Norwegian Getaway - Captain, Hotel Director, Cake Boss, Artist and Restaurant Review

 This week we present a series of inside views of Norwegian Getaway by people connected to the ship. While a cruise ship's facilities are certainly an important part of the cruise experience, the people who work aboard give the ship its soul. So one of the ways Beyondships seeks to give a feel for the various cruise ships it covers is by presenting interviews with the people who run the ships.

Captain Tommy Stensrud is an experienced mariner who is in overall command of Norwegian Getaway. So we turned to him for an assessment of the nautical qualities of Getaway as well as the big picture view of what the ship is all about. http://www.beyondships2.com/norwegian-getaway-captain.html

Hotel Director Sean Wurmhoeringer is in charge of everything that directly impacts the cruise experience including the food, the beverages, the entertainment and the accommodations. He is a veteran hotelier who has brought many cruise ships into service. We spoke with him about the process of breathing life into the ship as she entered service. http://www.beyondships2.com/norwegian-getaway-hd.html

Artist David LEBO Le Batard painted the lively hull art that adorns Getaway. He speaks about the concepts that underlie his painting. http://www.beyondships2.com/norwegian-getaway-lebo.html

Viewers of the popular television show “Cake Boss” are familiar with master baker Buddy Valastro. Mr. Valastro talks about his relationship with Norwegian Cruise Line and about opening a branch of Carlo's Bakery at sea. http://www.beyondships2.com/norwegian-getaway-valastro.html

Another interview that we did on Getaway was with Norwegian's CEO Kevin Sheehan. While not specific to Getaway, Mr. Sheehan's remarks about Norwegian Cruise Line place its latest ship in perspective. http://www.beyondships2.com/norwegian-ceo-kevin-sheehan.html

Finally, we have a review of Le Bistro specialty restaurant on Getaway. http://www.beyondships2.com/norwegian-getaway-le-bistro-review.html

Norwegian Getaway Profile and Photo Tour

We have added a profile of Norwegian Getaway to Beyondships.

Norwegian Getaway is Norwegian Cruise Line's latest ship. Like her sister ship, Norwegian Breakaway, she is a very big ship - - 146,000 gross tons. However, more importantly, she is part of the new breed of cruise ships. Traditionally, an evening on a cruise ship revolved around dinner in the main dining room and a show in the ship's theater. The new breed give guests several quality alternatives, not only in where and when to eat but also a variety of entertainment options. As a result, the guests have much more freedom to decide how to spend their evenings than before.

Physically, Getaway is very similar to Breakaway. Indeed, the only structural difference I noticed was that the courtyard in the Haven area does not have a retractable roof like it does on the Breakaway. However, there have been several changes in the line-up of public rooms. Chief among these is the Illusionarium, a dinner theater where guests are awed by a series of magicians and mentalists whose appearances are connected by a light-hearted storyline. There is also the Grammy Experience, where Grammy-nominated artists give live performances.

Most of the differences between Breakaway and Getaway relate to the fact that Breakaway is intended to reflect her homeport of New York City while Getaway is designed to capture the spirit of Miami. Getaway has a Latin theme that appears in menu items, drinks and in the entertainment. Indeed, Getaway's version of the Burn the Floor dance show is set in Old San Juan.

This does not mean that Getaway will only appeal to people with a Latin background. For the most part, Getaway offers the Norwegian cruise experience. It has the signature dining venues, Le Bistro, Cagney's Steakhouse, La Cucina Italian restaurant, and Ocean Blue seafood restaurant. Freestyle Cruising is still the name of the game. It just has a Latin overlay to it. Consequently, Getaway will appeal to all Norwegian fans.

Like Breakaway, Getaway was built by Meyer Werft. Once again, the German shipyard has delivered a quality product.

The profile page for Norwegian Getaway is at http://beyondships.com/NorwegianGetaway.html . Our photo tour of the interior, public areas and accommodations on Getaway starts at http://beyondships.com/NorwegianGetaway-Tour-1.html

In addition, the profile includes menus from Getaway's restaurants. http://www.beyondships2.com/norwegian-getaway-menus.html There are copies of her deck plans. http://www.beyondships2.com/norwegian-getaway-deck-plans.html And a selection of Freestyle Dalies (daily programs) and other information distributed onboard Getaway. http://www.beyondships2.com/norwegian-getaway-daily-programs.html

Next week, we get an inside look at Getaway from her captain and other people connected with the ship.