MaineYachtClub

Yes, we did go through the old locks and I'm presuming you will too. It is my understanding from listening to the person from the Panama Canal Authority who came onboard during our transit that most cruise ships will continue to use the old locks. The newer, larger ships that cannot fit into the old locks will of course use the new ones and there will be some exceptions of smaller ships going through the new locks but that is not going to be the norm.

 

And going through the old locks is more appealing visually IMO as you have the second parallel lane to watch other ships who may be going through at the same time you do. There is also very little clearance on either side of the ship (we had no more than 2 feet of clearance on either side of the ship - if a smaller ship is going through the new locks there would be a much greater gap of clearance on the sides). And I don't think the new locks have the mules either, I believe that feature is unique to the old locks. So there is definitely more to see going through the old locks. I have not been through the new locks yet. Someday. But for my very first transit I was glad to go through the old locks.

 

Make sure to watch the movie onboard the Sun in the theater a day or two before the transit. Gives really good history of the canal. Enjoy your cruise!

Thank you for the confirmation. My understanding is that the new locks are much more expensive for the transit. So, I expect that unless something unusual happens, the Sun will use the old locks, which is my preference.

Really enjoyed the review--thank you.

DW and I are booked on the Sun for the Panama Canal cruise in Oct 2018 and I have a question. Your review looks like the transit was through the old locks, which is what I really want to do, but according to the Panamax dimensions, the locks will not accommodate a ship with a beam larger than 106 feet. The NCL site lists the Sun at 123.1. Please confirm to me that the cruise will be through the old locks.

Thanks.

It had to be on the S/S Norway so many years ago. She was a grand old lady.

I was on the same cruise and I completely concur. We had a fabulous time! The food was great and the staff were even better. If I have any negatives from our cruise, they are my fault and not that of NCL. ☺

 

sctexan, did you have Vibe passes?

 

--Kevin

Is this something new? I wasn't aware that the Specialty Dining Package had any such requirement, or are you saying that it was your preference that you definitely wanted to dine at La Cucina?

We received the 3 meal SDP from NCL, then our travel agent threw in dinner and a bottle of wine at La Cuchina. I probably should have been a little clearer on that point.

First, something about us. Self, 63 and DW, 64 are an active, professional couple nearing retirement. We enjoy each other's company, meeting new people, seeing/trying new things and getting away. We like good food and good drink, though have fairly simple tastes. We prefer discovering natural or historic sites on our own to planned tours. That said, here we go on my first attempt at a review.

Rather than a minute-by-minute diary of our week on the Escape, I'm going to review more by categories and throw in some impressions along the way.

Embarkation

Without going into the whole story, we were at the Port of Miami in plenty of time to be at the very head of the line for embarkation. Watching all of the activity as a port "comes to life" to prepare for a cruise ship turn-around is really very fascinating. The security folks were very friendly and as soon as they could, they let us inside to wait in the air-conditioned lobby.

First Impression - not unlike any other TSA waiting room that I've ever been in. Glad we had a puzzle to keep us busy.

They started allowing people through security at 9:30. No need to remove your shoes and belt. Even small change was okay to keep in your pocket. The only hold-up was some meds in the bottom of my backpack that they could not identify on the x-ray. Next stop was NCL check-in.

First Impression - nice, big, airy, open room. The people corrals had not been set up yet and there were about 10 check-in positions open. Nice!

We had been given the health form while waiting for security, so we just needed a couple of quick pictures, a credit card signature and in what was a very short time, we were on our way to the waiting area where we scored boarding group 2, which is actually the first boarding group in Terminal C. Just as an aside, our cruise incentive package included $200 OBC which we had decided to use to get Vibe passes. From reading CC we knew that once boarding started for The Haven and for the special/wedding groups, we should move forward to the general boarding gate. We did and were some of the first "regular" passengers to board.

First Impression - the walk up the ramp and seeing the hugeness of the Escape and the Guy Harvey artwork was awesome. The first area of the ship which you see was just, meh, not very impressive. However rounding the corner into the main hallway of deck 7 with that magnificent chandelier was really impressive.

Contrary to the exagerated reports from other reviews, there was no running to get to Headliners first. We didn't stand around taking in the sights, but there was no running, and yes, we got some of the first Vibe passes. Headliners was also the place to make or adjust reservations to any of the specialty restaurants and the shows.

Overall Impression - Security and Embarkation were well organized, quick and easy.

Stateroom

First Impression - The room seemed a bit more narrow than our previous cruise, but there was plenty of room for the 2 of us. The layout was pleasing and efficient. The bed was near the balcony which we were hoping for.

