Epic Cruise = Epic Disappointment

[ChevyCruiser]

I usually cruise RCCL or Princess, so my expectations may have been too high for my first cruise on NCL and the Epic. Other than the neat water slide - the ship was a huge disappointment. The most exciting part for me was stepping off the ship in Miami at the end of the cruise. The biggies? Here ya go:

 

Bad Cabin Design. Want a taste of what it's like to cruise on the Epic? Sleep in your bathroom for a week and see how it works when your partner uses the toilet in the middle of the night! I hope that before NCL builds any more ships, they have their cabin designers spend a week with another person in a standard balcony cabin on the Epic. The toilet flushes with a explosive roar that will wake the dead. The sink on the counter in the cabin is next to impossible to use to shave - so bring your elecrtric razor or start a beard before the cruise.

 

Too Loud. Every locatioin with amplified music/singing has the volume control set beyond 10 to "pain". Either NCL owns shares in a hearing aid company or they are covering up otherwise mediocre performances with sound that is so loud it distorts. Bring your ear plugs or risk damaging your hearing!

 

Too Smokey. With the all-smoking casino in the middle of the decks 5, 6, and 7 public spaces, it is tough to avoid second-hand smoke. Even when dining in Taste on deck 5 we were subjected to smoke from the casino above. Open pool decks were not much better since smokers were allowed to light up everywhere. Since many of the bars, shopping, and dining venues are in a contiguous space with the casino, we avoided those areas - and as a result spent next to nothing in the casino, optional dining venues, or shopping. If you are a chain smoker, you'll love the Epic!

 

And, they DON'T CARE. This was my first cruise where there was no form for customer feedback provided. That left me with the impression that they don't care.

 

I need to send letters of apology to RCCL and Princess for forsaking them in order to cruise on the Epic and hope that they'll let me come back to ships where I can hear, breathe, shave without splashing water everywhere and bumping my head, and take a nice BM without announcing every movement to my travelling companion. :D

[mylesf]

Sorry it was a big let down for you...I have sailed on the Epic twice now and love the ship. I am not a smoker and did not find the need for ear plugs. I thought the entertainment was the best at sea...Ate at Taste a couple of times and was given a table to the right, as you walk in, and never had a problem smelling smoke from the deck above...Lastly, NCL no longer gives out the passenger feedback form prior to leaving the ship. You should get this form either in an email format or in the mail soon after you return.

[HazyDavy]

It amazes me how two people can come off the same ship and have such different impressions.

 

Just finished reading this review cited on another thread:

 

http://www.cruisecritic.com/memberreviews/memberreview.cfm?EntryID=73969

 

where the reviewer, Bgem75 says: "We had the best time on the best ship with the best food, entertainment and service we have ever experienced."

 

when I came across this thread.

 

According to Bgem75's review the Epic is the best ship ever, and everything is wonderful. Yet the OP here says its loud, smoky and horrible and says: "The most exciting part for me was stepping off the ship in Miami at the end of the cruise."

 

Neither opinion seems particularly credible.

 

Until I get to see for myself, I'll assume the truth lies somewhere in between.:cool:

[ringram]

Sounds like you didn't do your homework. These boards are filled with information about how the rooms are horrible, the Casino is smokey and too big. I haven't seen too many comments about it being too loud (I can't judge because I'm a product of the ROCK AND ROLL crowd, my hearing was damaged a long time ago).

 

I agree with MYLESF (BTW, cute way of turning self inside out), I had the blast on the Epic and found the entertainment to be incredible, which is why we went on the EPIC. We felt like the EPIC is a destination ship, not to be compared to any other ship besides maybe the OASIS (which I hear is great also), for the number of professionally produced entertainment venues.

 

Sorry you had a rotten time, I hear the Princess is more serene.

[bplazo]

Honestly, after reading your review I do not see any different problems than with any other ships. I have sailed RCCL (just got off a cruise) and the toilets all make that awful sound and if I had to go to the potty in the middle of the night and to avoid waking up my husband I would just wait and flush in the morning unless it was the number two kind.

 

RCCL also has smokey areas and some of the bars and show were very noisy. I do not see how any of this would really ruin your cruise.

[njhorseman]

I usually cruise RCCL or Princess, so my expectations may have been too high for my first cruise on NCL and the Epic. Other than the neat water slide - the ship was a huge disappointment. The most exciting part for me was stepping off the ship in Miami at the end of the cruise. The biggies? Here ya go:

 

Bad Cabin Design. Want a taste of what it's like to cruise on the Epic? Sleep in your bathroom for a week and see how it works when your partner uses the toilet in the middle of the night! I hope that before NCL builds any more ships, they have their cabin designers spend a week with another person in a standard balcony cabin on the Epic. The toilet flushes with a explosive roar that will wake the dead. The sink on the counter in the cabin is next to impossible to use to shave - so bring your elecrtric razor or start a beard before the cruise.

