Island Escape Review
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For years I've wanted to cruise somewhere glamorous & warm, I was persuaded by my partner to sail on the Island Escape. As he had travelled with Thompsons many times on other cruise ships I trusted his judgement so not his fault I was disappointed. I read the reviews & was slighted put off but I just thought that maybe other cruisers just wanted something to moan about. WRONG.....
All Inclusive it said.... WRONG again, its not...If you want premium drinks like Baileys. Bacardi. Heineken Lager or even coffee at some of the bars there's a charge even bottled water has to be paid for but not cash it goes on your boarding card & your billed at the end of the week but check invoice & you'll find there's a £7 charge for admin on your card plus £1 for a charity which is not mentioned at any time. Beachcomber & Island Restaurant serve the same food which is all buffet style and mostly just warm. The difference between the 2 is The Island has table clothes & cutlery, proper wine glasses/crockery. You are served alcohol/soft drinks/tea/coffee at your table but you have to sit with strangers whether you like it or not its very often they'll give you a table for 2 even though they are available. The Beachcomber is like the school/works canteen. Everyone rushing around with hot (supposedly) food scrambling for a table & waiters clearing away before you've hardly finished your food. You can eat in the Oasis Restaurant for £15 for a 3 course meal or eat in the Black Rock & cook your own food on a hot stone which was a joke really as it was just a curtained pulled round a few tables in a corridor & not really a restaurant at all, that too was an extra charge so don't be fooled by the ALL INCLUSIVE offer.
Sunbeds were a night mare to get especially on sea days as the towels provided by the ship were placed on sunbeds & left their while folk went off for breakfast. Information leaflets state if sunbeds are left longer than 45 minutes towels will be removed this wasn't adhered to often enough as sunbeds were left for hours with out anyone checking which left many (including us) to find other places out of the sun to sit.