We have cruised on three other cruise lines. This was our 8th cruise since 2015 several being with our two young children. I wanted to try NCL even though my husband was hesitant. I am THRILLED that I did!!! The ship left from NYC so I really should have considered the season when booking this trip. It was cold and very windy on our way down to Bermuda so the pools, water park, and ropes course were for the most part closed. But once we got down there they opened for a bit of time and were so incredibly enjoyable!!! The different dining options were by far my favorite part! Oh and Jackie was SO funny!!! My favorite part of vacation is napping and watching movies so we missed A LOT of the fun shows but we got to participate in a couple and had such a good time! The shopping was nice as well! Another fav part is THE ELEVATORS! Frequent cruisers know elevators can be problematic. Not on the Escape. By far though the single best part I fond about NCL is when I got on board I had $200 in room credit because the fees ended up being less than what I paid. That was such a pleasant surprise as I have NEVER had any cruise line give back money! Couple down falls: We were told you couldn't make reservations, but you could. The self serve screens were often down. Debarking was TERRIBLE and took almost 2 hours. Read Less

This was our fourth NCL Cruise. I have to say when we compared it to our 14 Princess and 10 HAL, if we were to choice same route and dollar for Dollar, NCL would be dead last and have to be significantly cheaper. The rewards for being a Latitudes member at this point do not compare to the other lines. We had a balcony room on the 10th floor . We did sail into gale force winds on the way to Bermuda and the ship handled it well. I know NCL cannot control the weather so it was disappointing due to the weather not to be able to go on the deck at night only one night. We bought our 9 year old Grand daughter for her first cruise she loved it. The ship is big with over 4000K people. It was crowded after the mandatory life boat drill as everyone was trying to get up on the elevators. We ate breakfast, lunch and dinner at the two main restaurants Savor and forgot the name of the other. The service was OK, we were assigned to different tables ( we were a party of 5 as my brother and sister in law joined us). So the wait staff did not really know our likes such as tea or coffee. The food was bland to say the least , a I at the New York Strip two nights and it was bland, and chewy. My grand daughter enjoyed the three cheese pasta two nights. The deserts were about the same each night. The breakfasts were fine, and the Lunch was basic lunch. Again we did not use the buffet at all. My wife had a soda card and the ship ran out of cans of Diet Pepsi by the second day. She could use it at bars for fountain if she wanted a can we had to pay for it. My grand daughter and I enjoyed the ropes course as well as the water slides. I did not like the fact that all the ship run activities by the cruise staff was in the atrrium, there never were enough seats to watch what was going on. We did take our grand daughter to the Choir of Men which was good and the After Midnight show which was better. Getting on and off the ship was fine, the luggage was not a problem in getting to our rooms. I have to say the one steward we had ( seems NCL does not use two stewards), did an outstanding job of cleaning and honoring our time in the rooms. His name was Gilbert and was the best staff we ever interacted with. Of course if you wanted to see your room charges the day before port it was a long long line. So I decided to go late like at 12 am. They could not take the cash I wanted to pay the charges with at that hour. I felt the room service charge of 7.95 each was nickle and diming us. The food in the Irish Pub was not very Irish, but at least it was open late at night. My wife enjoyed the casino , I did not venture in as I was busy with grand daughter. Would we do NCL again, I doubt it. Read Less

We have been reading reviews on the Escape, at first most of them seemed to be negative but more recently they have been more positive. So before she left for Miami we thought why not give her a try. I should also add that there have been several threads in CC about possible changes to the Escape after her first dry dock, we wanted to see the original version. About us, we sail exclusively with NCL. Why? Well here in the NYC area, NCL provides diverse itineraries not only in ships but destinations. We are both platinum-plus with NCL. Also equally important, NCL hasn't given us a reason to try another cruise line. Embarkation and disembarkation at the Manhattan terminal were almost perfect for us. Literally no issues, I have seen utter chaos in the terminal with smaller ships, not this time. We booked this cruise within 60 days, so we selected the sailaway price, they gave us cabin 9704, which was described as an OA cabin. Cabin steward was part Ninja, only saw him two times, but the cabin was kept clean. He must have been hiding somewhere, we leave and then come back within 30 minutes and the cabin was perfect. Entertainment - Choir of Men, fantastic. After Midnight also a great show. Julie Barr, still thinking about some of her comments. She has to one of the best comedians aboard any cruise ship. Food - Cagney's, the steak was cooked to perfection, side dishes seemed bigger, did notice more surcharges on the menu. Moderno, way too much food, no issues with service or taste. La Cucina, just an OK Italian restaurant. The MDR restaurants had the typical NCL menu, no real surprises or disappointments. The ship was in great shape, didn't see any worn/damaged carpet, constantly cleaned and maintained by the crew. Overall we had a great time, even with the bad weather there was something to do aboard / indoors. Didn't spend any time on the top deck or Spice H2O. Wished that we had more time aboard, these 5 day cruises are way too short. Negative observations - 5 o'clock somewhere bar wasn't aboard the Escape, we went in there and it was dead, almost had the feel of dead space. Skyline bar which was used for the parties had a smokey smell to it. Could not get a great chocolate martini and they had all the shows in the Atrium which made it almost impossible to travel through deck #6 or #7 during the shows. Read Less

