Epic - Times/best location for views entering ports

[littleengine]

I've booked a studio cabin so I won't be able to take any photos from the cabin when the ship is entering/leaving the ports. I have a general idea what time we're allowed to disembark, but what time does the ship actually arrive in each of them (St. Maarten, St. Thomas, Nassau), and where on the ship would be the best place to go to get some good shots? Is it as simple as "anywhere at the front of the ship for arrivals and anywhere at the back work for departures", or are some spots better than others?

[sdmike]

I have found that arrival times vary a fair amount. Even though the itinerary says they arrive at 8am, it can be any time before 8am...quite often pre-dawn when everyone is still sleeping. If you want to take pictures at arrival you'll need to watch your in-room tv. They have information on current location and speed, as well as a channel with a bow cam that may help you get a feel for where you are. Departures are a different story. They generally leave right on time with very little variance.

 

On the Epic you don't have as many good vantage points as some other ships since she doesn't have an exposed promenade deck. I have a couple of suggestions though.

 

One option is Spice H2O at the rear of the ship. Better yet, there are sets of stairs that go from this area up to the sports courts that provide pretty unobstructed views. Here's a picture of Spice H20

 

 

This is the view from the railing above Spice H20

 

 

If you want to be inside, there are nice views from the front of the Garden Cafe, or the italian restaurant downstairs from the Garden Cafe. Both face the front of the ship. The italian restaurant is used as overflow seating for the buffet in the mornings and is is usually empty.

 

This is the view from there (wish I had a better picture)

 

 

having posted these, I think the best bet would be up on the public sun decks on 16 or 17. I'm not sure if there are railings in the way, but you would be outside and away from most of the crowds that are out for sail away.

 

Here you can see the sun deck area on 16. The railing looks short enough to look over, but I'm not positive

 

 

You can also go up the starboard side front elevators to 16 or 17 and have even better views. I'm on 17 taking this picture. My wife is the one below me on 16 in the red outfit taking her own picture.

 

 

I hope this helps.

 

Best thing to do would be to scope out locations when you get on board.

[barnacle_boy]

For St. Maarten and St. Thomas you have to be up fairly early for morning arrivals. I'm usually out on deck by 6:30am to watch us pick up the pilot, but you can probably be out by 7am and still get some of the action in the final moments of maneuvering. Unless the ship is delayed, assumed you'll be docked around 7:30 - 7:45am. Nassau is much easier to plan for since it's a midday arrival and you're more likely to be awake at that point anyway. Pilot embarks sometime around 10:45am and the ship is usually docked by 11:30am. If you want to watch the ship arrive into Miami, you'll have to get up at around 4:30am. She'll be docked by 5:45am in most cases.

 

The best place to view the arrival is up on Deck 18 forward. Originally, this used to be the an exclusive area for Courtyard (pre-Haven days) passengers. However, for whatever reason, it is now a public space. It still has the faux whicker furniture and bright red lounger cushions found elsewhere in the Haven complex and Posh. The original barriers remain, but the doors are no longer locked, and sometimes they are even propped open. The official deck plans from NCL also have removed "Courtyard Private Sundeck" and replaced it with "Sundeck." Regardless, it is the highest-most deck accessible to passengers with an unparalleled view of the ship's bow. Since it wraps around the forward 180˚ of Deck 18, you can move around freely and easily to take pictures from either side of the ship. The windscreens have slits in them that are big enough to fit even large cameras through to get pictures unobstructed by glass (as is the case in the buffet and La Cucina).

 

In the first picture, the forward sundeck is just through the door on the far left. The second picture is the sundeck itself. Third picture is the view of the pier at St. Thomas before we spun around to dock stern first (to demonstrate the bridge-like view). Fourth picture is a nice rainbow over the resorts near Philipsburg taken from the port side of the ship (to demonstrate the versatility of the 180˚ sundeck)

[VideoTech]

................

The best place to view the arrival is up on Deck 18 forward. Originally, this used to be the an exclusive area for Courtyard (pre-Haven days) passengers. However, for whatever reason, it is now a public space.....

 

What??? Sheesh, that private sun-deck was one of the best things about taking a Haven/Courtyard suite on the Epic. Far better than the crowded Haven pool deck, much more sunny at all times, and so on.

[barnacle_boy]

It's not as if Haven passengers are not allowed to use the sundeck, it's just that other passengers can now enjoy the area as well. I have a feeling that this may have been done to ease the overcrowding issue that has occurred on the public sundecks further aft. Incidentally, the same sundeck on Breakaway is largely public with the Haven taking up only 1/3 of the forward area. To be honest, the space was underutilized when it was a Courtyard-exclusive amenity. It was still nearly empty on my last cruise since it's sort of hidden away from the rest of the ship.

[littleengine]

Thanks everyone, those are some great tips! I will definitely have to study where things are on each deck and do some exploring when I get on board.

[Kristinemomof3]

What??? Sheesh, that private sun-deck was one of the best things about taking a Haven/Courtyard suite on the Epic. Far better than the crowded Haven pool deck, much more sunny at all times, and so on.

 

Also, it's a quiet area and children have to be accompanied, so it's not a free for all, but we went up one day and all of the nice cloth loungers we def filled.