Getaway pics & thoughts - food, menus, Haven, entertainment, etc.

[AttilaTheFun]

I see that you did not have dinner in the MDR; but we are sailing on the Getaway in March and were curious if you (or anyone else) have thoughts on the best nights (menus) to eat in the MDR (is there a lobster night, etc.). I know it is the MDR but we are trying to decide which specialty restaurants to book and on what night. Would hate to book a specialty restaurant on a given night and later find out that was "the" night you should have dined in the MDR. Thanks!

 

We only saw two dinner menus and have no idea in what order they will be served. When you board the ship, ask the host stand at any of the MDRs for the nightly menus and see if they can share them. I'm positive that they decide what night they'll serve each menu ahead of time, so they can probably share them with you in advance.

[AttilaTheFun]

When you get to the haven review do you have a pic of the dinner menu? If so please post. As I understand it the menu never changes but the nightly special. Similar to bfast and lunch, is this correct?

 

Good pics

 

Sorry, did not see any menus for the Haven restaurant.

[scopewest]

Great photos, thanks for your review!

[AttilaTheFun]

Bars

 

Most of the bars onboard are very similar to Breakaway, with notable exceptions.

 

Shaker's Bar has transformed into Sugarcane Mojito Bar, complete with 5 signature mojitos, including one with sriracha in it - spicy Asian chili sauce!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Maltings Whiskey Bar on Breakaway has become the Sunset Bar on Getaway, with a Key West/Hemingway theme..

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[AttilaTheFun]

Svedka Ice Bar

 

The ice bar recreates South Beach icons in brilliant neon colors. The drink options inside are the same as on Breakaway/Epic, but with different names. If you plan on staying inside for longer than a few minutes, you may want to bring your own gloves - the flimsy knit ones they give you don't do much!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[AttilaTheFun]

Legally Blonde

 

Rock of Ages on Breakaway is replaced by Legally Blonde on Getaway. Your mileage may vary, but I was disappointed in the show. The songs are very poor and the script is pretty bad - relying on the best jokes from the movie and very little else. The cast, to their credit, did the best they could with the poor material, but the whole thing was underwhelming. There are no pictures allowed during the show and the sets are almost non-existent.

 

 

The Illusionarium

 

From a severe disappointment to a highlight - the Illusionarium! This unique magic show replaces Cirque Jungle Fantasy on the Breakaway and is fantastic! The show has a loose story line, but the main action are 5 different magicians that perform a variety of magic. Some of the illusions performed are mind-blowing, especially being so close to the stage. There is also a very cool projection dome over the stage, but it's primarily used for nightmare-inducing transition pieces that have nothing to do with anything. A figure being electrocuted much?

 

I will say the premium seats are much better and closer to the stage. Also, show up EARLY to get good seats - people start lining up more than a half hour beforehand! They ask for volunteers several times throughout the show, so if you are shy, do not sit closest to the stage!

 

The show includes a set menu (posted below) and the filet was cooked perfectly - so tender! The desserts were also pretty good, but the real attraction is the magic taking place in front of you. The seating is extremely close to one another though, barely allowing you room to move your elbows, which is frustrating, but I guess Norwegian wants to pack them in.

 

No pictures are allowed during the performance, so I have some pictures of the venue and the menu to share.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[david_sobe]

I was very surprised NCL went with Legally Blonde since it was one of the poorest showing musicals on Broadway. Had terrible reviews. So not sure why someone thought it was a good idea to bring it to a ship full time. I have watched some of it and it is one of the most boring shows ever. Not much comedy and extremely weak script.

Edited February 1, 2014 by david_sobe

[AttilaTheFun]

We had a chance to dine at several specialty restaurants onboard.

 

La Cucina

 

I believe La Cucina updated their menu within the past year or so and most of the items were very good. The calamari was okay, but the beef carpaccio was flavorless. The lobster pasta was excellent - both the pasta and lobster were perfectly cooked. The tiramisu was the best I've ever had and the chocolate tart was good, except for a strange, gummy crust it was served in. Sorry, didn't take any pictures of the food.

 

Shanghai

 

While the location is basically in the casino and offers little refuge from the noise and possible smoke, the food is good if you're craving some Asian. Since this venue is priced a la carte, I would recommend skipping the appetizers, which all come pre-made and frozen. The pork dumplings were decent, but the shrimp dumplings were disappointing. However, we enjoyed the combination fried rice and beef chow fun, even if neither dish resembles any Chinese version of those dishes. They had flavor and were prepared fresh in front of us.

 

 

Combination Fried Rice

 

 

 

 

Beef Chow Fun

 

[AttilaTheFun]

I was very surprised NCL went with Legally Blonde since it was one of the poorest showing musicals on Broadway. Had terrible reviews. So not sure why someone thought it was a good idea to bring it to a ship full time. I have watched some of it and it is one of the most boring shows ever. Not much comedy and extremely weak script.

 

Agreed! The fact that the show is presented in 1.5 hours with no intermission means they probably had to cut some things from the script, leaving it in even poorer shape. However, with lyrics like, "There's a chip on my shoulder, as big as a boulder" and "Gay or European?" that's a pretty terrible show to begin with.

 

I fear that their decision to license Legally Blonde may have something to do with pricing - it didn't last very long on Broadway, so I'm sure they could license pretty cheaply, while still getting brand recognition from the name. Compare that to Royal Caribbean, who is licensing some of the biggest hits of Broadway - Chicago, Hairspray, and Mamma Mia! - two of which are still running on Broadway today.

