The Epic has sent me back to Carnival and RCI!

[GoAndHaveFun]

We just got off the Epic on the 2/15 and we had a good time but mostly because of the cruising couple we were with.

 

The highlights of the ship is def the availability for food and entertainment. Hands down the nightlife after 11PM on the Epic was the best out of the other two cruises we've been on. Carnival Dream and RCI Oasis of the Seas.

 

The negative was the service. Bartenders/servers/staff just didn't look like they gave any cares. Waiting for drinks at the bar was beyond painful to the point of anger. Staff walking in front of you and running into you and not saying "excuse me" is not acceptable. Having the hostess seat you at Cagney's ($30 up charge per person) and wait 15 min for your waiter to show up and ask you to take your drink and meal order at the same time is completely unreasonable.

 

Service makes cruises and IMO and that's where the Epic fails to deliver.

 

This happened to us as well. We dined at Cagneys one night on the Epic and we placed drink orders shortly with an O'Sheehans waiter (but we didn't get our drinks until like half an hr later). After like 15 mins, same waiter from O'Sheehans took our order. We never saw our actual Cagneys waiter until after we finished dinner and he was there to dispute the check when our dinner was courtesy of CAS. I also remember my dad wanting to have another glass of his wine from the bottle (courtesy of CAS as well) but the waiter just wouldn't believe that the bottle (with exact name he ordered) sitting at the cooler nearby is our wine until he had to super verify. Well, that's what happens when you weren't the one taking our food and drink orders and only showed up at the end

[saxgirl84]

I heard complaints like this from several people on our cruise and many of them are NCL lovers. They said this experience last week on the Epic was like nothing they've experienced before on the other ships..The feeling was that the staff were perhaps poorly trained, weren't held to any expectations and that they were under staffed almost everywhere except the kids' club.

 

 

the Epic was my 3rd NCL cruise, (Sky and Getaway were the others...) and if it had been my first, it would have also been my last... I was extremely disappointed with the service onboard (except for a select few people...) I was sailing by myself, so I participated in the solo get togethers each night, and we usually had a dinner planned each night. I'm guessing they do this EVERY WEEK, and it's probably a set routine, since we didn't really have much input on WHERE we went, we just signed up if the location appealed to us... (usually a limit of 15 people)... I went with them to Taste one night, and when we got there for our 6pm reservation, the lady at the desk acted like she didn't know who the solo coordinator was (he's a Ship employee, dressed in the "cruise staff" uniform...) and also didn't have a table ready... they scrambled to get enough seats for all 15 of us, at 2 different tables... so much for mingling with new people... it wasn't like we were adding on to the reservation... the next night, I did dinner on my own, as I had a show booked, but we went to O'Sheehans the following night and it was a similar situation... oh, there are 15 of you? can we put you at 2 different tables?! I just laughed at what seemed like incompetence on their part... the solo coordinator seemed embarrased and kept checking in on us throughout our meals, but it clearly wasn't his fault...

There were several instances at different bars as well, where it seemed like I had to wait forever for someone to take my order, and even if I was sitting at the bar, when I ordered a 2nd drink, they had to ask me what I was drinking, instead of remembering (on Getaway, there were a few servers in their atrium area that would always ask me BY NAME if I wanted my drink of choice every time they saw me...) and it wasn't like I wasn't tipping for EVERY drink! ughhh I honestly felt like I wasn't on an NCL cruise... even the Cruise Director wasn't my favorite, I honestly don't even remember his name, but there were several on his staff that really did an excellent job... he seemed kind of "stuck up" to me, not approachable at all, and seemed to be annoyed when people would talk to him. On the Getaway, "Jersey Boy Joel" was AWESOME! seemed to really love his job, and thoroughly seemed to enjoy interracting with the guests. remembered people's names, and would "call them out" during different game shows/trivias etc..

 

 

I am not sad to see Epic move over to Europe, although I did enjoy the Solo cabin, and that concept is a major winner for NCL, but the rest of the ship seriously left me wanting more... I really missed being able to look out a window and seeing the ocean, and felt claustrophobic on the ship everywhere except in the cabin!

