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Review of Escape-escaping with walking difficulties


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ESCAPING WITH WALKING DIFFICULTIES

 

Welcome to the latest cruise with 6-we were with the first group of paying passengers on the brand new ship NCL Escape sailing from Hamburg to Southampton.

 

For those of who who haven’t read my previous reviews it’s tongue in cheek ,no pictures and I try to anonymise by using initials or nicknames. [However those of you who have actually met us know we are easily recognisable as there aren’t many middle aged guys with long greying blond hair and beard limping along with a walking stick accompanied by a short woman with long white hair] The main emphasis though is to provide information on how easy or otherwise it is to get around when you have walking difficulties.

Why the nickname 6?

Those of you above a certain age may remember a series in the 70’s about Steve Austin ,the Bionic Man or the 6 Million Dollar Man as it was known in the UK. Steve was rebuilt using bionics costing $6 million whereas hubbys joint replacements so far are nearer 6 thousand-hence the nickname 6.

 

We booked this 3 day mini cruise almost a year ago and the roll call has been the busiest I’ve ever been on-there were plenty of well known names on there and knew it was going to be a fun cruise with plenty of reviews posted on the boards as indeed is proving to be the case.

We got the chance to add on an extra night for an “exclusive” trip open to gold and platinum UK latitudes members, travel agents and other invited people for a nominal fare of £59 per person staying on in our same balcony cabin .Adding on 2 nights in Hamburg pre cruise and an airport hotel that added up to a week away covering 6 birthday.

 

As we would be flying out of Manchester but returning to Southampton we decided to look into trains as 6 is entitled to a disabled adults railcard.This costs £20 per year and gives 1/3 off railfares for himself and an accompanying adult .It can take between 2 ½ to 4 hours to drive from our home to Manchester airport and then need to cover cost of parking. Train was going to take 2 ½ hours with 1 change and £18 for both of us so will seriously consider this option in future.

 

We were booked on the 6.40 train out of Darlington on Thursday evening so got our 25 year old son to drop us off. He has visited Hamburg with a group of his friends and as I sat in the back of his car his dad was in the passenger seat so the conversation between them was a bit difficult to hear over the radio blaring. However I overheard him recommending one area but “you might want to lose Mam before you head there”!!!

Any attempts to pack light were out the window with taking warm clothing so we had 1 large and 1 medium suitcase. We could have booked wheelchair assistance but managed to get the cases on and off fairly easily ourselves. The major issue was the small luggage areas at end of carriages as our cases were too big to fit in overhead racks.

We arrived at Manchester airport railway station 9.15pm and could see our hotel Hilton from the tracks but couldn’t find a way to walk to it. At that time of night the station concourse was practically deserted but I did find an employee who showed us a well hidden courtesy phone from which to contact the hotel to get them to send their shuttle bus.

I Checked in online before we left home so just a case of collecting keys at desk. I’m gold level with the Hilton hhonors loyalty scheme so had complimentary drinks and breakfast vouchers .As there were no catering facilities on board the Transpennine Express train we headed to the bar for food and use the drink vouchers. We ended up staying up till 11.30 people watching as there were a lot of excited adults and children obviously headed out to exotic locations the next day. Bear in mind our usual bedtime is 10-10.30 the next few days were going to break that pattern!

 

The hotel is clean modern and as already mentioned very busy! We were upgraded to a Queen Deluxe room which was a bit smaller than expected-obviously trying to get us used to a ship cabin !6 can usually manage without a disabled room as long as the bath is not too high to step over if its a shower above a bath rather than walk in shower. Some hotel brands such as Premier Inn and a recent Marriott required mountain scaling equipment! Fortunately this bath was fairly low sided and had grab rails to assist getting in and out.

 

We collapsed into bed and can confirm that the sound insulation is fine-no disturbances from fellow guests or airplane noise.

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Next morning we were able to take it easy as had an afternoon flight and check out not till noon .So a lie in and down to breakfast at 9.30 where the morning rush had died down but they had also run out of clean glasses and plates!

 

We had a chilled out morning lounging in the room watching activity around the airport roads including people pulling luggage along .Obviously there is a pedestrian route between hotel, station and airport but it looks a bit torturous with few road crossing places. It also gave me the chance to catch up on cruise critic and the roll call .People already in transit and 2 live reviews already started before we’re on the ship.:)

 

We got the hotel shuttle over to the airport at noon but Easy Jet bag drop for our flight wasn’t open for another hour so just chilled out with a coffee and people watching

We had booked wheelchair assistance but the guy at the desk said the airport was quiet so should be able to get through security quickly if we wanted to walk through ourselves.They would arrange wheelchair collection from the airport lounge we had booked called appropriately the Escape Lounge. We were able to go through fast track as 6 was using a walking stick which meant a shorter route rather than have to snake through the of maze of empty roped off lines.

At security they took his walking stick to put through the scanner but gave him a courtesy wooden one to walk through the body scanner-a very good idea and first time this has happened.

Of course with 2 metal hips he set the alarms of as usual but as it is 5 years today from his right hip replacement the beeps should have played out the tune “happy birthday to you” Once again 6 was disappointed that his frisk down was from the young male not the young female.:D

 

Once through security we headed for the Escape lounge. For £16 each this is very good value as you have up to 3 hours before flight to relax in comfortable chairs with free wifi and more to the point complimentary snacks and drinks[including wine and beer] However the complimentary pastries etc looked a bit stodgy so we paid extra for burger and chips as was going to be late dinner.

 

Wheelchair arrived being pushed by an elderly guy at least 20 years older than us-pride aside it makes such a difference getting through the crowds queuing at the gate and no risk of being knocked off balance as everyone surges forward to be first on the aircraft.

The flight itself was uneventful and we actually arrived 20 minutes early to be met by a young German guy with the wheelchair who whisked us through to baggage claim.

 

To make it easy we got a taxi to the hotel-25 euros and a scenic tour through the centre of Hamburg. We could see fireworks as we approached our hotel on the harbour front and knew they were for the Escape party going on to celebrate the ship going past on its first 2 night trip full of invited guests-we would be among the first paying guests 2 days later. So we just missed the chance to see the ship sail past but apparently the harbour front was packed.

 

Our hotel was Hotel Hafen Hamburg chosen because the Cruisecritic roll call meal to be held there the next night. The hotel itself is a maze with different wings built onto it. The scenic elevator opened onto an atrium with very attractive staircase. Unfortunately to get to the room levels involved 10 steps up or down to bump our suitcases over. We found later another lift which stopped at correct levels with no steps but reception staff directed us to the wrong one. We had requested a quiet room as had heard that railway tracks running alongside one side of the hotel were not conducive to a good nights sleep. However we noted in the bathroom a pack of complimentary earplugs but fortunately were not required[not even for 6 snoring!]:D

 

The room faced a quiet side road and if poked head out window and looked left could see the river-if we had arrived just that bit earlier would have been able to see the Escape sail past from our room!

The room itself was small and dominated by a large wardrobe with tv integrated but at an odd angle to watch comfortably from the bed. The bed itself was double but pushed up against the wall and wooden headboard and side meant the person on the right hand side would have to clamber over your bed partner or get out from the bottom of bed Also German style 2 single quilts

 

The bathroom had a corner shower unit with curved glass doors but very small inside-the shower was activated by pulling lever towards you but very easy to push back when taking your shower so water shuts off. Lets just say anyone of above average upper body size would struggle. Also the step up into the shower cubicle was just at that awkward height for 6.

