dolita22

Thanks for the review! Your pictures are excellent!

We were on the same sailing and saw Million Dollar Quartet. My DH enjoyed it way more than I thought he would.

I've heard mixed reviews on After Midnight, but am looking forward to seeing it when we sail the Escape again in January!

Only restaurants requiring smart casual dress code on any ship are aft MDR and Le Bistro (according to official FAQ, some recent reports from Escape say that there are more restrictions on her).

 

http://www.ncl.com/faq#packing

 

But then again, the level of enforcing the rules by different maitre d's has been varying.

We were on the Escape last week for the 3-day sailing, and the only dining venues that required long pants were LeBistro and one of the other speciality restaurants, if I recall. I'd have to check the Dailies, which are at home and I'm at work. My DH wore shorts to all 3 of the MDRs, and we confirmed that he could in the Dailies before going to the the Manhattan Room (aft on the Escape).

OP, NCL's dress code is really casual. Enjoy your cruise!

OK-I can not seem to find it or have missed it with my reading::o

 

OP-Did you do the sampler cruise???

Reason I ask is, first, you've sailed a lot with Royal, as have I and I am trying NCL for the first time.

 

Most know, no matter what line, if it be a brand new ship and the short cruise-those are tough to get a good read on.

I am not the OP, but yes, it was a 3-day public inaugural U.S. sailing. We were also on the cruise. Loved it, but also went in knowing there would be plenty of people having a good time (and they were), the staff would still likely be learning the ropes (they were), and that there would be kinks to be worked out (there were). All in all, we were happy with the cruise, loved the ship (have sailed Royal before) and can't wait to sail again in January on a 7 day!

I hate to tell you this, but you're going to wake up in Nassau not Aruba...

Unless I miss something you're saying, the Getaway actually did dock in Aruba. My parents are also on that cruise. It's a 12-day with a unique itinerary. Can't recall it offhand, but there's Aruba, Curaco, St. Kitts, St. Thomas, and two other islands. No Nassau! They left 10/31 and return 11/12.

OP, sounds awesome! As said, my parents are also on that cruise and were completely looking forward to it. Enjoy the next 6 days on the Getaway!

Every picture I've seen of the four person rooms with the bunk that comes down from the ceiling has the bed by the window and the couch by the door. This makes sense to set up each night you would want it by the door and not have to go around the bed. I double checked this against the Getaway floor plans where its listed and it lines up.

I have been wondering about the bed-by-balcony/bed-by-door thing, too, so I hope your theory is correct! We're in an angled balcony on deck 12 on the 3-day next week (and on deck 14 in January, and both of our rooms hold 4. My fingers are crossed that you are right. :)

Thanks for posting! We're on the 3-day next week and a 7-day in January, and I've got a list of dining venues I want to try on both cruises. :)

Also, completely agree about not liking the food on Royal. I know food is subjective, but my DH doesn't want to sail RCCL again because of the food. We like NCL and freestyle concept (other lines just don't do it as well, IMO), and have always enjoyed our meals on NCL. Can't wait for next week!

Enjoy your time on the TA!

That's good advice in general, but not for last minute bookings, like Escape in January 2016. All I can say is, keep an eye on availability, but also keep in mind that the current promo doesn't give any perks for super last-minute bookings (within 30 days of sailing). So my guess is that they will avoid lowering the prices until then, and people who find value in the free UBP for example will have to book before that.

Good point regarding the last-minute bookings. Thank you for catching and clarifying!

this is what we are doing

 

we have a flight booked for the Jan 15th, got a great deal (80.00 round trip per person including taxes) and are trying to wait as long as we can to book the Escape - it's after final payment now that that saildate so really hoping any day now the prices will go down a lot.

 

Worse case scenario, we end up paying a little more for an inside, but I think on a ship as the Escape, they don't really run out of insides until just before sailing :)

We are sailing the Escape the week after you're planning to in January, as well as doing the 3-night U.S. public inaugural next week, and I've been watching prices daily since booking in February. Noticed prices for insides for the 7-day on 11/14 dropped from around $849 to $699 in recent weeks (final payment was early September, I believe). Prices for all categories on the January cruises seem only to have increased, but final payment for ours is not until next week. So what I'm saying is, there's hope prices could go down, but with it being a brand new ship, I'm not sure how much. :) Hope it works out for you and you get a deal!

Also, to stay on topic, I've checked prices for cruises on Black Friday in years' past, but have not seen anything significant or different than normal promos. As another poster said, perhaps they'll do what they did last week with the you-pick-2 thing, but if you see a price/promo you're good with now, why not book, then check on Black Friday and re-book if there's a better price/promo?

My parents are on the Getaway right now, and according to their itinerary, yep, they are in Aruba today! It's a 12-day cruise. I don't have the full itinerary with me at work, but I believe they're in Curacao tomorrow, then St. Thomas, Tortola and one or two more places before coming back to Miami on 11/12.

