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This Refreshed Cruise Ship Is the Perfect Choice for a Solo Vacation — With Plenty of Entertainment and a Relaxing Vibe

On an Atlantic Ocean crossing, one traveler discovers the charms of the Norwegian Getaway — and of spending a blissful two weeks at sea.

The Staterooms

Bars and restaurants, where norwegian getaway sails, shore excursions, amenities and entertainment, family-friendly offerings, accessibility.

Courtesy of Norwegian Cruise Line

Earlier this year, life was feeling fast-paced, and I decided a big break was in order. Looking for a way to slow down and reset, I remembered the words of my father, who passed in 2015. He was in the Navy as a young man, and had always told me I should cross an ocean at least once. So, taking that as my inspiration, I booked a solo trip to sail across the Atlantic, aboard the Norwegian Getaway .

The itinerary would take me from New York to Southampton, England, over the course of two weeks in late April and early May. As a one-way trip, the journey is what insiders call a repositioning cruise, when a ship moves from one part of the world to another, usually to follow the seasons. (I planned to fly home once I reached the U.K.)

This would not be one of those old-fashioned, no-stopping crossings, though: After leaving New York, our 3,903-passenger ship visited Canada before traveling five consecutive days in the North Atlantic. On the European leg, we also visited Ireland, the Netherlands, Belgium, and France before our final stop in Southampton. I was intrigued by the interesting itinerary, for sure, but also by Norwegian Cruise Line’s commitment to solo travelers . The line offers solo pricing, cabins built specifically for singles, and grants all independent travelers access to a private lounge meant just for them. Turns out, this solos-only space has the very best cup of complimentary coffee on board.

Another discovery was just how easy it was to keep up with work while at sea, thanks to the Starlink system on Getaway . I splurged on the upgraded Wi-Fi package and found the signal strong and consistent, even during slightly inclement weather. It also worked wonderfully from my inside cabin. This was, I’ll admit, surprising, considering the ship was relatively full: On sea days — and given the relatively chilly spring weather — many guests were indoors a lot and likely to be on their devices.

I savored the long stretches at sea, when I could be as active or as relaxed as I wanted. There were numerous entertainment offerings day and night; a state-of-the-art spa and fitness center; plenty of hot tubs; and an outdoor running track with wonderful views on Deck 16. Every now and then, I ventured out for some fresh air and whale watching, binoculars in hand, on the Waterfront, a quarter-mile promenade on Deck 8 with outdoor bars and cozy seating. Other times, I would duck into one of the specialty dining restaurants, such as Ocean Blue or La Cucina, which don’t operate during mid-day hours but nevertheless offer a quiet place to sit: window tables with beautiful views of the ocean.

Personally, I found sailing for days with no land in sight both relaxing and thrilling. And, thankfully, we only experienced one day with high seas; in our case, it was 15-foot swells. For me, the over-the-counter medicines I packed were completely effective. Phew!

While Getaway isn’t one of the newest Norwegian ships, I found it by-and-large to be comfortable and contemporary. I did miss having a large “observation lounge” like those found on other Norwegian ships, such as the Norwegian Bliss and Norwegian Joy . However, other recent updates to this vessel that was first launched in 2014 have improved the experience on board. During one recent cosmetic overhaul, Norwegian made changes to the casino layout on Getaway to better contain the smoking area, which had previously been adjacent to a nearby restaurant, and also spruced up the main dining venue, now called the Manhattan Room.

One thing I did learn the hard way is that I should have started my adventure in Europe and sailed toward the U.S. Going the other way would’ve let me gain rather than lose an hour of sleep most nights. I’ll have to keep that in mind for my next repositioning cruise.

Now, here’s a closer look at the staterooms, amenities, food, and other features on Norwegian Getaway .

Norwegian Getaway

• With 2,014 cabins, Norwegian Getaway has a tremendous variety of amenities on a ship that’s comfortably smaller than some of the biggest now sailing. 
• Efficiently designed staterooms featuring spacious bathrooms with plenty of storage. 
• Getaway is well-suited for solo travelers with studio cabins and the Studio Lounge, an area exclusive to solo cruisers with coffee, light refreshments, and cocktails.
• Tony Award–winning musicals and other entertainment is as excellent as you’d expect on a large ship.
• Starlink Wi-Fi makes it possible to “work from sea” while on longer itineraries.

With 2,014 staterooms, Getaway has a cabin and price point to suit almost any travel style. Guests looking for an elevated experience can choose from 80 suites in the Haven, what Norwegian calls its exclusive “ ship-within-a-ship ” area, complete with a private restaurant, lounge, and pool. (One thing to note: Only 28 suites on Getaway are truly within the Haven, with the remaining 52 elsewhere on the ship — though they do have access to all of the amenities.)

As a solo traveler, I went the other direction, reserving an inside cabin. Unfortunately, by the time I booked my trip, all the cabins on the ship that are specifically for solo travelers were sold out. ( Getaway has 59 studio staterooms and 20 solo balcony cabins for single travelers.) Instead, I was offered solo pricing on a slightly larger interior cabin. Not one to pass up a deal, I reserved despite the fact the room didn’t have a balcony — or even a window. Decorated in warm brown hues with pops of blue, Cabin 12455 was cozy and comfortable, with a fun, midcentury modern carpet. It was smartly appointed and efficiently designed with several storage nooks to keep organized; the bathroom was larger than I expected.

With nearly 20 different dining options on Getaway , I always felt like I had plenty of choices, even on a 14-day trip. Complimentary for all guests are three main dining rooms, as well as the American Diner; Garden Cafe, as the buffet is known; Shanghai’s Noodle Bar; and O’Sheehan’s Neighborhood Bar & Grill, the ship’s 24-hour eatery offering traditional tavern fare.

I was personally more excited by the eight specialty restaurants, access to which is either à la carte or available with an upgraded dining package. Getaway is one of the few Norwegian ships with Wasabi, a sushi spot, and the Raw Bar, a great place to have a few oysters and some bubbly before a show. There are also Italian, Brazilian, and French restaurants on board. Two standout dishes for me were the poached pear dessert at Le Bistro and the roasted beets with goat cheese and truffle dressing at Ocean Blue.

The ship has about 20 different bars, give or take, considering some, such as Sugarcane Mojito Bar and Syd Norman’s Pour House, have both indoor and outdoor bars and various entertainment venues also mix and serve drinks. If the popular Atrium Bar or Mixx Bar were too busy for my taste, I would venture to the classy Prime Meridian Bar, which always felt like a clandestine spot for a nightcap.

For summer dates in 2024, the ship will cruise the Greek islands out of Athens, with itineraries that also include Turkey, Malta, Spain, and Portugal. The next transatlantic crossing, a 12-day voyage in early October, departs Lisbon for Miami, with visits to Nova Scotia, Canada; the Azores, Portugal; and New York. Then, Getaway returns to Caribbean waters with fall and winter cruises from New Orleans to Mexico, Belize, and Honduras.

In 2025, Getaway will sail Caribbean destinations, with visits to places such as Curaçao, Aruba, the Dominican Republic, and Grand Cayman. Spring and summer itineraries include various New York to Bermuda trips, and late 2025 voyages take the Getaway to Canada and the Bahamas.

I opted for excursions in Zeebrugge, Belgium and Le Havre, France, both ports that required a bit of travel to get to what I wanted to see. The “Bruges and Belgian Chocolates” excursion included a well-paced stroll through the medieval city center and a visit to the Chocolate Museum. While in France, I enjoyed a full-day tour on the “Monet’s Giverny & Rouen” experience, including a visit to Claude Monet’s house and gardens in Giverny. (Next time, I would not go on a busy holiday weekend!). The lovely trip was rounded out by an included lunch at a charming countryside villa, and a stop in Rouen, the capital of Normandy.

Something to keep in mind is that these excursions were all large groups, with an average of 40 people per tour. Generally, the days were well organized and transport ran smoothly. The only major hiccup seemed to be in Dún Laoghaire, Ireland. Rather than be at a dock, the ship was at anchor, which meant that guests had to get ashore by tender. Norwegian allowed passengers to reserve a time slot for tenders — but many of us still had to wait as long as 90 minutes to get ashore.

