happyscmom

Following! We will be on the Epic out of Miami in April. 

Bermuda Day 2-

For day 2 in Bermuda we booked the Caves and Waves excursion through NCL. The excursion had a meet up time of 8:50 at the port. We were loaded onto buses at 9:00, and the drive to the caves was about 50 minutes. At the caves we were divided into groups for the tour. The tour is a walk into the caves with a history discussion. It was absolutely beautiful and amazing! 

After the tour tour we got back on the buses for a ride to the beach. On the bus they sold a $25 bundle for 2 chairs and an umbrella. We were dropped at Clearwater Beach and had about 3 hours to spend there. It was very nice. The bar had food and drink for sale. Really relaxing. 

However, at that point, the excursion turned very frustrating. We were picked up at 2:15 and told that we would be taking the ferry from St George’s back. They dropped us at the ferry stop and we stood in the ferry line baking in the sun until 3. The ferry got us back about 4:10. In other words, it was about 2 hours back to the ship and none of us had any clue that we would have to do that. Very frustrating. I think if I did this again, I would do the locations on my own. 

After the excursion we took a

nap and showered for dinner. We had been gifted a dinner at Moderno. We don’t eat meat other than fish, so this was really a salad bar experience for us. However, it was quite good. 

Funny thing, they are saying that all specialty dining is sold out, but every time we eat the places are half empty. I’ve met several people who haven’t been able to get dining reservations, so I know this must be frustrating. 

After dinner we did Howl at the Moon and it was so great! I love that venue. 

2 hours ago, 1bets1 said:

Hope your trip is fun today. Couldn't you have taken Norwegian's ferry, or am I mistaken?

NCL ferry goes to St George’s, no Hamilton. Too bad!

Review of Day 1 in Bermuda

This was our first trip to Bermuda, so it’s all new. We arrived at 8:00, and made our way off of the ship at about 9:00. We walked around the area by the port. There is a lot of shopping, etc. We really just wanted to get the lay of the land. We walked over to the Visitor Center and bought ferry coins for the ride to Hamilton in the evening. 

At about 11 we headed back on the ship for lunch and to get ready. 

Our Restless Native Catamaran trip met at 1:30 right near the ship. Meet up was super easy, which was a relief. We got into the boat and headed out right away. The boat is very nice, and the crew was amazing. We rode about 40 minutes to a spot right by a small beach. From there you could snorkel, kayak, float with a pool noodles, or hang on the boat. We have done a lot of snorkeling in the Caribbean, and I’ll say that the actual snorkeling was pretty disappointing. We saw only a few fish, and they were just brown fish sitting under rocks. Nothing much to see. Despite that, the excursion was awesome. We bought a few beers ($5) and grabbed noodles and just relaxed in the water. After finishing water time, they serve free rum swizzles and chocolate chip cookies on the boat. Both were great and the crew was top notch! We got back to the pier at 5. 

When we got back back we went running back to the Escape to shower and then ran back to the ferry terminal to catch the 5:45 ferry to Hamilton. It was a huge rush, but we got there right at 5:40. The line was SO LONG to get onto the Ferry. We made it on and searched for seating. We ended up stumbling into the bottom of the ferry which was pretty empty and had an air conditioned area. So, tip....go downstairs!

We got to Hamilton about 6:30. We decided to go there because of the street fair. It takes place each Wednesday during the summer. It was a bit disappointing. Most booths were things we would see at home. We ended up eating in a restaurant because the street food wasn’t too appealing. We went to a British Pub called Flannagan’s. It was pretty good. After dinner we walked around a bit and went back towards the pier. It was only about 8:20, but there was already a long line for the ferry. We waited in line until 9, got back at 10, and stood in a very long line to get back on the Escape. Overall, it was a night of lines! I would recommend skipping the Hamilton street festival. It ended up being hours of waiting for very little. 

Today we are doing “Caves and Waves,” so more later! 

