Our Epic Cruise is over - 17th - 24th April

[ollienbertsmum]

So our cruise has finished. I thought I would share a few observations, I always find what others say is so useful, I thought I would repay.

 

Background: DH and I are in our late 50s. We travelled alone. This was a birthday getaway for me, we have done the same route a few times already, but there were new things to do in every port (and thankfully we have not finished yet)

 

My observations of the ship: There was a notice up at Guest services to say "we are travelling at full capacity" to not ask for an upgrade. I think that they were not. There were very few children on board - I think it may have been Passover holiday for some. We always found seats, the shows were not full, everywhere was clean and relaxed. The biggest wait was at embarkation, but we timed it badly. We had gone to the Sagrada Familia in the morning, we picked up our bags from our hotel at exactly 12 noon. We met a sea of people in the cruise terminal and were given number 2 so had to sit for a while. When we did board and were finally in the Garden Cafe (rooms were not ready) I checked my watch and it was only 2 pm. Given the huge number of people wanting to board I thought they had done well.

 

The ship was very well presented. Our stateroom was huge (mini-suite) with lots of storage space that we never used. Mid April weather meant that we didn't really get to sit on the balcony often, but it was nice to see out. We were on the odd numbered side which meant that we faced away from the ports. It was more peaceful during the day. I got lost on the ship frequently, but I getting lost is a hobby of mine. The day I learn my port from my starboard will never ever arrive.

 

I thought the crew were all really friendly and not at all stuffy. You could see them interacting with each other in a relaxed way as they were working. I agree with the observations that there were at times very few bar staff, especially around 3 pm - 6 pm on Deck 15. You felt like you should have a ticket system waiting for a drink. Men do get served quicker than women.

 

The music around the ship was entertaining. I went to see Priscilla but did not particularly enjoy it; I thought the show itself was well performed and the costumes were great, I just thought the story line itself was a little thin. Spoiler Alert: they get to Alice Springs. It wasn't hard to predict.

 

I meant to go to some other shows but didn't have time which was a pity.

 

I loved the food. I don't eat meat, but have fish, lots of veggies and salads. I was very well catered for. There were many dishes that I did not have time to try. We used the stairs rather than the lifts so I was happy to indulge in double starters most days, but there were many dishes that I did not have time to try.

 

I will write later about the ports. All of them were interesting and had lots of potential.

[Manbo]

We will be on this cruise in Sept. Thanks for sharing!

[ollienbertsmum]

So we were on board and found loads of room for all our things. There were just the two of us so we did keep things reasonably tidy anyway - unlike our first couple of cruises when our two girls came with us.

 

I liked the bathroom arrangement because while DH was showering I could use the sink. I could also see the point of the curved design. It is odd but it allows for a good use of space.

 

We didn't use any of the speciality dining rooms, we really don't feel the need. We even went up to the buffet to eat on seafood night because elites the selection.

 

We didn't set the alarm for the morning - and it was my birthday so the day at sea was going to be a good one.

 

 

Day Teo

 

Whilst we eye at breakfast a card and cupcake were delivered to wish me happy birthday, There was a detachable slip at the bottom for us to give to the dining staff in any restaurant if I wanted happy birthday sung to me. I chose to not have a fuss. There did seem to be at least one birthday every evening.

 

The sea was calm all day and I did use the balcony. We passed between Sardinia and Corsica at lunchtime and I could read whilst watching the very unspoilt coast line passing by.

 

We made use of the UBP. I was interested to see how this would work out, I had never got one before. I have to say that I am not a heavy drinker but usually have a glass of wine in the evening at home. If you have to drink about 6 drinks a day to " break even", the drinks package won. It was included in the

price when I booked though.

 

The casino was busy in the evenings, we usually fed it a few dollars every night. We only came out ahead one evening. I am not sure what the return rate was, but it didn't seem very generous.

 

Day Three

 

I needed another lie in to recover from my birthday so we didn't get up until 10.30. And after a very light breakfast we walked off the ship. We have visited Pompeii, Sorrento and Capri, all are lovely days out. This time I decided that we should take advantage of the cooler weather and go into Naples.

 

I was surprised how nice it was. We found some lovely buildings and some very expensive shops. It was clearly a working city, but I found lots of beautiful buildings to look at. That is what I love doing on my trips. We ate pizza at lunchtime just because it was Naples. As I had not had much breakfast it filled a good spot - and I found out how restorative a pizza can be. We walked a lot more, going up narrow streets and passages with steps to nowhere. We didn't have a map but we could hardly get lost.

 

Naples is a very easy port. The ship docks in the middle of the city. There were taxi drivers willing to take us to Pompeii although walking to the local train station is very simple. We could have easily caught the ferry across to Capri as we did before.

 

After about three hours of walking we set off back, happy with our day out.

Edited April 26, 2016 by ollienbertsmum

[fabnfortysomething]

interesting you also noted lack of bar staff/efficiency particularly at busy times

 

It seems to be an issue with this ship-as I noted in my review it is the first time I have never filled in a vacation hero card for at least one bartender

 

I also noted in the guest online questionnaire

 

I don't know whether they don't have enough staff/are not motivated/lack of leadership or whether they are overwhelmed by the number of people on the UBP

 

But I have not heard this complaint on reviews of other NCL ships

[Clarea]

Thanks, enjoying the review.

[Dazman61]

Thanks for the report,is there more to come regarding the other ports?would like to know how easy it is to do your own thing in each port,we will be on epic in july

[GOODIES]

we are leaving on may 22nd do you have any of the dailies

I would like to see whats going on it would be greatfully appreciated

Thanks

[4774Papa]

We did that cruise from Barcelona in 2012 and found the ship always felt crowded. The entertainment was good as well as the food, but did not like the layout of the ship or bathroom in the cabin.

 

The Epic is our least favorite NCL ship.

[Keith1010]

Enjoying your review.

 

Keith

[Quilting_Cruiser]

Thanks for the review. Looking forward to hearing about the other ports. :D

[Nightengale31]

Nice review :) We were on the previous (7th-17th) sailing and had a great time and very sad when the cruise ended.

[ollienbertsmum]

interesting you also noted lack of bar staff/efficiency particularly at busy times

 

It seems to be an issue with this ship-as I noted in my review it is the first time I have never filled in a vacation hero card for at least one bartender

 

I also noted in the guest online questionnaire

 

I don't know whether they don't have enough staff/are not motivated/lack of leadership or whether they are overwhelmed by the number of people on the UBP

 

But I have not heard this complaint on reviews of other NCL ships

 

I felt it was the number of staff that was the issue rather than the lack of motivation. Perhaps it is because this is the first time I have travelled on a ship at the start of a season when they are fresh, but I felt that this was the most genuinely friendly and helpful cruise team I have experienced. It was just that when I wanted an afternoon drink they were just not around.

[ollienbertsmum]

Thanks for the review. Looking forward to hearing about the other ports. :D

 

I will try and finish it tonight.

[ollienbertsmum]

we are leaving on may 22nd do you have any of the dailies

I would like to see whats going on it would be greatfully appreciated

Thanks

 

Sorry, I made a deliberate attempt to not bring home any clutter. :o

[ollienbertsmum]

Day Four

 

Today we were docked in Civitavecchia the port for Rome. We have been here on every one of our cruises but there is still plenty to see. I chose Castel Sant Angelo as the one place we would visit inside.

 

We had breakfast at 8 am. There were plenty of free tables as this was quite 'late' for Rome. We took the free shuttle to the port entrance. They have moved it slightly since we were last there and so we needed to get another shuttle to the train station. We missed the 8.59 train by moments and it did not seem worth the extra 6 euro to catch the fast train. We had to wait until 9.48. We were not in a hurry though so it was no stress.

 

I didn't notice taxis from the ship that would have made the journey any easier. I did not actually look for them though. Our return tickets cost €9.60 in total. The cost to St. Peter's being 40 cents less than back from Termini

 

Anyway we got off in St. Peter's station and followed the crowd down to the square. We saw loads of people and security - we realised that it was Wednesday and there was a papal mass. I don't really speak enough Italian to understand what he was saying but I liked that we were there when the Pope was there. I now have a photo of me and him togehter.

 

We then walked round to Sant Angelo. It was interesting to visit. Not in my top ten of Rome sights but it was worth it for the views alone. I could just have done with an audioguide to direct me. We did go round in circles. It was a round building though:D

 

We then walked along the river past two bridges and went along Via di Ripetta to the Piazza del Popolo as I have always wanted to visit this square. It was big and dramatic. Unfortunately the church I wanted to visit, Maria in Popolo was already closed so that is still on my list of places to visit in Rome. We nipped into Santa Maria del Miracoli. Gosh how all churches are marvellous when you get inside. Then we went to Chiesa di Gesu y Maria - another wonderful place. We had a coffee and we walked along Via del Corso.

 

We walked to Trevi fountain getting views of the Piazza Venezia and the Victor Emmanuel monument. I really like that monument. We had an ice cream watching the fountain. It was really busy but nothing like the craziness of mid summer.

We then missed the next point on my itinerary which had been to go back to the Piazza Navona via the Pantheon. It was not due to lack of time, it was just too much 'Romeness ' for one day. We still needed a bit of Imperial Rome, so we walked past Trajans markets, along the Via die Fori Imperiali looking at the ruins, past the Colosseum. I was somewhat annoyed by its size. I forgot that it was so huge that it would not all fit into one photo. We waved to the Arch of Constantine. We looked for signs to Termini and this led us up through a park which on my map says Domus Aurea, it was nice and cool under the trees. We went back to Termini via a quick stop off(me only, DH was way over-churched by now) going into Maria Maggiore which I had recalled from a previous visit was lovely. I wonder why it was so busy. Last time there was I security and the basilica was really empty. This time we had to pass scanners and there was a queue to get in!

 

We got back to Termini at just before three. We had the usual hike round to the platforms they were the ones numbered 25 to 29 but are not well marked. We got on the train only for me to remember that we had not validated our return tickets, we jumped off to go to the machine. Jumped back on, an hour later we were back in Civitavechhia. I have to say that compared to previous visits both trains were comparatively empty. This may be another reason to go in April. We didn't get the shuttle back, but it was a 30 minute walk back to the ship. Nothing after all that we had already done.

 

So we could have set out earlier and I would have stayed up to one hour later, but on Wednesday this may have resulted in me not seeing the Pope. We would not have got into St Peter's anyway because it didn't open until 1 pm due to the papal mass. We would however have got to Santa Maria del Popolo. It is quicker to walk that way than sit on the train all the way around to Termini and have to walk the same distance.

 

The hoho bus would help newcomers to Rome get around or alternatively a couple of the legs of our route could have been done by taxi. I am still sure that what we did was less tiring that the first ship tour that we ever did.

[ollienbertsmum]

Thursday: Livorno.

 

I had to persuade DH not to just stay in Livorno. It had less than a page in my guide book, although he said there would be maritime history and a cemetery from napoleonic times. I was not convinced as we passed by.

 

So we had another lie in, and left the ship at about 10.30 am. There were three different buses, one did a trip to Pisa but only stopped for two hours (which was quite enough if you only wanted to look around). There was a shuttle to town (not for me) and the one we wanted which was to the train station.

One left as we were waiting for a lady to ask the guide which ticket would be better for her, and because of this chatter we had a twenty minute wait for the next shuttle. We checked the time of the last return, which was 5 pm.

Anyway we were dropped off outside Pisa station and on the train to Pisa by 11.10.

 

We arrived in Pisa about 20 minutes later and started with a quick coffee. We didn't have a map, we just followed the crowd. Pisa centre was perhaps nicer than I expected, there were Renaissance and other lovely buildings. I also did some clothes shopping.

 

The Piazza de Miracoli is not just lovely it is wonderful. We sat and looked at the tower whilst waiting for our timed ticket to enter the cathedral (a twenty minute wait from getting the ticket). We didn't have to pay but I did get a €2 audio guide inside. It was another stunning building inside - lots of moorish arches. We wandered back doing some shopping, posting a few cards and taking a detour along the river. We would have stopped for something to eat, but after a filling breakfast we were just not hungry (this happened every day). Pity that. Back to the station with a little detour along the river in time to get the 3.32 train back to Livorno. The train ticket was €2.60 for a single journey. It seemed like good value. Another good day.

 

Getting up earlier and walking off the ship at maybe 8.15 am would perhaps gave given us a queue for the bus but loads of time to get to Lucca (my first choice). A day in Florence or Lucca needs you leaving the ship before 9 am and there is plenty of time to explore.

 

I have already been up the tower so that was not on my list of things to do. Anyone wanting to go up would need to book online prior to the cruise. It is easy to do.

