I just returned from a wonderful cruise on the NCL Escape. It was my first Solo cruise as well as the first time I have traveled on a Mega Ship. I was not disappointed. The prices on the cruise dropped about two weeks ahead of our departure and I was able to upgrade from a Solo Cabin to a Balcony Cabin, getting twice as much cabin space plus a balcony. It was wonderful to have a balcony since we were docked in Bermuda for 2 1/2 days. The cabin was very roomy and the bed was very comfortable. My Cabin Steward, Toro, took great care in keeping my cabin "ship shape." The Crew were all very friendly and helpful. I did not eat at any of the specialty restaurants. The food in the Main Dinning Rooms and the Garden Café was very good and nicely presented. The only thing that I did not like was all of the events that were held in the Atrium on Deck 6. It was always very noisy and very crowded when ever anything was going on. There were never enough seats for the crowds that gathered. The noise carried up onto the next deck. When you added the noise from O'Sheenans Pub on Deck 7, it was almost unbearable at times. I avoided that area as much as possible. There is not enough public space on the ship for all of the events they hold during the sea days and the evenings. I know that seems impossible with a ship as large as the Escape. This was my 9th trip to Bermuda so you might say that I am obsessed with the Island. I always find something to do that I have not done before. I love the public bus pass and use it every time I am there. The beaches are wonderful and the water was still warm enough to enjoy swimming. Read Less

I'm an experienced cruiser in my late 40s and enjoy traveling with my family and as a single female. This trip was my sixth visit to Bermuda and I have to say right off the bat, if you live on the East Coast and you love beautiful beaches and ample sea-life, friendly people and fascinating history there is no easier or better destination. I've stayed on land and berthed on cruise ships and cruising is the better bang for your buck in my honest opinion. After using a week of time off in August to take a family trip on NCL Star's Mediterranean Venice-Croatia-Greek Island itinerary, I was ready to double-up my Cruise Next deposits for a solo trip to Bermuda on the Escape. This was my fourth NCL cruise and the Escape was the biggest ship that I've ever been on. Sharing a home with over 4000 passengers and crew from all over the world was definitely a first for me and perhaps that influenced my rather bland opinion of my experience. With so many people to feed and clean-up after, the crew just didn't seem able to keep up with all the garbage that was irresponsibly strewn about by uncaring passengers. See the photo I took minutes after embarkation of plastic cups filled with cigarette butts. Feh. What a welcome. NCL, you can do better than that but ultimately, it was filthy passengers who did the damage in the first place. They are the ones that should clean their disgusting mess and not leave it for me to find. On a more positive note, I left the Upper West Side apartment I had been staying in at noon, hailed a taxi to Manhattan Cruise Terminal and was on board by 12:45 pm. The luggage drop-off and embarkation went so quickly and smoothly. By the time I had finished lunch and climbed the stairs from deck 6 to deck 11, my Studio cabin #11515 was ready to visit. I'll describe it fully and make some suggested improvements in the cabin review section. Tropical Storm Nestor made the voyage down from NYC to BDA a little choppy but Captain Giovanni Cutugno took us through safely and kept us informed with weather and navigational updates. Understandably, many of the outdoor activities were shut down for safety on our first day at sea. Still, I was able to enjoy the ocean view from the amazing new take on the Promenade Deck called The Waterfront on Escape's deck 8. There are extremely comfortable wicker armchairs and loveseats with thick cushions where you can read quietly or just enjoy the fresh air while protected from the wind and rain. The back deck on 17 is also a quiet area although there was some cigarette smoke to contend with and the loungers are ridiculously closely spaced so privacy was not really possible. I was on board to enjoy the most basic services and an inexpensive way to get to Bermuda. Other than a single comedy show and one trivia activity, I didn't participate in any of the bazillion opportunities for entertainment. For fun, I would use my binoculars to look out at the waves, read and look at the brochures for future cruises. That's just my style, the entertainment did not enter into my evaluation of the cruise good or bad. Food however is important to me and a better variety of dining room menus could have improved my overall rating. I was sad to see that the lunch menu was the same every day. Yes, in theory, the buffet had a HUGE variety and choices changed daily but buffet dining is akin to wildebeests fighting at the watering hole. No amount of delicious noodle bowls or crepe stations is worth it. Dinner menus did change every night and for the most part, two appetizers and a main was perfect and I usually skipped dessert. I tried to stick to just one restaurant and dined as early as possible to avoid the crowds. Hostess Kathia at Taste took excellent care of me and noted my preference of a window table in my folio so that no matter who greeted me at the entrance, they would seat me where I could enjoy the view if such a table was available. I didn't really have any trouble getting served quickly as I was alone and wan't in a particular hurry. Only one meal was a real flop (Lemon-Pepper Coalfish...I would call it flavourless nothingfish) I did opt to visit Cagney's steakhouse for a wedge salad and a bone-in veal chop one night. It cost 55 dollars with no other sides. I found it exactly comparable to what I would pay in a steakhouse in my city but I would have liked a better value because I didn't eat at the regular restaurant that night. Couldn't they throw in a potato or some broccoli just for show? They did comp my drink (the one and only alcoholic beverage I would have purchased all week.) My table was uncomfortably too close to my neighbours, a couple who seemed to be in the midst of deciding whether or not to break up. I just buried my nose in my book while praying they would change the subject to something less dismal. On the second sea-day, I visited the Cruise Next desk to inquire about solo cruising discounts on some interesting itineraries. The agent was not in a mood to sell me anything and sort of waved me off by saying "those interesting itineraries are probably all sold out anyway." I felt like Julia Roberts in Pretty Woman. He just didn't know what a little flattery and salesmanship could have landed him in commissions. He didn't want to play the game so neither did I. In the end, I didn't buy a single deposit. I would have probably taken at least two but decided not to put in the investment. The design of the ship is such that there is no midship vertical passage. You always need to trek forward or aft to access a stair well or lift except in the Atrium where you have decks 6, 7 and 8 connected by an elaborate decorative staircase. It's a crowded, noisy, central area clouded in cigarette smoke emanating from the casino. In order to avoid it, I would travel forward and aft on floors with cabins rather than public areas and make my way up or down accordingly. Arrival in Bermuda was terrific. I got up before the sun to watch the pilot boat lead us into port and to watch as the sea changed from deep blue to that gorgeous green and turquoise in all the postcard pictures. The island is so beautiful and I knew the drill so I wasted no time to disembark as soon as the announcement was made. I had my transport pass purchased within minutes and made the first number 7 bus to Church Bay about a twenty minute ride from Dockyards. I spent hours exploring this beach with a wide sandy area great for kids to splash in as well as tidal pools and coral reefs there. One can see so many varieties of Parrot Fish and schools of silversides shoaling into bait balls. There are many rocky outcroppings not far from shore where several species of juvenile fish spend their time foraging and growing bigger. It's my favourite place to snorkel although there are no facilities at this beach. I bring my own equipment and drinking water. When we got back to New York, a malfunctioning escalator held up disembarkation and there were extremely long lines to leave the ship. I am curious what the process would have looked like in ideal circumstances. I am able bodied and had only a small backpack to manage. I felt badly for the less mobile older folks struggling with their luggage. There did not seem to be any staff available to help those who didn't specifically register with special needs at sea. Read Less

Pups have not have asked for a better first time experience for me and my wife great all around.Alvin as cruise director wow what energy.Only thing would like a little more pump would’ve been Latin party lacked a little enthusiasm as other parties especially Glo party wowowwowow dying to go on another one..The buffet large variety of food.Our room steward Yoga was fantastic always attentive did our room twice a day anything we needed he was there to accommodate.Again loved it will definitely be on a few more Norwegian Cruises ..As for reservation team I would’ve liked to be told of a few specials they had going I was not aware kidswhere feee that week also drink packages and dinner also but as a first timer I guess next time I will know what to ask.Thank you again to Escape staff and keep sailing strong.. Thanks see you soon Norwegian Read Less

I got on Escape quickly after hitting Pier 88 . I was aboard in about 35 minutes . Smooth embarkation . I was in studio on deck 10 , 10551 , I had lunch in Savor and knew it would take time for my room to be ready . I went to spa to get my spa pass sticker and say hello to staff from May cruise . I had dining package so I was able to go to 3 different restaurant , I chose Bayamo and Cagneys and I found out that my hostess was working Bayamo so I went there twice . I knew what the entertainment was like , I went to see Chior of Men and dueling pianos and even did karaoke . Overall entertainment was good . Service throughout the ship was perfect and professional at all times . The Senior staff was always around from Hotel Director to Food and Beverage Director always had my back ! Every place I ate at they knew my name and what I liked for breakfast and lunch . There was only one problem and it has nothing to do with Norweigan . I went to festival on Wednesday , had great time at Dog Pound with friend , then we had to go back to Escape and we encountered a long line in Hamilton Pier , for 9pm return ferry , they put 700 people on 1 ferry . Very unsafe condition ! All and all I was great cruise unfortunately Escape wouldn’t be coming back to NYC , I would definitely recommend Escape for future sailings , staff is excellent from Captain to cabin Stewart . This is my 8th cruise with Norweigan and would recommend them to friends and for 9th cruise my sister will be going with me on Norweigan Customer Service , Host and Hostesses , Spa staff , Wait Staff , Senior Staff were always professional every time I meet them . Departure also went smoothly and with facial recognition it went very smoothly Read Less

My parents booked this cruise as a gift to me for my 22nd birthday , (07/14) . From the second I got there , I was treated far better than any all inclusive resort in Cancun or Punta Cana . I had a studio room , the studio is small but full of everything u need . Shower , toilet , sink , very comfortable bed , closet , tv , and these party lights installed all throughout our he room which really changed the mood of the whole trip . The buffet food at the restaurant was okay , however the exclusive restaurant were out of this world . Le bistro, was superb , the Manhattan was great , moderno had amazing meats . The drinks were made to perfection . Nothing watered down, all drinks premium and perfect with the alcohol . The amount of friends I made on this cruise is unreal . Norwegian does everything they can to make it as easy as possible to have a good time . If you are early 20s or late teens , definitely book a cruise with Norwegian because they give you everything you need , full of activities , you just have to make the best and most fun of it . Which is fairy easy Read Less

The quality of the crew, their attentiveness and professionalism was far lacking. It was apparent they did not care to be on the ship. From boarding to disboarding the overall attitude toward passengers made me wish I was not there. The quality of the food was horrendous, soups had no whole ingredients and were clearly powdered. I myself was sick the entire trip! The setup on ship was a detriment to anyone not there with a whole family as they corralled guests into areas such as Skyline for evening parties (an area much too small for all guests) and then closed the only place to get a drink when passengers engaged in fighting due to the cramped conditions. The adult only pools/ hot tubs were nearly never enforced! I never got to enjoy the pool/ hot tub areas due to an excess of children present at all times splashing and screaming. When I put forth the money to get a spa experience in hopes of some kind of relaxation I was shorted the whole service (tip to toe) including a collagen eye treatment I never received even after asking about completing the service. It was nearly impossible to find a quiet space or other singles on the ship. I spent more money on this cruise than my last and am utterly shocked by my experience with Norwegian as a whole. No kind of vacation I would choose for myself again. Read Less

