This was more or less an impromptu cruise for my wife and I. When I say "impromptu" I mean we didn't book it a year in advance, we booked it about 70 days out (I'm a planner-type person so this was scary). Overall, it was a great trip and Bermuda was beautiful as always. Embarkation went well. After much deliberation, we chose to park at the Manhattan Cruise Terminal lot for $40/day, or 280 for the cruise. We arrived about 11am and within 30 minutes of turning off the car engine, we standing on the ship. We found the vast majority of the staff to be friendly and helpful. The Main Dining Room staff were helpful and accommodating, but just didn't seem to have the candor and smiles we found on the bar staff and our room steward. We had a couple of minor flubbs in the MDR but nothing insurmountable. Two nights in a row my wife got a chicken dish that was either overcooked and tough, or in the case of the chicken piccata, it tasted like eggs to her. The asian-style dishes were very good, and I didn't have a steak that wasn't tender, juicy, and delicious. However, overall we found the choices in the complementary food venues to be underwhelming and uninspired. What was available was overall tasty and we are not foodies or anything, but we like to try some new things and new combinations of ingredients when cruising. The public areas were too, too small. Forget a dip in the pool on the sea days, you can barely get close enough to it much less get in. The hot tubs were lukewarm and almost constantly full anyway. We don't mind kids, but there the hot tubs were mostly full of them being left unattended while mom and dad sat at the bar or sunned themselves. Spice H2O was a little better, but no pool and the last sea day the exhaust from the stack was blowing over the spice area and people were getting covered with little droplets of a black soot/oil substance. We did not experience that on the way down simply because we were double-timing back from Bermuda. We arrived in New York around 1-2am, rather than the customary 5-6am and just sat in port like the Captain had a hot date or something. Slowing down would have probably alleviated this issue. The atrium shows were fine as long as you got in early. We're not too much in the way of show people so we didn't bother with the shows and such. Fortunately we got a great deal on an upgrade to a spa balcony via the bidding system so we were able to use the excellent thermal suite to soak and swim in the therapy pool. We enjoyed this immensely and spent time in every room - the saunarium, sauna, steam room, cold room, and salt room as well as using the heated lounges, therapy pool, and small hot tub. As we have previously visited Bermuda, we chose to go to Horseshoe Bay the first day and I had booked a Resort for a Day with The Elbow Beach Resort prior to embarking. Horseshoe Bay was very, very crowded, so we just dropped our stuff and jumped in the water for a bit. We took the bus to get there and hopped a minibus to get back (so we didn't have to climb the hill). So it was about $12 round trip. To get to Elbow Bay we took a cab from the pier for about $50. Expensive, but our driver was super friendly and gave us a little tour on the way. We chatted about life on the island and learned a great deal about Bermuda on the way. We thought it was worth it. On the way back, we got lucky and managed to hitch a ride on a minibus with a fellow who was going to Hamilton and then agreed to take 6 of us back to the port for $8 per person. He also gave us a tour and took us along some of the back roads back, so we got to see parts of Bermuda that a lot of tourists don't see, so that was neat. The third day we just puttered around the dockyard and bought souvenirs and such. Overall, we found the locals to be very pleasant and helpful. Read Less

I've been to so many cruises before embarking in this one. We decided to take this one because of the destination and because our family lives in NY and they wanted to go on this ship... Worst cruise EVER! The ship is giant, but lacks of free activities, no nightclubs no nothing!!! Shoes get overcrowded because of the lack of activities, then you have to make those nig lines to attend any activity you pick, swimming pools are SO OVERCROWDED that people who use them look like SEA LIONS IN SF piers lol. We never got to use the swimming pool due to the overcrowding. Food is horrible, the only thing I wanted to eat was chicken wings since the rest of the food was always the same and average, nothing that you would have said "wow, delicious food" We ate at 2 of the specialty restaurants which I was ecpecting something better... In conclusion, I think we overpaid for this cruise, stateroom service was just okay... showers were not as clean as we expect and bathroom was smelly. Rooms are way too small!!!! At the end, we got trapped at the casinos due to the lack of free activities (which have NEVER happened to me while cruising) they make you buy bingo cards, deal or no deal cards, etc etc. If you are.a gambler this is the right boat for you hahaha. Shopping area is way too small, three or four stores and done. The boat is too dark in colors, nothing fancy like other boats, the only bling bling it has is the shiny decoration by the stairs.... Come on!!! We need BLING BLING!!! We meed good service and something more organized. We pay for it! And to end the story: disembarking was such a mess. Lots of people carrying their luggage from 15th and 14th floor down the stairs due to the lack of elevators. SUCH WASTE OF MONEY! GOING BACK TO MY FAV CRUISE LINE! Read Less

Choose for the pools and activities for teens we brought. Very crowed pool area with just one adult pool that you could not stand up in. Child pool not so great either. I would call this "Cruise without pools". Cruise for the 18 to 25 age group that like much noise. The big water slides are very slow with long lines, rope course not used much. They would have been better off using the room for more pools, these were not used much. Plenty of so called hot tubs with few umbrella's in upper quieter decks. Food was mediocre at best, restaurants all seemed to get food from same location with some minor differences. Don't bother with the filet, tasteless dry beef, they should wrap it with bacon. If your want hot food and real toast just go to buffet for breakfast, breakfast at restaurant will give you: no toast, under cooked bacon and just plain cold breakfast that is brought in from above. Maybe the buffet is the best for all meals, so skip the specialty restaurants, not worth it. They are strange about the towels, just make sure you leave what was in your cabin back when you leave. Balcony rooms are very nice with plenty of room, do not get inside cabin. Shows and activities just repeat every night it seems. Bottom line I/we will never go on this cruise again. Will look for something much better. Read Less

I enjoyed my cruise on the Celebrity Summit to Bermuda. I have cruised many times to Bermuda on different lines and I have cruised to extensively on all the major brands to many destinations. The last time I cruised with Celebrity was in 2001 so it was nice to return. Of course nothing stays the same and unfortunately some things that I loved about Celebrity has changed. Gone are pianos and harps playing instead DJs are playing in the main lobby. This kind of takes away from the elegance of it all. I am in my late thirties so I am guessing Celebrity is trying to appeal to people younger than I? They just seem like they can’t find their target audience. In any case, the Summit looks great after her renovation. I loved the interior design and the look of the staterooms. The only place they didn’t renovate was Cellar Masters and Sushi on 5. All in all she looks fairly new. The food was good to average as was service. The buffet restaurant flowed well and had a great selection of food. Embarkation was easy as was the departure. Entertainment seemed plentiful and while the shows were good the performers were excellent. The captain and his officers were very visible and courteous. This was my 10th time visiting Bermuda and it never disappoints. In my opinion, it is one of the best islands that offer some of the best beaches. Simply put, Bermuda is beautiful and I could have stayed a few more days! With all the alterations the Summit has had over the years, the ship doesn’t flow so well like she used to. Sushi on 5 blocks the flow of traffic, the added cabins on deck 11 block the jogging track and the new cabins added on deck 3 hide the Tuscan Grill. You have to go on hunt to find that restaurant. For the life of me I don’t get how they can do that but I guess they paid someone big bucks to come up with that idea. There are no longer any printed directories in the cabin so there is no way of knowing the number of room service or other services for that matter. Even guest relations gave me a wrong number for room service. I traveled with a few other people in cabins scattered around the ship. The inconsistencies with cabin amenities was rather large. My room did not have the advertised robes and tote bag other rooms had that and umbrellas, others had none of the advertised amenities. For me I personally do not care if I don't have robes but they do advertise these amenities. They also push beverage packages and upgrades very aggressively on embarkation day. Many crew would not take no for an answer which was rather uncomfortable. Overall, I had a great time and I would sail Celebrity again if they had an interesting itinerary. Sad to say but I felt Celebrity fell a little flat in some areas hopefully they will make changes. Read Less

