My wife and I are ten-time cruisers, mostly on the Eastern Caribbean. We had not cruised on NCL for decades, staying true to Royal Caribbean for service, food and reliability. Here are 7 tips, followed by a brief statement of ‘review’ to help a couple (with kids at home) enjoy NCL’s Getaway:
1. Consider a front facing room with large portal. We had never done this, and it’s not a great premium to get one. Speaking about ‘stateroom with large window’, not Haven suite rooms. Level 13 on the Getaway, very much enjoyed the room in every way.
2. There is a great cruise to be had on the Getaway…without one single ‘paid meal’ (e.g. specialty dining rooms). Savor and Taste ended up being our favorites – and we have very varied appetites for food – with the Tropicana room also top notch. Surprisingly, we found the Garden Café’s choices (for lunches and breakfasts more than dinners) to be the best buffet experience ever…completely head and shoulders above RCCL’s mediocre Windjammer Café’s. Again you do NOT need to do a single specialty (extra pay) dining room to enjoy the Getaway.
We had never had a forward-facing porthole, but on the Getaway this was an amazing view! Every morning, day, we loved it. They make you close the curtain at night because of the captain's deck above, but we simply went out. Also, quite a bit roomier restroom and bed area than we had expected. Bathroom and shower bigger than NCL's competitors' ships. Bed was comfortable, not quite as nice as some we have enjoyed on past cruises (RCCL's Oasis), but we didn't cruise to try out beds.
After two straight days of port excursions we decided to skip taking a tour. One of us did walk off the ship for brief shopping. Nothing special, but nothing bad. Very pleasant and beautiful people. There is a beach or two within taxi distance.
We recommend booking the Downtown Hilton through NCL as they had an on-site rep to make sure we all made it to the ship. And the food at this hotel - wow, gets you ready for good food on the high seas!