Newbie impressions: Solo on the Getaway

[perditax]

Thanks again for the replies and kind words.

 

I didn't try the salt room, I was irrationally worried about it aggravating my dry-eye condition. I never really investigated what it's supposed to do for you.

 

Some more pics ...

 

AROUND THE SHIP

 

ATRIUM AREA

 

 

 

 

80s PARTY/THRILLER DANCE CLASS

 

 

 

ONE OF MANY FELINE SLOT MACHINES YOU SHOULD AVOID

 

[perditax]

FOOD & DINING

 

NORWEGIAN'S ROOM SERVICE CHEESE PLATE

 

 

MY SELF-ASSEMBLED BUFFET CHEESE PLATE

 

 

LOBSTER AT LE BISTRO

 

 

PRIME RIB AT CAGNEYS ON FINAL NIGHT, RANDOM PLANT INCLUDED

 

 

SOLO LOUNGE OFFERINGS

 

 

[perditax]

Oops, prime rib was from O'Sheehan's, not Cagneys.

[perditax]

MISCELLANEOUS --

 

LIBRARY

 

 

ACTUAL CRUISE SHIP CROWDS

 

 

CARNIVAL SENSATION DOCKED IN NASSAU

 

 

ATRIUM CAFE PRICE LISTS

 

 

[SenatorsFan]

Thanks so much for the great pictures. I am really looking forward to my upcoming cruise. And yes, that is the same evil cat slot machine that got me in Vegas! :p

Heather

[paulh84]

Great review! I agree that it is nice to read a review that provides a happy medium between the good and the not so good with some honest feedback. I doubt we would ever book on DCL but I am interested in hearing your comparison between the two lines in the future. Glad you had a great vacation!

[rimom71]

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

 

Jumping in to say that we spent a great deal of time in the Thermal Suite on our Breakaway cruise and the salt room was...puzzling. It's a comparatively chilly room with large crystals of salt in the center of the floor and on the ceiling. We kept trying it because of its putative therapeutic properties but honestly experienced nothing other than a sense that this all had to be a joke and was there perhaps a hidden camera in here filming all the gullible folks...?

 

We had a very humorous experience with another couple in there, all sitting around meditatively and trying to take it seriously until the other husband finally broke and said, "Now what exactly are we doing in here?!", at which point we all cracked up and agreed it was super-gimmicky.

 

In short, the thermal suite is amazing, but don't do it for the salt room.

Edited July 2, 2015 by rimom71

[hansolosmom]

Jumping in to say that we spent a great deal of time in the Thermal Suite on our Breakaway cruise and the salt room was...puzzling. It's a comparatively chilly room with large crystals of salt in the center of the floor and on the ceiling. We kept trying it because of its putative therapeutic properties but honestly experienced nothing other than a sense that this all had to be a joke and was there perhaps a hidden camera in here filming all the gullible folks...?

 

We had a very humorous experience with another couple in there, all sitting around meditatively and trying to take it seriously until the other husband finally broke and said, "Now what exactly are we doing in here?!", at which point we all cracked up and agreed it was super-gimmicky.

 

In short, the thermal suite is amazing, but don't do it for the salt room.

 

Thanks for the review of the salt room. I thought I had read it's supposed to be good for respiratory issues, like allergies & asthma. Weird that it's cooler than the other rooms. Your husband's comment cracked me up - that is soooo something my dh would do. :)

My favorite was in Disney's equivalent thermal area, one of the rooms is super steamy with a eucalyptus/lavender scent. It was heavenly!

[hansolosmom]

Perditax - again thanks for all the pictures in addition to the review.

 

Since you're going on Disney next, we've been on Wonder & Magic, but not the newer ships. I've done the spa pass a couple times. The older ships have 4-5 stone loungers & 3 rooms going from super steamy to less/no steam. (I always think of the 3 bears with too soft, too hard & just right). I'm guessing the newer ships have enhanced rooms. But consider getting the pass for them. Disney cruises are amazing.

[perditax]

Perditax - again thanks for all the pictures in addition to the review.

 

Since you're going on Disney next, we've been on Wonder & Magic, but not the newer ships. I've done the spa pass a couple times. The older ships have 4-5 stone loungers & 3 rooms going from super steamy to less/no steam. (I always think of the 3 bears with too soft, too hard & just right). I'm guessing the newer ships have enhanced rooms. But consider getting the pass for them. Disney cruises are amazing.

