cruiseguys2009

Nothing this exciting ever happens to me. If it does, I hope JW and Jerome can be there for some laughs.

Hey Hey! Hahahahaha. How are ya? You know I am one of your biggest fans! Always great to hear from you, since we travel together via Cruise Critic often, on other threads! It would be a blast sailing with you, I can guarantee it.

Welcome back JW!!! We obviously were all going through withdrawals without our daily dose of the cruise adventures... and to leave us on such a cliff hanger too... just not right! :p Glad you and Jerome are well and have rejoined us! Can't wait for the next installment!

I promise to not disappoint this time and thank you for sticking in there. Our Trilogy should have some rip roaring new adventures and I am so looking forward to March 25th!

So glad you are back! There will be 7 of us sailing on the Escape on the 18th (less than 2 weeks now) and I have read your reviews a few times for tips and giggles!

 

Thanks for the laughs I'll be sure to touch the babies!

 

Tammy

 

 

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Yay! Thanks for the loyal support! I am glad you enjoyed our Adventures, though some untimely....... You all will have an amazing time I am sure, especially with the UBP! Seven folks traveling, that is an adventure in and of itself. You will have much to talk and write about which I hope you will do. Let me know how you enjoyed your vacation on The Es-Caw-Pay, please chime back in here.

Hello Fellows. Glad to see that you are back. Pam and I were worried that you guys had been permanently disabled from the August 20th weirdness. We are going to try Alaska this August. We felt possibly being chased by a bear will be less traumatizing then our last August sashay into the Caribbean. Just kidding. We met some wonderful people including yourselves on that cruise. We spoke a couple times. Chatted as the wine bar was closing. Never hurts to help close a bar. Regards, Gerry.

Thanks and yes we remember you! What a traumatic night that was! So much has gone on and I just could not wait to get off the ship and get home. We do love The Escape and hopefully this upcoming cruise will be awesome as usually expected and anticipated it being. Enjoy Alaska!

I do hate that they do not remove my fees (using card in machine) and I am golden so no fees. There is never enough time on the morning of departure to get this resolved and that is the only time they will do it. Should be a better way.

Yes, I have been down that road before, and have gotten refunds later, or additional funds on account. I use the only machine that continually pays off, guaranteed, it's called the ATM, as my bank refunds all my ATM fees regardless where I am.

I just found out that at the casino bar you can get bottled water with your Comped drinks card (we are doing the same type cruise).... is that correct? Would save a bunch over buying the way overpriced water either before or during the cruise!

That is a CAS Secret and a B E N E F I T of playing in the Casino as a VIP Player. Shhhhhhh. No one is supposed to know this!

Have to remember that if I go to a MGM casino, I am a rated "Blue Chip Player" on Celebrity, enough that I get offers for free cruises all the time. Last cruise we were "allowed" into the "Michael's Club" although we did not have a suite. Wonder what a MGM would do for us?

Blue Chip gets you in, what the level of Blue Chip stats on your play time and $$ gets you the Suites and comps for three nights or more, that is the key for comps on the reverse. If you work with a Independent Casino Rep like I do, then all your stats are combined and the golden doors open everywhere! Your Theoreticals are sent to M3 Life from Celebrity and they determine your level of play on the ship. If it's what they consider what they are looking for, then airfare is included, transportation to and from the airport your meals while you are gaming under their guidelines and a wonderful suite for your comp.

Do they have any machine poker games? Thanks!

Yes, lots and lots of "winning" video poker machines. I see the slot payout attendants in that section of machines most of the time, paying out wins of $1,200 or more as the machine shuts down for payout at $1,200 wins.

Thanks for this detailed explanation. I'm taking my first NCL cruise in Sept from Total Rewards.

Good for you and Good Luck! In your case, your Casinos At Sea Players Club Card and your Comp-Drinks-While-Gaming Card will be waiting for your in your cabin once you get on board the ship. All the information you will need, explanations and incentive information will also be provided. There usually is an introductory Casino Cocktail Reception also on the first day before you set sail or just after sail-a-way. The invitation for that will be with your CAS Cards. Have fun!

