Norwegian Escape Review
Rating by category
Additional details
We chose this ship because of the promotions, features and itinerary. Being a holiday cruise, we knew the ship would be crowded and with lots of children. But it was more crowded and louder than we expected.
The Cruise Director (Tyler) apparently is under the impression that all passengers were on board to party. I'm sure that was the case with many, but I know that was not true for many others (including us). I think the personality and tone set by the Cruise Director made this ship (seem) much louder and rowdier than it needed to be. I would have preferred that he recognize that, while some passengers were there to party, others wanted a relaxing and quiet vacation.
Because of the crowds, we really didn't have many opportunities (other than port days) to use the aqua park and ropes course (which are some of the primary draws to this ship). You generally had to wait at least 30 minutes for each turn during at sea days.
Cabin Review
Mini-Suite with Large Balcony
We loved our cabin! The balcony was huge, although we didn't use it as much as we expected (due to strong winds and not spending much time in the cabin). My wife and I traveled with our 2 daughters (21 and 17). I was really concerned that we would be cramped in one cabin, but it turned out to be great and it saved us a ton of money.
The large bathroom and balcony were the best parts. Our room steward (Jimmy) did a great job keeping our room clean and getting our beds ready each evening.
Port Reviews
Miami
We did not do an excursion in Miami, but we stayed at the Hampton Inn in Brickell beforehand and would highly recommend it.
Great Stirrup Cay
The beach was absolutely GORGEOUS. One of the prettiest I have seen anywhere. But it was very crowded and windy (and rather cool) when we were there. And the tendering process was an absolute fiasco. I suspect that was not the norm, but it almost made it more trouble than it was worth. The food at the taco bar was really good (especially the fish tacos).