Epic - Worst Cruise Ever

[Crzicriter]

I have been on 11 cruises on several different cruise lines.. I have to say that the NCL Epic is the worst.

We had so many issues

1. Turning on the lights in our room..Actually had to ask other passengers how to turn them on.. Had an inside cabin ,room in total darkness, Directions on how to work them on blue card on bed.

2. Bed so uncomfortable!

3. Late leaving Port Canaveral.. Late getting into every port for 1 reason or another.

4. Found out we had to book a Tender.. found out late sat night for Sunday port..  First tender available was 4 hours after we arrived.. Missed half the day at our stop.

5. Waiters uninterested in non-drinking customers.. waited almost 45 minutes for simple appetizers.

6. Nickel and dime ya for everything.. 7.95 for room service is crazy..

7. Getting to port excursions late because there is no clear direction.. Every excursion met at the end of the pier. 200 people stuck in an area where people are still trying to get off the ship. Then being ushered into a tent meant for maybe 100 people but yet holding 200 now with no air.

8. Having a non threatening allergy to seafood but having to have every meal monitored by a manager.. Had to wait for almost an hour for a ham and egg sandwich in the MDR for breakfast. We were the only table seated in the Section.

And so much more.

Since this was our first time on NCL is this normal of the way they do things or was this just an exceptionally bad experience for us?

I can honestly say that after this cruise we never want to cruise with them again.

 

[JamieLogical]

I am sorry you had such a negative experience. Some of what you mention is experienced across several ships/the entire fleet, but it sounds like it was much worse in your case.

 

1. The lights in the room ARE confusing. You find that set-up on the Epic as well as the Breakaway and Breakaway Plus class ships. I needed help figuring it out the first time too, but once I did, it wasn't a big deal.
2. I haven't sailed on the Epic, but the beds on the three NCL ships I've sailed on have all been incredibly comfy. So comfy in fact that I have researched buying the brand of mattress NCL uses on their ships!
3. Late into port can happen on any cruise line. Sounds like very bad luck that you were late into *every* port!
4. There are usually announcements mad, instructions in the Daily, and a separate instruction sheet provided regarding tender tickets. I don't know what communication was so poor in your case.
5. I have never noticed servers being more attentive to drinking customers vs. non-drinking. If anything, I have found drink service to be fairly slow in the MDRs, because the don't have bars inside of them.
6. Breakfast room service is free, if you order from the continental breakfast menu. But yes, the $8 delivery for hot food at breakfast or any food throughout the rest of the day is steep. I just order my free breakfast every morning and skip room service the rest of the time.
7. Were your port excursions booked through NCL? If so, I don't find it acceptable that they were so disorganized. I have only done two formal excursions through NCL and both times they were well-managed and directions were clear.
8. Can't speak to your allergy issue, since I don't have any food allergies. It does sound annoying!

I have seen a lot of recent reviews about poor service on the Epic specifically. Please don't assume that to be the case across the NCL fleet. I have sailed the Gem, Escape, and Bliss and received excellent service all around, other than occasionally slow service in the MDRs at peak times.

[BirdTravels]

1, 4, 7 sounds like taking a minute to read would have helped you. 

 

2 we’ve been on the Epic 7 times and never had any complaints about the bed. So this is clearly a preference thing. 

 

3 without specific reasons or another, can’t comment. 

 

6 is common on many lines. If you want to avoid the charge, get up and go out to a restaurant (open 24/7). 

 

8 we applaud NCL for ensuring that the food allergy you reported was carefully considered to keep you alive and healthy. 

[Two Wheels Only]

Epic is different....no other NCL ship is similar. However, certain things are the same/similar to other NCL and non-NCL ships.

 

Learning how to use the lights takes no more than 30 seconds. A non-issue, IMO.

 

Different NCL ships have different bed types. Was yours too hard, too soft, or too small?

 

Late departure/arrival can be a port issue, not always a ship issue. More info is needed.

 

I've never had a tender problem. Lucky, I guess.

 

Slow service does happen but it is the exception, not the norm (in my experience).

 

Most "nickel and dime" complaints are just options. Some items are complimentary, some you pay extra.

 

Excursions are fairly simple to understand. Never had a problem.

 

I have no food allergy experience so I can't compare.

 

Sorry that Epic didn't work for you (you're not alone) but it seems to be more of a "bad cruise" instead of a "bad cruiseline" issue.

 

 

 

 

[Greenpea2]

I would have been a little more interested in this review of everything awful if it had been a review of bad and good. Sorry, but this just sounds like someone who quickly decides everything sucks when a few things don't go smoothly. 

 

[FLAHAM]

In my experience, the Epic is a wonderful ship on which I have had outstanding Caribbean, Mediterranean and transatlantic cruises 

[luv2kroooz]

Epic is my least favorite ship, too. But not for many of the reasons the OP mentioned.

[yearsofcruising]

been on NCL @ 10 times on various ships however not the Epic . Only thing that caught me off guard was the " light switch " cause no one told me. Excursions that need tenders are , to my knowledge , stated when booking . Restaurants never a problem or the bedding.

And if a Lattitude traveler , tendering is a gimmie..

Sorry for the happenings..

[ColeThornton]

So other than those things, how was the cruise? 

[AK Dreaming]

Sailed on the Epic 5 times.  It is my favorite ship.  Never had any of the issues mentioned.  Except for the odd layout of the rooms, I love that ship.  Top in service IMO.

[Newleno]

1 hour ago, Crzicriter said:

I have been on 11 cruises on several different cruise lines.. I have to say that the NCL Epic is the worst.

We had so many issues

1. Turning on the lights in our room..Actually had to ask other passengers how to turn them on.. Had an inside cabin ,room in total darkness, Directions on how to work them on blue card on bed.

2. Bed so uncomfortable!

3. Late leaving Port Canaveral.. Late getting into every port for 1 reason or another.

4. Found out we had to book a Tender.. found out late sat night for Sunday port..  First tender available was 4 hours after we arrived.. Missed half the day at our stop.

5. Waiters uninterested in non-drinking customers.. waited almost 45 minutes for simple appetizers.

6. Nickel and dime ya for everything.. 7.95 for room service is crazy..

7. Getting to port excursions late because there is no clear direction.. Every excursion met at the end of the pier. 200 people stuck in an area where people are still trying to get off the ship. Then being ushered into a tent meant for maybe 100 people but yet holding 200 now with no air.

8. Having a non threatening allergy to seafood but having to have every meal monitored by a manager.. Had to wait for almost an hour for a ham and egg sandwich in the MDR for breakfast. We were the only table seated in the Section.

And so much more.

Since this was our first time on NCL is this normal of the way they do things or was this just an exceptionally bad experience for us?

I can honestly say that after this cruise we never want to cruise with them again.

 

you dont have a cruise next certificate by any chance?

[FitchburgWIFamily]

Never sailed NCL but had a bunch of posts in an NCL Pearl roll call.

Sailed EPIC but never joined a roll call...but is actively participated in roll calls for other sailings on other lines.

Didn't give dates so other passengers on same cruise could substantiate.

 

"Since this was our first time on NCL is this normal of the way they do things or was this just an exceptionally bad experience for us?"  ---  I'm thinking it was just you.

[tlc1972]

I would chalk this up to a one-off bad experience. While I haven't been on Epic, I have been on Escape and will be on Bliss later this year. Mega-ships come with pros and cons; you either love 'em or hate 'em. 

 

All that said, the two things that I am getting tired of people complaining about:

 

• how to operate the lights (this is an energy-saving feature that you can find throughout Europe and other countries, which is now hitting many US hotel chains)
• getting nickel and dime'd is pretty standard these days among all cruise lines, so unless you're ready to upgrade to Silver Seas or the like you need to accept this as the new normal and budget (there are hundreds of posts on the NCL thread alone that could have prepared you for this)

I agree with @Greenpea2 that the OP comes across a bit too critical, but there's a saying we have here: death by mosquito bites (and sounds like NCL bit the OP one too many times on this cruise). 

Edited May 1, 2019 by tlc1972

[Greenpea2]

4 minutes ago, FitchburgWIFamily said:

Never sailed NCL but had a bunch of posts in an NCL Pearl roll call.

Sailed EPIC but never joined a roll call...but is actively participated in roll calls for other sailings on other lines.

Didn't give dates so other passengers on same cruise could substantiate.

 

"Since this was our first time on NCL is this normal of the way they do things or was this just an exceptionally bad experience for us?"  ---  I'm thinking it was just you.

I am inclined to agree. If the lights in the cabin was the issue setting this off, poster should just have asked someone how they work. An irritant, yes. But somehow it became the big “first of many awful things”. No cruise is perfect. No vacation is perfect, for heavens sake!

[Greenpea2]

10 minutes ago, tlc1972 said:

I would chalk this up to a one-off bad experience. While I haven't been on Epic, I have been on Escape and will be on Bliss later this year. Mega-ships come with pros and cons; you either love 'em or hate 'em. 

 

All that said, the two things that I am getting tired of people complaining about:

 

• how to operate the lights (this is an energy-saving feature that you can find throughout Europe and other countries, which is now hitting many US hotel chains)
• getting nickel and dime'd is pretty standard these days among all cruise lines, so unless you're ready to upgrade to Silver Seas or the like you need to accept this as the new normal and budget (there are hundreds of posts on the NCL thread alone that could have prepared you for this)

I agree with @Greenpea2 that the OP comes across a bit too critical, but there's a saying we have here: death by mosquito bites (and sounds like NCL bit the OP one too many times on this cruise). 

I know exactly what you mean by death by mosquito bites! Lol. However, I only let them kill me if I immediately act on them with no success. Most of these issues would have either been remedied by doing a small amount of research or immediately asking someone. I have never had total perfection on a cruise and my past reviews always included any imperfections. But I tend to focus on the good stuff, try to fix the bad stuff and pretty much shrug the rest away. I will be damned if I spend a lot of money on a vacation and allow too much to tee me off. A waste of energy. Life is short. 

[david_sobe]

The Epic does have some quirks.  However, the list of complaints sounds like every cruise.   A cabin quirk that took a day to figure out...happens all the time to me.  A ship arriving a little late to port....happens all the time......not knowing about tender tickets and not priority if no excursion booked.....the frustration of many passengers at every tender port.   Crowds at excursion tents... EVERY cruise.  If these are the only complaints than the OP is not a seasoned cruiser because these things happen every cruise.

I was actually impressed at the care or monitoring of the OP due to the allergy to seafood.

[rmurray847]

4 hours ago, JamieLogical said:

I haven't sailed on the Epic, but the beds on the three NCL ships I've sailed on have all been incredibly comfy. So comfy in fact that I have researched buying the brand of mattress NCL uses on their ships!  While I haven't researched the brand, I also find them very comfortable.  I never sleep better than on a cruise...yes, partially being on vacation mode, but also nice mattresses.

There are usually announcements mad, instructions in the Daily, and a separate instruction sheet provided regarding tender tickets. I don't know what communication was so poor in your case.  Yes, there are usually myriad announcements everywhere.  Not sure how anyone paying attention to their dailies could miss it.  

I have never noticed servers being more attentive to drinking customers vs. non-drinking. If anything, I have found drink service to be fairly slow in the MDRs, because the don't have bars inside of them.  Ditto.  Getting a mixed drink in the MDR is a rare event!  And if you can snag one, you'll struggle to get a second.

Can't speak to your allergy issue, since I don't have any food allergies. It does sound annoying!  Last year, we sailed with a vegetarian and another person who was gluten intolerant.  We always had a manager-type assist us...BUT they were usually there before our waiter made an appearance.  As soon as we checked in at the desk, it's clear a "signal" goes out to someone in charge, and they swooped right over.  We actually got some amazing vegetarian dishes that weren't on the menu, but the "chef made just for you" (which no one believed for a second, but the food was yummy)

 

 

[mopedmom1]

NCL is our cruise line of choice. Having said that the Epic was also our least favorite ship and sailing.  We were on the March 15 sailing out of PC that was delayed several hours, and many more little inconveniences along the way.  Did it ruin our vacation? Absolutely not.  Will we sail on the Epic again? Probably not. We just didn't care for the ship. But we are booked this October on the Bliss and I can't wait !

 

I'm sorry you had a bad time but after 11 previous sailings you are a seasoned veteran and as such you should be used to doing a little research before embarking on a new experience. How lights work, tendered ports, room service charges all things you would know if you spent a little time looking into a sailing.

