Drink Around the Ship: Complete Guide to Norwegian Escape Bars
It has been an ongoing cruise tradition for us to “Drink Around the Ship”, making it a point to sample every bar menu and get at LEAST one drink at every bar on our cruise ship. Our recent 7-night Norwegian Escape cruise was no different. Over the course of the week, we made the rounds to all the Norwegian Escape Bars.
The Norwegian Escape Bars provide plenty of drink options for all types of travelers. From a brewhouse, to a mojito bar, to many firsts at sea including Jimmy Buffet’s 5 O’Clock Somewhere Bar, Miami’s oldest dive bar Tobacco Road, and the Mondavi family’s Cellars Wine Bar, there are plenty of drinks to be had. So, in the name of research, we set off to sample each bar and drink menu.
Follow us as we travel to all the Norwegian Escape Bars during our “Drink Around the Ship” extravaganza! See the complete menus from all the Norwegian Escape Bars and plenty of photos of all the craft cocktails.
Norwegian Escape Bars
So, let’s start at the bottom and work our way up through all of the Norwegian Escape Bars.
Deck 6- Atrium Bar, the Mixx Bar, and the Headliners Comedy Club
Atrium Bar– This bar, located in the Atrium, is the perfect place to sip a cocktail while people watching, listening to some live music, or partaking in ship activities.
The Atrium Bar serves the standard Norwegian Escape bar menu. While relaxing and listening to some live music, I opted for the Mr. Worldwide, while DB ordered his classic cruise drink- a long island iced tea.
Mixx Bar– This bar located between the Taste and Savor main dining rooms is the perfect spot to enjoy a pre-dinner cocktail in a trendy, modern atmosphere. Or, you can always grab a drink here before heading to the comedy show at the nearby Headliners.
This bar also serves up cocktails from the standard bar menu. We indulged in two drinks of the day prior to the comedy show at this bar.
Headliners– This venue holds multiple comedy shows during the course of the week as well as the Howl at the Moon dueling pianos. Both of these acts are worth a trip to Headliners, and you might as well grab a drink while you are there!
Again, this menu offers standard bar drinks. While watching the dueling pianos, I enjoyed a rebellious fish, and DB enjoyed his long island iced tea.
Deck 7- O’Sheehan’s Neighborhood Bar & Grill and the Skyline Bar
O’Sheehan’s Neighborhood Bar & Grill– This Irish themed pub is the perfect place to grab a beer and enjoy some comfort food any time of day. While sipping on your favorite drink, you can also enjoy a game on the TV screens or partake in a friendly game of pool, darts, or bowling.
We sipped on two drinks of the day while dining at O’Sheehan’s for lunch one day during our cruise.
Skyline Bar– Located near the casino, this bar incorporates technology to provide stunning city landscapes on high definition screens. The skyline views are not the only offerings at this bar as this venue features live entertainment and virtual concerts at various intervals during the cruise.
The Skyline Bar was the last bar that we checked off our drink around the ship list. On this occasion, I ordered a vodka and cranberry, and I’m sure you can guess DB’s drink of choice by now.
Deck 8- Prime Meridian Bar, the Sugarcane Mojito Bar, the 5 O’Clock Somewhere Bar, The Cellars Wine Bar, the District Brew House, and Tobacco Road
Prime Meridian Bar– This bar, located between Moderno and Cagney’s restaurants, is another perfect spot to grab a pre-dinner drink or relax for a bit following dinner before heading off to your next destination.
Featuring the standard bar menu, I ordered a rebellious fish- a cocktail I came to enjoy over the course of the week, and DB ordered a negroni.
Sugarcane Mojito Bar– Located in the center of all the action on Deck 8 near the Waterfront, this bar offers a unique mojito menu with plenty of refreshing cocktails for you to enjoy. A cruiser favorite among the Norwegian Escape Bars, don’t miss Bong, one of the great bartenders here.
During our first visit to the Mojito Bar, I ordered the pineapple coconut mojito, and DB ordered the bacardi mojito. It turns out that the raspberry guava mojito was by far the best so definitely give that a try.
Menu: Page 1
The 5 O’Clock Somewhere Bar– It’s 5 O’Clock all day long at this Jimmy Buffet bar, the first at sea on Norwegian Escape. Located on the Waterfront, this bar is the perfect spot to sip a midday margarita outside or join in on the nighttime entertainment, including some karaoke.
We made a few stop at this bar during the course of the week, mostly at the outdoor Waterfront location, but also caught a karaoke session here one night. This menu has many great specialty cocktails, so be sure to try them all. On this occasion, I tried the Stranded on a Sandbar, and DB tried the Off to See the Lizard.
