Do you think the Epic's low % number on CC means anything?

[Mandy923]

I've been wanting to try out the Epic, for awhile now. All of our previous cruises have been on RCL, with 1 on CCL, 1 on DCL. We are not Loyal to 1 Cruiseline- and I'd love to try as many lines/ ships as possible!

 

I took advantage of the Kids sail Free promotion Norwegian was running last week, and booked my family in a balcony and studio. (my 17yr old will be in the studio, and my 8 & 4 yr olds will be with my husband and I in a family balcony)

 

I've read several Epic Reviews, and this seems like an Amazing ship! I think my children will love the waterslides!

 

But I have to wonder, why is the % so low on the reviews board? 73%?!

The RCL ships we've sailed on are 80%-88%. Disney Ship 83%, Even the Carnival Glory 77%.

 

So should I just not ignore this, seemingly close to failing score!?

 

We really aren't unreasonable people, who would pick apart a cruise (or any vacation) like I see some people do. But I still wonder why the EPIC scores so low?

 

She seems AMAZING! Am I wrong to think this?

[MeHeartCruising]

The Epic is a "different from the norm" ship in many regards... the cabin layout, the entertainment options, the external appearance, the walk-thru casino, etc. I think NCL's intent with the Epic was to create a sensation by being so different. And it did. But a lot of people don't like change and I think these are the ones that don't really care for the "different" style of this ship. Personally, I liked the Epic and would sail her again if the itinerary was a good one. Read all you can about it and decide if it's for you or not. The negatives I've seen posted didn't bother me in the slightest for the most part.

[Tideone]

MeHeart is right, the Epic is a different from the norm ship, and my wife and I had a lot of discussions about whether we really wanted to try a ship like it before we finally did.

And we sure were glad we did. We had such a great time on our first Epic cruise, we sailed again three months later.

I am not a fan of having to go through the casino to get to everything else, and yes, the cabins are a little different from standard cabins, but we didn't let this bother us.

There are too many other good things about the ship, including the water slides, to make a big deal out of the other things.

So go ahead, get on board, keep an open mind, and have a great time. Don't let the naysayers get the best of you.

[SMSACE6]

I dont put too much importance on those percentages. Before I booked my cruise on Epic, I just looked at all the photos I could find of Epic, as well as what was written. Yes some of what I have seen written was negative, but the specific negatives are not things that would affect me much anyway. I must say though that I do find that there are more positive reviews on the NCL message board than negative ones, and rarely do you see a really bad one. Now..I have not yet been on the Epic, but I am excitedly waiting my turn:D. I am also not a hard person to please with respect to cruises, so Im quite optimistic that I will have an excellent time, and really like the ship. Hope you have an awesome cruise.:)

[punkincc]

After Freedom of the Seas, I did not think I wanted to sail a big ship again, but 2 reviews I read here on the message board changed my mind, and we are booked for the Epic later this year. I am unable to post a link, but if you use the search box at the top of the page, you will find these reviews:

 

Recap of Don's first-time-ever NCL Epic review by DGP1111

sdmike's review & daily diary of Epic's inaugural western Caribbean cruise

 

They are most informative and highly entertaining.

[wheatengirl]

We have gone on cruises with RCCL (7), Carnival (3), Holland America (2), Princess (2),

Costa (2) and Norwegian (3). Our favorite cruise was on the EPIC. We went last November and have booked again for this November. There is so much to do we felt like we did only half of what we wanted to do so we are going back.

We loved the room set up but we are a married couple and privacy is not a issue for us. My husband could use the sink and I could shower without being in the others way. We liked that it was different. We also love having a coffee pot in the room. We even brought our coffee with us.

We liked having all the food options that are available. The buffet is one of the best, food is fresh and varied. O'sheehan's is great for breakfast, lunch, or late night snack. The BIG screen tv could be seen from there and since we went during football season they played a lot of games and we watched from there complete with wings and beer. Can it get any better than that? We ate at 3 specialty restaurants and although they were really good it wasn't necessary because the main dining room food was very good.

The slides were great fun and we are a 50ish couple. We didn't go on them until late in the cruise and wish that we had gone on them more than one day. The shows are great,especially liked the blue man group and jazz club. Missed the comedy club but want to do that this time.

There is something for everyone since there is so much entertainment.

I really wouldn't worry about the negative reviews because I did before we went and we had a great cruise. I hope that it is everything you are looking for in a vacation. If you have any specific questions I will try to answer.

[Love my butler]

You will either love or hate Epic. No amount of positive reviews will change your mind if you don't like it. NCL does a lot of things with the Epic that I don't like. Since I pay a lot of money to cruise I feel I should enjoy the experience. Too many negatives on the Epic for me to enjoy my week. Every opinion will be unique.

[sdmike]

Mandy -

Epic is probably the most unique, and polarizing, ship on the seas. This ship has an amazing number of repeat customers, especially for one so young (launched in 2010). I've read of people sailing her 3, 4 and even 5 times.

