Getaway May 16-25 Baltic Review (H4)

Our youngest kid just graduated from College. We'd had him pay 50% of his schooling, room, food, etc. and didn't tell him that we saved his contribution. So, at Christmastime, we finally said, "Want a new car? A lump sum payment??" He came back a couple of days later with "Could my significant other and I go on a European Cruise?" Silly me....I assumed that he meant WITH US, so I booked it! (Actually, they both decided that it was a great idea, as our wallets were always more full than theirs).

Precruise:

Friday, May 12th Denver

We drove to Denver (where they live) to pick them up a day before our flight. Stayed at the Staybridge Suites, and since we had 2 rooms booked with their "Park/Stay/Fly" package, we got parking for the entire 2 weeks we were gone. Our flight out was early morning Saturday.

Saturday-Sunday, May 14th-15th

Got to Copenhagen on Sunday afternoon. Took a cab to the Hotel Skt Anne. It was in a great location for our needs, and they allowed us early check-in for one of the rooms. Quaint is a great word to describe this place....our room was through 4 unmarked doors and multiple VERY narrow corridors (think large suitcases....) Breakfast was included and it was a wonderful selection of Danish foods....meats, eggs, salads, cheeses, breads, etc.

Once checked in, we wandered around the area. Saw the little mermaid and the Queens palace (both a very easy walk). Had dinner along Nyhavn which was just around the corner from us. Tip: There's a small store on the corner which has snacks and alcohol. We saved a lot of money by purchasing it ourselves rather than buying drinks at bars and restaurants. We all went to bed by about 7 pm.

Monday, May 15th Copenhagen

Woke up the following day, having already shaken the jet-lag, and took a taxi to the Carlsberg brewery. We did the self-guided tour, the guided tour, and the beer tasting. In all, I think we drank 6 beers EACH. Then, having seen on a the Carlsberg website that there was a free shuttle into city center, we headed back. From the drop off point, using my phone, I was able to navigate our group back to the hotel by Tivoli and through the pedestrian mall. In all, that walk took us 20 minutes. Again, dinner at Nyhavn. Be forewarned that prices are ridiculously high in Copenhagen....Dinner and one drink each for 4 ran us over $450!

We met a couple at the hotel who were also going to the pier the next morning and the hotel arranged a cab for all 6 of us.

Tuesday, May 16th The Getaway

We shared a cab. It was still expensive, but it did cut the cost down.

Got to the pier around 11:30 am on Tuesday. Dropped off baggage (and liquid souvenirs from Carlsberg which they first said we'd have to get rid of, but then allowed us to check with NCL). Got through Haven check-in in 15 minutes and we boarded shortly after. Since this was the first Baltic cruise for Getaway, there was a LOT of confusion at the port, so we were taken back and forth a couple of times before they figured out how to board those of us in the Haven. We did have to wait in line behind folks in boarding group 3, but were then whisked onto the ship, into a couple of elevators, and taken all the way up to the Haven lounge, where Hanno (the current concierge) gave us a short talk. Later, we discovered, that he omitted a LOT from his talk, but I'll try to cover Hanno along the way.

A quick slider and we were welcomed into the Haven dining room for lunch. Oh, and a hard-sell (which my son bought into) for the spa, later that day. They had a couples massage and seaweed bath to the tune of almost $400, once the service charges were factored in. At that point, I reminded them both that I wasn't made of money and any further choices like that would be on their account, not mine! They actually DID choose one more spa treatment (and I'm waiting to be paid back for that, along with casino and arcade charges).

Before we finished lunch, they announced that our rooms were ready. We were in 16714, a 2 bedroom/2 bath Family suite. If you're curious, there are loads of pictures on the internet and on NCL's site. The kids started calling their room, "the walk-in closet" as it was quite small, but perfectly functional. And, with a large living area right outside, it worked beautifully! Tip: We always bring magnets on cruises to post things like the dailies, but these walls WEREN'T MAGNETIC! We'd brought a "Congratulations" banner along with a "Class of 2017" streamer and had to get really creative as to how to put them up. (We ended up wrapping their "storage closet" door with the streamer, and using corners in their room to put up the banner).

Our room steward and butler showed up quickly to introduce themselves. Both were terrific throughout the trip.

