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LOCATION: Newmarket, Ontario, Canada Photo above is property of Crypto Escape Rooms Photos above are property of ESCAPETHEROOMers 📝   ETR DECODER 🔑 GAME : The Cursed Temple 📅 DATE PLAYED : March 12, 2025 🎬 GENRE : Egyptian 🧠 DIFFICULTY (Based on 4 Players) : 5/10 👥 TOTAL # OF PLAYERS : 2-8 ppl 🕒 LENGTH OF TIME : 60 Mins 💰 PRICE : CAD $30.98/ pp ☎️ BOOKING TYPE : Private 🔓 ESCAPED/ COMPLETED? : Yes 📖 THE STORY You and your team have been sent into the ancient Temple of Amon Kha, where a famed explorer and his expedition have been cursed. Can you find your way through the ancient ruins, learn its secrets and discover how to break the curse? Video above is property of Crypto Escape Rooms 🎯 HIT THE BULLSEYE The atmosphere and ambiance of the experience is comparable to the magic of Disney, with the larger-than-life design and overall immersion. Even the generator in the room would sputter randomly during the game simply for enhancing the experience. With the all-tech puzzles and grand effects, the challenges could be seen by everyone and most of the time, it would take the entire team to complete them. This made sure everyone was involved and engaged. Though this is Crypto's oldest room, it still holds up today. Even talking with the GM, it’s clear that they continue to maintain and upkeep the room, even adding an additional puzzle to keep it fresh. One of the many standout things Crypto does well is they will subtly direct you towards key elements with lighting to ensure you are looking at what you need. 🧩 MISSED THE MARK This was an amazing room with no misses that we experienced. 🏹 TAKE A SHOT? Crypto Escape Rooms always delivers top notch experiences, and this one is no exception. Despite being their oldest, the Cursed Temple still is an amazing game with stunning set design, impressive effects, all-tech puzzles, and so much more. We played with 4 people and found it to be the perfect size for enthusiasts, but the space could hold more if you are looking to bring more. Anyone who loves an intricate set, collaborative puzzles or loves an Egyptian theme room should definitely give this room a try. Photos above are property of Crypto Escape Rooms ℹ️ ADDITIONAL INFO Second floor of the building, above a bowling alley Free parking Lobby area with benches, tables to sit at, snacks for purchase and some videos games to play while waiting. Escape room games such as Exit and Professor Puzzles are for sale If you decide to play more rooms, a $5 discount will be applied to the following rooms They have some 3D printed minis that can be purchased to keep as a souvenir of the rooms Photo above is property of ESCAPETHEROOMers (If you do decide to try this game, give us a shoutout or tag us on social media so we know you heard it from " ESCAPETHEROOMers "!) Disclosure : We thank Crypto Escape Rooms for offering us a media discount for our tickets to this game. Although a media discount was generously provided, it does not impact our opinion on the review whatsoever. #MatthewLui #IRLescaperoom #EscapeRooms #CryptoEscapeRooms #Egyptian #Ontario #Canada #spy

LOCATION: St. Gallen, Switzerland Photo above is property of Escape Company & Bar Photos above are property of ESCAPETHEROOMers 📝   ETR DECODER 🔑 GAME : Mystic Temple 2: The Cursed Skull 📅 DATE PLAYED : February 8, 2025 🎬 GENRE : Adventure 🧠 DIFFICULTY (Based on 2 ppl) : 7/10 👥 TOTAL # OF PLAYERS : 3-6 ppl 🕒 LENGTH OF TIME : 75 Mins. 💰 PRICE : CHF 135 - CHF 198 ☎️ BOOKING TYPE : Private 🔓 ESCAPED/ COMPLETED? : Yes [68:00] 📖 THE STORY Since the legendary skull was stolen from the Mayan temple, strange and ominous events have plagued the Yucatán Peninsula. Mysterious accidents, eerie whispers, and an unsettling sense of doom have gripped the region. The descendants of the Mayans speak in hushed tones of an ancient curse, and even seasoned archaeologists now believe the legends may hold more truth than myth. There is only one way to stop the growing chaos—the skull must be returned to its rightful resting place. Brave the perils of the jungle, unravel the cryptic riddles left by Mayan priests, and restore balance before it’s too late! Note : This is a fully updated version of the original " Mystic Temple " room that was situated in the same game space. However, all riddles are completely new… as are some of the game areas! 🎯 HIT THE BULLSEYE " Mystic Temple 2: The Cursed Skull " may not look drastically different from its predecessor, as much of the layout and props remain unchanged. However, key upgrades elevate the experience, including a small second-level room and enhanced visual effects that incorporate more dynamic lighting and sound. These additions create a more immersive and adventurous atmosphere, perfectly complementing the jungle-explorer theme. The level of immersion is exceptional. Beyond the technical enhancements, the game boasts impressive set design with high-quality materials. While we knew we weren’t in a real jungle temple, the authenticity of the walls, statues, wood-chip flooring, and lush foliage instantly transported us into the setting—earning an immediate "wow" from our team. The game excels not only in large decorative elements but also in the finer details. We appreciated the subtle environmental touches that deepened the story and added layers of realism. Spotting these small details made the experience even more engaging. The adventure kicks off with a well-produced intro video that is concise yet effective, adding to the narrative without dragging on. It sets the tone perfectly for the journey ahead. One of the standout features is the unique clue-giving system, which adds an extra layer of fun. If you need a hint, you might just have to earn it. The puzzle flow is well-structured, primarily linear but with a mid-game shift that offers three challenges players can tackle in any order — ideal for larger groups looking to divide and conquer. The variety of puzzles is excellent, incorporating light physical tasks, searching, decoding, and team-based challenges that keep players engaged. 🧩 MISSED THE MARK A few areas within the game felt aesthetically unfinished, which stood out more due to the otherwise high production value. While this didn’t detract significantly from the experience, those spots were noticeable against the backdrop of such a well-crafted environment. 🏹 TAKE A SHOT? This game is a fantastic choice for families and players who appreciate immersive set designs and hands-on puzzle-solving adventures. As experienced players, we found two to be the ideal team size. However, less experienced groups may benefit from bringing up to four players to help balance the workload. ℹ️ ADDITIONAL INFO Parking is not available on site. There is a central parking garage in the town, only a couple of minutes' walk. Attached to the escape room center is a clean and comfortable bar that serves food as well as drinks. There is also a small selection of boardgames available to play too. Photos above are property of Escape Company & Bar (If you do decide to try this game, give us a shoutout or tag us on social media so we know you heard it from " ESCAPETHEROOMers "!) Disclosure : We thank Escape Company & Bar for comping our tickets for this game. Although complimentary admission was generously provided, it does not impact our opinion of the review whatsoever. #RyanDriver #IRLescaperoom #EscapeRooms #EscapeCompanyandBar #Adventure #StGallen #Switzerland

LOCATION: Newmarket, Ontario, Canada Photo above is property of Crypto Escape Rooms Photos above are property of ESCAPETHEROOMers 📝   ETR DECODER 🔑 GAME : The Extraction 📅 DATE PLAYED : November 7, 2021 🎬 GENRE : Spy, Mission 🧠 DIFFICULTY (Based on 5 Players) : 5/10 👥 TOTAL # OF PLAYERS : 4-8 ppl (Recommend 4-5 ppl) 🕒 LENGTH OF TIME : 60 Mins 💰 PRICE : CAD $30.98/ pp ☎️ BOOKING TYPE : Private 🔓 ESCAPED/ COMPLETED? : Yes 📖 THE STORY What started as a regular trip in an elevator became an investigation into an evil weapons corporation’s lab after the revelation that they may pose a threat to humanity because of some mysterious advancements. A secret intelligence agency has recruited your group of civilians to figure out how this corporation has advanced so far and get out without being seen. Though, you can’t put your finger on it, but you sense something odd is afoot here… 🎯 HIT THE BULLSEYE The theme for this room was outstanding, down to the little nods in the posters and the movement of the elevator. Some of the set design later in the game were wonderfully surprising and hand done in house! Crypto Escape Rooms excels in creating a well-developed character who will guide you through the rooms and in this case, you get Wilson. Wilson’s overarching tone and expression made him an excellent addition to our team. Puzzles in this game require moving through the different rooms and communicating across distances which is well suited for the family theme this room provides. I found the puzzles to be pretty easy to figure out, though some take a bit more time to maneuver. Certain puzzles can be adjusted in their levels of difficulty to suit players new and experienced alike. The story brought back the fun of a theme I hadn’t seen in a while. The twist in the story was excellent and completely unexpected. I recommend taking a look at the posters after the reveal to see if you notice anything different now that you know… 🧩 MISSED THE MARK The room is a lot smaller than others in the facility, which means a few tight spaces that I wouldn’t recommend for larger groups. 