 

Pros - Amazing entertainment and food choices. Beautiful interior. The water slides. Awesome crew. Size. The modern cabins

 

Cons - No full promenade/track around the ship. Not-so-beautiful exterior. Small pools. Size. The modern cabins :)

 

Here's a great thread about Epic love/hate. I'm in the love category, but there are lots of opinions on the big girl. There are also some "professional" reviews in my signature area you might want to read.

 

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1812633

[david_sobe]

It is not just the Epic. NCL has the lowest rated ships on CC. This is often mentioned here on several different threads and asked why. Some of the oldest clunkers on Carnival have a higher rating than NCL ships.

I dont have an explanation either.

[Tinyturtle22]

I have to ask how you managed to book a 17 year old alone in a solo cabin?

[Red-Sol]

Hi Mandy,

 

I have a theory on why the Epic reviews may not be as positive as one might think. However I think I will not publicly say what my theory is! :)

 

We sailed the Epic in 2010 when it was doing back to back cruises in the Caribbean and we simply loved it.

 

It was our first time sailing a big ship like that and we knew immediately that the big ships were for us.

 

The last two years we sailed on the Big Girls Of Royal of the Oasis and Allure. Both of those ships were wonderful as well....but after thinking more about it we felt like the way Norwegian does Freestyle suits us much better. It seems to us that the mood on Norwegian overall is just a bit more relaxed and friendlier...so we don't think we will be straying again.

 

I think you and your family will have a great time on the Epic and don't let those somewhat negative numbers cause you any anxiety!

[soaringfalcon]

As others have said, she is a polarizing ship and you either love her or hate her. While my family didn't care for the bathroom layout, there were a ton of things that are right on the Epic and we would sail her again. I think you'll be very pleased.

[Mandy923]

Thank you everyone!! I really appreciate all your insightful opinions, and the links!

I think I'm going to let my slight anxiety about this go, and look forward to a wonderful week with my family on this magnificent ship!

 

And to answer the question about the studio and my 17yr old. She's not on that reso. My husband is actually booked in the studio room, but she will be sleeping there. Across the hall and down 2 doors from our balcony. So she'll be close by.

[crackycruiser]

We loved the Epic. We loved the thermal spa which is like nothing we have ever seen on a cruise ship. The food was great. Best buffet ever. Love the dining rooms. Especially loved O'Sheehan's. It is set up like a pub, with a bowling alley on the side and is in the middle of all the action. Food is pretty good and it is open 24/7. Went to Moderno and the service and food was fabulous. Water slides were a favorite with the kids we saw on board. I agree, I like trying different lines because after 4 RCL cruises I was getting tired of them. (even though I have no complaints). Entertainment was great. Kids will love Blue Man Group. Service was fantastic. It is a different ship and has some drawbacks. Even though it is a big ship the back is all sectioned off for suite guests which make it seem smaller. Once your inside the ship there isn't many places where you can see the water so not many nice places to hang out and watch the water at night unless you go on deck. The casino is open on all sides and is huge so whereever you go you are always near the casino or walking through it. Even O'Sheehan's is in the middle of it and you have to walk through to get to it. The pool is very small, but there are the water slides. At the pool deck it is hard to get a chair so you have to go early. So now with the new ships they are fixing all the problems on the Epic, but all and all, it was one of our favorite cruises despite all of the factors that could turn some people off that I have pointed out. Don't forget on cruise critic only a small percentage of people who go on cruises actually take the polls. When I asked numerous people on the Epic if they were enjoying the cruise I only had one couple who said really didn't like it and every other person absolutely loved it. I don't think you will be disappointed.

[thedoc29ca]

Count my family in the repeat customers category. We just returned from the Epic and dragged along another family. We had nine total ages 4-65 and everyone had a blast. The variety of dining, entertainment and activities is unparalleled.

 

I agree with the theory that cruisers expecting a more traditional ship / room layout may skew the results. The setup works for my family.

[Tinyturtle22]

Thank you everyone!! I really appreciate all your insightful opinions, and the links!

I think I'm going to let my slight anxiety about this go, and look forward to a wonderful week with my family on this magnificent ship!

 

And to answer the question about the studio and my 17yr old. She's not on that reso. My husband is actually booked in the studio room, but she will be sleeping there. Across the hall and down 2 doors from our balcony. So she'll be close by.

 

I have sailed in Epic studios 3 times. They are actually in their own locked area accessable only by key card and not down the hall from any balcony cabins.

[sdmike]

I have sailed in Epic studios 3 times. They are actually in their own locked area accessable only by key card and not down the hall from any balcony cabins.

 

You beat me to the punch here. It might require moving the teen "officially" to the studio once on board and getting a couple extra keys, one for the teen to visit the balcony, and one for the parents to drop in on the teen. :) The teen's official key won't open the access door or the cabin door

[Mandy923]

Thank you for answering the studio question. I was actually thinking about the best way to work it- since her name isn't officially listed, and she's actually on the balcony room.

I told the rep on the phone, my intentions of putting my teen there and she assured me that families actually do this all the time, and it wouldn't be any issue.

