Escape NYC to Bermuda 5/13 Trip Report

[aubreyc1988]

Nope, Escape has it. Just inside Bayamo and across from Pinchos. Just no outdoor space. We stopped there a few times. Great drinks.

 

 

 

 

Whew, that raspberry mojito on the waterfront is probably the best thing Ncl has ever had

 

 

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[Lucky2326]

The Waterfront was completely deserted the first 2 or 3 days of the cruise, then people started to discover it. Still empty in the mornings but would fill up in the afternoons. Never packed or loud, though.

 

I'm not a pool deck person (I burn, not tan) so I didn't spend much time there. If you don't want a lounger right by the pool I'd say you'd be ok, but it was definitely crowded. We hung out on deck 19 in the public area next to (but not in) Vibe and it was much more relaxed and not busy! If you are a sun worshipper I bet the top-most sundeck on Deck 20 is even less crowded. (Although after Epic my husband refers to this as the "Naked German guy deck". YMMV.

 

Breakaway doesn't have a Sugarcane mojito bar, either. :loudcry:Where will I drink?????

 

 

We are leaving the end of June. Thank you so much for your cruise info. Keep it coming.

[Indykitten]

Day 4. Bermuda.

Up to Margaritaville for a quick bite and coffee, dodge a few joggers, and then over to the railing to watch a breathtaking arrival to Bermuda.

I overheard another passenger say that it was his 7th time there! I guess it’s an easy and nice vacation from the east coast. In fact, it seemed like for everyone on the ship, it was either their 3rd or 4th or 7th time doing this itinerary, or it was their very first cruise. I saw a TON of orange cards and very few green cards. Maybe that’s why this week seemed so crowded and dysfunctional. It was everyone’s first cruise?

 

We were off the boat as early as possible and I found the Visitors Information booth to buy transit passes. It was well-signed with big blue flags. $31.50 per person for a 2 day pass and they took credit cards. We wandered around for a bit at the dockyard until it was time to take the ferry to Hamilton.

Once in Hamilton we found the bus stop a couple blocks away and took the No 10 bus to the Bermuda Aquarium, Museum and Zoo (BAMZ). The bus drivers are super polite and helpful and if you let them know where you’re going when you get on they will make sure to call out to you when it’s your stop. Honestly everyone on Bermuda was so genuinely nice and polite and helpful. It is a beautiful clean island with a vibrant culture. The aquarium and zoo are small but well done and the entrance fee is only $10pp.

[Indykitten]

Day 4. Bermuda, continued

From there we took the bus to the Swizzle Inn and had lunch. It’s kitchy and touristy but the nachos and the pitcher of Rum Swizzle were fantastic. Our server was also fantastic and gave great recommendations. Crystal Caves are right across from the Swizzle Inn but we didn’t go. I’d considered it but they looked just like some limestone caves we have near home that we’d been to several times so I passed. There was too much else to do.

From there we walked a bit. I’d reserved some kayaks so we went and paddled around for a bit in a beautiful turquoise bay and near Blue Hole park. Accidentally trespassed a bit at a posh resort (found a private cave, oops!) and then caught the bus into St George’s and took the ferry back to the dockyards.

 

A quick pint or two in the Brewhouse and we’re chatting with the bartenders while it’s slow. The Hindu bartender is telling us about this fantastic spa/wellness retreat*cough*rehab in India. My husband leans over and whispers, “I think he thinks we’re alcoholics”. I’m like, well, it’s a cruise, we’re in a drinking contest, winning, he’s not wrong, do you think we could use our HSAs to pay for that?? We giggled. I’m only teasing because we really enjoyed the company and service of Ravi, Pradeep and Vincent in the District. What an excellent crew.

We got our boozy butts cleaned up and headed back out and off the ship. Wednesdays during the summer are Harbor Nights, a local (but a bit touristy) street festival along the waterfront in Hamilton. The HAL Veendam was docked there. So for the first two days we were in Bermuda there were actually 3 ships in port - us, the Celebrity Summit next to us, and the smaller Veendam. We wandered around for a couple hours, enjoying beautiful weather and views, and then headed back on the ferry to the Dockyard.

Time for a pint? Always. And at this point we were both a bit hungry again so we dropped down to O’Sheehan’s for a bit of dinner. It was too late to get the seafood basket, unfortunately. I always miss it. Is it any good? Worth making more of an effort for? We ordered some wings and fajitas. I have such love/hate relationship with O’Sheehan’s. I love the concept but it’s always so very crowded and so very loud. There was a show going on in the atrium and between that and the other passengers arguing and whining, my husband and I gave up on even trying to have a conversation. Maybe we were just tired.

