Escape Review - June 10-17 2017

First off, I would like to thank all those who took the time to post reviews of the Escape, special thanks to JW, TheDougOut, andCruiseLifeRick. Those reviews provided valuable intel that helped us really get a head start on learning about the Escape before we ever boarded her. Lots of others posted answers to my questions that really helped us maximize our enjoyment of this cruise. As an avid WDW family, we have used the Disboards forum for trip planning and I can say that Cruise Critic is as good or better when using for prep and intel.

This is my first real review of any kind so it’slikely to pale in comparison to the polished reviews of the above posters. This trip was amazing and we didn’t have any really bad experiences. My philosophy is I’m on vacation and as long as we all stay healthy and safe, nothing can bother me. Any criticisms are more for those who may find the info helpful while planning an upcoming trip.

June 8-10 in Miami

Flew into FLL and used John’s Car Service totransport from airport to Hampton Inn Downtown Miami/Brickell. Very nice hotel, close to a lot of nice restaurants, shops, and 2 Publix (my favorite). DD and I had lunch at Paul Bakery in Miami Beach and I highly recommend. Used Uber to get from hotel to port on Saturday morning.

June 10 - Escape

Arrived at port around 10am, got checked in and was on ship shortly after 11am. The ship was incredible. It was our first cruise ever on any ship so to DD, DW, and myself we were amazed at the size of it. I’d like to thank TheDougOut for the intel on District Brewhouse. My only issue witht he District and other bars in general on the Escape was the lack of dark beers. Looking at the District’s menu, pale ales/lagers were everywhere. I ended up drinking mostly Newcastle Brown. It would be nice to see Dos Equis Amber, ShinerBock or some other dark beer available. Our cabin 9774 was literally up one flight of stairs and about 20 feet down the hallway from the District. Luggage was delivered shortly after 1pm so we went to the room and DW began to unpack. She is the organizer in the family and was skeptical that she’d be able to unpack all 4 suitcases but she loved the layout of the room and was able to get it all unpacked. I called guest services and asked to have the divider on balcony removed since my parents were in the adjoining cabin. They told me they would have to get permission from the Captain and would be in touch. I tried to imagine our Master and Commander of a 166,000 ton vessel with 6000 souls on board going through a hundred of those requests. They got back with me the next day and opened it up. Also asked guest services to have mini bar contents removed so we could use the fridge and it was done by the time we went to bed.

Saturday night we went to Savor for dinner and had a bad experience right off the bat. I don’t know if our waiter was new or just having a bad day but between getting drink orders wrong twice, smarting off to my mom when she asked for more bread, and just disappearing for long stretches, I was afraid it would set the tone for the trip. An assistant Maître D ended up helping out a lot. One of the tips from JW’s review that stuck with me is “if you have a bad experience, say something”. More on that later.

Meet and greet on Sunday was great. ShadowMeBoy did a great job organizing and running the event. We enjoyed meeting everyone from CC and the ships officers and although we didn’t get rich on the slot pull, it was a great experience.

DW and I are early risers and are usually awake by 630am. I typically venture out to find a coffee source for both of us. Closest place I found was near outside cash register of 5 O’clock bar just outside of Tobacco Road. Hot coffee, trays of Danishes one floor down from our room turned out to be my go to spot all week. DW, DD, and I were usually out of room by 830 and either headed off the ship at ports or to the sundeck on deck 19 just outside the Vibe entrance. Thanks to JW for the tip on deck 19, we stayed here a lot and the bartenders were great. I tipped them a dollar for each trip to the bar and you would have thought it was much more. (Not looking for a judgement from anyone RE tipping, I tended bar in college so tipping is an involuntary response, even with prepaid gratuities). The bars we spent most of our time were the bar on 19th deck, District Brewhouse, and the Atrium bar. I can say that the bartenders on 19 and at the Atrium were always happy to fill our Yeti’s with margaritas or whatever else we wanted. My first and last stop of each day was at Atrium bar for a Margarita in the AM and Gatorade before bed. I didn’t know that Gatorade and Mountain Dew weren’t on the UBP and were al a carte. I don’t think I was charged for a Gatorade once during second half of the week.

