No WOW FACTOR with Epic ?

[time2cruise1]

Ok, I can respect that but are you saying it's ok for me to compare QM2 with EPIC because they are the same size?

 

Ernie

 

What I was clearly saying is the Freedom class and Epic are comparible. I never understood the comparison to the Oasis other then they are both new ships.

[eroller]

What I was clearly saying is the Freedom class and Epic are comparible. I never understood the comparison to the Oasis other then they are both new ships.

 

 

Ok. I stated my reasoning earlier as to why I think the two ships are comparable, and in fact many people do compare them.

 

Ernie

[jkurre]

I agree that the biggest wow that you getis when you pull up to the pier and look at the size of this ship. It is enormous and definitely towers above other ships docked at the same pier. When entering the ship, it is true that you enter into the casino which take up almost the entire deck of the ship. While the Crystal Chandelier is very beautiful it is just about the only wow on the entire ship. Took a cruise on the Gem last spring leaving from N.Y. and you were greeted with a complimentary glass of champange. Here if you went up to deck 15 (the pool deck) you were bombardered with people offering you welcome aboard drinks. Only after you took them, they asked you for your room card and promptly charged you almost $10.00 for the drink.:confused: That was very misleading.

[hat776]

Took a cruise on the Gem last spring leaving from N.Y. and you were greeted with a complimentary glass of champange. Here if you went up to deck 15 (the pool deck) you were bombardered with people offering you welcome aboard drinks. Only after you took them, they asked you for your room card and promptly charged you almost $10.00 for the drink.:confused: That was very misleading.

 

I think it is so unethical.

If I am lying on a lounger and a waiter is going round with a tray of drinks, I am not naive enough not to realise you have to pay for the drink. However, if I am offered a drink on boarding or during a sailaway party it's easy for me to be misled into thinking they are free. And it is soooooo embarrassing to return the glass and say "no thank you"

[sjbdtz]

I think it is so unethical.

If I am lying on a lounger and a waiter is going round with a tray of drinks, I am not naive enough not to realise you have to pay for the drink. However, if I am offered a drink on boarding or during a sailaway party it's easy for me to be misled into thinking they are free. And it is soooooo embarrassing to return the glass and say "no thank you"

 

 

That's why its important to listen to what people say.

 

If they say would you like a free rum punch, then you can reasonably assume its free.

 

If they say would you like to buy a drink, or would you like anything from the bar....it doesn't mean its free (and the bartender is also not an option....apparently. ;):p

[arpster]

'WOW! look where they put the sink!' :D

[Smokeyham]

Depends on the cruise line. Some lines actually have staff to escort you to your cabin, some greet you with a glass of champagne. Almost every line at least has a person (greeter) to welcome you onboard and perhaps hand out a map or point you in the right direction.

 

While not required, being "welcomed" is a nice touch and as they say, first impressions are lasting impressions.

 

Ernie

 

My experience with NCL has been that they had someone welcoming us aboard. It was a nice touch.

 

They used to hand us a glass of champagne or orange juice, but this seems to have been done away with, which I don't really mind since juggling the glass and carry ons could be a challenge. However, being greeted and welcomed aboard was nice.

[Mr. Luckytoo]

My experience with NCL has been that they had someone welcoming us aboard. It was a nice touch.

 

They used to hand us a glass of champagne or orange juice, but this seems to have been done away with, which I don't really mind since juggling the glass and carry ons could be a challenge. However, being greeted and welcomed aboard was nice.

 

Sorry but in this cost cutting era...it aint gonna happen.

 

I agree with you - not essential but nice.

 

However now that we've both indicated that NCL isn't doing those little 'extras' we will be flamed by those saying, 'you complain too much...you can't please some people...'

[eroller]

I don't think it's necessary for NCL to provide a glass of champagne upon arrival. NCL is after all a mass-market line, and this should not be expected. Now on Silversea, Regent, and Seabourn, absolutely!

 

This being said, NCL should absolutely have a cruise staff member stationed at the door, in uniform, and greeting passengers with a friendly smile and a warm "welcome aboard". I think this is standard stuff. Sorry, the man with the hand sanitizer doesn't count! LOL I have received this welcome on NCL before, and recently, so I think it's unique to EPIC that this isn't happening? Perhaps because EPIC is so new and I'm sure there is limited staff to accomplish everything (especially on turn-around day) NCL's finds themselves a bit short handed? In any case, hopefully they work this out, as EPIC is the flagship (and most expensive) ship in the NCL fleet, and passengers deserve a warm welcome. It's also something that is relatively easy for NCL to accomplish, at minimal cost, and it has passenger impact.

