Just got on the epic!

Yay! We will be boarding next Saturday and are group of 17 is very excited to see what Epic has to offer!

Enjoying your live reviews. We're doing a TA in April on the Epic. For the coffee maker you do mean the soft pods, not k-cups, right? In preparation I've bought the soft ones hoping they are the correct kind.

Enjoying your live reviews. We're doing a TA in April on the Epic. For the coffee maker you do mean the soft pods, not k-cups, right? In preparation I've bought the soft ones hoping they are the correct kind.

Yes, the soft pods are the correct ones.

I don't sail on the Epic until December but I am interested in these updates.

Thanks, remedy69. I've had a love affair with Epic since 2012--5 cruises, but transatlantics are the best! DH rarely takes pics of me but insisted getting one of me with "my" ship. She's so ugly; love is blind [emoji6]

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Enjoy your cruise and I am looking forward to your review. Will be on her in 4 weeks.

I hope you have a wonderful trip and I will be following along! If you can, please post the dailies when you return!! We travel on March 11th! Can't wait to hear all about your trip!

I will be sailing the Epic in early March as a first-time NCL cruiser, although I am a very experienced cruiser with many cruises over many years.

I am very interested in following as the reviews and research so far has yielded very mixed reviews of this ship. Understanding opinions are in the mind of the beholder, I have noticed some similarities in both the positives and negatives of this ship. It will be the first "mega" ship cruise for me and I was really taken aback by having to book dining room and shows; not necessarily a bad thing, just different from what I'm accustomed.

Anyway, the price I got for my cruise was really the lasso that brought me in and the fact that I think it caught me at the right time just to try something different. I am going into this cruise with an open mind and looking forward to a few days away from stress (I hope), phones, emails, and the everyday pressures. I do embrace the mantra that a bad day cruising is far better than a good day at work!

Hope the OP has a great cruise, fair seas, and lots of information!

The time stamp I see is 2:44 but I don't know if that was the original time or what time zone that is.

I'm showing the time stamp as 1:44 PM. Check your Cruise Critic account to see what time zone you're listed in.

I'm showing the time stamp as 1:44 PM. Check your Cruise Critic account to see what time zone you're listed in.

Thanks for that. Out of curiosity, I did check mine as I am in the same time zone as Port Canaveral. So, 2:44 PM. That does kinda make WHEN it's stamped less significant-on the surface, in any case. It was nice that OP posted the "real time" once wifi was available.

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I will be sailing the Epic in early March as a first-time NCL cruiser, although I am a very experienced cruiser with many cruises over many years.

 

I am very interested in following as the reviews and research so far has yielded very mixed reviews of this ship. Understanding opinions are in the mind of the beholder, I have noticed some similarities in both the positives and negatives of this ship. It will be the first "mega" ship cruise for me and I was really taken aback by having to book dining room and shows; not necessarily a bad thing, just different from what I'm accustomed.

 

Anyway, the price I got for my cruise was really the lasso that brought me in and the fact that I think it caught me at the right time just to try something different. I am going into this cruise with an open mind and looking forward to a few days away from stress (I hope), phones, emails, and the everyday pressures. I do embrace the mantra that a bad day cruising is far better than a good day at work!

 

Hope the OP has a great cruise, fair seas, and lots of information!

I agree with that!!

I hope you enjoy your cruise and I look forward to reading what you thought of the ship. We don't sail on the EPIC until December. This will be our first mega ship too.

I will be sailing the Epic in early March as a first-time NCL cruiser, although I am a very experienced cruiser with many cruises over many years.

 

I am very interested in following as the reviews and research so far has yielded very mixed reviews of this ship. Understanding opinions are in the mind of the beholder, I have noticed some similarities in both the positives and negatives of this ship. It will be the first "mega" ship cruise for me and I was really taken aback by having to book dining room and shows; not necessarily a bad thing, just different from what I'm accustomed.

 

Anyway, the price I got for my cruise was really the lasso that brought me in and the fact that I think it caught me at the right time just to try something different. I am going into this cruise with an open mind and looking forward to a few days away from stress (I hope), phones, emails, and the everyday pressures. I do embrace the mantra that a bad day cruising is far better than a good day at work!

