Island Escape Cruise Ship

3 readers found this review helpful

My wife and I booked a weeks holiday having read all the good and negitive reports so we went with expectations set pretty low. embarkation went smoothly and quickly,the staff very polite and professional. the cabin as stated by others here was small,dated but clean thanks to the hard work of the stewards. However the use of high powered air blowers to try and get rid of damp shows the problems with this ship.a good nights sleep is not something you can count on either,from the pillows (rock hard) to the paper thin dividing walls.If you have neighbours like ours god help you..i think it may have something to do with all inclusive..but when doors are slamming at 3am and f... this and f... that can be easily heard sleep just didnt come easily!. I did think the ship was full of germans.. you guessed it the towels on the sun bed, when people go out on trips or even into port they should not be allowed to do it before they go off ship. Met a few people who had cruised on this ship before and loved it but i think if they tried other cruise lines they wouldnt go back.We tried a couple of trips, Rome in a day (10 hours) not even a packed lunch provided and a wine tasting trip to tuscany (very good).Best port by far in my opinion was Cannes which we did on our own.Reviewing the food is a little tricky.. the 24hour buffet is very hit and miss(more miss than hit)food repetitive and basic. the next one which serves the same food buffet style but the waiter takes you to your seat.and people dress a bit smarter and the best one which you have to pay 15 quid extra for far far better food but even then the same menue was on all week.I really did not want to slate the ship,i tried hard to like it but even though the staff are great and i enjoyed the entertainment i cannot bring myself to reccomend it.

13 readers found this review helpful

we were on board for one week from 26th july and it was our first cruise. amazing time - exceeded our expectations. entertainment, staff, food, ports of call were just fantastic. cannot wait to go back! ignore negative reviews - its not 5 star but it is fun, cheerful and relaxed. there is so much to do and everywhere was kept clean! i hear it is having a refurb in november so will be even better next year :)

12 readers found this review helpful

Just returned after a 7 day cruise on the island escape.First impression of the cabin which was on deck 3 was dismay. But after a shower and something to eat in the lovely Island Restaurant, things didn't seem so bad. Things just got better and we had a fantastic holiday and are looking to go back again next year. The staff are fantastic and work so hard to make sure you have a great holiday.The cabin stewards are marvelous and all your needs are catered for.The entertainment staff are absolutely brilliant and do a fantastic job, as do the staff in restaurants as well. If you can possibly afford it go for deck 6,7,8,or 9 to make sure you have a nice cabin. The excursions are lovely you see so much of the places you are visiting.I would definatly recommend it and look forward to next years cruise. Roll on .................

7 readers found this review helpful

i have just returned from 2 weeks on the island escape. i booked it as a relaxing cruise for my honeymoon. it is not relaxing and is definitly not a cruise ship. it is in fact a ferry that has been converted and i say that in the loosest way as it is definitly not a cruise ship.when myself and my husband went to our cabin we opened the door and were aghast at how small and how shabby it was. the bathroom was so small you couldnt get dried in there after a shower. the shower was condemable the tiles were coming off and it was all covered in damp and mould. the carpets are threadbear and were stained badly. it looked like previous occupants had had a fight with a bottle of red wine. the walls were all water stained and all the drawers were about to collapse. the young lad who cleaned everyday was embarrassed about the state of the cabins but tried his best to keep them clean. we could not be moved as there were no other cabins available but from what we saw most of the cabins were in the same state. i paid for an upgrade before we went and judging by the state of the upgrade i shudder to think what a basic room was like. the whole ship is in need of a refurb but clearly isnt big enought to be classed as a cruise ship as when you are at sea all day you were fighting for room whereever you went. the entertainment reminded me of a butlins holiday camp although the staff were lovely and tried there best.the food although edible is very repetitive if you like salad you,l love it.the ports of call were ok but some of them were to far away from places of interest such as rome or monaco you are forced to pay to go on the ships excursions.dont try to go it alone as if your not back on time the ferry/boat will go without you.all in all i felt let down and disapointed with a cruise i had paid nearly 3 and a half thousand pounds on. i am in the process of putting in a complaint and a claim for compensation. i will never use this ferry/cruise ship again. please dont think that im one of those people that complain about every little thing as i dont mind roughing it in cheap hotels and b and bs. if you pay that much you expect better than average and the island escape isnt even average. save your money and book a cruise on a real cruise ship.

