my almost total inability to retain names, lol. On our Sun cruise we were invited to a Behind the Scenes tour which I assumed at the time was because I did that Roll Call. But then again, there were a lot of fellow CC'ers on that tour, who had signed the pad upon entering the venue for the M & G.... On the Breakaway we were in a regular minisuite and got a tray of something or other every afternoon, but I believe most folks on that Roll Call who had signed in at the M & G also got treats. Truthfully life is easier when someone else is in charge!

 

We had lunch at the Haven restaurant where I tried the swordfish burger. It was awesome, fresh, large, white meat. I asked for truffle fries instead of the regular fries and they were wonderful.

DH wanted to watch football so went to O'Sheehans. The number one complaint we heard was the lack of American football on television. People were definitely wanting to know the college scores! If Norwegian is reading this I hope they add a channel with American football, both college and professional.

 

The afternoon was spent lounging around the Haven pool area, which was delightful. There was nonstop music playing and I wish it had been a bit softer in volume, but it was tolerable. There were plenty of loungers of all types, in the shade, and in the sun. Beware the upper deck flooring is VERY hot and can scorch your feet.

 

Went to the Mandarin Spa. The design on the Epic is much better. On the Epic both the men's and the women's locker rooms open into the spa. There are also segregated steamrooms. On Getaway the ladies opens into the main hallway while the men's has an entrance both in the main hallway and then out into the Spa area. That seems backwards as it would make more sense for the ladies to have a discreet entrance. Also, on the Epic the showers had frosted glass doors with plenty of room. Getaway has small stalls with flimsy curtains that billow. Getaway has keyless lockers, which is a plus. As far as access, if you are in a Spa Cabin you are on Deck 14, and have no direct discreet access to the Spa, which is on 15. You must go to the main public stairwell or elevator, go up a floor, and walk down the hall past the gym. We did try a door marked Haven but when we descended the industrial type stairs there we had to go a roundabout way and ended up exiting a door on 14 that is marked "crew only". The Haven cabins on Deck 15 have a direct entrance to the Spa/Gym hallway.

 

The salt room seems to be a nice addition. I could definitely taste the salt in the air and the warm tile seating was very relaxing, with relaxing music in the background. There are plenty of loungers in the Spa looking out over the bridge and along the sides, but the open aft section on the Epic was a definite plus for me.

 

Back in the cabin our Butler, Rogin, had left us BLT's made with pretzel rolls and yet another huge bowl of plums. I had mentioned in the pre-concierge letter that I liked plums and he was making sure I had plenty! I think we now had 20...

 

DH and I discussed having the Haven Restaurant, the secluded Haven pool, and all sorts of snacks at our disposal, and whether it was worth extra money. We both found that if we got as good a deal as I got on this Suite we would repeat the experience, but otherwise we would stick with a plain balcony.

 

DH went to the Veteran's gathering while I hung back in the room. So far we had not made it to dinner because we were so full all the time! The Haven Cocktail party with the Captain was at 6:30pm in Bliss. This Bliss is not as good as on the Epic IMO. Smaller and less seating. They were serving wines and rum punches but would also make any type of drink you wanted, although they were almost nonexistent with the alcohol. They still tasted good, however! Everyone seemed to be having a good time, judging by the noise level.

 

We saw Burn the Floor, which was enjoyable, but to me the Burn the Floor on the Breakaway was better. I don't know if they rotate shows or not so it may have changed and be like this one. One important item to note was that the staff were allowing latecomers to continue into the theatre after it started. The first 30 minutes were constantly being interrupted by people shimmying down the aisles, blocking the view. Please arrive early!

 

The 9pm comedy show with Dean was very good. Another comedian, Frank, had an introductory set which was also very good. I had tears streaming down my face I laughed so hard.

 

It was Norwegians Night Out and there was a deck party in Spice H20. They were having 15 minute dance offs for prizes. We lasted through 2 sets before our 4 bad knees and 1 hip replacement said enough!

