Recap of first-time-ever NCLer going on EPIC . . .

[mlzangel78]

An addition breakfast selection for topping your freashly-toasted bagel . . .

 

 

 

There were even light breakfast selections back at Spice H2O, at the rear of the ship.

 

 

And for those who've traveled on Carnival Cruise Lines in the past few years . . . look at this (below), and answer the question, "What's wrong with this picture??"

 

 

Yes, I know. Gasp! :eek: The serving tongs are in the wrong position. What a loser cruise line NCL must be to offer their passengers the opportunity to select their meat products (bacon in particular) for their breakfast plates. What's wrong - Can't you afford the "Bacon Police" who will properly plop two wet slices of bacon on your plate, and then grimmace if you request a third?? You're gonna go broke, NCL. You're gonna go broke.

 

[ please tell me you got the complete sarcasm in that last bit ] :p

 

bahahahahahah for me this is the VERY best part of the review!!!!! i am loving your review.. after reading the first few pages we changed our booking on the Allure for NCL Epic, thank you!!!!

[Ocean Diva]

We just booked a cruise on the Epic out of Barcelona in July. Thanks for this great post and for all the laughs. We are so excited about going on this ship and can't wait.

[shoegirlscloset]

Don & Tom & Cheryl. It was a blast sharing your cruise experience aboard the Epic. We sailed her in the past and enjoyed it. I hope I have the pleasure of cruising with you guys in the future. I so want to replicate Don's head first shooting the bowl of the slide. Sailing the Epic to Europe on 10/7/12, plan to become very friendly with Armando and his chocolate concoction. Will update with totally not FB ready photos with commentary. LOL

[DGP1111]

Hard to believe this thread still has some life in it (thanks to an occasional 'CPR' post) :D :D

 

I'm still very much looking foward to my November repeat sailing on EPIC (having to catch up with T&C, who've already done #2). But first, it's a spin on Star next month. :)

 

And for those who've mentioned you've still got a future EPIC waiting to happen . . . Bon Voyage!!!! Enjoy!!!

.

.

[Fujiko]

Yes, the review was great - thank you!

 

I've gone from really wanting to go on the Epic to really really wanting to go on the Epic, so I guess that hasn't changed much....

[kerrytens]

Yes, the review was great - thank you!

 

I've gone from really wanting to go on the Epic to really really wanting to go on the Epic, so I guess that hasn't changed much....

Wait until you have sailed on the Epic ... you will REALLY want to cruise on her again. She is an addiction, methinks. I miss the ship so much.

 

Thanks again Don for the wonderful review:D

[spirit8]

Got looking at NCL because of the studios. Got into the research and with their professional customer service did not book studio as they were having

a fantastic sale for Spa suite (October 2013).

 

Don, after reading your review, waiting for the next installment, booked on

Epic studio 1/13, as I could not wait till Oct. This year's cruise schedule is

already set but I could not wait longer to go.

 

Also thank you to Tom-n-Cheryl and SCMike and all the others who present both the pros and cons of the Epic.

 

The Breakway will get to the top of my list, I suspect, once she is here.

 

Again, thank you all.

Ellie:D

[nyyhoneybee]

I can't wait to try out the Epic, all the reviews has me wishing Aug was here!

[2disneydads]

Thanks to Don and all of the others who have posted here. We've booked the Epic for July 14, 2013, for a 7-night Western Med sailing with our 2 daughters. They are going to love the slides, the waterworks, the climbing wall, the spider's web, etc., etc. We're going to love the many dining options - even more than we had on the Gem and PoA. Now if we could just find some Epic Med Freestyle Dailies to study, we'd be set!

 

Thanks all!:)

[NancyIL]

I know this cruise was taken almost a year ago, but your review was so helpful! I booked my first NCL cruise for spring 2013 on the Epic, and I'm in the same studio cabin you had - 12516! I was concerned about it being so close to the Lounge, but your review has reassured me. :)

[graphicguy]

Funny.....the GF and I were just talking about setting up another Epic cruise. It's such a fantastic ship, and fantastic experience. Looking through the pics and posts brought back so many fond memories.

