Escape Review - 7/22-7/29 - Bermuda

We are back from an awesome week on the Escape from NY to Bermuda! Here are our thoughts on the cruise...I have a feeling it's going to be long - I apologize in advance! I'm going to break it into a couple of posts to make it easier...

Cruising were myself (44), DH (47), DS (14) and DD (11). This was our 9th cruise, 6th on NCL. We have done the Dawn, Jewel twice and Breakaway twice. We are from Long Island so we took Uber too and from the ship. We had UBP and 3UDP.

Travel (and especially dining), is very subjective however, as with most things, I think attitude has a lot to do with overall experience. You can choose to go into things with a negative attitude and you will find things to complain about. Or you can just enjoy being on vacation and not let the little things bother you. I will say that there were very few things to complain about - here is our story!

Embarkation

We arrived at 10:00, went through security and Haven check-in and were escorted onto the ship at 11:00. After a brief Haven talk by the Concierge, we checked out the Haven area and went to Margaritaville for lunch. Very smooth embarkation!

Service

Generally service on this ship is very, very good. Employees are friendly and nice. Most staff we saw in the hallways greeted us. Some didn't. All the employees we engaged with were very courteous and happy to talk about their families and their ship experience.

We had Nadia for our Room Steward who was awesome! She was never intrusive and our room was always spotless. Even though we woke at different times in the morning, she managed to come in and do her thing both morning and evening. She is always smiling and very pleasant - really brightened our day!

Samir was our butler. Not at all warm and fuzzy like our last few butlers, but he was good. Took care of 2 room service orders for us and delivered snacks daily. My kids were bummed because the first day when he introduced himself, he asked if they like candy and he told them there would be M&Ms and gummy bears in the room and we could call for a refill. We never got them. I could've called to remind him but I felt bad and trust me, we were not starving, but a minor annoyance.

Concierge was Patrick. He never introduced himself to us and I think I spoke to him once. I spoke to one of the assistants to book the Escape the Big Top and Canvas by U and that was it.

Stateroom

We were in Cabin 11706, a Forward Facing Penthouse Suite. The cabin is not in the Haven, but a short walk to the Forward elevators and up to 17, and we were easily in the Haven. The stateroom is beautiful. Separate bedroom with king size bed, and a sofa in the living room that comfortably slept both my kids. Balcony is small but adequate. We didn't spend much time on the balcony because the Haven area is so spacious we hung out there a lot. The cabin has a LOT of storage - closets and drawers. We are not light packers and still had a few drawers we didn't use even after we all unpacked.

Bathroom is huge. One difference from the Breakaway is that the bathroom does not have windows to outside - I loved that in our Breakaway suite - huge windows.

The room was great - it allowed us to spread out in the room and not be on top of eachother (although more than a couple times it was the 4 of us all piled in bed watching a movie!). We spent time in the room each afternoon - there was some movie watching and some napping which was great!

Dining

We had the 3UDP for DH and myself and paid for the kids in the specialty restaurants we did. We ate most breakfasts in the Haven restaurant and a couple at the buffet. Lunch was Margaritaville, buffet, room service and once in the Haven restaurant, Dinner was Haven restaurant, Moderno and Teppanyaki. If you can't find something to eat on this ship with all the options available, I'm not sure where you will be happy.

Margaritaville

We took advantage of the embarkation day special which waives the fee for suite guests. We split the nachos and conch fritters - both were good. We had burgers and salads. All were good - exactly what you get at any Margaritaville restaurant. We planned to go back another day for lunch but didn't make it.

Moderno

We go to Churrascaria restaurants on Long Island and Moderno did not disappoint. I have read bad reviews but I'm not sure where the issue is. The salad bar has so many options - salads, cheeses, sushi, soup, bread - it was really good. The meats were very good - we didn't try anything that was bad. The best is the bacon wrapped chicken and bacon wrapped filet. We probably should have skipped lunch that day because we called it quits earlier than we thought we would. We did save room for the grilled pineapple which is as good as everyone says. Really delicious! We didn't have dessert at Moderno.