I am only a lowly bronze member, so I doubt it's even worth trying for now that you've explained it so thoroughly. I think my son, once he sees the atmosphere of Vibe over H20 or closer to the pool, will see that Vibe isn't where he wants to be. I think Vibe is great for people who want to be quiet and read, or a couple that want some time together. I'm not that person anymore, so I'm gonna go seek out the fun. Thank you so much for all the information. I'm sure it'll come in handy for a lot of people wondering if Vibe is worth it. :)

You are so much more correct in your thinking.

What VIBE originally started out being was Kevin Sheehan's idea (The old CEO no longer at NCL)of creating a South Beach Club with "VIBE" for 80 lucky people each cruise. It's was supposed to be different on The Escape. Select music, a party atmosphere, camaraderie, exclusivity, private bar, same folks for the cruise every day. Very Chic and very Clubbie. Folks clamoring for status, stuff legends are made of and just bursting to spend their hundred bucks for the exclusivity of it all.

Now, what it has evolved to be, is basically padded chaise lounges with no music and very little VIBE atmosphere, just a glass door separating "Us" from "Them". Apparently, too many passengers complained about the music being too loud in VIBE and those folks insisted it be like a "Retreat" or a "Sanctuary". Those same folks have even complained when there is too much fun going on. So, no music anymore. However, that never stopped me from being a tad bit outrageous and having a communal participatory blast when Jerome and I were in there. Most of those "Sanctuary" folks leave by 3PM anyway, so the rest of us have Shot O'clock and can really let loose. I am not going to a Sunday Meetin' ya know. For me, if ya want peace and quiet, then sail on Holland American for goodness sake.

The staff (Especially Rommell, Ruby and Minon) does an incredible job of trying to maintain what VIBE was initially trying to be, provide exceptional service, but continually apologizes to everyone at the beginning of the vacation when undoubtedly they are constantly asked, "Where's the music?" "They made us turn it off, sorry, no music".

I guess it really hit home the last time we sailed on The Escape and could not get VIBE passes and realized we had bruised Egos and could not be "Exclusive" and "Fabulous" anymore and we were no longer "US" and suddenly realized we became "THEM". Then realized how dumb we were feeling and moved on.

Will we still try for VIBE? Probably Yes, but we have a new outlook on what it actually is and I won't be so disappointed next time if we can't get passes also in the fact that I could not spend my $100 to be exclusive and fabulous. I will simply drop that money into a slot machine!

Enjoy!

Errol and Jovo are both wonderful as well.

This was FABULOUS to read JW!! Thank you so much for all your time, effort and creativity with how you delivered your experiences! My wife and I sailed on the Escape Jan '16 as our first cruise with our best friends and had the most amazing time. We will board the dawn in a week so I'm going to hop over to that review of yours. Thank you again and hope one day we cross paths! All the best for you upcoming trilogy adventure and hope the 3rd time is as charming as the first!

Heather

 

 

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Thank you and there is more to come! I am glad you enjoyed The Norwegian Escape like we did. Enjoy The Norwegian Dawn. There is a special place our my heart for her.

Thanks for the info, first cruise on NCL 2/20, a "free" cruise thru Total Rewards from my favorite Harrah's casino. I say free because I upgraded to an aft balcony.

 

From what I understand the Total rewards and CAS points do not "mix".. is this correct?

Yes, you are correct. Both companies, Harrah's Total Rewards and CAS use each other to promote the other but do not mix points or status. Plus, the 4 Slot Tournaments on the ships as well as the Poker Tournaments have their million dollar grand finale's at Harrah's in Vegas.

