GETAWAY Review July 29-Aug 5

Day 6- Cozumel

After reading so many cruise reviews that included Cozumel I knew I wanted to do either Nachi Cocom or Mr. Sanchos- I tried to mix up our shore days with adventurous and relaxing activities. I ultimately decided on Nachi because we are more "lay on the beach and read in peace vs party" people. I pre-reserved our spots on their website as soon as I knew since they only allow a limited amount of people to come.

This morning we were prepared and made it to the dining room for breakfast! J actually had a really important work call he had to be on, so we decided we may as well get to Nachi early and he could be on it there vs us getting there after he was done. The dining room was great for breakfast- so much more calm and relaxing than the buffet and the food was served pretty quick. It wasn't a long, drawn out event.

We headed off the ship to find a taxi to Nachi. First of all, the shopping mall you have to walk through is once again trying to trap you in (we actually witnessed an escalator that took you down to the street only going up, yet when we returned in the afternoon it had changed directions to only go down to once again trap you/make you walk by every shop). I kept hearing how there was a taxi stand with prices posted but I did not find that. So if you are planning to take a taxi from this port (Langosta) just be aware you have to walk down the road a ways until you find legit taxis. Before we found the legit taxis I (stupidly) stopped to talk to guys I thought were taxi drivers who told me it would cost $15 a person to drive to Nachi because it is "so far away"- we quickly realized they were scammer vendors and brushed them off. We finally found real taxis and were charged the $17 flat rate I had read about many times. So once again, it isn't as obvious as it would seem to find a real taxi but keep walking until you encounter them unless you want to be gouged on pricing (and maybe given an annoying run around to go to their commission beach resort instead).

I thought we were pretty early at Nachi (9am) but there were already a ton of people there. I asked for water front chairs and they walked us alllll the way down to the end where we set up for the day. It was very quiet for a few hours until more people joined our area. Our server was pretty good- I mostly stuck to beer- they had a pretty good list of Mexican beers you could choose from. I ordered some guacamole and ceviche to snack on before lunch. J finished up his call and lay out with me for a while before we did lunch and he had a massage (he said it was good). The beach at Nachi was really beautiful- the water was crystal clear and calm so it was like standing in a swimming pool. There were some obnoxious groups around us that got louder as they drank more. I witnessed one loser throw his empty water bottle out into the ocean-gross. You will probably run into people like that anywhere though.

We left around 3:30- it took a bit for them to get us a taxi-lots of groups were leaving at this point. If you get stressed out about timing, I suggest leaving by 3. There was a lot of traffic getting back (probably around 4:15 is when we got back on the ship), and we had to deal with that annoying shopping center trapping us in as well. Just keep that in mind. Cozumel seems like a really cool, beautiful island. I think next time I'd just want to get away from the port and explore for a bit. While sitting in traffic I saw some really cool shops and restaurants that didn't look tourist trappy.

Back on the ship we hung out for a bit in our room and got ready for our dinner at Le Bistro at 7:30. Le Bistro was probably my favorite of the 3 we had- it seemed a little more upscale and fancy. I started with a glass of Veuve Clicquot because it was $7 more and I will never get a glass of that for $7 anywhere else. I had the crab salad, mussels, and lamb loin with a cheese plate for dessert. J had the mushroom soup and I think the beef, but I don't remember. Everything was pretty good, although I was a little underwhelmed by the mussels.

We had planned to go to Howl at the Moon after dinner but wound up at surprise the casino. We had a good winning streak tonight so we rode it out until bed time. Starting to get a little sad our cruise was almost over!

Very much enjoying your review! Thanks for sharing with us:cool:

As we sailed on the Getaway this past June in a mini suite with large balcony and also secured Vibe passes, I am really enjoying reading your review. Thank you for taking the time to post.

That was fun! Thanks for taking the time.

Hello everyone! I have been a lurker on Cruise Critic for years and decided on my recent Getaway cruise I would try to do a review since I heavily relied on other reviews for both information and entertainment at work when things are slow

 

Quick introduction- my name is Lindsay and I was traveling with my long term boyfriend, J. We are both from Southern California and travel is a big passion of ours- J has a lead on me with solo travel but we have both been to most of the continents and do at least one big trip a year ranging from anything to a 2 week Europe jaunt, African safari, and of course a cruise here and there! We also really love Vegas so this cruise was booked through CAS.

I'll start this review with a few caveats- this is obviously my opinion/experience so it may differ from yours and that is OK! Also, it is a lot harder than I thought to be in the moment enjoying your vacation and also remember to take a picture of everything you experience. Therefore, I did not capture as many photos of the ship/food as I had initially intended. Also I am having difficulty loading pictures so I hope to sort that out soon and update these posts with them. For now you get text! Also I wrote this out in a Word document to make sure I didn't lose anything so there may be some formatting errors from the copy and pastes.

Our ship's itinerary was:

Sun July 29- Miami

Mon July 30- day atsea

Tues July 31- Roatan

Wed Aug 1- HarvestCay

Thu Aug 2-Costa Maya

Fri Aug 3- Cozumel

Sat Aug 4- day at sea

Sun Aug 5- disembark Miami

~~~

 

Pre Trip

I love to extensivelyresearch vacations. We booked this cruise back in January I think, so I hadsome time to obsess between then and July! I read whatever I could find oncruise critic and tried to get our excursions booked. We prefer privateexcursions whenever possible- they are less expensive and they tend to be muchsmaller than the cruise versions. The idea of being packed on a large bus with40 people shuttled around is NOT my idea of a fun vacation. We chose the diningand beverage package as our two perks. I made my dining and show reservations100 days out.

I don't like dealingwith crowds and waiting in line, my main priority was avoiding that to be ableto enjoy our vacation. I had researched Vibe and spa passes as well- weultimately decided on a Caribbean cruise with not a lot of time at sea the spapasses wouldn't be used. We were on the fence about Vibe. I wanted to see ifwe'd get into the Haven. It was appealing to me though because I HATE thenotion of having to get up early and reserve a chair. I want a chair and I wantshade and I don't want to have to fight for it.

We had originally booked a midship balcony on deck 13 (I think). I then learned about the upgrade system and started obsessing over that. We put bids in at the 80 day mark at a low/medium level for various Haven rooms. Then, about a month or so before the cruise I learned about the deck 8 mini suites with large balconies and researched those. I gave CAS a call to see how much it would cost to upgrade to one and it was $250/person so we jumped on that. These balconies are HUGE and have 2 lounge chairs, 2 chairs, and a decent sized table to eat off. I was all of a sudden pretty satisfied with our room so we lowered our bids to poor range for some Haven rooms- now being a lot more OK with not getting it.

We had never spenttime in Miami before so we decided to arrive 2 days early in order toexplore.

 

Loving your post very helpful for us as first time cruisers ... I then learned about the upgrade system ... where can I get details of this. Thanks

Get review!!!!

Loving your post very helpful for us as first time cruisers ... I then learned about the upgrade system ... where can I get details of this. Thanks

80 days before your cruise you should get an email from NCL about it- if you don't, log into your account and there should be a banner that says something like "let's get you upgraded" and it will take you to the bidding system (you bid for an upgrade). There are a bunch of posts about it on the forums- the biggest one is titled "what was your upgrade and what did you bid?" (or something very close to that) with a lot of pages.

Day 7- Sea Day

Oh no! How is the cruise almost over? How did the time go by so fast? My thoughts this morning.

J went to the dining room for breakfast where I opted to sleep in and skip a meal (after all the eating I did skipping a meal did not hurt lol). I did eventually decide to hit the buffet for a quick snack right as it was transitioning from breakfast to lunch. Once again it was chaos. I then went to spend time on the waterfront. At first I had trouble finding somewhere to sit by myself, but after another lap I found a couch.

I went to find J and we headed to the dining room for lunch. This was probably the only time we had "bad" service. It was slow and a little disjointed. I had the popcorn shrimp, a caesar salad (which was brought to me at the end because they forgot), a burger and J had the tomato soup and the bacon wrapped meatloaf. We skipped dessert because it was taking too long. I think maybe the staff was already in "new cruise tomorrow" mode.

J entered the blackjack tournament and I watched him play his round- he didn't win but was very close. After that I left him in the casino to go back to our room to enjoy the balcony a bit although it was too windy to be out for long. I then proceeded to get a head start on packing (especially our cluttered vanity) and then I napped (shocker) and read in the room. I had considered going to Vibe at some point but it seemed like too much effort (lol) and I figured it was probably windy. I was surprised I got most of my stuff packed-glad that was out of the way so I could relax tonight.

