Getaway misses its first two Batic ports

[mugtech]

We are looking at a Baltic cruise and from these reviews!!! Would a smaller ship be better? We love the getaway but if we are traveling overseas it is for the ports, not the ship.

Of course

[Seminole1975]

It is a shame to miss the ports but even smaller ships like the Windstar sailing yachts miss ports because of the weather.

 

Waiting in line for one hour to get on?! What's up with that?!

 

 

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[BostonGal35]

we did this itinerary on the Star. we had to miss Stockholm due to intense fog. it was disappointing, but cant help the weather.

 

that said, i still personally do not think a mega ship belongs in the Baltics. i wish you luck disembarking in st. petersburg.

[steamboats]

Plus the Getaway shall return at the end of the season.

 

The Breakaway is taking over in 2018.

 

steamboats

[Son of a son of a ...]

Following with curiosity ... we are contemplating a Baltic cruise and did not consider that weather would be a factor for making it into port, so this is good intel.

 

Query: Is the size of the ship a significant factor in making port? Or is it all about the weather regardless of ship size?

[Seminole1975]

At least if you miss the port and get an extra sea day, there are more things to do on a giant ship. From what I understand, they add things to the dailies in that instance. Me? I would be taking advantage of the thermal spa, using the UBP, enjoying the food, and perhaps taking some very talented musicians/actors out to dinner (MDQ)! I am trying to find something positive here. We are going in September and I need to be prepared! For the OP: I hope the rest of the cruise is fantastic for you!

[Markanddonna]

I was on the Getaway in the Caribbean and based on that experience, I thought that it would not be a good match for the Baltics. Many of the events are held outside and rain, mist or cool weather either cancels the event or drives it into a less desirable location. The Getaway was designed for warm Miami, not the cooler climates.

How did the Getaway fare in Stockholm on the late May/early June sailing? I read that the ship would have to dock far away from the closer port/docks. Might we guess that the Breakaway will have similar problems?

[Cruise or Lose!]

My family and I have been so lucky thus far. More than a dozen cruises (Caribbean and Europe), not one missed port. But we are always prepared for that possibility.

 

Honestly, if you want to go on a Baltic cruise, HAL has a much better itinerary and smaller ships. Baltic cruises are too special to leave to chance.

 

 

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[sverigecruiser]

Absurd is the word. Why fly to Europe to cruise on a ship which has similar ships sailing out of the USA? Plus the Getaway shall return at the end of the season.

 

Some people might not only do the cruise, maybe they visit other places in Europe?

 

Lots of people on the ship has not flown from the USA for the cruise. I am sure that many live in Europe.

 

I'm sorry for the OP but some of the passengers might not care a lot because they have planned to stay on the ship most days anyway.

[triptolemus]

Some people might not only do the cruise, maybe they visit other places in Europe?

 

Lots of people on the ship has not flown from the USA for the cruise. I am sure that many live in Europe.

 

I'm sorry for the OP but some of the passengers might not care a lot because they have planned to stay on the ship most days anyway.

 

Yes, but this particular thread is about a particular passenger on that particular ship who happens to be from Dallas, Texas. That's why it is utterly absurd to point out that this particular person should "never sail for the ports".

[rocklinmom]

Bella O, sorry to hear about this less than ideal beginning to your cruise! We are doing this cruise in July and I am very interested in how this is progressing. I understand your frustration completely.

Since you got only five hours in Germany, I'm wondering what would happen to the six hour long shore excursion that I booked there (Schwerin Castle). At least it's an NCL excursion so they could refund it.

So does it look like you will still miss Tallinn? That would be a shame. But at least you would probably get some OBC for the inconvenience.

Please keep us updated!

[Seminole1975]

Some people might not only do the cruise, maybe they visit other places in Europe?

 

Lots of people on the ship has not flown from the USA for the cruise. I am sure that many live in Europe.

 

I'm sorry for the OP but some of the passengers might not care a lot because they have planned to stay on the ship most days anyway.

 

From what I understand from my son on the ship, a large # of passengers are from Europe, a lot from France, for example. It will be fun for them to experience the Getaway and not have to fly to Miami! They seem to really be enjoying themselves.

 

I think during the warm months of July and August the passengers will be able to use the outdoor activities most of the time. They are apparently used to the cooler temps and may sunbathe at times and temps Americans think are too cool. It is 60 and sunny in St. Petersburg today.

 

The Getaway is going back to Miami in October where the Caribbean temps are warmer but still not so hot as in the summer! The temps in the Caribbean in the summer are sweltering! I am excited about going to a cooler climate. I also love meeting and talking to folks from other countries!!

[KeithJenner]

Regarding the "don't sail for the ports" quote. I know what they mean, but it's rather been taken out of context here.

 

Cruising for many people, especially in areas like this is all about the ports. That is indeed the main reason why many people are there. However, it is risky if you choose a cruise specifically for an individual port, as missing it is always possible. That's when you get the "I booked this cruise specifically for this port and now we've missed it" comments. I would advise against visiting via cruise ship if there is a port which you specifically must see.

 

Of course, on this cruise St Petersburg does go against that line of thinking, as it is not the easiest city to get to otherwise (visa issues etc). Lots of people do this cruise specifically for that port.

 

I was surprised when NCL sent the Getaway to the Baltics, and I don't think it's the right ship for the area. Stockholm is likely to cause all sorts of problems. Having said that, it was missed at least twice by the Star last year, so perhaps the plan of going to Nynashamn means that it will actually arrive there even if that makes Stockholm a lot less appealing to visit.

