NCL Escape Dec 9th Review!!!

[MsAllie]

Intro:

Sorry this review is late! It'll all be posted today though. I am new at this, so i am trying to figure it all out. Since so many people posted great reviews on the Escape, I decided to join! I am Allie, a vacation-lover. i love all vacations, but cruises are my fave. I traveled with my husband (Tay) and 2 other couples (Jean, Adam, Nancy & Joe). Us six always travel together (sometimes even with more people) but I think this was perfect with us 6 “besties” ! We range from 23 to 32 years old. We are from Staten Island, New York. We all flew to Miami the day before. Us 6 like to do it all. We are nonstop & always need a vacay from our vacay. I cruised w/ NCL a few times before (Breakaway & Epic) & a few times w/ Royal Caribbean (Oasis, Anthem, Adventure, Explorer of the Seas). I recently have been booking w/ NCL instead of Royal because I love all the perks you get !!! I’m not sure what cruise line I like best, I guess it depends on the boat. For this booking I got the beverage package, 3 specialty dining package, $200 OBC & free gratuities. You cannot beat that !! =)

 

 

 

 

Day 0:

Our flight landed at 9am! Everyone wanted to get a full day in Miami. We stayed at the Beacan hotel. I recommend staying at this hotel pre-cruise ! It was right on South beach, walking distance to great restaurants, nightlife, across the street from the beach, 5-10 minutes to the cruise port. It was perfect! Great customer service as well.

 

 

 

 

Day 1:

We were SOO excited the day was finally here!!! I couldn’t wait to get on the Escape!!

The hub & I had a BE Balcony on the 13th Floor & had the choice of 2 perks when we booked. We picked the Ultimate Beverage package & 3 Specialty Dining. Unfortunately, we had terrible weather today!! It was chilly, rainy, gross… Wah. I couldn’t complain too much though since NY was getting hit with snow! After our $20 dollar Uber, we got on the boat around noon.

 

Check in was painless! 1, 2, 3! As soon as we boarded, we went to Headliners to make all our ressys. It didn’t work that way.. We could make our 3 specialty dining ressys there (Us 6 all did Moderno, LeBistro & Teppanyaki) Then we went to 1 the touch screens & made our show reservations. We only made our reservations for After Midnight & for the Record prior on NCL.com. Lastly, we headed to the Box Office to reserve Escape The Big Top. The line for the box office was long & intimidating, but it moved quickly . As you can tell, we like to keep busy. I will talk about all the shows/dinners throughout the review.

 

 

I got a little bit of everything, Coleslaw, asian & pizza together? Uh - why not.

 

 

We all enjoy the buffet !! We ate at the buffet a few times after for breakfast & always enjoyed it. It was never too crowded. We always got a good seat right away. I don’t know how full our boat was. It always seemed full, but never too full. It was never an issue to get reservations, seats, spots by the pool, etc.

 

After the buffet, we went to our 1st bar – Margaritaville! I actually loved this spot & I wish they did more w/ it… It’s such a nice area & the drinks were GREAT! You cannot get some of the drinks you get here at the 5 o'clock somewhere bar on the waterfront FYI.

 

 

The bartenders here were soo nice!

We never ate here & yes I confirm it’s a $16 pp charge now (or is it $17?? – somewhere around there) No more al a carte menu – bummer. I would of defiantly just ordered the nachos and some margaritas if it was al a carte.

 

 

 

 

The muster drill was painless, which was great because no one really wants to do it. It was the quickest muster drill i’ve ever done! We sat down in Savor & it went by in no time!

 

Next up – more drinking! we checked out the bars on Deck 8. We went to The District, The Cellars & the Mojito Bar!! I enjoyed them all but only went back to the District a few times during the cruise. At the District I enjoyed my favorite drink of the cruise – the Red Light District!

 

 

 

 

The Red Light District

 

 

Ladies got cocktails - Men got beers

 

 

Hubby & I having fun in the photobooth - $5 for 3 strips

 

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At The Cellars I got a wine cocktail – I wasn’t too crazy about it. You can only get wine cocktails on the waterfront, not inside Cellars. The Cellars is a beautiful spot. If you’re a wine lover, I can see you really enjoying that bar.

 

 

Forgot the name because they weren’t memorable =-l

 

 

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Edited February 4, 2018 by MsAllie

[Keith1010]

Don't be sorry. Better to be late then never write it.

 

I will follow along till it is all posted.

 

Your photo didn't post though.

 

Keith

[MsAllie]

I'm trying to figure out how to post my pictures & add more to my review...? Some of my pictures are posting & some aren't .. Please let me know if any one has any advice

[MsAllie]

Me & Jean enjoying our mojitos - I got the raspberry guava & Jean got the regular mojito

I did enjoy many alcoholic beverages - but I am actually very picky.. i was sooooooooooooooo upset they didn’t have Pama (pomegranate liqueur) at every bar on this cruise. They only had it in the Atrium. When I went on the Breakaway, Epic (& my last Royal cruise on the Anthem) they had Pama at every single bar, so I was spoiled. It was actually all I drank. It was either a pomegranate martini, pomegranate margarita, or when I was at the nightclub a pama with tequila & seltzer. This was definitely a bummer to me – 1st world problems!!! Nothing quite lived up to my “pama” drinks.After all the drinking & exploring the boat we decided to check out our beautiful balconies & get ready for the night

Balcony – Love & Hate relationship ….. I’ll get on why I hated it later in the review but for now – I loved our balcony !! It was right by the elevator, super convenient! Spacious room but not much room to store your clothes/shoes, if you pack like me & tay. OVerall i did enjoy it, no complaints =) We had the bed by the door & the couch by the balcony doors- i like that set up best.

Our room attendant – hmmmmm – I have no clue who he was! Haha… I met him the 1st day for a second & never saw him again. I honestly don’t even know his name. Our room was clean most the time & I always got a towel animal so, hey no need to complain I guess. Nancy & Joe who were next door had a different room attendant & he was GREATT!!! He knew our room attendant wasn’t the best – so he told us if we needed anything to tell HIM, not our room attendant. LOL! Jean & Adam had a great room attendant also. They were on 10th floor. Adam actually got sick at the end of the week & the room attendant would check on him & go the extra mile. So sweet!

Welcome Aboard Show – It was good! We also “met” our cruise director Tyler. Oh my goodness, he was THE BEST cruise director ever!!! He was present the entire cruise & you could tell he wanted everyone to have the time of their lives. He was amazing, LOVED Tyler!!!! <- I will probably say that a few times during the review. After the show, Tyler greeted everyone in front of the treater. We actually took a selfie with him

1st Dinner: Manhattan Room – After the show we went to the Manhattan Room. The live music was nice & food was good. I was super excited to get my fave- chocolate melting cake (I’m sure they call it something else, but this is what I call it!) We ate somewhere different every day. You can definitely see a different in service with the specialty restaurants & the complimentary restaurants. I enjoyed the food everywhere, but there was a difference in service. The waiters in the specialty restaurants were more attentive & even happier. This might have been my favorite food on a cruise! I’m almost positive I gained 8-10 pounds, but hey who cares! One thing I love about vacation is the food!!

[jdvmd]

Thanks for your comments! We sailed the week after you did. Love the Escape!

[BirdTravels]

Thank you very much for taking the time to do a review. Much appreciated.

[MsAllie]

Since i cannot figure out how to post pictures, i will continue the review without pictures! =( Better than nothing!

[MsAllie]

After Dinner: We stopped at The District to check out the entertainment & to get my favorite drink! =)

 

 

Unfortunately, we caught the end of the act, so we went to check out Howl at the Moon & the Welcome Aboard Party. The Welcome aboard party was moved from H20 to Skyline lounge due to the weather. I loved being at H20, so it was a bummer. I was happy i did enjoy Skyline as well. I loved how the music videos played in the background. So cool! Everyone was definitely having a good time on their first night! The assistant cruise director was a blast too – I loved the entire team!

 

 

DJ with music videos playing in the background (Bruno Mars!)

 

 

Everyone dancing the night away!

 

 

Day 2 (a chilly day at sea & a formal night)

The weather was pretty crappy today – but then again no snow! We woke up ate breakfast at the buffet & went to the pool deck. It was too cold to hang out by the pool so me, Tay, Jean & Adam were on the hunt to find room in a Jacuzzi!

The 2 main Jacuzzis by the adult pool were packed! & with little kids – eww… lol .. I’m sure one day I’ll take my daughter in 1 with me, but thatttt won’t be gross haha. H20 Jacuzzis were packed as well…. Then I remembered reading a review with “hidden” Jacuzzis & we found them! They were on deck 19 or 20 (not sure because you have to walk up a few flights of stairs from the main pool area) There were 2 Jacuzzis (far apart) & a bar with the best bartenders!!!! For about 2-3 hours we were Jacuzzi hogs & enjoyed drinks there. It was so much fun!

“Hidden” jacuzzi w/ bar in the background. i wish i remembered the bartenders’ names. I am the worst! They were so funny.

Nancy & Joe were trying to find us. They went to the gym when us four wanted to hang outside.. They couldn't find us since we were at our “hidden jacuzzi.” This just shows, you should not go to the gym on vacation!

We finally meet up with them & played bowling at O’Sheehans.

It was a good time. $5 per person, per game. We played boys VS girls. Sad to admit, the boys won. We were close though! We should of asked for a rematch!

2 bowling lanes on the boat

Next up – Starbucks & Deal or No Deal. I loved Starbucks in the Atrium!! It was a great touch for a “Starbucks lover” like me. I work in Times Square – I live off Starbucks! I got an iced latte & a cupcake. Loved my latte – cupcake not so much. My latte did taste like my latte i get at Starbucks regularly. It didn't taste like “fake Starbucks”

Deal or no deal was fun but it was too hard to get a seat in the Atrium. We went 15 minutes before. It was kind of frustrating that we were playing and had to stand while 50 % of people were sitting and just watching. Hey, I know we don’t own the seats, so we realized for anything going on in the Atrium we had to be chair hogs. I seen people go savage in the atrium!!! Someone stood up to participate in a game & 10 people would run over to steal their seat. When they would come back after participating, they wouldn’t get up. I know no one was stealing any of my friends’ seats if they had to go to the bathroom or get a drink – just sayinggg.. Anyway – did I want to do deal or no deal again? Yes. Did I have the opportunity? Yes. Did i? No! I didn’t want to deal with the seat situation. It was $50 for 2 boards, 2 games.. The 2 games lasted about 45 minutes.

Then we checked out the waterfront. I lovedddd the waterfront. We meet the chocolate cowboy, everyone knows & loves. The boys went to smoke a cigar, me & Nancy walked along the waterfront in awe & Jean went back up the room for some rest. The humidor was tiny & very smokey, the boys enjoyed it.

Dinner: we had a 6pm dinner ressy at Moderno. I’m not a fan of steak, but I loved it ! Great atmosphere, great service, great apps at the buffet & great sangria!

After dinner (all stuffed to the max) we were dressed to impress, ready to party! & not because it was formal night, because this is just what we do. Even though NCL is very laid back, we love dressing up & did almost every night. i didn't see many people dress up for formal night. I felt like more people were dressed up on other nights. With about an hour until the Newlywed Game (one of my favesss) we saw there was live music in the Atrium. Live music & pomegranate martinis? I can't go wrong!

Me & my martini - happy girl

 

 

The Golden Octaves were performing. OMG – they were AMAZING! I wish I saw them again! The main singer was unbelievable & he was singing a bunch of love songs <3 Since we were there early, we got great seats for the show! Yay! & thank goodness because getting a seat was scary in there! I loved the Newlywed Game as usual. Tyler is too damn funny. I laughed my butt off. Next, we stopped at Howl at the moon. Honestly-This was the worst Howl at the Moon i’ve ever saw & i saw a bunch. I wasn’t a fan to stay & sing like I usually do. Norwegian's night out was unfortunately moved from H20 to Skyline again because of the weather. Wah wah wah . It was fine by me though. Those pomegranate martinis kicked in & we danced the night away! The girls were having a blast, but the guys weren’t. They took us away from the dance floor to go to O'Sheehan's – party poopers! O'Sheehan's late night menu was limited, but good enough. It was pretty packed & the service was fast. I got buffalo wings & french fries, they were good. I’m surprised i didn't make it back there the entire cruise! i wish i got to eat there with their regular menu, there wasn’t enough time!

 

 

Day 3 (No Jamaica Monnnn)

Falmouth Jamaica port was closed due to high winds & waves !!! I was so disappointed, but hey what can you do., safety first

We went back to the pool deck for some fun. Tyler promised a good day at sea & I believed him! … The weather got warmer & less windy throughout the morning.

We relaxed by the main pool area & had fun !!! Again – I don’t know if the boat was empty or because the weather wasn’t the best, but the pool area was pretty empty. I loved the pool area. I loved the set up, the bars, music, etc. We enjoyed drinks by the pool, somewhat warmer weather & the games .

 

 

 

 

 

 

It was 5 o'clock somewhere, so we ordered mudslides, white & red sangrias, tequila & pineapple at the pool bar. The sexy leg competition was canceled day 2 & rescheduled today.

My favorite won!The pool was too deep for me to go in. I like to feel the bottom and it was over 6 foot. I enjoyed sitting on the side with my drink relaxing with my favorite people.

 

 

After a day at sea: Dinner was at Taste at 7pm. Loved my meal! & II ordered bang bang Chicken & Shrimp and chocolate melting cake.

 

 

Service was a bit slow. When we told them we had a 9pm show to go to, they sped up the service immediately. I suggest if you’re in a rush (or not but u want a quick dinner) just tell them. Everyone was very accommodating.

Show: Comedian Magician in the Supper Club. I enjoyed the show! Funny? No ; Good magic ? Yes; Entertaining? Yes. Not the best, but I would suggest going see it.

We had a 10pm reservation for After Midnight tonight but we didn't want to see another show back to back. The show did look like it was going to be good when i saw the preview at the Welcome Aboard Show, talented singers & dancers.

We headed to 5 o'clock bar for some karaoke. It was always packed in there so I wanted to see what the hype was about. It was fun, everyone was having a great time.

 

 

 

 

Then we decided to call it an early night (midnight – 1am ish) My meaning of an early night haha

There was Latin night in the atrium. Everyone looked like they were having fun, but me & tay went to sleep.

I was so nervous we wouldn’t make it to Cayman Islands tomorrow. I set my alarm to 7am & hoped when I woke up we would be in Cayman!

Closed down 5 o'clock Somewhere Bar

 

 

Day 4 (Cayman!!!!!!!!!!!)

My alarm went off…… I jumped up out of bed… went to go shut off my phone on charger… threw the curtains back & hopped to the balcony. We weren’t moving !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

That meant we were going to tender & make it off the boat !!!! YAY !!! I was sooo excited… A few minutes later, Tyler made an announcement that tendering will be starting shortly.. WOOHOO!!

I ran up to the buffet & grabbed me some cereal and get Tay some bacon & hash browns. We both weren’t hungry but just to have something in our systems. We had tender tickets 2 – but we winded up getting off at tender tickets 6 or 7… I don’t think they cared what time you get off as long as you registered. The worst part about this morning was that my hives were getting REALLY BAD. So when I was on this vacation I had a problem but while writing the review it wasn’t on my mind at all. I love to remember the good times & throw the bad in the back of my mind. I feel like I should mention this in case anyone else has this problem. Day 2 when I woke up my hands were itchy & I had hives all over. I thought it might be the change of weather. I was coming from freezing NYC and to warm Miami then to the Caribbean- I don’t know. I wasn’t harping on it too badly. Day 3- it got even worse…. By day 4 it was THE WORST & I could not take it anymore! I had hives everywhere, except on my face and stomach. I was SO itchy, I couldn’t sleep through the night. I would wake up, take Benadryl & try to go back to sleep. I would be uncomfortable for the 1st hour of my day & slowly get better throughout. We came to realize that it HAD to be the linen. This was so weird because I was never allergic to anything in my life! I called housekeeping and told them the problem. They said they’ll come and wash everything with water, no detergent since that’s probably what I’m allergic too. They didn’t have a 2nd detergent, so they use water. Ugh – by far the worst part on my vacation, not to be comfy in my cabin. Later in the day they confirmed they changed the linen & washed it differently. The rest of the vacation i slept fully covered not to take any chances.

Back to the fun …. We signed up for our tendering on our TV. We tried on the touchscreen & it didn’t work.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Tendering was painless ! It was quick & easy. We booked a Full Day John Almond Private Charter on DiscountExcursions.com. We had 3 stops of our choice & picked Stingray City, Starfish Point & Barrier Reef. I would highly recommend booking this excursion & using this website. It was perfect! It was $500 total for our little private boat with just us six on it!

Our captain (Captain C) was great ! . We interacted with friendly stingrays at Stingray City Sandbar, held beautiful starfish at the tranquil Starfish Point, & snorkeled at 2 locations. I winded up not snorkeling. I'm not a big snorkel fan. Everyone else did & said that Cayman has some great snorkeling. The weather was okay. When the sun was shining on me, I was comfortable but when the sun went in, i was cold. I really had to push myself to go into the water at Stingray City. I hate to be cold! I’m glad i did though because it was a nice experience. The water wasn’t the clearest here, but there was a nice amount of Starfish. At Stingray City the water was perfectly clear.

Adam caught a lobster for Captain C.

