Review of the Getaway May 13/20

Hi All,

This is another perspective of our cruise last week. Nate Fisher has done a great job writing his as well as sharing pictures so mine will just be a bit different. Ours was also a plan B vacation. We were all set to spend 2 weeks in Ireland celebrating DH turning the double digit 5. Due to circumstances beyond our control, plan B came into play. We are die hard cruisers( RCCL,Princess,Carnival and NCL) This would be the first time in 10 years though that all 4 of us were sailing together. So a cruise was the natural alternative. I choose the Getaway after a fellow Bama mom ( who is a TA) came up with a fantastic alternative. we were able to score a Family Ocean View on deck 5. This is a little known fact that these cabins have huge bathrooms complete with double sinks and tub and shower but more on cabin later. Intro...sailed with DH, and our 23 sons, 23 and 19.Iit was a chance to reconnect as a family after the younger one had finished his 1st year at UA. Roll Tide.

Our trip started in Miami where we stayed at the Comfort Inn and Suites at the Miami airport. Not bad,I was able to park the car there for the week for 12$ a day and they had free shuttle to port. You just signed up when you check in and choose your time from slots available. We decided to Uber down to South Beach for dinner and to see the "sights". Kids loved seeing all the upscale cars and I loved the architecture. DH was just happy people watching. Found a diner that was 1 block back from the strip with outdoor seating and no wait. Food was good and atmosphere was great. The diner had been there since the '40's. Having blonde moment.Can't remember name of the place. After dinner we walked the strip again and left around 10pm before the nightlife got out of control. A word to anyone thinking about checking out South Beach. There is a heavy police presence so we did not feel the least bit concerned even with throngs of people out. Ubered back to hotel. Cost was $18 for 4 of us.

Embarkation Day dawned gloomy and rainy but I was determined to not let that get us off to bad start. Kids cooperated by getting up on time (what do you mean we have to be up and out by 9?) The front desk graciously let me borrow scissors and a stapler to attach luggage tags. Each of us checked 1 bag and carried a back pack on. In there went a bathing suit, sunblock and anything else they felt they couldn't live without for a couple of hours (read phone chargers). We opted not to take shuttle back after cruise as it was 10$ per person and DH was airport bound and we decided to Uber it. We were at the port by 9:30 am , unloaded luggage and joined the line that was waiting. We were able to secure a spot on the steps waiting to go thru security and under cover just as it started to pour. Security opened up lines at 10 and this is just like TSA except you do not have to take shoes,belts etc off. No water or liquids allowed. we brought empty water bottles just for this reason. Security was quick once we started moving and then it was on to the health form and check in. Health form just asks if you had any flu symptoms in the past week. On to Check In

Subscribing! Can't wait to hear about the family oceanview.

Check In....this was the start of an adventure that would last the week. We had told the kids that they would each be responsible for their own accounts and we would add to them. So trying to use 3 different cards to set up accounts proved to be difficult as the gentleman who checked us in had a hard time understanding what we wanted to do. I also wanted to make sure we were all set for gratuities( I had prepaid them) . Got our pictures taken and we headed upstairs where we made boarding group 3. People were still getting off the ship at this point so I pulled out the leis we had brought to wear to our facebook meet up. And, got to say hi ahead of time to a few people. Right around 11:30 the announcement was made that we could start boarding. Actually got a family photo and this is the first one of all four of us that we have had done in 10 years. Jeff (DH) and I headed to OSheehan's to see if any other lei wearers were present. Not a one to be found so off we went to Garden Cafe. Having done the same buffet on the Epic, I had a clue as to what was offered. The varieties are great. Lots of choices. I was impressed by the number of ethnic dishes, primarily Indian, that were offered. And...there is a bar in the back of the cafe.

Check In....this was the start of an adventure that would last the week. We had told the kids that they would each be responsible for their own accounts and we would add to them. So trying to use 3 different cards to set up accounts proved to be difficult as the gentleman who checked us in had a hard time understanding what we wanted to do. I also wanted to make sure we were all set for gratuities( I had prepaid them) . Got our pictures taken and we headed upstairs where we made boarding group 3. People were still getting off the ship at this point so I pulled out the leis we had brought to wear to our facebook meet up. And, got to say hi ahead of time to a few people. Right around 11:30 the announcement was made that we could start boarding. Actually got a family photo and this is the first one of all four of us that we have had done in 10 years. Jeff (DH) and I headed to OSheehan's to see if any other lei wearers were present. Not a one to be found so off we went to Garden Cafe. Having done the same buffet on the Epic, I had a clue as to what was offered. The varieties are great. Lots of choices. I was impressed by the number of ethnic dishes, primarily Indian, that were offered. And...there is a bar in the back of the cafe.

