Sisters Trip Report! Norwegian Escape April 29 - May 6 2017

[MacCruising2018]

Love it! Thank you!!

 

Sent from my SM-G935W8 using Forums mobile app

[tawaik]

Thanks for the review. Sailing on her Oct. 28.

[nutocruzing]

Debarkation and Final Thoughts

Sorry for the delay on my final thoughts here; things have been absolutely crazy here at home. I did want to actually finish this up though!

Day 8 - Miami

Some of us had flights around noon out of Miami, so we were up early (before 7) to finalize packing and to try to grab something to eat before we did self-assist debarkation. Here's a picture of sunrise over Miami I took from our balcony.

When we were all just about packed and ready to head up to the buffet my aunt noticed something odd; her room key was no longer on her lanyard! We sifted through things but couldn't locate it. It was very strange indeed that the card somehow managed to come off of the lanyard. A few other "weird" things happened that morning, mostly in the form of things going missing. We took it as a sign that the ship didn't want us to leave! We knew my aunt would need the card to get off the ship so she had to go to customer service. I was really worried that it would take forever at this hour on debarkation morning. Since I was already set, I headed off to the buffet to bring back a few things for us to snack on in the room while we waited for her. By the time I got back, she was already in the room; apparently there had been no line at all at customer service! Phew!

Around 7:30 we all jumped in line for self-assist. I think by the time we got in line they had actually called some of the priority tags as well. There was definitely a line spiraling through the casino by this time, but it moved very smoothly. Something we thought was odd was that we never received any customs forms in our room the night before. We grabbed some from a staff member and to give you an idea of how fast the line was moving, we had trouble filling them out because we couldn't stop for any length of time.

When we got to the terminal a woman happened to grab our forms from us explaining that they were no longer required! Well that explains why they weren't in our room, but it doesn't explain why anyone was handing them out! Anyways, thanks to that it was just a couple short questions as customs/immigration and we were through and into the taxi line. It was no wait at all to get one, and within about a half an hour of getting in line (maybe less) we were in a cab on our way to the airport. We all said our goodbyes in the cab as we were headed to different terminals. It was agreed all around that it had been a wonderful trip.

Here is a photo I took from the airplane on the final leg of our trip home from JFK to YYC. Holy moly those clouds are pretty but this was the absolute worst flight I've ever been on. Soooo turbulent, I really thought we might go down. We didn't though (and yes I'm aware it would be a first for turbulence to take a plane down)!

Final Thoughts/ Overall Review

There is no doubt that we all loved this cruise, and I am confident that everyone in my group would give it 5 stars. I'm going to use a recent bad review of the ship as inspiration to try to combat the downright false information that's being spread with the result that this ship has an entirely undeserved 65% approval rating.

Entertainment/ Activities - You can't go wrong with this ship in terms of activities and entertainment. Perhaps the best part of being on a mega ship is that there are activities literally all day long to keep the guests entertained. Some are better than others but from the phenomenal water slides and ropes course to the escape room, to the supper club to the Broadway quality evening entertainment, you will not be bored unless you try very, very hard.

Service - We received INCREDIBLE service. We were not suite guests so I have no reason to assume we received anything other than standard levels of service. Everyone was efficient and went above and beyond the call of duty. My sister's food requirements were very well looked after and she never once fell ill from food on this trip. Additionally, I can say the staff all genuinely seemed happy, and to love their work. This isn't necessarily the impression I have always received on cruise lines. Maybe they're under strict orders to smile 24/7 (ok, they probably are), but they are very convincing, and it makes for a much more pleasant experience.

Pools - I don't get the obsession. I don't. Like, just go swimming at the beach when you're in port. While we didn't have any trouble popping into the pool when we wanted to, if pool time is a priority for you on a cruise (however insane that may seem to me), definitely don't book on Breakaway class ships.

Value - we paid a very reasonable price for this trip in my opinion considering the amenities and the newness of the ship. We paid about $3300 CAD for a balcony room including the drinks package and 3rd + guests sail free. Was it cheap? No. Was it great value? Yes.

Vibe - just go for it! It seems like if you arrive at port at a decent time and get one of the first few boarding cards you are likely to get a pass. And it is definitely worth it if you can! Incredible service from the bartenders; wonderful loungers; you will always find a seat; great misters near by; very quiet, it's paradise! That being said, I'm sure we would have enjoyed the cruise without it. I definitely found plenty of (non-pool side) loungers free at any given time during the day.

Food - The best I've ever had on a cruise. I didn't care for the buffet much, so I will give Carnival the upper hand on lunch time offerings, however, the MDR food was always good and occasionally wonderful, and our experiences with the specialty dining were so good I would definitely recommend that everyone buy a dining package (or not, shhhh keep the crowds to a minimum in the specialty venues!). Moderno and Pincho were not "comparable to any chain restaurant" - part of me wonders where these people regularly eat so I can start going there instead of my usual chain restaurants!

Drinks - Wonderful diversity of options. I loved the specialty venues and their signature drinks. It was fun to try so many new things. And the drinks were definitely not watered down as far as I'm concerned. Bar staff were also efficient and accommodating.

Room - Our cabin was 9160. The location was perfect! It was a quick walk to the forward stairs and it was just one deck about the waterfront, but over cabins so that there was no noise from above or below. We also never heard anything from the rooms beside us. People complain about the size of the balcony rooms. Yes, they aren't as large as Disney or Carnival's rooms. But they are much more modernly appointed. Having slept four adult women in this room comfortably enough, I would say that if the price is right, a balcony is still better than two interiors. However I will admit that it would certainly have been more comfortable for a couple.

If you know you don't like mega ships, then yes, definitely don't go on this one. But if you're just worried because of the reviews, I'd give it a try. Unless you are bothered by having to make reservations for entertainment (are you kidding me, like when's the last time you just wandered into a popular local theatre production without a ticket?) or you really feel you need a lounger by the pool and have no intentions of arriving before 11 am, then you shouldn't have a problem with this ship. It rarely felt crowded. But it also isn't intimate either. If you can afford a luxury cruise line, then try one of the for a more intimate feel.

A lot of people have mentioned feeling a lot of motion on the ship. I will say that we did feel quite a bit of motion, but we also had pretty high seas for the first couple of days so that's probably not that surprising. At many points, we would forget completely we were on a moving ship. One thing we did notice, that I think caused my mom and aunt a bit of concern, is that the ship is fairly noisy in rough seas. Like, it creaks, quite a bit. Especially in the stairwells. I'm assuming that this is no different than a regular building that might creak in a storm, but it was definitely something I noticed so I thought I would mention it.

I have to say I have come to love NCL. Their mega ships are BEAUTIFUL and have such wonderful amenities. However, they are still often more expensive than Carnival, and for that reason, I will always continue to sail Carnival (because my name is Sara and I'm a cruiseaholic). However, I do already have a plan for my dad and mom to sail the new Bliss next year as a 60th birthday present for my dad! So we will return very soon NCL. Keep up the wonderful work!

[RedRover96]

(y)(y)(y)(y)(y)

[js]

Thank you so much for your review. I began reading it last week and just finished now while at work. You did a wonderful job! I'm sailing the Escape in July for my 50th birthday and leaving our adult kids at home LOL

 

I appreciate the time you took to go into detail about certain areas, cabin, etc.

 

Thanks!

[Still Dreaming]

Thank you for a wonderful review!

[Sand and Seas]

Excellent Review! I really enjoyed your final thoughts about one of our favorite ships. Thanks for sharing:cool: