EPIC---Myth Busters

[Darthdaddy]

David_Sobe touched on two recurring myths that deserve some attention. The first involves the water slides.

 

Myth #7--Lines for the water slides on Epic are too long...

David reported little to no wait to use slides during a very busy holiday week. As previously mentioned, my cruise was considerably below capacity. Still, the experience was similar. Lines for all 3 slides were never very long. The weather was very nice, perhaps a bit too cool for some adults, but certainly within reasonable tolerance for kids to use the slides. Are the lines for Epic's water slides too long? If all I had to go on was my cruise, I would call this one "POSSIBLE." Given David's experience, I'm calling this myth BUSTED.

 

Myth #7A--Water slides on EPIC are FANTASTIC!!!!...

My response to Myth #7 leads us to #7A. If the weather cannot account for light use of the slides, what does? If lines are short during a holiday cruise, what's going on? My answer is that the slides are pretty lame.

 

The 3 water slides visually dominate the water park. The large, colorful tubes look cool and get the juices pumping. Unfortunately, reality soon rears its ugly head. I am an admited adrenaline junkie. I like fast; I like high; I like wild. I understand that NCL will not build the slides to my satisfaction, but is it really necessary to build ALL of them for my great-aunt Gladys?

 

The green tube is the most tame. It empties into a kid's area, so this makes perfect sense. The purple tube is better, but still barely mid-range on the thrill-o-meter. The icon of deck 15 is the funnel of the Epic Plunge. It promises far more than it delivers. Again, I realize no cruise line is likely to build a slide to my preferences. Nonetheless, it is preposterous to watch people barely able to make it around the funnel, because the slide is simply TOO SLOW!

 

I think the slides were a great idea. They are well integrated into the whole water park concept...however...at least one needs to be amped up! Perhaps increasing the water flow or adding propulsion jets to the funnel of the Plunge would solve the problem. I really hope NCL is listening to this one.

 

Are the Epic's water slides FANTASTIC? Sadly, no. Another myth BUSTED.

[Darthdaddy]

David_Sobe's other comment related to the casino. Here's my take...

 

Myth #8--The casino is the most intrusive element of Epic's design...

Disclosure: I am not a gambler.

More disclosure: my mother absolutely LOVED playing the slots each day. My 3 over-21 boys played poker and/or blackjack nearly every night. It's not my thing, but I understand that others enjoy it.

 

Having first cruised on Disney Wonder & Magic, neither of which has a casino, I was mildly intrigued by the casino on the Dawn. The larger casino on the Pearl was simply more of something that did not interest me. The casino could be easily avoided and smoke was not an issue.

 

The casino on the Epic? My oh my, where to begin...

To paraphrase Princess Jasmine, the casino on Epic is "a whole new world." First the thing is big...really, really big. It is loud. It is flashy; It is right "in your face!"

 

Many people have complained that it is necessary to transit the casino to get from one end of the ship to the other. While technically incorrect, the reality is that you will find yourself passing through the casino dozens and dozens of times during your cruise. My 20-yr old daughter cannot even enter a casino in Pennsylvania. Not so on board Epic. You will see teens, tweens, toddlers and babies wandering among the slots and table games. Will they be scarred for life? I doubt it. Is it a big deal? Not to me, but it may be to you.

 

Is the casino the most intrusive element of Epic's design? Yes. This myth is CONFIRMED.

[Darthdaddy]

Again, relating to David's casino observations...

 

Myth 8A--Epic is smoke filled, due to the design of the casino...

 

NCL has made some conscious decisions. First: for all practical purposes the casino is unavoidable. Second: smoking is allowed in the casino.

 

Tales of passengers stumbling out of the casino gasping for air as they heroically transited the length of the ship were posted as soon as Epic began to sail. As a non-smoker, I had nightmares about plumes of smoke billowing out of the casino. Meals would be ruined, clothes would require cleaning, no relief would be found.

 

I am rarely exposed to tobacco smoke. When I happen to find myself in a smokey environment it is (a) a shock (b) unpleasant and © usually avoidable. Being aware of the dire warnings posted on CC, I was not shocked when I encountered smoke during my first pass through the casino. As the week progressed, there would be times when I would forget where I was until I was assualted by a wiff of smoke. It's always unpleasant. My real problem with the situation is how unavoidable it is on Epic. Yes, I know it is possible to go up a deck here and down a deck there in order to avoid the casino. I seriously doubt that anyone goes through such a routine for the entire cruise.

