Fantastic trip on the Getaway June 12-19 (upsell to Haven)

[Kfamilycruise]

Our family of five recently went on the Getaway for the second time the week of 6/12-6/19. We have one son 13 who was in entourage, one 11 who was in splash academy in the 10 to 12 and one son 7 who was in the 6 to 9 group.

 

Originally, we had planned on two connecting balconies toward the aft on deck 13, but 25 days out from sailing, we were able to upsell to an aft penthouse suite that connected to a regular balcony for the kids. Being a part of the Haven truly made this cruise for us.

 

About a week out, I called to cash in our rewards points for the Norwegian credit card to on board credit. That was easy enough. In addition, the person who answers the phone is also part of the pre-concierge for the Haven. So they welcomed us to the Haven and wanted to make sure we would have everything in our room that we needed. We asked that the fridge be emptied (because we were bringing water on board), asked for orange juice and creamer to be in the fridge, asked for hypoallergenic pillows and made sure they knew that I am lactose intolerant. We also double checked and were reassured that our children would have full Haven privileges. All went very smoothly and they were very nice.

 

We drove down from North Carolina for the cruise, but we weren’t driving the whole way the first day so we stayed overnight in Titusville at the Hampton Inn just off I-95. I mention this because it is not far from Port Canaveral. Although the room was clean, this was just not the place for us. The air conditioning unit in the room was a window-type unit and was so loud that it kept us all up all night. We were close to the elevator and also heard others in the hallway late into the night. If all of that wasn’t bad enough, I had to do gymnastics to get into the shower. It was a spa-type tub, but was at least three feet high, making it very hard to climb into it to take a shower. It had free breakfast and that seemed average for this type of hotel.

 

We were up and out very early so that we would make it to port of Miami by 11:30. We arrive at the port just a bit after 11 and then had to park and get our luggage checked and walked into the priority check in location just a bit after 11:30. Great timing on our part. One note on the parking garage at the port. There is a limited amount of oversized parking so if you have an SUV with a luggage holder on the top of your vehicle, you may need to take it off in order to park (my poor husband had to do this).

 

Back to check-in – once through security, it was super easy. The priority check-in was right there and there was only one other family in the area. We filled out our health form and received our key cards. One note here, I had read on these boards that I could limit my son’s spending while on board by placing a limit on his account. This was not the case. It had to either be a card that was open or closed. We had a talk with our eldest two sons to ensure they understood and we were done. They then sent us across the hall to a priority check-in lounge that had seats and snacks and drinks. We loved having a place to hang out until we were escorted onto the ship. We had a short wait and then we were escorted past the lines and right onto the ship. We went in a side entrance and were escorted right up the Haven lounge. We were in the lounge by 11:45. Virginia, the concierge gave a speech about everything available to us as waiters gave out drinks and snacks of sliders with onion rings. The restaurant opened at 12. They said our rooms were ready so we went down to check out our room and leave the bags that we had brought on board.

 

Just as we saw from pictures on here, the room was incredible. The balcony was ginormous, the bathroom amazing and just having all of the space was great. With having the connecting balcony room, it meant we had three bathrooms for the five of us, which we definitely needed. We enjoyed the room, took pictures and then headed back up to Haven to have lunch.

 

We ate lunch outside by the pool so our little one could get in the pool. Like every meal we had at the Haven, it was delicious!

 

Day1Getaway2016.pdf

[Kfamilycruise]

Some more photos ...

 

 

 

We signed the kids up for splash academy and for entourage and then went back to the room for sailaway. I couldn’t wait to see it from our balcony. We all split up for sailaway, but it was fabulous from our balcony. Our luggage was delivered to the room by 4:30 p.m.

 

[Kfamilycruise]

Edited June 23, 2016 by Kfamilycruise

[Kfamilycruise]

We also were delivered beautiful flowers and some neat little snacks. We got snacks like this every day. There was also a chilled bottle of bubbly in the room for us.

