dolita22

We flew out two days prior to our cruise on Friday, January 16. With cruising in winter and flying out of Wisconsin, we’ve flown out two days early the past few years, and that helps us arrive in Florida relaxed and ready to cruise. We had a direct flight from Milwaukee to FLL, which was smooth and on time. The flight was full, as usual these days. A short 2 hours, 25 minutes later… hello, sunny Florida! I’m still amazed that a 20+ hour drive can be cut down to under 3 hours when flying.

We stayed at the Hampton Inn Fort Lauderdale Airport/South Cruise Port. The hotel met our needs and was convenient to the airport, but you can tell how frequently hotels in that area are used by cruisers and others, and the hotel could be better about keeping up with the wear and tear. The parking lot was empty, but the hotel was mostly full, so we’re guessing many took advantage of the free shuttle to and from the airport.

I’ll skip the part about our two days in Fort Lauderdale, since this is a cruise-focused review. Suffice it to say, we had a good time relaxing and not being in the cold of the Midwest: ran errands, hit Hollywood Beach, sat by the dinky little pool at the Hampton Inn, wishing we could have used the one at the Quality Inn that we overlooked next door (pool bar included, which wasn’t accessible to us), and getting ready to sail the Epic!

Boarding the Epic

We’ve used QLS to shuttle to and from the cruise port and used them again this year. We’d reserved an 11 a.m. shuttle pickup from FLL. We had a rental car that we returned to FLL the day of the cruise, and QLS was communicative and right on time at picking us up. It’s a bit crazy at the pickup point in FLL, because buses are also at the same point, taking cruisers to their ships. Long lines, lots of people and not very organized. It would have been nice if there was section of the pickup area for buses only and the other portion for other forms of transport. But I digress. We found the QLS shuttle, and I think we had the same shuttle driver we’ve had in years past. Not sure of his name, but he’s always been courteous and efficient. We had a mostly-full shuttle, but stopped at the Super 8 near the airport to pick up a family, then were on our way to the POM!

Those of us boarding the Epic were the first to be dropped off. Porters were right there to take our luggage, soda and water, and off we went to check in. Yes, we take on cases of Diet Coke, because NCL serves only Pepsi products, and bottled water. We do drink the ship’s water, but bottled water is nice to take on excursions or have when we’re lounging on deck and don’t want to run to the buffet to grab some.

After dropping everything off, through security we went. We had our passports in hand, since staff at the door prior to security wanted to see them and our eDocs. When going through the metal detector, staff told us to hold on to our passports. As I learned last year in FLL airport when the TSA was randomly checking IDs (which was my passport) right after we walked through the metal detector, there’s a chip in them that sets off the detectors. My DH went through at the POM holding his passport, as instructed, and the detector went off. He’d forgotten about the chip, but that was the first thing I thought of. I tried to tell him this, but the security guard had him go through again…and again. Finally, they pulled him off to the side, did a pat down and found nothing. Meanwhile, right before I went through, I told the security guard there’s a chip in the passport and that’s why the detector was going off. She didn’t believe me, had me go through with it, detector goes off, I hand it to her, she tries it, and lo and behold, no noise! Anyway, just FYI in case they tell you to hold on to your passport when going through the metal detector when arriving at the POM. We were not annoyed or frustrated by it, but it is somewhat surprising that people in those industries aren’t aware that the chip in passports sets off metal detectors.

After security, we stopped at the table to pay the corkage for three bottles of champagne we’d brought on board. I love champagne and have since gotten my husband to love it. One of our greatest enjoyments on a cruise is sitting on our balcony at night drinking champagne. In line we went, after completing the health questionnaire, which included the ebola question.

We’d arrived around 12:15, and there were lines, but we were on the ship by 1 p.m. That was a fast boarding. After our Epic cards were printed and pictures taken, we were able to walk right on board. Yippee!

We are getting 6-8 inches of the fluffy white stuff here in Wisconsin today, so what better way to spend a snowy day than reminisce about our week on the Epic in the warm, sunny Caribbean a few weeks ago? I’ve never written a review on Cruise Critic before, though have contributed by responding to posters’ questions, so please bear with me. What’s included in this review are our thoughts and impressions; others may have different experiences. I’m hoping to post a few pictures at the end of the review, either tonight or in the coming week if I can figure it out, though I have more island pictures than inside-the-ship pictures.

Background: My DH and I are nearing our mid-30s and have sailed NCL before – once for him and twice for me. I’ve also cruised Carnival and RCCL, and he’s sailed on Azamara. We got engaged while sailing the Epic in 2013 and wanted to sail once more before the ship moved to Europe for the foreseeable future. We sailed RCCL for our honeymoon last year, but decided NCL fits our cruising persona better. RCCL just doesn’t do Freestyle as well as NCL, IOO (in our opinion :). We are pretty easy to please in general, but travel frequently and know what we like.

I may throw in a few comparisons between the two lines, but for the most part, this review will focus on our week-long Epic sailing from January 18-25, 2015.

I won’t review day-by-day details, but instead will review by bits and pieces, ranging from our room to service to ports and excursions, along with other items in between. And yes, I will finish this review. It’s still snowing and we are hunkered down for the day/night, so it will be completed!

Joining us were two first-time cruiser friends, also in their 30s. She had been to an all inclusive in Mexico before, and was curious about cruising, and he had not yet done either. They will be getting married this year and are deciding where to honeymoon next winter – an AI, a cruise, or elsewhere. In addition to satisfying their curiosity about cruising, this trip aimed to help with their honeymooning decision. Plus, who wouldn’t want to escape the cold, snowy Midwest in the middle of January?

To be continued…

January 18th is a school holiday week? How do schools have a week of holidays barely two weeks after Christmas?

 

We chose that week because we figured kids would be mostly in school. I had a hard time figuring out why there were so many kids so soon after the holidays.

We were also on your sailing and also picked that week thinking there would be fewer kids on board because Christmas break had been fairly recent. On our NCL excursion in Grand Cayman, we spoke with a woman from New Jersey and asked if she happened to know why there were so many kids from the east coast (her two high-school aged kids were with her). She said many of the Jewish schools in New York and New Jersey take a week-long break that week, since their kids don't have Christmas breaks. Not sure if that was the only reason or if people used the MLK holiday to take a week off, but we learned and won't be sailing that week again in the future! Too many unruly kids in general.

So sorry to hear!! :( I'm getting a little more nervous now:confused::rolleyes::cool:

Don't be nervous! We were on the sailing the week the after the OP and had nothing but pleasant experiences with all of the crew. Nearly all the room stewards and staff said hello to us in hallways, bar staff were friendly and efficient, and MDR staff were friendly too, despite the number of large groups on our sailing and being quite busy. We had one issue with a guest services staff member, but it was resolved on the ship.

I understand sailings can vary from week to week and the OP may have had experiences she hasn't yet posted about, but I can tell you our experience sailing the Epic was very good.

Go and enjoy your cruise!

How is the MDR food? Have seen mixed reviews about specialty restaurants - is there any that are must try or must avoid? FYI - not a huge meat eater. Any show that you just loved? The blue (can't remember the name) looks really interesting.

Cruising in 1 month so need to start with reservations - EXCITED!!

MDR food was very good, and has been each of the times we sailed the Epic (mostly recently on 1/18/15)! There were options for non-meat eaters on the menus. We have yet to eat in a specialty restaurant on NCL.

We liked Howl at the Moon. Legends in Concert was pretty good. Jimmy Buffet, Adele and Aretha Franklin were the singers. Jimmy Buffet was the best of the three, and looked and sounded like the real deal! Reservations needed for Legends, but not Howl. We never did see Second City.

