TheDougOut

We did the hour pass - $29 vs. the $8 / attraction.  The hour is only accumulating while you’re participating in an activity, so you get the same amount of play regardless of how crowded it is.

It’s almost identical to what’s on Encore.  There are only 3 or 4 attractions that seem worthwhile… my favorites being the various “maze” games and descent.  
 

No idea what crowds will be allowed once they hit full-capacity sailings. 
 

It all feels to be outdated technology. 

1 hour ago, kayjaypea42 said:

 

Do you think the vibe is because it's a transatlantic, or is it just a snooze-fest of a cruise? I hope things improve as they get to the Caribbean.  It's one thing to have more low-key nightlife on a European or transatlantic ship; it's another thing entirely for a Caribbean cruise!  I mean, I'm not expecting it to be a Carnival party, but also...I'd be disappointed in MSC-levels of nightlife... (I call MSC a floating nursing home; that was my experience on Divina in 2018)

Much like how the ship is segmented into more & smaller venues, so is the entertainment.  It’s odd that the two late-night venues are across from one another in the otherwise maze-like common areas.  The casino is more isolated as well, so that doesn’t contribute to any “vibe” in the nighttime common areas.

DBH was sorely missed, and we usually resorted to closing out Improv, then Syd’s, and then ended the night at the bar-side of The Local.

The “club” nights in the theater have potential, but they really should tweak the screen brightness & offer more light-show variation so there’s less full-on lights all the time.  It’s so bright, it felt more school-gym than nightclub.  But the potential is there.

The bar crew at Syd’s is great… Marcial, Martin, Roy & others.  They made our trip, and we tried to include them in the fun as much as possible.

4 hours ago, kessdarln said:

What is this event with all the shots? 

Just friends having fun during the transatlantic.  Late night entertainment really struggles on this ship… just karaoke in Improv then a DJ in Syd’s.  I was told the DJ in Syd’s fell asleep last night and the music came to an end until the bar crew woke him back up.  That pretty much sums up the late-night vibe on this ship. 
 

As a result, shots have become the entertainment for the TA-regulars.  The bar staff in Syd’s have been great all week.  

@JIMESOPUS- Oktoberfest is 100% the effort of Conni & Kai from Frankfurt.  She always puts on a great show!

Current scene in Syd’s Shothouse… we made it up to 18.

2 hours ago, Single Cruiser said:

I’m currently booked on that inaugural…

Still sad you’re not where you belong.  You will be missed. 
 

edit: at least come down to SH for a night of stupidity.  

4:52 AM, and the Social is handing out premaid PB&J and mystery wedges.  

21 hours ago, Sthrngary said:

Remember, all Haven are fully booked.  It won't make a difference when the ships have 100% occupancy.

I suspect there will be a difference.  When Haven (or the Retreat) is near-capacity and the rest of the ship is at half capacity, we tend to spend much more time in the common areas.  We just got off the Apex, and don’t think we spent more than a few hours on the retreat sundeck (compared to endless hours in the empty solarium).
 

That will no longer be the case once ships return to 100% capacity, and the suite areas are comparatively the less-crowded spaces.

10 hours ago, NavyCruiser said:

Actually, as of Jan 1, our hometown of  Houston has 22.1% positivity rate, 303442 of 1371880 tested.  Safer to be on 1% cruise ship where 100% of crew & 100% of passengers 12 & up are vaccinated , & tested negative as of 2 days prior to embarkation...

I believe the 1% on board rate isn’t limited to those being tested.  I suspect that number is much greater.

13 minutes ago, eileeshb said:

NCL have said they’re not dropping fares into the old super cheap range they did in the past to fill the ships. I suspect fares under €500 are a thing of the past so effectively paying guests will be subsidising all those FCC credits. 

Escape’s Dec 11 sailing had $399pp sailaway balconies.  I don’t think I’ve ever seen it drop lower than that.  

Any feedback on the various massage options?  How about the various options for couples (Bamboo Massage, Swedish Massage, Deep Tissue Massage, Aroma Seaweed Massage, Aroma Stone Massage, Cleansing Body Polish)?

Yeah, yeah, yeah... 4 days away from Xmas and this procrastinator is looking for ideas 😆

On 11/16/2021 at 3:01 PM, luckyinpa said:

have they ever offered 3rd/4th guest free booze packs? something tells me THAT would be a legit sale people would get excited about

All guests get Beverage Package… it’s been that way for quite awhile.  It’s in the T&C…

On 8/17/2020 at 9:18 AM, FreestyleNovice said:

 

Here's the source; https://www.cgarchitect.com/images/26b49519  (March/April 2019). I can imagine NCL going for the more contemporary look and feel, their pricing already is at that premium level. 

Guess who just pulled the photo?  😆

21 minutes ago, wallaceralphl said:

Where?

The cheesecake and carrot cake were from American Diner.

9 hours ago, 17cruisesnsl said:

 

Cheers!  I always think of Live 1/30 when I see that bottle on a shelf.

24 minutes ago, sid_9169 said:

Thanks for taking us along, Doug...  One last time.........

Burn ‘em up in the Caribbean, Sid! 

8 minutes ago, Victorious8 said:

Your Escape Live review really did mean a lot to me. I had just booked my first solo cruise. It was a big thing for me since it was always what I did with my family, but more significantly my Nana who had just passed away. I had always planned to do my post bar trip with her so this was my attempt to salvage the occasion. 

