Norwegian Escape Cruise Reviews - Reviews

Overall the cruise was fantastic.. Plenty to do and see. Only thing that I would recommend is that the buffet food was warmer most of the time was lukewarm.otherwise great ship and I would recommend it.

Getting on and off the ship were very problematic and disorganized.  We felt like cattle being herded to slaughter when we embarked as they shoved everyone up into the Garden Café, which was not large enough to hold everyone and their luggage at the same time.  And there were not enough people bussing tables or working the buffet.  It was so disorganized and not at all the way anyone would want to start their long-awaited vacation.

And while the ship was lovely and most of the crew/staff very accommodating we found that the only 'special dining' (translation: additional cost) restaurant that was all that "special" was Bayamo.  And unfortunately when we dined there we were seated next to a large table of very loud, rude, crude, and inebriated guests that pretty much ruined the 'specialness' of the restaurant.

We had a nice time but felt like they nickeled and dimed you on a number of items so a reasonably priced cruise soon turned into something more expensive.  We would suggest going on a cruise where more things were inclusive.

And don't get me started on Debarking the ship.  There was almost no communication on where to go to get off the ship, where to pick up your luggage, and the dozens of crew/staff that were there to shuffle you onboard were just not present.  Consequently, at 8:30 AM we walked past the luggage area without being told this was where we picked our luggage up and when we realized we hadn't gotten it, we told we would have to wait until the ship had a "zero" population before we could retrieve it.  Fortunately I found an upstanding Customs Officer who went back in with me to get the luggage so we didn't miss our transfer to the airport.  The NCL employees were very unhelpful and worse yet, uncaring.

On a positive note, our cabin Steward, Rodel, was efficient, friendly, and helpful.  The shows were excellent and the onboard activities fun.  We didn't get to enjoy the hot tubs much as they seemed to always be overfilled with the same groups, but when we did they were nice.  Also, the shore excursions were great and enjoyable.

I will not miss the continuous "Washy-Washy" bullying by restaurant staff (they thought I never washed my hands) and since I am allergic to hand sanitizer this made it difficult.

All in all we had fun most of the time, but getting on and off was such a hassle we likely won't cruise with NCL again.

The service was outstanding and the food was very good.  The entertainment was very good, not Vegas, but better than Branson.  Frank Townsend, the headline comedian was hilarious.  The swimming pool was too small for the size of the ship and the number of passengers.  There was always loud music or a live band, but good people watching.  If you are looking for a quiet place to read, get a balcony stateroom.  I'm from the Chicago area.  My biggest complaint is that they didn't televise the World Series.  That was a real disappointment.     

Lo mejor ademas del Barco,el grupo de entretenimiento y las  6 fiestas de  las noches en el espacio H2O.

Buena Comida. en todos los restaurantes complementarios

Gran atención de todos aquellos que trabajan para nuestro confort especialmente a la persona que cuido nuestro camarote-

Buenos músicos en vivo y cantantes en ambos shows, aunque no me se me hicieron extensos y aburridos como balance final, 

Boat was clean and new!  Some of the customer service from the crew was marginal. Not what I would have expected from a higher end cruise line!  The boat has so many passengers that the elevators were slammed at all times and it often took 5 or 6 stops of loading and unloading to get to your floor! Entertainmen was good but having to book your ewntertainment meant we misssed some of the comedy shows and things we would have liked to see!  The magic show was probably one of the highlights of the entertainment!

Just came back from a week in the Eastern Caribbean on the NCL Escape. Was concerned because it was my first time on a "big" ship. No worries, the common areas were less crowded than those on the Jewel class ships. Because there were only 2 sets of elevators it was easier to navigate the ship. This would be a problem if you have mobility issues. There are forward and aft elevators/stairs and mid ship stairs in the 678 area (common decks). I did not use the pool but never had a problem finding a seat in that area. Never got on the slides or rope course, too chicken. I was worried the cabin (9908) would be too close to the 678 waterfront (directly below the cabin) and would be too noisy, but this was not an issue. Occasionally heard music from the pool area but easy to ignore it. Typical balcony cabin, nothing special about it, didn't have any problem finding space for our stuff. Easy to stuff the luggage under the bed. Make reservations early for the shows. We waited to see the Brat Pack show until Thursday (last sea day-rough seas that day) and were unable to because the lead singer was injured during rehearsals during the day, the show was cancelled:-(

Good food, good shows, good service (The crew worked extra hard for our cruise because there had been gastroenteritis on the cruise just before ours and they had to do extra cleaning, handed out plates/sliverware, packets of salt/pepper. Nothing was left out that could carry germs! Hence the 4 star instead of 5 star rating)

