Pandot

I am assuming this is only for oasis class?  I will be travelling GS on Anthem.  Kids will not be allowed into CL in evening so no sodas for them included.  Playing with getting them soda packages.  I realize I am spending thousands of dollars on a cruise but this is a BIG splurge for us, so if I can save 100 dollars or so for something already included, and use it elsewhere... might as well. (We are inside or Balcony folks at most, every 2-3 years).  

Thank you for your report.  Leaving on the Escape next Sunday - not Canada/NE but your report was very exciting and lovely to read.

All of the menus were "updated" this past June/July.  I am assuming that Pinchos Tapas was as well but I cannot find a copy of the new menu.

I have stalked role calls, read and reread search after search - no luck.

Does anyone have the updated Pinchos Tapas menu since the "specialty dining menu increase" of June/July 2019?

Thanks in advance.

As we are doing a poker hand in the cabin crawl, I have organized a pub crawl Bingo (hook up a drink with a person's name on the crawl - win prizes for Bingos).  5 bars - 20 minutes to half hour each.  On the Escape - we are crawling the 8th floor.  DBH, 5 oclock somewhere, Mojitos, Cellars and Tobacco Road.  I did reach out to let them know but got the canned response that Pub crawls weren't offered anymore.  I'll reach out with our coordinators on the ship, when we get there.  As the crawl isn't til day 3, Im sure they'll appreciate the chance to prepare.

I'll let you know how it goes.

On 9/2/2019 at 11:17 PM, mking8288 said:

Check your cruise itinerary & time, and for Bermuda - you can do this on Day 3 instead of trying to jam everything into Day 2 ... M&G, Slot Pull & Cabin Crawl.   We did & had huge turnout, not just sign-up (remember that 75% to 80% actually show up, on average - sometimes less for Cabin Crawl & Slot Pull.  

 

We did ours in the afternoon, giving Room Stewards time to clean up & tidy up all 5 cabin categories in the morning with reminders from the cabin "hosts" - you don't want strangers to walk into messy staterooms that should get disaster declarations ... not been cleaned & straightened out. 

 

Take into account crawlers with mobility issues, if any, and, logistics for elevators - easier to walk down 1 or 2 decks vs. going up with 15 or 20 folks in tow, going in opposite directions.  Make use of the Haven member's portable phone, if available & be sure to speak to & alert the Haven team (concierge, etc. - nobody like surprises or strangers wondering around loosely ... )  Keep it simple - the Group Event Coordinator & GM's Secretary are your best friends onboard, reach out to them although you will likely heard from them shortly after boarding the ship - check your voicemail.  

 

Have fun & do fill out those Vacation Hero cards, they deserve and earned it by being helpful.  

Thanks MK! 

We have actually split our two sea days : First sea day is MG and cabin crawl (with time for lunch or a smaller group of LRC in between).  Our slot pulls and pub crawls are on the second sea day (Tuesday).  Is scheduled for the pm - check.  I like the idea of the portable phone option.  Thankfully the suites we are seeing are not in the Haven proper :)  Less panic-inducing, but the cabin host is definitely letting the Haven Team know.

I remember from the last (much smaller) group I hosted that they did reach out to me.  Will be ready for them again :)

And yes, yes, yes to those vacation hero cards!

Thanks so much!

Think I have worked out a system that will work - (dividing group into smaller groups, staggered start, with cabin hosts in the first group.  Cabin hosts stay at their cabin until all groups have passed through then join the last group, identified by the presence of the coordinator (me) and continue to finish the rest of the crawl.  There is a map/instructions for efficient means of accessing each cabin in order and bringing everyone back to starting point, to wrap up poker game.  Start and stop points are at a lounge so that those who are waiting (for their staggered start or for the last groups to finish) have a place to mingle and a way to occupy their time.)

Still open to any and all suggestions.

Hey all!

Our Roll Call has a very active group (woot woot) and is running several events, including a cabin crawl.  We got a much larger "signup" than I expected - which is awesome - but lots of people make cabin crawling challenging.  We are a group of 40 for the crawl.  We are seeing 5 types of cabins and playing a "poker" game during the crawl.

