Kierste

In Kauai, our favorite luau is Smiths, been there forever and a great time.

She did a lot of activities with entourage. We bought the texting bit on the concierge app, so she was required to text us upon arrival, if changing venues, and if she was headed back to the room. That worked great!

So the 1st day we signed her up, and then she went back to hang out. The entourage space is really great. She had her iPod if she got bored... but I don't think that happened. She grouped up with some kids pretty fast... all on the younger side. If they didn't want to go play dodgeball or whatever they would go to the buffet, or wander to the pool. We had multiple evenings she came back to the room for her suit so she could go hang out on the pool deck. They did the scavenger hunts (this would be a main cause of complaints by some grumps about kids running up and down the stairs).

By mid week we had lost her for dinner, unless we were at a specialty restaurant that night... and then we had to eat early or we wouldn't see her at all. We did an 11:15 pm curfew if it was a sea day or late port day the next day, 10:15 for early port days the next day (the extra 15 minutes was to give her time to get to our room after the activity ended.). The last night I let her stay out till 1... but she rolled in about 15 minutes early. Most kids had earlier curfews than the ship's rules.

We've only done NCL... but our daughter has done both the Dolphins (10-12) and Teen Entourage. She is normally pretty shy, but she hardly left either club. They do close for lunch and dinner, so you are stuck spending some time with your kids ;) The counselors are great. DDs favorite time was post-dinner, the activities were always right up her alley... loosely based on hunger games, maze runner and amazing race games... scavenger hunts and boy vs girl competitions.

We were in 8130 in March, also port side and about 40 steps from the brew house... loved everything about this room and location!

I am very new to NCL and haven't cruised in 25 years,, Anyway, your review was very helpful. Can u be clear on the tips, i prepaid them when i made reservation, I have the FBP .. So when exactly do i have to give additional tips ? Im very confused on a lot ( DUH ) , What is good time to dine if I don't want to miss any of these shows, which we are a older couple, ( handicapped ) .. I'm filled with tons of questions, I will be doing my homework. Thanks again

Your tips include pretty much everyone...bartenders, servers, your steward , the bus boy. So prepaying those means you don't have to tip. Now if you are staying in the Haven, you have to tip your butler and the concierge (as you see fit) as they are not included in the tip pool you already paid. That said, we always tip our steward more (I usually give some on day one and more on the last day depending on service), they are in your room multiple times a day, and we have chatted with ours quite a bit and I see how hard working they are, so I personally think they deserve a bit more. I have brought ones for bartenders, but have never felt pressured to tip them on top of the pre-paid gratuities, and I have never felt I got faster or slower service due to tipping or lack of.

Most meals take about 90 minutes. So if shows are at 7:30 and 9:30, plan accordingly plus time to get to the show and get seated. We find it hard to make it to shows, and we tend to eat early and go to bed early...

I am pretty sure the hotel director was tipped off as to your following on CC... that is why you are getting the snacks... it's not because you are in a mini-suite, which many feel should be renamed "deluxe balcony" so people will stop thinking mini suites get suite benefits. I am so glad you are enjoying the Escape, we had a blast on her in March!

I just checked prices around the same time for a 7 night Bermuda sailing.

 

Both are around $1,800. However, the Anthem is for a deck 6 balcony and Escape is for a studio cabin with the drink package included.

 

I'm traveling solo.

 

Still book Escape? Taxes in Bermuda are outrageous but deposit is like $70.

 

 

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People seem to love the studios!

We were directly below splash on deck 11 of the Pearl. They sounded like a herd of elephants most nights until about 10, but the mornings were fine for sleeping in because they don't open too early. I would book the same room again.

That's twice he left everyone hanging. Hope is enjoying his retirement.

Spice is an adults only sun deck with a bar, and a grotto water feature to cool off in... vibe is on the other side of a wall from it, but that area you have to pay extra for.

Spice is adults only during the day and no extra charge, also the District brew pub is adults only, except we had our meet and greet in there and kids were allowed during that.

Large balcony mini suites on deck 8 have two loungers, 2 regular chairs, a small table and a side table. Loved it a couple weeks ago!

We did the comfort suites to get the passes... since you are booking directly that will save you time... comfort suites cost us a good hour. Anyhow, we were there over spring break, did multiple slides and the river a few times around, checked out the beach, but did not take time to eat or snack... we were focused! Yes we could have used more time, but we did have fun in the time we had.

Great start! We were on the ship with you and had such a good time... sigh... where is my mojito?

We will be overnighting in Venice on our cruise, noon to 6 pm the next day. Thoughts on what first timers should focus on? Enjoying your review!

Following... we have just under 15 months till our Spirit cruise.

I've never been on a ship or a hotel were door opens into the hallway.

The Escape does... just did it... they have little cutouts as you walk the hallway so the door can open out... if it opened in then it would take up the space in the hallway by the bathroom door.

We bought the texting thing to use with the NCL app... our 13 yr old was told to text before coming back to the room... I feel for your discovery!;p

See if they have crepes on the buffet at night... we missed them on the Pearl... they were there but we didn't know. But we found them on the Escape and skipped dessert every night and went and got those instead.... Nutella and banana (it's not advertised, but they have it behind the chef)... yum!

Just off the Escape with my newly minted 13 year old... she went to entourage for registration with us... then asked to go back right after dinner even though the "activities" hadn't started yet... we bought the texting thing thru the app... and put it on her iPod and my iPod so we could keep in touch... she was to text on arrival, text when moving venues, and text before she came back to the cabin. This worked great... as her crowd frequently would do one activity and then go to the buffet for snacks or ice cream... maybe joining for the next activity... or not.

All in all, she had a blast. We set a 10 pm curfew for port nights and 11 pm when it was a sea day the next day... she texted a couple times she would be late because the activity was running over. But we pretty much only saw her for breakfast, specialty dinners (she didn't want to miss out!) and port days... and while she was sleeping lol

I was a nervous nelly too... my sweet just turned 13 yr old grouped in with big kids... but they find their own... her crowd was mostly 14. We had 1300 kids on board, 500 of them teens... and entourage averaged 40 kids in there at a time. The ones that went seemed to have a blast and mine would do it all over again!

They do have pool takeovers for the older groups... dolphins and entourage I believe, and they are usually after dinner.

Here Is a link to the kids dailies from the escape... I only see pool takeover for entourage. But when my dd was in dolphins on the Pearl a couple years ago they did have it one night for them, but that was an 11 day cruise.

http://www.cruisewithgambee.com/norwegian-escape-kids-club-documents/

We saw chairs on regular balconies on another brand of ship that reclined, they weren't lounge chairs, just regular deck chairs that could recline a little, also saw some with hammocks... I would love either or both!

I don't see that anyone has made a correction... but for those that may be confused... Entourage is the teen club (13-17) and vibe is the adults only pay sun deck/bar area.

Typically the first two in a room get the promos, the 3rd and so on get nothing, but at times they "sail free". With 9 I would price 3 in a room, 2 adults in each room and one kid... then at least the adults would likely get the ubp and dining package... when you get on board you can rearrange sleeping as you see fit, even changing per night--like if the kids want a slumber party in grandmas room etc...

The way the beds work in a mini suite for 4 is the main bed (which is two twins pushed together), the sofa bed, which is the size of a twin, and an upper berth (bunk bed), some rooms they bring in a cot instead of the bunk and cram it next to or between the main beds. If cost is a factor, two insides would be a lot more room and privacy.