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Before we got on the boat, we stopped at a store & man is Cayman expensive. Jean got a beef patty & a bag of chips for 10 American dollars haha! AFTER the excursion, I told Captain C to please take us to a great “hole in the wall” restaurant. I wanted authentic Caribbean food. My husband is Caribbean & I can never get enough of their food. My favorite. Captain C bought us to a wonderful place on the way back to the port & we all gobbled up our food. It was only 7-9 USD a plate & a nice amount. I got stew beef, rice & veggies. It was the best I ever had ! Tay agreed. We will never admit this to his mom or grandma though

[MsAllie]

After Cayman we got ready for our 5:45pm dinner ressy at Le Bistro! We all loved LeBistro. Great food & great service. We were there for over 2 hours! It didn’t feel like it at all though!

Appetizer - seafood melody

Main Meal: Scallops with mashed cauliflower

Dessert: Fondue for Two! … Tay & i didn’t share this though, it was all mine!

Straight after dinner we went to Escape the Big Top at 8:30pm. I wasn’t a big fan of this, but then again I’m not a big fan of escape the rooms in NYC either. This was a bit different. There was 10-12 teams (forgot how many exactly) & we all had the figure out puzzles, riddles, etc around the room & from papers on our table to figure out words. I don’t want to say more to give anything away. Actually I doubt I can give anything away because I don’t remember anything !!! LOL. At the end only 1 team wins. The team who won figured it out in 45 minutes. My team knew 3 of the words. Yes…. I figured out all 3 for them ;-)

Next Up! Early to the atrium (for seats of course- I promise we didn’t run over anyone or steal anyone’s seat) for the Celebrity Dance Off! Hubby went to play Poker – I was sad he missed it because it was HYSTERICAL. I laughed throughout the entire show. It was great. The entertainment team on this boat was the best!

 

 

Celebrity Dance OFf & Pom Martini of course

Nancy, Joe, Jean & i went to the 11pm Comedy show in the main theater. I really enjoy it, so funny. Tay & Adam were still gambling, but no big wins tonight.

 

Day 5 (Cozumel!)

Our excursion in Cozumel started at 1pm. It was so nice to relax (somewhat) in the morning before we got off the boat. The weather was GREAT! I was so excited because it hasn’t been this hot the entire trip. I went to H2o to tan a little & Tay watched a movie in bed. The pool deck was so empty even though we had a late arrival to Cozumel. in Spice H20 they had two big water dispensers by the bar which came in handy on this hot day. I never got to go into the grotto. I wish i did, it looked so pretty.

 

 

I texted this picture to Tay - An empty jacuzzi in H20, you can see a few boats docked in the background. & no, he still didn’t join me, he was enjoying his movie too much! The movie was Faith of the Furious.

 

 

Enjoying my balcony in the morning with the beautiful blue Cozumel water.

 

 

SO we all went to Playa Mia on an NCL excursion Mexican Cooking Class. We all had such a great time! The staff was AMAZING! So fun. The food was great! Afterwards we had time to hang out on their beach with unlimited drinks. The weather was perfect, so it was nice to enjoy the beach for almost 2 hours.

Loved Chef Luis! He is the best!!

My finished Meal! Fish & rice. Tay don’t like fish, so he made chicken. They were seasoned exactly the same way.

 

 

I would definitely recommend this excursion to everyone. It was nice to do something different. I did many excursions, but never any like this. After our excursion we got on the boat around 630pm, went up to our secret Jacuzzi spot & enjoy the Jacuzzi for an hour! We watched the sun set there, it was beautiful =)

 

 

After the Jacuzzi we got ready for dinner (at Taste-very good) then went to the 80s party at h2o! We had such a fun time at the 80s party. So So Fun! I loved being outside in h20. We danced for a few hours & then went down to Skyline. Skyline was fun as well

Tay & the ladies. Adam & Joe went to sleep early. Adam felt sick & Joe was drained.

Entertainment crew dancing to Triller! The 80s party was my favorite party!

Tay & Nancy continuing dancing at Skyline. I was too, but i stopped to take the pic ;-)

 

 

 

 

Day 6 (the last sea day)

The weather was ugh again. Too cold to go in the pool or lay out. We did some shopping around the boat, looked at our professional pictures & Tay did a poker tournament. Around 1pm Tyler had a fun game by the pool called Tylers Aqua Challenge. Ofcourse, it was very entertaining & I LMAO .

We decided to have a nice lunch & switch it up instead of going to the buffet. We decided to go to check out the hype on Food Republic. I got the crab roll & Shrimp pad thai. The crab roll was THE BEST !!! I wish I had time to get it again. Shrimp pad thai was okay. I wouldn’t get it again. Tay got the sliders, chicken teriyaki. He loved both.

