NCL Getaway Review June 17-24

Oh, my, what a week! My husband and I sailed the NCL Getaway with three other neighborhood couples from south Florida (in our 50's and 60's). We are all experienced cruisers and agree hat we could not have had a better time. The ship was beautiful, the crew members were very pleasant, the food was wonderful, and we absolutely loved the variety of bars, entertainment, and activities.

Day One: We arrived at the port in a limo van from Larry's Limos out of Ft. Lauderdale about 11:30 and we were on the ship by 12:15. After a crowded but manageable buffet lunch and a pool bar mojito, we got to our aft balcony rooms on deck 9 about 1:15. The rooms were very clean and comfortable. My husband is tall, so his feet did hang off the bed a bit though. Bathrooms never seem to be big enough on cruise ships, but the Getaway's bathroom has a smart design and we did not feel too cramped. We were thrilled with the size of our aft balconies. There were two chairs, a table, and two lounge chairs, and the balcony still had room to spare. I spent quite a bit of time on the balcony during the week. We enjoyed that evening at the hilarious Howl at the Moon piano bar show and then popped into the dance club Spice H2O on the aft of deck 16, but didn't stay long, as we discovered that we were about 30 years older than most of the others at that venue.

Day Two: (Sea Day) We were impressed by the variety at the Garden buffet breakfast. We went early, so we didn't have to navigate lines and found a table easily. We ate breakfast and lunch there several times during the week. The rest of the day was spent exploring the decks, watching a fruit carving demonstration in the Atrium, and having lunch at O'Sheehan's pub. There weren't authentic Irish beers on tap or many traditionally Irish food selections, but the fish & chips, burgers,and wings were very good. (You can get Guinness in a bottle). We discovered that during the day, the Spice H2O area is a perfect place for adult-only sunbathing, relaxing in the jacuzzi, and cooling off in the waterfall area. Our group had dinner that night at Le Bistro. That evening was the only night that I felt dinner took too long, but it was lovely. I tried escargot for the first time and enjoyed it. I had a salad with warm goat cheese that was to die for, perfectly cooked Dover sole, and great coffee from a French press. The night ended (as many did) at the Sugarcane Mojito Bar.

Day Three: (Roatan) We had booked an Eco Walk and Suspension Bridge jungle tour with South Shore Zipline company. The driver and the nature guide were marvelous. We saw giant iguanas, fruit bats, and butterflies, and fortunately no snakes. Walking across the long suspension bridges was a bit scary at first, but when we heard the zip liners soaring over our heads through the trees, that put things in perspective and we braved on.That evening we saw the excellent Burn the Floor show in the theater. We had not made dinner plans, but we lucked into a table for 8 in the Tropicana room with no wait.

Day Four: (Harvest Caye) What a beautiful place! We walked straight to the beach about an hour after docking and were pleasantly surprised to find many available loungers with umbrellas. I swam for about a half-hour while my husband read his book. We moved over to the pool area and had a bit more trouble finding chairs. The pool water was so refreshing and clean. Afterwards, we explored the butterfly area and did a little browsing at the shops. Back on the ship, I took advantage of an origami class and the 3D Wonder Woman movie in the theater as well. For dinner our group had perfectly presented steaks and drank wine in enormous glasses at Cagney's Steakhouse and then caught the late comedy show in the theater.

Day Five: (Costa Maya) This was an early-rise day, as we had booked the Chacchoben Mayan Ruins excursion through NCL. We have seen Tulum and San Gervasio before, and we weren't sure how Chacchoben would compare, but we were quite impressed at the size and scope of the excavations. Don't forget your bug spray, as you'll need it. There are several very large structures to explore, as well as a wooded area with foundations of homes and a grassy plaza. The stairs leading up to the temples at the last stop look intimidating,but are well worth the view when you get there. Our guide did an excellent job of explaining the jungle and the religious significance of the temples, as well as pointing out small hills in the area that almost certainly contain more sites that have yet to be excavated. We saw about five spider monkeys swinging in the trees too. That evening was a simple snack and drinks at the Sunset Bar for us, but two couples in our group attended the Cirque Dreams dinner show and said it was marvelous.