I love cruising, and when planning another group trip, going with Norweigen was a no brainer. You get the biggest bang for your buck! I was going with a large group of 21 with mixed ages from 16 to 83 and wheelchair bound. I have to say I was getting a little worried when I started reading recent reviews, but then I reminded myself to be open minded. I am a true believer that every vacation is what you make it! The embarkation was so easy and very efficient, this time they split the embarkation/ check in into two groups depending on cabin floor, which created shorter lines to get room key and then to get onto the ship. Ship: The ship was beautiful, with some areas that maybe can use some retouching, but thats to be expected with the amount of passengers that come through weekly. But I found it easy to navigate and plenty of signs to guide passengers. Don't get me wrong, it's a huge ship, so sometimes it gets confusing, but there is a diagram by the elevators that show each floor, especially for the dining rooms and bars. Cabin: Cabin was a balcony cabin midship, level 11. Loved my cabin it was clean and as roomy as you can expect for a ship cabin, you walk in the bathroom is right there, then the bed with a closet next to it, and then couch before the balcony door, on opposite side was a small vanity with small shelves, the mini bar and TV on wall. The closet has decent space for clothing, and what I did was use my suitcase as a draw and slid under bed. Our room steward Veeraj was awesome and very attentive. Dining: So, I was a little worried here because of all the reviews/ complaints about reservations and such. I am not sure what people complain about because I had NO trouble with obtaining reservations at ANY of the dining rooms. I made 3 reservations prior to boarding the ship, but the rest were made once on ship, and they never gave us an issue, and that is with a large party! Every restaurant was accommodating, my recommendation is that if you like to eat during prime time 7-730 make reservations early on, Personally I like eating early and the 5-545 reservations were perfect. The staff at all the restaurants were on point. Polite, and went out of their way to make our meals perfect. Moderno- Great salad bar and the meats were great quality, and not heavy on salt. the cheesy bread is amazing La Cucina - Way too much food,( I had meal plan, included 5 courses) the pizza is great to share with a few people. The pasta carbonara was divine. Cagneys- What can I say , my favorite meal, I had the surf and turf, and the filet was cooked perfectly. The apple crisp for desert was my favorite Taste/ Savor- ate at both restaurants and the food was good, smaller portions but filing. The deserts there were not my favorites. O'sheehans- So we decided to skip the buffet this trip and the majority of my group ate breakfast here every morning, The staff was exceptional, especially the maitre'D , Leandra. She went out of her way to make us feel welcome and personally greeted us every morning. The younger adults in my group also raved about the late night snacks/ wings/ and . ice cream served there Margaritaville: Food was excellent and the charge was cheapt at $15 pp. The Nachos are delish. My one complaint about the dining, is I wish the specialty Restaurants were open for lunch, but thats a personal opinion. Bars: I love my drinks, and I had many over the course of the week, all of them were tasty and well made, I will say that the bar staff does seem overwhelmed, and could use some more help, especially the first couple of days, maybe even having more servers around the pool for drinks would alleviate the mob around the bars. A few times I would have bartenders who were borderline snotty, but most of them were fantastic. My favorite drinks are the painkiller, mudslide, Bahama mama, margaritas. I did try a few drinks from margaritaville, I cant recall the name of them. Pools Okay, big downside here, there are 2 small pools one for adults/ one for kids. the adult pool was very packed, which it were bigger, especially with size of ship! Thermal spa My husband and I purchased the spa package, unfortunately the first time we tried to use it people were reserving the heated loungers while they were not there, this was very annoying! I did get to enjoy it once or twice, and the thermal pool was wonderful. Don't think I would spend the $200 again, unless it was a winter cruise. PS. Do Not Recommend this for handicapped people. My in laws tried to use it, as they are both wheel chair bound, and it was challanging for them because of the height of the loung chairs, and the tiles were very slippery, they did not feel safe moving in the room, thankfully NCL refunded them since they couldn't use it . Entertainment: The choir of men show was great, the comedians also were a hit, howl at the moon, the piano dueling was also fun. The after midnight show was horrible in my opinion, while the performers were definitely talented, there was no storyline, I wasn't a fan, but a few people in my group did enjoy that. There ware some fun events throughout the week that were fun and many passengers participated in, the theme night parties in H20 were great , although they got packed out quick. Service: Overall the service was great, we went to customer service about a small mistake and they were very sweet, and made every effort to get to the bottom of it. Never had long wait there. We also dealt with the Cruise Next staff, and they also were fantastic with the questions I had. Highly recommend purchasing this if you plan to cruise in next few years. this is my second time using the cruise next vouchers. The elevators are a bit slow, I prefer the stairs,,but with wheelchair family, we had to rely on them. Pictures: Tons of opportunity for pictures, I just hated picking a few. I wish they would offer all the pictures digitally for one price! Just my opinion. Port: Went to Bermuda, was beautiful as always. This is my third trip there. People in my party went to horseshoe bay/ tobacco bay and said the beaches were wonderful, with a ton of fish swimming alongside. There is a wave-runner vendor right outside the ship that a few of us went on, and it was a blast. the shops around the dockyard are also cute , overall Bermuda is pricey when it comes to shopping. There are ferries cheap ($5) to take to Hamilton or St.George for more shopping. I preferred to hang on the ship for 2/3 days at port, which was lovely because the pool was basically empty! and plenty of lounge chairs available. Disembarkation- WOW is all I can say, last time I was on the ship with a group was 3 years ago and it was a complete hot mess with disembarkation. I was so nervous, but the system they set up to get the passengers off the boat in a safe manner without tons of lines is incredible. We were off an hour earlier than we thought, and our luggage retrieval went off without a hitch, and even customs was a breeze, I was completely shocked! Way to go NCL, obviously they listened to the complaints from the past cruisers! Overall I am so happy with the entire trip, we had a blast, and we are already booked on another cruise, the Encore 01/2021! Cant wait! For the future Escape Cruisers keep an open mind and you will have fun. If you have questions feel free to ask me Hscally1088@yahoo.com Read Less