[ollienbertsmum]

Friday

 

We woke in France and another prefect day weather wise. It was a 'tee shirt but not too hot' day. Skies were a lovely bleu.

 

We had a 9.05 tender ticket. (Book as soon as you get on board, it is under entertainment I think). We went down ten minutes early as suggested but found that they had not called the 8:45 yet. It seemed a bit frantic but they maybe should not encourage people to be so early. When we did have to leave no one actually checked the time. They said anyone without tickets would have to wait until 11 am.

 

Anyway we were on the tender at about 9.20. Getting off in Cannes is easy. It is a lovely place in itself and seemed nicer than our last visit when it had been so windy. We asked where the Nice bus (the 200) went, were misguided and then redirected to the train station. We had to watch a bus leave (about 10.10) because I was scrabbling for my purse, the next one was ages and then when it arrived the driver got off for a coffee.

 

By the time he got back there were three 200s in a row waiting to leave. We were on our way by about 10.30. Were not sure where to get off and missed the town centre but we ended up at the train station and it was an easy walk back.

 

Antibes is lovely. I had not expected such expensive boats at the marina. We wandered around, saw the walls, the beach and the cathedral.

We found the Provençal market. The fruit and veg looked very nice but it was really expensive compared to the markets at home. I did buy some bags of herbes is lovely. I had not expected such expensive boats at the marina. We wandered around, saw the walls, the beach and the cathedral.

 

We got back to the train station by about 1.15 pm. Before I bought the ticket I should have compared the time of the train to the bus times. The trains were not as regular as I had thought so we had to wait until two pm having watched two buses leave.

The train was busy but there were plenty of seats where we got on. Mid summer I am sure it is much more hectic. It would have been better to go there and back by bus, since the bus and train station are actually right next to each other there is some deciding.

 

Looking at the train times there would have been time for about four hours in Monte Carlo/Monaco if you use the train and leave on the earliest tender if like today the ship arrives at 8 am and leaves at 6pm (putting the last tender at 5 pm) I suppose the question is how long does the ship tour stay in Monte Carlo in comparison. Nice is certainly doable.

 

Back in Cannes, we wandered along the shopping street and found something for the girls. Back along la croisette and past the building that hosts the Cannes film festival. I looked at the handprints made by the stars. Sylvester Stallone's hands are huge!

 

We spent a little while logged into wifi at the port (so many others doing the same), then onto the tender and back onto the ship.

[ollienbertsmum]

Nice review :) We were on the previous (7th-17th) sailing and had a great time and very sad when the cruise ended.

 

Thank you for the comment. I was sad when it came to an end too.

 

It was a great time of the year for seeing around the Med. Definitely a good time to do sightseeing but not really sunbathing weather. I always travel with a bikini because "you never know" but it was not used this time.

 

Rain is always a possibility, we had a 5 minute shower in Avignon, but that was it.

 

I now have detailed notes so I am almost planned for my next Med cruise apart from saving up for the fare. :D

[ollienbertsmum]

Last Day: Avignon

 

As sailaway from Marseilles was 4 pm I did not plan a DIY day. We took a tour to Avignon. This is a lovely town that has been on my list for ages. I really liked it.

 

I felt the guide gave poor advice when she twice said that the Pope's palace was not worth going in because it was empty. I ignored her, had to wait for 20 minutes to get in (a lot of people knew what the guide didn't) and loved it once inside. DH had stayed outside and I had not allowed enough time to go on the bridge too. That was a pity. There would have been plenty of time for both. The audioguide was really good.

 

We got back to the ship, filled our suitcases and after eating had one more go on the slots. Oh well. It was not our year.

 

Disembarkation

 

We had booked an 8.30 am train from Barcelona. I was a bit worried about getting off the ship so early but when I woke at 6 am I saw from my balcony that there were already taxis and some passengers leaving. We didn't go to breakfast, we just had coffee in the room and were off in about 40 minutes. We carried our bags off and it was the quietest and smoothest disembarkation ever. The lifts were empty and the ship was quiet. We got a taxi immediately and were sitting in Sants station by 7 am.

 

We were of course too early, but we didn't know that if we had planned to leave the ship later (7.30 would have been perfect) we may have hit queues for the lifts and the taxi (I really doubt it) and arriving late would have meant buying a new ticket and not leaving until after lunch. I had work the next day.

 

The taxis in Barcelona all seemed expensive, this one was almost 20 euro, but looking at the meters there were high supplement charges. This journey was the highest at over 7 euro in supplements. It was more expensive than the journey too the port and I felt it was shorter in distance. We had budgeted for it.

 

So the cruise has come to an end. I kept detailed notes because I know I will be coming back if not next year, the following. I still have a few trips on my list from each of the Ports. I would go as late as the end of May or at the end of summer I would not do a midsummer Med cruise again - now my DH is retired I can avoid school holidays and I think that made a btill have a few trips on my list from each of the Ports.

 

I always appreciate other people's reviews. I hope that by sharing my notes I have repaid.

[Kidtechno]

This is so helpful!

 

For Livorno, if my goal is to see the Tower, takes some photos, and skidaddle, how much time and money is that going to run me? We have a 1:45pm NCL excursion to meet up with but wanted to quickly see the Tower in the morning. Think this is doable?

[ollienbertsmum]

This is so helpful!

 

For Livorno, if my goal is to see the Tower, takes some photos, and skidaddle, how much time and money is that going to run me? We have a 1:45pm NCL excursion to meet up with but wanted to quickly see the Tower in the morning. Think this is doable?

 

Well it took us just over an hour from leaving the ship to getting off the train in Pisa. This was via the ship shuttle to the train station and then getting the tickets for the train (from the machine which could be translated into English and accepted Euro or credit cards), having a train arrive and getting off in Pisa.

 

The walk to the Tower is apparently about 40 minutes but a taxi would make it quicker. We took longer because we stopped for a coffee and went into a few shops along the way. We didn't get to the Tower until 12.45 (I can see from the photos I took as I went).

 

The costs were

 

Livorno shuttle $15 (paid via NCL)

Train tickets €2.60 single (so return was 5.20)

 

We were on a sailing that was fairly quiet, but if you left the ship as early as possible (I wouldn't know what time that was because I was sleeping :o) I am sure that getting to Pisa by train would be easy.

 

I have checked and the tickets for the tower were 18 euro each. I am pretty sure that you could get a 10.30 am ticket to get up the tower. You have plenty of time to be back on the ship for your afternoon tour. Going up the tower is pretty cool and 18 euro is not the end of the world if something gets in the way and you have to abandon going up the tower. You would have to get your tickets ahead of time but I would urge you to do it.

Edited April 28, 2016 by ollienbertsmum

[ollienbertsmum]

I have just remembered there was a shuttle from the port that took you directly to Pisa and collected you from there two hours later. It would have probably also been about 15 dollars. That would suit your timing although when we were there the next shuttle was not until noon. There would have been more first thing, it was just that we were being lazy and getting up as if we were on vacation!

 

The bus would drop you off near to the square where the tier and duomo are. You would certainly be able to pick up a free ticket to get inside the duomo. Well worth it.

 

I would be tempted to get a ticket for the tower at 10 am and try and get on a 9 am shuttle. Pisa is really easy, you cannot get lost.

[Kidtechno]

A shuttle from port right to Pisa and back in 2 hours? Is it run by NCL? Can we buy in advance? That sounds like the perfect option as we really just want to be in the grass and take some photos. The cliche ones you know ... :)

[okeytaco]

What kind of coffee did the coffee maker in your cabin use? Was it in those little round or square white flat pods that lay in the bottom of the basket or was it loose coffee with filters for the basket? How many cups did it make? We prefer to bring our own coffee - just don't know exactly what to bring. Enjoyed your review - thanks!

[ollienbertsmum]

A shuttle from port right to Pisa and back in 2 hours? Is it run by NCL? Can we buy in advance? That sounds like the perfect option as we really just want to be in the grass and take some photos. The cliche ones you know ... :)

 

You could not buy those in advance. We just went off the ship and there were the three shuttles there. One was to Livorno town centre, one was directly to Pisa with the 2 hour stop and the one we got was the one to the train station.

 

I have no idea when they started but I am sure it was well before the 10.30 ish that we left the ship.

 

I cannot give you any idea about queueing time. OF course it would meet your needs to just go and take photos. I think you could get tickets ahead of time and go up the tower. The two times I have been there I have seen very short queues to get up the tower because they only sell a limited number of tickets. I know you will have a great time anyway. The Tower and the Duomo are wonderful buildings.