Traveling has always been something I wanted to do since I was a little girl. Visiting different places, seeing different cultures, and meeting new people are important to me. I want my kids to experience the world also. There are many modes of transportation but I love traveling by cruise ship. We took a 7-day family vacation on the Norwegian Getaway. The Norwegian Getaway offers a freestyle way of cruising which is perfect for families. The cruise ship boasts tons of activities for kids and adults, numerous restaurants and bars, and tons of entertainment. What also won us over was the Splash Academy, a complimentary youth program.
Our itinerary took us to the Caribbean – St. Maarten, St. Thomas, and the Bahamas (Nassau). We had a total of 3 days at sea which gave us a chance to really explore and experience the ship. For us, traveling with kids really did not give my husband and I any relazation time. I had to face that reality the moment we made it through the first night. The cruise was for the kids enjoyment and we knew coming on to the ship that they would have all the fun. Our only issue with the Splash Academy was the inability to have childcare for our daughter. They only take children that are 3 years and up for childcare. Unfortunately, we still had our daughter so we couldn’t enjoy the night entertainment unless my husband and I went separately and we didn’t want to separate as this was our vacation. Our next cruise should be better as our daughter will be 3 years old by then. The Guppies program has great activities for the 0-2 year olds but parents must accompany the child. My son had so much fun in Splash Academy with the different themes each night – scavenger hunt or super heroes.
The two consecutive days we were at seas we got to spend a lot of time in the top decks where the mini golf, rock climbing, ropes course, sports deck, and so much more. I loved the ropes course and even did “the plank” which hangs over the ship – trust me it was so scary! The zip-lining was also scary but I still did it and loved it! Felt like such a kid doing all these activities. They have a ropes course for the younger kids and both my son and daughter did it. Cutest thing ever! I love how brave she was – she wanted to do everything! She even did the rock climbing – she only did a few climbs but still attempted and at only 2 years old I was a proud mama!
We also spent time in the kids pool area. The splash pad had the Nickelodeon theme which my daughter loved! My son loved the water-slides. He is six years old and was able to do 3 out of the 5 water-slides that were on the ship. My husband and I did the other two (adult water slide) and they are intense. Just imagine getting into a closed container high on the ground when all of a sudden the floor beneath your feet opens up. Whoosh! You are dropped instantly into the slide. It is intense! I did both slides back to back and it probably wasn’t the best idea – got a slight headache but I would do it all over again! We usually stood in the family pool and didn’t go to the adult side since we had the kids but it definitely looked fun over there! We got to go in one of the jacuzzi one night while our son was in Splash Academy and my toddler was sleeping in her stroller. It was nice and relaxing! Made my husband and I feel like we were on our honeymoon!
Dining was an experience in itself with kids. We opt for the buffet style dining since my kids can be unruly and unpredictable in formal setting. We did go to one of the specialty restaurants – Tropicana. The food was delicious! The atmosphere was great. We also ate twice in O’Sheehan’s – my husband wanted the all-you-can eat ribs and the chicken and Waffles they had on different nights. They have many restaurants that are complimentary and some that have a costs. Next time I want to dine at Teppanyaki, the hibachi style restaurant.
The ship had different activities throughout the day. We tried to do all the activities that involved the Nickelodeon characters as my daughter was obsessed with seeing Dora the Explorer. They had activities such as coloring a bandana, t-shirt, and bag. They also had a Storytime with Dora. My daughter did so well and participated in all the activities – she was not scared at all. They also had a family circus even where you could learn how to juggle or get face painted. The kids also got to take pictures with Spongebob and Patrick. We saw them walking around the ship one night as well.
Part two coming soon…
