Maybe its time to Leave NCL Cruise Critic for a while.

[Chanman76]

We are booked on the Epic in February and totally looking forward to it.....well we were looking forward to it. My DW and I are pretty easy going travelers and never expect perfection from any place we stay. If you look hard you will ALWAYS find fault with something minor be it staff/food/room/bathroom. Even our favorite weekend away hotel which we love we have had issues before yet 99% of the visits we have had its been lovely and enjoy our stay, My theory is a cruise ship will be no different.

 

Over the last few months my DW has read a lot of posts about NCL and Epic and is now got it into her head its going to be the cruise from Hell and our honeymoon is jinxed. Even I am starting to think we have gotten a bad deal now with some of the posts.....I am so hoping its wrong and we are going to have a fab time.

 

I dont know if NCL / Epic is getting worse or some posters here like complaining or have too high expectations about the cruise, after all its impossible to please every single person in this day and age and people are more likely to complain rather than praise going by some of the posts.

 

Anyway I feel its maybe time to step back from reading this forum ignore the rants and sometimes silly over the top expectations and simply go and enjoy the cruise with an open mind. I do not want to start our Honeymoon cruise looking for problems or going there with the impression its going to be awful with xxx number of potential problems which are going to crop up. All I want is my new wife beside me having fun, ice cold beers and cocktails, good food, some great excursions to do while in port and finally be nice and relaxed (is this not what cruising is about?). If NCL can at least do that then it will be fine for my wife and I.

 

I will post upon our return from the cruise, until then goodbye for now. And for those members on out Meet and Greet cant wait to see you all.

[KeithJenner]

I think you are probably right to step away.

 

However, just remember that the number of people posting on here are a tiny (and often vocal) proportion of the people who are onboard the ships.

 

As I type this, thousands of people are on NCL ships having fun. They just don't come running on here to tell you about it.

 

Perhaps the biggest problem with NCL at the moment is that they have made some changes over the past year or two which have an impact (usually financial) on the cruise experience compared to a few years ago. As a new cruiser that won't be relevant to you.

 

For example, if you take the fact that they charge a gratuity on the promo beverage package now. There are lots of questions about the ethics of that, and people who have been cruising for a while see it as an extra charge. For you, assuming you were happy with the price you paid, the fact that it could have been bit cheaper if you had cruises last year instead of this is completely irrelevant.

 

I think that lots about NCLs onshore side (changing policies, lack of info and communication etc) is pretty appalling. However, they are a large business and amongst that group I would say are a bit below average. However, I cruise for the onboard experience and, except for a few small niggles which as you say you find anywhere. That experience has always been exceptional in my experience.

 

Keep an open mind, take all comments (positive and negative) with a pinch of salt and go any enjoy yourself.

 

And ignore the person who will almost certainly come along in a minute to say that the Epic is a horrible floating prison that you will hate. That's an opinion, and just because that say it as if it is a fact doesn't mean that it isn't just an opinion. Everyone has those.

[david_sobe]

No way. Think of it as the glass half full instead of half empty. Those reviews are lowering your expectations if anything. You can sometimes learn a valuable tip from each review. I have been on Epic twice and she is still my favorite NCL ship. I cant speak as to it lately but I think the recent port change with the holiday season has created some crowding issues. Do us all a favor and come back to write your own review.

[Son of a son of a ...]

It is called Cruise CRITIC :)

 

With that said, posters on the NCL thread feel the urge to post opinionated post cruise reviews instead of questions/answers and info sharing. Reviews should be posted in ... well ... the review section ... and not as a thread.

 

Of course, there may also be a grain of truth regarding the Epic :)

[momofmab]

I read as much as I can about a ship before I book it but once I book it, I intentionally stop reading anything about that ship for the same reason, I don't want my experience to be tainted. I once booked the Spirit last minute and then started reading negative comments on here about her overall condition and got nervous. I immediately stopped reading about her, went on the cruise and had a great time!

 

Think of this - if Epic was that horrible, it would be sailing empty, which it is not. Of everything I read on here about Epic, none of those things would completely ruin a cruise for me. You could *think* you've booked the perfect cruise (or any vacation, really), get there and have some random thing go wrong that affects the vacation. Tell your DW to stop reading about Epic on cc! Go on your cruise with an open mind and have a great time! You never know - Epic may end up being your favorite ship!

[wdsted]

Relax and enjoy your cruise on Epic. If every passenger on any cruise ships was like CC posters, I'd never step foot on a cruise ship again. Think of many of the negative ones as the get-the-hell-off-my-lawn neighbor you tolerate but avoid.

