Recent Epic reviews have me scared!

Booked a two-bedroom Haven suite for Spring Break, this will be out 3rd on NCL, second in a suite. (3 cruises on other lines, too).

The reviews seem to be consistently awful. I'm discounting the reviews for the ugly appearance, bathroom setup, small pools and long hallways.

My concern is the prevailing mention of poor service in the free dining locations - especially the dining rooms and O'Sheehan's. Most reviews tell of lackluster service from staff.

Please put my mind at ease!

Booked a two-bedroom Haven suite for Spring Break, this will be out 3rd on NCL, second in a suite. (3 cruises on other lines, too).

 

The reviews seem to be consistently awful. I'm discounting the reviews for the ugly appearance, bathroom setup, small pools and long hallways.

 

My concern is the prevailing mention of poor service in the free dining locations - especially the dining rooms and O'Sheehan's. Most reviews tell of lackluster service from staff.

 

Please put my mind at ease!

Not all of the reviews are discouraging. Unhappy cruisers are more likely to post their complaints than happy cruisers.

You can go with a good attitude and an open mind and most likely will have a good cruise. Or you can cancel your plans, it's up to you.

Scaredy Cat!

Seriously? "Scared" of the free restaurants?

Since you apparently are well enough off to afford a haven suite, have you considered paying the small upcharge for the specialty restaurants, where food and service is better?

i am on Epic in February and I had the same concerns but we were on Epic in2012 and we loved it. the only issue we really had was that we sailed during a U.S> spring break so there were alot of kids and pools were overrrun with unsupervised children. We found the food to be excellent but we are not super picky eaters and ate mostly in the buffet, twice at teppanyaki (loved it) and several times at osheehans.

People are complaining about the food at osheehans being cold, ummmm send it back and ask for a hot one. Seems simple enough to me. If it doesnt taste the way you expected and dont like it, order something else. There are very simple solutions to the problems people complain about. I find it funny when the first part of a bad review complains about the bathroom layout and how small the rooms seem. If you did your research before booking it would come as no surprise. I found the room (balcony) to be a little tight at the foot of the bed for passing one another but hey im on vacation with my hubby so we have a little snuggle on the way past each other;). I personally love the sink in the room and the separate shower/toilet. I can be drying my hair and doing make up while hubby showers. We get ready alot faster. Yup, your gonna smell some smoke when your near the casino but its not horrible. I am a non smoker, always have been and hate the smell of smoke. it never bothered me at all. There are ways to avoid the casino area.

As far as staff being less than expected, well I guess that depends on what you expect. I will say that I found it hard to get chair service by the B)I can tell the bartender exactly how i like my drink.

There are things that can go wrong on any cruise. I was on Celebrity and the service is outstanding but the night life sucks. Everyone was in bed by 10;30 on our sailing. NCL has amazing entertainment. Howl at the moon was our faviourite thing to do. Blue man group was fabulous except that i got hit in the eye with a marshmallow during the performance. Im sure I could have made a big deal of it but chose to laugh it off. We didnt do Cirque or the ice bar so looking forward to that in Feb. Just remember that more people post bad reviews than good ones and in many cases they are trying to get "something" for nothing.

There is already a running thread about this that covers your question with four pages of input that you may find helpful.

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1949842

Will you receive lackluster service in the MDR or O'Sheehans? Perhaps. I did on occasion. It was not life-altering, just be aware your meal may not arrive instantaneously. Not really sure why you would be scared at all since you are in the Haven and don't even have to be bothered with either of those locations.

The Epic was my favorite cruise.

You will be in the Haven - you have nothing to be "scared about."

We just got off the Epic last Sat. This was our 3rd time on the Epic - our first in the Caribbean (we sailed twice before on Epic in the Med).

The food is NOT cold anywhere - unless it is suppose to be;) It is good, sometimes very good and there is plenty of variety.

The service is fine, I did notice that the employees working up in the garden cafe seemed less than enthusiastic from my previous cruises, but I did not notice this in any other areas of the ship. Garden cafe employees who I interacted with were friendly, helpful and continued to do their jobs. I tried to find out if there was anything happening behind the scenes up there, but was never able to get any info. Maybe they have cut back on staff???

The "free" dining rooms on all the ships in my opinion have always had slow but good service, but you are suppose to be "dining" - if you want fast, the buffet is right upstairs. Again, the employees were friendly, helpful and did their best to make sure our meal was as we liked it. I go out of my way to be a good "guest" and they seem to respond very positively to my efforts:) Like everywhere else, if everyone tries to eat at the same time, there is going to be a backup and service will be busy, that is just the nature of freestyle dining.

Our cabin steward, Arnold, was wonderful, responding to all our requests promptly and with a smile. The bed too hard for our taste? We got the egg carton mattress topper and it was perfect all cruise. More pillows - done. More towels? done. Ice? done, everthing as we liked it. Ask and ye shall receive. Out of 13 cruises on NCL we only had one cruise where the steward was not that great, and we survived. I bet that guy is gone by now anyway. You should get excellent service in the Haven.

There is some wear showing on the ship - one employee made a comment that it was the French build. I had read similar opinions from other sources, and since all the new ships are of German construction, this might be true. Quite frankly others had commented on the loungers up on the pool and upper decks being in bad shape. I can confirm that some were really bad and it was shocking as I had never seen this on any of the other ships. I did let NCL know this in my post cruise survey. Again, you should not have this problem in the Haven as you will have a much nicer private pool area.

The shows seemed stale to me, but that is because we have seen Blue Man Group twice and it has not changed since it was first shown - if you have not seen it before it will be great - a new experience for you, just "old" to me. If you like the "legends" singing in the the theater, I am sure you will like that show also. Second City was OK (improve is always a hit or miss), and Howl at the Moon was really good. And the game shows are always fun, especially the dancing with the stars - always entertaining.

As for Bliss, it is being under used, and should have a DJ cranking up the fun around 9pm instead of 10:30 or so. I also missed Slam Allen in Fat Cats (he is now on the Breakaway I believe) and wish that they would replace him with a similar, full time act. Right now it is hit and miss in how the venue is utilized. You should really enjoy the Manhattan Band and girl singer, and another duo, Del Sol, was really very good. Other music in bar city will also be pleasant.

In closing: We were sitting in one of the bar areas when a couple sat down with us who were huge Disney fans (he was a Disney employee). They tried the Epic because of itinerary and cost. They did not like it as well as Disney (no surprise), but did think it was far superior to the RCL Oasis. That ship they said was too large (6000 passengers) and the food was always - you guessed it - cold. A couple from Boston joined the four of us and they agreed that the Oasis was not as good as Epic - too crowded and - yes - the food was cold. They had not noticed this on the Epic and they all four agreed that the food was good. They even liked the split bathroom setup.

So go on your cruise and have a wonderful time. If you are in the Haven I would think something would have to be wrong with you to have a bad one:D

Thank you to those offering reassurance and understanding my use/mis-use of the word "scared".

Boo to the poster who thinks I'm "apparently well off" for choosing the haven. Do your research. There are many circumstances where the 2-bedroom makes sense.

Thank you to those offering reassurance and understanding my use/mis-use of the word "scared".

 

Boo to the poster who thinks I'm "apparently well off" for choosing the haven. Do your research. There are many circumstances where the 2-bedroom makes sense.

Sorry, but I'm still not understanding something here.

Even if you're not as wealthy as people believe, specialty dining is not that expensive.

I just prepaid specialty dining for all 7 nights on my upcoming Jewel cruise, and it came out to $421 total for 3 people. That's not very much money compared to ANY cruise fare, even the cheap inside cabins.

I haven't cruised on Norwegian yet, but on several other lines I have found that the MDR food is mediocre (looks nice but is bland), while the specialty restaurants tend to be good. The small upcharge is money well spent, especially if you are concerned about the possibility of bad food and bad service.

Booked a two-bedroom Haven suite for Spring Break, this will be out 3rd on NCL, second in a suite. (3 cruises on other lines, too).

 

The reviews seem to be consistently awful. I'm discounting the reviews for the ugly appearance, bathroom setup, small pools and long hallways.

 

My concern is the prevailing mention of poor service in the free dining locations - especially the dining rooms and O'Sheehan's. Most reviews tell of lackluster service from staff.

 

Please put my mind at ease!

The 2 bedroom suites on Epic are some of the nicest cabins at sea (of all ships). You get 3 flatscreen TV's, 2 bedrooms, 2 full bathrooms, 3 sinks, 2 showers, 1 huge tub, and separate eating area with living room. All of this PLUS full access to the Epic Club restaurant and Epic bar and courtyard area. You also get full priority everything from show seating to front row seats if you wish.

The reviews go up and down constantly. The ship just came back from Europe and is adjusting again to its Miami trips. Hardly ever a negative review from the Epic Haven suites. You have NOTHING to worry about!!!!!!!

Relax and ENJOY :)

Pffffft......Haven or no Haven, it's going to be a great time when I'm on her this Saturday, out of this bloody -35 weather and buttloads of snow. The only thing I'm worried about is remembering my bathing suit and going into pina colada withdrawls when I come home.

Enjoy your trip!

You will be in the Haven - you have nothing to be "scared about."

 

We just got off the Epic last Sat. This was our 3rd time on the Epic - our first in the Caribbean (we sailed twice before on Epic in the Med).

 

The food is NOT cold anywhere - unless it is suppose to be;) It is good, sometimes very good and there is plenty of variety.

 

The service is fine, I did notice that the employees working up in the garden cafe seemed less than enthusiastic from my previous cruises, but I did not notice this in any other areas of the ship. Garden cafe employees who I interacted with were friendly, helpful and continued to do their jobs. I tried to find out if there was anything happening behind the scenes up there, but was never able to get any info. Maybe they have cut back on staff???

 

The "free" dining rooms on all the ships in my opinion have always had slow but good service, but you are suppose to be "dining" - if you want fast, the buffet is right upstairs. Again, the employees were friendly, helpful and did their best to make sure our meal was as we liked it. I go out of my way to be a good "guest" and they seem to respond very positively to my efforts:) Like everywhere else, if everyone tries to eat at the same time, there is going to be a backup and service will be busy, that is just the nature of freestyle dining.

 

Our cabin steward, Arnold, was wonderful, responding to all our requests promptly and with a smile. The bed too hard for our taste? We got the egg carton mattress topper and it was perfect all cruise. More pillows - done. More towels? done. Ice? done, everthing as we liked it. Ask and ye shall receive. Out of 13 cruises on NCL we only had one cruise where the steward was not that great, and we survived. I bet that guy is gone by now anyway. You should get excellent service in the Haven.

 

There is some wear showing on the ship - one employee made a comment that it was the French build. I had read similar opinions from other sources, and since all the new ships are of German construction, this might be true. Quite frankly others had commented on the loungers up on the pool and upper decks being in bad shape. I can confirm that some were really bad and it was shocking as I had never seen this on any of the other ships. I did let NCL know this in my post cruise survey. Again, you should not have this problem in the Haven as you will have a much nicer private pool area.

 

The shows seemed stale to me, but that is because we have seen Blue Man Group twice and it has not changed since it was first shown - if you have not seen it before it will be great - a new experience for you, just "old" to me. If you like the "legends" singing in the the theater, I am sure you will like that show also. Second City was OK (improve is always a hit or miss), and Howl at the Moon was really good. And the game shows are always fun, especially the dancing with the stars - always entertaining.

As for Bliss, it is being under used, and should have a DJ cranking up the fun around 9pm instead of 10:30 or so. I also missed Slam Allen in Fat Cats (he is now on the Breakaway I believe) and wish that they would replace him with a similar, full time act. Right now it is hit and miss in how the venue is utilized. You should really enjoy the Manhattan Band and girl singer, and another duo, Del Sol, was really very good. Other music in bar city will also be pleasant.

 

In closing: We were sitting in one of the bar areas when a couple sat down with us who were huge Disney fans (he was a Disney employee). They tried the Epic because of itinerary and cost. They did not like it as well as Disney (no surprise), but did think it was far superior to the RCL Oasis. That ship they said was too large (6000 passengers) and the food was always - you guessed it - cold. A couple from Boston joined the four of us and they agreed that the Oasis was not as good as Epic - too crowded and - yes - the food was cold. They had not noticed this on the Epic and they all four agreed that the food was good. They even liked the split bathroom setup.

 

So go on your cruise and have a wonderful time. If you are in the Haven I would think something would have to be wrong with you to have a bad one:D

Washy, washy, happy happy! ;)

I don't know how to attach a link to it but I did a review of my sailing 11/30 - 12/7. We were very pleased and I'm sure you will be too. We LOVED our 2 bedroom suite as well as everything about the Haven. I hope you have a wonderful cruise!

Sent using the Cruise Critic forums app

We just returned from Epic on Saturday as well and had a 2 bedroom suite in the haven, 16003, with 6 people in it (4 kids 2 adults). We have all been on many other cruises, Oasis of the Seas, Carnival a few times and Princess. We all agreed that this was by far the best cruise that we have ever had. The food was great, almost everywhere (poor service one night in Manhattan), the entertainment was great (Second City was not amazing but that was mostly because of the crowd that night with not much feedback), the service was incredible. Ryan the Concierge is amazing and just can't do enough for you. Our cabin Stewart, Eric, was one of the best that we have ever had. This was our first time in a suite and the Haven did not disappoint one ounce. It was everything I thought it would be and more. You will have an amazing time. We have never had a bad time on a cruise but this one was definitely our favourite by far. Enjoy yourselves, I know we did and can't wait to do it again, hopefully in the haven again.

Washy, washy, happy happy! ;)

And don't forget smiley, smiley. I love those guys:D

The 2 bedroom suites on Epic are some of the nicest cabins at sea (of all ships). You get 3 flatscreen TV's, 2 bedrooms, 2 full bathrooms, 3 sinks, 2 showers, 1 huge tub, and separate eating area with living room. All of this PLUS full access to the Epic Club restaurant and Epic bar and courtyard area. You also get full priority everything from show seating to front row seats if you wish.

The reviews go up and down constantly. The ship just came back from Europe and is adjusting again to its Miami trips. Hardly ever a negative review from the Epic Haven suites. You have NOTHING to worry about!!!!!!!

Relax and ENJOY :)

Well said, as usual David. January will be our third cruise in these suites. I call the second bedroom 'my wife's walk-in closet'. Posh, Epic Club restaurant and Epic Bar are the main reasons we cruise on Epic. Have always had great service in every area. 38 more days....can't wait. Please enjoy your trip!

In defense of the OP, after reading many reviews posted over the past several months, I share the concern.

About 8 months ago I booked a cruise for 2014 on the Epic. Before I booked, I read LOTS of reviews about the ship, and while there were certainly some negative critiques, overall I felt the positive remarks outweighed the negative and went ahead and booked our trip.

Reading the reviews over the past several months, I see a MARKED difference in happiness level than those posted a year ago. And there have been consistent themes in the critiques (random critiques don't concern me, but if I see the same issue restated many times, I'll tend to think it's valid.) This cannot just be chalked up to "the people who write reviews like to complain." There is a difference between current reviews and older reviews of the Epic. Furthermore, there were even a handful of reviewers who had been on the Epic previously and had been happy, but more recently were disappointed.

It does make you wonder if there has been a change in management or something to contribute to the perceived decline in quality and service.

As for the paid restaurants, many of those got lukewarm reviews as well.

I'm approaching our final payment in 2 months and rethinking if we will keep our reservation on Epic or switch to another ship. I'm somewhat relieved to read some of the posts above from those of you who have traveled Epic recently and been happy. But if you go to read the past couple months of reviews on CC, I think you'll find OP's concern a legitimate one. It's hard not to come to that conclusion.