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Enjoying your review, very much. We are booked in a Spa Haven cabin for two weeks in Feb/Mar of 2015. Have you used the Thalassotherapy pool yet?

Yes, and it was heavenly. So much so that I only bothered to use the jetted tub in our cabin once...

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Day 3 Monday:

 

We had a cabin crawl scheduled for 11am. We did a Poker Run also at that time. We saw a studio, actually peeked into an Oceanview that we were passing, a large balcony (huge and nice!), our Spa Suite, a Penthouse, and a 2 bedroom Garden Villa. Our butler Rogin set up a nice spread of snacks and drinks in our cabin for all to enjoy.

 

One important thing to note here, if you are going to do a cabin crawl that involves the Haven, make sure the concierge gives prior approval! I was not in charge of the Cabin Crawl and my Suite was not located in the actual Haven itself so I did not think to talk with Ruth ahead of time. We had a large group and some of them went upstairs and burst into the Haven Lounge. What happened next was embarrassing. Ruth stopped them to say they could not be in the area. Apparently a few people got loud and someone actually used the F word to Ruth! So NOT COOL! Even if you are frustrated it is never okay to curse at someone who is doing their job! Ruth explained later that IF they are asked ahead of time they MIGHT allow people on a cabin crawl to enter the Haven Lounge QUIETLY to have a quick look around. Otherwise it is an imposition on the Haven guests who have paid to have a quiet exceptional experience. Unfortunately I also heard from the Group Coordinator about this issue! All I want to say is I was not in charge of the Crawl! And again reiterate to everyone else to make sure you speak with the Concierge ahead of time!

 

For lunch we had a special treat. I had mentioned at the M & G to the Executive Chef Ricardo Pinheiro how much we had enjoyed the sliders that first day so today we had more of them for lunch. The beef was SO tender and juicy! (I think it may be Wagyu) BTW, the fries in the Haven are definitely different from the fries in the rest of the ship and definitely much better!

 

We walked around the main pool deck. Wow! What a difference--crowded and noisy, but all having fun. You can definitely tailor your experience on this ship. If you want sedate, classic cruising, stay in the Haven. If you like loud excitement, stay in the other areas.

 

We changed into our suits and went to enjoy the sedate Haven poolside. The pool is very small, and only 3 feet deep, not enough in length to swim one stroke. The hot tubs are nice. Another relaxing time in the Spa and back to the cabin, where Rogin our butler met us with not 1, not 2, but 6 plates of snacks! Some just because we are in a Suite, 1 from Ruth, and 2 plates of chocolate covered strawberries from Errol Bailey, the HD. Holy Moly, they really don't want us eating in the Haven Restaurant for dinner!

 

We did end up going to dinner. The mushroom ravioli is now my favorite dish. We also stopped by the Garden Cafe to finally get a crepe. I absolutely love the fresh made crepes which are only available limited hours in the Garden Cafe. I had planned on getting one a day but again all the food thrust upon on us by our butler was not making that possible!

 

Tonight was the Latitudes party for our group. It was nice enough but held in Spice H20 which was getting very windy. Wineglasses, napkins, and food were flying around. BTW there is a screen by one of the elevators which was constantly scrolling the names of Latitude members. Unfortunately they were not alphabetized correctly and I did not have the patience to see our names go by, if they were indeed there. We had met one of those couples (you know the type) who complain about everything and one of the things they complained about was this. They told us rather proudly that they had made a big to-do at Guest Services demanding that they see their names on the board. Not worth it to me but regardless the idea of a special board recognizing past cruisers seems like a nice touch.

 

We changed into our tie-dye T Shirts in preparation for the 70's party and went to O'Sheehan's to watch football. It was very crowded with diners plus a game show was going on in the Atrium so we headed up to the Haven bar to watch the game. What bliss! We were the only passengers there and so we could hear all the play by play while chatting a bit with the bartender.

 

We had 9pm comedy reservations and so had to leave the game early. We actually made it to the show just in time not to lose our reservations. Luckily there were 2 seats at the bar. Again the intro was by Frank, the same fellow from the night before. His material started out exactly the same but luckily he changed up some material as he warmed up. The headliner Phil was also very good so that again tears were streaming down my face from laughing so hard.

