Semi-Live from the Epic | Transatlantic from Orlando to Rome | April 7 to 19, 2024

[OrcaGirl]

Here we go again. I honestly didn’t think this cruise was going to happen for me, but I’m so happy it is.

 

I’ll be heading out on the Norwegian Epic for the 12-day transatlantic cruise from Orlando to Rome, with port stops in Gibraltar and Alicante. This will be my second time on the Epic (first time was the extended-due-to-COVID-shutdown cruise of the Epic in March 2020), second solo cruise, but first time sailing in an actual Solo cabin.

 

I will try to post 2-3 times each day with what I’m up to; my particular focus is usually cocktails, food, entertainment, and excursion adventures. (I’ll also be posting lots of photos over on Instagram Stories; look for erin_braincandy if you just want photos/videos without all of the commentary.)

 

Today’s travel plan

 

I’m currently sitting at Vancouver International Airport, waiting for my red-eye flight to Toronto, Ontario. Early Sunday morning, I’ll go through US Customs and Immigration, and take a quick flight down to Orlando. I’ve booked the NCL shuttle from MCO to Port Canaveral. 🤞

 

Past Semi-Live from CC threads…

 

If you’re interested in some of my past “semi-live from…” threads:

 

February 2024 | Mexican Riviera on the NCL Bliss (the fractured ankle in the Thermal Spa trip)

 

 

October 2023 | Bermuda on the NCL Escape

 

 

June 2023 | Alaska on the NCL Bliss

 

 

April 2023 | Alaska on the Discovery Princess

 

 

October 2022 | Mexican Riviera on the Celebrity Solstice 

 

 

December 2021 | Mexican Riviera on the NCL Bliss

 

 

 

[SenatorsFan]

I'm heading out on Jade for 11 days on Apr. 9th, so I'll catch up with you when I can. Hope you have a wonderful cruise! 🥂

[mking8288]

Woohoo ... it's TA season time, checking in to follow this one and to say thanks. We had almost perfect weather last April on Epic's TA that ended in Barcelona.  Lots of solo onboard and many in the busy MDR.  Happy & safe travel and flying into MCO. 

[www3traveler]

The FIRST Alaskan cruise of the SEASON (the Bliss) left Seattle, Washington several hours ago.  The Spring/Summer/Fall sailing seasons have begun.  Prayers for safe travels for everyone.

[OrcaGirl]

Had a disappointing sandwich at YVR. Flew to Toronto. Uneventful flight, but didn’t get any sleep. 
 

 

I had gate-checked my bag, so once we landed I went to find it. (They couldn’t check it all the way to Orlando because US Customs would be closed when we landed in Toronto.)

 

So I grabbed my bag at the carrousel and went to find a quiet-ish place to chill until NEXUS opened at 4am. Found an empty bank of seats in front of a retro art installation. 🤣

 

 

Couldn’t get comfortable, couldn’t sleep. Next time remind me how much I hate red-eyes and long layovers.

 

At 4am I headed into the Nexus line. Sure, I could have gone through the the regular line at 3:30am, but what’s the point of having Nexus if you don’t get to jump a queue?

 

And damn do I love having Nexus for the purpose of going through customs and immigration. One look at the camera and I’m through in seconds.

 

 

First stop after US Customs and Immigration was Starbucks. Oh look, it’s right next to my gate. How convenient.

 

 

Now to wait 2.5 hours for my flight to Orlando so we can get this ship on the road.

 

 

Random observations

 

I had a bunch of extra US cash leftover from the hospital transfer shenanigans on my last cruise, so I exchanged $100USD to €80 in Euros at the airport for a little pocket money while in Alicante.

 

I actually don’t know if Gibraltar accepts Euros, too, or if I should have also gotten a few pounds.

 

The flight to Toronto was oversold, and they were offering $300CDN to anyone willing to take the 10:30pm flight. It was tempting, but I wasn’t willing to risk a one-hour layover at Pearson.

 

I binge-watched several episodes of Dexter on the plane. 🩸 Apologies to anyone seated behind me. (I forgot how much nudity and sex the first season had.)

 

The potato, cheddar and chive bites at Starbucks have quickly become my favourite travel day breakfast/snack.

[tcmagnum]

14 hours ago, OrcaGirl said:

Here we go again. I honestly didn’t think this cruise was going to happen for me, but I’m so happy it is.

 

I’ll be heading out on the Norwegian Epic for the 12-day transatlantic cruise from Orlando to Rome, with port stops in Gibraltar and Alicante. This will be my second time on the Epic (first time was the extended-due-to-COVID-shutdown cruise of the Epic in March 2020), second solo cruise, but first time sailing in an actual Solo cabin.

 

 

Very excited to read all about your exciting cruise!!!
We are on the return TA in October on the Epic.

Have never been on the Epic, so we will be looking for all your tips for an EPIC cruise!

 

Have a great cruise!!

[OrcaGirl]

 

Another uneventful flight from Toronto to Orlando. I tried and failed to get even a little sleep. But I did listen to a different serial killer on this flight.

 

 

Disembarked the plane and followed the signs to baggage claim (gate-checked my carryon again), where I quickly spotted the dude holding a NCL sign and followed his (poor) directions to the NCL transfer desk.

 

Around 10:30am I checked in and received a group 7 sticker. And then I booted it over to the nearest Starbucks for a caffeine and sugar fix.

 

 

Random observations

 

I think half the people on this flight were going on a cruise, and the other half were on their way to Disney World.

[OrcaGirl]

Group 7 got called to the transfer coach a bit before 11am. Unfortunately a bunch of people didn’t pay attention and hadn’t actually checked in and gotten a group number, but boarded the bus anyway. Three or four of us were left without seats, so the poor NCL rep had to double-check that everyone had their 7 sticker and kick a bunch of people off the bus and the poor bus driver then had to dig their luggage out of the hold. That whole process added an extra 20 minutes or so to loading, and we didn’t leave the airport until 11:20am.

[bluesea777]

Following .... 

 

You sure took a big risk in flying in on the day of cruise, and a long journey to boot.

 

We were on the Epic 3x, once in 2010 (Caribbean), again in 2011 (westbound TA) and again in 2012 (also wb TA). Loved the ship at the time, but stopped once we discovered the Breakaway class ships. Maybe one day we might return to Epic, but don't know.

 

ENJOY!!

 

 

[OrcaGirl]

It took us about an hour to reach the cruise terminal from the airport, but it felt interminable. (You know how some people’s voices are like nails on a chalkboard to you?; that was our bus driver.) But we saw gators from the bus so that was cool.

 

 

 

Our first view of the embarkation lineups was a bit shocking to a lot of the people on the bus. Don’t worry, the ship won’t leave without us.

 

The luggage situation was a bit more chaotic. Unattended luggage was just sitting out everywhere before we even pulled in, and only one porter seemed to be on site. I’m more used to the ports at Los Angeles, Miami, Fort Lauderdale, etc where there are dozens of porters everywhere you look.

 

 

Upon arrival, we were directed to stay on the bus until the luggage was all offloaded.

 

My luggage was already tagged so once we were cleared to get off the bus, I headed over to the very long check-in line.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The timing:

12:30pm - got in line

1:30pm -made it to the top of the ramp and inside the building

1:37pm - hit the offshoot line for Platinum and above (probably saved me about 20 min)

1:40pm - checking in

1:45pm - into the boarding queue

1:49pm - on board the Epic

 

 

 

 

 

 

Random observations

 

At least a few people on our bus didn’t tag their luggage before putting it on the bus, so they were concerned that the porter would grab them before they could get to them.

 

I feel like a bit of a party-pooper. The lady next to me on the bus was saying how great the Epic looked compared to the Wonder of the Seas and the MSC Seashore, and my unfiltered reaction was a nose-crinkle and a “Really?” 😂 (I booked this cruise for the price; I’m not a huge fan of the Epic on its own merits.)

 

I think it took me five minutes to get a bit of a sunburn waiting in line in the Florida sun.

 

Every cruise, it seems like more and more people are bringing their big luggage onboard themselves. 

 

A few people were really fixating on “we have to be on board by 2pm” and it didn’t matter how many times they were told that as long as they’re in the line at the port, the ship will not leave without us.

 

A paramedic crew with stretcher entered the port building around 1:30pm. Someone’s vacation might be ending before it’s begun.

[OrcaGirl]

As soon as I was onboard, I went straight to the ladies room and then to my muster station. Priorities.

 

I was craving a croque madame in Taste but lunch hours were already over, so I decided to get some embarkation chores down and then find food.

 

Signed up for all the Latitudes Platinum things at the Cruise Next desk, and then headed to the Spiegel Tent to sign up for Canvas by U, which I have never done.

 

The ship wifi finally reset about that time and I was able to get online. 

 

At 2:30pm, while I was in line at the pool bar, the ‘all cabins are ready’ announcement was made. Earlier than I expected actually. 

 

I grabbed my mojito and a hot dog at the Great Outdoors, and finally had a sit down and rest.

 

 

Random observations

 

The casino smells smoky.

 

I miss the Waterfront already.

 

I do love the outdoor dining area on the Epic. I know the Breakaway class ships sort of have it too, but it always feels so dark and contained.

 

The Epic chandelier is nice enough, but I’ll always prefer the Encore’s bubble wrap chandelier. Yes, really. 😂

 

 

I’ve managed to scuff up three nails of the manicure I got yesterday. 💅 I better win the spa draw so I can get them redone.

[The Traveling Man]

3 hours ago, OrcaGirl said:

 

 

 

It's been over two years since NCL renamed the Platinum Plus Latitudes level to Sapphire and added the Diamond level.  Wonder when NCL will get around to updating their signs?

[OrcaGirl]

34 minutes ago, The Traveling Man said:

It's been over two years since NCL renamed the Platinum Plus Latitudes level to Sapphire and added the Diamond level.  Wonder when NCL will get around to updating their signs?

The Freestyle Daily promotes the ‘all-new NCL app’, which I don’t think has been significantly updated in years, so I’m guessing it’ll be a looooong time. 😂

[OrcaGirl]

After my mini lunch, I did a quick lap of the Epic Garden Cafe. I forgot how small it is! But the food looked good.

 

 

I then headed down to check out my cabin and drop off my backpack. The solo cabin is so cute! It’s showing a bit of wear and tear, and the sliding door to my closet is completely busted and won’t open so I hope they can get it fixed ASAP. I called housekeeping but the steward was very distracted with getting the final touches done on other cabins, so I’ll try reporting it again tomorrow.

 

 

It was 3:45pm at this point, and I thought sailaway was at 4pm (though I had my doubts given the length of the lines earlier) so I hustled up to the top deck to scope out a spot to film sailaway. But the sailaway dance party came and went and no movement.

 

 

So I gave up at 4:45pm and headed down to the Mandara Spa for the spa draw and to make a massage appointment. The staff spa acknowledged that the Platinum spa discount that’s only valid on port days was a little useful on a transatlantic, so they offered me an early morning spot tomorrow when I can use my 25% off. However, I can’t stack my $50USD spa credit onto the same appointment. Oh well.

 

While in the spa waiting for the draw to start, I could see down into the pier that the crew was still loading provisions and luggage. There was even a crew on a lift doing repairs or cleaning, so yeah, I don’t think we’re leaving imminently.

 

Alas, no luck at the spa draw. So I’m heading back to my cabin to try to charge my phone before actual sailaway.

 

Random observations

 

In 25 years of cruising this was a first. The captain (I think?) interrupted the sailaway party to request the driver of a Nissan minivan to move their car from the casino parking lot. 🤣

 

I’m regretting not bringing my binoculars or my DSLR.

 

I’m trying not to freak out that the AirTag in my checked luggage is still showing as being on the pier. 😬

 

Apparently 70% of guests on this cruise are Latitudes members.

 

The Wonder of the Seas seems to have departed close to on time.

[OrcaGirl]

I grabbed my iPad in lieu of my phone to film sailaway, but apparently because I’d watched so much Dexter and then Seven on the flights, its battery was low too. After filming like 15 min of the sailaway (inc backing up and spinning and then heading out) as a super cool time lapse, the iPad died and I lost all of it. 😭

 

Sailaway itself happened at 6pm; if there was an official announcement of the time, I missed it. 

 

After sailaway, I tried to go to the solo meet and greet in Bliss but 1) it was really, really loud in there to the point that I couldn’t really hear what the staff were saying about planned activities, and 2) there was no bartender. So I bailed and headed to Maltings for an Eastern Legacy to take to dinner.

 

 

The MDR was serving the standard day 1 menu, so instead I headed up to the buffet for ‘American Dinner’. Turkey and fixings, sliders, etc. Pretty good.

 

 

 

Someone on the transfer bus this morning had mentioned that there was a launch scheduled for the Space Center tonight, and I happened to catch the tail end of it. Not enough of a space nerd to know exactly what was going on, but seeing things burning up in the sky and then hearing a sonic boom was pretty darn cool.

 

 

After that I went back to the cabin and my luggage was there! Yay! Spent a few minutes unpacking and getting organized before heading to the theatre for the Welcome Aboard show.

 

 

Really enjoyed the dancers and vocalists, so I’m looking forward to seeing those full performances later in the cruise. But I’ll give the Beatles a skip. Can’t wait for when the cruising demographic ages enough that it’s more fiscally responsible to have a Depeche Mode or The Cure tribute show. 

 

After the tight 40 min set, I grabbed a nightcap at the Atrium bar and headed back to the cabin to finish unpacking. Or at least as much as I can without access to the main closet.

 

 

 

Random observations

 

This sailing has ~3700 guests from 35 countries according to Cruise Director Dan.

 

Elevators are going to be a challenge. I’m trying to take the stairs as much as possible, but my foot is really bugging me so I’m taking the elevators if I need to go up more than three flights. Hmm, if only there was a foot pain seminar offered. 🤣

 

Speaking a little Indonesian and Tagalog continues to surprise and delight the staff. This cruise I’m going to try to learn a little Indian as well.

[OrcaGirl]

Day 1 Epic Transatlantic Daily:

 

Epic-Day1.pdf

[chefchick]

I’m here as well…I’m no newbie to NCL (platinum) and I knew what I was getting myself into, but the Epic is, let’s say, not my favorite ship.  I got a great fare and a slow boat to Europe so it’s all good, but I’m afraid the crowds and weird cabin are only the beginning.  Have a great cruise 🥂

[vacation44]

@OrcaGirl. Really looking forward to another one of your live threads.  Thank you and have a wonderful cruise.

[OrcaGirl]

8 hours ago, chefchick said:

I’m here as well…I’m no newbie to NCL (platinum) and I knew what I was getting myself into, but the Epic is, let’s say, not my favorite ship.  I got a great fare and a slow boat to Europe so it’s all good, but I’m afraid the crowds and weird cabin are only the beginning.  Have a great cruise 🥂

Ha, that’s almost exactly what I texted a friend last night.

 

[OrcaGirl]

Slept like a log. Motion of the ocean was the perfect thing to rock me to sleep. Also the having been awake for like 36+ hours.

 

Woke up about four minutes before my alarm went off. Quickly showered and headed straight to Starbucks for my morning fix.

 

 

Caffeine acquired, I took a little stroll through the casino, finding the perfect slot machine to play later today.

 

 

And then to the spa for my massage appointment.

 

Random observations 

 

Apparently pre-booking spa treatments isn’t actually pre-booking? A woman was very upset that the days/times she’d booked in advance had changed.

 

Woke up to 9 unread messages from my husband. Was initially concerned until I realized he was recapping last night’s episode of reality show Love in Translation that he watched with my mom back home. 😂

 

 

Missed opportunity in the spa to not have the treatment rooms cantilevered over the edge slightly with a SeaWalk-style glass window in the floor under the massage table so you could watch the waves as you get a massage.

 

 

[OrcaGirl]

A quick update before I return tomorrow to recap the rest of Monday.

 

I got super seasick today, and (mortifyingly) threw up just outside the entrance to the Bliss while the Cruise Critic Meet and Greet was still taking place. 🤮

 

Gross and embarrassing. Apologies to everyone who had to walk past on their way out.

[OrcaGirl]

Okay, back to yesterday morning before all of the nastiness.

 

The aroma hot therapy massage was blissful. Just perfect. I even sat through the product recommendations hard sell at the end with a smile on my face. (Still didn’t buy anything.)

 

Post-massage, I headed up to the buffet for breakfast, and – in lieu of hash browns or Eggs Benedict, which were nowhere in sight – I had some fruit and a ham-cheese-mushroom omelet. The Garden Café was pretty packed so I headed down the stairs to the extra seating at La Cucina.

 

 

After breakfast, I headed down for the Cruise Critic Meet and Greet. I’m glad I had checked the roll call this morning, because the venue had changed from the Manhattan Room to the Bliss Lounge.

 

 

There was a great turnout, but… I always thought that the meet and greets are best when they’re about chatting with and getting to know your fellow cruisers, and sometimes a few officers show up. This was really structured more as a “meet and greet with the officers” event. Maybe there was more of the socializing at the end? You know, the part I missed because I was busy tossing my cookies (except without the cookies part) outside in the hallway.

 

But my big issue with the event was how the Q&A with the officers quickly devolved into a ***** session. Perhaps I’m alone in this, but a meet and greet doesn’t seem like the appropriate opportunity to discuss:

— Why weren’t my double Latitude points applied that one time on a different ship?

— Why wasn’t I offered two side dishes at Cagney’s last night?

— Why isn’t the Studio Lounge bigger?

— Why wasn’t there a special line for dinner for Sapphire members last night?

— Why can’t my free Platinum dinners be noted on the NCL App?

— Why am I a new Latitudes member when I cruised with NCL that one time in the early 80s?

These are all perfectly reasonable questions to discuss with the appropriate staff member, but bringing them up during a Q&A and putting them on the spot without any of the context just felt… off. (Yes, I understand the irony of bitching about a ***** session.)

 

Or maybe I was just feeling cranky because I was starting to feel the seasickness take hold?

 

 

Random observations

 

“Country potatoes” are just not as good as hash browns.

 

 

The general manager (??? The really tall guy) noted that the ship is sailing full with 3,680 passengers this trip, but it’s actually less than last week. (Due to fewer kids and 3rd/4th guests, I presume.)

 

The best moment of the Q&A with the officers is when a first-time cruiser with NCL asked why the Hotel Director referred to the Epic as “unique”; literally 2/3rds of the other attendees just burst out laughing. 🤣

 

I really miss the Waterfront.

 

I was going to try to be more social on this cruise – I’m an introvert by nature – but I just don’t think it’s gonna happen.

[OrcaGirl]

Separating this out as a separate post. Scroll on by if you’re squeamish. It’s very gross and TMI.

 

So just as the Q&A was getting down to last questions, my stomach started signaling that I should probably get outside. I made a mad dash for the nearest bathroom or outdoor space, but alas I only got as far as the hallway right outside the Bliss Lounge when my entire breakfast decided to make an appearance.

 

I felt so, so bad about the mess, but at that point there was nothing I could do. I didn’t exactly collapse in a heap of vomit, but not far off.

 

A passerby asked what I needed, and helped flag down a housekeeper to deal with the mess. All I could do at that point was keep saying “Sorry, I’m so sorry” like the Canadian I am, and trying not to fall over.

 

One of the officers from the meet and greet came out at that point, and stopped to check on me. I can’t remember which one, but it was one of the women. She also got on the radio and another housekeeper showed up shortly with those yellow ‘don’t walk here’ stanchion thingies. At this point, I knew the guests from the meet and greet would be all exiting the venue soon, and I just wanted to disappear, so I asked the officer for the nearest bathroom so I could wipe myself down a bit before heading back to my cabin.

 

I was such a mess. In trying to contain the mess and not throw up everywhere (which I still did), I ended up with goo on my hands, shirt and flip-flops.

 

I cleaned up as best as I could, and then made the walk of shame back up to my cabin to shower, brush my teeth and collapse into bed. I also took another Gravol ginger.

 

Guess I’ll be using my free Platinum laundry sooner than planned.

 

 

Random observations

 

Cheers to the handful of guests who stopped to check on me, ask if I needed an escort to medical or to my cabin, etc. 🥰

 

Jeers to the one or two people who interrupted the officer who was helping me to ask for directions to various places on the ship. I didn’t think a blue-haired woman literally covered in vomit could be invisible, but they certainly made their best efforts. 🤣

 

Alas, this little escapade means I won’t be able to post a picture of the card with the officers’ names and contact efforts. It, uh, got a little messy.

[Mommapadraig]

36 minutes ago, OrcaGirl said:

Separating this out as a separate post. Scroll on by if you’re squeamish. It’s very gross and TMI.

 

So just as the Q&A was getting down to last questions, my stomach started signaling that I should probably get outside. I made a mad dash for the nearest bathroom or outdoor space, but alas I only got as far as the hallway right outside the Bliss Lounge when my entire breakfast decided to make an appearance.

 

I felt so, so bad about the mess, but at that point there was nothing I could do. I didn’t exactly collapse in a heap of vomit, but not far off.

 

A passerby asked what I needed, and helped flag down a housekeeper to deal with the mess. All I could do at that point was keep saying “Sorry, I’m so sorry” like the Canadian I am, and trying not to fall over.

 

One of the officers from the meet and greet came out at that point, and stopped to check on me. I can’t remember which one, but it was one of the women. She also got on the radio and another housekeeper showed up shortly with those yellow ‘don’t walk here’ stanchion thingies. At this point, I knew the guests from the meet and greet would be all exiting the venue soon, and I just wanted to disappear, so I asked the officer for the nearest bathroom so I could wipe myself down a bit before heading back to my cabin.

 

I was such a mess. In trying to contain the mess and not throw up everywhere (which I still did), I ended up with goo on my hands, shirt and flip-flops.

 

I cleaned up as best as I could, and then made the walk of shame back up to my cabin to shower, brush my teeth and collapse into bed. I also took another Gravol ginger.

 

Guess I’ll be using my free Platinum laundry sooner than planned.

 

 

Random observations

 

Cheers to the handful of guests who stopped to check on me, ask if I needed an escort to medical or to my cabin, etc. 🥰

 

Jeers to the one or two people who interrupted the officer who was helping me to ask for directions to various places on the ship. I didn’t think a blue-haired woman literally covered in vomit could be invisible, but they certainly made their best efforts. 🤣

 

Alas, this little escapade means I won’t be able to post a picture of the card with the officers’ names and contact efforts. It, uh, got a little messy.

I’m so sorry this happened to you.We have also done a couple TA’s  on the Epic. I don’t remember it ever being that crowded. Our favorite bar is the Bliss lounge so I know you almost made it to the can!(We always got there in time to belly up to the bar. By the 2nd day the bartenders knew our names and what we were drinking.)No worries…you  won’t be the last person tossing their cookies on a cruise.  We loved the Epic but I was leery about the rooms so we bid into the haven.  I know. Chicken!!Im wondering if they will be able to make any significant changes to the bathroom layout during dry dock. Looking forward to the rest of your trip.

[OrcaGirl]

The rest of the day was a bit of a blur. I think I slept for a hour or so, then decided I needed some fresh air. I headed up to the top deck and sat out for a bit. I ordered a mudslide but only had a few sips.

 

 

The Mr. Sexy Legs competition was starting, but perhaps due to the transatlantic demographic, they had way less signups than on my Bliss cruise in February. 

 

Wasn’t feeling hungry, so I skipped lunch and headed back to the room for another nap.

 

I had intentions of getting up for bingo but that didn’t happen. I heard the PA announcement when the solar eclipse started, but just didn’t have the energy to get out of bed. Really sad to have missed that.

 

Finally woke up around 5:30pm when my room steward called to see when he could make up my room. I told him I didn’t need the room cleaned, but requested maintenance to come the next day to fix the closet door if possible.

 

Decided to head up to the buffet for a light dinner of French fries and gingerale. The perfect choice to settle my stomach.

 

 

Spent a few more minutes up top watching the water splash in the pool, then retired back to my cabin.

 

 

Random observations 

 

The only instruction of the Mr. Sexy Legs competition was that the dudes couldn’t touch the judges; literal every one did anyway. 🤷‍♀️

 

If anyone reading this is on the Epic and did get photos of the partial eclipse, please share!