Norwegian Escape opinions please

[Marga.Anders]

Hi, 

We have only cruised with Royal Caribbean before but want to try something different. 

Found a really good deal on the Escape for the summer if 2024. Thinking about booking it. 

But then I started reading the reviews. They are so negative about food, crowds, noice and smell. 

I also know that it's mostly unhappy people that write internet reviews. 

 

So wanted to come here and double check. Escape yes or no? 

 

The itinerary is from August 21st so still a little in the school holidays. 

 

We don't have kids and with Royal usually spent a lot of time in the Solarium that is adult only. 

 

 

[Two Wheels Only]

Escape is very well liked. The newer ships have go-karts and Observation Lounges but Escape has more "open to everyone" space on the sundeck.

 

Escape has 3 adults-only sundecks. One is included for everyone (adults-only during the day), one requires a VIBE pass (limited number of passes sold), and one is only for Haven guests.

 

The Spa is also adults-only and requires purchasing a pass.

 

Crowds can be avoided by going to places that aren't usually crowded such as The Waterfront.  The upper sundecks (above the pool decks) usually have plenty of available loungers but because so many people crowd around the pool, some reviews complain that there aren't enough loungers. There are usually alternate routes when crowds cause bottlenecks in the main areas.

 

Escape is one of the better large ships (along with Bliss) as far as giving NCL a try. Different ships have strengths and weaknesses but Escape is a very good all-around cruise ship. It's not an Oasis Class nor is it an ICON Class but it's more like the Quantum Class from RCCL.

[kayjay76]

I've never cruised Royal before so it's hard for me to compare. But the Escape has been our favorite ncl ship so far, cruised her twice. Not sure what the smell dislike is, maybe from the open casino but as a smoker, well, doesn't bother me lol. The H20 adult area is great and has a nice grotto water feature. The balconies on the Escape are slightly bigger than some of the other ships such as the breakaway, bliss,and getaway.

[hallux]

I can't really add much to what the other two have said, other than to say that I liked the ship when I sailed on her in March.  I thought the food was good - way better than anything I'm making for myself at home (but let's be real, that's not a very high bar!)..

 

That class of ship has been my favorite so far, but it's also the only class I've sailed on NCL with two different ship classes sailed on Royal.

[BirdTravels]

6 hours ago, Marga.Anders said:

Hi, 

We have only cruised with Royal Caribbean before but want to try something different. 

Found a really good deal on the Escape for the summer if 2024. Thinking about booking it. 

But then I started reading the reviews. They are so negative about food, crowds, noice and smell. 

I also know that it's mostly unhappy people that write internet reviews. 

 

So wanted to come here and double check. Escape yes or no? 

 

The itinerary is from August 21st so still a little in the school holidays. 

 

We don't have kids and with Royal usually spent a lot of time in the Solarium that is adult only. 

 

We are Diamond members on NCL and Royal, frequently cruising on both cruise lines. 
 

The Escape is NCL’s largest ship (passenger count) and is an excellent ship. NCL does an “amp” on every ship every 5 years and the Escape has NCL’s latest facilities (no, a porthole by porthole comparison that whiners would like to do has zero value). 
 

If you want to have a peek at the Escape, I did a live review from her a few months ago 

 

 

[RIvacationgirl]

My husband I have been on the Escape two times, and are booked to go to on it again July 2024. We enjoyed the Adults only pool area, and we found the overall food choices to be very good. The crew was very friendly, and we never felt like the ship was crowded with people. I am not sure about the smell you mentioned, possibly the casino can be smoky at times, other than that we did not find any smells. We have been on Carnival and Holland America, but we enjoy NCL the best. 

[chill6x6]

I cruise Royal and NCL pretty close to equally. Slightly more to Royal.  My last cruise was on Escape and the one before that was Harmony.  No doubt in my mind the Oasis class ships manage crowds better.  Some of NCL best shows are held in some of their smaller venues.   

 

Food quality/service- about equal.  Both were good.  I actually like the Garden Cafe(buffet) better than the Windjammer.  Speciality restaurants about equal which is very good.  

 

Noise? No difference.  Smell??  I notice zero smell on either.

