Leah recently joined the team here at Paramount Cruises, whilst having worked in the travel industry for several years, shockingly, she’d never been on a cruise! So when the opportunity came to get onboard Norwegian Cruise Line‘s Norwegian Getaway, the third ship in the fleet to resume international cruising in Europe, she absolutely jumped at the chance. The short sailing from Rome was a test cruise before NCL were able to welcome back guests to the Getaway. Find out exactly what Leah thought of her first-time cruising experience in her cruise review below.
Itinerary
Rome (Civitavecchia) / Day at Sea / Palma de Mallorca / Day at Sea / Rome (Civitavecchia)
How was the embarkation process with Norwegian Cruise Line?
Being a first-time cruiser and being in charge of all my own, as well as my guest’s, documents I was incredibly anxious before embarkation in case I had forgotten something. However, I had no reason to be, it was all very simple and the process flowed well.
We entered the port of Civitavecchia (which is about an hour north of Rome) and were greeted by a member of the NCL team. He found our cabin number, put tags on our bags and whisked them away, we then went to the next desk where our vaccine status was checked. You must have the NHS app and not just your card. The next stage was having a Covid Antigen Test (provided by the cruise line). Prior to departure when you check in on the NCL app you need to download the TrustOneApp which is their testing partner. You receive a QR code which is scanned during embarkation and makes the whole process very quick. After the test is administered you go to the waiting room, we only waited 10 minutes for our results before we could proceed. The final stage was check-in, we were given our cabin card and escorted to the coach for a short journey to the ship. As we were staying in a Haven suite we were greeted at the gangway by our butler Jeffrey and he escorted us onboard.
Tell us about the accomodation on Norwegian Cruise Line
We were staying in an HG Haven Penthouse Suite with a balcony, deck 13 forward-facing and all I can say is WOW, it was incredible. We had a separate living area with a dining table and sofa leading to the balcony where the views were breathtaking. The king-sized bed was an absolute dream, I could have literally slept for days. The best part of the room for me was the bathroom, it was so spacious! It had a bathtub and a separate waterfall shower and even a vanity desk which made getting dressed in the evenings an absolute breeze. We had a 24-hour butler who would check on us each day, helping us arrange dining plans and even room service.
How did you find the ship in general?
The service, the choice of dining, quality of food, bar options, entertainment, cleanliness, covid safety, everything exceeded my expectations. You would have never thought this was a test cruise as from my point of view everything was already running smoothly.
We had a port of call in Palma, Spain and disembarking and embarking was so simple. We were able to explore the island at our leisure and had to be back on board by 5pm.
What was the food like on the Norwegian Getaway?
The food on the Norwegian Getaway was outstanding, I have never eaten so much in my life and I’m a very picky eater. There is a huge selection of dining options and you can dine where you like when you like.
Because we were in a Haven Suite we had access to the Haven restaurant on deck 16. We spent a lot of mealtimes in this restaurant because the service and quality of the food were truly exceptional. This is a private fine dining experience with unique signature dishes, they have a set menu for breakfast, lunch and dinner and there is also a plentiful buffet of pastries and fruit for breakfast.
Another great option we tried was the garden cafe located on deck 15, which is the indoor buffet restaurant. Whatever you are craving, this restaurant will have it. I can’t not also mention O’Sheehan’s Bar & Grill on deck 6, the breakfast here was gorgeous. They also have pub classics like pie or fish & chips and they actually serve food 24 hours a day!
During the cruise we tried out two of the speciality restaurants onboard, Cagney’s steakhouse (located on deck 8) and Teppanyaki (located on deck 6). Both of which had gorgeous food and I would highly recommend them both, although do stay alert during your dinner at Teppanyaki, you never know when a wayward egg may come flying your way.
What is the entertainment like on the Norwegian Getaway?
In terms of entertainment, there was always something happening, I have to say I thought the entertainment team did a brilliant job. During the day they have activities in numerous places throughout the ship, they played pool games, had live bands, singers, as well as the usual sail-away parties, etc.
On an evening you have a choice of showings in the Getaway theatre, parties at Spice H20, after party in Bliss Lounge as well as other events in numerous locations. We had the chance to see two shows in the theatre and they did not disappoint. ‘Burn the floor’ which was a fiery ballroom and Latin dance show and ‘Million Dollar Quartet’ the story of Johnny Cash, Jerry Lee Lewis, Carl Perkins and Elvis Presley.
Does the Norwegian Getaway offer any fitness & recreational facilities?
Yes, it has the pulse fitness centre which has a range of equipment and offers fitness classes such as yoga, pilates and spinning. We were planning on attending the 8am yoga class but unfortunately slept in (I blame the tequila shots). The most amazing feature for me was the sports complex on deck 17. It has the largest ropes course at sea with a ‘walk the plank’ which extends 8 feet over the side of the ship for the ultimate thrill-seeker. You’ll also find a basketball court, mini-golf course, as well as a huge casino, an arcade and 5 water slides. You could literally never get bored on this ship.
Any tips for someone looking to cruise on the Norwegian Getaway?
In order to make the most of your vacation and get to experience more of the ship, I would recommend going straight to the box office on your first day and having a look at all the shows/events that are available to pre-book. We managed to see a couple of productions in the theatre but on some nights our dinner reservations clashed with other entertainments that we would have liked to have gone to, or when we arrived at Spice H20 we were catching the end of the game/show etc because we came out too late. Planning is definitely key especially if you are only on a short sailing.
Final thoughts on the Norwegian Getaway
I had a fantastic time and have definitely been converted into a cruiser. I succeeded in making all my friends/family jealous with my pictures and they all want to experience a cruise too. I would highly recommend the Norwegian Getaway to all ages as there really is something for everyone and I look forward to getting onboard again and trying out NCL’s other ships. A huge thank you to the NCL team for inviting me.
If you are thinking of exploring the Mediterranean by cruise do check out our port guides to Barcelona and Rome, just click here to find out why your next cruise should probably depart from one of these beautiful European cities.