Escape Cruise Review 4-23-16-Loved every minute!!!

[mimmymia]

The ship is beautiful with so much to do for all ages! Crew members told us that it was a busy week for them, but not as busy as it was in March Spring break. The ship never felt over crowded. A little background on us... DW (42), DH (44), DS (14), DS (11), and DD (2 years 11 months). Also traveling with us were my In laws ages 14-75. We are from NYC and chose this cruise because it was our spring break when NY schools were out. We have sailed NCL before on the Dawn, Gem, Breakaway, and Getaway. We've also sailed the Disney Fantasy, Carnival Miracle ( 2 night cruise) RCCL Explorer of the seas (2000) and last summer we sailed RCCL Liberty of the Seas (without children). This was the second cruise for my in-laws last one was with RCCL.

 

Check in was a breeze and we were on the ship by noon and we even had a boarding group # 15. We ate lunch at Savor and shortly after we finished our rooms were ready. We had cabin 15230 (category BA) Angled Balcony. Plenty of room for storage. Great Location!!!! My daughter who was on paper to stay in my sil room even stayed with us and we had enough space. I did ask the cabin steward to take away the coffee pot and tray with glasses and empty the refrigerator because my almost 3 daughter kept touching everything. He even brought my husband an extension cord for his Cpap machine. Alberto was our cabin steward and he was excellent.

 

Dining:

We ate dinner at the Manhatten Room, Cagneys, Teppanyaki, le Bistro, & Taste. We never had a meal we didn't like. We ate at the buffet for breakfast and lunch and

the food was very good with a variety to choose from. We always found a table to sit at that was cleaned and always had utensils on the table and condiments always filled. NcL does such a better job especially with the buffet compared to the Liberty of the Seas. That buffet was a nightmare! We read so many good reviews about Food Republic so we decided to try it for lunch the last day when we were in Nassau, but they were closed. My advice is try it in the beginning of the week.

 

Pool Area:

We always found a few lounge chairs by the pool area. It didn't seem to be a problem with chair issues. I could only review the family pool area because that is where I spent most of my time. My daughter loved the water sprinkler section by the family pool. She didn't want to leave! The first day it was a little crowded but by the rest of week there were less kids in there. I also like that the Escape has a little area in front of the family pool where the toddlers can go in. The water was up to my daughters ankles. I could sit right there and watch her. I really enjoyed watching my daughter enjoying herself! My sons loved the water slides and some of us adults did the tube slide. It was cool!! Only waited about 10 minutes on a sea day to go on. We had the drink package and never found it to be a problem to get a drink especially by the pool.

 

Entertainment:

We loved the glow party and 80's party at spice H2O. We got to see one late night comedian show at headliners and they both were hysterical. My in laws really enjoyed the Latin music in the atrium and the Dueling Pianos. One night I got to go to the brew house and see Beau. He is very talented! My only complaint on this cruise is the 2 shows After Midnight and the Bratt pack. I didn't really care for After Midnight and the Bratt Pack was ok. It would have been nice if they had an acrobatic show or something more entertaining for a family. There were plenty of activities during the day to keep you busy like, Deal or No Deal, Bingo, balloon twisting, and pizza making. Never a dull moment on the ship!

 

Overview:

We had a fantastic time on this ship and loved every minute! The staff was so accommodating! Every time I walked by a crew member especially with my daughter they would look at my daughter and say " hi princess". They made her feel special. Even the chef at Teppanyaki gave her a little wind up toy and he entertained her at the table. Although every employee we encountered were so friendly and helpful, one that stood out to us is Jacquline from the Philippines. She was our waitress at Le bistro and my children would see her at the buffet and talk to her. She was so sweet! I like the way NCL welcomes you when you come on board. Even when you come back from a port day they have cold towels and drinks set up outside. It's a nice added touch! I have to stay even we we disembarked they were playing music and saying goodbye to us! This was the first NCL cruise for my in laws so I was worried what they would think of it......they loved it!!! They said there is no comparison to RCCL... They thought the food was much better and the service was top notch. Last summer my husband and I sailed on RCCL Liberty of the seas, and we were so disappointed with that cruise. I don't think we would ever said RCCL again!! We loved the Escape so much so that we booked it again for July 2017! We can't wait to go back!!!

[Cruzinbabe06]

Thank you for taking the time to post your review.:)

 

I'm getting so excited!:D

[Jenjer]

Wonderful thank you for sharing.

[Kfamilycruise]

Thank you so much for your review! Did you have any issues with movement that we have heard so many talk about? It's the only thing keeping me from booking the Escape so far -- we have 3 kids and one of them and I have motion issues. We take medicine and I wear the patch, but I'd like to be mindful of that issue.

 

Thanks again for your review and if you have any photos, please post!

 

Thanks

[Clarea]

Appreciate the feedback.

