My Epic Review - Western Carribean 1/20/18

[rachelia160]

I'm SO bummed my pictures didn't show up! Darn you, Photobucket!

 

Unfortunately, I can't go back and edit my posts, so I'll just upload a few snaps from the week.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[rachelia160]

 

 

 

[rachelia160]

 

 

[rachelia160]

 

[rachelia160]

Great review, thank you for all of the information! I know you said you didn't get off the ship but I was wondering if your ship docked in Falmouth and if so, did you speak to anyone who toured the island, wondering if there were any safety issues?

 

Thank you!

 

We docked in Ocho Rios. I actually couldn't believe we docked at all considering they were smack dab in the middle of a state of emergency! Our friends still got off the ship though, and didn't have any issues. They did, however, only stay around the port/shopping area, so I'm not sure if excursions and things like that were affected. NCL didn't make any comment on it though, so I think things were business as usual, believe it or not!

[rachelia160]

Hey did you guys have stickers on your cabin door with rachel and corey on them? If so we were just along from you :)

 

This is a great review I would agree with absolutely everything you have said. My first time NCL and never encountered a problem getting more than one drink at the bar etc. Also paid the extra above UBP for quite a few expresso martinis.

 

Spa: I also got the massage special, mines was done by a girl called wenyelene (apologies if this is an incorrect spelling) and she was absolutely fantastic. the full massage from tip to toe was amazing no talking throughout, only to ask if the pressure was enough. She dd however give me an additional treatment during my facial for my eyes as I had ticked the dark circles on the questionnaire (if there was an emoticon on this thread I would roll my eyes at this questionnaire because its essential purpose is to give them ideas as to what ailments they can sell you products for). At the end she also gave me a mirror and said look at the difference in your eyes, I just said write down the name of the product and I'll speak to my husband then gave her good feedback about how good she was. Essentially if anyones reading this I would highly recommend her!

 

I also had a thermal suite pass for the week, it was amazing, I went in every day to use the steam/sauna/pool to rid my self of the toxins from the night before. On one morning however my self and my friend went and the pool was closed for maintenance, found this a bit annoying given that its the main feature and we had paid £149 for it.

O' Sheehans: the food was nice but yeah we had mains come out then appetizers on more than one occasion and one time waited minutes for a drink. It didn't really seem that busy so I have no idea what was going on. I think they need to think about how the restaurant side is operating.

 

Anyhoo I did enjoy the ship, plenty to do for my age group (was there for my 40th but i'm still 30 at heart and like late nights too) and have already booked to go on the bliss in January 2020 :)

 

 

That was us! :)

 

 

I'm SO glad you had a better spa experience than me! I was almost positive that my experience wasn't typical!

[rachelia160]

Thank you for sharing your review. How was the entertainment on board?

 

Believe it or not, we barely saw any entertainment!! :eek: We're the laziest cruisers ever!

 

One thing we did see was Howl at the Moon, which was an absolute blast! They were taking all kinds of requests and my friend and I were dancing up a storm! We went on the first night, which I would reccomend - I think people were still getting settled so it wasn't too crowded.

[rachelia160]

Thanks for the review, hopefully you can get your pictures working! My friends and I (age 29) will be sailing her in a week. How were the evenings on the ship? How did your friends like the trip? Thanks for the review!

 

So sorry the pictures weren't working, I uploaded a few at the bottom of the post that hopefully everyone can see!

 

The nightlife was great. I definitely recommend doing Howl at the Moon. All of the dance parties at H20 Spice were a blast, too, especially the glow party!

[Two Wheels Only]

I know many people have asked about putting cash on their onboard account instead of a credit card. The NCL site seems pretty clear:

 

Traveler’s Check / Cash Procedures

A cash deposit may be placed on your onboard account in the following amounts:

7 day cruises - $300 USD per person

Less than 7 days - $150 USD per person

More than 7 days - $450 USD per person

Once you have exceeded the deposited amount, your account will be closed to further charges. You can deposit as much money as often as you'd like throughout the cruise, however, refunds cannot be made until the day of disembarkation for any excess.

 

…BUT, interestingly enough, that wasn’t the case for our friends. They were prepared to put down the $300 per person in cash on their account, but were told they could pay as they go. They originally put down just $140, and were notified when their account ran down that they needed to put more money on, and just added it as they went.

Before you rush to the comments to tell me “No way, that’s not how it works!”, I swear I barely believed it either!

 

Many people (especially those who have pre-paid the DSC) put down less than NCL recommends. It's fairly common to have a similar experience to what your friend had.

[rachelia160]

A few other notes and tidbits that have popped into my head since my original post:

 

 

• I couldn't get over how well maintained the ship was. There was always someone cleaning or wiping down something, and empty drink cups seemed to never stay on a table for more than 30 seconds. I saw workers wiping down the GARBAGE CANS on a regular basis. There was even the smell of fresh paint when we embarked. Everything was spotless.
  

• Demographics - there were virtually NO kids on this cruise. Whenever we saw one pass by it was like seeing an exotic bird - "Oh look, there's one!" It makes no difference to me, but I know some people have strong feelings about kids on cruises, so if you're one who wants to avoid them, mid-end January seems like a good time to cruise. (Which side of the "Which is worse, kids or drunk people?" debate do YOU fall on?) I'd say the average age on this cruise was probably about 55. There weren't a lot of people our age (mid mid-late 20's) on this sailing, but that's fine with me. We made plenty of friends anyway. (Hi Chris and Pat from the pool!)
  

• The "toilet bowl" water slide is SO much fun. I probably rode it ten times. That sucker really gets you flying! There was never any kind of wait on port days, and the lines never even seemed that bad on sea days. (Then again, not a lot of kids on our sailing.)
  

• I highly recommend bringing a breakaway lanyard (which just means it has the little buckle on the end). We got our cards hole punched at the front desk, and it was super convenient to just snap it off and hand it to the bartender and then pop it back on - easier, I think, than removing your whole lanyard, or sliding it out of a little sleeve. You can buy a Norwegian one on board for $8, but I thought the ones I brought from home were a little sturdier. This is the one I bought on Amazon for my husband for $4. Go Cavs!
  

• I also reccomend bringing some kind of "Yeti" cup if you think you're going to be having cocktails by the pool. I have an Ozark from Walmart, which cost $12 instead of $40 or whatever crazy price the Yetis are. Drinks melt fast in those little plastic cups, so having the metal cup kept our drinks from melting and getting watered down.
  

• I liked having a Brita filtered water bottle as well. I'm almost positive that the water from your bathroom sink is the exact same water you'd get at a bar anyway, but if you're a water weirdo like me, I liked having that extra layer of filtration for my own piece of mind.
  

• Outlets are pretty limited, and the only ones in the balcony cabin are located across from the bed inside a little cabinet. I had read to bring some kind of surge protector thing for some extra outlets, but unfortunately I couldn't use mine because of the orientation of the prongs. Because of how they were situated, it would have needed to be plugged in vertically, which there wasn't room for it to be flipped that way inside the little cabinet, so that's something to be aware of. This is the one I brought and couldn't use.
  

• Your hair straighteners and curling irons will not be taken away from you - pinky swear.
  

• Poo-Pourri is your friend!
  

• I've read a lot of people say that the water from the sink somehow blasts onto the bed. Maybe they adjusted the water pressure or something, but at full blast, it comes no where close to blasting out of the sink, and I thought there was plenty of room between the sink and the bed. Since the basin is a little shallow, it's easy to splash a little water onto the counter when you're brushing your teeth or whatever, but it's not excessive.
  

• The bin under your sink is for dirty towels. (Took me three days to figure that one out.)
  

I'm sure I'll think of 37 other things as soon as I post this, but that's all for now!

[rachelia160]

Many people (especially those who have pre-paid the DSC) put down less than NCL recommends. It's fairly common to have a similar experience to what your friend had.

 

Yep, they prepaid their DSC, so that must have helped! I suppose the $300 per person is more of a suggestion than a hard and fast rule, then?

[joteacher]

Thanks for your review! We're sailing in a couple of weeks, and your extra tips are a big help. I can't wait to board!

~Joanne

[rachelia160]

 

• I liked having a Brita filtered water bottle as well. I'm almost positive that the water from your bathroom sink is the exact same water you'd get at a bar anyway, but if you're a water weirdo like me, I liked having that extra layer of filtration for my own piece of mind
  

PEACE of mind. (I'm an editor for a living, that mistake is going to haunt me!)

[llollipoppi]

Believe it or not, we barely saw any entertainment!! :eek: We're the laziest cruisers ever!

 

One thing we did see was Howl at the Moon, which was an absolute blast! They were taking all kinds of requests and my friend and I were dancing up a storm! We went on the first night, which I would reccomend - I think people were still getting settled so it wasn't too crowded.

