First time NCL - Getaway or Epic?

[JBlock54]

I'm going to try NCL this November after cruising Royal Caribbean for the last few years. Would you recommend the Getaway or Epic?

[first2travel]

I am not familiar with the Getaway, but have been on the Epic. I was not happy with the cabin design. As such, while I only cruise with Norwegian, I will not take the Epic again. As I have mentioned in previous posts, the wash basin is opposite the bed. This caused a concern for me while brushing up or hand washing during the middle of the night. The shower and commode is separate on either side of the cabin door. This area is separated by a cloth pull curtain. The studio cabins however, are a great idea. Many in our small group took advantage of this design to avoid both having to share a cabin or pay the extra fee for a single supplement. Look at the cabin design for the Getaway. Happy travels!

[chrisc71]

As mentioned the cabin layout on Epic is different.

 

I would lean towards Getaway as that is the newest ship.

[TrumpyNor]

I would go for the Getaway, since they (NCL) made a few "mistakes" on the Epic that they have tried to avoid on the newer ships. Among other things, on the Epic the beds are "round" and many find them to be short because of the shape. Many also dislikes parts of the bathroom being inside the cabin itself, instead of separate like it is on the rest of the ships. Also - on the Epic the promenade deck is almost entirely "build in" by lifeboats, so it is not as nice as on other ships. And also - the Getaway is a brand new ship, with many new "inventions" on board, so that alone is the reason why you should go for the Getaway instead of the Epic. The Epic is one of very few NCL ships that was not build at the Meyer shipyard in Germany - it was build in France instead. And the way I have understood it, NCL was NOT too happy about the result and therefore cancelled the order they had in France for building two other "megaships" and instead returned to Meyer shipyard.

Edited July 16, 2014 by TrumpyNor

[roger001]

Here's a huge number of pics from the Getaway about a month ago. I did not sort, edit, or remove similar shots.....lazy. But they will show you most of the ship.

 

http://s241.photobucket.com/user/roganderson60/media/Getaway1/DSCN5596_zps8f68ea0b.jpg.html?sort=2&o=0

[LegalCat]

I have to second the comments about the Epic, I love NCL and am a very satisfied customer generally... I'm the kind of person who thinks any day not at work is a great day so its hard for me to be negative... that being said, I hated the layout of the Epic, I felt like the public spaces were very tight, on several occasions in various dining options we had to ask the person sitting behind us to move so we could get out, there just never seemed like there was room, and I hated the cabins, they were long and the beds felt short, I hated having the sink in the main room, and all the storage spaces were long and not wide enough... I still had a great time, it just sits in my mind as a ship I would never go on again because I hated the layout... also as others said, Getaway is brand new...

[dolita22]

We have not sailed the Getaway yet, but would like to check it out soon! That said, we sailed the Epic last year and are sailing again next year. We liked the Epic! We were in a balcony, and while the bathroom setup took some getting used to, it didn't bother us at all. There were only 2 of us in the room; if there were more than 2, not sure we would have been fans. It was nice to have the sink outside the bathroom/shower, and there's a curtain for privacy. We had a bed by the door on our first Epic sailing, but on the advice of CCers, we have booked a room with a bed by the balcony for our next sailing.

 

I don't think you can go wrong with either, but if the price is equivalent, I'd pick the Getaway just to check out a new ship. :) However, if you don't mind a different bathroom setup, the price is less, and you like the itinerary, the Epic is a fun ship.

Edited July 16, 2014 by dolita22
Updated from "if there were more than 4" to "if there were more than 2"

[youngestof9]

I've been on breakaway (twin to getaway) and epic. I did sail in the haven on epic but I like epic better. The pool area and spice h2o is nicer. Waterfront is terrific but I'd give epic pool and public spaces a better rating. Balconies are a little larger on epic. I did love breakaway but I still think epic is my favorite. Plus I loved blue man group.

[Demonyte]

I too would recommend Getaway, especially if having cruised on Oasis class ships with RCCL previously. While Epic is a nice ship, as said earlier, it has flaws that have been fixed on Breakaway class ships. Unless Epic had an itinerary I absolutely wanted, I would choose Getaway every time.

[Quincella]

The Epic is my favorite ship by far. It's the only ship I've ever sailed twice, and I would again in a heartbeat. I adore that ship.

 

I'm booked on the Getaway for September, and although I'm of course looking forward to it I'm skeptical about whether it can knock the Epic out of the top spot for me.

 

The bathroom thing was not an issue for me in any way, though, and I know some people hate it. I actually liked it. I thought it was a great use of space.

[Single Cruiser]

Epic if you prefer nightlife (better Bliss and Spice H2O).

 

Getaway if you like your sea views, outside deck spaces.

[Love my butler]

Both are bad. Getaway is less bad. If you have to pick, go with the GA. Stay far, far away from Epic.

[Crusin-Suzan]

Have been on both. Loved the Epic but not keen with the cabins as many other cruisers. Love the Getaway!!! Going again and we hardly ever sail in the summer. Did like the Epic casino much more if you are into that!! Getaway balconies can be very small so watch what you book if that's important to you.

[Jay Sam]

I have sailed Epic once. That was enough. So I would select Getaway. It is a new ship and from what I have heard NCL has corrected the glitches with Epic.

 

The layout of the ship was busy, congested and poorly planned.

 

That 1 pool was a bit odd too; not a regular pool. The slides were great though.

 

The bathroom arrangement did work well for us. I was traveling with my married friends, so it allowed us to use different areas at the same time.

 

The cabin was crowded and the sofa for sleeping was not good. It had a slight S shape to it.

 

I would take Epic again, but only if the price/itinerary were great.