Our Not So Epic Adventure with Pics 1/11/15-1/18/15

[saxgirl84]

Did you have the UBP? Do bartenders change their level of service when one produces the little sticker on their card? They likely do not get tipped as much per drink, I would imagine...

I did purchase the UBP, but this was about 20 minutes after boarding, and I had not yet gotten the sticker ( that is a whole different story of FRUSTRATION experienced by myself and a few others... ) so he had no way of knowing... side note, since they no longer list the drinks on your room account if you have the UBP, i decided I would tip an extra $1 per drink to try and keep track of how much I consumed (I had a big chunk of OBC to "burn through" that I didn't really have anything else to use it on, and why not, most of the staff deserved the tip...)

I think most of the staff I interacted with were wonderful, but like most negative experiences, it's those that stay with you and stick out... I would not discourage anyone from booking the Epic, I had an amazing time, however it wasn't comparable to my other 2 NCL experiences.

[motleyfan]

Yes, I agree, NCL as a whole cannot be defined by one ship. We still like NCL, but we just think CCL has more to offer us at this stage of life. When our kids are older, I would happily sail the Epic or the Breakaway, et el. I think the Epic is a great ship if you don't have kids or for families with older kids.

 

We will be back to NCL for sure, just not sure how soon :D

 

I have never been on the Victory or any of her sisters. We really like the Dream class and Fantasy class on CCL.

 

Yeah they say ncl now is the young adult party line which is what ccl use to be.

 

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[tomsuelaw]

Ok, sorry everyone to leave you hanging! I know it sucks when there are long pauses in a review but they are rather time consuming and sometimes life just gets in the way. I hate it when I have to be a responsible adult instead of hanging here on CC with all my cruise addict friends

 

 

So, once settled into our hotel we got a text from my in-laws. Thier flight was delayed so they were stuck in Columbus for a while and were going to be arriving late...Bummer. We decided to explore the city a bit. We have never been to Miami at night so that was fun.

 

 

 

 

As mentioned before, the Hilton was located just 2 blocks from the MetroMover, which is the free monorail system. We really enjoyed the MetroMover, my kids thought it was pretty cool.

 

Here's me, photobombing DD while she posing for a pic on the Metro Mover

 

We wanted to head to Bayside Marketplace to check out the atmosphere there. We took the Mover to the Freedom Tower and then walked about 3 blocks to Bayside. I will apologize now for not getting more pics but we got into vacation mode and hubby had bought an new expensive camera and didn't always want to feel responsible for it while in vaca mode...which is kind of ironic when you think of the purpose of a camera. So, since DH is our family photog and he wasn't in the mood, pics only got taken when I thought about.

 

I did get one of Freedom Tower though

 

 

 

 

We enjoyed our time at Bayside. For those who do not know, it is basically an outdoor mall. Like CityWalk at Universal or Downtown Disney. It has a few of those popular touristy restaurants like Bubba Gumps, free live music, and an overall festival feel. It was fun. We each enjoyed a treat and then got back on the Metro Mover cause we were bushed. We did a loop around the city via then Mover then back to the hotel for this view.

 

[tomsuelaw]

Embarkation Day!!!!!!

 

 

The day was finally here. We were so tired the night before we went to bed before our other family members got in. Since they didn't get to tour the city with us last night, we decided to get up early and explore with them today. We woke up to this view and of course I had to make sure our ship was there for us....and it was!

 

 

 

 

We met our family in the lobby and headed across the street and hit up Burger King for a cheap breakfast then headed to the MetroMover. This time we headed to Bayfront Park.

 

 

 

After walking around quite a bit with the extended family, we got tired of walking and all decided it was Ship Time!!!!!!!!!! We headed back to the hotel, packed up our stuff and grabbed a taxi around 10:30am.

 

 

The taxi ride to the port was short and sweet, cost about $12, plus tip. We managed to fit all 9 of us and our luggage in 2 taxis. We arrived at the port by 11am.

