Review of the Norwegian Epic, Dec. 18 Sailing

[tvwebguy]

First Impressions: The ship is very large and I was worried that it would feel crowded. No real problem there. I always felt that the ship had space, we could always get a table in the buffet, the restaurants weren’t crowded, and the pool deck was no worse than any other cruise I’ve been on.

Room: We stayed in 9221 and had three cabins together for our entire party. These are standard balcony rooms. The rooms were appealing to the eye but had some quirks. First, the bathroom. The toilet is on one side of the cabin with its own door and the shower is on the other side. This took some getting used to; not my favorite feature, but, I eventually got used to it. I didn’t like the feel of how the bathroom sink is out in the middle of the room. The second issue I had with the room was view off the balcony. I know, that’s weak, but, I didn’t like the fact that the lifeboats are on the exterior of the ship. I’ve always enjoyed looking down at the water as we cruise. Kind of a bummer. Other than that, the rooms were great, plenty of storage, comfortable beds, very nice. I need to give a shout out to Raul, or room steward. He was fantastic!

 

 

Ship Layout: Unlike most other NCL ships, pedestrian traffic flows down a central hall way. It’s not a huge difference, but, it felt different than the Pearl or Star for example. I was concerned about the fact that the Epic only has a forward and aft stairwell and elevator. That turned out to not be a problem, however, the forward elevators are far more crowded due to entertainment venues and the buffet. The real missing piece is a deck 7 promenade that you can jog on. Yes they have an exterior deck, but, it lacks immensely!

 

 

Entertainment: By far, the best entertainment I have ever seen on a cruise ship. My personal favorite was The Blue Man Group. I had seen their touring act in a large stadium before, but, the intimacy of Epic Theatre made the show fantastic. Plus, they didn’t skimp on the act. It was a great show. Cirque Dreams was good. The two guys on the balancing board were particularly impressive. The Legends in Concert show was only OK for me. Other people in my group liked it, I felt the singers lacked, especially Brittney Spears. The Slim Time Live show is fun for the kids. Sit near the aisle if you want to get picked to go on stage. 2nd City had another great show. I’ve seen them on multiple ships and I love them every time. Howl at the Moon dueling piano show is fun. Don’t miss it. I was unable to see the magician.

 

 

Pools: The main pools are generally crowded, but, not as bad as I’ve seen on other ships. If you’re looking for a little more quite atmosphere, go to Spice H2O. Uncrowded spas and a nice pool to hang out in. The water slides are really fun and worth a visit. I avoided the at sea days and hit the slides on the day we boarded and on the morning of our visit to Nassau. Good times. My kids used them a lot and loved them. I didn’t use any other pools on board so I can’t speak about them.

 

 

Food: Typical NCL quality at the buffet and restaurants. Cagney’s was fantastic, as usual, and Shanghi was really good. The buffet was well laid out to avoid major traffic. I’ve always been a fan of the NCL food and restaurants and the Epic does not disappoint.

 

 

Ports of Call: My favorite was St. Maarten. We did our own snorkel and beach tour that included the St. Maarten mud bath. It was awesome, saw some turtles and barracuda. We never tour with the boat, because it simply costs too much. In St. Thomas we went to Sapphire Beach. Had a great day snorkeling, riding a few waves, and taking pictures. In Nassau, we were delayed by about an hour due to the medical emergency evac the day before. We went on shore and did a bit of shopping, then went back to the ship because we had Cirque Dreams at 5:15. Kind of a scheduling snafu, but, it worked out as the kids, and I, got some extra water slide runs in before dinner.

 

 

Conclusion: We had a really nice time on the Epic. There were some rough seas after leaving St. Thomas, but, nothing the Epic can’t handle. The entertainment was great and was probably the best thing about the ship. That said, DW and I agree that we will probably go back to the Pearl, Star, or Dawn next time. But, NCL gave us another fantastic vacation. Thanks NCL!

[silkhair1]

Thank you for taking your time to post this! I am soooooo excited about my upcoming trip on the Epic. I am a little apprehensive about the bathroom layout too!

[Ask4Jay]

@tvwebguy -

Thanks for the review, brief and to the point. I appreciate the comments on the food situation in the buffet. Buffet (on any NCL ship) is our favorite hangout for breakfast and lingering over a crossword puzzle. We especially enjoy the friendly and efficient service. Self service, can't beat it for grazing. We'll check it out in May.

[Nurse4heartkids]

@tvwebguy -

Thanks for the review, brief and to the point. I appreciate the comments on the food situation in the buffet. Buffet (on any NCL ship) is our favorite hangout for breakfast and lingering over a crossword puzzle. We especially enjoy the friendly and efficient service. Self service, can't beat it for grazing. We'll check it out in May.

 

La Cucina is available in the morning for overflow buffet diners. It was perfect, at the front of the ship with floor to ceiling windows and very quiet. There is coffee and juice available there as well. We spent our at sea mornings there and were usually the only ones there. It would be a great place to sit and linger over a crossword puzzle. Enjoy your cruise!

[sapsucker]

I am glad you had a good time. We were both together on the Pearl back in 2007. We will be on the Epic in 5 days. I appreciate your review. We will be touring on our own and have a room on the back of the ship.

[kerrytens]

Thanks for taking the time to write up a review tvwebguy!! Much appreciated. :D

[tvwebguy]

I am glad you had a good time. We were both together on the Pearl back in 2007. We will be on the Epic in 5 days. I appreciate your review. We will be touring on our own and have a room on the back of the ship.

 

Great to hear from you! The 2007 Pearl trip is still one of my favorites. You should have a great time on your cruise. Enjoy the Epic!

[tvwebguy]

Thank you for taking your time to post this! I am soooooo excited about my upcoming trip on the Epic. I am a little apprehensive about the bathroom layout too!

 

It takes some getting used too, but, I think you'll enjoy the cruise any way. Have fun!

[cruising ag]

Thanks for the review! I'm counting down and lookin forward to a much needed vacation ..

 

Welcome Back!