Post-Cruise Report: NCL Escape NE/Canada Sept 17 - 24, 2023

[Ellis1138]

I'll try to get this finished in a few days, with photos, adding a section as I go. I'll answer questions, assuming I have the answers, too. 

 

TLDR: I had a phenomenal time on the NCL Escape. The crew and staff were all great towards me, the food was excellent while mostly sticking to my dietary restrictions, my cabin was done to my specifications to the letter and the facilities were generally well maintained and clean. I really enjoyed my trip.

 

Part One: Backstory

To preface and give backstory, I have some severe allergies, am somewhat immunocompromised (although it could be worse), have sleep apnea, am pre-diabetic and have GERD and IBS. These issues make travel somewhat more challenging than it would for the average healthy person, but it’s not like things are impossible. I’m coming into remission of CFS/ME after 5 years of being bedridden and 10 more as chair and housebound. This cruise was to be a test of whether I could do this alone and whether I could enjoy myself with the newer food restrictions. This particular sailing had a great price, the LATDBLX code, and was coming out of NYC, so I wouldn't need to fly or drive. I would just take the NJ Transit train to Penn and cab it to the pier. I had friends in Portland and Halifax that I could visit. There was a $250 CruiseFirst at the time, so I grabbed one of those and used it for a $500 deposit. (Booked in February, so a September 17th sailing was fine for the restrictions on CruiseFirst.) I also wanted to try the cute little Studio Cabins.

 

 

Pre-Cruise:

I pack very oddly. On the normal side, I have the packing cubes, green for me, teal for my bedding or what I term to be HAFH (Home Away From Home). If I were with my husband, his cubes would be dark blue. But I also put my stuff in either Ziploc Bags with the contents Sharpied on them or in Hi-Bags vacuum compression bags. Multi-reasoned: It helps me know what I’ve packed and helps me not leave it behind. Also, I have soft-sided luggage, so it keeps the contents dry on rainy days. Thirdly, if the zippers break, my stuff remains together and doesn’t spill out. When I pack, I do a Google Doc that lists what I packed, in what bag and how much it costs to replace and then I print that out and take it with me.

 

For this trip, I had my purple rolling backpack, a crossbody bag for electronics, my big fanny pack, my AirSense10 CPAP machine bag and a SwissGear 25” spinner soft sided suitcase. The spinner contains my allergy bedding, extra clothing and stuff I want but can do without if my luggage is delayed or lost.

 

I had done the NCL Access Desk Form, plus called in to make double sure that they got all my health issues down and that what I needed would be provided. I got my $100 non-refundable shareholder OBC on my account.

 

I pared down my wardrobe to 2 pairs of black Wrangler ATG zipper cargo pants that can pass for “nice” pants. My 8 pocket coverup black jogger pants. My embarkation day outfit doubled as my disembarkation day outfit. A Magellan’s black travel vest (waterproof, windproof, many pockets). 4 dressy-ish tops and 3 athletic T-shirts all in colors that matched my filter face masks. 2 bathing suits, although only 1 was packed, because I do this thing where I wear my bathing suit under my clothes on embarkation day. Everything was quick dry polyester. 1 set of pajamas. I brought Dr. Bronner castile soap for washing and drip drying anything. 1 thermal turtleneck and 1 thermal legging for windy excursions or nights out on the windy decks. A pair of flip flop shower shoes and waterproof black leather Merrell Moab 2 mids were my only footwear.

 

I decided to spend the $299 for the Thermal Suite, knowing I wanted to use everything. On everything else, I cheaped out. I only did the 150 Free at Sea internet minutes. At home, I only drink water, coffee and green tea, so I wouldn’t need the drink package. I took the 1 specialty dining that I was allowed and reserved the Bar Harbor night for Moderno. I bought my NJ Transit tickets through their app and everything was set in place.

 

To Be Continued....

 

[Cyn874]

Looking forward to more!

[KansasTexan]

I board Sunday. Thanks for this.

[Ellis1138]

Embarkation Day:

I did not eat breakfast, because I didn’t want to take the chance that I would get sick. I especially did not want to be on the train or in Penn Station being either allergy or GERD/IBS sick. I knew boarding began at noon, so I grabbed an 11:30 am to noon check-in time. I didn’t see any point in checking in early just to sit in the terminal for an hour.