 

I'm on the Dream in September; I do have one Rainforest day pass, but I'm afraid at this point it will be a letdown after the Getaway thermal suite. I liked being able to access some NON-CROWDED hot tubs/water features and I strongly suspect that just won't be an option on DCL. (Er, I didn't mean to turn this into a complaint--thanks for the heads up. I should definitely try the steam rooms at any rate, for my eye condition.)

 

---

 

 

Some other thoughts, now that I've had a week to reflect:

 

I definitely want to cruise more. Like, tomorrow. In retrospect, I really should have booked a future cruise credit on board, but by the time I got serious about it I wouldn't have been able to spend the OBC easily.

 

I'm interested in trying other lines and other ships (mostly Celebrity, I think, due to food quality; although as of this very day they seem to have implemented a VERY sketchy new cruise pricing scheme--see Celeb forum for details), but I would also do Getaway again on a different itinerary, no question about it. Also Breakway, although the lack of Flamino Grill would make me sad. I'd even like to try older/smaller NCL ships.

 

I mentioned in my review that I wished I had a small backpack while on board, and lo and behold I found this in TJ Maxx for $29.99 a few days after the cruise:

 

http://www.amazon.com/Baggallini-CIN775KWCA-Cinch-Backpack/dp/B00GX7OC76

 

I am not entirely sure why it retails for $80 and not sure I can recommend it at that price, but it's exactly what I was picturing as I schlepped things around the Getaway, and it will be coming with me on the DCL cruise.

 

I was looking at pictures of the Rainforest Room on DCL Dream last night, and like I said above, I realized I am going to be disappointed in both that and the lack of library on Dream, since those are two places I spent a lot of time on Getaway. On the flip side, my cabin on Dream will have a large verandah and a sofa, so that's something. But still: this is a strong vote in favor of the spa pass and the library on the Getaway, and indeed Getaway's many comfortable, air-conditioned places to sit.

 

I think in my review I also failed to mention that embarkation and disembarkation were very very smooth/easy, other than the port workers not giving me my boarding group number and ignoring me when I walked by (I didn't know I needed one). Walk-off disembark/customs was moving so fast that I lingered and pretended to be filling out customs forms because I knew 1) my ride wasn't there yet, and 2) once I cleared customs they were going to forcibly eject me into the heat. (Keep in mind at PoM, maybe this is true everywhere: there is nowhere for you to wait in a/c once you clear customs, and relatively little shade. It's not like an airport where you can take a minute to catch your breath, and sit down and rearrange your belongings. You pass customs, BOOM you are out on the hot concrete and back to reality. Customs/border guys take it very seriously if you even walk slowly.)

 

I didn't particularly feel nickel and dimed, either. Things like specialty dining and Illusionarium were *promoted*, but I didn't get the 'in your face' thing I see mentioned. e.g., no one asked me to buy a drinks package or anything like that. No one tried to sell me services when I bought my spa pass, nor during the many times I walked in and out. I mostly only felt annoyed by the relentless onslaught of diamond sales materials included in the dailies. SERIOUSLY, there has to be a product that cruise ships and the carribean can sell besides diamonds and booze. There is a whole untappped market out there. I would have given them money for any number of stupid things besides diamonds and booze.

 

All in all, I am very happy the Getaway was my first cruise experience, and happy I made the leap with what was a pretty scary decision (a week SOLO as my first cruise). I haven't been able to stop raving about it to whoever will listen on this end. :)

Edited July 6, 2015 by perditax

[perditax]

Oh, and not only would I cruise NCL again AND the Getaway again, I would cruise the solo studios again in a heartbeat. I am interested in bigger rooms now, including things like the Haven Spa Suites, but I have no doubt I would miss the convenience of the solo lounge and the seclusion of the studios area. If you think the studios look cool and intriguing, you would probably enjoy the setup.

[Wildcatllamas]

perditax - I have loved your review. Getaway was also my first solo cruise although I was in a spa mini-suite. I was a bit apprehensive too but quickly found I loved it. Since I was in a spa-mini-suite I had access to the spa. I loved the salt room and thermal loungers. I don't do water (other than showers or in a glass) after a near drowning as a young adult but I may just have to suck it up and try the pool and hot tub. Of course my luck my hair will turn green like when I was a kid in parent's pool. Reading your review was like reliving my time on the Getaway. It was the best suggestion my TA ever made to me. Glad you enjoyed it and thank you for sharing.