 

As usual, POM was a cluster of chaos. The lines were long but moving. Security was very rude and pushy. They were convinced I had "liquid" (aka booze) in my backpack. I had none, no liquid inside my backpack, but they pulled me aside and made me empty our my entire large hiking pack. Now, if this was for security...like they thought I had a weapon or something, I wouldn't have been bothered. But, when you waste my time and energy and make my whole family wait for me to falsely accuse me of being a rum runner, that is pure silly. I had no liquid!!!!! I do not drink enough to be a Rum Runner and I do not go on a cruise to mix my own drinks :roll eyes:

 

Anywho, after that debacle....which was stressful with kids. We finally got our sail and sign cards and boarded. We were dumped on deck 6...the worst deck for congestion and people moving. So as soon as we got on the ship we felt crowded. It was hard to keep track of 2 littles and keep 9 people together. It was by far the most stressful boarding I have had...but I hit my reset button. Deep breaths and smile, I am on vaca!

 

We wanted to head to Taste for a quiet relaxing sit down lunch but they didn't open till 1pm. We we were all too hungry to wait, so we opted for the mass sea of people and lines known as The Garden Cafe. The food was good, I tried the beloved pretzel bread everyone raves about so one goal completed and it was only day 1.

 

After lunch, we headed to our cabin to drop off our stuff. Room was not ready yet but steward said we could leave our stuff in the room. The door was still propped open so we hesitated but then decided to bring valuables with us and hide our bags.

 

Our Balcony Room: 12068 FWD

 

We have been spoiled by Carnival the last couple years, largest staterooms at sea. So, we knew returning to NCL would be an adjustment but this room took the cake for poor layout. Here are some pics, please excuse our mess, we had 2 little piggies living with us.

 

 

 

[tomsuelaw]

Narrow walkway thru room made things tricky with 4 of us.

 

 

 

 

The infamous small sinks everyone complains about...did not bother me too bad.

 

 

After walking around a bit and getting our stuff in our rooms, it was time for muster in the main theater. This was the most entertaining muster drill I have ever attended. Our speaker was funny and it was short and sweet.

 

A pleasant surprise. So, when looking at pictures I thought the pool deck of Epic looked too modern, cold, and industrial, but she was way nicer in person. The teal color mixed with the silver looked softer and tropical in real life. I was pleasantly surprised. But that did not stop me and DSIL from making fun of Epics lido decor. Overall, I liked the Lido look.

 

 

DS did not waste anytime in hitting up the pool...the watersides were closed :( We always keep swim suits in our carry-ons.

 

[tomsuelaw]

Sail-away...or so we thought.

 

Sail-away is one of my favorite parts about cruising. I love cruise ships. I love to see them move and maneuver, I love to see the scenery go by. So, with 5 ships in port and a beautiful city, Miami is a real treat to sail from, assuming you do not factor in how crazy POM is when embarking and disembarking ;)

 

We were all pretty pumped. After muster we raced to the only open deck space where you could see over the rails. The sundecks just above the lido deck are the only good spot so it was crowded. Get there ASAP if this interests you. We would have enjoyed sail-away from our balcony but we wanted to enjoy it together as a group if 9.

 

We waited patiently for 4pm to arrive, with anticipation and excitement.

 

 

 

 

 

 

[BusyFLmom]

Welcome back! Loving your review! I especially loved that you included you precruise activities. We are spending a day and a half in Miami before our cruise and was curios what to do with the kids :)

[tomsuelaw]

So, we waited...

 

 

 

 

And we waited...4pm came and went. We were then told by the captain that due to mechanical issues our departure would be delayed by at least 2 hours. Bummer.

 

 

Ok, minor set back, no big deal...at least we will get the unique and one of a kind experience to leave POM in the dark!

 

Killing Time

 

 

 

 

 

And more eating...all you can eat hotdogs???? What??? DS is officially on vacation!

 

[tomsuelaw]

My favorite part of Day 1: watching all the Carnival Ships leave.

 

 

Farewell Carnival Splendor, eat some Warm Chocolate Melting cake for me!

 

 

 

 

And Behold the Carnival Breeze

 

 

Since I was already disenchanted with the Epic's layout by this point, I have to admit, I had some ship envy when the Carnival Breeze went by. I love the Dream Class of ships, excellent layout for our family's cruise culture...but hey, the Epic is a world class ship right? I will be thankful for the privilege to sail her too and it is a blessing to try new things.

 

[tomsuelaw]

And the sun sets on the Epic and the city of Miami

 

 

 

 

 

Jamrock was the band on board...excellent band. The live band on NCL does beat the DJ only crap on CCL

 

 

 

 

[tomsuelaw]

And some more pics...just cause I can and because we both know we are here for the eye candy.

 

 

 

 

BY this time, we got tired of waiting and it was getting a little chilly. We decided to disband and enjoy sail away from our rooms while we unpacked our stuff. Wouldn't have been our 1st choice, but again, sailing from Miami at night is a unique experience and I enjoyed my views from my balcony.

 

Finally: Its sail-away time!

 

Sorry the pictures look blurry. With the dark we had to use a slower shutter speed so with a moving boat that limits the clarity...we were messing around with these.

 

 

 

 

[tomsuelaw]

Farewell Maimi! See you in 7 days!

 

 

After sail away and unpacking we headed to the Taste where we did not have to wait long at all, even with a party of 9. Overall, we really enjoyed the MDR food. I really loved the Chocolate Volcano served every night! I thought I would miss the Warm Chocolate Melting Cake of CCL, but Chocolate Volcano was way better and smaller so easier to fit into a stuffed belly. :):o

 

Ok, so that is all the time I have for now. I promise I will be back! Like I said before, we kind of got into vacation mode too much and did not get enough pics of each thing. I am going to get the pics from our other family members soon though so please bare with me. Happy Sailings, I will be back ASAP!

[tomsuelaw]

I get the feeling that the OP may not come back... I hope that I'm wrong!

 

Was her trip that bad?? YIKES:eek:

 

No Jenny, it was not that bad at all. Sorry my review is not all rainbows and unicorns this time ;) Life is just busy right now but I am trying to get this review done for my fellow cruise lovers.

[tomsuelaw]

We were on that cruise, and agree that the staff wasn't the friendliest! We encountered more issues with service, cold eggs at Taste and O'Sheehan's. Also 1 of our group had the ribs at O'Sheehans that weren't done, and just plain indifference with staff in general.

 

We go in with low expectations and as Sue mentioned not overly hard to please, but this cruise there were some issue that shouldn't have happened .

 

 

 

 

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Thanks for having my back Beerman! It was nice meeting you at the M+M.

[tomsuelaw]

Another review to cross off the list. Why on earth do people do this? :confused: Hope everything is ok!

 

Wow, tough crowd! Sorry my timeline has inconvenienced you. Life is busy friend!

[tomsuelaw]

Is the OP ever coming back? Starting to get a little concerned. Who starts such a great review and just doesn't come back?! Maybe one of the not so friendly Epic staff members took her hostage?! Lmao jk

 

Sorry Cruizin, I'll try to keep it rolling faster ;) Hope you enjoy the rest of the review!

Edited February 7, 2015 by tomsuelaw

[tomsuelaw]

When cheerleaders attack....

 

LOL. So true!

 

And its so funny. I don't think I am totally hating on NCL. I am just being truthful about our subjective opinion on the objective. We still had a good time, we just don't prefer the Epic. I can see why other people like the Epic but we didn't this time. Everyone is different. Everyone has a different cruise culture. No one ship can please everyone.

 

I could see us liking the Epic when our kids are older.

[cruizinrican]

Yay! Welcome back, we were all a little worried about you. Happy to read more and view the beautiful pictures! Anxiously awaiting more.

[Mimorison]

I am so surprised you like Carnival better! I never been on The Epic but I've been on the getaway and I'm going again for spring break. You should try the Oasis our Allure next time I think you will love it...they are my favorites although the glow party on the Getaway is the best! I hated how packed Carnival is, how bad their food, elevator lines, French fries with some kind of red seasoning...it was the first cruise that I couldn't wait to be done with...the room was clean but the corridors smelled like sewage and that was a brand new ship he breeze...anyways like you said everyone is different but try out the allure or oasis I'm sure you will like it!

[motleyfan]

Wow, tough crowd! Sorry my timeline has inconvenienced you. Life is busy friend!

 

What did you think of the Blue Man Group or Cirque? When I was last on the epic I met a family that were carnival people and this was their first NCL cruise. They said Blue Man Group and Cirque was a nice change from CCL because CCL has their staff do all the onboard entertainment.

 

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[tomsuelaw]

What did you think of the Blue Man Group or Cirque? When I was last on the epic I met a family that were carnival people and this was their first NCL cruise. They said Blue Man Group and Cirque was a nice change from CCL because CCL has their staff do all the onboard entertainment.