On a ship of this size, there’s always something to do. Almost everyone on board raved about the Tony Award–winning musical “Million Dollar Quartet,” as well as the imaginative “Broadway Unplugged” show. Elsewhere, Headliners Comedy Club had stand-up acts as well as an upbeat dueling pianos show. Bliss Ultra Lounge was the place to dance into the wee hours; the ship also had a casino and cigar lounge.

For more relaxed vibes, there’s the Mandara Spa, with its treatment rooms and a Thermal Suite, which had heated tile loungers, saunas, a whirlpool, and a salt room. It was incredibly busy on sea days; I heard the overall experience was better on days the ship was in port.

Given the season, there were only a few brave souls in the main pools on my trip, but Getaway does have two, plus a kids-oriented water park and five waterslides. (While I didn’t see anyone enjoying the relaxing “wet lounge” in the adults-only Spice H2O, it was the place to grab a piña colada when the sun was out.) Ten outdoor hot tubs — four located near the main pools, two in Spice H2O, and four more in the exclusive areas of Vibe Beach Club and the Haven — were certainly put to good use. There’s a Ropes Course soaring high above Deck 17, for a bit of adrenaline-pumping adventure; giving it a go is included in the cruise far.

Given that I was traveling for two weeks, and during the school year, I wasn’t surprised that there were few children aboard. But, on other trips, Getaway could be an ideal option for families. The ship has a complimentary Splash Academy youth program, and older kids can make new friends at the Entourage teens’ club. There’s also a kid-specific “aqua park,” and a series of five multistory waterslides. Additional amenities for families including an arcade, a small bowling alley, and a well-equipped sports area complete with an outdoor basketball court which, by popular request on my cruise, was turned into a makeshift pickleball court.

Getaway has approximately 40 accessible rooms in different stateroom categories, including in the Haven, featuring wider doors, roll-in showers, grab bars, and enough space to turn mobility devices. The ship can accommodate most wheelchairs and mobility scooters, and all dining and bar venues are accessible. There are accessible public restrooms, entertainment venues with accommodations, and ADA pool lifts can be found in the main pool and hot tub area, as well as in the Thermal Suite. With the exception of Decks 17 and 18, all have guest elevator access. Gangways for embarking and disembarking are wide enough to accommodate most mobility scooters and wheelchairs.

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Norwegian Getaway Review: Our 7 Day Western Caribbean cruise

By: Author MC Miller

Posted on Last updated: September 20, 2023

Categories Cruise Reviews

Looking for a Norwegian Getaway review? You have come to the right place!

We took a Western Caribbean Cruise on the Norwegian Getaway to Roatan Bay, Honduras, Belize City, Belize, Costa Maya, Mexico & Cozumel, Mexico. The itinerary of the Norwegian Getaway constantly changes which we really love about this cruise line so it is likely you will not be going to the exact same destinations as us.

Built in 2013 at a cost of $840m, the Norwegian Cruise Line Getaway is one of the largest in the NCL fleet weighing 145,655 Tons and has capacity for 3,963 passengers. There are only a few ships in the NCL fleet which are bigger than this one like the Epic and the Encore.

The ship is adorned with artwork by popular local artist David Le Batard ‘Lebo’ in a Miami theme. From the hull to dining rooms you’ll see the Miami native’s impressive and distinctive artwork.

Read on for more about what we loved and loathed in our Norwegian Getaway Review.

In a nutshell : We loved the food in the complimentary restaurants. There was plenty of variety and the quality was good – especially the New York strip steak. Our room was small, which we expected. When cruising NCL we prefer to take advantage of the activities on board, of which there are plenty on the Getaway. Ropes course, extreme slides and hot tubs – we did them all and loved it. We would recommend a Western Caribbean cruise on Norwegian Getaway to couples but there’s really something for everyone from families, to singles, to retirees.

Norwegian Getaway Rooms (Inside Stateroom)

We chose the inside guarantee stateroom. The inside rooms were a little smaller than those on other Norwegian ships (For instance, the Norwegian Pearl has larger inside staterooms).

We also felt the Norwegian Star had bigger staterooms too. The Getaway is newer than both those ships and has newer, updated staterooms (which is great) but it seems they have made them a bit smaller – maybe to squeeze more rooms onto the ship?

The rooms didn’t have any drawers for your belongings (other Norwegian ships like the Star do) so you only had the choice of placing your suitcase under the bed or hanging your ironed items in the cupboard. In saying this, it wasn’t that much of a problem for us. We aren’t people who really mind living out of our suitcase on vacation but if that is a problem for you, I would suggest booking a bigger room, like a balcony stateroom.

There are 14 decks on the Getaway. People generally prefer to be higher up but we’ve never had a problem with any cabin aboard the Norwegian Getaway cruise ship. We should note that if you are susceptible to seasickness you want to be midship as the cruise will rock way less if your cabin is located in midship. Norwegian charges a premium if you want to guarantee a midship room due to their popularity.

We also paid $15USD per person per night (excluding taxes, $60 including taxes) so we weren’t picky – we got an insanely cheap deal. You can check out the best rates on Norwegian getaway here . 

If you are willing to wait and book your cruise closer to the time, you tend to get a better deal. The only issue with this strategy is that cruises can and do sell out. We have missed out on cruises we have wanted to take playing this game so be careful trying to “bottom the cruise market” as you might miss out on your vacation!

Getaway Dining

The food on the ship is fantastic. There are six restaurants on board the Norwegian Getaway in the complimentary dining category: The Tropicana room, Savor, Taste, the Garden Buffet, O’Sheehan’s Pub & Shanghai’s Chinese restaurant.

One thing that Norwegian cruise line consistently does well we have found is onboard dining. What we love about NCL is that they offer “Freestyle Dining” which means you don’t have to book a time at the free restaurants onboard, you can just show up whenever you feel like it. Personally, I love not having to plan when I am going to eat.

The only downside to this is that if the ship is busy, they give you a buzzer and you have to wait to be buzzed to get your table.

Note: Freestyle dining isn’t the same for the paid speciality restaurants onboard, where you do need to book a time due to their popularity.

Tropicana, Savor & Taste

Like other Norwegian ships, the same menu is served in the Tropicana room, Savor & Taste (‘the Main Dining halls’).

The Main Dining halls offered a varying menu each night with some old faithfuls appearing on the menu every night including the New York strip steak & the chocolate lava cake.

Cons: One thing I will mention is that service is pretty poor in all the Getaway’s complimentary dining restaurants – you will wait a long time to be served dinner. I have written an article –  Are Norwegian cruise line good ? – and although (spoiler alert) I conclude that they are good, the service overall across their fleet is a negative for Norwegian.

However, in the Tropicana room this wasn’t too much of a problem if you were seated near the entertainment.

The Tropicana room offered nightly entertainment while you dine including dance performances & live music which provided great value for money as it would be very expensive to replicate a similar experience outside the cruise.

This level of entertainment at a free restaurant is not the same across all Norwegian ships (for example, the Norwegian Star did not have entertainment in any restaurants – free, speciality or otherwise) so it is a big plus for traveling on the Getaway.

Shanghai Chinese restaurant

The Shanghai Chinese restaurant was also a particularly popular choice for dinner due to their mouth watering dumplings. The fried ‘pot stickers’ as the dumplings are called are by far the best item on the menu in my opinion. They are something you can order on pretty much all Norwegian ships at the Chinese restaurant and something we really look forward to eating while on Norwegian.

Food is made fresh and made to order. Just mark your selection on the order form and your order will be whipped on by the chefs.

Norwegian Getaway Tip #1 : be warned there are limited seats at this restaurant. The venue opens at 5.30pm but people are lining up to be seated there at 5.00pm sharp.

O’Sheehan’s pub: 24/7

For anytime dining the cruise also has O’Sheehan’s pub which serves pub style food and fantastic chicken fajitas.

Norwegian Getaway Buffet

In terms of the buffet, there was a large range of food available and it was of a pretty good standard for a cruise buffet.

