The Norwegian Escape signals — if, indeed, there were still doubts — the resurgence of Norwegian Cruise Line's competitiveness in perhaps the highest-profile cruise market, South Florida.
At 4,200 passengers, the Escape will be the largest ship ever homeported in Miami, and travel agents on a preview cruise last week said they thought the ship was going to find an audience.
"I love the ship," said Cruise Planners CEO Michelle Fee, who was hanging out in the lounge portion of the ship's two-story Haven. The Haven is a private area with suites and a
public space found on a number of Norwegian Cruise Line ships; the one aboard
the Escape is the first two-story Haven. Fee added that, once again, Norwegian has built a ship with dozens of eating, drinking and entertainment options.
"What Norwegian does best is that there are choices," Fee said.
It's hard to believe that less than two years ago, Norwegian Cruise Line did not have a ship full-time in Miami. Now it will have two, the Escape and the Norwegian Getaway.
The Escape is an expanded version of the Breakaway/Getaway platform introduced in 2013. The Escape has more hot tubs than its predecessor ships, and a water grotto was added to the Spice H2O adults-only area. The ropes course has been doubled in size, the waterslides are bigger, and there's a new private dining room. But a lot of the changes are in the food and entertainment.
"Escape is an evolution," Norwegian President Andy Stuart said. "The ship has a very premium feel."
A Michael Mondavi family wine bar called Cellars, for example, replaces the Ice Bar, a novelty that may have run its course. The District Brew House craft beer hall exceeded my expectations, as did the two main theater shows, "After Midnight" and "Million Dollar Quartet."
Everyone I spoke to who had eaten at Bayamo, the new high-end seafood concept, was enthusiastic. "It was delicious. I was really surprised," said Patrick Luciani, owner of TravelOnly, Toronto.
Less satisfactory was Margaritaville at Sea, where there was a long wait time for burgers. Norwegian might have to resort to a cover charge. A little more oomph to the Jimmy Buffett theme would also be nice.
Norwegian is working hard to cross-pollinate with its two sister brands, Regent Seven Seas and Oceania Cruises. In the Haven, Julio Guardado, a Miami accountant and regular Oceania customer, said the Escape still feels too big to him, and the service is less polished.
But he and his wife, Carmen, enjoyed the Haven and acknowledged that there's more to do than on Oceania cruises.
"We like it," Guardado said of the Escape. "This ship is beautiful."