That being said, MGM and Celebrity DO mix points together and also Loyalty Level recognition at each others venue. If I were to book and sail on Celebrity Cruises separately, I would only be sailing as "Select" status (Kind of like NCL Latitudes Gold). But since we are booked thru MGM Casino VIP Comp on The Celebrity Silhouette in December, we are sailing as "Elite Plus" Status because of my MGM M3 Rewards Land status on MGM/Celebrity mash up. That's cool.

Faaaaaaaaaaaaabulous! Great to hear the comparison and I too love both The Norwegian Escape and The Celebrity Reflection. Two of my all time favorite ships.

I look forward to more as the week goes by!

JW and Jerome

To start out, if this is your first Norwegian sailing, you can use your room key card. However, upon first arriving in the Casino, you could also register with the Casino Host and Casino Services so your points can be tracked for comps and they will issue you a special CAS Card. As you play, CAS (Casinos at Sea) has a wonderful incentive program, and in my opinion, the best of all the Cruise lines.

It's easy to become a rated player. Just insert the Casinos At Sea membership card into the machine, or if you are a table player, swipe the card at the table you are playing, to be tracked. Once you join, you may be invited to enjoy a future cruise as a Casinos At Sea Invited Comp Guest, specifically booked on a future sailing by the Casino and/or also enjoy perks such as specialty dining, complimentary cocktails while gaming and other items while on your vacation. CAS has certain "continuous" play minimums to be considered a member. Anyone can join the club, but based upon play (Slot machine points are 1 point equals $5 play) combined with "Sit" time, usually 3-4 hours per day average, the complimentary cruise comps could be offered after your first cruise. The Casino Host on board will let you know on the last night of the cruise what your eligibility may be and who to contact.

As for myself, I am rated with many different Cruise Lines, as well as land based venues, and as such, I have an Independent Specialized Gaming Host that works directly with all Cruise lines and Casino Hotels world wide and books my arrangements, be it sea based or land based casino.

As for the Tier Levels at CAS, the program is quite simple. The first introductory level is known as "LUCKY" (Green Card). That is from point 1-4999. The next level is "HOT" (Red Card). Once you reach 5,000 points to 15,000 points. After that is "GOLDEN" (Yellow Card) which runs from 15,000 points to 30,000 points at which the Max is "PLATINUM DIAMOND" (Black Card). The card operates just like your room key card by inserting into the slot machine.

These tiers have nothing to do with the NCL Latitudes Tier Program and are just for internal CAS promotional programs and complimentary cruise levels, again, based upon play. A player is only as good as their last cruise until an average of 5 sailing "Theoretical Averages" can be assumed, then CAS determines the comp level per 18 month intervals. The current 18 month play interval is set to end and begin shortly.

The Casino play levels will stop and begin again on April 1st, 2017. So whatever level a player is on April 1st, they remain so for 18 months and will have to re-qualify during this new 18 month period to remain or increase their level for the next level period ending/beginning in October 1, 2018. So we have another 18 months of cruising to keep our status, start over if we don't make the status level, or increase the level for the following 18 months of recognition. Perhaps we also will see some modifications and changes to the program on April 1st, 2017 as well.

Once you become a rated player and an invited CAS Comp Guest, on your future sailings, your CAS Card will be waiting in your stateroom as well as other pertinent information.

If there are any other questions, please ask and I'm sure all of us CAS players will be happy to try to answer them for you. I have been a CAS member since the beginning of this new program, when it was first coordinated and in my opinion, NCL operates the best Casino system on the High Seas. Any Casino Host (especially the best host, Christina Bica) can also answer everything one needs to know once the ship is sailing and the casino is open.

JW

 

In regards to the large balcony on Escape deck 8, is any portion of it shaded in case you wanted to get out of direct sunlight?

It is our experience for the most part, it is in the full hot sun most days, and depending on which side of the ship you are on, there is about a two foot hang over that does provide shade at times, but it is wide open to the world. Did you see the video of the cabin we posted, it give the full sun effect on the balcony at about the 12 noon hour.

