NCL Epic Transatlantic

[seanandstefIRL]

A Big Hello & Thank You To Everyone @ Cruise Critic!

 

We just got home from the 15-day transatlantic sailing on the Epic. If you have ever thought about going on a transatlantic cruise, I say do it! Hands down the BEST experience and the best cruise we have ever been on. Thank you to everyone here at cruise critic for a wonderful meet n greet event. It was our first cruise critic event and it was awesome to meet so many amazing people, all in one place. This was definitely a trip for the memory book.

 

If you are interested in a transatlantic trip and ever wondered what goes on, check out our vlog. We vlogged the entire trip. So far we have posted up until Day 4 but more episodes are on the way. Here is the link to our Transatlantic playlist:

 

 

 

Again, thank you to everyone for making this cruise amazing!

[pinklady65]

You're vlogs make me smile. Epic is one of my favourite ships and look forward to seeing the rest of your cruise to give me tips for my own transatlantic next April on the Star

[DMH15]

Love your enthusiasm. I loved my TA cruise. It ranks right up there.

 

 

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[harz99]

I was also on that cruise, and like a lot of people we spoke with felt it to be one of the least enjoyable we have ever sailed. The ship's design shortcomings are evident to see, as is probably why the order for the second one of the class was cancelled.

 

Cramped cabins, cramped pool area and promenade deck above. Lines/queues for everything from drinks, meals, entertainment to disembarking.

 

Not enough seating in bar area's, and the noise....

 

And we are Platinum Plus Latitudes level so it wasn't exactly our first NCL cruise.

 

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[DominicAUS]

I loved your vlogs and they certainly got me excited for my upcoming trip in November. I can wait to see the rest.

Thanks for taking the time doing these. Loved them!!!

[vacati0n]

Hello - started watching your videos - looks like you will be fun to watch. I have a question hope you can answer. How much was the uber from the airport to the port?

[vacati0n]

Ok maybe not I finished the first video - sounds like uber might not be the way to go!!!!

[Daddyrob81]

Ok maybe not I finished the first video - sounds like uber might not be the way to go!!!!

 

 

 

Keep in mind that they had to sail out from Port Canaveral and fly back to MCO from Europe. It only made sense for them to park their car at the airport so it was there when they got home.

 

Living in Orlando, I wouldn’t recommend paying to park at MCO and take an Uber to the port. Maybe a shuttle if somebody drops you off.

 

 

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[seanandstefIRL]

You're vlogs make me smile. Epic is one of my favourite ships and look forward to seeing the rest of your cruise to give me tips for my own transatlantic next April on the Star

Thanks so much for watching. We absolutely LOVE the Epic. Enjoy your transatlantic. It was definitely the best cruise we have ever been on!

[seanandstefIRL]

Love your enthusiasm. I loved my TA cruise. It ranks right up there.

 

 

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Thanks so much for watching! I didn't think the TA was going to be as great as it was. Being with everyone on the ship for 15 days made it feel like a family. We will never forget it! :D

[seanandstefIRL]

I was also on that cruise, and like a lot of people we spoke with felt it to be one of the least enjoyable we have ever sailed. The ship's design shortcomings are evident to see, as is probably why the order for the second one of the class was cancelled.

 

Cramped cabins, cramped pool area and promenade deck above. Lines/queues for everything from drinks, meals, entertainment to disembarking.

 

Not enough seating in bar area's, and the noise....

 

And we are Platinum Plus Latitudes level so it wasn't exactly our first NCL cruise.

 

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Sorry to hear you didn't have the best cruise. The Epic is definitely different. I feel like the pool area is the largest of all the larger Norwegian ships and with the outside temps, never saw the pool area crazy. The pool gets really crazy on Caribbean cruises but seemed pretty tame on the TA. The lines were very interesting. We talked to several crew members who had never seen anything like that and we also talked to Nelson (the hotel director) and he agreed that it was strange to see all the lines. It would seem that most of the TA guests liked to stand in line and therefore that led to a lot of lines. We are from Orlando and we are no stranger to theme park lines but I have never seen cruise crowds line up for dinner or a show 2-3 hours before the showtime. And the lines happened on day 1 so it wasn't like people were showing up just to get a place. It was definitely strange. Again, sorry to hear about your trip.