Norwegian was highly recommended by friends. The ship was great, the company of Norwegian, not great. They schedule a cruise to dock and spend full day in Bermuda on Sunday when the country is closed! We wer unable to see many of the local attractions because the stores/restaurants were closed and buses ended service early. To keep from being stranded we had to be back to the boat by 5pm. NEVER cruise to Bermuda in November, Seas were so rocky we were sick the whole time. Staff and other passengers stated it was one of the worst cruises they had ever been on. Poor planning by NCL all around!!!!! The ship itself was wonderful, but due to the bad weather we were unable to fully experience the outdoor activities. Too much rain and wind, the deck was blocked off most of the cruise. No monitoring on the adult club, teens were there in the hot tub and the water cave. Adults were unable to use either because of the teens. Our rear aft handicapped cabin was wonderful! spacious. The restaurants we were able to visit were wonderful. Food was good, drinks were good. Entertainment was great! We saw Choir of Men and it was a FANTASTIC show! Getting on the ship was smooth and so was getting off the ship. NCL did evertthing possible to to make the experience as smooth as possible. Service was excellent! The staff was amazing, all were very helpful the entire cruise! Read Less

For a newer LARGE cruise ship we expected more of a "WOW" factor in the public spaces and different areas of the ship to relax or be entertained in. We found the same basic layout of shops, different dining options, pool decks etc that have been on most ships over the last 15 years....just more people and cabins added. The one exception was the Thermal Spa which was very well appointed with many options to relax and enjoy. Although it was an additional cost, we felt it was worth the price to use daily. Service in dining and other areas was what you would expect, good but not fantastic, but considering the price point, service was good. Same with the quality of food, good to very good considering the price paid for the cruise. This included the specialty dining we used 2 nights which was included in our package, not sure I would have spent additional money on them, the quality, service and presentation in Main dining room was just as good. We had cabin 11782, nice balcony cabin, bathroom area was very comfortable to use and entire cabin functional and well designed. Entertainment - acceptable, but nothing better or worse than other cruise lines we have traveled on. We had an exceptional shore tour, we really enjoyed the Bike rail trail tour. The guides, bikes and itinerary were great. Read Less

This was a short 5 day cruise in November so we did not expect good weather. Bermuda as always was wonderful, even if it was raining one day. The water was too cold for me to go in, but the beach was lovely. The ship itself was good. The same as many others have commented on, I am not sure why the atrium is used for events for 1000s of people and not the main theater. We did not see any other shows. The tv has one movie and one station of tv shows. I was hoping they would have a 3D movie in the theater but I did not see one on this cruise. The food was good. The Asian food section has a good selection and the salads offered variety in the buffet. Le bistro was fine. The Haven restaurant has overflow in the hallway right where people check in. I think this could be managed much better by rearranging the furniture with he tables further back and couches for waiting moved by the check in. Embarkation was very crowded but got better as you got past customs. Upon disembarkation I had a small credit on my account. I thought this would be refunded to my credit card but i was forced to stand on a very slow finance line to receive cash back. This should be handled better. Overall it was a great trip and I’d go again in November even if it was off season. Read Less

This being my first cruise I wasn't sure what I would expect. I live on Long island so driving to Manhattan Cruise terminal was not a big deal. Arrived early walk through security very quickly. Waiting no more than 15 to 20 minutes. Proceeded to go to the line that matched our edocs. just one tip this is where they give you your boarding number. Then proceeded to go to check in and set up our pictures and cruise cards. Then we took one picture by picture of the ship. ( and let me add this was the only time during the whole entire cruise that anyone bothered us to take a picture, we did see photographers and if you chose to take a picture we could have spoke to them. So people who say that they are bothered and they're very pushy are extremely exaggerating). Sat down and waited to be boarded. As I was sitting down I realized everyone but us had a boarding number. Ask one of the crew members that were they are what we should do, he told us as soon as they start calling numbers come up to him and he'll put us in a line. So we were able to board the ship right after the Haven customers. The whole process took maybe 40 minutes at most before we were on the ship and drinking. The ship itself was very very clean and beautiful. I will say that the smell of smoke is very strong in the casino. We were on the ship even before anyone was in the casino smoking,so if you're sensitive to smoke I can see it being a problem. Immediately booked our shows and change some dinner reservations. Very easy to do at the touch screens. Found another bar and had a few more drinks. Had the ultimate drink package that was one of our perks in the cruise and I would never cruise without one. Nothing that we drank the whole Cruise was over the $15 limit..No need to switch and pay for the more premium drink package it's not necessary. Had lunch in the Savoy restaurant. It was practically empty, I'm sure everyone was at the buffet or at the pub. By the time we were done with lunch our room was ready. We were on the 15th floor in the back of the ship with an angled balcony. The rooms I can see being on the small side but for two people it was more than enough,four people though I can see it being a tight squeeze. We had extra space on all balcony which was wonderful. But I will say if you're prone to seasickness definitely do not have the back of the ship cabins. You can really feel the ship moving. Met our room Stewart, Rochelle, immediately. She was absolutely wonderful the whole trip. Anything we needed we got. Our room was always clean and neat. Not a problem at all. By this time we attended the muster drill, it took about 30 minutes and it was over we proceeded to go to" it's 5 somewhere bar"and sit outside for departure. Got to see everything from this location, all the buildings, statue of liberty, and it was beautiful. Then because the weather is still a little cold in November in New York we went to the spa. We paid for the weeks pass prior to leaving, and it was worth every penny. It was wonderful and we never had a problem of anyone from the spa trying to upsell us any of their products or sessions. Also it would be quite impossible for people who don't have the pass to sneak into the spa. You have to go past the whole entire desk of employees and they have to open the door with a different key. You also have to leave your card at the front desk. So people who left other reviews stating that anyone can get in the spa is a lie.The only negative thing about the spa was that the snow room was closed. It wouldn't be much of a big deal if I happen to know that it was closed and August and also October. So it doesn't look like it's a priority to Norwegian to fix. Would have loved to gone from the steam room to the snow room. But even with that it was worth the money. I would have to say that all the food even at the buffet was very good. Service in the restaurants that come with the cruise was excellent. We never received are meal right on top of our appetizers. The servers in those restaurants do an excellent job. All the bar staff that we dealt with through the cruise was top-notch. Allall the crew that we've came in contact with throughout the whole entire ship was always smiling polite and happy. Never saw anyone that wasn't smiling.Hardly ever had to wait for a drink at all. Went to the two specialty restaurants, and they were also very good. At the Brazilian steakhouse BBQ I will say that the service was a little slow. We also saw all the shows that the ship had to offer. I felt they were all done very very well. Not everyone has the same taste, but the cast and everything we saw was top-notch. The pool itself I will completely with most reviews I've read, is very very small for 4,000 people. We spent most of our time up in the spice H2O lounge which was adults only. But the cruise being in November when most children have school there weren't many kids on the ship. If you have a problem dealing with children I would suggest taking a cruise when school is in session. Disembarking the ship in Manhattan was a little chaotic. The elevators open on people on the lines, everyone yelling not to cut them off, not enough Norwegian crew out to keep the lines in order. But got on top of it as quickly as they could, and it only took about 45 minutes to disembark the ship with the self checkout. I would highly recommend Norwegian to anyone who would like to take a cruise. Enjoyed the trip immensely. Read Less

