Please tell me i will love NCL!!!

[jdmerck]

Whelp I booked my first NCL cruise on the Escape, I am a loyal Royal passenger and 2 Princess cruises, we booked a guarantee mini suite, sounds silly but they all have balconies right...LOL some ships a mini suite might be a ocean view or Interior so I wanted to make sure, I should have called to book, but online was so easy with the 2 freebies, that's what enticed us to book .. it will be myself, husband and my 13yr old son... how is the food? the shows? the shows are free correct??? I know from being on the Allure and Oasis you have to pre-book shows and dinner cause of the amt of people, but are they free (shows not dining) now if we don't do dinner seating they have a buffet? or anytime dining??? any info would sure be helpful... Thank you

[casofilia]

Simple

 

"You will love NCL" :D

 

Well the cruising part, the people, the crew, the food, the ports, the entertainment, that is everything except the "front office" if anything goes wrong!!!! :eek:

 

Mike

[KeithJenner]

The shows are free except for the Supper Club, which is a dinner show.

 

There is no dinner seating. You can go to either of the MDRs (there are three on the Escape) whenever you want and be seated by yourself. There is also the buffet and o'Sheehans pub.

 

There are also the speciality restaurants, some of which require reservations to ensure a table. Other speciality restaurants are walk up (Food Republic, Margaritaville etc). Most of the speciality restaurants are a la carte, but a couple have a fixed cover charge.

 

I think the food is very good, but as always, opinions vary.

 

All mini suites have balconies.

[FireEater]

We have been on 2 NCL cruises. All was good..food, service, shows (free).

 

We have a 3rd booked due to the successful 2...:)

[Mistizoom]

I think you will love NCL. I am going on Norwegian Getaway in March with my husband and 13 year old son. It was my son's idea to go on another cruise because he loved the first one so much.

 

I pre-booked two free shows and one paid dinner/show (Illusionarium on Getaway) but the rest of the time we will take advantage of Freestyle dining - eating where and when we want (we will do one specialty restaurant, Moderno, but plan to eat the rest of the time in the complimentary restaurants). Essentially, all of NCL is "anytime dining". There may be short waits at peak times. If you want to pre-book you can, but if you are willing to be flexible it isn't required. That's what we prefer, along with the casual dress code in almost all restaurants. We thought the food was very good. The buffet is open most of the day/evening and there is also a 24 hour complimentary restaurant (O'Sheehan's pub).

 

We stayed in a mini-suite last time and have one again. It is a nice amount of room for the three of us. All mini-suites have balconies, no worries!

Edited January 27, 2016 by Mistizoom

[Kierste]

We've only done one cruise, on the Pearl, also had a mini suite. We fell in love with ncl and not having to be fancy on what I consider a beach vacation. The food was much better than I expected... Everywhere--buffet, mdr, specialties. We love eating with our own family when we want to (yes we do ressies, but it seems everywhere else I look there are two seatings, early and late. Well, that seemed weird to us, I like booking for when I know we will want food.). Anyhow we loved it all so much we are trying the escape next year. Did a medium ship, and now want to try a big ship while we still have a dd that wants to do the big ship stuff (slides and ropes course!) We got another mini-suite, this time with large balcony. That was my only jealousy on the last cruise, was being in port and seeing other ships with hammocks, or chairs that had adjustable backs, or actual lounge chairs on the balcony. All minis have balconies, so at a minimum you will have straight back chairs and can sit on your own outside space!

[300dtc]

We have been on Carnival and Princess and just love NCL. I really like the casual dress for dinners and if you feel like dressing up you can do that too! There is always something to do, the shows are top notch in my opinion and can't wait to see both of the complementary broadway shows on the Escape. Anytime dining works for us...after all you never know what time you will be hungry that particular day...so if you want to see a show and eat late you can do that or come back from a day of sightseeing and take a nap instead of rushing to get to an early dinner reservation. It truly does work! If you go at 6:00-6:30 p.m. you may have to wait a few minutes, but we have been handed a buzzer and just go to a nearby bar for a drink while waiting.

 

I hope you enjoy NCL also:)

[beerman2]

First NCL cruise last Jan. On the Epic, definately had some issues! But we are giving NCL a second chance this year on the Escape!

 

The 1 speciality restaurant we ate at was very, very good!

[dmpuszcz]

We are pretty loyal Royal passengers as well (Diamond) but last week we went on Getaway, our second NCL cruise. Some of the differences we noted were:

 

- they do not give away the jackpot in Bingo if it doesn't go in whatever number of balls the progressive is at - I think that's a rip-off

 

-missed room service in the morning (ncl charges $7.95 for room service, rccl charges only after midnight for room service). However, they do have a coffeemaker in the room.

