Review Escape Bermuda Aug 5-12 NYC

[styme123]

I just got off the ship this morning and thought I would write a review for others since I spent a lot of time on CC researching (obsessively planning ;)) before my cruise. I have only been on one other cruise besides this one so not a lot to compare NCL too.

Embarkation/Day 1: That was pretty easy. We live close to the port so a 30 minute drive and we were there. Got there around 11:00 and got on the ship about 1:00. Our first stop once on board was O'Sheenan's for a bite to eat and a drink. The food was average like what you would find at a concession stand, but the waiter was very nice. I got the fish and chips and my husband got the burger. We walked around a little till sail away at 4:15. It was nice to see the statue of liberty and go under the bridge from the ship's perspective. We met some nice people and chatted while leaving the port. We explored the ship some more and went to check to see if the room was ready yet.

Cabin/Steward: We were in 15278 last room on the top deck. The room was ready and we meet our room steward. Saw that the luggage was there but one of my bags was missing and I had someone else's bag with my tag just laying on it. Surprised that the tag came off since I reinforced them with packing tape. Not a good way to start my first day. I asked the room steward about it but he wasn't really helpful or didn't seem to understand what I was asking him. He would just nod and say "okay/yes" We left and came back later and still no bag so I went to guest services. I went in the back room there and found my bag. They offered to bring the bag up to my room but at that point I didn't trust them with it. So I lugged it there myself. Not in a good mood at this point. During the week we asked the steward for the water package and after 2 days still didn't get delivered so I had to call and get it delivered. Then was charged twice for it. I asked to have the charge taken off, still nothing after another reminder so back down to guest services again to wait in line to have them remove it and argue with them that no I didn't get 2 orders delivered and not notice the other one. We didn't really use the steward much just for clean towels and to make the bed a few times.

During our stay the room was pretty noisy. If we had the balcony door open we could hear the music from H2O above us. Thankfully I use a noise app so it drowned most of the noise out so not a real issue for us. They didn't enforce the no smoking on your balcony for sure since we smelled it off and on the whole week. It normally wouldn't bother me but my husband was a long time heavy smoker and had recently stopped so I was worried about him struggling being around all the smoke and relapsing. We brought nicotine patches to help also.

Restaurants/food: We had the 3 night specialty dinner and did Teppanaki, Le Bistro, and Cagney's. Le Bistro was our least favorite. The only appetizer I liked was the shrimp trio at Cagney's. I got the rib eye at Cagney's and it had a lot of fat on it, half of it was fat. My husband got the fillet Mignon and that was good. I was happy that I didn't pay extra for any of the restaurant as I didn't feel they were worth it for us. We also tried Savor and Taste for dinner and those both were good to okay.

As far as the buffet goes, we got sick of eating there pretty quick. It was a lot of the same over and over with little flavor. It was good enough for quick breakfasts and a snack or lunch. It was pretty crowded and I don't like the feeling of jostling around for food. I found it to be not very clean. The chairs were often wet from people's bathing suits (even though there was a sign saying no wet suits) and heavily stained. What I did notice was the lack of hand washing. There was a machine for it but but everyone pretty much just passed it by. On my other cruise the buffet was walled off so you could only enter from one end and there was a person there to make sure you used the Purell. People were commonly filling up their water bottles and coffee travel mugs directly from the beverage station. No staff to really keep an eye on it. I only saw someone walking around to refill coffee the last 2 days. On the other cruise they would walk around often or ask if you needed anything. The staff didn't seem too friendly, often very rushed. We only had one person all week stop by our buffet table and that was to ask for our room number so we could give her a good review. We never saw her before or again, kind of odd and annoying to be hawking for reviews. One positive note the soft serve and hard ice cream were good.