We have always sailed NCL and loved it but it had been a couple of years because of personal issues and it is not the cruise line I remembered. From embarkation forward it was a series of disorganization, poor service, poor food, unpleasant atmosphere, and irritations. Arrival/Embarkation: • arrival transfer drop off at pier was at the far end away from where you drop baggage, people making their own transfer arrangement got closer that us using NCL. We had to take our own baggage that distance • as returning cruisers we were told prior to the trip that we would get “priority” boarding. No mention was made of this at the pier and there was no difference our treatment from everyone else arriving • we were made to walk to the furthest check in station despite supposed “priority status” and then to walk back almost as long to board. • we understand the broken gangway was out of NCLs control but the boarding procedure was ABSOLUTELY HORRIBLE!!! Boarding numbers were used and continual announcements were made to proceed based on these. However, the NCL staff did not enforce this! Passengers were cutting under the ropes and boarding or getting in line with the wrong or no number and boarding. Those of us trying to follow the rules were made to wait even longer. THERE WERE NCL EMPLOYEES EVERYWHERE SEEING THESE ACTIONS AND SAYING NOTHING! • The total lack of organization at boarding caused ourselves and a HUGE number of other passengers to miss the lunch hours in the dining rooms. No information was available about extended hours or other options and I did ask. Dining • Overall our dining experiences were subpar. We expect high quality food and service from NCL and we did not get it on this cruise. We were also disturbed by the number of people in VERY casual clothes in the dining rooms. o We ate at 3 specialty restaurants (Moderno, LeBistro, and Cagney’s). In both Moderno and Cagney’s our meal was disturbed by a large table of obviously drunk passengers using very loud voices and often foul language. No effort was made by NCL staff to cut off their alcohol or ask for their volume or language to be moderated.  We were told that LeBistro required a higher dress code and compiled only to be seated next to a couple wearing shorts and short sleeve shirts.  At Cagney’s our service was less than par. The drinks, bread, and side dishes were either forgotten or very late arriving. We also were checked on rarely. o We ate breakfast at Taste or Savor 3 times and all were unsatisfactory. -The eggs were ALWAYS cold -The potatoes and hash were both dried out -The pastries were hard and dried out - Our orders were wrong more often than correct and EXTREMELY slow o We tried Taste/Savor for lunch once and the service was as slow as at breakfast. o Our 2 dinners in the Manhattan Room were quite good but the small children who did not know how to behave in a nice restaurant were disruptive. Entertainment/Enrichment • The majority of the evening entertainments were held in bars. We loved the 2 shows in the theatre but would have liked more there. There were no enrichment activities that didn't include a sales pitch that we could find. The Spa pass was our saving grace. We relaxed in the hydro pool, napped in the heated loungers, and generally loved the area. But: • The locker instructions were difficult to follow and over the week I encountered numerous passengers that couldn’t figure them out. • The showers have no hooks or bars for towels or robes and the doors are too high to lay them over the top. • Despite “Quiet Zone” signs everywhere, no NCL staff in the thermal suite asked for loud boisterous passengers to be quiet. When I asked them to do so, I was told to go out front and tell a manager. • The snow room was out of order the entire trip. The Ship in general • Alcohol service was EVERYWHERE and so were empty or half empty dirty glasses. There were in the theatre, on bannisters, in window sills, on chairs, on pianos, and in planters. • The location of the casino in the middle of the ship and in an open-air style led to the entire atrium on all 3 floors reeking of cigarettes. • The layout of the ship was difficult to navigate and odd. For example, the Garden Café and the Spa were on the same deck as the pool, creating a huge amount of traffic. Another example was the bar stools along the railing above the atrium leading to blocked walkways. Shore Excursions: we only did one and it was a nice simple little trolley tour with a GREAT guide. Disembarking • The instructions given out the day before were unclear on putting out your luggage or not putting out the luggage, leading to many passengers lugging their own luggage throughout the process. • There was no information given on where breakfast would be available or at what hours. • Even though we were given disembarkation colors and told to listen for our color and then get in line to disembark; no crew members were enforcing the color codes. Therefore, the lines were the length of the ship. • Once again, the NCL provided transportation was as far away from the exit doors as possible. We had to move all our own luggage that distance. • Upon reaching the airport, the NCL transport dropped us at the opposite end of the terminal from where we were to check in for our flight leading to more luggage lugging. Overall, this cruise failed on multiple levels. In the past I have bragged on NCL and stated that I wouldn’t cruise with anyone else. After this trip, I am not sure I will cruise NCL again. Read Less

