Condition of Epic

[Maria63]

On 11/2/2022 at 9:52 PM, charlesspinney said:

I have just heard from my NCL travel advisor that the Oct 23rd sailing is the last that H2O will be closed.

Can anyone confirm this?

 

We are currently on Epic, Nov 3 sailing, the 2nd leg of a b2b for us. H2O is now open, I just now this morning checked it out for the first time since coming onboard.

[roxette]

9 hours ago, Maria63 said:

 

We are currently on Epic, Nov 3 sailing, the 2nd leg of a b2b for us. H2O is now open, I just now this morning checked it out for the first time since coming onboard.

Thank you for the info. Great news. Enjoy your cruise!

[nonchalant_muse]

10 hours ago, Maria63 said:

 

We are currently on Epic, Nov 3 sailing, the 2nd leg of a b2b for us. H2O is now open, I just now this morning checked it out for the first time since coming onboard.

 

How does the area look? Were they able to clean up all the gunk from the emissions? 

[Maria63]

13 hours ago, nonchalant_muse said:

 

How does the area look? Were they able to clean up all the gunk from the emissions? 

The H2O-area looks fine to me, but it is my first time on Epic so I have nothing to compare with. Up around the sports-court there are still some yellowish stains on the white paint, but no big deal imo.

 

As noted in another thread, the shops are now closed for renovation, they announced it during the last days of our previous leg. There are currently only some 2100 guests onboard so it makes sense to do it now, presumably in preparation for the coming US-season.

[Captain-John]

8 hours ago, Maria63 said:

As noted in another thread, the shops are now closed for renovation, they announced it during the last days of our previous leg.

 

It was explained to me they closed them halfway through your first leg (my only leg!) and would re-open halfway through the next one - I can't see how as they hadn't started any renovation work that I could see when we left on Thursday so as you say more likely to be complete for after the T/A.

 

Hope you continue to enjoy the cruise. I've submitted my feedback already on all the issues I raised in this thread.

[Jltjr1999]

We're on board now. H2O is open. We were told by a guest services member that the shops will open November 10th.

[Jayneykul]

We were on the same sailing and concur with everything you say Captain-John. We were in a mini suite. My husband has not been on Epic before I have. It has deteriorated considerably. He was quite disgusted with some areas he says a total refurb is necessary. Our balcony light was hanging off the wall (fixed after complaint) there was a huge chip in the sink, the telephone didn’t work and the balcony was very rusty. In addition to the issues with the ship (we didn’t think $50 was sufficient recompense for no H2O] all bars ran out of Sauvignon blanc after 2 days and by the last few days Pinot Grigio  brandy and many other drinks. The shops closed after corfu. We have been to Mykonos many many times and have never tendered epic decides to tender and guess what we didn’t make it! The worst was we had gone on this cruise to celebrate my husbands 70th birthday. I booked Cagney for the occasion went to guest services got a card to hand to the maitre’d for a cake etc. we sat for 1.5 hours waiting for food which was very mediocre and nothing I was so embarrassed that my oh would think I hadn’t done anything for him on his special day. We had already decided not to sail with NCL again after the PCC stressed me out so much I ended up in tears on a number of occasions pre cruise so no we will probably not make a formal complaint as we don’t want anymore hassle/threatening phone calls to give us $50 of onboard credit we will never use we will just vote with our feet

 

 

 

[DCGuy64]

Sorry to hear about the experience of @Jayneykul and her husband. And on his 70th birthday cruise, too! I'm hoping our experience is better.

[Captain-John]

On 11/7/2022 at 8:01 PM, Jayneykul said:

We were on the same sailing and concur with everything you say Captain-John. We were in a mini suite.

 

 

 

 

Yes, hopefully NCL take note for future guests. It was a big disappointment. I was also surprised at the Mykonos move.

 

We ate in Cagneys 3 times and had an *awful* meal on the second occasion. 2 hours to have just 2 courses, and the food was dreadful - lukewarm, tasteless. I did complain and was told they were having issues in the kitchen that night - no kidding. If we didn't have a dining package they'd have want $140 for the pleasure too.... However, the first and third times were good.

[Jayneykul]

Have you had any response to your complaint Captain-John? I haven’t made an official complaint just filled out the survey forms 

[New2cruise2022]

Beyond cosmetics and comfort, the condition of a ship — as well as a plane, a car, etc — communicates confidence or, in this case perhaps, LACK of confidence. Attention to detail with non-critical systems (appearance in staterooms and public areas) instills confidence in the areas that consumers cannot see (the food prep areas, the lifeboats, the engine) etc. I’m not saying any of the failings demonstrated in this post are in actuality linked to anything of a safety concern, but it is considerably harder to believe that this ship — or her crew — are equipped and ready to handle emergency situations. Beyond value, there may be valid reasons to consider other options until the concerns are addressed. 

