First time on Norwegian

[sseknichols]

Hi everyone!

 

We just booked a Norwegian cruise on the Epic for March 2022  out of San Juan with some friends and it will be the first Norwegian trip for all of us.  We have only done Carnival in the past and we have always had great experiences on Carnival but were looking for something different this time around.  I was wondering what kind of advice you can give to us as to what to expect, what the differences would be, how things may look or operate differently - especially at embarkation and debarkation, and so on. 

 

We are in our early 50's and this will be our first cruise without at least one of our kids along so that will be new.  We generally enjoy the trivia, the shows, love the Seaside Theater (which I guess Norwegian doesn't do) and the popcorn that goes with it, and the Comedy Club.  My wife and I are not real big drinkers so the bar scenes are not for us (we will have a drink or two though), although I think I read there is a piano bar so that would be a lot of fun.  We will mess around in the casino but not a ton.  Does Epic have a Love and Marriage type of show where they pick couples from newlywed to married 25+?  Those shows on Carnival are must see!  Oh yeah, and the 24 hour pizza and ice cream.  Gotta love that too!

 

With the curved arrangement of the rooms on the Epic, it looks like the beds run small.  I'm 6'6" so I'm used to my feet dangling over the edge a bit but I am a little concerned.  We have a balcony cabin on deck 11 if that makes any difference.

 

One thing we don't like on Carnival is the way the bombard you with photo-ops all the time.  Does that happen with NCL?

 

This will also be the first time we have sailed from San Juan, or a "foreign" port for that matter.  We sail on a Sunday, but are coming from the upper midwest so we are flying into San Juan on Saturday just in case we would have weather issues.  If anyone has any advice about the port, the airport, or a place to stay, that would be fantastic.

 

Thanks in advance for anything you can throw our direction.

[Middleager]

We went on several Caribbean cruises on Carnival.  We enjoyed all our cruises, because you do get pampered.  Carnival is usually a little cheaper, so there are often younger people with kids and they can be more energetic, noisy, stay up later.  More buffet than sit down dinners.

 

A few years ago Carnival in its cost cutting went to "flat iron" steak in its everyday offering.  It's not as good as the striploin (new york) steak that's available everyday on NCL.  But Carnival has the melting chocolate cake that's pretty good.

 

Old San Juan (where the cruise port is) has a fair bit to see, and can take you a whole day.  So it's good you're going there a day early.  One time we flew to San Juan a week early, rented a car and went around the island.  Went to see the rain forest, Bioluminescent Bay, diving/snorkeling at La Paguera and Rincon, saw Arecibo telescope (this unfortunately collapsed not long ago), and toured around Old San Juan.

 

Oh, as you get away from Old San Juan, many people (other than in tourist attraction area) only spoke Spanish, not English.  It was surprising.

[hernando52]

If you are embarking from San Juan, you probably will be using the Pan-American Pier (vs the piers in old San Juan).  The Pan-American Pier is about 15 minutes away, across the bay from Old San Juan. 

 

You can easily spend a full day exploring Old San Juan.  Lots of history, walkable streets, and good restaurants.  In 2019, OSJ was in good shape from the hurricane damage, but the rain forest had sustained  a lot of devastation and we could not travel there.

 

On NCL we enjoy the specialty restaurants Cagney's (steak house) and Le Bistro (French), but the main dining rooms all serve up very good food.  Reservations for specialty dining go quickly, so book ahead.  I have not been on Carnival, so I can't speak to the quality of their pizza, but I am not a fan at all of NCL's.  They have gotten better, but wish they would concentrate on improvement!

 

Entertainment is very good on NCL.  It has been a while since we sailed on the EPIC, but the tent show we saw was a dinner performance and required reservations.  There was a Broadway show in the main theater (at the time it was Priscilla...), but entertainment venues were varied and plentiful.  Yes, there are tons of game shows and trivia (all spelled out in the daily paper).

 

It seemed like we had to go through the casino a lot of the time to get from point A to point B on the EPIC.  Maybe it is because we are not gamblers that it seemed the casino was huge and in the center of the ship.

 

You'll have to buy bottled water or drink tap water (it's fine).  

