Fantastic Family Getaway

We were a party of 6: 4 adults and 2 children, aged 2 and 8, on the Western Caribbean Getaway cruise the first week in January. We shared 2 connecting mini- suites on Deck 12. All in all, we had a wonderful time on this cruise! The ship is beautiful, and at any given moment, it seemed there was always something fun to do, almost to the point that it could be stressful to choose! This week was holiday break,so this was definitely a family cruise, but NCL is great for kids with many onboard activities. Our 8 year-old granddaughter loved the waterslides, mini-golf, arcade, bungee jumping, and the kids' Splash Academy, with well-organized and supervised things to do in a separate area of the ship. A highlight of the cruise for us was taking her to the ship's dinner theatre magic show, the Illusionarium. She was spell-bound, and also enjoyed the pot of hot chocolate that our waiter took the time to prepare for her after she requested it.

Entertainment on-board was absolutely fabulous! The Million Dollar Quartet and Burn the Floor shows were first-rate from costumes to sets to performers. Shore excursions were well-organized and reliable, delivering what they promised. We enjoyed the Big French Key Beach Escape on Roatan. The beach was beautiful with both sun and shady lounge chairs. There was a snorkeling excursion ( slight extra cost, but my son-in-law loved it), free kayaking, swimming, and a delicious authentic lunch of fish, chicken, rice and beans, and fried plantains (much better than they sound).Along with 2 free drinks, this meal was included in the excursion package, but you could also order from a menu for a charge. Harvest Caye is NCL's new private island developed with the government of Belize, so arriving there, you walk off the ship to a beach retreat complete with pools,shops, and restaurants. This area also serves as the departure point for excursions on the mainland, a short boat ride away. I've read pros and cons about the Caye as being too commercial and Disney-ish, but from a practical point of view, to me, it seems an efficient way of getting people to their excursions and back, as well as providing a fun place for enjoying the beach and water activities if you weren't going on an excursion. Some of us took the Mayan Ruins of Nim Li Punit excursion. It was great: the guide was very informative and wanted us to learn about his country and his Mayan ancestors, so our bus ride (about 1 hr.) was very informative. We went from the coastal lowlands to the foothills of the mountains. The road up to the ruins was very steep and rutted, but it was worth it to see the ruins and learn about the lifestyle of the Mayans at this site ( site is only partially uncovered so far). The Ball Court is amazing, and there is a very spiritual quality to the area. Guides did a great job. Back on-board, here are some final comments about rooms and food: Read more