Had to finally book with NCL because Disney wanted me to sell my house... lol

[Tonka's Skipper]

You can pay a lot of nickel and dime charges before you hit the price difference!

Very true, but it is still not the Disney Magic

ALL

 

[mevelandry]

The more I read reviews, compare prices and pictures, the more I think "the magic" is just the Disney characters.

After our family cruise with the in-laws, we are definitely trying another cruiseline.

 

[cruisingtwins]

I think they are definitely different experiences I think the magic thnig is in peoples heads and there is no convincing anyone. Personally I have no brand loyalty so I'll go with whoever gives me the best value.

 

[momof2n2]

We have a 7-n NCL Getaway coming 5/15. I'll be sure to come back and share. We have six kids. My mom and sis are coming and have studios. We should have a good variety of things to speak to upon return!

 

[Hundredacre]

We have a 7-n NCL Getaway coming 5/15. I'll be sure to come back and share. We have six kids. My mom and sis are coming and have studios. We should have a good variety of things to speak to upon return!

Would really love to hear your review. We are also a large family. We are leaving dcl for the first time this upcoming year and trying three new cruise lines over the next year and a half. One ship is ncl getaway 7 night western. Very excited about it!

 

[mevelandry]

I think they are definitely different experiences I think the magic thing is in peoples heads and there is no convincing anyone. Personally I have no brand loyalty so I'll go with whoever gives me the best value.

I agree with you.

I think it's all about your attitude, too.

I might have said it already but: Last fall, I went on a "Whale Watch Cruise" in Boston. The ship was ugly and by the end of the very rocky trip (!), there was puke everywhere in the bathroom... Still, there was the sea... and we saw at least 20 whales, most of the time they were 3-4 together, mothers with babies... The experience fits all my criterias to be described as «magical»

... and there was no mouse over there. LOL

If there's magic your heart, you can find magic anywhere.

 

[Ofinn]

Later this year we are sailing on the Carnival Vista. There is so much to do on the ship that costs extra... restaurants, I max, thrill theatre etc. That's ok because I'm excited to do all of it. In the long wrong I could probably sail on the Wonder out of Galveston for less because they always discount those cruises, but I want to try something new.

To be honest I'm bored with DCL's Caribbean cruises. I don't want to see another pirate night or Mickey parading through the dining room. It's true I spend very little on extras on a Disney ship, but that's because there is just not a lot to spend extra on. I'm looking forward to all the options. I won't feel like I'm being nickeled and dimed because it's all optional. I also do my research. I know what to expect, and what I want to spend money on. We have stuck with DCL because of the kids. We will continue to sail on DCL when the price and itinerary is right. Now that the kids are entering their teens I don't feel I need to sail with them exclusively.

 

[Scoobypop]

In case anyone is still following this thread and wanted feedback on the Escape, I just returned Saturday. The ship is beautiful, the service was fantastic all around, from the stateroom host, the cruise staff, pretty much everyone we encountered, and the extremely hard working bar staff. It's crazy how busy they stay with everyone being on the unlimited beverage package, but they were all so quick and friendly.

Food was great pretty much everywhere, but then again, I've never really found anything to complain about the food on DCL either, so I know that is very subjective. We loved all the specialty restaurants we ate at, as well as the main dining rooms, which we ate at three times. NEVER a wait to get into any of the dining rooms with freestyle dining, including the night we walked up at 8:30 and asked for a table of 7. The dining rooms were beautiful, and of course, the countless options for food 24/7 are nice for those who like a little more choice and flexibility.

Saw the two main shows, After Midnight and For the Record: The Brat Pack. For those who have done their research or read other message boards, The Brat Pack show is NOT for kids. We loved it a lot, but definitely be aware of the coarse language and a 10 minute scene of the guys and girls only in their skivvies. I don't think kids would be interested much in After Midnight either, so if you are used to DCL shows, I don't think you'd find any of the MainStage shows to your liking. However, if you like Disney movies, they were played every night in various venues. Off the top of my head, they played The Muppets, Hercules, Inside Out, The Avengers, and I know there were a couple more but can't remember, as I didn't attend, because there was so much else to do.

