NCL Epic Info Please?

[dssking]

Hey Everyone.  I'm changing gears from past cruises on Royal to NCL.  I've been on the NCL Sky in 2001 and

Pride of America in 2019.  Now, Epic in Feb 2025.  

How much are the drink packages, and wifi package?  I have chosen wifi as a perk, but suspect it will be capped,

so upgrading to a "real" package will be in the cards.  I also find it odd that the sink is in the main area of the cabin

as is the shower (not a seperate room).  I'm sure these issues have been raised before but I'm always lurking around

the Royal group.

Do's Don'ts etc??  What to expect?  

Thank people!

Vijay

[ColeThornton]

18 minutes ago, dssking said:

How much are the drink packages, and wifi package?

 

 

https://www.ncl.com/onboard-packages

[hallux]

42 minutes ago, dssking said:

How much are the drink packages, and wifi package?  I have chosen wifi as a perk

Drink package should be $21.80 (USD) per person per day if you choose it as a perk (do you Canadians only get to pick a couple rather than all of them?)  If you're going to upgrade the WiFi to unlimited anyway it may make more sense to choose the beverage package as your perk instead of WiFi.

 

44 minutes ago, dssking said:

I also find it odd that the sink is in the main area of the cabin

as is the shower (not a seperate room).  I'm sure these issues have been raised before

Yup, you hit on one of the most-discussed topics about that ship - the cabin layout.

[dssking]

Thanks.  Will have a look.  I'm willing to give it a shot.....

[Liljo22]

If you are going to buy the drink package, always do it as a perk.  The regular price is $109 per person per day plus 20% gratuities($130.80pppd).  As a perk, you only pay the gratuities which is $21.80 per person per day.  

 

For wifi, are you saying the speed is capped?  It is and you would need to upgrade to the premium unlimited for the higher speeds.  The unlimited plan alone is the same as the perk wifi.  The Epic is on Starlink but the speeds are still slow even for the premium at least in the Caribbean.  If you plan on just web browsing, the perk/unlimited is good enough.  

[Distinctive-Destinations]

If you can upgrade to Haven, you won’t have the ridiculous bathroom situation.

[Two Wheels Only]

 

Epic isn't the best representation of NCL. It's the only ship like it for a reason. As many as 3 were planned but after the first one....no more. 

[ColeThornton]

10 minutes ago, Two Wheels Only said:

 

Epic isn't the best representation of NCL. It's the only ship like it for a reason. As many as 3 were planned but after the first one....no more. 

 

There were no more after the first one due to a contract dispute with the shipbuilders.

[JillK]

Hi ya.

 

Welcome to NCL - it's a great brand. Like TwoWheels mentioned, the Epic is a unicorn ship and might not be the most accurate representation of the brand overall but you will certainly get a flavour of the line. 

 

We cruised the Epic in 2012 so my comments right now are dated. However, we will be cruising on her again in August so I will come back and share some thoughts. 

 

The cabin layout is super wonky and although it wasn't a huge issue in 2012 when hubby and I were cruising with our young daughters, I suspect I might find it interesting to navigate sharing the cabin this summer with hubby and my 12YO son. The bathroom set up is weird and does not allow for real privacy. Make sure you're sharing with someone close to you 😉

 

My memories of the ship itself otherwise are very positive and that cruise kicked off further cruises with NCL which, although we continue to cruise across other lines, makes NCL our favourite and preferred unless itinerary and cost come into play. 

 

Will report back after the next one. 

[Two Wheels Only]

28 minutes ago, ColeThornton said:

 

There were no more after the first one due to a contract dispute with the shipbuilders.

 

The dispute was related to the changes that, in part, turned Epic into the hideous monstrosity that it is today.

 

I didn't want to get into how ugly the ship is (inside and out) because certain forum members get irrationally upset whenever anyone does. 😉

[travellingguy]

My 1st NCL cruise was the year Epic launched.  Almost 20 cruises later and multiple NCL cruises on their better ships and on Princess and Virgin I then went on the Epic again last year for a cheaper trip.  Was not happy at all as the age of the ship was showing and the design that I didn't really notice on the 1st sailing bugged me after all the much better designs

 

But yes there are some who like the EPIC and will defend it for some reason.

 

I would and am cruising with NCL again but would never choose the Epic for a cruise.

[ILgirl]

I just took the Epic TA which embarked on 4/7 from Port Canaveral and ended in Rome on 4/19.  I have been on 30 plus cruises with the majority on Celebrity and Princess.  My last 10 cruises I’ve been solo due to losing my spouse.  The Epic was my second NCL with my first being last June on a TA on the Getaway.  I had a solo balcony on the Epic.  No argument, the cabin layout was strange.  Sailing solo or with my spouse, no problem.  If I was with a friend, it would have been weird.  That said, the food and crew were outstanding!  A great trip.  I think it comes down to who you are sharing your cabin with because of the funky layout.

[Distinctive-Destinations]

25 minutes ago, travellingguy said:

But yes there are some who like the EPIC and will defend it for some reason.

I would cruise the Epic again, but only in The Haven. I kind of like the atrium/casino area where you can sit and have a cocktail and watch people play. Seemed kind of a nice “happening” area overall.

[dssking]

That all sounds great.  Cruising for my wife and started in 2000 on our Honeymoon on Carnival - was dead against cruising.  After that, I was hooked on cruising.  Then came NCL, another carnival a couple more times, Princess, and now in the recent years, Royal.  Now, I'll try NCL again.  Change is inevitable, therefore, I'll embrace this one and see how it goes.  It's a fantastic price point and I get to stay at my place in Orlando afterwards.  Win Win.

[smarterman64]

i appreciate the escalator to go up one floor from the atrium area to the casino. convenient... 

[rscales2]

I been on the Epic a lot and I love it until the last time. The activity and Entertainment was Great. The food was a disappointment. I used to love the food on the Epic. I was looking forward to the Spaghetti at the Buffet. They didn’t have the Spaghetti. I was on the Jewel and Sun for 2 months straight before going on the Epic and they had Spaghetti every day. I was looking forward to the Spaghetti. The main and specialities restaurants isn’t what I remember. I’m going back on the Epic in 2025 mainly because it’s cheaper than the other NCL ships. If it doesn’t live up to my expectations I think I might try MSC.

[BirdTravels]

We have sailed on the Epic 7 or 8 times and would gladly sail on her again. She is a beautiful ship inside and out. 

Edited April 25 by BirdTravels

[D_And_K_gocruising]

One thing you'll find about NCL vs Royal is the prices are what they are for internet, beverages etc etc.. Dont have to wait for deals or watch for sales, or wonder how much they will decide to charge.. 🙂  Have a cruise planned for a friends 50th next year on royal and drives me batty that you have to try to guess when the best prices for drinks packages are.  

[JimR24]

We took our first NCL cruise on the Epic when our kids we a little younger.  One was a Sophomore in HS and the other in grade school.  As many mentioned, the cabin layout is "different".  Now that they are older (College Grad next weekend and HS Grad), I would get them their own cabin if they were with us.  

 

As for the ship itself, no issue.  We do prefer smaller ships though but it has nothing to do with the Epic itself.  If the Itinerary and price was right, we would hop back on board and have a good time.  

[Sailing12Away]

We've been on Epic 3x. First NCL trip ever was in a club balcony room with my MIL tagging along, and the last 2 trips were in the Haven. Pricing on the Haven is pretty good usually (compared to other ships), so keep an eye on prices and consider upgrading if it falls within your budget. Haven rooms don't have the weird bathroom situation, and you can usually get a great price on a 2br cabin which gives you an extra bathroom.

 

If you're in a regular room, the bathroom is a bit odd but manageable. With my MIL sharing the room with us, she felt more comfortable pulling the curtain over when she needed to use the toilet. There's one that can be pulled to separate the front of the room from the back, so it gave her a bit more privacy. For showering, we would just shower first and then leave the room so she had all the privacy she wanted. If it's just you and a significant other, you should be used to seeing each others bits so it won't be as big a deal.

 

The free at sea internet package is minutes based. So if you forget to log off when you're done checking your emails and such, your minutes will be gone quick. Unless you need to be connected 24/7 for some reason, it's often better to wait until you're on board and those free minutes are used up first to then upgrade to the unlimited. It's based on # of days remaining, so if you upgrade on day 1, you're paying for 7 days. Whereas if you can wait until day 3 you only have to pay for the 5 days left so it's a bit cheaper.

 

As someone else said, compared to RCC there are no 'sales' to watch for. The price is the price, and you add it on whenever you want - not when the price is on "sale". 

 

The thing we like best about Epic is that it's very easy to walk aft to front without all the meandering in and out or through buffets or other areas. So it makes getting around the ship very fast and easy for us.

[graphicguy]

This is from 6 months ago and sailing in the Haven, but lots of pics of the ship and review of the cruise overall.....might help....

 

 

[Distinctive-Destinations]

On 4/24/2024 at 10:27 PM, rscales2 said:

I been on the Epic a lot and I love it until the last time. The activity and Entertainment was Great. The food was a disappointment. I used to love the food on the Epic. I was looking forward to the Spaghetti at the Buffet. They didn’t have the Spaghetti. I was on the Jewel and Sun for 2 months straight before going on the Epic and they had Spaghetti every day. I was looking forward to the Spaghetti. The main and specialities restaurants isn’t what I remember. I’m going back on the Epic in 2025 mainly because it’s cheaper than the other NCL ships. If it doesn’t live up to my expectations I think I might try MSC.

Buffet spaghetti is your make-or-break cruise criteria?

[rscales2]

On 4/26/2024 at 6:24 AM, Distinctive-Destinations said:

Buffet spaghetti is your make-or-break cruise criteria?

Sue me I love the Spaghetti.