new2cruising26

You should be fine! We just got off the Getaway yesterday. Our flight was at 12:50. We chose 9:15 disembarkation and we didn't carry our own luggage. We were at the airport by 10:15am!

Hello! Just off the Getaway yesterday. We had Vibe passed last year on the Escape and had so much fun we were so excited to get them this year. We arrived at the port at 8:30 and got boarding group 1...When they began boarding, there were only three people ahead of us to board (excluding any preboards) and unfortunately they were sold out even though we rushed to Guest Services. We were SO disappointed, but ended up still having a great trip. I believe there were a significant amount of preboards on this trip and also, I believe our terminal (B) was delayed in boarding because so many people tried cutting the line and saying they were platinum but when they were asked to show documentation, they couldn't. This HIGHLY irritated (rightfully so) the employees in charge of boarding and we were delayed, so I believe many people in boarding group 1 at terminal C got passes. Such a shame that people try and cut the line by lying. Long story short, no matter what we still had a great trip but were bummed not to have Vibe this year.

Hello! Just off the Getaway yesterday. We had Vibe passed last year on the Escape and had so much fun we were so excited to get them this year. We arrived at the port at 8:30 and got boarding group 1...When they began boarding, there were only three people ahead of us to board (excluding any preboards) and unfortunately they were sold out even though we rushed to Guest Services. We were SO disappointed, but ended up still having a great trip. I believe there were a significant amount of preboards on this trip and also, I believe our terminal (B) was delayed in boarding because so many people tried cutting the line and saying they were platinum but when they were asked to show documentation, they couldn't. This HIGHLY irritated (rightfully so) the employees in charge of boarding and we were delayed, so I believe many people in boarding group 1 at terminal C got passes. Such a shame that people try and cut the line by lying. Long story short, no matter what we still had a great trip but were bummed not to have Vibe this year.

Hi All,

We sailed last year on the Escape and were lucky enough to get Vibe Passes. I am sure we would have had a great time without the passes, but having these passes were awesome!

We are headed on the Getaway 2/4/18 and hoping to get passes again. How hard are they to get? We fly in the night before and plan to be at port as early as needed to be one of the first groups on. What time should we plan for? Any help is much appreciated!

We were on the Escape Jan 28th-Feb 4th and he was at 5 o'clock somewhere bar...he was so much fun

Thank you, that definitely will be something I request when I get on.

You might want to request prior to the trip. Our balcony was not big enough for loungers. So you want to make sure that you have a room that can fit them

I will be in an Aft balcony on the 11th floor for my upcoming cruise. Were there loungers on the balcony?

We did not have loungers on the balcony, only two chairs and a little table. Not sure if others had loungers though

Was there a 'formal night' in main dining room ie Manhatten room on any night? A night with lobster tails?

What is VIBE? I'm booked for March 4th cruise on Escape

Also, tried for dining reservations. Couldn't get other than 9:30. Do some open up if try to book on cruise?

There is an optional formal night which falls on the second night of the cruise. Seemed to us that about 50% of the ship decided to dress up (Suits for men, formal dresses for ladies) We did not eat in the main dining room that night so I am not sure about the Lobster Tails.

VIBE is a private sun deck which you buy a pass for. $99 pp for the week. Adults only. There is a very limited number of passes sold (somewhere between 65-80) and they are sold on first come basis. This area has padded loungers, it's own bar, misters, own hot tub, bathrooms, shower. Also added perks like cold towels passed out, fruit and cookies passed throughout the day)

We had reservations for all nights, but on the night we were eating in Cagney's we wanted to push it later. Went the night before and said there was no availability. Went the next afternoon and there were some cancellations so we were able to move it. Also heard that they only do a certain number of reservations before the cruise and reserve the rest for making reservations on board the ship...not sure if this is true or not.

Thank you for your review. We are going March 4. Who did you book the Tortola excursion through? We are thinking of going to the Bath's but your review may change my mind.

 

 

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We booked directly with NCL. Fills up fast! We did hear from others that the Baths were great but that timing was tight on that excursion

We booked directly through NCL...It is very popular so book as soon as you can. I did hear from others that the Baths were great too but they did mention that timing was tight on that excursion

Hey All! Yesterday, we arrived home from our Norwegian Escape vacation and I figured that since I stalked this thread prior to our departure, it was only fair to write a review upon return. Long story short, we had a wonderful time and I would recommend to anyone! I was so nervous going into this trip because of the negative reviews, but if you are in that same position, do not worry. This was a great ship.

A little about us: we are a couple in our late twenties. I had never cruised before, but my boyfriend had been on a few with his family in the past (RCCL). I was against cruising, but he talked me into this and I am glad that he did. With our stateroom, we opted for the UBP and UDP

Embarkation: Easy! We arrived to port around 10:30am and through security and check in in 20 minutes. We arrived upstairs to the holding area and got boarding group 18. Our boarding group was called by 11:45. This whole process was much smoother than anticipated.

Stateroom: We had an AFT balcony on the 11th floor. We loved this location...felt very centralized. Our room steward was great. We didn't see him much, but our room was always clean and had a bucket of ice waiting for us.