🏹 TAKE A SHOT? " The Extraction " provides Crypto Escape Rooms a great family friendly room that easily appeals to both young and old. I loved the feel of the rooms and younger audiences will have a blast moving back and forth between rooms. The puzzling is balanced with easy to grasp mechanics but the challenge to execute them correctly – these are the kind of puzzles I thoroughly enjoy because they keep players engaged and focused without getting confused or lost. This is Crypto Escape Room’s newest room and I feel it represents the dedication and creativity of the company once again. If you’re looking for a cool spy mission, something more family friendly, or room with great rewards for progression I recommend trying this out! ℹ️ ADDITIONAL INFO Parking is available in front of the store in a shared parking plaza. The facility is on the second floor but there is an elevator. They currently have four other rooms available, " The Extraction " (review), " The Lost Shipwreck " (review), " Kilgore Cabin ", and " The Cursed Temple ". You can rent out their lobby for celebrations and meetings, which offers table seating and a projector. In the back of the lobby is a photo-booth set up to take victory photos after your games that include stylized frames of the room of your choosing. A selection of tabletop escape rooms games are available to purchase as well. Note – this room does have an element of crouching. Photos above are property of Crypto Escape Rooms (If you do decide to try this game, give us a shoutout or tag us on social media so we know you heard it from " ESCAPETHEROOMers "!) Disclosure : We thank Crypto Escape Rooms for offering us a media discount for our tickets to this game. Although a media discount was generously provided, it does not impact our opinion on the review whatsoever. #JillianRaymond #IRLescaperoom #EscapeRooms #CryptoEscapeRooms #Espionage #Ontario #Canada #spy

LOCATION: Newmarket, Ontario, Canada Photo above is property of Crypto Escape Rooms Photos above are property of ESCAPETHEROOMers 📝   ETR DECODER 🔑 GAME : Below Zero 📅 DATE PLAYED : November 7, 2021 🎬 GENRE : Sci-Fi 🧠 DIFFICULTY (Based on 5 Players) : 5/10 👥 TOTAL # OF PLAYERS : 4-8 ppl (Recommend 4-5 ppl) 🕒 LENGTH OF TIME : 60 Mins 💰 PRICE : CAD $30.98/ pp ☎️ BOOKING TYPE : Private 🔓 ESCAPED/ COMPLETED? : Yes 📖 THE STORY Humanity is on the brink of destruction and the world is no longer habitable. Thanks to Ellipsis, those remaining have been cryogenically frozen until it is deemed safe. Surprisingly, you’ve been woken up early by the system’s AI to assist in identifying and fixing damage done to the facility. If you don’t get the power up and running, the facility will fail. No pressure but humanity is relying on you to succeed and make the right choice… Video above is property of Crypto Escape Rooms 🎯 HIT THE BULLSEYE From the moment you walk into the debriefing room for the game you are immersed. Everything fit the theme perfectly and all the puzzles were structured to make sense in the story. There are reveals throughout that further indicate the passion these creators had to take the time and effort to really make you feel like you are on the Ellipsis from beginning to end. The use of the AI to guide you through the rooms kept players focused and motivated. I really enjoyed the character of the BERT (the AI) as he was funny and serious at the same time. He definitely gave off some Portal vibes which I loved but he still felt distinct as a character. Many of the puzzles relied on groups working collectively rather than divide and conquer, which I enjoyed because we all progressed at the same time and didn’t feel we were missing anything. The story was clear and strong with element of plot development, character development, and cohesion. The care in making not just a well themed room but a good story allowed motivated us to act in certain ways. Puzzles are straightforward (we required no hints). Good observation skills and pattern recognition are the key to solving many of the puzzles. 🧩 MISSED THE MARK There is a puzzle that utilized lasers that have a cool effect but there appeared to be no consequence if you touched the lasers. There were two puzzles that were a little repetitive. The made sense in the story but I would have loved the variation as you entered the rooms. 🏹 TAKE A SHOT? " Below Zero " is a beautifully designed and strongly written escape room that turned an escape room into an immersive experience for puzzlers. The collectively puzzling meant there was time to really appreciate the details and development to truly connect to the story. I also found the element of choice in the end was a perfect way to capture to theme. Crypto Escape Rooms shows a real dedication to wanting to push the envelope in their experiences to give players the feel of being in a real video game. I highly recommend if you are in the New Market area (it’s worth the trip from Toronto) to check this game out if you love narrative driven escape rooms, science fiction themes, and collaborative puzzling in your games. This was the first game of the day, and I couldn’t wait to dive into the next one! ℹ️ ADDITIONAL INFO Parking is available in front of the store in a shared parking plaza. The facility is on the second floor but there is an elevator. They currently have four other rooms available, " The Extraction ", " The Lost Shipwreck ", " Kilgore Cabin ", and " The Cursed Temple ". You can rent out their lobby for celebrations and meetings, which offers table seating and a projector. In the back of the lobby is a photo-booth set up to take victory photos after your games that include stylized frames of the room of your choosing. A selection of tabletop escape rooms games are available to purchase as well. Photos above are property of Crypto Escape Rooms (If you do decide to try this game, give us a shoutout or tag us on social media so we know you heard it from " ESCAPETHEROOMers "!) Disclosure : We thank Crypto Escape Rooms for offering us a media discount for our tickets to this game. Although a media discount was generously provided, it does not impact our opinion on the review whatsoever. #JillianRaymond #IRLescaperoom #EscapeRooms #CryptoEscapeRooms #SciFi #Ontario #Canada

LOCATION: Newmarket, Ontario, Canada Photo above is property of Crypto Escape Rooms Photos above are property of ESCAPETHEROOMers 📝   ETR DECODER 🔑 GAME : The Lost Shipwreck 📅 DATE PLAYED : November 7, 2021 🎬 GENRE : Adventure 🧠 DIFFICULTY (Based on 5 Players) : 7/10 👥 TOTAL # OF PLAYERS : 4-8 ppl (Recommend 4-5 ppl) 🕒 LENGTH OF TIME : 60 Mins 💰 PRICE : CAD $30.98/ pp ☎️ BOOKING TYPE : Private 🔓 ESCAPED/ COMPLETED? : Yes 📖 THE STORY After searching long and far you have finally found the entrance to the infamous Mad Captain’s Cave, which is said to hold great riches. The Captain has carefully laid to rest his treasure using traps but his tortured memories mean he still remains haunting the cavern. You need to get in, get the treasure, and get out, but have care as the Captain will do whatever he can to stop you from leaving… Video above is property of Crypto Escape Rooms 🎯 HIT THE BULLSEYE The design in the space was extremely well done. It is smaller than "Below Zero" but the use of vertical space encourages players to really take in the room…and find some interesting clues and fascinating set pieces! The Captain’s first mate is your companion during the adventure and he was such a nice surprise as you begin your adventure! His careful clues provide the right amount of assistance to keep you going. This game definitely upped the challenge level of previous Crypto Escape Rooms but as more experienced players we appreciated the push. In this case, certain things must be re-used, and this created excellent “aha” moments. There was one puzzle in particular that we found thoroughly captured the theme of this experience that we really loved. This attention to theme is something I have seen in all their rooms to date. The story that is revealed as you the game unfolds shows there is so much more beneath the surface in this game. This meant a bit more reading, but our team actually loved this added component to the story. 🧩 MISSED THE MARK This isn’t necessarily a miss the mark but there is an auditory puzzle that can be quite tricky and took us the most time. 🏹 TAKE A SHOT? " The Lost Shipwreck " is a thrilling pirate adventure as you thwart the Captain at every turn. The theme was amazing, and the space was extremely well used with beautiful tech features and fun special effects. The puzzles really encouraged players to use all parts of the room and I felt we ended up appreciating it a lot more. I feel this game is perfect for pirate lovers and those wanting adventure. This game is a bit more challenging than the others so if you’re a newcomer don’t be afraid to use the hint system! This was the final game of the trip and it left us hungry for more. We definitely plan to come back and play Crypto Escape Rooms two other experiences! ℹ️ ADDITIONAL INFO Parking is available in front of the store in a shared parking plaza. The facility is on the second floor but there is an elevator. They currently have four other rooms available, " The Extraction " (review), " The Lost Shipwreck " (review), " Kilgore Cabin ", and " The Cursed Temple ". You can rent out their lobby for celebrations and meetings, which offers table seating and a projector. In the back of the lobby is a photo-booth set up to take victory photos after your games that include stylized frames of the room of your choosing. A selection of tabletop escape rooms games are available to purchase as well. Photos above are property of Crypto Escape Rooms (If you do decide to try this game, give us a shoutout or tag us on social media so we know you heard it from " ESCAPETHEROOMers "!) Disclosure : We thank Crypto Escape Rooms for offering us a media discount for our tickets to this game. Although a media discount was generously provided, it does not impact our opinion on the review whatsoever. #JillianRaymond #IRLescaperoom #EscapeRooms #CryptoEscapeRooms #Adventure #Ontario #Canada

Photo above is property of Puzzle Post Company: Puzzle Post Game: The Missed Flight Country: United Kingdom 🇬🇧 Language: English Type of Game: Puzzles By Mail 📬 Genre: Mystery Date Played: 8/31/2020 Difficulty (based on 2 players): 4/10 Size of Team: Unlimited Time: Unlimited Price: £12.99 UK/£16.99 (rest of the world) We received an envelope from the UK and it was from Lucy Kingston. She says she got a message from a friend of ours but it seems like she's being followed. So now the only way she's able to get the message to us was to put them in a series of puzzles. If we are able to crack them all, we'll be able to reveal the message. Photo above are property of ESCAPETHEROOMers The envelope contained a flyer, a business card, a postcard, a menu, a coaster, a hotel memo, a napkin, a newspaper article and a flight itinerary. The clues were from various bars, hotels, restaurants, etc. It felt like they were "taking" us to different destinations and while picking up the breadcrumbs on the way. We were given a starting point in the intro letter and it seemed like the final step was to gather a code that would eventually open up a website portal to reveal our friend's message. The puzzles were not too difficult but we did like that familiar feel of an escape room. We were able to collect all the clues and were able to easily associate which clue goes with which puzzle. Moreover, the game was not linear so we were able to work on different puzzles simultaneously. If you get stuck, there are hints available by going to their website. We were able to successfully enter the code and got a very nice message from the creators. But the exciting thing about this game is that you can send a prerecorded message to Puzzle Post and they are able to upload it for you so that when your friend/family finally enter the code, they'll be able to see your personalized message! How cool is that? Now you can torture your beloved friends/family with endless puzzles and Morse code messages forever (*evil laugh*). And the cherry on top? Now we have a beautifully designed coaster that we will be able to use with our cold drink with our future puzzle adventures! (If you do decide to try this game, please remember to let them know that you heard it from" ESCAPETHEROOMers "!) Disclosure : We thank Puzzle Post for providing us with a sample of their game. Although a complimentary experience was generously provided, it does not impact our opinion on the review whatsoever. #CiciCao #AtHomeGames #TabletopGames #PuzzlePost #TheMissedFlight #puzzlesathome #PuzzlesByMail #mystery #puzzle #solve

Get ready to embark on a culinary adventure like no other on our thrilling 7-day Eastern Caribbean Cruise aboard the stunning new Princess Sun in February 2025! The highlight of our journey? The incredible food, of course! If you're wondering which restaurant to choose, which dish will tantalize your taste buds, or if you're simply eager to feast your eyes on some mouthwatering food photos, then this blog is your ultimate guide! With our Sanctuary Club room, we had access to the Signature Restaurant on Deck 7. Occasionally, the menu resembled offerings from the regular Horizon Dining Room, but there were special evenings featuring lobster and escargot without additional charges. Typically, these items require an extra fee in regular dining rooms or specialty restaurants, so be sure to inquire about these special nights—we experienced two during our 7-day cruise. Below are some sample photos of the meals we enjoyed for breakfast, lunch, and dinner at the Signature Restaurant: The Sanctuary Club , open daily from 8 AM to 6 PM, offers appetizers at various times throughout the day. Additionally, there is a consistent menu featuring complimentary food items available for order while you relax by the pool and enjoy the sun. The fries and fruit plate are particularly recommended. The Sanctuary Lounge only offers a selection of small snacks and desserts. We encourage you to enjoy the complimentary open bar available from 5-7 PM daily. Please note that there are certain restrictions on the types of free drinks offered, so we recommend inquiring with the waiter for more details. If you have a drink package then this doesn't apply to you. We explored the new concept on the ship, The Eatery , located on Deck 9. It features several food stations, akin to buffets on other ships, where servers assist you in obtaining your selections. We particularly enjoyed the salad bar, although we also indulged in some less healthy options. The shrimp chips at the Asian counter were a personal favorite. The delightful homemade chips, available only in the afternoon between lunch and dinner, are highly recommended. Additionally, the American Diner offers a similar experience with fewer options but also less crowding, which may be advantageous if seating is a concern. For late-night snacks, you may explore the availability of "grab and go" boxes in the Eatery or visit the International Cafe on Deck 9, which offers a delightful selection of sandwiches and cookies. We also experienced a complimentary room service breakfast one morning, which was delightful as we enjoyed the ocean view and the sea breeze while savoring a cup of hot coffee. I was pleasantly surprised by the variety of milk options available, which are not offered at the Eatery. Let's now move on to specialty dining, beginning with our favorite restaurant onboard. This establishment truly surprised us, as we typically consider sushi as our last resort on a cruise due to concerns about the freshness of the rice and fish. However, Kai Sushi by Makoto on Deck 8 exceeded our expectations. We utilized our perk upon first boarding the ship to book this restaurant, which was complimentary for us, though it typically costs $45 per person for the omakase. This nine-dish experience featured exceptionally fresh fish and innovative flavors, which delighted us. Dishes featuring the bluefin toro were among our favorites. The next restaurant we tried, highly recommended by numerous reviews, was the esteemed Crown Grill on Deck 7, a staple on all Princess cruises. Unfortunately, this choice did not meet our expectations. The steak was notably dry, the food arrived lukewarm, and there were significant delays in service. Additionally, I experienced a severe stomachache following the meal. Although the cost was $45 per person, the restaurant was generous with appetizers, sides, and desserts, providing extra portions. The shrimp cocktail stood out as the highlight, but it is available at various other locations on the ship. Initially, we considered experiencing the hot pot offering on board, as it is not commonly available on cruise ships. However, after reviewing the menu and portion sizes, we concluded that they did not justify the price. Consequently, we decided to try Umai Teppanyaki on deck 8. One of our primary motivations for choosing Teppanyaki was the garlic fried rice. We find that Teppanyaki can be unpredictable, as the quality largely depends on the chef. Unfortunately, our experience was average. While it was not poor Teppanyaki, it certainly does not rank among my top five experiences. The portions were generous, but the flavor was somewhat bland. This meal was priced at $45 per person. The Catch by Rudi on Deck 7 was the final specialty restaurant we visited on this ship. The pricing is also $45 per person. It ranks as our second favorite, just behind the sushi restaurant. Our only issue with this establishment was the lengthy wait time. The waitress was gracious enough to allow us to order additional appetizers while we awaited our meals. Although the lobster was enjoyable, I wish I had chosen a different dish, as it tasted quite similar to what I had at the Signature Restaurant. Our preferred dish was undoubtedly the Tales of Citrus. On a future visit, I plan to order either the catch of the day or one of the fish dishes. All the dishes were exceptionally fresh. As we did not have any meal packages, we were hesitant to explore the lesser-known establishments such as Alfredo's Pizzeria, Sabatini's, and O'Malley's Irish Pub . If you believe any of these venues merit a visit, please feel free to inform me. I plan to have a dining package upon my return on the Sun cruise in 2026, and I will certainly update this blog with additional dining options. We chose not to visit The Butcher's Block by Dario due to its meat-centric menu, which lacked variety. Similarly, Love by Britto seemed overpriced given the available dish options. We also decided against attending the magic show dinner " Spellbound " based on feedback from fellow cruisers who mentioned that the food quality was subpar and the performance was average. If you consume a significant amount of alcohol, the cost might be justifiable. I am interested in the afternoon tea experience though, although I was surprised to find that there is a charge for it, as it is typically offered as a complimentary event on other ships. Some extra tips: For those who appreciate fine dining, opting for accommodations towards the mid or aft sections of the ship will provide quicker access to the majority of the restaurants. Guests with access to the Signature Dining room are advised to enjoy lobster night there. In specialty dining venues, consider exploring other menu options. Establishing a good rapport with the managers at the Signature Dining room may allow you to request lobster or escargot on evenings when they are not featured on the menu. Specialty dining restaurants typically allow guests to order an additional appetizer or dessert, so feel free to inquire if you're undecided about certain menu items. The complimentary coffee offered on this cruise tends to be quite diluted, so consider bringing your own coffee packs or purchasing specialty brews available on board. We hope these tips inspire all future cruisers! We can hardly wait to embark on the Princess Sun again (especially the amazing Sanctuary Class). Have questions? Email us HERE . Are you ready to BOOK an unforgettable journey? #CiciCao #Cruise #PrincessSun #PrincessCruises #Foodie #FoodBlog

We recently embarked on an exhilarating 7-day Eastern Caribbean Cruise aboard the magnificent Princess Sun in February 2025, and what an incredible journey it was! The cruise director informed us that our ship hosted around 4,300 passengers, with a full capacity of 5,300. On most sea days and even during port days, the pool and deck areas were bustling with activity, so we truly appreciated the exclusive experience offered by the Sanctuary Club. Our room, 17636, was a luxurious Presidential Suite with all the Sanctuary Club benefits. We decided against adding any "plus" or "premium" packages. Here are the highlights and a few drawbacks we encountered regarding the ship, our suite, and the Sanctuary class perks. In the Room The Positives: The rooms are absolutely stunning! They're far more renovated and spacious than any other Princess ships we've experienced. There's a ton of storage and closet space! The shower is phenomenal with incredible water pressure (you get a handheld and a big rain shower-head). Plus, there's a separate bathtub for a relaxing soak! The slippers are top-notch, with thick, comfy bottoms! Enjoy unlimited laundry service throughout the entire trip! We used it almost daily. Just remember, don't check the express or regular service on the laundry sheet to avoid extra charges. The complimentary service might take up to 72 hours, but we always got ours back the next day. Note that the last day to submit laundry is two days before disembarkation, as they need a day to return your clothes. We didn't use it, but I believe dry cleaning and ironing are included too! Our room featured separate sleeping and living areas (with two TVs), and we adored having two balcony entrances. It was fantastic to enjoy an outdoor breakfast with one door open for fresh air! Plus, breakfast delivery was complimentary! The Sanctuary Collection offered an on-time complimentary mini-bar setup, complete with a bottle of champagne, a bottle of white wine, a bottle of sparkling water, eight cans of soda, two beers, and four different canned cocktails. Our room attendant kindly swapped some sodas for diet options, which was great. And we had unlimited bottled water! We enjoyed two room turnover services, which was a treat since most cruises have cut the nighttime service! We had 24-hour complimentary room service, though we never used it because we were always so full by the time we returned to our room! A huge shoutout to our room attendant Stephen, who made our trip unforgettable. Check out the adorable animal friends we received each day! Room for Improvement: We wish there were more updated selections for movies and TV programs. The medallion detection is excellent because it opens the door as we approach, but it wasn't ideal for our room's location. Our room is right next to the elevator for the Sanctuary club, and we often have to wait for the elevator. While waiting, our room door would repeatedly open as it detected us, so we'd have to "hide" and quickly enter the elevator before being detected. Even though the laundry service is free, they initially charge it to your bill, and then the night manager removes the charge. I'm not sure why this process is necessary, but it created extra work for me to constantly verify that the charge was removed each time. Around the Ship The Positives: The Sanctuary Club was buzzing with excitement on this cruise, yet it remained a delightful escape from the bustling public areas! If you're aiming for a prime umbrella seat, be sure to arrive right when it opens at 8AM. But guess what? If you swing by after 4PM, you might just have the whole club to yourself! Plus, they offer an exclusive menu that's absolutely free. While it doesn't change, you'll find the best fries ever, only available here—trust us, the fries elsewhere on the ship don't even compare. There's also a complimentary "mini buffet" set up in the early afternoon. Keep in mind, though, drinks are an additional cost unless you have a drink package. Throughout the day, the eatery offers convenient takeaway snack containers. I was thrilled that I no longer needed to visit the guest services desk on Deck 6! Thanks to the APP, I could handle billing issues, random questions, and just about anything else through simple text communication. It's incredibly user-friendly, and I even have a record of our chats if I need to show it to another officer. Room For Improvement: On embarkation/disembarkation day, there isn't a special line for Suite/high tier guests. There are lines for those picking up medallions and those who already received them at home. Naturally, the line for those without medallions was much faster (although if you didn't choose the upgrade package, there's a $10 shipping fee). On port days with tender, Sanctuary Club members could gather in the lounge, and the concierge would escort us to the tender, bypassing the public line. However, when returning from the island, there was no priority line. This was our first time booking the Sanctuary Club, so we were unfamiliar with its workings. Upon boarding the ship, a waitress in the lounge (deck 15 & 16 Aft) offered my husband a drink, which he assumed was complimentary until they requested his medallion for swiping. It was later clarified that drinks are only complimentary during the 5-7PM happy hour in the lounge (though some drinks are excluded, so it's best to ask). They mentioned it's not their duty to inform guests, so always inquire. Gym classes are supposed to be included for Sanctuary guests. The first time I attended, there was no charge, but on the last day of the cruise, there was a fee. They did remove it for me later, but it's essential to check your bill to avoid such errors. The Sanctuary Club closes early (6PM), so we couldn't use the hot tub at night. The only options are the public ones (which don't have a specified closing time) and the spa ones (closing at 11PM, requiring a day or week pass). The complimentary coffee on the ship is very diluted. We didn't try the specialty ones, but it seemed they were encouraging purchases of those instead. The tea selection was also limited. The sports court and outdoor activities area were quite small. Additional Information: If you don't have access to free laundry, there are laundry rooms on nearly every floor. They provided free detergents at the time because the vending machines were out of order. Be sure to reserve your complimentary dinner (available only on the embarkation evening) at any of the specialty dining restaurants. This is a perk of the Sanctuary class. You can only make this reservation on the ship, so head straight to the concierge desk in the Sanctuary lounge to book it. In fact, this should be your first task upon boarding the ship. Let the concierge assist you with booking all the specialty dining, as they have connections with each restaurant's manager. Even if your app indicates no availability for a specific date and time, they can often accommodate you. On Princess Cay island, there appears to be a loophole with the Wi-Fi service. We didn't have the Wi-Fi package, but we were able to access Wi-Fi occasionally, especially near the buffet seating area. Princess Cay is a very small area. To avoid long waits, we recommend taking a later tender (around 12-1 pm) so you arrive when the buffet opens. There are four lines, but they tend to get very long, so try to go right when it opens. Return a few hours before the last tender, as the wait can be lengthy. The tender boats are not too small (double-decker), but there are only two, so with a ship carrying a couple of thousand people, it could take a while. The sushi restaurant was the best one we tried on the ship. I'll write a separate blog with all the delicious food adventures we've savored on this ship! We hope these tips inspire all future cruisers! We can hardly wait to embark on the Princess Sun again (especially the amazing Sanctuary Class). Have questions? Email us HERE . Are you ready to BOOK an unforgettable journey? #CiciCao #PrincessSun #PrincessCruise #tips #cruisetips

This was our first experience cruising with Virgin Cruise Line, and it was a delightful surprise. As seasoned cruisers with over 70 cruises across more than 10 different cruise lines, we wanted to share why Virgin Cruise Lines gained the "Best Cruise Line" title after just one trip: The check-in process was seamless, especially if you completed all necessary steps on the app. The expansive Virgin Cruise terminal at the Miami Port was clean and welcoming upon our arrival. Without any status yet, we received a later check-in time of 4 PM. The staff promptly handled our luggage, allowing us to explore downtown Miami for a while. There are free shuttles (see photo below) near the terminal's exit that travel to downtown Miami. Alternatively, you can walk (a 30-minute uphill walk over a bridge) or take an Uber for $7 to visit Bayside Market and the surrounding areas. Your fare covers almost everything except alcohol and excursions. Gratuities, Wi-Fi (for extensive work or uploads, consider the premium upgrade, but the basic package was sufficient for us), basic non-alcoholic beverages, entertainment, gym classes, and all onboard restaurants are included. This comprehensive inclusion led to fewer complaints and shorter lines at customer service compared to other cruises. The food on the cruise was outstanding. Be sure to reserve your preferred restaurants as soon as they become available on the app to secure your desired time and venue. Walk-ins are possible on the ship, but you might have to wait. The food was incredibly fresh and always accessible. They even provide fruits and snacks in containers for you to take throughout the day. I'll have to write a separate blog about the food at the different restaurants. Here are some photos of my favorites: 4. The ship offers numerous enjoyable activities, allowing you to choose what matches your interests. We had a great time playing trivia and participating in gym classes. There is a wide variety of board games, and there's even an arcade room with classic arcade games, all available for free! Additionally, private karaoke rooms are available for booking. It's important to reserve gym classes as soon as you board the ship, as they fill up quickly. 5. Virgin's Bimini Club was incredible. Upon reaching Bimini, you can take advantage of the free trams that transport you to the club. It's best to visit a bit later to dodge the crowds. The club also offers complimentary food. Returning later will help you avoid the rush and the wait for the tram back to the ship. My only complaint is the presence of numerous flies around the food area. 6. The buffet stations are always available for drinks. The gym features a UV water filtration system, so be sure to bring a water bottle. The gym remains open until late, offering both indoor and outdoor workout areas. The jogging track is also quite remarkable. 7. In addition to the regular entertainment shows, there is a special show on the ship called "It's a Ship Show." This show includes dinner and is free, so be sure to book it early. 8. The ship is beautifully decorated throughout. The rooms are very spacious and offer plenty of storage. You can transform your bed into a sofa during the day and back into a bed at night. The ship is consistently kept very clean, and the well-being of the guests is a priority. 9. We thoroughly enjoyed the different "special" events such as "Scarlet Night", "PJ Party", and "Stargazing Nights". Be sure to pack your outfits for these events! 10. Getting off the ship was easy and smooth. You can even have brunch before departing. It was quite relaxing, and the terminal is fully equipped with advanced technology. Customs use facial recognition, so there's no need to wait in line to exit. We would be absolutely thrilled to cruise with Virgin Voyages again soon! We're eagerly hoping they'll introduce more itineraries since we've already explored all the current destinations. However, the incredible food and exceptional service alone are enough to bring us back without a second thought! #CiciCao #VirginVoyages #ValiantLady #CruiseReview #Cruises

Photos are property of ESCAPETHEROOMers Geography: Prince Edward Island (PEI), a province of Canada Population: Approx. 518,00 people Currency: Canadian Dollar; Currency Converter Best Time to Visit: No bad time We made our way from Halifax and drove to Prince Edward Island (PEI) which was about a 3 hour drive. One of the 2 ways to get on the island by land is to take the Confederation Bridge, a modern day marvel in engineering. The bridge is 2 lanes wide (one lane each way) and spans 12.9 kilometers (8 miles). Opening back in 1997, the experience was wild, especially since driving up onto the open bridge, you cannot see the land on the other side. As we passed through, each side of the bridge was just open water as far as the eye could see. The trip heading toward PEI is free but coming back to New Brunswick is $50.25 for a standard vehicle. If you are driving towards PEI, this is a must do (and the easiest way to get across). Lloyd Inman Memorial Park Heading out to Lloyd Inman Memorial Park, we went to the beach. The lovely red sand was a sight to see. The fun part is that as the low tide brings the water out, there is so much to reveal from tide pools with hermit crabs, snails and other fun sea creatures. With the tide out, we were able to walk out into the ocean 200 hundred yards with the water barely coming to our waste. We spent a couple of hours there, just picking at the sea creatures and wading in the warm water. Anne of Green Gables: The Musical " Anne of Green Gables: The Musical " is a musical based on Lucy M. Montgomery’s famous book of the same name that put PEI on the map. Having first opened in 1965, it was performed every year until 2019, earning it the Guinness World Record for “Longest running annual musical theatre production”. In 2022 however, it was announced that it would only run every other year from then on. The show was running only 3 days a week so we ended up watching the Monday evening show since that was what worked for us. The show was not packed with about half the floor filled but allowed us to stretch out a bit. We were very impressed with the production and show for what we believed was going to be more of a community show. It had an impressive set and lots of catchy songs that we were humming on the way out. This was a professional production with lots of great talent. If you end up watching the musical, don’t think that it exempts you from reading the book if you haven’t. To be able to condense the musical into 2 hours (with a 20 min intermission), a lot of the storylines had to be blended together. The show still held its own and is something that needs to be checked out. Victoria by the Sea As we drove into Victoria past an old lighthouse, one thing we noticed was how small the town was. Made up of just a few city blocks, this was mostly a small cute tourist town. Here you could rent a kayak to hop into the water or a few small eateries on the dock. Walking through the couple of blocks that looked more touristy than homes, we found a few stores that held some gems like a chocolate store where we stopped for a small latte and some delicious seafood shaped chocolate to go with it. There was also a small store where the owner was an older man, who was a jack of all trades, selling hand crafted pottery, CDs of music he wrote and potato soap, which was an interesting PEI souvenir that we saw everywhere. This was also where we stopped for some oysters, which provided us with some variety. You could also check out a small lighthouse to learn about the area and climb up to the second floor to get a higher view. Cavendish Beach Cavendish is one of the main summer towns on PEI where tourists and families would come to stay. Full of different activities for families, this is also where all things Anne of Green Gables is. Here you can visit the Green Gables Heritage Site, where Lucy Maud Montgomery would visit her cousin and grow up nearby with her grandparents. All this being the inspiration behind her “Anne of Green Gables” stories. On top of all that, other attractions in the area include Shining Waters Family Fun Park, a Ripley’s Believe or Not museum, Cavendish Beach, Cavendish Beach Adventure Zone and more. During our day trip out here, the places that we visited were Room Escape Cavendish, the Cavendish Beach, Avonlea Village and the Green Gables Heritage Site. Heading to the beach, this was a popular beach for families. There was just enough parking with 3 lots as we were able to snag a spot but this is one beach you would want to get an early start on. It was a good 5 minute walk on a boardwalk to get to the beach and to climb down some stairs but once we were there, there was plenty of room to wander down and find a spot to set up. The sand was white, soft and the water went out without getting too deep. This was also a supervised beach with lifeguards. For those who don’t like to get too wet, there were some trails around the sand dunes that could be explored but make sure to stay on the boardwalk as this is a National Park and the sand dunes need to be protected. We also checked out Avonlea Village, a small area that had replicas of the house and shops from Avonlea, the town in “Anne of Green Gables”. The village here mostly consisted of shops and eateries but also includes the Long River Church, Minister’s residence and the original schoolhouse that Lucy Montgomery taught at. During our visit, we made a stop at the Moo’s Outlet Factory where we could find Cow’s apparel for 50% off and more, as long as we weren’t too picky with the style. We also could not pass up an opportunity to have some Cows as there is one here as well. Green Gables Heritage Site No trip to PEI is complete without a visit to the Green Gables Heritage Site, the inspiration behind Lucy M. Montgomery’s “Anne of Green Gables” stories. Driving to the site, we walked through the building to pay for admission which also has bathrooms and a small exhibit. The fee ranges from $4.50 to $9 per adult depending on the season you go and is free for kids and youth. Stepping out the back, we were transported back to the early 1900s, where we could walk through the barn and right up to the Green Gables House. From there, we could take a walk through the house and get a feel for the time period and the layout of the house with the old fashion kitchen, bedrooms, and layout. This was Anne’s cousin's house that she would visit often but where she drew most of her inspiration for Anne of Green Gables layout. There were also a few hiking paths along the back, which was where she took inspiration for Lovers Lane and Balsam Hollow from her books as well as the Haunted Woods. We walked the 1km path for the Haunted Woods, where the tree and brush was so high that you could understand the spookiness that could be imagined. The 1km walk was a loop but there was a branch that would take you to L.M. Montgomery's Cavendish National Historic Site. There is a separate entrance fee for this location, but it contains the site of Lucy Maud Montgomery's Cavendish Home. Of course, at the end of the trip, we did have to stop at the gift shop where you can find a lot of Canada Parks swag and of course, Anne of Green Gables merchandise including her iconic hat, copies of the book as well as a refreshing Raspberry Cordial. Seven's Pinball-o-Rama Seven’s Pinball-o-rama totes itself to be Canada’s largest pinball arcade and we believe it. Located in Cornwall, PEI, this pinball arcade is pay by the hour. It costs $14.95 for one hour or you could add an additional 5 cents to play for 2 hours. This place had pinball machines from across the ages from the 50s with the flipping score reels to more modern ones. They also had a few video game cabinets too with such classics like Ms. Pac-man, Super Smash Bros., Galaga and more. Speaking with the owner, he talked about how he still had 60 more machines in storage and was looking for a larger space. To add to the feel, this place also had retro music playing, lava lamps and cheap candies that we remember from when we were kids to more modern sweets for purchase. Any video game and pinball fanatics must check it out and at such a cheap cost, well worth the time if you need to get out of the sun or rain for a little bit. Basin Head Provincial Park From where we were staying, Basin Head Provincial Park was a 1.5 hour drive and it was well worth the trip. The beach had change rooms and showers to wash the sand off your feet on the way up and down as well as a concession. There was also a fisheries museum that was closed when we were there. Basin Head Provincial Park contains what is known as the Singing Sands Beach. This is because the pure white sand has a high silica content, which causes it to sound like it “sings” as you walk through it. Though the sand did “sing” as we walked through it, we found that it sounded louder than a normal “crunch”. The highlight though was the channel that split the beach into 2 sections. The channel had a bridge to cross it, where the water was about 15 feet down and deep. There were a lot of people that used the bridge and edges to take the jump into the channel and depending on the tide time, you could float inwards, outwards or we could swim to the nearby ladder. Make sure you watch the tide and the times though. When jumping in during high tide, the tide would take us inwards towards a small beach around the corner but during low tide, we could easily be swept out to sea. This beach does have lifeguards though but still use caution. There was a lot of beach to explore here and did not seem too busy on the day we went. The water was clear and overall, a fantastic family beach to come and sit in the sand and relax. Spooky Charlottetown Ghost Tour On Thursday evening, we headed down near the water to join a Ghost Tour that took us around the historical downtown of Charlottetown. This was a family friendly tour that even my youngest who gets jumpy really enjoyed. Our host was knowledgeable, dressed the part and she had a great voice for story telling. There were no gruesome tales and some fun tales. This one only lasted about an hour but we got to see lots of sights and hear lots of stories. Definitely a ghost tour to check out if you have young kids. Additional Fun things to try out at Prince Edward Island: 2 Hour E-Bike Tour of Charlottetown The Ultimate Anne of Green Gables Private Tour Central PEI Winery, Brewery, and Distillery Tasting Tour DE’ Force Shore Excursion: Charlottetown Highlights & Delights Self-Guided Scavenger Hunt: Birthplace of Confederation Feel Free to reach out to us with any questions! #MatthewLui #Travel #Guide #Tips #Explore #PrinceEdwardIsland #PEI #Canada

Photo above is property of ESCAPETHEROOMers Here are my top recommendations for food and drinks in Prince Edward Island!! The Lobster Shack Souris, PE C0A 2B0, Canada Heading back from Basin Head Provincial Park, we had a craving for some seafood. Driving through Souris, we found a place called “ The Lobster Shack ”. Just off of Souris Beach, we parked and walked down the boardwalk into a shack. The menu was simple with lobster platters, lobster rolls, oysters, mussels and more. Anywhere else, we would not have trusted the seafood at a roadside shack but in PEI, where the ocean is just right there, we knew this was going to be a gem. There was a tank inside where we could pick our own lobster if we wanted to pick one up and take it home. In the tank there was also an 8lbs lobster if we were famished. We ended up ordering some fresh shucked oysters and lobster rolls with chips, all of which were delicious and a steal of a deal. All of which we were able to enjoy on the boardwalk by the ocean. Photos above are property of ESCAPETHEROOMers COWS Creamery Charlottetown, PE C1A 1G5, Canada If you get to only visit one site in PEI, it should be the Green Gables Heritage Site. If you can visit 2, then the second one should be the " COWS Creamery ". COWS Ice Cream got its start in 1983 opening their first store in Cavendish, PEI and have expanded over the past years to opening Cows across Canada all the way to Banff and Whistler on the west coast. What stands out with Cows is their over 100 year old ice cream recipe and delicious flavors, so much so that in 2008, Cows was named No. 1 Ice Cream in the world by Tauck World Discovery, a US travel company. You can find the Creamery on 12 Milky Way (Tee hee…), which is where they make the ice cream that they ship to all their locations. Inside, you can find a self guided tour that starts with a video and lets you watch them make ice cream, while reading the fun facts of the process and the timeline of Cows history. Cows also makes cheese and butter where you can find the storage facility of their aged cheese here. Cows have their own line of clothes that consists of Cow decorated swag but their most popular designs are the pop culture cow parodies. Ranging from fun designs like “Super Moorio” to “Moocci” to “Haylor Swift”, you can find lots of fun shirt designs to take home (I have 4 shirts myself). If you cannot find one in the store that you like, the Creamery also has their own shirt printing facility that can print on demand any of the over 100 designs from the past. We pretty much had ice cream everyday on this trip and if we were within driving distance of a Cows, then it would be there. Wowie Cowie and Messie Bessie are their most popular flavors but I always lean towards cookies and peanut butter so Cookie Monster and Peanut Butter Cup Cup were always my top choices. There is honestly no wrong choice no matter what flavor you want. Photos above are property of ESCAPETHEROOMers The Gahan House Charlottetown, PE C1A 1G5, Canada Stopping for lunch one afternoon, we headed to " The Gahan House ". Gahan is a local brewery on the island that makes a handful of ales, wheat beers, IPAs as well as a few other specialties like the Pineapple Sour. Though they have a handful of locations around Atlantic Canada, this was the original location, where they continue to brew their beer in the basement. You can see a lot of the tanks behind the glass windows if you head down the washrooms. This location also serves as a restaurant with an old, European pub feel. Being on the east coast, we of course need to continue eating the seafood. While most of our group ordered fish and chips, Monique and I shared a few items. First, we shared the “Half Shells/Half Pint” platter which consisted of 6 raw oysters and 2 half pints. I had the Iron Bridge which was not as dark as I was hoping but still had a good stout feel. The fresh oysters were served with cocktails sauce, fresh horseradish and a small glass of beer. All were delicious to slurp up with a variety of flavors. We also shared the fish tacos and seafood chowder. Coming from the prairies, the chowder was different from what I was familiar with. Less creamy broth, which acted more like a sauce, but plenty of flavor with a variety of seafood, mixed with potatoes. A place worth visiting for a pint and a simple meal of east coast flavors. Photos above are property of ESCAPETHEROOMers Landmark Oyster House Victoria, PE C0A 2G0, Canada While in Victoria, we stopped for a small snack at " Landmark Oyster House ". Inside, we sat at the bar where they had listed on the wall the 3 oysters they were offering that day. When asked too, they were able to provide us the location around the island they were caught as well as the flavor profile. Shucked right in front of us, we could taste the distinct flavors from each one. Worth a visit if you are in Victoria. Photos above are property of ESCAPETHEROOMers Additional Fun things to try out at Prince Edward Island: 2 Hour E-Bike Tour of Charlottetown The Ultimate Anne of Green Gables Private Tour Central PEI Winery, Brewery, and Distillery Tasting Tour DE’ Force Shore Excursion: Charlottetown Highlights & Delights Self-Guided Scavenger Hunt: Birthplace of Confederation #MatthewLui #Travel #Food #Drinks #PrinceEdwardIsland #Canada

LOCATION: Orlando, Florida, USA Photo above is property of The Great Escape Room Photos above are property of ESCAPETHEROOMers 📝   ETR DECODER 🔑 GAME : The President's Bunker 📅 DATE PLAYED : January 10, 2019 🎬 GENRE : Mystery 🧠 DIFFICULTY (Based on 2 ppl) : 7.5/10 👥 TOTAL # OF PLAYERS : Up To 10 ppl 🕒 LENGTH OF TIME : 60 Mins. 💰 PRICE : $23.00/ pp ☎️ BOOKING TYPE : Public/Private 🔓 ESCAPED/ COMPLETED? : Yes Our second company that we are visiting in Orlando, Florida is "The Great Escape Room". They are a chain w/ multiple locations throughout the United States. This particular location is located on the 2nd floor w/ five escape room games to choose from. The lobby area was pretty cool w/ plenty of games to keep you occupied until your room is ready. The room that we are scheduled for is "The President's Bunker". In these escape rooms, your game master is inside the room w/ you the entire time which never allows us to feel the entire experience. In order for you to ask for hints, you need to find 3 items in order to exchange for them. The decor of the room was acceptable according to the theme. The puzzles we felt could've been a little bit more creative. Most of them were repetitive in what they were going for. Also, since it was supposed to be the President's Bunker, we thought there would be more technology implemented into the designs. Photos above are property of ESCAPETHEROOMers (If you do decide to try this game, give us a shoutout or tag us on social media so we know you heard it from " ESCAPETHEROOMers "!)   Disclosure :   We thank The Great Escape Room (Orlando) for comping our tickets for this game. Although complimentary admission was generously provided, it does not impact our opinion on the review whatsoever. #CiciCao   #IRLescaperoom  #EscapeRooms #TheGreatEscapeRoom #Espionage #Florida #USA

Photo above is property of Hunt A Killer Company: Hunt A Killer Game: Lakeside Slaughter: The Last Vacation Country: USA 🇺🇸 Language: English Type of Game: Tabletop Game 📬 Genre: Mystery Date Played: January 23, 2025 Difficulty (based on 2 players): 6/10 Size of Team: Unlimited (Ages 14+) Time: Unlimited (Approx. 90-120 Mins.) Price: $29.99 🆃🅷🅴 🆂🆃🅾🆁🆈 Security systems analyst Ryan Bosley and his wife, Monica, book a vacation rental home by a lake to relax and reconnect for a month. But after the couple gets into an argument at a neighbor’s cookout, Monica finds herself alone in their dark and empty rental house. When Ryan sees Monica again, she’s in a pool of her own blood, dead. The police suspect Ryan, but he believes another guest at the cookout is the killer. 🆃🅷🅴 ❞🅻🅾🅾🅺🆂❞ The cover art is pretty rad/cool. It sucks you in like one of those classic horror movie posters. The evocative staging of the dark looming figure, the eerie alien greens of a mind gone mad. It does a great job of setting the trouble in paradise scene, the juxtaposition of lakeside getaway against creepy happenings, which will serve as a haunting backdrop to the players exploration of the game . The materials themselves are well designed, varied, colorful - something fun to work through and pass about. I especially like the physical objects and the creative ways they are incorporated. Not only are they fun to play with, but they act as kind of mementos after the game. Overall a top quality production. Photo above is property of ESCAPETHEROOMers 🆃🅷🅴 🅶🅰🅼🅴 🅿🅻🅰🆈 I am one of those who might lament the fact that Hunt a Killer has moved away from the epic, hardcore, episodic case format, which is one part a economically necessary move to ditch the grossly inefficient high cost of separately delivering the chapters like Sunday prestige tv episodes, but also a smart move towards recognizing the greatest market for these cases are as shorter one shot nights of entertainment. It is a shift towards Hunt a Killer for the masses, and they made the even smarter move of getting the things in big box stores, but it also makes sense because it fits the way in which people generally consume this kind of entertainment. As for the gameplay itself, I went in without high expectations puzzle wise, and a feeling like it would be more reliant on abstract puzzles then being an actual case file, but the designers did a great job of creating a very well rounded case that encompasses all the popular and entertainment aspects of a good case. Plot wise they do a good job of hiding this complex web of motives under the seeming tranquil surface of things. It's a good balance between revealing the plot by gated puzzles and actually having to deduce what is really going on. Surveying the plot at the end I was pretty impressed by the complexity of its construction for such a short case, they definitely created a clever and tight yarn out of this one. Photo above is property of ESCAPETHEROOMers 🆃🅷🅴 🅿🆄🆉🆉🅻🅴🆂 It has a slight over reliance on ciphers and abstract puzzles as oppose to real case work, which I tend to attribute to lazy design, but what it does really well is give you information through the puzzle while still requiring you to kind of put what is actually happening all together through your own deductive powers. Getting that criticism out of the way, the case was designed with great sensibility for its progressive development and reveal of the plot through this process of puzzle, information, and plot construction, that will keep you guessing, and with sufficient creepy wow factor by the climactic realisation/finale. It's a great formula, and it points to the fact that this case does the foundational elements of a mystery very well. Photos above are property of ESCAPETHEROOMers 🅲🅻🅾🆂🅸🅽🅶 🆃🅷🅾🆄🅶🅷🆃🆂 I would definitely play another one of these cases. They are perfect to do in a night, with friends. It does it all pretty well, plot, puzzles, deduction. Hunt a Killer doesn't have the right formula in these games, and it's a great production, I think it's a matter of pushing the scenario and puzzles to new and more novel forms. But as a game for your average puzzle and co. this is exactly the kind of mystery that should be on the shelves of big box stores given how perfectly balanced it is. My suggestion: bring back the epic cases!, lean less on ciphers and more on novel and realistic case file type puzzles, and get farther from using the old mystery tropes as scenarios and closer to mystery game creation of popular real cases. Check out our interview with the creators to understand more on the development side of these game: Video above is property of ESCAPETHEROOMers (If you do decide to try this game, please remember to let them know that you heard it from" ESCAPETHEROOMers "!) Disclosure : We thank Hunt A Killer for providing us with a sample of their game. Although a complimentary experience was generously provided, it does not impact our opinion on the review whatsoever. #AndrewWoods #AtHomeGames #PuzzlesByMail #OneOffs #Mystery #HuntAKiller #USA

LOCATION: Lausanne, Switzerland Photo above is property of Evade Escape Game Photos above are property of ESCAPETHEROOMers 📝   ETR DECODER 🔑 GAME : The Executioner 📅 DATE PLAYED : November 18, 2022 🎬 GENRE : Medieval, Mystery, Spooky 🧠 DIFFICULTY (Based on 2 ppl) : 6/10 👥 TOTAL # OF PLAYERS : 2-6 ppl 🕒 LENGTH OF TIME : 60 Mins. 💰 PRICE : CHF 35-50 ☎️ BOOKING TYPE : Private 🔓 ESCAPED/ COMPLETED? : Yes (36:18) 📖 THE STORY You have been imprisoned by the Grand Inquisitor for practicing dark magic and currently sit in your cells awaiting a visit from Bloody Elbow, the most sadistic executioner. Will you be able to free yourselves before he returns? 🎯 HIT THE BULLSEYE The construction and set design are of the highest professional standards. The quality of the props was particularly notable, with genuine elements and life-like prosthetics. Everything about your time in the room screams medieval dungeon; from the materials, to the lighting, props, and even sounds. This is a totally immersive experience. The development and placement of the puzzles are in line with the story and theme. There is a lot of technology involved to reduce the need for padlocks. Those padlocks used make sense both logically and aesthetically. Otherwise, the puzzles are focused on you finding and using objects correctly; making the space very interactive. The professional photos published on the website do a fantastic job marketing the room and setting the expectation of what you might discover once inside. We found the level of horror delivered to be at just the right level. Although there are no actors, you find yourself constantly on-guard and prepared for a possible fright. Even the clue system was integrated into the theming and immersion. There are no tv screens on the walls or walkie talkies, etc. So, if a clue was needed it would come as an audio from a prisoner in a neighboring cell. There is a welcoming reception area with sofas, lockers, drinks and even games for sale. 🧩 MISSED THE MARK Other than requesting ‘more’ puzzles to extend our time in the room there wasn’t anything we could suggest to improve this game experience. We would hesitate to recommend this room to groups larger than 4, particularly due to the limited space in each room but also because of the nature of the puzzles. 🏹 TAKE A SHOT? This is an incredibly slick and thematic experience that we would recommend to groups of all levels. The setting is more eerie than horror, so expect some thrills but nothing too severe. The puzzles are easy enough, only requiring good observation and simple logic to solve; no code-breaking, math, or drawn-out logic is required. ℹ️ ADDITIONAL INFO There is very limited free parking in front, however none was available on our visit. There is a public car park (fee required) within a 5-10 minute walk from the escape center. There are toilets on site, and as mentioned above a comfortable reception area with chairs, a sofa, lockers, and drinks/games for sale. The games are all available in English or French. The rooms are CASH ONLY, although they do accept TWINT (with a small fee). There is no ATM at the location or in the nearby vicinity that we could find. Photos above are property of Evade Escape Game (If you do decide to try this game, give us a shoutout or tag us on social media so we know you heard it from " ESCAPETHEROOMers "!) Disclosure : We thank Evade Escape Game for providing us with a media discount for this game. Although a media discount was generously provided, it does not impact our opinion on the review whatsoever. #RyanDriver #IRLescaperoom #EscapeRooms #Medieval #Mystery #Spooky #EvadeEscapeGame #Switzerland

LOCATION: Lausanne, Switzerland Photo above is property of Evade Escape Game Photos above are property of ESCAPETHEROOMers 📝    ETR DECODER 🔑 GAME : The Cannibal 📅 DATE PLAYED : November 18, 2022 🎬 GENRE : Horror, Serial Killer 🧠 DIFFICULTY (Based on 2 ppl) : 6/10 👥 TOTAL # OF PLAYERS : 3-8 ppl 🕒 LENGTH OF TIME : 90 Mins. 💰 PRICE : CHF 40-50 ☎️ BOOKING TYPE : Private 🔓 ESCAPED/ COMPLETED? : Yes (55:15) 📖 THE STORY Whilst hitchhiking with your friends you agree to get into the car of a passing stranger. He offers you all a drink of water. The next thing you know, you’re waking up in a dark cell to the screams of some other unlucky traveler. 🎯 HIT THE BULLSEYE The quality of the entire experience is second to none. This game takes place across several large rooms which have been carefully crafted to provide an incredibly immersive experience. Small details are where the room excels, with a subtle use of special effects to bring the drama levels up and to keep you wondering if some machine saw-wielding psycho is going to jump out and kill you. The puzzles have been developed in a manner that portrays your fight for survival. Each step you take is logical and serves a purpose. The most interesting puzzles for us were those which had you working together to solve them. The photos produced and published on the website do a fantastic job marketing the room and already setting the expectation of what you might discover once inside. We found the level of horror delivered to be at just the right level. You find yourself constantly on guard and prepared for a possible fright. Even the clue system was integrated into the theming and immersion. There are no tv screens on the walls or walkie talkies, etc. So, if a clue was needed it would come as an audio from a little girl caged in the basement. Often endings to rooms can feel lackluster or disjointed, the ending to this room was well constructed and made sense thematically. 🧩 MISSED THE MARK Although the use of padlocks themselves is never a negative, unless excessive or feeling misplaced (such as a directional lock in an ancient tomb), the choice of black locks caused us some confusion. In a prior room, which we had just played, we were told that very similar looking locks were not part of the game and so should be ignored, therefore, when seeing the black padlocks in this room we believed the same to be true. It wasn’t a big issue and soon realized that it wasn’t the case, but is something worth mentioning. 🏹 TAKE A SHOT? We loved the story telling aspect to this game and the correlation between it and the puzzles, so for people looking for a highly immersive and thematic experience this is strongly recommended. The horror level is quite low, but expect a creepy vibe throughout. ℹ️ ADDITIONAL INFO There is very limited free parking in front, however none was available on our visit. There is a public car park (fee required) within a 5-10 minute walk from the escape center. There are toilets on site, and as mentioned above a comfortable reception area with chairs, a sofa, lockers, and drinks/games for sale. The games are all available in English or French. The rooms are CASH ONLY, although they do accept TWINT (with a small fee). There is no ATM at the location or in the nearby vicinity that we could find. Photos above are property of Evade Escape Game (If you do decide to try this game, give us a shoutout or tag us on social media so we know you heard it from " ESCAPETHEROOMers "!) Disclosure : We thank Evade Escape Game for providing us with a media discount for this game. Although a media discount was generously provided, it does not impact our opinion on the review whatsoever. #RyanDriver #IRLescaperoom #EscapeRooms #Horror #SerialKiller #EvadeEscapeGame #Switzerland