Day 1 – September 24, 2025 – Embarkation Day
Before we get to Day 1, we need to look at the past couple days first. Hurricane Gabrielle threatened the entire trip, but lucky for our week she headed east and didn’t impact the island.
What did have us concerned was the mechanical issues with the ship.
The Norwegian Escape limped back into New York at a pedestrian 16 knots. This got her into port about 6 hours late. The knock-on effect was that we couldn’t board until 4pm, rather than the usual 11am.
Of course, all the related social sites blew up with under-informed speculation and outright guesses on how the ship was faring and what could be the impact on our vacation. Some folks on the cruise before us tried to help by letting us know some up-to-date info and as it happened reports. That just helped fuel the speculation. Our personal experience was one of the easiest boardings yet; far from the norm for most others.
Our shuttle from Kingston was delayed to align with the new boarding/embarkation time. We arrived at the pier at 3:50pm and immediately went to the check-in floor. Our longest line was for passport/customs control, which went smoothly. As we now have priority on NCL with Latitudes Platinum status, we bypassed the long line and checked in quickly. Another perk is that we were not assigned a boarding group; we headed straight for the ship. Bus to bar in under an hour.
Dinner at Cagney’s Steakhouse, scheduled for 5:30, was at 5:50. Prime Rib au jus and Raspberry Crème Brûlée for me; Lynn had Lobster Bisque and Shrimp Skewers. Happy Anniversary (36) to us!
Horror stories about long lines and not enough wheelchairs ran rampant through the ship. I heard that the check-in line stretched all the way to Pier 90 (we’re at 88). That we were all told to be at the pier “between 4 and 8pm” caused a pile-up at the accessibility services area. Tempers flared out of frustration. Eventually everyone was checked in and boarded.
The ship was still in port when we retired just after midnight.
Day 2 – September 25, 2025 – At Sea
I woke up at 8:00 ship’s time somewhere east of Manhattan and heading southwest to Bermuda. The Escape was cruising at a respectable 18.5 knots, so I guess they got the new parts installed. We left without a Sail Away party. No matter, it rained anyway (sounds like a great trip so far, eh?).
I’ve noted in other blogs, sea days are typically uneventful. This one was no exception.
One of my favorite spots on board is The District Brewhouse. It’s a “brew house” in name only (no actual brewing going on), but it has a wide selection of different beers. Our stateroom is about 20 yards away (planned?). The plus here is that it’s close and they will fill your water bottle. The minus is it’s a music venue near our stateroom, but it only goes loud until 10:30p.
We ate at Food Republic again. We agreed that this is a hidden gem on NCL ships. It’s a tapas bar with a twist. The fare is Asian Fusion. The Korean BBQ fried chicken is exceptional, the Pho is outstanding, and the Peruvian Beef Sticks are a good reason to go back. It’s quiet as well, a just across from The District, so they can get you pretty much any beer for your meal.
In response to the delays at embarkation, NCL gave the first two guests in each stateroom $50 on board credit, and 10% off a future cruise. There was also an Itinerary change it’s a late arrival and an early departure from Bermuda.
Day 3 – September 26, 2025 – Late landing in Bermuda
I woke up in time for the sunrise today. A quiet cuppa on the balcony watching the sun crest the horizon is one of the joys of cruising for me.
There seems to be a lot of families on board this time. I’ve seen more strollers than scooters in the elevators.
Having been to Bermuda before, we decided to stay on board. The ship was quiet and relaxing, like it should be.
Day 4 – September 27, 2025 – Bermuda and At Sea
We set our alarms for pre-dawn to get an early shuttle to Horseshoe Bay and the legendary pink sand; another quiet sunrise to enjoy, this time over Hamilton.
Pro Tip: if you have early morning appointments/excursions order a room service breakfast. There is a $5 service fee, but it will save time scrambling for the buffet or MDR.
Horseshoe Bay was very nice, the sand was underwhelming. Although soft under foot, it’s hardly as pink as advertised. There is a good amount of pink specks (coral?) throughout, but it’s mostly well, sandy. The water was amazing at 85℉ and nice waves to dive into.
Day 5 – September 28, 2025 – At Sea
Today we steam back to Manhattan. The Eagles game was on the TV at the bars. There were a lot of Eagles fans on this trip. Watching on the big screen from the poolside bar was great, even if the regular poolside entertainment was loud. Everyone was cheering as they beat Tampa Bay (finally!) 31-25. Go Birds!
Tomorrow is disembarkation. Our bus arrives around 11:00, then we’ll be home.
Day 6 – September 29, 2025 – Disembarkation
Woke up in port in Manhattan. It was a short, and mostly uneventful trip to Bermuda. I hope you enjoyed coming along with us.
Until next time, Happy Cruising!
Trip issues
I would be remiss if I didn’t at least mention some of the issues that occurred with this trip. Notice I didn’t say “happened to me”, because I was perfectly content it’s how the itinerary worked out.
- The Escape was several hours late in arriving to New York. This had the knock-on effect of delaying our departure from 4pm to 1:00am the following morning.
- The late departure was due to a mechanical failure the previous week. we had to wait on a part to be delivered and installed. Folks were upset having to pay the 8.9% port fee for drinks. This was a whopping $0.89 for a beer.
- We arrived in Bermuda late; about 8 hours late. This meant instead of having a full day at the beach, we got only a few hours. Sure, we saw the pink sand, but only for a bit.
- The taps in The District were out of order due to the electrical outage on the previous voyage. They still had lots of good brews in cans and bottles.
Carrick of Nordenhal 