EPIC questions

[nathand95]

Okay, so my parents and I recently booked the April 2nd 2011 cruise on the Epic. We are all very excited, but we are also nervous. We have never been on NCL, (only Carnival--well I went on NCL last in 2004 but I don't remember anything). We have just a few questions we were wondering about the Epic.

1.) Do the dinner choices in the MDR's change nightly?

2.) Which MDR is better?

3.) What are the best specialty restaurants?

4.) On Carnival they have fliers you can place outside the door for breakfast and get it delivered in the morning. Is there something similar on the Epic. If not where else is breakfast offered?

5.) Are there any other shows playing in the Epic Theatre other than Blue Man Group and Legends? Like Broadway type shows.

6.) Does it really feel like there are 4,000+ people onboard?

7.) Do you have any other tips or secrets about the Epic?

 

Any responses would be extremely helpful.

Thank you!!!!

[garycarla]

The Epic is a big ship with lots of free and pay restaurants. Menus change daily in MDRs

 

I would suggest reading through some of the mini reviews posted here every few days, as well as the full reviews posted in the review section.

[CanadianTwosome]

Okay, so my parents and I recently booked the April 2nd 2011 cruise on the Epic. We are all very excited, but we are also nervous. We have never been on NCL, (only Carnival--well I went on NCL last in 2004 but I don't remember anything). We have just a few questions we were wondering about the Epic.

1.) Do the dinner choices in the MDR's change nightly?

The MDR menus have some appetizers, entrees and desserts that change daily, as well as an 'always available' menu

2.) Which MDR is better?

I think this will depend on your personal taste in decor and ambiance; the menus are the same in both

3.) What are the best specialty restaurants?

This is personal taste as well. All of the menus are available online, though, so I recommend having a look and seeing what appeals most to your tastes. They're all good at what they offer.

4.) On Carnival they have fliers you can place outside the door for breakfast and get it delivered in the morning. Is there something similar on the Epic. If not where else is breakfast offered?

Absolutely, and it's my favourite 'alarm clock', because they phone you before they bring your breakfast.

5.) Are there any other shows playing in the Epic Theatre other than Blue Man Group and Legends? Like Broadway type shows.

To my knowledge, there are no Broadway type shows on the Epic.

6.) Does it really feel like there are 4,000+ people onboard?

I've seen reviews by some who say it didn't feel crowded at all and some who say it did.

7.) Do you have any other tips or secrets about the Epic?

 

Any responses would be extremely helpful.

Thank you!!!!

 

I've answered according to reviews/posts I've read here, my own Epic research, and my experience on other NCL ships. I can't wait until I can answer from experience!! :)

[kitsVA]

Just got off Epic yesterday and I think I can help you with many of these questions.

 

1.) Do the dinner choices in the MDR's change nightly?

Yes plus they have "Always Available" Menu.

2.) Which MDR is better?

Taste because we had terrible service at Manhattan plus waiting outside Manhattan means you are standing in the middle of smokers at Cascades bar.

3.) What are the best specialty restaurants?

O'Sheehan's Bar & Grill is the best Free restaurant. Stayed away from paid restaurants after paying $20 to enter a silly Ice bar since I don't drink alcoholic drinks :-(.

4.) On Carnival they have fliers you can place outside the door for breakfast and get it delivered in the morning. Is there something similar on the Epic. If not where else is breakfast offered?

Didn't try but I think they have the option.

5.) Are there any other shows playing in the Epic Theatre other than Blue Man Group and Legends? Like Broadway type shows.

That's one down side of Entertainment on Epic. Magic Show was funny and Paul Scully (Epic Director) show which I thought was pathetic.

6.) Does it really feel like there are 4,000+ people onboard?

Didn't feel that way except when it rains or outdoor weather is terrible.

7.) Do you have any other tips or secrets about the Epic?

O'Sheehan's Bar & Grill (Free 24/7), and Noodle Bar (costs couple of dollars).

[nathand95]

Thank you all so much. This really helped A LOT!

[dznymom]

okay, so my parents and i recently booked the april 2nd 2011 cruise on the epic. We are all very excited, but we are also nervous. We have never been on ncl, (only carnival--well i went on ncl last in 2004 but i don't remember anything). We have just a few questions we were wondering about the epic.

1.) do the dinner choices in the mdr's change nightly? some change and some stay the same. There were a few things on the stay the same menu that i liked, so I was happy to be able to try them all!

2.) which mdr is better? we preferred the manhattan room for ambiance (enjoyed the band) but we had outstanding service in taste, so for us they were both very good.

3.) what are the best specialty restaurants? moderno is unique to epic and at $18 is a fabulous deal. I am not a huge meat eater, but i loved it and the meat lovers in our group thought they died and went to heaven. I didn't eat at bistro on the epic but I have loved it on the other ncl ships. I also wish we had taken the time to go to shanghai based on reports we got on board.

4.) on carnival they have fliers you can place outside the door for breakfast and get it delivered in the morning. Is there something similar on the epic. If not where else is breakfast offered? yes they have the door hanger breakfast thingy's. Breakfast is available in the buffet, one of the mdr's (never made it so not sure which one) and at o'sheehans. They even have a couple of breakfast items available all day at o'sheehans.