 

It' a surprise we didn't meet:) we went the first night and a couple of other nights. 1st night we were very very drunk and it probably sounded like we were howling rather than singing along :)

[rachelia160]

It' a surprise we didn't meet:) we went the first night and a couple of other nights. 1st night we were very very drunk and it probably sounded like we were howling rather than singing along :)

 

Oh my gosh, are you sure we didn't meet?! Or did you meet my friend Brittany? She was the one who grabbed the bass guitar the first night...she made a lot of friends that night that she doesn't remember but she got recognized all around the ship for the rest of the week! :')

[sarahc78]

We’ll be traveling on the Epic in March....Our first NCL cruise and like you I’ve been scouring old & new reviews for answers to questions we’ve had and just info in general on the ship. We typically sail celebrity and I’ve found their CC board is a lot more active with info & reviews than the NCL board for some reason. I just wanted to let you know that this has been one of the most informative reviews I’ve come across. Thank you so much for sharing your cruise experience.

 

We love our adult beverages also thank your for the heads up about the yeti cups and how the beverage package works. Did you guys have a favorite spot on the ship you enjoyed meeting for drinks?

 

Was there a coffee pot or a keurig type machine in your room?

 

How was your stay at the Homewood Suites? We will also be staying there for a night.

 

 

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Forums

[llollipoppi]

Oh my gosh, are you sure we didn't meet?! Or did you meet my friend Brittany? She was the one who grabbed the bass guitar the first night...she made a lot of friends that night that she doesn't remember but she got recognized all around the ship for the rest of the week! :')

 

Sounds like we should have met! We're Scottish there was 16 of us on cruise but only around 5 or 6 made it to howl at the moon 😂😂. I do remember people dancing on stage in vetween my howling sessions😂

[rachelia160]

We’ll be traveling on the Epic in March....Our first NCL cruise and like you I’ve been scouring old & new reviews for answers to questions we’ve had and just info in general on the ship. We typically sail celebrity and I’ve found their CC board is a lot more active with info & reviews than the NCL board for some reason. I just wanted to let you know that this has been one of the most informative reviews I’ve come across. Thank you so much for sharing your cruise experience.

 

We love our adult beverages also thank your for the heads up about the yeti cups and how the beverage package works. Did you guys have a favorite spot on the ship you enjoyed meeting for drinks?

 

Was there a coffee pot or a keurig type machine in your room?

 

How was your stay at the Homewood Suites? We will also be staying there for a night.

 

 

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Forums

 

I'm so glad you found this helpful!

 

We really liked meeting at Spice H20 in the back on the ship towards late afternoon/evening for drinks (it was a little too hot for me during the day - no shade). But towards the evening there's an awesome breeze, great views, and lots of high tops and low tables to sit at.

 

As for inside, I really enjoyed the Shakers Martini Bar.

 

The Atrium bar (floor 5, right by guest services) opens bright and early if you need a Bloody Mary or a mimosa to start your day! (Hair of the dog, am I right?)

 

Yes, there was a single cup coffee maker in the room. Not a Keurig exactly...I think you still used grounds that they provide in little packets. I didn't use it so I'm not 100% sure, but definitely some kind of coffee is available!

 

You can also get a little door hanger menu to hang outside the night before to have coffee and a continental breakfast delivered to you in the morning at whenever time you choose.

 

The Homewood Suites were great. The room was huge and very comfortable, with a great little kitchenette that we actually used more than expected for a one night stay. (We brought food back from from dinner the night before, and it was nice to be able to heat it up in the morning for a quick bite.) There's a little store with snacks, beer and wine that I thought was surprisingly reasonably priced. The breakfast in the morning is great, too - eggs, waffles, fruit, yogurt, etc. There's a nice little pool area too. It was a little too chilly for us to swim, but it was nice to relax by. I definitely recommend staying there!

[rachelia160]

Sounds like we should have met! We're Scottish there was 16 of us on cruise but only around 5 or 6 made it to howl at the moon 😂😂. I do remember people dancing on stage in vetween my howling sessions😂

 

Yep, pretty sure that was us! :') I'm glad everyone else was having fun too and that we weren't driving everyone nuts with our shenanigans!

[SOPHIHEYY]

Thank you for the amazing review! We're going on the Epic at the end of February, and were all a bunch of younger folk- ranging from 24-32, so it was awesome hearing a review from someone in our age group!

[dolita22]

PEACE of mind. (I'm an editor for a living, that mistake is going to haunt me!)

 

Hahaha. I'm also a tech writer/editor/content strategist, and that typo would have killed me too. I feel your pain!

