This was only the second cruise that I had been on but it was my wife's third. We were on the cruise because it was to celebrate my 70th birthday. Birthdays with a zero on the end are always special and you need to do something that you can recall easily and with pleasure. The Caribbean was my choice and we had two nights in Miami before and after the cruise. We selected the Norwegian Escape because it was the only cruise that fitted in with the dates we wanted and I wanted to be aboard for my birthday.

We only had one complete day in Miami before embarkation and we chose the Big Bus hop on hop off bus. We've been on the Big Bus in other cities around the world and they are very good. After the cruise the first day we spent hours in the International Mall shopping (I really enjoyed it !!!) Unfortunately when we went looking for a restaurant for a meal before leaving all we found were fast food and one buffet whereas we were wanting a restaurant with waitress service, tablecloths and comfortable chairs. The next day we visited Key West. Due to the distance it was a long day (pick up 6.30 am and return 9.30 pm) but if you are in Miami and have the opportunity I would highly recommend it. The next day we didn't leave for the airport until 5.00 pm so we explored South Beach.

The Escape is not the prettiest cruise ship there is but then the larger the ship the more they tend to resemble a hotel on a hull. But it's what's inside that really matters. We've only had the prior experience of two previous cruises and the interior design was what we were expecting and I assume it matched other cruise ships. We were on deck 8 which was very good because most things were on decks 6, 7 and 8. The vast majority of cabins were with balcony and a sea view. We chose an inside cabin because we only use it to sleep in and would rather put the monetary difference towards another holiday. The only reason that I wished we had an outside cabin is because there is nowhere inside the ship that you can sit down and quietly read a book. The only place that came anywhere close was the Brew House but even there the background music was too loud. Read more