UKLloyd

I would be unhappy about this arrangement. Will the credit applied on board be refundable, or will you have to spend it on something else during the cruise?

 

The shore excursion credit was already one of the worst perks (in my opinion), and this makes it even less attractive. :(

I havn't asked this. So I do not Know i'm afraid.

We had this last June. In our case, we booked only 2 excursions via NCL and one on our own. Paid up,front and then a received an OBC for the total credit.

 

That as under the AllInclusive promo that they had last year.

We know how things change.

We are similiar. We have had our cruise booked for well over a year now, and do not sail until December 3rd, So we had all of the packages (Haven) when they were first released and more than likely when they were best (without the changes).

So if it is an onboard credit refund, shall more than likely not get used due to us having $300 already to spend onboard. Plus all of our drinks and food. Not sure what else we can spend it on to be honest. Suppose it is not a bad problem to have.

We have the $50 Shore Excursion Credits. When I called to book our excursion, the rep told me Canadians are booking and paying in full now, and then the $50(s) would be applied as OBC (in US dollars) to your account.

I suspect this is also going to be the case for us.

Oh, I see. Make sure they do not require full payment in advance (people have reported problems with this, see here for example). Everything is charged on board, and the credit applied at that time. At least that is how it is supposed to work. Bring along some documentation of your $75 credit, just in case.

You are correct, I was advised that we would need to make full payment for the excursions at the same time as final payment.

I'm not sure what the practical difference is between the two options you described. It is credited to your account if you purchase shore excursions, and it is deducted from your shore excursion total in each port. You can look at it either way.

 

You have to spend all $75 on excursions in a single port. Maybe that is what you are asking. If your excursions cost less than that, you don't get to keep the extra as general OBC, and it doesn't carry over as shorex credit to the following port, either.

Ok what i meant was, I have just booked a shore excursion using the number provided to use the promo. However, When it shows up on my planner, it shows as full price without any deduction for my shore excursion credit.

I was just checking to see if this is normal and i will receive a credit on my onboard account, Or should i have received $75 off of the total for the excursion.

Hi Everybody. Hope all of you are well.

Just a quick question about the shore excursion credit. When we booked our cruise we received a $75 shorex credit per port.

Is this just a $75 credit onto our onboard account on the ship per excursion we book? or is it deducted from the total cost of the shore excursion?

Thanks for any help.

Happy cruising.

Hi,

 

I would call the NCL Excursion number (866) 625-1167 directly and not book via My NCL... if you do it via My NCL then you actually pay for them upfront and any cancellations are a pain in the butt to get refunded.... However, if you call the NCL Excursion people, then they are reserved, appear on your My NCL, and the costs are added to your shipboard account.... You can change tours up to 2 days before sailing or on board ship 2 days prior to arrival into port. Flights, Dolphins, Golf, Scuba, Fishing & Wave-runners are non-refundable and CANNOT be changed or cancelled onboard the ship.

 

The excursions are printed out for the passenger so if there is a cancellation of a passenger for the trip, then that excursion is cancelled... you just need to call and reserve the excursion for the new passenger.

 

I would be interested to know if promos that you received with your son would be transferred to the new passenger... considering everything is pretty much linked to your Latitude number.

Is this the same in the UK? Can we book and pay for them onboard?

A strange one, However I am sure somebody will know the answer.

On the standard Escape Eastern carribean sailing, How many miles are sailed on the roundtrip from miami?

Thanks if anybody can help.

I attended the Technical Q&A session on the FEB-20th cruise. I found it to be very informational and fascinating. Although I'm left very curious to know what is really going on regarding the added "movement" that is felt on this ship as compared to other cruise ships of similar sizes.

 

As I read many reviews on here and on other sites and social media (that I wont mention) it's a common experience to feel a little extra motion on the Escape. While this motion didn't bother me in the least...and I'm easily prone to motion sickness and have gotten sick on several ships...I felt it too, but didn't get sick at all.

 

What I find curious is that there are several different answers and opinions as to why there is a little extra motion felt on the Escape. I'm even reading that the captain is answering this commonly asked question differently at his weekly Technical Q&A sessions. At my Q&A his response was "the bigger the ship...the more movement is felt" at a different Q&A his response was that the ocean is a little rough at this time of the year. Yet, this motion has been felt and reported by almost everyone that has written a review about the Escape.

 

What is the latest on this? I'm not a nautical engineer but it does seem plausible that a larger ship might be susceptible to motion simply because it's larger and will capture more wind and movement...I don't know...I'm just very curious because I've also read that there are issues with the stabilizers. If there are issues with the stabilizers I can see why the captain might want to avoid answering this question or give a different answer each time to avoid panic.

 

I'm only curious...we loved the Escape and this isn't a negative review by any means. We are already booked for another cruise on the Escape in December!

 

Does anyone have any insight on this?

 

Brian

I am not an expert at all, However, Surely the bigger the ship the more movement there is, Is wrong? I have been on the Oasis of the seas, at one point, We didnt even realise we had left port, no movement at all. Then on the Getaway, the movement could definatly be felt. Didnt feel any movement on the Epic either. All ships were in calm seas as well.