[seanandstefIRL]

I loved your vlogs and they certainly got me excited for my upcoming trip in November. I can wait to see the rest.

Thanks for taking the time doing these. Loved them!!!

 

Thanks so much for watching! It is fun to relive the trip again. :D

[seanandstefIRL]

Hello - started watching your videos - looks like you will be fun to watch. I have a question hope you can answer. How much was the uber from the airport to the port?Ok maybe not I finished the first video - sounds like uber might not be the way to go!!!!

 

Haha, in all fairness, we have used Uber 100s of times prior to this and we have never had this happen before. Usually the drivers are very considerate but things happen and I guess it was our lucky turn. I would definitely recommend Uber because it was easy. The cost was $70 I believe.

[seanandstefIRL]

Keep in mind that they had to sail out from Port Canaveral and fly back to MCO from Europe. It only made sense for them to park their car at the airport so it was there when they got home.

 

Living in Orlando, I wouldn’t recommend paying to park at MCO and take an Uber to the port. Maybe a shuttle if somebody drops you off.

 

 

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Yes. We parked in extended parking at MCO so our car would be there when we returned from Barcelona. We always park near the port when we cruise round trip out of Port Canaveral. We thought about getting an uber from our house because it would have cost the same (we also live in Orlando) but I was not comfortable with a stranger knowing we would be gone from our home for 15+ days. So we decided to park at MCO for safety reasons.

[ECCruise]

I was also on that cruise, and like a lot of people we spoke with felt it to be one of the least enjoyable we have ever sailed. The ship's design shortcomings are evident to see, as is probably why the order for the second one of the class was cancelled.

 

Cramped cabins, cramped pool area and promenade deck above. Lines/queues for everything from drinks, meals, entertainment to disembarking.

 

Not enough seating in bar area's, and the noise....

 

And we are Platinum Plus Latitudes level so it wasn't exactly our first NCL cruise.

 

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Put us in that category. In spades.

 

Not "one of our worst" but our worst. Bar none.

Not newbies by any means. 15th NCL cruise. 70+ cruises, about 1000 days on ships. This was the only time we couldn't wait to get off a ship.

Spa suite cabin a joke (floor plan shows 2 chairs + small table in cabin) none in reality. Not a chair, not a settee, not a couch. Nothing but a bed and a jetted tub.

 

Noisiest ship we have ever been on. Non-stop noise virtually everywhere. In the music venues, people screaming to be heard over the performer so that those there to actually HEAR the performer, couldn't. This was especially bad in Shakers. Gave up trying to listen to Zoe there (who was very good) due to obnoxiously loud pax.

 

This was our 22nd crossing and never experienced anything like this ship. Usually crossings are quieter, people enjoying the sea days, listening to the lecturers (the only one on this one was good, but you couldn't get a seat unless you were there 30+ minutes early). It was almost like this was a short Caribbean cruise that got waylaid and headed to Europe. We had perfect weather (best we've ever had) so I can't even imagine what this would have been like with a normal April crossing (weather in the 60s at best, cloudy most of the way across, fairly active seas).

 

The lines. OMG the lines. Embarkation took over 1 1/2 hours because they disembarked coaches and vans one at a time. Where then you had to stand in line to go up an escalator in groups because when you got to the top there was no room to stand and people would have been dangerously stuck on the escalator. The show lines, if it wasn't a "reserved" show, were absurd. 45 minutes before the Epic Beatles theater show, the line stretched virtually the length of the ship. People were not queuing up because they wanted to. There were likely almost 1000 people in that line. The theater is horribly undersized. 700 seats for a ship with 4000+ pax.

 

The good points? The entertainment, when you could see it, was superb. Staff throughout the ship very good. Haven restaurant very good quality, but they really should consider mixing up the menus a bit. The exact same menu for 15 days gets very old, very fast. But the preparation, taste and presentation were top-notch. As was the service there. Cabin service the best we've ever had (and that says a lot--we've had unbelievably stellar service over the years). Bowen, the concierge, is a real gem.

 

We knew the Epic could be a challenge. Worst design ever. No one knows that more than NCL (why do you think they paid an over $125 million contract fine NOT to build the second Epic class ship). We really didn't think it could be that bad. It was.

