My take on the Escape 9/23-9/30

[Rockwife]

I'm going to post the first half now and the second half later tonight or tomorrow so that it's not a novel. :) Individual restaurant reviews, port tour reviews and (drum roll, please) stories of hanging out with celebrities will follow.

 

We are a couple in our late 40s who enjoy both land and cruise vacations. We are not loyal to any one brand and choose sailings based on many factors. I think NCL provides a great product. There were some hiccups, but few problems that couldn't be avoided due to better planning and attention on my part. 9/10 Would cruise with NCL again.

 

 

EMBARKATION: Easily the worst embarkation I’ve ever experienced on any cruise line, in any port. We arrived to port when scheduled, just after noon, as our window was between 12-12:30pm. We dropped our bags with the porter and entered the security line, which stopped dead a few minutes later. We stood still for around half an hour. Once we got through security, the check-in line moved very, very slowly. Forms for health questionnaire and customs were not on tables, but haphazardly passed out by the people in charge of keeping the lines moving and organized. I was never actually given a customs form, but picked one up from a basket that had been discarded by another passenger. When I saw the next available NCL check-in employee raise her sign that her station was open I quickly walked towards her. The “organizer” told me to come back, which I did, and then she realized I was going where I should have been going and told me to head back to the lady with the sign. CHAOS. The whole process took 1.5 hours of standing and I really felt sorry for the older people with tired feet and bodies.

 

DISEMBARKATION: Best disembarkation we’ve ever experienced on any line. I don’t know how they messed up embarkation so badly when they absolutely nailed getting off the ship. We did self-assist because we’re able-bodied and pack light, not because we needed to be off the ship ASAP. We just chilled in our room until 8:30am and walked off the ship! No lines. No shoving. No painful waits in public rooms stacked on top of each other. It was pure heaven compared to our previous experiences on other lines.

 

ENTERTAINMENT: We saw two musicals, The Brat Pack and After Midnight, and both were excellent in quality and talent. I know and love all of those 1980s teen movies, so I got all the references and thought the writers did a good job weaving them together. It was a bit risqué for any ship entertainment I’d ever seen before, but people in their undies dropping f-bombs don’t bother us. YMMV. After Midnight was fantastic, especially since Melinda Doolittle was a featured singer. She blew me away and I was happy to bump into her later in the week to tell her in person. The other singers and dancers were also wonderful and I loved the costumes. After Midnight is not to be missed if you like jazz. Finally, we enjoyed the singing guitarist Orly Penate very much, especially when he *wasn’t* performing Jimmy Buffett. (Sorry, but I’m allergic to JB and Billy Joel. The pianist in the District wasn’t my cup of tea, either, but people seemed to be enjoying it.)

 

RANDOM: Speaking of Jimmy Buffett, for some reason Margaritaville was about 20 degrees colder than the rest of the ship. The poor people working there were freezing the whole week and those of us eating there took to wrapping pool towels around us for warmth. They need to install a wind barrier there or something because it’s a nice place to get away from the crowds and slurp margs. I also loved their pretzel sticks so much I wanted to marry them, chattering teeth or no.

 

CABIN: We had a very nice aft balcony cabin, 12312, deep enough for two loungers, two chairs, and a small table. I would book this room again in a heartbeat even though weather didn’t allow us to fully enjoy the balcony much of the time. I just really liked how nicely laid out the cabin was and the décor. The couch was large enough for two to sit AND pile a bunch of clothes on. Yes, it was a bit difficult to access the closet with the bed in front of it, but we preferred having the large open living area by the balcony. The bathroom was also very well laid out and the shower was quite roomy for a cruise ship. The décor and design felt like higher-end IKEA, which I prefer over the super-safe “beige on beige” of Princess. I LOVE how newer ships like this have the little lights telling the steward if we're in, do not disturb, remake room, etc. My husband loves to sleep in, so this is a big improvement over the stewards needing to use ESP or knocking.

 

 

SERVICE: Our room steward Leonardo was perfect- available, but not up in our business every day. He said hello to us by name, kept the room clean, and replenished our tp and other items. He even won me over to the joys of towel animals by making an adorable “mouse” pop his head out of a coffee cup. I’ve just always found them a bit cheesy, but Leonardo is an artist and changed my mind. I made sure my mouse left him an extra $20.

