Ship: The Getaway is a definitely a large ship servicing over 4,000 passengers. I prefer a smaller ship, nonetheless, NCL staff does a great job at spreading the people out with different activities and interests, so it doesn’t feel overcrowded like some ships with the same capacity. We cruised on the Getaway in the inaugural year; but she’s still “ship shape”.

Service: The service was excellent throughout the ship. Some cruises you feel like the staff are “doing their job”. On this cruise we saw a lot of smiles, and staff who were all about your having a great time. In the Garden Cafe and around the common areas, plates were quickly picked up and tables cleaned.

Beverages: If offered with Free at Sea, I recommend the adult beverage package, even if you moderately consume alcohol or don’t drink alcohol at all (for non alcoholic fruit drinks). Careful ordering the recommended beverage in the specialty restaurants, because they could be well over your $15 per drink allowance. In all the restaurants, if you don’t order from the wine list, they’ll likely recommend the North & South (house wine), which is fine; but perhaps not to your liking for a specific meal. I recommend you peruse the wine menu. The Sommelier can be quite helpful if you request assistance. Most of the bartender’s are spot on with mixed drinks. Read more