EPIC Review -1/1/11 to 1/8/11 Very Long

I would like to begin my review by thanking all those before me who made me so informed on this ship that I felt I had already sailed before I began.

This cruise consisted of myself 26, husband 27, and in laws 55 and 54.

Embarkment: We arrived at Noon! I did wish at that point we had arrived earlier as the cruise terminal was BUSY! We embarked in terminal C and it really went fast. We had no trouble dropping our luggage off with the porters and waited10 in line for security. Security was very brief and after we were screened we proceeded to pay the $15 per bottle corking fee for our 14 bottles of wine. -Just to clear this up because there is still confusion- YES WE BROUGHT A LOT OF WINE ON BOARD AND IT WAS VERY COMMON! A couple next to us had CASES of wine. As long as you pay the $15 they do not care how much you bring on!!!!! After getting on the ship we proceeded just how we were instructed on Cruise Critic to go to TASTE! NOT THE BUFFET! It was a wonderful first meal on board and there was NO ONE in the restaurant! Please take this advice and do the same. I forgot we did drop our carry ons to Headliners where they kept them till our rooms were clean. After Lunch we roamed the ship until our rooms were done promptly at 2. Our balcony room 10258 we on the port side which offered some magnificent views of Star Island before we left port in Miami. We attended the muster drill at 4 and when we returned our luggage was in front our room.

Our room Opinion:

We live in a modest house. Therefore we saw NO problem with the rooms and in fact were surprised at the size of the balcony. Again I will not repeat what other reviews have said but there is A LOT of storage space! If you live in a mansion or a house that has more than 3 bedrooms and have a difficult time adjusting to new situations I can see why the room would be a problem! If not you will be fine and love it. BTW the bathrooms also were a problem for us.

Shows/ Entertainment

BMG

We booked BMG for our first night! We have seen them 3 times and still find them entertaining. For all shows I do recommended GET THERE EARLY! They also have the most delicious drink only served there which is blue with ice cream GET IT!

Legends:

We are a bit young and did not necessary know all the Rod Stewart songs but he looked very convincing and sounded really good. Michael Jackson was unbelievable!!!!! This is an understatement. However, Britney Spears was the most underwhelming of all three but overall I was very entertained. Do not miss it.

Comedian Jeff Hobson:

I had low expectations for this but was blown out of the park! Very Very Funny do not miss! Show up early he doesn't have a lot of shows and you can not make reservations! Even though very late very kid friendly.

Second City:

Only one reservation for Second City can be made before boarding! However they actually run FOUR different shows! My tip for seeing the best is reserving "Overboard" which is the 9pm show our favorite ,or the 7pm "Improv All Stars". The late night 11pm adult only show is very easy to get in by using the standby system. So don't waste a reservation on that one! We saw all four by using standby each one is so different and so funny please DO NOT MISS this.

Howl at the Moon:

I have never seen this before boarding the ship and loved it. The favorite late night activity of ours. It runs from 9-1am on the days offered and we would pop in and out. The bar service is the best anywhere on the ship in this club and the songs are amazing this is my #1 recommendation not to miss.

Dining: ( If you are not a foodie you may be a little bored by my ramblings I am sorry)

Moderno

Our first night we ate at Moderno! My husband loves meat in general and was really looking forward to this! We are huge fans of FOGO DE CHAO in Houston and any Texas de Brazil restaurant! If you are too than I am sorry to upset you but you will be disappointed. We had too high hopes I believe and were a little disappointed by the quality of the meat and the sides. I am used to actual fried plantains not bananas. So Yes I must disclaimer I am a bit of a foodie and little things like this matter but wont break my vacation! It was good but just didn't live up to other land Brazilian steakhouses! We were actually booked to go again and cancelled.

Cagney's

We ate here twice and of course LOVED it. It was actually our last meal and what a way to go out! I'm actually not a huge meat fan but loved the assortment of appetizers and the sides were to die for. They also have a raspberry creme brulee that you must try. I also have to say that we received the BEST service each time here.

LE BISTRO

We went here with low expectations since I am not real big on French food! However this was the BEST meal I had on the ship PERIOD! Please do not skip this. I had the "Seafood De Mer" I believe and it was literally to die for! It was a puff pastry with a sauce and sandwiched between was scallions, lobster, and shrimp! TRY IT! Also they have a vanilla creme burlee not to be passed up. We had excellent service!

