NCL Getaway July 9-16, 2022-H9-Live w/pics

[graphicguy]

So…filled the last night to the brim….

 

-Million Dollar Quartet (no pics allowed)

 

ran from the Theater to Syd Norman’s for “Prom Night” (note Capt’s “mate” wearing a prom crown)!

 

 

 

Edited July 16, 2022 by graphicguy

[graphicguy]

[graphicguy]

Good night!

[graphicguy]

[smillerholmes]

5 hours ago, JCDCA said:

Saw where Royal is experimenting with rolling out Starlink at least on one ship for now.  I have had abysmal internet on my last few NCL voyages, but better on Royal.  There does seem to be a difference.  Also not 100% sure I have this right but thought I’ve read WiFi on Princess is pretty solid.  

I've only sailed Princess once - Majestic Princess February 2022.  Internet was stellar.  I almost forgot I was on a ship.  AND it was UNLIMITED and included in their version of FAS.  Drinks, Crew Appreciation and Internet is what was offered.

[erikb923]

Does the Haven still have grab and go type breakfast options in the morning? 

[luvcruzing]

Thanks @graphicguy for taking us along on your cruise.  I had a good time, hope you did, too.  😃

 

Safe travels home.  
 

 

Edited July 16, 2022 by luvcruzing

[graphicguy]

Off the ship.  Concierge escorted us off.

I hope I was able to give a little insight to the cruise, and perhaps offer some tips along the way.

 

As it stands, I’m sitting in MCO.  Flight delayed.  Good thing it was delayed.   My transport from the pier to MCO, #goport, was an unmitigated disaster.  They are supposed to run constant shuttles from the pier to MCO beginning at 7:00 a.m.  They were 30 minutes late arriving.  And, the driver spent more time “putzing” around with a broom, his mobile phone, his Bluetooth music speaker, ,trying to get some sort of kids show to work on the bus TV ( which was well past functional a while ago, I’m sure, chatting with other people I guess he works with.  We didn’t leave the pier until well over an hour later.

 

Add to that, he couldn’t figure out how to get the entrance gate to the bus parking areas to MCO open.  That took another 10 minutes.

 

Word of caution, do not book GOPORT.

 

Whew,…that out of the way, Delta airlines is trying to automate bag check by having passengers print out their own tags.  Problem there is, their scanners don’t work, and when they do, they’re super slow, much slower than having an agent do the same thing.f

 

OK…onto the good stuff.  I’ll be gathering more pics and giving a review in the next day or so.

 

HINT…..GREAT CRUISE!

[graphicguy]

4 hours ago, erikb923 said:

Does the Haven still have grab and go type breakfast options in the morning? 

Yes!

[Beach Life 1]

Great review!!    Love all the pictures, and  can't wait to see more.  Makes me that much more excited for our upcoming cruise in February.   Thank you so much! 😀

[luvcruzing]

19 minutes ago, graphicguy said:

Word of caution, do not book GOPORT

Got it!

 

20 minutes ago, graphicguy said:

 

Whew,…that out of the way, Delta airlines is trying to automate bag check by having passengers print out their own tags.  Problem there is, their scanners don’t work, and when they do, they’re super slow, much slower than having an agent do the same thing

I totally agree! Always takes longer than the airline agents can get it done.

[gatorchinsky]

Loved reading everything so far.  Can’t wait to read your official review! We cruise in 75 days and it will be the first time in at least 15 years that we are cruising not during a school holiday and our first ever 9 nighter.

[GALSews]

Graphicguy, thanks, I enjoyed distantly riding your coattails as they sailed the sea. 

 

 

[graphicguy]

Y’all are kind.  Thanks!

 

 

 

 

[travelmoxie]

Hi all,

 

I just got off the Getaway as well.  I’m a platinum level Latitudes member, and this is the third time I’ve been on this ship.

 

I’ve never stayed in The Haven, this time around I got a solo balcony cabin without paying the single supplement.  A good deal.

 

Overall, I’d give the cruise a “meh”.  Service in Taste and Savor was hit and miss and there were servers who did not speak enough English to take our order.  Moderno was awful, meat was dry and tasteless.  Le Bistro was very good, best meals we had on the ship and the service was top notch.  
 

Too many kids for my liking, especially when they were allowed to run up and down the halls.  Of course the upside to families cruising is that the H20 Spice adults only area had lots of space.

 

Obviously none of these issues are really significant enough to complain about.  
 

Happy to answer any other questions.

 

 

[graphicguy]

LOL….when I was checking all the cabin closets when packing to leave, I found the nylon laundry bag that I could have used for my dirty laundry when I sent it out.  My oversight.  Should have looked a little harder.  Too bad I found it the last day of the cruise.

 

Edited July 17, 2022 by graphicguy

[graphicguy]

Whew…what a day of travel.  Picked up the dog from his sitter (I think he was glad to see me).  Took the girlfriend out for tacos.  Poured a Basil Hayden and relaxed to watch the latest Better Call Saul episode (WOW).

