Booking Epic- first one on NCL- tips please!

[mistyraj]

Hello

 

I have cruised on RCCL several times but am thinking of trying NCL's Epic. Does anyone have any tips about the line in general (dinner/ theatre bookings etc) or about the ship?

We are travelling with a 2 year old so any tips for entertainment would be good

 

Thanks in advance

[Bluefox]

Type Epic into the search function-TONS of threads on tips.

[fshagan]

The Epic is an interesting ship. Like the Star, it is unique in the fleet in a couple of ways.

 

First way: If you are a mixed group, or never, ever go into the bathroom while your partner is in there, make sure you know about the bathroom setup. The toilet is, essentially, in the cabin next to the door with translucent glass. Gaps at the top and bottom of the translucent glass allow noises to come though, but not smells, as the best poopie-smell vacuum system in the world pulls air in through those gaps and sends it .... somewhere. You exit the toilet stall and go into the cabin proper to wash your hands. The shower, also with translucent glass, is on the other side next to the door. This is a much more pleasurable experience watching your partner, as they are more attractive standing than squatting. (We cared about this feature, and won't sail the Epic unless the choice is not to sail). Families with teens, shy people, etc. have not liked the set up, and NCL abandoned it for their later ships. No one else in the industry has catered to the voyeur crowd so no one else has copied it.

 

Second way: You can't see the ocean. Well, you can from your balcony, but it's a chore to see the ocean from anywhere outside your cabin. Everything is focused inwards. There is no promenade deck that circles the ship. Instead, there is a "back and forth" running track on one side of the ship and a .... something matching it .... on the other side. But you can't see the ocean easily from here either. The lifeboats are positioned hanging off the side of the ship like little suckerfish on a shark, and interfere with the view. So, if you want to see the ocean while on the cruise ship, get a balcony cabin OR go up to the very top deck in the sun and wind and peer out, 2,000 feet or something above the ocean, at the water.

 

So, with those two caveats, the Epic is a pretty good ship. We found the food good and the shows excellent. There is a lot of live music on board, including a dueling piano show that was great ("Howl at the Moon" I think). We found we could almost always get into venues without too much trouble, even the ones people said were hard to get in to. The one exception we had was the circus tent dinner show where evidently sweaty contortionists hover inches above your food to awe and inspire you.

 

Disclaimer: I have tried to be funny in this post. Humor is an acquired taste, and many of you will object to it. Please understand that it is not my intention to cause anyone discomfort in any way, except you. You deserve it.

[coffeebean]

The bathroom set up is really not as bad as mentioned in post #3. You can not see anything beyond the opaque glass unless you press your nose against the glass. Who does that??? I loved the bathroom set up actually......during the day the natural light streamed through the opaque glass and it was as if there was a glorious window in the toilet room and the same lighting effect for the shower room. LOVED it!!!

 

Epic is an awesome ship with contemporary entertainment that we really enjoyed. Hubby and I have been on Epic three times. Now we are trying NCL's newest ships, the Breakaway class. Going on the Getaway in two weeks.

 

As for tips: bring a tap light to keep in the toilet room for those middle of the night trips. We always travel with a tap light for the bathroom trips during the night as we don't like to turn on the bright light.

Edited September 5, 2015 by coffeebean

[dolita22]

We have sailed the Epic twice, and would love to sail her again! We sailed for the second time earlier this year and, despite being 5 years old and not having been through drydock yet, the ship was in really good condition. Some rust spots on our balcony, but crew does a great job at maintaining her with the thousands of guests sailing each year.

 

Regarding the bathroom setup, I agree with the PP who said that the setup really is not that bad. Everyone's comfort level is different, but if traveling with your spouse and child, you should be fine. The glass is frosted and there is a curtain you can pull that covers both the toilet area and the shower area, so privacy can be maintained. I travel with my DH, and the having the split shower and toilet area was nice, because one could shower and the other could use the restroom and get ready in the room.

 

If traveling with a toddler, you could look at a mini-suite. We usually stay in balconies, but there are mini-suites that offer a bathtub. We don't have kids, so I'm not sure which categories those are, but it seems like those with younger children prefer the bathtub over having to put a toddler in the shower.

 

My advice to you would be to read up on all the pros and cons of the Epic and take both the glowing and negative reviews with a grain of salt. Go on the cruise with an open mind, and enjoy the time together.

[Sauer-kraut]

As for tips: bring a tap light to keep in the toilet room for those middle of the night trips. We always travel with a tap light for the bathroom trips during the night as we don't like to turn on the bright light.

 

Or hang a glow stick in there every night, or put a battery operated tea light in there all night. Just enough illumination to see by.

[fshagan]

You have to put your nose on the glass to see inside? Maybe they changed things, but it was very obvious what was going on ... here's a screen shot of a video I'll also try to embed (the bathroom review starts at 2:18):

 

 

 

It may not bother some people, but it should at least be described accurately so they can decide.

 

Edit: the YouTube link didn't work. Here's the raw link:

Edited September 6, 2015 by fshagan

[FreestyleNovice]

OP, from inside, balcony to mini suite all have the described bathroom setup. Higher cat. staterooms have different bathrooms. But, inform to be sure, a cat. H9 Haven Spa suite will also feature a semi-open bathroom for example.

 

Epic has a great Spice H2O aft deck. With a small buffet, movie screen, jaccuzi's and some of the best ocean views on the ship. Previous mention about the lack of connecting with the ocean is very treu. Despite I have a weak spot for her, she's one of a kind and has her own charme. She also has a great spa, fitness room and the Haven, Norwegian's suite ship-in-a-ship concept, area is one of the largest in the fleet, if not the largest.

 

Epic has served as a blue print for the later Breakaway class (Breakaway and Getaway) and the new Breakaway Plus class (Escape, currently being finished at Meyer Werft in Germany). A lot of positive from her breaking design were adopted in the new class ship, the less positive things not. ;) A smart move where the Studio's, the solo traveller cabins with a dedicated lounge. They are even retrofitted on older ships, Pride of America if I recall correctly.

 

It was also the first ship to truly have the Freestyle concept integrated in a ship's design from start. So dinner in one of the many restaurants is a treat, getting a dinner package is something to consider to avoid extra fees although the two main dining rooms (the contemporary Taste and the more classic decorated Manhattan, with a live band sometimes) are also good.

 

Epic is due for a dry dock this october. Some expect it will be maintenance mostly, some expect new features, it's a bit unclear since the docking period got extended.

 

I personally love to use Beyond Ships to "explore" a ship, http://beyondships.com/NCLEpic.html

A good source of information. A lot also depends on your situation, which kind of cabin, family or solo, etc etc.

 

Feel free to asky anything after this random ramble on Epic. :D

[zounds]

Thank you post #3. I enjoyed your descrip. and humor.