An Epic Solo Adventure (Review of the Norwegian Epic - October 2014)

At long last I am sitting down to write my review of my fabulous 7 days on the Epic. Writing this brings back so many memories and makes me want to do it all over again! For those of you who just want a quick summary, see immediately below. For those who want a longer, blog-type review, keep reading. As I have seen on other long reviews, I'm posting the review part in a different color for those who just want to read the actual review.

Quick review:

Mid October has unpredictable weather – be prepared for rain, lots of sun, cool temperatures, and heat in the more southern ports, basically pack one of everything.

• I found the Epic to be a vast improvement over my other NCL cruise on the Norwegian Sky, so in this case, newer does mean better.
  
• If you smile and are nice to the staff, they treat you like royalty. True everywhere, but definitely very true on the Epic.
  
• Embarkation took about a half hour and disembarkation took less than 5 minutes!
  
• Food in the buffet/MDRs was mainly average with no real problems, but no real standouts. The specialty restaurants are worth the splurge.
  
• The spa pass is completely worth it. (Hint: if you go on the second or third day, they give you a discount for the days that you didn’t get to use it!)
  
• Shore excursions were all well-organized and worth the money.
  
• The solo cabins, lounge, and solo traveler activities are quite possibly the best things to ever happen in cruising.
  
• Overall, an excellent trip and I would book on the Epic (either in a solo cabin or a spa cabin) again in a heartbeat.
  

Okay, now on the real review. I apologize in advance for the length. I am epically (hehe) wordy.

First, some background…

I am 28, single (and very happy about it!), from the US, and have a full time job. I am an extroverted introvert, meaning I do fine in crowds and get along well with most people, but I would much rather be alone doing my own thing, on my own schedule. That’s the main reason I chose to go on the cruise. Most of friends are married and prefer to travel with their spouses, and those that aren’t, are not really in the position to take 7+ days off work to travel to Europe. I began thinking about taking a healing vacation by myself after I broke up with my skeeze ball of an ex-boyfriend, but then it turned into something real and something I was really excited about. Most people (including my parents) thought I was nuts, but like I said, I prefer to do my own thing and I’ve always marched to a slightly different beat.

I chose Norwegian because I had already cruised with them and was getting their newsletters so I knew about the good deals they had in the late part of the Mediterranean season. I’d spent a lot of time researching cruises here on Cruise Critic for me and the aforementioned ex so I was already aware of the Epic and the solo cabin concept. So it was a natural leap for me to start researching that idea for myself. I booked totally with Norwegian and found the process to be very easy. My cruise consultant, Chris, was wonderful and answered lots of questions I had and picked me out a perfectly located cabin. I booked a pre-cruise hotel with Norwegian (more on that later), but arranged my flights myself.

I mostly chose the Epic for the solo cabins. I studied abroad in Italy during college, so I had already been to Rome, Florence, and Naples, but there are tons of areas around there that I haven’t visited so it didn’t seem like a big deal to repeat some ports. I also thought it would be a good idea to not venture too far outside my comfort zone when traveling abroad alone for the first time. So the Epic was a really good fit for me.

Okay, on to the review…

Pre-Cruise Day 1 (Friday):

I choose to fly out of Atlanta for a number of reasons, the first one being price because I was using frequent flyer miles and it was a better deal that way. So my mom drove me to ATL where I boarded a plane for JFK.

My flight was late because of something I can’t remember (weather maybe? Or air traffic?) so I was trucking it through JFK to change terminals and find my gate. If you haven’t been to JFK before, you have to ride a bus to the other terminal. This is such a weird concept for me because I fly in and out of Atlanta so much that anything other than those escalator sidewalk things or trains seems weird and primitive. Anyway, it took forever to get the right number of people on the bus and to get moving. I hadn’t reached the panic stage yet, but I was starting to get worried about not making it and/or my bags not making it.

Well, that turned out to be a non-issue because I spent the next 2½ hours camped out at the gate waiting for a “mechanical issue” to be fixed. While it was definitely annoying, I didn’t have a connecting flight to catch and the Epic wasn’t sailing until Sunday, so I had time. I did feel bad for the couple sitting next to me who were about to sail on the Oceania that was leaving on Saturday. They were definitely worried about getting to the port on time.

My flight was supposed to leave around 7:30 and I think we started boarding around 10:00. I hadn’t eaten anything since lunch because I knew I would be getting dinner on the plane, so I was starving. Surprisingly, Delta was helpful in this area and provided water, soft drinks, and snacks while we were waiting. They were also very good about keeping us informed. There was a lot of grumbling going on around me, but as one who has been a Delta victim a lot, this was pretty decent treatment.

My main point to all of this is that I will never fly Delta internationally again. Ever. Not because of the delays but because of the sheer uncomfortableness of coach. I had gotten spoiled on my last international flight which was a weather-related upgrade to business class on British Airways, and I knew that economy was going to be rough, but this was ridiculous. The food was terrible, the seats were so uncomfortable, and there were at least two inches of space between me and the wall which made for an awkward sleeping position. I was quite miserable and slept for only about 3 hours.

Pre-Cruise Day 2 (Saturday):

Since we left late, we landed late in Barcelona. Having never been to Barcelona, I had done my research and decided on a hop on-hop off bus tour to see as much as possible. I should’ve arrived around 9:30, but due to the delays it was after one when I cleared customs, got my bags, and found my way to the bus to take me to my hotel. I chose to ride the Aerobús because it was cheap and because it dropped me off in the Plaça de Catalunya; my hotel was only 2 blocks away. I highly recommend this mode of transportation. I speak zero Spanish and I had no trouble buying tickets, getting on the bus, or finding my way to my hotel.

I booked my hotel through Norwegian and I stayed at the HCC Montblanc. It was very nice and I had the biggest hotel room I’ve ever seen in Europe, but I don’t think it was quite worth the price I paid. Having breakfast and the transfer included was great, but I wouldn’t book through them again. I would however, use the hotels listed on the site as a good guide to what hotels are decent in a new city.

The hotel was in a great location, very close to the Barri Gòtic and just a few blocks from La Rambla. There were lots of restaurants nearby and the area felt safe. The staff was excellent and spoke very good English. They were nice enough to point me in the direction of several places to get good tapas and outlined very clearly on the map the areas that I shouldn’t go after dark. I would definitely stay at the Montblanc again, I would just book it on my own and take a cab to the port.

My room was ready when I arrived so I had a chance to freshen up before I headed off to do some exploring. I started at Plaça de Catalunya with a plan to find something to eat and take a stroll down La Rambla before hopping on the bus for a tour of the city. Because we were so late, I didn’t get to see as much of La Rambla as I wanted, but I did discover that Barcelona has really cheap food. I stopped a pastry shop that also sold sandwiches and drinks and walked out with a Coke Light and a nice sized ham and cheese sandwich for around 4€. I was amazed because in Italy (or any big city anywhere for that matter), it would be double the price. You can’t buy a coke in some places for that cheap. My dinner was super cheap as well. So if you see expensive food in Barcelona, you’re in the wrong place!

I rode the Bus Turístic which I highly recommend. It was a great way to see the city and I got some great pictures of La Sagrada Família. I didn’t have time to get off the bus at any of the stops, but I rode the two main lines for almost 4 hours and it was well worth it.

After a glass of excellently priced cava at my hotel (seriously, what hotel has good prices on drinks?! The Montblanc apparently), I went to a recommended restaurant for dinner. It was very good although they were a bit confused as to why I was alone. :) And then it was back to the hotel to Skype with my parents before falling asleep at an absurdly early hour, thanks to jet lag and not really sleeping on the plane.

Cruise Day 1 – Barcelona (Sunday):

I can’t remember the last time I was as excited as I was when the bus came to pick us up at the hotel. There was a bit of a delay getting going due to some misplaced luggage, but we were at the port before 12:30. After making sure my bag got off the bus and onto a luggage cart, I headed for embarkation.

Embarkation was surprisingly smooth, up to a point. The terminal was a good size for all the people and the staff was very professional. I felt like it moved along at a good pace and was better than my embarkation in Miami earlier this year. We did have to fill out some extra paperwork because of Ebola, but that wasn’t a big deal if you spoke English. If you didn’t, I suspect that was an issue because I didn’t see any forms in any other language.

I had two tiny quibbles with the embarkation process. The first was that there were special lines for Latitudes members but there was no one pointing that out. I was just herded along with everyone else to regular line to wait to get checked-in. I didn’t wait long at all (maybe 10 minutes), but it would have been nice to know that there were places for Latitudes members. My other problem was the way we were instructed to board the ship. I was given a number (apparently a lower one because I am a Latitudes member and could get on board earlier), but there was no one calling out the numbers or a display to see what numbers should be boarding. It turns out that they were calling the numbers, just way down at the end of the terminal past the shops and not where the chairs were set up for people to wait. I waited for about 20 minutes in the waiting area before I got curious enough to see what was going on and it turns out they had called my number a long time ago! That’s not a huge deal and it wasn’t like I missed anything, but I just found that to be odd that there was no one in the waiting area letting everyone know what boarding number was up.

When I ducked past the photographers saying I didn’t want a picture of just me, one of the cruise director staff stopped me to ask if I was in a solo cabin, did I have any questions, and the like. I got the suspicion from that and some other encounters that NCL keeps a special eye on the solo travelers because I talked to almost everyone on the cruise director staff, and many of them made a special point to greet me and ask how I was doing and if everything was okay. I don’t know if this was because I was alone or if it was because I was alone, young, and female, but either way, it made me feel like they really cared about my experience on the ship.

As I boarded I know I was grinning ear to ear and possibly bouncing with excitement. My first task was to locate my cabin. We had been told we could go to our cabins and put our carry-on luggage down, but that they might not be “ready” yet. I wound through the maze that is the Epic to find my cabin in the solo area. I took a picture of the special door with keycard access leading to the solo cabins for my mom so she would stop worrying about my safety. I will say that even after 7 days on the Epic I still got confused as which side I was supposed to use and where I was when I emerged from the studio area. The studios are located in the very center of decks 11 and 12 and since they are accessed by their own doors in varying places around the decks, it is very confusing to find your way through. Mostly I just found a way I liked and stuck with it because I was afraid of getting lost.

My cabin did appear to be “ready” so I dropped off my bag and headed out for lunch and some exploring. I ate in Tastes, one of the main dining rooms on the recommendations from fellow CruiseCritic members. I remember from previous cruises that the buffet is always really crowded on embarkation day, so I enjoyed a quieter meal (salad and a shrimp burger on a pretzel bun) in Tastes. I also took that time to read the Freestyle Daily so I could get an idea of what was going on and what time the solo gathering was.

After lunch and some exploring (and some getting lost), I went back to my cabin to see if my luggage was there and it was! I had just started unpacking when my room steward, Tomi, knocked on my door. Tomi was the absolute best. He was incredibly nice, and never failed to say hello and ask me how my day was going. He was genuinely interested in what I had to say and gave me some excellent advice about things to do and where to eat. My cabin was absolutely spotless every day and I always had plenty of ice and clean towels. He also left me the cutest towel animals! All the room stewards I talked to were nice, but I really felt like Tomi went above and beyond to make me feel welcome and ensure I had the best stay possible.

After I unpacked, it was time for the muster where I was ran into a fellow solo that I “knew” from the Roll Call (hi Diane!!). We made plans to meet up for the sail away because I had already scooped out the best place for it, the public sundeck all the way forward on deck 18. To get there, take the slightly hidden elevators in the Great Outdoors dining area up to the top, and wind your way up to the very front. That’s where the good sunbeds and chairs are. It gets really crowded for all the sail aways and on sea days so get there early to get a good spot.

The solo gathering was scheduled for 6:30 in the lounge. I was disappointed that there were very few people there and no one seemed interested in going to see a show or going to dinner as a group. I went up to the martini lounge/champagne bar for a drink because it was early and I was still full from my big lunch. I had a very nice glass of cava and when the waitress brought me my drink and some snack mix, she told me there was going to be a cava tasting on Friday in the Haven. I signed up immediately. I people watched for a while and debated on what I wanted to do for dinner. I didn’t want to go to Tastes because the solos were going there the next night and I really wanted to try a specialty restaurant.

I ended up in Cagney’s based on the recommendation from Tomi, my room steward. Cagney’s is all the way aft on deck 7 and the hostess seated me way in the back by the windows. I don’t know if this was because I was alone and they felt like I would want to be hidden or if it was because that was the best table for two. It totally was because I could see Barcelona growing smaller and smaller in the distance. I highly recommend going to Cagney’s after a sail away and asking for a table by the window. Great view. The food was amazing as well. I started with the baked potato soup, and then had a filet with the truffle fries. Not one to skip on dessert, I ordered the Oreo cheesecake, but could barely take a bite. My fabulous waiter offered to have it sent to my room so I could finish it later. I agreed and they practically had to roll me out of there. My dessert was at my door less 20 minutes after I got in and sat there tempting me until I gave it and ate it all. So good and so worth the stomach ache. :) I drifted off to sleep in my super comfy bed practically in a food coma.

G'day there LibrarianLizy, I am really enjoying your review. So many reviews on this site are so negative. Your review is like a breath of dfresh air.

Cheers Paul

I agree with Paul and am awaiting your next installment!

Thanks for taking the time to review. I'm planning on taking this exact same cruise next year and I'll also be traveling solo. I agree with you - I'm happy being with others, but enjoy the freedom you get when you travel solo!!

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G'day there LibrarianLizy, I am really enjoying your review. So many reviews on this site are so negative. Your review is like a breath of dfresh air.

Cheers Paul

Thanks! I really did have a wonderful experience but I think a lot had to do with my attitude. If you expect bad, that's what you're going to get. If you look for the good, you find it!

Cruise Day 2 – At Sea (Monday):

I had five things on my agenda for my sea day: yoga, CruiseCritic meet and greet, getting some sun, dinner with my fellow solos, and see the Blue Man Group.

The yoga class was at 9 and surprisingly well attended for something that cost $12. I wasn’t pleased that it cost but I love yoga and am a fairly regular practitioner so I got my butt out of bed for the class. It was a good class, albeit a little short at 45 minutes. I had explored the spa and fitness area the day before so I knew where to go. I got there early because I like to take a little time before a yoga class to get centered, but there was another class in the room, so no chance of that. I had grabbed breakfast in the Garden Café before yoga (excellent selection and I never had a single problem) so I headed back to my room to shower and dress before the CruiseCritic meet up.

We didn’t have a super active roll call in my opinion, but a good number of people turned up. NCL really goes all out for their CC meet ups. Most of the head staff were there and everyone said a few words. We were also given a card with all the Epic managers’ numbers and told to call if we had any problems. The officers seemed sincere, like they really cared about us. They had also put out some pastries and coffee for us to enjoy. After the cruise staff had departed we all introduced ourselves and then had a very nice mingle. I met a lot of people including two other solo travelers who I ended up having lunch with in the Great Outdoors (it was Tex-Mex day!). I was by far the youngest, but that wasn’t a new thing. I very much enjoyed meeting other cruisers and getting to know other solo travelers is a huge plus. These two ladies were traveling together but in separate cabins and planned on going to the group dinner that night.

The rest of my day was made up of lounging on the sundeck reading. We were sailing through the Strait of Bonifacio, with Corsica on one side and Sardinia on the other, which was really neat and great for photos.

The turnout for the solo dinner that night was much better than the night before. A lot of people said they didn’t know about it (obviously not good CC readers! lol) and I think others missed it because we sailed away a little late and I had to rush to make it back down for the meet up. I imagine a lot of people wanted to stay and enjoy the fun of sailing out of Barcelona.

The cruise director has a staff member who oversees the solos and their activities and I had read mixed reviews, but we were super lucky and had Mornay (sp?) as ours who was super super fun. He planned something every night and even managed to get us some free wine for the group dinners. We ate in Taste that night; I don’t remember what I had other than my dessert, but I know that it was good. I had the chocolate volcano for dessert (and several other times!) which was pretty much as good as it sounds. The wine was plentiful and the company fantastic so we had a nice long dinner getting to know everyone.

I had tickets to the Blue Man Group that I had booked pre-cruise so I left our dinner before everyone else to make the late show time. Another solo had booked it as well so we sat together. I had never seen the Blue Man Group before so I wasn’t sure what to expect. It was definitely different, and while I wouldn’t pay to see it again, it was amusing and better than a lot of cruise shows. It was off to bed after that because I had an early shore excursion the next day.

Cruise Day 3 – Naples (Tuesday):

This was probably my worst day. I had booked an excursion (through NCL) to hike Mt Vesuvius. I have been to Naples, Pompeii, and Herculaneum before so I didn't have much interest in revisiting them. I was super excited about this excursion because I am so not outdoorsy and was very proud of myself for picking something adventurous. This was the shore excursion I was looking forward to the most, so imagine my disappointment when, after waiting for over a half hour for my tour to be called, I found out it was cancelled.

This incident really highlighted two parts of the Norwegian service. Apparently, I should have gotten both a phone call and a notice under my door that my excursion had been cancelled and to visit the ShoreEx desk if I wanted to book a new one. I never received a call and never got a notice. I even asked my room steward in case I somehow missed it and he never saw anything either. Tomi suggested that I speak to customer service because I was treated so poorly in the aftermath. The lady doing the organizing for that ShoreEx meeting place wasn’t super helpful or apologetic. All the tours had left and she couldn’t do anything about it. She said for me to see the ShoreEx desk. Well the ShoreEx desk was closed, but one of the cruise director staff members saw me, noticed that I seemed upset, and took me personally up to another ShoreEx team member to see if he could help me. He could not apparently. I’m sure he was just having a bad day or a stressful moment, but he was very rude and dismissive. He basically told me, “you’re getting your money back, why are you complaining?”. I tried to point out that I hadn’t been notified but he didn’t want to hear it. I headed back to my cabin pretty upset.

