thanksgiving trip

We took our grandchildren and adult children on the Escape for Thanksgiving.  There was a lot of hype about the new ship, but most of it fell flat. We were able to make a comparison since we took the Thanksgiving cruise on the Epic last year- much better ship!  The food was very good in the complimentary restaurants which was fortunate since all the specialty restaurants were booked months in advance. They do seem to nickel and dime you for the extras.  Beginning with this next cruise, Margaritaville will have a cover charge of 5 dollars to eat there. The food was terrible at O'Sheenans the Irish Pub.  And the real shocker, they only use powdered eggs for scrambled at ALL the restaurants and cafes. UGH!   The water slides and ropes courses were great for the kids; however, we had safety issues with the two smaller slides.  The smallest water park which was intended for the little kids was overrun with big 14-15 year olds.  There is no lifeguard and the parents should be watching their children, which we were, but unfortunately no one was watching the big kids.  Of course several little kids were injured, and when we addressed our concerns to the staff, we were told there was no age or size limit. Also, the pool next to the slide has no rail to hold when exiting.  You have to try to hold onto a glass wall to get out.  One woman actually broke her leg exiting. Watch your kids as safety doesn't appear to be a priority with the crew.  We noticed immediately that the staterooms  on the Escape had far less storage space than the Epic although the bathrooms were more spacious.  It seems that the cruise line crammed in more staterooms creating fewer public areas.  The ship was extremely crowded compared to the Epic.  The highlight of the cruise was visiting the Baths in the British Tortollas.  Don't miss that excursion.  We had fun on the cruise because there were nine of us and we enjoy each others company.  I don't think I would go on the Escape again, but the kids seemed to enjoy all the amenities.