Just booked our first NCL cruise in the Escape...let me hear your thoughts

We just booked our first cruise with NCL on the Escape :)

We book a mid-ship balcony room on deck 13.

I am so excited, but of course a little anxious that we may not enjoy it as much as we do RCCL. I know no matter what, we will have a good time though.

We are taking our 5yr old on his first cruise. It looks like they have a good kids club. Any Family's want to share their experience on the ship with their younger kids? Are there shows for families?

We chose the Specialty dining package. Which restaurants are a must try? They all sound really good. We really enjoy going to Benihana, so one for sure will be the Teppenyaki place.

Can you bring a bottle of wine on board? Per person or per cabin?

How are the balcony rooms?

Any thing else you want to add would be great.

Seems like good questions to ask BEFORE you booked. (Just kidding)

Here is the alcohol policy regarding bringing wine on board.

https://www.ncl.com/faq#can-i-bring-alcohol-board

Definitely go to Cagney's if you like steak. Also, though not included in the dining package, go to Food Republic at least once for lunch or dinner.

I experienced my first cruise with Norwegian in May 2016, after being loyal to Royal for a number of cruises. I would have to say that the Norwegian one was the best one I had ever been on (of all the cruises!). I wrote a review of my experience (see signature). I try not to compare cruise lines, because they all offer different things. This was INDEED the best in my book, and looking forward to planning my next one on Escape.

Hey hey!

Here are the things I think you should know before cruising with NCL: http://cruisingisntjustforoldpeople.co.uk/2016/12/04/8-things-i-wish-i-knew-before-cruising-with-ncl/

I hope that helps :)

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The Escape in the only ship we've sailed on out of our 8 or 9 cruise that we would definitely sail on again.

Specialty we thought LeBistro and Cagney's were very, very good.

Spend some time on the waterfront just relaxing.

Don't miss the washy washy guys in Garden Buffet perform. I don't know how they can do that all day.

The hydrotherapy pool in the Spa was fantastic.

We sailed the Escape last January with our 2 kiddos (2 & 5 years old). We absolutely loved it! Our 5 year old loved splash academy and never wanted to leave! Our 2 year old enjoyed the Guppies nursery too. There were so many activities and things to do for families, you won't be disappointed :)

We sailed on the Getaway 2 years ago after cruising many other lines. It was the absolute most fun cruise of the 10 I had been on prior!

My teen enjoyed the kids activities but I can't speak to the little ones, my daughter(16) was 5 on her first cruise and she loved kids club! I hope your little one loves it too!

We thought teppanyaki was really fun and the food good on the Getaway. We are planning to eat there again on the Escape in March.

I really enjoyed Spice H2O, it's adults only, but if your little likes kids club, it's a great place to hang out. There are chairs, a huge TV, hot tubs and a waterfall type area to cool off. We found a bartender/waiter we loved and he took care of us all week!

Have so much fun!!

We sailed the Getaway 2 years ago and will be on the Escape in a week. We have sailed the Allure and Oasis and loved them. Comparing them is like comparing apples to oranges. Even with NCL feestyle cruising they are still dollar for dollar the best. With the kid's program, water park, water slides, and ropes course your little guy is gonna have a blast! Recommend booking your dining and entertainment online. Then right when you first get on board book the remainder you were unable to book online. I've downloaded the iConcierge App and hope to utilize it. Consider getting the NCL credit card. It's an easy way to get $100 on board credit. You will have a memorable vacation. When do the Hams sail? :)

We sailed the Getaway 2 years ago and will be on the Escape in a week. We have sailed the Allure and Oasis and loved them. Comparing them is like comparing apples to oranges. Even with NCL feestyle cruising they are still dollar for dollar the best. With the kid's program, water park, water slides, and ropes course your little guy is gonna have a blast! Recommend booking your dining and entertainment online. Then right when you first get on board book the remainder you were unable to book online. I've downloaded the iConcierge App and hope to utilize it. Consider getting the NCL credit card. It's an easy way to get $100 on board credit. You will have a memorable vacation. When do the Hams sail? :)

Hi, thank you for your input. We sail on 7/29/17 :)

I know we will have a good time and every line has their pros and cons, its just our first time traveling outside of RCCL and our first time with our son. I just don't want him to get bored, but sounds like he won't. The kids program and the kids aqua park, really made it easy to decide!!

First of all, while the IConcierge app is free, if you want to text others while on board the ship, each person must download AND THEN PAY a $10.00 fee. If you're not opposed to the fee, try to download the app BEFORE getting on the ship. We had the Internet package on board and, while I thought it seemed faster than other ships, it's still not as fast as home!

Secondly, don't waste your time trying to figure out the cabin television or IConsierge app for making reservations once on board. Half the time it wouldn't work for us. Just pick up your cabin phone and call the box office for shows, and restaurant reservation line for specialty restaurants. If you don't get reservations to a show you really want to see, do not despair. Show up about 35 minutes before the show and wait in the "standby" line. You'll probably get in. Lots of people make reservations and then don't show up.

Thirdly, be aware, if you want to use the sauna or steam room, you will either have to shell out extra $ and book a "spa balcony" or the $$$ and book a Haven room or BUY a Thermal suite pass. ($199/week prior to our cruise, $249 on board). There is no included sauna or steam room for regular passengers.

Any other questions?

Definitely the Teppenyaki restaurant. We did this on the Getaway in September and it was the best meal of our vacation.

Is your cabin near the elevator/stairs? There are only two sets of elevators/stairs located forward and aft. If your cabin is mid-ship, you might find yourself walking A LOT to get to the stairs. Also be aware of where your cabin is in relation to the Splash Academy as you'll likely be making that trip many, many times.

My favorite meals last week were Teppenyaki (surprise, because I wasn't too crazy out that choice) and LeBistro for exceptional service and delicious food. I also enjoyed LaCucina...I think the best bread on the ship. The main dining room (Taste or Savor) is a must-do for embarkation lunch. Avoid the craziness of the Garden Cafe! And O'Sheehans is great for a light snack, such as buffalo wings or a salad with a salmon filet...my favorites.

You might check out Vibe if you like restful and stress free lounging under the rays. The staff there are awesome and will make you feel pampered and special. (It's 18+, so a great place to spend your time while your 5 year old is enjoyed the Splash Academy.)

The two main shows (Brat Pack and Almost Midnight) aren't particularly suited to small children...in fact, I would not take any of my kids to either due to mature themes and bad language. But the actors are very talented and great for a "date night". The Supper Club show featuring Frankie Valli music might be fun if your child enjoys music (but I'm pretty sure others will disagree with me on that recommendation).

There are a few family activities that you can attend with your child such as crafts, cupcakes decorating, sports events. Don't miss the "junior" ropes course designed for little ones. It looked like lots of fun (it's on the deck, so no scary heights involved)...and the regular rope course (for you) is amazing too! So fun!

I loved the Escape and I hope you do too!

Congrats, it is a wonderful ship.

I think the NCL's complimentary food and dining options are quite good. You'll have two essentially identical main dining rooms and the Manhattan room that typically offers live music with your meal and has a big dance floor for use. All three of those will feature the same menu that changes daily. The pub is 24hrs and the food isn't top shelf, but good, and if you do the all you can eat spare ribs or prime rib nights there some may say it is better than I'm suggesting (I've not done those). The buffet may also surprise you with it's range and quality, it seems to pleasantly surprise most. You do not need reservations for the complimentary restaurants, just show up when and where you'd like to dine. Bottom line as a newcomer to NCL dining I don't think jumping into the Specialty pond is needed. Perhaps save those for another NCL cruise (Teppanyaki is on every ship).

You can also have a gourmet meal at the dinner show in the Supper Club, we paid for one of those. There is also a no fee dinner show there. I did both and enjoyed both shows and both meals. The menu was unique, they did not match the MDR menus for the evening.

I've selected the shore excursion perk twice and been satisfied. The key with that option: you need to be willing to book with NCL and you have the risk that a port gets skipped so you don't get the "value". Since enjoying wine is something you like you may want to reconsider the Beverage package. Especially with the wine cellar onboard it may be freeing to have that option.

In St. Thomas if you haven't done this already I suggest you include the Paradise gondola ride. You can buy the tickets onboard from NCL and they're a little less buying that way. You can do it in a hour or more if you prefer to stay on top longer. We took a taxi to the beach, came back onboard for showers and lunch then walked to the ride, fun day.

In general NCL has a nice variety of entertainment and it is spread around the ship (wine bar, craft beer venue, karaoke lounge, comedy club, theater, supper club, atrium, pool deck, etc.). This may be one of the profound differences vs RCCL as NCL seems to get high marks in this area and comments that it isn't like other ship experiences. Of special note is the juggler in the supper club. That is a family oriented non dinner no fee show. I think he performs around 9pm each night.

Keep an eye on the daily for family oriented Arts & Crafts. On my last NCL cruise the origami was a nice family activity that I did as a solo traveler.

The waterfront is one of my favorite places, take some time to just enjoy the sea with a stroll or from one of the wicker chairs or sofas. I tended to nap there, lol.

If you like the casino there is a non smoking section and generally a nice assortment of slot machines.

The balcony cabin is really nice. We had a balcony designed for 4 so my nephew slept on the bunk out of the ceiling and we were able to keep the sofa for seating and never had it made into a bed. There is a USB ports by each bed, great for charging overnight. There are 3 outlets at the main counter in the room, plenty for our curling iron and other charging needs. I don't recall an outlet in the bathroom. When the bed is next to balcony you'll have easier access to the closet. With the bed next to the closet it is tighter access, but still reasonable. With 3 in the cabin I felt comfortable, not crowded. Plenty of storage space.

Mid cruise you'll likely be offered a laundry special. All you can fit into the bag provided for about $20. It will be washed, folded and returned late on the following day, not same day. Depending on the excursions you take it might be really helpful, lol.

There is a complimentary breakfast menu for room service. If you order other meals or off the non complimentary menu for breakfast you'll be charged $7.95 for the service, tipping is at your discretion. I have ordered off the complimentary menu for our first morning, nice to have your morning beverage or treat on the balcony. I also add in an extra milk and dry cereal to have something in the cabin in case our teen(or your little one) gets hungry late or while chilling in the cabin.

I find the iConcierge app helpful onboard and have booked a shore excursion using the app. I don't pay the fee for texting, etc. but it helps to track expenses and see the schedule of activities without having to get up and find a board or carry my Daily. Now in both cases the app is lacking(billing is a little quirky and not every activity shows), but it is helpful. The large interactive kiosks NCL has installed are quite nice and I've also used those to make dining reservations (i.e. the for pay supper club show).

Four thumbs up from our family. I'm picky, critical, thanks to work trips and the execs I work with. I would rate Escape 4 star out of 5. I know there are some RCCL snobs that would say "NCL has always below the other lines," but we liked Escape, enough to give it one more run before we try something different. We had a and will have a large balcony room (x2 last year). We decided one will do this year and save some $$$. The kids pool is good and the slides and activities are great. We liked Teppanyaki and Moderno would be cool too. I think a 5 year old would think all the choices of meat are fun. Most of all, the staff were very friendly and on the pool and activity decks were very conscious to remember all the kids names and make them feel special.