Norwegian Escape Cruise Reviews - Reviews

The destinations were amazing loved Tortola British VI and Blue Lagoon Bahamas. 

This is my 2nd cruise with NCL and if NCL is going to make these ships bigger then they will be required to add additional staff.  I felt that there wasn't enough staff available on Decks 17, 18 and 19. 

I also suggest that NCL organize their Deck Chairs in such a way that will help with seating. ALOT of people were complaining...

Fabulous cruise, incredible ship, hilarious and talented entertainment, terrific food and service, relentless fun... but the best part? Staying in the HAVEN and being treated like ROYALTY!  

First off my wife smokes and I don't. I've always cruised Royal, but since had some good package incentives we decided to give Norwegian a shot. Bad mistake since CO didn't explain the smoking policy and areas to us and the dining specialty package was only for three nights. Royal has always treated smokers with the same respect and service as a non-smoker. They pay the same for the cruise but Norwegian forces smokers to the 17th level at the bar with bar stools and does not provide any lounge areas for smokers. The H2O lounge has three sofa style chairs but obviously are taken up quickly. So most smokers are force to sit on a bar stool or stand while they smoke and the areas that they put smokers in are in direct sunlight during the day the majority of the cruise. Royal has an entire pool level area/side, shaded for smokers. Norwegian's guest services, two of them, incorrectly told my wife she could smoke on the pool deck beneath the TV screens. She was removed after she was told that the information given her was wrong. We'll never cruise Norwegian again since they discriminate against smokers and treat them as sub-par guest. It's funny that Norwegian will sell cigarettes on board but treat smokers like second class steerage. The casino was calling smokers out of the intercom saying you have to be gambling to smoke in the casino. The layout of the casino is terrible. Broken up into several sections. The entire layout of the ship is like a maze and makes in seem very crowded. We'll stick with Royal and probably even try Carnival as some guest told us they have a smoking policy similar to Royal.

This is Norwegian's largest ship, and it lives up to its name. The variety of dining, entertainment and activity options is virtually limitless...It is truly an escape from the everyday routine. The ports of the eastern Caribbean are fun to visit, and the weather in late February and early March is fabulous.

The food and service in the complementarydining areas were definitely sub par.  2 of the 3 specialty restaurants were very good.

I definitely felt we spent too much hassle money for what we received.

The balconyoung was worth it because there was no room by the pool and hot tubs. 

It was by far one of the best cruises we have done in a while. The ship was beautiful , the food was fabulous and there was not a lack of things to do. The. Shows were wonderful. The stall was friendly.  What can I say, we are cruising Norwegian again!

Successfully "upgraded" to a Haven suite and was thrilled with the results. The service was generally outstanding. The arrival process was smooth and we were welcomed by the Haven staff from the moment we arrived at the port. My only feedback for improvement would be the departure. We were told we would given priority escort off the ship by the Haven staff. We were, but that only included an escort to the line to have our keys scanned off the ship. From that point on we were on our own. I found that odd given that our arrival had been handled from the point we arrived at the port. It felt like our "priority" clearly had ended as we were shuffled off the ship - there was no priority line to access to get through the Customs line or anything like that. In my humble opinion the Haven experience should have included a priority line and a full "escort" out of the port - just like our arrival was handled. But otherwise all was good. 

It was wonderful. I would not change anything. I highly recommend the Norwegian line. Can't wait until my next one which is already in the works for September.

Favorite part was the specialty restaurants. Food republic was superior. The rest of the trip was mediocre. We had high expectations from our last Norwegian cruise. Sadly, all the entertainment and the vibe were sold out despite being 5 of 21 to board and going directly to sign up for them. Too many people to accommodate the shows,hot tubs, lounge areas. Go for a smaller ship. The service is better and the entertainment from the piano bars are better. It was a serious disappointment despite being a beautiful ship. By the way, do not use the infirmary unless you have an extra couple grand lying around-moral: get the travelers insurance! Buffet was about the only thing that didn't disappoint. And offer tiered pricing for top shelf liquor-what was once included in the beverage package now no longer is. So between missing shows from being sold out, not able to get "the vibe" for even one day, kids taking over hot tubs in all areas, top shelf liquor extra and free entertainment was mediocre (piano man), I'd say this isn't really worth the cost. Go for a smaller ship. Oh and the cruise director was not really good. Offer more trivia at afternoon times. 

I myself always read reviews.  I've written a few too.  My nature is to stay pretty positive about things since I'd feel foolish complaining about a Caribbean vacation in the dead of winter.  I've cruised with the other big named cruise lines and this was my first with Norwegian.  I booked it a year in advance so I had plenty of time to prepare and plan.  I stayed in a 2 bedroom family suite in The Haven.  Like you will read in many reviews that upgrade is totally worth it.   I don't think I could ever cruise on Norwegian  in a room not in The Haven.  Its just too good.

This being a newer ship, it was clean and had lots of stuff to do for kids of all ages and adults.  My kids like Splash Academy and the times it was open was perfect for my husband and I to have some 'us' time.  The percs they are offering at the moment are awesome. Just pay the tips on your drinks and dining at the restaurants was completely worth it.  Free wifi and saving some money on a shore excursion was a nice extra too.  

Those who go on cruises know the entertainment/shows can be something to do every night with the entire family.  We all kind of go our separate ways during the day, but at night, after dinner, its fun to get together for some good shows.  I was a bit disappointed in the Escapes entertainment.  Only a magic show was something for the whole family to enjoy.  Evening entertainment was just not as good as Royal Caribbean, in my opinion.  I spoke with someone who said the Getaway had some great shows.  I will go on that ship next.

 We snorkeled in St. Thomas and Tortola.  Because of bad weather our Gorda Beach/Snorkel shore excursion booked through the ship was cancelled and they took us to Norman Island instead.  I thought it was the best snorkeling I have ever done.  I saw an octopus!  I do not get off the ship in Nassau.  What a great day on a ship that's 1/2 full.  We were on the ropes coarse as we were docking in Nassau.  I'd advise you try to do that as the views were super.  

Shopping?  There was nothing to buy!?  There were the usual watch and liqueur stores, but no place to buy anything for my family or grandchildren.  My 8 year old son would have liked a shirt that said "The Escape" or something like that, but I never saw anything kid sized.  I got my usual magnet.  

My end of week charges were a total of $700.  That included the $500 shore excursion for the five of us.  That is by far the smallest bill I have ever received.  It was mostly tips on drinks and some arcade fun.  That told me the alcoholic drink percs was worth it for us.  

The specials offered to book the cruise, the room and upgrades you received in The Haven, the island ports you stop at, were all things that made us choose this ship and I would recommend it as well.   Don't expect the same quality of shows or shopping like you might have on RC Allure of the Seas. The staff, food, ropes course, water slides, and overall vibe of the ship was great.  I plan on sailing the Getaway next and look forward to trying out other Norwegian ships.  I think each ship has its pluses and minuses.  You have to travel with the right attitude and you will always have a great time.

This ship is packed with a lot of interesting features. Just be ready to pay for them once on board. Lots of paid dining and the few that are not have items on the menus that need to be paid for. Some entertainment shows also come with a cost. Video games, bowling alleys and arcade games all cost. Bingo $49 for three cards. Ice Cream, coffee and special treats also a cost. The only thing that didn't have a price tag was the pool loungers. However these were so hard to find because there is "ONE" pool for 4700 passengers!!!  Pool loungers don't make $$$ so they saved the space for other venues that do. Shame on them!!! The only saving grace was the food was "OK" and the staff was very friendly and fun.

Most of the employees either don't care or were not trained in providing excellent customer service.  Some were even down right rude. The ship is beautiful. The service in every dining room was extremely slow.  I also found dirty underwear, socks, shirt and pants under my bed day two.. which must of been from a previous guest.  They smelled really bad so not sure how long they were under there.

