I had so much fun on this cruise, I honestly have no idea why it took me so long to dive into this post…
Embarking from Port Miami
This is my second time cruising on the Norwegian Escape within a 2-month span, and my first time sailing out of Miami. We had a good 8-9 months to plan the cruise, which was fantastic for several reasons. First, we were able to use some CruiseNext credits that we had previously purchased. Doing so enabled us to take full advantage of the Free at Sea promotion that they run, which gave us some specialty dining and the drink package (which we didn’t have on our February cruise out of New York to the Bahamas. Having the drink package and being in a much warmer climate, we booked the Vibe Beach Club, which is always spectacular. It’s amazing not having to fight over a lounge chair, and the service from the bartenders in the Vibe is always stellar.
We booked our flights into Fort Lauderdale, which is the further of the two preferred airports (Miami and Fort Lauderdale) when cruising out of Miami. We had pre-booked an Uber to take us to our hotel, and the whole process was seamless. It’s always a very good idea to arrive the day prior to embarkation, and that’s exactly what we did. It seems like there’s a million hotels to choose from. The most reasonable always seem to be near the airports, but I really wanted to experience the scene on Miami Beach. Hotels there are typically much more expensive and it took me a while to find the perfect place. I wanted to see the craziness of South Beach on a Saturday night, but certainly didn’t want to lose sleep by getting caught up in a loud party until the wee hours of the morning. I found a great little boutique hotel north of all of the action. The MB Hotel was exactly what we were looking for! It was very reasonable, right on the beach, and close enough to grab the free Miami Trolley. Oh yeah, the rooftop breakfast was fantastic too!
After our Uber dropped us off at the hotel, we checked in and got settled in our room. We headed downstairs to the bar and pool area and grabbed light lunch and a drink. We sat outside by the pool, looking out at the beach just beyond the Atlantic Way walkway. The hotel provided towels and loungers on the beach, which we used for a little bit after our lunch. It gave us a moment to relax before we headed to South Beach for dinner.
We always love trying local cuisine wherever we travel to, so I figured that it would be best to eat at a Cuban restaurant. I chose Havana 1957. I know… it’s a chain and probably not the best choice for authenticity but figured it would be a good time with the dancers and live music. My wife ordered an enormous mojito and it pretty much did her in. The food was OK. The live music was kinda corny, but it was time well spent.
On our walk from the trolley to dinner, it was still daylight. Ocean Avenue was had a pretty fun vibe, with tons of art deco everywhere. One of the things that caught me by surprise was the sheer number of exotic cars. Ferrari and Lamborghini were both very well represented. I think most of them were rentals, but still, I found it nuts. When we left the restaurant, it was dark, and the street took on a completely different atmosphere. There was a lot of hustle and bustle, and the neon and lights were definitely something to experience. We didn’t linger long though, as we were pretty tired from traveling and were ready to call it an early night.
The next morning was Easter Sunday, and I set an alarm for sunrise and headed out to the beach. One of the amazing things about Miami Beach are the lifeguard shacks. There’s one every few blocks along the entire beach, and every one is completely different. Sunrise was beautiful, and the beach was completely empty. I grabbed some pictures of the two nearest guard shacks.
My wife slept in while I was exploring, but soon it was time to start our day. We got ready and headed to breakfast, which is served buffet-style on the top floor. While it was a little breezy, we ate outside and the view was spectacular. There were a few people kitesurfing, which is something I had never seen before.
Embarkation
After a leisurely morning, we checked out and grabbed an Uber to the cruise port. I know people say that taking a cruise from Miami can be hectic, but we had no problems at all. Maybe it was because we arrived at the port after 11am? We typically show up much earlier, and I think that we avoided the chaos.
Once aboard, we hit the muster station and had lunch at O’Sheehans, which is the 24-hour restaurant aboard the Escape. It’s very similar to The Local. After that, we got acquainted with The Vibe Beach Club. It didn’t take long for our room to be ready. We unpacked, and then it was sail-away time. …back to the Vibe! It was pretty neat seeing the parade of ships that leave in the afternoon.
We were already very familiar with the ship since we were aboard it two months earlier, so we didn’t do some of the things that we did on the previous trip (like the Supper Club or Howl at the Moon), although both were pretty cool and I highly recommend both. We did watch Choir of Man again though, as that is definitely worth seeing multiple times.
