Epic cruise help needed!

[realcindylouwho]

First, I am very familiar with cruising NCL but I have never been on the Epic. I may be booking a cruise on the Epic for a 4 day cruise out of Ft. Canaveral. I would be taking my sister, who has never cruised let alone go on a vacation further than 5 hours from home. This is a gift from me to her and I'd like to have some quality time with her. Her husband has stage 4 kidney cancer and the outcome is poor. She has spring break this week (she has been an elementary teacher for 26 years!) and this may be the only chance to take a cruise until her kids are grown.

 

Hubby and I cruise in suites, with the latest one on the Dawn in the Garden Villa Thanksgiving of 2017. Suites are what I know but all the suites are booked for this week. Please, no nasty comments like "It must be nice to be rich." Seriously. My husband and I work hard for our income and we are thrifty, invest and save for our vacations. It's just rude for some people on C.C. to make those types of comments, we've all seen them. *steps down from her soapbox. I've read hours of reviews and posts about the Epic bathroom situation and I think our best option would be to book two studio cabins. This would give us a bit of privacy, two toilets, two showers and our own bigger beds. I've strongly considered a balcony, but the ones left are right next to the stairs/elevators or have noisy areas above or below. I've cruised enough to know that tweens and younger teens love to sit on the stairs and hang out during the late evenings. I'd like to avoid that noisy fun. Maybe our PCC has a few NCL has kept out of inventory and I can nab a better one?

 

I've never sailed out of this port and the transportation issues are kinda freaking me out. We are flying in late the night before the cruise and I'm trying to decide if it would better on my nerves to stay at the airport area and then do a private transfer to the port in the a.m. or transfer late at night from the airport to the port area and stay at a hotel there. But then what about getting to the port in the a.m.? Are there taxis near the hotels or do I call early in the morning for a taxi to pick us up? I do not want a shared shuttle to the port. We want to arrive early (by 10:45/11:00 or so) and I've read horror stories about the shuttle arriving late and running out of room.

 

As you can assume from the above, I am a freak about making informed choices and I'm feeling very rushed and uncertain about my decisions. Once I get checked in at the port, all will be well! Can you help answer some of my questions and offer some opinions about the Epic? I'd appreciate it!

 

1) Should I book the two studio cabins on deck 11 or deck 12?

2). All of the adjoining studios are booked. Should we stay across the hall from each other or should that matter at all?

3) Should I stay nearer to the entrance doors of the studio halls for convenience or would it be better in the center area of the ship with possibly less passer-bys in the hall? I am a light sleeper and use ear plugs and a sound machine to help keep my brain from hearing noises.

4) Stay at a airport hotel the night before or transport to the port area and sleep at a hotel there? We will be arriving after 11:30 p.m. on Friday night at the Orlando airport.

5) We have personally used groundlink several times for transportation fom FLL to the Miami area and had no problems. I've looked into other private services, any other recommendations?

6) What about these shuttle services that say they can take you from the Orlando airport to a hotel, even ones at the port area. Do they run late at night? I wouldn't mind a shared shuttle that night but I don't want to have to wait around for an hour at the airport if they aren't reliable when they say they will arrive.

7) After the cruise we will likely use the NCL transfer bus to the Orlando airport. I think the cost is around $30 p.p. I've read other shuttles that are small buses or vans can be booked but also read they were hard to locate the pick up area at disembarkation. I won't be in any rush to the airport as our flight is after 1 p.m. Does anyone have experience recently using another complany that may be cheaper. Again, I need simplicity post-cruise. I won't be stressed out and in a hurry.

 

Thanks for sticking with me on this long post. I've goggled and youtubed myself into a frenzy over this cruise. My hope is to give my sister an experience she will be able to hold onto and look back upon when her life feels out of control. I can't book it until after we get my BIL's CT scans on Wednesday morning to see if they will continue his infusion treatment or jump to radiation for the metastasis. If there is continued advancement, the cruise will be a no go. Fingers crossed for no new tumors and no advancement of the ones he has. BTW...cancer sucks!

