My wife and I were celebrating our 20th anniversary so we decided we'd try NCL booking the Haven. Well worth it at the price point we got. Service was great...priority embarkation/debarkation was terrific! Made the whole thing worth it right there! The entertainment was great. We really enjoyed The Million Dollar Quartet, the actors were excellent. Burn the Floor was quite a show, too. We did pay to see Cirque Steam, I'd recommend it. Dining was also enjoyable. We had dinner at two of the specialty restaurants...Cagneys and Le Bistro. Out of the two, Le Bistro was the better. We had reservations at Ocean Blue for a 9:30 reservation on the last night of the cruise, but we pooped out. Entertainment at the Atrium lodge was fun. Lots of trivia, game shows, musical entertainment and informational presentations. All the drinks we had were quite tasty. We did have the premium drink package, so anything up to $15 was free. My wife made full use of it! For the most part, everything was great. We really enjoyed the Haven experience and will probably try to book it again. A standard balcony cabin would be good, too... Read Less

We took this cruise from New Orleans, But we flew in the night before and stayed at the Whitney hotel near Bourbon Street and also a short drive to Julia street cruise ship terminal. The hotel was very expensive because of Mardi Gras at $259 US a night. We took it anyway because it was only for one night, it is essential to sleep in the night before in order not to miss your ship. We had bought the priority access prior to the cruise and I can tell you that it was 100% worth it. When we got to the pier by taxi people everywhere luggage everywhere, we left them with the people who tend to your luggage and then we walked inside. At 10:30 AM there was already a couple of thousand people waiting to go on. Even though our embarking time was set for 12:30 we still showed up at 10:30. It is a bit chaotic but we quickly went to the front of the line and sat down for about an hour. When they start the embarkation, They start with people needing assistance then The guests who are frequent cruisers I seem to remember that they were platinum then the Haven and then people with priority access. If not we would have had to go on by numbers and wait our turn. The guests who are frequent cruisers I seem to remember that they were platinum then the haven and then people with priority access. If not we would have had to go on by numbers and wait our turn. When you have priority access you go in a different line to register you bypass a lot of people then they do not give you a number to embark because you go in at the same time then the Haven. We also wanted to get the vibe beach club passes and in order to get those you have to be on the ship really fast. If we had waited for our turn at 12:30 they would have run out of passes. We then would have missed the second best thing about this cruise which is the vibe beach club. It is a private top deck area with I would say around 100 chairs, these chairs are beautiful comfortable covered you have all the towels you can use you have a private bar they serve fruits in the morning and cookies in the afternoon. They give you also fruit flavoured water if you are like we were where we do not drink soda or alcohol so we did have these drinks made up for us free of charge all inclusive the price was 209 per person US but it varies from Cruise the cruise because I have heard that at one point they were $99 a person. We spent most of our time at the vibe beach because the ship is packed the bars are packed the pools are packed the sauna are packed. At the white you have the two whirlpools and I have not seen more than four people at the time and those whirlpools. In the public area the pools were saturated by people in the adult pool at the H2O there are still kids even though they are not supposed to be in the adult pool but also all the smokers are there and all you smell is smoke if you go to that pool. I actually have to run as soon as we embark the ship to make it to guest services to buy at those passes because this is what they had told us on the phone but they were really being sold at headliner club on deck six. Our bedroom was a midship inside state room and it was fine for two people for three people even if it’s a child would’ve been pretty tiny. The beds are comfortable the shower is big we only went there to sleep so we really didn’t care. As for the rest of the ship , We ran on the jogging deck which is pretty small and we played minute but we played basketball we never got to do the ropes because it was always too windy when it was open. , We ran on the jogging deck which is pretty small and we played mini putt we played basketball we never got to do the ropes because it was always too windy when it was open. The food in our taste was excellent, We mainly ate at the buffet and it was fine a lot of choices a lot of different food we had a chef doing omelets in the morning and the one doing pasta to your liking for lunch and dinner for us it was free and we love that we didn’t need the Al la carte restaurants. We ate at O sheans 4 times so I don’t understand a review of the people that say that they cannot get inside just go on a little earlier. We also ate at the noodle restaurant which was free and very delicious service was slow a little bit but nothing to complain about. I only did One tour and it was in Honduras where we visited with the monkeys, we enjoyed it very much and it was worth the money. At night I did wear a little sundress I saw people fully dressed with a long evening gowns in the high heels I chose to put on flip-flops with bling and my husband wore cleaner slacks with a polo shirt And we were fine. 99% of the staff was fine and we never have any complaints about them. We got off at Cozumel and walked about town had lunch came back. We had to tender in H C and because we have priority access, we got off the ship at anytime we wanted instead of having to book a tender time and wait for your turn.We went to Belize And it Harvest Caye was so cold that we only stayed an hour and we came back on the tender. Costa Maya is like a giant resort when you have to drink or eat to have a lounge chair. I would never eat anything there where they serve meat or wash the salad in their water. Some guests missed the boat in Roatan and we left without them! Also they have dogs that will sniff your luggage and detect if you are bringing any food or drinks after ship so don’t even try it. Also if you bring water off the ship and you try to bring it back they will not except it so you have to toss it. When you go to sure you cannot leave without your sea pass and the proof of ID. Make a photocopy of your passport and keep it on your phone as a picture. That’s all I can think of off the top of my head if you have any questions I will be more than happy to answer them! As for entertainment burn the floor was excellent but a bit long, Cirque steam Was incredible food was good. The best show of all was million Dollar Quartet which was unbelievable. You do have to pay for the show cirque because you get a shot and a meal so get the tables that are in front of the stage there are a bit more expensive but you are so close it’s really good. Make sure you reserve Prior to sailing because if you don’t have a reservation for the shows you will go in to the standby line and you don’t know if and when you were going to go in so it reserved before and you’ll be fine. As for the comedian show at headliners they are good but they often repeat themselves you don’t have to reserve but you have to lineup for 45 minutes to an hour in order to get a seat. Even if you have a reservation for the three other shows make sure you get there 45 Before in order to pick the seats that you want it guarantees you a seat but not to necessarily sit together if you’re late Read Less

We went mainly because we got a good deal. Free drink package etc. I read all the reviews before we went and a lot of them were not good. However I thought we should give it a try. We will never cruise Norwegian again. The food is subpar, They are terribly understaffed at every bar on the ship and the pool area is not big enough for 150 let alone the 3900 on ship. One of the main dining areas was not even open, the ropes section I never saw anyone use it at all. All it does is take up a ton of room on the ship that could be used for other things. The layout of the ship it’s self it’s confusing and half the time you don’t know which direction to go. The adults only section there is no water at all to get in and there is no music whatsoever it is completely quiet in the most boring place on the ship. The room was great and the room attendant was excellent I thought the entertainment was decent . We have been on carnival Princess Royal Caribbean and now Norwegian and I would take any of them over Norwegian. Once you have been on Royal Caribbean there is absolutely no comparison between the two Royal Caribbean is so much better in every aspect. Read Less

We had a great time on our cruise. The staff was great, the accomodations were nice. They even brought us a fan because we felt our room was on the warm side. Our room steward and dining staff were great and friendly. The comedy was pretty good and the shows nice. Our Cruise Director, Lee was incredible and full of energy. He really went out of his way to make sure that everyone was having an amazing time. The steakhouse was amazing. The steak was cooked to perfection and all of the sides were delicious. The cheesecake for dessert was so yummy! My only complaint was that that the Spa workers seemed a little bit on the snooty side. It made me a little uncomfortable when I was getting my overpriced pedicure.The pedicure was $75.00 but I had a gift card from my room steward for $50.00 to use in the spa, so I only had to pay $25.00. Read Less

