While i don't claim to be a truly seasoned cruiser [this cruise on the Epic was my fourth, with the 1st three on Royal Caribbean (Freedom of the Seas, Liberty of the Seas, and Allure of the Seas)] I should have realized from the comments and ratings that are on this site that I should have avoided the Epic. Sure, it was not entirely terrible. Getting onboard was very quick and smooth. Days in port, when the ship was relatively empty and we stayed on board, were good. However, days at sea with the ship packed (and we heard that it was sold out) and disembarkation were the pits.

When it mattered, the days at sea, the Epic was a disappointment. Whether it was because of a lack of chairs on deck, or staff that seemed disinterested and unmotivated, or because of poorly planned and/or executed activities, the Epic could have done much, much better.

I read the reviews about the cabins and their bathrooms, and although they made no sense, from a design and function perspective, they weren't that bad. What was bad was the utterly confusing design of the ship with access to many/most of the entertainment venues requiring you to go through the Casino. Read more