Terrific Seven Day Western Caribbean!

Norwegian Getaway Cruise Review to Caribbean - Eastern

Cruises: 4-6 cruises
Reviews: 4
Helpful Votes: 66

Overall rating:

4.9 out of 5
Norwegian Getaway

7 Night Caribbean: Great Stirrup Cay & St. Thomas (Port Canaveral Roundtrip)

Sail date: August 20, 2022

Ship: Norwegian Getaway

Cabin type: Suite

Cabin number: 10198

Traveled as: Couple

Reviewed: 1 year ago

Review summary

Another great seven night Caribbean cruise on Norwegian. First time on the Getaway. Western Caribbean itinerary included St. Thomas. Pro Tip: Take a taxi to Red Hook Ferry port and the ferry to St. John, which is a much nicer island than St. Thomas. While in St. John, spend time at the incredible 'The Beach Bar St. John' which is only 50 yards from the ferry port. When in San Juan, skip planned excursions, and just walk around and enjoy the beauty of Old San Juan - have some mofongo, and buy some rum at good prices at a local shop. At Puerto Plata, do a rum distillery tour, buy some cigars, and enjoy the friendly people and the beautiful countryside in Dominican Republic. The Getaway has the lovely 'The Waterfront' bars on the side of the ship, which give you a wonderful place to have a cocktail at sunset. Ocean Blue specialty restaurant is worth a visit if you prefer seafood, and the main dining rooms are really good to excellent at both breakfast and dinner (why eat at the buffet when you can have a freshly prepared and plated meal with service in a white tablecloth restaurant?). On board, we hung out at the Vibe Beach Club a lot - totally worth the up-charge for the adult-only, private bar, deluxe cushion loungers area which was never over-crowded, even on days at sea. So many bars! Our favorite was the Prime Meridian bar, located between Cagny's and Moderno. It's a classy dark-wood pre-dinner cocktail bar with a good selection of some premium spirits. We did the Premium Plus beverage package which gets you unlimited premium selections like Verve Clicquot champagne, Macallan Quest single malt scotch, etc. It's pricey, but you also can order a bottle of premium wine at dinner. Overall, no regrets or disappointments - we really enjoyed this cruise and looking forward to our next one on Norwegian.

Embarkation

5 out of 5
Mid-afternoon embarkation always seems to be quickest. Waiting until after the early boarders embark, and getting to port at 2:00pm makes embarkation a breeze!

Ship experiences

Food and Dining

5 out of 5
As seems to be usual for Norwegian, the main dining rooms were as enjoyable as the specialty dining rooms. Ocean Blue was a really nice meal, with particular emphasis on the Ahi Tuna and Avocado Tower, and the Hong Kong Style Snapper. Never go to buffets - always book reservation in main dining room or specialty restaurant

Prime Meridian Bar

5 out of 5

Kind of a hidden gem - tucked between Cagny's and Moderno on the Getaway. Classy dark wood bar for pre-dinner cocktail

O'Sheehan's Neighborhood Bar and Grille

5 out of 5

Just being able to grab some bar food 24x7 is a really nice feature on Norwegian. Fish 'n Chips are nicely prepared here

Ocean Blue on the Waterfront

5 out of 5

Ahi Tuna and Avocado Tower and Hong Kong Style Snapper make a visit here a treat!

Onboard Activities

5 out of 5
Vibe Beach Club - worth every dollar!

Vibe Beach Club

5 out of 5

Totally worth the $$$ if you value a less crowded on-ship day at sea in the sun

Entertainment

4 out of 5
Only attended the magician show (can't remember his name). Was OK

Service and Staff

5 out of 5
The ship was about 70-75% full and the staff went to whatever extent to make for a great cruise

Ship Quality

5 out of 5
Always find Norwegian ships to be clean and the Getaway seemed quite well maintained

Cabin / Stateroom

5 out of 5
Club Balcony Suite is totally worth it if you want two people to be in bathroom at once. Nice walk in shower, wide sink, etc. A free bag of laundry is a nice perk

Ports of call

Port Canaveral, Florida

5 out of 5
Went to Ron Jon Surf Shop in Cocoa Beach - huge and great selection of beach wear. Tried to go to the visitor center at Kennedy Space Center but the car line for parking was long, and they charge $15 for parking just to go to the visitor center

Great Stirrup Cay (Cruise Line Private Island), Bahamas

5 out of 5
Found a couple of chairs under a palm tree and enjoyed a relaxing time. Definitely more built up that 3 years ago when we last visited GSC

Charlotte Amalie, St. Thomas

5 out of 5
Took a cab to Red Hook ferry port, and the ferry to Cruz Bay port at St. John which is a much nicer and prettier island than St. Thomas. Spent time at fabulous 'The Beach Bar St. John', only about 50 yards from Cruz Bay Ferry port

San Juan, Puerto Rico

5 out of 5
Love Old San Juan. Got off the ship and just walked around OSJ, had lunch, bought some rum, and got back on the ship.

Amber Cove (Puerto Plata), Dominican Republic

5 out of 5
Did a NCL excursion tour of Puerto Plata which included the Amber Museum, Macorix rum factory tour, and a few other stops. Overall a good excursion, though a couple of stops were mediocre tourist traps

Disembarkation

5 out of 5
As usual, we did a self-disembarkation, rolled our luggage off the ship, and were on our way!
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