Live From EPIC 4th September 2010 - 18th September 2010

[UK_Cruiser]

Hi

 

Not a full blog but just a few notes from our EPIC cruise:

 

Pre Cruise

We stayed at Sofitel, Blue Lagoon Miami. Really nice hotel with a great bar and restaurant. Place was full of cruisers waiting to board the EPIC the next morning. On Saturday we took the hotel shuttle to the Port which was $10 per person for approx 20 minute drive.

 

Day 1

 

Arrived at Port at 11:30AM. Porter took bags from us, we entered Terminal C, checked in by 11:40 and on board by 12PM ! Really Easy and yes we entered into Casino. People had said there is no WOW factor but this is not true. Loads of Wows could be heard. Casino is massive. This is our first NCL Cruise, for those that have sailed RCI Freedom Class, imagine their casino and multiply by at least 4 ! It is Massive ! Explored all the decks and quickly familiarised ourselves with the location of all the restaurants and bars. Rooms ready at 2PM prompt, luggage was delivered at 3PM. Muster was total chaos but over in 20 minutes max. We had lunch in O'Sheehans which we love and Dinner in Manhattan Room which we hate. It is a nice looking restaurant but total unorganised Chaos. Food was poor and we wont be visiting Manhattan Room or Taste again. Blue Man group was good fun and we also tried Howl which we enjoyed and finished the evening in Spice.

 

Day Two

Breakfast at The Great Outdoors was nice, we then attended the Cruise Critic Meet and Mingle which was very well attended by approx 50 people. We all then went on an organised Cabin Crawl. Just about everyone agreed that the AFT Penthouse Suite was the favourite although everyone was pleasantly surprised by the size and comfort of the inside cabin and also Studio Room. Then off to Casino for slot pull where 28 of us put in $5 each and lost the lot in 30 minutes. Tracy and I then had lunch and drinks in O'Sheehans with Tony (ToffeesDad) and his lovely wife Julie. They were great fun and we hope to catch up with them again later in the week. Then off to Spice to sit in the hot tub for 2 hours chatting to others and then back to room to get ready for the evening. We had a glass of champagne in Champagne bar then dinner at La Cucina which we really enjoyed. Good food in a lovely setting overlooking front of ship. Great service. We then popped into Howl which wasn't so good tonight and then off to the White Hot Party in Spice which was really well attended. I would say at least 250 - 300 people, maybe more. We danced and drunk until about Midnight then hit the sack as we had Costa Maya in Morning ! Or did we ??????

 

Day 3

 

Answer is NO. No Costa Maya today as high winds and seas have made it impossible to dock. However we are squeezing it in on Wednesday hopefully which is good as Weds is my 40th !!

 

So a day at sea today. Lovely and hot and sunny but very windy and seas are massive ! Huge waves but somehow no ship movement at all. You would never know.

 

We have just had lunch at Noodle bar which was fantastic and we will definitely be visiting there a few more times in the next 2 weeks. Tonight we will try the buffet.

 

Summary so far

 

We love this ship, it is fantastic

 

We hate Manhattan Room. What a shame as it is such a lovely venue but the organisation is a joke. 30 - 40 minute wait for a table and once you are inside it is like eating in a huge McDonalds or Burger King. Don't know why we even bothered making an effort to dress nicely as most people were dressed like tramps. Are Jeans allowed ? It seems they are compulsory and the more ripped the better.

 

Spice H20 is a brilliant venue day and night but difficult to get a sun lounger.

 

Anyway that is all for now as we are off for Ice Cream and more sun

[sdmike]

Hi Mike!

 

Jeans are allowed in Manhattan, even at dinner. Too bad people wore ratty clothing. Not sure what your expectations were compared to mine, but we didn't find anyone's attire in the dining rooms offensive. I wasn't a fan of the food at Taste/Manhattan, so we chose to eat at the buffet most of the nights.

 

I also find it amazing how well attended events at Spice H2O are. It was a ghost town when we were on the ship. Nobody attended any of the events, and more than once we wandered back there in the late evening (9-10) and it was empty except for a DJ.

[jsinohio]

Enjoy your cruise...thanks for taking the time to check in. That's unfortunate about Manhattan, but so many other good choices!! Great to see you've had some positive experiences elsewhere. :)

.

.

.