Teppanyaki

We always love Teppanyaki on NCL ships. It's fun to watch the chef and the food is usually great. In this case the chef was a lot of fun - they really everyone going and the kids had a blast. The rice, steak and shrimp were so good. But the chicken was not cooked. I bit into the first piece and couldn't eat it. I tried on more piece just to make sure and then told my kids not to eat it. Not a big deal because there was more than enough food but disappointing. Dessert in Teppanyaki is never good. My kids tried the green tea cake because every time we go they convince themselves they will like it - they didn't.

Buffet

The buffet was great for quick breakfast and lunch. There are so many options and the food is good. Is it gourmet, no, but at a buffet we are looking for quick. And it delivers. They really do have so many options - if you don't find something you like, try something else. They always have pizza, burgers and a salad station. It's also a great place to grab cookies or ice cream when dinner was early and you find yourself needing a snack at 10:00.

O'Sheehans

We went to O'Sheehans once for late night snacks. It is a place for a quick snack - not gourmet dining, not spectacular quality food. Just easy, quick food. As on the Breakaway, it wasn't great, but it filled us up. I like the previous menu better, but this one is fine. It gets very crowded after midnight - a couple of nights I went by and there was a line of people waiting to get in.

Haven Restaurant

The service in the Haven restaurant is really impeccable. The hostess and maitre'd were so pleasant and the waitstaff was really great. Cristian in particular made our week so special - he was always happy to see us and just a genuinely nice person. My son asked for mashed potatoes with his steak and when dinner was served Cristian apologized for it being late bc he had to run to O'Sheehans for mashed potatoes. I told him he should have just said no mashed potatoes. They really do go beyond to make everyone happy. We ate outdoors a few times which was really nice. At see there is a breeze and is so nice to be outside to eat. If you time it right you can be there during the sunset and it is gorgeous.

Breakfast is so good regardless of what menu item you choose, and the mini buffet has some great offerings.

Lunch we did one time but took so long we decided not to go back for lunch.

Dinner was very good. We didn't have one bad thing - we ate there 4 nights and loved every meal. A couple of night we were so full, Cristian sent the desserts to our room which was great for a late snack.

Room Service

We ordered room service twice (burgers, pizza, sandwiches). The food is ok. Burgers were very undercooked and inedible. Pizza was good one day, not great the next time. Cobb Salad, BLT were good.

Ship Activities

Escape the Big Top

We did this as a family and enjoyed it. They group you with other people to make groups of 10-12. There are 10 groups total. You are given a bunch of items and there are items around the rooms which are supposed to help you figure out 6 words that help you unlock a chest. The clues are very challenging. None of the groups got them all. Our group got 4 out of 6. But we had fun doing it. There is no additional charge for this. You should make reservations but there were some people on standby for our time and they were able to participate.

Canvas by U

This is like a Sip n Paint where everyone paints the same picture on a canvas and the instructor walks you through it. Cost is $35 per person. I knew my daughter would love it but my son decided to do it too. You don't know what picture you are painting ahead of time - you see it when you get there. We painted a guitar - not my favorite, but we still had fun. I love to paint and never do it so it was fun. My suggestion would be that they get someone with some artistic ability to lead the class. Jojo from the entertainment staff was the instructor and he didn't seem like he knew what he was doing. He told us that he had never done this painting before. A couple times he stopped and we asked for the next step and he was trying to figure out what it was. We still had a fun time doing it but I'm sure it would've been better if someone who knows something about painting led the class.

Deal or No Deal

Fun to watch but we didn't play. Doesn't seem like there is a big chance of winning. But it is fun to watch the contestant and see what they choose to do.

Bingo

We played the last day for the 'Jackpot'. We didn't win but the kids had fun. It is amazing how much money the ship makes off of Bingo - this is a huge moneymaker. The theater was full and the line to buy tickets was long!

Howl at the Moon

I had never been before but kept reading how great it is and it did not disappoint! What a fun upbeat time! We were singing along and having fun. It is amazing how talented these piano players are!

Atrium Shows/Games

We didn't go to as many events as we usually do, but stopped in and watched while we walked by and there was something going on. There seems to be something for everyone - games, music, movies, trivia. We did a couple of late night movies in the Atrium which the kids liked.

Spice H2O Movie

We had reservations for Brat Pack but the kids wanted to watch the Spice H2O movie and I agreed. I love this every cruise! Sitting outside watching a movie as it gets dark. We really enjoyed it - weather was beautiful so it was really fun.

Casino

We spent more time here than we probably should have! They have some great slot games which is my thing. Won a bit the first couple of nights to keep me going but gave it all back the last 2 nights. I've noticed it on other cruises too - I think it's probably wise to stay away from the casino the last couple of nights - especially if you've won. My husband plays blackjack and was up and down most nights.

It is smoky like everyone says, but I smoke when I drink/gamble so it didn't bother me. But there were a LOT of people smoking. Numerous people came in just to smoke, not gamble. And I spoke to a few who said that there aren't enough smoking areas on the ship so they stop in the casino to smoke.

Kids Clubs

*Splash Academy - My daughter was a Dolphin (10-12) and she had fun. One night she stayed late night ($6/hour after 10:30pm). One night she stayed an hour and didn't want to stay longer. It depended on the activity. She usually went for a couple of hours after dinner each night. She made some friends and said the counselors were fun. She was old enough to sign herself out after 2 hours, but when the ship is in port they cannot sign themselves out. This is to avoid someone signing out and leaving the ship while their parents think they are at Splash Academy.

*Entourage - This was my son't first time in Entourage and I was a little nervous because it is different than Splash. He had a blast! He went every night - made some friends and had a great time. They would have a choice to stay in Entourage or go to the Spice H2O parties and he loved the parties. Entourage was definitely a hit!

Thank God for iConcierge App. Calling was terrible as usual from the app, but the texting worked great. He would text me what time he was going to come back and I would meet him and walk back to the cabin with him.

Haven Area

The Haven area is truly a treat. It is so peaceful to sit in the lounge chairs on the upper level and listen to the water in the waterfall feature. It is less pleasant when there are kids running through the Haven area screaming, but thankfully that did not happen often. I am an early riser so I was usually the first one up there and got a few good hours of total quiet to read my book or nap. One of my favorite parts of the cruise. On Sea Days, mid morning it would start to get crowded but was never close to full on the second level (deck 19). Deck 17 area got more crowded for sure.

The outdoor area was nice but was too windy one of days and the lounge chairs were tied down. There is a sign right on the door stating that the outdoor deck is for children over 16 or 18 (I can't remember). There were a couple of people who ignored the sign and went outside anyway with their kids but not many. I had told mine ahead of time that they couldn't go outside like they did on the Breakaway.

There were a couple of times that it got extremely loud with screaming/running kids. I will say what's been said before here on CC. Some parents are looking to have a good time and let their kids do what they want. Thankfully this is not the majority and it is only a few people.

Great review. Thanks for posting. How do you transfer the canvas painting back home? Is it rolled up in a cardboard tube?

Bermuda

Horseshoe Beach

We took a taxi ($32 each way) to Horseshoe Beach as soon as the ship was cleared. We were at the beach by 8:20am. Beach was completely empty except for a few people walking. Guys were there for chair rentals but we didn't realized that chair rentals didn't start until 9:30. We tried swimming but it was very, very rough. We finally got our chairs and umbrellas. $45 for one umbrella and 2 chairs. Additional chairs: $18, Additional umbrella: $15. So we did 4 chairs and 2 umbrellas for $90. It got extremely crowded by 11:30. Tried swimming on and off but the waves stayed rough and lifeguards were in and out warning people about undercurrents and trying to keep people safe. We enjoyed our day and this is still one of my favorite beaches, but I've never seen Horseshoe so rough. We couldn't even walk through the coves like we usually do because the water was slamming against the rocks.

Elbow Beach

We got day passes to Elbow Beach Resort. Took taxi to and from the resort (I think $44 each way). We signed in an got chairs and umbrellas. There is bar service to the lounge chairs. The beach was amazing and we spent most of the day in the water. I love this beach!

The desk where you check in with the day pass has noodles, pool floaties to use in the ocean. They also have books to borrow and read for the day. With the day pass there is no access to the pool. I knew this but one couple next to us go very annoyed when they found out they couldn't use the pool.

Hair Braiding

My daughter really wanted to get her hair braided and our plan was to return to Horseshoe Bay our last day in Bermuda. DH and I got so sunburned the day before at Elbow Beach that we were in no shape for a beach. I remembered that there was a tent in the dockyard not far from the ship but we couldn't find it. We asked onboard and were told that there was someone who used to do them in the salon, but she was not currently on the ship. Then someone mentioned that they do the hair braids in Snorkel Park. So we tried that. You have to pay the entry fee for Snorkel Park ($5 each) even if you are only going for hair braiding.

There were 6 people in front of us. There is a list to put your name on and then you can go do other things and check back to see how many people are in front of you if they are busy. Cost is $8/braid or there was a special 5 braids for $25.

It took us about an hour and a half total to wait and get them done. Not my favorite way to spend a morning but DD was very happy.

Ok, I think that's it - I thought doing our trip report this way was easier/shorter than doing day by day, but now I'm not so sure! Thanks for reading! If you've made it this far and have questions, please ask!

Great review. Thanks for posting. How do you transfer the canvas painting back home? Is it rolled up in a cardboard tube?

The canvas is not that large - I want to say maybe 16" x 20" - and it is a hard canvas so it can't be rolled. I put it in the inside pocket of the suitcase once they dried and they were fine.

Do you make reservations for 'Howl at the Moon' once on the ship? What was it like on the waterfront at lunch time? Are all the specialty restaurants open for lunch?

Thank you for your report!

Thank you for taking the time to write your review! It was very informative and helpful. I'll be forming my own opinions in less than 2 weeks now! :)

Watertraveler, I can answer re: Howl at the Moon....no reservations. It is a "walk-in and walk out when you are ready to move on" kind of venue

Thanks for your review. I took the Escape late last year, for a different itinerary. We are about the same age, though your kids are older.

Here's my review: https://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?p=54583062

A few comments:

- Glad you had fun in the casino, but the slots are much tighter than you'll find at land-based casinos. If you still enjoy playing them, that's fine, but I just wanted you to know.

- Deal or No Deal is a borderline scam, as are all of the "game shows for pay" onboard. Glad you opted to skip playing it.

- Every experience of mine at Moderno has been negative. The meats simply aren't very good, and I've found it was slow and the meats were often overcooked. I'm glad you enjoyed it, but I stopped going there, and this is coming from a guy who loves to eat meat!

- Next time try Food Republic (a la carte Asian tapas). It was surprisingly good, and most people overlook it.

Thank you for taking the time to post your review. I am enjoying reading it.

Thanks also for mentioning you took an Uber from Long Island to the port. We are also from Long Island and did not think of that option for our trip next May.

Thank you, Myra! That's one less thing I have to remember when I get on the ship:D

Thanks for the review! Good info!

Thanks for the review! We will be going in September and are getting very excited!

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Thanks for your review, very informative. I will be on the Escape in less than two weeks and getting more excited by the day.

I am booking tomorrow for this October. 1st time on NCL. We usually do RC. Did you book the specialty restaurants on line and the shows on line?

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T

I am booking tomorrow for this October. 1st time on NCL. We usually do RC. Did you book the specialty restaurants on line and the shows on line?

 

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Yes book everything you can ASAP.

Great review! Thanks! Is the Asian tapas restaurant a specialty or included?

Great review! Thanks! Is the Asian tapas restaurant a specialty or included?

The Food Republic is not a specialty restaurant. Prices are a la carte.

Was Horseshoe Bay any less crowded toward the end of the day? I'm from LI also, is it as crowded as the beaches here can get? Just trying to put it in perspective. Did you think the Haven was worth the money? I'm sailing to Bermuda on Sunday and still have my fingers crossed for an upgrade.