Another thing we enjoy on the Escape is the Manhattan Room. This one has a fairly large dance floor set up in the very aft, and while it doesn’t have as many tables as the Joy does overlooking the wake, there is a small band that plays live music during dinner, which I can definitely appreciate.
The entire next day we spent relaxing in the Vibe. This was meant to be a relaxing trip. We had four full days in ports coming up. Even though most of those were also pre-planned by us to be relaxing and laid back, it’s fair to say that doing nothing but hanging out in beautiful warm weather on a lounge chair was exactly what we needed, especially since our last vacation 2 months earlier didn’t include a drink package, the Vibe, or warm tropical weather.
Cozumel – Nachi Cocom
My wife and I differ in opinion. She says that we didn’t really see Cozumel since we raced through the port area to grab a taxi to an all-inclusive beach resort. It may be true, and maybe I’m wrong, but we did all we meant to do there, as I didn’t see any other excursions that called to me when researching Cozumel…
Cozumel seemed to me like a place that was best enjoyed lounging out on the beach at an all-inclusive resort. There were several that we were debating on. Mr. Sanchos is by far the busiest and most popular. It’s also the most lively with multiple bands, and a party vibe. Paradise Beach was another consideration, as it is much more quiet and relaxing, but it’s still a huge resort. There’s tons to do and they have inflatable things to climb on out in the water. I had settled on Paradise Beach after watching a bunch of Youtube videos. I have trusted Ilana at Life Well Cruised, and Paradise is one that she highly recommends.
My wife had me watch a video about another resort she found called Nachi Cocom. It is much smaller and caps its capacity daily at around 130 guests. Compared to seemingly thousands at both Mr. Sanchos (450 people) and Paradise Beach (800 people), this seemed like the most relaxing choice. We then started comparing all of them, and we watched several videos rating each one. It seemed like the consensus was that the food was best at Nachi and it was the most relaxing, so that’s what we went with. It turned out to be the right decision.
Since we ran off the ship and beat just about everyone to the taxi stand, we arrived at Nachi Cocom before they opened. We made our way to the beach and hung out until a server arrived to bring us to an actual spot. I had no problems being there too early and left to our own devices.
Once we were led to a set of loungers on the beach that were more centrally located, our sever introduced himself to us and grabbed us drinks. There’s nothing like hanging out on the beach first thing in the morning and having a margarita for breakfast! My wife went with a strawberry daiquiri. Both were decent, but we ended up switching to beers. I wanted to just chill with a Corona and Lime while in Mexico. They didn’t serve Corona, but had a very similar beer called Sol. I had never heard of it before, but it was very, very similar to Corona. In fact, I’d actually call it better! I find that Corona often tastes skunky, and this did not.
Not only did the server bring us food right on the beach, he also brought us our food. I was thrilled that I didn’t have to get up and walk to a table under the pavilion.
One of the things that my wife found relaxing were the hammocks next to the message stalls.
The only thing really worth mentioning about the return taxi trip to the cruise port is the fact that taxis DO NOT hang out at Nachi Cocom to take you back. However, all you need to do is let them know that you’re ready to depart and they’ll call a taxi. It doesn’t take long for one to show up to take you back. All in all, it’s pretty simple.
Next Stop, Harvest Caye, Belize
We didn’t really feel like spending the day on NCL’s private island at Harvest Caye. We decided to take an NCL excursion with Monkey River Eco Tours to take us several miles up the Monkey River to view howler monkeys in the wild. We figured that this would be much better than visiting monkeys in Roatan since we’d be seeing them in their natural habitat. This trip was one of my favorite experiences of the trip!
After leaving the ship and walking down the long pier, we followed the signs to the place where the boats departed. It was very well marked. We had brought long pants because we heard that the bugs were pretty bad but honestly never used them. It was hot, and there was a decent breeze. There was a fairly long line to board the boats (there were several of them), and we had a pretty fun (but bumpy) ride to the mouth of the river zipping through stands of mangrove.
Once at the mouth of the river, we slowed down and our guide did a fantastic job of talking about the ecology of the river, the plants, animals, and history of the area. He pointed out several iguanas, birds like parakeets and frigate birds, and important plants.
After a few miles, we docked and went ashore. The driver of the boat went ahead for a moment to find where troops of howler monkeys were and then came back to get us. The walk was easy and the path was lined with pavers. The jungle was very dense, and it was unlike anything I had ever experienced! I felt like Arnold Schwarzenegger searching for the Predator…
We spotted two different troops of howler monkeys over the roughly 45 minutes we were ashore. They were located above us in the canopy. Sure, they weren’t extremely close, but it was fantastic seeing them in the swaying trees, and in the wild.
