EPIC Review 1/27 sailing

[Tiggertastic]

We’ve had mixed experiences, never bad but at Easter there were way too many people on the ship. It made getting a seat at a bar or a bed in the sun really difficult. It didn’t ruin my trip but it’s always better at lower season

 

 

Sent from my iPad using Forums

[sarahc78]

What in particular concerns you?

 

 

 

we have sailed on Epic 3 times and 4th in April

 

 

 

Standing in line for hours to board the ship definitely doesn’t sound fun and it’s consistently mentioned in the epic reviews I’ve read.

 

Is it really that hard to get drinks, seats by the pool, elevators, etc...?

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Forums

[bigwalt0176]

We were on the same cruise. Our 20th overall and first on Norwegian. All I can say is that your review was spot on. The only thing I would like to add is that we started referring to "My Time" as "Wait on Line". I would rather get seated at a specified time than go to the dining room and be told the wait is 1 hour and it turn into 90 minutes. How is waiting around for 90 minutes for dinner in any way acceptable? If it were a land based restaurant, we would have walked but on the Epic where to? Bar food? Personally, I don't cruise to eat bar food for dinner on a cruise.

 

I would also like to mention that seemed to be the booze cruise. It seemed that the UBP was had by all. Bar service at the pool was always crowded with limited bar staff and pool butlers.

 

In summary our first experiment with Norwegian will probably be our last.

[Gemrac9693]

Has anybody else ever waited for one and a half hours to be seated seems a bit of exaggeration

[cincicruisers]

Wow, we were on the same cruise and yet I feel as though we weren't.

 

I agree that embarkation is TERRIBLE but that is all that I agree with.

 

We did have the drinking package and no you do not pay an extra 20% on each drink to have it delivered. The only time we were changed anything was when we were in PC and had to pay taxes on the drink. So the grumbling you heard was incorrect.

 

We were in a mini suite also and loved the cabin. Never had a problem with our steward on this cruise but was on the Epic for 2 weeks before (was doing a b2b2b) and that cabin steward did have problems.

 

 

All of the crew members we encountered were great, friendly and outgoing.

 

 

As far as dinner reservations go, on the 2 previous weeks we had no problems making reservations for 2. On the week you were on, we winged it and did not have dinner reservations. The longest we had to wait was 15 minutes for a table for 2. We went around 7:15pm.

 

We love sitting by the pool and yes there were chair hogs that put their towels out at 7am and did not come back for hours but we never had a problem finding a chair. That is one thing that amazes me about the Epic is the fact that we could always find a lounger with so many people.

 

Sorry you did not enjoy your cruise. We enjoyed it and would have no problems going on the Epic again!:D

It's nice to see a positive review. We leave soon and all I am seeing is negative reviews. I talked my family into trying NCL instead of Royal (diamond).

[jtdlmc]

Standing in line for hours to board the ship definitely doesn’t sound fun and it’s consistently mentioned in the epic reviews I’ve read.

 

Is it really that hard to get drinks, seats by the pool, elevators, etc...?

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Forums

 

 

We were on Epic last week. When everyone is on the ship it was impossible for us to find a deck chair anywhere in the sun and yes, long waits for drinks especially at the pool bar. They do have a separate bar for frozen drinks and another one for beer at the pool and they were usually not too long of a wait. Usually a several minute wait for the elevators.

 

 

 

 

Sent from my iPad using Forums

[jtdlmc]

Has anybody else ever waited for one and a half hours to be seated seems a bit of exaggeration

 

 

 

Last week we had no dining reservations and were a party of 2. We didn't go to the MDR every night but the nights we did go ranged with arrival times between 5:30 and 7:30. Never once had a wait other than when standing in line at the podium waiting to give the host our card.

 

 

Sent from my iPad using Forums

[Marymay]

We were on the Epic the following wee. We got to the port about 10:15. Checking was simp,e we were group 16 to board. We sat until they started calling groups at 11 am and were right on the ship. Ate at Taste for lunch and it was not crowded so got a table immediately.

 

We did have the beverage package and I only had a few times I had to hunt down a waiter in the casino. Other than that getting drinks was easy. We had made reservations for 2 for each night prior to boarding. Never waited to get into restaurant with a reservation between 6:30 and 7 pm. Also made reservations for 3 shows and were able to get in quickly. Maybe we were lucky.

 

Yes bed was shorter but I’m only 5’ 6’ so no issues there. Room Stewad was attentive as well. I was one up early in Spice H2O so I did put my towel down but was there a reading so not a chair hog. But I did leave my towel and book when I went for a quick lunch.

 

Ship was large and crowded at times. Going on Getaway in March, maybe it will be even better. Overall we enjoyed our cruise. Sorry you did not have a great experience.

[Lovincruisin1321]

I hope there will be more positive reviews. We sail in November and this review has me hedging to cancel and go back to Celebrity. How and when do you make reservations for 2?

 

Sent from my SM-J700T using Forums mobile app

[Oakman58]

We were on Epic last week. When everyone is on the ship it was impossible for us to find a deck chair anywhere in the sun and yes, long waits for drinks especially at the pool bar. They do have a separate bar for frozen drinks and another one for beer at the pool and they were usually not too long of a wait. Usually a several minute wait for the elevators.

 

Sent from my iPad using Forums

 

 

The slow and crowded elevators were a pet peeve of mine when we cruised on the Epic. There were only two banks of elevators on the ship, 8 forward and 8 aft with nothing mid-ship. Think about that, the Jewel Class ships have 12 elevators for 2400 passengers while the Epic has only 4 more elevators for an additional 1700 passengers. Add to that the elevators have to cover more decks so at times getting an elevator was very frustrating.

[Robinola]

A not so EPIC vacation... Norwegian Epic 1/27 – 2/3

As our first time on a ship designed to carry 4,000+ people on board for a week, we drove the five hours from our home to the port with a certain level of excitement. This soon dissolved upon arrival at the port when the driver from the extended parking lot announced that we could either sit in the van or we could unload and stand in line for an hour or more. We all chose the latter.

Once in the unload bay, the driver cheerfully asked that we all stay inside until our luggage was unloaded from the trailer. Some left the van early only to be corralled by the porters until their work was done. Then everyone was cleared to leave the van. The porter then announced: “Who wants to show their appreciation for the porters please step forward and identify your luggage” What? This classic shakedown is usually reserved for correctional institutions. I stepped forward while pushing my four-wheel trunk with a small token saying to my new luggage “I hope to see you again”. Couple hours later we were reunited, so the tip worked.

Then we were off to find the end of the line, which happen to be two serpentine columns of humanity over and down to reach the social end of the line. The social end is defined as the fair end, absence of cutting, and cheating-in where most reasonable people go to join the queue. A shout out goes to the majority of the people that respected this social norm. However, a small minority used brazen cutting and a subtle move that was straight out of Oceans Eleven. Feinting to need the rest room they jumped on the elevator away from view to be transported well ahead of the masses below. To say the process was a joke would be an insult to bad jokes. Getting to the ship was a mix of super bowl madness and animal house. Some lines were a simple “L” shaped right to the counters, while other serpentine throughout the too small terminal. For an experiment, I approached one of the line keepers and said “We are in the Owner’s suite, is there a different line?” He replied, “No, that doesn’t make a difference here”. So, we waited and waited, 120 minutes in all. In it together vibe and positive attitudes of the passengers, we endured together with a shrug and a smile. NCL really needs to look at this as it’s on the cutting edge of their experience.

Made our way to Guests Services immediately upon making it onboard. In search of the holy *Posh Pass ...the CSR walking the line nearly burst out laughing when we asked if we could. “Purchase a Posh Pass?” She replied “Oh no, we only had 20 and they sold out with the first hour”. Ok. Off we went to gather some food, it’s now 2:45pm, and venues begin to close at 3:00pm. O’Sheehands is the closest and we head there for a Ruben sandwich and fish and chips. Long wait, good service, pedestrian food.

*Posh Pass: Entry into the Haven Pool area

 

 

 

Finally, off to the room, a min-suite, not really, just a matchbox stood on its side. Curved walls, curved bed, curved couch, with semi-opaque glass encased toilet on the immediate right after entry. The shower is directly across from the toilet. One word on the toilet area, small. If you are over 6-foot-tall, you’ll be qualified for Cirque du Soleil

at the end of your business. Thank goodness for a strategically placed handhold. Small dimly lighted sink is located next to too short bed.

We waited for the polite knock on the door to meet our steward/stewardess, uh? Nowhere to be found, no quick hello or here’s how to reach me. Enjoy your cruise. No turn down the first night and after morning breakfast was tucked in we roamed the ship for 3 hours. Room should be made up by now don’t you think? Ahhh, no. Had to wait until well after 3:00pm to have the room looked after. Finally visited guest services after this became a reoccurring theme. Ronnie told us this was the person’s first solo run as a steward. No tip adjustments needed (though offered), everyone deserves a second chance and an opportunity to improve. Management was gracious with a nice bottle of wine and some chocolate dipped strawberries. Expected service and marked improvement after our visit.

The “Free-Style” dining is a bit of a pain if you are just a couple. They don’t take reservations for couple’s. We tried, only to be told to visit the desk down the way, to be told, “we don’t make reservation for two” you have to get in line and they hand out clickers that ping when seats are available. The lines or mobs at both main dining rooms were incredible with 90-minute wait times. Of course you could always go to the $peciality dining restaurants or the buffet, or O’Sheeands (bar food), Noodle Bar, or Chinese restaurant. Not our cup of tea. If you want a nice sit down meal be prepared to sit around like you were at the Outback waiting for your ding-ding. Update: Fourth day of freestyle cruising and since half the ship complained about the draconian procedures, NCL’s came off their high horse and “allowed” couples to make dinner reservations via phone. How thoughtful. On the sixth night when we were able to secure a rezzy at Taste (6:45p), a floor supervisor stopped by for a chat. “How are you enjoying the freestyle dining experience?” she said smiling. My wife and I locked eyes and I could see that “Oh, Noooo...” look in hers. I suggested the reservation procedures for couples should be revisited, what if someone had plans or a show to see, only to be told it would be a 90+ minute wait for a table? How does that translate to convenience? What’s the message, travel in a group or be prepared to stand in line, or visit the bar for a $10 cocktail? The floor supervisor listened attentively and wrote down my feedback, which was very good. She promised to forward our concerns to her superiors. We were awarded a glass of wine for our honesty. The food in Taste was good; service was appropriate for the churn of guests pouring through dinner service.

 

 

 

This was our first and last foray into the large ship category (4,000+) expect lines for everything, elevators, food, shows. The battle for the pool chairs was being played at its highest level. People after breakfast, clipped their towels and close the chairs not to return until high noon. This selfish practice is not reserved for NCL it’s practiced among passengers from all cruise lines to the inconvenience of those that chose to play by the “encouraged” sailing etiquettes. How do you police rudeness? Well, I’m not saying whom, but after scoping the field out for an hour or so you might just move the ships towels off the saved lounges and move in for some sun and fun. If the scoundrels return play dumb and enjoy your seats. The waiters are interested in selling and delivering drinks not enforcing social rules. I mention this because 4,000 people put a hell of a strain on the overall ship amenities. Oh almost forgot, to those of you that purchased the drink package, guess what they charge full tip (18-20%) on your libations. What a great deal! There is an adult pool (Spice.H2O) aft that has NO children squealing and splashing it up. Wasn’t a problem to get a couple chairs. Good place to sun and read.

One note on service, well maybe a couple notes, floor officers were very cordial and smiling when encountered, however, the frontline service personnel had well worn looks on their face and acted as if this was the last sailing on their contract before going home. The normal short happy engagement from all levels we experienced on other cruise lines was noticeably absent. Most especially noticed restaurant gatekeepers at all complimentary venues. Neutral to stern looks abound with the occasional “your card please” with the flavor of checking ones’ papers. Off putting. One bonus is the photo- group in much tamer than on other lines, a simple wave of the hand will call them off. You don’t have to hunt for your pictures, as the binder is marked on your keycard and you can quickly check them on a computer station in the photo area. Maybe it has to do with the size of the ship, 4,000 are a lot to handle for a week. When you consider the level of difficulty to secure couples reservations at either of the main venues, maybe it’s contrived to push you towards either the pay to eat places or shuttle you to the cheaper buffet option. Money saved no servers, just cooks, busboys/girls over waiters. Serve the same type of food you can purchase at your local Kroger’s deli department. Even the “specialty” restaurants push the drinks, as the margins on alcohol are ridiculous. But hey, free ice cream!

Running neck-and-neck for first place annoyance is the price of goods and services. A bottle of water is $4.45. Most cocktails and beer is $15-$5-dollar range. You cannot bring your own bottled water onboard, the “Quarantine” bins were full of half empty water bottles collected prior to carryon inspection. Spa costs are crazy. The cost to gamble is up with a minimum of $10 at all table games. Lots of empty tables with dealers bored out of their minds. How they survive without tips is beyond me. The slots were the tightest we’ve ever seen; the casino supervisor did make a big win announcement of $25.00 win on a penny machine. Smoking is allowed in the casino and not policed in the “non-smoking” areas. Which like the restaurants of the late 80’s and early 90’s would have non-smokers immediately adjacent to smokers without barriers. Second hand smoke and smelly cloths are guaranteed. Yuck.

 

 

 

 

In summary, the trip was pleasant, not over the top. Room was neat and clean (when it got done), plenty of hot water. The storage in the room was many and varied in place and shape. The boarding process is broken beyond belief and needs immediate attention to streamline. Additionally, NCL should have an observer to monitor the porter’s shakedown for tips scheme. Crew disposition needs a bit of inspiration, especially the almost supervisor types that seemed to be bothered at the slightest request (our perception). With 4,000 plus, be prepared to WAIT in lines. The feeding frenzy at the garden buffet is something you have to experience for yourself. The highlight is the “washy washy, happy happy” girl that sprays germ killer on your hands as you enter the Garden Buffet. The disembarking walk off was an absolute breeze when compared to the death march when boarding. Again, no more ‘free styling” for us, 4,000+ passenger ships, and sadly; no more bookings on NCL in the future. Bon Voyage folks.

Let’s face it, certain people should not cruise.

[dd likes to cruise]

For those of you waiting a long time to eat, was it Taste or Manhattan Room? Just Curious. We traveled on Epic last April, had reservations for 2 and never had trouble getting a table for 2, or waiting.

 

Liked it enough we are booked on her for this year and next all ready.

[FredZiffle]

I am confused as well as to why this person stated they were in an Owner's Suite then a mini-suite. The intention doesn't sound any different than the person who veered off to use the restroom only to get ahead of the masses.

 

Seriously? You're still confused even after it was explained twice? The OP was not trying to circumvent the line. She just wanted to see if there was a separate line for suite passengers.

 

Let’s face it, certain people should not cruise.

 

It drives me crazy when someone gives an honest and detailed review, yet is bashed because, God forbid, they mentioned something negative in their review. I've been on too many cruises to count, and not one cruise has been perfect. On the vast majority of them, the good outweighed the bad, but there have been some (like our cruise on the Epic several years ago) where I came away less than happy with the experience.

[detroitlions]

You touched on my pet peeve at the beginning of your review, tipping the porters. Although I tip them (don’t want my suitcase in the ocean) I hate doing so. Why? Because most ports that I know of in the USA, dock workers are members of the Longshoresmen’s Association or other union and are paid a better than average wage.

 

I cruised on the Epic in December of 2016 and it didn’t take long for me to realize I’m not a mega-ship fan. I continue to cruise with NCL, but I will never book a cruise on a mega-ship again.

 

There are a few issues with the review.

First being the porters are not employees of the cruise line they work for the port they ask for tips cause they know you are paranoid about your luggage.

I throw my own bags in the bin half the time I don't wait on them.

 

Also the port you went to is not the fault of NCL they can request changes and improve once you are in there space but that is it.

 

The complaints the OP has sounds as if they are not the cruising type. I for one would not have went with out choosing the free drink options they are complaining about the cost to buy 1 at a time then they are complaining about the tips on the drinks. So you don't tip bartenders at home?

 

I avoid the main dining rooms at the most popular times and I do mix it up and go to the specialty restaurants they are not that expensive if you buy a package or pick it as one of your included perks.

4 Restaurants for around $100 a person with a more personable experience all cruise lines have these restaurants now.... Have you cruised lately? it is clearly not how it used to be and a lot of ways I like it that way. I did not like old school cruising because of the key word OLD as in the people and the experience. I would rather be around families.