VIBE: I had read about VIBE a few months prior to cruising and from the time I did, I had my hopes up of getting passes. I knew it would be difficult because we were flying from Boston that morning and as stated above, we were group 18 when boarding. We went straight to Headliners once on board but were sad to learn that they were already sold out. We were asked if we wanted to join a waiting list, and we figured why not. Sure enough, when we arrived back to our room from dinner that night, we had a message letting us know that we had gotten the passes and to pick them up a Guest Services. Long story short, best $99 spent for those passes. The whole atmosphere was relaxing yet up beat all at once. It was great seeing the same people everyday and getting to know them. I also can not say enough about the two bartenders in VIBE, Rommel and Michael were fantastic. They knew us by name by the end of day 1 and treated every person up there like friends. Can't say enough about them. I highly recommend VIBE if you want an escape from the masses.

Pool Area: I can't speak much about this because we only spent a little time there on day 1 and while docked in Nassau but it did seem very crowded, but not sure what else anyone would expect with 4000 people on board. I will say that the bar and waitstaff always seemed friendly.

Dining: We had the 3 pack of specialty dining and chose: Moderno, Tappenyaki and Cagneys.

*Moderno: Was good but I am not sure we would dine there again. Not for any particular reason, but just was not our style.

*Tappenyaki: Awesome and would go back in a heart beat. We do habatchi every once in a while at home, and we both agreed this was the best one we have been to.

*Cagneys: Lives up to the hype! Would definitely go back.

MDR's: We did one dinner in Savor, and two in Manhattan room. If I had to do it again, all would be in Manhattan room. Same food, but better atmosphere with the live music. Overall, food was average in MDR. I think if we cruise Norwegian again we would opt for a 4 or 5 pack of specialty dining. Not because the MDR's were bad, but just because specialty was that much better.

Margaritaville: Tried the nachos for lunch one day---Awesome

Buffet: We ate in the buffet for most breakfast and lunch. Plenty of options, but tend to get old after day 3 or 4.

St. Thomas: We did the Jeep Safari and Beach. Would recommend. The jeep tour was great and you get to learn a lot about the island. We traveled up a mountainside and stopped to take amazing pictures. We ended up a Brewers Beach which was just okay IMO.

Tortola: We did Escape to Jost Van Dyke and I can not rave enough about it. This was probably our best day. The beach is absolutely pristine and the catamaran ride was a blast. We met great people on this excursion and drank our fair share of painkillers as well as endless rum punch on the way back. if you are looking for an excursion on Tortola, DO THIS!

Nassau: Pretty much used this as an extra boat day. Got off and walked around for about an hour and a half late in the afternoon and regretted it. The vendors are extremely pushy and the port area is dirty. If we go again we will not get off the boat.

Entertainment:

*Bratpack: Fun! Would recommend

*After Midnight: Not for us. In my opinion, too long. The music was good, but there was no story. We left after about an hour. Others on the ship raved about it though, so keep that in mind.

*Oh What a Night: We only stayed for about half due to dining reservations but liked what we saw.

*Dueling Pianos: Very fun

*Comedians: Hit or miss. Depended on the night and who was the act

*Spice H20: Awesome to people watch

Service: From our experience, the service was excellent. 90% of the staff that we interacted with were friendly, helpful and trying to make our vacation that much better. Did we run into some staff where this wasn't the case? Of course, it's bound to happen once or twice. But for everyone that runs into one staff member that does not have a smile on their face, and like to immediately complain (trust me, I saw a lot of other cruisers do this) remember that these staff members work 7 days a week, 12+ hour days, eight months at a time trying to make your vacation excellent. They are bound the have a rough day here or there. Cut them some slack. Now if it gets repetitive, that's kind of a different story. Only place I ever noticed was a O'Sheehans bar. Went there the first few days for a pre dinner drink and the barstaff seemed miserable every time. So we just moved on to a different bar later in the week.

Disembarkation: A breeze. We started at 9:15am and were in an uber by 9:40.

Overall: Would do this trip again in a heartbeat.

Please feel free to ask any questions you might have and I can try and tell you my perspective while it is still fresh in my mind!

Hi All,

Leaving for our first cruise on Saturday. Do we just need the cruise docs, luggage tags and passports? Anything else I am missing? Thanks!

Hi All,

Less than two weeks and we will be cruising! We are hoping to get Vibe passes but trying not to get our hopes up so I wanted to get some more information on Spice H2O and how crowded that gets. Based on reviews of the pool area, we likely won't get a good spot as we are not super early risers on vacation. If we get up to Spice H2O sometime between 9:30-10:30, how will the crowds be? Will we get some decent loungers in the sun? Thanks in advance!

Boarding the Escape 1/28 for an Eastern Caribbean cruise. We are a couple in our late twenties and have never cruised before. My question is, what is not to be missed on this cruise? We already have dining reservations and show reservations as well as a Jeep tour on st. Thomas and the Escape to Jost Van Dyke excursion booked. What else comes highly recommended that we should not miss?

Thanks!

We are getting ready to board the Escape in just a few weeks and have never cruised before. We made most of our dining reservations either at 7 or 7:30. Is this too late? Seems like they push for 5:30 or 6:00 reservations so you can make it to various shows on board (comedy/dueling pianos).

Additionally, if we have a reservation a complimentary restaurant and don't show up, will there be a charge? I know they will charge for the specialty restaurants.

Thanks!

Hi all! I am headed on to the Escape on 1/28 with hopes to get Vibe Passes. Our arrival time will not be until 10:30am. Has anyone had experience getting them arriving this late? Also, we are in terminal B. Can anyone provide directions to headliners from that terminal? Thanks so much in advance!