The Wait Is Over! A review of the Epic's maiden crossing June 24th - July 1st

[amybeth4]

This could be the one time in my life I book a cruise on a ship not because of the activities or the itinerary, but because the ship is so gorgeous. Wow.

[cruise pup]

NCL usually commits to two day turn around. :)

Pity ;) But seriously, I've been enjoying your reviews. Can't wait for the next installment. I sail after Thanksgiving. Hoping they'll have nice holiday decorations. The tree they have had on NCL Spirit in the atrium is a knockout.

[kerrytens]

This could be the one time in my life I book a cruise on a ship not because of the activities or the itinerary, but because the ship is so gorgeous. Wow.

You're not alone there. I got caught up in all of the photos and videos that were being posted not too long ago and Epic was all I could think about. I put down a deposit a few days later:D

Loving the review, btw! Thanks.

[samnewbie]

Look for a sign near the deck 14 forward elevators/stairs directing pax with accessibility issues to a side entrance to La Cucina. (The sign I saw was on the starboard side.)

 

Edit: All others proceed up to deck 15, walk forward through cafe, and go down the stairs in the center of the ship.

 

 

Hiya,

 

Many thanks for that extra info, brilliant!

 

Thanks again

 

Sam :)

[hencoll]

Thanks Cubechick for the great reviews & pics!! :) I saw the post above from Hencoll and I was wondering how your experience was while traveling with children? Did they participate in the kids club? Any info will be greatly appreciated as I will be traveling with my 2 kids in November!

 

All 3 of my girls (14,9 & 7) participated in the youth program. Most of the time I had a difficult time getting them to leave. My two youngest had only cruised on Disney and were very nervous about cruising with anyone else. They absolutely loved the kids club and the counselors were wonderful. They enjoyed the many scheduled activities as well as the free play time. My 14 yr old was always gone either at the teen club or out with her new friends.

 

We did the Cirque dinner show and the we all loved it. My two youngest were not thrilled with the menu, so I asked for and had no trouble getting them chicken fingers and fries. They did eat the salad and dessert from the menu. We were also able to get a kids meal option at La Cucina and the Epic Club.

 

IMO, the Epic is an excellent choice for families with younger kids and teens. It has options for everyone. We enjoyed are experience so much that I just booked one of the Epic 2011 Med cruises in another CY Villa.

[Cubechick]

Hi Cubechick' date='

 

Loving your review as always and excellent pics, too!

 

Many seem to be complaining about the walk through the casino on deck 6. Is it really that bad? Is there another deck you would recommend instead? (like on Gem and Pearl walking deck 7 smoke-free as opposed to deck 6).

 

Wow, you can really tell the very frequent NCL cruisers when you mention the edamame's gone missing, lol.;):D

 

Sounds like Moderno is a big hit and is out front in the poll for the favorite dinner onboard. La Cucina sounds so nice from your description and pics. Last time we were onboard Gem they didn't have the trolleys going around with the antipasto either.:(

 

Looking forward to that Behind the Scenes tour next month. On the Gem in Dec. we were only allowed into the bridge viewing room so it's cool the captain gave permission for your group to be there. I would have jumped out of my skin at the "alarm.":eek::D

 

Just found out Slam Allen will still be on in Aug. What a change from NYC's Terra Blues for him.

 

Hope they solve the problem of those long lines for getting into the entertainment venues. Guess I better get crackin' and make some online rsvns!

 

Thanks for taking us along on your fantastic voyage! Can't wait to read more! Say hi to Chris for us.[/quote']

 

Wish you and Bob had been able to be with us. I LOL'd at your edamame comment. :D I didn't find deck six to be all that bad. Similar to the crowds you find on sea days on the Jewel class ships in the atrium. Deck 7 probably has a little less congestion even though it has the shops and bar central.

[Cubechick]

Day Six…

 

We had a busy day planned. After breakfast and a workout (back in the fitness center…darn weather!) we decided to eat in O’Sheehan’s for lunch. It was noontime and the place was hopping (another Cup Match was also being played) but we were able to find seating on the restaurant side (the other side of the aisle is the “bar” side). We placed our order (wings, artichoke dip, fish and chips and the corned beef sandwich) and then waited over 30 minutes for our food to arrive. At first I chalked this up to how busy the place was, but I saw other orders arriving very quickly. When our food did come it was all plopped down at once (I didn’t notice this with other tables which were being served in courses). I have to admit disappointment. The wings were cold and despite hearing great things about the fish and chips and the corned beef, they were just okay. The artichoke and spinach dip though was hot, tasty and definitely the hit of the meal (and I’ve heard bad reviews on this item on other ships…go figure). O’Sheehan’s is open 24 hours a day and has a limited breakfast menu available at all times (which we didn’t get to try unfortunately). I would definitely recommend O’Sheehan’s for a quick bite or for breakfast as I heard they weren’t very crowded in the morning.