The waterslides were very fun, especially the drop slides, which loop around and are a tad longer than the one on the new Magic, and the raft slide was so fun as well. Ropes course was a good time, a bit scary at first, but really fun, there's a zip line and the photo op on the "walk the plank" part. Never spent any time at any of the main pools, the family or the adult pool, but they ALWAYS looked VERY crowded. It was much like when you are in the adult pool area of any of the DCL ships, and then round the corner to the family pools, where it looks like mad chaos, to me anyway. However, Spice H2O was really nice, adults only, and never had a problem getting loungers. There isn't a pool there, but there is a hot tub and a really really cool "waterfall grotto". That was all we needed for keeping cool anytime we were up there, which was pretty much every day. It is quite big, and never crowded, and just lovely.

Stateroom was beautiful, we had a spa mini suite. About the size of the family staterooms on DCL, which is what we always book for two of us. However, the bathroom was really nice. It was hands down the best shower I've ever seen on a cruise ship. The spa shower jets combined with the overhead rain shower, just really nice. The room included use of the spa thermal suite. We used it almost every day for about half an hour. Very clean, new and cool therapy pool/hot tub/jets etc. I work in a beautiful spa in Las Vegas, so it's hard to impress me with that, but if you're a spa person, you'll probably enjoy it very much.

Deck parties-they are done at Spice H2O on the nights before a sea day, except Glow which is the night before Nassau. Personally, I think it's a perfect venue for late night "club" like deck parties. Loved the outdoor venue, the huge video screen, the whole area and vibe. The 80's party was really really fun, but Glow was completely insane. It was PACKED, the effects were great, the music was loud and the crowd had a blast. It was reminiscent of one of the late night deck parties we had on the Magic on a transatlantic sailing once, but busier. Normally I'm not a club guy in real life, don't like crowds that big, prefer sitting around with friends having cocktails and conversation, but it was possibly my favorite deck party ever. Of course, no fireworks like DCL, but fun nonetheless.

Cons: If you've read anything on the other message board about the casino smoke smell-here's my thoughts. I'd read it's bad, I've read it's not too bad, never smelled it. I would say I'm a little more sensitive to the smell of cigarette smoke, and really hate it, being a former blackjack dealer, I just can't stand the smell of it. Yes, you can smell it when in the areas surrounding the casino, but I would say it's probably "not too bad". Hard to say what other people opinions are, but believe what you read. It's bad, but probably not too bad depending on your sensitivity. It was definitely a poor design to have the casino so open. Then again, I think about the seriously poor design flaw of the Dream and Fantasy that allows children to walk through the adult pool areas all day long, so I guess no ship design is perfect for everyone.

The numerous bars were all good, The District Brewhouse, Sugarcanes Mojito Bar, 5 O'Clock Somewhere, Atrium Bar, Spice H2O, Skyline. (Except their Skyline only showed Vegas and NY the whole week, unlike DCL which shows I think about 7 cities). For the people who don't think there's enough adult nightlife on DCL, you will not find that problem here. We closed down Spice H2O during the 4 main nights, and then even closed down Skyline twice (3AM) and then would go for late night snacks at O'Sheehans, which is 24/7. A group of maybe 7-10 of us would go, and Rob and I always ordered nachos and chicken wings, but they have burgers, fajitas, sundaes, typical late night bar food menu. So we managed to get to bed about 4 every night, and up by 9 or 10.

All in all, it was a great week on the Escape. I'm curious to hear others who are going in the coming weeks (sweetpea). If you like the smaller ships like Magic/Wonder, this ship may be too big and feel more crowded in certain areas and times. For us, the trouble is, the ship has SO much to do, that we never really had enough time to sit and enjoy all the areas. Only got to Brewhouse 3 times, for one beer each time, but it's so nice with SO many choices, would have loved to spend more time there. Same with pretty much everywhere, except Spice H2O, which we spent plenty during day and night. Of course, that is because we are two adults and prefer the adult only areas of ships.

