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Getaway Western Caribbean 9/9/2018


graphicguy
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Just finished up the NCL Getaway Western Caribbean 7 day cruise in a Haven Penthouse Suite. There were more than a few CCs in the Haven. @GA DAVE is one. Highly recommend you check out his thread about this cruise, too.

 

Gonna have a bit of opinion/review and hopefully plenty of pics.

 

I've been sailing solo as of late. Long story, but a few years ago whet through a split with the (now ex) wife, right before we were going on a cruise. Instead of taking the hit for cancelling, I sailed solo, and have been doing so ever since. This time was no different.

 

Because of work schedule, I was planning on coming in the day of the cruise 9/9. With Florence bearing down on the coastal areas, I changed my plans (both work and travel). I called Delta and got them to change my flight for no charge (sometimes it helps being a Million Miler) to the same time and itinerary for Saturday instead of Sunday. Job done.

 

 

30876946218_78d1ab6902_z.jpgW5oCB76rkmJpLV-LED_Sw_2v6FJCBgNYSio9ZcOHp8MpX92IB by D J, on Flickr

 

Used Marriott Miles to book a hotel in Miami.

 

42937536880_345dbf9e0b_k.jpgIMG_0638 by D J, on Flickr

 

44698130082_76994fdbe0_k.jpgIMG_0631 by D J, on Flickr

 

44698129142_cd3893f22d_k.jpgIMG_0632 by D J, on Flickr

 

42937539330_9db3779e9a_k.jpgIMG_0637 by D J, on Flickr

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Flight, hotel, transport....all went off without a hitch.

 

Some housekeeping...

 

Used Lyft for transport from home to airport. I quit using UBER a while ago as it seems the last 6 or 7 times I've used them, the drivers would cancel willy-nilly on me (and I have a top rider rating). I know Lyft drivers are usually UBER drivers, too. But, have had better luck with Lyft.

 

Flew into Fort Lauderdale as it had the best fares. Used SAS Transportation from Ft L to Miami. Can't say enough good enough about them. They're prompt, courteous and efficient. Stephen, the owner talks to each and everyone of his customers, regardless of the person he assigns to transport you. Highly recommended....http://www.ridesas.com

 

As an aside, while staying in Miami, Whole Foods was a block away from my hotel. There were plenty of places I could have gone for dinner. But, I got a fresh meal, with choices ranging from Italian, to Latin, to Home Cooking. Plus, I bought 2-24 oz beers. All for $12. That was a feast and as good a meal as I've ever had for $12. I was quite happy with myself.

 

People seem to be curious about the photo equipment and tech one uses on a cruise. I do not use anything exotic. I have an iPhone X and it takes wonderful pics.

 

I also have a Go Pro 4K camera knock off....less than $100 (works great). I use it around water. I have numerous cables I travel with too. Extra plugs are a necessity. Everything I have has a lightning or micro USB plug. So, I have one plug with several of those connections.

 

To top it all off, I use Bose bluetooth ear buds and Klipsch ear band bluetooth earbuds (which I use on planes to block out sound) for workouts and my hikes around the ship (to ward off desert overload).

 

43838539125_9962da4aea_k.jpgIMG_0706 by D J, on Flickr

 

29810557907_094dc66cbb_k.jpgIMG_0658 by D J, on Flickr

 

29810552897_ae97d7a174_k.jpgIMG_0657 by D J, on Flickr

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Just curious the DH and I chose the Marriot Biscayne Bay for our MSC cruise out of Miami any reason you chose Marriot Marquis instead?

 

I am leaving from New Orleans for my Getaway cruise with DD so I am looking forward to your review.

No Reason. It was a coin flip. Marquis had a room with a view of the water. So, I picked it.

 

Both hotels are quite nice.

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The Marquis is in a much better part of town. No comparison there.

 

WOW solo in a Haven Penthouse. Cant wait for more

Had more than one person with the same reaction. As GA DAVE and I discussed one afternoon while sailing, once you sail Haven, it’s tough to go any other way.

 

We think what made this sailing (on any cruise line) so easy to book and at the pricing they had for the fares were probably attributable to the kids going back to school...probably some concern about weather in the Caribbean at this time of year, too.

