Compare NCL Epic to RCI Freedom?

[flarad]

Has anyone done both these ships can make a comparison? They seem similar in size. I will also post this on the Royal boards. Should be interesting. We cruised Freedom last summer and are doing the Epic Med in June.


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[dolita22]

Not sure if this is helpful, but here goes! While I haven't sailed the Freedom, we did sail the Freedom's sister ship, Independence of the Seas, in February of this year. From what I understand from talking to people on our sailing who sailed both, Freedom and Indy were comparable in size, amenities, etc., but people seemed to prefer the Freedom.

That said, we sailed the Epic in January 2013, and loved it, so the Indy and RCCL had a lot to live up to. Hands down, we loved the Epic. Maybe it's because we got engaged on that ship, but we felt there were more activities that suited us on NCL, food was better (subjective issue!) on NCL, and that we much prefer the Freestyle concept, especially at dinner, over RCCL's MyTime Dining. We just prefer NCL to RCCL in the end. Loved the Indy's itinerary, though!

I've seen a few RCCL folks refer to the Epic as "fuggly," but it's a beautiful ship once you're on it. Bowling at sea is fun, Blue Man Group was great to see, loved the workout room and ship's pools on the Epic, etc. Even the bathroom setup didn't bother us. It's a really nice ship. We're going back in January of next year and can't wait!

Again, not sure how helpful that was, but I think you'll enjoy the Epic. Research ahead of time, go in with an open mind, and enjoy your cruise!

[fuss97]

I think I'm definitely qualified to answer this! I have done Freedom twice, Independence once, and Epic twice. I am also booked to do Epic again February 2015. Both ships are wonderful, but other than being similar in size, are quite different. I truly believe that your decision should come down to which type of cruising you are looking for. With NCL everything is on your own time and that is why we have chosen NCL over RCI. NCL's entertainment is also top notch and you have more flexibility to enjoy them. I just remember being all stressed out over getting tickets to the ice show on Freedom and then because of us getting back late from an excursion we had to rush to get there on time---2 of us were late. With NCL it's easier to adjust for those unexpected situations.

I will also note that the food on Epic has been better in quality and variety than any other ship we've been on. Is it to the level of a Celebrity or Princess Cruise? Probably not. But compared to RCI, it wins for us. And I am comparing the Main Dining Rooms and buffet when I make that comparison. I would not unfairly compare the pay restaurants on NCL to Freedom's MDR. That said, the variety of pay restaurants on Epic are truly wonderful. We have tried them all except the italian restaurant, La Cucina and the Teppenyaki. We've never been disappointed and are really looking forward to Le Bistro and Moderno next February!!

Feel free to ask me any specific questions. Edited March 25, 2014 by fuss97

[flarad]

[quote name='fuss97']I think I'm definitely qualified to answer this! I have done Freedom twice, Independence once, and Epic twice. I am also booked to do Epic again February 2015. Both ships are wonderful, but other than being similar in size, are quite different. I truly believe that your decision should come down to which type of cruising you are looking for. With NCL everything is on your own time and that is why we have chosen NCL over RCI. NCL's entertainment is also top notch and you have more flexibility to enjoy them. I just remember being all stressed out over getting tickets to the ice show on Freedom and then because of us getting back late from an excursion we had to rush to get there on time---2 of us were late. With NCL it's easier to adjust for those unexpected situations.



I will also note that the food on Epic has been better in quality and variety than any other ship we've been on. Is it to the level of a Celebrity or Princess Cruise? Probably not. But compared to RCI, it wins for us. And I am comparing the Main Dining Rooms and buffet when I make that comparison. I would not unfairly compare the pay restaurants on NCL to Freedom's MDR. That said, the variety of pay restaurants on Epic are truly wonderful. We have tried them all except the italian restaurant, La Cucina and the Teppenyaki. We've never been disappointed and are really looking forward to Le Bistro and Moderno next February!!



Feel free to ask me any specific questions.[/QUOTE]


Thank you for all the responses. DH really loves the freedom so it will be interesting to compare.

One question, do you remember what the cover charges are for the restaurants? I. It iced they have a package for $119 per person and am trying to figure if this is worth it, we plan to eat in Le Bistro (favorite from past NCL cruises) and probably a couple others. What do you think?

Without port intensive itinerary (med) I think that the freestyle will be perfect. I just can't think about dressing up after a day tromping through Rome or Pompeii.


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[TifffanyD]

Ooooh me, me! I did both!

I prefer the Epic. Among other things... there wasn't much to do late at night on Freedom unless you like gambling. On Epic there was Howl at the Moon and then the nightclub going after that.

Food... Epic's buffet won hands down. As far as dining rooms... Royal might be a bit better for free stuff but NCL better for fee stuff. I did not like the Manhattan Room on epic... too stuffy... but loved the more modern Taste.

Reallllllly love the 24 hour pub on Epic. Great to grab food after a late night out.

[BobbyD]

Great thread and thanks for the info. We are looking to do a Med cruise in summer 2016 and will look at all options. Full disclosure is that RCI is our favorite line and the Freedom is our favorite ship (so far). But, we have sailed Carnival 4 times (once to the Med) and Celebrity once. Our trip to the Med with Carnival was awesome and a trip to remember. DW has cruised twice on NCL with her Mom on older ships and had a good time but nothing special. The Epic cruises to the Med in March 2016 are about 1/2 the price of Celebrity. I'm up for some variety if it all works out!

[flarad]

[quote name='BobbyD']Great thread and thanks for the info. We are looking to do a Med cruise in summer 2016 and will look at all options. Full disclosure is that RCI is our favorite line and the Freedom is our favorite ship (so far). But, we have sailed Carnival 4 times (once to the Med) and Celebrity once. Our trip to the Med with Carnival was awesome and a trip to remember. DW has cruised twice on NCL with her Mom on older ships and had a good time but nothing special. The Epic cruises to the Med in March 2016 are about 1/2 the price of Celebrity. I'm up for some variety if it all works out![/QUOTE]


Bobby, I'll add to this when we get back in June, Epic Med. We loved Freedom last year. My favorite was Celebrity Solstice for an adult cruise. Not much to do at night though.


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[retiring soon]

HI all!

I've done Freedom twice & Epic 3 times ( 2x in the Med) & want to do Epic again to the Canary Islands & Morocco. I've also done Oasis & Allure & like Freedom better than them altho' they were good too.

Epic might be ugly looking but it's a lot of fun & so solo friendly. The shows are great & I think the food is about the same. I liked it better than Breakaway & am going on Getaway so will see how that compares .

You can't really go wrong with either of them.

~ Jo ~ :)