We kept missing sunsets on the cruise so we made it a point to sit at Sugarcane's on the waterfront to watch it- which was spectacular.

We decided to go to Shanghai's for dinner. During the week, I had noticed a big crowd of people waiting in the casino so figured it would be the same tonight, but we were seated immediately. We ordered most of the menu to share-and it was pretty good! Not the most amazing Chinese food in the world, but for an included restaurant I thought it was pretty good and a decent variety.

I was sitting next to a guy who was manspreading into my space so I was automatically annoyed with him. He was eating with a woman who was sitting across from him. I wasn't paying a lot of attention but noticed she had disappeared even though her food was still there. All of a sudden a group of younger girls who were sitting diagonal from us started yelling at him and calling him out for hitting on them in front of his fiance (apparently the woman across from him who disappeared). I guess he was making kissy faces at one of the girls and miming "call me" to her, then his fiance stood up and stormed over to that girl and informed her he was engaged and she paid for his cruise and then she stormed off, and the girl was like *** my boyfriend is sitting right here I am not interested? Her boyfriend was just hanging out at the end watching all this drama lol. The girls started snapchatting it/calling the guy out and J and I just sat there completely amused. Dinner and a show.

After dinner we hit up the casino for our last go- had a fun table so we were there for quite a bit until it was late and we realized we needed to call it a night. But first I wanted wings again for my last chance, so we headed to O'Sheehans. This time the wings were regular sized and much better. The cruise was now pretty much over!

Disembarkation

We knew we needed to be out of our room around 9 (after having to call guest services since zero information about it was left in our room), so we got up around 8 and finished packing- took our stuff, and headed to the dining room for one last, not hectic meal. We were in no hurry to get off since our flight didn't leave FLL until about 3pm. The dining room breakfast menu was missing things like omeletes etc probably to save trouble for the staff while they turned everything over for the next sailing. I made a mistake and ordered scrambled eggs which were not real eggs so I ate around them.

After breakfast we went up to deck 7 and got into line which was snaking all around deck 7 (the exit was on the side of O'Sheehans where the games are). The line wasn't too bad- it moved fast enough. However, when we got into the terminal for customs/immigration it seemed to really slow down. It's times like these I am glad we just do carry on bags and self assist ourselves off. We didn't have to stop and find our luggage before getting back in line.

They had some signs for Global Entry but it was not set up- I am thinking this may be open in the future. J has issues with his passport (he has a similar name as some wanted criminal and has been put on a special list so every time he has to use his passport traditionally vs Global Entry he ALWAYS gets held up/brought in for questioning while I wait around for him). So we were like "oh great". However, the immigration officers weren't actually scanning passports- just looking at them. I guess when you take a closed loop cruise they aren't as concerned.

It was sad to step outside the terminal and see the people waiting to be let in for check in (we were just those people! How things have turned). We quickly called an Uber (competent) and were en route to FLL in no time. It was a little chaotic with some employees yelling at people to move/not stop etc (like a busy airport), but not too bad. Once again, were grateful we weren't lugging a ton of bags around.

We had a lot of time to spare in FLL so we used some lounge passes for the United Club which was meh. I guess the whole terminal is under construction and the club is being redone so this was a temporary one- you had to leave the club and go all the way upstairs to security to use the bathrooms, but it beat sitting around in an airport waiting seat for hours. Our flight to IAH was quick, and we were really lucky and wound up on a dreamliner repositioning from IAH to LAX and got upgraded so we had a really comfortable flight to LAX- I only wished we could have flown this the whole way lol!

And that concludes my trip report. I will now post my overall thoughts on the NCL Getaway (and a photo album!)

I am sorry for not being traditional with pictures. I know as much as anyone that picture reviews are superior! I had planned to go back and insert them into my posts but didn't realize you can't edit your posts after a short time period. Here is a Google photo album of everything I have- it is very random so don't get too excited. Let me know if there are issues viewing it.