[Pete's Girl]

I love your writing style!! Can't wait for the next one!!

[clcjdn]

We leave for NY in a week.....then on to Bermuda....following along!

[edsbiggbuck]

[]I can understand that. We're on Breakaway next and I'm already missing the District!

 

Was the Brew pub every Busy?

[Indykitten]

Was the Brew pub every Busy?

It would get busier right before dinner and then in the evenings with the live music it could get quite busy.

[HeyYouKidsGetOffMyLawn]

I see Kevin is still at one drink.

 

That's why everybody hates you, Kevin.

[Dina7]

Enjoying your review...love your writing style and commentary. You have me literally laughing out loud.

[MainerRN92]

Love reading this! Very fun writing style! Can't wait to read more!

[Indykitten]

Day 5. Bermuda.

Again we got off the ship early and this time headed over to the bus stop which was empty, only one other family waiting. As time went on and we waited for the bus, more and more people starting arriving. And crowding in front, of course you got here late and think you should be first to get on. As the bus finally approached it was clear that we were not all going to fit. I thought there is no way we got here early and are not getting on this bus. I did end up having to push a bit to get on, which I was not happy about, my little midwestern sense of politeness was about fried at this point. I tell my husband I should be British because I love to queue. Everyone should know how to queue. In all the confusion we actually ended up missing our stop. The bus was well over-packed and I’d forgotten to tell the driver to stop at Church Bay. We got out at the next stop at the Gibbs Hill lighthouse, which was our next intended destination. Giving up on Church Bay we hiked up the hill to the lighthouse. It already had quite a bit of a crowd, there were several tour buses there. I bought two tickets to the lighthouse (only $2 each) and we climbed up to the top. There were hardly any people climbing the actual lighthouse but the view from the top was spectacular. We could see the entire island/country from the observation deck.

 

From the lighthouse we walked to Horseshoe Bay and I can see why this is such an iconic and famous beach. It is truly beautiful with the turquoise water and pink sand. We walked far from the large crowds and waded in the water over by the big lava rocks for a while.

Dried off and took the bus on to Hamilton. I was planning on stopping at the Botanical Gardens on the way, but we were hungry and lazy. We should have stopped because we ended up having plenty of time.

 

I wanted some local Bermuda food and TripAdvisor had steered me to Art Mel’s Spicy Dicy. Google maps had told me it was 20 minute walk from the bus stop. I knew it was on St Monica’s street but I’d misplaced my map and we were having trouble figuring out where to go. My husband asked a very nice parking lot attendant and his face lit up when we told him where we were going. He said, you need to take the number 9 or 10 bus. We said we were going to walk. “It’s too far!” he says, “I’ll get you there, I’ll talk to the driver. Go over there and wait for the bus”. So the bus pulls up and this lovely gentleman comes running across the street to tell the bus driver where to drop us. The bus driver’s face lights up, “You’re going to Art Mel’s!”. At this point I’m nearly drooling in anticipation. A short bus trip later and we’re being dropped off in a residential neighborhood with explicit directions on finding this place. “Go up the hill to the right, turn right, keep going up the hill”. Even another passenger stopped to make sure we knew how to get there. So we get there and it’s this tiny hole in the wall lunch counter (not unexpected, I’d done my research) with the most amazing fish sandwich ever. Fried fish with coleslaw, tartar sauce and hot sauce on thick cut homemade raisin bread. It sounds disgusting. It was amazing. Sweet, savory, salty. All in one sandwich. The restaurant doesn’t have any seating so we ended up carrying our treasure back down the hill, finding a shady spot in the grass and devouring them. I kid you not, everyone who passed us would honk, wave or give us a thumbs up. “That’s a great sandwich!” “Enjoy your sandwich!”. Bermudians are seriously the nicest people. If you go to Bermuda, you must go to Art Mel’s. Like seriously, email me and I will get you there. My mouth is watering typing this.

