Getaway or stayaway

Was this the best way to showcase NCL’s new pride and joy?

Many of my colleagues and passengers took up the offer from NCL last week to head down to Southampton to spend a night on their new ship the Norwegian Getaway. I had thought about buying the 1 night stopover for my partner for Christmas which many people did however having read and listened to the feedback from clients and friends I’m not too disappointed we bought a puppy instead.

The price for the one night stay over started from £89per person, this price obviously crept up as word got around. Not a bad price though for accommodation and full board.

The ship itself has fantastic facilities, cabins were compact, as we all know NCL’s cabins are never the biggest but they do the job.

Overall feedback has been good, colleagues with young children had a fantastic time, and for those passengers who chose to pay the $25per person supplement to dine in one of the many speciality restaurants on board had an excellent dining experience, however I was not surprised at the negative comments that came back which leaves me wondering overall did NCL achieve what they set out to do.

The main negatives, food, service, and drinks prices.

Now NCL being a freestyle cruise would no doubt be leaving seasonal cruises who like their regular set dining a little confused I’m sure. I did explain to all the passengers I booked what to expect if they had never opted for this dining choice before. Several customs advised me it was not the best dining experience they had had with many meals heading back to the kitchen. Steak not cooked properly, cold food, disjointed service, tables only half cleared. Three parties have said they moved tables as they were sat so close to the entertainment whilst eating, they could not hear themselves think, let alone have a conversation with the person next to them.

In the morning breakfast again was manic with one customer asking for her breakfast to be changed only to be told sorry madam that is how it comes I am unable to change it for you.

Overall the service seems to have been good but on numerous occasions staff seemed to be running around like headless chickens to get the job done which I think is understandable, I certainly would not have wished to be working that night, it must have been a very tall order to please so many people in such a short space of time when you as staff are all new to your surroundings too.

Drinks, now as we all know after a busy December, January is the month for most of us to pull in the reigns, try to empty the freezer and fridge after excessive food buying over the festive period and try to hold out 6 weeks until you get paid, yes we’ve all been there at one time or another. So I can safely say two weeks into the new year I’m glad I was not splashing it out on over $100-$200 bar bill for one night. I’m sure regular P&O passengers had a little shock when they signed for their first bar tab.

On a standard NCL cruise you have to pay the tax on all purchases, this left many of my customers thinking they will stick to P&O & Fred’s rather than head for the American lines when it comes to beverages, or certainly opt for the All-inclusive drinks package.

75% of the customers I have spoken to have said having experienced the Getaway for one night that they would not choose to go on a longer cruise with NCL. It was a great experience for one night but they prefer a smaller ship and the service did not match what they had received on other lines.

Myself I think this was probably not the best way for NCL to showcase this ship, it’s too short a time to achieve the best impression to customers especially if they are new customers to NCL. Maybe do a couple of two night mini cruises to allow passengers to settle in and not be rushing around like headless chickens trying to pack everything in. All of my passengers got upgraded which also makes me believe they did not fill the ship to full capacity.

I took a mini cruise on the Norwegian Jade a few years back and had a great time, the brands suits my lifestyle, I thoroughly enjoyed the freestyle experience, but I appreciate it’s not for everybody.

Did you experience the Getaway? Have you rushed out to book your next NCL cruise, would be interesting to know…………………