 

- Coffee is better on ncl but we can get specialty coffees on rccl in the Diamond lounge

 

- the spa is better on ncl (dry sauna, moist sauna, aromatherapy sauna, salt room, heated loungers and the thallasotherapy pool is the best)

 

-I did not see any $99 specials for the spa on ncl

 

- my husband missed not being able to walk all around the ship on the outside like he can on the Voyager class ships

 

- more room between tables in the buffet - didn't seem as crowded

 

All in all we were quite happy with our cruise!

Edited January 28, 2016 by dmpuszcz

[Sauer-kraut]

-missed room service in the morning (ncl charges $7.95 for room service, rccl charges only after midnight for room service). However, they do have a coffeemaker in the room.

 

 

Continental breakfast is FREE in the morning you just need to use the door hanger.

[dacsmom]

I am also a frequent Royal cruiser but took advantage of the NCL promotion. I am intrigued by the studio cabins and am looking forward to no single supplement. Very excited to try a new cruise line, thanks to all the posters who are giving such good information on NCL.

[jdmerck]

Thank you so much for the info, so like that show Rat Pack that will be a fee because its also a dinner show?? I took advantage of the Beverage and specialty restaurant deal that was just going, this is a wonderful deal I believe to bring in new people, like I said Royal has been increasing prices, we went on Serenade of the seas for Xmas and New Years, spent the extra money for a holiday and it was a bust, they did nothing special for Xmas and New years they crammed 2,000 passengers in the centrum it was insane, never again will I do a holiday!!!

So my hubby can dress nice shorts and golf shirt for dinner in the MDR?? but slacks and shirt for the specialty restaurants? is it like Anytime dining on Royal to where its best to say make a reservation at 6pm?? and the 3 MDRs are they all different food or the same???

I have been on the Allure and Oasis and this ship Escape seems so different

[beerman2]

Looking at the menus on "beyond ships" they appear to be the same for all three.

 

Last year on the Epic our dinner at Cagney's was excellent! Glad we have the 4 specialty rest. Promo this year.

 

UBP is a great deal! It more than paid for itself last year!

 

I love Howl at the Moon piano bars, can be very entertaining!

[CruisinHarvey]

Thank you so much for the info, so like that show Rat Pack that will be a fee because its also a dinner show?? I took advantage of the Beverage and specialty restaurant deal that was just going, this is a wonderful deal I believe to bring in new people, like I said Royal has been increasing prices, we went on Serenade of the seas for Xmas and New Years, spent the extra money for a holiday and it was a bust, they did nothing special for Xmas and New years they crammed 2,000 passengers in the centrum it was insane, never again will I do a holiday!!!

So my hubby can dress nice shorts and golf shirt for dinner in the MDR?? but slacks and shirt for the specialty restaurants? is it like Anytime dining on Royal to where its best to say make a reservation at 6pm?? and the 3 MDRs are they all different food or the same???

I have been on the Allure and Oasis and this ship Escape seems so different

 

Brat Pack is a pay for. It's not Rat Pack.

 

Menu is the same in all 3 MDRs.

Men need to wear long pants in Le Bistro french restaurant.

 

You shouldn't have too much trouble getting into the MDR's at any time. Obviously, the 6:00-9:00 time frame is busier, so reservations are much better. With the specialty dining, now that NCL is offering SDP as a promo, I'd suggest getting reservations. They are smaller venues, and with a lot of folks getting them for free, they book up.

Edited January 28, 2016 by CruisinHarvey

[Mistizoom]

Thank you so much for the info, so like that show Rat Pack that will be a fee because its also a dinner show?? I took advantage of the Beverage and specialty restaurant deal that was just going, this is a wonderful deal I believe to bring in new people, like I said Royal has been increasing prices, we went on Serenade of the seas for Xmas and New Years, spent the extra money for a holiday and it was a bust, they did nothing special for Xmas and New years they crammed 2,000 passengers in the centrum it was insane, never again will I do a holiday!!!

So my hubby can dress nice shorts and golf shirt for dinner in the MDR?? but slacks and shirt for the specialty restaurants? is it like Anytime dining on Royal to where its best to say make a reservation at 6pm?? and the 3 MDRs are they all different food or the same???

