Epic vs. FOS?

[ToddlerMom]

I must have a lot of stress in my life right now since I feel the need to plan cruise #2! :)

 

I'd like to go in December 2012. DD will be 3 so can go to the kids club on FOS and Epic. We're going to the Western Caribbean this spring so want to try the Eastern Caribbean next. FOS and Epic both have 7 day Eastern Caribbean itineraries in December 2012. The only difference in the itinerary is that the Epic goes to Nassau and the FOS goes to Cococay.

 

Cost is almost the same but it is usually cheaper for us to fly into Orlando than the Miami area.

 

Would definitely prefer Cococay to Nassau.

 

NCL charges for the kids club on port days.

 

Both ships supposedly have great facilities for kids and adults.

 

DD would love the parades on the FOS. Anything like that on the Epic?

 

What do you guys think? Most important to me is a good experience for DD but she's only 3 so would probably have as much fun at the neighborhood playground. I'm not sure she needs all of the excitement on either ship. As for DH and me, we are looking for total relaxation. We're not late night people or partyers.

 

A "kids sail free" promotion on one of the ships would be the obvious tiebreaker.

 

Dark horse candidate is the Ruby Princess with the same itinerary and same cost but higher airfare to get to Miami. Considering the Ruby Princess because of the outdoor playground with the tricycles. Plus supposedly better food and a more relaxing experience. But am worried about DD getting the fisheye from other passengers who don't want to cruise with kids. (I assume that if you don't want to cruise with kids you would stay away from the FOS or the Epic.)

 

And we might end up with the NCL Star going to the Western Caribbean out of NOLA since we could drive and therefore save about $600.

 

Any thoughts?

[rolloman]

I must have a lot of stress in my life right now since I feel the need to plan cruise #2! :)

 

I'd like to go in December 2012. DD will be 3 so can go to the kids club on FOS and Epic. We're going to the Western Caribbean this spring so want to try the Eastern Caribbean next. FOS and Epic both have 7 day Eastern Caribbean itineraries in December 2012. The only difference in the itinerary is that the Epic goes to Nassau and the FOS goes to Cococay.

 

Cost is almost the same but it is usually cheaper for us to fly into Orlando than the Miami area.

 

Would definitely prefer Cococay to Nassau.

 

NCL charges for the kids club on port days.

 

Both ships supposedly have great facilities for kids and adults.

 

DD would love the parades on the FOS. Anything like that on the Epic?

 

What do you guys think? Most important to me is a good experience for DD but she's only 3 so would probably have as much fun at the neighborhood playground. I'm not sure she needs all of the excitement on either ship. As for DH and me, we are looking for total relaxation. We're not late night people or partyers.

 

A "kids sail free" promotion on one of the ships would be the obvious tiebreaker.

 

Dark horse candidate is the Ruby Princess with the same itinerary and same cost but higher airfare to get to Miami. Considering the Ruby Princess because of the outdoor playground with the tricycles. Plus supposedly better food and a more relaxing experience. But am worried about DD getting the fisheye from other passengers who don't want to cruise with kids. (I assume that if you don't want to cruise with kids you would stay away from the FOS or the Epic.)

 

And we might end up with the NCL Star going to the Western Caribbean out of NOLA since we could drive and therefore save about $600.

 

Any thoughts?

I have been on all 3 ships with my 3 year old. The Ruby is a nice ship but does not compare to Epic or Freedom in any facet, kids, club entertainment etc. Food probably a slight edge. Freedom is a good choice, doubt if you will go wrong. It is so nice on the RCCL new ships to have that open space of the promenade, plus the ice shows are great for the little ones. Unfortunately The kids club is nothing special for a 3 year old, actually it is kind of boring and small. Now for EPIC, the kids club is huge, awesome and probably the best we have experienced out of almost 50 cruises. The ship has the best enterainment at sea and lots of activities with the Nickalodean characters and themes. My honest opinion would be to choose the EPIC hands down.

