Our cruise left a lot to be desired. We are platinum members of ncl and this cruise was my 16th cruise and the worst, maybe even my last. We arrived at terminal 11:30am. As platinum we should have priority boarding .. We did not ...in fact, when we asked about it we were asked..."are you haven?" we said, "no, we are platinum"  she smerked, "only haven is priority". That turned out to be the theme of our cruise, that AND the ship was filthy, full of airborne sickness and the crew was angry We sat and waited for over 4 hours packed in the terminal with over 4k other people. The ship was quarantined due to a bug effecting over 300 staff and/or passengers. We were not told this until after we were on the ship!!! We were not able to leave and rebook! We were not given a choice. Nope we were forced to embark on a journey trapped with an airborne and contact virus that could cause fatality in the elderly or immunocompromised. Once onboard, the rooms were unavailable for about 4 move hours with passengers standing with their carry on baggage or sitting on the stairways and such. eerie, quite, cold, and none of the staff smiling, as they were clearly exhausted from the previous cruise and seemed to be angry that "we were now there". When the rooms were said to be available they were filthy, yes clearly unvacuumed, with smudged mirrors, walls and doors and oh yes the sheets weren't changed on the bed in our mini suite. Yes, that's what over $6,000 before service charges and excursions got us. It was not only our cabin --it was all over the ship. The walls were dripping with sanitizer water. You could not touch anything. Every surface was dripping. Lines to customer service were very long; even at midnight people were complaining that they did not have their cabins cleaned and their bed were still upside down. Several of the crew were running around with breathing masks wiping walls and your door and handles leaving them dripping and wet. With a foul smelling disinfectant while passengers were forced to tolerate the breathing conditions with nothing. We did nothing at the first port due to late departure from ny it was supposed to be 3pm and we left at 7pm. Many brands of drinks were removed from the so called ultimate drinking package. The communication from the management was tight lipped and unavailable. From their own customer service people, "the home office is aware of the problem and has given us no answer". The food was warm to cold when served. Very bland and constantly the same. The worst food of any vacation ever. Passengers were not allowed to touch anything in the restaurants or buffett unless it was handed to us. Lines, lines and more lines. Angry, pushy staff constantly yelling about watching our handwashing and constantly trying to spray us with their mixture instead of letting us use the gel. I had to try and comfort a fellow guest who was literally shaking after being chased by a crew member because she didn't want to be sprayed. We were treated like we brought a plague on the ship, when in reality, they withheld the fact that the ship was contagious until after we were at sea giving us no way to back out of the cruise as we had insurance for cancellation. I don't know how that was even legal. Except for one comedian and the choir of men, the entertainment was awful and the only show that we booked prior to cruising (the brat pack) was canceled. The onboard activities were mediocre at best. The debarkation was just as awful as getting on the cruise. The ship had to be steamed/fogged due to the norovirus so we had to get out of our rooms early and stand around for hours so they could be ready for the next cruise. My husband and i became sick that first night home and for six days after from the recirculated air on the ship full of bacteria and germs. Who knows what all the sprays and disinfectants along with the germs being recirculated throughout the ship did to us. We had paid for insurance, but they made sure we couldn't use it by not telling us until we were at sea. So disappointed in ncl. Will think about this awful experience when booking our next cruise. Not even a follow up apology or credit on for a future cruise. Are we a valued customer? Guess not. Why does ncl have a loyalty program when they are not loyal to us? Does ncl read these reviews or pay attention to the ones we took the time to fill out for them post cruise? We haven't heard a peep from ncl. I heard jim cramer say ncl was a stock worth buying because the ceo said he had great things planned for the future and it made me more excited for the cruise. I guess i learned my lesson about loyalty programs, they only care about the haven now. New people, double the money, but i think ncl will be sad to learn that those people will expect return loyalty as well by the time ncl sees that,we will switch cruise lines. Read Less

Dream cruise. The escape is my favorite cruise ship in service. It’s incredible for its versatility, I was able to do whatever I wanted, whenever I wanted from playing full court basketball, to smoking cigarettes at the waves bar, to getting the best massages of my life at the Mandara after a long excursion. Alvin the cruise director was really nice and as a solo traveler I really appreciated him and the way he would party with us at spice later in the evening with other members of his great crew. The onboard entertainment was awesome, I really enjoyed the live pool band that would play around 3 pm, they really helped me relax and enjoy the time. I couldn’t have ever asked or dreamed for a better experience onboard this cruise ship and I would recommend it to all. It’s perfect for couples, family’s or anyone. The ship accomadates so much but the staff is just the greatest part about it, they always prvoided exceptional service from buffet to security to the amazing bartenders they all did the job at an A+ level. The excursions were excellent. Easiest excursion process I’ve ever had and couldn’t be happier. The food was really great from the buffet to cagneys to room service it was all great. Moderno, cagneys and the buffet were my favorites. Extremely clean ship, buffet was extremely sanitized at all times and I couldn’t be happier to see that honestly I was very impressed with the ultra cleanliness of the whole venue. Also some of the best views can be seen from the garden buffet. Very fair balanced ship price wise, lots for all to do. Bowling was fun, especially after throwing back 6-7 vodka sodas. Casino was very fun and well run as well. Entertainment was impressive. Room steward was perfect. Mandara Spa massages were excellent after a long excursion and usually discounted on shore days as well so it works out perfect. The ship accomadates smokers very well with the waves 17 bar being a nice place to enjoy a smoke if you do that. The deck 19/20 area of the ship forward along with deck 8 waterfront provide nice calm quiet at all times and some of the ships best views. Was able to be extremely active on the ship, the fitness center had everything I would ever need along with full size basketball court. Read Less

Our local senior center was offered what appeared to be a good deal for a 14 day Caribbean Cruise. We thought we would try another cruise line other than one we have frequented.. It was a good value and we enjoyed it. However, there was room for improvement. Two swimming pools with a capacity of 82 for everyone on board not in The Haven is ridiculous. This is a poor design.Cruise guests totally disregard the rule about saving lounge chairs. So, get there early at poolside. The food in the buffet was adequate; but many guests opted for the dining rooms during International and Oriental buffet nights. O"sheehan's is a really good alternative to the main dining venues. The cabin was nice and the bathroom was worth the upgrade to a mini suite for a 14 day cruise. The entertainment varied . Some acts were excellent . Some were fair. Some weren't our style. The Embarkation process was messed up owing to a virus outbreak on the prior cruise. NCL did not react well to this glitch. One guest was told her stateroom would be ready @ 11P.M. for what was supposed to be a 3 P M departure. I doubt that I will ever want to sail again from the Port of Manhattan. Certain parties ( Read as wealthy) can park where and when they want and let the busloads be damned. The port workers can also be fickle.( local & federal) One other note. The PA system is quite loud. Talking at dinner on deck 7 was quite difficult while a DJ was entertaining in the Atrium on 6 Read Less

I love NCL and the freestyle, casual cruising experience. The 14 day southern Caribbean cruise is fantastic and I have taken this cruise out of NYC for the last several years. Living in Long Island, I am less than an hour away from the pier. It sure beats flying and waiting on TSA lines or having travel delays especially when leaving in the winter. It was a rough start as the previous cruise had an issue with the norovirus and although NCL told us to arrive after 10:30 AM, their communication with cruisers was very poor in not stating specifically what the issue was and because the CDC had to do a thorough inspection of the ship, most of the cruisers had to wait on long lines outside the cruise terminal in the cold for hours. Once onboard, the wait for cabins and lines for lunch were terrible with many people not being able to use their cabins until late in the evening. We were in the Haven and our room was not ready until the evening and the lines so long for lunch, we did not have lunch but instead settled for a "liquid lunch" (not so bad!). I do understand that because of the issue, their was no choice but felt that NCL should have better communicated the situation to passengers the day before. I would have arrived much later to the pier and perhaps they should have offered a $50 OBC on this cruise or a future cruise to make amends for the inconveniences. I am sure this experience soured many and perhaps will not cruise NCL again. Once the cruise was underway, it was fantastic. The ship is beautiful, the crew great and I know they had been working long hours sanitizing the ship both on the previous cruise and this one. Being in the Haven, the cruise experience is even that much better, but with the raising of Haven prices, not sure how many more Haven experiences I will have. That being said, I love sailing on NCL and the 14 day cruise out of NYC and have signed up for next year and 2021. The entertainment was good, but I actually thought the entertainment venue was better on the smaller GEM, although a few shows were very good (Cotton Club and Men's Choir). The band in the Skyliner lounge (in the casino) were also great. My Haven Aft Facing Cabin was beautiful and I always book the aft when cruising in the Haven, even though it is a long walk to the Haven and you probably do not exactly experience the Haven experience as much as those situated in the front. I think we only visited the Haven sundeck three times during the cruise and preferred to enjoy our large balcony with very comfortable lounges. The restaurants were pretty good although some of the best dishes have been eliminated from NCL's signature restaurants (Le Bistro and La Cucina) and the cold soups (one of my favorite cruise experiences) was only available in the Haven restaurant at lunch. No doubt, the Haven Restaurant offered the best dining experience and service, but that is to be expected. The ports for this cruise are the best and although I have visited them many times in my cruising career, my favorites are still Barbados, St. Marteen and St. Thomas. We did only one ship excursion in St. Thomas...Kon Tiki and it was great. I would recommend this ship excursion as it is a very happy experience with rum punch, steel drum band, dancing and a visit to a very nice beach. All had a great time. Looking forward to next year's 14 day cruise on the beautiful Bliss! Read Less

This cruise was the second half of my B2B on the Escape, the first was the 14 day Western Caribbean, 1/6 - 1/20;2019. I've already submitted my review for the first leg. Since I was on the previous sailing I was aware of the issues they had with the noro virus and I was prepared for the sanitary procedures that would be in effect at the start of this cruise (see my previous review for the details). For many, embarkation for this cruise was not as smooth as normal. The plan was to have all passengers disembark with the last group called at 9:30 AM so they would have time to do a thorough cleaning of the ship before passengers for this cruise could board. NCL even sent notices out not to come to the pier before 10 AM. Unfortunately the last passengers did not disembark until after 12:30. This caused a large backup in the cruise terminal which was never designed to hold 5000 passengers. Since I was B2B it didn't affect me since once the ship was cleared I was allowed to go directly to the boarding door (normally on a B2B in NYC you no longer have to get off the ship, they bring customs onboard to clear you for the next cruise, but because of the cleaning I had to disembark this time). I can understand the frustration of passengers waiting to board, but these things happen. Once onboard we were told that due to the extreme cleaning going on, cabins would not be ready at 2 PM as usual. Later in the afternoon we were allowed to drop off our carry on luggage, but many cabins were not ready until later in the evening, since I had the Ultimate Beverage Package, it didn't bother me! The ship was delayed in departing because the CDC was onboard and had to clear the ship before she could leave. Again many passengers were upset, but since I was aware of all going on I was fine and felt sorry for the crew that had been working so long and hard to get the ship ready. We arrived at our first stop, San Juan, a little late, scheduled for 3 PM but arrived around 4:15. Some excursions had to be cancelled. My plan was just to walk around the Old City and hang out at Senor Frog so I had no issues. I went snorkeling in St. Thomas, Barbados, St. Kitts and St. Lucia, all with NCL excursions and had a great adventure each time. The other ports I just walked around and stopped at local pubs. I did this cruise as a solo (my wife was with me the on the first leg but she had to get back to work, I'm retired). I was in an inside cabin, not the Studio. One of the great things about NCL is the solo travelers program they have. They meet every day around 5 PM and a member of the cruise director staff organizes group dinners and shows for the group. Even though I was traveling solo, there were other solo's who I already knew and met many new friends. We had a great time at dinner and shows together. I ate in the MDR, Cagney's, La Cucina, O'Sheehan's. Great meals and service. Overall I had a great experience. I never let the little things bother me. If I have an issue I bring it to the staff's attention and get it resolved. I did have some billing issues but it all got straightened out. I had such a good time, I'll be doing the same B2B on the Bliss next January! Read Less

My husband and I booked this cruise to celebrate our 30th anniversary and came away wishing we had done anything else. Norwegian Cruise lines fell far short of expectations. At the time of booking we were asked if this was for a special occasion. We indicated to both the Norwegian online booking and to our travel company that we were celebrating an anniversary. Usually, most cruise ships recognize this with champagne, chocolate, flowers etc to make you feel special. We had to mention several times... at this point it seems like begging for what should be common practice. But this was really the least of our concerns. Arriving at port to find 4000+ passengers waiting to board and no one around to give instructions or directions to was not a good start. Nor was the Norovirus that came with the ship from the previous cruise. Norwegian took way too long to initiate their protocols put in place by CDC. It was total chaos for passengers getting on board the ship like cattle being herded to slaughter. Being yelled at by Norwegian staff and Port Authority to go here or there. Get on ship told to go to 16th floor for food. Not a seat in the place. Many of us had to eat standing up as fellow passengers were rude and not allowing those with food to sit as they played on their laptops or read a book. Norwegian should have had someone overseeing this mob of a crowd and the verbal fights that broke out in front of us. Then the staterooms all had to be disinfected so we were not able to go to our rooms until they called certain floors. This was a couple of hours more of waiting. Understandably health and safety is foremost... BUT so is the care of your passengers who paid a lot of money to take your ship over any of the others. We were not treated with respect and the staff had an "I don't care" attitude. We were unable to book any of the entertainment as the onboard screens kept telling us everything was full. Luckily we ran into the Cruise Director who was speaking with another couple of people he remembered from another cruise and they too were having the same issues so he said he would take care of it and booked our desired entertainment. Many others were not so fortunate. The ship is incredibly noisy and with the first day at sea being inclement weather, everyone was inside the ship and there was not enough space for everyone to sit or stand comfortably. Several times throughout the cruise it was difficult to find seating or a quiet part of the ship just to talk with one another as there was always an announcement or someone on a microphone saying something. Offshore excursions booked through Norwegian were overpriced for the most part and I generally would give the ones we took a slight pass at 50%. One in particular in St. Lucia was 5 hour bus tour that took us to see the volcano and promised us a complimentary beverage (which sadly ended up being a half glass of lemondade and not a rum punch or pina colada that was customary on some of the other tours). Our travel guide tried to promote his books on Amazon to the captive audience on the bus as we swerved for 5 hours with only a couple of stops along the way to get off and stretch our legs. Waste of time! Would have rather explored the island on our own. Then disembarking in New York, we were told as we were part of a group tp meet at 8:00 am to disembark ahead of the other at 8:15. Waited till 9:15 to be called with everyone else to disembark with hundreds of others all looking in thehuge warehouse for their luggage. After 30 minutes searching for our bags, then line up again to go through security. There were 16 available stations with only 4 open!!!!!! Another 45 minutes to go through that mess to walk to find our bus parked way at the end as once again there was chaos in parking and no communication to anyone. After this experience, I dont want to do another cruise ever again and especially will not recommend Norwegian as they nickel and dime everyone and are not adept in dealing with people. I would like to be contacted by someone with authority to reimburse us for this mess of a vacation! Never again!! Read Less

It was a complimentary cruise from Casinos at Sea. This was the date we were able to travel. Was not happy about waiting on line for dinners. Did not like making arrangements for shows. Was not happy about the disorganization of the ship, though I realize the cruise prior to us had Gastroenteritis and it needed to be disinfected. Pass cruises with Norwegian and other past cruise ships we found this one very disorganized which may had to do with the illness on the ship. The handling of embarkation was handled very unorganized and none of the crew handed out any bottles of water or anything to snack on while we waited more than four hours in the terminal. Food was excellent. Disembarkation went well. Shore excursions were good. Did not do much of the Entertainment as you had to reserve spots. We did not like the layout of the Escape. Very noisy in the Atrium which was hard to hear each other in O'Sheehan's and the bars. We were on the Norwegian Jade before and after its restoration and enjoyed it each time. The casino was not laid out very well. It was super smoky. You could even smell it in the non smoking section. Not enough poker machines in the non smoking section. Yes we would go on Norwegian again, but would look at the ships lay out more closely. Not enough closet space in the room. Found the room smaller than I thought it would be considering the size of the Escape. Bathroom was a good size. Like the size of the shower. The faucet in the sink should have been further out instead of so close to the sink. Read Less

Ship was 3 1/2 hours late boarding and departing. No explanation was given in the terminal. NCL didn't offer anything while thousands of people just stood around (no seating available). Could have at least had a bottle of water or a snack. Had to sanitize because people were sick on the previous cruise. The ship was dirty when we boarded. Our cabin was filthy with dirt on the floor and a layer of dust on everything. it wasn't cleaned until day 12 of the two week cruise. The cabin was small. We could barely get our bags in the closet. No table in front of the sofa. Small veranda with two non-reclining seats and a 1 sqft table. Small bath. I could barely move in the shower without bouncing off the walls, and I am not big. Several entertainment events were cancelled. Deck activities were not available for the first week. Food was very low end, unless you pay extra for the specialty restaurants. No quiet relaxing place anywhere on the ship. All places were completely disorganized and extremely slow. it took over an hour to get a bagel for breakfast. Crew, while not overly rude, were far from polite. Fitness center never had any towels. Two days the doors were closed with people standing outside waiting for them to open. An officer walked right through without saying a word and never came back to open the doors. Finally we just opened the doors ourselves and went in. They continued to sanitize for the entire cruise. That is good, except the chemicals were very irritating. About 1/2 the passengers were constantly coughing. And since they never cleaned anything, the dirt and dust made it worse. The entertainment was so-so. Two of the comedians were good. For the main show, After Midnight, many people either walked out or wanted to leave. The bands seemed to be competing for the greatest vol. They were so loud they were painful. It was impossible to hold a conversation whenever they were playing, either in the atrium or on the deck. That made it even louder with everyone yelling at each other over the sound of the music. Tobacco road stunk up the entire deck. The smoke odor was so strong we had to leave the game area there. We could even smell smoke on our deck 14 veranda (possibly from someone smoking in their room). Restrooms were never attended and almost constantly dirty. Read Less

I am a platinum member, but after this cruise I am not going with NCL anymore. They had gastrointestinal virus outbreak on cruise before us, we weren’t informed until we got to the port. 5000 people were standing and waiting for check in to start until 3 pm, rooms were not ready for another hours. People were sitting on the floor and staircases. And it’s only beginning. All cruise was a disaster. NCL upper managers don’t care about their guests. They didn’t have enough crew members to serve guests. Absolutely total mismanagement. But I must say our Stuart did a great job. He was great. Service in specialty restaurants was good, but in complimentary restaurants below average. Entertainment below, below average, Nothing to do on the ship. Such a disappointment. Waist of money and vacation. First time we could not wait to get out of ship. Nothing more to say. Read Less

Embarkation was horrible. We waited, standing in the terminal for over two hours before we could board the ship. We did not receive our luggage until 1am after we went to guest services and identified our luggage. The entertainment was very good but for some shows we had to book in advance a and several times the shows were sold out. We dined in the Manhattan room . They food was good but nearly the same menu most days. The excursions were very good. The help on the ship were outstanding. They always had a smile and tried to always anticipate our needs. There were not enough planned activities when we were at sea. The disembarkation was horrible. We waited outside ( luckily the weather was mild) for over an hour before we could get into the terminal to claim our luggage and go through customs. I would not recommend this ship for a anyone. Read Less