I've never written a trip report before, or ever read one on the Dis, so hopefully this overview is done in a correct format. If anyone has any specific questions, I am happy to answer. This was our second NCL, and we are already looking at the Epic for our next one. As much as I love DCL, with the prices, I don't know that we will sail them again until 2021 when the next ship comes out. Have a good day, thanks for reading!

 

[momof2n2]

In case anyone is still following this thread and wanted feedback on the Escape, I just returned Saturday. The ship is beautiful, the service was fantastic all around, from the stateroom host, the cruise staff, pretty much everyone we encountered, and the extremely hard working bar staff. It's crazy how busy they stay with everyone being on the unlimited beverage package, but they were all so quick and friendly.

Food was great pretty much everywhere, but then again, I've never really found anything to complain about the food on DCL either, so I know that is very subjective. We loved all the specialty restaurants we ate at, as well as the main dining rooms, which we ate at three times. NEVER a wait to get into any of the dining rooms with freestyle dining, including the night we walked up at 8:30 and asked for a table of 7. The dining rooms were beautiful, and of course, the countless options for food 24/7 are nice for those who like a little more choice and flexibility.

Saw the two main shows, After Midnight and For the Record: The Brat Pack. For those who have done their research or read other message boards, The Brat Pack show is NOT for kids. We loved it a lot, but definitely be aware of the coarse language and a 10 minute scene of the guys and girls only in their skivvies. I don't think kids would be interested much in After Midnight either, so if you are used to DCL shows, I don't think you'd find any of the MainStage shows to your liking. However, if you like Disney movies, they were played every night in various venues. Off the top of my head, they played The Muppets, Hercules, Inside Out, The Avengers, and I know there were a couple more but can't remember, as I didn't attend, because there was so much else to do.

The waterslides were very fun, especially the drop slides, which loop around and are a tad longer than the one on the new Magic, and the raft slide was so fun as well. Ropes course was a good time, a bit scary at first, but really fun, there's a zip line and the photo op on the "walk the plank" part. Never spent any time at any of the main pools, the family or the adult pool, but they ALWAYS looked VERY crowded. It was much like when you are in the adult pool area of any of the DCL ships, and then round the corner to the family pools, where it looks like mad chaos, to me anyway. However, Spice H2O was really nice, adults only, and never had a problem getting loungers. There isn't a pool there, but there is a hot tub and a really really cool "waterfall grotto". That was all we needed for keeping cool anytime we were up there, which was pretty much every day. It is quite big, and never crowded, and just lovely.

Stateroom was beautiful, we had a spa mini suite. About the size of the family staterooms on DCL, which is what we always book for two of us. However, the bathroom was really nice. It was hands down the best shower I've ever seen on a cruise ship. The spa shower jets combined with the overhead rain shower, just really nice. The room included use of the spa thermal suite. We used it almost every day for about half an hour. Very clean, new and cool therapy pool/hot tub/jets etc. I work in a beautiful spa in Las Vegas, so it's hard to impress me with that, but if you're a spa person, you'll probably enjoy it very much.

Deck parties-they are done at Spice H2O on the nights before a sea day, except Glow which is the night before Nassau. Personally, I think it's a perfect venue for late night "club" like deck parties. Loved the outdoor venue, the huge video screen, the whole area and vibe. The 80's party was really really fun, but Glow was completely insane. It was PACKED, the effects were great, the music was loud and the crowd had a blast. It was reminiscent of one of the late night deck parties we had on the Magic on a transatlantic sailing once, but busier. Normally I'm not a club guy in real life, don't like crowds that big, prefer sitting around with friends having cocktails and conversation, but it was possibly my favorite deck party ever. Of course, no fireworks like DCL, but fun nonetheless.

