Just off the Escape and some thoughts

[eynsteinp]

I just got off of the Escape yesterday (7/16/16) after a very nice one week stay in a two bedroom Haven suite. I travelled with my wife and 14 year old twins (boy/girl). While the trip was a good one there are a few things I noticed that prevented this trip from being as good as my Getaway and Breakaway cruises (also Haven stays). First and foremost, the entertainment on the ship offered little variety. By this I mean that on the Getaway they have the Illusionarium and on Breakaway Cirque. The Escape offers three different shows but all three are musicals and none are suited for kids which limited family entertainment at night. I know my kids were not interested in Entourage so at night there was very limited options for them. Having a family oriented show would have filled at least one night and given us an opportunity to spend some additional time together other than at dinner.

 

Next, I am not sure what the problem was but two of the three zip lines were closed on the rope course, including the one that went over the side of the ship. This was not a deal breaker but a disappointment, especially since the man working the ropes course said its been closed for a few cruises now. Again, not the end of the world but it was one of the things we were looking forward to doing.

 

Finally, the single biggest complaint I have is that the room stewart was less then friendly. We tend to spend a lot of time in the room in the mornings and he was clearly not happy that he could not clean our room on his schedule. I was told he is on break at 2:00 and needed to be able to clean by 1:00 or he would not clean it until 6:00 p.m.. I told him that I understood but could not guarantee what time we would all be out of the room since we like to sleep in (as my wife and I like to spend time in the casino at night and often don't get back until later in the night- if things are going well :) and if he did not clean it before his break it was not a problem for me if he did it at 6:00 p.m. He told me on day two that this was fine but for the next five days he made it clear that it was not fine with him. Honestly, it was so clear that he was unhappy with our schedule that he made it uncomfortable overtime we saw him. This was really disappointing because the service on NCL in general and in the Haven in particular is usually what makes the cruise so special.

 

Regardless, we had a nice time no the cruise but felt that our experience on both the Breakaway and Getaway were far superior. If anyone has any questions I would be glad to try to answer them. Hope all have a great time if they cruise the Escape.

Edited July 17, 2016 by eynsteinp

[Nola26]

Too bad your kids didn't do Entourage. We couldn't keep our 13 almost 14yo out of there last summer while on the Getaway. He is excited to go back on the Escape. The programming there varies so too bad there was nothing that interested them. He also spent a lot of time playing basketball with other teens, day and night.

 

Hopefully there were complaints about the Zip line closure, especially once it was communicated that it had been closed for several trips, not acceptable. Closing for safety concerns, like wind, totally acceptable and appreciated. Closed for maintenance issues, not so much.

[Sand and Seas]

Did you try Margaritaville? Just wondering if people are enjoying it now as there have been some posts saying it's under utilized.

 

We stay up late many nights and then sleep in too. We have never had a steward give us attitude over it. Really not acceptable IMHO.

[Warm Breezes]

Too bad your kids didn't do Entourage. We couldn't keep our 13 almost 14yo out of there last summer while on the Getaway. He is excited to go back on the Escape. The programming there varies so too bad there was nothing that interested them. He also spent a lot of time playing basketball with other teens, day and night.

 

Hopefully there were complaints about the Zip line closure, especially once it was communicated that it had been closed for several trips, not acceptable. Closing for safety concerns, like wind, totally acceptable and appreciated. Closed for maintenance issues, not so much.

 

I would think being closed for maintenance would be a safety issue. I'd want whatever was wrong with it fixed before my kids went on it. It is too bad OP was on a cruise where it was closed but it's not like they can just do it when no one is on board....

[boatseller]

Next, I am not sure what the problem was but two of the three zip lines were closed on the rope course, including the one that went over the side of the ship. This was not a deal breaker but a disappointment, especially since the man working the ropes course said its been closed for a few cruises now. Again, not the end of the world but it was one of the things we were looking forward to doing.

 

They seem to have chronic problems with the breaking system. I sailed on Getaway twice and the zip line was closed both times, months apart.

 

Last month on Escape, the long zipline was closed. Fortunately the over the side was open as was the short one right at the beginning.

