Just back from the Getaway and cannot wait to go back!

[Englk003]

My DH and I are frequent cruisers, cruising between 2-3 times a year. While we have cruised on RCCL, Carnival and Disney before, this was our first time with NCL and after this cruise, it definitely won't be our last.

Pre Cruise:

I am a planner by nature, so I am all about research and pre-ordering everything that I can. We booked our cruise in January, in an Oceanview Room on deck 9 forward, through the NCL website. I checked every week to see if there were any price drops, and by the time we actually sailed, we had been bumped to a Family Balcony Room on deck 12, mid ship. It paid to be diligent. :)

Since while on vacation, my DH and I enjoy a drink or several, there was no doubt that we were going to purchase the Ultimate Beverage Package. We had purchased it when we travelled on Royal Caribbean earlier in the year, and I will never cruise again without it. We also booked and paid for all the specialty restaurants that we planned on enjoying. We did not purchase the UDP, mainly because for us, it would not be worth it. My DH doesn't eat Italian and I don't eat French, and we knew we wanted to eat at Ocean Blue, and that was not included in the UDP. We also, throughout the 9 months between booking and sailing, purchased on board credit to enjoy on the other incidentals that I had not pre-purchased. We went on this cruise not having to spend any additional money that was not already accounted for. :).

 

Embarkation:

Since we live 3 hours from Miami, we decided to just drive down to the port that day. We left our house around 6:30am, and were at the front door of the terminal by 9:40am. The parking garage is very conveniently located across from the terminal, however, is expensive ($140.00 for the 7 days). We had a little trouble finding a porter, as the previous cruise was still unloading, but once we did find one, they were very helpful. We dropped off our bags with them and headed into the terminal.

Security didn't open until 10:00am, however, they were very organized and the gentleman walking the line, was very personable, giving us information about the ship and wishing everyone a great vacation. He also had the health survey documents that everyone had to fill out prior to checking in.

Security opened promptly at 10:00am, and we were through the check in counter by 10:05am (receiving Boarding Group 1). One thing I found interesting was that the terminal opened before the photographers were set up. They didn't actual complete setting up until about 10:30am, which means that my DH and I did not get the obligatory "pre boarding" photo. The terminal area was huge and had complimentary coffee and orange juice. If you want soda or snacks, there are vending machines available, that even take credit/ debit cards.

At 11:00am, the announcement came over the loud speaker that they were ready to start boarding guests needing special assistance. Since we were in Group 1, we were on board by 11:20am. Having never travelled with NCL before, I was used to boarding the vessel in a Grand Atrium or Royal Promenade, however, on the Getaway, you board on Deck 7, into a hallway and then a bank of elevators. No grand entrance. Since, as I stated before, I researched and researched, I knew to avoid the buffet, and head strait to O'Sheehans for lunch. The rooms were ready by 12:45pm, even though we didn't receive our luggage until about 4:00pm.

 

The Room:

As stated above, we had a Family Balcony on deck 12, mid ship. I know that there were a lot of complaints regarding the size of the balcony, however, I thought it was just fine for the 2 of us. The set up of the room was well done and I really enjoyed the dark wood and décor. I thought it looked very classy. The bathroom was a good size and the shower was the largest one I had seen on a cruise ship (with maybe the Allure of the Seas being bigger, but not by much). There is a soap dispenser on the wall next to the sink, and a shampoo and body wash dispenser in the shower. There is no conditioner, so if you use it, you will have to bring your own.

Since you have to put a card in the slot to turn on the lights, and air conditioning, we just keep an old card (I think it was our AAA card) in there the entire time. The room steward never took it out.

The one thing that was new to us, was that there were buttons you pushed (above the light switch) if you wanted not to be disturbed or if you wanted the room to be made up. Gone are the days of the door hangers. :)

 

Food:

Since my DH and I enjoy eating on our cruises, we checked out many of the restaurants.

O'Sheehans: We ate here a few times for lunch and were always pleased. The corned beef sandwich was great, and my DH loved the fish and chips. Also, the wings and mozzarella sticks were great while watching Sunday/ Monday football games. We did pay for ice cream sundaes one day ($4.00 a piece) and they were worth every dollar.

Garden Café: We ate breakfast here every day, and lunch on most days. While they didn't switch out the menu often, I was okay with that. The food was great. They had a really nice salad bar and some of the best pretzel rolls I have ever had. They also had an omelet station every morning.

Cagney's: Probably the best meal we had all week. Just if you go, make sure you are hungry. It is 5 courses and so good you will want to finish every bite.

Teppanyaki: If you have a teppanyaki restaurant at home, it is probably very similar to this one, however, it is always a good time. The shrimp was great, but I could do without the desserts. Neither one of them (green tea cake, or fruit sashimi looked or tasted good).

Ocean Blue: So good, and I am not even a huge seafood fan, but the lobster risotto was amazing. Even though it was $39 a person, it was worth every dollar. We went here for our Anniversary and they brought us a chocolate cake and 2 glasses of sparkling wine. It was really nice.

