Norwegian Getaway Cruise Reviews - Reviews

The free style dining, and the excursions to St. Petersburg and Stockholm were the favorite parts of the cruise. The most dissappointing were the omission of Tallin and the Helsinki walking tour. I think by now the wind patterns in Warnemunda must be known and another port should be chosen to avoid excluding Tallin again from any future cruise. It was unclear why we had to navigate in circles for 24 hours, you have been doing this cruise for a while and should have prepared better.The Helsinki walking tour should be taken out of your list of tours, it is good if you want to walk but did not provide any information that cannot be found on line, we were not able to see the rock Church, one of the main attractions, because of how the tour was organized; there were no bathroom breaks and I had to go in a filthy and smelly public bathroom. I think the tour is very long to just see 2 Baltic Capitals. We flew to Copenhagen and did not find it an attractive city.

The worst restaurant was Savor as far as food and service is concerned, Taste was average; and Le Bistro and Ocean Blue the best. La Cucina had great food and service but the oso buco entree was so huge that it made me think of how much food gets wasted And felt bad about all the hungry people of the world. It is not possible to appreciate the quality of food when the quantities served are so large. The Garden Cafe was always good with healthy choices available.

I would not recommend this cruise to my friends.

The ship has too many narrow areas causing congestion, way too many people, some ports and destinations promised then failed to meet (Berlin, Estonia, Stockholm port),  I have sailed on many cruises on NCL and other ship lines for a dozen years, and this ship is by far one of the worst.

The bright spot was that St. Petersburg was awesome!! 

The staff is wonderful and very attentive to making a very large number of passengers engaged and entertained. All of the performances in the main theater were outstanding! Burn the Floor and Million Dollar Quartet were fantastic.

unfortunately the Ship personnel failed miserably in regards to port experiences. In warnemunde 3000 passengers waited over an hour to re-board the ship. The port of Tallinn was skipped entirely due to alleged bad weather but smaller cruise ships got into all the ports on the schedule. The cruise line failed to advise the 4000 passengers about the 1 hour 20 minute wait time to pass through Russian passport control. The cruise line, without explanation, changed the Stockholm port to Nydaham port, which is over 1 hour away from Stockholm by bus. The Hop On Hop Off excursion promoted by the cruise ship was a nightmare due to horrendous traffic throughout Stockholm.

The food was very good in all three main dining rooms, as well as the Garden Cafe buffet. The specialty restaurants were all outstanding, and Le Bistro, the French restaurant magnificent.

The ship, staff, and food were quite good.  First issue is the choice of ports.  Warnemunde port is so tight that a decent wind prevented us from docking, so we were not able to see Berlin or Tallinn,Estonia.  Perhaps there's an alternative Germany port with less risk?  The Sweden port was moved much further from Stockholm (for the same reason?), so we only got to spend 4 hours in Stockholm due to the drive.  I recommend that they change this to a single day in Russia... would prefer more time in Sweden or Germany.

NCL is not much for activities and entertainment compared to some other lines, but there was a good magic show on final night, and some funny dance competitions with cruisers.

The people working on board were extremely pleasant to deal with...

Some of the food was a little too salty for my taste.

Ship was neat and clean all the time we were onboard...

This wasn't our first w/ NCL, and it never disappoints. We always buy the food package, LOVE the specialty restaurants...and buffet.  O'Sheehan's was not up to our past ships.  Our suite....had a beautiful large bathroom, difference on this ship, NO SLEEPER SOFA.  It is a hard couch they convert, not good.  And the worst part is be warned...the balcony is SMALL compared to other ships.  We were told due to how large the ship is.  My only criticism would be that I realize the ships are used in different parts of the world, but the overall decor really should be changed w/ the ports, such as many change the pictures over from Caribbean theme to European feel.  It would be an easy fix...but I know it won't happen.  But when you are in Russia...and look in your suite & the pictures are beaches it really is silly.  Otherwise...great excursions by NCL, great value, organized, and the ports couldn't be better.  Already have the Singapore Cruise booked.