 

Personally, if I had a food allergy I would be ecstatic that the kitchen was that involved with ensuring my safety.

 

Hope you find your happy place somewhere!

[newmexicoNita]

17 hours ago, Crzicriter said:

I have been on 11 cruises on several different cruise lines.. I have to say that the NCL Epic is the worst.

We had so many issues

1. Turning on the lights in our room..Actually had to ask other passengers how to turn them on.. Had an inside cabin ,room in total darkness, Directions on how to work them on blue card on bed.

2. Bed so uncomfortable!

3. Late leaving Port Canaveral.. Late getting into every port for 1 reason or another.

4. Found out we had to book a Tender.. found out late sat night for Sunday port..  First tender available was 4 hours after we arrived.. Missed half the day at our stop.

5. Waiters uninterested in non-drinking customers.. waited almost 45 minutes for simple appetizers.

6. Nickel and dime ya for everything.. 7.95 for room service is crazy..

7. Getting to port excursions late because there is no clear direction.. Every excursion met at the end of the pier. 200 people stuck in an area where people are still trying to get off the ship. Then being ushered into a tent meant for maybe 100 people but yet holding 200 now with no air.

8. Having a non threatening allergy to seafood but having to have every meal monitored by a manager.. Had to wait for almost an hour for a ham and egg sandwich in the MDR for breakfast. We were the only table seated in the Section.

And so much more.

Since this was our first time on NCL is this normal of the way they do things or was this just an exceptionally bad experience for us?

I can honestly say that after this cruise we never want to cruise with them again.

 

ok, we get the picture and I bet NCL will not miss you. Some of your complaints are legit, some are simply lack of research and the rest just plain nit picking. As for the $7.95 service charge for room service, I guess you haven't cruised for awhile, because I know of other lines that have recently added the same thing. Do you go to hotels and order room service without a delivery or room service charge. And, the slow wait staff in the dining room: legit complaint but it has nothing to do with drinking or not drinking. Do you really think the wait people give a darn if you want a drink?  I would think as long as you had made a reference to an allergy you would be very happy they took special care of you. As for the waiting an hour for a sandwich, that is ridiculous. Did you ask someone what was taking so long? I have waited for food on occasions but not an hour. 

[newmexicoNita]

16 hours ago, Greenpea2 said:

I would have been a little more interested in this review of everything awful if it had been a review of bad and good. Sorry, but this just sounds like someone who quickly decides everything sucks when a few things don't go smoothly. 

 

Thanks, I so agree with you. So much of the complaints seem petty to me, but I guess the OP didn't see one saving grace on the cruise. Some people let little things bother them more than other people do. 

[Minoushka]

I have been on Epic 5 times it is my favorite ship true treated like a queen by staff ....i guess different experience then op 

hope to go back for transat in Nov ....

[Oakman58]

The Epic has been the only ship I didn't like, but it was because of the design and not the crew or the entertainment.  I have a cruise on her again in January and the only reason I booked it was because it was port intensive and I've haven't been to most of the ports she visits.  Why the Epic would be anyone's favorite ship is beyond me...unless they are Haven passengers.

[Greenpea2]

Just now, Oakman58 said:

The Epic has been the only ship I didn't like, but it was because of the design and not the crew or the entertainment.  I have a cruise on her again in January and the only reason I booked it was because it was port intensive and I've haven't been to most of the ports she visits.  Why the Epic would be anyone's favorite ship is beyond me...unless they are Haven passengers.

I agree with you on this. I was on the Epic on it's inaugural transatlantic--in the Haven. The Haven was great of course, but I just did not love the rest of the ship, the layout, the main pool area, etc. No interest in going on it again.

[rabidstoat]

I'm On Epic on a 15 day transatlantic cruise. I found the bed exceedingly uncomfortable, like sleeping on a rock. The next day I asked for a mattress topper and it made all the difference in the world, bed is great now. Whew.

 

The beds do strike me as bizarre on the Epic. I swear they are notably shorter than average. I'm short so it's fine for me but I don't understand how anyone over six feet can stand them. 

[daveispar]

We were on the Epic on a Transatlantic and except for the catsup and mustard falling off the table when the ocean was a little rough one day,  everything was perfect  !  But then the glass is always half full for us !