New cruiser here NCL Epic bound in Feb

[CruiseVirgin811]

Hello all! So glad this forum exists for us noobs! :)

 

I am cruising with a gf in Feb on the Epic as part of the Casinos at Sea cruise. Neither of us have cruised before. At the moment, we have our inside mid ship cabin booked for free (just taxes) and the Adult Beverage Package that was $95 per person for the 7 days in the Caribbean. We are taking in the two free shows being offered. As for the rest, it seems kinda pricey to book excursions (the gf wants to do the Dolphin meet and greet in Tortola and I want to do the zip lining tour of St Thomas if I can get my weight down to 275 by then LOL)

 

So I ask my new cruise friends, are these excursions worth it?

 

Also, it looks like our meals are included at certain restaurants on the ship which is great (assuming they are edible?), but I like having a good steak and try something new so I am thinking I would like to try one or two of the other specialty restaurants on-board.

 

Any advice you all can offer is deeply appreciated and all tips and suggestions to make our cruise more affordable and enjoyable are welcome!

 

Thanks all!

 

Ken

[rnustad]

Excursions can be hit or miss! Read excursion reviews on NCL.com.

 

If you like meat, try Moderno, Teppenyaki and Cagney Steakhouse!

 

 

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[sanger727]

Hello all! So glad this forum exists for us noobs! :)

 

I am cruising with a gf in Feb on the Epic as part of the Casinos at Sea cruise. Neither of us have cruised before. At the moment, we have our inside mid ship cabin booked for free (just taxes) and the Adult Beverage Package that was $95 per person for the 7 days in the Caribbean. We are taking in the two free shows being offered. As for the rest, it seems kinda pricey to book excursions (the gf wants to do the Dolphin meet and greet in Tortola and I want to do the zip lining tour of St Thomas if I can get my weight down to 275 by then LOL)

 

So I ask my new cruise friends, are these excursions worth it?

 

Also, it looks like our meals are included at certain restaurants on the ship which is great (assuming they are edible?), but I like having a good steak and try something new so I am thinking I would like to try one or two of the other specialty restaurants on-board.

 

Any advice you all can offer is deeply appreciated and all tips and suggestions to make our cruise more affordable and enjoyable are welcome!

 

Thanks all!

 

Ken

 

What I like to do is look at the shore excursions offered by NCL to get an idea of what is available at the different ports and then look online for private vendors that offer the same types of tours. You can often get better tours at a substantial discount doing this. You can also check out the ports of call section of cruisecritic for other tour ideas.

 

As far as shows on the Epic, there are the two big headliner shows, but don't worry. There will be a variety of entertainment offered throughout the week: game shows, live music, comedy shows, etc. And no worries, the included food is good.

[ryarger]

Since you're looking at the specialty restaurants, I'd highly recommend buying an SDP package for some number of nights. Paying a la carte at the specialties can be very expensive! The SDP package gets you all you can eat except for entrees (one entree per meal) and is a good bargain.

 

 

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[pe4all]

Since it is your first cruise - and it sounds like you have never been to those ports - I would suggest taking a ship excursion just to experience them. Yes, they might be more expensive, but they take care of all transportation, etc.

When we cruise on NCL we usually get the 3 meal plan. On Epic we enjoyed all the specialty restaurants. Our favorites were Cagneys (steak), Le Bistro (French) and La Cucina (Italian). If you like meat, then try Moderno - you can eat till you burst! Their salad bar is great, also. Tepanyaki is like Benihana - cute "show" as they cook. I would suggest making dining reservations before you sail - especially if you like eating at a certain time, as they book up very quickly before/once you board.

[DMH15]

Since you are new, you should look up the rollcall for your cruise, here on Cruise critic. You should try to attend the meet and greet which includes visits from several of the ship's officers.

 

Which week are you going on the epic in February? I will be on February 25.

 

There is a very informative thread going on right now that is authored by DGP1111. It includes the freestyle dailies, which are the schedules, for everything going on on the epic for the Eastern Caribbean itinerary. The only difference is they did go to Nassau and we're going to the private island. But other than that you can get an idea of all of the fun things that you can do, including seeing which are free and which have an additional cost.

 

 

 

 

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[SLRoth]

I would also read as many reviews as you can that are posted in the forum to give you an idea of what to expect. Mistugirly is an excellent option and she just got off the Epic a couple of weeks ago. You can find her thread on the main page.

[DMH15]

I would also read as many reviews as you can that are posted in the forum to give you an idea of what to expect. Mistugirly is an excellent option and she just got off the Epic a couple of weeks ago. You can find her thread on the main page.

 

 

Great suggestion!!!

 

 

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[djmess]

Hello all! So glad this forum exists for us noobs! :)

 

I am cruising with a gf in Feb on the Epic as part of the Casinos at Sea cruise. Neither of us have cruised before. At the moment, we have our inside mid ship cabin booked for free (just taxes) and the Adult Beverage Package that was $95 per person for the 7 days in the Caribbean. We are taking in the two free shows being offered. As for the rest, it seems kinda pricey to book excursions (the gf wants to do the Dolphin meet and greet in Tortola and I want to do the zip lining tour of St Thomas if I can get my weight down to 275 by then LOL)

 

So I ask my new cruise friends, are these excursions worth it?

 

Also, it looks like our meals are included at certain restaurants on the ship which is great (assuming they are edible?), but I like having a good steak and try something new so I am thinking I would like to try one or two of the other specialty restaurants on-board.

 

Any advice you all can offer is deeply appreciated and all tips and suggestions to make our cruise more affordable and enjoyable are welcome!

 

Thanks all!

 

Ken

 

Hi Ken,

Welcome to you and your GF. Which February Sailing are you on? It might be helpful if you join your sailing Roll Call. If you find your way back to this post, myself or someone else I'm sure could direct you to your Roll Call.

 

The roll call is those who are sailing with you. We will be cruising on Feb 11. Members of your roll call may be able to help you with shore excursions.

 

There is also a great board on this site where people talk about what to do in each port of call.

 

Happy Cruising

[anniesusie]

BTW, there is ALWAYS edible things. More than edible. We loved the late night menu in the buffet. We find that the ports are where you try more unusual or local cuisine, that is also where you can save some $. Ask the locals where to eat. We only booked one excursion off the cruise. We booked others with private or local companies for a lot less money.

[CruiseVirgin811]

Thank you all for being kind, welcoming and the great suggestions! I booked the dolphin and ziplining excursions for our trip. We are on the Feb 11th cruise out of Canaveral. I also booked reservations at La Cucina, Teppanyaki, Moderno, Taste and Cagneys and figured we will check out the buffets the other days or try local cuisine on-shore. We also booked the two free shows on-board. Figure we will play the rest by ear. :) Looking forward to sailing...69 days! Now I need to find this Roll Call for our cruise....hmmmm. ;)

[pe4all]

Thank you all for being kind, welcoming and the great suggestions! I booked the dolphin and ziplining excursions for our trip. We are on the Feb 11th cruise out of Canaveral. I also booked reservations at La Cucina, Teppanyaki, Moderno, Taste and Cagneys and figured we will check out the buffets the other days or try local cuisine on-shore. We also booked the two free shows on-board. Figure we will play the rest by ear. :) Looking forward to sailing...69 days! Now I need to find this Roll Call for our cruise....hmmmm. ;)

 

Try this link:

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=2311002

[Minoushka]

Hello all! So glad this forum exists for us noobs! :)

 

I am cruising with a gf in Feb on the Epic as part of the Casinos at Sea cruise. Neither of us have cruised before. At the moment, we have our inside mid ship cabin booked for free (just taxes) and the Adult Beverage Package that was $95 per person for the 7 days in the Caribbean. We are taking in the two free shows being offered. As for the rest, it seems kinda pricey to book excursions (the gf wants to do the Dolphin meet and greet in Tortola and I want to do the zip lining tour of St Thomas if I can get my weight down to 275 by then LOL)

 

So I ask my new cruise friends, are these excursions worth it?

 

Also, it looks like our meals are included at certain restaurants on the ship which is great (assuming they are edible?), but I like having a good steak and try something new so I am thinking I would like to try one or two of the other specialty restaurants on-board.

 

 

 

 

 

Any advice you all can offer is deeply appreciated and all tips and suggestions to make our cruise more affordable and enjoyable are welcome!

 

Thanks all!

 

 

 

 

Ken

 

If you are Casino guest you do not need drinks card

You will get one from Casino but only for Casino bar when Casino is open ...but during the day you are out

 

So get dinners plan ..go to Cagneys ....bistro and modernos or cucina

Ask if you can switch

 

 

Re exvursions

St .Thomas ....go to Sapphire beach or Coki beach ...take open air vans to either ..lovely beaches

Tortola ..walk to red roof terminal on your left ...take Speedy ferry to Virgin Gorda with in luded transfer ....go early ...Go to Baths ....pay entrance fee ...walk down path ....fabulous place great day of beach and views ...take walking tour thru caves .....awesome place

Look it up on Internet ...the Baths at Virgin Gorda .....it is unique and gorgeous ...been there many times .....no need for other tours

 

Michele

[mitsugirly]

Welcome to the cruising world...you will be hooked soon like the rest of us. :D

 

We just got off the Epic a few weeks ago and I just completed my review if you are interested. It's located HERE (sorry don't have it in my signature line yet). It's very lengthy, but a lot of pictures are included.

 

If you are looking for things to do (and love the beach) I have places we have been in my signature line to get ideas...if interested. Swimming with dolphins and zip lining is a lot of fun (although we did it in different places).

 

Just remember if you want to do any of the shows, it's best to book them ahead of time so that you don't get shut out of it. (This even includes places like the comedy show and even the extra dining).

[BirdTravels]

So I ask my new cruise friends, are these excursions worth it? Also, it looks like our meals are included at certain restaurants on the ship which is great (assuming they are edible?), but I like having a good steak and try something new so I am thinking I would like to try one or two of the other specialty restaurants on-board. Any advice you all can offer is deeply appreciated and all tips and suggestions to make our cruise more affordable and enjoyable are welcome!

 

Ken Welcome!

 

First, keep your beverage package, it will be the most flexible all over the ship. In addition to drinks up to $15 each at all bars on the ship, your casino drinks card will get you bottled water and energy drinks at the casino bar (only).

 

The complimentary food in the Main Dining Rooms (MDR) is perfectly fine. There is no need to spend money in Specialty Restaurants,,,, unless you reallllly want to. There will always be a steak on the MDR menus. The Manhattan Room has live music every night. The other MDR is the Taste with similar menus. O'Shehan's Grill has a pub atmosphere and will have nightly specials (prime rib, ribs, seafood baskets, etc.),,, and is open 24/7 for around the clock dining. The buffet provides international menus breakfast, lunch, and dinner.

 

When you play in the casino, make sure to use your players cards in the machines and at the tables. Sufficient play will get you comp'ed cruises from this point forward directly from CAS. If you plan to gamble a lot, make friends with the casino hosts on embarkation day and stay in touch (just a "hi") throughout the cruise and they will take care of you on the last night of the cruise.

 

The Epic is a fun ship. Been on her 6 times and have enjoyed every cruise. Hope you do too!