ReaderDame

19 hours ago, DW09 said:

How long were you on the beach for at Jost Van Dyke?

We are taking this excursion. The 8:15 group. I'm glad to hear it was the best day ever! Can't wait! 

Thank you~

We also took the 8:15 time slot.  We were on the beach by 9:00am and we were picked back up at 12:30pm for the ride back to the ship.  The earlier time slot is better as the beach isn't as crowded and there is a large stack of chairs that can be used for free in front of Soggy Dollar... but as the day progresses the beach fills up.  Be aware, there is very little shady areas ; and there isn't umbrellas.  Same as the day Sid was there; there was a large cruise ship moored just off the beach and their passengers were being tendered back and forth from the ship; as well as lots of private excursion boats in front of the beach so the view was somewhat blocked.  Still, a beautiful beach and crystal clear water!  We did not eat on the beach as we'd had a large breakfast prior to leaving the ship... just a few drinks at Soggy's; so I can't speak for any of the restaurants

18 hours ago, dshefter said:

We are also on this excursion. Cost of drinks at Soggy Dollar Bar?

I paid $7.00 for the Pain Killer.  Their drinks looked to be standard bar costs.... 

16 hours ago, awinte2 said:

Did you find the pool deck overly crowded.

Yes, Very Much So... Sid's pictures showed exactly what it looks like!

17 hours ago, david_sobe said:

Thanks. Just thought it was unusual that the shows happen so late in the week and only 2 days/4 shows.  But I guess that's enough for everyone to see it.

There is also another main show:  Choir of Man during the week (2 showings on 2 nights) so that is why … they both take place in the main theater.  Both have major staging; so they show the 4 Choir of Man earlier in the week, and then change out the stage for the 4 shows of Kinky Boots

29 minutes ago, Maleficent's Dad said:

Okay, I’ll bite - what’s the “mini-beer” reference?  The best I could guess is “micro brew?”  As in, craft beers?  🍺

Genuinely interested!!!

The  Mini Beer is just that- a shot that looks like a mini beer. Made with Licor 43, a smooth Spanish liqueur comprised of 43 secret ingredients, and a dash of cream to add the “foam head,” this fun shot is perfect for parties, tailgating and more!  There isn't any beer in this shot... it just looks like a little beer.  Have never had this liqueur before, but have read about this shot on lots of the C.C. posts.  It is absolutely delicious!

30 minutes ago, david_sobe said:

 

30 minutes ago, david_sobe said:

Is Kinky boots only available 2 days and both at the end of the cruise?

Kinky Boots showed on 2 different days / with two different shows on each of the 2 days (Early Show 7:30 - Late Show 10:30pm)

for a total of 4 chances to see the show.  The shows were on Thursday & Friday nights

Just got home yesterday from a week on the AMAZING new Encore.  I'm not going to write a review because I couldn't top Sid's review from the prior week; and am still too tired.  However, for those of you that have questions about the cruise in general, I will try to answer.  The shows and entertainment on board were fantastic!  The food was good!  Booze Good!  And the loungers in the Observation Lounge were awesome!  (Despite the nappers and bare feet!)  For all of you questioning how people can sleep in public... I dare you to sit in one of those, stare out at the beautiful ocean; and NOT SLEEP???  I swear, there is some sort of sleeping dust sprinkled in 15 minute intervals in that lounge!  The most peaceful place on the ship... and yet an active, rowdy crowd, always at the bar... from Age 18-99 at any given time!  (Complete with our favorite bartender from the Escape:  "Lovely", and her sidekick "Ida"... who she brought along from their most recent job on the Bliss)  My husband and I discovered what the "Mini-Beer" fuss is all about... ALL WEEK LONG!  When you have this team running things at this bar; who needs to pay $200 extra bucks to have their own private bar to escape to?

The Jost Van Dyke excursion on the Rebel Yell was the absolute best day ever... and the PainKillers at the Soggy Dollar were great too!  I have the Freestyle Dailys from the week, so if you all have any questions, will try to answer them.

On 12/11/2019 at 12:24 PM, turtletam said:

Thanks for sharing your trip with us all! We will be on the Dec 22nd cruise. What Pier did the Encore tie up at in San Juan? I heard there are 2 different ones. One walking distance to OSJ & the other one farther away. We are meeting family that lives there & trying to figure out where they should meet us. Thanks!

