Back from the Epic, my opinion

[njsonja]

i have been on many many cruises over the years on many lines....I will never sail this ship again....this is merely my experience: a state of the art ship and no internet in the rooms? the signal wasn't strong enough and the girl at the internet cafe said it just cannot happen with the amount of bandwidth they have...in the meantime, the chair hogging situation was insane; if you didn't have a balcony or a posh pass or a spa suite/pass, it felt like a submarine...there was no outside except upstairs...; muffins were not to be had at TASTE for breakfast??? seriously? they split us up when we went to the shows, my dad had a scooter/wheelchair and we couldn't all go in at the same time....I understand that you had to wear long pants in the main dining room...what happened to Freestyle? They sent my 87 year old dad back to his room to change into long pants...c'mon...

 

These are really not important in the scheme of things...but this ship is just not my thing....she is beautiful inside, but not what I am looking for...

 

have a blast,

 

s

[AttilaTheFun]

i have been on many many cruises over the years on many lines....I will never sail this ship again....this is merely my experience: a state of the art ship and no internet in the rooms? the signal wasn't strong enough and the girl at the internet cafe said it just cannot happen with the amount of bandwidth they have...in the meantime, the chair hogging situation was insane; if you didn't have a balcony or a posh pass or a spa suite/pass, it felt like a submarine...there was no outside except upstairs...; muffins were not to be had at TASTE for breakfast??? seriously? they split us up when we went to the shows, my dad had a scooter/wheelchair and we couldn't all go in at the same time....I understand that you had to wear long pants in the main dining room...what happened to Freestyle? They sent my 87 year old dad back to his room to change into long pants...c'mon...

 

These are really not important in the scheme of things...but this ship is just not my thing....she is beautiful inside, but not what I am looking for...

 

have a blast,

 

s

 

Sounds like real torture, thank god you survived such a harrowing experience! They enforced dress code requirements that you knew about but thought didn't apply to your family because of old age? The horror! I've never heard of being forced to split up at shows unless you arrived so late that there were no seats left together and then it would still be NCL's fault, right? :rolleyes:

[SissasMomE]

i have been on many many cruises over the years on many lines....I will never sail this ship again....this is merely my experience: a state of the art ship and no internet in the rooms? the signal wasn't strong enough and the girl at the internet cafe said it just cannot happen with the amount of bandwidth they have...in the meantime, the chair hogging situation was insane; if you didn't have a balcony or a posh pass or a spa suite/pass, it felt like a submarine...there was no outside except upstairs...; muffins were not to be had at TASTE for breakfast??? seriously? they split us up when we went to the shows, my dad had a scooter/wheelchair and we couldn't all go in at the same time....I understand that you had to wear long pants in the main dining room...what happened to Freestyle? They sent my 87 year old dad back to his room to change into long pants...c'mon...

 

These are really not important in the scheme of things...but this ship is just not my thing....she is beautiful inside, but not what I am looking for...

 

have a blast,

 

s

 

Thanks for your post. The cheerleaders will rip you apart, but I appreciate your honesty. When you say there were no chairs outside because of the chair hogs except for upstairs, do you mean on the upper level of the pool deck? I have found that no matter which line I am cruising, if you are not out there by 7 or, at the absolute latest, 8am, most chairs surrounding the pool are already taken. Also, it was my understanding that in one of the main dining rooms you could wear Bermuda shorts, but the other you had to wear long pants. NCL has always been like that with their ships - not just the Epic.

[cmitch9999]

Sonia

Thanks for sharing your experience on Epic. Like you we have sailed on al lot of ships and we are booked on the Epic for Thanksgiving this year. I am interested in hearing more about the experience you had with your dad in a scooter. My dad is 88 and will be renting one to use on the ship. How did that work for shows and dining? it sounds like he was escorted separately into the shows and you could not be seated together? Did they give you any contact on board the access officer? To communicate with if you had any problems?

 

did you go to the cirque show? If so where did they seat you with your father in the scooter? Did you reserve tickets ahead of time?

