New to NCL - Getaway, what should I know?

[Blondie008]

We booked this last night. Wound up going with an inside cabin for $1900. The prices on this cruise were getting way out of hand. It was going to cost about $4k for 2 people in a spa mini-suite. I'm going to use your tip and just attempt to buy 2 thermal passes at 90 days out.

 

I can't see the upgraded bathroom/bvlgari products being worth $2100. That micro-balcony certainly wouldn't be anything to brag about. We do balconies when it makes sense financially, but this I couldn't justify in any way.

 

We've never stepped foot on a Celebrity ship, so the Solstice Persian gardens answer is no. We have been in the thermal spa on Disney's Dream and Fantasy. They were smaller than Getaway's appears to be, but they were really nice and relaxing. Very nice and worth every penny.

 

Fantastic!

Have a super cruise - Good plan!

[untailored bostonian]

 

Can you bring water/soda onboard like Carnival? If so, are there limits per person?

 

Thanks!

 

NO. I also believe this is the case on all cruise lines at this point, even Carnival. It is the only way they can stop the bootleg smugglers.:rolleyes:

[Jodilynn84]

The Getaway was our first cruise with Norwegian. We have since done the Star and are doing the Escape in December. The highlights of the Getaway for me were the Raspberry guava mojitos, the Illusinarium which I'm unsure is still there, wings at O'Sheehan's, crepes at the buffet after dinner and dinner at Cagney's. It's a great ship, you'll love it!

 

 

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[untailored bostonian]

I never see any mention of the Jazz/Blues venue. Anyone been there?

[poncho1973]

The Getaway was our first cruise with Norwegian. We have since done the Star and are doing the Escape in December. The highlights of the Getaway for me were the Raspberry guava mojitos, the Illusinarium which I'm unsure is still there, wings at O'Sheehan's, crepes at the buffet after dinner and dinner at Cagney's. It's a great ship, you'll love it!

 

 

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Thanks! Added these to my list.

[luvtheships]

It's good that you don't gamble because the casino smoke is horrendous

 

Of course that said there will be many nice venues very close to the casino that you will probably avoid if smoke bothers you

 

Ncl came up with some ridiculous open air casino concept starting with the breakaway and this concept allows smoke to infiltrate decks 6/7/8

 

 

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[caribou9]

Poncho 1973 wrote:

 

<<<'m bringing my own 2 year old thread back from the dead! RISE ZOMBIE THREAD!>>>

 

 

Thank you for the resurrection! We booked our first Getaway cruise last night. Even though the cruise is over a year away, we are already excited and busy researching the ship. I can't wait to read what others add to this thread.

[perditax]

Thermal suite = yes.

 

O'Sheehan's on embark day is a great way to avoid the buffet chaos now that Flamingo Grill is no more.

 

Speaking of the buffet, become acquainted with the location of the scooped ice cream. Next to it should be a hot dessert and sauce every day. For example, banana bread pudding next to a vat of hot caramel. Get a scoop of ice cream in a bowl, add the hot dessert and sauce. You can thank me later.

 

Also buffet: the eggs Benedict will be hiding at the very far forward end.

[poncho1973]

Thermal suite = yes.

 

O'Sheehan's on embark day is a great way to avoid the buffet chaos now that Flamingo Grill is no more.

 

Speaking of the buffet, become acquainted with the location of the scooped ice cream. Next to it should be a hot dessert and sauce every day. For example, banana bread pudding next to a vat of hot caramel. Get a scoop of ice cream in a bowl, add the hot dessert and sauce. You can thank me later.

 

Also buffet: the eggs Benedict will be hiding at the very far forward end.

 

Nice tips. This is exactly why I made this thread.

[pmcx68]

Blonde008.... thanks for the long post about the getaway. we are cruising on that ship over thanksgiving and that provided a lot of good information

[space_bar]

First time NCL cruiser here just off the Getaway last week.

