NCL ESCAPE - FEBRUARY 11-18 - LIVE REVIEW

[TSUmom]

Your review and pictures take me back to my cruises....I can't wait to board a ship again in August.  Although it will be alaska and I won't see the warm sandy beaches I am still looking forward to being onboard.  Next spring we will be on the Escape!

[devinelaw]

Friday, Great Stirrup Cay, Bahamas, Day Seven:

 

Morning walk:  Up at 5:15am for a power walk around the Waterfront on Deck 8.  Then time for our Starbucks and watching the sunrise from our aft balcony.  

 

Breakfast:  up to Garden Café for my everything omelette and a few other items and then back to cabin to get ready for GSC and tendering.

 

Tender:  They called tender 1 and 2 at about 8:30am, shortly thereafter 3 and 4.  We headed to Deck 6 for priority tendering and was in the tender in 5 minutes.  It took off from the ship a few minutes later and in no time we were on GSC.  Being one of the first groups in the island it was easy getting a great location on the beach.   Nice proximity to the water and some palms for partial shade.  Plans are to relax on the beach, tour the island, check out the straw market, grab a bite to eat and then head back to the ship.  

 

[zencruisers]

I am really enjoying your review. We will be onboard on March 18th, Thanks for review.

[vacation44]

On 2/13/2023 at 8:33 PM, devinelaw said:

  
As to the VBC access, we had always purchased in person, this is the first time we booked that online was allowed.  It is coded into your card and you get a bracelet to identify you.  Someone posted that we could’ve gained access Saturday just with the card.  That may have been the case but we weren’t aware.  Good to know for you and us going forward.  As to purchasing onboard I’m not sure, I’ve seen the same you’ve seen.  May want to reach out to NCL corporate and see what they say.  I just know the VBC was available online then it wasn’t and we didn’t come across anywhere onboard that we saw selling them.  Doesn’t mean they don’t but we didn’t see it.

You get your key cards at check in in the port.  You can purchase drinks once onboard.

When we sailed this past September (right after they started selling the passes online), the key card we got at the terminal already was coded to let us in the VBC as soon as we boarded.    We spent hours in there before our cabin was ready.   

 

In all of our sailings, we never had the VBC closed due to wind.   The normal is taking the umbrellas away--which I get as once a flying umbrella almost hit my daughter in the head if not for the two young, alert fellows near by jumping up and grabbing it just in time.  

 

Really enjoying reading your review.  The Escape is our favorite ship.   

[devinelaw]

Day Seven Dailies attached……

 

Midday Update…..
 

The tender back to the ship was just as easy.  We headed back at roughly 11:30am.  It took all of 5 minutes to get into the tender and 10 minutes to get back on the boat after we left GSC. 

 

Lunch:  Had a quick bite to eat in the Garden Café and headed to the VBC.

 

Vibe Beach Club:   We were two of approximately 8 people in the VBC this afternoon.  Spent time getting some additional sun, trying several cocktails and sitting in the hot tub.

 

Thermal Suite:  After a few hours in the sun at the VBC we continued what has become our normal routine and hit the Thermal Suite in the Spa.  Therapy pool, snow room and loungers!

 

[jcollin]

2 hours ago, zencruisers said:

I am really enjoying your review. We will be onboard on March 18th, Thanks for review.

As are we (4 of us)  Vibe and Spa already set up.

[jcollin]

1 minute ago, jcollin said:

As are we (4 of us)  Vibe and Spa already set up.

Meant to add sea you there.

[INKY19]

Thanks for your review and reply about the thermal spa I think I’m going to go for it! 

[devinelaw]

 

Friday Night, Day Seven…….

 

Dinner:  Tonight we’re at La Cucina on the Waterfront.  Dinner was perfect as was the view as the sun was setting.  After dinner we stopped by the shops and picked up some souvenirs then headed down to Starbucks for an evening coffee fix.  

 

Prep for Disembarkation:  We had a small refundable onboard credit left on the account so headed down to Guest Services to take care of that and get our Starbucks.  This was a very quick process and easily taken care of.  We had began packing our luggage on Thursday and finished up last minute items upon return to the cabin tonight.  We have priority disembarkation in the morning and then a 1.5 hour drive home.

