It was fun.
Norwegian Getaway Cruise Review to Caribbean - Western
Contributor Level:
Purser
Cruises: 4-6 cruises
Review: 1
Helpful Votes: 45
9 Night Western Caribbean (New Orleans Roundtrip)
Sail date: December 13, 2019
Ship: Norwegian Getaway
Traveled as: Couple
Reviewed: 4 years ago
Review summary
I had a good time, not a great time. The best part of cruising, for me, is the different ports of call. The actual experience on the ship was lacking something for me. I think it’s the feeling that you are being nickeled and dimed for everything. Sure it’s somewhat all-inclusive. But the included food is so bad it’s like they’re punishing you for not shelling out more money. I don’t have infinite money, so we had to be very conscious of what we spent. It’s challenging finding the balance between having a good time and spending way too much money, which is easy to do with the drink prices. I don’t know if I’ll cruise again for awhile. All inclusive resorts are actually all inclusive and way more relaxing. We’ll probably go in that direction for our next vacation.Embarkation
Getting on the ship went quickly and smoothly, despite a lot of people boarding at once. Our room was ready right away so that was wonderful!
Ship experiences
Food and Dining
The food was not great, unless you paid extra for a specialty restaurant. The buffet was the best part. The selection of food was enormous and you could find some decent stuff. The ice cream machine was broken/not turned on for at least half of the cruise. They did have other ice cream but it was pretty blah. The main dining rooms crack me up because they pretend to be really fancy with a beautiful setting and elegant dinnerware, then the food comes out and it’s teeny tiny portions of low quality food. We never liked a meal there.
O’Sheehans is more of the same. It feels like you’re at a cool pub, but the food is the same low quality as the buffet. The noodle bar was pretty good though. I could eat those potstickers all day long. My noodle dish was really bad, although my husband loved his pork one. All in all, the food is plentiful with a great selection, but I don’t know how they made it taste so bad! Just pay for the specialty restaurants, like they obviously are trying to make you do!
Onboard Activities
There is lots to do on this cruise. My favorite that we did was a painting class. Even though the “instructor” was literally the worst painter I had ever seen in my life. My 11 year old could teach others to paint better. But we were tipsy and laughing at his painting made this activity even more fun.
Entertainment
Great entertainment on this ship! We loved the comedians, the dueling pianos, the acoustic broadway show, Burn the Floor, Bryan and Margo, magician Matt Johnson, and Million Dollar Quartet. There is something fun to see every night. Norwegian has the best entertainment.
Children's Programs
This trip was for parents only!
Service and Staff
Mostly everyone was great on this ship! We did get some waiters who were kind of cold but they were still fast and efficient. Special shout out to Rinesh, our very awesome room steward. He was amazing!
Ship Quality
The ship is beautiful. Clean and welcoming.
Cabin / Stateroom
I loved our room. It felt spacious and was comfortable. I can’t even believe how functional it was for the space. There is storage everywhere! We unpacked everything and made ourselves at home with room to spare!
Ports of call
I love New Orleans. We did a cemetery bus tour that was BYOB and so fun! The best thing about New Orleans is the food in my opinion. Best food in the world! Check out Brennan’s if you have time. You won’t regret it.
Thumbs Up
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I liked the port area in Costa Maya. Lots of ships and restaurants and entertainment. Also free WiFi! It was impressive.
We did the Chacchoben excursion and it was pretty cool. It’s not just one Mayan temple, like I had pictured, it’s a whole city. Worth the hour long bus ride to see!
This is Norwegian’s private island and it is a very clean, new, sanitized version of Belize. But you know what, I’m not mad about it! This was probably my favorite port of call. There are stores, and little stands, and food stalls all run by local Belize residents. There’s a wildlife sanctuary area with birds and lizards and a butterfly
walk-through. There are activities like zip lining from a light house. The best parts were the pool and the beach. Plenty of chairs for everyone and just beautiful. The quintessential tropical resort day. We ate lunch at Landshark and the food was good, even though it wasn’t complimentary. This island is a completely manufactured experience but it is well done and I loved it.
Coxen Hole, Roatan, Bay Islands, Honduras
This port of call was pretty fun. We got in very early and didn’t have too much time, but it’s a small island and we crammed a lot in!
We had booked an excursion with a private driver who took us to scenic outlooks, little shops, a chocolate factory, a rum tasting, and a restaurant for lunch. We also had a private boat ride out to the reef where we snorkeled in the beautiful water. Finally, we went to an animal sanctuary where we held tropical birds, played with monkeys, and cuddled a sloth. It was a lot of fun and though Roatan is a somewhat chaotic island, the locals are the nicest we’ve come across!
We were in this port from only 11-5. It is a tender port, which sucks. Booking a tender, waiting in huge lines, being crammed in a hot, smelly boat, and the bumpy ride to shore all suck. Sorry, there’s no way around it. Despite a relatively early tender group, we didn’t set foot in port until almost 1pm. We had to be back by 4:30. It was cloudy and raining so we decided to forgo the beach and take a two hour sightseeing tour. It was... ok. Kind of boring. Not much to see, honestly. The “highlight” was Hell. A bunch of jagged rock formations with a fun name. I never got to set foot on their famous 7 mile beach which I’m told is a shame because it’s gorgeous. As we were boarding our tender to head back, the clouds broke, the rain stopped, the sun peeked out and we were treated to the most beautiful rainbow. Thanks for nothing George Town.
This port is beautiful. A lovely bay surrounded by lush hills. Even from the ship, you’ll be treated to the sounds of reggae music beckoning from the boats partying in the bay. You know this place is about having a good time! There are sooooo many people coming at you from all sides when you leave the port. Selling you things, trying to whisk you away on a tour or braid your hair, so many panhandlers or people selling you weed. It’s a lot to take in.
We had a private driver who took us to the Blue Hole and Konoko Falls. These places were both beautiful although I believe the Blue Hole has a higher degree of physical difficulty than they let on. I have a leg that I injured a few years back that is full of plates and screws and the hiking on rough terrain and climbing up slippery rocks was a bit much for me. Although the guides there are very careful with you and make it as safe as possible.
Jamaica has a cool vibe that I really enjoyed and I would love to go back someday.
Disembarkation
Great, I just walked off the boat and showed my passport.
3 Comments
izzyhovig 4 years ago
What, in your opinion, was “bad” & “low quality” about the food? These non-descriptors don’t give your review much to take seriously. As to the “tiny” portions of food, not sure if this is your first cruise or not, but cruise bloggers, and cruise tip videos on YouTube do let you know that generally speaking, a cruiser CAN ask for more than one appetizer, more than one entree... some cruise lines even let you ask that an appetizer be made into entree size.