We were just on the Encore 12/08-12/15.  The ship docked right in front of the downtown area ; across from a Walgreens... if that helps.

Sid

Just a general question, please... when in Tortola , is it cash only at the bars there; and if so, do they take US $ ?

We took the open air bus to get out to the beach on 2 different stops in Tortola.  2017 & 2015.  Both times the driver was very efficient and the buses were full.  Fast driving and he stopped to see a couple of pretty over looks.  They charge one price when you go out to the beach, and charge again to get back to the ship.  They also tell you what time and where to pick up the buses after the day on the beach.  Much cheaper than using the excursions through the cruise line.  We left ourselves plenty of time to get back to the ship, so we weren't late.  These buses are safe to use.

We were on ESCAPE April 22-29 and Clarence (aka: Chocolate Cowboy) from Honduras was our bartender at the outdoor 5 O'clock Somewhere bar several days during this week. It was a thrill to meet him as I have read about him so much on CC. Just as everyone else on here has described; this man is a HOOT !

We just returned from the ESCAPE on 04/29/17 and they only had Mr. & Mrs. T. (the Original) at several of their bars that I had Bloody Marys

Sorry to hijack this thread; but, I just returned from my 2nd cruise on ESCAPE (Dec. 12-19, 2015) & April 22-29,2017. I have written a few times about the trip to Cane Garden Bay Beach. We did it again this last trip, and had an equally splendid time! Both times we went on a taxi / open truck style bus. We did not take an excursion with the cruiseline. We saved money, and had more time at the beach, both times. Search posts from me: ReaderDame

We sailed ESCAPE in Dec 2015. I did my research and booked 6 of us on the Nightwind Sailboat Excursion straight from their website. I cannot rave enough about how wonderful this trip was! This sailor & wife have been in business for 20 years on the island. It is a 5 or 6 hour day of sailing on a 55' sailboat with stops for snorkeling, time at St. Johns island beach, a full carribean luncheon served and an open bar. A little bit pricey ($125 per person) Snorkeling equipment included, and only 15 people total on the boat, so not crowded like so many shipboard excursions! Great areas for snorkeling, beautiful boat, we saw sea turtles, and tons of amazing fish! It's a good day and we were back in time to walk around and shop near the ship for 90 minutes before the ship left St. Thomas. Read their reviews on Trip Advisor So many happy passengers sharing my sentiments! A true island experience, and great for your kids too!

FYI: We were in St. Thomas last Dec, 2015 on the ESCAPE. Our sailing excursion time was 8:30. I, too was worried we wouldn't make it across the island to board by 8:30am. The owner of excursion assured me that they would wait. They have been in business for years and are very used to working with all the cruise lines. We used the taxi recommended by the Nightwinds excursion company. We sent an e-mail, and received a confirmation from the taxi company. We got off the ship as soon as allowed, and our driver was standing there waiting for us, holding a chalkboard with our name. There were 15 of us from the ship, and we all boarded and were on the road in minutes. We arrived in a timely manner, and boarded the sailboat. He had us back to the marina in plenty of time. And he called our taxi (van) driver to let him know as we were sailing back in to the marina. He was waiting for us when we arrived. We were back to the ship long before we needed to be.

First, let me offer you Get Well Wishes! I hope some of your cruise has been salvageable, and really sorry that you weren't able to enjoy your excursions on the islands!

I am not writing this response to discount what happened to you... I just want to share our family's story so that others will know that we had a more positive experience .

When we sailed the Escape in December, one of the young ladies accompanying our party became ill and had to visit the Infirmary onboard the ship. She was given an I.V., labwork, and observed for 4 hours, and then released. This visit resulted in a $1,300.00 bill. She had not purchased travelers insurance, and since she was out of the country; her medical insurance would not cover the cost. If I may ask, how long were you sick before you went to the infirmary? I.V. treatment isn't usually routinely administered unless a patient has been vomiting, and/or several episodes of diarrhea for more than 24 hours. The infirmary on this ship is a BEAUTIFUL, top of the line, first class mini Emergency Room/hospital establishment. It's not a small room with a crabby old nurse sitting there telling you to go back to class! LOL They really are fully trained doctors and nurses with your best interest at heart. And it sounds as if they were watching out for your wallet too, since that bag of IV fluids may have cost you upwards of an additional few hundred dollars! Unfortunately professional medical care is not cheap, even if all they do is take Vital Signs and hand you a Tylenol!

