Review - NCL Escape June 11-18 - by a Norwegian Newbie with 9 year old ;)

[williecruz]

My husband and I have cruised previously but it’s been quite a few years. (RCI and Princess). Our travels typically involve flights and nice hotels but we thought we’d give cruising another try with our 9 year old son. He loves to travel and stay in a variety of hotels and resorts so we figured a hotel on the sea would be a hit.

 

I contemplated booking an Oasis class ship on RCI but was lured by the pick two deals promoted by NCL (we had UBP & 3xUDP) and positive reviews on Cruise Critic about the Escape. We live in SW Florida (pretty much in paradise) so I didn’t have huge expectations regarding this vacation. I typically like to leave Florida for a change of scenery … boy, was I wrong! This cruise rocked!

 

I am most thankful to Gambee for his amazing review of the Escape. His review really prepared us for this cruise in so many ways. If you are considering this ship you MUST read his review before sailing! Also, big thanks to those organizing the CC Roll Call and Meet & Greet – bklynangel & Lipz. We arrived a few minutes late, so didn’t get to speak with you, but it was great to meet other CC members and the ship’s crew & officers.

 

We drove to Miami the morning of the sailing (about 3.5hrs) and left at the crack of dawn in order to make an attempt at buying Vibe passes. The anxiety was high but in the end well worth it! We parked at an offsite parking lot (Safe Cruise Parking – think it was around $65 for the week, and they were one of the few that allowed us to arrive prior to 9am. http://www.safecruiseparking.com). Their shuttle got us to the port within 10-15 minutes. We checked our bags with the porter and waited patiently at 9am to enter the first set of doors (security). After being let in we checked in with the NCL agent. I think she was new because she was slower than the other agents checking in thus adding to our increasing anxiety about getting on that ship fast enough. We received Boarding Group 1 but now know that you must wait in another holding area until they allow you to board the ship. If I remember correctly they let us start boarding around 11:30. We didn’t run but walked briskly onto the ship, down the stairs and straight to Headliners for a numbered ticket. Thanks to all the C.C reviews about where to get Vibe passes—that info helped us greatly! We received numbers 29 & 33 (looking at the time stamp on the photo, it was 11:34am). Phew! Anxiety now gone! We waited in a short line to actually purchase the passes and get our cards/armbands. Whilst in Headliners we made a few specialty restaurant reservation changes. When we booked online we were left with unappealing times so we were able to change them there. They had a few little stations set up to change or make reservations.

 

YAY!!! We made it!

 

After the Vibe excitement we went to have lunch. We decided to have a sit down lunch (Both Taste and Savor are great—we just decided to sit on the side with the better view). This would be the start of some amazing service.

 

The whole week was amazing and instead of tell you my minute by minute itinerary I’ll summarize the highlights. More to come...

[FLcruisergrl]

Sounds fun! Following!

[baryton]

following. Sounds like fun.

[cincicruisers]

Following

[williecruz]

Room:

We had an angled balcony (13292) which meant our room was the same size as the other standard balcony rooms but the actual balcony juts out just enough for a lounger. I left a note for our steward asking if he could bring a lounger and it was on our balcony when we got back to the room. Husband enjoyed mid morning balcony naps on the lounger!

 

Bad pic, but it is the last one before we unpacked

 

Our steward was pretty quiet but efficient. He came nightly to make up the sofa into a bed for our son and left his nightly towel animal.

 

One of many...

 

My son loved this! The tv selections are subpar like others have posted but it wasn’t really a negative. We are tv people but with so much to do on the ship we didn’t suffer. I was scared about noise after other reviewers stated how much you hear doors slamming and toilets flushing. We tried to be super careful to never let a door slam and whispered on the balcony (it’s so peaceful out there!). Luckily it turned out that noise was not really a factor—only heard people running down the hall or doors slamming a few times. The toilet flushing is loud but you only really hear other toilets flushing when you’re in your bathroom.

 

Internet:

We all are VERY dependent on the internet and feel as if we're missing a limb if we don't have a connection. That said, we decided to unplug for the week and refuse to purchase an internet package. The steep prices and reviews of poor performance helped ease that decision. We also knew in the back of our minds that we had full free cell service in St. Thomas and free data/text in Tortola and Nassau with the Sprint International Roaming plan. We did utilize the texting while in port and I was a little worried that we'd have some charges on the actual bill. Fortunately, I received the bill this week and not a single charge. BTW - this roaming plan is bundled with my Sprint plan at no charge. I think it is just a free add on to existing plans. Free text & data and calls are 20c/minute. All in all, great decision to unplug for the week.

 

iConcierge App:

We purchased the iConcierge app (on all three of our phones) for $10 each. The app wasn’t working until day two so we didn’t get the full access on all days. Once it was up and running we used it mainly to text each other on the ship. The calling feature was a bit glitchy so we mainly kept to the text feature.

[Clarea]

Enjoying.:)

[rmmom1962]

Can't wait to hear more.

[Keith1010]

Following your posts.

Keith

[williecruz]

TO SPA OR NOT TO SPA……

Spa: we did the spa tour on day one. I was planning on experiencing a few spa treatments during the week but once I learned that use of the thermal area was not allowed with spa treatments I changed my mind. Most luxury hotel spas allow you to partake in the amenities during the day of your treatment. You can purchase a day thermal pass but I decided to skip it. All I wanted was a nice massage or two and a few minutes to spend in the ice room or on the heated loungers. I didn’t want to spend a whole day in the spa—this ship has too much going on to be holed up in the spa for a whole day. Staff in the spa were really nice and knowledgeable. You can book a weekly thermal pass ahead of sailing for a discounted rate ($199) but we decided to make Vibe our ‘spa’. ;)

 

My husband visited the gym (next to spa) on day two around 7:30am and reported back that it was crazy crowded. He was able to get in a workout that day but did not return the rest of the week. Good excuse, right? The view from the machines/treadmills was beautiful.

 

Dining

 

Buffet: We enjoyed the buffet but at times it can get quite crowded up there. We took some advice from Gambee and always would continue to the back of the ship where it seemed less chaotic. Always found a table on an aft window with wonderful views. There was a crepe station at the back—if you didn’t walk back there you’d never know it existed. The food was pretty good but we’ve been to some amazing buffets so hard to say this food was the best. There always seemed to be a nice variety of food and the staff was quick to clean up tables. It’s also convenient to have the buffet as an option to run in for a quick bite. We even took a few sandwiches back to our room and ate on our balcony. My son loved the ‘Washy Washy’ guys.. (guys singing at the entry of the buffet ready to spray your hands clean) My son was thoroughly entertained; I was glad there was some germ control! ;)

 

Our daily aft buffet view

 

Cagney’s: Had a wonderful dinner at Cagney’s (surf and turf was really good). Signature cocktail super strong but since we had the UBP, no sweat—just ordered something else. Service was outstanding! Atmosphere was lovely! My husband ordered the Porterhouse because it was larger and a higher priced item. It was good but the filet was much better. Lesson learned! Our 9 year old went with us to every specialty restaurant. Unfortunately, they have the same ‘kid’s menu’ at every restaurant. He loves to eat more ‘adult’ food and wanted more than chicken fingers. We ordered him items from the regular a la carte menu and he loved all of it, including his filet!

 

 

 

Le Bistro: Here we were able to try some amazing French food - escargot, bouillabaisse! I highly recommend the starter with the lump crab/horseradish—it was amazing! The lobster was so good and they make a nice presentation when serving. There is a dress code at Le Bistro-no shorts. I noticed some casual clothing on a few diners but they seemed to seat them outside the restaurant. Kids can wear nice shorts to dinner.

 

 

Teppanyaki: This was a hibachi style meal with a little extra—the food was slightly different than the typical hibachi. We had the filet and lobster (do you notice a trend?). They give you the choice of a green tea cake with green tea ice cream or fruit plate for dessert. The chef spent a lot of time entertaining our son. The food was really good—a lot of it, so go hungry! Here we opted to forgo the children’s menu again and just shared our entrees with our son. The staff was accommodating with this request and it was more than enough food for the three of us.

[williecruz]

Taste/Savor: These are two main dining rooms with the same menu and a bar in between. Luckily enough we were always provided with a window seat when I requested one. Since both restaurants offer the same menu we would pick which side offered the best view based on where the ship was at the time. Everyone we encountered here provided the best service. One morning our server, Joseph, made the cutest mouse out of a napkin for my son at the table. The dining room was quite busy that morning and I’m sure he didn’t have lots of free time so it meant a lot that he took the time to teach him this trick and provide a little entertainment. We only ever ate breakfast and lunch at these two dining rooms. We usually preferred these dining rooms for a more civilized meal over the buffet. We never had dinner in one of these restaurants, but I'm sure it is excellent.

