Ztras

Shanghai's Chinese Restaurant and Shanghai's Noodle Bar are in the same space, sort of.  The noodle bar is a bar (think sushi restaurant style) in the corner of the restaurant.  Different menus, wait lists, etc.  I went to the noodle bar a couple times for an off-peak heavy snack / light meal.  I was pleasantly surprised - the quality was very good and it felt less rushed than the rest of the ship.

I just wanted to say that the 10 day out of NY on the Gem in the Winter was my absolute favorite NCL cruise experience.

I loved the Sun!  It is a great non-mega ship.  But then, I enjoy reading a book watching the water and not need to be constantly entertained with go-karts.  One thing I haven't seen mentioned is that the aft buffet will sometimes have "special" food towards the end of dinner service.  On my cruise it was the chef making absolutely fantastic Indian food.  Not official - I don't think the dishes were even labeled - but delicious.  Seemed like it was mostly staff and crew eating it - many of the passengers didn't want to have to walk all the way aft. 

My favorite ship in the fleet.  Not too large, not too small.  There isn't a laser tag bumper car horseback riding full-sized cricket pitch on board, but that is part of the charm.

Just wanted to say that while I've taken a bunch of NCL cruises - this was my favorite itinerary and favorite ship!  Super jealous.

In Barbados I recommend "Elegance Catamaran" for snorkeling & lunch.

A drinkable prosecco is included with the 'basic' drink package.

I care.  They are a fun part of cruising and I incorporate them into my photos.  When I met my steward the first day I told him how much I appreciated the towel animals, and I had one every night.  Not awkward at all.

I'm used to the rear buffet's outdoor area being a fairly quiet area overlooking the ocean - great place to relax with a snack.  On the Epic, at least, it is mid-ships loud, and opening to the pool.

Absolutely NOT the Epic.  It is a great ship for people who are scared of the water as you almost never see it!

I was on the Epic last week (first time on the Epic, maybe ninth on NCL).  Getting to the pier was slow (traffic) but once we were there, the embarkation was fantastic.  No lines to speak of, go in, drop off luggage, get our cards, walk on the ship.

The Epic isn't my favorite.  The room layout was fine for 2 - if they are married/dating/close. My problem is that it is designed so everyone focuses inside - it is made to feel like you aren't on a ship. In fact, where you should be able to see the water, from the top deck aft, they put up a huge screen where they show nature pictures.

Food in the MDR was adequate, buffet was a buffet, and the specialty dining pretty good.  O'Sheehan's is almost always crowded with a waiting list.  Hidden gem is the Noodle bar (included).

My biggest issue - the ship is loud.  For example, it is designed with open spaces between the decks, so the mid-main dining room, casino, and a bar are all sharing the same area.  Unless you have a balcony, you are not finding a quiet spot outside of, maybe, the library.

The Art Gallery had a surprisingly fun 'scavenger hunt' one evening (matching works with clues).

Surprisingly decent climbing wall too (about 5.intro to 5.10b, I'd guess).

Debarkation was slow - halted due to rain, and CBP was slow, but nothing out of the ordinary.  Taxis and shared buses are plentiful, but watch out: "we're leaving right now" means "I'll try to get more people for another 20 minutes before we leave."

Would I choose to go on the Epic over other ships, no.  Would I turn down a super discounted cruise on it, no.

Sometimes at the smaller, outdoor buffet they put out some really nice Indian selections - often for the later part of dinner.  I think Gem, Sky, and Sun maybe?  Really authentic, well spiced.  Be sure to ask one of the head/executive chefs near the buffet if you don't see it.  I had the sense it was intended to be a "mostly for the staff/crew" thing but welcomed passengers as well.  Mostly vegetarian dishes.

It might be worth taking the actual bottle for the Ambien (since it is a controlled substance). That way you have it if there are any issues. 1% chance of needing it, I'd guess. Choose your level of comfort.

I know on Gem class that the Italian restaurant is near the buffet and can be used for overflow seating for breakfast and lunch. Is there anywhere like that on the Epic where someone can go to avoid some of the chaos? First time on a mega-mega ship.

Hints on other quiet places would be nice too.

If the boys walk in on an embarrassing situation once, they probably never, ever, will again.  :)

I hope they do implement this permanently. Nothing wrong with added security measures when it comes to our children.

What extra security do you think comes from wearing a wristband?

After a few cruises, I learned the joy of the aft balcony. Now, I try hard to only go on cruises where I can get one. Is there a way, other than going cruise-by-cruise, date-by-date to search for cruises that have aft balconies available?

I've asked for, and received a "sharing table" in the MDR many times. I'd say the experiences have been 20% bad-to-fair, 50% decent-to-good, 20% very fun, 10% exceptional.

I have a confession... I'm an adult male, and I really like the towel animals. They aren't make-or-break the cruise for me, but I'd certainly notice they are missing. The stewards work long hours, yes, but folding a towel animal isn't exactly hard labor. It is one of the little things that make cruising special - and not like a regular hotel. Or home for that matter. Of course, I've only been on about 7 cruises, maybe I'll become more jaded over time.

You may want to take a look at getting a rental car, one-way, from Miami airport to FLL. Prices have been surprisingly reasonable.

You can't be serious. No public wifi is secure.

What specific vulnerabilities are you concerned about? Sniffing the traffic? Browser-based malware? Man in the middle? Super bad malware than can break the network driver?

In my opinion, "no public wifi is secure" is true, but only in the sense of, "no Internet-connected network is secure"

National, Alamo & Thrifty (and maybe Enterprise) offer a free shuttles between POM and their MIA airport location. Show the driver your reservation papers. If you get a good deal from someone else a taxi between MI & the port will cost $27+tip.

Thanks - I didn't notice that on their site. Much appreciated - I'm all squared away now.

I'd drop Teppanyaki in favor of Le Bistro and Moderno. (their grilled pineapple is amazing.)

Treat it like a Starbucks or any other public WiFi.

Using your own computer - properly secured and only going to https sites (SSL/TLS) - will be far more secure than using the onboard computers. If you are set up properly to do things like DNS pinning, cert validation, limited number of trusted root certs and so on, you can be reasonably safe. However, many people don't take these simple steps :)

At the very least, for any sites you log into while on board, change the password when you get off the ship. Also, use two-factor authentication where possible - there are solutions that use codes generated on your phone (or printed on a sheet of paper), so an SMS or call isn't necessary.

Does anyone have any good ideas (that is, prices) on a one way car rental from the Port of Miami (or near about) to Ft. Meyers airport? I need to combine a few trips and trying to save the return trip across the state. Any ideas are helpful.

You can also use a larger camera bag. It holds small amount of toiletries and other necessities, but without the bulk of the backpack.