Edited April 29, 2018 by ECCruise

[harz99]

Put us in that category. In spades.

 

Not "one of our worst" but our worst. Bar none.

Not newbies by any means. 15th NCL cruise. 70+ cruises, about 1000 days on ships. This was the only time we couldn't wait to get off a ship.

Spa suite cabin a joke (floor plan shows 2 chairs + small table in cabin) none in reality. Not a chair, not a settee, not a couch. Nothing but a bed and a jetted tub.

 

Noisiest ship we have ever been on. Non-stop noise virtually everywhere. In the music venues, people screaming to be heard over the performer so that those there to actually HEAR the performer, couldn't. This was especially bad in Shakers. Gave up trying to listen to Zoe there (who was very good) due to obnoxiously loud pax.

 

This was our 22nd crossing and never experienced anything like this ship. Usually crossings are quieter, people enjoying the sea days, listening to the lecturers (the only one on this one was good, but you couldn't get a seat unless you were there 30+ minutes early). It was almost like this was a short Caribbean cruise that got waylaid and headed to Europe. We had perfect weather (best we've ever had) so I can't even imagine what this would have been like with a normal April crossing (weather in the 60s at best, cloudy most of the way across, fairly active seas).

 

The lines. OMG the lines. Embarkation took over 1 1/2 hours because they disembarked coaches and vans one at a time. Where then you had to stand in line to go up an escalator in groups because when you got to the top there was no room to stand and people would have been dangerously stuck on the escalator. The show lines, if it wasn't a "reserved" show, were absurd. 45 minutes before the Epic Beatles theater show, the line stretched virtually the length of the ship. People were not queuing up because they wanted to. There were likely almost 1000 people in that line. The theater is horribly undersized. 700 seats for a ship with 4000+ pax.

 

The good points? The entertainment, when you could see it, was superb. Staff throughout the ship very good. Haven restaurant very good quality, but they really should consider mixing up the menus a bit. The exact same menu for 15 days gets very old, very fast. But the preparation, taste and presentation were top-notch. As was the service there. Cabin service the best we've ever had (and that says a lot--we've had unbelievably stellar service over the years). Bowen, the concierge, is a real gem.

 

We knew the Epic could be a challenge. Worst design ever. No one knows that more than NCL (why do you think they paid an over $125 million contract fine NOT to build the second Epic class ship). We really didn't think it could be that bad. It was.

Not just us then!

 

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[ECCruise]

Not just us then!

 

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Definitely not just you. We talked to a number of people both on the ship and as late as in the van heading to the parking lot at MCO. Same reaction. It just threw us for a loop. We expected a completely different experience on a crossing, even on NCL (and we've done 3 crossings with them).

 

We did laugh about it, though. Our common joke to each other was, "and just think. We paid for this."

[Son of a son of a ...]

Are experiences different from a TA eastbound v. westbound? We are expecting a very relaxed (no lines) cruise.

[ECCruise]

Are experiences different from a TA eastbound v. westbound? We are expecting a very relaxed (no lines) cruise.

The only differences we have noticed is that you lose an hour most nights EB and gain an hour WB.

 

If you sail Epic there will be lines. Other ships not so.

 

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[Lindys]

I was on this cruise and i thought it was a very nice trip didn't see all the issues mentioned above yes you always have some things you don't like but nothing worth bashing all in all i would do the same trip again!!

 

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[welove2cruise2014]

Put us in that category. In spades.

 

Not "one of our worst" but our worst. Bar none.

Not newbies by any means. 15th NCL cruise. 70+ cruises, about 1000 days on ships. This was the only time we couldn't wait to get off a ship.

Spa suite cabin a joke (floor plan shows 2 chairs + small table in cabin) none in reality. Not a chair, not a settee, not a couch. Nothing but a bed and a jetted tub.

 

Noisiest ship we have ever been on. Non-stop noise virtually everywhere. In the music venues, people screaming to be heard over the performer so that those there to actually HEAR the performer, couldn't. This was especially bad in Shakers. Gave up trying to listen to Zoe there (who was very good) due to obnoxiously loud pax.

