Epic trip review 2/16-23 sailing...

[BigJohn84]

We were booked for the Epic, 2/16-2/23, heading from Port Canaveral to Great Stirrup Cay, Jamaica, Grand Cayman, and Cozumel. We wondered on the entire week before if we would even be going after hearing about the Epic’s troubles. We flew into Orlando on Friday night before the Saturday departure not really knowing what would happen. About an hour after we landed on Friday afternoon, we found out that our new itinerary would be boarding the Epic on Sunday (instead of Saturday) and leaving Port Canaveral on Monday at 4:30pm, for a 5-day cruise (1-day in Port Canaveral) to Nassau, then Great Stirrup Cay with a couple sea days in between. Going into the whole thing (with the ship’s troubles, and leaving behind 2-degree temps and lots of snow), we would have been happy to anchor a few miles off the coast for the duration. We had no excursions planned in the ports, and weren’t really thrilled with going to Nassau (again!), but we would still be in the sun & fun!

As soon as we found out we’d be spending the original departure day (Saturday) in Orlando, my wife called our hotel to see if we could extend our Friday night stay to include Saturday as well. Fortunately we could do it. NCL had told us they would cover up to $250 for the room for that night, and it was within a few dollars of doing that.

We spent Saturday afternoon hanging out around the pool at the hotel and sipping a few cocktails.

Sunday morning we took the hotel shuttle back to the airport to catch the NCL shuttle to the port. Within 45 minutes of arriving, we were checked in and on the ship. Through the bidding process, we upgraded from an inside room to a balcony on Deck 13, right by the Bridge Observation room. We have always booked an inside cabin, but we've never stayed in one...always take the chance that an affordable upgrade will happen and be much cheaper than if we originally booked the nicer room. Haven't missed yet!

We really liked the Epic. For such a large ship, we found it very easy to navigate. I do wish there were arrows or something on the walls, pointing towards the front of the ship...If you come out of a bar or restaurant or bathroom, it’s difficult to know which direction to go for your next destination.

We had great weather the entire trip, with sunshine most of the time and temps in the 80’s.

We thought the entertainment was wonderful.  “Priscilla, Queen of the Desert” was fantastic! We’ve seen many Broadway shows, and this performance was on par with them...great show! Also saw the Epip Beatles in the Epic theater, and they were good. And Comedians were good in the theater as well. Drink service in the Epic theater was fantastic! We usually arrived about 25-minutes before the show started and didn’t have any problem getting a good seat.

Other things we really liked…

We have read reviews from others complaining that the staff on the Epic was rude. We certainly didn’t find this to be the case.  All staff we encountered were very friendly & accommodating. I’m thinking those who feel everyone they encounter is rude are just determined to NOT have a good time! We saw a few people who constantly complained about anything & everything. Enjoy yourselves...you’re on vacation! I’m guessing the rude passengers we encounter on cruises are the ones who complain about everyone else being rude.

We had the ultimate beverage package and enjoyed it very much. Our favorite bars for good drinks & service were Maltings Whiskey bar and the bar at the Atrium.

As for food...we enjoyed the main dining rooms. We ate in both the Manhattan Room and Taste. Both had a nice ambiance and the food & service were good. It does seem that the dining room entrees aren’t as creative and special as they used to be, but they were still good. We tend to order things we don’t make at home, and there were plenty of those choices each night.

We ate at the buffet several times as well (either breakfast, lunch or dinner) and the food was decent.

Also ate at Shanghai a couple times and it was OK...nothing special.

Had breakfast & lunch/dinner/late night at O’Sheehan’s a couple times...Good burgers & reubens. Fish & chips was OK, Shepherd’s Pie was excellent, Chicago dog was nothing like a Chicago dog (Cheez Whiz  & Jalapeno’s???), wings were decent, and the artichoke spinach dip was a tasteless lukewarm runny soup.

We ate at Le Bistro one night and it did not impress. Between our party of 4, we had Filet Mignon, rack of lamb (lamb shank in the main dining room was better), and the mussels in broth (not a lot of taste). Service wasn’t any better than in the main dining room. Also had a seared scallops with eggplant puree appetizer (very average) and the French Onion Soup (not much different that the one in the main dining room). One member of our party (who is a chef) ordered her filet medium rare. I understand that doneness of meat is a little subjective, but hers came very rare. When the waitress came to see if everything was OK, she said hers was more rare than she wanted, and asked if they could grill it a little more. The Maitre d

stopped by to see what the problem was. She told him she ordered the steak medium-rare and it was very rare. Instead of “we’d be glad to cook it a little longer for you”, his response was “Oh...so you really wanted it cooked MEDIUM”. OK…..

Creme Caramel for dessert was pretty much the Flan from the main dining rooms.

We thought one of the nice things offered was the onboard messaging & calling on the NCL app. We had 3 different groups, and we wanted to stay in touch. It was easy with the App! $10 for each phone kept us all in touch at all time (texts & calls). As for the NCL onboard app, it was great for making reservations for some shows. They also have each day’s schedule, but it’s not the entire schedule (like on the dailies delivered to the room). But you can highlight the ones you like and they are saved to a “favorites” list, which is nice.

A few things that we noticed...the lack of trash cans in the common areas on the ship. No where to throw away anything! And the Epic has the least number of doors leading to the outside of any ship we’ve been on. Most have several doors leading to the outside deck, but the Epic has very few.

