A transatlantic cruise is a long time to be on a ship, but it was a wonderful experience. As always, the NCL staff went above and beyond to ensure a delightful experience for all. I would recommend this cruise to anyone who wants to give it a try!
Embarkation
4 out of 5
Because we were guests of The Haven, our embarkation was very good. However, because of the late arrival to port of the ship and a poorly planned shift of procedures, it was overall chaos. Instead of a blanket arrival time for all guests between 12:30 and 5:00, which created a HUGE influx of passengers all arriving at 12:30, passengers should have been instructed to add a specific number of hours to their already designated boarding times. That would have prevented the ridiculously long lines. The resulting automobile traffic due to all passengers arriving at once was a nightmare. That being said, once onboard, everything was great. Due to the ship arriving empty, we were able to go to our staterooms immediately. That was a very nice experience.
Ship experiences
Food and Dining
5 out of 5
Per typical NCL standards, the food and drink were amazing. Since we were guests of The Haven, we typically dined at The Haven restaurant, which was wonderful. Our specialty dining, Bayamo, Teppanyaki, and Le Bistro, was outstanding. There were a couple of occasions due to our scheduled activities that we were not ready to dine until after closing time for the other restaurants, so we ate at O'Sheeans. It was very good as well. Room Service breakfast brought to us by our Haven butler was delicious!
Onboard Activities
5 out of 5
We enjoyed Bingo (wish it was a little less expensive since there are so few winners). I was disappointed Wheel of Fortune was only held once. It was really fun! The Thermal Spa was very comfortable, but we probably should have been more realistic and, instead of a full cruise pass, only gotten a limited number of days. We were simply too busy to frequent the spa that often. The Haven lounge area surrounding the pool was lovely and the Deck 19 sun deck was great!
Entertainment
5 out of 5
"Choir of Man" is the BEST show out there!! Absolutely entertaining. The magician, Salazar, was SO good. I am still scratching my head at some of his tricks! The juggler was also very funny and talented.
Children's Programs
Did not bring children. I traveled with my adult brother.
Service and Staff
5 out of 5
OUTSTANDING!!! Teo, the consierge in The Haven is the kind of staff member that makes The Haven, The Haven. Out butler, Jenifer, was amazing, so very thoughtful and offered such personal attention. Our steward, Judy, was truly a gem! Twice a day service, and if she saw us in the passageway, she would check in and make sure we wanted for nothing. ALL staff on the Escape were courteous to the point of being friendly, whilc remaining professional. Personally, I missed the "Washy-Washy Happy-Happy" staff members being ever present around the ship. We had a coughing sickness that prevaded the ship by cruise end, and I think having more opportunities to be gently reminded (forced) to santize our hands would have helped that situation. As is, I only saw that squirt bottle staff at the gangway when returning to ship after a day in port.
Ship Quality
5 out of 5
After sailing on the Epic, Breakaway, and Escape, the Escape is my favorite ship by far. However, I intend to explore and discover other ships, perhaps some of the smaller ships. But I love the Escape!
Cabin / Stateroom
5 out of 5
Our cabin was a Two Bedroom Family Villa in The Haven forward ship, 17110. I don't know why it says Aft-Facing Penthouse with Balcony. (?) The cabin was spacious and comfortable. The extra floor space by having bedrooms and livingroom separate areas made for a VERY comfortable experience. I especially appreciated having two separate bathrooms! Judy kept our cabin SPOTLESS!
Ship tip
The Atrium on the escape is smaller than one might expect, so if you plan to attend an activity being performed there, plan to arrive early to get the comfy seating. I did notice this time that extra folding chairs were set up around the perimeter of the main seating to try to combat this shortage, but I would still come early and snag a comfy chair!
We arrived a coule of days before embarkation and enjoyed some shows, "The Play That Goes Wrong" (hilarious!!!) and "Merrily We Roll Along" (Daniel Radcliffe in the cast!!!).
