I found previous reviews on the Epic very helpful and thought I would add my own review after sailing on Epic last week. This was my fourth cruise, all with my family of four, including previous cruises on Disney and Princess. Things that I thought Epic did better than the other two cruise lines: a) the embarkation and disembarkation went extremely smoothly and added to the enjoyable experience, especially getting off the ship in Barcelona; b) we went on two EPIC excursions that were among the highlights of our trip. The Tuscany/Florence tour was lovely, even for my 20-something kids; the exclusive tour for the Amalfi Coast and Pompeii was worth the extra money due to the smaller size and excellent tour guide; c) the balcony stateroom was better than previous staterooms with more size, excellent storage, nice shower and funkier design. Things I thought were better on other cruise lines: a) the pool layout on the Epic wasn't great - too much emphasis the deck around the pools and not enough of the pool water to enjoy; b) entertainment was hit or miss. A lot of really poor lounge acts with only one really good show, "Burn the Floor"; very disappointing; c) agree with previous reviews that the casino should be in it's own room rather than the centerpiece of the Atrium.
All I all, a very enjoyable cruise but mostly due to the ports of call. I would recommend the Epic for the itinerary but may choose other ships if more days were spent at sea.
Excellent. Plenty of room, quiet, decent beds (albeit a bit on the short side), nice shower.
Spent time here both before and after cruise. Loved the city. Excellent bike tour with Biketours Barcelona on a Sunday morning. Great, authentic Flamenco dance at Palu Dalmases. Decent hotel stay at Hotel Redding. Sagrada Familia a must-see.
On our own. Took the train into Rome, quick transfer via Metro to Colosseum. Saw the Roman Ruins, Vatican, Trevi Fountain and all points in between. Exhausting day but with a good guide book, doable and fun.
On our own. Took the train to Monaco. Many interesting things to see including the Casino and the Prince's Palace. A bit disappointed in Cannes, especially along the harbor - too tacky and felt too touristy given the exclusivity of the region.
Spent the afternoon at a beach at Cali Major. Outstanding. Cool area. Great Gelato. Wish we had more time here.