Norwegian Escape Review
Rating by category
Additional details
We chose to cruise on 3/24 since it aligned with our spring break. The pricing was decent and it aligned with our flights.
Port/Embarkation: Miami as always is excellent. The short distance from airport ($27 flat fee for cabs) is decent and there are decent hotel options for the night before. We arrived at our designated arrival time of 9:30am and were ushered into a line at security. We were allowed to move into the terminal at 10am. Check-in took around 5 minutes and we were given our card for boarding group 1. Juice, coffee, and water were available--however both bathrooms in the waiting area had out of order signs. We waited upstairs until 11:30 when our boarding group was called--there was a little confusion over which doorway to go through--there needed to be a bit better signage. We were onboard by 11:35 and were able to get signed up for the kids club and eat lunch at the buffet by 11:50. It was nice being able to get to the waterslides and pools while others were just arriving/eating lunch. A relatively smooth process--easily the fastest I have had in the last few years.
Ship: We really loved the ship--I was on the Breakaway to Bermuda in 2016 and the Escape has definitely improved on many of the issues I had with the Breakaway. The District is the most significant improvement--it was a great space to gather and listen to music. I also loved the Tobacco Road bar. My wife and her sister enjoyed the Manhattan Room ambience. The ship felt less gimmicky (no Ice Bar like the Breakaway). The water slides were great and my daughter loved the aqua park. It was definitely a full ship and deck space was at a premium but we were able to find chairs when needed. The amount of people made it virtually impossible for bar staff to get to you at your chair so you had to go to the bar for drinks on deck but this wasn't too much of an inconvenience. The pools were very cold saltwater and were small for the number of people on the ship. I really liked the public rooms and the waterfront is still one of my favorite places to relax--lots of wicker chairs/couches/lounges to relax with friends/family. I wish there was a venue like the Spinnaker lounge on the Jewel class ships where Trivia and game shows can be done--the Atrium seats just don't cut it and there are too many people moving through the area. Everything was spotless on the ship.
Cabin Review
Mid-ship Mini-Suite with Balcony
We stayed in 10198 which was a mini-suite. There were 3 adults and one child and the room accommodated all of us and our clothing/luggage with no problem. There is one queen bed that splits in two if needed, one couch that turns into a single bed, and a single bed that drops out of the ceiling at night. The room was very clean and had a great deal of storage space--the bed is high enough to store suitcases under and there are lots of nooks in the room. The bathroom was large with a large sink and two faucets--would have been nice to have a little more countertop on the sink rather than the large bowl. The shower was excellent with lots of space and multiple spray jets for legs and back along with a handheld showerhead. The location was a few steps from the forward stairs/elevators--which is a definite plus on the Breakaway type ships as rooms can be significant distances from the elevators. USB ports for charging on bed lights were welcome additions and there were 3 regular outlets. Key system for electricity--if you leave and leave a card in to keep an item charging the steward will remove--apparently it presents a fire hazard. Balcony was a reasonable size with usual two chairs and small table. The room was quiet--far enough from lounges and pool deck to not hear noise. Only noise was from people in the hallway but that was infrequent. One issue with the new ships is that the lifeboats stick out over the water and block the straight down view from the balcony--I love watching the flying fish and it is difficult to see them now. View is still good out over the water but I missing being able to look all the way down the side of the ship.
Port Reviews
Miami
: Miami as always is excellent. The short distance from airport ($27 flat fee for cabs) is decent and there are decent hotel options for the night before. We arrived at our designated arrival time of 9:30am and were ushered into a line at security. We were allowed to move into the terminal at 10am. Check-in took around 5 minutes and we were given our card for boarding group 1. Juice, coffee, and water were available--however both bathrooms in the waiting area had out of order signs. We waited upstairs until 11:30 when our boarding group was called--there was a little confusion over which doorway to go through--there needed to be a bit better signage. We were onboard by 11:35 and were able to get signed up for the kids club and eat lunch at the buffet by 11:50. It was nice being able to get to the waterslides and pools while others were just arriving/eating lunch. A relatively smooth process--easily the fastest I have had in the last few years.
Great Stirrup Cay
The whole trip was cancelled as it was too rough to tender. In the end we got an extra sea day and the ship sailed to Nassau and docked at 3pm. It was actually great--I hate Nassau because it is usually hot, crowded with cruise passengers, and dirty. This time the other cruise ships had all left, it was mid-70's, and the port had cleaned up significantly--thoroughly enjoyed our walk around the city. The VIA restaurant across the street had good WiFi.