Any suggestions on how to stagger the crawl, so 40 people don't descend on one cabin at a time, the cabin "show-ers" don't miss out on the "crawling" and we can get everyone their playing card at each cabin?

We are starting the crawl at DBH and may end it there as well, given the placement of the cabins themselves.

Thanks for all the feedback - I'm playing with some ideas, but figure there is experience out there - why not take advantage of that wisdom. 

We are using these guys.

Have been good to work with so far and located at Dockyard.  (May be associated with the group Charles listed above).

https://fantasea.bm/tours-activitieslinks/#Inventory/5286

I guess I could give up Blue Hole park but as it is the only thing I (mommy, planner, organizer, birthday girl) want to do - I think we will stick with it lol.

46 minutes ago, njhorseman said:

I'd be inclined to go to Tobacco Bay. The logistics are easier. To me it makes more sense as it's your second stop of the day, not your only stop, so your time is limited. You can walk there from St. George or it's quick $5 or $6 dollar taxi ride. To get to Clearwater you either have to get a bus that doesn't run very often or take about a $20 taxi ride.

 

Both beaches have amenities...chair rentals, snack bar. Tobacco Bay is a good snorkeling beach. 

Thanks Horseman!

Looking forward to seeing you on board!

That's what my gut was telling me too - but I am no expert :)

Hi all,

As the title states - looking for some expert (or experienced) opinions.  In on the Escape in early October.  Taking free ferry to St George then bus to Blue Hole Park.  I really want to see and swim in the blue hole.  While I know that there is a small beach in that park, my family also wants some more beach time.  So I figured back to St Georges with our bus tickets - then Tobacco or Clearwater.  We will be travelling by bus (mostly) and want to be back to St Georges for the last ferry (either free or paid - doesn't matter which).

Any opinions on which one?  (We are hitting the south shore beaches the next day - looking for something to make a day of the East side of the islands the first day).

Any and all feedback on transportation, amentities, timing and the beaches themselves are greatly appreciated.

Thanks all.

Thanks very much for your review.  We are sailing on the Escape to Bermuda in 6 weeks.

Really appreciate you input and perspective.

Glad you had a good time!

There was talk at one point of being able to order a few of the apps ala carte at the bar but I don’t think this was sustained for long.  It’s 15 dollars for app/meal and dessert.  Nothing says you can’t order more than one of any of those categories except that portion size is gigantic.

Oh no Kim!

Good luck with the surgery and recovery!

Get well soon!

Montreal airport is in the middle of the west of the island, a highly residential area with little to “do”.  The excursion is stopping at a sugar shack (woohoo Maple syrup everything) and in old Montreal.  The transfer is just that - 3 hours from Quebec to Montreal.  Not a bad price for a 3 hour drive.

On 7/22/2019 at 7:24 PM, Juvesgirl said:

 

Have an amazing time!  Wish we could join you again!

 

 

Sure! We ate at Cagney's, La Cucina, Le Bistro, Bayamo, and PIncho.  I liked them in that order, but La Cucina could be tied with Cagney's.

 

We didn't eat at Teppanyaki or Moderno, so they aren't included in the ranking.  We usually don't eat at Moderno.  I have eaten at Teppanyaki before and have loved their filet mignon.

Thanks for your awesome review.  Haven’t seen anyone who has eaten at Pinchos since the price changes.  Do you by chance remember how the prices have changed there from the original menu that never seemed to change before?

thanks a million for any feedback.

Bird Travels and Prof Cruise just posted the most recent Ocean Blue Menus from the Bliss.  Is the Bayamo menu  on the Escape the same as the Ocean Blue menu?

On 8/7/2019 at 9:42 PM, cincicruisers said:

 

BirdTravels do you have the menu that includes desserts?

Bird has the menu posted on her current Joy trip report (1st page)

I originally wanted to upgrade for the perks when prices went down and my FOV became cheaper than a balcony.  NCL told my travel agent because we are inside of final payment, we could have the upgrade but no change in perks.  Understand, took the upgrade (to a minisuite actually).  Thinking about it today - that was me not paying anything more.  If I paid more money to upgrade, would I then qualify for the extra perks inside the final payment window.  (The price I am paying to upgrade is most likely less than the value of the perks I would be getting anyway).

