Short review of EPIC cruise from Barcelona June 4th

Thought I would take a few minutes to write a brief review of our cruise on the Epic leaving from Barcelona on June 4th. First, my wife and two young adult son's arrived in Barcelona a few days before, so we had some touring time in this beautiful city. We used Franscisco of "Tours by Locals" for a fabulous day tour of Barcelona including the Gothic area and works of Gaudi. Had a great time and Francisco was an excellent guide. We were fortunate enough to have booked a Haven 2 BR suite which we enjoyed tremendously. Everything about the Haven was first class and it was well worth the money for 4 adults. Embarkation was smooth and we were on the ship and taking a tour of the Haven within 50 minutes of arriving. The service in the Haven was truly second to none and they catered to your every whim (keep in mind, my family and I are easy to please and typically are not complainers by nature). We found the food at the restaurant in the Haven to be very good and we especially enjoyed the breakfasts in the morning (small filet with eggs and crispy hash browns done to perfection each time). My two son's (ages 23 and 21), enjoyed the private hot tub and lounge area along with easy access to the bar. :cool: Even though we used private tour companies for all of our excursions, we had priority getting off the ship, which saved a tremendous amount of time and stress. The staff ensured that we saw every show we wanted to see and had reservations for the specialty restaurants for the times that we preferred. As far as food and entertainment, both were very good. We totally enjoyed Burn the Floor while Pricilla was good, but not really our cup of tea. The Epic Beatles were excellent while the Four Sea Sons were awesome (saw them twice). We ate in Moderno, Tepynyaki, and le Bistro, and all were very good. I don't think we had a bad meal on the ship. We only went to the buffet once and it was extremely crowded, so we avoided. As stated above, the Haven restaurant was very good and we took advantage often. The Circque Dinner Show is also not to be missed. The only downside is that day long tours wear you out and there is no relaxing time on this cruise. We all wished it was a day or two longer so you could rest in between tours. I would not hesitate to book this cruise again and look forward to cruising NCL in Europe in the future.

Thought I would take a few minutes to write a brief review of our cruise on the Epic leaving from Barcelona on June 4th. First, my wife and two young adult son's arrived in Barcelona a few days before, so we had some touring time in this beautiful city. We used Franscisco of "Tours by Locals" for a fabulous day tour of Barcelona including the Gothic area and works of Gaudi. Had a great time and Francisco was an excellent guide. We were fortunate enough to have booked a Haven 2 BR suite which we enjoyed tremendously. Everything about the Haven was first class and it was well worth the money for 4 adults. Embarkation was smooth and we were on the ship and taking a tour of the Haven within 50 minutes of arriving. The service in the Haven was truly second to none and they catered to your every whim (keep in mind, my family and I are easy to please and typically are not complainers by nature). We found the food at the restaurant in the Haven to be very good and we especially enjoyed the breakfasts in the morning (small filet with eggs and crispy hash browns done to perfection each time). My two son's (ages 23 and 21), enjoyed the private hot tub and lounge area along with easy access to the bar. :cool: Even though we used private tour companies for all of our excursions, we had priority getting off the ship, which saved a tremendous amount of time and stress. The staff ensured that we saw every show we wanted to see and had reservations for the specialty restaurants for the times that we preferred. As far as food and entertainment, both were very good. We totally enjoyed Burn the Floor while Pricilla was good, but not really our cup of tea. The Epic Beatles were excellent while the Four Sea Sons were awesome (saw them twice). We ate in Moderno, Tepynyaki, and le Bistro, and all were very good. I don't think we had a bad meal on the ship. We only went to the buffet once and it was extremely crowded, so we avoided. As stated above, the Haven restaurant was very good and we took advantage often. The Circque Dinner Show is also not to be missed. The only downside is that day long tours wear you out and there is no relaxing time on this cruise. We all wished it was a day or two longer so you could rest in between tours. I would not hesitate to book this cruise again and look forward to cruising NCL in Europe in the future.

Thank you for the review. We are booked for the 30/7 sailing and having read many bad reviews about the Epic , it's refreshing to read a positive review! Thanks again

I appreciate your review. i am sailing in the Haven in August and was glad to hear that the staff was so good. I was wondering your thoughts on the excursions. I currently booked a half day tour of Pompeii and a full day private tour in Rome. Do you think a full day in Florence is too much if my wife and I are the types that want to relax during this vacation as well as see the ports. I was leaning towards going to Florence for a half day and then returning to the ship after lunch in Florence. Your input would be great.

Thanks for the short but good review which touched on all of the points. By chance do you know what time the Haven Bar closes at night? I don't recall reading about Four Sea Sons. Is this show every night and in which location?

