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Just off the Epic

keywest1

By keywest1,
in Norwegian Cruise Line

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keywest1

keywest1

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We were on the May 19th sailing of Epic out of Barcelona.  Excellent cruise.

Epic was a lovely ship and the crew was amazing.  We had a midship balcony.  Bathroom setup was odd, but in some ways, it worked out better for the three of us in the cabin.  Having the sink out in the room was a plus when we were all rushing to get ready for early excursions.  Our steward was awesome.  We had towel animals and ice daily without asking.  He quickly learned our routine and only once did we have to wait maybe one-two minutes for him to finish in the evening.  

I don't understand all the negative reviews.  Quite honestly, we weren't all that impressed by the service on the Escape, but it was adequate--no cause for complaints.  Service on this cruise was right on par with what we have experienced on RCCL and Carnival.  

We had a medical evacuation on Day 2.  Sad for the passenger and family, but it was an amazing thing to witness.  We talked to a guy who was napping on the top deck and woke up with a birds eye view of the helicopter.  He said he thought for a minute we were under siege 😆

Embarkation and disembarkation were a breeze.  

Buffet was somewhat lacking in variety, but we found plenty to eat.  Due to the intense itinerary, we ate our meals there except for a couple of meals at O'Sheehan's and one at Shanghai.

We only attended one show, the illusionist, and it was entertaining, but his skills need lots of improvement.

My advice:  Reviews are great for learning about the ship and itinerary, but go with a positive attitude and form your own opinions about the Epic.

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gatorchinsky

gatorchinsky

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Great to hear you enjoyed your cruise!  We will be on this cruise in 3 weeks!

 

Did you happen to see what days they offered the $20 laundry special?  I think one of the laundry days was Wednesday.  We embark in Rome so I was hoping there would be another laundry day for the Rome people.

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Sunkissed Mommy

Sunkissed Mommy

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10 minutes ago, gatorchinsky said:

Great to hear you enjoyed your cruise!  We will be on this cruise in 3 weeks!

 

Did you happen to see what days they offered the $20 laundry special?  I think one of the laundry days was Wednesday.  We embark in Rome so I was hoping there would be another laundry day for the Rome people.

 

In a few places I have seen it is offered Wednesday.  

Also stinks for us because we're also boarding on Wednesday/from Rome.

 

On a cruise with multiple embarkation ports they should offer it twice, just my humble little opinion.  lol

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Nola26

Nola26

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Sorry you didn't get to experience a main dining room dinner. Were there theme nights in the buffet?

 

When and where did the illusionist perform?

 

Did you use the NCL airfare offer or service? If so can you share details of your flight assignment and experience?

 

Anything you wish you had known  before the trip? We sail in September. 

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keywest1

keywest1

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10 hours ago, gatorchinsky said:

Great to hear you enjoyed your cruise!  We will be on this cruise in 3 weeks!

 

Did you happen to see what days they offered the $20 laundry special?  I think one of the laundry days was Wednesday.  We embark in Rome so I was hoping there would be another laundry day for the Rome people.

I didn't pay attention to the laundry specials 😞  Sorry about that!

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keywest1

keywest1

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8 hours ago, Nola26 said:

Sorry you didn't get to experience a main dining room dinner. Were there theme nights in the buffet?

 

When and where did the illusionist perform?

 

Did you use the NCL airfare offer or service? If so can you share details of your flight assignment and experience?

 

Anything you wish you had known  before the trip? We sail in September. 

There were theme nights in buffet, but to be honest I didn't see a lot of difference between the offerings any certain night.

For example, there was Mexican night, but the next night, the Mexican chocolate cake was simply relabeled as chocolate cake.

 

The illusionist performed in the Epic theater.  We went to the early show on Saturday evening.  

 

We didn't use the NCL airfare offer.  We found the best deal on United--they booked our return flights with Lufthansa.  Lufthansa was a wonderful experience with nice touches such as warm wipes offered twice during the flight and really good meals in economy class.  

 

I had researched the trip thoroughly, so we had no real surprises.  I don't know if the Caribbean cruises were vastly different experiences, but I don't understand all the negative reviews.  I'm glad we went with open minds.  The bathroom setup with separate toilet, shower, and sink seems to be a consistent negative, but in some ways we found it to be more convenient.  Best travel tip I can give for that is Poopourri 😆

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serena_17

serena_17

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Thanks for the great feedback on Epic.

 

The negative reviews have been a bit of a concern, but it's lovely to hear an all-round, concise review.

 

We're joining in Rome at the beginning of July and can't wait. 

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rachiem

rachiem

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We were on the same cruise and so enjoyed it!

We were also sitting up on the top deck during the helicopter evacuation and their skill was very impressive.

I have returned with a stinking cold though 🤨

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keywest1

keywest1

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5 hours ago, rachiem said:

We were on the same cruise and so enjoyed it!

We were also sitting up on the top deck during the helicopter evacuation and their skill was very impressive.

I have returned with a stinking cold though 🤨

We all have colds as well 😖

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keywest1

keywest1

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Also, for anyone looking at tours, I can highly recommend Joe Banana Limos.  We did Naples (Pompeii, Amalfi Coast, and Sorrento), Rome (without Vatican and catacombs), and Livorno (Siena & San Gimignano).  We had group of seven for 2 tours and eight for Rome.  Siena and San Gimignano were our favorites--breathtaking scenery.  Drivers were on time and had us back to ship in plenty of time.  We learned so much and they suggested stops along the way they thought we would enjoy.

For Cannes, don't forget to book tender when you get on ship.  You can do it on TV in your cabin.  

If you fly into Barcelona airport, don't waste time booking a transfer.  There are lots of cabs available.

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robin13

robin13

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15 hours ago, keywest1 said:

Also, for anyone looking at tours, I can highly recommend Joe Banana Limos.  We did Naples (Pompeii, Amalfi Coast, and Sorrento), Rome (without Vatican and catacombs), and Livorno (Siena & San Gimignano).  We had group of seven for 2 tours and eight for Rome.  Siena and San Gimignano were our favorites--breathtaking scenery.  Drivers were on time and had us back to ship in plenty of time.  We learned so much and they suggested stops along the way they thought we would enjoy.

For Cannes, don't forget to book tender when you get on ship.  You can do it on TV in your cabin.  

If you fly into Barcelona airport, don't waste time booking a transfer.  There are lots of cabs available.

I second Joe Banana as well.  I used him several years ago when I did the Epic Med tour and he was so much cheaper than the ship.  One of my most cherished memories is of the Amalfi Coast tour we did with him.  Was a very long day but the scenery and the knowledge that his driver had was mind blowing. 

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