5.) are there any other shows playing in the epic theatre other than blue man group and legends? Like broadway type shows. no broadway type shows but fabulous music playing in different venues as well as second city improv. We loved howling at the moon!

6.) does it really feel like there are 4,000+ people onboard? no. We never waited more than 5 minutes for anything (including our reserved cirque & bmg times when we showed up just a few minutes before show time). There are a couple of choke points when you are traversing deck 6 during busy times, but other than that i often wondered where the heck the other 4000 people were!

7.) do you have any other tips or secrets about the epic? think of it as a different experience than your typical cruise and try to at least see everything that's going on even if you don't participate. I don't usually eat ice cream, but they had some delicious flavors at the buffet, and don't miss the crepes.

 

any responses would be extremely helpful.

Thank you!!!!

 

 

have a blast!!

[mrandmrsc10210]

Where are there menus available online? I know I've seen on NCL's website a listing of the restaurants, but not an actual menu! I'd love to see one prior to sailing.

 

The hubs and I are honeymooning January 22-29!

[ringram]

We specifically booked this cruise because of the entertainment offerings. We knew we would love this type of entertainment. Blue Man Group, Second City, Legends, Jeff Hobson, and Howl at the Moon were awesome. We typically enjoy the broadway style entertainment on our other cruises, but to us it's no comparison, this was far better.

 

We saw the Blue Man Group twice, Second City a few times (it's improv, so each show is different). Jeff Hobson twice, Legends, and we were big fans of Howl at the Moon. Very very talented musicians who play mutliple instruments, very entertaining and funny to boot. We'd spend 2-3 hours watching them each time they played.

 

There's also the normal participation shows; The Newlywed Game, Quest, and Minute to Win It which are fun to watch. There were also a lot of ball room dancing if you into that, we're beginners, but were surprised to see there was a venue for that too.

 

IMO, If this is not your style of entertainment, then there are better cruises and cruise ships. If this is your type of entertainment, you're going to have a blast.

[jnjsmom]

Okay, so my parents and I recently booked the April 2nd 2011 cruise on the Epic. We are all very excited, but we are also nervous. We have never been on NCL, (only Carnival--well I went on NCL last in 2004 but I don't remember anything). We have just a few questions we were wondering about the Epic.

1.) Do the dinner choices in the MDR's change nightly?

2.) Which MDR is better?

3.) What are the best specialty restaurants?

4.) On Carnival they have fliers you can place outside the door for breakfast and get it delivered in the morning. Is there something similar on the Epic. If not where else is breakfast offered?

5.) Are there any other shows playing in the Epic Theatre other than Blue Man Group and Legends? Like Broadway type shows.

6.) Does it really feel like there are 4,000+ people onboard?

7.) Do you have any other tips or secrets about the Epic?

 

Any responses would be extremely helpful.

Thank you!!!!

 

1.) Do the dinner choices in the MDR's change nightly?

There is one "set" menu with standards that are available every night of the cruise. A daily menu is offered as well which also includes a chef's special ... the chef's special was typically a more creative dish.

2.) Which MDR is better?

We found the waiters/waitresses much friendlier in Taste. But, the live music in Manhattan was really very nice. If you're in a hurry, go to Taste.

3.) What are the best specialty restaurants?

We ate in Le Bistro and really liked it. La Cucina was just okay.

4.) On Carnival they have fliers you can place outside the door for breakfast and get it delivered in the morning. Is there something similar on the Epic. If not where else is breakfast offered?

Yes, there is. And, they also call about 5-10 minutes before delivering to make sure you're up. Only problem was, there's really no place in the cabin where the tray fits so you end up having to put it on the bed. Be prepared and clear some space.

5.) Are there any other shows playing in the Epic Theatre other than Blue Man Group and Legends? Like Broadway type shows.

No.

6.) Does it really feel like there are 4,000+ people onboard?

I didn't think so, and our sailing was full.

7.) Do you have any other tips or secrets about the Epic?

You'll find a wealth of information on Cruise Critic. It'll take some time to sort through everything, but it's worth the investment. I created a Word file and would just copy & paste whatever interested me. Printed it out and shared with the family the week before our trip.

 

ENJOY!!!

[jual]

Okay, so my parents and I recently booked the April 2nd 2011 cruise on the Epic. We are all very excited, but we are also nervous. We have never been on NCL, (only Carnival--well I went on NCL last in 2004 but I don't remember anything). We have just a few questions we were wondering about the Epic.

1.) Do the dinner choices in the MDR's change nightly?

2.) Which MDR is better?

3.) What are the best specialty restaurants?

4.) On Carnival they have fliers you can place outside the door for breakfast and get it delivered in the morning. Is there something similar on the Epic. If not where else is breakfast offered?

5.) Are there any other shows playing in the Epic Theatre other than Blue Man Group and Legends? Like Broadway type shows.

6.) Does it really feel like there are 4,000+ people onboard?

7.) Do you have any other tips or secrets about the Epic?

 

Any responses would be extremely helpful.

Thank you!!!!

 

We returned from our b2b cruise on Saturday, had a wonderful time and wanted to let you know about Fat Cats, a well kept secret bar that has a band playing rthym and blues music most nights from 9pm. This was our favourite entertainment. It get very little advertising, but certainly worth a vist.