Carnival Platinum Cruiser Tries Norwegian - NCL Escape Western Caribbean, January 25 - February 1, 2020

[brilliantseas]

9 minutes ago, ColeThornton said:

You don't often find many complimentary things said about NCL's buffet pizza.   🙂

 

It's better than Carnival's new(er) recipe thin crust made-to-order pizzas. I love the crispness of the new Carnival crust, but they don't use enough cheese and the sauce is flavorless, hence the red pepper flakes and oregano added to my slices pictured above. I personally found their old recipe to be superior, but it has been gone for several years now. 

 

Sad to say, but the pizza was one of the better offerings on NCL's buffet, which is not setting a high bar. 

[brilliantseas]

This thread has gotten a bit food-centric, but I'll be back later with photos and my initial impressions of my studio stateroom (#12511) and the Studio Lounge onboard Norwegian Escape. Until then, keep drooling over the food porn and I'll be happy to answer any questions regarding the buffet experience onboard Norwegian Escape as well as my previous buffet experiences on Royal Caribbean and Disney, if I can find the old photos. 

[GA Dave]

1 hour ago, brilliantseas said:

 

Agreed, I was really disappointed by Disney. This is the second trip in a row that I've experienced problems with Disney resorts. On our October trip, we encountered issues with housekeeping at Pop Century. We had two connecting rooms for an eight night stay. They must have been in two different housekeeping "zones" and the staff couldn't keep track of which rooms they had cleaned and which they hadn't. My room was skipped three times during the eight nights and the room next door where my parents were staying was skipped once, on a different day than when mine was skipped. A phone call to the duty manager and two visits to the front desk ended in them putting in a "work order" to require a supervisor to verify that both rooms were made up.

 

The newly remodeled rooms at Pop Century are a huge improvement over the old style rooms, and I'm glad to know that the All Star Resorts are at least on the schedule to be remodeled, but Disney let these go way too long, in my opinion. Having stayed twice at Universal's Cabana Bay Resort and toured Aventura, I can say that Universal currently holds the upper hand when it comes to value-priced theme park hotels, and if I'm not concerned about Extra Magic Hours or Disney transportation, I'd certainly choose one of the Universal resorts over Disney at this point in time, even when visiting the Disney parks. 

We also had a very disappointing trip to WDW recently (September, 2019), also due to the resort.  Since we live only four hours away, we drove down to meet my daughter and SIL for our granddaughter's first trip to WDW.  I have family that helped construct MK back in the late 60's/early 70's, so I have been there on 18 separate trips since February 1972.  This trip, my daughter was staying at Poly, but when I saw a room rate of $550/night, I said NOT!  My wife and I booked a pool view room at Port Orleans FQ for $275/night.  I did like the new app-based check-in, etc.  But we also never received any housekeeping (my wife had to chase down the attendant just to get fresh towels), and after a very long day at MK and EPCOT, we came back to our room to find a letter on the bed from the "Manager" stating that they were shutting off the power to our building between 2:00 and 5:00 AM that night for "scheduled maintenance".  The letter further stated that, since the resort was sold out, there was nothing they could do to avoid this.  We were furious!  By the time the power came back on, it had to be at least 85 degrees in that room!  I made sure I wrote a very negative review when we received the post-visit survey from them, specifically mentioning that they should NOT be selling rooms if they have "scheduled maintenance" that requires them to shut off the power.  I still have not heard anything back from Disney.  So, after 18 trips, we will never go back to WDW.

[brilliantseas]

STUDIO STATEROOM 12511 - FIRST IMPRESSIONS

 

 

The studio staterooms are locked behind this special door. The hallways throughout the rest of the ship look pretty standard, but beyond this locked door that requires key card access are the studio staterooms with special LED blue and purple lighting, blue wavy carpet, and large frosted glass portholes that open up into each stateroom (there are shutters inside the rooms to close these off, as well as blinds built in between the panes of glass to prevent any accidental views into your stateroom). The stairwell down to the Studio Lounge is located at the end of the hall, with the actual lounge being located on deck 11. 

 

 

Also of note are the room number panels, which are cleverly backlit with LEDs to create a cool glow around each placard. These room number panels serve a significant purpose as each has three tiny LED indicator lights, one white that indicates "HOME", which is activated when your key card is placed in the light switch inside the door to power the room. No key card, no lights. The second light is a red "DO NOT DISTURB" light that is activated by a switch just inside the door, along with another switch that illuminates a green light that indicates "MAKE UP ROOM" on the exterior room number sign. The system works quite well and is both more modern and more convenient than the door hangers that are found on Carnival ships and most land-based hotel rooms. 

 

As I stated earlier, I generally avoid inside staterooms. I've sailed in two in my previous 16 cruises, once on Carnival Imagination and once on Carnival Victory. My primary reason for avoiding them is not because of the size of the room; they are similar in size to oceanview staterooms and slightly smaller than balcony staterooms on Carnival. Rather I avoid them for lack of natural light that I've found to have a strong impact on my sleep cycle and energy levels during my vacation. If I have to summarize my inside stateroom experience, it is that I generally catch up on sleep due to the lack of natural light, but lose track of time and have a harder time waking in the morning or after a nap. This means that I tend to spend more time in my stateroom resting as opposed to enjoying the ship and the vacation that I paid for.

 

So why did I choose a studio stateroom? The simple answer is that it is a unique offering only found on the Norwegian ships, and this being my first Norwegian experience and second solo cruise experience, I wanted to try it and see what the studio stateroom and studio lounge was all about. 

 

105 square feet. That is the size of a Norwegian Escape studio stateroom. This is roughly 40% smaller than the inside staterooms on Carnival cruise ships, which average 170 square feet. The minimum required size for a jail cell in the U.S. Federal Bureau of Prisons is 90 square feet (double occupancy). No, I wouldn't be sharing my room with a second person, but this space, which measures maybe 7' wide and 15' long, including the shower stall and toilet compartment, but a space so small had me a bit concerned going into the experience. Would I be claustrophobic? Will I have enough space for my luggage? Will I be able to take a shower while still laying in bed? The answers are no, yes, and if I tried. 

 

Despite the small size, the rooms are incredibly well planned out. Closets are designed for hangers to be parallel to the door rather than perpendicular, allowing for a very shallow depth. Each of the two were maybe 10-12" deep and feature sliding doors rather than traditional hinged closet doors. I used one for my daytime shirts and one for my dress shirts and dress pants for dinner. There were no drawers in the stateroom to take care of socks and undergarments, so I simply stored them in a suitcase under the bed and used the suitcase as a drawer for these items under the bed. 

 

 

Between the two closets is the television, which is positioned parallel to the bed. An interesting setup, but really the only location where the television would fit within the room. Below the TV was a shelf with two bottles of $6 sparkling and mineral water, and two bottles of NCL logo Just Water bottled water, which presumably were $3 each, although the price was not indicated on the bottles. Next to the water and glassware, which were positioned on a silver tray along with the room service menu was my bottled water order, which I pre-ordered at the time of booking. Below the shelf is plenty of space to store 3 or 4 pair of shoes, and I also found space to store my backpack that I use for shore excursions. Overall the space kept my belongings quite organized. 

 

To the left of the closets and television are the sink and vanity area. This area is quite small, with the sink being just slightly larger than an airline lavatory sink. Small, but it works. I also appreciated the liquid hand soap dispenser at the sink as opposed to the bar soap that is traditionally offered in hotel and cruise ship guest rooms.

 

 

 

To the left of the sink, and directly in front of the cabin door, is a series of cubbies for storage of your bath products and towels, along with one compartment that features three 120V outlets. Below that is a hair dryer. I used one cubby for my shaving kit and another to charge my cell phone and portable battery packs. I did not notice until I was packing on the last night of the cruise that there is another 120V outlet below the TV next to the bed for convenient bedside phone charging - it was hidden by bottled water throughout my entire cruise!

 

The studio staterooms feature a double size bed, although they are clearly set up for only one passenger as they only feature two very thin pillows as well as three decorative throw pillows that are moved to the side of the bed along the wall during turndown service. I have two small complaints about these beds. The first is that the two pillows are very thin, barely half the thickness of the pillows that I have at home. I would have appreciated them being thicker or having a third pillow available to elevate to the height that I prefer to sleep at. The other complaint is that the top sheet and duvet on the bed are smaller than a standard set, with the duvet being the exact width of the bed top, and the top sheet being slightly less than the width of the duvet. I hope that it is standard practice for NCL to wash the duvets after every cruise (this is not standard practice in every hotel, although some chains such as Hampton Inn have begun promoting that they wash theirs after every guest... a serious dirty secret of the hotel industry) because the sheet is too small to prevent direct contact with the duvet every night. The bed is wedged into the corner, touching two of the walls of the cabin. Between the bed and the closets is an open pathway, perhaps 12-15" wide, allowing you to walk between the closets and the bed. You can easily sit in the bed while selecting clothes from the closet while getting ready in the morning. 

 

Finally, at the end of the room opposite the bed are the shower compartment, which is surrounded by a glass shower door that opens directly into the stateroom, and the separate toilet compartment, which would be completely claustrophobic and literally uncomfortable for someone well north of 6' tall such as my self. Without being too graphic, it would be quite easy to touch the wall of the compartment with your knees while sitting on the toilet. Thankfully, as these rooms are exclusively for solo travelers, leaving the toilet compartment door open is not a major issue. 

 

 

 

 

Perhaps one of the most unique features of these staterooms is the LED "mood lighting". The entire perimeter of the room is trimmed with LEDs that change color, with a control panel next to the bed. I believe the three standard options were blue, yellow, or red, as well as a multi color changing setting that shifted colors every few seconds with a pause button that allows you to pause on any color that you'd like, from green to pink and everything in between. I generally left my room on either blue or white light and used the LEDs as opposed to the brighter can lights that were in the ceiling, likely because the dimmer LED trim lighting matched the color of the hallway and was easier for my eyes to adjust to. 

 

 

 

 

Overall, I found my room to be quite comfortable and very well designed despite the small size. Yes, I still found that I slept more and later into the morning, and also lost track of time in the evening due to the lack of windows. Using the bridge cam is one solution to this, although it means leaving the back light of the TV on in the background while trying to sleep. I opted not to do this and suffer the consequences of the dark room in the morning rather than when I was trying to fall asleep. 

[FLAHAM]

I was on the Escape a couple of months ago.  One evening the buffet had a chef carving whole hunan ducks at an action station and giving passengers the cuts (legs, breast meat, etc.) they wanted.  One lunch a chef was carving a whole pig, snout to tail, off a rotisserie.  One evening there were unlimited peeled shrimp (good sized) and mussels on the half shell on ice, with cocktail and other sauces available.  At some lunches, the "sandwich of the day" was both creative and tasty.  I had a good number of fine meals at the buffet. 