 

Well, the rest of the day was busy, busy, busy. We had a cabin crawl arranged by one of our Cruise Critic members at 2:00. A HUGE thank you to Sharon for organizing all of that and an equally BIG thanks to everyone who was willing to let strangers poke into your room and take pictures!

 

We met outside of Cagney’s. There were forty of us “crawling” so we were split into two groups. One of the butlers, Chris, was on hand to help us gain access to the studio area. We were able to see balcony cabins, deluxe balconies (think mini-suite with the slightly larger space and tub), inside cabin and a studio, which I know I was very curious about. The hallway for the studios sets the tone with cool colors:

 

The studio room at 100 sq feet is as small as expected but efficiently laid out.

 

The Living Room was smaller than I expected given the number of studios, but sported a full bar, a bit of seating from bar stools to comfy chairs and had televisions.

 

I also spotted a vending machine area for snacks as we were walking. I can definitely see the Studio area being a hip place to hang out. We also saw a spa suite and a forward A3 which with the solarium (16001) rather than balcony. Probably the perfect room for this cruise with our problematic weather! This A3 was also a bit larger than ours. The living room was at least 1-2 feet wider. Good to know if you’re looking for a little more space for a family.

 

The crawl wrapped up just in time for us to attend a wine tasting. The president of St. Francis vineyards in Sonoma Valley was on board and gave a nice little talk along with samples of three of their wines. We enjoyed this so much that we may very well tour his vineyard when we’re in the area next April.

 

We were now off to get ready for the Cirque dinner…again. Clair was so paranoid about us making it to the show that Anshuman had been instructed to escort us down to the show at 5:00. We met Anshuman at the appointed time and were whisked downstairs. Our keycards were scanned and we were quickly seated in a nice booth for four. We had opted out of premium seating as none of us wished to become part of the show. The tradeoff however was that we had a somewhat obstructed view as we couldn’t see into the second story of the “big top”. We didn’t miss a lot, but it’s something to be aware of.

 

 

The show and dinner were great. The dinner is a set menu as they attempt to serve everything as seamlessly and unobtrusively as possible (they will handle requests for allergies though). There was a wedge salad with shrimp, hard-boiled egg and Thousand Island dressing. Entrée was both a small filet mignon and a stuffed chicken breast with gratin potatoes. Dessert was chocolate decadence with berries.

 

The show was great. The performers are all so talented from the singers to the acrobats to the quick-change artist. There was more than that going on but it was all amazing. I do have to say that I can see that they’d have to cancel the show if there was significant motion from rough seas. Some of the performers do amazing balancing acts that just wouldn’t be safe at all if the ship were rockin’ and rolling.

 

The Cirque Dreams venue, even with all scheduled shows cannot accommodate all passengers on the ship. So if you want to go, make your reservations early. They reserve 80% of their tickets to be sold online (available to be booked 45 days before you sail), so that leaves only 20% to be gotten on board (this applies to all of the shows you can reserve with or without a fee).

 

NCL has knocked entertainment on the high seas out of the park with Epic. Every show proved to be what it was hyped to be and more. DH and I have never enjoyed ourselves so much at shows on any other ship.

 

After Cirque Dreams we dashed to the VIP cocktail reception (there had been a wine and cheese party for silver through platinum latitudes the day before, but we missed it). This was very well attended with the Captain and both HD’s on hand. It was held at Bliss as the Epic Lounge isn’t large enough to accommodate everyone. After having a couple of drinks (we passed on the appetizers though having just eaten) we went to Headliners to check out the Howl at the Moon show.

 

 

This was the only show that we would attend all week where we would find the venue half empty. The musicians were talented and engaging, but DH thought perhaps the international crowd had too broad a range of interest. They played a Scottish song when they realized a family from Scotland was there. While that family sung along with enthusiasm, the rest of us kind of sat there…and that family left shortly there after, so maybe DH has something. It’ll be interesting to see other reviews on this show, especially once the ship hits Miami.

 

Heading back to our cabin we found that the tornado that had been swirling around the Courtyard had abated somewhat. Taking advantage of this reprieve we quickly donned our bathing suits and hit one of the hot tubs. A most excellent way to end the evening.

