Newbie impressions: Solo on the Getaway

[loubetti]

A very nice review, well written and entertaining.

 

Just one question, why DCL for your next one? I was thinking you should give Celebrity a try! :)

[perditax]

A very nice review, well written and entertaining.

 

 

 

Just one question, why DCL for your next one? I was thinking you should give Celebrity a try! :)

 

 

Well, I booked DCL first, months ago. I'm not a Disney nut but I grew up in Florida going to the theme parks so I'm familiar with the Disney "product", so it seemed like a safe bet, especially since the time I became interested in cruising was the same time the other lines were all doing the year's cost cutting measures and there was lots of board drama. I'm interested in Celebrity, Princess (for a possible British isles itinerary), and definitely another ncl on breakaway and / or escape. :)

[justhappy]

I've enjoyed your very informative and honest review, and am looking forward to your photos. After 15 DCL cruises, my DH and I are trying a new cruise line and sailing the Getaway in October. I can't wait to try Flamingo Grill and the spa after hearing your experiences. Glad to know where I can get toiletries on the ship now, I've never come across that info in a Getaway review before.

[OhJinkies]

perditax,

 

I just wanted to chime and say how much I've enjoyed reading your "live" report. I've cruised solo a few times (most recently the POA in Hawaii - awesome) and like to hear about other solo experiences.

I've sailed on all the Disney ships except for the Fantasy, though my most recent cruise with them was a couple of years ago. Still waiting for some good discounts (disclosure: I work for Disney, but not the cruise line... but my sister does). The ships are actually quite elegant and they have nice quiet areas for adults. Not much of a singles scene, but I think you'll find what you need. The dining situation is MUCH different than NCL though (and I do prefer freestyle): you're assigned a different dining room each night, each with its own menu, and your dining companions and server travel with you. Last time I cruised, even the buffet switched over to table service for dinner, so there aren't many options. They do have a couple of upcharge restaurants, including Palo, which is adult-only. The spa is great. I hope your next cruise is just as enjoyable!

[horseymike]

Excellent job.i really enjoyed reading your review !

Thanks for your effort.

[cpj]

thank you for the great review. You will enjoy the breakaway too. There is no flamingo grill on Breakaway.

[Tiggertastic]

I really enjoyed reading your review, thank you.

[Sand and Seas]

thank you for the great review. You will enjoy the breakaway too. There is no flamingo grill on Breakaway.

 

Breakaway has a grill in the same place as the Flamingo Grill, but not the same food:( It still is a nice place to grab something at lunch or dinner without wandering through the huge buffet but just not as good. I'm hopeful that the Escape will also have some Cuban food since it will be based in Miami. They are putting a Margaritaville in the same area on the Escape.

[perditax]

Thanks again for the kind notes. In case I didn't say it specifically enough, they were the reason I ended up posting every day.

 

I've collected all the photos from all my devices. Can anyone recommend a photo sharing site that will let me do hotlinks/inline images? (If it comes down to it I'll use imgur but I'm open to suggestions.) Photos tomorrow.

[NLH Arizona]

Thanks for your review. I very much enjoyed reading it.

[OhJinkies]

I used to use PhotoBucket. I haven't posted photos here in years but it's easy to use and get the required HTML embed code for each image.

[merri_maven]

perditax--

 

just wanted to say that the title of your post caught my eye in the getaway forum and once I started reading, I couldn't stop! You have an extremely engaging writing style.

 

I, too, will be cruising in one of the studios on the Getaway later on this Summer, but my parents (3 decks up) and my brother (who will be in another studio down the hall) will be traveling with me.

 

However, I'm a bit concerned about the safety of the studios, especially coming back alone to my cabin at night. Were you ever concerned?

 

Thanks!

[perditax]

perditax--

 

just wanted to say that the title of your post caught my eye in the getaway forum and once I started reading, I couldn't stop! You have an extremely engaging writing style.

 

I, too, will be cruising in one of the studios on the Getaway later on this Summer, but my parents (3 decks up) and my brother (who will be in another studio down the hall) will be traveling with me.

 

However, I'm a bit concerned about the safety of the studios, especially coming back alone to my cabin at night. Were you ever concerned?

 

Thanks!

 

No, not concerned at all. For one thing, you almost always saw stewards and other passengers out and about. The studio area is behind a key-entry door, so non-studio passengers generally can't get in (the 8-year-old I saw sneaking cookies notwithstanding, and I'm pretty sure I saw two non-studio young adults who had come in together to use the espresso machine--they probably followed someone else or a steward past the door). But keep in mind your door has a good old-fashioned deadbolt. Also the studio area is really quite small--it's not like you're heading down a long creepy hallway alone a la The Shining.

 

(I had some similar concerns, but as soon as I saw the layout, and the omni-present housekeeping folks/carts/etc, they vanished.)

[perditax]

Going to start up with some pictures.

 

THE MOMENT IT ALL CLICKED:

 

 

HAPPY CRUISER

 

[perditax]

THE MOST IMPORTANT PART -- FLAMINGO GRILL

 

 

 

 

 

 

[perditax]

 

 

 

 

MY TYPICAL FLAMINGO GRILL MEAL:

 

 

Lol oops.

[perditax]

Double post

Edited June 29, 2015 by perditax

[perditax]

SOLO STUDIO 10537

 

 

 

 

 

 

BAGGALINI HANGING ORGANIZER AS "NIGHTSTAND"

 

 

 

IKEA STORAGE CUBES ARE HELPFUL IN STUDIOS

 

[perditax]

SPA THERMAL SUITE

 

 

 

 

 

[perditax]

THERMAL SUITE REFRESHMENTS -- RELATIVELY FEW CALORIES AVAILABLE. ;)

 

 

 

More pics incoming this afternoon.

Edited June 29, 2015 by perditax

[Wedgie Wedgie]

Did the Flamingo Grill have pressed Cuban sandwiches?

 

My cousin just returned from a trip to Cuba. I asked her how the Cuban sandwiches were- she said they've never even heard of them! :D

[perditax]

Did the Flamingo Grill have pressed Cuban sandwiches?

 

My cousin just returned from a trip to Cuba. I asked her how the Cuban sandwiches were- she said they've never even heard of them! :D

 

Someone IRL asked me this, and I have to conclude that if they had them I didn't see them. Missed opportunity for sure, I know they had some strong swiss cheese up there (I had ham and swiss on an english muffin one morning). Maybe they did batches of them and I just tended to miss them? Definitely worth asking one of the workers.

[NSinMG]

I really enjoyed reading your report and seeing the pictures. I have a feeling that I will be visiting the Flamingo Grill often.

[hansolosmom]

Looks great, the food looks yummy! Also looks like a pretty good size for the studio room.

Did you try the salt room? I can't remember if you mentioned that or not

[jenifferf00]

Another person chiming in to say great review. While rainbows and sunshine are great, you need a few rain clouds in order to make rainbows happen.

 

Like you I like to know the good and not so good to make educated decisions about my vacation. I gravitate toward things I know I'll like, and can go in with an open mind on things I've heard that may miss the mark.

 

Kudos to you for an honest well written review. As a side note my family sailed Disney wonder this past January and loved it. It's a different vibe from other cruises I've done, but absolutely wonderful. Disney knows how to make magic!