Best First Cruise I Could've Asked For

Item: Norwegian Escape
Rating: 4.9
Author: twixieshores

Norwegian Escape Cruise Review

twixieshores

Contributor Level: Purser

Cruises: 1 cruise (first)

Review: 1

Helpful Votes: 50

Overall rating:

4.9 out of 5

7 Night Western Caribbean (Miami Roundtrip)

Sail date: January 25, 2020

Ship: Norwegian Escape

Cabin type: Inside

Cabin number: 12531

Traveled as: Singles/Friends

Reviewed: 4 years ago

Review summary

This was my first cruise and I absolutely loved it. Honestly, any complaints I have are nitpicks. Love the Escape and can't wait to return!

Embarkation

5 out of 5

Embarkation was very quick, but a little disorganized. On the plus side I boarded by 11:15.

Ship experiences

Food and Dining

4 out of 5

Overall going to give it 4 stars. Specialty restaurants and O'Sheehans deserve 5, MDRs and buffet earned 3. Bars get a 4. See individual dining reviews for more insight.

Studio Lounge

5 out of 5

The latte machine alone makes the lounge worth it. Plus it's usually quiet other than the evening meetup.

District Brew House

5 out of 5

I love craft beer, the musician each night was excellent and the bartenders were some of the more attentive on staff.

Bayamo by Ocean Blue

5 out of 5

Food wise, best restaurant I ate at all week.

Tobacco Road Liquor Bar

5 out of 5

Along with District Brew House and the Cellars, top notch bar staff in terms of attentiveness. Plus, it's a whiskey bar and you can't go wrong with that.

Le Bistro

5 out of 5

Honestly, the appetizers, soup and dessert was worth 5 stars. The sole was just a buttery bonus.

O'Sheehan's Bar and Grill

5 out of 5

It's included in the fare, and their wings, spinach dip, Rubens and corned beef hash are better than 90% of what's on the buffet.

The Manhattan Room

3 out of 5

This applies to all MDRs. Service was definitely good, no complaints there. The food on the other hand was by and large average. Definitely edible and perfectly serviceable, but nothing wowed me. It's fine, but if you can afford to splurge for a night (or snag a dining plan) the specialty restaurants are worth spending a little extra on.

The Cellars - A Michael Mondavi Family Wine Bar

5 out of 5

Both sommeliers I ended talking to were extremely knowledgeable in helping me try new wines. They listened to what I liked, as well as th he fact that I tend to get a headache from reds and made sooner nice reccomendations.

Cagney's Steakhouse

5 out of 5

Maybe not Ruth's Chris level, but way better than a Texas Roadhouse. Everything was absurdly delicious and the staff were attentive without being annoying.

Onboard Activities

5 out of 5

The thermal suite pass was the best $200 I ever spent.

Entertainment

5 out of 5

Escape Theater

5 out of 5

Choir of Man and After Midnight were both must see shows. Also enjoyed the Flashback Four.

Service and Staff

5 out of 5

I absolutely have to hand it to Irene, the solo coordinator who did an outstanding job getting us dinner reservations and show seatings each night. And Apolinario, my cabin steward was extremely friendly.

Ship Quality

5 out of 5

Cabin / Stateroom

5 out of 5

It's small. There's no getting around that. That said, I've lived in studio apartments and know how to operate in small spaces.p It's fine for one person and efficiently designed to maximize the space you do have. Besides, unless you're sleeping, changing, showering or using the bathroom, you have the lounge only a few steps away. The mood lighting originally struck me as cheesy when I booked the cabin, but I found myself actually really enjoying it.

Ship tip

Don't be afraid to travel alone and stay in the studios!

Thumbs up

Ports of call

Coxen Hole, Roatan, Bay Islands, Honduras

5 out of 5

Went to Maya Key to go snorkeling. Definitely an amazing experience getting to see the wall. Also, there were animals, which adds even more stars. And a halfway decent lunch that was better than I expected.

Thumbs Up 0

Harvest Caye, Belize

5 out of 5

We were late getting in due to a mishap, but still had plenty of time. The monkey river tour was nice if you want to see wildlife, but BRING INSECT REPELLENT. You get off the boat and walk into the jungle for a bit, and the second you step off, the mosquitoes are on you. The island itself was nice. I enjoyed the pool, and even though I had a drink package the rum in the coconut was still a good value.

Thumbs Up 0

Costa Maya (Mahahual), Mexico

5 out of 5

Went to Caccohben. If you haven't seen Mayan ruins, it's worth a visit despite being 1 hr 40 min from the port. The ruins are breathtaking. Tour guide Raul was extremely friendly and knowledgeable and was happy to answer any questions. That said, you are climbing some steep stairs so if you have mobility issues, maybe try another tour.

Thumbs Up 0

Miami, Florida

5 out of 5

I love Florida, plain and simple.

Thumbs Up 0