[AstoriaPreppy]

On 10/29/2022 at 8:39 PM, blueslily said:

 

Oh, I thought most cruisers knew that when it says refurbished in whatever year or even when it's an upcoming drydock, the entire ship is not getting a facelift. Sorry, just thought most seasoned cruisers knew that usually specific areas and projects were planned during that time. Not everything. Plus, with all that has been going on, many drydocks were cancelled or things just didnt go as planned for refurbishing.

 

I think Celebrity really set the bar with their "revolutionizing" of the Millennium and Summit pre-pandemic. It's pretty astounding, but I'm not sure NCL would ever consider something on this level.

 

Unlike refurbs that are mostly soft goods or carpeting, Celebrity gutted the staterooms on the ships down to the wall studs, and completely re-designed the cabins. In addition, multiple the public areas (MDR, buffet, spa) were similarly gutted and remodeled.  https://www.cruisecritic.com/articles.cfm?ID=3955

 

Unfortunately, the refurbs for the sister ships (Infinity & Constellation) have been put on hold thanks to money flow issues. Not sure we'll ever see a re-do like these two in the industry any time soon.

[Captain-John]

7 hours ago, Jayneykul said:

Have you had any response to your complaint Captain-John? I haven’t made an official complaint just filled out the survey forms 

 

As predicted, I was offered £100 Future Cruise credit and some patronising wording in the response. They ignored commentary about the spa, and for reference, there was no complimentary bottle of wine (I don't care, but NCL seem to be patting themselves on the back for 'going further'):

 

We have reviewed the photos you provided and we truly regret your cruise was negatively impacted due to the perceived cleanliness, specifically in regard to the funnel and soot, as well as the erosion caused by salt water and humidity. While Norwegian Cruise Line aims to continuously enhance its passengers’ experience in their stateroom and public areas, we do understand how the appearance may negatively impact anyone’s vacation on board.

Respectfully, a cruise ship is a moving hotel with 24-hour operations which causes inevitable wear and tear on fitting and fixtures; this is especially true when the occupancy levels are high or sailings run continuously through the season, as with our current sailings aboard Epic. As such, the maintenance and technical upkeep of any passenger liner is an ongoing project. 

 

Please be assured that the maintenance and upkeep is a high-priority ongoing project; redecoration and refurbishment programmes are undertaken on a regular basis with interim repair work being done as and when required. We were happy to learn, upon a review of our internal voyage report, that Guest Services was able to rectify several of your concerns by completing the requested maintenance on your stateroom while you were shoreside and went further to provide a complimentary bottle of wine. 

 

I have escalated as I don't find this an adequate response or compensation vs. the price paid. One escalation resolution proposed was a cabin move on my upcoming Joy sailing but the cabin choosen is a handicap aft suite which I'm not comfortable accepting as no-one in my party is handicapped. In fairness they have responded to my complaint and pictures, and were relatively quick to do so  - can't fault them for that. Albeit, some of my points were missed and the default '£100 off a future cruise' doled out which is a bit of a lacklustre resolution.

Edited November 13, 2022 by Captain-John

[BermudaBound2014]

Thanks for reporting back.

 

At least prices of the Epic reflect the condition of the ship. No solo supplements either. These are sail away rates, but you can add all four free perks for $49. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[MJSailors]

Just a thought- Damage,stains ,mold that you do see makes a person question what other defects are there that the eye doesn’t see.

 

[Maria63]

13 hours ago, Captain-John said:

 

As predicted, I was offered £100 Future Cruise credit and some patronising wording in the response. They ignored commentary about the spa, and for reference, there was no complimentary bottle of wine (I don't care, but NCL seem to be patting themselves on the back for 'going further'):

 

We have reviewed the photos you provided and we truly regret your cruise was negatively impacted due to the perceived cleanliness, specifically in regard to the funnel and soot, as well as the erosion caused by salt water and humidity. While Norwegian Cruise Line aims to continuously enhance its passengers’ experience in their stateroom and public areas, we do understand how the appearance may negatively impact anyone’s vacation on board.

Respectfully, a cruise ship is a moving hotel with 24-hour operations which causes inevitable wear and tear on fitting and fixtures; this is especially true when the occupancy levels are high or sailings run continuously through the season, as with our current sailings aboard Epic. As such, the maintenance and technical upkeep of any passenger liner is an ongoing project. 