 

Yeah, the Supper Club is nice and the shows are nice, but compared to The Illusionarium, I'd rather take a nap.

[cb at sea]

If you want your cabin cleaned early...you need to get out of it! So simple! If you plan on "sleeping in", then expect only the evening service.

[Sand and Seas]

If you want your cabin cleaned early...you need to get out of it! So simple! If you plan on "sleeping in", then expect only the evening service.

 

The OP said they were fine with it being cleaned in the evening....just that the steward seemed to have a problem with it.

 

We too have often had 'do not disturb' on for the morning and not had it available for cleaning. No problem for us and stewards never seemed to mind.

[eynsteinp]

If you want your cabin cleaned early...you need to get out of it! So simple! If you plan on "sleeping in", then expect only the evening service.

 

I'm not sure about the hostility but I as I stated, I did not care if the room was not cleaned early. I went out of my way to let him know that cleaning it in the evening was preferred since we sleep in. It was the room stewart that did not like having to clean it in the evening.

 

As far as the zip line, I got the feeling that the two zip lines including the one that goes over the edge of the ship are going to be closed for quite a while still. The man working the ropes course said that he couldn't give details but it is closed indefinitely as they could not fix it themselves.

 

Finally, I agree, Illusionarium is far superior to anything they have in the Supper Club. I really think that they are way over doing it with all three major shows being musicals.

Edited July 18, 2016 by eynsteinp

[firegal2539]

I am on the Escape in two weeks and was wondering if you could tell me who the Cruise Director was, who the Captain was, etc.? If you got their names I would appreciate a post.

 

Thanks!

[Sissaaaaaa]

If you want your cabin cleaned early...you need to get out of it! So simple! If you plan on "sleeping in", then expect only the evening service.

 

Chill. The problem was clearly with the steward and not the OP.

[blackwing]

It's unfortunate about your cabin steward, I guess he wanted to do all the rooms in the morning so the evening could be reserved simply for turning down beds and emptying garbage and replacing towels. Our steward on our last cruise wasn't particularly friendly. We used a hotel key to keep the air conditioning on, put the "make up room" light on, and went out. He saw us leaving. When we saw him in the evening he said he couldn't make up the room because we left the key in the slot so it was saying we were "at home". Even though he saw us leave and we had the "make up room" light on. No worries, I just smiled and moved on.

 

I'm curious as to your suggestion that NCL should have a "family" show. I would have thought your kids are 14 and might have enjoyed the musicals better than my kids (9 and 7). NCL doesn't do a great job with entertainment catered towards elementary school aged children. We had "Legally Blonde" on the Getaway two years ago, which was fairly inappropriate for them, but my then 7 year old was laughing when I laughed and told me he didn't understand what was going on. Many of the jokes ("is he gay.... or European?") went over his head.

 

I guess ever since NCL lost the Nickelodeon contract, there isn't as much entertainment for younger kids. I guess one night a week NCL could do a family show, but then many of the guests with that don't have elementary-aged children would be complaining that the show was childish. Can't please everyone. I guess for the best in family entertainment, we have to go Disney.

 

Too bad about the ziplines. When we went in March, the only zipline that was always closed was the short little one near the very beginning. The long one over the running track and the one over the ocean were always open. The first plank on the left was always closed, and sometimes the plank near the over ocean zipline was closed if it was too windy. I think it's better that they close these for safety/maintenance rather than risk a tragic accident. Hope they fix the issues soon.

[Laszlo]

I'm not sure about the hostility but I as I stated, I did not care if the room was not cleaned early. I went out of my way to let him know that cleaning it in the evening was preferred since we sleep in. It was the room stewart that did not like having to clean it in the evening.

 

Of course he didn't like it, hotel and ship cabins are usually cleaned in the morning hours and turn down service in the evening.

Edited July 18, 2016 by Laszlo

[BuckeyeFan03]

I am on the Escape in two weeks and was wondering if you could tell me who the Cruise Director was, who the Captain was, etc.? If you got their names I would appreciate a post.

 

Thanks!

