Norwegian Getaway Review

Last time on NCL.

Review for the Baltic Sea Cruise on Norwegian Getaway
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ypgal
10+ Cruises • Age 70s

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Additional details

Sail Date: May 2019
Cabin: Mid-Ship Mini-Suite with Balcony

The writing was on the wall with this cruise right from the get-go. We were 5 hours late leaving Copenhagen bound for Haugesund, Norway. Apparently at some point after we set sail, the captain decided that there was no point in going, so we missed that port all together. (We heard that some passengers were late into Copenhagen and went directly to Haugesund to pick up the ship which never arrived there!!!) The Getaway had just come out of dry dock so the carpets were new, mattresses were nice and new. The face lift was appreciated. This is a sister ship to the Breakaway that I cruised on in October on a TA. Same problems exist on both ships. They are not designed for cold weather cruising with 4,000 passengers. There are absolutely no quiet places on this ship. It is noisy ALL THE TIME. Functions that should have been in the theatre took place in the atrium which is 2 stories of loud noise, music and yelling. You literally had to shout to someone sitting at your table in O'Sheehans and still could not be heard. Bad design all round.

Next big disappointment was the tendering system NCL used in Geiranger. We had a private tour booked and PAID FOR. It took us 2 1/2 hours to disembark and missed our tour. First and foremost, if we had known ahead of time that this was a tender port, we could have adjusted our tour times. NCL should communicate which ports are tender and which are docking. Tenders were also used in New Haven (Edinburgh) and again, very poorly executed. In fact, we were hours late in leaving due to getting passengers back on board who had been waiting in line for over 2 hours. Just prior to arriving in Invergordon, the captain advised that we would be missing that port as well due to high winds. That made 2 ports missed out of our itinerary.

The entertainment of Burn the Floor and Million Dollar Quartet were okay, but for 14 days on board, I expected more. The theatre doesn't hold anywhere near the number of seats to allow all passengers to enjoy the show. Once again, very poor design.

Cabin Review

Mid-Ship Mini-Suite with Balcony

Cabin MA

The mini-suite was good. Lots of room. New mattress was very comfortable. The bathroom was the best part of the room. The shower was great with a fabulous rainshower head and jets. There was also a double sink configuration. Our cabin attendant Leo was very good although we never saw him.

Port Reviews

Flam

We did not take a ship excursion. We took the Flam railroad trip which was nice. Flam port is a typical tourist stop. Over crowded and everyone jostling for position.

Bergen

We took the funicular up to Mount Floyen. Spectacular views with goats grazing on the hillside. Should not be missed. Also did the HOHO bus. Bergen is a lovely city.

Geiranger

Ablsolutely beautiful. The tender took 2 1/2 hours to disembark. Because of this, we missed our private tour which left without us. Paid for and non-refundable. Not happy. If you did not book an NCL tour, you were left til the last for getting off the ship. We missed the Dalsnibba and Eagle Road tour which was to be a highlight for me. Cruising into Geiranger was spectacular.

Akureyri

Again, we took a private tour with Saga Travel to Lake Myvatn and Godafoss. Fantastic scenery and waterfalls. GoT fans - this is a must see.

Reykjavik

We opted for a private bus tour of the Golden Circle with Grayline Bus. It was the most aggravating experience. The tour was delayed by 2 1/2 hours. Communication was abysmal and almost non-existent. Nerves were frayed so it was a very bad start to the tour. I had done this tour back in 2000. I felt bad for anyone who was in Reykjavik for the first time. It was a good thing we were overnight in port. Otherwise, I fear we would have missed the ship if it were a regular departure time.

Edinburgh (South Queensferry)

We took the HOHO bus tour which was crowded. There were 3 cruise ships in port so there were thousands of tourists milling about.

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