NCL Epic 3/30/19 Eastern Caribbean- Review

[teesmc]

Finally completing my review of the 3/30 Epic sailing... All in all, it was a good week!  Happy to answer questions too.

 

Date and Embarkation port:  Port Canaveral is an easy drive from ATL.  We stayed outside Orlando night before and parked at the port.  We arrived at port around 11 and waited outside for about an hour to get inside.  Luckily we were under a covered area and not in the hot sun like some others.  Got on board by 1.  Not too painful.

 

Obviously spring break makes for a busy ship.  This is our 6^th cruise over one of the non-college school spring break weeks.  We knew the ship would be crowded, and it was VERY crowded.  Lots of teenagers wearing very skimpy bikinis swarming the pool deck/band area.  I was shocked at the moms and dads letting their under 21 year old daughters booze it up and dance around with their bottoms hanging out.  I don’t remember this on Magic/Breeze/Oasis other spring breaks.  NCL lets 18 and up drink, but many of these kids were younger.

 

The lines to get drinks were very long.  Everyone seems to have the drink package and orders 2 drinks at a time, which makes for a longer wait.  Also felt like the bartenders favored men ordering.  I was passed up multiple times in multiple bars for men who walked up after me.  Very frustrating.  At night all the bars were very crowded and it was a long wait to get before and after dinner drinks between 5:30-10.  Servers at the casino were non-existent...which is dumb because the drunker people get, the more money they lose!

 

Food:  Buffet was better than MDR for dinner.  Dinner in MDR was small, dry and very bland.  Mostly same food selections each night.  Nothing spectacular at all.  Desserts in MDR were not good.  Carnival desserts blow-away NCL.  MDR was great for breakfast!  O’Sheehans for breakfast was also a good option.  Kids enjoyed the Kid’s Corner section of the buffet!

 

Room:  I was ready for the odd layout…wish the toilet wasn’t literally next to the head of our bed.  YUCK!  The sink in the room was tiny.  Room size was OK.  Lots of storage.  Balcony nice size.  Steward was good, saw him all the time!  Convenient for swapping wet pool towels etc.

 

Entertainment:  Burn the Floor was really good.  It was a bit risqué for our 10/12 year olds, but not terrible.  Comedians were OK.  Dueling Piano show was really strange,  they had the guests up on stage doing some uncomfortable actions…  just odd.  Escape the Big Top was HARD!  We did trivia in the Atrium a few times.  Also enjoyed watching the dancers teach the passengers in the Atrium.

 

Ports:  LOVED Tortola stop.  We hired a boat charter and went to Jost VanDyke and a private island.  St. Thomas stop was odd timing- 7am to 2- didn’t make sense to me why we could not have a whole day there?  Can’t do much that early/short time period.  Great Stirrup Cay was AWESOME.  So glad we got to go there. 

 

Ship:  We found the layout and flow very odd and non-efficient.  Missed having the promenade around the boat for walking and ocean views.  Pool area was extremely crowded.  Pool chairs were all reserved by 8am every sea day.  Smoke from the casino seeped into Taste (MDR) and the surrounding bars- Maltings and the Martini bar.  Ship definitely seemed dated to me.  Dark and weathered. Also, first cruise where I was HOT inside.  Every other cruise I have been freezing in the MDR and casino.  This time I was roasting.  Seems like saving $$ on Air conditioning.  Or just more to the European feel.

 

OVERALL:  We had a nice week.  We were traveling with a big group who made it more fun.  I would try NCL again, hopefully a newer ship.  Would like more port time and less ship time in a 7 day cruise.  From a value perspective, I think we did well.  The drink package being included in the perks saved us ~$500 from the Carnival and Royal drink packages.

 

Reading back my review sounds negative, but just trying to point out areas for improvement.  We did really enjoy ourselves!

 

[Chesneygirl]

Thank you for your review! 

If you don't mind me asking, who was your boat chartered through for Jost Van Dyke and would you recommend them?

 

 

[teesmc]

3 minutes ago, Chesneygirl said:

Thank you for your review! 

If you don't mind me asking, who was your boat chartered through for Jost Van Dyke and would you recommend them?

 

 

We reserved Captain Rudy through Ocean Magic Mitch charters.  Rudy's boat is larger- we had 12 people.  Would definitely recommend!  Was our favorite part of the week.  It's not a catamaran though, which we have done in Cozumel and enjoy the laying out space.  

[Chesneygirl]

13 minutes ago, teesmc said:

We reserved Captain Rudy through Ocean Magic Mitch charters.  Rudy's boat is larger- we had 12 people.  Would definitely recommend!  Was our favorite part of the week.  It's not a catamaran though, which we have done in Cozumel and enjoy the laying out space.  

Thanks for your reply!

About how much time did they allow you on Jost Van Dyke?

Did you feel rushed?

 

 

[teesmc]

19 hours ago, Chesneygirl said:

Thanks for your reply!

About how much time did they allow you on Jost Van Dyke?

Did you feel rushed?

 

 

We had the boat from 9-5,  we spent around an hour at a small uninhabited island, about 2 hours at White Bay-Soggy and Hendos, some time snorkeling around White bay, and an hour at Foxy's.  You can customize the trip.