So not really a disabled friendly hotel. However we noted a small chrome shelf at eye height to left of bathroom on which was placed a real apple and an inscription that” an apple a day keeps the doctor away”

 

We headed to the Tower bar to check it out as that was where we were to meet next day for pre dinner drinks. There was a lift up to 11th floor but then a spiral stone staircase up to the bar itself. We saw a young lady in a wheelchair being carried /bumped down by her friends-she must have trust in them as the walls surrounding the spiral staircase were glass!:eek:

 

The Tower bar is on 2 levels with the top deck accessed by yet another spiral staircase-makes for some spectacular views of harbour and city below but can get crowded and service slow. We had a couple of beers and then decided to call it a night. We discovered the vending machine area at the base of tower accessed by room card .Inside the machines were bottles of water, fizzy drinks, chocolate and......bottles of beer!:)

 

We heard reception staff the next morning discussing the cctv footage during the night of a long haired man with a walking stick making repeated visits to this area.

:D

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Did I miss the part where you review the ship? My hubby is in a wheelchair and we are very interested in how it us getting around the ship.

 

don't worry I haven't got to the ship part yet!

 

I'm doing this as a day by day review and including pre cruise days to describe airport and travel mobility issues.

as a part answer to your question you will manage with a wheelchair as long as the lifts/elevators aren't full which does happen at peak times like embarkation/disembarkation and muster drill.

 

because my husband isn't in a wheelchair and can manage stairs several times it was easier to take his time using them than to hang around waiting for space in the lift

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We had forgotten to put the do not disturb sign on the door so 9am was a knock on the door from housekeeping. We didn’t fancy spending 20 euros each on the hotel breakfast so had planned a lie in and an early lunch somewhere along the harbourfront near the hotel.

 

Ok well we’re awake now and happy birthday to 6!:D

Yes I did mention that yesterday was the 5th anniversary of his right hip which meant his 49th birthday was spent recuperating from a hip replacement under the influence of strong pain killers! :eek:He does prefer beer and prosecco.:) The nurses were very confused by the mix of birthday and get well soon cards .Since then we have tried to celebrate his birthday somewhere more exciting than a hospital room and indeed that was the excuse for this mini cruise.

 

We decided to have a walk/hobble along the river front which negotiating the 100 or so steps down from in front of the hotel

The geography of Hamburg is that it’s mainly flat but ends in a cliff like drop along the riverfront. We saw the railway tracks and station around the opposite side of hotel to our room and can see why those rooms facing would suffer from noise issues .From that level the railway runs on a raised track along the river and harbourfront with steps required to access actual station-not disabled friendly but didn’t enter station to see if they had a lift which would make things easier.

 

Down on lower level directly in front of the hotel are plenty of HOHO buses but we decided against taking one to tour the city as we had got a good overview from our taxi ride last night and the riverfront area seemed to have more to explore.

We found a coffee bar and I practised the extent of my German “zwei latte bitte” and we sipped our coffees outside and people watched.

 

As it was getting close to lunchtime we decided to look for a likely restaurant and 100 yards further on came across Hard Rock cafe. Okay I know it’s not exactly exploring the local cuisine but to be honest we just wanted some comfort food .

6 obviously passes for German at first glance with his blond hair and we were regularly greeted with rapid fire German when entering places but they soon clicked when we opened our mouths! The waitress greeted us with only 2 words I understood “ drinken” and “essen”.I replied essen as eating and she immediately switched to perfect English.

We enjoyed typical Hard Rock fare of Burgers and pulled pork sandwich but did partake of a glass of German beer so can say we did experience some local fare.

We were some of the first customers through the door but the place soon filled up and was “rocking”. However the videos playing were Kool and the Gang which doesn’t really qualify as hard rock!

 

Outside the windows we could see banners flying with Norwegian Cruise Lines Escape on them –obviously the site of the previous nights party. We took a short walk along there to take photos and came across the entrance to the Elb tunnel which provides pedestrian and motor access to short cut to the cruise/pier area. The tunnel is closed to motor vehicles at weekends but I believe was open to pedestrians as several people on the roll call had expressed their intention to walk via it to the cruise terminal the next day.

 

We decided to head back to the hotel which meant climbing those 100 steps back up. Even I was out of breath and 6 was going to suffer from this exertion. Investment in a funicular railway would be a good idea for this area!

 

We found Willis bar in the hotel-quirky with dark wood and decorated with historic nautical equipment. We had a couple of German beers and made use of the hotels free wifi to check on Cruisecritic roll call. Unfortunately we discovered that the organiser of tonights meal had had to cancel her trip[but meal still going ahead] Also a Hamburg resident who had volunteered to lead a tour of Hamburg post meal was having to work late so was having to pass on the meal but was hoping to still meet us to lead the tour[read Reeperbahn the party street of Hamburg]

 

6 main walking difficulties at the moment are with his left ankle which has been badly affected by arthritis.His Orthopaedic surgeon says he is too young for ankle replacement and the alternative to fuse the ankle joint may not help and involves at least 6 weeks non weight bearing.He has been relying on anti inflammatories and pain killers until he feels he has got to give in to surgery. Unfortunately his “good” right ankle was starting to play up so it was time to rest his feet up in the room before the nights social activities.

 

The plan was to meet at the Tower Bar at 6pm to be followed at 7pm by a meal in the hotel Restaurant Port .Unfortunately 6-7 was Happy Hour which meant lifts up to the bar were full and when we got up there people were queuing up the spiral staircase waiting for the bar to open at 6.To me Happy Hour implies half price drinks but they were the same price as night before and it was packed.6 found a seat and I decided to see if I could identify any roll callers by listening to peoples conversations and if any were speaking in English!

No luck but returned to find a local roll caller S had identified 6-my description of a greying blond man with long hair and a beard walking with a stick helped him!

We managed to get a drink and chatted for a while before heading down to the restaurant where we had a private room for our party of 35.It turns out several people were in the Tower bar but as it was so crowded not many had succeeded in linking up as most of us had never met in person before!

 

Fortunately in the restaurant we were able to socialise and put actual names and faces to screen names. Trumpy Nor,Nalagh and Kylenc had taken a lead in the organising of various events pre and during cruise and with the meal organiser being absent stepped up to the mark. Nalagh and Trumpy Nor were up and down announcing plans including a back up plan for the post meal tour while Kylenc distributed specially printed name tags with photo of Escape and maiden voyage Hamburg-Southampton October 25th 2015-a nice souvenir and first of the little “surprises “they had in store for us. Fortunately they did manage to take time to eat their meal in between all this.

 

As a private party the chef had prepared a special 3 course meal for us-we had to specify beforehand meat ,fish or vegetarian. If you check out Coffeegoddess review she has photos of the meal.

We discovered we were on the same table as a Cruisecritic celebrity-Ben the Bendy man who would be continuing on the transatlantic and we are looking forward to reading the account of his travels by his long suffering typist/butler/servant. Kylenc

 

6 and he had a good discussion on the relative merits of rubber versus metal hips

Rubber main disadvantage seems to be being bright yellow and bald as opposed to florid complexion and long hair and a beard .However there is a definite advantage to being able to be carried around easily [don’t look at me husband dear!]

Ben then made the mistake of trying to outdrink 6-last seen he was seen flat on his back on the table next to his glass of beer

 

Talk at the table turned to the Thermal Spa on board and C and U were trying to persuade 6 of the benefits for his joints .No chance I gave up on persuading him to joining me in there long ago-the one time I succeeded he sat there with such a grumpy expression the whole time I now go there by myself!

 

We agreed to meet at hotel reception 10.30 the next morning with K to share a taxi to the port. She then headed off with several others for the tour of the Reeperbahn.She later commented that even coming from Las Vegas this was an eye opener for her!

