Kimf

Hello -

My 11 year old son refused to go the kids club, even though I think he would have enjoyed it. We did see them out and about with groups of kids a few times (ex - mini golf and ping pong).

The games are paid for my swiping your card. skeetball was $1, basketball $1.5 and I think bowling was $5.

I am not sure if our room was right over the waterfront, but had zero noise issues the how trip (only heard our neighbor cough once or twice)... and we were early to bed most nights. We could smell some cig smoke on the balancony, but I think there were smokers in the rooms near us (bummer - I hate cig smoke!).

ImaKrazyKruizer - I just noticed your picture comment. I took pictures of my son on the plank from the corner of the mini golf course and I think they turned out pretty good!

Disney - I think the lines could last up to 45-60 minutes for the ropes coarse when really busy (usually right after they opened), but the slide lines, while long - seemed to move at a good pace - maybe 10 -15 minutes at the busiest times. Our ship was completely full - but it never seemed too bad for getting around. Have fun - we loved it!

Hi - I agree with Katie's thoughts. One of the slides is a little lower than the other 4 though - and that one might be doable for you to try. They do have a mini golf course to that is fun too! I wish I was going again soon... especially as it is snowing again in MN! :( :mad:

I also posted this on the cruise critic review forum tonight, but assume it will take a day or two to show up there. So, here you go! I will try to answer some questions if anyone has any.

I'm sad to say we just returned from our week on the Getaway - would love to have stayed for a few more days! We absolutely loved the ship and would recommend it to almost anyone, especially families! I will sort my review by topics:

Embarkation/Disembarkation: Both went very smooth. We arrived at the port early and were in the 2nd boarding group. I was sitting in a lounger in the sun by 11:30 as happy as could be. Getting off the ship went quickly too - less than 30 minutes, including getting luggage and customs.

Room: We had a mid ship mini suite (10230). Since we had 4 of us in the room, 3 adults and one 11 year old boy - we appreciated the slightly larger room and bathroom area. We had plenty of storage for our belongings. The room was a decent size and the balcony, while small, could fit 3 people easily if standing. The shower was a little tricky to figure out with all the different jets, but nice water pressure. The king size bed was comfortable and my son loved his bunk bed that came out of the ceiling. The only minor issue we had is the drawers under the couch were a bit tricky to open/close if the couch was open as a bed.

Food: Overall we thought the food was good and liked the various decors of the dining rooms and specialty restaurants. We had been on the Jewell last year and I thought the food on the Getaway was definitely much better. My only food disappointment that week was the molten lava chocolate cake... it tasted fine, but was served cold, so just wasn't what I wanted or expected. My husband and I ate at Cagney's one night and loved it, and the four of us ate at Teppanyaki one night. This is a great option with kids - my son absolutely loved the demonstration while cooking and the chefs do a great job including the kids in their routine. We ate in all three of the main dining rooms (Taste, Savor and Tropicana) and O'Sheehans for dinners, in addition to the specialty restaurants. For breakfast and lunch we always ate in the Garden Café or Flamingos (just once). And, who can forget the soft serve ice cream! My son (and maybe dad and mom) had several cones a day! They also had scoop ice cream available most of the time too during prime time dining! I also love the chocolate croissants at breakfast... you don't want to know how many of those I ate each day.

Service: We did not encounter any unfriendly staff members during out trip. Everyone was very friendly and helpful. A few of things that I really loved is that during the day they would periodically bring around cold washcloths and/or spray bottle misters to the sunbathers to help cool you off - that was a very nice and unexpected treat! They also brought fruit smoothie samples around one day - a great way to sell them and it worked with my son! Finally two different nights the brought a small plate of chocolates/chocolate covered strawberries to our room (with a card from the hotel director). I was not sure if that was because I am a measly bronze latitude member or attended the cruise critic meet and greet - but again, we loved it! Little extras like this are what would bring me back to this cruise line again.

Entertainment: We went to Illusionarium and absolutely loved it! Definitely don't miss this. We paid for premium seating, which I thought was worthwhile. I thought the food was good too, except I did not care for the desserts. My sister and I went to the Wine Lovers lunch too.... I thought it was ok. It seemed to get a bit long and they made you only tastes the wines at certain points in the show and it seemed like the last 3 got rushed into about 10-15 minutes. It was fun trying the wines and they provide a good pour.... I do wish the lunch was a little lighter though vs. a big dinner like meal. We also went to Howl at the Moon one night and loved that too! The rest of the night life was usually too late for us early to bed, early to rise folks!

Sports/Kids stuff: My son loved, loved, loved the ropes course, water slides, mini golf, ping pong, bowling, skeetball and basketball (the last three in "O'Sheehans). This ship is definitely geared towards families - which worked perfectly for us. Yes, it was spring break and the lines were often long for the slides and ropes course, but he still had fun. We also found port days a good time to take advantage of some of those activities when open.

Bars: We loved the outdoor seating at Sugar Cane and the Sunset bar. Great place to go for a pre-dinner beverage and relaxation. I did try the mojito flight at Sugarcane our last night there - pretty good, but not exactly what I expected. Fun to try though! Bar service staff at the pool/sun decks were also great. I was really impressed that several of them remembered our names (maybe that was a bad sign????) and even favorite drinks by the end of the cruise.

If you have kids/grandkids - especially tweeners to young teens, this cruise is a great option to consider!

I had heard such great things about Julie I was excited to see her I action, but as someone mentioned already Sinan is now the CD and I think he will be around for a while by the sounds of it. He was good.

Thanks for the replies.... I will be hoping for no problems and access to chairs!! :):):)

Hello -

My ideal vacation is laying in the sun most of the day (usually near a pool - can probably live without that if needed) reading a good book and enjoying an adult beverage. Can those who have sailed the Getaway comment as to how easy it is to find 2-3 chairs together? We are a group of 4 - but since my 11 year old son is with us, the Vibe is not an option - otherwise I would be all over that!

I am usually an early riser and don't mind finding chairs between 9-10:00.... but are the all taken with "towels" by that time?

Any tips, advice would be greatly appreciated!

Kim

Thanks for the quick replies on the Cabana folks! I kind of figured it was two... and did know my son would not be allowed in, but was hoping we could mix and match so that someone could be with my son at all times! :) My daughter bailing on us really messed my plans up! :eek::(

Oh well - I will check out the other area and hope for the best.

If you buy the Cabana package for $299... how many people does that include - just two? I am traveling with my husband 11 year old son and my sister is now coming with us (my daughter bailed on us given state hockey playoffs for her team!). Anyway, I really want the vibe passes as I am a sun worshiper and my sister is willing to do so also, but then what to do about my husband and son! Agh.... There are times when my husband would like to hang out in the sun with us as well.

Thanks for your great review and responses to questions!

We were on the Jewel last summer and they would not provide any exceptions (my kids were 11 and 13 at the time and in two different groups). As a result - we did not use the kids club as they wanted to hang out together. Its too bad they can't provide some flexibility for siblings.

Thanks Palu12 - That sounds good. I am really hoping to get onboard soon enough to get vibe passes for the week! The cabana sounds nice if there are coolers to keep your beverages cold!

Didn't like the first very brief review above... hopefully this person has some positive things to say as well!

Can't wait to hear more details.... we leave on the 8th!

Palu12 - Are there also lots of sun loungers in the Vibe area? I don't really want a cabana, but love the idea of getting a chair with no issues each day!:D:D:D:D

Loved your pictures - thanks for sharing! This gets me so excited for our upcoming Getaway cruise!

:D:D

I love AI's! Not that I am a huge drinker, but it is nice to order drinks when ever you want without having to think about your end of the trip bill racking up. It is also nice to have more space. I do like cruising too - but I am a pool person and my favorite thing to do on a warm weather vacation is to lie by the pool and read a book. It is hard to find that space on a cruise with pools so small. With that said, after 6 years of AIs for spring break, we are going on a cruise this year as my 11 and 13 year old were getting a little bored with the AI route. It really depends on the place you pick though and activities available for the kids. We had to change hotels at the last minute last year and ended up at a property I probably would not have picked to start with due to less kid friendly activities. Most places also have excursions you can sign up for to leave the property, just like cruises.

Good luck - your vacation is what you make of it!

I looked on the NCL site and couldn't find the menu and would like to look at one if possible. Thanks!

The good news - it looks like my daughter's hockey team is a shoe in for the State Tourney. The bad news - it falls on the second weekend of our cruise on the Getaway in March and she wants to stay home (MN) for her once in a life time visit to the State Tournament. This is youth hockey (Girls 14U for those in the know), not even high school hockey. I am not happy about this dilemma!

Has anyone ever substituted a different guest on a cruise? I am not even sure if we can do that, but will be looking into it tomorrow.

Sigh.

We had a mini-suite on the NCL Jewel on an Alaskan cruise last year and loved the location and size. We did not have any problems with noise and the fitness center was right above our room (they restrict the use of weight machines until after 9:00).

I had the same issue this past summer on the Jewel with my 11 and 13 year old kids. :mad: They would not make an exception and my kids were not able to participate (and wouldn't on their own). The program for the <12 years was geared to younger kids (so too boring from my 11 yr old). With that said, I think they will find enough other things to do. We are going to try again on the Getaway in March and think that ship will have a lot more activities for the kids outside of the kids club - so I am less concerned about it this time.

Good luck with your decision!

Kim

I hope the Getaway will have shakes and sundaes too. The soft serve ice cream is ok, but I prefer shakes or sundaes! :p

Has anyone bought Vibe passes who has younger kids? Also, does the area typically get good sun? I could care a less about the pool area - but love to sit in the sun and read/nap/have a drink or two when on vacation. I would like to get this for my husband and myself and assume we would need to step out periodically to talk to kids and check up on them (they are 11 and 13, so old enough to wander the ship together doing "kid" stuff). They will have walkie talkies, but are we also able to see them from this area if they just stopped by?

BTW - We will actually be sailing the Getaway in March, but assume they have something similar.

Thanks!

Kim

We did the White Pass RR last week and loved it! The scenery is amazing.