Epic Med Review June 26th 2016

[Feebs2015]

Day 4 Roma

Again, slept like a baby however this time my early morning view wasn’t so pretty just a big old ugly port. So, many months before the cruise I realised that the ships tours were beyond my budget. I suppose if I am honest I just couldn’t see the value. Ok, there is a sense of reassurance with going with a ship tour but my pocket just couldn’t/wouldn’t allow it. Again armed with great info from CC I found a tour sharing company with Joe Banana and I set up tours for both Rome and Pisa/Florence. Initially we had booked the Ultimate Rome Tour but then the company informed us that as it was the Feast of St Peter and St Paul that the Vatican museums and Sistine Chapel would be closed. I think all of us booked on the tour were very disappointed to begin with but to be honest it was actually a blessing in disguise as the city was so much quieter.

 

Our guide was Giovanni and the vehicle was an 8 seater Mercedes minivan. He was able to go through all the little side streets of Rome compared to the ship’s 52 seater coach which could never fit down these streets. I hadn’t really been looking forward to Rome as I had this stupid idea that it wouldn’t really be my cup of tea….you know, a very busy, dusty crumbling city but it took my breath away. I loved it. Giovanni brought us to places that ordinarily tour buses don’t go to. We had cappuchino’s and wine in a lovely market square during the late morning. We were then brought to a restaurant which was tucked away in a small side street. We shared lunch together and DD and myself both had pasta which was very good. The others had pizza and chicken and were also very happy.

 

One of my favorite sights in Rome was the Piazza Navona (not sure exactly why but it was just very peaceful). Also the Villa Malta which is located on the Aventine Hill, is home to the Grand Priory in Rome of the Sovereign Military Order of Malta. It also hosts the embassy of the Order of Malta to Italy. The Villa is arguably best known for a small hole/keyhole in the door, through which the copper-green dome of Saint Peter's Basilica can be viewed at the end of a garden path framed in clipped cypresses. There was something special about looking through that keyhole.

 

When Giovanni parked up right beside the Pantheon he pointed out a small Gelato shop which he said was the best ice cream in Rome. It was definitely amazing. I would very much recommend doing these small private tours. You cannot see all of Rome in one day but Joe Bananas Tours made sure we got a great overview of the city and we were so well looked after by Giovanni in Rome. We were back to the ship in plenty of time.

 

That night we had made plans on our roll call to meet up with our Pisa/Florence group in Shakers at 730pm, but unfortunately that didn’t work out as some of the group couldn’t make it but the rest of us just had to have the Raspberry Martini’s again in Shakers and then we made our way to Taste Dining Room. This was my first dinner in Taste and it was very good overall. It was late when we got there as those Raspberry Martini’s kept showing up in Shakers!

 

Taste was busy and I heard that there was a large number of Spanish cruisers so NCL were expecting large numbers of passengers to eat later at night. That said, we quickly got a table for five. DD and I chose the same dishes which was shrimp cocktail and avocado for appetiser. There was no avocado in either of our dishes, but it still tasted good. For entrees we both had chicken legs and mashed potato which, whilst nothing fancy, tasted really nice. For dessert we had the chocolate lava cake. This was disappointing; I’ve had way better, frozen out of a supermarket fridge! DD went off to bed after Taste…..I think she had her fill of us women joking and laughing like young ones! We went to the Cavern Club for the last half of the Beatles Show. Again, only my opinion, but I didn’t think they were great. They appeared not to have played together very much. They were flat on a lot of notes. I was disappointed but it was still a lot of fun. Got to bed far too late but happy 

[BamaVol]

DD and I chose the same dishes which was shrimp cocktail and avocado for appetiser. There was no avocado in either of our dishes, but it still tasted good. 

 

Hanging on every word and looking forward to Pisa/Florence. We got in on a Joe Bananas tour there as well and it was a highlight of our trip. Many thanks to Kristen for organizing it.

 

I had the same experience with the shrimp and avocado appetizer - no avocado and the shrimp were more like krill.

[Feebs2015]

Day 5 Livorno – Pisa and Florence

 

This was the day/tour that I had been most looking forward to and it didn’t let me down! We had breakfast once again in the outdoor buffet. We decided not to try O’Sheehans for breakfast as we enjoy having breakfast in the early morning air. DD usually had her favourites of French toast or waffles. I had English muffins toasted or a bagel toasted with scrambled egg. Word of warning, the orange juice tastes FULL of sugar but it was nice with ice in the morning. Coffee was surprisingly good I thought. Nice and strong. If you like tea the tea bags are PG Tips which make a great cuppa tea. Getting off the ship was always so easy. Just swipe your card and you are off. That said coming back on was also very easy and very organised.

 

Anyways on Day 5 we disembarked at 745am and met our entire group pretty quickly. Again, we had booked with Joe Banana’s tour sharing site and Claudio our driver was there promptly with a fab Mercedes Sprinter 8 seater van with excellent AC which we needed as it was witheringly warm. The plan was that we would go directly to Pisa and spend 45 minutes wandering around that site. Similar to Rome I wasn’t overly excited about seeing Pisa but I knew DD would want the obligatory selfie of the tower. You know what, I loved Pisa. We were there early and there were hardly any people there. We didn’t bother purchasing tickets to the church and Baptistry as we only had 45 minutes. It was so pleasant wandering around and admiring the workmanship of the buildings. There were some gifted craftsmen back then, for sure. Once we regrouped Claudio told us there had been an accident on the motorway to Florence so we took an alternative route and avoided the 6km tailbacks. When we arrived in Florence at the hillside viewing point there was only an Asian wedding party taking photos but hardly any tourists. A lot of coaches were stuck in that motorway traffic. We were so grateful to be with Claudio. He was fantastic! He drove us all around Florence, down winding cobblestone streets pointing out this and that. We spent some time wandering around the Duomo and Baptistry which was unbelievably beautiful. Unfortunately the queues were too long to get tickets so we passed on the interior…..definitely next time. We also didn’t get into the Academia or any other museums as it didn’t make sense given the short time we had, again on the to-do list for next time.

 

We asked Claudio to recommend an authentic Florentine restaurant, not touristy, not too cheap but not too expensive either. All I can say guys, is the meal that we shared as a group was out of this world. Florence is famous for its bruschetta, crostini, lasagne and huge steaks 1-2.5 kgs in size! Holy Moley! We decided to order a number of appetisers and share around the table so we could sample more than one dish. This worked so well. Of particular note was a zuchinni spirals salad with a dressing and sprinkled with pine nuts. Also an asparagus flan which was like a mousse was also gorgeous. For entrees DD had lasagne which she said was the best she ever had and put the lasagne in La Cuchina to shame. I had Fiocchini di Pere, Gorgonzola and pecorino ….Pear filled pasta with gorgonzola and pecorino cheese….it was superb and cost only €10.00. We all had wine except DD and the total per person came to €30.00, which was so very worth it. The name of the restaurant was Osteria Natalino Borgo Albizi, 17/R- Firenze Tel: 055/289404 if anyone is interested.

 

Claudio had given us directions for our pick up and told us we had about 1.5hours free time after our lunch. We wandered about the little streets, admiring the little shops and their contents and gazing up and around at all the ancient buildings. It was nice in the shade of the old buildings but still brutally hot. A stop at an overpriced gelato place cooled us down and hurt our pockets! Twenty euro for two ice-creams!!!!!!!!!! Granted they were large but we didn’t want large. I couldn’t finish mine and it ended up in a bin. They were nothing as good as what we got in Rome.

 

We were again so lucky with the group of people on this tour. Nobody was selfish, everybody was happy to do what the majority wanted. I really enjoyed everybody’s company. On the way home Cindy from Joe Bananas called Claudio’s phone and asked to speak to me. She was asking if we enjoyed both tours and asked for feedback on both drivers. What excellent customer service – So impressive! I told Cindy we would be back. Well done wwwdotItalytoursharingdotcom. We all gave Claudio a tip when paying as he was excellent. He had us back to the ship in plenty of time. It was a truly special day.

 

DD and I were totally exhausted after Rome and Florence tours so we decided to head to O’Sheehans and have a couple of drinks and a burger and fries for dinner. I would have enjoyed O’Sheehans more if it wasn’t for the Bingo game that was being played one floor down in the Atrium. Oh, but the bingo callers mic was just way way too loud. It would just give you a pain in your head. The design of the ship with regards to this atrium opening onto many decks is not the best design. If I had wanted to play Bingo then I would have gone specifically to Bingo. All I wanted was to have a drink, and a quick bite to eat in peace. So rant over, we did have a few drinks. I also ordered the blue and black burger which came with blue cheese dressing on top. It was a very tasty burger and the fries were good too. DD had the Classic burger and she enjoyed that too. We didn’t stay too long because of the noise and took the opportunity to walk about the ship a bit.

 

The casino is massive! Takes up most of Deck 6 I believe. I’m not into gambling so it wouldn’t interest me. It was busy after dinner and later in the night. The smoking wasn’t too bad either. Many times I walked through and saw people smoking but never smelt it! The extraction system must be excellent. The art collection area had some nice pieces and I enjoyed having a look at them. We didn’t look at the Perspectives Photo Gallery area at all because in my opinion they are outrageously priced. I would not let any photographer take our picture in case I was tempted! It’s a matter of principle with me really.

 

Guest Services desk were very knowledgable and helpful. It was busy there but there were plenty of people behind the desk and it moved quickly.