 

Hope the OP has a great cruise, fair seas, and lots of information!

I am feeling all the things that you are we have cruised a lot this will be the first for my Sister and BIL. Hoping that it is a good experience.

We have cruised NCL before but a smaller ship. Because of all the booking it does not seem like much freedom at sea to me

I'm boarding the Epic three weeks from today. So I'm very much looking forward to your posts. Tell us what you honestly think. Good or bad.

Thanks

ShipsAhoy we are on the 24 sailing please let us know how it is for you all.

Got a call the day before saying not to arrive at port until noon which we did . On by 1230

 

She is a beautiful ship looking great after recent refurb. You do need to make show reservations as they got full but you could walk in most right before starting and get a seat in the back.

 

Howl is a hoot! Beatles show very good and comedian Mike is funniest ship comedian I've seen in a while.

 

No lines to go into any restaurant so far and we have eaten once at 8pm and once at 6pm.

 

Enjoying a cold beer at Cozumel caribe beach club now. If I find wifi in next port I'll update.

 

So far having an amazing time the only time u see the masses of people is when a show dumps.

 

 

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Remedy can you tell us what type Room your in wanted find out about the family balcony how it's set up with pull down bed and how is the bathroom set up seems really weird set up.

I am feeling all the things that you are we have cruised a lot this will be the first for my Sister and BIL. Hoping that it is a good experience.

We have cruised NCL before but a smaller ship. Because of all the booking it does not seem like much freedom at sea to me

The more research I do, the more the "not so much freedom at sea" is becoming more and more of a reality as you have stated. I am kinda a numbers guy and when I see such limited seating capacity in the venues, along with the standard occupancy - which is based on double occupancy numbers and can far exceed the baseline, booking becomes a virtual shoving match to get in line first. If you don't, then you are just crap out of luck. I am seven weeks away from sailing and can't get a specialty dining room reservation for the particular restaurant with the time slot that I want. I just don't understand the numbers and I'm sure NCL has done their useage research, but "theoretically", I'm scratching my head and I'll give you a quick example.

Moderno - 114 seating capacity x 6 seatings x 3 nights = 2052 feedings, that's roughly accommodating about half of the passengers. Narrow down the availability of time slots

(I mean, really, how many people "normally" eat dinner past 8:30 pm?) so approximately half of the slots are not the most popular and the least booked. So,that cuts the availability down even further and you've got a VERY narrow window of opportunity. And this goes for most of the other specialty dining and shows including the comedy clubs, etc. You put 4100 people on a ship and then limit seating to a 100 or so? Where's the logic in that? I've read review after review where cruisers missed out on things they wanted to do because of capacity restrictions. Again, realizing that all passengers are not gong to partake of these venues, my cruise experience tells me a lot of them do, otherwise, they wouldn't have them and would convert spaces into other ideas. Besides, the trend is to keep adding these specialty type venues for revenue. Add that as a first time NCL cruiser and if I did not do my research prior, I would have never guessed that I would have to schedule most of my "freedom at sea", and would be scrambling on-board playing catch-up.

Having said that, I am still going in open-minded and the calculations are just that; knowledge. My strategy has changed as my focus now will be to follow cancellations and hope to be able to schedule some of the things that are currently not available to me - at least in my preference of time slots. Being a diabetic, I simply cannot wait until late to eat; neither will my digestive system allow that as I am not a night owl and usually am in bed fairly early and rise likewise.

So, if remedy can shed some light on the "crowds" and some of my concerns, it will assist in me having even more knowledge and I can then make a more informed decision on my strategy and approach to this first NCL cruise. The bottom line is I will have a good time and rarely does anything spoil my cruise. I can roll with just about anything. I never forget to pack a great attitude first!

The more research I do, the more the "not so much freedom at sea" is becoming more and more of a reality as you have stated. I am kinda a numbers guy and when I see such limited seating capacity in the venues, along with the standard occupancy - which is based on double occupancy numbers and can far exceed the baseline, booking becomes a virtual shoving match to get in line first. If you don't, then you are just crap out of luck. I am seven weeks away from sailing and can't get a specialty dining room reservation for the particular restaurant with the time slot that I want. I just don't understand the numbers and I'm sure NCL has done their useage research, but "theoretically", I'm scratching my head and I'll give you a quick example.