Just to forewarn this is mainly all a negative comment Lol. This ship is the 3rd smallest in the fleet, and built in the 90s. Boarding was not very smooth for us. Royal Caribbean never sent me any emails or a boarding pass or a barcode or anything. Luckily I had downloaded the app so I at least had our room number but that was it. Ive been on one other cruise that was 10 years ago with carnival so I had no idea I was supposed to have a barcode to board the ship. Nowhere/nothing mentioned that. The room was tiny, which is to kind of be expected but it’s definitely smaller than the rooms I’ve had on carnival. We had an exterior room with a little round dirty window, Not to mention we are on our honeymoon and our bed is two twin beds just pushed up next to each other. We paid for the unlimited drink package, it was around $860 for two, but they were running out of stuff. Day 5 they Ran out of pina coladas. An excursion that I booked has been canceled on four separate occasions. The morning of that port, they were offering it again at a different time so I paid for it got off the ship and waited for an hour to find out that they had canceled it again. So that is now five times I have paid for the excursion just for it to be canceled afterwards. We sat and waited and asked multiple staff off the ship about the excursion and no one seemed to know anything. Finally 45 minutes past the time we were supposed to leave we found someone different to ask who then told us it had been canceled. Talking to the shore excursions desk is a nightmare and they are extremely rude and basically say that it’s not their problem and out of their control. Which is odd because its a royal caribbean excursion. There were Kids absolutely everywhere, When booking I was not aware that kids 12 and under sailed for free or that schools were out for Mardi Gras so maybe I can chalk that up to my mistake of not researching enough but I just had no idea it would be like this Almost every couple we have met have agreed that there are way too many kids. the ship has no adults only place, I was hoping there would be at least one adults only hot tub but no such luck, I did look on the map after I downloaded the app and did not see anything that said adults only but I just had my fingers crossed that there would be something. The hot tub capacity limit was five yet there would be literally 15 kids in the hot tub‘s with masks and snorkels on. Even the bars are full of kids which makes no sense to me how are bars allowed to have little kids. The only area that has no kids is the casino but you can smoke in there so that is just one big cloud of smoke. On port days some things on the ship are closed, not very many bars open, so be prepared to wait a while for a drink. At the pool there Nowhere to ever sit, and people reserve chairs with towels at the crack of dawn and there are just chairs sitting there with peoples towels all day long. I had even gotten up early two mornings to try and get chairs and by 8:30 there is still no where to sit. The policy On royal Caribbean is that if the chair is left unattended for 30 minutes or longer with no sign of returning they are supposed to take the belongings and put into lost and found but no one does that, and they do not even know their own policy. there was one day we saw six chairs with towels on them for over three hours my group finally decided to ask about them and everyone said they weren’t sure what to do. The staff renting out the towels told us to just sit there anyways so we did and then we got out at two hours later by the woman who had been reserving the chairs for five hours. Grand Bahama totally sucked. The port is not pretty at all, and the whole area is beat up from the hurricane. Its definitely not a sight to see. This is where our excursion got canceled but it was too late to book anything else so we got in a taxi to go to a nearby beach spent $40 for a very small and trashy beach area, that once you get to you have to pay for everything. At night there’s just not much to do for a couple in their 30s with no kids, there are quite a few bar areas but they are always empty and never music playing. There are a few game shows and things that go on throughout the cruise but they are pretty boring and all you win is a $.10 keychain. On the last day of the Cruise we finally found a hot tub that did not have 15 kids in it so we get in the hot tub to enjoy our last day with drinks and they start playing Disney movies on the screen with loudspeakers at 1 PM. it was so loud we couldnt even talk to our friends in the hot tub with us. Who wants to sit around the pool watching Disney movies at 1 o’clock in the afternoon?! In the casino, we were playing Texas hold em, the table was totally full, everyone having a great game, and at around 2 o’clock they decided to shut the game down completely because they did not have staff to keep the game going. Entertainment on the ship I would call mediocre. There were two comedians, one who we thought was great, the other was decent. There were multiple musical type shows, which we have zero interest in but to each their own. A couple nights theyd have an orchestra playing. And one night had a magician who was okay. Getting off the boat, was a COMPLETE NIGHTMARE!!! We were two hours late getting to the port which was fine because that was out of their control. But you can choose to either carry off your luggage yourself or you could check it in and the staff will take it off. We chose to take our luggage our self because we knew we would get off the boat and get out of there faster. There was absolutely zero organization and no order as far as who got off the boat when. Anyone on the ship who was carrying off their luggage was directed to all go to deck 4, so over half the ship they expected to be all in one tiny area with their luggage fighting to get off basically. Quickly that store got way too full so they started sending people up to higher decks. There are 4 elevators, and stairs. They were literally yelling at people to quickly go up floors, and to carry their luggage up the stairs and had no one there to help. I noticed quite a few elderly people struggling to get their things up the stairs while the staff just sat and watched them, offering zero help. So now everyone was spread out throughout the ship luggage in hand for about an hour and then they announce everyone to come back down to deck for her and they would start releasing everyone so then you are stuck in the exact same situation, everyone trying to get to the same deck at the same time. It was impossible!!! I don’t understand why they would not have each deck exit one floor at a time instead of telling everyone to meet on the same floor... The wifi was decent. I didnt love spending $100 for it, and it wouldnt stay connected for more than a few minutes, but it atleast worked off and on. This was our second cruise, bur first with royal caribbean. We will NEVER take another RC cruise again, and probably won’t ever even take a cruise in general again because this totally ruined my outlook on cruises. If you are in your 20s-30s with no kids, do not go on this ship. Even with all of the kids aside, there really is just not much to do. The pros were.....our server at dinner was phenomenal. His name was Jake and we loved him. Also most of the bartenders were very good and friendly. Coco Cay was great! It was a beautiful day and multiple places to sit without having to pay extra. It’s also nice that your drink package works on that island. We did an excursion snorkeled on our own and then just went to the pool. The downside I would think about Coco Cay is that there are lifeguards and ropes so that you cannot go out too far for or to certain areas which I’m sure is just for your safety but someone who has 100+ times I did not like being limited. The excursion we did was the stingray city and we absolutely loved it. The tour operators were great and we had more than enough time there. On the ship there was a gameshow called quest, that was a lot of fun! But it was only one night. In Key West we did an excursion called sail and snorkel and it was a lot of fun! However online it says 3 hours, but keep in mind its an hour boat ride out there, and an hour in. So its only one hour snorkel time. Also you dont get to drink until youre on the way back. The guys on the boat were awesome and so helpful. It was a good experience and i’d suggest it. Probably not for children though considering you are out in open water, and it can be a little rough. Also we stayed at towneplace suites in metarie the night before, and were allowed to leave our car there for the week for no extra cost. We ubered to and from the cruise at around $25 each time. When we got off the boat to help our Uber out we walked maybe half a mile so he could get to us easier and faster Read Less

We choose this cruise because we had not been to most of the stops nor traveled with Norwegian and wanted to give it a try. Aside from the embarkation which was a NIGHTMARE because we waited in lines for over 3 hours with absolutely no communication from anyone regarding what was going on! People were lined up on the street for what seemed like miles. We heard rumor the ship was 3 hours late getting into port from the previous cruise but no idea if that was true. We finally set sail at 7PM rather than 4PM. Entertainment was amazing...an 80’s throwback band; Back In The Day was awesome...we saw them 6 times! The house band at Syd Norman’s was also great! Steven, Alli, and Emma are wonderful singers. The dueling pianos and comedy shows where also great. Really enjoy the Cirque du soleil show and meal but think it should have been included rather than pay an additional fee. The Million Dollar Quartet show was great as well which was included. Overall it was a wonderful trip, just need better communication regarding delays. We ate in the Taste and Savor restaurants most nights and had a delightful server named Muyuk (not spelt right) from India...hands down best ever on any vacation and deserves to be recognized as some other servers were not good at all! We had the drink package which was worth it even if you are not big drinkers but know bottled water is not included in this package which is insane to me! Drinks were good and lots of variety and decent amount of alcohol in them. Read Less

This was our first time taking a cruise and we had a great time! We got a great deal that included our airfare and free dining package, drink package, internet, excursion credit and a cabin credit. We arrived in Nola around 1:30 on Saturday and had some time to explore the city. We arrived at the cruise terminal at 9:30 the following morning and were part of boarding group #2. Everything was super smooth, there were no lines and we were able to get on the ship and get the Vibe passes we desired. Our 10th floor balcony room was spacious and clean and had a lot of smart storage allowing us ample room to unpack and get settled in for our week stay. During our stay we had wonderful service from our cabin steward, Nelson. He always greeted us with a smile, called us by name and kept our room stocked with towels and anything else we needed. The ship was also very clean and well kept, the only dirtiness we saw was from other passengers leaving drink cups and/or plates random places for the crew to pick up after them. Prior to our trip I had done a lot of research and had booked 2 group dinners several weeks ahead of time online at the specialty restaurants we wanted to try during our vacation so getting reservations wasn't an issue that a lot of people mention in these reviews. In my opinion, if you know you're going to go on vacation, taking a few minutes to book a reservation ahead of time to ensure you get the time you want is a smart idea and you can always cancel it or change it when you get on the ship. We ate at the tepanyaki grill, Cagney's steakhouse and Moderno's - they were all very good. For our other meals, we usually ate at the buffet, which offered a decent selection for every meal. We did try the noodle bar, which we thought was delicious and O'Sheehan's, Savor and Tropicana. We did think Tropicana was our least favorite of all, but it is a large venue and the staff did their best. Nothing we ate was terrible, in fact the majority of it was good to very good quality. The only show we went to was the Burn the Floor dance show, it was decent. We spent a lot of time up at the Vibe beach club, in our opinion it was 100% worth the extra charge for the week pass. We enjoyed some relaxation and quiet and enjoyed the bartenders and staff that were working up there. We did go down the water slides a couple of times in the main pool area, they were super fun and super fast! The only Norwegian port excursion we went on was to the Discovery Bay Beach Break in Jamaica, the beach was nice but the stay was short, we didn't realize it would be about a 45 minute drive to the beach and did not love the mandatory stop at the shops on our way back to the port. We did two private excursions at Cozumel and Grand Cayman which were excellent. For the amount of people we thought the getting on and off the ship at all the ports, EVEN THE TENDERING at Grand Cayman were really smooth and organized. Getting off the ship was also smooth, the line was long but moved quickly - we walked a couple blocks away from the chaos and called an uber and made our way to the airport. Overall we thought everything was great - but we are pretty easy to please people. I feel like the majority of people forget you're on a ship with almost 4,000 other people and that the world does indeed NOT revolve around them. Be courteous and have some patience and some grace and remember you are on VACATION - it's better than being at work! No need to be in a rush all the time, slow down and appreciate the view and the opportunity to see these beautiful places and realize how hard the crew is working to make an operation of that size run pretty dang smooth. We couldn't really think of any complaints the entire week, we had fun, we made memories and we would definitely cruise with NCL again. :) Read Less

