NCL Norwegian Getaway - Baltic Capitals: July 9 - July 18 Day 1

[4 of Harts]

...continuing from my last post.

 

We arrived at the port, Ocean Quay, going to Terminal 2 (they board thru two terminals based on your cabin location) at about 11:35. Paid the cabbie ($45 USD converted) and he was on his way. We were 2nd in line to drop off the luggage. Tip: put those tags on before you get there if you can, it will save you time. No, I didn't put the tags on :D They say that the process starts at Noon but, get there earlier and they will get you checked in.

 

Bags on their way after confirmation we went into the terminal. You need to fill out the medical form then swoosh, you are in line. Have your passports and checked in confirmation ready. Also, have your credit card that you will be using for charges ready. Maybe 1 minute waiting for an agent and 5-10 minutes later we are on the ship. On the ship by 12:05, wow, it pays to get there early in my mind. Rooms weren't ready but lunch was being served. The buffet opened at 11:30, O'Sheehan's/Taste/Savor all opened at Noon. We decided to go to the Savor for a sit-down lunch. It was good, not great but it was in my opinion better than doing the buffet at that time at least.

 

We let the girls roam around a bit and we strolled deck 7, getting drinks and finding a smoking area. :beer-mug: After that we went up to deck 15 as a group and played some ping pong. As time went on these two tables were almost always filled so I'm glad we got to do it when we did. After ping pong we strolled the deck when they called that our cabins were ready. It was maybe 2:00 and the ship was starting to fill up.

 

Going to our room, mid ship, deck 10 balcony we were greeted by a free bottle of sparkling wine (past guests) and the freestyle daily along with a change in schedule for us. Apparently the Million Dollar Quartet show wasn't playing for my scheduled Saturday so they requested that we call to get it rescheduled. I called the box office immediately and had it changed switching our Cirque show along with some dinners. If you get this notice I suggest to call right then when you can and the box office isn't overwhelmed.

 

I scheduled dinner every night, prior to the cruise. In addition I booked every show that was able to be booked. Yes, a bit of overscheduling but, you can always cancel if needed. The dining rooms allow you to show up 15 minutes late before they cancel your reservation. There is a board outside of a few places (O'Sheehan's for sure) that shows you what dining rooms are available etc. and when if you decide not to reserve before. In hindsight I'm glad that I reserved dinners. We pushed one back and missed the reservation on two others but I watched a lot of people wait with the beeper things in hand. With a reservation, you walk right in. Note about dressing up for dinner: I was hoping that NCL in the Baltic would be a little dressier (I like to dress up) but it is casual, sometimes too much in my opinion. The first night I went suit and tie and was the only one beside the wait staff. The second night the same. After that I only wore my suit to Cagney's and La Cuccina. A polo and khakis and you are one of the best dressed as a guy. Shorts are allowed in all dining rooms except for La Bistro and Ocean Blue.

 

We roamed the ship with most everything closed checking out all the things that the ship offers. I like getting an idea where the main things are in relation to my cabin, Theatre/Buffet etc. so that when you head out, you are going the right way. Speaking of going the right way, on the carpets are fish. Fish swim forward. Remember that and you can only be lost but for so long.

 

For smokers there are a few spots to go. On deck 15 is the most popular spot. It's an enclosed (kind of) room right next to the adult hot tub on the Port side. It's also right next to a bar and close to the Garden Cafe'. Also deck 7, Starboard side just forward from the bowling alleys at O'Sheehan's. When at sea, the casino is open and there is smoking allowed in the smoking section. (this is very unclear in the casino but if you see ashtrays you assume you are in the right area)

 

Prior to the trip my entire family downloaded the Norwegian iConcierge App. on our iPhones. The application once activated on board (I'm told that you have to download it prior to based on wifi availability) is a way to keep everyone in touch. Instant messaging with your cabin mates or others if you have friends/family traveling in different cabins. The service costs $14.99 per person for the entire cruise. For us it was a $60 investment with the hopes that it would work flawlessly and we could split up and still keep in touch. That was the hope. The reality is that the app is fragile, you lose the wifi often and messages are delayed especially when in port. After about 4 days of frustrations I went to Guest Services who basically told me that it didn't work well and that he would immediately credit it. I said that I would continue to try, he advised that I could wait until the end and that he would credit it. It was credited. Overall it was marginal but as I didn't pay for it, it is hard for me to be too ticked off at it. Obviously this service as well as the internet service are weak as most every person complaining was about those two things. I would probably sign up for it again with hopes that it would be better. :D

 

Muster (Life Boat Drills) was at 4:00. On your card is the location. For us it turned out to be Savor. After a seemingly long presentation we went back to our room, showers and got dressed in our dinner gear. Our dinner was at.... Savor. :rolleyes: 29 places to eat and I spend my first day in Savor 3 times. Ok, complaining about being on a cruise is hard to do but....

 

Our late 8:30 dinner was good to very good. My daughters are vegetarians and they managed to have some things that they enjoyed. I had a steak that was very good and my wife had a 1/2 of a chicken that was ginormous. After dinner we roamed around with my wife and I getting drinks and landing in the casino. My girls did some video arcade (gamblers in training) and we finished up the night on our balcony with some beers "smuggled" in from Copenhagen. (Truth is we bought too many in Copenhagen and these were extra that I just casually put in my suitcase). It doesn't get truly dark for many hours. At around Midnightish we went under a large bridge. (Nyborg area) Navigating out and around Denmark on our way to Germany was cool. The next morning was early but it was worth staying up. A few folks went up on the Sun Deck to get the best view. Many did the same on the way back.

 

The next morning we were on our way to Berlin. We were to meet in the Illusionarium around 7:15/7:30. It was a very nice 1st day. The Getaway is a wonderful ship and we look forward to exploring the Baltic with her.

 

Photos attached: Chandelier that changes color, decks 6/7/8. Also the smoking area on 15 and the view from our balcony of leaving Copenhagen with it's wind turbines and ships galore.

 

Any questions, comments? Send them thru.

[pr0pel]

Thanks for the post. You might want to include future posts in the original one rather than create new threads to make it easier to read.

 

We'll be going on the same cruise in a month so thank yo for the review!

[txagfan]

Agree... add to your original post.

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[4 of Harts]

check out my "combined thread" for the rest of the trip

[easyboy]

Did you leave your passport on check-in?

[4 of Harts]

I kept our passports with us at all time. In Russia it was required to have an original.