Worst Cruise Ever on Epic

[Va. Plumber]

Or at least that's what I was expecting after reading some of the reviews on CC. So much so, that I have to wonder if others sailed on the Epic's evil twin sister ship or perhaps NCL corporate had replaced 1900 crew members in recent weeks. We found just about every complaint to be non-existent during last week's eight-day cruise. Check-in was hassle- free. The crew was delightful. Food service was prompt and hot. The entertainment was excellent.

 

I will keep most of my review to the ship itself, since Epic is no longer sailing the Eastern Caribbean route. I will add port observations at the end for those interested.

 

We flew into FLL on Friday 1/24 around 3:30. Our pre-arranged shuttle took us to the b2 hotel in Miami. b2 is one of those "European chic" hotels, apparently recently purchased and remodelled. It is located directly across the street from the Bayside Marketplace. After check-in and a little rest, we ventured over to Bayside. Had dinner at "Bubba Gumps" and met a few from the meet and greet group. I must apologize to the coordinator, since I fell asleep Sunday morning and missed attending the 11 a.m. meeting. My minister would totally understand, since I usually fall asleep on Sundays between 11 and 12.

 

I purposely planned the shuttle for 10 on Saturday so as to arrive for embarkation as early as possible. We breezed through security, checked our wine and went through registration very fast. After dodging the photogs, we sat for an extended (1 hour) time while room filled up as ship was being readied. We wound up in Boarding Group 3.

 

When announced, we hustled to Guest Services to obtain Posh Passes. I was pleasantly surprised to find a short line and we managed to snag passes 11 and 12 of the 20 being sold. I think the line was being cut off by the time we finished the process. We then went to the Spa to purchase two of the 120 non-suite passes available. More on these later

 

Went to Taste for lunch. Service was prompt and excellent with no delays even though they were very busy. Food was good. DW later told me her soup was merely warm, but that was the only food hiccup the entire trip. The waitress smiled and continually re-filled my iced tea without prompting. Another myth dispelled.

 

For some reason Deck 10 was one of the last floors to be ready. Our mini-suite (10094) was ready shortly after lunch. We met our room steward. He smiled and greeted us. Wait a minute, that's not supposed to happen. We had cabin with shower only. Never missed having a tub. Couldn't really understand all the hoopla about the opaque glass doors. There is, after all, a privacy curtain if you really need it. After 44 years of marriage, any issues along those lines are long past. The sofa was located near the balcony. There again, I was puzzled by people bringing up that issue. Did not seem to impede movement at all. The really amazing thing was the abundance of storage space. It was fantastic.

 

I will pause for now. Back soon.

[N747KT]

Sounds great so far!

[DDD06]

I admit it, you got me with that title. Now I have to stick around for the full review. ;-). Will you be commenting on the maneuverability issue she encountered?

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[newmexicoNita]

Or at least that's what I was expecting after reading some of the reviews on CC. So much so, that I have to wonder if others sailed on the Epic's evil twin sister ship or perhaps NCL corporate had replaced 1900 crew members in recent weeks. We found just about every complaint to be non-existent during last week's eight-day cruise. Check-in was hassle- free. The crew was delightful. Food service was prompt and hot. The entertainment was excellent.

 

I will keep most of my review to the ship itself, since Epic is no longer sailing the Eastern Caribbean route. I will add port observations at the end for those interested.

 

We flew into FLL on Friday 1/24 around 3:30. Our pre-arranged shuttle took us to the b2 hotel in Miami. b2 is one of those "European chic" hotels, apparently recently purchased and remodelled. It is located directly across the street from the Bayside Marketplace. After check-in and a little rest, we ventured over to Bayside. Had dinner at "Bubba Gumps" and met a few from the meet and greet group. I must apologize to the coordinator, since I fell asleep Sunday morning and missed attending the 11 a.m. meeting. My minister would totally understand, since I usually fall asleep on Sundays between 11 and 12.

 

I purposely planned the shuttle for 10 on Saturday so as to arrive for embarkation as early as possible. We breezed through security, checked our wine and went through registration very fast. After dodging the photogs, we sat for an extended (1 hour) time while room filled up as ship was being readied. We wound up in Boarding Group 3.

 

When announced, we hustled to Guest Services to obtain Posh Passes. I was pleasantly surprised to find a short line and we managed to snag passes 11 and 12 of the 20 being sold. I think the line was being cut off by the time we finished the process. We then went to the Spa to purchase two of the 120 non-suite passes available. More on these later

 

Went to Taste for lunch. Service was prompt and excellent with no delays even though they were very busy. Food was good. DW later told me her soup was merely warm, but that was the only food hiccup the entire trip. The waitress smiled and continually re-filled my iced tea without prompting. Another myth dispelled.

 

For some reason Deck 10 was one of the last floors to be ready. Our mini-suite (10094) was ready shortly after lunch. We met our room steward. He smiled and greeted us. Wait a minute, that's not supposed to happen. We had cabin with shower only. Never missed having a tub. Couldn't really understand all the hoopla about the opaque glass doors. There is, after all, a privacy curtain if you really need it. After 44 years of marriage, any issues along those lines are long past. The sofa was located near the balcony. There again, I was puzzled by people bringing up that issue. Did not seem to impede movement at all. The really amazing thing was the abundance of storage space. It was fantastic.

 

I will pause for now. Back soon.

Great title: talk about getting our attention, you sure did that. We have not cruised the Epic and probably will not cause we are not mega ship cruisers, but I am sure a lot of the negatives can be off set by positives. It sounds like this is true about the Breakaway as well. Some of these ships seem to be a love or hate experience with very little middle of the road.

[B6ConMe]

Yes, the title got me too, especially considering who was writing it. I was shocked.......then I started reading. So happy you enjoyed your cruise and relieved at the same time that it was just for effect to get everyone's attention.

[sdmike]

Got me

 

I hope people considering Epic don't just look at your title and actually read the thread. Otherwise it backfires

 

Looking forward to more

[che5904]

So much so, that I have to wonder if others sailed on the Epic's evil twin sister ship .

 

Love this line :D

 

I will pause for now. Back soon.

 

What? you're leaving us hanging? ;)

 

I look forward to the rest of your review

[che5904]

Got me

 

I hope people considering Epic don't just look at your title and actually read the thread. Otherwise it backfires

 

Looking forward to more

 

I wouldn't worry too much about that Mike, we have some awfully curious people visit these boards ;)

[Va. Plumber]

I admit it, you got me with that title. Now I have to stick around for the full review. ;-). Will you be commenting on the maneuverability issue she encountered?

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

I assume you are talking about the problem with docking in St. Kitts?

There was a pretty terrific crosswind that morning. Fairly certain that was the first time Epic had been to that port. Also, I don't know that any of the other Big Berthas call there.

 

When I woke up that morning and stepped out on the balcony, there was a tug with line attached straining its butt off to turn the ship. Didn't go look, but I am sure there was a tug on other side pushing as well.

 

It took quite a while to dock, so they extended the time on the other end.

[anandaindonesia]

Hahaha.... must read, must read.

 

Thank you for sharing your happiness. :)

[sdmike]

I wouldn't worry too much about that Mike, we have some awfully curious people visit these boards ;)

 

Yeah, the frequent flyers here will read it, but I'm just thinking someone coming on and glancing at titles might not. :)

[jdvmd]

Enjoying your positive review. That said, there will be people who will see the title of your post and think "more bad reviews of the Epic." Glad you had a great time! Look forward to seeing more.

[Roadsofa]

I assume you are talking about the problem with docking in St. Kitts?

There was a pretty terrific crosswind that morning. Fairly certain that was the first time Epic had been to that port. Also, I don't know that any of the other Big Berthas call there.

 

When I woke up that morning and stepped out on the balcony, there was a tug with line attached straining its butt off to turn the ship. Didn't go look, but I am sure there was a tug on other side pushing as well.

 

It took quite a while to dock, so they extended the time on the other end.

 

We went to St. Kitts last year on RCCL Independence of the Seas... 2nd largest Big Bertha out there. They had no issues, but, it was not windy.

 

Title sucked me in too. Glad to hear you liked it, especially since I leave on her Sunday.

 

Neil

[SMerritt]

I "bit" and was ready to "jump" :D

 

We were on the same cruise!

 

I felt good "Vibes" from the crew members, and passengers all week, no one complaining about anything on the elevators or just "hanging out" around the ship. A ton of laughs, giggles, and happy campers.

 

This was our third cruise on the Epic - It was Stellar!

 

We were very impressed by a shore tour operator - we rarely book ship tours, but decided on a helmet dive. The dive was cancelled due to winds making the water "muddy" and we would not see much, their honesty was appreciated.

Edited February 5, 2014 by SMerritt

[Cruise_More_Often]

April Fools Day a bit early. :D Great review so far; you have me intrigued. I'm really looking forward to reading the rest.

[Va. Plumber]

Just a test. I've tried to do this twice and it hasn't gone through

[kerrytens]

Dude, you scared me!!! I think that you are right though - there must be an Epic evil twin out there because my cruise was just as thoroughly enjoyable as yours was.

 

It was great meeting you too!!

[kirsty_r]

I'm glad the EPIC reviews are becoming more positive!! xxx

[Va. Plumber]

We went to Posh for the Sailaway Party. I thought the investment was well worth the money. It was never overly crowded and there were always seats, loungers and daybeds available. They had free cocktails and hors d'ouervres for the party. On other days they passed out fresh fruit skewers and cold cloths. It was a great place to sun and read without dealing with the chair hogs. The same bartenders manned the bar the whole trip and were fun to interact with. Only saw children a couple of times and not for long.

