NCL Epic - Do you love her or hate her?

[tiffygirl]

Randy did it. He's an Epic lover too!

 

To answer the question on this thread..yes i love the Epic!

 

Now does Randy love it enough to book me too????:D:D Tell him ...dont worry about my air..i can get that! ha!

[3DBeach]

Similar answers to everyone else...

LOVED the water slides

LOVED the many dining options, especially Moderno

Had a mini suite and thougth it was kind of small but tons of storage.

HATED waiting so long for crowded elevators...took the stairs most of the time due to long waits.

 

If you decide to book i hope you enjoy all she has to offer.

We booked again for November and can't wait :)

[jpm168]

I would say I'm closer to love than hate. The only gripe is the buffet is not very good and added to that its not always open which is annoying (or maybe less of a bad thing is actually a good thing ? lol)

 

As to the room design, I think if you look at it as how to make best use of limited space then the design is absolute genius. Having said that it is a bit narrow, but making sure your bed and not the couch is close to the balcony helps a lot (look at where the indent is on the deck plan). We were in a B6 large balcony room and had our own loungers on the big balcony to enjoy sun and waves so not being by the pools is not a big problem. To those whole complain the pools are small, the reality is whether the pool fits 10 or 100 people you would be packed like sardines in it anyway so its really another moot point. The toilet bowl slide is a lot of fun.

 

The entertainment with Blue Man, Legends, Second City is great and so is the music with Howl at the Moon. The comedian magician Jeff Hobson? was hilarious and it went from being half empty at the first show to standing room packed the last night, although I think last week was his last and he'll be on the Breakaway.

 

All in all I'd do it again, espeically if the price is competitive even with up charge dining every night.

[cruisecritiquer]

I booked room 13216 but may be moving to 13234 so that I can put another person in our cabin. 13216 is max 3 and 13234 is max 4.

 

I'm kind of really bummed there is no tub and no curtain between the bed and seating area. That was kind of the only perks that made a minisuite a minisuite on other NCL ships.

 

Without those things...what was the point in it being a minisuite?

 

Anyone have any information about 13234? Do we know if the bed is near the door or the balcony? Thanks!

[mkad1109]

Was she MY favorite, No....But my children LOVED the Epic. I did not dislike anything about the ship other than the lack of a promenade. The entertainment was AWESOME...do not miss blue man group or Cirque de Soleil!

 

Food...Loved the Churascarria!! Le Bistro! Even Cagney's (which I find hit or miss on the ships)

 

The teens, well, we had amazing family time doing the slides, watching the kids climb the rock wall (what a high as each of them rang the bell!). They met some great friends and loved the teen centered parties as we enjoyed the adult entertainment (Mind you I am an in bed by 11 type and not a hard partier)

 

Get the Spa pass!! It was absolutely fantastic and in my opinion better than on the Pearl. Gym was GREAT with spin classes and some kind of p90 type program which I was too chicken to partake in, but enjoyed watching others!

 

The cabin layout is different (we were in a mini suite, kids had an inside) but I had NO issue with bathroom layout. Of course I was with my husband and probably didn't even notice the lack of privacy..The sink never once overflowed and the amount of storage was staggering..I felt like I could have packed all 6 of our belongings into my storage space (look carefully there were some places for storage that you didnt even realize!!)

 

Enjoy...Hey we do it for our kids right? I would prefer the Pearl or Jewel if it were just my husband and I, but if I were taking my children it would be no contest for the Epic!! (and not to say I didnt enjoy it...I DID!!... Just not as much as the other ships)

 

Safe and Happy Travels!

 

Susan

[Cruzface]

Was she MY favorite, No....But my children LOVED the Epic. I did not dislike anything about the ship other than the lack of a promenade. The entertainment was AWESOME...do not miss blue man group or Cirque de Soleil!

 

Food...Loved the Churascarria!! Le Bistro! Even Cagney's (which I find hit or miss on the ships)

 

The teens, well, we had amazing family time doing the slides, watching the kids climb the rock wall (what a high as each of them rang the bell!). They met some great friends and loved the teen centered parties as we enjoyed the adult entertainment (Mind you I am an in bed by 11 type and not a hard partier)

 

Get the Spa pass!! It was absolutely fantastic and in my opinion better than on the Pearl. Gym was GREAT with spin classes and some kind of p90 type program which I was too chicken to partake in, but enjoyed watching others!

 

The cabin layout is different (we were in a mini suite, kids had an inside) but I had NO issue with bathroom layout. Of course I was with my husband and probably didn't even notice the lack of privacy..The sink never once overflowed and the amount of storage was staggering..I felt like I could have packed all 6 of our belongings into my storage space (look carefully there were some places for storage that you didnt even realize!!)

 

Enjoy...Hey we do it for our kids right? I would prefer the Pearl or Jewel if it were just my husband and I, but if I were taking my children it would be no contest for the Epic!! (and not to say I didnt enjoy it...I DID!!... Just not as much as the other ships)

 

Safe and Happy Travels!

 

Susan

 

You mentioned the rock wall and I completely didn't think my boys would bother since they had done it on RCCL. But we found out after the cruise that our oldest did it on a dare and climbed the most difficult part in 26 seconds! Wish I had videotaped that. The kids they were hanging with were freaking out!

[jingle5616]

Just my opinion...... Bad design is bad design. Glad those who love her.......love her! Not for us.:eek:

[wvfrogg]

Randy did it. He's an Epic lover too!

 

Have super cruises on the Epic!! I know you will have a blast. Fran:D

[lowroller]

13234 the bed is not by the balcony.

I have turned down the Mini suites on the Epic, as I perfer the Aft balcony cabin. I would recommend it over a mini suite.

I like the Epic, as I have no problem getting around on my own two feet. But I'm easy to please with a beer, a lounge chair, sunshine and a casino.

Glenn

 

 

 

Without those things...what was the point in it being a minisuite?

 

Anyone have any information about 13234? Do we know if the bed is near the door or the balcony? Thanks!

[cruisecritiquer]

13234 the bed is not by the balcony.

I have turned down the Mini suites on the Epic, as I perfer the Aft balcony cabin. I would recommend it over a mini suite.

I like the Epic, as I have no problem getting around on my own two feet. But I'm easy to please with a beer, a lounge chair, sunshine and a casino.

Glenn

 

 

 

Without those things...what was the point in it being a minisuite?

 

Anyone have any information about 13234? Do we know if the bed is near the door or the balcony? Thanks!

 

Does the Aft balcony cabin hold 4?

 

Also, is it any larger than the mini suite...what do you prefer about it?

 

I am adding a 4th child to our mini suite for a family that is cruising with us because they have a family of 5 (they want to take advantage of the kids sail free promotion) and i don't see an aft facing balcony that holds 4.

[LittleMissMagic]

I'm an architecture major, so naturally, I think that the Epic is absolutely hideous.

 

But I like it.

 

For me, it's the structures that are the most obnoxious, most different, most misunderstood that hold a special place in my heart. Like the Pompidou in France, Daniel Libeskind's Jewish Museum, Frank Gehry's Guggenheim. There's something powerful to me about design that makes a statement... design that creates controversy... design that ticks people off. You don't have to love it or think it's the most beautiful thing in the world, but from miles away, you'll know what it is. That ship, with the Frankenstein head - make no mistake - is the Norwegian Epic.

 

That being said, I've yet to sail on her, but I have booked two upcoming cruises in May and am looking forward to sailing the Mediterranean on the Epic!

[kerrytens]

Put me down in the hate column. Would never sail her again unless given a free ticket. It's just too obvious the design was to pack as many people as possible on board and then try to make revenue with all those warm bodies.

Really? I'm only asking because my cruise was full and I only noticed that it was full during debarkation - it was a sea of people then (the word awful actually comes to mind). Otherwise, I kept wondering where everyone was:D

[SMSACE6]

I'm an architecture major, so naturally, I think that the Epic is absolutely hideous.

 

But I like it.

 

For me, it's the structures that are the most obnoxious, most different, most misunderstood that hold a special place in my heart. Like the Pompidou in France, Daniel Libeskind's Jewish Museum, Frank Gehry's Guggenheim. There's something powerful to me about design that makes a statement... design that creates controversy... design that ticks people off. You don't have to love it or think it's the most beautiful thing in the world, but from miles away, you'll know what it is. That ship, with the Frankenstein head - make no mistake - is the Norwegian Epic.

 

That being said, I've yet to sail on her, but I have booked two upcoming cruises in May and am looking forward to sailing the Mediterranean on the Epic!

 

This is how I feel too. You put into words much better than I did. Perhaps I should have been an architect.:) I have my first cruise on her booked for November, and feel quite optimistic that I will book her again when she goes on the western Caribbean run. I still dont see ugly at all, just a bit different, and I like different.:)

[sdmike]

Put me down in the hate column. Would never sail her again unless given a free ticket. It's just too obvious the design was to pack as many people as possible on board and then try to make revenue with all those warm bodies.

 

It would be more helpful if you cited specific examples of why you feel this way. You bash Epic all the times on the board, and you've really never posted the reasons. I'd like to understand what went horribly wrong for you.

[Love my butler]

It would be more helpful if you cited specific examples of why you feel this way. You bash Epic all the times on the board, and you've really never posted the reasons. I'd like to understand what went horribly wrong for you.

 

Too many reasons to list again. You would not like to understand my reasons, you would just like to argue the points with me. I learned long ago not to argue my opinon with a cheerleader.

[Quincella]

Too many reasons to list again. You would not like to understand my reasons, you would just like to argue the points with me. I learned long ago not to argue my opinon with a cheerleader.

 

I'd certainly be interested to know what it is that you dislike so much, too. I'm no cheerleader (and, ftr, I don't think sdmike is, either) although I do like the ship. I just enjoy hearing others' opinions, whether or not they're the same as mine. Sometimes I read about other people's experiences and wonder if we were even on the same ship! Or, something that I may love others hate. Different strokes for different folks.

[Cruzface]

Too many reasons to list again. You would not like to understand my reasons, you would just like to argue the points with me. I learned long ago not to argue my opinon with a cheerleader.

 

I don't view Mike as a cheerleader. In fact he has always called as he sees it. As do I. I noted issues with Epic, but I was at least specific. If you can't be specific, your opinion carries little weight. Too many to list? There is plenty of space here and time to write them. At least tell us your biggest problems.

[sdmike]

Too many reasons to list again. You would not like to understand my reasons, you would just like to argue the points with me. I learned long ago not to argue my opinon with a cheerleader.

 

I don't argue opinions. Everyone is entitled to them. I will, however, argue facts. Why would I ask for your reasons if I wasn't interested in them? It might help me understand why you are so negative. Without reasons, I'm left to think you're just a grump. If you posted them before, maybe a link to them.

[cruisecritiquer]

Too many reasons to list again. You would not like to understand my reasons, you would just like to argue the points with me. I learned long ago not to argue my opinon with a cheerleader.

 

Well, could you inform me. I'm not here to argue other's opinions. I would like to be fully informed.

[kirsty_r]

Too many reasons to list again. You would not like to understand my reasons, you would just like to argue the points with me. I learned long ago not to argue my opinon with a cheerleader.

And you seem to have a lot of negatives with ncl in general from other posts on this site... surely there are some positives for you to cruise ncl??

 

What's the biggest negative of the EPIC??

[cruisecritiquer]

Honestly, between Don's review and Mike's review I feel extremely informed about this ship. I've looked at the 3D tours, I understand where I am in relation to other things on the ship and I am pretty laid back about little hiccups so long as I still get to relax and relax and relax and eat. :)

 

Specifics are nice because if there's something I should do or avoid...well...it's always nice to have advanced notice of that.

[chisoxfan]

We weren't impressed with the Epic based upon our 1/19 cruise this year.

We actually have been happy with the Sky which is one of the 'older' NCL offerings. Comments from our earlier post.