I've now set out to cruise on all NCL ships, having sailed too many times on one and the first one (NCL Wind) I sailed on was decommissioned many years ago. The Escape delivered! I purchased a guarantee cabin with one perk, which was the beverage package. This was my third guarantee cabin, and all of the locations have been great. The Escape is similar to two other ships I've been on: Breakaway and Getaway. They are all beautiful ships with many activities to suit many tastes. The only drawback I see with these ships is that they are a bit crowded overall and much too crowded in the pool area. I thoroughly enjoyed the shows Choir of Man and After Midnight, as well as the piano entertainer in The District Brewhouse. Howl at the Moon is getting pretty old and sloppy, although I admire the endurance and versatility of the performers. I've seen this show on many of the ships over the years. As a Platinum Latitudes member, this was the first time I was unable to use one of my coupons for a complimentary dinner at a specialty restaurant, as they were all booked up. Cagney's delivered an amazing meal and dining experience. Food in general at all of the venues was excellent. As a solo female traveler, I really appreciated the level of service I received at the bars, restaurants, theater, and guest services. I enjoyed a few of the solo gatherings and the coordinator did an excellent job! The New York/Italian/New Hampshire/Pennsylvania/Connecticut crowd was a blast to hang around with! Read Less

I traveled solo on a May cruise to Bermuda from NY and got a pretty good last minute deal on an oceanview cabin. Norwegian has a lot of programs for solo travelers especially if you get a studio room. Since I was not located in the studio section I did not get access to lounge or any of the solo activities, hence I didn't meet many people. Overall I was surprised by the amount of kids on the cruise especially since it was mid May. Most seemed decently behaved but others just ran wild everywhere. For this reason I did not find this cruise to be totally relaxing. The food for the most part, with the exception of one meal I had in the dining room was excellent. I tried Savor, Taste and Manhattan. All serve the same food. I liked the Manhattan room the best. I did not go for any of the specialty dining. I found the buffet to be endless and had some great selections including crepes. I really enjoyed the supper club and saw both shows. This was one of the highlights of my cruise. I didn't care for the pool activities. Belly flop contests, who has hairiest chest, twerking,. Just not my things. But The waterslides were pretty cool. I tried two of them. On one you used an inner tube to slide down a series of turns and twists. The other one was a 30 foot drop followed by a couple of corkscrews. Beware because water goes up your nose on this one and it is quite intense. I'm gonna try to Celebrity next time. It's more expensive but it seems to check more of the boxes I'm looking for. Read Less

Excellent service. Food and drinks Amazing. Love the night entertainment. I highly recommend the Norwegian escape. Leaving out of NYC was very convenient. The boarding process was quick and easy even though the ship was delayed for 3 hours due to weather conditions. Stayed in the port of Bermuda for two and a half days .The glass bottom boat tour was fun and very informative. Also included a free drink which was very nice. There was always something to do on the ship during at sea days. Room service foods also very good . The casino was a very nice size and had a good variety of slots and table games. Also the slot attendants very helpful. I also liked the jade players club where you can earn rewards. Guess services also very helpful. Overall the Norwegian escape is a excellent trip and i can't wait sail with Norwegian cruise line again. Read Less

Embarkation - I live in Manhattan, and within walking distance on the cruise terminal. I left my apartment at 11:30am and was on the ship by 12:30pm. The staterooms were ready at 1:30pm. Cruise - Thanks to Angie (Gigi1068) for organizing the Meet & Mingle! She is so lovely and the M&M was such a fun time! I also really enjoyed the Slot Pull afterwards! Cruise Director, Mandy Jones, was EVERYTHING! I absolutely love her! Seriously, I can’t imagine the cruise without her. The staff on this ship is exemplary! Everyone is so friendly! Le Bistro, La Cucina, Teppanyaki and Manhattan Room were the highlights of my dining experiences. Although, I did enjoy the Garden Café & O’Sheehan’s many times as well. The UBP is fantastic! Bermuda is gorgeous! I took a shuttle to Horseshoe Bay, toured the National Museum of Bermuda, and swam with the dolphins at Dolphin Quest! I met so many wonderful people on the cruise everywhere I went. I can’t wait to cruise again! In fact, I’ll be back on the Escape in March. Disembarkation - I chose to self-assist. It was so easy and I was off the ship very quickly. Read Less

The cruise wasn’t good we stayed on the boat more than we were suppose to didn’t get to go to the destination that we paid for instead ended up in Florida and a stop for a few hours at a private island. Didn’t get to see anything I wanted and customer service on the boat wasn’t the best. We still haven’t gotten money back for not going to Bermuda But other cruise lines did give their customers money back and a money off the next cruise. I won’t be going through them again for a cruise. The food on this cruise was okay. It could be better and also the entertainment was probably the only good part of the cruise. The shows saved my vacation but everything else was no worth the trip. Also the drink package was a good thing to have on the cruise without those two things I would have had a worse time. Read Less

I have been on this ship quite a few times, as I am now a Platinum Latitude member. At the time of this sailing, I was Gold. Granted, the latitude rewards are not much, but this time I expected to have discounts for on board shopping and spa treatments, which should have amounted to me saving $150.00. I expected the issue to be resolved after speaking with my cabin steward, who looked into it. (Some free items like water and wine should have been brought to my room, and I noticed I didn't get them.) He politely told me to check with guest services. I did, and they told me they also "didn't have information regarding my latitudes status." So, apparently, it's my problem, according to NCL. Whatever they have in front of them on their computer at the time is what you get. I had expected to resolve this easily. I was wrong. I enjoy this cruise and did have a good time, but because this issue shouldn't have been an issue in the first place, I took off a few stars. I think NCL has serious issues regarding customer service. I've read many other reviews of complaints regarding customer service at the atrium lobby. Seems no one cares to resolve complaints of any kind when you try to speak with people there. I now see they had clear reasons to complain. I did find the crew everywhere else on this ship to be friendly and helpful. The food, entertainment and activities were, as always, very good. I could do without the constant nickle and diming of buying lottery scratch tickets, bonus bingo tickets, paying more for certain food items, even in the main dining rooms on the same menu. Unless you note the asterisk on the menu item, you won't know you're paying for it. How many times must that happen?! I have written my complaints to NCL. I would expect them to resolve this with a refund equal to the discounts I didn't get and should have. I really don't care about the things I should have gotten in my cabin, but I definitely should have gotten the priority disembark that would have meant being able to walk off the ship without being in any line. That took 1 1/2 hours! Bottom line? We'll see how NCL handles this. If they choose to ignore me, which I suspect will happen, I will likely not sail with NCL again. Read Less

