What’s up with horrible Epic reviews

[katiecat]

3 hours ago, CruiserDan53 said:

We just got off the EPIC a few weeks ago. It was a great time. Embarkation couldn’t have been easier, just be ready for some traffic. Food was great and entertainment was also good. Very similar to our previous NCL cruises so that’s where you should base your expectations. I will say it was crowded at time but service was never poor. Also, book reservations as soon as you can online and you will never have a problem. 

Thanks for sharing something positive about the Epic.

[bigjcruiser]

So glad to hear all this. We’ve just booked the EPIC for the summer and then I read the latest reviews. Hoping the Barcelona port won’t be as chaotic as Puerto Rico. 

[bostonfred]

Thanks for all the encouragement..we always pack a good attitude and this time will be no different. Feeling much better about the cruise...will report back with balanced and hopefully positive review...

[BirdTravels]

Just because it is on the internet does not make it true. People feel empowered to complain behind anonymous handles. 
 

We have sailed on the Epic 7 times in the Med, Caribbean, and one-off cruises. 
 

We would happily cruise on her again. 
 

The basic bathroom situation is solved with the privacy curtain that creates a bathroom for those who want more privacy. We don’t bother. 
 

The bathroom design can be found in a lot of places. We recently stayed in an expensive boutique hotel in Washington DC which had a room configuration very similar to the Epic. And we had a similar room in Chicago a couple of years ago. 

[JillK]

I sailed on the Epic many years ago and really liked the ship. The only thing that I really disliked about it was the casino placement that forced us to walk through it to get aft. The smoke was a major issue at the time but perhaps that has since been addressed.

 

For what it's worth, my husband and I were recently on the GEM and when we were chatting with staff throughout the ship about which ships they'd worked on and which one was their favourite, every single one of them said EPIC. 

 

Agree with everyone else to take what you read with a grain of salt and go in with a good attitude. Then you can decide for yourself if the negative reviews are warranted or exaggerated. 

 

Happy cruising! 

[Maleficent's Dad]

We sailed on the Epic in July and had a fabulous experience.  Three balcony rooms, one inside single room, seven people, and everyone loved their trip.  We had 2 seniors in their 70’s, two college aged kids, and three middle aged adults.

 

As most have stated, there are some design flaws, but that hardly ruined any aspect of the trip!   I have to admit we loved the thermal spa, and Spice H2O is excellent on the Epic!

 

Read here for our review.

 

Have a great cruise!

Edited January 11, 2020 by Maleficent's Dad

[Oakman58]

While I agree that reviews need to be taken with a grain of salt, especially those who say the food was inedible or there was no variety.  You know those reviews will be exaggerated. But that doesn't mean all the reviews are wrong or exaggerated, many bring up valid points.

 

One of my biggest issues with the Epic was the elevators.  The are two sets of 8 elevators on the ship, fore and aft, but on the passenger decks you can only see 4 of the 8 at a time.  And God help help you if you're waiting for an elevator at the front of the ship on the starboard side.  The wait for an elevator can be very frustrating at times.  On all the ships built after the Epic you can see all 8 elevators at the front and the rear of the ship on the passenger decks.

 

Another issue with the Epic is the lack of a promenade deck with nice sea views.  Add to that the cabin layout, the smokey casino, and all it takes is some slow service in the main dining room and you have all the makings for a negative review.

 

The most ridiculous design flaw of the Epic is for those with wheelchairs or mobility scooters who are in the handicap cabins.  Those cabins are at the rear of the ship but the rear elevators don't go down to deck 5 where Guest Services, the atrium, LeBistro, and the Taste restaurant are located.  Those with wheelchairs and scooters must go all the way to the forward elevators to get down to deck 5.

 

There is no question I will have a great time on my upcoming cruise on the Epic and I'm glad I know what to expect. The Epic is not my favorite ship.  The only reason I booked this upcoming cruise was because of the ports of call and the fact that at the time of the booking it offered the Distinctive Voyage Package that was combinable with the Free at Sea Package.

[papa B me]

We sail on the Epic for the first time next January. Our only other NCL sailing was on the POA in Hawaii last February. I experienced the same thing with reviews. Old ship, rude American staff, horrible food, etc...  so I was really a little nervous. But it turned out to be a wonderful cruise. My big question since I started using CC is why people can't find it to read threads about bathrooms, ship layout, etc... before they cruise so they have proper expectations but miraculous find it to say it was the worst experience ever. Just Curious???

