I chose the Escape because we had such a great time on the Jewel last summer. Plus it is only 9 months old. The Escape felt much less luxurious than the Jewel though.

The good - comfy balcony room with great pillow selection. (My son had a total of 9 pillows for the 2 of us.) Room steward was great! Food was decent with a limited menu at sit down restaurants. We booked a guarantee room so we did not get any of the freebies,no upgraded dining, which really had a positive impact on our stay on the Jewel. The entertainment was very good. I enjoyed the comedians, hypnotist, the Brat Pack, and Cotton Club.

The bad - poor planning on many levels. Pool towels are now in your room with an exchange on the pool deck. Cast away party was at 7 PM and towel exchange closed at 6 PM? The fitness center was way to small for the number of guests and the ac did not cool the studio. Most restaurants appeared to be short staffed. Although staff appeared to be working very hard there just weren't enough to keep drinks filled, plates cleared,and bread replenished. Music in the Manhattan Dining Room was too loud to talk if you were dining by the stage. Read more