My family loves cruising. At least we did until this particular cruise! The more I reflect on our trip, the less I want to think about cruising again. We will not return to this ship or to NCL. Very disappointing after a good experience two years ago. I would not recommend this cruise to others based on other experiences.
Embarkation
1 out of 5
They closed the garages nearest the ship when we arrived, forcing us to park nearly a mile away in top floor of the garage the furthest away from the ship. Long wait times boarding the ship.
Ship experiences
Food and Dining
2 out of 5
Cagney's was outstanding. Other specialty dining was good but relatively expensive. Service levels in the main dining was terrible but food was pretty good. Buffet service and food was better than average.
Onboard Activities
1 out of 5
Fitness center was good. Lack of solarium was missed. Pools were average but too crowded due to the number of passengers. The cruise director was highly annoying to our party of 10 and encouraged inappropriate behavior (Dance competition was obscene). Ropes course was closed frequently due to high winds. I mostly read a book due to boredom.
Smoking from the casino and adults only pool was very noticeable. The smoke from the casino was very noticeable all throughout floors 6 and 7. Very surprising they still allow smoking inside the ship and placed the casino right in the middle with open atrium throughout multiple floors - terrible design for those allergic to smoke!
Entertainment
2 out of 5
Several shows required "reservations". These were better than the "standard entertainment" in the theater. Left multiple shows early - worst I've seen in 14 cruises. Would have enjoyed attending my high school child's theater shows more than options on this ship.
Children's Programs
Did not use
Service and Staff
2 out of 5
Room steward was excellent. All other service was poor (particularly the main dining servers who were clearly overwhelmed and over worked).
Ship Quality
4 out of 5
Overall cleanliness and maintenance was good
Cabin / Stateroom
1 out of 5
Smallest room we've had in 14 cruises. Only the bed and a small desk. Lack of a sofa and/or chair was very much missed. Walls were thin and we could hear conversations next door and doors slamming. Bathroom was average.
Ship tip
Second time aboard this ship was very disappointing. I will not return and likely not consider NCL again in the future.
Despite great weather, they closed the port due to 15-20 mph winds. Very disappointing to miss this port and be forced to stay on the ship for another day.
Tendering process was a hot mess! Two NCL ships shared the island and NCL tried to market this by saying we "have the BENEFIT of sharing the island with fellow cruisers from the NCL Sky". Really?!? Since this meant we had double the number of passengers than normal sharing the same number of tender boats, chairs, etc. I find it astonishing how they tried to make this sound like a benefit. Thought there were going to be fist fights due to long wait times and nearly a mob scene. Absolutely no organization and conflicting instructions within the staff. Lack of free water and shade was unacceptable and felt like it forced passengers to paid items. My family paid $16 at lunch to watch the waiter split a 20 ounce diet coke in four small cups.
We carried our luggage off the ship so we could drive home (12 hours) as early as possible. Ship was 1 hour later than planned. Only one gangway to exit the ship at the end of the cruise.
I have been on the Escape twice. It sounds like you did not enjoy yourself, by choice. There is parking at the port, but it’s not owned by NCL; most ships have one gangway to exit; I will disagree about the smoking in the Casino. You cannot smell the smoke throughout Decks 6 and 7. In my opinion, all cruise directors are annoying, but this is not something that spoils my vacation.
*Cruiseline.com is not a booking agent or travel agency,
and does not charge any service fees to users of our site. Our partners
(travel agencies and cruise lines) provide prices, which we list for our
users' convenience. Cruiseline.com does not guarantee any specific rates or
prices. While prices are updated daily, please check with the booking site
for the exact amount. Cruiseline.com is not responsible for content on
external web sites.
Contact us
Submitting...
Need help from a personal vacation planner?
Loading...
Find the perfect cruise with weekly tips and cruise deals for as little as $30/night!
Sign up for weekly cruise deals
Join other subscribers and get the best
cruise deals of the week in your inbox every Thursday.
