What's happening with the Epic (bad reviews)?

[oct696]

The one thing that keeps coming back is the comparison with Royal Carribean. We all know NCL is not RC

 

I sailed most recently on RC and found it to be lacking in many ways, however, I subscribe to the theory that any day on the sea is better than not being at sea.

 

Sailing on Epic in January - surely it will be a better experience than on RC's Mariner of the Seas.

 

My biggest problem w/that ship was that they allowed smoking, indoors. I counted 4 venues (not including the casino as it is expected there). Ugh. I can cope w/outdoor smoking - but not indoors.

 

 

:D

[xcell]

Mariner is such a small ship so to compare that to the epic won't be fair. Now if you had gone on the freedom or liberty, I believe that would be closer in size to do a fair comparison. I have done those rccl cruises as well as the Genesis class and haven't had issues with smoking.

 

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[SASA13]

I will be sailing on Epic Dec 21st with my wife and two children who are 19 and 21. I have to admit the negative reviews have made me a little nervous. This will be my 8th cruise and second on NCL. After thinking about the reviews for a few days I decided to dismiss most of the complaints I read and here is why...

 

1) The Norwegian Epic is a huge ship with over 4000 passengers. As the the old saying goes "You can't please everybody." So, there are always going to be a few unhappy campers for whatever reason. And of course those are the ones who are more likely to write a review. I am in the travel business myself and have first hand experience in not being able to please everyone. Recently a client who recently returned back from Morocco wrote us a complaint letter stating that she was upset because she could not find anyone in Morocco that spoke English.

 

2) I am certainly not going to let the design of the bathrooms or the room ruin my vacation. Really how ridiculous is that? I booked a Large Balcony Stateroom B6. Also, made sure ahead of time that my bed is close to the balcony. I really think planning ahead makes a big difference in enjoying the cruise.

 

3) I had to wait to be seated at the restaurants. Really? Is this something to complain about? Often when I go out to eat at some of my favorite local restaurants there is often a line. Plus, the cruise ship restaurants often serve multiple courses which takes more time to serve.

 

4) There wasn't anything to do? LOL I couldn't believe this one when I read it. I am not even on the ship yet and I am overwhelmed by the choices the Epic has to offer. I have already booked all my show times online. Blueman Group, Cirque, Legends, 2nd City Comedy, Presumed Murdered. That is just for starters, there is so much more to do on the ship.

 

5) Most of the unfriendly staff complaints have been recent. I really do believe this could be because of the Typhoon in the Philippines. I heard a majority of the crew is from there and I am sure it has effected their mood. I also believe that saying please and thank you goes a long way. I have watched people on cruise ships treat the staff like slaves demanding things. I am sure if you treat them nicely and smile they will do the same back.

 

6) As far as the Nickel and Dime thing.... Unfortunately it is not just an NCL thing, all cruise lines are starting to offer extras for extra pay. It is a trend in the industry. It's just like anything else in life. As long as people continue to go to the paid restaurants they will stay. They would not be there if people did not pay to go there. I am planning on not eating at any of the pay to eat restaurants. I will stick with the complimentary dinning options.

 

As you can see I am now planning to have a great trip!!! Don't pay much attention to the reviews....go and have your own experience and don't sweat the small stuff! I will try to write a review when I return.

 

GREAT ATTITUDE. I got off the Epic last Saturday, and I still LOVE IT.

This was our third cruise on the Epic and we still have a blast. Entertainment is over the top. The Casino is always jumpin, the deck parties are always high energy. The staff is still great, and the food is still delicious ( especially in the spec. restaurants). I think the staff does a great job. Nothing is 100%, and if you don't expect 100% you will never be dissapointed. Have a wonderful cruise, you and your family will love it.

[punkincc]

Just back from our first Epic cruise this past Saturday and we really enjoyed the cruise. We had an aft facing cabin. Was the cabin layout to my taste? No, but it did not really effect our enjoyment of the cruise. Was there some vibration in the aft? Yep! But again, it did not really bother us. That view and the sound of the wake was well worth it! The design of the ship in general? I thought it was well designed and easy to navigate. We barely went on the pool deck, but when we did, I saw lots of chairs.

 

The two or three biggest complaints I remember reading before the cruise had to do with poor, slow service, smoke in the midship areas and overcrowding, especially the elevators and the buffet. Also, the fact that seating in specialties was not to be had without a reservation well in advance conflicting with a freestyle atmosphere.

