please explain the cabin bathrooms on Epic

[S.S.Oceanlover]

I have gained some interest in cruising the Epic but I have heard funny things about the bathrooms are in the cabins.

 

Can somebody explain how they are? Is it that you have less privacy or something?

 

The stories I've read make me hesitant to book this ship.

 

Thanks

 

Bill

[sdmike]

The Epic bathrooms are not typical boxed in rooms with sink, toilet and bath behind a single closed door. They use a more European style with separate areas for the shower, toilet and sink. Here's how it's laid out....

 

On each side of the entry way by the door will be your toilet and shower. They are enclosed by heavily frosted, curved sliding doors. This allows someone to use the toilet and another use the shower without interfering with each other. Between this entry area and the room is a heavy curtain that can be drawn for privacy from the rest of the room. The sink is actually in the room, just next to this bath area. This allows someone to use the sink while others might be using the toilet or shower...and another one dressing.

 

We found it very effective for multi-tasking with our family of 4. However, since there's no solid door to hide behind, it might not be appropriate for travel with folks you're not close to (friends, co-workers, etc.)

 

When the Epic first came out people freaked out over this design. This really has calmed down in the last year as more and more people have sailed the Epic and found it to be a non-issue. However, there are still people who are uncomfortable with this layout and won't sail on the Epic because of it. There are also some that sailed her and hated the bathroom, but I don't hear much of this anymore. Again, I found it a non-issue, and actually pretty effective. Most fears are centered on the frosted glass and include fart sounds, smells (there are fans), toilet noise (they ARE loud), room steaming (there are fans), sinks splashing on the floor, someone storming in the room and catching you naked, and seeing naked silhouettes behind glass. I didn't have any of these issues, but clearly some are bothered by the prospect or the degree of any of these.

 

This was a pretty hot discussion topic for a long time, so I would expect the sides to chime in heavily on why it's the dumbest thing ever done, why it's a non-issue, or why it's very efficient and those other people are idiots :)

 

Here's the floorplan for an Epic balcony room (sorry for the small pic). You can see the shower and toilet areas on the right in the corners

 

 

Here are a couple other pictures

 

 

 

 

[Fine and Jim Dandy]

NCL is not repeating the Epic bathroom mistake on the Breakaway. That should tell you something.

[sverigecruiser]

They use a more European style with separate areas for the shower, toilet and sink.

 

Most fears are centered on the frosted glass and include fart sounds, smells (there are fans), toilet noise (they ARE loud), room steaming (there are fans), sinks splashing on the floor, someone storming in the room and catching you naked, and seeing naked silhouettes behind glass. I didn't have any of these issues, but clearly some are bothered by the prospect or the degree of any of these.

 

 

I have seen other people explain the layout as "a more European style" but really don't understand what people mean with that. I have travelled a lot in most countries in Europe and I have never seen that layout in Europe! I have once stayed at a hotel with a similar layout but that was in the US!

 

You forgot one fear which was mentioned rather much. When the toilet and the sink are in different rooms, some might not wash their hands after using the toilet!

 

When I first heared about the bathroom layout on the Epic I thought that I should never cruise on the Epic but now I don't think that it's so bad. I could probably live with a bathroom layout like that for a week.

[Need-a-vacation]

Maybe I'm just missing something or excessively modest, but it looks like it could be awkward if you're traveling with someone that you normally wouldn't want to see you in the bathroom. It kinda seems like if you're in the shower, anyone else would need to stay in the room or stay out of the room until you are fit to be seen again? For example, it could be uncomfortable if my teen boys were leaving and entering the room while I was showering or getting out of the shower and getting dressed? It would probably be okay if I was traveling with my spouse, but could be awkward sharing a room with others?

[k9sar]

Maybe I'm just missing something or excessively modest, but it looks like it could be awkward if you're traveling with someone that you normally wouldn't want to see you in the bathroom. It kinda seems like if you're in the shower, anyone else would need to stay in the room or stay out of the room until you are fit to be seen again? For example, it could be uncomfortable if my teen boys were leaving and entering the room while I was showering or getting out of the shower and getting dressed? It would probably be okay if I was traveling with my spouse, but could be awkward sharing a room with others?

 

There is also a drape seperating the bathroom from the rest of the room. The sink being on the room side and the toilet and shower being on the other side of the drape. Yes, if someone were in the shower, you could see a blurry figure if you were at the toilet and vice versa but you can seperate that from the room easily.

[Demonyte]

I have seen other people explain the layout as "a more European style" but really don't understand what people mean with that. I have travelled a lot in most countries in Europe and I have never seen that layout in Europe! I have once stayed at a hotel with a similar layout but that was in the US!

 

As an European I second this. Altough I've now seen this kind of layout once in Europe - this May we were in Nürnberg (Nuremberg), Germany and there is a couple of years ago built new budget hotel called "acomhotel" in which there was a separate toilet and shower/sink area with a glass wall.

 

http://en.acomhotel-nuernberg.de/var/nestor/storage/images/media/bilder/bilder-acom/nuernberg/zimmer/zimmer-3/33467-1-ger-DE/Zimmer-3.jpg

[CapeCodCruiser]

I rather like the loo being in its own room. After 2 hemicolectomies my husband, well lets just say I ALWAYS have air freshener around!

 

We stayed in one hotel in an old castle in Germany that just had a half wall between the bathroom & bedroom - the whole bath was all marble - beautiful!

[NYGirl1002]

Disney has them separated by a wall. Shower and sink on one side .. then toilet and sink on the other. It's fabulous. Also each area has a door.

[dalgirl]

There is another issue that is not mentioned and that is the water splash from the shower - you have to put your bath mat in front of the entry door and step out in the hall - very messy. I am not a fan of this design and am glad that NCL has abandoned it for the new ships. HOWEVER, we are scheduled to sail on the Epic twice more next year due to the entertainment, iteneraries, and the single cabins that my Mom loves. Her cabin has a solid door on the toilet:)

[3ofuscruising]

To be honest, when we booked on the Epic November 2013, we never noticed the new bathroom design. After all the reading and seeing the design, I'd admit I'm not thrilled but we won't allow a bad design on the bathroom detour us from enjoying the beautiful ship:D

[meggie711]

I rather like the loo being in its own room. After 2 hemicolectomies my husband, well lets just say I ALWAYS have air freshener around!

 

We stayed in one hotel in an old castle in Germany that just had a half wall between the bathroom & bedroom - the whole bath was all marble - beautiful!

 

I love when it's called the "loo". :D

[rajones007]

Are ALL cabins like this? Is it just standard balcony cabins?

 

What about suites? Mini-suites? Interior? Oceanview?

 

I have to admit that this issue has caused me to pause for thought about cruising on the Epic. I can deal with it if it was just my GF and I. But we really like to take her kids now (currently 16 yo girl and 13 yo boy) because they made our last cruise just awesome.

 

But I KNOW they will absolutely hate the bathroom situation and each will want the entire cabin cleared out and the cabin door bolted shut and a chair wedged under the doorknob just so they can take a leak.

 

Yeah, they're really shy kids. ahahahahaha

 

(Edit. for clarity. They aren't MY kids. I've only been on the scene for a little more than 4 years now. So I can understand that they aren't, and never will be, completely comfortable in regard to their personal routines when I'm near. That's just the way it is.)

[meggie711]

Are ALL cabins like this? Is it just standard balcony cabins?

 

What about suites? Mini-suites? Interior? Oceanview?

 

I have to admit that this issue has caused me to pause for thought about cruising on the Epic. I can deal with it if it was just my GF and I. But we really like to take her kids now (currently 16 yo girl and 13 yo boy) because they made our last cruise just awesome.

 

But I KNOW they will absolutely hate the bathroom situation and each will want the entire cabin cleared out and the cabin door bolted shut and a chair wedged under the doorknob just so they can take a leak.

 

Yeah, they're really shy kids. ahahahahaha

 

(Edit. for clarity. They aren't MY kids. I've only been on the scene for a little more than 4 years now. So I can understand that they aren't, and never will be, completely comfortable in regard to their personal routines when I'm near. That's just the way it is.)

 

If they're just concerned about toilet times.. get a balcony and they can use it when everyone's out of the room. I haven't given a lot of thought to the bathrooms because it will just be me and my husband and we don't worry about that stuff.

[BruceMuzz]

This bathroom design was the final brainchild of NCL's CEO Colin Veitch.

 

Being Scottish - and fully in touch with NCL's demographic - he decided that putting the handwashing sink in the cabin away from the bathroom would make it easier for the passengers to fill their teapots several times per day. We all know that most of NCL's passengers are fanatics about drinking tea.

 

He was fired soon after that stroke of genius.

[SliceOfLife]

Are ALL cabins like this? Is it just standard balcony cabins?

 

What about suites? Mini-suites? Interior? Oceanview?

 

 

Mini-suites, Interior and Oceanview all have the same bathroom set up. The Suites are a bit different. I was in one on our cabin crawl but now I don't really remember the set up. I just know it was different.

 

The single cabins have solid doors.

[Need-a-vacation]

I have seen other people explain the layout as "a more European style" but really don't understand what people mean with that. I have travelled a lot in most countries in Europe and I have never seen that layout in Europe! I have once stayed at a hotel with a similar layout but that was in the US!

 

You forgot one fear which was mentioned rather much. When the toilet and the sink are in different rooms, some might not wash their hands after using the toilet!

 

When I first heared about the bathroom layout on the Epic I thought that I should never cruise on the Epic but now I don't think that it's so bad. I could probably live with a bathroom layout like that for a week.

 

Are ALL cabins like this? Is it just standard balcony cabins?

 

What about suites? Mini-suites? Interior? Oceanview?

 

I have to admit that this issue has caused me to pause for thought about cruising on the Epic. I can deal with it if it was just my GF and I. But we really like to take her kids now (currently 16 yo girl and 13 yo boy) because they made our last cruise just awesome.

 

But I KNOW they will absolutely hate the bathroom situation and each will want the entire cabin cleared out and the cabin door bolted shut and a chair wedged under the doorknob just so they can take a leak.

 

Yeah, they're really shy kids. ahahahahaha

 

(Edit. for clarity. They aren't MY kids. I've only been on the scene for a little more than 4 years now. So I can understand that they aren't, and never will be, completely comfortable in regard to their personal routines when I'm near. That's just the way it is.)

 

Trust me -- being the biological parent doesn't change the situation much. My teen boys would run each other out of the room even if we weren't there, so no way would they shower with me even on the same deck!!

 

It just seems to be a lousy design for non-intimate travel partners. I get that you can separate it from the room with the curtain, but that means that the others in your cabin can't come and go while you shower.

 

I think having the sink outside of the toilet/shower area is a fine idea and that is done often in hotels. It's nice to be able to brush your teeth or whatever while others use the shower/toilet. That objective could be accomplished without compromising the privacy of the shower and toilet facilities.

[ontheweb]

Is there a way to hang a bathroom caddy (containing toothbrushes, toothpaste, etc) by the sink like you would on a bathroom door. (We received one as Christmas present many years ago from one of our nephews after our very first cruise.

 

9 days now until we board the Epic!

[k9sar]

Is there a way to hang a bathroom caddy (containing toothbrushes, toothpaste, etc) by the sink like you would on a bathroom door. (We received one as Christmas present many years ago from one of our nephews after our very first cruise.

 

9 days now until we board the Epic!

 

 

here you can see the sink area (there's a toiletry cabinet above it) as well as the curtain that seperates the room from the loo (snicker). Our only issue was to remember to lock the door if you are taking a shower or using the can so nobody walked in and exposed your blurred image to the hallway. At least the door opened toward the shower so you still had a little time to shout out if you were naked vs if you were simply fouling the air in the other enclosure.

 

Here's a pic of the cabinet

 

[3ofuscruising]

 

here you can see the sink area (there's a toiletry cabinet above it) as well as the curtain that seperates the room from the loo (snicker). Our only issue was to remember to lock the door if you are taking a shower or using the can so nobody walked in and exposed your blurred image to the hallway. At least the door opened toward the shower so you still had a little time to shout out if you were naked vs if you were simply fouling the air in the other enclosure.

 

Here's a pic of the cabinet

 

 

 

Really does look kinda dumb...but alas we are going to sale next year....it's just hub and myself and our daughter who will be 7....we can deal...now IF my oldest son would have joined us in same cabin??? Uh NO..he's 32...that would be ODD!!!!

[ontheweb]

Really does look kinda dumb...but alas we are going to sale next year....it's just hub and myself and our daughter who will be 7....we can deal...now IF my oldest son would have joined us in same cabin??? Uh NO..he's 32...that would be ODD!!!!

 

Thanks so much for the pictures. Is that an inside cabin? That is what we will be in.

[gadaboutgal]

If you want to "try out" the inside cabin arrangement before going on Epic, just put your bed in your bathroom for a night or two!!

[KJE Atlanta]

It worked out fine for us and all the other people who were in our traveling group. It's just not that big of a deal. Really. There's a curtain. There's a deadbolt on the hallway door. There are balconies. If you're in an inside, there are other places on the ship to go for a few minutes if someone really needs privacy in the cabin. A little planning, flexibility, and sense of humor (with a little less uptightness thrown in for good measure :rolleyes:) will make everything work out just fine. And the good thing about the layout is that multiple people can be doing multiple things at the same time. How efficient! :)

[Georgiagolfer]

I too was a bit concerned about this, not being sure how open things were, but still looking forward to the Epic in January.

[sdmike]

As an European I second this. Altough I've now seen this kind of layout once in Europe - this May we were in Nürnberg (Nuremberg), Germany and there is a couple of years ago built new budget hotel called "acomhotel" in which there was a separate toilet and shower/sink area with a glass wall.

 

 

I stayed in 2 different hotels in Amsterdam last year (Park and Bilderberg) and both bathrooms, including the fixtures, were almost exactly like this. Maybe I should change my comments to "NED style"?