NCL Epic balcony advice needed: Western Caribbean Jan 2024

[AllAmericanAmy]

Hi all - First cruise since 2020 and we're going to book Epic from Port Canaveral 1/21/24. We've only ever (happily) booked inside cabins before but given Free Grats and OBC offered by TA we're going to book a balcony.  You don't know what you don't know .... and I know there's a LOT I don't know.  Hoping y'all can help me. 

I read that some balconies  are covered, some are not.  Some partially. We'd want covered (or partially). 

Is one side of the ship balconies preferred over the other - if so ...  which and why? 

We'd want a quiet location to enjoy balcony without pool music noise, etc. 

We're not sensitive to motion - so all the way forward is fine or anywhere else.

Appreciate any words of advice you can share -

Thanks so much - Amy

[quercus alba]

Basically except Deck 8, they're all mostly covered.

The thing you may want to avoid is booking too far forward and getting a "hull-" or "cove-balcony" which has less visibility than the others as the "cutout" for the balcony is a part of the hull. 

Epic is big enough that almost everything else though is glass-windowed and covered by the level above. Lots to choose from. 

Side doesn't matter much--you typically don't hear much from above. Maybe look at deck plans and don't book beneath the buffet, kids' clubs, or fitness center if noise really affects you--but you probably won't notice other stuff above very often.

Remember sitting on a Deck 12 or 11 balcony during a sailaway and just barely being aware that there was music being played on the pool deck a couple of levels above--would probably be the same wherever you were.

[laudergayle]

We did cabin 12017. It is the furthest you can get forward before you get to PrivaSea cabins.  We loved being on Deck 12 as it was an easy walk up/down stairs to the pool deck snd Garden Cafe on Deck 15.  It is considered a Larger Balcony, and honestly I wouldn’t necessarily pay more for it.  I liked being forward because we didn’t look down on lifeboats. Also if I were picking, I would pick a cabin with the bed by the balcony for two reasons. 1) if you do room service the steward doesn’t have to crawl past the bed to get to your living area, 2) there is more room between the sink and loveseat.  Here is a pick of our cabin, and the arrow shows the cabin n the ship. The cabins in front of the red squiggly line are more likely to not look down on the lifeboats.

Edited July 23, 2023 by laudergayle

[laudergayle]

Also, if you haven’t already, go to NCL.com. At the top click Explore…then click Ships.  You can see the deck plan for the Epic by selecting What’s Onboard.  In the shot below, I think you would probably like the BA cabins (magenta color) that are within the black box I drew.  Best to you in finding the perfect cabin.🙂

[AllAmericanAmy]

Thank you both so much - very helpful and good tips.  I looked up the forward balcony cabins like suggested with the Privasea hull cutout thing.... ugh!  I'd have been very sad with that! 

I appreciate all the info and help!

[mking8288]

Deck 11 and 12, Fwd/Mid by the elevators & stairs, there are a # of semi-secret large angled balconies (listed as "BA" and or "B4") priced as any other regular balconies, right next to the "official" large balconies ... nearly just as deep, easily fit 3 loungers outside with room to spare - like the ones we booked for our 15 nights TA, and, all without taking out the regular balcony chairs.  The tiny end/coffee table outside, however, is just way, way too small - identical to the ones on other *Away/+ ships.  

 

DW was truly surprised when we open our cabin & walk in, and I pull her out to see the semi-covered balcony (from the overhead cabin's flooring) - it's like 3 to 4 times the size of the *Away ship's regular balconies - easily move to a spot/corner to sunbath or to opposite corner to stay in the shade.  

 

Our steward brought us a third chair ... 

[dexddd]

10 hours ago, AllAmericanAmy said:

Thank you both so much - very helpful and good tips.  I looked up the forward balcony cabins like suggested with the Privasea hull cutout thing.... ugh!  I'd have been very sad with that! 

I appreciate all the info and help!

Good you know about privasea in advance unlike the poor bride on honeymoon who got one on Dawn and cried on bed the whole trip.