Norwegian Escape Cruise Reviews - Reviews

Food service, vibe and the NYC Broadway class shows were the best parts.  Would have liked to have more trivia options.  Too old for the slides but there are other options like mini golf, bocce etc.  would definitely return if the itinerary is changed.  Have been to Nassau and st Thomas so many times.

relaxing week                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                   

I had a very good time, the crew and the other guest were just the best. The veterans meetings were a plus, much better than the past cruises on Norwegian. The on board activities were fun and I enjoyed the crew performance. They did a very good job. The deal or no deal is a winner. 

The food at the specialty restaurants was superb. I actually enjoyed the tap dancing and period type music of the Cotton Club show but it wasn't enjoyable for the 30 somethings in our group. Most of the other entertainment was liked by all. The ropes course, miniature golf, water slides were lots of fun for all of our group - kids, parents and grandparents. The ship was easy to get around with lots of elevators. My only complaint is the live music at the pool area was entirely too loud. I highly recommend this cruise

Norwegian Escape

This ship is just plain huge. The height shows off all the staterooms (many, many people), as well as the pool and sports decks. But until you’re next to it you can’t really tell how big it really is. Walking around inside, it doesn’t feel quite so large.

Stateroom

We were placed in an accessible room (it was the only one left in our guaranteed category) so it was likely larger than most. The room was nicely appointed with plenty of closet space and a couple of drawers on the desk. The beds were not super comfortable. We had an interior room so I don’t know if the beds get nicer the more expensive the room or not. My bed was hard and I woke a couple of nights in pain. The berth/pull-down bed was fine. However there was a large gap at the head of the bed and my daughter’s pillow landed on my head in the middle of the night. The bathroom was nice and spacious. We always had plenty of towels and supplies.

Pool

The pools are very small for the number of people on the cruise. During sea days the pools were both crowded with adults sitting nearly shoulder to shoulder with their feet in the pool. One pool is adults only until 5, which is about when the waterpark closes (usually at 6). The waterslides were a lot of fun. I think the yellow slide is more for children because I saw many adults get stuck (there’s just not enough water pressure to push an adult along). The blue tube slide was awesome but always had a long line. The staircases are not situated well for long lines and it often got frustrating and confusing. The two drop slides, the Aqua Loops, looked fun but you can’t have any jewelry on and I didn’t want to take my engagement rings off. The one time I did, and left them with my fiancé, they were closed for lunch! It must also depend on who is working because my fiancé didn’t have to take his ring off. The last couple of days the children's pool was closed, which made for upset kids and crowded adult pool after 5!

Pool Deck

Good luck finding a chair! If you do not stake a claim on chairs by 8 AM you will be lucky to find one later in the day. If you want to be in the sun you MUST get a chair by 8. Chairs were “held” by towels all day long and most of the time you’d never see anyone even use the chair. I wish there was a better way to work the deck chairs. People setting their stuff (or normally just a towel) on a chair and then leaving to enjoy their day wherever on the ship got really, really annoying. If you are lucky to find a chair later in the day, you won’t find two together.  There was a sun deck one level up and it seemed to be full all day too. However, I needed to be near the pool for my child. Pool towels you were also responsible for. If you checked out three towels you had to return three. The system was very bad and often when I went to return they didn’t have the sheet I’d signed them out on! Thankfully we didn’t get charged for any. I’m sure people steal them but if they’re going to make you responsible for them they need a better system.

Splash Academy

My daughter found the Splash Academy to be boring. She said there was nothing to do. She did enjoy the couple of late nights that we brought her. The events must’ve been more to her liking.

Drinks

Getting drinks and service around the pool was difficult. There was one bar that was always packed and you needed to go to the bar even for soda. Pool deck service was hit or miss but mostly miss. There were 2-3 servers that you might see occasionally but it was rare. I found I had to go to the bar to get drinks throughout the day (the Garden Café was close too if you wanted to go inside to get drinks). We got the ultimate drinks package and it seemed that nearly everyone had it. That was our “free” item that we chose when we booked the cruise. There was a good variety of drink specialties and drinks of the day.

Shows

The shows were really good. We saw the Variety show on our first night that gave us a little sampler of the onboard entertainment. It was good and quite enjoyable- a good overview and a nice way to start the cruise. The show I was most excited for was the Brat Pack. However the ship was moving/swaying so much on our show day that we only got a “concert” version of the show so I don’t know what it was really like. After Midnight was good and high energy too. The last night there was a crew talent show that was really good. It was especially nice to see crew members doing performances that were based on their cultures’ traditional dances and songs.

Games & Activities

We played Bingo and Deal or No Deal. Both were fun but cost extra. We played Bingo on kids play free day but adult Bingo packets started at $39 and went up from there. Deal or No Deal was $20 per card. We played twice, two cards each time, so it added up quickly. They were fun and took up a good amount of time. It was just pricey. One free thing they offered was glow t-shirt painting. You had to paint with a straw / wrapper, so that was difficult and by the time we got it figured out it was over. The downside was that it was a short event and I felt we needed another half hour or so to really do the event justice.