I would recommend making reservations for the MDR, if you're planning to dine there. We didn't have reservations because we'd sailed the Epic before and not made MDR reservations and it was fine on that sailing...but this sailing was different. There were many large groups on our 1/18 sailing and we ended up waiting for dinner most nights. Defeats the purpose of Freestyle dining, which frustrated us, but would have made life easier had we made reservations, at least for a couple nights!

Have fun! The Epic is our favorite ship.

We just got off the Epic last Sunday. In ports, it was sunny and humid. Weather was in the upper 70s/low 80s. For us, it was never cool in port. We were in swimming suits, shorts and t-shirts.

In the dining rooms and around the interior areas of the ship, yes, I wore a light sweater or fleece pullover. It wasn't overly air conditioned, but I liked having an extra layer after being out in the sun all day.

When we were sailing back the last day/night into Miami is when it started getting cooler (grey and cloudy), and that's when those few extra layers were helpful.

That's an awesome upgrade! We were also on the Epic last week in a balcony, but there was no upgrade for us, nor did we anticipate one. We were just happy to be out of the cold in Wisconsin!

Enjoy your cruise!

Looking forward to your review and pictures! I dig reviews with pictures. :) I was considering writing a review, but haven't found much time to do laundry since arriving home, so not sure I will get to it.

We sailed the Epic the week after you for the second time and loved the ship as much as we did on our first sailing! Already planning our next cruise. :)

has the issue been fixed? I am sailing on the 8th, just curious.

We just got off the Epic on Sunday and the issues seem to have been fixed. We made it to all the ports on time and felt none of the shaking or vibrating some mentioned experiencing on the previous week's cruise.

Enjoy your time on the Epic!

The Epic is my wife and my favorite ship. I have no clue what the above poster is complaining about. The ship is big, but setup very well for easy navigation. The buffet is very easy to get to, and there is never a crowd that is not manageable (except right when you first board, but that is every ship). The bathroom setup was great for us. For some reason people hate it, not sure why as we found it much more useful then the standard tiny bathrooms. With the dining and drink package you will have an amazing trip, and the aft balconies are GREAT on the Epic. Over all the boat is a lot of fun and you will enjoy your trip very much. Enjoy!!

 

6&8

Ditto this! We also just got off the Epic on Sunday, our second time sailing that ship. We took some first-time cruiser friends along with us, and they expected to be bored but realized how much there is to do. We didn't reserve shows in advance, and looking back, I wish we would have. We also didn't reserve dining times in the MDR, because it seemed to defeat the purpose of Freestyle dining, IMO. Well, many others had reserved dining times, so we waited. It was fine, but would definitely try to reserve dining and shows in advance. You can always re-book shows or times once on board, as our friends had to do when they forgot about their Blue Man Group reservation.

Food in the MDRs was very good (we have yet to dine in a speciality restaurant on NCL), we loved our mid-ship balcony cabin (the bathroom setup doesn't bother us, either), and nearly everyone on the staff was friendly - they always said hello or good morning to us when passing in the halls. We just really enjoy all the Epic has to offer...though we also spent a lot of time relaxing on our balcony. That was the beauty of the Epic for us - lots to do if we wanted and quiet if wanted that.

The only times the ship felt crowded was when we were in the buffet a couple times -- embarkation day and after everyone had returned from shore excursions on Grand Cayman. Otherwise, everything was spread out enough that the number of people on board didn't both us much.

I hope you enjoy your cruise!

 

Basically my question:

How is the food on Epic compared to the average RCCL ship? How many free restaurants are there, and will I have mirco transactions everywhere like Oasis, or will it be more like Freedom where there are some paid things but plenty of free stuff too, (that is not sub par).

 

How are the pools? I know there's a water slide, but I more than anything would like to do swimming. A slide is ok, but a pool with proper deep water is more my style.

 

I read about a Chocolate night, where they have a set up with chocolate statues and all kinds of amazing desserts ready for people to eat. Something about a 2 hour time limit to gorge your self. (Sounds amazing)

 

And state rooms I have read are really small and impractical. If anyone has any information I would greatly appreciate it. ^_^

 

I am sure I'll find out for my self, but if you've sailed with both plenty of times, I would like to know your pros and cons list.

 

Thanks for reading.

 

-Kaya4114

We just got off the Epic on Sunday and sailed RCCL last year for our honeymoon. To answer your questions:

1. We only ate in the complimentary restaurants on the Epic last week - Taste and Manhattan MDRs, O'Sheehan's and the Garden Cafe (buffet). We also ordered room service for breakfast. Food was always very good, and there were plenty of options to choose from on the menu and in the buffet. We have yet to eat in a speciality restaurant on NCL. Food is very subjective, but we much prefer NCL's food to the food on our RCCL cruise last year.

2. The pools on the Epic aren't very deep. Maybe 4 feet? And they are not big, either. So, unfortunately, you may not get to swim laps or anything like that. Spice H20 has an adults-only pool, but it is pretty small. Not sure how deep that is, as there were too many kids (!) swimming in it on our sailing last week.

3. As a PP mentioned, there is no longer a chocolate night. However, there was always the chocolate molten volcano on the MDR menu for dessert each night. We really liked it, and it was our "fallback dessert" if nothing else appealed. :)

4. Not sure what type of stateroom you're in, but we had a mid-ship balcony. Yes, the rooms are small, but super functional and have a lot of storage. I actually like the rooms on the Epic; they are cozy and comfortable. The bathroom situation did not bother us, either. The studios are small (100 sq feet), but people like how functional they are. I think most cruise ship rooms are small, unless you're talking a suite/villa/etc.

In regards to nickel and diming, for some reason, many feel they are nickel and dimed on NCL. I'm not sure why, as all cruise lines offer for-free extras, allowing people to choose what they want to partake in or not. We haven't felt nickeled and dimed any more on one cruise over another. We didn't feel nickel and dimed at all on the Epic last year, nor on the RCCL Indy last year.

Sorry...got long winded. I hope you have a wonderful time on the Epic. We love that ship (got engaged in 2013 on our balcony, so sentimental for us). Wish we could sail once more before she moves to Europe!

Enjoy your cruise!

wow just took a chance for upgrade 12 days away from sailing out and was upgraded from a forward to nice mid awesome...

We just came off the Epic on Sunday and were in a mid-ship balcony on deck 11. We had a forward balcony a couple years ago and enjoyed it, but liked the mid-ship location a bit more. The extra walking to stairs turned out to be a good thing. :-)

Have a great cruise!

We brought along a small, portable speaker with us and connected my iPod to it. Loved using it on our Epic cruise last week. We brought it out to our balcony (kept the noise low in case neighbors were out) and enjoyed a beverage with it!

We have one similar to this: http://www.amazon.com/XBOOM-Portable-Rechargeable-Enhanced-Resonator/dp/B0082E9K7U/ref=sr_1_2?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1422381570&sr=1-2&keywords=portable+speaker

I shop at Florida Publix stores every week and none of the ones I've been in sell snorkel gear or any significant 'pool toys'

 

not sayin' the Publix you went in didn't .... but I don't think it is common . . .

Yeah, I have no idea which Publix we went in (there are so many!), but it was in Fort Lauderdale, maybe within 10 miles of the airport. So, I guess the Publix idea could be hit and miss, but like I said, just an idea if the OP happens to be near one and wants to wait until then to chance it.

Thanks for your review! We'll be sailing the Epic for the second time, leaving this Sunday. I'm glad to hear entertainment and food is still as good as it was on our first sailing, though I'm somewhat concerned about tendering in Grand Cayman. Hoping for calm seas!

We are some of the folks who will be bowling. :) It was kind of a challenge when we sailed the Epic last, because the seas were slightly rocky. Neither of us bowled over 100, but we had a great time doing it, and that is definitely on our to-do list for next week.