 

I have to wonder what ship these people were on. We only ate in the MDR the first night. We had a very short wait for a table with a glass of free champagne. Service was prompt and efficient. It was noisy, yes. The duo singing was great. Other nights we ate at specialties with no reservations, most of the time as walk ups around 7:00 or 8:00. Once we waited about 15 minutes. Once we were told they had a big influx of reservations on the books and to check back in 30 minutes. Must have been a lot of no shows cause we were then seated immediately. Our fav is usually Le Bistro and no complaints there, but this time Cagneys blew us away! Our first time with the new menu. My steak was huge and tender. And the salad bar at Moderno alone is worth the cover charge. Service was good everywhere we went. Buffet, crowded yes. But walk outside for lots of tables. I thought easy to navigate, no real lines except for an omlet, and loved the variety. Carving stations, even at lunch. That roasted chicken was really good.

 

The midship I would describe as very lively. No rolling up of the sidewalks here! Lots of people in the bars and lounges. Spent a lot of time in the casino. I know some will not believe this, and maybe we were just lucky as we are non smokers and smoke sets off my allergic rhinitis, but I had to wonder if they had suddenly gone nonsmoking. I saw very few the entire week. No smell, no haze in the air.

 

Elevators. I sometimes marveled that we were the only ones waiting and we often were the only ones on. Full elevators near the buffet and when everyone wanting to get off or on in ports. To be expected and had zero impact on our vacation.

 

I thought the entertainment was by far the best on any cruise ship we have ever been on. Really enjoyed Cirque. The guy doing Steven Tyler in Legends was fantastic. Elvis, pretty good. Katie, meh. And excuse me, but she has a way to go before she is a legend. Second City Overboard was good for a few laughs. Wished we could have spent more time in Howl. The audience was as entertaining as the piano players. Jim Capik(?) acoustic guitar at Maltings was a favorite spot before and after dinner. Only disappointment was the Jazz Club. Every time we stuck our heads in it was bingo or a cabaret singer.

 

Lots of enjoyment to be had on the Epic. Just go with an open mind.

[dalgirl]

Out to Sea! - it depends on who is around when I am showering:p that made it 150% when DH was around!

 

punkincc - you are right, I don't know where some of the comments about overcrowding, waiting, etc., but I am also a nonsmoker (and a rabid smoking hater of the highest order) and the smoke last week was terrible in the casino area - they really had the portable air filters kicked in overdrive. It was "hold your breath and run" for me;) during really busy nights, but good exercise.

 

After 3 cruises on Epic we knew all the times to be where, how to eat in comfort and low volume, where to hide out to get some sun, how to get around crowds, etc. I think big ship cruising is the real culprit. Lots of people just don't like them.

[Out to sea!]

I sailed most recently on RC and found it to be lacking in many ways, however, I subscribe to the theory that any day on the sea is better than not being at sea.

 

Sailing on Epic in January - surely it will be a better experience than on RC's Mariner of the Seas.

 

My biggest problem w/that ship was that they allowed smoking, indoors. I counted 4 venues (not including the casino as it is expected there). Ugh. I can cope w/outdoor smoking - but not indoors.

 

 

:D

 

Sorry, but I would disagree. Having sailed the Mariner twice, she is still my favorite ship, hands down!

[Out to sea!]

Mariner is such a small ship so to compare that to the epic won't be fair. Now if you had gone on the freedom or liberty, I believe that would be closer in size to do a fair comparison. I have done those rccl cruises as well as the Genesis class and haven't had issues with smoking.

 

Sent from my SGH-I337M using Forums mobile app

 

Mariner = 138,000 tons, Epic = 155,000 tons. Not that big of a difference. Yes, the Freedom at 160,000 tons is closer in size.

[shanley]

I sailed most recently on RC and found it to be lacking in many ways, however, I subscribe to the theory that any day on the sea is better than not being at sea.

 

Sailing on Epic in January - surely it will be a better experience than on RC's Mariner of the Seas.

 

My biggest problem w/that ship was that they allowed smoking, indoors. I counted 4 venues (not including the casino as it is expected there). Ugh. I can cope w/outdoor smoking - but not indoors.

 

 

:D

 

Smoking was my biggest issue with the Epic. There are many restaurants surrounding the casino and the promenade is open to the casino. To get to the atrium from the aft, you have to walk through the casino and take an escalator. It was very hard to avoid the smell/smoke.

