Introduction

Ready to tackle the youngest member of the Breakaway class, the Princess and I recently embarked on a spring break cruise on Norwegian Getaway. Some unique surprises, signature entertainment, a variety of dining options, and plenty of outdoor thrills topped our list of must do’s while onboard. Of course, we were prepared to give Getaway the same run through we gave Norwegian Escape back in 2016. Could Norwegian Getaway deliver the same stellar cruise as her big sister? Continue reading to see our Norwegian Getaway ship scorecard.

Norwegian Getaway Ship Scorecard

Pool Deck

Met Expectations

One downfall of the Breakaway class is the small pool area. Knowing this before we cruised, we did not let the size of the adult pool and family pool bother us. Though small, neither of the pools seemed overly crowded on sea days. There were also not too many children onboard so the pool deck never seemed overrun with little ones. Honestly, we did not spend much time on the pool deck as we preferred to lounge and catch some rays in Spice H2O, an adults only area with a waterfall feature at the aft of the ship.

Norwegian Getaway Ship Scorecard

Sports Deck

Met Expectations

Comprised of a ropes course, a basketball court, mini-golf, a rock climbing wall, and more, there are plenty of ways to stay active on the ship. Not to mention, there are plenty of thrills for all the adventure seekers out there. Do you dare to walk the plank 8 feet off the side of the ship or freefall down the waterslides? We were able to use the ropes course as well as the waterslides on a few occasions with virtually no wait times. We recommend arriving when they open up in the morning to avoid the crowds.

Norwegian Getaway Ship Scorecard

Service

Met Expectations

Staff throughout the ship were courtesy and helpful. Our stateroom attendant, Wayan, was like a ninja, getting in and out of our room without us ever really seeing him; though, the room was always tidy, and there were always towel friends to greet us in the evenings. At the restaurants, we had reliable service, but no real standouts except our chef, Warren, at Teppanyaki. Bar service was adequate with the staff at Margaritaville being the most energetic and charismatic.

Norwegian Getaway Ship Scorecard

Daily Activities

Met Expectations

Norwegian Cruise Line hosts typical cruise events during the day including demonstrations, pool games, and contests. We did enjoy a morning dance class with the Burn the Floor dancers, even if our cha-cha moves are still a work in progress. With mostly sunny skies, we tried to maximum our spring break vacation with a little R&R on the sundeck, so we did not partake in many of these daytime activities.

Main Dining Room

Met Expectations

Granted, we only ate dinner once in the Tropicana room, but the experience was pretty standard for a main dining room. We made reservations pre-cruise for 7:30pm. Bypassing the line, we were quickly checked in and seated at a table for 2. Our server was pleasant and prompt at taking our order. The food was average, and timing for three courses was just under 90 minutes, which is on par with most main dining room experiences.

Norwegian Getaway Ship Scorecard

Specialty Dining

Exceeded Expectations

We had a three night specialty dining package, and two additional hosted dinners, totaling 5 specialty restaurants. Standouts included the dinner and show at Teppanyaki, the tomahawk steak at Cagney’s Steakhouse, and the clam chowder at Ocean Blue. Yes, finally a cruise ship that delivered authentic New England clam chowder. Don’t get us wrong, there were plenty of tempting offerings at other restaurants as well, including La Cucina and Moderno.

Norwegian Getaway Ship Scorecard

Casual Eats

Met Expectations

In terms of casual eats, we had some mixed feelings. There were some things we loved, and others fell short of our expectations. Shanghai Noodle Bar was a great complimentary venue, but it is small and had a rather lengthy wait most nights (as you can’t make reservations here). O’Sheehan’s Pub food is also a great 24-hour spot for wings and other comfort foods. However, the lack of quick stop and go offerings for lunch and breakfast and the quality of the buffet food lowered this rating.

Norwegian Getaway Ship Scorecard

Night Time Activities

Exceeded Expectations

The late night parties in Spice H20 like the Glow Party and the 80’s Dance Party were lively, well-attended, and definitely a step above other cruise line’s parties. Game shows, like Deal or No Deal and Majority Rules, were also standing room only. There were so many great night time activities that we often found ourselves having to debate which events to attend. I guess that means we have to book another cruise to experience everything!