 

- MDR buffet had a nice selection of foods for all meals. There were always standard fare of bacon, sausage, eggs, omelettes, fruit, cereal, etc. for breakfast. Lunch/dinner always had the theme foods (Asian night, seafood night...) plus standbys like salad bar, burgers, hot dogs, ice cream, etc. We always found plenty to eat.

 

- Moderno on deck 8 also had a smaller breakfast buffet. We went there a couple of times when the MDR was packed. They always had seating available at Moderno.

 

- We enjoyed the crepe station in the MDR at dinner. Loved the crepes with nutella, fresh strawberries and whipped cream! The line wasn't long until more people discovered it around day 5 out of our 9 day cruise.

 

- Tropicana, Taste and Savor all share the same menu. There were several standard menu items that would be available all cruise and some unique for that day. When we couldn't decide between 2 options, we'd ask our waiter their opinion and it was often "get this one because that one won't be available later". We would look at the menus for lunch and dinner and then decide to eat there, at MDR or O'Sheehans.

 

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[space_bar]

Thermal suite = yes.

 

O'Sheehan's on embark day is a great way to avoid the buffet chaos now that Flamingo Grill is no more.

 

Speaking of the buffet, become acquainted with the location of the scooped ice cream. Next to it should be a hot dessert and sauce every day. For example, banana bread pudding next to a vat of hot caramel. Get a scoop of ice cream in a bowl, add the hot dessert and sauce. You can thank me later.

 

Also buffet: the eggs Benedict will be hiding at the very far forward end.

O'Sheehan's is also great when coming back from a port day. We'd go there between 2-4pm and have a late lunch or snack before a late dinner.

 

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[Highpeaklad]

I never see any mention of the Jazz/Blues venue. Anyone been there?

 

You mean fat cats. Used to be the Grammy experience.

Don't think it's very jazz/blues, just used as another venue for live bands.

[Highpeaklad]

It's good that you don't gamble because the casino smoke is horrendous

 

Of course that said there will be many nice venues very close to the casino that you will probably avoid if smoke bothers you

 

Ncl came up with some ridiculous open air casino concept starting with the breakaway and this concept allows smoke to infiltrate decks 6/7/8

 

 

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I'm just back from the Getaway and didn't find the smoke a problem. Perhaps the casino was quieter or there were fewer smokers but it wasn't very noticeable. Ate in Shanghai twice and didn't notice it at all there.

[untailored bostonian]

You mean fat cats. Used to be the Grammy experience.

Don't think it's very jazz/blues, just used as another venue for live bands.

 

On the deck plans it says " jazz/blues", but I assumed it had been repurposed. I wish it were a blues bar. A real Juke Joint would be fun. At the very least a place that favored NOLA music would be nice.

[poncho1973]

First time NCL cruiser here just off the Getaway last week.

 

- MDR buffet had a nice selection of foods for all meals. There were always standard fare of bacon, sausage, eggs, omelettes, fruit, cereal, etc. for breakfast. Lunch/dinner always had the theme foods (Asian night, seafood night...) plus standbys like salad bar, burgers, hot dogs, ice cream, etc. We always found plenty to eat.

 

- Moderno on deck 8 also had a smaller breakfast buffet. We went there a couple of times when the MDR was packed. They always had seating available at Moderno.

 

- We enjoyed the crepe station in the MDR at dinner. Loved the crepes with nutella, fresh strawberries and whipped cream! The line wasn't long until more people discovered it around day 5 out of our 9 day cruise.

 

- Tropicana, Taste and Savor all share the same menu. There were several standard menu items that would be available all cruise and some unique for that day. When we couldn't decide between 2 options, we'd ask our waiter their opinion and it was often "get this one because that one won't be available later". We would look at the menus for lunch and dinner and then decide to eat there, at MDR or O'Sheehans.

 

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Thanks for the practical info! I've added this to my list. VERY helpful.