 

 

ROOM SERVICE: We didn’t have much luck with the complimentary breakfast room service. “Fruit and pastries” turned out to be one tiny bowl of canned peaches and a few 2”x2” Danish. We gave up on it completely when they were late bringing us breakfast on the only morning we had a tour booked. That made for a very stressful beginning to our day, so we just stopped hanging the request on the door after that. (My apologies to the server who delivered our breakfast late and I didn't tip. In hindsight it probably wasn't your fault and I should have been nicer to you. My bad.)

 

 

More to come. . .

[BirdTravels]

Thanks for posting your review. Hope things got better along the way.

[vacation44]

Looking forward to reading the rest of your review. Thank you for taking the time to post.

[dexddd]

Customs form on embarkation .... what is that?

[OceansMotion]

Customs form on embarkation .... what is that?

 

 

 

For Canadian customs.

[Rockwife]

ACTIVITIES: As many reviewers have noted, the atrium gets very crowded during trivia, games, and other events so arrive early if you want a seat and don’t go there looking for relaxation. On the first sea day we made a point to check out Chef Aaron Sanchez’s wine pairing/cooking demo and couldn’t find a seat even though we’d arrived 15-20 minutes early. I scanned the upstairs and noticed several empty seats on deck 8, overlooking the atrium, and made a dash to snag them. Success!

 

He prepared ceviche and a beet salad while telling us about wines, flavors, timing, etc. We were already Masterchef fans, but I was especially impressed with how he handled being interrupted by morning announcements from both the captain and cruise director. I was shocked no one seemed to realize the scheduling conflict and moved one or the other, but he did manage the poor timing with jokes and good humor.

 

PUB CRAWL: I did not attend the Meet & Greet, so I only assume that was the reason our group was so small for the crawl. Just me, hubby, another couple with our same names(!) and Luis. We had to deviate from our schedule in a few places (Margaritaville was cold, there was an event at Tobacco Road, etc.), so it would have been impossible for folks to join us if they weren’t at the first spot. I brought reusable straws for the frozen drinks and we had a fun time chatting, drinking, and visiting different parts of the ship.

 

CELEBRITY DINNER: Of course, we both needed naps after the pub crawl and we didn’t set an alarm, rolling out of bed around 8:00pm. We had reservations later in the week for Moderno, but I’d read that Chef Sanchez might be there, meeting folks and shilling wine, so we asked the hostess if there might be a spot for us for dinner. She asked us to take a seat in the waiting area, then brought us to a two-top. About 30 seconds after we sat down she came back to the table and said, “You have been invited to dine with Chef Sanchez this evening. Would you like to join his table?”

 

OMG! No need to confer with my husband, we were both like, “Yes, please!” We still can’t figure out the hows or whys of this invitation, but we graciously accepted. My husband sat at the head of the table, and we dined with Chef & his stunning wife, his sous chef, and two hilarious gentlemen from the wine company. (I believe one of them picked up the tab, I only know we didn't pay for anything.) We chatted, ate ourselves silly, and even celebrated the birthday of one of the wine dudes. Oh, and we did hear hilarious stories about Gordon Ramsey (known simply as GR in our house), laughing all evening. Such a wonderful treat we had that night, and one we will always remember.

[JamieLogical]

I am so jealous of your dinner with Chef Sanchez! What a lucky turn of events for you!

 

Disappointed to hear about the slow/poor breakfast room service. This was one of my favorite parts of my last cruise on the Gem and I was looking forward to it on the Escape in 11 days.

[sun_lovin!1]

Is there any chance you have the dailies?

[Rockwife]

Is there any chance you have the dailies?

 

Sorry, no! Mine always end up a wrinkled, scribbled mess and I toss them.

[Rockwife]

I am so jealous of your dinner with Chef Sanchez! What a lucky turn of events for you!

 

Disappointed to hear about the slow/poor breakfast room service. This was one of my favorite parts of my last cruise on the Gem and I was looking forward to it on the Escape in 11 days.

