They make a big ship feel less overwhelming. There was always stuff to do if you wanted to do it, and more importantly (to me) quiet places to relax and read/watch the water if you didn’t.
Well done! They take a lot of people and a lot of stuff and get us all where we want to go, ’Washy Washing’ every day.
Embarkation
5 out of 5
We came early bc we were driving in same day and wanted to allow for traffic issues etc.
It was so smooth - we were in group 8 and were on the ship by 11:30.
Ship experiences
Food and Dining
4 out of 5
For “regular people” (of which I believe I am one), I wouldn’t bother getting a dining package. We had a good deal on it. Taste and Savor were fancy enough for me! Garden Cafe was perfect for breakfast. Same offerings every day, but plenty so you could rotate and not get tired of anything.
Taste & Savor were nice for the experience. Also tried La Cucina - it was ok. Cagney’s Steakhouse was better. Also ate at O’Sheehan’s for lunch to watch entertainment in the Atrium.
Onboard Activities
3 out of 5
Pools were small and crowded. We did get in a few times though. Hot tubs were madness. Like aquariums for little kid goldfish.
Waterslides were a hit. We watched for times when the lines were shorter.
Never made it to the Ropes Course - long lines or closed for wind.
Played Mini Golf the first day while waiting for staterooms to be available. Course was fine, but all the balls were the same color??
Entertainment
3 out of 5
Most of it was music- lots of tribute bands.
Loved Choir of Man. Husband and I saw it and then went another night and took kids, knowing they’d love it too.
After Midnight was less interesting. Well- done, just not for us.
Children's Programs
4 out of 5
Kids went to Entourage a few times. Lost interest a little when it was hard to find when other kids were actually there during the day. Nice options for stuff to do though.
Service and Staff
5 out of 5
Everyone was friendly. Even got picture with Cabin Steward before we left bc she was such a regular part of our trip experience.
Got kicked back and forth between IT and customer service too much the first night, but finally got everything straightened out.
It seems like a high-pressure place to work, so everyone was aiming to give good service and be reviewed well for it.
Ship Quality
3 out of 5
Most places were very clean until late night (when people were more careless with dropping stuff)
They were always out wiping down walls and handrails etc every day.
Elevator areas got crowded. Not sure what you would do to change that. We used stairs whenever it was feasible.
The Atrium just needs more seating. Very congested area.
Casino stale smoke smell was unpleasant to walk through,, but I was pleased that that’s the only place we we noticed it
Cabin / Stateroom
5 out of 5
We had a balcony, 15th deck aft
Quiet location
Easy access to pool deck and Garden Cafe and elevators/stairs
Very pleasantly surprised by the amount of storage. Bathroom was big enough and also had plenty of storage.
LOVED the balcony. Wouldn’t do it again any other way.
Ship tip
I would spend $ on a balcony room before a dining package. Plenty of complimentary options, but how can you beat waking up to this??
Did the Restless Native snorkel trip (booked ourselves for less $)
Loved it! Saw lots of fish, tried paddle boarding and kayaking.
Very easy meet up from ship.
Free ferries to St George and Hamilton were helpful. Wish there was cheaper way to get to Horseshoe Bay Beach. But even so, transportation options were easy to get to.
We took one of the mini buses there for $7/person each way.
Music from pirate ship bar made it a little loud
Much quicker than expected! We took later time slot to avoid crowds. Painless.
They actually called our color an hour early, so we were out way before our transportation pick-up time.
I love the Escape it’s my new favorite. I went on the Breakaway 6 times because I live close to the port. I always go Labor Day every year it’s a tradition with a group of us.Im glad you enjoyed your cruise ✊
Also, we saw a few families with walkie -talkies, but they were kinda loud and obnoxious. We used the $9.95 app to chat, and once we finally realized that each family member had to register for the NCL app individually (vs one per room which we started with) it worked great!
Lots of people had been commenting re: door decorations. We saw literally none, but also had zero communication that it wasn’t allowed. We used white boards on the insides of the doors.
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