Getaway review 2-15 sailing - will answer questions

[kimgoblue]

Now that we're back from our 2/15 Getaway sailing, I thought I'd post a review here (rather than in the review section) so that I can answer as many questions as possible. I've organized the review by category so that you can read about whatever appeals to you.

 

A little bit about us: our party included me, my husband, and our 15-year-old son. We are what I'd call moderately experienced cruisers: we've taken numerous Disney cruises together as a family as well as one Princess cruise two years ago. As a couple, my husband and I have taken two previous NCL cruises as well as one on Princess and one on Windstar.

 

Embarkation: Since our goal was to get Vibe passes, we arrived at the port in Miami around 9:30 am. Because of all the congestion from people getting off the previous Getaway sailing, I suggested that we just park in the parking structure and get a porter there. That almost turned into a huge mistake, as apparently the porters don't routinely come to the structure. As we looked at all our luggage, soda, and bottled water and wondered how we would possibly get it from the structure to the terminal, we saw a porter coming into the structure with someone who had just exited the ship. We were able to get that porter to help us, but I wouldn't recommend that approach if you know you have too much to carry. Instead, drop your luggage and one member of your party off at the terminal, park your car, and then come back to meet your party.

 

When we got to the terminal, a short line had formed (roughly 30 people) outside the doors, which opened promptly at 10 am. However, by the time the check-in people had pulled out those with priority boarding and those who had lined up at the wrong terminal (NCL apparently operates two terminals for embarkation based on your cabin location, which cuts down on crowding considerably), we were the first in line to go through security! We congratulated ourselves on our impeccable timing, only to find ourselves slowed first by the corkage fee payment process and then by the lack of structure in the check-in line queue. By the time we made it to the embarkation lounge, we were handed the first pass for boarding group 2.

 

Priority boarding started sometime after 11, and boarding group 1 was called at 11:30. We made our way to the embarkation area and were first through the doors once boarding group 2 was called. I gave my husband my cruise card and he made a beeline for the guest services desk on deck 6 (embarkation is on deck 7). Looking back, I wish I had taken the time to really get a first impression of the ship, but we were on a mission that I'm happy to say was successful -- Vibe passes were ours! (although I wish they had some other way to indicate you have a pass than a neon orange wristband that stays on for the duration of the cruise).

 

Cabin: Cabins were ready at about 1 pm, which was a bit earlier than we expected. We had aft balcony cabin 13904. My husband has always wanted to experience an aft balcony cabin, and he found it worth the extra charge. I have to say that I am indifferent to an aft balcony as opposed to a side balcony in terms of view, but I was glad to have a somewhat larger balcony once I saw the tiny balconies that are standard.

 

When we first entered the room, our son remarked on how small it seemed, but in reality it was plenty big enough for the three of us. (I was worried since this was the first cruise we've taken with essentially three "adult-sized" people in one cabin. When our son was small, it was never a concern, but at 15 he takes up more room than I do.) There was more storage than it appeared at first, especially in the bathroom. Now, if we had planned to really dress up (suits and ties, cocktail dresses, etc.), we would have been challenged, but we had enough space for button-down shirts and Dockers and what I would describe as one-step-up-from-sundresses.

 

The cabin itself was tastefully if somewhat blandly decorated in shades of tan, white, and aqua. The wood finishes on the wall are a nice touch, as is the "leather" surrounding the headboard. The bathroom sink is a good size, and I always love a shower door instead of a curtain.

 

In terms of the cabin's location to the rest of the ship, we thought it was perfectly fine. We were two decks down from the Garden Café, and from there it was easy to get up to the ropes course, mini golf, etc. Many of the restaurants and other places we wanted to go to were in the aft, and even those that were all the way forward (like Vibe) really weren't that far away. For a "big" ship, we never felt like we had to walk too far to get where we wanted to be. While we could certainly hear the music from Spice H20 on our balcony during the late-night parties, it was only barely audible once the balcony door was closed. I'm a light sleeper, but I was never bothered by it. There was some sort of vibration that happened intermittently that woke me occasionally, but my husband and son didn't notice it.

 

Ship layout: Those concerned about "nickel and diming" will certainly find fodder. We commented that a large proportion of the ship is dedicated to extra-pay venues: casino, specialty restaurants, Illusionarium, spa, Haven & Vibe, bars, etc. That simply seems to be NCL's mode of operation and is perhaps necessary to keep base cruise costs down. We took advantage of many of these areas and enjoyed them thoroughly, and I can't honestly say how I would feel about the layout if we hadn't.

 

Despite my fear of being flamed, I will mention that we found the smell of smoke on deck 7 (where the casino is) to be quite strong, almost from the point of exiting the stairs at the end of the ship. Smoke could also be smelled on decks 6 and 8 where the atrium is open to deck 7. We understand that NCL allows smoking in these areas, and that's something a passenger who chooses to sail NCL has to expect. We did expect it to some extent, but being a new ship, I think I downplayed in my own mind just how much the smell would linger. Because our son has a chronic illness that is exacerbated by tobacco smoke, we would have to think twice about future NCL trips. As it was, though, we got some much-needed exercise going up and down the stairs to avoid deck 7 when possible.

 

The ship's décor, once you get past the hull art, is relatively understated, which we find more appealing than Vegas-style glitz. Of course, everything is brand new, which makes everything look better -- it will be interesting to see how the décor holds up over time.

 

We only rarely felt crowded, and it was when we expected to find crowds: the buffet at breakfast on port days, after the muster drill, the ropes course on sea days. I read on CC that 1300 people missed the ship because of weather. I can't comment on the accuracy of that, but if there were 1300 additional people on board, I'm sure our perceptions of being crowded would change.

 

Ship's facilities/entertainment venues/etc.: Since we had been to all of the ports before, we planned to make use of many of the ship's different venues and entertainment options.

 

A big favorite of our son's was the ropes course. He went on it multiple times, convinced my husband to join him twice, and even got me up there one port day. I consider myself pretty adventurous -- I've ziplined in the mountains of Costa Rica, rappelled down a waterfall in Mexico, etc. -- but this was much harder than I anticipated. Of course, it wasn't made any easier by the fact that I hadn't been on the course for more than five nervous minutes when the wind kicked up and it started to pour down rain. The attendants hustled us off the course and I never worked up the courage to go back on. I'm told it gets easier the more times you do it.

 

The mini golf course is a fun 15-minute diversion that my son and I played in the rain one port day. We went on the waterslides on another port day, although two of the five were closed. They too were a fun 15 minutes.

 

There are two pools, one that's much shallower and seems to be frequented by kids, and one near the pool bars. We went in the latter one once just to check it out on a port day. There's not much to say about it beyond it exists, although our son was surprised to discover it was filled with salt water.

 

In terms of bars, no one's going thirsty. We enjoyed Sugarcane's mojito bar (my husband got the mojito flight, which was a bargain at $15) in particular (both inside and out on the Waterfront), as well as the Sunset bar from its Waterfront location. We discovered the bar inside the Cagney's/Moderno area late in the cruise and would definitely check it out were we to sail the Getaway again.

 

The Waterfront is a great idea -- on other ships we have missed the connection with the sea, the ability to enjoy a drink or a meal outside in full view of the ocean. However, the prevalence of smoking (we know, we know, it's allowed) made these venues difficult for us to enjoy for more than a few minutes. Instead, we used the Atrium as a hangout place for playing cards, etc.

 

In terms of organized ship's activities, my husband and I went to the sail away party and the "Norwegian's Night Out" party, both held in Spice H20, which is a cool venue with a waterfall water feature, hot tubs, and a bar. We couldn't figure out who the target audience was for the latter party -- for the first hour, the music was a mix of big band and songs from the '60s and '70s. Later they switched to more current music, and that's when the dancing really got started. We also saw the fireworks there on the last night -- they were scheduled for the middle of the cruise, but postponed due to rain. They were a nice 15-minute show. All three of us played bingo one day, and we went to the atrium to watch the "Perfect Couples" game show, but left about halfway through since our son found it "embarrassing."

 

We saw a few shows: the three of us went to the Illusionarium (an entertaining magic/mentalist show with the acts part of an overall story) and my husband and I saw the Burn the Floor dance show in the Theater and Scott Henry's comedy show in Headliners. Perhaps I was just in a mood, but each of the shows had at least one moment that I would consider to be in poor taste -- nothing so outrageously offensive that I would walk out or not recommend the shows to others, but a moment that gave me pause nonetheless. I was impressed with the level of detail in the costuming and sets for both the Illusionarium and Burn the Floor and with the talents of the performers.

 

My husband used the fitness center several times. He found it small and cramped in comparison to the facilities on other cruise lines and missed having the equipment near the windows for a view while working out. He thought the equipment was of good quality (although he missed an ab machine) and noted that he never had to wait for a machine. Apparently there is a large amount of space given to rooms for group classes, which is something he hasn't seen on other lines.

 

After all our efforts to secure Vibe passes, we made sure to use the area for at least some amount of time every day. It was nice to not have to fight for a lounge chair, and we enjoyed the Vibe-only hot tubs and bar. However, it made us miss the Princess Sanctuary, where you have an assigned lounge chair facing the sea with a fair amount of space to move around and some privacy between the chairs. In the Vibe, the chairs are lined up one right next to the other, just like on the main decks. If we were to do it again, we would pay for the private cabana -- the Vibe pass itself was $158 for the two of us, and the cabana (which is assigned to you) was only $299 total, which included a $100 food and beverage credit. I think the cabana would have given us more of the "Sanctuary" experience we were looking for.

 

Our son started off the cruise spending some time in the teen club, Entourage, and participating in a few of their activities. He's a pretty social kid (he has to be, as an only child) and on other cruises has made "friends" he hung out with. That didn't happen on this cruise, and he attributed it in part to the demographics of the passengers. There were not that many older teens to begin with (although apparently there were quite a few younger teens that Justin Biebered the teen club), and those older teens who were on board seemed to be part of extended family groups. I also attribute it to the fact that kids in the teen club can come and go as they want -- it's not like the clubs for younger kids where they are generally together for a set period of time or a specific activity. I think that makes it harder to meet people and have time to "click." He did meet a few people playing pick-up basketball. We discussed that in the future, if we're doing an itinerary where we plan to stay on the ship, it makes sense for him to bring a friend; however, on a port-intensive itinerary (Alaska or the Mediterranean, for example), the bits of interaction the teen club provided would be enough.

 

Food: This is probably the most subjective area of all, and, obviously, these are just my opinions. We are a family that likes to eat, and our tastes tend more toward gourmet food (or at least good restaurant food or what my mom calls my "fancy" home cooking), although we all love our nachos and pizza at times. Because we had been to all the ports already and weren't planning much in the way of shore excursions, we decided to get the Ultimate Dining Package. Since our son loves good food, too, we figured this would be a way to make sure he was happy to join us for dinner. We ate at all of the specialty restaurants for dinner (I think): Teppenyaki, Ocean Blue, Le Bistro, Moderno, Cagney's, and La Cucina. We also ate at Shanghai's (the noodle bar) and the Sushi bar for lunch. Service was always good, and in some cases it was outstanding. We each had a different favorite restaurant, but we rated Ocean Blue, Cagney's, and Le Bistro as our favorites for dinner. For us, the UDP was definitely worth it, and we wouldn't hesitate to do it again.

 

In terms of the included venues, we ate most breakfasts and lunches at the Garden Café. The food was pretty standard buffet fare -- perfectly adequate. We were surprised, though, to go to the buffet for a snack around 10 pm and find only a couple of kinds of cake along with French fries and a sparse taco bar. We had lunch at the Flamingo Grille once, which my husband enjoyed since he is a fan of Cuban food. It was not to my taste, but that doesn't mean it wasn't good. None of us liked O'Sheehans. We went once for a snack, which was cold, and once for lunch for the famous chicken pot pie. I thought it was OK, but my husband didn't care for it. Again, so many people love it that it must be good, but it didn't work for us.

 

A word about the Unlimited Beverage Package: my husband and I debated getting this for quite some time. We went to an all-inclusive resort last summer and really enjoyed the freedom to not think too much about what we were ordering. We calculated that to break even, we would each have to drink 6 to 7 drinks a day. Our all-inclusive experience let us know that we could do that (no judgment, please), although maybe not for 7 consecutive days. We also weren't sure about the example we would be setting for our son and, more practically, I wasn't happy about the idea that I couldn't necessarily get what I wanted to drink if it wasn't included in the package. In the end, we opted not to get it, and we came out financially well ahead. We did get the soda package for our son, and I'm sure we came out well ahead on that, too.

 

Staff: We found the staff to be pleasant and responsive to our requests, although those requests were very few. We had one issue that the customer service desk staff handled promptly, and our steward Narcisco always seem to know just when we were finally able to pry our son out of bed so that the room could be serviced. We're not ones to really chat the staff up, so I can't say if they were more or less friendly than on other ships; they provided the service we expected in a pleasant and professional manner and that was good enough for us.

