novanoto

Just got a notification from NCL and my TA that the 11/17 sailing has been canceled. Anyone have any additional info? I figured it would be here, but nothing yet. Somewhat frustrating to say the least. I assume it's due to construction delays?! 

Just got off the Escape and the Pineapple Rum Champ became my go-to over the second half of the week. Amazing drink! And most bars were able to make it!!

They're ok at best. Had them on the Getaway, and from the original shop in Hoboken. Nothing there is that special, save for their specialty cakes.

Yes. They pick you up on 2 floor.

 

?????? No second floor at the port .... this sounds like the airport

Thought the same thing. Good to know we'll at least be able to Uber it to the POM. Thanks all!

They are allowed to drop you off. Not sure about being picked up.

Is that certain? Thanks Carolyn!

Unfortunately, the thread linked didn't provide answers either. Someone there mentioned that Uber wasn't allowed in the POM, but that was some months ago, and I can't seem to find a current answer or status. Thanks anyway.

Can anyone tell me if they've ever used Uber to get to or from the POM? Specifically from...are the Uber drivers allowed to enter and exit as a regular Taxi would? Thanks in advance!

You said after 11 everything is quiet lol. After 11 is when things are just getting fun lol. That's when the kids and the oldies go to bed lol.

 

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Not true. I said NCL isn't fall all over yourself-messy-drunk the way some carnival ships are! But no worries. Escape will be fun no matter what!

Are you kidding? After 11 they turn bliss into the night club that is open all night.

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lol, umm, what did I say previously to contradict that? I agree. NCL is the best IMO in terms of atmosphere and fun, but people not falling all over themselves.

This comment scares me. :p I can party with the best of them, but I don't want to feel like I'm on Spring Break.

Ha, you have nothing to worry about. I did many spring break cruises in my day, on Carnival, Royal, etc. as well as plenty of other Carnival cruises, and not once did I feel like I was on one of those sailings on NCL. My wife and I were on the Getaway last May and it was an extremely fun and lively atmosphere, but not a drunken, fall-all over-yourself, party atmosphere.

Suggestions for two day post cruise on Miami Beach? We are thinking of the Z Ocean Hotel, crowne plaza. Great reviews on Trip advisor, rooms are large and look fairly new. Front Porch cafe is also highly recommended. Other ideas??? Dates are March 15-17.

Depends on what you're looking for in the hotel and area (vibe, crowd, etc.). If you want to be on Ocean Drive or Collins, South Beach or Mid/North Beach, if you want to be on the beach, if you want a hotel with a pool, etc.

We are spending one pre-cruise night in South Beach on the Friday of Ultra. We wanted to do tours and dinner downtown but couldn't get a hotel there. We were hoping to cab/Uber/bus/water taxi from SoBe to downtown early afternoon and come back early evening(no later than seven). Do we run the risk of being stranded downtown due to the lack of cabs? There are special needs seniors in our party so we don't want to incur any risk of being stranded for the night.

I think you'll be fine at those hours. Ultra goes from early afternoon through late-night (whenever the curfew is this year), so you won't have a problem early evening.

Are you flying in the morning of, or beforehand? If the morning of, LaGuardia is the closest to Manhattan. If beforehand, you can fly into any of JFK, EWR or LGA and catch a flat-rate cab into the City.

Check your prices! My OV for January went down $217 since last week and I still get the promotion. I was sent a confirmation and amenity report immediately.

 

I know not everyone's prices will go down, but I thought it's worth a note to check.

Yup, we have to give up an additional $100 OBC, but we save $320 total on the price, so a net value of $220. I'll take it!

So it gives you access to a special little area? The only way to get is is being one of the first ones at guest services?

Yes and yes. When I was on the Getaway in May, however, we got onto the ship early, toured the ship and looked at Vibe, and then went to guest services and still got our wristbands. Not sure if that's the norm, however.

The ONLY things excluded are drinks priced over $10. There are no categories. If it is $10 or under, it is included. That includes 99.999% of all drinks you will find on the ship. I know Grey Goose is certainly included. I don't drink the others, but I am sure they would be included too, if the ship carries them.

 

This is referring to alcohol, since someone is sure to pipe in with the whole "coffee and blah blah blah aren't included". We are talking alcohol here.

Haha, thank you! Now that is the answer I was looking for. And yes, alcohol is the name of the game here. If I'm not mistaken, we'll be on the same sailing as well!

Does anyone have an updated list of the liquor categories NCL has? I.e., what exactly is excluded under the new terms of the UBP? I fear that most brands I drink (according to the old listing) are excluded...Grey Goose; Elijah Craig; Bookers; Zacapa, etc. Any input would be appreciated. Thanks!!

Has it been announced somewhere that there will be a Broadway musical on Escape, or are we just assuming, since the other newer ships have one?

I think it's assumptions, but pretty fair and educated ones. I don't think it'll be anything with a huge production, like Wicked or any of the Disney shows, but Jersey Boys could work.

I seem to remember speculation that NCL didn't want to pay the big bucks that RCI did for long-running shows like Chicago, Hairspray, etc, which is how they ended up with Legally Blonde and Rock of Ages. That would limit the options to smaller-playing shows and shows that are no longer on Broadway, it would seem.

In any event, hopefully we'll know more soon!!

Tom, I was on the Getaway in May and found "country club casual" to be the norm. I, like you, usually tend to skew dressier, but I vowed to be more casual on this ship. My casual is a pair of designer jeans or pants (not slacks) and a button down or nice polo (burberry, etc.), with a pair of loafers/boat shoes, and I found that I was the norm. Rarely did I see anyone in shorts in any of the specialty restaurants, MDR's or shows. We saw, on multiple occasions, staff turn people away for wearing shorts and trying to go to Le Bistro and Tropicana Room. Only once, as I can remember, did I see someone in shorts in Cagneys or any other specialty restaurant. Hope this helps!

It's not an ideal area for sightseeing or anything of that nature. Being a native New Yorker, my advice would be to stay closer in Manhattan itself. Since it's January, if you get stuck with a snowstorm, what should be a 25 minute drive to the pier, could turn into a few hour drive.

I had a balcony on the Getaway last month, and while small, it was still certainly more than enough room than you will most likely need. There are two chairs and a small table all facing forward. Enough room to sit out and relax or have 3 people stand and face outward. I was never bothered by the size of it. Hope this helps!

Thank you for your suggestions! Do you mind going a little more in depth on how the ship, food, and entertainment was better on NCL than your time on Royal?

Sure, for my wife and I personally, we just thought the production level of the main shows on the Getaway (Burn the Floor and Legally Blonde) was better than that on the Oasis...again, not the Allure. The rest of the entertainment, however, I would imagine, is top-notch on the Allure.

The food, however, for us, was no question. The Getaway blew the Oasis out of the water...but this was predominantly in the specialty restaurants, Garden Cafe, and Flamingo Grille. The two times we ate at the main dining room, the food was good, but not amazing. I would imagine the Allure is similar enough to the Oasis in this regard.

The ship itself was just great...new, good layout, enough to do and enough room and space, but not too large or too small. The waterfront was awesome and the vibe beach club (if you're into that) was amazing. The pool deck area, ropes course, slides, etc, were all amazing as well. The Allure to me pales in comparison there, but that is all dependent on what you're looking for.

Overall, again, for a one-time-only type of thing, I would probably choose the Allure, but if you end up on the Getaway, I still think you'll have an amazing time!

I've done the Oasis and the Getaway just a few weeks ago. I loved both ships. My wife and I are leaning towards going back to NCL before we go back to Royal again, because we loved our Getaway experience. Overall, we just thought the ship, food, and entertainment were top notch. Service, however, I thought was better on the Oasis.

That being said, if your SO only has one potential sailing/ship to go on, I would probably choose the Allure simply for the WOW factor. The size, the different areas, the aquatheatre, etc. Those can't be found on any other ships!

I have really enjoyed reading your review! Thanks so much for taking the time to write all this. We will be on the Getaway in October and can't wait! This will be our 6th NCL cruise, and our first on one of the huge ships.

Just wondering, with so many passengers, how was getting off and on the ships while in port?

 

 

 

Pat & Tom

Hey Pat and Tom, my wife and I never experienced any delay, wait, or problem in getting on or off the ship in any port. We went early and in "prime time" if you will, and never experienced any issues!

Notthatpaulyd, as everyone has already said, great review. It's even more special since we were on the same sailing, and probably drinking next to each other at various points as well lol.

My wife and I agree with your sentiments that we're leaning NCL again for next time. We just really loved the ship and the little touches, like the "welcome home" banner too. So much so that it's looking like we'll be on the Escape on 12/5/15, a day after my birthday.

Thanks again for letting me relive that awesome week through your review!