mkclayton

Good morning, the forward facing suite only had 1 large bathroom which is located in the actual bedroom. There is no guest half bath. Hope this helps. I believe there is a video of it in YouTube.

I know that many variations of this post have came up. My family and I are taking a multigenerational cruise in Dec (yes, this is so far away... But so close!)

 

We have the opportunity to cruise on the Gem for 10 days in a 2bdrm suite (non-haven) or 7 days in a Haven 2 bedroom suite. The cruises are the same price. I must admit that I put $$ on both of them since I wasn't 100% sure which cruise to take(one with a reduced deposit). Since I can't do

these cruises b2b I have to make a decision. We have a 70 yo, forty something, thirty something, twenty something, and will be 3yo in the group...a large range. All but one of us have been on a cruise...even the 3 yo has been on 2 cruises.

 

My question is which boat would you pick and why?On either cruise we will have the UBP(for two the rest soda), UDP, obc, and gratuities for 2passengers.

 

 

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Hopefully, I can assist in your decision. In 2014, My family and I were in a 2 bedroom family suite on the NCL Jewell. Prior to that we were in a 2 bedroom suite on the Pearl. Both of those trips were without the Haven amenities.

Most recently, my family and I were in a forward facing penthouse and part of the Haven. I don't know if I could have given such a positive review had it not been for the Haven. The fact that we had our own private decks, with pool, hot tubs, sauna, restaurant, lounge, bar, day beds, waiters, waitresses, personal attention from concierge and butler make this a no brainer for me. You have a wide age range of individuals on your trip. The good thing about being in the Haven, is that you can choose when to do the waterslides and be around all the fast pace activities. Then after your ready for peace and tranquility, you can head up to the Heaven deck/area. There you will be served, fresh fruit at your lounger, served your favorite frosty beverage, or just sit outside while enjoying your lunch, away from the hustle and bustle of 4000+ passengers.

In conclusion, we enjoyed our 2 bedroom suite without the Haven on the prior cruises. Now that we have experienced the Haven, that is what we will book for the remainder of our travel adventures on cruises.

Safe travels.

Nice review!! Thanks for taking the time to do it :) We are booked on the Getaway in July and are looking forward to it! It's our first NCL cruise!!

Thank you for the comment. Have a great time on your July trip! It'll be hot that time of year.

Can you make advance reservation for large party (13) at all specialty restaurants, including those that are a la carte??

I don't know what the actual rules are, but when we were dining in the specialty restaurants, they were preparing tables for large parties. For instance, at Le Bistro, there was a party of 10. At Cagney's there was a party of 9. One thing that was pretty evident throughout the week was that NCL was very accommodating. Have a wonderful time!!!

I'm also confused about the UBP gratuity. NCL website says, "When choosing this offer, we’ll also take care of the 18% gratuity that’s normally added to this package!" but a few reviews say that the drink and gratuity are added to your onboard account, but by next day the drink price falls off but the gratuity remains... can anyone shed some light?

We just completed our cruise on the Getaway. We had the UBP. I drank anything from Mohitos to shots of Jaeger. I believe we totaled over $1000 in beverages. At the end of the cruise, all beverages/including gratuities were taken care of. I had no balance at the end of my cruise. So, to answer your question.......every beverage, so long it's under $11/including gratuity will fall off. Safe travels

Thank you very much for your very balanced review. Glad your family had a good time and that the casino was good to you as that always makes for a pleasant cruise!! :) Welcome home.

 

 

Rochelle

Thank You Rochelle. I am still swaying back and forth here in my office, trying to get acclimated and wishing I was still on the boat! :mad:

Thank you for the link. Was looking for a more personal opinion of different dishes in different restaurants also the link you posted is that just for the Getaway? Is there a Flamingos?

The specialty restaurants that are included are:

Cagneys-steak lovers restaurant that included bone in ribeye steak. Wife had 8oz filet. Both enjoyed Mac n cheese, baked potato and onion rings. Oreo cheesecake for dessert. Enjoyed three times during our cruise.