I was a bit wary to be on such a large ship with so many passengers. I decided to put itinerary over ship size and hope for the best. I thought I would spend the cruise in endless queues throughout the trip. That did not happen. In fact, I spent less time in lines and felt less crowded in the Getaway than on other ships with half the passengers. Well done NCL. 

We arrived at 1300. Boarding was completed quickly. We went straight to our cabin without delay. Our cabin steward was in the hall and welcomed us and demonstrated where everything was and how it all operated. Thank you, Ms. Sheila. 

The cabin was spotless and kept that way throughout the trip by our cabin steward. Bathroom was spacious for a ship and well stocked with all the necessities. Our luggage was at our cabin door within less than 45 minutes. 

How the crew crew keeps the ship with so many passengers roaming around at all hours so clean and spotless is amazing. Clearly they are constantly at work yet the process is so unobtrusive that it is almost invisible. The first class NCL Getaway experience is provided by the (literally) thousands of crew members working 24 hours each day on the front lines and behind the scenes.

The ship is huge but we never felt crowded. The crew keeps everything in order and moving but we never felt rushed. Food, of course, was plentiful as well as consistently delicious. The dining rooms each have lovely views of the surroundings.. Each meal was an excellent experience. 

The shows on the ship are worth watching. I suggest making time to see them. The Freestyle dining allows for scheduling dinner and a show at your favorite time; early or later is up to you. Nice. 

The leaving and returning to the ship at each port was clearly explained and went according to schedule. Upon arrival back to the ship on a rather cold and blustery day, we were greeted by crew members offering hot tea or broth. What a nice touch that was. Every time we came back to the ship we were offered warm towels to clean our hands and then had the opportunity to use waterless hand cleaner to further remove possible germs. It was obvious that the crew was intent on keeping contact transferred microorganisms to a minimum. We appreciated their efforts.

Our cabin was located to take advantage of some of the most spectacular sunsets I have ever seen. The ship’s size minimizes wave movement providing smooth sailing. The ship is also very quiet. We heard nothing from the ship’s engines or our neighbors. 

Leaving the ship at our final port was organized by time and whether you chose to take your luggage off the ship yourself (independent) or preferred to have the crew take your bags to the staging area in the port. We chose independent at 0920. We walked right off the ship. No queue. This was the easiest and quickest disembarking process I have experienced. 

Be aware that the taxi line to return to Copenhagen is very long although well organized and moves quicker than you would expect. Free wifi is available so the waiting is less tedious. This, of course, is not under NCL control but something to know when choosing between the options for returning to the city or the airport. 

This ship and its crew provide a wonderful cruising experience. They live up to and go beyond expectations. Well done NCL. 

Try it you will like it. People were friendly at all stops. Yes, there were lines. They were only really long getting off the boat in Russia. Stop in Sweden was an unexpected pleasure. Town was magnificent

Enjoyed every minute of the cruise. Staff was great and friendly. Service outstanding. No problem ever finding a table at the buffet. Getting on and off on the different ports was quick and easy.

BALLET IN ST PETERSBURG WAS THE BEST.  ALSO MY TOUR GUIDE WAS FULL OF KNOWLEDGE.

hATED THAT HELPERS ON 6 WERE ALSO COMBATING ALL THE NOISE:  COULD NEVER HEAR THEM

This cruise visits a nice variety of ports but is more of an overview than I expected.

despite booking ship sponsored tours, we got less than expected for our time and investments.

The ship sponsored tour of the Peterhoff in St Petersburg was terrible. We had about 23 minutes in the palace due to long lines and a few other problems that could have been prevented. The guide was terrible, never adding any meaningful history or details. She did not make an effort to schedule bathrooms into the day (there are none on the bus) so people were left running off on their own to find a rest room on their own. It delayed the group and led to confusion and frustration. Many, many people were unhappy. When I complained at the ship tour desk he said he found it hard to believe and was not at all helpful or responsive. I told him I did not expect any refund but wanted him to understand and act to assist future tours of this site. He was totally dismissive. We heard at dinner that another guide had called the bus company to get an extra hour added to their tour due to the delays. We got zero time to shop or use toilets and zero reaction from Norwegian about our bad experience. We felt ripped off, to say the least.