 

We made our way to the 70's party and I do believe we were the only guests dressed for the part. Again we could only last 30 minutes. Instead of the gym these nightly parties were our Zumba classes....

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Day 4 Tuesday

 

Today was St. Maarten. We decided to cab it over to Mullet Bay early and then walk to Maho to watch the planes land. Mullet Bay was "eh" for me. We tried to snorkel but there were few fish. Perhaps the time of year matters? There were black and white sea urchins. I couldn't really tell what the camera was seeing so I was just pointing and clicking. It was somewhat primitive but there was a Port-O-Let there which was surprisingly clean for one of those. There were loungers available to rent but no umbrellas on the part where we were. They were also not open for drinks or food. They kept saying "later." Well, that was fine as we wanted to get to Maho early.

 

We left about 10:30am to walk over and went to the Sunset Bar, which was packed. Luckily we saw some people we knew (Hi Seagirl!) who had found a spot under an umbrella on the deck. We ordered a Frozen Guavaberry drink which was very tasty, a mix of what seemed like vanilla ice cream and the Guavaberry Rum. It was a good thing we were early as the KLM arrived at 11:15. We took a taxi back to the ship. Make sure you have your ship card ready to even enter the port area. They would not let us enter as DH could not find his in our bag. We had to exit the taxi at the port gate, find it, and walk back to the ship.

 

We were so exhausted by this time that we went to the spa to unwind, then lunch at the Haven. The New York Strip with truffle fries there is very good. We went to Sugarcane Bar to try the Mojito Flight. There are 6 types of them and they are very good, ranging from a cool cucumber to a spicy passion fruit. A new friend came over to talk to us and accidentally knocked over several of the glasses. Robert the bartender was nice enough to, not only clean up the mess, but replace the drinks that had tipped and spilled. We wrote a Vacation Hero card for him.

 

Dinner was at the Haven where we tried the Scallop and Shrimp Risotto, which was very good and a chef special of Chicken Cordon Bleu.

Fireworks were tonight. I knew there should be a Disney ship nearby that was also going to shoot off fireworks but unfortunately I was on the wrong side of the ship and missed it. If you go up top, (we were on the Sun Deck) look around for the brightly lit Disney ship that travels in tandem with the Getaway. They shot off their fireworks first, then the Getaway did, off the port side.

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Day 5 Wednesday

 

For St. Thomas we had signed up for the Nautica Snorkel Tour, which goes to Buck Island and stops at Turtle Cove and then a "shipwreck" which was actually a scuttled barge. This was a zodiac type power boat which got you there quicker than a catamaran. Snorkelling was pretty good. We saw a variety of tropical fish, sponges, coral and sea fans. We spotted just one jelly fish and there was a rather large barracuda which hovered under one of the boats and allowed me to get pretty darn close. I stopped at 5 feet just because I didn't want to provoke it. We saw 2 green sea turtles grazing on the sea grass at the bottom. They are definitely used to people as they meandered along, occassionally and slowly rising to the surface to breathe. The Nautica tour is not a party boat. They do serve some scant fruit and a small portion of shrimp cocktail, along with sodas and water.

 

After we returned we tried the water slides. The enclosed cork screw slide made me queasy. For the drop slide I had to remove my earrings and glasses but was allowed to keep my elastic hair band and plain gold ring that had no stone. I knew there would be a picture and stared at the camera for the countdown but could not help closing my eyes at the end of it and of course that is when the photo was taken... One important point here is that if you have a sensitive back ask to use one of those backboards. The seams on this slide are brutal on the way down. I ended up with one very scratched back! We wanted to eat at the Flamingo Grill but it did not open until 1 pm! Come on now, open it earlier on a port day. Not everyone gets off or stays off at ports!

