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Zimomiller’s really boring but suite Getaway 5/24-5/31/2014 – a review

Zimomiller

By Zimomiller,
in Norwegian Cruise Line

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Zimomiller

Zimomiller

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Embarkation day!

 

You have seen the pictures; here is the rest of the story.

 

Saturday May 24th dawned bright, cloudless, sunny and warm. Absolutely the most perfect weather environment for a sail away from Miami that you could wish for. This promised to be a great day. (And it was!)

 

As usual, I was the bad guy waking everyone up at 9 am. This was more difficult than on prior cruises as our hotel rooms were on different floors at the Intercontinental. (Boys vs girls)

 

After a few minutes of banging on the girls door I was granted admittance and I proceeded to piss them off as I moved their stuff around, changed the A/C to extra frigid and by just being my generally obnoxious self. This was the only way to get them out the door by 10 am. Adrenaline surges work wonders in waking people up.

 

We grabbed two taxis upon our exit and headed to the port. It was 10:15. Probably the earliest we had been late in quite a while. (I wanted to leave at 10 but figured if we left by 10:30 we would have accomplished what I wanted)

 

We arrived at the Port and were quickly dropped off at Pier C. The Getaway loomed all shiny and inviting on the other side of the terminals.

 

It was not busy at all. There were still people leaving from the previous cruise and an equal number arriving for the current one.

 

As usual, the “porters” were there in force but doing as little as possible. This is my biggest complaint about the Port of Miami.

 

Our experiences and observations over the years have been that these dockworkers prey upon the arriving passengers ( more so for women or the elderly) with a multitude of strong arm techniques to intimidate and separate the passengers from their money to move their bags an average of 3-4 yards and drop them on a cart. A very bad first impression. This is the only Port where we have witnessed this regularly.

 

My son and I dropped our bags in the nearest porter’s hands, watched him load them into a cart and then went looking for the girl’s taxi. Not bad.

 

We found the girls a few stations behind us and they were standing there by their bags with several porters standing around totally ignoring them and their 4 bags. This had gone on for a few minutes. There were no other passengers arriving or departing in the immediate area.

 

My son and I wandered up, grabbed the bags and wheeled them down to the nearest cart, and loaded them up. At that point one of the porters started paying attention and complaining. I stared him down and told him if he was doing his job we would not have had to do it for him. The conversation that followed shall not be added here but suffice it to say he was not pleased by his failed ploy to extract tips.

 

We then headed off to the terminal doors where we found only 2 parties in front of us having the security guards check their passports and boarding docs. We breezed through the security scan and were immediately at the Priority boarding lounge which is located in the first room to the left after security.

 

There we were quickly checked in, pics taken, CC swiped and then escorted across the hall to another holding room where we waited about 10 minutes until someone arrived to escort us to the Priority Lounge on the second floor.

 

We wandered in a line through the empty check-in area to a hall behind the check-in desks where we grabbed an elevator up to the second floor.

 

The priority lounge was nothing special, just an area with cushioned seats and couches separated from the rest of the boarding waiting room by a partition. There were some finger sandwiches, cookies, water coffee and tea on tables but no one seemed interested.

 

Here we waited for 10-15 minutes and then we were all escorted to the boarding line and ramps where we first swiped our cards and then made that joyous walk up and onboard.

 

Onboard we were lead directly to the nearest elevator bank where they had 1 elevator locked out for the purpose of transporting suite guests to deck 16 and the Haven. We arrived at the Haven lounge very quickly where we met Anoop (concierge) and his staff.

 

After a couple groups had arrived there was a quick intro by Anoop describing how our lives could be made so much easier this week, just ask. Our suites were not ready but we invited to go ahead and drop our carryons in them and then head to lunch in the Haven dining room as it would be open shortly.

 

I looked at my watch; it was now about 11:40 am. So far so good.

 

Before we headed to the Haven dining room I had an opportunity to check in with Anoop. I introduced myself and he immediately relayed that they had received my pre-cruise concierge requests.

 

I had my list of dining ressies out and he took that to his concierge desk which is in the entry hall to the Haven lounge. He cross checked all the dining requests and confirmed that they were all reserved and good to go. I briefly discussed show reservations and he confirmed that all we needed to do was let him or a member off his staff know what we wanted and they would take care of it.

 

With the business out of the way, we retreated to the Haven dining room for our first meal onboard .The space is well decorated, quiet and almost elegant. The service was quick and we were soon on our way to visit our suite after a relaxing lunch.

 

Our last NCL cruise with a dedicated Haven area was on the Epic in August 2010. We had sailed in an aft facing suite outside of the Haven which was located forward. I remembered my wife’s post cruise debrief where she made it clear that she would prefer closer access to the Haven area and pool over the aft view next time.

