NCruiser2012 Posted May 13, 2013 #1 Share Posted May 13, 2013 (edited) We are anxiously awaiting any information about the Epic in the Mediterranean for 2013. Reviews, photos, menus, or dailies would be greatly appreciated. I know many people have cruised the Epic before. What is new this year? Edited May 13, 2013 by NCruiser2012 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Riggy84 Posted May 13, 2013 #2 Share Posted May 13, 2013 Subscribing to this post. I've been meaning to ask if anyone had any copies of dailies since she arrived in Europe!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ShellDil Posted May 13, 2013 #3 Share Posted May 13, 2013 Me too - sailing out of Rome in June....anxiously awaiting to hear some posts from this year's sailings! :D Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
robins11 Posted May 13, 2013 #4 Share Posted May 13, 2013 We are anxiously awaiting any information about the Epic in the Mediterranean for 2013. Reviews, photos, menus, or dailies would be greatly appreciated. I know many people have cruised the Epic before. What is new this year? Hi recently back off Epic. Completed a short 4 day Mediterranean cruise from Barcelona visiting Marseille, Palma de Majorca and back to Barcelona. the ship had just arrived from Miami so this was her first Med cruise of the year. We had sailed on Epic before transatlantic in 2011 so we knew the ship and getting reorientated was easy. Getting on and off the ship at the beginning and end of our cruise was easy as Barcelona certainly knows how to handle these large vessels. Our cruise seemed to be near full and there were a number of large incentive groups onboard. However other than peak meal times in the buffet and the crowded pool deck during the sunny weather the ship caters for large numbers well. Enjoyed our brief time onboard, the crew were brilliant, food good, and the two shows we went to, Blue Man Group and Legends, were superb. My only regret was mistakingly booking a stateroom on deck 9 with an open balcony, in other words no cover. Would suit some but we enjoy our privacy. Worth double checking next time. Marseille was a revelation, loved it. Paid 10 or 12 euro each for the NCL shuttle from the ship to the city centre return. If you are not on an official excursion this is a must. My advice is don't even think about walking or public transport. The distance from where the ship berthed to the port entrance where the public bus runs from is considerable and from there its several miles into the centre. The shuttle bus drops you in the old port area and from there you can walk to many sights or pick up the little train or HOHO bus. Its the European City of Culture this year so lots to see and do. Lots of places to eat and watch the world go by. Similarly with Palma, what a beautiful city with a magnificent cathedral. NCL provide a shuttle at the same price as above or get a taxi or catch a service bus on the main road, number 1 that will take you to the centre for 2 euro. We got a bus from the centre to Port de Soller on the north of the island and then rode a vintage tram and train back to Palma through the mountains. (The Soller Railway) Great day. Lovely weather throughout, a wonderful short cruise. John Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
betterthanvegas? Posted May 13, 2013 #5 Share Posted May 13, 2013 I'll post up stuff when I'm back in a few weeks. Sailing from 19th til 26th. Less than a week to go! Thanks for the info about marseille and Palma mallorca. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CdnCruiseFan Posted May 13, 2013 #6 Share Posted May 13, 2013 Betterthanvegas we are on the same sailing.see you onboard! :) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
betterthanvegas? Posted May 13, 2013 #7 Share Posted May 13, 2013 Cdn, have you been on the epic before? I'm v excited but a little nervous as it was me who picked and booked this for a family trip. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CdnCruiseFan Posted May 13, 2013 #8 Share Posted May 13, 2013 New to Epic. I've read so many reviews and everything on here so I think I am ready lol I've sailed Carnival in the past so this is a first for me. I think you and I made a great choice and will have a blast! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