This included a salad bar, ice cream bar, meats, pasta, pizza and much more.

Norwegian Getaway Tip #2 : The highlight of the Norwegian Getaway buffet was most definitely the crepe bar. I would highly recommend the Nutella & banana crepes made to order on the Norwegian Getaway!

Dining Package

A lot of people indicated that Norwegian’s paid dining options were fantastic but we were quite content dining at the complimentary ventures & felt like we had enough variety without spending extra money.

However, I will say, the decor of the specialty dining restaurants looked fantastic!

Sometimes Norwegian offers a free upgraded dining package so look out for that package if you are a foodie!

Bars & Lounges

On the Getaway you’ll find 20 unique bars, lounges and areas to buy a drink. If you are considering whether you should purchase a NCL Beverage package to enjoy your favorite alcoholic treat at one of these bars, we wrote a guide comparing all NCL’s beverage packages on offer that you might like to check out.

On days at sea the most popular by far are the pool-side bars on board.

Norwegian Getaway Shows

The entertainment on the Norwegian Getaway was top notch. From their fantastic Broadway shows to their hilarious comedy shows to the outrageously entertaining signature Norwegian competitions, the entertainment on the Norwegian Getaway really could not be faulted.

The broadway production on the Norwegian Getaway, Million Dollar Quartet, a musical which is inspired by the recording session that brought together Elvis Presley, Johnny Cash, Jerry Lee Lewis and Carl Perkins was of a very high quality and were very impressed!

If alternatively, you are more of a fan of dance, the Getaway also has this dance performance called Burn the Floor.

While we didn’t go to a performance of Burn the Floor we did watch them perform a mini show while we ate dinner one night at The Tropicana Room and that was very good.

I’m not a huge fan of dance performances usually but I was a little disappointed we didn’t take the time to see them perform after watching the mini-show at dinner.

The Norwegian Getaway cruise ship also offered some paid shows including Wine Lovers the musical & the Illusionarium Magic Show.

We didn’t elect to go to either of these shows but if you are interested they cost around $30 a ticket.

Getaway Ship Show Tip #3 : Most of the shows on the Getaway need to be booked in advance. Tickets were limited to around 300 tickets (out of a ship holding 4000 passengers) so book in early on one of the big touch screens around the ship or on your Stateroom tv to avoid missing out!

We also particularly enjoyed the signature Norwegian competitions on the Getaway including the ‘Mr Sexy Legs’ competition where guys compete to be awarded with the sexiest legs on the ship.

We also loved the Celebrity dance off where passengers signed up with a team member of the Getaway to see who has the worst/funniest dance moves on the ship.

This is a great cruise for young adults so if you are in your 20s/30s and thinking to book this cruise we would say, go for it!

What’s On the Norwegian Getaway

Aside from the restaurants, shows and casinos, there’s tonnes more activities on the ship to keep everyone from families to couples entertained. Here’s the run down.

Norwegian Getaway Tip #4 : If you want to avoid the queues for all the activities, wait until dinner time. The most popular time for the water slides, pools and ropes course is just as the ship is leaving port for the day.

Pools & Slides

The Norwegian Getaway has an an aqua park featuring five multi-story water slides, two swimming pools (one for adults only), and four hot tubs.

Our favourites were the two high adrenaline theme park style free fall slides.

We found the cruise decks and the recreational areas to be of an extremely high standard on the Norwegian Getaway.

Ropes Course

The Norwegian Getaway ropes course is made all the more exciting by the fact you’re traversing the course 16 stories above sea level.

Even if you aren’t put off by heights, the course was sufficiently entertaining for these 2 sober 20somethings.

The ropes course – the largest currently at sea – was clearly a winner for families, kids and teens too.

More Activities

There’s plenty to do on board including a rock climbing wall, mini golf and basketball.

All the recreational areas on the cruise were complimentary including the large fitness centre.

Western Caribbean Itinerary

We though the itinerary on the Norwegian Getaway was pretty good. We actually really enjoy the days at sea because it’s an opportunity to enjoy all the activities on board.

This was our Western Caribbean itinerary and what we did at each port:

• Miami, FL – hit the buffet, eat way too much, and book shows for the week
• At Sea – time to explore this behemoth. Restaurant hop, check out the Mr Sexy Legs competition and take on the slides
• Roatan, Bay Islands, Honduras – Visit the incredible West Bay Beach. Forget paying over $100 to get there on a tour. We’re doing this DIY on local transport to get a better feel of island life (at a fraction of the price).
• Belize City, Belize – A tubing tour is the way to go here. Otherwise, you can do your own walking tour of the city and take in all the best sights
• Costa Maya, Mexico – Nothing to do here but enjoy the beautiful Mahahual Beach and drink cheap Coronas all day. Nothing wrong with that!
• Cozumel, Mexico – We’ve stayed on Cozumel before so we knew what we wanted to do there. Snorkel and drink a tower of cheap ice cold beer!
• At Sea – Time to tick off any restaurants we haven’t eaten at yet, watch some shows and relax
• Miami, FL – Home! We loved it so much we booked an Eastern Caribbean cruise on the Norwegian Escape departing the next week!

Norwegian Getaway Tip #5 : Save hundreds (and getting a better feeling for local life) by doing a DIY shore excursion. We show you exactly how, step by step in photos, in our NCL Getaway Western Caribbean DIY shore excursions guide .

More Norwegian Getaway Pictures

Book the Norwegian Getaway from as little as $15 per night

If you are flexible with dates, you can search Cruisedirect by month for all sailings. Here is a direct link to the Norwegian Getaway on cruisedirect.

Norwegian Getaway Tip #6 : As we booked in September / October – just after school holidays finished – we got an awesome rate of $15 per person per night excluding tax.

Even with tax, our total of $60 per night is incredible value.

We booked our cruise through Cruisedirect and we recommend you do the same because they consistently have the best deals.

Another good option to check out for great cruise deals is expedia which we find offers from great prices. Click here for the Norwegian getaway on expedia .

What we like is that the site is quite user friendly and you can search cruises by price.

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MC Miller is a travel blogger and writer who has travelled America extensively and abroad to over 80 countries. He founded Couple Travel The World in 2017. Since then, he has spent over 6 years on the road as a full time travel couple. When he not traveling he likes to spend quality time with his partner Bett, planning our their next date or romantic getaway!

Norwegian Getaway

Courtesy of Norwegian Cruise Line |

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Introduced in 2014, the 3,903-passenger, 1,646-crew member Norwegian Getaway was recently renovated in 2020 to add a full-service Starbucks, a new live music venue and more. The ship further distinguishes itself from competitors with its quarter-mile-long "Waterfront" area that's lined with shops, bars and restaurants. 

Getaway appeals to younger crowds thanks to a multistory water park and age-specific kids and teens clubs. Still, it appeals to couples as well with its romantic gourmet dining venues, such as the Ocean Blue specialty restaurant.

When it comes to lodging, solo travelers can take advantage of Studio cabins, while groups can opt for Inside, Oceanview, Balcony and Club Balcony Suite category cabins. If you’re looking for even more luxury, splurge on a cabin in The Haven, which offers access to a private sun deck and 24-hour butler service.

Getaway departs from Miami ,  New York City , New Orleans and more for sailings in the Dominican Republic, Bermuda, the Caribbean and Europe. Norwegian Getaway completes transatlantic voyages as well.

Pros & Cons

Refurbished in 2019 to include a full-service Starbucks and more

Pools can be overcrowded

• Expert Rating » 4.0
• Traveler Rating » 3.9
• Health Rating » 4.0

Norwegian Getaway ranks # 12 out of 19 Norwegian Cruise Line Cruise Ships based on an analysis of expert and user ratings, as well as health ratings.

• # 12 in Best Norwegian Cruise Line
• # 30 in Best Cruises for Groups
• # 38 in Best Cruises for Families
• # 47 in Best Cruises to the Mediterranean
• # 58 in Best Cruises to Europe
• # 65 in Best Cruises to the Caribbean
• # 80 in Best Affordable Cruises

Norwegian Getaway offers a wide range of accomodation options. Browse cabins to find the stateroom that suits your needs.