Edited February 1, 2014 by AttilaTheFun

[AttilaTheFun]

Cagney's

 

The shrimp cocktail is excellent, while the crab salad needed something crispy to avoid feeling like you're eating cat food, and the wagyu beef sliders were pretty tasty.

 

 

Crab Salad

 

 

 

 

Wagyu Beef Sliders

 

 

 

For entrees, we tried the 18 oz bone-in ribeye, which others raved about, but I found a bit lackluster, and the 5 oz filet mignon with garlic butter and caramelized red onions, which was superb. For side dishes, the Cagney's fries were addicting, while the onion rings were average and the mac & cheese was disappointingly flavorless and dry.

 

 

18 oz Bone-in Ribeye

 

 

 

 

5 oz Filet Mignon with garlic butter and caramelized red onions

 

 

 

 

For dessert, our server recommended the raspberry creme brulee, which was fantastic. The chocolate fudge brownie was fine, but probably not worth the calories.

 

 

Raspberry Creme Brulee

 

 

 

 

Chocolate Fudge Brownie

 

[legion3]

Sorry, did not see any menus for the Haven restaurant.

 

My bad, the thread title seemed to suggest that you had thoughts or pics about the Haven, so I assumed you had stayed there.

 

Review is great so far, great pics.

[AttilaTheFun]

Ocean Blue Raw Bar

 

Note that the Raw Bar is the counter outside Ocean Blue and is first-come, first-served and an a la carte menu. We snagged two seats and enjoyed the best food of the cruise here - everything was fantastic! I cannot rave about the quality and flavor of all these dishes enough and the service is top-notch too!

 

 

Tuna Crudo

 

 

 

 

Crab Toasts

 

 

 

 

Shaved ham

 

 

 

 

Petits Fours

 

 

 

 

Flourless Chocolate Cake

 

[Journey11]

Wonderful pictures and review. Thank you for taking the time to do this.

[johnql]

Great photos. Thanks for posting.

[Bunnynme]

Love the pics, thanks for sharing!

[fabnfortysomething]

I was very surprised NCL went with Legally Blonde since it was one of the poorest showing musicals on Broadway. Had terrible reviews. So not sure why someone thought it was a good idea to bring it to a ship full time. I have watched some of it and it is one of the most boring shows ever. Not much comedy and extremely weak script.

 

perhaps because Rock of Ages proved so controversial on breakaway they decided to "play it safe"

 

personally loved the Rock of ages show in London and the film[although a completely different slant] and was a factor in choosing breakaway this year

[katie5611]

I was very surprised NCL went with Legally Blonde since it was one of the poorest showing musicals on Broadway. Had terrible reviews. So not sure why someone thought it was a good idea to bring it to a ship full time. I have watched some of it and it is one of the most boring shows ever. Not much comedy and extremely weak script.

 

 

Personally, I loved Legally Blonde when I saw it on Broadway. They could be trying to cater to the young adult demographic as most of my friends and I love the movie and/or musical.

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Cruise Critic Forums mobile app

[anandaindonesia]

Welcome the new menu!

However, .... very few vegetarian options :confused:

Will I go hungry?

 

Michael

via Tapatalk. sorry for typo.

[thephillykid]

Thanks for the great pics and review so far. We can wait to be boarding her in less than 8 weeks. How was the grammy show? How much were the surcharges for the ala carte raw bar? Can you see the magic show without having dinner there?

Thanks, Howard

[david_sobe]

Agreed! The fact that the show is presented in 1.5 hours with no intermission means they probably had to cut some things from the script, leaving it in even poorer shape. However, with lyrics like, "There's a chip on my shoulder, as big as a boulder" and "Gay or European?" that's a pretty terrible show to begin with.

 

I fear that their decision to license Legally Blonde may have something to do with pricing - it didn't last very long on Broadway, so I'm sure they could license pretty cheaply, while still getting brand recognition from the name. Compare that to Royal Caribbean, who is licensing some of the biggest hits of Broadway - Chicago, Hairspray, and Mamma Mia! - two of which are still running on Broadway today.

I like your theory. I never really thought about the pricing. But yes of course a dud musical probably can be licensed very cheap! ;)

For the record: Legally Blonde closed on Broadway with less than 600 shows. The last year the theater was only 60% occupied.

Edited February 1, 2014 by david_sobe

[DRMizzou]

We only saw two dinner menus and have no idea in what order they will be served. When you board the ship, ask the host stand at any of the MDRs for the nightly menus and see if they can share them. I'm positive that they decide what night they'll serve each menu ahead of time, so they can probably share them with you in advance.

 

Was hoping to find out before the cruise so that I could make specialty restaurant reservations in advance. I may just wait until we get onboard. Thanks!

[AttilaTheFun]

The Haven - Restaurant / Pool

 

The Haven suites area on the Getaway is identical to Breakaway, from what I can tell, but still took pictures because it's fun to dream :D. I didn't take a ton of pictures of the shared space, but the Haven has its own bar/lounge, concierge, restaurant, and pool area.

 

 

Haven Restaurant

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Pool area

 

[AttilaTheFun]

The Haven Deluxe Owner's Suite with Large Balcony (Category S2)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The wall behind the couch can be opened to connect it to the adjacent Owner's Suite, which would then sleep up to 8 (4 in each)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

This gigantic balcony is at the front of the ship

 

Edited February 2, 2014 by AttilaTheFun

[AttilaTheFun]

The Haven Deluxe Owner's Suite with Large Balcony (Category S2), continued

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

All suites receive upgraded bath products

 

 

 

 

[AttilaTheFun]

Owner's Suite with Large Balcony (Category S3)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Fantastic half-bath