ESCAPE review with pictures, dailies and comments

[drneal]

Great photos! Did you use a GoPro for the slide?

 

 

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Yes they allow GoPro on the tube slide but not the drop slide.

You can also take a GoPro on the ropes course if it is on

your head.

[drneal]

DAY 3 (sea day #2)

 

 

Breakfast at Savor

 

 

 

After breakfast it was off to the ropes course.

Closed toe shoes and no tank tops.

 

 

They have a walk the plank on the starboard side as well

 

[FamCruise2011]

This is awesome, thank you!!! Our family is sailing on the Escape 4/8. I hope that 'Oh! What A Night' is still on board. I saw the show on the Breakaway, and it's fantastic.

 

 

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[drneal]

We go in June. So enjoying your review! Thanks for taking the time! Did you take photos of the menus?

 

Sorry no menus.

Check with cruise with Gambee, he usually posts a few

[Kfamilycruise]

Sorry no menus.

Check with cruise with Gambee, he usually posts a few

 

 

Thanks. Appreciate the Dailies!

[drneal]

Back to the gym

 

 

 

Deck 19 Port Side

 

 

 

 

Deck 19 forward

 

I would go out at after breakfast for an hour or so and leave.

Notice all the chairs with just towels.

 

 

Deck 19 Starboard side...aka

VIBE

 

 

Deck 14 starboard

 

[drneal]

Back to Marcos at the Sugarcane for some Mojitos.

Prior to going I read in other reviews that some people would give

a few dollars to the bar tender when they would get a drink.

I would usually give $1/drink and I can tell you that it was appreciated.

The UBP has you pay gratuity of 15% of the cost of the UBP which is about $98.

Last year the beverage tip was included in the package.

I also noticed that they had a larger selection of different brands last year.

For example Makers Mark was included in the UBP last year.

This year it cost $16.95 and the UBP max is $15.95....

yes I could pay the extra $1 but ....

 

 

 

Dinner was at the Manhattan room.

I liked the live music and other passengers dancing.

On night 5 they had one of the show acts dancing to live music.

 

 

Don't miss Howl at the Moon Dueling Piano at Headliners.

 

We also went to the casino.

There is a non-smoking section....

right next to the smoking section.

They had 1 $6 table at night, otherwise it was $15 and $25

Up next....St. Thomas

[SquishTheWhale]

so this is the ropes course line on the list day.

I found the best time was when it first opens or when the ship is in port.

 

 

Thanks for the picture! I guess my clever idea of doing it on the first day isn't so clever after all haha. Maybe if we turn before it's due to open.

 

Also thanks for the dailies- impressed by how many dance classes they have going on! We loved doing these on the Epic but it was always just one per sea day.

[leeannf_wdw]

Kids Pool with yellow slide.

It's still about 5 feet deep

 

Adult pool. Its like 7 feet deep.

There are always 10 kids in the hot tub....and 1 middle age guy to

make it look inappropriate.

Your 14 yo old won't have a problem at any pool.

The 11 yo can use any hot tub.

The only place they can't go is Spice H2O

 

Thank you!! Really enjoying your review!

[helpmecruise16]

Thanks for the picture! I guess my clever idea of doing it on the first day isn't so clever after all haha. Maybe if we turn before it's due to open.

 

 

We went on the first day and there was one person in line in front of us, so the line definitely ebbs and flows...

[TSUmom]

Seeing the pictures of Vibe and how empty it is I believe I will try for passes.....It looks like it could be my little slice of Heaven.

[CardFanDubG]

Sorry no menus.

Check with cruise with Gambee, he usually posts a few

 

 

I gathered some menus from Cruise Critic for our Meet & Greet Information.

https://sites.google.com/view/march-25-escape/restaurant-menu

 

Also a Beverage List

https://sites.google.com/view/march-25-escape/beverage-list

[tripleboom]

I gathered some menus from Cruise Critic for our Meet & Greet Information.

https://sites.google.com/view/march-25-escape/restaurant-menu

 

Also a Beverage List

https://sites.google.com/view/march-25-escape/beverage-list

 

 

The over-planner in me is so happy right now. Thanks for the one-stop for a bunch of great information!

[jchillin]

Thanks!!! All great info!! I'm sailing in 11 days

 

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[drneal]

Day 4 St Thomas

Land Ho!

 

 

As in Miami the view off the starboard side was not as nice as the port side

On a previous visit to St. Thomas we did the Fury sailboat tour which took us to dive with sea turtles.

After doing research on what to do I decided to charter a boat to take us to St. John for snorkeling

and to see Trunk bay and Cinnamon Bay which are among the nicest beaches in the world.

We went with Caribbean Blue Charters

 

 

 

 

 

[drneal]

St John

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

for those who think that 4,200 passengers is too many

Windstar's Windsurf

[Clarea]

Beautiful photos, enjoying this review very much!

[flcraigs5]

Day 4 St Thomas

Land Ho!