We were in stateroom 12290, somewhat aft on the port side. It was our first cruise in a balcony cabin and while we did use it and enjoyed sitting there while the other was showering, it would not be a requirement on a future cruise. The bed was incredibly comfortable. The A/C worked great. Can't comment on the TV; it probably wasn't on for a full hour the whole week. Mini-fridge was nice for keeping Nalgenes cold. We drank the water right from the sink and it was fine. Would probably have preferred being a couple of decks higher so we could get to the track and Vibe decks without having to use the elevator. Deck 12 is quiet and our steward Alvin kept us very comfortable and always greeted us with a smile.

Food and Restaurants

Our package included 4 specialty restaurants. One had to be La Cuchina and Food Republic was not an option. All of the food, everywhere on board was flavorful, plentiful and properly prepared. Hats off to the Chef Fernandes and his staff. Our order of preference of the ones we had dinner at is:

Le Bistro

Teppanyaki

Manhattan

La Cuchina

Bayamo

Savor/Taste

Le Bistro stands alone in service, menu and elegance. It was **** all the way. The only way our meal may have been more enjoyable would have been if we could have eaten "outside", but the smoke smell from the casino made that impossible.

Teppanyaki is fun, flavorful and filling. Definitely, go hungry and be ready to be entertained.

The Manhattan Room simply amazed us. It is elegant. The food and service rivaled the specialty restaurants. The wait staff is friendly and knowledgeable. Add dancing and a show and the Manhattan Room is the full deal. Way more than we expected in an included dining room.

Our first specialty restaurant was La Cuchina and it set the bar. The food and service was outstanding. Dining outside on the Waterfront was an added feature.

We chose Bayamo and the upsell for a couple of reasons. First, we wanted a seafood option. Second, it was the rare opportunity (for us) to dine at an Iron Chef restaurant. To be fair, the menu at Bayamo offered options that we would not normally choose. Were I to do it again, I would make a meal of the appetizers and simply skip the main course. The lobster salad was incredible.

That Savor and Taste bring up the bottom of our list in no way indicates anything inferior. As I said before, the food everywhere was excellent. Again, the servers were attentive, friendly and knowledgeable. We preferred Manhattan simply because of the chance to dance between courses.

Overall Impression - Wow! There is no reason for anyone to not be able to find a restaurant that will please their palate. Congratulations on a fabulous dining product, NCL.

DW suggested adding a couple of notes on O'Sheehans and Garden Cafe. We had lunch at O'Sheehans a couple of times. Both were quick and tasty. I really enjoyed the wings. DW could not finish her burger. My only comment was that we thought the menu was somewhat limited. Also, note that while O'Sheehans is supposed to be open 24 hours, there is about a 1/2 hour down time during the switch-over from breakfast to lunch. The buffet at the Garden Cafe had a wonderful selection. We went for breakfast most days - loved the Eggs Benedict and extra bacon - and a couple of times for lunch. I would think you could eat there pretty much as often as you like and always find something new. It is a busy place, especially right after All Aboard from one of the islands. With the number of people and the amount of dishes and the mess, I was amazed at how efficiently and quickly the staff cleared tables and kept the place tidy and clean. And I would be negligent to not mention the Washy-washy singers.

They drew a sing-along crowd every time we passed by. What a great

way to remind kids (and some adults) to be attentive to hygiene.

Bars and Beverages

We had the UBP, which is the only way to go. Most of our drinks were from the Vibe bar where Rommel, Roberto and Reinze were wonderful. Other bars that we visited were, in order of preference:

Sugarland

Atrium

O'Sheehans

Upper Pool

Sugarland is not to be missed. I was never much of a mojito fan, but Allan converted me. He makes some great drinks. And check out the forearms on him from all of that mulling.

The Atrium bar was convenient for a quick beverage while attending one of the games or other Atrium events. I had one of the best Bloody Marys there.

O'Sheehans was also convenient while passing through. Good place to look down into the Atrium, and people watch, also.

The Upper Pool bar would have been much higher on our list if it was not smoking. As is we only stopped there until someone lit up and we had to leave. Too bad, because it is a perfect location.

We also enjoyed a wonderful glass of wine at The Cellars and wondered later why we had not spent more time there.

Overall Impression - Sugarland was the only place that we ever waited for a drink, but mojitos are so labor intensive. Elsewhere, the bartenders where quick, efficient and friendly. The drinks were good and with UBP we were always ready to try something new. Even as busy as they were, the bartenders would chat with us and were always smiling. A+, NCL!