[addkaf]

Did your kids do the kids clubs, if so how was it? We will be sailing this summer with our 3 children ages 13, 11 and 7

[Nanookz]

With the drink package did you find there were any drinks that you could not get? I understand that the coffee bar is not covered.

 

thanks

[mimmymia]

Thank you so much for your review! Did you have any issues with movement that we have heard so many talk about? It's the only thing keeping me from booking the Escape so far -- we have 3 kids and one of them and I have motion issues. We take medicine and I wear the patch, but I'd like to be mindful of that issue.

 

Thanks again for your review and if you have any photos, please post!

 

Thanks

@kfamilycruise

 

I was curious to know about the movement as well after reading so many reviews. We were a group of 15 and two from our group tends to get seasick. With that said, we had beautiful weather. Only one night did I feel the ship slightly move-nothing that would get you sick. Everyone was fine in my group and they all booked another cruise on the Escape! I guess it was fine! Lol

[mimmymia]

With the drink package did you find there were any drinks that you could not get? I understand that the coffee bar is not covered.

 

thanks

The only items that were not included are bottled water and the specialty coffees. I did order cappuccino two nights at dinner and was not charged. My

Friend was charged for hers... Not sure if it was a mistake.

Edited May 6, 2016 by mimmymia

[mimmymia]

Did your kids do the kids clubs, if so how was it? We will be sailing this summer with our 3 children ages 13, 11 and 7

I can't really comment on the e kids club, but it did look amazing. My

11 year old son and my nephew (12) thought they were too cool for splash

Academy. Lol They wanted to hang out with their older cousins.

[scuddles]

Do you happen to have pictures of your cabin? We are in an angled as well and with the exception of one Youtube video we haven't had much luck finding pictures.

[LrgPizza]

Do you happen to have pictures of your cabin? We are in an angled as well and with the exception of one Youtube video we haven't had much luck finding pictures.

 

If you search for any balcony cabin pictures on Escape, Breakaway, or Getaway, the cabin itself will be identical. As far as the balcony itself, here is a picture of mine, that shows the longer part of it. There is another chair and the rest of the balcony out of the photo.

 

[ts2wart]

Hi Folks, my first cruise on the Escape was everything I had hoped and MORE! Everything you all discussed was right on target. I travelled with my sister and her boyfriend. They had a balcony room and I had a studio room. I really like it, it was roomy, plenty of space, the set up was thought out and appropriate and just enough for as little as I was there. The studio lounge was quite nice and the pastries in the morning and cookies and cake in the afternoon were a nice touch.

 

Restaurants: we only at at the buffet twice. It was good. It's quite large so I didn't feel like we were waiting to get to anything for very long. The Manhattan Room was our favorite. The food was amazing and changed every day. The menu is the same here as it is at Taste and Savor so don't feel like you are missing out on anything. Really, I can't say enough about how good the food was. And I can be picky. Great seafood selections and on the last night I had lobster and filet (at an upcharge) and it was fantastic.

 

Motion: as a first time cruiser I was afraid of getting seasick. I brought Dramamine, patches and Seabands. Didn't need any of that. We had an evening or two where there was slight motion but nothing that made any of us ill. It was very subtle.

 

Pool: very small for the overall size of the ship. Too crowded for us so we spent our days at the SpiceH2O area which was quieter. It had hot tubs and the grotto that you could cool off in so I really didn't miss the pool. The pool was a circus every day so if you aren't up for a crowd and a lot of noise, avoid it. You'll be glad you did.

 

Casino: I noticed a fair amount of smoke but this has been the case in every casino I have ever been in. Others have indicated the smoke smell was overwhelming, I did not find this to be the case. I did win a little bit of money so it was worth checking out in my opinion.

 

Shows: we didn't catch any of the shows as we were there with a group following a band who were also on board. As such, we watched them perform most times. Those that I spoke to though said they thought they were decent.

 

Cabin Stewards: mine was Shenel, she was excellent. She kept my room in perfect order. Always left me a towel animal in the evening and a mint. She was very sweet and personable. The last night she left me a tray with small pastries and treats which I thought was going the extra mile. I tipped her additional as a result because I thought her service was top of the line.

 

Bartenders: so much fun! Some were not as outgoing but most were really cheerful and happy and would engage in conversation. Clarence at the Five O'Clock Somewhere bar was a hoot! The bartenders at Sugarcane were fun also and made excellent flavored mojitos. You must try the drink of the day, every day, you won't be disappointed! The Miami Vice was my favorite. A coconutty frozen concoction that was so refreshing in that hot sun! The mango meltdown was also a fave! Try them all!

 

Cruise Director: Silas Cook. Wow, what a nice guy! Always updating on the day's happenings, important information, and where and what was going on. Super friendly! I can't say enough about the entire cruise staff....it can't be an easy job being on that boat for months at a time. Regardless of the pay, that's a tough job!

