We have been on many NCL cruises, and while we are always fond of the experience, we like some better than others. While the entertainment on the large ships is significantly better than on the smaller ships, the Escape does not feel as customer-friendly, wanting to provide an individualized experience, as other ships. There seem to be a lot of corners that are cut to speed things up (drinks pre-mixed, etc.) That said, we loved the food (in the main dining rooms and the buffet), and we only experienced food of this quality on one other NCL ship (Pearl).
Embarkation
5 out of 5
Very speedy!
Ship experiences
Food and Dining
5 out of 5
The food in the main dining rooms on the NCL Escape was outstanding! It was seasoned well and very flavorful. We have been on 7 other NCL ships, and the food here was amongst the best (flavorful, not bland).
Onboard Activities
4 out of 5
Entertainment
3 out of 5
The professional performers (After Midnight and Brat Pack) did an amazing job. We do wish that those musicals had more of a storyline like Legally Blond on the NCL Getaway. We were greatly disappointed by the Levity Group's Marc Acevedo, whose comedy routine was insulting and racist. We always love attending the comedy shows on the ships, but this one was a true bust.
Service and Staff
5 out of 5
Ship Quality
5 out of 5
Cabin / Stateroom
4 out of 5
We had issues with the toilet in the cabin, and were unhappy about the way the Guest Services staff, plumber, and security staff worked with us to resolve the issue (treating us as if we were doing something wrong instead of trying to fix the malfunction).
Ship tip
Find your favorite restaurant and bar, and stick to them. The bars on the Escape tend to have the most popular drinks pre-mixed, which is a disappointment in many cases. Find the place that makes drinks the way you like them, and go back to that bar/bartender.
It was great to have access to the complimentary buffet and to be able to use the beverage package on the island. We learned that our visit was the first for two ships to be on the island at the same time (NCL Escape and NCL Sky), and the staff did a great job managing over 7000 people. We do wish that some of the facilities were not under construction and that we had had more information on how things would work on the island.
Beware: Sand fleas are common on Great Stirrup Key, and we came back with many bites since we took the last tender back to the ship (after sunset when the sand fleas come out).
Even though we are not big fans of Nassau (we wish that not every eastern Caribbean cruise were to dock here), we had fun at Fort Charlotte (lots of history) and Jankanoo Beach.
Once we were off the ship (long-ish lines there since there were too many groups called at once), the port of Miami is one of our favorites since we are able to get through customs and immigration very quickly.
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