The Escape is a massive cluster filing with noise, lines, crowds, crappy buffet food and one inconvenience after another. - stay away from the Escape and NCL!!!!!
Embarkation
3 out of 5
Long wait
Ship experiences
Food and Dining
1 out of 5
Unlike Carnival where you can take a case of sodas per person onboard, NCL does not allow so they charge you $3.60 per soda.
The food quality in the restaurants was hit (mediocre) or miss (poor), and the buffet quality was crap, which the exception of the breakfast - worst cruise buffet I have ever seen; the food look gross, I would just about lose my appetite looking at it.
Very limited drink machines throughout the ship. For ex., Deck 8 had the only covered quite place on the ship ( if you were lucky enough to find a spot), but no drink machines on the level, the nearest machines were on Deck 16, in Aft of ship. I could go one forever this ship was a cluster....
Onboard Activities
1 out of 5
The ship had tones of activities if you could get to them. Don’t be deceived by how big this ship is, it is crowded as hell and there are lines and crowds for everything and everywhere. For ex., good luck finding a place on the sun deck around noon, and a shaded spot with an umbrella (HA HA HA). On top of the crowed deck, a large portion of the deck is occupied by pay restaurants, which were always vacant, and you were not allow to sit in these area unless you were buy food there! Shows: if you are used to Carnival quality shows, don’t expect that here, the shows were low budget, few, you had to reserve the shows (which the good ones a booked before you get on the ship, and the theater is small because of pay restaurants, game rooms, etc. my point: the entertainment sucked and was half-ass low budget, but you would have to be an experienced cruiser to notice.
Entertainment
1 out of 5
As I mentioned above the entertainment was low budget, half-ass, and you had to have reservations ( which most are booked before you get onboard). Want to watch a movie, Ha Ha Ha...movies are held in the Atrium where there’s a bar full of loud drunks, a coffee shop, and a restaurant right across the hall - it was insanely loud. Unlike organized ships that have these areas separated, not here - this ship is the biggest cluster I have ever seen
Children's Programs
1 out of 5
If you are looking for a floating daycare center with ropes courses, putt putt, bowling alleys, game rooms, this is the ship for you. If not stay the hell away from this Mad House!!!!
Service and Staff
5 out of 5
Service was poor at times, due to the overcrowded areas and restaurants, and everything else. But the workers were nice and courteous!
Ship Quality
1 out of 5
Piss-poor design - as I said earlier, don’t be deceived by the huge size of the ship. The size of the ship is to stuff as many people on it as they can (5000+). 1/3 of the recreation area on his ship is pay restaurants, and the other areas are stuffed with crowds crowds crowds and lines lines lines, and noise, noise, noise. The ship only has two elevator areas which are always busy, the elevators are deep not wide, so half the people have to get off the elevator to let people off. The only nice place to relax in the shade is deck 8 (if you are luck to find a spot), but get thirst and the nearest drink machine is Deck 16 in the AFT, unless off course you go to a nearby pay restaurants!
Cabin / Stateroom
1 out of 5
Room size was fine, clean, and bathroom was nice, but Bed Was Hard As A Rock!
Ship tip
Unless you are looking for a floating daycare center with rope courses, bowling alleys, game rooms, a lot of noise, big crowds....Do Not cruise on this Cluster....
Bermuda is awesome! The most beautiful beaches in the world, and unbelievable scuba diving, and not a third-world Caribbean crap hole; you can scooter around the island and not have to worry about being robbed and killed - Bermuda is a very nice place!!!!
It all depends on your sailing date, and what your taste in entertainment is. You’re either by the pool and bar from the moment you embark or you casually enjoy the indoor entertainment. There’s nothing in between so not much to complain about. I personally like to cruise in side and catch small shows here and there with atleast one day by the pool to soak in sun and observe silly staff led games. But if you want wuiet go to the back to Spice. Adult only. And trust me if I see a child back there I am tgat orude that will have them removed. Staff did suck in this department and need to be more deligent and respectful of cruisers who want stay away from the rukus. Parents try hard to sneak them in.
We have been on the escape 4 times and going back on in march. This is one of our favorite shis. Never experienced any issue. Guess some people are grumpy and in bad moods, even when they are on vacation.
Oh... You'll have to do better than that. Some of your issues are on you... Lack of research... Read about the ship... Look at Q&A... Review deck plans. There is more to cruising/ vacationing than just showing up.
Perhaps you should have done even minimal research about the features of this particular ship. There are so many resources available online. I just went on the sister ship to the Escape, the Getaway. We were very pleased with our experience and will be cruising the Escape next year. You should stick to Carnival.
Sorry you had a bad experience. I can’t imagine being miserable on a cruise, but many seem to be. I do question reviews that rate everything but the crew a one-star and slam the cruise line on everything. Nothing is ever perfect or totally bad.
Wow i did not experience none of this, it was absolutely beautiful, food was great and definitely the drinks, people were amazing, even tho its a big ship its very organized lines were not that long to get drinks, we loved everything about it and we wemt on epic as well even tho ship is little worn we still had great things to say about that one as well, we love NCL sorry you had a bad experience maybe just stay with carnival which that is my last choice for a cruise line only reason i have been on them is my boss pays for my ticket but we wont use our money for that line 🌴
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