NCL EPIC - Cruise Newbie w/ Questions

[didhe]

I am set to sail on NCL EPIC this Saturday. I've cruised before, but on a much smaller ship (Majesty of the Seas) and like over 6 years ago, so I guess you can say I am a cruise newbie.

 

I am trying to stay positive and not get to frightened by the reviews people have been posting regarding the EPIC recently. In particular, the issues with the stabilizers (this one concerns me more than the rest). I am also concerned with the level of service and the staff being new and unhappy/unsatisfied.

 

One of the biggest stresses I am facing right now is all the choices I have to make regarding various ship activities (shows, dining, entertainment). I know there is some things that when I get on the ship, I will "see" that I would like to do, but I am afraid it will be too late and that they will be booked up. How important is it to book in advance? By not booking in advance, will I be stuck doing MDR or buffet every night, or no show options?

 

How packed are entertainment options like Howl at the moon? Do they require service charge to attend? (e.g. buying a certain number of drinks) Alot of people seem to suggest seeing the early showing of other shows (like blue man group) and doing Howl at the moon or another entertainment option later in the evening. What are your thoughts?

 

What about the shows like Blue Man group, Legends, etc. Do you suggest they be booked in advance in order to secure a seat? Or can you just walk/line up if you would like to see something?

 

My SO is interested in the ICE bar thing (more for the experience then the drinks) and all posts I've read so far suggest booking the time slot immediately. Do you guys concur with that?

 

I want to enjoy the cruise and not feel pressured or overwhelmed by planning every minute of it. But I also, do not want to miss out on some opportunities since it may be a long time before I can sail again.

 

I know I've asked a lot of questions, so sorry in advance. :confused:

 

Any and all advice is greatly appreciated.

 

Thanks!

[mrobstad]

I'll try to answer most or all of your questions....I've been on both ships three times! There's no comparison...love the Epic!

1. Pre-book the shows....legends is awesome! BMG is popular...late shows book first. Cirque sells out...

2. I try to NEVER eat in the MDR...the speciality restaurants are terrific and worth the cost....many posts about them. Pre-book for best time slots

3. Rarely mentioned but a hidden treasure is the pub restaurant...O'Sheehans....it's free and the food is better than Windjammer....that's where I head after boarding.

4. Howl is first come, I believe....it's ok....much better are second city, must book, and the Jazz Club, which will fill by the end of the cruise.

5. There are some good snack foods from room service if you need munchies....artichoke or spinach dip comes to mind.

6. Ice bar will book early...you can do that on the ship.

7. The passes to the lounging area are nice...not the dap pass, the other one...

8. If you're looking to get away from kids, go to H2O, which fills up fast

9. Tempanaki has a half price lunch, if you can tear yourself away from the pool...

Hope this helps !

[danh78]

We were on the Epic in April '13 (first cruise ever), and we're doing it again in January '14. The April cruise was almost at capacity, I think a few hundred people shy of a full boat.

 

We never had any problem with shows, typically we booked them the day of. If you want to see a show that is sold out, just go to the theater. They release tickets that haven't been claimed 15-20 minutes before showtime.

 

Dinner could be a little more difficult, but usually we only needed a day or two in advance, and that's if we wanted a specific time.

 

Howl at the Moon is like going to a bar. We never had a problem getting a seat. People come in, stay for a while, leave, come back, etc. No drink/food minimums.

 

We didn't do the Ice Bar. We're from Chicago, we took the cruise to get AWAY from the cold.

 

Just relax and have fun. It is a big ship, so it can be a little overwhelming at first, but if you remember you're on vacation everything will line itself up.

[sanger727]

I'm going to be on this sailing also and had a question about the "second city" shows. We have one booked for the first sea day, and i know they did different shows throughout the cruise, so if we like them, I'd like to see more than once. However, in terms of pre-booking on NCL's website, they only let you book each show once per cruise. Will we be able to book more shows once we get on the ship?

Edited December 10, 2013 by sanger727

[300dtc]

I am set to sail on NCL EPIC this Saturday. I've cruised before, but on a much smaller ship (Majesty of the Seas) and like over 6 years ago, so I guess you can say I am a cruise newbie.

 

I am trying to stay positive and not get to frightened by the reviews people have been posting regarding the EPIC recently. In particular, the issues with the stabilizers (this one concerns me more than the rest). I am also concerned with the level of service and the staff being new and unhappy/unsatisfied.

 

One of the biggest stresses I am facing right now is all the choices I have to make regarding various ship activities (shows, dining, entertainment). I know there is some things that when I get on the ship, I will "see" that I would like to do, but I am afraid it will be too late and that they will be booked up. How important is it to book in advance? By not booking in advance, will I be stuck doing MDR or buffet every night, or no show options?

 

How packed are entertainment options like Howl at the moon? Do they require service charge to attend? (e.g. buying a certain number of drinks) Alot of people seem to suggest seeing the early showing of other shows (like blue man group) and doing Howl at the moon or another entertainment option later in the evening. What are your thoughts?

