Another GETAWAY Review with Photos for the Obsessed

[AF-1]

Thanks for the input about soot on aft balconies. I booked aft penthouse on Jade. From what I read deck 10 is reasonably soot free on this ship. I have not sailed on NCL or in aft balcony. Have always sailed Royal with mid ship suites.

Edited June 7, 2014 by AF-1
Grammer and spelling

[VickiD59]

More more more! :cool:

[ganadeir]

More more more! :cool:

 

Tanks! I have 9316 November 15!

Good Butler?

[barnacle_boy]

Hey barnacle_boy - did you happen to get a picture of the grille menu from the Haven??

I have asked on a couple of other threads and no one seems to have one! :o

 

I’m sorry, but I don’t have any photos of that menu. I have never eaten out there. I don’t understood the appeal. Usually it’s very hot and there are no views of the ocean. Instead, you have to eat your meal mere feet away from sweaty, greasy sunbathers. I personally can’t tolerate that.

 

Here’s some more Haven Restaurant delights. I miss the days of the lightly seared ahi burger, but its replacement, swordfish, isn’t bad. It’s still my favorite choice for lunchtime sandwiches onboard. I typically hate asian-fusion, but the east-meets-west combination of wasabi mayonnaise and ginger coleslaw works fairly well with this burger. The fries were excellent too. Severed warm and crispy.

 

 

My favorite desert is the Carrot Cake. It’s very, very heavy! The orange marmalade is a marvelous addition.

[thefuturemrsc]

Just around the corner from the Concierge Desk is the bar. I did notice that their selection of premium brands was a bit more extensive than some other bars elsewhere on the ship. There’s no better place to get a scotch!

 

 

My fiancé will love this area then! He is a scotch drinker. Do you know if they have Highland Park aboard the GA?

[VegasChic]

The living room is probably the most attractive room of the suite. Of course, it looks much larger in pictures than it does in real life. The lilliputian lamps are dwarfed by the regular sized phone, and I doubt the dining table would be up to the task of handling four fully set places for an extravagant meal. Nonetheless, the room is nicely decorated with interesting leathery and fabric textures on the walls.

 

The backlit glass is a great decorative touch, but the couch is incredibly uncomfortable. The one in the Forward Facing Haven Penthouses on the Breakaway Class are of a different design and considerably better. For testing purposes, I tried napping on one of these couches several months ago, and I just couldn’t seem to find a comfortable position to get to sleep. Apparently others here are perfectly happy with this couch, and maybe I’m just a princess atop a figurative pea, but I can’t handle it.

 

I’m not sure why, but it felt like I had to do an interpretive dance with the remote control in order to find a position that would finally get the TV to do what I wanted. I think people around me were more entertained by my remote-boogie than the actual TV programs! I tried changing remotes, but it didn’t seem to help very much. I don't watch much TV while I cruise, but I noticed that they have had the same movies and shows running on continuous loop since Breakaway. Although I doubt many would notice or care, it would be nice if NCL changed things up once every few months or so for their frequent passengers.

 

The flowers and daily replenished fruit baskets are always a pleasant convenience. I love snacking on grapes! The Lavazza machine is also a great perk (pun intended). I watched the sunrise from the balcony with a decent cappuccino several times, and it was indescribably wonderful.

 

Ok I'm officially Jealous!;) Totally loving your review (so my style). I hope it's long with lots of pics. What are you using for a camera?

[barnacle_boy]

Do you know if they have Highland Park aboard the GA?

 

Yes!

 

Ok I'm officially Jealous!;) Totally loving your review (so my style). I hope it's long with lots of pics. What are you using for a camera?

 

Nothing special. D3200 w/ 18-55mm kit lens. Close ups are with a cheap 35mm f1.8 DX. I also brought along a 55-200mm kit tele and J1 with a 6.7-13mm wide, but I haven't posted any photos taken with those yet.

[Medtech2]

Yes!

 

 

 

Nothing special. D3200 w/ 18-55mm kit lens. Close ups are with a cheap 35mm f1.8 DX. I also brought along a 55-200mm kit tele and J1 with a 6.7-13mm wide, but I haven't posted any photos taken with those yet.

Your food porn is to die for. I can totally taste those grapes as they crisply pop in my mouth. And the duck...sigh...

[thefuturemrsc]

Yes!

 

 

 

Awesome! He will be excited! We will probably try to get a bottle for our room!

[rocky55]

Hi. Loving your review! I am going to be in the Haven on the Getaway in August. I got the UDP free with my reservation, but I really just want to eat where the food and service is the best. Did you eat at any of the speciality restaurants? Which ones did you feel where as good as the Haven? I was on the Breakaway 2X and did eat in a lot of the speciality, but I wasn't in the Haven at the time, so I don't have that to compare. I also read on CC the Haven has full lobster night on Sunday, did you try that?

 

 

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[MrsRissB]

Great review. Nice to hear from someone who has sailed Getaway a couple times.

 

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G900A using Forums mobile app

[barnacle_boy]

Hi. id you eat at any of the speciality restaurants? Which ones did you feel where as good as the Haven?

 

 

The food is about the same quality as the other top specialty restaurants (Cagney's, Le Bistro, etc.), but what really sets the Haven Restaurant apart is the high level of personalized service you can't find elsewhere. I didn't try lobster night.

 

More in depth review will follow for some of these restaurants, but here are my thoughts on specialty dining.

 

Just as a note, I wasn't a fan of the MDRs. I ate there once on my first cruise and once on my second cruise. Both times the service was great, but the food was forgettable and mediocre. I wouldn't bother even trying them if I had the UDP.

 

Cagney's - Great, but certain items are hit or miss from cruise to cruise and ship to ship. They use different meats than the MDR. It shows. Delicious!

 

Moderno - Great, but only if you insist upon medium-rare cuts. They'll try to serve dry, overcooked ones if you don't speak up.

 

Wasabi and Teppanyaki - Acceptable. The sushi is of American convenience store quality, and the Teppanyaki uses seasoning and flavors that are off to my taste buds.

 

Ocean Blue - Meh. Overpriced and the chefs seem pretty clueless when it comes to preparing classic dishes. If you know what and how to order, the food can be great though.

 

Raw Bar - Great. I really prefer Ocean Blue's ala carte neighbor. The seafood platter is enormous!

 

La Cucina - Poor. Their only positive quality is that they have the best bread onboard.

 

Le Bistro - Great. Service is fantastic and so is the food. The only downside is that this restaurant is the only one without sea views, and I don't care for the artificial street-cafe look they tried to recreate in Ocean Place. It's really tacky.

 

 

 

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[HelloSunshine]

Wow, just wow! We sail on the Getaway in October. Not the Haven, but maybe someday! How nice for you. I also liked that you said your balcony was great for entertaining other guests, how thoughtful to share that spectacular view.

[Annmeat]

I must confess...

 

I may not make it until July.

I am completely and utterly obsessed with this ship. I have crusied FOREVER, always in suites love the Haven- but this one is calling me...

ANNMEAT ANNMEAT ANNMEAT!!!!

 

I am driving my kids NUTS!!

 

My husband thinks it is sweet- thank goodness!

 

Barnacle Boy- I bow at your feet.

 

I have to go on a vacation, to a convention, to a conference and then ----OUR CRUISE!!!

 

38 days 0hours 17 minutes 34 seconds....

 

Thank you for listening.

THANK you for posting.

[barnacle_boy]

Wow, just wow! We sail on the Getaway in October. Not the Haven, but maybe someday!

 

 

The great thing about NCL is that you don't have to be in the Haven or a Platinum member to get treated well. I still remember how kind the crew was to me even on my very first NCL cruise! One of my cruises on Breakaway was in a regular aft balcony cabin, and I had a wonderful time.

 

 

 

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[cruiseinfoseeker]

where'd you go Barnacle Boy?? Way to tease us obsessed folks;)

[PathfinderEss]

Really enjoyed your report, loved the photo's, hope there is more to come.

[barnacle_boy]

Work and study has really killed most of my free time. I think I might be able to post something later this week. Stay tuned! :)

 

 

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[meatball_nyc]

I just read your signature (I'm on the CC app for iPad). Pretty funny stuff, barnacle boy.

 

 

 

Robin

Norwegian Breakaway July 2014

Carnival Miracle 2010

Carnival Legend 2006

Every Day at Sea is a Great Day

[barnacle_boy]

I just read your signature (I'm on the CC app for iPad). Pretty funny stuff, barnacle boy.

 

 

Some people like to put their whole life story, but I like to make stupid jokes :p

 

 

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[LAKECLIFF]

The great thing about NCL is that you don't have to be in the Haven or a Platinum member to get treated well. I still remember how kind the crew was to me even on my very first NCL cruise! One of my cruises on Breakaway was in a regular aft balcony cabin, and I had a wonderful time.

 

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Forums mobile app

I totally agree. Best crews in the industry, especially the Jewel crew...Thanks for the great review! This will be my first mega ship.

[Frenchsnowhite]

Great Review with very nice pictures :D

[barnacle_boy]

It’s been a busy week at work! Sometimes I have downtime on the commute to say a few words, but otherwise I’m away from my photos and personal computer.

 

Anyway, the tour continues. The Haven Courtyard is located just forward of the lounge and accessed through two sets of automatic doors in order to regulate the indoor temperature. The aft portion of the courtyard is covered by a canvas awning that shades the eight tables used for limited outdoor meal service. Obviously Breakaway does not have such a structure since that courtyard is enclosed by a retractable dome.

 

 

The pool is very small and not particularly useful for anything other than a quick, refreshing plunge. That suited me just fine during the few afternoons I spent out here. Young children seem to be less interested in playing and fooling around in such a tiny pool, so that’s a pleasant, unintended benefit. The loungers in the water concept is borrowed from land based resorts. I didn’t understand the appeal there, and I didn’t understand it here either. The hot tubs are covered by leaf-shaped awnings. Two is sufficient for the number of passengers in the Haven. Although there were several times when the hot tubs were both occupied, they were never completely full. Above the courtyard, behind the mast, is a giant, glass windscreen. It does a fairly good job with moderate winds, although I’ve never seen it really put to the test with strong winds.

 

 

Through the door at the forward end of the courtyard, you’ll find a corridor that takes you to the private spa treatment rooms. There are several located behind each of the hot tubs. I’ve never had any interest in getting a massage in the Haven since I prefer the more fully equipped spa located directly below. On the starboard side is the private sauna. I never used it, but the heat is strong. Just in the few seconds I needed to compose and take this picture, my forehead started to become moist.

 

 

This staircase is the only way to reach the private sun deck. On Breakaway, there’s an additional stair located at the aft end of the central courtyard area, but due to the awning installed in the same area on Getaway, it was not replicated here. Regardless, this internal staircase is elegant and pleasing to the eye.

 

 

On the upper level are more chairs and loungers. There’s an additional restroom and shower located behind the varnished teak doors at the aft end. I love the curve of the awnings that cover the loungers. They reflect back the exterior lighting in interesting ways.

 

 

Just around the corner on the starboard side is the private sundeck, which extends all the way forward. It’s a fantastic place to relax and sunbathe. During the day, in addition to the usual drink service, complimentary snacks and cold towels are offered as well. I’ve personally seen cookies, ice cream, and fruit.

 

 

More to come!

Edited June 19, 2014 by barnacle_boy

[barnacle_boy]

So glad you are finally doing a review. Your video of breakaway and your photos are the best I have ever seen. And that says a lot because there are lots of excellent photographers here on cruise critic!

Thanks for sharing. Interesting if you choose to comment on forward penthouse vs aft penthouse minus the balcony (of course that huge aft balcony is a huge draw for that stateroom).

 

Yes, you can NEVER go wrong with the Wild Mushroom Ravioli. I could not stop eating that stuff. :)

 

Bathrooms:

 

Only the aft penthouses have a second bathroom near the foyer. I don’t think I ever used it due to its extremely small size, but it would be extremely useful for large families using the living room as a second bedroom.

 

Here’s the aft penthouse with the master bath near the balcony. I don’t like it. It’s just too unsettling having to bathe with several lounge chairs directly in front of the shower’s window. Even when they’re empty, the feeling of exhibitionism lingers. However, it does have the largest layout out of the three suites. The tub is asymmetrical, with one end larger than the other. It was also the largest out of the three.

 

Here’s the aft penthouse with the bed near the balcony. It’s smaller, but the privacy of covered walls helped to ease my mind while I was soaking in the tub. I’d rather take the smaller layout and conventional tub for that reason on future cruises.

 

Finally, a brief comparison with the forward penthouse. I love the eye-catching nacre mosaic, but the oval tub is smaller than the asymmetrical and conventional ones. The narrowing of the walls near the ceiling is due to the slant of the superstructure front. I personally love these subtle reminder that I’m on a ship.

 

It’s smaller and has fewer storage areas compared to the aft penthouses, but it’s still massive and there’s more than enough space for a few people on a week. All of the top end suites on Breakaway and Getaway share the same gorgeous, surface mounted Villeroy & Boch sinks. For the aft penthouses they are white to compliment the lighter woods, but in the forward penthouses they are mahogany to compliment the darker woods.

 

They also all feature that fantastic shower unit. To me, this is the best suite perk of all. There’s a rainfall shower head, six messaging jets, and a handheld. The water pressure is noticeably stronger than the regular ones onboard. Showering becomes one of the highlights of the day! :D

Edited June 21, 2014 by barnacle_boy

[cruiseinfoseeker]

Hi! Are you coming back, Barnacle?