NCL Escape Nov 14,2015

[RMS Olympic]

Booked a balcony cabin on the first Caribbean sailing (post TA).

NCL called me first thing this morning when the books opened.

As this will be considered the inaugural cruise (crossing the maiden).....I am looking forward to the onboard celebrations.

Anyone else considering this cruise?

Tom

[DavyB]

I'm on board Tom. I'm also doing the TA. I've never done a TA or an inaugural so I'm looking forward to both.

 

David

[RMS Olympic]

Glad to read you have booked. What are you going to do for the week between the TA arrival date and the first Miami sailing? I believe there is a week in between.

I see you sailed the Getaway, how was it. I sail her in late Nov this year and hope it wont impact my desire to sail the Escape. I will admit I am not a big fan of NCL, but my history with them is old and want to see what the current product is all about....even the Sun, a small ship with less bells and whistles.

[DavyB]

Tom -

 

The week in between I'm actually plan on working. LOL I'm doing a bunch of cruises next year with limited vacation time. LOL Of course that could all change.

 

The Getaway is my favorite NCL ship. The crew was amazing, the entertainment was top notch, food was so so, and the parties in the evening were the best at sea. I think you will enjoy everything the Getaway has to offer. I'm doing the Jewel at the end of this month. It will be my first time on a smaller NCL ship so it'll be interesting to see how that compares to the larger ships. Stay tuned and I'll report back. :D

[RMS Olympic]

I am looking forward to the entertainment!

As for the food being so so.....is that in the main restaurants or in the specialty restaurants as well. I purchased the dining package and intend to hit Cagney's, the Brazilian restaurant and Le Bistro. Traveling single may make dining in the tariff restaurants less special, unless I can find dinner mates.

As for comparison...sailing the Sun after Getaway should be really an eye opener. The smaller ship works for me, especially meeting people to socialize with.

By the way, are you working in the travel industry? It sounds like it.

I am about 5 weeks away from the MSC Divina.....yet another comparison for the Getaway. I hope Getaway is a fun experience even if its a big ship crowded with people. If I can get a Vibe pass.....at least I will have a place to sun and harass the bartenders........:D:D:D. Now if there is eye candy onboard, then all I need is a long island ice tea....and I am red ta go.

[DavyB]

I'm sure there will be plenty of eye candy so you'll be set. ;) Good Luck with the Vibe pass. I was never on board to get one but had a great time at H2O during the week. The bartenders knew me and my drink. I don't know if that's good or bad. haha They also brought around cool towels and the water falls were nice and refreshing.

 

I'm thinking about MSC in 2016. You'll have to let me know how it is.

 

The food in the specialty restaurants is wonderful. The so-so food is in the "complimentary" restaurants. My favorit specialty restaurants are Cagney's, Le Bistro, and La Cucina. I didn't like La Cucina on the Epic but had a completely different experience on the Getaway.

 

I am a part time travel agent. I'm actually a systems engineer during the day. If the travel agent gig paid more, I would definitely do that full time.

[RMS Olympic]

So the bartenders knew you by name........interesting. perhaps it was the thong or mankini you wore in the H2O waterfall that made you famous:D:D:D

I will let you know about the MSC Divina.

I am so ready for the Getaway.......must remember to behave so my reputation does not proceed me on the Escape.:eek:

By the way, on the Getaway I know the spa area comes at a cost. As a gym rat on a ship I do enjoy either a dry sauna and or steam to detox. Can you tell me if they are coed or gender separate on the Getaway.

On the Deutchsland I found out the hard way they were coed.......and no one wore clothes...especially the really big German gals. My retinas are still burning: D

I look forward to meeting you...first round is on me.

[DavyB]

HAHAHA - that is horrible and funny regarding the spa. You poor thing. :D:D:D Unfortunately, the spa on the Getaway is coed. I didn't use it so I can't comment on how crowded it actually gets.

 

Looking forward to meeting you as well. I'm holding you to that first drink. :p

[nyc2theworld]

I'm debating between the TA and the Miami Inaugural. I'm leaning towards the TA because I'm not really a port person and wished I had more time on my previous/first cruise the Getaway even though I only did 1 shore excursion.

 

As for the spa situation on the Getaway it is CoEd but it never really got completely packed. That didn't stop some people going in the sauna in just their towels either. While I don't have anything to compare it to, the Getaway with the Ultimate Beverage Package was amazing. Lets just say bartenders (and guests for that matter) throughout the ship knew NYC2theworld from the solo studios.

 

I'm doing a 3 day cruise on the Sky as a BOGO since it fits perfectly in between work trips so I'm interested to see how a smaller ship works.

 

As for Vibe, I was maybe person # 4 to board the ship. I got to the port around 9ish and they didn't let people into the terminal till about 10...then we sat around until 1030 when they started checkin (I got group one). I would say on the Getaway Vibe is worth it because the hot tubs up there have shades over them so they never get really hot so you can lounge in them during sea days for a while, the bar is never crazy AND you don't have to worry about exchanging towels.

[sailing-nut]

Hi all,

 

We have officially jumped ship from our Halloween cruise October 31 on the Getaway to this one .... They changed the itinerary from a 7 night Eastern to a 12 day southern ... So Pete's Pirates are coming aboard !!! Yes we all are jumping ship !!!! It's going to be so exciting to be one of the first people on board ... New fresh ship !!!

 

Pete

 

 

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[RMS Olympic]

Looks like we have pirates on board! Pirates were known to rape and pillage.....:D:D:D

In the mean time I am looking forward to the getaway......

She pulled along side the Divina at 6 am in Miami.......all lit up and looked great.

I have lots of thought on the Divina, not as bad as I had read, but had I paid substantially more than I did and I would have been unhappy.

Yesterday I received a call from NCL and I asked them about the upcoming refit of the NCL Star which I am considering for Feb 2016. She is getting

a major upgrade to the tune of $30 million. So if she comes out with a completely new interior I will book.

As for this Escape sailing, it looks like it will be a fun time.....maybe a week is not long enough.......:cool:

[sailing-nut]

Hi all,

 

We just like to have fun !!! We are really easy going group !!!

 

We are going on the Star in December for a Mexican Rivera cruise ... An it's still nice ... Great staff

 

Pete

 

 

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Edited October 9, 2014 by sailing-nut

[RMS Olympic]

Looking forward to meting you and your group. This should be a fun cruise!

Tom aka Bertha

[sailing-nut]

Hi ya Tom,

 

It's going to be an outstanding cruise .. New ship, inaugural sailing and new friends !!! Life is good !!!

 

The only thing that I like to contribute to this sailing is a slot pull ... And sometimes set up a Meet & Greet's pre-pre and pre after muster drill as for cabin crawl really need a volunteer for that one !!!

 

Oh and I set up the Holiday Inn Port of Miami for a group rate !!!

 

Pete

 

 

Sent using the Cruise Critic forums app

[RMS Olympic]

How big is your group?

Are you an agent or just a "Julie McCoy"........fabulous!

As for the Holiday Inn....how is it?

I normally book a night before stay in Miami so I can drive in the night before. It is about 6 hour drive from my home up in the Nature Coast to Miami, 5 hours to Ft Lauderdale. I have used Hotwire in the past to get a decent room rate.......but will look into the Holiday Inn...depending on the parking availability.

This cruise has a lot of activity on Cruise Critic boards.......:D

I just hope my experience on Getaway next month is a positive one so as not to diminish my anticipation for Escape. This cruise will mark a special moment for me as my first cruise was on the NCL Southward and now ESCAPE will make my 80th cruise.

I am red ta go!

Tom

[r4golden]

Hi all,

 

We were on the getaway last week. All I can say is that it is the best ship I have been on in 17 sailings. If you have specific questions, just let me know and will try and answer them. We were in a spa balcony and had full access to the spa thermal suites. Never crowded, nor was there any nudity. It was a nice perk included in our cabin. Would I pay $199PP for access for the week, no, but we did use it. I do recommend doing the ultimate dinning program. We never did eat in the main dinning rooms except for breakfast/lunch. Le Bistro was the best but all of the up-charge restaurants are great.

 

We had over 70 people from cruise critic and it was a great group. We did a sail away, a meet and greet with a white elephant drawing (sponsored by Norwegian ) a slot pull, a cabin crawl (which I organized) with a poker crawl at the same time.

 

The escape will be very similar to the Getaway, just an expanded Haven area and I think a couple of different restaurants and shows.

 

We are booked in a Large Balcony on deck 9. They have an extended balcony so you can actually have a lounger or 2. The down side is everyone above can look down on you. Not a problem for me, I can see all of them too:D

 

We will also be doing another cruise either pre or post depending on what we can find. I was hoping to do the getaway on 11/7 but I don't see that as an option from NCL right now. They probably don't want to take away from the Escapes thunder.

 

I would like to hear more about the Divina, as one of our group like the Divina even more then the getaway.

 

Looking forward to another great CC group.

 

Rick aka Big Dog

 

My wife and I are Travel agents.

[RMS Olympic]

Great to hear positive comments about Getaway.

I purchased the premium meal plan and intend to hit all the tariff restaurants.

I also plan on getting a Vibe pass as I have a concern the pool deck is way too cramped.

Did the ship feel crowded?

Was the buffet/ lido a mad house at lunch time?

Was smoking in public areas a concern? I found it to be so on the Epic back in 2010.

I am not a fan of big ships, but they just keep getting bigger. I hope I can find a watering hole to roost in the evening for cocktail hour and socializing. Any lounges or bars best for socializing? Note, I never found one on Divina.

I switched to a solo cabin from a balcony......so I hope I don't miss the balcony space. The Solo cabin on Epic fit its purposes so I know what to expect. I have the NCL Sun booked for March with a balcony over looking the bow......so I have that to look forward to as well as a balcony on the Escape:D

By the way...is there a lobster night on Getaway? I read something about a lobster night on another NCL ship....which was even on Youtube.

As for Escape......it looks like it will be a sold out cruise....with lots of fun people on board.....if I could handle being separated from my pooch I'd book the crossing which is a great price.

As for Divina, I have been holding off on posting thoughts, but may do so...not complaints but observations. Overall I thought it was a bargain level product at a bargain level price......and I got what I paid for. Was it as bad as many write ups suggested...no. The actual ship......some design flaws which as a ship beyotch really stood out to me. I will be interested in comparing Getaway next month to Divina.....meow:cool:

One last question on Getaway...how was Illusionarium?

Tom aka bertha

[r4golden]

Great to hear positive comments about Getaway.

I purchased the premium meal plan and intend to hit all the tariff restaurants.

I also plan on getting a Vibe pass as I have a concern the pool deck is way too cramped.

Did the ship feel crowded?

Was the buffet/ lido a mad house at lunch time?

Was smoking in public areas a concern? I found it to be so on the Epic back in 2010.

I am not a fan of big ships, but they just keep getting bigger. I hope I can find a watering hole to roost in the evening for cocktail hour and socializing. Any lounges or bars best for socializing? Note, I never found one on Divina.

I switched to a solo cabin from a balcony......so I hope I don't miss the balcony space. The Solo cabin on Epic fit its purposes so I know what to expect. I have the NCL Sun booked for March with a balcony over looking the bow......so I have that to look forward to as well as a balcony on the Escape:D

By the way...is there a lobster night on Getaway? I read something about a lobster night on another NCL ship....which was even on Youtube.

As for Escape......it looks like it will be a sold out cruise....with lots of fun people on board.....if I could handle being separated from my pooch I'd book the crossing which is a great price.

As for Divina, I have been holding off on posting thoughts, but may do so...not complaints but observations. Overall I thought it was a bargain level product at a bargain level price......and I got what I paid for. Was it as bad as many write ups suggested...no. The actual ship......some design flaws which as a ship beyotch really stood out to me. I will be interested in comparing Getaway next month to Divina.....meow:cool:

One last question on Getaway...how was Illusionarium?

Tom aka bertha

 

Tom,

 

We didn't do the vibe, just because it doesn't have a pool. I have heard it isn't really worth it and its very windy due to the location. The pool deck and pools are very crowded on sea days, not while in port. So get a deck chair early. We had the spa pass so we tended to hang out there.

 

Other than the pool deck on sea days the ship didn't feel crowded. In fact as big as she is the layout makes it a short walk to most of the areas of the ship at 678 ocean.

 

As to bars, we were a party of 4 so we pretty much hung out together or with the CC bunch, so we don't usually go bar hopping.

 

We aren't buffet people so I really can't really address that. I did go there a couple of times and it was busy, but there really weren't lines per se. And O'sheehans, taste and savor are also open as well as the other buffet, so there are lots of choices.

 

With the open plan of 678 Ocean, there is the smell of smoke near the casino on deck 7. You can smell it from O'sheehan's at night, not as much during the day. It does permeate somewhat on deck 6 and 8 near the atrium. We aren't smokers so yes it is bothersome, but not a deal breaker. I can't wait until they ban smoking, but I doubt I will ever see it. Yes, I am a former smoker.

 

The solo cabins are way cool! You will like them.

 

There is a "seafood" night. But if you want lobster its only available in the buffet, so we didn't partake.

 

I don't think you can go wrong with either the Getaway or the Escape.

 

See you next year.

 

Rick

[r4golden]

Is everyone on this list also on the official roll call list?

 

I just talked to NCL it seems that the Getaway is chartered for the 1st. 3 weeks of October 2015. So that will put a lot of sales pressure on this sailing. They wouldn't give me any information.

[sailing-nut]

How big is your group?

Are you an agent or just a "Julie McCoy"........fabulous!

As for the Holiday Inn....how is it?

I normally book a night before stay in Miami so I can drive in the night before. It is about 6 hour drive from my home up in the Nature Coast to Miami, 5 hours to Ft Lauderdale. I have used Hotwire in the past to get a decent room rate.......but will look into the Holiday Inn...depending on the parking availability.

This cruise has a lot of activity on Cruise Critic boards.......:D

I just hope my experience on Getaway next month is a positive one so as not to diminish my anticipation for Escape. This cruise will mark a special moment for me as my first cruise was on the NCL Southward and now ESCAPE will make my 80th cruise.

I am red ta go!

Tom

 

Hi All,

 

I like to be anything.... I like !!!!

 

As for the Holiday Inn its nice but don't know about the parking...

 

I will put out about the Pre-Pre Meet & Greet later....All I'm going to say its Cuban and they give us a break on food and drinks...

 

Yes I am....but like this one better....Thanks Tom...

 

Pete

Edited October 15, 2014 by sailing-nut

[sailing-nut]

Just a little BUMP !!!!!!

[RMS Olympic]

Paleeze be gentle when you bump........:D:D:D

 

Any idea what kind of show will be on the Escape....another illusionarium magic show or a Cirq type production like that on the Epic?

 

From the amount of posting on Cruise Critic for this sailing it should be a real party atmosphere:D

As I sail on Getaway next month I can practice my party mode:cool:

[sailing-nut]

Paleeze be gentle when you bump........:D:D:D

 

Any idea what kind of show will be on the Escape....another illusionarium magic show or a Cirq type production like that on the Epic?

 

From the amount of posting on Cruise Critic for this sailing it should be a real party atmosphere:D

As I sail on Getaway next month I can practice my party mode:cool:

 

Hi All,

 

You're sailing on the Getaway that we were going to sail on....but we changed to the Escape ....But got a great deal for the suite...same price for the Haven..Ya whoooo.... I loved the Epic...Twice...Did things that I didn't do last time on the Epic.... way to much to do and see...

 

We need to get together when we sail and tell me all about her (Gateway)...

 

I use lube when I bump....Its easier that way...Its better to be on the top than the bottom..You don't get lost that way......

 

Pete

[sailing-nut]

Hi all,

 

Since I like to bump and I will be gentle with no pain !!! That's me !!!

 

Pete

 

 

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[DavyB]

All this bumping going on has me excited about this cruise!! :p

 

Seriously though, I have 4 cruises booked for next year and I'm looking most forward to this one!!!

 

The Getaway is my favorite NCL ship. RMS - You're gonna love it!! If you have any questions feel free to ask.