I have cruised with NCL from Boston to Bermuda many times over the years on various ships. (I'm now Platinum Plus.) Being a person who doesn't like to fly and loves to cruise, my choices are limited. That being said, it doesn't mean I feel this is a cruise I have to tolerate. I have been on NCL's larger ship, the Getaway, but do prefer a smaller ship. I will also say that the Boston to Bermuda cruise, regardless of what ship, has the best crew ever. There has been the Majesty, Crown, Dream, and Dawn (to name a few), that has cruised this Boston to Bermuda itinerary. I had never sailed on the Gem, it's Boston's new ship for this route, and I was quite excited to sail on a different ship. Like the Dawn, she is similar, but I feel, quite an upgrade. Having the Spinaker Lounge, The Great Outdoors, and 3 Champagne/Beer/Whiskey/Martini Bars (Dawn has one, which was always way over crowded), gave us the opportunity to enjoy a large space to listen to live music and get great service for drinks. The cigar/smoking room also kept the smoke contained to that room only. On the Dawn, it was a nightmare trying to sit in the lounge and not be constantly smelling the smoke that never stayed in the smoking room. I ate at both main dining rooms, the buffet, Cagney's, LeBistro, LaCuchina, O'Sheehan's, and Orchid. I didn't eat at the Great Outdoors or the grill by the pool. I chose neither because I don't care to eat where the food is kept outdoors in high humidity, heat, and near a pool with lots of people in bathing suits going in and out of hot tubs, outdoor bathrooms, etc. The food and menu is the same at both main dining rooms. Both have great service, but Grand Pacific is slower. Food was average to fantastic, depending on whether you ordered what was in season (like the salmon) or some of the specials. The usual, like roast chicken or meatloaf is more average. Having sailed many times, you get to know the menu quite well. LeBistro and LaCuchina had exceptional food and service. Cagney's, not so much. My fillet mignon was OK, but the sides were small and fair. Service was slow and it seemed hectic. Not bad, but I was a bit disappointed. I had high expectations because I had eaten at Cagney's on the Getaway and it was the most incredible meal I've ever had. O'Sheehan's was my least favorite. It's fast food, and more of a snack/late night hangout. The buffet had a large selection, and probably the most popular choice for families. I prefer being seated at a table in a dining room without the noise around me for dinner. Lunch is another story, and the convenience of being able to have a quick/easy lunch with far more variety than the main dining room (Grand Pacific) worked better for most days. About the crew: Always, always always....just incredible. No matter where I was or who was working anywhere on the ship. They are friendly, professional, hard-working, sociable, and extremely helpful. I felt spoiled and well cared for. I have always known the crew on every ship to be exceptional but this time, it was as though NCL has really worked hard at perfecting crew/passenger customer service. They seem to be much more professional on how to relate to issues and questions, even at the front desk. Can't say the same for the senior officers in white. They will do whatever they have to in order to pretend you are not walking by them. Zero eye contact. No "hello." It's something I've seen on all ships, unfortunately. About the entertainment: Yay!! For the first time in many years, I didn't have to see the same same same shows. Finally, the performances were all new. All the shows were absolutely wonderful with the exception of one, my least favorite, the guy who sang by impersonating other singers. His regular voice was OK but his impersonations, not so much. Bermuda: Always wonderful and beautiful. Major work (still) going on at the cruise dock. Having ships there constantly has certainly done it's job of wearing it out. Not as pretty at night time, and I've always thought the view with the lights to be quite memorable. Sadly, it just might be too much to have ships docked there all the time. I went to my favorite local place for lunch, The Pickled Onion, and fortunately, found it to be completely renovated. (It needed it.) Food was fantastic and as always, they have the most incredible bartenders. Pricey, like anywhere in Bermuda, so be prepared to spend about 60 bucks for lunch with one drink. Cabin: I had an inside (which I actually prefer because I like my room to be dark dark dark when I sleep.) I also find that with Bermuda's very high humidity, balcony rooms get wet from the moist humid air. Air conditioning can only circulate air from that room. I know, because I've had balcony rooms and found this to be so every time. This time, though, my room was at the very front of the ship. I mean the last room up front, on the 10th floor. I have been on cruises with very rough water many times. I have never gotten sea sick. I have never had to take sea sickness pills. We had one night, coming back from Bermuda, where we had some pretty rough waves. Not more than what I've experienced, and I got incredibly sick when I was in my cabin. I could absolutely feel much more motion being at the front of the ship. I got out as quick as I could, and went to atrium(center of ship), 2 floors below. Within an hour, I felt fine. Avoid at all costs getting a cabin at the front. The Boston to Bermuda cruise usually has at least one night of rough seas. The Atlantic in that area has always had that issue. Getting on the ship was far quicker than getting off, but considering the fact that over 2000 people take this cruise, and in a matter of 2 hours people are getting on and off, they do a great job of organizing this. Lots of people helping you navigate where to go. No problem with being short staffed and needing help. I have recommended this cruise to many others and will continue to do so. Mostly, it's the NCL crew I remember whenever I take this trip. The food, entertainment and cost has issues for many who cruise. I have found that I enjoy some of the above more than others and would certainly like some improvements, but that is true for anything in life. What I cannot hope for is a crew who could be better. They are the exception when it comes to looking back on your cruise and highlighting what you enjoyed most. They have always made me feel special, well cared for, and truly spoiled. I have loved every minute of my cruise:) Read Less

This was our 2nd trip aboard the Escape, and our 8th cruise on NCL. We finally made it to Platinum!! YAY! In May, my husband and I decided that we needed to get away and we started looking up cruises. We like to leave from NY so we don't have to fly, and we have always had a wonderful time on Norwegian. It turned out that there were many offers going on and I think this was probably our best value to date! We love that we can get the drink and dining packages and then they were also offering wi-fi, and shore excursion and on-board credits. We made out quite well! Our positives outweigh our negatives, but the negatives are ones that we always experience and feel that they could definitely be improved with not too much effort. I'll start there... ~EMBARKATION--This is always a pressure point for us. The lines at the port in NYC are always ridiculous! There has to be a better way! We have tried arriving at many different times over the years, but it seems that there really is NO good time to arrive. It takes HOURS to get on the ship! ~DECK CHAIRS- THIS is always an issue. People put their towels on chairs and are never seen again! We Just wanted to sit in the sun for about 30 mins...60 TOPS...and we could not get a chair ANYwhere! We did see that they are starting to use round stickers with times on them so if the chair is still empty when the time is up, the crew will remove the items and open up the chairs for others to actually USE them. The problem was that it wasn't really being enforced too well, and also people would come back in an hour, remove the sticker and go away again. Again, there has to be a better way! Now the good stuff!... ~CABIN- We were in a Spa Mini suite on deck 15. Our cabin was wonderful, as always, and we really never have any complaints in this respect. We have enough room, love having a balcony, and the mini-suite has a great sized bathroom and shower. Only 1 small issue on this cruise, we were right below the main deck area and the chairs being set up in the morning (EARLY) was quite loud above our heads. ~DINING- We ate at Cagney's one night and Bayamo 2 nights. Both were excellent!! Fantastic food and great service. The other nights we ate in the Manhattan room and this was outstanding as well. The host remembered us from booking our dining options on day one and took excellent care of us when we arrived for dinner each night. This was a nice little touch that really made us feel special! ~ENTERTAINMENT- Since we were on the Escape last year we didn't go to the main shows. We LOVE to go to the comedy though. One comedian was awesome and the other...not so much. We did see The Choir of Man though, and that was fantastic!! Howl at the Moon is always a good time as well. ~SERVICE- Never a complaint about this!! The crew on NCL has never been anything short of phenomenal! They are always happy and friendly. It always amazes me that they remember our names!! I don't know how they do it! And if you go to a certain are more than once they usually remember what kind of drink you order! Amazing!! ~PORTS- We only docked in Bermuda. We love this itinerary. So nice to be in the same place for three days. We could never tire of visiting Bermuda! We did do a shore excursion this time. On the last day in port we did the shipwreck snorkel cruise. It was awesome! Our captain and his mate were wonderful and we really had a great, relaxing time. Lots of fun!! As I said, we LOVE NCL, and we LOVE Bermuda so I'm sure we will be back again soon! Hopefully when there is a different ship doing that route. We don't mind going on the same ship more than once, but it is also nice to explore new ones! Read Less

outstanding service, people literally bend over backwards to accommodate your every need . Pool area way too crowded (jersey shore) vibe. If that's what you are looking for great. Not for me with wife and kids. Water slide lines took too much time. Just too many people for the water accommodations . Really enjoyed the overall experience. I can't say enough about the food and the staff. The room was very nice, very much enjoyed the bathroom was not expecting it to be so nice (shower with jets great water pressure) double sink. Bed was very comfortable . Top notch all the way. The few specialty restaurants we took advantage of were exceptional. I would give this experience 8 out of 10. I had a friend who went on the same ship a few weeks before me, went with the haven option. I did not, think next time around that would be the way to go. Balcony was very enjoyable. Read Less