Taste - main dining area day 2: My scrambled eggs and cheese were cold and they forgot my toast. Oddly they brought a gravy boat of shredded cheese rather than cooking it in my scrambled eggs. Manager, Moises, sent some wine and sweet treats to our room to apologize. Very classy and we appreciated it. Spa Zero spa shoes Zero lockers Zero access to thermal spa during appt Coed relaxation rooms There was some sort of detox seminar/tours to sell a service which is fine except that they hold it in the the relaxation room which isnt very relaxing for those of us trying to relax. Services were nice but overpriced for lack of additional amenities (like Thermal Spa usage with appt) Lots of upselling after appt with prices excessive for products. Amazon is much better for products over ship pricing. Sky bar has most of the late night activities but it's in n the middle of the casino so the smoke made me leave immediately. Most of the staff seemed very confused when asking where something was on the ship. So much so that after asking 3 people for directions where the sky lounge was, we never located it and missed the singles meet and greet. Not enough chairs on the ship so you have to wake up at the crack of dawn to claim your chairs. Vibe only allows for 100 people and though it has nice chairs, it only has a hot tub and no pool. All in all I'd rank the trip 4/5. Btw, our steward was Harvey and he was amazing. Read Less

I chose this cruise due to proximity, timing, and great pricing. Now I'll review everything I experienced. Food/Drinks: Get the drink package.. it's 200 for unlimited and you're going to drink if you sort of like drinking. I don't drink often, but the atmosphere of the boat makes you want to enjoy yourself with their parties. The food was fine for the buffets, but why not take meals sitting down and enjoying being served for the same price? I liked the options there and even the lamb was good which is tough to do sometimes. The offered us a free B-day cake and Anniversary cake, but we didn't try it. Fitness: The pool is small, but the gym is a great size. They have packages where you can pay like under 100$ for unlimited yoga and other classes. I joined a $12 yoga class and it was very nice. The treadmills are weird to use on the water, but they all point out toward the sea so it's lovely at sunrise. Spa: Didn't use, but I heard it was great. Room: It was clean and spacious compared to what I thought it would be like. The shower was hot and had nice water pressure. They gave us free chocolate covered strawberries sometimes. Entertainment: The parties sucked. NO NEW MUSIC! DJs also never played a song straight through so everyone just stopped dancing and stood there often. Even the "glow" party which I really looked forward to was lame. They had a thriller dance class.. Deal or No Deal.. these were fun to watch and even participate in, but still.. would have liked something NEW and MODERN. The Brat Pack writing needed a lot of work. It was redundant and boring whereas I love those movies and should have loved this act. The After Midnight show was ok.. I think the Choir of Man is what you should really see if they have it when you go. Definitely check out the first day variety show to see what all the shows are about. Staff: Alvin, the cruise director talked way too much about alcoholics.. not funny bro. The other staff.. who said "washy washy" and sang songs about washing hands.. I dunno.. kind of cute lol. The staff was pleasant, especially Wendy, the server in the Manhattan dining room. She was just really great and even came to visit our table the next day when she wasn't waiting on us. Pools/Waterslides: Super fun for the courageous and the pool was small, but we all fit in it just fine. Lots of hot tubs, but they don't really have stuff going on enough in the other parts of the ship where you'd want to use the hot tubs, so mostly it's just used near the pool. Deck is HOT, wear sandals. Zip Line/Mini golf/Gaming: All ok, the arcade is so outdated it's blah and pointless. The zip line was fun, a little rusty, but fun! The Mini golf was cute as well. They had billiards, a small, pointless non-bowling bowling alley.. not for real bowlers, good for kids. Lots for kids to do on this boat in the water area too. Casinos were fun, but not a lot of winning going on at all. I watched tons of people lose tons of money. Dancing: Can I get some good music please? wtf man. Comedy: Great fun, adult shows after 11PM I bet are great... I didn't attend though. Public Restrooms: Always out of toilet paper! Oh my goodness that was a burden!! One time there was half a roll for 2 restrooms and we had to share.. 5 people in line behind.. wow. They really needed more in the dining area, and more convenient locations. Overall: I never watned for anything, I had enough time to see all the shows I wanted to see and play bingo (way overpriced and less than an hour game time for like 30+ dollars). Read Less