 

Usually, my husband is with me, but on this trip, I was all alone. I could have taken a limo or car service to the pier, but honestly, taking NJ Transit’s NE Corridor from Edison to Penn Station NY was super easy and only $13.25 each way. I rode in the ADA accessible car and hoped that nobody would need the seat I was taking up with my 25” roller. We arrived at NY Penn 50 minutes later. I got out at 8th and 33rd Street, rolled my luggage to the taxi stand and the cab ride to 12th and 48th Street was $19 including the 20% tip. I walked across the street via crosswalk, handed my luggage to the porter, tipped him and watched him put my 25” spinner on a rack with lots of other bags that had NCL Escape tags. I felt reassured that my bag would not end up on the Oceania Vista.

 

I got into the enormous elevator to the second floor, did the security check in and got my Group 41 plastic thing to hold. They were calling group 28 at 11:58 am, so I filled in my E311 Canada Customs form while I waited. The MCT is actually very nice. There were food vendors, gift and sundry places and some rest rooms. By the time I was done putting my card in the box, my group was being called at around 12:25 pm. I followed the line of people going up the gangway and there I was… finally on the Escape.

[Ellis1138]

On board: 

I was very shocked after I got on board. As a fatalist, I expect a certain number of things to go wrong. But on this vacation, almost everything went to plan for me. Everything I had pre-booked was exactly there and nothing was missing or glitched. My E-muster was quick and I then ran down to Taste MDR to eat, since I was really hungry by now.

 

I was met by Kirk Harris, an assistant maitre d’, who went over my food allergies and preferences. It was decided that it would be easier on the crew if I mostly ate at Taste MDR, at Table 20 and with my own waiter, Aung Oo. I thought lunch was really good, although to be honest, my hunger probably enhanced the taste of the food. Throughout the cruise, I felt the food was perfectly fine, although the cooks really have a hard time doing beef as anything but well done. They did manage to make it rare for me, after a day or two of medium-rares. I was able to find food I enjoyed at every meal and managed to stay within my low carb diet for 80% of the time I ate. After finishing my food around 1:45 pm, I went to the spa to make sure my Thermal Suite week pass had gone through; it had. The woman giving me the spa tour thought it was impressive that I was carrying 4 bags at once and took my photo. (I have a roller backpack on my back, burgundy crossbody bag, CPAP bag and fanny pack on.)

 

I headed to the Studio Cabin area on Deck 11, even though the rooms had not been called yet. 

[Ellis1138]

Studio Cabins:

No matter where I go, people think I work there. I just look like someone who works everywhere, I guess. I was able to sneak into the Studio cabin area just before 2 pm to check on my room and I met Felix Bartolome and Judy Aguinaldo. Judy would be my cabin attendant for the week. It turned out that my cabin was actually ready and they had me look in at it, to make sure it was how it should be.

 

My room had been done exactly as I had asked for in my NCL Access Desk Letter, to the point that I’m sure if I had asked for a bag of M&Ms with the brown candies removed, they would have done so. I was given 2 egg crate toppers. They got me a nightstand for my CPAP machine and I was able to use the storage in it for my masks, the distilled water and various sleeping supplies. They even supplied me with an extension cord, but I used my own.

 

I can’t comment on the once a day cleaning, because it’s easier for me to not have daily cleaning. I have to put allergy barrier bedding on the mattress and pillows and also bring and use some of my own bedding. Since anyone coming in could be wearing lotion or perfume or even dust or fragrance from another cabin, I just kept the Do Not Disturb on all week and tidied up after myself. But anything I did need, Judy got for me. The TV remote was not working, so she got me one that did.

 

The outlet at the desk near the left side closet had enough power to run my CPAP machine, a white noise generator, the fan and charge my phone while I slept. I never had to use all the ones in the cubbies. (One of those is a low wattage razor power outlet.) There were 3 combo type wood hangers that would be for a pants and shirt set and 5 black just tops hangers. I brought my own clip hangers and between them and the 100 lb magnetic hooks for some of the walls, I only needed to use the closet on the right side of the desk for my clothing. I set up my travel CO alarm and my magnetic thermometer/hygrometer on the wall next to the cabin’s thermostat. When I first got into my room, it was 75F in there. I was able to get the cabin temperature to 68F on the lowest blue dot setting. 