 

The less than agile left behind then had a spirited discussion on medications and mobility aids before we got the hints the waiters were wanting to clear the room. We thought of going to the Tower bar for a nightcap but was still very busy and queuing upstairs so we headed to Willis bar which had a lively but good atmosphere.

Then time for bed as boarding the ship tomorrow

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Woke up to blue skies and looking out the window could see the Escape waiting for us.

6 right foot was very swollen and painful so before he could take his painkillers I had to nip down to the vending machines to get some snacks so he wasn’t taking them on an empty stomach. And no I didn’t get him some beer for breakfast!

 

We checked out and noted lots of suitcases with NCL Escape luggage tags. We met K as arranged 10.30 and the hotel called a taxi for us. The taxi driver had already had several trips to the ship that morning and told us that the brand new terminal was hoping to attract more cruise ships to sail from there. It was a long way round but we arrived just before 11am and taxi fare 26 euros.

As we approached the terminal and the ship came clearly into view it was a “WOW she’ s impressive “moment.

 

The terminal doors had a sign on saying no luggage past this point but as there were no porter facilities there wasn’t much choice. Despite being a 2 or 3 night cruise from Hamburg many people would be staying on for the transatlantic and so had large suitcases. The result was that the departure hall was full with passengers surrounded by their luggage. Shortly after we arrived a large group of day visitors were led onto the ship so that cleared up a bit of space.

 

There was a separate check in area for Haven guests but everyone else was directed to the same area-no gold, platinum etc priority areas. So pulling luggage along made our way to the check in desks which fortunately the queue moved quickly as they opened a new lane just as we approached .However the guy at the head failed to give us an embarkation number .At the check in deck the girl gave us our keycards on which we were pleased to note CCBP was already stamped on it[pre purchased Corks and caps package] as on our last cruise we had to check in at a desk on board and get a sticker which was very inefficient.

 

However this was the last evidence of efficiency as we returned to the seating area with a crowd of checked in people all surrounded by luggage therefore clogging up passageways. Fortunately we managed to find a seat and 6 made use of his suitcase by propping his swollen foot up on it .I noticed people around us were clutching embarkation number cards and approached one of the port personnel to tell him we hadn’t received one. He gave us the current ones he had which were number 13.OK so a bit later than our usual boarding time as arriving about 11 we usually get one of the first boarding group numbers.

 

11.35 they called for group number 1 and those requiring special assistance .I asked 6 whether he wanted to take advantage of this wheelchair assistance but he was quite comfortable with his foot propped up! The numbers were being called at 5 minute intervals firstly in German and then in English so I was trying to remember my schoolgirl lessons by counting in German. Things were getting very congested in the hall with people trying to check in with luggage getting tangled up with people trying to get past them with their luggage to get to the boarding area-not good.

 

About 12.10 “dreizig” was called-thats us!

We negotiated the obstacle course and another queue to pass through the body scanners and pass suitcases through the xray machines .These were the same size as you put your hand luggage through and when you get back on the ship after port visits so our suitcase just about fit through-dont know what they did with any cases bigger than that.

After that its up an escalator with everyone dragging their cases on –fortunately no accidents that I saw with people falling back on those behind them. You may get the impression not impressed with embarkation arrangements.!

 

We were on board 12.20 and it had been a long walk for 6 but fortunately the anti inflammatories had kicked in. On board via the long zig zag bridge to enter at level 7 where faced with long queues for the lifts[OK we on board an American ship now so I’ll call them elevators from now on]

 

OK forget that a much better idea is to walk through to O Sheehans on same deck and get some lunch and make a start on the corks and caps. So we take a seat surrounded by our luggage but the place is quiet-everyone else probably headed to drop off luggage or to the buffet.

 

The first face we saw was the bartender Marcial we recognised from 2 years ago on the NCL Breakaway. We were accompanied by our then 21 year old daughter and Marcial was very taken with her. Marcial looks about 16 even 2 years later although he is obviously older and we were pleased to hear he had been promoted to bartender from bar waiter.

So bit of a catch up whilst eating fish and chips and drinking prosecco-we officially on holiday!

 

Looking round we saw a couple of familiar faces from our Jade cruise last year-Keithjenner [who is currently reviewing live from the transatlantic] and his lovely wife and son

We then saw S from the meal last night walk through and chatted to him for a while. It was still fairly quiet in O sheehans but S said he had been exploring the ship and it was very busy elsewhere and chaos ruled in the elevators as people trying to force themselves onto full cars with their luggage.

We congratulated ourselves on our wise decision

 

I decided to check out our room and headed off with 1 case .I managed to get on an elevator and up to deck 10.Unfortunately I then managed to get lost and walking the wrong way round the ship before eventually finding ours conveniently located near the aft elevators.

The 2 banks of elevators called aft and forward are actually about a third of the way along from front and back of the ship . So location wise our cabin was pretty centrally located

.

Our cabin 10276 was an angled balcony-easy to identify from the corridor as set on an angle there too. The room itself is a standard size but the balcony itself has an extra triangular “wedge” to it which would allow a lounger on there as well as the standard 2 chairs and small table.

Bathroom set up with glass door to shower in corner-plenty of room to manoeuvre and step out into toilet and sink area-well set out.

I discovered the safe wasn’t working so rang down to guest services to report it.

 

OK time to dump the suitcase and check out the thermal spa up on deck 16 .I got a guided tour and noted that being at very front of ship would give wonderful forward facing views through the all glass floor to ceiling windows. They were selling the passes at $44 per day but thought wouldn’t get the chance to enjoy today and wouldn’t be very relaxing if they conducting tours so would bear in mind for the next day. However I was tempted by the spa special of 75 mins treatment for the price of 50 at $149 and booked in for a top to toe special at 6.30

 

I then did an explore of the ship making my way down floor by floor until I discovered 6 back in the room resting his foot after making good use of the corks and caps-well he reasoned that or painkillers!

I unpacked and answered a knock at the door to meet Alvin our cabin steward with a day 1 freestyle daily. I asked for a couple of bathrobes which he quickly brought. Knowing these were brand new and no one else had ever worn!

 

6 decided to check out the ship aka find the bars while I sat out on the balcony and enjoyed the warm sunshine as was unseasonably mild for late October. Looking directly down is the roof of waterfront and beyond that the lifeboats so a direct view down to the sea not possible-45 degree angle more like it.

 

Muster drill at 4.30pm so headed down at 4 15 and bumped into our friends from lunch clutching beers-glad to see we not the only ones getting value out of beverage packages!

Heading for our muster station in Taste restaurant I spot a familiar figure limping in front of me.

Fairly standard muster drill where info in German and English and demonstration on how to don life jackets. On Escape there are no lifejackets in rooms they will be given out at muster station and as well as a waist strap there is an extra one to loop between your legs-a good look if your are wearing a skirt ladies!

 

Our super roll call organisers had arranged a pre sailaway meet up in SpiceH2O immediately after muster drill so armed with our name tags from the night before we headed there where met some new as well as familiar faces from the night before.

 

I left 6.15pm to head for my massage so missed actual sailaway but instead had a body massage, facial, scalp massage and foot massage-ahhh!

75 blissful minutes later I left to find 6 .Usually a search of the bars on ship produces a result but there are over 20 on this one!.Having checked every bar from 17 downwards and even the cabin couldn’t find him .I then had the idea of trying to trace him through the last drink he’d put on the room card. I found Marcial in O Sheehans and asked if he could check. He invited me to take a seat and poured me a drink but then said he couldn’t trace him that way-good salesmanship though on getting me to buy a drink! I saw K and P at the bar and went to chat with them. They hadn’t seen him in the 2 hours they had been there!

