Juvesgirl

7 hours ago, Biker19 said:

No, the package will cover the vast majority of drinks - the description details don’t keep up with changing prices. 

Super helpful, thank you!

Apologies if this was already covered, but I didn't see it in any of the posts. When looking at details for the packages, it says that the Deluxe Beverage package covers drinks up to $12. I looked at some beverage menus and it appears the vast majority of cocktails are $14.  Is that right - are the drinks only covered up to $12? If so, are you charged the difference (so for a $14 cocktail, $2 plus 18% tip)?

Thanks so much for any clarification anyone can provide!

On 12/12/2022 at 9:20 PM, CardFanDubG said:

Sorry I have not updated it with the NCL Prima. I have not had the opportunity to sail on the new ship, We did NCL Breakaway twice in the last 6 months,  Glad that you appreciated the list.

The list is a planners dream come true!! Printed out and ready for me to review on my flight to Florida to pre-select some hopeful favorites! Thanks for doing all the work to put it together!
 

On 12/12/2022 at 11:45 PM, BirdTravels said:

Post #177, 178, 179 has some of the "sustainable" drinks from the Prima

 

Thanks for the tip!!

16 hours ago, Liji said:

Last night I enjoyed a glass of wine with a traditional Russian pie and orange chicken. I haven't managed to take a picture of the food because everything was incredibly delicious. We ate at the nearby restaurant we used to walk by for unknown reasons. From now on, it will definitely be our favorite place to eat.

 

 

I don’t think I ever heard of Russian Pie - will have to check it out!!

On 12/12/2022 at 9:57 PM, tartist said:

Kimchi fried rice was so good! As was all the sushi. It was honestly all so good. We skipped dessert & ordered 8 different dishes to try. So much fun! You can’t go wrong there! 

I was thinking of the fried rice! Glad you recommend!!

hopefully my lost doesn’t grow to more than 8 LOL!

On 12/12/2022 at 9:50 AM, destar said:

Im sorry, the chocolate sundae is from the local bar and grill. At food republic the lamb and sushi were delicious. With the dinning plan you are allow 4 plates per person.

Ah, that’s good to know, we are going to use the plan. Thanks for the tip!

we will head to the Local for dessert :)

On 12/12/2022 at 10:22 PM, Sailing12Away said:

These were my picks back in September.

 

Tempura fried shishito peppers

 

Peruvian beef skewers

 

Thai chicken lettuce wraps (least favorite of the things I tried, good, but not as good as the others)

 

Tijuana street fries

I was thinking about the fries, but the picture seems like the toppings are a bit sparse. What did you think of them?

On 12/12/2022 at 9:43 AM, BirdTravels said:

Favorites

 

Lamb Kalbi Gui

 

Tonkatsu (pork loin)

 

Black Cod

 

Tiger Roll (Spicy tuna, shrimp tempura, crab, avocado)

 

Ahi Tuna Stack

 

 

 

 

More votes for lamb and cod! These pictures are making me hungry!!! Thank you!!

On 12/12/2022 at 6:41 AM, WheresWalter said:

EVERYTHING!!! 🙂

 

Honestly our favorite restaurant on all of the NCL ships. We went three times when we were on the Escape. My advice is to order no more than 2 dishes per person to start with. Some of my faves were the lamb and any of the sushi rolls. The sashimi 'pizza' was quite interesting and tasty. Honestly with three meals there and we tried so many different things, we loved it all. 

On 12/12/2022 at 6:57 AM, roscoe123 said:

I loved the black cod skewers.

On 12/12/2022 at 7:05 AM, EllieinNJ said:

The baby lamb chops were delish.  Also the tempura.

Thanks for all of the suggestions! I wouldn’t have thought to try the lamb here but we will definitely try it! And my husband likes Black Cod, so we will add to our list!

On 12/12/2022 at 6:37 AM, dexddd said:

There are so many options there it really is going to vary widely on your tastes.  I'm a big eater and at first I thought not going to be enough food.  Have eaten there at least four times on two ships.  Last was three of us with eight dishes and we were all full.

LOL I was worried about the same thing! Glad to know that you left full!!

Tried to find a thread on this, but didn’t see one - apologies if repetitive!

Any favorite Food Republic dishes? Would love to hear anyone’s recommendations!

Any misses we should avoid?

Any options more “substantial” than others?

Thanks in advance for the input!

This list is incredible!! Any chance it has been updated with new Prima bars/drinks? 😉 

25 minutes ago, Two Wheels Only said:

 

Physically, the configurations are the same. The stateroom numbers are slightly different. I have a list for Joy. I can post it later.

Actually, I figured out how to map them (the Joy #s to these cabin #s), so no need!

