Disappointing! Honestly, that is the only word that describes how we felt about this nearly $8000 cruise. Not only did my mom get unbelievably sick with Covid (she’s 79), but one of our ports of call was completely cancelled, there were no suitable excursions (we didn’t even get to use our credit, as there was nothing to book), there was very little to do on the ship in between meals, the only shopping you could do was jewelry, which was uninteresting (who wants to get hounded and have sales people pressure you to buy) and the food was just passable. If it hadn’t been for the nice staff in the Haven, this trip would have been a complete failure. This was supposed to be my mom’s last hurrah. Her last big trip in her life. All she took away from it is a massive credit card debt and Covid, which is lingering like nobody’s business. Again, it was just one big disappointment!
Embarkation
1 out of 5
NOWHERE were we told that we needed a Covid test before embarkation. We were forced to pay $75 each for tests. And in the end, it was all BS anyway because we got Covid on the cruise!
Ship experiences
Food and Dining
3 out of 5
The buffet was horrible! The specialty restaurant we went to was excellent the first time and absolutely awful the second time, so zero consistency. The Haven dining room was great, but since the menu never changed, we ate the same exact items basically every day. Some of the other restaurants like the pub was inedible.
Onboard Activities
1 out of 5
Pools were useless. The Haven pool was always in use by the same people and so small that you had no way of enjoying any of it. The main pool is also so tiny that with so many people it was nothing more than a communal bathtub. There were really no other activities geared towards older, less active people, which is crazy since so many cruisers are older.
Entertainment
4 out of 5
We enjoyed the shows for the most part. The comedy shows we’re not really entertaining, though. The stage performances were good and we really enjoyed those.
Children's Programs
No kids.
Service and Staff
5 out of 5
Service was excellent. This was the only thing that actually saved our cruise. We felt pampered and everyone was super friendly, especially in the Haven.
Ship Quality
3 out of 5
I would never again cruise on a smaller ship like the Getaway. Cleanliness is s matter of opinion. We never saw people cleaning bathrooms, high traffic areas like elevators, doors, banisters, and especially the casino machines or buffet areas. Never, not one time. All high traffic areas should be constantly cleaned, Rückwanderers and then cleaned again! This is how we ended up with Covid. By San Juan, my mother had 103 degree temperature and was unbelievably I’ll. We stopped in town at Walgreens and bought Covid tests and sure enough, it was Covid. We believe my mother caught it in the casino, pretty much within the first 36 hours of the cruise. My husband and I then caught it as well, but not until the last full day at sea. If the ship had been kept more disinfected on a regular basis, this would not have happened so easily!
Cabin / Stateroom
3 out of 5
Overall comfort was ok. NOWHERE DID IT SAY THAT OUR BALCONY WAS NON-EXISTANT OR COMPLETELY COVERED BY THE BRIDGE! We were in a Haven room, but nowhere did it mention that the cabin was decks away from the Haven area. The bathroom, although large, is ridiculously built with non-privacy glass between shower and toilet and main bathroom areas. Only one person could be showering/using toilet or bathroom at a time, because of the lack of privacy. Also, there was only a curtain covering the entrance to the bathroom. Another privacy issue. Whoever designed the bathroom or the balcony, was useless.
Excursions were all booked and there really was nothing to do except sit on the beach. No real shops, only tacky stands. No decent food, either. So, if you had no excursion, there was no need to be there.
There was no excursion that was interesting or would work for someone with mobility issues. The port area was uninteresting. The shops all the same, except for the high pressure sales tactic jewelry stores we avoiddd like the plague.
I was on this particular sailing and my experience couldn't be more opposite. The COVID rules and requirements were sent out multiple times and it doesn't take much effort to figure them out if you overlook the emails. The food quality in every dining venue I visited (complimentary or not) was excellent. The entertainment on-board was plentiful and of good quality. In fact, there was so much to take in I didn't have time for it all. I'm already booked on this same ship again later this year I enjoyed it so much. The NCL staff was some of the friendliest people I've met cruising.
First of all sorry to hear about your mom and pray she’s well. Thats said, Puerto Rico 🇵🇷 is not “uninteresting”. Maybe do your research beforehand and you would’ve found great places outside of port. Seems like you didn’t do any research because you would’ve known that The Haven is on 16/17 normally in the aft so if you’re room is forward, then you’re walking to the aft. Don’t blame the ship. However the fact that they take covid testing away at the terminals is infuriating. By the time anyone takes the 3 day pcr means nothing as they can still contract any of those days prior to sailing then spread it.
Poor mother, I hope she feels better. So sad she had to pay so much for her kids to cruise and they didn't even enjoy it. Too bad you didn't notice all those notifications of needing a Covid test (or workers cleaning). You are so lucky they provided an option in case anyone failed to read.
There are Haven rooms scattered throughout the ship which you would have discovered if you had done minimal research on the deck diagrams. And not to know that covid testing is required is astonishing
Too many negative reviews lately from people who have not done any research on their ship or booked anything ahead of time. You could have booked shore excursions weeks or months ahead, and could have read the SailSafe document that was surely sent to you when you booked. And I never thought I'd hear someone complain about getting to sit on a beach in the Bahamas for a day. I'm sorry you got COVID and you didn't enjoy your vacation, but a lot of this is on you...
I am with Jay! NCL advised us more than once to read the Sail Safe policies which did include any and all Covid testing requirements. Sorry, but we do have to take a moderate amount of effort ourselves to ensure we have a good time on any cruise. Also, we knew there would be some limitations on activities due to continuing Covid issues and were not surprised things were not 100% of “what used to be”. 🤷🏻♂️
Sorry you all got covid. It is pretty hard to continually clean everything in the casino when it is open so much. Covid has been on all the ships throughout the summer and you should have been aware of that. Testing was in your documents as well. If you can't even enjoy the Haven, cruising may not be for you!
Sorry your cruise did not meet your expectations. Sounds like you didn’t do enough research regarding the ship, itinerary and covid protocols before booking your cruise.
Thanks for the review. It sounds like cruising is not for you since you did not enjoy much of anything on the ship, in the ports or read and understand what the requirements were to board the ship. The Covid vaccination and test requirements have been posted online and included in the boarding documents since last year.
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