gambee Posted May 25, 2016 Author #876 Share Posted May 25, 2016 At one point Divina left. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gambee Posted May 25, 2016 Author #877 Share Posted May 25, 2016 (edited) Before leaving Vibe for the last time, we said our goodbyes. We also took care of them one last time, even though we pretty much did during the entire cruise. Ro gave me a ginger ale with ginger candies for my stomach. At one point I was worried that I would be reported and quarantined, but Ro would not do that to us. We said our goodbyes and wished each other luck. That would be the last time we saw her :( Edited May 25, 2016 by gambee Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gambee Posted May 25, 2016 Author #878 Share Posted May 25, 2016 We went to the room for a little while. Never mind, that is not a helipad... It is still a shame to see such a grand house in such shape. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gambee Posted May 25, 2016 Author #879 Share Posted May 25, 2016 We eventually departed. I am not sure what mom did then, but I left to meet Su and Ty at the Garden cafe for dinner. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gambee Posted May 25, 2016 Author #880 Share Posted May 25, 2016 Here are some of the options for that night. By the way they also make fresh crepes, but is nicely hidden all the way in the aft of the buffet ;) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gambee Posted May 25, 2016 Author #881 Share Posted May 25, 2016 Keep in mind they are only sweet crepes. I would have loved a chicken and mushroom crepe, with some bechamel sauce. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gambee Posted May 25, 2016 Author #882 Share Posted May 25, 2016 Here is mine, everything was really tasty. I suggest you sit on the side that they close at night. It was nice and quiet on that side. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gambee Posted May 25, 2016 Author #883 Share Posted May 25, 2016 We pretty much ate, relaxed, and said our goodbyes. I am horrible at goodbyes, and I hate them more than anything. But I think it went well. We had such an amazing time together, what a great cruise! Then I left to get some pictures with the fisheye lens, I had completely forgotten to do it. Like I said, I really dislike this last port day thing. Here are the fisheye pics. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gambee Posted May 25, 2016 Author #884 Share Posted May 25, 2016 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gambee Posted May 25, 2016 Author #885 Share Posted May 25, 2016 Up there is the Haven restaurant. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gambee Posted May 25, 2016 Author #886 Share Posted May 25, 2016 It wasn't very busy that night. Not that I expected it to be anyway. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gambee Posted May 25, 2016 Author #887 Share Posted May 25, 2016 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gambee Posted May 25, 2016 Author #888 Share Posted May 25, 2016 I got into the room and we some last treats there waiting. Mom was busy finishing packing. She was telling me how the goodbye show was by far the best farewell show that she has ever seen. They had a lot of the staff and crew there, and then they lined up out the exit said goodbye to everyone exiting the show. She had nothing but great things to say about the show. My stomach was slowly recovering. After talking a little pretty much went to bed. Day 7, End. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gambee Posted May 25, 2016 Author #889 Share Posted May 25, 2016 Day 8 We decided to do easy walk off. By the way the name of easy walk off should be changed to cluster disaster. The issue starts with the elevators being packed and the hallways get packed with people waiting for an elevator and I guess they don’t move fast enough. Then the line goes from O’sheehans all the way to end of the casino and then loops again. That said the line moves quickly. Although all in all it was not that bad, just a lot of walking. We left the room at 7:50 and exited the terminal at 8:25, and home by 9:30. Not bad at all. Just a little side note before I do my scoring and conclusion. As much as I used to dislike Del Río, I think that he has created a good product. The big question is when will the sailings stop selling with all the sudden product changes. That is the main problem with NCL, that they have so many changes so often and the dissemination of information within the company is not the most efficient. I wonder what will be the boiling point? Day 8, End. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tyron Posted May 25, 2016 #890 Share Posted May 25, 2016 As always your review and pictures are amazing. [emoji4][emoji41][emoji1] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gambee Posted May 25, 2016 Author #891 Share Posted May 25, 2016 (edited) Conclusion, Rating and Final Thoughts Food 10/10 The food aboard the Norwegian Escacpe is excellent! We truly enjoyed most everything we ate on the ship. From the buffet all the way to their specialty restaurants. They also have a wide variety of food, and enough to keep most palates busy and entertained for 7 day Caribbean cruise. Food Republic, Bayamo, Pinchos and Bistro are definitely must try. Teppanyaki was a nice experience, but the lobster left a little to be desired. Cagney’s which supposed to be known for their steaks actually disappointed us in that department, but the lobster and lamb chops were excellent. I do wish that they had a few other venues with quick access to food. Like a pizza place or a quick cafe kind of deal. Cabin 7/10 The rooms are a little smaller than the industry average, and it made for a complicated experience to setup my mattress on the floor as I usually do. I was pleased that they had made their balconies larger than the ones on the Breakaway. The cabin offers enough storage for two, and the room is nicely appointed with pleasing mild colors. The bathroom is a good size, and the shower has nice water pressure. My only real complain is that the walls seem to be thin, and you can hear things like announcements and stuff. Also the doors slam way too easy when the balcony door is open, there should be a system in place to slow them down. Cabin TV System & Internet 5/10 The internet aboard the Escape is 3 times the cost of the one in Royal, and about 1/3 the speed. They really need to get their act together in this department. Although the news is that by July all their ships will have a much faster internet. The real question is whether or not they are going to lower the price to something more reasonable. The tv offers very limited channels, and most of them are news related. There are only 3 channels that could interest you, the movie channel (that offers poor movies), the tv show channel and the Guy Harvey channel. I highly suggest that you load your computer or iPads with tv shows, especially if you have little ones. The only good part about the tv system are the reservations/shows/account check in section. You are pretty much able to do anything you need to do on that TV, and it is very easy to use. Pools, Jacuzzis, & Adult-Only Area 6/10 There 2 pools for a ship with 5k people that is simply not enough. In addition to that the layout of the Lido deck is not the most desirable one. The loungers are also very close to each other, leaving you with little space to walk around people. The kids pool is surrounded by two glass partitions, making almost impossible for parents to lounge while watching their kids on the water. H2O can get very busy, and only has the 2 jacuzzis and the cave water feature. The only reason I am giving this section a 6 out 10 instead of 5, is because of Vibe. If for some miracle you manage to score 1 of the 73 passes for vibe, you pretty much have it made for the rest of the cruise. Good luck to you ;) Activities (for Adults) 10/10 In the day time there is a lot to do. There are a lot of poolside games, the rope course, 5 water slides, mini golf and a lot of events going on in the atrium. At night is when this ship comes to life, the district brew house has an excellent entertainer, howl at the moon is blast, the comedy shows are well balanced, karaoke all night long, movies/parties at H2O, skyline lounge, the bartenders are a blast @ 5 o ‘clock bar. There is just so much going on that it is hard to remember it all. Shows 9/10 Mom saw most of the shows. She disliked After midnight like did many other people I spoke to. But she loved the other shows like the Brat Pack and oh what a night. Not to mention that she said that the farewell show was the best she had ever seen. I saw a few parts of some shows, but in reality I was just having too much fun to sit for a full performance. So in this section I am going with mom’s rating. P.S. Don’t miss the Brat Pack or the farewell show. Bars & Lounges 9/10 There are a lot of bars and lounges and you will be sure to find one that will satisfy your taste. My favorites where the district brew house, and 5 o’clock outside area. I guess I could add the Vibe bar there as well. There is no need to worry about waiting for a drink, the most I ever waited was about 5 minutes. I think they most likely added a lot of bar staff to compensate with all the drink packages. Ship Decor & Elegance 10/10 I absolutely love the way this ship looks. There is subtle elegance to it, but you’re still allowed to walk around in shorts unlike other cruise lines with this type of decor. There is also plenty of color to keep the environment lively, and gorgeous art for sale on deck 6. They also make excellent use of LED lighting making the ship look gorgeous at night. I believe that this is a good score, I truly enjoyed the way the ship looks inside and out! Unique Area—Central Park & Boardwalk 9/10 I guess the key area here is the WaterFront, it really is a very nice area to lounge, relax, have a drink or dinner. We enjoyed ourselves a lot out there and I think it was well distributed with plenty of seating at all times. The area is also well sheltered from the winds, I am not sure how they did it but it works perfectly. The breakaway was much windier. I do, however, suggest that you request a table outside ahead of time, because some restaurants have limited seating outside. Service 10/10 Service aboard the Escape was Excellent! I don’t believe I have a single complain to report. From the free restaurants, to their