 

We ended up at the Tropicana Room for dinner as we realized it was going to have a Burn the Floor performance at 6 when we were walking by. We were NOT dressed and DH had shorts on. We did check with the hostess first and she said it was okay. We actually saw many people dressed ultra casual. Personally I think they should enforce the dress code. We were seated right at the dance floor. The Burn the Floor dancers were obviously enjoying themselves and it was reflected in their performances. This show was much better than the regular show!

 

Service in the Tropicana was very good, and much quicker than in the Haven. However, the food was not near as good. I got the strip steak and it was tough and, while I ordered it medium rare, it came out well done. The strip steak served for lunch in the Haven is much better quality and perfectly cooked. The so-called steak fries served in Tropicana were the same as the regular fries served in the Haven. Trust me when I say these fries were not steak fries! Even so they were different than the shoestrings served in the buffet. DH had the pork loin which he deemed excellent.

 

We had 7:30 reservations for Legally Blonde. It was okay but the movie was much better. The production was still better than the shows I saw on Carnival Fantasy. We went to see Dancing with the Getaway Stars in the Atrium. We actually sat up in O'Sheehan's overlooking the Atrium, which gives you a great view of the action. This show is hilarious, and the passengers and crew who participated made it a hoot. One of the judges was Lebo, who did the hull art for the Getaway. He has a really dry wicked sense of humor and was a great judge!

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Day 6 Thursday

 

We were so tired we did not get up until 9. While DH went to breakfast I decided to finally try the Spa Tub in the suite. It took 40 minutes to fill, and then I could not get it to turn on. I had to call Rogin, and then stand there in my bathrobe while he got it started, poor fellow! It was enjoyable, eating grapes, looking out over the ocean while soaking away!

 

We had a group slot pull scheduled and met at the Wheel of Fortune machine. It basically ended up a wash. Everyone put in $15, we each had a glass of champagne, and we walked away with $13.50...

 

A lazy lunch in the Haven was followed by lounging around by the pool until a rainstorm moved in. One thing that is so great about a balcony is being able to have your door open and hear and see the waves, even while it is raining. The Getaway is designed so that if you open the balcony door the AC shuts off, so there is no reason not to enjoy having your door open! Rogin had provided us with a veggie tray and a meat and cheese tray so that we could nosh on the balcony. Lovely!

 

We finally tried the filet and duck breast in the Haven restaurant. The duck was tasty but tough. I would not get that again because of that. The filet was perfectly cooked but I really like the strip served at lunch better. It just has so much more flavor for me. We also tried the short ribs and they were melt in your mouth tender. DH liked it so much he would only let me try one small bite. I asked for and received a small portion of the mushroom ravioli as a side. Delish! We were not given a choice for dessert as it was chocolate night. Waaay too much chocolate for me! There was the warm chocolate volcano (not as good IMO as Carnival's), a mocha layer cake with a dab of edible gold on top, and some sort of hazelnut bar that was wonderful. It had a thick layer of creamy chocolate over a crunchy hazelnut cookie base. DH did ask for and receive a chocolate milkshake. I found all week that the Haven wait staff were more than willing to get you anything you wanted. Caesar salad at lunch? Okay! Prime Rib that was being served at O'Sheehan's that night? Okay! Really superb service and always so pleasant.

 

DH sat at the bar to enjoy a football game. Later was the Glow Party which has replaced the White Hot Party. Definitely wear neon colors! Very few people had on neon and it just looks so much better under the lighting than white. They had face painting as you enter but the line was way too long. Every teenager on the ship showed up for this party. The music was techno and the songs were well known to the teens and not to me, lol. (I knew and sang along with every single song at the 70's party) The staff handed out glow necklaces and also these cool soft foam lighted sticks. It was quite the spectacle to see all these foam sticks (18-20 inches?) waving about. Keep in mind they would occasionally turn off but there is a switch on one end. After about an hour and a half our Zumba was done, and the pounding base was about to cause us to star in one of those A-Fib commercials.

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Day 7 Friday

 

Today we arrived in Nassau a bit late as we had lost a little time after leaving St. Thomas because a little boy had come down with appendicitis and had to be dropped in Puerto Rico (transferred by Coast Guard).

