July 2024. Steve and I are cruising on the Norwegian Getaway, a Breakaway class ship by Norwegian Cruise Line or NCL. Interestingly, our stay on board happened shortly after the Getaway paid a visit to the dry dock for some refurbishments. The route? Piraeus, which is the port of Athens in Greece; followed by Mykonos; two days in Istanbul in Turkey or Türkiye; then Kusadasi or Kuşadası for Ephesus; Rhodes; Santorini (Thira or Thera) and back to Piraeus. Oddly enough, the itinerary offered no sea days.
The activity of eating is very important on a cruise. Disappointing food will leave you hungry or give you a sour taste. Puns intended. Good food is paramount. The days of huge dining halls with fixed serving time slots and being sat with strangers seem gone.
Cruises now offer so many options. There’s always a or more ‘main dining rooms’, there’s always a buffet options and most cruises offer ‘specialty dining’, which is price wise not including in the fair. Unless you buy a ‘specialty dining package’.
So what are your options on Norwegian Getaway?
Complimentary: O’Sheehan’s Bar & Grill
“Dine on Irish pub classics whilst sipping your favourite draft beer, all in a casual atmosphere open 24 hours a day. There’s no charge to dig into your favourite comfort foods such as Fish n’ Chips or throw some darts whilst taking in a sports game.”
We did not once try O’Sheehan’s Bar & Grill. There was never ‘the need’. And every time we passed O’Sheehan it seemed quite full and noisy.
Room Service
“Available 24 hours a day, simply pick up the phone and order breakfast, lunch, dinner or late-night munchies. A room service fee may apply.”
Tradition says you should at least have once room service breakfast, especially on a sea day. But we didn’t. We also didn’t have a sea day.
Complimentary: American Diner
“Pull up a chair at this 50’s style diner and order from a diverse selection of comfort foods. Experience a slice of Americana, including classic cars, with every bite.”
We only had breakfast once at the American Diner. Shielo from the Philippines, the maître d of Moderno Churrascaria and Cagney’s Steakhouse was on duty that morning and pointed us away from the then very crowded Garden Café to the American Diner. There are less options to choose from, but still a lot. And it’s much quieter.
Complimentary: Garden Café
“Whatever you’re craving, chances are you will find it at the Garden Café. This complimentary, indoor buffet restaurant serves up breakfast, lunch and dinner.”
We actually ate often at the Garden Café because it has many option, it’s a good buffet and it’s nit (too) chaotic. Well, it’s frantic but not chaotic. The Garden Café ha broad operate hours. Breakfast turns into lunch, lunch turns into afternoon snack time, afternoon snack time turns into dinner.
In those periods, the Garden Café staff plays with its sides. Sometimes a section is closed for deep cleaning and preparing the next period.
The offering doesn’t change that much between breakfast, lunch, snack time and dinner. Breakfast is breakfasty of course, and afternoon snack times features sandwiches, scones, compotes (not jam) and cream (the unclotted kind).
The food presented is selected to appeal to everyone. Anglo-American dishes, Latin and Mexican staples, Far East Asian and Indian recipes, Mediterrean (‘local’) foods. Salads, soups, meats, vegetarian options, desserts.
Sometimes the food is randomly categorized. You’ll find the patties and sausages for burgers and hotdogs together, but for vegetables on those, you need to go to another section.
But after a day or two you know how it works, I guess. We were regular customers. Shoutout to staff running the place. Tables were kept clean and the foods were always available.
Complimentary: Savor
“Balancing classic favourites with unique new dishes, dining at Savor is a must. Offering guests an extensive menu of deliciously fresh flavours along with chic and modern decor, visiting this Main Dining Room is always in style.”
All the main dining rooms offer the same menu. We dined once at Savor, our only main dining room dinner. The menu offers a mix of meat, fish and vegetarian. Items you can have every day and items which change every day.
Steve and I like specialty dining but main diining room food is more than decent. If I wouldn’t add specialty restaurants, I’d want to mix it up with visits to the buffet for variation.
Complimentary: Shanghai’s Noodle Bar
“Enjoy a complimentary Asian restaurant featuring freshly prepared noodles, delicious wok fried dishes, authentic soups and more.”
We did not try this one.
Complimentary: Taste
“Serving a wide variety of cuisine, Taste offers a stylish and contemporary atmosphere. Plus, with a menu that changes daily and carefully selected wine recommendations, you’ll experience a different culinary adventure with every visit.”
Taste is the opposite number of Savor. Taste has blue seats, Savor red. It reminded me of parliament with House and Senate.
We had breakfast there once. A good offering, but weird portions. A buffet is nicer for breakfast I think.
For Haven guests only: The Haven Restaurant
“Enjoy a private fine dining experience for guests of The Haven, serving unique signature dishes and wine offerings from our impressive selection.”
We did not try The Haven Restaurant.
Complimentary: The Manhattan Room
“One of three Main Dining Rooms, The Manhattan Room is where guests can enjoy specially curated modern and classic dishes made with the freshest ingredients.”
As it has the same menu as Taste and Savor, we did not dine there. There’s live music and that’s not our cup of tea. We did assemble for a shore excursion there.