We originally chose this specific ship because of the affordability of the balcony rooms. Ignoring the negative reviews we went ahead and hit the button as a balcony room was a must for us. Pros: The cabin was as good as the pictures showed. It was clean, large, and I seriously wanted to take that showerhead with me. So first impressions were high. We also had an amazing snorkeling excursion in Cozumel. Those are the highlights for our trip. Cons: Biggest disappointment was the food. Yes as others stated the buffet was repetitive and not fantastic, but we actually could deal with that and the buffet became at least a consistent dining experience for us. What really is bad on the Getaway is the actual dining restaurants. Now for anyone booking, understand this. Taste, Savor, and Tropicana are all listed as separate dining rooms but are all the same restaurants-same menu, same servers, the only difference is the color of the chairs. These are what other cruise ships would call the "dining room". We tried dinner 3 times, lunch once, and it was all bad. Just frozen food reheated. From what I could tell, the food is cooked off ship, frozen, and reheated on the boat, which leads to just horrible results. Nothing met expectations. My wife ordered fried chicken and I asked her if she would rather have that or KFC and she said fast food for sure, it was way worse. For us that was a huge blow to the experience, because we've had great food on other ships. We also ate at the expensive restaurants too, they were slightly better, but still disappointing and not worth the money at all. We tried Le Bistro and the Brazilian steakhouse. Nickel and dime is definitely a core word of NCL Getaway. I really have to roll my eyes at cruises that don't have complimentary non alcoholic drinks. $3 bucks for a tiny soft drink or tea. We only drank water the entire cruise. Cover charges galore=lame empty experiences. Also, they allow smoking in the atrium area. Just gross. You couldn't walk through the ship without smelling it. I guess they are trying to be the last Haven for indoor smokers but jeez it detracts from anyone who doesn't like it. Another disappointment is just a general complaint of the amount of people onboard. It was so crowded that we never got to a show. And contrary to what a lot of people who gave this boat a positive review, many you are unable to reserve a spot for online or onboard. You just have to wait in line for 30-45 minutes before it opens. I guess that makes me picky to some people but I didn't feel like wasting my vacation waiting in line for what I expected after the othe poor experiences would be a so-so show. Service issues: our room was cleaned once a day, usually late afternoon. I guess that's all I could expect after everything. If you're hoping that they tidy up every time you leave the room, forget it. Tipping did not help the situation. The first few days I kept thinking "wow we keep getting the bad waiters" and by day 4 I just realized that none of them cared. Other cruises have given a feeling of it being a special or unique experience. I just felt like a nuisance on this boat. While we didn't let these experiences ruin our experience, I felt any good times were despite the cruise, not because of it. For you, either lower expectations or expect to "pay to play" to get an excellent time. Read Less

We chose this cruise as it fit our time line, and it with NCL; a cruise line we sailed with some time ago (and a few others with other lines in between), and had an equally good time. On a side note, had we based our choice on the negative comments posted on this thread, we would have missed out on a great trip. Embarkation day was easy and about as seamless as one could expect. We checked in at 10:35AM, and our group (11) was called to board at 11:30AM. The instructions were given clearly over the pa system. Note: We drove from our home to the port of NO, and parked at the Fulton Street parking garage. We pre-paid for our parking ahead of time and save about 7.50 per day versus the 'Whale Lot' on Convention Center Drive which the Port Authority directs you to for 20.00 per day. The garage also provides a shuttle service to the pier. Great service was provided. One aboard we were informed that the cabins would not be ready until 2::00. Now worries, Garden Buffet, Savor Restaurant, and O'Sheehans were open for lunch. The announcement that the cabins were ready came at 2:05PM. First impressions were terrific. The crew was outgoing and friendly. The ship was extremely clean with hand sanitizer stations available throughout the public, and dining areas. Our cabin was 13118 located on the port side about 7 cabins back from the port bridge wing. All view was unobstructed, and enough room on the balcony for us. Our steward, Jason, was as good as any steward we could have hoped for. We dined at three specialty restaurants, Cagney's, La Cucina, and Moderno. All three were outstanding in their own specialties. In particular the Veal Shank Osso Bucco from La Cucina was as good as I have had in either Boston's North End or Providence's Federal Hill. Our other two dinners were in the Tropicana room which provide music on our first night, and a performance from the cast of Burn The Floor on our second night. The offerings on the menus were varied, prepared well, with something for everybody. The activities were many during the 2 sea days. However, the pool areas do get crowded. There didn't appear to be any issue with chair hogs as plenty of chairs were available. We opted for the Vibe Beach Club. The privacy and services were, in our opinion, worth the extra expense. During the late afternoon and evening the bars and public areas can get quite busy, and finding somewhere to sit may take a little effort. After the dinner hours the availability seats open up a bit more We did not get off on Cozumel or Costa Maya as we have been there before. We did however enjoy a less crowded ship. We saw a performance of both Burn the Floor and Million Dollar Quartet. Make reservation ahead of time!. I can not say enough about the crew. everyone we came in contact with were pleasant, outgoing and professional. Disembarkation was a breeze. It started at 7:15AM. We were with the last group off at 9:30AM. Read Less

Starting off on a positive note, it is evident the culture on this ship is focused around excellent service. Somewhere between 95-99% of the staff is incredible at their job. The cabin I stayed in seemed very reasonable, although the walls in(I think) all the cabins are very thin and a nightmare for light sleepers. The majority of the food I ate ranged from good to great quality. There’s a lot of tasty meals and snacks to be had. The on board entertainment was also a big highlight, there is plenty to do. Now one of my big cons comes in the form of organization. The ship was to leave at 3:30pm. We left at 6:30pm. It seemed the embarkation and debarkation was a you-know-what show. The onshore excursions were very unorganized. Our time would got cut every time and things listed to be on the package, weren’t. I was let down on all three locations. I’ll give you an example, we went to the Dolphinaris excursion in Cozumel (unlimited food and drink dolphin encounter or something of that nature), the gentlemen told us from the jump on the Pier that our excursion wasn’t ready, we waited, we waited, we signed a form, we handed in our ticket, we waited, we walked, and right before we got on the taxis they started to give us back our tickets to sign? Why didn’t we do that immediately? We lost so much time. Even if carnival has no control over this, they shouldn’t be handing us over to these clowns. Additionally, half the activities on this excursion got axed for slightly rough water. No kind of reimbursement. Onto me getting trapped in an elevator with a woman having a panic attack. On the night after leaving Cozumel, we were hitting some rough waves and I got stuck in an elevator on the NINTH floor, Carolina in guest services didn’t seem to care and suggested it wasn’t a big deal because I was only having 90 feet above the ground level for thirty minutes. Big ups to Carolina. Now with all this said, thanks to my loved ones and the convenience of the onboard activities/food, I had fun. But the Glory needs to address some of these problems going forward. Read Less

Me and my girlfriend sailed on the Getaway Jan 12-17 and had an amazing time. This is our third cruise with NCL and we will definitely continue sailing with them. I’m 33, my girlfriend is 23 and we also sailed with 2 other couples. This ship has so much to do including the rope course, rock climbing, awesome water slides, shows, entertainment, comedy, casino etc..The nightlife was great too with the bliss club, casino, and the glow party in the h20 was amazing, We had a blast! The food was also very good including the wings at O Sheehan’s, ribeye at Cagneys, and we also enjoyed the buffet. Our balcony room was 14858 right at the back by the elevators and our room steward Neil was awesome. He knew our names right when we arrived and he made us feel at home. Thanks again Neil! I also want to give a thanks to Rey the bartender at Margaritaville and Rohan at the pool bar. Both of them took great care of us and we barely ever had to wait for a drink at any bar. The only issue we ran into was on the third day I had lost my room card and i didn’t realize it until a few hours later. I then went to guest services and received a new card. The next day I checked my account and realized someone had found my card and went to the arcade and charged $52 worth of games on my account lol. ( damn kids ) I then returned to guest services and they were very friendly and immediately took off the charges. Overall we had an amazing time, we gave it a 10/10. We cruised on the MSC seaside in December 2018 and we gave that a 8/10 so we definitely enjoyed the getaway more. We will definitely be sailing NCL again and we highly recommend the Getaway and we also loved the Epic too which I wrote a review on 2 years ago. Read Less