Cons: If you've read anything on the other message board about the casino smoke smell-here's my thoughts. I'd read it's bad, I've read it's not too bad, never smelled it. I would say I'm a little more sensitive to the smell of cigarette smoke, and really hate it, being a former blackjack dealer, I just can't stand the smell of it. Yes, you can smell it when in the areas surrounding the casino, but I would say it's probably "not too bad". Hard to say what other people opinions are, but believe what you read. It's bad, but probably not too bad depending on your sensitivity. It was definitely a poor design to have the casino so open. Then again, I think about the seriously poor design flaw of the Dream and Fantasy that allows children to walk through the adult pool areas all day long, so I guess no ship design is perfect for everyone.

The numerous bars were all good, The District Brewhouse, Sugarcanes Mojito Bar, 5 O'Clock Somewhere, Atrium Bar, Spice H2O, Skyline. (Except their Skyline only showed Vegas and NY the whole week, unlike DCL which shows I think about 7 cities). For the people who don't think there's enough adult nightlife on DCL, you will not find that problem here. We closed down Spice H2O during the 4 main nights, and then even closed down Skyline twice (3AM) and then would go for late night snacks at O'Sheehans, which is 24/7. A group of maybe 7-10 of us would go, and Rob and I always ordered nachos and chicken wings, but they have burgers, fajitas, sundaes, typical late night bar food menu. So we managed to get to bed about 4 every night, and up by 9 or 10.

All in all, it was a great week on the Escape. I'm curious to hear others who are going in the coming weeks (sweetpea). If you like the smaller ships like Magic/Wonder, this ship may be too big and feel more crowded in certain areas and times. For us, the trouble is, the ship has SO much to do, that we never really had enough time to sit and enjoy all the areas. Only got to Brewhouse 3 times, for one beer each time, but it's so nice with SO many choices, would have loved to spend more time there. Same with pretty much everywhere, except Spice H2O, which we spent plenty during day and night. Of course, that is because we are two adults and prefer the adult only areas of ships.

I've never written a trip report before, or ever read one on the Dis, so hopefully this overview is done in a correct format. If anyone has any specific questions, I am happy to answer. This was our second NCL, and we are already looking at the Epic for our next one. As much as I love DCL, with the prices, I don't know that we will sail them again until 2021 when the next ship comes out. Have a good day, thanks for reading!

I'm following!!
Thank you for the great review. I only hope I can report back with such a good review after my cruise in two weeks. We are on the getaway May 15.

How was tendering?

 

[Kimberly9701]

.

 

[mevelandry]

In case anyone is still following this thread and wanted feedback on the Escape, I just returned Saturday. The ship is beautiful, the service was fantastic all around, from the stateroom host, the cruise staff, pretty much everyone we encountered, and the extremely hard working bar staff. It's crazy how busy they stay with everyone being on the unlimited beverage package, but they were all so quick and friendly.

Food was great pretty much everywhere, but then again, I've never really found anything to complain about the food on DCL either, so I know that is very subjective. We loved all the specialty restaurants we ate at, as well as the main dining rooms, which we ate at three times. NEVER a wait to get into any of the dining rooms with freestyle dining, including the night we walked up at 8:30 and asked for a table of 7. The dining rooms were beautiful, and of course, the countless options for food 24/7 are nice for those who like a little more choice and flexibility.

Saw the two main shows, After Midnight and For the Record: The Brat Pack. For those who have done their research or read other message boards, The Brat Pack show is NOT for kids. We loved it a lot, but definitely be aware of the coarse language and a 10 minute scene of the guys and girls only in their skivvies. I don't think kids would be interested much in After Midnight either, so if you are used to DCL shows, I don't think you'd find any of the MainStage shows to your liking. However, if you like Disney movies, they were played every night in various venues. Off the top of my head, they played The Muppets, Hercules, Inside Out, The Avengers, and I know there were a couple more but can't remember, as I didn't attend, because there was so much else to do.