This rating is about me more than the port. I managed to catch "The Cough" that was circulating the ship, so I did not feel well that day. I went onland only to find a pharmacy and purchase some over the counter meds and return to the ship to take them and rest. It appeared to be a quaint little town, very clean and pretty. We had not booked an excursion, so it actually turned out to be the perfect situation for me. I took a few pictures as we searched for a pharmacy and that was it.
We had a walking tour with a very good guide. I am now obsessed with beautifully front tiled houses. The city was surprisingly clean, considering its size.
We took a tour to Sevilla, and it just happned to be Feria Week! The displays and extra sights with the decorated horse carriages and groups of riders were spectacular to see. La Giralda tower was magnificent. As a retired Spanish teacher, this excursion was a chance for me to see in person things that I had taught about for years! Absolutely beautiful city.
We purchased an NCL transport to Granada and took a self-guided tour of La Alhambra, the last stronghold palace of the Moors, before they were finally pushed off of the Iberian Pennisula. Once again, as a retired Spanish teacher, this excursion was a dream come true for me. I will forever be grateful to NCL to have a cruise that hit so many ports in Spain!! The palace was astoundingly beautiful and the Generalife gardens within the palace are incredible. We did not see any of the the cities (Málaga or Granada) but the palace itself more than made up for it.
Not affecting us, but MANY passengers had booked excursions to the Rock of Gibraltar and were denied entrance due to their passports not being stamped. There is a point of contention as to who was responsible for this oversight. Passengers state they were not informed of the requirement and also that there was no place offered to have this stamp done. NCL contends that there was a blurb on an attached peice of paper to the excursion ticket informing passengers of the requirement. Even so, passengers had no idea how to get the stamp! There were a LOT of unhappy people that day, something I have found to be very rare on an NCL cruise.
We chose an excursion that would focus on the history and beauty of Ibiza rather than the party/beaches/nightlife for which it is known. Our excursion was to the Fortified Dalt Vila. It is a more physically demanding walking tour than we had experienced before. I was still recovering from "The Cough" so it was especially difficult for me, BUT the views were worth it!!! The shopping during our "Time On Your Own" was a good recovery at the end. Very nice port.
Here, we also did a self-guided tour, with tickets bought online precruise to the interior of La Sagarda Familia cathedral. This was another retired Spanish teacher moment of glory! Words cannot adequately describe the astounding beauty of the stain glass and graceful lines of this cathedral. We asked our taxi driver where his favorite place for paella was, and he took us to a wonderful beachside reataurant. It was delicious. Barcelona has to be a must see port for anyone cruising.
We had booked an excursion to go to Monaco as we have cruised the Mediterranean before and had already explored Caanes. Due to a fueling schedule snafu in Barcelona, the ship left Barcelona's port over 5 hours late. Rough seas that night prevented any real recovery of that time lost, so almost all excursions, including ours, were cancelled. We were disappointed, but Caanes is a sweet little town with a village feel, and we happily shopped and enjoyed it again. However as the end of the day approached, so did a massive rain storm and we, along with thousands of other passengers, were soaked to the skin by the COLD rain and wind as we waited for the tenders to slowly pick us up and return us to the ship. Weather is never NCL's fault but it definitely put a damper on our reaction to the day.
We had an excursion to go to the museum that houses the original Statue of David, as well as to visit various other sights through town. WOW! We had an excellent guide who really filled our heads with information! He suggested a few excellent restaurants and I had the best lasagna I have ever eaten in one of them. The city of Florence was fairly crowded that day, but we were still able to see and learn about many beautiful sites. We got rained on again, but after Caanes, people were better prepared to deal with it.
We disembarked, got on our airport transport bus, and happily sighed a tired sigh of relief to be going home. 16 days is a long time to be on a ship and I still have my "sea legs" trying to walk around the house!
Being guests of The Haven, we were escorted right off of the ship. Our luggage was ready and waiting for us and we were guided straight to the bus. Smooth as silk.
Great itinerary. Appreciate your detailed and informative review. Sounds like spending the extra money for first class accommodations on a first class adventure i worth every penny. 👍. Glad you enjoyed your cruise.
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