Thank you . #1 for not complaining about the crowds!! My 1st experience on ncl was on escape and I was hooked!! I prefer these big ships. I get what I call cruise ADHD and need to switch switch my activities every so often😅. My 3 favorite places OSHEENAN, motijta bar, and spa
@@salliestewart4713 I never understand when bloggers complain that there were “so many people getting on the ship…” Yes, literally almost 4,000 people have to get off the ship and another 4,000 have to get on. We always find that a little grace goes a long way and saves a lot of stress. :) Love that you, too, got hooked on this cruise life we love! We just booked another 10-day NCL trip with Rocky’s parents. I’m excited to introduce them to the brand and get their thoughts! I’ve fallen in love 2 of your 3 favorites! I’ve never done the spa, so I guess I’m going to have to splurge one of these times!! Thanks for your comment. :) -Mark
I was just on it last week and was VERY impressed by the cruise staff. Very professional and personal many of them met me and remembered my name by our next interaction.
The Local/O'Sheehan's are wonderful! I'm a solo cruiser and find that I can get a meal on my weird schedule! I usually eat twice a day, so brunch and a late dinner. Spice H2O is where I go, since I'm a cranky old lady that doesn't handle kids well (even my own grandkids)! I've been on the Breakaway and the Encore, but not the Getaway, so excited to go in April!
We agree that the menu/offerings at the Local/O'Sheehan's are great! Glad to hear that you've found a good groove onboard Norwegian's ships. We hope you have a great sailing on the Getaway!
@@thiscruiselife Today I booked a second sailing on the Getaway for August to New England/Canada. My adult son is going with me to celebrate my 70th birthday! Actually, the Bliss is my favorite NCL ship. 3 sailings, and each was wonderful. Platinum on NCL, and loving it!
@@danacasey8543 that sounds like a wonderful trip; happy early birthday!!! :) And we just looked at an itinerary on Bliss - thank you for the vote of confidence for her! :) If all goes according to plan, we should hit Platinum by the end of this year thanks to a double points sailing to Alaska with Rocky’s parents! Happy sailing! -m
Some cabins had door decorations, but not as many as we've seen on other cruises. That just means your door will stand out from the rest! We put our This Cruise Life decal on our door for the week. Always helps us find our way back to the stateroom. 😂 -Mark
Just came back from the 12th-19th cruise out of NOLA. Fun ship, great staff, and cold beers. This was our 2nd cruise ever, first being to Alaska last year on the Encore. Although similair layouts I was shocked to see the Getaway had no observation deck, which was one of my favorite places to hangout on the Encore and have a couple too many drinks. On the other hand, I prefer the adult pool area and bar on the Getaway on the very top aft part of ship rather than the Encores go kart track and laser tag which took up too much of the prime areas. The Garden Cafe (main buffet) was a disappointment on the Getaway, it got the job done but it was sub par at best. The Encore not only had a larger selction, but the we all loved the buffet as each leading chef took pride on the food layed out in their respective sections. Crazy to say it, the buffet on the Encore was better than some of the specialty restaurants we had on the Getaway, also they always had pretty good snacks laid out throughout the day on the observatory.
Thanks for the detailed comparison! As someone that's cruised both ships, I found myself nodding along over and over again to your words! The top deck on Getaway is, no question, better in my opinion than what they did to the Encore and Breakaway Plus class. With that said... Norwegian clearly knows they made a mistake. They just ripped out the entire Laser Tag Course that took up so much prime real estate and put in the adults-only Spice H20 in it's place. So... Now you've got the area you preferred on Getaway on Encore! I also agree; the Observation Lounge was a HUGE upgrade for the Breakaway Plus class. Sadly, however, in that same dry dock that gave us Spice H20, Norwegian reclaimed almost half of the observation lounge for more staterooms! We found the space busy during our Alaska voyage; I'm worried how this change will affect the enjoyment of this space. Like you, I enjoyed a few too many here as well! ;) The buffet definitely was a let down compared to Encore. With that said, the Indian options were still just as good which made me happy. Rocky was disappointed with the buffet on Getaway. The pizza was terrible (preview to the full review - it made my Hated list). Lastly, I'm torn on the Specialty Dining between the two ships. I really disliked Onda by Scarpetta. Turns out, just slapping a celebrity chef's name on a restaurant doesn't make it better. I much prefer the former La Cucina concept. I also really love Moderno on Getaway. Food Republic and Le Bistro on Encore were definite winners, however. I guess I'd be happy on either ship with Specialty Dining! Thank you so much for sharing your experience and helping me relive my time on both ships! Definitely has me smiling over here (and hungry!) -Mark
You’ll have to stick around for our full review; we recorded our opening from inside the Ice Bar!! Both Rocky and I think the experience was worth every penny!!! Such a unique place. Cruise tip, however, don’t be like us and forget to wear closed toed shoes. Our little toesies were COLD in our sandals! lol Have fun and send pictures! :) -mark
It all depends on how much you'd take advantage of it. You'll want to look at the breakdown of the cost of the alcohol portion and divide that out by the number of days the cruise is and see if you'd be able to consume enough drinks to offset the cost. Additionally, depending on the length and cabin category, you might enjoy the dining option(s) with the booking.