One night DW and I went to eat at Food Republic while DD spent time with my parents. Food was outstanding as was the service. While we were eating, 2 ships officers were passing through the restaurant speaking to guests at the tables. When they got to my table, they asked how we were enjoying our cruise so far. One of the officers had been at the CruiseCritic meet and greet earlier and remembered me. DW and I looked at each other and decided to spill the beans about our dinner service Saturday night. We recounted the experience and said that we understood that a bad experience could happen anywhere and that we didn’t plan on letting it spoil our week. I mentioned the comment JW made in his review about speaking up if a bad experience happens. They were both writing continually on their notepads and left the restaurant immediately after speaking to us. After dinner, we stopped by the room for a minute and saw a message on the phone. It was from the head Maître D at Savor and had been left 5-10 minutes after we spoke to the ships officers. He asked that I call him back to speak about the issue. I rang him back and recounted our dinner on Saturday night. He asked if we had any reservations for dinner the rest of the week and I couldn’t remember (i.e. inebriated). He put me on hold, came back and listed my reservations so far for the week. From that point on, every dinner on the ship we had included an army of servers and Maître D’s swarming our table. The cherry on top was the chocolate covered strawberries. Every day after our encounter with the ships Officers in Food Republic we had chocolate covered strawberries delivered to our room. One day we had two deliveries and a bottle of wine. Our last night, we had reservations at Le Bistro and they comped our appetizers and desserts. Every meal we had at MDR’s, Garden Café, and Le Bistro was incredible as was the service after Sunday night when we spoke to the ships officers. So I would have to recommend speaking up if you have a subpar experience on the Escape, or any NCL ship. The staff really went above and beyond to impress us.

PORTS

Roatan

We were off the ship by 830am and went to find our driver for Rony. The only real surprise I had on this trip was when we found Rony’s group, we had a driver (who didn’t speak any English) and a guide who would ride with us. All of the reviews I read on Rony’s tours referenced a driver who was also a guide. Having a driver plus a guide who rode in the van with us complicated things at the end. We had booked a private tour which kept the van with us all day. Our first stop was Daniel Johnson’s Monkey and Sloth Hangout. We were put with another family from the ship and went through the monkey and Macaw enclosures and then took turns holding a sloth. The sloths were why we came and it was worth it! Amazing doesn’t describe it! I highly recommend it. After that, we went to West Bay Beach where we had booked day passes at Infinity Bay. I should add that it was obviously hot but Rony’s driver kept the van running with the a/c on which was a nice touch. We got settled at Infinity Bay and had planned to split our time at the beach and pool. The beach and water were so amazing that we never even went into the pool. By far the best beach of our cruise! No seaweed, waves, and the sand in the water was flat and gently sloped down allowing my parents who have limited mobility to walk around in the water easily. All aboard was at 430pm and since we were at the far end of the island, we decided to head back toward port at 230pm. At the end of the day our driver and guide brought us back to port, we all unloaded and I met up with the guide to settle up. Our rate for five people was $125 and I gave her $150 (25 for tip). I was under the impression that you tip the driver $20. Our guide was clearly disappointed in the tip. DW also commented that she noticed as well. In retrospect, I guess I should have given her another $20? Live and learn. We arrived about 35 minutes later and we were able to wander the port shops before boarding, and were back in our cabin by4pm. I haven’t any other cruise experience to reference but being able to swap out our towels and having someone passing out those cold, wet towels before entering the ship was a great touch! Later in the cruise our ship was in port with a Carnival ship and there was no welcome wagon there at all.

Everyone’s favorite port was Roatan, we all wished we could stay longer.

