Epic Disaster

[Epic Disaster]

My wife and I traveled on the NCL Epic from February 16 to February 23 2013. The Epic is a very impressive ship. It looks like a floating hotel, which it is. The boarding process is one of the smoothest we have encountered. This was our fourth cruise so we did not consider ourselves uneducated. We spent additional dollars to get the mini suite. Along with a larger room we also had larger bathroom and shower space and additional storage. I would highly recommend spending the little extra for the mini suite as we heard complaints about how small the regular rooms are compared to other cruise lines.

After boarding and moving around the boat we found that there was very limited space at the pool and they allowed smoking in the common pool area. It seemed NCL had added room for a couple of thousand more people but did not expand the community areas. It was impossible to find room to sit at the pool. There was a separate area that only allowed 18 and older passengers. This was a small and limited area. Given NCL caters to the older traveler, this area should be larger. Another complaint was that NCL did not police the area. At any given time half of the chairs were not being used. People were allowed to come down early and “reserve” their area by laying out a towel. NCL should monitor and if a chair is unused for an hour then the towel is removed and the chair made available.

NCL advertises “Freestyle” dining. Basically this means the dining areas are open limited hours for the convenience of NCL. The quality of food is mediocre at best. The dining rooms have a very limited menu with strange selections. To eat in one of the “free” dining rooms (Taste and Manhattan) you need to arrive at 5:30 or you will be waiting a long time for a table. If you decide to forego the wait and eat outside of the time frame they set, you are forced to pay $15 to $30 per person. This seems to be the business model for NCL.

The buffet closes at 9:30 at night plus it is closed from 3:30 to 5:30 in the afternoon. At that time the only food available is in the pool area where appetizers are available or from O’Sheehans which has bar food only or pay extra for pizza or room service.

While cruising we decided to pay $150 per person to join the spa. This was the only way to use the steam room and sauna. The men’s portion of the spa ended up being a pick up spot for the gay guys on the boat. Even the couple we were traveling with (who were a gay couple) said they felt uncomfortable being in the spa area when these guys were around.

One night my wife and I came out of the shared steam room and caught one of the guys masturbating in the common area. There was no staff around to report him to. By the time we found someone he had left the facility. NCL must take the effort to insure safety and comfort for the passengers. When I pay additional for a service I do not want activities like that going on in the open and have no supervision by the boat.

If you cruise NCL be prepared for them to cancel scheduled stops. On the last day we were informed that they did not have a location for us to dock in Nassau so we were skipping the stop. The primary reason we booked this trip was that one of the Nassau shore excursions was swimming with the dolphins. While talking to one of the workers she said not having a normal docking spot in Nassau was a common occurrence. The worker said that at other times they had taken the boat to another area and docked. NCL did not say they were sorry for not stopping. The letter we received simply said we were continuing to Miami.

Other items from the cruise include:

· The staff on the boat all seemed to not want to be there and spoke limited English. I understand they recruit employees from around the world, but when someone is put in a position to communicate with passengers as part of their job, they should know English.

· NCL seems to think that they must have music at ear splitting levels at all times. It is impossible to enjoy yourself on the pool level due to various bands playing at such a high volume level you can feel your skin vibrate and it hurts your ears.

· The boat is so crowded that walking at a decent pace is impossible.

· Internet access is $100 for 250 minutes. A little over four hours. The wireless is so poor that the majority of time was spent waiting for connection. If we received one hour of internet access for the $100 we were lucky. I believe I am being generous when I say we got one hour.

· There is no outdoor jogging area. They did take ½ of one walkway paint a small circle area that they called a jogging path. It was so small that while jogging it was impossible to pass people that were waking.

· The Captain feels compelled to come on the loudspeaker at various times of the day and give LONG announcements at an ear splitting volume that is irritating plus the Captain could not be understood because of his poor English. In addition, they constantly are coming on the loudspeakers to promote bingo, art auction, etc. Again, please let us enjoy our vacation!

· To reach the common dining areas you have to walk through the Casino. The elevators do not stop on the 5th level which is where guest services and dining is at. You have to exit at the 6th floor and walk through the Casino and down steps to get to the dining areas.

In summary the Epic has a large number of cabins. It has a very limited area for these people to enjoy themselves. Common services like 24 hour buffet, quiet areas, ocean views, which are supplied on every other cruise we have been on are not offered. Be prepared to “battle” for a place to sit at the pool. Also be prepared to pay additional for almost everything. While I may cruise NCL again it WILL NOT be on the Epic!

[luddite]

wowthatisalongmonograph

didyouenjoythetrip

[david_sobe]

What?

No complaints about the frosted toilet door and privacy curtain? OUTRAGEOUS!