We choose NCL for our first cruise because of their beautiful ships and the free offers. Our embarkation port was Manhattan NY which was only about 2 1/2 hours from our home. The process of parking and checking in went very smoothly. The price to park at the pier was $200 but well worth it. Once you park you take an elevator down and your right in the terminal. The process of boarding the ship went smoothly. Once we were on the ship we went to Taste(one of the main dining room) to eat lunch, which was very good. Then we explored the Ship it was truly beautiful and very clean. Our stateroom was available around 1:30, it was spacious and clean. We ate at 3 of the specialty restaurants(this was one of the free offers)Teppanyaki, Cagney’s Steak House and Moderno. The food was AMAZING! The portions were huge you definitely won’t leave hungry. The serves were very nice and accommodating. The complimentary restaurants were also very good, we never had a bad meal. The entertainment was also very good. They had several shows but we only went to the Crew Talent Show and Choir of a Man, we enjoyed both of them and would definitely see them again. The disembarkation was very congested but I feel they had a good system for getting everyone off the ship. They have color tags and if everyone followed their colors it probably would have went smoother. This is not the cruise lines fault but was frustrating. We had an amazing time and can’t wait to book another cruise with NCL. Read Less

My daughter sets up all travel plans for our family of eight. Four children under 12 (2, 5, 9, 11) the parents , myself, and my other daughter. Our rooms were on absolute opposite ends of the ship, different doors, port and starboard, aft and forward with no option to room closer, even when requested. Freestyle dining was convenient and no big dress up night and the food was superb of course. We did our own thing for excursions on Bermuda and had a ball. The ship is truly massive, comfortable, beautifully appointed, the crew attentive and friendly mostly. Some of the specialty eateries staff were a little snooty and the two main dining were a bit at odds with one another as to who would seat our large group with children (Taste & Savor) and we opted for Manhattan Dining Room predominantly. The buffet was very good and unbelievably able to keep up with that full ship of 4K plus passengers. The accommodations and extras were also wonderful, we bought spa passes which in the long run would have been better just to do a few day passes as I only found time to go twice. But very nice even if ‘quiet zone’ was not strictly enforced which was irritating. The trip itself was smooth despite weather issues and cool weather in NYC. Bermudians were fabulous and ‘Mel & Art’s Spicy Dicey’ is the best fish sandwich you will ever eat, and we’ll worth the hike up to it but you can take a cab. The bus system is exceptional and a best bet for getting around as are the ferries. Overall we had a wonderful time and the rooms are comfortable and roomy with fantastic bathrooms and showers. We had a wonderful time. My only complaints are with up charges as the prices are good until you need more and there is an up charge for any extras, water, cokes, little food places that were free on Carnival. The passengers were a good mix but here were some interesting folk that wouldn’t be happy no matter what and we had the hallway that people got sick in twice and one toilet overflow but they handled it smoothly and with nary a hiccup in routine. Overall five stars but I think for dollar for dollar value and fun, even on the older ships, Carnival is a better deal. Not knocking Norwegian at all. It was excellent!! Read Less

The beds were hard, cs was rude and was told that only the Havens got nice beds. Staff wasn't as friendly as Carnival and the food was bland. Had to schedule entertainment and nobody told us that we had to and by the time we figured it out they were all booked. The only good thing is they push for sanitizing your hands before entering the buffet which was a good thing and I never seen on any other cruise. The decor is beautiful and more relaxed environment but was disappointed with the above issues. Oh and first day couldn't get in the room because they never antivated the key which was annoying because we had to wait for the elevator to get to cs for 30 mins and then in line for cs for another 45 mins because they forgot to antivate a lot of keys. The freebies for booking a great. Read Less

From the start, dealing with the NCL staff in making the arrangement for the cruise was a very good experience, the staff was much more helpful then most of the other cruise lines. The price of the trip was fare, The ship was renovated recently and was in excellent condition. The balcony cabin was more then enough room for two people and was kept clean by the staff constantly. The food and the dining experience were impeccable. As for the entertainment and activities the cruise director (Jacky) was incredible, I was impressed with his schedule of entertainment and activities he had during this cruise. Service by the staff through out ship was impeccable. The cruise line also provided a numerous amount of port and shore excursions. In my opinion NCL is one of the best cruise lines out there and I will be traveling with them in the near future again. Read Less

We were celebrating our 40th wedding anniversary. We decided, on this, our 4th cruise, to visit Bermuda. We enjoyed the island. We flew from DFW to NYC and cruised on the Escape. We even chose our first balcony, but we could not enjoy it due to the poor, small, metal chairs on it. We had more than 10 complaints on last week’s vacation. [We’ve traveled on Carnival for our previous other cruises. When we think about it, we remember no complaints about Carnival—we just thought we’d make a change.] Lack of good service and horrendous disorganization plagued Norwegian, in our opinion. They provide room service forms that you use but they ignore them. Can you imagine waiting for breakfast the next morning and not having it arrive? Do you like finally getting breakfast food at a buffet only to find out there is no place at which to sit and eat it? Carnival spoiled us with their stateroom service. We did not have that level of service on Norwegian. Do you like having to walk through smelly smoky areas? How would you feel if you requested things in advance only to have Norwegian ignore/misplace them? This happened to us twice. Do you like attending Specialty restaurants when they are not at all busy only to receive poor service? This may be the “norm” on cruising, but we will pass. The food was delicious on this cruise, but that was inadequate to make up for the cruise experience. Did we get good value for our vacation dollars? Absolutely not. Read Less