Entertainment

Planning our shows before the cruise was daunting. There are so many choices. The daily Latitudes was a page full of things to do. Some of our highlights...

Brenda Kaye - Fun show. Ms. Kaye is a talented hypnotist and entertainer. One is never sure where this show is headed. Where did that belly button go, Patty?

Levity Comedy Group - We saw the late night show that included all 3 comedians who were on board. The humor was adult, but not vulgar, which to me is the best.

For the Record: The Brat Pack - Talented group of dancers and singers weaving together the stories of the Brat Pack era. Huge production, very entertaining, but honestly, I got confused.

Dance Parties - Spice H20 is a happening place when the dance parties are going on. Cruise Directory Tyler Gray keeps things pumped up. Unfortunately, the 80s party got rained out just as thing were really going strong. The Glow Party is not to be missed!

Atrium - The only games that we joined in the Atrium were Trivia. You better know your stuff for these games. We also sat through a discussion with Michael Mondavi about his family vineyard and wine. He was personable, interesting and informative.

Toys

We shared ports with 5 other ships during our week. None had the upper deck candy to compare with the slides and rope course on the Escape. After a day in St. Thomas, I took the opportunity to ride the tubes. It was awesome! Wait time was 5 minutes. The next day we returned early from Roadtown, Tortola and DW and myself almost had the tube slide to ourselves. We went up, came down and went up again with no wait at all. It was the only slide that we did, but it was great fun. Later that day, the ropes course was scheduled to open 1/2 hour before All Aboard. I got there 20 minutes early and was one of the first 6 people in line. DW doesn't do heights, so I was on my own and it was incredible. Once you get on the course there are umpteen different paths that you can take. An hour later, I was worn out and had to come down. Yes, I did walk the plank. The entire experience is amazing. What a great feature!

Other features that we did not partake in were the main pool, kid's pool, the Grotto and the Casino. All looked very inviting, but with Vibe we did not feel any need to join the throngs, or in the case of the casino, endure the black lung. I do wish we had checked out the Grotto. It really looked cool.

Ports-of-call

The ship made stops in 3 ports, Charlotte Amalie, St. Thomas, Roadtown, Tortola, and Nassau, Bahamas. We had decided before the trip that the ship was our destination. Where it stopped was secondary. We had no excursions planned and intended to leave the ship but return early. For those who know what geocaching is, that is what we did in each port. We found a couple of caches, checked out some of the historical sites and then went back to enjoy the empty ship.

Charlotte Amalie is very pretty. Check out the 99 steps and the oldest synagogue in the Western Hemisphere. Drake's Passage was kind of quaint, also.

Roadtown seems to be brand new to the cruise game. Right now, it still has the small town, Caribbean feel. I fear that will disappear very soon. Interesting gems are Noel Lloyd Park and the Caribee Spice Shop.

Nassau is Nassau. If you've been there you know what I mean. Getting away from the tourists, we walked up to the top of the hill to the water tower and Fort Frederick. Coming down through the Queen's Staircase was very cool.

Overall Impression - If you've been to the Eastern Caribbean, you've probably been to these ports. All have something to offer, but being on the Escape was more fun.

Crowds

OK, so I guess we have to talk about how 5000+ people all fit on 1, be it very large, ship. Simply put, it's tight. There are very few (read that, no) areas outside of your stateroom where you will be alone. Some are less inhabited than others, e.g. the Waterfront. Others, like the main pool on a sea day, were like New Delhi on market day. I didn't make it aft to Spice on a sea day, but folks we talked to said it was busy, not main pool busy, but busy. I'll have to let others comment on The Haven. People we talked to said it was a quiet, relaxing, uncrowded area, but then, they spent an awful lot of time in Vibe :) Vibe was great, loungers and bar seats were pretty much always available. Of course we all wanted to soak our toes in the single hot tub at the same time, but that is where the party was and we got to meet some really great people. Walking along the open, upper decks there were usually a few open loungers, but there was a lot of dodging and stepping around other people.

Overall Impression - The Escape is a huge, beautiful, well-organized floating resort with a lot of people all wanting to be in the same places at the same time. There are places to find some quiet, but who wants to be in the library on a sunny, blue-water, Caribbean cruise? So if you want the fun and the sun, it seems you'll need to take the multitudes, also. But, who knows, you may meet some new interesting people, like we did, or at the worst you've still got the UBP.

