LIVE from the most hated ship in the NCL fleet, Epic, March 26-April 2

[Dismomx5]

1 hour ago, MoCruiseFan said:

Wow what a diatribe, I gave up after about ½ of yoru rambling.  BTW good job, way to plan ruiining your own crusie before it even started

 

Well, now you know that you can just scroll on by the updates, saving yourself a shipload of wasted time. 👍🏻 Some of us are thoroughly enjoying the writing style of spenecer, and look for the next installment/chapter of their adventure.

[spenecer]

Embarkation Day

We are staying in a boutique hotel in Old San Juan called the Decanter. It is a refurbished old building with French balconies. It is adorable. It has a rooftop bar that serves tapas which, because we were exhausted, we looked at but chose to go to bed early instead. If you are a light sleeper, you may be disturbed by the chatter but I found it soothing since I live in an urban area and what would I do without the sound of my neighbors drinking beer around their fire pit on a summer night?  Just like home (well, not now because my home is currently mimicking a melting Frigidaire).

This morning, I woke up at 5:30 and headed down the port of Old San Juan. A few minutes walk and I found the Epic (on the left in the photo) and the Voyager of the Seas (on the right in the photo) across the bay (inlet, sound?). These Mega Ships are monsters. I don’t think I packed the right kind of shoes for the amount of walking I’m planning to do. Running up 7 flights to my interior cabin on deck 12 is starting to seem more onerous now. I might have to (gasp) take the elevator. 
 

Just a few more hours until we are on the ship!

 

 

Edited March 26, 2023 by spenecer

[www3traveler]

Have a wonderful cruise.

[spenecer]

Embarkation Day!

 

We are on our way from Old San Juan to the Pan American Pier in an ‘actual’ taxi. I am so grateful that everyone in tourist industry here understands English and that the Epic’s name is so short. I definitely do not know how to say Voyager of the Seas in Spanish. 

Edited March 26, 2023 by spenecer
Typo

[spenecer]

We are now in line outside the cruise terminal. It took 20 minutes from Old San Juan to the Pan American Pier with one stop to pick up six Texans from the Casablanca.  Once at the entrance to the pier, we discovered that taxi is absolutely the way to go because you get in the special secret Taxi line where you drive on the side of the road and over sidewalks to be dropped off at the front of the cruise terminal. 

Edited March 26, 2023 by spenecer

[Sugar Magnolia]

10 minutes ago, spenecer said:

We are now in line outside the cruise terminal. It took 20 minutes from Old San Juan to the Pan American Pier with one stop to pick up six Texans from the Casablanca.  Once at the entrance to the pier, we discovered that taxi is absolutely the way to go because you get in the special secret Taxi line where you drive on the side of the road and over sidewalks to be dropped off at the front of the cruise terminal. 

 

I usually walk to the Pan American Pier from my hotel. So far I haven't been hit by a taxi. Fingers crossed for next month.

 

[spenecer]

It was 40 minutes to drop off our bag and then we entered the terminal where we zipped past security.  Then, there was water and seating, but like lemmings we proceeded past to the huge cavernous space, like Moby Dick’s belly, where we got in a check-in line. My check-in line, with my fellow lemmings, is labeled Casino’s At Sea Check-In so I hope all of us non-casino people are in the right place. 

[Von & John]

Loving the review…

Enjoy yourselves & Have a Fantabulous Cruise!

As adults my sisters & I took Mom on her first & only cruise - such precious memories!!!

Cheers & Von Boyage

[spenecer]

Speed: 5 Mbps Down/ 1 Mbps Up

Check-in was so fast that I don’t even know how long we stood in line. We are now at lunch at Taste and logged into the ship’s Wi-Fi. Our poor waitress kept coming by to take our order and I kept asking for another minute because we couldn’t figure out the internet. But, by this post, I’m on now.

 

Drink #1 is a Martini 

[coscab]

I see Epic is going to be the only NCL out of Port Canaveral December 2024, been on her, not my favorite ship only because of the sink in the bedroom area, seemed a  very small area. 

Let me know if you find a way to store things in that area, we might have to sail her again, maybe I am not remembering correctly.  Hope you are having a fantastic time!!

[Moonglo]

Have a wonderful cruise. We were on Epic 2/19-2/26 and had a fantastic trip. Enjoy your cruise.....and I'm looking forward to following along on yours. Bon Voyage!

 

[genealogyfan]

3 hours ago, spenecer said:

Embarkation Day!

 

We are on our way from Old San Juan to the Pan American Pier in an ‘actual’ taxi. I am so grateful that everyone in tourist industry here understands English and that the Epic’s name is so short. I definitely do not know how to say Voyager of the Seas in Spanish. 