[cruise pup]

Are those diners on the 2nd level at Cirque Dreams? Looks like you'd get a full view of the show and not have to be concerned about being in the action.

[Cubechick]

Are those diners on the 2nd level at Cirque Dreams? Looks like you'd get a full view of the show and not have to be concerned about being in the action.

 

Yes they are. I imagine if you're there early enough you could request those seats (but we didn't know that until we saw the Spiegel Tent). ;)

[kerrytens]

Are those diners on the 2nd level at Cirque Dreams? Looks like you'd get a full view of the show and not have to be concerned about being in the action.

I noticed that too and now I'm wondering if that is considered premium seating - or is premium front row where you may become part of the show??

[kpg]

All 3 of my girls (14,9 & 7) participated in the youth program. Most of the time I had a difficult time getting them to leave. My two youngest had only cruised on Disney and were very nervous about cruising with anyone else. They absolutely loved the kids club and the counselors were wonderful.

IMO, the Epic is an excellent choice for families with younger kids and teens. It has options for everyone. We enjoyed are experience so much that I just booked one of the Epic 2011 Med cruises in another CY Villa.

 

Thanks so much for the info!! Lots of good info on these boards about restaurants but not too much about what to do with the kids! I was also wondering how you liked the Courtyard Villa for sleeping arrangements. How was the tiny "kids" room? Is there a TV & storage in there? Does the couch fold out to a double bed? And also, were your kids able to go on the water slides or were there height restrictions? Thanks again!!

[Sea Turtle]

Cubechick,

 

Nicely done--thank you for the share!! I look forward to reading/seeing more. :) Especially after I just booked the Epic yesterday for two cruises in 2011. ;)

 

Enjoy the day! :cool:

[hencoll]

Thanks so much for the info!! Lots of good info on these boards about restaurants but not too much about what to do with the kids! I was also wondering how you liked the Courtyard Villa for sleeping arrangements. How was the tiny "kids" room? Is there a TV & storage in there? Does the couch fold out to a double bed? And also, were your kids able to go on the water slides or were there height restrictions? Thanks again!!

 

The Courtyard villa was perfect for traveling with kids. The sofa in the kids bed room can fold out to a double but we kept it as a single. My two youngest shared that room - one on the single lower and the other on the upper bunk. My oldest used the sleep sofa in the living area. This worked out well since she usually came in or went to bed later than her sisters. There is a TV in the room, a small vanity and few drawers, a closet and a cabinet with a few shelves. I unpacked the girls stuff and stored all suitcases in the master closet. The Courtyard villa has a total of 3 TVs and 2 DVD players. Bring some DVD from home if your children like to watch movies- the PPV movies offered by NCL are $12.95 each!:eek:

 

Because of colder, windy weather we didn't get the chance to use the water slides. I believe there are height restrictions but I'm not sure what they are. We did enjoy the poolside "Nick Slime Time Live" activities. The Nick Character breakfast was also fun with great character interaction. Very impressed.

 

Since I don't want to hijack Cubechick's Trip Report (which is awesome!), ;) please feel free to email me and I will be happy to answer in more detail. hencoll1@aol.com

[r2mach1]

Cubechick or hencoll,

 

Is there a suite DVD menu to choose from on the Epic like there are on other NCL ships or are they strictly going with the $12.95 (:mad:) PPV?

 

Thanks!

[ColinIllinois]

The Studio hallways look like a Dutch Bordello. Er...from what my friends tell me.

[cruise4kicks]

Cubechick or hencoll,

 

Is there a suite DVD menu to choose from on the Epic like there are on other NCL ships or are they strictly going with the $12.95 (:mad:) PPV?

 

Thanks!

You didn't ask me :p but I'll jump in. This was one of the first questions we asked our butler, and the answer was no. Hencoll is right -- be sure to bring some from home.

[time2cruise1]

Are those diners on the 2nd level at Cirque Dreams? Looks like you'd get a full view of the show and not have to be concerned about being in the action.

 

Yes they are. I imagine if you're there early enough you could request those seats (but we didn't know that until we saw the Spiegel Tent). ;)

 

I noticed that too and now I'm wondering if that is considered premium seating - or is premium front row where you may become part of the show??

 

Regular seating but if you select them keep in mind that it is a glass wall under the table. A couple of ladies in skirts were very distracting during the show :eek::D

[snorklinbarb]

Cube,

 

Another giveaway to spot a Platinum Latitudes from a mile off:

 

"most excellent" evening, lol

 

I can hear Klaus now.;):D

 

Can't wait to be onboard. It would not have been a good decision for me to be on your crossing since Bob's father passed away while you were gone. I still remember when I was on the Gem in Dec. for the TA, that he went into the hospital the day we disembarked.

 

So I just couldn't take any chances this time.

 

Finally though we were able to book the Epic and you and others have given so many helpful tips! From what I hear they're addressing the problem you encountered with the lines for the shows so hopefully the A-Team has solved that one.:)

 

Why kill the DVD library for suites? I understand the need for revenues from PPV but they should offer both for suite pax.

[time2cruise1]

Why kill the DVD library for suites? I understand the need for revenues from PPV but they should offer both for suite pax.

 

I am not sure they killed it but rather it may not be in place yet. No library to manage the inventory. They did offer library services in O'Sheehans for a few hours each day. Time will tell.

[snorklinbarb]

I am not sure they killed it but rather it may not be in place yet. No library to manage the inventory. They did offer library services in O'Sheehans for a few hours each day. Time will tell.

 

Really enjoyed the blogs you guys put together. I think the website you all created is one of the best I've ever seen. You forgot the addresses of the "Cooling Centers" around the city for the tourists seeking refuge.;):D

 

That Ice Bar is sounding pretty enticing for a day like this.:)

 

Are they planning to put in a library or only some makeshift thing in O'Sheehan's? That said, I often check out a book or two and never get around to reading them.:rolleyes:

 

Thanks again for all the useful info!

[Cubechick]

Cube' date='

 

Another giveaway to spot a Platinum Latitudes from a mile off:

 

"most excellent" evening, lol

 

I can hear Klaus now.;):D

 

Can't wait to be onboard. It would not have been a good decision for me to be on your crossing since Bob's father passed away while you were gone. I still remember when I was on the Gem in Dec. for the TA, that he went into the hospital the day we disembarked.

 

So I just couldn't take any chances this time.

 

Finally though we were able to book the Epic and you and others have given so many helpful tips! From what I hear they're addressing the problem you encountered with the lines for the shows so hopefully the A-Team has solved that one.:)

 

Why kill the DVD library for suites? I understand the need for revenues from PPV but they should offer both for suite pax.[/quote']

 

Barb, I'm so sorry to hear of Bob's father passing. Thank goodness you decided not to sail! My deepest sympathies to you and Bob.

 

Re: the DVD library, like T2C1, I wouldn't assume at this point that our not being offered something means it's been axed. It seems to me illogical that they installed all of those DVD players only to not offer DVD's. Of course they could have changed their minds after the DVD's were put in! Only time will tell!

 

There was still a lot "going live" on the Epic and I look forward to future cruisers (like yourself!) letting us know what changes may yet occur!

[Pennypocket]

The Studio hallways look like a Dutch Bordello. Er...from what my friends tell me.

 

 

That was also my impression as well as many of the public rooms. A bit too glitz and glitter. Bling for the masses.

[Cubechick]

Day seven…

 

Had breakfast at the buffet (great corned beef hash and hockey puck buttermilk biscuits). We took advantage of the calm seas (and little wind for once!) and watched for (and saw!) loads of dolphins. At one point we noticed that the ship appeared to be on maneuvers. I recalled Carl telling us that they would sometimes do this to avoid whales and sure enough we spotted a pair of fins that we guessed were a mother and calf.

 

What a great way to pass our last morning at sea. We had our last lunch at Epic Club, took a nap, then the four-letter word we all dread. It was time to pack. I always save some wine to make this process a little less painful. So a couple of glasses of chardonnay later, the bags were 95% good to go.

 

Now it was time for an event I’ve never seen on a cruise ship. There was an open bar, ship wide from 5:00 – 6:00 pm hosted by Klaus and Sean. They weren’t even sneaky about it, putting it in the Freestyle Daily twice and having the CD Silas remind us over the PA system (as if we’d forget!) This was clearly a thank you from them to all the passengers for dealing with the disruptions experienced on this first full-length voyage of the Epic. Well, who are we to turn down free drinks? We went to the Epic Club bar, ended up meeting more fellow Cruise Critics and enjoyed a great hour socializing. Thank you to Klaus and Sean! I do wonder how much that hour cost them…biggest bar tab ever!