I will admit that I had a bit of a pity party. While last night had been fun, I was feeling pretty lonely. I am not typically one to get upset by small things, but when I do get upset it is pretty bad. After I calmed down and spoke to Tomi about the notice issue, I went down to customer service. There obviously wasn’t anything they could do, but the staffer was very nice and apologetic for both the rude staff members and that I hadn’t gotten any sort of notice. He said that he would pass this information along to the ShoreEx manager.

It was then that I decided that this wasn’t going to ruin my day or my trip and that I could salvage the day and do something fun. So I booked an appointment to get a massage. My appointment wasn’t until later in the afternoon, so I disembarked to find some wifi and walk around Naples for a little while. I wasn’t off the boat 5 minutes before I remembered how much I *hate* Naples. It’s smelly, dirty, and the men are not very polite. I maybe walked around for 15 minutes before returning to the terminal to buy a Coke Light (Norwegian only serves Pepsi to my dismay) and use the wifi. There's a nice cafe right by the area where you enter and exit the ship; if you buy something you can use the wifi. Many crew members take advantage of this.

I felt much better when I returned to the ship for lunch in the Garden Café (pizza and a salad) and laid out for a little while before my massage. My massage was fantastic; I booked the port special for the day which was a massage and a mini facial for the price of a regular massage. Very worth it. I let them talk me into buying a spa pass which I will never regret. For those of you who enjoy spas, thermal suites, saunas, steam rooms, and the like, you will jump for joy at the thermal suite on the Epic. It’s located completely aft with an amazing balcony and view, two saunas, an herbal steam room, and this giant whirlpool thing that makes you want to move in there. Everything about the whole experience was great and it quickly became my new favorite place to finish off my afternoon after a busy day in port.

I could have stayed there all night, but the solos were meeting up to do a champagne sail away. But before I went to meet everyone, I got a phone call from the Shore Excursion manager. He was super apologetic about what happened and the way I was treated. He said he had no idea why I never got a phone call, but assured me that all my other excursions were still happening.

The champagne sail away was another great idea from our super awesome host. We went up to Spice H2O which is at the back of the ship so we had great views. Spice also serves tapas in the evening so we all had a little snack while we sailed away from Naples, which looks much better from the ship than in person. :) Everyone lingered for a while to enjoy the food and good company; I was still hungry and not about to waste an opportunity to eat delicious food, so I took myself to La Cucina for dinner. This was the absolute best meal I have ever eaten on a cruise ship. I had eaten at the one on the Norwegian Sky and it was good, but it could not compare to this at all. For me to say an Italian restaurant is good is a big deal since I come from an Italian family. La Cucina was simply amazing.

My amazing meal started with seriously the best friend calamari I’ve ever put in my mouth. I have had calamari in 4 countries and many, many restaurants and this put them all to shame. I think it had something to do with the aioli it came with which was out of this world. I basically licked the plate clean and then dived into my main course of pork marsala and gnocchi. This is after I practically inhaled the bread basket. There is nothing I love more than dipping warm, crusty bread into olive oil. I should not have been able to eat dessert, but of course I did. I think my waiter was impressed at the way I scarfed down my ricotta cheesecake. For a fairly small person, I can put away some food. This meal was simply outstanding and I made everyone jealous when I went on and on about it the next night.

I took a long walk around the ship to try and walk off some of the food and when I got back to my room I found an adorable towel animal plus, a bottle of wine and a plate of chocolate covered strawberries! They were an apology gift from the Shore Excursion manager. Overall, what could have been an awful day and possibly turned into an awful cruise if I had stayed disgruntled, turned out to be almost as excellent as climbing Mt. Vesuvius would have been. So lesson to my fellow cruisers: when something happens, talk to customer service - they might not be able to do something about it, but it should at least make you feel better, and shake it off and do something fun. I could have let this bother me and sour my experience with NCL and the Epic staff, but it didn’t. This was my only even slightly bad encounter with any of the ship staff in the whole 7 days.

I don't use Flikr or Photobucket so these are from my Instagram account.

