Are the Megaships like Epic more fun?

[jetter2]

GF and I sailed the Star over Xmas - absolutely LOVED it. It was a great size, embarkation/disembarkation were pretty quick, food was good, and with it being a smaller boat it had a great "camp" feel to it where we met some great friends.

 

We are looking ahead 12 months to plan our next xmas cruise. We are HUGE NCL fans so we are trying to stay with them(mainly for UBP ;) ) but the Epic has come up as the leading contender for this years Xmas Cruise.

 

This would be the largest ship either of us has been on, and we would be in a deck 13 aft-facing balcony.

 

As far as the ship itself, what do you love/hate most about it? I would imagine with that many people onboard, embarkation and disembarkation would take a lonnnng time? How about scoring reservations at specialty dining? With that many people on board, do the slots all go rather fast?

 

One of my favorite things about the Star was the BierGarten on top of the pool deck facing aft. It offered AWESOME views pulling into ports, and just in general. Does the Epic have any good bars to relax at and soak in the good views?

 

This would be the first megacruise for either of us, so we are curious. If this one goes well, we might try Oasis of the Seas next year!

 

I'm just looking for a quick compare/contrast of the boats, and which you prefer and why. Her and I are both 28.

[Bluenoser47]

Some people love the mega ships some hate them. From your description I think you would love it.

 

I was on Epic 3 years ago it was my first ncl ship.

Sailing on her next week in Spain and Italy I can not WAIT!!!!

 

She just came out of a MAJOR dry dock so I won't even recognize her!

 

I am in an Aft Balcony.

 

The mega ships have a lot of smaller lounges and entertainment venues. So perfect for what you are looking for.

Epic has two big sows in the main theater and a lot of smaller shows every night in the smaller clubs. Makes it feel like you are in a club or pub rather than a "show" theater. Lots's of fun and always several things going on. Comedy, music, dancing etc.

 

As for the restaurants they do book up so to avoid disappointment and be able to eat when you want it is best to reserve on line in your MYNCL account prior to boarding. Typically about 90 days ahead of time they release booking availability.

 

Same with the two big main shows, reserv ahead of time to get your preferred seating and day.

 

As for embarkation and disembarking very organized and takes no longer than the mid sized ships.

 

If you scroll through the NCL threads there is one that was posted a couple of days ago with Epic Dailys.

Take a look at that it will give you an idea of the entertainment...it will change a certain amount but you will see all the variety

 

In addition to the entertainment, they have some really cool activities you will enjoy. Lots of water slides, rock climbing walls etc. Those are both on Epic other ships have ropes courses, and a variety of fun stuff to do...or just hang out at the pool during the day.

 

The big ships offer much more inthe way of day time things to do on sea days than the mid sized ships

 

I enjoy the mid sized ships, and I enjoy the mega ships both have a different appeal to me.

 

I think you will find the same based on what you described.

Edited January 7, 2016 by Bluenoser47

[LrgPizza]

We've been on the smallest ship in the fleet, and the largest. I definitely prefer the larger, because it seems like there is so much more happening, and so much more to exerience, yet it's just as easy to meet people, and run into them over and over again during the cruise.

[hockey1963]

Yes!

[jetter2]

It sounds great, and I am excited to go on a ship with a piano bar and dedicated comedy bar as well. I LOVE LOVE LOVE to gamble and I like have entertainment options outside of just the casino :)

 

Again, one of my favorite things about the Star was the BierGarten at the very top of the ship just behind the bridge. It looked aft out over the pool and had an AMAZING view. Does the Epic have any bars offering such views?

 

Also - all the entertainment is free right?

[SaveFarris]

As far as the ship itself, what do you love/hate most about it?

 

The bathrooms are ... different. Do a search and you should find plenty of material both pro and con.

 

I loved the variety. With a ship that big, there's always lots to do.

 

We too had an AFT balcony and it was GI-NORMOUS!!!!!! It felt like it was almost the size of the room itself.