[ToddlerMom]

Thanks. How 'intrusive' are the Nickledeon characters on the Epic? DD doesn't watch TV so she doesn't know who they are.

 

Also I'm a little worried how overly stimulating both ships will be for DD. She goes to a Montessori school which is very understated.

 

Looks like the staterooms on the FOS are bigger than those on the Epic which is in FOS's favor. Since this would be cruise #2 in 2012, we would probably do an interior cabin and the interior staterooms on the Epic look tiny. I'm worried about where DD would sleep. She would be too big for a PnP but I'm not comfortable with her sleeping in one of the pulldown berths. The big is a queen size instead of king size which would be pretty crowded if DD was to sleep with us.

 

Anyone take their LO in a balcony or interior stateroom on the Epic? Did it feel really crowded?

[rolloman]

Thanks. How 'intrusive' are the Nickledeon characters on the Epic? DD doesn't watch TV so she doesn't know who they are.

 

Also I'm a little worried how overly stimulating both ships will be for DD. She goes to a Montessori school which is very understated.

 

Looks like the staterooms on the FOS are bigger than those on the Epic which is in FOS's favor. Since this would be cruise #2 in 2012, we would probably do an interior cabin and the interior staterooms on the Epic look tiny. I'm worried about where DD would sleep. She would be too big for a PnP but I'm not comfortable with her sleeping in one of the pulldown berths. The big is a queen size instead of king size which would be pretty crowded if DD was to sleep with us.

 

Anyone take their LO in a balcony or interior stateroom on the Epic? Did it feel really crowded?

If you dont want to see the characters on Freedom or Epic then its up to you. They are not around unless you want them to be around. We booked 3 different cabins on Epic and sailed on every class RCCL ship. The size of cabin you get is up to you. Apples to Apples, there is no vast difference between the two ships with cabin size. Epic does offer a single cabin (for singles only) and I have heard nothing but great things about them and they are the smallest cabins on the ship. You need to book a cabin with a pull out sofa. A pack in play due to size is not an option for that age child.

[crusinmama06]

Unfortunately The kids club is nothing special for a 3 year old, actually it is kind of boring and small.

 

Yes, this! ;) We did Freedom for my daughter's 3rd birthday and she actually got into some trouble in that kid's club because she wouldn't "come off the slide and sit for storytime"

 

Well, she didn't want to SIT, she wanted to SLIDE. :p It was like the big pink elephant in the room - so when she wanted to slide, the rest of the kids followed - causing some problems for the AO counselors. ;)

 

We just came off of a NCL ship and they had "Freestyle time" and their playground area with slides was all enclosed so the area *could* be blocked off from the kids and closed. So it wasn't a problem for my daughter. Yes, she still asked when for Freestyle play - but when it was closed, it was closed. We are booked to go on Epic next.

[rolloman]

Yes, this! ;) We did Freedom for my daughter's 3rd birthday and she actually got into some trouble in that kid's club because she wouldn't "come off the slide and sit for storytime"

 

Well, she didn't want to SIT, she wanted to SLIDE. :p It was like the big pink elephant in the room - so when she wanted to slide, the rest of the kids followed - causing some problems for the AO counselors. ;)

 

We just came off of a NCL ship and they had "Freestyle time" and their playground area with slides was all enclosed so the area *could* be blocked off from the kids and closed. So it wasn't a problem for my daughter. Yes, she still asked when for Freestyle play - but when it was closed, it was closed. We are booked to go on Epic next.

I am excited for you, can't wait for your review after the Epic trip. As far as the kids club on Freedom, my little one was done with it after about 3 days. take away that slide and all you have is a small room with 4 walls.

[ToddlerMom]

Thanks for the advice. We've decided to go with the NCL Star out of NOLA instead of the Epic or FOS. Priced everything out and it's about $1,200 less and since this will be cruise #2 in 2012 we want to economize.