Wasabi Sushi: This is an ala carte location, however, I felt it was much cheaper than what I normally pay for sushi at home. It was $3-$4 a roll and we left feeling full (and spent about $33)

Moderna: This was my least favorite out of all of the specialty restaurants, but in fairness, we ate here on our last night and I think I was just done eating massive amounts of food.. It is a lot of meat, although they did have a really good salad bar.

 

Entertainment:

The nice thing about this ship is that there was always something going on. My DH and I have been to all of the ports numerous times, so we didn't even get off the ship, and there was plenty to do on port days (trivia, cooking demos, movies, etc).

Glo Party: This was on Thursday night, and was a great time. I would recommend bringing something white to wear, and stopping at your local dollar store to buy some glo prior to boarding. I felt like they were missing a huge merchandise opportunity since they were not selling any glow, that I saw, throughout the ship. I would also recommend getting to Spice H20 early (30-45 minutes early) if you would like a seat, as it fills up.

80's Party with Fireworks: This was on the St. Marteen night, and my favorite night. The music was great and I thought the fireworks were very well done (comparable to the Disney cruise, which I have also seen). Again, I would recommend getting there early, although I wouldn't sit a table, as the fireworks will be blocked by the awning above the tables. The best spot is on the dancefloor, closest to the screen. Another note, is that the fireworks actually kick off the party, instead of close the party like normal.

Howl at the Moon: This is where we spent our nights on the 4 nights it was offered. If you are a fan of dueling pianos, I highly recommend it. It does become a lot less "family friendly" after 10:30pm, so just keep that in mind if you are travelling with kids.

Comedians: I thought both comedians (Flip and Phil) were hysterical and saw them all of the nights that they performed. While their shows had some of the same material, it was different enough every time I saw them, I found them funny.

Wine Lovers: The Musical: This was a hidden treasure for us. We saw the preview for it during the Welcome Aboard Show and decided to book it (it was $25pp). The show was very well done, although the lunch it comes with is just okay. Since it is toted as a wine tasting, it also includes 6 glasses of wine, and you can't really go wrong with that.

Legally Blond the Musical: I have wanted to see this since it was on Broadway, and was glad that I finally saw it, and even happier I didn't pay for it. It is just a fun show. As someone on the ship said "It is not Les Mis.. it is just fun!". The cast was uber talented, and you just leave feeling happy.

 

Bars and Lounges:

We spent a lot of time at the bars and lounges, and found some of the friendliest bartenders and wait staff on the high seas. Each bar has its own theme and most of them have specific drinks for just that bar (although if you like one from one bar, they will make it at another). As stated above, we purchased the Ultimate Beverage Package, and put it to good use. Since it included all drinks under $10 (and included the specialty restaurants), we had no problem getting our money's worth. Beers ran about $5-$6, wine was $8-$10 and cocktails were $7-$10. We didn't notice poor service or weak drinks as a result of having the package. As a matter of fact, we found by day 2, a few of the bartenders not only remembered our names, but also our drinks preferences. I was super impressed with that customer service. Even though gratuities were included when we purchased the package, we still tipped $1-$2 on each round.

The Waterfront: Talk about a hidden treasure.. This was a great place to just sit and read a book, or watch the water. We even sat there one day

and watched a storm roll in (and got some awesome pictures of a lightening storm in the distance).

Ice Bar: While it is an extra fee ($20pp), it is a novelty and everyone should do it. We got some great pictures and had 2 drinks included. We lasted about 15 minutes in the bar before I just got too cold (I moved to Florida for a reason). :)

 

 

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[Englk003]

Disembarkation:

We did the walk off option and would never do it any other way again. We got up around 7:30am, took showers and were off the ship by 8:15am. It is just that easy.

 

All in all, I loved the Getaway and become a NCL fan. The crew was one of the friendliest crews I have encountered. Everyone welcomed you as they passed you in the hallway and were always willing to assist. I cannot wait to book my next cruise... Just need to figure out to where. :)

 

 

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[dna529]

Thanks for sharing your great info! Did you book all of your dinners in advance?

 

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[Tggrtoes]

NICE! Thanks so much for sharing. Less than 3 weeks until we'll be on her. Can't wait! :)

[Englk003]

Yes. We booked everything except Moderno in advance. We even booked a reservation at the Tropicana Room, but decided the day of to cancel it.

 

 

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[Kenlorz]

What was served for lunch at the Wine Lovers show?

[Englk003]

It was apparently the same food as the Illusionarium. It was a duck confit salad (it lacked flavor and not enough dressing), a filet with mushroom sauce (not too bad), served with breaded shrimp (they were dry) and mashed potatoes (yummy). Dessert was a chocolate mocha cheesecake (not too bad). The wine was very good though.

 

 

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[david_sobe]

Wow that entire review sent from an iPhone ;)

Welcome back and so glad to hear you had such a wonderful time. All that talk of food made me hungry ;) Yes the green tea cake is definitely an acquired taste LOL :)