Harvest Caye

We were among the first 100 or so guests off the ship and found some sweet chairs at the edge of the pool. Apparently, there were some thunderstorms nearby and although it didn’t rain while were off the ship, the lifeguards at the pool and beach weren’t allowing anyone in the water. DD and I went to explore the beach and found it to be on the opposite end of spectrum from Roatan the day before. I’m not saying it is terrible but it was much rougher sand with ground up shells and clearly man-made. We were eventually allowed in the pool and swam for a while before lifeguards cleared the water again for nearby storms. I did have a cheeseburger from Landshark Grill and although it was around $15, it was a huge double cheeseburger with fries. For a resort area and considering the portion size, I thought it was reasonable. We knew going into our cruise that Harvest Caye wasn’t included in the UBP and food and beverages were out of pocket. Rather than cry over spilled milk, we improvised: I took both large Yeti mugs to Atrium bar before disembarking and had them filled with a Margarita and Rebellious Fish. Also, the day before I got several unopened beers from District Brewhouse and stashed in cabin refrigerator. Between the 30oz cocktails, beers, and water we packed off the ship, we didn’t have to buy any drinks. After consuming all of that, we decided that a nap was in order and headed back to the ship around 3pm.

Costa Maya

We had booked a Mayan Ruins tour with Native Choice and were again off the ship with the first 100 or so guests. I underestimated the walking distance to the Native Choice office and in hindsight would have hailed one of the 100 or so taxis we walked past. As we were walking, I’d ask someone where Native Choice was and kept hearing another 2 blocks. About 6 blocks later we found it. After checking in, we waited about 10 minutes before being directed to our van. It was a very clean Toyota van with cool a/c. When our tour guide hopped into the passenger seat and introduced himself, I gave a high-five to DW. It was Ivan and I knew from my research that he was one of the owners of the company and actually grew up on a farm where the Chacchoben Ruins are located. He spent the entire drive up to the ruins turned around in the front seat talking to us, describing Costa Maya (which isn’t actually a town at all but a cruise port) and how its likely destined to be the next Cancun in 10 years or so), describing the history of the Mayan people, and many other cool facts about the area. We arrived at the Ruins and he took us on our tour. I can’t begin to recount all he told us, but let me suffice to say that we got an excellent history of the ruins as well as the Mayan people. At times, our group would pass through a much larger group (I’m assuming booked through NCL?) and I overheard some the guides. They weren’t giving half as much info as Ivan. Native Choice had several other groups with guides on site who were amazing as well. I should add that although it was hot as Hades, our van driver was always nearby our group with a backpack full of cold water bottles for us. All you had to do was gesture toward him and he would bring you one. On the way back, Ivan had our driver stop at a roadside stand and offered us some fresh pineapple and Cokes (the good stuff with real sugar). I didn’t see another tour buses stopped like this. Not saying it didn’t happen but it just felt like Native Choice was giving us an extra level of attention. I also liked being in a group of 9 vs 60 people which seemed like a herd of cattle. I would highly recommend Native Choice to anyone wanting to do the Mayan Ruins tour in Costa Maya. When we got back, Ivan asked if anyone wanted to be dropped at the beach and since that’s were my parents were, we got out there. I thanked him for the tour and we were off. We found my parents at Pitaya Beach Club in Mahahaul. That location was booked so we went to place next door. For lunch we ordered nachos, a couple tacos, 2 beers, and 2 diet Cokes. When I got the bill, it was over $50 with tip! Its vacation and I’m on a Caribbean beach so I didn’t make a fuss but did think it was funny that we paid $4 each for our cokes when just a few miles away we got 4 of them for $2 at a roadside stand. After a couple hours on the beach we headed back to the ship. A funny note (at least to me): Ivan warned us that there was another ship in port and that he had seen several groups get left behind as they’d be drinking and see their ship still there when in fact it had left and the wrong ship was still in port. The other ship in port was the Carnival Sensation and there was nomistaking it for the Escape! We were back in our cabin 45 minutes before all aboard.

