Anyone on Epic?

[SpainAlien]

40 minutes ago, roxette said:

In teppanyaki one chair on each side was closed off.

I did wonder how it would work, thank you

 

[Beamafar]

1 hour ago, marktwothousand said:

Bunch a BS

👍 We were in Howl at the Moon on each of the 3 nights it was on and we never saw any problems with passengers being confrontational or otherwise.  Everyone was having a fantastic time.   Masks are not required when drinking so they would not have asked anyone in Headliners to wear them.  The crew would always remind you to put your mask on when not eating or drinking.

[cybergremlin]

Didn’t see any issues at howl either or any bars TBH.

not happy that tours have some ‘free time’ but happy to wonder Spain alone, weird.

only thing that stood out for me was the test onboard, the women in the haven swabbed the very front of my nose (no brain tickle) & the same for my wife, if I’m not mistaken this would always show negative 

[Beamafar]

The test onboard was certainly less “intrusive” than the one done prior to embarkation. 

[Ms02]

@Beamafar will do a longer review of your trip once you're home and settled?

[podgeandrodge]

2 hours ago, Beamafar said:

The test onboard was certainly less “intrusive” than the one done prior to embarkation. 

 

Antigen or PCR?

[marktwothousand]

3 hours ago, Beamafar said:

The test onboard was certainly less “intrusive” than the one done prior to embarkation. 

Nah, this is actually the way they do them in most of the US now…it’s simply a less invasive kind of PCR test…the Deep swab you’re talking about isn’t any more or less

accurate, it’s just that the type of companies’ tests that require it are different. They’re still all PCR, NAAT or antigen. It’s just that some companies have been able to make tests that don’t require a deep swab. the deep swab is one of the older and cheaper technologies but the accuracy is comparable. 

[Trimone]

6 hours ago, cybergremlin said:

Didn’t see any issues at howl either or any bars TBH.

not happy that tours have some ‘free time’ but happy to wonder Spain alone, weird.

only thing that stood out for me was the test onboard, the women in the haven swabbed the very front of my nose (no brain tickle) & the same for my wife, if I’m not mistaken this would always show negative 

So you didn’t see the idiot Texan that totally refused to wear a mask, danced with a small woman and stood at the bar all night? 

[Trimone]

On the tour to Serento I was in group bubble 23.

When arriving at the cafe in the square we were allowed 90 minutes free to wonder! This is totally against the rules that NCL have to abide by, furthermore the guide was advertising his family’s pizza shop outside the port gates, it was asking for trouble how can you isolate an issue, I mentioned this on return to the ship and was greeted with so I understand!! 

[elbarney]

If anybody finds it useful, I have the dailies in pdf in Spanish, and some of the menus in pdf in English.

The daylies are only available in the app, that knew I'm Spanish and only provided the files on my language. 

[elbarney]

My opinion on covid management.

-Some people refuse to wear masks and were ignored by the crew.

-They make much more effort to stop recording on the shows than monitoring mask usage. I think this is wrong, but it is only opinion. Other people seemed confortable to wear the mask on their elbows or top of the head at the same time the cruise director asked to be put inmediately after drinking.

-A lot of people doesn't understand mask usage, for example, in the excursions they mask to go to the street, where is less needed as it is usually possible to keep social distancing on the exterior, but removed the masks just after entering the bus, where it's impossible to keep social distancing. Nothing was said by the guides in the 4 excursions I took, so I suppose this is a trend, not an outlier.

-They were scrambling with covid bubbles, on one excursion the operator provided packed lunches and a stop in a park to eat(perfect), in Pompeii it what you like were you like to another excursion where all the people have to stop at the same restaurant, decided on the spot, where they were not prepared to handle a group. It seemed very improvised.

In any case, the rest of the cruise was fantastic.

 

-

[Krydstosser]

On 9/8/2021 at 9:15 PM, DanielNL said:

Freestyle dailies are on the Epic also only on request on paper at front desk? 

 

We just disembarked sunday, if you go to guest relation and say you would like it every day they call housekeeping and tell them to put one on your bed every day as in the old days...we did and it worked perfect!

 

We had a wonderful cruise!

[Krydstosser]

On 9/8/2021 at 9:44 PM, SpainAlien said:

Apparently someone in the NCL call centre today told a customer on our cruise (26 Sept on Epic) that masks are optional! Either they are ill informed or lying 

 

The masks are mandatory when you work around, if you sit and eat or drink its aloud to take it of, and in the pool you go without mask... it work very well. 

 

We disembarked sunday, and we had a blast!!

[nyc2pdx]

I noticed on the Dailies something about Swift and getting things delivered to your stateroom. Is this something new?  Previously drinks could be ordered but were not included under the beverage plan. Has something changed?

[podgeandrodge]

17 hours ago, Trimone said:

On the tour to Serento I was in group bubble 23.

When arriving at the cafe in the square we were allowed 90 minutes free to wonder! This is totally against the rules that NCL have to abide by, furthermore the guide was advertising his family’s pizza shop outside the port gates, it was asking for trouble how can you isolate an issue, I mentioned this on return to the ship and was greeted with so I understand!! 

I don't get the logic of these Italian rules.  There is an EU covid passport, so you can fly in and wander around freely, so what is the issue with letting fully vaccinated passengers wander around freely.  What is the difference?

 

I seem to recall when another poster posted the Italian rule, it was vaguely worded about having proceses in place to ensure they knew where people were (could be wrong, have to look at it again), but maybe the cruiselines are taking this to too much limit - perhaps mobile numbers would have been sufficient.  Again, it doesn't make sense to worry about 100% vaccinated people off a ship and not anyone else.  

[Trimone]

I find it hard to make any sense of when the clinic 2 days before hand in Barcelona and eurofins take tests up your nose it’s hurts bit when NCL take it before you leave it’s a tickle at the nostril entrance! 
They want you off regardless 

[Beamafar]

On 9/12/2021 at 10:39 AM, Ms02 said:

@Beamafar will do a longer review of your trip once you're home and settled?

I’m steamed with NCL at the moment. Had charges on the account for items covered in PremPlus.  Went to GS on last night but they were still on the bill next morning.  Queued up again and was assured they’d be removed.  Couldn’t wait to make sure they were as had a flight to catch.  Checked my CC account this morning to find they hadn’t been.

 

I wrote a longer post than this but it didn’t post.  That’s happened a few times when responding here so some questions have gone unanswered as a result. 

[happeemonkee]

On 9/12/2021 at 8:11 AM, Trimone said:

Well I’m waiting to fly back to the U.K. at Barcelona airport.

My view on the cruise:

The staff are to afraid to ask anyone to put a mask on when people’s alcoholism takes over, especially in hail of the moon, this causes confrontation with other guests.

On bubble tour’s people are allowed time by themselves to wonder off for an hour? So tour’s don’t stick to COVID bubble!

I felt far safer in mainland Spain the days before the cruise than on the ship? 
Conclusion I have no doubt there will be an outbreak of Covid on the ship, sooner than later! The 10% of idiots will ruin it for the rest….

Hi there

 

Was the antigen test before disembarkation provided by NCL OK to use for return to the UK or did you have to get one from the approved GOVT list?

[Trimone]

53 minutes ago, happeemonkee said:

Hi there

 

Was the antigen test before disembarkation provided by NCL OK to use for return to the UK or did you have to get one from the approved GOVT list?

Yes it was fine for your U.K. location form, be very wary of Spanish passport check they are attempting to trip you up with the Spanish maritime locator, fortunately I had filled one in for the 12 days we were away and didn’t mention cruise? 

[Muckyduckway]

Noticing a number of people talking about Ireland, are any of you NI residents who travelled through Dublin airport?  Would be interested to hear of your experience.

[JohnMenston]

6 hours ago, Trimone said:

Yes it was fine for your U.K. location form, be very wary of Spanish passport check they are attempting to trip you up with the Spanish maritime locator, fortunately I had filled one in for the 12 days we were away and didn’t mention cruise? 

What is the issue with the “Spanish maritime locator”?

[Trimone]

2 hours ago, JohnMenston said:

What is the issue with the “Spanish maritime locator”?

Nobody was able to fill it out, we were told to photoshot attempts and gamble?

[Beamafar]

We filled ours out using our mobile data. Despite being advised that we could use the ship’s WiFi for the Spanish site, it wouldn’t work.  Anyway, nobody looked for the code in the port of Barcelona so it wasn’t needed. 

[zdcatc12]

On 9/9/2021 at 3:14 AM, Beamafar said:

Yes, and even then, they tell you it’s available on the app, as if you shouldn’t be requesting one. 🙄    I’m having trouble with the app so I’ll be getting a paper version.   They have them printed off, anyway.   What do they plan to do with them, otherwise?    We did receive one to our cabin one time.  

I just reached over the desk and grabbed a couple every day, though on the last two days, we got them in the cabin without asking.

 

On 9/10/2021 at 3:37 PM, bavarianbumblebee said:

Is the test on the sea day only required for the guests that did embark in Rome? If you are only doing a shore excursion do you have to be tested too? 

 

On 9/10/2021 at 4:27 PM, emerald6273 said:

The test on the sea day I undertake is required for all passengers to satisfy Spanish authorities that all passengers are negative before disembarkation.

The sea day test was only for people disembarking in Barcelona, we embarked in Rome and did not get tested. I even questioned a few staffers about this and they said no test was required. We were fine getting on and off in Spain without a ship test.

 

On 9/12/2021 at 1:37 AM, SpainAlien said:

 

 

 

On 9/12/2021 at 2:11 AM, Trimone said:

Well I’m waiting to fly back to the U.K. at Barcelona airport.

My view on the cruise:

The staff are to afraid to ask anyone to put a mask on when people’s alcoholism takes over, especially in hail of the moon, this causes confrontation with other guests.

On bubble tour’s people are allowed time by themselves to wonder off for an hour? So tour’s don’t stick to COVID bubble!

I felt far safer in mainland Spain the days before the cruise than on the ship? 
Conclusion I have no doubt there will be an outbreak of Covid on the ship, sooner than later! The 10% of idiots will ruin it for the rest….

I noticed we were allowed out of the bubble in South Italy, but not North or in Sardinia.

 

On 9/12/2021 at 12:21 PM, Trimone said:

On the tour to Serento I was in group bubble 23.

When arriving at the cafe in the square we were allowed 90 minutes free to wonder! This is totally against the rules that NCL have to abide by, furthermore the guide was advertising his family’s pizza shop outside the port gates, it was asking for trouble how can you isolate an issue, I mentioned this on return to the ship and was greeted with so I understand!! 

Agree, but it appears all of the Souther Italy tours were allowed free time. Not sure why.

On 9/13/2021 at 4:46 AM, elbarney said:

My opinion on covid management.

-Some people refuse to wear masks and were ignored by the crew.

 

-A lot of people doesn't understand mask usage, for example, in the excursions they mask to go to the street, where is less needed as it is usually possible to keep social distancing on the exterior, but removed the masks just after entering the bus, where it's impossible to keep social distancing. Nothing was said by the guides in the 4 excursions I took, so I suppose this is a trend, not an outlier.

Don't agree about maskless people ignored by the crew, I saw them enforce on many occasions.

 

I do agree about the mask usage on the buses though. Might of well just thrown the rule out the window. I did notice that it was usually millenial Americans who ditched them first.

[hhalliv]

On 9/13/2021 at 6:43 AM, nyc2pdx said:

I noticed on the Dailies something about Swift and getting things delivered to your stateroom. Is this something new?  Previously drinks could be ordered but were not included under the beverage plan. Has something changed?

I saw this and was wondering as well.

 

I can’t seem to find any information on it either.