We are over from the UK for this cruise on 3rd December, Doesnt show in my itinerary that anything has changed, First I have heard of it.

Doesnt change much though, still very excited.:D

Sorry to be the bearer of bad news, but I did not see it on the menu BOTH nights so I guess it has went to be with the much loved, but not forgotten Mozz sticks and chicken fingers at O' Sheehan's

 

:(

Oh I forgot the mozzarella sticks have gone as well. When on the getaway I would often walk past o'sheehans stuffed but think, hmmmmmm, room for mozzarella sticks and order some. Lol. Love them things. However, not as much as the Oreo cheesecake. Can you not get it at the bake shop or anywhere else? I've got to break this news to my girlfriend, she will not be pleased. Lol.

Your review is great. Thanks for posting it.

I'm sorry what? No Oreo cookie cheesecake anymore?

I'm absolutely gutted!! That was the best ever dessert I've had.

Can't believe it's gone.

Just out if interest, how many days in advance do things open up for booking for haven and non haven guests?

Tortola, British Virgin Islands

 

Tortola was a new one for us. In all of our previous cruises, we had never visited Tortola before. In fact, the port facilities at Tortola are brand new... and there's still a lot of construction going on to various shops and restaurants that are being built adjacent to the pier.

 

In picking a shore excursion, we knew we wanted to spend a day at the beach... but there were a lot of choices. We ended up choosing one that involved a boat ride over to a neighboring island, Jost Van Dyke. What attracted us to this particular shore excursion was that the boat that takes you over to Jost Van Dyke has an unusual stairway built on to it... which makes it very easy to get on and off the boat from the beach. You can see how easy it is to get on and off the boat in this video provided by Norwegian Cruise Line. At :42 seconds in to the video, you'll see how easy it is to get on to the beach from the boat.

 

[YOUTUBE]URHHpoZSAAg[/YOUTUBE]

 

The shore excursion to Jost Van Dyke was almost exactly like what NCL captured in their video. We even had the same Captain! I laughed when I met her as we boarded her boat, and told her that I had seen her in the video on YouTube. The name of her boat is the Rebel Yell.

 

The Rebel Yell met us in Tortola, just at the end of the cruise ship pier. It was super convenient to just walk off the ship, down the pier, and then right on to the Rebel Yell for a nice ride over to Jost Van Dyke. As we left the cruise ship pier in Tortola and sailed right past the Norwegian Escape, I shot some video that gives you a pretty good look at the exterior of the Norwegian Escape:

 

[YOUTUBE]6Z7mMkwMB_k[/YOUTUBE]

 

Be sure to wear a (waterproof) watch to Jost Van Dyke. The Rebel Yell drops you off right on the beach, and then they tell you to go have fun for the afternoon and meet them back at that same spot on the beach at a certain time. The Rebel Yell actually leaves at that point, goes to get more people, and comes back later. I think they actually made two trips back and forth ferrying people to the beach before taking us back later that day. There are lots of similar-looking small boats picking up beach people throughout the day, so it's important to remember the name of the boat you're looking for (Rebel Yell) and the time they told you to meet them.

 

Our time on Just Van Dyke was very much like what we had seen in the YouTube video provided by NCL. The trick is to find a good spot on the beach to spend the day. Some of the bars and restaurants on the beach offer free loungers to their customers, but all those were in the full sun with no shade. We opted to walk further down the beach until we found some loungers that were for rent under the shade of some big palm trees. I had no intention of getting a sun burn during my vacation, and if I had to spend $20 for two loungers in the shade, that was fine by me!

 

 

I brought my snorkel gear with me, but that was a bust. There really wasn't anything to see under the water at this beach. Also, on this day in January, the water was just a little cooler than I would have preferred. It was definitely warm enough for swimming... it just wasn't incredibly warm like it would have been if we had visited the area in September.

 

At lunch time, I walked over to the Soggy Dollar Bar and ordered a burger. It wasn't bad, the fries were EXCELLENT, and the service was quite friendly.

 

 

While it wasn't the amazingly-warm beach experience that I had dreamed about, we did have a nice day on the beach at Jost Van Dyke... and if we ever make it back this way during the hot weather of hurricane season in late summer and early fall, it would definitely be worth another visit.

 

You have written a wonderful review. Was waiting for someone to do a haven review like this, and yours was worth waiting for, so thank you.

If you don't mind me asking, how much was the Jost van dyke excursion?

We will be there 7-3 I think and was worried this wouldn't be available to us on our sailing, however as it was on yours, I'm hopeful it will be on ours.

Also, you say you left the pier at 9:15, roughly what time did you leave the beach to get back?

Thank you so much if you can help.

Sorry, Was just sitting here thinking and thought I would ask the question.

When I think of cruising, I automatically expect decent food. With good quality ingredients. So i was just wondering, How much of the food on NCL is actually made on the ship? Or is everything frozen on board and defrosted. Do they even bake their own bread fresh?

Sorry, Just thought that this board has so many knowledgeable members, Wouldn't hurt to ask. It doesn't change anything for me, Still love cruising NCL, Just curious is all.

Thanks for any answers.

Another observation, it does seem that the Escape just can't get away from those 1 and 2 star reviews which drag the overall rating down. However, the number of 2 star reviews in the first 100 reviews published was 25, but in the 98 since then the number was down to 10, which is quite an improvement.

 

With one star reviews, there were 10 in the first 100 published, compared to 7 in the last 98, so not such a big improvement there. However, that does mean that the 1 or 2 star reviews made up 35% of the first 100 reviews, but that number is down to 17% since then. This is still too high, but an improvement.

 

On the other hand, those 1 and 2 star reviews make up 33% of the last 18 reviews, so thats another sign of the recent slump.

Hey, It was myself who asked that question, So thank you for looking through the numbers.

It is a strange one isn't it, Understandably the first few reviews were not the greatest, New ship etc. Then the reviews picked up as expected, However as you say they start to dip again.

I think as was suggested on the thread at the time, Everything should be taken with a pinch of salt as everybody has their own opinions and things that they expect to see which will effect their overall experience. I will certainly be going on the ship, Excited as I can be and will just enjoy the experience. I have only been on 3 cruises and am hooked. I have sailed on the Oasis of the seas, The NCL Epic, NCL Getaway and now the Escape planned for the future, So in terms of people talking about the crowds and the upcharges, I think as I have only sailed the larger ships anyway, I know no different. I come to expect the crowds and to be honest, I have not experienced a bad one so far whilst cruising, it adds to the excitement and atmosphere for me, Everybody having a good time etc. Up charges, I know they exist before I get on the ship, I familiarise myself with them so i Know what to expect. I have seen a lot on here over the past year that things are changing on the ship mid cruise that people did not Know about, Whilst this is not acceptable, I wouldn't let it ruin my cruise. If I want it bad enough, Ill pay it, if its not worth it i wont.

However, i am sure I will board the ship and have a great time like 90% of everybody else that boards.

Here in the UK we are an hour into 2016!!

I would just like to say to all my fellow cruise critics,

HAPPY NEW YEAR.

May we all take many cruises in 2016 and enjoy them all.

Thanks everybody for your posts.

I was worried about some of the reviews as well. We just sailed on the Dec. 5 sailing. We were. In the Haven, so we didn't have to deal with some of the crowded areas, like main pool deck. But we did the slides and ropes course without much wait. They were lots of fun. It is all about timing. One time, no lines, and by the time we were done there was a huge line.

 

Loved the entertainment, esp. Million Dollar Quartet. Had dinner in main dining room once, good food and good service. Meals in the Haven restaurant were slow most times. Not sure why. But the food was excellent. That would be my only complaint, slow service in Haven restaurant.

 

We had a great time. We were 6, me and hubby, and our 3 adult kids with one fiancée. Don't worry, be happy and enjoy your cruise!

We too will be in the Haven. We are not sailing until December 3rd so a long way to go. Was just getting a little curious, although I realise it is what we make of it.

Is the Escape really as bad as people are saying?

Are they just experiencing teething problems, or are the issues here to stay?

Surprised at what I'm reading, am still very excited for my cruise, but am actually starting to worry about issues that people are reporting. Although i very much intend to enjoy myself.

Pincho looks amazing!! is it open on embarkation day for lunch?

thanks for your review, you are getting me really excited for my cruise on the escape.

Hi, I hope you are all well. Just a quick question, on formal nights on the Allure, If doing anytime dining, is the dress code still dress up?

Thanks in advance for any help.

HOW DARE YOU DERAIL MY REVIEW? J/k...I welcome any and all questions!

 

I just looked up flights from Heathrow (pretending you are from London) to SFO on a random date on expedia and airlines flying this route include United, British Airways, American Airlines, Virgin Airlines, Delta, KLM, Lufthanasa, Iberia, Air Canada, Air France, Swiss and many more. Because SFO is a relatively big international hub in the West Coast, I highly doubt there would only be 2 airlines flying that route.

 

Do you have a particular loyalty to any airline mileage program? If you are part of the One World Alliance, then I would recommend American Airlines, British Airways, Iberia etc as they are part of One World. If you are part of Star Alliance (like I am for example), then I recommend taking either United, Swiss International, Lufthanasa, Air Canada etc. If you have no particular loyalty to any airline mileage program, then simply choose one that's decently priced and don't have horrible reviews.

 

For domestic route from SFO to Miami, United, AA, Virgin Airlines and couple others would fly that route.

HAHA, I thought oh no. lol. Thanks for answering.

I was meant to say from SFO to either MIA or FLL. Not loyal to any program.

When we fly from SFO to miami it will more than likely be chosen on cost.

Thank you so much for your help. Your review is great. Getting me very excited for our cruise on the Escape. Shame it is still a year away.

Hey Goandhavefun,

Sorry to go off topic ever so slightly, was just looking for advice. We are coming over from the UK to cruise out of miami but will be flying to SFO to spend a few days before our cruise. Only airlines I see flying that route is Virgin america or American airlines. Are these the only 2 airlines which operate that route?

Thank you so much if you can help.

Hey folks,

Don't suppose anybody has any pictures of this suite?

Thanks in advance for any help.