First time NCL Getaway Review 2/21-2/28

[apmecruise]

Great review!

[LeahH]

Great review Leah, we have been 3 times on the Breakaway (Getaway's twin sister ship) and we love it, now we are going to try the Escape and the Getaway next November. Not trying to hijack your review but i wanna comment in a few of your postings since you stated you are writing mostly with the first time cruisers in mind.

 

I was pleasantly surprised at how many hangers were in the closet (maybe 15?)

 

you really do not need to bring hangers (as other reviews suggested), you just need to ask your steward and they will bring you more. Same thing with the robes if is not one in your closet if you are in a balcony cabin.

 

A water bottle

 

you can bring a whole case of water, even soda and juices, and they will treat it as a piece of luggage, just attach one of the luggage tags and drop it curb side with the rest of your luggage. Water will be delivered last after all the luggage has been delivered.

 

AC seemed a little temperamental and would randomly switch itself on and off

 

I wish you have told your steward, she would have showed you what yo need to do, is not temperamental, you just needed to lock the door. As you noticed, and this is for the first timers, you will see a knob on the top of the balcony door (i think is the kids' security lock) and also tighten the door, it needs to be lock everytime the door is lock if you want the AC to work properly, if not or if you want to sleep with the door open, the AC will shut off after 5 minutes.

 

I'm assuming you'd get less space on the starboard side?

Balcony space has nothing to do with which side of the ship you are on, is the different cabin types.

 

When you order drinks you get a regular check showing the value of the drinks and the automatic gratuity but then the value of the drinks is removed from your onboard account.

 

I know you already cleared this info, and is the same for the UDP (dinning package). we talked to the food and beverage manager on the BA last cruise and he asked the restaurant manager about the tips on the specialty restaurants and she told us the tips are built into the price of the package, regardless if you buy it or you get it included with your cruise fare. tipping extra is discretionary for either the UBP or UDP.

 

and the most important thing, about the Casino, KEEP THAT CARD THE CASINO HOST GAVE YOU, is the door to your next free cruise (you only pay taxes and fees). we are CAS (casinos at sea) players and we always get our cruises comped. i just booked our 3rd one for this year yesterday. with that many points you and your DH made yo probably will get at least a minisuite, and i would ask for either the H9 (SPA SUITE) OR at least the B9 or M9 which will give you free access to the spa all cruise long (on the Breakaway class and BA + class). it seems like you made VIP in a week, which is pretty good for casino standards, so take advantage of it. when you call the CAS phone number you can ask which level you are and then you will know your benefits, here is the link for the CAS program

 

http://www.ncl.com/why-cruise-norwegian/casino-cruise

 

looking forward to continue reading your review. :):)

 

No hijack/offense taken! Thanks for the input!

 

Water bottle mostly suggested as I couldn't imagine bringing cases of water onboard with us. I know you can get them delivered to your pre-cruise hotel from Amazon or buy from local drugstore though if that's something you want to do :)

 

We knew how to lock the door and the AC would work fine and then would just randomly turn itself off (even when it was still really hot) - good suggestion on asking our room steward to check it out!

 

Space on starboard side - doh! My typo! I think I was thinking about the sunsets/sun on the post side and meant to write sun on the starboard side and instead wrote space. Silly me! I loved being able to watch the sunset and also to sit out in the sun in the afternoon in our port cabin and so I assumed you wouldn't get this on the other side.

 

Thanks for the casino info! :)

[LeahH]

Thanks russianmom!

1stTimeRoyal - I believe the points are assigned (when you're playing black jack) based on the length of time you're playing and also the average bet you're making. He spent a few hours in the high roller room (minimum bet $100/hand) most days. Hope that helps!

teseo - thanks again for your input

rogue35 - it was a decent chunk of change but similar in practice to most of the Vegas hotels where they'll comp you dinners/stays or even refund a bunch of money off your invoice

margie1221 - thanks! and thank you again for organising the meet and greet and for steve with the slot pull!

bradleyk and apmecruise - thanks for reading!

 

Day 4 - St Maarten - Tuesday

 

Flamingo Grill for breakfast

• We'd previously enjoyed the Garden Cafe for breakfast but felt like a change of scenery
  
• Good pre-made breakfast sandwiches (egg, cheddar, bacon etc) available
  
• Also happy to see bagels, excellent smoked salmon, all sorts of flavored cream cheese, capers and lemons
  
• If you like a huge selection for breakfast then Garden Cafe is the better option but the Flamingo Grill is a great option. We didn't try any of the dining rooms for breakfast.
  

 

St Maarten

• I'll skip going into depth other than saying we took a 20 minute taxi to Maho beach (my Mom and husband really wanted to see the planes fly in), $9 per person.
  
• Maho beach was crazy packed. We hung out at Sunset bar (free wifi) and waited for the KLM 747 to come in (use the free wifi to track it on http://www.KLM.com). We arrived around 11:30am, it was almost impossible to get a seat after 12 noon. If you're into planes it's pretty awesome.
  

 

Spa

• I'd booked into the spa for one of the $149 75-minute specials
  
• My usual day spa encourages you to arrive early and enjoy a relaxation area on arrival but we just sat in the (busy) reception
  
• The therapist was just the right amount of welcoming and then quiet (awesome as I just wanted to relax)
  
• Massage was super relaxing with fairly light pressure
  
• Mini facial was good
  
• Scalp and foot massage was more of an afterthought
  
• After I got dressed the therapist asked me to sit while she wrote out some recommended products for me but it didn't feel like a super hard sell
  
• While I was waiting for my appointment (around 15 minutes or so) I could see a lady with long hair getting a blow-out and it looked amazing
  
• My husband had his hair cut with the barber and was pleased with his ($45) cut
  If I remember correctly there were various spa specials announced in the dailies from Day 2 - 5
  

 

Ocean Blue

• Ocean Blue? Oh so good! I had such an outstanding dinner with my husband that we decided to cancel our reservation at Cagney's for the last night (we'd already eaten there early in the week) and come to Ocean Blue again and bring my parents. I'll combine thoughts from both dinners here to avoid two overlapping reviews.
  
• The restaurant looked kind of open/in the middle of stuff so I wondered about the atmosphere/ambience but the dining experience was lovely. It felt intimate and quiet and the tables were nicely spaced.
  
• Waterfront dining is an option if you'd like to eat outside
  
• The wine list has some really great options, we decided on a bottle of champagne to accompany our oysters from the Raw Bar
  
• Ocean Blue isn't included in the UDP, it's $39.99 per person but you get a 20% discount if you have the UDP
  
• The menu allows you to choose one appetizer, one entree and one dessert from the menu along with one side. Most of the entrees come with at least one additional side too. There didn't seem to be too much flexibility with the menu - my dad asked if he could skip the broccoli for crispy potatoes (mentioned as part of another entree) but this wasn't allowed
  
• Our waitress Edelyne was wonderful
  

• From left to right above:
  
• We're lucky enough to have a home in Maine so we eat more than our fair share of oysters, seafood and lobster and Ocean Blue didn't disappoint. We enjoyed Raspberry Point and Beau Soleil oysters (sadly the Raspberry Points had run out by the last night). The oysters were fabulous - fresh and clean and just a hint of the ocean.
  
• Tuna crudo was just perfect with just the right amount of acidity and tiny diced avocado topping.
  
• The raw salmon dish (name escaping me) was my husband's favorite.
  
• We added an order of the Serrano cured ham which was just fabulous - wafer wafer thin and so flavorful.
  
• Warm bread was OK, tasted a little on the sweet side but I loved that the butter was ready to spread
  
• Steak tartar was deemed a big hit
  
• Calamari (not pictured was perfectly crispy and not at all chewy
  
• Mussels Tom Ka Gai were plump and fresh, the coconut broth was delicious but watch out for the red chilis which packed a big hit of heat!
  
