Good Cruise, could use some work though

Norwegian Escape Cruise Review

Cruises: 4-6 cruises
Review: 1
Helpful Votes: 25

Overall rating:

4 out of 5
Norwegian Escape

7 Night Caribbean: Great Stirrup Cay & Dominican Republic (Port Canaveral Roundtrip)

Sail date: January 14, 2023

Ship: Norwegian Escape

Cabin type: Balcony

Cabin number: 14258

Traveled as: Family (young children)

Reviewed: 1 year ago

Review summary

Overall, we had a very good time and glad we took this cruise. Norwegian is definitely a class act!

Embarkation

3 out of 5
Although it looked to be organized, it was very slow moving. The lines were outrageously long and we went from one area to the next. Couldn’t this all be consolidated to make it quicker?

Ship experiences

Food and Dining

4 out of 5
The food was diverse and very good! A lot of care is taken in preparation and presentation. Many great flavors and breakfast in the buffet was always a treat! Try to go to eat on off times to avoid the crowds or make reservations when you can.

Onboard Activities

4 out of 5
Lots to do! The rope climbing was cool and a little scary, but loads of fun! One problem with the pools, there is an adults only and a kiddie pool, nothing for teenagers or families to hang out together. Bars are well spaced and convenient when outside. Grab a chair early otherwise they are gone quick.

Entertainment

5 out of 5
Choir of Man was fantastic! Great song and dance, as well as story telling. Really gets the audience involved, literally! Go up on stage before the show, they hand out draft beer to everyone. Magician and comedian were both very good, don’t miss them!

Children's Programs

4 out of 5
Both youngsters and teens can join kid’s club but they have to want to go. My 13 yr old wanted to stay and watch my 6 yr old to make sure he was ok, they wouldn’t allow her to stay because she was a year older than the cutoff age. Neither one wanted to be separated so they didn’t use the programs as much as they should have. When the 6 yr old went, he enjoyed it and made some friends.

Service and Staff

5 out of 5
Everyone we encountered that worked on the shop was very friendly and tried to help make everything as close to perfect as they could. Our room Stewart was great!

Ship Quality

4 out of 5
The ship was laid out as most are, pretty easy to get around. The ship was very clean and well maintained

Cabin / Stateroom

4 out of 5
Very nice, a little larger than inside cabins. Nice balcony with chairs. King sized bed and bunk beds for the kids. Room was very clean and bathroom was a decent size. The beds were comfortable too.

Ship tip

Make reservations early for anything you may want to do, even shore excursions. You can sometimes go somewhere without an excursion. If you want to just go to a beach, grab a taxi and go. It usually ends up being cheaper than booking through the ship.

Ports of call

Tortola, British Virgin Islands

3 out of 5
Not much to do, but a nice place. Grabbed a taxi and went to Cane Garden Bay beach. Hold on to the taxi rails because the road is narrow and goes up to the top of the mountain and down the other side to get there! Nice beach, walk until you find a deal on chairs and umbrella rental. Drinks are nicely priced.

Port Canaveral, Florida

4 out of 5
Really didn’t see much, just taking the bus from the airport to the dock

Puerto Plata, Dominican Republic

4 out of 5
Nice place. Ocean World is worth the excursion, just make sure you check and sync show times. Make time to eat the included buffet lunch as well.

Great Stirrup Cay (Cruise Line Private Island), Bahamas

4 out of 5
Nice place, great beach. Clear water, great for snorkeling. Anything more than swimming will cost extra, so be prepared for added expenses.

Charlotte Amalie, St. Thomas

4 out of 5
St Thomas was very nice. We went to Megan’s Bay Beach which was very nice. Grab a spot, they fill up quick in the shade.

Disembarkation

2 out of 5
When 4k people try to get off the ship at the same time… you can imagine the pandemonium! No directions or signage to assist with moving through the Customs area. Very large crowd bottlenecked trying to get luggage and get out. Should have been established lines with signs of where each was headed. Signs to tell you where to head after picking up luggage to get on the bus for the airport. Two hours of trying to get through the crowd!
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