 

After a leisurely breakfast we tried the Ropes Course. I have a very real fear of heights but felt absolutely safe on this course. It was fun but my hands hurt at the end from hanging on so tight. I wish we had been able to take our camera up there but the only cameras allowed are strapped on Go Pros. You also need to wear closed toed shoes. Unfortunately one of the cameras on the plank was not functioning. The zip line across to the end was fun! It was great to just throw your hands up and go for it! We also tried the mini golf. What a fun course! It has great pirate themed visuals and is hard enough to foil your best shots.

 

One last New York Strip with truffle fries for lunch :(

A lazy afternoon was capped by watching the 3D version of Captain America 2 in the theatre, because of course you take a cruise to watch movies! Then back to the ropes course. Who wants to pack? Not I, says me!

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Day 8 Disembarkation Day :(

 

Ruth had told us to meet her at 9:15am for walk off. We had the Do Not Disturb light on so we could relax a bit as our flight was not until 1:50pm. Well, at 8:30am the door opens and there is Rogin, insisting on carrying our luggage up to the Haven to catch the hidden crew elevator there. Out with the old, in with the new! Sigh, someone else is now enjoying my cabin...

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Let me say a few words about our cabin. I started this booking with an inside, planning to get a Spa Pass. As is typical after the initial booking excitement, prices started falling and I moved us into an angled balcony for the same price. I did keep watching prices and at one point these Spa Suites were the cheapest I had ever seen them. Because I make a point to use my American Express from the get go I was able to get some really good Amex Suite OBC. Since the Spa passes were now included it really only cost me a net theoretical difference of $80/person to upgrade. It was a no brainer, and, quite frankly, might be our only time in a Suite.

 

At the beginning of the week I would have said a Suite wasn't worth it but as the week progressed I REALLY appreciated the intimate quietness of the Haven. Having a butler was nice enough but I could do without the afternoon snacks. All those did was ruin my appetite. Our steward was no better or worse than other stewards we have had. Ruth the concierge was a very nice paragon of professional pleasantness. She always had a cheerful hello for us, even after the unfortunate cabin crawl incident. The wait staff in the Haven restaurant were also very nice, but, then again I did not meet any staff on the entire ship who were not pleasant.

 

The bed in this suite was a true King, not 2 singles pushed together and I have to say it was the most comfortable bed I have ever slept in! I have a Serta Perfect Day at home and it does not come close to the comfort of that bed! I wish I had thought to pull the sheets up to look at the label!

 

That said, the Spa Suite has some drawbacks. That spa tub is not necessary since you have a Spa Pass, IMO. It took a bit more than 40 minutes to fill, which was ridiculous. It's not like it was a treated Hot Tub that you could keep at the ready. A BIG DRAWBACK is that there will always be some water in the jet mechanism that does not drain. You can hear that water sloshing ALL NIGHT LONG! We slept with the balcony door open so we could hear the ocean and I still needed earplugs so as not to hear the trickling sound. Granted I am a very light sleeper.

 

Regardless, the Spa Suites are the cheapest way to gain access to the Haven, so if I was able to do the math as I did this trip I would not hesitate to book one again. Because we were on Deck 14 and the Haven proper is on Decks 15 and 16 I would prefer to be on those decks but it was not that big a deal. It would make more sense to me if the Spa Suites were located on the same floor as the Spa, with a private entrance.

 

The food in the Haven restaurant is a cut above the MDR's and the staff would go to the other dining rooms to get items the Haven did not have. Service was slower than in the MDR's because it looked like their staffing levels were less.

 

We never actually ate in the Garden Cafe but we did stop in for some ice cream and I looked around at the food. It all looked very fresh and there was a wonderful variety of items from which to choose. It was noisy, however, and of course you have to stand in line...