[GoAndHaveFun]

the Epic was my 3rd NCL cruise, (Sky and Getaway were the others...) and if it had been my first, it would have also been my last... I was extremely disappointed with the service onboard (except for a select few people...) I was sailing by myself, so I participated in the solo get togethers each night, and we usually had a dinner planned each night. I'm guessing they do this EVERY WEEK, and it's probably a set routine, since we didn't really have much input on WHERE we went, we just signed up if the location appealed to us... (usually a limit of 15 people)... I went with them to Taste one night, and when we got there for our 6pm reservation, the lady at the desk acted like she didn't know who the solo coordinator was (he's a Ship employee, dressed in the "cruise staff" uniform...) and also didn't have a table ready... they scrambled to get enough seats for all 15 of us, at 2 different tables... so much for mingling with new people... it wasn't like we were adding on to the reservation... the next night, I did dinner on my own, as I had a show booked, but we went to O'Sheehans the following night and it was a similar situation... oh, there are 15 of you? can we put you at 2 different tables?! I just laughed at what seemed like incompetence on their part... the solo coordinator seemed embarrased and kept checking in on us throughout our meals, but it clearly wasn't his fault...

There were several instances at different bars as well, where it seemed like I had to wait forever for someone to take my order, and even if I was sitting at the bar, when I ordered a 2nd drink, they had to ask me what I was drinking, instead of remembering (on Getaway, there were a few servers in their atrium area that would always ask me BY NAME if I wanted my drink of choice every time they saw me...) and it wasn't like I wasn't tipping for EVERY drink! ughhh I honestly felt like I wasn't on an NCL cruise... even the Cruise Director wasn't my favorite, I honestly don't even remember his name, but there were several on his staff that really did an excellent job... he seemed kind of "stuck up" to me, not approachable at all, and seemed to be annoyed when people would talk to him. On the Getaway, "Jersey Boy Joel" was AWESOME! seemed to really love his job, and thoroughly seemed to enjoy interracting with the guests. remembered people's names, and would "call them out" during different game shows/trivias etc..

 

 

I am not sad to see Epic move over to Europe, although I did enjoy the Solo cabin, and that concept is a major winner for NCL, but the rest of the ship seriously left me wanting more... I really missed being able to look out a window and seeing the ocean, and felt claustrophobic on the ship everywhere except in the cabin!

 

For me one night, I went to O'Sheehans and had to sit at the table looking down on the Atrium. I remembered sitting there for almost 5 mins and no server ever came by. When I saw a party of 4 get seated at a table near me and they got their food orders taken shortly after, I just thought "WOWW" and just left.

 

Interestingly, I got better drink service on Epic than on Getaway when playing the coin pusher machine. On the Getaway, there were times when I placed a drink order and I never got it. On the Epic though, I would get the same bar server a couple times and by mid-cruise to end of the cruise, he knew exactly what I wanted.

 

As for the cruise director coming across as unapproachable (his name was Armen), I hear you! He just seemed really stand-offish and didn't seem like he ever talked with anyone that wasn't his staff. I remember during the New Years countdown at around 9-10p, he would just be dancing in front of the stage on deck 15th forward and didn't mingle with the guests (tho he did briefly taught us the Electric Slide). Nacho, the assistant cruise director, seemed way more friendly and open. I was on the Getaway a month prior to taking Epic and Joel Sanchez was THE man. He would greet me when I ran into him and he was just genuine and all smiles. Interestingly, this was something I mentioned in my review of the Epic. http://www.cruisecritic.com/memberreviews/memberreview.cfm?EntryID=268879

[saxgirl84]

For me one night, I went to O'Sheehans and had to sit at the table looking down on the Atrium. I remembered sitting there for almost 5 mins and no server ever came by. When I saw a party of 4 get seated at a table near me and they got their food orders taken shortly after, I just thought "WOWW" and just left.

 

Interestingly, I got better drink service on Epic than on Getaway when playing the coin pusher machine. On the Getaway, there were times when I placed a drink order and I never got it. On the Epic though, I would get the same bar server a couple times and by mid-cruise to end of the cruise, he knew exactly what I wanted.

