Epic Disaster

[Turtles06]

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

 

 

If only! :)

 

[chelle74]

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.

 

I agree. We weren't blown away by NCL when we went in 2011, but we enjoyed it enough that we're going on NCL again. The cruise wasn't bad, we just didn't enjoy the ship as much. Part of the reason we're giving NCL another shot is the wonderful staff.

 

When we were on the Dawn, we were traveling with our then 5-year old and nearly 2-year old. We often ate breakfast in the kids' dining area on the lido. For a couple of days we noticed a creeper sitting, without kids, in the kids area. He didn't do anything blatantly strange, but my husband and I both felt uneasy about him sitting there. We spoke to a waiter about it and he took it VERY seriously, and was also very discreet when speaking to us. He found a security officer and spoke to him about this situation, and the security officer approached the man and told him he needed to leave the area. We didn't see him there again during the entire cruise. Maybe he was harmless, but he was definitely a creeper, and I felt NCL handled it professionally and discreetly. I have a hard time believing they wouldn't handle your situation in the same way.

[NLH Arizona]

Sorry you didn't enjoy your cruise on the Epic. I wouldn't go on the Epic, I don't like the mega ships, but do like NCL. I think NCL caters to everyone of all ages and I think if you give NCL another try on one of the other ships, you'll probably have a great time. You just have to remember that you are on vacations, sometimes things aren't perfect, but you have to remember you are on vacation!!!!

[Cruzin-Keith]

Epic Disaster - thanks for your review. Sorry about the Cruise Critic family here blasting you as they have. If you would have said all good things they would have praised you. However, you mentioned things that you were not happy with and they come to destroy.

Shame on them!

 

I just returned from Epic 2/23 - 3/2 cruise. I have lots of good and bad to say...some of what you have mentioned minus the spa incident. I have never had a bad cruise, because I go to have fun and meet lots of new friends, which we did.

Would I cruise Epic again, he** NO! The ship is dirty, spa is very moldy, staff rude, food in dining room and pay dining NOT good. Chef Table was wonderful! Blue Man...come on.

 

That's it in a nut shell maybe more in a couple of days.

[Starry Eyes]

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.

 

If missing Nassau is THE major issue, your disappointment is understandable, but he blame is misplaced. The Nassau port authority has turned away scheduled ships from multiple cruiselines this season...be angry with Nassau. Write negative things on Nassau websites, if you wish...but blaming NCL is blaming another victim of Nassau's port authority.

 

I have always felt safe on NCL ships. I am sorry you did not feel safe.

[mpk218]

Epic Disaster - thanks for your review. Sorry about the Cruise Critic family here blasting you as they have. If you would have said all good things they would have praised you. However, you mentioned things that you were not happy with and they come to destroy.

Shame on them!

 

I just returned from Epic 2/23 - 3/2 cruise. I have lots of good and bad to say...some of what you have mentioned minus the spa incident. I have never had a bad cruise, because I go to have fun and meet lots of new friends, which we did.

Would I cruise Epic again, he** NO! The ship is dirty, spa is very moldy, staff rude, food in dining room and pay dining NOT good. Chef Table was wonderful! Blue Man...come on.

 

That's it in a nut shell maybe more in a couple of days.

 

 

You seem to have forgoten the Good parts you mentioned :p

Thanks any way RCCL ;)

[Shayhooper]

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.

 

What do you think they should have done differently?

[2inTul]

Epic Disaster - thanks for your review. Sorry about the Cruise Critic family here blasting you as they have. If you would have said all good things they would have praised you. However, you mentioned things that you were not happy with and they come to destroy.

Shame on them!

 

I just returned from Epic 2/23 - 3/2 cruise. I have lots of good and bad to say...some of what you have mentioned minus the spa incident. I have never had a bad cruise, because I go to have fun and meet lots of new friends, which we did.

Would I cruise Epic again, he** NO! The ship is dirty, spa is very moldy, staff rude, food in dining room and pay dining NOT good. Chef Table was wonderful! Blue Man...come on.

 

That's it in a nut shell maybe more in a couple of days.

 

Thanks for the second load of CRAP on this thread. Good job!

[HokiePoq]

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.

 

 

This is the only part of your review I find disturbing. The security/spa staff should have been monitoring this area and prevented such a disturbing event in a public area.

Pool situation is not good for a crowded ship. Our TA on the Epic was great. We enjoyed both the pool and the spa, but the ship was not nearly full and the passengers mostly seniors. While some don't like to sail with older people, you don't get incidents like this as a rule.

The food, dining hours, are typical for all the ships we've been on. 5:30 does avoid the line. Only on the Dawn in January did we encounter lines for dining in all our NCL cruises. I think that is a function of how crowded the ship was.

Sorry you missed the port. Same discussion over on the RCCL as one of their ships also got bumped. Something is wrong with the Port of Nassau to have this recurring problem.

The Epic's design is unique. Perhaps you might enjoy another ship and a week when the ships (all lines) are not packed with holiday travelers.

[readytogo2]

Re: Epic Disaster

 

To the OP Epic Disaster, with the subject of Epic Disaster.

 

Having never sailed on NCL yet, thanks for the eye opener :rolleyes:

[smeyer418]

"An Epic Mistake

Someone at the port of Nassau in the Bahamas has a real problem with addition. Not for the first time, the port overscheduled cruise calls and was forced to turn away a ship February 23. But this time, the ship turned away was Norwegian Epic, with its 4,100 passengers. Not only were passengers unhappy, local businesses called foul as well, Bahamian newspaper The Tribune reported. Atlantis Resort, for instance, confirmed to the newspaper that it had lost an estimated $100,000 as a result of the cancellation. Downtown business owners also were upset. "Whatever boat replaced it could not have been as big and could not have brought as many tourists to town," one business owner was quoted as saying."

 

from Cruise Critic news....

not NCL's fault.

[SissasMomE]

You created a CC screen name just to bash the ship? :rolleyes:

[Nalagh]

From USA Today

 

http://www.usatoday.com/story/cruiselog/2013/03/01/bahamas-cruise-ship-norwegian-epic/1956083/

[luddite]

You created a CC screen name just to bash the ship? :rolleyes:

 

:) I think she was hoping to be the first poster this year to come in with a 'NCL is Crud' thread. First of March is WAY too late for that.

[Aquahound]

A couple of your complaints mirrored my experience on Dawn a couple months ago, especially the wait times for the MDR. Thank you for taking the time to write a review.

[CruisinTexan86]

So sorry to hear you didn't have a good time! We were on the same sailing as you. It was our first time on the Epic (and any large sized ship) and I agree that at times you could definitely feel how big the ship was and that it was sailing at full capacity, but that didn't stop us from having an amazing vacation! We didn't think traveling during such a peak travel week would bother us, but we have decided to avoid that week for future vacations. I disagree with many of your other observations (especially the food and language barriers), but to each their own!

 

I hope that you decide to stick around Cruise Critic and become familiar with the people and boards available here. This site has been invaluable in planning our cruise and our future one, and I think you will find that the people here are very informative and helpful! Hopefully you will have a better understanding of what you're getting into with your next cruise and have a better time!

[Jotravelnut21]

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:

 

Cruiser after my own heart terrydtx!

I also give the chair hogs a limited time then I sling their towels onto heap, move the chair a little and sit down. Hubby is usually mortified! but after ten or fifteen minutes even he comes around and sits down!! :)

[Cruisegirl6]

EpicDisaster I realize you joined this board with the name you chose to make a very strong point...my question, every cruise ship has its pros and cons can you please tell me any positive on the Epic, as you haven't mentioned anything in your review. I like to hear the positive if you do that then perhaps many be more understanding.

[sdmike]

Interesting thread. Seems like a combination of not knowing some things in advance, some high expectations and some disappointments. Doesn't sound like a disaster though.

 

Many of us have had outstanding expernences on the Epic and find much of this highly surprising and more than a little suspect.

 

Hope you have a better cruise next time

[Epic Disaster]

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.

 

David: You are making point perfectly. The desk where you got the key was down a hall, around two corners and was often not monitored. The doors to the spa did not always close. You had to pull them shut. Also, a person could stand by the door or walk in with a friend and never get caught. Yes we were given a wrist band to wear and we were told we would be asked to leave if we were caught not wearing it. However, we were never checked. I also noticed very few people in the spa wearing their band. My wife and I used the spa for three days before we were informed we had to get a special key to get in. The door was always open.

 

When I pay additional for a service I have an expectation different than a public area. Not having staff available to help me is not acceptable. This example points out that the overall management of the Epic was lacking. Do I think it is NCL overall? No. Do I think the management of the Epic is lacking? Yes.

[Epic Disaster]

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

~~~

 

Sorry LuLu but I didn't realize I was required to post ten favorable posts before I could post a truthful post. I will try to read the fine print next time!

[Partyatsea]

When I saw this thread thought maybe the Epic had caughth fire and was drifitng at sea with no power.

[meltingmoments]

When I saw this thread thought maybe the Epic had caughth fire and was drifitng at sea with no power.

 

:eek: :eek: :eek: Now that WOULD be an Epic disaster!

[Epic Disaster]

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.

 

Apparently you have never sailed the Epic. When we found someone to report they did investigate it, however the people that showed up were in their early 20's and did not seem to know what to do. The younger male that showed up made the comment he was grossed out by it. The female was very concerned however she was limited to what she could do. It was over five minutes between the time we saw the guy and we found someone to tell about. He was long gone!

[UODuckMan]

My wife and I used the spa for three days before we were informed we had to get a special key to get in. The door was always open.

 

Wow, a lot has changed in the last couple of months since I was on the Epic. My wife and I both had spa passes for our 13 night cruise. We didn't use the spa everyday, but the doors were never left open. It would certainly be possible to follow someone in, but I find it hard to believe that an honest person would

sneak into the spa for three days. Didn't you find it odd that you didn't have a locker key?