 

I am sorry your cruise wasn't all you hoped for.

 

Chrissy

[fergusonvt]

Thanks for your post. I've heard the EPIC isn't the ship for everyone and I haven't really been tempted (ok maybe once) to book a cruise on her. Maybe at some time in the future once I'm done exploring the Jewel class ships but she does seem too big for me and I don't like the fact that there aren't many places to view the outside.

[Mommabear5]

Thank you for your post. Sorry you had a bad time but you answered a question I had floating in my own head, Can you have a good time on the Epic even if your just "regular folk" staying in a standard cabin without all the extras? Guess not! :(

Epic does appear to be an amazing ship and I am seriously considering sailing her next year for one main reason, she is massive in size and I have read you don't even realize you are moving or even on a ship and for me, that is the most important thing. I got very seasick on our last cruise and I do not want to feel like that again if I can avoid it.

I figure if the suite guest get a little more then me, thats cool since they are indeed paying for it and I will just not think about what I am not getting and focus on what we go get....we week in the caribbean on an amazing ship with our family and friends.:p

[njsonja]

to anyone that wants to discuss this with me further, please email me at njpetsitter at g mail dot com i'll give you my phone number since there is just so much to say....and apparently when i share my opinion on this board, the idiots come flying out to attack me....i thought this board was about sharing which is what i did....and no, i would never do NCL again without a suite that includes perks....

 

this was my 37th cruise...i know a little bit about cruising....and i would not recommend this to someone who is not in outstanding shape...and certainly few people over the age of 70....my that's imho

[Burchrod]

Epic does appear to be an amazing ship and I am seriously considering sailing her next year for one main reason, she is massive in size and I have read you don't even realize you are moving or even on a ship and for me, that is the most important thing. I got very seasick on our last cruise and I do not want to feel like that again if I can avoid it.

 

I hope this isn't considered highjacking the thread, but I want to let you know that if the weather is bad, you will feel movement.

 

We just returned Saturday from a seven-day cruise. It was smooth as silk the entire time except for about 14 hours. We were sailing through 8-10 foot swells and everyone felt it. People were stumbling into each other and my son nearly fell into someone's lap in the Epic Theatre.

 

Not trying to scare you. Just want you to be fully informed!

[AttilaTheFun]

to anyone that wants to discuss this with me further, please email me at njpetsitter at g mail dot com i'll give you my phone number since there is just so much to say....and apparently when i share my opinion on this board, the idiots come flying out to attack me....i thought this board was about sharing which is what i did....and no, i would never do NCL again without a suite that includes perks....

 

this was my 37th cruise...i know a little bit about cruising....and i would not recommend this to someone who is not in outstanding shape...and certainly few people over the age of 70....my that's imho

 

When you post your opinion and it's all negative stuff, some of which was your own fault (dress code), I don't find it to be as helpful as a balanced review where you actually include something POSITIVE. Call me an idiot and I would do the same back to you :D

[SissasMomE]

to anyone that wants to discuss this with me further, please email me at njpetsitter at g mail dot com i'll give you my phone number since there is just so much to say....and apparently when i share my opinion on this board, the idiots come flying out to attack me....i thought this board was about sharing which is what i did....and no, i would never do NCL again without a suite that includes perks....

 

this was my 37th cruise...i know a little bit about cruising....and i would not recommend this to someone who is not in outstanding shape...and certainly few people over the age of 70....my that's imho

 

You pet sit?! You are very close to me .... Im going to email

You!

[jjohnboy32]

Sounds like real torture, thank god you survived such a harrowing experience! They enforced dress code requirements that you knew about but thought didn't apply to your family because of old age? The horror! I've never heard of being forced to split up at shows unless you arrived so late that there were no seats left together and then it would still be NCL's fault, right? :rolleyes:

 

Fight Fight Fight........