Ships are getting bigger and bigger and what I observed on this cruise is the number of passengers have increased without a comparable increase in facilities.  No matter where you went, it was rare to find a seat.  The poolside is a joke, we had our chairs and towels stolen two days in a row.  I can not tell you how many times I was run over by children and adults walking through the café or elevators lobbies.

The food was so cold that we decided to try to eat only things that were supposed to be served cold.  The main dinning room where there was music, you could not hear the music over the noise.  The specialty restaurants were very good.

The other positive thing, the shows were great, but the rest of the entertainment was average at best.  We saw one group three times in one day and then over and over the rest of the cruise.

My favorite part of the cruise was waking up in a new port to explore. T h e food was good as was the entertainment. The crew was very nice, even though it seems like we never saw our room steward, but he did a great job for us.

The cruise line was great. The transportation from the cruise back to the airport  was a nightmare. Next time we will have to do it a different way. It was NOT NCL that provided the transportation.

Always is relaxing and enjoyable time. Cruising is great for mom, since child care is provided for kids older than 3. This way mom gets to enjoy herself and have some quiet time. No cleaning, no cooking - can't think of a better way to vacation!

We upgraded this time to a mini-suite and it was well worth it. Love the roomy bathrooms. The design of the ship was beautiful and easy to get around. Attention to detail was given as if you looked at the carpet in the hall on your way to your stateroom the fish design was swimming forward to let you know you were  going forward or aft!

This was my 8th cruise overall and 2nd with norwegian. The escape is a wonderful ship as you probably have read about. It is pretty much the same as the getaway just different restaurants. i recommend all of the complimentary restaurants as well as margaritaville and the brazillian steakhouse. both were very good! for cruisers who have ever wondered if cruiselines water down there alcohol well i know for sure that norwegian does as i was walking into a bar one night and saw the bartender poor water and tequila(mixed) back into a tequila bottle. i wasnt sure what to think about that so i never said anything. as far as the ports.. i think tortola is better then st. thomas because it is less populated and just as beautiful. all of the shows on the boat were very good. let me know if anyone has any questions. i will cruise with norwegian again

I liked the layout of the ship.  easy to get around and find your way.  

lots to do and the ship was clean.

entertainment was good but not the best I have seen.

did not like that specialty coffee and bottled water was not included in the drink package.  

really liked the big movie screens on the ship and the super bowl party was fun.

first time on a cruise that we did not get lobster complimentary.  you had to pay extra.

the delay in getting food in the manhattan room was not good.  it took over 2 hours for our food and we left before dessert because it was taking too long.

my daughter had her hair done in the salon for her wedding at St. Thomas and the girl who did her hair was rude to her and seemed rushed so she could leave and do some site seeing.  my daughter's hair (up do) fell out before the reception and we had to go to the salon and get bobby pins to fix her hair.  She went to customer service and they did nothing for her.  

I might cruise again on your ship but it would have to be a super good price.

also we had asked to be on the same floor as the wedding couple.  that did not happen either.  

Dave and Sue Pasewald  

the ship was too large with too many people. the mattress was terrible!!!!! woke up with a backache every morning. you couldn't get reservation for dinner unless you wanted to eat at bed time. Most of the crew were very sweet, especially our maid.

Coney. We had to wait forever to get an elevator

 And the rooms were entirely too small.

This was our first timer cruising on one of the largest ships. It was just like brand new. I really don't know how they keep it so clean. The service in all of the restaurants was excellent. The whole process of getting on board and off went very seamlessly. I like the layout of the ship with the (2) elevator areas it was very easy to learn the ship in a matter of a few hours. I would highly recommend booking you room close to the elevator areas. Ours was a balcony a few cabins from the forward elevator.

Now for a few improvements or just things we saw different on this cruise. The last cruise we did was in 2015 and was the Western Caribbean on a smaller ship. Much to our surprise was a $13.50 gratuity charge per person per day for service people. That should be shared right up front. I thought that the cabin personal might be under staffed. Just seemed from past cruises we were taken care of better. Might again be size of ship. I have always taken care of these people when they do us a great job.