 

We'll seriously consider changing to the Epic if NCL does another "kids sail free" promotion.

[rolloman]

Thanks for the advice. We've decided to go with the NCL Star out of NOLA instead of the Epic or FOS. Priced everything out and it's about $1,200 less and since this will be cruise #2 in 2012 we want to economize.

 

We'll seriously consider changing to the Epic if NCL does another "kids sail free" promotion.

 

Well that is an older ship and a serious downgrade and in no way can compare to what we were talking about. The only NCL ships I would recommend are the Gem, Pearl, EPIC, Jade as they are the newest and have the latest features. If the flight costs are an issue then I would to do the Freedom out of Port Canaveral since MCO is one of the cheapest airlines to fly to. Not sure what part of December you are planning this for but historically the first weeks of December, prior to Christmas, are the lowest fares on all cruise lines. With this in mind, after you book,keep checking for price drops as there will be a good chance of catching one.

[crusinmama06]

We'll seriously consider changing to the Epic if NCL does another "kids sail free" promotion.

 

I am betting they will. The only issue I see, you won't save $1,200 because you only have one kid. ;)

 

Now ME, I did this for Gem and I REALLY saved a bundle. :D

[ToddlerMom]

Well that is an older ship and a serious downgrade and in no way can compare to what we were talking about. The only NCL ships I would recommend are the Gem, Pearl, EPIC, Jade as they are the newest and have the latest features. If the flight costs are an issue then I would to do the Freedom out of Port Canaveral since MCO is one of the cheapest airlines to fly to. Not sure what part of December you are planning this for but historically the first weeks of December, prior to Christmas, are the lowest fares on all cruise lines. With this in mind, after you book,keep checking for price drops as there will be a good chance of catching one.

 

The issue with the Pearl class ships is they either go to the Bahamas out of NYC or Jamaica/Cozumel/Grand Cayman out of Miami. I'm not flying to Miami to do that itinerary and the Bahamas might be cold in December.

 

I think it's disappointing that NCL doesn't have more variety in their itineraries. The only ship doing the Eastern Caribbean after this spring is the Epic (except the Jewel is doing 1 sailing at Christmas 2012 - we would never sail at Christmas).

[ToddlerMom]

I am betting they will. The only issue I see, you won't save $1,200 because you only have one kid. ;)

 

Now ME, I did this for Gem and I REALLY saved a bundle. :D

 

I know you went to Bermuda on the Gem but the Gem isn't going to Bermuda next year. Next year, it's the Star out of NYC to Bermuda and the Gem is going to the Bahamas.

 

We won't save $1,200. The most we'd save is $400. The big swing for us in cost is that we can drive to NOLA and save the airfare.

[ToddlerMom]

Uggg...run the numbers again and turns out the FOS is actually cheaper than the Epic. Looks like the difference is the 3rd passenger fee which for some reason is cheaper on the FOS than Epic. Airfare would be about $200 less in total to Orlando than Miami.

 

So the total difference right now is about $850 between FOS and the Star.

 

The other interesting thing is that the same cruise in 2011 is about $150 more a person now than the prices for December 2012. Is it normal for RCCL sailings to be a lot cheaper a year in advance?

 

In contrast, the prices on the Epic for December 2011 are slightly less than the prices for December 2012.

 

What I'm thinking today is putting a deposit down on FOS. Looks like the price will only go up. If NCL does a "kids sail free" promotion, I can cancel FOS without a penalty. The Southwest schedule for December should be released this spring, before the "kids sail free" promotion (assuming it's in May like the last few years). Then I'll know for certain what the airfare will be and whether I can use any of my Rapids Rewards for either Miami or Orlando.

 

Another benefit of the FOS versus the Epic is that the FOS sails on sunday and Epic sails on saturday. Sunday works better for us because we can fly out on saturday and then back on sunday and only have to take 5 days of PTO. If we sail on saturday, we would have to take a later flight out on friday and get to FL (losing an hour) very late.

[rolloman]

The issue with the Pearl class ships is they either go to the Bahamas out of NYC or Jamaica/Cozumel/Grand Cayman out of Miami. I'm not flying to Miami to do that itinerary and the Bahamas might be cold in December.

 

I live in South Florida and can tell you the weather should not be an issue to worry about in December. Especially the first few weeks. Today is Nov 26 and we are in the 80's....

[crusinmama06]

Is it normal for RCCL sailings to be a lot cheaper a year in advance?

 

Yes, of course. It's supply/demand. As they fill up, the prices will rise. Then after final payment, they will drop some remaining category prices to do a quick fill up. ;) But get it early to pick the cabin your want.

 

And it doesn't surprise me how cheap FOS is. The area is getting inunndated with ships - again...supply/demand.

 

Have you seen how cheap LIBERTY of the Seas is? :eek: I saw it going for $349.

[ToddlerMom]

Yes, of course. It's supply/demand. As they fill up, the prices will rise. Then after final payment, they will drop some remaining category prices to do a quick fill up. ;) But get it early to pick the cabin your want.

 

And it doesn't surprise me how cheap FOS is. The area is getting inunndated with ships - again...supply/demand.

 

Have you seen how cheap LIBERTY of the Seas is? :eek: I saw it going for $349.

 

I noticed some cheaper short cruises on the Liberty but they are to the standard Western Caribbean ports, e.g. Cozumel, which don't interest me since we're going there this spring. Plus since we're coming across the country, I'd prefer a longer sailing. I don't think we'd like anything less than 6 nights, especially on a ship like that with so much to do.

[ToddlerMom]

Update on this one - I booked the FOS for next December. Very excited! Maybe pictures of the H2O Zone will provide some incentive for DD to learn to use the potty. :)

[rolloman]

Update on this one - I booked the FOS for next December. Very excited! Maybe pictures of the H2O Zone will provide some incentive for DD to learn to use the potty. :)

Congrats on the huge upgrade!!!

[loveysbydesign]

great thread! So does anyone have any thoughts as to when kids sale free may be offered?

We are open to RCI, NCL or *gasp* Carnival and we are looking to cruise possibly this Nov. Now my kids will be 13, 10 and 5 and have only cruised DCL and back in 2006 on RCI Sov. of the Seas. Trying to do a Caribbean as Bermuda isn't offered in that month and us too pricey for us in the summer.

[rolloman]

great thread! So does anyone have any thoughts as to when kids sale free may be offered?

We are open to RCI, NCL or *gasp* Carnival and we are looking to cruise possibly this Nov. Now my kids will be 13, 10 and 5 and have only cruised DCL and back in 2006 on RCI Sov. of the Seas. Trying to do a Caribbean as Bermuda isn't offered in that month and us too pricey for us in the summer.

In all my years of cruising I have only seen kids for free offered on select NCL or DCL. Carnival could offer Family for free and I would not go lol.....

[Friend100]

great thread! So does anyone have any thoughts as to when kids sale free may be offered?

We are open to RCI, NCL or *gasp* Carnival and we are looking to cruise possibly this Nov. Now my kids will be 13, 10 and 5 and have only cruised DCL and back in 2006 on RCI Sov. of the Seas. Trying to do a Caribbean as Bermuda isn't offered in that month and us too pricey for us in the summer.

 

Not kids sail free per se, but HAL sometimes has 3rd and 4th passengers sail free (doesn't matter kids or adults). That's what we had for our new year's week cruise. It is offered only for certain itineraries so you really need to do some homework.

 

Last fall, NCL had what they called something like pay 3 and the next 3 for free. You pay cruisefare for the first 3 passengers and up to the next 3 are free. It works really well for those party of 5 to 6 who wants to stay in one of their two bedrooms suites.

[loveysbydesign]

Thanks for the tips, I'll keep an eye out and will check out HAL. Never thought of sailing on them before.