And I think we are going to stick with what we have.  The price dropped on our Joy cruise from Quebec to NYC in October 2023 and for what we were going to pay I could switch to an aft balcony, which I always wanted to do, but when I looked up the temps in Canada in October (and the rain days), I realized maybe this isn't the cruise to splurge on an aft balcony (and maybe I will get the price drop with NCL).  I have an angled balcony 9350 booked. I am questioning myself because there are several angled balconies available and also all of the rooms around my cabin seem to be open, so I am wondering what I am missing and maybe there is an issue with this cabin (specifically this one and/or this cabin type) that I am not thinking of...It is above Cagney's, so I don't think it will be too loud early or late, and given the weather in that location, I would rather be lower near restaurants and lounges than higher near the pool. Maybe I'm just psyching myself out.

Much appreciated for offering to post later, but I don't think we need any longer 🙂

On 3/27/2022 at 5:55 PM, Two Wheels Only said:

 

The size order for depth is 9, 12, 15, 14, 11, 10, 13 from deepest to least deep.

 

There are also differences in balcony width as well as differences in bed location (near balcony vs. near closet) for the stateroom. 

 

For a good combination of view, balcony depth, and avoiding noise from Spice H2O, I recommend deck 12. From there, decide on bed location. My preference is bed near balcony but some prefer the opposite. My first choices on deck 12 are 12308/12908. 

 

 

 

Here's a list*...

 

Aft-facing NCL Escape bed location

 

Deck 9
9318 HA Configuration A
9320 near balcony
9322 near balcony
9324 near closet (narrowest)
9924 Wheelchair Accessible near balcony
9922 near closet
9920 near balcony
9918 HA Configuration A

 

Deck 10
10314 HA Configuration A
10316 near balcony
10318 Wheelchair Accessible Club Suite near balcony (narrower)
10918 Wheelchair Accessible Club Suite near balcony (wider)
10916 near balcony
10914 HA Configuration A

 

Deck 11
11312 HA Configuration B
11314 near balcony
11316 near balcony
11318 near closet (narrowest)
11918 Wheelchair Accessible near balcony
11916 near closet
11914 near balcony
11912 HA Configuration B

 

Deck 12
12306 HA Configuration A
12308 near balcony
12310 near balcony
12312 near closet (narrowest)
12912 Wheelchair Accessible near balcony
12910 near closet
12908 near balcony
12906 HA Configuration A

Deck 13
13306 HA Configuration A
13308 near balcony
13310 near balcony
13312 near closet (narrowest)
13912 Wheelchair Accessible near balcony
13910 near closet
13908 near balcony
13906 HA Configuration A

 

Deck 14
14300 HA Configuration B
14302 near balcony
14304 near balcony
14306 near closet (narrowest)
14906 Wheelchair Accessible near balcony
14904 near closet
14902 near balcony
14900 HA Configuration B

 

Deck 15
15280 HA Configuration A
15282 near balcony
15284 near balcony
15286 near closet (narrowest)
15886 Wheelchair Accessible near balcony
15884 near closet
15882 near balcony
15880 HA Configuration A

 

 

 

*...if there are any errors, please let me know so that I can make corrections. 

This list is incredible!!!!!!!!!  Any chance you have the same for the NCL Joy Aft Balconies?

23 minutes ago, prbffd28 said:

We were on Encore 2/9-16 and the M&G was in the District with beer tastings and apps. Great time, well done by our new friends Diane and Mark!!

Hooray!  Great news!  Someone told me they just hosted on Bliss and and Escape (December) with no beer and apps.  Maybe they are only doing on new ships?  Or maybe based on the size of the group.

Hi all, I am hoping to plan a CC Meet and Greet for my June Encore sailing.  Someone told me that NCL has reverted to only pastries for Meet and Greets (as I recall them doing on the smaller ships in Cagney's), however, I have been to M&Gs on the Escape, Bliss, etc. as recently as summer 2019 and they were in District Brewhouse with beer tastings and apps.

Can anyone confirm that the Encore Meet and Greets the past month or two (January or February 2020) have been in District Brewhouse with beer and apps?

Thanks so much!

11 hours ago, BirdTravels said:

Yes. That was the cigarette smoking lounge on the Deck 8 Waterfront. That is the only location you can smoke cigarettes (other than in the enclosed casino smoking section for active players when casino is open). For the 3 days you are in port, the casino will open nightly around 9:00. 

Thank you so much!!!  He is going to be so happy to know that the cigarette smokers have their own room and he can smoke his cigars in a separate space.  I know it sounds silly, but there really is a difference!

Much appreciated!

On 12/1/2019 at 7:57 AM, BirdTravels said:

Cigarette smokers have a smoking lounge on the Waterfront. You still need to go outside to access it, but it is enclosed and air conditioned with great views. 

 

Hi there!  As everyone has said, this is an enormously helpful review!!

Just wondering - you posted some pictures of an outdoor smoking lounge.  Is this a cigarette lounge separate from the Humidor Cigar Lounge?  Or was it the Humidor lounge?  I ask because I couldn't find a cigarette lounge on the deck plans.  My husband loves smoking cigars, but has found that the Humidor Cigar Lounge has turned into a cigarette lounge on most ships, despite the rule that cigarettes aren't allowed (that rule is never enforced).  We are sailing on Encore in June and are tentatively excited by your pics that there is now a separate cigarette lounge!

Thanks so much!!

51 minutes ago, amygutman said:

I felt like such a schlub when I took photos of the wrong cabin - but definitely looked at some cool photos on cruisedeckplans.com of your room. It's the least I could do when 99% of the folks on cruise critic have gone out of their way to be kind to someone else in their posts. 

Plus - I love cruising so much...if we can make someone else's cruise easier, why not?

Happiest of cruising to you, and hoping for clear skies and blue waters to you....Amy

Thanks again so much, Amy!  I am crossing my fingers that all of your hopes come true!  My husband got a minor injury yesterday that will prevent him from going into the ocean 😞 but we are going to make it work and have a great week!!!  

Hope that you have a great evening!!

Amy!!!!!  Oh my gosh, how amazing are you!?!?!

First of all, I seriously can't believe you remembered to try to take a look at our stateroom!  I am so sorry I missed your message to me; somehow, I never got the alert.  I just sailed Escape last week so was focused on Escape reviews in June and missed your Dawn review until now!  I never expected you to remember offering to take pics for me, but recognized your name and recalled enjoying your posts from other threads, so thought I would read your review, and much to my surprise I had a personal message from you.  I can't tell you how grateful I am for your thoughtfulness (even if the pics are of the other cabin LOL).  

Equally as important, you did such a fabulous job with your review.  I really appreciated how positive you kept your comments, even if they were constructive.  For someone about to board the Dawn, it is nice to hear even the critical things from a helpful perspective!

Thanks to you and your family for sharing your vacation with us!!!!!!  And thanks again for your generous spirit.

9 hours ago, ThxMomnDad said:

Thanks for your mini-review!! We are sailing on the Escape in October. Can't wait!!! 83 days and counting!!

Have an amazing time!  Wish we could join you again!

1 hour ago, jasperess said:

May I ask what your top 5 specialty restaurants were on the Escape, in order?  Thanks in advance!

Sure! We ate at Cagney's, La Cucina, Le Bistro, Bayamo, and PIncho.  I liked them in that order, but La Cucina could be tied with Cagney's.

We didn't eat at Teppanyaki or Moderno, so they aren't included in the ranking.  We usually don't eat at Moderno.  I have eaten at Teppanyaki before and have loved their filet mignon.

9 hours ago, cincicruisers said:

Do you have any information on how the dining package works at Food Republic?

Yes, I looked up the dining package info when I got home yesterday and saw that it was updated.  I'm glad!

Sure, Food Republic will count as one of your dining package options and each person with the meal plan can order any 4 items from the menu as far as I know.  If you don't have the dining package, or don't want to use one of our meals at Food Republic, it is still available a la carte.

1 hour ago, PortFees45 said:

Escape has the best buffet in the NCL fleet. 

I was extremely impressed!! The magnitude and variety was amazing. And who doesn’t love Nutella crepes!?!?

1 hour ago, HOSKI said:

Also, does each person pick 4 items at Pincho?

I think we had a BB balcony on the 14th deck. It was forward (towards the front of the ship). It wasn’t midship, but it was just a few cabins away from where the midship section ended.

We had breakfast and lunch (once each) in the main dining room and it was terrific both times. We had breakfast and lunch in O’Sheehans (also once each) and the service was great, and the food was fine, but maybe not as great as the other venues. We had lunch a bunch of times at the buffet. We were really impressed by the variety of options on the buffet - it truly was impressive. There really was something for everyone with so many cuisines represented. 

In in my opinion, if you plan to go to Pincho or any other specialty restaurant, you should add meals to your meal package. I am not sure how much it costs to add meals to your 3 meal package if you got it as a perk, but it might be as little as $15pp (check with NCL). If that is the case, then it is a bargain because the items on the tapas menu range from ~$4-15 if you purchase a la Carte without the meal plan. Yes, if you use the meal plan for Pincho, it is 4 items per person. I believe that now there is no more all you can eat option at Pincho, but I could be wrong (it used to be that you got all you can eat with the meal plan, but you had to use a meal plan AND pay a surcharge - now with the 4 item exchange for the meal plan, there is no surcharge). Hope this makes sense!

1 hour ago, PSU78 said:

I totally agree with your review of the Escape. We did a two-week western Caribbean in February and enjoyed a fantastic cruise. Loved Choir of Man so much that we went to two shows! We will be cruising to Bermuda in October and my question is related to freedom of disembarking and boarding while docked in Bermuda. How much are AM and PM hours limited fot coming and going?

Glad you loved the ship and crew as much as we did.

You are not limited at as far as I know!! I believe you have total freedom from when you dock on Wed. until you depart on Friday. I know we got back around 11:30pm on Thursday after the glowworm cruise and it was no problem at all.

Have a great time!!!