NCL Escape Review - 8-Night Sailing - Aug 20-28

[Shawnkat]

I want to start by thanking everyone who posts reviews and participates in the discussions on CC. Without you, planning for a cruise would be an entirely different experience. While I've been following CC for several years, this will be my first actual review. I'm not sure yet what approach I will use for this review. Will I write about our experiences chronologically or will I instead break things down into various categories? Haven't decided yet.

 

I'll start with some background. Sailing with me are my DW (we're in our mid-40's), DS(16) and DD(13). We're from Montreal. This was our third cruise as a family. Our first cruise with the kids was on the Disney Wonder six years ago and then on Oasis of the Seas three years ago. We all agreed that the Oasis was our "best vacation ever" and would be hard to beat.

 

When I started shopping for this cruise, I was hoping to sail out of a port closer to home so that we can drive and save on airfare. Now that the kids are teens and adult sized, my only absolute criteria was that we must have two connecting cabins. I originally found a great deal on a 9-night sailing on the Grandeur of the Seas out of Baltimore. However, after discussing this further with DW, we were afraid that the age of the ship and smaller size might result in our teens complaining there wasn't enough to do. After sailing on the Oasis, the bar is now set quite high. We decided to cancel this reservation and increase the budget. We reserved two connecting inside cabins on NCL Escape sailing out of Miami and we were able to take advantage of a discounted price for Canadians promotion that also included Free at Sea (UBP of course).

 

Now the planning starts. Checking reviews and other information on CC every day while staring at my cruise countdown. This was back in March so, needless to say, our sailing date couldn't come fast enough. Reading everything about the Haven made me desperate for an upsell. We can all use a taste of the suite life, right? As soon as we were 30 days out, I started calling the Upsell department hoping to move to an H4, 2-bedroom family villa. I quickly discovered that my reservation specifics made this a lot more complicated. Because I had two connecting rooms, I actually held two reservations. Moving to an H4 would mean moving us from two cabins (on two reservations) into one cabin (on one reservation). The way it was explained to me is that the upsell would be for cabin #1. I would then have to have the other two people in cabin #2 transferred into the new H4 reservation. Effectively I would be cancelling my second booking. To complicate this even further, because I booked using a TA, this second step would have to be handled by them rather than by NCL. I was getting very worried if it would be executed properly and it we would lose out of any perks in the process. In the end, the prices for the H4 never dropped and were more than I was willing to spend. Instead, I was able to get a free upgrade from connecting inside cabins to connecting balcony cabins a few days before sailing. So no bulter for us, but I'll never say no to a free balcony! :)

 

A couple of weeks before sailing my parents surprised us by telling that they were also booked on our cruise. They were hoping to surprise us at the airport but circumstances resulted in them telling us sooner. Either way, this was a great surprise and this sailing would now be a 6-person, 3-generation trip.

 

More to come...

[holmes96]

Great start, looking forward to more! :)

[BirdTravels]

Sounds fun. looking forward to hearing more!

[lastchamp64]

I'm in and looking forward to reading about your experiences.

[MrsPhoenix91]

Great start to your review!

[cincicruisers]

Great start, looking forward to the rest.

[Kealy]

Enjoying your review so far -- looking forward to hearing more about your trip.

[Shawnkat]

We flew from Montreal to Fort Lauderdale the day before sailing. We all stayed at the Springhill Suites Marriott in Dania Beach. The location was great and offered a free airport shuttle. Close to restaurants and shopping.

 

I've stayed at various Springhill Suites properties during business travel and have become accustomed to their design and level of service. This location was obviously older and was likely under a different brand when it was built. The desk staff were very friendly and offered us complimentary bottles of water. This is always appreciated when it's 90+ degrees outside. The water wasn't just a welcome gift, it was always available. Nice touch.

 

Our room was comfortable, however we discovered an infestation of ants later in the day. Fortunately, the hotel was able to move us to another room which was ant free. All I was thinking now was that there better not be any stowaways hiding in our luggage during the cruise. :eek:

 

Even though I paid for the room using Marriott points, they made things right by crediting me back half the points. I'm honestly not sure if I would return to this hotel. Not because of the ants. I have to assume that ants in Florida hotels are a common occurrence. The staff were great and so was the service. The hotel just didn't feel right for us. Hard to explain.

 

We ate dinner at Miller's Ale House (Hollywood) about a mile away. A decent family restaurant with a pub meets sports bar atmosphere. Food was better than I expected it to be.

 

A note about food. I am somewhat of a foodie and enjoy fine dining. However, I am not a food snob and love to eat simpler food as well. Good food is good food. In the end it has to taste good. While I do intend to post some food pics from this trip, I did not photograph every plate from every meal. I do love food porn but I learned my lesson on our Oasis cruise. To this day my family still gives me a hard time and asks "Can we eat yet or do you have to take a picture?". :rolleyes:

 

The next morning we used Uber to go from the hotel in FLL to the Port of Miami. Shuttle services tend to cost about $15 per person so it would have been $90 for the 6 of us. Two UberX cars were perfect for us. 3 people in each and enough room for all of our bags. Cost was under $27 each car, total $54.

 

We weren't planning on getting Vibe passes to there was no rush to get to the port. We arrived around 11:00 AM and I can only describe the rest as pure chaos. My mother and father have mobility issues so they had arranged for wheelchair service at the port. They were told to wait at a designated seating area for someone to help them through the boarding process. They waited and waited and waited. It wasn't organized at all and NCL wasn't even able to follow a first come first served process. If you waited patiently for your turn, you'd be the last to board. Fortunately my parents and the other special service passengers were able to organize themselves and determine who held which spot in line.

 

The rest of us went to the regular line to check-in. The line was long and moved at a decent pace. Once we were at the counter and checked in, they shut things down. Apparently they were late at disembarking the incoming cruise and things were backing up. The holding rooms upstairs were busting with passengers, anxious to start their vacation. After about a 15 minute wait, they gave us Boarding Group 13 and we were allowed to proceed. The holding area was nuts. People everywhere. No one knew what was going on.

 

I took this shot from the window while waiting.

 

 

I couldn't wait to get on board. I was also wondering what was happening with my parents and really hoped that they weren't going to be dumped in the same waiting area. Fortunately, they weren't. Finally they called boarding groups 1, 3 and 5 and people started to move. Yes they started to move but no one really knew what to do or where to go. Like I said, Chaos! Having read many reviews on the Escape, I told my family let's go and moved them towards the line that was forming. "But we're group 13". I told them not to worry, they don't check. Sure enough, even though they were very firm in the announcements of which group numbers were boarding, they never checked. We walked in to the next line, got our cards scanned and headed to the ship. :D

 

RCCL really has this process down to a science. Everything about the check-in and boarding process for our Oasis cruise was easy and fast. NCL could, and should, work to greatly improve this customer experience.

 

Our cruise is finally about to begin...

[kackles]

Can't wait to hear more!

[Shawnkat]

So we finally get on to the ship. The washy washy team and some other crew are singing and dancing as we came off the gangway but we were then left to walk part way down the deck before entering mid-ship deck 7, the casino. I thought this was a rather odd way and odd place to first board a cruise ship. Disney does this the best. When we boarded the Wonder into the main atrium they announced our names and we were welcomed aboard like royalty. Speaking of Royal, boarding the Oasis of the Seas right onto the Royal Promenade was amazing. It really gets you excited about your vacation. Boarding the NCL Escape was simply without any fanfare. While I enjoy the concept of Freestyle cruising, this was just too casual. I was really hoping for the WOW moment as you enter the ship.

 

I should explain now that my intention is certainly not to trash NCL or the Escape. She is an amazing ship and we had a great time. I'm just pointing out any differences I noticed along the way. Regardless of the differences, I wasn't going to let anything get in the way of having a great vacation.

 

It's 12:30 PM and cabins still aren't ready so it's time to explore. Where do we start? The Lido deck of course! We got our bearings of where the main pool is located and where is the kids pool. Where are the water slides and where is the ropes course. All easy to get too but more on that later.

 

The kids were hoping to start with the ropes course while the ship was still relatively empty but it was closed until the next day. The pool was already starting to get busy and the water slides were open.

 

 

[lor74]

Post faster bro!

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Forums

[Sunny G]

Can't wait to read more about your cruise

 

 

Sent from my iPad using Forums mobile app

[Shawnkat]

Around 1:00 PM they announced that the cabins were now ready so we headed inside to drop our carry-on bags and to freshen up. We had connecting balcony cabins on deck 9 forward, port side. 9146 and 9148.

 

 

One detail I forgot to mention that might be of interest to those booking connecting cabins. When I made the reservations, per NCL policy, I had to make the room assignments as one adult and one child per. Of course our intention once on board was to put the adults in one cabin and the kids in the other. We had one cabin configured with the beds pushed together and the other with the beds apart. When we checked in I asked if we can change the room assignments to match our intentions. We were told no but they can make us extra keys. This wasn't good enough for me. Once on board we went to guest services and got everything sorted out. No problem. Kat and I in one room and the kids in the other. Everyone got new keys and all was good.

 

The cabins were decent sized with good closet space and storage under the bed. The bathroom was also good sized. I'm not a small guy and I had plenty of space in the shower, which had really good temperature control and water pressure. The bathroom amenities were very basic. A bar of soap and some lotion on the counter. Next to the sink was a dispenser with liquid soap. The shower had dispensers with body wash and conditioning shampoo. We brought our own.