 

Probably your best bet for NCL would be Escape/Encore.  I'd give a slight edge to an Oasis-class cruise but I'd go on an Escape/Encore and Breakaway/Getaway cruise in a second. I usually make the decision based on price/itinerary.

[hallux]

24 minutes ago, chill6x6 said:

Probably your best bet for NCL would be Escape/Encore.

I'd go Escape/Bliss for that.  Encore is missing Spice H20, which Bliss has, in addition to the OL and (important to some) the Thermal Suite which are also present on Encore.  Aside from Spice H20 the Bliss and Encore are nearly identical except for age.  Both Bliss and Encore have sealed-off smoking sections in the casino, which should mitigate the smell mentioned before...

[big al]

I have not been on the Escape, but recently have cruised on the NCL Joy, Encore, & Getaway..all were terrific..that being said, I am also almost Diamond Plus ( 19 cruises) on RCI..I love the Oasis class ships but RCI gives you NO PERKS of any kind included...beverage packages ( NCL has Free at Sea..) average $80-90 PP per day ( $1120-$1260 for 2 people for 7 night cruise!!), NO specialty dining ( NCL gives you 2 ) ,and NO WIFI..plus RCI has NO outdoor dining ( we LOVE the Waterfront on deck 8..), their beers are maybe the worst on the 7 seas ( District Brew House is fantastic if you love beer like me), and the Beatles's show is super too..( RCI to be fair has fantastic entertainment, but no Beatles show..)...

 

We love both. but RCI has really gotten $$$ and with no perks ( everything must be bought..), we have been going on NCL lately & very happy with them..still need a few quirks fixed, but just dining outside over looking the sea eating Surf & Turf is pretty cool...

 

Big Al

[SSFun]

I can’t really add anything new but decided to comment that we love Escape. We’ve been on her 3 times and had great experiences every time. The spa, Vibe and Spice H2O are all wonderful areas to “escape “kiddos but really we’ve never had an issue at the regular pools. 😉 

[hallux]

12 minutes ago, big al said:

We love both. but RCI has really gotten $$$

Don't tell some others that visit this board - they think NCL has gotten expensive, and then disappear when you make a valid comparison showing NCL's price is still better than Royal's for a similar cruise.

[schmoopie17]

We've been on the Escape twice (including a 16 day Transatlantic)...and have booked it again for next September. As you can see, we hate it...😁

[chill6x6]

5 hours ago, hallux said:

I'd go Escape/Bliss for that.  Encore is missing Spice H20, which Bliss has, in addition to the OL and (important to some) the Thermal Suite which are also present on Encore.  Aside from Spice H20 the Bliss and Encore are nearly identical except for age.  Both Bliss and Encore have sealed-off smoking sections in the casino, which should mitigate the smell mentioned before...

I'm never available when Bliss is so I've never been on it so I had no comment on it.  The Encore/Escape and Getaway/Breakaway seem to always find me and have served me well.  

[cruisekitty22]

We have been on the Escape 3 times and love it.  One of the better NCL ships and is always kept up in condition and cleaning. Food good.

Loved the Waterfront! Fabulous.  Makes our whole cruise.  We would go on her again.  Without question!  Choir of Man show was fabulous too! 

[D_And_K_gocruising]

I'm just curious where you are seeing so many negative reviews?  I mean you'll have fan bois and haters on anything so you just have to pretty much ignore "can do no wrong" and "can do nothing at all right".    We're booked for our 1st ever cruise on the Escape and when doing research I didnt find anything like what it seems you did.  Just curious.  

[Ellis1138]

I just did the Sept 17-24th New England/Canada cruise on the Escape. I was used to smaller ships like the Sun and the Jade, so I worried that the Escape would be too crowded for me. 

 

I was in the Studio cabins, so it was a non-child space that I could go back to. Spice H2O was fine in the day time and I stayed on the non-smoking side. The Casino got smoky and crowded and, for some reason, people crowded up for the MDRs as soon as they opened. And sometimes there were waits for the elevators, but all told, it wasn't that bad. This was a cool weather cruise with some 60 degree rainy days, so the pools and pool deck weren't that crowded for my sailing. I did find a bunch of indoor and outdoor quiet places to chill, though.

 

I had an amazing time on the Escape. The food allergy staff were great and made sure I was happy with my food. I especially loved the broth/ramen station at the buffet. 

[stinkyharriet]

I just got off the Escape this morning from a 7 day New England/Canada cruise.  Apparently the ship was sold out but it didn't feel like it.  Because of the time of year, the average age was much older than many other cruises.  There were some kids on board but not many.  The larger pool (and hot tubs on either side) is supposed to be adults only but since they didn't always open the other pool there were some kids in it.  The hot tubs were very well heated and the pool was as well - not like the hot tubs but still great for swimming even when it was 50 degrees outside.  There are also two hots tubs in the (daytime) adults-only Spice H2O area and two more on another deck (open to all ages). 

 

I don't really gamble and the casino was too smoky for me & my asthma so I didn't spend much time there.  You can smell the smoke as you approach the casino but it's not like the entire ship reeks of it. There is smoking allowed on one side of Spice H20 and on the deck right above the pools. 

 

I've been on two other NCL ships (The Joy 7 the Prima) and the food on the Escape was better than those ships.  Everything was hot and the only disappointing food I ate was at Moderno, the specialty restaurant.  Even the buffet food was better than on the other ships I sailed on.  Staff were great, never had to wait to be seated in any of the MDRs, never had a long wait to get a drink at any bars.  The comedy club and Syd Norman's Pour House did often have lines to get in but we were able to walk right in and find seats at various shows.

 

The entertainment was better than the other ships as well.  The main show, Choir of Man, was fantastic.  Howl at the Moon was a lot of fun.  We went one night to the Supper Club for dinner & the show. I think the only show we didn't get to was Rumours at Syd Norman's as it was very popular and we didn't feel like waiting in line for an hour to get a seat.

 

I sailed in cold weather when most schools were in session so it will probably be much different on a Summer Caribbean cruise.  There were mobility scooters parked in every hallway at night.  I haven't seen so many people my age (Generation X) in one place since my high school graduation.  Lots of Baby Boomers and older as well.  A handful of Millennials.  The oldest passengers were not using the pool and hot tubs, not sitting at the bars or going to the shows in the smaller venues. This is why the ship didn't feel crowded to me. 

[Laszlo]

On 10/15/2023 at 1:56 AM, Marga.Anders said:

Hi, 

We have only cruised with Royal Caribbean before but want to try something different. 

Found a really good deal on the Escape for the summer if 2024. Thinking about booking it. 

But then I started reading the reviews. They are so negative about food, crowds, noice and smell. 

I also know that it's mostly unhappy people that write internet reviews. 

 

So wanted to come here and double check. Escape yes or no? 

 

The itinerary is from August 21st so still a little in the school holidays. 

 

We don't have kids and with Royal usually spent a lot of time in the Solarium that is adult only. 

 

 

Been on the Escape twice, once in the Haven. My wife and both love the Escape

 

 

 

[choochoopie]

I've been on the Escape once and wouldn't hesitate to go on it again. It's a great ship!

[wilmingtech]

@Marga.Anders We have been on 6 cruises now.  4 of them with our 4 kids.  3 of these cruises were on Royal Caribbean (Freedom and Quantum Class ships) and 3 on NCL (Jewel Class & Breakaway Plus) 2 of the 3 on NCL were in the Haven.   We have 1 cruise on the Escape booked (37 days! sailing with @big al) And another booked in 2025 on a Celebrity Med cruise.  We also have some cruise certs from NCL we need to use up.

 

Here is my feedback for you - 

 

Take the reviews with a grain of salt.  Usually you have to read between the lines.  Some people will have a bad experience boarding the ship and from there its just every little thing makes their cruise worse.  For some it's their 1st time on an NCL cruise and they really miss having "their personal waiter and table" at the MDR. Or in their excitement they get to the port at 7am and complain that it took 3 hours to get on the ship.    Other things to pay attention to is that often times when a ship changes itineraries, like the first cruise after a repositioning or after a dry dock, there is a large crew turnover and it takes one or two sailings before the new crew gets it all together again.  So you will see great reviews and then one or two weeks of meh to bad reviews and then it gets better again.

 

So all that being said, here is my 2 cents. (Keep in mind this is all pre covid experiences)

 

Our cruising style is pretty laid back.  On Sea Days we love to get up early and watch the sunrise, get breakfast before anyone else has had a coffee.  Find places that are not by the pool where 70% of the ship hangs out.  We strongly dislike the large crowd "ship games" although once in a while it can be entertaining. As a family, all of us agree Royal is the better cruise line for us. The caveat here is that the Haven is hands down probably one of the best experiences you can have on a ship.  

 

As far as Ships - Royal really wins this one.  Two Wheels stated Escape is like a Quantum class ship and having been on the Joy (In the Haven) and Anthem I have to strongly disagree here.  I think the Breakaway Plus class is more akin to a Freedom Class and I would take a Freedom Class over the Breakaway Plus with exception of the Haven.  I love the Solarium in the Quantum Class ships and the activities and layout of the ship was fantastic.  There is no Solarium or Forward Facing lounge or observation area on the Escape.  Even in the Haven.  You'll have to get a Spa Pass to enjoy that area on the Escape which might actually be worth it.  One thing I do like about the NCL breakaway ships is the Waterfront.  It's not perfect but a nice place to do some laps and we like to sit in the outside dining areas during the day and relax and play cards or a board game before the restaurants open for the evening.

 

Entertainment - Royal again wins here.  I have seen some amazing and super memorable shows and entertainers on Royal ships.  We still occasionally talk about the shows and talent we have seen on our Royal sailings.  And honestly, I cannot remember what the entertainment was on the NCL sailings other than a comedian or two.  And the Two70 on the Anthem is really just an amazing experience.  Now there may be the occasional act on either line that is good/bad better than the other but overall I think the trend is that Royal has a better talent pool.

 

Food - This is a tough one. "Cruise Food" is typically akin to what you would get from a catering company as opposed to a sit down restaurant.  I grew up in the restaurant industry and quite honestly its amazing at how good some of the main dining room meals are on any ship considering they have a limited budget and a pretty good sized menu.  The logistics of pulling all this together is really incredible. The upgraded dining options on Royal have been of a better quality and experience (although more expensive as it's not usually included as a package) than the specialty dining on the NCL ships.  There have been a couple hits and misses on all the ships we have been on and we are finding that while the ships may have the same menus, the quality can be very different for the same meals.  The MDR food on both lines has been similar.  Hits and misses in both places.  The thing that works for NCL is all of the dining & bar options.  It's like a food mall.  Restaurants everywhere.  That tends to be the focus.  If you go on NCL and decline all the specialty restaurants and just do the complimentary food you are going to struggle to get consistent returns.  Also on the Escape other than the MDR, Buffet and OSheehans, there is nothing else.  On Royal ships they always have a BBQ by the pool or an Ice Cream machine, pizza or some a place to grab some free snacks.  On NCL its all extra dollars to get the ice cream and snacks.  This is definitely a draw.  If you like the MDR and same time dining every night with a waiter with more complimentary food options then Royal.  If you want a bunch of different dining experiences throughout the week and unlimited food menus then go with NCL. As for the buffet - It is what it is.  Some better than others.   Again the exception to this is the Haven.  Food tends to be better overall here but we have had some misses in the Haven restaurant as well.  

 

Having the restaurant experience, my mission is always to do the research, find the meals that are the best in the MDR and elsewhere and schedule the specialty dining around that.  This has usually paid off and often times there are one offs that we have done well with.  On one NCL cruise we found they had a shirmp burger on a pretzel bun and it was only served in the MDR at lunch on the embarkation day.  That was a delicious score.

 

Service - First of all, in our limited cruising experience there is nothing like the service in the Haven.  But I cannot say we have ever had a bad experience on either line.  We are easy to please and tend not to need or want much.  When service has been slow it's because it's 12:30pm on a Sea Day.  All of our room stewards have been great and in the Haven they have been exceptional.

 

Activities - Royal in our experience has had more activities for both us as adults on our no kid cruises and for our kids when we all went on the sailings.  An example of this (leaving off the activities that are the same such as kids clubs, water slides and mini golf) is that on Freedom of the Seas we had Ice Skating, Flow Rider, Rock Climbing all included. On NCL Joy we had ... um, well, nothing unless we wanted to pay for go carts, laser tag and virtual games.  Escape does have the ropes course and we are looking forward to that (We'd rather this than go carts or laser tag)  We always find something to do regardless and don't need to be entertained. A lot of times we love finding a quiet area and read a book or play cards or a board game and just relaxing so the activity options are just gravy.  