[brilliantseas]

1 minute ago, FLAHAM said:

I was on the Escape a couple of months ago.  One evening the buffet had a chef carving whole hunan ducks at an action station and giving passengers the cuts (legs, breast meat, etc.) they wanted.  One lunch a chef was carving a whole pig, snout to tail, off a rotisserie.  One evening there were unlimited peeled shrimp (good sized) and mussels on the half shell on ice, with cocktail and other sauces available.  At some lunches, the "sandwich of the day" was both creative and tasty.  I had a good number of fine meals at the buffet. 

 

A fellow Ohioan! I hope that you're not getting too much of this freezing rain and ice that we are seeing tonight. It will likely make the morning commute quite miserable tomorrow morning. 

 

I'm glad that you enjoyed the buffet food on the Escape. You have reminded me that I should have talked about the evening carving station. After reading your comment, it sounds like we may have been cheated with the hunan ducks and whole pig, but there was a carving station each night. Embarkation night was prime rib, which they promoted quite heavily on the gangway and in the pool areas, as well as on the evening cruise director announcements, presumably to take some pressure off of the three main dining rooms on the first evening. Other carving station features included ham and a steamship round of beef being carved off of the bone. 

 

They did have an ice bar set up with shrimp cocktail one evening, however they were small and coated in what I can only assume was garlic herb butter (yellow substance with herbs in it), not typical for a shrimp cocktail. Mussels were also available. I believe this was on the Norwegian Night Out (optional dress-up night) on the first sea day, which was also steak and shrimp night in the Garden Cafe buffet. Sadly, the steak was a poor quality cut and was topped with a single shrimp, there was no option for someone like myself who does not eat beef to just choose the shrimp. Thankfully, I had reservations for several amazing specialty restaurants and had more than my fill of high quality seafood, but more on that later...

[brilliantseas]

Taking a step back, I know that I promised to compare the buffet dining experience to Royal Caribbean and Disney Cruise Line as well. I'm digging a bit through my memory, so I'll be much less detailed in regards to my comparison, but I will share what I can recall as well as the few pictures that I have.

 

First up, Royal Caribbean. My only RCCL sailing was on the Independence of the Seas on a five day Western Caribbean sailing over Thanksgiving in 2016. The buffet on Independence of the Seas is known as Windjammer Cafe. As I recall, the service and atmosphere were more upscale than what was found on Carnival's older ships, and comparable to the atmosphere found on the NCL Escape and Carnival Horizon. Mobile specialty "pop up" stations were frequently created in the entry way to Windjammer, including a fresh squeezed juice bar (extra charge) and a made-to-order waffle bar (no charge) on various mornings. Flanking the entrance to the Windjammer Cafe are the steakhouse and Italian restaurant. Buffet offerings on Independence of the Seas were comparable to those offered in the Garden Cafe on Norwegian Escape. 

 

Entering Windjammer Cafe on Royal Caribbean Independence of the Seas in 2016

 

Fruit station at breakfast in Windjammer Cafe on Royal Caribbean Independence of the Seas in 2016

 

One of the island style entree stations in Windjammer Cafe on Royal Caribbean Independence of the Seas in 2016. As I recall, I believe the ship had two of these islands with offerings duplicated on each. 

 

Cereal station that I believe became a dessert station for lunch and dinner onboard Royal Caribbean Independence of the Seas in 2016. Note the bakery station and made-to-order egg station in the background.

 

Egg station on Royal Caribbean Independence of the Seas in 2016

 

Beverage station onboard Royal Caribbean Independence of the Seas in 2016. Note that most beverages were poured behind the counter and assembled on trays for self-service. I believe coffee and hot tea remained self-service, but even tap water was served in glasses from behind the counter. On NCL Escape, beverages were self service until Thursday evening. More on that change later...

 

Bar area and a small section of tables near the entrance of Windjammer Cafe onboard Royal Caribbean Independence of the Seas in 2016. This is also the general areas where we would encounter the surprise pop-up action stations, including the fresh squeezed juice and the made-to-order waffle bar. 

 

JADE was the separately marketed Asian station located within the Windjammer Cafe onboard Royal Caribbean Independence of the Seas in 2016. Pictured here at breakfast time, the station offered Asian-inspired cuisine, including rice and stir fry, even at breakfast. At breakfast, this was supplemented with more traditional breakfast items and fresh fruits. 

 

Windjammer seating area onboard Royal Caribbean Independence of the Seas in 2016. 

 

In terms of the actual buffet offerings, IOTS had a similar setup and variety of selections as those found onboard NCL Escape, with an edge going to Royal Caribbean for the variety of Asian offerings at JADE. Again, not as much variety and not nearly as many made-to-order items as those found on the lido deck buffet areas of Carnival ships, but Royal Caribbean supplements these offerings with an additional pizza concept on the promenade, as well as an extra charge Ben & Jerrys scoop shop and Starbucks coffee shop. 

 

Sorrento's Pizza (I believe 24 hours?) on Royal Caribbean Independence of the Seas in 2016.

 

In terms of buffet offerings, I'll say that Royal Caribbean Independence of the Seas and Norwegian Escape are about equal, with Royal getting a slight edge on the Asian station and pop-up made-to-order stations (waffles!), while Norwegian Escape gets the edge for the quality of the pizza. Carnival beats them both in terms of quality of offerings, largely due to the made-to-order stations, which include (at no extra charge) Guy's Burger Joint, Blue Iguana Cantina, made-to-order deli, and made-to-order pasta and/or stir fry stations, depending on the ship. 

[30scruiser]

Loving this review so far. I’ve been curious about Norwegian for a while and having sailed Royal Caribbean and Carnival previously I’m loving the detailed comparison 

[brilliantseas]

What about Disney? How does the buffet onboard the Disney Wonder compare to that onboard Norwegian Escape?

