Have you ever wondered how to make the most of your cruise vacation, or what to expect as a first-time cruiser? Our Flightie Jenna Moldowan cruised for the first time for one week onboard the Norwegian Getaway, one of Norwegian Cruise Line’s newest ships and learned a few things that she’ll take to her next cruise vacation. Here, Jenna shares the top 5 ins and outs she learned as a first-time cruiser:
I just came back from a week onboard the Norwegian Getaway, my very first cruise and what a wonderful experience it was. The delicious food, the hot sun, and the onboard entertainment made my week. In that time, I got the chance to learn a thing or two about cruising. Here are the top 5 things I learned at sea on how to make the most of your next (or first!) cruise:
1. Drink Packages
If you are contemplating purchasing a drink package before your cruise, I highly recommend it! The convenience of having my drinks paid for in advance was time-saving and added major value to my dollar. Bonus: you don’t have to worry about the final bill at the end of your vacation.
2. Tendering
There are some ports where you will need to get on a transfer boat to the port-of-call because the ship terminal is not located directly offshore. Some cruise lines offer a tendering booking service that allows you to schedule your time slot the night before which I would recommend using for the ports you’re really looking forward to checking out.
3. Entertainment
There is wonderful entertainment onboard the Norwegian Getaway. Be sure to book your shows in advance. I made the mistake of waiting to see a very good dancing show on the day-of and missed out!
4. Excursions
I did two excursions while we were sailing through the Caribbean. Both ran very smoothly, but because passengers have to be back on the ship by a certain time, we were worried about running late. Note: when booking excursions, schedule them so you have ample time to get back to the ship!
5. Disembarking
The second last night of the cruise, the option to leave your baggage outside your door for porter service is available to you. This was a pretty cool service, but I opted not to use it and carried out my luggage instead. This way I didn’t have to wait for my luggage when I got off the ship. Either option works for those who have a flight to catch either later in the day or earlier in the morning!
Overall, I enjoyed being on the ocean aboard the Norwegian Getaway for a week, experiencing the different ports of call, and the Caribbean sun. If the opportunity for a cruise comes up again, I would definitely do it again.
Looking for more information about cruising onboard the Norwegian Getaway? You can connect with Jenna online, visit her in-store, or call 1-855-237-0924.