The food was absolutely delicious. Venus, Ralph, and Vincent couldn’t have been better or anymore attentive to our needs. Wonderful caring people. Five star. The boat was clean. There was always something to do from shopping, the casino, pools, shows, rope course, and have some drinks at the bar. This was my first experience with a cruise and after being a passenger on the Escape I don’t know if I’d want to do another if isn’t Norwegian. I had concerns with my step son being 8 and having a balcony for a room. The room was safe, the balcony door had a lock on the top and high railings outside. This eased my mind and my wife’s. The kids club was impressive in both how safe it was and how secure. It was a huge relief and better still, he had a lot of fun and wanted to go back. Read Less

We have cruised on Norwegian Breakaway two years ago, also out of NYC. The ship is almost exactly same layout and same size, but on Escape was much more people. It’s to crowd. We went on this cruise with 6 people. In our opinion, the pool aria is way to small for the size of the ship. We were not happy to get up early in the morning just to be able to save six seats together. About embarkation processes: We are PA residents and we are never experienced so many rude people. They were screaming, cutting of lines, pushing, and embarkation staff was NOT care at all. Regarding the ship staff: Extremely hard workers, it’s obvious. The shows were an outstanding, spectacular. Choir of man is an excellent performance. These guys are hugely talented. “After Midnight” show is also extremely good. The dancing, the singing, the band were amazing. Overall, we had a good experience on this cruse, but NOT grate. Bigger ship it is not always better. It just means more people on board. Read Less

very nice ship -- first time on Norwegian -- food great -- service great-- shows great-- I liked the crew singing in the cafe and restaurant--- getting on and off the ship -- no problems- liked the water slides- zip line -- nice spa area -- rooms service great- if I had any problems --guest service handled them with ease--- but I had very few issues-- liked the specialty restrauents ---- I sailed out of New Jersey before so I had no problem finding the port-- I did a jet ski tour and snorkel tour but I did not book through the ship -- it was captain kirks adventures -- yes I would book another cruise with Norwegian --- we saw 5 shows choir of man- two thumbs up- after midnight -- a magic show- duding pianos also small acts in some of the smaller clubs- always something to do - if you were board cruising is not for you Read Less

We just returned from 7 day trip to Bermuda with NCL Escape and I've come to the conclusion that cruises are not what they used to be anymore. Stay at the Haven was fantastic - great service, hospitality and amenity. However, the rest of the ship and what it offered was just average, nothing unique or spectacular. The Haven review - Staying in The Haven was worth every penny, just to be able to avoid the layers and layers of people at the main pool deck on sea days. We appreciated the constantly high level of attentive, friendly and professional service from the entire staff on the Haven (room steward, concierge, Haven restaurant staff, and other service staff). - Embarkation/Disembarkation was very smooth, having an ability to use Haven only priority lane as well as the Haven only elevators. But don't expect any welcome cocktail anymore (at least not at New York terminal). - We spent a lot of time on the Haven pool area. Because of the time of the year, there were many families with small children, but they were all relatively well behaved. There is also an adult only part of the Haven on sundeck, including hottub, if you want to get away from kids. That said, Haven pool area was never crowded or loud and we were always able to find a lounger or place to sit and relax. - We ate a lot at THE Haven restaurant. Food was very good with varieties of stuff on menu so we never got tired of eating there. I say the quality was equal or better than the high end specialty restaurants. The service was a bit slow but that's expected on cruise ship restaurant - you slow down your pace and get to enjoy your meal and family time for a change! Cabin (H5 on port side) Rooms are significantly small, compared to those on older ships, which is the downside of these newer ships. It's much smaller than family suite on Dawn, for example. It is enough for 2 adults and 1 kid but if you wanted to dine in your room, a table is not big enough (it's cocktail table). A deck is small, enough only for 2 chars and a small table. But since we were so close to the Haven lounge/pool/sundeck, it was fine. If you carry a lot of clothes, there may not be enough closet space though. One tip of advice - if you are going to Bermuda, a port side will face the island but there is a beach party some nights, which is pretty loud and goes to wee hours so if noise is an issue, you may want to consider the location. However, you get to see a beautiful sunset from your balcony. Rest of the Ship - Main pool area is small and compact (and crowded as expected) - Kids pool area is right next to the main pool, which is good and bad - adults can go get drinks and other things easily, but it feels really cramped. - H2O area is nice and it is open to all ages after 6pm. We enjoyed the outdoor movie night and dance party thereafter. - I thought indoor entertainment amenities were lacking. There are 2 lanes of duck pin bowling and arcade games - that's pretty much it. I wish they offer more music and other fun activities indoors during a daytime. I personally think RCI offers better fun amenities. - We ate at Cagneys, Teppanyaki and Cucina and I thought food qualities were much better than other NCL ships. I was pleasantly surprised by the teppanyaki filet. - Main entertainment was pretty good. We enjoyed magician and Choir of Man. However, the rest of the entertainment/activities throughout a day were very disappointing. Many were clearly designed to sell you stuff, which really turned us off. - Jogging track is a joke and seemed like it was completely afterthought. RCI, for example, has jogging track secluded from the main deck. This one cuts through the bars and busy access area to the pool areas so it's only open till 9am and after 6pm, which is fine as I usually run early in the morning, but the worst part was it was only 0.2KM in length! After about 5 laps, I lost track. For a ship this size, I expected much bigger and better jogging track. Also, it is right beside the smoking area so you get to enjoy second hand smoking as you run. Ports - We love Bermuda and this is our 4th trip there. We independently booked the access to Elbow Beach Resort. Since it was a private beach, it was not crowded and beach was great. However, wave was pretty rough (not sure if it was particular for that day or is usually like that) so was not ideal for families with small children. Also, food/drinks were so overpriced (2 regular beer on tap and 1 OJ = $35), we ended up not eating there. - Glass bottom tour was nice - our captain was very knowledgeable and we learned a lot about Bermuda, its marine life, architecture and history. It was packed but we all were able to see the glass bottom. - Snorkel beach is very tiny and is not nearly as nice as other beautiful beaches Bermuda offers but it's convenient. I hear it gets pretty packed on the last day so recommend going there the first day. Kids This was the second cruise on our 4 year old and she enjoyed it. It was nice that there were many families with kids in the Haven level. She did not want to go to Splash Academy until the last day - and when she finally did, she really enjoyed it. Hopefully she will go more the next time! Kids pool area looked fun but again, it was very crowded so she spent most of her time in the Haven pool area with us. I wish there were more kids friendly amenities indoor. Final thoughts Although experience at the Haven was very nice, I am not sure if it was worth the money we paid. We've been to all-inclusive beach resort with personal butler/chef/nanny included for the similar price. Although we will definitely go cruising again (what can I say, we love cruise), I think it is time to try different brand. NCL has become a bit too formulaic, and does not offer that special feeling you get on the cruise trip anymore. Read Less