 

Final Cruise Thoughts:  

 

We had a wonderful time on the Escape and while there was a hiccup at the beginning the Cruise turned out to be one of the best we’ve ever had and the best NCL experience we’ve had thus far.  This was our third NCL cruise and second time on the Escape and we’d sail her again.  We’ve now been on both the Eastern and Western itinerary and learned tonight the Escape will also have a European itinerary so that may be in our future, we’ve never been to Europe.  

 

We also want to give a shout out to several NCL staff that made the Cruise a memorable experience.  

 

We had a rockstar cabin steward, Erwin was fantastic!!  He kept our room stocked with bathroom towels and wash cloths, ice filled in the ice bucket and made sure we had the extra pillows requested on day one.  More than that he was a friendly face greeting us by name and asking how our day was going every single time we saw him.  

 

Another standout was the exceptional service we received from the wine steward in Cagney’s Steakhouse, Mqinisi.  He was very attentive and helped us make excellent wine selection choices that we enjoyed so much we continued having throughout the week.

 

Finally, we had the opportunity and pleasure to meet the General Manager, Kivanc and the General Manager’s Secretary, Rechaleen, who went above and beyond making sure we were enjoying the cruise and being taken care of.  We appreciated the daily snacks delivered to the room, the priority tendering and disembarkation and the attention to make sure if there was anything we needed that we knew we could ask for their assistance.

 

Top  10 Favs of this Cruise & the Escape……

 

1. The attention we experienced by not only the staff mentioned above, but the other unnamed individuals we came in contact with that were always friendly, courteous and made for a great experience.
2. The Aft Balcony Cabin, you can’t beat the view!
3. The Vibe Beach Club!  You always feel like your on your own private ship up there and the service and atmosphere is great.
4. The Escape to Jost Van Dyke excursion, it was so much fun!!  
5. Free at Sea Plus, it was definitely worth the upgrade, and nice being able to experience  upgraded beverage choices.
6. Starbucks!!!!  The drinks were always Perfect and HOT, some of the best baristas I’ve experienced.
7. The Thermal Suite at the Spa, at first we were a little unsure, but as the week went on it was a nice retreat after a day in the sun.  Love the therapy pool, snow room and loungers with that view.
8. The specialty dining venues!  The food and service was excellent at all four we visited, Cagney’s Steakhouse, Le Bistro, Moderno & La Cucina
9. The Waterfront, it was so relaxing dining with the view, sitting and relaxing in this area from time to time & using the deck for a pre-dawn power walk with almost no one present but me, the view and my AirPods playing my christian music track.
10. The Comedy and Magic shows, really fun and enjoy them. 

 

For those who have been following and booked on the Escape or NCL hope these posts have helped, been fun to read and have FUN on your Cruise!  For those looking and thinking of cruising NCL, all I can say is you won’t regret it, we’ve been on NCL the last three cruises we’ve taken out of the twelve we’ve been on and as we start thinking about what to book next, it’ll definitely be another NCL cruise!  

 

I’ll post another update on the disembarkation process and experience tomorrow.  If you have any questions I’ll try my best to answer.  It’s been fun doing this Live Review!

[mslayer_99]

Thank you for all your posts, greatly appreciated 

[luvcruzing]

Thank you for sharing your vacation with us.  Evident that you had a great time.  I had one, too.  🙂

[Panhandle Couple]

Thanks for the great cruise thread.

Last month on Breakaway, my wife and I had the same desserts at Moderno.  Very good.

 

We have also done the an aft balcony on the Bliss, and love the view and larger outdoor area.

 

[AKR2011]

Great review!  I love The Escape too and hope to sail her again someday.

Edited February 18, 2023 by AKR2011

[LizikinsLivesToCruise]

Thanks @devinelaw for taking us along on your vacation with your sweetheart. I enjoyed the thread. Have a safe trip home.

[Cherries Jubilee]

Thanks for the awesome review!

[sns1009]

Thank you so much! I'm sorry to see it end, but excited it brings me closer to my cruise on the Escape 🙂 

[zzdoug]

This has been an epic report with meticulous documentation. Thanks so much for writing it all down and posting the dailies and menus and photos. It has been a big help for planning our own anniversary trip on Escape in 71 days, and more importantly, an inspirational diversion from the drudgery of work. 

 

And congratz on your anniversary! Very cool.

 

Your images of the dailies were really clear and perfectly cropped. Did you bring a scanner or did you crop them? 