 

Private Islands - Have not yet been to Great Stirrup, but from looking at reviews and the buildout, Royal is way ahead on this one.

 

Overall Our next cruise on the Escape is sadly in just a balcony room (It was last minute and Haven was sold out) but we will have a great time.  I can tell you now that we will really miss having a observation lounge on this ship and a dining area outside behind the buffet.  We are still contemplating the Thermal Spa but wondering how much we would actually use it as there are only 2 sea days on this cruise.  I think if you can spend the money on the Haven then do it.  If you want adults only areas to drink and party then get a vibe pass and hang out at Spice H2O.  It's not really better or worse on NCL, just "different".

 

[Ellis1138]

I gave to correct the above post. There is free ice cream, both hard and soft, on the Escape. You can order a bowl of ice cream at the MDR as dessert, there were 2 hard-scoop ice cream stations at the Buffet (each side had a few different flavors from the other) and there was the soft serve ice cream in the Buffet in one section. These were all complimentary.

[stinkyharriet]

NCL (at least the three I’ve been on, including Escape) puts out afternoon tea/snacks at 3pm in the buffet and observation lounge.  They have both sweet & savory at that time.  Some type of scone with whipped cream & jam (sadly no clotted cream), cakes/tarts and cookies, a different quiche each day, small finger sandwiches etc.  Ellis1138 mentioned that NCL does have complimentary ice cream, and there may also be extra pay ice cream/gelato places on some ships.  I’ve never felt the need to pay for that.

[ellenw]

Spent 27 days on the Escape last year and enjoyed every one of them.

 

It is especially good for warm weather sailing due to all of the outdoor bars and seating areas.

 

My two food recommendations are Food Republic and Pinchos Tapas. Both are totaling underrated. We went to both a couple of times. I wish Pinchos was on all of NCL ships! 

 

The other food options are good as well. I feel like these are the "off the radar" spots.

 

Go and enjoy yourself!

[gingersvp]

I've sailed Escape once and am back on her in January. I've also sailed Royal on the Oasis twice so have a good comparison. We'll be on the Harmony next October. As you can see, I like both lines and ship styles!

 

I liked the Escape enough that we're going back on her, but I think that the Oasis does a better job of spreading people out. However, I love that Escape has more spaces that let you view the ocean. One of my main complaints on the Oasis is that everything opens inwards, and unless you have an ocean facing balcony, you see very little water. But - because Escape dedicates so much space to the Waterfront, the interior ways feel more crowded. You win some, you lose some here.

 

I'm extremely sensitive to smoking - more so than most. I did have problems with the smoky smell - mainly because the casino is on the middle floor of a spiral staircase, so everything around the staircase had the smell. Le Bistro is at the bottom and has some atrium seating. I could not sit on that "outdoor" atrium area, but once inside the restaurant I was fine. I really stuck to the Waterfront area as much as possible. On the Oasis it was much easier for me to avoid the smoky Casino since it was contained to one deck and didn't have that central staircase attached to it.

 

I think the buffet and main dining rooms are better on the Escape. Specialty restaurants between the two were about the same for me. O'Sheehan's being 24/7 was great for sobering up late night. If you like suites, I think the Coastal Kitchen is better than the Haven Restaurant, mainly because the menu rotates. 

 

If you have children, the layout of the kids area on the Escape was a little weird - there's no seating around the side of the pool. Instead it's bracketed by the slides. So you'd have to sit on the edge of the pool or be in with them if you want to stay within visual area. Luckily for me, my daughter just wanted to go on repeat on the slides instead. I found pools on both ships to be equally crowded. 

 

I like them both. There are things I dislike on each ship and things I like about them. I guess that's why I've been alternating my sailings! Even the Haven vs Star class discussion has different perks about each. 

 

 

[schmoopie17]

22 hours ago, Ellis1138 said:

 and there was the soft serve ice cream in the Buffet in one section. 

The soft serve is ice milk, not ice cream. HUGE difference...