 

I would imagine with that many people onboard, embarkation and disembarkation would take a lonnnng time?

 

The final disembarkation felt like a little bit of a madhouse, but every other embark/disembark seemed like any other ship.

 

How about scoring reservations at specialty dining? With that many people on board, do the slots all go rather fast?

 

The ship is bigger with more customers, yes. But the venues themselves are bigger too, so it's a bit of a wash. Of course, I was on it pre-UDP so things may have changed.

 

[LrgPizza]

It sounds great, and I am excited to go on a ship with a piano bar and dedicated comedy bar as well. I LOVE LOVE LOVE to gamble and I like have entertainment options outside of just the casino :)

 

Again, one of my favorite things about the Star was the BierGarten at the very top of the ship just behind the bridge. It looked aft out over the pool and had an AMAZING view. Does the Epic have any bars offering such views?

 

Also - all the entertainment is free right?

 

Epic offers Spice H2O at the aft, which has great views, food, a bar, hottubs, a pool, etc. It's the best spot to hang out during the day, IMO.

 

The only entertainment with a fee is the Cirque dinner show. All other is complementary.

[SaveFarris]

 

Again, one of my favorite things about the Star was the BierGarten at the very top of the ship just behind the bridge. It looked aft out over the pool and had an AMAZING view. Does the Epic have any bars offering such views?

 

There's a fee-based sundeck near the Haven called Vibe. That's probably the closest approximation.

 

H2O is in the back of the ship and you can get some okay views there, but it's not at the tip-top like BierGarten. (There's a basketball court nearby that blocks a piece of the view.)

 

Also - all the entertainment is free right?

 

The Cirque show and Murder Mystery lunch have fees.

 

All the other entertainment (Theater shows, comedy, Howl @ the Moon, Piano Bar, etc.) is free. You have the option to reserve the shows, but it's not required.

[jetter2]

After sailing CCL and then sailing the Star, we LOVED the bathrooms on there. I liked how they split the toilet and shower apart like that, it was awesome.

 

I saw the bathrooms on the Epic and I am not a huge fan, but then again anything is better than that stupid shower curtain on CCL!

[Minoushka]

I loved Epic Getawayand Escape ..they are all great ships ...keep you in shape with lots of walking but they are awesome

Cannot compare have not been onasmall ship lately but big ones are really nice

[hawkeyetlse]

Yes, there are a lot of passengers, and holiday cruises typically sail well above capacity, so we are talking maybe 4500 people. So there will be people everywhere, all the time, but as usual there are huge crowds in some areas, while other venues may be nearly empty. As a party of 2, you can still walk in to most things if you are flexible (willing to show up early, willing to wait, etc.) But I would recommend making reservations for specialty dining and entertainment. If you want good seats anywhere (theater, around the pool, events in the Atrium or other lounges), get there early.

 

For embarkation/disembarkation, as long as you don't need to be the first on or off the ship, the lines are not long. Same for going ashore in port: there are big crowds at first (reportedly), but if you go later, you can usually avoid them. In my experience, it's really not that different from the smaller ships. The trick is not trying to do the same thing as everyone else at the same time, whenever possible. Unfortunately, if you want to see the towel folding demonstration, or see the Beatles, or play trivia, or take part in the Christmas sing-a-long, … you can't do those on your own schedule. The rest of the ship will be there, too, so be prepared.

 

The best places to enjoy the view with a bar nearby are Spice H2O and the sun decks overlooking the pool. Actually, these are pretty much the only places on the Epic, unless you are in the Haven or choose to pay extra for Posh. If the weather is too cold/windy to be outside, all the way forward in the Garden Café is your only choice for a view with food/drink.

Edited January 7, 2016 by hawkeyetlse

[LrgPizza]

There's a fee-based sundeck near the Haven called Vibe. That's probably the closest approximation.

Epic doesn't have Vibe.

 

OP, here is the views from Spice H2O:

Edited January 7, 2016 by LrgPizza

[jetter2]

^^ That looks AWESOME!