 

Fat and happy we staggered back to the bus stop and rode it back into Hamilton. High on fish and raisin bread we stumbled in to the Gosling’s store. You can take 1 liter per person of booze back into the US duty free. Double proof dark rum and an amber I can only buy here? And you’ll deliver it back to the ship for me free of charge? Sold. Best deal (besides that monster of a sandwich) I’ve ever gotten. I love rum and enjoy expanding my collection. Unfortunately Gosling’s does not do tastings or distillery tours like Bacardi does on Puerto Rico. But I already knew I enjoyed their wares. We wandered around a bit and looked at the merchandise and bought a couple of cold ginger beers to drink while we waited for the ferry. I thought about buying a couple of single servings of rums to fix my own Dark n Stormys for walk-tails but this isn’t New Orleans and I wasn’t sure how drinking in public is handled here in such polite society. I probably could have asked the nice people at Gosling’s.

Dinner at the buffet tonight because we were tired and after that monster of a sandwich we really only needed something light. Which brings me to the 6 plate story. So one of my favorite things about the NCL Garden Cafe is the “Action Salad Station”. Confession: I LOVE salad. Ridiculous, I know, especially on a cruise, but it’s true. So everyday at the buffet there’s a station set up with a different type of gourmet-ish salad that they will assemble and toss for you. I love it and eat it almost every day. Don’t judge me. So hubs and I each get a salad. That’s two plates. We both love Indian food and the Indian and Asian food on Escape is fantastic. The head chef is Indian and the crew said most of the cooks on Escape are Indian or Filipino and made excellent authentic cuisine. So we each got half a plate of Indian food. We’re up to 4 plates now, you see where this is going, right? I very rarely eat dessert on vacation, in fact, I think the Supper Club on the first night was the only dessert we’d had up until this point, but crepes….the crepes called to me. And really, once they’re folded up, they’re so tiny, right? So now you can see how our “light” not-very-hungry-stuffed-with-fish-sandwich-at-lunch turned into 6 plates stacked at our table, right? Which is, of course, when the table busser comes by to pick them up and my husband blurts out, “two of those were salad!”. I’m thinking this poor kid does not give a fu-when he breaks out in a grin and says, “It’s okay, sir, you’re on VACATION.” I’m dying at this point I’m laughing so hard. This kid has seen some stuff.

 

Down to the District for Beau and brews and then an early night in, we still have one more (half) day in Bermuda. For whatever reason chocolate covered strawberries showed up several times and I am a HUGE FAN. I don't know why but eating them on my balcony was like the height of decadence for me. I even let the husband eat a few.

This adorable little guy showed up. My fav of the towel animals.

[maggie1968]

REALLY enjoying your review!!

[Indykitten]

Day 6. Last (half) day in Bermuda

NCL has provided a ferry that goes straight from the ship (it’s docked right there) to St George’s, free to NCL passengers. It only goes to St George’s and not to Hamilton. On Friday, the last and half day, it only makes one trip. To St George’s in the morning and then returns to the dockyard right before all aboard. I picked this day to go to St George’s so that we could ride the NCL ferry instead of doing our own thing like we had the past 2 days. I obviously didn’t want to miss the ship and I felt more comfortable being on the NCL ferry with several hundred other passengers. The ferry was scheduled to leave at 8:45 so we basically walked off the ship at 8:30 and on to the ferry. Where we waited. And waited. As 8:45 passed and people continued to wander on, finally we left a few minutes after 9. I wasn’t thrilled. We had such a short time to spend at St George’s that I wasn’t happy about being late getting there. I don’t blame NCL or the (contracted, I assume) ferry operators - either you leave late or you leave people behind. Someone is going to be upset. Well I was the one upset that people did not have the courtesy to be on time for the ferry.

It’s about a 45-60 minute ride to St George’s. We got off and hiked up the hill to the unfinished church on our way to Tobacco Bay.

We got there ahead of the pack and found a tiny shady spot to ditch our stuff. Tobacco Bay is lovely, extremely protected and great for snorkeling or swimming. We donned our snorkels and fins and saw some amazing coral and fish, including some giant 3 feet long bright blue parrot fish.

We dried off and then slowly made our way back to St George’s where we wandered around looking at boats and buildings until it was time to board the ferry back. Where we then got seats along the side to watch for the pier runners. :D

 

Back on board with plenty of time for activities, pints and cleaning up for dinner. Up to the top decks to watch sailaway and what’s that, the ropes course is open and there’s no waiting??? Well, yes, please. Some closed toed shoes and couple sips of liquid courage from the Chill bar and we were being fitted with our harnesses. Honestly I’m not a fan of heights but I am a fan of adrenaline - zip-lining in Costa Rica was a great adventure. So I’m proud to say I walked both planks, 17 stories up, what a gorgeous view sailing away from Bermuda with prominent coral reefs on either side of the channel. A few of the paths were blocked off due to wind but there was plenty to enjoy.

