NCL Epic Review 3/15-3/22

[clcjdn]

Here is a copy of the review I just submitted:

We had a great time on this ship! The only time(s) it felt crowded was when we had muster, or when coming/going from a port. We stick mainly to the inside activities (casino high on our list). I will try to get as much on here as I can remember:

 

Embarkation:

Went smoothly, were through security and on the ship within 30-45 minutes. We went to Taste for our first lunch.

 

First Night:

We had made reservations for Taste before we left for the port. We were seated quickly. No major issues with the food or service.

 

Sea Day One:

We spent a lot of time in the casino. Drink service was good. Participated in Deal or No Deal, but were not picked to play the main game. Dinner was at Cagney's. Steak was really good! We went to our reserved showing of Blue Man Group on this night. No issues getting super seats by showing up 30 minutes early. More casino action after the show.

 

Sea Day Two:

More time in the casino (seeing a theme yet?). Did Deal or No Deal again (held in Atrium, not enough space, needs to be moved to theater or somewhere else). Played bingo....I won, for the first time ever, but had to split with 2 other people (at least I won our entry fee back). Started to do quite well in the casino. A few video poker machines paid out more than $1,000. Went to Legends show. I wish they would have closed with the Jimmy Buffett impersonator, but just personal preference. Ate at La Cucina (my favorite each time). More late night casino action.

 

Ocho Rios:

4 members of our group did the zip-line/bobsled excursion. All were fans! My wife and I kept it simple and just walked around/shopped. Ended up at the Old Pub right by the pier. 2 drinks for $10, 2 Red Stripes for $9, and we shared some Jerk Chicken for like $12. They had WIFI, not the best quality, but it worked. :) We ate at Le Bistro this night. Wasn't expecting a bunch since I am not really into that style of cuisine. However, it was really good! I had the Swordfish and many in the group tried Duck for the first time. More late night casino!

 

Grand Cayman:

Took a tour to the Turtle Farm and Hell. We had been here before, so we had specific desires on what to see. Was a great time! The other 4 spent the afternoon at the beach, but we headed back to the ship. Pretty uneventful afternoon/evening.

 

Cozumel:

We had reserved Mr. Sanchos back in November. We go there pretty much each time we go to Cozumel. Highly enjoyable! We met some great people from our ship, other ships, and the bartender was the same as last time. Many beverages were consumed. I highly recommend to anyone going there for the day! After we were back on the ship, we tried the noodle bar for dinner. The spring rolls were awesome! Went to the late night comedy. The main guy was really good. The first two women catered more to slapstick/television comedy. We were not that impressed with them, but hey, we are on vacation, so no worries. More casino action in the evening!

 

Final Sea Day:

You guessed it, more casino action. We had decided to book Moderno as well, so we slipped it into this slot. Had a great time there as well. We didn't get any desserts as they didn't seem that appealing. I had been before, and nothing jumped out at me on that front. Finished the night in the casino, where we got a few machines to heat up again and had a few pay out more than $1,000. Finished strong there.

 

Debarkation:

We went to breakfast at Taste and then did self debark. Felt like we flew through the ship and customs and were on our way.

 

Other notes:

There were 6 of us. 3 were first time cruisers. 2 people had UBP, 2 people had drinks on us cards, and the other 2 were soda/pay as you go. We met a wonderful server in the casino named Fernando. He took care of us each time he saw us. The other people in our group spent a lot of time at Spice H2O, and had great service from someone they called "Caeser Salad". Sounded like he was a good guy! Overall, it was fun, and we already have 2 more on the books....now just to convince the rest of them to get on board again. :)

[portofrome]

Thanks for your review.