 

I was also on this Escape sailing. Cruise Director was Tyler Gray and Captain was Giovanni Cutugno, I believe.

[ColinIllinois]

Room stewarD. ;)

[firegal2539]

I have heard that Tyler is amazing. The reviews are great on him.

 

 

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[Kingmaker_inc]

I understand that getting up and out of the room in the am and/or being rushed on vacation is not a good thing, but clearing out by 1:00pm isn't exactly early or hard to accommodate.

 

You should have complained to the Hotel Director about the attitude issue, and been informed that you need to get out of your room by 1:00pm if you want it cleaned for the day.

[2specialkidsforme]

We were on the Escape in April and found the same thing with the zip lines. Most of week only one open and then final port day they opened the one over the water for two hours. Briefly, the very short one opened twice. Personally, we felt it was due to a staffing issue. They just did not seem to have enough staff. The long one that goes over the water was designed so you do it without any staff present. You wait for the green light then can move your rope into the chamber and run and zip line. It was very difficult to do this on your own and most of the younger kids could not. So it would all back up and then a staff member would have to come over. Just my opinion. The staff they had working there were AWESOME but like I said it seemed like they needed one to two more staff members.

 

We enjoyed our time on the Escape but loved our time on the Breakaway better.

 

To the OP -sorry your room steward had an attitude about cleaning your cabin late in the day. You are on vacation and paid for a two bedroom haven suite - your request was reasonable - his response was not.

[eynsteinp]

First, as to the shows, the problem is that neither younger children or teenagers are interested in a show about Frankie Vallie, 1980's movies or the cotton club. As I said, I don't expect NCL to cater to families per se but offering one show, even for a fee as Illusionarium and Cirque are, would be better than three shows no child, younger or teenager, would have any desire to see. Also, there were many warnings that the Brat Pack Show is not appropriate for children and has many sexual topics in addition to language. So this show would definitely not be good for younger children. The Cotton Club show was a longer show with a lot of dancing which would likely bore most younger children as well. Just my opinion.

 

Next, as to the Room Steward, I feel strongly that the attitude he displayed was inappropriate regardless if I was in a Suite or an Inside Cabin. I live in Las Vegas which is the pacific time zone (3 hours earlier than Miami) so I tend to sleep in especially late given the time change. Either way, the fact is that it is the passenger's vacation and unless the request is unreasonable they should try to accommodate it, it is the service industry. Furthermore, to be clear, I did not even ask him to clean the room at 6:00, he told me he was forced to since my family was not out of the room early enough to meet his regular schedule. I simply told him that it was fine with me.

 

Finally, I am not sure what the reason was that the two zippiness and one of the plank's was closed the entire trip but this seems to be a fairly regular problem for NCL. I think not having the rock wall on this ship makes the rope course even more important to be working.

 

Finally, to be clear, I had a nice trip but these issues made it a lesser cruise when compared to both the Breakaway and Getaway.

[jcathers1]

First, as to the shows, the problem is that neither younger children or teenagers are interested in a show about Frankie Vallie, 1980's movies or the cotton club. As I said, I don't expect NCL to cater to families per se but offering one show, even for a fee as Illusionarium and Cirque are, would be better than three shows no child, younger or teenager, would have any desire to see. Also, there were many warnings that the Brat Pack Show is not appropriate for children and has many sexual topics in addition to language. So this show would definitely not be good for younger children. The Cotton Club show was a longer show with a lot of dancing which would likely bore most younger children as well. Just my opinion.

 

 

 

Next, as to the Room Steward, I feel strongly that the attitude he displayed was inappropriate regardless if I was in a Suite or an Inside Cabin. I live in Las Vegas which is the pacific time zone (3 hours earlier than Miami) so I tend to sleep in especially late given the time change. Either way, the fact is that it is the passenger's vacation and unless the request is unreasonable they should try to accommodate it, it is the service industry. Furthermore, to be clear, I did not even ask him to clean the room at 6:00, he told me he was forced to since my family was not out of the room early enough to meet his regular schedule. I simply told him that it was fine with me.