 

We're really comparing apples and oranges here as most sailings on Disney Wonder will be priced far higher than those of any Norwegian cruise, aside from some of the higher level staterooms, such as those in The Haven area. As such, you'd expect higher quality offerings on Disney, right? 

 

The short answer is yes, the buffet offerings are significantly higher quality onboard Disney ships when compared to any of the mass market cruise lines. While the variety does not quite stand up to that offered on the larger Carnival ships (made-to-order burgers, tacos, burritos, deli sandwiches, pasta, stir-fry, etc., have I mentioned that I like what Carnival has done with their no extra charge lido deck concepts?), Disney more than makes up with it by offering buffet items that you'd only expect to find in the specialty dining restaurants onboard any of the mass market cruise lines. What am I talking about? I'm referring to things like chilled crab claws and jumbo shrimp on a buffet. Sadly, I don't have any pictures of the Cabanas buffet from my 2014 sailing onboard the Disney Wonder, but I will credit a few others with the images below.

 

Chilled crab claws and jumbo shrimp on embarkation day lunch buffet aboard Disney Wonder. Credit Unofficial Guides.

 

Cabanas buffet on Disney Wonder is much smaller than the buffets offered on other mass market cruise ships, however the passenger capacity of the Wonder is also only half that of the NCL Escape. Credit Disney Food Blog.

 

Salad bar on Disney Wonder. Credit Diapers on a Plane Blog. 

 

Now while I give Disney credit for having a buffet that blows away those found on other mass market cruise lines, they fall short on their poolside offerings, which include pizza and "pretzel fillers" - a frozen, pre-made concession product more commonly found at ballparks and gas stations as opposed to a premium priced cruise line. But hey, its for the kids...

 

Pinocchio's Pizza on Disney Wonder, 2014

 

The pizza is clearly from a freezer and likely carried a "Tony's" or "Red Barron" logo on the front of the box. From Disney Wonder 2014. 

 

A "Pretzel Fillers" branded cream cheese filled pretzel from Pinocchio's Pizza on Disney Wonder 2014.

 

Goofy's Galley, also poolside on the Disney Wonder, offered fresh fruit, a variety of pre-made deli sandwiches, and a few pre-made salads. 2014

 

Pluto's Dog House offered up hot dogs, "fish burgers", chicken strips, french fries, and burgers poolside on Disney Wonder in 2014. 

 

So while Disney clearly wins the battle of the buffets in terms of quality of food offered on the buffet itself, Disney Wonder fell flat when it came to their poolside offerings, with a grill station on par with the frozen burgers offered on NCL Escape and pizza that is by far the worst of any of the four cruise lines. 

 

Given my experience on all four cruise lines, here is how the buffet experiences stack up.

 

Variety of offerings (buffet and poolside / alternative):

1. Carnival

2. Norwegian and Royal Caribbean (tie)

3. Disney Cruise Line

 

Quality of offerings (buffet):

1. Disney Cruise Line

2. Carnival

3. Royal Caribbean

4. Norwegian

 

Quality of offerings (poolside):

1. Carnival

2. Disney Cruise Line

N/A. Norwegian and Royal Caribbean 

[brilliantseas]

STATEROOM COMPARISON

 

I'm not going to make any attempt at a direct comparison of staterooms between Norwegian Escape and my previous experiences onboard Carnival, Royal Caribbean, and Disney, because, quite frankly, there is not a fair direct comparison to be made. The studio staterooms onboard NCL Escape are quite unique and serve a specialized purpose for solo travelers. They are also uniquely themed and laid out differently than a traditional stateroom of any other type aboard the ship. 

 

As I stated previously, I was quite pleased with how efficiently NCL made use of the 105 sq. ft. inside of these studio staterooms. I've previously found Carnival cruise ship cabins to be designed with the most storage, with multiple full-height closets as well as a vanity with drawers inside of even the smallest inside stateroom, but that is not a slight to the way NCL designed the studio stateroom as all of the other cruise ship staterooms that I've experienced were designed for two or more passengers, while the studio staterooms on NCL are designed specifically for one person. 

 

I had previously read some negative reviews regarding the service in the studio staterooms onboard NCL ships, stating that because the staterooms are smaller and only accommodate one passenger, the stateroom stewards were tasked with servicing significantly more staterooms and therefore were overtaxed and did not provide the same quality and detail of service that one might expect in other areas of the ship. I read one review that stated that the guest did not even see their stateroom steward until the third day of the cruise. I simply did not find this to be the case. It appeared as if each deck of studio staterooms had two stewards, one for each hallway. My steward was from the Philippines and went by "Apple", a shortened version of his rather long name. I met him on embarkation day before we set sail, and saw him several times a day each day thereafter. He had a keen ear for the stateroom doors, and always seemed to come to the hallway to greet the passing guest while he was working within the staterooms. I have to give him credit, as he did a magnificent job of servicing the staterooms in a fast and efficient manner, especially considering that NCL's cabin stewards do not have assistants or work in pairs as I have seen on some other cruise ships. 

 

I also give NCL credit as even in the studio staterooms, NCL still provides two services of each stateroom every day without question. They work from around 8:00 am until 3:00 pm and again from 6:00 pm until around 9:30 pm, completing a full clean of the stateroom in the morning and turndown service in the evening, although my turndown service always appeared to be an additional full cleaning of the room, right down to drying the shower, cleaning the toilet, and replacing towels. Perhaps they do not vacuum at turndown, but everything else was identical between both services.