Slow service at the restaurants. Italian specialty restaurant not worth the money. At the bars, the service was slow as well. At times, I didn't even get served. Staff look over-worked and short staffed. At times, staff were flat out rude. Spent a lot of time at Guest Services, as they kept messing up our account. At first, they stated we didn't even have a credit card on file (we put this information in months ago). Any time we received excellent customer service, it was always a place where we had to pay more to have access to. For example, we paid $189 pp for the cruise to stay in Vibe. Our waiter was always there to help. The ICE bar was great too; but again, we paid 20 pp for access to that. Cruise Carnival or Princess. No matter where we went, we had great service. I've been cruising since 1997, and this was the worst cruise so far! Read Less

Excellent prior experiences with other NCL cruises. We have been on a large number of cruises (30+) with many different cruise lines and this was the worst cruise we have ever been on. We are NCL Platinum and have always enjoyed NCL ships, however due to the many negative experiences we had on this cruise, we will not be sailing on NCL again. Pros • Food was above average in both quality and selection • Staff attitude was excellent – other than overworked staff at bars • Ship was kept very clean. Cons • Very limited dance opportunities – none of public areas have any area or space to dance. Only dance area was a small area in dining room with very limited dance opportunities. • The onboard musical entertainment was well below average. Not enjoyable to listen to at all. • Very inadequate staffing in main bars (pool, atrium, etc.) during prime time. Extremely poor staffing levels caused very long wait times and the overworked staff did not enjoy their hard working conditions and it was apparent from their attitudes. Read Less

Hubby and I wanted to get away, but not have to fly overseas to catch a port. the 10 day cruise out of New Orleans was perfect. We hadn't done NCL in about 10 years, so we were curious to see if it changed much and how it compares to RCI. To us it did have GREAT entertainment, and wonderful restaurant choices.Even the main dining room seated my hubby and I alone for a romantic dinner. The backside was not having an assigned waiter/waitress for us when we do eat in the main dining room, so that personal connection is lost, but that is the only negative I can think of. Always easy to get on and off the ship, but we did signed up for food reservations before the ship even sailed, so we never had an issue there. The spa will push their products, but that is normal for all cruises I believe. Read Less

My wife and I celebrated our 5th anniversary on the Getaway from December 8th - 13th. After reading many of the reviews on here and complaints on the message boards I was skeptical at best. However, the cruise blew us both away and was one of the best vacations we've ever had. It seems to me that people can always find something to complain about but if you have a good attitude and realize you are on vacation and relax you will have a great time. We used the free air through NCL and paid the $25 deviation to come in to New Orleans a day early. Flights were great, a little close on the connection time, but we got to New Orleans by 1:00 and had the day to relax and explore. Next morning we woke up and walked over to the Port around 9:00. We had read reviews about the construction around the Port and the chaos and they were correct but we got right into the security line around 9:30 just before they opened it up, probably around 75th in line. Security was smooth (no you can't bring water through so just be prepared), and we checked in after a couple of minute wait. The lady checking us in informed us that we were Priority Check-in and pointed us over to a separate check in area. We did not sign up for this but NCL gave us the perk as an anniversary gift. Check in was smooth and we were pointed to the holding area around 9:45. The holding area is a bit chaotic but there is water and chairs for everyone. Boarding started just before 11:00 and we were called with Priority Check-in and were on the boat by 11:10. I understand people want to complain about the process and the waiting but NCL is moving 4,000 passengers off the boat and another 4,000 on. In my opinion they did everything as smoothly as possible. We explored the boat a bit, had lunch in Taste and were allowed into the rooms right about 2:00. We had an Aft Balcony and it was AMAZING. The balcony was the highlight of the trip and we spent every morning out there watching amazing sun rises drinking room service coffee delivered for free. Our room attendant Noel introduced himself right away and was attentive to everything we could have needed. The room was decorated with balloons and a Happy Anniversary which was a nice surprise. We saw Noel every day and he greeted us with a smile and asked us how we were doing and if we needed anything. The room itself is small, but, hey you're on a cruise ship, what do you expect? The bathroom was fine and water pressure and temperature were great. For the most part we were very happy with the food offered. We had two specialty restaurants as part of our package and ate at Moderno's and Cagney's. I left Moderno's feeling like there was no way I could eat another bite and at Cagney's had a very nice steak. Are they 5 start restaurants, no, but they were great and the service was perfect. We ate in all three main dining rooms, Taste and Savor are the same just on opposite sides of the ship and in Tropicana which was definitely our favorite. The menu's are the same in all three but the atmosphere in Tropicana was much better with live music and dancing. The lunch menu's do not change and that would be one of my few minor complaints, it would be nice for some variety there. The dinner menu's also are pretty consistent with some entree's changing but most of the menu does not. The food was always excellent though. Appetizers were a bit small but we'd order three or four to share and the entree's were a good size. The deserts were always very tasty as well. We booked all of our dinner times well in advance and never had to wait for a table at all. There have been a lot of complaints about the buffet but we loved it. Breakfast was always great and there were a lot of choices and we also ate lunch there a couple of times, along with some mid-afternoon snacking. Yes, it's a buffet so a lot of the food there is standard buffet food but it was all very good. The Waterfront is a great place to hang out with a book or at one of the bars and relax. If we hadn't had a balcony I could see doing it even more often. We also rarely had to wait for a drink at any of the bars. Occasionally one would be crowded but we'd just move to another. That being said we did not spend a lot of time by the main pool so that may have been more crowded. We would get to Spice H20 early in the morning and hang out there for the sun. No pool but a nice little water feature to cool off in and a bar of it's own. They did have servers coming around but I always found it easier to walk to the bar and get what I wanted. Minor complaint number 2 however is the smoking area. One whole side of the area allows smoking. I understand NCL needs to cater to smokers but it's not great to have to walk through them all to get to the Men's room or the bar. Again, it didn't ruin anything at all for us, and I understand NCL needed the space to allow it, but I don't get the allure of chain smoking all day long. We tried the water slides which were a lot of fun and the ropes course which was fun for about 10-15 minutes. Entertainment was great for what we got to, Howl at the Moon was really funny and they are so talented. Vincent the cruise director did a great job with the Newlywed/Not-so-Newlywed game and the Deal or No Deal game we caught the end of. As many people have said the Atrium gets very crowded for games along with Sheehan's but plan ahead and you'll be fine. To celebrate our anniversary NCL gave us an invitation to meet the Captain at a reception in the Haven. We got a chance to peak around and it was gorgeous up there. Definitely seemed like a ship within a ship. We booked the all-inclusive Del Mar Latino Beach Club in Cozumel for $29 a person and it was perfect. Short 5 minute walk from the pier and very small and intimate. They cap at 80 people a day but only three couples were there when we were. A nice little pool and access to the ocean that you can snorkel in. If you are looking for a quiet place to relax this is it. We didn't get off the ship in Progresso. The pier was 4 miles long and not much that we wanted to do there. Spent the day in Spice H20 and on our balcony and it was perfect. We chose to self disembark, ate breakfast at 6:00, got into line and were off the boat by 7:15 and through customs. Walked a couple of blocks and grabbed an Uber to the airport. Again, there is a lot of construction and traffic at the port so a short walk away does wonders. On our NCL flights and home in Albany NY by 5:00. Just a great all around trip that I wouldn't hesitate to book again. As I said before, anyone can find things to complain about but if you're willing to relax and realize the world doesn't spin around you, then I think NCL, and the Getaway specifically is a great choice. Read Less

Love American Queen Steamboat Company and the American Queen Steamboat. Cruised many times with this company and it remains our favorite. The American Queen is a classic riverboat giving you the feel of the old steamboat days, but with all the conveniences of a modern cruise ship. The boat has a elegant theme with a casual, easy going and relaxed atmosphere. The cabins are comfortable with ample storage. The front porch cafe (buffet) and the formal dining room are open at all meal times. At breakfast and lunch, the dining room offers menu service and an extensive buffet. The food quality and selection is wonderful. Nightly entertainment in the Grand Saloon is excellent and the talent of the singers and the band is amazing. The shows on board the Queen rival if not exceed any we have seen on any cruise. The daily riverlorian talks are interesting and educational about the history of America, the American Rivers, riverboats and navigation. The service from the crew to the stateroom attendants to the dining room waiters is awesome. All are friendly, pleasant and welcoming. Excursions with the company HOHO buses is a huge plus. You can schedule when you want to leave the boat and tour aboard the narrated bus, get off at the points of interests and return at your convenience. Several buses drive the daily HOHO route, so your wait for the next bus is no more that 10-15 minutes. Very east and a good way to see each port. Another big plus to cruising with the American Queen Steamboat Company is that you are traveling in America out of American ports, seeing historic American river towns, interacting with Americans and can easily return home if an emergency arises. Cruising with AQSC is our favorite way to travel and we always look forward to our next trip with them. Read Less

