First time NCL'er just off 10/2/16 Getaway

[a1betpr]

My wife and I and our 10 year old son (as well as my in-laws) just got off the Getaway this morning and I thought I'd do my first ever trip report! Good luck staying awake!

 

We are somewhat experienced cruisers (this was about our 12th cruise) but this was our first on NCL. Most of our prior cruises were on Princess, but we've been on HAL, Disney, and Carnival once each.

 

Miami

We always arrive to cruises at least a day early and this time was no exception. We stayed a night at the Conrad in Miami and I can't say enough good things about that hotel. Just amazing. We were upgraded to a suite and had complementary wine and cheese in the evening and an expansive breakfast spread the next morning. If you are gold or higher with Hilton you should stay here. And they give you a great amenity pack with some high-end toiletries that you can use for your whole 7 night cruise - we read that NCL doesn't provide conditioner and that the shampoo and soap were not great so to be able to use the fancy schmancy Shanghai Tang products provided by the Conrad in a smart plastic pouch was a great bonus.

 

Embarkation

We had apparently signed up for 9:30 embarkation, so we arrived at around that time. Embarkation went very smoothly, until it very much didn't... There were few people there when we arrived and we were able to walk right into the entry hall and struck up a conversation with the woman behind us in the labyrinthine queue that led to the check in desks. She mentioned that she had 12 bottles of water in her bag and showed us her cruise docs that had a water bottle symbol next to her name. She said all you have to do is call NCL ahead of time and tell them of your medical condition that requires you to bring water aboard and bada bing, you're golden. Can't vouch for this but that's what she said. We had already prepaid like $58 for 18 bottles of water for my very finicky water-drinking wife so what're you gonna do. And I am not the type to feign illness to save a few bucks lest I be struck ill due to rotten karma. So there's that.

 

After checking in we headed upstairs where we received group number 5 for boarding. We had just sat down right next to the escalator to wait when BOOM-CRASH-AAARGH-CRASH something/someone went tumbling down the escalator, and the horrible crashing sound lasted a good 5 seconds. People raced to the escalator to see what happened and apparently a couple of people were laying at the bottom of the escalator in a pool of blood. A number of employees raced down to assist, but the gawking from passengers from above was to me pretty off-putting. I overheard one fellow passenger say there's a woman down there with a bone sticking out and all of these people should back off. I had no desire to see the carnage but a lot of people did. Eventually the railing where everyone was looking down was cordoned off and people backed away. We never found out what happened, if someone dropped a bag that took out people behind them or if someone just fell or what. In any case it took a good 45 minutes for people to start coming up from the other escalators so it must have really backed things up downstairs. My son looked down eventually and said the people at the bottom were sitting up with the EMTs so that was a relief. I believe they were taken away in an ambulance so, sadly, their luggage may have gotten to take the cruise they were supposed to be on. I felt just awful for the people that were hurt - what an incredibly horrible thing to happen minutes from boarding. Later my son told me he thought it was the people who were behind us in line who had told us about the water policy. We never saw them again so maybe, but we'll probably never know for sure. Egads.

 

Eventually boarding began and I don't know if this is normal or not but they called groups 1, 3, 5, and 7 all at once. This did not seem like a very good idea because it really caused quite a bottleneck at the entry point. But once through that point we were quickly on the ship. I think we were aboard before noon, and we were eating at O'Sheehans a few minutes later, after we signed our son up in the kid's club and did a little wander about the ship. I do have to say that the smell of smoke as we boarded in the casino was pretty disappointing, but we didn't spend much time in the casino the rest of the trip so it didn't bother us that much. But passing through the casino definitely was like walking through a dirty ashtray. Blech.