https://photos.app.goo.gl/mtoXXJSFwBRceUPh7

To break down my thoughts on different aspects of the vacation....

Food

Most important after all ;). I was very pleased with almost everything I ate on the ship, free or upcharge. The dining room food was actually pretty good for "banquet mass prepared" and my food always arrived hot and plated elegantly. Out of the 3 (I guess 4 if you count Margaritaville) specialty restaurants we ate at, Le Bistro was my favorite for the overall atmosphere, but both Cagneys and La Cucina were very strong contenders as well! O'Sheehans was just OK, but served it's purpose for late night food/snacks. The buffet food seemed OK (but wasn't hot), but it was just too hectic for us to want to go there for meals. The dining room for breakfast (if you make it lol) was very good and not slow! I think you could be in and out of there pretty quickly. I also know Margaritaville does a smaller scale buffet that is apparently empty, but we never bothered. Room service was hot and worth the charge once or twice for the convenience (if it comes in time- don't count on it as your wakeup alarm).

Drink

I'm a bit of a cocktail (and food) snob. MOST of the drink service was good on the ship. However, I was disappointed how many mixed drinks were premixed/made. I mean I get it, 4000 people to serve and all that, but almost all the mojitos at the mojito bar were premixed and just tasted way too sweet/not fresh to me. Same with the grass clippings. I can't really do sweet drinks though, so after one day of curiously trying various drinks I had heard about I went back to vodka sodas or wine/prosecco. The wine list was better than I was expecting (especially if OK paying a bit extra), the beer list was pretty bad. They have a decent whiskey selection, but it'll cost you extra if you like the good stuff.

I am also a water snob (wow I sound snobby lol), and had pre ordered the overpriced Aquafina bottles for our room-which we definitely drank. However, the free tap water served everywhere tasted good. We also occasionally paid $6 for a large bottle of Pellegrino with our dinner. We are sparkling water fiends. I would often ask for soda water at the bar (included with the beverage package) just wish it wasn't high in sodium.

I am not a huge coffee drinker- the dining room coffee was acceptable with some cream. Our room had a coffee maker I think we used once. J went to the coffee shop a few times, I never even walked by it lol. I wish the beverage package was more inclusive of non alcoholic drinks.

The ship itself

As you can see in my signature I have mainly been on older, smaller ships. When I was on the Jade in Europe it was Hawaiian themed lol. I had become accustomed to that kind of style. This ship's decor blew me away due to my low expectations. I guess I would use the comparison of old Vegas vs new Vegas (gaudy/old vs shiny and sleek). I thought most of the ship was very tastefully decorated and elegant. It was also very clean and in good shape.

I had all kinds of plans to do so much on the ship which of course went out the window once I got into vacation mode. I never even made it to parts of the ship (like Spice H20. No idea what it looks like). Didn't do the water slides. Didn't even drink at the Atrium Bar (only walked by a few times).

I agree with everyone it is stupid they do so many activities/entertainment in the atrium. I tried watching a game show from O'Sheehans one time and could barely see. There is no space. Why they don't utilize their giant nice theater more, I have no idea.

I was warned by a friend who took this cruise a few weeks before me how crowded it was. I purposely researched to avoid the crowds (ie Vibe). However, I realized the things we are mostly interested in (eating, drinking and gambling) don't involve the masses. The one time I walked through the pool deck/the buffet experiences lead me to believe about 70% the ship must have been around there at all times. The stuff we went to was never busy and I never had to wait very long for a drink (except for the few times I was ignored like I mentioned). It amazed me how we were all on the same vacation together but everyone was having entirely different experiences based on what they chose to do.

Vibe- worth it or not?

I only wound up going 3 times. J only went once. I think if it wasn't forward or had better wind protection I would have enjoyed it more (the service and comfort of it was very nice), but the wind was a big deal breaker and you just never knew when that was going to start up. I actually wish we had gone for a cabana because I think we would have gone more- the cabanas looked pretty protected from the wind.