 

That in mind, I had reserved a 2 bedroom suite that was located on deck 16 port side and the suite entrance door was just forward of the entrance door that was just across the hall to the Haven pool area. You could not get any closer to the Haven pool entrance and pool area.

 

I purposely led the family from the Haven Lounge through the Haven pool area to the port side exit directly across from our suite. My wife immediately recognized the convenience and I got a few atta boys from her. That never happens.

 

I had been concerned that the location of our suite to the Haven access door might be too noisy with the door opening and shutting. That was not a problem. We never heard a sound.

 

Upon the entering the suite we were met with the largest space that we had ever had for our family of 5 for a cruise. Very well laid out and TONS of storage spaces. The suite had a table with 4 chairs and on it were baskets of fruit and various goodies.

 

It looked like the Butler and room steward had received my pre-cruise requests as well. The bar area contained a bottle of Red wine instead of the usual tasteless Brut that they deliver for sail-away. In addition, all the pop and beer had been removed from the fridge and replaced with our requests.

 

A little while later Anoop stopped by and asked if there was anything he could do and he pointed out that the wines had not all been delivered as we should have had 4 bottles as a result of the Suite, Latitudes and 1 from our agent. (They gave us extra Latitudes wine sine we had 5 plats in our suite)

 

My daughters claimed the smaller bedroom and bathroom as expected and my son immediately began inspecting the couch that was to be his bed for the week.

 

After everyone was done exploring our space we decided to go explore the ship but soon found that our luggage was being delivered and we ended up spending a relaxing afternoon in our suite unpacking and stowing until it was time for – The MUSTARD Drill. We managed to stow 6 of our 7 bags under the bed in the master bedroom. There was plenty of room under it.

 

I found the Getaway Mustard drill to be much more efficient as they used portable scanners to scan your cruise card as you entered and then directed you to have a seat in your section identified on a stand in the aisle. We attended in the Getaway theater. No life jackets required.

 

It was soon time for sail away so we all returned to our suite. From there, some of us fanned out to explore, some just hung in the suite. I headed off to our miniscule balcony for a couple shots and then headed off to deck 8 port side to take some shots as we slipped out of Miami.

 

I was not the only one in our family that noticed how quietly and effortlessly the Getaway silently slid out from her berth and then glided slowly out government cut. One minute we were tied up, the next we were sailing.

 

Dinner at Cagney’s was not until 7 pm so around 5 we all decided to wander around the top outside decks. The kids quickly found the ropes coursed and after getting tethered up, set out to explore it. They had great fun but were disappointed to find that the Plank had been locked off for no access for some reason. The weather was great and the seas were calm so there was no obvious reason.

 

Dinner at Cagney’s on cruise night one has developed to be one of our many cruise traditions. We left our cabin but not until we remembered to push the switch that illuminated a light outside our suite that let the room steward know we were ready for turn down.

 

We arrived at Cagney’s promptly at 7pm and were quickly seated. The food was excellent but the service at best was slow, confused and inconsistent. The restaurant was not even that busy so I was a bit perplexed. We have always had excellent experiences and service in Cagney’s on prior cruises. We finally left our table over 2.5 hours later……

 

We returned to our suite eventually after a casual walk about and found our comfy suite turned down and ready for us to turn in.

 

All in all, day one could have not gone any better.

 

My wife even recognized that and complimented me on how smoothly it went and that my plans had all been followed to the T. That never happens.

 

I went to bed that evening convinced that it was all downhill from here.

Something must be ready to go wrong.

 

Next Up – A couple lovely days at sea

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Imasima752

Imasima752

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Love the idea of a post cruise vacation as I find the more vacations we have, the longer I want them to be. Twice I got what I wished for, but at a price, which is why I always purchase travel insurance as well. DH and I went to Hawaii for our 5th anniversary and I ended up consuming way too much seafood the night before our departure. It was 3 more days and 4 bags of saline at the hospital before we could head home. Then in 2012, we went to Australia for our 10th anniversary and bright an early Christmas morning (2am) DH had to be taken to the hospital for what turned out to be a kidney stone. I highly recommend trip insurance for Australia as hospital and ambulance charges are expensive for foreigners. Anyway, after painkillers and the doctor stating he would pass the stone by the next day if not earlier, DH seemed fine and we enjoyed the rest of our trip. Unfortunately, a few days later… no sooner were we sitting in our business class seats and I was enjoying my mimosa, DH started having serious pains again. Takeoff ended up being delayed, as we had to get off the plane and take another ambulance to the hospital. I then had to scramble to find another hotel, which was not cheap or easy as it was just before New Years Eve in Sydney. In all, one kidney stone would have cost us an extra $5,000+ if not for trip insurance!

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DrNora

DrNora

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Hello, Zimomiller:

Thanks for the review and for sharing your lovely family with us. I was quite startled to see your wife , as she is the doppelgänger of a classmate of mine from my undergrad days.