 

I don't know what the chintzy continental breakfasts were all about. I'm usually the one complaining about overly large portions and wasn't expecting a huge spread or anything. I attributed the late delivery to the time change entering Canada, but it did stress me out enough that we just gave up on that "perk."

[dexddd]

For Canadian customs.

 

Their header shows they are from GA.

[JamieLogical]

Their header shows they are from GA.

 

But they were going to CA. For cruises to Canada, you have to complete a Canadian customs form at the pier.

[OceansMotion]

Their header shows they are from GA.

 

 

 

??? I don’t understand your reply. I answered your question about “Custom form on embarkation...what is that?”

[Rockwife]

PORTS OF CALL: Portland, ME- We did not book an excursion for Portland because we’d planned to walk around town, eat, and shop. We were not disappointed, even though it was a drizzly day. Yes, Holy Donut is as wonderful as the hype suggests and just a short walk from the ship. Don’t let the line scare you away, as it moves fast, and we had no problem getting the flavors we wanted. We found two record stores and several book stores to spend some time and money. All the lobster places were mobbed by the time we got around to lunch, so we found an Italian restaurant called The Corner Room and it was excellent. I had the most amazing roasted halibut salad and the cocktails were impressive. Portland wasn’t very exciting on a rainy day, but we’d finally made it to our 45th state and ate very well.

 

Bar Harbor- canceled due to fog and wind. We had planned to hop the free bus to Acadia National Park and hike, so the weather pretty much killed those plans even if the port had been open. An extra sea day would have made one of those spa passes worth the money for me, but you can’t really anticipate a closed port and I was out of luck. In hindsight, I should have used this as a day of rest and allowed myself to sleep and relax instead of running around the ship. I think the “free”

perks of dining and beverage packages work as designed- to encourage passengers to go out and about, spend more money on optional activities than they normally would. I will be more conscious of this when I sail NCL in the future.

 

Saint John, Bay of Fundy- this was the morning we had booked the Coastal Photography tour through the ship and we were very happy with this tour. We don’t own fancy cameras, but we are proud of our vacation photos and just wanted to be taken to pretty places all morning. The rugged beauty of Fundy is debatable, but the tour group was small and we visited places where tourists rarely go. Fallsview Park was nearly deserted when we got there, as was Irving Nature Park, Lepreau Falls, and Dipper Harbour. The guide provided plenty of photography tips before dropping us back at port in time for lunch. We found another record store downtown and I finally snagged a lobster roll at Grannan’s in Market Square. Hubs had scallops and we finally saw a bit of sun for cocktails at Cask & Kettle.

 

Halifax, NS- Another very foggy day, but at least we made it into port and our late morning tour allowed us to sleep in. We booked another tour through the ship, the Celebrate 150 years of Canada! Tour, which brought us to Peggy’s Cove, Lunenburg, Mahone Bay, and a maple syrup store somewhere in between. The guide was adorable in his Scottish kilt and provided lots of info without being overwhelming. The bus was comfortable, too. Unfortunately, our day was mostly foggy and/or rainy and we couldn’t take any great photos or enjoy the vistas all that much. The sun popped out for about 20 minutes and we lucked out that it happened at Peggy’s Cove, the most picturesque spot. I had another lobster roll, this one from a food truck set up down the hill from the lighthouse and it was AMAZING. Hubby had a hotdog he also enjoyed. After lunch we hiked up the hill for photos and to get our passports stamped. The rain inhibited our enjoyment at the other stops, but we decided to spend our time where it never rains- in the pub! Bluenose (a replica of an historic schooner) was docked at Lunenburg, so that was exciting for the sailing/boating fans. Some people complained about the stop at the maple syrup tourist trap, but we were only there for a short time and I took advantage of the bathroom break. 😊

 

I’ll finish up with dining reviews. . .

[Rockwife]

??? I don’t understand your reply. I answered your question about “Custom form on embarkation...what is that?”

 

cus·toms

ˈkəstəmz/

noun

the official department that administers and collects the duties levied by a government on imported goods.

"cocaine seizures by customs have risen this year"

 

the duties levied by a government on imported goods.

[OceansMotion]

cus·toms

 

ˈkəstəmz/

 

noun

 

the official department that administers and collects the duties levied by a government on imported goods.

 

"cocaine seizures by customs have risen this year"

 

 

 

the duties levied by a government on imported goods.

 

 

 

I was replying to dexddd about the form and just quoted his post to me. So why the vocabulary lesson?

 

You apparently left out one of the other definitions which is,

 

“The place at a port, airport, or frontier where officials check incoming goods, travelers or luggage.”

 

Of where I was at (the port) and where officials check travelers or luggage, both of which I am and had.

 

 

I was given the form at the Haven check in and questioned them about it. They said it was for Canadian customs.

 

Since I was on the same cruise you were I no longer need to finish reading your review even though I enjoy them.

[dexddd]

But they were going to CA. For cruises to Canada, you have to complete a Canadian customs form at the pier.

 

Thank you for explaining in a concise, non negative manner. I didn't pick up that the Escape was going to Canada that week.

[Rockwife]

Thank you for explaining in a concise, non negative manner. I didn't pick up that the Escape was going to Canada that week.

 

It's very confusing to keep straight who is writing what when I'm in the middle of writing a very detailed review of my experiences last week, especially when your avatar is the stock Cruise Critic one. I think you're guilty of the negativity here.

[LrgPizza]

I love Aron Sanchez! Did you know he was going to be on the ship prior to your cruise? (Like, was this for a special event?) I'm thrilled for you that you got to dine with him. I'm enjoying your review. I love the Escape.

[Rockwife]

I love Aron Sanchez! Did you know he was going to be on the ship prior to your cruise? (Like, was this for a special event?) I'm thrilled for you that you got to dine with him. I'm enjoying your review. I love the Escape.

 

Thank you! I did know Chef Sanchez would be on the cruise before sailing because the leader of our Roll Call posted the press release of the special event about a month ago. He was promoting one of his partners, Terrazas de los Andes wines and there were several events a day with him. We only attended the first sea day wine pairing/cooking demo, but there were also tastings at Cellars and other events. I'm pretty sure he got off the ship in Saint John, NB and wasn't there the whole week.

 

 

I don't know how they could have known this, but my husband and I have many chef/restaurateur friends and family, so we had oodles to talk about. The conservation lagged so little that I never got a chance to confess my crush on Joe Bastianich (my Italian Pee-wee Herman)! LOL!

[liquix]

Hi, it's Luis, great to meet you guys! Great review, pretty much sums up our cruise as well. I didn't know you had dinner with Aaron, how awesome! Thank you for the straws, they came in handy throughout the cruise especially with the frozen drinks. I look forward to the rest of the review!

[mizLORInj]

Re the Customs Form questions: For the past maybe 5 years, any cruise going to Canada from the USA has all guests fill out a customs form before embarking on the ship in the USA. I remember being surprised the first time it came up when we were embarking Carnival Glory in NYC, but now we're used to it when doing a Canada cruise.

------------------------

Enjoying your review and I agree the atrium is the worst place for games, etc. I don't know how NCL didn't learn this on Breakaway and Getaway.

[sun_lovin!1]

Looking forward to the rest of your review!

 

Sent from my LG-E980 using Forums mobile app

[ano]

Thanks. I was on the same cruise.

 

For us Embarkation was also terrible took 1 1/4 hours, and Debarkation was great. Also did the self-assist orange, and was out of the port in about 15 minutes max. No lines anywhere.

 

I wrote a full review in the reviews section, but I don't think published yet.

 

Thanks for the review.

[Rockwife]

Hi, it's Luis, great to meet you guys! Great review, pretty much sums up our cruise as well. I didn't know you had dinner with Aaron, how awesome! Thank you for the straws, they came in handy throughout the cruise especially with the frozen drinks. I look forward to the rest of the review!

 

Hi Luis!!! So happy to see you chiming in here. Honestly, another of my small regrets this cruise was not spending more time with you and your lovely wife. I guess we were too busy stuffing our faces to socialize as much as we would have liked. It was great meeting y'all.