Some celebratory pints in the District and it was time to get cleaned up for Dinner at Cagney’s. So when we were on Epic last our dinner at Cagney’s was good but not great. I’m happy to say our Escape dinner at Cagney’s was fantastic. Dorna, our server, was attentive and very pleasant. Sitting out on the waterfront watching the sunset was magical. I will say that Cagney’s on Escape felt less “formal” than on Epic. Maybe it was just because we were seated outside? I remember on Epic my white napkin being exchanged for a black one so as not to get white lint on my black dress. I don’t really need the formality but I will say that if I never see yoga pants and gym shorts in a steakhouse again, that will also be okay. All in all, I was sad our trip was ending. Managed to actually save room for dessert for once and had the brownie. It was delicious.

 

Another bit of Beau and brews in the District. I’d wanted to go to the Glow party but I was just too tired.

[mickeyAB]

We are going to Bermuda in two weeks. Thank you so much for your vacation journal; our entire family has enjoyed this. My husband is really looking forward to the Brew house thanks to your writings.

[ashleyriley]

Indykitten, really great and informative report. Love your sense of humor and the fact that you make no apologies for loving to eat and drink. We are the same way on vacation. It was also nice to read a report that didn't interrupt the OP constantly with a million ridiculous questions. Thanks for taking the time to write this! You have inspired me to cruise to Bermuda. And to eat that yummy sandwich![emoji2]

 

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[Lucky2326]

Indykitten, really great and informative report. Love your sense of humor and the fact that you make no apologies for loving to eat and drink. We are the same way on vacation. It was also nice to read a report that didn't interrupt the OP constantly with a million ridiculous questions. Thanks for taking the time to write this! You have inspired me to cruise to Bermuda. And to eat that yummy sandwich![emoji2]

 

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Agreed. I never have read someones full vacation info and could not wait for the next installment. Thank you so much for a real persons narrative. We are leaving in 3 weeks so this was so helpful. Any other advice would be so helpful!

[amygutman]

This is a fantastic review. Witty and informative - you convinced hubby to go to Art Mel’s and overcome his fear of raisin bread and fish combos. Leaving in 15 days.... cannot wait! Warmest - Amy

[Indykitten]

Indykitten, really great and informative report. Love your sense of humor and the fact that you make no apologies for loving to eat and drink. We are the same way on vacation. It was also nice to read a report that didn't interrupt the OP constantly with a million ridiculous questions. Thanks for taking the time to write this! You have inspired me to cruise to Bermuda. And to eat that yummy sandwich![emoji2]

No problem. I'm happy to answer any questions I can about the ship or Bermuda. And yeah, I ate and drank ALL THE THINGS. :evilsmile:It's vacation!

[Indykitten]

This is a fantastic review. Witty and informative - you convinced hubby to go to Art Mel’s and overcome his fear of raisin bread and fish combos. Leaving in 15 days.... cannot wait! Warmest - Amy

I don't even LIKE raisins. It was seriously delicious.

[mkmaj]

We board tomorrow, thanks so much for the review! I'm going to have to find Mel's now [emoji41]

 

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[Mistletoe76]

Loving your review! I still have 85 days to go before my sailing but I am really excited for my first NCL voyage.

[Pennelope1960]

[can you make reservations for shows and places to eat before cruise on line??

 

quote=Indykitten;56179575]Day 2. Sea Day.

We are fairly early risers, even on vacation. I just don’t think I can sleep in anymore. So up to the Garden Cafe for some breakfast. Had a bloody mary and a nip of Baileys in my coffee. I needed some hair of the dog to get started this morning. As I was getting dressed for breakfast I had thought, “I should start packing a breakfast outfit. Something casual I can just throw on to go to breakfast and then I can go back and change for the day”. Then I saw a woman in the buffet wearing a full set of pajamas. Well then. That was not an option I had considered. Actually, I saw some really weird crap on this cruise. I saw a grown man wearing a rainbow poncho and a unicorn mask one day. Strangely, only the one day, as I feel like this isn’t something you only wear once. Maybe he brought some other fabulous outfits with him and I just missed them? There were some other incidents of crazy that I witnessed this week that I’m not even going to address.

 

We took our books/Kindle down to the waterfront and sat and read for a bit. The weather was grey but the sea was smooth as glass. I hardly ever felt the ship move the entire week. CC Meet and mingle was today and the District was a great venue for it. I did feel a bit weird about being served beer by the officers but they seemed to be alright with it. I get forced to do PR events at work that I don’t always enjoy, so I’m a bit sensitive to others having to do dog and pony shows. The only problem (for me) was that I sampled so many beers and none of them counted toward my pint totals for the contest! #CruiseProblems. We wandered around the waterfront for a bit more and the weather was still cool, overcast and grey. Then decided we needed some more food in our bellies if we were going to make a dent in all those beers. A quick bite in the Garden Cafe and then back to our barstools. You really gotta put in the time, contests don’t win themselves. There was only one female’s name on the all time leaderboard. Connie W. Connie, you are a beast and I would love to meet you and have a beer with you. I don’t know why (I know why) but I like to think you’re from Wisconsin, or maybe Michigan or Oregon. I’d like to think that there are now two female names on that all-time leaderboard.

 

It was Dress Up or Not night and I do enjoy getting dressed up. Not formal formal, but dressier than my everyday, which is wearing a uniform. I like that it’s optional and that you can always always do something else if you’re not feeling it. So we got cleaned up and dressed up and walked around the ship a bit. Down by the glass staircase people were lined up to have their pictures taken with the captain. I saw one woman nicely dressed, hair and makeup done. The man standing next to her and the captain was wearing gym shorts and a wifebeater. I looked my husband dead in the eye, “I would murder you.” We had reservations tonight for Bayamo at 8 (I’d tried to get 7 or 7:30 but it was full), I had a comedy reservation at 9 and then After Midnight at 10. I really try not to overbook like this, but it’s hard when I have lots of things to fit in and a short time in which to actually do them. Generally I don’t like to book a specialty restaurant and a show the same evening. But I also knew that those 3 upcoming port days in Bermuda were going to be busy and potentially exhausting.

 

There had been a voicemail left in our cabin earlier reminding us of our Bayamo reservation and that it was for one appetizer, one entree and one dessert per person. Take that for what you will. I didn’t challenge it with the waitress because we really weren’t that hungry, however there was a second appetizer I would have liked to try if given the opportunity. Stopped at Sugarcane and grabbed a mojito prior to dinner. We got to Bayamo a bit earlier than our reservation and it was not busy at all. I wonder where all the people who had reservations for 6:30, 7 and 7:30 were? We sat out on the waterfront which was lovely. The bread (which I never eat at home) was delicious. I ordered the crab claws and the husband ordered Oysters Rockefeller as our apps and we shared. We both got the surf and turf as our entree. Both fillets were cooked perfectly although I think my lobster was just a teeny bit over done, still very good though. We ended up skipping dessert to attempt to get to our comedy show. Honestly? I didn’t think Bayamo (even with the new Ocean Blue menu) was worth the $15 upcharge plus the dining credit. Maybe if we’d stayed for dessert it would have wowed us. Maybe? Service was a bit slow, which I expect somewhat in the specialty restaurants. While I did enjoy being able to sit outside, it was a bit more, er, interactive with people walking along than I had anticipated. Sure, I got all dressed up for a fancy romantic seafood dinner with my husband, but by all means, let’s chat about your, oh never mind.

 

We got to Headliners just before 9 but it was too late and there were no seats left. I didn’t want to stand in my foo foo dress and shoes so we left to get another drink and make it to After Midnight on time. Shoes. So totally not related to the ship but last time on Epic my feet swelled up terribly and I could longer shove them into my pretty, strappy sandals. So at some point last year I bought some new dressy casual sandals where the straps are much more elastic and stretchy. I’ve been trying them out all over the Caribbean and Costa Rica and now the Escape and yes, this is the answer to me not having to wear flip flips to dinner by mid cruise.

 

After Midnight turned out to be fabulous. I like jazz well enough but I don’t necessarily love it, but I did love this performance. The cast was incredibly talented and I enjoyed it thoroughly. One thing I do love about NCL is the high level of entertainment they provide. I love the Broadway style shows. Off to bed, this Cinderella wasn’t going to make it after midnight.

[Yinz]

This is quite possibly the most entertaining read I've had on the boards. Thanks for the laughs! I'm on the July 29 cruise and even though I love beer, I doubt I will make it to the top ten. The hubby and his buddy are going to try though.

[Indykitten]

[can you make reservations for shows and places to eat before cruise on line??

You can make some reservations online 120 days before you sail. Once on the ship you can make more reservations, either at the box office, headliners, from your cabin TV, iConcierge app (if you can get to work, I couldn't) or from the touch screens near the stairs.