Norwegian Epic 17/5/15 - Western med quick review

[suffield12]

After reading a few negative reviews regarding the cleanliness and upkeep of the vessel as well as a few negative vibes regarding the crew, I thought I'd write a quick review on how we as a family found the Epic

 

Previous experieinces: This was our third cruise after two cruises aboard the Breakaway as well as a lot of years as Ch.Mate on a wide range of vessels (which gives me a better insight into the actual state of a vessel)

 

Embarkation: We stayed one night at the grand marina hotel which was only a 5 minute taxi ride to the cruise terminal and was ideally located to the ramblas. We arrived at around 1100hrs and walked straight through security and onto check in with no delays at all. Initial impressions were that the terminal was a much easier experience than the chaos of New York. The only downer was the vip lounge was so small we were forced to spend our time walking around the main terminal. Not all bad though as the little one was more interested in watching the crew change out the port anchor. Found out later on in the cruise from the old man that they had serverly damaged it during the previous week at the anchorage in Cannes. We were escorted onboard by the concierge at 1200hrs, seemed a bit more chaotic than the breakaway and was obvious that the crew had a lot on their plate that day.

 

Cabin: 17030 deluxe owners suite. The cabin is fantastic and the balcony huge! It's very well maintained and has stood up to the test of 5 years in service. My only gripe was that the balcony handrails and glass panelling hadn't seen any fresh water or rig wash for a very long time, the salt cakes were pretty bad. Neither the wife or mother in law noticed it, it was more my Mate brain in action! I'd read a few comments regarding the proximity to the pool deck. Though it is obviously personnel preference we found the ability to sit out and listen to the band a great addition and liked been near the action.

 

The only real gripe with this cabin is the excessive noise during the early hours of the morning as the deck crew are rearranging the chairs up on the POSH deck. We had one night of increased wind and heard a lot of noise from up their caused by items not correctly sea fastened.

 

The Haven: We all agreed that the Haven is much better appointed on the epic than the breakaway, having a seprate pool area and bar/grill allows for more beds and seats and unlike the breakaway it never felt cramped or over used. We only used the haven resteraunt for breakfast but was to the same high standard as the breakaway and the crew in here (especially Gabriella the manager) were fantastic throughout the week and treated our daughter like a princess.

 

Public Areas: We all agreed that we missed the water front deck and felt the ship was very inward thinking but apart from this all areas were well appointed and apart from the odd wear and tear that the house mouse was yet to attend to, it all seemed to be in good condition given the amount of people who traverse the vessel every week!

 

Verdict: loved it! Though it's a close call we all agreed that the Epic has the edge over the breakaway, mainly due to the extra space afforded to the haven and would be happy to go back.

 

What's next: norwegian star, Baltic capitals, August 10th,deluxe owners suite 12002.....will we miss the haven and the big ship feel?? Only time will tell.

[portofrome]

Thanks for your review.