 

That said, I looked at a cruise on Royal, MSC and Carnival around the same time frame. All of them had plenty of cabins available when I booked (about 50 days out). But, the Haven had dropped in price to about what it would have cost me for a Superior Balcony Cabin on Royal. Carnival was less on the Vista for a Havana Cabin. But, not sure what you get in addition to the nicer balcony in the Havana.

 

I’ve mentioned this in other threads, I paid right around $4K all in (DSC, taxes, fees, etc). That included award travel on Delta (just paid $11 in fees for the award ticket) and $20 for the Marriott for WiFi, (which is crazy given how many hotels offer it for free).

 

I use my AMEX Platinum for all my travel (business and leisure). Didn’t use any points this trip. But, they did offer $300 OBC for using it to book. In addition, I got $400 OBC from NCL plus $100 OBC for being Latitudes Platinum. And, another $315 refundable OBC from my on line TA since I booked everything online without using an Agent (firguring it’s right around the commission they would ordinarily pay an Agent). That’s $1115 in OBC.

 

In addition, NCL was offering ALL the goodies for Haven Suites.....UBP, 3SDP, Internet, $50 per port for excursions.

 

AMEX kicked in a dinner and a bottle of wine as a perk (in addition to the OBC). NCL kicked in another specialty dinner as a Lattitudes Platinum.

 

In short, I think I only had dinner in the Haven restaurant twice...once on embarkation day and again the day before debarkation. The rest were specialty dinners, all gratis from NCL and AMEX.

 

BTW....I spent the non-refundable OBC on a massage, a week in the spa, ungraded internet (from the 250 minutes internet perk...about $125). I used part of it for the Cirque Steam Punk show. I’m sure there are some things I’ve forgotten that I used it for. Even at that, I still had the refundable OBC left over, which I went to Guest Services and cashed in the last night of the cruise.

 

Felt pretty good about how that turned out.

 

Could have done a solo cabin. But, either I’m getting spoiled, or I just like hanging out in the Haven, but if I can, I will sail in the Haven.

 

Some of my favorite activities in the Haven cabin in having breakfast served on the balcony first thing in the a.m. and leisurely drinking coffee. Side note, the coffee makers in the Haven cabins are the Nespresso type. They made pretty good coffee.

 

At night, sitting on the balcony and watching/listening to the ship cut through the water while sipping on a nightcap was another favorite.

 

Can’t do any of those things in a solo cabin.

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Following, how was the "ride" at sea during the week being chased by the storm :D

 

Excellent pictures, telling the story & thanks for sharing. My nieces typically upload theirs on Instagram with their iPhone travel pix while I do mine with my Nexus devices, but they aren't upgrading to the latest models again.

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Following, how was the "ride" at sea during the week being chased by the storm :D

 

Excellent pictures, telling the story & thanks for sharing. My nieces typically upload theirs on Instagram with their iPhone travel pix while I do mine with my Nexus devices, but they aren't upgrading to the latest models again.

 

Howdy...glad you like it so far.

 

The seas weren't bad at all. I was expecting much worse. The first night was a little "rally-polly" but nothing that affected me.

 

As the week went on, it was pretty much smooth sailing (although oppressive heat and humidity actually caused me to lose a few pounds vs gaining some).

 

As another side note, one of the best things about NCL Freestyle....no ties, no dress shirts. I did bring ONE pair of dress slacks, but that was only to eat in Ocean Blue.

 

As such, I was able to do all carry on this trip. What a great way to travel. I love Tommy Bahama shirts. They go with dress slacks and they go with shorts. Even my "closed toe" shoes were pretty casual. Plus, they weren't made of leather. they were made of wool, and easy to collapse to pack.

 

If interested, these were my carry ons....

 

https://www.awaytravel.com/luggage/bigger-carry-on-pocket

 

https://www.ebags.com/product/ebags/tls-professional-slim-laptop-backpack/249582

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So, sticking with my "no hurry or stress to start of vacation theme", I had a leisurely breakfast (at Whole Foods, once again). Gathered my luggage and called a Lyft to pick me up at the hotel around 11:00 a.m.

 

I like to miss the madness of those getting off the ship, combined with those trying to get on the ship (which usually happens between 10:00-10:30 a.m.).