 

Unless you are a neurosurgeon with the same last name as a popular Hollywood hunk, then she NOT the same person. But- WOW!!! I stared at the screen like an idiot wondering what Donna was doing on my iPad with 3 kids and a husband who,s name may or may not be "Zimomiller"-.....

 

 

Question- you state that the 2 br was the largest space the 5 of you have had cruising . We also have 3 kids, a tad younger than yours (. 15 , 15, 13 ) and have always had the 2br family villa on NCL or similar on other lines. What accommodations do you usually use for the 5 of you? Always looking for options.

 

And another question if I may- is the view bad to the outside from the living area via the odd window/ slider/wall combos that NCL has in these suites? I have seen pictures of about 10 different cabins , and none of the 2 bedroom seems to have a complete"

" wall of glass" in the living room . One reviewer compared it to being In an

inside cabin, but others have not cared and most have not even mentioned it. Do you have any thoughts on this?

 

I hope that your wife is all healed and was able to enjoy the cruise to the fullest

 

Thank you

 

Nora

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Zimomiller

Zimomiller

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Hello, Zimomiller:

Thanks for the review and for sharing your lovely family with us. I was quite startled to see your wife , as she is the doppelgänger of a classmate of mine from my undergrad days.

 

Unless you are a neurosurgeon with the same last name as a popular Hollywood hunk, then she NOT the same person. But- WOW!!! I stared at the screen like an idiot wondering what Donna was doing on my iPad with 3 kids and a husband who,s name may or may not be "Zimomiller"-.....

 

"Too funny. I better make sure I do not run into her by accident and say or do somerthing inappropriate....."

 

 

Question- you state that the 2 br was the largest space the 5 of you have had cruising . We also have 3 kids, a tad younger than yours (. 15 , 15, 13 ) and have always had the 2br family villa on NCL or similar on other lines. What accommodations do you usually use for the 5 of you? Always looking for options.

 

"We have been sailing in suites with connecting balcony staterooms for the most part. On the Pridfe of America we had an aft facing suite that held 5 and had two bedrooms but was not as well laid out and a bit smaller."

 

And another question if I may- is the view bad to the outside from the living area via the odd window/ slider/wall combos that NCL has in these suites? I have seen pictures of about 10 different cabins , and none of the 2 bedroom seems to have a complete"

" wall of glass" in the living room . One reviewer compared it to being In an

inside cabin, but others have not cared and most have not even mentioned it. Do you have any thoughts on this?

 

"We really never used the 9view to the outside. In our suite the layout for the door was actually pretty good. The size of the balcony is pretty small so we rarely used it. I will look and see if I have any pics. It really was not an issue."

 

I hope that your wife is all healed and was able to enjoy the cruise to the fullest

 

"Thanks, she has some lingerring issues that will take a year or so to mend. Just gotta remember to move slow and no sudden movements"

 

Thank you

 

Nora

 

See my responses after your questions above

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Zimomiller

Zimomiller

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So glad to seen your review; anxiously awaiting the next installment. Hope it continued to be "uneventful". Hope your wife is completely recovered. Was she in any pain on the cruise?

 

Thanks. Unfortunately, my wife continues to have some pain daily. Mainly if she moves too quickly or moves to/from an odd position. It will pass in time

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Zimomiller

Zimomiller

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A couple lovely days at sea!

 

Sunday and Monday are sea days on this itinerary. We love sea days. The ultimate in relaxation and no deadlines. Well, other than when the Haven dining room closes for breakfast, lunch or dinner!

 

The wife and I were the only ones ever up early enough to head to breakfast. College kids stay up till almost dawn and sleep to 2 pm if you let them. At least that is how mine function on land. On cruises, I make sure they are out of the room so that it can be cleaned.

 

After a quiet, service laden breakfast I headed off to the CC meet n greet that was organized by Karl (KJE Atlanta). He clearly put effort into this and it came off very well and was fairly well attended.

 

As usual there were several officers and department heads present to say a few words and introduce themselves. We were given flyers with their names and phone numbers so we could contact them in the event we had any issues. Nice touch. They made it very clear that they wanted us to come to them onboard when an issue arises so it can be dealt with immediately.

 

After the M&G there was a slot pull organized but I did not participate. I did watch and listen from my place at the blackjack table and a good time was had by all as they each walked away with $16 after buying in for $15.

 

After a back n forth morning and early pm at the BJ tables I wandered up to dine on sushi. The place was hoppin but I managed to find a space. The sushi was OK, nothing special. I have had better on other NCL cruises. The service was fine. I decided that I would not return this cruise. There were too many other options to choose from.

 

I would return to our suite now and then to see what was up and frequently it was empty. There is a mirror on the wall near the suite door that had a small shelf below it. We used that as a place to leave our onboard cards whenever we entered so we knew where they were. We also kept some post its and a pen so that we could leave each other as well as our room steward messages. That worked well.