As usual, DH and I went on our tour of the ship, starting at the top and walking down stairs. I didn't think we'd EVER figure out this mammoth ship, but got it down within a couple of days. We stopped by the "Cruise next" desk and reserved the platinum "ship tour", found out when the platinum "gathering" was, and asked if she had any ship pins. She DID! They've discontinued them, but she still has a small stock of them which she reserves for those who ask politely. Lucky for us, I was in a good mood! We then headed to the Box Office and reserved "Escape the Big Top" for Thursday.

Have I said yet that we all had the UBP? I could subtitle my review as "Drinking our way through the Baltics." I did have to buy it for the "kids", but I'm positive that their bar-tab would have been double, had I not done that. I also bought them the UDP which matched ours. Since they weren't platinum, DH and I would have had 2 other dinners at specialty restaurants without them, but we only used one of those vouchers. The vouchers for platinum were in our room when we first got there. We also only did one bag of laundry, but managed to stuff that cloth bag full with clothes from all of us.

That night, we all ate at Moderno which was probably my favorite of the specialty restaurants on this ship.

Wednesday, May 17th Warnemunde Germany

We all took the ship tour, "Enchanting Wismar & Brewery". Be forewarned that it's an hour by bus, each way! Still, it was a lovely walking tour followed by 3 types of beer and a big pretzel. We also had some time to wander and shop (and there was an ATM nearby so that we now had some Euros).

Dinner that night in the Haven restaurant.

Thursday, May 18th At Sea

This became our busiest day of the trip. 9:15 am was the ship tour for platinum and above. It was packed with 2 groups of roughly 35 people per group. 11 am was the Cruisecritic meet and greet in Cagneys. From there was a port talk by Hanno at 11:30, but we decided that lunch (and drinks) was a better idea. Escape the Big Top was at 1:15 (we didn't solve it) and at 6:30 we were all invited to a VIP party. I don't know why we were invited, as many in the Haven were not and a few folks we met at the party weren't from the Haven. We met one of the casino managers there, and quickly became friends. If you take this trip and find yourself in the casino, tell Rimarie "Hello" from Steve, Karen, Lance and Keenan! I promise that you'll get a huge smile from her! 7:30 was dinner at Cagney's (I'd have picked Ocean Blue when making our reservations a couple of months back, but the boyfriend doesn't like seafood. Imagine my surprise when he ordered a Tuna steak at the steakhouse!) Cagneys was "okay" but nothing wonderful. (Food and drink are so subjective, that I don't tend to say much about it....unless it's just a total failure). After dinner, we had reservations at 10 pm for Burn the Floor. The kids were exhausted by then, so they didn't join us. We were apparently exhausted, as well, and both of us fell asleep. I can fly for 12 hours straight and not sleep, but couldn't find our way out of the theater without being obvious, so slept soundly in the 3rd row through the entire show.

Friday, May 19th Estonia

DH and I went on a ship tour, "Medieval Experience" and the kids went on a different one, "The Best of Medieval Tallinn". Once we returned to the ship and compared notes, we decided that DH and I chose the better tour. Not only did we get to explore a partially restored castle, we got vodka tasting followed by beer and mead with a very good lunch. That evening, we ate at the Haven restaurant and then DH and I went to the Platinum Gathering at Spice H2O (which was apparently sponsored by "Cruise Next", as it was at least as much a sales pitch as "meeting the officers").

Saturday, May 20th

Day one, Russia

DH and I went on "Through the Eyes of Russian People". This is where I had issues with Hanno and his staff. The previous day, we had a note which told us to turn in our tickets to the Concierge desk so that we could process off the ship quickly for our tour. They said that they'd be returned the following morning. When we didn't get them in the morning, we stopped by and were told to show up 15 minutes before our scheduled tour (though we didn't have the tickets and didn't know (for sure) what time the tour WAS!) Well, we arrived at 12:55 for our 1:30 tour (though we later saw that it was a 1:15 tour). The one person on duty at the desk was with someone else until 1:05. When we stated why we were there, she first said that they didn't have our tickets! Then, she scolded us for being late, once she found our tickets. TIP: KEEP YOUR TICKETS RATHER THAN HANDING THEM IN! She scurried to find us someone to walk us downstairs and got the most clueless butler on the ship, I'm sure. He had us at the back of every line and then was concerned when we pulled out our passports, saying that he didn't bring his. We ditched him, got in a shorter line, got through customs in about 10 minutes, and went to find our group. Luckily, one of two buses hadn't arrived yet, so we still got to join the tour....angry about the snafu's, though, and no longer happy with Hanno. Our tour started late yet ended on time. HOWEVER, it's a tour I'd take again in a heartbeat. We took the subway (with this incredible escalator which took minutes to descend on) two stops, changed trains, and ended up at a local market where we had about 15 minutes. The folks there were so much fun to talk to, and the items were lovely to look at (meats, veggies, spices, a small touristy section). From there we went to a restaurant for more vodka tasting and "typical Russian snacks" which my husband enjoyed, but looking at "golden caviar" reminded me of baiting hooks for trout fishing and I just wasn't interested. We then returned to the ship. This was the night that DH and I had chosen for our platinum Le Bistro dinner, as the kids were going to the Russian Ballet for the evening. This was one of two things I asked Hanno to arrange.