 

We’d talked about going to the duelling pianos show howl at the moon so headed to that venue to find not open till 9pm and now 8.45

I recognised D and W from earlier who were waiting to go in so I said I would return whether or not I found him. I bumped into the hotel director Sean who I recognised also from the Breakaway 2 years previously who was patrolling with another officer .He asked was I enjoying myself and I replied I’m on a husband hunt

“are you looking for another one”-actually that’s not a bad idea!

 

T that point I realised even if I couldn’t find him I was perfectly OK to do my own thing and was bound to bump into someone to spend time with-I can see the appeal for solo cruisers!

I next checked the cabin and there he was. We headed for a quick bite to eat at Garden cafe and then headed to Howl at Moon where joined D and W and later other roll callers until place closed at 1am.Everyone was having a great time drunk or sober!

6 suggested a nightcap at O Sheehans where met C and eventually got to bed about 3am-this is unheard of for me!

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ESCAPING WITH WALKING DIFFICULTIES

 

 

 

Welcome to the latest cruise with 6-we were with the first group of paying passengers on the brand new ship NCL Escape sailing from Hamburg to Southampton.

 

 

 

For those of who who haven’t read my previous reviews it’s tongue in cheek ,no pictures and I try to anonymise by using initials or nicknames. [However those of you who have actually met us know we are easily recognisable as there aren’t many middle aged guys with long greying blond hair and beard limping along with a walking stick accompanied by a short woman with long white hair] The main emphasis though is to provide information on how easy or otherwise it is to get around when you have walking difficulties.

 

Why the nickname 6?

 

Those of you above a certain age may remember a series in the 70’s about Steve Austin ,the Bionic Man or the 6 Million Dollar Man as it was known in the UK. Steve was rebuilt using bionics costing $6 million whereas hubbys joint replacements so far are nearer 6 thousand-hence the nickname 6.

 

 

 

We booked this 3 day mini cruise almost a year ago and the roll call has been the busiest I’ve ever been on-there were plenty of well known names on there and knew it was going to be a fun cruise with plenty of reviews posted on the boards as indeed is proving to be the case.

 

We got the chance to add on an extra night for an “exclusive” trip open to gold and platinum UK latitudes members, travel agents and other invited people for a nominal fare of £59 per person staying on in our same balcony cabin .Adding on 2 nights in Hamburg pre cruise and an airport hotel that added up to a week away covering 6 birthday.

 

 

 

As we would be flying out of Manchester but returning to Southampton we decided to look into trains as 6 is entitled to a disabled adults railcard.This costs £20 per year and gives 1/3 off railfares for himself and an accompanying adult .It can take between 2 ½ to 4 hours to drive from our home to Manchester airport and then need to cover cost of parking. Train was going to take 2 ½ hours with 1 change and £18 for both of us so will seriously consider this option in future.

 

 

 

We were booked on the 6.40 train out of Darlington on Thursday evening so got our 25 year old son to drop us off. He has visited Hamburg with a group of his friends and as I sat in the back of his car his dad was in the passenger seat so the conversation between them was a bit difficult to hear over the radio blaring. However I overheard him recommending one area but “you might want to lose Mam before you head there”!!!

 

Any attempts to pack light were out the window with taking warm clothing so we had 1 large and 1 medium suitcase. We could have booked wheelchair assistance but managed to get the cases on and off fairly easily ourselves. The major issue was the small luggage areas at end of carriages as our cases were too big to fit in overhead racks.

 

We arrived at Manchester airport railway station 9.15pm and could see our hotel Hilton from the tracks but couldn’t find a way to walk to it. At that time of night the station concourse was practically deserted but I did find an employee who showed us a well hidden courtesy phone from which to contact the hotel to get them to send their shuttle bus.

 

I Checked in online before we left home so just a case of collecting keys at desk. I’m gold level with the Hilton hhonors loyalty scheme so had complimentary drinks and breakfast vouchers .As there were no catering facilities on board the Transpennine Express train we headed to the bar for food and use the drink vouchers. We ended up staying up till 11.30 people watching as there were a lot of excited adults and children obviously headed out to exotic locations the next day. Bear in mind our usual bedtime is 10-10.30 the next few days were going to break that pattern!

 

 

 

The hotel is clean modern and as already mentioned very busy! We were upgraded to a Queen Deluxe room which was a bit smaller than expected-obviously trying to get us used to a ship cabin !6 can usually manage without a disabled room as long as the bath is not too high to step over if its a shower above a bath rather than walk in shower. Some hotel brands such as Premier Inn and a recent Marriott required mountain scaling equipment! Fortunately this bath was fairly low sided and had grab rails to assist getting in and out.

 

 

 

We collapsed into bed and can confirm that the sound insulation is fine-no disturbances from fellow guests or airplane noise.

 

 

I still have my Steve Austin action figure from the 70's..... Your post made me laugh.

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Just checking in to say hi. Was really great to keep on bumping into both of you many times. We obviously seemed to enjoy the same places.

 

haha yes funny how we seemed to frequent the same bars!

 

next cruise we are on together P am I can head off to the spa and shows and leave you 2 to it:D

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Love reading your review & point of view! [emoji4] was good to see you round the ship quite a few times!

 

Hi

yes I'm enjoying reading other peoples reviews and looking forward to more after the transatlantic

 

For such a large ship I was surprised how many times we kept bumping into people from our roll call-on the other hand it was a large lively bunch:)

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As we staggered back into our cabin the night/morning before depending on how you look at it I noted a towel animal on the bed with freestyle daily-and a card telling us to put our watches back by an hour during the night.

 

We woke to a fine bright day but “what time is it”

Flying from UK to Germany on Friday meant we put our watches forward an hour. Saturday night we put them back an hour because of daylight saving time and now we put them back again to be on British time zone !

 

A highlight of today was the UK immigration inspection on board before arrival at Southampton .All non European guests drew the short straw as they had to present 8.30 am at the Manhattan restaurant deck 7 aft with passport and key cards.

After that European guests had to present at different times depending on deck-we were 10am but as our Cruise Critic Meet and Greet was scheduled for 11am decks 12 and above risked a clash.

 

To make it even more fun aft elevators and staircases were to be locked for traffic control. This meant using forward elevators to then work way to the restaurant at back. Apparently this caused major complaints amongst first guests to present as there were a lot of people with walking sticks on this cruise and it meant a lot further for them to travel .By the time it came for us they had opened the aft staircases again. However entering the dining room we shuffled along a snaking queue around the perimeter before eventually coming to 2 desks where a man and a woman were carefully comparing each passport photo to the person in front of them.

 

You know the expression if you look like your passport photo you are too ill to travel-well this morning we were both a good match!

 

10.15 we escaped just in time to participate in the salsa class beginning in the atrium. Well that’s where I thought 6 was hobbling along to! Instead O Sheehans for breakfast and watching the class from the balcony level above.

 

Then it was off to Cagneys for the meet and greet. This was a very well attended event by roll callers and ships officers .Captain Hoyt welcomed everyone to the inaugural meet and greet on the inaugural sailing and courtesy of roll call organisers Nalagh and Kylenc there was a champagne toast.

They also arranged lots of little surprises throughout the 3 days and souvenirs such as specially printed fridge magnets matching the name tags we had from the pre cruise /sailaway events.