On the return trip, we stopped for about 20 minutes at a small souvenir shop at the mouth of the river. It didn’t have much, but the cold drinks and ice cream bars were much appreciated!
When we returned to Harvest Caye, we had a few hours to wander around the private island. We opted not to get anything to eat or drink. The deal that Norwegian has with Belize requires that Harvest Caye charge for food and drink. Since we had all the food we wanted waiting for us aboard the ship, we decided to head back aboard for lunch. Honestly, the beach seemed passable, but it was way too crowded for our liking. We wandered through some of the shops on our way back and ended up grabbing some chocolate. We bought some at every port we were in to bring home with us. There was also a “Wildlife Experience” that had parrots, toucans, and other animals, but after seeing many of these in the wild, it was a little depressing seeing animals in cages.
Roatan, Honduras
I think I was looking forward to the Monkey River Eco Tour the most when planning this trip. While it was amazing, I think that my favorite day of this trip was exploring Roatan, Honduras. We wanted to grab a day-pass and check out a beautiful beach. While there, we wanted to take a ride on a semi-submersible boat to see the amazing reefs. There was a NCL Excursion, but we opted to do it on our own. While doing research, we stumbled upon hiring a driver for the day. We booked a driver through Victor Bodden Tours, and a basic day-pass at Infinity Bay Resort in West Bay. We didn’t need food or drinks… Infinity Bay offers transportation to and from their resort from the cruise ports, but it wasn’t much more expensive at all to just hire a driver for the day. The good part of that was that our driver could take us to other places like shopping, lunch, or any other place we wanted to go!
After we met up with our driver, Isaac, we discussed what we wanted to do for the day. Along the way to West Bay, he stopped for a few pictures. We wanted to stop for breakfast in West End at Sandy Buns Bakery for some cinnamon rolls, but unfortunately they were closed. It was still part of their Easter holiday, so there were many shops that weren’t open. Oh well…
Infinity Bay was stunning. We changed into our bathing suits and grabbed some loungers in a prime spot on the beach under some palm trees. The water was crystal clear, and there was plenty of boat activity along the reef that was less than 100 yards offshore. It would have been very easy to bring snorkeling gear and head out from the beach, but we didn’t bring our masks and fins on this trip. I was concerned about sand fleas, as I heard that this beach was horrible, but we had no issues at all. I think it is because the beach in front of Infinity Bay gets raked daily?
It was still early in the morning, and the beach was relatively deserted. There were only a handful of guests, most of which were guests of the resorts. We ended up beating all of the other cruise passengers, which was outstanding! As the morning progressed, the beach did become more crowded. One of the things that I wasn’t quite ready for was the amount of locals that were wandering up and down the beach soliciting. We did end up talking to a guy who brought us to the semi-submersible and arranged tickets for us. There was also a vendor selling empanadas that his mother made (or so he said). There were some guys in loungers behind us that were able to talk the vendor down in price. We ended up paying their price and snacked on them before heading out. They were pretty feakin’ good!
The semi-submersible was located down the beach about a half mile. It was basically a boat that had an area in the bottom of the hull to sit, with windows on either side of bench seats. I took video with my phone, and wish that I used my GoPro (or at least the underwater magenta filter), as the colors aren’t accurate at all. Years ago, my wife and I snorkeled in St. John, USVI. The coral there was pretty good, but nothing like this. It was huge and very diverse. I didn’t see large elkhorn coral, but the fans, sponges, brains, etc were incredible to see. The reef was very, very healthy. I didn’t see any areas of bleaching at all. We did see several turtles, but unfortunately, I didn’t grab any on my video.
After the underwater adventure, we stopped in a cute little shop located right on the beach to buy some coffee and local snacks. It was our goal to head out for lunch, but we never really made it there.
We ended up leaving Infinity Bay with a few hours to spare becuase we wanted to visit a chocolate shop and a few other places. On our way to shop, Isaac took us past the town of West End again, and I shot a video of the beach town. He was telling us a funny story, which I captured. I didn’t realize that I caught the whole story, it’s pretty funny…
Isaac suggested that we stop by Mayak Chocolates where we grabbed some chocolate, which was outstanding! On our way back to the ship, he mentioned that cashews were in season. He ended up stopping at his house where he had some cashew trees and we picked some fresh. Apparently the nut is attached to a fruit, and we were able to get some and try them in the car. I’m not a fan of cashews at all, but my wife loves them. The fruit was very interesting, reminding her of a fruit we’ve had here at home called a paw paw.
Isaac’s next door neighbor had a roadside stand that sold fresh cashews that he roasted himself, so we stopped there to buy some. Again, I’m not a fan, but my wife said that they were amazing and unlike anything she’d ever tasted.
Costa Maya – Chacchoben Mayan Ruins
Our final port was Costa Maya, Mexico. This is a pretty new port of call, and honestly there wasn’t too much there that interested me. Besides the touristy port itself, the only other real attraction is the Chacchoben Mayan Ruins. We settled on a tour through Viator, which was much cheaper than anything offered through the cruise line. Everyone says that these ruins aren’t quite as expansive as the ones near Cancuun, but they’re way better than the ruins found near Cozumel so it seemed like a no-brainer. The tour itself was decent. Our guide and driver were very knowledgeable. I was amazed at the miles and miles of flat nothing on the way to and from. Every now and then we’d see elevated mounds in the countryside among the farmland that were completely covered by earth and foliage. According to our guides, these are Mayan ruins that had yet to be uncovered. I thought that was unbelievable. How many amazing structures and artifacts have yet to be discovered?
The ruins themselves were unreal. I couldn’t believe the size and scope of some of these ruins!
The port area was OK. I mean, while it was newer, it was touristy with the typical pools, bars, shops, and restaurants. Nothing spectacular. That being said, the more ports I visit, the more I realize that I don’t care for the actual ports that are basically just one big tourist trap.
Norwegian Escape Behind the Scenes Tour
On the last sea day, one of the things that I’ve been wanting to do now for several cruises is take a tour of the non-passenger areas of the ship. This was a pretty expansive tour, taking about an hour and a half. We visited one of the galleys, the freezer, the crew mess area, theater’s backstage, the laundry, a crew cabin, engineering, and the bridge. There were a few areas of the tour where I was not able to take pictures or video. I can understand the engineering area, and some areas of the bridge (if you watch the video below, they herded the tour over to one wing of the bridge. We were told to stay in that area and not take pictures of any other area. I did for a brief moment, and one of the ship’s officers sees me and kinda freaks out. …it was pretty funny). Other areas, I couldn’t really understand. For example, in the backstage area, pictures weren’t allowed. My group was standing in an area where segments of the set for Choir of Man were stored, strapped down. The only other thing in the area was a clothing rack with the stage costumes the performers wore. Meanwhile, the stage director talked about the productions and answered a few questions. I didn’t really get what the big deal with pictures was.
But, the tour was fantastic, and I highly, highly recommend it. To give you an idea of what it is like, I’ve included a fairly lengthy video:
Everglades Airboat Tour
All good things come to an end, and so did our cruise. We arrived back in Miami, and our flight out wasn’t until about 5pm. We decided to take an NCL excursion of an Everglades fan boat. The reality of cruising is that on disembarkation day, if you’re flight is later in the day, what is there to do? You’ve got your luggage, so it’s not like you can really wander around and explore. So we decided on an NCL excursion that dropped us off at the airport. We disembarked, boarded a bus with our luggage stored underneath, and headed west of Miami. I’ve seen it on maps, but it was pretty neat to see how abruptly the city ends and the marsh begins. We headed out to the Everglades National Park and boarded airboats. We started out very slow as we navigated a small channel and the operator pointed out alligators (some of which were very large). Then, we got into a more open area. They gunned the throttle and we went down one straightaway and around a 180-degree turn. After that, the ride was pretty much over. There was about 15 minutes of idling through a channel looking at gators and 5 minutes of an actual ride.
I’ve been on a fantastic airboat ride in Mississippi, and unfortunately, this was not it. This one was pretty disappointing. But it was nice because we were able to knock a National Park off our bucket list, and it gave us something to do before we had to head to the airport.
The one good thing I will say about the NCL Post-cruise Everglades Excursion, is that the tour operator was fantastic. Like a dumbass, I left my phone on the bus after they dropped us off at the airport. I was able to get ahold of them. The bus driver, after he returned the bus, headed back out to the airport to drop off my phone before my flight. It was a miracle! I didn’t have much cash left on me, but I gave him everything I had since he basically drove almost an hour out of his way to meet back up with me.
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