 

 

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Edited January 13, 2017 by wdsted

[sarasotacruising]

We love Celebrity cruises and after several mediocre cruises on royal we decided to stick with Celebrity. A few days before Christmas we saw an amazing deal for the last two staterooms on NCL Epic and decided to take them leaving 48 hours later. We had looked at Epic before and read about the layout of the ship and the bathroom oddity in the staterooms. We ended up with inside staterooms whereas we always go for balconies but it was either stay at home or go on a cruise. We had a great cruise overall. We didn't like the stateroom bathroom situation but it wasn't the end of the world and the layout of public areas wasn't the best. We had heard about so so food in the free restaurants so booked a 5 night speciality dining package. The first night we ate in Taste and it wasn't bad. The Chinese was not worth the wait. The 5 speciality restaurants were probably the best we've had in 18 cruises. The entertainment was excellent. Our teenage daughters had a great time with so many their age. If we were to listen to the reviews we wouldn't have booked. We wouldn't choose the Epic again but the few minuses didn't ruin the trip at all. We have now booked another NCL cruise for December on the Getaway and are looking forward to it. We have read the reviews and that ship also has those complaining about certain aspects. We know the ship is large and people everywhere but we aim to get vibe beach passes and have booked a spa balcony so have access to spa facilities. If we feel to noisy during day we have other options. We have also booked 7 night speciality dining so don't have to be concerned with so so food. In my opinion if you have in your mind you will have a great time but our concerned with a few aspects there are so many options on these mega ships that there is something for everyone. Just look forward to your honeymoon and have a great time. Happy Cruising

 

 

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[pe4all]

I think that people find it is easier to complain than compliment something. I do my research, then travel with an open mind. We are also (probably too) easy to please, and it really takes a major issue for us to complain about something. With all of life's problems, and problems/tragedy/incidents going on in the U.S. and around the world, people should step back and think twice about how "bad" their issue on a ship really is.

[ready2cruzagain]

I hope you enjoy your cruise. We were on the Epic for the first time last month and we loved it! So much, we have the Epic booked again next year for 2 weeks.

 

I take reviews with a grain of salt. Mostly people like to complain but some how forget to mention the good things.

 

Sure there were a few things wrong on the Epic but they were very minor in my book and everything else made the cruise one of the best ones we have ever had.

[NittanyCruise]

My wife and I just went on our first cruise ever a month ago on the Epic. It was great, we really enjoyed it. Of course there were a few things that we weren't thrilled with, but at the end of the day we were on vacation. Don't let the negatives drag you down. People love to nit pick about everything. Go and enjoy yourselves. The Epic is a great ship.

[mistertoaster]

We are on the Epic next week. I read all the reviews and comments and booked anyway a few weeks ago. As an aside, we our NC platinum and have been on most of NCL's ships including the Epic. In reading posts and reviews a few common themes emerge:

 

1. Poor planning. Several complaints about the inability to secure restaurant and show reservations. At the first possible opportunity, I book these pre-cruise, and do not wait until we are on the ship to book. I have been successful with reservations every time.

 

2. "Nickel and dime" NCL does try to entice guests to spend money on extras. I would do the same if I were NCL. It does not mean you have to buy extras, and you can have a good time on the ship without extras.

 

3. The bathroom. While the bathroom on the Epic is unusually, folks seem fixated on this issue. I gave about a minutes thought to the bathroom on my last Epic cruise and things worked out fine.

 

4. You get what you pay for. We have stayed in the Haven and we have stayed in a regular balcony room. Obviously, the experiences are different. In the balcony, we got up on deck early to get chairs, ate mostly in the MDR because we did not have the dining perk and limited our drinking to a few glasses of wine. Had an excellent time. Of course, in the Haven we indulge more and cruising is easier, but we paid for that privilege. Either way, when it is 80 and sunny and you just left 10 degrees and snow, any cruise day is a good day.

 

So I would take many of the comments with several grains of salt. As others have mentioned, if you go with a good attitude, your cruise will likely work out fine. If you are looking to find faults you probably will. Enjoy your cruise.

 

 

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[vacationlover_mn]

Have a great trip! Looking forward to your review :)

 

 

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[david_sobe]

If I was booked on a ship I would read every negative review possible to assist me in avoiding pitfalls during the cruise. For example, people complain they waited in line forever to get tickets for a show or it was sold out. NOTE TO SELF: Book shows online to save aggravation on the ship.

The Manhattan room always had such a long line to get inside. The band was so loud we could not enjoy our meal. NOTE TO SELF: Eat at taste since it has the same menu.

The shows in the atrium were great but there was not enough seating. NOTE TO SELF: Get to the atrium shows early to guarantee a seat.

[xeroxme]

Yes. At this point step away and just enjoy your cruise. While the complaints are true they reflect a small percentage. The best choice is to learn from pitfalls other have had. There is so many great pieces of advice about good experiences or choices others have had that make s the forum great and helps us all have a better cruise experience too.