I honestly preferred the waterfront which is free- for what I wanted- I am not a huge lay out in the sun/hot tub person. Only you can decide if it is worth it for you, but I probably wouldn't go to the trouble and expense of getting it again. Considering we had to show up super early and wait for hours (like 4 hours) for it, plus the cost of $125/pp, if I redid this, I would have slept in and taken my time getting to the port and just walked onto the ship immediately. I can see the value for people who don't mind the wind and like to lay out/use hot tubs though. The private bar was cool, but honestly none of the bars were that busy (I dunno about the pool deck though). The Sugarcane outdoor portion of the bar never had more than 2 people sitting at it at a time and it had a great view.

Our room 8124

I'm basically just repeating myself, but it was awesome. We didn't use the balcony as much as I had hoped (wind/humidity) but having the large bathroom and the location was perfect. We were just down the hall from the waterfront/bars and steps to the casino and shows. This may also be a reason we avoided the chaos of the pool/buffet area- since it was further away we were less motivated to venture up vs stick around the lower decks.

Service

For the most part service was good, but it wasn't as warm as smaller ships. Guessing it is the overworked aspect. Our steward occasionally smiled at me when I walked by but never introduced himself. The bartenders and waiters were friendly but most of them didn't stand out/want to talk a lot. We talked mostly with the casino staff but even a few of them were pretty cold/one was even flat out rude. None of it really bothered me though (except the rude casino guy), it just felt weird since on smaller ships I got used to becoming friendly with various staff/seeing them everywhere.

Entertainment

As I said in my daily reports, it was VERY good. The shows were amazing. I didn't participate in the game shows, but the comedy was decent and Howl at the Moon was really fun. I just wish they would make that lounge more comfy instead of hard wooden chairs.

"Up charges"

I know this is just part of cruising, but some of it was REALLY annoying. Having my naps interrupted by constant announcements to the whole ship about the "amazing" art auctions starting, "spa seminars" ie sales pitches, playing at the casino and having lottery tickets for sale shoved in my face constantly. Very very obnoxious and honestly I avoid all of this stuff almost out of principle.

Ports

As stated before, I am fortunate to be well traveled and have been to various countries with different economic situations. I know what real sketchy and dangerous looks like, and I promise none of these islands are that! Don't be afraid to explore on your own/book private tours or drivers. I enjoyed all the ports we went to (and honestly can always have a good time no matter where I go). I am glad we got off Harvest Cay but can see maybe next time just making it a stay on the ship day. I could see doing a land vacation in Roatan or Cozumel-both were very beautiful islands with a lot to see.

I think that is all- if I think of any other thoughts/points I'll chime in again. Feel free to ask me any questions! Thanks for reading my first review :)

Our room 8124

I'm basically just repeating myself, but it was awesome. We didn't use the balcony as much as I had hoped (wind/humidity) but having the large bathroom and the location was perfect. We were just down the hall from the waterfront/bars and steps to the casino and shows. This may also be a reason we avoided the chaos of the pool/buffet area- since it was further away we were less motivated to venture up vs stick around the lower decks.

 

 

 

I think that is all- if I think of any other thoughts/points I'll chime in again. Feel free to ask me any questions! Thanks for reading my first review :)

Great review! Thanks for taking the time.

Just one quick question: I had read on a FB review that someone did on room 8122 that they were awakened early every morning by the thrusters used to bring the ship into the dock. Did this disturb you at all in 8124? I only ask since we were originally in 8726 before upgrading to the Haven, but we may want to be in the MS with large balcony some day in the future.

This was SUCH a great review! thanks so much for doing it!

This was SUCH a great review! thanks so much for doing it!

you're welcome!

Great review! Thanks for taking the time.

Just one quick question: I had read on a FB review that someone did on room 8122 that they were awakened early every morning by the thrusters used to bring the ship into the dock. Did this disturb you at all in 8124? I only ask since we were originally in 8726 before upgrading to the Haven, but we may want to be in the MS with large balcony some day in the future.

Now that you mention it, we did hear noise when coming into port but it wasn't too dramatic and didn't last very long, and we were able to continue sleeping past it. I guess if you are easily awakened and have trouble falling back asleep it would be something to consider.