 

We met our stateroom attendant, Alfred, right away. He locked the mini-bars for us and also opened the divider between our balconies. We saw him everyday and he was always happy and accommodating and we enjoyed some great conversations together. We tipped him extra at the start and end of the cruise.

 

 

 

 

 

[Shawnkat]

Post faster bro!

 

I'm trying but it's taking me longer than expected to collect my thoughts and manage photos.

 

I would be better off posting LIVE like you're doing from Anthem, however the internet connection on Escape is ridiculously slow and insanely expensive. They are late on the upgrade that was supposed to be complete in July.

 

Hope your trip back isn't as rough as the trip going.

[Shawnkat]

Once we were settled in our rooms, we went for lunch at Taste. Or was it Savor? I can't remember as they are mirror images of each other offering the same MDR menu.

 

 

 

 

This was the only time we ate in the MDR for lunch so I can't say if the lunch menus changed daily or not.

 

The food was tasty with some notable mentions. My son had the chicken nachos. They were quite good. I started with the Vietnamese Chicken Pho which was delicious followed by the spanish frittata.

 

 

 

[riclop]

Thanks for the review.

[dogboy]

I told my family let's go and moved them towards the line that was forming. "But we're group 13". I told them not to worry, they don't check. Sure enough, even though they were very firm in the announcements of which group numbers were boarding, they never checked.

Beautiful or should I say Jolie.:(:confused:

[Shawnkat]

Our itinerary was different from the typical Escape 7-day Eastern sailing. In July and August there were three 8-day sailings. An extra day means an extra port. In our case the itinerary added a stop at St. Maarten in addition the usual St. Thomas, Tortola and Nassau.

 

While I do have copies of all the Freestyle dailies, I won't post them since our itinerary was for a limited time. If anyone needs any copies, just let me know.

 

After lunch we headed to Entourage to register our teens. Although the club seemed to offer an interesting variety of activities and events, neither of our kids really took part. Once they made some day 1 connections, that was it for the week. The new group hung out and did their thing. Typical of teens and to be expected I suppose. Our only request was that we eat dinner as a family, which we did. :)

 

The muster drill was at 3:30 PM and by 4:00 PM we were moving. Goodbye Miami. See you in 8 days. Time for some sail away fun and more exploring!

 

The kids hit the pool right away and then we tried the ropes course. It opened after muster and not on day 2 as I mentioned in an earlier post. Make sure you are wearing closed toe shoes and don't have anything loose on you or you won't be able to enter the ropes course. My wife looked like a Sherpa while she was left holding all of our stuff. But she would rather that than do the course. It's not her thing. :eek: Me, on the other hand, love thrills and this was no letdown. Truth be told, as my kids were moving through it quickly, I was moving more slowly. Some of the obstacles are quite scary for a big guy. Once I cleared the first level I was more comfortable and moved through the second and third levels mush faster. Lots of fun!

 

We had dinner at Savor. Or was it Taste?... I all remember is that is was the other one from where we had lunch.

 

 

I started with the mixed greens with avocado salad followed by the shrimp risotto. The salad was good but I had low expectations for the risotto. A good risotto is a test for any chef and any kitchen. Needless to say, a risotto from a MDR kitchen on a cruise ship with 5,000 passengers should probably come with a warning. I did say I love thrills (and food)! To my surprise and delight, the risotto was really good. Not amazing but certainly better than I expected it to be.

 

 

My first cruise was in 2007 and this is now my sixth. Over the past 9 years I have certainly taken notice to the cost cutting measures that have been taken by the cruise industry. Yes, some things are blatant examples of nickel and diming, while others are more discreet and hidden. For me, one of the more discreet attempts to cut cost is in the menus being offered. Options in the MDR are rather limited and are not as gourmet as they once were. Lobster has been replaced by shrimp. Rib-eye has been replaced by sirloin. And the list goes on. On course you can still get lobster or a good steak if you want, but it will cost you extra. 9 years ago I couldn't wait to go on a galley tour, meet the head chef and buy the cookbook. No chance today. Not interested. Another example that I noticed with NCL is how they continue to edit their wine list and adjust their prices for alcoholic beverages. Who cares, right? We all have the UBP! The "Ultimate" beverage package limits you to wines by the glass and drinks under $15. The wine by the glass selection has been reduced to just a handful of selections, and none of them really good. In a restaurant you will expect a fairly decent wine at $15 a glass, not so on Escape. Premium drinks that were under the $15 just a couple of months ago have now been adjusted to $16.95-$17.95 so they are no longer included in the UBP. $17 for a pour of 12-year old Glenffidich is a bit steep IMO. You can ruin your own vacation easily if you look for things to complain about. I've come to accept these changes and move on. These are just little details. Your vacation is the big picture.

[Shawnkat]

After dinner we continued to explore the ship. Checking out the shops and some of the art on display. The atrium is mid ship and connects deck 6, 7 and 8. The chandelier is the center piece of it all.