The, what some would call, drawback is that the balcony is HOT during the day. I could be out on it during sail a ways and as we pulled into ports but to lay out, I tried, and remember, it was the months of June and August. It was HOT!

Vibe and the new Latitude Boarding Priority.

In Miami, the boarding rules are changing so if you are Platinum, you will most likely have no issues obtaining VIBE or POSH (EPIC, Port Canaveral) tickets for any of the sailings, because of the new Boarding Priorities, Latitudes Platinum and Platinum Plus will be boarding way ahead of everyone else, more so than before, so VIBE and POSH could become a kind of a more exclusive Platinum/Haven Members Only club.

If I were in the Haven, I would certainly not waste the $99 per person entry fee into VIBE, as on The Escape, just on the other side of VIBE, is the Haven's own VIBE, for free. It is exactly like VIBE without the bar, but the VIBE Bartenders service the Haven side as well, so it is exactly the same, without the lively bar crowd, and I think even more "Haven-ly" secluded.

There are usually 70-80 VIBE passes held for each sailing. The Haven and Back to Back sailing Guests get first dibs on them, that is why on our sailings we have asked upon arrival to the Headliners Club to secure our spots, "How many VIBE tickets are available?" On our sailings for us, the answer has varied between 54 to 61.

Before, up until about a month ago, to get VIBE passes since we were not Platinum yet, it was how early one got to the port to secure a "Boarding Priority" Number, and we were always group 1 or 2. We made our mad dash to Headliners to get in to the line for the privilege to buy our passes. Now, there is Boarding Priority according to Latitudes Ranking. Ambassador and Haven will be group 1 now, then Platinum Plus and Platinum. No real changes here. However, next in order of boarding is CAS (Casinos At Sea Invited Comp Guests), then Gold, Silver and Bronze. Then the rest of the Passengers according to time of arrival to the boarding area. The boarding card now reads the Latitudes Priority, it's becoming much more like Celebrity Cruises Boarding procedures.

Although, I do know that just last week, a couple who were in Boarding Group 16, regular passengers, were able to high tail it to Headliners and secure the last two spots in VIBE, so it can be done, as long as there are folks who already boarded in groups in front of you that are not willing to shell out another $100 bucks a piece for the week to gain access to, what some say, is just a glass walled-in seating area with a bar.

That being said, VIBE for us, is a truly unique experience and once inside, we forgot that we were on a mega liner packed to the rim with folks. Even on Port days, most of the VIBE guests were as "Port Experienced" as we were and opted to stay on board and enjoy the VIBE experience instead of venturing off to the tourist destinations. There is nothing like Shot O'Clock each day, though. And with the UBP, yeah baby! I like it like that!

On our last sailing, weather did play a factor in not being able to enjoy VIBE, save but for one day, and there are no refunds due to inclement weather and the bar is always open up there. So, we always ask ourselves, is it worth parting with $200 for both of us, making a mad dash to purchase the tickets for the privilege, rather than spend the money on shore excursions or a CruiseNext certificate?

We also have been on a sailing recently where we could not secure the passes and Headliners was overwhelmed with VIBE enthusiasts and we came away, at the time, very disappointed. Pouty lips and all if you know me! However, just to the other side of the glass wall of VIBE is what I call "VIBE Lite". It is a mirror image of VIBE without the padded loungers. It has the same misting system, two hot tubs and shares the actual VIBE Bar and same bartenders. They even will do shot o'clock on that side of the bar too. There are plenty of cocktail servers as well, so for FREE, we found VIBE Lite to be just as palatable and it saved us $200.

Truthfully, it was only our bruised EGO of anticipation on not getting VIBE, the perceived Exclusivity of it all. I guess that is really what we were upset about, and now, because of the new boarding priority system, we will have to get used to it until we reach Platinum to guarantee at least a shot at it, or be lucky enough to snag a winning bid for a spectacular Haven accommodation. No worries, if we get it we get it. My other favorite place, Spice H20, is just as marvelous a party!

