Epic (7-day starting on 8/28) Review, plus pics of Suite 16003

[goaliegirl]

Hi all,

 

We sailed on the Epic last week, and man, was it a great trip! My boyfriend (bakedjake) and I took our moms with us and splurged on a courtyard room, which was absolutely amazing!

 

We've sailed NCL before and we love it, but we typically prefer the smaller ships like the Spirit, so we weren't sure how the Epic would treat us. But, since we were taking our moms we wanted a variety of things to do on a great itinerary and Epic was it.

 

Ultimately, my BF and I will probably not go on the Epic again unless we manage to find time for a TA. Not because it was bad, but it just wasn't for us.

 

We love getting the spa passes and it seems EVERYONE was in the spa a couple of times we went. I know they limit the number of passes/people in the spa, but it was still pretty crowded. Other NCL spas haven't ever felt that way to me. Maybe it's because of the spa suites, and they do push the passes. The spa was gorgeous though. The baths were amazing, the dry sauna overlooking the water was wonderful, the balcony off the back of the boat was nice (people like to camp out there near sunset), and of course the heated stone chairs. :)

 

We saw BMG, which was really cool. We actually sat up away from the action, not knowing any better, and should have got as close as possible. It was still a really good show.

 

We also went to the Murder Mystery put on by Second City. I loved it! Naturally my BF and I had to get up in front of everyone and help with the improv. Yikes! LOL! We also went to the Second City improv show, which was hilarious.

 

The moms and I went to Headliners one night -- that was fun too!

 

We ate at La Cucina, Teppanyaki and The Epic Club. We mostly ate at The Epic Club (it's convenient AND good) and hit the Garden Cafe/outdoor cafe for snacks. La Cucina was wonderful, as usual (although we REALLY wish they'd bring back the antipasto cart!). Teppanyaki was fun, my mom had never been. The chef seemed kind of new, but he was obliging. They can't do the "volcano" due to fire safety, but he did make a soy sauce "volcano". :)

 

We were re-routed from St. Maarten and St. Thomas to Roatan and Cozumel, with Nassau staying on our schedule. It was kind of a bummer because those were the ports we actually had plans for. Jake and I have yet to make it to St. Maarten and we a surprise for the moms on St. Thomas (private boat charter -- boat restaurant, sea turtles, snorkeling, shopping). It was alright though, we managed. :)

 

We usually don't make plans, only research the island a bit so we have some idea of what there is to do. We get off the boat, rent a car and go. That's what we did in Cozumel and it worked out GREAT. We had our powerfoil kite with us and were able to fly it on the other side of the island. Then we found a little restaurant and had some red snapper (and margaritas).

 

We did the same thing in Roatan, grabbed a car, and drove the island. We found a resort, paid $10 to go in and lay around for the day. They had a really nice pool, okay service, and a very nice little cove to snorkel/swim. It wasn't great for snorkeling, even though they rent snorkel equipment. We had our own. If you go to Roatan TAKE BUG SPRAY. The sand fleas seemed harmless at first but I'm STILL suffering residual effects and my BF looked like he had chicken pox.

 

Nassau is, well, Nassau. We did some shopping, the moms went back to the boat and Jake and I headed over to Atlantis to do a bit of gaming. :)

 

Oh, and Jake spent most of his time in the casino when he wasn't eating, sleeping or at the spa. :) The casino staff were very nice, maybe because we knew a LOT of them from the Spirit and the Gem. Hahaha! My ONLY complaint about the casino is why the heck do the bathrooms have to be all the way down at the end of the ship when the casino is in the middle? Weird.

 

He was playing poolside blackjack one day and they had to close it because lightning struck the ship! He said he actually felt the hair on the back of his neck stand up!

 

Oh, here's a tip: If you do get a courtyard suite, you can use the portable phone in your suite anywhere on the ship. You can call it from your room, or call the room from it. You can call your butler and have him bring you chocolate chip cookies and popcorn in the casino, with French press coffee. (Yes, there's a story there.) Hahaha!

 

We called CAS this week to enquire about booking our next cruise, which is what we usually do, and either they've really tightened down on comping cruises or we picked an insanely expensive time for our next one. We always go at Xmas/New Year's so I don't see how. We were only offered the customary 17% off for a balcony some cruises or a free inside room on another. With Jake's level of play, it should certainly be more than that, judging by our past cruises. We'll see, I guess.

 

All in all, the Epic was a great ship. The elevators weren't too much of a hassle, lots of great entertainment and dining options, and the courtyard was a great experience.

 

16003 pics:

[singinglizzie]

Wow, your pictures look amazing - thanks for posting. I enjoyed reading it!

[98vette]

Goaliegirl, the pictures are great and thanks for sharing! We sail on EPIC 10/9 with a bunch of CC cruisers. We are still very excited about cruising on her and forming our own opinions on her many attributes. We are in a Penthouse Suite and they look a bit odd by some of the pictures we've seen. It appears the bathroom is behind the bed with curtains pulled on each side for privacy. Seems like a strange setup but we'll see. The bath in the Courtyard suites look like a traditional bath and the setup looks great. Maybe next time (ha, ha ha).

[cruising ag]

Enjoyed reading your review ... pics are awesome!! The ship looks like it's overpowering the building it's docked next to :eek:

 

Glad you had a nice trip .. welcome back!

[rav4lady]

Nice review. Loved seeing the pictures. Are all the outside pool area pictures of the private courtyard area? That looks really nice, wish I would be staying there! Oh well!:D

[david_sobe]

Great review and amazing pictures. The inside shower picture in the Villa is a nice shot. I dont remember seeing one before.

 

How did you like the solarium?

[hencoll]

Thanks for sharing your review and pictures. It brings back great memories of our Epic TA cruise in June. We are looking forward to sailing in a CY Villa again next May but this time in the sunny Mediterranean.:)

[CP50]

Thanks for the wonderful review and pics. We will be in 16000, so I know I will be looking at your post daily. :)

[goaliegirl]

Great review and amazing pictures. The inside shower picture in the Villa is a nice shot. I dont remember seeing one before.

 

How did you like the solarium?

 

The shower was amazing. Seriously. I could have spent the whole week in there. Okay, maybe not, but it was HUGE and had an awesome view (with a slider curtain to pull down if you want).

 

Considering we specifically requested a balcony when we booked and were told SEVERAL times upon calling back that it was an "open air balcony" (even though from research on CC, we knew it was NOT) we were a little disappointed that we were correct. They gave us $150 OBC as an apology. We love having a balcony -- we like to get room service for breakfast and eat it there.

 

However, the solarium isn't all that bad. Some people prefer it, we're just balcony people. :)

[JMPZJMPZ1]

This is unbelievable!!! I just got an upsell call and accepted an upgrade to this EXACT cabin!!! Thank you for posting, it looks amazing - I leave on Saturday the 25th!!!!!!!!!!!

[98vette]

:D

This is unbelievable!!! I just got an upsell call and accepted an upgrade to this EXACT cabin!!! Thank you for posting, it looks amazing - I leave on Saturday the 25th!!!!!!!!!!!

 

 

Wow! If the price were right I would love to upgrade from my AC category to this one. Did they call you randomly or did you call them? It really doesn't matter I guess but I'm with you about the open air balcony....nothing quite like it!! We'll have to wait until 10/9 for our assessment. We wish you a safe and fun trip!!!:cool::)

[JMPZJMPZ1]

I actually bugged them to death (I know... Im bad) and then finally 2 days before the trip, I got the call. I am upgrading from a deluxe balcony (D3)to this 2 bedroom villa (A6)... the upcharge is $1500. We are really excited...even with the solarium. We are looking at it as a new adventure from the front of the ship vantage point. YAHOOOOOOOO!

[JMPZJMPZ1]

Hello Again.... I just felt the need to "close the loop" on my EPIC adventure. We had a terrific time. The ship - beautiful, the cabin - sublime and the staff - amazing.

 

As mentioned earlier, we were lucky enough to be in the Suite complex and enjoyed every minute. For those considering spending the extra $$, I can tell you its worth every penny. The private amenities gave a great balance between the excitement of the action in the main areas and the peace & quite we were looking for...

 

The private restuarant, lounge and pool were sooo nice... and the Posh sunbathing deck was like a dream.

 

If I had to search for a complaint (and it is hard to come up with something), I would have preferred that the coffee maker in the suite make a regular cup of coffee. In my lazy frame of mind, walking 10 feet to the public coffee area felt like ten miles! :D

 

An additional tip for those going on the EPIC... When in the Ice Bar... if you don't like the drinks offered (too sweet for my taste), the bar tender happily provides Vodka straight up when you ask. WHAT A TREAT!!!!!

 

Thanks for reading and enjoy the ship... it is a beauty!

[98vette]

Hello Again.... I just felt the need to "close the loop" on my EPIC adventure. We had a terrific time. The ship - beautiful, the cabin - sublime and the staff - amazing.

 

As mentioned earlier, we were lucky enough to be in the Suite complex and enjoyed every minute. For those considering spending the extra $$, I can tell you its worth every penny. The private amenities gave a great balance between the excitement of the action in the main areas and the peace & quite we were looking for...

 

The private restuarant, lounge and pool were sooo nice... and the Posh sunbathing deck was like a dream.

 

If I had to search for a complaint (and it is hard to come up with something), I would have preferred that the coffee maker in the suite make a regular cup of coffee. In my lazy frame of mind, walking 10 feet to the public coffee area felt like ten miles! :D

 

An additional tip for those going on the EPIC... When in the Ice Bar... if you don't like the drinks offered (too sweet for my taste), the bar tender happily provides Vodka straight up when you ask. WHAT A TREAT!!!!!

 

Thanks for reading and enjoy the ship... it is a beauty!

 

Welcome back!! :) Thanks for all the positives. My DH and I leave this Saturday for our cruise on the EPIC and we will have access to the suite complex. I have been reading every review and it appears there are more positives than negatives. I guess we'll be able to judge for ourselves soon. Can't wait :D:D

[dtiger]

I enjoyed your review and the photos were great. That's so nice you took both your Mothers.