My Getaway on Getaway

I have just returned from an 8 night Baltic cruise on NCL Getaway. This was a first for me for the Baltic and on this ship. Having previously sailed on NCL Epic 5 times I was looking forward to trying a different ship and I wasn’t disappointed.  We had 2 days in Copenhagen prior to the cruise and stayed at the Admiral Hotel which is in Nyhavn. The hotel is situated on the river and is a great location close to the Amalienborg Palace. We had a lovely couple of days sightseeing and used the hop on hop off bus which conveniently had a stop outside the hotel.

Room at Admiral Hotel

The hop on hop off bus took us around all the tourist sights and of course to the famous “Little Mermaid” who apparently has been decapitated 3 times!

Little Mermaid is very Little

Breakfast Outdoors in Copenhagen Sunshine

We took a taxi to the Port on the morning of the cruise which cost around £25.00 and check in was really smooth. We arrived around mid-day and were onboard around 12.30. If you are travelling with other people though that are not on the same deck as you you  have to be careful as we had a friend with us who was on deck ten and she had to be dropped off at a different area to us as we were on deck 11.I think this is probably because the port area isn’t that big and for such a large ship would have been problematic if everyone was going through the same area.

We had a cabin 11860 on deck 11 which was a spacious balcony cabin with a clear view. There was a double wardrobe but it did lack drawer space although there were shelves in the wardrobe and storage cupboards under the dressing table area.

The food onboard was excellent with plenty of choice in the buffet and also in the main dining rooms. There are 3 main dining rooms Taste, Savour and the Tropicana Room. The Tropicana Room also features live music while you dining and was also used for the Glow Party  which is the White Party that is usually held outdoors in the summer months.

We dined  in Teppanyaki one evening and that was an enjoyable  experience with  great food and a very entertaining chef who cooks all the food in front of you. There was a cover charge for this of around £30.00 a head but it was well worth it.

I was disappointed that Margaritaville wasn’t open though but as it is an eatery that is out doors it was closed due to the weather.

The entertainment onboard was also very good with the “Million Dollar Quartet” musical in the theatre. This is a musical about Elvis Presley, Jerry Lee Lewis, Carl Perkins and Johnny Cash when they were all signed to Sun Records. Burn the Floor was also on in the theatre and the Dancers also had an evening when they performed in the Tropicana Room during Dinner. There was also a Scottish Comedian and an excellent Electric Violinist, Paul Suha. All the bars had entertainment too during the evening with a couple of bands and also a pianist and a duo. There was plenty of activities going on during the day also with dance classes, quizzes and Films being shown in the Atrium. The Teenagers and Kids had their own area too at “Entourage” with arcade games, bar football and there own area. The Bliss nightclub was a bit disappointing as it is small compared to the one on Epic and the chairs and tables would be more fitting in a cafe than a night club. But hey ho thats just a small observation, the music was really good and with an all inclusive drinks package we didn’t really care by the end of the night!

Acquired a Russian Hat in Bliss!

Entourage

Closest I’m getting to a Racing Car

Cirque and Steam also featured in the  illusionarium and this is a show with acrobats and trapeze artists who perform while you enjoy a 3 course meal. Unfortunately you are not allowed to take pictures during the show.

One of the highlights was the “Wine Lovers” the Musical. This was held in the Illusionarium at lunch time on both Sea days. We decided to book this for the day before we disembarked and was worth every penny. We were given 6 glasses on wine and a 3 course lunch and were shown how to hold the wine glass and how to taste and enjoy the wine properly. The play was humorous and was a lovely way to spend a Sea day lunchtime!

The outdoor areas weren’t being used because of the destination and time of year but the Waterpark had a lot to offer for all ages. There was also an area at the top of the ship that you could pay to use which had cabanas and sunbeds with comfy mattresses but again these were not being used.  I imagine it is popular in the summer months in warmer climates but you would have to be quick off the mark as space is limited.

It was lovely to catch up with my customers on board too, its always nice to put a face to a voice. They spotted me from the picture on my business card! I’m not sure if that’s a good thing or a bad thing as the picture is over 5 years old!

One of the things we were glad we did was to book the NCL transfer back to the airport. We booked this before we travelled and cost £12.00pp with NCL. Onboard you could still have added a transfer on but this was $30.00pp. It is the best thing to do as there wasn’t any taxis at the port at all on disembarkation day and some people who hadn’t booked the transfer were walking to a bus stop which was outside the port area, which is a bit of a trek with cases, and no idea of how regular the buses were.

Ill be back next time to tell you about our alternative day out instead of going to Berlin!