My guess is no, but thought I would ask.  I know I could ask my travel agent, but she is also my sister and it is the weekend and I don't want to bother her with another hour on the phone with NCL if it is a definite no.

Thanks.

My husband and I like Cagney's and Le Bistro (we did Cagney's twice last trip).  My husband loves the lamb chops at Cagney's. This upcoming trip we are adding Bayamo (love seafood) and want to do a dinner at Moderno (with individuals who are travelling with platinum vouchers).

22 hours ago, onthewingsofsong said:

We board NCL's "Escape" on Aug 4 for a cruise from NYC to Bermuda. We found the NCL website quite confusing and we spoke with 5 different NCL representatives who mostly gave us conflicting information. Despite all this, we are excited and can't wait for our first cruise. I've poured through the forum on here and found tons of great information. Still  - a couple of questions and am open to any advice and pearls of wisdom from experienced cruisers.

 

Question 1: Does the "Escape" have metal walls and should I stock up on magnetic hooks as many have advised?

Question 2: Do they hold back a certain percentage of specialty restaurant reservations for boarding day (we've had trouble booking them on-line)?

Questions 3: Best place for our family of 4 adults to hang out in a relatively peaceful manner on deck?

Question 4: Do they provide beach towels or should we bring some?

 

Any other great tips for onboard or on the island? Many thanks from this newbie for your time.

1.  Not sure on this note - sorry.

2.  Only a small (less than half) portion of reservations are released pre cruise.  First day, use the app or go to reservation location (I don't know exact location but will be listed in Daily) to make you reservations.  I have some place holding reservations but they all need adjustments (number of people, time forward or back by 30 minutes or so)...  Some people have luck using the app in the terminal before they even board, to book shows and dining reservations.

3. Waterfront is awesome!  If you are looking for more deck experience (i.e. deck chairs), deck 19 forward (port side) has chairs, 2 hot tubs and a bar.  (Vibe and Haven are Starboard side).  Beginning of the cruise this should be quieter until people find it.

4.  They provide and exchange towels.  You will have them in your room.  You can exchange them on deck at towel stations.

Have an amazing trip!

While I am not sure exactly what cruise you are on, I just checked out the Sunshine dates in Bermuda and it looks like you are there for a fair portion of the first day (if not all) and a fair portion of the second day - always on weekdays.  

That being said, if you break up the days just like you would in two different islands, do a beach thing on one day, and either do your segway in the dockyard, or jump on ferry to walk around Hamilton, the other.  Remember that most stores, especially outside of the Dockyard, close at 5.

Bermuda is a very safe island and most people feel very safe exploring the island using public transit or a combination of taxis and minibuses.  Remember that taxis in Bermuda can be very expensive because fuel is crazy expensive.

Depending what time you do arrive and leave, you could also look into renting a boston whaler at one of the rental places close to the dockyard (short cab rides).  A few mentioned on here frequently are H20 watersports, Sommerset Bridge watersports and KS watersports.  Don't have personal experience with any of them but lots of reviews available.

Have fun - hope this helped.

Christa - so happy to see you here and to have you travelling with us :)

We got into a pattern of going to the dining room with our children (now 6 and 9) at 530 or 6, order an app, while they order their dinner (son loves steak but happy with the dining room one).  When done, we would drop them at "Camp" (Kids club) and have reservations for 730 or 8 at a specialty restaurant.  One app and a glass of wine didn't fill us up - gave us the chance to "have dinner" with the kids, they loved not missing camp and not having to sit through a long dinner (they traditionally only order main and dessert), saved us money on their "fine" dining and gave us a little time to ourselves.  

The buffet is good too but our kids enjoyed the dining room experience and is much less chaotic.

If it is any help, we are taking the ferry to St-Georges, the bus to blue hole park, then continuing on by bus to BAMZ. From there you can get back on the bus towards Hamilton or take the bus the other direction back to St Georges.  My kids are 9 and 6.

Thanks!