 

Disembarkation: As independent guests, we were able to choose a luggage tag color that corresponded to our preferred disembarkation time. We chose the 8:30 time; however, as we were ready to leave the room by 7:55, we just headed downstairs to wait. We discovered that we could just get in line and get right off the ship without waiting for our luggage color to be called. We hit a snag when we couldn't find one of our bags (it had been placed with bags with a different color tag), but once we found it, we were quickly through customs and to our car by 8:30. Without the issue with the bag, it would have been the easiest disembarkation ever; as it was, it was still pretty quick.

 

Overall: We had a great week of vacation on the Norwegian Getaway. Like most people, we lead very busy lives, and it's wonderful to have an entire week to spend together as a family. While we would be happy to sail the Getaway again and would recommend it, it won't be our choice for our next vacation (or the one after that). If we choose to cruise, we'll probably look for an itinerary we haven't done before and will choose a ship with a more restrictive smoking policy. However, that shouldn't dissuade anyone from sailing the Getaway. She is a beautiful ship with a lot to offer.

 

Please feel free to ask any questions, and I'll respond as soon as possible.

[VanessaM]

Thanks so much for the review!

 

I, too, will be traveling with a 15yo boy, also an only child. Sounds like there was plenty to keep him busy. We will be traveling over Spring Break so I'm hoping there will be more teens.

[RollTideGuy]

Thank you for the review!

 

It is very thorough and objective.

 

We are sailing the Getaway in May for our honeymoon and are really excited.

Fortunately for us, it is our first cruise, so we have nothing to compare it to.

 

We re getting on board with an open mind and hope to get hooked on cruising! :)

[DDD06]

Hi neighbor! We were in 13906. Glad you enjoyed the cruise, we did as well.

 

 

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[mtns2sea]

Thanks for the review. Were all of the water slides and ropes course open while in port?

 

 

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[hockeygirl14]

I also noticed the smokey smell. I was kind of surprised that it was that strong considering its a new ship. Thanks for the review!

[lacrossemitch]

Thanks for the awesome review!

[gizmo911]

I loved your review. Will be going on Getaway next year.

Edited February 25, 2014 by gizmo911

[kimgoblue]

Thanks for the review. Were all of the water slides and ropes course open while in port?

 

 

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No. There is a schedule posted by both the ropes course and the water slides that shows when they're open (it's also listed in the Freestyle Daily newsletter). For example, if I remember correctly, the ropes course was only open from 10 am - 1 pm on the day we were in Nassau. I think that day that the water slides were open from 10 am - 6 pm, but two of the five were closed when we tried them around noon. If someone has copies of the dailies, they could tell you the exact times these venues were open while in port.

[david_sobe]

Welcome home

Thanks for the great review!

[mariawinnell]

Thank you for a great review

We are also trying to get vibe passes

Our sailing is Dec. 13 2014

 

 

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[mtns2sea]

No. There is a schedule posted by both the ropes course and the water slides that shows when they're open (it's also listed in the Freestyle Daily newsletter). For example, if I remember correctly, the ropes course was only open from 10 am - 1 pm on the day we were in Nassau. I think that day that the water slides were open from 10 am - 6 pm, but two of the five were closed when we tried them around noon. If someone has copies of the dailies, they could tell you the exact times these venues were open while in port.

 

Thanks.

[Sundiego]

Wonderful well written review. Really appreciate your thoughts! Thanks so much.

[LrgPizza]

Thank you for the thorough review! It sounds like a wonderful vacation. You did cover about everything. I am also traveling with an only child (11 year old son), so I liked hearing your experiences.

 

I would encourage you to also copy & paste it into the regular review section if you haven't, because loads of people search there to learn about ships who never visit the forums.

 

Just one question re:

We enjoyed Sugarcane's mojito bar (my husband got the mojito flight, which was a bargain at $15)

What is the "mojito flight"?

[kimgoblue]

Thank you for the thorough review! It sounds like a wonderful vacation. You did cover about everything. I am also traveling with an only child (11 year old son), so I liked hearing your experiences.

 

I would encourage you to also copy & paste it into the regular review section if you haven't, because loads of people search there to learn about ships who never visit the forums.

 

Just one question re:

What is the "mojito flight"?

 

The mojito flight was 6 different types of mojitos served in 2 ounce tasting glasses. It was a fun way to sample many of the different flavors.