The other crazy fun bar we enjoy is Clarence's bar on deck 8. Known as "It's 5 O'Clock Somewhere" Bar which is located just outside it's namesake on the Waterfront. Clarence will also participate in Shot O'Clock daily. And the most fun to be there is on the last day sail-a-way from Nassau. Oh My Goodness, Clarence does go into "Rare Form Performance Mode" for the other ships docked across the way.

Norwegian Escape has so much to offer, but again, if you are a family on vacation during the High Holidays (Spring, Thanksgiving, Christmas, Mid-Summer) I know you will love it and so will your kids. Adults as just a couple or small group traveling at these times, take it from our personal experience, could possibly have challenging times with the varied crowds which makes all the more reason that VIBE becomes a viable option.

Now, who wants a Martini?

We sail on March 20th, 2017 for the third time on The Escape. I have written twice about Clarence in my reviews and we are hopeful he is aboard when we sail again.

Thank you for bringing up a wonderful reason that The Escape is so fabulous. There is only ONE Clarence!

Welcome back, JW!! It was a pleasure meeting you and Jerome on that cruise and I have to thank you again for all the laughs in the casino as we"touched the babies". LOL.

 

There were definitely some "characters" -- ok crazy people -- on that cruise!

 

Looking forward to the next installment.

 

Tracy

Thank you Tracy!

Yes, I remember when the woman yelled at me, as she stormed away from the slot machine, calling me a "Sick-O Pervert!" when I merely pointed out to her that if you "Touch The Babies" on the screen in front of her, the babies giggle and it is supposed to bring you luck. Geez. Weren't you sitting in on the other side of the aisle from me playing the Poker Machine when she yelled at me? I think we laughed so hard we almost Tinkled right there.

So folks, if ya don't know which machine in the Casino we are talking about, then you really would think I am a pervert just by reading this. Trust me. It is an Asian inspired high bonus slot machine that has two Budda Babies on the screen, a boy and a girl. If you tickle them on the screen by tapping your fingers or swiping the babies, they giggle and rock back and forth. The Japanese players love this machine and it was a Japanese lady who sat next to me as we both played this same machine on The Carnival Breeze that filled me in on the superstitious luck. I had no idea that if you touch the babies they would giggle and move. So ever since then, I tell everyone sitting next to me playing that machine to "Touch the Babies". The looks I get, geez.

As a matter of fact, when we were on The Royal Princess this past November, there were a whole bunch of Touch the Baby machines in a row. I had imbibed several Martini's by this point and a woman came and sat next to me, put her money into the Baby machine and I merely pointed out, that it would bring her luck if she "Touched the Babies". "Whaaa?", she said, glaring at me. I stood up and "Touched the Babies" on her screen and they giggled cutely and then the woman proceeded to slap my arm saying "Now look what you did!" "You brought me bad luck!" She cashed out her money without playing and left abruptly. Jerome, who was standing behind me nursing a Manhattan looked at me when I turned around and he simply said "Well!"

At that moment, another lady came and sat down, and put her money in and the first thing she did, was what? She TOUCHED THE BABIES. Yes! I turned around and looked at Jerome and he nodded his head in sarcastic agreement, as if saying "See?"

Drop my drawers, on the first spin (at frigging MAX Bet) she gets the Firecracker Bonus, and gets to pick until a Mini/Minor/Major/Mega Bonus Match, and somanabisch, don't you know that she wins the Mega Bonus Match of $3,700! Hmmmm. Touch the Babies indeed. Good for her! I just couldn't wait to find the "Lady Un-Lucky" who said I brought her bad luck to tell her of her lost fortune by someone else who Touched the Babies. The bells rang loud and long for the jackpot winning woman as she waited for a Casino Manager Pay Out at the Machine. I sneered over my Martini glass at Miss Missy "Lady Un-Lucky" as she walked by us to check out the noise and crowd just to see what she lost out on by not following Auntie JW's directions.

