There will be a string of posts about our trip on Norwegian's Getaway. We went on the 7-night cruise which stopped in St. Thomas, Tortola, and Nassau. Our stateroom was 13234 which was considered a family cabin with balcony. To follow along or get caught up click these links: {What to Pack}, {Preparing for the Getaway}, {Day 1}; below is the review of day 2.
Day 2 – Day At Sea
Our stateroom continued to smell like urine. So once again I got out the Clorox wipes and scrubbed the bathroom, especially around the toilet. Being a mom of two boys, I know that this smell might not have been a fault of Norwegian, but rather two boys being lazy with their aim in the bathroom. Yet, after scrubbing and scrubbing and speaking to the boys about being careful when they used the potty, TravelMan said he thought it was coming from the toilet when the lid was open. We all started making a point of closing the lid to the toilet with hopes this would solve the problem. I had packed a travel size of Lysol spray. I was thankful we had that.
TravelMan and I ran on the jogging track. People didn't seem to understand it was a designated jogging area. So there was a lot of weaving in and out of adults and children who had just stopped to have a chat. It wasn't an ideal place to run, but it was do-able. Sixteen times around the track and 2 miles were done for the day!
As a family we headed to the buffet for breakfast. The boys got in line to climb the rock wall. Finding chairs near the pool and in the sun was a little challenging. Yet, we were able to get one chair for the four of us to share. The kid pool is small and has a divider in the center. I am assuming this is for kids to hold onto in case they can't swim. Our boys are great swimmers, and they love a good pool. This pool was very disappointing to them. In fact, our boys never went in the pool (that's how little and disappointing it was).
Here is the kid/family pool. You can see the divider in the center. It is empty here (very early in the morning) but the pool was packed. It was really standing room only.
There was a second pool which was a good size. Yet, that pool was for adults only. If I had one major complaint and suggestion for Norwegian, it would be they need a third pool on the ship. Another one that is the size of the adult pool – but available for everyone to use. For a ship as large at the Getaway, there really aren't enough pools. The boys did like the SpongeBob themed splash area. (I don't think I've mentioned that the Norwegian Getaway is sponsored in part by Nickelodeon.)
Splash Pad Area
The boys also went to check out the five slides. Since they don't weigh more than 99 pounds, they could only do 3 of the 5 slides. (Two of the slides launch you and without weighing enough, you could get stuck in the slide.) The morning was busy exploring the pool deck. Before we knew it, everyone was ready for lunch. At 1:15, there was a meet and greet with SpongeBob and Patrick. Of course, the boys wanted to do this; I believe in part to make me crazy as they know I'm not a SpongeBob fan.
SpongeBob meet and greet
Splash Academy opened at 2:00, and the boys wanted to go there. TravelMan and I spent the afternoon at the adult pool.
This is a photo of the adult pool. Also, taken early in the morning before people were really up. But as you can see, it's much larger than the kid/family pool.
We all came back to the room around 5:00, got cleaned up, and headed to La Cucina, the Italian restaurant that was part of the Ultimate Dining Plan. Following dinner, the boys went back to Splash Academy (all at their request). TravelMan and I went to the show, Burn The Floor. In all honesty, TravelMan was being a good sport. The show was an hour of dancing. It was okay for a cruise ship show. It isn't a must do. Yet, we were trying to take it all in. Next, TravelMan and I hit the IceBar. This was not included in the Ultimate Beverage Package. There was a $20 cover which included two drink tickets. We were given a heavy coat and gloves before entering. Once inside, the drinks were served in glasses made of ice. There was a Miami theme; yet, it was all made of ice. Ironic, huh! We drank our drinks in about seven minutes flat and got out of there. It was 15 degrees inside. Even with the coat and gloves, it was uncomfortably cold. We wouldn't recommend this to others. The idea sounds fun, but in reality, it's one of the fastest ways you'll spend $20 on the ship. We didn't see anyone staying for a third or fourth drink. I would assume you can get the same drinks outside the Ice Bar; they just won't be served in a glass made out of ice.
We picked the boys up from Splash Academy (which they weren't happy to be picked up...they wanted to stay until 1:30 in the morning – LOL!) and headed back to the room. The smell of urine was even stronger. We had no towel animal. And the night before one of our pillowcases had gotten a little blood on it from a sore on an ear bleeding. Yet, the bloody pillowcase was still there. Therefore, we could tell our sheets hadn't been changed. I was feeling uber disappointed about the cabin stewart who was supposed to be taking care of our stateroom. We all fell asleep to the aroma of urine. Not ideal.