This was particularly appreciated as our group missed out on the NCL provided souvenirs such as lanyards,umbrellas,tote bags that were given out to day visitors and joiners from Southampton but those of us joining at Hamburg missed out.

Anyway a big shout out to Nalagh,Kylenc and Trumpy Nor for their efforts on roll call/pre cruise and during-you made it a cruise to remember.

 

We stayed to socialise and by now knew several people, introduced to new ones but still never managed to meet everyone.

 

We checked out another bar-Tobacco road which fittingly was the only bar I noticed cigarette smoke. It was no smoking inside but was next to cigar bar[i know they smell different]It was one of the bars with access to the outside waterfront smoking area .I believe the smell was probably carried in on peoples clothes rather than circulating in the air but will be interesting to see what people report as the ship gets more use.

 

A ship announcement came over the tannoy with a name and shame list of those passengers who had failed to report for immigration-get along to Manhattan NOW!

 

We had booked as a 3 day cruise from Hamburg and our key cards showed disembarkation day of 28th.However USA guests had to book as a 2 day plus 1 day so in the freestyle daily was the information that back to back[in transit ] guests with disembarkation date of 27th needed to visit guest services to get a new key card.

Apparently in USA if on a back to back cruise all passengers need to vacate the ship even if to a holding area so passenger count is zero before being allowed back on board.

Not so in Europe which we discovered last year when on a back to back Med cruise out of Venice on NCL Jade .We got new key cards at guest services and did not have to leave the ship on turnaround day but had in transit stickers to wear during that morning. Most significantly we were exempt from having to attend the next muster drill as we were in same cabin and had already completed. Watch this space for what happened on this ship!

 

2pm was time to meet in the 5 o clock sometime bar for the cabin crawl.

6 decided that would be too much walking so went to check out a few more bars!

 

There were about 50 of us so an exercise in crowd control!

We saw practically all levels from studios up to Haven and it was really interesting .The Haven concierge allowed us to view the Deluxe Owners suite sleeping 6 as it was unoccupied apart from a film crew-all I can say is WOW you just wouldn’t want to leave it to go anywhere else on the ship!

 

As mentioned before Nalagh and Kylenc arranged several surprises and treats for us and the cabin crawl ended in the Aft Penthouse suite with snacks and more champagne.

I met up again with Ben the Bendy man who looked relieved to see I was by myself-he had been hiding from 6 since his efforts to match drink for drink at the pre cruise dinner resulted in him being a slightly green colour for a couple of days. Fortunately he was now back to his usual bright yellow self.

 

For those of you who have no idea what I’m talking about check out Kylenc brilliant series of reviews with Ben the Bendy Man .

 

Back in the room I found 6 resting up on the bed to relieve his still swollen foot. The safe was still not working and the TV was also not functioning .No response since my report to guest services the day before.

 

One of the important pieces of info to pick up from an NCL meet and greet is the card with the direct dial telephone numbers of the heads of departments.

I rang Ronney Dsouza the executive housekeeper and within 10 minutes a guy from maintenance turned up. Plugging a gadget into the safe and punching in numbers it was still flashing up error codes so rang security for them to sort .He also made another call about the TV as needed re programming.

10 minutes later 2 guys with security emblazoned across their backs arrived and proceeded to do exactly the same checks as the guy from maintenance with the same resulting error codes .It was actually quite comical as they both pushed their heads inside the cubicle and earnestly punched in codes to no avail. I could hear them muttering to each other-“never seen that error code before”

Eventually they came out of their huddle and pronounced the safe broken and would need to be replaced. Yes I had kind of worked that out but if this safe is brand new and needs to be replaced under manufacturers warranty may there not be a problem with others of same batch number?

 

Teething problems are inevitable on a brand new ship but surely someone should have done a check list that electronic equipment such as safes and TVs work before guests first occupy cabins?

 

Incidently the safe was never replaced before we left on 29th and would be interested to hear if the next occupants of 10276 had a working safe.

The TV magically came to life later that day after someone pressed a few buttons somewhere other than in the cabin.

 

Remember that 6 doesnt “do “ spas and I have learned to go myself or with friends .Well he doesn’t “do “ theatre shows either but I thought he would be interested in Million Dollar Quartet because it’s based on music by Elvis, Jerry Lee Lewis. Carl Perkins and Johnny Cash all of which he would listen to and would definitely have gone to a live performance by them .

 

I had pre booked seats for the 7pm performance but freestyle daily said was on first come first seated basis .So 6.30 we headed to the theatre before doors opened to ensure good seats.

There was a waiter in there who was obviously sulking at getting theatre duty because he was the only miserable looking crew member I remember seeing and he had an attitude problem .He took so long getting drinks and made such a production of the whole process!

 

In fact the only person looking more miserable was when I glanced across at 6 during the performance!

The show was 1 ½ hours long and I and everyone else really enjoyed it.

 

However I have learned my lesson and will NEVER suggest he accompanies me to either a spa or theatre again. Fortunately I have a daughter who is only too happy to go with me and as already mentioned I now feel happy to do my own thing on a cruise ship.

I know my husband is not representative of the whole male population as our daughters boyfriend enjoys going to spas and theatre with her He also gets her flowers on occasions like birthdays and Valentines day.

Apart from a bunch of daffodils bought from a market stall over 30 years ago when he was waiting for a bus to come and visit me during our courting days I have never got flowers from 6. It’s actually a standing joke that if he ever did at this late stage I would be very suspicious and the words out of my mouth wouldn’t be “oh how thoughtful darling” but “what have you done!”

 

We called in at the cabin and found the room turned down, no towel animal or freestyle daily but a sorry you leaving us tomorrow leaflet. I wrote a note on it for Alvin that actually we wouldn’t be leaving for another 2 days so not to disturb us in the morning[you know how your solicitous cabin steward on the final morning knocks on your door at 9am to make sure you are getting out of there so he can make up the room for the next guests]

 

The TV was now working so able to check the account. I had pre paid gratuities/DSC and corks and caps package so pretty easy to check through transactions. Just my spa treatment as a balance.

 

We checked out the 5 o clock somewhere bar and actually found it open with people in it! It doesn’t actually open till 12 noon and usually quiet so bit of a joke that the name implies it’s a happening bar at all hours!

The Starlight band were playing consisting of drummer ,bassist lead guitar/vocals and a very pretty girl vocalist wearing a leather mini skirt. For some reason 6 was happy to stay here till midnight when they closed. We then headed to Howl at the Moon until that closed at 1am

 

.I decided to be sensible and headed to bed but 6 had those lost 2 hours of his life spent in the theatre to make up for and came to bed about 3am having been chatting to newly found friends from our Cruisecritic activities

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As we were staying on for the 3rd day we didn’t need to disembark but there wasn’t much chance of a lie in as disembarkment announcements were piped into the cabin from 8am!

One of the funniest was the announcement in English “this is for the attention of our German guests” before continuing in German.

A last and final call to disembark at 9.30 was followed by 2 more last and final calls several minutes apart until all quiet at 9.45.

 

It was blue skies in Southampton so sat out on the balcony watching activity in the dockyard.11 o clock we headed down to the atrium bar to have a glass of prosecco while watching the ship fill up with new boarders.

We hadn’t had a freestyle daily delivered to the room so as an NCL employee was giving them out to new sailers I got one from her. It contained information that back to back guests should get new cards at guest services by 7pm.As it was quiet I went to renew our cards but the guy at the desk was trying to tell me to come back 9am the next day. I showed him the printed instructions in freestyle daily and he wentout back and came back with our new cards with amended date of departure.

Unfortunately I’ve noticed on several ships that guest services do not tend to be privy to current info !

