My Epic Review...huge ship, great staff & entertainment, poor cabin layout

[joteacher]

We sailed on the Epic 2/17/2018. Here is my review:

 

We were a group of 14 friends on this cruise. I planned the trip for our group, seven of them who had never cruised before. I chose the ship because we had never sailed one of the mega-ships before and wanted to try something new. The itinerary was one my husband and I had done a couple of times in the past.

 

We all chose to fly in the day before and used Go Port Canaveral for shuttle service and hotel accommodations. We stayed at the Best Western in Titusville, were picked up about 9:30 am, had a 45-minute shuttle ride, and were on the ship before 11:30. Although there were a lot of people at the port, embarkation was pretty smooth.

 

We got a cocktail and ate lunch at Taste instead of going to the buffet; it was relaxing and not crowded at all. After exploring a bit, our cabins were ready before 2:00 pm. Luggage showed up shortly afterwards. We Stayed in cabin 12096, which was a large balcony. The location was great, not too far from the elevator, so it was easy to get places. I did find the cabin to be very narrow. The sofa is near the balcony in this cabin and the bed is near the sink, so if one of us was brushing our teeth, we had to move out of the way so the other could pass by to get to or from the toilet or shower. The Large balcony was nice, having two chairs, a table, and a lounger. Our roomsteward was attentive, and the room was always in great shape.

 

Our group split up on the ship, so we didn’t all eat together. Usually four of us stayed together, and since we all had the dining package we ate at Cagney’s, Moderno, Teppanyaki, and La Cucina, along with Taste and Manhattan for dinners. They were all very good, but we liked Cagney’s The least; it just wasn’t as good as what we’d had on other ships. In fact, we had it booked for two nights, but we changed the second one to La Cucina. Ithink Moderno was our favorite; everything was delicious! The food in the main dining rooms was really just as good as the specialty dining rooms. We had all of our breakfasts at the Garden Café. The food was good there as well. For Lunch, we usually just grabbed a burger or sandwich at the Spice H2O grill.

 

Speaking of Spice, it was our favorite place on the ship! It’s the adults-only space with a small pool, two hot tubs, quite a few loungers (but they fill up fast!), tables and chairs, and a bar and grill.Interestingly, even though it’s a deck above the main pool area, it was not as windy up there as main pool area. There are waiters that come around to take drink orders and service is very speedy. We had the unlimited drink package,and they allow you to get two drinks at once, nice if you’re somewhere where service is not as speedy!

 

We really just had a laid, back, relaxing cruise this time.We only saw a couple of shows; Priscilla, Queen of the Desert was hysterical.We really enjoyed that one! As far as Burn the Floor, I read such good reviews about it that I was really looking forward to it. As it turned out, we really didn't care for it; in fact, my friend said, “If I had paid for those tickets,I would ask for my money back!” The comedian-magician was very good. The music around the ship was good; we stopped and listened as we passed through.

 

We had a good turn-out at our Cruise Critic Meet &Greet, about 50 of the 65 who signed up, came to it. We met many of the officers, one of which was Manoel, the restaurant manager. He was especially friendly and accommodating to our group throughout the week. A group of about 15 of us went to the casino for a slot pull after our M&G. We didn’t win any money but had a lot of fun!

 

Our ports were Great Stirrip Cay, where I definitely recommend spending the $39.00 for the clamshell with two loungers if the sun bothers you at all. The weather was great, the food was good, the lines for the bars were very long…this is where the two drinks/card comes in handy! In Ochos Rios, we took a private tour with Courtney Taylor…highly recommend him as he'll tailor your tour to your wants. In Grand Cayman we shared a pool cabana with cruise critic friends at Royal Palms, which was a short taxi ride from the port. They have a nice, heated pool with a swim-up bar and of course, the beach which was beautiful with warm water. At our final stop in Cozumel, we just got off the ship for a while and did some shopping.

 

All in all, we had a great cruise! The staff and food on the Epic were fantastic! I did find it to feel crowded at times, especially when trying to get an elevator. I’m not sure I’d sail a mega-ship again as we prefer the smaller, jewel-class ships. We do continue to love NCL and believe them to provide a great cruise…in fact, I’ve booked two more, one on the Dawn, and one on the Gem!

 

If I can answer any questions, let me know!

~Joanne

Edited March 2, 2018 by joteacher
spacing of some of the words

[Oakman58]

Excellent review. Thanks for taking the time to write it and share.

[bluehawks47]

Thank you for your review! It sounds like you had a great time. We leave a week from tomorrow!!

A quick question about the clamshell at GSC... do we need to reserve ahead of time or can we just get one when we get to GSC?

Thank you

[BirdTravels]

Thank you for taking the time to write. We have sailed on the Epic many time and love the ship.

[joteacher]

Thank you for your review! It sounds like you had a great time. We leave a week from tomorrow!!

A quick question about the clamshell at GSC... do we need to reserve ahead of time or can we just get one when we get to GSC?

Thank you

 

We booked ours at the shore excursion desk on the ship. There were plenty available, but I wouldn't wait till you get to the island. I would definitely book it on the ship.

~Joanne

[bluehawks47]

We booked ours at the shore excursion desk on the ship. There were plenty available, but I wouldn't wait till you get to the island. I would definitely book it on the ship.

 

~Joanne

 

 

 

Ok thank you.

 

 

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[Clarea]

Excellent report, thank-you.

[Austinettecruiser]

We sailed on the Epic 2/17/2018. Here is my review:

 

We were a group of 14 friends on this cruise. I planned the trip for our group, seven of them who had never cruised before. I chose the ship because we had never sailed one of the mega-ships before and wanted to try something new. The itinerary was one my husband and I had done a couple of times in the past.

 

We all chose to fly in the day before and used Go Port Canaveral for shuttle service and hotel accommodations. We stayed at the Best Western in Titusville, were picked up about 9:30 am, had a 45-minute shuttle ride, and were on the ship before 11:30. Although there were a lot of people at the port, embarkation was pretty smooth.

 

We got a cocktail and ate lunch at Taste instead of going to the buffet; it was relaxing and not crowded at all. After exploring a bit, our cabins were ready before 2:00 pm. Luggage showed up shortly afterwards. We Stayed in cabin 12096, which was a large balcony. The location was great, not too far from the elevator, so it was easy to get places. I did find the cabin to be very narrow. The sofa is near the balcony in this cabin and the bed is near the sink, so if one of us was brushing our teeth, we had to move out of the way so the other could pass by to get to or from the toilet or shower. The Large balcony was nice, having two chairs, a table, and a lounger. Our roomsteward was attentive, and the room was always in great shape.

 

Our group split up on the ship, so we didn’t all eat together. Usually four of us stayed together, and since we all had the dining package we ate at Cagney’s, Moderno, Teppanyaki, and La Cucina, along with Taste and Manhattan for dinners. They were all very good, but we liked Cagney’s The least; it just wasn’t as good as what we’d had on other ships. In fact, we had it booked for two nights, but we changed the second one to La Cucina. Ithink Moderno was our favorite; everything was delicious! The food in the main dining rooms was really just as good as the specialty dining rooms. We had all of our breakfasts at the Garden Café. The food was good there as well. For Lunch, we usually just grabbed a burger or sandwich at the Spice H2O grill.

 

Speaking of Spice, it was our favorite place on the ship! It’s the adults-only space with a small pool, two hot tubs, quite a few loungers (but they fill up fast!), tables and chairs, and a bar and grill.Interestingly, even though it’s a deck above the main pool area, it was not as windy up there as main pool area. There are waiters that come around to take drink orders and service is very speedy. We had the unlimited drink package,and they allow you to get two drinks at once, nice if you’re somewhere where service is not as speedy!

 

We really just had a laid, back, relaxing cruise this time.We only saw a couple of shows; Priscilla, Queen of the Desert was hysterical.We really enjoyed that one! As far as Burn the Floor, I read such good reviews about it that I was really looking forward to it. As it turned out, we really didn't care for it; in fact, my friend said, “If I had paid for those tickets,I would ask for my money back!” The comedian-magician was very good. The music around the ship was good; we stopped and listened as we passed through.

 

We had a good turn-out at our Cruise Critic Meet &Greet, about 50 of the 65 who signed up, came to it. We met many of the officers, one of which was Manoel, the restaurant manager. He was especially friendly and accommodating to our group throughout the week. A group of about 15 of us went to the casino for a slot pull after our M&G. We didn’t win any money but had a lot of fun!

 

Our ports were Great Stirrip Cay, where I definitely recommend spending the $39.00 for the clamshell with two loungers if the sun bothers you at all. The weather was great, the food was good, the lines for the bars were very long…this is where the two drinks/card comes in handy! In Ochos Rios, we took a private tour with Courtney Taylor…highly recommend him as he'll tailor your tour to your wants. In Grand Cayman we shared a pool cabana with cruise critic friends at Royal Palms, which was a short taxi ride from the port. They have a nice, heated pool with a swim-up bar and of course, the beach which was beautiful with warm water. At our final stop in Cozumel, we just got off the ship for a while and did some shopping.

 

All in all, we had a great cruise! The staff and food on the Epic were fantastic! I did find it to feel crowded at times, especially when trying to get an elevator. I’m not sure I’d sail a mega-ship again as we prefer the smaller, jewel-class ships. We do continue to love NCL and believe them to provide a great cruise…in fact, I’ve booked two more, one on the Dawn, and one on the Gem!

 

If I can answer any questions, let me know!

~Joanne

 

 

 

Do you know if the walls are magnetic in the staterooms? I have things I hang in the wall and if not magnetic, I will bring stick on hooks. Thank you.

 

 

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[APDMOM]

Thank you for your detailed review! We leave in 2 weeks [emoji846]

 

 

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[Keith1010]

Thank you for your comprehensive review/report.

Keith

[cddclcruiser2011]

Can you post the dailies for your cruise? We are on the 3/31 cruise and it is very hard to find any Western Caribbean dailies.

[newmexicoNita]

We sailed on the Epic 2/17/2018. Here is my review:

 

We were a group of 14 friends on this cruise. I planned the trip for our group, seven of them who had never cruised before. I chose the ship because we had never sailed one of the mega-ships before and wanted to try something new. The itinerary was one my husband and I had done a couple of times in the past.

 

We all chose to fly in the day before and used Go Port Canaveral for shuttle service and hotel accommodations. We stayed at the Best Western in Titusville, were picked up about 9:30 am, had a 45-minute shuttle ride, and were on the ship before 11:30. Although there were a lot of people at the port, embarkation was pretty smooth.

 

We got a cocktail and ate lunch at Taste instead of going to the buffet; it was relaxing and not crowded at all. After exploring a bit, our cabins were ready before 2:00 pm. Luggage showed up shortly afterwards. We Stayed in cabin 12096, which was a large balcony. The location was great, not too far from the elevator, so it was easy to get places. I did find the cabin to be very narrow. The sofa is near the balcony in this cabin and the bed is near the sink, so if one of us was brushing our teeth, we had to move out of the way so the other could pass by to get to or from the toilet or shower. The Large balcony was nice, having two chairs, a table, and a lounger. Our roomsteward was attentive, and the room was always in great shape.

 

Our group split up on the ship, so we didn’t all eat together. Usually four of us stayed together, and since we all had the dining package we ate at Cagney’s, Moderno, Teppanyaki, and La Cucina, along with Taste and Manhattan for dinners. They were all very good, but we liked Cagney’s The least; it just wasn’t as good as what we’d had on other ships. In fact, we had it booked for two nights, but we changed the second one to La Cucina. Ithink Moderno was our favorite; everything was delicious! The food in the main dining rooms was really just as good as the specialty dining rooms. We had all of our breakfasts at the Garden Café. The food was good there as well. For Lunch, we usually just grabbed a burger or sandwich at the Spice H2O grill.

 

Speaking of Spice, it was our favorite place on the ship! It’s the adults-only space with a small pool, two hot tubs, quite a few loungers (but they fill up fast!), tables and chairs, and a bar and grill.Interestingly, even though it’s a deck above the main pool area, it was not as windy up there as main pool area. There are waiters that come around to take drink orders and service is very speedy. We had the unlimited drink package,and they allow you to get two drinks at once, nice if you’re somewhere where service is not as speedy!

 

We really just had a laid, back, relaxing cruise this time.We only saw a couple of shows; Priscilla, Queen of the Desert was hysterical.We really enjoyed that one! As far as Burn the Floor, I read such good reviews about it that I was really looking forward to it. As it turned out, we really didn't care for it; in fact, my friend said, “If I had paid for those tickets,I would ask for my money back!” The comedian-magician was very good. The music around the ship was good; we stopped and listened as we passed through.

 

We had a good turn-out at our Cruise Critic Meet &Greet, about 50 of the 65 who signed up, came to it. We met many of the officers, one of which was Manoel, the restaurant manager. He was especially friendly and accommodating to our group throughout the week. A group of about 15 of us went to the casino for a slot pull after our M&G. We didn’t win any money but had a lot of fun!

 

Our ports were Great Stirrip Cay, where I definitely recommend spending the $39.00 for the clamshell with two loungers if the sun bothers you at all. The weather was great, the food was good, the lines for the bars were very long…this is where the two drinks/card comes in handy! In Ochos Rios, we took a private tour with Courtney Taylor…highly recommend him as he'll tailor your tour to your wants. In Grand Cayman we shared a pool cabana with cruise critic friends at Royal Palms, which was a short taxi ride from the port. They have a nice, heated pool with a swim-up bar and of course, the beach which was beautiful with warm water. At our final stop in Cozumel, we just got off the ship for a while and did some shopping.

 

All in all, we had a great cruise! The staff and food on the Epic were fantastic! I did find it to feel crowded at times, especially when trying to get an elevator. I’m not sure I’d sail a mega-ship again as we prefer the smaller, jewel-class ships. We do continue to love NCL and believe them to provide a great cruise…in fact, I’ve booked two more, one on the Dawn, and one on the Gem!

 

If I can answer any questions, let me know!

~Joanne

funny thing: most people's number one complaint about the Epic is the cabin layout and the shower. I do not like that 1/2 circle couch which they have in the Breakaway cabins as well, but I like the shower set up. So did hubby. I would not like it if cruising with someone I didn't really know well or with a family, but other wise I like it. I know I am in the minority.

[Skubi]

Do you know if the walls are magnetic in the staterooms? I have things I hang in the wall and if not magnetic, I will bring stick on hooks. Thank you.

 

 

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They are but you would have to have very strong magnets. I had decent but not overly strong magnets and due to the covering of the wall, they wouldn't stay in place.

[joteacher]

Can you post the dailies for your cruise? We are on the 3/31 cruise and it is very hard to find any Western Caribbean dailies.

 

I have them and will try to get them scanned in for you this weekend.

~Joanne