[Wildcatllamas]

By the way the OMG Kittens is a popular slot machine here at the casinos in Cripple Creek. Not sure on payout as the casino I work at doesn't have one. I am sure it is one that just draws folks in because of the kittens.

[amydandrea]

Great review! This is the first one I've read start to finish. I have a friend that I convinced to take a solo cruise on Breakaway Feb 2016 and I am so happy to hear from a solo cruiser that you had a wonderful time! Great photos too!

[BermudaBound2014]

Flippin' Fabulous! You are my peeps :)

[perditax]

Thanks for the feedback. When I skim back through this I am struck by how many kind notes I missed in between my entries. Combination of poor internet and my brain being in 'cruise' mode. ;)

 

 

 

--- SKIP THE NEXT PART IF YOU DON'T LIKE TO SEE CRITICAL OPINIONS ---

 

 

 

I'm torn because NCL has continued to make questionable policy decisions *just* in the time since I've been back from this cruise. I mention almost all of them in the TR: The a la carte pricing on the lobster tail at Le Bistro caught me off guard and didn't seem worth the upcharge; the auto-gratituities made me unsure of how much I should tip my steward in cash, and I LOVED the (now removed) fireworks. But there's no denying I loved this cruise, and I will continue to watch NCL to see how far they're going to go. I'd consider booking again in winter if they stop the 'RAWR WE ARE A BUSINESS MUST CUT COSTS/INCREASE REVENUES IN THE MOST INELEGANT WAYS POSSIBLE, FOR YOUR CONVENIENCE' stuff soon.

Edited August 2, 2015 by perditax

[BermudaBound2014]

 

 

I'm torn because NCL has continued to make questionable policy decisions *just* in the time since I've been back from this cruise. I mention almost all of them in the TR: The a la carte pricing on the lobster tail at Le Bistro caught me off guard and didn't seem worth the upcharge; the auto-gratituities made me unsure of how much I should tip my steward in cash, and I LOVED the (now removed) fireworks. But there's no denying I loved this cruise, and I will continue to watch NCL to see how far they're going to go. I'd consider booking again in winter if they stop the 'RAWR WE ARE A BUSINESS MUST CUT COSTS/INCREASE REVENUES IN THE MOST INELEGANT WAYS POSSIBLE, FOR YOUR CONVENIENCE' stuff soon.

 

Sharing my perspective to perhaps put your mind at ease regardless who you choose to sail :). I've been sailing on cruises for nearly 30 years. I've seen this sort of "RAWR" come and go multiple times as the industry has evolved from serving free wine with dinner (gasp) to including all gratuities in the base fare (I'll pick you up off the ground).

 

As you can see in my signature I have zero brand loyalty and truly believe that the mainstream lines all have far more things in common than they are fundamentally different. I've never been on a bad cruise; including one that was rammed by a barge in Montego Bay leaving a gaping hole in the bow; to my beloved Dolphin adventure without any electricity for nearly 36 hours (JESUS TOOK THE WHEEL).

 

You have a great handle on balancing expectations with reality. In my opinion, this is the key to maximizing every vacation experience. Enjoy DSL, I'll be looking forward to your review. And, if you ever do put those novels up for sale, send me a private message. I'll buy.

[perditax]

Sharing my perspective to perhaps put your mind at ease regardless who you choose to sail :). I've been sailing on cruises for nearly 30 years. I've seen this sort of "RAWR" come and go multiple times as the industry has evolved from serving free wine with dinner (gasp) to including all gratuities in the base fare (I'll pick you up off the ground).

 

As you can see in my signature I have zero brand loyalty and truly believe that the mainstream lines all have far more things in common than they are fundamentally different. I've never been on a bad cruise; including one that was rammed by a barge in Montego Bay leaving a gaping hole in the bow; to my beloved Dolphin adventure without any electricity for nearly 36 hours (JESUS TOOK THE WHEEL).

 

You have a great handle on balancing expectations with reality. In my opinion, this is the key to maximizing every vacation experience. Enjoy DSL, I'll be looking forward to your review. And, if you ever do put those novels up for sale, send me a private message. I'll buy.

 

Wow, thank you for this extremely well-considered and rational response. :) (And the novel note. No private messages on this forum so we don't share travel agent names, or something, but it's very very kind of you.)

 

I try to look at things from a big-picture perspective. I just like to see how all the pieces fit on whatever topic I get interested in. Since I'm only six (well, now seven) months down on this topic, when I saw all the uproar on CC I figured one of two things must true:

 

1) It's always been like this, and always will be like this.

 

2) I picked a bad time to start cruising.

 

In that time, I've seen other lines make changes and upset their customer base. (I read Cruise Critic in 'timeline' mode, meaning I skim through all the posts across all forums/lines.) But NCL has seemed to be the most dramatic this year. (And paradoxically, the brand that really drew me in with some of their design decisions, like the solo studio.)

 

Several times in the last few months I've jumped into a NCL 'flame' thread and said: "Hey, any long-timers reading? Is this just the way things are?" Sometimes people say it's par for the course, others do seem to agree the past six months have been a bit of a head-scratcher.

 

There are a few extra factors for me ... one is that I wish I had started traveling/cruising a bit younger (not that I am anywhere near retirement yet, but you know how it is) and so I have an inflated sense of possibly having missed out on the 'good old days'; also, I myself work in an industry (video gaming) which features an insane amount of drama and companies making really bad decisions and destroying customer loyalty. (The upshot is ... I may be looking for more trouble than actually exists.)

 

So ... thank you again for your input; I love hearing the longer-term perspective, especially of someone who hasn't let themselves get buried by cynicism. (Cynicism is easy, I'm very well aware.)

[www3traveler]

In early June, I finished my 25th Norwegian cruise and my 5th on the Getaway always as a solo passenger. Except for a couple of minor issues on a couple of cruises, I have always had a great time. I was on the Getaway over Thanksgiving last year which ranks as among my very favorite cruises. Favorite cruise was on The Jewel in late August 2010. Sailed through a hurricane southbound out of New York City and another hurricane coming northbound.

 

I will be returning this December for two cruises back to back over Christmas on the Getaway over Christmas. I can not wait. Every cruise is want YOU make it.

 

Mandy

[fshagan]

1) It's always been like this, and always will be like this.

 

2) I picked a bad time to start cruising.

 

We started cruising prior to the real advent of social media as a force, and the well informed cruiser was one who talked to a travel agent frequently. I think number 1 is true, and number 2 absolutely not true. Cruise lines have always implemented changes, and the changes were opportunities for travel agents to keep in touch with their customers.

 

Most of us here are "self service" travelers who use either "big box" or the cruise line's travel department, far from what professional travel agents do. And we know more about the day to day things happening. In the past, we would hardly notice any changes except while on board. Now, a change in DSC becomes an issue not because of the amount of increase, which is $1.50 per day for most passengers, but because of the fact that it was raised in two steps. The two steps are criticized as "too frequent" ... but really, the change has happened in one step for the vast majority of cruisers.

 

Before social media we would not have noticed the "incrementalism" in price changes. When we went to the travel agent's office we would be told "Oh, the DSC is now $13.50 per person per day, but I've done the calculations, and this line is still a better deal for you because of the number of ports - and you told me you really enjoyed snorkeling and the snorkeling is WONDERFUL at St. John's - and the price overall, including the higher DSC, is less than the other line you like. But I can show you that one as well."

 

I first noticed the tendency for fans to become discouraged and upset moderating forums before the Internet existed. In those days we had BBS you called up with your 1200 baud modem and engaged in messaging with FidoNet or RelayNet. And the fans in the Disney forums on those networks started out with all praise, then became cynics, and finally nothing good was ever said (well, almost never). Familiarity breeds contempt.

 

Those you might call contemptuous may have a point from their perspective. They call those who have not become cynical "cheer leaders". Those who might qualify as cheerleaders call the others "whiners".

 

Its an interesting dynamic, but it has less to do with the actual cruising experience than the paper we print our luggage tags on. As for me and mine, I will continue to judge my cruising experiences on the basis of how I feel after a cruise. When I cease to have a good time I will quit, but not because of trumped up moral outrage on an Internet forum.

Edited August 2, 2015 by fshagan

[perditax]

fshagan, thank you also for your input and perspective. I really appreciate it.

 

And how's this for a laugh? When I was in my late teens/early 20s I used to run a multi-line BBS that was part of FidoNet. >.> (I started out online very young and at 300 baud.) It was at its biggest right before consumer ISPs started exploding. But back then I wasn't very interested in anything that wasn't computer-centric, so I wasn't reading about non-tech hobbies like travel. Because I lived in Florida I did go to WDW pretty often and eventually I ended up (post-BBS days, mid late 90s) on rec.arts.disney.parks, but I was never part of that 'in' crowd (sounds like you probably know the people I mean). I was also young and broke back then so I was mostly looking to score FLR discounts at value resorts. :)

 

Anyway, it's always interesting to know that it's 'the more things change the more they stay the same'. :)

[hansolosmom]

We started cruising prior to the real advent of social media as a force, and the well informed cruiser was one who talked to a travel agent frequently. I think number 1 is true, and number 2 absolutely not true. Cruise lines have always implemented changes, and the changes were opportunities for travel agents to keep in touch with their customers.