Edit: Also note that if we do two rooms, only one of us will have to purchase the alcohol package so that will save us more money getting two rooms. If we do one room, both of us will have to purchase it. HAL limits their alcohol package to 15 and not sure if NCL does (still researching that).

We sail NCL and there is no limit to the number of drinks included with the Ultimate Drink Package, if that's what you're asking. You can get any drink with a cost of up to $15, with the exception of specialty coffees, bottled waters and buckets of beer. Those are not included. Most drinks are all under $15. If a drink is over that amount, you pay the cost difference (if a drink is $16.50, you pay the $1.50).

My DH and I considered switching from a balcony to a mini-suite on our Epic cruise earlier this year, because the cost difference was about $100 more per person. In my research, however, everyone said the mini-suite is mostly a glorified balcony with the larger bathroom and tub (in some), and there are no suite perks. In the end, we saved the $200 and stayed in our balcony and were happy with that choice.

Whatever you choose, enjoy your anniversary cruise!

BINGO! Sorry as I was trying to add more information last night but my computer/ipad was not cooperating! This is the trip in question.....

 

A "continuation" is not an option at this point as the judge is already angry at the opposing side due to their previous delays....so no one wants to face upsetting him further.....at least that is the way that I understand it.

 

At this point, it just seems like too much trouble....and I am sad.....but may still give NCL a call to see what they have to say.

 

Thank you all for the info that you have provided!

Just wanted to say good luck and I hope that you are both able to go! My parents are also on that cruise and have been looking forward to it for quite some time because of the itinerary. I hope something works out for you!

I am a planner by nature, but found with cruising -- especially on the larger ships, which is what we've been on the last few sailings -- I'm better off not planning. Well, I take that back. We're sailing the Escape in two weeks, then again in January, and I've reserved one show for each sailing, but that's all.

As many people do, we cruise to relax and enjoy the ocean. We're more than happy to sit and relax on our balcony with a bottle of sparkling wine. If we decide on the ship that we'd like to see something we haven't reserved in advance, we've asked if there are openings last minute. Most times we've gotten in on standby, but I think there was one time on the Epic where we did not. (We don't dine in specialty restaurants; enjoy the MDR too much!) Some friends sailed with us on the Epic in January, and they reserved Blue Man Group before we sailed, but completely forgot about their reservation the day of. They were able to reschedule for later in the week without difficulties, so NCL does leave some spots open for reservations on board.

The reserving of shows happens on RCCL, too. We didn't realize the need to reserve anything in advance when we sailed on the Indy for our honeymoon last year, and they actually gave out tickets to the ice show we wanted to see. We waited on standby and got in, but yeah, learned that reserving isn't just on NCL.

"It was here that I found my favorite drink(on Day 6, I know!)-the Rebellious Fish."

The Rebellious Fish is my absolute favorite drink, too! Discovered it on my first NCL cruise on the Sky when they actually used to put it in glass fishbowls, and have since introduced my DH to it. Despite being a beer lover, he also loves the Rebellious Fish! Plus, I believe there is champagne (well, sparkling wine) in it. Bonus! Can't wait to have them on the Escape in a couple weeks!

Nice review! I'm not sailing on the Breakaway anytime soon, but I would love to go to Bermuda one of these years. Thanks for the pictures and details, and glad your friends made it back before sailaway. I would have done the same thing as you and walked back without them if I only had 20 minutes to spare!

Woohoo! Looking forward to seeing all of your pictures and following along. We're on the 3-day U.S. public inaugural in November and sailing for a full week (which still won't be enough time, I'm afraid) again in January. Can't wait for November!! Have a great time!

My mom and I have both sailed the Sky before, but next June we're doing the 4-day sailing and bringing along 10 (yep, 10) first-time cruisers. The prices for 2016 are higher than what we've paid for past sailings on the Sky, but those sailings have also been in the off-season in September. With going in June, we expected higher prices. The first-time cruisers we're bringing have obviously never cruised before, nor looked at cruise pricing, and think the price we're paying for the cruise + drinks + food is a good deal. So, I guess some of it is also perspective. Another poster mentioned that the "all-inclusive" idea is attracting new NCL cruisers, and in our case, it's attracting new cruisers in general.

Would it be RCs Allure of the Seas? Or NCLs Escape? Currently my family and I are booked on Escape as we frequent NCL. But RC does have a nice deal going on and my mother would like me to sort of compare the 2 giving some pros and cons

 

The Escape Cruise is the 8 day leaving Aug 6th (St Maarten, St Thomas, Tortola, Nassau) and the RC cruise would be the leaving Aug 7th (St Maarten, San Juan, Labadee)

 

I've tried to do as much research as I could but I would love to hear from those who have cruised RC and NCL. Right now it seems like the biggest con for us would revolve around the lack of casual dinner options as RC has a bit of a strict dress code. I know I've heard it varies but we'd still have to bring pants to be on the "safe side" as I've read people have been turned away. As opposed to NCL where we can eat anywhere

 

With both cruise prices being about the same and you guys could only pick 1...which what you choose and why?

 

 

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Having sailed both RCL and NCL, we would choose the 8 day on the Escape for a couple reasons.

