Escape on the Escape!

The boarding process was seamless. We went through security and the check-in within fifteen minutes. In no time, we moved away from the masses and ended up at the Vibe bar on the 19th floor. Half of the bar is open to the public and half is in a private "beach club". There is debate on whether or not it's worth the extra money for the Vibe... I say "yes"!

Norwegian Escape was built in 2015. We first sailed on her on the second leg in the Caribbean after crossing from Europe. The ship holds up to 4248 passengers so it can get crowded in public areas. On the 16th and 17th floor pool decks, finding a chair can be difficult. People tend to mark their territory with towels and then not actually use the chairs. It doesn't seem to be as much of an issue on the 19th floor sun deck (and the small 20th floor). This spot is at the very front of the ship and it usually takes people a day or two to figure out it exists. Great view and a little space!

The upper sun deck even has a couple of jacuzzi's. They can get crowded but not as bad as the ones on the lower floors. The jacuzzi's on the pool deck are placed more in the middle of the ship. These have an incredible view!

On port days, everyone goes ashore and seats are aplenty! My advice? If you don't book a shore excursion, enjoy the ship in the morning and walk into the port area in the afternoon as everyone returns.

Immediately upon entering the security of the Vibe Beach Club, there is a cozy seating area. The sliding door behind the globe requires a key. The boxes on the right and left hold the towels. The sheets of glass visible on the upper left of the photo is the 20th floor sundeck, open to the public.

One reason the Vibe bar is worth the extra money is evident in this photo. Because the number of guests is limited to 60-75, the bar is never full. In fact, we often walked in and found we were the only people sitting at the bar.

While everyone was out exploring Falmouth, Jamaica, we took advantage of the Vibe. Fresh carafe's of water with lemon, skewered fruit and comfy seating made for a relaxing morning. We waited until 1pm to go ashore and walk around.

On sea days, the Vibe filled up a bit. Rommel, the employee in the pic, schmoozed it up. He is one of three main bartenders that focus completely on the Vibe guests. The other two, Vincent and Michael make it a point to learn everyone's names and provide top notch service. We first met Rommel in O'Sheehan's on Norwegian Epic in 2012 on a 13 day TransAtlantic cruisie. One year later, we returned and immediately recognized him. We figured after seeing thousands upon thousands of cruisers in the year since we had been on the ship that there was no chance he would recognize us. We couldn't have been more wrong! He smiled quickly and called us by name... even asked where my Mom and Dad were because we had traveled with them on the previous trip. And THAT'S why we return to NCL.

There are a couple sections in the Vibe deck. This side has a mister. On this trip, it was never quite hot enough to need to be misted. You could stand inside a large area and be misted directly or sit on lounge chairs and feel the mist as it floats through the air.

When everyone ran off to Great Stirrup Caye, we scurried up to the Vibe. We started with a Bailey's and coffee, then a mimosa. We had our choice of terry-cloth covered lounge chairs! It was the best time to climb into the jacuzzi to soak my shoulder. I've been struggling with pain in my right shoulder since just after Hurricane Harvey!There's something peaceful about hanging out in a jacuzzi all alone... especially with the view!

Standing up by the jacuzzi, there is a slight view of one of the slides. The ship has several slides. One uses an inner-tube and a couple do a dead drop. You don't know when the bottom will fall out, but it does... and that's about the time I start screaming! Tomorrow we will check out the inside of this 164,000 + ton ship...