Haters gonna hate, hate, hate…an Epic review

[bigrichtx02]

My wife and I thoroughly enjoyed our Epic cruise. Many of the problems mentioned by previous cruisers just didn’t seem to be an issue. While the Epic-- as a ship-- may have a few quirks, they only slightly detracted from our overall experience. Here are a few of the highlights/lowlights from our Jan 21-28 cruise. I’m working on a much more comprehensive review, but this one should provide a quick overview in the meantime.

 

Quick note—if you are an iMessage user, you can communicate with other iMessage accounts (not phone numbers, but iCloud accounts) without paying the overpriced Internet charges. Simply connect to the ship’s Wi-Fi (don’t use iConcierge), and start sending messages. I couldn’t send anything other than simple texts, but was able to send iMessages to both my dad in New Mexico and my wife on the ship.

 

For the most part, everything related to dining was excellent. The reservation process worked well (booked 80 days out), and we never once waited to be seated. The service varied slightly by restaurant, but we had more positive experiences than not. The appetizers and entrees at all our chosen restaurants were great, but we were largely unimpressed with the dessert options.

 

While the initial embarkation process began late and was rather frustrating, every other time we boarded or disembarked the ship went flawlessly.

 

In three words, Posh passes were: worth every penny. The deck was never crowded, and always full of comfortable places to sit or lounge. The service at the bar was particularly excellent; the bartenders were very friendly, and quickly learned our names and preferences. The Posh deck alone made the three sea days perfectly enjoyable.

 

We had three primary complaints. Firstly, we felt absolutely bombarded by tacky promotions and sponsorships. From the overpriced “featured cocktail” on the le Bistro menu (that somehow wasn’t included on the UBP) to the overabundance of staff members wearing ultimat vodka t-shirts, it often felt like living on a floating advertisement for liquor companies.

 

Secondly, our stateroom had a few issues. While we didn’t mind the overall layout that others seem to detest, our bed had a perpetual crevice down the middle. Additionally, the lighting and amount of electrical outlets were completely insufficient. Also, the interactive TV system that supposedly allows you to make dining, entertainment, and tender reservations, neither allowed you to do any of those nor view what you had currently booked. Everything had to be accomplished or confirmed by a staff member.

 

Finally, we felt like we had to constantly be on guard for ridiculous upcharges, even though we had thoroughly researched pricing before the trip and had an idea of what to expect. From certain dishes in the main dining rooms, to drink menus with several options just over the $15 threshold, there were countless opportunities to have accidentally spent more money than we intended. As a result, we felt compelled to check our account balance for surprise charges nightly.

 

Despite these inconveniences, our cruise aboard the Epic was a wonderful one. No vacation, boat, itinerary, or cruise is perfect, but there was plenty to appreciate on this one. If you’re searching for flaws you’re certain to find them, but if you set out to have a good time you can easily do that as well.

[Justaddvodka68]

Glad you had a great time!

 

 

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[BirdTravels]

We have sailed on the epic six times. We have thoroughly enjoyed every cruise on the epic and are happy that you enjoyed your cruise. Yes, every ship has some quirks but it's nothing to complain about. Hate the haters.

[OneWord]

Like.

[easyboy]

Sorry about your inconveniences. Doesn't want those too much promos either. Glad you enjoyed your cruise despite these.

[Lido_Deck]

So...Too summarize...

 

In spite of this, this, this and this as well as these problems with our room and a few inconveniences, we enjoyed our cruise.

[hawkeyetlse]

the overpriced “featured cocktail” on the le Bistro menu (that somehow wasn’t included on the UBP)

Could you tell us more about this? I know that the taster glass of champagne is not included, but if they are no longer letting people order the signature cocktails (French Manhattan, Emperor's Nectar, or whatever they are now) with the UBP, that is a new restriction…

 

Welcome to the NCL forum and thanks for your review.

Edited February 2, 2017 by hawkeyetlse

[newmexicoNita]

I think the OPs short review explains a lot of things: minor annoyances do not have to spoil an experience. It is the old phrase: is the glass 1/2 empty or 1/2 full? We sailed the Epic the first sailing out of Cape Canaveral. For us, it wasn't the type of ship we would cruise again or not likely. Yesterday I was playing bridge with a few friends; one of the gals playing loves the Epic so much they have sailed her 5 or 6 times. Again, it is all a personal opinion.

 

I think part of our problem had more to do with the first sailing, the number of new crew members and those who were not new were tired from the long Atlantic crossing. We did have a M&G but even that was somewhat a let down. Less than 1/2 the people who signed up attended. We all know there will be some NO SHOWs, but this was more than usual and the officers who attended didn't really want to be there or acted like they didn't. Even the gift exchange only had about 1/2 the people participate that had signed up for it. All these things can make a difference.

 

We had a mix on service, but for the most part the food was very good and the bar service wasn't nearly as slow as some have experienced.

 

We are getting ready to cruise the Breakaway in 2 months. Our daughters are sending us for ours special birthdays. I know we will have a great time: there comes an age when you don't have enough time left to look for the minor annoyances.

 

OP thanks for your positive review.

[Cruisercl]

I think the OPs short review explains a lot of things: minor annoyances do not have to spoil an experience. It is the old phrase: is the glass 1/2 empty or 1/2 full? We sailed the Epic the first sailing out of Cape Canaveral. For us, it wasn't the type of ship we would cruise again or not likely. Yesterday I was playing bridge with a few friends; one of the gals playing loves the Epic so much they have sailed her 5 or 6 times. Again, it is all a personal opinion.

 

I think part of our problem had more to do with the first sailing, the number of new crew members and those who were not new were tired from the long Atlantic crossing. We did have a M&G but even that was somewhat a let down. Less than 1/2 the people who signed up attended. We all know there will be some NO SHOWs, but this was more than usual and the officers who attended didn't really want to be there or acted like they didn't. Even the gift exchange only had about 1/2 the people participate that had signed up for it. All these things can make a difference.

 

We had a mix on service, but for the most part the food was very good and the bar service wasn't nearly as slow as some have experienced.

 

We are getting ready to cruise the Breakaway in 2 months. Our daughters are sending us for ours special birthdays. I know we will have a great time: there comes an age when you don't have enough time left to look for the minor annoyances.

 

OP thanks for your positive review.

 

Well put; both you and the OP. We love the Epic.

 

I have to say life in general has minor annoyances why would a vacation (of any type) be any different. :p

Just happy to b cruising!!!

 

Safe cruising all......

[Delta Dear]

Oh, goody, another Epic review just in time since we leave in a week. It will be our first NCL cruise so I'm trying to absorb all the info I can about what to expect. We are 'glass half full,' people so I know we'll enjoy it.

 

We have mobility issues so will be in a handicapped cabin with a scooter but that will not slow us down. My husband is a good scooter driver who will not run anyone over with his wheels.

 

Looking forward to your review. I hope you complete it before we leave. Hint, hint.

[cage keeper]

I think if you really truly want to have a great vacation you can even on the worst ship. Thank you for being positive. I really enjoy the positive reviews.

 

We did have a M&G but even that was somewhat a let down. Less than 1/2 the people who signed up attended. We all know there will be some NO SHOWs,. This happened to us in Alaska. Us and one other couple showed up for the M&G. They felt bad so gave us drinKs and a private (the 4 of us) tour of the bridge. It was amazing.

[samiam0403]

My wife and I thoroughly enjoyed our Epic cruise.

...

 

While the initial embarkation process began late and was rather frustrating, every other time we boarded or disembarked the ship went flawlessly.

...

 

Despite these inconveniences, our cruise aboard the Epic was a wonderful one. No vacation, boat, itinerary, or cruise is perfect, but there was plenty to appreciate on this one. If you’re searching for flaws you’re certain to find them, but if you set out to have a good time you can easily do that as well.

 

Great rundown, OP! I was also on this sailing of the Epic and agree with a lot of your points. Desserts = meh. (But cheese plate for dessert = awesome.) Embarkation was VERY frustrating. I was the lucky winner of the 'who gets the station with a new employee with a computer that keeps locking up' lottery. Had to keep reminding myself that it was fine, and I WAS going to get on that ship eventually! :eek:

 

With everything I'd seen lately about the Epic, I was prepared to have a mediocre cruise at best, quite frankly. I. LOVED. IT. Service was incredible and the crew were SO friendly! (Not sure where the cranky crew is that I kept reading about - they must have swapped out. :D ) Entertainment - amazing. Thermal suite - best kept secret on NCL. I'd sail on the Epic again in a heartbeat, and have 13 nights booked on her next year. :)

 

Very much looking forward to your more comprehensive review! Thanks for the quick rundown of a great week.

[Lido_Deck]

I think the OPs short review explains a lot of things: minor annoyances do not have to spoil an experience. It is the old phrase: is the glass 1/2 empty or 1/2 full?

 

Yes...A cruise on a bad ship is better than no cruise at all.

 

Although...It's just as easy to book a cruise on a good ship as it is a bad ship to make a cruise even better.

 

But...I will cruise on a bad ship like the Epic if the price is right because...

[bigrichtx02]

Could you tell us more about this? I know that the taster glass of champagne is not included, but if they are no longer letting people order the signature cocktails (French Manhattan, Emperor's Nectar, or whatever they are now) with the UBP, that is a new restriction…

 

Welcome to the NCL forum and thanks for your review.

Hawkeyetlse,

We didn't realize the "taster glass", priced at $9, was not covered by UBP. Our waiter was great by informing us ahead of time that it would not be covered. We ordered glasses of UBP covered wine instead.

 

Almost all of the other featured cocktails were covered by UBP. The caipirinhas were especially delicious.

[hawkeyetlse]

We didn't realize the "taster glass", priced at $9, was not covered by UBP. Our waiter was great by informing us ahead of time that it would not be covered.

Thanks for the clarification. That has been the case for several years, but why don't they add a simple note to the menu instead of making the servers give the same warning to everyone probably 100 times during every cruise?

 

I have heard that you can actually order a full glass for the regular price (something like $25) and get the $15 UBP credit on that. It would be nice if they put that option on the menu, too…

[SquishTheWhale]

Love the title of this review :p

 

I think I may be the only one who actually likes the bathroom set up of the Epic. I can use the toilet and sink while my partner is taking forever to shower? Perfect. Too many times in hotel rooms I'm doing a desperate little dance round the room while he hogs the bathroom...

[mark290]

Is anyone able to give a little more detail on how to use iMessage without incurring a cost ? If I signup for iconcierge do I simply not use the app and I might have success using imessage ? I will be signing up for iconcierge. Will this interfere with the possibility of being able to imessage people off the ship ?

 

I guess my question is how do I use iconcierge and still be able to attempt to take advantage of imessage without an additional cost ? I know I will be paying for iconcierge.

[samiam0403]

Is anyone able to give a little more detail on how to use iMessage without incurring a cost ? If I signup for iconcierge do I simply not use the app and I might have success using imessage ? I will be signing up for iconcierge. Will this interfere with the possibility of being able to imessage people off the ship ?

 

I guess my question is how do I use iconcierge and still be able to attempt to take advantage of imessage without an additional cost ? I know I will be paying for iconcierge.

 

Hopefully OP can provide some more details, but I'll chime in with what I know. If you leave your wifi on with the iConcierge app (without paying for extras), you will still receive notifications of texts, Facebook comments, WhatsApp messages, etc. Not sure how sending works on the ship, but you can definitely get incoming notifications without paying a dime.

[hawkeyetlse]

If you're connected to the ship's wifi network, sometimes iMessage will work. This is without actually paying for and logging in to the internet access, just connecting to wifi. I think it may only work between other Apple devices (the iMessages are blue not green). In my experience it doesn't work at all most of the time, but messages occasionally go through in both directions. So I wouldn't count on being able to use it throughout your cruise, but maybe someone who actually knows how iMessage works can figure out a way to make it work more reliably.