 

Days at Port: St. Thomas, we got a cab to Hull Bay Hideaway to see the band we followed. They beach was nice, not great, but nice. Was a good day overall. In Tortola we went to the Virgin Gorda Baths. It was really interesting and beautiful. Navigating through the rock formations was fun and we thought it was something different than just a day at the beach. It is mid level intensity as far as physically demanding so if you have difficulty walking or maneuvering through small spaces, this may not be the trip for you. But they also had a pool, restaurant and gift shops if you wanted to go with others but didn't want to do the hard stuff. In Nassau, we did the Seahorse Snorkel trip. A catamaran picked a bunch of us up and took us about 20 minutes out, dropped anchor and told us to get snorkeling. It was amazing! We saw some beautiful fish and coral formations and I got to use my new underwater camera which came in handy. We stayed out about an hour and then headed back to the port. The captain pointed out houses along the way that belonged to famous people and different points of interests while we had rum punch. It was an inexpensive half a day trip which I do recommend. All the port days, we did half day excursions so we would have time for shopping and exploring in each town either before or after. This worked out well and we got some t shirts, hats, and other souvenirs. In Tortola, I do suggest going to Sunny Caribee, the spice shop, they have some wonderful and different things such as hot sauces, jerk seasonings, and hibiscus tea leaves.

 

Embarkation/Disembarkation: lots of people but it is organized well for the number of folks. Be patient, wait your turn and you will be fine. No one is leaving without you and everyone is going the same direction so just follow instructions and you'll get where you're going.

 

All in all, I truly enjoyed our cruise...everything about it was 5 star! I was ready for a vacation and it didn't disappoint! A vacation is what you make of it and you always hear different views but we really enjoyed the Escape and would definately go on another cruise with them.

 

If you are due to travel on the Escape in the coming months, I hope you enjoy it as much as we did!!!

[Durango42]

Gotta love Awi in the buffet area, "Washy, Washy" "Smiley,Smiley" the kids are still singing this. We were on the same cruise as you, great time.

[mimmymia]

@Durango42

Great cruise! That guy had so much energy!!!

[Genessa]

we were on the same cruise, too! I'm a huge fan of Princess and this was my first cruise on Norwegian. I was hoping to have a good time, but was not expecting much else based on close friends' experiences on Norwegian. Took this particular cruise to travel with other friends who love Norwegian.

 

Wow! What a fantastic cruise it was! Hands down, the best food I've had on a cruise ship and I've been on something like 20 cruises. For me, the shrimp were what did it. Great quality decent sized "white" shrimp, unlike the tiger shrimp I've had on every other cruise. And the bay scallops, amazing and cooked perfectly.

We ate in the buffet, O'Sheehan's, Savor, Taste, the Manhattan, the specialty Brazilian one, and the supper club.

 

the only time we ever had to wait at all for dinner was when we went to the speciality restaurant (and had reservations for 9:30 or something like that).

 

Shows were all great, my least fav was the comedy shows. When I found out we had to make reservations for the shows I thought we'd have trouble finding seats together, but our group of 8 was always able to sit together even without getting there super early. My fav shows were the Brat Pack and the a cappella group.

 

and the parties! Loved Glow Night and the 80's up at Spice!

Silas Cook was an excellent cruise director. I've always been amazed when people ask, who's the cruise director? Silas' energy and friendliness added to our enjoyment of the cruise. He was at almost every activity we attended and really interacted with the passengers. When I think of the number of passengers on the ship it boggles my mind to think that he remembered people from one day to the next. And his assistants were also great.

 

The "washy washy" people in the buffet kind of freaked most of us out and one of the kids we were with invented a nightmare about them (he told a story about someone who had a nightmare where the washy washy people were chasing them).

 

embarkation was pretty typical, but disembarkation was a dream.

 

the ropes course with the zip lines was fun, but we only went on it the day we were in Nassau. We also hit the slides that day - the drop slide was awesome and the float one was fun. we went on and on and on again.

 

so, my only problems:

 

The pool was super cold to me - I'm used to Princess' heated fresh water pools - and the pool area was often crowded although most of the time the pool was pretty empty. Also hard for someone who is short (like I am) to stay in too long with the water so deep. Hot tubs by the pool were too crowded most days, but the day we were in Nassau we went in both.

 

My friends and I don't like too much sun and we never had a problem getting chairs in the shade, but if you wanted them in the sun, good luck. we did see attendants removing towels after they first placed stickers on the chairs and no one went back to them.

 

and the noise! All the public areas were super loud. I missed the quiet of Princess' adult pools. And at meals, it was difficult to have dinner conversation - felt like we were at a wedding and sitting too close to the band in most of the venues.

 

The Escape was great though, and while I still love Princess, I'm now a Norwegian fan and think it would be a great cruise line for multi-generational vacations.

Edited May 13, 2016 by Genessa