The Norwegian Getaway Cruise Review- Our Second Voyage

Travelers: Myself and hubby, ages 44 & 45, son age 16 

Date: May 2016

Cabins: 8710- BX- BIG Balcony! This cabin was AMAZING! We loved the 100sf balcony and even enjoyed breakfast outside one day. We had 2 loungers, 2 chairs and a big table. My only advice is do a room service breakfast on a port day when the boat is stopped. We picked the first sea day and it was super windy at the very front of the ship! Other than the very large balcony the room itself was the same size as our family balcony on the Getaway on deck 12 last May. Our steward did give us some spa products which mini suite guests got too (on our floor/area)- like lemongrass soap, body wash and lotion. That was a nice surprise.

Staff- Our CD this year was Scott- a nice guy and quite personable but not nearly as charismatic as Joel last year on the Getaway. Our steward was fantastic and heads and tails above last year’s steward on the getaway. His name was Krishna and he kept the ice bucket filled, made cute towel animals nightly and was always tidying up the room. 

Dining- The  food was superb! On this Getaway voyage we had the Specialty Dining Package, which gave us 4 nights of dining. The first night we dined at Cagney's Steakhouse. My husband and I had the steak, and I had mine as surf and turf. The quality of my fillet and my husband’s ribeye was outstanding and tasty. My son got the lamb chops and he thought they were some of the best lamb chops he had ever eaten.  The scalloped potatoes and mushrooms were can’t miss sides, as well as the bisque. I will say my raspberry crème brulee is a favorite dessert for the Getaway as well!  The second night we dined at Teppanayki- it was quite enjoyable and also fun and entertaining.  We ordered shrimp and a seafood combination. My husband and son adored the garlic rice served alongside the meal, while I liked the noodles they offered. The only part of the meal that seemed a bit lacking was the dessert- a tropical fruit salad which was not super exciting and a green tea cake which was a bit dry. They were not bad desserts by any means but they were not stand outs like pretty much everything else on the specialty dining menus. Perhaps we were really full though! The third night we dined at Moderno’s- the Brazillian Churascarria. We had eaten there last year on the Getaway so we knew what to expect and looked forward to some items. For the most part we were just as happy with the selection as last year- although a few things were different. There is no fish served with the meats any longer- just chicken, pork, beef and grilled pineapple. I actually missed the fish wrapped in banana leaves from last year. The salad/soup/appetizer bar was still very extensive, although some specialty salads were no longer being served. However, sushi was present in in abundance at the buffet area which was new from last year. The cuts were thick and hearty and both my guys enjoyed the selection. Desserts were similar to last year- all dairy laden sweets which were good. Our fourth night we dined at Le Bistro- and we all felt this was our favorite dining venue. The menu was not large but the quality of food was fantastic. The appetizers we had included escargot, beet and goat cheese tourine, French onion soup and seafood en croute. Our meals of sole, lamb and beef were amazing- along with the fondue for dessert! Other nights we dined at Tropicana, the main dining room which features a band and the Burn the Floor Dancers several nights, as well as Shanghai, the noodle bar. When comparing the noodle bar to our experience there last year we found it a bit less umami. The dumplings seemed undercooked and the noodle dishes were not as flavored as last year. It was still good- just not great. The food in the main dining rooms for all meals was excellent as always, with stand outs being the breakfast egg specialty items, omelettes, and a unique selection of appetizers and desserts each day. O’Sheehan’s was our venue for our embarkation lunch and it was great! We were excited to taste their new menu items and we really think the food was better than last year. My guys enjoyed the wings, hotdogs and bangers and mash. I liked the new burgers and the chopped salad. We also dined at Flamingo Grill-which is supposedly becoming Margaritaville. I am glad we had the chance to eat there again as the food is super! My hubby and son love the chicherones, sausage breakfast sandwiches and Cuban rice and beans. I love their egg breakfast sandwiches, tropical fruit cups and plantains. I will miss the venue for sure! The buffet had lots of goodies- and the late night menu was great with empanadas, pizza, desserts and burgers. The selection changed each day, although you could always find standard breakfast and lunch foods like eggs, pizza, hot dogs, etc. A varied salad bar is offered, as well as many types of hard scoop ice cream/sherbet/frozen yogurt and sorbet. We tried a cupcake from Carlo’s this time- a peanut butter one. I believe this will become The Bake Shop soon- without Carlo’s signature. The cupcake was very yummy- but not the best cupcake I’ve ever had!  And I’ve tried many cupcakes! Suffice it to say, we ate a lot! :)

Drinking- Having the UBP- or unlimited beverage package is the best! Especially being that we got this and the SDP as a perk we really appreciated the ability to try new cocktails. As the package includes soda it is nice to have a ginger ale or coke too when the mood for a bubbly beverage strikes. We tried new cocktails this time- and I fell in love with the Colorado Bull Dog made for me at the Sunset Bar. My husband tried every one of the mixed whisky drinks at the Sunset Bar as well and liked them all. There are specialty cocktails at each of the specialty dining venues so be sure to check them out and try them too! 

Entertainment- The shows were a treat- we got to see the interim show Vocal Overdrive which was surprisingly very good. Those entertainers can really sing!  The Farewell show is a favorite for me- and if you have not yet been to one of Norwegian's farewell shows I won’t spoil it by telling you what happens at the end. I will say that I cry every time! The shows in the Atrium were fun- with the Celebrity Dance Off being hysterical! My son participated in the Lip Sync Battle- and while he did not win he had a blast! We saw the DBLove band in Fat Cats- they were good- albeit the lead singer is a bit overwhelming. The comedians were hysterical and we all always enjoy the shows. What is nice is that NCL offers a myriad of showtimes so everyone can see the comedians, unlike other cruise lines which have a select number of shows which are hard to get into. The Howl at the Moon piano bar was good entertainment- not quite the traditional dueling pianos but fun nonetheless.

Things to Do- We played shuffleboard and mini golf, enjoyed sunning on our balcony and on the pool deck, played skee ball and bowled and went to the evening deck parties. Our son had fun at the teen club, although the crowd was smaller than last year on the Getaway, which made for less teens dancing and hanging out. He did a fun karaoke night with the teens though. With our oversized balcony we actually spent lots of time outside, enjoying each others  company and the beautiful ocean breezes. The balcony made this trip the best one yet! 

Here are just a few of the yummy foods on the Getaway- wings from O'Sheehans, Surf and Turf from Cagney's, Creme Brulee from Cagney's and the Chicago Dog from O'Sheehans.