Great question. The only two cruise lines that do status matching for cruise loyalty are MSC Cruises and Virgin Voyages. If you have casino levels with a particular brand, you might be able to match that with Norwegian's casino. You can learn more about that here: www.ncl.com/why-cruise-norwegian/casino-cruise/players-club
@@YaBoyDC we finally got the chance to try it, yes! Unfortunately, we don’t know if they were understaffed or overwhelmed, but it was a rough experience. We’ll share a bit more in the full review with pictures… Glad we finally got to try it though! I definitely want to give them another shot, as we all have a bad day sometimes!! -m
@ looking forward to it. I’ve never eaten there before. I didn’t realize that was a complimentary restaurant when I cruised NCL before. I may give them a shot at embarkation day instead of buffet or Osheans.
Yup! :) Kevin Sheehan was the former CEO of NCL. Hence the nod with O’Sheehan’s. Once he was ousted, the brand went in a different direction and named the venue The Local. I would expect in dry dock to see NCL make this change on older ships. You can read more about the interesting abrupt exit of Mr. Sheehan from NCL here: skift.com/2017/03/10/exclusive-norwegian-cruise-lines-former-ceo-was-removed-over-misconduct-lawsuit-claims/
Thank you . #1 for not complaining about the crowds!! My 1st experience on ncl was on escape and I was hooked!! I prefer these big ships. I get what I call cruise ADHD and need to switch switch my activities every so often😅. My 3 favorite places OSHEENAN, motijta bar, and spa
@@salliestewart4713 I never understand when bloggers complain that there were “so many people getting on the ship…” Yes, literally almost 4,000 people have to get off the ship and another 4,000 have to get on. We always find that a little grace goes a long way and saves a lot of stress. :)
Love that you, too, got hooked on this cruise life we love! We just booked another 10-day NCL trip with Rocky’s parents. I’m excited to introduce them to the brand and get their thoughts!
I’ve fallen in love 2 of your 3 favorites! I’ve never done the spa, so I guess I’m going to have to splurge one of these times!!
Thanks for your comment. :) -Mark
I was just on it last week and was VERY impressed by the cruise staff. Very professional and personal many of them met me and remembered my name by our next interaction.
We're so glad to hear that you had those positive interactions. It's one of the things we love about cruising.
Doing the same cruise in April...thanks for the videos!!
Oh awesome! Stay tuned for our full review from the experience. We hope you have an amazing time!
Just a quick question...we do have the usb fans we bring....does the AC work good in the rooms?
The Local/O'Sheehan's are wonderful! I'm a solo cruiser and find that I can get a meal on my weird schedule! I usually eat twice a day, so brunch and a late dinner. Spice H2O is where I go, since I'm a cranky old lady that doesn't handle kids well (even my own grandkids)! I've been on the Breakaway and the Encore, but not the Getaway, so excited to go in April!
We agree that the menu/offerings at the Local/O'Sheehan's are great! Glad to hear that you've found a good groove onboard Norwegian's ships. We hope you have a great sailing on the Getaway!
@@thiscruiselife Today I booked a second sailing on the Getaway for August to New England/Canada. My adult son is going with me to celebrate my 70th birthday! Actually, the Bliss is my favorite NCL ship. 3 sailings, and each was wonderful. Platinum on NCL, and loving it!
@@danacasey8543 that sounds like a wonderful trip; happy early birthday!!! :)
And we just looked at an itinerary on Bliss - thank you for the vote of confidence for her! :) If all goes according to plan, we should hit Platinum by the end of this year thanks to a double points sailing to Alaska with Rocky’s parents! Happy sailing! -m
Great video, we’re going on this ship in April,can’t wait, were there door decorations on any of the cabins? , plan on decorating our door, if we can.
Some cabins had door decorations, but not as many as we've seen on other cruises. That just means your door will stand out from the rest! We put our This Cruise Life decal on our door for the week. Always helps us find our way back to the stateroom. 😂 -Mark
@ thanks , glad y’all enjoyed your cruise, love sailing out of NOLA!!!
Just came back from the 12th-19th cruise out of NOLA. Fun ship, great staff, and cold beers. This was our 2nd cruise ever, first being to Alaska last year on the Encore. Although similair layouts I was shocked to see the Getaway had no observation deck, which was one of my favorite places to hangout on the Encore and have a couple too many drinks. On the other hand, I prefer the adult pool area and bar on the Getaway on the very top aft part of ship rather than the Encores go kart track and laser tag which took up too much of the prime areas.