 

Most of us here are "self service" travelers who use either "big box" or the cruise line's travel department, far from what professional travel agents do. And we know more about the day to day things happening. In the past, we would hardly notice any changes except while on board. Now, a change in DSC becomes an issue not because of the amount of increase, which is $1.50 per day for most passengers, but because of the fact that it was raised in two steps. The two steps are criticized as "too frequent" ... but really, the change has happened in one step for the vast majority of cruisers.

 

Before social media we would not have noticed the "incrementalism" in price changes. When we went to the travel agent's office we would be told "Oh, the DSC is now $13.50 per person per day, but I've done the calculations, and this line is still a better deal for you because of the number of ports - and you told me you really enjoyed snorkeling and the snorkeling is WONDERFUL at St. John's - and the price overall, including the higher DSC, is less than the other line you like. But I can show you that one as well."

 

I first noticed the tendency for fans to become discouraged and upset moderating forums before the Internet existed. In those days we had BBS you called up with your 1200 baud modem and engaged in messaging with FidoNet or RelayNet. And the fans in the Disney forums on those networks started out with all praise, then became cynics, and finally nothing good was ever said (well, almost never). Familiarity breeds contempt.

 

Those you might call contemptuous may have a point from their perspective. They call those who have not become cynical "cheer leaders". Those who might qualify as cheerleaders call the others "whiners".

 

Its an interesting dynamic, but it has less to do with the actual cruising experience than the paper we print our luggage tags on. As for me and mine, I will continue to judge my cruising experiences on the basis of how I feel after a cruise. When I cease to have a good time I will quit, but not because of trumped up moral outrage on an Internet forum.

 

Amen! I had no idea of CC for my first several cruises (I'm not going to do the math right now either to see if it existed back then either :) ) but I will say that for a split second I found myself questioning my Breakaway choice for March because of the all the hubbub going on. In all honesty the only one that bothers me is the fireworks going away. But I'm not going to cancel because of complaints on a message board. It's the experience or lack thereof which will make me decide where to spend my vacation time and dollars

[ALLTINSOLDIER]

Quick question I know that the lobster tail was extra for "Ala Carte" but do you think that after you paid extra you could have as many of the tails as you wanted? Really enjoyed your review and i can't wait to sail on the getaway with my wife in January. Thanks!

[keeponcruising]

Thank you for your great review. It was balanced and fair. I am going on the Escape in Nov. I wasn't going to purchase the spa pass, but now I am seriously considering it.

[perditax]

Quick question I know that the lobster tail was extra for "Ala Carte" but do you think that after you paid extra you could have as many of the tails as you wanted? Really enjoyed your review and i can't wait to sail on the getaway with my wife in January. Thanks!

 

Unfortunately I don't know--a more experienced cruiser would probably know for sure. I'm guessing not, though. I think they would have let me have more than one non-a la carte entree though.

 

Thank you for your great review. It was balanced and fair. I am going on the Escape in Nov. I wasn't going to purchase the spa pass, but now I am seriously considering it.

 

From what I understand you can now buy the passes online ahead of time. This wasn't true for my sailing.

 

I don't want to 100% promise your experience will be the same (not even sure of the layout of Escape's spa), and maybe I just got lucky and people were not interested in the thermal suite on my sailing, but there was never a time I couldn't get a padded lounger, there was never a time I wanted a tile lounger and couldn't get one (I only did them 2x though), and there was never a time I couldn't get in at least one of the two main water features without having to be close enough to other people to listen in on their conversations. And I was in the thermal suite on average two times a day throughout my cruise, at all kinds of hours.

 

The ONLY warning I would make is that the chlorine smell is pretty strong. I grew up in over chlorinated swimming pools, though, and didn't really think about it at the time.

 

I usually alternated between the citrus waters and the hot teas at the beverage station. There is an unlimited supply of clean towels and robes at hand, and there was almost always a crew member following behind people getting in and out of the water features with a sort of water broom to make sure there were no puddles.