ptuder

 

Logic fail. I just can't grasp this.

 

Remember, this is the principle of the matter, not a few extra bucks that some "can afford" (so sick of hearing that).

 

I am patiently awaiting the forthcoming "convenience fees"...

Agree completely.

We have first time cruisers going with us on our Escape cruise that we convinced the extra price was worth it but since we have booked a lot of our costs have increased. DSC, 15% to 18% on drinks, 18% now added on specialty dining, and drink prices have increased. We have a hefty OBC but none of the freebies that have been offered since we booked. We figured OBC would cover all spending but now I'm not so sure.

Some have mentioned removing the 18% tip on specialty dining but how would we do that. With drinks it is automatically added in I never thought we could cross it off?? Am I misunderstanding?

Does anyone know or have an opinion about the cabins on deck 16 compared to 17. I know the actual difference - but I'm looking for benefits of each based on location.

 

Any opinion? Any real difference? Thanks!

We have stayed on 16 for the following reasons:

Easy out to the haven pool and hot tubs. We like to go in the hot tub before bed.

Same floor as the lounge and restaurant. If we want to grab a drink to enjoy on our balcony we don't have to climb stairs.

I can easily run over to the courtyard grill in the morning and grab a mini pastry while waiting for my husband to get up.

We are below guest rooms rather than common areas or sun decks.

We also chose to be in the odd hallway as the doorway is right off the elevator rather than 3 doors to get to the even hallway (into concierge lounge, into courtyard grill area and then from courtyard grill area).

How was the disembarkation the last day? We have relatively early flights out of FLL and were wondering if we should walk off with our luggage or if the concierge taking us down shortly after 8:00 would work for us if we have them take our luggage the night before.

 

I know every sailing is different, but wondered how it was for you.

 

Glad you had a good cruise. I'm looking forward to escaping frigid Upstate NY in a few weeks!

We had them take our luggage off for us. We had the concierge send us down about 8:05 and we were in our car parked at the port at 8:36. I made a point of checking the time. We were not in the first group they sent down so we probably could have been a little earlier.

Great review. We are doing the epic again in April. Did the epic club breakfast service get better, or was it slow throughout the trip?

It was fine the rest of the trip. This was our only bad experience the whole week. The staff working there is wonderful. We ate breakfast there all but 2 mornings.

We booked in the Haven on the Epic Jan 25th sailing. We booked 2 weeks ahead of time and received the UBP, UDP, OBC plus prepaid gratuities and some additional OBC from our TA. We really couldn’t talk ourselves out of it! We’ve been in the Haven on the Epic before and wanted to sail again before it left for good.

Embarkation was quick and easy; we arrived at the port around 11:30 and were in the Haven lounge by noon. David was the concierge and we had him on our last trip. Not sure if it was a good or bad thing that he remembered us! :) The sliders and fries as a snack are new from our last visit. We walked around a bit and ended back up at the restaurant around 1 & they asked if we could come back in 30 minutes. I think this is a tough day for them as everyone with Haven wants to eat in the restaurant. People at the table next to us told us they’d been waiting an hour for their food. Ours didn’t take as long so maybe we timed it right.

We attended the Cirque show the first night, late seating and thought the show was fantastic. In my opinion these are not just typical cruise ship entertainers. They are athletes and so talented. We loved it. And – we even really enjoyed the meal. We read so many complaints but other than a mediocre dessert it was great. We had seen the Cirque show back in 2010 and this show was very different and much better.

Monday was a sea day and we went to the Epic Club for breakfast about 9:15. They were packed! We ordered our meal, my husband had coffee and I ordered hot green tea. They brought me hot water and said they sent someone out for the green tea. By 9:45 I gave up and went out to the Courtyard Grill and grabbed a tea bag from there – not green tea but I’m not that picky. By 10:30 the restaurant is over half cleared out and we still haven’t received our meal. We’d each ordered 2 eggs, potatoes, bacon and toast so nothing extreme. We were planning on the M&G at 11 so my husband finally said something to the hostess about our meal. We’re not complainers and thought we were being patient but over an hour for 2 eggs is quite a while. A few minutes later they came rushing out with our eggs and 1 piece of bacon each, no potatoes or toast. At that time Susanna, the maître d’ was at our table and apologizing. She could see that our meals were not right but I told her not to worry about it that we needed to get going and it was fine. I also told her that I knew this wasn’t the way they normally operate so we were fine. She did do something extra for us which wasn’t necessary but appreciated.

We were late to the M&G so we missed the crew introductions. We almost left immediately as everyone had already spread out into 4 or 5 groups and no one really even looked up to acknowledge that someone else had come in. We ended up pulling a chair up to a table full of people and thankfully they included us in the conversation. We just didn’t feel very welcome when we entered, almost felt like we were crashing a private party. Typically we’ve wave people over or said we could squeeze more into the conversation. But – the couple we did end up meeting was very nice and we bumped into them a few other times during the cruise and had some fun conversations.

We ate at Cagney’s, Le Bistro twice, Manhattan Club, Epic Club, O’Sheehan’s and the Courtyard Grill. We never had a bad meal but we’re not fancy or picky so we can typically find something we like anywhere. I can say that I fell in love with the Swordfish burger from the Courtyard Grill and had it 3 times! We also were surprised by an invitation to dinner with the Captain which was great fun and we met another couple that we became great friends with throughout the cruise.

For entertainment we saw the Cirque show, Legends and Howl at the Moon. We’ve seen Blue Man in the past and it’s just not our thing.

The UBP was a great treat as we never had to even think about our bill. I had read previously that Grey Goose was included but I can tell you that a Cosmo made with Grey Goose is $10.50 so it exceeded the $10 limit but it didn’t show up on our bill. Vincent the bartender in Posh was wonderful and took great care of us. We enjoyed talking with him and realized what they give up working on the ships. He has 2 kids, 3 & 5 and he wasn’t home for either of their births, but was home for one of their christenings. Our butler was Crisol who left on leave the day our cruise ended. His next break will be in December so he was very excited to get to have a holiday with his family, the first time in over 5 years.

The Captain was terrific and made daily announcements. I appreciated that he reminded people to sanitize often. He reminded parents that although they are on vacation they are not on vacation from parenting, and that children need to use inside voices, no running, yelling, etc. He also reminded us how hard the staff works to bring us a wonderful vacation. You could tell he took pride in the product they provide and the staff he has working for him.

We really had a wonderful trip, can’t find anything to complain about that mattered. We always took the stairs down but would take the elevator up to 16 if we were on decks 5 – 7. No big issues with the elevators with the exception of people not wanting to let others in at times but we were always willing to move back and let a few others in. (yes – we were those people!) The Epic is a great ship for us and we will be sad to see her leave. We’re doing the Escape later this year which looks fantastic also.

Thanks so much for the pic!! I've been wondering how she's coming along. Starting to look like a real ship!!

We booked the 2 bedroom for $1499 on Jan 9th for the 1/25 sailing and I haven't seen it drop lower but I haven't looked today. We also got the UBP, UDP and $300 from NCL that is currently being offered. Our TA threw in prepaid tips/service charge and another $100. We were pretty thrilled. Never booked last minute before but we couldn't talk ourselves out of it! 😄

Hi,

 

I will be sailing on NCL Epic on Jan 25 in a Haven Suite. I see that Haven guests get a cocktail party with the ship officers. I know NCL offers freestyle cruising but what would acceptable attire be at this function? On other nights would it be out of place to wear suit and tie?

 

Thanks!

Hi! We will be sailing with you - also in a Haven Suite. We have done this cruise before.

As stated, I think you will see a bit of everything so wear what makes you comfortable. My husband refuses to take a suit and tie on vacation, thus the the appreciation for freestyle cruising. We have attended the cocktail party in the past and I usually wear white or black jeans with a nice top and my husband wears nice jeans with a polo or dress shirt and "maybe" a casual blazer but we never feel out of place or uncomfortable.

The staff is great, they come around and talk with everyone, ask you how you are enjoying your cruise and make general small talk. By then you will have gotten to meet or know some of the Epic Club staff who work the cocktail party so they will take good care of you.

Have fun - just enjoy the trip in whatever way you like!! :)

I can't speak for discounts, but Ido know that if you have the dining plan, it's included on the first night only, otherwise it's a 20% discount.

Thanks. So if we have the dining plan and book in advance do we have to pay in advance and get the rest back in on board credit? Or can we book when we board?

Thanks for the pics!

I'm one of the folks who is happy with Margaritaville. Yes it is touristy, not meant to be a serious place but I love the fun atmosphere and music. Hopefully they will keep good music there nightly, we will be on the Escape one year from today!

We were on Epic in April and had fun bowling although we were pretty bad! If my memory is correct I think it was $7 which included shoes. Hopefully I'm not too far off.

As a FL resident who does not like cold weather I've never been tempted to go into a freezing room for a drink, but we saw many people coming out of the ice bar laughing and having fun. Just not our thing but I'm sure someone else will have the right answer!!

That's an easy answer for us. We love to cruise for the lack of responsibility! Maybe this is a selfish answer but it is the one time every couple of years I am really off duty.

Someone else is responsible for getting from point a to point b. Someone else is responsible for cooking, clearing the table and washing the dishes. Someone else makes sure we have a variety of things to do all day long. I also like that the TV choices are limited and I refuse to buy internet access so I can't check email and I do not turn on my blackberry once we pull out of Miami.

I somehow end up being the planner and tour guide for any land based vacations whether traveling with friends or family. On cruises I am not in charge. Everyone can do their own thing or do things together, we don't need a group decision on where to go today, what time to eat and on and on and on.

We just got off the EPIC yesterday and have good intentions to hopefully post a review as this was our 3rd Haven experience and probably the BEST yet. We found the staff to be incredibly friendly and have absolutely no complaints.

Karen at the concierge desk was always pleasant to us and she knew our names the first afternoon before a formal introduction so my guess is she looked up the pictures from the Haven guests to put a name to the faces? We were so surprised.

We loved Gede (bartender) and Erick aka Beuno Amigo (bar server) in Posh. They were always out and about last week, talking, checking on us, etc. We had 2 other couples cruising with us in the Haven and they just loved the personal service and how we felt like we made friends by the time we said goodbye. They got vacation hero cards from us.

We did find a few issues with the drawers in the room upon check-in but we had someone there quickly to fix. Biggest issue was a couple mornings with no flushing toilets, one time it lasted over 8 hours. :( Fortunately it was only certain zones affected so the rest room at the concierge lounge worked. Karen was trying to lighten the mood by organizing the toilet line vs the concierge line.

Also in my "good intention" review I'll share an interesting/scary story about a medical emergency by one of our couples and how well it was handled by the staff/ship. They credit the medical staff with saving her life.

Kauai without a doubt, the best splurge EVER! We did Blue Hawaiin and you can walk to them from the ship. We also bought the CD of our ride to watch and enjoy over and over again. They have music playing your headphones that changes according to the area. There is nothing better than making that turn to fly along the Napali coast. At least for me it was spectacular and highly recommend it.

Coming from someone who has lived in FL since 1985 and yet to experience a Hurricane I say book it - just take the insurance. You can also get "cancel for any reason" insurance if you book it very soon after you make your initial reservation. That will give you a few extra options needed.

I have taken cruises during hurricane season. Anything can happen but the ships will avoid and alter their schedules if necessary. Yes there is a peak within hurricane system but there have also been storms very early and very late in the season so worrying about a week here or there isn't worth it - just my opinion. Look at Hurricane Sandy a couple years ago - totally a freak storm that many people would have never thought possible and that happened in late October. We vacationed in the Keys this October and had amazing weather. Not saying it won't happen but to think one week or another is safer isn't realistic. Life is short, be smart, be happy and live life.

Also - keep in mind that just about every year in May we start hearing the predictions for the current years Hurricane season and inevitably it is always predicting an above average, overly active hurricane season. Some times they are right and some times they are WAY off the mark so no one has figured out how to make that crystal ball work yet!!

We have been in the Haven previously but we were new to NCL & butler/concierge so we never asked for anything extra other than a couple of breakfasts delivered to the room, which we would have done in a regular balcony cabin on port days.

So although we are fairy low key and low maintenance I do know that I have absolutely no interest in the canape afternoon treats. I also feel a little guilty asking for special services. My questions are:

1. If we wanted to order French onion soup or escargot from Le Bistro or even a shrimp cocktail. Would this be okay or would we incur a charge from the specialty restaurant? Same question for if we wanted a dessert from a specialty restaurant in the evening? We do intend to use some of the specialty restaurants while on board but just want to understand if we could order 1 or 2 items without an issue.

2. Does anyone know the specific times for the Haven bars, both outside the restaurant and outside the pool area. Our main thoughts are if we want to have a drink or 2 on our balcony before dinner or as a nightcap before bed. I really don't want to call a butler to deliver 2 drinks, we're willing to walk around the corner to get them ourselves, just curious about the times they are open?

3. Non Haven question but any ideas on how long the current Legends performers of Steven Tyler, Elvis & Katy Perry are on board. I would love to see Steven Tyler while my parents would love to see Elvis so I'm hoping they stick around until April even though we don't have much interest in Katy Perry.

We do understand and intend to tip our extra staff from the Haven so we're not that new to the process that we don't understand that issue. We do have 2 other couples traveling with us who have never had Haven privileges and the same applies to them, no one is high maintenance or demanding, but I'd like to advise them to not feel bad about asking for a few items that would make their week seem very special. We're celebrating a couple of key anniversaries (25 & 30 years) and my Dad is getting older with some health issues so he has said that this will be his last cruise. I want them to feel special for their last time on a ship.

Can't wait for our Easter cruise!!

Thanks for any thoughts or suggestions.

Final payment has passed. this was the only suite avaliable at the time of booking. I did receive a notice from NCL, after booking, about the possibility of being moved. Suites are sold out on this sailing. i have no problem in moving if i have to. i read that this suite is different than other S5 suites, does anybody know if this is true. but it was an old review. I am in room 16029 on the Epic

Would you be willing to post a few pics of this room when you return? My parents are booked in this room and they are a bit nervous as one person from NCL read off the penthouse suite description and it comes with a tub. I assured them that they would never have a handicapped room with a tub but since they heard it from the mouth of an NCL employee they claim them to be the expert. I've tried searching to find pics of this room but haven't had luck.

Enjoy your cruise, we've been on the Epic twice and have another booked in April.

Yummy menu

Looks the same from 2010

Anyone notice or know of any changes (if any)?

Lunch menu used to have Ahi tuna burger and dinner had sea bass. Still sounds terrific!!