Getaway Review 9/25-10/2

[persiangirl]

Before our cruise on the Getaway last week, I scoured Cruise Critic on a regular basis looking for suggestions, tips, and reviews of the ship. I was on the Escape in February (to Eastern Caribbean) but it was a very last minute trip and I did not have a chance to do any research or prep. That is out of character for me, so when we booked this trip (me and my boyfriend, 30 and 32, both teachers), I wanted as much information as possible! Thanks to everyone's great reviews, I felt very prepared and felt like we maximized our time on the ship. I wanted to add a few of our notes and suggestions for future cruisers.

 

We booked six weeks out so had to pay the full amount up front. It did seem like the price dropped significantly but we were not able to upgrade. We got a balcony room on 13 Aft and really enjoyed the space. The balcony is small but sufficient, in my opinion. Occasionally we could hear faint music from SpiceH2O at night but it was not bad at all. No other noise, from any direction, so we were very pleased with that. Our steward was nice and although we only saw him a couple of times, he did an excellent job keeping us stocked with ice and towels.

 

The service all over the ship was excellent. Everyone is so friendly and polite. We especially enjoyed talking with a few of our servers and bartenders about their home countries, lives on the ship, and favorite ports. We never encountered any service staff member who was anything less than pleasant. We did have a few tricky encounters with guest services staff; our only hiccup of the week was that there were some errors in our account (again, although paid in full) that resulted in each of us alternately having our cards disabled. After four trips to guest services, one staff member was finally able to correct the issue. My only problem with this is that every person in guest services seems to have a different answer to every question.

 

Our favorites on the ship: Sugarcane Mojito Bar. The Waterfront. La Cucina (delicious! I have no idea why so many reviews scoff at this. It was the best meal we had). Breakfast at O'Sheehan's. Million Dollar Quartet. Howl at the Moon Dueling Pianos. Newlywed Not So Newlywed. The Perfect Couple Game Show. Celebrity Dance Off (the atrium is always a good place for some entertainment!)

 

As far as the ports go, we really enjoyed this itinerary. When we booked the cruise, my only request was that we not go to the Eastern Caribbean, since I was there about six months ago and honestly did not love the stops.

 

Roatan, Honduras: We booked a sightseeing and snorkeling trip through Roatan Ocean Adventures. I did a lot of research and read tons of reviews before booking this, and we are SO glad that we went with it. For a very reasonable price, we ended up with a private tour with the owner of ROA, Herbert. He drove us around the island, shared tons of information, and overall was an amazing guide. We went to the iguana farm, the monkey park (the capuccins and the sloth are so adorable!) and then went for the most amazing drift snorkel over the coral reef. I cannot recommend this enough.

 

Belize: We booked the Lamanai Ruins and River Safari through NCL. We were not willing to risk being left behind with such a long and packed excursion, and we were both very glad that we went this way. This was almost like three tours in one. After tendering to shore, we got on a bus for a ride through Belize City and into the countryside (I think this lasted over an hour), then onto a boat for another hour up the New River. Throughout this time the guides frequently stopped to point out flora and fauna and allow time for photographs. Once we arrived at Lamanai, we were able to spend about 1.5-2 hours viewing each site, climbing the ruins, and getting historical information from our guide. Then reversed the whole trip back, added in a traditional Belizean lunch, a nap on the bus ride, and a tender back to the ship. Overall a great day, although very long.

 

Costa Maya: This was a huge surprise for me. I had read so many lukewarm reviews about Costa Maya, and in general I do not care for things that are geared specifically towards tourists. However, the port area was adorable, in my opinion. While touristy, it was also very clean and tasteful (and we appreciated having wifi for a few minutes). We took a shuttle to Mahahual which was hands down the most beautiful thing we saw on the trip. What a cute little village. We had planned on shopping and beach massage (which we got for $25/hour) but in retrospect we really wished we had worn our bathing suits and been able to partake in the beautiful green and turquoise water and beach. If I ever return to Costa Maya, I would definitely book one of the beach clubs and make that my day.

 

Cozumel: I was there once about 15 years ago and didn't like it; that turned out to be true again this time. Our original plan was to go into San Miguel and shop and eat. We so regretted missing the beach in Costa Maya that we decided at the last minute to do a beach day. Someone in the port recommended Ocean View Club, so we took a cab there ($16/one way) and paid $17 each for a chair, umbrella, and access to snorkels and kayaks. When we got there we found the beach to be overcrowded and unappealing. The food and beverages were, in our opinion, exorbitantly priced, and the water itself was not very nice. Not the fault of the beach club, but there was a very large and obnoxious group in front of us, and all things combined, we really did NOT enjoy this. After three fabulous days before this, Cozumel was a let down. We ended up leaving the beach club after about two hours, made our way back downtown, went to Los Otates for lunch (again, after extensive reading of CC and Trip Advisor reviews, this was a great choice!), and then back to port and to the ship.