I chose this cruise because it coincided with a "girls trip" my wife was on. It also had a Solo Cruisers section that I found attractive since I would not have to book a double occupancy room as a solo traveller. Embarkation went smoothly enough, but it was hindered by an out of service entrance, so we all had to use only the one access ramp. I was in Boarding Group 35 and got aboard about an hour after they started boarding. I think I arrived at the pier at 10-ish and was onboard by 1215. I highly recommend the Solo Cruisers area. I was impressed by Norwegians commitment to solo cruisers and can say they exceeded my expectations as a first time solo cruiser. The Solo cruiser section of the ship was a really great design. It is like a box in the middle of the ship, that spans decks 10, 11, and 12, that only solo cruisers can enter by using their keycard to get through the door. Once inside, there are two hallways with maybe 6-8 rooms per side, per hallway. The hallway is decorated with a cool look that differs from the other passenger hallways. There is also a Solo Cruisers Lounge. This is another great feature that offers a room to meet other solo cruisers as well as a place to get coffee, tea, juice, water, and baked goods. There is a stair case within the solo passenger area that you can you to access the lounge without leaving the solo passenger area. I would use that same stairway to go up from my cabin on Deck 10 to Deck 12 before entering the common hallway to go to the upper decks. It was well lit and inviting, although I did find the forest pictures on the walls to be a bit odd. Why not have nautical themed pictures? Norwegian also assigned a crew member, Min, to act as a liason for us. Each day at 5pm there was a solo cruisers meetup that any solo cruiser on the ship could go to. Min would prop open the door to the solo passenger area for those without keycard access. From there she would take us to dinner at the Manhattan Room where she had a table or two reserved. It was great because we could just walk past the line of passengers waiting to be seated. Then she would leave us to eat but set up another meeting place for after dinner for anyone that wanted to attend a show. She could get a group in last minute for sows as well. I attended two of the meet ups on my five day cruise. I met some really nice people and had some good meals with them. I'm not a foodie. I found the food to be just fine. I even had a meal at Moderno and really enjoyed the food and service. The weather leaving out of NYC in November isn't very conducive to using the pool deck, but I can only imagine how crowded it would have been during nice, warm weather. There wasn't a lot of space around the pool for sunbathers. There was a lot of sunbathing space on the next deck up, but poolside real estate would have be tight. Even in Bermuda, the weather was OK but not great for laying in the sun. The entertainment was great. Jacky, the Cruise Director was very good. His assistant CD, Alex was also a lot of fun. The activities in the Atrium were always well attended and fun. My favorite show was the Justin Golan show at the District Brew House. He was so funny and loved picking on people in the crowd. He also brought guest up to interact with him. By the end of the cruise word had spread because he shows drew standing room only crowds. As a side note, his shows a very adult themed, so leave you kids somewhere else. Leave your feelings somewhere else too because easily offended people will stroke out about five minutes into his set. It is a lot of fun. I recommend getting to know Rodney at the District Brew House, Aaron(A-A Ron) at the Atrium Bar, and Govind(sp?) at the Five O'Clock Somewhere bar on the Waterfront. These guys always kept you drink or bottle full and were great to deal with. All in all this was a great cruise. I've been married for 21 years and have never travelled solo, but my expectations were exceeded by Norwegian and I would highly recommend this Ship for a solo cruiser, or any cruiser for that matter. Read Less

