Just booked a studio on the Epic

[Dr. Zebra]

This will actually be my second cruise, but I'm going solo this time around following a divorce. January 12, 2013 is a ways off, but I'm excited just the same.

 

Anyone have any experience with the studios and/or tips they want to share?

[vxv0409]

This will actually be my second cruise, but I'm going solo this time around following a divorce. January 12, 2013 is a ways off, but I'm excited just the same.

 

Anyone have any experience with the studios and/or tips they want to share?

 

 

I want to follow this thread! I just booked my first solo cruise on the Epic as well but not until MAY of 2013!!! So you'll be able to share everything with me after you return! :eek:

 

I've been researching it like crazy! And I LOVE the concept :)

[perkydebrajean]

I'm envious of both of you! One of these days I want to book a studio room on the Epic.

 

If you go to youtube you can find some videos of the Epic Studio rooms. I'd post the link but I'm not quite that computer literate yet!

[retiring soon]

HI all!

 

Dr. Zebra ~ WTG! You'll have a blast! I went solo in a studio to the Med for 11 nights & liked it so much I went to the Caribbean for 7 nts in Nov.:D

 

Be sure to go to the studio lounge the 1st night when introductions are made. You'll meet some people you'll like to do things with & the CD staff member Sol ( or perhaps Natalie will be back) will arrange a group dinner, time at the icebar, bowling whatever the group wants. The entertainment is amazing so make sure you book everything when the 45 day window opens.

There are cookies, continental breakfast fixings, sandwiches available there as well as a fancy coffee machine!

 

Boy I wish I was going on Epic again!! Enjoy!

 

~ Jo ~ :)

[QuietCheetah49]

I am booked on the 9/23/12 sailing and I am also interested in what others have to say about solo cruising. I've cruised many times but never in Europe or solo.

[HowardK]

These are some thing from my documentary Stray Dogs Guide To The Rough Seas:

 

- Make sure to attend the studio gathering 5:30 each day- important early in the cruise

- Be assertive and suggest ideas for dinner, shows, etc..

-Do not book shows for 7PM- it will likely interfere with dinner plans people make-

In the event you eat dinner earlier and then went to go to a 7PM show- you can stand by for them

When selecting your room do not pick the ones right next to the studio lounge- more traffic

I had 12513 it only had one connecting room

Make sure to take the hangers out of the closet- they make noise during the night

Go in with a positive attitidue, participate in your roll call forum there will be mix of solo and non solos on it

 

Only recently have I stopped having dreams about the boat.

I will likely do the Breakaway next year

[ibz1492]

This will actually be my second cruise, but I'm going solo this time around following a divorce. January 12, 2013 is a ways off, but I'm excited just the same.

 

Anyone have any experience with the studios and/or tips they want to share?

 

I have been in the Studios for 4 cruises thus far. They are without question the best past of the Epic.... The Living Room, private to only Studio guests, is great 24 hours a day... Best coffee on board, snacks all day, bar tender from about 5 PM and a gathering at 5:30 every afternoon. So if you need a bit of a push to meet people this is when to do it..... The only problem lately is that the price of the Studios is now almost as much as a single staying in an interior cabin..... It shows how popular singles cruising is IF the cruise lines did not continue to gouge us singles as they have always done.... it is so shortsighted.... Ask the Pres of NCL who said his company would lose $1 million per year on the Studios - I hope he has eaten crow and that other cruise lines make note...

[BrendaJean75]

I was solo in a studio last month. I had a fantastic time and found it to be a good mix of being with people and having that alone time you so desperately need on a vacation (ok, I so desperately need it.) I booked the Breakaway (solo, studio) 2 years out based on how nice everything was on Epic.

 

I found the lounge to be nearly deserted every day/evening/late night. I missed the first night solo gathering, and never really made that much of an effort to hang out for more than 20 minutes and wait for people to show up. The vending machines on floor 12 did not work, unless they've been fixed since, so you'll need to go to the lounge if you need water or soda. I did find the studio hallways to be very quiet, never heard a word from outside my door until the last couple of nights when some rambunctious passengers decided to bang on doors at 3:30 am and the last morning when the staff made enough noise to make sure we were all getting up on time. A cabin 3 doors up from me had a plumbing problem the first day that spilled into the hallway, so there was an odor the whole week, but not enough to make things unbearable.

 

The only thing I didn't like about the cruise was Blue Man Group. I found it boring, but lots of people loved it, so it could just be my taste. I always found a chair near the pool to get some sun, the H20 deck was nice, but the 18+ certainly isn't enforced. I found that if you want to strike up a conversation with someone, just stop and stand still for 30 seconds - I found everyone to be very chatty and friendly, more so than on other cruises. The only public area with a space issue was the atrium, where movies are shown in the afternoon - lots of chair hogs (older women knitting for hours on end and using several chairs for their yarn). As far as activities, I found there was so much to do that I had a hard time keeping up. I missed the Cirque dinner and Second City bookings I made pre-cruise, but didn't have any trouble getting into a later seating. The cruise director wasn't the kind of guy who has that natural charm (he made me very uneasy just because he seemed to not be enjoying himself) but I found his staff to be the usual welcoming, easy going, energetic kind of folks I'd expect.

 

I heard a lot of complaints on board about the wait times for elevators and the smoke in the casino - true, the elevators seemed slow at times, but I didn't notice the casino smell.

 

The Epic is huge, so bring your energy and watch so you don't miss out on any of the fun!

