Norwegian Escape Cruise Reviews - Reviews

Long time Royal cruiser, with some cruises on Disney and Carnival.  For the price, decided to try NCL due to their excellent reviews.  NCL does offer a lot of dining choices, but they also charge for many restaurants, some that should be free/included.  Only 2 pools for guests, which doesn't equal a lot of pool space for a full boat, on 3 sea days.  Some shows were good, some not, to each their own.  Rooms were nice, just not as big as Royal.  Restaurant service Fair, but not as attentive as someone truly earning their gratuity as on other ships.  Short beds.  Over 6', expect to hang off the end.  Would choose NCL again, but not as our first choice.     

The staff and the food was terrific.  We booked this cruise because we wanted to experience a Norwegian megaship.  We have been on Royal Caribbean's Oasis of the Seas and thoroughly enjoyed it so we wanted to see what the Norwegian Escape was like.  The escape has about the same amount of public space as the Jade but has an additional 2,000 people so everything was overcrowded.  There was a wait time for the dining room.  You could not get near the pool area and the activities such as the Newlywed Game, usually held in the theater, were held in the Atrium which was so crowded that you couldn't enjoy them.  It was standing room only unless you went at least a half hour early to get a seat and wait.  The theater was very small and reservations were required otherwise you couldn't get in.  We had a good time because we had a suite and could spend time on the balcony.  We thoroughly enjoyed the specialty restaurants with seating outside on the boardwalk.  The casino is very spacious located on deck 8 and very open.  That was one area that did not have lines.  We are not gamblers and did not like the smell of smoke that permeated to several other floors.

We had a great trip. Food was good but I was bummed that all of the seafood cost extra. Service was ok; it seemed we either had great service or terrible service. Our room was nice and our room steward was awesome and got us anything we needed whether an extra blanket or towels. The shows were great and so were the extra games that the staff put on throughout the week.

Best weather during winter time.  We felt relaxed during this 7 day cruise.  This ship is big with so many people and the top decks were very crowded during the days. Food was okay but not as good as other Norwegian cruise we had taken.  We didn't take any ship organized shore excursions and enjoyed the free time at all three ports.

My sister and I finally took the getaway (without husbands) we had been discussing for years and let NCL entertain us. We thoroughly enjoyed our time together and the whole experience. It was the first NCL cruise for both of us, but not the first cruise for either of us.  We would both seek out NCL on a future cruise.  The food and entertainment were beyond our expectations. There were plenty of choices and the daily schedules allowed us to have our nice dinner and attend quality entertainment.  There were also a lot of ways to upgrade (spend more $$) your experience with special restaurants, casino activity, bingo, lotteries, art auctions, raffles, etc ---none of which we did, and we still had a fabulous time and never felt deprived or underserved.

We flew into Miami the day before disembarkation and stayed downtown. No issues with walking out of the hotel and catching a taxi to the port the next morning.  Once embarkation started (security lines opened) up everything went pretty smooth. We checked in via the Haven area due to our room category. The only thing we didn't like is that although we were escorted up to the terminal we were "put in a corner" for holding (for about an hour) before boarding the ship.  Once on the ship we at lunch at Margaritaville and checked out the ship.  Main pool - seemed a bit crowded for our liking most of the day.  So we would go the Haven or Thermal Spa to relax.  Thermal Spa - Amazing, enabled us to relax in the therapy pool and the various salt bath, sauna, snow and steam rooms.  Haven Area - We were always greeted by the Concierge with a smile. The restaurant was amazing, always happy staff. The Bar staff was also equally nice and personable. The only real complaint we had was the hot tub in the Haven area (top deck) it didn't circulate the water so it was like sitting in a bath tub. Also, the other two hot tubs on deck 17 the timers shut off every five minutes.  Entertainment was impeccable - The Brat Pack was our favorite show. Although we did enjoy several comedians and the Howl At the Moon (dueling pianos).  Port and Shore excursions were excellent at St Thomas and Tortola. Nassau we won't get off the ship the next time. Nassau has become way to commercialized for our liking in the past two years - e.g. $8 for a beer with 18% tax included.  We are already planning our next cruise with NCL. Thanks for an amazing time :-) 

We were delayed on our first flight due to ice. Once we arrived in ATL, I called Norwegian and was told that as long as we were at the port by 4pm, we could board. This was a lie. We were there at 345p. Therefore, we had to stay 2 nights in Miami, fly to St Thomas, and then another stay in St. Thomas before we were able to meet the ship. It is VERY costly to feed and board 8 people when you were prepared to be on a cruise ship. You know who at Norwegian cared that all of this happened to us? None of them. Once we were aboard the ship, it was beautiful with a great crew. But, we had different options had we known at 842a in ATL that we would not be allowed to board after a certain time. Definitely not impressed by NCL's customer service!!