 

Loved your review of the Epic! Sounds like you had a fabulous time. We've sailed on her twice (got engaged during our first sailing!) and I'm looking forward to sailing again at some point. Trying the Breakaway next year after taking a Carnival cruise in a few weeks. So many ships, so little time!

[OUgal]

Great info! Thanks for sharing.

 

When you were in Cozumel, do you remember if you stayed on ship time or local time? Could you take a photo of the front page of the daily for the day in Cozumel, please?

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[mjh2w1]

Thank you for sharing your review. How was the entertainment on board?

 

My wife and I were on this cruise as well. We saw Burn the Floor; Priscilla, Queen of the Desert; and the Epic Beatles in the Cavern Club. The entertainment was great. If you go to see the Epic Beatles in the Cavern Club I suggest you get there at least an hour before, or you'll have trouble getting a seat. It's not that big of a venue, and the couches and chairs take up a lot of room. We didn't see the comedy act...

[Nana377]

Thanks for the review we are headed on the Epic the end of the month, we've only ever sailed NCL 1 other time. Love the door decor that's a great idea. Did you just tape the decorations to your door?

 

Love the idea about the cups too, I'll have to think about picking some up before we go.

 

Looking forward to our trip and just relaxing.

 

 

A few other notes and tidbits that have popped into my head since my original post:

 

 

 

• I couldn't get over how well maintained the ship was. There was always someone cleaning or wiping down something, and empty drink cups seemed to never stay on a table for more than 30 seconds. I saw workers wiping down the GARBAGE CANS on a regular basis. There was even the smell of fresh paint when we embarked. Everything was spotless.
  

 

• Demographics - there were virtually NO kids on this cruise. Whenever we saw one pass by it was like seeing an exotic bird - "Oh look, there's one!" It makes no difference to me, but I know some people have strong feelings about kids on cruises, so if you're one who wants to avoid them, mid-end January seems like a good time to cruise. (Which side of the "Which is worse, kids or drunk people?" debate do YOU fall on?) I'd say the average age on this cruise was probably about 55. There weren't a lot of people our age (mid mid-late 20's) on this sailing, but that's fine with me. We made plenty of friends anyway. (Hi Chris and Pat from the pool!)
  

 

• The "toilet bowl" water slide is SO much fun. I probably rode it ten times. That sucker really gets you flying! There was never any kind of wait on port days, and the lines never even seemed that bad on sea days. (Then again, not a lot of kids on our sailing.)
  

 

• I highly recommend bringing a breakaway lanyard (which just means it has the little buckle on the end). We got our cards hole punched at the front desk, and it was super convenient to just snap it off and hand it to the bartender and then pop it back on - easier, I think, than removing your whole lanyard, or sliding it out of a little sleeve. You can buy a Norwegian one on board for $8, but I thought the ones I brought from home were a little sturdier. This is the one I bought on Amazon for my husband for $4. Go Cavs!
  

• I also reccomend bringing some kind of "Yeti" cup if you think you're going to be having cocktails by the pool. I have an Ozark from Walmart, which cost $12 instead of $40 or whatever crazy price the Yetis are. Drinks melt fast in those little plastic cups, so having the metal cup kept our drinks from melting and getting watered down.
  

 

• I liked having a Brita filtered water bottle as well. I'm almost positive that the water from your bathroom sink is the exact same water you'd get at a bar anyway, but if you're a water weirdo like me, I liked having that extra layer of filtration for my own piece of mind.
  

 

• Outlets are pretty limited, and the only ones in the balcony cabin are located across from the bed inside a little cabinet. I had read to bring some kind of surge protector thing for some extra outlets, but unfortunately I couldn't use mine because of the orientation of the prongs. Because of how they were situated, it would have needed to be plugged in vertically, which there wasn't room for it to be flipped that way inside the little cabinet, so that's something to be aware of. This is the one I brought and couldn't use.
  

• Your hair straighteners and curling irons will not be taken away from you - pinky swear.
  

 

• Poo-Pourri is your friend!
  

 

• I've read a lot of people say that the water from the sink somehow blasts onto the bed. Maybe they adjusted the water pressure or something, but at full blast, it comes no where close to blasting out of the sink, and I thought there was plenty of room between the sink and the bed. Since the basin is a little shallow, it's easy to splash a little water onto the counter when you're brushing your teeth or whatever, but it's not excessive.
  

 

• The bin under your sink is for dirty towels. (Took me three days to figure that one out.)
  

I'm sure I'll think of 37 other things as soon as I post this, but that's all for now!

[MOFamilyof4]

We are going on the Epic in March for4 days. Do you know what nights the dancers will be in the main dinning room?