Norwegian Cruise Lines

Excellent cruise line

We have always enjoyed our experience on Norwegian cruise line however communicating with them is super poor! I am so disappointed in how their lost & found is handled! We went on the Getaway cruise out of New Orleans for spring break in March & my daughter left her iPad on the ship. We contacted the cruise line & you cannot talk to anyone easily about this. We had a friend that went on the same cruise the very next week & went to customer service when he arrived to pick it up & they showed him the iPad but said they could not release it to him. We had already spoken to someone in Miami to get approval for it to be released but they wouldn’t give it to him. We have since tried contacting numerous time & they always tell us to fill out the same form that we have filled out & nobody ever contacts us! Very frustrating!! This will end our time with Norwegian & I will be sharing this experience with all of my friends & family!

It is an older crowded ship by shows, itineraries, and drinks were great.

Room was great

Great trip out of new Orleans.

Friendly staff. Small pool. No pool in the adult only area.

It is my 7th cruise but my first on Norwegian... There were things I enjoyed about it, but for the overall experience I would not put it in my top 3 cruises.

It was nice. The ship and all those working on the Getaway were very pleasant. The only downside is that the desserts are no good. I think this is a Norwegian thing since the desserts last year on the Encore to Alaska were no good either.
Other than that, all else was fine.

Absolutely love NCL

An amazing adventure and the service by all the crew was exceptional. I would highly recommend.

Just returned from the Getaway out of New Orleans. I have been cruising on this line for over 20 years and Norwegian was known as having high standards of customer service and for food quality that was top notch.

The service we received from the hard working staff was excellent. However, overall food quality has gown down. There was not much variety in the buffet. The food was mediocre in taste and desserts in the buffet, although looked appealing, were disappointing. Last night in the main dining room, we had to send our water back because it tasted like chlorine. Specialty restaurant food quality was better.

Having coffee delivered to our room was something we had always enjoyed- now, it is an extra fee. The messaging app is no longer complimentary.

Unfortunately, our balcony room smelled like exhaust most of the week and customer service did not do anything about it except tell us that they didn't smell it and send us paper letters every day asking if the issue was resolved. The smell was worse at night. Don't know if this was because we were near back of boat, but even the corridors smelled of exhaust.

Although there were limited shows available, We did enjoy the theatre shows and comedy shows.

I guess they no longer do the towel animals because we didn't receive one at all. Our room was of course cleaned very well by the friendly staff.

When it was time to disembark, the process was long and they had us go in a long windy line across the ship even through the old cigarette smelling casino.

I'm sad to say so long Norwegian- we will be moving on.

I wanted a different experience after having been on two Carnival cruises in the past, so I decided to book with Norwegian on the Getaway. My girlfriend convinced me to upgrade to the Haven experience, so we enjoyed many priority privileges that we otherwise wouldn't have had. I'll review that experience first, and get to the other parts of the ship that are closer to the normal experience.

- Haven Experience -

If you're booking a Haven experience, you'll skip the line and be ushered pre-boarding snack buffet. When ready, our concierge took us up to board the ship and gave us information about the amenities we would have. When we got to our room, it was nice and spacious, with a hot tub near the window and balcony door. There is a ton of storage space, which we mostly didn't need, but was nice to have. The bathroom is about what you expect on a cruise ship. The quality of the bed was slightly better than average, but don't expect memory foam. We also had a personal butler and someone to make up our room twice a day. They'll keep you stocked with finger foods and ask you when they will be able to make up the room.

When it comes to the exclusive Haven area, the workers really go out of their way to remember you and your preferences. Because there are a limited number of people that go into this area, you're able to have more regular and friendly interactions with bartenders. The Haven restaurant (while amazingly well staffed) is the only part of the experience that we found lacking. The menu doesn't change, but you do get a small buffet to enjoy before you eat. Breakfast was generally lacking at the Haven, though the steak and eggs were pretty good.

The Haven area can also be nice to see some of the same people more often if you enjoy socializing (it can be difficult to make plans with people on the ship without texting).

- Food -

Outside of the Haven experience, the food on the ship was good to average. The buffet options are mostly okay, with a few specialty items (typically Indian fare) to keep things interesting. I found breakfast food to be the worst out of the meals on the ship. I'm aware of how difficult it is to cook for a large number of people, but I was only ever satisfied with lunch and dinner food. When it comes to the main dining rooms, the food was great, and I'm certain most will be satisfied with those. For specialty restaurants, we tried the sushi restaurant and the Brazilian steakhouse. Both were excellent even if they were a bit on the pricey side. All in all, I don't think you'll be blown away by the food, but it can get pretty good if you're willing to pay for specialty dining experiences.

- Ports -

We stopped in Costa Maya, Belize, and Cozumel and didn't opt to do any excursions. For the first two, I would say that the only way to enjoy these ports on a Norwegian cruise, is to do an excursion. I was a bit thrown off by this, because I have visited Belize on a Carnival cruise and did not feel anywhere near as channelized as we were with Carnival. In Cozumel, you can find areas off the beaten path where you'll have a much more enjoyable time. Cozumel felt very similar to my previous experiences being there.

- Entertainment -

There was always something for us to do on the ship, and having an open bar made this a superior experience to the drink package offered with Carnival (15 drink max regardless of what the drink is). I was able to consistently enjoy any activity with a glass of my favorite whiskey. We did enjoy karaoke, but you have to sign up very early or you won't get a chance to sing. There are gambling games that are fun from time to time, but I'm not sure I remember seeing anyone win big at any of them. The arcade can eat up a ton of money, but we enjoyed it quite a bit. Though, it could be much better if the machines

Horrible customer service. No back up to the customer when they change itinerary. I spent $5000, they gave $75. What a racket! Shame on Norwegian!

Really love the Prima. Our first cruise was nothing but magical. The food was great and we loved the indulge food hall. Smaller portions mean we could try more food. Other restaurants were great but the small portions at indulge was really a highlight. We love to try all the food but don’t always want a whole meal. Activities were great! Will be cruising again with NCL soon!

One of the best cruise lines! They have amazing ships, the staff is the best, and excellent entertainment!