Good, Not Great...

Norwegian Getaway Cruise Review to Caribbean - Western

Cruises: 7+ cruises
Review: 1
Helpful Votes: 57

Overall rating:

3.3 out of 5
Verified Review
Norwegian Getaway

7 Night Western Caribbean (Miami Roundtrip)

Sail date: September 02, 2018

Ship: Norwegian Getaway

Cabin type: Balcony

Cabin number: 13304

Traveled as: Couple

Reviewed: 6 years ago

Review summary

This was a our first time on Norwegian Cruise Lines, and our 7th cruise overall. We've been home for about three days now so I've had time to formulate my true thoughts on this. The boat itself was good, not great. The ports were hit and miss. The food was awful. We've never felt so nickeled and dimed on a ship as we did this one. Let's start with the good: As usual, our room and the boat was very clean, our steward did a nice job of keeping things in order. The free entertainment, especially Million Dollar Quartet, was awesome. SugarCane Mojito Bar was fabulous. Shanghai's and O'Sheehans gave us at least decent options for free food. There was a good variety of drinks to try. The Waterfront was nice on the non-smoking side, in the evenings when the sun wasn't beating us up. The Not So Good: First off, this was the worst food of any cruise we've ever taken. Disappointment at every turn. The buffet was decent for breakfast. Lunch and Dinner were just awful, full of food that had no taste or was overcooked. The dining room seemed to just serve about the same quality of food as the buffet and it was really just not good. On every other cruise we looked forward to the dining room dinners and even desserts. We had a dining package so we tried several specialty restaurants, but I ate more beef on this trip than I do in Kansas. it's disappointing that they have such few shellfish options. No lobster, crab, etc. Having cruised on the Harmony of the Seas last fall, this ship just felt really, really congested. I compared it to an old 1960s house that was broken up into so many tiny areas that you just felt like you were crammed into every place you went. The pool area is VERY small, smaller than the tiny Carnival ships we started our cruising experiences on. We got zero enjoyment out of even being around that area of the ship because there were no places to sit down and relax. The adults only area was PACKED like sardines in a can. There's no shade up there and people were crammed into the waterfall areas so tight that it wasn't even an option. Nothing like the peaceful Serenity areas of other ships. Because the outdoor/adult areas were so small and cramped, we spent way more time inside than I would have liked. Probably the worst experience on the ship was the Cirque show we attended for an extra $70. What a waste of time and money! There was food service and you get what they bring you, no choices...guess what, it was steak...again. The food service lasted longer than the show. The show was a glorified circus show with nothing that really wowed. For the 30 minute show and 45 min dinner service we totally felt ripped off of $70.

Embarkation

2 out of 5

Ship experiences

Food and Dining

2 out of 5

Cagney's Steakhouse

3 out of 5

Food was ok. My husband couldn't even eat the Oysters Rockefeller. Crab Cake was good. Steak was decent. Favorite part was 7 layer chocolate cake.

Moderno Churrascaria

3 out of 5

Pork was the best and most flavorful. Chicken was painfully dry. Salad bar was the best thing we had on the ship, the shrimp with cilantro and the sushi was the saving grace of this dinner. Service was painfully slow. We finally got up and left because we were getting nothing we asked for and the meats were being delivered to tables so slowly.

Teppanyaki

5 out of 5

By far our favorite meal we had on the cruise. My husband is still gushing about those scallops. Everything was cooked perfectly. Only complaint is it can get really loud in there with those guys beating the metal tables!

Taste Restaurant

2 out of 5

Food was not good. Service was not good. Brought out my dish and gave to the table next to us. When I had specifically ordered with no sweet potatoes. Waiter said, "oh I will just bring you a bowl of mashed potatoes." No. I think sweet potatoes are nasty so I don't want all my other food laying in them either. We avoided this restaurant rest of trip.

O'Sheehan's Neighborhood Bar and Grille

4 out of 5

One decent place to get something to eat on the boat. Service ranged from awesome to slow. Downside is the menu is limited and it's basic bar food so easy to get tired of over the course of 7 days.

Onboard Activities

3 out of 5

Entertainment

4 out of 5

Service and Staff

3 out of 5

Ship Quality

3 out of 5

Cabin / Stateroom

4 out of 5

Ship tip

Choose a Dining package because the free food is awful!

Ports of call

Miami, Florida

4 out of 5

Costa Maya (Mahahual), Mexico

3 out of 5
I really wanted to like this port, but it was really difficult. The seaweed on the beach was so bad and smelled so awful. I really felt for the people who were trying to make a living here because it was tough. We did grab a drink and a table for a couple of hours and my husband got an awesome $20 hour long massage. I was bummed that they took us to the beach and the "town" around the beach was pretty well developed for the tourists, no one lived there, no mercado, or anything to do besides be bombarded with people trying to sell their wares.

Harvest Caye, Belize

2 out of 5
Really left a lot to be desired. The cruise ship has you captive. You have to pay the locals to eat or drink. Seaweed also an issue at this port. Unlike Labadee or Half Moon Cay, where they take you off the ship and pamper you at a beach, this was just a joke. The pool was nice, but who wants to spend the day paying for expensive drinks and food at a place that has no culture or connection to the country.

Coxen Hole, Roatan, Bay Islands, Honduras

4 out of 5
We LOVED our stop here. The local people here are very poor, but they treated us well. We hired a taxi to drive us around the island and take us to a beach. We went to the Mayan Jungle and played with the Monkey's and the Sloths and it was one of our favorite parts of our trip.

Cozumel, Mexico

5 out of 5
Love Cozumel as always.

Disembarkation

5 out of 5
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2 Comments

Forevercruiser    6 years ago

Nickel and dime? Have you been on royal Caribbean. They are the apitimy of that

jltanner56    6 years ago

Have you tried the the Vibe? Adult only area with two hot tubs and nice loungers private cabanas and private bar? Awesome. Also the Have suites are beyond beautiful with Butler service, concierge, private bar and restaurant. Also ha a private pool with retractable roof and private sun deck. It cannot be nicer and best food ever. Service is impeccable.

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