 

 

 

Finally, I am not sure what the reason was that the two zippiness and one of the plank's was closed the entire trip but this seems to be a fairly regular problem for NCL. I think not having the rock wall on this ship makes the rope course even more important to be working.

 

 

 

Finally, to be clear, I had a nice trip but these issues made it a lesser cruise when compared to both the Breakaway and Getaway.

 

 

We are sailing in September, and I actually just made reservations for the Brat Pack show for myself, my wife, and our two daughters (10 and 6). I specifically asked if the show was "family friendly" and was assured that it was.

 

Can someone provide some first-hand insight into the content? They both love musicals, but I won't take them to something that isn't appropriate. Thanks in advance.

[blackwing]

Question, was the ropes course completely closed, or just the two ziplines? The ziplines are fun, but if the rest of the course was open, then I would have fun regardless. The issue with the over-the-water zipline seems to be with the brake. There is a bit of force on it, and I am not surprised that little kids had issues with it. When I went with my kids they always told me to go first because the kids might not be strong enough to push forward and get the brake to release, they wanted me to help them.

 

With the cabin steward... it sounds like he wanted to clean the room in the morning, and you told him that you were ok with having it cleaned at 6. On the one hand, you are a paying guest, and there should be some amount of service expected. He is a representative of NCL and should do his best to help meet your expectations.

 

At the same time, I think there could have been some recognition on your part that he has a lot on his plate. He probably has 20 cabins assigned to him. I think it's perfectly reasonable for him to want to clean all the rooms in the morning. Then the evening duties are just turn down service and replacing towels. It might seem like not a big deal to you, but if you don't allow him to clean your room until 6, that's an added step for him. He has to go and get the vacuum cleaner out and do the other "morning" tasks.

 

I would have suggested that if you wanted to sleep in, then maybe tell him you are OK with the room not getting cleaned. I think that would have meant not getting the room vacuumed or dusted. He would still change the towels and empty the trash.

 

As far as people suggesting to complain to the hotel director... I guess I am easy to please, I have never complained to anybody on any of my cruises. Remember that these employees are human beings who are taking these difficult jobs. They work 7 days a week probably for 12 hours a day or more, sleep four to a tiny cabin, have a hall bathroom... all so they can send most of their money home to their families. Too often I have seen passengers speaking to or yelling at cruise ship employees like they are their personal slaves. They're not. Unless the employee is way out of line, I would try and avoid complaining, because that probably results in marks on their record, lost bonuses, etc.

[welove2cruise*]

I never thought about the room steward not wanting to do the whole room in the evening. There are many times on a cruise when I will just have my husband catch the steward in the hallway and have him fill my ice bucket. I never mind making my own bed and it seems silly to have to him come twice a day to clean. I know on the last cruise he came in and cleaned while we were out one day even when I said he didn't have to. I wonder now if that was why.

 

Here I thought I was giving the guy a break. ;)

[Jana60]

I just got off of the Escape yesterday (7/16/16) after a very nice one week stay in a two bedroom Haven suite. I travelled with my wife and 14 year old twins (boy/girl). While the trip was a good one there are a few things I noticed that prevented this trip from being as good as my Getaway and Breakaway cruises (also Haven stays). First and foremost, the entertainment on the ship offered little variety. By this I mean that on the Getaway they have the Illusionarium and on Breakaway Cirque. The Escape offers three different shows but all three are musicals and none are suited for kids which limited family entertainment at night. I know my kids were not interested in Entourage so at night there was very limited options for them. Having a family oriented show would have filled at least one night and given us an opportunity to spend some additional time together other than at dinner.

 

Next, I am not sure what the problem was but two of the three zip lines were closed on the rope course, including the one that went over the side of the ship. This was not a deal breaker but a disappointment, especially since the man working the ropes course said its been closed for a few cruises now. Again, not the end of the world but it was one of the things we were looking forward to doing.