Norwegian Getaway contains 14 decks. Find out which features are available on each Norwegian Getaway deck.

Traveler Reviews

A ship’s traveler rating is provided under license by Cruiseline.com , which manages one of the largest databases of cruise reviews and ratings by travelers. A total of 2812 guests have reviewed Norwegian Getaway , giving it a rating of 3.9 on a scale of 1-5.

Cruiseline Travel Rating:

Reviews by traveler type.

Ship Photos

Disclaimers about ship ratings: A ship’s Health Rating is based on vessel inspection scores published by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). If a ship did not receive a CDC score within 22 months prior to the calculation of its Overall Rating, its Health Rating appears as N/A; in such a case, the ship’s Overall Rating is calculated using the average Health Rating of all CDC-rated ships within the cruise line. All ship Traveler Ratings are based on ratings provided under license by Cruiseline.com.

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NCL Getaway Review

By LadyCruising , October 23, 2022 in Norwegian Cruise Line

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LadyCruising

My husband and I just got back from the NCL Getaway Oct 15-22 Cruise to Great Stirrup Cay, St Thomas, San Juan, and the Dominican Republic. (Spoiler, we did not go to Great Stirrup Cay or the Dominican Republic but still managed to have a great cruise). I am going to attempt to do a short review of each day and will sum up the good/bad at the end. To answer a few questions up front: I don't have copies of the dailies, we used the app although paper copies were available. I didn't take very many pictures but will post some if I find any that seem useful. We are in our 40's, silver status with NCL (so really not much status), stayed in a mini suite (not a true suite but just a balcony room with a bigger/nicer bathroom) and this is our 3rd cruise with NCL (previously sailed Epic and Bliss) and our 5th cruise overall.  We had the regular drink package, 2 specialty dinners (we chose Teppanyaki and Cagney's), $50 shore excursion, and 150 minutes of wifi (which I forgot about until the last day of the cruise).  It may take me a couple days to get everything posted but if you have questions let me know and I will answer if I can!

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We flew into Orlando a couple days before the cruise to visit family we have in Florida near Port Canaveral. We used Uber instead of renting a car and even though it is a little bit of a hike from Orlando to the east side of Florida I think it was a cheaper option overall. (It was around $80) 

Saturday 15th-Embarkation

Arrived at Port Canaveral around 10am. It was my first time cruising from there and although I saw a sign for Carnival's Mardi Gras ship, I didn't see anything for NCL so it took a few minutes to figure out terminal 10 was the correct location. Thankfully our Uber driver had patience with us while we figured it out.

Once dropped off it was again a little confusing as to where to go and where to drop off bags. Not a huge deal but we found ourselves backtracking a little to get the right spots. (I think signage could be better but everyone is helpful) After dropping the bags we checked in with very little wait and then sat down until called. We had boarding group 31 and we were onboard right after 11am. One thing I liked was that they had the welcome aboard photo area setup so you could take that picture while waiting instead of stopping during your trek onto the ship.

Once onboard we made show reservations at the box office and also fixed some dining reservations (you could do this at either Le Bistro which is their French restaurant or they also had it setup in the headliners comedy club). It was then time for our first drink! We went to Mixx so we could grab lunch after the drinks. I checked the app and this is when I noticed that the Dominican Republic was no longer listed on our cruise and after inquiring we found out it had been replaced with Nassau Bahamas (more on this later). We finished our first drink and I ordered a glass of wine with lunch at Savor and it was nice to sit down and enjoy a meal rather than fight the buffet crowds. I know I had a quesadilla for this first lunch and that was good but I don't remember all of the food/drinks so I will only mention those I recall. If there is anything that wasn't good or was really notable I will mention that too. After lunch we did a little exploring and ended up at spice H2O for more drinks and to wait for our room to be ready. I don't remember the exact time but I believe the room was done around 2pm. I was happy the room was open because after lunch and those initial drinks I was tired so we immediately went and took a nap. Our bags arrived while we were napping so we unpacked and got cleaned up and then went to Spice for sailaway. Side note, as we left the room for sailaway we met Junior our room steward. He seemed nice, very laid back and told us he would take care of everything. (Since we don't have any special requests and just really expect the basics of fresh towels and to replenish the tissue/TP we figured this would be an easy ask but we can get more into that later)

 Once sailaway was done we headed to Teppanyaki for dinner. Dinner was a good start to the cruise. Service was excellent, and the chef put on a good show. I had the steak and shrimp for my entree and fruit for dessert. Food was good...typical Teppanyaki quality which in my opinion is good but not usually great.I also tried the wasabi cocktail offered. It was really good and not at all spicy like the name implies. The rest of the evening we spent exploring the ship and watching some of the entertainment in the atrium. We did try to get into Syd Norman's but even after getting there early it was still packed so we didn't stay. I know we didn't do much on this evening and we didn't stay up super late as we planned to get up early to enjoy Great Stirrup Cay. All in all it was a great start.

Nice start, I look forward to following along. We have a similar itinerary on the Escape in January and we've sailed Getaway previously. Shame you missed GSC, I'm preparing for not making it there but it would be nice.

Sunday 16th-No Great Stirrup Cay

Woke up to a beautiful day and although tired, we were excited to get over to the beach. We quickly found out that this was not to be. Apparently the tenders were unable to get to the ship so we would not be able to get to the island. It didn't look like rough seas but I am not the expert on that department and I've heard this is a common problem so we found ourselves with a sea day. Since there was no rush to go anywhere we took a long time to get up and out of the cabin that morning. Breakfast was Starbucks lattes (we just had the regular drink package so they did cost extra) and we watched some of the atrium entertainment while figuring out what we wanted to do with this unexpected sea day. 

All in all I am not quite sure what we did the whole day. I know we did some shopping onboard and that I bought some cruise nexts certificates for a cruise we have planned next year. We also had lunch at taste and I remember I had the spinach salad and chicken flautas which were good and the lava cake which was super delicious. I'm sure we also had a few drinks but otherwise the day is a little fuzzy...maybe we had more drinks than I recall.

Anyways we got a little more dressed up for the evening activities which started with dinner at Cagney's. I had the crab cake, filet, scalloped potatoes, grilled zucchini, and chocolate cake and all of it was amazing. I also had a couple of glasses of Veuve which cost about $19 in addition to the beverage package but worth it. We were also served an anniversary cake which we could not even imagine eating at that point so they wrapped it up for us to take to our room. After dinner we had the million dollar quartet performance which was fantastic. Very talented performers and we really enjoyed it. I don't believe we managed to squeeze anything else out of this day; especially after all that food and drink. But this was one of our favorite days on this trip.

Monday 17th-Sea Day

Woke up very slowly today since we had no real plans. We first made our way to Starbucks because pumpkin season is here. We caught the morning show on how to run a cruise ship presentation but the sushi demo prior ran long so the presentation was crunched for time. I could have spent a lot more time hearing about it. I hope they are able to do behind the scenes tours again sometime in the future.

 After the presentation we grabbed some lunch at Savor and I had the spinach Caesar salad (very good) and the BLT (bread was kind of stale so not so good). Pool deck was crowded as expected and even though this was a planned sea day there wasn't a lot going on. We tried to participate in a whiskey tasting but they were already full so we went to a few different bars and tried a few drinks. We also tried out the bake shop. The macarons were good but the cupcake wasn't that great.

This was the day when I realized our room steward might not be as excellent as our previous stewards. He had clearly been in the room but had only left us with one towel. I figured at the time that it must be an oversight and he forgot to bring fresh ones in but this continued all week. Several times the floor mat got soaked due to the jets in the shower spraying everywhere and he would take the wet mat but wouldn't leave a new one. When my husband called about getting new towels he said our room steward came and just handed them over and didn't seem overly concerned that we were missing them so maybe he just wasn't up for the job? Im not really sure what was going on there but it didn't make any real dent in our enjoyment.