Specialty dining: Ocean Blue
“Seafood is the star attraction here. In a refined and elegant setting, diners will be treated to dishes created from the freshest fish, the finest ingredients, and perfectly paired wine selections and cocktails.”
We had a Specialty Dining Package so we didn’t pay à la carte prices. In the package is included: two starters, one main, one dessert. The same is true for the other specialty restaurants.
Ocean Blue was a nice opener for our four specialty restaurants.
Specialty dining: Moderno Churrascaria
“Looking for a unique experience? Our authentic Brazilian churrascaria is a must. Start with an impressive salad bar, but save plenty of room for our slow-roasted meats carved tableside by our Passadores.”
Moderno Churrascaria was a hit. The quality of the meat is top notch. Each time, a passador asks if you want some meat. Luckily you get a small cut, so there’s room for a next type of meat.
A red and a green card indicate if you want to stop or continue eating. Moderno was probably my favourite restaurant on board.
Specialty dining: Wasabi
“In the mood for sushi? Pull up a chair at this contemporary sushi and yakitori bar for some traditional Japanese culinary bites.”
We did not try Wasabi.
Specialty dining: Cagney’s Steakhouse
“Premium cuts are the standard at our American steakhouse serving Certified Angus Beef®. Sip your favourite cocktail and don’t forget to order our famous Parmesan dusted truffle fries!”
Less spectacular than Moderno, but still high quality meat. We dined outside on The Waterfront and Shielo told us we had the table for ourselves all night. So no pressure to leave.
À la carte: Dolce Gelato
“Slow churned, dense and intense in flavour, gelato is Italy’s answer to ice cream. And with so many flavours to choose from, our version is the perfect accompaniment to a leisurely stroll.”
We didn’t try Dolce Gelato. There was ice cream in the Garden Café, both soft ice as scoop ice.
Specialty dining: La Cucina
“Buona Sera! Enjoy the finest ingredients at our vibrant Italian ristorante. Dine on Italian classics and indulge with a rich homemade Tiramisu. Your good evening just got better.”
As I had seen on YouTube that La Cucina was “only middle of the road”, we decided to skip this one.
Specialty dining: Le Bistro
“Romance is in the air at our signature French restaurant. Elegant interiors, crisp white linens and attentive servers make this an intimate dining experience. By the end of your meal, you might just be proclaiming c’est magnifique!“
While the food is magnifique enough at Le Bistro, this was not our favourite. We kept Le Bistro for the end thinking it would be the nec plus ultra.
But Le Bistro is a stereotype of French cuisine. Escargots (snalils)? Yes, it’s very French but it’s the cliché of French cuisine. The menu, the setting. Le Bistro seemed to be designed by the makers of ‘Ratatouille‘ (the film) together with the set designers of ‘Emily in Paris‘. The waiters should have worn stripy T-shirts and berets to complete the look.
Specialty dining: Teppanyaki
“Sit at a lively shared table as a skillful chef perfectly prepares shrimp, steak, chicken and fried rice on a large steel grill. And you’ve got a front row seat to all the sizzles and surprises in our Japanese restaurant.
We did not try Teppanyaki.
The Bake Shop
“Indulge your sweet tooth with decadent treats such as French macarons, chocolate bonbons and gourmet cupcakes.”
We did not try The Bake Shop. I already ate too many desserts. Steve was more disciplined.
Specialty dining: The Raw Bar
“Located right beside Ocean Blue, The Raw Bar is an easy casual place to grab a snack or settle in for a meal. A menu of oysters, shellfish, crudos and signature wines by the glass keep things light. Counter seating allows for guests to easily dine solo or with a group. This is a perfect place post-show to enjoy a dessert or a cocktail as well.”
We did not try The Raw Bar.
An assessment
Norwegian delivered. The food was good, including at the buffet. The main dining menu is nice enough not to need specialty dining, but specialty dining is worth the extra money. If you do, take the package.
The variation of the offering was fine. It’s a fine line between offering every day something else, but also keep people’s favourites. So you don’t feel the urge to sample everything “because it won’t be there tomorrow”.
One point of critique might be how they serve wine. If you order let’s say a Prosecco, they will keep serving Prosecco instead of asking if you want something else. So you better be proactive, direct and clear. But always polite and friendly, of course.
2024 Athens – Mykonos – Istanbul – Kusadasi – Rhodes – Santorini – Athens Cruise on the Norwegian Getaway
- Flying Airbus A320neo with Aegean Airlines from Brussels to Athens return.
- REVIEW | Athenarum Portus Life & Style Hotel in Piraeus.
- GREECE | A modest exploration of Piraeus.
- NORWEGIAN CRUISE LINE | Before you sail, online check-in and Embarkation Day.
- GREECE | Mykonos ft Archaeological Museum, the Windmills and massive crowds.
- NORWEGIAN GETAWAY | Balcony Stateroom with included access to the Thermal Spa.
- ISTANBUL | Beylerbeyi Palace – Blue Mosque – Grand Bazaar.
- NORWEGIAN GETAWAY | Activities – sports – entertainment – common areas.
- ISTANBUL | Galataport – Sirkeci Railway Station – Hagia Sophia – Topkapi Park.
- Bars & Lounges on Norwegian Getaway.
- Ephesus.
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