We chose this cruise because we always wanted to visit Bermuda. My wife had just completed another Norwegian cruise on the "Sky" to Cuba. The Norwegian Escape is a much larger ship. Too many passengers for the ships facilities - specifically the pool area(s) and the buffet area and the outdoor bars. I do NOT recommend this cruise or cruise line! The ship had over 4200 passengers and the pool could only hold maybe 50! Add to that, there were signs posted around the pool area ADULTS ONLY. These were routinely ignored by "parents" who let their little ones fill up the two (count them, two) hot tubs. The food , especially at the "Upscale" restaurants was mediocre at best. All side dishes were served cold in temperature. The dining service was terrible. Long long waits (in excess of 20 minutes) between courses. Beyond that there were tons of OUT OF CONTROL kids and teenagers. No cruise personnel did a single thing to correct these problems. I will NEVER cruise on a "Mega Ship" again, especially Norwegian cruise line which has evidently become the "Carnival" of cruise lines. Read Less

This cruise was organized by the friends with whom we traveled. They have many years more cruise experience than my wife and I, and we were not disappointed at all. From the choice of cabin level, to the incredible service, to the varied options and outstanding quality of the food choices (not to mention the beauty of our destination - Bermuda), the week was an absolute pleasure! From our room steward (Omar), to the dining room wait staff, to each and every service person on board the ship (including, but not limited to, the cruise director, the captain himself, and the entertainers), the level of sincere concern for our safety, comfort, and pleasure was unparalleled. The embarkation and disembarkation processes were completely painless. We were onboard within minutes, and we were in our car in the parking garage at Bayonne within minutes, as well. We did not partake in any of the excursions offered by the ship, choosing, instead, to go by minibus to Horseshoe Bay beach. It was, in my opinion, the best way to get to the beach for two reasons: it was affordable ($7 per person, each way), and it dropped you right at the entrance of Horseshoe Bay Beach. A private taxi would have dropped you there, as well, but the fare was around $40 each way. A public transportation bus would have been less expensive than the minibus, but it drops you at the top of the hill heading to the beach. The climb up a fairly long, steep hill (especially after a few hours in the hot sun) looked pretty exhausting. There are also several packages that offer discounts on public transportation, which we chose to bypass since our goal was simply to get to the beach. We loved Horseshoe Bay so much, we decided to go back a second time two days later. We happened to be in Bermuda during their two day Emancipation National Holiday, during which almost the entire island shuts down. We stayed on board the ship during day two in Bermuda (which was day one of the holiday). I would highly recommend taking the public ferry from King's Wharf (where the ship docks) to either Hamilton or St. George (or both). It is such a pleasurable ride, offering some unique views of the island, as well as King's Wharf. The ferry is normally $4.50 per person each way. It was $5 the day we went, due to "holiday pricing." The food on board the ship did not disappoint. From the hamburgers and hot dogs by the pool, to the vast variety of quality buffet choices for breakfast, lunch, dinner, dessert, and late night snacking (not to mention the ice cream, froyo, and gelato choices), to the excellent choices in the main dining room, there was no lack of fine quality cuisine from beginning to end. And, I have never seen a staff do more cleaning than the buffet staff. Simply outstanding. Our nightly wait staff in the main dining room of Douglas (waiter), Komang (bus boy), and Yesh (sommelier) were the best! The entertainment was also top notch. The theater was comfortable, and easy to get in and out of both prior to and after each performance, with a very attentive bar wait staff. The comedians and singers were outstanding. My only slight criticism would be the cabaret performances presented. They were just a slight notch below the level of the other performers, except for the aerialists, and the male and female acrobatic dancers, both of whom were incredible. The Summit is a bit of a smaller ship. The two pools (the main pool varies in depth from 5 ft 6 inches deep to 6 ft 2 inches deep, and the smaller pool has a uniform 4 ft depth) on board the ship don't have any of the amenities of some larger ships (e.g. - no slides or tubes, etc). There are a couple of hot tubs. There is an area on board (near the spa and fitness center) called The Solarium which is a glass enclosed pool area that has in-pool lounge areas with water jet massages, as well as some in pool shower type massage areas. The Solarium Spa Cafe also offers some healthier food choices and smoothies. There are no shortages of lounge chairs throughout the ship, as well as areas to escape the hustle and bustle of the main pool area. A great amenity is an outdoor area at the rear of the ship on deck 12 called the Rooftop Terrace which contains a series of couches and comfy lounge areas with a large screen for viewing movies and such throughout the day. A great area, again, to escape. I would definitely make this same trip again, in a heartbeat, and highly recommend it to anyone looking for a great overall cruise experience. Read Less

Our first cruise on the Anthem!! This is our biggest ship we have been on and absolutely loved it! The style and decor is so wonderful! The pools are beautiful and the solarium so pretty! We had an ocean view balcony on deck 8 but would recommend higher as the life boats were just below. The stateroom has so much storage and modern decor. We loved wonderland but missed the grand feel of the main dining room with the smaller dining areas. The food was excellent in the windjammer- better than previous ships. We were only disappointed with Jamie Oliver’s dining and that we never met our stateroom attendant ! In the past they always come and introduce themselves. We loved the overnight stay in Bermuda and would definitely return there! Embarkation and debarkation were a breeze! Cruising out of the Cape Liberty port gave us a great extended trip in NYC! Read Less

