A Great way to "Getaway"
Norwegian Getaway Cruise Review to Caribbean - Western
7 Night Western Caribbean (New Orleans Roundtrip)
Sail date: February 23, 2020
Ship: Norwegian Getaway
Cabin type: Inside
Cabin number: 14625
Traveled as: Couple
Reviewed: 4 years ago
Review summary
We had a wonderful time, though not without some hiccups. I'd read prior to boarding that the bars onboard Getaway were understaffed, and the reports were true, some unreasonable waiting times for drinks, and some bartenders who weren't very good at taking their customers in order of request. I put it off to being overwhelmed. Many people we talked to weren't aware that reservations were required for most everything onboard. As long-time NCL cruisers, we find this only on the bigger ships. We missed several shows we wanted to see, though not the ones requiring reservations. Shows in the smaller venues (Headliners, Syd Norman's, etc) were billed as "no reservation required" when in fact the scheduling conflicted with other events, so you pretty much made a choice, you'd see one event or the other, period. The same was true with the dining venues, you even needed a reservation for complimentary restaurants, or you spent time in line waiting at the door. This is unacceptable in keeping with NCL's "Freestyle" dining. Though the line pioneered the concept, with the rest of the industry flatteringly imitating them, they've gotten away from the original concept. In other words, you can dine WHEN you want, WHERE you want, and with WHOM you want, provided you've made reservations prior to the actual meal. Stop advertising Freestyle NCL, if you're going to maintain your current practices. I'm sure the problem lies with just too many people, and trying to accomodate everybody. For our cruising dollar, we'll stay with the smaller ships if we're going to cruise with NCL.Embarkation
Ship experiences
Food and Dining
Cagney's Steakhouse
Consistently excellent. Best food at sea!
Waves Pool Bar
Great Bloody Marys!
The Tropicana Room (Main Dining Room)
Food good, good service. The entertainment was nice the night we ate there
The Haven Lounge
Very quiet and effective space, though in the 30 minutes I spent there (a sea day) though bar waiters came in to pick up dirty glasses, they never offered bar service while there
Taste Restaurant
Food good, service better. I don't think you should have to make reservations for a complimentary dining room.
Sugarcane Mojito Bar
Always crowded, though JennieLyn in the waterfront area made it worth the visit, always smiling and friendly. One exceptional lady!
Savor Restaurant
Food good, service better
O'Sheehan's Neighborhood Bar and Grille
I just like O'Sheehans, the concept, the result, the food, everything. A great place to eat, drink, meet friends, just a nice shipboard space
La Cucina Italian Restaurant
Very nice, though not as good as the one on Epic
Onboard Activities
Guest Services
Very helpful and knowledgeable
Entertainment
Spice H2O
So many adults gathered there (avoiding the numerous kids onboard I'm guessing) we could never find a chair or lounger, barely even standing room. Too small an "adult only" area given the size of the ship, much preferred the space on Epic
Headliners Comedy Club
Too small for some of the acts billed there, and always difficult if not impossible to find a seat.
Burn the Floor
Great show, highly recommend it
Children's Programs
Service and Staff
Ship Quality
Cabin / Stateroom
Ship tip
Make reservations for EVERYTHING. It's one of NCL's policies on their bigger ships that doesn't apply to the smaller ones. "Freestyle" isn't really applicable when reservations are required for all shows, and with the exception of the pool deck buffet and O'Sheehans, you need reservations to guarantee yourself a seat. We encountered many fellow guests who weren't aware of this policy, and missed out on some of the entertainment, as did we.
Ports of call
New Orleans, Louisiana Did not visit port
Coxen Hole, Roatan, Bay Islands, Honduras
Costa Maya (Mahahual), Mexico Did not visit port