Getaway Haven Western Caribbean Ship and Port Reviews and Tips

Getaway- 2 bedroom Haven Suite (3 people in cabin) traveling with 3 other family members also staying in Haven

Prior to Cruise

Stayed in Lauderdale by the Sea for a few days prior to the Cruise to kickstart the vacation. The International Boat Show was going on in Fort Lauderdale that weekend and we wanted to avoid the central beach area. I have stayed in LBTS many times before and love it as there is so much to do within walking distance or a quick uber ride.

Stayed at Beachside Village Resort and it was excellent as always. I highly recommend this hotel; it is family run; spotless and the customer service is stellar.

Dinners: Kaluz and Tropical Krave (Caribbean food) both extraordinary choices

Breakfast: Mulligans and Village Grill – both solid choices and offer outdoor seating

Lunch: Keese’s – food is very good, service hit or miss and can be very slow even for takeout orders

We used Larry’s Limo/Car service for 3 segments: From FLL to the hotel, hotel to Port of Miami and then Port of Miami back to FLL. Our driver was Oscar for each portion and he gets my vote for employee of the year! He is a very safe driver, pleasant to chat with, superb at keeping in touch of where he is and makes finding him in busy locations very easy and stress free. I found the prices to be extremely reasonable for our family group of 6. If we had used Uber we would have needed 2 vehicles and Larry’s worked out costing less overall and the service couldn’t be beat.

Cruise check in

This is one of the first areas being a guest of the Haven is extremely appreciable and noticeable. The entire check-in process is really streamlined and expedited. There is a dedicated check in line and waiting room with refreshments. We were then escorted past swarms of passengers waiting and we were on the ship quite quickly.

Once in the Haven the concierge (Hanno Meyer) explained the amenities of the Haven and indicated the Haven restaurant was open for lunch and for the first day only we also could eat lunch for no additional charge in Margaritaville which is what we chose. We all enjoyed it, I had the fish tacos and they tasted great. Just an FYI when you check your NCL account on the room TV you will see small amounts of money billed which are taxes on drinks ordered while still in Port of Miami.

Haven

The courtyard and upstairs deck provides plenty of lounge chairs in sun or shade and one can always find a quiet spot to read or take a nap. One day in the Haven courtyard a server offered whole fresh cut coconuts with a straw to have coconut water. In previous cruises the servers frequently would be walking around offering items such as fruit kebabs, cold washcloths, and other small snacks several times during the day around the pool and I did not see that at all this cruise.

In the morning there used to be a large assortment of fresh pastry next to the coffee in the courtyard and that was missing this trip as well. Any of the pastries can be ordered to be delivered to the room by the butler so it’s really not a big deal but just something I observed and thought I would mention. In addition, in the past they had a few exotic fruit demonstrations and sampling in the courtyard and that wasn’t seen this time. It appears they perhaps are cutting back on some of the complimentary fun extras they used to offer?

I had made all our reservations for dining and shows ahead of time so the concierge wasn’t needed to handle any reservations for us. Hanno is the current concierge and is pleasant but didn’t seem to know or remember any of the passenger’s names like previous concierges have always done which is a nice personal touch. I overhead many remarks from other travelers saying they noticed this and felt a bit put out.

While chatting with many other passengers by the Haven pool or bar many noted they felt the service in the Haven restaurant was not up to par on this sailing. Most of these passengers have sailed in the Haven numerous times and had plenty of cruises to compare service with. Most people I chatted with were disappointed in the lack the Haven restaurant servers training or experience. The common dissatisfaction/complaint I heard was that the servers never seemed to know or remember who ordered what and would hold up the plate and shout out ” who had the shrimp?” or “Who had the steak?”. In an upscale restaurant like the Haven that really shouldn’t be happening.

The Haven restaurant menu remains the same each day and we had dinner here a few times and the food was always delicious. There is a different soup each day and the chilled fruit soups are nice to have at lunch with a salad. One day there was a banana soup and another day I tried the strawberry; both were very good. The service can be slow even when the restaurant is not full. One night we had a show we had reservations for and didn’t want to miss and we informed the server when we arrived that we were on a time constraint and they were very accommodating and ensured we finished in time to get to the theater.