 

We had pre purchased a 3 day corks and caps beverage package which wouldn’t cover the extra day but it does give 20% off a bottle of wine. Normally I cant see where this would be of benefit as if you want to take a glass back to your balcony to enjoy you can simply get at a bar and carry it back .However in this case I bought a bottle from the bar and took it back to our room so would be able to take it anywhere the next day.

 

Of course clutching this bottle at 11am was of course the time I bumped into many acquaintances and felt obliged to explain my strategy and wasn’t drinking red wine at that time in the morning......prosecco perhaps!

 

We decided to lunch in O Sheehans again-we had yet to dine in a traditional restaurant as found too much to do and didn’t want to sit down for a longer meal.

 

Another couple from our roll call came along-she is also a walking stick user and we compared notes. They were in a disabled access cabin and said it was the smallest they had been in but as a teething problem there were no coat hangers in the wardrobe!

They had gone ashore that morning to see if they could get wifi access. They got as far as the terminal building and was told there was none unless they went outside. The terminal was very congested with embarking passengers carrying their own luggage on –sounds just like Hamburg. They decided to get back on board but there was no clear line for reboarders to short cut and ended up having to argue their way past people queuing in line to get on board for the first time-very fraught-glad we stayed put!

 

The computer system was slow to come back up and paper bar bills were being used until after 1pm.When we checked our account later on the TV we were charged port tax and VAT on each bar purchase for this day but the actual cost of drink cancelled out because of corks and caps. It meant about $4 per round of beer and wine.

 

We spent the afternoon socialising with several cruise critic friends as O Sheehans seems to be the pass through place where you are bound to find someone you know. K and 6 discovered a mutual dislike of theatre and spas so if we cruise with them in future his lovely wife and I can pair up and leave them to it!

 

We decided to explore outside despite the fine start to the day turning to rain. We grabbed our coats and eventually settled down outside La Cucina on the waterfront to watch activity on the pier. This will be a very nice area to sit and bask in Caribbean sunshine but not so much end of October in Southampton!

 

3.30 announcements were made over the tannoy that muster drill would be at 4pm.Secure in the knowledge that we had already done ours 2 days previously we were prepared to sit where we were until it was over and bars etc would be opening up again. However 3.50 a tannoy announcement that the ship would be refuelled so nobody allowed outside on port side.

We headed in to see a stream of people heading to muster stations and were asked by a ships employee if we knew where ours was. We replied we had already done it but he said it was compulsory for everyone. We thought we may as well take path of least resistance and headed down to the familiar location of Taste restaurant deck 6 and take our place.

 

Just before 4 a further announcement was made that the muster drill was compulsory even for back to back guests-the first time this had been said-it should have been made at 3.30 when muster information was starting. This of course resulted in a flurry of late arrivals

The drill itself was over quicker than the previous one as it was not repeated in German. However the girl demonstrating how to put on the life jackets was a bit flustered and kept dropping the between the leg strap-note to self if we have got to go through this tomorrow take up a seat nearer to help her out as we will be word perfect by then.

After the drill an announcement was made that the security officer would be available on deck 6 for the next half hour to answer questions about the drill-think he was overwhelmed by irritated cruisers who had started in Hamburg!

 

We instead headed for the Cellars wine bar for the farewell cruise critic party thanks to the generosity of Nalagh and Kylenc. This was a wine and cheese pairing and another chance to catch up with friends old and new[although there were still a couple of people we never got round to chatting with. This was definitely the most social group have been involved with and probably spoil me for future sailings!

 

As the District Brew house was one bar we had not yet visited we went there for sailaway-actually a trip past the Isle of Wight and far enough into the English Channel to allow the casino to open before heading back to Southampton early the next morning.

We were told about the photo booth in there which is free to use. Last time I used one of those was to get a passport photo done and to share with someone else for silly photos was when I was about 16.Well it was a wide seat to encourage exactly those type of daft photos-4 poses and a video of you swapping to next one.You get 3 strips-1 to display on the board outside the bar and the others to keep. Theres a website address and ID code to enter so you can share to facebook twitter or you tube but so far a week later the photos cant be found so not sure when or if will be available.

 

We decided to dress up a bit for dinner and try the Manhattan restaurant for the first time. There were a lot of family groups in their best outfits-probably on board for 1 night and making a night out of it-worth doing if you live in the local area.

The starter came out promptly but there was a considerable delay with the main course. The section head kept coming over to assure us our waiter would be bringing our meal soon! Could be teething problems but we have always found service for evening meals in the main dining rooms slow hence our preference for O Sheehans and buffet. As platinum rewards were not offered for this short cruise we didn’t get a voucher for a speciality restaurant so didn’t venture there.

 

We then went to check out the Starlight band we had seen the night before in 5 o clock something bar .It was much busier but also meant the 2 bar waitresses struggled to cope so 6 went next door to get our drinks and brought them back. It did empty out about 10 but we stayed as a small select audience until 11 when we went to catch to final 2 hours of Howl at the Moon

It is billed as an adult only venue after 11 and was certainly a bit more fruity language than the previous nights .Kids in the audience weren’t obvious until their offended parents got up and led them out –well you had been warned!

 

Time for bed and 6 decided to retire with me. I had got the pattern to the room worked out by now-exit elevators/stairwell turn to port side and door is 2 along-the one at an angle to the hall. The key card didn’t work and that’s when I looked at the number-it’s not 10276.Instead of coming from aft elevators we had used the front ones and was therefore trying to let myself into someone elses room. This of course was entirely 6 fault because he was the one who led the way to the elevators!

Heading along the long halls we did find our correct room and out like a light!

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I've just read a few of the first reviews of Escape and am scratching my head at some of the comments

 

I stated there was port tax and VAT added to bar bills on the day cruise to nowhere out of Southampton.I know that is because we never got out into International waters so understand the charges.However some people are blaming NCL implying the money goes into NCL coffers.Nope blame our UK government.

 

Others are complaining that people were turning up late to muster drill-well yes that was due to poor NCL communication to guests who had been on board since Hamburg.

 

Someone else claimed they were charged £27 service charge for the 2 of them-actually no that's $27 which is quite a bit less-similarly your bar bill was in dollars not pounds and it's not that small print to read about the 18% added charge.

 

Yes embarkation in Hamburg and Southampton was a mess and down to pier staff not NCL. However lack of porter services meaning people had to lug their own luggage on board with resulting congestion should have been anticipated. Although many people had only hand luggage doing only 1 or 2 nights many others had lots of luggage because they were going on to do the transatlantic or in our case added on extra days on board or in Hamburg to make a weeks holiday

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Today was an “ exclusive event “ which did not equate to quiet day!

It was a by invitation to Gold and Platinum UK latitudes Travel Agents and Media .It was certainly an eye opener on what was offered compared to the paying guests on previous 3 nights.

 

I remember getting an invitation for a 1 night cruise at a really cheap price for the Getaway in Southampton the previous year but travelling 300 miles from our home was not viable.

 

This time however was looking out for the offer as it would make our 3 day cruise into 4.I was expecting the email about a month before but it never arrived.

Thanks to cruise critic I heard about other people getting the offer so I emailed NCL and said would be interested .Someone else on the roll call was joining in Hamburg with us and continuing on the transatlantic. They were faced with having to make arrangements for 1 night in a hotel in Southampton before getting back on board .With a fortnights worth of luggage that seemed daft so they also emailed NCL. We both got an invoice for the extra night and staying in same cabin.

 

However it does seem to have been very random as to who received invitations and who did not.

 

Reading through the itinery for this extra night was an eye opener

We had paid £150 per person per night including service charges and port taxes for the previous 3 nights.

Cost for this extra night was £59 each and port taxes and service charges were paid by NCL.

Complimentary car parking available at the pier and a complimentary shuttle bus between train station and pier between 11.30 and 14.30 today and in reverse next morning between 9 and 10.

For those passengers disembarking this morning NCL were offering transfer buses to Gatwick and Heathrow for $75 per person and to Southampton airport for $25 per person.

For these invited guests transfers to all 3 airports were free!

What a very nice deal and am glad I pushed for it!

 

Meanwhile back in our cabin we were again woken by the in cabin announcements from 8am calling for people to disembark and we tried to tune them out .However the last and final calls went on for a lot longer than the previous morning.

After the misunderstanding with the muster drill I rang down to guest services at 10.30 to check we weren’t included on the list of guests who had outstayed their welcome. I was assured we did not have to get off .

11am they announced about 20 names to make themselves known to guest services-we weren’t among them.

 

Looking out from the balcony we could see people making their way onto the ship about 11.30 and we decided to head down to O Sheehans for lunch[we only managed to get up in time for breakfast 1 day.]

 

O Sheehans is a good vantage spot for people watching as we observed groups of overexcited adults troop by.

It was a noticeably different atmosphere on board. I am presuming a lot of these groups were colleagues from local travel agents and they were obviously having their Christmas party a month early.

 

We had a leisurely lunch and turned down offer of prosecco from our friendly barman! Corks and caps no longer-it’s pay as you go so a more restrained day for us!

 

We relocated to the atrium and I picked up a freestyle daily and a competition entry form from one of the NCL employees. I noticed the new boarders were wearing NCL Escape logoed lanyards and I asked where we could get them .She said they were given out in the terminal on boarding. Those of us who boarded for the 2 or 3 night sailing in Hamburg were the only ones to not receive such souvenir items which was annoying.

 

The competition prize was a 7 night cruise-not the usual NCL prize of an inside cabin but a balcony cabin for 2 on the Escape in the Caribbean with flights included from the UK.

The competition form was a treasure hunt, 8 multiple choice questions relating to venues around the ship .Answer 5 questions correctly by visiting the manned locations and you got a coloured sticker .Once complete hand in for a chance to win.

 

This was actually a chance to visit different categories of accommodation on the ship as 2 of the manned locations were studio lounge and the Haven .It also included the spa and as I had yet to experience the Thermal spa I decided to do a tour of the ship and get my form completed.

 

6 of course decided to stay put in the atrium bar and have his first beer of the day.

 

The sun deck had a few people around but despite the sun actually shining no one was brave enough to sit in swimming costumes on a late October day in Southampton. A few people were in the pools or hot tubs .The ropes course however was busy.

In the spa I enquired about a thermal spa pass and was told it would be $44 for the day but as they would be conducting tours all day it would not be very relaxing. However after 5pm it would be only $20[plus VAT of course] So I purchased and would be back after muster.

 

At the Haven they had a hall door open for people to directly access the open suites but the manned desk for the treasure hunt was inside the Haven lounge which is usually key card accessed .There was a rather perplexed NCL regular employee manning entrance there ,unfortunately no one had thought to tell him why all these people were seeking admission and I explained to him about the competition.

I’d seen some of the Haven suites on the cabin crawl and decided to recheck them out .They had the Deluxe Owners suite and owners suite next door balconies open so could travel freely between them .

Having seen these situated within Haven complex at very front of the ship and the aft penthouse suite situated in a quieter location but still with access to the Haven I would choose the aft penthouse[not that I am likely to ever afford it!]

There was also a manned desk for treasure hunt in the studio lounge so I revisited there and yes that would be really good way of travelling solo but finding new friends to socialise with. However I got lost in the maze that is the inside cabin halls.

 

The new build ships Epic, Breakaway and Escape do not have inside and balcony cabins on opposite sides of the hall-inside cabins are accessed by a separate corridor. So despite initial appearance on deck plans families who want to book parents in balcony and kids in an inside across the hall beware this isn’t possible on these new ships[unless there are a few exceptions I’m unaware of.]

 

After a good explore and noting the number of private function notices outside various venues I found 6 in the cabin with his feet up and decided to follow suit . I have found a few days into a cruise I get cruise ankles where my feet swell up so we were a good match today.

 

About 3 we went for a beer in the district brew house but when we decided to have a second were told they couldn’t serve us as had become a private party whilst we were in there.

 

As the bars would all close at 4pm prior to 4.30 muster we decided to go instead to mixx bar just outside Taste restaurant where our 3rd muster drill was to take place.

We bumped into K who was staying on for the transatlantic but had dropped his wife and child off at the train station that morning as school the next week .He was with his brother who was joining him for this 1 night and reported that the embarkation experience was as bad as in Hamburg.

 

He said they were late for muster the previous day as they were happily sat in their cabin thinking were exempt until the announcement that back to back guests were also expected to attend .

He did seek out the security officer to complain and was assured that in future that announcement would be made 30 mins before muster not just before .

In the meantime he was attending his 3rd muster just like us and had another one to look forward to the next day.

 

Of course the announcements were precisely as the day before with back to back guests given 5 mins not 30 mins notice .So much for assurances and communication!

 

The girls at the muster station recognised us and welcomed us back!

Fortunately there were no mishaps this time demonstrating how to put on life jacket and it was over pretty quick.

 

Because the elevators and stairs are really congested just after muster 6 said he would sit there for a while till the crowds dispersed.

I said I was going to the Thermal spa to help relieve my swollen feet

“that’s a really good idea” he says

“why don’t you come with me” says I

“that’s a really terrible idea “says he

 

There were only about 10 people in the spa and I watched sailaway through the expansive glass windows overlooking the front of the ship whilst reclining on a heated lounger-ahhhhh

 

[The route was the same as previous days-past Isle Of Wight far enough out into the Channel to allow casinos to open but not far enough to escape port tax and VAT on drinks.]

 

In the spa the steam room wasn’t working but checked out salt room sauna and sanarium –a milder heat steam room.

Escape has the first snow room so checked it out for 2 seconds .If you go in there wear flip flops as the floor is solid ice.

Er no we might have this for real in a months time and I will be wearing boots and winter gear not a swimming costume!

I got my costume wet by trying out Jacuzzi and therapy pool then showered and back to cabin to find 6 and get ready to go to eat at 7

 

.Clutching my bottle of wine we checked out long lines outside the restaurants and headed to O Sheehans again for our meal.

 

Afterwards we headed to the 5 o clock bar to watch Starlight band for final time and found the place half full!

It consisted of a a few groups of revellers who cleared out after the bands second set leaving just us there. The band returned and having recognised us from the previous nights gave us a wry grin and played to their select audience.

 

One of the waitresses had gone for her break leaving the other one who was totally clueless, A few people wandered in and after having failed to catch her attention to get a drink walked out again!

 

However the place did fill up again for the final half hour and the place rocked!

At the end of the set we chatted to the drummer and guitarist. They are from Romania and very excited to play on the ship but we felt the layout and overall comfort of the room put them at a disadvantage. We wished them luck and then headed for our final Howl at the Moon before bedtime.

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No need to set an alarm as in cabin announcements started 8am We showered and flung our stuff into suitcases .I wore flight socks as my feet were still swollen and we had a 5 hour train journey ahead of us.

 

We had thought to get breakfast at O Sheehans on deck 7 but embarkation deck was on 5 and the elevators were again full with people and their luggage. We reckoned when we eventually got on that if we stopped off at deck 7 we would struggle to get on another one to get down the final 2 decks[and bumping/carrying luggage down stairs was not on for 6.]

