Norwegian Escape Review

4.0 / 5.0
3,046 reviews

Incredible Memories-Would Do it Again!

Review for the Eastern Caribbean Cruise on Norwegian Escape
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krimar9
2-5 Cruises • Age 50s

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Sail Date: Jul 2016
Cabin: Balcony Stateroom

We have cruised with Carnival, RCI, and Norwegian. This was our second NCL cruise; the first was on the Breakaway and the 2nd was the Escape. The ship is amazing. We are not big drinkers, but for our cruise we have the option of receiving the Ultimate Beverage Package for free. I have to tell you I will never cruise again without getting the UBP. The bartending staff (Jonathan aka Bong at Sugarcane and Rommel and Renzi at the Vibe Beach Club) really made the trip. They were funny, they were personable, and they were passionate about their jobs. They were amazing!! We would usually limit ourselves to two drinks a day on past cruises; on this one we had 6-7 and it really was nice to not have to worry about racking up the room charge with drinks. If you are debating the UBP because of the price, and they are not having a promotion which includes it, just do it. Go for it! You will not regret it! This ship seemed quieter than the Breakaway. On the Breakaway, a sister ship, slamming cabin doors were a huge problem. I am not sure if it was the crowd (cruises out of New York instead of Miami) or if this ship did something to make the doors not slam shut as regularly or loudly, but it was not as noticeable. It helped to make things more relaxing when in the cabin. My daughters used the gym on the ship and loved the equipment and the views.The entertainment was excellent. The comedians were so funny we saw them twice. A special performance of a Vegas group called "Oh What a Night" was also fun. The two broadway shows were super amazing. We did the Supper Club which was good but be sure you like the kind of music being played before booking. The entertainment with NCL is a step above the rest! The food is as well. It's exquisite and unique. Our favorite restaurants were Moderno and Cagney's steak house. Bayamo did not seem crowded on any night we were there. We ate there (At Bayamo) and while the food was fresh and unique, it was a little too unique for our taste. The service, however, was excellent. Kudos to Norman--the best waiter we had. If you do not want to pay the upcharge, the food at Taste, Savor, and the Manhattan Room is also excellent. The service there is good, not excellent, but we enjoyed every meal we had there. The Garden Cafe seemed way more crowded on this ship than the Breakaway. Perhaps we had more passengers, but for every breakfast we had to walk around for about 5-8 minutes before we could find a table. Lunch was the same, with slightly shorter times. We ate at about 9:30AM every day; I am sure if you are an early bird this wouldn't be a problem. The lines for food were not long; but the wait to get a table was quite honestly a pain. The washy-washy guys were so happy at the Garden Cafe that they made every visit worthwhile; I don't know how they stay so happy each and every day for hours on end. St. Thomas was wonderful-we went to Megan's Bay. In The British Virgin Islands, we did the Gorda Baths which was the highlight of our trip. I am 48 and my exercise consists of light walking; I traveled with my husband who is an avid runner and my adult daughters who exercise (but are not super fanatics). We all truly enjoyed this trip so don't let the level 3 scare you away unless you have breathing problems or really have walking problems. (If I could do it, anyone can!) It was truly a beautiful destination. We all loved this trip--food was super, service was really good, ship itself is gorgeous with plenty of options for things to do. The one thing I did not like particularly was the cruise director. He is young with a great deal of energy which is what a cruise director needs; however, he talked way too much and at the Glow Party he screamed like a heavy metal band lead singer would. (Yikes!) In fact none of us found that to be fun to listen to (including my adult daughters ages 19 and 21.) However he did not bother anyone else in my family as much as he did me. In Nassau we chose the Atlantis excursion--it was not worth the money. We had to wait a long time to get on the bus to take us there, then once you get there it's a 15 minute walk to where you are allowed to use the beach, the service on the beach is bad, the beach is just so-so. Atlantis is always nice to see but I would find something else to do in its place. The best thing about this ship is the crowd. Miami is always a great city to cruise from as the people are polite and the crowd diverse. Would do it again tomorrow! Special thanks to the entire Vibe Team and to Jonathan at Sugar Cane for making the trip special for us all!

Cabin Review

Balcony Stateroom

Cabin BF

Cabin was very nice and typical. Beds were soooooo comfortable. Pillows, too.

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