On 14th January 2014, I cruised on board Norwegian Cruise Line's newest ship, Norwegian Getaway, as she made her maiden call into the port of Southampton.
I would board shortly before midday, in order to have the maximum time on board. I watched her sail into the port, at around 9am, with friends, who would also be joining the ship later in the day. It was a cold and frosty morning, despite the deceiving sunshine. As the ship entered the port, the bright artwork on the ship's hull, brought a splash of colour to the Southampton landscape. She gently docked at the City Cruise Terminal, and some guests disembarked the ship after spending the night on board sailing from Rotterdam.
I would board shortly before midday, in order to have the maximum time on board. I watched her sail into the port, at around 9am, with friends, who would also be joining the ship later in the day. It was a cold and frosty morning, despite the deceiving sunshine. As the ship entered the port, the bright artwork on the ship's hull, brought a splash of colour to the Southampton landscape. She gently docked at the City Cruise Terminal, and some guests disembarked the ship after spending the night on board sailing from Rotterdam.
Once on board the ship, I made my way to our balcony stateroom, #12116. The cabin was very stylish and featured a few gadgets, including a digital 'Do Not Disturb' sign. The room was not the biggest cabin, but it was still a decent size. The balcony was very small, which only just managed to fit two chairs and a table on it. |
After dropping my bag off, it was time to explore. I ventured up to the sun deck on deck 16. A multitude of fun, brightly coloured water slides greeted me as well as the main pools. I continued walking around the open deck and eventually came to the sports complex, which features a mini gold course, basketball court, rock climbing wall and a fantastic ropes course. A highlight of the rope course, is the ability to walk the plank, which extends over the side of the vessel!
Further exploring, I took a visit to Spice H20, an adult's only area, situated at the very back of the ship. The area features hot tubs, a wading pool, sun loungers and a giant outdoor movie screen. At night, the area is transformed into the ultimate party destination, prefect for Caribbean sailaway parties.
Moving down to deck 8, I had a lovely stroll along The Waterfront, an area which features al fresco dining, with views of the sea.
After exploring the outside decks, I toured the inside of the vessel. 678 Ocean Place is the heart of the ship and it looks stunning! The beautiful chandelier that spans the 3 decks, is simply breathtaking. Centered around 678 Ocean Place are multiple bars, the Le Bistro restaurant, a comedy club and a casino.
The Atrium is a large social space spanning 2 decks. It features O'Sheehan's Bar and Grill, as well as several bars and lounges. There is also a two-deck high video screen, which shows a variety of programmes, including sport games. There is even a bowling alley and a few arcade machines.
After spending most of the day exploring, it was time for sail away. We sailed past Fred Olsen's Black Watch, which was docked in Ocean Terminal. We then headed out to sea, for our cruise to nowhere. It turned out we went as far as Weymouth, before slowly heading back.
By this point, it was time for dinner. As NCL have their famous 'Freestyle Cruising' concept, it meant that we had no dining time, which allowed us to choose any of the wide array of restaurants on board. As I was only on board for 1 night, it was a tough choice, but in the end I opted for The Tropicana Room. You can reserve a table if you know what time you would like to dine, but there is no problem in just turning up at the door, as you usually get seated straight away anyway.
The Tropicana Room is a grand restaurant situated at the aft of the ship. The reason why I chose this dining room, over others on board, was because they had live entertainment as you dined. The room can also be transformed into a giant ballroom, which also plays host to the Burn The Floor dance show.
It was a unique, novel and spectacular dining experience. The fantastic service, excellent food and wonderful band made it a memorable experience, which other cruise ships will find hard to beat.
The Tropicana Room is a grand restaurant situated at the aft of the ship. The reason why I chose this dining room, over others on board, was because they had live entertainment as you dined. The room can also be transformed into a giant ballroom, which also plays host to the Burn The Floor dance show.
It was a unique, novel and spectacular dining experience. The fantastic service, excellent food and wonderful band made it a memorable experience, which other cruise ships will find hard to beat.
Here a just a few of the dining options available on board Norwegian Getaway;
After a fantastic dinner, it was time to head to the Getaway Theatre for the evenings performance of Legally Blonde The Musical. I had gone to see the musical at the Savoy in the West End, when it starred Sheridan Smith and Duncan James, so I had high expectations. Although it was not the full production, it was still a brilliant show, especially being free to watch. There were a few technical hitches during the show, including Elle's bunny ears falling off, but that was to be expected for what was practically opening night for the cast.
We finally toured the ship one final time and had a drink in the sunset bar, to end our night on board Norwegian Getaway.