I remember reading your thread and just feeling so excited and happy about my decision to go on Escape. 

What's even great is you and Sue are event better in person. It was SO incredible spending the last 10 days with all of you. It really reminded me of when I used to cruise with my big family and you could always go to any event on there would be a friendly face making a spot for you to participate. It really was something special. I wish my Nana could have met you all ❤️ 

While I was a solo traveler I never once felt alone. 

Anyways I am welling up some tears at JFK so I should probably stop. 

Thanks again ❤️ 

#sfb

In case this wasn’t already posted...

2 minutes ago, Carderman said:

I take it the Europeans whipped you in to shape🤣

We ran into a group of them in the Observation lounge, where the bartender was pouring them some B.S. mixed-tequila shot, as we’re throwing back our straight-up shots (out of glasses at more than one stop).   

“You didn’t say that in the rules!”  

Oh, ok. 🙄

33 minutes ago, Carderman said:

Who won the Ryder Hiccup in the end?

Those that didn’t participate.

Dumbest idea ever.  

My “one last time”...

Orchestrating the Bliss & Encore transatlantic groups has been exhausting. I’ve been at this for nearly 3 years now, and I can’t even begin to estimate how much time was involved.  I’m really looking forward to taking a long (forever?) break from all of this.

My first “live” thread was intentional, and it served a purpose.  

The prior summer my parents wanted to go on a big family cruise in celebration of their 50th wedding anniversary.  We narrowed our ship possibilities down to the Celebrity Summit & the Norwegian Breakaway, eventually deciding on the Breakaway.  

For the months leading up to our cruise, we all second-guessed our decision based on all the negative posts & reviews found on CruiseCritic & elsewhere.  Impossible to get a drink at the bar, an hour-wait for a trip down a water slide, rude staff, etc. - we read it all.  

We then boarded a fully-booked ship and were blown away by every aspect of the experience.  It was absolutely perfect, and all week we just kept shaking our heads, trying to figure out how someone could experience anything other than a great time on that ship.

Fast forward to the Escape launch later that year - and all the same negativity began to surface.  The ship’s rating on CruiseCritic hung well-below 50% for months, with all the same arguments & critiques being made.  

The endless discussions debating the ship went in circles, with comments shifting between those that had nothing good to say and those, much like myself, that were dismissed as “cheerleaders”.  It irked me to no end.

Then it was our turn to have a go at it, and I knew I had an opportunity to dismiss the baseless negativity once and for all.  So I went “live”, with the intent to be big, loud, fun, and honest.  I wanted to demonstrate what it was REALLY like to go on this class of ship, so all the people planning their first cruise could comfortably dismiss the negativity and allow the fun & anticipation to take over.  And it worked - much better than I ever imagined.

That first thread nearly killed me.  I was well-beyond exhausted as I obsessed over the dialogue that was developing with those reading along.  Sue HATED that I was doing it, as I’m OCD and allowed it to completely take over our trip.  This became an escalating argument, to the point where I wasn’t allowed to have my phone visible, forcing me to sneak around in order to post.

Her frustration continued right up through the morning that we disembarked.  That morning we needed to figure out how to spend the day in Miami before flying out that night, and my brain was useless.  As we stood in the median outside the port, I knew she was completely pissed off, scowling at me as I could do little more than lean up against our luggage.

The next part continues to make me laugh, as right in the middle of all this tension, a young couple run up to meet me.  And then seconds later, a taxi screeches to a halt as JimTheLizard jumps out to shake my hand.  It wasn’t until that moment that Sue realized just how big it had become, and I spent the rest of the day either smiling or snoring away in some public place.

I’d like to think I played some small role in the subsequent shift of the public’s view of the Escape, at least on CruiseCritic.  Ratings began to rise, as many more people began to celebrate the ship than ever before.  Many subsequent reviewers went “live”, keeping the momentum alive.  

The thread served its purpose.  

I’m sitting here debating if I have any closing thoughts on the ship, but if I’m to be honest, I don’t think we really took much of it in.  

Those that were on the sailing know - the cruise was all about the people.   No ports, no promise of decent weather, and certainly no fanfare.  It’s why this thread never fully developed, as we chose to spend every possible moment with the people that mean so much to us.  It was one big family reunion from the moment we touched down in Southampton right through to our party in NYC last night.

These inaugural transatlantics have accumulated a wealth of life-long friendships, long before we ever got involved.  I have little doubt that this tradition will continue with whatever Project Leonardo delivers. 

The ship itself is beautiful.  It feels slightly-less polished and with less continuity than what is felt on the Bliss.  Compare the DBH theming between the two -  The Bliss has the fantastic bear & wilderness pieces that align with the Alaska & Wyland theming, with tons of detail to discover in every nook.  The Encore’s version feels a bit Applebee’s-ish, with generic & cheap-looking motorcycle art thrown around.  I wouldn’t be shocked to find a TJ Maxx price-tag left behind.  Some of this can be felt in several other public spaces. 

Those that have followed the “everything” thread already know... I’m not a fan of NCL’s decisions regarding the Encore’s upper decks.  I’ll leave it at that, and we can all watch how their new approach plays out in the Caribbean.

The crew continues to be the best at sea.  While we’ve flirted with other mainstream lines, we’ve always returned to NCL, and the friendliness of the crew has been a big part of that.  Those that will be sailing the Encore in the coming months will be treated to the best of the best. 

Way too many lights going dark...