 

I'm surprised that Warnemunde has caused a problem though. My understanding is that Rostock takes some big commercial shipping as well. I never had it down as a potential issue on this cruise. Maybe it really is due to some specific weather issues.

[Seminole1975]

Regarding the "don't sail for the ports" quote. I know what they mean, but it's rather been taken out of context here.

 

I'm surprised that Warnemunde has caused a problem though. My understanding is that Rostock takes some big commercial shipping as well. I never had it down as a potential issue on this cruise. Maybe it really is due to some specific weather issues.

 

On my weather app, there was a significant weather advisory in Warnemunde due to wind on Monday. The crew was told it was due to the wind. I do not understand why folks are doubting this was the issue. I understand the disappointment, but......safety always comes first!

[mugtech]

The Breakaway is taking over in 2018.

 

steamboats

Meant the Getaway is returning to the USA in the fall, if the ship's the thing, just wait. BA will have the same limitations in 2018.

[kitkat343]

Following with curiosity ... we are contemplating a Baltic cruise and did not consider that weather would be a factor for making it into port, so this is good intel.

 

Query: Is the size of the ship a significant factor in making port? Or is it all about the weather regardless of ship size?

 

 

Generally, the size of the ship is a big issue for docking directly in Stockholm, since the entry through the archipelago is challenging for larger ships. If there are any small weather issues, a larger ship will need to divert to Nynashamm, a port about an hour away. It is slow going through the archipelago, since the ships need to be careful and generally Stockholm has a very short day in port if you are docking directly there (they usually give you more time if you dock in Nynashamm). You are likely to at least dock in Nynashamm instead of missing Stockholm altogether, and I recommend that anyone sailing on a larger ship understand how to get to Stockholm from there since diversion is a distinct possibiltiy (there are trains that are very close to the port and run to Stockholm). Or the cruise line sometimes has an excursion to take you directly to Stockholm, but this is more expensive than the trains.

 

I've not read about any significant recurring issues with the other ports on the Regal/Royal Princess which are large ships that have been doing this itinerary for the past few years.

[KeithJenner]

Generally, the size of the ship is a big issue for docking directly in Stockholm, since the entry through the archipelago is challenging for larger ships. If there are any small weather issues, a larger ship will need to divert to Nynashamm, a port about an hour away.

 

 

NCL seem to be getting round the need to divert to Nynashamn by specifically going there rather than the City Centre.

 

It has become quite confusing, and I haven't looked at the itineraries for a while, but i believe that most of the itineraries are going there.

[sverigecruiser]

Yes, but this particular thread is about a particular passenger on that particular ship who happens to be from Dallas, Texas. That's why it is utterly absurd to point out that this particular person should "never sail for the ports".

 

But my respons wasn't to the OP.

 

I respondend to you because you think that it's ridiculous to cruise for the ship and not for the ports. For me it's more ridiculous to book a cruise and don't care much about the ship.

 

I have never said that the OP doesn't sail for the ports.

Edited June 14, 2017 by sverigecruiser

[tallnthensome]

Every time I read this it sounds as utterly ridiculous as it did the first time I saw it. While it's absolutely prudent to remember that s\ happens, ignoring the ports when booking a cruise is absurd.

It blows my mind as well ..... Ports are the most important criteria for me. It makes me laugh and shake my head when I've seen people's signatures and they've done the same itinerary on the exact ship 8 times out of the 10 times they've cruised ...... just plain silly and a waste of money IMO. It sucks to miss ports but it happens. We missed Visby on our Baltic due to port weather.

[New2CruisingJ]

I'm booked on the Getaway in September. It will be very unfortunate if we miss any ports but I get that its always a risk with a cruise.

 

Honestly, I picked the cruise for the ports. For me personally, if I wanted a cruise just for the a certain ship and its activities, I can always book a trip on the Breakaway where I can just drive/take a train to the NY port which is just miles away.

 

I do hope that the trip gets better for the OP.

[txagfan]

NCL seem to be getting round the need to divert to Nynashamn by specifically going there rather than the City Centre.

 

It has become quite confusing, and I haven't looked at the itineraries for a while, but i believe that most of the itineraries are going there.

 

 

 

It is a goofy itinerary. Ncl offering itineraries to places like Berlin, Stockholm, I think I even saw Paris on another ship then docking hours away (due to obvious logistics of a cruise going hours inland lol) is just stupid.

 

 

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[Kiwi&Timi]

Hope, I don´t miss any port... if so ... hope I enjoy the ship...

be hapy always...

[ObsAlaska]

Sorry to hear that you are missing ports - I sailed on Getaway on 25th May and weather was great, we went to all the ports. Real shame to miss Tallinn though as that was a lovely place to visit. St Petersburg was very busy with six ships in port - be prepared for long lines at passport control on first day - took over 45 mins to get through!

The ship was great, especially enjoyed the Escape room game and the Howling pianos.

[FreestyleNovice]

 

 

 

 

Posted by a local news agency; Der Warnemünder on FB.

[Earl Rosebery]

We are on Marina. NCL Getaway left Copenhagen just ahead of us with both ships bound for Warnemunde. Imagine my surprise when there was no sign of it in the morning. I would estimate the winds were gusting to about 100 kph. The entrance to Rostock via Warnemunde is quite narrow.

As we left port in the evening, we saw it circling at sea.

It then missed Tallinn as well.

IMO It's nuts ro travel on a ship with 4000 plus pasengers.

Warnemunde would have been completely overwhelmed. So would Tallinn. I dread to see what SPB is going to be like tomorrow.

 

P.S. Marina missed Amsterdam on the previous leg for the same reason.