We are a retired couple in our late fifties with more than a dozen cruises on Royal Caribbean, Carnival, Princess and Holland America. This was our second NCL cruise, our other one being a Transatlantic on the Epic. Our group consisted of us, a friend and our two adult daughters. We chose this cruise as we had two CruiseNext credits that we could use on any cabin on a double-up offer. It coincided with my wife's 60th birthday which she wanted to celebrate on a cruise. We also cruised out of New Orleans before and wanted to try it again. We arrived by car two evenings prior and stayed at an Airbnb in Carrollton. On cruise morning, our group of five split with all the luggage going in my car and the overflow passengers in an Uber. I thought Sunday morning would be an easy time to get to the port. This is no fault of NCL but getting to the ship was a chaotic mess. Many streets were either closed or temporary one ways (always in the wrong direction). I finally made my way around the Hilton, across the trolley tracks and along the pier in an agonizingly slow queue of traffic. Although the ship was clearly in sight, there absolutely no signage regarding luggage drop or parking. I finally got to an intersection and had no choice but to turn right and back across the trolley tracks. On the other side, we finally saw people taking luggage out of their vehicles and some baggage carts. Again, no signage but we dropped the bags and hoped for the best (it was legit, no problem with our bags). We were directed to an outdoor parking lot (I was expecting a garage at the port). The parking lot was labeled Hilton parking at $48/day with no mention of cruise parking. I was able to u-turn out and re-enter the hell of closed and one way streets. I was desperate to park anywhere but could not find my way back to any garage. Finally, I took another penalty lap all the way along the pier again. A very unhelpful police officer told me I couldn't miss the parking. With a sinking feeling of deja vu, I again made the mandatory right turn across the trolley tracks and this time spotted a tiny cruise parking sign just past the tracks before the aforementioned luggage drop point. It was the exact same outdoor parking lot but the back entrance was manned by a guy with a card reader and he charged the expected $140 for the week and gave me an exit ticket. Completely frazzled, I made my way into the shopping center and rendezvoused with my group. The line for security was quite long at this point (again, not an NCL issue). There were a few employees (I think from the port) that were doing their best to manage the lines and the wait was probably about 20 minutes. Check-in with the cruise line was prompt and efficient once we were through security and, because of the previous delays, general boarding was on progress so there was no wait to walk onto the ship. Other than myself, my entire party was interested in spa packages/treatments so we went directly to the spa. My wife was able to secure a thermal spa pass for the cruise at $199. She enjoys the more sedate hot tub, steam baths and heated loungers. Others were booking massages and other treatments. As usual, there was the constant upselling. With my blood pressure still spiking from the parking debacle, I was ready for a drink and lunch. My plan was to swing by O'Sheehan's to check on the crowd and proceed to the buffet if it looked too packed or backed up. When we got to O'Sheehan's, there was no line and we were seated immediately. A waiter quickly took our food and lunch order. Then, no clue what happened next. Our meals arrived first. The fish and chips were okay, not very hot and not very many chips. We asked our waiter about our drinks and he told us one minute. Shortly after that, a manager arrived and asked how was everything. We told him we were almost finished with our meals and still waiting on our drinks (two Moscow Mules, a glass of white wine and bottle of Stella Artois.). He said he would check and disappeared. As the waiter was clearing our dishes, we asked about our drinks again and were told just one minute. When he returned, he had one Mule and a glass of wine and said the others were ready, then disappeared. I flagged down the manager and asked about our other two drinks. He said they were coming. When the waiter finally brought the final two drinks, it included a Moscow Mule and a bottle of Corona. My wife asked for her Stella and was only told at this point that it wasn't available. So far, the cruise was looking disastrous. After lunch, we made our way down to our cabin on deck 5. It was an inside and things finally started looking up. The bed was configured as a king, our preordered bottled water was there as well as a bottle of sparkling wine and the air conditioning was nice and cold. It was conveniently close to the elevator lobby but we always found it quiet. We met our room steward and she was excellent throughout the cruise. Despite the terrible start, the rest of the cruise was smooth sailing. The ship is larger than we would normally choose to cruise but it is a great ship. It is very well maintained and also very clean. I'm not a big fan of hull art but that is a personal preference. The Haven suites on top the ship lend a chunky appearance to an otherwise sleek ship. The officers and crew obviously have great pride in their vessel. Only complaint is the excessive smoke emanating from the casino into other public areas. We had an excellent slate of dining opportunities. Our two dinners in the MDR were good; no wait for a table, attentive service from both dining room and bar staff and decent food. I had a sliced sirloin one night which was flavorful if a little tough and a very nice broiled blue fish the other night. Both dishes could have been hotter. One night we made reservations for the Shanghai Noodle Bar and we enjoyed it. We were seated at the appointed time, had quick service and the food was excellent; served good and hot. It could have used a little more spice. Our other specialty restaurants included LaCucina, Le Bistro and Moderno. At all three, once again our tables were ready as reserved, bar service was prompt and the food was truly outstanding. I had the veal at Cucina, the escargot and filet steak at Bistro and we all had the meat sweats after our carnivorous exhibition at Moderno. I would rate my steak at Bistro as a lifetime top ten. Most of our breakfasts were at the buffet and we found the offerings varied, nicely prepared, well presented and had no problems finding seating. We also had a breakfast at Margaritaville and recommend it...no charge, no crowds, great views. A very welcome surprise was the Indian buffet at Moderno on the last sea day, watch the daily program carefully so you don't miss this wonderful treat. Our one visit to the MDR for breakfast was a fiasco, service took over an hour. My wife and I made precruise reservations for the Million Dollar Quartet and we very much enjoyed it. If you are a fan of Johnny Cash, Carl Perkins, Jerry Lee Lewis, Elvis Presley, early rock and roll or rockabilly, you'll love this show. Although we had reservations, there were plenty of seats. I spent an evening at the Howl at the Moon dueling piano bar and had a good time. The three musicians were outstanding and the crowd was really into the show. Then, for some reason, they did an Eminem number which cleared the joint (I was leading the retreat). The lounge performers were fine but none really resonated with me. Did not see any comedy shows. The first trivia of the cruise was airline trivia which I won with 20 out of 20 right. I did not fare as well in subsequent trivia. The line sponsored two veterans gatherings which were well attended and much appreciated. The service aboard was mostly excellent. All crew members seemed to be smiling and ready to chat. The only poor service we found was at the pool bars where they seemed to always be overwhelmed. Twice I gave up without ordering. Exceptional service was found at the Mixx bar and at the Margaritaville bar. We had been Roatan before, Cozumel several times and many times to Belize but never to Harvest Caye. The grounds at Harvest Caye are beautiful and we enjoyed walking around, looking at the beaches and checking out the shops. Although I typically shop for excursions, I took the easiest path and booked two catamaran trips through the ship. We enjoyed both very much. In Roatan, we went with the Jolly Roger at $99pp. The snorkeling was good and the lunch and on-board party fun. In Cozumel, we went with Fury at $85pp and had good snorkeling with lots of fish and a very enjoyable beach break. I can recommend both excursions although we did benefit from small group sizes. Disembarking was quite easy. We elected to do self-assist. It was crowded but the crew did a fairly good job of queue management. Once the line started moving right at 7am, it moved quickly and smoothly albeit with the usual inconsiderate line jumpers. No delay at immigration control and we were in the car before 7:30. Overall, this was a highly satisfactory cruise. I think I will avoid New Orleans in the future as Galveston and Los Angeles are both closer. Still, the food and personal service make this a cruise well worth considering. Read Less

I chose this particular cruise because of the convenience and familiarity of the Port of New Orleans. It was a round trip beginning and ending in New Orleans. Embarkation and disembarkation was very smooth and efficient. We did not travel with anyone, it was just the two of us and we chose the week after Thanksgiving.The ship was absolutely gorgeous and spotless throughout our week long cruise.The staff on board seemed much more personable and friendly and eager to be of service than any other NCL cruise we had ever taken. We were treated very special, more special than ever before really. We had a mini-suite mid ship cabin #9194 Port side, and it was very comfortable and everything worked as it should. The weather was really nice during the day with light showers during the night, which we slept through. The food was really good in the specialty dining venues we dined in, except the rib-eye steak I ordered in Cagneys was inedible for it had too much grizzle in it making me wonder what cut of beef it truly was. The buffet lacked a little in flavor and choices in our opinion but was clean and there were always places to sit. They even had crew asking if diners wanted anything form the bar, which impressed us. The bar areas were adequately staffed so there was never a long wait to be served. The drinks were expertly mixed. We experienced the Ice Bar for the first time and it was a lot of fun and loved how the drinks were served in ice glasses. I suggest you wear long pants though. The photographers were excellent on this ship too and the system for locating your photos throughout the journey was easy and efficient. There is a conveniently located bar on deck outside the Mojito bar, near the ice bar, with very comfortable cushioned seating and tables so if the weather is right, you can enjoy from there, which we did. We only explored two ports out of the three visited; Cozumel and Harvest Caye. We loved both ports. This cruise was specifically for rest and relaxation and since we dined later each evening, we did not take in any of the shows on this cruise but rather just sat around visiting with new friends we made on board. The Officers who attended the Cruise Critic Meet and Greet were definitely available throughout the cruise and very visible. The Director of Housekeeping went above and beyond for us and added a great deal to our cruise experience. A post cruise M&G was discussed but if it was scheduled, we missed out of that. Only once on a NCL cruise have we experienced a M&G on the last sea day to discuss likes and dislikes. However, on this particular ship and itinerary, there was only positive feedback to give. Loved this ship and the crew. Oh there was one other thing I want to mention and that is the beach towels. You must now go to the pool area to check out beach towels and if not returned, you are charged a fee. We were not aware of this change as in the past, the Cabin Steward would deliver them to your cabin. There was some confusion about this as we were told the towel had to be returned same day by 8pm, but I think it was just by the end of the cruise and not each day you checked one out. So, this would make you feel apprehensive about leaving a towel unattended on a chair for instance where anyone could pick it up. I suppose too many of those towels grew legs but I can't imagine anyone wanting one honestly! LOL Read Less

