scooteroffl

I posted a reply earlier in this thread before my cruise on the Epic basically telling everyone to take the negative complaints with a grain of salt. Now that I am back from my Christmas cruise on the Epic I can confidentially say that I did not encounter any of the problems posted in previous reviews. As a matter of fact my whole family had a great time. The Epic is a great cruise for people that like a lot of stimulation, lots of things to do, lots of people and energy. If you want something more relaxing, private and quiet you might want to choose another cruise ship.

My family and I arrived at the port around 12:00 PM. Getting on the ship was quick and easy and took less than 15 minutes. It took me more time to park the car. When we arrived we were directed to the Garden Café Buffet. I took the advice from a previous poster on this thread and went to O’Sheehans Pub and Grill instead. Great tip because it was not crowed, we got to sit and we ordered lunch. Mostly comfort foods, all hot and arrived quickly.

For the rest of my review I will separated by category.

Cabin – My wife and I stayed in a Large Balcony cabin 12238, category B6. The balcony was large, the room nice. Yes, the bathrooms were a bit weird but never a deal breaker. Bed was firm but comfortable. Room was clean. Water we took from the mini bar was replaced daily. Room steward was efficient and friendly. This cabin was close to the elevators so the location was great. We had towel animals in our room every day. I only mention this because one of the complaints was that they never received a towel animal.

Elevators – Never had to wait for an elevator as mentioned in previous posts. We had a full ship 4100+ passengers.

Garden Buffet (Free) – Great buffet always with plenty of selection. I found the food to be hot and tasty. Food did change every night. Salad station, Deli Station, Crepe Station, Omelet Station, Pizza and Pasta Station, Desert Station, Asian, Indian, Latin food stations, and hamburger and hotdog station every night plus a station featuring the night’s specialty foods that changed every night. There were only two times the buffet was too crowed. First day for lunch when everybody got on the boat and breakfast the day we got off the boat. The rest of the time I could get food with no wait. I have seen several complaints about the selection on the buffet, I really believe these folks went to the Great Outdoor buffet only and not the Garden Cafe. The outdoor grill serves the same thing every day hamburgers and hot dogs but, The Garden Cafe has a fresh new menu every day.

Manhattan and Taste dining rooms (Free) – The food was good in the dining rooms. I was only disappointed with one meal, it was a ribeye steak. But it’s a cruise…just send it back and get something else. All the other meals were good. Service was good. Our family usually met for dinner at 6:30 PM and we never had a wait to get into the restaurant.

Moderno (Paid Extra) – Food was great, Service was great and it was a great dining experience. I would highly recommend paying extra for this restaurant.

Wasabi (Paid Extra) – Great sushi and very inexpensive. $2 - $3 for sushi can’t be beat!

Spiegel Tent Cirque Dreams & Dinner (Paid for premium seating) – Food was good, show was great. Definitely upgrade to premium for a better view.

O’Sheehans (Free) – This is the only restaurant open late. Full menu during day, limited menu late night and early morning. Great place to have breakfast and lunch. Watch for special menus. One night they served prime rib another night shepherd’s pie. On Sunday they set up a buffet for all the football fans watching the game on the giant TV screen I especially like the strawberry pound cake with whipped cream. For all you northeasterners you can order a chocolate egg cream here.

Room Service (Free before midnight) – My wife and I only used room service for Coffee. It arrived in a timely fashion and was hot.

Bingo (Cost to play)– Played Bingo once, thought the cost was too high for the prizes. Just not my thing but thought I would try it.

Deal or No Deal (Cost to play) – Loved playing this onboard. Lots of fun to play would definitely recommend.

Plenty of other games to play onboard but did not participate. (Free)

Blueman Group (Free) – Great show…Do not miss!!!!

Second City Comedy (Free) – Very funny, went to 4 shows during our cruise.

Comedy Magician (Free) – Great for kids….but I have seen it all before. Not grand illusions. Basic magic, rope trick, linking rings, things you could see at any kids party. The close up magic is the best, that is the show you should see.

Legends in concert (Free) – Did not see. They are featuring Elvis, Katy Perry and Steven Tyler impersonators. Since I would not pay to see any of these real stars why would I go see the fake stars?

Howl at the Moon (Free) – Lots fun, two piano players taking requests. Sing along, party atmosphere.

Tips –

1) Go to O’Sheehans instead of the buffet when you first arrive on the ship.

2) Make all reservations for shows ahead of time.

3) It is a big ship so getting a cabin by the elevators will save a lot of walking time

4) To get around the ship just remember that Red means you are on the even side of the ship. Red carpet, red lights on elevators means even. Blue carpet, blue lights on elevators means you are on the odd cabin side of the ship.

I left out the ports because this is mainly about the ship. I loved it and had no problems on my cruise. There were a lot of people but I never had to wait that long for anything. I found the service and food to be good to great. Entertainment was great. I would happily recommend the Epic to anyone!!!

I will be sailing on Epic Dec 21st with my wife and two children who are 19 and 21. I have to admit the negative reviews have made me a little nervous. This will be my 8th cruise and second on NCL. After thinking about the reviews for a few days I decided to dismiss most of the complaints I read and here is why...

1) The Norwegian Epic is a huge ship with over 4000 passengers. As the the old saying goes "You can't please everybody." So, there are always going to be a few unhappy campers for whatever reason. And of course those are the ones who are more likely to write a review. I am in the travel business myself and have first hand experience in not being able to please everyone. Recently a client who recently returned back from Morocco wrote us a complaint letter stating that she was upset because she could not find anyone in Morocco that spoke English.

2) I am certainly not going to let the design of the bathrooms or the room ruin my vacation. Really how ridiculous is that? I booked a Large Balcony Stateroom B6. Also, made sure ahead of time that my bed is close to the balcony. I really think planning ahead makes a big difference in enjoying the cruise.

3) I had to wait to be seated at the restaurants. Really? Is this something to complain about? Often when I go out to eat at some of my favorite local restaurants there is often a line. Plus, the cruise ship restaurants often serve multiple courses which takes more time to serve.

4) There wasn't anything to do? LOL I couldn't believe this one when I read it. I am not even on the ship yet and I am overwhelmed by the choices the Epic has to offer. I have already booked all my show times online. Blueman Group, Cirque, Legends, 2nd City Comedy, Presumed Murdered. That is just for starters, there is so much more to do on the ship.

5) Most of the unfriendly staff complaints have been recent. I really do believe this could be because of the Typhoon in the Philippines. I heard a majority of the crew is from there and I am sure it has effected their mood. I also believe that saying please and thank you goes a long way. I have watched people on cruise ships treat the staff like slaves demanding things. I am sure if you treat them nicely and smile they will do the same back.

6) As far as the Nickel and Dime thing.... Unfortunately it is not just an NCL thing, all cruise lines are starting to offer extras for extra pay. It is a trend in the industry. It's just like anything else in life. As long as people continue to go to the paid restaurants they will stay. They would not be there if people did not pay to go there. I am planning on not eating at any of the pay to eat restaurants. I will stick with the complimentary dinning options.

As you can see I am now planning to have a great trip!!! Don't pay much attention to the reviews....go and have your own experience and don't sweat the small stuff! I will try to write a review when I return.