betterthanvegas? Posted May 13, 2013 #9 Share Posted May 13, 2013 Well if we haven't it's too late now! ;-) i can't wait! It looks like a really fun ship. Looking forward to the newbie cruisers in my group seeing the ship for the first time. Got to start packing soon! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lite_fm48 Posted May 14, 2013 #10 Share Posted May 14, 2013 Subscribing we'll be on the Epic in August leaving Barcelona. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ms.sunburn Posted May 14, 2013 #11 Share Posted May 14, 2013 (edited) Thanks Robins11. I enjoyed your post! I was happy to hear that I don't really have to do anything special in Marseille or Palma other than catching the ship's shuttle. I'm sure by then I'll be completely spent from the long days in Italy! Looking forward to your reviews CdnCruiseFan & betterthanvegas? I, too, have cruised mostly Carnival with a sprinkling of Royal Caribbean & Princess mixed in. The Epic will be my first cruise on Norwegian. I'm not stuck on a particular cruise line. Any of the big ones, given the right price and itinerary, work for me :) Edited May 14, 2013 by ms.sunburn Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bob&Barb Posted May 14, 2013 #12 Share Posted May 14, 2013 We just returned from the Epic, disembarking this past Saturday in Barcelona. This was our first "big" ship cruise, so I am in no way an expert on cruising, but here are my observations, in case they may be helpful. :) Embarking in Barcelona was quick and easy. We arrived at the port at 10:45 from our hotel (Hotel Montecarlo on La Rambla <--fantastic) and it took less than an hour to go through security and be greeted onboard. BTW, there is a duty free shop after security, and no, there was no one checking bags, or any table to pay corkage if you choose to purchase your own wine to take on board. (This could change, and they were definitely checking at all the other ports.) The ship is beautiful and easy to find your way about. I had read about long waits for the elevators, but it was never an issue for us. Most of the time, it was only a minute or two before an elevator came. Also, after reading much about chair hogs, I never saw any. There always seemed to be lots of chairs, perhaps because the cruise is so port intensive. It was also a beautiful week, weather-wise, but a tiny bit chilly (low 70s). The staff was GREAT. Almost everyone was cheerful, had a smile, and kind word. We had a minisuite (12266) and while it's a bit tight passing one another, there is plenty of storage and a very comfy bed. The toilet area & shower area are not big, and not private, but you know what to expect, right? :rolleyes: The food was fine. Great breakfast in the buffet. We weren't very impressed by the Teppanyaki, but it may have been the chef, who was either new, or a fill in. He did very little in the way of entertainment, and he had some trouble calculating the amount of food for each person at the table -- coming up short a serving several times. (Other tables seemed to be having fun.) Blue Man group was excellent. The Cirque show is good, but the food is not. Seating is tight. We also ate at Taste, O'Sheehans and Moderno. The new port this year is Palma, on Mallorca. Absolutely gorgeous island -- as beautiful as the Amalfi coast in southern Italy. Don't stay in town. Venture out and into the mountains, and visit Valldemossa and Soller if you have time. (Shop for pearls!) I have to say that we didn't follow the general consensus and we booked excursions through the ship. We had a couple of the very best tours (Exclusive Amalfi Coast & Pompeii, as well as Exclusive Pisa & Florence) and we also had the absolute worst touring experience ever (Ultimate Rome). Norwegian does have a problem dispursing the passengers out on ship tours. Two harried crew members have to process hundreds of passengers and so the tours were mostly late getting out. You spend a LOT of time waiting to get called, if it's a popular tour. My best tip would be to plan, plan, plan your days to include only the sights most important to you, and everything else will fall beautifully into place. There's so much to enjoy on the ship, along with this wonderfully diverse Med itinerary, you've got the whole dream holiday here! I'm a little bit tired writing this, (11 hours of flying today) but if you have any specific questions please ask, and I'll be happy to answer if I can. ~Barb Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NCruiser2012 Posted May 14, 2013 Author #13 Share Posted May 14, 2013 Thank you all for your comments. I am glad that everyone is enjoying Majorca. I must say I was a little disappointed that the Epic was not going to another port in France this year. But, it sounds like everyone is having fun in Palma and the rest of Majorca. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Xpto Posted May 14, 2013 #14 Share Posted May 14, 2013 (edited) Hi, I’m glad that you loved your cruise. I will be doing same itinerary on August with my daughters of 6 and 1. I´ve read in another forum that this year there are not Sponge Bob and the others Nickelodeon characters onboard. So the breakfast with them don´t be available. That’s true? I hope no! Thanks, Edited May 14, 2013 by Xpto Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bob&Barb Posted May 14, 2013 #15 Share Posted May 14, 2013 I'm not sure if you're asking me but...I'll answer anyway. ;) There seemed to be very few children on board our cruise, but it's May. There weren't any characters about -- but perhaps they'll bring them out when there are a lot more children on board in the summer. (Sorry -- I didn't bring the dailies back or I could have checked about the breakfast. Our luggage was just so darn heavy I had to toss them.) I will say the kid's own water park area was adorable. :) It looked very cute & inviting. ~Barb Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chirowedoc Posted May 15, 2013 #16 Share Posted May 15, 2013 I would love to see if anyone has been able to bring back some Dailies from theteen program now that they are in the Med.! We hop on the ship on the 26th of May, so I have been hoping someone has them!:D Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ms.sunburn Posted May 15, 2013 #17 Share Posted May 15, 2013 Thanks Bob& Barb! Enjoyed your post. I've booked Teppanyaki - it's the only restaurant I've booked ahead of time, so hopefully I don't get Mr. Wonderful serving me..lol. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Riggy84 Posted May 16, 2013 #18 Share Posted May 16, 2013 I'm particularly keen on info on the shuttles. Prices, drop off location, frequency, etc. Mainly for Palma, Marseille and Livorno. I've been told you can't walk out of the port in Livorno, you have to use the shuttle or a taxi, is this still the case? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sbsmutoni Posted May 17, 2013 #19 Share Posted May 17, 2013 We just returned from the Epic, disembarking this past Saturday in Barcelona. This was our first "big" ship cruise, so I am in no way anexpert on cruising, but here are my observations, in case they may be helpful. :) Embarking in Barcelona was quick and easy. We arrived at the port at 10:45 from our hotel (Hotel Montecarlo on La Rambla <--fantastic) and it took less than an hour to go through security and be greeted onboard. BTW, there is a duty free shop after security, and no, there was no one checking bags, or any table to pay corkage if you choose to purchase your own wine to take on board. (This could change, and they were definitely checking at all the other ports.) The ship is beautiful and easy to find your way about. I had read about long waits for the elevators, but it was never an issue for us. Most of the time, it was only a minute or two before an elevator came. Also, after reading much about chair hogs, I never saw any. There always seemed to be lots of chairs, perhaps because the cruise is so port intensive. It was also a beautiful week, weather-wise, but a tiny bit chilly (low 70s). The staff was GREAT. Almost everyone was cheerful, had a smile, and kind word. We had a minisuite (12266) and while it's a bit tight passing one another, there is plenty of storage and a very comfy bed. The toilet area & shower area are not big, and not private, but you know what to expect, right? :rolleyes: The food was fine. Great breakfast in the buffet. We weren't very impressed by the Teppanyaki, but it may have been the chef, who was either new, or a fill in. He did very little in the way of entertainment, and he had some trouble calculating the amount of food for each person at the table -- coming up short a serving several times. (Other tables seemed to be having fun.) Blue Man group was excellent. The Cirque show is good, but the food is not. Seating is tight. We also ate at Taste, O'Sheehans and Moderno. The new port this year is Palma, on Mallorca. Absolutely gorgeous island -- as beautiful as the Amalfi coast in southern Italy. Don't stay in town. Venture out and into the mountains, and visit Valldemossa and Soller if you have time. (Shop for pearls!) I have to say that we didn't follow the general consensus and we booked excursions through the ship. We had a couple of the very best tours (Exclusive Amalfi Coast & Pompeii, as well as Exclusive Pisa & Florence) and we also had the absolute worst touring experience ever (Ultimate Rome). Norwegian does have a problem dispursing the passengers out on ship tours. Two harried crew members have to process hundreds of passengers and so the tours were mostly late getting out. You spend a LOT of time waiting to get called, if it's a popular tour. My best tip would be to plan, plan, plan your days to include only the sights most important to you, and everything else will fall beautifully into place. There's so much to enjoy on the ship, along with this wonderfully diverse Med itinerary, you've got the whole dream holiday here! I'm a little bit tired writing this, (11 hours of flying today) but if you have any specific questions please ask, and I'll be happy to answer if I can. ~Barb I have a quick question Barb....does the duty free shop inside the port have liquor? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