 

We purchased the three specialty restaurant package prior to leaving. the first night was in La Cucina. Contrary to popular opinion, I have always

enjoyed meals there and it is one DW's favorites. We also ate a Le Bistro, Cagney's and Shanghai. All of the meals were appropriately slow, served hot and were uniformly good. The waiter in Bistro was a hoot. He also was thoughtful enough to ask if we had other plans. I purposely scheduled meals so as not to interfere with any other activities. By the way, I didn't see any dishes from Olive Garden, Outback or any other chain restaurants on the menu.

 

We found O'Sheehans great for breakfast, lunch, dinner and snacks. I didn't realize that they offered nightly specials. Twice they had prme rib and another night all-you-can eat spareribs. All at no charge. I had read about ice cream treats on Breakaway but didn't know that it was available on Epic. Prices range from $3 to 4.50. It was a nice treat one afternoon upon returning to ship.

[Va. Plumber]

HELP! I am having trouble adding to my review. I have entered it several times as a reply to original, but it won't go through. Is it too long to add as a reply?

[kerrytens]

HELP! I am having trouble adding to my review. I have entered it several times as a reply to original, but it won't go through. Is it too long to add as a reply?

First off you need to have a site to 'host' your photos (I use photobucket). Upload the photos there. In the banner that is above where you are typing your message you will see numerous symbols. On the bottom row there is a yellow and black box with what looks like a mountain in the box. Click on it and another box will open where you can paste the link from the hosting site (for me it is the 'direct' link)

 

[3DBeach]

I was fooled by the title too :D

Great review so far and i'm looking forward to more. Thank you for sharing.

[kjquilts]

HELP! I am having trouble adding to my review. I have entered it several times as a reply to original, but it won't go through. Is it too long to add as a reply?

 

 

Are you using Post Reply just above your original post or at the bottom after the last post to get a new blank window to type in?

 

If you're including photos you can only put 5 in one post - - smileys count same as a photo.

 

We were on your cruise too and like many others your title surprised me. Great cruise :)

[Va. Plumber]

I guess I didn't wait long enough for it to show up.

 

We had dinner in Taste and Manhattan. In both cases the service was prompt, friendly and not at all "glacially slow." Thought the food was very good. The only downside was we had to wait 15 minutes to get a table in Manhattan. They obviously didn't realize my status. Yeah, right!! I didn't have my stopwatch with me, but both dinners took about an hour and fifteen.

 

Many have suggested that NCL is sabotaging the MDRs to force people into the restaurants. If this is the business plan, it's not working. Never saw more than a handful in the specialty places.

 

We booked the Spiegel Tent. The show is fantastic. The meal is no great shakes when compared to the specialty restaurant. It is on par with the average diinner theater fare. I have a theory regarding the price. The price helps defray the cost of some of the shows. The Cirque performers are not your average rosy-cheeked cruise ship types. They are not amateurs. Also, I am sure Blue Man is not a cheap proposition. One suggestion for Cirque attendees. Try to get a seat facing inward. Our necks were sore the next morning from straining to watch the performance.

 

I must remove my cheerleader hat to vent about something. The NCL chefs

are insulting folks on both sides of the Mason-Dixon Line. In the first instance they have no idea how to make corned beef hash. It is tasteless and devoid of meat. For some reason, I fall for this every cruise. The other item is biscuits and sausage gravy. I think most Southern women must prove they can prepare this before they can get a marriage license. Perhaps NCL should hire a couple of them. Ordered it one morning in Taste.

The biscuit was crumbly mess and the gravy looked like unseasoned wallpaper paste. The final insult was there two link sausages floating in the gravy.

[travelqueen555]

Title got me also, I also was ready to respond with-- what could you possibly be talking about that was bad. Myself and DH was also on this cruise.

 

Everything about this cruise for us was amazing. We met so many fun people and had such a great time. Probably saw (without knowing it) the OP. We also purchased posh passes, I believe we were #'s 6 and 7 to purchase. We also were in boarding group #3.

 

Food was fantastic and entertainment so fun. Howl at the Moon was so packed every night there was standing room only, with huge participation from the crowd. Everyone you spoke to said they were having a great time, with no complaints. Wish I could go back and repeat that week again. But, ahhhh back to the cold weather and work. . .

 

I believe the issue backing into St. Kitts had to be more than wind. We arrived before a large Costa ship and when that ship arrived it turned and backed in within about 10 minutes with no problem with the same wind we were experiencing. We did hear from the crew there was a minor problem. But, whatever it was, it did not create any other issue the rest of the cruise, so ended up being nothing to worry about.