 

 

After sailaway, we all changed and made sure we had sneakers on. We ate at the buffet for dinner and then did the ropes course and the climbing wall.

 

 

We took showers and then the kids went to splash academy and the teen went to entourage. My husband and I went to howl at the moon. I have to digress here and say we loved Howl at the Moon on our last cruise on the Getaway, but this time it was a huge disappointment. The stars of the show last time were personable and talented and did a great job getting the crowd involved. This time, all they cared about was their tips and they were not nearly as talented as the last time.

 

We made it an early night, got the kids from splash academy and headed to bed. Attached to the first message is the Day 1 daily. We had to put the clocks back one hour before going to bed this night. We didn’t have turn down service or a towel animal this first night. Overall, Day 1 was amazing. We were blown away by the service you get in the Haven and were already savoring our little slice of heaven.

[Kfamilycruise]

Day 2 -- At Sea

 

Day 2 we were at sea and didn’t do much of anything. We had breakfast in the Haven, which was amazing. Tahitian Cinnamon Vanilla Challah French Toast (I had it almost every morning!) and we hung around the Haven courtyard most of the day.

The second floor of the Haven courtyard is right next to the Vibe Beach Club. It is very quiet and secluded. There are waiters walking around with a water bottle to spritz you with and take drink orders. It was a bit windy up there so we didn’t spend too much time up there.

 

 

 

We didn’t see much of the older kids. They were having fun with kids they met in entourage and splash academy.

 

We all got back together for dinner. Our first dinner reservation was with Moderno’s. Two of our kids got the dinner package free with their room and we paid for it for our room and for the third child. I checked on these amenities several times including after we did our upsell and it was confirmed to me each time that we had these amenities. I also printed out the confirmation I got for the purchase of the SDP. Unfortunately, when we got to Moderno’s, the SDPs that we paid for were not showing up. Much aggravation ensued including going to guest services and coming back and my husband ended up having to speak with management. Overall, it was a big dark mark on our trip. I felt like the customer service for this part was not good at all and I was disappointed. It was eventually all figured out and we had a delicious meal, but all relaxation was out the window because of this aggravation.

 

We did get turndown service this night and this cute little towel animal with a note saying to turn clocks back again another hour.

 

[Kfamilycruise]

Daily for Day 2 is attached. As well as the daily for the week for Splash Academy 6 to 9 and 10 to 12 age group as well as entourage.

Day2Getaway2016.pdf

EntourageGetaway2016.pdf

Splash6to9Getaway2016.pdf

Splash10to12Getaway2016.pdf

[cincicruisers]

Enjoying your review.

[Seminole1975]

Day 2 -- At Sea

 

Day 2 we were at sea and didn’t do much of anything. We had breakfast in the Haven, which was amazing. Tahitian Cinnamon Vanilla Challah French Toast (I had it almost every morning!) and we hung around the Haven courtyard most of the day.

The second floor of the Haven courtyard is right next to the Vibe Beach Club. It is very quiet and secluded. There are waiters walking around with a water bottle to spritz you with and take drink orders. It was a bit windy up there so we didn’t spend too much time up there.

 

 

 

We didn’t see much of the older kids. They were having fun with kids they met in entourage and splash academy.

 

We all got back together for dinner. Our first dinner reservation was with Moderno’s. Two of our kids got the dinner package free with their room and we paid for it for our room and for the third child. I checked on these amenities several times including after we did our upsell and it was confirmed to me each time that we had these amenities. I also printed out the confirmation I got for the purchase of the SDP. Unfortunately, when we got to Moderno’s, the SDPs that we paid for were not showing up. Much aggravation ensued including going to guest services and coming back and my husband ended up having to speak with management. Overall, it was a big dark mark on our trip. I felt like the customer service for this part was not good at all and I was disappointed. It was eventually all figured out and we had a delicious meal, but all relaxation was out the window because of this aggravation.