 

PMSL

[Warmer Climes]

Thank you for your post. Sorry you had a bad time but you answered a question I had floating in my own head, Can you have a good time on the Epic even if your just "regular folk" staying in a standard cabin without all the extras? Guess not! :(

 

We were regular folk (well, kind of irregular folk in some ways, I guess) in a regular cabin with three people sharing it. The Epic isn't my favorite ship because of its size but the entertainment was fabulous, the food was the best we have had on an NCL ship, we liked the cabin very much and the ship had so much to do we couldn't do half of it.

 

Barb

[njsonja]

you attacked me for my opinion....not necessary....the food was good; the shows were fine...i was an hour early for the show where they split us up....it's not a ship i will revisit...and i rarely post my opinion on this board because of people like you...which is really a shame since others are interested in my opinion...

 

if you don't stay in a suite with perks, it's an entirely different experience....the suites cost a fortune on this cruise....so silly me, i opted for a spa suite which is not a suite in the "perks" sense...

 

i'm blessed that i can cruise as often as i do and that my parents are still on the planet...

 

i'm really annoyed with people like you, which is why i wear a shirt that says, 'LOVE DOGS, HATE PEOPLE'...just for you!

[slotaddict]

My husband and I and friends sailed the epic, as regular folks, in a balcony cabin...the ship is for everyone...while my friend and I loved it, our husbands didn;t feel the same....mostly they thought the rooms were to small.

 

Norwegian is freestyle, there are dress codes in certain restuarants, when we were on the ship, we saw people turned away from the Manhatten Room, the rules are the rules...I was turned away from a restuarant on the Pearl once because they deemed what I had on to be shorts, I didn;t feel they were, but I went back to my cabin and changed...it is what it is....

 

The entertainment on the ship is far superior to any I have seen on any other ship or line...

 

Sorry you feel as though you have to communicate via email with people, perhaps if you had given a little more balanced review...

I hope your next cruise experience is better...

[AttilaTheFun]

you attacked me for my opinion....not necessary....the food was good; the shows were fine...i was an hour early for the show where they split us up....it's not a ship i will revisit...and i rarely post my opinion on this board because of people like you...which is really a shame since others are interested in my opinion...

 

if you don't stay in a suite with perks, it's an entirely different experience....the suites cost a fortune on this cruise....so silly me, i opted for a spa suite which is not a suite in the "perks" sense...

 

i'm blessed that i can cruise as often as i do and that my parents are still on the planet...

 

i'm really annoyed with people like you, which is why i wear a shirt that says, 'LOVE DOGS, HATE PEOPLE'...just for you!

 

I take no issue with you posting your opinion, but I WAS annoyed with your complaint that NCL is enforcing dress code of wearing long pants, which is clearly stated in their materials. To expect special treatment is an annoying sense of entitlement issue that "people like you" have. Just think - those chair hogs that you so despise are just breaking rules like you and could say the same thing, "Gee, what happened to Freestyle? Shouldn't I just be allowed to do whatever I want?"

 

Good luck with your dog friends!

[coachnip13]

Thanks for your post. The cheerleaders will rip you apart, but I appreciate your honesty.

 

You spend more time talking about the "cheerleaders" than the cheerleaders talk about NCL. Let it go.

[sdmike]

The Epic's new tagline should be:

 

"Epic - Not for everyone, but most really, really like her"

 

Sorry the OP didn't have a good time. We were "steerage" customers with 11 of us in 3 balcony rooms and had a marvelous time. Then again, we're not very picky quite honestly. I'm on a ship and not working...what could be bad about that? :)

 

Hope you enjoy your next cruise

 

(PS - calling people idiots for their opinions makes you look like a bit of a jerk. If someone is rude, they're rude..not an idiot. Just sayin)

[Dr. Jack Daniels]

When you post your opinion and it's all negative stuff, some of which was your own fault (dress code), I don't find it to be as helpful as a balanced review where you actually include something POSITIVE. Call me an idiot and I would do the same back to you :D

 

You should go back and reread her post. There WAS something positive but you were too eager to attack the OP for having the audacity to say something negative about NCL. (She said the ship was beautiful).

 

At least you didn't call her a "criminal" like you did to another poster.:rolleyes:

[K L B]

No ship will be the right one for everyone. What is important is to take away what you learned from the experience, and choose a ship that better matches your needs/wants for the next one.