Day Six: (Cozumel) This was our only morning that we had breakfast in the main dining room Savor. My omelet was just as I like it and the service was very attentive. We had no plans for this port, as we have been there several times, so it was nice to take our time and just wander. We did a little shopping at the old square by the ferry port, and we even watched a wedding party taking pictures inside a historic Catholic church. After shopping, we were trying to find a non-touristy place for a drink and discovered a delightful cafe called Colores Y Sabores where we had margaritas and homemade chips & salsa. The owner Regina was so accommodating of our group of eight, and even helped us log into her wifi. She was a great hostess and took our picture for her cafe's Facebook page. Back on the ship, four of us decided to try the Ice Bar. We only stayed inside for about 15 minutes,as it is really cold, but the experience was worth the $20 entrance fee. Then came my favorite thing on the entire ship. This is really important: DO NOT MISS The Million Dollar Quartet show! It was Broadway quality. The talent was simply astounding. Dinner that night was at the Shanghai Noodle Bar. It was good but not the best place we ate. Each table gets one pencil and one checklist of menu items, and each guest just makes a tally mark next to what he or she wants in each of the categories. With eight of us, we had some confusion about who had ordered what when the food came, so we had many laughs as we passed our dishes around.

Day Seven: (Sea Day) We had breakfast in O'Sheehan's as I wanted to be able to watch the towel folding demonstration on the big screen in the atrium right afterwards. We enjoyed some relaxing time in Spice H20 again and then stopped into Margaritaville right next door. It's agood thing we didn't eat there earlier in the week because I may have gone there every day for lunch. With the $15 surcharge per person, that would have added up quickly. The food was really fabulous, as were the margaritas. (If you have the drink package, the margaritas and other drinks are included in the cost). There were six of us and we shared conch fritters, nachos, and pretzel bites. The conch fritters were some of the best I've ever had, and I live in south Florida! My fish tacos were delicious and perfectly battered, and the men loved their Cheeseburger in Paradise burgers. We went back to our cabin to pack and nap, as we still had a full night ahead of us. The eight of us met at the early comedy show in Headliners and then had a spirited dinner at the Japanese restaurant Teppanyaki's to conclude our trip. Our chef put on quite a show!

Day Eight: I have never had such an easy time getting off a cruise ship. NCL lets their guests choose their departure time, and we chose 8:45 a.m. We heard the announcement for our group about 8:40 and I called our driver from Larry's Limos to tell him we would be outside soon. We walked straight off the ship, found our luggage, walked through customs, and were in our van by 9:07. Seriously amazing.

Some final advice: If you can book with the dinner package and drink package perks, do it! Book your specialty dinners and theater shows online before you go. You can always make changes on board if something comes up, but it's nice to have your spot reserved. Lastly, smile at the crew and thank them for what they do. They endure rude treatment from so many passengers that when they see a friendly face and feel some appreciation, they will always go the extra mile for you. What goes around, comes around!

Great review! Thanks!

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Great review! Thanks!

 

 

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Thank you for a very good review!

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Thanks for your review!

We have been on that itinerary twice on the Getaway. I have to agree that Million Dollar Quartet is just wonderful--I have now seen it three times and would go again. The guy who plays Jerry Lee Lewis is sensational, also the actor who plays Carl Perkins. Get close to the stage as it makes a lot of difference for this show.

We didn't book anything ahead and had good luck either making reservations the day of or even just walking in, but we are very flexible and prefer to eat late. We also didn't book the shows until the day of. We did make sure to be one of the first in line for Million Dollar Quartet for good seats.

