Diamond on Carnival tried NCL Escape

This, of course, is our opinion only. I wrote pros and cons. Spoiler alert...lol...

Carnival won, but there were many things we loved on NCL and for the right price, we would sail them again.

NCL pros

2 x a day service. I believe the gratuities were $1 a day pp more, but worth it to us.

I know we can ask for 2 x a day service on Carnival and I will from now on. We've tried morning and we've tried evening and we have found that we really appreciate 2 times.

This was a beautiful, fairly new ship. So other NCL ships are most likely very different. Just like the different classes on Carnival. But our room had a big, nice flat screen tv.

That being said, my husband is the sports fan and the tv watcher and he thought the

channels offered were not good. Limited football games mostly.

Many pros about our lovely balcony room. Sliding glass doors to the balcony and for the shower. Lots of storage space, especially in the bathroom. The closet was awkward being a foot at most from the side of the bed. Loved...Loved...the single cup coffee pot in the room. Used it a lot. I'll include the con about the room here because this was our fault. We booked this last minute and were given no choice about where our room was. Well, it was above a bar with live music. They quit between 11-12 every night, but when we were in the room we could literally feel the bass. Again, not NCL's fault, but it wasn't ideal for sure.

The Garden cafe is their buffet. Can't say enough about how well this is set up...never waited in line at the multiple stations. Food was equal to Carnival...that is to say, we enjoyed everything. Except the burgers...the buns crumbled and guys is hard to beat.

There were a dozen or more stations, probably more. Eggs Benedict every day with Canadian bacon or sausage and a bowl of hollandaise to add as you please. Pizza was good and no wait. Pasta bar, crepe bar, hand dipped ice cream, I could go on and on. And the 24 hour restaurant was fabulous. We ate there often...so convenient.

We did not do any of the for fee restaurants. Most are a la carte and seemed quite pricy.

Muster was in the theater and a breeze.

Cons for NCL

Internet was harder to connect to. It's so easy on Carnival. I had to get help on NCL.

They have the same $5 a day social plan and it worked well. I never could figure out if their on board app was free, so I never signed on to it.

No sports bar

Skip this part if you don't smoke. Smoking areas were pitiful. There was a small room with 2 small couches and about 10 chairs. Meant for cigar smokers but it was the only indoor during fueling and on boarding. There was zero ventilation in there for 4 days. Then they put in two large air cleaners which helped. Before that you didn't even need to light a cigarette. Then there was a bar outside with a little cover and mostly open. It was nice, but usually crowded. We could smoke in the casino in one small part, but only when playing. They were quite strict. The non smoking sections of the casino were huge and nice. And I'll mention the tables here...didn't care for $10 minimum, but the seats were very comfy and the dealer sat too. Very nice.

More about the casino. They use a separate card than your room key. You could get them attached with a chain, but had to go to two different places...one for the chain and one for the punch. Also, they use a ticket system...prefer the card system on Carnival.

Drinks were expensive. We got 2 pina coladas in a cup the size of a solo cup. $25!

And they tasted terrible. Had free drinks in the casino the first sea day with 1500 points, but you're limited on what's free. They have 2 wines. Anything else was about $5 extra. My husband could get a margarita, which he said was good, but not a tequila sunrise. Just odd. No number limit, but we prefer carnival's limit on the number, and we can get what we like.

Room service fee is about $8. Continental breakfast is free. We didn't use it at all.

Cannot take on any soda. Wine is $15 charged right at boarding. A case of water is

$70! That's just robbery.

No prizes at all for trivia.

We didn't care for the ports. Harvest Caye was not great. The sand was hard and felt awful. Nothing was free. Roatan...we sure missed mahogany bay. There were maybe a dozen little stores and bars at this dock. We docked downtown in cozumel. I liked that, but my husband didn't. Different opinions.

They have you change the time on your watch the first and last day. We just thought that was annoying.

Needing reservations for all the shows. I heard they were good, but we didn't attempt to go. I think I could get over this, but it was a bother we didn't want to deal with for our first trip.

No drink receipts. Our final bill was correct all in all.

Never could find shrimp...lol...the one time we thought they had it in the dining room, we had apparently read the lunch menu.

So...I think that's it. We thoroughly enjoyed our cruise. But right now we have 2 booked on Carnival. Those perks are hard to give up.

Thanks for the review. I am diamond also, so obviously love Carnival. Went on the sky a few months ago. I gambled a little, and just received a free cruise on the Escape. NCL is really the only other line I haven’t spent a lot of time on, so can’t wait to check it out.

Thanks for the comparative review. A useful guide for expectations.

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I thought if you booked on NCL you have several "free" selections automatically included in the price of the cruise, IE, open bar, excursions, dining, etc. Did you not get any of these "free" selections included.

We are just off the Escape as well and we loved it. Escape is presently our favorite ship we have sailed on. Unlike you we booked 18 months in advance. Because of this we had great room selection and a great price.

We chose an angled balcony at the same price as a regular balcony. This allowed us to have a lounger on our balcony that we absolutely loved. Our room was set up with the bed by the balcony door and couch by the closet. Worked great for us.

Booking early also allowed us to get the 4 Specialty Dining Package and the Ultimate Beverage Package as promos when we booked. This was excellent. The only on-board charges we had on our account were the Future Cruise Deposits we purchased. We purchased 2 worth $500 for $250. Our TA gave us $200 in OBC which covered our gratuities and taxes on our drinks while we were in port in Miami.

We had a very different experience than you did. We did have reservations to see the shows. You could have walked in as there were plenty of empty seats before the shows started. Brat Pack could have had better singing and acting but we loved the genre. After Midnight had excellent singing and dancing but we weren't fans of the genre. We thought the comedians were very good and wished we could see more of Howl at the Moon but they were always standing room only.

Our food experience was different too. We ate at Modernos 2x and Cagney 2x with our SDP package. Both were excellent. DH said his Prime Rib at Cagney's was the best meal he ever had. We also had plenty of meals at the Garden Cafe and OSheehans which we loved. We only ate at Taste 2x for lunch...and yes the shrimp was there. I also had shrimp at Cagneys. We did not eat at the other 2 MDRs. I used to ding NCL for their deserts but I can no longer do that. Every desert we had was delicious...especially the Peanut Butter Cup cheese cake at Taste for lunch.

We chose this Cruise for the ship not the ports, which was ok when our ports got changed due to Irma. We decided not to do excursions and only briefly got off the ship at each port. We spent a couple hours each port day enjoying Spice H2O and the Grotto and watching sail aways on the Waterfront. I spent many hours relaxing on our balcony. We loved it and I would not hesitate to book the Escape again in the future.

I thought if you booked on NCL you have several "free" selections automatically included in the price of the cruise, IE, open bar, excursions, dining, etc. Did you not get any of these "free" selections included.

I'm guessing that since the OP booked at the last minute they did not get these free promos. We booked 18 months in advance got lower pricing, great room selection, 4 meal Specialty Dining Package, and the Ultimate Beverage Package.

Right, booking last minute they offered us free drinks and two specialty dinners for $700 more, so we passed. But we did get a great price for the balcony room.

Oh...and I had the brownie cheesecake with caramel and marshmallows at O'Sheehans...delicious! Also had a pina colada cake at the garden cafe that was really good, nice and moist.

We too, are "Diamond" on Carnival, and the lovely, and talented Mrs. Jones did the Trans Atlantic aboard "Epic". When she stepped off the ship, she said,,,,,"NEVER AGAIN". Thanks, but no thanks.

"SKY"

We, too, have sailed the Escape, and it is a gorgeous ship. We paid more for that sailing than any recent Carnival trip, but it did include the specialty dining package (4 dinners) and our Ultimate Beverage Packages. We have been to almost every Caribbean port at least once, so now we are picking trips based more on the ship or convenience (embarkation port).

We too, are "Diamond" on Carnival, and the lovely, and talented Mrs. Jones did the Trans Atlantic aboard "Epic". When she stepped off the ship, she said,,,,,"NEVER AGAIN". Thanks, but no thanks.

