Overall, the Norwegian Getaway was a perfect experience for our family. There was constantly something to do, somewhere to eat, and some activity going on. Two of our children loved the Teen Entourage and our 11 year old loved the kid's club.
On the Days at Seas, the kids did get frustrated on how long the lines were for the ropes course and water slides, however, by late afternoon/early evening there was barely a wait. Our daughter did the tour of the ship and loved it. They took her into all of the nook and crannies of the ship, to the staff quarters, and showed her where Pitbull filmed his video (and just that was enough for her)!!!
The shows "Burn The Floor" & The Million Dollar Quartet were amazing and also kept the kids engaged.
We loved all of the excursions booked through CruiseOnly. They were beyond superb!
They did re-route our ship so we went to Cozumel and then Costa Maya. I did hear that they are doing that a lot now due to port congestion.
A couple of cons:
Shore Excursions: I would recommend booking with an outside company or using your travel agent. We were able to get much better prices through CruiseOnly.
The Norwegian iConierge App was pretty much a dud!!! First, in order to text people on the ship, each person has to subscribe to the texting service which is $14.99 per person even if they resided in the same room as you. The app was down for almost a day along with the television. You were not able to build your itinerary from the app. You could only see what the schedule was. Also, not all the freestyle menus were viewable through the app.
Restaurants/Bars/Shows: I hated that there were cover charges for some of the restaurants and clubs as well as certain shows. I can understand the need for reservations but additional costs I think is unnecessary and defeats the purpose of cruising.
Spa: if you want to book the Thermal Spa package; book before you get on the ship. I was hoping to be able to get a day pass, since $179- price point prior to leaving was steep but they weren't available until the last day and it was $50 for the day.
Ship experiences
Food and Dining
5 out of 5
We only ate at the Complimentary resturants. Honestly, I am put off by the entire up-charging for food. Some restaurants just had incremental charges depending on what you ordered and some restaurants you had to pay full price. We ate at the Asian restaurants which was amazing and the kids loved the Pub on the 7th floor. They had Prime Rib on special twice and ribs another night so the selections were great so I didn't feel as though we were missing anything for not going to the restaurants that up-charged.
Onboard Activities
5 out of 5
For kids--there was always something going on. My kids loved the mini golf, waterslides, & ropes course. We thought the entertainment was great. The comedians were top notch, the shows were fabalous. The atrium always had great live entertainment. I would of liked the roulette wheel to have been nicer; however, I did witness one person win $50K on a $5 slot. However, everyone loved the GLOW party!!!! Don't miss it.
Entertainment
5 out of 5
Children's Programs
My kids loved the children's programs. One was in the Guppy program and the two oldest attended Entourage. Entourage is perfect for an teen and has so many activities. Typically, since my daughter is shy, she doesn't always like the clubs but she had a blast.
Service and Staff
5 out of 5
Ship Quality
5 out of 5
Cabin / Stateroom
5 out of 5
Cabin was small but the use of space was effective. The shower is tiny!!! I did bring an over the door organizer but we didn't use it. I did buy the Birthday Package before leaving since it was my husband's birthday.
We reside in Florida so we drove to the port and parked at the garage. It is $20 a day but you are right across the street from your car. We didn't have to wait for a shuttle service, etc. It was extremely easy.
My son & I did the Dolphin Encounter/Swim & Snorkel through Norwegian. It was amazing. You are right up close with the dolphins for an extended period of time, they spend time taking your picture with the Dolphin (which you can later purchase in the gift shop) & then you spend time swimming and snorkeling with all the Dolphins. However, my husband and my two older children were able to get a taxi/van and the driver took them around the entire island for hours. Took them to the West Side, a great lunch spot, etc. He spent over five hours with them and charged only $90. They loved it and got to see the island and got great pictures.
My husband and two oldest did the Al-Tuna ruins excursion through CruseOnly. They enjoyed it but it was hot and there was a lot of walking and they climbed the entire ruin. They were exhausted when returning especially my husband who realized he was a tad out of shape:)! My son and I toured the port and shopped. I did find the shop owners, etc. in the Belize port more aggressive than in the other ports.
We had a great time in Costa Maya. There is little shopping but we did an excursion through Cruise Only. We toured the Chacchoben Maya Ruins. This excursion was done by The Native Choice in Costa Maya. The tour guide was fabulous and extremely knowledgeable. However, due to the rain, it was hot, humid and lots of bugs. I would recommend wearing mosquito repellent so you don't get eaten alive while on the tour.
In Cozumel, we did a Swim and Snorkel. The kids had so much fun. Other than the Dolphins, this was their favorite excursion of the trip. We snorkeled at two different locations, they let you dive as deep as you wanted, and provided a lunch on the way back along with drinks and margaritas!!! After the excursion, we did a lot of walking and shopping. There was tons of shopping in Cozumel.
Out itinerary changed also but we weren't notified until boarding. Since we booked excursions thru the ship, our corrected tickets were waiting for us in our room. Then we got the $50 shore excursion credit.
*Cruiseline.com is not a booking agent or travel agency,
and does not charge any service fees to users of our site. Our partners
(travel agencies and cruise lines) provide prices, which we list for our
users' convenience. Cruiseline.com does not guarantee any specific rates or
prices. While prices are updated daily, please check with the booking site
for the exact amount. Cruiseline.com is not responsible for content on
external web sites.
Contact us
Submitting...
Need help from a personal vacation planner?
Loading...
Find the perfect cruise with weekly tips and cruise deals for as little as $30/night!
Sign up for weekly cruise deals
Join other subscribers and get the best
cruise deals of the week in your inbox every Thursday.