What a fantastic trip from embarkation to disembarkation. The Haven truly is worth the upgrade cost. When my family of 4 arrived at the Pier in NYC, we saw a daunting line of people waiting to check in, and luckily, we got to bypass it all when we were escorted to an area specifically for Haven guests. We checked in with no line, and were told to wait in a cozy room with plenty of snacks and non-alcoholic beverages for us to nibble on while we waited for the call to be escorted onboard. The staff took us in small groups to the Haven check in area on board the ship where they invited us to dine at either the Haven or Margaritaville, which was comped for embarkation. We dropped our carry-on bag's off at our room, and chose to go to Margaritaville. A bit of a warning if you're traveling in the cooler months, Margaritaville is an open-air dining area, so it can get very cold. I had fish taco's, my children had fried fish which we told them were chicken nuggets, and my wife had a salad I believe. Everything was very good, my margarita was delicious, and my children enjoyed their "chicken nuggets." We then went back to our room to check it out a bit. We stayed in 11106, H7 category, which is a FWD facing Penthouse with Balcony. Our luggage was delivered promptly. We met our Room Steward and Butler, Ricardo & Ferdinand, respectively. These two men were absolutely fantastic at their jobs. Our room was always spotless, which is hard work with two young children under the age of 4. Ricardo was very accomodating in turning down our rooms at awkward times since our children went to bed early. Ferdinand predicted what we needed without us ever needing to ask for anything. Ferdinand did a wonderful job taking care of our cabin as well, making sure my children always had little snacks when we returned to our room for nap time. They were very courteous without ever being obtrusive, and I really hope we are lucky enough to sail with them again. Our cabin was very comfortable. Our balcony was a nice size. We chose this room specifically for the separate bathtub and shower for our kids. The bathtub was a very generous size. Our shower had 3 options, a waterfall head, 4 jets, or a handheld showerhead. We had a dual sink and a a vanity as well in the bathroom. There was plenty of closet space between the bedroom and living room. Our bed was quite comfortable. We had two televisions and another great amenity was that all the on demand movies were free. We had a table and 3 chairs for in-suite dining, and a desk for doing homework. Our penthouse view was the front of the ship area, and our balcony had a nice view of Bermuda when we were docked. I think that pretty much covers the cabin. When we dined, we generally chose the Haven for breakfast, buffet for a quick lunch, and either Haven or Buffet for dinner depending on how the children were behaving. We had our dinner delivered to our room from the Haven one night as well. The Haven had a nice breakfast selection on the menu such as lobster eggs benedict to huevos rancheros to something simpler such as banana pancakes. There was a nice buffet area as well that had pastry, breads, fresh exotic fruit, parfait, antipasta, etc.inside the Haven restaurant. The buffet was pretty standard fare for lunch and dinner. I did have a really good panini, I think it was Chicken Masala which was completely different take on it for me. I was also surprisingly impressed with the Cheesecakes and Flourless Chocolate cakes they had for dessert as well. They did some theme nights for dinner we saw at the buffet, such as Asian food and Indian food. Otherwise, pretty decent but nothing that was all that memorable aside from what I mentioned. The Haven at Dinner was truly a different experience than anything else on the boat. Over the course of the cruise, we had the steak and shrimp, mustard crusted lamb, and mushroom ravioli. The lamb was OUTRAGEOUS and probably the most delicious thing we ate by far. The staff at the Haven restaurant, particularly the hostesses Alma and Pamela, were fantastic with my family. They absolutely made my family feel like part of their family. They were so very cordial, patient, and understanding with my two younger children. My daughter was very fond of Pamela especially. I cannot say enough nice things about them. The bar staff at the Haven was top notch, also very accomodating in finding apple juice at dinner time for my little ones. I know it's a difficult request at the end of the day, but they were able to find it for them and were adamant about getting it for them. The Haven bar staff is a notch above the rest of the cruise line's staff. The concierges we only used a few times. They were able to get us tickets to the magic show and escorted us down to get prime seats. They were also very helpful in saving me a trip to guest services and the internet cafe. They were both very friendly and helpful and I hate that I can't remember their names right now. We didn't book any excursions or see too many shows, but they were very approachable and helpful. The magic show with Cassandra & Ben was a great show. It was at the Supper Club and included a 3 course meal. The food wasn't my cup of tea, the appetizer reminded me of cat food. It was minced chicken on lettuce, and looked exactly like Friskies. The show on the other hand was excellent! Cassandra is a talented singer and magician and is destined for great things. My children enjoyed the Splash Academy, and the little show they put on for us on the last day in the theatre is something that I'm sure my daughter will remember for years to come. My children also enjoyed the Video Arcade and the bowling and arcade games near O'Sheehan's were a nice distraction on a sea day afternoon. They had some new interactive shows since the last time I cruised, such as the Wheel of ill Will, a combination of Wheel of Fortune and silly games the contestants play in between solving the puzzle. We enjoyed watching that as well as the Family Compete gameshow. They still do the Not So Newlywed Game show as well, a favorite but also a bit tired. It's been 6 years since we last cruised and I felt like I watched the same exact show last time. The service on-board the ship was absolutely another level in the Haven area and in the suites. The busboys at the buffet were very efficient at turning over tables. The bar staff at the Skyline bar were very friendly and engaging. There were other bar areas I went to where the service was generally lacking and leaving a bit to be desired, even if it wasn't crowded. For example, Tobacco Road & the Atrium bartenders seemed like they were trying to avoid the customers. I was surprised by that, I guess because I was spoiled in the Haven and Casino lounge areas. Live music was great all around the ship. There was a great lounge singer at Skyline, he really engaged the audience. And finally, disembarking the ship was a breeze because we were Haven guests. We were escorted down the service elevators and bypassed the rest of the ship right to customs. I was very impressed at the efficiency at embarkation & disembarkation for Haven guests and think that alone is worth the premium. My family and I all loved the trip and will happily book with NCL-Haven again. Read Less

I really liked this vacation. We sailed right out of New York harbor, right past the Statue of Liberty at sunset. The food in the specialty dining venues was really great and Le Bistro was spectacular. We also enjoyed Savor and Taste and thought the food was just amazing. The menu changed every night and there was always a high-quality and interesting fish option. The room was quiet and the beds were comfy. The cabin was laid out in a nice way that made good use of the space. I loved having the balcony and we enjoyed sitting out there and having the light and air. Shore excursion was very good and we loved Bermuda. We spent more time in our room than we thought we would, and particularly enjoyed sitting on the balcony and reading during some of that relaxing time at sea. Entertainment was plentiful and good. This was relaxing and enjoyable. It was an incredible value for the great experience we had, and the staff was wonderful. Read Less

My friend won a cruise for Two and asked me if I wanted to go with her. We had no problem getting on and off the ship, which was great. We received our luggage at our room in a very timely manner All the food we had at the restaurants were prepared to my liking. All the entertainment in the atrium was very amusing. The ship is very accommodating to all of the passengers considering the size. The only thing I was not pleased with was the amount of smoke in the Casino. I did not travel with children and prefer not to. Unfortunately the weather was not in our favor, and we were not able to see as much as we had planned The staff were all so professional and always looked neat as a pin, so many of them were entertaining. I did not consider the questions asked at the Nearly Newly Wed game to be appropriate Yes, I would travel with NCL in the future Read Less

we were looking for a short cruise to a warm weather location from nyc. we sailed on the escape before so some crew remembered my wife and I and treated us very nicely. all crew at guest service were very helpful and polite.we dined at la cucina,la bistro and teppanyaki, all were fantastic.Bermuda was a beautiful island and we really enjoyed the beaches. thanks to Mr Roy Steadman for making our dining at Taste and Savor extra special. And Mr Johnson at the garden buffet. thanks to Aaron at the Atrium bar, a great mixologist. The husband and wife magician act was very good, but I did not enjoy the singers at Howl at the Moon. i wish that the musical performers could just play a little softer so you could hear the singers better. the crew at the casino were very professional and friendly and seemed to enjoy watching me win and lose and win again. Read Less