specialty ones, you’re treated like you are the only guest on board. The room steward was fast and efficient, albeit a bit shy. But all his work was always performed perfectly and all of our requests were met with a smile on the face. Long gone are the days of bad service with Norwegian that I experienced on the Breakaway. I am very pleased with this change. Score & Conclusion 85 out of 100 This will be a really hard one to rate. I think this was arguably my best cruise ever! It had to do with a lot of variables that just worked together to give me one amazing vacation. The food was outstanding, the service impeccable, the ship is gorgeous and the entertainment was to die for! I also think that a big factor was the amazing company that we had on this cruise. Our group was so much fun, and I really enjoyed all of the chats and shenanigans. I also got to celebrate both mom’s Bday and mothers day, that made the cruise very special for us. If only NCL would figure out a way of fixing the Lido deck, reduce the crowds, improve the internet and the TV system, they would have a near perfect product. Well, at the very least in what it concerns to me. Of course, this all stands true if you get a good deal, and by that I mean one with those packages included. I am not entirely sure that my experience would be the same if I was paying for everything a la carte. This is just something to keep in mind when booking your cruise. Just a quick recall of scores: Oasis of the Seas 89% Disney Dream 89% Allure of the Seas 86% Norwegian Escape 85% Carnival Breeze 83% NCL Breakaway 78% Celebrity Silhouette 77% Carnival Victory 74% MSC Divina 70% NCL Sky 62% As you see Oasis/Allure and Disney still scored higher than the Escape. The Escape lost several points on the pool deck, among other areas. But at least now I know the Norwegian is brand that I love to sail again. As a matter of fact I have my eyes on the Getaway, we will see when I can make that happen. Special thanks to Will, Jillian, Susan and Tyron. Thank you so much for making this vacation so special for us! Thank you for being a part of this review. Until Next time! ^_^ Edited May 25, 2016 by gambee Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LuCruise Posted May 26, 2016 #892 Share Posted May 26, 2016 Amazing reviews Gambee. Love all the pictures and details. Looks like you had a fantastic cruise (even if rated #4). Any future cruises planned? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
S.C. Posted May 26, 2016 #893 Share Posted May 26, 2016 Thank you for another great review :) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Red-Sol Posted May 26, 2016 #894 Share Posted May 26, 2016 As always gambee thanks so much for another wonderful review. With this review especially it gave me the feeling of actually being right there with you. Your style and just being "real" is unsurpassed! Many Kudos! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KPfromCT Posted May 26, 2016 #895 Share Posted May 26, 2016 Bravo!!!!!!:D:D Gambee, this was an AMAZING review!!!! NEVER considered Norwegian, but now............Hmmmmmm. lol 16 days til' Oasis, and we never thought we'd cruise on Royal...... I guess one can never say never...... Cannot wait for your next review!! Any more cruises planned?:D:D Again, great job! Beautiful pictures! Thank you for taking us along with you and Mom!!!!:D Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Two Wheels Only Posted May 26, 2016 #896 Share Posted May 26, 2016 I've been patiently waiting for the final score. Other than the internet and TV (suites get free on-demand) most issues are solved by the Haven. Thanks for the great review. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gambee's_mom Posted May 26, 2016 #897 Share Posted May 26, 2016 Thank you to all of you for being interesting in the review and thank you to our new friends, all of you were amazing. We have very good memories of this cruise because of your company.:):) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tyron Posted May 26, 2016 #898 Share Posted May 26, 2016 Thank you to all of you for being interesting in the review and thank you to our new friends' date=' all of you were amazing. We have very good memories of this cruise because of your company.:):)[/quote'] [emoji41][emoji4][emoji1] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lah66 Posted May 26, 2016 #899 Share Posted May 26, 2016 I am so sorry you could not go to your cruise :(. I hope you get better soon. So you can go and have a lot of fun as we had :D Thank you Gambee's Mom! Lauri Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jonath Posted May 26, 2016 #900 Share Posted May 26, 2016 (edited) Unique Area—Central Park & Boardwalk 9/10 Centrak Park/Boardwalk... Typo/Leftover from Oasis review? [emoji1] Just a quick recall of scores: Oasis of the Seas 89% Disney Dream 89% Allure of the Seas 86% Norwegian Escape 85% Carnival Breeze 83% NCL Breakaway 78% Celebrity Silhouette 77% Carnival Victory 74% MSC Divina 70% NCL Sky 62% OCD kicking in.. [emoji4] .. but you differentiate brand between Breakaway/Sky and Escape. Edited May 26, 2016 by jonath Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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