Mini Suites on Epic

[Glen&Kathy]

I'm really surprised I didn't notice this but it really seems odd that the life boats are sticking out of the side of the ship. Other non NCL cruises we've been on seem to hide the life boats and there is a clear view from our balcony down to the ocean. At any rate...

 

I've searched this forum and tried to find if any mini suites have a water view as opposed to a life boat view. Does anyone know?

 

Also, are the aft balcony rooms bigger than a normal balcony?

 

Lastly, we are trying to stay midship in the event we run into a little rough weather. If that doesn't work, is aft a stable area of the ship?

 

Thanks so much!

 

Kathy

[Zimomiller]

Take a look at our webshots album for a photo and video tour of an aft balcony cabin on tyhe Epic from last August.

 

The link is below

[Novastar]

We were recently on the Epic in a spa mini-suite on Deck 14 Aft. Aft is very stable.

 

We were above the lifeboats but we were 5-6 decks above them. They were visible when we were standing at the balcony rail and looking straight down but they did not obstruct our view of anything. When we were seated on the balcony they were not visible at all.

[Glen&Kathy]

Thanks both for the info. The view from the aft balcony is really nice.

[highmath]

The life boats are level with deck 7, so views from decks 8 & 9 may not be ideal if looking for a great oceanview.

 

We were recently on the Epic in a spa mini-suite on Deck 14 Aft. Aft is very stable.

 

We were above the lifeboats but we were 5-6 decks above them. They were visible when we were standing at the balcony rail and looking straight down but they did not obstruct our view of anything. When we were seated on the balcony they were not visible at all.

 

How are the Spa mini suites? I have a Spa Balcony booked right now, but I have be considering upgrading for the extra space, but I don't know if it is justifiable to spend an extra $400 for 7days and 29 extra sq Ft.

Pics would be great if you have them.

[Glen&Kathy]

Starring at the lifeboats is what I fear.

[Novastar]

The life boats are level with deck 7, so views from decks 8 & 9 may not be ideal if looking for a great oceanview.

 

 

 

How are the Spa mini suites? I have a Spa Balcony booked right now, but I have be considering upgrading for the extra space, but I don't know if it is justifiable to spend an extra $400 for 7days and 29 extra sq Ft.

 

Pics would be great if you have them.

 

We liked the spa mini-suite but I don't know what the difference is between it and a spa balcony. 29 square feet does not seem like much! Much of the decision will depend on how many people will be in the cabin. Probably either is fine for 2 people but for more than 2 occupants every square inch will be important.

 

I only have one picture of the cabin in very "used" condition and will try to post it later on (after I figure out how to do it).

[highmath]

We liked the spa mini-suite but I don't know what the difference is between it and a spa balcony. 29 square feet does not seem like much! Much of the decision will depend on how many people will be in the cabin. Probably either is fine for 2 people but for more than 2 occupants every square inch will be important.

 

I only have one picture of the cabin in very "used" condition and will try to post it later on (after I figure out how to do it).

 

Yeah, it's only two of us in there. Nothing is different from the two cabin except for the location and extra 29 Sq Ft, from my research. I have seen just a few amateur pics of the Spa Mini-Suites on some sites, but have yet to see any taken of the Spa Balcony pics, besides the NCL ones on the website which is the same used for Spa Mini-Suites. I'm just trying to settle my mind. I'll probably just stick with our cabin unless the upsell fairy happen to pull my name and offer a good deal.:D

[FLAHAM]

The aft definitely has more felt motion and engine vibration (noise and felt) than other portions of the ship. It is also a loooong walk to ship features up fromt. It has nice features too, such as a lovely view. The felt motion wasn't bad, but if seasickness is a real worry I would find a stateroom elsewhere.

[robins11]

I'm really surprised I didn't notice this but it really seems odd that the life boats are sticking out of the side of the ship. Other non NCL cruises we've been on seem to hide the life boats and there is a clear view from our balcony down to the ocean. At any rate...

 

I've searched this forum and tried to find if any mini suites have a water view as opposed to a life boat view. Does anyone know?

 

Also, are the aft balcony rooms bigger than a normal balcony?