 

Those who have sailed Carnival in the past few years will note that some Carnival ships have implemented a somewhat inconsistent system of reducing stateroom service, presumably to reduce staffing levels and costs. On one recent Carnival sailing, I was told by the stateroom steward that they would service my stateroom once per day and asked my preference of morning or evening and if I expected to be out of my stateroom early or late during that time period, while on two other recent Carnival sailings, I was asked if I wanted morning, evening, or both. I'm going to assume that the one sailing in which I was not offered an option of both was due to a "rogue" steward who was trying to lessen his workload, as I've generally understood the new policy as described in other reviews and postings to be that the guest is given the option of having their cabins made up one or two times per day, but I believe Carnival to be the only mainstream cruise line that has implemented this policy, with others doing a full clean in the morning and a turndown service at night. 

 

It is also worth noting that Disney was the only cruise line that provided a chocolate on each pillow during turndown service (a small touch that adds a sense of luxury), and Disney, Royal Caribbean, and Carnival all provided a towel animal each night, something that I understand NCL has recently eliminated. 

 

I think that touches on everything regarding cabins and cabin service. I won't be ranking the cruise lines against each other in terms of cabins as my NCL experience was in a unique type and size of stateroom that isn't offered on the other cruise lines and such a comparison would not be fair. 

 

With that, I'd be happy to answer any questions regarding the food or staterooms and comparisons between any of the four cruise lines that I have sailed on, and I will be back soon to touch on the Studio Lounge, as well as entertainment onboard the ship. I also plan on doing posts regarding the specialty dining experience and the overall ship layout and features, and finally provide my review and opinion of each of the ports of call, of course with lots of pictures along the way.

 

Until then, have a great weekend everyone, and I will be back soon with more on my experience on the Norwegian Escape. 

[Tutontow]

On 2/5/2020 at 11:55 AM, GA Dave said:

We also had a very disappointing trip to WDW recently (September, 2019), also due to the resort.  Since we live only four hours away, we drove down to meet my daughter and SIL for our granddaughter's first trip to WDW.  I have family that helped construct MK back in the late 60's/early 70's, so I have been there on 18 separate trips since February 1972.  This trip, my daughter was staying at Poly, but when I saw a room rate of $550/night, I said NOT!  My wife and I booked a pool view room at Port Orleans FQ for $275/night.  I did like the new app-based check-in, etc.  But we also never received any housekeeping (my wife had to chase down the attendant just to get fresh towels), and after a very long day at MK and EPCOT, we came back to our room to find a letter on the bed from the "Manager" stating that they were shutting off the power to our building between 2:00 and 5:00 AM that night for "scheduled maintenance".  The letter further stated that, since the resort was sold out, there was nothing they could do to avoid this.  We were furious!  By the time the power came back on, it had to be at least 85 degrees in that room!  I made sure I wrote a very negative review when we received the post-visit survey from them, specifically mentioning that they should NOT be selling rooms if they have "scheduled maintenance" that requires them to shut off the power.  I still have not heard anything back from Disney.  So, after 18 trips, we will never go back to WDW.

We live 40 minutes from Disney and never go.  To me the value just isn't there for the cost.  Years ago Disney gave us firefighters free admission and half price on rooms and food.  Even then I felt like us was getting ripped off.  We don't ride rides and the cost of food, drinks and hotel rooms is ridiculous.  I would much rather spend my money elsewhere.  I do know several Disney fanatics and they tell me I am out of my mind.

[mreic082]

Thanks for the review! Can’t wait to read more. 

[Gershep]

Great pictures and review.

[SuiteCruiser]

I have to disagree on the buffet on Horizon. The outdoor areas shut down early, so for dinner you’re left with four identical boxes in one area open, and the panini/sandwich place. 
 

I was on the final leg of a 2.5 months cruise which included 4 cruise lines and the buffet on Horizon was really lacking. On NCL, the entire buffet is full of different foods for dinner. 
 

I’m not normally a buffet fan, but after traveling so long, we needed a few nights of just grab something and eat over a formal meal. 
 

Agree that for lunch having the outside stations open is nice, had a taco salad at Blue Lagoon for lunch most days.

[Comi.uy]

Great review, its good to read comparisons as so far ive only cruised with NCL

[LatinaInTexas]

Great review. I have only cruised RC and Carnival so far. I am trying Norwegian for the first time next month. I really like RC but I love Carnival.....so far.

 

[RoyalFan509]

Are you going to add more?

[MrsKC08]

Thanks for your comparisons. I would say that having only sailed one cruise with Royal and with Disney, and several with Carnival make this unfair. Every cruise and every cruise line can have "off" times with things like food. I've sailed many times on Carnival, many many times with Royal, and about to go on my first NCL cruise in less than 2 weeks. I've sailed Independence, and I'll say that of all my RCCL cruises, it was the least favorite, but it was also just prior to dry dock, and by the looks of your date as to when you sailed...I would venture to say the same for your sailing. I think Royal is definitely above Carnival in the food area...and other areas too! But food is subjective. 😉

 

I'm also sorry that you had one bad experience with St. Thomas. I recommend you trying that island again. It is actually one of our favorites! 🙂

 

[brilliantseas]

Let's talk about the Studio Lounge, a feature that is unique to Norwegian Cruise Line and one that I was very excited to experience on this sailing. In fact, I paid a $100 premium for a studio stateroom over a standard inside stateroom on this sailing. Would I do it again? Probably not. At least not for a premium over an inside cabin on the same deck. I should clarify that I am the type that is willing to pay a few extra dollars per day to have a cabin in a preferable location, typically sandwiched between two other passenger cabins but very close to the upper decks, but I would not pay a substantial premium for a studio stateroom for the purpose of having access to the Studio Lounge. 