Unless multiple passengers had presented to the infirmary with similar symptoms, there would not be a reason to put every sick person on quarantine.

The reason for the woman who vomited on deck could have been caused by a variety reasons: Seasickness, Too much alcohol consumtion, brought a stomach bug onboard with her, etc... While we were onboard, a young adult lady vomited after a nervous episode after trying to do the ropes course; she had to have NCL employee go up and bring her back down. She was clearly shaken, and proceeded to start to cry, and than throw up everywhere! Several NCL employees dealt with this mess IMMEDIATELY. Some grabbed beach towels, others grabbed a hose, etc... It was not left to just sit there.

In agreement with several others here that said to ask for fee reversal for the room service charges. Shore excursions are always risky and often times they won't refund for illness, but you should certainly give it a try!

Again, I hope you have recovered and were able to enjoy the last couple days of your cruise.

What is the amount to tip someone that drops off your room service food? I generally don't order room service at hotels, but do when we are on a cruise?

No worries! Those drink lists just show the fruity/tropical stuff. All of the bartenders are more than happy to make any standard cocktail, from Bloody Marys to Manhattans to Old Fashioneds to a simple 7&7 or gin and tonic. As long as the liquor in the drink (like the vodka in your Bloody Mary) is under $15, then the drink will be included in the UBP.

Responding the same about available drinks... As mentioned, each bar has a drink menu, but this only lists popular fruity vacation drinks, and is different at each bar on the ship. Also, each bar has different availability of various liquors. The lists posted on menus isn't necessarily the only boozes served there. We sailed the ESCAPE in December and my husband and I had the drink package. Almost every drink we ordered, I would specify a double pour, and high end liquor, and was never charged anything. As the Doug Out has said, the beer bar had plenty of great beers to choose from, and only a couple of them were higher than $15.00 The key is to bring a stack of $1 bills, and tip one buck per drink. Your bartenders will remember you, and always make your drinks more than worth the extra dollar you tipped! Yes, even though its over and above the 18% gratuities you've already been charged for, it is money well spent!

Because we spent a lot of $$$ on our previous days adventure sailing in St. Thomas/St. John, we decided to have a low key beach day in Tortola.

Friends of ours who had been to Tortola highly recommended the beach at Cane Garden Bay.

The taxis, and open air styled trucks were plentiful right off the ships at the port, and 6 of us were able to easily get transportation as soon as we stepped off the Escape. It was approx. $6 or $8 each way in the taxis. We were fortunate enough to get into a brand new open air style truck. The ride up the hills on the island were fast and furious, but felt very safe as this was a new truck and our taxi driver was very experienced on these roads! It was approximately 20 minutes to get to the beach. You will see gorgeous scenery during the ride.

There is no charge to enter the beach. Chair rentals were $5 each and $5 for a beach umbrella. There were plenty of stands to rent paddle boards $30'ish for 2 hours, kayaks, $40'ish for 2 hours. I rented a fabulous float for $5 to use all day.

There is a clean (old, but refurbished and clean) bathhouse/restroom at this beach.

There are all sorts of vendors selling food and drink, very reasonably priced.

Ice cold beer $3, frozen tropical drinks $3-5 each, hotdogs, hamburgs, etc., as well as several small island style bars/hut restaurants. A few vendors selling island souvenirs and T-shirts too.

The only complaint is there isn't enough time in port at Tortola. We got to the beach very early but still had to leave around 1:00'ish to get back to the port on time. The water was clean, and clear, and the family had a wonderful day together. Low key and relaxed. Nothing " too touristy " and no hard pressure sells with the food and drink. A very affordable day. They tell you when you arrive, what time to catch the taxis back to port.

We highly recommend this beautiful island paradise of Cane Garden Bay !

I did a lot of research before choosing NIGHTWIND Charters in St. Thomas

Captain Rick has been in business for a long time. We were looking for a sailing/snorkeling adventure that lasted longer than a couple hours, and we also wanted to sail on a smaller boat. We did not want to sail on a Cattle Call with 50-60 passengers.

I found great reviews on Trip Advisor about the Nightwind sailing! While a little pricey... it was well worth the $$$ and we had a wonderful day. ($125 per person and this includes 5 hours sailing and snorkeling, along with an open bar, continental breakfast, and a full carribean lunch)

Once you make your reservations, they will e-mail a contact for transportation from the ship, to the other side of the island via taxi van. Alvin with Island Taxi was waiting outside the ship with a chalkboard in his hand with our party's name on it. There were 6 of us, and we joined up with another party of 9... also from the Escape. We got off the ship the minute we were able, and he transported us over to the marina where the Nightwind is docked (Sapphire Beach Marina). It is a 57' private sailboat.

We sailed over to St. John Island and snorkeled for approx. 1-1/2 hrs. Rick & his 1st mate know the waters well and he took us near a wonderful reef where we spent a long time with lots of beautiful coral reefs & fish. Some on our sail did not want to get in the water, so he rode them over to the island in the dingy. The snorkeling equipment was plentiful, as well as float vests, noodles, and belts.

After the first beach/snorkel stop, we got back on the boat and a beautiful & delicious lunch was set out for us. Captain Rick makes all the chicken, pasta salad, deviled eggs, chocolate cake, etc... himself. First mate Deb was the bartender and our cups were never empty! Plenty of soda, Rum punch, beer/wine, anything you want, she was a great hostess!

After lunch we continued to sail on to the next snorkeling stop. We saw sea turtles, sting rays, and more tropical fish! The weather was warm and sunny and the winds were perfect for sailing! He knew the perfect places to take us! We were totally surrounded with the beauty that is only found in the Virgin Islands. They were both a wealth of local knowledge and taught us all about the areas we sailed through.

He is well aware of the ships arrival & departure times and has been doing these excursions for many, many years. I felt very comfortable that he would have us back to the dock in plenty of time to catch a taxi back to the ESCAPE; and he did! When our wonderful day of sailing was over, Alvin and his van were waiting at the marina to drive us back to the ship.

We were dropped off right by the shops at the dock/ near the ship. We had approx. 1 hour left to run through the shops before we had to be back on board.

If you want lots of shopping time, this is NOT the excursion for you, as it is quite a full day out on the sea, and does not leave time to tour around the island on land. But if you want to sail around the Virgin Islands by boat, and have 2-3 hours worth of snorkeling as well, this is the adventure for you!

He even took his dinghy over to a sailboat that makes homemade pizzas and picked up a few pies that some of the passengers ordered after lunch; some that were still hungry. He called on his cell phone to order the pizzas and then drove the dinghy over to pick them up! Sailing & snorkeling all day can work up an appetite, and between the delicious bkfst, lunch, & pizza plus all day flowing Rum Punch, we couldn't asked for a better day! My family is still talking about what a great day it was. Husband (52) Me (54) Son & his friend (20 & 21), and Daughter & her friend (25 & 23)

If you use a C-Pap machine when you sleep, remember to bring a LONG extension cord. There aren't any outlets near the bed, so you need a long one that reaches from the desk/vanity area --across the cabin to the bed. The only outlet near the beds is a USB outlet on the lamps.

I 2nd the Bloody Mary suggestion! Lovely, in the Atrium Bar is the bomb, and makes the BEST bloody mary! It will perk you up for your final day!

Don't let us down Doug! They will have a farewell party at Spice tonight, and we won't to see you enjoy the final night of your fantastic cruise!

The beer lists (both draft & can/bottle) are identical to the list from our cruise on Escape Dec. 12-19. Great list, and beer was always ICE cold! So envious of your trip! Its bringing back great memories...especially the food porn you are posting from Food Republic! LOL! Hope you all continue to enjoy yourselves! Will continue to follow your posts this week! Its the next best thing to being there!

I know you were asking more about prices of beer on the cruise, but I must tell you, if you like craft beers, and the atmosphere of a craft beer joint, the District Brewhouse onboard the ESCAPE is awesome! There are no children allowed, and is quiet and relaxing most of the time. Their seating is very comfortable (soft leather sofas & chair seated next to floor to ceiling windows of the ocean)... So Peaceful, Calm, and Relaxing. They usually host a trivia contest every night, and then there is live music too. We spent some time in there almost every day. The beer was always ICEY cold, I can't even say that about a lot of beer places that we frequent in our city , with a lively Craft Beer life. To go from ships without any craft beer choices, to this amazing place, I really think you and your wife will be very happy here! And I thought their prices were about average of most craft breweries on land. Enjoy yourselves!

I am sorry...after reading my original review, I see that I put Chicken fingers on items that can be ordered by picky eaters (i.e. Kids)... I am sorry to report to those of you anxiously awaiting them... I don't think they had Chicken Fingers there; just their wings. The wings were Awesome though! :)