 

"SKY"

I have sailed the Epic and the Escape and can say that we found the Escape much better than the Epic. It didn't feel as big or as crowded as Epic did and the room was laid out much better. As I said before the deserts were much better than we had on the Epic and everything we ate we enjoyed. DH had his best meal ever in Cagney's. I really think you would be missing out by ruling out NCL based on your experience on Epic. It is definitely not the same.

My DH did not like Epic at all....he loved the Escape.

Thank you for sharing your cruise with us.

I'm enjoying trying other lines, but I have no desire to try NCL. In my mind, it's another Carnival and I can't see paying more for the same experience.

I can agree that the Jewel class NCL ships are similar to the experience you get on ships like CCL Freedom and Glory. I would not pay more for one over the other unless I was getting more benefits at a reduced cost on NCL like the promos can sometimes provide.

I cannot agree that the newer class NCL ships are similar to any experience I have had on Carnival. Not even close. We are going on CCL Fantasy in 2 weeks and I have lowered my expectations substantially. I also paid much less than I did for our NCL Escape cruise. NCL Escape exceeded my much higher expectations and I found it well worth the money we spent. I am hoping CCL Fantasy exceeds the lowered expectations I have set for them. After 16 cruises, our 17th cruise and 10th Carnival Cruise coming up on the Fantasy, Escape is currently my favorite ship based on the experience we just had on them.

NCL pros

 

2 x a day service. I believe the gratuities were $1 a day pp more, but worth it to us.

I know we can ask for 2 x a day service on Carnival and I will from now on. We've tried morning and we've tried evening and we have found that we really appreciate 2 times.

 

 

 

 

Are you talking about housekeeping service?

Thanks for writing this. I'm not saying I definitely would have cruise NCL, because I probably would not have, but a few of your points have convinced me to definitely NOT cruise NCL.

1. the more expensive drinks

2. the $8 fee for room service (nickel-and-dimeing?)

3. can't carry on any sodas nd the ridiculous price for bottled water

4. needing reservations for all the shows (seems a bother)

But that's just me...what do I know?

Yes, I was talking about housekeeping service. And I agree, nchikk...carnival won for us by a long shot due to those very things. But the escape was lovely. It was fun for us because it was almost like a first cruise, everything was a new experience. And we would sail again IF they offered a great deal. I've read the getaway and breakaway are really nice.

But Carnival has won our loyalty for the most part. Being able to take on sodas and wine is a big deal for us.

Warmbreezes...we have sailed a lot on the fantasy class. We have found that the crews on the smaller ships are awesome. Thank you for your thoughts on NCL. Have a wonderful cruise! We are sailing on Carnival sunshine in December. Very excited about that!

Sky>Pearl>Epic>Breakaway>ESCAPE !!! (in that order)

With 60 some Carnival cruises, it's obvious I'm a fan - though I was a bigger fan up until I discovered some of what other lines have to offer. As a disclaimer, we sail in suites - and it's here where Carnival REALLY falls short of the other lines (Royal, Celebrity, and NCL).

Also, sailing in suites on all those lines has baked in amenities and perks which can't help but have a positive impact on your cruise experience - therefore, my comparing Carnival with the aforementioned lines is not an apples-to-apples kind of thing, it can't be.

I can't compare the MDR's across those lines, as we enjoy our dinners in the specialty restaurants - again, in some suites on some lines, all of that is included (I won't call it FREE by any means)!

We were on the Escape immediately prior to Irma, and ended up only enjoying 5 of 7 days, as they brought us back into Miami early. Now I'm REALLY itching to get back out to sea... feeling kind of short changed. :)

Our next scheduled cruise is again on the Escape, where I'm determined to do/try more things - really too many options food/entertainment wise to tackle them in a week anyway.

Having recently learned that Carnival has a new Chef's Table menu and is in the process of rolling out a refreshed Steakhouse menu - I'm going to need to find a spot in our cruise schedule for Carnival again! Now if they could just get with the rest of the (cruise) world and offer HOT room service breakfast... they've no idea how much of a difference that would make (even though I've mentioned this on at least 50+ threads throughout the years)! :D

Tom

I'm enjoying trying other lines, but I have no desire to try NCL. In my mind, it's another Carnival and I can't see paying more for the same experience.