Cozumel

Off the ship early again. We booked a dolphin swim tour with DolphinDiscovery in Cozumel and went in search of a taxi. One of the facts I picked in researching thistrip was how the taxi fares were regulated in Mexico vs in Honduras whereanything goes. Based on this knowledge Ididn’t ask any questions when we found a taxi van and loaded up. When we arrived, I asked how much and he said$25. I gave him $30 and was thinking tomyself that’s more than I thought I’d pay. When checking in at Dolphin Discovery I mentioned it in conversation andthe lady was aggravated. She pointed outthe chart that clearly stated the prices between popular local destinations andthat we should have been charged $17. Itook a photo of the chart and made note what the driver charged on the way backto port (which was exactly what it should be, btw). Dolphin swim was amazing. Bonus of the experience was our dolphin had ababy with her that we weren’t allow to touch. The baby had no such rules and was constantly swimming up to us andbumping and touching. Several people hadtrouble focusing on trainer’s instructions with the baby swimming all aroundthem. One negative to me was the photossituation. For those who aren’t aware,you aren’t allowed to take any photos on your own, they have an employee with azoom lens taking photos the whole time. At the end, the photographer leads you into a room where you can see allthe photos they took and purchase if you’d like. $300 for all of the photos or $35 each. The hard sell for the photos rivals some ofthe time-share presentations I’ve attended and was kind of a turn off.

This trip was so epic for us that we have alreadybooked an Eastern Caribbean cruise on the Bliss for Dec 15-22, 2018. I did price out other cruise lines for thesame week and ports but Bliss was cheapest. Honestly, if the NCL price had been close to another line, I’d havestill went with them. Safe to say we areNCL fans.

June 17th – Back to reality

We took our bags off the ship ourselves and were offthe ship by 830am. We had Johns CarService waiting for us and went to Rodeway Inn in Ft Lauderdale where we bookeda day room til our flight was supposed to leave FLL at 530pm. Flight ended up getting delayed thencancelled and DW and I rented SUV and drove 16 hours straight through back toKY.

Last post had words running together. No editing allowed apparently. Apologize in advance for typos

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Photos from cruise:

Sloths at Daniel Johnson's

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West Bay Beach at Infinity Bay

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Escape from a distance in Roatan

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One of several strawberry deliveries

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Great review; thanks for posting.

Questions: Did Infinity Bay Resort have beach chair rentals? How did you book the day pass and how much was it?

Thanks,

Tracy

Beach at Costa Maya

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Escape sitting behind Carnival ship. Easy to differentiate

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Harvest Caye pool with Escape in background

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Great positive review, THANKS! Down to 11 days for us!

Very nice review, thank-you.

Thanks for the great review! I felt like I was there! Oh wait- I was there!! I'm the DM!:D

DH and I have been cruising for a lot of years, and this was one for the books!!

Wonderful review!!!! You should be a writer!!! Made we realize we should have joined you!!! -- Your DA (Dear Aunt)

Great review, thanks for posting. We were originally booked for this itinerary later this year but had to reschedule and switched to Eastern. I look forward to visiting Harvest Caye one of these days.

Great review; thanks for posting.

 

 

 

Questions: Did Infinity Bay Resort have beach chair rentals? How did you book the day pass and how much was it?

 

 

 

Thanks,

 

Tracy

Yes they have day passes for sale which gets you a beach or pool chair or both. My mom booked them by emailing them. I believe we paid $20 per person. Beautiful complex.

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I did not know they had Gatorade on board at the bars. Good to know. Atrium bar? Great idea on the Yeti.

I did not know they had Gatorade on board at the bars. Good to know. Atrium bar? Great idea on the Yeti.

Atrium is where I got Gatorade since I was usually either getting Starbucks nearby in the morning or passing through on our way to bed in the evening. I did notice that the bar at the Garden Café had them as well as the bar between Taste and Savor. Other bars may also have Gatorade. It is pricey on the ship but required for me as hangover avoidance.

Yes they have day passes for sale which gets you a beach or pool chair or both. My mom booked them by emailing them. I believe we paid $20 per person. Beautiful complex.

 

 

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Sounds like a great deal. Thank you.

Tracy

Just curious we are on the Escape on Sep 30. Where do you find out if there is a cruise critic social? Thank you for the review

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