 

We did get turndown service this night and this cute little towel animal with a note saying to turn clocks back again another hour.

 

 

Enjoying your review! Don't you just love the Haven?! I need to figure out how to get some pictures on my review. I see you used photobucket. I will figure it out. Looking forward to more. Great pics!

[Two Wheels Only]

I need to figure out how to get some pictures on my review. I see you used photobucket. I will figure it out. Looking forward to more. Great pics!

 

1. Create photobucket account (if you don't have one).

2. Upload pics to your library.

3. When you see your pics in your library, hover the mouse over the 3 horizontal lines in the top/left corner.

4. Click "share"

5. Left click the box under "Direct" (it will flash "copied")

6. On Cruise Critic when posting, click the "" and right click/paste in the box.

7. The picture will show when you "Submit Reply".

Edited June 23, 2016 by Two Wheels Only

[Seminole1975]

1. Create photobucket account (if you don't have one).

2. Upload pics to your library.

3. When you see your pics in your library, hover the mouse over the 3 horizontal lines in the top/left corner.

4. Click "share"

5. Left click the box under "Direct" (it will flash "copied")

6. On Cruise Critic when posting, click the "" and right click/paste in the box.

7. The picture will show when you "Submit Reply".

 

Thank you so much! I will try this even tho I am technologically challenged! This OP makes it look easy!

[Sand and Seas]

We were on the Getaway the week before you in a Haven Spa Suite. Absolutely love your pictures of the Aft Suite, but for just the two of us our room was great.

 

We had a more minor issue that was frustrating when we went to Guest Services. Had a more positive outcome when we returned from the cruise and called Customer Relations. They followed up within 24 hrs with an email that promised a correction to our final bill.

 

Loved the Haven Restaurant and deck area ! The staff in that restaurant and the best ever. Strangely, we only saw the butler once all week. Will be interested in seeing how the rest of your Haven experience went. Thanks for sharing your experiences and great pictures!

[jewelmick]

Beautiful Pictures...thank you for the review.

 

We are in the Haven on the Epic in a couple of weeks and find all the reports so helpful.

 

I would have just enjoyed the meal and dealt with all the hassle later, probably would have just mentioned it to the concierge and they would have taken care of it in a snap.

 

I hope my DD (13) find some cool kids to hang out with for the week.

[jewelmick]

Beautiful Pictures...thank you for the review.

 

We are in the Haven on the Epic in a couple of weeks and find all the reports so helpful.

 

I would have just enjoyed the meal and dealt with all the hassle later, probably would have just mentioned it to the concierge and they would have taken care of it in a snap.

 

I hope my DD (13) find some cool kids to hang out with for the week.

[Clarea]

Outstanding photos, thanks!

[Kfamilycruise]

Strangely, we only saw the butler once all week. Will be interested in seeing how the rest of your Haven experience went. Thanks for sharing your experiences and great pictures!

 

Thanks. We actually only saw the Butler when he was bringing afternoon snacks. I thought we'd have him breakfast one morning, but never did. Overall our Haven experience was amazing. Virginia was fantastic and in the Haven restaurant Kesher, the Assistant Maitre'D and our waiters Leeza and Paulo were unparalleled.

[Kfamilycruise]

Thanks for all the compliments on the photos! Here is daily for day 3

 

Day 3 Roatan

 

I did extensive research as to what we should do in Roatan and decided that we’d go to Little French Key. You don’t have to, but we did email through the website in advance and reserve places. We decided to do the cheapest reservation, which was $55 for four of us and half price for our 7-year old. I was very worried that I wouldn’t be able to find the drivers, but it turned out to be very easy.

 

These photos were from our balcony as we were pulling in.