Bars/Clubs/Casino: The bars were fine some better than others. There were a few drinks that I just had to leave because they were so bad but having the drink package it wasn't a big deal. I began to just drink seltzer by the end not to deal with the inconsistencies. Most of the bartenders weren't very friendly, they seemed annoyed and rushed. I'm sure all the drink packages didn't help with that. The clubs were okay. We would go to Skyliners a lot as it was near the casino. We tried to go to the Glow party but it was packed and we left after 2 songs. We didn't bother going to any of the other parties there. The casino was very smoky and you smelled it everywhere. Even in the "no smoking" area where people were still smoking. We would have to scout around for a less smoky spot.

Entertainment: The entertainment was great. We saw After Midnight, Brat Pack, comedians and juggler. All were better than the other cruise line. We also liked Howl at the Moon and the other musicians. We went to do Bingo but felt $40+ was a bit much to spend on that.

Pools/Spa: I bought the spa packages as I'm not much of a pool person. Glad I did because the pool was so over crowded you couldn't even use it. There were wall to wall people there. The spa was crowded at times too. If I went earlier in the day I couldn't find any open lounges because people were sleeping there or had there stuff on them saving to spot. The steam room was working off and on during the week and since that was my husband's main reason for going there it was a pain and he had to ask them about it a bunch of times.

Excursion/Port: We did one private excursion in port and loved it. We went to Hamilton, Horseshoe bay, Jobson bay and some shopping. We loved snorkeling and swimming at the beaches. We wished we had a few more days there.

Overall: I had a great time in Bermuda, just not sure if I would cruise there again with NCL. We are thinking about maybe flying in next time or trying Celebrity. I'm not a very picky person and there were other things that happened hat rubbed me the wrong way but I didn't want to nit pick everything. I just kind of felt that the vibe I got from the staff and ship wasn't really what I was expecting. It felt a bit rushed and crowded. I'm curious to hear from others who sailed on the same cruise what they felt and what their impressions were.

[LrgPizza]

Thanks for sharing your experience! I love the Escape. It's my favorite ship I've sailed so far, and I've been on her 3 times. I wish you liked her more.

[MJSailors]

If you are considering another cruise to Bermuda, I would suggest Celebrity Summit out of Bayonne NJ.

While it is an older ship, a major renovation is planned for a February 2019 drydock.

My DH and I took a cruise on this ship this past July.

The public rooms were in very good condition and the staff was exceptionally pleasant and helpful.

There are fewer passengers on the Summit as it is a smaller ship than the Escape. We never felt that it was crowded.

The casino is totally smoke free. There are a few outside smoking areas.

As someone with asthma, I appreciated the smoke- free interiors.

We did not detect any smoking on nearby balconies.

On a whole, from our experience, fellow passengers seemed to be respectful and pleasant. That may have been the situation on our cruise.

The whole experience for us is causing us to seriously consider another Celebrity cruise which is surprising as we are on a high loyalty level with Princess.

[Kitten112]

Well written review. Thank you taking the time to write it. I am on the Escape in 62 days and every Sunday/Monday I am always anticipating new reviews!

 

 

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[Gershep]

Thank you for your review.

[styme123]

If you are considering another cruise to Bermuda, I would suggest Celebrity Summit out of Bayonne NJ.

While it is an older ship, a major renovation is planned for a February 2019 drydock.

My DH and I took a cruise on this ship this past July.

The public rooms were in very good condition and the staff was exceptionally pleasant and helpful.

There are fewer passengers on the Summit as it is a smaller ship than the Escape. We never felt that it was crowded.

The casino is totally smoke free. There are a few outside smoking areas.

As someone with asthma, I appreciated the smoke- free interiors.

We did not detect any smoking on nearby balconies.

On a whole, from our experience, fellow passengers seemed to be respectful and pleasant. That may have been the situation on our cruise.

The whole experience for us is causing us to seriously consider another Celebrity cruise which is surprising as we are on a high loyalty level with Princess.

