Epic Disappointment

[Doeymeister]

As you can see, in the pic....it is impossible to see Daniel in the toilet compartment. The 2nd picture shows him standing there, 1/2 - in; 1/2 - out. These two pics were taken for the express purpose of proving / disproving this concern.

 

lol. Daniel is sitting in the dark! This is supposed to prove your point? You can't see much through a clear glass window when you're in a lighted area and are looking into a dark one.

[sjbdtz]

lol. Daniel is sitting in the dark! This is supposed to prove your point? You can't see much through a clear glass window when you're in a lighted area and are looking into a dark one.

 

 

100% exactly the same opacity.

 

Now I've heard that the opacity in the spa suites was better than in the balconies.... but offset by very noisy glass rubbing against the guiderail. But you could not see into the lit toilet from a dark room, anymore than you can in the photos.

[CanadianTwosome]

100% exactly the same opacity.

 

Now I've heard that the opacity in the spa suites was better than in the balconies.... but offset by very noisy glass rubbing against the guiderail. But you could not see into the lit toilet from a dark room, anymore than you can in the photos.

 

Welcome back! I'm so glad to see that you enjoyed your cruise!! I am very confident reading your posts that I and my family have good reason to look forward to our own!! I did read, though, that there isn't any karaoke anywhere... is that true?

 

I find it interesting how disappointed people are in the size of the pools. I love swimming, and I would swim every day if I could. When I'm on cruise ships, however, the most I ever do is tread water. I like to swim laps for exercise, but also for relaxation, and I just find it too difficult to do so in cruise pools while fighting the motion of the ship in such small spaces. Treading water is my solution not only on cruise ships, but in any situation where space is limited in water - like on family day at a public pool, or in a hotel in sunny weather. I find that I still get all of the wonderful sensations I love most about swimming - and I get to keep my head comfortably above water and have fun bouncing in the waves, so there are positives to the compromise as well. :)

 

I have also never in my life ever seen anyone else actually 'swimming' in a ship's pool. Of course, when I was a child, the one swimming pool on board was only about 10'x10', so sitting on the edge with your feet in or treading water were really the only activites anyone could do. Since then, I've seen plenty of people in the pools, also treading water, lounging by the side or dangling feet, or playing games where short-distance movements were involved. I suppose perhaps one might be able to swim traditional laps while in port, but I'm never there to see it! :p

 

The waterpark with the fountains looks incredible. For those who just like the water to cool down, it will be easy to access, and for those who just like to dangle their feet, there's tons of space to do that.

 

Why spend so much time commenting on the pools? Well, for one thing I've already commented on everything else in other threads, but really it's because water is HUGELY important to me when I travel, and I think people are missing (or ignoring) the benefits of this setup. I think that before people dismiss the pools and water-access design on the Epic, they should really think about what they want to do in and around the pools. Hopefully some will be able to see what I'm talking about - that there are essentially more opportunities to enjoy water on this ship than on others, even with the actual pools being smaller. :)

[Mr. Luckytoo]

Welcome back! I'm so glad to see that you enjoyed your cruise!! I am very confident reading your posts that I and my family have good reason to look forward to our own!! I did read, though, that there isn't any karaoke anywhere... is that true?

 

Yes it is true - no karaoke

 

I find it interesting how disappointed people are in the size of the pools. I love swimming, and I would swim every day if I could. When I'm on cruise ships, however, the most I ever do is tread water.

 

The waterpark with the fountains looks incredible. For those who just like the water to cool down, it will be easy to access, and for those who just like to dangle their feet, there's tons of space to do that.

 

Why spend so much time commenting on the pools? Well, for one thing I've already commented on everything else in other threads, but really it's because water is HUGELY important to me when I travel, and I think people are missing (or ignoring) the benefits of this setup. I think that before people dismiss the pools and water-access design on the Epic, they should really think about what they want to do in and around the pools. Hopefully some will be able to see what I'm talking about - that there are essentially more opportunities to enjoy water on this ship than on others, even with the actual pools being smaller. :)

 

Because of the weather the pools really weren't used. Regarding the pools I can only comment on the I and P shaped pools that I personally looked at.

 

the I shaped pool looks like a lap pool that I had in a former house. The P pool is identical to the P except the outcropping is only 12 inches deep. Most adults don't swim in pools on cruise ships, they get in and do as you've said, tread water. However given the size of the I pool if you have someone in the water on one side and a person directly across from them hanging onto side when you tread water in the middle you will be very close to touching those on either side - that's how small these pools are.

 

Now toss in lots of kids running under the fountains and toddlers as well and it's just not something I, as a late 40's male wants to be around. When my wife and I use the hot tubs (didn't on this TA cruise) we don't get in if there are 6 or more people alread in the tub - too crowded for my taste.