I have been on the Allure and Oasis and this ship Escape seems so different

 

With only 3 of you, you don't need to make a reservation for dinner in MDR but you can if you want to. If you want to get 6 pm you should book right at 90 days out. I am at 45 days out right now and dinner times still available for table of 4 (they don't have 3 listed) are usually 5:30 pm or 8:30 pm. However, they do still take walk-ins, so that is what I am doing most evenings. Like I said, if you are flexible, you don't need to make reservations in MDR at all. Probably more important to make reservations in specialties, however. The three MDRs all have the same menu but "atmosphere" is a bit different.

 

Your DH can wear a t-shirt and reasonable shorts in all but two restaurants on NCL. Which two varies according to ship. Le Bistro always requires pants and collared shirt. Most other specialties are ok with casual attire. On Getaway, Ocean Blue is the only other restaurant that requires pants and collared shirt. On Escape Bayamo and Le Bistro require long pants and collared shirt for men after 5 pm.

 

From NCL https://www.ncl.com/freestyle-cruise/prepare-for-your-cruise/what-to-pack. The "Smart Casual" applies to Bayamo and Le Bistro on Escape. Look for Escape Dailies in other threads for more info (all except Day 1 as Day 1 is cruise casual in all venues).

 

CRUISE CASUAL

 

Dress cruise casual anytime during the day, in the buffet and in most specialty restaurants. For women, it includes summer and casual dresses, skirts, regular or capri pants, shorts, jeans and tops. Khakis, jeans, shorts and casual shirts are fine for men.

 

 

SMART CASUAL

 

Dress smart casual in our more formal dining room or in our more upscale specialty restaurants. For women, it includes slacks or jeans, dresses, skirts and tops. For men, it's jeans or slacks with a collared shirt and closed-toed shoes.

Edited January 28, 2016 by Mistizoom

[wilmingtech]

So my hubby can dress nice shorts and golf shirt for dinner in the MDR?? but slacks and shirt for the specialty restaurants? is it like Anytime dining on Royal to where its best to say make a reservation at 6pm?? and the 3 MDRs are they all different food or the same???

 

There are 2 dress codes.

Cruise Casual - Shorts

Smart Casual - Pants

 

On Escape - Manhattan, Le Bistro and Cagneys are for sure "Smart Casual"

 

So he won't be able to wear shorts in the more "Formal" MDR (Manhattan). But in the more "relaxed" atmosphere of "Taste/Savor"MDR (I am pretty sure both have the same menu as Manhattan) he can wear shorts in.

 

You don't have to make reservations at any time. But because of all the promotions for the specialty restaurants its suggested to make reservations for the specialty restaurants. Also make reservations for the MDR if you want to eat at a specific time or during the busy hours (Usually 6pm-7pm).

 

I think the best plan is to make your reservations in advance and just change when you get on the ship. We were able to make changes to our specialty dining reservations when we first got on board but not a lot was available.

 

One thing we loved on our trip on the STAR was that we could have a late afternoon snack from the buffet, stop by a specialty restaurant early (5pm) and grab just an appetizer and then eating in the MDR after a show...or before a show, or going to another specialty for dessert, or if we were really hungry we could get a second dinner...

 

-Sean

[Mistizoom]

There are 2 dress codes.

Cruise Casual - Shorts

Smart Casual - Pants

 

On Escape - Manhattan, Le Bistro and Cagneys are for sure "Smart Casual"

 

 

Not according to the Escape dailies I've seen. Only Le Bistro and Bayamo require pants and collared shirt.

 

See this thread http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=2286362&highlight=escape for Escape dailies (day 2 page 4) that specifically say "Dress Code: Resort casual and shorts are allowed in all dining venues except Bayamo and Le Bistro after 5:00 p. Shoes and shirt must be worn."

Edited January 28, 2016 by Mistizoom

[remharri]

Whelp I booked my first NCL cruise on the Escape, I am a loyal Royal passenger and 2 Princess cruises, we booked a guarantee mini suite, sounds silly but they all have balconies right...LOL some ships a mini suite might be a ocean view or Interior so I wanted to make sure, I should have called to book, but online was so easy with the 2 freebies, that's what enticed us to book .. it will be myself, husband and my 13yr old son... how is the food? the shows? the shows are free correct??? I know from being on the Allure and Oasis you have to pre-book shows and dinner cause of the amt of people, but are they free (shows not dining) now if we don't do dinner seating they have a buffet? or anytime dining??? any info would sure be helpful... Thank you

 

In my personal opinion, you may or may not like NCL. I did my first NCL cruise on the Epic last year and while I wasn't pleased at first when I look back at it, there were some great things about it.