 

We also didn’t use the gym or the Spa so I cannot comment on these. We didn’t shop in the Tradewinds freestyle shopping area except to buy an electrical convertor as I forgot to pack ours. Coming from Ireland we use similar voltage to UK which is different to the Euro and USA connection in the cabin. It was pricey at about €32, but we needed it and its one of those all-encompassing convertors for UK, USA, EURO and Australasia.

 

I have to say I didn’t really like the pool deck much. Ok, we had the issue with lack of sun loungers in the shade but to be honest it was far too noisy up there. Is there really a need to have the mic that loud when the entertainment team are up there? or the music playing that loud? You couldn’t even hear yourself speak in a conversation. I’m not a fuddy duddy and love to party but I just thought it was too loud. In comparison I found RCI sail away far more pleasant. At least you could talk to each other at the outdoor bar. There were lots of kids and babies on this cruise. I’m not anti-kids….I’ve just been there and worn the t-shirt and don’t want to be listening to whining kids and crying babies especially when I have paid for that privilege! So we avoided the Pool Deck and so didn’t get annoyed whatsoever. Spice H20 was great, as its adult only. It would be super though if NCL could put in more umbrella shades around the loungers, not everyone wants to lie down in the sun all day. Someone mentioned to me that I should have brought my own clip on sun umbrella….never seen these…..anyone have a thought on this?

So after our little walkabout we went to bed early. A sensible decision to balance all the late nights!

 

Viva la France to follow……

[Feebs2015]

Day 6 – Cannes

I awoke early to enjoy the sunrise and the approach to the south of France coastline. It was spectacular. I also got to watch them lower the lifeboats/tender for the tenders into Cannes. They lowered 5 lifeboats and did a little sail around to check everything. They also got up on top of the lifeboats and raised a French flag and an NCL flag. Tenders started early I believe maybe as early as 0730am…but I stand to be corrected on that. We had a leisurely breakfast in the Outdoor Café. DD wasn’t feeling too good so she decided to stay on board. I met up with the other ladies in our new group and we got a tender at about 10.10am. It was a quick journey into the port.

 

Once we got off the tender we walked about 5 minutes to exit the port area and right there at the exit is the HOHO bus and the Petit Train (the little white train that does an hour long tour of Cannes). We got the next little white train which cost 10 euro. Well worth 10e.

You grab a set of headphones and you hear the history of Cannes. The train goes all along La Croisette and then down the main shopping street Rue d’Antibes. From there it heads up through the old town to a viewing point/castle at the top of the hill. The view is spectacular. The train makes no stops so you need to be ready to take your photos. Once off the train our little group split up and I headed with K up Rue d’Antibes to check out some hotels for potential visits next year. We also did some shopping as well. There are tons and tons of good shopping all along this long street. Then it was time for lunch. We wandered off the main shopping street to find a café and we enjoyed some warm crusty French bread a Salad Nicoise, and a glass of Chardonnay. It was a really enjoyable day. We headed back to the ship then and I went up to the pool deck and brought some iced cocktails back to the balcony and read my book watching the tenders coming and going. It was a really chilled out relaxing day. I had never been to Cannes. Again, I had assumed it was big and commercialised. However, the centre is not big though, and while it is commercialised to a degree it still maintains its charm of a little seaside port.

That night we went to Teppanyaki. There was just one other couple on our table and we enjoyed their company and had some really interesting conversations. The Teppanyaki experience was only ok. Our chef wasn’t all that skilled in my opinion. He didn’t put on much of a show compared to the other chef on the opposite side. The food was mediocre at best. I have been to much much better Teppanyaki restaurants on land. Disappointing.

 

After dinner we met up with the usual gang plus our new Fort Lauderdale friends C & C and we had cocktails in Shakers followed by a couple of hours dancing at the White Hot Party in Spice H20. It was a really fun night. DD decided to go to bed after the White Hot Party but I was still on a roll and it was K’s last night on the Epic so we went to the Cavern night where Soul Satisfaction was playing. I thought they were really good.

It was a late night/early morning and it was sad to say goodbye to my friend K who was disembarking in Marseille.

[Feebs2015]

Day 7 – Marseille

DD and I had always planned to have a “sea day” on Day 7. Whilst we haven’t been to Marseille we have been all over France so decided to relax on our last day. I was feeling exceedingly fragile after the previous night so was grateful we were relaxing on board. We spend some time on the pool deck which was quiet in the morning but then just chilled out on our own balcony, getting chilled drinks from the pool deck to take back to the cabin. We had lunch in the Buffet which was really quiet and a stark contrast to our first Sea Day! We went to the internet lounge and paid for 15 minutes internet use to print out our boarding passes. The wifi was unbelievably slow. We did get sorted in the end but it’s a long time since I have seen wifi so slow.