My daughter and I had cruised Anthem 2 yrs ago on the 4 night to Bermuda and while there were some issues on the cruise, we decided to try the 5 night to Bermuda. Overall, I was very happy with the cruise. Room- We again had a room with the large balcony at a good location near the elevators. The room was spotless and our steward, Carlton was very nice and provided me with extra towels when I asked for them. The issue with the horrible beds continued, though we did ask for and get toppers for them. For the first time though in a while on RCCl we had very loud and obnoxious neighbors blasting music . Key program -We had The Key program- I was not sure how it would work out, but in the end the benefits we used were great and I would do this again. We got there at 11 so missed the early embarkation but the Key had a designated check in anyhow. We had lunch when we boarded in one of the dining rooms from the Chops menu. We left a carry on near the dining room when we boarded. During the cruise we got a fruit plate. We did not use the priority time for Bermuda. We were able to book North Star through the Key, though in the end cancelled but could have used Stand By. (It had not been available on the Cruise Planner). We got a discount at Izumi. We did not see any shows this time. Best was the departure. We had breakfast and getting off the ship was super easy, as the Key employee guided us off, through the pier , to the luggage and got us into a fast customs line. I would definitely do The Key again. Internet and Drink Package- I booked the Deluxe package with internet before I realized I had booked the Key months earlier ( forgetful sometimes....) and because I did not want to cancel and rebook, we ended up with 4 internet packages. This actually worked out well as I could use my phone and computer at same time, and daughter her iPad and phone. No, I would not do that again, but it worked well this time. The drink package is totally worth it. Food- there were some issues here but they related to booking only. I had booked the Chefs Table and 3 night dining package through the Cruise Planner. We generally only eat in specialty restaurants and before I always booked pre cruise, but decided to save money this time. I did not really like running around on the first day to get the restaurants booked. We went to a gentleman in Chops first to check on the 3 nights, and the first night he claimed we were in Jamie's at 9.30 when I had booked for 8 pm times but we switched it to Wonderland and then Jamies and Chops at the end of the week. However, when I checked several times before the second to last night when we had Jamie's, and even that day the reservation was either lost or at a wrong time. I will say that the food in all the restaurants we ate in was excellent. In fact, Wonderland, which had been disappointing 2 yrs ago, and on the Symphony in Nov., was fantastic and we ended up eating there the last night again instead of Chops. Our server , Gabino, was great. We had him as our server both nights. Instead of eating in Hamilton on the night in Bermuda, my daughter ate in Izumi and I joined her for a salad as I dislike sushi. Our server, Jofel, was also super. When I said I wanted a burger he went downstairs to the pub and ordered one for me and brought it back to me. He also brought my daughter back from that deck the special pineapple drink. I got room service in the morning as I like to drink coffee on the balcony. It came promptly each morning. We also ordered from the room service menu at the pool as we booked the sunbeds, and I thought the Greek salad was very good as well. Chefs Table was exceptional and food allergies and preferences were easily accommodated. Shows- we did not see any this cruise. Last cruise we walked out on Spectra's Cabaret as we both thought it awful. Bars- on this cruise, Boleros was definitely the best . The bartenders were friendly and helpful. I enjoyed the music at night also. Schooner Bar had one of the rudest bartenders. Pool- I splurged and we enjoyed the sun beds outside the North Star Bar area on the sea days.I had seen them 2 yrs prior and knew to book them as soon as I got on the ship. For us, this was the best deal on the ship. Though expensive, we had great service throughout the day from Abraham, bottles of water, a bottle of champagne ( which I took home), and lunch from the Room Service menu. The pool was jammed on sea days and the chair hogs were out. We were told that some people were out at 4.30 am putting towels on chairs. For the first time, though, we did see a pool worker confiscate towels and put peoples' possession in plastic bags after a long period of time had gone by, but that was only on the first sea day. Bermuda- we were not overwhelmed. The island is very expensive and because I knew transportation by taxi can be costly, and difficult from some areas, we had made plans to be in Hamilton one day and possibly a beach the second. We ferried over to Hamilton but were underwhelmed . My daughter had hoped to buy a pair of sandals at the specialty sandal shop where they are hand made for you while you wait. However, the clerk was very unfriendly and dismissive. We decided to go back to the ship and went to Snorkel Park. That too was expensive for 2 chairs and an umbrella ($40). Beach was tiny and dirty. When we left we went shopping in the Clocktower and had lunch at Frog and Onion which was expensive. The second day we did the ship excursion to Clearwater Beach which involves an hour ride to St George and back. The tour was ok, but not worth the cost. I was not impressed by the beach. The host for the beach, though, was very nice. Parking- drop off of bags and parking was not difficult. The crowd is predominately from the tri state area- NY, NJ Pa , and surrounding states. That said, some were very rude, some teens were horrible, some people cut in front of you , some just very unfriendly, ( ie. at Chefs Table where in the past we found people were usually friendly, one group of 6 moved their chairs so they could all sit at one end, and never spoke to the other 6 of us), but overall we just dealt with it and in fact, booked another cruise over the holidays. Read Less

Our 1st cruise and we are NCL cruisers for life! We have already booked our 2nd cruise, a transatlantic. We can't say enough about how smoothly this vacation went. From getting on board and fine dining, followed by great entertainment, this is the way to travel! Norwegian put the "Pro" in professional, the ship was immaculate from morning to night, and you hardly noticed the work it took to keep it that way. Our stateroom was attended to at least twice daily, and our steward was a joy. The entire staff made us feel special! After our transatlantic, we will cruise around Japan on a Norwegian ship as soon as possible. I'm a retired career Merchant Marine; these ships ride smooth and are meticulously maintained. We feel safe aboard Norwegian. NCL is a top-notch company! So what are you waiting for? Put some money down on your dream vacation and leave the rest to Norwegian! Read Less

Norwegian Gem is a beautiful ship. The itinerary was amazing. The crew exceeded our wants. Patrick or Kevin Street always made sure our mini suite was impeccable and took very good care of us. Nikola Vojovic, Gary Gatoula and Mer Yaday are some of the bartenders throughout the ship but they stood out in our eyes with a great smile and excellent service I definitely go to them anytime I wanted a drink. Just make sure you give them a fist bump whenever they serve you, inside joke . Katherine Montro had the spray sanitizer bottle outside the buffet. She was always there asking how we’re doing and had good conversations with her. Made us feel part of a family. Washy washy, happy happy, clean clean. Reema Chettari and Marie Tenorio gave us a deep tissue couples massage that was totally exhilarating and made us feel like $1 million (we wanted to take them home wit us) Auinash Yaday at Carney’s steak house overheard a conversation about something we live at the Brazilian grill’s that we have at home for dessert and actually brought a couple slices of the roasted pineapple from the Grill next door and just made our meal that much more enjoyable. There are so many more noteworthy crew members that I can’t possibly go on without writing a book but everyone was appreciated and made our honeymoon incredible!!!! The only down side of the cruise was the food in the main dining rooms were lack luster. The service was excellent but it made me feel that ncl is trying to push you to the specialty dining with the lack of “wow” in the dining rooms. Read Less