My husband and I booked this cruise to celebrate our 25th anniversary, our first vacation without children in many many years. We had previously sailed with Norwegian and the timing on this trip worked out perfectly, plus we like the option to sail from New York. Embarkation was a little disorganized, only because of the gangways that had been damaged in a storm the week previous. That being said, we were through registration and on the ship within an hour or less. The pier area was quite crowded. We stayed on the 15th deck, midship. Very nice room, very clean, wonderful room steward in Blase, who was very attentive without being intrusive. Our balcony was clean and we loved being able to order a complimentary breakfast and enjoy it out there every morning (weather permitting). Bed very comfy, our only complaint with the room was the electrical outlets did not work very well. We could only charge our electronics using the plug extender we brought with us. Bathroom was a decent size, no issues with the toilet that others have mentioned, and always got a hot shower. The Garden Café food was fine, but it did get very chaotic and crowded at peak times. Since we’re early risers, breakfast wasn’t an issue. Lunch got pretty wild probably around 1-2 pm, and I don’t think we ate there at all for dinner. Food was not terribly hot unless you got a made-to-order entrée. I found it to be entirely too big. It’s set up as a big rectangle, with stations that repeat every so often. I needed a map to get around the place! We never ate in the main dining room, preferring the smaller Taste and Savor rooms. The food here was very good. I highly recommend the grilled Cajun mahi mahi sandwich on a pretzel bun at lunch, and the Shrimp Arabiatta was good as well. O’Sheehans was good. I was pleasantly surprised by the burgers – they were very tasty and cooked just right. I was a fan of the Bangers and Mash, not so much the open face turkey sandwich. It was just OK, sliced deli turkey doesn’t make a great hot sandwich with gravy and mashed potatoes. One word of advice – if you want a beer or bar drink with dinner, pick it up at the bar across the way and bring it in with you. The drinks took forever if you ordered at the table. We also got in the habit of picking up a glass of wine at the Mixx Bar and bringing it in with us. We had the 3-meal specialty dining package and chose Bayamo, Teppanyaki, and Food Republic. Food Republic was delicious and more than enough food for two. I believe with the dining plan you are each allowed 4 items from their menu. We order four for the two of us and it was plenty. Teppanyaki I’m giving three stars. The food was OK, but kind of awkward to eat the way they have the plates set up. I also felt that our chef was not really into it – all the other tables seemed to be getting a better show than ours. The bar staff was great, very attentive and quick. Bayamo was the best meal of our week, we absolutely loved it. We couldn’t get a reservation, but went down and checked at the desk anyway. If we were willing, they could seat us outside on The Waterfront; we took them up on it and had the whole area to ourselves. The service was fantastic, the food was delicious, and I don’t have enough good things to say about our meal there! I believe it is a new menu, as it just says “Ocean Blue” and didn’t match up with anything I had seen online previously. As for bars, we were frequent visitors to the District Beer House. Great selection of beers, comfy couches and a great atmosphere. My only complaint is that it is enclosed with no outdoor seating option. Went several times to the piano bar with Justin Golan. He is hilarious as long as you’re not easily offended! We were very disappointed with the change to our itinerary. Instead of docking at 8am in Bermuda, it was changed to 5pm. If we’d known that when we booked the reservation we probably would have chosen a different sailing. We had crappy weather, can’t fault anyone for that, but enjoyed our evening catamaran cruise with Rising Son, and minibus tour the following day, even in the pouring rain. Several excursions were cancelled because of the weather and the entire excursion staff handled the ensuing chaos extremely well! We spent half a day touring around the Royal Naval Dockyards – lots to see and do, and the final morning at Snorkel Park Beach. Very small beach, lots of activities, and very crowded. Since we only had half a day in port I think half the ship was on the beach that morning! Overall, this was a wonderful cruise. We very rarely felt like we were on a full ship, there’s a lot to do and lots of places to hang out. Favorite things: Cruise Critic Meet & Greet (highly recommend getting in on that!), District Brewhouse, sitting out on The Waterfront, Justin Golan performances. Least favorite: crowded pool area and bar, cigarette smoke drifting from the casino, volume level in the Atrium during activities was very loud. Read Less

Because it was huge boat and I had been on 6 cruises in my entire life and never on such a huge boat as the escape. So I was eager to have a great experience and it was exactly what I needed and wanted and I recommend this boat to anyone that is having their first cruise experience to choose Norwegian the staff are friendly and very kind and sweet to us. The food was the best and no Complains at all. The food was very tasting and parties Themes were amazing and fun. I enjoy the broadway shows and the fun games played on the boat the staff participated in the activities with the kids and adults. Only thing was not so good was the weather so we were unable to enjoy Bermuda I wish we were detour to another destination to make up for the lost of two days on a island and due to bad weather we didn’t enjoy outings on deck or much outside of boat. So we had to spend more time inside of boat. But I would like to Go back and enjoy the cruise with better weather and hope that if this happen again due to bad weather that they will consider turning the boat towards a better destination with better weather to make worth everyone trip. Read Less