Now that you mention it, we did hear noise when coming into port but it wasn't too dramatic and didn't last very long, and we were able to continue sleeping past it. I guess if you are easily awakened and have trouble falling back asleep it would be something to consider.

Thanks for the follow up! I would not have a problem with it (I could sleep through an earthquake! :')), but my DW is a fairly light sleeper. Of course, she gets up everyday around 5 AM, even on vacation, so it probably would not matter.

This was a fabulous review! Thank you very much! You answered several of my questions/concerns and we are super glad to have all the info you provided! I think I will head over to your pics and take a gander! Loved all of the details! (us gals love details ya know! LOL!)

I am sorry for not being traditional with pictures. I know as much as anyone that picture reviews are superior! I had planned to go back and insert them into my posts but didn't realize you can't edit your posts after a short time period. Here is a Google photo album of everything I have- it is very random so don't get too excited. Let me know if there are issues viewing it.

 

https://photos.app.goo.gl/mtoXXJSFwBRceUPh7

 

To break down my thoughts on different aspects of the vacation....

 

Food

Most important after all ;). I was very pleased with almost everything I ate on the ship, free or upcharge. The dining room food was actually pretty good for "banquet mass prepared" and my food always arrived hot and plated elegantly. Out of the 3 (I guess 4 if you count Margaritaville) specialty restaurants we ate at, Le Bistro was my favorite for the overall atmosphere, but both Cagneys and La Cucina were very strong contenders as well! O'Sheehans was just OK, but served it's purpose for late night food/snacks. The buffet food seemed OK (but wasn't hot), but it was just too hectic for us to want to go there for meals. The dining room for breakfast (if you make it lol) was very good and not slow! I think you could be in and out of there pretty quickly. I also know Margaritaville does a smaller scale buffet that is apparently empty, but we never bothered. Room service was hot and worth the charge once or twice for the convenience (if it comes in time- don't count on it as your wakeup alarm).

 

Drink

I'm a bit of a cocktail (and food) snob. MOST of the drink service was good on the ship. However, I was disappointed how many mixed drinks were premixed/made. I mean I get it, 4000 people to serve and all that, but almost all the mojitos at the mojito bar were premixed and just tasted way too sweet/not fresh to me. Same with the grass clippings. I can't really do sweet drinks though, so after one day of curiously trying various drinks I had heard about I went back to vodka sodas or wine/prosecco. The wine list was better than I was expecting (especially if OK paying a bit extra), the beer list was pretty bad. They have a decent whiskey selection, but it'll cost you extra if you like the good stuff.

 

I am also a water snob (wow I sound snobby lol), and had pre ordered the overpriced Aquafina bottles for our room-which we definitely drank. However, the free tap water served everywhere tasted good. We also occasionally paid $6 for a large bottle of Pellegrino with our dinner. We are sparkling water fiends. I would often ask for soda water at the bar (included with the beverage package) just wish it wasn't high in sodium.

 

I am not a huge coffee drinker- the dining room coffee was acceptable with some cream. Our room had a coffee maker I think we used once. J went to the coffee shop a few times, I never even walked by it lol. I wish the beverage package was more inclusive of non alcoholic drinks.

 

The ship itself

As you can see in my signature I have mainly been on older, smaller ships. When I was on the Jade in Europe it was Hawaiian themed lol. I had become accustomed to that kind of style. This ship's decor blew me away due to my low expectations. I guess I would use the comparison of old Vegas vs new Vegas (gaudy/old vs shiny and sleek). I thought most of the ship was very tastefully decorated and elegant. It was also very clean and in good shape.

 

I had all kinds of plans to do so much on the ship which of course went out the window once I got into vacation mode. I never even made it to parts of the ship (like Spice H20. No idea what it looks like). Didn't do the water slides. Didn't even drink at the Atrium Bar (only walked by a few times).

 

I agree with everyone it is stupid they do so many activities/entertainment in the atrium. I tried watching a game show from O'Sheehans one time and could barely see. There is no space. Why they don't utilize their giant nice theater more, I have no idea.

 

