EPIC Teenagers

[mel-b]

Hi all. I'm curious if anyone on here has sailed the Epic with teens? What was their take on the ship? We are booked on a Spring Break sailing next March; our first time ever on NCL. We will have our DD 17, her friend who is 16, and our DS 15. I've read many many reviews on the Epic, and realize they are quite polarizing! However, we are booked irregardless and I'm very excited to experience this ship. We only have Carnival to compare it to. I'm interested in knowing what your teens had to say about the Epic!

[chris209]

I am sure there will be lots of teens on board at March Break. My 16 yr old daughter will be there! She has never had trouble keeping entertained on an NCL cruise, although we have not yet been on the Epic

[Why Knot Me]

I was on the Epic with my DH back in June. In planning a cruise with my DD who is 13, I intentionally picked the Epic because I think it is a great ship for families and especially well suited for teens and families. We go in January and will report back on our trip.

[mel-b]

Looking forward to your report, Why Knot Me!

 

Chris209 - I anticipate a lot of kids/teens on this sailing. I'm thrilled they will have new teens to meet. Does your DD get involved in any organized activities? When we were on our last cruise, our teens didn't seem too interested in the organized group. I'm not sure if it was them, the group, or lack of activity within the group.

 

Also, did I read correct that there is a 1am curfew? Is this strictly enforced?

[justcake]

Hi all. I'm curious if anyone on here has sailed the Epic with teens? What was their take on the ship? We are booked on a Spring Break sailing next March; our first time ever on NCL. We will have our DD 17, her friend who is 16, and our DS 15. I've read many many reviews on the Epic, and realize they are quite polarizing! However, we are booked irregardless and I'm very excited to experience this ship. We only have Carnival to compare it to. I'm interested in knowing what your teens had to say about the Epic!

 

Hi Mel-B,

 

We are sailing in 9 days and will be joined by our 15 year old DS and DDs 13 and 11. I will definitely report back and let you know as soon as we get back. The kids are super excited about this ship and have been since we booked in August 2009!

[nathand95]

I would also be interested to know the answer to this question. I am 15 and will be on the Epic April 2-9 for Spring Break. I have been on NCL before but I was in the younger kids clubs then. I most recently went on Carnival and their teen clubs were awesome. I've heard great things about NCL, but have not heard anything about teen clubs.

 

[chris209]

Usually she goes to the teen club on the first day or so and meets a few others. Then they use that as their base and pick and choose activities based on their interests. We also chose this ship because it looked like there would be lots to keep a teen interested.

[Namelocg]

Mel-b

 

I have been sailing with my DD since she was 5 years old. She will turn 17 on December 18, the day we sail on the Epic (yeah, only 8 days from now). This is the first time that I am letting her bring a friend, but if the Epic is anything like the past cruises that we have been on (Carnival, Royal Caribbean, Princess) I won't see either of them for the entire 7 days. Go to the roll call for your specific sailing and sign up for the meet and mingle. That way you can get to meet the other teens that will be on board and their parents (at least the ones that are CC members). As far as enforcing the 1AM curfew is concerned, some ships enforce it and some don't. I have never had a problem with my DD being back at the cabin at the time that I specified. I'll report back when we get home on Christmas day. Have a great trip. We will be on the Celebrity Century for our Spring Break in March.

[mel-b]

Namelocg - Im definitely looking forward to your review when you return. Happy sailing and Merry Christmas!

[mel-b]

Justcake - I'm also looking forward to your review when you return! Happy sailing to you, too.

 

Thanks everyone for the input so far!

[Dawns_Princess]

Hey everyone, I'm 17 years old and was one of the first teens on the ship (the maiden voyage from Southampton to NY) and I'm just gonna say yes, this is another of those trips where you won't see your kids for the next week or however long your trip is. There is a 1am curfew for those under 17 but I was friends with some of the younger teens and it was never enforced. Incase anyone was interested the following links are to a few pictures from the teen club and a sample itinerary (from the maiden voyage sailing, but I've been on 3 other NCL cruises and there's not much difference. I love answering questions about the teen clubs so don't hesitate about asking them on here or by sending me a PM. Enjoy your sailings :)

 

http://www.flickr.com/photos/27300565@N02/?saved=1

 

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1230165&highlight (just scroll down a bit for the schedule & a general review of the ship/activities)