 

Have had some time to percolate the cruise.

 

As I usually do, this was a last minute booking.  Found a deal, jumped on it.  Overall, price was good. Lots of OBC.  Cabin was great.  The itinerary was one I had not been on in a while.  And, it was on one of my favorite NCL ships (the “-AWAY” twins).

 

If you’re looking for go-carts or laser tag, this wasn’t that.  But, they did have the big slides, and the kids pools, movies outside for the kids and a kids program, if you’re looking for a family cruise. That’s not what I was looking for, however.  I was looking for a relaxing cruise,….a cruise where I did very little planning….a cruise I could just “wing it” every day.  I got exactly what I was looking for, plus some.  

 

I knew what to expect.  This was a Summer cruise.  School’s out.  I knew there would be kids.  Expectations were met. ;). Did it bother me?  Eh….not really.  I knew what to expect.

 

SHIP…..with COVID shutdown…cancellations, rebooking, more cancellations, finding deals on other cruise lines, it had been a few years since I had been on either of the AWAY ships.  Matter of fact, it was 4 years ago, where I met fellow cruiser @GA Dave…he and the cruise were great.

 

The Getaway was in the same condition and the same shape as I remembered her.  Couple of changes (Syd Norman’s).  But overall, still in great condition, clean, and almost like home.  I immediately knew where to go to do what I wanted.

 

I booked the cheapest HAVEN Suite I could find….a HAVEN SPA SUITE.  Cabin was great, as all HAVEN Suites are, but it included access to the ship spa, which I used every day.  It was actually less than a regular Spa Cabin or a large balcony cabin on a Royal ship with a similar itinerary.   Plus, I got $300 OBC from AMEX Platinum with a bottle of wine and dinner at Le Bistro.  My TA threw in a $200 fare discount, free service charges and $100 OBC.  Plus, given they weren’t offering Behind the Scenes or Wine Tasting for Sapphire Latitudes members (which we’re supposed to get), I got another $50 OBC.  All totaled, that was $450 OBC on top of the dinner and discounts.

 

Latitudes gave me…

 

-Free bag of  laundry

-dinner at Cagney’s or LeBistro plus a bottle of wine

-dinner at Moderno or LaCucina

-some discounts on excursions,  NCL merch, strawberries, some water cartons

-some other minor stuff….

 

Plus, the “free” specialty dining and drinks with “Free at Sea” promos (not including the service charges that were picked up by my TA).

 

In short, I had more Specialty Dining perks than I knew what to do with.  And, I still had the Haven Restaurant access.

 

I did no pre-planning….ZERO!  All excursions, all meals, all shows were done by my concierges.  I woke up in the a.m., made coffee in the NESPRESSO machine (which I love so much, I bought one for home), and parked my carcass on my balcony until I decided to venture out.

 

 

(Cont)

 

[graphicguy]

Watched trivia, but not sure if/how you win, as no one ever did.  And, while I’m sure they didn’t give away a “bazillion” of anything, not sure what the prize was?

 

Those who sail NCL know of their Ocean 678 chandelier.  It’s different shapes on different ships.  But, on the Away ships it is in this spiral configuration, to match the glass steps configuration.  And, throughout the cruise, it will change colors.

 

Ocean 678 is the hub of the ship.  More specifically, the specialty restaurants, the theme bars, the casino, the shops, etc reside here.  Quite literally, decks 6, 7 and 8.

[graphicguy]

The MIXX bar is in the center of the split between Savor and Taste MDRs.

 

While I did not eat in any of the MDRs, I never noticed any long lines to get in. Doesn’t mean there weren’t any.  Just that I never noticed any.

[graphicguy]

Pool area at Spice H20, adult pool area…..

[rbxlady]

42 minutes ago, graphicguy said:

made coffee in the NESPRESSO machine (which I love so much, I bought one for home)

I inherited my mom's Nespresso machine, which is way fancier than one I would ever buy for myself, but my husband and I only used it from time to time. When our latest Keurig died, we decided not to replace it and started using the Nespresso for our everyday coffee. Boy, are we spoiled! Once I found affordable pods on Amazon (since our machine is the original line, not Vertuo), we felt more at ease with that decision. And of course I think of my mom every time I have a cup of coffee 🙂

 

Anyway, what a sweet pupper, and thank you for sharing your experience so extensively! We are cruising the Getaway in October (first time on NCL, first time the kids will be cruising), so we greatly appreciate having all this information. We've been following along all week!

[graphicguy]

The ICE BAR was never very busy.  Surprised it’s still on this ship.  I’ve tried it on the past….ONCE.  Concept is unique…..drink SKY Vodka in a room made mostly of ice that’s way too cold for anyone wearing anything except long johns (they do provide a parka) from an ice glass.  GF and I tried it years ago.  We ended up chugging the vodka and getting out of there as quickly as we could.