 

 

(sorry that was a joke)

 

Sorry you did not enjoy your Epic cruise. I was on the ship right before you and I know your President's Day weekend cruise was extra crowded. The spa incident should have been investigated. You must turn in your card to use the spa. They have video everywhere on the ship. If NCL thought this really happened, I am sure they would have found the suspect immediately. The entire ship's public areas are wired with cameras. That is a crime and I am sure they would have taken it serious if it really happened.

[ColinIllinois]

Interesting first CC post. Looking forward to the responses. :D

[Sauer-kraut]

The space bar

 

is our

 

friend! ;)

 

 

I'm really sorry you didn't find Cruise Critic nor the Norwegian boards before you sailed. You would have had a bit of foreknowledge about the situation of the pool decks, the loud announcement, and the limited amount of seating on the pool deck. But be aware this is the usual situation on just about all major cruise lines. :p

[Carolin]

I'm trying to figure out where the disaster part is. Was it not being able to sit by the pool or seeing the dude in the spa or was it having to walk through the casino?

[j603]

Out of curiosity..... was this your first NCL cruise? You sound miserable... I mean like you had a miserable time. NCL is a cruise line that caters to all not just the older generation. Maybe if you want a cruise that truly caters to the older traveler you should try Grand Circle Travel or Overseas Adventure Travel. They have fantastic river cruises that are on much smaller boats and go to pretty neat locations. Anyways I hope where ever your next adventure leads you it is a great one. :)

[Starry Eyes]

So you encountered hogs on a cruise ship? No surprise there... I have seen them every time there is decent weather on every ship on every line we have sailed.

 

Slow, expensive Internet on a ship with some connection issues? par for the course at sea.

 

what is your issue with dining room hours? Opening earlier in the evening would not have helped you avoid lines at peak hours. nor would staying open later help at peak hours. it is frustrating for guests and staff if dining leads to waits at peak times.

 

Reports indicate Nassau's port authority canceled Epic. NCL had a spot reserved, but the port authority there did not honor their commitment. It is not the first time Nassau has turned away ships this season from different cruiselines. It would be nice if the Nassau port authority explained itself, apologized to NCL and other impacted cruiselines, apologized to impacted passengers like you, and most of all fixed the issue. Nassau should do all of that, but do not hold your breath. And from now on, do not trust Nassau.

[youngestof9]

funny. I was there the same week and it was a phenomenal cruise for us. The captains announcements were about once a day and limited to keeping us informed.

 

and as for catering to older folks? Not sure where you got that info. It's very family oriented.

 

Sorry you didn't like it. We liked it so much we're considering a third go-round in 2014.

[shelly11]

Never been on Epic but I love NCL. The staff has always been friendly and spoke English well enough to understand my southern drawl. The times I've found the buffet closed there are always other free options and I've never waited in the MDR except on New Years. Again, I've never been on the Epic and I suggest trying another ship.

[OCruisers]

Thanks for your time to tell us your thoughts on your recent Epic cruise. Seems you joined CC just to be able to do this.

 

A variety of opinions is always appreciated -- both the good and the bad ....

 

LuLu

~~~

[mpk218]

Hhahahaha , thanks for the chuckle ..:p What a load.

[meltingmoments]

Not really sure how to respond to this, apart from sorry you didn't enjoy your cruise!

 

As to the point about NCL catering for the * older * crowd........when we sailed the Epic, it was very family-orientated and lots of younger couples as well.......in fact a fantastic mix of people of all ages!

 

 

And as for the staff not being able to speak English......again, not our experience at all!

 

I see a previous poster said that perhaps if you had found CC BEFORE you sailed the Epic, you may have had a heads-up about the pool area getting crowded and about the chair-hogs........I believe this can be a problem on many cruise lines! :eek:

 

Anyways, I hope your experience didn't put you off and you find a cruise and cruise line that suits you. :)

[Cruisegirl6]

Thank you for your review, but nothing positive/good to say? There has got to be good things to?

 

OCruisers you have a very good point, very interesting to point that out, seems like an agenda to me to.

[sjbdtz]

. While I may cruise NCL again it WILL NOT be on the Epic!

 

 

If I had sailed on a line where the basic premises of the line:

 

- FreeStyle Dining

- Multi-cultural staff

- Available upcharge dining

- A la carte pricing

 

and it was a 'disaster', I'd be unequivocal that I'd not sail with the line again.

[Nalagh]

Hhahahaha , thanks for the chuckle ..:p What a load.

 

Yea, my thoughts as well. CC name is Epic Disaster and first post. :rolleyes:

[terrydtx]

So you encountered hogs on a cruise ship? No surprise there... I have seen them every time there is decent weather on every ship on every line we have sailed.

 

Slow, expensive Internet on a ship with some connection issues? par for the course at sea.

 

what is your issue with dining room hours? Opening earlier in the evening would not have helped you avoid lines at peak hours. nor would staying open later help at peak hours. it is frustrating for guests and staff if dining leads to waits at peak times.

.

 

I agree, with everything you say but Chair Hogs on NCL :eek: EVERY cruise ship has them X, HAL CCL RCL been on them all and they are there. Do as we do if we see a chair with a towel on it unattended for more than 15 minutes remove it and sit down. Only way to fight off the hogs I know.:cool:

 

Dining hours and lines are pretty much the same on all ships and cruise lines with any type of open dining. Sounds like the OP has let the little things ruin a great vacation and cruise.

 

On the Nieuw Amsterdam we had the worst Internet connections on any ship so far. Just happens when 2000 people try to get on at the same time.

[njhorseman]

Quote from the OP: "NCL caters to the older traveler".

 

Huh? NCL caters to as broad or broader a cross section of ages, lifestyles, etc. as any cruise line. You have to wonder where people come up with this stuff.

[Epic Disaster]

wowthatisalongmonograph

didyouenjoythetrip

Yes, we did have some good times, however when you book with a reputable company you expect them to deliver what they promise in a comfortable, safe setting. Blowing off one of the three stops then telling everyone they are not going to do anything to reimburse you for the lost experience leaves a very bitter taste. Also, the surroundings on the boat were not as safe as I would have expected.

[Epic Disaster]

What?

No complaints about the frosted toilet door and privacy curtain? OUTRAGEOUS!

 

 

(sorry that was a joke)

 

Sorry you did not enjoy your Epic cruise. I was on the ship right before you and I know your President's Day weekend cruise was extra crowded. The spa incident should have been investigated. You must turn in your card to use the spa. They have video everywhere on the ship. If NCL thought this really happened, I am sure they would have found the suspect immediately. The entire ship's public areas are wired with cameras. That is a crime and I am sure they would have taken it serious if it really happened.

 

Trust me, it happened. If you would have read my post you would have seen my complaint was that there were no NCL people around. When I asked about the cameras their reply was that the spa area was considered private and they do not have cameras there. Two people did finally show up and said they would investigate and asked me to go in the men's shower area to see if the guy was in there. Of course he was not. NCL needs to take safety more importantly.

[my_crib_too]

Welcome to Cruise Critic. Sorry you did not find us before you sailed but if you stick around, CC will make your next cruise vacation better.

[A1SusieQ]

The men’s portion of the spa ended up being a pick up spot for the gay guys on the boat. ·

 

My husband gets a spa pass every cruise. The OP is making the spa seem like a Bath House from the 70s.

 

The staff are around all the time. Impossible.

[cruzeluver]

Do a little homework and make sure you have your facts straight.

 

NCL does not, nor has it ever marketed itself as a line for an older clientel.

 

NCL did not cancel your stop at Nassau, the Nassau port authprity did. they are doing it to ships across all the major lines. do a little snooping here and you will see that Royal Caribbean and Carnival ships has also been denied docking privileges. Regardless of the reason, the contract you signed includes language stating you will be due no compensation for missed ports or any changes to the scheduled itinerary. Again, this is true regardless of the cruise line.

[sparks1093]

Yes, we did have some good times, however when you book with a reputable company you expect them to deliver what they promise in a comfortable, safe setting. Blowing off one of the three stops then telling everyone they are not going to do anything to reimburse you for the lost experience leaves a very bitter taste. Also, the surroundings on the boat were not as safe as I would have expected.

 

So your main complaint is about something that 1) can happen on any ship 2) can happen on any cruise line and 3) is clearly covered in the terms of the contract. No port is guarenteed, ever.

[david_sobe]

Trust me, it happened. If you would have read my post you would have seen my complaint was that there were no NCL people around. When I asked about the cameras their reply was that the spa area was considered private and they do not have cameras there. Two people did finally show up and said they would investigate and asked me to go in the men's shower area to see if the guy was in there. Of course he was not. NCL needs to take safety more importantly.

I did read your post. Whether there are NCL employees around has nothing to do with it. You must walk past the front desk to collect your room key to exit the spa. The spa is a public area and they do have cameras there for lots of reasons (liability, pool area, theft, crimes, etc). They dont have cameras in steam rooms or shower areas. You stated this was in the open area of the spa. This is a crime and having the key card of the suspect and the cameras would have instantly identified the suspect. But even if they have no cameras, they still would have ALL the names of people in the spa. They could have identified him immediately. Then they could have looked at tape to see if any crime occured (if cameras were rolling). I dont find it realistic for security staff to place the burden on you to look for the suspect . If you reported a serious sex crime, they would have taken it seriously and investigated accordingly.

Its not that I am saying I dont believe you, its just as a law enforcement officer, there are lots of things that dont make sense. It is rare but people do get arrested for such acts on a cruise ship. Long story short......the spa knows exactly who everyone is at all times when you are in there using their facilities. If NCL thought something happened or they believed it really happened, they would have acted accordingly to find out and alert authorities. To ask you to look in the showers for the guy seems unreal.