 

 

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[DinaS]

It is called Cruise CRITIC :)

 

With that said, posters on the NCL thread feel the urge to post opinionated post cruise reviews instead of questions/answers and info sharing. Reviews should be posted in ... well ... the review section ... and not as a thread.

 

Of course, there may also be a grain of truth regarding the Epic :)

 

Cruise reviews are just that - OPINIONS of the people who have taken the cruise. Of course most are based on fact, but who is to say that their "fact" will even bother the next person? One of the major draws of Cruise Critic is that people come here to criticize their experiences on board.

 

If you check all of the other cruise line boards on here, you will see NCL is not the only line that gets bad reviews and that has issues.

 

I, for one, come here to read about prospective new ships, different cruise lines, as well as current conditions on a ship/cruise I am about to take.

 

Forewarned is forearmed. If I hear that one of the pay restaurants has gone downhill, I will avoid it. If someone says there are some issues with a section of cabins in one area of the ship, and my cabin is there, I will try to change it. Or if someone says their cabin steward was bad, and I am in that section, I will try to change my cabin.

 

Of course I don't base my decisions on just one review - I would need to hear it from more than one person.

 

Folks are free to (and generally encouraged to) talk about their personal experiences on these boards. They aren't here JUST to answer questions.

 

People can use Cruise Critic as they see fit. If it doesn't work for them, or they prefer to just "see what happens" without feeling like they are going to be biased by reading reviews - its easy to just log off.

 

Problem solved.

[www3traveler]

Relax and enjoy your trip and more importantly each other, as it is your honeymoon. Best Wishes to you both. I hope that you have a wonderful time.

 

Each cruise is different no matter how many cruises you have taken. Each person sees things differently even on the same cruise.

[beerman2]

I think that people find it is easier to complain than compliment something. I do my research, then travel with an open mind. We are also (probably too) easy to please, and it really takes a major issue for us to complain about something. With all of life's problems, and problems/tragedy/incidents going on in the U.S. and around the world, people should step back and think twice about how "bad" their issue on a ship really is.

 

So true , however we are now part of the "ME" first or entitlement society.

 

OP, stop reading, the complainers tend to "dramatize" things. Will the cruise be perfect probably not. Just go with the mindset you and wife are going to enjoy the cruise.

[Warmer Climes]

Our first cruise was in 2005 with Royal Caribbean. We loved it so much and it hooked us on cruising. When I got home I read a review written by someone who had been on the very same cruise and hated everything about it. After that experience I take reviews as information sources but based on other people's preferences which are not necessarily mine.

[albingirl]

Maybe some of those negative nellies should go see a movie like Lion. They would see how fortunate they really are to even be going on a cruise. I say have a wonderful time. I'll bet you'll really enjoy it!

[riddle]

I'm scheduled for my fifth cruise on the Epic in February. My DH and I love it.

 

I know that not everyone does but that goes for everything in life.

 

Enjoy!

[Landl cruiser]

We have been on every NCL ship including twice on the Epic (once when it first came out and then again last month). We love NCL, but not necessarily the big ships. We prefer the smaller ships. It is our personal opinion, not one that is shared by many others.

 

Most of the critics will complain about anything that happens on a daily basis whether on a cruise ship or in their daily lives at home. Those critics usually expect Dom Perignom on a beer budget. Ignore them.

 

You booked the cruise, it is up to you to make the most out of it. Enjoy

[DCLCrazy]

This has peaked my interest. What's so different about the bathrooms on EPIC? I've never been.

 

 

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[NittanyCruise]

Also here's a tip regarding booking shows... Everyone is gonna rush to the reservation desk to reserve the shows (at least they did after the muster drill). SO to combat this look for the interactive tv's that are all around the ship. You can book directly on those. Most are found on deck's 5 and 6 and near the elevators. You can book anything on the ship from those screens.

Edited January 13, 2017 by NittanyCruise

[Landl cruiser]

This has peaked my interest. What's so different about the bathrooms on EPIC? I've never been.

 

 

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As you enter the cabin, the shower is on one side and the commode is on the other side of the hallway. Both are inclosed in frosted glass. The sink is in the main cabin area. Not an ideal situation. It does mean one person can be in the shower, another using the commode, and yet another use the sink to shave, or whatever. The frosted glass covers up specifics, but not shapes. If you have unrelated travelers in the cabin it could be uncomfortable.

[LOWTYD]

Also here's a tip regarding booking shows... Everyone is gonna rush to the reservation desk to reserve the shows (at least they did after the muster drill). SO to combat this look for the interactive tv's that are all around the ship. You can book directly on those. Most are found on deck's 5 and 6 and near the elevators. You can book anything on the ship from those screens.

 

Oh that's good to know. Is this for the comedian also? ( I think you need ressies for that , correct?) I already pre-booked Priscilla.