This was our third NCL cruise and I was very disappointed.  This ship was the largest that we ever cruised and you could tell- it was also filled to its capacity and it was not okay.  I understand the fact that you are on a ship with a lot of people but in the past, it never seemed as daunting as this one. Most of the staff always seemed peeved and rushed and extremely unhappy.  We also happened to be on "code red" due to a recent Norovirus outbreak which made the dining experience HORRIBLE; no one could serve themselves at the Garden Café so that created lines that made each of our meals no shorter than at least an hour and fifteen minutes- it was tedious and frustrating to wait on these lines for food that was LOADED with salt and always tasted sub par.  The coffee was burnt and watered down- we had to go to the pricey café every day for a good cup of coffee which we had to pay out of pocket for (I never remember the coffee being so disgusting on the past ships).  We splurged and bought thermal passes to the spa and we were upset when we found out there were no "finger foods" as promised and half the time they took away the water, hot water and teas.  For two days the hot tub wasn't even filled so the only real reason we went to the spa was to get away from the Overcrowded ship and lay down.  The temperature of the ship was always too cold, especially at night, where I had switch out my nice dinner dresses that I brought with the same pair of jeans and sweater every single night to every single dinner.  People were shivering and would have to sneak outside to warm up.  Every dinner- even and especially at the 'nice' restaurants were LOADED with salt; so much that I had a headache every night from the sodium content.  One night I had ordered carved turkey at the Manhattan Room only to send it back in replacement of a simple salad.  The staterooms were about the same as they always have been but I noticed that they shampoo and body wash that were given were completely ineffective.  They were both watered down and you needed to use 10x the normal amount just to get suds.  It looks like NCL is cutting corners everywhere they can and it is NOT acceptable.  We were planning to be lifetime cruisers but this was the last one and we are no longer recommending to our friends and family.  Not until NCL starts realizing that if they put quality on their boat, they will actually attract more people. 

The ship is excellent. We had a balcony room 10858 wich is somewhat in a corner and the balcony is angle which makes it larger loved this. The food was excellent. Most of the entertainment happen in the atrium which is to small and not enough room this was disappointeting. The ship is keeped clean at all time. The week prior they had the noroviros there for the buffet was serve to us which was super nice only crew members with gloves touch all the food, plates, cups, utensils the guest were not allow to touch anything LOVED this I hope they keep it like that. . You need 10 days in this boat to do it all. 

Every single crew member was exceptional!!  Great service and everyone would do whatever they can for you.  Food was great.  Be careful only if room & door sizes.   Haven suites are smaller than other NCL ships and the doors are less than 23 inches when opened.   Haven Restauraunt's cook is amazing!  Hallways are hard if handicapped, so if  you are, stay only in a handicapped room & close to a hall entrance way.  Will definitely cruise on the Escape again.  Hopefully onshore NCL staff will get better training on describing accuracy of room and handicap passenger preparation & general pre boarding assistance

Due to an outbreak of Norovirus the week before the serving of food was a little awkward in the Garden Cafe. The staff served you so you would not touch any objects that could pass along any virus. Personally I was very happy about that. They were more careful with extra hand washing too which I liked. I couple rough sea days moved the dance party inside but it was not cancelled.  But one of the main shows was cancelled due to a cast member being injured. Maybe should have had a backup plan--but in all very fun. The ship is so big but very good layout. 

Favorite part of this cruise was the shows onboard the ship.  The dining experience was terrible to say the least!  Cabiin and cabin steward were great!  Too many passengers for our age.  Did not like freestyle dining.  Would book Holland America many, many times over Norwegian.  They are out to get as much money out of you as they can!  Don't appreciate that fact, but it is true.  So many things not included with their service!  Ship was beautiful and very clean but the dining staff did not know what they were doing.  Had enough people but they did not know what each other were doing..  I feel it was not a ship for senior citizens.  The younger people loved it but, of course, they are there to drink and party all night

The Escape is a marvelous ship.  We have sailed on a variety of cruise lines and ships, and this one was the best so far.  We had a mini suite and were very pleased with the space and particularly the bathroom.  LOVED the full size shower!!  Food and service on board were excellent.  One downside of such a large ship though is that there are people everywhere.  We booked our shows before we left home, but we noticed that a number of people could not get into the shows they wanted because of the capacity constraints.

We are serious "non smokers", so we were a bit disappointed in the casino and areas surrounding it.  We had to hold our breath as we walked through or near that area.  It would be nice if Norwegian would simply ban smoking everywhere on the interior of the ship.

There is not a whole lot to see in the AVI and BVI.  We had not been to either before so enjoyed their simple beauty, but if you're really into action, etc, it might not be the best choice.  To each his own I guess.

We would definitely cruise Norwegian again.

My husband and I had only been on 1 other cruise. Last year, on a heavily advertised cruise line that other people chose for us. It was our 25th wedding anniversary and it was DISASTROUS !!! This cruise was to find out if we were unrealistic in our expectations or maybe just not cruise people.

The first thing when we arrived at the port, we were given a notice that 2% of the previous cruise had an gastrointestinal episode and additional sanitary measures would be in place. I could not believe how clean, attentive and accommodating the staff were. They were the epitome of service! They were working double shifts and still maintained an attitude of hospitality and warmth. The restaurants were AMAZING! The entertainment was top notch. There is just not enough space to tell you how great everything was. I

I can only say that before we left, we were planning our next cruise on this ship with our entire family.

If you miss out on a cruise on the Escape, you really are missing out!!! I hope you get to discover all that the Norwegian Escape has to offer. 

The Escape is a beautiful new ship. The balcony rooms are well worth the extra cost. This was our 5th cruise but 1st balcony suite, we loved the space and privacy.

 If you can, use the specialty dining.  If you use the main dining rooms I recommend  the Manhattan room.  Definitely avoid the Garden Cafe. The Taste and Savor are hit and miss. 

The islands were pretty much as expected.  The weather put a damper on things, we had a lot of rain and waves that rocked the ship. You may want to consider traveling at a different time of the year other than late fall. 

Also, Norwegian seems to be moving toward a party atmosphere so if that is not your thing consider another cruise line. 

Great cruise!  Top notch entertainment - After Midnight and Brat Pack both superb as were both comedians.  Water slides were great.  Pool area crowded.  Food good - Cagney's Great.  Bar service OK

Crowded,service was not good,2 hours for a meal. There were things wrong with our room. When I told them about it nothing was done. Very disappointed 

the service was poor through out the ship. the food was cafeteria quality, long lines every ware, entertainment was not as   good as our last two Norwegian  cruises. very small pool. ship was to large too many people .select a smaller ship or stay home and save the money. our ship was the Norwegian escape .

My favorite part of the cruise was the variety of eating/drinking places and the daily paper notices of events.  I do have 3 complaints.  First, maybe there could be more "smoking areas".  Second, when dining in the finer restaurants it would be better if we were presented with salt and pepper shakers instead of packets or small open containers with these items. Third, maybe a few more choices on the television.  These things are not inline with tablecloths and napkins. Other than these complaints the trip was wonderful and I would definitely recommend it to my friends.

Boarding time was pushed to 1so they could disinfect the whole ship from the previous week's cruise. There was an outbreak of Norovirus because of all the drunks getting sick everywhere. Everyone showed up at the same time. Port check in was fast .  An hour waiting in line to board the ship so passengers didn't stand in broiling sun on gang plank. Cabins weren't ready until 4. Only two sets of elevators, forward and after, for 4,000 people. Long wait for them all the time.

I had a non connecting balcony cabin to myself. There was no sound issue from neighboring cabins, only from the drunk woman yelling she was going to her cabin at 12:30am.  It would be tight for anyone not a couple. Balcony is standard small, 2 chairs and small table. I found the hairdryer powerful enough. There were plenty of outlets and a USB next to the bed.  Space between bed and closet is ridiculously tight. Bathroom and shower are spacious. I loved getting back to the sanctuary of my room. Truthfully, by arrival at our first port after 2 days at sea I was ready to pay whatever was needed to fly home. I had already packed! 

There were always lines and waiting for free food venues. They need ropes to direct people and prevent them from jumping the line at the buffet . Utter chaos in the Garden Cafe. More plate/utensil stations to prevent bottleneck would be good. Food in specialty restaurants was wonderful. Food in O'Sheehan's was good, always a line. Surcharge for room service is petty.

Far too many drunks on the unlimited drink package. Nobody cut them off. Smoking places were minimal. Indoor humidor's space is small and the ventilation system had a hard time keeping up, many complained.

The crew, for the most part, were great. They had to deal with adults who had no filters or boundaries. 

Keep an eye on your room charges. We were double billed for three people at Cagney's and it took 45 minutes and someone from the restaurant coming down to finally get a refund. Do not move until you get that credit slip!

In summary, this is a huge ship that caters to partyers and  drinkers. You will wait in lines for everything. People will disregard all basic manners. Lower your expectations and you will have the time of your life. 

check in was easy, ship was clean, staff was just ok. didn't go above and beyond, food was good, drinks were good, shopping was limited and amount of places to eat was limited, lots of extra charges to eat or do anything, was just an ok cruise.