_Mr.G_

HALF the price is a strong argument for the EPIC 🙂 I've been on the EPIC in 2021 and I have mixed feelings about this ship. It depends if the "ocean feeling" while cruising is important to you. The Epic is very much built with an inside focus. There is no walk-around promenade deck. No front views like the Spinnaker Lounges on other ships. Everything in the public spaces inside is very dark and you barely get to see daylight or the ocean when inside. This is what I disliked most. So if these things are important to you and the price thing works out, then the other ship might be better. See my review on the Epic here: https://boards.cruisecritic.com/topic/2799317-worst-norwegian-ship/?do=findComment&comment=61942741

I was on the Jade for the Israel cruise May 8th to 15th. This ship was on about half passenger capacity (approx. 1100 Passengers). I assume you refer to the Stardust Theatre shows. Every evening there was just one show at 8.30 pm. I assume it will be like this until there are more passengers cruising.

I'm just back from the Jade May 8-15 out of Athens last week and I can't confirm any of this. We boarded in Athens around 1 pm. We went straight to the Garden Great Outdoors and had lunch with beers and later several other drinks from that bar before sail away. I saw other people with different alcoholic drinks. The bars were only closed for a short time during the muster drill PA announcements. The entire week bars were open and served alcohol, especially in Santorini. We had a great cruise!

I'm just back from my Jade cruise last week. On the regular drink menus there was no more Baileys listed. All the days we had some fun with the bartenders, because "Mollys is the new Baileys". They couldn't (or wouldn't) tell us why it was changed. This is what they serve now and we were told it's best to just order "Irish Cream": In Le Bistro Baileys is still on the menu, but now for $ 16. I didn't take it and I'm not sure whether they serve original Baileys there ..