[amelia3171]

We have sailed on the Epic 3 times and are booked again for this October. When it is too wet and windy for a walk at lunchtime I like to read the Epic reviews and wonder how the folk who wrote them had such a different experience to us.

 

My favourite today was the person was said that said anyone over 100 lbs would have trouble fitting into the toilet. Sadly I will never see 100 lbs again but really unless you are at least 300 lbs + you won't have a problem. I cruise with my friend and find the split toilet, shower, basin suits us fine.

 

I am also surprised when folk complain about the staff. We have found them to be almost universally friendly and helpful.

 

We particularly enjoy the food and the entertainment, Le Bistro is our favourite but we also had some great meals in the buffet, I especially love the fresh pasta station and the Indian selection. it’s a small thing but they have also nailed coleslaw for me. The buffet also gives us the chance to eat plenty vegetables which can something be lacking from the sit down meals. I never understand the reviews that say that the food is the same every day or lacks variety, this is just not true.

 

The entertainment was spectacular last October, we loved the Irish piano player Sean, Abba, Howl and the Beatles. We happily sacrificed sleep on the last night to stay at Howl to the end.

 

The casino and the smoke aren’t great but can be avoided with a little deck hopping, I don’t think we walked through it at all last year except from the few steps when walking from deck 7 to deck 5.

 

I agree with you papa B me, many of the poor reviews are due to people not having done any research or having unrealistic expectations of what to expect from a mid-market cruise line.  

 

Of course the Epic isn't perfect, I would love if it had a Waterfront but it doesn’t and we always have a fantastic holiday. I hope you do too.

Edited January 11, 2020 by amelia3171
To add a comment

[fshagan]

The Epic is my least favorite ship in NCL's fleet that I have been on.

 

But, I'd rather be on the Epic right now than standing at my desk typing this message.

[ammorgan86]

I was on the Epic in November and I don’t understand the negative reviews either. Fortunately I take bad reviews with a grain of salt unless it’s something legitimate (like accessibility, safety issues, etc.) I was in a studio though so I don’t know what the complaints are about the layouts for other cabins.  

[mnventure]

We sailed on the Epic 12/29/19 - 01/05/20   We had a great time! Also, we had the fastest embarking on 12/29 and disembarking on 1/5 ever. No complaints! 

[sasand01]

We will be going on our 6th NCL cruise on Feb 23rd-March 1st and I've never been on the Epic. I'm so happy to read this thread and see some positivity.  I started getting a little worried after reading the negative reviews!  Thanks all for calming my fears!! 

[Andersoncd]

With the Epic, you live and learn. We always book a midship cabin so that we can get just about anywhere most efficiently. However, the Epic has no midship elevators. We found that we always had to walk down the long corridors each and every time to our room. For our upcoming cruise on the Epic, we changed the location of our room to avoid that. The other issue we learned from was just how small the venue is that the Beatles band played in. We literally had to arrive almost 90 minutes early just to get a seat for their 40 minute performance. When we finally did get a seat, it was funny to watch the crowds come in 15 minutes before showtime, and then walk back out because there was no room left. These aren't huge issues, but just things we learned the first time we were on her. 

[HuliHuli]

On 1/11/2020 at 9:39 AM, BirdTravels said:

The basic bathroom situation is solved with the privacy curtain that creates a bathroom for those who want more privacy.

On the positive side, having a separate WC and shower enables both to be used at the same time.  We've sailed The Epic in The Haven and will have the opportunity to compare that experience with a March sailing in an Aft Facing Balcony.

[Robert Peel]

5 hours ago, sasand01 said:

We will be going on our 6th NCL cruise on Feb 23rd-March 1st and I've never been on the Epic. I'm so happy to read this thread and see some positivity.  I started getting a little worried after reading the negative reviews!  Thanks all for calming my fears!! 

 

Sasand01 you will enjoy the EPIC, my family have sailed on it three times now over the years and are slated for a fourth cruise this year on the EPIC again. It's design is different than other ships but certainly not off putting. The crew are excellent, venues and entertainment great and lots of variety, and you are in the Caribbean for a week.

 

Someone else commented about negative reviews and I think nailed it...... "Over 4000 passengers a week, times 52 weeks equals over 200,000 passengers a year that sail on the EPIC" and when you compare those numbers vs the numbers of poor reviews, it puts it in a better perspective. The vast silent majority are happy to cruise on it and if not, after their first cruise they will chose another ship, but there are many repeat passengers on the ship who enjoy what it has to offer.

 

Enjoy your cruise.

[Cruising Chuck]

On 1/10/2020 at 10:07 AM, bostonfred said:

We have sailed the Epic once before, so we know the ship itself is poorly designed. However, I just read about a dozen reviews and about 10 are one star. I know there are a lot of complainers out there and have seen other ships get slammed, but this is unsettling. We sail the 26 th of this month and are hoping we have a much better experience. We have about 30 cruises under our belt and at least 10 with NCL,. We have never had a one star experience, so hopefully this will continue. We will report when we return with a detailed review.

Has anyone had a recent good experience?😎😎

I am not normally a complainer........Having said that, my wife and I had a HORRIBLE experience on the EPIC last March for St. Patricks Day (mar16-22, 2019)  Here is my complaint....Embarkation was a DISASTER, after Muster Drill until the morning of Disembarkation the week of cruising was great, not fabulous, but great, and then the morning of Disembarking it turned into a ***** show again.  The ship had had a bad 2 months previous to us sailing on her, and we were hoping it would have straightened out by then......however, it had not.  Its almost as if the crew was so dejected by the 2 previous bad months, they were almost beat down.  Not sure if they have always had problems getting on and off the ship, but for our NCL experience, the EPIC was the worst.  It should not have gone as bad as it did, and when problems were noted and addressed to crew members, NOONE took action or tried to resolve ANY of the issues.  I honestly thought they may be a riot or revolt trying to get off the ship because people were so disgusted and aggravated with the process.  The week we were at sea or in port somewhere however the housekeeping staff and food service people were friendly and accommodating as well as casino staff.   Hope that helps.  Enjoy your cruise....at least you are not at work...make the most of it and enjoy!

 

[fshagan]

21 minutes ago, Cruising Chuck said:

Here is my complaint....Embarkation was a DISASTER, after Muster Drill until the morning of Disembarkation the week of cruising was great, not fabulous, but great, and then the morning of Disembarking it turned into a ***** show again.

 

Our last NCL cruise on the Breakaway also had a horrible embarkation / disembarkation experience in Miami. I think NCL needs to figure this out for their 4,000 passenger ships.

 

We are probably going to focus on just the smaller ships from now on. While still a great vacation, the larger ships have too much crowding and hassle getting onto and off of them.

[brookie848]

On 1/12/2020 at 11:05 PM, mnventure said:

We sailed on the Epic 12/29/19 - 01/05/20   We had a great time! Also, we had the fastest embarking on 12/29 and disembarking on 1/5 ever. No complaints! 

What time did you arrive at the port on embarkation day? We're trying to figure out the best time for our arrival next month.

[richstowe]

Sorry Cruising Chuck

This thread is about making the OP feel better , "disproving" and insulting the negative CC reviewers

and cheerleading for NCL . Get with the program !

Edited January 15, 2020 by richstowe

[dshefter]

On 1/10/2020 at 11:06 AM, DinaS said:

We've not been on the Epic, and likely will never be on the Epic - simply for the cabin bathroom design.

 

I wonder if many of the reviewers didn't know of the cabin design before their cruise?

 

Even if they did know, perhaps they weren't thrilled with it, and it clouded the rest of their experience?

 

We love the Gem.  I cannot tell you how many bad reviews I have seen, and wonder if these people were actually on the same ship.   

 

Just go with an open mind, and plan to have a great time - and you will!!!!!

 

 

 

Gem is a great ship. I also loved the Pearl and Escape.

[mnventure]

4 hours ago, brookie848 said:

What time did you arrive at the port on embarkation day? We're trying to figure out the best time for our arrival next month.

We left our hotel in Candado at 12:15 to drive to the Pan American Piers. Drove to port (pre-arranged taxi), dropped of luggage, went through security, did the checkin, and on the ship by 12:40. 

[RobertDuff]

We were on the Epic for the first time last month. We too were a little concerned from the reviews. We loved the ship! Loved the separate bathroom and shower. I thought it was a brilliant idea! Food was great as was the entertainment. I would happily go on her again!

[NickyLee]

we are new to cruising our first being a carribean cruise departing san juan 6th feb!  has anyone struggled with their flights being changed at the last minute?

[TheGerman1909]

We loved the Epic!

Pooldeck much better then on Brakeaway Class! Lots of Space in Spice H2O (with a small buffet).

Nicest MDR in the fleet.

Beste cabin design...

 

Enjoy it!