Crab Roll - picture doesn’t do it justice. it was huge!

Everyone was very happy with their food. We enjoyed the waterfront after our meal. I love the waterfront. We got dessert at the Gelato shop. I was not a fan. Jean & Tay ate all of theirs so I guess no complaints there !

We went to see the Fly Boys at 6pm. This included dinner as well. The show was good! They were talented. The food was hit or miss. My group didn’t complain (except me & Tay secretly over the rubbery chicken) but also no one was raving about any of it either

This quickly became my favorite night! After the Fly Boys we decided to hang out in my new favorite place- The Atrium ! I’m telling you between the live music, the funny shows & the pomegranate martinis, you cannot go wrong!!! 1st up was a live bad (The Blue Band)- entertaining & talent – as usual!

Second: The Perfect Couple Show – entertaining & funny – as usual!

Last – Soul Music w/ Robert - entertaining & talent – as usual!!!!!!!!!!!! Robert had his own show playing 2 times during the cruise called L.O.V.E. It was too bad we didn’t get to see it. He was great! But it was nice that we had seen him in the atrium.

We had a little time after this before the Glow Party so we decided to stop at The District! It was fun & I got my drink.

While walking to The Glow Party (at H20) we passed some yummy food at the buffet!

We stopped & stuffed our face real quick. The Glow Party was so so much fun! We danced to the wee hours!It was packed! Everyone was having such a great time. I don't know how i handled the 2 big parties in a row so well - i was proud of myself

My favorite towel animal of the cruise greeted us when i walked in at 3am =) Hello cutie!

By the way- at this point of the cruise i slept with my leggings, a hoodie and socks in bed. I know, not the way to be comfortable on vacation. It sucked, but i did not want to take the chance to get itchy & irritated again. It was SO hard to sleep with socks on! Who would've known that would of been such a challenge.

 

 

Last Day (Great Stirrup Cay)

Woke up super excited for Great Stirrup Cay !!!! I woke up to my alarm: bright & early and realized we were not moving. YAY!!! This means we were getting off the boat right? I had déjà vu from The Cayman Islands. I looked outside & YAY! Confirmed - we were not moving ! Tay, Jean, Adam & I were one of the first tenders off. We were too excited for an all-inclusive beach day w/ nice weather.

 

 

Excited for Great Stirrup Cay

 

 

Great Stirrup Cay was more beautiful than I thought ! The tender ride was longer than Cayman, but not bad at all. We didn’t have to wait to get on either tenders. They scanned our seapss card & we went right on. We got a nice spot with some shade inbw 2 bars. Jean & I took advantage of the drink package (they charge a fee for every drink btw!!! Port tax? Not sure) We had fun in the sun with a drink in our hand until 4:30pm. The service here was great. The servers were constantly coming around for drinks

Tay & I’s 1st drink (Miami Vise & a Heineken)

Lunch (Hawaiian pizza, rice & peas, jerked chicken & coleslaw) So good! Lunch is free.

The GIrls & Rum Punches! Nancy joined us around noon!

Washy washy - happy happy!

Yes, the last tender said 4pm, but we stayed there even later because the line was super long to get on the tenders. Might as well wait in our lounge chairs. Around 4:15pm I thought we were going to get kicked out when I heard a man say, “hey guys!” .. But it was just TYLER!!!! Haha – does he get any sleep?? Seriously. I really hope he enjoyed Great Stirrup Cay like me & Jean did because he deserves it for sure. I told Tyler I was waiting for the tender line to get shorter. He said oh yeah, for sure, I don’t blame you guys. He is such a down to earth, fun cruise director. I cannot say enough nice things about him.

After a long, sunny, boozy day at the Cay I took a hour nap (covered up in bed) & got a iced latte from Starbucks for some energy. I was feeling good – until I overate at Teppanyakis. Ay, I got over it quickly because I kind of overate the entire cruise.

They get there drinks from the Atrium bar, so look who had a pom marintiiiii =)

Teppanyaki was amazing, my favorite meal ! So so good. I got the chicken & steak hibachi. The steak & rice were to die for!

There wasn’t much going on tonight. We roamed the ship.

The ship was decorated a bit for Christmas!

We stopped at Howl at the Moon, 5’oclock somewhere, The waterfront, The District, Skyline. Everywhere was very quiet & we were just soaking this week in. We went back to the room around 12:30am; packed & enjoyed our balcony. It was crazy because we were barely moving. We were lined up with the Carnival Vista until the early morning.

