this is the first cruise that I thought the Excursions were more fun than the ship. Everything seemed to have a price which I was not used to. Unlimited Drink Package had several downfalls compared to other cruise lines. Negative parts....Package does NOT include bottled water. Does NOT include Red Bull/Energy Drinks, and does not include specialty coffees (iced). We chose the drink package and gratuities as our options...and I still ended up spending over $100 on board for day to day things.
Embarkation
5 out of 5
Very smooth process. Better than previous cruises. No long lines and friendly staff.
Ship experiences
Food and Dining
2 out of 5
Food mediocre at best. Enjoyed the ability to east at various venues, but missed the scheduled dining that I experienced on other cruise lines. Missed building relationships with dinner staff every night.
O'Sheehan's Neighborhood Bar and Grille
1 out of 5
Horrible experience. Was excited about their Ribs and Shrimp night until we decided to try it. Food was great, service was nonexistent. Once server delivered meals, it was 1/2 hour before we saw him again. We ended up going to the bar to get drink refills. And when we stopped a manager (dressed in suit coat) his reply was "this isn't my area" and walked off. Eventually got a second portion of the Ribs/Shrimp and it was another 1/2 hour with nobody stopping by. I ended up going to hostess stand to get menus so that we could see what deserts were offered. The manager there asked "what can we get you?". Before I could yell across the room to see what the other three at our table wanted - he decided to accompany me to the table and ask for the order.
Onboard Activities
3 out of 5
Entertainment
3 out of 5
Included stage shows felt more like shows you would see at an amusement park. Comedy show was very good. Theme parties at H2O were very organized and fun.
Getaway Theater
2 out of 5
Very small theater. Seats very uncomfortable.
Service and Staff
4 out of 5
housekeeping staff was excellent. bar staff was friendly but several venues appeared to be understaffed.
Ship Quality
4 out of 5
Very clean ship. Only downfall was the elevator system. It would have been helpful to have something in the elevator telling people what venues/activities were located on each floor. Only thing in elevators was the indicator of what floor you were on.
Cabin / Stateroom
4 out of 5
Average size cabin. Had the beds separated which still left plenty of walking room. Balcony was VERY tiny.
Ship tip
If you don't want to cruise with children - you may want to avoid this ship. Lots of children everywhere
Did a private excursion with David Johnson's Monkey & Sloth Sanctuary (found on Facebook). They met us a the gate and we had a 5 hour tour of the island that included a private beach club, shopping experience at a Chocolate Vendor, visit to a large souvenir shop, and visit to pet sanctuary (you get to hold a sloth!) Definitely worth the $30
Walked a bit on the island. Lots of things to do - all with a price tag. Drinks were expensive & tip was automatically included. I am a big fan of tipping...but based on service.
Did a private excursion through The Native Choice (thenativechoice.com). Very impressed. Air conditioned bus ride to the Chocchoban ruins and then to a small local community for an authentic meal with the local residents. Made our own Tortilla's and learned all about what life is line in their community.
Did a Private excursion through our travel agent. Catamaran trip which included a stop to a sand bar for snorkeling. While snorkeling we interacted with Sting Rays and Dolphins (all unscheduled)
Very smooth process. Once again fast and organized. Did not have issues with customs. They did not require any sort of declarations - just a look at your passport and you were good to go.
I agree the shows were very good, though the venues were way too small for the number of people on board. I hate to have to plan out every night weeks or months in advance!! To me cruising should be the freedom of the seas.. to do what you like when you like.
I had opposite opinion of the Getaway. It was our best cruise as of yet, and it was my 9th cruise! We thoroughly enjoyed the UBP, as we never buy any of the other products you mentioned anyways, so it was just perfect. The restaurant choices were better than any other cruise line I’ve been on, and the buffet was the best we’ve had at sea. We felt the shows were top notch. Going back on the Getaway in 30 days!
Let me rephrase, the Buffet food was really good.. the dining rooms were meh.. average at best. Even Osheehans was hit or miss. Ive never seen such tiny wings and fries in my life! Lol
I agree whole heartedly! After 14 days (11 at sea) in the Getaway, I think we had ample time to get to know the Getaway ship and NCL policies very well. With them, its all about the upsell... they did have good food, but the constant upsell push was annoying for sure.
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