I know lots of people have recommended dive shops and websites, but if you don't want to spend a lot of money (I'm not sure how much dive shops and the like charge for snorkel equipment, so am guessing there), and you're cruising from Florida, stop at Publix. My DH and I bought snorkels and masks from there last year, and they were reasonably priced. My mask is even kid sized, so was like $4.99 (his was $9.99). I want to say the snorkels were around $10, too. We snorkeled three times on our last cruise and plan to snorkel again on our upcoming cruise, and the masks and snorkels held up very nicely.

Just another idea!

Hope it get's fixed. When they come back, I go out!!!

We're on your sailing, too! Hoping it gets fixed, but we'll have a great cruise regardless!

We print and laminate (with packing tape) our luggage tags at home, then use a hole punch and punch holes in both ends. My husbands tosses some zip ties in his luggage, and when we're getting ready at the hotel the day of our cruise, we use the zipties to attach the tags. Easy!

Not sure about aft, but my parents had a B6 large balcony on the Epic a couple years ago (we were in a BA) and it was definitely large! There were two loungers and one or two (can't remember) chairs + the dinky table.

My hubs printed our luggage tags off last week at work, so we were doing the luggage tag dance, too! Sailing for the second time on the Epic in less than two weeks. It's a whole 4 degrees here in WI today, so needless to say, we are very much looking forward to cruising soon!

Happy cruising all!

I'm following this with interest! Our first cruise is 3 weeks away on the Sky. I am hoping there will be happy hours and drink of the day on that ship too!

We sailed the Sky a couple years ago, and there was a drink of the day each day! My favorite was the Rebellious Fish. Planning to have a few on the Epic ina couple weeks!

(Not sure about happy hours, though.)

Have a great first cruise!

It is also curious to me why some people say the Epic is their favorite and have cruised on her multiple times (by choice, LOL), especially since most of the entertainment has not changed from the beginning, it's really hard to see the ocean except from your balcony, and the Caribbean ports have not been all that exciting. We were excited about Blue Man Group and enjoyed the other entertainment, but seeing it time after time? Perhaps they like the casino? Not sure, but we will be looking at a smaller ship for our next cruise.

We will be sailing the Epic for the second time in January; my parents will be sailing for a third time the week after us. For us, the Epic holds sentimental meaning. My now-DH and I got engaged while sailing in 2013. All of us wanted to sail once more before she moves to Europe, and my DH and I before we start a family. Plus, there were things on our first sailing that we didn't get a chance to do, so we'd like to check out those things again, in addition to the fun things we enjoyed on our first sailing.

Maybe a bit more of a unique reason than others have for sailing multiple times, but that's what it is for us. :)

I'm glad to hear people still seem to enjoy the Epic for the most part. Glad you had a nice cruise!

We got engaged on the Epic during a cruise to celebrate my parents' 40th anniversary ini 2013, so the ship holds sentimental value for us. We're sailing on the January 18th sailing just to sail once more before the Epic moves over to Europe, and my parents and family friends are sailing the week after. So yes, we'll miss the Epic. We can't wait to get back on board in a few weeks!

NCL has studio cabins for solo travelers on the Epic, Breakaway and Getaway. With those, you don't have to pay a single supplement. Gatherings with other solo travelers are often organized for those in studio cabins, so you're able to meet people that way. Though I've never sailed in a studio (was supposed to a few years ago on the Epic, but ended up in a balcony), people who have seem to really enjoy them.

Here's a link to the NCL board: http://boards.cruisecritic.com/forumdisplay.php?f=107

Whatever you decide, have a wonderful, relaxing cruise!

No worries on carrying your own tumbler with soda around! We generally do that or carry cans chilled in our fridge.

As for getting the UBP vs. not getting it: We do as you will be doing - bringing our own soda on board and buying drinks as we go. We found that we drink around 2 or 3 drinks per day each, and fewer on days we are in port, so it wasn't worth the money to us to have the UBP.

Enjoy your first cruise!