Another thing we’re not fans of is the late hours for meals & shows. We’re early risers when on our work schedules at home, so we naturally get up earlier on vacation. Breakfasts (with the exception of the limited breakfast at O’Sheehan’s) don’t start until after 7:00 or 8:00, lunch at 12:00, and dinner at 5:30pm. We could catch the early shows in the theater at 7:00, but shows in the Cavern Club & others (like Dueling Pianos) don’t start until 10pm or later. Just wish they catered to the earlier hours as well, but it’s not something that ruins our vacation or anything...I mean, we’re on a cruise!

We also enjoy playing the trivia contests, etc., but I’d think they could come up with a little better prize that a single Koozie or a deck of cards!

Great Stirrup Cay was fantastic, as always. Love that place! We find some loungers under some palm trees, near the Bacardi bar, bathrooms & food and RELAX!

Oh, and as for the layout of the cabins...others mention the weird configuration of the bathroom/shower area. The only way it bothered us was with late-night bathroom visits. After the first night, we decided to follow the rule of “if it’s brown, flush it down...but if it’s yellow, let it mellow”. That came after the first night when my wife flushed the VERY loud suction toilet and (with the toilet being about 3-feet away from the bed) nearly gave me a heart attack!

 

We just went with the flow and had a great time. NCL is giving us 50% back on this cruise and a 50% credit towards a future cruise, and we’re fine with that. I’m guessing that they probably don’t have to give us anything under these circumstances. We had a great time regardless!

[smd8z]

Thanks for the review!

[CruisinNewbie11]

I, too, was on this cruise and found the crew to be very accommodating, and doing everything in their power to make the shortened cruise enjoyable.  I love the Epic, having cruised on her 9 times, and have never had a bad experience.  I do think the food is not their strong suit, but have always found something to eat.  I truly enjoyed myself, despite the shortened trip.  NCL was more than fair with their compensation.  I enjoyed myself so much, I am doing a back-to-back-to-back in late March!

 

[dad son team]

I was on here too and agree with everything the OP said.  I never came across a crew member that was not friendly, and given the circumstances, most of the passengers were in good spirits too.  Not too many grumblers.  The shows were great, but I will advise that Priscilla is an adult themed show, and it help to have an open mind.  If you are more conservative leaning, it might not be for you.  I did chat with someone on the cruise director staff about the boy in the show and was told that there are 2 that play that character and they rotate on 6 week schedules and travel with chaperones.  He also said they are about 13 and they only see the part of the show they are in, not the whole show.  That should give you an idea of the shows content.  

 Like the OP said, the dining room food was good, but not as special as it used to be.  I didn't cook it so I'm not complaining, and I too tend to get things that I don't normally make at home so its still a treat for me.  I went to O'Shehan's one late night, or maybe early morning 😉 and I will say the nachos were gross.  I'm not sure how they make their cheese, but it needs to change.  My only complaint would be the ship itself, and that is subjective.  I didn't find it to have a lot of outdoor deck space so what it had tended to feel crowded.  The indoor space never did, just outdoors.  

[C cruise]

Enjoyed your review and your attitude. How much did you bid to get the upgrade? 

[BigJohn84]

21 minutes ago, C cruise said:

Enjoyed your review and your attitude. How much did you bid to get the upgrade? 

 

At the time of booking, a balcony was about $700 more than an inside cabin. About 4 or 5 weeks before the cruise, we bid $300 total for a balcony and were notified about 2 weeks before the cruise that we had been upgraded. So it saved us about $400.

[alejorubi]

Glad you had a great time.  I think food very difficult to rate but I think everything is better than MSC's

[Pauser]

Thanks so much for posting this! You are absolutely right - attitude is everything. I'm glad you had a good time.

[schevel]

We are sailing on Epic at the end of March. So refreshing to hear a good review! We plan on enjoying it as much as you did.

[jbethel11]

5 hours ago, BigJohn84 said:

Through the bidding process, we upgraded from an inside room to a balcony on Deck 13, right by the Bridge Observation room. We have always booked an inside cabin, but we've never stayed in one...always take the chance that an affordable upgrade will happen and be much cheaper than if we originally booked the nicer room. Haven't missed yet!

 

 

Wow! Never missed! You mentioned you upgraded for $300. Is this because you sail in off-season times? You sailed the week of the 16th, which is when most kids are off from midwinter break. Was the ship booked? For example, I am looking at the March 15th,  2021 sailing and the interior for 4 is $900 cheaper than a Balcony for 4. Should I hope for an upgrade? 

[Sunnysafari]

Thanks for your review.  We sail on the Epic in Dec. and I’m loving the positive reviews.  Maybe the room layout is a little different, but it’s a cruise!  Have Fun! 

😊

[kochleffel]

I'm just off the Epic, from the cruise after yours. I found the staff uniformly polite, helpful, and friendly. I did encounter some minor errors in dining service, but nothing exceptional.

 

One woman was railing in the studio lounge about never going on NCL again because of the bad food and worse service. She struck me as one of those "ain't I special" types, always demanding unreasonable things and then complaining when she didn't get them.

 

Pace other posts, I did not see anything on the Epic that was dirty or shabby, although some passengers were unkempt.

Edited March 3, 2019 by kochleffel