Tour to Hermitage was much better. 

After a disastrous NCL cruise on Epic in Jan 2013, I basically lost faith in NCL all together after 12 NCL cruises.  My friend found this very reasonable Baltic cruise last November on Getaway and asked us to join them.  I gave NCL another chance to see if there is an improvement in four years.  Glad I did.  Embarkation and disembarkation was a breeze instead of a nightmare on Epic four years ago.  Weather was good over all, especially at St. Petersburg; highlight of this cruise.  Service at sit down restaurants was slower than before.  Paid specialty restaurants are down to one item of each category.  Our cruise consultant, Harry, is great.  Will book our NCL Panama Canal cruise next year with him again.

The crew were very friendly and attentive throughout the cruise. Our steward was fantastic. The food was very good with plenty of choices to satisfy any appetite. The water pressure for the shower could be improved. The only shore excursion booked through cruise line for Sweden was fair. Would recommend the ship dock in Stockholm instead of Gothenburg, Sweden. Then on board entertainment was very enjoyable. 

Shore excursion is my favorite part,but I did not choose the shore excursion plan offered by ship, because it is more expensive  than local tour agency. Another thing I think you need to improve. I did not receive my account balance letter that should be sent to me before disembarkation.Could you please send to me by email? thanks.

The cruise ship was great as well as the food. The only problem was the ports of call. We did not have the time to enjoy the cities as the ship docked far away from

the towns and cruise directors were in such a hurry to get us back to the ship.  I will not be taking another cruise as we really didn't enjoy the program.  We have taken a VikingRiver Cruise and that was so much better as the boat was able to stop near towns and we really got a taste of the countries we visited.  You needed to have more entertainment and less selling of certain products....over done by my standards

Food and entertainment was great, very well organized.

The only part of the cruise that was not good was the music!! The average age of patrons was over 60, WHY ARE YOU PLAYING MUSIC THAT IS NOT AGE APPROPRIATE....AND THERE AS NOWHERE TO GO TO AVOID THE LOUD MUSIC!! 

Germany and Russia were the best part .Always be aware of your surroundings . a fellow cruiser was knocked to the ground while exiting a tour bus. Three guys worked as a team. He lost passport cash and credit cards. Within minutes his card had thousands charged to it.

Other than the ship just being a bit too large for my taste, we made it to each of the stops on time and enjoyed all the cities we went to.  Berlin was a knockout, St. Petersburg, Russia absolutely gorgeous and fascinating and Talinn, Estonia a lovely place to walk or bike.  Would highly recommend visiting all these cities.  The crew on the Getaway is wonderful, respectful, personable and very service oriented.  

This was something of a redemption, for those of us who had been on the prior Trans-Atlantic (which faced several disasters).  The ports were lovely, ship is nice, but receiving notice of changes in where we would dock, while at sea, is really annoying, as is the line's practice of listing ports by different names (Stockholm docks in Nynashamn). I actually called NCL to find out where we were scheduled to dock in each city, and we did not dock where we were told we would be in several ports.

That said, the ship is in good shape, the food was good and the staff was fabulous! 

my favorite part of this cruise was when it was over. There was nothing but long lines.All of the help did not know the correct answer to any question .We did not go to the Azores because they were unable to dock .When we got to France they put a 3 foot wide gang plank out for 4000 people to get off on after waiting for 3 hours we were finally at the gang plank they informed me they had no wheel chair i am handicapped  and had to walk down this rickety old gang plank .After getting to spend 3 hours in France back to the dredfull .ship  .Our next stop was England where we stood in line for 4 more hours waiting to get through customs. When we got back on we were informed that we were also not going to stop   Belgum because of a broken part. During the time on the ship my husband had to stand on line for 3 hours to purchase internet service he said you could have taken any high school student and they would have handled it better  why there was only one person there is far beyond me . Oh yes and did i mention that when we returned  from France we were locked out of our room for 3hours by the way 2 days later i did get a call from guest services to find out if i was still locked out.This cruise was to be a cruise of a lifetime I saved for a long time for it turned out to be a cruise from hell..............