 

I won't say that I would have to have a Suite in order to have a good time on a cruise. After seeing one on the cabin crawl I do not think I could do an inside again but I have done an oceanview on the Carnival Fantasy so I know I could cope with that if I had to. I would rather be able to cruise more often. I definitely would NOT book a Suite that did not have access to the Haven, such as is found on some of the older ships. It was the serenity of the area that made it so nice for me.

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Great review Medtech........we sail on the 25th in a Haven Spa Suite........can't wait. Can you elaborate on the lunch and dinner offerings in the Haven Restaurant. I have read some reviews that the menu is the same every day......I hope that is not the case. I'm also glad to hear that they are willing to get items from other restaurants. Any feedback is appreciated.

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Great review Medtech........we sail on the 25th in a Haven Spa Suite........can't wait. Can you elaborate on the lunch and dinner offerings in the Haven Restaurant. I have read some reviews that the menu is the same every day......I hope that is not the case. I'm also glad to hear that they are willing to get items from other restaurants. Any feedback is appreciated.

Yes, the menus stay the same, with the addition of the shipwide chef's special for dinner. It didn't bother us as we loved the swordfish burger and new york strip at lunch so much we ordered those twice.

 

Unfortunately our butler brought so many good snacks in the afternoon we didn't want or need dinner a few nights. The only thing I regretted was that I did not keep up with the MDR menus each day. I had asked for copies to be placed in our stateroom but that request was ignored and I decided not to push it. The interactive TV was terribly slow so I didn't look there and the iconcierge app does NOT like a 1st gen Ipad and would crash. We were just plain too busy to go look at the menus posted, esp. after we found the Tropicana didn't have a printed posted menu that we could ever find.

 

Anyway, long story short we missed Rack of Lamb night, which is my absolute favorite dish. If I had known I would have asked for it! And they would have gladly brought it! Also don't be afraid to mix and match entrees and sides, because all of the places will do that...

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Yes, the menus stay the same, with the addition of the shipwide chef's special for dinner. It didn't bother us as we loved the swordfish burger and new york strip at lunch so much we ordered those twice.

 

Unfortunately our butler brought so many good snacks in the afternoon we didn't want or need dinner a few nights. The only thing I regretted was that I did not keep up with the MDR menus each day. I had asked for copies to be placed in our stateroom but that request was ignored and I decided not to push it. The interactive TV was terribly slow so I didn't look there and the iconcierge app does NOT like a 1st gen Ipad and would crash. We were just plain too busy to go look at the menus posted, esp. after we found the Tropicana didn't have a printed posted menu that we could ever find.

 

Anyway, long story short we missed Rack of Lamb night, which is my absolute favorite dish. If I had known I would have asked for it! And they would have gladly brought it! Also don't be afraid to mix and match entrees and sides, because all of the places will do that...

 

 

Thanks

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Thanks for answering my question. Again, great review! By the way, my husband and I had the chance to visit Charleston last month and we fell in love with it. What a fantastic city. I am still dreaming about the fried green tomatoes at Magnolia's and the orange cake at the Cru Cafe. Boy, do I envy you for living in such a historically rich and interesting city. We can't wait to go back and I hope that it is soon!

 

Happy future sailings to you and your family!

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Thanks for the great review! We are cruising NCL (the Getaway) for the 1st time next month. we booked the aft penthouse with large balcony for our family of 4 (including 2 young kids). We're planning to spend a lot of time in the Haven, but hope we don't disturb other guests since our kids can be a bit "active"! Did you see many families with young children in the Haven restaurant/lounge? Fortunately we wake up very early and eat dinner very early so we will probably be on opposite schedules as most other guests! :)

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Thanks for answering my question. Again, great review! By the way, my husband and I had the chance to visit Charleston last month and we fell in love with it. What a fantastic city. I am still dreaming about the fried green tomatoes at Magnolia's and the orange cake at the Cru Cafe. Boy, do I envy you for living in such a historically rich and interesting city. We can't wait to go back and I hope that it is soon!

 

Happy future sailings to you and your family!

So glad you loved Charleston. While I have had many a fried green tomato I have not had that orance cake...one more thing to try!

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