What time did you arrive at the pier?

[spenecer]

16 minutes ago, genealogyfan said:

What time did you arrive at the pier?

12:10pm

[genealogyfan]

3 minutes ago, spenecer said:

12:10pm

Thanks and have a great cruise. I'm leaving from San Juan on Apr 22 on the Epic. 

[spenecer]

After lunch, we went up to checkout our stateroom because it was on the way to Mandara Spa. We couldn’t hear any announcements in Taste as to whether rooms or ready or not but as we stepped foot on Deck 12, the voice overhead announced that staterooms were available. Excellent timing!

 

When we entered our statement, I’m sorry to report that NCL is not Woke. Our beds were split into two beds so they clearly assumed that an old lady and a young lady with the same last names were mother and daughter and not a cougar preying on a young lass. I’m not sure what I’m going to do with all the free time I got back because now I don’t have to ask for the beds to be separated (my daughter is a starfish. I do not want to share a bed with her).

 

Drinks #2 (Pineapple Passionfruit Lemonade) and #3 (The Pink Drink)

 

[spenecer]

Muster Drill

 

At 4:30, we headed down to the (last?) in-person muster drill.  Our station was the Spiegel Tent and Headliners Club (even numbers Spiegel, odd numbers Headliners). We waited about 10 minutes in the hall and then crew members with numbered signs showed up. We then went inside and got our cards scanned. We started very empty as a bunch of people left (maybe because all C was written into the Freestyle Daily as Spiegel Tent) for the Headliner’s Club. Passengers then continued showing up for the next 25 minutes (people are still showing up as I post this entry). Now I know why the schedule has the muster drill listed as an hour. You have to wait for every last passenger shows up. Some social engineer out there has calculated how long it takes to get 5400 people to their muster stations and it is an hour. 

[insidecabin]

5 minutes ago, spenecer said:

Muster Drill

 

At 4:30, we headed down to the (last?) in-person muster drill.  Our station was the Spiegel Tent and Headliners Club (even numbers Spiegel, odd numbers Headliners). We waited about 10 minutes in the hall and then crew members with numbered signs showed up. We then went inside and got our cards scanned. We started very empty as a bunch of people left (maybe because all C was written into the Freestyle Daily as Spiegel Tent) for the Headliner’s Club. Passengers then continued showing up for the next 25 minutes (people are still showing up as I post this entry). Now I know why the schedule has the muster drill listed as an hour. You have to wait for every last passenger shows up. Some social engineer out there has calculated how long it takes to get 5400 people to their muster stations and it is an hour. 

Some just see the schedule is for an hour and turn up near the end.

 

They should say your card won't work for one hour after you check in that should hurry people along.

 

 

 

[Pat.D]

26 minutes ago, spenecer said:

At 4:30, we headed down to the (last?) in-person muster drill.

 

Really hope we're back to the E-Muster when I sail the Epic again in 3 weeks. 🙂

[amygutman]

(my daughter is a starfish. I do not want to share a bed with her).

 

This made me laugh out loud. We refer to our soon-to-be 14 yo as the "yoga-loving octopus". Sharing a hotel room queen with him is both painful and bruise-inducing. 

 

Loving your journey so far and thank you for taking the time out of your vacation! If your trip ends up back in San Juan, do not leave without trying mufungo. I have an unhealthy love for this dish. Literally...mouth watering as I type. 

 

Warmest, Amy

[crazycatlady82]

2 hours ago, genealogyfan said:

Thanks and have a great cruise. I'm leaving from San Juan on Apr 22 on the Epic. 

This year? I’m on the epic cruise that leaves April 14 and sails to New York on the 22nd….

[crazycatlady82]

1 hour ago, Pat.D said:

 

Really hope we're back to the E-Muster when I sail the Epic again in 3 weeks. 🙂

See you in 3 weeks 😉

[genealogyfan]

3 minutes ago, crazycatlady82 said:

This year? I’m on the epic cruise that leaves April 14 and sails to New York on the 22nd….

Oops - yes you are right. I'm leaving San Juan on Apr 14 and it arrives in NYC on the 22nd. 

[Pat.D]

4 minutes ago, crazycatlady82 said:

See you in 3 weeks 😉

 

I'm sure it's going to be a fun one, see ya! 😎

[Pat.D]

4 minutes ago, genealogyfan said:

I'm leaving San Juan on Apr 14 and it arrives in NYC on the 22nd.

 

Ah-ha! See you too! 🙂 

[spenecer]

The Epic tooted its horn and we are sailing out as only a giant behemoth can slowly increase its speed. We are sailing past the Voyager of the Seas and people on both boats are screaming and waving their phones.