We had a great time on this past cruise. It was an anniversary trip for myself and spouse and also with my brother and his wife. Service was excellent. Would go again.

We were looking for a relaxing way to celebrate our 35th wedding anniversary and found it.  We are very familiar with the cruise and ports and wanted to revisit some of our favorite ports and got just what we were looking for.  Enjoyed the Haven and had our first experience with an Aft Facing Penthouse - well worth the money!  Quiet and a great balcony.  Service and amenities were extremely good, food choices on the Escape were at least as good (if not better) than our previous cruises.

Very good vessel

Excellent entertainment organization and activities 

Room keeper (PUTU) attitude and service was excellent

Entertainment exceeded my expectations

Very good restaurants

The Escape is too big, too crowded, amenities are the same as a small ship but yet with twice the amount of people.

Staff: they became stressed and unpleasant, I don't blame them! Will not do it again!

Activities: the Spa costs an arm and a leg, the zip line was closed, my kids could not get on (one of the main reasons I booked that ship!)

Price: everything has supplements! Everywhere you go, everything you do you have to be careful to not incur extra cost, its like walking on a mine land!

Food: could not find a piece of smoked salmon anywhere! On my last cruise, I enjoyed it so much and was looking forward to it. It's the small things...

I tried to cancel a show (($35 a person!) that my daughter booked by accident (mine land!) and it took me to speak to staff three times to get it done!

Security: my kid was able to play at the casino, he is 17!! not acceptable!

Disappointing!

We love NCL first of all. Very classy in all respects. Food is superior, cabins are always neat and clean. The crew of workers are top notch.  The beds are so comfortable.

We found a bar we loved..Tobacco Road.  The staff there were incredible.  Bartender, Henry Go is the classiest , friendliest, nicest man on the ship.  Beautiful bar!!  Our steward for our room was very good also.  Everyone is friendly.  This was one of our most enjoyable cruises.

We went for our cruise in early January 2017 and no matter what time of year, you can't predict the weather.  Unfortunately, the weather was tough, high seas and rains the entire time we were at sea.  Each day in port we had some sun, but a number of shore excursions were cancelled due to high swells, etc.  That's the risk you take!

Having put the not so positive part of our cruise out there, the rest was the best!  We were fortunate to stay in a Haven cabin, 9318, an AFT Balcony, 2 room suite with all Haven amenities.  We've chosen this cabin on other NCL ships and will continue to do so each time.  The balcony is the best, better than any at the front of the ship.  While you have to walk in the morning to get to the Haven for breakfast or the private pool, sun deck, etc., it's worth it - the cabin is amazing.  Our butler Narcisso was once again wonderful (we had him a year ago on the Getaway) and the attentiveness to our needs was unlike anything we could have asked for.  The crew was great, I don't know what the cruise director, Tyler, was on - he was constantly 'high' with excitement and emotion.  The food in the specialty restaurants was worth the price for the most part.  LeBistro was less than desirable this trip - Cagney's, Teppanyaki and Moderno all remain top notch.  We met a ton of people and had a great party for 20 on our balcony the evening as we were leaving Nassau. Great people that we're already scheduling future cruises and gatherings!  We went to more shows this time than in the past; can't imagine why we haven't done this sooner.  Can definitely tell it's a new ship - no issues whatsoever. 

If the weather gods could have calmed the seas, it would have been a perfect trip!

The best part of the cruise was the specialty restaurants. We dined French Bistro and Cagney's Steak twice each and once each at Moderno Brazilian, Teppanyaki Japanese, and Cucino Italian and enjoyed each venue. We also liked Jimmy Buffet Margaritaville up on deck 17. Burgers and margaritas excellent. The balcony room was spacious enough, the king bed was comfortable, and the bathroom was big. This was a New Year's Eve Cruise and there were lots of kids of all ages on the ship but no problem.. Embarkation was very quick; disembarkation somewhat slower due to passing through Customs. The ship moved through the Caribbean very smoothly, and there was hardly any feeling of motion. Theater shows were high energy but too long. One of the shows was 1 hr, 35 minutes long! Things that could be improved are: 1) the safety drill took too long (we have cruised other lines and they handle this much better); 2)don't allow guests to put food plates in the corridor;3) need to have some sort of enrichment lectures on daily activities. The iConcierge app was useful to tie our cell phones together. The casino is the best we've seen on a ship. Big and lots of good slots. Bingo is fun but getting too expensive for just 3 games. We had the beverage and dining packages and used them to the fullest.

Boring cruise while at sea.  Had to fight crowded decks to find a lounge chair. Every show seems to be built as a cliché of real entertainment.  Loud music on pool deck all the time was a constant annoyance.  Crowded pools and Jacuzzi's.  Prices for Spa services are double to triple what they are on shore.  A couple of the premier restaurants were decent, but the bars were sterile and boring.  You're then "nickel and dimed" by the staff repeatedly.  Everything is some upcharge even if you bought the premier meal and drink package.  The excursion options were good but expensive compared to booking them yourself.  All told you should skip the cruise and simply put the money to hang out on St Thomas or St John.  Will cost the same or less and you'll have a far better time.

way too many cruisers and not enough help translated  to poor service and customer service. Food was excellent no matter where you dined. Decks, pools and hot tubs were beyond capacity for such a large ship. We had the drink package and once they knew you had the package thy never came back to offer you another one. Wifi was the worst. Rarely worked. Told us because there were too many people on the boat. We asked to be prorated since they were aware that if there were too many people that wifi would be sketchy at best. 

Our room was not made up two of the seven days. 

Like I said great boat and excellent food. 

There were pros and cons....

 Pros- easy, fast embarkation and debarkation!! An excellent bartender at the "5 o'clock somewhere bar" by the name of the chocolate cowboy. He was excellent, knew everyone by name and remember the small items everyone liked in their drinks, very nice!!

Cons- there were over 2200 kids on this ship, un-attended, uncontrolled, no curfew, loud kids running wild all hours on this ship, I am talking about 9 yo and under!!!  The garden café was a nightmare, a freaking busy highway, dodging strollers, screaming kids, kids under 9 serving themselves at the buffet where they can barely reach and after picking their noses!!!  Kids playing with the soft serve ice-cream machine!!! No parental guidance at ALL!!!  I personally witnessed 2 small boys in the atrium throwing the pillows off the couches and having a pillow fight while the mother just sat thee and nearby staff ignored,,, I am sure it is all fun and games until someone gets hurt!!! No control at all!!! Kids in restricted ADULTS Only areas in the hot tubs!!!   No one said a word to their parents.... heck as if people without kids did not matter!!!! We work all year long and would like to relax on vacation not have to put up with someone else's brats!!!!!

The skyline club only played latino music every freaking night!!!!! Spice H20 only played fist pumping, jump around music for the tweens and twenty something crowd.. everyone else they could care less about!!!!

DJ played at the 12 x12 pool area daily with the lounge chairs reserved with shoes, towels, baby dolls and phones early in the am with no one around, they were probably eating breakfast or went back to bed... but hey we got our chairs reserved for whenever we decide to go to the pool area!! please NCL set rules and watch this...ENFORCE THEM for the enjoyment of all of yours PAYING customers instead of a select few!!!!

DJ needs to get out more and know that their all types of music instead of the 2 genres he played during the 7 day cruise!!!!

Never seen the cabin stewart all!!!!

First and last New Year's eve cruise I will ever take... considering cancelling my other 2 NCL cruises that were already booked!!!

My favorite part of the Cruise was two Crew Members Guido and Tajani, the worst part of the experience was all the children on the ship allowed in the 18 and over events like not so newly wed, battle of the Sexes and in the night Conley Shows that were inappropriate for children what they were experiencing.  Never saw the Cruise Director basically just heard him over the PA System.  The Stateroom service was horrible, one minute the bed was made but the bathroom was not and by serversa.  I've been on 6 cruises with Norwegian, the Sky 2x's, the Dawn, the Getaway, the Breakaway and there's No Escape was the worst entertainment, the worst roughness in feeling the ship moving, and the worst Crew Staff

Just way to many people and kids.  First time on a 4200 person ship.  Excursions were great, food was great.  Should be able to get Vibe at time of purchase.  Only local people can get there early enough to get it at boarding.  If you have never been on ship 4200 people it is a new experience.  Way to many people and kids to deal with.  Pools are the same size as smaller ships,  and really crowed.  Cabins are much smaller than usual. 

I would recommend this cruise. The ship NCL Escape is beautiful. I loved the complementary Manhattan Room restaurant. Every evening, they had some musicians playing. Nice and pleasant stay.