[GypsyCarrol]

Thank you Don and everyone else who had input into this great review.

We had already booked our cruise in November, but your review would certainly have helped me choose my next cruise.

I was looking for info on the casino when I came across your review.

We were on a Celebrity ship for 22 days last year and their casino was awful. Although you didn't seem to spend much time there, you did mention your experience. We have sailed 3 other times on NCL, with the Pearl being the best of them. I guess I will get the "Epic" experience in less than 3 weeks. (no pun intended) I am definitely getting a chocolate martini and also going to the Ice Bar. I saw they have ice wine. We live in the ice wine area of Ontario, so I will be having some of that.

Thanks again to all.

Carrol:)

[Tom-n-Cheryl]

Thank you Don and everyone else who had input into this great review.

We had already booked our cruise in November, but your review would certainly have helped me choose my next cruise.

I was looking for info on the casino when I came across your review.

We were on a Celebrity ship for 22 days last year and their casino was awful. Although you didn't seem to spend much time there, you did mention your experience. We have sailed 3 other times on NCL, with the Pearl being the best of them. I guess I will get the "Epic" experience in less than 3 weeks. (no pun intended) I am definitely getting a chocolate martini and also going to the Ice Bar. I saw they have ice wine. We live in the ice wine area of Ontario, so I will be having some of that.

Thanks again to all.

Carrol:)

 

Just off the Celebrity Eclipse (7 nights) and loved their casino... of course WINNING didn't hurt! ;) The ABSOLUTE BEST thing about Celebrity casinos is the fact that they are 100% non-smoking. I have played in many casinos, some of which had non-smoking areas, but they all smelled (to some degree) of old cigarettes. The casinos on Celebrity just smell like.... money! :D On our last Epic sailing, it was quite smokey - which left me with a sore throat on a few evenings!

 

No offense intended towards the smokers out there - most I have played with have been very considerate. Though in sufficient numbers, in the absence of adequate ventilation, it does add up.

 

Tom

[GypsyCarrol]

Yes, I read on CC that the casino on the Epic was smokey. Personally I don't smoke, and don't like coming away from a casino smelling like a cigarette butt. I won nothing on the Celebrity cruise and the machines were old and coin operated. I think I would rather smell like smoke and win something, like I did on the Pearl.

I should take a bottle of Febreeze with me. LOL:D

[Tom-n-Cheryl]

... I think I would rather smell like smoke and win something, like I did on the Pearl.

...

 

I'm with you there! :D

 

Tom

[pkt1976]

thank you so much for your review. I was thinking of getting a studio on the Epic next spring and was a little nervous. Your review and pictures are wonderful and convinced me to go for it!!!

[pimela]

I have a cruise booked on the Epic in June to Europe. I posted something about my trip and somewhat recommended reading this review. Oh my goodness. I have never read a review I enjoyed so much. Your review has me so excited for my cruise. In fact, I'm a little sad that there are so many ports I want to spend time in. I may need to take another cruise just to experience all the things you mention in your review. Well done!

 

Pam

[ClaireAndMike]

WOW what an amazing review! My sister and I took our first cruise (and it was an incidental cruise) to Hawaii on the Pride of America in December thinking it would just be a one off thing. I decided a cruise would be the best way to see the most in the short time frame that we had but we actually really enjoyed the cruise itself so now here I am trying to decide where we will go next.

 

I had pretty much had my heart set on the western Caribbean itinerary but then I began reading about Epic and got very interested in that.

 

Now after reading this review, there is no question!

 

It was great. =)

[DevilDogsWifey215]

Well, I for one think this review sucks:mad:. After swearing that I'd never be interested in ever, ever sailing on Epic this review has piqued my interest enough to maybe, just possibly sometime thinking about doing just that :cool:(I have sailed on a ship with 6,000 people before and am not in a hurry to sail on one again, but the Epic doesn't have F-14's landing at all hours of the day and night). I'm also regretting even more not being on the Sun this October:(. Can't wait to finish reading your review, Don:D.