The waterslides were very fun, especially the drop slides, which loop around and are a tad longer than the one on the new Magic, and the raft slide was so fun as well. Ropes course was a good time, a bit scary at first, but really fun, there's a zip line and the photo op on the "walk the plank" part. Never spent any time at any of the main pools, the family or the adult pool, but they ALWAYS looked VERY crowded. It was much like when you are in the adult pool area of any of the DCL ships, and then round the corner to the family pools, where it looks like mad chaos, to me anyway. However, Spice H2O was really nice, adults only, and never had a problem getting loungers. There isn't a pool there, but there is a hot tub and a really really cool "waterfall grotto". That was all we needed for keeping cool anytime we were up there, which was pretty much every day. It is quite big, and never crowded, and just lovely.

Stateroom was beautiful, we had a spa mini suite. About the size of the family staterooms on DCL, which is what we always book for two of us. However, the bathroom was really nice. It was hands down the best shower I've ever seen on a cruise ship. The spa shower jets combined with the overhead rain shower, just really nice. The room included use of the spa thermal suite. We used it almost every day for about half an hour. Very clean, new and cool therapy pool/hot tub/jets etc. I work in a beautiful spa in Las Vegas, so it's hard to impress me with that, but if you're a spa person, you'll probably enjoy it very much.

Deck parties-they are done at Spice H2O on the nights before a sea day, except Glow which is the night before Nassau. Personally, I think it's a perfect venue for late night "club" like deck parties. Loved the outdoor venue, the huge video screen, the whole area and vibe. The 80's party was really really fun, but Glow was completely insane. It was PACKED, the effects were great, the music was loud and the crowd had a blast. It was reminiscent of one of the late night deck parties we had on the Magic on a transatlantic sailing once, but busier. Normally I'm not a club guy in real life, don't like crowds that big, prefer sitting around with friends having cocktails and conversation, but it was possibly my favorite deck party ever. Of course, no fireworks like DCL, but fun nonetheless.

Cons: If you've read anything on the other message board about the casino smoke smell-here's my thoughts. I'd read it's bad, I've read it's not too bad, never smelled it. I would say I'm a little more sensitive to the smell of cigarette smoke, and really hate it, being a former blackjack dealer, I just can't stand the smell of it. Yes, you can smell it when in the areas surrounding the casino, but I would say it's probably "not too bad". Hard to say what other people opinions are, but believe what you read. It's bad, but probably not too bad depending on your sensitivity. It was definitely a poor design to have the casino so open. Then again, I think about the seriously poor design flaw of the Dream and Fantasy that allows children to walk through the adult pool areas all day long, so I guess no ship design is perfect for everyone.

The numerous bars were all good, The District Brewhouse, Sugarcanes Mojito Bar, 5 O'Clock Somewhere, Atrium Bar, Spice H2O, Skyline. (Except their Skyline only showed Vegas and NY the whole week, unlike DCL which shows I think about 7 cities). For the people who don't think there's enough adult nightlife on DCL, you will not find that problem here. We closed down Spice H2O during the 4 main nights, and then even closed down Skyline twice (3AM) and then would go for late night snacks at O'Sheehans, which is 24/7. A group of maybe 7-10 of us would go, and Rob and I always ordered nachos and chicken wings, but they have burgers, fajitas, sundaes, typical late night bar food menu. So we managed to get to bed about 4 every night, and up by 9 or 10.

All in all, it was a great week on the Escape. I'm curious to hear others who are going in the coming weeks (sweetpea). If you like the smaller ships like Magic/Wonder, this ship may be too big and feel more crowded in certain areas and times. For us, the trouble is, the ship has SO much to do, that we never really had enough time to sit and enjoy all the areas. Only got to Brewhouse 3 times, for one beer each time, but it's so nice with SO many choices, would have loved to spend more time there. Same with pretty much everywhere, except Spice H2O, which we spent plenty during day and night. Of course, that is because we are two adults and prefer the adult only areas of ships.

I've never written a trip report before, or ever read one on the Dis, so hopefully this overview is done in a correct format. If anyone has any specific questions, I am happy to answer. This was our second NCL, and we are already looking at the Epic for our next one. As much as I love DCL, with the prices, I don't know that we will sail them again until 2021 when the next ship comes out. Have a good day, thanks for reading!

So... would you say your cruise was:

A) Just as good as DCL and you would go back to NCL anytime

B) Very good but you'd still pick DCL over NCL

C) I wouldn't go back to DCL unless I got a very good deal"?

Thanks in advance!

 

[Californiacruizers]

I've saild on Norwegian last with my daughter was 2 1/2 and she LOVED it. I was say there were one 100 kids onboard (maybe a little less) Eveyone paid lots of special attention the kids. They have the standard arcade and kids clubs I am sure a 3 year old will have lots of fun on NCL.

 

[Scoobypop]

I'm following!!
Thank you for the great review. I only hope I can report back with such a good review after my cruise in two weeks. We are on the getaway May 15.

How was tendering?

Thank you, and I also look forward to your review after the Getaway! There was no tendering where we went, St. Thomas, Tortola and Nassau, so can't speak for that.

So... would you say your cruise was:

A) Just as good as DCL and you would go back to NCL anytime

B) Very good but you'd still pick DCL over NCL

C) I wouldn't go back to DCL unless I got a very good deal"?

Thanks in advance!

I love this question! I can't pick either A, B, or C without explanation.
C) I would definitely go back to DCL for the two new ships, but honestly, I am not even looking at their website anymore, just because of the pricing from 2016 and 2017. It's gotten out of control, at least from our standpoint and for the value we feel we get on NCL and Royal Caribbean.
B) Our two NCL cruises were definitely better than "very good". We loved them both. We also love DCL though. 15 DCL cruises, all four ships, concierge on Fantasy, Dream, and Wonder one time on each as well. These days, I actually would not pick DCL over NCL based on the answer above, the pricing.
A) I'm not sure how to answer that one. Would and will and already are planning to go back to NCL, anytime, any ship. I'm excited to try the Breakaway/Getaway, and there are three new ships coming in the next three years as well, so we always like to try the new ships. The "Just as good" part-that is so hard to say. Just so different overall. I would say the service is definitely comparable in my opinion. DCL is probably better at providing an overall more "magical" experience, with the Disney Magic that has been mentioned numerous times on this thread and others. NCL in my opinion is better at the numerous dining options throughout the day and evenings. I love the DCL shows, we sit through them every time, regardless how many times we've seen them. But we were blown away by the entertainment on the NCL star last year, and loved both shows on the Escape. I grew up on John Hughes movies, so we loved the Brat Pack show, but it's not for everyone. So I guess, long answer long, I would say Just as good as DCL, in different aspects, and will go back anytime.

 

[kaseyC]

In case anyone is still following this thread and wanted feedback on the Escape, I just returned Saturday. The ship is beautiful, the service was fantastic all around, from the stateroom host, the cruise staff, pretty much everyone we encountered, and the extremely hard working bar staff. It's crazy how busy they stay with everyone being on the unlimited beverage package, but they were all so quick and friendly.

Food was great pretty much everywhere, but then again, I've never really found anything to complain about the food on DCL either, so I know that is very subjective. We loved all the specialty restaurants we ate at, as well as the main dining rooms, which we ate at three times. NEVER a wait to get into any of the dining rooms with freestyle dining, including the night we walked up at 8:30 and asked for a table of 7. The dining rooms were beautiful, and of course, the countless options for food 24/7 are nice for those who like a little more choice and flexibility.

Saw the two main shows, After Midnight and For the Record: The Brat Pack. For those who have done their research or read other message boards, The Brat Pack show is NOT for kids. We loved it a lot, but definitely be aware of the coarse language and a 10 minute scene of the guys and girls only in their skivvies. I don't think kids would be interested much in After Midnight either, so if you are used to DCL shows, I don't think you'd find any of the MainStage shows to your liking. However, if you like Disney movies, they were played every night in various venues. Off the top of my head, they played The Muppets, Hercules, Inside Out, The Avengers, and I know there were a couple more but can't remember, as I didn't attend, because there was so much else to do.