 

Too Loud. Every locatioin with amplified music/singing has the volume control set beyond 10 to "pain". Either NCL owns shares in a hearing aid company or they are covering up otherwise mediocre performances with sound that is so loud it distorts. Bring your ear plugs or risk damaging your hearing!

 

Too Smokey. With the all-smoking casino in the middle of the decks 5, 6, and 7 public spaces, it is tough to avoid second-hand smoke. Even when dining in Taste on deck 5 we were subjected to smoke from the casino above. Open pool decks were not much better since smokers were allowed to light up everywhere. Since many of the bars, shopping, and dining venues are in a contiguous space with the casino, we avoided those areas - and as a result spent next to nothing in the casino, optional dining venues, or shopping. If you are a chain smoker, you'll love the Epic!

 

And, they DON'T CARE. This was my first cruise where there was no form for customer feedback provided. That left me with the impression that they don't care.

I need to send letters of apology to RCCL and Princess for forsaking them in order to cruise on the Epic and hope that they'll let me come back to ships where I can hear, breathe, shave without splashing water everywhere and bumping my head, and take a nice BM without announcing every movement to my travelling companion. :D

 

No you're wrong. Theyre are feedback forms (STYLE cards) available at all times at the Guest Services desk. In addition, NCL discontinued the paper-and-pencil feedback surveys that were distributed the last night of the cruise and replaced them with an electronic post cruise survey. You should be getting an email within a few days of disembarkation with an invitation linking you to an Internet-based survey.

[johnql]

The most exciting part for me was stepping off the ship in Miami at the end of the cruise.

I stopped reading after this sentence because this is the sort of hyperbole that, for me, defines lack of credibility.

[piercetc4]

we saw the epic while in port a few weeks ago- looks like a neat ship i would like to try-

rccl is my favorite but variety is the spice of life ya know- neat to try different things here and there

 

going on our first ncl cruise this coming may on the spirit- it may be different but different isnt always a bad thing ;)

[Ms belp]

We decided early on that the Epic would not be the ship for us. We prefer the Jewel and the Spirit. I don't like that bathroom thing either; I prefer some privacy. I have read several complaints.

[lusitanica]

It amazes me how two people can come off the same ship and have such different impressions.

 

 

What is amazing?

The first one gives factsaboutthe ship (valuable review).

Another one just says how he loves the ship (zero value).

Very different things actually.

 

"5+5+5+5+5+" reviews (of any ship) automatically go to the recycle bin.

 

I'll assume the truth lies somewhere in between

 

Somewhere between opinions - yes.

Somewhere between facts and opinions - no.

[kerrytens]

What is amazing?

The first one gives factsaboutthe ship (valuable review).

 

.

No, simply opinions. I won't take anyone's view of too smokey/loud/stinky as fact until I myself experience it. Until then, it is simply someone else's opinion that I will use as I wish - as do many others on this board. We can all add 2+2 ...:rolleyes:

[jmcdon7230]

Here we go with the "facts" versus the "opinions" again. That's just my opinion, not a fact.

[kerrytens]

Darn tootin':D (jmho though)

[lusitanica]

We can all add 2+2 ...:rolleyes:

 

Unfortunately not.

[kerrytens]

Unfortunately not.

Fact or opinion:D

[lusitanica]

I usually cruise RCCL or Princess, so my expectations may have been too high for my first cruise on NCL and the Epic. Other than the neat water slide - the ship was a huge disappointment. The most exciting part for me was stepping off the ship in Miami at the end of the cruise. The biggies? Here ya go:

 

Bad Cabin Design. Want a taste of what it's like to cruise on the Epic? Sleep in your bathroom for a week and see how it works when your partner uses the toilet in the middle of the night! I hope that before NCL builds any more ships, they have their cabin designers spend a week with another person in a standard balcony cabin on the Epic. The toilet flushes with a explosive roar that will wake the dead. The sink on the counter in the cabin is next to impossible to use to shave - so bring your elecrtric razor or start a beard before the cruise.

 

Too Loud. Every locatioin with amplified music/singing has the volume control set beyond 10 to "pain". Either NCL owns shares in a hearing aid company or they are covering up otherwise mediocre performances with sound that is so loud it distorts. Bring your ear plugs or risk damaging your hearing!

 

Too Smokey. With the all-smoking casino in the middle of the decks 5, 6, and 7 public spaces, it is tough to avoid second-hand smoke. Even when dining in Taste on deck 5 we were subjected to smoke from the casino above. Open pool decks were not much better since smokers were allowed to light up everywhere. Since many of the bars, shopping, and dining venues are in a contiguous space with the casino, we avoided those areas - and as a result spent next to nothing in the casino, optional dining venues, or shopping. If you are a chain smoker, you'll love the Epic!

 

And, they DON'T CARE. This was my first cruise where there was no form for customer feedback provided. That left me with the impression that they don't care.

 

I need to send letters of apology to RCCL and Princess for forsaking them in order to cruise on the Epic and hope that they'll let me come back to ships where I can hear, breathe, shave without splashing water everywhere and bumping my head, and take a nice BM without announcing every movement to my travelling companion. :D

 

Good review.

 

I usually cruise RCCL or Princess, so my expectations may have been too high for my first cruise on NCL and the Epic.

 

Bingo.

[Medtech2]

What is amazing?

The first one gives factsaboutthe ship (valuable review).

Another one just says how he loves the ship (zero value).

Very different things actually.

 

"5+5+5+5+5+" reviews (of any ship) automatically go to the recycle bin.

 

 

 

Somewhere between opinions - yes.

Somewhere between facts and opinions - no.

According to you, only negative expressions are "facts" while positive expressions are "opinions" Well, I've got news for you--except for stating actual dimensions and colors(facts), EVERYTHING, INCLUDING YOUR POSTINGS, are OPINION...

[bahamaman]

I had such an awful time on the Epic last July (Eastern Carib.) that I re-booked the EPIC for April 2011 (Western Carib.) just to punish myself and my significant other.:eek:

[DocJohnB]

I had such an awful time on the Epic last July (Eastern Carib.) that I re-booked the EPIC for April 2011 (Western Carib.) just to punish myself and my significant other.:eek:

Would that make you a masochistic sailor? :D :D

[alwalaska]

Honestly, after reading your review I do not see any different problems than with any other ships. I have sailed RCCL (just got off a cruise) and the toilets all make that awful sound and if I had to go to the potty in the middle of the night and to avoid waking up my husband I would just wait and flush in the morning unless it was the number two kind.

 

RCCL also has smokey areas and some of the bars and show were very noisy. I do not see how any of this would really ruin your cruise.

 

You are correct about the noise. I haven't been on a cruise yet where the toilets did not sound like they would suck the whole cabin down with them. :D

 

The thing about the bathrooms on the Epic that make me a little nervous about sailing on it is that they are glass enclosed. This means that unless you can go to the bathroom in the dark, the whole cabin will have to deal with the light. Since we usually travel 3 or 4 in the cabin, this could be a pain when people have to go potty in the middle of the night.

 

I don't think that designers think about functionality, just aesthetics sometimes.

[sdmike]

Bummer you didn't enjoy your cruise, OP. Wish you a better experience next time on whatever ship/line you choose.

[DMH15]

Chevy- sorry you didn't like your cruise. But how much responsibility do you take? I have done enough research to know the Epic probably isn't for me either. But I would sail on any other NCL ship. For instance the bathroom in my aft AC penthouse on the Sun was great. No problems like you described. It wasn't noisy either.

[coffeebean]

We decided early on that the Epic would not be the ship for us. We prefer the Jewel and the Spirit. I don't like that bathroom thing either; I prefer some privacy. I have read several complaints.

I'm not sure why folks think there is no privacy with the bathroom layout. There is a privacy curtain in addition to the translucent door in the balcony cabins which provide complete and total privacy. I'm baffled at why folks seem to forget that aspect of the layout.

[coffeebean]

You are correct about the noise. I haven't been on a cruise yet where the toilets did not sound like they would suck the whole cabin down with them. :D

 

The thing about the bathrooms on the Epic that make me a little nervous about sailing on it is that they are glass enclosed. This means that unless you can go to the bathroom in the dark, the whole cabin will have to deal with the light. Since we usually travel 3 or 4 in the cabin, this could be a pain when people have to go potty in the middle of the night.

 

I don't think that designers think about functionality, just aesthetics sometimes.

I always take a small tap light with us when we cruise. I place it in the bathroom for use during the night for those middle of the night trips to the bathroom. This worked like a charm on EPIC.

 

The translucent doors allowed natural light to filter in to the space. It was such a pleasure to take a shower or use the toilet during the day and have the natural light come in to the space as if there were a window in there. I LOVED it. I've never had a window in the bathroom on a cruise ship and this certainly was a treat.

[Planer's Edge]

Does anyone even believe that OP was on the Epic. They were very active on RCI roll calls yet not a single post to an Epic roll call. Also, they did not mention which Epic sailing they were so as to not allow any compare and contrast.

 

PE<---is just stating a couple of facts, not opinions...:rolleyes: