Escape is a fantastic ship, a bit overcrowded though.
Embarkation
5 out of 5
We arrived at the pier, dropped off luggage, went through security, got our keys and were on board within 35 minutes. Very smooth.
Ship experiences
Food and Dining
5 out of 5
Food was by far better than any cruise we took in the past. Food from main restaurants and even the buffet were consistently tasty and good! Unfortunately, we didn’t eat at any specialty restaurants, but we did see that there was a long wait for all of them every night! Make your reservations for specialty restaurants once you board!!!!
Onboard Activities
4 out of 5
Good but not great. 2 pools on board clearly not enough for over 4,500 people. WAY too crowded. Water slides were cool but I waited like 40 minutes for the Aquaracer slide.... unacceptable. Instead of cooling off in pools or water slides, take advantage of the rock grotto in Spice H2O or the hot tubs on deck 19 forward. They were far less crowded. Ropes course was thrilling but the top layer was always closed and at times, they closed off everything because it was “windy”. There was no rock climbing wall on board, and the mini golf was less crowded, so take advantage of that too.
Entertainment
5 out of 5
Stellar entertainment. By far the best we’ve seen on a cruise. Choir of Man is a must see at least once. Cruise director Alvin and his staff were awesome. One of the best CD’s we’ve had so far. Always energetic, and he clearly cared about our experience. In addition, the game shows were a TON of fun too, even though you have to arrive at least 30 minutes early to find a seat :/ and the themed parties in Spice H2O were almost every night and they were just great. In my opinion, entertainment is where this ship shines.
Service and Staff
4 out of 5
For the most part, the crew were friendly. For instance, the buffet staff, Main dining room staff, and room stewards were good. However, most of the activity staff, as well as ship security staff, among others seemed moody and stressed. This is obviously not totally their fault, given that they are away from the families for months at a time, but I think this problem stems from the fact that there are just too many passengers on board. They looked burnt out and underprepared for the amount of guests onboard. Again, not totally their fault, as I believe there were too many passengers onboard, the ship in general was WAY too crowded.
Ship Quality
4 out of 5
Escape was very well maintained as you almost always saw maintenance workers, painting, cleaning and preparing the ship. The crew also does an outstanding job of keeping the ship tidy. There were a ton of hand washing stations everywhere, they clearly value cleanliness. Overall I liked the ships layout, it was easy to maneuver and get around. However, this ship was over capacity for the week I sailed. All public decks always felt jam packed and crowded. This is my main problem with this ship, one reason I prefer mid sized ships and one reason I give Escape 4 stars instead of 5.
Cabin / Stateroom
3 out of 5
Balcony cabin with large balcony. We had 4 in our cabin and it was VERY cramped. Barely any room for luggage, and with the bunk down, there was almost no walking space. This room would be perfect for 2 or maybe 3. Too small for 4. However, the enlarged balcony was real nice, and the bathroom was adequate.
Ship tip
In order to get a lounge chair on the pool deck, do yourself a favor AND WAKE UP EARLY. Wake up no later than 6:30am if you want to sit by the pool! Also, arrive early to any game shows in the atrium, almost no seating available.
Extremely slow. Not totally NCL’s fault, but we were in lines for at least an hour - probably more. So many people getting off at one time probably made it even worse.
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