Big Al's super getaway on the Getaway 11/12-11/19..a review...

My wife & I and her sister Gladys & hubby Tito cruised the NCL Getaway to the Western Caribbean from 11/12-19..ports included Roatan, Harvest Caye in Belize, Costa Maya, and Cozumel. This cruise was our 36th overall, 6th on NCL...I am also a cruise agent, and have cruised on RCI (15x Diamond ), Carnival ( 6x ), Princess (4x), Disney ( 2x), HAL , Celebrity and the Celebration ( small line out of Fla now called Bahamas Paradise Cruises) one each. I have also done tours of another 45 ships as an agent. We are mid 60's, no kids ( got married late in life)...

First I want to say that this was a fabulous cruise- top 3 of all time, the others being the Oasis and the Disney Dream. When I told my wife & her sister & hubby that I read some negative reviews on CC, they all said, "are you kidding?"..my BIL said on the FIRST day that this was the best food he had eaten in his 6 cruises, all the others on RCI. He thought the ship was beautiful ( and it is)...

I break down cruise reviews into 7 categories: cabins, dining & food, service, entertainment, embarkation & debarkation, public rooms & areas , and overall impressions. IMPORTANT: these are MY opinions, observations & comments. In the past people here on CC have had a habit of berating those with whom they disagree with...if you were on this cruise and hated it, or were on another NCL Getaway cruise and disliked it, fine...this is my review and you are welcome to comment, ask, etc, on anything, but please be courteous and respectful when you do ..thanks !!!

Cabins - our cabin was # 10184 slightly forward on the port side, right across the elevator areas. No noise..cabin was fine size wise ( 172 SQF ) with a slightly larger balcony because I chose an angled balcony..all balconies that end in 84 on the port side have larger balconies FYI..balconies are small, at 32 SQ FT on these ships, so only 2 chairs & small coffee table out there..no way a lounger can fit. Bathroom was bigger than most, and I loved the glass enclosed shower instead of those cheap, horrible curtains some ships have. Water was hot, BUT I found the pressure very weak..plenty of space to put toiletries IMO...bathroom gets a B+, water pressure gets a D, shower itself a B+. TV was also horrible..I don't watch much, but when I go to bed I like to watch a little or when we get ready to go out. NO CNN, only CNBC, MSNBC , FOX, and BBC for news..one sports channel, one movie channel, one TV shows channel, and the rest were NCL promotion channels..TV gets a D..bed was a king & comfy...A/C worked great and not loud at all..in fact I brought a "sounds radio" because I don't like it when it's too quiet in the cabin, and you can hear every creek and beep around you. Bring an old credit card, expired card or memberships card to put in the electricity slot if you want your lights to stay on when you enter your cabin..cabin overall gets a B ( sorry- former teacher, so I tend to grade everything :D )...

Dining & Food- no doubt the most subjective area when reviewing cruises or restaurants is this area. That being said, I thought the specialty dining we did ( we took the 3 dining venues package and the ultimate beverage package as our perks) were great. We ate at Cagney's, Teppanyaki's, Ocean Blue, and also we did the Cirque Dreams dinner show, which was terrific. Also of special notice we ate OUTSIDE on the Waterfront for Ocean Blue on deck 8, and I must say, dining outside was spectacular!! Cagney's was excellant, although I thought my NY Strip was good, not great, but the other 3 members of our group thought all was wonderful, along with stellar service. We ate lobster in Ocean Blue, which sadly was the only time I saw lobster on the menus..TIP: On Monday night there was a seafood buffet dinner in the Garden Cafe on deck 15 and if you like shrimp cocktail, you will love this..we were on our way to the Tropicana restaurant, one of the 3 free dining rooms for dinner, when a crew member was touting this special...we thought it was very good..only disappointing area for me ( and my wife) were the desserts- but on the 35 previous cruises we have been on 95% of the desserts SUCKED...it's amazing that almost no one can make decent desserts. I only care about 5 desserts: Chocolate Cake, coconut Layer cake, coconut cream pie, Key Lime Pie, and banana cream pie ..THAT'S IT!! Most cruise lines have these little tarts, fruit cakes, etc., that don't interest me. There was ONE great dessert: on that seafood buffet night ( MON), there was a lemon meringue pie that was killer! Took one bite, and I was dialing the medics for help :D..lol..sadly, that was it as far as desserts go...so food & dining overall get a A-, desserts a D-..BTW food in the free MDR's were OK, not great, but OK, as most are...

