A Week on the Epic - A Detailed Report

[wiselindag]

Epic Trip Report - January 29, 2011 Eastern Caribbean

 

This is a rather long report and is, of course, based on my reflections and opinions. I have taken 31 cruises and am about to leave on my 32nd on the NCL Jewel on March 6th. Because of its length, I'll divide the report into sections. Here is the flight to Florida, pre-cruise hotel, and embarkation:

 

Friday, February 28 - Flight and Pre-Cruise Hotel

 

From the moment I first heard of the Epic and saw a video about the ship a year before her first cruise, I knew I had to sail on her. When an opportunity arose to not only sail on the Epic, but actually sail as the third passenger in a Courtyard Villa, I knew I had to go, and so, on January 28, 2011 I flew to Miami a day before departing on the 1/29 Eastern Caribbean sailing. I had just returned from Florida nine days before after two back to back cruises on other ships with my husband and had not planned on cruising again so soon, but an opportunity like this could not be passed up, and so I set off for Florida feeling pretty excited. My husband was relieved that he didn’t have to cruise again for a while. The 12:40 p.m. flight proved eventful when first we were delayed by an unidentified frozen airplane part that had to be “defrosted” before we could board and then a deicing process so we boarded late and took off even later.

 

I was seated with two other women and one of them was in quite a state because she was supposed to sail on an RCCL ship, but missed her morning flight and had been waiting on standby for several flights until ours, which, of course, was late and too late even if it had arrived on time probably to have enabled her to get to the pier on time. I gave her an RCCL emergency number so she could check on the ship’s status, hoping it was delayed, (it wasn’t), and determining when and where she could meet the ship (Sunday in Nassau). The lady sitting in the middle, was going to sail on the Epic, too, and ended up offering the stranded passenger a place to stay for Friday night so it was certainly an interesting and rather intense conversation as the three of us made each other’s acquaintance and sought to be helpful under the circumstances.

 

I had previously met a trio of advanced seniors (by which I mean upper 80’s) in the Newark terminal, and rejoined them at the curb as they awaited the arrival of the Marriott shuttle at the Miami airport, seated in their wheelchairs. They were headed to the Marriott and I was going to the Marriott Courtyard South on LeJeune Road, so we took the same shuttle since the hotels are adjacent. The wait was lengthy, but when the shuttle finally arrived, we were quickly delivered to our hotels. They fretted that they wouldn’t find me again on the ship (yes, they, too were headed to the Epic) because it was so big,

 

I would highly recommend the Courtyard South if all you need is a one night pre-cruise place to stay. The shuttle from the airport is free, the check-in was fast, and friendly and my room was stylish, clean, and spacious with a firm and comfortable bed with plenty of pillows. Internet is complimentary, the bathroom is very nice and has everything you could want except a bathtub, although it does have a very large shower, and both breakfast and a shuttle to the port were included in my room rate (book early, though, because when I tried to cancel the shuttle, the rates had gone up). There is a restaurant and sports bar downstairs, called Champions, where I had a very good dinner. Of course there were more cruisers seated next to me, headed for the Eclipse. The entire hotel seemed to be filled with pre-cruisers.

 

On Saturday morning I breakfasted in Champions. There was a buffet with fresh fruit, yogurt, hot and cold cereal, eggs, sausage, bacon and toast. I opted for fruit and cereal since I was headed for a week’s worth of gluttony on the ship and figured I might as well eat one healthy meal at the outset. Although I had booked a pre-cruise package, my traveling companions picked me up en route to the port with a car service, so I didn’t use the shuttle.

 

January 29, 2010 – Embarkation

 

My traveling companions were friends who I have long considered part of my family (the connection goes back to my grandparents who were best friends with her parents and my Dad and her brother were best friends and my sister is named after her brother… that kind of connection). The family consists of two elderly and rather infirm grandparents, two forty-something sons and one ten year old grandson. The decision to sail on the Epic was made because of the grandson. We got to the pier about 11:15 a.m. and had planned to drop the luggage for the guys at Terminal B and then drive to Terminal C for the rest of the luggage and for embarkation. As it turned out, the porter at B told us that all the luggage goes to the same place and it’s only the passengers who are separated, so we could unload all the luggage at B. He also told us that the odd decks get on at B, and the even decks at C, which is why the guys, whose cabin was on an odd deck, had e-docs which said B and our docs said C (we were in Courtyard Villa 16027).

 

We were sent into a V.I.P. check-in area immediately inside the Terminal where my elderly friends were seated and processed with speed and consideration. Then we were given the wonderful services of Fitz Mclymont, who served as our escort up to the pre-boarding waiting area, where we arrived at about 11:25. Fitz is a charming young man with a great sense of humor who managed to make all of us feel welcome and special in the few moments it took to walk us from the check-in area to the elevator and then to the V.I.P. waiting area. He is a great NCL ambassador and the excellent check-in and his attention gave us a very positive first impression.

 

Once there, we observed two wedding parties with the wedding planner, clipboard in hand, and wedding dresses, laid out on the seats, and we knew they would board first. It was posted that boarding would begin at noon, and they went on about 11:45. Shortly thereafter we were escorted by a gentleman who turned out to be our butler, Gary, onto the ship. We were brought into the Epic Lounge, seated comfortably, introduced to Ruth Haggar, the Concierge, who gave us a brief orientation, and then taken on a Courtyard tour by Gary. We were told we could leave our carry-on luggage in the lounge while we toured and ate lunch. The tour of the concierge lounge, pool, gym, and sun deck areas was interesting, but it proved to be too much for my elderly companions, as the tour group climbed several flights of steps, came back down and then headed up yet another flight.

 

We retreated to the Epic Club for lunch, where we met the service team we would shortly come to know and love. First there was the extraordinary Ramona, who greeted us at the door, and by the end of our first meal felt like a good and trusted friend, who understood our needs well and would take good care of us. Then there was Josephine, friendly and efficient, and exactly what you want a waitress to be. She took our orders, brought our food, and by the second day, knew us and our preferences. Liza Mae, Ramona’s hostess, was another helpful and caring staff member who we met at our first lunch. Subsequently we got to know Frances and Gabriela at breakfast and several of the guys as well, all attentive and efficient.

 

For lunch, continuing the healthy theme, I had Shrimp Cocktail and a terrific Tuna Burger (actually a slice of ahi tuna cooked to perfection on a bun with wonderful, not so healthy French Fries. Dessert was Berries and Mangoes with Vanilla Ice Cream, but I also tasted the Brownie, which was delicious, and was told that the Hamburger and the Fettuccini with Mushrooms were also terrific. We were very impressed with our first lunch and with the Epic Club in general.

[wiselindag]

Part II - Day 1 Continues and our Courtyard Villa Accommodations

 

 

After lunch, it was time to check on our accommodations, accessed by entering a locked door using a key entry system on the wall. There are two of these on Deck 16 to the right of the elevators. One goes to the cabins and the other goes directly to the Concierge Lounge (also accessible along the internal corridor), through which you can reach the Courtyard Pool, spa area, exercise rooms, saunas, and Courtyard Grill. The doors have grills on them and you can’t see through them, which means that when you are standing there trying to get your key to work (sometimes on the first try, sometimes the second, sometimes on the 10th…,) someone opening the door on the other side can hit you in the head with it. I worried about that all week, so maybe there should be some sort of way to see if someone is standing there. I always tried to open it very gently from the other side, just in case.

 

Here are my thoughts on our A3 Courtyard Villa:

 

The Suite as has been reported many times, consists of a living and/dining area with a round table seating four, a master bedroom and bathroom and a second small bedroom with full bathroom. It is tastefully decorated in beiges, browns, and greens, with splashes of magenta or purple. Since the suite has been talked about so often, I’ll concentrate on aspects that either surprised me or that I think need improvement.

 

I was surprised at the over-all size of the suite, Somehow I expected the living room and the master bedroom to be bigger, but both are fairly small (compared to suites I have seen on other ships). I expected the second, or kids bedroom as it is often called but shouldn’t be, to be small and found it to be perfectly fine for my needs. I slept well on the bed, which was made up as a couch when I arrived, turned into a bed the first evening and then remained as a bed for the rest of the week. The bed was very comfortable and storage was adequate for one. There were drawers and a place to hang up clothes. Although there is no actual clothes closet, the area with the hangers can be covered with a curtain. The bathroom has several shelves and a raised sink, which is rather awkward to use, but works fine. The shower is large. The bedroom has a small television and a shelf on which I was able to place my small computer and alarm clock. Although there is no chair, there is a small cushioned footstool which doubles as a seat, and which I used when working on my notes or putting on make-up. There is a large mirror over the shelf and more mirroring around the bed which I suppose is an effort to make the room seem larger.

 

Although this A3 suite technically sleeps six, it would be very tight and crowded with six adults, but might work with two parents and four children or two parents, three children and a grandparent or other relative in the small bedroom. Access to either bathroom is through a bedroom so privacy would be an issue for folks sleeping in the living room and using either bathroom if adults were involved. Needless to say, there is considerable storage space in the master suite. The big dramatic element of the Villa is the Master Bath, which features a tub and shower with windows overlooking the sea and lots of jets and buttons.

 

Am I the only one who thinks it’s downright crazy to have bathroom with a gorgeous view and two bedrooms with none (unless you count the view of the bathroom through which you might with excellent vision be able to glimpse the sea)? I have read countless reviews of NCL suites in which people have rhapsodized about the gorgeous bathroom view, but I personally would prefer a view of the sea and of the sunrise and distant islands from my bed in the morning than a view while I’m taking my shower prior to dinner, especially since I tend to shower after sunset on a cruise ship.

 

Here are a few suggestions that would improve these suites:

 

It would be very helpful to have a night light for the small bedroom, which is not always occupied by small children. When the door is closed, it is pitch black in the cabin at night with no ambient light. The mirrors and a translucent bathroom door make it impossible to leave the bathroom lights on at night without lighting up the whole bedroom, and the reading lights are great for reading, but too strong to work as nightlights. A small nightlight in or near the bathroom would make a huge difference and could help prevent potential accidents. (I worried about bumping into the bathroom door, for example). I have had nightlights in bathrooms on other ships (smart because they save electricity!) and wonder why no one saw the need here.

 

The door to the second bedroom and the bathroom door in the second bedroom swing back and forth when open. A magnet or a hook should be added so that they can be secured in the open position. I would hate to walk into the door during the night, thinking it was open, only to find it had swung shut.

 

Another oddity is the balcony. It is well sheltered from the wind, but on the small side for a suite. I also think there should be much nicer furnishings out there. Two chairs and a small table were all that were provided, even though there was sufficient space for a lounger or perhaps two chairs that could at least recline and some footstools. I had nicer balcony furniture in a regular balcony cabin on HAL recently and also on the Celebrity Solstice. A suite, in my opinion, should surely come equipped with some comfortable lounging furniture on the balcony, along with a table large enough for outdoor dining purposes.

 

The Rest of our First Day

 

After receiving our bags, delivered almost as soon as we arrived at the Villa, by our excellent cabin steward, Judy, we were able to start unpacking before the safety drill, held at 3:30. The Drill was a quick and perfunctory event, which for us was held in the area of the Sushi Bar. Since life jackets are no longer required, these drills have become much easier on all the ships. On Epic we didn’t even go outside. I found my three senior friends from the airport on the way to my station, (and just about every day thereafter as I predicted) and discovered they were extremely confused about the ship and the schedule and surprised to discover their mid-ship cabins were nowhere near an elevator since elevators are only Forward and Aft (and these people required wheelchairs in the airport because of walking problems). They had arrived on Epic, expecting something similar to their experience on Oasis, only to find a very different kind of cruise ship. As a result, they didn’t know they needed to select their evening entertainment and make reservations. By mid-week, they were all suffering from the unexpected walking, with the oldest, who had very bad knees, suffering the most. This is one group that needed a little extra TLC, perhaps in the form of an Orientation on Day 1. Later that same afternoon, I found a couple trying to make the wall displays, which they thought were interactive maps like ones they had used on other ships, show them how to get to a location on the ship. I explained that these were not maps, but entertainment and dining information signs… lots of confused people on Day 1!

 

Speaking of confusion, I count myself in that category in one regard. I spent quite a bit of time searching for a Ladies Room while on Deck Six. I went to the theater, expecting to find one right outside, didn’t see it, and went up to Deck Seven, thinking It would be there. When I still didn’t find one, I asked someone for help and was told it was around the corner. Then I still had trouble finding it and realized I had to go around several corners to finally locate the bathroom. There should be clear, unambiguous, well lighted signage indicating restrooms on a cruise ship and by far, the Epic is the worst example of bad signage in this regard that I have ever seen. After using the bathroom I looked for the sign and found it – almost blended into the wall, and very hard to see. Once you know what to look for, you can find them, but the whole point is that these should be easy to spot. NCL, if you are paying attention, someone should fix this.

 

Another activity completed on the first afternoon was a visit to the Concierge Desk to schedule our shows and dinner reservations for the week. We were ably assisted in this endeavor by Arvin, Ruth’s assistant, who helped us figure out the myriad possibilities and gave us each activity and time slot we desired with no problems whatsoever. Courtyard guests have priority and do not need to book ahead. We were also given a time to come to the Concierge Lounge for each activity in order to be escorted downstairs for priority seating. One of the ironies of Freestyle Cruising on the Epic is that many hours, if not most of your week, needs to be scheduled in a complex arrangement of reservations. Interwoven with the shows and dining reservations were a series of cocktail parties and other receptions to which we were invited either as suite guests or, in my case, as a Silver Latitudes member or Cruise Critics member. Only one of our party and his son booked excursions, but that also needed to be added. Keeping track of all these activities during a vacation week requires a calendar or organizer. Unfortunately, when we scheduled our shows and dinners, we didn’t have all our other invitations with us and didn’t know about some events until later. As a result, we ended up with several conflicts. Also, although I wrote down all the activities scheduled with Arvin, I would have done better had I entered these into a calendar pre-loaded with the other engagements since I managed to miss one of the events I meant to attend.

 

Putting the finishing touches on unpacking was followed by our departure from the Port of Miami, but like most everything on this ship, it was different, at least up in the Courtyard Suites. I was fascinated to notice how different it looked from Deck 18 of the Epic than from Deck 8 of the Carnival Liberty four weeks before, when I’d been in an aft balcony. In fact, it looked fantastic from up there!

 

Suite guests were treated to champagne at a private party at POSH, accessible through the special elevator in the Epic Lounge with your room key. One of the very nice people I met at the gathering was a person on board from the company that installed the bowling alleys on the ship. I was interested to learn that she was attending a conference of fifty or more employees of the company on the ship during our sailing. On the way back downstairs, I found three young women in the elevator who were struck there, without the magic keycards necessary to travel back downstairs. It seems they had ridden up with someone who had a card, and then had no way to return downstairs. I think they were contemplating their next move when I showed up and freed them.

 

I was also interested to discover that originally POSH had been designed as a party area, but the noise disturbed the suite guests on Deck 17 below and the party plans were jettisoned. As a result, this private enclave belongs solely to suite guests and sometimes a small group of passengers who may (according to what I have read) on sailings with fewer guests, purchase passes. I don’t know if this is still happening or not and I forgot to ask about it. What I can tell you is that this area, which looks out to sea and the entire Pool Deck of the ship is fabulous. With its padded loungers, pillows, umbrellas, cocktail service, bar, snack and lunch service, plus its lovely full-service bar, this is the place to luxuriate on sea days. It’s the place where those who can or those who choose to live the suite life (along with the Epic Club and the Epic Lounge with their tinted windows that allow you to see out while others can’t see in) can literally look down at the folks crowded together on the noisy pool deck and feel good about their decision to book a very expensive suite for a one week cruise. I would say whoever named this area POSH knew what they were doing… it is very well named.

 

If I sound a little conflicted, it’s for good reason. I am not a person who normally chooses to pay for suites on cruise ships. I have always preferred to cruise multiple times (in all different types of accommodations from a couple of inside cabins to a one-time upsell to a Sky Suite and everything in between) than sail once in a very expensive suite. While it didn’t occur to me before I came on this cruise to consider this question, after the first day on Epic, with its marvelous V.I.P. check-in, the Epic Club, the Concierge bookings, and the POSH sail-away party, I would now need to consider whether this cruise will spoil me and make it difficult to sail on NCL in non-suite accommodations in the future. Time will tell, but I know I’ll find it difficult on the Jewel on March 6th, and I’m quite certain I would be unhappy on the Epic anywhere but the Courtyard.

 

First night dinner was slated for Shanghai, the Chinese restaurant on board. We decided to dine early and made a 6:30 reservation. Always finding the appetizer section of a Chinese restaurant menu the most interesting, I ordered all four appetizers – Spring Rolls, Ribs, Calamari with Cilantro Mayonnaise Dipping Sauce, and Lettuce Leaves with Spicy Meat Filling, and enjoyed them all, with the Calamari winning the prize for tastiest. I found the Hot and Sour Soup to be too spicy, but one of my companions approved of the heavy-handed pepper usage. Even so, unless you’re a big spice fan, you might want to go with the Wonton and Crab soup, which was roundly praised and mild.

 

Several of us shared entrees. I ordered the Sea Bass with Mushrooms in White Sauce, which was outstanding, but I also found the Shrimp Fried Rice to be delicious and the Hunan Lamb tasty. For dessert I ordered Coconut Ice cream and Creme Brulees (all yummy, but extremely sweet).The green tea, akuza (soy) and ginger all tasted more like sugar than any of the aforementioned flavors. We were ably served by Marilou and Emma. Newly arrived on the Epic was the Manager of Shanghai, Gusti. During the week on Epic, I saw him many times, and found him to be a very nice, friendly guy. It’s funny how even on a giant ship like the Epic, you see the same people you know over and over again.

 

After dinner I checked out the casino, won $160 on a penny machine, and donated it back before calling it a night. Some people have characterized the machines as “fun,” but mostly I found the penny machines annoying since they require too many decisions. You need to decide how many lines and how much to bet per line and although it’s pennies, you can end up with humongous bets if you max each one and lose your money very fast, or you can play conservatively and hang out for a long time, with lots of boredom, constantly winning half of what you bet until you eventually lose your money with occasional bursts of excitement when something good happens. My idea of an interesting slot machine is a stampede or something that pops up or down or spins and there were a few of the spinning type, but most were not the kind I enjoy. Someone said in their review that the slots were fairly loose the first two or three days and then tightened up, and based on my experience, I’d say that was true for our week. If only I had the discipline to cash out each time I ran up the numbers, I’d have done well, but, as you will see, I don’t have that kind of casino discipline. Mid-way through the week I met a nice group of people visiting from Sweden. One of the gentlemen spent about half an hour sitting next to me playing with two dollars on a penny machine and having a great time… he was very excited to win a few dollars, but I would need to win a lot more than that to be excited. I did find this gentleman and his wife to be entertaining companions, however, and enjoyed comparing notes for the rest of the week.

[wiselindag]

Part III - The Week Continues

 

 

Sunday, January 30 – At Sea

 

Breakfast in the Epic Club was as satisfying as lunch had been the day before. Each morning there was a buffet set up along the side, and I enjoyed some of what became my daily first course choices: Smoked Salmon, Herring, Yogurt, Berries, Melon, Nuts, and Raisins. I had a glass of orange juice, and we were all delighted with our entrees. I had looked forward to the Crab Cakes Eggs Benedict and enjoyed that very much, but decided Vanilla French Toast would be next, since it looked so good on the plates of my companions. Once again we were served by Josephine, who was just as terrific on day two as she was on day one and once again, Ramona was quick to offer me a black napkin for my black pants and pillows for all three of us to place behind our backs since the chairs leave lots of space between our spines and the chair backs and a pillow makes sitting in them more comfortable. Service in the Epic Club, as you might expect, is first rate, and those are just two examples.

 

After breakfast I went in search of a quiet corner in which to work, and then after exchanging messages with my airplane friend, managed to set up a meeting to get the update on our mutual friend’s missed ship saga and hear about her first day on the Epic with her daughter and son-in-law. We were so busy talking about all sorts of things, that I was shocked when I realized I had completely forgotten to attend the CC party. That was a first for me, and I felt terrible that I’d completely lost track of the days and the time. It was written at the top of my trip notes, but pressed for time in the wee hours on Thursday, I had opted to put the notes on my flash drive and not print them out. As a result, I didn’t look at the notes after leaving the hotel, and that caused me to miss the party – out of sight, out of mind. I had wanted to meet the people and now had no way to identify the folks from online… very sad! Not hungry for lunch (a daily pattern after the large Epic Club breakfasts) we had a snack at O’Sheehans and ended up ordering hot tea (yes, the casino had already gotten to my throat) and a fruit plate, which was very nice (fresh fruit and a piece of nut bread which was perfect for a quick snack).

 

I made a stop in the shops on the way back to the cabin to look for a bathing suit bottom (I managed to pack the top and spent the week trying to figure out what I did with the bottom, which never did make it into the suitcase). My shopping efforts were fruitless, but I did learn something interesting about the shops on Epic. Although there are quite a few shops and lots of space devoted to them, they are virtually useless unless you want to buy a) expensive jewelry b) liquor c) Epic souvenirs, or d) gifts for a pre-teen. There is virtually nothing available in the way of clothing for a mature woman and definitely no women’s bathing suits (although there are some swim trunks for guys and a few bikinis for the aforementioned pre-teens). I spoke with one of the managers and she said they have no control over inventory. It gets sent to them from somewhere and it’s always the same type of things. A few weeks ago I shopped on the newest HAL ship, the Nieuw Amsterdam, and found a number of wearable clothing items. Given the number of women on this ship, a large number of whom as the shop manager noted, are well past their youth, it would make sense (and would make financial sense) for NCL to stock their shops with some items women could actually wear. She said she feels especially sorry for people whose luggage gets lost on airplanes. They have nothing to wear and come to the store hoping to find something, only to discover that there is nothing there for them with the exception of tee shirts and fleece hoodies… that seems extremely sad!

 

We had an early meeting time for Cirque Dreams, which meant an early back to the cabin to get ready for dinner. At the appointed time (4:30 for the 5:15 show, we went to the Concierge Lounge, where we met Arvin and were escorted down to the theater. Then we were walked in, past the line waiting patiently for the doors to open, whisked through the galley to the theater, and seated at one of two tables right at ringside. The other family from the Courtyard included two young children, and they were seated opposite us on the other side of the piano in the center of the ring, which was surrounded by tables with four major walkways for the waiters and the performers to enter and exit. I was right on one of these pathways, and you should know, that if you are seated on one, your chances of playing some sort of role in the drama are astronomically increased, Many people in the audience were pressed into bit parts, one playing the moneybags for the production (with a crown placed on his head for the duration and various bits starring him, or someone with jewels who might help with financing (me), or someone (actually four someones) who played the bells (a much bigger role), or other such assignments. You never knew when the spotlight would shine upon you and you would suddenly be in the play. As had been promised, another couple was seated at our table and those who came in last took seats in the back in booths that looked more comfortable than our straight-backed chairs, but undoubtedly had poorer sightlines. Our seats, as might be expected, were perfect. We could see everything well, both on the floor of the Spiegel Tent and up in the air. The “cheap seats” ($20 versus $30) consisted of a ring of seats upstairs which were identical to our seats, but were placed against a bar-type set-up on which these folks ate their dinner and looked down upon the action. No doubt there were some pieces of the performance missed when the actors were underneath them so I doubt the sightlines were perfect up there, although they would have been good when the aerialists performed. I think it was also probably easier to look down while eating than to look up since the show continued throughout the meal without a break. I had planned to get the $20 seats until Ruth told me the seating would be more comfortable downstairs. Although the chairs were the same, she meant that it would be more comfortable to eat on a full sized table than at a bar counter, and I’m sure that was true, plus I did enjoy being part of the show, so I’m glad we sat in the $30 seats.

 

I read many comments about the Cirque Dreams food before I came on the Epic, and consider it important because this is a first in that NCL is charging for cruise ship entertainment and claiming it’s justified because they are serving the audience a special meal. I also know that there were many complaints about the food for this show and so they changed the menu to its present state. With this in mind, I hoped the food had improved, but in fact, I found my meal to be inedible with the exception of the lettuce wedge.

 

The tiny crab cake had red pepper in it, which since I’m not a red pepper fan, spoiled the crab cake for me (Note to chefs - I wish NCL chefs would take all the red peppers out of all the crab cakes!) The foie gras was tasteless, and as previously mentioned, the lettuce and dab of dressing was edible, but would have been improved with a little more lettuce and more dressing. My main course of “Surf and Turf” was downright horrible. The meat was tender enough, but the quality was such that large quantities of glaze or salt were added to mask the taste (I can only assume that is why my piece of meat was so salty and since many others I questioned didn’t like their meat either, I have to assume that there was something wrong with it). The shrimp tasted like iodine and not something enjoyable to eat in my opinion. I just tasted and then put down my fork. Even dessert was disappointing – three tiny versions of what should have been good desserts –a red velvet cupcake and flourless chocolate cake and crème brulee should be delicious, but these didn’t even taste good enough for me to eat, and I rarely pass up dessert (you might remember that the night before I ordered several, in fact and ate them all!)

 

I enjoyed the show despite the silly dialogue because the performers are talented. The content is composed mostly of sexual double entendres, which may or may not go over the heads of the children depending on their level of sophistication – mine is grown now, but I am certain he would have “gotten” most of it at an early age and laughed loudly throughout, since he always enjoyed wordplay of this sort. If yours laughs at this type of humor in Shakespearean comedies, that’s what you can expect since the lady’s quest for a guy is quite bawdy. The soprano who plays the lady sings well, and all the circus performers are excellent so go and enjoy the show, but if you care anything about food, plan on eating afterward (or before for the later show) and know that you are going to shell out $30 for entertainment on a cruise ship on this particular evening,,, a bad precedent and, I’m afraid, a portent of things to come in the cruise industry.

 

After we exited the theater, the performer who played the clown was outside posing for photographs and we were able to pose with him. I took a couple of pictures for someone and then posed while they took mine, which was a nice addition to the evening. I noticed that after Blue Man Group a similar opportunity was provided, but in this case it was another revenue producer for NCL since the ship’s photographer was there to snap the picture Needless to say, we skipped that one.

 

This evening we missed the Captains Cocktail Party in the Epic Lounge because we were scheduled for Cirque Dreams at the same time. I hate to miss something like that and wish the Concierge folks had noted the conflict when we were debating the early vs. the late show… they didn’t mention it and I didn’t remember it until later when I went back to the Cabin and saw it on one of the invitations. I would suggest that the invitation be displayed on the Concierge Desk since everyone in the Courtyard is invited and that way it can’t be forgotten when scheduling activities.

 

I went in search of something to eat after the performance and I ended up in the Sushi bar. Based on this one experience, I can’t recommend it, although the Miso Soup was good, and the Sushi Bar is a good place to go when you are alone – I chatted with a couple there when I arrived and then ended up in a conversation with a couple who stopped by to ask about the sushi. Then it was on to an exciting evening at the one and two cent slot machines where I made and lost a tiny fortune in pennies (over two hundred dollars) before heading off to bed.

 

Monday, January 31 – At Sea

 

This morning began in the regular pattern with breakfast in the Epic Club, where I enjoyed the buffet and the Vanilla French Toast. The buffet is excellent, but doesn’t change each day (with the exception of the pastries) so it gets a bit monotonous. On the other hand, there’s enough variety on the menu and that, combined with the convenience and the service in the restaurant, the beautiful view and the comfort of the room make it a no-brainer to eat breakfast here every day.

 

After breakfast, I met my airplane friend at the aft adult area of the pool deck and enjoyed a leisurely visit, sitting at a shady table, sipping a drink of the day (a mangopolitan). Later on I went in search of some salad for a late snack. One problem with the late breakfast and the excellent Epic Club menu is that I’m eating too much for breakfast and then not eating lunch early, which means either a very light late lunch or just a snack to save any room for dinner. After the salad (and yes, I had to taste some Indian food and a little of this and a little of that as I made my way around), I had to sample the ice cream and enjoyed a scoop of coconut and another of chocolate to which I added slivered almonds and chocolate pieces… quite yummy. I like that Epic has real ice cream in the buffet and they always have a good variety of flavors to choose from. Someone told me the soft serve frozen yogurt was also very good, but since the ice cream was delicious, I never had a chance to try the soft serve.

 

After lunch, I spent some more time upstairs in the courtyard reading, writing this trip report, and chatting with a fellow from Montreal. Then it was time to get ready for our dinner at LeBistro. I had the Escargot, which were fine although nothing special since this was the traditional dish of snails in butter followed by the Onion Soup, the Duck (confit and magret) and what the menu termed a Napoleon, although it was far from what is traditionally known as a French Napoleon. I found this dinner in Le Bistro disappointing, perhaps the first time I’ve eaten in a Le Bistro on an NCL restaurant (at least four or five times) that’s happened, but I hadn’t eaten in one in a number of years. Everything was fine, but nothing was wonderful, and I was hoping for better. What bothered me the most was that silly Napoleon that wasn’t even a Napoleon and the dessert menu in general. Profiteroles are my favorite dessert, but here they are served with a lemon and vanilla sauce with no chocolate. In my opinion, that is a waste of the name “profiterole.” I guess I won’t book Le Bistro again unless they change the menu…I think it used to be much better.

 

Our entertainment for the evening was the “Blue Man Group.” I had seen this show in Las Vegas some years ago. It was long enough ago for me to forget most of the show before seeing it, but it was all familiar once it began. While I enjoyed the show, it didn’t get better with age and once in a lifetime turned out to be plenty for me. Many people in the audience were seeing Blue Man for the first time and were wildly enthusiastic. It was certainly the biggest hit of the week for the ten-year old in our party. He sat in the second row in the “splash” zone and thought it was wonderful. Here’s a hint for anyone who would like to avoid the ending… if you sit in the last row in the center, you can just watch (and I’m not revealing what that ending entails… as I said, once was enough.)

 

Tuesday, February 01, 2011 – St. Maarten

 

We decided to make a leisurely departure from the ship and took our time getting up and getting ready for the day. As usual, we breakfasted at the Epic Club and, working my way through the menu, I tried the Poached Eggs with Brioche and (I think but don’t have it in my notes) Hollandaise or some similar type of sauce. Today Frances was our waitress, and once again, we had excellent service.

 

We exited the ship and because my friends can’t walk very far, took the pier transport (little tram) to the end of the pier; and then climbed into a group taxi to Marigot, which cost $7 for each passenger for a one-way ride. I hadn’t been to Marigot in quite a few years since I usually go straight to Orient Beach. Still in search of a bathing suit, I first went into the big fancy mall I remembered from my last visit. The shops there were charging astronomical prices but the Ladies room was as excellent as I remembered and well worth the Euro price of admission. I asked the very nice (larger) woman collecting the cash where she would shop for a suit and she gave me excellent directions to a shop a few blocks from where we were with real world sizes and prices. Then I walked over to the French (outdoor) Market where the islanders were selling mostly tourist merchandise, but the French folks were selling some lovely items. I bought some glass beads and a tunic and bathing suit cover-up and had I thought to bring more cash, would have bought more.

 

We returned to the pier with a young Canadian family from the Disney ship parked next to us. I went back to the pool deck to see if my airplane buddy had returned from her excursion and met a couple from Alabama who had an unhappy excursion tale. They had done an island bus tour, but had been unable to keep up with the guide who met them on the pier. Although the poor gentleman had titanium knees and walked with a cane, no one thought to call the pier transport for them and, walking slowly, they lost their guide. By the time they found him, their bus was full and they ended up doing the tour in a van, which was very cramped and which he found very painful. Although they had previously enjoyed the NCL Pearl, they weren’t happy with the Epic … too big and too noisy for them.

 

Tonight we dined in Moderno and had a great meal. We also had excellent service and thought Robert, the Manager, was excellent. The salad bar, as has been reported, was terrific with lots of interesting options. I could easily have made a meal out of the choices there, but filled one plate and then left room for the meat to come. In addition to the skewers of meat, we were served fried plantains, potatoes, buttery rice and beans, all delicious. As we sat down, we noticed our Concierge, Ruth, seated nearby. I asked her for her recommendations and she told me her favorites were the Filet Mignon and the Chicken Wrapped in Bacon. After sampling most, but not all of the proffered meats, I would concur with her choices and add a third, which for our table was the clear winner – the Brisket. The one disappointment of the evening was the lack of lamb chops. They were also absent in Le Bistro (although my airplane friend recommended them based on her meal the first night on the ship). We were told that there was no lamb left because of flooding in Australia (translation – the price of lamb went up and NCL did not restock at the higher price. I don’t know if they are serving lamb on the Epic now, but it was MIA for the rest of the week we were on the ship.) Another interesting point is that Moderno was carved out of half of Cagneys and was a last-minute addition to the ship. As such, the entrance is confusing. You have to walk in, past the Moderno Salad Bar before you get to the lecturn where the hostess for the restaurant presides. Also, I spent half my dinner trying to figure out where in Rio the photograph on the wall in front of me could be. It didn’t look like Rio. Then I thought perhaps it was Lisbon, but that didn’t seem right either. Finally I found someone who knew… it was Chicago. The décor was still entirely Cagney’s. No one has yet changed the décor in Moderno to make it Moderno even though it is arguably the best restaurant (or at least second best if you are a big Cagney’s fan) on the ship. It would be easy enough to get some big photographs of Rio and put them in the frames!

 

After Moderno I made my customary stop in the Casino, and won and then lost my usual, On the way back to the room (for once I thought perhaps I’d get to bed before 1 am) a woman I had met down at the pool grabbed me and introduced me to her husband and his cousins… another late evening, but I did get to taste the Brownie ala mode at O’Sheehans, which I can highly recommend. Okay, so I think that was my fourth dessert of the day, but I wasn’t counting and they were all good.

[wiselindag]

Part IV - The Week Concludes

 

 

Wednesday, February 2, 2011 – St. Thomas

 

Another leisurely morning… as always, we had Breakfast in the Epic Club .

I have spent many days in St. Thomas including a week, which I once won. My customary activity is a day at Sapphire Beach, but since my companions were too infirm to go beaching, I left them on the ship and walked over to the Havensight shops. From there, I walked out onto the main road and went to the Internet place where I paid $3 for a Wifi code, another $2 for a phone card, plugged in my netbook, called home and the office, and worked for several hours. Then I walked back to the Epic, chatting with a young couple on their first cruise on the RCCL ship parked in front of us.

 

Back on board, I went up to the buffet for my usual lunch of salad and ice cream (two items that are good every day and very easy.) Today they had Rocky Road and Black Raspberry Sherbet and I asked for some chocolate sauce, which started a conversation when a guy asked me where I got it. I don’t know why they don’t put out the chocolate sauce. I met three single women who were staying in Studios. One told me about the Singles Group that met each day at 5 p.m. or so in the Living Room area of the Studios. She said it’s mainly older women and she regales them with tales of her (made up) dates with guys on the ship and her exploits with said fellows… very entertaining. She told me she was on the Epic because of the studios and I can see why a single person would find the studios appealing since they don’t have to pay for the empty half of a cabin.

 

I went up to the Courtyard and sat on a lounger for a while, but since I wanted to watch us sail away from St. Thomas, I had to leave. I like the Courtyard, but hate that you can’t see the ocean from there. I went up to the Sun Deck at the top front of the ship. They have installed wind screens, which help make this area habitable. The views are certainly superb from up there. After we sailed, I went back down to the Courtyard and found that I had a Hot Tub to myself. I just enjoyed luxuriating in there for a while with the bubbles and my toes stretched across the tub. Then it was time to go back and get ready for the evening (another suggestion – a CLOCK In the courtyard would help! It’s tough to sit in the hot tub or swim and not have your watch and not know the time when you have to be somewhere. Every time I was in the Courtyard at least one person asked me for the time.) I also want to give compliments to the great Courtyard service team including Ashish, Sidi, and Carlos and Carol in the Epic Lounge.

 

This evening was the Latitudes Party. I met several lovely people and noted that all of the Ship’s Officers were on the receiving line including the Captain. This party was held in Bliss and drinks of all kinds were on the house. They also served cheese and crackers (not exactly fancy hors d’oeuvres). NCL now holds this party only for Silver, Gold and Platinum Latitudes, so you have to have sailed with them at least five times in the past to attend. I would have liked to stay and chat longer, but this was another one of those conflicts, and we had a 7 p.m. reservation at Teppanyaki, which couldn’t be moved because we were scheduled for Legends in Concert right after.

 

Teppanyaki was good, but far from great. The food was fair, the performance lackluster, and there were tons of leftovers. We had excellent service from another waitress named Josephine. “Legends in Concert” was better than I expected. I was more than a little disappointed when I first heard that the new line-up on the Epic is Janet Jackson, Neil Diamond and Aretha Franklin. In my book, Aretha is a true legend, but the other two? Neil Diamond wrote some very good songs, but as a performer? And let’s be serious… what is Janet Jackson doing there on the stage billed as a legend? Once you get beyond those questions, the show itself is quite good because the performers are first rate and the production is well staged. This is the closest thing on the Epic to a production show (which it isn’t), but it is entertaining and we all enjoyed it. I met one of the singer/dancers earlier in the week and enjoyed watching her perform in the show, too. Getting to know people who perform on the ship is always one of the aspects of cruising I enjoy.

 

Following Legends, there was a performance by the magician/comedian Jeff Hobson. I hadn’t been able to see his show the previous night, but had heard it was funny. Although his tricks were those usually found in the cruise ship repertoire, his comedy routine was outstanding so I really enjoyed it. As they say in Gypsy, you “gotta have a gimmick”, and his gimmick worked well for him.

 

Thursday, February 2

 

This was a terrific, relaxing day with gorgeous weather. The great thing about a Sea Day late in the cruise is that you have figured things out and can make the most of your day. As always, we had our breakfast in the Epic Club and this time I tried the Pancakes with Apple topping (they have a choice of three fruit toppings). Since it was a gorgeous day, I headed up to POSH, where I spent some time reading a novel. I had lunch in the buffet, although I considered ordering from the grill menu. I just decided I needed to switch gears for a while and change the scenery, but I do love the comfort and the view up there… it’s addicting. After lunch I went back up for some more reading and then back down to the hot tub which I shared with a group of three couples from Montreal, who were enjoying cocktails of Red bull and Vodka.

 

Tonight we were scheduled for the Second City show at 7 followed by dinner in the Epic Club. I was surprised to find that I recognized several of the Second City performers from another NCL ship and most, but not all of the material was also familiar. They do several different shows during the week and since the audience is different, the performance can take a different turn. As a result, you can see them more than once, but reservations are recommended.

 

Our dinner in the Epic Club was the first time we had tried eating up there in the evening and it was very relaxed and quite delicious. The menu is the same every night, but there are always a few specials to make it more interesting. As always service was outstanding.

 

Later I visited the Casino and stopped in to watch some “Howl at the Moon”. I had watched these guys earlier in the week, too, and found them quite amazingly talented. They seem to know how to play (there are dueling pianos) and sing every song written in English (maybe other languages, too, but all the requests were for English songs so I don’t know about the others.) They play, sing, make jokes, involve the audience, drink, and chat without seeming to miss a beat – very impressive and quite entertaining.

 

Friday, February 4

 

Breakfast in the Epic Club and I was back to Eggs, Toast, Bacon and the usual buffet. Later I met my airplane friend and gave her a tour of the Courtyard complex and our suite following which she gave me a tour of her Spa Balcony Cabin and the Spa. I was impressed with the amount of storage space in her cabin and finally had a chance to see the sink and all the other bathroom sections. I was surprised to note how few loungers there are in the Aft portion of the ship in the Spa and would think it’s difficult to find empty ones at times on a ship with this many passengers. NCL has taken what is typically gym space on other ships (that big glassed area at the back or sometimes the front of the ship) where you usually find treadmills and stair steppers, and whatnot and used it for a limited number of thermal loungers and other types of spa seating. They have put the treadmills along the wall looking out to sea from only one side of the ship, which is not nearly as nice for the gym-goers as the typical ship’s gym, but has created revenue-producing space at the back. I found the price being charged for a Spa Pass expensive and wouldn’t pay it myself, but obviously some people do pay for it. My friend’s pass came as part of her Spa Cabin package.

 

Since this was out last day, we decided to make it an all Epic Club meal day and returned there for lunch. We chatted with Ramona and Josephine and had a lovely lunch. This time I tried the Fettucine with Mushroom Sauce, Citrus Salad, and Brownie with Macadamia Ice Cream and Caramel Sauce (definitely not a diet lunch today!) Then it was up to POSH for an afternoon in the sun before returning to the forecasted wintry mix in NY tomorrow. Given our afternoon arrival in Nassau (Noon to Six) and the number of other ships in port, I decided to skip going over to Atlantis in favor of relaxing at POSH. I will be back in Nassau in another month on the NCL Jewel, when there will be far fewer people around and we’ll have the whole day, so it makes more sense to go to Atlantis then.

 

Dinner in the Epic Club was excellent. I had the Prime Rib, which was one of the two special entrees, and finished the meal with a Hot Fudge Parfait. It was excellent. After dinner, we figured out our tips, put them in envelopes, and packed. Before dinner we went to the 7 p.m. comedy show, which I thought was interesting because the Cruise Director gave himself an hour comedy show. Unlike other ships, there is no nightly show in the theater attended by most cruisers and so there is no pre-show or post-show patter by the Cruise Director. I saw him now and then hosting some event down by the pool, but thought I’d like to get some sense of his ability to command the stage. I also figured he must be very talented to put himself up there like that, but in that I was wrong… the show was disappointing and not even funny. If you have never heard typical cruise ship jokes about food, elevators, toilets where the crew sleeps etc, you might find it funny.

 

Saturday, February 5

 

Disembarkation from the courtyard is as relaxed and easy as embarkation. The Concierge escorts her guests off the ship when they wish. In our case, that would be after breakfast in the Epic Club. Our final breakfast, with all of us in attendance so we could leave together, was excellent as always. We gave out our tip envelopes for extra gratuities and for gratuities for the Concierge and Butler, who are not in the Tip pool.

 

When I gave our Butler his envelope, took the opportunity to discuss with him what I could only see as a lack of communication all week… to us, he was an enigma. Before boarding the Epic I had read many accounts of butlers who were incredibly helpful to passengers. From the time we first met, ours had been unaccountably different. I won’t go into the list of problems here, but suffice it to say that while we were extremely happy with the service provided by everyone else we met and dealt with in the Courtyard, our expectations were not met in this regard.

 

After Breakfast, we were ready to go downstairs. By this time it was about 9:10 and our car was due to arrive about 9:30. We asked Ruth to send a wheelchair so my frail friend would not have to walk or stand on a line. When the wheelchair arrived, we all went to the Concierge Lounge, from which we were taken to the Service Elevator and down by Arvin, then met at the bottom by Ruth, who walked us to the gangway, at which we were able to put in our keycards for one last time and exit the ship. This took a maximum of about five minutes, so it was very speedy and easy. From there, we went over to the luggage, got our suitcases, went through Customs (also fairly quick and painless) and were out on the street in good time to meet the car service.

 

Our return flight was from West Palm since that was closest to their home. We dropped off one of the brothers in North Miami, then dropped off the parents and went on to the airport for our afternoon flight. In contrast to the Miami and Ft. Lauderdale airports, which are a zoo on Saturday and Sunday with the giant ships in port, West Palm is very quiet and very easy. Although there was a Code Red in the Northeast with a wintry mix, our flight took off and landed early and we had no problems at all except that we were early and had to wait for a gate. I went up to the top arrivals level to meet my son for the ride home and just as I went out to watch for him, ran right into my three friends, the almost 90 year olds on their way home. Although they didn’t think they would see me again because it was such a big ship, we managed to see each other just about every day and it was fitting that my trip started and ended with a conversation with them.

 

Final Thoughts – I thoroughly enjoyed my week on the Epic, but I am convinced that a large part of that enjoyment stemmed from the experience of being in the Courtyard. I found the pool deck noisy and crowded except when the ship was in port. The wavy cabins I saw (and I looked in on an inside cabin the last morning as well as two balcony cabins plus one of the Studio cabins) were attractive, but small. I would prefer a traditional bathroom. The Studio would be great for a young person or young couple. The ship is attractive, but the central area is too noisy. Having all the bars, restaurants and casinos open up into the hallways contributes to all that frenetic energy. It’s not relaxing or pleasant and it’s difficult to find a quiet spot to chat. This is a ship that caters to a young crowd and I would think older cruisers need to ask a lot of questions before booking. Many of the ones I met were not happy and would not book it again.

 

I found the buffet to be an improvement over other NCL buffets (and I’ll have more to say on that after our upcoming Jewel cruise), but I prefer the buffets on some of the other non-NCL ships on which I’ve sailed including most recently the Nieuw Amsterdam and the Solstice, both for food quality and for service. Restaurants vary in quality on the ship. I can’t comment on the two complimentary MDR’s since we didn’t eat there, but they are attractive and I liked the menu when I checked. Epic Club is a fantastic perk.

 

There is too much smoking on this ship for me. I am allergic to smoke and had to stay out of the casino for several nights because my throat was too raw after the first few evenings. I prefer a much stricter smoking policy and wish NCL would further restrict the areas in which people may smoke.

 

The ten year old in our party had a wonderful cruise and was ready to book another cruise on Epic for next year. He loved Blue Man, enjoyed the restaurants, spent many hours on the slides, and also liked the Kids Club program for his age group. Since we booked this cruise for him, this was a successful week. His Dad and uncle had a good time and his grandparents thoroughly enjoyed the Courtyard Villa and the Epic Club as well as the services of our excellent Concierge. It's easy to recommend this ship for families with children or families who can afford to stay in the Courtyard.

 

Will I sail on the Epic again? If I have a chance to stay in the Courtyard at a bargain third person price, I’d be happy to sail on this ship again. If not, most likely I’ll stick with the smaller NCL ships and HAL and Celebrity, which better fit my cruising style.

 

Thanks to all of you out there who wrote about your cruises on the Epic and helped me get ready for our's. I will be glad to try to answer your questions based on my experiences on the ship, but as others have said, there is so much to see and do that a week isn't sufficient to experience it all or even most of what is available.

[lovetoreview]

Thank you soooooo much for such an amazing review, its nice to get an extensive review from someone who cruises so much. Its truly appreciated.

[sdmike]

Very thoughtful post. Thanks for sharing your experience

[youngestof9]

very detailed review! I felt like I was there! Thanks for taking the time.

 

I agree about Fitz - as our first impression to NCL - he was tops. He was charming and funny and really welcomed us in such a wonderful manner. And you're right - the staff at the Epic Club is phenomenal.

[CruisinMaterial]

Wow! You are very thorough! I like it when a reviewer tells me what they did and when they did it and what else may be going on. Your review was INCREDIBLY helpful to me as I'm doing the Eastern route in 9 days and some of the conflicts you mentioned in your schedule are also in mine. Thanks for the heads up and the detailed review! :)

 

I hope the Jewel is an incredible ship for you! :)

[oskarNZ]

Hi there,

 

Thanks for that very detailed report. I found it very interesting and am quite impressed by the added benefits of staying in a suite on the Epic.

 

Being escorted to the Cirque Show and being given excellent seats sounds great. I was just wondering if you received a similar perk with any other shows on board (Blue Man etc)?

 

Also, I've read a few conflicting reports about what drinks are provided free in the Courtyard rooms. Out of interest, did you have water, soda and/or juice delivered to you throughout the cruise?

[Zimomiller]

Excellent review. Many of your comments brought back similar memories of our Epic experiences. POSH is quite likely my favorite place on any cruise ship to date.

 

I certainly hope someone that can make a difference from NCL reads your review as your observations and recommendations are spot on in many areas.

[NengEuis]

One of the best reviews I've read -- and I've read a LOT of them! Thanks for your insight and for taking the time to share your experience.

[blindrid]

"I had planned to get the $20 seats until Ruth told me the seating would be more comfortable downstairs. Although the chairs were the same, she meant that it would be more comfortable to eat on a full sized table than at a bar counter, and I’m sure that was true, plus I did enjoy being part of the show, so I’m glad we sat in the $30 seats. "

 

If I'm reading this correctly, there's a cover to go to the entertainment? It's been a couple of years since I've been on NCL - say it isn't so!:(

[wiselindag]

First of all, thank you to all of you for saying that you liked the review. It takes an enormous amount of effort to do these reviews as anyone who does them can tell you, but the reward comes when people take the time to read them and then find them usable. I get so much out of what I read on these boards that writing about my cruises is the best way I know to "pay back."

 

I cruise with a critical eye and write with the goal of making ships and cruises better, but so often these boards are, in my opinion, too accepting of bad practices and mediocrity. I'm not sure if that's because posters are afraid of being criticized or just think NCL for example, is wonderful and can do no wrong. I try to be as balanced as I can and both commend and recommend whenever such comments seem warranted. With that said, let me answer the questions:

 

OskarNZ - 1) Yes, we were escorted to Blue Man and Legends, and although we made reservations for 2nd City, no escorting was necessary there. Our 10 year old sat in the 2nd row because he and his Dad were a little late coming from some program at the Kids Club, but we "oldsters" were there early and deliberately chose to sit in the back (remember, I had seen and heard this show before and when I saw it the first time in Las Vegas, earplugs were offered as we entered the theater!) We had our pick of seats for Blue Man and also for Legends. 2) As for drinks, that is a sore point. We had a bottle of champagne and a bottle of water on ice when we arrived. I thought we would get bottled water throughout the week and asked the butler for more when that first one was running low. He brought six bottles and a hefty bar bill. I signed it, but explained that I hadn't meant to order and pay for water and if that wasn't "on the house" could he please just bring a pitcher of water as I was accustomed to getting on other NCL ships and other cruise lines (except HAL recently, but that's another story!) He said he would, but no pitchers arrived. In the meantime, we worked our way through the bottles and didn't run out, so it was a minor point, although puzzling. When I asked him about it at the end of the week, he seemed surprised and said, "oh, you were the one who asked for the water! I delivered the pitcher to the villa next door every day...." Just one of a number of strange behaviors and responses. If we had any other beverages, I'm not aware of it and none were offered to us. I think this varies with the butler, because I had read a review in which the butler brought some people a pitcher of iced tea every day. You can ask your butler what is available on a complimentary basis. We certainly did not have free soda. Two of us had soda cards and used those in the restaurants and juice was available in the Epic Club.

 

blindrid - It's supposedly to pay for the "gourmet" dinner. That's what I meant when I said I thought this was the precursor of more such charges and that if so, it's very bad. Since the dinner was, in my opinion, worthless, we paid for the entertainment. Was it worth it? It depends on how much you like to see people doing circus acts on a moving ship. I thought it was worth seeing for the experience, but now that I have seen it, I would never pay to see it again and I would not call it a "must see." I enjoyed it, but I enjoy most cruise ship production shows, so I'm fairly easy to please in the entertainment area (but much less so in the dining area.) When I have to pay for the entertainment, that's a totally different story. Someone said they might go on the Epic again if they get some new entertainment. I know what they mean. Having seen these shows, if they don't get some new ones, that would be a problem.

 

Thanks, Cruisin Material... I'll let you know. It will be my first Jewel Class ship, so I'm interested in that since I've skipped from the Sun to the Epic and now back to the Jewel.

 

Thanks, Zeno - I hope someone from NCL with clout reads it, too. My favorite spot to date on a cruise ship for lounging had been the Solarium on Solstice... all those azaleas got me at first sight, but it will be tough to get POSH out of my brain now.

 

Youngestof9 - I'm sure that Fitz and Ramona are destined for higher positions... they know how to make customers happy. Were you the one who wanted to know about the coffee presses in the Epic Club? Ramona and I checked on them, studying each one and she even washed one out so I could look at the bottom and brought me a box so we could check that for a model number. We couldn't find one. Each one had a number indicating the number of cups, but that was all we could find.

[perkythedog]

First of all, thank you to all of you for saying that you liked the review. It takes an enormous amount of effort to do these reviews as anyone who does them can tell you, but the reward comes when people take the time to read them and then find them usable. I get so much out of what I read on these boards that writing about my cruises is the best way I know to "pay back."

 

I cruise with a critical eye and write with the goal of making ships and cruises better, but so often these boards are, in my opinion, too accepting of bad practices and mediocrity. I'm not sure if that's because posters are afraid of being criticized or just think NCL for example, is wonderful and can do no wrong. I try to be as balanced as I can and both commend and recommend whenever such comments seem warranted. With that said, let me answer the questions:

 

OskarNZ - 1) Yes, we were escorted to Blue Man and Legends, and although we made reservations for 2nd City, no escorting was necessary there. Our 10 year old sat in the 2nd row because he and his Dad were a little late coming from some program at the Kids Club, but we "oldsters" were there early and deliberately chose to sit in the back (remember, I had seen and heard this show before and when I saw it the first time in Las Vegas, earplugs were offered as we entered the theater!) We had our pick of seats for Blue Man and also for Legends. 2) As for drinks, that is a sore point. We had a bottle of champagne and a bottle of water on ice when we arrived. I thought we would get bottled water throughout the week and asked the butler for more when that first one was running low. He brought six bottles and a hefty bar bill. I signed it, but explained that I hadn't meant to order and pay for water and if that wasn't "on the house" could he please just bring a pitcher of water as I was accustomed to getting on other NCL ships and other cruise lines (except HAL recently, but that's another story!) He said he would, but no pitchers arrived. In the meantime, we worked our way through the bottles and didn't run out, so it was a minor point, although puzzling. When I asked him about it at the end of the week, he seemed surprised and said, "oh, you were the one who asked for the water! I delivered the pitcher to the villa next door every day...." Just one of a number of strange behaviors and responses. If we had any other beverages, I'm not aware of it and none were offered to us. I think this varies with the butler, because I had read a review in which the butler brought some people a pitcher of iced tea every day. You can ask your butler what is available on a complimentary basis. We certainly did not have free soda. Two of us had soda cards and used those in the restaurants and juice was available in the Epic Club.

 

blindrid - It's supposedly to pay for the "gourmet" dinner. That's what I meant when I said I thought this was the precursor of more such charges and that if so, it's very bad. Since the dinner was, in my opinion, worthless, we paid for the entertainment. Was it worth it? It depends on how much you like to see people doing circus acts on a moving ship. I thought it was worth seeing for the experience, but now that I have seen it, I would never pay to see it again and I would not call it a "must see." I enjoyed it, but I enjoy most cruise ship production shows, so I'm fairly easy to please in the entertainment area (but much less so in the dining area.) When I have to pay for the entertainment, that's a totally different story. Someone said they might go on the Epic again if they get some new entertainment. I know what they mean. Having seen these shows, if they don't get some new ones, that would be a problem.

 

Thanks, Cruisin Material... I'll let you know. It will be my first Jewel Class ship, so I'm interested in that since I've skipped from the Sun to the Epic and now back to the Jewel.

 

Thanks, Zeno - I hope someone from NCL with clout reads it, too. My favorite spot to date on a cruise ship for lounging had been the Solarium on Solstice... all those azaleas got me at first sight, but it will be tough to get POSH out of my brain now.

 

Youngestof9 - I'm sure that Fitz and Ramona are destined for higher positions... they know how to make customers happy. Were you the one who wanted to know about the coffee presses in the Epic Club? Ramona and I checked on them, studying each one and she even washed one out so I could look at the bottom and brought me a box so we could check that for a model number. We couldn't find one. Each one had a number indicating the number of cups, but that was all we could find.

Oh my gosh, you were in a courtyard villa and still had so many things to nitpik about. Amazing you could not just enjoy your good fortune.

[oskarNZ]

Oh my gosh, you were in a courtyard villa and still had so many things to nitpik about. Amazing you could not just enjoy your good fortune.

 

From what I can deduce, Wiselindag did enjoy her cruise. What you saw as nitpicking, I saw as a fair, balanced and detailed review.

 

Also, I think it's poor logic to assume that just because people can afford nice things, they should be obliged to like everything about them. More often than not, people have to work and/or save extremely hard for such luxuries, so it's reasonable to have a certain level of expectations.

 

 

Thanks Wiselindag for answering my questions, it was very useful.

[youngestof9]

Youngestof9 - I'm sure that Fitz and Ramona are destined for higher positions... they know how to make customers happy. Were you the one who wanted to know about the coffee presses in the Epic Club? Ramona and I checked on them, studying each one and she even washed one out so I could look at the bottom and brought me a box so we could check that for a model number. We couldn't find one. Each one had a number indicating the number of cups, but that was all we could find.

 

It was me! Thank you SO much for making the effort. Ramona is wonderful. I ended up just buying a glass Bodum french press - looks extremely similar. And LaVazza coffee. He was happy! Thanks again! That's so nice of you :)

[Canuck-Ottawa]

From what I can deduce, Wiselindag did enjoy her cruise. What you saw as nitpicking, I saw as a fair, balanced and detailed review.

 

Also, I think it's poor logic to assume that just because people can afford nice things, they should be obliged to like everything about them. More often than not, people have to work and/or save extremely hard for such luxuries, so it's reasonable to have a certain level of expectations.

 

 

Thanks Wiselindag for answering my questions, it was very useful.

Sorry, but the 3rd person in a Courtyard Villa is not paying very much ($500-$700) for the entire week. It's the 1st/2nd passengers who pay the big bucks!

[KirkNC]

Thanks for the review, it is great to see so much detail. Glad overall you had a good time, I agree on the smoking and the noisy crowds.

 

Kirk

[klingoncruiser]

Very nice and well done review.

[Susie51]

Thank you for your detailed review. I agree with you about more public restrooms near the theater on each floor and dining rooms.

[wiselindag]

Thank you Oscar and Youngest of 9! As you said, Oscar, I did enjoy the cruise. I have enjoyed every cruise I've ever taken, but that doesn't mean cruises can't be improved. I think of these boards as a way to help cruise lines make their product better and as a way for people to become better informed consumers. That way they can select the cruise that's right for them and have the best possible cruise experience, and once they book, they can get as much information as possible to enhance their shipboard experience.

 

Perkythedog- If I took your advice, I'd just say everything was wonderful because of my good fortune. Everything wasn't wonderful. I would like to help elderly people make an informed decision about the pitfalls of booking Epic (no mid-ship elevators for example so they shouldn't book mid-ship cabins if walking is a problem) and if noise is an issue this might well be the wrong ship for them. I have a brother in law with a hearing aide who experiences great pain when he's in a very noisy environment. He would have hated this ship and I wouldn't want someone in his situation to book it and learn that lesson the hard way. Some of what you call "nitpicking" are safety issues. Doors that don't stay in one position or another can cause accidents and so can unlit areas. If one person brings a night light or a flashlight, I will have helped. If NCL puts nightlights in those bathrooms, I'll have helped passengers and the cruise line. Better lit and highlighted Rest Room signs are another issue I think would be important to others... signage matters. If enough people complain about the food in the Cirque show, let's hope they will improve it so that those cruising will have a better dinner. They changed the menu once in response to complaints, and I've no doubt they will again or at least improve the quality of what they are offering for an exorbitant price.

 

Canuck-Ottawa - I am a bargain hunter to the nth degree. The third person rate for the CV was $366 including taxes and fees. I was very fortunate to have such wonderful friends and to be invited to share the CV with them. I do agree with Oscar, though about the fact that more often than not, people have to work and/or save extremely hard to be able to afford the luxury of suite accommodations, or even a cruise vacation for that matter, and therefore have high expectations which should be met.

 

Here's an update: I originally booked a balcony cabin on the Jewel. When the prices dropped still further (they were already low), I upgraded to a mini-suite and resigned myself to enjoying the extra space without the suite perks. Yesterday I upsold to the Courtyard so now I'll have a chance to compare the two experiences and needless, to say, I'm very excited. I know I'll have to return to the real world of cruising soon, but not quite as soon as I expected!

[Zeno]

Wonderful detailed review! I think you really gave people a feel for your experiences on the ship. I think it is the sort of review that will be helpful to people deciding on whether the Epic (and the Courtyard experience) is for them.

[blindrid]

I kinda disagree. This is more like a critique than a review - there's a lot of difference.

 

The OP acts like this will be printed in the New York Post or something. To me it was a bit over the top as there was a bit too much info that mattered little.

 

Just my thoughts....

[Why Knot Me]

Wonderful detailed review! I think you really gave people a feel for your experiences on the ship. I think it is the sort of review that will be helpful to people deciding on whether the Epic (and the Courtyard experience) is for them.

 

Ditto for me too. I enjoyed reading the review and your subsequent posts to this thread. I like your writing style too and think that you could be published... New York Post :D

[oskarNZ]

I kinda disagree. This is more like a critique than a review - there's a lot of difference.

 

The OP acts like this will be printed in the New York Post or something. To me it was a bit over the top as there was a bit too much info that mattered little.

 

Just my thoughts....

 

Critique or review - does it really matter? Surely this isn't the place for a petty debate over semantics.

 

The OP has taken quite a bit of time to write this review/critique and many people, myself included, have found it useful. If you didn't that's fine, but I'm confused by what you are hoping to achieve by saying so?