I was warned by a friend who took this cruise a few weeks before me how crowded it was. I purposely researched to avoid the crowds (ie Vibe). However, I realized the things we are mostly interested in (eating, drinking and gambling) don't involve the masses. The one time I walked through the pool deck/the buffet experiences lead me to believe about 70% the ship must have been around there at all times. The stuff we went to was never busy and I never had to wait very long for a drink (except for the few times I was ignored like I mentioned). It amazed me how we were all on the same vacation together but everyone was having entirely different experiences based on what they chose to do.

 

Vibe- worth it or not?

I only wound up going 3 times. J only went once. I think if it wasn't forward or had better wind protection I would have enjoyed it more (the service and comfort of it was very nice), but the wind was a big deal breaker and you just never knew when that was going to start up. I actually wish we had gone for a cabana because I think we would have gone more- the cabanas looked pretty protected from the wind.

 

I honestly preferred the waterfront which is free- for what I wanted- I am not a huge lay out in the sun/hot tub person. Only you can decide if it is worth it for you, but I probably wouldn't go to the trouble and expense of getting it again. Considering we had to show up super early and wait for hours (like 4 hours) for it, plus the cost of $125/pp, if I redid this, I would have slept in and taken my time getting to the port and just walked onto the ship immediately. I can see the value for people who don't mind the wind and like to lay out/use hot tubs though. The private bar was cool, but honestly none of the bars were that busy (I dunno about the pool deck though). The Sugarcane outdoor portion of the bar never had more than 2 people sitting at it at a time and it had a great view.

 

Our room 8124

I'm basically just repeating myself, but it was awesome. We didn't use the balcony as much as I had hoped (wind/humidity) but having the large bathroom and the location was perfect. We were just down the hall from the waterfront/bars and steps to the casino and shows. This may also be a reason we avoided the chaos of the pool/buffet area- since it was further away we were less motivated to venture up vs stick around the lower decks.

 

Service

For the most part service was good, but it wasn't as warm as smaller ships. Guessing it is the overworked aspect. Our steward occasionally smiled at me when I walked by but never introduced himself. The bartenders and waiters were friendly but most of them didn't stand out/want to talk a lot. We talked mostly with the casino staff but even a few of them were pretty cold/one was even flat out rude. None of it really bothered me though (except the rude casino guy), it just felt weird since on smaller ships I got used to becoming friendly with various staff/seeing them everywhere.

 

Entertainment

As I said in my daily reports, it was VERY good. The shows were amazing. I didn't participate in the game shows, but the comedy was decent and Howl at the Moon was really fun. I just wish they would make that lounge more comfy instead of hard wooden chairs.

 

"Up charges"

I know this is just part of cruising, but some of it was REALLY annoying. Having my naps interrupted by constant announcements to the whole ship about the "amazing" art auctions starting, "spa seminars" ie sales pitches, playing at the casino and having lottery tickets for sale shoved in my face constantly. Very very obnoxious and honestly I avoid all of this stuff almost out of principle.

 

Ports

As stated before, I am fortunate to be well traveled and have been to various countries with different economic situations. I know what real sketchy and dangerous looks like, and I promise none of these islands are that! Don't be afraid to explore on your own/book private tours or drivers. I enjoyed all the ports we went to (and honestly can always have a good time no matter where I go). I am glad we got off Harvest Cay but can see maybe next time just making it a stay on the ship day. I could see doing a land vacation in Roatan or Cozumel-both were very beautiful islands with a lot to see.

 

I think that is all- if I think of any other thoughts/points I'll chime in again. Feel free to ask me any questions! Thanks for reading my first review :)

I know what I forgot to discuss! The wifi! I am mostly passing this on as the messenger since I didn't personally use it. J's company paid for him to get the premium package (whatever the best one was) and he told me if he had paid for this himself he would have been extremely disappointed. He could occasionally make calls over it but they kept dropping and he kept getting kicked off. He told me it was advertised as being able to stream TV and he laughed at that. So, if internet is important to you, just keep this in mind.

This was a fabulous review! Thank you very much! You answered several of my questions/concerns and we are super glad to have all the info you provided! I think I will head over to your pics and take a gander! Loved all of the details! (us gals love details ya know! LOL!)