 

The way Deck 15 is set up with chairs, walking isle, chairs, walking isle, chairs I anticipate lots of congestion. I can tell you that kids will be standing in line from 9-7 (hours of the slides) because it is cool. I know that on other cruise ships I preferred to spend time in the adult only pools and except for Spice H20 the adults won't be able to do that.

 

Some posters will claim that there are pools in the spa & villa area - great for 10% of the passengers but for the other 80% of the ship there isn't a large area.

[carol louise]

When I'm on cruise ships, however, the most I ever do is tread water. I like to swim laps for exercise, but also for relaxation, and I just find it too difficult to do so in cruise pools while fighting the motion of the ship in such small spaces. ... I have also never in my life ever seen anyone else actually 'swimming' in a ship's pool.

 

Optimistically I take my goggles on cruises, but rarely have a chance to swim laps. On the Volendam and Rotterdam a few of us actually did, though. Those were 10- and 12-day cruises in January and May, respectively. We cruised at the time of year and on longer cruises when there were few children, so the pools were not crowded. This past May on the Serenade of the Seas, I enjoyed the pool in the Solarium (adults-only pool and patio area). It ranged from 5 to 6 feet deep. It was too short for laps, but I enjoyed a vigorous water aerobics workout. The Norwegian Spirit had what they call "Aquaswim," a room near the spa with two of those pools with an artificial current you swim against, like running on a treadmill. That was not exactly laps, but a chance to use real swimming strokes. The Norwegian Dawn had what they actually call a "lap pool" indoors in the spa area, but it was very shallow (I had to be careful not to scrape my knuckles on the bottom of the shallow end) and the water temperature was about 90 degrees I estimated. People tended to sit in it as if it were a non-bubbly jacuzzi. I swam back and forth rather aggressively to establish that I was using a particular "lane" and people stayed out of my way for the most part.

[sjbdtz]

Welcome back! I'm so glad to see that you enjoyed your cruise!! I am very confident reading your posts that I and my family have good reason to look forward to our own!! I did read, though, that there isn't any karaoke anywhere... is that true?

 

I find it interesting how disappointed people are in the size of the pools. I love swimming, and I would swim every day if I could. When I'm on cruise ships, however, the most I ever do is tread water. I like to swim laps for exercise, but also for relaxation, and I just find it too difficult to do so in cruise pools while fighting the motion of the ship in such small spaces. Treading water is my solution not only on cruise ships, but in any situation where space is limited in water - like on family day at a public pool, or in a hotel in sunny weather. I find that I still get all of the wonderful sensations I love most about swimming - and I get to keep my head comfortably above water and have fun bouncing in the waves, so there are positives to the compromise as well. :)

 

I have also never in my life ever seen anyone else actually 'swimming' in a ship's pool. Of course, when I was a child, the one swimming pool on board was only about 10'x10', so sitting on the edge with your feet in or treading water were really the only activites anyone could do. Since then, I've seen plenty of people in the pools, also treading water, lounging by the side or dangling feet, or playing games where short-distance movements were involved. I suppose perhaps one might be able to swim traditional laps while in port, but I'm never there to see it! :p

 

The waterpark with the fountains looks incredible. For those who just like the water to cool down, it will be easy to access, and for those who just like to dangle their feet, there's tons of space to do that.

 

Why spend so much time commenting on the pools? Well, for one thing I've already commented on everything else in other threads, but really it's because water is HUGELY important to me when I travel, and I think people are missing (or ignoring) the benefits of this setup. I think that before people dismiss the pools and water-access design on the Epic, they should really think about what they want to do in and around the pools. Hopefully some will be able to see what I'm talking about - that there are essentially more opportunities to enjoy water on this ship than on others, even with the actual pools being smaller. :)

 

 

Hi CT...yes, sadly...no karaoke, but apparently planning a karaoke night, which will have a hard-drive system.

 

Murder mystery was said to be sold only to 16+.

 

Those were the two questions I asked on your behalf. :)

[eroller]

Hi CT...yes, sadly...no karaoke,

 

 

 

 

Wow, no karaoke! Score one for EPIC!! Woo Hoo! One of the most positive things I've read about EPIC in a long time.

 

Ernie

[samnewbie]

Errrrrrr No

 

Well parts of the North do yes.

 

Oi! ;)...I live in the north and it certainly doesnt look like Coronation Street here ...we do have a very nice Royal Golf Course though :D

 

Oh and funnily enough we looked at that kitchen range you have today, thought it funny to come here and see that, so yes, I totally agree, 1970's retro look is very 'in' in Europe...even 'ooop north' ;)

 

Sam :)

[chachi]

Thank you for taking the time to write such a detailed review. This is the only NCL ship I have ever been interested in taking. I have waited on booking to read the reviews. I will wait for more to come in, but I am not sure that I will be booking this afterall. The bathroom is enough to keep me off. I don't like cruises with only 3 ports anyways, so it is probably a good thing that I thing that my desire for trying Epic is beginning to fade.

[samnewbie]

Hi CT...yes, sadly...no karaoke, but apparently planning a karaoke night, which will have a hard-drive system.

 

Murder mystery was said to be sold only to 16+.

 

Those were the two questions I asked on your behalf. :)

 

Hi there,

 

I'm actually pleased that there won't be lots of karoke, we spent a holiday last year at my sisters villa in Cyprus where she now lives and every night out was darned karoke, it was everywhere, drove us insane! - I do realise though that some will be disappointed but for us it's a huge plus :)

 

It's a shame the murder mystery is to be for 16+ though, our daughter will be 15 and 3 months (the 3 months are important apparantly) and that was one of the things we had hoped to do together, ahh well, plenty of other fun things :)

 

Thanks for the info

 

Sam :)

[Mr. Luckytoo]

Hi there,

 

I'm actually pleased that there won't be lots of karoke, we spent a holiday last year at my sisters villa in Cyprus where she now lives and every night out was darned karoke, it was everywhere, drove us insane! - I do realise though that some will be disappointed but for us it's a huge plus :)

 

It's a shame the murder mystery is to be for 16+ though, our daughter will be 15 and 3 months (the 3 months are important apparantly) and that was one of the things we had hoped to do together, ahh well, plenty of other fun things :)

 

Thanks for the info

 

Sam :)

 

I would check with the box office about that. Having attended the Murdery Mystery lunch I didn't hear anything that wasn't family appropriate. The 2nd city people do their best to keep their earlier shows PG or maybe PG-13.

 

don't rule it out but from what I observed of the kids areas on deck 14 and deck 16 I imagine you'll have a hard time getting her away from those places anyway.

[javafriend]

Hi there,

 

I'm actually pleased that there won't be lots of karoke, we spent a holiday last year at my sisters villa in Cyprus where she now lives and every night out was darned karoke, it was everywhere, drove us insane! - I do realise though that some will be disappointed but for us it's a huge plus :)

 

It's a shame the murder mystery is to be for 16+ though, our daughter will be 15 and 3 months (the 3 months are important apparantly) and that was one of the things we had hoped to do together, ahh well, plenty of other fun things :)

 

Thanks for the info

 

Sam :)

 

 

Sam,

Actually, there were children of all ages in the Murder Mystery Lunch. I think it would have been boring for young ones, but absolutely appropriate for your 15 year old. The roles of the actors are set, but they use audience suggestions to drive the show. The audience votes on who will be the victim, and gets to question the suspects. The Second City comedians do a great job of improv, and the entire experience is well worth the money!

 

Lisa

[Mr. Luckytoo]

I've finally done a total review. I did leave out some of the experiences that I'd written about earlier, including my detail about the toilet/sink.

 

As someone who was really, really excited about cruising a new ship on it's maiden voyage I can not tell you how much I was looking forward to a royal time.

 

Shipboard Entertainment:

The ship’s decor is beautiful! In fact there are many instances on the ship where NCL went to extremes to get it right - the Cirque Dreams & Dinner for example, is by far the best show on the high seas. Combine a very good three course meal with the cirque performers and you get a dinner show that is family friendly and exciting. Nothing on the high seas comes close. This is a definite must for those cruising the Epic

 

The Legends in concert is very good as well. Having seen the Legends show in Vegas the show on the Epic was of the same quality just shorter. In Vegas you'll see 7-8 performers doing 2-3 songs. On board we had Tina Turner, Madonna and Elvis. All were good performers and all did 4-5 songs with Elvis doing the most. This wasn’t a cheesy show but a well performed show. No extra fee.

 

Blue Man Group did an hour show. I hadn't seen it before and enjoyed it. I was told by a casino worker from Vegas that the BMG was only 10-15 minutes shorter than the Vegas show - but the Vegas show costs $100. On board the Epic it's FREE!! This was my first time seeing BMG and it was an enjoyable show.

 

Second City improv performances - I enjoyed the group. There were 6 performers 4 guys and 2 girls. I thought that the brunette, skinny balding guy and larger guy were the funniest. If you like improve than you'll like this. If you don't like improv you may want to pass on this one. No extra fee

 

The Murder Mystery show was ok. If you like Second City then you will like the murder mystery. The food was good for a fixed lunch menu. I wish the actors would have stuck to a script rather than done as much improve but overall it was an enjoyable 90 minutes. Additional charge.

 

O'Sheehans: It is located on deck 6 mid ship. It has the looks of your neighborhood Beef O'Brady's (an American Sports Bar). You can get breakfast 24/7 as well as excellent, fish & chips, sandwiches and desserts. If you're looking for comfort food than this is your place. My personal favorite was the fish & chips. The fish was FRESH and fantastic, not the frozen fish sticks. I could go on and on about this restaurant - there wasn't really anything I didn't like at O'Sheehans. Most importantly is the staff who were working there. After 2 days one of the waiters, "Ricky", would greet us by name when we entered and would wave at us if we were walking by. He remembered our drinks and what we had ordered the day before as well. He was friendly, outgoing and really made our visits to O’Sheehans memorable. In fact we filled out two (2) comment cards, which we turned in, complementing the excellent staff and food for O'Sheehans. Now realize that this is a sports pub/restaurant. There is lots of ambient noise from the 2-story atrium behind, the casino at one end and the adjacent bowling lanes. If you’re looking for quiet and cozy this is not the place. However if you’re looking for comfort food, smiling faces and a place like Cheer’s - O’Sheehans is the place to be. Surprisingly this is a no fee eatery.

 

La Cucina: This Italian specialty restaurant was well worth the $10 cover charge. You go to deck 15, thru the buffet area to the very front of the ship and walk down the stairs. It has a nicely decorated entrance and inside if very cozy - lots of stone, trees, faux library books, etc., We were seated at the window in the very front of the ship. We observed several pods of dolphins, turtles (my wife said seals) and birds. It was a wonderful and romantic atmosphere. My wife and I weren't pleased with the dinner rolls, calamari or minestrone soup (the calamari was better at O'Sheehans). The assistant maitre’ de did everything to make us happy. We had the Margarita pizza and we LOVED it! If you like a true Italian pizza, like you get in Rome, then go to La Cucina. Given the appearance of La Cucina and the service I would definitely return to this restaurant.

The churaassioro restaurant,

 

Moderno, was a pleasant surprise. This is NCL’s version of Texas de Brazil. Our waitress was friendly, pleasant and provided us with excellent service. The “gaucho’s” who brought the different foods around to the table were efficient. This was a very good dining experience and we enjoyed it as much as the Texas de Brazil. My only complaint is that I ate too much of the various meats before they came around with the filet mignon! considering the price for this restaurant I would definitely do this again. (some of the meats were overcooked/dry)

 

Our final specialty restaurant experience was Tappanyaki - the Japanese show/dining experience. The servers were friendly and efficient. The chef was nice. My only complaint is that I was tasting garlic the remainder of the night and the next morning. My impression of this restaurant was one of having been there, done that but not likely to return.

 

Manhattan Club. The larger of the two no fee MDR the Manhattan Club is located in the rear of the ship. The décor is nicely done with lots of earth tones and wood. We dined in here twice, breakfast and lunch. On each occasion the service was slower than the other places that we ate and the food was not on the same level of the other areas of the ship. Legends in Concert played in this venue but we had seen them and we weren’t about to fight the crowd. In a conversation with crew we learned that the galley that serves the Manhattan Club is located on deck 4 so the wait staff has to walk up and down. I guess that explains the longer wait for food.

 

Taste. The smaller of the two MDR’s located on deck 5 right under the casino. Taste has bricks and more color than the Manhattan Club. I think it pushes the envelop in color and I really liked it. The service was good and the food was better than what we received in the Manhattan Club. My only dislike about Taste is the seats in the open area that look upward to the casino and the 7th floor. Looking down on the diners it looks nice, however, seating there and looking up wasn’t very comfortable and we asked to be moved. Of the two MDR’s I preferred Taste to the Manhattan Club.

 

The casino is rather long and unlike other cruse lines has dealers at their two (2) poker tables. There is an abundance of table games and this was the first time I can remember playing Pai Gow at sea (would have preferred an automatic shuffler). Table limits ranged from $5 to $25 and there were more than enough dealers present. The slot machines where placed throughout the ship with new slots in addition to the older 3-reel slot machines. My wife made the comment that she felt like this was a real casino rather than a “ship casino”. As someone who has spent too much time on land based casino’s I concur with my wife. The Epic’s casino has a feel of Harrah’s in A.C.

 

My biggest complaint about the casino was the number of smokers on this cruise. While playing in the daily poker tournament there were a few players who couldn’t stay away from the cigarettes for more than 10 minutes. One of the machines that my wife seemed to like was on the end and located right next to a cigarette receptacle. I kept wondered why she tolerated the smokers there but that machine was one of a few that actually gave her some profits.

