NCL Epic - Concerned About Bad Reviews

[CptAleSpill]

19 hours ago, ChiefMateJRK said:

I'm not a fan of Priscilla, but it is well presented. 

Yeah, they can have my seat as well.

[wil e coyote]

Piling on here, we were on the Epic in 2020 just before the great shutdown, and really enjoyed it. I'd describe the bathroom and cabin layout as quirky, but note terrible. In fact, if people stopped complaining about it on CC, I'd probably forget about it altogether.

Any cruise ship (especially on NCL) is better than a day in the office!

[nferr]

Did a 15 night transatlantic on the Epic in April. I loved the ship. Was solo in a balcony so the bathroom setup was fine, although I see no issue for a couple at all. Food was good, loved H2o and really enjoyed the bars and clubs. Very friendly ship and most cruisers I spoke to had cruised the Epic multiple times and kept choosing it.

[BermudaBound2014]

If you are into the thermal spa then Epic has one of the best (if not THE best) at sea. There is very quiet an area where you can sit outside in the shade on comfy lounge chairs/couches. Perfect place to for a cat nap or wake watching after the spa circuit. The sauna is also floor to ceiling windows. Epic gets a bad rap but she's a solid ship and looks much better from the inside looking out  ;-). 

 

[seemoreroyals]

Another vote for Epic being a great ship to cruise on.  Our only complaint was slow elevators.  It was a Med cruise, no sea days, and extremely port intensive.  Everyone was trying to get on and off the ship at the same time.   So be prepared for that.  The unusual cabin arrangement did not bother us at all.  Get there early if you want a seat to see the Beatles tribute band at the cavern club.  

[NoMoreRain]

Epic is an awesome ship!  I'd say the only real drawback is the lack of elevators.  It's a magical ship and we've been on her twice and wouldn't hesitate to get on her again.

 

[phillygwm]

I've been on the Epic twice:  Once, when it was a new ship, on the Eastern Caribbean run and about 5 years ago on the Mediterranean itinerary.  While it's not my favorite ship, it's not my least favorite either.  

 

If we were talking about a cruise with a lot of sea days, I'd personally prefer a BA+ ship because it's a better layout and there is more to do.  On the port-intensive Mediterranean run, I wouldn't avoid the Epic if it otherwise works for you.  Yes, it has its idiosyncrasies and Spice H2O being offline will be a detriment.  But trust me, that won't matter a whole lot because you'll be running ragged during the day. 

[complawyer]

dont be concerned or rely on other peoples thoughts. remember the old adage "opinions are like (a part  of a  persons anatomy  that cruise critic will not allow me to write out), everybody has one.

[old nutter]

We have been on Epic a number of times and never felt that it was a problem.  Yes, the ship is not the prettiest looking outside, and there are few spots where you can look out at the sea so you have yo work hard to find them.  The entertainment on her is first class. Priscilla is challenging to some people with certain behavioural views but if you are prepared to accept those ways of living it is very entertaining and humorous with beautiful over-the-top costumes.  It is billed as requiring parental guidance, so if you have children, read the reviews on land and sea and exercise that parental guidance BEFORE not after!

If you have enjoyed Strictly Come Dancing or one of the derivatives like Dancing with Stars, you should make sure you do not  miss Burn the Floor - it is closely related.  We have seen and enjoyed  it several times both on Epic and on land in a theatre.

 

Most people on this string have already pointed out that most other complaints are more  corporate than Epic, so judge it on those as well and go enjoy the busy Europeanport-intensive cruises that the Epic majors on. For anyone who has never visited the Med treat it as a trailer and if you have been, bury yourself in well over 2000 years that have shaped the world.

[MSUjohn]

16 hours ago, CptAleSpill said:

Yeah, they can have my seat as well.

they can have mine too. just cant get away from it.

[trivimp]

I adore Priscilla!! Seen it multiple times, both at sea and ashore.  What's not to love about over-the-top drag queens and 80s music?? 

[spanishguy1970]

8 minutes ago, trivimp said:

I adore Priscilla!! Seen it multiple times, both at sea and ashore.  What's not to love about over-the-top drag queens and 80s music?? 

it is fun isn't? lets have more Broadway shows and get rid of the magic acts, bad comedians, and hypnotists whose audience don't do what they want them to do lol😶🥶

[MSUjohn]

7 minutes ago, spanishguy1970 said:

it is fun isn't? lets have more Broadway shows and get rid of the magic acts, bad comedians, and hypnotists whose audience don't do what they want them to do lol😶🥶

magic acts & comedians (and aerialists) are my favorites.

Edited August 26, 2022 by MSUjohn

[Travelicious]

17 hours ago, CptAleSpill said:

Yeah, they can have my seat as well.

I'll take it.  I love drag.

[Travelicious]

I'll soon be on the Epic, and wondering if anyone has recently tried to stream pre-recorded content through the cabin's tv.  Is it still possible on the Epic?

[cruiseny4life]

1 hour ago, spanishguy1970 said:

it is fun isn't? lets have more Broadway shows and get rid of the magic acts, bad comedians, and hypnotists whose audience don't do what they want them to do lol😶🥶

Maybe that are relevant to the 2020's? We don't need more 80's, 90's, or earlier musicals. There's a reason we don't go to the entertainment. Seriously though, we don't need MJ, Priscilla, Chicago, or Oklahoma...ugh, this is one of those things I absolutely abhor about NCL. 

 

I'd love to go to a show (in my flippie floppies, shorts, and tshirt, mind you) that isn't dedicated to the relics of our past. 

 

 

[MSUjohn]

7 minutes ago, cruiseny4life said:

Maybe that are relevant to the 2020's? We don't need more 80's, 90's, or earlier musicals. There's a reason we don't go to the entertainment. Seriously though, we don't need MJ, Priscilla, Chicago, or Oklahoma...ugh, this is one of those things I absolutely abhor about NCL. 

 

I'd love to go to a show (in my flippie floppies, shorts, and tshirt, mind you) that isn't dedicated to the relics of our past. 

 

 

So i take it Our Town in the main theater would be a no-go for you? 

[cruiseny4life]

5 minutes ago, MSUjohn said:

So i take it Our Town in the main theater would be a no-go for you? 

Not necessarily. I don't believe it's a musical. It's a play, isn't it? 

[RumRunner2021]

2 hours ago, Travelicious said:

I'll take it.  I love drag.

The message goes beyond "drag."  Just sharing that for the uninformed who might be trying to decide if they want to take their kids to that show.

[MSUjohn]

1 hour ago, cruiseny4life said:

Not necessarily. I don't believe it's a musical. It's a play, isn't it? 

 it is in fact a play, that is performed by every single 9th grade drama class in the country.....all of them.

i was just making a joke.

 

but YOU could adaptive it as a musical. there. pitch that to NCL; i want our town the musical. 

Edited August 26, 2022 by MSUjohn

[spanishguy1970]

5 hours ago, cruiseny4life said:

Maybe that are relevant to the 2020's? We don't need more 80's, 90's, or earlier musicals. There's a reason we don't go to the entertainment. Seriously though, we don't need MJ, Priscilla, Chicago, or Oklahoma...ugh, this is one of those things I absolutely abhor about NCL. 

 

I'd love to go to a show (in my flippie floppies, shorts, and tshirt, mind you) that isn't dedicated to the relics of our past. 

 

 

We are picky of the shows we go to, 8 times out of 10 we wont go to the theater. We find other ways to entertain ourselves, once you listen to the music of the FOUR SEASONS is kind of hard to go back to it on every cruise we are on...LOL.

[KeithJenner]

7 hours ago, trivimp said:

I adore Priscilla!! Seen it multiple times, both at sea and ashore.  What's not to love about over-the-top drag queens and 80s music?? 

Probably the three things I hate the most are dancing, dressing up and horror. From what I know of Priscilla, it is probably only beaten by Halloween as my worst nightmare come true. 🙂

[CILCIANRQTS]

8 hours ago, trivimp said:

I adore Priscilla!! Seen it multiple times, both at sea and ashore.  What's not to love about over-the-top drag queens and 80s music?? 

Let’s start with over-the-top drag queens and 80’s music…😎

Edited August 26, 2022 by CILCIANRQTS
Because I can.

[blueslily]

On 8/24/2022 at 9:17 PM, BirdTravels said:

We have sailed on the Epic 6 or 7 times in the past and would happily sail on her again (we're looking at a Southern Caribbean cruise from San Juan on the Epic). Lots of people complain for the sake of complaining. We would give the Epic two thumbs up. She's a lot nicer than the small ships in the fleet. 

 

The Epic is a little older. Been through two major dry docks. But, she is still a grand ship. No laser tag, go karts, and virtual reality pavilions which is totally  fine with us. She was NCL's first mega ship and has what you would expect on a bigger ship. 

 

Yes, totally love the Epic. Im not really sure what all the fuss is about the bathroom. It's actually a helpful setup. But, as said above, some people complain just to complain and some people are just negative. I love cruising and the Epic is a great ship for both Caribbean and Mediterranean sailings. Go enjoy and dont be deflated by negativity of other people. 

[sacteach]

I was on the Epic in June 2019 (my first NCL cruise). I was in a studio, so I wasn't aware of the bathroom issue. I loved the Thermal Spa.

 

The only real complaint I had was the itinerary, not the ship. I was on the never-ending cruise that had embarkation in Barcelona (about 75% of passengers) and Rome (about 25%). I didn't understand this when I booked. I boarded in Rome and we seemed to be an after-thought. Everything had been booked by the people that boarded in B, yet we weren't able to book things for Sunday/Monday/Tuesday (they boarded on Sunday). During their muster drill, everything was closed. The "sail away" party was on our day 4. The "farewell" event was our day 3, stuff like that. It was just really weird and frustrating. The main benefit was just walking on the ship in Barcelona while others were checking in and the shorter check-in process in Rome because there were fewer of us