[cml4958]

So I'm going to tell you what I'm doing and hope that it helps you out. I'm staying in a studio on Epic next week.

 

Flying into Orlando and staying at the Radisson at the Port. I've got to call the hotel and make a reservation for the shuttle which is $33/person I believe. Then in the morning I'm sure you can get a shuttle to the port. It's not that far away. I wanted to stay near the port because I don't want to have to deal with traffic and any delays in the morning.

 

My studio is on 12 near the lounge and near the elevators. I figure 12 is less busy than 11.

 

I haven't booked from the ship to the airport yet but I've got to get in touch with Contrans. They've got a shuttle that runs at 8:15, 9:00, 9:45, and 10:30. http://www.cortrans-shuttle.com/schedule/

[Maya1234]

As someone who would only consider going in a suite in the Haven, I’m not going to give you any grief about suites. Lol!

 

I think that the studios are a good idea. One of the reasons I’m not a big traveler is that I can barely stand to stay in one room with another person, even DH or the adult kids. I’d choose a studio over any other room if I couldn’t get a suite. And those Epic bathrooms are a phonophobes nightmare so having the room to myself 1000 percent better.

[realcindylouwho]

So I'm going to tell you what I'm doing and hope that it helps you out. I'm staying in a studio on Epic next week.

 

Flying into Orlando and staying at the Radisson at the Port. I've got to call the hotel and make a reservation for the shuttle which is $33/person I believe. Then in the morning I'm sure you can get a shuttle to the port. It's not that far away. I wanted to stay near the port because I don't want to have to deal with traffic and any delays in the morning.

 

My studio is on 12 near the lounge and near the elevators. I figure 12 is less busy than 11.

 

I haven't booked from the ship to the airport yet but I've got to get in touch with Contrans. They've got a shuttle that runs at 8:15, 9:00, 9:45, and 10:30. http://www.cortrans-shuttle.com/schedule/

I looked at the Radisson at the port too and saw their transfer service. It looks like they will pick you up at the airport ( Orlando) and take you to the hotel near the port. I need to call and ask them about how late at night they offer this and if they would sit at the airport for awhile to pick up additional passengers arriving after our flight. I want to get into a bed and de-stress as soon as possible.

 

I also looked up Contras for transportation from port to MCO. That one looks like it might be a good option for us as well.

 

Enjoy your time on the Epic, I'd love to read your experience on her! A cruise is what you make of it and we've never had a bad one.

[CJDepew]

Cortrans from the port to the airport is a great choice. We used them in March and were much, much happier with them than Cocoa Beach Shuttle, which is the service that the Radisson uses. The thing about Cocoa Beach is, though, that they run pretty late in the evening so they can accommodate late arrivals from the airport to the hotel.

[Sauer-kraut]

I wouldn't worry if they aren't across from each other, just book near each other. If you go closer to the studio lounge you'll be closer to the fancy coffee machine which is FREE to use!!!! There will also be cookies and light breakfast items stocked there as well.

 

Have fun! Its weird that all the connecting cabins are gone, but that would have been the ideal setup. You could have kept the door open between the two and made it feel like a 2 bedroom suite..... :D

[BirdTravels]

We stayed at a Hilton Garden Inn near the airport. We used the free hotel shuttle. Then went back to the airport on day of cruise to catch the NCL motor coach to the port. Once you’re on the bus, no need to fuss with luggage at the port, it just arrives in your room. And being in a big motor coach is much better than being crammed in someone’s armpit on a van for the hour drive to the port.

 

Taxis are very expensive because the port is a good distance away on the toll road.

 

In the normal balconies, there is a privacy curtain that cuts off the shower and toilet from the rest of the room. Works ok.

 

Two studios work ok too. Get rooms across each other.

 

Have fun!

 

(We have done 7 cruises on the Epic and have enjoyed all).

[llollipoppi]

I think it would be better to stay at the port in case there are any issues on the road the next morning. My friend stayed in a studio on our cruise a couple of weeks ago. She said it was small and quiet enough. She was on 11. There area can only be accessed if you have a studio key card.

