N.E.S.S-Sign in here Epic Stalkers!

[cruisecrazyk]

I am so glad you had a great time! It is so good to hear great things about the Epic and look forward to reading your review and seeing your photos. I had to cancal my cruise on the Epic in Jan 2011 for financial reasons but hope to rebook for Dec 2011 or maybe earlier. I am taking my son and daughter-in-law (of course hubby also) who are in their mid twenties and booking 2 balcony rooms for us. Any feed back on the balcony rooms is appreciated. I believe the "kids" as we call them would have a blast on the Epic but they have never been on a cruise before. Do you think this would be a good intro to cruising? I know we are giving them the best starting out and I am afraid they will be disappointed if they cruise on a ship with less amenties later. Don't want to spoil them too much but I really want to try out this ship! Also on the flip side, I don't want them to be bored either.

[sdmike]

I am so glad you had a great time! It is so good to hear great things about the Epic and look forward to reading your review and seeing your photos. I had to cancal my cruise on the Epic in Jan 2011 for financial reasons but hope to rebook for Dec 2011 or maybe earlier. I am taking my son and daughter-in-law (of course hubby also) who are in their mid twenties and booking 2 balcony rooms for us. Any feed back on the balcony rooms is appreciated. I believe the "kids" as we call them would have a blast on the Epic but they have never been on a cruise before. Do you think this would be a good intro to cruising? I know we are giving them the best starting out and I am afraid they will be disappointed if they cruise on a ship with less amenties later. Don't want to spoil them too much but I really want to try out this ship! Also on the flip side, I don't want them to be bored either.

 

I have a lot of info on the balcony rooms. No need to get ones with connecting doors because you can open the balcony dividers and go from cabin to cabin that way. We did that with all three rooms we had. The door for the connectors only served to reduce the amount of storage space in the cabin.

 

You guys will love all there is to do on the ship. I would worry about spoiling everyone the first time on the Epic. I really don't think anything compares to it right now. There's just SO much to do, and everything is so spotless, new and tastefully done. I guess if you just warn them. :)

[mitsugirly]

I am so glad you had a great time! It is so good to hear great things about the Epic and look forward to reading your review and seeing your photos. I had to cancal my cruise on the Epic in Jan 2011 for financial reasons but hope to rebook for Dec 2011 or maybe earlier. I am taking my son and daughter-in-law (of course hubby also) who are in their mid twenties and booking 2 balcony rooms for us. Any feed back on the balcony rooms is appreciated. I believe the "kids" as we call them would have a blast on the Epic but they have never been on a cruise before. Do you think this would be a good intro to cruising? I know we are giving them the best starting out and I am afraid they will be disappointed if they cruise on a ship with less amenties later. Don't want to spoil them too much but I really want to try out this ship! Also on the flip side, I don't want them to be bored either.

 

 

Can you adopt me?? :D This is a wonderful ship to start out on. However, they will get spoiled and no other ship will live up to it after that. :eek: hehe j/k

[greenstuff]

Has anyone taken photos of the daily dining room dinner menus and posted them yet?

[mitsugirly]

Has anyone taken photos of the daily dining room dinner menus and posted them yet?

 

 

Yes, these were posted awhile ago. I can't remember which thread, but I downloaded them when they were posted. You can probably do a search. Meanwhile, if I run across them, I'll let you know.

 

Here's a link to a lot of the restaurants that were typed out. But there is a thread somewhere that shows a picture of the actual menus.

 

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1232127

[sdmike]

Hey guys. I posted my entire diary of the trip with a hundred or so pictures in a new thread. I also have about 1000 pictures posted on my Fotki site, but I can't post the link yet because I'm still uploading and I don't want you animals to exceed my bandwidth. I'll post it soon. :)

[mitsugirly]

Hey guys. I posted my entire diary of the trip with a hundred or so pictures in a new thread. I also have about 1000 pictures posted on my Fotki site, but I can't post the link yet because I'm still uploading and I don't want you animals to exceed my bandwidth. I'll post it soon. :)

 

haha Mike. There's no one in here anymore...they're all over on your thread oooing and ahhhing.

 

So when you post the link, is it going to be like the TA cruise and the guy posting the pictures? Were everyone will try to get on and not be able to see it and blow up the system? lol I'm queen bee, I need that link-message me. :D:eek: LOL

[hazeleyes]

Well guys, one glitch today. Someone took my son's cruise card out of the teen room (they put it in a binder to check out video games) and before we discovered it missing some little felon had run up over $150 in game room charges on all the video games. I was unhappy with how the attendant handled the issue and called the head of kids programs directly. It's also becoming a bit of a headache getting these fees getting taken off my account, but I will persevere. :) Of course now nobody is allowed to play the PS3 games in the teen club (jeez) until they come up with a new procedure for handling the cards. Oh well. We're not letting it rain on our parade.

 

Today we had dinner at O'Sheehans and had a meet and greet with the Blue Man performers. Still thinking buying a nice watch, but wife keeps giving me a dirty look. lol

 

Ok..check in with you all tomorrow!

 

Mike - I was so upset when i read what happened to your son and the card all then to deal with the aftermath was awful. I'm glad you were able to fix the problem, but i'm sure it was stressful. Did they ever find out who it was?

[hazeleyes]

Hey guys. I posted my entire diary of the trip with a hundred or so pictures in a new thread. I also have about 1000 pictures posted on my Fotki site, but I can't post the link yet because I'm still uploading and I don't want you animals to exceed my bandwidth. I'll post it soon. :)

 

OMG too funny! We as NESS Members should get first peek at all your wonderful pictures lol.

[hazeleyes]

Im glad that you and your family had a great time. I peeked at the pictures you posted on the other thread, they all look great, and you have a nice family. Just wanted to add that in. :)

[sdmike]

Debbie - I have no idea if they caught the little felon or not. With the machine records, the surveillance cameras and facial recognition software you'd think they could find him easily. It worked out in the end, but it sure was a hassle for a couple of hours.

[sdmike]

ok guys. Please don't post this link in the other forums. Since I don't have everyone's email, here ya go.

 

http://public.fotki.com/ritchiefamily/san_diego_family/2010-pictures/epic-cruise-public-/

[Adkmom]

Awesome thanks for all the photos looks like a great time I can't wait.:)

[PhoebeMiller]

ok guys. Please don't post this link in the other forums. Since I don't have everyone's email, here ya go.

 

http://public.fotki.com/ritchiefamily/san_diego_family/2010-pictures/epic-cruise-public-/

 

oh my gosh i don't know whether to thank you or accuse you of attempting to kill us N.E.S.S. sufferers with epic overdose! hahaha!... :p:p:p

[k9sar]

Question.... is it too late to become a stalker if I have already caught the Epic? lol. Ever since my brother, sdmike, made the reservations for this cruise, I had spent many long late evenings digging up information about the ship and what to expect when we got there. I must say, I was pleasently surprised once we boarded her. All my concerns about the room layout/size, activities, dining options for a group of 11, etc. were all put to rest quickly. There are a couple of items that I would have loved to know before going on the trip and I hope I can also help provide answers to your questions. In addition to what my brother posted in his review thread, here are a couple of tidbits:

 

1. Soda is expensive. It is a couple of dollars for a 16oz bottle from a vending machine and probably just as expensive if you tap the minibar in your room for a 12oz can. I do not remember the price of the unlimited fountain soda option but I believe that I calculated that I could not drink enough to make it worth-while and not make myself sick. On day 0, while wandering around the ship looking my last suitcase, I noticed that several people had 'checked' cases of soda as luggage. Make sure it's boxed or wrapped in plastic and slap one of your luggage tags on it. Just an option.

 

2. On all my cruises, I take a length of rope (3/16" braided poly or similar). I found locations on my Disney and RCI cruises to string a clothesline in the cabin and on the balcony for the Epic. It's nice to hang some wet things up to dry overnight and the only clothesline on the Epic is in the shower. I would hang swimsuits and other wet items on the line before going to bed and, for the most part, they were dry in the morning. The thing I would recommend is to not make your balcony look like a Laundry. Be discrete and utilize the chairs and a simple line at night. They ask that you do not hang items on the balcony but I always interperate that as 'balcony railing'. Also, take a half dozen clips with you. It gets windy sometimes and it would be a shame to lose your shorts at sea.

 

3. There are several channels of TV to watch, including 2 Nickelodeon channels BUT... they show the same shows and episodes all week. Don't count on seeing your favorites while onboard and, if travelling with kids, expect to be able to recite the entire episode of "iCarly: iSaved Your Life" in your sleep.

 

4. Soft Pretzel balls... fresh baked... Garden Cafe.... yum!

[sdmike]

Ha! Great adds, bro! I forgot about the tv repeats. What a nightmare for adults. Kids seemed fine with it. Also, we utilized our balcony chairs for drying stuff. Lessorganized than a line but works.

 

Doubly yum on the pretzel balls and soft serve. Two of the major food groups on the ship. :D

[mitsugirly]

Question.... is it too late to become a stalker if I have already caught the Epic? lol. Ever since my brother, sdmike, made the reservations for this cruise, I had spent many long late evenings digging up information about the ship and what to expect when we got there. I must say, I was pleasently surprised once we boarded her. All my concerns about the room layout/size, activities, dining options for a group of 11, etc. were all put to rest quickly. There are a couple of items that I would have loved to know before going on the trip and I hope I can also help provide answers to your questions. In addition to what my brother posted in his review thread, here are a couple of tidbits:

 

 

Welcome to the boards Mikes brother. It's never too late. :D

 

Glad you guys enjoyed your cruise. I'm counting down the days (40 more to go). :eek:

[hazeleyes]

Question.... is it too late to become a stalker if I have already caught the Epic? lol. Ever since my brother, sdmike, made the reservations for this cruise, I had spent many long late evenings digging up information about the ship and what to expect when we got there. I must say, I was pleasently surprised once we boarded her. All my concerns about the room layout/size, activities, dining options for a group of 11, etc. were all put to rest quickly. There are a couple of items that I would have loved to know before going on the trip and I hope I can also help provide answers to your questions. In addition to what my brother posted in his review thread, here are a couple of tidbits:

 

1. Soda is expensive. It is a couple of dollars for a 16oz bottle from a vending machine and probably just as expensive if you tap the minibar in your room for a 12oz can. I do not remember the price of the unlimited fountain soda option but I believe that I calculated that I could not drink enough to make it worth-while and not make myself sick. On day 0, while wandering around the ship looking my last suitcase, I noticed that several people had 'checked' cases of soda as luggage. Make sure it's boxed or wrapped in plastic and slap one of your luggage tags on it. Just an option.

 

2. On all my cruises, I take a length of rope (3/16" braided poly or similar). I found locations on my Disney and RCI cruises to string a clothesline in the cabin and on the balcony for the Epic. It's nice to hang some wet things up to dry overnight and the only clothesline on the Epic is in the shower. I would hang swimsuits and other wet items on the line before going to bed and, for the most part, they were dry in the morning. The thing I would recommend is to not make your balcony look like a Laundry. Be discrete and utilize the chairs and a simple line at night. They ask that you do not hang items on the balcony but I always interperate that as 'balcony railing'. Also, take a half dozen clips with you. It gets windy sometimes and it would be a shame to lose your shorts at sea.

 

3. There are several channels of TV to watch, including 2 Nickelodeon channels BUT... they show the same shows and episodes all week. Don't count on seeing your favorites while onboard and, if travelling with kids, expect to be able to recite the entire episode of "iCarly: iSaved Your Life" in your sleep.

 

4. Soft Pretzel balls... fresh baked... Garden Cafe.... yum!

 

 

Hey welcome to the group! Nope its never too late to join. I cant get enough of hearing all about the ship. I always take soda with me. We put it in a case / box put towels around it so it wont bust easy and put tape all around the box (normally a box like xerox paper), add printed name tags that i make myself on puter with Full Name, Cabin Number, and Ship Name on it and once we get to the port send it off. I've never had a problem, its always arrived safe. I even do the same thing with a case of watter bottles. My husband cant live without his water!

[hazeleyes]

Looking at the pictures on the link you posted. OMG the pool area at night looks so beautiful.

[maja]

Mike, thanks for all you've posted. I haven't checked the photo link yet.

 

Did way too much lurking this morning alread.

 

I have to go rest. :o In a quiet spot somewhere. :o Maybe meditate.:o

 

I AM ON NESS OVERDOSE RIGHT NOW. ;)

[pcreek]

ok guys. Please don't post this link in the other forums. Since I don't have everyone's email, here ya go.

quote]

 

 

Trying to get caught up here...(had a long weekend ).

 

Thanks so much for posting this link for us!! I cannot wait to read your review thread.. I noticed it last night, but knew I'd be up all night reading - and I need something to do at work this week - in between actually working, of course! :rolleyes:

 

Thanks for all your time & effort, Mike!

[pcreek]

Mike, thanks for all you've posted. I haven't checked the photo link yet.

 

Did way too much lurking this morning alread.

 

I have to go rest. :o In a quiet spot somewhere. :o Maybe meditate.:o

 

I AM ON NESS OVERDOSE RIGHT NOW. ;)

 

LOL TOOO Funny, Maja! :D

[dos equis]

Hey Mike,

 

Great pictures, awesome review. Thanks for taking the time to give us all this great information. I have a question for you. Forgive me if you already answered this and I just missed it. Where exactly were you in your pictures when you're on the sun deck with the wicker chairs with the orangey-red cushions? Didn't look like anyone else was really up there. Is that the public sun deck on deck 18? Or did you somehow manage to get to the private (suite/villa) sun deck? It looks like a nice place to choose for sailaway, so if you can make us privy to the process of getting up to that deck, I'd appreciate it! It looks so wonderful. Thanks :)

[hazeleyes]

Mike - Did your other family members ever sail on NCL before?

 

If so can they confirm that they did not have a welcome back gathering for all past guests.?

[Bgem75]

Mike,

I feel like a kid that has a sugar rush from too much cotton candy:eek:..but still cant get enough!!! lol.:D Thank you thankyou thankyou!! Your pics are awesome. Again thank you for sharing your trip with us and putting so much work into it so that we were able to see what we are in for!!

 

ps WELCOME MIKE'S BROTHER!!! NEVER TOO LATE TO BE A NESS MEMBER!!!!!