Almost Live: Escape NYC RT Bermuda 10/22-10/29/23 1st Time NCL Cruisers

[Meachjg1963]

Hello, this is our first attempt at a semi-live post and have only decided to do it after our announced itinerary change due to hurricane Tammy. Now with over 5 days at sea we hope to pay it forward.
 

BACKGROUND

My husband and I are both in our 60s and we are celebrating our 2nd wedding anniversary today. We are from Boston. We are seasoned travelers and experienced cruisers who have attained 4* Mariner status on Holland America. This is our first NCL cruise.

 

How we got here…at the start of the pandemic and the industry wide shutdown, we knew we wanted to help the industry and through a post here on CC (don’t hold me to this fact) we learned of the cruise first/cruise next (?) certificate that if you bought $150, it doubled to $300 when redeemed. We thought we would use the certificate on the Pearl from Boston to Bermuda but time and dates and ultimately price, we’ve ended up on the Escape. Including our RT Amtrak tickets we are saving $500/pp by going now and from NYC.

 

Thank you to all previous NCL posters as we learned TONS of information, tips and tricks that we’ve used to plan our trip.

 

We are in a Club Balcony Suite, upgraded to FAS+ and have a Vibe pass. We found the online experience for everything to be relatively easy. We knew what days we could book our specialty dining snd show reservations because of posts here. We got what we wanted, when we wanted. Online check-in was a breeze and now it is time to cruise.

 

Up next: Day 1…

[cruiservictor]

Look forward to reading your reports. What is your new itinerary?

[Meachjg1963]

Day 1

 

We took the 635A train arriving at NYC’s Penn Station at 11A. Then hopped in a taxi over to the Manhattan cruise terminal. 
 

From the time of getting out of the taxi to when we were sitting in blue chairs, all checked in, waiting to board was less than 20 mins. It all moved very quickly and all staff was friendly. 
 

Then we waited, about an hour, maybe a few minutes more. Once our group was called, another 10 mins till onboard and we were immediately told/directed/funneled to our muster station to check in. Great idea, but there has to be a way to improve on the execution. The sea of people all making their way on narrow deck six, crowding the bar and kiosks for reservations trying to get to their muster station was chaotic to say the least. But we made it and knowing to avoid ANY buffet on embarkation day, we ate in Taste for lunch.

 

We made the right choice. Two cocktails and satisfied stomachs (we ate light) and an amazingly delightful waitperson, our cabin was ready so off we went.
 

Our cabin attendant arrived with our luggage 2 mins after we got to our cabin. He was friendly and welcoming which we very much appreciated. Then we unpacked. The size of the cabin is as expected, bathroom is great, balcony smaller than used to. And of course the obligatory nap.

 

Dinner was in Moderno which was good. Loved the salad bar and some of the unique items you don’t always see. The meats were not as good as you would get in a local Brazilian steakhouse nor did they have the variety but we enjoyed them just the same. The grilled pineapple at the end and the coconut flan were quite tasty. All in all, a nice first meal to cap off the day.

 

Next up up, Day 2 and Hurricane Tammy.

[Meachjg1963]

11 minutes ago, cruiservictor said:

Look forward to reading your reports. What is your new itinerary?

Our new itinerary has us arriving in Bermuda on Tuesday (a day earlier than expected) early afternoon and leaving on Weds at 5pm, 2 days early. Beyond that we don’t know if we will slowly cruise back to NYC or race back to spend a couple of days in the harbor. All depends on Tammy’s track I imagine and those pesky fuel costs.

[cruiservictor]

8 minutes ago, Meachjg1963 said:

Our new itinerary has us arriving in Bermuda on Tuesday (a day earlier than expected) early afternoon and leaving on Weds at 5pm, 2 days early. Beyond that we don’t know if we will slowly cruise back to NYC or race back to spend a couple of days in the harbor. All depends on Tammy’s track I imagine and those pesky fuel costs.

Thank you. As I said, I look forward to reading your reports. And if you can get a picture or 2 of the screen that shows the senior officers, that would be great. It is on deck 6 forward, just to the left of the staircase. 