Do you make reservations for 'Howl at the Moon' once on the ship? What was it like on the waterfront at lunch time? Are all the specialty restaurants open for lunch?

 

Thank you for your report!

No reservations for Howl at the Moon. It was full but people came and went so you could find a seat when someone got up.

Waterfront at lunch time is pretty quiet. Whenever we were there it was peaceful - it's a great area to enjoy a drink and the view.

I know Moderno and Margaritaville are open for lunch. I don't think the others are.

Thanks for your review. I took the Escape late last year, for a different itinerary. We are about the same age, though your kids are older.

 

Here's my review: https://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?p=54583062

 

A few comments:

 

- Glad you had fun in the casino, but the slots are much tighter than you'll find at land-based casinos. If you still enjoy playing them, that's fine, but I just wanted you to know.

 

- Deal or No Deal is a borderline scam, as are all of the "game shows for pay" onboard. Glad you opted to skip playing it.

 

- Every experience of mine at Moderno has been negative. The meats simply aren't very good, and I've found it was slow and the meats were often overcooked. I'm glad you enjoyed it, but I stopped going there, and this is coming from a guy who loves to eat meat!

 

- Next time try Food Republic (a la carte Asian tapas). It was surprisingly good, and most people overlook it.

Thanks for your comments!

- I definitely know the casinos are much tighter on the ship. And moreso it seems on the return trip.

- Deal of No Deal is a scam - it was fun to watch but at $35 for the cheapest option, it wasn't something I wanted to try.

- We've done Moderno a few times on NCL. We've usually found it to be slow, but this time the pace was quick. We were in and out in an hour. The meats kept coming and after reading reviews about the possible decline of quality, we were pleasantly surprise.

- Food Republic we will definitely try on the next trip. It was on my mind to do this time but we never got around to it.

Was Horseshoe Bay any less crowded toward the end of the day? I'm from LI also, is it as crowded as the beaches here can get? Just trying to put it in perspective. Did you think the Haven was worth the money? I'm sailing to Bermuda on Sunday and still have my fingers crossed for an upgrade.

Because we went to Horseshoe so early, we weren't there for end of the day so I don't know if it gets less crowded toward the end of the day but I would assume so. As for crowds, yes, if you are used to the main Long Island beaches, it's pretty comparable.

We do think the Haven is worth the money. We've done it several times and the separate area and extra space in the cabin make it well worth it to us.

Have a great cruise - I hope you get the upgrade!!

Because we went to Horseshoe so early, we weren't there for end of the day so I don't know if it gets less crowded toward the end of the day but I would assume so. As for crowds, yes, if you are used to the main Long Island beaches, it's pretty comparable.

We do think the Haven is worth the money. We've done it several times and the separate area and extra space in the cabin make it well worth it to us.

Have a great cruise - I hope you get the upgrade!!

Did Elbow beach have food service as well?

Did Elbow beach have food service as well?

Yes, drinks and food service to the lounge chairs or you could go to Micky's on the beach level for sit down service.

Thanks for your comments!

 

- I definitely know the casinos are much tighter on the ship. And moreso it seems on the return trip.

- Deal of No Deal is a scam - it was fun to watch but at $35 for the cheapest option, it wasn't something I wanted to try.

- We've done Moderno a few times on NCL. We've usually found it to be slow, but this time the pace was quick. We were in and out in an hour. The meats kept coming and after reading reviews about the possible decline of quality, we were pleasantly surprise.

- Food Republic we will definitely try on the next trip. It was on my mind to do this time but we never got around to it.

Just to clarify, the Deal or No Deal cards are $25 each. You get one free cruise raffle ticket with that, or five raffle tickets if you buy 2 DoND cards.

I don't think it's a scam, though it's not great odds of winning of course. A friend actually got to play onstage last year and won nearly $400. I've seen people onstage win $600+, others win 25 cents. Audience members who play along rarely win cash, but I have seen $200 once, along with numerous photos and instant win cards, but their value is likely minimal. It's a big money maker for NCL, but I play because I enjoy it. Bingo is another, but I avoid that while others love it. To each their own.