Norwegian Getaway Review
Rating by category
Additional details
First cruise experience. Check in and boarding the ship went smoothly. I parked at a public garage that provided a shuttle service to the port. As soon as I took a step off the shuttle, the porters were waiting to take my bags. The bags arrived at my stateroom later that afternoon. For thousands of people to board all within a couple of hours, it was a rather quick and smooth process if you have your passport and other necessary paperwork ready and nothing in your carry-on bag that would be prohibited on the ship (hint: just read paperwork you receive ahead of time on what to bring and not to bring and you'll have no problems).
The ship had a variety of dining options and bars/lounges. The food was great and the service was amazing, especially considering the crew members work 7 days a week for 6 to 8 months straight before they get time off to go home. The buffet was enormous and always provided a wide variety of food and deserts. There were several complimentary restaurants as well as a variety of specialty restaurants. For adult beverages, there were 21 or 22 bars that served every type of alcohol known to man. Indoor bars, bars on the outdoor decks, there was a bar at the pool, and even a bar at the buffet. There was a mini bar in every stateroom (extra charge for these drinks, even if you have a drink package) so you are never out of sight of a drink if you want one. Of course for kids and for those who prefer no alcohol, they have soft drinks and can remove the mini bar from your stateroom before you board, just let them know ahead of time.
Something that surprised me was the amount of activities available to watch and/or participate in every night. This was not just for the nights at sea, but every evening as the ship moved from one port location to the next. They had live game shows, competitions, craft shows, a pool, hot tubs, rock climbing wall, water slides, a ropes course, an entire art gallery with daily auctions, a casino and tons more.
Cabin Review
Inside Stateroom
The cabin was adequate for my wife and I. We had never been on a cruise but know people who have, so we know what to expect with the size of the room. We did not plan to be in the room much besides sleeping at night. it was adequate to store our things, shower, change clothes, etc.
We did like that the TV had a channel that showed the view from a camera on the front of the ship, and a channel that had a map with the ships positions, speed, time of arrival at the next port and the weather forecast. The weather forecast was way off most days, so that was not helpful when trying to choose clothing to wear. Probably not an issue in the summer, but in winter, it can cause you to over dress or under dress.
Port Reviews
Harvest Caye
So this is basically an island where everything on it was built specifically for cruise ships to have a place to stop and entertain people for a day. The beach was nice and there is also a large pool with a swim up bar. We did the zip lining which was awesome. They will let you bring a Go-Pro but you MUST have some way to attach it to you that leaves both hands free. So if you have a chest rig or some other way to secure it to you, they will let you bring it. You have to wear their helmet so keep that in mind when considering Go-Pro options. You get to do one part of the zip line course in the traditional harness, then you do a long line over the beach and bay in a face-down harness that lets you fly like superman. Very cool!
There are shops and a few bars and restaurants on the island, but they are only open on the days when a ship comes in. Nobody lives on the island. The workers said they clean up and take a ferry back to the mainland about an hour after the cruise ship leaves. I believe there are some excursions to the mainland, but we stayed on the island. Overall it was a very nice relaxing day on a beautiful beach.