Le Bistro.... We ate there and loved it, on the Star. I had high expectations (isn't that when most of us get into trouble?) Decent-length list of wines (maybe 15?) Got a bottle of Berringer White Zin. I knew what to expect. French onion soup for me and escargot for DH (overcooked). Our main courses were awful. Both ordered medium. (DH had veal while I had beef tenderloin). They were well done. I mean WELL DONE. DH's was chewy while mine was DRY and tasted like cardboard. However, no one EVER checked back on us. Now I hate to waste meat, but I just couldn't eat more than half of mine. When we were leaving, the Maitre D asked how it was. I told him. He pretty much blamed us for not calling attention to the problem. We were in a back corner and they were so busy presenting food with a flourish that there was no getting help. LOL...food with a flourish... it was obnoxious.

Kids ate at the Garden Buffet.

Sunday, May 21st Russia day 2

As it's terribly expensive to visit Russia and we had no interest in museums, we stayed aboard. First time in Garden Buffet. For what it is, it's not bad food. For how people approach it, it might as well be a pig trough.

DH and I played mini-golf (for the first time in over 35 years!) Did the high ropes course (I LOVED IT!) HINT: If you do it and walk the plank, there's a sign which says, "Pull the rope and get your picture taken". Remember that the camera is towards the bow of the ship and not towards the sign. Also, Kids went out on the course on a windy and chilly day. I'd save it for in port on a beautiful sunny day.... The picture never did show up in the photo place. The night before we got off, they only had pics developed for that venue through the 20th.....

By now, I need to mention chocolate covered strawberries. We don't care for them. The kids initially thought they would, but didn't. So the first batch got eaten. Thereafter, they continued to arrive almost daily from different departments to sit and molder. The butler checked with us after about the third plate of them and we told him that we preferred savory snacks. We got more of those, but the danged strawberries continued to show up. I wish we'd known folks who would have eaten them..... And, on that note.... one afternoon in the Haven Lounge, a waitress asked why I only ate the chips from their snack plate of popcorn, chips, and a couple of different snackie things. I told her that I LOVE chips and they're my downfall. From then on, every time she saw us, those chips (homemade with a few beet chips thrown in) showed up. So what's with the strawberries? I mean, isn't a butler supposed to be more perceptive than a waitress?

Got sidetracked....sorry....

We went to the Cirque dinner and show, that night. Hanno made the arrangements and escorted us to the best tables in the house. There were 2 groups from the Haven. The rest of my group LOVED the show. I found it WAY creepy. I guess it's a matter of taste.

Monday, May 22 Finland

We all opted for the Hop on Hop off bus. Great choice, as both couples went their own way. We perused a grocery store and the open-air market. Ended up doing 2 circuits of the town, had free Wi-Fi on the bus, and had a fine day. Dinner at the Haven followed by Comedy Magic for DH and I. It was only 45 minutes long, but full of laughs.

