Epic Failure - live onboard now (1.26.2019)

[SeaTheW0rld]

11 hours ago, KeithJenner said:

Im not going to comment on most of the issues that the OP had. They are personal experiences and just because they haven't happened to me doesn't mean that they didn't happen to someone else.

 

However, I have to comment on the gym/freestyle thing. It seems that freestyle is something that some people expect more from than it really offers. The idea is that you can decide on what you want to do, rather than it be dictated by the cruise line. You decide when and where to eat, or which shows it watch (especially on the newer ships), and you decide whether to dress up or not.

 

What it doesn't mean is that there is a table waiting for you whenever you want in any restaurant. You still need to make reservations. If you understand this then you will get along with freestyle better. It also doesn't mean that you can do any activity you fancy at any time. Things still have opening and closing times.

 

Basically, as with all of these things, you need to look a bit beyond the advertising and consider what is the fact behind it. That applies to most companies, not just NCL.

 

I remember a discussion on these boards a few years ago where someone seemed to think that he could turn up at any entertainment venue on the ship at any time and demand to see the show right then. When I tried to explain that this wasn't what freestyle meant his response was that, as I was from the UK I obviously didn't understand the concept of freedom. 🙂

All good points, especially about the shows and restaurants. I haven't had any issues with those. Yes, there is sometimes a short wait for a table but that is the same as in land. 

 

NCL needs to accept responsibility for their advertising. The anytime dining thing is far from unique these days. Princess has been doing it for many years. Most of the mainstream offer it. 

[KeithJenner]

1 hour ago, SeaTheW0rld said:

All good points, especially about the shows and restaurants. I haven't had any issues with those. Yes, there is sometimes a short wait for a table but that is the same as in land. 

 

NCL needs to accept responsibility for their advertising. The anytime dining thing is far from unique these days. Princess has been doing it for many years. Most of the mainstream offer it. 

You have a point regarding freestyle. The way NCL advertises it does make it look like it is something different from what others offer with their anytime dining and that seems to confuse some people.

 

On the other hand, you can make the point that freestyle is indeed more than what others offer, in that it is the overall vibe onboard. I would tend to agree with this argument, but it certainly does add some confusion, especially when they then have things like "Norwegian Night Out" which I think is quite un-freestyle in that it seems to lead some people to think that this is the night when they are allowed to dress up.

[fann1sh]

OOoo, solo verandah with data and coffee.  THAT'S  sweet SeaTheW0rld!  (I'm also a T-Mobile customer, LOL).

 

BTW, I'm on a rollcall with  SeaTheW0rld.  I think most cruisers bring their experiences with other lines with them, like invisible baggage.  We all value something different.

 

I cruised once with a friend who said she'd never do it  again because "the crew smile too much".  She also hates clowns, so....

 

And I must say I'm fed to the teeth with rude pax (certainly no one on this thread!) who usually cruise NCL - then decide to cruise on other lines -  and come to the MDR on "dress up night" in shorts.  Then argue "I don't dress up for anyone on my vacation."  *sigh*

 

I've only experienced helpful answers from the front desk on Carnival, SeaThe W0rld.  Never RCCL, seldom with HAL.  I don't know how I would have made an end run on the cabin issue....maybe ask for more towels and soap, as I'd used all of mine scrubbing the bathroom? 

 

I'm told NCL and specifically Epic has the best entertainment at sea.  Why don't you look into reserving seats at upcoming shows?

 

 

 

 

 

Edited January 27, 2019 by fann1sh

[fann1sh]

Yeah, I get what you're saying about shows.  But, I'm told it's one of Epic's outstanding  differences.

 

I'm  on the rowing machine in the gym most sea days. 

 

How is dining working for you?  Do you prefer your own company, or do you ask to join others? 

Edited January 27, 2019 by fann1sh

[Oakman58]

Priscilla is the best production show I've seen on any cruise and outshines many land based theater shows. The subject matter offends some people so be warned.  Theater entertainment is one of the things I look forward to on my cruises.

[graphicguy]

As with most vacations, it always seems about expectations.

 

NCL was the first to offer their version of Freestyle, meaning no set dining times (or 2 seatings for dinner), no tuxes, suits, gowns, etc.  I don’t miss that in the least.  They were the first to offer luxury areas like the Haven and Vibe.  They brought Vegas and Broadway type shows at sea...Blu Man Group, Cirque, Million Dollar Quartet, Rock of Ages, Choir of Man, etc.

 

The others followed, but NCL continues to be innovative and cutting edge in the cruise industry.

 

As far as cleaning is concerned, I would imagine the steward would insist on making things right himself, if given the chance.

 

I love sailing NCL (and RCCL, and MSC, etc).  I love their entertainment, their service, the perks.

 

If things aren’t going to your liking, tell customer service so they can do something about it.  I’ve found they are more than willing to do whatever it takes to make your vacation a good one, if given the chance.

 

[samiam0403]

57 minutes ago, Oakman58 said:

Priscilla is the best production show I've seen on any cruise and outshines many land based theater shows. The subject matter offends some people so be warned.  Theater entertainment is one of the things I look forward to on my cruises.

 

I second this! I enjoyed Priscilla so much last month on Epic, that I told my husband I'd have paid to see the same production on land - it was that good. Sailing again on Epic next weekend, and will be seeing Priscilla again - maybe even twice. 😃 Highly recommend OP check it out!

[fann1sh]

Sounds amazing - I love Priscilla.

[BoDidly]

Hi all just curious ,what is this Priscilla production show ?

[SeaTheW0rld]

2 hours ago, fann1sh said:

Yeah, I get what you're saying about shows.  But, I'm told it's one of Epic's outstanding  differences.

 

I'm  on the rowing machine in the gym most sea days. 

 

How is dining working for you?  Do you prefer your own company, or do you ask to join others? 

I've been sitting alone with my tablet and Netflix. No problem. I like the dining setup. 

[ColinIllinois]

23 minutes ago, BoDidly said:

Hi all just curious ,what is this Priscilla production show ?

 

It's a musical about drag queens on a journey.   Some folks love it, some walk out and some just don't even go.  It was a big hit on Broadway.

[SeaTheW0rld]

4 hours ago, TruckerDave said:

You really missed the sarcasm on this one. 

Obviously, you didn't pose the question correctly. Try again.

[samiam0403]

 

1 hour ago, BoDidly said:

Hi all just curious ,what is this Priscilla production show ?

 

1 hour ago, ColinIllinois said:

 

It's a musical about drag queens on a journey.   Some folks love it, some walk out and some just don't even go.  It was a big hit on Broadway.

 

As ColinIllinois said - Broadway musical about 2 drag queens and a transgendered person on a trip through Australia. It's based on the film 'The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert' but set to fantastic pop music. The talent, music, and costuming is just incredible (500 costumes and 200 headdresses!). Due to language and some content, it's recommended for passengers age 16 (I believe) and up - and is heavily advertised with the age warning, including multiple announcements in the theatre before the show begins. And yet you'll still see parents dragging their small children out, and posting here that they weren't warned ahead of time. 😕  

[SeaTheW0rld]

1 hour ago, tallnthensome said:

Not at all .... I've sailed Princess, Holland, Carnival, MSC, Royal, NCL, and Celebrity next year ......Loyal to none.  I'm just saying you're sweating the small stuff and you know it ....... Even if you were having a nice time now you'd never admit it at this point. Your cruise though, do as you please. 

I'm relatively certain that you, or any reasonable person, would complain about walking into your "clean" cabin and finding lube smeared on your headboard. Or maybe you're into that. I'm not. 

 

My new cabin steward, Marco, is excellent. He only started 3 months ago. He is so excited to be here. It's infectious. 

Edited January 27, 2019 by SeaTheW0rld
Additional information

[fann1sh]

3 minutes ago, SeaTheW0rld said:

My new cabin steward, Marco, is excellent. He only started 3 months ago. He is so excited to be here. It's infectious. 

 

Great!  Hope you have fun times (and a much cleaner cabin) ahead of you.

 

Like you, for me the ship is the destination. 

[SeaTheW0rld]

Leaving Grand Cayman, now. No internet tomorrow. Sea day. 

[PegNRay]

When your cruise is completed please post your cabin number. Thanks.

[fshagan]

On 1/26/2019 at 4:31 AM, SeaTheW0rld said:

Well, I'm not sure what they were going for when they name the ship epic. In my mind they have achieved it, however, because this is an epic failure.

<snip>

 

Dirty cabins space - space I have never had to spend hours cleaning my cabin. Some guy named Satish, I think he was an executive housekeeper or something because he was in white, wouldn't even give me any cleaning products. 

 

<snip>

 

This whole freestyle thing is a scam. For  instance, I like to workout first thing in the morning. The gym doesn't open until 6am. Can't do what you want when you want unless the clock says you can. Sounds familiar. 

 

Unchanging menus, surly staff. 

 

What an Epic failure. Only 7 days until we return to FL. Just pulling in to Ochos Rios.

 

 

I'm sorry you're not having a good time. The Epic is our least favorite NCL ship but we didn't run into any of the issues you are when we sailed her. Every cruise is different, of course, but we've never run into a lot of "no" on NCL, nor have we ever seen "unchanging menus" ... a complaint I don't know how you can make on your first day of a cruise.  Last time we sailed NCL the MDR had 4 to 6 different entrees each night, along with a list of "always available" options.

 

Edited to add that you can escalate your concerns about a dirty cabin all the way to the Hotel Manager or his boss if need be. We never had to go that far, but one of our complaints about the Epic (and large ships in general) is that you don't see your cabin steward as often as you do on the smaller ships. Usually a word to the steward is all that's needed.

Edited January 27, 2019 by fshagan
Added escalation advice

[cocod08]

On 1/26/2019 at 10:16 AM, SeaTheW0rld said:

Great stirrup Caye (cancelled do to sea conditions, but at least they served the BBQ lunch leftovers the next night in the MDR).

Jamaica.

Grand Cayman.

Cozumel.

Belieze.

 

I've been to all these ports. This cruise, the ship was the destination. 

GSC wasn't cancelled I was on this cruise and we had a great time there. And yes embarkation was a mess I think it had more to do with the charter group that was on before us then anything the port employees had any control over. 

[samiam0403]

42 minutes ago, cocod08 said:

GSC wasn't cancelled I was on this cruise and we had a great time there. And yes embarkation was a mess I think it had more to do with the charter group that was on before us then anything the port employees had any control over. 

 

You were on this cruise? Or are on this cruise? The OP is on the ship right now...

[Newleno]

On 1/26/2019 at 10:16 AM, SeaTheW0rld said:

Great stirrup Caye (cancelled do to sea conditions, but at least they served the BBQ lunch leftovers the next night in the MDR).

Jamaica.

Grand Cayman.

Cozumel.

Belieze.

 

I've been to all these ports. This cruise, the ship was the destination. 

great stirrup caye was going to be your best stop, a few months ago we had that port cancelled due to large swells, our room steward: Room steward was terrible (but we never report room stewards) no ice bucket in room until day 3, no notification of tender in Saint Lucia,  on 3 occasions we did not receive a daily,  did not replace coffee or cups 2 times,  we gave up on trying to get  turn down service "clean towels", oh even though we are platinum we had to ask for our bottle of sparkling wine, we never used our free laundry coupons, we were afraid the room steward would lose our laundry, etc for the that guy.

[Newleno]

On 1/26/2019 at 1:43 PM, SeaTheW0rld said:

I actually did get off the ship. Driver named Kevin took me around the city. Cool guy. I'll post his info on the ports board. Here is EPIC in OR.

how much did the day cost

[Budget Queen]

With embarkment-   LINES  and waits are a given.   There are ebbs and flow that are unpredictable depending on that particular moment.   The unload and load 4000 passengers in several hours.  Frankly that is efficient,  along with all the luggage and supplies.   Remarkable.  Those that expect no lines or waits for them,  it is never going to happen with ships this size.  .  :)  IF the waits aren't something that can't be accepted,  one needs to look at much smaller ships.   Simple solution.    Adding more staff when everyone CAN be loaded in the allotted time is costly and will be reflected in revenue and cruise costs.   

[fann1sh]

Agree, Budget Queen.  SeaThe W0rld and I "met" on a HAL roll call.  Their  1,400 - 2,000 pax ships are a size I like.  But, you give up other things  with smaller size, like entertainment. 

 

<shrug> Pretty much everything is a trade off, isn't it? 

[Sauer-kraut]

 

 

Yeah.... the horror of it all.... and look what I had to wake up this morning 😞