Norwegian Escape Review
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My husband and I had a great time on this ship!! We drove straight to Miami from Orlando in the pouring rain so we didn't get a chance to explore beforehand. We decided to do the Escape for our 10 year Anniversary cruise for two reasons: 1. We absolutely have a ball on all NCL cruises and 2. New boat with a new port (Harvest Caye). We are in our 30's and enjoyed leaving the kids at home with their grandparents.There were a couple of things that bothered me about this cruise but nothing to make a fuss about. Embarkation was fine, we arrived at 10:30 and were on the boat by 11:30. Disembarkation was OK. We took advantage of self service disembarkation and we thought we had an advantage by getting off early but once we reached the elevators we realized that MANY people had the same agenda. There were very long lines at 7 a.m to get on with luggage but once that was over, we were off in no time.
Food:
The buffet was good most of the time. I loved the sanitation guy who was singing to everyone at the entrance of the buffet. Nothing like a morning serenade to start the day. They had very fresh fruit and salads but I hated that their ranch was so watery and the free coffee was pretty bad. Since everyone was taking advantage of the Dining packages, the Main Dining rooms never had a wait time, no matter when we showed up and everything was really good. We did try Food Republic which is a great Sushi spot and Cagney's, which has always been my favorite!!! Make sure you schedule your specialty dining times online before the cruise to get good timing, otherwise, you'll be eating at 9:45.
Cabin Review
Spa Balcony Stateroom
We had a spa balcony room that was very spacious. Lots of room to walk around, big bathroom and balcony. My husband at 6'3 290 had a problem getting into the small shower but he was happy to use the toilet without bumping his knees. Our housekeeper Nakila kept our room cleaned most of the time but I found myself looking for her for turn down service and the housekeeping manager had to schedule a meet and greet because she couldn't be found the first couple of days. First time I've ever had this problem. Using the included spa pass was a complete BONUS!!! Loved every minute of the Thalassotherapy pool!!!!
Port Reviews
Miami
Beautiful but we drove straight to Miami from Orlando in the pouring rain so we didn't get a chance to explore beforehand.
Roatan
A beautiful port but I hated that once you walk out of he port area, you were swarmed with hundreds of pushy people trying to get you into their taxi's or excursion vans. HATED IT!!! After we walked away from all the fuss, we found Anthony! He provided us with a great tour of the city, of his bar and two beaches. He was outstanding! He showed us a small, quit beach resort named Las Palmas. OMG.....Amazing($10 pp only). They had everything you'll ever need and had the most beautiful quiet beach ever. Then we went to West Bay. HATED IT! Nice but way too busy with more pushy people and too cluttered with a bunch of stores....on the beach. We will definitely be going to Las Palmas next time.
Harvest Caye
The pool area is Fabulous!! Very nice looking beach but nothing special. No free food, no special drinks and there was no music playing. Kind of boring unless you're paying for extras such as zip lining. They do have a small kids area with a splash zone and water slide but for the adults, they need to do better. Watch out for the jellyfish because a young lady did get stung.
Cozumel
Best Beach Day Ever! We went straight to Mr Sanchos. The taxi was $18 each way and took about 25 minutes. All inclusive meals, drinks, kayaking, pool bars and the water was crystal clear. The most beautiful beach water I've ever seen!!! We purchased the Romance package which included a private bed on the beach, a personal waiter and beach side massages. Our masseuse Ana and Dolce gave us the best messages ever!! I would go back anytime just to see them again. Took the taxi back, didn't encounter one pushy person and went back to the ship as relaxed as we could possible get. Now that is a repeatable port!! I can't wait to go back!!