The rest of the day wasn't very exciting. We had dinner at Savor and I had a dish with chicken and risotto that wasn't to my liking. Too much tomato flavor that just didn't taste right with whatever other flavors they used. I'm sure we had some dessert and probably evening drinks but I nothing specifically stands out for evening activities. We were looking forward to having a day in port so I'm assuming we didn't stay up too late. It wasn't a bad day, just not that memorable.

How long before the show did you arrive at Syd's?  How many people on your cruise?  We are cruising the Getaway in February.

Nice review, NCL really needs to invest in GSC and put in a pier

4 hours ago, EllieinNJ said: How long before the show did you arrive at Syd's?  How many people on your cruise?

I was on the Getaway at the end of September.  About 70 percent full as I was told by some staff, not sure if it was accurate of not as the ship seemed more full than that. 

Anyway, we would line-up at Syd's about 40 minutes early, maybe was one of the first 15 people in.  Once someone starts the line, it multiplies quickly, straight down the hall.  When selecting a seat, be wary, of course, of the potential of people standing right in front of you.  Especially likely when sitting in the back by the wall and bar.

Thank you for taking the time to share your thoughts and experience.  Looking forward to reading the rest.

Enjoying the review.  Thank you.  I am sailing on the Getaway in February and every little bit helps.

9 hours ago, Laszlo said: Nice review, NCL really needs to invest in GSC and put in a pier

There is a  reef that would not be cool to remove.  Also, it is my understanding that there is no good place to put a pier and have it be protected from weather, etc.  I think all those things are factored in.  

I'm enjoying your review. Thanks for sharing. I'm interested to see what happened to DR.

On 10/24/2022 at 9:22 AM, EllieinNJ said: How long before the show did you arrive at Syd's?  How many people on your cruise?  We are cruising the Getaway in February.

We are currently on board and were told 4100 last week and 3300 this week.

1 hour ago, Mrswood83 said: We are currently on board and were told 4100 last week and 3300 this week.

How can 4100 be accurate?  The capacity of the ship is 3963 (double occupancy) per the NCL website

Thank you for the review.  My wife and I are sailing on the Getaway for Xmas Dec 23rd (8 Night)

What did you think about the main shows in the theater? It looks like they also had a number of comedian shows in the main theater.  Did you enjoy those?

cruiseny4life

13 hours ago, hrmkr said: How can 4100 be accurate?  The capacity of the ship is 3963 (double occupancy) per the NCL website

The answer to your question is in your question - double occupancy. Many rooms have three, four, or six folks in them. Families that travel with their children will often have more than two individuals in a room. On my April NCL Getaway cruise we were at 4,400 passengers on board. It was Easter week, so schools in NY/CT/NJ were out, and families were traveling!

On 10/27/2022 at 9:17 AM, cruiseny4life said: The answer to your question is in your question - double occupancy. Many rooms have three, four, or six folks in them. Families that travel with their children will often have more than two individuals in a room. On my April NCL Getaway cruise we were at 4,400 passengers on board. It was Easter week, so schools in NY/CT/NJ were out, and families were traveling!

Exactly!!!! 

Sorry for the delay on posting the rest of the cruise. Came back to a major crisis at work so I've been swamped but should be posting more soon and will answer any questions too.

Would love to hear more!

We lined up usually 60 min early for Syds to get a seat!!

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• Norwegian Cruise Line

Norwegian Getaway

Cruise line Norwegian Cruise Line

• Miami (Florida)
• New York (NYC Manhattan-Brooklyn)
• New Orleans (Port NOLA Louisiana)
• Piraeus-Athens (Greece)

Norwegian Getaway current position

Norwegian Getaway current location is at Aegean Sea (coordinates 37.93723 N / 23.62438 E) cruising en route to THESSALONIKI, GREECE. The AIS position was reported 2 minutes ago.

Current itinerary of Norwegian Getaway

Norwegian Getaway current cruise is 9 days, round-trip Greek Isles Santorini, Rhodes Istanbul . Prices start from USD 1722 (double occupancy rates). The itinerary starts on 10 Sep, 2024 and ends on 19 Sep, 2024 .

Specifications of Norwegian Getaway

•   Itineraries
•   Review
•   Wiki

Norwegian Getaway Itineraries

Norwegian getaway review, review of norwegian getaway.

The 2014-built Norwegian Getaway cruise ship is the second of two Breakaway-class NCL liners - preceded by Breakaway (2013). The next generation (biggest class) NCL Norwegian vessels are the new Breakaway-Plus ships Norwegian Escape (2015), Norwegian Joy (2017) and Norwegian Bliss (2018).

The vessel (IMO number 9606924) is currently Bahamas- flagged (MMSI 311050900) and registered in Nassau .

History - construction and ownership

Norwegian Cruise Line (NCL) is a subsidiary company of the shipping corporation Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings Ltd (NCLH). NCL was founded in 1966, headquartered in Miami (Florida USA) and publicly traded (NASDAQ) company listed on NYSE ( NYC ). NCLH's major shareholders are the corporations Apollo Global Management (American), Genting Group (Malaysian) and TPG Capital (American). In 2017, the brand NCL had a worldwide cruise market share 8,7% (passengers) and 8,4% (revenue). NCLH (shipowner) owns the brands NCL , Oceania and RSSC-Regent .

The 4000-passenger ship Norwegian Getaway was finished and delivered to her owner, Norwegian Cruise Line, on January 10, 2014. The vessel was built by Meyer Werft in Papenburg, Germany and is located most of the time in Miami (where was the ceremony of naming the Norwegian Getaway on February 7, 2014). The name of Getaway was chosen after a competition. While the ship was under construction, on 5 March 2013 a fire broke out. Luckily, no one was injured and the accident did not stop the construction works.

Decks and Cabins

Norwegian Getaway has a total of 2014 cabins (of which 1343 outside, 530 Inside, 127 single cabins) in 42 grades. Most Norwegian Getaway staterooms are 170-sq. foot Balcony rooms. 42 are the wheelchair accessible rooms. The largest aboard Norwegian Getaway is the Haven Deluxe Owner’s Suites (740 ft2).

Norwegian Getaway staterooms (2008 total, in 42 grades) include 1343 outside, 530 Inside, 59 Studios (single cabins). Most staterooms are sized 160-170 ft2 (15-16 m2). Balcony cabins are 998, Oceanviews 156, Inside 449. Wheelchair-accessible cabins are 42. The largest accommodations are The Haven Deluxe Owners Suites (740 ft2 / 70 m2, with wraparound terrace sized 190 ft2 / 18 m2).

The boat has 18 decks , of which 14 are passenger-accessible and 10 with cabins.

Shipboard dining options - Food and Drinks

When it comes to dining on Norwegian Getaway, Freestyle is the norm. It means guests can eat virtually when they want, where they want. This applies to the extra-fee dining, as well as included or free dining. Traditionalists enjoy the three "main dining rooms": The Tropicana and more-intimate Taste and Savor. Thanks to Norwegian's drive to improve all dining options in 2014, quality is generally good. Guests had complained about the declining quality, and NCL invested in improving on standards and new menu options. Healthy and vegetarian options are always available. One of Norwegian's greatest strengths is the vast range of dining venues. Passengers can try a French bistro, Italian trattoria, Asian Teppanyaki, Brazilian churrascaria, steakhouse, seafood restaurant, a raw bar and a noodle bar. All speciality dining carries an 18% auto-gratuity.

Follows the complete list of Norwegian Getaway restaurants and food bars.