First meal in Barcelona

First view of the Epic

Sailing through the Strait of Bonifacio, between Corsica and Sardinia

Just the first in a long line of towel animals!

I'm enjoying your review, especially since I'm going on my first solo cruise in February. Thanks for posting!

I think some of these excursion people need additional training. The thought that you should be satisfied with simply a refund is ridiculous.

Don't these people realize for a good number of passengers, it could be the only times in their lives that they visit a particular port? That if an excursion is cancelled, they should have the ability to book something else, so they're not left with no plans???

I will NEVER forget the uncontrollable sobbing of an elderly woman when we couldn't dock in Livorno because of rough seas. It was her lifelong dream to visit Florence and Pisa-- and we just couldn't get there.

I think some of these excursion people need additional training. The thought that you should be satisfied with simply a refund is ridiculous.

 

Don't these people realize for a good number of passengers, it could be the only times in their lives that they visit a particular port? That if an excursion is cancelled, they should have the ability to book something else, so they're not left with no plans???

 

I will NEVER forget the uncontrollable sobbing of an elderly woman when we couldn't dock in Livorno because of rough seas. It was her lifelong dream to visit Florence and Pisa-- and we just couldn't get there.

When I talked with the shore excursion manager later, he said that had I been notified it would have been no problem to add me to another excursion or if there had been any later ones, I could have gone on one of those. All the shore excursion in Naples are long ones so they all leave early, hence me not being able to do anything. I could have gone with one of the private companies that were advertising by the docks, but I didn't think it would be very safe to go alone. Another thing solo cruisers have to be careful of!

While I definitely understand about being busy and trying to keep things on schedule and organized, I don't think that's a good excuse to warrant rudeness. A simple and sincere apology would have been way better.

That's very sad about that woman, especially when there was literally nothing that could be done about it.

I'm enjoying your review, especially since I'm going on my first solo cruise in February. Thanks for posting!

You're welcome! Have fun on your trip; where are you going?

Thanks for taking the time to review. I'm planning on taking this exact same cruise next year and I'll also be traveling solo. I agree with you - I'm happy being with others, but enjoy the freedom you get when you travel solo!!

 

 

Sent using the Cruise Critic forums app

This was a great trip; I highly recommend it to anyone who wants to try solo travel. Cruising is a great experience for a solo in general, but I think NCL is doing a great job to make it even more accessible to those who are a little hesitant. The solo lounge certainly took the stress out of dining for me!

Cruise Day 4 – Civitavecchia (Wednesday):

Having already spent some time in Rome, I did not want to waste the long bus ride there and back to spend just a few hours touring things I had already seen. After a lot of research and talking things over with various people, I settled on NCL’s excursion to Orvieto. Orvieto is a hill town located about 90 minutes from Civitavecchia and is famous for its cathedral and its wine.

Since I didn’t get to go on my excursion the day before, this was my first experience with a NCL excursion. I thought it was very well done; well organized and well planned out. There were about 20 people on this particular excursion, all people who had been to Rome before and were looking for something a little different. We had a local driver and guide, who were excellent. Arianna spoke excellent English and was very well versed in the area. She gave us lots of background and pointed out various sites on our way to Orvieto where we met our local guide. The local guide had a heavier accent, but I didn’t have too much trouble understanding her through the headset we were all given.

Our tour through Orvieto began at the base where we rode the funicular up the hill to the town. Our group from NCL was joined by another group from a Disney ship. The Disney leaders apparently do a lot of singing so we were well entertained on the short ride up. The narrated tour began at the funicular station and after exploring the area at the lowest part of the hill town, we were given the option to either walk with our guide up to the cathedral or take a trolley. I opted for the walk and it was excellent. We walked through the “real Orvieto”, where people live, work, and shop. I love seeing these aspects of touristy towns.

Gorgeous view from Orvieto

At the top of the hill town is the Duomo di Orvieto, a magnificent 14th century cathedral. I have seen a lot of churches in my travels and this is probably the second most spectacular church I’ve ever visited, the first being St. Peter’s in Rome (obviously). The detail is simply unbelievable and the original frescos inside are excellent examples of Italian Renaissance art. After a guided tour of the outside and inside of the cathedral, we were given a couple of hours of free time to shop and have lunch. This was the weakest part of the excursion; I felt the free time was too long because many Italian shops close in the afternoons between 1 and 3. Free time should be more carefully scheduled around this as we all pretty much ran out of things to do with about 30 minutes left in our free time.

The lovely Duomo di Orvieto

I went to a restaurant recommended by our guide, accompanied by another woman whose husband chose not to come on the excursion. Our lunch was terrific and well-priced, about 9€ for a small salad, pasta entrée, and a glass of local wine. The restaurant also had wifi which was a nice touch. After lunch we wandered around for a while, got some gelato, and picked up a few souvenirs. We made our way down the hill and met up with some others from our group who had also finished their browsing and sat around a little outdoor café until it was time to ride the funicular down to the bus. After we returned to the Epic, I headed for the spa and some relaxation in the thermal room. It was a nice way to wind down and re-energize for the evening.

On the Epic’s Western Mediterranean itinerary, you can either chose to board the ship in Barcelona or Civitavecchia. Most people chose Barcelona, and on this particular go round, only around 800 passengers disembarked in Civitavecchia and new group of people came aboard. It felt like more young people (not children, people in my age bracket, 20s-mid 30s) got on board. It also felt like more Americans were in that group. Previously there were only about 600 Americans aboard; I didn’t ask what the new breakdown was, but it felt like more. You can always pick an American out of a crowd. :)

The solo gathering that night was another group dinner. I made friends with another lady traveling with her parents but staying in the solo cabins and introduced her to our group. After another very long dinner, we went up to Bliss for karaoke. Thus began what was a bit of blurry, but fun, very late night. It was tons of fun, and one of the reasons why I chose the Epic. I am not a clubby-type person, and most weekends I’m at home with my cat and a good Netflix marathon, so one of my goals on this vacation was to get out of my comfort zone some. I travel alone for work occasionally and I live alone, so cruising solo wasn’t that big of a leap for me. But being active and social, and doing things like going to karaoke and dancing with strangers is beyond my normal sphere.

I had a really good time and met a lot of nice people. I was definitely a bit out of sorts the next morning as I am not used to staying out so late, but it was worth it and I was proud of myself for making an effort.

Really enjoying your review. I'm also someone who enjoys being with my family and friends but prefer to spend time by myself low keying it. I have my 4th NCL cruise coming up in January and love the solos on the Breakaway & Epic.

I also try to do something outside my comfort zone on each trip. My 1st cruise I forced myself to dine at Cagneys on the last night & find myself eating all my meals in the MDR or specialty restaurants opposed to the buffet where I lived on my first trip.

It's great knowing there are other people like me who enjoy the adventures of solo travel. Most of my family and friends think I'm crazy but I enjoy a solo cruise as much as a Disney trip with my nieces & nephews or week at beach house with my friends.

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Cruise Day 5 – Livorno (Thursday):

Waking up after such a late night was rough but I had another early shore excursion planned. After a quick breakfast in the Garden Café, I met up with my tour group bound for Pisa and a winery. Tip: if you have an all day excursion, grab a banana or other piece of fruit from the buffet; you’ll need something to eat during a long day of touring!

Even though I spent 6 weeks studying in Florence, I never made it to Pisa. As much as I love Florence, I know that 5 or 6 hours there isn’t enough and that I would have gotten lost in one of the little piazzas where I used to spend my afternoons and probably miss the ship. So, I picked an excursion that didn’t involve Florence, but included Pisa which I felt like was a necessary place to visit.

It was a rainy morning unfortunately, so I didn’t get the amazing Tuscan countryside views I had been hoping for, but the sun was out by the time we arrived in Pisa. I had another very good guide, Maurizio, who gave us the opportunity to do a guided tour of Pisa with him, or go off on our own. I chose the guided tour because the best way to learn about a new place is from someone who actually lives there. I learned a great deal about the tower, the cathedral, the baptistery, and all the details on how they were built and what was done to prevent them from sinking into the soft soil that was, once upon a time, part of the ocean that had been turned into land by some industrious Etruscans.

Maurizio led us on a tour of the actual city as well, which was very nice, and even took us up to a hotel rooftop so we could get some amazing views and pictures. I actually liked Pisa way more than I anticipated. It had all the charm as Florence, but on a much smaller scale. After our tour, I grabbed more gelato because it doesn’t matter what time it is, it is always gelato time. :) I had enough time to grab a few souvenirs and check my email using the wifi at the Subway that was our meeting place before it was time to depart to the winery.

I was mildly disappointed in the winery. I was expecting something more along the lines of the winery I visited during my study abroad time, but this was really more of a farm that was designed to feed large tour groups authentic Italian food overlooking the Tuscan countryside. They did have a small vineyard and an olive tree grove, but it really wasn’t impressive. However, the food was fantastic. Homemade pasta in a very nice bolognese sauce, and lots and lots of crusty bread, olive oil, various cured meats and cheeses, olives, and some of the best sundried tomatoes I’ve ever eaten. There was also wine, of course, but I didn’t really care for it. I did enjoy the big family style meal and had a nice time talking to everyone around me, all of whom were very surprised at my solo status and what a good time I was having traveling alone.

Dessert wine and biscotti followed, but I can’t stand Italian dessert wine. To me, it tastes like pure grain alcohol, but it’s decent enough to dip the biscotti in as long as you don’t soak the cookie too much. The biscotti were nice and I bought a package to take home to my dad, along with some of the outstanding sun dried tomatoes. I tried very hard to pay attention to the beauty of the Italian countryside on the way back, but I was so full and sleepy that it was difficult.

Once we returned to the ship, I grabbed my bathing suit and headed to the thermal suite (are you sensing a theme?) for a little detox. After all the wine from the night before and the heavy food and more wine today, I was feeling more than a little overloaded. After some time in the steam room, a good sweat in the Finnish sauna (much hotter than the regular sauna!), and a nice long soak in the thalassotherapy pool, I was feeling much better. I even stretched out on one of the really nice padded loungers they have and sipped endless cups of fruit water, while enjoying the quiet atmosphere around me.

I spent so much time relaxing in the spa, I was late to the solo gathering at 6:30. Tonight the group was going to see Legends in Concert. Me and a few other ladies who were also running behind met the group in the theater to watch the show. It was okay; not terrific, but certainly decent for a cruise ship. After the show, the usual crowd headed to Taste for dinner, and then it was up to Spice H2O for the White Hot Party. This a Norwegian thing; the cruise director staff is in all white, wearing what looked like Victoria’s Secret Angel wings, and dancing to a variety of musical styles.

It was fun learning to salsa and dancing around with my friends and the cruise staff until it started to rain so the party moved inside to Bliss. Our group, which had dwindled down to just a few people, decided to try Howl at the Moon for a little while. I've been to the Howl at the Moon bar in Chicago and love it. The musicians here were good, but there were too many children present (even though it was after 11:00!) to get as raunchy and as funny as Howl at the Moon can and should be. We got bored and headed back to Bliss. I hung out for a little while, but was super tired from the night before and a busy day of touring, so I headed to bed at the super reasonable hour of 1:00 am.

Really enjoying your review. I'm also someone who enjoys being with my family and friends but prefer to spend time by myself low keying it. I have my 4th NCL cruise coming up in January and love the solos on the Breakaway & Epic.

Thanks moosecrouse!

Tip: Don't take food off a ship unless you are ABSOLUTELY sure about local regulations. There's a thread right now on Ask A Cruise Question about this.

 

I am 28, single (and very happy about it!), from the US, and have a full time job. I am an extroverted introvert, meaning I do fine in crowds and get along well with most people, but I would much rather be alone doing my own thing, on my own schedule. That’s the main reason I chose to go on the cruise. Most of friends are married and prefer to travel with their spouses, and those that aren’t, are not really in the position to take 7+ days off work to travel to Europe.

You sound a lot like me! I only wish when I was your age (not that long ago ;)) I understood what it was to be an introvert, as opposed to being anti-social. But now I know better! Actually, I did lots of solo land vacations in my 20's, and started cruising in my 30's. I still like solid ground, but cruising has its advantages, too.

So I have a question about the studios. It's more of a concern, really. I usually book a low deck to minimize the ship's motion. I am really afraid of being up on deck 12. How was it?

Thanks for your review!

So I have a question about the studios. It's more of a concern, really. I usually book a low deck to minimize the ship's motion. I am really afraid of being up on deck 12. How was it?

Thanks for your review!

Breakaway & Epic and can say studios had very little motion on my sailings. Studios are pretty much the dead center of the ship.

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Thanks, moose. I found a studio that was dead center, but so high up I was concerned about the side-to-side swaying.

I agree with moose, SnowshoeCat. I felt very little swaying. The Epic goes all the way up to deck 18, so deck 12 is kind of in the middle anyway! I think where the studios are in the ship (pretty much in the exact middle) minimizes the swaying. I do get seasick and only had one night where I even felt the ship moving at all.

I am so sorry for the delay in posting! I left my flash drive with my review on it at work over the long weekend!

I'll have the next installment up very soon!