As Travel Agents we get to do some pretty fun things as part of our job. One of those was to go on the inaugural cruise of Norwegian’s newest ship, The Escape. The Escape is a beautiful ship! No doubt about it! The ship is, essentially, a floating resort. The fun begins as soon as you walk onto the decks of the ship. Crew members are there to greet you with warm, friendly smiles and plenty of hand sanitizer. It’s kind of a thing at Norwegian and I am not going to complain. You will find, scattered about the main areas of the ship (decks 6, 7, and 8), large touch screens. These screens tell you everything you need to know. From these screens you can find and do almost everything. Want to make reservations for dinner? Find a touch screen! Want to know what the entertainment for the evening is? Find a touch screen! Can’t find a bar? Find a touch screen! Like all technology, they can be a little frustrating, but once you get the hang of it, they are wonderful. You can make dinner reservations and see the availability of each restaurant, make show reservations, find maps of the ship and how to get where you want to go, and options for things to do. I quickly fell in love with these screens. ***Helpful Hint*** If you haven’t already made reservations for specialty dining options, make them as soon as you board. The specialty dining options fill up quickly.
Like most ships, there are places to eat, drink, and shop scattered throughout, but the “toys” are all located on the upper decks. The Escape boasts a ropes course that is three stories tall! This course is not for those afraid of heights! Have you ever wanted to walk the plank? This is your chance. The ropes course offers several opportunities to walk the plank. It also has a place where you can zip line out over the water and back again, walk rope bridges, and find out how brave you truly are. All of this takes place 20 stories above the water. Ropes course not your thing? How about water slides? The Escape has several. That’s right; they didn’t stop at just one slide. And these slides were not designed with your grandma in mind…unless your grandma is a daredevil. Want to sit and relax in a hot tub? You got it! They have several hot tubs to choose from.
The Escape boasts three main dining rooms. Savor and Taste are both located mid ship on deck 6 and The Manhattan Room is located aft on deck 7. All three dining rooms feature a new menu each evening; however all three dining rooms will have the same menu. No matter which dining room you choose, you will have the same selection. The dining rooms do have favorites that are on the menu every night but for the most part the appetizer, main course, and dessert selections change every night. With Freestyle Dining you don’t have to commit to a dining schedule. The dining rooms function much like a restaurant. During peak dining times you may have to wait for a table. Check out the Freestyle Daily (the ships answer to a newspaper) for all your dining options each day. It is delivered to your stateroom each night with all the information you will need for the next day’s enjoyment. ***Helpful Hint*** If one of the main dining rooms is full check the touch screens to see the availability of the other two! By doing this you decrease the chance of having to wait for a table. If you can’t find food on a cruise ship then you kind of deserve to go hungry!
The Haven is Norwegians answer for their guests who like the resort amenities of a large ship but want the luxury and exclusivity of a small ship. Located on the upper decks of the ship, the Haven is a restricted area available to only the passengers that have booked rooms there. It boasts its own sun deck and pool. It also has its own lounge and restaurant. The guests of The Haven also have access to 24 hour butler service and priority access to everything the ship has to offer from specialty restaurants to onboard entertainment.