[GAPeach68]

Can you explain the Vibe beach club and the cabana you referenced? Are there cabanas to be reserved inside Vibe, or is it separate? Do you have to pay the Vibe fee on top of the cabana fee? I can't find anything on the NCL website about reserving a cabana. Any info. you could provide would be appreciated! Thanks!

[ganggreen88]

Great review. I appreciate the time you put into that review. I am leaving this Saturday, 3/1, on the Getaway and am very excited.

 

1 - Vibe Beach Club - same as above, what details can you share about the club and the cabanas? Do you really get $100 food credit for covered?

 

2 - When was the lobster night finally? I have hear conflicting reviews about this. Just wondering, not life or death but to plan.

 

Thanks!!!

[kimgoblue]

Can you explain the Vibe beach club and the cabana you referenced? Are there cabanas to be reserved inside Vibe, or is it separate? Do you have to pay the Vibe fee on top of the cabana fee? I can't find anything on the NCL website about reserving a cabana. Any info. you could provide would be appreciated! Thanks!

 

The cabana is located inside of Vibe. You pay only one fee -- if you pay the cabana fee, that includes access to the Vibe. The only way to reserve is to go to the guest services desk on board as soon as possible. There are only a limited number of cabanas (5 I think) and once they're gone, they're gone. Hope that was clear -- if not, let me know.

[Beth 2001]

Do you have to use the food and beverage credit in Vibe or can it be spent anywhere onboard?

[kimgoblue]

Great review. I appreciate the time you put into that review. I am leaving this Saturday, 3/1, on the Getaway and am very excited.

 

1 - Vibe Beach Club - same as above, what details can you share about the club and the cabanas? Do you really get $100 food credit for covered?

 

2 - When was the lobster night finally? I have hear conflicting reviews about this. Just wondering, not life or death but to plan.

 

Thanks!!!

 

1. Hopefully I'm not telling you what you already know -- the Vibe Beach Club is a limited access, adult-only area of the ship with nice lounge chairs and sun beds, a few cabanas, two hot tubs, a bar, and restrooms. It's a nice space away from the general hustle and bustle of the rest of the sun deck areas. However, it still had its own hustle and bustle -- there were some quite boisterous passengers hanging out at the bar there, and there was a bit of the towel game going on in which people reserved both single-person loungers and two-person sunbeds simultaneously. Because the lounge chairs were lined up one right next to the other, it felt more crowded than I would have liked. That's why we would try to get a cabana next time. You do get $100 onboard credit when you rent a cabana, but we never figured out if that was to be used in the Vibe only or if it could be used anywhere on the ship.

 

2. I'm sorry, but since we never ate dinner in the main dining rooms, I can't say what night was lobster night. I believe that the second night was the seafood buffet in the Garden Café, but I'm not positive.

[kimgoblue]

Do you have to use the food and beverage credit in Vibe or can it be spent anywhere onboard?

 

This is one thing we never found out definitively, so if anyone knows, please chime in!

[ganggreen88]

1. Hopefully I'm not telling you what you already know -- the Vibe Beach Club is a limited access, adult-only area of the ship with nice lounge chairs and sun beds, a few cabanas, two hot tubs, a bar, and restrooms. It's a nice space away from the general hustle and bustle of the rest of the sun deck areas. However, it still had its own hustle and bustle -- there were some quite boisterous passengers hanging out at the bar there, and there was a bit of the towel game going on in which people reserved both single-person loungers and two-person sunbeds simultaneously. Because the lounge chairs were lined up one right next to the other, it felt more crowded than I would have liked. That's why we would try to get a cabana next time. You do get $100 onboard credit when you rent a cabana, but we never figured out if that was to be used in the Vibe only or if it could be used anywhere on the ship.

 

2. I'm sorry, but since we never ate dinner in the main dining rooms, I can't say what night was lobster night. I believe that the second night was the seafood buffet in the Garden Café, but I'm not positive.

 

 

Thanks for the information. Much appreicated.

[alishac]

How do you know which terminal to check in at? Is it stated on your edocs?

[kimgoblue]

How do you know which terminal to check in at? Is it stated on your edocs?

 

Yes, it's on the edocs. The options when we travelled were terminals B and C, with cabins toward the aft checking in at terminal B.

[SissasMomE]

Yes, it's on the edocs. The options when we travelled were terminals B and C, with cabins toward the aft checking in at terminal B.

 

We are forward and checking in at Terminal B.