Report of day 2 at sea

We spent most of the day in Vibe (after morning workout, etc). I couldn’t be more thrilled to have Vibe. The pool area is a zoo. Really...this is my 3rd time on Escape, and this is the worst pool situation that I’ve ever seen. There at people every inch along the way. Nuts. Vibe was quiet and glorious. The only complaint is that the misting thing wasn’t working so it got pretty hot since we were barely moving (circling due to the medical emergency). 

For dinner we did Savor. It was much better than Le Bistro the night before, but it was slow. They seem to be struggling with the large crowd this week. I had almond encrusted trout. Really nice. 

We are now in Bermuda and about to hop off to explore. We are booked with Restless Native this afternoon for snorkeling.

2 hours ago, 1bets1 said:

Hope you're having a great time. I've been eyeing this cruise; so far have only sailed Royal. Is there a cafe to get coffee super early in the morning? Also, please report on the buffet if you go. (On RC, I didn't care for the dining room food) And is Norwegian the line that has their own ferry to St George? 

We have had coffee delivered to the room each morning. There is a coffee shop (fee), if you are up early. The buffet has coffee. 

The buffet was a zoo at lunch yesterday, but this ship is packed. The food is good, for buffet. Yesterday at lunch we had typical stuff (pizza, salad, sandwich, pasta).  

15 hours ago, flarad said:

It’s been a couple of years since we’ve cruised the Escape and the first time we’re flying in so I’m having to pack lighter. Couple of questions, I’m hoping you can answer.

  Are there hairdryers in the room? What are the soap and shampoo like? Any other tips to help me lighten up on my typical two suitcase packing?

We packed in two carry-on bags, so I feel you! There is a hairdryer, and it’s very good. We have little shampoo/conditioner bottles. I packed my own mini ones, so I haven’t used them. For my space-saving, I just packed by rolling clothes, brought only a few dressy things that I could mix and match, and tried to go minimal. It’s been good so far! 

2 minutes ago, dexddd said:

Have a great time.  We'll be watching which direction docking is tomorrow.  Missed last week as on cruise.

We have a medical emergency on board today so we are hitting Bermuda early, but they are keeping us off shore until 8 am tomorrow. I’ll update on docking! 

Crab cake at Bayamo - one bite in!

Some of the best salmon ever at Bayamo

Cheesecake in a jar. 

Apple tart

brown lettuce at Le Bistro. (Yuck)

beautiful but mediocre scallops

chocolate dessert at Le Bisto. (Ok, but so pretty)

Good morning! I’m onboard the Escape right now. I’ll do a full review after the cruise, but I thought that I would post a few details as we go. 

Im sailing with my husband, only. We left the kids with grand parents! The cruise left Sunday, July 30, and it is now Tuesday morning. Here are a few details, thus far. 

Embarkation - We reached port about 9:00 am. We were put in line and let into the terminal at 10:30. It was very organized, and check in was a breeze. We were in boarding group 7, which made me nervous since I was going for Vibe. Boarding started at 11:15. They let on 1-5 together and then opened to 1-7. We ran right to headliners and got the number for Vibe. The worker had PLENTY of tickets left, which really surprised me. Overall, embarkation was a breeze. 

We went to lunch at Savor. That’s always better than the crazy Buffet! Very good. Cabins were ready at 1:30. We didn’t head down until about 2:30, and our suitcases were already waiting. That was great! The safety drill was at 3:30, and it was over very quickly. Great job with that! 

We had dinner night one at Bayamo. It was amazing! I had crab cake, salmon with potatoes and spinach, and cheese cake in a jar. Amazing! 

After dinner we went to Howl at the Moon. It was a little slow to start, but ok. One of the performers is pretty bad. We plan to go back, so hopefully he will get better! 

