The Norwegian Escape is HUGE.
A Seven-day cruise is usually plenty of time to become well acquainted with my floating hotel, but alas, I need to plan a second vacation on her. There was so much to see and do!
Little Things to Notice…..
Fish Swim Upstream.
If you get lost on your way to your stateroom, look down. The little fish are always heading forward. This will help you to know if you are walking toward the front of the ship (forward) or to the back (aft).
Turning on the Lights
On the outside of each cabin is a sign with the room number and three statements: Do Not Disturb, Make Up Room, and At Home.
Your room key serves more functions than just opening the door. On the wall, just inside the cabin is a slot for your key while you are in your room. If you neglect to put your room key in the slot, your lights will not come on. Another word of warning – if you leave your roommate in the room and take your key with you, your roommate will be in the dark within a few minutes. This is especially important if you are in an interior cabin without any outside light source. When your key is in the slot, the exterior door sign alerts the room steward that you are home. The passenger can also choose to turn on the, “Do Not Disturb” light or, “Make Up Room” light.
Now, Where Did They Put That…..
Outlets, Hairdryers, Safes
The hairdryer is mounted under the desk. The mini refrigerator is in the cabinet under the desk. The Safe is in the closet. (By the way, it uses a 4 digit combination of your choice. The directions are on the safe) There are three outlets at the desk. A decent number for charging your electronic devices. Just remember that your room key must be in the slot by the door for the power to work. That seems to include these outlets, so don’t plan to charge while out of the room unless one of you leaves your key behind.
Bathrooms……
The bathrooms are small, but they are well-designed for a cruise ship bathroom. Shampoo and shower gel are filled and mounted in the shower, and there is a shelf if you bring your own supplies. (In the spa balconies, they provide extra “spa” quality products.) There is also a clothesline that can be strung across the top of the shower.
Balcony Cabins 15744/15746
I stayed in 15746 (photo on right) My friends had 15744 next door. The top photos are looking into the room from the hallway; the bottom photos are looking from the balcony toward the main door. In 15744, the bed is next to the balcony door and the couch is next to the closet. In 15746, the bed is next to the closet and the couch is by the balcony. Our closet was difficult to access because there is very little space between the bed and the closet, however, I like having the desk next to the balcony. I don’t know if there is any way to know which layout you will get when you book a balcony cabin.
These are Spa Balcony cabins. We originally booked balcony rooms, and close to embarkation time, I talked to my Norwegian travel agent, and he was able to offer us an upgrade. We had to pay a little extra for the upgrade, but not nearly as much as the regular cost of a spa balcony, and it came with additional spa bathroom products and a pass to the Thermal Suite. (Nice! – See more about that later in this post.)
Interior Cabins
There are two choices for seating in this interior cabin on the Escape: The bed or the toilet.
There was not even an extra chair in the room I viewed. (I decided to look around prior to disembarkation after the room stewards had finished cleaning.) Of course, with the Norwegian Escape’s variety of ship amenities, who plans to stay in their rooms? The closet looked to be half the size of our balcony closet, and if you have many hanging clothes, you will have to push them away to reach the shelves and safe. But don’t forget, there is room to store some suitcases under the bed no matter which room type you choose.
Sorry, I didn’t take any pictures of suites or studios, but there are really good pictures on the NCL website.
Kiosks
Kiosks are located outside the elevator banks and at other locations throughout the ship.
They are handy for checking daily activities, making entertainment and dining reservations, or mapping out the route from where you are to where you want to go. The restaurants are all listed and the information includes if there are open tables or if a reservation is needed.
Dining
The Escape has multiple complimentary dining options. There are three main dining rooms. Each night has a different menu, but these three dining rooms offer the same menu – just a different venue. The Manhattan room is large and has musical entertainment with a dance floor. Savor and Taste are smaller, quieter dining rooms.
Manhattan (top left) Taste and Savor (right and bottom left) are mirror images of each other and directly across the hallway from each other. Each has a reception stand at the entrance.
O’Sheehan’s is a 24 hour restaurant and pub. It is located just above this floor on the left.
I can’t believe I forgot to get a picture even though we ate there several times. It was a good place for a sit-down snack or meal. On the floor below is an open area where several activites are planned throughout the day – from movies, to entertainers, to games like “Deal or No Deal.” There is bar seating all around the upper viewing area, and sometimes the noise from the restaurant and bars compete with the volume of the activity below. We were always seated in the back of O’Sheehan’s so we could maintain a conversation as we enjoyed our meal.
Garden Cafe’ (Buffet)
They take cleanliness seriously – and I am glad.
Now, a passenger entering the buffet area can choose to (1) hand wash at a sink or (2) use the self-serve hand sanitizer, or (3)be squirted (with hand sanitizer) by an employee. It amazes me that some passengers avoid this – like it is an invasion of their civil rights or something. I always sanitize my hands before going into the buffet area. Then I fill my plate and drink. Since hundreds of cruise passengers use the same tongs and serving spoons when they fill their plates, I have decided that hand sanitizing AFTER filling my plate is also a good idea. Norovirus is something I want to avoid at all cost.
There are usually several omelet stations in the morning. I always head aft to find one that is less crowded. I know some people like floppy bacon, and that seemed to be their specialty. However, on the last day of the cruise I found a crispy bacon station! It was actually labeled “crispy bacon” at the very first station. Since I always avoided the first station I came to, this caused me to miss the crispy bacon all week. Lesson learned: Scope the breakfast stations out early in the cruise for various nuances.
Specialty Dining
There are multiple options for Specialty Dining. All of them cost extra unless you received a “free specialty dining” perk when you booked the cruise. Just be aware that “free specialty dining” is not “dining at any restaurant of your choice.” Always read the fine print. Only some of the specialty restaurants are included, or some of the restaurants that are not included for free will let you in at a reduced up-charge if you have the dining package. AND you will be charged a gratuity up-front based on the cost of the specialty restaurant package you receive. The free dining perk is not a bad deal if you enjoy trying out a lot of different restaurants on board. You can make reservations pre-cruise, and I highly recommend it as the best times and days are snatched away quickly. I know this takes the spontaneity out of cruising, but a reservation can always be canceled after boarding if there is a conflict with other plans. Personally, I can always find items on the menu that I like at the complimentary dining rooms, but I will sometimes try one or two of the specialty restaurants during a cruise. On this cruise, I thoroughly enjoyed the Brazilian steakhouse.
Moderno Churrascaria: Brazilian Steakhouse
La Bistro: French/Parisian
Cagney’s Steakhouse
La Cucina: (French/Tuscan) Pincho Tapas Bar & Margaritaville
Atrium Cafe’ (Specialty Coffee and Sweet Shop)
Food Republic
The Supper Club
The Supper Club is a dinner theater. Reservations must be made. We arrived early to snag the best seats possible and were seated next to the stage. (See bottom photo) These were NOT the best seats in the house. We were too close. I think the best seats would have been about mid-theater, center. A word of caution: The show we saw was the Brat Pack. I knew nothing of this show in advance. (which is not like my over-planning self) The music was very loud, the language was crude, and in a locker room scene, the actors stripped down to their underwear. I would love to go back to the Supper club, but I will wait until they schedule a different show.
Ahhhhh the Spa…….
The Escape Thermal Spa is Wonderful! Guests who book a spa balcony receive unlimited access to the thermal spa. Other guests may purchase access in addition to their cruise fare if they wish to use the thermal spa.
Relaxing Loungers
Steam Room, Sauna and Sanarium
Salt Room
Quote from the plaque: “Experience the subtle and soothing effects of this salt chamber. Inhale the air over your tongue and you can taste the sea.”
Snow Room
Quote from the plaque: “After a hot sauna or steam bath, cool off in the refreshing snow room.” The cold air helps to increase blood circulation, awaken the senses, invigorate the respiratory tract, and strengthen the immune system.” This room is kept at a chilly 14° F (-10C°) and a recommended stay is 2 minutes. The photo on the right shows the stacked stone room covered in a fine layer of frost. I stayed one minute just for the experience. I go to the Caribbean to be warm!
Spa Refreshments
Waters, hot tea, and fresh fruit
There is a variety of outdoor seating along the “Waterfront.”
Fun in the sun
Spice H2O is an adults only area. With a mixture of shade and sun, and some relaxing cave-like areas with waterfalls, this is a nice place to spend some time on a sea day.
There are multiple activities all around the ship just waiting to be used:Mini golf, basketball/volleyball court, Bocce Ball, Ropes Course, Water slides, Kid’s water area, Pools, and more.
Ropes Course
Pools
Mini Golf
Kids Water Area
Basketball/Volleyball
Fitness Center
Library and Game Room
Final Thoughts…
The Norwegian Escape has lots of options for the family. There really is something for everyone.