 

Unlike other ships there really isn’t a lot of public outdoor space in which to walk, watch the water or to sit. Deck 7 leads outdoor where there is a jogging track but the presence of the lifeboats doesn’t allow you to sit or relax. On Deck 15 there are the side rails but the back of the ship consists of Spice H2O and a pair of hot tubs in the ships corners. There is amphitheatre seating at Spice and the pool raises to a dancing area where they had a “Jersey Boy” group performing the first night. Unfortunately the weather was too cold and windy for me to spend too much time. They sounded really good and appeared indoors on other nights.

 

The rock climbing walls and repelling walls are located on deck 15 towards the back and near the water slide exits. It seemed that whenever I was on deck there was at least an inch of water that was splashing out of the water slides. It was difficult to walk in that area without getting your shoes wet. According to workers…”we told them {NCL} they need more drains.” The rock walls themselves are relatively short compared to those on RCCL. The repelling wall was a letdown as it took longer to put on the gear than it did to come down. For those who have never done rock climbing it’s easy enough and should be fun. If however, you’re looking for a challenge you may be disappointed. One of my disappointing encounters was going to deck 17 to try the Epic bounce, a bungee/trampoline. I got in line at 5:05 and watched 5 cruisers jumping. When it was my turn the worker in charge had me get on the scale and said, “I’m sorry but the limit is 200 pounds. (I weigh 230) It’s a ship’s safety rule.”

Having done the exact same bungee 18 months earlier at a vacation destination on land (and weighing in at 225) I know that the bungee could handle my weight but it was now 5:50 and after waiting 45 minutes I was upset. “How come there’s no sign?” I asked. All I got was a shoulder shrug! So adults beware if you are 200 pounds and above don’t bother standing in line. To NCL - Post a darn sign will you?

 

Considering that this ship has around 5,000 passengers I expected a larger feeling ship. There are basically 5 public area floors, Decks 5, 6 & 7 along with decks 14 & 15. While I didn’t feel cramped I was surprised at how difficult it was to find quiet spots on the ship in which to relax and watch the water. The fact that this ship has no library demonstrates that NCL was striving to maximize the entertainment and bar spaces.

The color combination/decor of all the areas was nicely done. This is not the bright gaudy ships that you see with Carnival nor is it the bland colorless boring type of ship. It had a trendy feel. In my opinion I thought that Deck 5 was really a wasted/incomplete deck. Upon entering the ship I observed the 2-story screen (a wow factor) and a coffee bar. Unfortunately due to the layout of the atrium we were unable to find seats to sit and enjoy our lattes. In addition when movies or the world cup soccer was being played on the 2-story screen it was LOUD! I missed having a relaxing place to sit and enjoy a coffee and cake. The front desk was right across from the screen and it was packed with cruisers from the moment we arrived and throughout most of the cruise. Moving forward on Deck 5 was the Park West art gallery and Le Bistro along with the photo gallery and internet area.

 

The cabin that we booked a deluxe family balcony for our maiden Epic cruise was very pretty. The color scheme and initial impression created that WOW effect when we opened the door. However, after using the cabin facilities I quickly learned that while it may be pretty to behold I was not completely comfortable with the toilet/sink privacy and the lack of space to walk around. Our cabin was not completed as we had no air conditioning and were unable to use our shower for the first two days of the cruise. This cabin also had a tub but there was no stopper. We put in several work orders at the front desk and after 4 days of complaining we just gave up. The lack of TV programming was surprising as well - only 10 channels were available; two being cartoons/Nickelodeon, two were Skynews, and Skynews Sports, two were ship related (view from bridge and ship information), BBC, MSMBC, CNBC and a channel of pre-recorded sitcoms (Friends/Scrubs). No movies unless you wanted to pay $12.95 each. Since I have written about the cabin short comings at length on other threads I will not beat a dead horse. I will say that unless and until cabin changes are made in the future I will not rebook on the Epic.

An interesting concept with the photos in that they use facial recognition software. You turn over your room keycard to the photographer at the time of photos. When you go to view the photos, you swipe it and your accumulated photo’s pop-up. In addition the printed photo’s are in plastic envelopes in a pocket identified by decks and each cabin has its own folder of photos. This eliminates the need to constantly look for photo’s night after night. Nice touch.

 

On each cruise I have been on my wife and I look back as to what our WOW moment was. Some WOW moments have been the ships, our cabins and the views. On other cruises it was the itinerary or an excursion.

We were disappointed because what we anticipated as being a WOW moment; sailing from Southampton on an inaugural cruise, and sailing into NYC on a maiden voyage, turned out to be nothing more than a “delivery cruise“. This TA was no different than any other NCL cruise we have taken. The time and frustration in dealing with the front desk in order to correct the problems with our cabin detracted from our overall trip experience; especially since the problems should have never been allowed to slip thru the cracks if the company had taken the time to perform a proper “punch list”. Considering all the pre-sailing hype that NCL did promoting the Epic I felt jilted.

 

I will remember the excellent service that the staff of O’Sheehans provided. We will also remember this as an entertainment cruise that has set the standard for other ships to live up to. The Cirque Dreams & Dinner show is not only the most unique but finest dinner show on all the high seas. BMG & Legends do a fine job of living up to their land based shows. Second city does an admirable job as well.

 

I give the crew of the Epic (with the exception of the front desk personnel) huge applause for their hard work, dedication and professionalism. It was refreshing to see their smiling faces wherever we went. You could tell this crew was the best of the best! Heck, I even saw smiling pit bosses in the casino! The ship itself I give a thumbs up for the entertainment value and innovations such as the cirque dinner show, the numerous water slides, the ice bar and a “real” casino.

 

However, I still find it disconcerting that NCL would rush their flagship to market. It was a mistake to allow this ship to sail without crossing all their t’s and dotting their i’s. I would expect most of the problems that I encountered during my cruise to be ironed out and corrected in the future. The ship is new and exciting however my disappoint remains.

I doubt if I will remember this cruise on the Epic as “special” or inaugural. Instead I will tell people that I sailed on NCL’s newest ship:

 

The GPIC - Guinea Pig Inaugural Cruise.

[GUEST080219]

Thanks for your review, I would second most of the points. Some additions:

 

Crew: yep the best, but I would include the front desk staff. They had a very hard first day with all the complaints and I would have liked to see more staff at that day in service. Myself and a lot of other people I noticed immediately got an other room offered after they complained.

Although I would expect that NCL is actively offering that to passengers booked non-ready cabins and not wait until they complain, I had exactly the same in my NY hotel I am staying at the moment. So it is a somewhat common practice.

 

Entertainment: BMG and Legends in Concert absolutely great. But the other entertainment is not bad either. Especially Jeff Hobson and the Wildfire Duo come to my mind. The Howl at the Moon needs the right amount of party people in the club to really get great.

 

Casino: Great $1/$2 Poker Game running each night. Funny and crazy players and a friendly atmosphere. Although with 10%, $1 min $25 max rake nothing you should consider when playing for profit. Some players were a bit unhappy with the dealers that did some errors from time to time, but what do you expect in these games.

 

Taste: My absolute favorite. Very beautiful dining room, staff already at a high level, should be even better after some more weeks of working in this setting. And the best, I have never had problems to get seated immediately or seen others that had to wait. I would just love a few more choices on the menu. If you you have to eliminate some meals because of dislikes, you can get into trouble eating something different every lunch and dinner. Should get even worse on a B2B.

 

O'Sheehans: I am probably the only one who is not a fan, didn't like the food at all. But everyone has its own taste. The setting is indeed great and consistent.

 

Buffet: For Breakfast there was a huge variety and good quality food, but when the weather was to bad to sit outside there were serious problems to find a seat. Lunch and dinner choices did not seem to be to great, but I honestly just walked through and perhaps overlooked something.

 

Studio cabin: Loved the design, the different colored light settings funny to try once in a while, but I hated that they did not remember your last chosen setting after you left the cabin. Other minor weakness that you could not control all lights from the cabin entrance and the controls near to your bed. The light above the sink had its only switch next to it, so if you already lied down and wanted to switch it off....

The stool and table seemed to be misconstructed as well. To do whatever you wanted at the table you could comfortable sit on the bed and the table was way to small for nearly everything. I would have preferred some extendible construction.

The toilet cabin is so small that I had to open the door to move more or less comfortable (not a huge problem when you are alone) and while sitting my knees nearly reached the wall.

But they had two 220V sockets for german plugs, so I could live with the small toilet ;)

Overall I think there are some things hard to correct (smaller bed, bigger table, other configuration of controls) that could have been avoided. But if the price is right there is no argument not taking this cabin when you are traveling alone.

 

It was my first cruise and I am not deterred from cruising again. Will probably even chose NCL again, but not a cruise without days in ports. The cruise was above my rather low expectations but nothing really memorable where I will talk about the next 20 years.

 

I would say NCL did a great job but missed the opportunity to start with a great bang.

[samnewbie]

I would check with the box office about that. Having attended the Murdery Mystery lunch I didn't hear anything that wasn't family appropriate. The 2nd city people do their best to keep their earlier shows PG or maybe PG-13.

 

don't rule it out but from what I observed of the kids areas on deck 14 and deck 16 I imagine you'll have a hard time getting her away from those places anyway.

 

 

Hiya,

 

Thanks! Thats good to know :)

 

Sam

[samnewbie]

Sam,

Actually, there were children of all ages in the Murder Mystery Lunch. I think it would have been boring for young ones, but absolutely appropriate for your 15 year old. The roles of the actors are set, but they use audience suggestions to drive the show. The audience votes on who will be the victim, and gets to question the suspects. The Second City comedians do a great job of improv, and the entire experience is well worth the money!

 

Lisa

 

Hi Lisa,

 

OOO thanks for that info, sounds fab. We did a murder mystery dinner here in the UK and daughter loved it so the one on the EPIC sounds fab!!

 

Thanks again Lisa,

 

Sam :)

[samnewbie]

Mr Luckytoo thanks for posting the rest of your review, enjoyed reading that:)

 

Can i just ask, the access to La Cucina, is it only via a staircase or is there an accessible route?

 

micm thanks for your points too :)

 

Thanks again both,

 

Sam :)

[Mr. Luckytoo]

Mr Luckytoo thanks for posting the rest of your review, enjoyed reading that:)

 

Can i just ask, the access to La Cucina, is it only via a staircase or is there an accessible route?

 

micm thanks for your points too :)

 

Thanks again both,

 

Sam :)

 

I saw where there is handicapped access from Deck 14 - so people who can't negoiate the stairs will still be able to dine there!

[samnewbie]

I saw where there is handicapped access from Deck 14 - so people who can't negoiate the stairs will still be able to dine there!

 

Thats great! Thanks for the info, had noticed someone else mention going via stairs so thought it would be odd having no accessible way of getting there, many thanks for that.

 

Sam :)

[MATHA531]

Thanks for your review, I would second most of the points. Some additions:

 

Crew: yep the best, but I would include the front desk staff. They had a very hard first day with all the complaints and I would have liked to see more staff at that day in service. Myself and a lot of other people I noticed immediately got an other room offered after they complained.

Although I would expect that NCL is actively offering that to passengers booked non-ready cabins and not wait until they complain, I had exactly the same in my NY hotel I am staying at the moment. So it is a somewhat common practice.

 

Entertainment: BMG and Legends in Concert absolutely great. But the other entertainment is not bad either. Especially Jeff Hobson and the Wildfire Duo come to my mind. The Howl at the Moon needs the right amount of party people in the club to really get great.

 

Casino: Great $1/$2 Poker Game running each night. Funny and crazy players and a friendly atmosphere. Although with 10%, $1 min $25 max rake nothing you should consider when playing for profit. Some players were a bit unhappy with the dealers that did some errors from time to time, but what do you expect in these games.

 

Taste: My absolute favorite. Very beautiful dining room, staff already at a high level, should be even better after some more weeks of working in this setting. And the best, I have never had problems to get seated immediately or seen others that had to wait. I would just love a few more choices on the menu. If you you have to eliminate some meals because of dislikes, you can get into trouble eating something different every lunch and dinner. Should get even worse on a B2B.

 

O'Sheehans: I am probably the only one who is not a fan, didn't like the food at all. But everyone has its own taste. The setting is indeed great and consistent.

 

Buffet: For Breakfast there was a huge variety and good quality food, but when the weather was to bad to sit outside there were serious problems to find a seat. Lunch and dinner choices did not seem to be to great, but I honestly just walked through and perhaps overlooked something.

 

Studio cabin: Loved the design, the different colored light settings funny to try once in a while, but I hated that they did not remember your last chosen setting after you left the cabin. Other minor weakness that you could not control all lights from the cabin entrance and the controls near to your bed. The light above the sink had its only switch next to it, so if you already lied down and wanted to switch it off....

The stool and table seemed to be misconstructed as well. To do whatever you wanted at the table you could comfortable sit on the bed and the table was way to small for nearly everything. I would have preferred some extendible construction.

The toilet cabin is so small that I had to open the door to move more or less comfortable (not a huge problem when you are alone) and while sitting my knees nearly reached the wall.

But they had two 220V sockets for german plugs, so I could live with the small toilet ;)

Overall I think there are some things hard to correct (smaller bed, bigger table, other configuration of controls) that could have been avoided. But if the price is right there is no argument not taking this cabin when you are traveling alone.

 

It was my first cruise and I am not deterred from cruising again. Will probably even chose NCL again, but not a cruise without days in ports. The cruise was above my rather low expectations but nothing really memorable where I will talk about the next 20 years.

 

I would say NCL did a great job but missed the opportunity to start with a great bang.

 

Did your cabin have a fridge? NCL promos say all cabins have fridges but I read somewhere the studios don't have one (which is disgusting quite frankly).

[GUEST080219]

Did your cabin have a fridge? NCL promos say all cabins have fridges but I read somewhere the studios don't have one (which is disgusting quite frankly).

 

Nope, no fridge no hairdryer no coffee maker.