Le bistro- French onion soup, table side carved ribeye for two. Potato gratin. French bread, and some decadent chocolate cake. Deliciously

Tepenyakki- entertainment mainly. Great fried rice, with choice of filet, chicken, shrimp, scallops, etc. we enjoyed the filet and chicken. Soup is like chicken broth. Dessert looks like green poop. Seriously

La Cucina- Italian, had chicken Parmesan, fettuccine. So full, from the delicious fresh baked bread. Loved the ambiance.

We didn't have Moderno. It is like a Brazilian steak house with tons of different meats and a huge salad bar. We opted for cagneys instead.

Osheehans- free 24 hour restaurant that serves up pretty much anything. We didn't go here as the food throughout the day will fill you up. Trust me.

The other specialty restaurants (ocean blue, wasabi, noodle bar )are not included. Hopefully this provides a little more detail on food.

Nice review, we are in a forward penthouse on the Getaway in September looking forward to trying the Haven Experience.

If your staying on Portside, you'll be able to see the fireworks from your balcony. If starboard side, you may want to head up to deck 15 or 16 to see them. Fireworks are the evening of St. Maarten @ 10:45pm. I have no doubt you'll love the Haven. So peaceful.

Thanks for the review. We're on the Getaway next month.

 

Yes, I recall Dolphin; the big red boat And lots of earlier now defunct lines. After 100+ cruises it's hard to be surprised, but the NCL entertainment far exceeds anything Princess (we've had 75 cruises with them) does. We saw Blue Man Group last month on the Epic and looking forward to Legally Blonde. And yes, all our reservations for UDP and shows are done.

Ahhhh yes, the oceanic and atlantic. Gosh....I must be getting old. Have a great time next month.

To start off, I wanted to thank all those who take the time out to post information that will help in planning for a cruise. I will try to do the same regarding our latest cruise on the NCL Getaway. I won't be as detailed or photo oriented as some on this stream. I will however, give you an account of what we encountered.

I am a very seasoned traveler and have been on a plethora of cruises dating all the way back to Dolphin Cruise lines for those who remember. I have stayed in luxurious cabins to bad cabins. Fortunately, because of my past history with Casinos at Sea for NCL, they offered me a penthouse suite with all the Haven amenities. We were booked in #11106 (H7) which is the forward penthouse.

Our cabin was plenty large enough for my wife, 6 yoa daughter and I. My wife and I like the fact that this suite has a separate bedroom. There are many links that one can view on youtube to see the exact cabin. It did have a small balcony, but not so small that I didn't want to sit out on it.

Here is some insight to what we experienced:

Embarkation- As a Haven guest, we were escorted to the Haven lounge for lunch. This was nice as we didn't have to experience the mad rush to the Garden Cafe. It was still hectic however, as there were many Haven guests trying to get the non haven guest to eat lunch there as well. This only created confusion for everyone involved. BTW, there were over 1600 passengers under the age of 18. Our suite was ready so once we finished, we headed to our suite. Luggage was already there. We met with Lucky, the Butler along with Virginia and Alex the concierge. They seemed to be very busy as people tried to make arrangements for all the specialty restaurants. I did this beforehand as NCL was offering the UDP and UBP and restaurants filled up fast.

The ship itself is very large. Well over 4000 total people. There isn't a big thoroughfare, so at times it did seem congested. Everything was in clean condition.

Restaurants-

Cagneys-I'd compare it to a Morton's or Ruth Chris. Honestly, I am a steak connoisseur and this place didn't disappoint. We ate here 3 times. The bone-in ribeye w/ mac n cheese was delicious. My wifes 8oz filet was cooked to perfection. Service was a little slow, but we were on a cruise and were in no hurry.

French-Le Bistro- We shared the 32 oz ribeye, carved table side. A little over cooked but we had the red wine reduction that moistened it up and it was wonderful.