Service- We thought the service was great..everyone smiled and said hello no matter where we were. Our cabin attendent was Aqualino from the Phillipines ( BTW, 60% of the crew is Phillipino) was very good..I always ask for 3 things every cruise : the dailies in Spanish for my wife & the other couple ( they are from Peru & speak very little English ), ice, and 2 extra bath towels. He brought the Spanish dailies every night and forgot the extra towels once, but no big deal. Service in all the dining venues & bars were fine. O'Sheehan's can get busy during football nights ( Sun, Mon & Thurs) , but we loved the free food and Stella, Heinekin & Newscastle on draft..great place for a late snack or during the day. Only thing I do without is the atrium shows are right downstairs from O'Sheehan's so it can be noisy...service gets an A-

Entertainment- For all of us, this was perhaps the highlight of the cruise! Burn The Floor was absolutely THEE best dancing show I've ever seen. The speed, power & agility of these young dancers was awesome! You can see them several times on board. First in the "Welcome Aboard" show, where they blew us away with their dancing. Second in the main theater on decks 6 & 7. Third, in the Tropicana dining room on deck 7 Friday night..don't miss them..my parents taught ballroom dancing so I know something about this, and only an idiot would not appreciate this brilliant performance..Second was The Million Dollar Quartet, also fantastic IMO..this is the true story of the only time that 4 musical legends- Elvis Presley, Carl Perkins, Johnny Cash, and Jerry Lee Lewis met in Sunn Studios one night in Dec. 1956 were together for a few hours. There are no recordings of this get together, only ONE photo of the 4 of them, with Elvis at the piano, and the other 3 standing behind singing ( they show the photo towards the end of the show- fantastic!) ..all the music is live & played by all the artists there. IMO, Jerry Lee Lewis stole the show..the kid who played him was amazing..they were all great..don't miss..this is a no brainer IMO..even if you are young or don't like this music, it's just a great show..and don't leave at the end, because they all come and rock a few songs with everybody standing & boogieing :cool::cool: a great time!!

Also the Cirque Dreams show was lots of fun- very impressive feats, and the dinner was surf & shrimp, not bad at all...go EARLY for the best seats ( show dinner starts 8:30, go at 7:45 or 8 the latest)..you must make a reservation for this and the musical shows for best seating. CD was great, from England and was very friendly and visible all over the ship..he gets an A ..Entertainment gets a A

Embarkation & Debarkation- Both went smoothly, although my SIL & hubby being from Peru took a bit longer than I wanted because they have go thru their Visas :( , but we were on by 11:30 am...we chose to deboard ourselves, so that line starts at 7:45 am FYI.

Public rooms & areas- I thought the ship looked great..there is some smoke you can smell in the casino area, and be warned, the Sunset Bar on deck 8 allows smoking inside and outside in the Waterfront area. Speaking of the Waterfront, this is probably the most awesome area on the 7 seas IMO..how nice to stroll, drink, dine or just relax OUTSIDE over looking the sea..great for night strolls or a drink, or dinner, like we did ..The main theater is a tad small for 4,000 people, and I found seats very uncomfortable after 30 minutes ( my bum was killing me :D ) , but service was good, and I LOVED that they had cup holders, unlike other ships that don 't have this ( like the Regal Princess- where are you suppose to put your drink??). The pool deck is small & crowded on sea days ( like most ships) and Spice H2O ( for adults only) needs at least one more hot tub and they should be warmer, too. Stores were nice but photos, like all cruise lines now, were WAAAYYY too $$..$20 for ONE 8 x 10? BTW, as an agent , this is one of the 3 biggest complaints I hear from customers about current day cruising ..the other 2 being small pools areas & ships going to the same ports of call every week, month & year. BTW, I will not go into what we did in each port here, but if you want to know, just post & I will discuss. Public rooms & areas get a B+

Overall I give this cruise an "A"..I know I have read some negative reviews on the Getaway, but FYI in the last 18 months I have sent over 30 people on her and 28 loved her, the other 2 said it was good, not great, and 12 said it was the best cruise they ever took...Any comments, questions, please ask and thanks for reading this somewhat lengthy review!!

Big Al

Did you find the ship to be too big? We were on the Peal when it tendered when you were at the dock space in Roatan (pretty sure it was the cruise dates you mentioned). As we pulled up to Roatan your ship completely blocked the downtown area LOL. We couldn't even figure out until we asked a crew member if we were actually at the intended port or not. I hear so many good things about the ship but after seeing how big it is I am rethinking booking it because of mobility issues. Thanks for any input.

Did you find the ship to be too big? We were on the Peal when it tendered when you were at the dock space in Roatan (pretty sure it was the cruise dates you mentioned). As we pulled up to Roatan your ship completely blocked the downtown area LOL. We couldn't even figure out until we asked a crew member if we were actually at the intended port or not. I hear so many good things about the ship but after seeing how big it is I am rethinking booking it because of mobility issues. Thanks for any input.

I do not think the ship is too big..I have been on the Oasis class 3 times and they are 225,000 tons vs. 144,000 tons on the Getaway class and 6400 passengers vs. 4000...the Pearl is 93,000 tons, so she is very small compared to today's mega ships..remember, the bigger ships also have more space..are you disabled or just worried about walking around the ship?..I like lots of options, which are found on bigger ships, so I like big, while others prefer smaller & intimate..