 

 

On this sailing, I was on deck 12. The lounge is on deck 11, and is accessed by a dedicated stairwell within the studios area. Studio cabins are also located on deck 11 and deck 10. Over the course of a 7-night cruise, I probably visited the Studio Lounge a dozen times. Most of these visits were in the evening, typically on my way back to my cabin for the evening, although I also checked in multiple times in the afternoon. Only once did I see anyone else in the lounge. 

 

 

The lounge itself is large, with space to easily accommodate 20+ people at maximum capacity. The decor and colored LED lighting carries over from the rest of the Studios area, with lots of blue and purple. The furniture is modern and white. One side of the room features a counter with self-service wine machines (priced $20+ per glass) as well as complimentary cookies (two varieties per day) and a sweet bread or pound cake selection. The beverage area always had a pitcher of orange juice as well as a self-service espresso machine for lattes or cappuccinos. Sadly, the lounge seems like a big waste of space given the lack of use. The lounge has a bookcase with board games for use, but I never saw anyone using them. The cookie tray was evidence that others were coming and going for snacks, but only once did I encounter another person in the lounge. It is definitely an under-utilized space. 

 

The closest experience I can compare it to on another cruise line is the Family Harbor Lounge on my recent Carnival Horizon sailing. Both are dedicated key-card access spaces with limited snack and beverage offerings, with the Family Harbor Lounge also offering a limited breakfast buffet during the mornings. On Horizon, I often encountered multiple children in the lounge, frequently accompanied by parents grabbing a coffee or ice cream cone. On Norwegian Escape, the demographic of solo adult travelers and the lack of a bar or other entertainment meant that this was nothing more than a snack or coffee stop for most. I found it convenient for coffee, but wouldn't pay an extra $100 for the privilege. 

 

[brilliantseas]

Specialty dining is one area where the Norwegian Escape really shines above the rest. NCL dedicates a significant amount of space to specialty dining venues; more than I've seen on any other cruise line, and for the most part, I found the premium that I paid to be very much worth the extra money that I spent. 

 

I should preface that last statement with a disclaimer that I purchased the six meal package for $168 on the NCL website prior to my trip. I questioned whether that may have been too many meals, but I was satisfied with my decision. Based upon the menu prices in some of the venues, I would highly recommend the bundled package as opposed to paying a la carte. 

 

Best of the Best - Teppanyaki

Teppanyaki was one of my top two restaurants onboard the ship, and arguably the best value for someone who is paying cash. Teppanyaki charges a flat $39 cover that includes soup, a "salad", fried rice, entree or combination, and dessert, as well as the "show". I enjoyed it so much that I canceled my Le Bistro reservation and opted to return to Teppanyaki on the last evening of the cruise. 

 

 

The entire Teppanyaki experience takes between 1.5 and 2 hours. Each grill seats 12 people, and your experience starts once all parties are seated. This is one venue where it is very important to be prompt for your reservation or you delay others at your table. I also noted that "reservations" are a loose term when applied to Teppanyaki as I arrived on the first night of the cruise for an 8:15 reservation to be told by the manager that they did not have enough bookings to fill a table for 8:15, so I'd have to come back at 9:00, because "it's more fun with a full table". Indeed, it is more fun with a large group, but the 45 minute delay threw off my entertainment plans for the evening. 

 

Once everyone is seated, drink orders and entree orders will be taken. There is no need to select a soup or salad as everyone receives the same option. Entree options are defined as either "classics" or "combinations", although both categories fall into the same price category - there are no upcharges at this restaurant.

 

Menu courtesy Eat Sleep Cruise as I forgot to take a photo of the menu. Note that the lobster options on the menu had been substituted with shrimp on my January Escape sailing. 

 

Shortly after your order is taken, a bowl of miso soup is presented, to be quickly followed by a seaweed salad with ginger dressing. Strangely, NCL's version of a "seaweed salad" is different than anything that I've experienced in another hibachi restaurant, as theirs is about 80% coleslaw / cabbage salad with 20% seaweed on top. It wasn't bad, just not what I expected. The miso soup was a standard miso soup. 

 

After soup and salad, your hibachi chef arrives at the table and immediately begins the entertainment by preparing your grilled vegetables and fried rice. In the instance of Norwegian's Teppanyaki, the grilled vegetables are zucchini, carrot, and onion. Each guest will receive about three hefty slices of each, as well as a bowl of fried rice. Extra fried rice is available for those who request it. 

 

After the rice and vegetables have been served, the chef proceeds with preparing the entrees. In both experiences, they started with the chicken and then quickly followed with the seafood options. Steak is cooked after the chicken and seafood has been served. Those who ordered the combinations that include udon will have their noodles served with the protein. Kids meals were served around the time the salads were cleared, and clearly came from another kitchen. I saw mac and cheese and a personal pizza being served to the two children at the table. They enjoyed the entertainment, but not the food. 

 

I enjoyed the shrimp and scallop combination and opted for it on both visits. I noticed that there are no apparent portion controls as the number of shrimp and scallops served varied each visit and the guest who ordered the seafood combination of shrimp, scallops, and calamari received the same number of shrimp and scallops as I did, but with the addition of calamari. As I ended up with the last seating of the night on both visits, the chef also made his own dinner, and one one evening, the manager's dinner, intermingled with our proteins. I quickly picked up on the fact that they all enjoy shrimp for dinner. 

 

The proteins are served with two sauces; a yellow colored "Yum Yum" sauce with a touch of mustard, and a soy sauce. I enjoyed both with my seafood. 