• Savor Restaurant (282-seat forward Dining Room, complimentary)
• Taste Restaurant (282-seat forward Dining Room, complimentary, with Your Time dining)
• Le Bistro (114-seat French speciality dinner-only restaurant; reservations-only; US$20 cover charge)
• Teppanyaki (96-seat Japanese Hibachi speciality, reservations-only restaurant; US$25; open for Lunch and Dinner; features live cooking demonstrations)
• The Tropicana Restaurant (632-seat aft Dining Room; NYC private club design; complimentary; Freestyle dining, Dinner only)
• O’Sheehan’s Neighbourhood Bar & Grill (285-seat sports bar, with 24-hour American cuisine - burgers, steaks, desserts; complimentary)
• Shanghai’s Noodle Bar (53-seat Asian cuisine complimentary restaurant inside O’Sheehan’s Pub area)
• Cagney’s Steakhouse (speciality dinner restaurant for prime steaks and gourmet seafood specialities; reservations-only, US$30 cover charge per person and free Kids Menu).
• Moderno Churrascaria (124-seat Brazilian steakhouse; reservations-only; US$20 per person cover charge; with outdoor seating waterfront area)
• La Cucina (168-seat Italian speciality restaurant; reservations-only, US$15 cover charge; with outdoor seating waterfront area)
• Ocean Blue (seafood speciality restaurant; reservations-only, US$39 per person cover charge. “Ocean Blue on the Waterfront” is the outdoor seating area)
• Raw Bar (10-seat seafood restaurant)
• Wasabi Sushi Bar (a la carte)
• Garden Cafe (complimentary buffet restaurant with various cuisine stations)
• Open-Air Garden Cafe (the outdoor extension of Garden Cafe restaurant; complimentary)
• Flamingo Bar & Grill (complimentary casual restaurant by the Aqua Park)
• Full-service Starbucks licensed store.

Shipboard entertainment options - Fun and Sport

Passengers can enjoy The Waterfront, new unique feature which represents an open-air promenade constructed to be the connection between guests and the ocean. There is no cruise line offering such an innovative and unique feature to its passengers. At the end of each cruise, a fireworks show is taking place. The Getaway Theater hosts ship's most elaborate extravaganzas. It's where guests will find the Broadway-style musical productions "Legally Blonde" and "SIX", as well as the famous dance revue show "Burn the Floor".

The ship's 3-deck Atrium is Getaway's activity centre throughout the day with morning trivia, Nintendo U Dance 4 competition, cooking demonstrations, towel animal folding, dance classes, games. Elsewhere, other activities include seminars for detoxing, art auctions, wine tastings, bingo, international crew talent show and solo travellers' meet and greets.

Entertainment options also include the NCL's FIREWORKS show (on each voyage), "Rock of Ages", "Cirque Dreams", "Illusionarium" (magicians show).

Additional amenities include: Complimentary 24-hr Room-Service, Supervised Kids Program ("NCL Kids"), Internet/WiFi Access, Laundry. NCL Getaway tipping/gratuities are US$12 pp per day.

Follows the complete list of Norwegian Getaway lounges, clubs and other entertainment venues for kids, teens and adults.

• Getaway Theatre (800-seat; features Broadway-style musical productions; two grand-shows per night). The evening shows feature two signature musicals - "Legally Blonde" and "SIX: The Musical" (British pop musical themed on Henry VIII’s 6 wives).
• Illusionarium (217-seat theatrical entertainment dining venue “Cirque Dreams & Dinner Jungle Fantasy”, with grand-style aerial acrobatics; surcharge $30-40 PP)
• Atrium (3-deck midship hub area - “678 Ocean Place”, with a big-size LED screen, dance area and live entertainment)
• Atrium Cafe & Bar (112-seat speciality tea & coffee bar)
• Headliners Comedy Club & Lounge (features “The Second City” comedy show and “Howl At The Moon” piano show)
• The Library; Card Room; Internet Cafe (24-hour)
• Mixx Bar (live piano music; pre-dinner cocktails); Bar 21; Prime Meridian Bar; Humidor Cigar Bar & Lounge (smoking venue); Sugar Cane Mojito Bar; Sunset Bar; Malting's; Shaker's
• Syd Norman’s Pour House (rock ‘n’ roll-themed venue featuring rock-themed cocktails, movies, events, and live tribute bands performing 60s, 70s and 80s hits)
• Carlo’s Bake Shop (cakes, pastries, bakeries; cupcake classes)
• The Collection Art Gallery
• Getaway Casino
• Bliss Ultra Lounge & Nightclub
• Dolce Gelato (Italian ice cream); Cakestand (cakes, pastries)
• Fat Cats Lounge & Club (160-seat Jazz & Blues live performances)
• SVEDKA Ice Bar (25-seat; with sculptures, glasses and seats made of ice; room temperature is -8 degrees C/ 17 F)
• Boutiques (tax-duty free shops); Tradewinds (watches, jewellery, perfumes, handbags, alcohol, tobacco); Tides (gifts); Click (Photo Gallery & Shop)
• Waterfront Promenade (1320 ft/402 m long; open-air dining and entertainment venues)
• Studio Lounge (cruising solo guests-only venue)
• Splash Academy Club area (kids' programme for 6 months to 12 yo kids)
• Spa & Fitness complex (with 22 treatment rooms, pool, aerobics studio and relaxation lounge)
• The Market Place (shopping alley)
• Aqua Park (3-deck, with two pools and 5 multi-level waterslides); Kid’s Aqua Park; 9 jacuzzis
• Spa & Fitness (Thermal Suite, Salt Room, Medi Spa, Beauty Salon, Barber Shop, fitness classes)
• Spice H2O (adults only; served by Breezeway Bar & Grill)
• Entourage Teen Centre (jukeboxes, table football, video arcades, teen disco)
• “The Haven” (Suite- and Villa-passengers only complex; consists of The Haven Courtyard, The Haven Restaurant, The Haven Lounge)
• Rock Climbing Wall; Jogging Track; Sports Complex (Spider Web - enclosed 24ft/7m tall kids' climbing wall with a spiral slide, Bungee Trampoline, 9-hole Mini Golf course, the largest at sea Ropes course, Zip Line, The Plank - 8ft/2,5m extending platform)
• Vibe Beach Club (adults only).

Itineraries

Norwegian Getaway itinerary program is largely based on 7- to 14-day long voyages to ports in the Caribbean and Bermuda leaving roundtrip from homeport NYC New York . All Eastern Caribbean itineraries visit NCL's private island in The Bahamas - Great Stirrup Cay . All voyages to Bermuda include a 2-night/3-day overnight stay in Kings Wharf/Royal Naval Dockyard .

Photos of Norwegian Getaway

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Other Norwegian Cruise Line cruise ships

• Norwegian Aqua
• Norwegian Bliss
• Norwegian Breakaway
• Norwegian Dawn
• Norwegian Encore
• Norwegian Epic
• Norwegian Escape
• Norwegian Gem
• Norwegian Jade
• Norwegian Jewel
• Norwegian Joy
• Norwegian Pearl
• Norwegian Prima
• Norwegian Sky
• Norwegian Spirit
• Norwegian Star
• Norwegian Sun
• Norwegian Viva
• Pride of America

Norwegian Getaway Wiki

"Norwegian Getaway" as ship name was selected via online naming contest, and it was submitted by Dennis Hultman (from Vienna VA, USA).

Getaway is NCL's second Breakaway-Class liner, with sistership  Breakaway . The vessel's hull design is by David "LEBO" Le Batard (a celebrity artist from Miami FL). Interior ship design companies are Priestmangoode (England) and Tillberg (Sweden). The Inaugural Cruise (Maiden Voyage) started on January 16, 2014 (11-day Transatlantic repositioning crossing from  Rotterdam  to  Miami ).

The ship's godmothers are Miami Dolphins Cheerleaders - the entire cheerleading squad of the football team Miami Dolphins.

During 2016 Summer Olympics (August 5-21), the liner took a break from its regular schedule and served as a hotel ship for corporate sponsors and members of the National Organizing Committees, International Olympic Federation and Rio Host Committee. The liner was anchored at Pier Maua in  Rio de Janeiro Brazil  one day ahead of the opening ceremony (August 4) and stayed until the games closed on August 21.

• Norwegian Cruise Line

Really bad reviews on Getaway

By The Med , October 16, 2023 in Norwegian Cruise Line

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We were looking at a cruise on The Getaway from New York leaving in January.

We only cruised NCL once before, on the Epic about 4 years ago so I thought that I’d read some reviews to get a feel of what’s what.

Oh, my goodness, the reviews are dreadful, I haven’t come across a good one yet.

The comments range from overcrowding everywhere, 45 minute queues to get on and off tenders, nowhere to sit in the buffet, all speciality restaurants booked up once you get onboard, all excursions booked if you happen to be a late booking, 45 minute queues to get into main restaurant with no queue separating those who have booked and those that haven’t.Also no quiet areas to sit and read, a screen on constantly in main atrium.Disorganised staff, people coughing all over the buffet, no sanitiser offered on entering restaurants.

Can anyone either confirm this or offer a more positive experience?

To be honest, it’s completely put us off booking.

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First of all , keep in mind that unhappy people will post their experiences more often than someone who had a wonderful cruise.

However, many of the things you mention are just the way it is many places, not just on a popular cruise. There will be lines for tenders - no way to get a few thousand people off instantly. Book an NCL excursion and you will have priority for the time of your excursion. Yes, some excursions sell out just like tickets to anything, FCFS.  Buffet will be crowded at popular times, restaurants will be at capacity, again just like anywhere else.

Haven't been on the Getaway recently but as far as I know, every ship has a library if you can't find a quiet place to sit and read.  And every ship has washy-washy people and/or sanitizer at the restaurants in my experience.  People coughing?  That's everywhere.

cruiseny4life

I cruised Getaway three times between April, 2022 and January, 2023. My information is dated, but you may find my reviews/lives helpful. There were certainly some hiccups, but I would book Getaway again in a NYC minute!! 

You should follow this review as @CruisnHallelujahs  will be embarking on 10/22 and posting a live review:

Here are links to my review and lives of Getaway:

1. Getaway Easter Sailing - April, 2022 (first cruise on NCL) - review

2. Getaway September Sailing - September, 2022 - live

3. Getaway New Year's Sailing - 2022/2023 - live

I'm not one to sugarcoat problems on a ship, but having sailed on the Getaway three times, the most recent earlier this year, I can tell you my experience.  Yes, there are lines sometimes, which is not uncommon on any megaship on any cruise line.  The line to disembark at the end of the cruise is always long, but it moves very quickly.  I doubt we've waited more than 15 minutes.  We have never had to wait in a line to eat dinner in the MDR, but I have seen some lines when we leave around 7:00 or so.  If you know to go to Headliners when you board the ship, you can usually score your preferred times for specialty restaurants.  We always go there first, because the excursions desk usually opens a bit later.  Regardless, we're first in line for excursions when it opens.  Some excursions are completely booked up, but often some have opened up that were showing full online.  You can also get on a wait list in case something opens up later (it does happen).  Catching a tender in a popular port can be tough if you're trying to get off early, but sometimes the very first tender of the day goes off half empty because people who booked don't get moving that early.  I've heard announcements telling passengers that spaces are available without reservations.  Speaking of reservations, since you have no latitudes status, you'll have to get a tender ticket the day before if you want to get off early.  If time is no issue, don't bother with a ticket because usually by 10 or 11, everything opens up and you no longer need tickets.  Of course, if you're on a ship excursion, you don't need a ticket.

The buffet, like on every ship, can get crowded at peak times.  We've never not been able to find seats, but sometimes you have to wander a bit and be ready to grab a spot that opens up.  As far as a quiet place to read, if the weather is nice, the waterfront is awesome.  If you want to sit indoors, check out the bars during the morning and early afternoons.  They are virtually empty with comfortable seats.  HTH

20 minutes ago, FredZiffle said: I'm not one to sugarcoat problems on a ship, but having sailed on the Getaway three times, the most recent earlier this year, I can tell you my experience.  Yes, there are lines sometimes, which is not uncommon on any megaship on any cruise line.  The line to disembark at the end of the cruise is always long, but it moves very quickly.  I doubt we've waited more than 15 minutes.  We have never had to wait in a line to eat dinner in the MDR, but I have seen some lines when we leave around 7:00 or so.  If you know to go to Headliners when you board the ship, you can usually score your preferred times for specialty restaurants.  We always go there first, because the excursions desk usually opens a bit later.  Regardless, we're first in line for excursions when it opens.  Some excursions are completely booked up, but often some have opened up that were showing full online.  You can also get on a wait list in case something opens up later (it does happen).  Catching a tender in a popular port can be tough if you're trying to get off early, but sometimes the very first tender of the day goes off half empty because people who booked don't get moving that early.  I've heard announcements telling passengers that spaces are available without reservations.  Speaking of reservations, since you have no latitudes status, you'll have to get a tender ticket the day before if you want to get off early.  If time is no issue, don't bother with a ticket because usually by 10 or 11, everything opens up and you no longer need tickets.  Of course, if you're on a ship excursion, you don't need a ticket.   The buffet, like on every ship, can get crowded at peak times.  We've never not been able to find seats, but sometimes you have to wander a bit and be ready to grab a spot that opens up.  As far as a quiet place to read, if the weather is nice, the waterfront is awesome.  If you want to sit indoors, check out the bars during the morning and early afternoons.  They are virtually empty with comfortable seats.  HTH

I just got off the Getaway last week and I concur with basically all of this.  There were no major problems and besides the usual Shanghai lines, there was only one night out of 11 that we waited at all to get into a dining room, and that was maybe 5-10 minutes at most. We had NO problem finding quiet places to sit both inside and outside to read, relax, have a drink etc. It was a great cruise and I am not a Pollyanna in the least.  The screen in the Atrium was on all of the time, I suppose, but I'm not sure why that would be a negative?  There was almost always an activity going on that the screen related to!

If you've sailed 4 years ago, please adjust your expectations downward. The cruise experience in the overall industry has severely degraded on multiple fronts - entertainment, staffing, training, etc. The cruise lines are generally charging more because they can while delivering less. This doesn't mean you should not book the cruise, though.

We used to cruise 4+ times per year, but since Corona, we have sailed only twice and only when we find a last minute cruise with space available. We don't find overall value in the cruise space these days. While we don't mind paying more if we get more, we outright reject the idea of paying more for less, so we spend our vacation dollars very intentionally elsewhere.

I concur with all of the previous commenters. 

In a nutshell, given the size of the ship and number of passengers, yes, expects waits and crowds at the pinch points you mentioned (i.e., buffet at peak times, disembarking, tendering, etc.).  That's a fact of life on a mainstream cruise line.

Also, if you leave NYC in January around school holidays (MLK weekend), expect kids and families. So, pick your dates carefully.

That said, I sailed on the Getaway earlier this year, Joy last month, and Escape next month....all out of NYC.  I had a great time on the prior ships and expect no less on the Escape.

Don't fret: come on over to the states and take the cruise!

Remember you’re sailing with 4000 other ppl, not 400.   

p&lcruisers

We're were on the Getaway in March and we had a great time. Peak hours can get crowded.  When school is off it can get crazy. Getaway was my favorite ship.  Go and have fun ! 

fastpitchdad

We have sailed the Getaway twice and loved it each time. 

My wife and I sailed the GA in January 2023 on a 12 day out of NYC in the Haven. We went with friends who were Non Haven. We had dinner in the main dining room the first night. The service was terrible, specialty restaurants were fine. Honestly didn't really notice if it was overcrowded or not, sea days we spent between the Haven Courtyard, Sundeck and the Spa. 

If you can swing it, book a Haven Cabin.....At least get a Spa Pass

Thank you for all the quick replies.

Although we’ve not sailed NCL for 4 years we have sailed with other cruise lines over the last few years, mostly Celebrity which up until recently we thought was a fairly good fit for us.

The last two cruises were on Celebrity Beyond, although that wasn’t sailing full, and then in February we went on the Celebrity Edge and it was this last cruise that we thought we’d give Celebrity a break for a while. We definitely noticed a difference in terms of food, service and entertainment.

We now realise though that it’s not just Celebrity that are cutting corners but apparently several cruise lines seem to be on a race to the bottom.

The cruise sails on January 2nd for 10 nights so I presume there will be lots of children on board?   