Manhattan

I don' know whats wrong with me but I initially did not plan to visit any nonspecialiy restaurants on ship. I am a big believer in you pay for what you get and did have a preconceived notion that the food would be better in the specialty restaurants. After we cancelled our second reservation in Moderno we deceived to at least try it. The result was awesome appetizers, mediocre entrees and POOR service. Really we received the worst service here than anywhere on the ship. I do not know if they were too busy that night or what but it was horrible and would not return because of that.

La Cucina

I have to give this restaurant highlights as being the most romantic on board. I really like the ambiance. if you have a special event on board ex: birthday or anniversary this is the place to do it. The food was good I had the calamari and the cheese tortellini that was both very good. I also must admit the coffee in this restaurant is better than anywhere else I had a caramel macchiato after dinner and its the best I've had anywhere. However the downfall is that on our night the service wasn't as good as it was in the other restaurants but still not as bad as Manhattan. But at only $10 it was still very worth it.

O'Shannah's

first I have to say the food comes very fast in the restaurant so if you are hungry you do not have to wait long. I will agree that for lunch and dinner there isn't much a selection but anything I ate was very good. My favorite was the chicken tenders, Angus burger, and cheese sticks. My husband very frequently had milkshakes for about $3 and he said they were very good. Service was fast and the food faster! My only regret was never trying breakfast or desert.

Buffet:

Breakfast

We ate breakfast here every morning. I loved breakfast!!! There was an amazing variety and the buffet is kept immaculate. My husband had bagels and lox's every morning while I ate everything else to be imagined. Really that breakfast was the devil and I could not control myself.

Lunch:

Many times we stopped here for lunch! The salads you make yourself are out of control. So many options for the toppings. Also they had such good ice cream and so many flavors. Not to be missed were the fresh hamburgers with grilled onions or the pizza both very good. The only downfall was some time other entrees that I choose for lunch were a little cold but not a big deal.

Dinner:

We did not eat dinner at the buffet however we did many times snack around 11pm in which the buffet is limited but very tasty outdoors on deck 15! Good tip for late night snacks.

Our cruise was very full with lots of families I will mention this later but specifically for Breakfast if you wait until 9 am you will feel like you are eating with 4000 people. This is the only time we felt the ship was very crowed. Some mornings for breakfast all the tables inside the buffet were taken at 9 so we had to go outside or decided to get up early. This was a January cruise so going outside sometimes it was a bit cold or very windy that early but I survived this to go on to scarf down a lot of hash browns. so TIP: if your cruise is full eat breakfast early especially on Port days.

Disclaimer: we love any Asian food:

Wasabi:

We ate here on most sea days for lunch! My husband loves sushi and can put a lot away. Therefore compared with prices on land a $30 sushi bill was a STEAL for us. He said everything was delicious and very fresh. And for those who have not sailed $30 is extreme for the most serious eaters who order one of everything. Normal people not us can get away with $10-15 for two people.

Noodle Bar:

We also love pot stickers and they were really good here. The spring rolls are very good also. If you like pot stickers try this place out. I had some fried rice and my only complaint was that it seemed a little too salty but in there defense I did put a lot of soy sauce on it.

Cirque Dinner:

Again I am also a lover of Cirque De Soliel. I don't know why but I love them. I didn't realize this wasn't them but Cirque Dreams a very differently company. However, the performance of the show if I ranked it against a Cirque De soliel show was just OK it was magnificent to be entertained like this at SEA. So if I begin to complain about this please understand I am not a whinnier just being very specific for all those EPIC stalkers out there like me. The food must have improved from previous sailings because I found it to be good nothing spectacular but good. The service was also good. We paid for premium seating which did increase to $30 but I felt it was worth it.

Where we did not eat:

Teppanyaki- not a big fan of Hibachi

Room Service- too busy to be in room

24/7 Pizza- regret we didn't try it

Epic Club- not in the right room category

Spice H20- food just not appetizing upon inspection

Bars/Lounges:

"Tastings"

As mentioned before our favorite place to drink was during the Howl at the Moon. However I need to point out that all the "tasting" they held were beyond great. We attend the Margarita and Martini tasting one day. Each was $15. The margarita tasting was held at 3pm and we had 5 margaritas all very strong. I then thought it was a good idea to live it up and go to the Martini tasting at 4pm the same day where I got 4 martinis for $15. I got my moneys worth and a long nap afterwards but really please don't skip these tasting and if they offer them more than once go again because they drinks are different each time.