 

Ernie

[Cruiser 4 Life 66]

WOW, no Promenade Deck. That's always one of my favorite decks on a ship. Sitting in an outside but covered place in a comfy padded chair reading a book while experiencing the sounds, smell, and sight of the ocean going by.

[sdmike]

WOW, no Promenade Deck. That's always one of my favorite decks on a ship. Sitting in an outside but covered place in a comfy padded chair reading a book while experiencing the sounds, smell, and sight of the ocean going by.

 

Um, you can still do that, just at a different place.

[sdmike]

To be honest, I didn't even notice whether there was a "greeter" or not. I just don't care one way or another about this. It was neat for the kids to be announced when we were on DCL, but I seriously could not car less whether I'm greeted by a uniformed crew member, or champagne, or not. That's not why I'm cruising.

[hat776]

That's why its important to listen to what people say.

 

If they say would you like a free rum punch, then you can reasonably assume its free.

 

If they say would you like to buy a drink, or would you like anything from the bar....it doesn't mean its free (and the bartender is also not an option....apparently. ;):p

 

I admit I am not the most experienced of cruisers but neither do I live in the back of beyond. But I am experienced enough to realise that if someone asks me if I would like to buy a drink or whether I would like anything from the bar I wouldn't even dream that they were going to be free.

However if there is, for example, a sailaway party and a waiter offers me a drink from a tray than if I had never read any posts on CC, I might think they were free.

[sjbdtz]

'WOW! look where they put the sink!' :D

 

I admit I am not the most experienced of cruisers but neither do I live in the back of beyond. But I am experienced enough to realise that if someone asks me if I would like to buy a drink or whether I would like anything from the bar I wouldn't even dream that they were going to be free.

However if there is, for example, a sailaway party and a waiter offers me a drink from a tray than if I had never read any posts on CC, I might think they were free.

 

 

I guess I don't understand that. Even on our first cruise, when we first boarded (before they started doing champagne) they had drinks on a tray, and the waiter asked me if I'd like a drink...the next words out of my mouth were "how much are they?"

 

It would never occur to me to assume they were complimentary, without being expressly told.

[eroller]

To be honest, I didn't even notice whether there was a "greeter" or not. I just don't care one way or another about this. It was neat for the kids to be announced when we were on DCL, but I seriously could not car less whether I'm greeted by a uniformed crew member, or champagne, or not. That's not why I'm cruising.

 

 

 

For me, I enjoy having a nice welcome. This goes for a cruise ship as well as a hotel and even an airplane. On a cruise ship it seems even more important because I will be staying onboard usually 7-nights or longer. I don't think I ever stay more than a few nights at a hotel.

 

Having reached the 80+ cruise mark, what I notice most these days is the attention to detail. That is really what differentiates most of the lines in any given market segment. The food, service, and entertainment for the most part are very similar (with certain exceptions). Even many of the ships have become standardized. Carnival uses the Grand Class and Vista Platform for various brands as an example. It's the little things I now notice most, and they have a big impact for me. Perhaps this is why I enjoy Disney so much. They have the small details down to a science. It's also why I loved OASIS so much. The ship design was truly remarkable, and the attention to every little design detail was superb.

 

I've always been a person that really pays attention to detail. I do it at work as well. I probably notice "the little things" much more than the average person.

 

Ernie

[Mr. Luckytoo]

Ernie,

 

You mentioned something that I think is very important to understanding people's comments - their attention to detail. While I have only done 30% of the cruises that you have I too look to the details when I cruise. Heck I do that whenever I travel.

 

What's funny is that your comment about Disney is something that keeps my wife and I going to WDW time and time again. Little things like the night lights in our Epic cabin and the magnets in the curtains are things I notice.

 

Sometimes it's a combination of the little details that can lead to a WOW factor while other times its a lack of those same items that can disappoint.

[Jerseyboy1]

I guess I don't understand that. Even on our first cruise, when we first boarded (before they started doing champagne) they had drinks on a tray, and the waiter asked me if I'd like a drink...the next words out of my mouth were "how much are they?"

 

It would never occur to me to assume they were complimentary, without being expressly told.

 

Not to beat a dead horse....and I know this has been discussed before at length.....but..

 

Did it ever occur to people that some of the passengers may have thought the drinks were free because:

 

1. When they talked to friends about their experience on NCL, maybe they mentioned the "free" drink they got on a previous cruise...

 

2. NCL came up with the concept of Freestyle 2.0.....the embarkation drink and other things were part of that concept......NCL has never come out and changed the designation of their current edition of Freestyle....it's not really 2.0 anymore.....obviously some people still think it is and want their drink....

 

Sorry to say NCL like most companies, don't always go out of their way to make customers aware of all the things they change when it suits them. They would rather let the customer find out the hard way once they are on the ship, or if the customer was never aware of what was in place before, they probably think the customer will "never miss what they never had".

 

Penny wise...pound foolish....

[eroller]

 

Sometimes it's a combination of the little details that can lead to a WOW factor while other times its a lack of those same items that can disappoint.

 

 

So very true. The "wow" factor doesn't have to limit itself to physical spaces. Yes a beautiful atrium, a boardwalk, and a Central Park at sea certainly deliver the wow. But equally as important are the details, which in itself are a major wow. You can dine in the most beautiful restaurant in the world, but if the food, service, presentation, and quality are poor, the beauty of the physical space suddenly is meaningless.

 

This is my point with attention to detail. Little things can add up. For instance a WOW when you board the ship, perhaps something as simple as a greeting to being met by white gloved bellman to escort you to your cabin. Little things like towel animals and chocolates on pillows, to niceties such as a free shopping tote bag, or an umbrella in your cabin. How about always having that water glass filled, or the bartender that remembers your favorite drink even though he/she is serving hundreds of passengers.

 

As you mention, Disney is a master when it comes to detail. Every little thing is thought out and Disney knows how to make you feel welcomed and valued. On DISNEY WONDER, on the first night my parter and I were called by name when we sat down for dinner. We had never met the wait staff prior to that. That was a detail that impressed me, and it's something that doesn't even happen consistently on lines like Silversea.

 

I truly think NCL could really deliver an amazing product with just a little more attention to detail. For whatever reason, when I sail on NCL I just don't feel that professionalism as compared to other lines. Even Carnival has a certain degree of finesse in the way they deliver their product. It's how they got to be #1.

 

Ernie

[intrepid_guy]

This being said, NCL should absolutely have a cruise staff member stationed at the door, in uniform, and greeting passengers with a friendly smile and a warm "welcome aboard". I think this is standard stuff. Sorry, the man with the hand sanitizer doesn't count! LOL I have received this welcome on NCL before, and recently, so I think it's unique to EPIC that this isn't happening? Perhaps because EPIC is so new and I'm sure there is limited staff to accomplish everything (especially on turn-around day) NCL's finds themselves a bit short handed? In any case, hopefully they work this out, as EPIC is the flagship (and most expensive) ship in the NCL fleet, and passengers deserve a warm welcome. It's also something that is relatively easy for NCL to accomplish, at minimal cost, and it has passenger impact.

 

Ernie

 

Nope, I think it is unique to people not paying attention. I was welcomed aboard at check in as I walked away, as I left the waiting area, as I scanned my card boarding the ship and as we walked on board. I was greeted plenty. I was also told "goodbye and thanks for sailing"

 

~Intrepid <-- Hello!

[sdmike]

Nope, I think it is unique to people not paying attention. I was welcomed aboard at check in as I walked away, as I left the waiting area, as I scanned my card boarding the ship and as we walked on board. I was greeted plenty. I was also told "goodbye and thanks for sailing"

 

~Intrepid <-- Hello!

 

that's better than getting told "get the hell off my ship", which is what my wife and I called Silas's 10:15am debarkation announcement that "all remaining passengers should exit the ship immediately". :)

[k9sar]

Ernie,

 

You mentioned something that I think is very important to understanding people's comments - their attention to detail. While I have only done 30% of the cruises that you have I too look to the details when I cruise. Heck I do that whenever I travel.

 

What's funny is that your comment about Disney is something that keeps my wife and I going to WDW time and time again. Little things like the night lights in our Epic cabin and the magnets in the curtains are things I notice.

 

Sometimes it's a combination of the little details that can lead to a WOW factor while other times its a lack of those same items that can disappoint.

 

agreed. It doesn't take much to swing an impression. LOVED the little magnets in the curtain but lost faith in the shipyard (or whomever screwed it up) with the obvious misalignment on the Atrium's big screen.

 

One thing that I did not mention before that made a big impact was the interaction with the officers. What I mean by that is there were times where people in uniforms (with multiple stripes) took time to stop and chat or to initiate a conversation in an elevator. One gentleman, and I can't recall his title but it seemed to be high-up in the food service rankings, stopped by my table and specifically asked how a certain dish was (one of the chicken-in-sauce items from the cafe). He seemed genuinely interested and continued the conversation for a bit before departing. My favorite was a young blond uniformed woman from the bridge. We were in the bridge viewing area and she was hanging a plaque on the door with the hours and such (one of those little details that were not complete prior to the handover to NCL). She inquired how we were enjoying our cruise and we easily entered into a discussion about the bridge operations and, in particular, the paper-clip path we took when we were unable to dock in Costa Maya. I applaud the crew, especially those who are not employed to 'serve' the guests. It would be easy to just hide in the bridge or operations center but they seemed to make the extra effort to visit with us commoners.

[Jimmys Chippy]

I have read some reviews on Cruise Critic where people have said tha on boarding Epic there is no "Wow Factor"

 

I find this hard to believe

 

It's based on an opinion they got from having actually been on the ship, something which you have yet to do, but it hasn't stopped you commenting over 700 times on.

 

For the record the best welcome we received from any cruise line was NCL, a lot of the crew turned out and we were handed a glass of wine too. That said it was the only thing they surpassed other cruise lines on as on the whole NCL were a load of toss.

[UK_Cruiser]

It's based on an opinion they got from having actually been on the ship, something which you have yet to do, but it hasn't stopped you commenting over 700 times on.

 

For the record the best welcome we received from any cruise line was NCL, a lot of the crew turned out and we were handed a glass of wine too. That said it was the only thing they surpassed other cruise lines on as on the whole NCL were a load of toss.

 

 

I would say chippy is the perfect name for you.

[NYSoccerFamily]

For those of you who need "little details" to fully enjoy your cruise,you can have them if you are a villa/suite guest. Like other things on NCL, Freestyle enables you to pay for things that are important to you. To others who don't need those little details to feel they are having a good cruise, then they can save money and not pay for them.

 

Upon arriving, we were quickly escorted to a priority waiting area, with snacks and drinks. We were greeted and welcomed by our conceirge. We were escorted to our courtyard area, where we dropped our carry-ons off in our room. We were served a wonderfully delicious lunch and had remarkable service in the Epic Club restaurant. (This was true throughout the whole cruise.)

 

We were given our own whole bottle of champagne for our sail away. We had an umbrella in our room, binoculars, robes, slippers, conditioner, and lotions, DVD player (and access to a DVD library), paper and pen, bar soap, as many as 3 towel animals on many nights, we had special treats delivered such as chocolate covered strawberries, chocolate chip cookies and fruit platters, and more. Our ice bucket was always filled with ice.

[NYSoccerFamily]

I accidentally hit post reply before I was done, so I will continue.

 

As I said, NCL does deliver the "little details" if you want to pay for them and if you'd like to save that money for something that is more important to you, then you can.

 

I am always surprised when I hear people say the crew was not friendly. We left the ship knowing the names, countries, life details, of many, many of the crew and were called by name by everyone we took the time to get to know. When we would be together going to a show in the evening, even my kids were being stopped and greeted by crew they had gotten to know throughout the day. On the last day, we had to make the rounds to say our goodbyes and give hugs to many crew members. We purposely took the time to get to know crew members and were rewarded with their friendship. We did not (extra) tip till the end, yet felt we received excellent service from everyone anyway. They remembered us, what we liked to drink/eat, our names, where we were from, etc. I kept commenting that they made you feel as if it was their life's goal to please us.

 

As far as no wow factor, our family would disagree. We were definately wowed. I guess some people are jaded by past experiences. It surprises me when people say they have been to a port before and so it is boring to them and they don't wish to get off. We can find something fun and interesting to do where ever we go-even in our own town. Especially if you are travelling with people you enjoy having fun with.

 

I feel bad for people who spent a week (or more) of their life on the Epic (not to mention the money) and didn't have the spectacular time we did.

 

With freestyle, you get what you want if you pay for it and if you don't want it you don't have to pay for it.