 

I found the service in the main dining rooms to be very slow.

 

BUT I didn't let those things ruin my vacation. I had a fantastic cruise with my family.

 

 

Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk HD

[oct696]

Mariner is such a small ship so to compare that to the epic won't be fair. Now if you had gone on the freedom or liberty, I believe that would be closer in size to do a fair comparison. I have done those rccl cruises as well as the Genesis class and haven't had issues with smoking.

 

Sent from my SGH-I337M using Forums mobile app

 

Nah, my issues w/Mariner had nothing to do with its size or service based on # of passengers. The primary issue was allowing INDOOR smoking. Other minor issues,yes; but again, no complaints based on size of ship or # of people on board or staff:passenger ratios.

[SASA13]

Just back from our first Epic cruise this past Saturday and we really enjoyed the cruise. We had an aft facing cabin. Was the cabin layout to my taste? No, but it did not really effect our enjoyment of the cruise. Was there some vibration in the aft? Yep! But again, it did not really bother us. That view and the sound of the wake was well worth it! The design of the ship in general? I thought it was well designed and easy to navigate. We barely went on the pool deck, but when we did, I saw lots of chairs.

 

The two or three biggest complaints I remember reading before the cruise had to do with poor, slow service, smoke in the midship areas and overcrowding, especially the elevators and the buffet. Also, the fact that seating in specialties was not to be had without a reservation well in advance conflicting with a freestyle atmosphere.

 

I have to wonder what ship these people were on. We only ate in the MDR the first night. We had a very short wait for a table with a glass of free champagne. Service was prompt and efficient. It was noisy, yes. The duo singing was great. Other nights we ate at specialties with no reservations, most of the time as walk ups around 7:00 or 8:00. Once we waited about 15 minutes. Once we were told they had a big influx of reservations on the books and to check back in 30 minutes. Must have been a lot of no shows cause we were then seated immediately. Our fav is usually Le Bistro and no complaints there, but this time Cagneys blew us away! Our first time with the new menu. My steak was huge and tender. And the salad bar at Moderno alone is worth the cover charge. Service was good everywhere we went. Buffet, crowded yes. But walk outside for lots of tables. I thought easy to navigate, no real lines except for an omlet, and loved the variety. Carving stations, even at lunch. That roasted chicken was really good.

 

The midship I would describe as very lively. No rolling up of the sidewalks here! Lots of people in the bars and lounges. Spent a lot of time in the casino. I know some will not believe this, and maybe we were just lucky as we are non smokers and smoke sets off my allergic rhinitis, but I had to wonder if they had suddenly gone nonsmoking. I saw very few the entire week. No smell, no haze in the air.

 

Elevators. I sometimes marveled that we were the only ones waiting and we often were the only ones on. Full elevators near the buffet and when everyone wanting to get off or on in ports. To be expected and had zero impact on our vacation.

 

I thought the entertainment was by far the best on any cruise ship we have ever been on. Really enjoyed Cirque. The guy doing Steven Tyler in Legends was fantastic. Elvis, pretty good. Katie, meh. And excuse me, but she has a way to go before she is a legend. Second City Overboard was good for a few laughs. Wished we could have spent more time in Howl. The audience was as entertaining as the piano players. Jim Capik(?) acoustic guitar at Maltings was a favorite spot before and after dinner. Only disappointment was the Jazz Club. Every time we stuck our heads in it was bingo or a cabaret singer.

 

Lots of enjoyment to be had on the Epic. Just go with an open mind.

 

 

I was on the same cruise and agree with everything you said 100%. I love the Epic, and am looking forward to the Western Caribbean next year.

[MiniJeffrey]

Bad reviews keep on coming, the love-rate has also dropped to 71%.

I really hate cigaret-smoke, so this will be an issue for me. Why can't they install doors or something to keep the smoke at least a bit in the casino...

[punkincc]

Bad reviews keep on coming, the love-rate has also dropped to 71%.

I really hate cigaret-smoke, so this will be an issue for me. Why can't they install doors or something to keep the smoke at least a bit in the casino...

 

Bad reviews like the two people above your post who loved the Epic?? Why is it that a "bad" review carries so much more weight than a "good" one? So 71% of the people who bother to review like/love the Epic? Not bad, IMO. Even if 100% of responders liked something, it doesn't mean YOU would like it.

 

I am very sensitive to smoke and I can tell you I spent hours in the casino daily. No problems. Every complaint I saw before my cruise I thought was over exaggerated. It was not perfect, nothing is. Either go on a non smoking ship, or if you are booked on the Epic, stop reading reviews.

[kerrytens]

Bad reviews like the two people above your post who loved the Epic?? Why is it that a "bad" review carries so much more weight than a "good" one? So 71% of the people who bother to review like/love the Epic? Not bad, IMO. Even if 100% of responders liked something, it doesn't mean YOU would like it.

Very good point! Your last line says it all though ... if the Epic interests you, book it and form your own opinion. Don't be swayed by what others think. I doubt any of us will ever have a 'perfect' cruise. My trip onboard the Epic was far from perfect but it certainly made enough of an impression on me to book again (and again!).

 

I'm super excited about boarding her for the 2nd time in a few weeks:D

[punkincc]

Very good point! Your last line says it all though ... if the Epic interests you, book it and form your own opinion. Don't be swayed by what others think. I doubt any of us will ever have a 'perfect' cruise. My trip onboard the Epic was far from perfect but it certainly made enough of an impression on me to book again (and again!).

 

I'm super excited about boarding her for the 2nd time in a few weeks:D

 

Well, there's three "good" reviews for you!

[2girls2]

I am guilty of loving my Epic experience, but not bothering to post a review.

 

I loved every minute of the cruise and going back to experience the suite life on Epic.

[BoughtMyPoints]

As I had a large use it or lose it credit with NCL, I booked the October 20 t/a for a few pence and stayed on for a further _7_ weeks until the holiday pricing kicked in Dec 21.

 

Originally I was booked to go onto Las Vegas but as I explained to all and sundry, Las Vegas was right there on the Epic.

 

The Epic is so much like a Las Vegas casino than other ships, it's uncanny. To get to any of the significant entertainment options, even many dining options, you cannot avoid the casino and very little of it is non smoking, very little of it does not have wall to wall slots contributing to the incessant din on the ship.

 

The Epic is "loud", there are very few quiet areas. Yes, rather like a Vegas casino.

 

Consider the very small open plan library : at one end, you will hear slot machines, at the other end you'll get smoke drifting in from the cigar lounge. By default, the library is the (board) games room, it is not a quiet room.

 

The Typhoon had NOTHING to do with the service levels. They were rock bottom on the transatlantic and gradually improved from that point. The beef and lamb were inedible in the free restaurants for the first few weeks. In December, there was a marked improvement. The senior staff were extremely concerned about the operational difficulties and were implementing

various schemes to improve the customer experience.

 

After a few weeks on board, I knew how to work around the bottlenecks and avoid the serious wait times. I'd say the Filipinas are being phased out of the dining room(s) in favor of highly competent Indonesians and eager to learn Burmese (from Myanmar). Unfortunately with NCL's rotational system, the wait staff are rotated through the pay restaurants every 2 weeks, resulting in less than stellar service in Le Bistro.

 

The simple truth is that many people love to line up. whether for shows or for restaurants. I don't, so found other solutions. BTW, room service not being one of them. That's one operation they have run into the ground.

 

O'Sheehan's is an even better operation than before, as they offer MDR dinner entrees. They even had lobster for a while. However, you're eating in a bowling alley, right next to the spot(s) where the pins get knocked down!

 

We started off in an inside and subsequently discovered the studios. I called them affectionately "Mission to Mars". Bliss, after being confined in the worst

inside cabin I have ever sailed in (Car ferries included!). When we had to spend 1 night in an inside after 4 weeks in studios, it was the "prison cell", no privacy whatsoever.

 

So what kept me from jumping to other lines in Miami? The pricing was sensational on the studios but more importantly for me was the extraordinary number of gifted musicians on board. Every week, there were new talents coming aboard. Most nights, there would be some pure magic happening in an impromptu jam session.

 

The facilities for children are second to none. The Haven looks great but I always saw its pool area overrun by children even on non holiday weeks.

 

I love the White Hot party on all NCL ships except Epic and therein lies an example of the ship's strength and weakness.

 

The on deck decks parties are generally held at the aft end in the magnificent looking Spice H2O but always when the ship is at sea. I am not prone to seasickness at all but there is uncomfortable movement even in calm seas at the aft end of Epic, especially high up. And when the weather is judged inclement, the parties are moved indoors to Bliss, woefully too small for the number of passengers Epic carries.

 

The other difference from the pre Epic ships is that the ships professional dancers do not participate in ships' parties.

 

The Epic casino will stay open all night at sea if people are still at the tables, for some, a plus. It's that kind of ship!

Edited December 31, 2013 by BoughtMyPoints

[footballbabe3]

I was worried about sailing after reading some of the reviews also. I just got back from the Dec 14th Epic sailing. You will have a great time. Some of the little bothersome issues are things that will not be an issue in the HAVEN. These would not ruin your cruise anyway unless you let them. Go and put your feet up and have a BLAST!!

Edited December 31, 2013 by footballbabe3

[3DBeach]

As I had a large use it or lose it credit with NCL, I booked the October 20 t/a for a few pence and stayed on for a further _7_ weeks until the holiday pricing kicked in Dec 21.

 

Originally I was booked to go onto Las Vegas but as I explained to all and sundry, Las Vegas was right there on the Epic.

 

The Epic is so much like a Las Vegas casino than other ships, it's uncanny. To get to any of the significant entertainment options, even many dining options, you cannot avoid the casino and very little of it is non smoking, very little of it does not have wall to wall slots contributing to the incessant din on the ship.

 

The Epic is "loud", there are very few quiet areas. Yes, rather like a Vegas casino.

 

Consider the very small open plan library : at one end, you will hear slot machines, at the other end you'll get smoke drifting in from the cigar lounge. By default, the library is the (board) games room, it is not a quiet room.

 

The Typhoon had NOTHING to do with the service levels. They were rock bottom on the transatlantic and gradually improved from that point. The beef and lamb were inedible in the free restaurants for the first few weeks. In December, there was a marked improvement. The senior staff were extremely concerned about the operational difficulties and were implementing

various schemes to improve the customer experience.

 

After a few weeks on board, I knew how to work around the bottlenecks and avoid the serious wait times. I'd say the Filipinas are being phased out of the dining room(s) in favor of highly competent Indonesians and eager to learn Burmese (from Myanmar). Unfortunately with NCL's rotational system, the wait staff are rotated through the pay restaurants every 2 weeks, resulting in less than stellar service in Le Bistro.

 

The simple truth is that many people love to line up. whether for shows or for restaurants. I don't, so found other solutions. BTW, room service not being one of them. That's one operation they have run into the ground.

 

O'Sheehan's is an even better operation than before, as they offer MDR dinner entrees. They even had lobster for a while. However, you're eating in a bowling alley, right next to the spot(s) where the pins get knocked down!

 

We started off in an inside and subsequently discovered the studios. I called them affectionately "Mission to Mars". Bliss, after being confined in the worst

inside cabin I have ever sailed in (Car ferries included!). When we had to spend 1 night in an inside after 4 weeks in studios, it was the "prison cell", no privacy whatsoever.

 

So what kept me from jumping to other lines in Miami? The pricing was sensational on the studios but more importantly for me was the extraordinary number of gifted musicians on board. Every week, there were new talents coming aboard. Most nights, there would be some pure magic happening in an impromptu jam session.

 

The facilities for children are second to none. The Haven looks great but I always saw its pool area overrun by children even on non holiday weeks.

 

I love the White Hot party on all NCL ships except Epic and therein lies an example of the ship's strength and weakness.

 

The on deck decks parties are generally held at the aft end in the magnificent looking Spice H2O but always when the ship is at sea. I am not prone to seasickness at all but there is uncomfortable movement even in calm seas at the aft end of Epic, especially high up. And when the weather is judged inclement, the parties are moved indoors to Bliss, woefully too small for the number of passengers Epic carries.

 

The other difference from the pre Epic ships is that the ships professional dancers do not participate in ships' parties.

 

The Epic casino will stay open all night at sea if people are still at the tables, for some, a plus. It's that kind of ship!

 

 

Just out of curiosity how did you see the Haven pool area if you were in studios?

We sailed in there the first week of Dec and the most we ever saw in there at once were 8 kids (5 of which were with us)...not too many for our sailing considering all 75 suites were full.

9 weeks on a ship must have been absolutely amazing...what's your secret to make that happen?

[BoughtMyPoints]

Just out of curiosity how did you see the Haven pool area if you were in studios?

We sailed in there the first week of Dec and the most we ever saw in there at once were 8 kids (5 of which were with us)...not too many for our sailing considering all 75 suites were full.

9 weeks on a ship must have been absolutely amazing...what's your secret to make that happen?

 

I was invited in as part of different cabin crawls. My son told me he was often there as a guest of another teenage Haven guest.

 

I missed the customary Concierge lounge aka Star bar found on other NCL ships and open to all during day time hours. On Epic, the larger equivalent is located within the Epic and therefore off limits to non Haven guests.

 

I usually booked 9 or 10 days out; when I saw that Ed Sherry, the Maynard Ferguson type trumpet player from the Jade and now Manhattan band leader was on board after the t/a, I booked 3 weeks in one go which included Thanksgiving week.

 

Having rarely ever booked directly with a cruise line, it is clear to me now that better after sales service is received by booking direct with NCL but not necessarily at the absolutely lowest nett price.

[xriva]

We sailed on the Epic in December 2012 (our fifth Norwegian cruise) and I thought the Epic was less a ship and more a Vegas resort that floats. I really wasn't initially impressed by the design where there is no way outside except on the upper decks or on your balcony. I like being able to see the sea - it's why I'm sailing and not just going to a land resort.

 

This design was fixed on the Breakaway class with 678 Ocean View. (We were on the Breakaway TA.)

 

That said, we had a good cruise on the Epic and are booked on her TA in April.

 

I think there may be a bit of culture shock going from an earlier Norwegian ship to the Epic or the Breakaway class. We were on the Jewel this month, and it was nice to have a Spinnaker Lounge again (I love the view), but it felt smaller (I know, it is.)

[MiniJeffrey]

Ive sailed with Gem and Jade and loved them both, so very curious about moving to a huge ship like the Epic.

[jagdog]

I feel bad doing this but at the same time I feel it is necessary to be honest. I have always been one of those people that never posted a review because in over 20 years of cruising I have never had a bad experience...until last week. I am not a complainer by nature and I hesitated tremendously in even posting a review which should be posted shortly. But the truth is that the epic is SORELY lacking in much of the atmosphere that I have loved about cruising over the years with the most obvious and uncomfortable being that it is way too big and way too many people. Also, there is a tremendous lack of entertainment. Each person has different things they are looking for in a cruise but my family and I have always looked forward to feeling like we are away from home, feeling special, having decent food, good entertainment, being on a visually appealling vessel with nice cabins, enthusiastic crew.....sad to say that none of that was present on this cruise. If you are looking for that type of cruise then cancel your reservations asap and book on another line or smaller ship. For the first time in 20 years+ my entire family and many other ppl that we could overhear speaking were happy/excited to LEAVE this ship...So sorry.

[KJE Atlanta]

Here's a recent positive review from someone who just got back.

 

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1962946

 

Also, a colleague and his family were just on the Epic a few weeks ago. They had a blast (and they were on the sailing that had the stabilizer/listing issue!).

 

Just proves that people can experience the same cruise and come away with totally different opinions. I'm convinced that a lot has to do with whether you go in with a good attitude and making sure your expectations are reasonable (remember, you're going on a cruise ship with 4000 other passengers and Freestyle is different than traditional cruising - we love it; others may not).

 

I've been on the Epic 3 times and have enjoyed it each time. Perfect? No, of course not. But can you have good to great food, good to great entertainment, and a fantastic time? Definitely. We're booked on her for the Transatlantic in October and can't wait.

[jagdog]

oh trust me, my entire family came in having the best attitudes possible and were beyond excited to be on the cruise and absolutely had reasonable expectations given that all of us have cruised over 20 times each and on many different lines and had NEVER had a bad experience...This had absolutely nothing to do with bad attitudes or unreasonable expectations..our family still managed to have fun together and enjoy our time together but it had everything to do with what i described in that the SHIP and its LAYOUT and the lack of entertainment and average food were not up to par with every other cruise we have ever taken and yes other people may be able to over look those things and not care but we feel we are highly qualified to comment when things that have been present on every other cruise we have ever attended were noticably missing/lacking. It would be different if this was a first cruise or we had barely cruised but it is not. Sorry to have to burst your bubbles and be direct. We WISH it had been designed better. Other people may be willing to settle or overlook and good for them. This was our experience and the experience of every member of not just our family but countless others I have read on these board and others...must be something to them.....

[ColinIllinois]

Plenty of things about cruises can be subjective like food and design of interior space but to me saying the Epic is sorely lacking in entertainment is waaaaaaaay out in left field.