 

After the entrees, the chef will quickly clean the grill and say goodnight, and your server will come back around for a second round of drinks as well as dessert orders. The options were a green tea cake with green tea ice cream or a fruit plate. I tried the green tea cake on the first visit. While the ice cream was interesting, I found the cake to be dry. Both have an earthy taste that will be familiar to anyone who have tried matcha in the past. I opted to pass on dessert on my second visit. 

 

I've also experienced Teppanyaki on the new Carnival Horizon. The difference between the two is drastic. You can tell that Teppanyaki has been a staple on Norwegian ships for some time, as they have a large room with at least eight grills and appear to seat one table every 15 minutes. In contrast, Carnival Horizon's Teppanyaki restaurant is a tiny glass booth with two grills and two seatings per evening - a much harder reservation to get. In terms of food quality, both were similar, with NCL getting the nod for the large shrimp and generous quantities, while Carnival had a cute bento box dessert that easily topped the green tea cake. The chefs onboard Norwegian Escape also appeared to have more experience, although one was losing his voice and wasn't quite as entertaining as the others. On Carnival Horizon, I had a brand new hibachi chef who was just learning the ropes, although the table next to us had a chef who was quite entertaining. Overall, I would give NCL the nod on having the better Teppanyaki experience, although I would book a Teppanyaki reservation on either cruise line in the future. 

Edited March 25, 2020 by brilliantseas
Comparison

[brilliantseas]

Best of the Best - La Cucina

 

 

La Cucina was tied with Teppanyaki for my favorite meal onboard Norwegian Escape, and was a surprise stand-out. I always enjoy Italian food, but have had mixed experiences with Italian specialty restaurants on other cruise lines. In this instance, La Cucina is a clear winner. 

 

This was my first al fresco dining experience of the cruise, and I thoroughly enjoyed dining under the stars while listening to the ship cut through the water below. The wind could easily be an issue, but on this particular evening it was only a minor inconvenience - blowing over the wine list that the server had placed upright on the table as I was seated. 

 

With the dining package, you are able to order an appetizer, a soup or salad, a pizza, an entree, and a dessert. For larger parties, they specify a certain number of pizzas based upon the number of people at the table. As a party of one, knowing that I couldn't possibly eat that much food, I opted to pass on the pizza all together. 

 

For my salad course, I chose a mixed greens salad with candied walnuts and bleu cheese crumbles. It wasn't anything special in terms of ingredients or presentation, but it was delicious. 

 

 

For my appetizer, I chose the mushroom risotto. It should be noted that La Cucina shares a kitchen space with Bayamo, and the risotto is the same as the mushroom risotto that is served as a side dish at Bayamo. I'm not complaining about this as it was my favorite side item of the entire cruise. 

 

 

For my entree, I selected the Shrimp fra Diavolo. This is another item that used to feature lobster, but has been value engineered to substitute shrimp instead of lobster as a cost savings. I won't complain too much about the change as the shrimp were still plentiful and very large in size - the same shrimp that are used at Teppanyaki. 

 

 

For dessert, how can you not opt for a tiramisu when it is on the menu at an Italian restaurant. 

 

 

This meal would have cost approximately $60 plus beverage and gratuity had I not been on the dining package, so it was well worth the use of a credit. As I said earlier, it ties Teppanyaki for my favorite meal of the cruise, and the service was superb. It will be at the top of my list to revisit on my next Norwegian cruise. 

 

 

How does it compare to Italian specialty restaurants on other cruise lines?

 

There is no comparison between La Cucina on NCL and Cucina del Capitano on Carnival. La Cucina is an upscale specialty restaurant with a menu that almost warrants the a la carte pricing. It is certainly a value for the $28 per meal average cost of my 6 meal dining package. Carnival's Cucina del Capitano, on the other hand, disappoints even at the approachable price of $15 per person. The menu at Cucina del Capitano feels like it came right out of Olive Garden, with the atmosphere of a Spaghetti Warehouse. Cucina del Capitano is a "one and done" concept for me; I likely won't be back. 

 

I have not tried Royal Caribbean's Italian concept, so I can not make an accurate comparison. 

 

For as much as La Cucina stood out when compared against Carnival's Cucina del Capitano, it still falls short of Disney Cruise Line's Palo in terms of both presentation and atmosphere. While I would equate La Cucina to a local upscale Italian restaurant, Palo takes it up another level, almost into the category of fine dining. It is a "dress up" occasion. The unique presentation of the antipasto, with the server bringing a cart to the table, hand-cutting prosciutto, and offering a description of each item as it is placed on the plate in front of you is enough to set it apart, but the entire meal really shined. At $40 per person for dinner, Palo is also a better value relative to the a la carte pricing at La Cucina on NCL. 

 

Overall, La Cucina is still a winner and is tied for the top position on my "best of the best" specialty dining list on Norwegian Escape.  

[brilliantseas]

JUST AVERAGE: BAYAMO by Ocean Blue

 

As a seafood lover, Bayamo was at the top of my list to try onboard Norwegian Escape. Nothing like it exists in the Carnival fleet, so it would be an entirely new experience for me. With a six meal dining package, I actually made two reservations for Bayamo pre-cruise via the NCL website, fully anticipating that I would want to try multiple dishes during the cruise. Unfortunately, my actual experience was a slight let-down, at least when compared to the other specialty restaurants onboard the Escape. 

 

 

Like La Cucina, I opted to dine al fresco on the promenade patio to enjoy the sound of the ship cutting through the water. 