Teppenyaki- A neat experience that we have had stateside on many occasions. Tho food was good. The chef was entertaining but had many mistakes during his performance. Another thing that took away from the dining experience was that we heard or saw the other chefs perform prior to ours which took away the "wow" factor. Dessert consisted of green cake and green ice-cream. I took a photo of it, but it would probably be mistaken for #2 when you have an upset stomach. :rolleyes:

La Cucina- We enjoyed the ambiance of this restaurant. I think it is better than an Olive Garden, Provino's, Carabbas, etc... They give you fresh baked break with 4 sauces. This alone, could be a meal for me. I had the Chicken Parmesan. My wife enjoyed fettuccine.

The desserts at all these restaurants didn't disappoint at all. Unlike all-inclusive restaurants, the desserts had excellent taste and very creatively presented.

Garden Cafe- This is where we'd take our 6 yoa daughter for lunch and dinner. On all occasions, the food never changed. As mentioned in so many posts, their pizza is horrible. Always undercooked. There were some things that appeared to be appetizing, but thank goodness for the specialty restaurants. Our daughter was pleased as kids are somewhat easy to please. What was not so good were the enormous amount of teens throughout the week that had absolutely no manners or supervision whatsoever. This is not the fault of the cruise line.....

All week long, teens or younger would be allowed to do as they pleased. Swearing, running, yelling etc.... were just a few of what occurred. Picking up food by the hands as they still dripped pool water in the buffet line, cutting the line, eating in line.....it was hilarious but sad. Shame on those parents who let them run wild.

Entertainment-

We always found something to do. Anything from adult comedy at Headliners to Legally Blonde at the Getaway theater were very much entertaining. My wife thought Legally Blonde was one of the best "cruise" line productions. She too has been on a lot of cruises.

The casino was my favorite place during the evening. I closed it down every night into the early morning. All staff knew my name and referred to me as "birdman". It was also a pleasure doing business with them. To my benefit.$$$$ It was also a pleasure playing with some good guys from all around the world.

Glow party, fireworks, waterslides, etc are just a few of the many things we enjoyed. NCL has really done a good job at being customer oriented. They really did go out of their way to make everyone's vacation a good one. IN MY OPINION.

If I could offer some advice now.

The included UBP and UDP was great. We took every advantage of it. I don't drink at home, but I made sure I did on the boat. I must have had 40 something mohitos......in the casino alone.

If you do go with the UDP, make your reservations early. They filled up so fast and for others that didn't, it made for crazy times to eat dinner. Entertainment also fills up quickly. I know it's freestyle. Just keep in mind that with so many people, there are things that fill up quickly.

As for those who are considering to stay in the Haven. We absolutely loved it. Everything from the Butler, Concierge, reserved seating.....

to the private pool with sun loungers, day beds, clam shells, views, hot tubs, sauna, lounge, waiters/waitresses to elegant dining are some of the what we loved. Fresh fruit, cool towels to every employee genuinely making us feel welcomed.

For those who don't stay in Haven cabins.....All the cabins we saw were nicely decorated with all modern amenities. I cant comment on the things we didn't try.....seafood restaurants, Osheehans, and some entertainment.

Ports-

St. Maarten- R/T water taxi to Great Bay. Enjoyed two loungers and an umbrella. We were also served lunch on the beach. Total for 3 people =$61.00....oh yeah, I paid one of the local females to give me an aloe massage for $25. Pretty funny when the police came around, the females would run off.

St. Thomas-shopping and Morning Star beach. Watch out for the taxi drivers. They will try to pull the wool over your eyes when it comes to what they charge. $5 or $6 per person each way to the beach. Another 10 at the beach for chairs. Total = $43

Nassau- We decided to stretch our legs and walk around a little. This place is a joke. Hustlers everywhere. I don't even know why they stop here anymore. For the past 10 years, most people just stay on the boat while in this port.

Disembarking- Flawless. Very easy.