 

The bed is a full size mattress with no encasements or covers (for fellow allergy sufferers). For me, they gave freshly washed pillows, washed comforter and fresh linens plus the 2 egg crate foam toppers. I had brought 2 of my own toppers, in case I got on board and they couldn’t find any. I stacked them all up, 4 toppers total and then stretched the 5-sided padded allergy cover over them and the mattress. The mattress still felt very hard. It is seriously firm. Not enough that I couldn’t sleep, but I’m used to marshmallow soft at home. I covered the pillows with my allergy covers and my own pillow cases, then put my “bedroll” on top of it all. I found that the bar in the magazine holder in the headboard was perfect for hanging the CPAP hose from. YMMV.

 

My “bedroll” is 2 Yala Dreamsacks that are like really wonderful sleeping bags. I use the smaller one beneath me and the larger one with a sheet in the middle for a blanket. I also have my own travel pillow and use that under my head. For the week, my room was very comfortable and efficient and suited me well. The desk was small, so I did any Freestyle Daily highlighting at the Studio Lounge.

[Ellis1138]

Studio Lounge:

The Studio Lounge was a nice area and I lucked out. The other solos staying in the section this week were all very nice and nobody was raucous or misbehaved in my presence. The area had a sink and paper towel area, a wine vending machine I never used, an area that had some apples, oranges and bananas and time-based pastries. Croissants and danishes in the morning and then cookies and pound cake/banana bread type things in the afternoon and evening. There was ice water from opening to closing. The other beverage was time-based; Some kind of super-sweet concentrate orange drink (labeled as orange juice) in the morning and lemonade for the afternoon/evening. 

 

The big draw was the WMF 2000S espresso maker machine. It made a shot of espresso, a cup of cappuccino, a cup of cafe latte or a cup of Americano. In regular (right side) or decaf (left side). There was also a dispenser of hot water. The machine used actual whole milk and was one of the few places to be able to get dairy in your coffee on the ship without having to make the crew run and find it. There were various sweeteners, sugar, raw sugar, artificial, and Coffee Mate and some Nestle Hot Cocoa packets. While I met many of the other Studio and Solo guests in here, I didn’t attend many of the meet and greets run by Kim, since I needed to be eating the Taste MDR at 5 pm and the meet ups all took place then, except for the embarkation day.

 

The Studio lounge food and drink are only there from 5:30 am to 10:30 pm daily during the cruise and it was entirely shut down on disembarkation morning. 

 

Finally around 3:30 pm, my luggage arrived. 

With the exception of eating, using pools, hot tubs and spa stuff, I kept my masks and gloves on.

[Ellis1138]

Spa and Thermal Suite:

I had pre-booked a pass to the Thermal Suite, because of the thalassotherapy pool. The spa remained pretty clean all week, and there were only a couple of misbehaved cruisers, so it was enjoyable. On the rainy days and the sea and anchorage day, it was packed, including heated lounger chair hogs.

I used the thermal suite facilities from embarkation day to the last full day, when we were anchored off Staten Island. I was only in the Women’s Locker Room, which had a few toilet stalls, 1 rain shower, 1 Access shower with seat and handheld shower, and lockers with digital number code locks. Robes and towels were provided. There was also a sink and vanity section with blow dryers. I had purposely cut my hair super short, so I didn’t need the blow dryers. I did use the hand shower stall for my daily shampoo and soap shower and never used the shower in my state

 

 

room.

 

The hot tub was nice and hot, the thalassotherapy pool was set to around body temperature and had great massage jets and a back massage fountain and after I was done with those, I used the tropical rain shower car wash to rinse off all the chlorine and whatever else from the pools. The large windows had great views of wherever we were. The lounge chairs were comfortable. I don’t like the heated rock loungers for the same reason I don’t like my hard bed. 

 

I didn’t use the Sanarium or Salt Room, since those don’t appeal to me. I only used the Steam Room when no one was in it to reduce my odds of catching anything. I used the Sauna, which has an hourglass 15 minute timer on the wall. It was nice and hot and dry. I dipped for moments into the Snow Room, but it was too slippery for me. 

 

On the whole, I’m glad I pre-booked it and felt it was worth the $299. I didn’t get any spa treatments and didn’t use the fitness facility, since I was doing 7 miles of walking a day just getting around the ship.

(I didn't take many photos, since it's a quiet and private area.)

[Ellis1138]

Food:

My view on the food is a bit skewed, since I fill out the Access Form for my food allergies and restrictions.

 

On cruises, I do a Hobbit Style breakfast. The first day, I go to each dining place to see what they do best. That then becomes my breakfast ritual. On the Escape, my breakfast went like this:

5:30 am: Studio Lounge espresso machine is turned on. I go get some cafe latte and drink it to wake up a bit.

6:00 am: O’Sheehans starts breakfast. I get 4 slices of bacon, extra crispy. It was the only place that could make bacon really crispy. I also had more coffee there and added my Land O Lakes MiniMoos, which I had brought, knowing that getting cream for the coffee would be a hassle for the crew. Coffee was fine.

6:30 (port days) or 7:30 (sea days): Buffet hot stations open. I go up and get a half-portion omelet with mushrooms and peppers.

A couple of days, I ate at Taste MDR. They made me a single pancake or waffle, which I put a pat of butter on and drank a couple of cups of decaf green tea.

 

MDR: Taste only.

I was pre-ordering the night before and my food was being made specifically for me. It was very tasty food and I enjoyed it and not once was I accidentally given anything I shouldn’t have had. And one night, the maitre d’ had them make me grilled salmon, because I mentioned that I missed it from the Classic menu and didn’t like flounder. I was able to get the asparagus (part of one of the classic entrees) and substitute it for the rice or starchy vegetables that would have been with the entree I chose. I did cheat on the carbs at times, but mostly kept to meats and greens.

 

The restaurant crew that took care of me treated me like royalty.

 

Buffet: 

I don’t just walk up to the buffet and get the first stuff I see. I do an entire circumference, because while most stations are identical and repeating, a few of them were not and were almost hidden. The crepes station (I couldn’t have those, but I found it.) The port and starboard hard ice cream stations had mostly the same flavors, with the exception of 2. Like one side would have cookies and cream and the other would have coconut or macadamia brittle.

And then on day 2, I found the Noodle Bar!! Broth! Mushroom broth with shiitake mushrooms! Chicken broth with chicken crumbles! Tom Yum with shrimp! (I could not have the vegetable, miso or beef, as those contained allergens. I also got the broth with no noodles.) Chopped cilantro, jalapenos! I also invented the “double cheeseburger salad” as a “near keto” lunch. One day, there was cauliflower with fennel. And of course the omelet station was good. There were plenty of foods from India, Asia, Mexico and sometimes jerk chicken. I didn't try everything, but what I did have was good. 

 

Moderno:

I chose this one as my specialty restaurant, because it’s the easiest to do low carb with. The meat was good, the salad bar was filling and I cheated with the pao de queijo, but had no ill effects with GERD or my blood sugar, so it’s all good.

 

On the whole, I found the complimentary food to be quite good and I never got anything cold or lukewarm. I’m generally a fussy eater, but the Escape food passed with flying colors.

Edited September 27, 2023 by Ellis1138
Added a photo

[Ellis1138]

Entertainment: 

This will sound bizarre, but I didn’t go to anything. I didn’t see any of the shows, I didn’t go to the music performances, I didn’t go to any game shows and I avoided anywhere I thought would be noisy and crowded. I had brought my Hear-Os (earplugs for concerts) and used those in the Atrium or Casino, where the noise was a near constant 86 decibels at times. Whoever decided to put the Guest Services/ShoreEx/OBC/CruiseNext and Internet service desks in the noisiest place on the ship should be forced to walk a gangplank. I resorted to typing my questions on my phone notepad to show Guest Services staff, because otherwise we both would have had to shout over the din.

