EPIC---Myth Busters

[CruzinMel]

Those pics are fabulous - thanks for the tips!

[FLAHAM]

The food at Cirque is average to poor. The "show" is downright annoying. The circus skills performers are talented and enjoyable to watch up close. The Cirque de Soleil shows that I have seen were each VASTLY superior to this.

[CruiseMaple]

Its a common misconception, Cirque Dreams is a company out of Florida, the renowned Cirque Du Soleil out of Montreal, Canada is completely different, nothing to do with Cirque Dreams

[GoneCruzn]

Darthdaddy, it's been said but I still have to say it - one of the best reviews and styles I've read. Question: With your mother on oxygen, did the casino smoke adversely affect her? If so, how was she able to avoid the area to get around the ship? Should people with respiratory problems (i.e., asthma) avoid the casino and/or Epic?

[Rollingstone43]

As someone who was lucky enough to be on board for the past two weeks (and can confirm the nmbers that the others have said - 3200 for 5th March and then completely full - the busiest week yet apparently - for 12th March) I will weigh in with my own take on how busy the boat appeared.....

 

We were never once unable to get a seat, for example at breakfast time, in the buffet. I felt that the layout and number of different "stations" for food was well thought out and spread people around very well.

 

We were fortunate to get a spa suite and therefore had access to the CY and POSH decks. Again, even on the busiest at sea moments was ther unavalibility of sunbeds - and the areas are big so that they didn't even feel busy. For me the CY was a little soulless, and since you couldn't see the sea from there my wife Fiona and I opted for POSH most of the time. Our cabin was at the opposite end of the boat, however, and we therefore travelled through the main sun deck on Level 15 every day - whilst it was busy, there were always spare beds everywhere.

 

Here's the "but" though - if you like eating between 6 and 8 in the evening, then to avoid a queue (other than in the buffet) you need to book one of the speciality resturants. For us this wasn't a problem since we tend to eat later, and even on the really busy week we could walk into most places at 8.30/8.45. But I appreciate this isn't to everyone's tastes. But Manhattan and Taste do fill up between 6 and 8 and you will need to be patient.

 

A few other observations on comments - I was worried about the smoke issue in the casino but I didn't notice it at all ! (And GoneCruzn - obviously I don't know how bad your relative's respiratory problem is, but in my opinion I wouldn't have thought you would have any problem). Yes the area is big, and to an extent you have to travel through to get to some areas on some occasions, but I actually thought that was quite fun !! In particular there was an automated roulette wheel that I walked past everyday so I entertained myself by seeing what numbers came up each time I walked past!)

 

Fiona and I had a quick go in the casino on the last night - we are not gamblers but like one flutter every cruise - but to us the stake were a bit high at a minimum of $10 per spin of the wheel (5 x$2 chips each time). Now maybe there were cheaper tables, or maybe we are out of touch, but that was certainly more then other cruises we have been on.

 

I don't consider queuing for shows to be unusual, particlularly the free ones. How else can you fit 500 out of 4800 into one room quickly / What I would say is that the queus were certainly worth (though we didn't do Cirque)

 

To sum up - as I understand it, the whole essence of freestyle cruising (this was our first - we loved it and will be back) is flexibility and adaptability. If you can approach everything with that mindset then I really don't think you'll be disappointed. If you prefer a more rigid approach, or have circumstances which dictate this, then Epic is probably not for you. It was St Patrick's Day on our last "at sea" day and the boat really had a party feel - and of course O'Sheehan's was very busy, in fact I can't imagine when it might be busier - but we were still able to go in and get a seat and drink almost immediately.

 

Fiona and I hope to post a proper review once we have waded through waskhing, ironing, supermarkets etc (not to mention planning the next cruise!) but if anyone has any other questions in the meantime I'd be happy to answer.

[Rollingstone43]

Sorry - I should have also added my thanks to Darthdaddy for the "myths" idea - it's great !! And I agree with them all !!

[emilymad]

Thanks for all the great information! We are considering the Epic which would be our first cruise on NCL so this is very helpful!

 

Quick question on the beds. Are they shorter than a normal queen bed? DH is 6 feet tall and he hates when his feet hang off the end of the bed. Thanks! :)

[Rollingstone43]

I can't answer that unless you are asking about the spa suite round beds, which is what we had. There has been discussion about whether people would fit on them. I am 5ft 11 and a half (so nearly 6 ft!) and they were plenty long enough for me - and width wise they huge to the point where I nearly forgot what my wife looked like !!

[Darthdaddy]

With the knowledge that my mom (a) uses supplemental O2 and (b) likes to play the slots, GoneCruzn asks how she managed in the casino.

 

Mom does not need (or refuses to use) the O2 all the time. She used her wheelchair to get to the casino and then transferred to a stool in order to play the machines for a half hour or so.

 

There are designated no smoking areas within the casino. Since there are no physical barriers between smokers and non-smokers, smoke drifts from one area to the other...there are no truly "smoke-free" areas. With that caveat, it was not terrible in the no smoking zones. I certainly wish the whole ship was smoke-free, but recognize that I'm not going to get my way on this issue.

 

If your situation is extreme, you could change decks in the course of passing from one end of Epic to the other. This would allow you to by-pass the casino. It would be a hassle, but it could be done. Some have reported smelling smoke on other decks, because of the open atrium design in the center of the ship. While conceivable, I didn't find this to be a problem. I do believe you might have a problem eating in O'Sheehans's due to ambient smoke. Your practical solution will be to hustle through the casino. You will likely notice the smoke, but it is certainly not a dense fog.

 

As stated, I would prefer no smoking at all on the ship. Still, I doubt that you will find the smoke to be nearly as big a problem as some reports have indicated. I was relieved and you probably will be too.

[Maryfrei]

Wonderful review, Darthdaddy, thank you!:)

[emilymad]

I can't answer that unless you are asking about the spa suite round beds, which is what we had. There has been discussion about whether people would fit on them. I am 5ft 11 and a half (so nearly 6 ft!) and they were plenty long enough for me - and width wise they huge to the point where I nearly forgot what my wife looked like !!

 

I was looking for a regular stateroom but good to know if we ever have the opportunity to sail in a suite. DH loves when the bed is so big he can forget me! haha ;)