For breakfast there is a huge buffet with fresh fruit, muesli, smoked salmon, pastry and more in addition to a full breakfast menu. The French press coffee is excellent.

Room- 2 bedroom

Tons of storage and suitcases can easily fit under the bed. The bed is luxurious and the shower is amazing with a huge glass window. The second bedroom has a small bathroom. Our balcony had room for a table and 2 chairs.

TV in each bedroom and in the living area, beautiful fresh floral arrangement in purple shades was on the table and it stayed fresh all week.

The bathroom comes with Bulgari toiletries, a bath puff, cotton balls, magnifying mirror, hair dryer and shower cap.

Room attendant was Koman and he did a fantastic job and made lovely towel animals every night for us.

Butler was Charlie- he was extremely quiet and didn’t make any attempt to get to know us, ask us about any personal preferences or make friendly conversation like previous Butlers we have had on NCL. He brought snacks in the afternoon, the time varied every day (1pm-4pm) however and one day he didn’t bring anything. He was adequate , but didn’t seem to be inclined to do anything above and beyond the bare basics and so for this reason he didn’t really stand out to me.

Dining

Tropicana- 5 stars for food and service- The atmosphere is lovely and the live music the night we were there was relaxing and at a perfect volume. We were all able to talk but could still hear the music in the background. The dining room Manager was visiting at tables to chat a bit and ensure everyone was enjoying their meal.

Cagneys -Steaks cooked perfectly, Sea Bass was so good, don’t miss the crab salad as an appetizer if you are a seafood fan- service excellent

La Cucina - Be sure to try the Ricotta lemon cheesecake, its amazing, service excellent

Le Bistro - Mussels appetizer is wonderful, cream brulee was superbly prepared- service excellent

Moderno- open for Lunch and this seems to be a hidden gem. For any vegetarians or Indian food fans out there this is where you want to go 12pm- 2pm. They offer a huge Indian food lunch buffet complete with soup and dessert. The day we visited there was Mulligatawny soup as one of the two soups offered and Rice Pudding as one of three selections for dessert. It seemed hardly anyone knew about this secret spot for lunch and it was never busy at all. The buffet is very well maintained and continually refilled, restocked and kept clean. Almost every dish was vegetarian and all tasted delicious.

Ship

Best tip for Getaway:

Do not miss Million Dollar Quartet! The entire show was spectacular but the last 30 minutes truly knocked it out of the ballpark. Best show I have seen on any cruise ship.

We watched the perfect couple show at the atrium which was hosted by Andre the Cruise Director. It was super funny but we could only see bits and pieces of it that were shown on the projector on the wall as the area seems much too small for the audience it attracts. We couldn’t see through the crowds to the actual stage and kept peering through to get glimpses of the larger screen.

Comedy show was hilarious, not to be missed

Burn the Floor was very high energ, enjoyable and entertaining

While walking around the ship other than the atrium gridlock described above the rest of the ship doesn’t seem to have that packed crowded feel. It’s easy to locate restaurants and shops as most things are on floors 6, 7 and 8. If you have been on Escape or Breakaway you will easily be able to find your way around.

Cruise Director: Andre was engaging and very funny.

Overall Cruise Staff: Any staff we encountered around the ship (Haven and non-Haven) were friendly, helpful and responsive, always saying hello and asking how the cruise was going.

Ports we visited and excursions we did:

Roatan Honduras- Maya Key Excursion- a quick 3-5 minute boat ride to a lovely beach. The water was very clean and inviting. There is a buffet lunch of fried fish, chicken, banana chips, rice and beans and salad; I would say the food was just so so, nothing spectacular or very memorable. Parrots in cages seem a bit distressed and squawk a lot as the birds here have been rescued from various situations. I would be interested to see some information posted about how long each bird has been there or a report of how they are progressing in the rehabilitation process to give some reassurance they are healthy and being well taken care of. I wondered if a portion of the excursion fee goes toward the animals’ care but forgot to ask while I was there. There is a nature tour that is about 30 minutes and is very informative. It brings you through a small museum/information center and you can see a large replica of Myan ruins as well. I highly recommend this excursion and would definitely go again. The island had plenty of space for the amount of people visiting and did not feel overly crowded; plenty of lounge chairs for everyone. No lines for bathrooms and they were well maintained, stocked with ample supplies and clean.

Harvest Caye- It’s a nice new Pier but somewhat long so be prepared for a bit of a walk if it’s extremely hot out or if you have any physical limitations. It is covered however. There are many workers on carts if you need assistance on the Pier.

We had 6 of us all sharing one beach villa as a cruise splurge. It was sensational from the minute we arrived on the grounds till the minute we got back on the Pier We were in # 11 which is the one furthest from the pool and super private. The Villa comes with a complimentary fruit platter, towels, many bottles of water, a safe, LIGHTENING FAST UNLIMITED INTERNET and you are treated like royalty. Every staff member is so friendly, helpful and nice. They were all interested in sharing information and educating us about Belize, the history, the people, the culture, the weather and more. Nobody ever mentioned a word about tipping as I had seen in previous reviews, nor was there any ants or bugs as someone else had mentioned in another review. The employees were genuinely welcoming and gracious. The villa has a ceiling fan, AC and a private bathroom and shower as well as a hammock, and many lounge chairs in shade or sun. This was a totally 100% relaxing luxurious day and I would definitely want to return to Harvest Caye again.

You can walk around the grounds (about 5-10 minutes to walk to the pool) or they are happy to give you a lift on a golf cart. The pool is magnificent and so fun. There is a swim up bar and plenty of room for everyone to move around in the pool without feeling crowded. The shops are very nice and I picked up a few souvenirs.

There is also a butler who will take your order and bring drinks, snacks or lunch (additional fee and unlimited beverage plan is not applicable on HC). We ordered nachos and 2 people got burgers. We were told the restaurant is completely redoing the menu this week and will now be offering local Belizian food which sounded fantastic.

If you have ever been to St Thomas and visited Megan’s Bay then please be aware Harvest Caye water will not look like that crystal clear turquoise color. The day we were there it was clean and fairly clear and the bottom felt a tad like a lake as this area has been dredged to build Harvest Caye. I had brought water shoes along and just wore those into the water so it was really a non-issue for me or anyone else in my group. There was not any seaweed the day we visited.

Costa Maya- We took the Chaccoben Ruins Deluxe tour. It was on a small very comfortable van (as opposed to a huge bus tour) and our guide was Aldo who was phenomenal. I highly recommend this excursion due to the small size of the group. Our driver was passionate about the Mayan history and super knowledgeable and shared so much interesting information with us. If you haven’t decided what to do at this Port you can’t go wrong selecting this excursion.

Cozumel- We took the Island Discovery and Chocolate Experience. It tours around the Island in a comfortable van and visits the Mayan Cacao Company for a demonstration and history about the chocolate. Our guide was Renata and we were so lucky to have such an outstanding guide. She really made the excursion into a magnificent experience for everyone. This was one of the best tours I have ever been on thanks to Renata. It is only a few hours so once we got back to the Port we had plenty of time to walk around and do some shopping as well.

Hope this is beneficial to anyone else planning to go on Getaway or do this Western Caribbean itinerary. If you have questions on anything above or on something I didn’t cover feel free to ask and if I know the answer I am happy to help

Great Review! Thanks for sharing!

Excellent review.

Thank you for taking the time to write this and to share it.

Keith

Thank you very much for taking the time to share your thoughts and this excellently written review!

How was the cleanliness & ship condition overall (and Haven)? Also, what did you think of the Courtyard area in the Haven? What exactly is in that area? Thanks again!

Excellent review.

 

Thank you for taking the time to write this and to share it.

 

Keith

Thanks Keith !

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Thank you very much for taking the time to share your thoughts and this excellently written review!

 

 

 

How was the cleanliness & ship condition overall (and Haven)? Also, what did you think of the Courtyard area in the Haven? What exactly is in that area? Thanks again!

The Ship is well maintained and in great condition. The Haven and any public areas we visited were all extremely clean, lots of staff always tidying up

You probably would get the best idea of the Haven courtyard by searching YouTube..many short videos have been posted that will be helpful to view both levels and get a real feel..it’s a lovely tranquil area..any kids around were all well behaved and respectful..shout out to the great parents!

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Thank you for your review! Was the Costa Maya ruins tour the beach and lunch tour through NCL?

Thank you for your review! Was the Costa Maya ruins tour the beach and lunch tour through NCL?

it’s called Chaccoben Ruins Deluxe ..no beach no lunch included on this one

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it’s called Chaccoben Ruins Deluxe ..no beach no lunch included on this one

 

 

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It’s through NCL

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Thanks so much for your detailed review and info! It helped answer so many of my questions.

I thought of a couple more if you don't mind-

Were there any first night (or other night) specials for Cirque Dreams?

At Harvest Caye, was NCL offering water taxi service to mainland Belize?

Thanks again for all this great info!

What a fantastic review; thank you! We will be on the Getaway for this same itinerary in about a month and a half; can't wait!

Thanks so much for your detailed review and info! It helped answer so many of my questions.

 

I thought of a couple more if you don't mind-

Were there any first night (or other night) specials for Cirque Dreams?

At Harvest Caye, was NCL offering water taxi service to mainland Belize?

 

Thanks again for all this great info!

Your very welcome

I remember when I was booking the specialty dinners online prior to the cruise seeing something about a special for the first night for Cirque but didn't pay too much attention to it as we weren't going to be doing it this year. I would suggest checking in your NCL account where you sign up for the dinners and shows and details should be in there.

As far as Harvest Caye I didn't see anything mentioned about the water taxi to the mainland; I knew we were staying on Harvest Caye all day so I wasn't really looking for that info so its possible I just missed it. Perhaps post on the Belize thread? As I mentioned I thought Harvest Caye was awesome and would highly recommend visiting, there is tons to do and the pool alone is fabulous

Enjoy your cruise!

What a fantastic review; thank you! We will be on the Getaway for this same itinerary in about a month and a half; can't wait!

Enjoy your cruise! Its a wonderful ship and I really liked the itinerary and excursions we selected; you will have a great time I am sure

Did you have a drink package and still get charged for taxes while at the port of Miami?

Did you have a drink package and still get charged for taxes while at the port of Miami?

Yes had unlimited beverage package..charged for taxes on drinks consumed prior to ship departure

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Thanks for your response and thanks again for all the helpful tips!

Yes had unlimited beverage package..charged for taxes on drinks consumed prior to ship departure

 

 

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Thanks for the information.

Thanks for the info, especially about the Indian buffet in Moderno. Wife is a vegetarian and I love Indian food so we'll be in a hurry to get that curry.

Thanks for the review.

Thanks for the info, especially about the Indian buffet in Moderno. Wife is a vegetarian and I love Indian food so we'll be in a hurry to get that curry.

Do you know if this is open on embarkation?

Don’t think it was open the first day

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Thanks for your review! I've talked my friends that I'm traveling with into booking a Cabana at Harvest Caye. I'm so glad we did it, specially now that I've read your review! Thanks!!

Thanks for your review! I've talked my friends that I'm traveling with into booking a Cabana at Harvest Caye. I'm so glad we did it, specially now that I've read your review! Thanks!!

Your welcome- Enjoy your cruise!

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Did you do the ropes course? If so, were they weighing folks? I have someone in my party who is on the line, and I don't want them to be embarrassed.

At Harvest Caye, was NCL offering water taxi service to mainland Belize?

Short answer: The water taxi is only for those people on shore excursions to the mainland.

Longer answer: Earlier this year, I was on the NCL Dawn, and took the Mayan Ruins & Spice Farm tour. It was one of the best tours I have taken, and my complete review is listed under NCL Dawn, March 2017. My tour ticket had us meet at the ferry terminal in the back left corner of Harvest Cay. There is a small shaded waiting area there where folks are grouped together and wait for their excursion. At the proper time, each group boards a ferry boat, and in half an hour goes to another small ferry terminal near Independence, Belize. At that terminal we were loaded onto buses for each of our tours. Within half an hour bus ride we were at the Mayan Ruins of Nim Li Punit, which I enjoyed very much, and describe as a part of my review. At the ferry port town of Independence, there is not much at all, just a bunch of poverty stricken shacks, and no options presented of where you can go. There's no taxis, no independent tour operators offering things, no souvenir sellers, no handicrafts, nothing. So there's really no reason to go to the mainland from Harvest Cay, if it's not part of an excursion.