We meet a nice couple on the ferry back from Hamilton that were staying on Celebrity the same time we were docked and they mentioned the same things about Celebrity as you did. A man next to us on our balcony mentioned that he felt the food on Celebrity was a lot better. A few people we talked to seemed to chose NCL because of the ease of getting to the port and living close by. I was a little concerned about the fellow passengers and drinking after having read about the pool fight a few weeks ago on the Escape. I have to say pretty much everyone we talked to or saw was friendly and just having a good time. The children/teens on the ship seemed to be well behaved as well. The staff on the other hand seemed to be forcing themselves to be nice or to say hello, like it was part of their job that they had to do. If we asked for something at a restaurant like more water or coffee, they seemed annoyed to have to make a trip back over to us.

 

I have asthma as well and the smoke made it hard to breath but I felt worse for my husband who I could tell was having trouble with all the smoke as a recent ex-smoker. His patches helped a bit. It was just annoying that if you found a slot machine in the non-smoking section that you liked, we would have to move because someone would come over close by and be smoking. I felt like it was pretty pointless to say anything to the staff as it was everywhere. On the Princess Crown, the smoke was pretty much contained to one room at the casino. We do have a British Isles trip booked with Princess next summer but still trying to decide if land tours are more our thing. On that cruise there aren't many sea days so it might be different.

[styme123]

Well written review. Thank you taking the time to write it. I am on the Escape in 62 days and every Sunday/Monday I am always anticipating new reviews!

 

 

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Thank you:D I don't usually write reviews and was a bit hesitant to write a somewhat negative review since so many on the board really like NCL, that's why they post here:). I'm like you though, I like to read reviews good or bad just to give me perspective on what others felt. So I thought I would just share a little after reading so many posts and asking so many questions on CC;).

[klfhngr]

We did X last year and loved it! We're doing the Escape next month because it sails out of NY and we've never tried NCL. I'll be posting a review comparing X, Princess and NCL. I've already posted my review of X vs Princess. Can't wait to compare all 3.

[styme123]

We did X last year and loved it! We're doing the Escape next month because it sails out of NY and we've never tried NCL. I'll be posting a review comparing X, Princess and NCL. I've already posted my review of X vs Princess. Can't wait to compare all 3.

I'd love to read it as I did Princess before too. Do you have a link for your other review?

Edited August 13, 2018 by styme123

[mar5762]

Well written review. Thank you taking the time to write it. I am on the Escape in 62 days and every Sunday/Monday I am always anticipating new reviews!

 

 

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Sounds like we're on the same one! First time on Escape but was on breakaway 3 times I think. We leave 10/14

[NYcruzzer]

Thank you:D I don't usually write reviews and was a bit hesitant to write a somewhat negative review since so many on the board really like NCL, that's why they post here:). I'm like you though, I like to read reviews good or bad just to give me perspective on what others felt. So I thought I would just share a little after reading so many posts and asking so many questions on CC;).

 

Glad you took the time to write a fair and balanced review. It may also be a good idea to express your concerns or areas of disappointment directly to NCL. Either via e-mail or completed survey. If enough passengers concur they may make changes and improvements.

[Kitten112]

Sounds like we're on the same one! First time on Escape but was on breakaway 3 times I think. We leave 10/14

 

 

 

Same trip! Our first time too!! We were on the breakaway once. Can’t wait!!

 

 

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[Shidah]

Did you report the smoking on the balcony to NCL? They can’t enforce something if they don’t know about it. If I experienced that I would 100% report it. So far I have yet to be near people smoking on their balcony though. Also, in the spa holding a lounger with articles is also not allowed, and if brought to the attention of an attendant they will remove the items. It is a shame that this has to be done, but it isn’t entirely NCL’s fault, passengers are rude and self centered. On my last cruise though, one spa attendant went around and continuously moved peoples items on unoccupied loungers, she was my hero! Thanks for your honest review. Haven’t cruised the Escape yet but will next spring and hoping for a better experience.

