Norwegian Escape Review and Tour – 24 hours through our eyes

As the Norwegian Escape set sail on its inaugural trip from Southampton Chloe and I was on board as guests to discover what this impressive ship has to offer.  The Norwegian Escape is the fifth largest ship in the world and can carry about 4000 passengers in its staterooms.  

There are many cruises from Southampton and we were so excited to experience this type of break.

We had just under 24 hours on board to experience what the ship has to offer and we tried to cram in as much as possible! We were given a mid-floor stateroom as out home for the trip and as we checked it out we were impressed with the size.  

Having never cruised before I wasn’t sure just how much space would be available.  However, we had a twin room, complete with a sofa area for relaxing and a balcony complete with chairs to relax in.  The bathroom was really spacious with a huge shower cubicle and modern decor.

Once we had hung up our clothes we set off to explore the Norwegian Escape. We were looking forward to seeing the water park and ropes course.  We quickly navigated the ship and worked out what we wanted to see.  We did an unofficial tour before meeting up with the other bloggers, we discovered the gym complete with all you would expect. It was located near the spa which boasted an impressive list of treatments available (next time I’m trying them!).  

We found that in addition to the 21 restaurants and bars that there were kids’ clubs and chill-out areas for teenagers too.  This is something I like to find out about as I have a teen, tween and tot therefore I always need to ensure that each of them has a good time and collects memories when we holiday.  Having different club areas would mean each of my children could participate in age-related activities as they choose.

After seeing the vast array of sport and activities available Chloe was eager to test them out and within a short while she was in a harness and up the rope course.  She had a great time and the highlight was a zip wire that took you off the Norwegian Escape edge.  Whilst she was up in the sky there were others enjoying a more sedate game of crazy golf.  Table tennis and a basketball court were also nearby (tick more activities for those not wanting to sit about for too long). I never knew that there were so many opportunities on a cruise!

Cruising is certainly a great option for active teenagers.

Once finished on the ropes we headed off to grab some food.  There are speciality restaurants with specific menus and meal times but there is also places that serve complimentary food all day long.  That is one of the best things about the Norwegian escape – it offers flexible dining.  Once we were refreshed Chloe and Dexter decided to try out the pool with its hot tubs and plunge pools.  

Thankfully the sun was shining and it seemed a good time for Kate and I to try out the bar! We enjoyed the first drink so thought we should have another to check for quality control and they passed! I had bought a Go Pro to be able to film the water slides as they sounded great but unfortunately, the darkness enveloped us and I hadn’t considered that so only the yellow water slide is featured in my clip!  However Chloe and Dexter can vouch that the other slides were also great fun.

Whilst the teens messed about I even had time for a little dance up on the deck whilst the DJ blasted out a few tunes!  Then we headed back to our staterooms to get ready for dinner.  You don’t need to do the whole dressing-up thing on the Norwegian Escape as it is not that formal.  So although we didn’t dress up we did pop on a dress ready to go to our evening meal at La Cucina which is an Italian A la Carte Menu.  The food was delicious and the shrimp were some of the best I’ve tasted, Chloe went for a lasagne before chocolate dessert.  Our drinks were regularly refilled and the staff was attentive and friendly.  After dinner, we enjoyed a little walk about the ship watching those with stamina party through the night.

However after dashing about all day Chloe and I were ready to fall into our beds about midnight and then slept soundly until we felt ourselves coming into dock about 6.30 am.

After spending time on the ship with a teenager I have had my eyes opened as to what is on offer and would now love to take the rest of the family on board.  There is so much to do and I know that my little family would each be entertained and enjoy the experience. Whilst they swam, climbed, danced or spent time in the clubs, I could lay on sun lounger and soak up the Miami sun.  I would like to thank the Norwegian Escape and Mumsnet for having us as their guests.

Disclosure: I am a member of the Mumsnet Bloggers Network Research Panel, a group of parent bloggers who have volunteered to review products, services, events and brands for Mumsnet.  I have editorial control and retain full editorial integrity

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