[Meachjg1963]

17 hours ago, cruiservictor said:

Thank you. As I said, I look forward to reading your reports. And if you can get a picture or 2 of the screen that shows the senior officers, that would be great. It is on deck 6 forward, just to the left of the staircase. 

I did not realize I would have home worked assigned with this undertaking, but happy to do it. Thanks for guiding me to it.

[Meachjg1963]

Day 2

 

What is it about sleeping on ship? Almost 10 hours of very restful sleep. Seas were rough and it was raining when we woke up and realized we didn’t put out the room service card so we slowly got ready and headed off to the Garden Cafe.

 

We met the Washy-Washy man. Love him. Arrived around 730A and no problem grabbing a window seat. We found the buffet food to be quite good and still hot.

 

We then spent the next 90 mins walking up, down and all around the public area of the ship. All the open decks and their features, including Vibe (where we are writing this from now). We may or may not have had a couple of Bloody Mary’s along the way.

 

Ended up in the Atrium, Deck 6 where the beau got his Starbucks and we ended up sitting watching country line dancing and a sushi demo.whil trying another cocktail we saw go by. The Captain made his announcement regarding our itinerary change and Hurricane Tammy. We were aware of the storm prior to leaving and knew we may be affected. All part of the travel experience. Others did not take it as well based on comments around us.

 

Lunch was in O’Sheehans. Was fine. I enjoyed the Lechon Asado. We tried the carrot cake based on reviews here, not true carrot cake, the frosting was yummy. It was around this time we learned of some drama at home that we continue to deal with which has snapped us out of vacation mode.

 

The sun came out and we found a table on the Waterfront and spent an hour there before making our way to Tobacco Road and a double shot of peanut butter whiskey. Nice space.

 

Dinner was in the Manhattan Dining Room.  A nice meal in a very nice environment. Then, The Choir of Man. What fun. We echo all previous comments. Highly recommend.

 

After being onboard a little over 24 hours, here are some initial impressions:

 

The staff is not as friendly or outgoing as we experience on Holland America. No one has been rude, some are just not engaged and it shows.

Our cabin lacks convenient storage. It’s the layout. Everything we brought has a home but we just feel crowded when trying to get dressed, etc.

The food and portions are on par or better than our recent experiences on HAL. We like the food a lot.

The smoke from the casino permeates those areas of decks 6, 7 and 8. I know it is discussed incessantly on here but yikes, it is a not pleasant.

And why have all cruise lines removed peanuts from bar areas? Our first world problems.

 

Till tomorrow…

 

[D_And_K_gocruising]

11 minutes ago, Meachjg1963 said:

 

And why have all cruise lines removed peanuts from bar areas? Our first world problems.

 

 

 

allergies and peanut dust concerns?

[schmoopie17]

15 minutes ago, Meachjg1963 said:

 

And why have all cruise lines removed peanuts from bar areas? Our first world problems

 

Did you try the yummy bar snack mix? It gets rave reviews from us and most people on CC.

[bluesea777]

I'm in Bermuda ... people need to realize that high surf and very rough seas arrive a couple of days (or so) before the actual tropical storm/hurricane winds.

 

The small craft warning is now in effect for the rest of the week which makes swimming in the sea very unsafe.

 

 

[Meachjg1963]

40 minutes ago, schmoopie17 said:

Did you try the yummy bar snack mix? It gets rave reviews from us and most people on CC.

Where can one find this yummy snack mix you speak of? We have yet to see anything resembling any bar snack on any bar. I will caveat that we are not frequenters of the bar areas at night. Anyone can drink at night, we’re day drinkers! 😂😂😂

[schmoopie17]

We're morning, noon and night drinkers...and the snack mix is at most, if not all, bars.

They serve it in small carafes. Keep an eye out...or just ask your friendly bartender.

 

Edited October 24, 2023 by schmoopie17

[MarKay525]

My DH grabbed this screen shot as you left NYC.