Anyway we have lots to think about, whether to go ahead and book or not.

butterfly4108

We sailed on her last year at the same time you're considering and there were probably more children than adults!  At least it seemed like it with the screaming at the elevators (playing games on the floor in front of them), some running down the halls kicking doors at 2 a.m. and later, and I could go on but won't.... 😄   The ship itself is "so-so" as the layout makes it feel crowded most of the time but not enough to dissuade us from taking another trip if that's the only ship with the itinerary we want BUT during a time when school is out.  That was the worst trip we've ever taken out of over 20 cruises!  HOWEVER, we love NCL, they have the best itineraries and other than that particular time of year have had no problems with dinner seating, service or otherwise....

cruiser2015

10 minutes ago, The Med said: Thank you for all the quick replies.   Although we’ve not sailed NCL for 4 years we have sailed with other cruise lines over the last few years, mostly Celebrity which up until recently we thought was a fairly good fit for us.   The last two cruises were on Celebrity Beyond, although that wasn’t sailing full, and then in February we went on the Celebrity Edge and it was this last cruise that we thought we’d give Celebrity a break for a while. We definitely noticed a difference in terms of food, service and entertainment. We now realise though that it’s not just Celebrity that are cutting corners but apparently several cruise lines seem to be on a race to the bottom.   The cruise sails on January 2nd for 10 nights so I presume there will be lots of children on board?    Anyway we have lots to think about, whether to go ahead and book or not.

Quite the contrary regarding the kiddies.

Most schools reopen just after the New Year.

Thanks for that Butterfly4108

Well that’s made us think!  We have been away previously on other cruises during school holidays (we had to when our son was at school) but we didn’t find it too much of a problem because we found that most children went to the kids club.

However, we’re older now and less “kid tolerant” especially naughty ones!  

For various reasons we wanted to be away from home over New Year so thought that a couple of nights in The Big Apple followed by a cruise might have done the trick.

Oh decisions decisions.

1 minute ago, cruiser2015 said: Quite the contrary regarding the kiddies. Most schools reopen just after the New Year.

That's what we thought as well but were informed that children in Canada were still out of school which was why there were so many on our particular trip...

3 minutes ago, cruiser2015 said: Quite the contrary regarding the kiddies. Most schools reopen just after the New Year.

Does it vary depending where in America you are?  

I see Butterfly said that Canada is different.

I would have thought that as the cruise leaves on 2nd for 10 nights that most children would have to be back during this period.

In the UK parents get fined for taking their children out during term time, not sure what the USA rules are.

www3traveler

19 minutes ago, The Med said: Thank you for all the quick replies.   Although we’ve not sailed NCL for 4 years we have sailed with other cruise lines over the last few years, mostly Celebrity which up until recently we thought was a fairly good fit for us.   The last two cruises were on Celebrity Beyond, although that wasn’t sailing full, and then in February we went on the Celebrity Edge and it was this last cruise that we thought we’d give Celebrity a break for a while. We definitely noticed a difference in terms of food, service and entertainment. We now realise though that it’s not just Celebrity that are cutting corners but apparently several cruise lines seem to be on a race to the bottom.   The cruise sails on January 2nd for 10 nights so I presume there will be lots of children on board?    Anyway we have lots to think about, whether to go ahead and book or not.

People might be willing to take the kids out of school for a 7 day cruise (especially during a holiday period) but probably less so for a 10 day cruise.  However a lot of kids are homeschooled now or can keep up with their school work via the internet.

I'm not sure of the dates for Canada as I'm in the US so with our own children being back in school that week I thought they all were lol!!  I only found out the Canadian children were still out when I asked the staff why there were so many children running all over the place.  I had no idea.... I guess you could probably check the dates online for the holiday period this year though so you'd know ahead of time whether they'll be out this year or not...

In the US children can do distance learning with permission and quite a few are also home schooled which allows a lot more freedom for travel as long as they put in their "school time" on their laptops depending on their district and state of course.

3 hours ago, The Med said: We were looking at a cruise on The Getaway from New York leaving in January. We only cruised NCL once before, on the Epic about 4 years ago so I thought that I’d read some reviews to get a feel of what’s what.   Oh, my goodness, the reviews are dreadful, I haven’t come across a good one yet.   The comments range from overcrowding everywhere, 45 minute queues to get on and off tenders, nowhere to sit in the buffet, all speciality restaurants booked up once you get onboard, all excursions booked if you happen to be a late booking, 45 minute queues to get into main restaurant with no queue separating those who have booked and those that haven’t.Also no quiet areas to sit and read, a screen on constantly in main atrium.Disorganised staff, people coughing all over the buffet, no sanitiser offered on entering restaurants.   Can anyone either confirm this or offer a more positive experience?   To be honest, it’s completely put us off booking.    

Rule # 1, don't trust bad reviews. I never do.

1 hour ago, The Med said: Does it vary depending where in America you are?   I see Butterfly said that Canada is different.   I would have thought that as the cruise leaves on 2nd for 10 nights that most children would have to be back during this period.   In the UK parents get fined for taking their children out during term time, not sure what the USA rules are.  

You did not mention when in January you were traveling.

Anyway, I didn't think about Canada. I would expect the largest portion of passengers to be Americans. In the New York area, back to school is Jan. 2 for most.

A little quick research on open dates: south Florida Jan 5 or 8; Virginia around the 6th; Pennsylvania  3rd.

That is a sampling.

Definitely some parents will hold kids back for a vacation that they can get for less when not the holiday break.

I would not expect many, especially if you're mid month or later.

15 minutes ago, DCGuy64 said: Rule # 1, don't trust bad reviews. I never do.

Amen. If I cruised only on ships that didn't have bad reviews, I wouldn't cruise at all. 

14 minutes ago, cruiser2015 said: You did not mention when in January you were traveling. Anyway, I didn't think about Canada. I would expect the largest portion of passengers to be Americans. In the New York area, back to school is Jan. 2 for most. A little quick research on open dates: south Florida Jan 5 or 8; Virginia around the 6th; Pennsylvania  3rd. That is a sampling. Definitely some parents will hold kids back for a vacation that they can get for less when not the holiday break. I would not expect many, especially if you're mid month or later.

Our 12 day on the GA left January 8th 2023. Frankly I was surprised at the amount of kids, teens on the ship. In the Haven their were at least two dozen. Talking to one of their parents they just bring work along. Personally we would have never done that

7 minutes ago, IAcruising said:   Amen. If I cruised only on ships that didn't have bad reviews, I wouldn't cruise at all.   

Exactly, same here.

1 hour ago, IAcruising said:   Amen. If I cruised only on ships that didn't have bad reviews, I wouldn't cruise at all.   

  Well I do understand that almost everything has some bad reviews mixed with some good reviews, it was just that I couldn’t actually find any good reviews at all which was somewhat alarming (until the replies on this post).

However, we’re now thinking that this cruise probably isn’t for us.

The ship is too big.

I’ve just been reading on another post about someone asking about Cunard.  We haven’t done Cunard for a few years but we’re now considering the crossing to Southampton.

I do adore dressing to the nines, so that would be nice.

Its just that we won’t get the sunshine.

Oh, decisions, decisions. 

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Norwegian Luna

The newest addition to norwegian cruise line, norwegian luna.

Once in a blue moon, you experience something unforgettable. On Norwegian Luna™, the newest ship in the Prima Class, you might find that a blue moon happens more often than you'd think. Norwegian Luna is thoughtfully designed for every phase of your vacation, so every moment has more space to shine. You'll find wide-open outdoor areas like Infinity Beach for stretching out under the sun and Ocean Boulevard for a moonlit walk. Feel the rush on the Aqua Slidecoaster when you're ready to turn things up and lounge in perfectly appointed Oceanview and Balcony Staterooms when you're ready to turn down. There's more on board so your whole group can do exactly what you're in the mood for — even if those moods change with the tides. Norwegian's newest ship will have you seeing vacation in a whole new light.

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Introducing the all-new Norwegian Luna, the next stunning ship in a brand-new Prima Class, designed to live life to the fullest. Guests will stay connected to the ocean with extraordinary experiences that bring them closer to the horizon, unwind in our most spacious accommodations to date and experience first-rate service so they can live it up every second.

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