Honest review from a NCL loyalist and veteran cruiser

Norwegian Getaway Cruise Review

Cruises: 7+ cruises
Reviews: 8
Helpful Votes: 161

Overall rating:

5 out of 5
Norwegian Getaway

12 Night Southern Caribbean (New York Roundtrip)

Sail date: January 08, 2023

Ship: Norwegian Getaway

Cabin type: Balcony

Cabin number: 13712

Traveled as: Singles/Friends

Reviewed: 1 year ago

Review summary

Food was delicious. Cagneys was very good. Moderno was FANTASTIC. Garden Buffet was excellent most days. Breakfast was always top notch. Lunch and Dinner were very good most of the time but a few of the days it was underwhelming selection.. Some of the lunches were absolutely amazing. Overall food was excellent. The chefs and staff in the garden cafe were incredible. Couple issues were the crowds, and at times out of control people fighting for food. Also despite being very clean, many of the people were disgusting coughing around food and most did not wash hands and used sanitizer instead. Buffet closed at 9:30 and no snacks available after that hour. Very disappointed in that regard. Sometimes at 11 pm you want a quick snack and cookie instead of going to Osheehans… all crew were FANTASTIC. Ship is getting a little rough. Engine has problems. Ship was crowded at times. This ship is well below the Escape, Bliss and even the Breakaway. Needs some TLC. Vibe (up charge area)area takes up too much space in my opinion. Deck 8 waterfront was very nice as always on the Breakaway class ships. Day 1 of the cruise was a zoo when it came to eating at the buffet or main dining restaurants. Main dining became less busy throughout the cruise. Buffet was a zoo most of the time. By the end of the cruise I just wanted to go home and eat healthy foods again. Moderno was outstanding. Highly recommend skipping the bread and going light on the salad bar to enjoy the meats. Opt for the beef selections. They will try to fill you up on chicken and other meats. The pichana sirloin was the best beef there, even beating the filet mignon. The flank steak throughout the ship was outstanding.

Embarkation

3 out of 5
Arrived at the port around noon and it was very crowded. I was shocked. Crowd moved decently fast. About 25 mins to get through security in a crowded line. About 10-15 mins to check in without much of a line and another 10-15 mins to board the ship. Not bad. But definitely not great. I would recommend to arrive early and wait longer to board versus waiting in that line to get through security as it is very packed and not a comfortable feeling in todays climate. I would have still given 5 stars anyway but upon entering the ship, it was absolute madness trying to get food. The buffet was the busiest I’ve ever seen in all of my cruises. There was nowhere to sit. Not even outside. Had to bring food by the pool to eat

Ship experiences

Food and Dining

5 out of 5
The food was spectacular. Most of it unhealthy and cooked in vegetable oils but delicious none the less. The steaks were all great. Asian food’s delicious. Deserts and ice cream wonderful. Ice cream machines were unavailable though. But the hard ice cream did the job. Breakfast was absolutely wonderful. Very happy with the food. Moderno was absolutely amazing. Cagneys was very good. Moderno was better. Osheehans was solid. Did not hit the main dining rooms but others spoke fairly highly of them. Bar staff, top notch. They work so hard and handled the crowds like top flight pros. Never had to wait long no matter how crowded any bar was

Onboard Activities

5 out of 5
Pools and spas good. Fitness center very good but to many people in there using equipment improperly and getting in your way. Basketball court was nice but full of diesel silt. Onboard entertainment staff were very nice. Cruise director was great as always Alvin is fun and personable and very active. Party’s at spice H20 were very fun. The band at Syd Normans poorhouse did some nice things.

Entertainment

5 out of 5

Service and Staff

5 out of 5
Top notch service and staff. The bartenders were as good as it gets and handled crowds like pros. Restaurant service was as expected, room steward was phenomenal as always. All staff worked hard and had great attitudes.

Ship Quality

5 out of 5
Love the breakaway class ships. Getaway is no different. Ship is super clean and well designed but can use a little TLC

Cabin / Stateroom

5 out of 5
Good cabin. Has a connecting door but not a big deal if neighbors are quiet. Views are really good. Quiet area of the ship. Long walk to the elevator but doesn’t bother me. Balcony view slightly obstructed by bridge and cameras pointed straight at balcony but a very good view none the less.

Ship tip

Book your specialty dining early in the cruise.

Ports of call

San Juan, Puerto Rico

5 out of 5

St. John's, Antigua

5 out of 5

Bridgetown, Barbados

5 out of 5

Castries, St. Lucia

5 out of 5

Charlotte Amalie, St. Thomas

5 out of 5

Basseterre, St. Kitts

5 out of 5

Disembarkation

5 out of 5
Unbelievably smooth. Was off the ship and through customs on the nyc street within 10-15 mins tops
Was this review helpful? 20

10 Comments

Topazia    1 year ago

Happy to see something positive (finally) We sail in June on the Getaway. I'm kinda nervous after all the negative reviews 😬 😅. I pray 🙏🏾 that the issues will be resolved by June 15th.

driddle01    1 year ago

Thanks for the positive review. On in March, and glad to see some upbeat comments. Have Cagney's and Moderno on my list.

caribbeanxl0ve    1 year ago

Thank you for an amazing review. It's so refreshing to see something positive. So glad you had a great time. Looking forward to sailing on the Getaway in March! ⚓🌴

Gwbigdog    1 year ago

Thanks for sharing

lisalee    1 year ago

That was a wonderful review. Very detailed and very helpful. Will be visiting her in May for our anniversary. Was on her in 2019 and am glad she still makes people happy. Thank you. :)

yk07us    1 year ago

I'm so glad to read a positive review about NCL.

bubbles60    1 year ago

The Getaway is a wonderful ship. One of my favorites. Interesting itinerary too. I think the the right itinerary make the cruise more exciting.

longisland    1 year ago

GreAt review it’s about time to hear a good review about the Ncl GetAway since I will be on this ship next year

javawoody    1 year ago

Thanks for sharing

CruzeFan    1 year ago

Glad you enjoyed. Great itinerary.

Other reviews of this sailing