 

As for the cruise director coming across as unapproachable (his name was Armen), I hear you! He just seemed really stand-offish and didn't seem like he ever talked with anyone that wasn't his staff. I remember during the New Years countdown at around 9-10p, he would just be dancing in front of the stage on deck 15th forward and didn't mingle with the guests (tho he did briefly taught us the Electric Slide). Nacho, the assistant cruise director, seemed way more friendly and open. I was on the Getaway a month prior to taking Epic and Joel Sanchez was THE man. He would greet me when I ran into him and he was just genuine and all smiles. Interestingly, this was something I mentioned in my review of the Epic. http://www.cruisecritic.com/memberreviews/memberreview.cfm?EntryID=268879

 

 

Ahhh yes, the O'Sheehan servers outside of the "gates" were not very quick... ESPECIALLY when you sat at the bar part that overlooked the atrium... There were several ocassions that I would sit up there to watch what was going on down below, b/c I didn't want to participate and didn't want to take up valuable chair space (also at a minimum for the atrium compared to Getaway!) for someone who wanted to participate... I still wanted to order a drink, or sometimes even food (I would have a menu opened infront of me to show I wanted something to eat...) and had to wait FOREVER for someone to ask what I wanted... and it almost always seemed like they were being bothered to get me anything! I was very surprised by the "vibe" I got from a lot of the employees, and when I got home I joked with my sister that it felt like I was back on the Carnival Splendor where the staff (almost everyone I had contact with!) seemed to really really dislike their jobs...

and yes! Nacho was awesome! as were Lionel, Jovan and "Yankee" I didn't interact much with the rest of the cruise director staff... And I actually had to laugh when my TV was on one fo the stations that had Armen (thanks for the reminder) talking about the epic... at the beginning he comes on and says it's the "largest cruise ship at sea" (or maybe 2nd largest, I don't remember...) and they pause the video, he walks into the screen in the lower left corner and says "I know what you're thinking, it's actually the 4th largest now, thanks for letting me know"... I thought it was so funny the way they did that, and his seeming annoyance that so many people would correct it, I actually recorded it on my phone! :P

 

I still can't compare NCL to any other cruiseline for what I'M Looking for in a vacation, and despite all the "bad" things about the Epic, I still had an amazing time on board, and an amazing week in the caribbean!

[AandBmom]

Ahhh yes, the O'Sheehan servers outside of the "gates" were not very quick... ESPECIALLY when you sat at the bar part that overlooked the atrium... There were several ocassions that I would sit up there to watch what was going on down below, b/c I didn't want to participate and didn't want to take up valuable chair space (also at a minimum for the atrium compared to Getaway!) for someone who wanted to participate... I still wanted to order a drink, or sometimes even food (I would have a menu opened infront of me to show I wanted something to eat...) and had to wait FOREVER for someone to ask what I wanted... and it almost always seemed like they were being bothered to get me anything! I was very surprised by the "vibe" I got from a lot of the employees, and when I got home I joked with my sister that it felt like I was back on the Carnival Splendor where the staff (almost everyone I had contact with!) seemed to really really dislike their jobs...

and yes! Nacho was awesome! as were Lionel, Jovan and "Yankee" I didn't interact much with the rest of the cruise director staff... And I actually had to laugh when my TV was on one fo the stations that had Armen (thanks for the reminder) talking about the epic... at the beginning he comes on and says it's the "largest cruise ship at sea" (or maybe 2nd largest, I don't remember...) and they pause the video, he walks into the screen in the lower left corner and says "I know what you're thinking, it's actually the 4th largest now, thanks for letting me know"... I thought it was so funny the way they did that, and his seeming annoyance that so many people would correct it, I actually recorded it on my phone! :P

 

I still can't compare NCL to any other cruiseline for what I'M Looking for in a vacation, and despite all the "bad" things about the Epic, I still had an amazing time on board, and an amazing week in the caribbean!

 

I'm pretty sure Nacho was our cruise director last week. Maybe he's been promoted?