 

After much discussion, we both agree that while we enjoyed the Getaway and the overall experience, neither of us are necessarily "cruise people." This was a wonderful trip due to the amazing ports and the relaxation and great service on the ship. We celebrated my 30th birthday and our fall break from school, and we were very lucky to have great weather (after purchasing trip insurance due to fear of hurricanes), so overall it was an enjoyable week.

 

For anyone interested in a comparison of the Getaway to the Escape - the ships are nearly identical; to me, the only significant difference was that everything on the Escape is a little bit bigger, brighter, and shinier (as to be expected since it's a newer ship). However, I enjoyed this trip MUCH more for various reasons.

[chesapeake2atlantic]

Great tips, persiangirl!

 

Okay, blame media reports for this buzzkill question, but how bad were mosquitoes at Getaway's four ports of call--especially at the beaches and near the ports? Would you recommend taking a repellent?

 

(We cruised on Getaway in April, before the rainy season, so we saw only 3 mosquitoes the entire cruise.)

 

Thanks!

[persiangirl]

Great tips, persiangirl!

 

Okay, blame media reports for this buzzkill question, but how bad were mosquitoes at Getaway's four ports of call--especially at the beaches and near the ports? Would you recommend taking a repellent?

 

(We cruised on Getaway in April, before the rainy season, so we saw only 3 mosquitoes the entire cruise.)

 

Thanks!

 

 

I bought a bottle of Repel 98% deet before I left. Applied it in Roatan and Belize and did not get a single bite (or see a single mosquito, for that matter). They made a big deal about everyone putting on insect repellant before we got on the river boat, so I am assuming it would have been an issue without it. Somehow I ended up with one mosquito bite on the last day. It must have been from Cozumel.

[NJbeachMom]

Thanks for your review! We are leaving on the 9th from nj...hopefully Matthew stays out of the of my flight to Miam:eek:

[chesapeake2atlantic]

Another question, persiangirl.

 

Which of the four ports of call would you say has the most beautiful water and beaches? How would you rank them in terms of tropical beauty? My sister, who visited two months ago, put Roatan at the top of her list.

[Clarea]

Enjoyed the report, thanks.:)

[persiangirl]

Another question, persiangirl.

 

Which of the four ports of call would you say has the most beautiful water and beaches? How would you rank them in terms of tropical beauty? My sister, who visited two months ago, put Roatan at the top of her list.

 

I would agree with Roatan, with Mahahual (Costa Maya) being a very close second! In both of these places I have never seen water quite as turquoise and quite as clear, and that includes St. Thomas, Bahamas, etc.

Edited October 4, 2016 by persiangirl

[Luma001]

Thanks for sharing, did you by any chance get pics of the dailies. If so, would appreciate if you could post them.

[hockey1963]

Great review thanks! At Costa Maya do you need to book a day pass at a hotel to go on the beach or its public in Mahahual?

[riclop]

Thanks for the review.

[persiangirl]

I would agree with Roatan, with Mahahual (Costa Maya) being a very close second! In both of these places I have never seen water quite as turquoise and quite as clear, and that includes St. Thomas, Bahamas, etc.

 

Photos for comparison

Edited October 5, 2016 by persiangirl

[persiangirl]

Great review thanks! At Costa Maya do you need to book a day pass at a hotel to go on the beach or its public in Mahahual?

 

It apparently is public, although vendors from each club are there "selling" their seats, umbrellas, and food and beverage services. Our shuttle driver stopped for a sales pitch from his friend, who wanted everyone to get off and pay him $20 for a spot on the beach. Meanwhile a group of locals gathered around and were all insistently telling us to ignore him because it is public.

[persiangirl]

Thanks for sharing, did you by any chance get pics of the dailies. If so, would appreciate if you could post them.

 

I'm sorry, I did not.

[Hamilton_Rob]

I have hard copies that I can scan. Is uploading a PDF to this site possible? Any limitations?

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Forums

[Luma001]

I have hard copies that I can scan. Is uploading a PDF to this site possible? Any limitations?

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Forums

 

I don´t really know for sure, but uploading them as a picture is worth a shot, I imagine.

[cincicruisers]

Thanks for sharing your review with us.

[btmfdr]

Thanks for your review!

 

Which excursion did you book with Roatan Ocean Adventures? Went to their site and they have so many to choose from a few of which resembled your post.

 

Many thanks!

[snow bunny]

I have hard copies that I can scan. Is uploading a PDF to this site possible? Any limitations?

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Forums

 

You certainly can post a PDF. I am looking for Day 3 in particular as another post had everything but that!

 

Thanks in advance!

 

snow bunny

[easyboy]

Thanks for the review.

[chesapeake2atlantic]

Thanks again, persiangirl!

[jeninthecity]

Thanks so much for your review. Just got off the Escape and I'm about to book on the Getaway. Did Eastern Carribbean and now want to do the Western. Was on the Escape with friends who have cruised before but it was mine first cruise and I loved it. We all decided we wanted to cruise together again so we purchaged desposits before getting off the Escape and couldn't wait to start using them!