 

Not a fan of the curved room with the shower and sink by the room entrance.  You get used to it, but it is not a favorite.  The bed does have rounded bottom edges (if I remember correctly).  My husband is 6'2" and he managed ok.  I do remember the room having a lot of nooks and crannies for storage.

Yes, there are the photographers all over but we just chose to say no and aren't really hounded by anyone. 

 

Enjoy your cruise and NCL!

[Crazy planning mom]

We sailed the Epic a few years ago out of the Mediterranean and enjoyed it despite the unique room features.  NCL doesn't have 24 hour pizza but has something even better a 24 hour or almost 24 hour restaurant called O'Sheehans.  It was a good place to get wings, burgers and such.

We were in Europe when we sailed on the Epic and found plenty to do on her. We particularly liked the Howl at the Moon dueling pianos and the dance show  Burn the Floor.   The one thing about Epic and NCL's larger ships is that you make reservations for shows.  Usually 90 days out, the show reservations open up.  You can also make reservations for dinner at the main dining rooms and specialty restaurants you want.  NCL has the freestyle dining rather than traditional set dining times.

Edited May 31, 2021 by Crazy planning mom

[Yinster]

We been on the Epic a couple of times and loved it. There are quiet locations within the ship away from the hustle and bustle. 

 

The ship has a Posh club where you can buy wristbands for but it's limited and go really quickly.

 

If you like spa then buy the spa wristbands or change your room to a spa cabin. The Epic has one of the spa on the waters. Thermal area, sauna, wet room and just generally an area of calm. Some days I like to sit in the aft bit and watch the sea. No children.

 

You can also try to big for a cabin type higher than what you bought. Most people who do will try to get a Haven suite. Research Haven. Our first cruise with NCL was originally a mini suite or club balcony as it's now called. But we changed to a Haven suite when I saw prices were coming down and if we were buying the benefits it was the same as the Haven. So snatch up one.Now we only sail Haven. There's no curved layout in the Haven. And it's just been refurbished.

 

Plenty of activities around the ship to keep you busy. Trivia isn't as many as RC. Maybe once or at a push twice a day. But the team have many other games.

 

NCL do freestyle dining. The concept sounds great but if you want to dine at a particular restaurant at a particular time, then book ahead. The touchscreen around the ship will tell you how busy a restaurant is. Or the app.You can see all the menus. If you only prefer main dining room, then there's three. The big main dining room and then taste and savor had the same menu.

 

The casino is pretty big. Smoking is one side and non smoking the other. They build it so it's right in the centre of the ship.

 

 

 

 

 

[coffeebean]

It has been a few years since I sailed on Epic but hubby and I did sail on her three times. My best memory of Epic is that I absolutely love the ship.

 

One of the very unique features of the balcony cabin is the bathroom layout. I'm not sure what the layout of the bathroom is in the other cabin categories. The shower room is separate from the toilet room and then the sink located in the main cabin where the beds are.

 

Personally, I LOVE the opaque rounded door of the shower rooms and the toilet rooms. During the day, natural light flows through the doors as if there is a window in the room. That was a first for us: to have natural light streaming through to the shower and the toilet areas.

 

There were lots of negative reviews about this layout because people felt there was not as much privacy especially when traveling with friends rather than family. It was just hubby and myself so we never had any qualms about the bathroom set up.

 

The rest of the ship is awesome. Others have already mentioned the different venures for dining and entertainment. The ship is top notch. Hope NCL has maintained that high level of customer satisfaction. We have always enjoyed the Freestyle dining on NCL ships and Epic offers a great variety of dining.

 

OP...enjoy your cruise and the experience NCL has to offer.

Edited May 31, 2021 by coffeebean

[beerman2]

NCL has some of the best Spa's .

 

The unique bathroom wasn't a BIG deal to us and certainly not as bad as some reviews.

 

Freestyle dining in MDR.  Just show up you will be seated shortly and usually just with your party. Yes you give them how many in your party.

 

Specialty Dining we always do LeBistro and Cagney.

 

Dueling piano's better than Carnival.

 

Yes Casino is smack dab in the middle of ship.

 

24 hour restaurant, we like it . Sandwiches, wings, etc.

