OH NO! Another Epic Trip Report w/pics

[buchman67]

Loved your report, thank you so much. I am on the Epic twice in 2017. I feel like I have been given some secret getaways to find.

 

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[Oakman58]

Great review. Could I ask what shuttle service that you used? Would you recommend them?

 

We used the Cocoa Beach Shuttle but we booked it as a package deal with the Hampton Inn at Cocoa Beach. If you want to call Cocoa Beach Shuttle directly their number is 312-631-4144.

 

They were very professional and I wouldn't hesitate to use them again.

[Oakman58]

Loved your report, thank you so much. I am on the Epic twice in 2017. I feel like I have been given some secret getaways to find.

 

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Thank you, I'm glad you enjoyed my report.

[txskier]

Hey....I really like your review!! thanks!

[DMH15]

Thanks so much for a glimpse at Epic. Sounds like you had fun.

 

 

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[janpo]

Great report! Loved your writing style.

[Oakman58]

Are steps the only access ? Husband uses a mobility scooter. We may have to skip it.

 

I believe there is an ADA elevator on the port side aft that will take you up to the buffet and bar area at Spice H2O.

[Oakman58]

Hey....I really like your review!! thanks!

 

Great report! Loved your writing style.

 

 

Thank you both very much.

[Oakman58]

Thanks so much for a glimpse at Epic. Sounds like you had fun.

 

 

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I did have fun but I discovered I'm not a fan of the mega-ships. My future cruises will probably be on ships the size of the Jewel Class.

[DMH15]

I did have fun but I discovered I'm not a fan of the mega-ships. My future cruises will probably be on ships the size of the Jewel Class.

 

 

I def hear ya!

 

I am on the Epic next month. I actually booked on the Jade but after being canceled twice rebooked on the Epic. They offered me the choice of the Dawn or the Epuc. Having been on the Dawn before, I passed. Never imagined I would choose a mega ship.

 

I love the Jewel class too, have been on the Jewel twice. I will probably go back to that next time. Or back on my very favorite, the Sun.

 

 

 

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[ShipsAhoy508]

We used the Cocoa Beach Shuttle but we booked it as a package deal with the Hampton Inn at Cocoa Beach. If you want to call Cocoa Beach Shuttle directly their number is 312-631-4144.

 

They were very professional and I wouldn't hesitate to use them again.

 

Thank you.

[cml4958]

December 17th Port Canaveral

 

 

So to make a long story short, our 2:20 flight was delayed twice due to bad weather moving across the country and we finally departed at 4:35. Arriving in St. Louis it was 20 degrees outside with sleet or freezing rain falling so our plane sat on the taxiway waiting for airport equipment to spread de-icer on the pavement. After a 30 minute delay we finally had to be towed to our gate.

 

We experienced more delays waiting for our checked luggage to show up. And then another delay as we missed the shuttle bus to the hotel where our cars were parked. When we finally got back to our car at the hotel I had to scrape about a quarter of an inch of ice off the windows.

 

I knew the roads for the drive home would be treacherous and I debated spending the night at the hotel but I just wanted to get home. As it turned out, road crews had done a good job on the highways so the drive home while slow, wasn’t as bad as I thought it would be.

 

Be glad you got out of South Florida. My flight from FLL to STL was cancelled around 7pm. Rebooked the next day and didn't end

up in STL until 10:30 pm on Sunday. Got to the car, scraped ice off and finally got home at 1:30am Monday.

 

Oh, and awesome trip report. I'm sailing her in February 2018 so this was super helpful!

Edited January 5, 2017 by cml4958

[Jea267]

Thanks Oakman for the entertaining report! Your time and insight is appreciated!

 

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[Delta Dear]

Thanks so much for your enjoyable and informative review. We will be on the Epic in Feb. which will be our first NCL ship. It was helpful to get to know both NCL and the Epic through your review. Great photos, too.

[fredflint]

Thank you so much for your report and the time you took to provide all the information.

[Oakman58]

Thanks Oakman for the entertaining report! Your time and insight is appreciated!

 

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Thank you so much for your report and the time you took to provide all the information.

 

You're welcome. There were so many reviews of the Epic after it returned to Port Canaveral I wasn't too sure if anyone would want to read another one.

[Oakman58]

Thanks so much for your enjoyable and informative review. We will be on the Epic in Feb. which will be our first NCL ship. It was helpful to get to know both NCL and the Epic through your review. Great photos, too.