 

Please be assured that the maintenance and upkeep is a high-priority ongoing project; redecoration and refurbishment programmes are undertaken on a regular basis with interim repair work being done as and when required. We were happy to learn, upon a review of our internal voyage report, that Guest Services was able to rectify several of your concerns by completing the requested maintenance on your stateroom while you were shoreside and went further to provide a complimentary bottle of wine. 

 

I have escalated as I don't find this an adequate response or compensation vs. the price paid. One escalation resolution proposed was a cabin move on my upcoming Joy sailing but the cabin choosen is a handicap aft suite which I'm not comfortable accepting as no-one in my party is handicapped. In fairness they have responded to my complaint and pictures, and were relatively quick to do so  - can't fault them for that. Albeit, some of my points were missed and the default '£100 off a future cruise' doled out which is a bit of a lacklustre resolution.

I agree that the response is unsatisfactory and comes across as condescending, esp. the part about "a cruise ship being a moving hotel" etc. Other lines and ships, as for instance RCI:s Vision OTS which is a decade older, do not (we sailed on her the week before our 1st leg of our current Epic-cruise) show the obvious signs of neglect that can be observed on Epic.

 

Still, your complaints may have had some effects that are not reflected in the letter. The other day in the spa, they did do a kind of inspection where the spa-lady and a person from engineering went through some of the defects. We were in the pool at that time and pointed out the leak in the water spout. The spa-lady noted it and said it will be welded the next time the pool is emptied for cleaning.

Edited November 14, 2022 by Maria63

[Captain-John]

Indeed, I've also been on older ships in far better condition (even in NCL's fleet), which they will know because a) I told them b) They will see my Latitudes history so it is a strange thing to say. 

 

Glad there appears to be action in the spa - they should replace that rusting, corroded ceiling at the same time - but equally it's frustrating, as the waterfall leak should be well documented, given they have attempted a bodge fix on it already with some shiny tape. I hope when they drain the pool they scrub the scum line/tide mark all the way round too as well as all the other deep cleaning points raised.

 

Hope you continue to enjoy the cruise! 

[Captain-John]

13 hours ago, BermudaBound2014 said:

Thanks for reporting back.

 

At least prices of the Epic reflect the condition of the ship. No solo supplements either. These are sail away rates, but you can add all four free perks for $49. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

That's more like it. Even I'd go on her again for that sort of price (Costa/Carnival watch out!) 

[dhanakorn]

I just boarded the Epic last night so didn’t have a lot of time to explore the ship yet. But here’s my first impression. 
 

Exterior looks fine. The design has been controversial since day 1 but she doesn’t look rusty. 

 

My cabin looks great. Minimal cosmetic wear and tear, despite her age. With this current condition, I don’t think NCL will spend money to renovate the room anytime soon. I’ve 2 issues with my room though - TV has no sound (I suspect flaky hdmi cable) and the shower drainage is a little slow. Hopefully they can fix it soon. 

 

 

Bathroom/toilet design is controversial. I really hate it. The sink is so small - it’s hard to avoid spilling water on the floor. Very restrict space to maneuver around when you use the sink. Really bad design.

[dhanakorn]

Spice H2O has reopened on this cruise. The area is clean, no black soots from the smoke. 

 

 

 

 

 I think they also fixed some if the dead pixels on the screen. 

 

Rock climbing has also reopened (per Daily schedule). 

[Mosh and Me]

Just got off the ship yesterday. I tested positive for Covid. Many people on board were coughing terribly. I hope everyone on the next cruise will fare better. 

[dhanakorn]

Shops have been stocked up, ready to be open when we sail to international water. 
 

 

 

 

Epic theater. We had Epic Beatles show on the first night. It’s a blast. I think everyone love the show. 

[Mosh and Me]

The walnuts have weevils in them. Showed the chef two days in a row. I hope they threw out the whole batch. If not, those bugs will get into everything in the pantry. I ate the walnuts every morning, so, 🤮, I probably ate a few bugs 😞

[Mosh and Me]

On 11/1/2022 at 9:57 PM, cementhands said:

Thanks for the info!

We are on the fence about transatlantic this December following Rome 11 day cruise. Love the dancing opportunities by spice H20 and usually go to sports court too! Lack of exercise is not allowed 🚫 for us with all the food and drinks.

Great information.

Just came off the Nov. 3-15 sailing. H2O was open. No dance parties occurred up there. All parties were in The Bliss Lounge. 

[CruiseDealSweeper]

Glad to read Spice H2O has been cleaned up. I cruised on the Epic in June/July and it was disgusting with the exhaust layering the area. Overall the quality of the ship wasn’t great but have seen much worse tbh.