Monday was an at sea day. I started the day with the Ryde class (spin).  It is a great class the class costs $20, but you can get an “all class” pass for $79. Keep in mind, though, that they add 18% gratuity. I was shocked to see $93 charged instead of $79. After Class, shower, etc we went to early lunch at 11. O’Sheehan’s closes from 11-12, so we had to go to the buffet. It was crazy and packed already. I wanted to get a Diet Coke from the bar, and that was nearly impossible. Frustrating. 

After lunch we had the CC Meet and Greet. It was awesome. We had a big crowd. NCL does a great job. Beer, food, etc were provided in District Brew. After Meet and Greet some of us did a slot pull and pub crawl. It was a great way to meet cool people. We didn’t finish until 5! I went to Vibe for an hour after that and then headed to change for dinner. 

Dinner was at Le Bistro. This was a major disappointment. The restaurant was so loud that I could barely hear my husband. The waitress was pretty terrible. She didn’t give us a wine menu, and seemed annoyed when I asked for one after about 10 minutes. The food was very mediocre. The crab salad had brown lettuce and the scallops was over cooked. The food was beautiful, however. 

More to come later! 

Following! Can't wait to hear all about this. We leave June 30!

11 minutes ago, Treacher1 said:

I was trying to do a search, and for some reason it did not work.  Could someone please list ALL options for lunch on embarkation day.  Someone who sailed previously said ONE of the MDR was open for lunch?  Thanks for your help!

I love Taste/Savor on embarkation day. They are open, and we always go there. O'Sheehen's will also be open. 

1 hour ago, Shoppie124 said:

 

 

What are your thoughts?

 

This it is pretty interesting. While it certainly isn't a lot of money, it is enough to explain why so many people did it. My last cruise was an MSC cruise. We got to know our waiters and they had all worked for RCCL, NCL, and MSC. Each said NCL was the best one to work for. The income in this article makes that seem true.

Following  

Great review!

Did you happen to save any of your Freestyle Dailies? I am a travel agent and have a group going later in the month and would love to be able to share with them if you would share.

 

 

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I didn’t! I’m sorry. Tell them to go to the Newlywed / Not-so-newlywed snow in Bliss on night 2. Lots of fun!

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My husband and I like to take a cruise without the kids once a year. Usually it is a 7 day cruise, but due to work restrictions, we had to opt for a short cruise this summer. This cruise was only 3 nights, which was the biggest bummer of the whole cruise! Also, it has been years since I've been on a small ship, so there was a little learning curve there, as well.

Us:

We are a married couple with four kids, so we need our vacation! I'm 42 and my husband is 49. We cruise a few times each year but are not particular to a line. Most of our cruises have been with NCL, but we also love MSC and RCL. We love cruising, and this was another great cruise

Embarkation:

We arrived at Port Canaveral at 10:30 and parked at the port. Parking was very convenient and easy. Yep, the price is high, but the lot is right across from the ship, so it is great. We got through check-in by 10:50 and were in group 5. We sat down and heard an announcement that boarding would start at 11:30. However, about ten minutes later boarding started and we were on by 11:15. It was so easy and not crowded at all, even though this sailing was sold out. We walked on and had a drink in our hands within 5 minutes.

Ship Overall impression:

It is obvious that the boat was recently refurbished. Fixtures look great, carpet has been redone, and the paint is fresh throughout. We found the layout of the ship to be weird. You constantly have to walk up and down to get to places on the same floor. We didn't mind (more steps!), but I felt lost a lot. The atrium area is small. It is pretty, but it is a small area. There is a bar on each floor (5, 6, and 7). The dining rooms are very pretty, and they appear to be refurbished. Though the ship is small, it is well-kept and very pretty.

Crew:

The crew was fine. We tried to make conversation with some bar tenders, etc. but were never able to engage them. I missed the fun bar staff of other boats! Honestly, most crew members seemed unhappy.