I also forgot to mention that we had a very good Meet & Mingle in Cagney's at 11 am on our first sea day..Cin took the lead on this and did a great job..even the CAPTAIN showed up :D!!! Very impressive crew as many showed to say hello..they passed out appetizers and drinks and we it was great meeting Cin & hubby, Seatak, Sylvia & Andrea from Peru, and others were there and we met so many all over the ship and even off the ship! We also had a sailaway party in Spice H20 deck 16 aft and met up with some people there... a great time was had by all!!! :cool:

I do not think the ship is too big..I have been on the Oasis class 3 times and they are 225,000 tons vs. 144,000 tons on the Getaway class and 6400 passengers vs. 4000...the Pearl is 93,000 tons, so she is very small compared to today's mega ships..remember, the bigger ships also have more space..are you disabled or just worried about walking around the ship?..I like lots of options, which are found on bigger ships, so I like big, while others prefer smaller & intimate..

Thank you for your answer. I am not disabled but worried about too much walking. I guess if I booked a mid-ship cabin that would help. Thanks for your review and taking the time to answer me.

Very informative review. You really know your trade!

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Great review!! We sailed the Getaway in March (first NCL cruise) and loved it, so interesting to hear an experienced cruiser feel the same way. Went on the Disney Dream after and was somewhat let down given DCLs reputation as a standard bearer. The quality of the food and cleanliness of the Getaway were higher IMHO.

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Great Review! We sail on her next Week!

Thank you for your answer. I am not disabled but worried about too much walking. I guess if I booked a mid-ship cabin that would help. Thanks for your review and taking the time to answer me.

You are welcome..our cabin was right next to the elevators..always nice!

Very informative review. You really know your trade!

 

 

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Thank you kindly..after 36 cruises & 20 yrs an agent, I guess I should know a good amount!! :D

Great review!! We sailed the Getaway in March (first NCL cruise) and loved it, so interesting to hear an experienced cruiser feel the same way. Went on the Disney Dream after and was somewhat let down given DCLs reputation as a standard bearer. The quality of the food and cleanliness of the Getaway were higher IMHO.

 

 

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Thanks..although I thought the cabins on the Dream were much nicer & the 2 bathrooms were killer..shows were amazing on DCL, as well as the private island, which, IMO, is by far the best in the industry..I also thought they had the best buffet and LOVED the rotation dining and Palo was fabulous...we went in 2013 and she was very clean still..BTW, the Dream is ranked # 1 here on CC and the Fantasy is # 2 of all cruise ships...but the Getaway was a blast..thanks for your post!

Great Review! We sail on her next Week!

Have a great time!!!!

Thank you for the review.

Keith

Thank you for your answer. I am not disabled but worried about too much walking. I guess if I booked a mid-ship cabin that would help. Thanks for your review and taking the time to answer me.

Do NOT book a mid-ship cabin. There are no mid-ship elevators on NCL's mega ships. Booking mid-ship will mean long walks to any elevator. Take a look at the deck plans and then decide whether forward or aft appeals to you more and then book near one of those elevators.

Great review - love the grading system it’s very helpful!

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Great review - love the grading system it’s very helpful!

 

 

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Thanks..:)

Do NOT book a mid-ship cabin. There are no mid-ship elevators on NCL's mega ships. Booking mid-ship will mean long walks to any elevator. Take a look at the deck plans and then decide whether forward or aft appeals to you more and then book near one of those elevators.

Thank you! I did not realize that. Very helpful.

Thank you for your answer. I am not disabled but worried about too much walking. I guess if I booked a mid-ship cabin that would help. Thanks for your review and taking the time to answer me.

When we were on the Breakaway for the first time we booked 8130, mini suite with a large balcony. Being on deck 8 kept us right near all the action that takes place on decks 6, 7, and 8. And just a quick elevator ride to the pool deck/buffet on deck 15. It was a really great location.

It was a great review!!!

Great Review! We sail on her next Week!

Very good and helpfull review.

Thank you.

It was a great review!!!

we are sailing next week too! December 3rd.

Very good and helpfull review.

Thank you.

Thanks to both...I hope you have a great time..one point & TIP: Harvest Caye is not a private island, and some passengers were upset because they thought they could snorkel or dive there, and some thought they could tour Belize ( outside HC )..not so- HC is a PRIVATE port built by NCL & Belizian gov't, so you must pay $$ for all..no free food, or beverages... it is really a pool & beach day..GET THERE EARLY..past 10 am and you will find NO lounge chairs at the pool, but some on the beach...we found the some areas on the beach had a bad smell..go towards the lighthouse to escape it..any questions, please ask...:cool:

Big Al

Awesome review! Do you remember what floor you entered on when you arrived on the ship? We want to try and get Vibe passes which we need to purchase at Guest Services. Also I would love to hear what you did in the different ports. Doing this same cruise in February.

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Excellent Review. Thank you. We got off of the Getaway the day you boarded, same itinerary. Our feelings are mutual, spot on. [emoji122][emoji122]

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I really liked Burn The Floor too, it was excellent dancing. And the buffet was great as well.

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Thank you! I did not realize that. Very helpful.

I agree with Brookie. I LOVE to walk. In fact, it is my criteria while cruising along with taking the stairs. BUT my mother sometimes joins us, and is able to walk around fine. However, these ships are very big! My husband & I make sure we choose a location near the elevator banks, as the hallways are also quite narrow, and it just helps to properly utilize our timeline if our door is easily accessible. I think I prefer the aft better as it is near most dining options. We've been in the front too, and it's ok too. ront places you a little closer to entertainment.