This is my third Carnival cruise and it was pretty average. The ship is big and it never felt overly crowded. Everything was new but nothing really wowed me. As far as staff goes, the cruise director was pretty personable, but could have been more interactive. We met some great crew members who really made our experience nice, especially the guys in Guy's Pig & Anchor. Some of the bartenders were really rude and half the drinks we got were watered down. We got the drink package, luckily, otherwise I would have been mad about buying some of the drinks we had. The people on the ship were probably the least friendly I've ever met. Then again, this is my first time sailing from New York, so I guess it's expected. You have the typical people who reserve loungers and cabanas with their towels for the whole day. I never really saw staff do anything about it. The Serenity area was so full of people when we visited, it didn't really feel serene. Entertainment was decent. The Quest was by far my favorite. It's a must do for adults who aren't so prude. The Celestial Strings show was also nice. The Welcome Aboard Show was mostly a waste of time. We went to the Thrill Theater for the Level 3 scary showing. It was so bad, we got a refund. Save yourself the time and money. The Sky Ride was pretty neat, and something you should try out. Make sure you bring your sneakers for it. The pools were tiny and I wouldn't even waste my time unless I had kids. And the spas were filled with mostly obese adults who stayed there for hours on end. Now for the food. I have to say the Steakhouse is the #1 MUST thing to do on the ship. Hands down, I had the best steak I ever had in my life. Everything was full of flavor. Well worth the $35. We also tried the Bonsai Teppanyaki. It was sub par hibachi. Nothing special. We tried Guy's Pig & Anchor for both the paid dinner and free lunch. The guys were fantastic. The food, not so much. I was most excited for this, as bbq is my favorite. The food had spice, but absolutely no flavor. I didn't know it was possible to make bland bbq, but apparently it is. Try it out for the free lunch, but definitely do not pay to eat here. Hopefully 5'2" (wink wink) Ian is your server, because he was hands down our favorite crew member. Guys Burger was our go-to lunch, and the pizza spot was good for late night. We ate in the main dining room twice for breakfast and once for dinner. We literally left in the middle of our dinner, because the food was horrible. I mean absolutely bland, cardboard tasting like food. I know it's hard to avoid that place, but you should try to. And then for Bermuda. Absolutely beautiful! We only had time to visit Horseshoe Bay. I'm not sure if this ship will visit here again, but you should if you ever get a chance. Embarkation/Disembarkation were pretty painless. Make sure you arrive during your appointment time, otherwise you'll wait in a longer line. And make sure you check your charges when you leave. They tried to charge us for four beach towels, when we returned them all. It happened to several other guests as well. Overall, I enjoyed my vacation, but it was below my expectations. If you get a good deal, I'd say it's worth giving it a try. Bon Voyage! Read Less

I live in the Boston area so a cruise out of Boston and/or terminating in Boston is a plus (minimizing air travel is always a plus). Embarking/disembarking was typical for an ocean going cruise as was the cabin and most other amenities (I'm a six time cruiser, "typical" means quite good and no complaints). Dining was free style so no reserved table in the evening and a different wait staff each time. I missed that from other cruises. Norwegian seems to be steering you to the specialty dining venues: smaller, better food, more intimate but cost extra. That is the Norwegian theme. Everything seems to cost extra. I suspect the up front costs are deliberately kept low to attract customers but you seem to pay constantly for day to day amenities such as drinks (wine $11, beer $9); unless you buy the "Ultimate" drink package which is exorbitant. Speaking of which, the Norwegian Internet site sucks, it fails to inform you of all the various drink packages available. You don't find out your options until you board. There is a beer package and a wine package available. The wine package worked for me. Forget Internet service (at least for me). I purchased 175 minutes of Internet and got like 10 minutes. The rest of the minutes went down the drain. If you don't make a point of logging out of their app, the minutes just keep counting. I went to the Network guru the first time and he restored my lost minutes, but even then I lost minutes big time (download time can be extensive and counts toward your allocation and it seemed even logging out of the app didn't stop the clock). Simply not worth it. You're on vacation, forget the Internet! Money is better spent on a drink package or an excursion on Bermuda. I wish I'd done that. Biggest complaint for me was no quiet spot. There were four days at sea and for me, the only quiet spot for reading or contemplating the horizon was my balcony. Every public venue was noisy or had some entertainment or noisy and crowded. Even the promenade deck had very few lounge chairs. The other ships I've been on all had a lounge or two overlooking the bow or stern with views and with wait service and was fairly quiet and peaceful and a place for conservation, except for an occasional event. I missed that and found it a real drawback, particularly since we spent four days at sea. My biggest complaint. Read Less

last minute price reduction for solo traveler large ship quality of food, entertainment and service going down compare to 10 years back cruise industry is cutting cost on everything they used to offer May be because of competition , more expensive cruise ship and its cost for keep cruising 24/7 365 days but if price is right then cruising is best for anyone more than one third of food is wasted but cruise industry never say or advertise not to waste food or any thing people waste their hard earn money on alcohol, casino etc I would prefer more cruise vacations Bermuda is great port for 2 and half day to explore New ships are amazing and wonders of the world in 21st century NCL has a great ptogram to double your deposit which I take advantage of The cruise staff are well talented and commit 100 % their energy and talent Read Less

This was my seventh cruise with NCL since 2004 and my fifth as a solo cruiser. Having previously cruised on the Dream, Dawn, Gem, and Breakaway I was aware of NCL's freestyle cruising, culture, and had my own set of expectations. Getting to the port: For those of us who take public transportation arriving at the port is not difficult. Metro-North and LIRR deliver you to Grand Central or Penn Station from there you can either hoof it - which I did on the way home or you can catch a cab which I did on the way there. To keep your cab ride short and inexpensive have the driver drop you off at street level across the street and not have him or her drive up to Pier 88. If you choose to drive and to park at the pier expect to pay a premium for parking and allow extra time. Driving in NYC is not for the faint of heart. Embarkation: What a lovely experience compared to the Gem from NYC and the Breakaway from NYC. It was fast and organized, I was on the ship within 60 minutes of arriving at the port. The longshoremen will take your luggage, make sure you have printed out your luggage tags and affixed them before you hand over your bags. It's also customary to give them a cash tip. For me, it was $3 for one bag. Ship: to say that the Escape is a huge ship is not giving it credit. It is an immense ship. Over seven days I walked 39.6 miles - the vast majority of which were aboard the Escape. If you are not a cabin dweller the vast majority of your time will be spent on decks 6-8 which house the restaurants, shopping, theaters, casino, Skyline club, District Brewhouse, and bars. Decks 9-15 are all cabins with the exception of 11 which has the studio lounge and 13 which has the medical center. Decks 16-20 are the spa, fitness center, sun decks, pools, bars, buffet, the Haven, Margaritaville, slides, ropes course, Vibe beach club, arcade, and H2O. My suggestion to you is a month before you go spend an hour a day on the treadmill and stairclimber, your thighs will thank me. There are 16 passenger elevators on the Escape. The forward elevators are in two banks of four. If you want to go up you should press both sets of up buttons. The aft elevators are one bank of eight. You only need to press one up button. 16 elevators sound like a lot. When you consider there are 4266 passengers aboard the ship when full there is one elevator for 266 people. Bear in mind there are those who are disabled, on scooters, those who need to stop at every floor, people who take the elevators down, floods of people on day 1 embarking with their luggage, floods of people on day 7 disembarking with their luggage, crowds when the shows get out, crowds when the ship ports and departs. A recommendation would be to limit your elevator time and take the stairs, it will save you stress and will help you work off the calories. Cabin: your cabin is appointed with at least 3 - (in the studio's case 4) outlets. However, they will only work if your key card is in the slot that turns the lights on. It is best to charge your devices at night while you are in the room with them. NCL states that the cabin stewards will unplug devices when you are not in the room. I'm not sure what the point of that is, because if you are not in the room the devices will not charge. If you have never cruised before the cabins are very small. The beds are quite comfortable. Smoking: Not that any of us should be smoking. I imagine the Escape being difficult for smokers in the winter. While in port in NYC the only open smoking area was the interior cigar room. It was horrible. When out of port the smoking areas are only outside, uncovered, at Spice H20 on deck 17 aft and Waves at deck 17 midship. If the weather is nice, this is not a problem. On the Breakaway, there was a smoking section on deck 8 on the waterfront and on the Gem deck 7 which were both covered. You can only smoke in the casino when the casino is open and you are playing. Studio lounge: unlike the Breakway the Escape has three floors of studio cabins midship on decks 10-12. Thank you NCL! The Studio lounge is beautiful with digital screens, comfortable seating, modern design, the worlds best complimentary espresso cappuccino machine, water, juice, a pay per glass wine bar and amazing staff. Our solo coordinator Claudius organized dinners and meetups and made the solo cruising experience an unforgettable one. Spa: The spa has become one of my main reasons for sailing with NCL. If you like to relax in a hot tub or on a lounger and want to do so in peace, I highly recommend buying the thermal spa weekly pass. Before you cruise call your travel agent or NCL and have them add it. Imagine sharing loungers, pools and hot tubs with 4000 people then imagine sharing them with 100 people. The cost is at least 20% cheaper if you book before you go. The week pass was approximately $200 if booked before the cruise and $248 on the first day of the cruise. Let me tell you about my favorite place on this ship - eucalyptus steam room, sauna, sanarium, dry salt bath, snow room, hot tub, thermal pool, rain showers, mosaic tile loungers, bathrobes, infused water, fresh fruit... this is what relaxation is meant to be. I will never cruise without access to the spa. Granted you do have to avoid the spa salespeople who are trying to give you acupuncture, teeth whitening, hot towel shaves, massages, scrubs, manicures and pedicures... if you have mastered the NY leave me alone face you will be fine. Don't make eye contact, smile or ask questions, they will latch onto you like harpies. Internet: I purchased the no limit package without video streaming. It was approximately $200 for the seven days. For me this was worth it as my work and finances never sleep. Whatsapp allowed for perfect VOIP video calling and all my finance apps worked without a hitch just like I was at home. Cruise Next - yes, I did it. Within the next four years I expect to be cruising a few times with NCL. I purchased two $250 Cruise Next deposits for a total of $250.00. I almost did not purchase the certificates on this cruise because I was given incorrect information. NCL wooed me with the inexpensive deposits so I had booked two future cruises prior to setting foot on the Escape. My question was - could I use these cruise next deposits towards my already booked cruises? The lady at the desk said no. She stated I could cancel my booked cruises and rebook them. I asked her if I would lose my deposits, she stated that since I was within 180 days of my next cruise - and that was when final payment was due - that I would lose my deposit. I was not satisfied with those answers. So... while I was on the Escape I called NCL. I was told that yes I can use the cruise next credits towards the cruises I had already booked, that I could cancel the other cruises if I wanted to as I had booked them a long time ago and that my final payment was not due until 90 days before the embarkation date. I later learned that the new NCL rule is that you will lose your deposit if you cancel the cruise within 120 days of the embarkation date. This information was confirmed when I returned home and see in my NCL account that the cruise next deposits are there and they can be applied as partial payment to the cruises I have already booked. Short story - if you're getting an answer you don't like or sounds incorrect, check with someone else. Restaurants: Savor, Taste, and Manhattan room - the menu is the same, the service is excellent. Savor and Taste are open for breakfast and lunch most days, check the Freestyle Daily. Take the opportunity to try the bizarre things on the menu. For example, the spinach pancakes with smoked salmon were amazing. They have cappuccino, espresso, and real coffee. If you are a solo or a couple, want to be seated quickly, offer to share a table, they will happily place you with other cruisers. You may meet your next Facebook friend, I did! Garden Buffet - meh. I'm not a fan but there is always something you will find that is edible and it is almost always open. The coffee is horrible if you are from the tri-state area. Continental style begins at 6 am and hot food at 6:30 am. You may run into a few folks who have yet to find their cabins after a night of partying. O-Sheehan's - limited menu, but everything on it they do it well. Fantastic place for wings and beer, Irish coffee, sandwiches, salads, fries, and burgers. This is the 3-6am spot for those who can't sleep after a late night at Skyline. One of the complaints I heard from another solo cruiser was that the late-late night food and entertainment on NCL was not as good as Carnival. NCL doesn't cater to those who don't sleep. Margaritaville - If you like it or hate it on land your experience will be the same on board. The place is only open from 12pm to 5pm. The nachos are huge, enough for six people. The margaritas are awesome. The surcharge is $14.95. I had conch fritters and fish tacos, both were decent. Bayamo - Expensive but worth it. $39.99 for the seafood feast which includes king crab legs - which are amazing, lobster tail, clams, muscles. MMMMM District Brew House - not bad beer and hard cider, sports on TV. We didn't eat here. Food Republic - This was the sleeper surprise of the trip - excellent food, service, bizarre pairings like pastrami dumplings! Their drinks were fabulous. Clubs: Spice H2O is the outdoor venue which is lovely, it has movies and parties. Skyline which is next to the casino holds the after-hours parties with live music and DJs. Unlike the Breakway this is not an enclosed club, it is open to the casino which makes it seem less club like. Active: Yoga class was fabulous. Ropes course with "walk the plank" and the zip line is excellent, however, the cameras were not working and the upper deck was not open due to high winds. Slides were excellent. You cannot have anything in your pockets or on your person (except for your room key) when you are going on the slides or on the ropes course. Drinks: The black glass wine tasting event with the Sommelier from Columbia was amazing. He is by far the most candid, demonstrative, informative Somm I have ever met. While on this topic let's discuss the drink package - it is 'included' as a perk with your cruise, however, you have to pay the gratuities and taxes if you chose this perk. If you are not a drinker do not pick this perk. You will get far more value out of the restaurant package. Sugarcane Mojito Bar: amazing - make sure you stop here. Fantastic drinks and service. Tobacco Road bar: there was a bartender with the last name Venezula - it was like watching an artist make a drink. Bermuda: This was my fourth trip to Bermuda - I'd be willing to go every year for the remainder of my life if I could. It is difficult to believe that so much beauty exists in the world in one place. Do not be afraid of the public transportation, buses and ferries. Everyone speaks English, they are all friendly, the people of Bermuda want you there spending your money and having a great time. You do not need to book the ship's shore excursions, a two-minute internet search will guide you. Places to not be missed in Bermuda include Horseshoe Bay beach, St.George's Tobacco Bay, Crystal Caves, and 'discover scuba' at snorkel bay if you are not a certified diver. If you are a certified diver make sure to do a wreck dive. Hamilton is lovely for a walk and shopping. NCL offers a free ferry from Kings Wharf to St. George's... you get what you pay for. The public ferry takes approximately 30 minutes. The NCL ferry puts along and takes at least an hour - or more. Disembarkation: If you can walk off with your luggage this is your best bet. The day before disembarkation you will pick up your luggage tags from deck 6 service desk. If they do not have the color for the earliest group wait in line to get it. The earlier you get through the faster you will get through customs. The Escape requires that you wait on Deck 8 or 6 before you are called to go to deck 7 to exit. From there you will weave your way throughout deck seven in a creative maze of chairs through restaurants and public areas. Overall - the vacation was amazing. I'm not trilled with the mega ship experience but I will be on the Escape again in September and January. I'm looking forward to the Bliss in NYC. If I had to take a first time cruiser on a ship it would not be this one. I would take them on a smaller ship such as the Gem, Dawn or Jewel as the mega ships are overwhelming. Read Less

I have traveled with Royal Caribbean inthe past and had a wonderful experience. This cruise was no different. The staff/crew on the Anthem of the Seas are friendly and very accommodating. The ship was always clean and all of the amenities well cared for. There are many choices for dining and all delivered high quality food. They can even accommodate many food allergies when requested. Each day was filled with activities that guests could enjoy or choose to relax on one of the many sun decks. There were several live shows to pick from: The Gift, We Will Rock You and Spectra’s Cabaret and more. These were incredible productions that had a broad appeal for pasengers. The overall experience was exceptionally good! I would highly recommend using their online service to book the popular activites and shore excursions before your cruise. You will guarantee your spot and avoid the lines. Read Less

The ship is beautiful, and the staff is so friendly and helpful. There were plenty of on board activities throughout the week. The entertainment staff keeps you on your toes and laughing through the entire week, the shows and performers were all amazing. We dined at the Venetian, Aqua, and Bamboo The food was delicious, sometimes it took a bit for us to get our food after ordering however we also went at busy times .Restaurant staff was friendly and attentive. We ended our nights at Bliss Lounge and enjoyed the fun there. The DJ played some of the same songs night after night, but we still had a ton of fun. The only thing we didn't like was the pool deck area was taken over by children a lot of the time, and the hot tubs would have been much more enjoyable if there wasn't many children in them. Read Less

