NCL Escape - NY to Bermuda - Day 1: Embarkation
We embarked on a Sunday and the entire embarkation process took 2 1/2 hours at Pier 88 in NYC. The terminal was packed by 9:30am with folks showing up well before their call time due to the NYC marathon which had little impact on the traffic since it is nowhere near the terminal. We had a 9:30am check in time and when we were finally checked in we received boarding group 34?!? Anywhoo a lovely TSA guy at the terminal started swapping people out with used boarding group placards so we boarded about 10 groups a head. I’ve been in this terminal multiple times and this was the worst experience to date so hoping it’s just a fluke from the Marathon.
Boarded and got my kids set up with registration at Splash Academy - everyone was lovely. Later we discovered how challenging the new virtual queue system would be for the entire trip.
We headed to the American Diner for lunch (an upcharge but I promised my kiddos milkshakes!). I had the lobster and shrimp rolls which were delish. Grace loves the mozzarella sticks but they were barely warm so not a lot got eaten. Milkshakes were excellent! Service was a little slow but thoughtful and everyone was working hard.
We explored the ship and found a great little spot with a small couch and 2 chairs on the starboard side right by the The Cellars Wine Bar on the Waterfront where I found my first Prosecco. We hung out there, people watching for a bit while we waiting for the all clear on our cabin. Our cabin was ready a little after 2:30pm and we headed to check it out. Cabin 15286 - an aft balcony cabin — it was spacious enough for the 3 of us and the balcony was massive with a lounger + 2 chairs and a table. We always prefer to stay in aft cabins but will likely not stay in this one again - we were directly below the back of the buffet and early AM the tables and chairs were being moved and you could hear the scraping from above. We also heard a lot of late-night music from above which was tough with my little ones but didn't ruin the experience overall.
Once settled in our cabin, we went back up to the pool deck to see what the action was around sail away – my kids decided to roll up their pants and get in the pool! Once they started shivering, back to the room we went for a change a clothes and to watch the Verrazzano Narrows Bridge fade into the distance as we sailed away from New York. That view never gets old.
We went looking for dinner around 5:45pm and whoa Nelly what a mess! All of the dining rooms were a 30-45 minute wait so we went to O’Sheehan’s and after 30 minutes sitting at a table with not so much as a glass of water we left. (My kiddos were starving.) It was crazy busy. Went to the buffet instead and again wow what a mess! Pizza stations were empty, not a lot of options that my kids would eat and the place was chaos. Oh well, first night is usually bonkers and we made do.
Splash Academy and the New Queue Challenges
Back to Splash Academy - I logged into the NCL app at 7pm on the DOT and got my kids in the queue for opening at 8pm. We have to wait to get a text message from them on the app that they are ready for your kids and you have 15 minutes to get there or you forfeit your spot. MANY angry parents waiting outside the club for more than an hour to drop their kids off. I walked away after an hour with 2 crying kids who were dying to go. I received a text from them at 9:30pm (WTF??) that they were ready for my kids. My girls really wanted to go so I dropped them for an hour. Not sure who thought up this system, but it sucks. Parents are trying to make reservations for shows, specialty dining or to see live music and without knowing when they can drop their kids off it’s a disaster. I’ll admit I wasn’t kind and lost my patience after an hour, but I do know it is not the NCL staff’s fault. My kids had a great time there but over the course of the trip they only made it in 2 times which was frustrating.
One last note on Splash Academy, they were not open on our full day in port, including in the evening. There were very angry parents in the Atrium that night. After an exhausting day on the island with kids most of us were looking for a couple of hours of grown-up time. There was no explanation for why Splash Academy was closed and on previous NCL sailings I’ve never seen them close on port days.