We'll be on the same cruise next week - hopefully headed to Bermuda as well!

 

We were in the Boston area for 3 decades before we retired to Chapel Hill - I miss it every day.

 

Have a wonderful cruise - Kay & Mark

 

[Meachjg1963]

10 hours ago, MarKay525 said:

My DH grabbed this screen shot as you left NYC.

We'll be on the same cruise next week - hopefully headed to Bermuda as well!

 

We were in the Boston area for 3 decades before we retired to Chapel Hill - I miss it every day.

 

Have a wonderful cruise - Kay & Mark

 

Thank you Kay, a great photo.

 

You enjoy your cruise as well. We are having a great time and really enjoying our first experience on NCL. 

[Meachjg1963]

Day 3

 

We ordered room service coffee this AM because I would’ve sworn I read that continental  breakfast room service was complimentary. Oops.

 

Then off to the Garden Cafe for breakfast where my husband had quite the conversation with the infant seated at the table next to us. She loved him!

 

We then split up and DH went up to Vibe for some sun and I made the requisite donation at the casino for about 30 mins. I joined him in Vibe for 3 hours or so as it turned beautiful as we slowed for our approach to Bermuda. And again we may or may not have had bloody Mary’s, screwdrivers and peanut butter whiskey shots.

 

Lunch in Taste was really good (again, we are really impressed with the food) where we met some fellow travelers and shared laughs and a pleasant meal. One of the great parts of cruising is talking with others as you already have something in common with every fellow guest.

 

Finally cleared to go ashore around 230p we hung back about 30 mins assuming the crowd would thin. Silly us. Between everyone wanting off and a lot of folks forgetting their IDs it was confusion on the forward stairs and lower decks. We spent about 90 mins walking the dockyard ending up in Clocktower mall. Bought a couple of must have treasures and made our way back to ship.

 

Dinner was in La Cucina which was nice but the first meal where we didn’t say it was “really good.” The deserts didn’t even excite us so we passed.

 

We went to the Escape Theater and saw a juggling comic who filled 45 mins. A couple of funny moments but that was about it.

 

Went back to our cabin were my husband reads about “ask your attendant for a coffee set up if want one.” So dumbass here probably read that and translated it into free b’fast delivery. 🤦🏼‍♂️

 

Some more overall thoughts:

NCL please clean the windows. This lady needs a bath.
Only two banks of elevators and stairs seems odd when used to three on the HAL ships.

We continue to be impressed with the food, despite our experience in La Cucina.

We have not experienced any problem getting a cocktail or service anywhere. Something we have experienced on HAL recently. 
Still no snack mix…

[mking8288]

Safe journey bound for NY early, watching her leave Dockyard on streaming feed ... swell & waves, going to be choppy and the bridge made a good call to bail out early, going to the a bumpy ride for a while - 3 days at sea ?? 

 

 

 

Extended BM maritime forecast for Thurs (excerpts):  Swells continue to build very rough to high as they veer east-southeasterly... Seas inside the reef 3 to 5 ft... Outside the reef 12 to 16 ft, increasing during the night inside the reef 3 to 6 ft... Outside the reef 15 to 20 ft... 

Edited October 25, 2023 by mking8288

[Meachjg1963]

1 hour ago, mking8288 said:

Safe journey bound for NY early, watching her leave Dockyard on streaming feed ... swell & waves, going to be choppy and the bridge made a good call to bail out early, going to the a bumpy ride for a while - 3 days at sea ?? 

Yes 3 sea days. We are heading straight to the NC/VA coast and float there well out of harms way.

We are not traveling too fast and the stabilizers are deployed to make it as comfortable and safe as possible. We are rocking a bit and the Escape is groaning some as we roll. 
 

And as we sit on our balcony, Mother Nature is showing us some of her beauty.

[Meachjg1963]

Day 3

 

Waking up in Bermuda to a very windy and constantly passing showers day. Today is our only excursion that wasn’t canceled due to our itinerary change. Side note: all excursions were refunded to our account by Monday night, Tuesday a $12 credit appeared for each which I assume is port taxes and then an add’l $25 each. Goodwill perhaps? Regardless, appreciated. We spoke with our cabin attendant thanking him for the amazing swan display in our room and to request that coffee set-up.