 

I think the trend is growing where the basic rooms will be getting less 'extras', and the suites will be getting more perks and exclusive areas. It's something you may have to just get used to, or upgrade to the suite.

[dalgirl]

i have been on many many cruises over the years on many lines....I will never sail this ship again....this is merely my experience: a state of the art ship and no internet in the rooms? the signal wasn't strong enough and the girl at the internet cafe said it just cannot happen with the amount of bandwidth they have...in the meantime, the chair hogging situation was insane; if you didn't have a balcony or a posh pass or a spa suite/pass, it felt like a submarine...there was no outside except upstairs...; muffins were not to be had at TASTE for breakfast??? seriously? they split us up when we went to the shows, my dad had a scooter/wheelchair and we couldn't all go in at the same time....I understand that you had to wear long pants in the main dining room...what happened to Freestyle? They sent my 87 year old dad back to his room to change into long pants...c'mon...

 

These are really not important in the scheme of things...but this ship is just not my thing....she is beautiful inside, but not what I am looking for...

 

have a blast,

 

s

 

Epic is not to everyone's taste and many of your complaints are valid - except where you knew the rules regarding long pants, but thought that they should be broken for your dad... FYI, it is only that particular restaurant that has the restriction.

 

And the muffin thing is strange - we had them available in the garden cafe for breakfast - did you check the buffet for them? The dining rooms seem to have a more restricted menu.

 

Glad it was only a few small things that you didn't like. Traveling during spring break could put anyone on edge with the crowded shows, chair hogs, etc. Did you like the ports of call?

[jints07]

When you post your opinion and it's all negative stuff, some of which was your own fault (dress code), I don't find it to be as helpful as a balanced review where you actually include something POSITIVE. Call me an idiot and I would do the same back to you :D

 

No offense, but what help is a post dripping with sarcasm? Here's the test...if you are having a conversation with someone in the supermarket checkout line, would you speak to them that way? I highly doubt it.

 

Ironically, NCL policy was quoted as to the appropriate attire, but I notice there was no comment on how the chair hogger policy was NOT enforced.

 

Keep cheering....

[sjbdtz]

if you don't stay in a suite with perks, it's an entirely different experience....the suites cost a fortune on this cruise....so silly me, i opted for a spa suite which is not a suite in the "perks" sense...

 

 

 

A Spa Suite IS a full suite, with Haven privileges, concierge, and butler.

 

 

.

[SuiteCruiser]

A Spa Suite IS a full suite, with Haven privileges, concierge, and butler.

 

 

.

 

Sounds like they missed out on reading the Freestyle Daily which clearly says which dining rooms are for shorts and which not, AND they missed out on all of the perks from being in a suite.

 

Must be upsetting to pull rookie moves like that after 37 cruises. I'm guessing (and hoping) for your sake you were actually in a spa minisuite. If I found out I missed all of the perks all week, I'd be incredibly upset.

[SeaHunt]

..so silly me, i opted for a spa suite which is not a suite in the "perks" sense...

 

Uh oh did you mean a Spa Mini Suite (M9) and not a Spa Suite (S9)? Because if you were in a Spa Suite (S9) you would have had the suite perks, and I just am hoping you didn't miss getting them. :)

 

JMO but I like to read both the good and bad opinions about a ship. I'm sorry you didn't love the Epic as I know how depressing a a disappointing vacation is. But it seems that most people do love the Epic's Spa. What did you think about it? Did you use it a lot? Have any tips?

[jints07]

JMO but I like to read both the good and bad opinions about a ship.

 

1000000% agree. This site isn't useful if all anyone posts is how lovely everything is. Not to mention, it is good that NCL hear and read a wide range of opinions so that they look for continuous improvements. As consumers it is what we should be demanding and not defending the service provider for every non-glowing comment. Laughable really.

 

It's weird, it's like some see their choice in cruise line as somehow a validation of their ability to make good decisions. Bizarre.