[HowardK]

I am also planning on booking the breakaway- although the week 9/15 i was looking at went up by $50- I might call them and see if they would maybe increase my OBC as it would be my #3 cruise with them.

 

I got back 3 weeks today and it remains a positive experience and I am glad i went

[preacha50]

I went on the Epic in September for a Meditteranean cruise. I got so spoiled in those Studio cabins, they are absolutely wonderful. I can't imagine why all the cruise lines don't do something similar. If you have a chance to experience it, go for it. It was great.

[djmess]

Was the first solo happy hour gathering at 5:30ish on embarcation day, or was the first gathering the next day?

 

Thanks for your help

[BrendaJean75]

Was the first solo happy hour gathering at 5:30ish on embarcation day, or was the first gathering the next day?

 

Thanks for your help

 

It was around 5:30 or so on the first day, at least on my sailing.

[mrobstad]

I missed the solo gatherings the first day or two and noticed a crowd on the 3rd day and joined in. I was sorry I missed it! I thought I was being smart pre-booking the 7 pm shows forty five days before cruising. As everyone has said, book the late shows so you can gather at 5:30 and find dinner companionship. There's someone in the studios- for everyone. No one mentioned the up-charge restaurants--try to convince others to go--worth the money. We had a group of 8 solos that went to Le Bistro and we all loved it!!

[Twoshew]

I did the EPIC studio cabins the last week of December 2011, Xmas – New Years.

The rooms were great, to bad I only used it a few hours each night.

One thing that has not been talked about, and everyone on my cruise agreed, the boat sways from side to side more than any others.

The EPIC is currently the tallest cruise ship on the water, and the wind is a factor.

The staff will play it down and say it’s normal and you will get used to it.

Veteran cruisers will say it is not normal and they have never been on a ship that rocked back and forth so much.

Fortunately the Studio cabins are right down the middle of the ship so the effects were minimal when in bed.

This was my first ever cruise and I did it solo, choosing the Epic solely for the studios cabins.

The overall experience was great but there were a few disappointments.

I was hoping for more fun, the H2O Spice Club should be renamed H2O Dead Club.

What a waste, so much potential not being utilized and nobody cares.

I did the Epic and now know what it’s all about, and I would also recommend it.

With that being said I would not do it again, which I believe 80% of my fellow cruisers would also say.

As a solo first time cruiser I spent many, many hours talking to fellow cruisers.

I found most shipmates have been on 6 to 8 other cruises and this was also going to be their first and last time on the EPIC.

Most found the service to be poor and the entertainment weak.

I was told by numerous sources to do Carnival for FUN and Royal Caribbean for Service.

I would also like to comment on the entertainment.

Overall I had a great time, I saw every show when I wanted and did so without reservations.

Just show up early and slip the Gal 5 buck’s and she will work you in, the benefits of being solo.

FYI, Reservations do not guarantee good seating. You need to be at least 30-45min early to all the big shows.

[cruzin w chris]

This will actually be my second cruise, but I'm going solo this time around following a divorce. January 12, 2013 is a ways off, but I'm excited just the same.

 

Anyone have any experience with the studios and/or tips they want to share?

hey we have a connection, i just booked an epic studio as well for the week b4 xmas. also first solo following a divorce. yep long way off but it sure is something GOOD to look forward to.

[HowardK]

I did the week before Xmas as well last month-

later in the week it did move a lot,

to stand by though- i don't know if it was necessary to slip them $5 for shows

 

After going solo on the Epic, the only reason I wouldn't go again is I will be trying the breakaway as I am closer to NYC.

 

I will say though that I would not go back to any of the other NCL ships such as the Jewel, I felt as though the activites and entertainment were great.

I was never bored.

[drstats]

I went solo on Epic last month, and booked another studio for Jan 12, 2013. You'll love the studios. I'm a bit of an introvert, but the nightly solo gathering really helped me find folks to join me for dinner or a drink.

[Cruise time]

I went solo on Epic last month, and booked another studio for Jan 12, 2013. You'll love the studios. I'm a bit of an introvert, but the nightly solo gathering really helped me find folks to join me for dinner or a drink.

 

How did you find the size of the studio cabins? I have one booked on the Breakaway and never having sailed an inside cabin before, and knowing how small the studios are, I am worried about feeling claustrophobic, for lack of a better way to put it. Thanks!

[drstats]

I'll be honest--I was a tad put off when I first saw went in. It's tiny. But between the quasi-window to the hall and the clever layout, it worked. There is no way to actually use the "desk", but the tradeoff with the living room worked well.

[perkydebrajean]

I've read several posts from people where couples are booking the studio rooms but they book connecting rooms, one for each person and then use one to sleep in and one for storage. Kind of defeats the purpose of them being targeted at solo travelers.

 

Don't know why it just rubs me the wrong way to read that. I guess because if we have to book a regular room, we have to pay double.

 

And if we have to book a regular room then we don't have the option of using the private lounge.

[Cruise time]

I'll be honest--I was a tad put off when I first saw went in. It's tiny. But between the quasi-window to the hall and the clever layout, it worked. There is no way to actually use the "desk", but the tradeoff with the living room worked well.

 

Thank you for your honest opinion - it is greatly appreciated! I'm hoping between the 'window' and the bridge cam on the TV (assuming there will be one), that it won't be too bad :)

[drstats]

The other thing that I wasn't fond of was the reading light button, over the bed, was outlined in a blue led that was crazy bright at night. The only way to turn it off was to remove your key card so all cabin lights were off. That means you can't use the switch by the bed to turn the lights on in the morning.

Next time I'll take a few inches of electrical tape to cover the button