Smoke

Oh, yeah, it's there. From the moment we entered 678 Place on day 1 the stale smell of cigarette smoke was present. Those who say they don't smell it, don't want to smell it, because it permeates all 3 decks all of the time. On deck 8 go outside to the Waterfront to go forward or aft and avoid the smell. Maybe if NCL realizes that people are by-passing the shops and art work, they'll do something about the casino.

Crew

There are not enough superlatives to describe how great every member of the crew is. Everyone -- officers, deck hands, room stewards, waiters, bartenders, shop salespeople, entertainers -- everyone, was super friendly and always smiling and approachable. We were walking the track one morning and encountered a couple of deck hands cleaning the windows. They smiled and wished us a good morning. At the restaurants, the maitre d' would seat us then stop and ask what we had done that day and what were our plans. The passageways on deck 12 from aft to forward are incredibly long. Every room steward that we passed along the way greeted us and wished us a nice day. On day 2 we attended the CC M&G (thanks for putting that together, Carol) where we met many of the hospitality staff, right up to the head of hotel operations, Sean. The next day we attended the Latitudes M&G. Many of the same officers were there and they remembered our names!!! Whatever NCL is doing to obtain this level of personable employees, they need to keep doing it, because it works.

A Couple of Other Random Thoughts

iConcierge - I had no one to keep track of so there was no need to purchase anything extra on iConcierge. The rest of the app was unimpressive. I used it a couple of time to check my account. I was hoping to be able to access the Daily Latitudes to help plan our day. Nope, that's not available. So, if you need to be able to check in or check up, it might be useful, otherwise, don't bother.

Elevators - I really don't get the logic of the elevators. Having to push the button on both sides was just silly. It just causes every elevator to stop on every deck often with no one there. They had already caught the elevator on the other side. The designers just didn't think this through.

Pools - Speaking of designers not thinking things through, what could possibly have made NCL think that 1 small pool was enough for 4000 adults? This has been beaten to death on other reviews, so I'll just leave it there, scratching my head.

Debarkation

I don't even want to write about debarkation. Not because it was a problem, in fact it was almost too easy. I just didn't want to leave. We were in no hurry. We ate a leisurely breakfast at Savor then went to the Atrium to wait our turn. All too soon our color was called. As we started to the forward gangway, an officer announced that there was no line aft. We headed that way, scanned our cruise card one last time and it was over.

The only item I see possibly missing from this excellent list above is that IF you arrive early enough (before they have started boarding the ship), after you complete the check-in process (where you get your card, give them your credit card, and have your picture taken), you will be told to proceed into the waiting area. They will tell you where to go. As you approach the waiting area, there will be someone handing out a "Boarding Group Number" card. This will have a number on it that indicates where you are in the boarding sequence. When they start boarding the ship, they will call for Group 1, Then Group 2, then Group 3, and so on. So make sure you have a card. I have seen people walk by the person handing it out and then when they start boarding the ship, they don't know when to get in line. Later in the day, I think they do away with boarding groups and you simply check in and get in the boarding line that is now short enough to manage without boarding groups.

When they are handing out the boarding group cards, do they start with group #1, then group 2, etc. based on how you arrive? I've read reviews where people were very early and got boarding group 13. I'm hoping to score Vibe passes, which seems to require being in group #1. I'm going to be there plenty early, probably before 7:30, could even be earlier.

How closely do they check your group when boarding? Not suggesting I would crash the line :eek:

Kevin, not knowing the specifics of DW's flip (one of those earlier generation Motorola/Nokia non-smartphone phone with the giant dials & small screen ? You cannot download and use the free iConicerge App (software that runs on iOS and Android OS, nothing for Windows or Blackberry devices) to take advantage of the free functionality.

 

The mega-ships including the GA, BA and the newest Escape has stateroom interactive TV, and it will give you free & easy access to the same, identical functions on the bigger screen 24/7 in your cabin. No need to worry about Airplane Mode, WiFi settings and roaming, etc. - the TV's Remote Control is your "friend" to control, scroll back-n-forth, up-and-down and hit the "OK" key to Enter, etc.

 

You can use it to check on specialty dining availability and make reservations onboard (on the BA last month, we tried to but couldn't make MDR reservations, so it's a matter of just walking up or calling Ext. 50 on the house/in-room phone or seeing someone at the reservation desk in the "lobby" atrium area. So, you won't be missing out on the same functionalities.

 

The giant HDTV screens near the elevators are touch-screen enabled and on the BA, you can press the "Start" button to get interactive search help & direct you to the "Tabs" ... it's free & easy. Life is simple when you don't need or carry one of these fancy PDA, better known these days as smartphones :D - with all the fancy bells & whistles.