 

I had decided to not use the iconcierge app onboard. I wanted to be untethered and unhooked from the rest of the world and my iPhone was the last thing I wanted to carry around. Mom was the only one that kept her phone at the ready as we needed to keep in touch with our housesitter, especially since she may need to leave due to her sister’s declining health.

 

During the week of our vacation post cruise Mom did receive a call Tuesday from our housesitter and she needed to leave immediately to travel to her sister as the Drs. gave her only a few days. She passed on the Saturday that we returned home. Our backup house sitter stepped in and picked up the care of our pets and home without any issues

 

Both sea-days were filled with lots of exploration, sunning, climbing and full use of the slides by my family. They loved the facilities but did not spend as much time out of the Haven complex as I thought they would. I frequently would return to find them lazing in the Haven pool and deck complex with their Mom.

 

My family raved about the special attention that they received in the Haven pool area. They would be constantly offered amenities like cool hand towels, fruits, and specialties from the kitchen, water. The staff was very attentive and friendly. They also had a station in the Haven near the pool that had drinks, coffee, pastries in the am, cookies etc. in the PM.

 

I did not have any fun in the casino. NCL casinos at sea have some of the worst rules for BJ to further heighten the house edge and they use auto-shuffle machines that also take away and ebb and flow to benefit the players. The only way to get dealt from a shoe was to play $50 a hand. I heard constant complaining across the board by BJ and slot players all week. My advice, stay away from the NCL casinos. I managed to drop very few dollars NCL’s way over the week by judicious play and following my own rules on when to stay and play vs leave and flee.

 

The smoke was not as bad in the casino on this cruise as others have complained about. As I recall, it was much worse on the Epic.

 

They also had a fairly nice drink and eats station in the casino where you could grab a sweet or a sandwich, coffee, water etc. There was also a sink and towel dispenser. Unfortunately the crew assigned to cleaning this space were insufficient or too inattentive for the pigs that frequently trashed that area.

 

I returned to our suite around 5 that afternoon Sunday as I had arranged a surprise for my son. It was lobster night so I asked our Butler to bring a plate fill of tails up at 6pm as an appetizer before dinner. About 6 the doorbell rang and in came the Butler with 2 plates of tails. He decided to bring extras as they were small. My son and I were very happy. The girls are not seafood eaters so they ignored us.

spd63b.jpg

 

All our dinners for the week were set up for 7 pm. Dinner Sunday evening was our first visit to Le Bistro. We had 12 free meals in Le Bistro as a result of the 5 of us having platinum status on NCL. As a result we had made plans to dine in Le Bistro on the last evening as well. These free meals also came with several bottles off complimentary wine and we managed to find a wine that we all liked

 

The Getaway Le Bistro was very nice and we had a terrific meal as always. The staff was attentive and met all our requests with speed. My youngest daughter adores their French onion soup and usually asks for a second. This time I had a surprise for her as I had spoken to our waiter when she was distracted and arranged for a third to arrive as well as she finished the second. The timing was perfect and the look on her face priceless. She managed to eat that as well.

 

One of our crew’s favorite Le Bistro desserts is the chocolate fondue for 2. If you have a chance, try it as they are tasty. The fun for me is watching the family argue about trading various fruits etc. to dip. Our waiter was great as he brought more of their dipping favs to complete the dessert.

 

Dinner Monday was in the Haven dining room. The food and service were terrific. We could have dined there every evening in a quiet unrushed atmosphere but I knew my crew wanted to move around. The menu does not change but there is always a daily special or two and it was pretty clear that requests would be accommodated where possible.

 

Our cruising style has evolved over the years and we no longer attend many if any of the onboard shows or entertainment. The girls went to Legally Blonde one evening but they were unimpressed. We went to Howl at the Moon a couple evenings but the current entertainers while talented musicians were not very good singers and their style left something to be desired. Much different than our experiences in Howl onboard the Epic.

 

Our seadays were everything we wanted them to be. Fun, unstressed relaxation.

Tomorrow was our first Port of Call so we all managed to crash at a reasonable hour as everyone knew that we would be up at 8.

 

Up next - $$$T Maarten

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Zimomiller

Zimomiller

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Things are fine!

 

Had a computer problem and I lost all my pics and several installments of my review that I had written.

 

Just have not found the time to reload the pics from cards and take on the task of rewriting the review.

 

But I will

Edited by Zimomiller
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Planmaam

Planmaam

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Things are fine!

 

Had a computer problem and I lost all my pics and several installments of my review that I had written.

 

Just have not found the time to reload the pics from cards and take on the task of rewriting the review.

 

But I will

 

So glad to hear from you that all is well (computer problems excepting). Thanks for the update; we don't have to worry now! :D

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