[devinelaw]

Saturday, Debarkation Day, Day Eight:

 

Port Arrival:  We arrived in port just a little before 6am.  We utilized our aft balcony view to watch the sunrise over the Atlantic and dolphins frolicking in the water following ships and boats on a brisk 60 degree morning in Port Canaveral.  Looking at the upcoming week of weather back home it’s calling for sunny skies and temps in the 80s and 90s all week!  Love living in South Florida!!

 

Breakfast:  Didn’t plan on eating, but was strolling past Taste & Savor and decided why not.  So went in Taste and had breakfast with a port view.  We also saw dolphins frolicking in the water and watched a carnival ship dock up out our window view in Taste.

 

Debarkation Process/Leaving the Port:  

 

OMG this was this most AWESOME disembarkation we’ve ever experienced! 

Friday evening before 11pm we set our luggage outside the cabin to be collected with our Priority Disembarkation Tags.  At a little before 8am we headed down to the Pour House on Deck 8 for priority disembarkation and met Rechaleen, the General Manager Secretary, who took us down to the priority disembarkation line to exit the ship.  Once in line we were off the ship and at the luggage area within 10-15 minutes top.  Immediately found our luggage.  There was quite a long line for US Customs with those who were exiting with their own luggage they carried off the ship.  An NCL representative told us Porters could take our luggage and they go through a different line.  We flagged a Porter who loaded up our luggage and in 5 minutes we were through US Customs, bypassing the long line, and out by the parking garage.  Parking at the port cost $145.52 for the week.  Within literally 30 minutes we had arrived at the Pour House on Deck 8, exited the ship, gotten our luggage, loaded the SUV, paid for parking and had exited the Port on route to I-95 South.  We made it home within 1.5 hours, unpacked, started laundry and now relaxing at home reminiscing about the great time we had on the Cruise with my parents who came down from up North and house sat our pets at our home.

 

I hope everyone enjoyed reading through the week long review, the photos and was able to use the information to have a wonderful time on the NCL Escape!

 

Until next time, smooth sailing and keep the good cruising vibes going……🛳️🏝️☀️

[devinelaw]

2 hours ago, zzdoug said:

This has been an epic report with meticulous documentation. Thanks so much for writing it all down and posting the dailies and menus and photos. It has been a big help for planning our own anniversary trip on Escape in 71 days, and more importantly, an inspirational diversion from the drudgery of work. 

 

And congratz on your anniversary! Very cool.

 

Your images of the dailies were really clear and perfectly cropped. Did you bring a scanner or did you crop them? 

You’re welcome!  Cropped them in my iPhone 14 Pro Max I got in January.  Used it for all my photos too!  Happy Anniversary to you as well!!

[cat shepard]

Thank you for sharing your cruise with us. The information you provide is very helpful. 
 

 

I would like to know how you arranged for priority disembarkation?

 

And was there any information provided on how to reserve seats at The Cellars’ special tasting events? Is this something you can book before boarding the ship?

 

Thank you again for your great posts. 

[eileeshb]

Glad to read you enjoyed sailing on Escape. My first cruise was on that ship and I had such a good time I bought 4 cruise next certificates and booked my second cruise within a week of getting home. No point in booking while aboard as a European customer as the pricing and inclusions/exclusions are a mess in comparison to the eu side of the booking system.

[CaptainBazz]

Thanks for the great review...felt like I was on the ship with you...we have been on the Escape once before and thoroughly enjoyed the cruise and the ship. Looking forward to your European review 😎

[Green4me]

What a fantastic review!  Thanks so much for taking us along 🙂   We checked in last night, actually just after midnight this morning for our 3/11 Escape cruise.  Got 9:00-9:30 check in.

 

This will be our first Norwegian cruise, so really looking for a change.

 

Welcome home!

 

 

[devinelaw]

2 hours ago, cat shepard said:

Thank you for sharing your cruise with us. The information you provide is very helpful. 
 

 

I would like to know how you arranged for priority disembarkation?

 

And was there any information provided on how to reserve seats at The Cellars’ special tasting events? Is this something you can book before boarding the ship?

 

Thank you again for your great posts. 

You can book the tastings on the ship.

 

 The priority disembarkation was provided to us by the GM and GM Secretary whom we got to know onboard.

[cat shepard]

2 hours ago, devinelaw said:

You can book the tastings on the ship.

 

 The priority disembarkation was provided to us by the GM and GM Secretary whom we got to know onboard.

 

Thank you for the info!