There
is 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}, {Day 2}, {Day 3}; {Day 4}, {Day5}, {Day 6}; below is the review of day 7.
Day 7
- Nassau
Let me
start this entry by being honest and sharing that Nassau is usually
one of our least favorite ports on any cruise. We lived in Florida
for years, and Nassau was an easy trip for a long weekend.
Surprisingly, on this cruise, Nassau was the best day we had as a
family!
Our
kids love Atlantis on Paradise Island. So we decided to budget for a
trip to Atlantis. There are two ways to go to Atlantis while you are
on a cruise. I suggest pricing out both and seeing what is best.
- Option
1 – Book the cheapest room you can find at Atlantis and check in as
a guest, even though you aren't staying there. Comfort Suites
Paradise Island is also a part of Atlantis. This is where we usually
find the lowest rates for the resort. The older parts of Atlantis
are somewhat run down, and these are going to be the least expensive
rooms. But just keep reminding yourself that you are headed back to
the cruise ship to sleep. When figuring out the total, don't forget
to add in all the hotel taxes as well as your transfer to and from
the hotel.
- Option
2 – Book the Atlantis excursion through your cruise ship. This
will include your transfers.
On
Friday morning, we woke up and went for a run on the jogging track
and then headed to breakfast at the buffet. The ship didn't arrive
in Nassau until noon. So we had time to play on the pool deck for a
bit. Since we didn't arrive until noon, it was a little
disappointing to know we had to be back on the ship by 6:30. As I
mentioned in a previous blog entry, we wish the Tortola port was the
noon to 6:30 and the Nassau was the longer port stop. In efforts to
make the best of the time we had, our family was one of the first
families off the boat at 12:15. We got in a line on the pier that
ended up being very long for the excursion to Atlantis. (I guess we
weren't the only ones with this idea.) We received arm bands and
were shuttled over to Atlantis to play in the pools, slides, and lazy
river. We had a great day together as a family. It was nice to get
off the ship and actually be able to play in a large pool for awhile.
We stayed as long as we could at Atlantis, leaving enough time to
visit the extensive aquarium there, before heading back to the ship
after a full day of much fun!
 |
| Here's our photo of M & B at Atlantis. Everyone has to take a photo in the "big chair." |
This
was our last night on the ship. We had reservations at Moderno. The
kids wanted to go to Splash Academy for the Farewell Pajama Party.
We actually took the kids to the buffet for their dinner, dropped
them off at Splash Academy, and went to Moderno kid-free. We asked
to sit outside. The ship was already cruising, and there was a
wonderful breeze! Moderno is a Brazilian steakhouse. They had a
salad bar. I am not always a fan of a salad bar, but this was
amazing! Oh, salad bar, where had you been my entire cruise??? If I
had known about it, I would have frequented that salad bar all cruise
long. We had been warned not to fill up on the salad bar as the meat
part of the meal was coming. Yet, it was difficult not to...it was
so, so yummy! Just think of all the wonderful and uncommon items on
a salad bar you love, and it probably was there! When diners are
done with the salad bar and want meat to start coming to their table,
the coaster on the table is flipped to the green side. Trays of meat
will come one after another. It was a fun experience.
After
dinner, TravelMan and I walked around the deck and enjoyed the last
night of our vacation. We also had to go back to the stateroom and
put out our checked suitcases, so that they would be in the baggage
claim the next morning. When we picked our kids up from Splash
Academy, they were so confused about their feelings. I think they
were shocked to feel sad the cruise was coming to an end. For the
three years prior, we have cruised with Disney's cruise line. And we
have always loved, loved, loved it! I think all of us were surprised
that Norwegian was running a close race with our experience on
Disney. (Remember that stateroom attendant I told you about at the
beginning of my week's review??? He was really the only major let
down on the ship.) As the boys were falling asleep that night, they
told us that they want to go back on the Norwegian Getaway next
summer instead of the Disney Dream. For a family who has adored
their Disney cruises, this is saying a lot about the Getaway!
The
morning of day 8, we woke up and got off the ship. (Wah!) We really
enjoyed the cruise! We got our luggage, went through customs,
contacted Uber, and off we went to our next destination for the day.
