ESCAPE VS EPIC

[closecruiser]

Looking at a cruise out of Port Canaveral for Feb 2024.  Have been on the Escape, Pearl, Getaway.   Choices for Feb are the Escape or Epic.  Escape is higher in price compared to Epic.   Can anyone share with me the differences or anything which might help me decide.  Itinerary isn't really a factor.  We live very close to PC and have been to Caribbean many many times.  

Thank you.......

[wolft927]

I am booked on the Escape for January 2024, Everything I see regarding the Epic is either you love it or hate it. We decided to stay with the Breakaway + ships since we already know them. Would like to here some comments from people who have sailed the EPic

[zqvol]

Take a look at the bathroom situation on Epic as part of your decision.

[prov2727]

I liked the Epic but I'm a solo traveler. Most people's complaints center around the shower not being in a separate bathroom (only the toilet is) but that was a non-issue for me. I've seen people say that there is a curtain that you can pull across if you don't want your cabin mate to see you getting in/out of the shower. I was able to find a chair on the H2O deck daily with no problems. I'm trying out the Escape for the first time this winter so I can't offer a comparison yet.

[closecruiser]

32 minutes ago, prov2727 said:

I liked the Epic but I'm a solo traveler. Most people's complaints center around the shower not being in a separate bathroom (only the toilet is) but that was a non-issue for me. I've seen people say that there is a curtain that you can pull across if you don't want your cabin mate to see you getting in/out of the shower. I was able to find a chair on the H2O deck daily with no problems. I'm trying out the Escape for the first time this winter so I can't offer a comparison yet.

Where is the shower if not in the bathroom?? 

[closecruiser]

Anyone have any pictures of the Epic they could share?

[vacation44]

Been on both and we prefer the Escape.

[zqvol]

3 minutes ago, closecruiser said:

Where is the shower if not in the bathroom?? 

As you enter the cabin the shower is on one side of the passage and the toilet is on the other. They are closed off with frosted glass partitions or doors if you will.

[mking8288]

13 minutes ago, closecruiser said:

Anyone have any pictures of the Epic they could share?

Going to assume that you are looking at the Epic balcony or up, since there are no "oceanviews" on her.  Rooms are cozy & looked on pictures as being equivalent to the ones on the Escape or other *Away class NCL ships, they aren't - the main bed(s) are partially "recessed into the bottom of the headboard, cleverly (anyone over 5' 8" will need to pull firmly at the bottom/base to fully extend the mattresses.  Ditto for the pullout convertible HD foam sofabed on the Epic, unlike the Escape.  

 

We recently spent 15 nights on her doing TA, fine with the separate toilet & shower "closets" and the wash basin/sink in the main cabin nearby - there is a sliding curtain to extend across for privacy, a bulldog clip or something equivalent will help keep the curtain "closed" as needed.  It could use a retractable or pulldown shelf to hold towels & while changing clothes coming out of the "bath" area. 

Cabins that sleep up to 3 have the sofa nearest to the entry/bath-shower area - and are better for 2 ... 3 will definitely be very cozy, access to the balcony is more challenging - especially with the current housekeeping services being given 1x daily ...  

 

We're also able to score an angled large balcony (one of many "secret" ones) at regular balcony price near mid-ship/Fwd.  Follow signature below to click link to view the Semi/Live Trip Report, tons of photos in there.  

 

IMHO, if you've done the Escape & never tried the Epic, and the price is "right" - consider sailing the Epic at least once, can't really go wrong - pocket the money saved & enjoy the ports, spend it there.  Happy cruising & cheers. 

 

 

 

Edited July 21, 2023 by mking8288

[schmoopie17]

10 minutes ago, closecruiser said:

Anyone have any pictures of the Epic they could share?

Click on any of the decks with cabins (8, 9, 10, etc.) and then click on any cabin with a red and white arrow to see a YouTube video of that cabin.

 

https://www.cruisedeckplans.com/DP/deckplans/Norwegian-Epic

 

[coscab]

I believe the Epic will be in PC for awhile, you should try it out so you will know for the future, we have been on it twice, the aft facing cabins are nice, you get used to the bathroom set up.

[Ellis1138]

You could always go by the CDC sanitation score.

 

[mcmomny]

We have been on the Epic twice and the Escape once.

The Escape has the lovely water front area where the Epic does not.

Epic has a much bigger H2O area with  pool.

