A great trip on the Getaway
Norwegian Getaway Cruise Review
Contributor Level:
Second Mate
Cruises: 7+ cruises
Reviews: 2
Helpful Votes: 52
7 Night Western Caribbean (New Orleans Roundtrip)
Sail date: January 26, 2020
Ship: Norwegian Getaway
Cabin type: Inside
Cabin number: 9431
Traveled as: Couple
Reviewed: 4 years ago
Review summary
We had a very nice cruise. Most of it is the attitude with which you approach your vacation. We had the best time meeting and talking with a lot of wonderful and interesting people from all over. Smile, be very kind to everyone, and you will have the best time.Embarkation
We purchased Priorty Access and were on board by 11. Regardless, the process seemed very organized and smooth. Everyone was helpful and friendly.
Ship experiences
Food and Dining
Food was hit and miss in the MDR's. We enjoyed a great first meal in Tropicana night one. Shanghai Noodle Bar was decent. O'Sheehan's good as always...yummy wings. Buffett breakfast was our go to with a decent variety and made-to-order omelettes. The last three days the staff all wore gloves and handed out plates and silverware and served the food literally everywhere, even in the buffet. We believe just as a precaution given the current China situation. No salt and pepper shakers were on the tables either. We appreciate their diligence, but we were really never concerned.
Onboard Activities
Plenty to do or not to do. We are middle aged and enjoyed the ropes course and walking the plank over the edge of the ship. Mini golf was a fun little diversion early in the day. We always enjoy the energy and activities in the Atrium which you can also observe from one level up in O'Sheehans.
Entertainment
We knew to make reservations for Burn the Floor and Million Dollar Quarter so no problem getting good seats. Both shows are high energy. Burn the Floor is probably a little too "hot" IMO for anyone under high school age. Million Dollar Quarter was probably one of the best shows we've ever seen in the seven cruises we've taken. We enjoyed the Jeff Lyon Foreigner Tribute show. Syd Norman's was too small of a venue for this the first two times they performed, so we were glad they held it inthe main theater on the last night. You cannot reserve seats for this show nor for Headliners comedy so be sure to get in line early.
Service and Staff
Very friendly and attentive staff all around! Someone was always smiling and greeting us. We really only saw our room steward twice. He came into our cabin on day one to personally introduce himself and did a decent job cleaning our cabin. We did have a bit of a debacle between guest services and the spa trying to get someone to recognize our Costco spa credit even with it being listed on our NCL paperwork. It took five visits to guest services and two visits to the spa between embarkation day on Sunday (when my husband and I both received massages) and Friday to get it sorted out. As we have experienced with guest services on other ships, we get conflicting information from different people within the same department and also between departments. The guest services people seem to have very limited autonomy and decision making power. We spent way too much precious vacation time trying to get an obvious resolution. We were extremely patient, but it wore thin after the third attempt. I wish the cruise lines would provide more/better training in this area so their employees are better equipped to assist guests. I am not basing my rating on this particular experience because we were very impressed by the crew overall.
Ship Quality
We really like the design and feel of this ship, and the restrooms and public spaces were kept very clean.
Cabin / Stateroom
Cabin #9431 inside forward port side. Just what we needed. Bright and well laid out for a small area. The shelves in the closet are tiny, but there are two more with a door in the vanity and two cubby holes on the outside of the closet walls plus a nightstands on both sides of our king bed. The bathroom has a lot of shelf space. It is tiny but adequate.
Ship tip
Make whatever dinner and show reservations you can before your cruise. You can always make changes once on board. Better planning makes for less stress.
Thumbs up
0
Ports of call
Having experienced Dunns River Falls before, we chose a less crowded, more relaxed tour to Turtle River Gardens (formerly Enchanted Gardens) and waterfalls. You can get in the falls on this tour...we just chose not to. This property has new orders so much needed work is in progress, but there are many interesting and beautiful plants to see and learn about. We also got to go into the small aviary and feed birds including a Macaw and Peacocks. Ocho Rios is such a beautiful area. Don't be intimidated by the people. Most of them are very friendly. A simple, kind "no thank you" is all that is needed. We picked up Blue Mountain coffee for family gifts here.
The main reason for my rating is because the people here were so warm and welcoming. We heard comments from friends before our cruise that New Orleans is a dirty city. We did notice some of this in the French Quarter but given the nightlife it was no surprise on Bourbon Street, and we were there in the daytime. That is not our scene. However, we had an easy 10-15 minute walk from our hotel across from the convention center to the French Quarter and really enjoyed the architecture and unique culture of the city. We enjoyed some delicious beignets and lunch at Cafe Beignet on Bourbon Street outside in the jazz garden and soaked in the sun and entertainment at Jackson Square. During our bus tour post cruise, we got to tour a cemetery and learn of the local customs, see and hear about other various neighborhoods in the city and stop at Cafe du Monde in City Park for a last shot at beignets and Cafe Au Lait. We also traveled down St. Charles in the Garden District where we passed by stately homes/mansions, schools and churches. I would visit the city again before or after a cruise to take in the food and culture.
We have been here twice before and have seen most of the island. The water is stunning. With six boats in port, we chose to just walk around town a little then return to the ship to soak in the weather poolside. I feel like GC is best experienced on the beach or on the water.
It's Cozumel! There are so many great options here. We chose the all inclusive option at Paradise Beach Resort on a not so busy port day and had a fantastic time.
Disembarkation
It was simple for us as we booked a post cruise New Orleans bus tour/airport transfer through NCL. We met in the Tropicana Room where we were assigned to a bus and given a sticker to wear to identify us as being in the tour group. We were then escorted off the ship and to the terminal where we had our own designated baggage claim area and continued with our luggage out of the terminal to our bus. I highly recommend the Past, Present & Perfect tour if you need an airport transfer following this cruise from NOLA.