Getaway 04/18/15 Review...Emphasis on Kids Stuff and Food

[Mirrasi]

Lastly I will just touch on the excursions we did just in case anyone is interested.

 

St. Maarten

Our first stop was St. Maarten, and I think they just cut that and are now in Tortola. But if it goes back, we went outside of NCL and did the Random Wind sailing excursion. I found it on trip advisor and it was well worth it. It was both our first times on a sail boat. I loved the gentle rocking, and it wiped my son out who slept most of the way back. We sailed past Maho and saw planes land. Stopped at the beach by La Samanna (a pricey resort) and Mullet Bay. Everywhere was gorgeous. We swam (I got scared by a Barracuda) and they took my son for a ride on a paddle board. They have a tarzan swing to jump off the boat but we didn't do it. Had fun watching everyone though! I highly recommend this.

 

 

La Samanna

 

 

 

St. Thomas

In St. Thomas, we went on our own and took a taxi to Saphire Beach. I was torn between that and Coki. I chose Saphire thinking it wouldn't be crowded. It sort of was. The beach itself wasn't bad but every single shady spot possible was taken up. We were there early and it was nice at first, but soon I had other lounge chairs practically on top of me. The resort limited where we could go and there were 3 ships in port, so that might be why. I needed shade because I got really burnt in St. Maarten. Anyway, it was still gorgeous and the water was not crowded. I'm glad I saw it, but I will try a different one next time.

 

Also, my son can't swim. They gave him a life vest on the sailing excursion. He had no interest in snorkeling with me at Saphire. There is a rocky reef right near the beach and I was still able to snorkel around that area. There wasn't a lot, but I did see some fish and coral, and even a brain coral which was nice. I would have liked to go out further along the walls but wouldn't leave my son alone. I think I'll have him practice in the pool for next time!

 

Saphire

 

This one shows the crowd. As you can see, it's not horrible. But the shade was all taken. You can see all the feet right next to me. I had no idea who those people were. Everyone just squished in on top of me.

[Mirrasi]

Nassau

Like most people, I am not a fan of Nassau and usually stay on the ship. But we had a good 3 sea days so decided to give it a go and picked the Blue Lagoon excursion. I would give it a 6 out of 10. My son gives it a 10 out of 10, so there you go. It made him happy, it was worth it. We did not do the sea lions or dolphins. Just the beach break. I think it was close to $100 for the two of us. It includes lunch and one drink. The lunch was edible. The fruit punch was actually great. Maybe we were thirsty lol. It was just a sugar drink.

 

So....Blue Lagoon is beautiful. The swimming area is lovely. It's not too crowded. No waves, pretty color. What got me is the costs to do all the extra toys and floaties which were not included. You can buy them singly but of course my kid sees that and wants to do them all. That cost another $80 for the two of us. So while the place was nice, Atlantis wouldn't have cost much more and we have yet to see it. Guess I'll try that next time.

 

But the toys were fun. My child tried the floaties and wore a life jacket. But that is a lot of climbing and there was slimy stuff on the bottom. He couldn't stay on them but still liked them. We kayaked together in a glass bottom kayak. And the water was shallow and clear enough that I let him kayak by himself with me standing by. There's not really any fish, it's like standing in a sandy pool. He also got to stand on a paddle board by himself and we peddled around on a water trike. He really enjoyed getting to do everything. This is an awesome place for kids. The ride back is loud with party music and drunken adults. But everyone was having a good time and we had fun people watching.

 

Sadly I did not take photos here other than one because I only brought a cell phone and we were in the water. I have GOT to go buy a GoPro. :)

 

 

Keep in mind all of these photos are just a cell phone unedited. The water is so darned gorgeous!

 

So that's it. We really enjoyed it and it's hard going back to work this week. I will be watching the NCL company to see how things progress with all of the changes. It would be nice to go back one day.

Edited April 28, 2015 by Mirrasi

[itsbaker]

Great review. Thank you for sharing.

[helpmecruise16]

great review!!! I appreciate all of the details.

[MandyMommyof2]

Great review!! Looks like the two of you had a great time :)

[SeaDays]

Such a well written review. Thanks!

[kac911]

Thanks for the great review, I'm a Disney fan but trying my first NCL in a couple weeks so I really appreciate the comparisons!

[gilsan]

Great review we are also DCL cruisers trying NCL for the first time. My Daughter who is 9 is really looking forward to the climbing and water slides, so it was great to hear your son enjoyed it more than Disney.

[Sand and Seas]

We really enjoyed your review, especially all of the great pictures.

Thanks for sharing with us :D

[dairyou]

 

3. I had an issue with the spa. I had wanted to do one of their $150 specials. So I went down and she took me room number and was going to get me right in but then said, "Oh, you want the special. The times available are early morning, evening, and port days." I shook my head no, told her I had a 9 year old and could not do it when the kid's club wasn't open and we had excursions and dinner plans. I told her never mind and then left. Two days later I had a call at 7:30am telling me I needed to be there for my appointment. I explained that in no way had I ever made the appointment or even indicated that would be okay. I guess she was wanting to charge me because I had to argue with her over the fact that I had never made an appointment and certainly never would have for 7:30. In the end, she apologized and cancelled it. Between this and the UDP issue, it just felt like no one had a clue what was going on.

 

 

 

In every cruise line it seems like every spa is pushy in my opinion. I have actually stopped going to the spa for a massage. It never fails after I'm done I spend 20 minutes politely saying "no" to what they are selling. The kind of situation you mentioned above is another reason why. I work as an office manager for a dental office where at rare times we implement this but we never speak as harshly about charging you for missing. They are in the driver seat and can charge your room card no matter what. I'm glad you didn't have to pay :)

 

deb