We found cruising NCL to be super relaxing and a lot of fun! The Escape is a beautiful ship with a fun and helpful crew. We definitely plan to sail on The Escape again!
Embarkation
5 out of 5
Embarkation was a smooth process, very organized.
Ship experiences
Food and Dining
5 out of 5
Our overall food and beverage experience was excellent. We chose to eat at Cagney's Steakhouse, LeBistro French Restaurant, Moderno Churrascaria, the buffet, O'Sheehan's, Savor, Taste, and The Manhattan Dining Room. Cagney's, LeBistro, and Moderno (all premium restaurants) were all wonderful - delicious food, great service, and excellent options. We were also pleasantly surprised by the buffet - delicious food, lots of options for all meals. Savor, Taste, and the Manhattan room were very good as well. Our experience at O'Sheehan's was hit or miss, but overall not bad. I wasn't thrilled with the cupcake I purchased at the bake shop (white chocolate strawberry); in my opinion the icing was way too stiff and the cake part was sticky. But the complimentary desserts were all hits with our family.
Onboard Activities
5 out of 5
There are plenty of onboard activities for all ages. Our family enjoyed the rope course, water slides, dance parties, pool, H2O, and the Grotto. The Grotto in H2O is a beautiful, peaceful retreat!
Entertainment
4 out of 5
There's plenty of entertainment on board. Here's our overall rating of the shows we attended:
18+ Comedy Show: Just meh. Not all that funny.
After Midnight: High energy show, great dancing, beautiful costumes. Very enjoyable.
Dueling Pianos: Very talented musicians, funnier than the comedian, but same kinds of jokes at each performance. Don't ask them to play any Billy Joel or Elton John - they obviously hate it and will either not play your request while insulting you for asking or totally destroy the song with their own lyrics.
Choir of Man: Fantastic show! We even purchased the CD afterward. This is the show to see! 5 stars.
Service and Staff
5 out of 5
Everyone on the NCL staff was professional and helpful. Our room steward checked with us every day and kept our room spotless. The food staff was perfectly attentive without being overbearing and were VERY helpful with food allergies again without being overbearing.
Ship Quality
5 out of 5
The ship was very clean and well maintained. Looks like a brand new ship.
Cabin / Stateroom
5 out of 5
When we first entered our cabin, I had my concerns that it might feel cramped and not have enough storage. But we fit all of our clothes and toiletries with room to spare! And it never felt cramped, even when our adult children came to visit!
Ship tip
There are certainly "extra-charge" items available, but there are so many excellent things included in your cruise as well. Enjoy everything you've already paid for!
New York is a great city with great people. Yes it's crowded and sometimes expensive, but you can also find very inexpensive but delicious food everywhere and the people are super helpful. We did not do an excursion in NY because we visit there fairly often. But I do recommend seeing a show and enjoying the great food options!
Bermuda was so beautiful and the people were very friendly and helpful. We received great advice from the visitor's center and also from the staff at the Princess Hotel in Hamilton. The Princess staff helped us to find a quiet beach with a beautiful little cove. They also arranged an excellent British Afternoon Tea for us even though we did not have a reservation! They were very accommodating even though we weren't even guests in their hotel.
The beach was not a typical tourist spot, but it was beautiful! For about $45, all six of us took a taxi ride out to Warwick Long Bay. The driver gave us his card and we were able to text him to pick us up again when we were done. So easy and relaxed! And he also had great tips on places to eat when we return some day.
Disembarkation was a smooth process. Lines were long, but that's to be expected on a cruise carrying 5000 passengers. My disembarkation tip: Get a NYC porter for your luggage! All it costs is a tip, and they will get you through to your car or taxi super fast!
Love the Escape! Nice review. The dueling piano players were a blast on Escape and Breakaway. They have an inside bet each night, which one will get the $100 "song request" tip first. I gave one of the players $100 on the Escape on my 50th bday. You guessed it....a request to play "Piano Man" by Billy Joel. He nailed it, the room was packed, everyone sang along...a night I'll never forget. 🍹😁👍
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