karoo Posted May 17, 2013 #20 Share Posted May 17, 2013 Great review-I'm on the Epic embarking from Rome in July. I've booked the Cinque Terre excursion for Livorno through the ship. All the other ports/tours I plan on DIY. Did you do the tour in Palma on your own or through the ship? I would like to take the train to Soller etc, bus back, but wondering how easy it would be to do etc? I'm also with you-I didn't enjoy the food in Teppanyaki at all. I went for the second time on my last cruise, only because the rest of the group wanted to go. I think I'll just say no next time and dine alone. Life's too short to eat food I don't enjoy. I do love the MDR and Le Bistro though. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MISStheboat Posted May 17, 2013 #21 Share Posted May 17, 2013 Hi,I’m glad that you loved your cruise. I will be doing same itinerary on August with my daughters of 6 and 1. I´ve read in another forum that this year there are not Sponge Bob and the others Nickelodeon characters onboard. So the breakfast with them don´t be available. That’s true? I hope no! Thanks, Saw Sponge Bob and Dora on the May 5th sailing Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare Cloudyrain Posted May 17, 2013 #22 Share Posted May 17, 2013 Great review-I'm on the Epic embarking from Rome in July. I've booked the Cinque Terre excursion for Livorno through the ship. All the other ports/tours I plan on DIY. Did you do the tour in Palma on your own or through the ship? I would like to take the train to Soller etc, bus back, but wondering how easy it would be to do etc? I'm also with you-I didn't enjoy the food in Teppanyaki at all. I went for the second time on my last cruise, only because the rest of the group wanted to go. I think I'll just say no next time and dine alone. Life's too short to eat food I don't enjoy. I do love the MDR and Le Bistro though. I have been to Palma quite a few times, and have been to Soller/Port Soller. Personally, even though I know the area and feel confident in what I'm doing, I would be reluctant going to Soller on anything other than a ships tour. I know people do, but if you get the scenic train/tram there and back they don't run regularly and can get very very busy; i have never seen a stampede like it! If you do want to do it make sure you research well, and also get bus times just in case you miss the train (or can't get on). If you have never been to Palma before I can recommend it highly, especially the cathedral, it's only about 6 euros entry fee. The public buses run past the port every few minutes and cost 1-2e, or a taxi is about 8e. Have a wander around tje town (some amazing streets, shops and museums and gallaries). Then you could look at Castel De Bellver - get a taxi there (8e max from the cathedral), 3e entry fee, and walk back to the port (the road up is a long winding steep hill, coming down is pretty easy straight down the hill from the exit of the castle grounds: I do it in flip flops, but it is a lot of steps and they are typical Spanish. It's worth it even if just for the view! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bob&Barb Posted May 18, 2013 #23 Share Posted May 18, 2013 Sbsmutoni ~ I asked my husband Bob and he said, yes, they had liquor in the duty free shop in Barcelona -- a small selection. Thinking back on it, there was a long line right at the point of entering the ship, and we got sent back down to the aft to board -- I imagine that is why there was no security check, and actually, nobody to greet us. Every port, they were definitely checking bags. Karoo ~ We did the Magical Mallorca & Train to Soller excursion through the ship. It left an hour late (slow processing for the excursions) so the itinerary was modified & reversed -- it was the train FROM Soller :p but it was very enjoyable and worthwhile. Yes, I think that seeing the general scramble for seats on the train and the crowds (our tour group had their own car) - I don't think I'd DIY and chance getting back to the ship late. It's a short 1/2 day in port, so not much time. ~Barb Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
millineumwoman Posted May 28, 2013 #24 Share Posted May 28, 2013 Bob &barb Was the ultimate Rome excursion worth it? Did u see everything? And what was the food like at cirque show? Also what night was the lobster? Sent from my iPhone using Cruise Critic Forums mobile app Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aussiecruzer Posted May 28, 2013 #25 Share Posted May 28, 2013 Lobster night was first night on board when boarding from Barcelona( Sunday) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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