• The fried chickpea appetizer with frisee salad and champagne vinaigrette had great crispy and crunchy texture.
  

 

• Onto the entrees (from left to right above), excellent sea bass!
  
• Chilled beans (one of the side dish options) were a little weird but also kind of tasty. They had a hint of chili and spice. The other side dish (forgot to photograph it) was charred broccoli. Opinions were split on this, I loved it but others at the table didn't.
  
• Dover sole with a lemon caper sauce was just perfect. It was filleted and was a very generous size.
  
• The little black pot of rice that accompanied the Dover sole was fragrant with a hint of curry and flaky almonds on top
  
• Lobster risotto was rich with generous chunks of lobster meat and the rice was perfectly creamy
  
• I love cheese after dinner and the selection of three cheeses with accompanying quince, fig paste and candied nuts blew every sweet option away in my mind. A Sandemans port makes the perfect match!
  
• Apple strudel with Cheddar cheese was another popular option
  
• Tiny little petits fours finished off dinner (they were a little bland but couldn't detract from the array of amazing food we'd enjoyed!)
  

 

Fireworks

Just a couple of pictures as I wanted to actually enjoy the fireworks vs. look at them through the lens of the camera

You can watch the fireworks on any port balcony, Deck 8 waterfront (port) or any of the top open deck areas (port). There's an 80's party (neon clothes encouraged) at the same time which we didn't attend but it was fun to see the fireworks set off in time with the music - purple fireworks with Prince's purple rain!

 

Howl at the Moon

Immediately after the fireworks we made our way to Howl at the Moon figuring it might be a little quieter and we could get seats. Great show, especially when the pianist from The Grammy Performance played a couple of songs. If you want a song played be prepared to tip generously.

 

Next up:

Day 5 - St Thomas and Teppanyaki plus O'Sheehans food and bowling and The Grammy Experience

Day 6 - Le Bistro and the Ice Bar

Day 7 - disembarkation, final thoughts and copy and paste of my giant list of tips I made from previous Getaway reviews.

Feel free to comment/ask questions

[margie1221]

Loving your review!!

 

Can't wait for our next cruise!!

Edited March 5, 2015 by margie1221

[Mama2girlz]

Loving your review!

[sue402001]

Can't wait to read more Leah!

[wibeachbum]

Enjoying your review... can't wait for more!

[margie1221]

Leah - we're waiting somewhat impatiently for you to return - ha ha!! Your pictures are terrific. I thought about doing a review but between you, David and Jack I think I'll just chime in here and there about our week if that's OK??!!

 

Here we are in the Cigah Bah - met some great people in they-ah - Stevie exchanged cigars from his private stash for drinks with a few guys AND gals - worked out well for me!! Picture is a little fuzzy - I think we were too!!

 

[stairman]

Leah your review is fantastic I believe that you could make a career out of this you are a true cruise critic. Do you have any photos of your room and balcony you could post we are sailing in November in 8128 a few doors down.

[LeahH]

Thanks for reading and for the kind words margie1221, Mama2girlz, sue402001, wibeachbum

Margie - love the picture in the cigar bar! You guys look super happy!

Stairman - thanks! I was being lazy so didn't take as many pictures of the cabin, public areas as possible (I feel fairly strongly that when you're looking through the lens of your camera or cell phone that you're not truly in the moment) but let me check and see if I can find any. The room was great and the extra space on the balcony was lovely.

 

Sorry for the delay in the next update! I was traveling back from Miami yesterday and didn't open up my computer! Back in snowy New England now...

 

Day 5 - St Thomas - Wednesday

 

St Thomas

• We're not really beach people so we figured we'd just check out the downtown area. Sometimes I think there's this "we must get off the ship" kind of feeling that you get in port and on our next cruise unless there's something I really want to do I think I might just enjoy the quieter time onboard!
  
• Excellent taxi services (I think government controlled) - kind of like pick up trucks with rows of seating in the back. We hopped into one of these taxi trucks to go downtown (right in the port there's a Senor Frogs and also a little shopping area so you could walk there if you really want to) - $4 per person.
  
• They take the money for downtown people as you leave the port and then passengers going to other areas (Magen's Bay for example) pay at the end
  
• Downtown is pretty with lots of cute little alleyways and tons of shopping options. Lots of really great jewelry stores (high end brands esp. watches and very good prices).
  
• We were a bit confused about how to find the taxi to bring us back, there's a big open air parking lot kind of around the back of the flea market. We jumped on one in town and then he brought us to the parking lot and found a "Getaway" taxi truck for us
  

 

O'Sheehans for lunch and bowling

• Our initial attempt to have lunch at O'Sheehans was aborted due to very limited waitstaff on embarkation day but we thought we'd give it another try today.
  
• O'Sheehans is midship on deck 7 and it's an Irish themed bar and restaurant. There's a sort of regular restaurant over to the side (The Grill) and then there's lots of high tops/bar seating/seating around "the horseshoe" balcony that overlooks the atrium (great spot for watching the various entertainment shoes they offer)
  
• The service seems better/faster in the grill with less waitstaff serving the high tops in the general bar area
  
• There's one pool table, a couple of dart boards and a bunch of video games.
  
• Around the back of O'Sheehans is the bowling area - two lanes of candlepin-type bowling
  
• We'd heard lots of great stuff about the chicken wings so got an order of wings along with the fish and chips (served with 3 little pots of mushy peas, tartar sauce and coleslaw) and a cheeseburger.
  
• 
  
• Wings were good
  
• My husband thoroughly enjoyed his burger
  
• The french fries were fabulous (and you can find malt vinegar if you want it!)
  
• The fish was really tasty but I found the batter to be a little heavy (see picture below showing fairly thick batter - although this is very much a personal preference thing!)
  
• We ended up eating here again for lunch on another day and I ordered the fish and chips again and just ate the fish minus the batter.
  
• 
  
• Not pictured was the chicken pot pie which was a little underwhelming and didn't seem to have much chicken (but maybe we just got a chicken-lite one!)
  
• We travel a lot (in the US and elsewhere) and it's almost inevitable that my husband finds an Irish bar to hang out in for at least one night (we've visited Irish bars all over the US, Japan, Australia, various European countries not to mention Ireland!) and so I assumed we'd probably spend a lot of time in O'Sheehans
  
• I'd read a lot of reviews talking about how much fun it is to sit around the horseshow balcony with drinks and watch the various shows
  
• There's almost always something happening in the atrium (shows, gameshows, kids activities, movie etc) and O'Sheehans is a great location if you want to watch with a drink but if you don't want to watch then the noise of the atrium activities can be a little distracting if you just want to hang out
  
• I was somewhat surprised that if we wanted a drink we found ourselves drawn to the Waterfront bars instead, it was so relaxing to sit outside with a drink and hear the sound of the ocean
  
• We did however spend a fair chunk of change bowling in O'Sheehans!
  
• 
  
• There are two lanes for bowling - kind of like candlepin (the pins and the bowling balls are smaller than standard ten pin bowling)
  
• You swipe your card and you'll be charged $5 for each swipe. So if we were both playing that's $10 for a game. We played a couple of times with my parents and figured it was easier to just have 2 players ($10) and play doubles.
  
• You don't need any special shoes
  
• There's a nifty little button on the top of the area where you get the balls which you can use to raise/lower bumpers to stop your balls going in the gutter (great for kids or for terrible bowlers like me)
  
• It's a lot of fun and I'd highly recommend trying the bowling at least once
  
• If you're watching money you could even just do one swipe ($5) and take it in turns and do your own score calculations
  
• There's a pool table in O'Sheehans but it was remarkable hard to play as the motion of the ship makes a difference to the way the pool balls move!
  
• Overall O'Sheehans is a nice relaxed location, it's one of the complimentary dining locations and the food is generally pretty good. It would have been good to have more staff in the general bar area (especially on embarkation day)
  

 

Pool areas/sitting out

After lunch I thought I'd like to sit out and read my book for a little while. I wanted shade so found a nice area on Deck 16 kind of near the Flamingo Grill.

Spice H2O was another good area for hanging out during the day and the waterfalls are lovely to cool off under

The general pool area (deck 15) always looked super busy/kind of noisy which would be great if you're looking for more of a crazy fun atmosphere

If I'd wanted to sit out a bunch I would have probably tried to get a pass to Vibe (I had a skin cancer removed a few years ago though so I'm not big on sun exposure anymore!)

 

Dinner at Teppanyaki

• I'd read that reservations at Teppanyaki could be a little hard to come by so I booked our reservation on MyNCL before we sailed.
  
• Our reservation was at 8pm and when we arrived we had to sit outside the restaurant for maybe 10-15 minutes
  
• Entering the restaurant I was kind of overwhelmed with the noise, we have a of Teppanyaki restaurants near us and so I knew not to expect a romantic/quiet dinner but the volume levels were definitely maxed out!
  
• The tables seat 8 people on either side (16 people around 2 grill areas) and there's usually a little conversation with people on either side of you (so if you're super anti-social this might not be the ideal dinner location)
  
• Drink orders were taken - there's a couple of signature cocktails, I tried the Wasabi cocktail which was basically a lychee martini, good but on the sweet side, I switched to wine after one
  
• Orders were taken for the entree and dessert course at the beginning of dinner.
  
• Everyone is brought a bowl of miso soup (good) and salad with ginger dressing (also really good).
  
• My mom isn't very good with chopsticks so they kindly brought her a fork and also a pair of kid's chopsticks (they're hinged together with a little roll and elastic band - great for kids or if you struggle with chopsticks)
  
• The entree options are listed as Chicken & Udon noodles, Vegetables & Udon noodles, Seafood (lobster, scallops, calamari), Filet mignon, Vegetable, Chicken & Shrimp, Filet & Shrimp, Steak & Chicken, Scallops & Shrimp.
  
• There didn't seem to be any issues making up your own combination or adding items.
  
• My husband and I ordered filet and lobster (not listed as a combination but no issue) and my dad ordered filet and shrimp and asked for lobster also.
  
• You're asked how you'd like your filet cooked when ordering
  
• Once everyone has eaten their soup and salad the chef comes out and does a bunch of knife throwing/chopping/sautéing with a lot of jokes, singing, clapping etc. It's entertaining and incredibly noisy.
  
• Garlic fried rice is made in front of you and served in a generously sized little bowl, everyone was asked if they'd like an additional serving
  
• Everyone received a nice stack of sautéed vegetables (onion, carrot, zucchini/courgette) covered in a garlic butter sauce
  
• The filet was excellently cooked and the lobster was tender (a full lobster tail per order)
  
• There were 2 dipping sauces offered - an onion sauce and a creamy mustard sauce. I was a little sad there was no ginger sauce (although I dare say they would have found me some if I'd asked)
  
• The flavors were good but basically everything was heavily seasoned/cooked with huge amounts of butter, soy sauce and garlic. I didn't see any other Asian flavors/ingredients used - ginger or other spices. We played a little blackjack after dinner and felt we needed to apologize to our dealer for the garlic fumes. The next day we were still breathing/feeling super garlicky. Just a heads up - if you're traveling as a couple and only one of you eats here, the other would likely need to stay away from you for 2 days until the garlic wears off!
  
• To summarize, this is a good Teppanyaki restaurant. If you don't have a Teppanyaki restaurant near you then I'd definitely eat here - it's an entertaining experience, great for kids with all of the knife throwing/fire shows. The quality of the meat/lobster was excellent.
  
• If you have a great Teppanyaki restaurant near you then you could skip this for another one of the specialty restaurants. If you don't like garlic or noise then I'd also skip this one
  
• 
  
• Clockwise from top left - Wasabi (lychee) martini, vegetable stacks, lobster tails on the grill, generous perfectly cooked medium filet, garlic rice and lobster tail.
  

 

The Grammy Experience

• We'd visited Howl at the Moon on the previous evening and the piano player from the Grammy Experience had played a couple of songs. The difference in skill level was kind of amazing so we thought we'd check out the Grammy show.
  
• I'll admit that earlier in the week I'd looked at the listings and after seeing "harmonica" I'd been all "Meh - let's skip it" - that was incredibly stupid of me.
  
• Let's just say that after we saw the show we ended up going back to BOTH shows the next night and also on the final night.
  
• Sugar Blue and the musicians playing in his band are ridiculously talented and regardless of your music preferences you're really missing out if you don't check out The Grammy Experience
  
• The room is fun to check out with all sorts of music memorabilia in glass display cases.
  
• There were enough waitstaff that you didn't have to wait an hour to get a drink (yay!)
  
• It's an intimate performance where you're sitting just feet from the stage.
  
• I'd recommend checking out a show towards the beginning of your cruise so you can go again later in the week if you like it. I don't believe you need reservations (we didn't have reservations any time).
  
• Get there a few minutes before show time and you'll be able to snag a table right at the edge of the stage. Although if you plan on chatting then it might be more polite to stay at the back of the room. At one of the shows we attended there was a group of maybe 4 people in front of us who talked/chatted the whole time. Not only was it annoying it also seemed kind of disrespectful to the musicians
  
• Sugar Blue is an amazing performer - he makes a harmonica sound like nothing else and he also sings. The other members in the band also take their turns doing piano and guitar solos.
  
• Each of the 4 shows we attended was different, the first one (I think the later show time) was high-energy and upbeat with a funny narrative from Sugar Blue in between songs. The second one (I think the earlier time) was more intimate and acoustic with the band sitting down. One of the Illusionarium magicians was at the third show and did a couple of little surprise tricks in between songs which was unexpected and pretty fun
  
• If I had just one "must-do" on the Getaway it would be "Go to The Grammy Experience!"
  
• 
  
• A quick picture during the more acoustic show we enjoyed. See slightly annoying cell phone light on the right - it was like a super bright light shining directly at Sugar Blue while someone recorded cell phone video for over 5 minutes)
  

 

It was an incredibly clear night so we ordered a nightcap at the Sunset bar and enjoyed it on the loungers on our balcony

 

Next up:

Le Bistro and the Ice Bar

Disembarkation and a summary of all sorts of Getaway tips and suggestions compiled from tons of reviews

Thanks for reading!!!

[Mirrasi]

Awesome!

 

And good to know I can get filet and lobster. Im all over that.:D

[nessylee]

Love your review. Our first cruise will be in October

.

[Windy56]

What a fantastic review. We just arrived home today after two weeks on the Getaway in a Haven Spa cabin. Shocked to learn that the ship is sailing back to Miami tonight because of problems with the propeller. I know there were problems with one of the generators last week while we were on the ship. I feel terrible for the passengers. What a shame.

 

Anyway, back to your review. I just love your thorough approach and the bullet style you've used. What an excellent resource for people who have booked a cruise on this ship. I was thinking of posting a review thread later in the week focusing on different features of the ship and addressing what I liked and didn't like. However, I think it might be redundant after your very comprehensive summary of your cruise!

 

Happy future sailings to you and your family!

[MrBrando]

Thank you so much for your review! I have a question for you: when you described your experience of the UBP, you mentioned that the price of each drink was taken off of the bill but the gratuities remained. This is the first that I am hearing this. So, you had to pay the gratuity on each of your drinks? (I don't mean the extra that you decided to give on your own). I thought that the whole cost of each drink, including gratuity, was covered under the UBP. Am I mistaken about this?

 

Gratuity is also included. I just got off the ship with the UBP. Unless you leave an extra tip, its all taken care of.

[Obiedawg]

Thank you, MrBrando. I was going to ask the same question about gratuity on the UBP. Thank you, Leah, for taking the time to share your experience with us. You are providing a lot of useful information I plan to use when we board in October.

[TrinaLC]

OP:

 

I'm pretty sure that the Sunset Bar is the designated smoking bar/area. We avoided that bar for that reason, had no issues with smokers at any of the other bards.

[LeahH]

Mirrasi - the lobster (with the filet) was excellent at Teppanyaki (the lobster risotto at Ocean Blue was also lovely

Nessylee - have a blast on the Getaway in October

Windy56 - two weeks in the Haven - heaven!!! You should write a review too! Each review is just one person's opinion/experience so more reviews are always good!

Seguetocaribe - sorry for any confusion. Yes - the gratuity along with the price of the drink was refunded with UBP, my mistake!! I tried to edit the original post but it won't let me. I added an update further down

MrBrando - thanks for clarifying that gratuity is included with UBP

Obiedawg - thanks for reading!

 

Day 6 & 7 - At Sea & Nassau

 

I'll combine these two days as I've already discussed our final dinner at Ocean Blue in an earlier post. We also ate lunch at Shanghai again (covered earlier)

 

One of my favorite things about the Getaway was that there was a ton of stuff to do if you wanted to (shows, ropes, mini golf, origami classes, tours, movies etc) but it's also a great ship on which to just relax and do nothing at all.

 

I had great intentions to do lots of stuff but more often than not I could be found curled up on a comfortable chair in the shade on the waterfront with a cocktail in hand enjoying a great book.

 

On Day 6, my husband spent an activity packed afternoon with my dad - a game of pool, more bowling, mini golf, the basketball courts and the video arcade.

 

A word of warning about the video arcade, everything is usually $1/swipe and gets you just one quick credit. I'd be very careful about letting your kids head up there with a card - you could easily blow through a ton of money in just 15 minutes.

 

Deal or No Deal

• My Mom is a big Deal or No Deal fan and asked me to go to one of the shows with her
  
• It's in the main theatre
  
• You buy a $20 card if you want to play
  
• One member of the audience is chosen to come down onto the stage and play a live game for actual money (up to $1000)
  
• The audience members play along with the live game, opening the cases on the game card. If the amounts on your card match the amounts on the screen you can win various prizes ranging from a free photo to a free cruise to $5000. A bunch of people won free photos and we saw a couple of people win $200.
  
• Once the game is over, you "close" all of the cases on your card and another game is played so you get two games per card
  
• Cruise Director JC hosts and it's fun if you're into this kind of thing
  
• 
  

 

Dinner at Le Bistro

• We were excited to eat at Le Bistro having read all of the great reviews and we weren't disappointed
  
• The dress code is pants/collared shirt for guys and dress/skirt/smart pants for ladies. No shorts.
  
• The atmosphere was cozy and romantic
  
• We were seated by the window which I loved as we had a direct view to people posing for pictures on the stairs for the photographer, awesome for people watching
  
• There was also an option to sit "outside" Le Bistro but this area is a thoroughfare for the ship/busy with people waiting for Teppanyaki/getting pictures taken so we asked to sit inside
  
• Link to the Le Bistro menu on NCL here
  
• 
  
• From left to right starting on the top row:
  
• Mussels in a pernod sauce were amazing. We had a heated discussion ;) about whether the best mussels were in Le Bistro or in Ocean Blue, Ocean Blue won by a hair but they were really great in both restaurants
  
• I ordered the four cornets, I was super excited about them and they looked beautiful. Two were delicious (pear & blue cheese and salad Provençal), one was OK (smoked chicken salad) and I really didn't like the last one with the duck confit (I didn't think it was actually duck confit, it seemed to be the same duck used in the salad gourmande which was a piece of smoked duck breast)
  
• Scallops were great, the eggplant and pine nuts made for an interesting flavor combination
  
• One of the casino dealers had told us that we MUST get the escargot and so my Mom ordered them and raved about them. She'd never had escargot before but she raved about them. She said the texture was a little like a delicate mushroom and the garlic butter was just perfect
  
• Salad gourmande with smoked duck didn't have any fans on our table, the texture and flavor of the duck wasn't great
  
• Do you ever get the feeling that you've just been eating too much? I had that feeling by the time we got to Le Bistro and so I decided I'd skip my entree and just get an appetizer. Best move ever as I chose the Four Mushroom soup. This was hands down the best mushroom soup I've ever eaten, actually probably in the top five of all soups I've ever eaten. It was rich and hearty (so might actually be a little filling as an appetizer) and was the perfect choice for dinner! If you like mushroom soup then this is a must have!
  
• My Mom chose the rosemary pork tenderloin with calvados cream sauce and said it was incredibly tender and tasty
  
• I rounded out my dinner of multiple appetizers with the sampling of cheeses plate and it was divine. The Roquefort rolled into a little ball wasn't great but the Camembert made up for it. It was the kind of perfectly ripe Camembert you want to just dive into. Delicious
  
• My husband and dad ordered the 32oz rib eye for two, it was carved tableside, they thoroughly enjoyed it, the meat was perfectly cooked, nicely marbled and delicious
  
• Creme brulee was silky smooth with a perfect crunchy top
  
• Vanilla, lemon and caramel profiteroles were delicious
  
• Le Bistro is worth every penny of the $20 upcharge to dine here
  
• My parents enjoyed a cocktail and wine by the glass (all included in the UBP) and my husband and I enjoyed a bottle of Schramsberg (an excellent Napa sparkling wine)
  

 

 

Nassau

• The downtown area didn't seem that great, we walked around for 15 minutes and then just decided to get back on board and have a lazy day. The shopping options in St Maarten or St Thomas seemed like a better option
  
• My parents decided to walk to the fish fry area (they're nuts! it was SO hot and it was maybe 1.5-2 miles out) and they didn't really rate it.
  
• The service was friendly but disorganized and incredibly slow (my parents are pretty relaxed but even they thought that 45 minutes to get a drink and 90 minutes to get food was excessive). So go only if you're totally cool with very relaxed service.
  
• On the way to the fish fry they noticed a couple of really great beaches within 0.5mile and they said they'd stop at one of those in the future.
  I really wanted to try a "Skyjuice" but we couldn't find anywhere as we walked (ah well, just have to go back!)
  
• The Getaway from the port in Nassau
  
• 
  

 

Finally - someone asked me if I had any pictures of our cabin (8136 M6 Mini suite with larger balcony), sorry, I only have this crappy picture with all our stuff all over the place - hope that helps! The room was lovely when it was tidy! On the right is the view from the balcony

 

Next up - disembarkation and final thoughts/what we'd do differently next time and a mammoth list of tips and suggestions!

[LeahH]

Oops - forgot Ice Bar. I'll do Ice Bar and Disembarkation together and then summarize in a final post.

 

Ice Bar

• The Svedka vodka and Inniskillin ice bar is on deck 8 and opens at 5:30pm each evening
  
• You can wander up to the desk and make a reservation for the same night (or call earlier)
  
• It's $20 to enter (not included in UBP) and that price includes 2 drinks
  
• I'd read about how it was highly recommended to wear socks/shoes when entering but like an idiot I just happened to have on flip flops when we went
  
• You don large capes with hoods and a pair of gloves but having feet in thin sandals/flip flops is REALLY not a good idea.
  
• You go through a couple of doors and there's an ice throne (with an ice alligator coming out of it), some wall carvings and the ice bar.
  
• There are 5 alcoholic drinks:
  
• Tropicana: SVEDKA citron vodka, triple sec, lemon juice
  
• Carmen Miranda: SVEDKA vodka, peach liquor, orange juice
  
• Sittin' on the Dock of Biscayne Bay: SVEDKA citron vodka, Inniskillin Icewine, lemon-lime soda
  
• Blue Caribbean: Inniskillin Icewine, SVEDKA vodka, blue curacao, club soda
  
• Key Largo Colada: SVEDKA colada, campari, sweet vermouth, orange syrup.
  
   
  
• And two non-alcoholic drinks:
  
• Sting Ray, made of strawberry puree, pineapple juice and lemon juice
  
• Parrot Island, made of orange juice, vanilla ice cream and milk
  
• We ordered a Blue Caribbean (pictured above - I wouldn't recommend this) and a Tropicana (I would recommend this - nicely citron-y and not overly sweet)
  
• We were in the ice bar for maybe 5-10 minutes tops mostly due to my silly choice of shoes
  
• It's a fun thing to do if you've never visited an ice bar
  

 

Disembarkation

• Breakfast is available at the Garden Cafe buffet (6-9am), Savor (6:30-9am), and O'Sheehans (5:30-9am)
  
• Mini bars are locked and I believe room service finishes at midnight
  
• If you have a credit card on file you don't need to go to guest services, you get a print out of your final statement delivered to your room
  
• If you have any pictures you want to buy I'd get them on the final night, the photo gallery is open 7-9am but you have to pay 7% FL sales tax
  
• If you choose to get a USB flash drive of your pictures it'll be delivered to your room (hanging on door handle) during the night
  
• If you've bought any liquor at any port it's delivered to your cabin on Friday
  
• If you can carry all of your luggage without help then I'd highly recommend the walk off disembarkation.
  
• You're first off the ship (I think they made the announcement around 7:45am) and you don't have to put your cases outside at midnight/wait for them at baggage claim
  
• 
  
• The elevators are CRAZY on the final day, it's a mix of people trying to go to breakfast and people trying to get to Deck 7 with their luggage for walk-off embarkation
  
• We waited for maybe 3 or 4 elevators but they were all full so we just carried them down the stairs (easy if you're on Deck 8 but harder if you're higher up)
  
• We were told to form a line in O'Sheehans but then we were told there was no line at the back of the ship near the theatre.
  
• We dragged out cases through the casino towards the theatre and walked off the ship (remember you'll need your key card to get off)
  
• Customs/immigration was a breeze and we were in a taxi by maybe 8:05am
  
• I would always limit our luggage so we could do the walk-off embarkation in the future
  
• Sadly there was an elderly couple in front of us who seemed a little confused. They'd done walk-off embarkation but when we got to customs they were all "Hey! Where is our luggage?" so I'm not sure if they'd left it on the ship or if they were supposed to wait until their luggage tag color was announced
  
• Taxis were plentiful at the time we got off the ship
  

 

Next up - final thoughts and an epic list of tips and suggestions! Thanks for reading!

[LeahH]

Thanks for reading/commenting! I hope this has been helpful to at least a couple of people. Remember it's just one person's opinion/experience! This is a loooong post with lots of words and no pictures but there's a lot of good stuff here!

 

MY FINAL THOUGHTS

 

Would we sail on the Getaway again? Absolutely, although maybe we’d try the Breakaway for a different route ☺

 

Would we sail NCL again? Absolutely, in a heartbeat!

• The Getaway is a beautiful ship in wonderful condition with something for everyone.
  
• It's large and spacious yet very easy to move around. We didn't feel overwhelmed or lost at any point. There are helpful maps at each elevator bank. Within the first day or two we knew where most things were.
  
• The design/colors are fairly understated with lots of neutral colors but there's still a wow factor with the chandelier at 678 place
  
• There are a ton of activities, shows and entertainment or you can just relax and do nothing at all.
  
• We didn’t feel there were too many people at any point or too crowded (except maybe at the main pool area but I imagine some people really love the busy atmosphere)
  
• You can always find a quiet spot to relax.
  
• The open Waterfront area with bars, restaurants, gelato and lots of comfy seats is genius.
  
• We LOVED the freestyle dining concept (although we didn’t eat in any of the main dining rooms as we wanted to make the most of our UDP package). I couldn’t imagine having to go back to set dining hours.
  
• The only think I would love to see done differently was the staffing level at all of the bars. All of the bars (and we visited them all!) seemed understaffed – usually just one bartender trying to make complicated cocktails for multiple people. If there was a second bartender they would usually be topping up bottles/doing other chores. It wasn't unusual to wait 10, 20 or 30 minutes to get drinks. Adding 1 additional bartender to each bar would make a huge difference in the level of service.
  
• Our cabin (8136 - port) was perfect, tons of storage, loved the larger balcony and we enjoyed the sun/sunsets.
  
• The food in the specialty and a la carte restaurants was excellent, the wine/cocktail/beer selection was wonderful.
  
• All of the wait staff in the restaurants were professional and friendly (esp Leon and Edelyne in Ocean Blue), our room steward (Nancy) was very attentive and the casino dealers were fabulous (esp Wendi from Zimbabwe)
  
• We were cruising with my parents. Cruising is a great family vacation idea as you have stuff to do, you can do your own thing some nights and then all meet up on others. We had dinner on our own for 2 nights and then ate together on the other 5 nights which was lovely
  

 

Would we do the UDP again?

• Probably, as long as we planned on attending the Illusionarium on the first evening.
  
• UDP – Ultimate Dining Package
  
• At $119 per person for a 7 day cruise this seemed like a great idea. You can read more about dining options on the NCL website here
  
• We ate at Cagneys ($30), Le Bistro ($20), Teppanyaki ($25), La Cucina ($15) so that would have come in at $90 but the “free” Illusionarium on the first night (a $39 value) brings us to $129 so we “saved” $10 with the UDP. In addition, the 20% discount at the a la carte restaurants was an additional saving. We dined at Ocean Blue twice, had lunch at Wasabi once and ate lunch or late night snacks at Shanghai at least 3 or 4 times. So yes, the UDP was worth it.
  
• If you’re on the fence – take a look at the dining options and figure out which ones you want to eat at and just work out what it would cost you if you pay as you dine.
  

 

Would we do the UBP again?

• Probably, as it’s nice to not have to think about how much each drink is costing!
  
• UBP – Ultimate Beverage Package
  
• $59.99 per person per day if purchased onboard and $54.99 per person per day if purchased prior to boarding. We got the UBP free of charge when we booked. If you’re likely to have 6 or more drinks per day then it’s a great deal. It would have been interesting to actually add up all of the drinks we had and see if it made financial sense. On a couple of days I just had 2 or 3 glasses of wine ($9 Sauvignon Blanc Matua from Malborough, NZ – lovely!) with dinner so obviously that would have just cost me $27 plus tip. However other days I enjoyed a mimosa at breakfast, an icy cold Kirin Japanese beer with noodles at Shanghai, a mid-afternoon cocktail and/or soda and then a couple of drinks with dinner and so the UBP was a great advantage on those days.
  
• If I ordered a cocktail and didn’t like it, I’d just order something else. Pretty much everything I wanted to drink was included (all drinks up to and including $10 are included) – great wines, cocktails, Ketel One vodka, Hendricks or Bombay Sapphire gin
  
• Here’s the official scoop from NCL: Norwegian's Ultimate Beverage Package includes a variety of spirits, cocktails, wines by the glass and bottled or draft beer up to and including $11 and unlimited fountain soda and juices at all bars, lounges, restaurants and the Great Stirrup Cay. A 20% discount will be applied to all bottles of wine purchased on board.
  The Ultimate Beverage Package does not include room service, package sales, ship specific promotions or beer buckets, designated Super Premium brands (subject to change), bottled wine, mini bar purchases, bottled water, fresh squeezed juices, select Lavazza coffee beverages, energy drinks, vending machines, wine stations or spirits, cocktails, draft or bottled beer and glasses of wine over $11. One (1) beverage per person per transaction. Package can be used in all restaurants, lounges, bars and Great Stirrup Cay.
  A 18% gratuity will be added to all package purchases; your check may reflect applicable VAT for certain ports or itineraries. Packages must be purchased by all qualifying individuals residing in the stateroom or additional staterooms under the same method of payment for the entire length of the cruise. Packages may not be shared and are non-transferable and non-refundable. You must be at least 21 years of age to purchase any alcoholic package and to consume alcohol. See the terms of our guest alcohol policy. Other terms and conditions may apply. This package is not available for purchase on charters, sailings that are two (2) days or less and Pride of America. Also not available for guests under the age of 25 years old on domestic itineraries during blackout dates of March 1 – April 15, applies to sailings that includes these dates. Blackout dates do not apply to Norwegian Jade or Norwegian Spirit for 2015 itineraries.
  

 

What would we have done differently?

• Try a suite in the Haven. We were traveling with my parents so we didn’t think it would make sense as we’d have access to the Haven and they wouldn’t but I think it would be good if we cruise on our own in the future
  
• Maybe get a Vibe pass although with the larger balcony and H2O I didn’t feel we missed anything
  
• Skipped La Cucina and eaten at Cagney’s or Le Bistro twice
  
• Stay on board during Nassau or do an organized tour, the downtown area isn’t really that great
  
• Found time to eat a crepe at the Garden café – I was always too full but they looked so good!
  
• Found time to do the ropes course, I waited until the last day and then it didn’t open until 4pm as we were in Nassau and I wanted to enjoy the sunset/get ready for dinner instead!
  
• I would have read Cruise Critic just as much but don’t take anyone’s personal opinion for gospel! For example someone had written about the “dry” mac n’ cheese in Cagney’s. I reluctantly ordered it as one of our sides and it was fabulous! So remember that each review/opinion offered is just one person’s opinion and you may have a different experience. This goes for my review too – just because I didn’t love the Salad Gourmande at Le Bistro doesn’t mean it won’t be the most amazing salad of your life if you get it! I loved the glass noodles and chicken in broth at Shanghai but you might think it’s terrible and hate the atmosphere. It’s all good ☺
  

 

My personal must dos on the Getaway

• The Illusionarium (free on the first night with UDP, get the later sitting if you don’t want to risk missing the sailaway)
  
• Oysters, Tuna Crudo, Dover Sole and Lobster Risotto at Ocean Blue (our favorite restaurant) – don’t leave it too late, they were out of certain oysters and Dover Sole on the last night
  
• Dinner at Le Bistro
  
• Room service at least once – excellent BLT and fruit plate
  
• Drink a sparkling garden cocktail
  
• Eggs benedict or smoked salmon breakfast at the Garden Cafe
  
• Lunch or late night snacks at Shanghai with a side of chili sauce
  
• Lots of time on the Waterfront – Sunset Bar or Sugarcane for a cocktail and then just watch the world go by
  
• Bowling at O’Sheehans
  
• The Grammy Experience – ideally at least twice!
  
• Maho beach at St Maarten (if you like planes)
  
• Don’t feel like you need to do everything – it’s a good excuse to plan a future cruise
  
• If you gamble in the casino make sure to stop by the players club and see if you can have a dinner comped or even money taken off your final account
  
• The iConcierge app is great to see restaurant menus, make reservations and check your onboard account. For just $7,95 you can get messaging/phone calls to other people on the ship (service is a bit spotty but it was good to have)
  
• Walk-off embarkation (if you can carry all of your own luggage)
  

 

And finally during the run up to our cruise I spent HOURS reading reviews and other info on Cruise Critic and copy and pasting it all into a document. Here it is here (note that most of these are all hints, tips and suggestions from fellow CC’ers and not my work!)

 

GETAWAY SECRETS, TIPS AND SUGGESTIONS- thanks to everyone on CC that posted reviews!

 

• Pre-cruise download the NCL iConcierge app for your phone. Once on board connect to the Getaway wifi network. Put phone in airplane mode (or turn off cellular) to avoid expensive roaming charges and then then manually turn wifi back on. For $7.95 per phone you can message or phone people on board (it’s a little patchy but worth it). Make sure your message is “delivered” vs. “sent” to ensure the other person received it
  
• If you have a European plug adaptor (2 round pins) bring it, it’ll give you access to 2 additional electrical outlets – handy for charging stuff
  
• There will be a good 15 or so hangers in your closet (some with clips for pants/skirts), you can request more from your steward
  
• You can make advance reservations through the My NCL website, if it shows something as not available, don’t worry, you can usually make reservations once on board
  
• Look closely at your cruise documents to make sure you are at the right terminal for boarding (you can walk from one to the other but easier to get dropped at the correct one)
  
• Have your documents ready at check in, you’ll need your cruise documents, passports and a credit card.
  
• You’ll likely board on Deck 7.
  
• Box office on Deck 7 to reserve tickets for Illusionarium or dial 073 from any onboard phone (free for first night only with UDP). Dinner is served during the show (set menu). 5:30pm or 8:45pm options. Premium floor seats are good but you don’t NEED to be able to see the dome. Long tables so you’ll likely be seated next to other guests.
  
• For Vibe passes: you will need to head for Guest Services which is Deck 6 and roughly mid-ship. There will be cruise staff stationed by the elevator/stairwell, just ask them which way to head as I think there was more than one gangway. At guest services it was just the staff member on the far right hand end (as you look towards it) that was handling the Vibe passes - not sure if it's the same each cruise?
  
• UDP and UBP stickers are usually put on your card when boarding, if not visit the Atrium Bar or Headliners (Deck 6 mid-ship) to receive your UBP program sticker on your keycard
  
• Visit the spa 11:30-3pm on deck 15 for a massage demo and to buy one of 120 spa passes if you’re interested in the quieter spa areas, thermal beds, salt room and hot tubs etc
  
• Staterooms will probably be ready around 1pm, there will be a ship-wide announcement
  
• Cases will be delivered to your room anytime from 3-7pm (bring a carry on for any essential medicines, change of clothes etc)
  
• There is ample storage in most cabins (shelves not draws), closet space and cupboards. A good blowdryer is located under the desk/vanity.
  
• You have to insert your key card to make your lights/power work (bring a spare hotel card/loyalty card to leave the power on to charge things when you’re out of your room)
  
• The balcony doors must be closed/locked for the AC to work
  
• The following are open for embarkation lunch:
  
• Garden Cafe 11:30 am - 3:00 pm (Deck 15)
  
• O'Sheehan's 11:30 am -- 2:30 pm (likely to be fairly busy with not too many waitstaff) (Deck 7)
  
• Flamingo Bar & Grill 12:00 pm - 3:00 pm (quieter option with good foor) (Deck 16)
  
• Savor 12:00 pm - 2:00 pm
  
• 3:30pm is a mandatory life boat drill, no lifejackets are required, you’ll be directed to your areas by ship staff. All restaurants and bars close for 30 minutes during the drill and you’ll need your card to “check in” at your station
  
• Arrive at 5pm for better seats at Illusionarium (seated first come first served)
  
• Sunday (Day 2) is usually “Norwegian Night Out” where you can dress up and meet the Captain for pictures in the atrium 7-7:30pm
  
• Dress code is kind of freestyle too. You can dress up as much or as little as you like. Ocean Blue, Le Bistro and the aft dining room are the only locations with a dress code of pants/collared shirt for gentlemen and dress/skirt/smart pants for ladies. Shorts are acceptable for other dining rooms/restaurants. We saw people in cocktail dresses/tuxedos and very relaxed outfits. It can get a little chilly in some of the air conditioned restaurants so a light wrap/cardigan is handy to have
  
• There’s usually a “pressing-only” special on the first night and then a “bag of laundry” special later in the week.
  
• Quiet zones are Deck 17 FWD, Prime Meridian Bar on Deck 8, AFT from 6am-4pm or by the Waterfront outside on Deck 8 and in the library
  
• The magician Q&A session is worth attending (usually Thursday at 11:15am)
  
• You’ll need closed toe shoes to do the ropes course
  
• When you get off the ship you’ll need your key card and also photo ID to get back on board. We weren’t asked for photo ID in St Maarten but we were in St Thomas and Nassau. Have your photo ID and your key card ready in your hands as this avoids holding up the line while you dig through your bag
  
• Deal or No Deal, hosted by cruise director in theatre. $20 for a card which you get to play twice. Only one audience member will be called up to play for actual cash up to $1000.
   
  
• Check out O’Sheehans. Best coffee is at O’Sheehans – bring a reusable coffee cup in your luggage and fill it up! The ice cream based frozen beverages are amazing. Amazing chicken wings. Prime rib 5:30 – 9pm only – everything else is 24 hours. Try bowling in O’Sheehans
  
• Tip your room steward well at the beginning and end of the cruise (or each day)
  
• Watch out for Howl at the Moon in “Headliners” – get there early, amazing dueling pianos
  
• Taste, Savor and Tropicana have the same menu on any given day so your choice is purely décor. The menus change daily
  
• Le Bistro books up early – it is also dressier than most
  
• The Svedka ice bar is fun, $20 cover which includes 2 drinks. Wear socks and shoes
  
• Flamingo Bar &Grill has great breakfast sandwiches, salads, and Latin American meats – pulled pork, beef short ribs, roast pork and caramel custard – it’s usually a good quiet option for breakfast, lunch or dinner
  
• Deck 17 (forward sundeck – way forward) has cabana loungers and is usually very quiet (past Vibe and keep going)
  
• Yellow slide is the slowest, purple is the fastest
  
• Do the zipline during popular meal times
  
• Waterfront deck 8 has quiet couches and chairs that are usually empty
  
• Bring any medications you need – super expensive in the on-board store – Dramamine, Advil, Tums etc
  
• Mini golf is great but often full, expect a 10 minute wait
  
• Check out the Mojito flight at the Sugarcane Bar – 6 different mojitos served to you fresh! If Jonathan/Bong is working the bar say hi! (ask him to do the lemon napkin rat)
  
• Check out Wasabi, Shanghai and Ocean Blue for lunch (20% off with UDP)
  
• Lobster can be found onboard – for example - lobster roll at Ocean Blue Waterfront, lobster risotto at Ocean Blue, lobster tail at Teppanyaki, lobster with your steak at Cagney’s (all of these locations have additional charges). There is usually also lobster in the main dining room on the second night.
  
• If you’re in the mood for Asian food check out Shanghai, it’s in the casino. Very reasonably priced noodles, noodle soup, fried rice and other options. Ask for chili sauce on the side if you want to spice up your food
  
• Cagney’s is the star restaurant. Shrimp cocktail is perfect. Wagyu beef sliders are fabulous. If you like quantity go for the 18oz ribeye, if you like quality consider the 5 or 10oz filet mignon with garlic butter and caramelized red onions. Fries and onion rings amazing. Potato gratin and mac n’ cheese are fabulous
  
• Ocean Blue Raw Bar – amazing. Tuna Crudo delicious. Crab toasts addictive. Shaved ham unexpected. Splurge on appetizers on a night when you have late dinner plans
  
• Jacuzzis in Spice H20 are super quiet in the morning
  
• The sun deck on Deck 17 has the best views for the fireworks or take the stairs to deck 18 – very top sundeck.
  
• Spice H20 is quieter during the day for loungers along with Deck 8 waterfront (great views for sunset)
  
• Hit the buffet for a great salad and run up to the Flamingo grill to get some pulled pork to top it with
  
• In addition to the “fish swimming forward” on the carpet in stateroom hallways, there is a "yellow" and "green/blue" side of the ship to indicate port and starboard. So when you get off the elevator or stairwell, look at the stripe on the signs to quickly orient yourself to port and starboard.
  
• Ropes course is super fun, but yes, consider doing it on a port day where you don't have to rush off the ship. We did it around 10 a.m. on our Nassau day and there was no wait. All the kids were headed off to Atlantis excursions! Note – check the times in the dailies – sometimes it doesn’t open until later in port days
  
• Spice H20 is adults only during the day and is relaxing. Always chairs available. Hot tubs can be crowded though. The "grotto" water feature, while beautiful, is cold.
  
• If you want a spot to watch pool games, etc., there is a little perch with about 15 loungers above the pool where you are out of the main thoroughfare of foot traffic and have a great view. Stand by the pool and look up. Also, you can look forward to dragging a chair into the pool and just keeping your feet wet--a great embarkation thing to do if you don't have your suit handy.
  
• Howl at the Moon is great! If you want a table, get there early.
  
• Don’t miss the Grammy Experience. You will be amazed at Sugar Blue and the band.
  
• Headliners rotates through a couple of different comedians. We screwed up and didn't book ahead, so that threw in a kink in our plan. Would've had to get in line early and see if there were no shows. So, we only saw one comedian (they generally do the same show, so only see the same person once). I recommend booking a few times before you go (through MyNCL).
  
• The art auctions start later than advertised so don’t get there too early unless you want to wait around for ever.
  
• If it interests you, sign up for "dinner with an officer." It will be noted in your embarkation daily. Go to the guest services desk and asked to be put on the list. If you are selected, it's usually Wed. or Thurs. night around 6 p.m., I think.
  
• Go to the mojito bar (inside or out) and make friends with the bartenders. They are great and make fabulous drinks-better than anywhere else on the ship.
  
• Carlo's cupcakes were good, but needed to be warmed to room temp. The bakery case is kept cold, so plan ahead to enjoy if you want a cupcake.
  
• Look for Wynwood Brewing beer on tap in O'Sheehans (and I believe in Flamingo Grill). Support local craft beer on the ships!
  
• There are tons of places, particularly on deck 8, to relax on comfortable chairs. We saw plenty of people curled up there, taking a nap, reading a book, or playing games. It stayed fairly quiet.
  
• The library and card room can be found on Deck 6 sort of around the side of the atrium.
  
• Day 6 (Thur) is usually Chocoholic day in the Main Dining Room with all-chocolate deserts
  
• When you first get on the ship, don't run to the buffet with the hordes. It is going to be very crowded for the first couple hours. Head over to O'Sheehans (you’ll likely wait a while in the bar area, more waitstaff in the grill area) or the Flamingo grille
  
• Teppanyaki is a great dining location with high energy and noise. Everything is very garlic-y. Don’t be afraid to make up your own combination of meat/seafood from the entrée list. The filet and lobster tail are great
  
• The Waterfront is another great location to watch the fireworks from
  
• Crepes in the Garden Cafe. I believe they are available during any dinner serving (6-9 or thereabouts). Go there. Get them.
  
• For martini or mojito tasting, sit in the groupings of chairs by the piano, not at the bar
  
• Open mic night at the Sugar Cane bar is awesome
  
• The origami classes are great
  
• Aft main dining room, Ocean Blue or Le Bistro require pants (smart jeans OK)/collared shirt for men and dress/skirt for women. Everywhere else is casual. Swimwear is acceptable at the buffet and outdoor grills but a coverup/tshirt is requested.
  
• Entertainment box office is 11:30 – 2:30pm FWD on Deck 7
  
• Reserving sun loungers is prohibited. If items are left unattended for more than 60 minutes they will be removed and can be found at Guest Services on Deck 6
  
• Wine Lovers The Musical is a great way to enjoy lunch
  
• There was a picture promo for the Norwegian's Night Out pictures, where the following day you could buy 1 and get 2... we didn't read the not fine at all print, and assumed this was all cruise long, but this definitely has an expiration. So if you like those pics, actually read the little thing they give you!
  
• UBP – be aware; if you buy a drink for someone other than yourself, like some who kindly bought drinks for the pianists at Howl at The Moon, the bartender will charge you for that drink. I saw this happen repeatedly and consistently.
  
• If you want to waterslide you can’t wear ANY jewelry including wedding rings so leave them in your safe for the day. Request a back pad so you don’t get banged up.
  
• No need to pay for ice cream at Dolce Gelato, it’s just as good at the Garden Café (soft serve or 8 hard flavors scooped by staff and lots of topping options)
  
• Fireworks happen at 10:45pm on Tuesday night (St Maarten) and can be viewed from Deck 16 aft/poolside, Decks 15/16 and Portside balcony rooms. The music is best heard higher up (the fireworks are timed to 80’s music)
  
• After the fireworks head to Howl at the Moon as there should be a bunch of good seats if you’re fast.
  
• Everyone has posted on here about the fact that the fish swim forward on the hallway carpets, but when in the lobbies, there's another way to tell. Since we spent a lot of time in the stairs, we used the fact that the forward stairs were 4 flights wide with a central rectangular mirror and the aft stairs were 2 wide, split in the middle by something else (like Cagney's / Moderno), and had circular mirrors.
  
• The best place to sit to watch the Atrium shows is deck 7 at O'Sheehan's at the "horseshoe bar" overlooking the stage. Here you will get bar/food service from the O'Sheehan's staff and have an unobstructed view of the entertainment.
  
• You can only play in the casino when you’re at sea
  
• The Rebellious fish is a great cocktail – get the specialty glasses as they’re like fishbowls ($9.70)
  
• Breakfast is available at the Garden Cafe buffet (6-9am), Savor (6:30-9am), and O'Sheehans (5:30-9am)
  

 

GUIDE TO THE GETAWAY BY DECK:

-FOOD-

Deck 6:

Illusionarium (Diner Show- $25-30) FWD –(D)

Taste ($0) AFT –(B, L, D)

Savor ($0) AFT –(D)

Le Bistro (French -$20a, $10c) MID –(D)

Teppanyaki- (Habatchi- $25a, $12.50c) MID –(D)

The Atrium Café & Bar (Ála carte) MID –(B, L, D)

Deck 7:

O’Sheehan’s Bar & Grill ($0 & 24/7) MID-FWD –(B, L, D)

Shanghai’s (Noodle Bar- Ála carte) MID-AFT –(L)

The Tropicana Room ($0) AFT –(D)

Deck 8:

Cagney’s (Steakhouse- $30a, $15c) AFT –(D)

Carlo’s Bake Shop (Ála carte) AFT–(L, D)

Dolce Gelato (Ála carte) AFT –(L, D)

La Cucina (Italian- $15a, $7.50c) MID-FWD –(D)

Moderno (Churrascaria- $20a, $10c) AFT –(D)

Ocean Blue (Seafood- $39a, $19.50c) MID –(L, D)

Ocean Blue-Waterfront ($39a, $19.50c) MID –(L, D)

The Raw Bar (Ála carte) MID –(D)

Wasabi (Sushi- Ála carte) MID –(D)

Deck 15:

Garden Café (Buffet- $0) AFT –(B, L, D)

Deck 16:

Flamingo Bar & Grill (Poolside-$0) MID-AFT –(B, L)

Deck 17:

Vibe Beach Club (*cover charge- Ála carte) FWD

Also available:

24hour room service (Delivery fee from Midnight-5am… all other hours $0) –(B, L, D)

Pizza Delivery 24/7 ($5) –(B, L, D)

Wine Lovers Lunch ($?) –(L)

***Most drinks have a fee… including specialty drinks, sodas, juices, beer, wine and all other alcoholic beverage

 

THINGS TO DO-

Deck 6:

Headliners Comedy Club MID

Illusionarium (Diner Show- $25-30) FWD –(D)

Deck 7:

O’Sheehan’s –(Bowling) MID-FWD

Getaway Casino MID

Getaway Theatre FWD

Deck 8:

The Grammy Experience 8- MID-FWD

Deck 12& 13: Splash Academy- kids club MID

Deck 14: Spa FWD

Deck 15:

Aqua Park, Kids’ Aqua Park, Hot tubs & Sun Deck MID

The Market Place MID

Thermal Spa, Salt Room, & Pulse Fitness Center AFT

Salon & Barber Shop AFT

Deck 16:

Climbing Wall, Jogging Track & Sun Deck MID

Video Arcade MID-AFT

Deck 17:

Waterslides (enter on 15) AFT

Bungee Trampoline, Miniature Golf, Ropes Course,

Spider Web, & Sports Complex AFT

Sun Deck FWD

Deck 18: Sun Deck FWD

 

-BARS-

Deck 6, 7 & 8:

Bar at the Atrium & Headliners Comedy Club 6- MID

Mixx Bar 6- AFT

Bar 21 & Bliss Ultra Lounge 7- AFT

Casino Bar 7- MID

O’Sheehan’s 7- MID-FWD

The Grammy Experience 8- MID-FWD

Humidor Cigar Lounge & Sunset Bar, Sugarcane Mojito

Bar & SVEDKA and Inniskillin Ice Bar ($25) 8- MID

Deck 15, 16& 17:

Waves Pool Bar 15- MID

Spice H2O 16- AFT

Flamingo Bar & Grill 16- MID-AFT

Sundeck Bar 17- FW

 

Helpful hints...

 

*If your stateroom is on the STARBOARD side of the ship (vehicles passengers side=right), then when you exit your room to the right, that is FORWARD and if you exit left, that is the AFT of the ship.

 

**If your stateroom is on the PORT side of the ship (vehicles drivers side=left), then when you exit your room to the right, that is the AFT of the ship and if you exit left, that is FORWARD.

 

THANKS FOR READING AND HAPPY CRUISING!!!!

[salesmansam]

Even though we've sailed the Breakaway and scheduled for the Getaway in October it is great to get a refresher course by reading your review and summary. I think half the fun of a cruise (or any vacation) is the anticipation in the preceding months. Your detailed review and personal likes and findings bring back fond memories. This time we are bringing the grandkids and are anxious for them to enjoy as much as possible. We are doing the UDP so all of us will be able to try the various venues. Thanks again. ps: I'm making notes so I will have my 'game plan' ready!!

[seguetocaribe]

Wow! What a wonderful review! I really appreciate all that you have put into this. Your list of tips at the end are especially helpful (and I love your food pics and descriptions - definitely have to hit Shanghais for dumplings and the Glass noodles in broth!) Thank you for clarifying about the gratuity being included in the UBP. Glad you had such an amazing time!

[Luvnlyfagain]

Thank you so much for your review, especially the summary with tons of information! We just booked the Getaway with a group for next year and this has been so helpful :)

[LeahH]

Thanks for the kind comments! I can't take credit for the massive list of tips and suggestions at the end - I spent HOURS reading through the boards and reviews before we sailed and these were all helpful comments I found from other posts. I just thought it would be helpful to have them all in one place!

 

And obviously everything is just personal opinion! I think a cruise is a great time to try out something new - whether it's eating escargot or walking the plank!

[dshongkham]

Thanks for the wonderful and helpful detailed tips. I will definitely heed these advice for our upcoming Getaway cruise in June!

[calmpets]

LeahH - I have family sailing on the Getaway in May, so I've been keeping an eye on the reviews. Yours is by far the best I've read! It's detailed, without being cumbersome to navigate, and the way you broke it down is just perfect. In fact, my family printed out your tips to bring with them! I've written reviews myself, and will try to emulate your format in the future. Kudos to a job well done!