Listen to Auntie JW now. "TOUCH THE BABIES!" (Only On the slot machine screen)

Cruiseguys2009 - I have thoroughly enjoyed learning, laughing and traveling "with" you during your adventures! I am a "virgin" NCL cruiser and really appreciate all of the tips and insights you have provided. Heading out June 11 on the BA. Not too late to join the fun! Can't wait! BTW your video is the ONLY one I have seen where time was taken to carefully show the room, and where I didn't get dizzy with blurry, crazy camera movement. Job well done! Thanks!!

 

 

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Thank you so much and WELCOME TO CRUISE CRITIC!!!!!!!!

You have officially graduated from "Lurker" to "Involved Poster"! Lets see some more of this! Plus you will have so much more fun if you join your Roll Call and participate in all the activities like the Slot Pull, Cabin Crawl etc.

Welcome once again!

JW and Jerome!

What a treat to have you back,JW! My only disappointment is that you guys won't be on our cruise March 4th!!! Your wonderful review is what cinched this cruise for us. Always sailed RC before. We won't be getting Vibe, but are excited about the other venues and bars,esp.the District and five o'clock somewhere!!! I see myself hanging out at the Waterfront and Spice H2O.We have a fun group of 12 who are all looking forward to a great time! Thanks again for all your input and great advice!!!

Well Thank you and it's good to be back for The Upcoming Trilogy Finale.

Yes, Jerome and I wish we were on the March 4th sailing too. I know you are going to have a blast because for the most part, your sailing is going to be mostly adults as you are sailing on the cusp of SPRING BREAK! And not full force "Collegiate Kiddiesville" like we will be. (But that could very well be the reason we chose March 25th:rolleyes:)

Now there are a few things that are a MUST DO:

You simply must get a Badge of Honor in The District! (Badge of Honors are awarded to those brave folks who can down every single beer in a 7 day period, but in attempting to do so, please understand that some, really expensive and fabulous beers, you'd have to pay the difference for, as they are not included in the UBP) Now there's over 90 kinds of beer and most of them are on the UBP....Oh, just Go For it! With all those beers it will really be a Tinklefest! Plus, the entertainment in The District most evenings is usually the best kept secret aboard. Hopefully you will have one of the outrageous "Adult" musical entertainers that we had when we sailed, and who packed the place by the last night because of the passenger word-of-mouth advertising during the week.

The Waterfront was Jerome and my favorite spot to lounge, even though we had that awesomely huuuuuge balcony in our Secret Hallway Mini Suite, we loved the comfy sofas in the shade of the Waterfront and imbibed many cocktails as we relaxed lazily when we were in port and did not get off the ship. When we were in port, one side of the ship always had a nice breeze, so we would alternate depending where that was.

We did not attempt to eat outside on The Waterfront at Moderno, Bayamo or Cagneys at night while the ship was underway, as our previous sailings were June and August and HOT. However, the beautiful Caribbean breeze should be welcoming in March, so I would definitely recommend seating Al Fresco in those restaurants I mentioned.

SPICE H2O! Since you have a large group, this is the place to be. You've got a full service bar, some fun foods available to nosh on, a water feature that they call The Grotto which keeps ya cool in the heat of the afternoon, and some great sounds to lounge by. It gets crowded later, as the folks who usually go to Spice H2O get up later. It is a party area and it is what fun you make of it, and with a large group, sounds to me that will be loads of party fun.

Yes we do wish we were going with you. The slide awaits you and so does the ropes course. Do them both, because then you have something to really awesomely remember.

This is your time, your cruise! It is almost here. Remember. You worked hard to pay for your experience. You have practically Tinkled with anticipation for the day to finally arrive. If you don't like something, no matter how small, SAY something and let Norwegian make an attempt to please you. I can't wait to hear about all your "Adventures"! Please keep us posted when you return. I will have lots of questions for you!

Bon Voyage!!!!!!