My husband and I love to cruise and decided to go on the Gem from Boston to Bermuda. I booked a balcony room but at the last minute saw there was a forward facing penthouse suite available so I called and changed the reservation to the suite. We got to the pier at around 10:30 and were in the Haven/Suite waiting area by 10: 45. Anoop, our amazing concierge met us there and gave us our card keys and all the information we needed. We were escorted onto the ship at 11:15 and brought to Cagney's for our first lunch onboard. After lunch we decided to see if our room was ready even though they hadn't made any announcements about that yet. We were pleased that it was ready and waiting for us. We have had aft penthouse suites in the past which we have enjoyed but when we get suites on this class of ship, it will be forward facing from now on! The room is pretty much the same as the aft suite but the balcony is at least three or four times the size. There were two lounge chairs, two regular chairs and two small tables with plenty of room to walk around. We spent many hours on our balcony. While we were sailing, it was windy but if you sit on the loungers/chairs, it's really not bad at all. When we were docked, it was perfect! Our room stewardess was Helen and she was probably the best we have ever had! She took care of everything we needed and then some. She always had a smile and called us by name each time. She was so friendly and kind. We looked forward to seeing her in the hallway so we could chat. Our butler was Joaquin but we only saw him a couple of times. We didn't ask him to deliver any meals or anything like that but he brought our snacks every day. I was a little disappointed that we didn't get to know him better. We got all the perks - beverage package, dining package, excursion credit, and 250 minutes wifi. We are platinum so we also got two more specialty dinners. For dinners we ate at Cagney's twice, Teppanyaki, LeBistro, and LaCuccina. All meals were good but our tenderloin from LeBistro was the best steak we've ever eaten! I highly recommend LeBistro. Because we were in a suite, we got to have breakfast every morning in Moderno. It was quiet and the servers were very good. My husband's favorite breakfast there was steak (filet mignon) and eggs. My favorite was eggs benedict. Every morning while we were having breakfast, Anoop, our concierge stopped to see us and make sure we didn't need anything. Any questions we had, he answered for us and took care of a few minor issues with charges right away. The assistant maitre'd, I Made also visited us every morning. We enjoyed talking to him about his country and how things are run on the ship. He saw us when we were at LeBistro and came right over to us to say hi and make sure everything was ok. We had lunch at O'Sheehan's one day which was ok. We walked through the Garden Cafe a few times and saw they had a great variety of choices. The burgers there were pretty good! We didn't go to any of the shows because we've seen them all a few times. We spent a good amount of time at the Great Outdoors which is at the back of the Garden Cafe. It was a really nice place to sit and have a snack and a drink. There are tables in the shade and sun. They also have a buffet that has snacks, salads, fruit, sandwiches, and desserts. There is also a bar there with really good bartenders! We had priority disembarkation when we got to Bermuda. We met Anoop at Maltings along with the other people that had priority and he escorted us off the ship so we could skip the very long line of people waiting to get off. In Bermuda, we did the Rising Sun Catamaran Swim and Snorkel excursion. They met us right at the pier and we walked a short way to the catamaran. It was a three hour excursion that seemed more like a half hour. The crew were great. They were funny and entertaining telling us about Bermuda. They took us to a cove where we could swim, snorkel (with their equipment if we didn't have our own), paddle board, or kayak. The place we went this day had caves you could explore and there were a lot of fish to look at while snorkeling. They have Rum Swizzles that you can buy until the last hour when you are on the way back to the ship and they are free. They are the best Rum Swizzles too! We had a great time and I would go on this excursion every time we were in Bermuda! We also went to Horseshoe Bay. We took a mini-van in the parking lot between the two piers. It's $7 per person each way. They take you right to the entrance of Horseshoe Bay. When you are leaving (no set time), there will be another minivan there waiting or one will be there shortly. Horseshoe Bay is absolutely beautiful with its pink sand and little coves to walk to. The last day we were in Bermuda we walked around the Dockyard and did some souvenir shopping. It was pretty hot and very humid so we got back on the ship early. We were glad we did because we were able to get chairs right by the pool! That is something that in nine cruises, we have never been able to do. People "save" chairs by putting towels or other things on the chairs. Unfortunately, some of those people leave the towels there all day and only go to the pool for an hour or so. There are two pools, one adult only pool and one for everyone that has a lifeguard. There is also a big water slide that the kids love. For us, the wifi was only ok. We tried to FaceTime with our grandchildren twice and had issues both times. I checked my email and messages a few times and the server was very slow. It would take about a minute and a half for my emails to load. I also couldn't send any pictures to my sons or receive any from them. If I didn't get the free wifi, I wouldn't pay for it. Maybe it's better if you get the unlimited though. There were many people, especially teens on their devices all the time. We decided to get the Cruise Next deal where you pay for two Cruise Next certificates ($250 each) and get four. You can use two at a time on future cruises that are taken within four years. We tend to cruise once a year so that's a good deal for us. The only issue we had was at the shore excursion desk. My husband and I walked over to the desk and before we could say a word, the guy put up his hand and said, "Wait a minute, I need to do something" in a very nasty tone. We waited a couple of minutes and were finally able to ask our question. When he looked us up and saw we were platinum cruisers, his tone changed completely. It shouldn't matter what level you are at, everyone should be treated kindly. Overall, we had a wonderful time. I can't say enough about the crew and the service we received. I would highly recommend the Gem to Bermuda. Read Less

Background: I "won" a "free cruise" after gambling at a casino near my hometown. I was hesitant at the idea that it was "free", but after researching the offer, I decided to take a gamble (pun intended) on this "free cruise" to see how free it really was. It was basically me paying the taxes and port charges only, with an option to bid to upgrade from inner to ocean view and/or balcony. I had attempted to put in a bid for a balcony, but my bid wasn't accepted, and the sailing was full. (No complaints about the room quality I ended up receiving.) I wrote a very lengthy review of the Cabin below, so here I will list off the other items that I feel are important for people to know. Ship: It is well-maintained and clean. The decor was fine. It was on par with other cruise lines and I had no complaints about the level of quality with the ship itself. It had as nice of decor as Royal, Princess and Disney. No issues here. Cabin: See below for lengthy description and list of annoyances / lack of privacy. Dining: This was the most sub-par dining experience I have ever had while cruising. The food quality on the Gem was embarrassing. The only 2 photos I am attaching have to deal with the dining. First off, let me say, I found it hilarious how they listed meals as "complimentary" with many of the high end restaurants requiring a $39 charge per person along with a forced 20% gratuity. I can not comment on any of those, as I downright refused to pay extra for restaurants that I could experience at home. There is also no free room service on this cruise line, except for a very meager continental breakfast. If you wanted any other room service, there would be a $7.95 service "convenience" charge. Ridiculous. A can of soda from the refrigerator was $3.95. I bought one. I admit, after days of non-carbonation, I found myself desperate for a Sierra Mist... The only "free" 24x7 dining is the "Irish pub" O'Sheehans, which offered typical pub-like food. We went there once, and laughed at the godawful chicken wings they were serving. I would have swore the wings were made like 2-3 days previously, tossed with whatever sauce you ordered and re-heated. My son got the "Buffalo" wings and they were so red as if they were dyed, that they actually dyed his fingers bright red. There are 3 dining rooms, and only one, the Grand Pacific, is considered a "dress-up" which isn't even "dressing up" as it just doesn't allow shorts, as the others do. The first night was the best night, and after eating the first night, I had some high hopes for the meals, but they only went downhill. As this is a freestyle cruise line, which many people will hail as awesome, since you don't have to dress up, you don't have a set reserved dining time, etc... I personally found it made things LESS enjoyable. You didn't have the same guaranteed server, didn't build any rapport or closeness with dining staff... and while I am an introvert, I still enjoy feeling like I get to know my servers, and with this freestyle mode, I definitely didn't feel like that happened. I can tell you also that if you are not a person that is going to order from the bar, you can forget receiving "exceptional service" in regards to your choice of beverages and getting bread served, etc. My son and I had a difficult time getting any lemonade or iced tea. We were lucky to have our water glasses filled in any decent time. We were laughing because around the 4th night of dinner, when we were dining towards the end of the evening, we literally were given only brown bread and water (when on all other nights, we had a variety of bread choices of 2-3-4 types of bread offerings) - We didn't have any "chef's recommendations" and the staff seemed more rushed and understaffed, ready to get us in and out as fast as possible. We went to the "fancy dining room" just today for lunch. It had a nice view, overlooking the back of the ship. We were handed the menus, but had the typical hurried experience of taking our entire order, including dessert. The peanut butter cup cheesecake was overall a disgrace. They make the plating look nice, but then you bite into it and wonder how long it was in the freezer before it was quick thawed and served to us. It was not at all creamy and I was hard-pressed to find any peanut butter cup taste to it. Service: I am well aware that cruise ship employees come from fairly impoverished nations and are looking to make a better life for themselves, as well as providing for their family, but you can see their unhappiness through the forced smiles and furrowed brows. While the whole "washy-washy" sing-song of the woman spraying our hands every time we entered the buffet area soon became humorous and meme-like, reading in the daily guide that they don't recommend handshaking because it spreads illness... I was like, okay, enough of the dirty-tourist shaming. Not all of go to the bathroom to relieve ourselves without washing our hands afterwards. I get it, noro-virus is real.. But, again, it actually became insulting to me. WiFi: This is my biggest complaint, and one I plan on fighting with the cruise line itself to get my money back. I spent over $350 for my son and I to have unlimited WiFi on 1 device each for the week-long cruise. Now, this may seem like a ridiculous fee to many of you, but I back my choice up with we enjoy what we enjoy, and we enjoy having access to email, news, YouTube, games, etc. My first cruise was in 1996, and let me tell you, after using the "Internet Cafe" back in 1996, the speed we had for this WiFi was NO BETTER than it was back in 1996. Dial-up speed at its finest. I am well aware we are OUT IN THE MIDDLE OF THE OCEAN. I get that. I get that WiFi may be sporadic. We paid for the HIGHEST LEVEL QUALITY of WiFi and we could barely do anything we wanted to do. We would be disconnected in the middle of reading news or email, games would be reset, videos wouldn't load. I paid the amount of 5 MONTHS of Cable Internet for ONE WEEK of WiFi on a cruise line, and so I'm going to say again, I expect for the cost of FIVE MONTHS of cable internet, we should have a RELIABLE connection. Otherwise, cut the cost in half. Would I Go Again: I love to cruise. I have done quite a few cruises. Would I ever sail with Norwegian again? NO WAY. Too many kids running up and down the hallways un-escorted. Too many younger children WAILING. Now this is not something Norwegian itself can fix, or can they? I mean, I guess it's time for me to look at more adults-only cruises. Way too many people trying to do a bunch of nothing on the 4 days at sea. Being docked over night for 2 nights while in Bermuda was kind of a new experience for me, and those days/nights it did seem a lot less crowded as people were off doing excursions, but yeah, too many loud and sheep-like tourists not at all realizing how annoying they and their kids were being. Read Less

