Norwegian Getaway Cruise Reviews - Reviews

I had been on this ship before and it met all of my expectations except for the staff. There are a few standouts but it's very inconsistent. The itinerary was great and that was the major draw for me. I would highly recommend the specialty restaurants - especially Moderno.

We had a great cruise on the Norwegian Epic and were looking forward to a similar experience on the Getaway.   The ship is beautiful, clean and well-maintained.   Mini-suite cabin was outstanding. Cabin steward (Joao) was very good. Entertainment left a lot to be desired.  We did not like the necessity to get reservations for specific shows. Liked the free-style dining but meals were mediocre and not very imaginative. Service in Tropicana and Taste was exceptional, not so in Savor.  Buffet was good but repetitious. All-in-all an enjoyable cruise but when there are so many competitors, we will not likely repeat with Norwegian.

Loved Cozumel and enjoyed Costa Maya. Roatan wasa real change from the typical cruise stop and Harvest Caye was dampened by rain.....sad to say. Be adventurous and explore the ports.........there is so many fun things to do.

NCL has some great incentives to sail with them. Having the Beverage Package is like an all-inclusive cruise.

This ship, however, has only one pool and very limited poolside seating. If this something you like to do find another ship.

Don't plan on too much at Roatan....we stayed on ship at this port

Our travel agent, Kevin Davis, did an excellent job getting us setup on a great cruise. The ship is beautiful and we had a wonderful time. There are many positive things to say about Norwegian and there are also a few negative things. Activities all over the ship keep you busy and active. The food and staff were great. We didn't care for the buffet which was usually very crowded. Dining in the regular dining areas was very good with nice choices for breakfast and dinner. The sports bar was a great place to hang out. A few of the negatives; the gym was too small for such a large ship. It was difficult to get to any of the equipment. Water and coffee were not free unless you went to a restaurant, which seems odd considering you are traveling to Mexico and Central America. There should be coffee spots in other area of the ship in the morning besides going to a restaurant. Prices for bottled water was way above what you would expect to pay even with a captive audience. Otherwise, a great cruise on a beautiful ship. 

I want to start by saying this was my first cruise. When we arrived at the pier, my first thought was how big and beautiful the shop was. Once we got on it, I was impressed. The foyer is modern and sophisticated decor. Our room was surprisingly roomy enough for all of us. It was my husband, myself, our 13 year old daughter and 6 year old son. We had a balcony room. Tbere was a lot of storage and decent size bathroom (no tub though). We had dinner at all the complimentary avenues and they were good. The buffet is your typical buffet. Taste and Savor were pretty good. And we enjoyed the Tropicana Room. (I personally think all 3 had the same food., just mixed it up on different nights). You could always find something to eat. The buffet was almost always open. We never made a reservation and never waited. The staff was very friendly and attentive. That surprised me a little. I know that you paid gratuity but nobody tipped extra. My husband and I did but only 1 other time did I see anyone tip. That included restaurants and the bars. I felt bad for them, but everyone was still very nice and helpful. The pool was small, like everone else said, but still nice. Their was 4 hot tubs and one pool in the adult section. Right next to it (2 bars seperating them) was the family area. That pool was ridiculously small, but the splash pad looked fun for younger kids. There was lots of places to lounge in the sun. There was quiet areas to do that as well. There was many activities. Outside and in. I highly recommend NOT doing Bingo. It is a complete waste of money. You play 3 games and the payouts are low. The lowest package was $40 when I went. And the top prize was $250. Deal or no deal is a waste of money too, but at least that was more fun. The casino was nice. Decent variety of table games and slots. The high limit area was always empty though, so maybe they should lower the limit to $25 when it's like that. My one complaint was that it was hard to figure out the smoking vs non smoking areas. There was no sign. Only if you put your card in the machine it said it or looked for ashtrays. The kids clubs were awesome(my kids said) it was nice to do our family stuff together during the day, eat dinner together and then off they went and we had alone time. The islands were very nice. I loved Harvest Caye. The beach was very easy to find, lots of chairs, beautiful water and sand. The island was well laid out. Overall, loved this cruise. Next year we are booking Norwegian again, just a different itinerary. 

First time on NW and might be the last. Was not bad overall just not great. Rooms are very small compared to other cruises. Food was good but not great and they had no special nights with like steak and lobster. Too many things had up charges if you wanted to enjoy them. The private island we stopped at was not really theirs so you have to pay for all food, beverages or entertainment yourself. Need better entertainment and more seating. Would love to see more entertainment out on the decks. They really think a lot of their liquor so beware.

All are great the time arrived to the islands in the morning ,the service at the ship

And all the staff  taking care for everybody at the ship

At the end it was great week thank you to Norwegian getaway

We love Norwegian and the cruise was great! The Getaway is a great ship.   The staff are so friendly and we appreciate all they do.  Our favorite parts:  Dinner at the French restaurant, Haven area on 16th floor, the "no-pressure" on how we choose to spend our time, and the incredible way the staff treats the guests.  Of course I would recommend the cruise (and already have-friends of ours already booked for March)!

My favorite part of the cruise was the unlimited drink package

The worst part of the cruise is the horrible boarding process-it took forever--the lines were long and slow---the embarkation of the cruise was the worst I have ever experienced-Norwegian needs to have a pre-registered line and a

line for those who did not pre-register---getting off the ship takes way to much time-the lines were wrapped around the casino-it was ridiculous! This need to be fixed. the relaxed dining was great as well as the anytime dining. I will give them one more try--the entertainment was good. There was a band on the boat called Groove International and they were wonderful! There is a very good assortment of different restaurants to eat at that are no charge-this was a big plus as well.

All around, great ship.  The private island was fantastic.  NCL spared no expense for creating this beautiful beach and pool area.  Only thing we could suggest is that it would've been good if our ultimate beverage package as well as snacks were included.  Will be looking for another great deal soon. 

Burn the floor and dueling pianos as well as the comedy acts were the highlights. This was Latin theme and the music was load and fast.

The salsa music played on the dock at one port was just plain painful. No one liked it and every one seemed to be complaining but nothing was done. The sounds was so load it was distorting and as there was a ship on both sides there was no where to hide. There was a very long line up to get on board and it seemed to take an eternity, severely compounded by the terrible noise.

Low point of the trip.

The Cruise director was hopeless.

meals were nice, specialty dining a fiasco, cruise director could not be understood; little variety in dining opportunities, entertainment was great; we did not take any of the excursions because you were so arrogant when I called and asked about your changing prices

Food was very good, service was average, rooms & balcony were too small, itinerary was excellent, ship was too big & was very crowded. Couldn't find an adult pool & found it to very noisy everywhere we went.

The entertainment on this ship was definitely one of the highlights of the trip. Burn the Floor and the ballroom dancers were wonderful.

Wish they would put an adults only pool on deck 16 at Spice H2O like there is on other NCL ships. When evening comes they just cover the pool with a dance floor.  

Air quality in common areas could be improved. My family and I got sick with sinus infections due to this. Bed sheets looked old and used and torn. Dusty rooms were also an issue. Towels smelled like oil and food at times. At disembarkation hours went by standing in long lines inside ship waiting for updates. Not one single NCL employee on the floor to assist and help guide its guest. Many I saw dressed more casual leaving and getting off ship. This trip left us all with a very bad taste in our mouths.

It was absolutely amazing from the moment we stepped into the terminal until e walked out a week later.

The getaway is one very good looking vessel, huge and extremely inviting.

We stepped onto the 7th floor and was directed straight away to the buffet on the 15th floor as the staterooms we still being finished.

once we were able to get into our rooms we knew we had chosen the right cruise line and ship.

our whole experience was unbelievable from the crew members to the food and drinks even the shore excursions, we could not fault anything.

we cannot wait to book our next adventure.

WE had a chance to  use Vibe Beach Club.. So wonderful if you can do it. Well worth the money if you like service and quiet.

Love  the variety of dining options. 

Harvest Cay is the best new port. Wonderful  Fresh Water Pool lounge chairs  some near misters.. which really helped. Go out there early & pick you spot.

This was our second trip on the Getaway.  While it has some flaws its a beautiful ship and makes for a great cruising experience.  

First the flaws.  The pool area is too small.  Dont even try unless its a port day because you wont get anywhere near a lounge chair.   (That could be helped if the staff would keep people from putting a towel on the chair at 8:00 AM and then leaving and assuming it was their chair for the day.).  Some of the public areas seem too small for the size of the ship but overall that was not a big problem.  Food is OK but not outstanding.  Everybody raves about Cagney's steakhouse but I live in the midwest and what people on the coasts think is good steak is what I can get an an average restaurant at home.  Just like I dont think Im going to get good seafood unless Im on the coast dont think you are going to get great steak when your at sea.  Disembarkation was absolute Hell.  We carried off our own luggage and were in a line that ran the length of the ship almost 3 times before ever getting to the customs hall.  They had no crew directing traffic or explaining why it was taking so long (over an hour) and without knowing what was going on people stared getting angry. It was not like this on the previous cruise and I have no idea changed.

Now the good.  The ship is really pretty.  Its all understand elegance.  The main dining rooms are lovely.  The Tropicana Room looks like a Miami supper club from the 30s or 40s.  The Sunset Bar was my favorite place to go sit and get a drink.   I like the outdoor promenade feature where you can walk half way around deck 8 and most of the bars and restaurants on this deck have outdoor seating.  The stateroom was nice and well designed.  It certainly wasnt huge.  This time we had a regular balcony cabin.  Last time we had a mini-suite which did have a nicer bathroom with a tub but other than that was not all that different.  The balcony was small but large enough for two people to sit comfortably.  Storage is good and closet space adequate.  I really like the freestyle dining concept.  I dont want ot go on a vacation and have to wear my suit.  This trip is very casual and you can wear jeans to any venue.   Dont miss Burn the Floor for evening entertainment.

The itinerary was very nice.   Harvest Caye, Norwegian's brand new private island is fantastic.  It was only 2 weeks old when we were there and they are still putting some finishing touches on things but its a wonderful stop. The fresh water pool is gigantic and the beach is 7 acres in size.  The water seemed a little cold the day we were there so we used the pool which was just steps away.   There are excursions on the mainland which leave from there and there is a lagoon for kayaking etc. There are several places where you can get food and drink and a lighthouse where you can try a zipline over the water.  Two negatives -  the pier where the ship docks is quite far from land although there is a shuttle if you don't want to walk and the ship's food and beverage packages DO NOT apply on Harvest Caye.  

This was a great cruise and I would recommend it.  I likely will try a different ship and maybe cruise line next time, not because I didn't enjoy this one but because I think it would be a good idea to have some variety.

The cruise was great, port excursions and itinerary on boat were good.  However, you will need to pay attention to an area, which in my opinion left a sour taste in the mouths of myself and many others.   

Your disembarkation process was confusing and bordered on total chaos.  The elevator dumped passengers expecting to leave in the middle of a long line that meandered through hallways, the theatre, a couple of restaurants and the casino, back through a couple of other restaurants.  Meanwhile, there was very little direction from crew and staff.  I witnessed several issues of people cutting line and witnessed several issues that had the potential to turning into confrontations.  The people carrying their own bags off, probably helped lead to the confusion.  I witnessed  and heard of passengers standing in line for more than an hour to disembark.  You may need to consider moving back your loading time to noon and have you staff pay more attention to the problems of people trying to leave the ship.  I realize many passengers began to line-up before their color was called. In my opinion, the staff and crew need to be more customer focused on the disembarkation  process.  If you move your boarding time back to starting at noon, you may need to move your cast off time up as well, but I'm sure that if you began the cruise at 6pm instead of 4pm, the ship's captain could make up the time prior to the first port.

Thanks