 

By 11:15 a.m. Lyft had picked me up. By 11:30 (and $9 later with tip) I was looking at the front of the terminal...no crowds....no stress...

 

44698136622_458b5134af_k.jpgIMG_0642 by D J, on Flickr

 

Found this pretty quickly....

 

44698156242_12e33c70ed_k.jpgIMG_0643 by D J, on Flickr

 

Which the nice ladies outside told me to go here and get a bite to relax until our next escort arrived....

 

42937582280_43ef9ff9ae_k.jpgIMG_0644 by D J, on Flickr

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Really enjoying this so far. Bringing back memories too

What was your drink? Looks good!

David....it was something Miroslav, head bartender in the Haven, came up with. I know it had Elijah Craig bourbon in it. He smoked it with some contraption that injects smoke into drinks (pretty darned cool) and some other elixirs. And, he lit the orange peel on fire before putting it on top of the drink. It was good.

 

Speaking of the bartenders in the Haven, the above mentioned Miroslav and "Izzy" (don't know what his full name was, but came from Princess Cruise Lines) were great. They took their position seriously. They knew the Haven customers and their wants quickly. They were fun to be around.

 

They knew their cocktails and their beers/wines, better than any mixologist I've ever encountered in any high end restaurant. They know how to make any/everything that I've ever heard of (and a lot I didn't).

 

Haven bar was open when I headed to the restaurant for breakfast at around 8 a.m. and they didn't close until 11 p.m. (usually, we were able to coerce them into staying open a tad later).

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David....it was something Miroslav, head bartender in the Haven, came up with. I know it had Elijah Craig bourbon in it. He smoked it with some contraption that injects smoke into drinks (pretty darned cool) and some other elixirs. And, he lit the orange peel on fire before putting it on top of the drink. It was good.

 

Speaking of the bartenders in the Haven, the above mentioned Miroslav and "Izzy" (don't know what his full name was, but came from Princess Cruise Lines) were great. They took their position seriously. They knew the Haven customers and their wants quickly. They were fun to be around.

 

They knew their cocktails and their beers/wines, better than any mixologist I've ever encountered in any high end restaurant. They know how to make any/everything that I've ever heard of (and a lot I didn't).

 

Haven bar was open when I headed to the restaurant for breakfast at around 8 a.m. and they didn't close until 11 p.m. (usually, we were able to coerce them into staying open a tad later).

 

That's what I like to hear!!! EC is my daily sipping whiskey and I'm an Old Fashion kind-of-guy. Can't wait to see what they whip up for me in November! Loving your details so far.

 

You mentioned that you brought slacks specifically for dining in Ocean Blue. Is there a dress code for that restaurant?

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That's what I like to hear!!! EC is my daily sipping whiskey and I'm an Old Fashion kind-of-guy. Can't wait to see what they whip up for me in November! Loving your details so far.

 

You mentioned that you brought slacks specifically for dining in Ocean Blue. Is there a dress code for that restaurant?

Ocean Blue and Le Bistro require long pants and a collared shirt. Could be jeans, if you’d like.

 

The rest of the restaurants are “come as you are” (within reason).

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Seems like flikr is being obstinate in letting me upload pics.

 

Anway...where was I? Oh yeah, just boarded and having my first cocktail.

 

I was told my cabin was ready whenever I wanted to drop off my luggage. This was noon-ish.

 

Cabin was 15126. This cabin is right beneath the 16th Haven deck. It was nice because right outside my door were the stairs that brought me right to the Concierge desk....very convenient.

 

44747376701_0f2ca18173_k.jpgIMG_0651 by D J, on Flickr

 

44747378641_dcb2dc9206_k.jpgIMG_0652 by D J, on Flickr

 

Your's truly in the reflection of the mirror....

 

29810548017_eb101b34fe_k.jpgIMG_0655 by D J, on Flickr

 

Tub and shower.....the shower head, which is cut off in this pic...is one of those "rain" shower heads. Quite nice. Plus, you can adjust the shower head up and down as well as left to right, as you prefer.

 

30877061698_a74acfd52f_k.jpgIMG_0653 by D J, on Flickr

 

30877066538_ddd39f1cdc_k.jpgIMG_0654 by D J, on Flickr

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