Eastern Caribbean Cruising on NCL’s Getaway - Part One, Days 1-5
Norwegian Cruise Line’s Getaway is part of its Breakaway Class of ships. Holding 3,963 guests, it was recently refurbished in 2020. The vessel offers 18 decks with 20 dining options and over a dozen bars and lounges. The Waterfront is an open-air promenade where guests can have cocktails and dine al fresco by the water at many of the restaurants. It has a spa, casino, sports complex, pools, waterslides, boutiques, photo studio and a cornucopia of activities and entertainment for all ages as shown by NCL below.
In December, we had the opportunity to experience a ten day cruise on Norwegian Cruise Line’s Getaway. Our original itinerary had us departing New York City and heading for Bermuda, before sailing south to sunny Caribbean Islands. Due to weather in the north, our itinerary was flipped a couple weeks before departure so that we embarked in New York, then headed south with plans to visit Bermuda at the end of our journey. But Mother Nature had other plans!
Day 1 - Embarkation in New York City
Embarkation day is always exciting. Our scheduled embarkation was at 10am, but we arrived about 11:30 and it was packed with a long line! So, suggestion #1 - get there early if you can! After our mandatory Assembly Station visit, we spent a couple hours exploring the ship, with cocktails in hand, which was laid out similar to Getaway’s sister ship, Breakaway, which we sailed on last year to different ports in the Caribbean.
Getaway offers “Freestyle” dining, enabling guests to dine when they choose. A word of advice, if you didn’t book your restaurant and show reservations online in advance, do it immediately upon boarding! Although many restaurant and show times may already be full, you can always arrive “stand by” for available seating if parties don’t show for their scheduled time. We did this for a couple shows that we wanted to change times on and were seated before the shows began. But to be safe, book what you can online in advance or upon arrival.
The Tropicana Room is the large dining room with evening entertainment. Then there are two smaller dining rooms, Taste and Savor, which have the same menus, but no entertainment. We chose to reserve Savor for our dining on days we hadn’t booked specialty dining. With 3,900 passengers showing up when they choose to dine, it can get congested with long wait times, although they do provide a pager at some restaurants like O’Sheehans. I strongly suggest reservations.
Rooms were ready about 2:30 and our luggage arrived soon after. For those who chose to carry-on luggage, it seemed inconvenient to have to lug it around for a few hours until rooms were open. So unless you plan to hunker down at a restaurant or bar while waiting for your room, keep that in mind. We usually book a balcony room, but this time we booked an Oceanview. It had plenty of storage, including the ability to store our luggage under the bed. I didn’t miss the balcony on this trip because honestly, the weather was cold and windy.
We spent the rest of the time before dinner exploring the ship and trying a few different cocktails at different bars. We had the unlimited drink package with wifi minutes and gratuities included. We decided early on that we preferred the Atrium Bar, as the staff and drinks were both the best on the ship in our opinion! We especially loved the Espresso Martinis and Mud Slides. Another recommendation is to give the bartenders some extra cash when ordering - we find it makes a difference in the quality of drinks and attention. They are very appreciative! The first evening we had reservations to dine at Savor. Food and service were both good.
After dinner, we began our “residency” at the ship’s Casino on Deck 7. We didn’t plan for it to be that way. However, both my husband and I are members of Casinos at Sea, the casino player’s loyalty program, and really enjoy playing slots and tables, especially if we can win or break even of course! The casino also organizes slot, blackjack and poker tournaments, and sells scratch tickets and entries for a nightly lotto drawing. The biggest drawbacks here are that the area is often congested with traffic traversing this floor, and it allows smoking, so for someone like me, who’s allergic to smoke, I could only enjoy the area for short times without needing some fresh air.
After “play time”, off we went to hear comedians Vince Acvedao and Frand Townsend in the Getaway Theatre. Both acts were hilarious, and we looked forward to seeing their more intimate shows in Headliner’s Comedy Lounge during upcoming days. Time for bed.
Day 2 At Sea
This first day at sea began with breakfast at Savor. We had pre-booked the Thermal Spa for the week, knowing that the weather would limit outdoor activities, and I’m so glad we did. Unfortunately, the outdoor pool, hot tubs, kids area and activities were closed due to high swells and cold wind. But we were headed to the Caribbean-so the weather had to get better, right?
The Thermal Spa is located next to the Mandara Spa and Salon and is restricted to those purchasing a pass for entry. It is located at the bow of the ship, with floor to ceiling windows and heated lounge chairs, so the view was always amazing! In addition, there are steam and dry saunas, a salt room, and a pool-size whirlpool, flanked by two smaller whirlpools, all of which had the most fabulous jets. In addition, there was a strong waterfall feature in the center for relaxing those tight shoulders. It was heavenly. Oh - you can also bring drinks into the Thermal Spa while relaxing, reading or just enjoying the magnificent ocean views.
After we showered and dressed, we headed to Margarita Tasting at Ocean Blue. Here we learned about the history of tequila and how it differentiates from mezcal. We were offered six tastings of different margaritas, all of which were yummy, but I liked the spicy one the best! The various cocktail tastings are an additional charge of $25 per person and do sell out, so check your daily calendar and sign up early.
Now on to the Atrium area, called 678 Ocean Blue, for some game playing. This is where all of the family games are played, such as Trivia, The Brain Race, Deal or No Deal, The Not-So-Newlywed Game, Battle of the Sexes, arts and crafts, movies and even dance lessons. In the evening the Atrium hosts live entertainment and dancing. Since we liked the Atrium Bar, we enjoyed many of the activities offered in the Atrium as well. Near the Atrium, you’ll find the Internet Café, Starbucks, the Game Room, and Library, where you can check out a book to read anywhere while on the ship.
