We had a great time with our family. There were 12 of us on board (brother and sisters family) and we have memories that are priceless. Tyler was the best cruise director we ever had. He was energetic and thoughtful. I thanked him personally at the Glow party. Zdravko Kojakovic from food and beverage was ever present watching crowd control at the buffet. He listened intently about our previous poor experience on the Norwegian Jade. Room stewards (Helen and Najif (sp?)) were very nice to our entire family. All staff members at the restaurants were courteous.
Embarkation
5 out of 5
Easy embarkation. They were smart on this ship. They opened up more that the usual Lido deck for the first lunch. Not everyone was cramped up holding onto their suitcases.
Ship experiences
Food and Dining
5 out of 5
We enjoyed the specialty dining package at the Japanese, Italian and French restaurants (Teppanyaki, Cuccina and Bistro). Food was also great in the main rooms (Manhattan, Savor). Buffet was quick but we didn't enjoy the herd mentality so we avoided it whenever possible. Great idea to have sinks to wash up at the entry of the buffet.
Onboard Activities
4 out of 5
Good ropes course, tubing course. Need more pool area for adults but the back grotto was a nice touch.
Entertainment
4 out of 5
Usual Vegas like shows (Cotton Club, 80's tribute and quartet vocals) were nice. In such a big ship, you needed to register for them as there was limited seating. We missed the magician and comedy shows (would be more upset if we were first time cruisers).I really enjoyed the dueling pianos (Howl at the Moon)
Children's Programs
5 out of 5
My two teenagers hung around the Entourage and had a good time. Safe, Clean.
Service and Staff
5 out of 5
My son has a peanut allergy and my daughter is a vegan. They could have linked our accounts a little tighter and given us the Veg menu on day 1 not 6. Otherwise, excellent service from waiters.
Room stewards were great. They cleaned the rooms whenever the room service light was on (a nice touch not on older ships)
Ship Quality
5 out of 5
Layout was nice. Could have used a little more pool space for adults. Theater is a little small for such a big ship. Fitness center is spacious and the two trainers were great.
Common areas were clean as the staff were quite vigilant with picking up spills. I saw two incidents and they were on top of it quickly. Given how new the ship is, everything was spotless.
Cabin / Stateroom
5 out of 5
Spacious. I can't remember a shower that big on a cruise ship. Usually, I barely have room to turn in the shower but no problem on the Escape. Cabins were great. We usually get an outside cabin with a window but am glad we chose the inside stateroom. I slept like a baby as it was pitch black. Enough outlets! I brought my powerbar for nothing. Interactive TV allows you to book shows, see events and even check out the menus. The need to insert your card to turn the lights on was a bit of a pain but if it save electricity it's definitely environmentally friendly. We knew if the rest of our party was in their cabins by looking at the outside light.
Ship tip
Expect the crowds. It is one of the bigger ships so it can be a little hectic at some of the popular events. They try to stagger and overlap some of the shows so it's not too overwhelming.
Great private island. Nice pool and beach. We went kayaking in the inner lagoon. It was a shorter course than I expected. Food was expensive but just eat back on the ship.
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