Tuesday, May 23rd NOT Stockholm (instead, Nynashamn Sweden)

Having followed this trip for months on the boards, I knew WELL before NCL let us know about the change in itinerary. They told us about a week ahead. The planned excursion for the "Kids" was the Rooftop walk. We found out, on the ship, that it was cancelled. DH and I had planned on going to Skansen open-air museum, also found on Tripadvisor, via the hop on hop off. Unfortunately, we didn't get there, as it would have involved a lot of travel time and decisions made by my group when presented with ideas. Instead, we headed to city center. One thing I can say about the place is that you can't get lost. They mark the sidewalks the entire length from the ship to either the town center or the fishing area with blue (fishing place) or green (town center) paint. We wandered around both areas (a couple of blocks and a hill apart). Had I realized that the train ran every 20 minutes from the fishing area, we probably would have gone to Stockholm for the day. Oh....once out of the port area, it's 1.4k to the fishing place and 1.6k to the city center. They offer a hop on hop off bus there, but I don't really think it's needed for a town this size. TIP: There's a visitor center in the fishing area (by the water at the far end) which had free Wi-Fi (ask for the code from the lady who works there) and public toilets which were FREE and clean! No one in the area knew that we were coming in, that day, so nothing was really open until after 10 am, and there weren't touristy shops. Don't expect to get shopping done in this port! There was an ATM on one of the main streets into town. One other cool thing...they had a pier which moved and expanded. Steel on floats. Maybe other places have them, but it was the first time I've ever seen that! Dinner at La Cucina. It was pretty good.

Wednesday, May 24 At Sea

Leisurely breakfast at the Haven. Long day taking advantage of the UDP. Our steward brought all of our confiscated liquor (remember that we went to Carlsberg at the start of the trip?) Dinner at the Haven. Million Dollar Quartet which we enjoyed. Packed after way too much to drink. (Note to self...that wasn't the best idea....)

Thursday, May 25 Clarion Copenhagen Airport

We got off the ship at 10 and took their transfer to the airport. Got immediately checked in to the Clarion which is RIGHT NEXT DOOR TO WHERE THE BUS TAKES YOU!) Repacked and made sure that all of the booze was carefully padded and in ziplock bags. Wandered around the airport to get a sense of it before our early morning flight the next day. It was chaotic, but in hindsight, it was filled with cruise tourists both coming and going and the regular folks. The kids went back into town. There are trains from the airport to both town (12 minutes) and to Sweden (20 minutes) which seemed to run a lot. Also great signage to direct you.

Friday, May 26th

8:30am flight on Luftansa to Munich then direct to Denver. The long leg had us sandwiched in the "baby section". TIP: pay for an upgrade before you sit for nearly 11 1/2 hours in the baby section! If you could afford the Haven, you can afford "Economy Plus"! Hit weather in Denver and had to circle for about an hour. UGH.

I called Staybridge as soon as we cleared customs/immigration/baggage and they were there in 15 minutes with cold bottles of water. However, they also wedged the bags in so tight that when removed, on was leaking hard cider. It made it through airports and airplane holds, but burst (on our formal wear) on the very last leg of the journey.

Other notes:

We did eat at various places. The kids did O'Sheehan's, mostly, if we didn't have other plans. Not once in a main dining room, as the Haven was terrific so why invite a possible downgrade and deal with the masses? We tried many of the bars. Both DH and I had the worst Mojitos ever at the Sugarcane Mojito Bar. Mine made me think of over-sweetened Wrigley's spearmint gum while his was horribly bitter (the lime was WAY too "muddled"). We went to dueling pianos a couple of times. Took in random shows, but did our best to avoid the Atrium. That place was LOUD and crazy. I wish they had a different venue for game shows, trivia, music, movies..... It seemed like there were times with thousands of folks jostling their way through there.

We used the Haven pool/jacuzzis. We never did the water-slides because the couple of warm days on the trip had them doing repairs. In all, I saw ONE (1) person EVER use them.

Weather: Mostly chilly, but a couple of very warm days (mostly Russia). The sun stays out way long! By Finland, I think it set around 11 pm and rose by 3:30 am. If daylight wakes you up, you might want to consider getting an inside cabin! We had blackout curtains, but light around the edges had me wide awake by 4 am, a couple of times.

The ship: This was our first cruise on a huge ship. We chose this because of the itinerary. If we ever go on another ship this size, it will ONLY be as Haven guests. Also, I can't help but think that NCL put the wrong ship on this cruise. The Breakaway would have been a better choice (for Haven guests) with the retractable roof. Any of the smaller ships would have worked better as getting into and out of ports as a ship this size has issues (we were led to believe that we didn't go to Stockholm as they only had one berth big enough for us and it had a container ship docked. No telling if that's correct, but we heard it from various crew who also wonder if she'll make it to Stockholm many times this summer).

Mix of guests:

Getting into an elevator was always interesting. You had no idea if the others spoke your language. Lots of Europeans, Americans, and Indians. Very few children (maybe 20 on the entire ship?) I assume that that's due to the time that we went and later this summer it will be different. The age mix was interesting. Very few kids. Quite a few 20-somethings. Mostly folks around our age...50's-60's. Fewer older folks. I only saw one motorized scooter on the whole trip, and it was plugged in. I'm going to venture a guess that since so many of the ports included walking, this isn't a great choice for folks with limited mobility.

We met the couple who won the bingo game which got them a suite in the Haven. They were terrific folks. They won a 2 bedroom suite and used the extra bedroom for luggage storage and as a dressing room. They got it for the cost of one game....$39, and said that their only disappointment was that they now anticipate less cruising, as they were hooked by the Haven.

We also met a lot of folks who got their cabins by bidding for them. We did it the old-fashioned way, but realized early on that it wasn't that much more expensive to book this way than to book 2 balconies. We did have an NCL credit from a previous cruise which helped knock our price down, slightly.

What to pack/wear:

If I were to do this again, I'd skip the hanging bag/formal wear. Dockers and button-downs or polo shirt for men at night work in any venue. Nice pants/tops and/or a couple of dresses which can be rolled up for packing are ideal for women. Comfortable walking shoes are a MUST for ports (skip sandals, as a LOT of the streets are cobblestone). Jeans were the most popular day-wear on the ship. I'd guess that a couple of pairs of shorts would be a good idea, later in the season. Of course a bathing suit or two. If you're in the Haven, there was an umbrella in the closet. I'd strongly suggest an umbrella....

About us:

The "Kids" are 23 and 26. They found a lot of people to spend time with. DH and I are 50's-60's and made some great new friends. DH and I have taken more cruises than we can count. NCL is probably our favorite, but we've also been on Princess, Celebrity, Holland America, Regent (before it was owned by NCL), and Carnival.

Smoking:

I'm a smoker. There's a smoking section on deck 17 forward for Haven guests. I'm not sure if they're allowed, but a few guys would smoke cigars up there, in the afternoon, blaring opera music. Another Haven guest told me that he smoked on his balcony and his steward cleaned up the mess daily. My guess is that unless someone complains, Haven guests can mostly do what they want. Other smoking areas include the cigar bar and directly outside along the waterfront, a semi-walled in area on deck 15 close to the pool (WAY TOO SMOKEY, even for a smoker), an area in Spice H2O by the bar, and parts of the casino.

Tipping:

We did what we always do at the bars...$1 each per drink. Now I know that we already pay a service charge, but I also know that these folks depend on tips to make a living wage. Not a biggie to us to pay that, and it insures that we're given great service. I've read a LOT of discussions about Haven tipping. We talked to folks who used the butler and concierge and thought that $20 would be an appropriate tip. I disagree. We barely used either but left a lower tip for Hanno (he did 2 things for any/all of us during the entire trip) than we did for either our butler or room steward. Oh, and next time you hear, "the butler does this or that for you and your room", our steward assured us that the steward cleans/fills the coffee maker, removes plates of uneaten food, etc. I'm really not sure what the butler does other than deliver afternoon snacks, if you don't request room service.

We talked to others (Europeans) who said that they planned to remove tips from their accounts, as they're considered "discretionary". We explained that that's how the folks who serve them get paid. I'm not sure that we convinced them to keep the tips on their accounts, but we tried.

Conclusion:

We had a fine cruise. While we didn't get a lot out of the concierge or butler, the rest of the staff more than made up for it. Would we do this again? Probably not. I prefer warmer places. However, if you're yearning to see St. Petersburg and the other Baltic areas, this gives you a taste.

Fabulous review! Thank you! We are doing the same cruise in July and I am also considering the Medieval Experience shore excursion in Tallinn...can you please tell me what you were able to do at the castle (was archery included) and also what the lunch was? I have picky eaters so need to know. I also asked about your Through the Eyes of Russians excursion on your other thread (sorry I posted that before I saw this review). You mention a subway ride and market visit...did you also go to a mall? Was there time to shop there?

Oh, and I have booked the Clarion Copenhagen airport and wonder how you liked it? Any issues at all?

Appreciate your info so much! :-)

Fabulous review! Thank you! We are doing the same cruise in July and I am also considering the Medieval Experience shore excursion in Tallinn...can you please tell me what you were able to do at the castle (was archery included) and also what the lunch was? I have picky eaters so need to know. I also asked about your Through the Eyes of Russians excursion on your other thread (sorry I posted that before I saw this review). You mention a subway ride and market visit...did you also go to a mall? Was there time to shop there?

Oh, and I have booked the Clarion Copenhagen airport and wonder how you liked it? Any issues at all?

Appreciate your info so much! :-)

The Clarion was fantastic. They gave us early check-in. It's a walk through a covered hall to either an escalator or elevator and you're in the terminal. All signage is also in English. Tip: You can print your boarding passes in the lobby which is WAY less chaotic than the terminal. You need your passports to do this. Wi-Fi was spotty at the hotel. It worked fine in the lobby and they had both a bar and a restaurant. Rooms had coffee/tea and an electric kettle. Ice machines on each floor. Watch out for the mini-bar....if you open it and try to shove anything in, they'll charge you (though I was able to explain that I was just trying to fit a bottle of wine in it....gave up and filled the sink with ice, to cool said bottle). There really wasn't much around there other than the airport (which had a Burger King this side of security). We ate dinner at the hotel. Expensive, but it was a good Danish buffet.

No mall on the Russian tour. Only about 15 minutes for shopping and that was at the market. The vendors who I spoke with would gladly take rubles, euros, or dollars.

The medieval tour let us wander around the castle. Saw the dungeons, went to "Hell" (similar to a Halloween haunted house and DARK (I was glad for the flashlight app on my phone!)) You could actually hold swords which were all over the place. Archery? Maybe....There was a "ride" on a wooden horse which went downhill, but a big guy got on it and nearly tipped. Oh, and before that place, there was a stop at a house-museum in the center of town. Kind of interesting, but not the highlight. Lunch was bread, salad, pretty plain (but tasty) chicken breast with or without gravy, rice, pickles and pickled garlic (which was AWESOME), and dessert was a strudel. Beer, mead, or root beer was included with lunch. Coffee and tea were offered at the end. Everything was served "Family style".

Just what I needed to know! Thank you so much! :-)

Thank you for your great review. We also did the Baltics 2 years ago and enjoyed it likewise.

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Thank you so much for your review. We are all anxious to read the reviews of the Getaway in the Baltics.

It sounds like Hanno did not live up to your expectations. We had him on the Star a couple of years ago and he was fantastic! He really made our cruise. He was so helpful and treated us very well.

Thank you for writing this great review Karen!! I am taking notes! I am so excited to read these reviews! I want to ask. Are most of the public toilets for pay?

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Wonderful review. I noticed you sailed on a Tuesday as mine does on the Breakaway for May, 2018. I booked this date before I read Rick Steves book and he said that alot of places may be closed on Mondays. Did you find this to be true?

Thank you for writing this great review Karen!! I am taking notes! I am so excited to read these reviews! I want to ask. Are most of the public toilets for pay?

 

 

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Yes, it seemed that ALL toilets are for pay (except for the tourist center in Sweden). Once, being desperate, a woman coming out of one saw me and held it for me so that I didn't have to pay. Have coins on you. Even if that means breaking a bill that you get at an ATM with something small and silly....trust me.

Wonderful review. I noticed you sailed on a Tuesday as mine does on the Breakaway for May, 2018. I booked this date before I read Rick Steves book and he said that alot of places may be closed on Mondays. Did you find this to be true?

I'd wanted to do the Danish open-air museum, but it was closed on Mondays. Carlsberg was open and so was Tivoli....and the pedestrian mall was, as well. Don't know about museums and such. I'd done a bit of research on Tripadvisor, so was aware of what was open which suited the interests of my group.

Thanks! This practice took me by surprise in Turkey! Everyone should be aware!!

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Great review, thanks.

Karen you mention about getting Getaway ship pins by chance would you have a extra one? That we can trade or buy from you. I have extra of the Sun Sky Jewel Breakaway. I am trying to complete my collection of all the ships.

Thanks

Michele😀⚓️

Thanks Karen. We are a group of three generations doing the Baltics on Getaway in October. Glad to hear that your 'kids' enjoyed themselves. My kids are around the same age.

This will be our first time in Haven. How much did you pre-book before the cruise?

This will be our first time in Haven. How much did you pre-book before the cruise?

I pre-booked most things, myself. Although the concierge will hand out a paper for you to fill out so that he can book things for you, we found it easier to do a chart ahead of time and do our own bookings. Between working out the times we'd return from excursions, shows which only were available a couple of times, etc, we really did need a chart to figure it all out. Now, if you get onboard and want to change anything, the concierge will take care of that for you. The only ones I didn't book ahead were our Platinum (free) dinners, a comedy magic show which I hadn't known about, and Cirque (as I wasn't sure my group wanted to attend). Have a great trip!

Excellent review, thanks.

Enjoyed reading your review. We did the Baltics and Fjords last year on the Star.

Thanks so much for your review. We are Haven too and so helpful to read your review!

Our youngest kid just graduated from College. We'd had him pay 50% of his schooling, room, food, etc. and didn't tell him that we saved his contribution. So, at Christmastime, we finally said, "Want a new car? A lump sum payment??" He came back a couple of days later with "Could my significant other and I go on a European Cruise?" Silly me....I assumed that he meant WITH US, so I booked it! (Actually, they both decided that it was a great idea, as our wallets were always more full than theirs).

Thank you for your review. I enjoyed it, especially the surprise above, both in saving your son's money for buying him a gift, and for joining them on the trip! And the "am not made of money" part ;)

Hi Karen we are doing the same cruise in September - really looking forward to it - thanks for a great review. Did you notice if the roof in the haven was retractable? Just wondering about using the hot tubs etc if the weather isn't so great in September?

Thank you for the review! You provided some great insights!

Hi Karen we are doing the same cruise in September - really looking forward to it - thanks for a great review. Did you notice if the roof in the haven was retractable? Just wondering about using the hot tubs etc if the weather isn't so great in September?

Nope. The roof is not retractable. This probably isn't the best ship that NCL could have put in a cool place. Due to the weather, the ropes course, waterslides, and main pool were underutilized. I did watch lifeguard training one morning at the main pool, but that's the only time I saw anyone in it!

We did use the hot tubs a couple of times in the Haven and it was actually warm enough to go into the Haven pool, on day 2 of Russia (probably about 75 degrees outside). Again, I think that the Breakaway (with it's retractable roof) would have been a better "mega ship" choice, but I also think that a smaller ship would have been the best idea, for this itinerary.

OH.....and the Haven pool is fresh water! First time I've even seen that on NCL.

Dear Karen,

I have a question about St. Petersburg and getting off the ship in general. Why did they ask you to turn in your tickets? So you could have priority getting off the ship? We will be going on a private tour with just four of us.

Did you have priority in other ports getting off the ship and back on as you were in the Haven? (This tells me to make copies of my tour tickets, because they are also your "VISA".) Thanks in advance.

Dear Karen,

 

I have a question about St. Petersburg and getting off the ship in general. Why did they ask you to turn in your tickets? So you could have priority getting off the ship? We will be going on a private tour with just four of us.

 

Did you have priority in other ports getting off the ship and back on as you were in the Haven? (This tells me to make copies of my tour tickets, because they are also your "VISA".) Thanks in advance.

I think that they wanted our tickets so that we would get priority, getting off the ship. Again, I just wouldn't turn them in, had I known the stress that this would cause. (And I don't think it counted if you were on a private tour. In your case, I'd simply ask Hanno or his staff how to handle this). And I THINK that they offered priority disembarkation at the other ports, but we didn't take advantage of it as we were either on ship tours or had no reason to try to rush off the ship. As for getting back on...no, we stood in line just like the rest of the folks.

Thank you Karen. Good to know.

Nope. The roof is not retractable. This probably isn't the best ship that NCL could have put in a cool place. Due to the weather, the ropes course, waterslides, and main pool were underutilized. I did watch lifeguard training one morning at the main pool, but that's the only time I saw anyone in it!

We did use the hot tubs a couple of times in the Haven and it was actually warm enough to go into the Haven pool, on day 2 of Russia (probably about 75 degrees outside). Again, I think that the Breakaway (with it's retractable roof) would have been a better "mega ship" choice, but I also think that a smaller ship would have been the best idea, for this itinerary.

OH.....and the Haven pool is fresh water! First time I've even seen that on NCL.

Thanks for the info - hope it's warm enough in September !!!