If you utilize Cruise Critics, you are somewhat obligated to review your cruises as they happen. I would like to follow-through on that commitment. I recently went on the NCL Getaway, November 24, 2019 to December 1, 2019. It departed out of the port of New Orleans. Understand the Reviewer: I am 62. My first cruise was when I was 22 for my honeymoon. That was a stateroom with now windows and bunk beds on the NCL SS Norway. It was a great cruise and one of the best cruise experience. My wife and family have gone on over 20 cruises over the years. 10 years ago, my family started to cruise in suites class. Our family motto is, “Any cruise is what you make of it. Do the details up front, engage with people and go with the flow.” I am a very detailed person. I love to study everything about a cruise prior to going on it. This cruise was no exception. I love the process so take that under advisement when reading this review. Overview: To fully understand this review, I will start by saying we were in the NCL Haven Spa Suite. So, let’s talk about the elephant in the room. Said elephant is the question, “Is the Haven worth the premium?” The answer is, YES (to my wife and myself). Quite frankly in every way. This cruise was one of the very best of my 40 years of cruising. From start to finish, it was as close to perfect as possible. Happy to explain below, just needed everyone to understand a bit about me and that my review focuses on my Haven Experience. Pre-Cruise: I received a U.S. Mail letter from NCL Haven Desk 60 days prior. It welcomed me to the upcoming cruise and the fact that I was staying in the Haven. It gave me a phone number and an email to take care of any of my needs prior to boarding. I took full advantage of that offer. I had them fix my specialty restaurant reservations and times; excursion data; confirmation on perks; need for special water for my CPAP and especially the Premium Plus Drink Program. These few details only scratch the surface of my pre-cruise requests. It is very important to note that having this advanced ability to handle details, made a huge difference for this or any future cruise. Embark: Got to the port at 10:45 AM. Through security in less then 2 minutes. Found the Haven check-in area. Check in was 10 minutes tops, with no wait. My wife and I were escorted to the Haven Guest pre-boarding port lounge. The lounge was private, a bit small and kind of make shift. Still very nice. A cup of coffee and my first of many smoked salmon snacks was being consumed within 20 minutes of arriving at the port. In the lounge for about 15 minutes waiting on the ship to be cleared. Once cleared, we were escorted to the ship and up to the Haven lounge where the party started instantly. We were given sliders, a welcome aboard drink and waited a few minutes for the Haven Restaurant for lunch. They offered either the Haven Restaurant or Jimmy Buffet’s Margaritaville for our lunch. Little hint, do the Haven Restaurant and get the huge pork chop. Another note, while at the port, they will give you a drink eventually. The issue is they must charge you tax even if you have the beverage package and it is a pain in the butt for them. Dinning: Dinning was the best I have every had on any cruise, ever. I am not talking about the specialty restaurants, buffet or main restaurant. I am talking about the Haven Restaurant. Last year I had a similar experience on the Celebrity Equinox in their suites restaurant called the Lumina. Similar however the Haven was better in every way from food, staffing and service. • Haven Restaurant: Only for Haven Guests. Even though the menu never changed from day to day, it was simply incredible. The service, attention to detail, quality and taste. My wife and I started the cruise on the Keto diet. We both lost huge weight prior to cruising. We stayed on Keto for most of the cruise. I lasted 6 hours on day one until I cheated BIG. It was on the chocolate cake alamode and it was earth shattering. I had it three more times during the week. My favorite meal is and will always be breakfast with French press coffee; steak & eggs; smoked salmon; almond Danish and the list goes on. The plates were heated so the food stayed warm. Everything was cooked perfectly. Lunch was no different. Three-inch pork chop; poached salmon; and chief salad were just a few choices. Dinner I had some of the best prime rib of my life. Flawless in all accounts. I really like to eat but I am also super picky. • Cagney’s Steak House (Cost Option): Save you money folks. This steak house is average to below average at best. It used to be something special. The only reason we went there was because we got four (4) specialty restaurants as perks. Now don’t get me wrong, it was OK and a cut above Outback™, especially the service and atmosphere. Remember I said I was picky. I was hoping for a GREAT steak like at a New York steakhouse. • La Cucina Italian (Cost Option): Not spectacular but had promise. The bread looks better than it really was. I had a filet mignon that was huge and good. The rest of the meal was good but not memorable. Service was average which was surprising. We skipped the desert and went back to our suite. We called our butler (I love saying that) and had him bring us the incredible chocolate cake alamode from the Haven and coffee. So darn good. Not Keto. • Le Bistro French (Cost Option): Now we are talking. Let me say that this was a perk from American Express Platinum Card. If you paid for your entire cruise on the card, you got $300.00 on board credit and dinner for two at Le Bistro. Lovely from start to finish. I had the veal and it was good. What made it better was the presentation which was a huge stainless steam cap pull off to display the course. The bread was over the top and the sauce on the veal was to die for. My desert was three scoops of vanilla ice cream, in a French pastry, topped with three different kind of chocolate candies and finally hot chocolate sauce. Don’t miss this place. • Ocean Blue Seafood (Cost Option): The best clam chowder ever. Great bread. The fish selection was very good. I have a habit of doing way too much red meat. If I say I liked this restaurant, then it must be good. I have to say. We said next to a couple that was our entertainment for the evening. They were married forever and seemed like they hated each other. She was so loud and never stopped talking to us. He did not say much but rolled his eyes at his wife all night. It seems as the story goes, she gambles a lot and this cruise was a perk. Yet they argued about the coast of the appetizer. Great dinner show. • Buffet (Complementary): It was exactly what you would expect a buffet to be. Looks great, lots of average food and filling. My wife was still doing Keto and she got a piece of pizza. She scraped off the meat and cheese and said it was good. I am old and have had my fair share of cruise buffets. To each his own. • O’Sheehan’s Bar and Grill (Complementary): I hated it. I was spoiled by this time. My wings were just OK, and my burger was a hockey puck. I did not eat my food. We left and went to the Haven pool. There I got a cheese burger with not bun. It was great. Take my advice and just go to the buffet. • Final Note: I only review where I eat. Lots of food choice on this ship. I am also not a foodie. I like basic things like meat, fish and chicken. If I am at McDonalds, I know what I am going to get and enjoy it. If I am at a bar and grill, a McDonalds burger won’t due. All that said, if the food served is bad or just not to my liking, I don’t eat it. When I do, I liked it. Adult Drink Package: Here we go again with the Elephant in the room. “Is it worth it?” NCL usually gives the “Premium Drink Package” as a perk. It is a very nice perk and you should take it if you drink at all. I got that perk and upgraded to the “Premium Plus Drink Package” for about $250.00 per person per week additional. Think I am crazy, “nah, nah, I say!”. My reasoning; I was on vacation and we like nice wines and alcohol. Let’s start with how my wife and I used this package. At lunch and dinner, this package allowed my wife to get a bottle of great wine. Not all wines so the ones you can order has a star next to them on the wine menu. The bottle was listed at $89.00 a bottle. My wife usually drinks $9.95 litters. Therefore, this wine was the ultimate treat for her. If she did not finish the whole bottle at the meal (she did sometimes finish it), it would be delivered to the room at no extra charge, DING. Bottle water (with and without gas), energy drinks and specialty coffees were not included on the regular drink package. These were included on the Premium Plus Drink Package. I love bottled water and took it back to the room if not finished. There was no $15.00 per drink limit on the Premium Plus Drink Package. I was drinking Cuervo 1800 silver, spectacular red wine by the glass all week. They lost money this trip on our drink package, I assure you. I am now home going cold turkey at home on the 12-step program. That is a joke and I mean no ill intent. Haven Suite: On this cruise, my wife and I had a Haven Spa Suite. It was very nice yet not the nicest suite we have ever had. Not a very large suite with a rather small veranda. In the room, it did have a Jacuzzi built for two that allowed you to see out the huge window at the sea. The spa suite comes was complementary access to the Spa Thermal Facilities. Now that was a very nice perk. The suite bed, bedding towels, robe, in-room espresso machine all were over the top from a quality standpoint. This was the least expensive Haven suite ($2,099.00 per person), it was perfect for my wife and me. Future side note, I am taking my family of five (5) in a huge Haven two-bedroom Family Villa on the brand new NCL Encore in May 2020. Now that will be a suite to be remembered. No complaints about the Haven Spa Suite though. Just book it early before they sell out. Room Steward: We drove him nuts. First as part of my planning, we had everything in the mini-refrigerator that cost additional taken out. We would leave and come back to quickly for him to get the room completely finished. He never complained. Then we finally got the idea on the button’s located on the side of the door. Press one button, the room steward would clear your room. From then on, we were all in sync. His tip was part of the $18.00 per person per day while in the Haven. Butler: I studied on past cruises what to do with the butler. I had a two-page document with all our needs and requests. I told you I was very detailed. Everything from no candy, cookie, fruit or sugar snacks due to being on the Keto Diet. Special water for CPAP Machine. Replace the complementary champagne with Wine. Nuts, cheese and meats would be our afternoon snack. We ordered breakfast room service once and desert once. The main reason for this was the room was too small for full meals. Every item we outlined or needed was handled. I tipped him $100.00 at the end of the week. Entertainment: The best of any cruise ship for many years. I did not do everything, but I did do more then I have ever done in the past. Let me break it down: • Burn the Floor: This was incredible. From start to finish, high powered Latin dance. My wife is super critical on these shows. We can sit up front but choose to sit in the last row on the isle, so we can leave early and not embarrass ourselves. Not this time. When the show was over, my wife was the first one on her feet doing a standing ovation. I was right after her. Broadway quality. • Million Dollar Quartet: This was a Broadway show. It is about four past superstars of music and how they met for one session, on one night for Sun Records. What made this show great was the actors were also doing all the music and singing. Very talented folks doing a really nice job. Again, completely professional with a quality cast. • Other Entertainment: There was a dinner theatre show but we did not attend. We heard good things about it. I personally did not want to waste an evening with average food. There was a wine lover show, another pass for us. I did not hear much about the comedy shows except they were very crowded and first come, first seated. Activities: So many to do and not enough time to do them. Here are some of my favorites. First and foremost, the water slides. Even at 62 years old, they were awesome. Game shows in main area done very well. Thermal Spa was awesome. Cigars in the Haven Sun deck was simply over the top for me. I went to the humidor room however it was small and being outside was much more enjoyable. Excursions: I have been on many cruises. After going on some good and bad excursions, I have my Favorite. It was and always be Cabana’s or Bungalows. These are also the most expensive excursions. On this cruise, it is the same. We did the “All Inclusive Bungalow” on Rutan. Great time even though the tender ride was one hour off the ship. We also did the Tequila tasting which was educational, fun and very much recommended. We had a Snorkel and Catamaran trip, but the waters were to choppy. Conclusion: My wife and I had a GREAT time. Was it perfect? Never is on any cruise. The key is take responsibility for your own cruise. I learned that lesson early on when cruising. Yes, the Haven is worth every penny. However, once you do Haven, there is no going back. I had a plan going on this cruise, I worked my plan and finally my plan worked out. Preparation is everything and reduces disappointment. The one thing I will say, I was completely impressed with every member of the crew and staff. Not just in the Haven; on the entire ship. Anyone who reads this and doesn’t know me personally, I am a very tough critic. Let me tell you, I am NOT easy to please. I had such a good time and loved the size of the ship so much, I cancelled my upcoming June 2020 NCL Pearl cruise and re-booked the NCL Encore in May 2020. I hope the time I took to do this review helps you decide. Happy cruising. Read Less

The boat itself was beautiful and well kept. However, the service is one of the worst. The staff all seemed new and unfamiliar with the boat. They were not very attentive. The bartenders took forever to get drinks or even placing an order. The food servers were very cold and short. I couldn't book the activities I wanted due to lack of enough showings. The worst was a "surprise" tender. In the worst conditions I've ever experienced. They didn't even offer to reimburse our port fees since we DID NOT port. The food was horrible. The buffet was one of the worst tasting I've ever had. It lacked seasoning but made up in presentation. The other freestyle restaurants were almost always busy and limited when you could eat there. The Illusionarium was the best meal by far, which could be why we had to pay for it. The excursions were limited but definitely find adventures to get into. The Monkeys in Honduras was a once in the lifetime opportunity. My stateroom door was automatic but didn't have a sensor when someone was standing there. The door repeatedly hit me or pushed out of the way. My elbow is still tender because of it. My steward was never available when I needed him. I was swindled by the Black Friday sales people. I was sold on one sale but then it magically changed once I got to the counter. it was the worst cruise I've ever been on. If this any representation of how Norwegian cruises are, this was my first and last. Read Less

All in all. It was a great cruise. I pre bought the wine package and the pixel package which was nice. Was able to get the more expensive pictures with the package and buy the others that were cheaper. We had fun doing just about nothing. Had some much needed rest and Relaxation. Out of all of our cruises. This is the first time we got on the ship that fast. Our longest wait was for paying for parking. We checked in and went strip on board. Had a great guy helping me get my wife on board since she was in a wheel chair. We ate everywhere except for the steak house and the Mongolia wok. The food was good. Not to surprise that on formal night. They didn't have the free steak or lobster. Guys burgers are always great. The staff was great. A big shout out to Ita and Radhida at the buffet. They were great in helping my wife who was in a wheel chair getting her food. They were very helpful. I don't think I can name of them. But they all made the cruise great. We didn't go to any of the shows. But performers in the lobby sounded great. Read Less

I've been on over 30 cruises. Choose the Getaway for my anniversary, 9 day itinerary and sail out of New Orleans. Had my honeymoon on the Jewel out of New Orleans 6 years ago. A couple of things of note - the shows were some of the best I've ever experienced. The food was excellent and staff very good. The cigar lounge!! I am a cigar smoker and was looking forward to spending quiet time smoking my expensive cigars. The sheer fact that they don't keep the cigarette smokers out of the lounge destroyed a big part of what I was looking for on the cruise. Any quality cigar lounge will not allow cigarette smokers in the lounge. Several attempts to remove the offenders were a waste of time. I brought 25 cigars with me and ended up only smoking 6. I wasn't allowed to smoke my cigars in the "smoking areas" outside of the lounge! That was the first big mistake I experienced. Next, the bait and switch in the SPA on massage/facial services. I was in a SPA balcony room looking forward to having several services. My wife and I had a massage the very first day. Couples massage (charged $450 roughly) then booked more services for later in the trip. We were hit for over $1200 the next day for services which took my credit account overlimit. I had prepaid $1000 in onboard credits and $400 in SPA credits. I was pissed to I canceled the additional SPA services and my 1st day massage's went up to almost $600 (for a couples massage??) Priority boarding?? I prepaid $179.00 and when we got to the check in process not a person knew anything about it. We stood in line like everyone. We kept asking and were told they don't know anything about priority boarding/services. Then in Roatan we had plans w/ friends that live on the Island. We were due to dock at 11:00 am and our friends were there waiting. They took us into a room because we had priority for tenders. We didn't get off the ship until 1:00 pm spending the entire two hours in a separate room. They claimed they forgot us when again, they really didn't know anything about the priority program. They didn't understand how it worked and didn't even know what the designation on are cards stood for. Anyway, we missed our friends and the stop in Roatan was one of the #1 things I was looking forward too. That pretty much killed the cruise for me because none of the issues were created by me. I understand there are problems sometimes but I paid for things up front because I wanted an outstanding anniversary and I didn't want to go to guest services everyday and solve issues or problems. The shows were amazing and enjoyable. Cirque, Burn and Howl at the Moon all excellent. We probably spent $2500 in the casino - all a lot of fun. Then the final straw - we paid for the transfer to the airport and again we were supposed to have priority to catch our bus. We were told by 6 different people there was no priority and to stay in "the line" for transfer to airport. Had I done as told I would have missed my plane due to the "idiots" working disembarkation. I ended up having to grab a taxi and take care of my transportation even though I prepaid $40 plus the $179 for priority. I expect to get reimbursed for both items and have already contacted my card companies. I told my wife I will never take another Norwegian Cruise ever again even before the disembarkation fiasco. However, I did take advantage of the the future cruise program to book one last Norwegian because my mother in law is 88 and she had plans with her husband to take an Alaskan cruise but he passed before they could take it. I even set a date for July of 2020. I have to be honest that I really want my money back at this point. Had the mess getting off the ship not been so horrible I'd have sucked it up because I wanted to give my wife another anniversary present of taking her mom on an Alaskan cruise before something happens to my mother in law. I have to ask you for an opinion. If you had experienced everything we did how would you feel? I've taken over 30 cruises (Cunard, Carnival, Royal Caribbean, Norwegian) and this is the first time I've ever had a bad opinion or responded with a negative review. The initial experience on the Jewel was the best cruise I've ever had, the 1st time of the Getaway was good but this one just had problems. The other thing I almost forgot was the upscale dinners included w/ my package. I went to use one of them and they told me I had already used my 4. I had only had three at that point. I went to get services and a nice gentleman said he fixed everything and even sent a bottle of wine to our room for the issue. We went the next night and they wouldn't allow me to use our 4th and that was the actual night of our anniversary. I refused to sign the statement and went right done to guest services and they couldn't figure out the problem. Finally it was something to do w/ the Cirque show (which I had prepaid for). I had also added a 5th night of dining before I sailed. I never got that and will be working to get my credit back on that as well. So despite an excellent time w/ most dining (quality), outstanding shows the overall experience by me gets a 4 out of 10. I really hate to share because overall I think Norwegian used to have a good product but something has changed. Also, forget using the ships boats as tenders. It was comical how poor the person piloting the vessels were. One gentleman took 12 attempts to get it docked in Roatan and there was no wind or seas to deal with. I am quite certain that you'll receive an unusual number of complaints from this sailing because the general opinion on the ship was a big disappointment and a feeling that it would be their last time on Norwegian. Read Less