We loved the Noodle bar on the Epic and I feel we found more small out of the way places to hang out compared to the Escape 

The bathroom configuration doesn't bother me, I really enjoyed being able to shower alone while my husband stunk up the toilet area!

[JandC_Cruising]

We've been on both (Haven and regular cabins).  

All things being equal we would pick the Escape every time moving forward.  The Escape is newer and cleaner in our experience.  The Escape has a Waterfront like the other BA+ ships and that is a wonderful feature that the Epic does not possess.

We do not like the Epic bathroom setup.  That's just our preference and influences us.  The only exception to this are Haven rooms.  The updated Haven in the Epic is nice and the cabins (Spa Haven cabin for our last time on her) addressed that issue.  But, the Escape Haven is just as nice.

Both ships have Thermal Spa's, which we get every time.  The Epic's does have the feature of an aft patio.  But both have the other fun features that make the Thermal Suite special.

The Escape has Pinchos Tapas which is one of our favorites in the fleet and only on that ship.  Great for lunch on sea days.

 

So, unless it were the Haven (then it would be a price point decision) we would choose the Escape hands down.

[laudergayle]

1 hour ago, mcmomny said:

I really enjoyed being able to shower alone while my husband stunk up the toilet area

Funny🤣 I like your emoji.  On a side note and totally off OP topic, I have discovered Peppermint Essential Oil spray for traveling. Unlike sprays which mask odors, somehow the peppermint eliminates them.  Not sure how it works, but it does.  I discovered it accidentally.  

[laudergayle]

If you decide to book a balcony on the Epic, pick a cabin with the bed by the balcony.  Here are pictures of 12017. The bathroom is on one side in a frosted enclosure, the shower on the other, and the sink is in the cabin either across from the couch or the bed depending on cabin configuration.

[tomk3212]

Escape hands down.  More specialty restaurant choices decide it for me.  Also the Waterfront on Deck 7.  Epic has no such venue.

 

ONE THING that I LOVED about Epic was the size of Headliners Comedy Club.  Compared to the Breakaway/Breakaway Plus (Escape's class) Headliners it's at least 40-50% bigger.

[phillygwm]

I've been on the Epic (twice) as well as the Bliss, though not the Escape.  I'd choose the Breakaway Plus ship unless Epic has a compelling itinerary.  I didn't hate Epic as some have, but suffice to say, there's a reason there's only one Epic class ship.  About the only thing I preferred on Epic was the fact that they had a Moderno on board, where the newer ships do not.

[BenDover]

Been on both ships and Escape is a much better ship.

 

[JandC_Cruising]

6 hours ago, phillygwm said:

About the only thing I preferred on Epic was the fact that they had a Moderno on board, where the newer ships do not.

The Escape has Moderno, 

[phillygwm]

33 minutes ago, JandC_Cruising said:

The Escape has Moderno, 

I stand corrected!  Didn't think it was on the newer ships.

 

All the more reason to choose Escape 🙂

Edited July 22, 2023 by phillygwm

[GrammieCruising]

22 hours ago, closecruiser said:

Anyone have any pictures of the Epic they could share?

The shower is on the right with the frosted glass door. The curtain is covering a similar door where the toilet is. The sink is to the right across from the curved sofa in the body of the room. (Sorry about the messiness, this was after we were there for a few days😊)

[Cruising Lynne]

I liked the pool area and Spice H2O better on Epic. Both have fun water slides. If you have never been on Epic, it would be fun to try. Bathroom did not bother us very much. If you are getting thermal suite passes, a lot of people enjoy the one on Epic because it has a small outdoor space. Having been on both, I would probably choose Escape for the waterfront area, and overall flow of the ship. Real bathroom on Escape is also preferable/

[MiniJeffrey]

I prefer Escape, but Epic is nice too.

[The Traveling Man]

On 7/21/2023 at 10:36 AM, closecruiser said:

Where is the shower if not in the bathroom?? 

There isn't a separate bathroom.  As illustrated by the photos above, there are two phone booth sized enclosures, each with a sliding door made of frosted glass.  They are located next to the stateroom entrance, one on each side of the door.  There is a privacy curtain which can be drawn between the shower / toilet area and the rest of the bedroom.  The sink is in the bedroom.  Depending upon whether your room has the bed near the door or near the balcony, the sink will either be next to the head of the bed or near the sofa.  Expect water to splash from the sink onto the bed or sofa.