 

What about the shows like Blue Man group, Legends, etc. Do you suggest they be booked in advance in order to secure a seat? Or can you just walk/line up if you would like to see something?

 

My SO is interested in the ICE bar thing (more for the experience then the drinks) and all posts I've read so far suggest booking the time slot immediately. Do you guys concur with that?

 

I want to enjoy the cruise and not feel pressured or overwhelmed by planning every minute of it. But I also, do not want to miss out on some opportunities since it may be a long time before I can sail again.

 

I know I've asked a lot of questions, so sorry in advance. :confused:

 

Any and all advice is greatly appreciated.

 

Thanks!

 

We were on the Epic in July, very smooth sailing, but maybe because it was in the Mediterranean Sea?

I booked Blue Man Group and Legends before we went on the ship and just did that based on how long our excursions were that day and how tired we would be when we got back:cool:

I only booked one dinner in advance at La Cusina and we ate in the MDR once and Taste 5 nights. We had a group of 6 (and sometimes more people) and never had a wait. The daily specials were always a good choice and very tasty too. We had room service breakfast 2 times (only cold food) and it was very prompt when we had to be off ship very early. We had breakfast in O'Sheehans once and it was good, DH had late snacks there 2 times and it was ok. Buffet was suprisingly good, we had breakfast there 2 times and lunch if we were onboard and i think dinner one night when we were so tired we just wanted to relax. The food was varied and very good in my opinion the carving station meats were delicious. Soft serve icecream really hit the spot on hot days!

Howl at the Moon was fun, we didn't get there until the last night and I'm sorry we didn't have more time to enjoy it. Didn't have a problem finding seats, people come and go during the show, no drink minimum. We never made it to Second City, there is just so much to do that we didn't have time!

Ice Bar was fun...it was soooooo cold inside, but definitely was a great photo op. Now that we did it, I wouldn't do it again, i think that once is enough. We had no problem booking the ice bar onboard.

Don't stress over the entertainment...you can change it or add to it onboard...this is supposed to be fun:)

There is also piano players and random bands playing in different areas on the ship. We would be headed to something else and stop to listen for a while. It made the whole ship into a entertainment venue!

Have fun, we really enjoyed the Epic!

[waterbabies7415]

We are sailing on the Epic in April and I've been reading all the posts and becoming a bit overwhelmed myself. Thank you for all the helpful suggestions for what is really important to book. One question, what exactly is second city? There are many references to it, but I haven't seen anything saying what it is. I'm assuming its a show of some kind...

Thanks again for al the helpful tips!

Happy Sailing!

[didhe]

Thank you all for your replies. Seems like the shows go the fastest.

 

As for "second city", i think they are an onboard skit comedy troupe (like "saturday night live"). I can only guess because the original second city is in Chicago and alot of the cormer great actors/actresses from saturday night live got their start there.

[Jimmy Geegitz]

How much do they charge for Blue Man Group and Legends?

[dreamr]

How much do they charge for Blue Man Group and Legends?

 

Nothing! Totally free!

 

---

 

OP, don't worry... the Epic is a GREAT ship. I took my first ever cruise last year on the Epic and enjoyed it so much, I booked her for a second go around less than a month after getting home. Can't wait to be on her again in January! :)

[gonna go cruising]

How much do they charge for Blue Man Group and Legends?

 

Those are complimentary but you need t get a reservation.

[didhe]

I read that you can reserve these shows using a kiosk (not sure if they exist on EPIC). If so, where are these kiosk on the ship. Also, how does the reservation system work? Do you swipe your card?

[dreamr]

I never actually did it myself, since our reservations were made pre-cruise (and any reservations for the solo group were made by the solo coordinator on the ship), but I believe you can make reservations through your stateroom television (I know you can definitely view other things regarding your onboard charges and previously made reservations through your TV, as well was order pay-per-view movies, room service, etc...).

 

I know there are also interactive screens placed throughout the ship that also help you navigate around the ship and also show which restaurants, etc have availability. Not sure if you can make reservations through them, though.

 

If all else fails, there's also a "box office" right outside the Epic Theater where you can make show reservations and the like.

Edited December 11, 2013 by dreamr

[VideoTech]

Looks like all your questions have been answered, so I'm only going to add one thing: Relax. Don't stress too much about all of this. There's so much to do, so many shows to go to, so many bars and restaurants, and even if you don't get your first choice of show time or eating time at a specialty restaurant, you'll have plenty of others to choose from.

 

The only show we pre-booked on the Epic was Blue Man group.

[mrobstad]

I should clarify....I'm an educator, so I travel February break--Presidents week-- and Easter week. I'm guessing they are the most popular times to book....which is why I posted what I posted above....on the three Epic cruises I have taken, Cagneys, Le Bistro and Portofino have always been booked until 10 pm ....I missed the time of my grist Legends show, and was unable to get another day...can't wait to retire and travel when kids are in school!