[Bars7816]

I'm getting the vibe that the NCL MDR's have changed over the years, and not for the better. Could it be because of the proliferation of dining venues charging a fee? Say it ain't so! This will be our 4th NCL cruise, so we will have an opportunity to test this theory. Totally looking foward to O'Sheehans. :cool:

[CaliforniaDreamer]

Hi

 

Not a full blog but just a few notes from our EPIC cruise:

 

Pre Cruise

We stayed at Sofitel, Blue Lagoon Miami. Really nice hotel with a great bar and restaurant. Place was full of cruisers waiting to board the EPIC the next morning. On Saturday we took the hotel shuttle to the Port which was $10 per person for approx 20 minute drive.

 

Day 1

 

Arrived at Port at 11:30AM. Porter took bags from us, we entered Terminal C, checked in by 11:40 and on board by 12PM ! Really Easy and yes we entered into Casino. People had said there is no WOW factor but this is not true. Loads of Wows could be heard. Casino is massive. This is our first NCL Cruise, for those that have sailed RCI Freedom Class, imagine their casino and multiply by at least 4 ! It is Massive ! Explored all the decks and quickly familiarised ourselves with the location of all the restaurants and bars. Rooms ready at 2PM prompt, luggage was delivered at 3PM. Muster was total chaos but over in 20 minutes max. We had lunch in O'Sheehans which we love and Dinner in Manhattan Room which we hate. It is a nice looking restaurant but total unorganised Chaos. Food was poor and we wont be visiting Manhattan Room or Taste again. Blue Man group was good fun and we also tried Howl which we enjoyed and finished the evening in Spice.

 

Day Two

Breakfast at The Great Outdoors was nice, we then attended the Cruise Critic Meet and Mingle which was very well attended by approx 50 people. We all then went on an organised Cabin Crawl. Just about everyone agreed that the AFT Penthouse Suite was the favourite although everyone was pleasantly surprised by the size and comfort of the inside cabin and also Studio Room. Then off to Casino for slot pull where 28 of us put in $5 each and lost the lot in 30 minutes. Tracy and I then had lunch and drinks in O'Sheehans with Tony (ToffeesDad) and his lovely wife Julie. They were great fun and we hope to catch up with them again later in the week. Then off to Spice to sit in the hot tub for 2 hours chatting to others and then back to room to get ready for the evening. We had a glass of champagne in Champagne bar then dinner at La Cucina which we really enjoyed. Good food in a lovely setting overlooking front of ship. Great service. We then popped into Howl which wasn't so good tonight and then off to the White Hot Party in Spice which was really well attended. I would say at least 250 - 300 people, maybe more. We danced and drunk until about Midnight then hit the sack as we had Costa Maya in Morning ! Or did we ??????

 

Day 3

 

Answer is NO. No Costa Maya today as high winds and seas have made it impossible to dock. However we are squeezing it in on Wednesday hopefully which is good as Weds is my 40th !!

 

So a day at sea today. Lovely and hot and sunny but very windy and seas are massive ! Huge waves but somehow no ship movement at all. You would never know.

 

We have just had lunch at Noodle bar which was fantastic and we will definitely be visiting there a few more times in the next 2 weeks. Tonight we will try the buffet.

 

Summary so far

 

We love this ship, it is fantastic

 

We hate Manhattan Room. What a shame as it is such a lovely venue but the organisation is a joke. 30 - 40 minute wait for a table and once you are inside it is like eating in a huge McDonalds or Burger King. Don't know why we even bothered making an effort to dress nicely as most people were dressed like tramps. Are Jeans allowed ? It seems they are compulsory and the more ripped the better.

 

Spice H20 is a brilliant venue day and night but difficult to get a sun lounger.

 

Anyway that is all for now as we are off for Ice Cream and more sun

 

Thanks for checking in with us!

 

Sounds like you had a lively roll call. Ours have a lot of people signed up for the M & G but hardly any response to Cabin Crawl or Slot Pull. I'd love to do the cabin crawl.

 

Looking forward to hearing more.

[AussieKathy]

Thanks for taking the time to post. I hope you make all the ports!

[shimmy80]

Thanks for the post. Looking forward to reading more.

I SOOOOO can not wait til it is our turn :)

[UK_Cruiser]

Hi Mike!

 

Jeans are allowed in Manhattan, even at dinner. Too bad people wore ratty clothing. Not sure what your expectations were compared to mine, but we didn't find anyone's attire in the dining rooms offensive. I wasn't a fan of the food at Taste/Manhattan, so we chose to eat at the buffet most of the nights.

 

I also find it amazing how well attended events at Spice H2O are. It was a ghost town when we were on the ship. Nobody attended any of the events, and more than once we wandered back there in the late evening (9-10) and it was empty except for a DJ.

 

Yep Spice has been rocking both nights so far. Really party atmosphere out here !

 

With regard to dress in Manhattan Room I knew you could wear Jeans and that's great but seriously I doubt some even bothered showering befiore dining. This [NCL] is so different to RCI but I actually prefer this. The Speciality restaurants all look fantastic and so far so good as far as food is concerned (apart from Manhattan). Most people I have spoken to on here agree by the way.

[iceman2a]

Thanks for checking in UK! Enjoy the rest of your cruise and look forward to full review when you get back!

[Let'sGoNow]

We sailed the week of 8/21 and didn't find the Manhattan Room chaotic at all. Never had to wait (we dined around 8:00pm) and the majority of people dressed nice. We enjoyed listening to the band and watching people dance. Manhattan Room was a pleasant surprise for all of us.

[orangegrove]

Sorry to hear Manhattan was not to your liking. We ate there for breakfast nearly every day because it was empty and I thought the food was pretty good. I don't recall eating dinner there, but we did enjoy Taste the 2x we ate there.

 

I'm looking forward to more of your thoughts and am glad you are enjoying things so far! :)

[CP50]

Thanks for the update and enjoy your cruise!

[mitsugirly]

 

I also find it amazing how well attended events at Spice H2O are. It was a ghost town when we were on the ship. Nobody attended any of the events, and more than once we wandered back there in the late evening (9-10) and it was empty except for a DJ.

 

I'm thinking if it's deserted when we arrive, all the cc members should make it a party for them with the DJ :D We will liven up the place. I think we have over 100 members so far and counting. :eek:

 

Thanks for reporting back UK. Glad you are enjoying yourself. I will see you on Saturday (or Sunday during the meet and greet) :)

[sdmike]

Good luck on your tests, Mitsu. I hope you get to enjoy the anticipation soon! Oh, don't think with all these reviews you're gonna get out of writing one. We expect a full report of the "dual studio" trip, complete with pictures. :)

[mitsugirly]

Good luck on your tests, Mitsu. I hope you get to enjoy the anticipation soon! Oh, don't think with all these reviews you're gonna get out of writing one. We expect a full report of the "dual studio" trip, complete with pictures. :)

 

Thanks for remembering King Mike. It's going to be a very rough and stressful week for me. Even more than ever since my mind will be elsewhere (other than my exams).

 

I'll make sure I give a full review when I return. However, it might take awhile. I come back from the cruise and will start right back to school. So, it's going to be rough. :(

[lderosa920]

Thanks for posting, UK. Can't wait to hear more!

[coffeebean]

Hi Mike...

 

I've been looking forward to your experience on board Epic. So glad to hear you describe the ship as "fantastic". Too bad about Manhattan Room and the vibe you got from that venue. I've read many times how the food and service was great and there is no need to pay extra for the specialty restaurants. I usually don't listen to those as I know the difference between the specialty restaurants food and service to the MDR restaurants. NCL ships have always given us a superior dining experience than any experience we have had in a MDR. Now we don't ever go to the MDRs.

 

Can't wait to try O'Sheehan's, especially the chicken pot pie that I've heard about from many posters. Is O'Sheehan's very smokey from being in close proximity to the casino??? I'm so afraid my sister and BIL will not enjoy it in there as they are soooo sensitive to cigarette smoke.

 

Wondering why How at the Moon wasn't so good the one night you were there? I've read there are new musicians since the last cruise and wondering if they are as good as the ones who were on board initially. Was it the crowd that made Howl not so good? I've never been to a venue like that on land or sea but I've read that the crowd has a lot to do with it being lively.

 

Have they added any shade at all to Spice H2O for during the day?? Wondering is folks have made requests for them to provide more umbrellas for that area.

 

Now that school has started for most of the kids here in the US, are you finding the ship to be less crowed with children and teens?? How about deck 15...does it seem more quiet in the pools than what other posters have described??