Ice Bar

The reservation desk for the Ice Bar is right in front of it. Not hard to miss! We made reservations on our 2nd day but had no trouble getting in. We have previously been to one in Orlando so knew what to expect but wanted to go again with our cruise company. Yes it is $20, but if you put it into perspective you get some really awesome pictures and the drinks are worth the money. I didn't find stronger drinks anywhere else on the ship.

Where we did not go:

Fat Cat's-too busy at Headliners

Posh- didn't think it was worth it to pay

Bliss- not big parties but it is neatly decorated so go look around in there

H20- I was really looking forward to this however, at night on our cruise the age limit was rarely enforced. I don't have anything against children but I don't want to party with them at 11pm at night. I wanted my adult time alone with adults and you can not get it there. children are everywhere.

Water Activities:

Loungers: we decided to spend the first sea day at the pool. We awoke early to get a good seat and actually got one of the six "beds" that are available mid ship on each side of the pools. Good spots if you want no sun! However, we did this at 7 am and ate breakfast in our outdoor bed. Around 8am we began to see the chair hogging. It was ridiculous the husband and I dispise chair hoggers and they they should be burned at the stake. (Sorry if I offend anyone). Therefore we stayed put till we wanted to leave and did not stay away from our spot more than 15 minutes. By 10 on the first sea day there was not an available chair in site. On this day we decided to first try the water slides. I enjoyed all of them and on this first sea day had no wait at all.

Port Day: this is absolutely the best time to be up on deck 15! no one is there. We decided to hit the water slides again one port day after returning from the St. Maarten Beach bash since we were already in our bathing suits. Again we loved the slides however the EPIC plunge did have a long wait because it does take a long time to get to the bottom and there is a lack of adequate Tubes.

SPA:

We did not use the spa but our in laws did and they enjoyed it. They had acupuncture treatments and mani/pedis and really enjoyed their experience. We went and poked around and it was massive and beautiful. I regret not booking any appointments.

Internet:

I purchased a 100 plan for $50 I believe they do charge a $3.95 activation fee. I utilized the Internet mostly in my cabin with my laptop. I thought the speed was faster than I expected. I do have to say that this was my first cruise and I guess I did not do my research on the fact that they would block the SKYPE. We were prepared to use SKYPE to call home and were disappointed that we could not do so. I am interested if this is an industry wide thing or just NCL anyway we were very disappointed with that.

Casino:

We are not gamblers so we did not spend any money here. However as being a non smoker I am here to put the fears to rest. The smoke was not that bad! Coming from myself that is a big statement. I think I am going to die everytime i smell smoke! yet it did not bother me.

Shopping on board:

We did shop a little more than expected on board. The jewelry store is massive, and had a big selection. I don't believe the discounts are as deep as they like you to believe but your on vacation so of course you are in the mood to shop. I purchased some costume jewelry and some Vera Bradley bags ( they have a pretty big selection). My husband was unsatisfied with his swim shorts and purchased some board shorts on board. I am a big shopper and can find something anywhere what we did notice was that there was practically no real clothes to buy on board. They had a little selection of sun dresses for women and short sleeve linen shirts for men but there was no shoes, long sleeve dress shirts, or cocktail attire for women. We came prepared but I just like to shop all the time and I am wondering how their selection of clothes will sell in the European market when they sail this summer to Europe.

Dress Code:

There has been much ado about this so I thought I would discuss it. It might terms: ITS NOT ENFORCED! To be clear I did not see shorts where shorts weren't suppose to be. However, I did see muscle shirts in Cagney's, flip flops in Le bistro, and a lot inbetween. So dont fret. It didn't bother me one bit. If you are undressed you will know when you walk in. I like to dress up its my preference, what other people do doesn't bother me too much. Also for all those who worry about bringing kids in speciality restaurants DON'T. Kids were there every night for the most part I didn't even notice they were all very well behaved. A couple made me laugh by passing out and sleeping half way through dinner!

Ports:

I won't mention to much about this because what you choose to do can greatly influence your time. I will however mention that I will recommend the beach bash in St. Maarten, and the Turtle Snokel in St. Thomas. I haven't snorkeled a lot but it was the clearest water I have ever been in.

Disembarkment:

We had a flight at 11:43 so we decided to do the easy walk off. We were in the MIA airport at 8:30 and was wondering why we had left so early. Such a breeze.

Oh and if you have a lot of electronics bring an extension cord.

To sum up this painfully long review:

The BEST features:

Bowling- $10 and hardly a wait we waited a whole 6 minutes.

Slides!

Howl and the Moon

Ping pong

Second City

All the food

Things that made me wonder:

The lack of clothing in the gift shops

The lack of tubes at the water slides

The non enforcement of chair hogging

The non enforcement of kids at H20

Skype being blocked- maybe might fault to not doing research

Poor service in Manhattan!

Would I go back?

YEAH!!!!!!!!!-I'm trying to follow the ship to Italy this summer and can't wait

Thanks for the review and welcome back

About the dress code, it has been changed. You can wear shorts and flip flops everywhere (including Cagneys and Epic club).

The only restaurants that have dress codes are Le Bistro and Manhattan.

This was a great review-very comprehensive. Thanks for sharing it!

Coffeecat

Thanks for the comprehensive review. Great job.

I loved your very comprehensive review. Thanks for taking so much time. I really got a good feel for the Epic, although I have not sailed it.

One thing though. I believe you meant to say if you are "underdressed" you will know it. You instead said "undressed"... Really made it sound hilarious. Knew exactly what you meant, but visualized pax walking in naked. Oh my!

Thanks for so much food info. I'm a chef and major foodie too. But I am not a food snob. So I guess that's why I have realistic expectations on cruises. However, I did have one dinner in Normandie on X Summit that ranks right up there with best meals I've had in NYC, San Francico and New Orleans. But it was $25 extra plus I had about a $75 bar tab for that meal. Good wine and all that, you know... And it sounds like you do!

I loved your very comprehensive review. Thanks for taking so much time. I really got a good feel for the Epic, although I have not sailed it.

 

One thing though. I believe you meant to say if you are "underdressed" you will know it. You instead said "undressed"... Really made it sound hilarious. Knew exactly what you meant, but visualized pax walking in naked. Oh my!

 

Thanks for so much food info. I'm a chef and major foodie too. But I am not a food snob. So I guess that's why I have realistic expectations on cruises. However, I did have one dinner in Normandie on X Summit that ranks right up there with best meals I've had in NYC, San Francico and New Orleans. But it was $25 extra plus I had about a $75 bar tab for that meal. Good wine and all that, you know... And it sounds like you do!

HAHA I did mean underdressed!!!!

Thanks for your detailed review. We are really looking forward to being on the Epic in another week.

Thanks so much for your great review! Your observations were spot on with what my husband and I thought during our October cruise especially your comments on Moderno. Only thing we did differently was eat also at Teppanaki. Thanks for taking the time to post.

If I read your review correctly, the corkage fee was a TOTAL of $15 no matter how many bottles of wine????:eek:

Wow! I had no idea--I thought you had to pay corkage fee for each bottle.

Great review. Thanks--we will be on the Epic in March.

If I read your review correctly, the corkage fee was a TOTAL of $15 no matter how many bottles of wine????:eek:

 

Wow! I had no idea--I thought you had to pay corkage fee for each bottle.

 

Great review. Thanks--we will be on the Epic in March.

I'm sorry if I was confusing! The fee is per bottle! But as long as you pay the $15 for each bottle it is endless as to how much you can bring on.

You talked about the beds by the pool. If you get one of these are you saying the sun is blocked?

Also, where is the best place on by the pool to get a chair. I am an early riser and always go out and get a chair but I am always there by 9-10 AM

I will be on the Epic during Easter Week so it probably will be very crowded

Thanks for you review

You talked about the beds by the pool. If you get one of these are you saying the sun is blocked?

Also, where is the best place on by the pool to get a chair. I am an early riser and always go out and get a chair but I am always there by 9-10 AM

I will be on the Epic during Easter Week so it probably will be very crowded

Thanks for you review

These beds are directly in the center of the pool area. If you look at pictures of the pool deck they are located across from the set of jacuzzi's on each side. Just walk to the jacuzzi and you wont miss them. They are set on a platform with four bed loungers. These are highly coveted spots as they have so much room for your stuff. They are completely shaded though. If you are looking for some sun these are not for you. On our cruise it was a little cold in the morning on them but then it was nice being completed shaded. We woke at 7 to get them, as we were in awe the night before. By 8 they were all taken by hoggers. In fact the two next to us were hogged the entire day from 8 to 3 when we left and no one ever visited them the entire day. How rude!! My advise get there early reserve it and then hit the buffet and bring the food back there are tables right next to this platform area to eat. The best place on the ship to read!!!

Awesome review, one of the best I've read since sdmike's! Getting me

Very excited for our cruise

Good review....!!

Thanks!

We board on Saturday, and I am very excited!!

Thank you for that wonderful review! I know you went to see the BMG on your first night aboard. Where did you have dinner? Where do you recommend having dinner before BMG on your first night?

Thank you for that wonderful review! I know you went to see the BMG on your first night aboard. Where did you have dinner? Where do you recommend having dinner before BMG on your first night?

We actually got into the 7pm showing to Blue Man Group! Since we at a late lunch at Taste our first night we didn't eat until 9pm at Moderno! We are late eaters and usually at each night around 8pm. None of the speciality restaurants were busy at 8pm and especially at 9 when we went to Moderno they were only 3 tables of people. A speciality restaurant is definately the way to go especially the first night to set the mood of the cruise. I like them all at least once! It was very easy to move from one side of the ship to the other in 15 minutes between shows. Don't worry about being right on time for a reservation or a little late!

Great review!!!!! I am getting excited each and every day that passes!

can i just ask is there extra charges for water slides, taste restaurant and blue man group show

can i just ask is there extra charges for water slides, taste restaurant and blue man group show

No extra charges for the activities you mentioned.

I am a first to NCL, I am planning the epic, do you make reservation to all the shows and does that cost? Are there any free shows and dining.?

thanks jdvmd as pug above we are first time ncl cruisers die hard holland america fans but willing to give ncl a try as price is so good but have a million and one questions thanks for your reply.

Here is a list of restaurants, free and those with a charge, on the Epic. The only entertainment option I could think of that has a charge is the Cirque Dreams show. Let me know if I got anything wrong.

Eateries that come with no extra charge include:

Taste, an atrium restaurant serving traditional and contemporary cuisine;

Manhattan Room, described as reminiscent of an elegant supper club with music, dancing and entertainment; and,

O'Sheehan's Neighborhood Bar & Grill

Other free options:

Garden Café buffet;

Great Outdoors, the ship's pool-side grill;

Spice H20, serving Latin and Asian-influenced cuisine in an adults-only area;

Atrium Cafe and Wine Bar (light snacks/pastries);

Studio Lounge, serving snacks and light fare for Studio guests; and,

Room Service

Two venues only open to passengers in Courtyard suites and villas, the Epic Club and Courtyard Grill, also come at no extra cost.

The eateries that come with an extra charge:

La Cucina, the ship's Italian restaurant. Cost: $10 per person.

Cirque Dreams & Dinner, a circus-inspired dinner-and-show experience that includes a three-course meal. Cost: $20 for general seating and $30 per person for preferred seating.

Shanghai's, Norwegian's first dedicated Chinese restaurant. Cost: $15 per person.

Shanghai's Noodle Bar. Cost: Individual items a la carte.

Wasabi, a sushi and sake bar. Cost: A la carte.

Le Bistro, Norwegian's bistro eatery serving classic French cuisine. Cost: $20 per person.

Moderno Churrascaria, a restaurant offering an expansive salad bar and choice of a variety of meats served by tableside passadors. Cost: $18 per person.

Cagney's Steakhouse, the line's signature American steakhouse. Cost: $25 per person.

Teppanyaki, the Japanese experiential restaurant. Cost: $25 per person.

Also, Epic passengers can order pizza around-the-clock to just about anywhere on the ship for a delivery fee of $5.

Moderno Churrascaria price is $20 per person now. Some of my family eat there on our 1/1/11 cruise.

Moderno Churrascaria price is $20 per person now. Some of my family eat there on our 1/1/11 cruise.

Thanks for the update. It was $18 in October.

Thanks so much for the great review and also for the restaurant list. These are both very helpful! I'm going to print them out to take with us when we go in May. Thanks, also, for the wine fee clarification. I was reading that the way I wanted to: $15 for all you can haul. Too good to be true, of course.

How do you book things before you go? I was unable to book the spa package and neither could our travel agent.

Anyone know this? Also, where do you go to book things once onboard? At each venue?

Thanks so much to all of you for the great info.