 

 

 

 

 

When you get off the ship, you can take a tram down the long pier or just walk. We opted for the tram and then walked through the many shops until we saw walkway to the parking lot – there are tour information booths on either side of this outdoor hallway. Many people tried to get us to buy a tour, but we just kept telling them we were going to Little French Key and were looking for Larry or Dave. They are all very friendly and kept pointing us in the right direction. You have to walk through the parking lot and out then out the front gates and to the right. We then saw many guides in Frenchy’s 77 and Little French Key polos. Many of our fellow cruisers were there, but they had some sort of system and everyone was put in a line for transportation. We only waited maybe five minutes and then a car pulled up and they told us to get in and the five us were on our way to Little French Key.

[Kfamilycruise]

Hmmm the whole daily didn't post. I'll have to figure that out.

 

The drive is about 25 minutes from the Port and we learned some history from our driver Arnie. He pointed out sights along the way and before we knew it, we were pulling up to where we would purchase our tickets and take the boat across. There was a bit of a line to pay, but it went very quickly. We pulled in to Roatan around 10 and were on Little French Key by 11:30. It was as gorgeous as I had seen from photos … possibly even prettier than I remembered.

 

This was where you walk up to pay:

 

 

You can see Little French Key in the very near distance:

 

 

The guide takes you around the island when you first get off the boat. We went through the zoo area and saw the birds, monkeys, the lion and a lemur.

 

 

Edited June 24, 2016 by Kfamilycruise

[Kfamilycruise]

Here is the itemized list of what's happening day 3:

 

 

 

 

Then we walked through and saw the area that you can jump off of – this was a huge hit with our family.

 

 

 

The water was so clear:

 

Edited June 24, 2016 by Kfamilycruise

[Kfamilycruise]

There are many different areas where you can set your stuff down and use as home base.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited June 24, 2016 by Kfamilycruise

[Kfamilycruise]

We chose not to get the package that included food because I read on here that each plate of food could feed a couple of people and boy they were right. This was what you get for $22.

 

I also got a strawberry daiquiri, which was $8:

 

Four of us picked from that one plate and then my oldest son also got a chicken and beef plate, which was $16 – items were a couple of dollars less if you went up to the food place and ordered it yourself rather than be served by a waiter or waitress.

 

We had a great day swimming and playing around. I walked around a bit to explore and found these other areas that had hardly any people. This is where the pizza place was that I had read about as well.

 

 

 

Menu for pizza place:

Edited June 24, 2016 by Kfamilycruise

[coolcruiser86]

Thank you so much for posting the dailies on your review! We are on board in October and its great to see what all is offered! Really enjoying your review:)

[Kfamilycruise]

Thank you so much for posting the dailies on your review! We are on board in October and its great to see what all is offered! Really enjoying your review:)

 

Thanks! Have an amazing time!

[Kfamilycruise]

A few more photos of Little French Key

 

 

 

 

 

We never got to hold a monkey and take a picture, but that was because we were being impatient as there were two large groups in front of us. We said goodbye to Little French Key and headed back to the ship. It was very easy.

 

We ate dinner in Haven restaurant and the waiters/waitresses already knew our names and made sure we had everything we needed to be comfortable. Our littlest kid was all tuckered out after playing and swimming all day so my husband took him to bed and I went to see Burn the Floor. The dancers were amazing, but it is a very strange show. There are some Latin numbers and then songs like Stairway to Heaven are weaved in to the mix. Also, it seems like the show is going to end three different times. Overall, dancers are entertaining, but not a great show. We had a towel animal this night, but somehow I forgot to take a picture. Horrors!

Edited June 25, 2016 by Kfamilycruise

[Cruise-mom]

Hi kfamilycruise, great report. Hope you all had a great cruise :)

 

I agree about Burn The Floor, I enjoyed it over all but it was a little weird in places.

 

Looking forward to reading more.

[Kfamilycruise]

Hi kfamilycruise, great report. Hope you all had a great cruise :)

 

I agree about Burn The Floor, I enjoyed it over all but it was a little weird in places.

 

Looking forward to reading more.

 

It was so nice to meet you! Hope your whole trip was fantastic!