 

I hope you enjoy your cruise and have great weather too.

[Oakman58]

Be glad you got out of South Florida. My flight from FLL to STL was cancelled around 7pm. Rebooked the next day and didn't end

up in STL until 10:30 pm on Sunday. Got to the car, scraped ice off and finally got home at 1:30am Monday.

 

Oh, and awesome trip report. I'm sailing her in February 2018 so this was super helpful!

 

When we arrived in St. Louis that night the airport closed the runways and cancelled flights after our plane landed. The delay you experienced would have made me nuts. Once a trip is over and I’m ready to go home I don’t want anything to stand in the way of getting home. I know flight cancellations and delays can be a part of winter travel but it still sucks when it happens

[LOWTYD]

Thanks so much for your great review and photos. I am going on the Epic for for the first time in February and this was a big help. Love the deck 18 loungers and bar. I think I will find my way there. :)

[d9704011]

Thank you for the review. We booked the Epic for next autumn. Usually, we cruise on a couple of NCL's competitors and the routines for dining and entertainment seem to be quite different than on the Epic. Can you tell me how you went about booking 'specialty dining' and onboard entertainment? I believe I can't do these things more than 90 days from the sailing date but thought you (or your wife) may have some helpful insight.

 

 

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[Oakman58]

Thank you for the review. We booked the Epic for next autumn. Usually, we cruise on a couple of NCL's competitors and the routines for dining and entertainment seem to be quite different than on the Epic. Can you tell me how you went about booking 'specialty dining' and onboard entertainment? I believe I can't do these things more than 90 days from the sailing date but thought you (or your wife) may have some helpful insight.

 

 

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Yes you can book the specialty dining restaurants 90 day in advance and I highly recommend doing so. With so many people now choosing the SDP as one of their Free at Sea promotion choices, reserving in advance is almost a must. Any openings are quickly booked the first day onboard.

 

I also recommend getting reservations before your cruise for the shows Priscilla, Burn the Floor, and the Cirque Dinner Show. The do have a standby line at the theater but there is no guarantee you will get in.

 

Heed my caution; Priscilla is a musical about three drag queens traveling through the Australian desert in their bus and the “F” bomb was dropped a couple of times. Some people walked out of that show. My wife and I thought it was an outstanding stage production with excellent costuming, great songs, and an excellent cast.

 

When I booked our cruise on the Epic I mistakenly thought, bigger ship, bigger venues. Not so, the Epic Theater has less seating than the theaters on the smaller ships we’ve been on.

 

The television in the stateroom is interactive so you can make reservations in your room if there are any openings. You can also view your bill on your TV.

 

You won’t need reservations for any of the complimentary dining restaurants. We only had two nights that we had to wait about 10 minutes to be seated. Every other night we were seated immediately.

[BABYJOSIE98]

We are sailing with 17 of our friend on Epic in a little over 2 weeks! We are so freaked out by all Frontier's cancellations lately that we went ahead and booked a SW flight too for 1-20-17. Just in case! If we don't use it then we can take the credit for later. We just want to make sure we get there.... You just never know about weather in STL in January! Frontier even cancels the Florida flights here if there is a storm in Denver! EEK!

 

So your review was great! My hubby and I take the stairs usually! I hate the elevators on cruise ships.

 

We have a reservation for all 17 of us the first night at La Cucina Italian on the ship! I do hope I can book the steakhouse once I am on board. I will try the first day. I want to use my OBC and not pay OOP before we go.

I did book us for the shows!

 

Did you go to the "Ice Bar"??? How do you book that??

 

So ready to get somewhere warm!

Edited January 5, 2017 by BABYJOSIE98

[d9704011]

Oakman58, thank you for the information and advice.

 

 

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[Oakman58]

 

Did you go to the "Ice Bar"??? How do you book that??

 

So ready to get somewhere warm!

 

We didn’t do the Ice Bar. I don’t remember for sure what the charge was to get into the Ice Bar but I think it was either $20 or $24.95 per person. The price included two free drinks but since we already had the UBP the cost would have been more like a cover charge. The Ice Bar didn’t seem to be too popular on our cruise and I think the UBP might have something to do with that. The rack with the parkas always seemed to be full when we walked passed.

[emptyhoff]

Thank you so much for your review! It was very informative as well as entertaining. :) We are sailing in a few weeks and I am looking forward to checking out some of the places you mentioned. Thanks!