Norwegian Getaway Review
Good cruise but it's getting more expensive.
Rating by category
Additional details
We chose NCL again because of the freestyle dining and dress code. We will not cruise on any line requiring formal evenings or mandatory seating times. We are a family of 2 adults and 2 girls ages 10 and 12. We chose the Getaway because it's newer, great for the kids and had an interesting itinerary with a few ports we hadn't visited. Pros - the ropes course and water slides are great for kids. Unfortunately the two drop slides have a 100 pound minimum weight requirement so our kids couldn't use them.
The mini suite cabin has great storage for a family of four. Harvest Caye is a lovely new port of call. We loved that only one ship visits at a time so for once you don't feel crowded among cruise passengers. Some of the facilities aren't open yet. Cons - the balcony on mini suite stateroom is very small. The cost of the service charges for a family four is too high in my opinion. Especially when you have a terrible stateroom steward like we did.
The a la carte pricing instead of the cover charge pricing for some of the specialty restaurants is a negative. There is a lack of family friendly complimentary shows on board. We were never able to go to the main theatre for a show. Big con that there isn't any complimentary food on Harvest Caye - only pay restaurants. You would need to walk back to the ship to visit buffet/dining rooms so you end up forced to spend money on food on the island. I honestly felt that there was more "nickel and diming" and money grabbing than I was used to. Now I understand why people go to all-inclusives (although I won't) - pay up front and then just relax and enjoy. Every time we turned around we were forking over more $$'s.
Cabin Review
Family Mini-Suite with Balcony
Great storage for our family of four. Balcony is too small for a mini suite. Tiniest table and two chairs - hard to squeeze four people on it. Very nice bathroom - loved the shower.
Port Reviews
Roatan
It's $15 per person cab fare to get to West Bay Beach area. Then you pay approx $10 per person to get into one of the beach clubs - includes chairs, umbrellas and wifi generally. So for our family of four, it was $100 just to get to the beach....pricey. The beach is nice but unbelievably crowded. Honestly, I found it claustrophobic. You are inundated with sellers - non stop. They are pushy but will leave when you say no. The water is clear but the roped off area for swimming is very small and there are many excursion boats and watercraft all around. I don't need to go back.
Costa Maya
We just shopped here. The pool is disgusting - I can't imagine that people use it?! I'm not sure when it was last clean. The sellers are pushy. Be prepared to haggle a lot. Oh, and they expect a tip when you pay them....seriously. I wouldn't return.
Harvest Caye
It's lovely to be in a port and be the only ship!! The pool is spectacular. Poolside service is an issue - lots of kinks to work out. No free dining on the island - only a la carte. So again, you are spending more money. Beach is a nice shell beach but the water isn't clear or Caribbean blue - disappointing. The snorkelling wasn't open yet. Wildlife sanctuary was entertaining for our kids. Food service was exceptionally slow and poor. It's very well constructed.