 

It was time to get ready for dinner and we’d chosen Moderno. This was a unique (and delicious) experience that I’d encourage all Epic cruisers to try. Basically, if you like meat, you’ll like Moderno. There is an extensive buffet in addition to the meats being offered, but you don’t want to fill up too much on the fillers (I highly recommend the Portuguese Black Bean soup though). After you’ve grabbed your items from the salad bar, you flip over the card at your place setting to the green side and the meats begin to arrive. There are sausages, chicken, beef tenderloin, lamb chops, pork and beef ribs.

 

The best is the “picanha” though, which is a marinated beef sirloin that was to die for. As long as your card is on green, the meat will keep coming (you don’t have to accept all offerings though). Once you’ve had your fill, turn your card to red. Then it’s time for dessert.

 

In the middle of dinner we had to run outside to see the Queen Mary II overtake us. She’d been coming up on us during the day (she left Southampton the day after we did) and when she passed us the two ships were sounding their horns back and forth. Talk about Epic experiences!

 

 

After dinner we had coveted reservations at the Ice Bar. $20 pp got you two chilly drinks (DH didn’t care for the fruity offerings and asked for and was served a straight up vodka) served in an ice glass. They gave you warm ponchos to put on with faux fur trim and gloves. Definitely do not wear sandals and do wear pants! A very “cool” experience and worth doing at least once I’d say. For those wondering, we did see a child in there…and there are non-alcoholic selections, so that question appears answered.

 

 

We were supposed to go to Second City after this, but decided to pass. We’ve seen the Second City a few times on other ships, and have enjoyed the shows, but opted to spend our last evening in the hot tub just relaxing and reflecting on our Epic experience.

 

 

Final morning…

Up at 7:00 and realized the Verrazano-Narrows bridge was in sight. That had us scrapping our plans for one final breakfast at the Epic Club. Instead we grabbed a quick meal at the buffet (which we brought back to our room to eat) then went to the forward deck to watch our arrival in NYC. A news helicopter buzzed us and the cruise director began directing people to go outside as early as 7:30 trying to ensure plenty of people on decks and balconies for the photo-ops. NCL couldn’t have asked for a better day as it was in the 60’s without a cloud in the sky (figures!) as we made our slow passage up the Hudson.

 

As we neared the bridge I think more than a few of us were holding our breaths to see if she had enough clearance. We passed with a bit of room to spare (thank goodness!). Measure twice, cut once!

 

 

Lady Liberty greeted us, the sun glinting off of her torch (a sight that never gets old) and we finally arrived at pier 88 at 9:45.

What transpired next was curious indeed. The Epic began lowering lifeboats on the starboard side. The first five in fact making it apparent that the ship couldn’t dock with the lifeboats in place (they would have interfered with the gangways).

 

So that took some time. It was a little after our 10:00 arrival time that the Epic’s first rope was thrown to a dockworker. Cheers went up both from the pier and the ship when this occurred, welcoming the Epic to NYC.

 

We passed time waiting to disembark by soaking up sun in the Courtyard. Better late than never! Disembarkation was halted due to too many people trying to pass through customs.

 

At around 11:45 we left the ship and quickly found our luggage (after a last good-bye to Sean who was at the base of one of the gangways). When we hit customs the US line was relatively short and fast-moving. The line for international passengers was hundreds deep. We would later hear that it would take hours after our debarkation for the last passengers to be cleared. The delay was apparently due, in part, to the Epic being the largest cruise ship to ever dock in New York.

 

By 12:15 we were in a cab headed to JFK (there is a taxi stand across the street and the fare to JFK is a fixed $45 plus tolls).

 

Our final thought is that the Epic is everything she’s been hyped to be. Unique and stunning, she’s definitely a destination unto herself. We never expected everything on the cruise to be perfect. With a maiden voyage we felt that you just shouldn’t count on anything, and when you start throwing in the challenges endured during her build, well we were lucky she sailed with us at all. We had anticipated some glitches and problems with the new build, and there were some, but what impressed us was the crew and staff’s response to any issues addressing and fixing problems as they came to light. She truly has the best crew at sea and it was wonderful to watch them relax as all of their hard work came to light and to see the pride they all had at bringing her to us. For those of you who have her booked, you’ll love her. For those of you who haven’t, what are you waiting for?

[Aldeya]

Just want to tell you how much we enjoyed your review!

Thank you for a detailed review and amazing pictures!We are going on Epic Sep 4 B2B and your review brought even more excitement (if it's even possible!:D

Thank you so much!

[erdoran]

What was your cabin #? I'm comparing a few CVs for a future cruise and am trying to figure out if the front-facing CVs are larger than the side ones--ie take the solarium & give up the balcony in return for extra space.