 

As far as I know, this is all independent of whether you also activate and use iConcierge.

[BLACKBURNROVERS]

 

Also, the interactive TV system that supposedly allows you to make dining, entertainment, and tender reservations, neither allowed you to do any of those nor view what you had currently booked. Everything had to be accomplished or confirmed by a staff member.

 

Finally, we felt like we had to constantly be on guard for ridiculous upcharges, As a result, we felt compelled to check our account balance for surprise charges nightly.

 

Sounds like you enjoyed the cruise overall. Curious however, about your problems with the interactive tv system. Was it not working just for you or was it a problem across the ship? I found it so easy to operate and booked everything that we had already booked on line before boarding. It was easy for us NOT to check our account balance. We never spent an extra $ on board.

[ShipsAhoy508]

Love the title of this review :p

 

I think I may be the only one who actually likes the bathroom set up of the Epic. I can use the toilet and sink while my partner is taking forever to shower? Perfect. Too many times in hotel rooms I'm doing a desperate little dance round the room while he hogs the bathroom...

 

A man hogging a bathroom? Sounds impossible to me. :D

[pooh/tigger]

Did the Epic last week as well.

 

The thermal spa is worth the cost of the weekly pass. We used in the morning and then later in afternoon or evening every day. In the morning, we'd shower there instead of our cabin.

Have seen others complain about loud people in the thermal spa but we never encountered. Yes, people were talking. Your not required to take a vow of silence to enter. Sit back, relax, talk and enjoy.

 

I only have 1 gripe. Over serving.

 

Too many times we encountered people who were so drunk, they had trouble standing up, running in to walls or when we were at dinner at Shanghais, passed out on their table as they were about to order dinner.

 

This couple came in very drunk, were seated 2 tables from us and ordered drinks. Drinks were served and then we hear "bang". Girl is passed out on the table. Her BF couldn't wake her. Offered to help in any way but was refused. "She's fine, she's fine".

He finally gets her up and is trying to walk her back to their cabin and both collapse in the aisle. She hit hard. I asked him to take her to the ships doctor, just to be safe but he insisted she just needs to "sleep it off". 15 minutes later, he's back at his table (his food was served while he was away) he eats a little, orders 2 more drinks and then off to the casino.

We walked by the casino after our dinner and here they are cleaning up a huge barf mess. Guess who did.

[mark290]

Hopefully OP can provide some more details, but I'll chime in with what I know. If you leave your wifi on with the iConcierge app (without paying for extras), you will still receive notifications of texts, Facebook comments, WhatsApp messages, etc. Not sure how sending works on the ship, but you can definitely get incoming notifications without paying a dime.

 

I was planning on paying the $9 or $10 to use Iconcierge. Will this mess up my ability to try and use imessage without any cost ?

[kathybelcher2433]

Agree completely about the desserts, so I decided not to waste calories in those but instead opt for an after dinner drink.

 

We loved the Epic. Loved the specialities and the entertainment. Completely okay about the cabin layout. Mine was a port intensive cruise with just a few days at sea so perhaps the feeling of the outside being inside was lost on our trip.

 

I thought the atrium was a bit of a cluster but that's the only place I felt crowded. I also think the whole photography area is a waste of space but I realize others like that sort of thing. I'd rather see a big library but I am a geek for information.

 

I did check my account balance daily but that's my bad. I do the same with my debit account and AMEX card. I check every day.

 

 

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[Niffernay]

In three words, Posh passes were: worth every penny. The deck was never crowded, and always full of comfortable places to sit or lounge. The service at the bar was particularly excellent; the bartenders were very friendly, and quickly learned our names and preferences. The Posh deck alone made the three sea days perfectly enjoyable..

 

Were you one of the first to get on the ship? I would like to get Posh passes but we aren't special enough (yet) to have priority boarding and I have read that they have a very limited amount of passes.

 

Thanks for your review. Cruising on the Epic in December and I can't wait. I'm aware of the size and the strange layout of the staterooms and don't care. :D We'll be on a cruise. With the UBP. What else would we need?