 

 

As in Miami the view off the starboard side was not as nice as the port side

On a previous visit to St. Thomas we did the Fury sailboat tour which took us to dive with sea turtles.

After doing research on what to do I decided to charter a boat to take us to St. John for snorkeling

and to see Trunk bay and Cinnamon Bay which are among the nicest beaches in the world.

We went with Caribbean Blue Charters

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

If you don't mind could you tell me how much your charter cost and for how many people? Also did they pick you up at the port? If they didn't how did you get there and cost?

[Gatorj]

Enjoying this review. We were on this cruise with you and at the M&G as well. We had an amazing time. The Escape definitely is the flagship of NCL right now and it shows. The service was very good if you were willing to tip your bartenders and waiters every once in a while. The food was far above what we've experienced in recent years on NCL, and the entertainment is the best we've seen at sea.

[drneal]

If you don't mind could you tell me how much your charter cost and for how many people? Also did they pick you up at the port? If they didn't how did you get there and cost?

 

In St. Thomas we used Caribbean Blue.

We had a 35' Marlin with Twin 300 HP

$500 ($600 with $100 discount) for 8 hours PLUS $150 for a captain (pus tip) PLUS fuel (we used $120, which is average). All in was $870 for the boat.

The taxi, which they arranged, to the marina (by Red Hook) was $10/person each way. You can get your own taxi for the same price, which I did as I wanted a minivan and not the open-air safari type taxis that are commonly used.

The boat can hold 6-8 comfortably.

We went to a supermarket at the pier for sandwiches before taking the 25-30 min taxi ride.

 

In Tortola we used Blue Horizon BVI.

$550 for 4 hours includes capt., fuel and drinks. The marina is next to the Ship pier and the boat is owner operated. (I'll post pics from Tortola later tonight. Those beaches were fantastic.)

[drneal]

Enjoying this review. We were on this cruise with you and at the M&G as well. We had an amazing time. The Escape definitely is the flagship of NCL right now and it shows. The service was very good if you were willing to tip your bartenders and waiters every once in a while. The food was far above what we've experienced in recent years on NCL, and the entertainment is the best we've seen at sea.

 

I also found the food to be better than I remember from last year.

However, I noticed that the food and alcohol selections were fewer.

[dshefter]

Thanks for all of the pictures and review. We sail the Escape on Nov. 18. How early do you need to arrive to get Vibe passes? We're going to try and get there by 9:30 a.m., but we are not in a suite.

[drneal]

Seeing the pictures of Vibe and how empty it is I believe I will try for passes.....It looks like it could be my little slice of Heaven.

 

It seems to be very difficult to get the VIBE passes on the ESCAPE....

it might be more stress than it's worth.

Be sure to go the Meet and greet and meet the hotel director if you don't get the passes the first day. He/she may be able to help you.

 

Thanks for all of the pictures and review. We sail the Escape on Nov. 18. How early do you need to arrive to get Vibe passes? We're going to try and get there by 9:30 a.m., but we are not in a suite.

 

Last year I got to the port at 9:30 AM. We got the VIBE passes and while in there I met people that were in boarding group 17 and still got passes.

This year I was at the pier at 11 and on board by 11:45. All of the

VIBE passes were gone and there was a waitlist with 30 names on it.

It appears much more difficult to get passes on the ESCAPE.

One recent reviewer said that he got to the pier at 9 AM, was in group 1 and got pass #54 out of 64-70.

NCL changed their boarding policy recently and now platinum latitudes members have priority boarding.

In addition, the ESCAPE has 2 more decks than the Getaway and more Haven cabins.

Many of the Haven guests (who have priority boarding) prefer VIBE as it is adult only.

For $99/week most people don't pass up a VIBE pass.

NCL has been raising prices in the spa so I would imagine they

would look to increase the VIBE price as well.

[Cruising...our happy place]

I may have missed it-- but what kind of camera are you using in the water? Does it work well?

 

 

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[ourfamilylovescruising]

DAY 2 Sea Day

 

 

Sunday was our first sea day AND my daughter's 11th birthday.

I ordered the birthday package before the cruise.

She was very happy with it.

I asked our room steward to make up the room while we were at breakfast.

The package came with a large strawberry shortcake which we had sent down to

Cagneys to have after dinner that night.

 

Towel Cake with Monkey and rose petals

 

My wife took my daughter for a Mother/Daughter massage after breakfast.

She was very happy to get spa services.

I was trying to find out if they had spa services for children before the trip and couldn't

find out so I was pleasantly surprised.

We all went to the meet and greet at Cagney's where we met the department heads and

the cruise director.

Thank you to Jim for arranging that and the gift swap.

Next it was lunch at Food Republic

We did the water/tube slide again

 

Next was Bingo....where she split a $400 Jackpot

Dinner that night was at Cagney's

now I normally don't take pictures of my food....

....but if you like Prime Rib....

 

A very good birthday on NCL.

 

 

what birthday package is that? I have done one in the past and it was nothing like that my Daughter is turning 15 on our next cruise and I would love to have all that.