 

GF and I love sitting on the boat and just drinking in the shade at the bar and watching the world go by. This looks like an excellent venue :)

 

We had UBP on the Star and we didn't have to pay for a single drink. Will this be the case on the Epic as well, including the ice bar?

Edited January 7, 2016 by jetter2

[KeithJenner]

There isn't much shade in Spice.

 

Edit to say that the Ice bar still costs with the UDP.

Edited January 7, 2016 by KeithJenner

[Seafan22]

We have found - as is the case in most situations - that there is plus and minus on the big and mediums sized ships. The big ships like Epic give you much greater variety for entertainment, but with so many people on the ship if you don't reserve early, you're not seeing some of it. From my point of view; proportionally, there are more people per square foot on the larger ships and it seems more crowded. The games with the cruise-staff are not as much fun because of the crowds on the large ship.

 

I have sworn off of the large and am just looking at the medium-sized ships. I like the pace and the feel of the day. I give up some food and entertainment options but it worth it to not be in a constant crowd.

[jetter2]

There isn't much shade in Spice.

 

Edit to say that the Ice bar still costs with the UDP.

 

So do the shots/drinks exceed the $11/drink allowance for the UDP?

[ExpatBride]

So do the shots/drinks exceed the $11/drink allowance for the UDP?

 

It's a flat fee for entry, which includes a certain number of shots.

[KeithJenner]

So do the shots/drinks exceed the $11/drink allowance for the UDP?

 

 

I've never actually been in the Ice Bar, but my understanding is that you pay for entry which includes two drinks. There isn't a per drink charge as such, so falls outside the UDP.

Edited January 7, 2016 by KeithJenner

[Oakman58]

Thanks for posting the picture of the Spice H20 LrgPizza, like the OP I’ve never been on a mega-ship. DW and I loved the Star and the Dawn but we booked the Epic for December just to see what the large ships are like.

[4774Papa]

We were a group of 8 ages ranging from late 30s to mid 60s and none of us cared a lot for the Epic. The pool area was too small for the large ship, crowded and way to noises.

 

Also, everywhere we went, the ship felt crowded. The food was good enough, and so was the entertainment, however, you had to book your shows. Further, we did not like the Blue Man Group.

 

The Epic is our least favorite ship of four NCL and five Celebrity ships.

[weltek]

I think there are more things to do on the megaships. On smaller ships, we'd often "run out" of things to do after dinner. On the bigger ships, I feel like there are more options if we don't want to see a theatre show.

 

But there are other things I liked about smaller ships. Like you said, that "camp" feel that comes about when there are fewer options. Everyone ends up in the same spots. And getting around the smaller ships is easier.

[sixesandeights]

Yes, the larger ships are more fun. They offer far more activities then the smaller ships. The smaller ships have their purposes, but the big new ships with the water slides, rope courses, etc are amazing. The Epic, which it sounds like you are considering, is my favorite NCL ship (and I have been on the Escape). I just really loved that ship. If you enjoyed the small ones the bigger ones will blow you away.

 

6&8

[jetter2]

We put a deposit down this morning on the Xmas Epic sailing.

 

Hopefully it will knock our socks off!

[Sauer-kraut]

Again, one of my favorite things about the Star was the BierGarten at the very top of the ship just behind the bridge. It looked aft out over the pool and had an AMAZING view. Does the Epic have any bars offering such views?

 

EPIC is the worst ship for feeling like you are on the ocean. When you are sitting in Spice 2o you don't really see much of the view. You will probably want to splurge on spa passes for your cruise. They are limited and the views from the saunas is incredible! One side is all window. Also you won't be running into any children up there. EPIC was designed so that all activity was focused towards the inside, that is why there are so few venues where you can actually see the sea.

[GUT2407]

For us, no.

 

Our "Sweet spot" is around 509-700.

 

Less is too small unless you are really lucky with traveling companions, more is way too many. Too many in port, too many to meet and have a chin wag with.