The Garden Cafe (main buffet) was a disappointment on the Getaway, it got the job done but it was sub par at best. The Encore not only had a larger selction, but the we all loved the buffet as each leading chef took pride on the food layed out in their respective sections. Crazy to say it, the buffet on the Encore was better than some of the specialty restaurants we had on the Getaway, also they always had pretty good snacks laid out throughout the day on the observatory.
Thanks for the detailed comparison! As someone that's cruised both ships, I found myself nodding along over and over again to your words! The top deck on Getaway is, no question, better in my opinion than what they did to the Encore and Breakaway Plus class. With that said... Norwegian clearly knows they made a mistake. They just ripped out the entire Laser Tag Course that took up so much prime real estate and put in the adults-only Spice H20 in it's place. So... Now you've got the area you preferred on Getaway on Encore!
I also agree; the Observation Lounge was a HUGE upgrade for the Breakaway Plus class. Sadly, however, in that same dry dock that gave us Spice H20, Norwegian reclaimed almost half of the observation lounge for more staterooms! We found the space busy during our Alaska voyage; I'm worried how this change will affect the enjoyment of this space. Like you, I enjoyed a few too many here as well! ;)
The buffet definitely was a let down compared to Encore. With that said, the Indian options were still just as good which made me happy. Rocky was disappointed with the buffet on Getaway. The pizza was terrible (preview to the full review - it made my Hated list).
Lastly, I'm torn on the Specialty Dining between the two ships. I really disliked Onda by Scarpetta. Turns out, just slapping a celebrity chef's name on a restaurant doesn't make it better. I much prefer the former La Cucina concept. I also really love Moderno on Getaway. Food Republic and Le Bistro on Encore were definite winners, however. I guess I'd be happy on either ship with Specialty Dining!
Thank you so much for sharing your experience and helping me relive my time on both ships! Definitely has me smiling over here (and hungry!) -Mark
Fun! Does this ship go down the Mississippi?
She sure does! One of the things we loved about our sailing was cruising from New Orleans! -m
@@buckeyehc yeah it did the port was ported in the river it left at about 5-6pm and got out of the river at about 1 am
@@SP00KYplayz-j4m such a cool experience!
What time is early for the sail away party ???
We got there right around when it started. I’d plan for at least 15-20 minutes before the listed start time to get a better spot! :)
Did you go to the Ice Vodka Bar? We are going on the Getaway in March, and I wonder if it Is worth it.
You’ll have to stick around for our full review; we recorded our opening from inside the Ice Bar!! Both Rocky and I think the experience was worth every penny!!! Such a unique place. Cruise tip, however, don’t be like us and forget to wear closed toed shoes. Our little toesies were COLD in our sandals! lol Have fun and send pictures! :) -mark
@@thiscruiselife We are from Minnesota, it was -35 degrees yesterday. The Ice Bar will be balmy to us. We will be in shorts and a t-shirt. lol
I booked the Getaway... Is the more at sea worth it
It all depends on how much you'd take advantage of it. You'll want to look at the breakdown of the cost of the alcohol portion and divide that out by the number of days the cruise is and see if you'd be able to consume enough drinks to offset the cost. Additionally, depending on the length and cabin category, you might enjoy the dining option(s) with the booking.
Hi.... Do you know if Norwegian status match???
Great question. The only two cruise lines that do status matching for cruise loyalty are MSC Cruises and Virgin Voyages. If you have casino levels with a particular brand, you might be able to match that with Norwegian's casino. You can learn more about that here: www.ncl.com/why-cruise-norwegian/casino-cruise/players-club
Did you guys try American diner yet?
@@YaBoyDC we finally got the chance to try it, yes! Unfortunately, we don’t know if they were understaffed or overwhelmed, but it was a rough experience. We’ll share a bit more in the full review with pictures… Glad we finally got to try it though! I definitely want to give them another shot, as we all have a bad day sometimes!! -m
@ looking forward to it. I’ve never eaten there before. I didn’t realize that was a complimentary restaurant when I cruised NCL before. I may give them a shot at embarkation day instead of buffet or Osheans.
omg i just got off that ship about 5 hours ago
Awww!!! We just missed you then! How was it??
@ it was great but then again there wasnt a lot of stuff this time since they remodeled in 2019 on the getaway there was more stuff
@ Aww sorry to hear that. Sometimes those dry docks can make the sailing experienece worse for people.
yeah a new getaway review.
@@alyssasimon3940 we’re working on the full review as I type! :) This 24 hour teaser hopefully gets you excited for the full review! -m
I think Local is the newer name.
Yup! :) Kevin Sheehan was the former CEO of NCL. Hence the nod with O’Sheehan’s. Once he was ousted, the brand went in a different direction and named the venue The Local. I would expect in dry dock to see NCL make this change on older ships.
You can read more about the interesting abrupt exit of Mr. Sheehan from NCL here:
skift.com/2017/03/10/exclusive-norwegian-cruise-lines-former-ceo-was-removed-over-misconduct-lawsuit-claims/