[MJSailors]

Hello styme123-

I have been wanting to go on the British Isles cruise with Princess, but my DH is concerned about traveling so far from home (NY) due to older age and health issues.

If I had the opportunity, I would definitely go.

Some people prefer land based vacations instead of cruises so I can understand your considerations regarding that cruise.

We did sail on the Breakaway to Bermuda because of ease in getting to the port. I think the Breakaway is a similar ship to the Escape. The smoke in the atrium overflowing from the casino bothered me when we were on decks 6,7,8. The design of the ship made the interiors feel crowded to us.

On the Breakaway, I observed two staff members being reprimanded in front of the passengers by their supervisors. One was a server in the buffet,the other a cleaner on a cabin deck. It seemed to me that those staff members should have been addressed in a more respectable way.

Perhaps the staff was not that friendly or accommodating on the Eclipse due to treatment from their superiors or NCL corporate directives.

Kudos to your husband for quitting smoking. Quitting is very difficult to do. My DH tried several times before successfully quitting seventeen years ago. I wish your husband continued success.

If you decide to continue cruising, Bon voyage. If you decide on land based adventures, I wish you happy travels.

[styme123]

Did you report the smoking on the balcony to NCL? They can’t enforce something if they don’t know about it. If I experienced that I would 100% report it. So far I have yet to be near people smoking on their balcony though. Also, in the spa holding a lounger with articles is also not allowed, and if brought to the attention of an attendant they will remove the items. It is a shame that this has to be done, but it isn’t entirely NCL’s fault, passengers are rude and self centered. On my last cruise though, one spa attendant went around and continuously moved peoples items on unoccupied loungers, she was my hero! Thanks for your honest review. Haven’t cruised the Escape yet but will next spring and hoping for a better experience.

I couldn't tell which room/balcony it was coming from so I couldn't say anything to the staff. At the spa I did say something to the attendant walking around collecting dirty towels and she didn't say anything. She kind of motioned like "look over there" She passed me a few times more as I kind of wondered around waiting for someone to get up and didn't say anything else. Another couple was doing the same thing with me. The sign for the heated loungers does say "please use for 30 minutes only" but there were people clearly sleeping in them for more than an hour or more.

[styme123]

Glad you took the time to write a fair and balanced review. It may also be a good idea to express your concerns or areas of disappointment directly to NCL. Either via e-mail or completed survey. If enough passengers concur they may make changes and improvements.

I just got the survey email today so we'll see ;)

[styme123]

Hello styme123-

I have been wanting to go on the British Isles cruise with Princess, but my DH is concerned about traveling so far from home (NY) due to older age and health issues.

If I had the opportunity, I would definitely go.

Some people prefer land based vacations instead of cruises so I can understand your considerations regarding that cruise.

We did sail on the Breakaway to Bermuda because of ease in getting to the port. I think the Breakaway is a similar ship to the Escape. The smoke in the atrium overflowing from the casino bothered me when we were on decks 6,7,8. The design of the ship made the interiors feel crowded to us.

On the Breakaway, I observed two staff members being reprimanded in front of the passengers by their supervisors. One was a server in the buffet,the other a cleaner on a cabin deck. It seemed to me that those staff members should have been addressed in a more respectable way.

Perhaps the staff was not that friendly or accommodating on the Eclipse due to treatment from their superiors or NCL corporate directives.

Kudos to your husband for quitting smoking. Quitting is very difficult to do. My DH tried several times before successfully quitting seventeen years ago. I wish your husband continued success.

If you decide to continue cruising, Bon voyage. If you decide on land based adventures, I wish you happy travels.

To me it just seemed like they were going through the motions to say hello, not that the really cared to talk to you. I had only ONE staff member ask me how I was liking the cruise during the whole week and she ended up just wanting our room number for a staff review of herself. I thought that was a little nervy since we had never meet her or had she ever served us. After us she moved onto a few other tables with the same request. Thank you for the well wishes for my husband:D

[drvmywifecrzy]

thanks for your review