Trynity

I've just come from the EPIC and I can most assuredly tell you YES you can survive (and thrive) on the MDR, especially if you plan on going on excursions daily.... (many of which eliminate your ability to sit down for breakfast and lunch) and it is quite nice to be able to refuel immediately (without the need for a reservation) when returning from a full day excursion (and being ravenous after a full day exploring pompeii and vesuvius)

We had both the UDP and UBP, and because of that, I did make it a point to eat as the specialty restaurants, and I can honestly say that my most favorite meal was at TASTE (they had an amazing Chateaubriand, which in my opinion was even better than my filet at Cagney's).

If you were considering any "specialty" dining, than I would encourage you to try the Cirque dinner show, as the meal was quite enjoyable and the show was entertaining.

I am hoping not too long, as we sail on her Oct 25 out of Barcelona and have a plethora of excursion booked (not thru NCL).

When we booked the excursions, we had to list which ship we were on and what time it was scheduled to arrive in port. I assume the tour companies are adept at checking to see if the ship arrived and they understand that there are generally a large influx of passengers so they most likely take that into considerations.

Most of our excursions are slated to begin at 9AM (ship arrives in port @ 6 AM, and we were told debarking starts at 7 AM) Though I have never sailed on this ship.. so I will not know for sure until this sunday :)

thank you so much for sharing your review... we cant wait to board her later this month... (and I am glad we've already made reservations at Cagney's and Le Bistro)

we booked a cruise to the bahamas in October leaving from NY.

because we didnt want to worry about the hassle of parking at the terminal we opted to be adventurous and take the Megabus...

when we left it was a balmy 72 degrees in New York, so left our jackets in the car thinking who needs these, and proceeded to board the bus, and head for the cruise port.

The entire cruise the weather was warm, wonderful, and never a degree below 68. However when we arrived home a week later (reaching port earlier than anticipated), it was snowing... full on winter wonderland, which left us sitting outside at the bus stop wearing the heaviest item of clothing- being "I <3 NY sweatshirts" we bought from the only shop that was open. Unfortunately for DH, the only XL they had at the time was bright pink...emblazoned with a glittering statue of liberty.

I think $40 million is a minimal amount, especially considering the engine replacement... those parts are quite pricey.....

A state-of-the-art motor yacht over 100 feet now is $1 million per meter (or more than $50 million for an impressive, but not outlandish, 170-footer) Billionaire Roman Abramovich’s 525-foot Eclipse, (currently the world’s largest private yacht) reportedly cost $300 million, with the bulk of the cost arising due to the build of the engine necessary to power the vessel.

Is that the new Jersey Shore Science?

possibly, as inspired by Einstein, the Princeton Professor

My DH is a smoker and also vapes with an e-cig. We are sailing on the Epic on 25 October and reading the terms and conditions in the 'Welcome Aboard' booklet, regarding no smoking in rooms, balconies, public spaces etc, there is no mention of e cigs only cigarettes, cigars and pipes. Have NCL relaxed their policy with regard to e cigs?

He is a considerate smoker and does not wish to offend other passengers but wonders what the current policy is towards vaping.

we are on this sailing as well and in the same situation.

I hope perhaps they have a lounge where the hubby's can go and vape, because i for sure would rather my husband vape than smoke.

As for the poster who remarked that "they have found that 2nd hand vaping is bad", second hand vapor contains no harmful chemicals and no nicotine, so unless someone has a reaction to a flavor or a scent, it is more harmful to walk down a busy street (with auto emissions from idling cars) than it is to be exposed to vaping

We are on the EPIC sailing 10/25 and received our notice for the itinerary changes on Sept 11. Well after we had booked our excursions.

Sadly, we incurred a fee to alter our excursions, however Norwegian was unwilling to offer anything (even an apology) for this.

It seems that their concern for customer displacement only registers if one has enough status.

Especially for a November cruise out of NYC where it will be cooler and then warmer?

 

Thanks :)

when we did this a few years back, it was mild leaving out of NYC.. we spent a wonderful week in the warm weather only to come back to SNOW (in october).

I recommend you check out Pintrest.. there are some amazing packing lists and checklists you can print out and use

I love the tree, too. And the fact that you descend the staircase to enter the restaurant. It was very dramatic. That said, all the other changes sound very exciting. Bowling at sea seems to have passed, as a trend. Maybe they will eliminate the Alice in Wonderland Bordello theme at Bliss. I would like that.

 

I will do a full report, as I'm on the ill-fated October 11--nope--October 18--nope--October 19 sailing from Southampton to Barcelona. :cool:

I'll be keeping an eye out for your report, as we fly to Barcelona on the 22nd of Oct to sail on the Epic Oct 25th.

Wow seems like you caught an amazing deal...

Congrats and enjoy your cruise...

Welcome to an amazing place for insight and information (along with a sprinkling of silliness, sarcasm, and sound advice).

I was so thankful I found this place prior to my 1st cruise... the only downside i have found is I always want to book more cruises after reading some of the fantastic reviews..

Thank you Tony...

this will be 1st time on the EPIC (& our 1st time in Europe) so this is really helpful

we're booked on the epic departing Oct 25 from Barcelona.. so I am eagerly going to follow this...

we're booked in a family balcony.. and I heard it will be tight (there will be 4 of us) - but with such a port-heavy itinerary, we are hoping to NOT spend much time in the room.

I've read many reviews about your tour company.. did you use them for your port tours, or did they pick you up from your hotel ?

Thanks in advance for posting your review... I appreciate all of the feedback I read on these forums... :)

While it might show a price on MyNCL, when you add the reservations to your cart and proceed to checkout, the total should be $0.

Thank you so much ! :)

I am accompanying my sister (the single woman) but this is a dream trip for both of us .. we will be departing in October..

So I am going to very eagerly digest your blog posts and any other sage advice, helpful hints, and rave reviews you are willing to post...

Thank you for sharing your experiences

Perhaps i am missing something- but I too have the UDP and UBP and the only option I have to select dining at specialty restaurants includes a fee...

I thought one of the perks of the UDP was the inclusion of places like Teppanyaki & Moderno.,.. etc..

Any help or guidance would be greatly appreciated.

Really looking forward to a review, especially on your activities in the ports (we are on the Epic on October)

To post photos, I believe you have to have them hosted (places like Photobucket).

Thank you for sharing, we are going on the EPIC in October and staying 2 days/3nights in Barcelona.

Did you pre-book the HOHO bus online ?

OH MY GOODNESS...

As if being on a cruise, relaxing, spending quality time with loved ones, and seeing amazing sites werent enough to tempt anyone to join an NCL Cruise, this entire thread would put them over the top...dare I say.. its the icing on the cake :D

Thank you all for snapping and sharing... I have to wait patiently until October, but I would love to add to this thread as well...

Apologies all for the delayed update.

I do want to say (especially to NCL) THANK YOU so much for prompt and courteous assistance.

(I have since successfully transferred my booking back to "NCL").

It was difficult initially, as I had tried calling their toll free number and was not able to do so, but I copied this post, and used the contact information so kindly provided and worked with the agent.

Thank you all for the well wishes. I have to say, these boards are a wonderful community, and because of the stellar service I have received from NCL, I am also now researching our next cruise (with the help of my fellow Cruise Critic reviewers)..

I have also contacted the airline directly (was a bit of a run-a-round to get someone who understood the nature of the situation) however I also worked with my Citibank agent & after providing proof of payment (from my credit card) they were able to locate our flights and send me electronic tickets.

I think you may have seen my post regarding my nightmare with my T/A..

so long as you are able to reach your travel agent and not get "mailbox is full" message or returned emails, I would say you're most likely safe.

I am completely devastated and not sure what recourse I have here.

I booked a cruise out of Barcelona on Norwegian myself (using a voucher from a prior cruise) and a cash deposit . Because I work in media relations I had connected with a travel agent who said he would be interested in working with me in regards to getting a review of this sailing and he would work out all of the details. He transferred the booking to his agency (I did not sign anything, but did provide him my reservation number). I had not had any contact in the past few months, but as our final payment was approaching I had sent an email asking where to remit final payment. I heard nothing until yesterday, when he states that he is "no longer doing this you can take your reservation back". I phoned NCL to inquire about doing so, and they insisted that he has to send a form. I literally cannot get this person on the phone nor to respond to an email. So what am I to do. We have even booked flights through him, but have not even received any airline tickets or confirmation ? Has anyone else ever had an experience with a less than scrupulous travel agency ? This was to be a milestone birthday/cancer-free celebration cruise for myself and quality time spent with my family and now it is becoming a walking nightmare. I understand that by posting this publicly I open myself up to the scrutiny of fellow board members, however I am honestly just looking for insight and shared experiences.

Dear Mitsugirly.... WOW, just WOW.

I had the good fortune to come across one of your earlier posts (in researching our upcoming cruise on the NCL Epic) and I was instantly hooked. I cannot thank you enough for taking the time out of your own life to document, detail, and then SHARE with all of us, the good, bad, glorious and (as the case with the yellow towels) the sometimes grimy..

I know others before me have said it, so please allow me to echo their sentiment, when I sincerely thank, admire, and appreciate you.

The marketer in me thinks some savvy T/A would do well to snatch you up and pay you a consultancy fee to blog for them - I cannot tell you how many sites I have scoured for info on planned trips, but none have been so in-depth and well documented as yours. Many often feel sterile and dare I say "forcibly positive' where yours seem to envelope the reader into your vacation ( i have never snorkeled and reading vicariously through you, now feel as though I have ventured into the seas and witnessed some of her secrets).

The former journalist in me would love to see C/C or some other venure do a profile on you, your most recommended cruise, excursion, dream vacation (if money and time were not a factor), least favorite place... etc. I love the fact that you travel with your husband and daughter (that is my travel pack as well) though we have mostly done land trips, ever since my 1st cruise a few years back I am yearning to earn my 'sea legs'. I am sure somewhere here there is a thread that reveals where and what captivated you into cruising, how you decide on a cruise, and how to manage the arrangements.

I noted from this amazing review that you and I also share an affinity for the details (i will even use Wrike to schedule tasks for my husband and daughter, so they get email alerts when they need to 'pick up dry cleaning')- if you ever decide to take a break from nursing, I think you could have a new career writing articles for travel mags..

Thanks again for continuing to educate, enlighten, and entertain.

Thank you so much for posting, I think maybe I should see what it will cost to upgrade - only because my 19 is a bit tall