Drinks for all:

Since this was a ship on which everyone had the drink package, I was concerned about the quality and ability to get a drink. It was NEVER an issue at all. There are a lot of types of liquor available. The first drink that I ordered was vodka soda and I got a well brand of vodka. However, after that I just asked for Tito's and soda, and I was always able to get it. The drinks were quick and good throughout the ship. At dinner they would bring a bottle of white and red wine to the table. One night the red was Merlot (which I hate), so I asked if there was another house red and they offered me a few other choices. I think that the drink experience was absolutely GREAT!

Bars:

Because this is a small ship, there are a limited number of bars. We enjoyed the bar on deck five a great deal. There was always music playing and the crowd was nice. On the last night we didn't use this bar because there was a very smoky smell down the whole atrium. We also enjoyed Bliss at night for shows. It was a fun area. Really, all of the bars were nice and we didn't have a bad experience in any of them.

Cabin:

We had cabin 9227. This is a mid ship balcony. The balcony size itself was nice! It is bigger than the balcony on the Getaway and Escape, which is nice. We could both sit on it comfortably without turning sideways!

The bed is by the bathroom. It was very comfortable. The bathroom is where the older ship shows age. The shower is tiny with a shower curtain. Honestly, this isn't a problem for us because it is not a place that we spent much time.

Overall, the cabin was nice. The recent refurb was obvious with new carpet and fresh seeming curtains, etc.

One weird thing, we never met or even saw a cabin steward. The room was always done, but it was odd. Our minibar was empty except for a carton of milk when we boarded the ship. I was going to ask the steward to remove it, but we never saw him. On the last night he removed it and left it on the desk, which was odd.

Dining:

Dining on this ship was very poor. It was by far the worst food that I've ever had on a cruise.

After boarding the ship we went to lunch in the main dining room. It was a great location, but the food wasn't great. I ordered a salmon burger, and it was really nasty. It was a ground salmon patty that tasted like it had gone bad. I ate the bun with lettuce and tomato.

Night one we decided to eat sushi at the sushi bar. The location of the sushi bar is weird. It is located right outside of Cagney's. It feels like you are sitting in a hall. We ordered edamame and seaweed salad to start. The edamame was totally mushy and old tasting. As our dinner we each ordered 2 different rolls. All were really bad. We didn't eat much. The waiter noticed and cut the bill in half.

We ate dinner on the other two nights in the main dining rooms (one night in each). The food was not bad, but it was very bland. But, at least we didn't OVER eat.

The buffet on Sun is very odd. During the day Moderno has a small buffet, but the actual buffet is small and limited. Not bad...but I never saw much that I wanted in it.

The one food place that we did enjoy was the Great Outdoors. The food is just burgers, sandwiches, fries, etc., but the environment is great. We loved sitting on the back of the ship outside. The area is covered but outdoors, which is wonderful. I wish that the larger ships had this area.

Pool area:

The pool area on Sun is very nice. We didn't ever get in the pool, but it was never overly crowded, and there always seemed to be chairs available.

Entertainment:

We enjoyed the nightly game shows in Bliss, the live music throughout the ship, and the Rock You Tonight show on the final night. The comedian was pretty bad, but that changes weekly, so it is no need for concern. Overall, for a short cruise, I think they did a good job with entertainment.

Ports:

We had two ports, Nassau and Great Stirrup Cay. We did a day pass to Breezes in Nassau. Honestly, for the money, I wouldn't do it again. The price is up to $94/person (used to be $80), and the cab fare was $30 each way. The drinks were weak and the crowd was not the best. The beach is beautiful, though. Nassau is a throw away port, so next time we plan to either stay on the boat or just walk to Junkano Beach. I can't speak to any NCL excursions in Nassau. Great Stirrup Cay was great. We rented a clam shell ($29/each) and spent the day on the beach. The water was divine! We saw beautiful fish and even stingrays without even snorkeling. The beach was not crowded and the bar was nearby. The food was fine. I love Great Stirrup Cay. It is nice to have everything included at this stop.

Debarkation:

Easiest ever! We did walk off and walked off at 7:30. We were through security and in the car by 7:45. Best!

So, that is about it. Feel free to ask questions. Overall, we had a great time, it was just way too short. Don't expect the glamour and constant entertainment of the larger ships, but it is a wonderful way to spend a weekend!

I don’t understand this post. NCL did not have to upgrade you since it’s past final payment and they did so anyway and you are still not happy because you think you deserve another upgrade if price drops again??? Makes no sense...

 

 

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Oh my gosh people! I really wish that I could delete this thread. As I’ve said over and over, I understand the rules and I am happy! My point was that the language of compensation was silly. I used that word! I am NOT UNHAPPY. Are all people on this board just looking to get offended for NCL? I did not say that I was mad or that they broke the rules or anything. I said the word COMPENSATION was SILLY!

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If you have flexibility in your dates of travel, I see no reason to book in advance anymore.

This is interesting, and I think it is largely true on NCL cruises. I am saving money for an NCL cruise next year, but I am going to wait to book it for this very reason.

However, it is different on some other lines, specifically on MSC. We've done several cruises with them in the last few years, and we've saved hundreds of dollars by booking very early. I have a big family booked with them for next April, and it is now $1000 more than it was when I booked it.

This is great to hear. I have never done one of the NCL all-inclusive ships, though I've had the drink package on many cruises. I know that they are different, however. Were there many things that you couldn't get without paying the upcharge?

If it is not a big deal at all and you are not angry, why bring it up?

Because I thought it was funny and a bit ridiculous. I'm sorry, is there a type of thread that is appropriate here that I wasn't aware of? Do I have to be stomping mad to post? ...or gloriously happy? I wasn't aware of this rule.

You know, I almost didn't post it because I know that 50% of people get flamed here for NOTHING at all, but I thought that this would be ok since I used the word SILLY and tried to show it was no big deal. Clearly, I was wrong.

I'd just be happy to get the upgrade without having to pay extra. The rest is just semantics, no big deal.

No big deal at all, but silly language, regardless.

If past final payment, then you need to say “please and thank you” because NCL did you a favor.

I know this, and I called it "SILLY," I didn't say that I was mad. I just think calling it compensation is dumb. They didn't compensate me. I've taken many, many, many cruises, and I've never had a problem with any line (RCL, MSC, Carnival, Princess, or NCL) with getting a room change after the final payment if the price dropped enough to have it the same price as another category. Though it is not required, it is pretty standard procedure.

I am cruising on the Sun June 29 - July 2. It is a short 3 night cruise because we are budgeting this summer! :(

However, the price keeps dropping since I booked the cruise. I looked last night, and the price that I paid for my porthole OV cabin is now the price for a balcony (exactly the same price). So, as I have done with other cruises, I called and asked to change to the balcony cabin. The rep had to ask her supervisor and came back to tell me that they agreed to the upgrade. She then said, "But, if the price changes again, you cannot change this room because of this COMPENSATION." I said, "what does that mean, 'compensation'?" She said that it was considered compensation to upgrade me and they were doing so because of my status with NCL. I told her that this isn't compensation because I paid the full amount of what is now the balcony price. She said that is considered compensation by NCL. I told her that if the price changed again I would certainly call back, but I appreciated her perspective.

I'm not sure how NCL is now defining the word compensation, but I find that pretty fun!

Please no flaming...we love NCL and have cruised with them 3 times (this will be 4) in the last two years, but this is just silliness.

I love this review and can't wait to read more!

I called yesterday and made this change for 3 cabins. For the two cabins for my family (both interior Fantastica), it actually reduced our total cost by about $50 per room. For my parents cabin (Fantastica Balcony S1), it upped the price by about $100 total, which is worth it! I plan to upgrade us all to the classic package before the cruise. At $18 per day, that is a steal! I'm thrilled with this new addition!