Brandi7240

Having cruised on the Escape and the Gem, I find it somewhat easy to sum up a comment.  Basically, it depends on your style of cruising and your expectations.  

The Gem is a fabulous ship if you want to relax.  There are plenty of places to enjoy and the food was outstanding.  If you were undecided about your choice for dinner, the waiters brought you both.  The crew did everything they could to assist whatever needs you might have had.  The Casino was smaller, but I found it more forgiving and not nearly as crowded as the casino on the Escape.   Being on the Gem is an experience you will not forget.

The Escape is a different story.  Although the cruise was good, it was much toooo crowded for me.  Trying to get an elevator could be very difficult.  The activities for the kids were great and plentiful, but walking the plank and ziplining are not what I need on a cruise.  The Casino was always very crowded and the machines were tighter than tight.  It was often difficult to get reservations at the Specialty restaurants, but they were good if you got lucky.

Both ships were clean and comfortable and there were many places to order a drink if you wanted one.

Hope you have a great cruise, whichever ship you pick.

My scooter was rented from Scootaround.  It was waiting for me in my stateroom as soon as I boarded the ship.  Passengers were not allowed to go to their staterooms before 1:30pm, but I was allowed to go in my for my scooter and leave.  NCL had an escort wheel me from the check in point in the terminal to my stateroom to pickup my scooter.  I was able to take it at that point and go to lunch at Taste.

The ferry is not far at all and the path is level.  Its location is right there at the marina.   Anyone with a scooter is able to board and disembark  before any other passengers.  The ride to Hamilton takes about 20 mins. and is very pleasant.

 The phone number for Scootaround is 1-888-441-7575.  Extension 6255 or 6249 should put you in contact with Michele.  She handled everything perfectly.

Have a great cruise

Rented a scooter and was able to take it off the ship with no problem.  It was simple to get on the ferry to Hamilton and those with mobility issues have priority boarding and disembarking.  Went shopping in Hamilton and had lunch there as well.  No problem at all.  It was also easy to visit the many places at the Dockyard.

After using the scooter all day,  the charging gauge never moved.  The convenience was amazing.

Hope you all have a great cruise.

F.Y.I.....there are hairdryers in the room and they work well.  The shampoo and conditioner are combined in the same dispenser, but I brought a small bottle of my own.  The liquid body wash is in a dispenser in the shower as well and there is bar soap and body lotion (lemongrass) at the sink.  

If you have any other questions, just ask.

We leave on the Escape next Sunday and your review was very helpful.  Thank you .

Thank you, everyone.  Sounds cool!  😀

Would someone please tell me what the Snow Room is all about on the Escape?  Appreciate your reply.

Great job with the photos and information, Pete.  Now I'm more anxious than ever for the 23rd.  Thank you.

Fabulous pictures.....thank you so much.

Going on June 23rd.  Would love to see the Dailies.  Thanks and everyone enjoy your cruise.

All of the places mentioned seem wonderful,  but for many reasons, I love going to Bermuda.  Have been there several times and am still looking forward to returning in June.  Wherever you choose to go....ENJOY!

When are you going to be taking your tour?  I'll be on the Escape the week of June 23-30th.

Glad someone asked this question.  Will be spending 2 nights in Dockyard on the Escape in June and was wondering about the Casino.  Thanks.

Yes, it did when I sailed on her.....that was less than a year ago.  Enjoy the Gem.  Very nice ship.

Thank you, jtheile.  Much appreciated.

Can anyone offer information about the Dolphin Encounter located near the dock?  When would be the best time to make a reservation and who do we make the reservation with?  Wondering also about the cost and availability.  Any feedback would be appreciated.  Thanks.

Since I have done this before (many times), I will share my experience with you.  When you get to the terminal a porter will take your luggage.  You do not need to carry a thing other than a bag with meds and necessities.  Tell the porter to get you wheelchair assistance and he will have someone bring you a chair to wheel your husband in.  Once inside you will put your name on a list for handicapped and priority boarding.  There may be a bit of a wait since they take you on a first come, first serve basis.  Once your name is called, an escort will take you through check-in.  You will bypass all the people on mega lines who are checking-in.  The escort will bring you directly to your stateroom.  The staff is very willing to help in any way they can.  If you get there at 9:30 you will surely board earlier than the others.  The same holds true when returning to NYC.  Get the escort to take you through customs and you will be on your way before you know it.  Hope you read this before you leave.  Have a great cruise!