Thought I would take a few minutes to write a brief review of our cruise on the Epic leaving from Barcelona on June 4th. First, my wife and two young adult son's arrived in Barcelona a few days before, so we had some touring time in this beautiful city. We used Franscisco of "Tours by Locals" for a fabulous day tour of Barcelona including the Gothic area and works of Gaudi. Had a great time and Francisco was an excellent guide. We were fortunate enough to have booked a Haven 2 BR suite which we enjoyed tremendously. Everything about the Haven was first class and it was well worth the money for 4 adults. Embarkation was smooth and we were on the ship and taking a tour of the Haven within 50 minutes of arriving. The service in the Haven was truly second to none and they catered to your every whim (keep in mind, my family and I are easy to please and typically are not complainers by nature). We found the food at the restaurant in the Haven to be very good and we especially enjoyed the breakfasts in the morning (small filet with eggs and crispy hash browns done to perfection each time). My two son's (ages 23 and 21), enjoyed the private hot tub and lounge area along with easy access to the bar. :cool: Even though we used private tour companies for all of our excursions, we had priority getting off the ship, which saved a tremendous amount of time and stress. The staff ensured that we saw every show we wanted to see and had reservations for the specialty restaurants for the times that we preferred. As far as food and entertainment, both were very good. We totally enjoyed Burn the Floor while Pricilla was good, but not really our cup of tea. The Epic Beatles were excellent while the Four Sea Sons were awesome (saw them twice). We ate in Moderno, Tepynyaki, and le Bistro, and all were very good. I don't think we had a bad meal on the ship. We only went to the buffet once and it was extremely crowded, so we avoided. As stated above, the Haven restaurant was very good and we took advantage often. The Circque Dinner Show is also not to be missed. The only downside is that day long tours wear you out and there is no relaxing time on this cruise. We all wished it was a day or two longer so you could rest in between tours. I would not hesitate to book this cruise again and look forward to cruising NCL in Europe in the future.

Thanks for the short review! We are booked on the same cruise in October and we have a haven suite as well! We are super excited! Can we get more information on what excursions you booked? I've been looking at a few but nothing like someone who has experienced them!

Awesome! We are booked on her in March. Can't wait.

As originally mentioned, we booked day long excursions in Barcelona (before the cruise); Naples (Pompeii and Herculeum and Mt. Vesuvius - although we ended up doing a short tour of Naples instead of Vesuvius due to weather). We used DiscoveryGuidedToursItaly and they were fantastic. We had an archeological guide for the whole tour and she was tremendous. I would highly recommend as this was a highlight of the trip. The next day, we did a day long tour of Rome through SharedShoreExcursionsofItaly. We had pre-purchased tickets to the Colosseum and Vatican, which is a must if you want to see ANYTHING. The tour was very good but the crowds were overwhelming. Almost to the point, of where you really couldn't enjoy what you were seeing. We were in a small group (8 people), fighting several bus groups of 80-160 people each throughout the Vatican and colosseum. While we still enjoyed since it was our first trip to Rome, both my wife and two boys said that we would probably do another excursion if we returned. Also, traffic was horrible as it took well over two hours to get from the port to the outskirts of Rome, and this was leaving at 7:20 am! Made for a long, tiring day. The next day we should have scheduled a 1/2 day tour, but I had already paid for a day long tour of the Cirque Terre for my family. It was my favorite excursion and we got to visit 4 of the villages and had a great lunch there as well. We took car, boat, and train and walked a good bit uphill. By the end of the day we were all exhausted but glad we did it. The next day we did a half day tour from Cannes that went to Eze, Monte Carlo, and Monaco. Great guide and excellent tour through Viator. Also went to a perfume factory which was very interesting and even kept the interest of our two young adult sons (or maybe it was the cute girl working behind the counter!):p By the time we made it to Palma, we were worn out and decided to skip a tour here. We did walk around some, but you really need a plan or a guide here to see anything. We will do that next time we come (not sure when that will be). Overall, the cruise is somewhat exhausting due to the Tour intensive ports and the belief that you need to see everything possible in order to get your money's worth! My advise would be to take a couple of day tours and a couple of 1/2 day tours so you can relax some on the ship and not feel so tired during the evenings. It almost felt like a work day as you had to plan to go to bed at a reasonable hour since you had to be up at 6:30 am or so the next day for another tour. Being in the Haven made it so much easier as you had the restaurant literally feet from your room (they will set up breakfast in your room if you like) and they escort you down where you get off the ship, making it quicker for you to get of the ship. As for the Ship, my wife and I had cruised the Epic in January 2017 with some friends and had a great time. We were both in inside cabins and we both had a blast. This is probably our 15-16th cruise (different cruise lines but mainly RCL and NCL) and while the Epic is not our favorite ship, it provides good food, great entertainment, and service, especially in the Haven, was hard to beat. Now let me say this, my wife and I are not big drinkers or gamblers, so my impression of the ship is based on the things I enjoy. I understand that many people like to drink and like to gamble away there money and sometimes that skews their opinions. My guess is that if you won $500 in the Casino and you had several double shots of bourbon on the house, then instead of complaining, your cruise would be the best vacation ever! Just an observation.