You're welcome! I'm glad it was helpful!

Absolutely wonderful review! Easy to read and I love how you broke it up each day. Your pictures are great too. I know how much work these reviews are, so thanks for taking the time and the effort.

We sailed on the Getaway in April and had a Mini-Suite on Deck 8. One of the best cabins to be in and great location too.

We are sailing on this ship again on September 2 (next weekend! woohoo!) and your review just amped up my excitement level. I am so ready to experience all that this ship has to offer once again!

Absolutely wonderful review! Easy to read and I love how you broke it up each day. Your pictures are great too. I know how much work these reviews are, so thanks for taking the time and the effort.

 

We sailed on the Getaway in April and had a Mini-Suite on Deck 8. One of the best cabins to be in and great location too.

 

We are sailing on this ship again on September 2 (next weekend! woohoo!) and your review just amped up my excitement level. I am so ready to experience all that this ship has to offer once again!

You're so welcome, and I am so jealous you get to go again so soon!

a few more things (shower thoughts)!

1. straws! since these were so heavily debated about before I went... I had received some biodegradable fancy paper straws in a subscription box a few years ago I hadn't used, so figured I'd bring them since maybe it would be hard without straws?? Well, I still haven't used them. I only ordered slushy drinks when on deck and it was hot enough that the slush melted enough to make it drinkable without a straw. All other liquid drinks were fine without one (and maybe it is better to sip slowly than slurp half a drink in one go? Food for thought ;) )

2. just a general opinion. There is so much talk about Haven and upgrading to Haven/so many reviews from Haven people here that I got it in my head I would not enjoy my vacation without being in Haven. As you read, I didn't get upgraded to Haven. I'm sure I would have loved it there, however I had a wonderful, indulgent time with all the "commoners" (lol)- so just keep it all in mind when planning your vacation and don't worry about keeping up with the Joneses if it isn't in your budget. You will forget it is even there (they do a good job of hiding it from everyone).

Thanks so much for the review. I appreciated hearing your take on Vibe. We're still on the fence about trying for passes in October. No one mentions the Getaway Vibe bartenders like they do for Escape so we wonder if it will be disappointing after experiencing Escape Vibe firsthand last year.

Hi

We are going on the same cruise in November. Our first cruise! Your review is so helpful to us, thank you.

You mentioned about "bidding" for and organizing an upgrade ? Can you advise how you went about this. We are from Ireland and have booked the cruise direct with NCL.

Many thanks

Hi

 

We are going on the same cruise in November. Our first cruise! Your review is so helpful to us, thank you.

 

You mentioned about "bidding" for and organizing an upgrade ? Can you advise how you went about this. We are from Ireland and have booked the cruise direct with NCL.

 

Many thanks

80 days before your cruise you should receive an email from NCL about possible upgrade bids for your cruise. If you do not receive the email, go to your MyNCL account on the web and it should show up there. Normally, they will let you place bids for the two cabin categories above the one you have booked. There will be a minimum bid set by NCL and a "gauge" that goes from poor to excellent. Bid whatever you are comfortable with spending. Please note the bid is per person, so the total will be two times whatever you bid. Anytime between when you place your bid and (48) hours prior to cruise, you can receive a notification that your bid was accepted. Please note that once they accept your bid, the charge is automatically made against your card on file and cannot be cancelled. They also pick the location of your upgrade cabin, which cannot be changed. If your bids are not accepted, you normally receive the email (48) hours before the cruise.

I know what I forgot to discuss! The wifi! I am mostly passing this on as the messenger since I didn't personally use it. J's company paid for him to get the premium package (whatever the best one was) and he told me if he had paid for this himself he would have been extremely disappointed. He could occasionally make calls over it but they kept dropping and he kept getting kicked off. He told me it was advertised as being able to stream TV and he laughed at that. So, if internet is important to you, just keep this in mind.

Thanks so much for taking the time to do such a thorough review and beautiful pictures. I will be taking this same cruise over the Christmas holidays. While I've been on several cruises, this will be our first time on a NCL ship. Your review answered a lot of my questions. Thanks again.