Just a safe, a can of ice and two glasses. Although it is probably a good idea to ask your steward to remove them if you do not plan to use the ice, that would give you a bit more space on the table.

 

To be honest I don't think it would be a good idea to put any further items into the studio as you need most of the space for storage.

[david_sobe]

Thanks for the great review Luckytoo.

I weigh 210 so now you have given me incentive to lose 15 pounds in 6 months to get on the bungee :)

The restaurants and entertainment sound like the best at sea and I cant wait to get on board. It is unfortunate the first few cruises had so many problems. I am sure they will be fixed soon. It will also be interesting to see how the Epic sails with 120% capacity in the next few weeks.

I dont understand how angry some get when travelers post their negative happenings aboard the ship. I agree with you that the ship was not finished and unfortunately the first cruise took one for the team. I wonder how many people blogging about people being "negative" would be praising NCL if on their cruise the pools for closed for days, went without TV or phones for days, and a spa that is so crowded they could not get in.

I think the criticism has been fair. But any new giant ship is going to be a little disorganized but no doubt the Epic needed another 1-2 weeks in dry dock before launch.

[mjane1999]

Mr. Luckytoo, have you seen the pictures with the fountains running? I think the change in size of the pools is in conjunction with these fountains as a complete package. Add in the water slides which are also fun water activity and I think the group you mention which usually spends a lot of time at the pools may indeed find Epic a very good water park and more interesting than just pools... just sayin... You may also be quite right and some will miss having more pool area, but a blanket statement that pool lovers will be dissappointed is an overstatement IMHO...

 

Pictures of the fountains in action in post #8 in this thread:

 

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1225300&highlight=fountains

 

As the fountains are pretty they still don't make the pools any larger just prettier. I never saw the fountains on once while on the TA. Is this where your photo was taken? Who wants water spraying all over them the whole time they are in the pool? I sure don't. This will especially attract even more kids to take over the small area that the adults can enjoy. Because they will want to play in the fountains. The area will already be overrun with kids since the water slides ect are directly next to the pool.

If you have kids it will be a great area for you. If you don't I would prefer to be sitting in the Celebrity Equinox solarium.

[CanadianTwosome]

Hi CT...yes, sadly...no karaoke, but apparently planning a karaoke night, which will have a hard-drive system.

 

Murder mystery was said to be sold only to 16+.

 

Those were the two questions I asked on your behalf. :)

 

Thank you very much!

 

Boston - Yes, everyone knows who you mean - and what you mean, for that matter. Gosh, 'someone' must be so crushed to know that you didn't agree with their point of view. After all, your approval really is what we're all here for, right? :p

[Mr. Luckytoo]

The restaurants and entertainment sound like the best at sea and I cant wait to get on board. It is unfortunate the first few cruises had so many problems. I am sure they will be fixed soon.

 

The restaurants were a surprise to me because the decor was very nice and the service was the best that I had experienced on any NCL cruise (this was my 5th NCL).

 

Here's a view from la Cucina of the front of the ship - notice anything "weird" or "different"?

 

 

 

It will also be interesting to see how the Epic sails with 120% capacity in the next few weeks. I dont understand how angry some get when travelers post their negative happenings aboard the ship. I agree with you that the ship was not finished and unfortunately the first cruise took one for the team. I wonder how many people blogging about people being "negative" would be praising NCL if on their cruise the pools for closed for days, went without TV or phones for days, and a spa that is so crowded they could not get in.

 

If I REALLY wanted to be nit picky I would have harped on the unfinished aspects that we noticed. Take this as an example: the top of the bowling alley's located next to O'Sheehans. Look at the roof - there is exposed pipes, nails, etc., The bowling area in the Bliss lounge didn't look like this:

 

 

I mean I could probably provide at least a dozen examples of how the ship wasn't "finished" but did it really have any effect on my cruise? Nope! The bowling alley's still worked. I just was reporting what I saw and how it impacted me and my wife.

 

I think the criticism has been fair. But any new giant ship is going to be a little disorganized but no doubt the Epic needed another 1-2 weeks in dry dock before launch.

 

David I think that with the time between now and the first Miami cruise most of the fixable problems will be corrected. One of the easiest ways to make some people (such as my wife) happier about the bathroom toilet is to paint the frosted glass door with something to prevent any light from being seen.

 

I just find it amazing that NCL paid attention to little details such as having magnets in the curtain next to the balcony so that when you close the curtain the magnets click and you can really get the room sealed from outside light.

 

Another little detail I forgot about was reading/night lights on the bed.

 

With regard to people getting upset about some of what I've written...I am amazed at how many "cheerleaders" just turn a blind eye to anything that doesn't live up to their expectations.

 

I guess that the kool-aid drinkers are just limited to politics :cool: