Barely A Live from Escape May16-26 2024 Trieste (Venice) to Barcelona/10-Day Mediterranean: Italy Croatia Greece France Spain

[Sugar Magnolia]

7 hours ago, CruisnHallelujahs said:

Thanks so much for continuing on after mkings cruise ended.  It’s always so sad to get to the end of everyone’s story and your spinoff is extending it well. 💜 

I love the idea that I have become the @mking8288 spinoff. That’s high praise. Hope I don’t get canceled after one season. 
 

[mking8288]

1 hour ago, Sugar Magnolia said:

…9:30 might be way past my bedtime 😅

Just check out the FSD listing, you don't need to go upstairs to see for yourself ... since you are usually somewhere in the club or dance floor  😁   Yeah, don't short change your beauty rest & sleep on this port intensive itinerary - 200% empathy coming your way 😆 

1 hour ago, Sugar Magnolia said:

I love the idea that I have become the @mking8288 spinoff. That’s high praise. Hope I don’t get canceled after one season. 

Of course not, you are going to more places in just one season that what I can possibly plan for, let alone do for an entire year.  Just do it and you will be fine, practice made near perfect and you become better, wiser doing more semi / live trip report on CC.  Just look at Dan @graphicguy he is another prime example with the "can do" attitude/mindset.  

 

Wait, ship is docked at Croatia and it's past noon time, you should off the gangway and checking out the landscape ... have a great time and treat yourself well.  

[graphicguy]

1 hour ago, mking8288 said:

Just check out the FSD listing, you don't need to go upstairs to see for yourself ... since you are usually somewhere in the club or dance floor  😁   Yeah, don't short change your beauty rest & sleep on this port intensive itinerary - 200% empathy coming your way 😆 

Of course not, you are going to more places in just one season that what I can possibly plan for, let alone do for an entire year.  Just do it and you will be fine, practice made near perfect and you become better, wiser doing more semi / live trip report on CC.  Just look at Dan @graphicguy he is another prime example with the "can do" attitude/mindset.  

 

Wait, ship is docked at Croatia and it's past noon time, you should off the gangway and checking out the landscape ... have a great time and treat yourself well.  

Thanks!  That's a nice thing to say.

 

We all love cruising.  We do it as much as we can.  

 

Truth is, I'm a month away from my next cruise and I'm already looking at cruises past that.  

 

BTW.....y'all have me looking seriously at a Nordic cruise.  Looking at a smaller ship this go round....maybe Spirit class.  I know I had a blast on the GEM (which is the ship I met Henry on).

[tsahall01]

17 hours ago, Sugar Magnolia said:

Entertainment

 

 

 

Do you know if the Elton John tribute that is listed in the Supper Club is the same show that is in the main theatre??  I also see that the other 2 shows in the Supper Club are only listed in the supper club (Tango Flamenco and Divas tribute), do you know if they will be show elsewhere?  Thanks!  Have a wonderful cruise!

[Sugar Magnolia]

2 hours ago, tsahall01 said:

Do you know if the Elton John tribute that is listed in the Supper Club is the same show that is in the main theatre??  I also see that the other 2 shows in the Supper Club are only listed in the supper club (Tango Flamenco and Divas tribute), do you know if they will be show elsewhere?  Thanks!  Have a wonderful cruise!

I just asked a member of the entertainment crew who is working at The Supper Club tonight and he said that the Elton John tribute show last night in the theater is the same show at The Supper Club tonight. 
 

 

[Sugar Magnolia]

One of the wonderful experiences on a cruise is being able to dine outdoors. Often the ship is sailing during dinner time so it is usually too windy to sit outside. However, as the Mediterranean ports are so close to each other, we are at port much longer than other itineraries. Today we are in Split from 7:00am-9:00pm and the conditions are perfect for dining alfresco. 
 

 

 

[Sugar Magnolia]

@graphicguy this is for you…does the graphic accurately capture graphicguy?

 

[Maleficent's Dad]

12 hours ago, YVRteacher said:

 

Also, does anyone else think that chicken parm looks like a breast implant gone wrong?

Well I didn’t until you mentioned it. Now I can’t get that out of my head…

[Sugar Magnolia]

17 hours ago, mking8288 said:

I see that the Escape keep the buffet open until 9:30 PM (is that special hours on embarkation day only ... please keep your eyes out for it, asking for a curious friend)  Prima management shut down the tiny buffet promptly at 9:00 PM nightly, as both you & I know.  

Here are today’s dining hours. Buffet closes at 9:30pm. I recall the buffet on the Encore also closed at 9:30pm back in January/February. 

 

 

 

Edited May 17 by Sugar Magnolia

[Sugar Magnolia]

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[graphicguy]

1 hour ago, Sugar Magnolia said:

@graphicguy this is for you…does the graphic accurately capture graphicguy?

 

Well.....what are they saying?  Don't trip over your own feet?  Don't jump rope in front of the door?  Let's put a sign on the floor to keep NCL out of court? 

 

[Sugar Magnolia]

11 minutes ago, graphicguy said:

Well.....what are they saying?  Don't trip over your own feet?  Don't jump rope in front of the door?  Let's put a sign on the floor to keep NCL out of court? 

 

Rough surf?

 

[mking8288]

46 minutes ago, graphicguy said:

Well.....what are they saying?  

"Mind" your steps and "rough" seas  😬 😬

[schmoopie17]

2 hours ago, Sugar Magnolia said:

@graphicguy this is for you…does the graphic accurately capture graphicguy?

 

Considering where you are in port today, I think they're warning people against doing the Splits.

[Sugar Magnolia]

16 minutes ago, schmoopie17 said:

Considering where you are in port today, I think they're warning people against doing the Splits.

That makes sense. You were always the smarter one. 

 

[Oceansaway17]

On 5/16/2024 at 12:11 PM, CazV said:

Looking forward to following along... boarding the Escape in Barcelona in a few weeks time. 😊

Me too June 4 can’t wait

Just sad one of my excursions removed going inside the Coliseum in Rome. Now just a drive by.

[Sugar Magnolia]

21 minutes ago, Oceansaway17 said:

Me too June 4 can’t wait

Just sad one of my excursions removed going inside the Coliseum in Rome. Now just a drive by.

Oh that is disappointing. Did they give a reason?

 

[Sugar Magnolia]

If you were wondering whether I dined alfresco tonight...I did not. If you were guessing that I likely skipped dinner tonight...you would be correct. I did, however, pop up to the buffet for some fruits because I did not want to get scurvy.

 

@mking8288 the buffet shut down at 9:30pm without hesitation.

 

After exploring Split from 7:30am to 5:00pm, I collapsed in my room. Kept ping ponging in my head...should I take a nap and run the risk that I don't fall asleep again until after 3:30am...or should I drink some good coffee at the solo lounge and just plow through the night? Before I knew it I fell asleep until I was awoken shortly before 6:00pm by Cruise Director Jack announcing the evening's programs. 

 

The catnap was all I needed but unfortunately I am now wide awake approaching midnight and have another early morning excursion in Dubrovnik, meeting at 7:15am. It's a vicious cycle.

 

[Sugar Magnolia]

After my much needed catnap, I walked around The Waterfront to enjoy the perfect weather and took some photos.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[mking8288]

7 minutes ago, Sugar Magnolia said:

If you were wondering whether I dined alfresco tonight...I did not. If you were guessing that I likely skipped dinner tonight...you would be correct. I did, however, pop up to the buffet for some fruits because I did not want to get scurvy.

@mking8288 the buffet shut down at 9:30pm without hesitation.

... The catnap was all I needed but unfortunately I am now wide awake approaching midnight and have another early morning excursion in Dubrovnik, meeting at 7:15am. It's a vicious cycle.

I see.  Oh dear, Susan and I now extending 300% empathy to you for your challenges ahead ... just to make you feel better (maybe, more like LOL) we both woke up around 4 AM local time here in NY, wide awake, hungry as we are trying to get on our post-cruise diet again.  She watched youtube or what not on her iPad while I catch up on gossips on CC, wondering why we no longer heard rattles and squeaks coming from behind the wall, ceiling & bathroom panels, not to mention the cold draft from the sliding balcony door ("poorly" insulated w the cold draft while we're on the North Sea last week)  

 

The remedy, go downstairs to O'Sheehan's and order some chicken wings (ordered ours w sauce on the side, it's "better" IMHO)  Maybe, Kahlua w coffee ?? and try to call it a night, set a double alarm & use the wake up call service.  

 

Thanks for the lookout for the buffet's prompt shutdown time, which is what I expected them to be under new NCL management to sail & sustain, but Prima doing that at 9:00 PM or 21:00 on the dot, is just poor decision making & lack of discretion on ship management ... hearing chatters on the other platform, as I've been told.  I'm nearly wrapping up my Live report, working on uploading several more short videos & the necropsy, oops ... meant to say, post-cruise summary analysis that is definitely, personal & biased, non-objective in nature. 

 

BTW, how's the ship's WiFi working for you (if you are using mostly NCL's network, as I think the Escape has switched over to Starlink)  

 

P.S.  👌  very nice pictures, thank you 👍  Ya better go try to get some sleep or else, be sleeping thru your morning shorex 😎

[Sugar Magnolia]

And then I saw this walking back to my room.

 

 

Still only pound cake being served in the solo lounge...not a cookie to be found.

 

 

[Sugar Magnolia]

4 minutes ago, mking8288 said:

BTW, how's the ship's WiFi working for you (if you are using mostly NCL's network, as I think the Escape has switched over to Starlink)  

 

I just ran a test...

1.83 Mbps download

0.67 Mbps upload

 

Haven't had any issues with my unlimited Starlink WIFI.

 

[dancedemon]

Thanks so much for giving us the play by play.  We will be sailing the same itinerary in October 2024.  Your pics are amazing! Please keep them coming.  How did you like the tribute show?

[aussierangers]

We're doing a very similar cruise on Viva in August, but Rome to Trieste, so will be following along with great interest.  Thanks for the posts and pics!

[CazV]

11 hours ago, Oceansaway17 said:

Me too June 4 can’t wait

Just sad one of my excursions removed going inside the Coliseum in Rome. Now just a drive by.

We're on the same sailing. Shame about the change to your excursion. I'm not planning to go to Rome, so none of the changes affect me.