 

Getting off at deck 5 involved an outside walk to the terminal building and it was pouring with rain.

Being the considerate wife I am I made a dash for it and allowed 6 to limp along at his own pace. He did have the foresight to put up his umbrella so wasn’t too wet!

 

In the middle of the empty baggage terminal was a desk with ncl travel agents inviting future bookings .As an extra incentive for this invited guests cruise your fare would be refunded if you made a booking within the next month. We had only paid £118 and have 2 future cruises already booked in March and July so probably wont .However if you had booked an Haven suite at a higher price and took advantage you would effectively have had a free night in a high grade room.

 

Passing through the exit a lady was passing out tote bags with NCL Escape emblazoned on containing a brochure and a very nice NCL logo battery charger.

So we did eventually get an NCL Escape souvenir but remember this was for this promotional cruise and nothing for those of us who had been full paying passengers on the 2/3 nighter from Hamburg.

Thank you again Nalagh and Kylenc for your Escape souvenirs which will be proudly displayed with ships pins and cards from previous cruises.

 

We got on the complimentary shuttle coaches to the train station and filled the 2 hours before our booked train with reflections on the last few days.

6 totalled up the bar receipts and concluded that indeed we had come out ahead of the game with the corks and caps package. The next 2 cruises we have the UBP free-they may re think that in our case!

 

So overall thoughts on the ship?

 

Firstly is it disabled friendly?

On the whole yes, it’s a big ship but easy to get around and not too many bottle necks EXCEPT

Embarkation

Disembarkation

Muster Drill

And queuing for restaurants at peak times like just after shows finish

It will be interesting to read reviews when the ship is full and in warm weather as to how crowded it gets on sun decks

There were a lot of people with walking sticks and some in wheelchairs It can be a long walk from one end of ship to the other and would recommend getting a cabin near the elevators. If you can use stairs it’s a bit easier than having to wait for the elevators which at peak times were full when the doors opened onto your floor.

 

The congestion on elevators was exaggerated on this short cruise by no portering facilities so you had to carry your own luggage on and off ship.

The 2 sets of elevators with 8 in each are called forward and aft but are actually about a third of the way along from front and back of ship.

With 20 decks the public area decks are 6/7/8 and 16 upwards for the sun decks

 

Cabins

We saw a good selection on our cabin crawl and there is bound to be a style to suit your style and budget. We liked our balcony cabin and the angled balcony available in a few such as 10276 will make a lot more room to relax in your own private space on a warm weather itinery.

I’ve heard a few people complain that having the bed configuration near the wardrobe limits space .It certainly isn’t pushed up against it-there is a bedside table between the bed and wardrobe which is at least a foot wide. We didn’t find it an issue getting clothes out of the wardrobe in fact my husband found it easier sitting on the bed and leaning forward to grab his clothes from the shelves.

The lighting system you activate by placing your room card in the slot inside your room works well and indicates to your cabin steward you are in residence. There are 2 switches to indicate do not disturb or make up room and they show as lights outside in the hall.

 

Entertainment

Million Dollar Quartet was very good but don’t drag your husband along if he isn’t a theatre fan!

Howl at the Moon duelling pianos was great entertainment each night[they wont be playing every night on a regular cruise though or they will be exhausted

Starlight band in 5 o clock sometime bar we really enjoyed but they are hampered by the design of the room.

 

5 o clock sometime bar implies a lively all day atmosphere but it doesn’t seem to work

In May we were on the older NCL Star with the old bar refurbished to become 5 o clock sometime .That suffered by being a throughfare with bad acoustics and uncomfortable seats.

This newly designed bar had its own problems attracting people to sit and listen to the on stage band.

It had limited opening hours-supposed to open 12 noon but bar often closed mid afternoon

Uncomfortable beach type chairs

Rotating lights around stage dazzle audience for a few seconds

There is an automatic door leading from waterfront which is the outside smoking area into the bar. Therefore there is a draft when people walk through it. The exit from the bar into the main inner r area consists of 2 glass doors. One of these open with a handle from the outside but have to push a lever from the other side and as there is no indication which door to open first the 2 doors never shut properly and bang together.

 

SPA

I used the thermal spa-very nice and had 1 treatment-a discounted head to toe with full body/scalp/foot massage and a facial

 

Dining

We ate in Manhattan restaurant one night where service was slow.

Because platinum latitudes perks not extended to this short cruise we didn’t have a meal voucher so didn’t eat in speciality restaurant

For ease and convenience ate mainly in O Sheehans and buffet and were perfectly satisfied

 

Communication

There was misinformation about back to back passengers having to attend multiple muster drills which caused frustration and resulted in people turning up late to their muster station.

Also the only information about the lack of portering facilities was for the invited guests on the 28th.No pre warning for the other cruises from Hamburg or Southampton.

 

Added taxes/gratuities

We had pre paid our daily service charge and were aware of the 18% automatic bar charge .As we had pre paid a corks and caps beer and wine package that 18% was also pre paid

However the final 2 days in and around Southampton there was extra port tax and VAT payable which was not pre warned but I knew to expect by reading info on cruise critic

However I have read reports of irate people blaming NCL claim this extra money for themselves-nope blame our UK government.

 

TEETHING PROBLEMS

The non functioning safe and tv should have been on a checklist before guests arrived

Toilets on deck 7 outside the theatre-there is a female toilet on 1 side and male on the other and both doors labelled correctly .However the high level indicators show a male figure on both sides! A silly mistake by someone hanging the signs but it’s going to irritate if not fixed

Toilets on deck 8 outside District Brew house. The ladies has 3 cubicles 2 of which the handles are loose with too much play on the shank-someone risks getting stuck in there

The curtain across the balcony window in our cabin had the final hook missing so a loose flap hanging down –looks unsightly on a brand new ship

All above issues were reported to guest services/maintenance

 

Would I do such a few days cruise again-oh yes!!!

I am however disappointed that our group missed out on the souvenir lanyards tote bags etc that were given to other cruisers even day guests .Being the first paying guests on an inaugural cruise would have expected some kind of recognition.

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Thank you for your review. It was very informative reading about your experience and with walking difficulties. While I currently don't have any my mom does have some and walks with a cane so I know what to expect if I bring her on a mega ship. Right now I'm just bringing her on my Jewel cruise so hopefully she doesn't have too bad of a time.

 

Once again, it was great meeting you both and I hope to see you on another cruise!

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Thank you for your review. It was very informative reading about your experience and with walking difficulties. While I currently don't have any my mom does have some and walks with a cane so I know what to expect if I bring her on a mega ship. Right now I'm just bringing her on my Jewel cruise so hopefully she doesn't have too bad of a time.

 

Once again, it was great meeting you both and I hope to see you on another cruise!

 

Theres a link to our cruise on the Jade last year in my signature. Obviously different schedule but as a sister ship to the Jewel you might find some of my observations on the ship useful.

 

It is a smaller ship than Escape so halls don't seem to go on for ever!

Getting to the main public decks is more achievable by using stairs as you don't have 7 decks worth to negotiate between sun deck and bars etc on lower decks

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Theres a link to our cruise on the Jade last year in my signature. Obviously different schedule but as a sister ship to the Jewel you might find some of my observations on the ship useful.

 

It is a smaller ship than Escape so halls don't seem to go on for ever!

Getting to the main public decks is more achievable by using stairs as you don't have 7 decks worth to negotiate between sun deck and bars etc on lower decks

 

Thank you! I'll go take a look right now :D

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