Norwegian Getaway Review
NCL Getaway Gluten Free and Haven Spa Suite Review
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Additional details
For those of you that are concerned with dietary restrictions, read this paragraph; otherwise, just skip this paragraph. I am gluten sensitive, meaning I am slightly allergic and have to be careful about consuming foods that are gluten-based (such as bread, pancakes, desserts, etc.). Therefore, I had the Travel Agent select the gluten-free dietary restriction in the requests for our reservation. I also emailed the NCL Access Desk (accessdesk@ncl.com) to verify it was recorded. The next day, I received an email letting me know NCL will accommodate this dietary need by informing the onboard dining and medical staff if a form was completed at least 30 days before sailing. The email also stated I was responsible for meeting the Group Services Coordinator when embarking to discuss meal preparation. So, in advance of sailing, I thought eating was going to be an enjoyable experience (rather than a hassle with limited choices as can often be the case when traveling). I chose to stick with safe salad choices for lunch as the lunch buffet, so cannot comment of getting a chef tour there. But, thankfully, for dinner, whether in the Haven or specialty restaurants, gluten-free bread was readily available, the servers were informed of the adjustments the chefs could (and could not) make to accommodate gluten-free eating, and some even offered additional off-menu options!
Cabin Review
We were in Haven S9 Spa stateroom 14732 on the 4/19/2014 sailing for 7 nights. This was our 3rd NCL cruise, but our first in 18 years. For avid cruisers, we were on a 3 day Seaward as part of our honeymoon trip in 1994, and a 4 day Leeward as part of our 2nd anniversary trip in 1996. Because I am prone to getting queasy when sailing is less than smooth, I was very nervous about rocking being on such a high deck, but it was completely smooth sailing. With the Getaway being just about 3 months new, the stateroom was still essentially brand new, and the bedding still crisp white. This cabin, with its romantic jetted tub in the living space with a view to the ocean, only sleeps 2. The flooring is vinyl wood, which we thought made for an overall cleaner environment than carpet (which tends to get sandy). The bathroom was not large, but had a great layout; two people can actually brush their teeth at the same time, and the shower is roomy and had good water pressure, though neither of us liked the back and foot jets, and just used the showerhead. Being in the spa section of staterooms, we were expecting a quiet experience, and only on two days we heard minor noise from the spa/gym area above for a brief period in the morning. For those who think about location in relation to where most of your time will be spent onboard, it’s easy to just take a few steps down the hall to take the Forward elevators up (Haven, Vibe, and Spa). But, expect multiple stops going down (such as the Theatre and O’Sheehan’s, La Cucina, Shore Excursions, Guest Services, and the Internet Cafe). We found walking aft and up a flight or so of steps for the Garden Buffet, Spice, and mini golf was easier than taking the elevator up and walking back through the pool deck. Also, anything located Aft required some walking (which doesn’t bother use, but some don’t like trekking to and from) as well as multiple stops going down. These destinations include the Main Dining Rooms (MDRs), Headliners Comedy, the Mojito Bar, Cagney’s and Moderno.