 

Cabin

We were allowed to go to our cabin around 1:30, right as I was digging into my first of several rounds of chicken wings that would joyfully enter my belly over the week. We were in Large Balcony 9116 on the port side and were very satisfied with our cabin. It was noticeably narrower than most other cabins we've had on other lines (I could easily touch both sides of the cabin when stretched out on the bed) but it was big enough for the three of us. The closet was a bit awkward to access when the sofa was made into a bed (our cabin had the sofa near the door and the bed near the balcony) but it wasn't bad. Plenty of storage under the bed and the sofa. We removed all of the minibar contents so we could use the fridge and the steward put the stuff in the footstool/table thingy so we couldn't use that for storage. It also made it really heavy.

 

We were happy we booked the large balcony. The regular balconies are crazy small. Ours had two lounge chairs plus two regular chairs and a table. It was a tight fit but we really enjoyed it. The balcony is partially covered but is mostly exposed. On the port side we had a lot of sun on the way to the ports the first few days but a lot of shade on the way back to Miami. We seem to recall choosing the port side to have a better view of the fireworks from the ship, but of course there were no fireworks. Not sure where we got that info or if we are just getting old.

 

The cabin was easily the quietest we've ever had. No creaking, no neighbors talking, nothing. It was amazing. The balcony door was remarkable - shut it and there was absolute silence. The only noise was when we anchored in Belize and docked in Costa Maya - not sure if it was anchor chains or motors or what but we really shook early in the morning those days. The beds were comfy (the boy enjoyed the sofa bed although it was very narrow and we were worried he'd fall out but he never did) and the sheets were soft and not threadbare at all. There are not enough electric outlets (only two) so bring a power strip to juice up the iPads and cameras and whatnot. No power near the bed and no clock. I kept my phone next to the bed as a clock. The curtains are fantastic and let in no light.

 

The towels were fluffy and big and we never ran out of bath towels or face towels or wash cloths - and again the towels were like new. The bathroom was great. We especially liked the capsule shower that avoids the clingy shower curtains we abhor on Princess. Lots of shelf space in the bathroom. The shower includes two pump dispensers of shampoo and shower gel but we didn't use it. Shanghai Tang, baby!

 

One thing about cabin 9116 - we were very far forward. It was a long walk to everything. It didn't really bother us and it probably helped keep hallway noise down but the complaints about long distances to the elevators are well founded. It took time to get to the back of the ship. And the hallways on the cabin decks are crazy narrow, like pull over to the side to let people pass kind of narrow. There are a lot of people of, umm, above average size on this ship and there is not room for two such folks to pass. Cabin doors open outward into the hall rather than into the room but the doors are set back in pairs such that they don't affect the hall at all, and you can step into those setbacks to allow others to pass. Does that make sense? Also, I didn't have a problem with there being only two sets of elevators like some people do. I thought their placement was logical and rarely had to wait much for an elevator. Remember to always push all the down or up buttons when calling an elevator! Pressing one does not necessarily summon all the cars. And as always take the stairs when possible. A calorie burned is a calorie earned, or something like that.

 

That's it for tonight. Still need to cover the food, entertainment and other stuff!

[KatEnz]

Following. Thanks for taking the time to post a review.

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Forums

[Susandt]

following

[tawaik]

I was the same sailing with you and while disembarking on Sunday a lady told me about this incident. Was really sorry to hear that happened and hope that they are doing better.

 

 

NCL's cabins are smaller than most other lines. My first sailing them was in a balcony and it kind of tight.

 

 

This cruise was a splurge for me due to staying in the Haven. We also were way forward but still in a pretty good location. Not far too far from main pool, another bar and the buffet.

 

Did you see Burn the Floor?

 

We enjoyed the show!

 

 

Following your review.

[rocklinmom]

Great review so far! Can't wait to read the rest :-)

[Barb Nahoumi]

Thank you for sharing your review. Hopefully, the injured passenger will have a speedy recovery.

[LynnB]

We will be boarding The Getaway in 27 days so I will be following your review closely!

 

Regarding the accident in the terminal. What a small world we live in..I'm from Jackson, NJ and the following post was on my facebook page last night.

 

This is a long shot but here goes. Last Sunday a Jackson couple were boarding The Getaway in Miami when they had a horrific accident in the terminal. Does anyone know them and if so, how are they? My husband was one of the first to help them and kept them talking ( that's how we knew they were from Jackson ) until the ambulance arrived. I prayed for them every day this week and just want to know they are ok and back home in Jackson NJ. Thanks.

[Seminole1975]

Thank you for your review.

 

That is horrible what happened to those folks on embarkation.

 

One of my DH cousin and her husband went on the GA in August. When they returned from a great cruise, he tripped on his suitcase in the Atlanta airport and broke his hip (running for the shuttle). Be careful and mindful out there and pay attention!!

[SeattleSuz]

Wow, what a sad way to start your cruise. Hope whoever was hurt is ok.

 

I'm nervous now, reading about how narrow the cabins are. We've only been on DCL, and they were fantastic, so I am worried that my hubby is going to be disappointed with NCL... We booked a family balcony and I requested an upgrade to a mini suite. But who knows.

 

Good call on the shampoo and conditioner from your pre-cruise hotel. I might just have to do that also (we are staying at the Marriott on Miami Beach)!

[LrgPizza]

Wow, what a sad way to start your cruise. Hope whoever was hurt is ok.

 

I'm nervous now, reading about how narrow the cabins are. We've only been on DCL, and they were fantastic, so I am worried that my hubby is going to be disappointed with NCL... We booked a family balcony and I requested an upgrade to a mini suite. But who knows.

 

The balconies themselves are narrow, not the cabin itself. The cabin seems pretty similar to what we've had on DCL.

[SeattleSuz]

The balconies themselves are narrow, not the cabin itself. The cabin seems pretty similar to what we've had on DCL.

 

Oh good! Phew! I was getting nervous. Yeah, I think the balcony we had on the Wonder was pretty long. DH will probably be disappointed with the GA balcony. Oh well.

[PhillyTravelBug]

We were in cabin 8116 last month,right below you. that balcony made the trip. Wasn't it awesome??? I loved going to the room to take a little nap outside on the chair....after the long walk down the hall.

[cincicruisers]

Enjoying your review.

[a1betpr]

A little more about our cabin since there were a couple of comments about cabins...the cabin was definitely a little tighter than the cabins we've had on Princess, Disney, and others but it wasn't a big deal, maybe a foot narrower but about the same length and still containing everything you need. The bathroom was larger than those on Princess, and the shower was way better. I don't think I would have been happy with a regular balcony on the Getaway because they're so small but that's why we booked a "large balcony". We spend more time on our balcony than most people seem to, so being able to lay in a lounge chair or sit at the table was nice. We saw dolphins playing in the wake and lots of flying fish during our time on the balcony, and also watched Hurricane Matthew from a distance and saw a few nice sunsets. The balcony to us a highlight of all cruises.

 

Food

We found the food on the Getaway to be good and pretty much on par with Princess and Disney and Holland America. We ate at O'Sheehans a few times for lunch or snacks - the wings are as good as advertised, but I thought the nachos were pretty weak and the spinach and artichoke dip was runny (but the rest of my group really liked both, so YMMV). Their beer selection was good unless you're a beer snob and are looking for nothing but craft stuff. There was a Lagunitas IPA and a bunch of European, Mexican, and Canadian beers to choose from. There was a white ale on tap that I didn't try, but I did have a Newcastle, Sam Adams, Dos XX, Miller Light, Molson, Grolsch, and a few others.

 

We ate dinner at the Tropicana room three times and at Taste and Savor once each. We liked Tropicana the best, the atmosphere is a little nicer and the dancers from Burn the Floor entertained us a couple of times. The menus are the same in all three rooms every day. While the food was good, the service in the restaurants was incredibly slow. It took us 2 hours to eat most nights, mostly because the kitchen just couldn't keep up. But our food was usually served nice and hot and it tasted good, and the waiters kept the wine flowing. Portions were generally on the smaller side but don't worry about going hungry. My wife loved the herb crusted chicken on the "everyday menu" and had it several times. I ate a few shrimp and beef dishes and enjoyed them all. The swordfish was good though I didn't like the stuff on top of the fish. The desserts were fine but nothing really to write home about. Don't get the apple pie, I'm not sure there was an apple in it. The chocolate lava cake was good as was the gelato that was served with it - I had that added to my dessert a couple of times I liked it so much.