 

All aboard time changed again to 3:30PM now,  which they informed us as we disembarked.

 

Our excursion was a 5 hour mini-bus, small group tour of the entire island. Our original thought process was see the island then next two days go back and see/explore what interested us. We skipped our walk-about in Hamilton due to pouring rain and had an hour in St George’s where we visited the oldest Anglican Church in the western hemisphere and had a bowl of soup each in a pub. We then made our way back to Escape passing the beaches of the south side of the island.

 

Back onboard a light and quick snack from the buffet and up to Vibe for some liquid nourishment. Look what I found:

It was so windy in the Vibe we went down to our cabin to watch for pier runners from our balcony, but everyone followed instructions and with a couple of toots of the horn, we pushed away from the pier and began our three days at sea.

 

We all enjoyed a fun ride well into the overnight due to swells and the wind. Sea sickness bags out on every stair/elevator lobby.

 

A live post a couple of weeks ago recommended the Prime Meridian bar as a hidden treasure so we went there for a couple of cocktails. Fun ride back there! Some people were not handling it well. Dinner was in the main dining room where the featured selections did not excite so we both had an every day favorite selection. The soup I ordered was cold when it arrived so didn’t even eat it. We really like the Caesar salad, with anchovies of course.

 

Entertainment was not thrilling so back to the cabin we went and watched TV for a bit and fell asleep as this ship continues to rock and roll.

 

Thoughts…

The Retreat on HAL is a much better value and experience than the Vibe on NCL.

We do not need to return to Bermuda. 

Today three crew members really shone through with service that made us feel special. 
And I know what I am about to say is very controversial, and is my opinion only, the snack mix ain’t all that. 😂😂😂

Till tomorrow…

[schmoopie17]

Glad you finally found the elusive snack mix. How was it?

[cruiseny4life]

2 hours ago, Meachjg1963 said:

And I know what I am about to say is very controversial, and is my opinion only, the snack mix ain’t all that

Agreed! It's barely edible to me.

[D_And_K_gocruising]

2 hours ago, Meachjg1963 said:

 

 

Thoughts…

The Retreat on HAL is a much better value and experience than the Vibe on NCL.

We do not need to return to Bermuda. 

Today three crew members really shone through with service that made us feel special. 
And I know what I am about to say is very controversial, and is my opinion only, the snack mix ain’t all that. 😂😂😂

Till tomorrow…

What dont you like about the vibe compared to HAL Retreat?   

[Meachjg1963]

2 hours ago, schmoopie17 said:

Glad you finally found the elusive snack mix. How was it?

Sorry, not fans. 😬

[Meachjg1963]

41 minutes ago, D_And_K_gocruising said:

What dont you like about the vibe compared to HAL Retreat?   

That’s easy. On HAL you get a private cabana that is yours for the week if purchased that way. As soon as you arrive the attendants bring you and ice and water set up that they stay on top of all day. They take your drink, breakfast and lunch orders (they provide the lido and Dive-In menus to select from) if you wish and deliver it to you. Afternoon champagne and frozen fruit treats, similar to the fruit sticks they serve here. There is a flavored water/tea/coffee station up all day. You feel pampered in The Retreat. The cost of The Retreat, for 2, for our upcoming 7 day cruise is $399. You will find us in Cabana #5. The HAL Retreat wins hands down.

 

Please don’t misunderstand, we see the crowded, overrun decks and are very happy we get to wave our card and enter a much more relaxed environment especially now that we are floating here in the warm beautiful sunshine for two days. 

[D_And_K_gocruising]

Thanks, that make a lot of sense!   So the vibe isnt bad, but compared to the HAL it's not nearly as full service it sounds like?  

 

[Andoria]

I love your review. It's well-written and amusing. I've never heard of peanut butter whiskey and will have to try it when I board the Escape on Sunday.