 

Have a great time the rest of the days you are on board this beautiful ship. Waiting to hear more.

[maja]

Hi Mike!

 

 

I also find it amazing how well attended events at Spice H2O are. It was a ghost town when we were on the ship. Nobody attended any of the events, and more than once we wandered back there in the late evening (9-10) and it was empty except for a DJ.

 

Could it be that the "older folks" have had their fill of nightlife after seeing a show & retire to their cabins & the "younger folk" prefer Bliss Lounge?

[samnewbie]

Hey Mike!

 

Glad you are both having (overall) a fab fab time!! Was wondering how you were getting on and if it was meeting your expectations (or surpassing them!). Shame about the Manhattan and Taste though :( but at least it's all been good otherwise.

 

Shame about Costa Maya too but at least it is your birthday tomorrow!!!

 

Enjoy the rest of your cruise, have a blast and have a really brilliant 40th tomorrow!! - Will raise a glass for you and sit green with envy! :D

 

Sam :)

[intrepid_guy]

I'm getting the vibe that the NCL MDR's have changed over the years, and not for the better. Could it be because of the proliferation of dining venues charging a fee? Say it ain't so! This will be our 4th NCL cruise, so we will have an opportunity to test this theory. Totally looking foward to O'Sheehans. :cool:

 

Food is subjective. Completely subjective. What someone else does not like you may love. My party of five enjoyed meals in both Taste and Manhattan. I do not feel the quality has suffered much over the years. True, the portions are smaller, but to me the food is just as good.

 

~Intrepid <-- still, though, liked Moderno best

[sdmike]

as an aside...hey Intrepid, what does this mean?

 

NORWEGIAN GEM -------- 04/24/10--Venice, IT----- Greece --- 11152 CANCELLED due to EYJAFJALLAJOKULL

[2inTul]

as an aside...hey Intrepid, what does this mean?

 

NORWEGIAN GEM -------- 04/24/10--Venice, IT----- Greece --- 11152 CANCELLED due to EYJAFJALLAJOKULL

 

See here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eyjafjallaj%C3%B6kull

[sdmike]

See here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eyjafjallaj%C3%B6kull

 

Ah! Thanks. I remember those disruptions. I just didn't remember the name of the volcano. Appreciate the link. Sure is a mouthful. :)

[UK_Cruiser]

Ok first of all we take it back Re: Dining rooms. We ate in Taste on Monday night instead of Buffet and it was a nice meal and very nice experience. We have cracked it now, the trick is to eat early. We ate around 7:15 and it was totally different to the previous experience in Manhattan. However, on the way out of Taste at 8:30 there were about 40 people waiting in line for a table. Popped up to Manhattan and that was the same. After Taste we ended up in Fat Cats to see Slam Allen.......WOW ! I wouldn't pay for Cirque but I would pay to see Slam Allen he is amazing.

 

Day 4

Roatan.......Our first Port of Call

 

We took the excursion to Tabyana beach which was great. Arrived there about 11AM and last bus back to the boat was 3:30PM. Lunch was burgers, hot dogs, chicken and fruit. No real choice for a Vegetarian or non meat eater other than the fruit and Rice & Beans. Food wasn't very good to be honest. Sun Loungers are available and a drinks service with beers at $3.00 each. Jet Skis available @ $65 for one person for an hour or $95 for two people on a Jet Ski for an hour.

 

This evening we ate at the Noodle Bar and saw Slam Allen again in Fat Cats and then an early night.

 

Day 5

We awoke at 7am to see us docking in Cozumel. Captain changed Cozumel to today and Costa Maya to tomorrow due to size of ship and after speaking to Ports decided to change to avoid over congestion in ports. We took breakfast in Taste which was very nice and then went ashore for the Fury Catamaran snorkel trip. Great fun. Snorkelling not bad and then an hour on a lovely private beach. All drinks on boat and on beach are included. Lunch is $9 extra and was burgers and hot dogs again. We decided to wait until back on ship and we tried buffet for first time. Tonight Tepanyaki for my Birthday meal.

 

Weather has been fantastic and really good atmosphere on this ship. All events seem well attended. Casino is packed every night and all entertainment venues have been great fun.

[lderosa920]

Happy Birthday, Mike! Glad to hear you are enjoying your cruise :)