We cruised 7/21 out of NYC to Bermuda. I was a little hesitant after reading the negative reviews by some about the number of people on the ship. After the first day, I knew crowds were not going to be much of a problem. Full review below: Embarkation - Easy. We arrived at the pier at 10:30, and we were on the ship at 11:30. Ship - Beautiful and clean. Even though there are a lot of people on this ship, we could always find a quiet place to sit and relax in the sun, or in the shade (Deck 8) Cabin - We had two inside cabins across from each other. It's a cruise ship cabin. It was small, clean, and served our needs. Dining - We always ate in one of the three main dining rooms for dinner. We did not eat at any specialty restaurants. We had reservations, but sometimes we wanted to switch dining rooms, or eat a little earlier. So we did not always use our reservation. We are a party of 5, and we had no problem walking in without a reservation around 5:30. I thought the food was excellent. My wife thought it was very good. She wished they had more seafood selections on the menu. The buffet had a seafood night for dinner, and she wished she checked it out. The service was very good. Some of the wait staff were very personable, and asked about our day. Others, just served us food. But everyone was extremely nice.The desserts were great. We ate at the Garden Buffet everyday for breakfast and lunch. They had a wide selection of food. It was all very good. Entertainment and Activities: We booked After Midnight prior to cruising, and we booked The Choir of Man as soon as we got on the ship. The music in After Midnight wasn't my type of music, but the show was excellent. Definitely worth it. The Choir of Man was awesome. Again definitely worth it. We saw Howl at the Moon Dueling Pianos on three different nights. They were great. My boys and I went on to the ropes course any time we wanted. We waited in line one time, but only for 5 minutes. Make sure you walk the plank!! Half of the course was usually closed due to high winds. The tube water slide usually had a line. Service: Fabulous. Our cabin steward always asked how my day was going, he opened the door for me whenever we were in the same hallway, and upon my request, he made towel animals every night for the kids. All other staff were great as well. Extremely friendly, and personable. Earlier reviews had mentioned long waits at the bars, chair hogs, and not enough seating in the Atrium for shows. I agree that some bars were crowded, especially by the pool. I just walked to another (usually the complimentary side of Vibe) and I had no problem ordering drinks. To deal with the chair hogs, stickers were placed on chairs with the time a towel and belongings were placed on it. If the chair was not sat in during that hour, a worker removed the towel and the belongings of the person who had the chair. I thought that was great. My wife and I always got a chair where she wanted on the 17th floor, one deck above the pool overlooking the ocean. Regarding the Atrium, if many people were standing watching a show, workers would bring additional chairs for people to sit in. I always had a seat available, if I wanted to sit. But, I did not go to many shows there. Disembarkation: Organized. But it was the only aspect of the cruise that I was disappointed in. Everyone had to have a colored tag with a time frame to leave the ship. Even though only the first color was called over the intercom, workers let anyone with the first three colors (with a time given) off the ship. This made the line extremely long. However, it did move quickly. Overall: A fantastic cruise. I highly recommend NCL and the Norwegian Escape. As long as you plan accordingly, the number of people are not an issue with the exception of the pools. If you want to swim, it needs to be done early in the morning or late in the day. During peak sun hours, the pool is too crowded. But in my experience, pools on cruise ships are always overcrowded. Read Less

Well I was a bit skeptical going in......Some of the past reviews I have read about the Escape were somewhat mixed. Large ship, lots of people, bad service?? I was concerned let's be honest. But it was just so wonderful, where do I begin. We haven't cruised in 30 years. This was our 30th anniversary celebration. This ship is just beautiful. The service was first class. Food very good. Shows were amazing. Yes, some areas crowded up, but it was never a big issue. So much to do so everyone was scattered about. We will definitely go Norwegian again. I also loved the designated quiet areas on the ship The Waterfront on deck 8 was very relaxing when you wanted quiet time. Something for everyone on this cruise. One thing I can suggest, if any: maybe another pool area for cause one pool for adults only? Could have been a bit larger. But still it was no big issue for us. Maybe some get togethers for couples of two - just a suggestion. All in all, a perfect cruise to Bermuda. Read Less

We stayed in the Haven area, and I will tell you this, once you go Haven there is no turning back. We had the best butler, Roland, the best cabin assistant Jennifer, and Adrian and his staff were outstanding. Our every wish was taken care of sometimes without even realizing we had a wish. The Haven restaurant impeccable. The wait staff was so attentive breakfast, lunch and dinner. Must have..Rack of Lamb! Oh! And the bartender in the Haven area makes a mean Bloody Mary. Don’t miss Cagneys, LaCucina, or Moderno. You can’t make a bad choice. The staff and crew from boarding the ship to disembarking were attentive, pleasant, and just SPECTACULAR. Don’t miss The Choir oh Men...The best show. Our trip was so great my sister is booking her trip for September. thank you NCL. For reviving me ✌️ Read Less

The boat was overcrowded and not enough staff to attend to everyone. Since gratuities were suppose to be paid all upfront they did not have to work hard to get people there food or drinks, I waited 20-30 min for drinks and at dinner took 2hrs. at least. But then once you are on the boat they hit you with a 15$per person per day charge for someone to make up your room. If you want decent food you have to go to the specialty restaurant and pay for it. The adult pool was so small and way overcrowded. They had another adult pool but it had limited spots and fee was 210 per person for the week. The Spa was a nice facility. So one would think that after you pay for an overpriced massage you can use the rest of the amenities there but No that's an extra fee too. So be wary when you think you have an all inclusive they are so many hidden fees. Also the shows sucked, Royal Caribbean is such a better cruise line. Read Less

This was our 3rd trip on Summit. Other two in Carb. (with Capt. Kate). This was first trip after refit. Ship looks great! Weather was fine the whole week. Had worries about driving up from VA but trips up and back went fairly smoothly. We had a room with an joining door. That door let a lot of noise pass through. Trip to concierge desk fixed that problem. Crew came in and taped around door. Problem fixed. Sounds like this is a common complaint as crewman had done the fix before. Ship's crew very visible and easy to talk with. Saw the captain walking around ship many times. Our 3rd trip to Bermuda and will probably go again in a couple of years. We don't rent the mopeds anymore but public transportation is fun and inexpensive. The ferrys are crowded but get you around quickly. This time we went to Hamilton on Wed. for their block party. Only went to one onboard show. It included the airolist couple which by themselves make it worth staying up late to see. Because of the higher cost, we usually don’t book excursions through the ship. We did a snorkeling trip on the “pink boat” and had a great time. Read Less