 

 

So I accidentally took off my socks in the middle of the night & my feet got hives! I couldn’t fall asleep from 3-430am because the itchiness was unbearable. I guess washing & changing the linen didn’t work. This is why i didn’t chance it & slept covered up. I took benadryl as usual, but it didn't help much. I looked out my balcony out of boredom & we were still “side by side” with the Carnival Vista. Wow. NCL should really have better channels for people suffering from allergic reactions at 3am!!! There was nothing to watch! Thankfully, I finally fell back to sleep and woke up around 8am.

 

 

Overall:

My favorites: the food, entertainment crew, the shows in the Atrium, and the ports. Every meal i had was great, every party i went to was fun, every show i saw in the Atrium was fantastic. Ii loved that i did something different at every port and enjoyed it so much.

The negatives: the chilly days & my hives. Two things that have nothing to do with NCL or the Escape.

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Yes! I recommend the Escape & i miss it already!

 

 

My review was ALOT better with the pictures, but i'm glad i got to write a mini review! Thank you everyone for reading =)

[smileygirl_68]

Lovely review! You’re definitely my kind of cruiser who looks for the good times and doesn’t dwell on the bad. I get an allergic reaction every trip...palm of my right hand and all the way to my elbow...it’s only ever in these places and could be connected to my ‘holding a drink and resting on the bar’ position of choice! It gets really bad but it’s just one of those things. You mentioned you grew to hate your balcony but I’m not sure why, unless it was the rubbish view whilst reflecting on your hives!!

 

Keep on cruising!!

[Cancruizer]

I loved your review! So energetic and gave a good feel for the experience of the Escape. Looking forward to trying this ship sometime soon. Thanks for the review. Btw, something to keep with you when travelling (for your reaction) is Calamine with an antihistamine. It works amazing, especially if you put it on as soon as you get an itch or swelling.

[Clarea]

Thanks much for the review.:)

[Keith1010]

Terrific review.

Keith

[riclop]

Thanks for the review.

[Erwende]

Great time and great review!

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Beer Belly]

I enjoyed the review, Thanks:cool:

[lowroller]

Thanks for the review!

50 days and it will be my turn!!!

[MsAllie]

I loved your review! So energetic and gave a good feel for the experience of the Escape. Looking forward to trying this ship sometime soon. Thanks for the review. Btw, something to keep with you when travelling (for your reaction) is Calamine with an antihistamine. It works amazing, especially if you put it on as soon as you get an itch or swelling.

 

 

Thank you so much:) & Good to know! I will make sure I bring Calamine on my next cruise in August:D

[MsAllie]

Lovely review! You’re definitely my kind of cruiser who looks for the good times and doesn’t dwell on the bad. I get an allergic reaction every trip...palm of my right hand and all the way to my elbow...it’s only ever in these places and could be connected to my ‘holding a drink and resting on the bar’ position of choice! It gets really bad but it’s just one of those things. You mentioned you grew to hate your balcony but I’m not sure why, unless it was the rubbish view whilst reflecting on your hives!!

 

Keep on cruising!!

 

 

Hahaha, Thank you!! I have my next cruise in August on the Anthem, super excited. It’s nice to know I’m not the only one with allergic reactions. ;p

[Sand and Seas]

Great Review!

We will be going back on the Escape soon for our 7th cruise on her and in all that time I had NO IDEA that I could get a Pomegranate Martini! I hope they have them at the casino bar too.....I spend a bit of time in there;)

[boang1971]

Intro:

Sorry this review is late! It'll all be posted today though. I am new at this, so i am trying to figure it all out. Since so many people posted great reviews on the Escape, I decided to join! I am Allie, a vacation-lover. i love all vacations, but cruises are my fave. I traveled with my husband (Tay) and 2 other couples (Jean, Adam, Nancy & Joe). Us six always travel together (sometimes even with more people) but I think this was perfect with us 6 “besties” ! We range from 23 to 32 years old. We are from Staten Island, New York. We all flew to Miami the day before. Us 6 like to do it all. We are nonstop & always need a vacay from our vacay. I cruised w/ NCL a few times before (Breakaway & Epic) & a few times w/ Royal Caribbean (Oasis, Anthem, Adventure, Explorer of the Seas). I recently have been booking w/ NCL instead of Royal because I love all the perks you get !!! I’m not sure what cruise line I like best, I guess it depends on the boat. For this booking I got the beverage package, 3 specialty dining package, $200 OBC & free gratuities. You cannot beat that !! =)

 

 

 

 

Day 0:

Our flight landed at 9am! Everyone wanted to get a full day in Miami. We stayed at the Beacan hotel. I recommend staying at this hotel pre-cruise ! It was right on South beach, walking distance to great restaurants, nightlife, across the street from the beach, 5-10 minutes to the cruise port. It was perfect! Great customer service as well.

 

 

 

 

Day 1:

We were SOO excited the day was finally here!!! I couldn’t wait to get on the Escape!!

The hub & I had a BE Balcony on the 13th Floor & had the choice of 2 perks when we booked. We picked the Ultimate Beverage package & 3 Specialty Dining. Unfortunately, we had terrible weather today!! It was chilly, rainy, gross… Wah. I couldn’t complain too much though since NY was getting hit with snow! After our $20 dollar Uber, we got on the boat around noon.

 

Check in was painless! 1, 2, 3! As soon as we boarded, we went to Headliners to make all our ressys. It didn’t work that way.. We could make our 3 specialty dining ressys there (Us 6 all did Moderno, LeBistro & Teppanyaki) Then we went to 1 the touch screens & made our show reservations. We only made our reservations for After Midnight & for the Record prior on NCL.com. Lastly, we headed to the Box Office to reserve Escape The Big Top. The line for the box office was long & intimidating, but it moved quickly . As you can tell, we like to keep busy. I will talk about all the shows/dinners throughout the review.

 

 

I got a little bit of everything, Coleslaw, asian & pizza together? Uh - why not.

 

 

We all enjoy the buffet !! We ate at the buffet a few times after for breakfast & always enjoyed it. It was never too crowded. We always got a good seat right away. I don’t know how full our boat was. It always seemed full, but never too full. It was never an issue to get reservations, seats, spots by the pool, etc.

 

After the buffet, we went to our 1st bar – Margaritaville! I actually loved this spot & I wish they did more w/ it… It’s such a nice area & the drinks were GREAT! You cannot get some of the drinks you get here at the 5 o'clock somewhere bar on the waterfront FYI.

 

 

The bartenders here were soo nice!

We never ate here & yes I confirm it’s a $16 pp charge now (or is it $17?? – somewhere around there) No more al a carte menu – bummer. I would of defiantly just ordered the nachos and some margaritas if it was al a carte.

 

 

 

 

The muster drill was painless, which was great because no one really wants to do it. It was the quickest muster drill i’ve ever done! We sat down in Savor & it went by in no time!

 

Next up – more drinking! we checked out the bars on Deck 8. We went to The District, The Cellars & the Mojito Bar!! I enjoyed them all but only went back to the District a few times during the cruise. At the District I enjoyed my favorite drink of the cruise – the Red Light District!

 

 

 

 

The Red Light District

 

 

Ladies got cocktails - Men got beers

 

 

Hubby & I having fun in the photobooth - $5 for 3 strips

 

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At The Cellars I got a wine cocktail – I wasn’t too crazy about it. You can only get wine cocktails on the waterfront, not inside Cellars. The Cellars is a beautiful spot. If you’re a wine lover, I can see you really enjoying that bar.

 

 

Forgot the name because they weren’t memorable =-l

 

 

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I really enjoyed reading your review...now I have a question!

 

Can you give me a little more info about this secret Jacuzzi? Where can I find this much needed spot?

[MsAllie]

Great Review!

We will be going back on the Escape soon for our 7th cruise on her and in all that time I had NO IDEA that I could get a Pomegranate Martini! I hope they have them at the casino bar too.....I spend a bit of time in there;)

 

 

Unfortunately, no pomegranate martini in the casino bar:( but you have to get it in the atrium ... it is the best! I’m thinking about booking the Escape when she comes to NY:)

[MsAllie]

I really enjoyed reading your review...now I have a question!

 

Can you give me a little more info about this secret Jacuzzi? Where can I find this much needed spot?

 

 

Thank you! Theyre on deck 19! One is in front of Vibe with a bar. You will see it right when you walk up the stairs. If you walk down a bit, you’ll find another jacuzzi. :D They were a viable 4 out of the 5 times I checked.

[boang1971]

thank you! Theyre on deck 19! One is in front of vibe with a bar. You will see it right when you walk up the stairs. If you walk down a bit, you’ll find another jacuzzi. :d they were a viable 4 out of the 5 times i checked.

 

 

woot woot!