 

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We really liked Blue Man. DH loved it and I like it. Didnt see Cirque, didnt care to spend the extra cash. Legends was equivalent to CCL entertainment IMO. I feel like the entertainment on the Pearl is way better.

[tomsuelaw]

More 1st day fun!

 

 

 

Our kids enjoying the empty pools on embarkation day.

 

 

 

Chilling on an empty Lido deck with my Cosmo, beating the rush.

 

 

I forgot to mention the slides did end up opening that evening of the 1st day, close to sail away. My DN took advantage of no lines!

 

[motleyfan]

Yes, I agree, NCL as a whole cannot be defined by one ship. We still like NCL, but we just think CCL has more to offer us at this stage of life. When our kids are older, I would happily sail the Epic or the Breakaway, et el. I think the Epic is a great ship if you don't have kids or for families with older kids.

 

We will be back to NCL for sure, just not sure how soon :D

 

I have never been on the Victory or any of her sisters. We really like the Dream class and Fantasy class on CCL.

 

Like I said you probably would have felt different if you would have seen Cirque

 

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[tomsuelaw]

Back to Back Sea Days

 

We typically cruise for ports, so the idea of going on a cruise with 3 sea days did not initially sound appealing. Since it seemed Epic had a lot to offer, we went for it. I ended up enjoying the back to back sea days just fine.

 

Day 2: Sea Day 1 and a turning point.

 

The jogging track

 

We woke up and I went for a run, DH decided to have a lazy AM. I am sure the running track has been discussed numerous times but I will give you my take on it. By now, you probably know the running track is located on a lower deck port side, with an obstructed view from the lifeboats. I thought this would be bothersome, but it ended up being ok.

 

The pros of the track, IMO. It is long (goes length of the ship), offers good people watching (very busy in the AM), with occasional sea views when you pass the break in the life boats. It is a .25mile loop. It is shaded.

 

The only negative is the obstructed view and the run up and run back down feel it has to it (as opposed to a loop around part of the ship). Here is a pick from the previous night.

 

 

 

 

Breakfast

 

After running, we hit up breakfast. We preferred breakfast in the MDR. I thought I had read on the schedule that breakfast was served till 9:30am on Sea Days, but at 8:55am when we were ready for breakfast, I began to question that and couldn't find the schedule. So DH called down to Taste and they told him they closed at 9:00am. SO we headed to the buffet, which we find stressful and hectic.

 

Later, I found the schedule and saw that Taste was/is open till 9:30am so we could have made it and we were misled by the hostess who answered the phone. I was not impressed at all to say the least.

 

One nice thing about the breakfast buffet is they have a yogurt and fruit bar with yummy toppings. That was the highlight of the buffet for many of us.

 

 

Sea Day Fun

 

After breakfast, we headed to the lido deck cause the kids were itching to start the water fun early. CHOGs were in full force and there was definitely no enforcement of the rules. We were still able to find 2 chairs together (sort of), one was on a raised platform, the other on the ground level. But it worked out well to have the one raised one cause that is the only way you can sit and see the pool at the same time in order to keep an eye on kiddos. The raised loungers are extremely limited and extremely popular. They are shaded which we preferred.

 

Patience and vigilance paid off. As the day went on, a lounging neighbor would leave and we eventually acquired 4 together for our group of 9, which was perfect cause rarely were all 9 of there at the same time and this way we were not being CHOGs ourselves.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[tomsuelaw]

Martini Tasting: the turning point.

 

Maybe it was my love for martinis...or maybe is it was the 12oz of liquor served during the tasting but DH and I really enjoyed this. In addition, by this time, the Epic (and all of her pros and cons) were starting grow on us. We were finding our way around better and learning how to avoid the crowds.

 

So at 3pm, we sent DD to kids club and DS stayed and hung with Gma so we could go to the Martini Tasting. It is such a good deal. For $15, you get 6 small martinis (2 oz each). In addition, you learn all about the martinis...the history, how to make them, etc.

 

Shaker's Martini Bar

 

 

 

Our Tasting Host/Mixologist

 

 

Friendly Wait Staff

 

 

 

Let the tasting begin: Classic Martini