We departed New Orleans and the embarkation process was HORRIBLE--- not sure if that was NCL's fault or that of the New Orleans Port Authority but it took an unreasonable period of time to go through customs and board the ship. Once we did, however, the ship was beautiful. It was clean and well-maintained. Decks were laid out nicely and it was a good clientele of passengers. Service, on the whole, was lacking. Most of the bartenders/servers seemed unhappy to be doing their jobs. Very few were sincerely friendly and few others were "attentive" in any way. I think they were overwhelmed. There were a LOT of passengers and either the crew were understaffed or improperly trained to deal with that large crowd. Hospitality issues aside, the bars had great atmospheres and the selection of drinks were good. We did the drink package and enjoyed it a lot. Food was... fine. We were stuck at the buffet for most of our meals which was alright for lunch (and even sometimes for dinner) but breakfast was AWFUL. Wayyyy too many people and it was tough to get seated, tough to find the direction lines were going in for food, and they often ran out of coffee. The ports were all really nice. Biggest hang up is tendering at two of the five ports was awful. Norwegian MUST find a way to clean-up that process as wait times for a tender boat were unacceptable. We thought entertainment on the ship was excellent and the pool/hot tub area was very nice. It was mainly adults (which was GOOD) but that was to be expected for a nine day cruise in November when kids are in school. Disembarkation was easy (thank goodness!) And despite some issues (again overall quality of service and the embarkation/tendering process being my top complaints) we still had a really fantastic time. Looking forward to another cruise! Read Less

I am 42 my wife is 35 we have 160 cruise days on various lines. 2nd ncl cruise and probably the last although who knows. Some great things were the 2 main shows. I don’t care for the music but they were awesome. Same with the Cirque show. Get to the shows 20 minutes early for better seats. Disembarkation was easy we parked across the street for 9 or 10 dollars a night. Left room at 715 in car at private garage by 800 Embarkation was a little slow but leaving our luggage where we did seemed a little shady The weather was awesome and the ports were all enjoyable as well. There was plenty of shade on deck. The ship was clean and the kids scarce. I liked they had the buffet open after we came back from excursions. Also no lines really for the buffet all cruise. The food was ok Atrium game shows were mostly very funny and enjoyable but not enough seating. Felt bad for the activities team and their pronunciation. Like me trying to speak Spanish. Luckily the crowd would always help if needed For some reason they were showing soccer when the LSU Alabama game was on. Everyone was watching on their laptops Included dining service was good only if you went early or late otherwise it was REALLY SLOW. My expectation is 90 minutes to 2 hours. Food was pretty good but not enough variety Besides the 2 main shows we had the same 2 comedians and 1 juggler (who did 2 main shows) for the ENTIRE 9 DAYS. Where is the entertainment???? Bartender s were really busy and not enough servers so mostly I waited and got my own beers Did not do any ship excursions River tube in Jamaica was ok. Not as good as Dunn’s river falls though Grand cayman stingray city and snorkel was awesome Roatan monkey and sloth and snorkel was good. Only had 15 minutes at a beautiful beach see below Belieze we stayed by the pool. Drinks were 15 dollars after tax and gratuity and we had the drink package so we just relaxed and were glad there was not a tender Costa maya we ATV for 90 minutes then went to a nice beach. 100 people trying to sell stuff to everyone The tenders were a downright embarrassment for NCL. I waited about 20 minutes to get off grand cayman then another 20 for the very short ride. Hot but not too bad. Getting back on the line was over an hour so we sat across the street and had a few brews till the line went down. Very hot for older people to wait that long. Very hot in tender boats no windows open very poor drivers. In roatan we waited 2 hours to get off. Excursion was cut short. Got back at 600. Line was 2 hours to get back on. At least it was dark and cooler. So 4 hours of the day was tendering. Still had a good time overall but nothing remarkable. Don’t let bad reviews scare you if your booked just hope for no tendering Read Less

We decided to try an extended cruise after many 7 day cruises on Carnival and Norwegian. This 9 day cruise turned out to be perfect for us and was also a perfect experience for our first time cruising firends. The cruise started with 2 days at sea which allowed us to have a once in a lifetime private vow renewal ceremony performed just before sunset by cruise director Vincent. We want to say a special "Thank You" to Dela our special services coordinator for creating such a unique venue for our service. She was able to close off the entire starboard aft corner of deck 8 the Waterfront deck for our ceremony. This meant we could exchange our vows in front of the friends who had joined us and then celebrate with a special cake and champaign while having the ships professional photographer Zoe create some amazing sunset images for us to cherish forever. Vincent not only made our service one to remember but his famous "I'll Sea Ya, When I Sea Ya!" became our mantra as our paths crossed several times throught to the week. The same was true of Dela as she was always around on different days to talk about the days activities and make sure we were enjoying our trip. We began the weeks evening events with "Burn the Floor" and all were blown away with the top quality stage performance of everyone. Our first time friends were especially excited, coming form the Midwest, we don't often get this calliber of show at home. Months before the cruise we reserved floor seating at "Cirque Dreams and Steam" and so I ended up sitting 2 feet from the stage in an intimate theater with less than 150 people. It was the most amazing show I have ever seen, especially up that close. We closed out the week with "The Million Dollar Quartet" which turned out to be one of the best Broadway calliber shows we've every been to. The rest of the evening where filled with a number of high quality bands in the Atrium area and Syd Norman's Pour House including a great Eagles tribute band. If you can't find entertainment on this ship every evening, then shame on you because it's out there. The dining was amazing on this ship. During the week we tried Tropicanna, Taste, Savor, the Garden Cafe, and O'Sheehan's, then did fine dining at Moderno, Teppanyaki, and La Cucina as well as the Cirque show which counted as one of our specialty meals. We also caught lunch at Wasabi one day and the sushi was amazing. We did have a couple of bumpy mornings while trying to tender off the boat. We later found out that the delays were due to events happening on shore and were not the fault of the crew as many impatient people tried to push. This was a unique experience also since the Getaway uses it's own lifeboats and crew for tendering. Shore excursions were all fun but we loved a private charter for diving and snorkelling on Roatan the best of all. The reefs are beautiful and the water is crystal clear. My wife spend time each day in the Thermal Spa as well as a couple massage days at Mandara Spa. She loved the salt room and thermal loungers. Our next cruise will be on the Epic where we have already booked a spa mini suite because she convinced me that I will enjoy the relaxation too. Our room was a mini suite on deck 13 and it worked out to be the perfect quiet retreat at the end of very long days. While the room itself felt a little smaller than other mini's we've been in, the bathroom with it's large double sink and large shower were the biggest we've ever had. You can't beat a private balcany for an early morning cup of coffee or a beautiful sunset. One feature we found was that if you get side by side rooms with friends you can have the staff open a swing door out on the patios to share that outer space while keeping your rooms private. The Getaway had just been refurbished in March and everywhere you looked you could see a fresh look and feel which was nice considering some of the older ship's we have been on. This ship offers a number of large gathering areas. The Atrium and O'Sheehan's were always the place to meet new people. The Sugarcane Mojito Bar was another great social site with a welcoming piano player always within ear shot. It was nice to be able to walk through these bars and out a door to the Waterfront if you wanted some fresh air or just to sit and take in the beauty of the open water. We liked the Waterfront much better than the enclosed promenade areas on ships like the Jewel. This is a ship we would recommend to first timers and seasoned cruisers alike. We like that it's currently sailing from New Orleans which is a great centrally located option and city with it's own rich history. It's our belief that anyone can find somethings they'll love on this ship. In fact, there was so much to do that we never had time to try the water slides, climbing wall, or ropes obstacle course. I'll close with a line you'll hear often if you choose to Getaway on your next big adventure. It comes from the the ships cruise director Vincent, where he loves to say "I'll Sea Ya, When I Sea Ya!" Cheers! Read Less