Big E Dawg

Question for you? Has the temperature been warm enough to be outside in the loungers in a bathing suit while the ship is moving on sea days?

We were on the Breakaway in early May. We have also been on the Getaway and the Escape. We’ve done Spa rooms and Balcony. All of our cruises have been awesome. This last one was great weather, awesome bartenders, a clean ship, fun passengers and great cruise excursions. We are easy to please though. When something doesn’t work out or is a problem we just move on and don’t let it ruin our cruise. 

Yes, the atrium can get crowded at times. Yes it can be hard to Find a Lounger at times. Not every meal will be memorable. Not every drink will be provided within 3 minutes. And yes, the pool area can be extremely crowded. 

We are creatures of habit. Exercising early (6:30 am) then a quick breakfast. We then head to a higher deck for sun and drinks. Usually on deck by 7:45 am. Lol. I know that’s early. And I could have almost any Lounge chair I wanted at that time. For us, getting close to the vibe bar, having restrooms near us and a quiet spot for our morning sun worship makes us happy. Then, when the crowds come...and you know they will, we move on to our next part of the day. We enjoy the spa amenities and a relaxing lunch. 

In the evening, a dinner and a dance are fun in the Manhattan Room and then we head out to Headliners for Howl at the Moon or  a show. 

So, as others have said, you can make it fun and exciting. You can make it quiet and relaxing. Once you are on the ship, you can limit the number of times you experience crowds or you can jump right in the thick of things. The ONLY time the crowds ever got to me was at embarkation  and that was simply because there was an issue with boarding from our area and all 16 groups were in the terminal at the same time. Almost elbow to elbow. But by 12:45 we were on the ship and all was forgotten. 

So it’s up to you. Are you high strung or laid back. Do you let things go or get frustrated and let it affect the rest of your day and week? If you expect to have a lot of fun but know that not everything will be perfect, I think you will have a blast. Enjoy your cruise!!!! 

And I just booked the Escape in December! Can’t wait to go again. 

Hey Deeliteful! We were on this cruise May 5th. Tell Davidette (Ivey) in the Vibe bar Eric said hello. She also works in the bar between Cagney’s and Moderno. Thanks for the live review and enjoy those libations. 

We had no problems. Plenty of bars to chose from. Had a drink in my hand whenever I wanted it with no wait time BUT I never chose to grab a drink at the pool. Proper planning is EVERYTHING! Enjoy and don’t worry.

Lobster rolls were sold on the May 13th sailing.

Where do you get these passes?

Guest services on deck 6.

Ropes course, rock climbing, putt putt, water slides, pool, hot tubs, find your favorite outdoor bar and try various drinks. Refer to your daily and pick from a plethora of onboard activities.

For the May 13th sailing it was first night and last night. Was served in taste,savor and Tropicana also. Served with baked potato, brocolli and small eat of corn.

I was on the same cruise and spent much of my time at the same bar you frequented. Were you the guy that overheard me explaining the Vibe to another passenger and said..”I won’t be doing Vibe again”...or something to that affect? I know I must have seen you as we were always outside the Vibe area lounging or sitting at the bar. My favorite bartenders were Tracilee and Desiree (spelling) and also Fernando. I noticed how the bartenders had to split their time between the Vibe side and non-Vibe side. I would tip them when I first got up their as soon as they opened to coax them to my side of the bar when they saw me coming (lol). Seemed to be fairly effective. I thoroughly enjoyed this cruise and am enjoying reliving it through your review. Can’t wait to see your comments about disembarkation day!

Just off the Getaway last Sunday. Standing in line for the Tropicana room, a gentleman standing in front of me was asked to leave and put on a shirt with sleeves prior to entering the restaraunt. Tank tops not allowed. Closed toed shoes required as well. This was a dinner seating by the way.

Yea I guess so. I’ve just never been at the front of the line to experience it. It didn’t ruin anything for us. As I said, I cannot wait for the Breakaway next May.

Debarkation on May 20th was indeed a mess. I had decided from the very beginning to walk off early as I had an 11:38 am flight from FLL. We got up and out of room by 6:50 am and headed to deck 7 where we were ushered to a small line going through O’Sheehan’s passing by the bowling lanes. We were probably about number 50 in line. We began our long wait as the ship was delayed docking due to weather and then several announcements ensued talking about further delays due to clogged elevator and hallways. The port authority had issues with people clogging certain areas it seemed. Anyway, the intensity of the situation grew as more and more people gathered to the line. Adding to the anxiety of everyone were people gathering at the forward elevator bank in deck seven on the “wrong side” of the roped off area. Their intention was to push there way into the line rather than follow the Getaway staff orders to get in the appropriate line. Time passed and the pressure grew as cruisers began to realize their flights were in jeopardy. It got to be a bit after 9:00 am and still no movement to walk off. The captain made an announcement of some sort but we could not hear it from where we were standing. At this point, verbal altercations began between certain passengers in the line and the folks standing behind the ropes at the elevator bank and behind the ropes at the stairs. I could not understand why the Getaway staff did not instruct the folks behind the barriers anymore than they did. Maybe they were just overwhelmed. Anyway, at approximately 9:15 am or so, the line began to move. People behind the barriers began their push. Folks began appearing at the ropes from one deck above and below also pushing to break the line. People were yelling at each other and it got Crazy. I noticed one man trying to break in as I approached where he was standing. I had spoken To him earlier in the cruise and he spoke perfect English. Now, as people were yelling at him, his English had left him and he “acted” like the best lost Italian I had ever seen. I would have chuckled but the situation was very intense. Everyone was using their suitcases as barriers to keep the line breakers back and get through the gauntlet and off the ship. An elderly couple in front of us seemed so scared and I was worried for their safety. Once of the ship, customs went quickly and my plan was to grab an Uber. Instead I was met with a barrage of offers for transportation. I took the $60 offer to be immediately whisked away in a black GMC Yukon. The driver was accomplished at getting us out of the fray and on our way. We arrived at FLL at exactly 10:00 am. Luckily we had precheck and moved very quickly through baggage check and security. Once to our gate, we actually had over an hour to wait. I felt very lucky to have made the flight and we both wondered how our fellow cruisers faired making it to the airport. I think next time I will make a later flight just so I don’t have to worry as much. This was the low light of our cruise as everything else was just about perfect. We have already scheduled our next cruise and can’t wait.

Following along. Nice thorough review. We liked the location on the 14th floor. This coming January will have a angled balcony. Did they provide you with a 3rd chair or better yet a lounger? Thanks.

~Gary Ray

We just got off the Getaway this morning. We had room 14150 with the angled balcony. It had two chairs and a lounger. Also a small table.

The cost of dining is covered under the SDP promotion when you eat in the speciality restaurant. You can choose one entree per person and unless it has changed you can choose multiple appetizers if you like. I hope that helps. If you read the FAQs on the NCL site regarding the SDP, you can find more related to this question. Happy cruising.

Yes we took advantage of this promo and saved. Will be watching to see if it comes back around with OBC included. It offset the sting of the increased prices for 2019 cruises.

The Escape is an awesome ship. The MDRs are nice venues for dinner with Manhattan having the dance floor. I make reservations 90 days out. No waiting in lines. However I have also just walked up and been seated quickly. This ship has the District Brew House if you or a friend enjoy craft beers. The spa is a great place to relax and get away from crowds. So much to do on this ship. There is a great place to sun and a hot tub right outside the vibe area. The waterfront is a great place to get away or walk down close to the water. Also outside dining options on the waterfront. Pool areas are crazy busy. We choose to find less crowded areas on the ship. I will be on the Getaway in 17 days and then Breakaway next May. I have considered trying RCL ships but so far they just don’t appeal as much to my style. They seem too big and busy for me personally. I believe you can find your spot and enjoy yourself on the Escape.

Cheers 🍻 LOL!

Good morning Shmooo,

I have seen folks in the spa with their drinks in plastic cups. It is a bit of a pain to leave and come back in given the process shared in the previous post. The nearest bar is probably on the same deck around the pool. You will enjoy the spa. It is peaceful and so relaxing. :cool:

🚣 Boat

🛳 ship

Wow that is a tough decision. I like the idea of creating the spreadsheet and then the two of you discussing and ranking the differences. If you are not going to take advantage of the drink package enough, then you should factor that decision into your analysis. If you chose to just buy drinks as you go on the other ships, you could save money. Also, the NCL cruise is a 7 day cruise. We have cruised on Carnival Dream twice, NCL Escape twice and will be in the Getaway in May. All of your choices are exceptional. We enjoy the freestyle, food and entertainment of NCL. It fits our style well. The Waterfront feature on the Getaway is awesome. Whatever your choice is, I am sure you will have an awesome time. Happy cruising.

Thanks so much for the review. We are booked for a May cruise in a spa balcony. Did you have Bulgari products in your bathroom or have they stopped providing them for spa rooms?

#diversiontacticfailed

Maybe we could all take a swig of our favorite beverage and transition to a robust discussion on chairhogs or smoke on decks 6,7,8.

On the Escape, the Tobacco Road bar had Lagunitas Sumpin’ Sumpin’. I think certain bars will have IPAs like that and Goose Island. Hopeful anyway.

“The beer selection was very poor and no IPA available. I don't drink beer but DH was not impressed at all.”

I thought they were serving the Lagunitas IPA on this ship?