Atrium

We took part in a few of the atrium events like trivia (Star Wars, Harry Potter, Big, Bang Theory), towel animal folding and cupcake demonstrating. There always seemed to be something going on there. Most of it was all-ages but some were more geared toward adults. There was a café in the atrium that sold coffees, teas and cupcakes. Prices were decent (better than Starbucks and GiGIs Cupcakes) but it was an extra cost.

Spa

The spa had an open house on the first day but before you could book anything we needed to take a tour of the whole facility. This was ridiculous for us because we couldn’t afford the thermal suite with all its special amenities available only to thermal suite customers. It would probably be nice if you were with a travel party of singles, a couple or all adults. However, with a child we wouldn’t have had enough time in it to justify the cost. I want to say it was $50 on the day you had a treatment or $200 for the week, but I could be wrong. I really just wanted a massage. On the first day they had a raffle and at the end they offered a Manager’s Special for $139. I got that because it was a good deal. The downside was you had to book for that day or the next. I’d wanted to wait a little into the cruise but couldn’t pass up the deal. Prices are extremely expensive especially after they add the 18% gratuity to it. They also try to sell you a bunch of products but after I said I wasn’t interested she wrapped up quickly. They also offered a 10/20/30% discount if you booked three signature treatments. My fiancé did that and got two shaves and a massage.

Dining

We stuck to the free dining options. Taste and Savor were both really good. The atmosphere is fancier (candlelight and table cloths) and I felt odd going in in pants or jean shorts and a t-shirt. But there was only so many times you can eat at the buffet! The food and dessert options were good and the meals were plentiful and always tasted good. The Garden Café (buffet) always offered decent food, a multitude of choices and the most widespread hours. There were two full buffets most of the time and they were really long, going on quite a ways. The first day we thought they stopped at the beverage station, which was really only halfway down the buffet. Due to the layout, the lines themselves were disorganized and crowded. If you had the time and patience to wait through every line you’d find a plethora of food options.

Bars

There are plenty of bars throughout the ship. We didn’t visit many but Sugarcane, the Mojito Bar, was exceptional. Not only were the drinks great the bartender was amazing. I’d recommend it!

Laundry

There was a fill-a-bag day on Tuesday (day 4 of our trip) and I had my clothes back the next day (even though it is advertised as 2 day service). It was $25. Had I known that there would be a fill a bag day I wouldn’t have brought so many clothes! J

We loved this boat. It was new and had so many activities. My son loved the waterslides and the rope course (actually we did too). Food at the specialty restaurants was delicious the dining room so so. But we had a wonderful time. Get a package that includes eating at the specialty restaurants and you will never be disappointed. It was a wonderful trip and we will return

This was a fantastic ship... great cruise.. the ultimate beverage package was $awesome, and prepaid gratuities.  It was nice to not have a bill of over $ 1000.00 at the end of it.  Someone is going to lose their job.. because we totally took full advantage of the Bev pkg.  Any drinks anytime, anywhere, and as much as you could drink.  I would do this again.

I liked the cruise . the food could have been better and the shows could have been a lot better. I really liked tjis ship but there was not a big difference between that and the Epic. I was on that twice

Ship is beautiful and clean. Specialty restaurants are excellent but the foods from the buffet and main dining are a little salty. O'sheehan restaurant is always open where you can get a burger, wings or snack.  On the sea days the pool area is always crowded but if you are up before 9 you should have plenty of choices for seating.  Below are some of the pictures of food items I was able to take before they were avowed by my spouse and children.

We cruised on the Escape Oct 8th.  Loved the ship, for me the food was some of the best I've had on a cruise.  We ate at only one pay restaurant the Food Republic - it was oh so good.  Loved being able to pick several different smaller dishes to be able to try more.  3 of us ate and it was $70 not bad at all, we had tons of food.

The pool area as mentioned in some other reviews was smaller - but we didn't really have an issue finding chairs. People where nice and would move over to give us 2-3 close to each other.

Everyone on the ship was so nice, service was great for the most part.  I will say in the Complimentary restaurants food service was quiet slow.  At times we felt they where rushed and did not want to allow us time to look over the menu. So that would be my only complaint - I felt maybe the servers where new maybe - but could be wrong.  Every complimentary dinner was like that.

Lots of fun activities - the Atrium always had something fun to do.  The guys that did our Scavenger Hunt at Tobacco Road area did not know how or what a scavenger hunt was - so hopefully he will learn before he does the next one LOL

Wonderful sitting areas on the Waterfront side in loungers - didn't find those until last day almost.

Shopping on the ship isn't really that great - minimal places to shop and the last day sale went so fast I missed it 

We had a wonderful time and would recommend this ship.  It is a very large one so be prepared to walk

Best part was the entertainment - very good variety and quality.  Ship is very clean and easy to navigate.  Disappointed in the service in diningrooms and specialty restaurants - very slow and unattentive.  Had to ask for hot tea at breakfast four times before I finally received - after everyone finished their breakfast!  Quality of food has gone down significantly since my last NCL cruise in January of 2015.  Much improvement is needed, particularly since you are paying extra for the specialty restaurants.  Service at pool area was excellent.

My husband and I were undecided about what to do to celebrate our 11 anniversary, and have cruised aboard the Escape was the best decision ever! The Escape was launched 1 year ago so everything is new, neat and clean. The onboard shows are amazing!!! A "not to miss" one is "After Midnight". The food will exceed your expectations with so many restaurants to choose from. The Manhattan Room restaurant was our favorite place to eat, and enjoy live music. However, I think the band is not too good. The girl that sings needs to put more "soul" into it....if you  know what I mean. The place I liked more on the ship was the Waterfront 7 (on deck 7). They have these sofas and loveseats where one can seat and enjoy the ocean breeze and witness a "breath-taken" sunset. I made it my private seating area for reading. We have been to many cruises, even with different cruise lines and so far this has been the best. I will highly recommend this cruise to anyone!!!!! Thank you Norwegian! See you on the Escape in Summer 2018! 

The cruise started off good and it appeared there would be lots of to do however; the cruise was lacking.  The ship itself is beautiful.  The staff were impersonal and cold.  The entertainment was nothing to speak of it was hard to know what was available and when.  By the time you found out it was already booked.  I would have liked to have enjoyed the supper club however could never get a reservation.  The language in the entertainment venue was embarrassing.  The food was good and that is the most positive thing I can say.  I had looked forward to this cruise for a year and was sorely disappointed. 

This was our fifth cruise with NCL and it was by far the best!!! The Escape is absolutely beautiful. The food was amazing and the staff were so friendly and happy! We had a wonderful week on board and enjoyed every minute. I can't recommend NCL enough, whether it is one of the smaller ships ( we were on the Star 2012) or the larger ones-Breakaway,Getaway and Escape the experience is just amazing! We look forward to to our next cruise, hopefully soon 😎

This cruise was great, I have a wonderful time. The cabin was really nice. The food was excellent. I really loved Cagney's Steakhouse. The After Midnight show was the best I have seen

My favorite restaurant was La Cucina.  Excellent food and service. 

Cagneys was second favorite.  Food was very good and staff excellent.

At Moderno we were seated near a child who was loud and not well behaved and whined a lot.  I know, I know, we were all a child sometime.  But inattentive parents put a real damper on the atmosphere.  For the extra bucks I expected elegant and that wasn't it.  Unfortunately the staff had no way to address that issue.  Food was very good.

Garden buffet has a good variety of food and is open most of the day.  Staff helpful and pleasant. 

Savor and Taste were definitely acceptable but loud.  Sounds seem to bounce around in the room.  A table of twelve, with the token loud mouth, made everyone around them uncomfortable.

Manhattan was good and had a good atmosphere.

Our friends ate at Le Bistro and said it was superb.  We skipped that one so no first hand knowledge from me.

Sea days the pool was full.  Not much chance for lounge chairs, especially in the shade.    Port days we went in the pool and it was very nice.  Hot tubs could have been hotter. 

The shows we saw were great.

Oh What a Night - terrific tribute

Brat Pack - very good but not my era

After Midnight - a wonderful show, especially if you like tap dance

                         the performers and singers were terrific! 

                         My favorite of the three shows.

A great trip.

I had a great time even though I went solo. We had a host that planned tons of activities for us and got to meet a great bunch of people. The shows were fantastic, the talent of the singers was phenomenal. The food and staff were great!  Loved it so much I put down two deposits for future cruises and will definitely do one alone again. 

The Thermal Spa is wonderful.  A bit high priced but we enjoyed everyday.

Regular dinning food not so good.  Entertainment not as good as it was a year ago.  Must reserve shows early in the week or you are out of luck.  Internet very slow.  Ship inside is very pretty and lots of bars.  The Cafe buffet had something for everyone's taste and changed daily.  

The boat was great we had an inside room for 2 adults and 2 Kids was tight not enough room for all of us to walk around at the same time but it worked for just to sleep in it. Buffet was good good food all round, so,stones it was really crowded but not to bad. Are in the Manhattan room, had a amazing steak husband had chick and he said it was good had some music with dinner service was good, also are in the taste restaurant was also good food service was a little slower. Pools were always packed. We loved the yellow and blue slide. It was neat that you couple could go two people down the blue. Ropes course was closed the first 2 or 3 days due to winds but we also were going around hurrican Mathew. The boat wasn't Rocky. We had a great time can't wait to go again.

Had awesome time i was slowed do to recent back surgery. my first thought there scooter and wheel chair was to pricey considering the amount of money i paid for cruise. Beverage package was very good but in room you had to purchase drinks out of refrigerator. I also had the dining package that i really didn't understand. But otherwise the service was excellent bartenders on point and maid service was awesome.