[GoAndHaveFun]

Ahhh yes, the O'Sheehan servers outside of the "gates" were not very quick... ESPECIALLY when you sat at the bar part that overlooked the atrium... There were several ocassions that I would sit up there to watch what was going on down below, b/c I didn't want to participate and didn't want to take up valuable chair space (also at a minimum for the atrium compared to Getaway!) for someone who wanted to participate... I still wanted to order a drink, or sometimes even food (I would have a menu opened infront of me to show I wanted something to eat...) and had to wait FOREVER for someone to ask what I wanted... and it almost always seemed like they were being bothered to get me anything! I was very surprised by the "vibe" I got from a lot of the employees, and when I got home I joked with my sister that it felt like I was back on the Carnival Splendor where the staff (almost everyone I had contact with!) seemed to really really dislike their jobs...

and yes! Nacho was awesome! as were Lionel, Jovan and "Yankee" I didn't interact much with the rest of the cruise director staff... And I actually had to laugh when my TV was on one fo the stations that had Armen (thanks for the reminder) talking about the epic... at the beginning he comes on and says it's the "largest cruise ship at sea" (or maybe 2nd largest, I don't remember...) and they pause the video, he walks into the screen in the lower left corner and says "I know what you're thinking, it's actually the 4th largest now, thanks for letting me know"... I thought it was so funny the way they did that, and his seeming annoyance that so many people would correct it, I actually recorded it on my phone! :P

 

I still can't compare NCL to any other cruiseline for what I'M Looking for in a vacation, and despite all the "bad" things about the Epic, I still had an amazing time on board, and an amazing week in the caribbean!

 

I did the same thing. I whipped out the menu to show that I am not just sitting there and no server ever came by. And actually, on previous ships, I would stand at the podium waiting to be seated (or just greeted) and no one would greet me for like 5 mins. The servers simply walked past me..

 

For me, I thought Epic was alright but I enjoyed the Caribbean and also enjoy chatting with other guests.

 

PLEASE PLEASE share the vid! I would love to see it. I just felt that this guy gave us

 

I'm pretty sure Nacho was our cruise director last week. Maybe he's been promoted?

 

It's possible although I have a feeling Armen was probably sick or took a quick vacation so they temporarily bumped Nacho to Cruise Director. Did you like Nacho as the Cruise Director?

[kenlyn]

Just off Epic on Sunday and Armen was def the cruise director. Nacho was the assistant. We don't play games so we didn't interact with them. The main dining room we used ( Taste) did have crayons for my five year old grandson to use and the staff came by and interacted with him on several occasions. We had great service through out the ship with the only area falling short was La Cuchina. We had mediocre food and mediocre service and this used to be my favorite.

Our cabin was fantastic (10319 aft) and our room steward Reggie was the best we have ever had in ten cruises. Our sink was no where near our electronics so that must be cabin specific. My daughter, son in law and five year old grandson were two doors down from us on their first cruise, they loved it so much they bought a future cruise certificate for next year. We had no bad experiences with staff and they seemed as good as any we had on the Dawn. It seems like we were on a completely different cruise and that happens on ships of this size. There are so many crew members that you do lose some of the personal feel. I am fine with that as long as my steward is personable. I agree to not give up on NCL, we were on the Dawn twice and enjoyed that too, it is more personal feeling and has the old style rooms. I hope your next cruise is more to your liking because we all spend so much time planning and anticipating that no one wants a let down!

[AandBmom]

 

 

 

It's possible although I have a feeling Armen was probably sick or took a quick vacation so they temporarily bumped Nacho to Cruise Director. Did you like Nacho as the Cruise Director?

 

He seemed okay but I didn't have much to do with him. He was always energetic in his announcements and such. He was also easy to understand and spoke at a volume you could hear. Further, he wasn't long winded like the captain.

[jackg962]

We just got back from a week on the Getaway in our first aft cabin and loved it, every about it was great. Off the boat in 30 minutes when we got to Miami. Make me want to take my income tax money and go on the Epic before it leaves for Europe.

[xriva]

I love Norwegian but I am not in love with the Epic, although my wife likes her. I think she is the one ship that was designed to appeal to people who don't like cruising - she's a Vegas hotel that floats.

 

I like being on a ship, not a floating resort. (The critical lack of a promenade was fixed in the Breakaway class.)

 

The passenger-crew ratio is similar to other ships (I think), but she is the largest capacity ship in the fleet, so there's a higher number of cranky crew and cranky passengers.

 

For the OP, the Jewel-class ships may provide a more traditional cruise experience. I love the Pearl.

 

One ship does not make a cruise line, especially when she is a one-off.

[nancynana9950]

My DH and I have sailed three times with NCL. First on the Pearl. Loved it. Next on Breakaway. Even better! Last year we booked a last minute, actually 8days out, on Epic to Eastern Caribbean 8 nights. They added St. Kitts to this cruise and that appealed to us. We had a balcony cabin. We had read about the bathroom configuration so it wasn't a surprise but I really did not like it. Nor did we care for the sink arrangement. Water everywhere! And you better not be drying off after your shower when your cabinmate tries to enter with coffee. We were always in each other's way! He'd be shaving at the sink and I couldn't get past to use the bathroom. And don't even get me started on the jogging track. Absolute worst I've seen on 6 different ships we've sailed on. BUT... we had a great time. We had no problems with staff anywhere on the ship. Buffet food was very good and main dining was also good. Had three nights in up-charge venues. All were excellent. Entertainment was top notch too. If the price was right and the itinerary was desirable we would probably sail Epic again but I prefer other ships

[Sweet7111]

Just off back to back on Epic. Everything was ok no huge problems but the weather....can't control ma nature. Had Posh pass but really unable to use but twice in 2 weeks. Understand NCL has no control over weather but would like to be informed. Any announcements made were not audible most of the time. I mean we were really rocking and rolling for two days and could not stop at one port due to weather. Staff was extremely friendly and cabin was fine would I travel NCL again is questionable. And by the way if you change smoking policies please inform before you are in the middle of the ocean. Not smoker but do vape. Why did I have to smell cig smoke from balconies all around me but I was told I would receive fine if used vapor.

[Demonyte]

And by the way if you change smoking policies please inform before you are in the middle of the ocean. Not smoker but do vape. Why did I have to smell cig smoke from balconies all around me but I was told I would receive fine if used vapor.

 

Policy has not changed since last summer, that change became effective on Nov 1, 2014 - not during your B2B that you "just [got] off" of.

 

"SMOKING

As the health and well-being of our guests and crew is of the utmost importance, Norwegian Cruise Line will institute changes to its smoking policy for all sailings on or after November 1, 2014. The specific changes prohibit smoking on stateroom balconies and limit smoking in the casino to players. ... If you smoke regular or electronic cigarettes, you can do so in designated areas only."

 

http://www.ncl.com/faq/guest-conduct-policy

http://www.ncl.com/faq#smoking

[dlynn0366]

I'm glad to hear that so many others have loved the Epic. I wanted to love it so bad. I wonder if over time it's changed? The reviews on here seem to be turning more to the negative in the last while. I met some NCL regulars on our sailing that love NCL and were talking about their disappointment on this cruise as well.

 

I guess we all like different things on a cruise.

 

I've been on the Epic three times & last year I also found some of the staff while they weren't unfriendly they weren't what I'd call very engaging. Service I found in the specialty restaurants was lacking compared to the previous 2 years as it appeared there was less staff. The staff there were run off their feet which probably explains why they might not have time for idle chit chat.

Edited February 26, 2015 by dlynn0366

[Tammy296]

To the OP thank you for your review! Helpful....

 

We've only sailed just once and it was on RCCL Allure. That was a HUGE ship. Ever sailed on that one? How is the size in comparison to the Epic? I know the epic is smaller but does it "feel" that way too? I do not like "crowded spaces" or the feeling of claustrophobia.

 

The bathroom layout I don't think would bother me unless I was sharing a room with just a friend I was not comfortable with. In that case, I probably wouldn't sail at all with anyone lol. Thankfully I'm going with the my girls in March. I've also read that the square footage of the rooms on the epic LOOK to be bigger than the ones on the Allure. This SURPRISED me... we'll see!!

