p.opus

Ship - Escape

Deck - 12

Stateroom # - 12573

Stateroom Category – T1 (Studio)

Starboard or Port Side - Centerline Starbord

Quiet Stateroom? (With comments on problems) – Yes, Very

Was stateroom a connecting stateroom? - No

Balcony View - Give comments on view, noting if location of any obstructions was an issue. – N/A

Balcony Size? Normal or oversized for class? - N/A

Was wind a problem? - N/A

If an aft cabin, was soot a problem? - N/A

Any specific problems with this cabin? - Sink stopper would not screw into sink, but would still work. One of the "grips" for the internal window came off in hand, not glued in.

Any other comments? - Very nice studio cabin. Very close to stbd passageway for easy access and also very close to stairwell leading down to studio lounge. The only one that seems better is 12575 which I have booked for my next two NCL cruises.

Unfortunately this is true.

When I went on board the Escape last week, there was a 15.00 cover which when you add 3 buck mandatory gratuity is $18.00.

What that "buys" is an appetizer, main course and dessert. Drinks are extra.

They still need to work out the kinks. Complimentary use caused way too much carnage because the venue is too small for the number of passengers. The initial al a carte pricing drove people away. And now they are trying something else kind of like a prix fixe offering. And that is not working either.

The space is criminally under utilized. For breakfast you can get free omelets here but little else. No other food offering on Deck 17, so if you don't want omelets you're in the wrong place. It's only open 12pm to 5pm so spending nearly 20 bucks for lunch is ludicrous.. It might have been a nice casual dinner alternative to the "Pub" or Buffet but it's closed after 5pm. God forbid you might want to open it up as bleed over from Spice H20, or to get some nachos halfway through the glow party at 11pm.

Well, at least you can sit down and enjoy a book there. It's deserted most of the time.

Don't know why this is so tough for NCL. Blue Iguana Cantina and Guys Burger Joint are big hits for Carnival and they're complimentary. NCL should be able to figure out the right price point.

Had a huge Buffett Fan on board my cruise. Went to Margaritaville in all the ports we stopped at but never used the one on the ship. That tells you something.

The Spirit class can also be deployed to Tampa, so they can deploy the Spirit's to some of the restricted ports.

Actually I would like to see Carnival make more of the 2000 to 3000 passenger ships. Bigger isn't always better.