Vyhanek

Just wondering if any of the cruise lines still have self service laundry?   I know it's been a least a decade for NCL.   

Your post reminds me of my cruise that got cancelled out of Tampa a few years ago because of fog.

I woke up in my hotel room to a text message that our cruise would be delayed several hours because of the fog.    Im cruising with my daughter so we thought no big deal, we'll Uber to the Tampa International mall and hang out until the ship is ready.    At the mall, we met many people, maybe 50'ish who were doing the same thing.   They had no where to go and just hanging out to get on the ship.   A few unfortunate passengers must have been on very limited budgets because they were concerned about the cost of their lunch in the food court at the mall.....they'd planned to eat lunch on the ship that day.    

Then 6 hours later I get another text......The ship can't make it into the port because of the fog and they will text us the next day.   I scramble to find a hotel, which there were NONE believe it or not in all surrounding the port or airport area.    I had to rent a car last minute and find a hotel last minute so I paid ridiculous prices.     Now I'm thinking about the poor budget travelers I'd met at the mall!    They were worried about their lunch, how would they afford $400 a night hotel last minute that was 45 minutes away and a $65 rental car (Ubering would have gone way more than that).     My daughter and I are exhausted and disappointed that we can't get on the cruise and will be missing one of our 5 nights onboard.

The next morning comes and I get another text that they will notify us by noon.    We hang at the hotel and wait, still thinking this will all work out.    Then noon comes and I get another text they have cancelled the cruise.

OK well, now I have 4 more days to figure out what we are going to do in Florida, in March, peak season and now booking everything last minute.   I could fly back home but how much would changing out tickets cost?!   What a mess.   Fortunately I can cover the expense to stay in Florida last minute, but again, my mind goes to the other cruisers I met at the mall food court!   Was my vacation ruined last minute.....yes.    At least you got to take your cruise.    

So then the next thing is...."Ah, Trip Insurance".   Of course I purchased it.   I'm the responsible type.    But guess what it covered......only the cost of the cruise.    They eventually reimbursed me the cost of my cruise which was around $750 per person.   That's it.    In no way did it cover me having to book hotel rooms last minute, rental cars last minute.    I was paying like $400 a night for a Hilton Garden in March and that's the best I could do.    

Believe me, you are so, so lucky this was at the end of your cruise.   Your vacation wasn't ruined.   I guess the Tampa Port gets fogged in fairly regularly in Jan-March and cruises get affected.  

I've cruised in the Haven on most of the mega ships.    By far, the Epic has the best Haven.    The most space, the lowest space/Haven guest ratio.    Hands down the best sundeck (POSH) which is Haven Adults only with it's own sundeck bar, lots of shade, plenty of nice loungers and plenty of space for everyone.    This is most definitely not the case on other ships in the Haven.   In fact, most have such a tiny Haven sundeck that there is severe chair hogging and no bar.   There is bar service but the bar the servers have to get to is 2 floors down making drink service very, very slow.   I ended up getting my own drinks....I know, first world problems.    It also has a separate enough smoking area.   The other ships have the Haven smoking area on the already tiny Haven sundeck.   A sort of half wall separates the smoking area from the Haven sundeck.   Its a tiny space and then shared with the smokers.   Not on the Epic.

The other nice thing about the Epic haven is that there are 3 bars within the Haven.   The other ships have a grand total of 1 bar and it's part of the main lobby area making that one bar really crowded and loud with lots of pass thru traffic and concierge services going on  and basic lobby business while you're enjoying your drink at the bar.   The Epic bar is separate and dedicated for a great bar experience.

The big problem with the Epic is the ship itself. The rest of the ship is poorly designed. It packs on the passengers more than any other ship I've ever been on especially anything NCL.  All outdoor spaces are over crowded.   Seating for the buffet area actually spills right out onto the pool deck.   Packing on so many passengers has made it the lowest price point for a mega ship and it attracts the lowest price point cruisers.  All other NCL ships have a better overall ship experience.   This is the big problem with the Epic.

If you are going to the main show of the evening, it would be expected that some guests would be eating dinner after the show!   

I'm sure there will be several groups that haven't eaten before the 7:30 show.    Actually to have eaten before the 7:30 show means they would need to be eating at 5:15, 5:30 at the latest.    Service in the Main Dining Rooms can get paralyzed and dinner can easily take 2 hours!     So waiting until after the show should be a common occurrence and they should be ready for guests after the show.    

Considering 2 years ago you could get lobster all week in any of the specialty restaurants, the steak cuts were excellent, the shrimp in the specialty dining was large.     Yes.    There has been a consistent and steady measurable decline.

But nothing like NCL food used to be 5-10 years ago when it was legitimately horrible and the NCL fans coined the term "subjective".    Only bad food is described as subjective.

NCL has been average (I'd say that's where we are now), it's definitely been up (2 years ago) and its definitely spent many, many years at the bottom of the cruise food industry.    

Two months away means a February cruise.   Probably not an issue with capacity and life boats.   That only happens on over capacity cruises and very, very peak times.    

I think you have a good possibility of it working.   If they won't let you do a name change for both names then try adding passengers and be no shows.    

Ive been on this board for a couple decades.   People talk about doing this occasionally.   It must be possible somehow.

I wish that your NCL experience was something other than repeating the Epic.    I am an NCL loyalist but I really despise the Epic.   I think comparing the Epic to pretty much any similar age/size ship it would lose.     Except for the Epic's fabulous Haven.   The Epic has the best Haven experience by far.   Literally by far, I've been in most of NCL's Havens.

Everyone else has basically said.    A poor Room Steward experience is really very rare.    You almost never hear of this issue.   I've cried on all major lines and NCL's cabin stewards fall right in with RCL, Princess, Carnival.    

As far as bar service, this again seems unusual.    I've been on the Epic twice in the last 5 years and have had absolutely no issue with bar service.   On the pool deck, if you were waiting for 30 minutes, I would think a short walk into the Garden Buffet where they have a full bar and rarely anyone in line, you would walk in there for service.    Or go inside, up one floor or down one floor to the many bars inside the ship.    But this again, would be a last resort because usually there isn't a big line at the bar, at all.

I think you hit on something about why the Epic can compete.   It's the price.    The ONLY way I think the Epic can compete is because of the price.   I think the whole design of the ship is so very inferior they have to lower the price.    But a lower price drives a whole different clientele.   A group of customers not typical on other NCL ships.   

The half empty restaurants but fully booked has been an issue for a decade.   You would think they could manage this better after all this time.   

It gets busy at certain times.   Notice how narrow the path is.   You get regular paced walkers walking double, you get families out on a slow, slow stroll at the same time a couple people think they can jog.     Its to narrow.   Its too short.   It's really annoying if there's more than a couple walkers out there at once.     

I've seen a few of the tiny blow up pools on the ships.   The main pool deck will be too crowded but you will be able to find a spot on one of the upper decks further away from the pool where people in loungers aren't squeezed in chair to chair as on the newer ships.    You will be able to find a place.    Also, there are drains all over the decks.   Those decks get hosed down daily, there are drains, there is space, you will be able to do it.   

You will have no problem if it's the haven pool you want to sit at.    Most people don't want to sit there because there is no view of the ocean.  People sit around the Haven pool because they have kids in the pool or because they are enjoying the pool themselves mostly.    

Most Haven guests who want a lounger and just relax want to see the ocean and will go up to the sundeck where there are some umbrellas.    This area does get over crowded and there will be chair hogs and people saving their loungers all day.  There's probably seating for 25 people up on the sundeck.  Not nearly enough for the 150'ish (guessing) Haven guests.   

This is why Haven guests are interested in Vibe passes.

I never even tip the Butler.   Because I don't use the Butler.   In all my Haven cruises I have never asked one single thing of the Butler.   Yes, they bring around the snacks everyday, wheeling their cart full and dropping them in my room but literally that is it.   I tip everyone else because i use the other services.    

If I want things removed from my refrigerator, I remove them.   If I want water its available all over the Haven I get it.    Im not tipping the Butler because I don't use the service.    I think as soon as you start asking for things, even if they are simple things then that obligates you to tip them.    You ask them for nothing, there is no obligation.

I'm sorry for your wife's health and also that it has ruined your vacation plans this year.

But why should the rest of us pay for travel insurance?    We pay for travel insurance in advance in case something comes up that prevents us from cruising.......like a serious illness.     So here WE ARE all paying for insurance while you chose not to.    We paid.

Why is it OK for you to just ring up NCL, after choosing to forgo the insurance when we all did, and get your cruise refunded?   You being able to do that calls in to question why the rest of us would be paying for travel insurance at all.   

This is why I am happy that NCL sticks to their guns on this.   It's not fair to the rest of us who faithfully pay our insurance.   every cruise for 4 people, every cruise we pay.    

Our Haven suite 2drm, was 10k last February.  

Do not believe the posters that say there in zero reason for a Haven guest to have a Vibe pass.   This is very, very fake news.  Vibe has lots of seating for all Vibe guests, the Haven sundeck does NOT.   The Haven sundeck is a chair hog situation as there are way less loungers than guests wanting them.....very far from zero reason right there!

Vibe also has a bar.   The Haven sundeck does not, (unless cruising on the Epic which has the best Haven and larges sundeck with bar of the fleet).    You can get drinks on the Haven sundeck because there is bar service attendant.....but the bar service is very slow because there is one attendant and the bar they have to get drinks from is 2 floors down in the main Haven lounge.    Drinks come slowly and ......no bar.   

You want the Vibe passes if possible.   If you can afford 10k, you're probably going to want to spring for another couple hundred to make the sea days optimal.   

The Jade is a nice ship.   It's decor is updated, it still feels fresh to me.  I like it because it isn't crazy crowded like the bigger ships.   You go out to the pool deck and you can find a seat.   The venues are large enough to accommodate everyone who wants to be there.   You can find out of the way places to relax and enjoy the views because this ship came along before NCL grew mega ships and slapped a cabin anywhere possible, eliminating pretty public areas to increase revenue.   

I agree with a previous poster about avoiding cabins on deck 11.   We had mini suites (connecting rooms because children) located on that deck and I wished we had just booked rooms on a lower deck, which would have meant regular cabins, not mini suites.   Our rooms were directly underneath one of the restaurants I believe and early morning cleaning meant chairs pulled across the tile floor.  Also, people walking in high heel shoes all day and night, I could hear the click, click, click.   It wasn't loud, just annoying.   That was my only gripe, the lack of adequate noise proofing coming from deck 12.   You want a cabin where there are other cabins directly above you I have learned.   Forgo the mini suites on that deck.

I've been on both ships.  I would definitely go with the Jade.   It's nicer, better updated and less crowded feeling.   The Enchantment went thru a retro fit probably 10 years ago and added in lots of cabins where common space used to be so that resulted in more passengers crowded into less space.     I also think the food is better on the Jade.   I know food changes from ship to ship year to year and you can't really count on that but I was very underwhelmed with the Enchantment.    

The drink packages don't make for more crowded bars.   People drink on vacation.

Definitely.    Do self disembark and line up as early as possible.   7:30 line up would be fine.    Then take a taxi which will be lined up and waiting.    You will be at FLL sitting at your gate by 9am.   I've done it many times.

I've only been on the Escape once but I was off the ship, and all the way to the Ft. Lauderdale airport waiting at my gate for my flight by 9am.  

I have noticed every time a ship changes embarkation ports there are several weeks before all systems run smoothly with the ship, customs and immigration.   After a few weeks in each new port, they have the people in place and trained how to move people quickly.

I've cruised in the Epic Haven twice.   In all that time I've never seen anyone use the equipment there.   The main gym on the ship is really big and nice.

This space could be repurposed I would think.  

You are wrongly assuming everyone that walked out of that show was offended and just didn't listen to all of the announcements.

I walked out.   Not because I was offended at the content.   I was offended at low quality the production was.   It wasn't professional or classy and I didn't like it and wasn't going to waste my time on a low quality evening on vacation.    Oh how I miss the Jean Ann Ryan Company.   This new Australian based production company tries to be too edgy with the cruising public.   I don't think it goes over nearly as well as the Las Vegas style song and dance and las vegas style theater.   Its too edgy, too homosexuality in your face, too driven for shock value.

No but a few years ago I was booked in a Haven and got the upsell call.....Pre bidding days.    They asked if I was interested and that it would be only an additional $19k!!    That's after I'd already paid probably 8k for my 2 bedroom villa!

Yes, obviously it's so you won't eat in the "free" so to speak Haven every night.    They are banking on the fact that you will want some dinner variety and will be out at the other Specialty Dining options which you will then pay for additionally.    It's a revenue opportunity.

Also, the haven dining room can't accommodate all the Haven passengers.   If the Haven rotated the menu then everyone would eat in the Haven exclusively and they don't have the capacity for that.    

I have found some great food on the ships outside the Haven......not in the specialty dining.   I never want to go to Cagney's or La Cucina ever again.    But I love Food Republic on the Escape, I like the sushi bar on the Epic.   I like the noodle bar not eh Epic.   I like the seafood resteraunt on Getaway.    The one's I like mostly aren't part of the typical dining packages but it is great food!    

There is no comparison.    Anyone who's cruised both ships would vote for the Escape.

The only exception and it is a big deal is the Haven.    The Haven on the Epic is amazing.   The Haven on the Escape is over crowded and inferior.    Examples, POSH on the Epic is a lovely, huge sundeck with huge bar, umbrellas, lots of sun or shade, designer outdoor furniture, etc.    The Escape sundeck holds about 30 people, not nearly enough for the over crowded Escape Haven guests and their is chair hogging.   The tiny Escape sundeck has no bar, and the sundeck shares the space with the only Haven smoking area.    So you are in this smallish area and the smokers are 20 feet away divided by a sort of half wall that blows the smoke right over it!    I could go on and on about how inferior the Escape Haven is but that is not your question!!

The problem with the Epic is that NCL has maximized capacity at the expense of public space.   Specifically outdoor space.    The only outdoor dining is now part of what other ships would consider pool deck space.    The public spaces are so terribly designed...at the expense of squeezing in as many cabins as possible that there really isn't any public space on the ship you can see the ocean!    Can you imagine, on a cruise ship and you can't really see the ocean?!

There isn't the outdoor walkway with the bars and restaurants.....Again, everything is inside and enclosed.   This is going to sound snotty but I also think the Epic gets filled up at the last minute with bargain basement prices and that affects the quality of the clientele.    People looking for the cheapest week long cruise somehow find their way to the Epic because it is viewed as an inferior ship.    Not so much on the Escape.   

But the food is the same.  The shows are the same.  Casino same.  Same energy.   You won't have a bad time, it just isn't at the level of the Escape.   

2015, I seem to remember lobster in every Specialty Restaurant.    

I think if your basis for measurement is 2015, you will be terribly disappointed.    

The food today is good.   But I've been cruising NCL a long time and even during the decade where NCL's food was truly awful.......You know that's when we coined the term..."Subjective".    Back then it wasn't subjective, it was awful!     But then around 2013/2014 (can't remember) NCL decided they needed to be more competitive and the food improved dramatically.    Around 2015 it was really good!    Great cuts of steaks, lobster.....there really was no reason in 2015 to complain and like I said, I never fell in line with the bull...."Food is subjective" folks!!

The food now is still good.   There isn't lobster to be seen on the whole ship, not even if you are willing to pay a huge premium, you can't even get it.   The steaks are good but not like they were a couple years ago.    I don't hear people complain about the food, I saw no reason for complaint.     But it isn't to the quality standards of 2015.

No not worth it.   Harvest Cay is completely over rated, especially now that it is undergoing construction and the crowds are confined to one small side of the huge island.     The island has been hit recently by hurricanes one too many times.   It used to be completely sandy and nice.    Now it's hard, sharp coral uncovered from the hurricane's.

We always take the tender over, walk around talking about how much nicer the island used to be, how it used to be soft sand with lots of little coves you could explore, they used  to let you walk around the entire island, it was more like trails and we would walk to the end, find a remote cove and swim there by ourselves!

We sit on the beach with the masses of people and realize there is no one on the ship at this moment because they are all here, right on this beach.    Then we take the tender back to the ship and that's the day.    This is not the place IMHO to spend a lot of money to rent a cabana.