Escape 2/4-2/11 - First time on Norwegian Review

[MysteryKnight]

Just got back from a cruising on the Escape from 2/4-2/11 with my sister and parents. This was only my second time on a cruise and 1st time on Norwegian. The other time was Royal Caribbean. However I have to say, it was one of RC's smaller ships, so I don't think comparing this cruise experience to my last one is fair. But I figured I would post some thoughts on how I felt about this ship

 

Food

• Buffet was great, could get busy at times especially for breakfast but manageable for the most part, we were always able to find an open table, usually even a booth which was good. A great variety of options, always was able to find plenty of things to eat and I feel that even those with dietary restrictions or other choices like vegetarian shouldn't have trouble finding options. The food was good here and was always a good option for food for any meal of the day. 
• Out of the specialty dining, my sister and I went to Food Republic while my parents went to Moderno. I thought Food Republic was good, I liked the atmosphere there, food was tasty, and prices were reasonable. My parents thought Moderno was okay, however this specialty dining was included in the package we booked, and would not have been worth the price if they had to pay. 
• I really liked Taste/Savor/Manhattan Room. I enjoyed checking the menu everyday and seeing what they had each day as I originally thought this was going to be a set menu for the week. The food was very good both times I went there, however I do think the portions overall were on the small side. 
• If I had any real complaints for the food, it would be that other than O'Sheehans there was no other late night option for food. It would be nice if they had at least a part of the buffet open later than 10pm, even if it was just an extra hour. 

 

Entertainment

Overall the ship had a very diverse and great lineup of shows and entertainment to keep you occupied, whether it be the shows in the theater like Choir of Man or a magician, the comedy club, the pour house, or a game show or trivia in the Atrium. Definitely make a reservation for the higher demand shows like Choir of Man

 

Activities

Plenty to do in this regard as well. The waterslides were awesome, the Aqua loop was a lot of fun, if you are daring enough to do it. I had a lot of fun on the ropes course, almost didn't have time to do it but glad I did. Minigolf, bocce, and ping pong just to name a few other neat things on the ship. One complaint is I wish some of the games around O'Sheehan's were free. Why do I have to pay $5 to play pool after spending all this money for the cruise?

 

Bars

Plenty of bars around the ship to get drinks. Some of the bars get a bit busy like the Atrium bar so you might be waiting a bit to get a drink there. the mojito bar was really cool and usually not busy. I'm not a big drinker, but my favorite drink to get is a Mai Tai. They make it well.

 

Ports

• Puerto Plata - our itinerary was changed to go to Amber Cove, which was fine. It's a new port exclusive to those staying on cruise ships with a pool, food/drinks, and a lot of shopping. We took a cab to the cable car that goes up the Isabel de Torres mountain, which was a lot of fun.
• St. Thomas - We went to Magens Bay. Unfortunately, the weather did not cooperate as it rained on and off all day. We wanted to snorkel but the water was very cloudy, we did see two big turtles though which was cool. Still a very nice beach though so if you have a nice weather day it would be a great time.
• Tortola - 6am-1pm stop is strange. Feel like it doesn't give you a ton of options. We ended up doing a  2 hour tour of the island which was really cool. They go up into the mountains and make several stops and take you to the beach for a half hour.
• Great Stirrup Cay - this place was very nice. You do have to tender to the island but the process was very quick and organized and it is only about a 10 minute ride over. There are several food options on the island and several bars which are included as if you were on the ship. We went snorkeling here and it was pretty good, saw a decent amount of fish around the rock formations out in the water. 

 

Miscellaneous Things Unique to My Trip

• We ended up with rough seas for most of our trip unfortunately. Some of the outdoor decks like the top deck and the Waterfront were closed the first few days because of the rough seas and high winds. Some of the workers we spoke to actually said this was one of the worst they experienced the boat rocking. It didn't take away from our trip too much, but part of being on a big ship was thinking we really wouldn't feel the boat moving at all. That was far from the case. it did make sleeping a little more difficult for me.
• My dad and I ended up getting a stomach bug during the cruise. So my dad didn't come with us when we went to Puerto Plata. Luckily (using luckily loosely) it hit me after we got back from Tortola and the next day was at sea, so I didn't miss out on any of the stops. Still a bummer to have happen, but I am glad I was feeling mostly better within 24 hours
• Our cruise was a full ship according to them. Despite this, I don't think it felt overcrowded. Yes, the buffet would get busy at peak times, the pool area would be packed at times, and it could be tough to find a seat for events/shows in the Atrium, but these are things I would expect anyway. The Waterfront is a nice quieter area with lots of lounge chairs (assuming it isn't closed due to high winds..). The sundeck on level 20 was very peaceful and never too crowded. 

 

Other Overall Takeaways

• All of the staff was excellent. I never had any issues with service, everyone was always happy to help you in any way they can, always greeted you and had a good attitude
• A complaint I do have is I wish smoking was not allowed in the casino. Unfortunately, the smell of smoke lingers up into deck 8 as well. They really should ban smoking in any indoor areas.

 

Overall I had a good time on the ship. I wanted to go on a bigger ship for the extra activities and amenities and that was definitely worth it. I didn't have many complaints that weren't beyond their control (like the rough seas). Would absolutely like to go on another cruise, and would consider doing with Norwegian again. I'm sure I could write much more about this ship and my experiences with what it has to offer, but this seems long enough for now. If there is anything specific you want to know about free to ask. 

 

[LatinaInTexas]

Good to hear so many positives. Looking forward to my first NCL cruise in May. I didn't really like sailing RC until I sailed an Oasis class ship and discovered I preferred bigger ships.

[Two Wheels Only]

1 hour ago, MysteryKnight said:

A complaint I do have is I wish smoking was not allowed in the casino. Unfortunately, the smell of smoke lingers up into deck 8 as well. They really should ban smoking in any indoor areas.

 

The newer ships have an enclosed smoking area in the casino. It isn't perfect but it is an improvement over Escape.

[zzdoug]

Thanks, this is an informative report. Did you partake in any entertainment or listen to any live music?  If so, what are your thoughts about them?

 

Thanks for posting!

[Lionkingrichard]

Excellent review from NCL employee! Just kidding!

 

Great news as we will be onboard in less then a week for the first time.🥂

[MysteryKnight]

1 hour ago, zzdoug said:

Thanks, this is an informative report. Did you partake in any entertainment or listen to any live music?  If so, what are your thoughts about them?

 

Thanks for posting!

I did, what I mentioned in my review is some of the entertainment I partook in. Our favorite show of the week was Choir of Man, very fun. The comedians at the comedy club but they were good as well, don't recall their names, I think the guy's name we liked better was Clint. They had a magic show in the theater that we watched which was pretty good. We also saw some good music performances in the Pour House

[tee3240]

Thank you for sharing! We will be on the Escape in 3 weeks!