 

Finally, the single biggest complaint I have is that the room stewart was less then friendly. We tend to spend a lot of time in the room in the mornings and he was clearly not happy that he could not clean our room on his schedule. I was told he is on break at 2:00 and needed to be able to clean by 1:00 or he would not clean it until 6:00 p.m.. I told him that I understood but could not guarantee what time we would all be out of the room since we like to sleep in (as my wife and I like to spend time in the casino at night and often don't get back until later in the night- if things are going well :) and if he did not clean it before his break it was not a problem for me if he did it at 6:00 p.m. He told me on day two that this was fine but for the next five days he made it clear that it was not fine with him. Honestly, it was so clear that he was unhappy with our schedule that he made it uncomfortable overtime we saw him. This was really disappointing because the service on NCL in general and in the Haven in particular is usually what makes the cruise so special.

 

Regardless, we had a nice time no the cruise but felt that our experience on both the Breakaway and Getaway were far superior. If anyone has any questions I would be glad to try to answer them. Hope all have a great time if they cruise the Escape.

 

My sister and I were in The Haven with you guys and I remember seeing you and your lovely family at dinner on occasion. We almost never spoke to our room steward. We didn't ask his opinion about when we came or went but simply put out the make up our room light when we left and turned it out when we were there. If he didn't make up the room while we were away we really didn't care since we are pretty neat. We loved our Butler Aires who went out of his way to try to make sure everything was just perfect! The concierge was a little weird in that he seemed to delight in arguing no matter what was asked. For instance I called and asked him for the "cruise next" phone number because an error had been made in my future Cruise certificates and he proceeded to argue with me that there was nothing that could be done to correct the error so I might as well live with it. They had put my future Cruise certificates in the name and on the bill of a family member of mine. When the concierge kept arguing that there was nothing to be done to correct it, I finally informed him that all I needed from him was the phone number and not the opinion.

My sister and I loved the entertainment but then we are in our 50s and she is a music teacher so Musical shows are probably much more to our liking then they would be to two little boys! I was told the ropes course was closed several times due to high winds.

[Jana60]

We are sailing in September, and I actually just made reservations for the Brat Pack show for myself, my wife, and our two daughters (10 and 6). I specifically asked if the show was "family friendly" and was assured that it was.

 

Can someone provide some first-hand insight into the content? They both love musicals, but I won't take them to something that isn't appropriate. Thanks in advance.

 

The brat pack while not designed for children did not contain any nudity or overt violence and so was just as family friendly as most of what is on TV nowadays. If you saw the movie The Breakfast Club then you have an idea of the type of content but with music and encompassing several different shows of that era. I loved the show and gave it a standing ovation at the end. The Frankie Valli show was also highly entertaining but I agree that it was probably less entertaining to two small boys. They also had some family friendly comedy shows and movies on a big screen playing in the evenings such as Disney's Frozen. The cruise director also had some game shows in the atrium that were highly entertaining even to the children present since they involved a lot of audience participation. We had such a great time that I'm taking my other sister on the same Cruise in October because I hated for her to miss out.

[riclop]

Thanks for your thoughts.

[eynsteinp]

I guess I have a slightly different opinion then some. As far as the room steward goes, I never told him he had to clean at 6:00 p.m., in fact I told him that I don't care if he just wanted to change out towels and empty the garbage cans that would be fine. Regardless though, I do believe that there is no reason for him to make me and/or my family feel uncomfortable about it. I did not complain to anyone about it because my point was not to cause him or anyone else trouble, it was just an observation that I had. I have had three cruises on NCL, all in the Haven, and never had any staff member give off that type of vibe before. However, I do feel that, while not the most convenient for him, he should have accommodated my schedule without any type of attitude. Honestly, it did not ruin my cruise but it resulted in him not receiving a $100 tip that I have given to my room stewards on each of my other cruises because I know that my family's schedule is not "normal" and I try to recognize that extra service deserves to be recognized in the tip you provide. Also, keep in mind that I would bet anything that the cruise line prefers my wife and/or I to be out late in the casino gambling and then sleeping in rather in the room by 10:00 p.m. so I can be out for the room to be cleaned each morning. Again just an observation about this particular cruise that I felt was worth mentioning as I have never had that experience on my previous cruises with NCL.