Thank you, Charles and Princeton. The info is wonderful and is greatly appreciated.

We will be going in June of 2019 and we will have 4 teenagers with us who would love to experience a dolphin encounter. Does anyone know if this is possible? Thank you for whatever info you can offer.

Call and notify customer service of your need for assistance TO the tender. You will have to walk onto the tender by yourself. There is an upper and lower deck on the tender. Most people take the first seat they see, but you will have to go to the bottom deck to disembark once you arrive at GSC. This will entail going down steps from the upper deck to the lower. You will walk off the tender onto the island and there will be escorts with sand wheelchairs to take you to your cabana. They will also escort you back to the tender when you choose to leave GSC. Upon your return, you will walk onto the tender and find yourself on the bottom deck, but you will need to go up the stairs to the top deck to get off the tender and onto the ship. Should you need assistance getting back to your stateroom you will find escorts and wheelchairs waiting to help you.

The passengers needing wheelchair assistance will be called as soon as Norwegian begins boarding. I got to the terminal at 10:30 and waited my turn for the escort and chair. We went through security and check-in and were on the ship by 12:30. The escort took us to the Grand Pacific dining room for lunch. It was quiet, food was good and there were no crowds. The buffet was much too stressful and people were everywhere. By the time our lunch was done the cabins were ready. Again, I needed a chair to get to my room where my scooter and luggage were waiting for me. The only place I could not go was the Haven and the sundeck because there were quite a few stairs to climb.

When I went to Great Stirrup Cay my scooter was not allowed to go with me, however, if you call the customer service desk and ask for wheelchair assistance they will send a chair and an escort to bring you to the kiosk to leave the ship. There is a short (very short) walk onto the tender boat that will take you to the island. Once there you walk off the tender boat and there are special wheelchairs for the sand and escorts to take you to the beach chairs or other areas. It's good to get to Stirrup Cay very early since the beach chairs are on a first come first served basis. To return to the ship just ask for another escort to bring you to the tender. Once there, you can walk onto the tender, wash the sand from your feet and go back to the Gem. Again, ask for a wheelchair when you get to the ship. The escort will take you to your stateroom and you have your scooter there.

In Nassau, I was allowed to bring my scooter off the Gem for shopping. Stay away from the main market building since the venders are annoying and try to pressure you into buying something from them. Stick to the shops. The scooter was a necessity.

Just F.Y.I.....once you are on the list for wheelchair assistance for embarking they will keep you on the list for disembarking as well. Before you are ready to leave your stateroom just call the customer service desk and tell them to send the wheelchair. One of the crew members will come and escort you through disembarking. They will take you through luggage pick-up in the terminal, customs, and wheel him right to the curb outside. The escort will bypass many other passengers waiting to exit because passengers needing assistance have priority.

If you have any other questions or concerns, I would be glad to help.

This may sound crazy, but I never travel without a small roll of duct tape. It has saved the day many times.

As a handicapped traveler and having just returned from a cruise on the Gem, I can honestly say that Norwegian made every effort to assist me with my mobility issues. Contact Norwegian and inform them of your husbands needs. Tell them he will need wheelchair assistance as soon as he arrives at the terminal. They will add his name to a list. When you arrive at the terminal ask for the wheelchair assistance area. I suggest you do not wait until you arrive at the terminal because if you have not placed his name on the list in advance you will have to wait until all those passengers who did reserve a chair are brought through check-in and onboard until they attempt to help those without a reservation. This will save you a great deal of time. There is so much going on, no one needs the additional stress of waiting when you could be onboard and relaxed enjoying lunch or a beverage. I rented a scooter because there is much walking to do once onboard or in ports. Hope my info helps...enjoy your cruise.