 

1. It was a Med cruise, so, easy to like

2. Loved my Solo cabin, loved it so so much

3. All my meals were wonderful (never ate in the main dining room or in the buffet though)

4. Loved the Howl at the Moon type venu

 

I feel very nickeled and dimed though when cruising on NCL, so, this may be my second and last.

 

I do enjoy NCL over Carnival and Royal over NCL. In the end, I think you'll have a great cruise it's just a different cruise line with different options.

[grovesteve]

Whelp I booked my first NCL cruise on the Escape, I am a loyal Royal passenger and 2 Princess cruises, we booked a guarantee mini suite, sounds silly but they all have balconies right...LOL some ships a mini suite might be a ocean view or Interior so I wanted to make sure, I should have called to book, but online was so easy with the 2 freebies, that's what enticed us to book .. it will be myself, husband and my 13yr old son... how is the food? the shows? the shows are free correct??? I know from being on the Allure and Oasis you have to pre-book shows and dinner cause of the amt of people, but are they free (shows not dining) now if we don't do dinner seating they have a buffet? or anytime dining??? any info would sure be helpful... Thank you

Although I haven't been on the Escape I have been on the Getaway and Breakaway and RCCL Allure. You will have a great cruise. The downside from the Allure was we never had a problem finding a lounge chair on deck on the Allure but sometimes it is hard on the Breakaway class ships, the upside is the Waterfront on the Escape, it is wonderful. Many places to relax get a nice beverage and just enjoy your sea days. If the Escape has the same feature as the Breakaway look for the glass floor in spot of the Waterfront where you can see down to the ocean.

 

Steve R from Illinois

[jdmerck]

Thanks again, my son asked are there cartoon channels and my hubby asked what news channels? LOL Royal your selection of tv shows are very limited, we only watch at night, but important to settle down with...

[jdmerck]

Also, the promotion we got was the dining package and beverage package, now the dining said we get on a 7 day 4 vouchers, so that's 2 nights how do they work if you go into a Ala Cart dining? like say Chops on royal that's 40.00pp so that's easy what's on the dining??

[PyrHeaven]

Also, the promotion we got was the dining package and beverage package, now the dining said we get on a 7 day 4 vouchers, so that's 2 nights how do they work if you go into a Ala Cart dining? like say Chops on royal that's 40.00pp so that's easy what's on the dining??

 

On a 7 day cruise, you get 4 specialty dinners (4 nights) for guests one and two (each). Below are additional details from the NCL terms and conditions. You should be able to order whatever you want at the restaurants without any additional charges, unless you want additional entrees at Cagney's or Le Bistro (which they charge for if you want more than one).

 

"Packages are based on a per meal basis.

Applicable to guests 1-2 on the reservation.

Food Republic, Carlo's Bake Shop items, The Bake Shop, Ice Cream Bar, Gelato, specialty items in the Asian restaurant, Chef's Table, Special Occasion/Holiday menus (New Year's, Christmas, etc.), Jazz Brunch, Wine Lovers and Murder Mystery lunches, and beverages are not included as part of the Specialty Dining Packages.

You may choose to dine in the following venues as part of your Specialty Dining Package for the corresponding upcharges: The Supper Club ($15), For the Record ($15), Ocean Blue ($15), Bayamo ($15), Cirque Dreams and Illusionarium ($10 regular seats/$15 premium seats/$35 VIP seating on Breakaway), Sushi Bar ($7), Pincho Tapas Bar ($7), and Raw Bar ($7).

Specialty Dining Packages include one main course per person at Cagney's and Le Bistro restaurants. Additional main courses will be charged at $10.00.

There is no minimum or maximum to the number of meals that can be redeemed in a day, however each meal is counted towards the package."

Edited January 31, 2016 by PyrHeaven

[PyrHeaven]

P.S. I think you will love NCL! Haven't been on the Escape yet, but it sounds fantastic.

[Fyruf]

I have been on the Escape nice ship and the Haven was fantastic,Royal has its work cut out for them. Going on a 11 day SOS in two weeks hope it is ok but back to NCL in May to Alaska. They are two different cruise lines with different things each have,depends on what you are looking for. The ports are ports on each more or less. I for one now cruise for a relaxing time good food and drinks and good service, they all have shows and stuff like that. Enjoy your trip and have smooth seas.

 

 

Sent from my iPad using Forums mobile app

[jdmerck]

my son was asking about pizza and the ice cream...LOL funny things kids and husbands ask..LOL like on Royal and Princess they have pizza, and the ice cream is ice milk on Royal but creamy soft serve on Princess what do they have on NCL?? and the TV?? whats your main channels like??