 

Breakfast view in Tortola

 

Breakfast while approaching Nassau

 

O’Sheehan’s: We went here for quick lunches—bar type food. Good service. The guys loved the wings. This is the place that is open 24 hours. There are a few times when changing over from breakfast & lunch where they won't seat for 20-30 minutes during the change. Previous reviews stated that this restaurant provided take out service. We tried one night and were told they longer offered that service. Someone told us later that it is still available, but you have to order at the bar. We never confirmed whether this was true or not.

 

Unfortunately, we never got to try the much acclaimed Food Republic. There's always next time!

[MandyMommyof2]

Loving your review so far! :)

[trestar21]

What time did you actually park?

 

 

DCL Platinum Castaway Club ~ Ready for Norwegian Escape September 17-24 2016!

[williecruz]

What time did you actually park?

 

We pulled into the parking lot around 8:40. We reserved & paid for parking online the night before. There was a shuttle right there so the parking process only took a few minutes. Dropped us off at Terminal B a few minutes before 9am. We waited outside maybe 5 minutes before they let us in. I know it may have been overkill, but we really wanted to make an effort for Vibe!

[williecruz]

Ports:

 

We actually didn’t purchase any organized ship excursions. We were open to purchasing one or more but just ended up doing things on our own. We kind of winged it—asking around for opinions on where to go/what to do.

 

St Thomas: Asking around, it seemed that EVERYONE was going to Magen’s Bay and Coki Beach. We were leaning toward one of those and then my husband got a tip to go to Sapphire Beach. After we thought about it for a while, we went with Sapphire hoping to avoid massive crowds. It worked. We had a leisurely breakfast and got off the ship around 10am. We were quickly directed to an open air shuttle bus type transport. One might think you need to have a taxi with AC but this type of transportation was breezy and comfortable. We told a lady routing people on shuttles where we wanted to go and she collected the money from everyone and paid the driver ($10/person). We rode on this shuttle with others going to Coki Beach. The trip was like a roller coaster—white knuckles up steep terrain. Whilst my son thought he was going to die—I quite enjoyed the ride. Very scenic and I trusted the driver. The locals must know how to navigate the terrain. About 25 minutes later our driver drops us off at Sapphire Beach first; Coki would be the next stop for the others. No entry fee to the beach but they do rent beach chairs, floats, snorkel equipment, kayaks, etc. I think we paid $9 for a beach chair and $10 for a beach float (they also hold your driver’s license until you bring back the float or equipment). Not sure about food, but soda & water were $2 and domestic beer was $3. It was pretty quiet when we arrived which we loved. So quiet that we were able to get many pictures of the water without any people in the picture! We brought our own snorkel gear. The water was pretty clear but I’d have to say that the snorkeling was not the greatest. Didn’t see a huge variety of fish but we were still having loads of fun. After a few hours more people arrived (from the Carnival ship that came into port after us). The man running the beach rentals started placing a mass of loungers out and said he was expecting a big party of over 100. That was our cue to head back. We had a few great hours at Sapphire Beach—it was beautiful and I would recommend it as an alternative to Magen’s or Coki. Great views of neighboring St John. We left early afternoon (a shuttle was already in the parking lot—great timing!) and after a quick pick up at Coki Beach we headed back to the ship. I still had time for some shopping and made it back on the ship just in time for All Aboard!

 

Welcome to Sapphire Beach

 

I mean how stunning is that water!!

 

"Hi Dad...Come join us on our $10 float!!"

[williecruz]

Tortola: After reading many reviews about the short time on Tortola we were a little unsure if we should take on the Baths by ourselves (not a ship excursion). We also heard how crowded it can get at the Baths. We took it easy and had a leisurely breakfast with a view then we got off the ship and walked around a little. Gave us an opportunity to do more on the ship (slides, ropes, etc...).

 

Not much off the ship but the shops are super clean and new. Next time I think we’ll venture to the Baths via a ship excursion. I have read since that the ferry leaves first with the excursion so you can beat the others who do a ferry on their own. The best thing about Tortola is the sail away… Absolutely Stunning!!! Get a good seat and enjoy---best sail away ever. We had a hot tub spot on the top deck where we met some really nice people. We hopped between port side with child and starboard side in Vibe…Starboard might be more interesting for this sail away.