[Oakman58]

I’m not a big fan of the Epic but even so we did two cruises on her and enjoyed our time on her.  Our previous Epic cruise was an 11 day Southern Caribbean out of San Juan at the end of January 2020.

 

I think NCL has some outstanding entertainment to offer.  Burn the Floor and Priscilla Queen of the Desert are outstanding theater shows.  HEADS UP:  Some people are offended by the gay content of Priscilla.  Howl at the Moon is a hit or miss in my opinion.  The comedians are pretty good too.  If the Beatles tribute band is still onboard be sure to take them in also.

 

The cabin is unique to say the least.  It does have good storage and even the back of the curved couch opens for storage there too.  You husband will definitely have his feet hanging off the bed but you can pull the bed away from the wall just a bit to help.  I’m not a fan of the curved wall and I think it makes the cabin feel smaller than it really is.

 

 

The shower and toilet are separate enclosed areas and both have opaque glass.  Fortunately there is a curtain that can be pulled closed if someone needs a bit of privacy.

 

 

My two favorite restaurants were Cagney’s Steakhouse and Le Bristro and O’Sheehan’s serves up some excellent bar and grill food 24 hours.

Edited May 31, 2021 by Oakman58

[coffeebean]

16 minutes ago, beerman2 said:

NCL has some of the best Spa's .

 

 

Absolutely agree with this statement. NCL's spas are glorious!

[Island Beachdog]

NCL promotes the freestyle concept.  It implies that you can spontaneously decide where you want to eat or what shows you want to see.  That is not the case.   As soon as your specialty dining and entertainment reservations open up, you need to book them!  Otherwise, you can secure reservations as soon as you get on the ship.   I cannot emphasize that enough.  Like the previous posters, I recommend Cagney's and Le Bistro. They book up quickly.  

We love the Epic. The bathroom set up and the rounded walls were of no bother to us.  

I hope your first cruise sans kids is a great one!

[Sthrngary]

I have gone on all the main stream and most of the premium brands.  Each do a great job for their demographics.  When I was in my late 20's early 30's, Carnival was great.  Lots of action, parties and young folks wanting to have a great time.  

 

When I got a little older, we moved to Holland America.  Much older crowd but I noticed better service and food.  It cost more also.

 

As time went on my wife and I went on Celebrity which like Holland is more of a premium line.  

 

This brings us to NCL.  NCL, Royal, MSC have the same basic things.  Same games, Bingo, Cruise Talks.  It is like a formula so you don't have to worry about those items.  If you don't drink it is not an issue.  Most passengers on NCL have a free drink package.  That means bars are crowded all the time.  You will avoid that.  

 

I like Broadway style and quality shows and NCL has the best of those. I would recommend gaining assess to the adults only sundeck.  It has a cost but allows a lot more space and the option of quiet time.  The alternative to that is the Haven VIP suite area which has one hell of a Premium.  I always choose the Haven but I am 63 now so my days of wanting huge crowd are over.  

 

The bottom line to your question is that there are differences.  However more the same then different.  I hope helped you in some way.

[Crazy planning mom]

7 hours ago, Crazy planning mom said:

We sailed the Epic a few years ago out of the Mediterranean and enjoyed it despite the unique room features.  NCL doesn't have 24 hour pizza but has something even better a 24 hour or almost 24 hour restaurant called O'Sheehans.  It was a good place to get wings, burgers and such.

We were in Europe when we sailed on the Epic and found plenty to do on her. We particularly liked the Howl at the Moon dueling pianos and the dance show  Burn the Floor.   The one thing about Epic and NCL's larger ships is that you make reservations for shows.  Usually 90 days out, the show reservations open up.  You can also make reservations for dinner at the main dining rooms and specialty restaurants you want.  NCL has the freestyle dining rather than traditional set dining times.

I should have mentioned that O'Sheehan's is complimentary.

[beerman2]

1 hour ago, Crazy planning mom said:

I should have mentioned that O'Sheehan's is complimentary.

Didn't NCL change O'Sheehan's to The Local. Might confuse some.

[beerman2]

1 hour ago, Island Beachdog said:

NCL promotes the freestyle concept.  It implies that you can spontaneously decide where you want to eat or what shows you want to see.  That is not the case.   As soon as your specialty dining and entertainment reservations open up, you need to book them!  Otherwise, you can secure reservations as soon as you get on the ship.   I cannot emphasize that enough.  Like the previous posters, I recommend Cagney's and Le Bistro. They book up quickly.  

We love the Epic. The bathroom set up and the rounded walls were of no bother to us.  

I hope your first cruise sans kids is a great one!

Just to clarify for the OP, The MDR is freestyle, Specialty is by reservation.

Seems like the early time slots are easier to get.

 

Those that eat 7:00 or so fills up quickly.

[Sthrngary]

1 hour ago, beerman2 said:

Didn't NCL change O'Sheehan's to The Local. Might confuse some.

On some ships. Getaway has O’Sheenhan’s. 

[stefmaia]

Epic went through a refurbishment at the end of 2020, and to the best of my knowledge, the round beds are gone and the bathroom is now separated off. There is a stream in this forum about it. I will see if I can find it and share the link.

[MichiganBound]

Welcome to NCL!!  I have never been on Carnival so I cannot compare the two.  The positive and negative standouts for me on NCL are as follows (I have not been on Epic so these are my thoughts from other NCL ships):

 

PROS

* On board entertainment is very good...both stage productions and lounge acts.

* Piano/champagne bar is very good.  It's a very good evening with live entertainment.

* Le Bistro is the best onboard restaurant IMHO.  They have the best steak on the ship.  My

   2nd and 3rd favorite restaurants on board are Moderno and Cagney's.

* I enjoy eating at the buffet.  Food quality is generally very good.

* The spa thermal suite is well-worth the investment...especially if your cruise has lots 

   of sea days.  

 

CONS

* I'm not a fan of the MDR on any of the ships.  Service is usually slow and food often arrives barely

   warm.

* The pizza served on NCL is lousy.   I don't even bother to get it anymore.

* The breakfast sausages on the entire ship are also lousy.  

*  I've always been disappointed with the Italian restaurant on all of the ships.  I love Italian food but

   for some reason, NCL just can't get it right in their Italian restaurant. 

 

These are just a few quick tips.  I hope you have a great first cruise with NCL!

[Crazy planning mom]

2 hours ago, beerman2 said:

Didn't NCL change O'Sheehan's to The Local. Might confuse some.

On the newer ships, yes its called the Local.  On the Epic, its still called O'Sheehan's for now.

https://www.ncl.com/cruise-ship/epic/whats-on-board/Dining

[Sailing12Away]

If you're doing the Southern Caribbean trip, that was our last sailing before Covid hit. I'll dig through my notes for the hotel we used and other hints and tips. I've got 1,000's of photos, of both San Juan, our excursions and the ship. If there's something in particular you want to see, just ask.

[HuliHuli]

Hi @sseknichols.  As was indicated above, you will embark at The Pan American Pier, which has two modern two-tiered passenger terminals (I & II) and is located on Isla Grande, beside the Isla Grande Airport and near the Puerto Rico Convention Center.  Two mega-ships can dock at the Pan American Pier terminals.  Depending on your cruise line and cruise ship traffic, your ship may arrive and dock here for the day and will most likely embark from here if San Juan is the home departure port.  The only thing within reasonable walking distance is the Isla Grande Airport, Puerto Rico Convention Center, Sheraton Puerto Rico Hotel & Casino, and the Hyatt House Hotel.  You will have to take a taxi or tour bus in order to visit historic Old San Juan (OSJ), or New San Juan.  Taxi rates are fixed between tourist zones in the metro area, Old San Juan, all of the cruise ship piers, and the airports.  A taxi from San Juan International Airport (SJU) – Zone 1 to Old San Juan & OSJ Cruise Piers (Zone 4) = $19 + $1/bag.  The most convenient hotels to stay at near the Pan American Pier terminals are the Sheraton Puerto Rico Hotel & Casino and Hyatt House Hotel.  Directly across from the cruise dock in OSJ is the Sheraton Old Town.

[B Midged]

18 hours ago, sseknichols said:

Hi everyone!

 

We just booked a Norwegian cruise on the Epic for March 2022  out of San Juan with some friends and it will be the first Norwegian trip for all of us.  We have only done Carnival in the past and we have always had great experiences on Carnival but were looking for something different this time around.  I was wondering what kind of advice you can give to us as to what to expect, what the differences would be, how things may look or operate differently - especially at embarkation and debarkation, and so on. 

 

We are in our early 50's and this will be our first cruise without at least one of our kids along so that will be new.  We generally enjoy the trivia, the shows, love the Seaside Theater (which I guess Norwegian doesn't do) and the popcorn that goes with it, and the Comedy Club.  My wife and I are not real big drinkers so the bar scenes are not for us (we will have a drink or two though), although I think I read there is a piano bar so that would be a lot of fun.  We will mess around in the casino but not a ton.  Does Epic have a Love and Marriage type of show where they pick couples from newlywed to married 25+?  Those shows on Carnival are must see!  Oh yeah, and the 24 hour pizza and ice cream.  Gotta love that too!

 

With the curved arrangement of the rooms on the Epic, it looks like the beds run small.  I'm 6'6" so I'm used to my feet dangling over the edge a bit but I am a little concerned.  We have a balcony cabin on deck 11 if that makes any difference.

 

One thing we don't like on Carnival is the way the bombard you with photo-ops all the time.  Does that happen with NCL?

 

This will also be the first time we have sailed from San Juan, or a "foreign" port for that matter.  We sail on a Sunday, but are coming from the upper midwest so we are flying into San Juan on Saturday just in case we would have weather issues.  If anyone has any advice about the port, the airport, or a place to stay, that would be fantastic.

 

Thanks in advance for anything you can throw our direction.

It will be an experience sleeping in what’s essentially the bathroom. 

[Sailing12Away]

This is the hotel we stayed at in San Juan, it's located in the Old San Juan part of town: https://www.elconvento.com/

 

We were there during the San Sebastian festival, so we wanted to stay close to Old San Juan to wander the streets and sights before the cruise. That hotel was lovely, right in the heart of OSJ. We did a ton of walking to see things on our own and get a real feel for the city. 

 

The hotel itself hosts a free wine happy hour in the courtyard, and we met a bunch of fellow cruise passengers during that time who we kept bumping into on the ship which was fun. On the day of the cruise, there was a group of ~8 of us that were headed to the pier so the hotel concierge arranged for a van to come get us all. I think it ended up being like $5-10 per couple, which we felt was cheap. Got to the ship with plenty of time to spare and felt like we really got to enjoy a taste of OSJ and the festival before the cruise. For us that was easier than staying close to the pier and having to take a taxi to get dinner or wander around town. 

 

I'll keep digging to find my notes from the roll call - if you like mofungo there was a great place in town that had amazing food.

[mpdog42]

13 minutes ago, Sailing12Away said:

This is the hotel we stayed at in San Juan, it's located in the Old San Juan part of town: https://www.elconvento.com/

 

We were there during the San Sebastian festival, so we wanted to stay close to Old San Juan to wander the streets and sights before the cruise. That hotel was lovely, right in the heart of OSJ. We did a ton of walking to see things on our own and get a real feel for the city. 

 

The hotel itself hosts a free wine happy hour in the courtyard, and we met a bunch of fellow cruise passengers during that time who we kept bumping into on the ship which was fun. On the day of the cruise, there was a group of ~8 of us that were headed to the pier so the hotel concierge arranged for a van to come get us all. I think it ended up being like $5-10 per couple, which we felt was cheap. Got to the ship with plenty of time to spare and felt like we really got to enjoy a taste of OSJ and the festival before the cruise. For us that was easier than staying close to the pier and having to take a taxi to get dinner or wander around town. 

 

I'll keep digging to find my notes from the roll call - if you like mofungo there was a great place in town that had amazing food.

El Convento is a great and historic place to stay in OSJ...My last cruise i had a great time there!

[coffeebean]

2 hours ago, B Midged said:

It will be an experience sleeping in what’s essentially the bathroom. 

Oh my goodness. You have it all wrong. It is not like that at all.

[Sailing12Away]

The restaurant was called Raices: http://www.restauranteraices.com/English/

 

The skirt steak mofongo was awesome.