She did say it was "across the hall, very close"

But, regardless- as long as she is on the same deck- I'm good with it. She's a very responsible, mature kid. I don't anticipate any shenanigans from her :)

[Mkehlb]

The Epic was my 2nd cruise. While I have some complaints, mainly about the casino and chairs at the pool, overall it was a great cruise. The entertainment was terrific. I particularly liked the Indian food at lunch in the Garden Cafe. By and large the staff and the ship were all helpful, kind, and pleasant. the exception was at the Cirque dreams dinner show. Waitstaff was rude and the food was HORRIBLE (forgive the shouting but it deserved it). I would sail on the Epic again but there are so many other ships to try...

[shark with a laser]

I'm one of the naysayers. I don't think Epic is horrible. I had a great cruise on her. If the price and itinerary were right I might consider booking on her again. She is, however, not really to my tastes. I discovered through Epic that I really am not interested in megaships. I had some of the same complaints many others have regarding the cabins, the bathroom arrangements, not enough elevators, the sheer number of people. On the other hand, the crew was amazing. Everyone went out of their way to do anything we wanted or needed. We actually had a waitress at breakfast in the MDR who remembered us from breakfast at Cagney's on a cruise 1 1/2 years prior. While I had a perfectly enjoyable vacation, I would probably give the ship a pretty low rating because of the numerous things I didn't like about the ship itself. However, I would never tell anyone not to cruise on Epic, and I'm sure you'll have a wonderful cruise on her as I did. You may find certain things that are inconveniences or not to your tastes or liking, but I doubt they'll be bad enough to ruin your trip if you don't let them. Remember, unless you're dealing with a disaster at the level of Triumph, any cruise is a good cruise.

[Warm Breezes]

I've been wanting to try out the Epic, for awhile now. All of our previous cruises have been on RCL, with 1 on CCL, 1 on DCL. We are not Loyal to 1 Cruiseline- and I'd love to try as many lines/ ships as possible!

 

I took advantage of the Kids sail Free promotion Norwegian was running last week, and booked my family in a balcony and studio. (my 17yr old will be in the studio, and my 8 & 4 yr olds will be with my husband and I in a family balcony)

 

I've read several Epic Reviews, and this seems like an Amazing ship! I think my children will love the waterslides!

 

But I have to wonder, why is the % so low on the reviews board? 73%?!

The RCL ships we've sailed on are 80%-88%. Disney Ship 83%, Even the Carnival Glory 77%.

 

So should I just not ignore this, seemingly close to failing score!?

 

We really aren't unreasonable people, who would pick apart a cruise (or any vacation) like I see some people do. But I still wonder why the EPIC scores so low?

 

She seems AMAZING! Am I wrong to think this?

 

Well I can only tell you that I would give it a 90%. My only major problem was no room on the Lido deck on sea days but I have run across that on all lines we have sailed. Entertainment was top-notch...IMO right up there with Disney. The rooms (inside) were smaller but we put 2 in a room and were ok. IMHO the MDR food was similar to Carnival but the buffet was better on NCL. I wasn't impressed with the desserts but loved O'Sheehans. I would rank it lower than Disney but above Carnival. DH would probably put Carnival before it....just because he prefers the food on Carnival and he really didn't like the size of the ship. He did agree that the entertainment was better than Carnival. You will get different opinions. I think some really love it and some hate it. Go with an open mind and great attitude and then judge for yourself.

[Sauer-kraut]

Thank you for answering the studio question. I was actually thinking about the best way to work it- since her name isn't officially listed, and she's actually on the balcony room.

I told the rep on the phone, my intentions of putting my teen there and she assured me that families actually do this all the time, and it wouldn't be any issue.

She did say it was "across the hall, very close"

But, regardless- as long as she is on the same deck- I'm good with it. She's a very responsible, mature kid. I don't anticipate any shenanigans from her :)

 

Yes, but the studio cabins are in their own hallway, separated from the other cabins only accessible at either end of the hall. So she won't have all that direct access to your cabin. The halls have their own key card entry as well.

[kerrytens]

You will either love or hate Epic. Every opinion will be unique.

I quite agree with you here actually. Epic is either a love her or hate her ship. As a result all opinions will be quite unique in their view of the whole experience.

 

Me - I'm in the love her camp. So much so that I'm booked for round two (as many others are too).

 

OP, don't allow a number to make your decision. If you are in any way intrigued by the Epic, she is worth a try.

 

Let us know what you decide.

[jonbgd]

Cons - . The modern cabins :)

 

 

Ok that is funny calling the bathroom setup modern;)

 

To the OP I would say do the Epic and go with an open mind

You will have a good time

[sdmike]

Thank you for answering the studio question. I was actually thinking about the best way to work it- since her name isn't officially listed, and she's actually on the balcony room.

I told the rep on the phone, my intentions of putting my teen there and she assured me that families actually do this all the time, and it wouldn't be any issue.

She did say it was "across the hall, very close"

But, regardless- as long as she is on the same deck- I'm good with it. She's a very responsible, mature kid. I don't anticipate any shenanigans from her :)

 

Once you get on board, the three of you need to go to Guest Services and have your teen moved to the studio room. Your husband and teen will get new cards. You can also choose to get your teen a key to your room, and you one for their room. These keys will be blank and will not do anything but open doors. You need to do this on the ship because they wont' do it on-line, on the phone or during check-in at the terminal.