!! HONEST Views of EPIC !!

[lee101224]

I have spent many hours reading reviews before cruises , but never posted , so here is my take on our Epic Trip.

Please note im going to try and make this more , hints , tips and manly FACTS, things to consider – the facts about our trip , rather than a step by step guide of every detail I did all week

Background – Me, Wife and Infant (11 months) , we had cruised twice before (NCL and RCCL) , Plus 4 family members who had never cruised before.

Embarkation – Was ok , I had read everyone saying how fantastic it was but I didn’t find it any different to the other times , relatively pain free , took about 40 mins to get through and onto ship. There was a few members of staff around welcoming you onto the ship , but no drinks or information and where to go , etc. Also a bit strange stepping straight into the casino.

First impressions – Casino is HUGE , an entire floor – Some people will like this , other not so much , personally I was not a massive fan of it taking up the entire main floor , I would have preffered it to be separate BUT – People need to realise that the casino is the business model of the ship , its what brings in the $$$£££ !!! They make so much money from the casino that where all the profit is , therefore the reason you can cruise at such a reasonable price , If they didn’t have a casino to make the $£ , then cruising would be 10 times the price. ( Therefore Im willing to accept it as all those blowing mega bucks as subsidising my trip – Thank you J )

Muster was the best we have ever had , organised , quick and no life jackets . Done within 5/10mins. Fantastic.

We had read before that the slides had big waits during the week , so we went straight on as soon as they opened , immediately after the muster – We went on all 3 slides 4/5 times each no wait – rest of the week the lines seemed quite long. Green slide is superb, main slide with the tubes is not worth the wait , you get stuck and is really nothing special, certainly glad I didn’t ever wait for it.

Rooms – We had inside staterooms , 100’s of reviews about the bathroom layout , It doesn’t work but there isn’t really a lot NCL can do about it now , its to late so you just get on with it ( Note – I doubt It would be a problem for most families but if it’s a brother sister room , or friends , etc then It could be quite strange. – They did change our tap on one of the days and I noticed them doing so on many rooms across the week , so there trying to sort it , but it would be better in the traditional layout.

The inside staterooms didn’t suffer with many of the other issues people have been quoting on CC. to be honest , I think there seemed more room in the inside that the opposite balcony wave rooms ! On another note the toilet is VERY LOUD , just like an aeroplane. Was pleased with the inside room overall , clean , modern and effective.

Top deck – We didn’t like how the top outer ‘ring’ that’s on most ships is very short on this ship , it stops because of the villas at the front of the ship and the sportcourt / H2O at the rear. The pools are small HOWEVER there are lots of sprays and jets around the ‘wet area’ which is actually quite big , I personally though this was very good , as they cooled you off better than jumping in the pool. Your never really going to be able to do much proper swimming on a cruise ship so this was a nice idea.

Sail away – Very different to what we had before , No band as such but 2 different Dj’s playing dance and club music, atmosphere was quite good , but I would have preferred the band that were around the rest of the week to have been playing. (more Caribbean style music )

Ship – Is very new , so of course looks fantastic . I missed the larger atrium in the middle of most other ships , the big screen was ok though.

Entertainment – We managed to get around all entertainment – Overall very good , I still think They should have a different show in the epic theatre every night , with the other current shows as extras. Blue man I had seen before and was the same show , but enjoyable , Legends was fantastic , comedy Magic show was very good, Howl at the Moon was Brilliant very, very Funny. Second city were Ok. BUT …… CIRQUE , Just doesn’t work, Ignoring the fact that its an upcharge for the worst food and worst show, The costumes are good , some of the acts , including the fiddler player are obviously very talented, but the venue is terrible. We had a booth on the ground floor – what was one of the better tables , but everyone in there looked uncomfortable , upstairs couldn’t see half the stuff below and vice versa. It is not worth the money , I had read many people before hand warning me about this and ignored it. We also had the ‘improved menu’ which is fixed , no choice and poor. NCL should put the cirque show on the main stage and it would be 100 times better. Admit they got it wrong and use the venue for something else.

Food overall was good, no complaints with any meal ( apart from cirque ) Loads of choice and good quality , The Manhatton room was good with the live music , and taste was fantastic for breakfast. We ate at Moderno which was superb , well worth the $£ , Osheehans is a great concept and I imagine it will soon be on most other ships.

Service – Overall very good , did have 2 occasions where wait staff got confussed but nothing major and its understandably new system for them as well. 1 minor issue we had was when eating in Osheeans , on both nights they brought all courses out together ! Strange ! all staff around the ship was very friendly and willing to help , cabin steward Leo was probably the best we have had , very friendly and did a good job. NOTE – we brought the soda package on day one , although there are loads of wait staff around the pool area, as soon as they see the sticker , they lose interest ! I understand that they make more money from the other drinks , but I should receive the same level of service , It got to the point that if I wanted a drink I was asking 4 or 5 wait staff and 1 of them would bring me a drink , eventually. something I never had a problem with on previous cruises.

OVERALL – I cant see how you can go on a cruise and not have a great time , your on holiday , there’s staff all around you waiting on your every need, good food, good entertainment and good people (well, mostly)

The ‘nickel and dimeing’ , this is clear to see , I spent double what I normally do without even realising it , and that was even with avoiding stupid prices such as $350 for the photo CD !! If your going on this trip , budget what you think , double it , then theres no suprises !

The music round the pool areas is very loud ( we are in our 20’s ! ) didn’t really bother us but It was enough for us to notice , may be a problem for other guests , However the band around the pool were very good.

The area at the back of the ship is a crying shame, I went for a walk up there 2/3 times a day at different times and at night , never more than half full , little to no atmosphere. Could defiantly do with rethinking and being used more effectively. ( would make a great ‘general show’ venue on a night.

The ship is unusual , the layout different , I have no made my mind up yet if this was good or bad , there was a lot of things on the ship , which was good , but they also seem a little crammed in , which isn’t great.

Our honest opinion of EPIC is , We had a brilliant time , no regrets , and are gutted that’s its come to an end. There was a lot we Loved , and a few bits we thought we had preferred on other ships. If your planning a Trip on Epic, be prepared for something a little bit different. And Well done NCL for trying out new things , We came to the conclusion that maybe they had 200 different ideas that they wanted to try out on ships , so put them all together and created Epic , maybe there just sitting back and seeing what does and does not work, in order to improve in the future. We will defiantly sail NCL again , as for Epic , I would rush back but never say never.

Any questions anyone has , I am more than happy to answer , Thanks for Reading .

[B40 Tha Cruisa]

Thank you for the review. I hope to someday sail on the Epic, for now it's the Dawn though.

[salty dingo]

Thank you for the review. I hope to someday sail on the Epic, for now it's the Dawn though.

If I sail on the Epic, I hope it is 20 years from now when they have overhauled her :D!

[david_sobe]

Great review

THANK YOU

Very objective and fair

[justcake]

Thanks for the great review. It made me think of something; are there no traditional shows on the ship? I'm thinking of the dance and song shows vegas style that you usually get on cruise ships. I hadn't even thought that these would be missing.

[pianoplayerla]

Thanks for your review!! We sail Saturday and plan to make it a fun trip!!!!

[Flying Solo]

Great review. This is one of the most helpful one's I've read in quite a while.

Thanks!

[sdmike]

Thanks for the great review. It made me think of something; are there no traditional shows on the ship? I'm thinking of the dance and song shows vegas style that you usually get on cruise ships. I hadn't even thought that these would be missing.

 

Nope. No traditional song and dance shows.

[AnnArbor_707]

1. Why did you mention that the seating upstairs at cirque you couldn't see half of what was going on - but then mention you actually sat at a booth ? Did you have friends that sat up there ? Previously I had heard upstairs was the best spot... just wondering what the deal was on that....

 

2. Why was the food at cirque not so good ? Was it that you didn't like steak or shrimp.... or you typically would like steak/shrimp but that they were just prepared poorly ? Or maybe the portions were small ? Just wondering....

 

3. Where did you eat dinner each of the 7 nights and what did you wear ? My girlfriend and I are also in our 20's and this will be her first cruise. I bought her 5 dresses and we're wondering how smart of a move that is. A lot of people have said, "do what you want, wear what you want..." but just wondering what you did since we're in the same age group :) My anticipation is that dresses will be fine in Manhattan, but just a little unsure.....

 

4. When you say you spent double.... is that because of alcohol.... or ? Just wondering if there were things you spent money on but then wish you wouldn't have ??

 

5. Any pictures you wouldn't mind sharing ?

 

THANKS!!

[dr.d]

Enjoyed your review. Thanks.

[clarkg]

Thought it was very fair and balanced. A lot of people are saying the same thing. Maybe NCL will listen when is designs it's next ship.

[jmvda]

very good review

 

Fair,balanced and helpful

[Madisonsmom]

We just got off the ship on Saturday. My only real complaint was the smell of smoke in the casino. It really is disgusting. I had an in-depth talk with the Hotel Manager, Denis and he admitted that was the biggest complaint.

 

We dressed each night, capris, nice top and wore dresses on two nights. You will see everything from the slobs (short and tees) to tuxedos. It all depends on what you like to do.

 

Do not miss Moderno, it was exceptional as was Cagney's. Howl at the Moon after 11 is so funny. Second City was hilarious. The Blue Men were amazing and for a shock do not miss Legends, the Michael Jackson impersonator is amazing. .

[brfan]

I also got off the ship on Saturday and had a wonderful time. I sat upstairs for Cirque and I don't think I missed too much. There were a few times the performers were under the balcony area and I couldn't see, but it was only a few moments at a time. I thought the dinner was very good. I don't particularly like shrimp and was planning to just not eat it, but when I asked if I could not have it on my plate the waitress asked me if I would like an extra piece of beef tenderloin, which I agreed to.

 

I also spent more than I planned, but it was due to buying a Posh pass for the week and getting a cruise credit (I want to do a transatlantic on the Epic in the future - probably 2012, since I don't have the room in 2011 due to 2 other cruises being booked).

 

The only main entertainment I missed was Second City, though I did see them during the murder mystery lunch, which I enjoyed, though the food was just ok.

[dalgirl]

Really enjoyed your review - very matter of fact and balanced from your prospective and seems to confirm most other observations. Maybe this is dumb question but what is "They did change our tap on one of the days" What is tap?

[gampy]

Really enjoyed your review - very matter of fact and balanced from your prospective and seems to confirm most other observations. Maybe this is dumb question but what is "They did change our tap on one of the days" What is tap?

tap = water faucet in bathroom

[Dajbman22]

3. Where did you eat dinner each of the 7 nights and what did you wear ? My girlfriend and I are also in our 20's and this will be her first cruise. I bought her 5 dresses and we're wondering how smart of a move that is. A lot of people have said, "do what you want, wear what you want..." but just wondering what you did since we're in the same age group :) My anticipation is that dresses will be fine in Manhattan, but just a little unsure.....

 

THANKS!!

 

Coming from my experience from cruising on the Spirit (freestyle is freestyle) as a 20-something couple, I would say, if your GF enjoys dressing up and the dresses are comfortable take the dresses, and wear them at any dining venue. On the Dress-up-or-not night on the Spirit, I even wore a tux! My GF wore nicer coctail dresses on those nights, and summer dresses or skirt/blouse combos the other night, and she felt comfortable and not out of place dressed both ways. Freestyle means dressing how you want to... if you want to go all out and be dressed for a night on the town, do it and you will be accepted, if you want to just wear some resort casual stuff, no big deal either.

[newmexicoNita]

I have spent many hours reading reviews before cruises , but never posted , so here is my take on our Epic Trip.

Please note im going to try and make this more , hints , tips and manly FACTS, things to consider – the facts about our trip , rather than a step by step guide of every detail I did all week

Background – Me, Wife and Infant (11 months) , we had cruised twice before (NCL and RCCL) , Plus 4 family members who had never cruised before.

Embarkation – Was ok , I had read everyone saying how fantastic it was but I didn’t find it any different to the other times , relatively pain free , took about 40 mins to get through and onto ship. There was a few members of staff around welcoming you onto the ship , but no drinks or information and where to go , etc. Also a bit strange stepping straight into the casino.

First impressions – Casino is HUGE , an entire floor – Some people will like this , other not so much , personally I was not a massive fan of it taking up the entire main floor , I would have preffered it to be separate BUT – People need to realise that the casino is the business model of the ship , its what brings in the $$$£££ !!! They make so much money from the casino that where all the profit is , therefore the reason you can cruise at such a reasonable price , If they didn’t have a casino to make the $£ , then cruising would be 10 times the price. ( Therefore Im willing to accept it as all those blowing mega bucks as subsidising my trip – Thank you J )

Muster was the best we have ever had , organised , quick and no life jackets . Done within 5/10mins. Fantastic.

We had read before that the slides had big waits during the week , so we went straight on as soon as they opened , immediately after the muster – We went on all 3 slides 4/5 times each no wait – rest of the week the lines seemed quite long. Green slide is superb, main slide with the tubes is not worth the wait , you get stuck and is really nothing special, certainly glad I didn’t ever wait for it.

Rooms – We had inside staterooms , 100’s of reviews about the bathroom layout , It doesn’t work but there isn’t really a lot NCL can do about it now , its to late so you just get on with it ( Note – I doubt It would be a problem for most families but if it’s a brother sister room , or friends , etc then It could be quite strange. – They did change our tap on one of the days and I noticed them doing so on many rooms across the week , so there trying to sort it , but it would be better in the traditional layout.

The inside staterooms didn’t suffer with many of the other issues people have been quoting on CC. to be honest , I think there seemed more room in the inside that the opposite balcony wave rooms ! On another note the toilet is VERY LOUD , just like an aeroplane. Was pleased with the inside room overall , clean , modern and effective.

Top deck – We didn’t like how the top outer ‘ring’ that’s on most ships is very short on this ship , it stops because of the villas at the front of the ship and the sportcourt / H2O at the rear. The pools are small HOWEVER there are lots of sprays and jets around the ‘wet area’ which is actually quite big , I personally though this was very good , as they cooled you off better than jumping in the pool. Your never really going to be able to do much proper swimming on a cruise ship so this was a nice idea.

Sail away – Very different to what we had before , No band as such but 2 different Dj’s playing dance and club music, atmosphere was quite good , but I would have preferred the band that were around the rest of the week to have been playing. (more Caribbean style music )

Ship – Is very new , so of course looks fantastic . I missed the larger atrium in the middle of most other ships , the big screen was ok though.

Entertainment – We managed to get around all entertainment – Overall very good , I still think They should have a different show in the epic theatre every night , with the other current shows as extras. Blue man I had seen before and was the same show , but enjoyable , Legends was fantastic , comedy Magic show was very good, Howl at the Moon was Brilliant very, very Funny. Second city were Ok. BUT …… CIRQUE , Just doesn’t work, Ignoring the fact that its an upcharge for the worst food and worst show, The costumes are good , some of the acts , including the fiddler player are obviously very talented, but the venue is terrible. We had a booth on the ground floor – what was one of the better tables , but everyone in there looked uncomfortable , upstairs couldn’t see half the stuff below and vice versa. It is not worth the money , I had read many people before hand warning me about this and ignored it. We also had the ‘improved menu’ which is fixed , no choice and poor. NCL should put the cirque show on the main stage and it would be 100 times better. Admit they got it wrong and use the venue for something else.

Food overall was good, no complaints with any meal ( apart from cirque ) Loads of choice and good quality , The Manhatton room was good with the live music , and taste was fantastic for breakfast. We ate at Moderno which was superb , well worth the $£ , Osheehans is a great concept and I imagine it will soon be on most other ships.

Service – Overall very good , did have 2 occasions where wait staff got confussed but nothing major and its understandably new system for them as well. 1 minor issue we had was when eating in Osheeans , on both nights they brought all courses out together ! Strange ! all staff around the ship was very friendly and willing to help , cabin steward Leo was probably the best we have had , very friendly and did a good job. NOTE – we brought the soda package on day one , although there are loads of wait staff around the pool area, as soon as they see the sticker , they lose interest ! I understand that they make more money from the other drinks , but I should receive the same level of service , It got to the point that if I wanted a drink I was asking 4 or 5 wait staff and 1 of them would bring me a drink , eventually. something I never had a problem with on previous cruises.

OVERALL – I cant see how you can go on a cruise and not have a great time , your on holiday , there’s staff all around you waiting on your every need, good food, good entertainment and good people (well, mostly)

The ‘nickel and dimeing’ , this is clear to see , I spent double what I normally do without even realising it , and that was even with avoiding stupid prices such as $350 for the photo CD !! If your going on this trip , budget what you think , double it , then theres no suprises !

The music round the pool areas is very loud ( we are in our 20’s ! ) didn’t really bother us but It was enough for us to notice , may be a problem for other guests , However the band around the pool were very good.

The area at the back of the ship is a crying shame, I went for a walk up there 2/3 times a day at different times and at night , never more than half full , little to no atmosphere. Could defiantly do with rethinking and being used more effectively. ( would make a great ‘general show’ venue on a night.

The ship is unusual , the layout different , I have no made my mind up yet if this was good or bad , there was a lot of things on the ship , which was good , but they also seem a little crammed in , which isn’t great.

Our honest opinion of EPIC is , We had a brilliant time , no regrets , and are gutted that’s its come to an end. There was a lot we Loved , and a few bits we thought we had preferred on other ships. If your planning a Trip on Epic, be prepared for something a little bit different. And Well done NCL for trying out new things , We came to the conclusion that maybe they had 200 different ideas that they wanted to try out on ships , so put them all together and created Epic , maybe there just sitting back and seeing what does and does not work, in order to improve in the future. We will defiantly sail NCL again , as for Epic , I would rush back but never say never.

Any questions anyone has , I am more than happy to answer , Thanks for Reading .

Good review and comments. We haven't cruised her yet and I am not sure we will, but, form what I have read, it sounds like the Epic is a great ship, but not the usual cooker variety and may not be for everyone.

 

Nita

[pocketsofposies]

thank you for the great review! We sail her in Feb!

[AnnArbor_707]

Coming from my experience from cruising on the Spirit (freestyle is freestyle) as a 20-something couple, I would say, if your GF enjoys dressing up and the dresses are comfortable take the dresses, and wear them at any dining venue. On the Dress-up-or-not night on the Spirit, I even wore a tux! My GF wore nicer coctail dresses on those nights, and summer dresses or skirt/blouse combos the other night, and she felt comfortable and not out of place dressed both ways. Freestyle means dressing how you want to... if you want to go all out and be dressed for a night on the town, do it and you will be accepted, if you want to just wear some resort casual stuff, no big deal either.

 

Wow, a tux eh ? Did you eat at specialty restaurants or you got that done up for a meal at Manhattan ? Technically I understand that I can dress up super fancy and be "accepted" anywhere because of the "Freestyle" deal, but if no one else is dressed up I (my girlfriend) would feel a little stupid. Anyone who says different is either very unique or lying. Thanks a lot for your input from a 20-something! By the way.... did you have any pictures to share ? Sounds weird.... but pictures say 1,000 words, right ?

[marinaro44]

Friends we sailed with sat upstairs for Cirque and had no problems seeing the show.

 

The casino does not take up an "entire floor." Also on that deck are: the Manhattan Room, Epic's large main dining room; Shanghai's Chinese restaurant; Fat Cat Jazz Club; O'Sheehan's Neighborhood Bar and Grill; three bowling alleys; the Spiegel Tent; Headliner's Comedy Club; and the upper level of the Epic Theater. The casino is no more than 20% of deck 6. HONEST!;)

[sjbdtz]

We just got off the ship on Saturday. My only real complaint was the smell of smoke in the casino. It really is disgusting. I had an in-depth talk with the Hotel Manager, Denis and he admitted that was the biggest complaint.

 

We dressed each night, capris, nice top and wore dresses on two nights. You will see everything from the slobs (short and tees) to tuxedos. It all depends on what you like to do.

 

Do not miss Moderno, it was exceptional as was Cagney's. Howl at the Moon after 11 is so funny. Second City was hilarious. The Blue Men were amazing and for a shock do not miss Legends, the Michael Jackson impersonator is amazing. .

 

 

Who is Denis? I thought the Hotel Directors were Sean & Klaus?

 

Also, the people in shorts & tees? They're called vacationers, or fellow travellers....not 'slobs'.

[Lovincruisin1321]

I have spent many hours reading reviews before cruises , but never posted , so here is my take on our Epic Trip.

 

Please note im going to try and make this more , hints , tips and manly FACTS, things to consider – the facts about our trip , rather than a step by step guide of every detail I did all week

 

Background – Me, Wife and Infant (11 months) , we had cruised twice before (NCL and RCCL) , Plus 4 family members who had never cruised before.

 

Embarkation – Was ok , I had read everyone saying how fantastic it was but I didn’t find it any different to the other times , relatively pain free , took about 40 mins to get through and onto ship. There was a few members of staff around welcoming you onto the ship , but no drinks or information and where to go , etc. Also a bit strange stepping straight into the casino.

 

First impressions – Casino is HUGE , an entire floor – Some people will like this , other not so much , personally I was not a massive fan of it taking up the entire main floor , I would have preffered it to be separate BUT – People need to realise that the casino is the business model of the ship , its what brings in the $$$£££ !!! They make so much money from the casino that where all the profit is , therefore the reason you can cruise at such a reasonable price , If they didn’t have a casino to make the $£ , then cruising would be 10 times the price. ( Therefore Im willing to accept it as all those blowing mega bucks as subsidising my trip – Thank you J )

 

Muster was the best we have ever had , organised , quick and no life jackets . Done within 5/10mins. Fantastic.

 

We had read before that the slides had big waits during the week , so we went straight on as soon as they opened , immediately after the muster – We went on all 3 slides 4/5 times each no wait – rest of the week the lines seemed quite long. Green slide is superb, main slide with the tubes is not worth the wait , you get stuck and is really nothing special, certainly glad I didn’t ever wait for it.

 

Rooms – We had inside staterooms , 100’s of reviews about the bathroom layout , It doesn’t work but there isn’t really a lot NCL can do about it now , its to late so you just get on with it ( Note – I doubt It would be a problem for most families but if it’s a brother sister room , or friends , etc then It could be quite strange. – They did change our tap on one of the days and I noticed them doing so on many rooms across the week , so there trying to sort it , but it would be better in the traditional layout.

 

The inside staterooms didn’t suffer with many of the other issues people have been quoting on CC. to be honest , I think there seemed more room in the inside that the opposite balcony wave rooms ! On another note the toilet is VERY LOUD , just like an aeroplane. Was pleased with the inside room overall , clean , modern and effective.

 

Top deck – We didn’t like how the top outer ‘ring’ that’s on most ships is very short on this ship , it stops because of the villas at the front of the ship and the sportcourt / H2O at the rear. The pools are small HOWEVER there are lots of sprays and jets around the ‘wet area’ which is actually quite big , I personally though this was very good , as they cooled you off better than jumping in the pool. Your never really going to be able to do much proper swimming on a cruise ship so this was a nice idea.

 

Sail away – Very different to what we had before , No band as such but 2 different Dj’s playing dance and club music, atmosphere was quite good , but I would have preferred the band that were around the rest of the week to have been playing. (more Caribbean style music )

 

Ship – Is very new , so of course looks fantastic . I missed the larger atrium in the middle of most other ships , the big screen was ok though.

 

Entertainment – We managed to get around all entertainment – Overall very good , I still think They should have a different show in the epic theatre every night , with the other current shows as extras. Blue man I had seen before and was the same show , but enjoyable , Legends was fantastic , comedy Magic show was very good, Howl at the Moon was Brilliant very, very Funny. Second city were Ok. BUT …… CIRQUE , Just doesn’t work, Ignoring the fact that its an upcharge for the worst food and worst show, The costumes are good , some of the acts , including the fiddler player are obviously very talented, but the venue is terrible. We had a booth on the ground floor – what was one of the better tables , but everyone in there looked uncomfortable , upstairs couldn’t see half the stuff below and vice versa. It is not worth the money , I had read many people before hand warning me about this and ignored it. We also had the ‘improved menu’ which is fixed , no choice and poor. NCL should put the cirque show on the main stage and it would be 100 times better. Admit they got it wrong and use the venue for something else.

 

Food overall was good, no complaints with any meal ( apart from cirque ) Loads of choice and good quality , The Manhatton room was good with the live music , and taste was fantastic for breakfast. We ate at Moderno which was superb , well worth the $£ , Osheehans is a great concept and I imagine it will soon be on most other ships.

 

Service – Overall very good , did have 2 occasions where wait staff got confussed but nothing major and its understandably new system for them as well. 1 minor issue we had was when eating in Osheeans , on both nights they brought all courses out together ! Strange ! all staff around the ship was very friendly and willing to help , cabin steward Leo was probably the best we have had , very friendly and did a good job. NOTE – we brought the soda package on day one , although there are loads of wait staff around the pool area, as soon as they see the sticker , they lose interest ! I understand that they make more money from the other drinks , but I should receive the same level of service , It got to the point that if I wanted a drink I was asking 4 or 5 wait staff and 1 of them would bring me a drink , eventually. something I never had a problem with on previous cruises.

 

OVERALL – I cant see how you can go on a cruise and not have a great time , your on holiday , there’s staff all around you waiting on your every need, good food, good entertainment and good people (well, mostly)

 

The ‘nickel and dimeing’ , this is clear to see , I spent double what I normally do without even realising it , and that was even with avoiding stupid prices such as $350 for the photo CD !! If your going on this trip , budget what you think , double it , then theres no suprises !

 

The music round the pool areas is very loud ( we are in our 20’s ! ) didn’t really bother us but It was enough for us to notice , may be a problem for other guests , However the band around the pool were very good.

 

The area at the back of the ship is a crying shame, I went for a walk up there 2/3 times a day at different times and at night , never more than half full , little to no atmosphere. Could defiantly do with rethinking and being used more effectively. ( would make a great ‘general show’ venue on a night.

 

The ship is unusual , the layout different , I have no made my mind up yet if this was good or bad , there was a lot of things on the ship , which was good , but they also seem a little crammed in , which isn’t great.

 

Our honest opinion of EPIC is , We had a brilliant time , no regrets , and are gutted that’s its come to an end. There was a lot we Loved , and a few bits we thought we had preferred on other ships. If your planning a Trip on Epic, be prepared for something a little bit different. And Well done NCL for trying out new things , We came to the conclusion that maybe they had 200 different ideas that they wanted to try out on ships , so put them all together and created Epic , maybe there just sitting back and seeing what does and does not work, in order to improve in the future. We will defiantly sail NCL again , as for Epic , I would rush back but never say never.

 

Any questions anyone has , I am more than happy to answer , Thanks for Reading .

 

Thanks for posting this. I have always sailed on a 90,000 ton or smaller ship so I've been hesitant to try the Epic. I will in the future just for the experience.

[brfan]

Who is Denis? I thought the Hotel Directors were Sean & Klaus?

 

Also, the people in shorts & tees? They're called vacationers, or fellow travellers....not 'slobs'.

 

Denis is the current hotel director onboard. Not sure when he started, but there seemed to be a lot of changes during the 2 and 9 October cruises.

[Dajbman22]

Wow, a tux eh ? Did you eat at specialty restaurants or you got that done up for a meal at Manhattan ? Technically I understand that I can dress up super fancy and be "accepted" anywhere because of the "Freestyle" deal, but if no one else is dressed up I (my girlfriend) would feel a little stupid. Anyone who says different is either very unique or lying. Thanks a lot for your input from a 20-something! By the way.... did you have any pictures to share ? Sounds weird.... but pictures say 1,000 words, right ?

 

Actually I have never been on Epic, only the Spirit, but we only did Le Bistro one night (the only pay -extra we chose to do) and ate in one of the two MDRs each other night (I think Manhattan room counts as an MDR on Epic, but you may want to ask another poster about that). I wore the tux to the larger, more ornate MDR (Windows on Spirit). Other nights I either just wore a button down shirt and dockers with or without a light-colored sport coat (depended on the night). I have to admit I was overdressed in the tux (but that made it more fun), but the other nights I did not feel out of place as there were enough others dressed like me. My GF was equally on par in both her nicer cocktail dresses and her more casual outfits due to the real mix of dress on board. Your GF won't stand out unless she wears a really expensive gown or something out of Lady Gaga's wardrobe.

 

I'll try to find some pics and post them later, but the main idea is that black tie apparel may cause you to stand out, but even business casual bordering on formal wear is within the average style range on most sailings.

 

For now here is an example of how were were dressed one night, and neither of us stood out as overdressed (note: even spf 70 sunscreen is not a guaranteed protection, hence my red face):