Have fun, we went on the Escape in November, beautiful ship but SO glad we got Vibe passes! Without that area I think we would have gone nuts, we are Platinum but we won't be doing another NCL anytime soon...

I read your very detailed review, and I too agree, the central pool is "People Soup" and thankfully we too had been able to secure VIBE tickets and enjoyed the sailing so much more.

Now that you are Platinum, you will most likely have no issues obtaining VIBE or POSH (EPIC) tickets for any of the sailings, because of the new Boarding Priorities, Latitudes Platinum and Platinum Plus will be boarding way ahead of everyone else, more so than before, so VIBE and POSH will be a more exclusive Platinum/Haven Members Only club.

If I were in the Haven, I would certainly not waste the $99 per person entry fee into VIBE, as on The Escape, just on the other side of VIBE, is the Haven's own VIBE, for free. It is exactly like VIBE without the bar, but the VIBE Bartenders service the Haven side as well, so it is exactly the same, without the lively bar crowd, and I think even more "Haven-ly" secluded.

There are usually 70-80 VIBE passes held for each sailing. The Haven and Back to Back sailing Guests get first dibs on them, that is why on our sailings we have asked upon arrival to the Headliners Club to secure our spots, "How many VIBE tickets are available?" Answer has varied between 54 to 61.

Before, up until about a month ago, to get VIBE passes, it was how early one got to the port to secure a "Boarding Priority" Number, and we were always group 1 or 2. We made our mad dash to Headliners to get in to the line for the privilege to buy our passes. Now, there is Boarding Priority according to Latitudes Ranking. Ambassador and Haven will be group 1 now, then Platinum Plus and Platinum. No real changes here. However, Next, has been CAS (Casinos At Sea Invited Comp Guests), then Gold, Silver and Bronze. Then the rest of the Passengers according to time of arrival to the boarding area.

I do know that just last week, a couple were in Boarding Group 16, regular passengers, and they were able to secure the last two spots in VIBE, so it can be done, if there are folks in front of you that are not willing to shell out another $100 bucks a piece for the week to gain access to a walled in seating area with a bar.

That being said, VIBE for us, is a truly unique experience and once inside, we forgot that we were on a mega liner packed to the rim with folks. Even on Port days, most of the VIBE guests were as "Port Experienced" as we were and opted to stay on board and enjoy the VIBE experience instead of venturing off to the tourist destinations. There is nothing like Shot O'Clock each day, though. And with the UBP, yeah baby! I like it like that!

The other crazy fun bar we enjoy is Clarence's bar on deck 8. Known as "It's 5 O'Clock Somewhere" Bar which is located just outside it's namesake on the terrace, Clarence will also participate in Shot O'Clock daily. And the most fun to be there is on the last day sail-a-way from Nassau. Oh My Goodness, Clarence does go into "Rare Form Performance Mode" for the other ships docked across the way.

Norwegian Escape has so much to offer, but again, if you are a family on vacation during the High Holidays (Spring, Thanksgiving, Christmas, Mid-Summer) I know you will love it and so will your kids. Adults only traveling at these times, take it from our personal experience, could possibly have challenging times with the varied crowds.

Everyone loves the Ultimate Beverage Package!

Glad will hear the "rest of the story."

Hey gurl! How ya doing?! Don't you have a special cruise on The Grand coming up?

Have fun, we went on the Escape in November, beautiful ship but SO glad we got Vibe passes! Without that area I think we would have gone nuts, we are Platinum but we won't be doing another NCL anytime soon...

I know what you mean, there are certain times a year that I will not sail. Did you go at Thanksgiving in November?

So oooooo glad you are back, as I am waiting to hear if you really won the jackpot in the casino or not. Very naughty of you to leave us all hanging...

 

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Did I? Or was it all a dream? Hmmm, some folks really know the truth and were actually there. So perhaps we did win after all. Which machine could it have been? Hmmm. The tax man cometh with the I-9 verification so I must have actually won. ;)