300dtc

Ports: went on Brenda and Franco's tours in st. Thomas ...they picked us up at the port at 10:45 and got us back at 5:00.. We did a 2 hour tour of the island, then they dropped us off at coki beach for a few hours (rented chairs for $5 each).. Then picked us up and we went to blackbeards castle on the way back . All this for $30 per person...lots of history and knowledge on the way too, very steep roads..not for the faint of heart..Franco told us they have to replace brake rotors every 3 months!

Tortola: went by taxi to Cane Garden Bay, $8 pp each way..rented 2 chairs and an umbrella for $15. Had a nice beach day...the roads to get there were unbelievable ...narrow and so steep we didn't think the shuttle was going to make it up to the top! The pier is shaping up and will be very nice when done.

Nassau : didn't feel like beach today, so just got off and wandered around a little went to the hard rock to use the wifi..had 2 beers, stupid expensive won't be going back there again! Did want to try the new pirates republic brewing co., first micro brewery in the Bahamas. Good beer!

Back again...

Crew members: this was the greatest crew that I think ever sailed! You have to e pertinence the washy washy guy with the tambourine at the garden cafe...just seeing this happy person always put a morning smile on our faces! All of our waiters ( just one crabby one all week) and waitresses , the maitre'd the bartenders , customer service our room steward Rohan all were wonderful! A huge acknowledgement to Joey Lepasana the asst maitre'd ..he went out of his way to call us by name, kid around with us, sent us some great snacks, and even helped us rescue a small bird that had hitched a ride from Tortola! He truly gave a fantastic face to NCL.

Meet and Greet: we had approximately 60 (?) people at our meet and greet, it was attended by some of the ships officers and we were treated very well! They passed around smoothies, there were beverages and pastries too ...like I needed more calories! They sent a treat to our room later too...it was nice to feel so welcome[emoji4]

Slot pull: one of our roll call members..Brad..organized a pull..the casino gave out some bottles of champagne for the 2 highest scores..we didn't win, but only spent $15 and got $8 back so not as bad as it could have been...of course when we finished up we got to see a lady hit big 2 machines down on her 2nd pull! Sigh....

We met some great people onboard and we will keep in touch with some of them too...

Continued...

First negative ..there were high winds our first night out and our room was noisy! I don't mean creaking or a few pops I mean it sounded like someone hammering inside the wall around our balcony door[emoji15]. Next day I asked our room steward to check on it and he had his boss come and check it.. They got a ships carpenter to come and fix the problem and it was solved quickly! The head of housekeeping sent some treats to our room to apologize for the inconvenience and they kept checking to make sure it was t happening throughout the cruise. Great attention to guest needs!

Entertainment: I thought that After Midnight was a wonderful show. I don't understand the complaints and people were being rude at our show and walking out during the performance ...really?? If you weren't sure you would like it why did you plant your whole family 3rd row center? Then cause a huge ruckus leaving in the middle of a song?

Saw Brat pack too and liked it .. Was in the district brew house many times...ok many many times and saw Beau perform a lot. He was pretty funny. Tried to see dueling pianos 2 nights but never could get a seat...so we listened to a couple songs and left. Lots of Latin music in the atrium but not our thing...did see the 11 pm comedy show..they were hilarious! everyone who performed in the shows were very talented. Which brings me to...

Crowded: the ship felt very crowded to me..and I do t think we were at capacity either! The 678 hallways were always clogged with people and many of the venues just had no seats...we tried to watch some game shows in the atrium...no seats...howl at the moon...no seats...the pool anytime after 8 am ...no seats...but those towels sure got a lovely tan!

Never saw anyone sit in many of the saved seats, it was silly...we just wandered around and found somewhere to sit..one time it was smack in the middle of the jogging trail...people had started putting lounge chairs all along the edges!

Ultimate beverage package: or whatever it's called this week[emoji3][emoji485][emoji481]..didn't have any problems getting drinks ...very hardworking bartenders all over the ship! We loved the district brew house ...great idea...hope the don't screw it up..DH came in third in the competition ...a distant third..I think the winner drank at least 60 different beers during the week! The bartenders were wonderful in there! Sugarcane mohito bar...very nice...Bong was there a little but saw him mainly the last day in the atrium bar he made me a bushwacker with a face drawn in the chocolate syrup..what a fun guy!

Tobacco Road was very nice for a late drink after dinner. Margaritaville...for what else... Margaritas! Very tasty, never busy..they need to change this back to complementary...it's a empty waste of space. Now to my biggest disappointment ...

The Mondavi wine bar..I had huge expectations and they were dashed. The glasses available by the glass were not what I hoped. There was 1 Chardonnay, yes 1...on the whole ship I could get by the glass under $15!! DH drinks red wine with his dinner, the was 1 Cabernet ..absolutely a bad decision by the powers that be...very disappointed.

Continued later...

Well, we are back from our long awaited Escape adventure..and while I'd love to type out a huge review I don't have that sort of patience...and many others have given reviews that I couldn't hope to compete with, Dougout comes to mind...so here goes with random impressions.

Embarkation: relatively painless, go to the port at around 11am got number 21 group for boarding, we were onboard having a drink by 11:30 and seated in Taste for lunch by noon. After lunch dropped our carry-on in the room and went exploring.

The room: 11284 this was an aft balcony and it was very nice. The bed was by the balcony and had enough storage for both of us with room to spare...and I am not a light packer! There were two cabinets under the mirror that had shelves, o e side of the closet had shelves including one that ran all the way across the top, and then there were hangers on the other side. I loved the glass shower. It had so much room compared to other ships we have been on lately...no shower curtain!! Woo hoo!

To be continued in next post....

All the beers were included except 2 or 3 that came in a 750 ml bottle...it was your choice to drink them or not, but you would just pay the difference over the $15 limit. I tried many different beers that I had never tried before and had a great time!

Thank you, that was great!

Can you comment on the availability of wines by the glass in the restaurants or specifically in the Mondavi wine bar? Thank you!

11 days...been waiting forever!! The Escape[emoji2]

I always take a black pashmina, I find that just draped over the shoulders in some of the venues, it's enough...

So does that mean if we have the drink package we can drink from the mini bar without a charge? and do all rooms have a mini bar?

No the mini bar is not included in the UBP.

Did you book a long time ago? We booked over a year out and got the UBP with no gratuities...but as everyone has said now it is added when you book.

We usually get a table for the two of us and most of the time the other tables are so close we end up talking to our neighbors anyway! But, our service is for our table alone and if we eat faster or slower than our new neighbors, it doesn't matter.

What time did you eat in the complimentary dining rooms? And how long was the wait? Thank you!

I saw the same pricing on the Escape and called my rep. It was booking with no beverage pkg or any of the pick 2. If you do a sample booking it would show up in the pricing.

Hi there! Does anyone have experience yet on the Escape with taking your fcc to the casino and having a promotional $125 loaded on your cruise card?

We have done this on other NCL ships but wanted to make sure it was on the escape too. Thank you!

What a beautiful wake up! I'm staring out at drizzle and grey skies in PA ...oh well, 32 more days till we "Escape" too[emoji4] thank you for having us with you!

In Europe we only were stamped when we flew into Spain...none of the other ports. But in Alaska there were stamps that you could get at different places like Carcross.

Can't wait..love your reviews..I am the planner too, so much so that usually within a few days of leaving DH turns to me and says"where did you say we are cruising to?" [emoji6]

Or bring clothes that don't wrinkle? Nobody cares about what people are wearing, hopefully they are having too much fun!

When I recently called NCL about my booking I asked my rep were there any upgrades currently he could offer. We had an ocean view picture window. He checked and offered me a balcony guarantee for $50 per person. I think it was about a second and a half to decide! Have you checked to see how full your sailing is at this point? More cabins available would equal more chance to upsell? I guess try your TA but then maybe call the regular call line directly to NCL?

Hi all,

Just went into my NCL to finish my booking information and saw that the shows Brat pack and After Midnight are back on the site for bookings. Brat pack is now a free show in the main theatre on the Escape.

The only other show that I saw was the Wine lovers the musical for a fee. We are on the April 16, 2016 cruise, so i'm not sure about any earlier dates. But, looks like later dates would be available also..hope this information helps

Just talked to NCL and was told they are canceling some of the shows and moving times around. We are on the April 16 Escape sailing. Was also told to keep checking my NCL for the booking times and dates to reappear, and if not booked there can try to book onboard...which I was trying hard to avoid[emoji53]. Did check for up sells while I was on the phone and managed to get a balcony guarantee for a great price..so not all bad today!

I didn't receive an email but am also on the April 16th cruise. I had previously booked both shows and don't see anything on my NCL now. This is very disappointing in that the shows are a big part of my enjoyment of my cruise...I hope there will be some replacement that will be of similar value and quality.

Never had a very long wait for 2 people, if at all. They usually do ask you if you would mind sharing a table, but if you don't want to they usually seat you very quickly.

Hi, hoping someone can help! I always read about separate lines for latitudes members, but have not actually ever seen one:) Last time we checked in at Miami it was a madhouse...lines so long that it was ridiculous! So, back to the question...is there any sort of separate line? I saw some people going to the center of both lines and being helped, but there were no signs and no one to ask, so we just got in line and waited and waited...

Thank you for the help!