 

Dinner that night was in La Cuchina as we had so enjoyed our earlier meal there. We also had dinner with C&C from Fort Lauderdale and this was a real treat to have dinner with them on our last night. We had a lot of laughs and some great conversations. Food wise it wasn’t as good as earlier in the week. DD and I both had the calamari again and it was still wonderful. I had fillet mignon with blue cheese crust and it was ok, nothing amazing but ok. DD had the lasagne again and said she enjoyed it. We didn’t bother with desserts. Our server wasn’t as good as Gary on the first night and it’s amazing that it can make such a difference to the success of a meal. We still had a beautiful sunset to view but the ship was powering through the sea and you could really feel the swell especially when we stood up and tried to walk up the stairs…..we all wobbled a bit.

We finished off the night with Bellini’s in Shakers and said a sad farewell to our new Floridian friends. It was quite depressing heading back to the cabin to put our suitcases outside the door etc….sad but grateful that we had such an amazing cruise and met some wonderful new friends who we hope to keep in contact with.

[Feebs2015]

Disembarkation

 

We were up early after 5am and got ourselves together. We went to the buffet for breakfast at 545am. I don’t know how she does it but DD had a full big breakfast at that hour of the morning. I could only manage ¼ of a toasted bagel and a mug of coffee. Then we walked off the ship, collected our bags and our private car transfer picked us up on time and dropped us to the airport.

It was a great cruise overall. Would I cruise on Epic again? Yes, I would. There are features on this ship that I don’t like but that would apply to any cruise line. The food was very good overall, the entertainment was fantastic. The disability support that we received was exceptional. Well done NCL.

[anandaindonesia]

Glad you had a great cruise. Keep cruising!

 

Sent from my SM-J700F using Tapatalk

[ollienbertsmum]

Disembarkation

 

We were up early after 5am and got ourselves together. We went to the buffet for breakfast at 545am. I don’t know how she does it but DD had a full big breakfast at that hour of the morning. I could only manage ¼ of a toasted bagel and a mug of coffee. Then we walked off the ship, collected our bags and our private car transfer picked us up on time and dropped us to the airport.

It was a great cruise overall. Would I cruise on Epic again? Yes, I would. There are features on this ship that I don’t like but that would apply to any cruise line. The food was very good overall, the entertainment was fantastic. The disability support that we received was exceptional. Well done NCL.

 

I have really enjoyed reading your review. I agree that the Epic delivers a good cruise. I hope that I will be on again fairly soon.

Edited July 10, 2016 by ollienbertsmum
I made an irrelevant off topic comment!!

[tiggrbaby]

Thank you for taking the time to share your experience! We will be aboard in October, and this is very helpful.

[Linda the Book Lover]

I am sad to see your cruise come to an end. It was fun traveling with you through your words. Thanks again!

[Suzy69]

Really enjoyed your review. Doing this cruise in Sept. First time to cruise.what time was your flight home? Mine is 10.30,worried slightly about making it on time

[ollienbertsmum]

Really enjoyed your review. Doing this cruise in Sept. First time to cruise.what time was your flight home? Mine is 10.30,worried slightly about making it on time

 

As long as all goes well and you arrive back on time you have plenty of time to get to the airport by 8.30 - it will be an early morning the 5 am breakfast that Feebs had is a good idea.

 

If you get delayed such as by engine failure or by having to rescue a dingy of Northern Africans who were trying to cross to Europe (happened to us) your schedule may go awry. But in that case a 12.30 or 2 pm flight might still be too early.

 

What can you do? I think planning for an overnight in Barcelona is a bit extreme, but you can make sure that your insurance covers delays and that you have enough room on your credit card for an emergency.

[Blocks]

Thank you for the great review

[Feebs2015]

Thanks guys! I'm glad it was helpful.

I read every thread on here about the Epic and ports of call before I went on my cruise and got plenty of good advice so glad to share my story.

 

Suzy69.... I had the same concern and that was one of the reasons why I booked a private transfer. Our flight was at 1020am.

 

When I looked out on the port at 530am there were at least 5 taxis waiting. When we got off at about 0615am there was still at least three taxis there so not many people were leaving that early like we were. That said there were others walking off and getting on large 52seater coaches which were NCL transfers to airport.

So I guess as ollienbertsmum said all going well, you dock very early at 5am which gives you plenty of time to get to the airport. Obviously there was absolutely no traffic at that time of the morning so it was a 15 min journey to the airport.

[Suzy69]

Thanks that's great.

[Samstress]

Thank you so much for such an informative, concise review. We are booked for this (almost) exact same cruise & appreciate all the helpful hints!

Cheers...

[MarkCheshire]

Thanks for your review - really enjoyed it - and makes me look forward to our cruise in October

Cheers