Not the same as Carnival. Not even close on those new ships. You're missing out.

The drinks being more expensive would be a deal breaker for me. That could really add up. And not taking any soda is another.

The drinks being more expensive would be a deal breaker for me. That could really add up. And not taking any soda is another.

I'd say, just from booking promos and such, that 70+% of adults sailing on NCL have the UBP (Ultimate Beverage Package) - granted ULTIMATE does not include bottled water! As far as the à la carte specialty dining - a vast majority of people dining in those establishments have the dining package too... so those prices next to the items are meaningless for most.

Tom

I found that I preferred the ticket in the casino. I was doing quite well on the Jewel last year and every time I got a bonus I would get my ticket cash out and put the money in my safe and then go back and start again. I don't like the idea of having my money on my cruise card and having to cash it out daily so I have money to go into port. That is of course if I win!

Candi

We have about split between CCL/NCL over the past three years or so. Like having Breakaway as a good NYC option we can drive to instead of fly, and taken advantage of that. We've also found that if you keep an eye out you can score the 'free drinks/specialty/3rd psngr' whatever deals fairly easily without much of a bump in price. Both great lines and we enjoy them both.

I found that I preferred the ticket in the casino. I was doing quite well on the Jewel last year and every time I got a bonus I would get my ticket cash out and put the money in my safe and then go back and start again. I don't like the idea of having my money on my cruise card and having to cash it out daily so I have money to go into port. That is of course if I win!

 

Candi

Wait, you would cash out your ticket every time you won but wouldn't want to cash out off your card?

Yes, I was talking about housekeeping service. And I agree, nchikk...carnival won for us by a long shot due to those very things. But the escape was lovely. It was fun for us because it was almost like a first cruise, everything was a new experience. And we would sail again IF they offered a great deal. I've read the getaway and breakaway are really nice.

But Carnival has won our loyalty for the most part. Being able to take on sodas and wine is a big deal for us.

Warmbreezes...we have sailed a lot on the fantasy class. We have found that the crews on the smaller ships are awesome. Thank you for your thoughts on NCL. Have a wonderful cruise! We are sailing on Carnival sunshine in December. Very excited about that!

Thanks. We sailed Carnival Sunshine last year and had a great time. I'm sure you will have a blast.

Thanks for writing this. I'm not saying I definitely would have cruise NCL, because I probably would not have, but a few of your points have convinced me to definitely NOT cruise NCL.

1. the more expensive drinks We had UBP so this did not matter. We drank more on this cruise than any other cruise we have been on since we never had a package before. We paid $99 pp in prepaid gratuities and we had at a minimum 5 drinks each per day so this did pay off for us. We will not get the package on Carnival or any other cruise line if we had to pay full price + tips for it. Then it is not worth the price. So we get fewer drinks on Carnival. NCL gives return guests a bottle of champagne in their room. Since we had the UBP package we never drank our champagne. We will be bringing it with us in 2 weeks as part of our bottles of wine allowed to be brought on Carnival Fantasy ;p.

2. the $8 fee for room service (nickel-and-dimeing?)Carnival charges now for some items too. We never get room service. We usually book rooms in the Aft area by the elevators which we did again this time. A quick trip up to the buffet and bring back what ever food we want. We do this on both Carnival and NCL.

3. can't carry on any sodas nd the ridiculous price for bottled water Soda was included in our UBP so we had no need to carry any onboard as for water we purchased the water package last time in CCL and left most of the bottles behind when we disembarked. There was not need for it. The fountain water worked just fine for us no need to pay for bottled water on either NCL or CCL.

4. needing reservations for all the shows (seems a bother) We made reservation ahead of time for the 2 production shows but we really did not need to. There were plenty of seats available for walk ins when the show started. We made reservations on the ship for a comedy show. Its not that hard to do. You can do it from your room. There were quite a few shows that did not require reservations at all and couple more dinner shows that did but like I said it was quite simple to do and not really a bother.

 

But that's just me...what do I know?

Above is my take on your complaints from our experience last week.