Musical entertainment runs the gamut from classic to pop, Motown to rock, and Latin to disco. There are dueling pianos, as well as solo piano music, offered in the Sugarcane Mojito Bar and outside of Taste and Savor. Karaoke is also a big hit. There are some very talented passengers on board!
Dinner was at Cagney’s Steak House. Food was plentiful and delicious as always, but if you love steak, know that you can also “upgrade” to a Cagney’s level cut in all dining rooms every evening for an extra $20 instead of the $59 specialty dining charge to dine there as a specialty restaurant. After dinner, we headed to the Casino (of course) where Lady Luck wasn’t too good to us, so our playtime was brief.
We ended our evening singing our hearts out with Howl at the Moon dueling pianos in the Headliner’s Lounge. Way too much fun and festivity! We didn’t make it to the Bliss Lounge (the ship’s late-night venue), but I hear they had a jivin’ 50’s and 60’s Sock Hop Party at 10:30!
Day 3 - At Sea
Our second day at sea started with breakfast in Savor. We actually enjoyed breakfast meals and service the best of all onboard dining during the voyage! The servers were attentive, and food was always hot and fresh. The weather was still blustery so we spent most of the day inside enjoying Getaway activities. I went to the Mobile Photography Seminar, where I learned a few tricks for my IPhone. Then it was on to some games in the Atrium including Trivia and Deal or No Deal. And of course, a little more time in the Casino.
That evening, we ate dinner in Savor. The highlight of the evening was the Burn The Floor show, which is a breathtaking performance by dancers showcasing all types of ballroom and Latin dance from Foxtrot to Charlston, Samba to Salsa, and Rumba to Cha Cha. It was fantastic! These dancers also performed in the Tropicana main dining room throughout the cruise. (Shown above.) There was a late night 70’s Groove Disco Dance Party this evening in Spice H2O, which is outdoors. Unfortunately, due to the chilly temps, we didn’t make the scene for that!
Day 4 - Puerto Plata, Dominican Republic
Puerto Plata is a beautiful city in the Dominican Republic, known as much for it’s idyllic beaches as it is for its famous Major League Baseball players, such as David Ortiz, Juan Soto, Fernando Tatis and dozens more! There is a beautiful development at the port, called Taino Bay. It offers cruise passengers a variety of shops, restaurants and bars, as well as a pool and waterpark area with a surf feature. Monkey Island is an interactive ecological park with an aviary, reptile island and marine habitat.
Instead of spending our day at Taino Bay, we book a tour to Damajagua 27 Falls. Considered the number one eco tour in Puerto Playa, this adventure takes you up a steep hill through a beautiful tropical rain forest. Once you reach the crest, you have the chance to jump from waterfalls or slide down natural rock formations into sparkling, refreshing pools of water. While Damajagua has 27 falls flowing during the rainy season, we were only able to access about 7 of them on our tour. Which, believe me, is plenty!
The entire adventure is about 3 hours and can be both fun and frightening at the same time. In spite of the helmets, water shoes and life vests you are required to wear, it is still possible to get a scrape or bruise here and there. But it’s totally worth it! Some of the jumps were about 20 feet high. If you get to the jump platform and chicken out, there are some wooden ladders that you can descend instead of the jump. But I highly recommend jumping and sliding - it was the experience of a lifetime!
After we completed our trek, we were able to utilize showers and dressing rooms to change into dry clothes and shoes. On the ride back to the port, we enjoyed rum punch and stopped at a local stand for fresh bananas and papaya.
Back on the ship, we headed for the Thermal Spa to soothe and pamper our sore limbs. It’s so tranquil and relaxing following an adventure day in port! Dinner in Savor was delicious, the casino let us win a bit and we turned in early to get ready for more adventures in Puerto Rico.
Day 5 - San Juan, Puerto Rico
Old Town San Juan is one of my favorite neighborhoods in Puerto Rico. In particular, I love the colorful colonial homes, restaurants and businesses. Forteleza Street is home to many quaint shops and galleries featuring work by local artists. The street used to be known as Umbrella Street and visitors soon discover that this is a recurring theme for many colorful paintings by local artists. Umbrellas are a symbol of color coming back to San Juan and the Island of Puerto Rico after days of darkness. It represents the Island’s resilience.
In Old Town, you will find an array of Puerto Rican goods and foods at the open-air market on Paseo de la Princesa within walking distance of the ship. This is where you will also see some of the city’s historic landmarks like the wall of Old San Juan, The Old Prison and the Fuente Raices, a beautiful sculptural fountain.
Old San Juan’s architecture is stunning. It’s brilliant colors and colonial buildings transport you back to hundreds of years ago. The people are friendly, and the food is “delicioso”!
I spent the day shopping Fortaleza Street. (For more detailed info on that excursion, read my blog under Shopping)! To conclude our day in San Juan, we experienced rum tasting at Artisan Rum, home to award-winning Scryer Rum. Right next door is a restaurant and bar called Antiguo 26 that serves THE BEST craft rum cocktails I’ve ever had! Be sure to stop.
Back on the ship, we changed for dinner at Savor, enjoyed some cocktails and went to the evening’s show, For the Love of Stevie Wonder, which was excellent and brought back so many great memories from the 70’s!
The final five days of our Getaway cruise, is covered in my next blog. Read on to see what exciting adventures, and challenges, we continued to have onboard and off!
Till then, keep cruisin’ through life, discovering your own special Things!
CHEERS!
