Norwegian Escape to Florida and the Bahamas

[allyfrizzle]

1 hour ago, BirdTravels said:

Been in the disembarkation line for an hour. Never use the aft line. 

 

We're outside waiting to board. The guy on loud speaker said there was an unexpected delay. 

[BirdTravels]

3 hours ago, allyfrizzle said:

We're outside waiting to board. The guy on loud speaker said there was an unexpected delay. 

Yeah, we slowed down to avoid a storm along the Carolinas. And didn’t make the time up. We were also in heavy fog last night. 

[worktocruise610]

19 hours ago, BirdTravels said:

JR will be moving to the Getaway and sailing the Baltics. 

oh well would have been nice but thanks for the info... hope you enjoyed your cruise as much as I enjoyed following you 😉 

 

[david_sobe]

All good things must come to an end.  Thanks again for taking us along and taking all those photos and posting them while sailing.  Hope you had a great cruise.

[graphicguy]

Thanks, Bird!  That was fun.  Thanks for taking us along!!!!!!!

[rwf1]

Thanks so much for another thorough report!  I will be referring to this again prior to our June cruise.

[aeroo777]

As always, another wonderful live report from the BirdTravels. Thank You!

I can’t wait to en joy your next report.

[ashleyriley]

BirdTravels, Thanks for the information. I am sailing on the Breakaway for the first time so it would appear that your review on that ship is required reading for me so I can be prepared. 😀

[I want to cruise]

Will these be the same Dailies in August on the Escape out of NYC to Bermuda?

 

[derek005]

Thanks for the updates!!!!

[Mike_DeA]

BirdTravels,

Thanks for the review and photos, you really covered everything.  I was on the same sailing and had a great trip.
 

As you know, the disembarkation announcement came a little late (8.10am) and the process was very slow.  I was in the forward section and got in line about 9.10am, but didn't get thru customs until close to 11.00am.  Slowest exit I've experienced in my 6-8 NYC sailings. 

 

Just something for those with tight deadlines to consider, get off as early as you can.

 

I put partial blame on the port personnel staffing the escalator.  When I got there, the woman was leaving huge gaps in between those going down.  They rightfully prevent crowding, especially since many people have luggage with them, but in this case there were literally 8-10 steps in between each person going down.  Multiply that by thousands of people exiting thu this one path.

[RnR_cruise]

Thank you so much for your thorough review! I was on the sailing after you & experienced delays getting ON the ship and delays getting OFF the ship once we were back in NYC. I have to say both were the SLOWEST I've ever experienced.

 

When they called our color, I thought the line looked short to get off the ship. Boy was I wrong. From where I entered the line to "just down the hall" took an hour because we were serpentined (think a Disney World que) through the Manhattan Dining Room.

 

However, the best thing we did was get a porter once we entered customs/where our luggage was. He took us through a short-cut to customs. He then brought our luggage upstairs to where we parked and helped us load into the car. Best $20 we spent!

[BirdTravels]

Yes. We were late because we had to slow down to avoid sailing into a storm off the Carolinas. What a mess. The crew did nothing to help keep the lines orderly, so “important people” who didn’t think that they needed to stand in lines got into shouting matches with people who had waited in line for hours. 

[JamieLogical]

3 hours ago, RnR_cruise said:

Thank you so much for your thorough review! I was on the sailing after you & experienced delays getting ON the ship and delays getting OFF the ship once we were back in NYC. I have to say both were the SLOWEST I've ever experienced.

 

When they called our color, I thought the line looked short to get off the ship. Boy was I wrong. From where I entered the line to "just down the hall" took an hour because we were serpentined (think a Disney World que) through the Manhattan Dining Room.

 

However, the best thing we did was get a porter once we entered customs/where our luggage was. He took us through a short-cut to customs. He then brought our luggage upstairs to where we parked and helped us load into the car. Best $20 we spent!

 

I was on the same sailing and I agree, I have never experienced anything like the debarkation on this sailing. We too waited in a LOOONG line to get off the ship. Once we stepped foot off the ship, it was one hour and two minutes before we were through customs. It was a disaster. In all I would say it was pushing two hours from the time we got in line on the ship until we were out to the street.

[Pandot]

BirdTravels:  thank you so much for your wonderful review!  Sailing on the Escape in October and really enjoyed your indepth information.  Thank you for taking the time to share it with us!

[crystalaziza]

On 3/31/2019 at 1:06 PM, BirdTravels said:

Embarkation at the Manhattan Cruise Terminal, Piet 88. 

 

Is this seriously the Priority Waiting Area? Where are the cushy sofa's the coffee, ice water and snacks? Or is this the overflow area that extends into the main seating area? Just curious.

[BirdTravels]

4 hours ago, crystalaziza said:

Is this seriously the Priority Waiting Area? Where are the cushy sofa's the coffee, ice water and snacks? Or is this the overflow area that extends into the main seating area? Just curious.

No sofas or snacks in any terminal that I have been in for Priority Ambassador, Platinum Plus or Platinum members. 

 

Suites waiting areas have snacks and coffee. Some suite waiting areas dedicated to NCL like in Miami have sofas.

 

Most suite waiting areas have regular chairs. The Manhattan terminal is not owned by NCL and is used by multiple cruise lines. 

[crystalaziza]

8 minutes ago, BirdTravels said:

No sofas or snacks in any terminal that I have been in for Priority Ambassador, Platinum Plus or Platinum members. 

 

Suites waiting areas have snacks and coffee. Some suite waiting areas dedicated to NCL like in Miami have sofas.

 

Most suite waiting areas have regular chairs. The Manhattan terminal is not owned by NCL and is used by multiple cruise lines. 

Thanks for the response, Yes you are correct about Miami & they are in Los Angeles also. Ya get kind of spoiled ya know! LOL

 

[sargemrs]

Bird Travels;  You say you used your phone mostly for your photos.  What kind of phone?  Your pictures are mostly crisp and clear!!  SO enjoyed this review and pictures!  Thanks for your time!

[alwalaska]

Thank you so much for your review.  I can't wait to have time to go through the whole thing.  I always love your thorough reviews. 

[alwalaska]

4 hours ago, crystalaziza said:

Thanks for the response, Yes you are correct about Miami & they are in Los Angeles also. Ya get kind of spoiled ya know! LOL

 

In Honolulu, the Platinum and above (or maybe just PP and above) were seated with the suite people, but I think that is pretty rare. 

[BirdTravels]

6 hours ago, sargemrs said:

Bird Travels;  You say you used your phone mostly for your photos.  What kind of phone?  Your pictures are mostly crisp and clear!!  SO enjoyed this review and pictures!  Thanks for your time!

I think that almost all of the photos in this thread were taken on an iPhone Xr. There are times when I use a camera whilst on a shore excursion (or underwater camera in the water). 

[sargemrs]

Well your phone takes good pictures, that's for sure.  I have an iPhone 7 but don't think it takes that clear of pictures!  

[BirdTravels]

On 4/21/2019 at 11:01 PM, sargemrs said:

Well your phone takes good pictures, that's for sure.  I have an iPhone 7 but don't think it takes that clear of pictures!  

The phone works fine for CC. The camera photos take too long to process/upload over the ships’s Wi-Fi. 

[sargemrs]

On 5/5/2019 at 6:42 PM, BirdTravels said:

The phone works fine for CC. The camera photos take too long to process/upload over the ships’s Wi-Fi. 

I don’t want to hijack this thread but I need to ask you a couple of questions.  Our sons family just got their bid ontheJoy’s Owners Suite!!!  We’re all so excited for them.  Will they get any extra perks ( other than the extra opulence) ?  She had heard that the go karts are free for Haven, but I didn’t think so.  The other 4 cabins are all also Haven but Aft Balconies.  Any suggestions for them?  None of us drink and I think there’s complimentary wine included... what could they substitute?  Thanks for helping us!