Menu: Page 1
The Cellars Wine Bar– Located on the Waterfront, The Cellars is a Michael Mondavi Family Wine Bar. Offering the family’s favorite blends of wine, this is a great spot to relax, enjoy a glass of vino, and watch the ocean.
Neither one of us are big wine connoisseurs, but I enjoyed a glass of Riesling, and DB ordered a glass of Cabernet during our visit to this bar.
The District Brew House– This bar is the place to be for all you beer lovers. Offering a wide selection of bottled beers, 24 beers on tap, and beer cocktails, this bar is found exclusively on Norwegian Escape. You can enjoy your brew while listening to live music, or perhaps while posing in the photo booth ($5 charge for photo booth).
We did not have enough time to visit this bar as much as DB would have liked, but during our visit I sampled the Dale cocktail and DB indulged in some beer.
Menu: Page 1, Page 2, Page 3, Page 4
Tobacco Road– Miami’s oldest and most iconic bar is now serving up cocktails created by Tobacco Road’s Cocktail Collection mixologist, Leo Holtzman, onboard Nowergian Escape. Memorabilia from this famous Miami dive bar, 103 years in the making, is also showcased here.
This bar also serves up cocktails from a specialty menu, though they were not our favorites. During our visit to Tobacco Road, I ordered the Gateway and DB the Chile Mule.
Now that you’ve worked up a thirst walking all the way from Deck 8 up to Deck 16.
Deck 16- Waves Pool Bar and Garden Cafe Bar
Waves Pool Bar– Located on decks 16 &17 in the center of the action on the pool deck, you can enjoy your favorite frozen cocktail or drink of the day while laying poolside and soaking up the sun.
Our favorite poolside frozen drinks are a Miami Vice and a Pina Colada.
Deck 16 does also feature a bar in the Garden Cafe so you can grab a quick drink at meals.
Deck 17- Spice H2O and the Chill Bar at Margaritaville.
Spice H2O– This adult’s only area boasts a relaxing atmosphere with a unique grotto water feature during the day and turns into the hottest party at night. Whether you want to soak up the sun during the day or dance the night away under the stars, be sure to have a drink in hand.
We spent most of our sea days here in Spice H2O enjoying frozen cocktails and drinks of the day while working on our tans.
The Chill Bar– This bar located in the Margaritaville at sea is the perfect spot to grab a signature cocktail without having to pay the a la carte prices to dine in this restaurant. The bar serves up all the same signature boat drinks and margaritas. Admittedly though, you might get hungry watching all the plates of nachos pass by you.
We did pay the a la carte pricing to dine at Margaritaville on two occasions, but we also stopped in at the Chill Bar to grab some margaritas on the go too. Definitely make it a point to sample these tasty drinks during your cruise.
Menu: Page 1
If you are lucky enough to be staying in the Haven, this area also has its own private bar. During our tour of the area we were able to get a glimpse at this exclusive lounge, but we did not grab a photo of the menu.
Deck 19 – Sundeck Bar and Vibe Beach Club
Vibe Beach Club– This 18+ private retreat has a full service bar for you to indulge in some cocktails while enjoying the serene ocean vistas. Passes are available for purchase at Guest Services if you want a bit of privacy and luxury without paying the Haven prices.
Sundeck Bar- This under the radar bar is located on deck 19 right outside of the entrance for the Vibe Beach Club and below the sundeck. If you are seeking some rest and relaxation on decks 19 or 20 forward, this will be your go to spot for some beverages.
We secured some comfy chairs and drinks of the day one afternoon at this bar.
After following us on our drink around the ship, are you thirsty for a cruise on Norwegian Escape? If all this talk about bars and drinks has made you want to book a cruise on this new ship, be sure to check out our Norwegian Escape planning guide and our top Norwegian Escape secrets every cruiser needs to know.
Comments
Have you sailed on this new and innovative ship? What are your favorite Norwegian Escape Bars? Drop us an anchor below to tell us where you like to spend your time sipping your favorite cocktails.
5 comments
DraeS
Such a helpful guide! Thank you so much for your work. I’m running the numbers on upgrading our beverage package to include any listed spirits…any idea on the pricing for the higher end scotches they listed?
Lance Greenfield
Anything onboard NCL Escape like a Spinnaker Bar…all the bars look small and cramped.
Lisa
Wow great job! It really was informative and I’m traveling in 10 days so this made me very excited!! Thanks!
Glenn Racine
My wife and I are cruising Jan 14th on the Escape! I enjoyed your bar reviews. I have a feeling we will be trying every bar as well! 🙂
DB and The Princess (@EatSleepCruise)
Hi Glenn, Thanks for the comment. Hope you and the wife have a great cruise. Escape is a marvelous ship and you will love her. Please report back if you do hit all of the bars onboard! Happy sailing.