 

 

[graphicguy]

16 minutes ago, rbxlady said:

I inherited my mom's Nespresso machine, which is way fancier than one I would ever buy for myself, but my husband and I only used it from time to time. When our latest Keurig died, we decided not to replace it and started using the Nespresso for our everyday coffee. Boy, are we spoiled! Once I found affordable pods on Amazon (since our machine is the original line, not Vertuo), we felt more at ease with that decision. And of course I think of my mom every time I have a cup of coffee 🙂

 

Anyway, what a sweet pupper, and thank you for sharing your experience so extensively! We are cruising the Getaway in October (first time on NCL, first time the kids will be cruising), so we greatly appreciate having all this information. We've been following along all week!

Yeah…..I went through all the fancy coffee presses, pour overs, etc, etc.  Tried a Keurig, which kept breaking.  Granted, Keurig would send me a new one under warranty. But, it was a pain.  And, the coffee it made was “meh” at best.

 

My Nespresso is chugging along for the last 3-4 years.  And, their capsules are available via Amazon, as you point out.  It heats quickly.  Makes a very tasty coffee/espresso, and has been reliable.

 

I actually preferred the Nespresso coffee in my cabin to the French Press they served in the Haven Restaurant.

 

GF ordered one of their Vertuo machines, which makes bigger cups, on the recent Amazon Prime sale.  Not sure if it will be much different than our current machine.  It’s Amazon, so she can return it if she doesn’t like it.

 

Yeah…the pup is just a little sweetheart.  He’s a Chihuahua and Pappilon mix.  He was abandoned in a local park, where a neighbor found him, and called me (knowing I’m a dog lover) to see what to do with him.  He had been on his own for a while, looked like he had been in a few scraps on other wooded creatures, emaciated, scared and just a mess.  That was 3 years ago.  

 

Got him fixed up and healthy.  Took a little while, though.  He never strays too far from me, and I rarely leash him…only if required in a public setting.  Aside from protecting us from the mailman and Amazon delivery person, he’s pretty quiet….not at all like other small dogs.

 

 

Edited July 17, 2022 by graphicguy

[graphicguy]

(Cont)

 

FOOD….

 

Get this out of the way.  I didn’t have a bad meal, ANYWHERE on the ship, whether the Haven Restaurant, the Specialties, the Buffet, etc.

 

The first day, we were allowed to eat at American Diner for “no charge”.  Good food.  But, outside of it being “no charge”, I doubt I would seek it out if I had to pay extra for it.

 

NCL seems to have an issue with the idea of having an extra charge restaurant that isn’t all that different from the buffet.  They had the same space used for a Margaritaville Restaurant.  That didn’t work either, for the same reason.  I never saw anyone there, other than the first day, and that’s only because it was free.

 

Specialties…

 

Ate in LeBistro, LaCucina, Wasabi, Ocean Blu, Teppenyaki.  All were good to great.

 

Ocean Blu was great.  But, I’m a seafood lover.  It was all fresh, prepared perfectly.  LaCucina was the pleasant surprise of the Specialties.  Last time I dined there, it wasn’t bad, just nothing to really brag about.  This time, it was great.  I had Lobster Ravioli and it was probably the best entre I had (except for Surf and Turf in the Haven Restaurant).

 

Because of where I was on the ship, I found myself at the Buffet for a couple of lunches.  Never a wait for a table, but I usually dined outside and away from the indoor crowd.  Food was fresh, well prepared, plentiful, easy to get to, and tasty.  Salads, burgers, pastas, hot dogs, soups…all I tried for my lunches there were good.

 

Also had a really good Reuben at O’Sheehans.

 

Ate a couple of times at Shanghais.  If you’re willing to sit at the area in front of where they prepare the food, it’s easier to get a seat for one (sometimes being a solo helps).  There was usually a wait for 2 or more.  That’s how popular it is.  Out of all the “free” dining options, Shanghai was my favorite.  Freshly prepared, simple but really tasty ingredients.

 

Haven Restaurant was always wonderful.  I ate breakfast most days there. Given all of my Specialty perks, I only ate dinner there a couple of times.  Surf and Turf for one, and Prime Rib for the other.  Both were outstanding.  Nice Lobster Tail size on the S&T.  Service was superb.  The downside to the Haven Restaurant was, and still is, their static menu.

 

I know Celebrity’s dining is ballyhooed (as it should be), but NCL matches it.  Their revamped dining and menus were well worth it.

Edited July 17, 2022 by graphicguy

[graphicguy]

Quick note….I did not pack any long pants.  Even LeBistro and Ocean Blu allowed me to wear shorts if I dined outside, which is what I preferred.

 

I don’t believe I saw one suit worn at any time, regardless of date, time of day, or venue!  I didn’t even recall seeing a tie!