 

 

 

 

Most of deck 7 is occupied by the casino. There are many slot machines and a number of table games. As others have commented, most of the casino floor is a smoking section and this results in the entire area smelling of smoke. I didn't find it that noticeable in the open spaces of decks 6 and 8 but there is no "escaping" it on deck 7. :(

 

 

While exploring deck 8, I noticed from far away a bartender with a drink on his head. I had to check this out. We found Bong at the Sugarcane bar! If you like mojitos this is the place to be. Bong makes great drinks and delivers some fun entertainment. Note to self... don't bring your diabetic father to a mojito bar. I think my dad had more drinks and more sugar in an hour than he's had all year. It was very funny to watch and thankfully, his sugar count wasn't off the charts as we expected it to be.

 

 

 

Overall a very busy and fun first day. Time for some sleep.

 

 

-Shawn

[Clarea]

Excellent photos, enjoying the review.

[easyboy]

Nice photos. Following your review.

[Shawnkat]

After the Sugarcane bar, we decided to head back to our cabins for some sleep. We went down a deck just to see what was going on in the casino on our way back. I immediately spotted a man that I knew could only be the one and only JW. After quick introductions we had some great conversation with JW and Jerome. We would see JW and Jerome throughout the cruise and I'm glad to have been able to be part of their adventure (part 2). If you haven't been following JW's review, you should!

 

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=2369814

 

 

So now it's late and my 16 year old is hungry. Go figure. :rolleyes:

So it's time to check out O'Sheehan's, the only 24 hour food venue on the ship.

 

 

 

The late night menu is limited in its options but covers the basics. Chicken wings, burgers, nachos, etc... Exactly what you want at that hour.

 

We tried the sweet thai chili wings as well as the jerk chicken wings. Both were delicious and perfect after a few drinks.

For some reason they were out of celery. I thought this was strange given it's still the first day and we just left Miami. In any case, they found the celery on Day 2. ;)

 

 

 

Okay, so now it's really time for bed.

[Tiaa]

Loving your review and look forward to the rest of it :)

[Shawnkat]

We all slept fairly well. I found the bed and pillows to be very comfortable. No issues whatsoever. When on vacation, I tend to wake up earlier than the rest of the family. I also research and plan things much more than they do. Many of you fellow CC'ers can probably relate.

So when I/we have something scheduled, I tend to get stressed and bossy in order to get people moving. You try getting a 16 and 13 year old out of bed in the morning. :eek:

 

We had the Meet & Greet scheduled for 11:00 AM at Cagney's. I believe there were over 80 people registered and it did look like most attended although I'm not sure of the final count. Thank you to Baryton for arranging everything.

 

There was juice and coffee for everyone as well as some danish and other morning snacks. There were even some servers walking around offering freshly baked muffins. Yum. Many of the senior officers were there, including Jovo, the hotel director and Tyler, the cruise director. They mingled among the guests, answered any questions and also seemed genuinely interested and concerned about any needs or requests we may have. Anything they can do to make our trip more enjoyable. Fortunately, I didn't need to call on any of the officers during our cruise but I did notice that they were always present and always available.

 

It was nice to meet the officers and fellow CC members. After the Meet & Greet about 30 of us went to the casino for a slot pull. No jackpots for us but it was good fun. And we did end up getting back 2/3 of our investment. Another thanks to Baryton for organizing.

 

While we were at Cagney's, I took advantage of checking out the Waterfront. If you are in the mood for some al-fresco dining, this is the place to be. You can request these tables at Cagney's, La Cucina, Moderno and possibly others as well. We didn't as we were 6 people and the tables were only for 4.

 

 

 

The rest of the day was spent at the pool. I agree with all the others that have commented about the lido deck on the Escape. It is very poorly designed. Given the size of the ship and the number of passengers (almost 5,000!), two pools just doesn't cut it. The main pool is for adults only until 5:00 PM. The pool is also 6'8" deep from end to end. NCL obviously doesn't want anyone in the pool for too long. Consequently most people are in the pool near the sides or they are sitting on the side. Seems like a waste of space to me. The other issue is that there are lounge chairs everywhere with very little space between them. It's very cramped. The usual chair hogs and early risers were out so the later you arrive, the greater the chance that you will have to go up to the sun deck to find available chairs. No big deal. Still very crowded though.

 

 

 

The kids/family pool is sandwiched between the water slides and aqua park. No room for chairs at all. Parents didn't have the option of sitting in chairs while watching their younger kids from a distance.

 

 

 

There is a short jogging track that covers part of the sun deck. It goes right through the chairs resulting in lots of traffic. I'm not a runner but I can only imagine how it must feel having to adjust your pace constantly and weave in and out of people.

 

 

[Choochala]

Great Review so far - I'm waiting for more :D