I've done this cruise 6x's. I agree with you do 1/2day tours or none at all in easy ports Cannes & Palma. Also every time I go I see something different. It's a great cruise just exhausting. Glad you enjoyed. I also cruise Haven only

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Yes it was a beautiul ship.but port intense and exhausting. I literally just fell in my bed after eating every night..wished there was another sea day or two to enjoy what the ship has to offer!

We all wished it was a day or two longer so you could rest in between tours. I would not hesitate to book this cruise again and look forward to cruising NCL in Europe in the future.

I appreciate everyone's insight on the exhaustion experienced with this port intensive cruise. I think I am going to plan to do a half day pompeii tour in naples, a private full day tour for Rome, and a half day Florence tour or on our own. As for Cannes I think I may try to go to Monte Carlo on our own for a couple of hours and skip Palma or just walk around the port area. This seems to be much more doable and relaxing to me. I think for my wife and I staying in the Haven is a big part of the relaxation and enjoyment of the vacation. We are both very excited for this trip as it is our first visit to Europe.

I appreciate everyone's insight on the exhaustion experienced with this port intensive cruise. I think I am going to plan to do a half day pompeii tour in naples, a private full day tour for Rome, and a half day Florence tour or on our own. As for Cannes I think I may try to go to Monte Carlo on our own for a couple of hours and skip Palma or just walk around the port area. This seems to be much more doable and relaxing to me. I think for my wife and I staying in the Haven is a big part of the relaxation and enjoyment of the vacation. We are both very excited for this trip as it is our first visit to Europe.

Please do not try to do a half day to Florence. It is a long journey (you can sleep on the bus :D) and it would not be worth it for just half a day. If you want to do a half day tour from livorno go to Pisa. YOu can get there by a shuttle from the port or by a shuttle to the train station from the port. I loved Florence but I liked Pisa.

IF you want to climb the tower of Pisa you need to book tickets ahead of time.

If you do a "Florence on your own" trip you can of course escape the crowds and heat by sitting in a restaurant for a pizza and glass of chianti. It is hot in July.

Cannes is a really nice place for a walk along the beach. Take your bathing suit, but you don't have to get up early, just go for a wander along La Croisette and see the shops. Cannes is your day to relax (last time we went to Antibes by train and it was not tiring, but we were there in April, summer is more exhausting).

Enjoy your first trip to Europe.

Call us two crazy old people but we are doing full day tours except for Cannes which is a 1/2 day in the morning/early afternoon and then we will walk about Cannes. Palma de Mallorca we decided we walk and would do-it-ourselves maybe take the HOHO bus just to see things. We decided that with the exception of Cirque (Sunday night) which we have to see again and Burn the Floor which is our Cannes day we are going for it. Yep, we know we will be exhausted (70's/ late 60's) and I just recently got diagnosed with Plantar Fasciitis :eek: We decided let's go for it. We can always have our meals brought to us at night and then "struggle" to the Haven Bar for nightcaps;) We are doubly blessed to be retired so we can rest after the cruise and also not have to face going back to work when tired. This will also be our first trip to Europe together (DH went as a young sailor) and when he mentioned it of course twist my arm I said yes.

As for the Ship, my wife and I had cruised the Epic in January 2017 with some friends and had a great time. We were both in inside cabins and we both had a blast.his is probably our 15-16th cruise (different cruise lines but mainly RCL and NCL) and while the Epic is not our favorite T ship, it provides good food, great entertainment, and service, especially in the Haven, was hard to beat.

You went from an inside to the Haven ? Wow - That is quite a jump ! Must be a entirely different experience .

We enjoyed the same cruise and like you recognized that it was very port heavy especially with such a great city , Barcelona , as the departure port . We had a balcony and don't think that we would have gotten our Havens worth . :D

I appreciate your review. i am sailing in the Haven in August and was glad to hear that the staff was so good. I was wondering your thoughts on the excursions. I currently booked a half day tour of Pompeii and a full day private tour in Rome. Do you think a full day in Florence is too much if my wife and I are the types that want to relax during this vacation as well as see the ports. I was leaning towards going to Florence for a half day and then returning to the ship after lunch in Florence. Your input would be great.

We did a B2B in May and by the Florence port we were exhausted! Add that to the fact that it was predicted to rain all day....DH said "NO WAY!" So we stayed on the ship. Very quiet port.....he had a massage...I enjoyed sitting on the balcony reading and doing NOTHING! Four of my six daughters said that if any port....this was the one to miss! So if you do the half day and hit the "highlights" my thought is that you are on the right track!

We did a B2B in May and by the Florence port we were exhausted! Add that to the fact that it was predicted to rain all day....DH said "NO WAY!" So we stayed on the ship. Very quiet port.....he had a massage...I enjoyed sitting on the balcony reading and doing NOTHING! Four of my six daughters said that if any port....this was the one to miss! So if you do the half day and hit the "highlights" my thought is that you are on the right track!

I think you have sealed it for me. Half day Pompeii tour, private full day tour in Rome, half day private tour in Florence, and maybe go to Monte Carlo or stay around the ship in Cannes and stay around the ship in Palma. I think more than that will be too much. My wife and I want to see as much as we can but need this trip to also be a relaxing getaway from work and the kids! Thank you so much for your input it really has solidified my decision with regard to excursions.

Thank you so much for the update! How crowded was Cinque Terre?

Yes it was a beautiul ship.but port intense and exhausting. I literally just fell in my bed after eating every night..wished there was another sea day or two to enjoy what the ship has to offer!

 

 

 

We all wished it was a day or two longer so you could rest in between tours. I would not hesitate to book this cruise again and look forward to cruising NCL in Europe in the future.

First Timkatmom, thank you for your review. My family and I are taking the same cruise/itinerary in Aug 2018. What's interesting about your review is how similar it is to some video reviews we've seen on youtube. One review mentioned they actually skipped going to into Rome because of the two hour commute there and back, stating that it was the best idea because they were able to relax and take advantage of what the Epic had to offer. I think we might do that as well. I'd like to go but the DH is a grumpy bug when it comes to long commutes LOL. We have a mixture of two adult children and two teens so your review has been a tremendous help in planning. Great advice for Barcelona as well!

The Cinque Terre was fairly crowded but we had a great guide with an excellent plan. We started in the morning and stayed on schedule throughout the day and saw four of the five villages. They were all beautiful and I would highly recommend seeing this area. We took car, boat, and train, and the guide handled all of it for us which made the tour very easy and enjoyable. We had lunch in the largest village (can't remember the name) and it was delicious.

First Timkatmom, thank you for your review. My family and I are taking the same cruise/itinerary in Aug 2018. What's interesting about your review is how similar it is to some video reviews we've seen on youtube. One review mentioned they actually skipped going to into Rome because of the two hour commute there and back, stating that it was the best idea because they were able to relax and take advantage of what the Epic had to offer. I think we might do that as well. I'd like to go but the DH is a grumpy bug when it comes to long commutes LOL. We have a mixture of two adult children and two teens so your review has been a tremendous help in planning. Great advice for Barcelona as well!

From Balywick: Barcelona is one of the most beautiful cities I have ever had the pleasure of visiting. Both of my young adult son's were highly impressed and would like to return. Worth spending an extra day if you have the time and start your cruise from there.

Thanks for the report, glad to hear good things about Epic.

Balywick, thank you for your review! We are seriously considering taking this cruise in June of 2019. (I know...2 years away is a long time). We just got off the Dawn's Boston/Bermuda. Will be on the Epic in February. Last year we were cruised RCI out of Rome and loved it. The Barcelona itinerary intrigued us. we would prefer a 9 night, but since we've done Rome, that could be a quiet day for us. (We did Naples too, but would do the Amalfi Coast tour again in a heartbeat, but nix Pompei). Thanks again, you may have sealed the deal for us!

Thanks for the review.

Glad you enjoyed your cruise! Thanks for the feedback.

Palma de Mallorca-the bus, then train ride was relaxing. Cannes-that would be my half day too -you get off the ship...walk around the waterfront, see a lot.

Thank you for your review. I fully expect to be exhausted by the time we finish our August Med cruise on Epic! We are flying into Barcelona a day early, and will to the HOHO bus there. We are then doing a full-day private tour with Rome In Limo of the Amalfi coast and Pompeii in Naples, then full day Ultimate Rome tour thru NCL, and then a full day private tour of Pisa/Florence, then a 1/2 day Little train tour and Nice thru NCL. Have nothing for Palma - hoping to walk a bit and sit on Palma Nova beach, or just hang on the ship and relax. Traveling with my 26/29 year olds, and we love walking, so we should be okay, except for the expected heat and crowds of summer.