16 readers found this review helpful

Me, my wife and friends have just returned from the Island Escape, this is our first Cruise and I can assure all of you not the last time we visit this ship. The food was great, the ship was great, the staff could not do enough for us they were first class, the entertainment was awesome. I really hope Mary Jo and Adrian are there if you take a trip, we truly had a fantastic time. while I cannot comment on other peoples experiences or opinions what I can say is a holiday is what you make it? I haven't been on other ships or cruises so cannot speak for the size of the pool or bathroom other than, it is a ship, exactly what are you expecting? I found the accomodation perfectly acceptable, clean, tidy, room enough for myself and wife and as we spent either most of the time on trips or being entertained it was pretty much somewhere to sleep and store our belongings. I think it is also worth pointing out this is the only cruise where the drinks can be all inclusive and the fact I cannot remember many of them is a good indication as to how good they were, ha ha.
We really had an amazing time and as far as marks out of 10, the holiday was off the charts fantastic!!!!
Andrew & Claire

15 readers found this review helpful

My family and I have just returned from cruising on the Island Escape the holiday was enjoyed by all of us the staff, weather and food were all excellent. The ship was not noisy but very quiet in fact the quietest ship I have been on and I have been on many cruises in the past.
I do agree about the cabins they are in need of refurbishment. If you are about to go on holiday on the Island Escape do not be put off by the remarks of other people I was really worried after reading them but we had a lovely time.

5 readers found this review helpful

On arrival i was very disappointed with the out of date decor of my cabin and felt like i'd gone back in time to the eighties,its appearance seemed to be clean until i spotted the once white towels in the bathroom now grey in colour. The shower cubicle was dark and dingy so be prepared to wear elbow pads when in there.On my last day i paid for a late check out cabin only to discover that there were no beach towels included and after alot of humming and harring from the manager at guest relations he finally gave me one beach towel but not two.The lifts took for ever to come and the swimming pool was way too small. Enjoyed stopping off at different ports if only to get off the ****** ship. All the staff however were friendly if not false and the food was average in the dining areas and would not go again.

Just returned for a 2 week cruise on Island Escape...first impressions carpet in room filthy and bathrooom repaired by Frank Spencer....Food working class stodge...more custard than you can shake a stick at. Seems to suit most of the passengers as they seem to lap it up so to speak...that was the bad stuff
Great entertainment most shows lasted about 45mins to an hour max though...Oasis Dinning was excellent a break from the custard....
Ship badly needs a refurb or scuttled....
Fine Butlin type feel also in the 60's cabin with the pushbutton lights on the headboard...HI de HI campers!!!

1 reader found this review helpful

It was great from the Entertainerment to the Food. had a great time because it was fun and it was hot! could relax in the pub and listen to 'Shine' and Guitar George who are awsome! The deck parties are just the best because you will end up dancing and it's great fun.
Just lovely, i would 200% go back!

10 readers found this review helpful

Went on island escape 9-16 august 11 had a great holiday. Everything ran smoothly from flight to getting on the ship. Trips well organised. Staff and entertainment brilliant. Food excellent, did not go in the oasis, did not need to. Cabin was ok, they do need updating but was only in there to get changed and sleep. Only one swimming pool , that was a shame, just meant getting up a little earlier in the morning before the kids got in. I liked this ship because it is so informal and you can just be yourself. What i would like to say though if you are having the drinks package beware no cider is included. We did not pay for our drinks package as it was included so this was not so dissappointing for us. All in all a relaxing and enjoyable holiday