Norwegian Getaway Review
Fabulous Cruise and Destinations with Room for Improvement
Rating by category
Additional details
This was our first cruise. We wanted something different for our 25th anniversary and we chose Norwegian Getaway for its low balcony pricing and ports of call. We decided to rent a car from Tennessee instead of flying down. I prefer driving as it helps me unwind to get "in the mood" for our vacation. We stopped our first night to visit relatives in Ocala then drove the short 4 hour last leg on the Sunday of our departure. Getting to Miami you should expect to pay about 20 bucks in tolls to avoid heavy traffic. We chose to drop off our car near the Port of Miami and take an Uber to the ship.
Arriving at the port we had to give our bags to attendants, filling out tags for each bag. There again, have cash handy to tip. After handing off our luggage (we kept back packs with personal items) we were ushered to a series of lines and then to a waiting area not unlike boarding a plane. We were given a boarding group number but the boarding process was somewhat chaotic and our group was missed so we ended up boarding toward the end. You can board as early as you want but your room may not be ready yet so be prepared to lug your personal bag around. Once we were on board we wandered around the ship, ending up in the Garden restaurant where we snacked on fresh melon and juices.
This Getaway is a beautiful ship inside and out. There are plenty of spaces and destinations to while away the time without being crowded by people. Each night we would pick an activity but often chose to simply watch TV and stroll on the ships beautiful promenade. The ship has three decks (6, 7 and 8) of shopping and dining, then the top two (15, 16) have all of the pools, slides, sports, etc. Including the promenade there were two decks to stroll and enjoy the ocean. We particularly liked the couches and chairs that lined portions of the promenade and several mornings we would get breakfast at the Garden restaurant then take our food to the promenade to enjoy the morning air and sunshine. While the top decks were always full of people sunning and swimming, the promenade usually had very few people and made a nice quiet place to getaway.
Cabin Review
Balcony Stateroom
Our balcony stateroom (11164) was port side and felt very roomy, modern, and comfortable. Everything looked and felt felt new. We loved the balcony and being able to open the door and listen to the waves. Having the balcony made our room a destination on the ship where we could come and relax to get away from the crowds or watch a movie. The bathroom was not huge but had plenty of room and was very clean and polished. Nice bathrooms are a pet peeve of mine when I travel and I was not disappointed.. The level of service was first class. Our room was cleaned three times a day and we were never short of towels or ice. The room attendants were way above our expectations and yet we never saw them. It was like having elves constantly straightening things up. Super cool.
Port Reviews
Miami
Getting to Miami you should expect to pay about 20 bucks in tolls to avoid heavy traffic. We chose to drop off our car near the Port of Miami and take an Uber to the ship.
Arriving at the port we had to give our bags to attendants, filling out tags for each bag. There again, have cash handy to tip. After handing off our luggage (we kept back packs with personal items) we were ushered to a series of lines and then to a waiting area not unlike boarding a plane. We were given a boarding group number but the boarding process was somewhat chaotic and our group was missed so we ended up boarding toward the end. You can board as early as you want but your room may not be ready yet so be prepared to lug your personal bag around. Once we were on board we wandered around the ship, ending up in the Garden restaurant where we snacked on fresh melon and juices.
Cozumel
Cozumel was similar to Costa Maya. We again quickly left the touristy port shopping area, which was a bit of a maze as they try to make you walk past all of the port shops. We got a local taxi to Playa Uvas. There was no beach to speak of but the snorkeling here was only second to Roatan. What made this location special was the local dive photographer who followed us out snorkeling. At first I didn't know what she was doing, but she had a swarm of fish around her and I finally figured out she was taking pictures of us. She also took us around the bay area and showed us some cool sites. We tipped her and also bought a great CD of pics. After snorkeling we cleaned up and ate at the restaurant. Prices were a bit high (3 bucks for a bottle of water - 12 bucks for quesadillas. But for 40 bucks we got a full day of snorkeling for two people plus a meal. That beats the 75 per person ship excursion.
Costa Maya
In Costa Maya we quickly left the port shopping area and got a taxi to Blue Kay which is at the far north of the lazy beach in Mahahual. We strolled down the beach and got a stand up paddle board at UnderTow SUP. Julie and Curt are American expat's living their dream running a stand up paddle board business in paradise. We brought our own snorkel gear and got a beach chair at Blue Kay then snorkeled the crystal clear waters. It was different than Roatan but still beautiful. We also shopped a little with the locals then headed back to port. Taxi to and from port was 4 bucks.