1.) We simply like NCL better at this point in our lives.

2.) The lack of casual dining options/dress code was one thing we really didn't like on RCL. We like that NCL is more casual, even though I know people will say RCL is casual too. NCL is just more casual. Not sure how to describe that in other ways! Plus, we like the food better on NCL.

3.) I'm assuming the RCL cruise is 7 days? Can't go wrong with an 8-day cruise! While we really enjoyed Labadee and would choose that any day over Nassau, we still like the longer cruises.

4.) Can you get the beverage package (or other perks) on RCL? If not, are they important to you? Could be a deciding factor between the two, since prices are the same.

Good luck deciding!

That's my favorite NCL drink! Berries...champagne (sparkling wine)...really can't go wrong!

We actually have 4 of the glass fishbowls with the fish swimming the other direction, decoratively sitting on our dining room table. Love them! Dislike those cheap, plastic ones with the boring logo now.

There are lots of RCCL fans out there, but we are not one of them, at least after a couple cruises on them. Maybe we need to try one or two more. ;-)

Anyway, we prefer NCL. You could check out the Escape. It's a brand new ship (NCL doesn't own it yet, I don't think...the handover is in a couple weeks) and there looks to be like a lot to do for any age group! Your teen daughter may enjoy the free-fall slides, the ropes course, or the plank going off the ledge of the ship and over the water. Tamer activities are also options. I don't think she would be bored on the Escape.

Adults can take advantage of the Ultimate Beverage Package, if you so choose, or the Specialty Dining Plan, free WiFi or a shore excursion credit. Those promos are being offered now.

Since the Escape is a new ship, I'm not sure about room size...but will be able to tell you in a few weeks! We're sailing the U.S. public inaugural 3-day in a balcony.

We LOVE freestyle dining on NCL. Eat when you want, where you want. It's really casual, though if you want to dress up, there are Norwegian's Night Out nights (I think that's what they're called now) where you can dress to the nines. Otherwise, relaxed and casual is the theme. My DH digs not packing dress shoes and suit and tie and wears Hawaiian shirts and shorts to dinner in the MDRs.

NCL has some reputation about nickel and diming people, but I don't think it's any different than any of the other mainstream cruise lines...perhaps DCL aside.

If it saves you money and you're intrigued by what NCL has to offer, I'd say check them out.

Whatever you decide, enjoy your cruise!

We are on the 3-day before you, and shortly before final payment a whole bunch of cabins opened up. Guessing there were cancellations (or TAs releasing blocks) because people realized we'd be going to Nassau instead of GSC, which was the original itinerary. Cabins are still quite a lot more than we paid, too.

Have fun on your cruise!

We're on the 3-day U.S. public inaugural in November (and again on a 7-day in January), so I'll be looking forward to your pictorial review of the Escape! What a nice friend you have!

We are booked on the Escape for the January 23 cruise, and prices have only gone up since we booked in February. We're also taking the 3-day cruise in November and prices for that one have only increased. New ships seem to sell at higher prices, at least for the first couple years (I'm guessing; no formal research available).

If you're interested in that cruise, book it if the price is something you're happy with. If the price isn't to your liking, look at one of the other NCL ships. You may have better luck getting a less expensive rate or discounts or upgrades/upsells closer to sailing.

We've sailed other lines, but really like NCL. Hope you enjoy your cruise, whichever you pick!

We sailed RCCL's Independence of the Seas a couple years ago, and there was a Micheal Kors or some other high-end store in the Promenade Shops. Every time we walked past it, it was completely empty! The sales associates were just standing there waiting for someone - anyone - to come in. We walked in once, just to browse, but I can never bring myself to spend that much on shoes or a purse.

I agree with the PP who said these are high-end stores going on a casual cruise line.

We have sailed the Epic twice, and would love to sail her again! We sailed for the second time earlier this year and, despite being 5 years old and not having been through drydock yet, the ship was in really good condition. Some rust spots on our balcony, but crew does a great job at maintaining her with the thousands of guests sailing each year.

Regarding the bathroom setup, I agree with the PP who said that the setup really is not that bad. Everyone's comfort level is different, but if traveling with your spouse and child, you should be fine. The glass is frosted and there is a curtain you can pull that covers both the toilet area and the shower area, so privacy can be maintained. I travel with my DH, and the having the split shower and toilet area was nice, because one could shower and the other could use the restroom and get ready in the room.

If traveling with a toddler, you could look at a mini-suite. We usually stay in balconies, but there are mini-suites that offer a bathtub. We don't have kids, so I'm not sure which categories those are, but it seems like those with younger children prefer the bathtub over having to put a toddler in the shower.

My advice to you would be to read up on all the pros and cons of the Epic and take both the glowing and negative reviews with a grain of salt. Go on the cruise with an open mind, and enjoy the time together.

No ....it's the first 7 day Caribbean sail. I believe the 3 day is just before ours.

It is! We'll be disembarking that day you get on.

I checked the price of the spa pass for our 3-day and it's $109.