 

 

HAHAHA! Hubby is Marine and did a deployment on the 22 MEU. Guess we'll see how he compares it as well :)

[Ebonycruiser1]

Great review!! Love all the details and pictures.

[ChooChooMan]

I had the good fortune to experience a Studio on the Epic just after Thanksgiving last November. It was total fun, and this review thread has been great to read - to re-experience it all again, if only in my mind!

Natalie was a great "Studio Mom!"

I am avid steak fan, and rank the filet's in their order - Cagny's, Moderno, and Le Bistro (being the best).

La Cucina is a great restaurant, with a great menu.

O'Sheehan's - Shepard's Pie is out of this world - and would order 2 when I ate there!

Blue Man Group, Second City, Howl at the Moon, Legends in Concert all throughly enjoyed.

I had a coupon for $50 of slot machine play, and almost forgot I had it with me, and at 2am on the last night of the cruise, I ran to the casino to play. After $30, i hit for a $1,200 jackpot! Paid for the cruise and airfare! I love this ship!

Am now going to book the Star in May, and look forward to another Epic trip in the future.

The meet and greet was fun too, thanks to Tom and Cheryl.

 

Go on an Epic cruise, you will be glad you did.

[OhJinkies]

Don, thank you so much for your Epic Review!!

 

It was both informative and entertaining, and I actually started an "Epic Tips" document as part of my planning -- earlier this week I booked a Studio on the Epic for early December. I had hoped to hold out a bit to see if NCL would offer any specials, OBC, etc. but my travel agent urged me to go ahead and book as she said these studios sell out fairly quickly.

 

I live in Orlando too, and your pic looks somewhat familiar -- I'm wondering if we work for the same (large) employer?

[Mommabear5]

OP your review is wonderful as well as the pictures you shared..I just have a few questions? How much of everything that you found great about the Epic was actually included in the ticket price you paid and how much extra did you spend to do other things that are not included?

 

Just wondering because I plan to spend money on drinks, casino, and excursions but I am just curious how much more I might have to spend in order to really enjoy everything the Epic has to offer.

 

How many dinners did you enjoy that were not speicality rest?

Edited April 2, 2012 by Mommabear5

[Mickey's Spouse]

Wow Don. Where do I begin? First, let me thank you for taking the time to share your talent with us. What a gift you have. I felt as if I were right beside you during your vacation.

 

Loved it.

 

I have a trip booked on the Epic for June of 2013. My only experience with the Epic was being docked beside her in St. Martin (I think that was the port) in 2010. I was on the Disney Magic and looked at the huge, ugly, flat butt ship next to us and was so happy I was traveling on a classic ocean liner and not that square bucket of bolts. :D

 

When I booked my Epic trip is was port driven. 100% port driven. I called the pcc at NCL and told her where I wanted to go, what ports I wanted to visit and where I wanted my trip to begin and end. And she said... I have a ship that is going exactly there .. The NCL Epic. I had no clue which ship the Epic was. Didn't make the connection to the ship I saw until I looked at my trip pictures.

 

So then I became obsessed researching the ship. Wanted to find out as much as I could. What exactly was that blue thing on the top deck? Gee, those balconies look teeny, tiny. Saw a ton of really bad reviews and my heart sank. Then I read three good in a row and now I just can't wait to go.

 

I first read SD Mike's review and I was able to talk myself off the ledge. :)Then I read Aaron's review and ended up staying up late to read all three years of his From The deck chair blogs.:) Found there are other cruise lines than Carnival, RC, Disney, Princess and NCL. Who knew??? :p

 

And then there was yours. I want to write like you. So informative. I was right beside you. I loved your detail. Not preachy at all. Clear wonderful writing. And I've stayed up much too long reading all 38 pages. When I first started to read, I didn't notice the report was from 2011. :rolleyes:

 

I'm so glad I can get past the first impression I had of that ship. You displayed her inner beauty so eloquently and I thank you for that.

[Lisa-UK]

Don

 

Many thanks for your absolutely wonderful review and for taking the time to share your experiences.

 

We have just booked the Epic - Med Cruise, May 12, so only a few more weeks to go.

 

Can't wait to go!

 

Thanks again:)