Advice: wait until you board the ship and go to Guest Services: they will take care of that for you. The check-in people aren't really NCL people. :cool:

Enjoying your review - keep it up!

Great review looking forward to reading more.

We ended up going to guest services to get it all squared away but our youngest still showed under DH's card. We also signed the waiver release that allowed him to drink beer and wine. This gave him a little freedom to enjoy an adult beverage. We had gotten the UBP for my husband and myself as part of our cabin deal so that worked great for us. Oldest had his nose out of joint over the fact that we did not spend 89$ a day for him to have unlimited drinks NO NO. So he would make puppy eyes at mom and dad to get him a drink. Later found out he had tipped one of the waiters to bring him drinks. More on that later. So when they announced the call that cabins were ready, it was like the running of the bulls. Our cabin was on deck 5. It was an ocean view as I stated before. Now, we were on the right (starboard) side which was great for all ports except in Cozumel when the MSC Armonia was next to us. We (and they) could look into each others cabins. Left note for boys to keep curtains shut if walking around in their underwear.

Our cabin was great. A few of the downfalls was that the bed is very close to the wall so that to get by you had to go sideways. My youngest is 6'2 and his feet would hang over so we had to watch out to not bump him when we walked by. Lots of closet space and under bed storage. There are 2 cabinets in the sitting area as well as the mini bar. there is a storage cube that worked well for stuff ans well as next to bed each night stand area had a small space. There is a safe and that is in one of the closets. Life jackets are under the bed. 1 recommendation is that if you have luggage that doesn't compress, that will take up a good deal of closet space. The TV is in the sitting area and it makes it hard to see from the bed unless you swivel it. Ice bucket is also there but there is space in minifridge to put bottle of wine/soda etc. We brought on powerade. (4 bottles just in case).The sitting area consists of a full size sofa bed that my husband and I used. We had to track down our cabin steward first night to get him to make it up. Hmm...no, we are not going to climb into pullman bunk. yes, these cabins are meant to sleep 5. Back to closet, there is one in sitting area also. Hangers are limited so next time would bring a couple that can be donated at end of trip. Power is controlled by putting a key card into the slot by the door. Key out..no power to room so we left key from hotel in so phones would charge.

Following Thank you

Cabin part 2...A/C was just ok. I think it is motion sensitive so that it would shut down at night. Never got really cool but that was ok. If you like a cold room, not going to happen. Some people brought small fans...note to self to include next trip. On to the bathroom. this was the stellar part of the room. after fighting with miniscule WC's. this was a very pleasant surprise. A full size tub and shower with sliding glass doors that actually stayed shut (and open) when needed. There were dual sinks that made it great for 2 people to get ready. Lots of storage space in closed cabinets underneath. Again, not out in view. There is a clothesline in the shower that made it great to hang wet suits on. Only drawback is that the shower is a handheld and a bit short. But my 6'2 child didn't complain, he just unhooked shower and held it. Lots of towels, just a little tight on hook space but there are 2 hooks right as you come in cabin that we hung snorkel gear on. All in all this has been the best cabin we have ever had. (yes, have done balcony's, back balconys, inside and ocean view on other cruise lines)

Safety Drill....this is one spot where NCL needs to up their game. On our sea pass it had a code ...C3. I figured it out that was where we needed to go for Drill. No No...Everyone who was a C went to the Atrium and then you had to find the sign with your section # on it. Once there, your card was scanned so they knew you were there. No life jackets needed. Lots of confusion and lots of individuals not knowing where to go. In short what should have been about 15 minutes too around 45. All bar service shuts down so make sure you have a drink with you if needed. No cell phone usage allowed during drill.Not alot of seating either so if you need to sit, get there early for a seat.

Need to digress back to before drill... Nate Fisher had set up a wonderful Facebook page that gave some of us a chance to chat beforehand. We all met at O'Sheehans' complete with leis. Please forgive me as I am having senior moments (and maybe because I'm on my 2nd mojito ) and cannot remember everyone's names. A big shout out to the mom from hudson who organized our get together and thank you for our coozies. It was great finally getting to actually meet in person. ATrain, you are unforgettable!!!!!! happy BDay once again. Nate, cannot thank you enough for taking the time to do all of the facebook stuff. and Connie for your countdowns. We decided to meet the next night for a pub crawl as we were all off to unpack. Then it was off to the drill.

On to the most important part...the food. This is a very subjective spot. I am not a foodie and can be quite happy with most anything. Especially if there is chocolate involved. But DH and kids are alot pickier. So first night we did Taste which was ok. Having been on the Sky in Feb., I wasn't expecting too much. The service was ok, the food was ok. Just ok. Not a big wow. Mon. night we had reservations at Moderno to celebrate BDay for DH. That was stellar. The salad bar/ appetizers were great and offered a nice selection. The main meal was the standout. The passadores would come around and offer filets wrapped in bacon, prime rib, lamb chops,leg of lamb, chicken, pork until you turned your card over and said enough. Dessert was a large slice of chocolate cake that was to die for. The next night we ate in Tropicana which became our favorite. There was a duo playing and we were seated next to the dance floor. This was where NCL shone. The service was topnotch, drinks refilled without having to pull out card, and the quality of food was definately better than in Taste or Savor. e chose Tropicana for our last night on board also and our sons joined us. they also said that it was outstanding. We also decided to try Taste for breakfast twice and it was again, good but not a wow factor.

To bring this to a finish...As Nate said in his review, getting off was tye worse part. I was up at 4 am in search of coffee. It was windy and rainy and saw our pilot board to bring us in. i could see the lights of Miami and figured we would be in port shortly. Had my coffee and went back to cabin to see that we were no longer close to coming in. Ugh No, whats up. So decided to go get another cup and saw that we were headed back out. ok, must be the weather. went back to cabin to lay down and woke up at 6:30 to see that we still hadn't docked. Not good as it was pouring and we hadn't even entered the channel for the port. Finally around 8am we were making our way in with a police escort. That's when I realized it was going to be a difficult departure. Got DH up and off we went to breakfast and then back to cabin as we had to be out by 9. This is where it gets nasty. Everyone was lining the hallways, stairwells and no staff seemed to know what was going on. we had been told walk off was starting at 7 am but ugh no, we were not even in port. So, people with flights were getting antsy, my husband was on a transfer to FLL that was supposed to leave at 9:15. Nope. The first color call started at 9:30 2 1/2 hours late. We were snaked thru deck 7 and ended up splitting up to get off. announcements were made that there was a stop to disembark due to lack of customs officials. We finally were off by 10:30. Not a good end but all in all a fun time

Love the review! My family and I are going on the Getaway in August - we're also staying in a Family Oceanview on Deck 5. What was your room number? I was so happy to hear about the double sink - we have 3 kids and two of them are girls (one is a teenager and she loves to spend time in the bathroom!) How comfortable was the sofa bed? Sounds like the room was great overall, I'm glad that we booked one too!

Thank-you for sharing gogispu - your review was very helpful! :)

To bring this to a finish...As Nate said in his review, getting off was tye worse part. I was up at 4 am in search of coffee. It was windy and rainy and saw our pilot board to bring us in. i could see the lights of Miami and figured we would be in port shortly. Had my coffee and went back to cabin to see that we were no longer close to coming in. Ugh No, whats up. So decided to go get another cup and saw that we were headed back out. ok, must be the weather. went back to cabin to lay down and woke up at 6:30 to see that we still hadn't docked. Not good as it was pouring and we hadn't even entered the channel for the port. Finally around 8am we were making our way in with a police escort. That's when I realized it was going to be a difficult departure. Got DH up and off we went to breakfast and then back to cabin as we had to be out by 9. This is where it gets nasty. Everyone was lining the hallways, stairwells and no staff seemed to know what was going on. we had been told walk off was starting at 7 am but ugh no, we were not even in port. So, people with flights were getting antsy, my husband was on a transfer to FLL that was supposed to leave at 9:15. Nope. The first color call started at 9:30 2 1/2 hours late. We were snaked thru deck 7 and ended up splitting up to get off. announcements were made that there was a stop to disembark due to lack of customs officials. We finally were off by 10:30. Not a good end but all in all a fun time

Sounds rough. If you did not have to rush off, like plane flight at 4 pm, was there a place you could wait and not stand in line-like have a sit down breakfast somewhere? BTW from my DH: Roll Tide!

Thanks for the review! I'm considering a family oceanview now (and after seeing CC photos of them on the Bliss). I'd really miss the balcony - but love the separation between the sleeping areas and the larger bathroom.