[hun]

Yummmmmmm.... raspberry guava mojitos, crepe station with Nutella and strawberries and banana bread pudding with ice cream and hot caramel!! Can't wait! We're also new to NCL and will be on the Getaway in 3 weeks! [emoji39]

 

 

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[karoo]

I'm just back from the Getaway and didn't find the smoke a problem. Perhaps the casino was quieter or there were fewer smokers but it wasn't very noticeable. Ate in Shanghai twice and didn't notice it at all there.

 

 

 

I found it horrid and had to avoid so many places. Maybe it comes down to how much smoke you're used to smelling. In Aus we have a ban on smoking in all indoor areas including casinos and outdoor eating areas. So I'm certainly not used to smelling smoke or smelling the stale smoke that permeates the areas around the casino. I couldn't dine at Le Bistro even though it is one of my favourite restaurants.

 

 

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[luvtheships]

I'm just back from the Getaway and didn't find the smoke a problem. Perhaps the casino was quieter or there were fewer smokers but it wasn't very noticeable. Ate in Shanghai twice and didn't notice it at all there.

 

 

 

You just got lucky.

 

 

 

 

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[luvtheships]

I found it horrid and had to avoid so many places. Maybe it comes down to how much smoke you're used to smelling. In Aus we have a ban on smoking in all indoor areas including casinos and outdoor eating areas. So I'm certainly not used to smelling smoke or smelling the stale smoke that permeates the areas around the casino. I couldn't dine at Le Bistro even though it is one of my favourite restaurants.

 

 

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This is actually how it normally is

 

 

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[poncho1973]

We dislike like smoking. So that sounds a bit problematic.

[briehon]

Thanks for reviving the thread! I was just debating trying NCL and Gateway was on my list. I think I'm convinced. December 2018. Anyone think the Haven is worth the money? We aren't big drinkers and don't tend to lay out by the pool an excessive amount. The restaurant at the haven appeals to us but with so many specialty restaurants, maybe not.

 

 

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[skatie]

First time NCL cruiser here just off the Getaway last week.

 

- MDR buffet had a nice selection of foods for all meals. There were always standard fare of bacon, sausage, eggs, omelettes, fruit, cereal, etc. for breakfast. Lunch/dinner always had the theme foods (Asian night, seafood night...) plus standbys like salad bar, burgers, hot dogs, ice cream, etc. We always found plenty to eat.

 

- Moderno on deck 8 also had a smaller breakfast buffet. We went there a couple of times when the MDR was packed. They always had seating available at Moderno.

 

- We enjoyed the crepe station in the MDR at dinner. Loved the crepes with nutella, fresh strawberries and whipped cream! The line wasn't long until more people discovered it around day 5 out of our 9 day cruise.

 

- Tropicana, Taste and Savor all share the same menu. There were several standard menu items that would be available all cruise and some unique for that day. When we couldn't decide between 2 options, we'd ask our waiter their opinion and it was often "get this one because that one won't be available later". We would look at the menus for lunch and dinner and then decide to eat there, at MDR or O'Sheehans.

 

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Where would we find the Crepe station at dinner? Was it in all 3 MDRs? Thanks

[space_bar]

Where would we find the Crepe station at dinner? Was it in all 3 MDRs? Thanks

The crepe station was in the buffet -- not in Tropicana, Taste or Savor.

 

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[Sauer-kraut]

Thanks for reviving the thread! I was just debating trying NCL and Gateway was on my list. I think I'm convinced. December 2018. Anyone think the Haven is worth the money? We aren't big drinkers and don't tend to lay out by the pool an excessive amount. The restaurant at the haven appeals to us but with so many specialty restaurants, maybe not.

 

 

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The haevn festaurant will have different offerings from any of the restaurants, but the menu doesn't change. IF you do go haven, you can still enjoy a few dinners there and also the speciatly dining perk. The suites offer so much more than just booze and pools.