To support the Sanctuary of Haafsville for animal rescues. Prior to this cruise we had visited Bermuda in the summer and this was the first time going in the fall. To dress for the weather was a bit difficult as we didn't know what to expect. Embarking on the cruise took a very long time because the one gangway was closed. It took two and a half hours to get on the ship. The port authority was very full and there was a huge line. Disembarking the ship was a lot smoother than embarking and didn't take nearly as long. Had a good time with my family and would go again. Shared a room with my Aunt which wasn't a good experience but still had a good time in Bermuda and in the casino. The specialty restaurants were very good and the waiters provided great service. The ship was very nicely decorated and casino had a lot of good games. There was plenty of things to do and the gifts available to purchase were reasonably priced. Read Less

This was our first cruise and not our last. We were interested in this cruise because the timing was just right for our schedules. Unfortunately the weather didn’t cooperate. It was stormy and the ship was tossing a lot through most of the cruise. Especially towards the end. That didn’t keep people out of the hot tub’s however. And I was able to swim three of the days on the boat. I just had to swim in the rain. We are a little bit food snobbish, not because we like to play food critics but because we get the opportunity to eat great food around the world. We found the Cagneys and LeBistro specialty restaurants were not up to our expectations,Teppanyaki, while a bit loud has excellent food and service unlike the other two restaurants we tried. It’s not that the other two restaurants were particularly bad but the food was kind of middle of the road. We felt that we could’ve gotten an equally decent/satisfying meal to Cagneys or LeBistro up at the Garden Cafe buffet or the complementary dining options. We were also made a little sick and our clothes practically ruined for the rest of the cruise by cigarette smoke residue gotten by sitting in the casino for more than three hours. The smoke was terrible. Apparently the Escape does not have adequate filtration or separate sections for smokers. If you have asthma or any other kind of lung problems you probably wanna avoid that partnership. It really cut back on the amount of gambling we wanted to do. That all said the crew were lovely and even though it was very cold they work hard to make sure that everyone was happy. What would’ve excited me is to see more crafting or classes on the boat. We took a painting class which was always over subscribed. I think they need to do more things like that. The origami was also very popular. If we could do some other kind of project like make your own boxes? Or something else like make your own jewelry? That would be fantastic. Even though there was a lot of things going on the ship at all times we really didn’t feel like we had a great choice of things to do. Maybe because we’re looking for things that we could do hands-on and a lot of it was participatory or passive. So Norwegian, think about more hands-on stuff. We’ve already booked another cruise in June. By the way I had to use a scooter because of a problem with my legs. Everyone was very helpful to me and if you’re disabled you’ll find everything on the boat very helpful to you. Read Less

Poor communication with passengers. The daily schedule tells you no reservations are needed for shows, the TV tell you the same but when you click on the venue it says it is sold out! Never got to see any shows. Also the specialty dining was completely booked by the first day! We had a mini-suite that was way smaller than our regular suite on RCL in January! The chairs on the minuscule balcony we just as small, unless you are a size 10 or less. I asked it I could get a chair without arms as being a larger woman I could hardly fit in the chair (also heard this same complaint from others on the ship) and was told that those were the only chairs available! Please!!! I'm sure a chair could have been swapped out somewhere. The waiters and waitresses were great but every other crew member seemed to bothered that they were working! We saw our room steward the first day and then passed in the hallway maybe 2-3 times more. Our garbage in the bathroom was emptied about every other day! Gross! Towels left on the floor to be replaced were not always replaced. We came back to our room one day to a note stating that our door was locked from inside and they could not access the room to make it up, However the door was left open!!! Thankfully all our items were accounted for! Came in late to Bermuda and left 2 hours earlier than planned! We were issued a credit for $85 for our inconvenience....not a fair compensation in our opinion! Very noisy and poor layout as we always had to fight through crowds around the Atrium area! RCL for us next time!...no more NCL!!! Read Less

Last minute cruise booked for my husband and I to relax and get away from it all for a while. We chose this cruise to go with friends. The friends were already booked, we booked 3 weeks before the cruise and reserved a Guarantee Balcony room. We chose it because there was no airfare involved and the ease of the planning/getting to and from the ship. The dining was good, we truly enjoyed O'Sheehan's for lunch and breakfast. The dining room service in Taste and Savor was a little rough. Taste didn't have it all together. Savor worked out better for us. The Manhattan Room was just wonderful. We truly enjoyed The Choir of Man show and of course numerous visits to the District Brewhouse to see Justin, the comedian/piano player was out of this world great. Saw him three times. Embarkation was very simple, however Disembarking was not so good. A little messed up. Read Less

Single port visit! Prefer more time in a single port to hopping from port to port with little time to explore in each one. Unfortunately, this ship is too large. We had long waits at elevators, entertainment venues were too small to accommodate enough passengers. Embarkation & disembarking were atrocious taking too much time too check-in, too far to walk to gangway & nowhere to sit for a break. Booze bars were the main feature of the ship along with ‘In Your Face’ gambling. A central section of the ship is open to 3 decks allowing smoke to permeate throughout including the waiting area/entrances to 2 of the complimentary dining facilities. 3 young, unsupervised hellions were allowed to run amuck up & down our passageway sounding like a herd of elephants & using loud, nasty language throughout the cruise. Although fun, the lines for the water slides was overly long & inefficient. Enjoyed the Ropes Course & Zip Line. Although the food was well prepared & tasty, there was a lack of variety from day to day & was occasionally served at room temperature. Not enough hot tubs! They were constantly overpacked like sardines. Dinner music in the main dining room was excellent. Read Less