Epic heading to Europe year around

[bluesea777]

There is still one TA in the spring 2015 when she actually moves there.

 

Yes, but the October TA has 25 hour days and much warmer weather. :)

[Love my butler]

I'll bet your butler doesn't love you.

 

Ok, I will take that bet. How much do you want to bet?

 

Thought so......

[Love my butler]

Why do you continue to tell people to stiff the staff?

 

Your reading comprehension is a tad low. Never once told anyone to ever stiff the staff. Maybe have an adult explain my posts to you?

[em-sk]

i like the EPIC and would be happy to sail it in Europe during the winter.

 

What would be interesting is to find out if they will adjust the entertainment for a European market. They already take Second City off the Epic when it sails in Europe. When I was on the Epic in Europe there were people walking out of the Blue Man Group show. By that point the contract with Blue Man Group is up. Will it move to one of the new ships that is staying in the Americas?

 

The entertainment on the jade is quite good.

[insidecabin]

Kevin(on the Getaway) did say the entertainment will be adjusted for the European market. He did not say how.

 

Second city was never that good.(Celebrity have Sin City they are even worse).

 

The message now is that the epic is a ship made for the European market.

 

It seems to do OK in the summer but the Jade and Spirit have struggled to get good rates over the winter even the Xmas cruise was discounted.

 

If they keep both the Jade and spirit that doubles capacity in Europe for the difficult months

 

I wonder if the spirit will be moving or some exciting new itinerary to attract pax is to be revealed in March at the cruise show.

[sha32]

Yes, but the October TA has 25 hour days and much warmer weather. :)

 

Yep I love the October TA on epic with the 25 hour days and 80f+ weather

[shipfriend_max]

Would be great if NCL based a large ship in the UK - the company already did it in 2009 and 2010 with JADE...

 

But I think it won't be before 2016, all the 2015 itineraries are finalized.

But maybe the new ESCAPE might sail from Southampton in 2016, or the new BLISS in 2017 - we will see. :)

[Demonyte]

Would be great if NCL based a large ship in the UK - the company already did it in 2009 and 2010 with JADE...

 

As quoted earlier in this thread, NCL has stated that they are committed to British markets, just not by sailing from there. While I understand the desire of sailing from closer to home, majority of European cruise passengers prefer flying to Southern Europe to cruise instead of rainy/foggy UK. ;) There is a reason why NCL hasn't gone back to UK, just like many other places they have tried earlier.

Edited January 20, 2014 by Demonyte

[Froggitt]

Would be great if NCL based a large ship in the UK - the company already did it in 2009 and 2010 with JADE...

Sun did Baltic Capitals from Dover as well in 2010.

[Froggitt]

As quoted earlier in this thread, NCL has stated that they are committed to British markets, just not by sailing from there. While I understand the desire of sailing from closer to home, majority of European cruise passengers prefer flying to Southern Europe to cruise instead of rainy/foggy UK. ;) There is a reason why NCL hasn't gone back to UK, just like many other places they have tried earlier.

 

The majority of NCL's European cruise passengers are from the UK (source.....my own cruises in Europe on Sun, Jade, Jewel, Spirit). I am sure those passengers would prefer to cruise from foggy UK than schlep to Barcelona.

 

European passengers are well catered for by their own "domestic" cruiselines e.g. Aida, Pullmantur, MSC, Costa.

[insidecabin]

The majority of NCL's European cruise passengers are from the UK (source.....my own cruises in Europe on Sun, Jade, Jewel, Spirit). I am sure those passengers would prefer to cruise from foggy UK than schlep to Barcelona.

 

European passengers are well catered for by their own "domestic" cruiselines e.g. Aida, Pullmantur, MSC, Costa.

 

Well the Jade at Xmas had 800+ italians they were the largest single group, all the english(UK,US, CA, AUS...) speaking pax together were less than this.

 

Spirit in Aug again 50+ nationailies of Pax UK were not that big as a single group.

 

NCL now has dedicated pricing for Spain and Italy, they used to be grouped under EU/DE before.

 

From what I see NCL have broken into the southern EU market taking pax of Costa and MSC and that is where the focus is, Not UK pax.

 

Kevin was asked(15th Jan trip) if they will be returning to the UK, said No, nothing planned.

[SteveH2508]

Sun did Baltic Capitals from Dover as well in 2010.

 

Jewel did them in 2008 from Dover also.

[Froggitt]

Well the Jade at Xmas had 800+ italians they were the largest single group, all the english(UK,US, CA, AUS...) speaking pax together were less than this.

 

Spirit in Aug again 50+ nationailies of Pax UK were not that big as a single group.

 

NCL now has dedicated pricing for Spain and Italy, they used to be grouped under EU/DE before.

 

Yeah the Jade routes do take a more European group - I forgot. But sailing from Venice......Im sure there are loads of Italians. Same with Spaniards from Barcelona. But the only way they will fill Epic in winter is going from UK.

 

Spirit last month was maybe 40% Brits - occasional announcements in other languages but not much. Was interesting that a large number of those Brits were now living in Spain.

[kirsty_r]

I'd love NCL to do a UK embarking port at somepoint too, would fit in well with a Baltic or northern france perhaps... works well for other cruiselines.

[poffles]

I say Bon Voyage to the Epic. And if I was to cruise Europe I would likely choose any other ship (NCL or other).

 

Was not impressed with that ship at all. Hope to try one of their newer ships but after experiencing the Epic I am reluctant to try another large ship, just too many bottlenecks and service issues but hoping it was particular to the Epic and that particular sailing.

[Byron_1978]

If they do a UK embarking port, it would be nice if they visit ZeeBrugge (SeaBruges) or another port in Belgium, north France or south Netherlands and have that as an alternative embarkation port. This would be ideal for all mainland Europeans in the area.

 

But I guess this is just wishfull thinking/dreaming :rolleyes:

Oh well, at least we get the maiden voyages of the new ships out of the Netherlands :cool:

[dexddd]

I'd love NCL to do a UK embarking port at somepoint too, would fit in well with a Baltic or northern france perhaps... works well for other cruiselines.

 

They did the Baltics for a few years from Dover. At the time, they were 12 nights. A couple years back they made the switch to embark at Copenhagen.

[kirsty_r]

They did the Baltics for a few years from Dover. At the time, they were 12 nights. A couple years back they made the switch to embark at Copenhagen.

 

that was before the increase in popularity in cruising in the UK - it was before I started cruising. All my friends cruise out of UK where possible - NCL is missing a trick. I'd do the Baltics from the UK. Didn't dover do the refurb of the cruiseport around the time NCL left it? I know the star TA can disembark and have embarking guests in Dover.

[FreestyleNovice]

If they do a UK embarking port, it would be nice if they visit ZeeBrugge (SeaBruges) or another port in Belgium, north France or south Netherlands and have that as an alternative embarkation port. This would be ideal for all mainland Europeans in the area.

 

But I guess this is just wishfull thinking/dreaming :rolleyes:

Oh well, at least we get the maiden voyages of the new ships out of the Netherlands :cool:

 

[kirsty_r]

 

and your on my next cruise! :) (off topic - sorry!)

[FreestyleNovice]

and your on my next cruise! :) (off topic - sorry!)

 

Hi!

 

Ontopic: another month of waiting.. Curious what NCL is going to do! The recent 50 million USD Belize property development deal (called Harvest Caye) by NCL last year should be a great destination for some of the larger ships (thing Breakaway Plus maybe?), freeing up some smaller ones or at least one for us Europeans in the near future (<2017). ;)