 

I wish there were no smoking on the ship, but I realize that's not the way it is. Is Epic smoke filled due to its design? Let me put it this way...you WILL be exposed to smoke. It is NOT, however, so bad that it needs to ruin things for even a pretty finicky non-smoker, such as myself. With this understanding, this myth is BUSTED.

[Dogstar]

Darthdaddy, thanks for your fun review. This one scores a 2-thumbs-up for creativity!

 

What's your take on the "Chair Hogging Gone Wild" myth? Inquiring minds want to know.

 

Thanks. Dogstar.

 

PS. Only two more sleeps until we venture southeast towards Miami to test these myths for ourselves.

[coffeebean]

Great review and I'm really enjoying it. Didn't I read that the myth about the small cabins was coming up? Did I inadvertently skip a page and miss it? I'm still waiting to read about the cabins myth. Thanks.

[sdmike]

I think a possible correction might be in order. The purple slide was the most tame and exited in the kid's area. The green one spun in circles in the dark and made me dizzy. :)

[Darthdaddy]

Coffeebean: I promised to explore the bathroom / sink controversy. You didn't miss it. I messed up a couple days ago and several "myths" vanished (sounds like another myth, doesn't it). Not to worry, Like Indiana Jones, I'll still get there, just by another path.

 

SDMike: thanks for clarifying the color code for the slides. I've been writing in short spurts without taking time to confirm all deck numbers and such. I guess my memory must be colorblind.

[Darthdaddy]

Dogstar's inquiring mind wants to know about chair hogging on Epic, so here's my take.

 

Myth #9--Chair hogging is a major problem on Epic...

 

Two major caveats relating to this myth:

1. the 3/5-12 cruise was not at full capacity. We had appx 3200 vs 4800 during 3/12/19.

2. some of my group had access to the areas restricted for Courtyard pax.

 

In case I left the impression earlier that I am somewhat intolerant of smoking, you ain't seen nothin' compared to how offended am by chair hogs. If I don't have a problem, you can be confident that the problem isn't too bad.

 

During a previous cruise on the Pearl, I witnessed what I consider crime on the high seas. While taking a pre-dawn walk around the uppermost deck surrounding the pool area, I stopped to wait the sun to appear over the horizon. Simultaneously, a woman appeared on the pool deck below. I watched as she pulled a lounge close to pool and set a towel on the back and seat. It was barely 6:00am and the sun wasn't even up yet, but hey, maybe she wanted an early start on her tan. She proceeded to do this NINE more times! Upon completion of her housekeeping chores, she disappeared. I purposely stayed to see if she (and any of her imaginery friends) might return in a few moments. After a 30-minute wait I gave up and left. I don't know when this person returned to "her" chair, but I would wager that neither she nor any of her friends occupied those TEN poolside lounge chairs before 10:00am.

 

Happily, I saw nothing approaching this level of boorishness on Epic. There are sun lounges in the immediate vicinity of the water park on deck 15, but not nearly enough to accommodate everyone. The biggest number of chairs is on the open deck that looks over the pools (sort of like a balcony in a theater). I don't know how many chairs there are in this area, but I never saw it completely full---busy, yes---full, no. A nice benefit of this area is that you can actually see the sea. A disadvantage is that it seems always to be windy--very, very windy.

 

To the aft of deck 15 is Spcie H2O. This area has a pretty large complement of sun lounges, too. This space is quite removed from the action of the water park and is probably underutilized. If you like rock climbing, rappeling, trampoline, basketball, etc. you will be more drawn to this part of the ship. Otherwise, you could easily miss it and not realize that it is a pleasant area for sunning. The view of the ship's wake is obstructed by the giant video screen, but enough is visible to remind yourself that you are at sea.

 

Is chair hogging a major problem on Epic? At less than full capacity the answer is a refreshing, resounding and surprising (to me) "No." I consider this myth BUSTED...others will have to tell us about what it's like with a full ship.

[cruise4chris]

Darthdaddy,

Thanks for your fun review. We are boarding the Epic this Saturday for our first cruise ever and are SOOOOO excited. I'm sure it will be crowded because of spring break, but the 4800 passengers you mentioned that sailed last week certainly scares me a little. How do you find out the number of people booked for a given cruise? I'd love to have an idea of how many people are booked for next week.

 

We will have a great time regardless, I'm sure. I am most looking forward to spending a week with my husband and two teenaged boys with NO internet (I know it's available, but we don't NEED it) and bad TV (that's a plus in my book!). My sister-in-law who lost her husband to a long fight with cancer just eight months ago is also joining us and she needs to get away more than anyone else I know.

 

Thnaks again for a fun review!

[Sea Monster 2]

Darthdaddy,

Thanks for your fun review. We are boarding the Epic this Saturday for our first cruise ever and are SOOOOO excited. I'm sure it will be crowded because of spring break, but the 4800 passengers you mentioned that sailed last week certainly scares me a little. How do you find out the number of people booked for a given cruise? I'd love to have an idea of how many people are booked for next week.

 

We will have a great time regardless, I'm sure. I am most looking forward to spending a week with my husband and two teenaged boys with NO internet (I know it's available, but we don't NEED it) and bad TV (that's a plus in my book!). My sister-in-law who lost her husband to a long fight with cancer just eight months ago is also joining us and she needs to get away more than anyone else I know.

 

Thnaks again for a fun review!

 

I hope you find the break you are looking for on the Epic. We were on the same cruise as DarthDaddy, and we wound up really disconnected from our hectic real lives for the first time in years-- DH and I both commented on it. We felt very focused on our family for those days, and it was a real pleasure to have that time together. I hope you have the same experience!

[Darthdaddy]

Cruise4chris asks how to find out how many people are booked for a particular cruise. It seems that I have seen posts about this, but I don't know the answer. SeaMonster may be able to help me out about the 3/5-12 cruise. I know the 3200 vs 4800 numbers were tossed out a couple of times. I think the cruise director referenced it once and either the captain or one of the other senior officers spoke of it during the Q&A session held in the atrium of deck 5 one morning.

 

Now, as promised, let's talk about bathroom fixtures...

 

Myth #10--Bathrooms in Epic's staterooms are a bad joke...

The vast majority of folks following Epic/NCL on these boards must be aware of the controversy over the bathrooms in the staterooms. The biggest complaints seems to be (a) the split design that separates the toilet from the shower; (b) lack of a more traditional door between the sleeping space and the "facilities;" and © the infamous sinks. Some of these issues are less pronounced in the courtyard villas, but less than you might expect.

 

I have the least problem with the separation of the toilet and the shower. This is not an issue in the courtyard. In the regular staterooms, the goal was to allow 2 people to get ready simultaneously, rather than a single person tying up the bathroom. This seems like a reasonable goal to me. I give NCL credit for trying this design.

 

People have complained that someone could walk in from the hallway and catch you standing naked between the the shower and the toilet. This strikes me as such a remote possibility as to be silly. Other people have complained about having just a curtain between the sleeping area and the bath/changing area of the cabin. This is more reasonable to me, although after a week in a 150sq ft room there won't be many secrets anyway.

 

Sound and light are bigger issues. The frosted glass doors were probably the inspiration of a designer who gets paid a lot of money for knowing a lot more than I do about this stuff. They look cool, but they are a functional failure. Sound is clearly transmitted from the toilet and shower areas to the sleeping area. Again, there may not be many secrets among cabin mates, but then again do we REALLY have to make it worse? Light is an even bigger problem. The frosted doors disguise body shape, but do very little to cut down on light spilling into the rest of the cabin. This can be a problem when 1 person tries to use either the toilet or the shower while others are sleeping. I tend to get up early; other family members are part of the sleep-in crowd. Turning on the light in the shower area would immeidately flood the sleeping area with light. I devised a system of hanging a towel over the glass door, thereby blocking aboyt 2/3 of the light...not a perfect solution, but much better than the alternative. Assuming NCL insists on keeping the frosted doors, there really needs to be a much softer/lower light in both the toilet and the shower.

 

Whoever designed the frosted glass doors must have then completely lost her/his mind when designing the sinks. Once again, they look great. They are the kind of thing you might admire in a glossy magazine. Try to wash your face in one and your admiration will quickly turn to contempt. Do NOT turn the water on full blast---unless you want to recreate a water park in your room. Good news: the water pressure is great. Bad news: the water will splatter all over the place. Even with the water at no more than 1/3 flow rate, it was extremely difficult to wash without either cracking my head on the faucet or spalsing water on the floor. Since my wife and I are completing our 35th year of marriage, I know that this is most definitely NOT a good thing. No matter how hard I tried, I could not use the sink without making a mess. In cabins where the sink is mere inches from a bed this could result in civil war.

 

Someone at NCL fell for the glitzy showgirl instead of the rosy-cheeked girl next door. The glass doors and the stylish sinks look great, but a solid, opaque door and a basic, deep sink would be sooooo much easier to live with. (I, of course, married the perfect rosy-cheeked showgirl) It is almost incomprehensible that these things were not done as mock ups. I don't know how this happened, but NCL blew it.

 

Are the bathrooms in Epic's staterooms a bad (very bad) joke? Yes. This myth is CONFIRMED!!!!

[Sea Monster 2]

I have great connections-- I just asked the concierge how many people were on the cruise!!! :rolleyes:

 

I actually went through the booking procedure online a couple of weeks before we sailed to get an idea of how many cabins were available, and there were lots, so I knew it wouldn't be a packed cruise and was happy about that. There is also a website that gives you numbers that was referenced somewhere on CC (maybe in one of the 3/5 roll calls?).

[jmcdon7230]

What's the verdict on the myth that the couches in the balcony cabins are worthless?

[BenjiRodney]

Really enjoyed your review, I just booked this cruise for 2013, it will be my first cruise not on Carnival.

[coffeebean]

I think a possible correction might be in order. The purple slide was the most tame and exited in the kid's area. The green one spun in circles in the dark and made me dizzy. :)

I loved the purple slide for the speed. The green slide made me very dizzy the first time I went on it on our first cruise on Epic. I stayed away from it for the remainder of that cruise. I gave the green slide another try on our second cruise a few weeks ago and had no issue at all with dizziness. I used the green slide as much as I did the purple slide.

[Darthdaddy]

Myth #11--Curved sofa in Epic "wave" cabins is bad news...

I, too, have read complaints about the curved sofas, but I need some help on this one. My group was in a courtyard villa and an inside cabin (don't ask how we determined who stayed where...my boys are still grumbling!). Neither of these levels features the wave design, so I have no first hand experience to share.

 

The whole wave thing strikes me as yet another designer inspiration that looks good in pictures, but doesn't add value to the cruise experience.

 

There must be folks out there who have stayed in the wave cabins and who can confirm or bust this myth.

[sdmike]

What's the verdict on the myth that the couches in the balcony cabins are worthless?

 

Worthless for what? They were fine to sit on, and my kids had not issue sleeping on them. They were a little firm for my linking (as a bed), but someone under 100lbs should not have much of an issue. They contained plenty of storage behind the backrest, in the pull out drawers underneath, and the shelf behind the backrest. You could pull them out a bit from the back rest and they provided plenty of space. What is the supposed issue? I'd say the myth that they're worthless is busted.

[nibs07407]

Worthless for what? They were fine to sit on, and my kids had not issue sleeping on them. They were a little firm for my linking (as a bed), but someone under 100lbs should not have much of an issue. They contained plenty of storage behind the backrest, in the pull out drawers underneath, and the shelf behind the backrest. You could pull them out a bit from the back rest and they provided plenty of space. What is the supposed issue? I'd say the myth that they're worthless is busted.

The only thing I heard was because of the curve you could not sit on the couch & watch TV comfortably. I'm guessing the layout of the cabin, in terms of where the bed is may alter that though. I can't speak from experience, just what I read. I'll find out next month.

[Darthdaddy]

As stated throughout this thread, my family (part of us, anyway) stayed in a Courtyard Villa (A3) during the 3/5-13 cruise of Epic. I'm going to try to hit a series of myths surrounding the courtyard and similar high level accommodations.

 

Myth #12--The courtyard area becomes too crowded...

Once again, recognize that Epic was not at capacity during our cruise. Conversely, the courtyard villas and related suites were pretty full. Many suites (such as mine) were stuffed with kids and extended family. consequently, I believe the total passenger load in the courtyard was representative of what you could expect. Rarely, was the central courtyard even half full. The various lounges were comfortable; umbrellas provided shade when needed; while still breezy, there was protection from the worst of the wind; The pool is small, but provides a place for folks to take a quick dip; the hot tubs (2) were warm and rarely (very rarely) full. My sister remarked, after soaking in one of the hot tubs one evening, that she was literally alone in one of the most beautiful parts of a ship with 3200 passengers. Is the courtyard area too crowded? Absolutely not. This myth is BUSTED.

 

Myth #13--Sale of Posh passes has stripped this area of its value and exclusivity...

NCL recently began selling special "passes" to the Posh area of the courtyard complex. This lit up the boards with reports of masses of people overrunning Posh to the point that it was hard to get a lounge, etc. On another level the complaint was that people in suites paid a lot (A LOT) of money for exclusive use of amenities such as Posh. By selling access to non-suite passengers, the value of this amenity was benig eroded. I agree with the theorhetical agruement that suite pax should not have the value of what they bought eroded. Nonetheless, I must report that this is pretty much a non-issue. I have no idea how many (if any) Posh passes were sold for my cruise. I do know that the restricted areas were often abandonned. This space is sorely underutilized. I don't have a suggestion as to how to utilize this area---which is really quite large---better. The value of the suite amenities should be maintained, but it is rather silly to have so much wondeful space going to almost total waste. Does the sale of Posh passes strip this area of its value and exclusivity? No. This myth is BUSTED.

 

Myth #14--Courtyard Villas are too cramped for more than 1 couple and 2 small kids...

When planning our cruise, I posted Q's on these boards about the accommodations in the courtyard villas. Most people responded that 2 adults and 1 or 2 (small) kids would be the limit. Due to our particular circumstances, we elected to shoehorn 6 of us into one suite. Subsequently, we added 2 more family members and booked an inside cabin where the 3 college-age boys stayed.

 

Mom and my sister shared the master bdroom/bath. This allowed for mom's oxygen concentrator and gave her access to the expanded bath facilities. My wife and I were in the queen size bed in the 2nd bdroom. Our college-age daughter sometimes slept in the fold down bunk in the 2nd bdroom and sometimes chose the sofa in the living room. Was it tight? Oh my, yes. Was it doable? The proof is in the pudding, we did it and had a great time.

 

If your particular needs are such that having more people together is important, go for it. In our case I wanted concierge service to allow my mom easier access to Blue Man and Cirque Dreams. We received this service. I also wanted easy access to breakfast & lunch without mom having to go through the buffet. She loved going to the Epic Club for these meals. An easy place for mom to rest outside without fighting for a chair was important to us. Again, we got what we were looking for.

 

Fewer people in the suite would be wonderful, but don't be afraid to book an A3 for a large family, if your needs warrant it.

 

Are A3 suites too cramped for more than 3 or 4 people? You will have to make this call for yourself. Some folks might hate it and not enjoy there cruise. On the flip side, being together made our cruise even better. I acknowledge the drawbacks, but for my family this myth is BUSTED.

 

Myth #15--Once you experience an NCL suite you can never go back...

I hope my previous answers have revealed that my family had a great cruise. We enjoyed the amenities of the A3. It definitely made things better for my mom. We paid a lot of money, but my wife and I agree that it was worth it. I would love to book a suite for every cruise, but I truly do not think I will have a problem returning to other levels of accommodations. We have sailed in inside rooms, obstructed views, balconeys and now a suite. Each cruise has been enjoyable. Is it possible to return to "lesser" accommodations after experiencing an NCL suite? My answer is, "yes." Get the accommodations that are appropriate to your needs. Enjoy whatever you book. This myth is BUSTED.

 

OK, folks. If you have specific questions or myths you would like to talk about, fire away. If other folks have comments or contrary views, feel free to chime in. Otherwise, I'm all mythed out.

 

Thanks for allowing me to share my experiences aboard the NCL EPIC.

[erdoran]

At the risk of being flamed once again for whining, I DO have a contrary view and experience to yours, and I'm sure the difference in our experiences is due to passenger load. On my sailing I think there were 4200 or 4500 pax (I forget how many). It was Christmas week, which speaks for itself! I found the one time I went to Posh it was full, both the upper and lower levels. I found one seat overlooking the pool after a while, and that was all there was!

It was also crowded during sailaway, but that's to be expected with free champagne :> After that one time I didn't bother with Posh, so I can't say whether or not this was consistent for sea days.

 

The courtyard was crowded - and not - intermittently. I remember one sea day in particular DH and I started in the CY and found it pretty full, although there were a few seats left (in the shade). That's when we went to Posh, which was crowded. Back to CY and we went upstairs looking for sun, and tried the deck overlooking the CY, which was completely full, with nowhere to sit. We ended up on the bow sundeck, which had room and empty seats, but by the end of the afternoon that was about 75% full as well.

 

There were other occasions where there was a lot more room in the CY, and as I've said, I can only speak for a single sea afternoon in Posh--but I did want to relate my contrary experience.

[nibs07407]

It seems on busy weeks it can be tricky to find a lounge chair. Is this a myth? I am going on a busy week. Any tips on where to go for a lounge chair? I do not have a suite. I know I have Spice H2O as a plan B when the kids hit the kids club, but any other options? How about when I do have the kids? Thanks.

[sparks1093]

At the risk of being flamed once again for whining, I DO have a contrary view and experience to yours, and I'm sure the difference in our experiences is due to passenger load. On my sailing I think there were 4200 or 4500 pax (I forget how many). It was Christmas week, which speaks for itself! I found the one time I went to Posh it was full, both the upper and lower levels. I found one seat overlooking the pool after a while, and that was all there was!

It was also crowded during sailaway, but that's to be expected with free champagne :> After that one time I didn't bother with Posh, so I can't say whether or not this was consistent for sea days.

 

The courtyard was crowded - and not - intermittently. I remember one sea day in particular DH and I started in the CY and found it pretty full, although there were a few seats left (in the shade). That's when we went to Posh, which was crowded. Back to CY and we went upstairs looking for sun, and tried the deck overlooking the CY, which was completely full, with nowhere to sit. We ended up on the bow sundeck, which had room and empty seats, but by the end of the afternoon that was about 75% full as well.

 

There were other occasions where there was a lot more room in the CY, and as I've said, I can only speak for a single sea afternoon in Posh--but I did want to relate my contrary experience.

 

So basically if the Epic sails at or near capacity things will tend to be crowded; if Epic sails substantially below capacity then things will tend to less crowded.

[Darthdaddy]

I was REALLY concerned about the Posh situation before we sailed. On a previous thread I defended Erdoran's position that NCL had unilaterally changed the terms of its deal with those who had booked during a period when NCL promised exclusive use of POSH.

 

She (and I) paid a lot of money for our staterooms. Maybe I don't want to be around "riff-raff" (like my boys, lol); maybe I'm concerned about access and convenience for a special needs passenger (like my mom); maybe I won the Powerball and have more money than I could ever spend (I can dream, can't I). Whatever my reasons, if I buy a product or service, I expect to receive that product or service. Having said this, I can only report that POSH was a ghost town most of our week. The bar was completely dead. There must have been at least 5 open lounges for every person I ever saw there. I remarked to my wife several times that so much real estate was devoted to so little use.

 

I have explained that our cruise was at less than capacity (3200 vs 4800), but the courtyard area had multiple staterooms (such as mine) with high occupancy. Since congestion in the courtyard and Posh would seem to be more influenced by the density of suite passengers, I really can't explain the difference in our experiences.

 

I have a question: How utilized was the Epic Grill (I think that's the name), during your cruise? This is the wonderful sheltered, but open air, space between one end of the Epic Club restaurant and the courtyard. I thought this was a great spot, yet there were hardly ever any folks there. There was a full bar, free coffee, juice, cookies...but no people. Was your experience different?

[Sea Monster 2]

I have some thoughts on Posh, too. I had also weighed in on the earlier debates, saying that I didn't mind if they sold some passes provided that they balance them against CY occupancy, ie., not selling them on cruises when the CY is packed, and selling according to occupancy at other times so that suite pax get the promised amenity but NCL's space get used.

 

I went to Posh for sail away, and the bar service was so poor that we didn't go back-- and there were probably not more than 30 people there, with three bartenders. I stood at the bar for 25 minutes to order a pina colada, whiskey and soda and fruit smoothie. My order was taken three times because the bartender kept forgetting it, and when he eventually delivered the drinks two of them were wrong. DH actually walked over to the corner of the bar and poured the whisky into the soda they'd given him himself!!:eek: We were annoyed to spend most of sail away standing there repeating our drink order, especially as the area wasn't terribly busy, but the party was clearly going on down on the main deck, so as soon as we got our (incorrect) drinks we left-- we didn't even complain because we felt we'd wasted enough time there. I decided that if I wasn't going to use the bar service, I would just use deck 18 (which I had been planning to use anyway), and I did so every day but one. So that's one couple's reason for not using Posh during the cruise...

 

But I also have to mention that there were so few things to complain about during this cruise that after the initial annoyance we just moved on and had a fantastic time!!:D

[Darthdaddy]

I concur with Sea Monster that the Posh bar was crowded during the sail away party. The combination of "free" champagne and an actual view of the water was enough to draw me and my family up there. There was also a decent crowd for the Captain's party (again, "free" booze). Other than these occasions, the place was dead. Perhaps the only thing worse would be, if there were some poor lounge singer up there forced to perform for nothing but vacant seats.

 

I chalk this up to another design element that seemed like a good idea, but has not turned out very well. I'm not sure what the correct fix would be on Epic. I suspect we will see substantial changes in the 2 new ships that are being designed now.