 

It is, however, a pretty darn good digital camera that also take good videos, LOL.

While DW still subscribes to the Jethro Gibbs theory of modern cell communication :), I have an electronic tether with all the bells and whistles. I only mentioned hers because I knew we would not be able to use iConcierge on her phone for texting and calls.

I'll have my smartphone with me anyway, because it is my camera and watch, also. If I can use iConcierge to help decide if I would be interested in one of the upcoming activities or to just roll over on my lounger, that would be great -- as long as I don't have to pay for those features.

Great information about the interactive TV. We will certainly be putting those features to use. Thanks!

Remained signed into your ship's WiFi inTRAnet "open" signal, enabled WiFi on your device & connect - no UID/password needed - and all of the free iConcierge functionality will work ... including calling from ship to land with the App @ 79 cents a minute over WiFi (again, make sure cellular/roaming is OFF)

It will only be my wife and myself on the Escape and she still uses a flip phone, so we have no need for texting. The ability to check my account, make reservations and see the daily schedule are what I'm interested in. Are these the "free" functionality that you mention?

Thanks,

Kevin

I suggest either the 5 O'clock Somewhere bar, or the outdoor wine cellar. Both are nice, smoke free areas.

Well, I was kind of hoping for something a little higher up and more open, but the Waterfront is definitely on our list of places to check out. So, these might work. Thanks.

Sorry to be dragging up an old thread, but it was the closest one that I could find for my question.

My wife and I will be on Escape at the end of the month. We are older cruisers and while we enjoy the excitement of a cruise, we like to get away from the kiddies, too. On our last cruise our favorite hangout was at the bar in the adult only pool area. I kind of expected that the Spice H2O bar would be a usual spot for us on Escape. Then I read in another thread that that area is a smoking area. If that is the case, we won't be hanging out there. Next, I read that the Upper Pool Bar is a smoking area. Dang!

So, here's the question. What outdoor bar can we frequent that doesn't allow smoking? Am I going to have to make the mad dash for Vibe to get a kid-free, smoke-free spot?

Thanks

Thanks, EBB. I guess that's about in line with what I expected.

Does anyone know the prices of fitness classes? I'm particularly interested in the Flywheel spinning classes.

 

Thanks!

Bumping this thread to see if anyone can answer, as I too am curious.

Thanks

The Ice Bar sounds like a fun place to chill (pun intended). Can anyone tell me if there is one on the Escape?

I have to join in with jonboy9756. The only place that the smoke smell was overbearing was in the casino. Unfortunately, it permeated out and a good part of Deck 5 was affected. This was particularly annoying since the casino is open to the only passageway on Deck 5. Walking for or aft on deck 5 required you to pass through the cloud.

Otherwise, my wife and I had a great time. We had 7 days of clear, blue skies and seas as smooth as glass. The Valor needs some TLC, but as others have mentioned, the crew is constantly cleaning and picking up. Personally, I felt the few blemishes added character to the ship. We did all non-Carnival excursions and with FTTF had no problem getting on or off the ship. I'm sorry if others had bad experiences, but we'd go back again in a heartbeat.

I asked about the Belize issue and it was a Belize official problem not Carnival. The officials didn't come out when they were supposed to.

I asked about the Belize issue, also, and it was definitely Carnival's fault. The published itinerary had us arriving in Belize at 9:00. The night before, the Fun Times indicated we would arrive at 8:00. We the passengers were never notified and neither were the port authorities. The crew member that I spoke with said they had to wake up the port official.

22 days to sailing and our interior guarantee finally got assigned. We're in the aft section on the Empress deck on Valor, cabin 7412. Lot's of smiles!!

Thanks for the review. Our Valor cruise is in 25 days. DW is concerned about what to wear on the elegant nights. We have few opportunities to dress up, but we'd rather not be over-dressed (and over-packed). I wonder if you could give us an idea of what the attire was like on the elegant night.

I have not been on a cruise for a long time, so I've been reading through the 1st timers forums. It has been mentioned by several people that in the MDR, if you don't want the daily menu, ask for something different. If you want 2 entrees or 3 appetizers, just ask, you can get it. The posters make it sound like the substitutions and extras are all free. Is this not the case anymore, or were maybe they referring to non-Carnival policies?

Thanks for all the great advise.

Yak juice? Can someone explain?

Hi figdu. Is the gratuity on the package ($7.50 per day) or is it added on as each drink is ordered? Thanks.