 

Moderno - 114 seating capacity x 6 seatings x 3 nights = 2052 feedings, that's roughly accommodating about half of the passengers. Narrow down the availability of time slots

(I mean, really, how many people "normally" eat dinner past 8:30 pm?) so approximately half of the slots are not the most popular and the least booked. So,that cuts the availability down even further and you've got a VERY narrow window of opportunity. And this goes for most of the other specialty dining and shows including the comedy clubs, etc. You put 4100 people on a ship and then limit seating to a 100 or so? Where's the logic in that? I've read review after review where cruisers missed out on things they wanted to do because of capacity restrictions. Again, realizing that all passengers are not gong to partake of these venues, my cruise experience tells me a lot of them do, otherwise, they wouldn't have them and would convert spaces into other ideas. Besides, the trend is to keep adding these specialty type venues for revenue. Add that as a first time NCL cruiser and if I did not do my research prior, I would have never guessed that I would have to schedule most of my "freedom at sea", and would be scrambling on-board playing catch-up.

 

Having said that, I am still going in open-minded and the calculations are just that; knowledge. My strategy has changed as my focus now will be to follow cancellations and hope to be able to schedule some of the things that are currently not available to me - at least in my preference of time slots. Being a diabetic, I simply cannot wait until late to eat; neither will my digestive system allow that as I am not a night owl and usually am in bed fairly early and rise likewise.

 

So, if remedy can shed some light on the "crowds" and some of my concerns, it will assist in me having even more knowledge and I can then make a more informed decision on my strategy and approach to this first NCL cruise. The bottom line is I will have a good time and rarely does anything spoil my cruise. I can roll with just about anything. I never forget to pack a great attitude first!

We did not find the Specialty restaurants crowded as many cruisers prefer the no cost restaurants. You did not state how many in your party which can be a factor in dining. Since it is mostly just the DH and myself on NCL we make a reservation and then tweeked it once onboard. I am sure with your health issue (which I would mention) I et they find a table for you. Enjoy the Epic!

Early morning flight from Manchester to Barcelona and took the NCL transfer to the ship. Check in was very smooth and efficient and we were on the ship by 12 Noon. Headed straight to the Garden café on deck 15 which was very busy but not too much of a problem. After a leisurely lunch, we then went to find our B6 cabin, 11075 which was a large balcony. We were fully aware of the non-bathroom set up which personally was not a problem, but my Wife was less than impressed. She suggested that the designer should be sacked and that is probably why the Epic has no Sister ship.

The balcony had 2 loungers, 2 chairs and 2 small tables which was fine.

Went to explore the ship and remembered that the blue carpets were Starboard and the orange were Port. Same colours also on the lift buttons. With the ship full, it was obviously very busy, but never felt there was any problem.

Dining

Of the 7 nights we went to the Garden café buffet on 4 nights , twice to Taste and the last night to Manhattan. The buffet was good with plenty of choice and obviously if you liked a dish you could then go for seconds. We always looked for a suitable table first and one of us would sit whilst the other went for their food. The menus in the Taste and Manhattan are the same and very nice food with no need to pay for any supplements. There is always the standard steak and chips if nothing else takes your fancy. Excellent service from very attentive staff and well organised restaurants.

We went every day to the Garden café for breakfast which was slightly tricky to find a table. Part of the problem is that 2 people would sit on a table designed for 6 or 8, and a lot of wasted space, as we prefer not to dine with strangers. Be prepare to wait for around 15-20 minutes if you wanted a freshly cooked omelette as this station was very popular, although you could walk round the back and find another station. Also went to outdoor area for lunches close to the Waves bar for a welcome beer.

Ports

Tuesday morning, we alighted and walked into Naples. A very busy city and trying to cross the roads was a real problem as the Italians simply do not stop even on designated crossings. Went for a coffee and trooped up via Toledo but not really much different than walking around your own town and not really much to see. After less than 2 hours, we were back on the ship and relaxed on the balcony.

Wednesday morning docked at 6.00am in Civitavecchia on pier 12 Bis (N) and I was first off the ship and decided to walk all the way to the railway station and was on the train at 6.45am which was in the station. There was no sign of any shuttle at that time in the morning. My Wife decided not to bother with Rome, so I went alone. Off the train at Roma Ostiense and took the subway to Piramade for the 2 stops to the Colosseum. I had pre-booked my ticket and was there when the gates opened at 8.30am and straight inside. Took a few photographs and then headed for the Trevi fountain which were being cleaned and the fountains were not working. Walked then to Spanish steps and then to the Pantheon which was lovely inside. Quick walk to Piazza Navona and then headed across the river to Castel Sant 'Angelo and climbed to the top for a few more pics. Proceeded up the main street to the Vatican which was busy to say the least as it had been the weekly audience with the Pope. Past the security check but never made it into St Peters Square as at 11.15am, everybody was leaving and the police were blocking entry until 1.00pm.

Headed to the station at Roma S. Pietro and back on the train at 12 Noon to Civitavecchia. No shuttle bus around at the station and so walked it all the way back to the ship.

Thursday morning paid 5 Euros on the pier for a shuttle into Livorno to pick up a pre-booked coach by Tuscany Bus to Pisa which left at 10.00am. 2 hours in Pisa was long enough to see the Tower, Cathedral and the Baptistery. Bit of a trek from the car park to Miracle Square, going through a housing estate, over the railway line and trying to avoid all the African sellers of watches, sunglasses, etc.

Friday took the 10.05am tender to Cannes which we had booked on the TV screen in the cabin. Had a lovely coffee in a harbour restaurant and decided to walk to the old town. Followed a sign which took us climbing a steep hill which ended up at a church and never really saw Le Suquet* .

Headed back into the harbour and trooped along La Croisette looking at the very expensive shops before returning to the ship for lunch.

Final day was Marseilles which saw rain for the first time. Found the green line when getting off the ship, went past the Seaman’s club and boarded the port free shuttle bus into Marseilles. NCL will charge you $15 for their shuttle. However, the rain was pretty bad so headed straight back to the ship.

Entertainment

Priscilla Queen of the desert was excellent. Found it interesting that they warned families that it was not suitable for children because of the course language and sexual innuendos, but nobody moved.

Listened to Siglo in The Cavern who were a good rock band. Most evenings, sat around the Shakers cocktail bar and had a few Black Russians and Pina Coladas and listened to various piano players/singers. We had the UBP which was good to try various cocktails and not worry about the cost. Tried the Bliss lounge one evening which was karaoke night which was not our favourite and the atmosphere was flat.

Overall

A very relaxing cruise with good service from Orlando, our cabin steward. One comment about the general waiting staff around the Garden Café was that they did not appear to be enjoying their job, never smiling or trying to make conversation. The staff however in the MDR's were very friendly and helpful.

Having previously sailed on the Pearl and the Jade, I would probably prefer these two Jewel class ships over the Epic.

Sounds like you enjoyed your cruise BLACKBURNROVERS.

Thanks for your feedback.

We did not find the Specialty restaurants crowded as many cruisers prefer the no cost restaurants. You did not state how many in your party which can be a factor in dining. Since it is mostly just the DH and myself on NCL we make a reservation and then tweeked it once onboard. I am sure with your health issue (which I would mention) I et they find a table for you. Enjoy the Epic!

Thank you for your response! It sounds like I have the right idea of making adaptations once onboard. I do apologize for omitting my party size; it will only be me and the misses.

Remedy can you tell us what type Room your in wanted find out about the family balcony how it's set up with pull down bed and how is the bathroom set up seems really weird set up.

. . . parties on our roll call are asking if NCL does their PUB CRAWL on a ship the size of EPIC? Any information from Dailies or those currently on-board?

Thanks in advance.

Didnt see a pub crawl. Feel free to ask away I'm just off the ship. Review and dailies in a few days

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How long after docking did self-assist debarkation begin? Do you know if self-assist still get colored luggage tags or are they only for those leaving their luggage outside the cabin the night before?

The more research I do, the more the "not so much freedom at sea" is becoming more and more of a reality as you have stated. I am kinda a numbers guy and when I see such limited seating capacity in the venues, along with the standard occupancy - which is based on double occupancy numbers and can far exceed the baseline, booking becomes a virtual shoving match to get in line first. If you don't, then you are just crap out of luck. I am seven weeks away from sailing and can't get a specialty dining room reservation for the particular restaurant with the time slot that I want. I just don't understand the numbers and I'm sure NCL has done their useage research, but "theoretically", I'm scratching my head and I'll give you a quick example.

 

Moderno - 114 seating capacity x 6 seatings x 3 nights = 2052 feedings, that's roughly accommodating about half of the passengers. Narrow down the availability of time slots

(I mean, really, how many people "normally" eat dinner past 8:30 pm?) so approximately half of the slots are not the most popular and the least booked. So,that cuts the availability down even further and you've got a VERY narrow window of opportunity. And this goes for most of the other specialty dining and shows including the comedy clubs, etc. You put 4100 people on a ship and then limit seating to a 100 or so? Where's the logic in that? I've read review after review where cruisers missed out on things they wanted to do because of capacity restrictions. Again, realizing that all passengers are not gong to partake of these venues, my cruise experience tells me a lot of them do, otherwise, they wouldn't have them and would convert spaces into other ideas. Besides, the trend is to keep adding these specialty type venues for revenue. Add that as a first time NCL cruiser and if I did not do my research prior, I would have never guessed that I would have to schedule most of my "freedom at sea", and would be scrambling on-board playing catch-up.

 

Having said that, I am still going in open-minded and the calculations are just that; knowledge. My strategy has changed as my focus now will be to follow cancellations and hope to be able to schedule some of the things that are currently not available to me - at least in my preference of time slots. Being a diabetic, I simply cannot wait until late to eat; neither will my digestive system allow that as I am not a night owl and usually am in bed fairly early and rise likewise.

 

So, if remedy can shed some light on the "crowds" and some of my concerns, it will assist in me having even more knowledge and I can then make a more informed decision on my strategy and approach to this first NCL cruise. The bottom line is I will have a good time and rarely does anything spoil my cruise. I can roll with just about anything. I never forget to pack a great attitude first!

I am also Insulin dependant diabetic and no if you have to wait until later you are shovelling more food in inbetween.

I think we have made a mistake with this cruise as we are going with my sister and Partner who are new to cruising.. I find some of the things, upsells, all this pre booking malarky alien to usual cruising.

i want to get into Cagneys on day 2 of the cruise as it is my Husbands birthday. It is like living on a knife edge waiting to book. As for waiting in line to see if you can get in a show, well forget that.

The drinks package not covering water and soda !! and not being able to bring any on whats that all about other than money making.

We are booked now so I will go along and hopefully have a good time. I should have done more research.

i dont want my sister coming away thinking never again

Wasn't up that early so no clue but everything was definitely ahead. We had green tags for 9am exit and when we left the cabin at 830 they were already past ours so we got to get straight off.

I think it was just colored tags for them moving your bags off, didn't see one for self assist.

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Early morning flight from Manchester to Barcelona and took the NCL transfer to the ship. Check in was very smooth and efficient and we were on the ship by 12 Noon. Headed straight to the Garden café on deck 15 which was very busy but not too much of a problem. After a leisurely lunch, we then went to find our B6 cabin, 11075 which was a large balcony. We were fully aware of the non-bathroom set up which personally was not a problem, but my Wife was less than impressed. She suggested that the designer should be sacked and that is probably why the Epic has no Sister ship.

The balcony had 2 loungers, 2 chairs and 2 small tables which was fine.

Went to explore the ship and remembered that the blue carpets were Starboard and the orange were Port. Same colours also on the lift buttons. With the ship full, it was obviously very busy, but never felt there was any problem.

 

Dining

Of the 7 nights we went to the Garden café buffet on 4 nights , twice to Taste and the last night to Manhattan. The buffet was good with plenty of choice and obviously if you liked a dish you could then go for seconds. We always looked for a suitable table first and one of us would sit whilst the other went for their food. The menus in the Taste and Manhattan are the same and very nice food with no need to pay for any supplements. There is always the standard steak and chips if nothing else takes your fancy. Excellent service from very attentive staff and well organised restaurants.

We went every day to the Garden café for breakfast which was slightly tricky to find a table. Part of the problem is that 2 people would sit on a table designed for 6 or 8, and a lot of wasted space, as we prefer not to dine with strangers. Be prepare to wait for around 15-20 minutes if you wanted a freshly cooked omelette as this station was very popular, although you could walk round the back and find another station. Also went to outdoor area for lunches close to the Waves bar for a welcome beer.

 

Ports

Tuesday morning, we alighted and walked into Naples. A very busy city and trying to cross the roads was a real problem as the Italians simply do not stop even on designated crossings. Went for a coffee and trooped up via Toledo but not really much different than walking around your own town and not really much to see. After less than 2 hours, we were back on the ship and relaxed on the balcony.

Wednesday morning docked at 6.00am in Civitavecchia on pier 12 Bis (N) and I was first off the ship and decided to walk all the way to the railway station and was on the train at 6.45am which was in the station. There was no sign of any shuttle at that time in the morning. My Wife decided not to bother with Rome, so I went alone. Off the train at Roma Ostiense and took the subway to Piramade for the 2 stops to the Colosseum. I had pre-booked my ticket and was there when the gates opened at 8.30am and straight inside. Took a few photographs and then headed for the Trevi fountain which were being cleaned and the fountains were not working. Walked then to Spanish steps and then to the Pantheon which was lovely inside. Quick walk to Piazza Navona and then headed across the river to Castel Sant 'Angelo and climbed to the top for a few more pics. Proceeded up the main street to the Vatican which was busy to say the least as it had been the weekly audience with the Pope. Past the security check but never made it into St Peters Square as at 11.15am, everybody was leaving and the police were blocking entry until 1.00pm.

Headed to the station at Roma S. Pietro and back on the train at 12 Noon to Civitavecchia. No shuttle bus around at the station and so walked it all the way back to the ship.

Thursday morning paid 5 Euros on the pier for a shuttle into Livorno to pick up a pre-booked coach by Tuscany Bus to Pisa which left at 10.00am. 2 hours in Pisa was long enough to see the Tower, Cathedral and the Baptistery. Bit of a trek from the car park to Miracle Square, going through a housing estate, over the railway line and trying to avoid all the African sellers of watches, sunglasses, etc.

 

Friday took the 10.05am tender to Cannes which we had booked on the TV screen in the cabin. Had a lovely coffee in a harbour restaurant and decided to walk to the old town. Followed a sign which took us climbing a steep hill which ended up at a church and never really saw Le Suquet* .

Headed back into the harbour and trooped along La Croisette looking at the very expensive shops before returning to the ship for lunch.

Final day was Marseilles which saw rain for the first time. Found the green line when getting off the ship, went past the Seaman’s club and boarded the port free shuttle bus into Marseilles. NCL will charge you $15 for their shuttle. However, the rain was pretty bad so headed straight back to the ship.

 

Entertainment

Priscilla Queen of the desert was excellent. Found it interesting that they warned families that it was not suitable for children because of the course language and sexual innuendos, but nobody moved.

Listened to Siglo in The Cavern who were a good rock band. Most evenings, sat around the Shakers cocktail bar and had a few Black Russians and Pina Coladas and listened to various piano players/singers. We had the UBP which was good to try various cocktails and not worry about the cost. Tried the Bliss lounge one evening which was karaoke night which was not our favourite and the atmosphere was flat.

 

Overall

 

A very relaxing cruise with good service from Orlando, our cabin steward. One comment about the general waiting staff around the Garden Café was that they did not appear to be enjoying their job, never smiling or trying to make conversation. The staff however in the MDR's were very friendly and helpful.

Having previously sailed on the Pearl and the Jade, I would probably prefer these two Jewel class ships over the Epic.

Thanks for your review Blackburnrovers we live in Morecambe now but lived in rishton for 50 years so very near to rovers