 

I did attend a slot pull that our sailing’s Facebook group had put together. We each put in $20 and we each won $13.50 each. Not a big amount, but it was a 67% return on investment. 

 

I found the mini golf, bowling alley, sports deck, slides and rope course but didn’t use those. I found the Secret Deck 19 Port Side hot tubs and bar and used them once or twice. Lukewarm. The Grotto looked so nice and the foot water was warm, but the waterfalls were cold. I bet it’s great on a hot weather cruise. The Spice H2O port side hot tub was nice and hot, and the smoke from the smokers area didn’t reach it. The diesel fumes from the ship funnel sometimes did, but not enough to make me leave. I was also able to see the Reversing Falls in St. John from the hot tub.

[Ellis1138]

Ports:

Newport, RI: I stayed on board. My Tracfone data worked on the ship, where it was anchored by the bridge.

Portland: Long pier. Walked over to the AC Hotel to meet my friend and go to Gorgeous Gelato. 

Bar Harbor: I was able to get the Lighthouses and National Park Catamaran excursion from NCL. $69. Holy cow did it give a big bang for the buck. We saw porpoises, eagles, seals, sea birds and since the weather was amazing, it was quite a pleasant ride. The catamaran is large, with indoor and outdoor seating and a restroom. 

St. John, NB: I stayed on board. The Reversing Falls were visible from the Spice H2O port side hot tub and I could get the port’s free wifi when sitting next to the port building on Deck 8. 

(Side note: I only got the Free At Sea 150 minutes of wifi, because I had data and free wifi in the ports.)

Halifax: Our sailing had to skip it because of a storm, so I didn’t get to see my friend. 

Anchored off Staten Island: What can I say, it was a good view and a crowded ship. 

[Ellis1138]

Disembarkation:

I self disembark, so I can’t attest to how organized it is or where to find your luggage at the port. Judy had graciously said I can keep all my luggage in my room until I’m ready to go, so I didn’t have to drag everything to breakfast with me.

 

On our disembarkation day, only the buffet and the Savor/Taste MDRs were going to be open. The Buffet started at 6 am and the MDR at 6:30 am. I decided to avoid the buffet and go to the MDR. With great dismay, I was out of MiniMoos and no latte machine. Thanks to the Coffee Mate thread here on CruiseCritic, I knew I would have a problem. The Starbucks at the Atrium was open and I begged one of the staff there for some half and half. He gave me a short cup filled with fresh, cold half and half from his fridge. I thanked him and went to Savor, which hadn’t opened yet. I asked a waiter there for a cup, some sugar and coffee and he obliged. I sat at the Mixx (bar not open, no one around yet) and happily made my morning coffee. I relished it as I waited. 

 

At 6:30, the MDRs opened and Kirk Harris saw me and had me sit in Taste. I had 4 slices of bacon and they were able to scramble 1 fresh egg for me. I overheard the table next to me ask for gluten free pancakes, but they weren’t able to get them. 

So Warning Note: Disembarkation Day breakfast has a very limited menu.

 

I was done eating and all packed and went back up to my cabin. They cleared customs at 7:15 am and the elevators became sardinevators. I lifted my roller bag and walked down 4 flights of stairs with it to deck 7, went through the security stuff and walked across 12th avenue to get in line for the taxis at the stand. There was a couple next to me who were going to Penn Station, so we shared a cab and split the cost. We got to Penn in time for me to catch the 8:14 am NE Corridor back to Edison. 

 

Side Health note: On Day 5 and 7 on the cruise, I tested myself with 2 Covid tests I had brought with me. Both negative. I tested on Monday (the day after I got home) and still negative. I feel fine, no symptoms of anything with the exception of my right arm being really sore from holding a 50 lb suitcase for 4 flights of stairs. 

 

If anyone has questions, I can try to answer them, but I kind of just did my own thing on this cruise.

[mking8288]

Excellent report, those photos taken in the Studio Lounge & cabin, are very nice and thanks for sharing your setup, am sure other booked in the studio cabin are going to appreciate reading & seeing your comments and notes.  

