Norwegian Getaway Review
Rating by category
Additional details
My review is from a fairly new cruiser's point of view. My wife and I have sailed on Royal Caribbean three times and and on Norwegian's Epic. As already mentioned in several posts, the Getaway is a huge ship with plenty of things to do. The ship itself is very clean and the crew is very customer oriented. On a positive note, the food was very good and ready available. However, not including the Garden Cafe, there's only three "complimentary" dinning rooms and you can just "Freestyle" and walk up but I'd recommend making reservations every time. Walk ups expecting quick service were surprised to receive 45-60 minute waits.
Entertainment was great and easy to book and other activities were also available. However activities in the Atrium were often crowded with people standing in the isles which can be frustrating when your trying to move forward or aft.
I didn't find any of the excursions special except for the Chacchoben Mayan Ruins Deluxe Tour. The deluxe versions provides a smaller group (10 per guide) and quick transportation to and from the site. The cold beverages for the ride home were also a nice touch. Norwegian's Harvest Caye (Belize) is a nice relaxing area with a huge pool and plenty of shades for those who prefer the beach. As with most cruisers there's an abundance of the standard beach/snorkel/vehicle play in the sand tours.
Cabin Review
Mid-Ship Balcony Stateroom
Clean and kept clean by the steward but there's was something rattling on the ceiling which sounded like cats dancing on a tin roof. Nothing could be done so we ended up borrowing ear plus just to get some sleep. The room is nicely decorated but the balcony is way to small. Two chairs, a small table and maybe room for two standing adults but no space to maneuver.
Biggest complaint was the non-stop vibration felt through the floors and bed. I felt like I was sleeping on one of those old coin operated vibrating beds. We felt the same thing on Epic and were told it's normal. Wonder why I've never felt it on RC ships.
Port Reviews
Harvest Caye
Plenty of things to do here including two zip lines although the rope course looked like the better choice. The "Village" is a bit small but offers a nice break from the beach and pool areas.Word of warning: Unlimited Drink Packages are not accepted on any of the islands bars.
Cozumel
We've been to Cozumel many times so no excursions. Plenty to see if you would like to enjoy the local area. There's plenty of trinket shopping, food and drink if you want to take a break from the beach tours.
We did take the Salsa and Salsa on our last cruise and had a great time learning to make a true margarita, salsa and learned a few dance steps. I think the free flowing tequila helped with the dance lesson part. The tour is booked for 4.5 hours but takes less. You have the choice to take a free taxi downtown of hang out at a hotel pool for the rest of the time.