 

We ate one meal at La Cucina and that was very nice. It is a la carte now but we received the meal there as part of a gift and were able to get three courses included in our meal. I had a great pasta starter and the filet mignon entree, which was the best steak I've ever had on a ship even though they neglected to give me the Gorgonzola topping (I didn't realize it was missing until I saw another one go by and it was covered in delicious looking blue cheese - aargh!). But the steak was like 3 inches thick and cooked perfectly. My wife had a chicken dish that turned out to be little balls of chicken that were way too garlicky for her and she sent it back and got tortellini that she loved. The tiramisu was ok if a little bit too whipped-creamy. But overall we really liked La Cucina and if you don't have to pay for it I highly recommend it. We almost never pay extra to eat on a ship and probably wouldn't pay to eat at La Cucina with the the current prices, but it was good.

 

We ordered room service one night for early dinner. Big mistake. It took an hour and 15 minutes for the food to arrive and most of it was cold, including a pizza and chicken with mashed potatoes. Yuck. We had the $7.95 charge removed from our bill because we were so disappointed. Order at your own risk. We had afternoon tea delivered one afternoon and that was fine and delivered on time but it wasn't very authentic. No tea sandwiches, just banana bread, chocolate chip scones, cookies and pound cake. And tea, of course, a bunch of Lipton flavors. They gave us nice strawberry jam but whipped cream instead of clotted cream. Oh well. Not sure if you can order the tea directly, it was a part of the package we had that included the meal in La Cucina. (It was called the romance package, I think, and also included a photo and a bottle of champagne as well as chocolate dipped strawberries and canapés).

 

We ate breakfast in Taste and Savor a couple of times and at O'Sheehans once, with the remainder at the buffet. O'Sheehans was probably the best in my opinion, though the menu is pretty limited. Again the service in Taste and Savor was very slow even for breakfast, but the food was good and they brought us lots of pastries and muffins while we waited. The buffet was typical but I thought it was good. The waffles were really good as were the made to order omelettes. My son didn't like the pancakes, and I could see why as they were often kinda crunchy. The bacon was sometimes not cooked enough for me, but overall I thought breakfast at the buffet was good.

 

We didn't eat a lot of lunch. We'd grab something from the buffet or O'Sheehans over a drink. I was very happy to see Margaritaville empty almost always. I have been to a few Margaritavilles on land and have found them fun and pretty good, and have seen Jimmy Buffett in concert a bunch of times. But they took away the free Cuban themed place and put this lame pay restaurant in its place. The theming is essentially nonexistent and they are only open like noon to 5. Only crew seemed to eat there. I've seen some people say you can get breakfast here but that's not true. It is lunch only. The bar is a little hard to find but they do have some fun drinks and good margaritas, but unless they make changes I am hoping Margaritaville goes away.

 

That's all I've got for tonight! Thanks for reading!

[SeattleSuz]

La Cucina, with the ala cart, does that mean, you pay for each item you order off the menu? i dont currently have a ressie there, but i was just curious.

 

Good to know that the restaurants are slow. Hubby often gets hangry, so I will be prepared with snacks if they are too terribly slow, or I will just talk to a server ahead of time to make sure that they at least have SOMETHING for him to eat.

[a1betpr]

La Cucina's menu had a la carte prices listed on the menu. For example, the steak I had was like $19.99, the pasta starter was $8.99 and the desserts I think were all $3.99. But most people who eat at the pay restaurants I think are on the unlimited dining plan they got free when they booked, in which case you get an appetizer, entrée and dessert included. I wouldn't eat at La Cucina, or any of the pay restaurants, unless it was included in a package. Our meal would have been like $100 if we had to pay (a bottle of wine was also included for us - a bland merlot) and that to me is insane when you can eat a pretty good meal in the main dining room for nothing.

 

To the woman worrying about her husband being hungry at dinner due to the wait - they do bring you lots of bread almost immediately and as long as you keep asking for it - several varieties of pretty good bread, I might add. Although in most cases on every cruise I've ever been on I am generally not even hungry at dinner time since I've been eating and drinking all day (but I still always manage to find room for three courses). :D

[SeattleSuz]

Hubby is GF, so bringing bread would not help us out... :(

Maybe I can get them to bring us cornbread instead!

[lynnc99]

Hey we were on the same cruise! Our 2nd trip on the Getaway.

 

Just to clarify - Margaritaville does have a small selection of breakfast buffet style offerings (pre made omelettes, breads, etc.). We picked up our breakfast selections at the main buffet and then headed upstairs a couple of mornings to enjoy the air and quiet surroundings. But yes, it doesn't sit well with me that the Flamingo Grill is gone!

[copycat8]

La Cucina's menu had a la carte prices listed on the menu. For example, the steak I had was like $19.99, the pasta starter was $8.99 and the desserts I think were all $3.99. But most people who eat at the pay restaurants I think are on the unlimited dining plan they got free when they booked, in which case you get an appetizer, entrée and dessert included. I wouldn't eat at La Cucina, or any of the pay restaurants, unless it was included in a package. Our meal would have been like $100 if we had to pay (a bottle of wine was also included for us - a bland merlot) and that to me is insane when you can eat a pretty good meal in the main dining room for nothing.

 

To the woman worrying about her husband being hungry at dinner due to the wait - they do bring you lots of bread almost immediately and as long as you keep asking for it - several varieties of pretty good bread, I might add. Although in most cases on every cruise I've ever been on I am generally not even hungry at dinner time since I've been eating and drinking all day (but I still always manage to find room for three courses). :D

 

We are new to Norwegian (Jan 2017) and just love your posts. Please keep them coming. I too am always full but manage to eat a large dinner. And also, don't agree with paying more to eat when there are free choices. Thanks for the tips and comments, please keep them coming. Diana

[escentialssoycandles]

Hubby is GF, so bringing bread would not help us out... :(

Maybe I can get them to bring us cornbread instead!

 

When you get on board talk to the Maitre D and let them know he is GF. They will always have GF bread ready for him and he can get GF waffles and pizza in the dining room

[SeattleSuz]

When you get on board talk to the Maitre D and let them know he is GF. They will always have GF bread ready for him and he can get GF waffles and pizza in the dining room

 

YES! he will be happy to hear about GF waffles!! Yahoo! I cannot remember if I listed GF in our intial rezzie, but I will be sure to mention it once we get onboard. :) Thanks for the tip!

[tinker 4]

Have they replaced the dinner magic show with anything? I think it is the one that costs extra.

 

thank you

[disneygirl]

Hubby is GF, so bringing bread would not help us out... :(

Maybe I can get them to bring us cornbread instead!

 

Not sure if anyone has answered this question for you. NCL is fantastic when it comes to dealing with GF ( Gluten Free ) Friends of mine have been sailing NCL for years now because of how amazing they are. She loves bread and literally she had it at every meal. WE were just on the NCL Gem end of August and they met with them at almost every meal and even said if they wanted to dine at one of the specialty restaurants that may not have been GF friendly they would bring whatever they wanted to them!

 

I have always liked that about NCL made it painless and they were truly able to enjoy their cruise!

[PRgymnast]

Have they replaced the dinner magic show with anything? I think it is the one that costs extra.

 

thank you

No, I saw it last week on Getaway. IMO, skip it. Worst show on the ship. Food was just OK.

[stickey_mouse]

No, I saw it last week on Getaway. IMO, skip it. Worst show on the ship. Food was just OK.

This show seems to be quite polarizing. May I ask what you didn't like about it?