The waterslides were very fun, especially the drop slides, which loop around and are a tad longer than the one on the new Magic, and the raft slide was so fun as well. Ropes course was a good time, a bit scary at first, but really fun, there's a zip line and the photo op on the "walk the plank" part. Never spent any time at any of the main pools, the family or the adult pool, but they ALWAYS looked VERY crowded. It was much like when you are in the adult pool area of any of the DCL ships, and then round the corner to the family pools, where it looks like mad chaos, to me anyway. However, Spice H2O was really nice, adults only, and never had a problem getting loungers. There isn't a pool there, but there is a hot tub and a really really cool "waterfall grotto". That was all we needed for keeping cool anytime we were up there, which was pretty much every day. It is quite big, and never crowded, and just lovely.

Stateroom was beautiful, we had a spa mini suite. About the size of the family staterooms on DCL, which is what we always book for two of us. However, the bathroom was really nice. It was hands down the best shower I've ever seen on a cruise ship. The spa shower jets combined with the overhead rain shower, just really nice. The room included use of the spa thermal suite. We used it almost every day for about half an hour. Very clean, new and cool therapy pool/hot tub/jets etc. I work in a beautiful spa in Las Vegas, so it's hard to impress me with that, but if you're a spa person, you'll probably enjoy it very much.

Deck parties-they are done at Spice H2O on the nights before a sea day, except Glow which is the night before Nassau. Personally, I think it's a perfect venue for late night "club" like deck parties. Loved the outdoor venue, the huge video screen, the whole area and vibe. The 80's party was really really fun, but Glow was completely insane. It was PACKED, the effects were great, the music was loud and the crowd had a blast. It was reminiscent of one of the late night deck parties we had on the Magic on a transatlantic sailing once, but busier. Normally I'm not a club guy in real life, don't like crowds that big, prefer sitting around with friends having cocktails and conversation, but it was possibly my favorite deck party ever. Of course, no fireworks like DCL, but fun nonetheless.

Cons: If you've read anything on the other message board about the casino smoke smell-here's my thoughts. I'd read it's bad, I've read it's not too bad, never smelled it. I would say I'm a little more sensitive to the smell of cigarette smoke, and really hate it, being a former blackjack dealer, I just can't stand the smell of it. Yes, you can smell it when in the areas surrounding the casino, but I would say it's probably "not too bad". Hard to say what other people opinions are, but believe what you read. It's bad, but probably not too bad depending on your sensitivity. It was definitely a poor design to have the casino so open. Then again, I think about the seriously poor design flaw of the Dream and Fantasy that allows children to walk through the adult pool areas all day long, so I guess no ship design is perfect for everyone.

The numerous bars were all good, The District Brewhouse, Sugarcanes Mojito Bar, 5 O'Clock Somewhere, Atrium Bar, Spice H2O, Skyline. (Except their Skyline only showed Vegas and NY the whole week, unlike DCL which shows I think about 7 cities). For the people who don't think there's enough adult nightlife on DCL, you will not find that problem here. We closed down Spice H2O during the 4 main nights, and then even closed down Skyline twice (3AM) and then would go for late night snacks at O'Sheehans, which is 24/7. A group of maybe 7-10 of us would go, and Rob and I always ordered nachos and chicken wings, but they have burgers, fajitas, sundaes, typical late night bar food menu. So we managed to get to bed about 4 every night, and up by 9 or 10.

All in all, it was a great week on the Escape. I'm curious to hear others who are going in the coming weeks (sweetpea). If you like the smaller ships like Magic/Wonder, this ship may be too big and feel more crowded in certain areas and times. For us, the trouble is, the ship has SO much to do, that we never really had enough time to sit and enjoy all the areas. Only got to Brewhouse 3 times, for one beer each time, but it's so nice with SO many choices, would have loved to spend more time there. Same with pretty much everywhere, except Spice H2O, which we spent plenty during day and night. Of course, that is because we are two adults and prefer the adult only areas of ships.

I've never written a trip report before, or ever read one on the Dis, so hopefully this overview is done in a correct format. If anyone has any specific questions, I am happy to answer. This was our second NCL, and we are already looking at the Epic for our next one. As much as I love DCL, with the prices, I don't know that we will sail them again until 2021 when the next ship comes out. Have a good day, thanks for reading!

Thanks for sharing your experience. Glad to hear you had a great time. Did you try Food Republic? I think that was one of my favorite specialty restaurants on board the Escape TA in October.

 

[Scoobypop]

Yes, we loved Food Republic, everything we ate there was terrific. Wanted to go a second time, but again, just too much to do and not enough days.

 

[daisyx3]

Just found this thread; very interesting, as last week I booked a Carnival Magic cruise over a NCL Getaway (after much dithering and a lot of research, it was a close decision!) for next March. I had originally booked a Fantasy cruise for $4500 same week (now it's $5500 with SWDAS) and then downsized that to a 4 day Dream for $2500. For $2600 I got a 7 day Carnival in a spa balcony room that goes to 4 ports I've never been to. Our kids are grown, I just got a picture with Capt. Mickey last March; it's time for me to branch out. I am very interested in the NCL reviews though as next time we might try that one.

 

[mevelandry]

The price difference is huge. In 2015, we've done 4 nights Bahamas, verandah room, on the Disney Dream for approx 1800$. We cannot afford a longer cruise with them.

In October we are doing 4 nights Bahamas, verandah room, on the Carnival Victory for approx 900$. For 1800$ we could get a 7-8 nights cruise with them.

Don't get me wrong: I love the mouse...but I love cruising more.

 

[dhardawa]

NCL used to have a credit card that gave back 3% on all purchases toward your cruise. My parents owned businesses, my sister was building a house, and I had a small side business. We all ran everything we could across the cards and paid them off. This resulted in free cruises every 1 - 1 1/2 years. I've probably been on 10 different NCL cruises and they are very good. The food is fine (I don't find any cruise food to be spectacular) and the entertainment is very good.

We did Carnival once and I wasn't too impressed, but it was super cheap, so I really can't complain.

As for kids clubs, my kids have loved them all. No complaints at all. And, there was always plenty for the kids to do o board.

 

[Jimbob22]

we've done a couple of Dis cruises, but just did a one week Mexican Riviera on the NCL Jewel. Wife said that a similar Disney cruise would have cost about 2 and half times what the NCL cost us. Our son (7) enjoyed the kids club, the shows were excellent (Carl Andrews sleight of hand expert, Chris Pendleton, who does a comedy and fiddling show with her 7yo daughter, other acrobatic, song and dance shows), I'd say that the MDR food is about the same, although NCL does have more pay restaurants (really enjoyed Teppanyaki and the Brazilian churrasceria). But mostly, NCL has deals: the kids were free and the specialty dining was free.

We were fine with their flavored water drinks (which are actually made by Nestle), and they have some kind of espresso type machine that makes great coffee (it grinds the beans and puts out a roughly 4-5 oz cup of thicker coffee with crema, very much like espresso). It was next to the regular coffee machines. But the biggest surprise: their buffet (which has Indian and Asian entrees) was actually better than Disney's. They had different meat curries and basmati, and they were excellent.

We like Disney, but we're not Disney addicts, and we're now looking into other lines. Disney should charge as much as they can get, but we determined that we can still have an excellent time without being on a Disney ship.

 

[momof2n2]

We've recently returned from 7 nights Western Caribbean on the NCL Getaway. It was a wonderful experience and I am going to bring my whole blog info over here to a Cruise Report thread.
I asked my kids the other day if they'd like to do a DCL 4 night or a NCL 7 night for our next cruise and it was a unanimous 7 night NCL.


trip report is growing here:
http://www.disboards.com/threads/nc...s-10-people-to-western-caribbean-fun.3518045/