 

I am posting primarily because I am in such close agreement with your comments. We cruised Epic on Jan 19 - we also had a great time with pleasant crew and nice diversions but would not travel on her again. While we only had a midship balcony we did enjoy Posh greatly-it was a highlight. Some random comments:

- Posh was great and relaxing-it seemed to be the only way to make sure you had a comfortable pool chair. The pool area is pleasant but way too small for the number of passengers

- We had to put up with the infamous bed by the door (ie, by the sink). The layout certainly isn't unworkable but it is far from ideal

- the balcony had two basic chairs and a footstool. Unsuitable for dining

- the ship layout seemed poor to us. You virtually had to transverse the casino to get anywhere. I hated the low ceilings and the ship to me seemed dark and not very luxurious compared to Pricess and X offerings.

My pesonal view is that this ship will not age well

-was particularly taken by your comments on ship movement- it did seem extreme even in what appeared to be calm waters. Surprising with the ships size although I realize this is the most subjective topic

-food was very good- we disliked the dining room layouts as crowded, noisy and boring. It was disconcerting in Manhattan to see crew pull bags of laundry through the dining room

-most the two tops were jammed together in both MDR's and we wound up asking for some 4 tops (we never really noticed an issue on any other cruise we were on).

-casino while huge didn't have many (or any) newer video slots

-really liked La Cuccina (2x), Cagney's (1x) and Ice Bar was novel

-Slam Allan!- what a fantastic entertainer

-could take or leave Second City and Blue Man and had no interest in seeing them twice

I realize many negative comments here but we really did enjoy the cruise and aren't sorry we tried the Epic. It just seemed engineered for maximum occupancy and shipboard diversions and not scaled towards relaxation and elegance. Lo:)oking forward to trying a suite on the Jade this fall in the Med.

[cruisecritiquer]

We weren't impressed with the Epic based upon our 1/19 cruise this year.

We actually have been happy with the Sky which is one of the 'older' NCL offerings. Comments from our earlier post.

 

I am posting primarily because I am in such close agreement with your comments. We cruised Epic on Jan 19 - we also had a great time with pleasant crew and nice diversions but would not travel on her again. While we only had a midship balcony we did enjoy Posh greatly-it was a highlight. Some random comments:

- Posh was great and relaxing-it seemed to be the only way to make sure you had a comfortable pool chair. The pool area is pleasant but way too small for the number of passengers

- We had to put up with the infamous bed by the door (ie, by the sink). The layout certainly isn't unworkable but it is far from ideal

- the balcony had two basic chairs and a footstool. Unsuitable for dining

- the ship layout seemed poor to us. You virtually had to transverse the casino to get anywhere. I hated the low ceilings and the ship to me seemed dark and not very luxurious compared to Pricess and X offerings.

My pesonal view is that this ship will not age well

-was particularly taken by your comments on ship movement- it did seem extreme even in what appeared to be calm waters. Surprising with the ships size although I realize this is the most subjective topic

-food was very good- we disliked the dining room layouts as crowded, noisy and boring. It was disconcerting in Manhattan to see crew pull bags of laundry through the dining room

-most the two tops were jammed together in both MDR's and we wound up asking for some 4 tops (we never really noticed an issue on any other cruise we were on).

-casino while huge didn't have many (or any) newer video slots

-really liked La Cuccina (2x), Cagney's (1x) and Ice Bar was novel

-Slam Allan!- what a fantastic entertainer

-could take or leave Second City and Blue Man and had no interest in seeing them twice

I realize many negative comments here but we really did enjoy the cruise and aren't sorry we tried the Epic. It just seemed engineered for maximum occupancy and shipboard diversions and not scaled towards relaxation and elegance. Lo:)oking forward to trying a suite on the Jade this fall in the Med.

 

I just now saw your post. Thank you for your review. We've already booked but we will keep these things in mind!

[ClaireAndMike]

Loved it, loved it, loved it! Going again in 2014 in fact.

[DragonflyDeb18]

The solo studios are awesome! I loved it. I loved the ship and do not see anything wrong with it at all.