Norwegian Escape Review
Rating by category
Additional details
A loosely associated group of 28 sailed on this cruise. My husband and I were on 6 prior cruises and would not have chosen NCL, a mega ship, or this time of year to sail if not for our group. What one does for one’s friends!
What a pleasant surprise! My top priority is the quality of the food. Ever been on a cruise with terrible coffee or boring food selections? I have. I have to say food was better than most of our prior cruises and adequately interesting and varied. This is saying something because we did not participate in specialty dining. It was truly awesome. Two slightly negative observations. While the buffet was adequate it did not come close to my favorite (Oceania) nor my worst either (surprisingly Celebrity). Lunch in the main dining rooms is the same each day. Luckily we only went twice so while it was a surprise, it was not a big deal. I missed outdoor dining options, but the quality and variety more than made up for it. H
The ship is managed very efficiently. Elevators are a crush only in times like after muster drill or shows. You have to wait but not more than on any other line I’ve been on. Heck one cruise we walked because the elevator was such a pain (but it was a smaller ship.)
Cabin Review
Balcony Stateroom
The balcony cabin was small but adequate. I missed a small table in the room, with only a small stool as an option. Soaps, towels, sheets are nice. Balcony chairs were better than most but very noisy to move around. All in all, good for a less than 2 week cruise. PS we saw a mini suite which only had a bigger shower and maybe a foot longer in living space. Not much difference to a regular balcony room.
Port Reviews
New York (Manhattan)
We spent two nights in Manhattan which we love. Dinner at La Bonne Soupe, a visit to the Smithsonian Design museum, dinner at Celio at the Mayfair, followed by the broadway show Waitress. Great way to start our vacation!