Thanks for your well-written, informative review. We will be on the Getaway in September. It will be our second time on the ship. I have a question regarding your husband's height: was he able to stand straight in the cabin bathroom? My friend who is 5 ft. 11 in. tall, well her head was only a couple inches from the bathroom ceiling.

Great review!

We sailed on the Getaway the end of April, and just fell in love with this ship and the crew! We are sailing her again in September and are even more excited now that we are a bit familiar with the ship. There were things we missed before that I know we will enjoy this time.

One thing I am looking forward to enjoying again is The Waterfront!

I enjoyed your review. Thank you. It is great to hear that you and your friends had fun times!

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Great review....im on the same trip in 4 days! Looking forward to it!

Thank you for such a positive review. I want to cruise with your group they all sound like fun. Booked for next Feb. and can’t wait. I have seen Million Dollar Quartet at a local theater and was amazed so can’t wait for my friend to see it. Thanks again. :D

Thanks for posting! So good to hear so many positive things from the perspective of folks around my DW and my ages!!

good to hear. Getaway is our least fave ship in the fleet, but we are trying her again in September with the Haven experience. looking forward to million dollar quartet as we havent seen that one before.

What a great review, thanks for posting. We are on her this Sunday!

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Thanks for your well-written, informative review. We will be on the Getaway in September. It will be our second time on the ship. I have a question regarding your husband's height: was he able to stand straight in the cabin bathroom? My friend who is 5 ft. 11 in. tall, well her head was only a couple inches from the bathroom ceiling.

Yes, he had no trouble standing up straight in the bathroom, and he is 6'4". His feet hang off of most beds!

Great review!

 

We sailed on the Getaway the end of April, and just fell in love with this ship and the crew! We are sailing her again in September and are even more excited now that we are a bit familiar with the ship. There were things we missed before that I know we will enjoy this time.

 

One thing I am looking forward to enjoying again is The Waterfront!

The Waterfront seems to be a "best-kept secret" as it was never crowded. We alternated between the outside areas of the Sunset Bar and Sugarcane Mojito bar every evening, depending on which side the sun was setting. We never waited more than a couple of minutes for a drink from a waiter or from the bar. The Waterfront was a nice, quiet spot in the mornings to enjoy our coffee as well. I hope you have a marvelous time!

We'll be on the Getaway in October and I think I may just book that excursion! I'm not too into zip lining, but I love nature and the Eco Tour seems really fun!

The Waterfront seems to be a "best-kept secret" as it was never crowded. We alternated between the outside areas of the Sunset Bar and Sugarcane Mojito bar every evening, depending on which side the sun was setting. We never waited more than a couple of minutes for a drink from a waiter or from the bar. The Waterfront was a nice, quiet spot in the mornings to enjoy our coffee as well. I hope you have a marvelous time!

SSSSShhhhhhhh, don't give away the secret. :')

Seriously, my wife and I are so looking forward to The Waterfront. This was the one feature that really made up our minds to take a deck 8 mini-suite with large balcony. The whole area just looks so relaxing and classy.

Thanks for the review. Can't wait for my January trip on the Getaway

Great review, thank you

Thanks for your review! We agree with you about Million Dollar Quartet. Such talent and a really fun show. Hope to get back on the Getaway soon to see it again.

Thanks for taking the time to do a review. Can’t wait to see how my experience compares to yours!

Thanks for the review. Will be on her for the 2nd time in September. Booked all the shows and dinners.

Great review and I have noted your tips on my long list of what to do on the Getaway next year.

Thank you so much for your review! We just booked today for this September so I coming in late to the game. Would you happen to have copies for the dailies? I am trying to figure out our groups dinner/ show times. Thanks again.

Thank you so much for your review! We just booked today for this September so I coming in late to the game. Would you happen to have copies for the dailies? I am trying to figure out our groups dinner/ show times. Thanks again.

JSParents review for the Getaway (currently in progress) currently has them all up to Costa Maya