 

Bye Bye Tortola

 

 

Nassau: Again, no excursions but did get off the ship to walk into town. Four other ships came in so the mass of people was almost unbearable. Next time we’ll either do an excursion or stay on the ship. Sailing into Nassau is beautiful with a nice view of Atlantis.

 

 

Note to self: Stay on ship next time

[anandaindonesia]

Enjoying your review so much. Like your style. Keep it coming. Thank you.

 

Sent from my SM-J700F using Tapatalk

[Two Wheels Only]

With the effort you put in (getting up early, driving, waiting, etc.) you really deserved those Vibe passes. :D

[kjuarez]

We were on the same sailing as you and also had vibe passes! We probably saw you there[emoji3][emoji3][emoji3]

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Forums

[williecruz]

We were on the same sailing as you and also had vibe passes! We probably saw you there

 

 

Forums

 

Hi!! Hope you had a great sailing! We loved Vibe-- Wish we could have spent more time in there!;)

[WAHMto5]

Thanks for the review. Can't wait to read the rest!

[williecruz]

Splash Academy: The staff at the Splash Academy were super energetic and friendly. My son is at the top of the age range for his assigned group so I think he’ll enjoy the next age bracket on a future cruise. He went a few times and seemed to enjoy himself. We went the first day to sign him up so it was easy for drop offs the rest of the week. Parents are only allowed inside on the first day of sign up. Afterwards it’s only kids and Splash crew. We met some friends with girls around the same age and they loved going every night. On sea days there is a few hour lunch break for the crew and all kids must be out of Splash. There is a charge after 10:30pm for the late night crowd. He really enjoyed the kid's glow party.

 

Activities: We took advantage of the ropes course a few times. The wait typically was around 25 minutes. Once you are up on the course you could take as much time as you wanted. You can’t carry up any cameras or phones, etc. (GoPro on headmount or chestmount allowed). No tank tops—must have some kind of sleeve (someone in line told me about this and I made a quick dash back to the room to change shirts). Only two of the zip lines were open on the times we visited. The best zip line (starboard) takes you out over the water. This is extremely fun especially when you’re out at sea. It’s really windy and adds to the excitement. My son is not the most athletic so I worried if he’d be able to do the course or zip lines. He loved it so much I had a hard time convincing him to finish up. One day we did the over the water zip line 5 times in a row.

 

Hubs wore a GoPro headmount....he thought it was going to blow off!

 

The plank....WHOA!

[williecruz]

We also LOVED the water slides. One day we tried to wait in line only to find out the wait was over an hour and a half. I believe that was a sea day. Came back on another port day and the wait was fine. In fact my son and I did the blue tube slide over and over. The yellow slide is a super tame and slow slide. You have to lay down on your back to even get going at a decent speed. My husband tried the aqua loop and said it was great…super fast and fun. I didn’t try it as I heard another woman saying she got stuck in the slide—no thanks!

 

Blurry, but doesn't that smile say "FUN!"

 

Sliding over St. Thomas

 

 

The pool could get a little (OK...a lot) crowded at times, especially on sea days. If you like to people watch this is the place! There always seemed to be music or some type of entertainment (for example: Ms Norwegian Escape contest!) The pool always had a fun vibe during the day but I personally can only take that in doses. Small doses. You can always find a chair on the ship—just maybe not right by the pool. For cooling down on the Escape, use the misting areas, shower areas, grotto, etc. We visited Spice H2O on the first day but really didn’t go back since we had Vibe passes. I can see how this would be a great option for adults during the day should you miss out on Vibe or if you were uninterested in spending the extra $ for Vibe.

 

There is a kids pool and splash area. The splash zone has a mini climbing area, sprinklers and a mini waterslide. My son enjoyed this area with a few of his friends he met on the ship. I think he went down that slide a hundred times.

 

Arcade: my son loved the arcade—but couldn’t spend as much time there as he really wanted due to the $$$ racking up. It can go quick! Aside from the main arcade, there are games near O'Sheehan's (skeeball, basketball, bowling, etc. ) for a some family games.

[cincicruisers]

Enjoying your review.

[portcity]

Sailing soon with my two sons 6 and 12. Thankyou for the review!

[Sand and Seas]

Great Review! Love your pictures, especially the water slide:D