 

Lastly, we are trying to stay midship in the event we run into a little rough weather. If that doesn't work, is aft a stable area of the ship?

 

Thanks so much!

 

Kathy

 

 

Hi

 

We were on the recent Miami to Barcelona TransAtlantic on Epic.

Our stateroom was a mini suite(MC) on deck 10 starboard aft.

The view out to sea was superb and not obstructed in any way.

If you look straight down, then yes you are 3 decks above the lifeboats, but it didnt bother us in the slightest.

One minor advantage of our minisuite is that we had a bathtub!

Our bed was also next to the balcony.

We experienced a rolling sea for a day or so, which the ship handled really well. Taking precautions with a sea sickness tablet each day prevented any possible discomfort.

 

John

[sdmike]

I don't think there's any difference between a spa balcony/mini-suite and a regular balcony/mini-suite other than getting pre-paid access to the spa. The spa suites have a completely different layout, spa amenities, and a in-room spa tub, but not the balcony rooms.

 

There are mini-suites on each floor. Once you get above deck 9 I don't think you'll notice the lifeboats at all. We were on 14 and those lifeboats were a LONG way down.

 

The ship is very stable. We were in 14022 forward of the front stairs in some pretty high seas and I didn't feel ill at all. If you are very sensitive, to minimize movement you want to go midship and a lower deck. However, the problem with going midship is the potentially long walk to the elevators. I would suggest maybe a dozen doors down from the front elevators on deck 10. 10104, 10108 and 10112 are great because they have larger balconies due to the ship hump, but anything from 10104 to 10176 on the port side, or similar on the starboard side, would be about ideal in my opinion.

 

We had 4 in a balcony with no space issues. Did we trip over each other sometimes? Sure, but not much. The mini-suite is only longer, not wider. Width is what seems to bother some people since the cabinets and bed/couch are closer than normal. The extra space is in length which allows them to put in a shower that will hold 3 people, and in some cases a nice bathtub. If you don't need a bigger shower you can find better things to do with $400 (specialty restaurants, excursions, jewelry)

[highmath]

I don't think there's any difference between a spa balcony/mini-suite and a regular balcony/mini-suite other than getting pre-paid access to the spa... If you don't need a bigger shower you can find better things to do with $400 (specialty restaurants, excursions, jewelry)

 

My thoughts exactly. I've got cabin 14117 booked, which is in a pretty good spot, IMO. Not liking the fact that the bed is closer to the door, but it only DW and I. I think my value stands in the cabin I have now and will place that $400 towards my drink and souvenir fund.:D

[sdmike]

My thoughts exactly. I've got cabin 14117 booked, which is in a pretty good spot, IMO. Not liking the fact that the bed is closer to the door, but it only DW and I. I think my value stands in the cabin I have now and will place that $400 towards my drink and souvenir fund.:D

 

Our bed was closer to the door and we still managed to survive with 4 of us in the room. You have a little better access to the room the other way, but it's not that big of a deal. :) Have a great time!

 

So I see you got a Spa Balcony. How much more was it than a regular balcony? The reason I ask is that access to the spa is $199 for a couple, so if you paid more than that for the spa access you'd be better off getting a regular balcony and paying the $199 yourself. You don't get 24 hour access like some of the previous marking documents suggested. Just FYI, you're just about mid-ship which will be very stable for you, but you'll get in some walking for sure. At least you have options...go to the front elevators if going to the Garden Cafe, or the rear ones for the theater and other things. :) Also, which itinerary are you going on? The port was the better side for Western Caribbean with better views of Miami Beach, Roatan and Cozumel.

 

Whatever you decide, you can't go wrong in my opinion. Have a wonderful time.

 

[highmath]

Sorry to revive an old tread:p, but to answer your questions, I paid less than $100 difference between the Spa Balcony and a regular balcony with separate spa access. I guess the premium comes from the room's location, which is not much concern... We gotta burn the calories from all the food!

 

We are on the Eastern Caribbean run to St. Maarten, St. Thomas, and Nassau out of Miami. We got some snorkeling trips scheduled for the first two and Im fortunate to have a brother that lives in Nassau, so our time will be spent with him.

[conandrob240]

How can you tell if the mini suite you pick will have a bathtub?