Help with an Epic Cruise

[izatu]

Hi! I;m newbie to this forum, as i am sure you can see for yourself.

 

My sister and her daughters and I are cruising on the Epic March 12- 20 to the eastern Caribbean from Miami.

 

Ok, so I have been on one other cruise before in Italy, otherwise we are total newbies to cruising as well.

 

I am confused and cannot seem to find answers to my questions and was hoping you good, experienced people can help.

 

1.) I cannot find the spa menu on line anywhere. i was wondering what the prices were, and if we could book in advance, but cannot find this information. anyone?

 

2.) there is a Cirque show on board, and there seem to be no more reservations for the 4 of us. :( can this be right? is it set up such that some guests will not get to see one of the ships main shows? :confused: should I call reservations? are there seats left for those who book once they board?

 

3.) do they really charge for soft drinks? is there a pre-paid card we can get for the young girls (teens)? is there bar service? meaning can we get bottles of wine of champers in our room? if so, is that too done on board? is room service included? will we be able to order coffee to the room in the am?

 

4.) I am REALLY confused about what is included in our price. are there pool fees? :confused: it kind of sounds like it from the descriptions, but i cannot be sure.

 

5.) what's up with the television? I know, i know, evil TV. But, i really, really, enjoy watching TV before bed to help me relax and fall asleep. is there any free tv?

 

6.) what sorts of other unforeseen fees can we expect? in other words, what else costs money? does the water park have an admission? the rock climbing? other activities?

 

Thank you so very much in advance! if you want to just point me to where i can get my questions answered, that would be cool too! :)

 

EDIT: we will be in nassua for one day ans want to visit Atlantis, any tips on a day pass?

[K&M2009]

1.) I cannot find the spa menu on line anywhere. i was wondering what the prices were, and if we could book in advance, but cannot find this information. anyone? Not sure

 

2.) there is a Cirque show on board, and there seem to be no more reservations for the 4 of us. :( can this be right? is it set up such that some guests will not get to see one of the ships main shows? :confused: should I call reservations? are there seats left for those who book once they board? The reservations are probably filled up. You can start making reservations 45 days ahead of time and they apparently fill up quick. You might be able to call and put yourself on a wait list or something.

 

3.) do they really charge for soft drinks? is there a pre-paid card we can get for the young girls (teens)? is there bar service? meaning can we get bottles of wine of champers in our room? if so, is that too done on board? is room service included? will we be able to order coffee to the room in the am? Yes, all cruise lines will charge for soft drinks. You CAN buy an unlimited pass at the beginning of the cruise and will be able to get unlimited soft drinks. Yes, you can get a number of food items delivered to your room for free room service. I'm pretty sure you can get coffee delivered to your room for free as well. We have done this in the past and drank it out on our balcony to start the morning. We called the night before and had it scheduled to arrive with some fresh fruit.

 

4.) I am REALLY confused about what is included in our price. are there pool fees? :confused: it kind of sounds like it from the descriptions, but i cannot be sure.

 

Most things are included in your cruise price. No, there are no pool fees. Things that cost extra are certain specialty restaurants (the two main dining rooms and other common buffet areas like the garden cafe are totally included though), cirque dreams, ice bar, etc. Most things are included, don't worry.

 

5.) what's up with the television? I know, i know, evil TV. But, i really, really, enjoy watching TV before bed to help me relax and fall asleep. is there any free tv? Yes, your tv will have common cable channels on it for free like CNN, ESPN, ABC

 

6.) what sorts of other unforeseen fees can we expect? in other words, what else costs money? does the water park have an admission? the rock climbing? other activities? I'm not sure about rock climbing, although I think it's free, but the water park is totally included.

 

Only certain specialty restaurants and a couple of the shows cost extra. Alcohol/sodas are extra. Stuff like that.

[cruisinskier]

Hi Izatu and welcome to Cruise Critic. Lots has been said about the Epic and everyone has their opinions. Personally we had a group of 17, our itinerary got changed due to hurricane Earl, and we all still had a great time. Was everything perfect...nope but don't sweat the small stuff.

 

Let me try to answer your questions:

 

 

1.) I cannot find the spa menu on line anywhere. i was wondering what the prices were, and if we could book in advance, but cannot find this information. anyone?

 

The day of embarkation, the spa and fitness centre will be doing tours. At that point they will have lists of services and fees. We did not do any specific spa services however we did purchase the weekly pass to the spa which was $199 for the 2 of us for the week which provided access to the hydrotherapy pool, saunas, warm beds, reading area on the back balcony, etc. We used this almost every day. If interested buy on the first day as they limit the # they sell.

 

2.) there is a Cirque show on board, and there seem to be no more reservations for the 4 of us. :( can this be right? is it set up such that some guests will not get to see one of the ships main shows? :confused: should I call reservations? are there seats left for those who book once they board?

 

The Cirque Dreams show is a Cirque de Soleil type show (not done by them) and yes it only seats a limited # of people and has a certain # of shows each week. If unable to get an online reservation, you can try calling or head straight to the entertainment desk once onboard but be aware that lots of others may be doing that as well. There is a fee for this but also includes dinner.

 

3.) do they really charge for soft drinks? is there a pre-paid card we can get for the young girls (teens)? is there bar service? meaning can we get bottles of wine of champers in our room? if so, is that too done on board? is room service included? will we be able to order coffee to the room in the am?

 

Yes they charge for soft drinks and yes you can get a weekly soft drink card. Details on NCL website are:

 

Adult & Teen Soda Program (ages 13 & older)

 

Give the gift of endless fountain soda throughout their cruise.

Unlimited Fountain Soda

Includes: Pepsi, Diet Pepsi, Sierra Mist, Mt. Dew, Ginger Ale, Tonic water, Club Soda.

The entire cruise must be purchased. Non-Refundable.

Prepaid @ $6.25 per person per day x Cruise days plus 15% gratuity

and applicable taxes

Souvenir Thermal mug included in the purchase of the program

$6.25/day Back to Top

Children's Soda Program (12 & under)

 

Give the gift of endless fountain soda throughout their cruise.

Unlimited Fountain Soda

Includes: Pepsi, Diet Pepsi, Sierra Mist, Mt. Dew, Ginger Ale, Tonic water, Club Soda.

The entire cruise must be purchased. Non-Refundable.

Prepaid @ $4.00 per person per day x Cruise days plus 15% gratuity

and applicable taxes

Souvenir Thermal mug included in the purchase of the program

 

 

4.) I am REALLY confused about what is included in our price. are there pool fees? :confused: it kind of sounds like it from the descriptions, but i cannot be sure.

 

No there are no pool fees (only for the spa). No fees for waterslides, rock climbing, etc.

 

5.) what's up with the television? I know, i know, evil TV. But, i really, really, enjoy watching TV before bed to help me relax and fall asleep. is there any free tv?

 

We didn't watch much tv but choices were limited with no free movies. Mostly replaying onboard events and some limited news stations (i.e. Fox news)

 

6.) what sorts of other unforeseen fees can we expect? in other words, what else costs money? does the water park have an admission? the rock climbing? other activities?

 

Fees is a much talked about item. There are numerous free items and there are numerous pay items. Other costs could include bowling, darts, drinks, specialty restaurants, gratuities, ice bar, Cirque show, etc. Free items include Blue Man Group, Legends in Concert, Duelling pianos (Howl at the Moon), Second City, waterslides, pools (they are small), wi on the bigscreen, etc.

 

I am sure there are lots of things I missed but this gives you an overview. There is a search option on these boards which can help answer specific questions. Also you can see my review of the Epic with some photos via the link in my signature.

 

Nassau: if you are a AAA member, they have reduced ticket rates at Atlantis (still very pricey) but they only offer them if below a specified capacity. We used these tickets for access on our trip last summer (sorry don't remember exact price). You can take a water taxi from the port to Atlantis which was fairly cheap ($3 pp?? or so) however they take their time and make sure the boat is full.

 

Relax, enjoy and have a great cruise!

[izatu]

thank you both so much! helpful information and reviews! :)

[cantw8togo]

Depending on your cabin, there may be a coffee machine in your cabin already. They also have a continental breakfast room service menu that you can hang on your door the night before if you want to have light breakfast in your cabin. 24 hr room service is free with the exception of $5 pizza and of course a tip for delivery. Pizza is available in the Garden Cafe at lunch time for no fee as well.

 

All of the sports are free although you do need to sign a waiver before you take part and you need to have your sea pass (room card) with you which they swipe to confirm that you have signed. Don't forget that you need socks to do the rock climbing and rapelling, and they don't allow damp bathing suits or skirts (over bathing suits) on the epic bounce trampoline. Trust me that you want to be wearing shorts or capris to do that one, but it is well worth it!

 

The water slides are free, but there are line ups, especially on sea days. One of the best times to check it out is on embarkation day when everyone else is checking out the ship; or towards the end of the day and they are open until 7:00 each night. Be sure to pick up an inner tube for the "toilet bowl" slide before you climb up the three flights of stairs.

 

There is a small arcade on board and you pay by swiping your sea pass. It can rack up quickly and there are occasional mistakes with the machines not reading your card; be sure to watch your account to make sure that there are no errors.

 

I think you can order wine through room service, but I'm not absolutely sure. You can order wine with your meal and then take the bottle back to your cabin to be enjoyed later or they can store it for you for another meal, even if you plan on eating at another restaurant. You can ask your room steward to remove the contents of the fridge in your cabin if want to store your own drinks or if you want to remove the temptations. You can also bring your own soft drinks (they only serve pepsi products) and wine on board. There is a $15 corkage fee for each bottle of wine payable when you board.

 

There are limited channels on the tv and movies are $10 :eek:, but the cool thing is that you can make reservations for shows and shore excursions from your tv. When you go, the ship will likely be fully booked, and availability will be low, but it is convenient for last minute shows. You can also check your account balance on the tv so that you can keep on top of expenses.

 

Welcome to CC and feel free to ask away. You didn't specify the ages of your nieces, but there is wealth of info on the family boards as well. You can find it on the main menu under Special Interest Cruising. Also check out the Ports of Call boards for tips on the various islands. You'll have a great time on the Epic. We did the Eastern Caribbean trip a couple of weeks ago and really enjoyed the Epic.

[JimSS]

Just got off the EPIC Eastern trip. It looks like most of your questions have been answered.

 

For what its worth on Atlantis I found the prices to be very high for a limited access visit to the resort. We were told by people who had stayed at the resort you still do not have full access to the resort even though you are paying some pretty steep prices for a visit that lasts as long as 5 hours. We were also told the Atlantis charges more money if you just show up.

 

On the week we visited there were 2 dolphin encounters both priced above $250 per person. One package for $169 per person that included access to the water park. Two other packages that just offered access to parts of the resort but not the water features I believe one was $60 and the other was around $90.

 

We felt we could save the money and to Disney for 3 days instead of 5 hours.

[lhershbe8881]

Looks like you are getting your questions answered so I won't add anymore except to include a link to Mandara Spa's website where you can find the spa menu with pricing. http://www.mandaraspa.com/spa/Norwegian-Cruise-Line.aspx

 

We are booked on the Epic the week after you! I'm sure you will have a wonderful time!

[Minoushka]

What about if you just want to check out the Casino?or go to the Aquarium

Michele

[FLAHAM]

Presume you are aware of the $12 per person per day service charge.

[silkhair1]

I would call NCL directly to see if you can book the 4 of you guys at the Cirque show. They might be able to help you out. I called them to help me on my reservations because I was booking a group at the same time. Not easy to coordinate every one. Good luck, you will love the Epic!

[nibs07407]

Presume you are aware of the $12 per person per day service charge.

Hmm is that the oil surcharge or something else? Are they billing the oil surcharge?

[cruisinskier]

Hmm is that the oil surcharge or something else? Are they billing the oil surcharge?

 

$12 pp / day for gratuities.....no fuel surcharge and lets hope it stays that way!

[frankie1717]

Try going to NCL on-line checkin option. You can book shows, dining and excursions. It will let you know immediately if available. We are cruising on Epic Mar 19 and again Mar 26. I went online and 2 days ago and managed to get reservations for shows and dining w/o any difficulty.

Hope this helps