 

I am keeping my expectations very low. But I will SAY this so far. I'm deaf with a cochlear implant, made a request for accommodations (interpreter) inside the 90 day window (because we didn't book far out) and as far as I know they ARE meeting it!! I'm beyond elated at this. Getting interpreters really isn't difficult but they had originally said No and then changed so I was VERY pleased!! To me, that is a good sign they WANT to make this trip one to remember. So I am glad about that SO FAR. We'll see how that goes....

 

How were the chair hog issues? Is NCL taking care of it at all? We never had a problem on the allure UNLESS we wanted to be right next to the kids play pool area. We didn't care as long as could see and reach the kids within a reasonable distance. Are there places to sit, lay out that are close to the slides or the kids pool area and within viewing distance/easy access available most of the time?

 

What drinks do they serve for free? I am glad to hear that NCL allows us to bring on sodas, waters on embarkation. RCCL did not. We had to purchase once we were on the ship then at the end of the cruise we realized we didn't even use them all! Disappointing.

:(

 

I have heard the balconies are actually bigger but do not include a eating table on them? We got a large balcony room. I wonder if we make the request can they get us one? Odd setup it seems without. Most people would want to EAT on their balconies I would think! We loved eating out there on ours on the Allure each morning. It was pleasant even if the balcony itself was smaller than expected.

 

We're going with low expectations, but hopeful. Our minds are WIDE open so we're not going to get any preconceived expectations before we go. It, to me, just seems to be a totally different sailing experience altogether so...

 

I'm glad though we have the ultimate dining experience added. Otherwise I don't think I could eat on the same menu at the MDR each night. Sounds disappointing. Food is a BIG thing in our family but we're really not picky. How could you compare the food if you had to pick another big box restaurant to compare it to? NCL really should bring back the lobster. RCCL had it and it was superb! My daughter really enjoyed the shrimp cocktail every night.

 

On the RCCL we saw a lot of 20-somethings late at night a mixed crowd during the day - a lot of people with young kids! Not many teens at all. I hope there are MORE teens on the NCL. What age group does the NCL seem to cater to MOST would you say? I like the idea that they cater to the SOLO crowd. Maybe I'll meet other people since I am a single hot mom!! ;)

 

 

Different sailing experiences....seems like all lines are different.

 

Thank you again for your review!

[Sweet7111]

Unfortunately I missed the change. Maybe more accessible smoking areas should be made available without walking from forward to aft constantly.

[AandBmom]

To the OP thank you for your review! Helpful....

 

We've only sailed just once and it was on RCCL Allure. That was a HUGE ship. Ever sailed on that one? How is the size in comparison to the Epic? I know the epic is smaller but does it "feel" that way too? I do not like "crowded spaces" or the feeling of claustrophobia.

 

I have not been on the Allure but have been on the RCCL Freedom and the Carnival Breeze. This ship felt similar in size. I never felt crowded or claustrophobic but I did feel that the walkways were way too narrow on the pool deck and in the casino. It was annoying as it was hard to walk through side by side with a child. I felt like I had to keep telling my kids to stick to the right when walking through to stay out of everyone's way. It didn't make for a nice walk anywhere.

 

The bathroom layout I don't think would bother me unless I was sharing a room with just a friend I was not comfortable with. In that case, I probably wouldn't sail at all with anyone lol. Thankfully I'm going with the my girls in March. I've also read that the square footage of the rooms on the epic LOOK to be bigger than the ones on the Allure. This SURPRISED me... we'll see!!

 

I am keeping my expectations very low. But I will SAY this so far. I'm deaf with a cochlear implant, made a request for accommodations (interpreter) inside the 90 day window (because we didn't book far out) and as far as I know they ARE meeting it!! I'm beyond elated at this. Getting interpreters really isn't difficult but they had originally said No and then changed so I was VERY pleased!! To me, that is a good sign they WANT to make this trip one to remember. So I am glad about that SO FAR. We'll see how that goes....