 

 

The meal at Bayamo starts with complimentary mascarpone bread. These tiny pull-apart rolls have a very light yeast roll type texture and were a great way to start the meal. 

 

 

Following the bread service, I selected the seared sea scallops and braised pork belly as my appetizer. This would be the best course of my meal at Bayamo. The scallops had a perfect texture - not overcooked or rubbery, and the seared pork belly reminded me of a similar dish that I had at JiJi Asian Kitchen onboard Carnival Horizon last year. I believe the topping was the same peach mango chutney that was served on the side with my fish entree. 

 

 

For my entree, I selected the sea bass. If you are using the dining package, your entree includes the choice of two side dishes. If you are dining a la carte, I believe the side dishes are priced individually. My sea bass was cooked properly, but was lacking in flavor. A squeeze of the grilled lemon helped, but I found the peach mango chutney to be too sweet to accompany the fish. I also found it to be a bit greasy from the oil in the pan. 

 

For my side dishes, I selected charred brussel sprouts and the same mushroom risotto that I enjoyed previously at La Cucina. At Bayamo (and Cagney's Steakhouse), the sides are each served in their own tiny stainless steel pan. Both were delicious, although the brussel sprouts could have been hotter. 

 

 

For dessert, I selected the key lime meringue tart. I found it to be a well balanced dessert, with the slight sweetness of the meringue balancing out the tartness of the lime custard. I would say that it was about average for a cruise ship dessert - a dessert that I easily finished, but not something that I'd go out of my way to order again. 

 

 

Service again was very good, and I had a nice conversation with another solo guest at a table near me. The patio was less than 1/3 full on the third evening of the cruise. At least in my experience, this was an easy reservation to get. 

 

If you have a dining plan and want to give Bayamo a try, it is certainly worth a dining package credit, but with an a la carte price of over $60 for this meal, I would not recommend it without the dining package. 

 

[brilliantseas]

Limited Selections: O'Sheehan's

 

Let's pause and talk about O'Sheehan's for a minute. For those who are unfamiliar, O'Sheehan's is the 24-hour pub on Norwegian Escape. It serves breakfast during selected hours and pub fare the rest of the day and night. It is the only 24-hour dining option on the Escape, aside from room service. 

 

 

 

Dining at O'Sheehan's is a seated service dining location. During peak times, they will seat and serve the bar rail overlooking the atrium screen and dance floor below. During off-peak hours, they only serve in the pub area, and the bar rail overlooking the atrium is open for guests to view the ongoing activities or movies shown on the large atrium screen below. I opted to try O'Sheehan's during an evening movie (some Liam Neeson thriller), but unfortunately I was not able to be served at the bar rail, so I had dinner in the pub area and then moved to the bar rail after my meal to watch the remainder of the movie. 

 

 

Service in O'Sheehan's was prompt despite the fact that they seemed to be experiencing an evening rush after the MDRs were closed. The menu here is somewhat limited, and I wish that it had a few healthier options. 

 

Appetizers include chicken wings (bone-in only), nachos, or spinach and artichoke dip. Entree selections include fish and chips, a reuben sandwich, burgers, hot dogs, a salad, and dessert options including apple pie or brownie cheesecake. I would have appreciated a cold sandwich option such as a turkey or ham, or an entree salad with chicken. 

 

I opted to start with the nachos as my appetizer and the fish and chips for an entree. I skipped dessert as I'd had plenty of sweets already on the cruise. 

 

The nachos consisted on a small bowl of corn tortilla chips, topped with a skimpy portion of liquid nacho cheese, some bacon crumbles, pickled jalapeno slices, and a drizzle of sour cream. I would have appreciated more nacho cheese, and perhaps the option of either chicken or beef as a topping. Thankfully the plentiful jalapeno slices helped to make up for the lack of nacho cheese, but overall it was mediocre at best. 

 

The fish and chips were better, and the portion size was just right for a light meal, if you can call a plate that consists of entirely deep fried items and mayonnaise a light meal. The fish was cooked properly and served hot. I thoroughly enjoyed it. The fries were also hot, although I would have preferred a higher quality french fry. 

 

Service was excellent and both items came out quickly. 

 

Would I return again? Probably not, unless I'm in a situation where nothing else is open on the ship. The fish was good, but very heavy and not something that I would normally order if I were not on the ship. Unfortunately, there are no other options aside from room service. Garden Cafe closes early and the ship is lacking a late night pizza option, such as those found on Carnival (24-hours) or Royal Caribbean (open until 3am). 

[luvcruzing]

I never eat again after I’ve had dinner, but my friend usually goes up to the buffet for a bowl of soup before bed.  Also, the casino puts out a small buffet (fruit, small sandwiches, chicken wings, pot stickers - it varies) at 11 o’clock each evening.

[brilliantseas]

2 hours ago, luvcruzing said:

I never eat again after I’ve had dinner, but my friend usually goes up to the buffet for a bowl of soup before bed.  Also, the casino puts out a small buffet (fruit, small sandwiches, chicken wings, pot stickers - it varies) at 11 o’clock each evening.

 

I must have missed the casino buffet, but that is a great idea to keep people playing. I stuck to the automated roulette wheel for the most part. I'll keep an eye out for it next time I cruise Norwegian. I purchased two CruiseNext certificates on this sailing (clearly I didn't hate it...) and am looking forward to booking another NCL cruise in between the four Carnival sailings I just booked. I'm just waiting for the rates to drop as they seem to have gone sky-high with all of the 125% FCC they issued due to March/April cancellations. 

 

Regarding the bowl of soup at the buffet, I believe they close at 9:30? Can someone else confirm?