Norwegian Getaway Ship Scorecard

Signature Entertainment

Met Expectations

Again, some of the signature entertainment was outstanding and some was just average. The three Howl at the Moon dueling piano players were good but did not have that same energetic relationship that we experienced on Escape last year; however, the two Headliner’s comedians provided plenty of laughs and were well received by the audience. In the main theater, Burn the Floor was an exceptional show that should not be missed. Having seen Million Dollar Quartet on Escape, and previewing some of it during the Welcome Aboard show, we chose not to attend the full length production as it is not one of our favorite Broadway productions on a cruise ship.

Norwegian Getaway Ship Scorecard

Staterooms

Did Not Meet Expectations

We had a forward balcony, category BC, room 11714. For space and layout, the room was adequate. Storage was also average, but the lack of USB and power outlets near the bed like newer ships was a bit of a letdown. The balcony was disappointingly small as well with barely enough room to enjoy this private space for breakfast and sail-in during the mornings or cocktails and sail-away in the afternoons.

Norwegian Getaway Ship Scorecard

Bars and Lounges

Exceeded Expectations

NCL has their own mix of standard bars and drinks offering cruiser favorites like the rebellious fish and mango meltdown. Margaritaville remains one of our favorite places for a midday margarita and snack. The Sugarcane Mojito bar also delivers some of the best thirst quenching cocktails at sea with a true Miami flavor. Bar service was generally fast for the crowds, and drinks were generally well prepared.

Norwegian Getaway Ship Scorecard

Crowd Control

Met Expectations

For one of the largest ships at sea, you rarely feel like you are sailing with close to 4,000 other guests. Even typical bottleneck points, like leaving the main theater or disembarking in a port of call, were relatively easy to navigate. Getting a lounge chair, even if not in your ideal location, was never a problem either. The most notable blemish when it came to crowd control was the poorly organized and executed disembarkation. The hallways were so packed with people that you literally could not get off the elevators. The Princess and I actually got completely separated during the disembarkation process.

Norwegian Getaway Scorecard – Special Categories

Illusionarium

Met Expectations

Prior to sailing on Getaway, we had read some great reviews of this show. We can concur that the magicians and mentalists in the show were exceptional, making the show worth the up-charge. However, the food remains a sticking point. The surf and turf was served cold, and the entire meal was a real let down. The show is changing, which is a shame, but hopefully NCL will reconfigure the concept to keep the top-notch entertainment but nix the food.

Norwegian Getaway Ship Scorecard

Ice Bar

Did Not Meet Expectations

A 17 degree Fahrenheit room made of ice in the Caribbean sounds cool right? Even with the 20% discount for the those with the Ultimate Beverage package, paying $18 for this experience is probably not worth it for most cruisers. Drinks are limited to the 5 cocktails featured on the website, and you will spend 15-20 minutes at most inside the venue taking a few selfies and racing to finish your 2 cocktails before you freeze. It’s definitely a novelty that we wanted to check out for ourselves, but it is one venue that we would not return to on a future cruise.

Norwegian Getaway Ship Scorecard

Margaritaville

Exceeded Expectations

The expansion of the Jimmy Buffett partnership with NCL was music to our ears, even if we are not huge fans of the singer. The brand’s food and lifestyle fit perfectly with the cruise line. We visited the venue a few times for snacks throughout the cruise, never spending more than $12 between the two of us. The margaritas are covered in the Ultimate Beverage Package and are exactly what we needed on those sunny days. Our only wish is that the venue stayed open later in the evening to enjoy drinks or apps outdoors.

Norwegian Getaway Ship Scorecard

Norwegian Getaway Ship Overall

Met Expectations

Norwegian Cruise Line has come a long way since our first cruise with them close to a decade ago. Improved service and dining, as well as modifications that allows for pre-cruise planning and reservations, have allowed like-minded planners to enjoy a semi-freestyle cruise. This is the perfect combination for the two of us as we enjoy the variety of restaurants and onboard activities but need our schedules!

Norwegian Getaway Ship Scorecard

Norwegian Getaway provides cruisers with flexible options to be as pre-planned or as laissez-faire as they choose. Entertainment and nightlife abound as there is something to do virtually every hour of the cruise. Norwegian Getaway is a great choice of ship to test the brand out, especially if you want to explore the cruise line’s newest resort, Harvest Caye, Belize.

Comments

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