Chose this cruise for destination and size of ship.(small). Bermuda is gorgeous. Took the Amtrak from Lynchburg to Baltimore. Recommend Business Class on train. We sat at a table in facing seats and had lots of conversation on the train. Train has internet, outlets, comfortable seats and good food. Stayed overnight at Embassy Suites by Hilton near airport. Suite and hotel were excellent. Complimentary cocktails, snacks and breakfast. Great food from room service. Lovely Hotel, very reasonable prices. Smooth shuttle transfer from train station at airport to hotel by friendly driver. Taxi to cruise port next morning. Flawless check-in with Royal Caribbean and quick boarding of ship. Mini suite accommodations were spacious and spotless. Got connecting suites (8076 and 8078) at rear of ship. Weather was wild due to back to back hurricanes. For some reason, motion in rear of ship was much less than front (Windjammer), so took food back to room and ate together there several times. (One member of our party of three was affected by rough seas). We had excellent food on ship. Deluxe drink package is a good value and includes cocktails up to 12 dollars and starbucks coffee, bottled water, fresh juice and all sodas. Food is lighter fare these days and there were tons of fresh vegetables, Indian food, American food, fresh baked bread and loads of fresh fruit. Tasty late night snacks are available from the Park Cafe as buffet closes at nine PM. Room service available 24 hours for 7.95. Coffee maker and Teapot in suites. Only one suite had bottle of champagne. The ship is easy to move around on and lounges are lovely. Viking Crown was underutilized by passengers on this trip and was a comforting quiet place with beautiful views for nighttime cocktails and conversation. Peruvian bartender was a doll. Music and entertainment were wonderful. I love this little ship. My only complaint is about the passengers who willingly boarded a ship with back to back hurricanes and then complained to the staff about the sea conditions. (duh). The Captain did an outstanding job of altering the route and speed to cope with what mother nature created. We actually overheard people asking for refunds or discounts due to the weather. We had a ball anyway and highly recommend this cruise to heavenly Bermuda on this sweet little ship. We toured Bermuda on our own and experienced taxi drivers eager to tell us about their island. The beaches are wild, volcanic, turquoise and pink and gorgeous. Very unique and beautiful destination. Ferries and buses are great. Read Less

My friends raved about Norwegian's Bermuda Cruise, and this one definitely lived up to the rave reviews. Top Broadway quality shows, delicious food, and expert housekeeping services. Terrific value if you're avoiding flying, especially for residents from the NYC area. Leaving out of NY harbor with exceptional views is the best way to start off the trip. The only negative to speak of is that the ship was full to capacity, and there really isn't much quiet space except for your cabin. The "library" is a suitable quiet space, but since it's adjacent to the Atrium, it's rarely quiet. With only 1 port of call, i.e., Bermuda, it gave us ample time to explore the island. As for shore excursions, you get a better value by booking a tour with a local taxi driver or tour bus once you're on the island. It's more economical and you have more flexibility on departures and return time back to the ship. Yes, as a solo traveler, I would travel with Norwegian again. Read Less

We took this cruise as a last minute deal to get away from Hurricane Irma. Had a wonderful time on board. Shows were great, food way to good, and staff was friendly and hospitable. What a way to ride out the storm. The fine dining was great except for the way you now get a certificate and can only choose one salad-or- soup. In the main dining room, you can order whatever you want, as much, or little, as you like. Fine dining is limited and sometimes I'd love to have a soup and salad. You have to pay extra. Not quite worthwhile when the main dining and buffet areas have such fabulous items too. The port is so easy to get around - just walk off and you're already in a fort. Jump on the free water shuttle to go to St. George's. Overall a fabulous cruise. Love NCL. Read Less

We chose this cruise because it sailed out of Baltimore,MD and the destination was Bermuda. Upon arriving in Baltimore,MD at the port we were greeted with excellent service and smiles. The ship was awesome. It was impeccably clean and well staffed. The staff was very friendly and welcoming. Our luggage was delivered promptly to our stateroom before we sailed. Our oceanview cabin 2064 was excellent. It was very clean, the bed was firm. There was plenty of storage space available in the closet, the drawers and in the bathroom. The dining on the ship was also very good.The Windjammer buffet offered the usual cruise like food. There was plenty of variety to choose from. The food was very fresh. Dining in the Great Gatsby dining room was great! The food was definitely gourmet. It was well prepared and presented. The dining room staff was very attentive. Greeted you with smiles throughout dinner. They made sure that you enjoyed your meal.The ship had plenty activities to choose from. You can relax at the sun deck, shop, or engage in the activities that were offered. We did not travel with children. I can't comment about the children's activities or services because we didn't use them. The age group on the ship varied from 25-70. Definitely an adult like cruise. The port at Bermuda Heritage Wharf was very nice and clean. It offers shopping and snorkel beach for those who did not want to venture out to Horshoe Bay upon arrival. Definitely do the excursion to Horseshoe Bay. It is absolutely beautiful. We were docked for two days. We chose to relax, however there are plenty of tours offered. It was a FANTASTIC cruise. Can't wait to sail again. Read Less

I stayed in cabin 11503 a studio cabin for one. It's location wasn't great, it's right next to the studio lounge and apparently everyone slams the doors on entry, not only the one on the 11th floor but also the exit on the 10th is right below your head so you head it constantly being slammed. The gap between this cabin and the one next to it is piping so as soon as people start rising around 5am each day you hear water running non-stop. I strongly advise you avoid this cabin due to the noise. The cruise doesn't have the same level of activities as some of the others I have been on, there are fewer and sadly because there is only a couple of open decks there are literally people everywhere and getting a seat on deck was near impossible. The food is ok, about the same as other lines with the exception that you have many more paid options available and the food there is very good. Room service has an $8 fee regardless of what you order, all of the food seems to come with a liberal serving of oil as well which is disappointing. The Spiegel Tent has a Cirque offering, the 45 minute meal is great, the actual act was a little less entertaining. I wasn't sure what to expect going in but the acts definitely weren't worth the amount I paid. If you don't arrive early you're seated in these booths at the back where you have poles in the way of your view. Even though I was third in line, as I was a 1 person group I was seated at the very back with an awful view. Disappointing. Movie selection for the days when you have had a little too much sun is poor. There's limited TV options instead as well. Wifi was fantastic, I never had an issue with it at all throughout the cruise. They didn't know how to make half of the cocktails I ordered which are a standard on other lines. and the drinks were 50% more on NCL than other lines as well. Overall it was an ok experience but to be honest unless my preferred cruiseline doesn't sail to a region I wont be taking NCL again. They basically make you pay for everything and the non-pay options are not at the same level as other cruise lines so they almost force you to pay more. Read Less