 

This was our 22nd crossing and never experienced anything like this ship. Usually crossings are quieter, people enjoying the sea days, listening to the lecturers (the only one on this one was good, but you couldn't get a seat unless you were there 30+ minutes early). It was almost like this was a short Caribbean cruise that got waylaid and headed to Europe. We had perfect weather (best we've ever had) so I can't even imagine what this would have been like with a normal April crossing (weather in the 60s at best, cloudy most of the way across, fairly active seas).

 

The lines. OMG the lines. Embarkation took over 1 1/2 hours because they disembarked coaches and vans one at a time. Where then you had to stand in line to go up an escalator in groups because when you got to the top there was no room to stand and people would have been dangerously stuck on the escalator. The show lines, if it wasn't a "reserved" show, were absurd. 45 minutes before the Epic Beatles theater show, the line stretched virtually the length of the ship. People were not queuing up because they wanted to. There were likely almost 1000 people in that line. The theater is horribly undersized. 700 seats for a ship with 4000+ pax.

 

The good points? The entertainment, when you could see it, was superb. Staff throughout the ship very good. Haven restaurant very good quality, but they really should consider mixing up the menus a bit. The exact same menu for 15 days gets very old, very fast. But the preparation, taste and presentation were top-notch. As was the service there. Cabin service the best we've ever had (and that says a lot--we've had unbelievably stellar service over the years). Bowen, the concierge, is a real gem.

 

We knew the Epic could be a challenge. Worst design ever. No one knows that more than NCL (why do you think they paid an over $125 million contract fine NOT to build the second Epic class ship). We really didn't think it could be that bad. It was.

This is unfortunate to read (about the Spa category cabin/suites), as we were considering that category for an Epic cruise next spring. Which cabin # so I can be sure NOT to book that one?!

 

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[ECCruise]

This is unfortunate to read (about the Spa category cabin/suites), as we were considering that category for an Epic cruise next spring. Which cabin # so I can be sure NOT to book that one?!

 

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14133. But they are all the same with no furniture. We always joked about ordering room service and eating in the tub.

I didn't even mention the crashing noises over your head at 3:30 am and 6:00 am. Deck washing and then unstacking, dropping and sliding of pool loungers. About 1 1/2 hours of loud noise every night. They did try to help but did not get a full nights sleep in 15 days. And we are early risers--around 6:30 am every day, home or away. The couple 2 doors down from us complained so long that they finally moved them.

But in reality, as big an issue as the noise was, it was not our no. 1 complaint.

 

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[Lindys]

14133. But they are all not the same with no furniture. I didnt even mention the crashing noises over your head at 3:30 am and 6:00 am. Deck washing and then unstacking, dropping and sliding of pool loungers. About 1 1/2 hours of loud noise every night. They did try to help but did not get a full nights sleep in 15 days. The couple 2 doors down from us complained so long that they moved them.

But in reality, as big an issue as the noise was, it was not our no. 1 complaint.

 

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Do your research about room locations and so on especially for experienced cruisers you have no excuse to pick a bad room

 

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[ECCruise]

I was on this cruise and i thought it was a very nice trip didn't see all the issues mentioned above yes you always have some things you don't like but nothing worth bashing all in all i would do the same trip again!!

 

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Glad to see anyone who had a very nice trip (that is, after all, the idea of a trip away). You will have to let us know how you avoided the lines.

 

Sorry I bashed your cruise. Maybe our needs are a little different. On a cruise, especially a crossing, we like to have a nice, relaxing time. Noisy, loud pax are just not our cup of tea. Not that our way is better than theirs, just not for us. That is why we never, ever sail the Caribbean.

 

And, honestly, we have dozens and dozens of cruises where we had absolutely nothing we didn't like, so that isn't true. Have never, in our 70+ sailings, complained once about a trip. Maybe that indicates how very different this one was from our experience, which may vary from yours. Wasn't even going to say anything (even though we talked to people who had exactly the same experience as us) until I saw that someone else brought up the same issues and didn't want them to feel like the Lone Ranger and face the cheerleaders.

[ECCruise]

Do your research about room locations and so on especially for experienced cruisers you have no excuse to pick a bad room

 

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Or, they could do the deck moving at around 7:00 am, which we have had no problems with. Or not moving the furniture every night.

 

Honestly, not going to get into a who struck John with you.

You loved your cruise. We hated ours. 'Nuff said.