 

Like you, we missed our stops - Bar Harbor, especially for their lobsters ... we did stop at Halifax last September so wasn't too disappointed.  Did you learn how many "souls" or passengers were onboard your sailing ?  For 4,850 during our time, it didn't seem too crowded & was managable - as long as one limited themselves to not hang out in the atrium lobby with nearly something happening there, from morning till mid-late evenings.  

[Ellis1138]

13 minutes ago, mking8288 said:

Did you learn how many "souls" or passengers were onboard your sailing ? 

I think we had about 5100, but I didn't pay attention, so I'm not totally sure. I was purposely going where there were no crowds, so it never felt crowded. On the bad weather days, the spa was very crowded.

[cyntil8ing]

Thanks for the review and photos. We were on the week before you, where we floated in the harbor for two days. I just told my daughter that we totally missed a crepe station and she is ready to return to find it right now!

[Ellis1138]

One thing that slipped my mind was that the buffet had lobster roll (the Maine style, cold with mayonnaise, not the hot butter Connecticut style) on day 4, I think. I didn't get any because I was full of broth and vegetables.

[PhillyTravelBug]

Lovely review!! I still have yet to sail the escape and hope to someday. Welcome back! This itinerary is on my list, so thank you.

[SuzyKyu81]

Thanks a lot for posting your review! I'll be going on this in a few weeks (2nd cruise, 1st solo) and have been so grateful for all the information/reviews/lives posted on cruise critic 

[dritan]

Thanks for this as I'm also heading to the Escape for the 15th Oct cruise.  Really love the detail about embarking and disembarking as I'll be working out the route via Uber or taxi and have to catch an 11.15 flight from Laguardia to Miami.  But feels very doable.

[mendi]

On 9/27/2023 at 10:23 PM, Ellis1138 said:

I think we had about 5100, but I didn't pay attention, so I'm not totally sure. I was purposely going where there were no crowds, so it never felt crowded. On the bad weather days, the spa was very crowded.

I was on the cruise and crew told me 4600 passengers and 1600 crew (+/-). While disembarking I saw about 100+ new crew waiting to board, not sure if they were additional or replacement.

[Ellis1138]

38 minutes ago, mendi said:

I was on the cruise and crew told me 4600 passengers and 1600 crew (+/-). While disembarking I saw about 100+ new crew waiting to board, not sure if they were additional or replacement.

That sounds about right. Thanks!

[Ellis1138]

8 hours ago, dritan said:

Thanks for this as I'm also heading to the Escape for the 15th Oct cruise.  Really love the detail about embarking and disembarking as I'll be working out the route via Uber or taxi and have to catch an 11.15 flight from Laguardia to Miami.  But feels very doable.

We had light traffic on disembarkation day and I was only going to Penn. Check on whether anything will be happening in the city on your disembarkation day (marathons, festivals) and whether it would impact the ride across. I'm assuming the taxi/Uber will go via Queens-Midtown tunnel as opposed to the Queensboro bridge. Even if you're in bumper to bumper slow moving traffic, you should still be able to get to La Guardia within 1 hour. (Normally 20 - 30 minutes). 

 

So to be at LGA by 9 am, you'd need to disembark and get into the Uber around 8 am. 

[dritan]

Sounds good - we are planning to do the early self disembarkation option.

[schmoopie17]

I know you said you didn't go to any shows, but do you recall seeing "Wheel of Fortune" in the Dailies? Apparently it has already debuted on the Escape. Hoping it hasn't replaced "Choir of Man"...unless that was also listed in the dailies??

[mendi]

28 minutes ago, schmoopie17 said:

I know you said you didn't go to any shows, but do you recall seeing "Wheel of Fortune" in the Dailies? Apparently it has already debuted on the Escape. Hoping it hasn't replaced "Choir of Man"...unless that was also listed in the dailies??

Wheel of Fortune is done in the Atrium, not on the show stage. They still did it 2 weeks ago. Choir of Man is still showing, sold out every show with standby for those not quick enough to make reservations. Do that first thing on deck 7 when boarding ship, even before lunch. Also an Elton John Tribute trio in Supper Club (no charge including dinner) which to me was not really that good. But everyone has own opinion. Do NOT miss Choir of Man. We saw it in 2019 on Escape and also this past week on both Monday and Saturday.