 

She just missed natural sunlight.

 

We hired a car at the port and dropped it off at the airport but my friends got a shuttle through go port Canaveral at $14.95pp

[rtkenmore]

My two cents here... I would not hesitate to book studios and see if you can get adjoining rooms. I've done the studio on the Epic before and we thoroughly enjoyed it. It's a great private escape from everything and the studio lounge is nice.

 

I would probably stay near the airport and as someone else mentioned, do the NCL transportation the following morning. NCL you're guaranteed as opposed to showing up on your own if something happens. Stay somewhere with a free shuttle back and forth to the airport and just go back in the morning.. Go straight to baggage claim and look for the NCL desk to check in. As someone else also mentioned, you drop your luggage there and you don't have to think about it again. It's taken care of for you from the airport to your cabin door.

 

You would likely spend more money doing separate transportation from the airport to the port hotel and then the port hotel to the port itself... then the port back to the airport than just booking NCL round trip.

 

And if she needs a "getaway" from the stress of life, do a spa pass. I LOVE the Epic thermal suite. It's one of my top two (Epic and Escape).

[Shidah]

We used Orlando Chauffeured services, and stayed at the Doubletree near the airport. We had really good service. To me, going back to the airport to get on a shuttle would be hectic. Plus you need to wait for the next shuttle to leave etc. I think it cost us $199 roundtrip, but it was so nice being picked up when we wanted to be, just us, dropped off right at the porters, and picked up at the time requested when the cruise was complete. I would definitely do it the same again if cruising out of Port Canaveral. Also, my recommendation is to keep trying for the Haven. The Haven on the Epic is amazing.

[mistycruiser]

We did the Epic in December and stayed at a hotel near the airport. We used Cortrans shuttle to and from the port. They list which hotels they pick up from so I booked one of them. In our case we stayed at a Hampton Inn by the airport. They were ontime the day of the cruise and also on the return to MCO. If your flight arrives that late at night I think it would be easier to stay by the airport instead of adding another hour to your day by trying to get to closer to the port that same night. JMHO

[realcindylouwho]

Everyone has given such helpful opinions and advice, thank you! I am super excited about staying in the studio, I don't have any phobias with small spaces or darkness and I think it would be neat having my own personal cabin. Free yummy coffee...yes please!

 

A couple more questions for those who have used this hotel/shuttle option:

If we use a shuttle service from the port hotel to the port the morning of embarkation, do they have early pick up options? I want to arrive at the port between 10:45 and 11:00 a.m. I worry about being picked up early, say 10:30 or so and then driving around to other hotels in the area and not actually getting off the shuttle until another hour passes by.

What is the earliest you have arrived at the port using a shuttle service?

[DarkJedi]

Do you honestly think you will be happy in two teeny tiny rooms?

 

I would book a balcony and get the spa pass. If you need to shower or anything else at the same time one of you just goes and does it there.

[cml4958]

If it's just the two of you, I'd recommend not using a shuttle and using lyft. There was a guy in the parking lot at the Radisson promoting lyft but I'd already paid for the shuttle. I would have gotten there hours earlier if I'd thought about it. Stupid mistake on my part.

 

The port is about 15 minutes from port hotels so you could schedule with them as necessary.

[Robinola]

Everyone has given such helpful opinions and advice, thank you! I am super excited about staying in the studio, I don't have any phobias with small spaces or darkness and I think it would be neat having my own personal cabin. Free yummy coffee...yes please!

 

A couple more questions for those who have used this hotel/shuttle option:

If we use a shuttle service from the port hotel to the port the morning of embarkation, do they have early pick up options? I want to arrive at the port between 10:45 and 11:00 a.m. I worry about being picked up early, say 10:30 or so and then driving around to other hotels in the area and not actually getting off the shuttle until another hour passes by.

What is the earliest you have arrived at the port using a shuttle service?

 

I would stay close to the port and arrange for taxi service, that way you can be first at the port if that’s what you’d like. It won’t cost much At all.