That's great that they can accommodate you. I did hear from someone with mobility issues that this ship seemed to be very conscious of special needs

 

How were the chair hog issues? Is NCL taking care of it at all? We never had a problem on the allure UNLESS we wanted to be right next to the kids play pool area. We didn't care as long as could see and reach the kids within a reasonable distance. Are there places to sit, lay out that are close to the slides or the kids pool area and within viewing distance/easy access available most of the time?

Chair hogs were out in full force and I didn't find that any staff did anything about it. In fact NCL has this whole freestyle thing so they don't seem to really enforce or deal with anything. On RCCL I noticed they would remove towels after a while. On the Epic there really aren't any staff around to do this and they certainly didn't seem to notice or mind towels sitting on chairs all day untouched. As for sitting and watching the kiddies, unfortunately there aren't any loungers really near the water slides or splash area. The loungers near the pool are set far back and are not plentiful. I found it quite hard to sit and watch kids. Also the waterslides start in one place and end somewhere else so it's kind of tricky to watch more than one child and you sort of have to walk around and follow the child if you feel they need an eye on them. I'm used to sitting in a lounger and watching all 4 of my different age kids do different water activities with a line on all of them. Not on the Epic though.

 

What drinks do they serve for free? I am glad to hear that NCL allows us to bring on sodas, waters on embarkation. RCCL did not. We had to purchase once we were on the ship then at the end of the cruise we realized we didn't even use them all! Disappointing.

:(

They offer "juice" on the buffet in the am, and flavoured water and lemonade throughout the day on the buffet. Also tea and coffee. But only on the buffet, if you order it at a bar it's $1.95. Yes you can bring your own soda. Heck I brought my own beer and they didn't seem to care, as they searched my suitcase and left the beers in there.

 

I have heard the balconies are actually bigger but do not include a eating table on them? We got a large balcony room. I wonder if we make the request can they get us one? Odd setup it seems without. Most people would want to EAT on their balconies I would think! We loved eating out there on ours on the Allure each morning. It was pleasant even if the balcony itself was smaller than expected. I believe the balcony had a small side table but that's it. Just enough to set a book and drink on. I can't seem them putting a larger table out there.

 

We're going with low expectations, but hopeful. Our minds are WIDE open so we're not going to get any preconceived expectations before we go. It, to me, just seems to be a totally different sailing experience altogether so...

 

I'm glad though we have the ultimate dining experience added. Otherwise I don't think I could eat on the same menu at the MDR each night. Sounds disappointing. Food is a BIG thing in our family but we're really not picky. How could you compare the food if you had to pick another big box restaurant to compare it to? NCL really should bring back the lobster. RCCL had it and it was superb! My daughter really enjoyed the shrimp cocktail every night.

The dining room has a different menu every night. The food was hit and miss. It really wasn't too bad but the slow service meant it was often not hot which made it less enjoyable. I'd say it ranged from Cheesecake Factory quality at times to IHOP quality at other times. I heard the pay restaurants were slightly better. O'Sheehans is great. We too missed the Lobster and we missed having formal nights. No shrimp cocktails on the menu.

 

On the RCCL we saw a lot of 20-somethings late at night a mixed crowd during the day - a lot of people with young kids! Not many teens at all. I hope there are MORE teens on the NCL. What age group does the NCL seem to cater to MOST would you say? I like the idea that they cater to the SOLO crowd. Maybe I'll meet other people since I am a single hot mom!! ;) I found there were a lot of seniors on our cruise. We went in early Feb though so it wasn't spring break yet for college/University students or young kids. I would guess this is very week dependent. They did have events for singles but they were all through the studio cabin area. They also had College age gatherings. I didn't see many teens our week at all.

 

 

Different sailing experiences....seems like all lines are different.

 

Thank you again for your review!

 

 

 

I hope you love your cruise. We had a great time. I just liked previous cruises more. One piece of advice is to pack something warm to wear. It can get quite breezy at night and they don't give towels or anything for the movies under the stars. Feel free to send more questions.

[PathfinderEss]

Thanks for your opinion of the Epic and your cruise. I appreciate you honest.