Final note- I utilized the inconsistent Iconcierge. Throughout the week, the texting/calling feature was inconsistent. Some calls/texts didn't go through. The account portfolio was also incorrect. The front desk made the adjustment. Save your money and don't bother ordering the call/text feature. We all enjoyed the good weather and just the opportunity to be able to travel. We appreciate the hard work that NCL employees put forth. I would definitely cruise again with NCL but I'd choose a different itinerary. If anyone has any questions, comments or concerns, I will attempt to address them as quickly as possible.

Safe travels to everyone.

April 4-11, my wife, 6 yoa daughter and I stayed in suite 11106 (h7). We absolutely loved our suite. This differs from others as there is the separate bedroom. We love balconies but this one is on the smaller side. Large enough to fit 2 comfortably and enjoy. No worries though. We have a huge area down the hall and up the elevator to where the "haven pool, restaurant, bar, lounge, hot tubs, day beds, clam shells, pool, sauna, views, personal waiters, snacks cool towels,.........geez shall I continue? I can't say enough about the suite, haven area, and the service that followed.

We have T-Mobile and their rates are .20 per minute for calls to the US from St. Marteen. Data and text is free from there. St. Thomas is US territory and all calls/data/text are free. Bahamas, just keep your phone off. It's too much to even consider. As for being at sea all day, look into purchasing a small internet usage and don't worry about the phone. Verizon should be the same or have similar rates as T-Mobile. Hope this helps your decision!

Sure there are. On this site, from several of these posts. Additionally, go on "youtube" and view some vacation videos. This site as well as YT, have been very helpful to me. I kind of feel like I've seen too much, that I won't be surprised this next sailing that we'll be on 04/04.

BTW, when you sign your child up in the kids club as we have in the past for our 6 yoa girl, the kids club will allow the parents to check out the facilities on the 1st day. Nothing is arranged or formal as "open house". Good Luck!

Greetings to all.....We will be traveling on the Getaway April 4th and I am just trying to get as much info as possible on this Iconcierge. Being such a large cruise ship, I believe it would be a matter of convenience to contact family, friends....or to arrange secret rendezvous. ;););)

My question; Is each person in the cabin required to pay the fee or is it per cabin? I'm assuming it is a per phone fee but I just wanted to make sure. Also, if anyone can remember, what are the rates to call home (USA) using the Iconcierge?

Thank you in advance,

Safe travels.

BOSS excursion sounds good after reading about it. Reviews said it lasts a little over 3 hours. That being said, you'd have at least 2 hours to spend at any beach. I wish I could get my wife to do a dive in the ocean. It's hard enough to get her under the shower.....:eek:

We will be on the getaway April 4th. I have done soooo much research and have decided just to do Magen's Beach on our own. Assuming your excursion leaves around 9,10 or 11am, 3 1/2 hours will take a good amount of you day, since all aboard is at 3:30pm. A very close beach to our port would be Morning Star beach. The secret is that cruise personnel go there to stay away from enormous crowds. From what I've read and seen on tripadvisor, it would be a nice stop if combining it with your excursion. Just curious, what excursion are you planning? St. Thomas isn't known for too much other than some nice beaches. Enjoy your travels.:)

I meant to tell you that there is a separate shower, tub and toilet. Again, the video will show you everything.

We are booked in 11106 on our April 4th cruise. I have spoken with my casino host and the couch pulls out to a double. The room is a queen and sleeps 2 as does the pull out couch. A total of 4 people can sleep inside this Haven room. Additionally, if you youtube "Norwegian Getaway's Forward Facing Family Balcony Penthouse Haven Suite Cabin Tour!", they show the exact cabin 11106. I hope this helps you.

Enjoyed watching the video. Good looking family!

mkclayton - We'll be in room 11106 on 5/30/15. Please let us know what you think when you get back!

 

ejkmomco-I will keep you updated. I'll place a little note "I was here" somewhere in the cabin for you. ;)

Thanks a lot.....your responsible for keeping me reading your extremely thorough review for most of tonight. We will be in cabin 11106 April 4th and looking forward to it. You did an excellent job on your review.